Chapter 58
"Welcome ladies and gentlemen to the second round here on the rock battlefield!" The MC's voice drowned out the cheering of the crowd, but only momentarily, as when Ash and his opponent took their respective sides of the battlefield, the cries of excitement intensified in anticipation. "We all know you're all looking forward to this match, as this is a battle between two up-and-coming newbies to the Pokémon League! Both played their battles spectacularly in their first battles, and we hope that will carry over to this one as well.
"On the green side, we have newcomer Ash Ketchum from Pallet, who rose like a tidal wave to defeat his opponent without losing or switching a single Pokémon." Ash climbed on the green Trainer's box, and it rose up into the air, looking down onto the battlefield. As expected, the rock stadium resembled the Pewter Gym in which rock and gravel covered the ground, and rock formations of varying sizes rose from the ground like stalagmites. Though he knew all eyes were on him, the only ones he could feel were Brock's burning into the back of his skull, knowing the Pokémon Breeder was sitting on the bench behind him.
"And on the red side is Dave from Saffron City. His battle ended in a narrow, chilling defeat on the ice stadium. Will he freeze Ash's rising wave before it can even start, or will the water from Ketchum's side prove too powerful to handle? There's only one way to find out; let the battle begin!"
The referee in the center of the arena rose both flags in time with the announcer's words, and Ash and Dave both retrieved Poké Balls at once. It seemed that both had already chose their first Pokémon without knowing the other's choice, and were both confident.
"Onix, go!"
"I choose you, Primeape!"
Both sides' Poké Balls burst open, and while Ash's Fighting-type Pokémon was small, it was prepared to battle with a snort, and looked up without fear as the light in front of it from Dave's Poké Ball continued to rise up until the light faded, forming into a towering Onix that let out a roar that reverberated the metal under Ash's feet. "Ash has sent out his Primeape, and Dave starts with an Onix! Is this a case when size will matter?"
Ash looked across at his opponent's Pokémon peering down at Primeape, mimicking his own Pokémon's lack of fear and nerves. This was far from the biggest and toughest Onix he had fought, and he wasn't about to let this one stop his chances from progressing.
Without verbally commanding his Pokémon, Dave pointed forward, and Onix immediately launched into action, rearing back and then springing forward; it was coming in for a powerful Tackle attack. Ash's eyes widened, slightly thrown off at the fact that Dave hadn't commanded his Pokémon, but shook his lapse of weakness away physically with a shake of his head and drew his eyebrows together. "Look out, Primeape!" The words weren't even necessary, but after he spoke them, Primeape jumped backwards, and seconds later, Onix crashed into the ground, sending up dust and debris. Primeape landed on a boulder some distance behind it, and let out a snarl before leaping from stalagmite to stalagmite around Onix.
"Onix smashes into the ground with a Tackle with a small quake that I'm sure even the audience could feel! But look at that skillful dodge from Primeape; it's jumping from rock to rock as if it's home in the forest!"
"Ash chose a good stage for Primeape to battle in," Brock commented as well, his arms crossed and a small smile on his face. "And on top of that, but Fighting Pokémon are strong against Rock-types."
"Primeape, Mega Kick now!" Ash ordered. As Onix rose from the ground and attempted to locate the speedy Pig Monkey Pokémon, Primeape rose up from the ground with a mighty leap.
"Brreeaaahhh!" it chortled, and flipped in the air before coming down with its foot aimed at one of the rock segments on Onix's back. At the last second, Onix saw the oncoming attack, and its body seemed to stiffen, and a pale blue glow appeared around it. Once the glow faded, Primeape's foot made contact with Onix, but the loud thunk didn't seem to hurt Onix but Primeape. The Pokémon let out a growl and bounced off Onix before regaining itself in midair and landed gracefully on its feet.
"That was definitely a Harden attack..." Ash murmured, having seen the attack before in previous battles – more notably from the Viridian Gym Leader's Kingler. It had outdone him then, and it was doing it now. But what was really throwing him off was the fact that Dave hadn't issued a single command to his Pokémon. Ash's dark eyes stared across at him, and he simply observed the battle as though he were watching a Pokémon match on TV. His eyebrows were drawn together with concentration, and his olive hair was carried with the wind, but he showed no sign of opening his mouth.
"Ash, here comes a Rock Throw attack!" Brock called, snapping Ash out of his thoughts. Onix let out another battle cry and had now turned its body toward Primeape, and it raised its tail before bringing it down on Primeape.
"Primeape!" Ash cried, but he sighed with relief when he saw his Pokémon dart out of the dusty cloud and jump on a rock. Aside from having dust in its fur, it looked fine.
"Primeape took that Rock Throw like a champ! You can tell that Ash has raised it well."
"What's the deal?" Ash grumbled to himself. "Why isn't he ordering his Pokémon to attack?"
"Easy," Dave answered with a smirk and adjusted the white sweatband on his forehead. "I trust my Pokémon well enough to let them battle how they want. Not only that, but it also throws off my opponents – just as it's doing to you!"
A crash on the battlefield pulled Ash's attention away from Dave, and he saw that while his opponent had been talking to him, Onix had swiped to the side with another Rock Throw, making the stalagmite that Primeape was standing on crumble. "Ash!" Brock called from behind him. "Onix is too big and sturdy for Primeape to handle with physical attacks alone! Switch out to Blastoise!"
But Ash was stubborn, and knew that Primeape could handle it. They just needed to get an edge somehow. Brock's words echoed in his head, and his hand drifted toward his belt, but then an idea struck. Big! Just like the giant Onix that Bruno caught. He was able to beat it without even using a Pokémon. His eyes widened as a plan formed, and Ash pointed forth. "Primeape! Climb up Onix!"
"Primeeee-ape!" his Pokémon squealed, and jumped on the Rock Snake Pokémon's tail as it landed, and then proceeded to race up along the length of it. Onix kept its beady black eyes on it for as long as it could, but soon it became too high up for it to reach. Meanwhile, Dave stared with a confused look on his face, trying to figure out what Ash's plan was.
"What's this? Ash has told Primeape to actually run up Onix! Just what is he up to?"
"Now Primeape, use Scratch attack!" the Pallet Town Trainer ordered once Primeape reached the Rock Pokémon's head ridge. Swinging on the spike sticking out of the gray Pokémon's head, it landed on its snout and began to hack at Onix's face with its boxing glove-like hands. Onix grimaced, but with no hands, it couldn't do anything. So it did the only thing it could do, and tried to bash Primeape away with its tail. "Jump, Primeape!"
Primeape did as it was told, putting all of its trust in its Trainer, and before long, Onix's tail smashed into its face hard. Onix recoiled, and its eyes closed in blinding pain as it let out a roar. "Onix!" Dave yelled, his eyes and mouth widening at the same time.
"Now that's smarts! Primeape took full advantage of Onix's power and used its own Rock Throw against it!"
"Yes! Now, this is it, Primeape!" Ash said with a smile on his face. "Finish it with Seismic Toss!" Primeape landed on the ground with a thud near Onix's bottom, and taking advantage of the dizzy spell that had overtook its opponent, Primeape dove under the Rock Snake Pokémon and struggled with all its might. After a few moments of anticipation, Onix opened its eyes, this time in shock, and looked down.
Dave watched in silent horror as Onix lifted higher and higher off the ground, and eventually, Primeape was soon visible, though it was clear that the Fighting-type Pokémon was struggling to carry Onix's entire weight. "The bigger they are..!" Brock began with a smile on his face.
"The harder they fall!" Ash concluded, and with a mighty yell, Primeape tossed Onix. Though it was only a couple of feet off the ground, it was enough to make Onix crash down onto the battlefield, and it kicked up dust which soon enveloped it as it collapsed.
"In a huge display of power, Primeape managed to toss the dazed Onix with a powerful Seismic Toss! Is this the end for the towering tyrant?"
As the smoke cleared, it was obvious that Onix was not getting back up, and the referee waved the green flag towards Ash's side. "Onix is unable to battle! Primeape is the winner!"
"Yes! I'm proud of you, Primeape!" Ash called, pumping his fist in the air excitedly. The crowd shared his enthusiasm, and Primeape jumped back to its own side of the battlefield just in time for Dave to recall Onix back into its Poké Ball.
"Primeape has proved itself worthy to call itself a Fighting Pokémon, but does Dave have what it takes to overcome it, or will it be another sweep for Ketchum?" Dave thought for only a moment before producing another Poké Ball. Enlarging it in his palm, he swung his arm.
"Porygon, go!" The Poké Ball opened in the middle, and from the bright light that poured out, a pink and baby blue Pokémon that looked like a collection of shapes appeared and floated through the air.
"Porygon," the Virtual Pokémon buzzed electronically.
"That's a weird Pokémon... I've never seen it before," Ash murmured with furrowed eyebrows.
"And Dave's second choice is Porygon! How will this man-made Pokémon handle a battle on such a natural terrain?"
"Well, this one is much smaller than Onix," Ash decided with a smirk. "All right Primeape, Thrash attack, now!" At the same time of Primeape throwing itself forward, Porygon also rocketed toward Primeape with a Take Down attack. The two collided in midair, and Primeape landed, spun on its heel, and then in a fury jumped at Porygon again. Once again, they crossed attacks, but this time when Primeape landed, it stumbled and began to sway back and forth as if it were extremely dizzy.
"Primeape is teetering back and forth confused; an unfortunate after-effect of Thrash."
"Porygonnnn!"Dave's Pokémon declared, lowering its nose down to Primeape. It then fired a rainbow-colored beam from its eyes at Primeape. The attack enveloped the Fighting-type's body for a moment, and when it faded, Primeape let out one last huff before falling onto its back.
"Primeape is unable to battle! Porygon wins!" The crowd erupted in cheers at the quick round, and Ash's eyebrows pulled together from nerves.
"With a come-out-of-nowhere Psybeam attack, Ketchum has now lost his first Pokémon in the League! Who will he choose now to counter this tricky Pokémon?"
"Primeape, return!" Ash called, extending his arm with Primeape's Poké Ball in it. The fainted Pig Monkey Pokémon disappeared in a red beam of light, and he placed it back on his belt before hesitating to pull out another one. It would be hard to tell what other tricks this Porygon had up its sleeve. He already planned which Pokémon to use on this battlefield, and wanted to save Blastoise for last just in case, so he retrieved another Poké Ball and threw it out in front of him. "Charmeleon, I choose you!" A pop and a burst of light later, and Charmeleon appeared on the rocky terrain.
"Char!" it growled, spitting an orange flame from its mouth.
"Charmeleon, Flamethrower now!" Ash ordered, trying to get the jump on the Normal-type opponent. But as Charmeleon took in a deep breath, Porygon's eyes narrowed and it focused on Charmeleon intently. With an electronic hum, its whole body started to glow white as if it were evolving, but when the glow faded, it hadn't changed into a different Pokémon at all. Instead, it seemed to gain... Charmeleon's colors and scales?
A breath of air escaped from Ash's throat as Porygon charged forward with a Take Down attack, actually plowing through the Flamethrower attack. Of course, the attack was cut short when the Virtual Pokémon drove into Charmeleon's stomach, sending it flying and crashing into a boulder. "Charmeleon!"
"Using its signature move Conversion, Porygon was able to change into a Fire-type and move through Charmeleon's Flamethrower attack like it was nothing!"
Slowly, Charmeleon pulled itself off the ground. Though it was a little battered, it seemed to be just fine otherwise. "Can you keep going, Charmeleon?"
"Char... Meleon!" His Fire-type shook off the pain and bent its shoulders to warm them up.
"Your Charmeleon's strong!" Dave complimented. "But how will it handle its Fire attacks not dealing any damage? Go, Porygon!"
"Pory!" his Pokémon uttered, and shot at Charmeleon with a Take Down again. This time, Charmeleon wasn't executing an attack so it wasn't distracted.
"We have more than Fire-type attacks! Go Charmeleon, use Slash attack!" Ash commanded. As Porygon darted through the air, Charmeleon's claws began to glow white, and it too began to close the distance between it and its opponent. Just before Porygon could slam into it, Charmeleon jumped and raked its claws across Porygon's back. Porygon hit the ground and skidded while Charmeleon landed. "Great job! Don't let it get up! Skull Bash, now!"
"Charr!" His Pokémon bounded forward with its head lowered while Porygon picked itself off the ground.
"Look out, Porygon!" Dave shouted. His Pokémon whipped its head toward Charmeleon bounding toward it, and it floated high into the air quickly to dodge the attack. It was too high up, so Charmeleon had to stop its attack. Floating back to its own side of the battlefield, its eyes began to shimmer with rainbow energy, and Ash knew a Psybeam was coming next.
"Charmeleon, quick! Use Flamethrower!" he countered. Charmeleon could see Porygon preparing for an attack as well, and opened its mouth while an orange flame streamed from the back of its throat just as a rainbow-colored beam zig-zagged out of Porygon's face. The two attacks collided in midair, and the attacks battled for dominance momentarily before a huge explosion rocked the stadium. A bright light covered the battlefield from view, and Ash had to cover his eyes with his heart pounding in his chest.
"Psybeam and Flamethrower collide for a explosive finish! But who will be left standing when the dust settles?" They soon got their answer when the light faded and their eyes adjusted. Porygon was laying on its side with swirls in its eyes, and it was back to its original pink and light blue coloration. Charmeleon was bruised and battered and breathing heavily, but it was still standing.
"Yes! Great job, Charmeleon! You did it!" Ash cheered.
"It looks like Charmeleon is left standing!" the announcer declared. "But wait!" Ash heard this and stopped cheering. Looking down at his Fire-type, he saw the Pokémon swaying from side to side, and finally it too fell onto its stomach. The referee ran out to inspect both Pokémon, and then raised both flags.
"A double knockout! Both Pokémon are unable to battle." Dave recalled his Porygon into its Poké Ball, and his second box underneath his face disappeared.
"You did great, Charmeleon; good job," Ash said. "Return." He held out Charmeleon's Poké Ball and recalled it, and when he did, one of the boxes under Ash's own face disappeared, leaving one remaining.
"Now the final battle here on the rock field is about to begin! Each of the Trainers has just one Pokémon left! The outcome of this match could very well be decided by which Pokémon these two young Trainers select. Who will make the winning decision?" Dave and Ash stared across at each other, studying the other's moves as if trying to read the other's thoughts. But while Ash had a frown, Dave wore the opposite.
Selecting his Pokémon first since he lost Porygon first, Dave pulled out a Poké Ball and swung his arm. "Go!" A burst of white light spilled out of the Poké Ball, and a pink horned Pokémon appeared in the air before landing on a boulder with a growl.
"And the red Trainer chooses a Nidorino! Now let's see what Pokémon the popular newcomer Ash Ketchum chooses to face the powerful Nidorino."
But Ash already knew who he would choose, and pulled out his selection. "I choose you... Blastoise!" Calling upon his ace, the blue Water-type Pokémon appeared in the air and landed on a boulder opposite Dave's Nidorino with a crash.
"The young Trainer from Pallet chooses Blastoise! Ketchum must be hoping that Nidorino's mighty horn is no match for Blastoise's super-hard shell!"
"I'm counting on you!" Ash encouraged his starter. "Give it everything you've got, Blastoise!"
"Blast-toise!" his Pokémon nodded back.
As per its Trainer's unusual method, Dave said nothing and Nidorino charged forward. "Get ready..." the black-haired boy told his Pokémon.
"Nidorino's leading off with a Tackle attack!"
Ash and Blastoise waited patiently as the Poison Pin Pokémon closed the distance between them, and then he gave his command. "Okay, Blastoise! Withdraw and roll!"
"Blastoise Blast...toise!" Blastoise grunted, and pulled its limbs into its shell. As Nidorino jumped and collided with Blastoise's large and hard shell, the boulder underneath it shattered, showing its strength. But Ash wasn't worried as Blastoise went flying. Per his plan, Blastoise's shell rolled on its side like a ball. Nidorino's eyes narrowed slightly and it chased after the rolling shell like it was a toy.
"Good, Blastoise! Keep rolling!" Ash said with a smirk. Inside its shell, Blastoise kept up the momentum, moving faster, but Nidorino was quickly catching up on all fours. However, before it could reach it with another Tackle, Blastoise rolled up a stalagmite and spun high in the air. Nidorino skidded to a stop with its target no longer on the ground and looked up as the Water-type soared high above it. "Okay Blastoise! Hydro Pump attack!" Immediately, Blastoise pulled its limbs out of its shell along with its water jets, and faced down at Nidorino below it. Its cannons moved momentarily before a powerful jet of water shot out of them, knocking Nidorino off its feet and sending it flying backwards until it hit a large boulder. "Blastoise, Skull Bash attack, now!"
"Blastoise!" Without even landing, Blastoise lowered its head and soared at Nidorino with its head lowered. A white aura shimmered around it and it shot like a rocket at Dave's Pokémon, who was still recovering from the first attack. The Shellfish Pokémon easily made contact and smashed Nidorino through the boulder it had hit, and the Poison-type Pokémon bounced off the ground and landed on its stomach.
"Oh!" Dave exclaimed, his eyebrows reaching the top of his head.
"Blastoise's Skull Bash was right on target and Nidorino is shaken!"
"Nidorino is out of the competition!" the referee declared, raising Ash's flag. "The battle and the match goes to green Trainer Ash Ketchum!" Ash threw his fist up and let out a cry of excitement as a fanfare of screams poured out from the stands.
"Yeaaaahhhhh!" Ash yelled excitedly, and Blastoise grinned from ear to pointed ear on the battlefield.
"Yes!" Brock cheered, jumping up from his own seat. Climbing up on the green Trainer's box with Ash, he wrapped his hand around Ash's wrist and raised it high in the air, earning more cheers from the crowd.
"And the very happy Ash Ketchum will now move onto the third round of this Pokémon League competition!"
o 0 o
Once the adrenaline of the match had worn off, Ash realized how empty his stomach was. It grumbled at him once they got back to their rented cabin, and he felt like he was gonna collapse at any second. Quickly handing his Poké Balls to Brock, he begged him to feed his Pokémon while he went out to find a restaurant; at this rate he was going to eat a herd of Tauros. Brock kindly agreed, but mentioned quickly something about bringing his Pokémon to the Pokémon Center. This fell upon deaf ears, however, as the only thing on the Pokémon Trainer's mind was food, and after basically tossing the six Poké Balls to Brock, he was out the door in search of a fulfilling meal.
Despite the sun lowering beyond the horizon as it tucked in for the night, the town square was much more active than it had been when Ash came out in the dead of night. There were people all around, doing tourist things such as shopping and taking photographs. His eyes weren't on the other Trainers, however; instead he moved through the street like a zombie, hunched over to stop his stomach from yelling at him any more than it already was. "Oh, I gotta get something to eat..." he moaned quietly to himself. "Brock is okay 'cause he was just watching, but being in those battles really works up an appetite."
His stomach growled again, and he patted it to shush it, receiving judgmental looks from passerby's. "Just hang in there 'till I find that restaurant I saw this morning," he comforted it. He walked for what seemed like forever, passing by shops and souvenir stands to the point that it resembled Cinnabar Island, and finally, when he turned the corner that he expected to see the restaurant that was in his mind's eye's vision, he frowned when he saw – you guessed it – more shops and souvenir stands. "I could have sworn it was here... I guess I'll have to find someplace else to eat."
Defeated and hungry, he continued down Main Street, passing by a cinema with posters all over it showing the movie Pokémon in Love. He smiled slightly upon seeing the artist's rendition of Brock's Psyduck holding the Wigglytuff, and continued down. A street vendor was mixing up purple Cotton Candy in the shape of a Gengar, but that wouldn't do anything to satisfy Ash's hunger. A few shops down, a small Cubone bobble-head on display caught his eye, and he pressed the top of its skull, and as it rattled back and forth, it electronically uttered its name.
"Cubone-" Ash threw his head back and laughed, and music caught his ear. Hurrying down to where the street 'T'd into another section that orbited around the village, he saw a huge Dragonite staring outward. But it wasn't a real Dragonite; it was a float.
"I'm on the road to Viridian City!" The song rang out over the speakers as Ash's eyes trailed down the line. Behind the Dragonite was a Slowpoke and Slowbro, and behind that was a comically smaller Snorlax float. Crowds of people and children all marveled at the bright parade and flashing lights.
"Wow! They have lots of cool events going on during the Pokémon League," Ash smiled, only watching the parade for a few moments before he was interrupted by Brock's voice.
"Hey, Ash!" his traveling companion called out, and the Pallet Town boy turned around to see his friend running up through an alley, his arms carefully cradling six Poké Balls. "Ah, I finally found you!"
"I got kind of lost," Ash apologized. "What are you doing here?"
"I was thinking that it was probably a good idea for you to take your Pokémon to the Pokémon Center so they can get revitalized before your match tomorrow," Brock suggested. "Did you find some place to eat?"
"No," Ash frowned. "I thought there was a restaurant around here, but it turns out there wasn't."
"Well, we can find some place to eat after we take your Pokémon to the Pokémon Center. Now that all the battles are over, I'm sure they're going to be filling up, quick."
"Thanks, Brock," the Pokémon Trainer said with a smile. "Let's get them to the Pokémon Center right away!"
o 0 o
Though his hunger had not faded, the momentary wave seemed to have passed for now, and with the distraction of a new destination in Ash's mind, he was able to push that mindset aside for now as they walked through the village to the Pokémon Center that was closest to them. All the while – with his mind momentarily cleared for now – he thought aloud about his next match. "They told me my next match is gonna be in the ice field, so I think the other Trainer will probably be using some Ice-type Pokémon," he told Brock. "Guess that means I should probably stick to Blastoise and Kingler." But before he could decide on a third Pokémon, they turned the corner to where their destination was to see a flood of people crowding around the front door. They were all murmuring angrily and impatiently, which wasn't a good sign. "What's going on?!"
"Wonder why it's so crowded?" Brock thought aloud. His question was soon answered by the sound of Nurse Joy's serene voice being amplified by a megaphone.
"May I have you attention, please? Due to the Pokémon League competition, this center is now completely full. If your Pokémon need emergency care, please take them to the nearest Pokémon Center."
"Ah! That's the Pewter City Nurse Joy!" Brock swooned, a reddish hue blushing his face.
"They all look exactly the same, Brock; how can you tell?"
"What your eyes don't see... is very clear to me," the Pokémon Breeder smirked while resting his thumb on his chin. Ash only narrowed his eyes in annoyance, and decided to leave it at that. He didn't want to encourage it any more than he already had.
The two turned tail and decided to find another spot for Ash to rest his Pokémon. Due to the high traffic at this time, there was more than one Pokémon Center in the Indigo Village – the problem was trying to find it. They had only been at that Pokémon Center because it was the closest to their cabin.
Ash's nose was buried deep in the Pokémon League Trainer's Guide as that maneuvered through the concrete jungle in search of this second center. "There's gotta be a Pokémon Center around here someplace." He took in a deep breath of annoyance, and when he did, the smell of food woke his sleeping stomach, and his mouth began to water instantly. "Smells great!" Letting his nose guide him, he followed the smell all the way to a restaurant that featured a Doduo on the sign, called 'All You Can Eat'. "Yes! All you can eat!" he exclaimed excitedly, and didn't think twice before rushing into the door, not even checking to see if Brock was following behind him.
Immediately at the front door, the smells of all sorts of different foods hit him, and his eyes grew to the size of saucers at the foods displayed behind the host table. "Oh, yeah!" he said, practically flying off the ground. But then reality hit, and he fished in his pockets. But all he found was stray cotton and pocket sand. "I have no money..."
"Would you like a plate?" the young hostess asked, approaching the black-haired Trainer mid-break down.
"Yeah, but only if it's a... collection plate," he joked, and laughed loudly at it. She smiled politely and retrieved an empty plate before holding it forward.
"Here, take this," she offered.
"You mean... eat free?"
"Sure!" she replied with a grin, and Ash's hands shook with excitement.
"This... is... great! She must have seen me win the match today and wants me to have dinner for free!" He was completely ignorant to the confused look that colored her face when he said this, and gave her a peace sign before taking the plate out of her hand. "Thanks a lot! I owe it all to fans like you! OKAY!" With the determination of winning a Badge, Ash stomped forward and soon began to bounce around the display table and filled up his plate. "Some of this... a little bit of this... Mmm!"
After some time, the table that Ash was sat at was completely full of plates of food, and he sat down with fork in hand and mouth full of food. Somehow, the food tasted better after knowing it was free, and it seemed like he couldn't get it down fast enough. As with the young waitress's face, Ash was so engulfed in his food that he didn't see a young man holding a Cubone in his arms approach his table. "Mind if I join you?" Ash's dark eyes looked up from the whole pork roast he had been digging into to see Pierre smiling down at him.
"Pierre!" he greeted with a smile after swallowing his mouthful of food. "Sure!" The Pokémon Archaeologist in-training sat down opposite Ash and placed a small plate of food down, and his narrow eyes scanned the table and Ash's wide variety of food.
"Ash, don't you think you might pop if you eat all this?" he asked with a frown while his Cubone sat beside him and peeked out from the end of the table.
"Nah, I haven't eaten anything all day – I was too nervous this morning to eat breakfast," Ash answered. "I can't help it, either. I got all this food for free! That's 'cause she happens to be a big fan of mine!" When he spoke, he pointed his fork at the waitress who was busy giving another table a couple of soft drinks.
Pierre chuckled and looked at Ash uncomfortably, as though he didn't want to hurt the younger boy's feelings. "Ash, everyone in the Pokémon League gets to eat here for free."
"What?!" Ash exclaimed, and his chest deflated slightly. "Really?"
"Yes," Pierre nodded with a lighthearted chuckle, and patted his Cubone's back. "I got mine for free as well. I figured I would treat this little guy to a small meal since he did so well in our last match on the Rock field."
"Cubone," his Pokémon smiled up at him and started to chew on a chicken leg.
"I just beat the Rock field, too!" Ash said, his eyes lighting up. "My opponent sure was tricky, but we made it through and that's all that matters!"
"That's great! Sounds like you're doing well," Pierre stated with a grin, and then looked around the restaurant. "Say, does Brock happen to be with you? I was hoping he would have a chance to look at my Rhyhorn; it took quite a beating on the Grass field and I wanted to see if he had any tips for me for getting its hide more strong." The mention of the Pokémon Breeder made Ash blink. Truth be told, he thought that Brock had followed him in the restaurant, but now that Pierre mentioned him, he now noticed his traveling companion wasn't there.
After sucking down the rest of his food as fast as he could, he and Pierre – and his Cubone – all rushed out to find the Pokémon Breeder. He wasn't outside of the restaurant where Ash had last seen him, so he could have been anywhere. Now revitalized with energy from his meal, Ash and Pierre jogged down the sidewalks and roads looking around for the former Pewter City Gym Leader. "Hey, Brock!" Ash called, using his hand to cup around his mouth to try and amplify his voice. Even still, it was barely heard over all the commotion going on.
A shrill whistle cut through the air, and an Officer Jenny went zooming by on her motorcycle. They then quickly moved out of the way as a Nurse Joy carrying a First-Aid kit ran by breathlessly. The door to the building they were standing by opened, and another Officer Jenny went rushing out. Ash and Pierre exchanged looks of confusion. Now that they were in the center of the town, they could see the large number of Officer Jennys all scattered throughout. Some were directing traffic, while others were helping those in need. One comforted a crying child who seemed to have lost his parent, and a Nurse Joy patched up a little boy's knee that was bleeding with a kind smile on her delicate face.
"Look at all the Jennys..." Ash murmured.
"And all the Joys, too," Pierre added.
Suddenly, a familiar voice that stuck out among the normal hustle and bustle of the movement grabbed Ash's attention. "Ah! It doesn't get any better than this! Nurse Joys and Officer Jennys everywhere!" Following the direction that the zombified voice was coming from, Ash looked across the street to see Brock stumbling from one young nurse to another officer as if fluttering like a Butterfree. "Ah! You're the Joy from Saffron City! Ah... and you're the Joy from Celadon City. Ah, oh! Remember me?"
"What... is wrong with him?" Pierre asked with a raised eyebrow, but Ash only let out a sigh.
"At least I'm not the only one going crazy..."
o 0 o
Managing to pull Brock away from the mass collection of Nurse Joys and Officer Jennys, Pierre told them that he knew where the other Pokémon Center was, and showed them the way. However, upon arriving, they could see that despite the fact that the Pokémon Center was much larger than the other one, it too had a line that was leading out the door. "Whaa?! There's even more people waiting to get into this Pokémon Center!"
"It certainly wasn't this busy when I dropped off my Pokémon..." Pierre muttered. "Do you think it's worth the wait?"
"Of course it's worth the wait!" Brock exclaimed suddenly, and then folded his hands together on his cheek. "It's always worth to wait to see the beautiful Nurse Joy. I can just imagine the slight perspiration on her porcelain skin as she runs, pouring her heart out to every Pokémon and Trainer inside-"
"Brock, you've had enough of that for one day," Ash cut off, pushing his face to snap him out of his disturbing daydream. Defeated, they decided to wait it out in the nearby park, far away from people – and the distracting Nurse Joys – as Brock and Pierre discussed breeding methods.
"I polish my Rock Pokémon every day," he told the Pokémon archaeologist. "No water, but sometimes a good sand scrub really does go a long way."
"My Rhyhorn's hide was cracked by a Tangela's Vine Whip on the grass field," Pierre explained. "Anything I can do for that?"
"It will heal on its own in no time at all," Brock answered. "I'm sure Nurse Joy will be able to fix it right up, but in any case, you should add a little Iron to its diet for a while. It costs a little extra, but it is definitely worth it.
"Thanks, Brock!"
"Brock knows so much about Pokémon," Ash said with a smile. "Do you think the Pokémon Centers have cleared up, yet?" As if on cue, Nurse Joy's amplified voice was projected all around Indigo Village via the PA systems. Her voice was pouring out of Poké Ball-shaped speakers that were scattered throughout the village.
"May I have your attention, please? Area Pokémon Centers are now accepting new Pokémon! I repeat, area Pokémon Centers are now accepting new Pokémon!"
A smile of relief crossed Ash's face. With any luck, he would be able to get them in overnight and pick them up before his match tomorrow morning. "Okay, let's get 'em there as fast as we can." And after saying goodbye to Pierre, the pair ran off toward the nearby Pokémon Center as fast as their legs would take them.
o 0 o
The chills that gave Ash goosebumps wasn't just from nerves. Looking down from his side on the green Trainer's box, he observed the ice field in all its glory. The entire battlefield was made of solid ice. A few platforms of ice rose up from the ground much like the rock field, but they were made completely out of frozen water as well. A slight steam misted over the top from the temperature difference, but not enough to block the view of any of the upcoming battles.
"Here is the third battle of the third round matches here on the Ice Field, and what an exciting one we have today! On the green side, we have Ash Ketchum from Pallet Town, and on the red side is Pete Pebbleman from Pewter City!"
When his opponent was introduced, Ash was snapped out of his thoughts and looked across opposite him. Pete was a burly-looking Trainer just a year or two older than he, and his dark brown hair was just a bit more thick than his eyebrows. Despite the cold temperature of the ice field, he wore a camo t-shirt with the sleeves rolled up. "This is going to be a three-on-three match, and you know how the winner is declared, so let's get on with the match! Let the battle begin!"
Pete drew his Poké Ball first, and he seemed to have his Pokémon already lined up. Pressing the button on the face of it, he threw it out above him. "Tentacruel, go!" The ball opened and white light poured down onto the ice. In a matter of seconds, a large blue jellyfish-like Pokémon with red bulbous orbs on its cap. It balanced itself up on its many legs, and peered its beady eyes at Ash.
"Tentacruel," it groaned deeply.
"What is that?" Ash questioned, and retrieved his Pokédex to learn more.
"Tentacruel, a Jellyfish Pokémon. An evolved form of the Tentacool. Its numerous tentacles serve as a powerful weapon. It is known as 'The Gangster of the Sea'."
"Those tentacles don't look too friendly," Ash commented as he closed the cover to his hi-tech device and placed it away in his pocket. It was probably best to gauge out how Tentacruel would battle from a distance. Retrieving his own Poké Ball, he tossed it into the air as well.
"Pidgeotto, I choose you!" he cried. Bursting from the light high into the sky, his first-caught Pokémon announced its arrival with a sheer cry.
"Pigeeeoootoh!"
"Ash starts with Pidgeotto while Pete starts with his Tentacruel. Fans of Pebbleman know that this is the same Tentacruel that battled valiantly on the water field in Pete's previous match! Seems like he's hoping it will keep the momentum going."
"Be careful, Ash," Brock warned from his spot behind Ash on the steel bench. "If Tentacruel grabs Pidgeotto it's done for."
"Right, so that's why we attack from a distance!" Ash smirked. "Pidgeotto, Gust attack!" Pidgeotto's beak opened wide and it let out a battle cry before waving its wings fiercely. A strong gust of wind picked up in front of Pidgeotto.
"Tentacruel, hold on!" Pete called down to his Pokémon. The more Pidgeotto waved its wings, the more the wind picked up, and soon Tentacruel was having trouble standing. Tentacles shot out and wrapped themselves around the ice platforms jutting out of the ground.
"Pidgeotto's showing us why it is the master of the skies by throwing out a powerful Gust attack! Tentacruel is holding on for dear life!"
"Whirlwind, Pidgeotto! As hard as you can!"
"Pigeotototototototoh!" his Pokémon screeched, waving its wings harder and harder to pick up the strength of the wind being blown toward Tentacruel. Soon, its tentacles slipped off and the Water-type Pokémon went flying backwards, not stopping until it crashed into an ice formation behind it.
"Ha! We got you now!" Ash sneered confidently. "Go, Pidgeotto! Double-Edge attack!" Reacting immediately, the Bird Pokémon tucked in its wings and dove down at Tentacruel. A green aura appeared around its feathers and it shot down at it like a rocket.
"Grab it, Tentacruel!" Pete ordered suddenly, and Ash's grin faded when Tentacruel reached out with two of its tentacles and wrapped them around his Pokémon – one around the neck, and another around its body. This successfully made Pidgeotto stop its attack, and also bound it in the air.
"Pidgeotto, Whirlwind!" the Pallet Town Trainer said with panic in his voice, but his opponent reacted quickly.
"Stop its wings!" he instructed, and before Pidgeotto could start flapping its wings, two more tentacles shot out and bound Pidgeotto's wings.
"Oh! Taking advantage of its many tentacles, Tentacruel is using Constrict to put the squeeze on Pidgeotto!"
"Ash! If Tentacruel has an Ice-type move, Pidgeotto's down for the count!" Brock exclaimed, jumping to his feet.
"I know, I know!" the Trainer spat back, and tightened his grip around the metal bars in front of him. "You gotta get out of there, Pidgeotto!" The Normal and Flying-type Pokémon began to struggle, but it couldn't get free.
"We don't have an Ice-type move, but we have this! Tentacruel, Poison Sting attack!"
"Tentacruel," his Pokémon responded, and pulled Pidgeotto closer to it. Ash could only grimace as the Jellyfish Pokémon rammed its beak into his Pokémon's exposed stomach. Pidgeotto threw its head back and let out a shriek.
"Pidgeotto!" Ash screamed, and then an idea clicked in his head. "Hurry, use Quick Attack straight into the sky by closing your wings with Gust!" Now that it was in close proximity to Tentacruel, Pidgeotto's eyes shot open and it clapped its wings together, creating a small tornado of wind in front of it. This pushed Pidgeotto and made Tentacruel's grip on it loosen, exactly how Ash planned. Giving one last push, it shot straight up into the air and a white streak was left behind it. A spark of fire struck at Pidgeotto's beak and spiraled down the Bird Pokémon's body, singing Tentacruel's tentacles, but the Water and Poison Pokémon was resilient and didn't let go. Because of this, Tentacruel was lifted up into the sky, where it dangled helplessly from Pidgeotto's shooting-star body.
Higher and higher Pidgeotto went, and soon, the pain and height became too much for Tentacruel and it released its grip and began to plummet toward the ground. Now that it was finally free, Pidgeotto flapped its wings and tucked in one to swoop around. "Great job, Pidgeotto! Now, hit it with Double-Edge!" With Tentacruel completely helpless in free-fall, Pidgeotto was free to shoot at it once again with a emerald green aura shimmering around it, but this time, Tentacruel couldn't stop it, and Pidgeotto let out a cry as it slammed its beak straight into the black part of the Jellyfish Pokémon's belly.
"Tentacruel!" Pete cried as his Pokémon crashed into the ice. The Pokémon struggled to stand, but then fell onto its back with swirls in its eyes.
"Tentacruel is unable to battle! Pidgeotto wins!" the referee announced.
"A great comeback from the green team from a hopeless situation!" the announcer cried over the sounds of the audience cheering, and Pete recalled his Pokémon back into its Poké Ball. "But it doesn't look like Tentacruel left the field without leaving its mark; Pidgeotto's looking pretty exhausted, and now on a timer, as it looks like that Poison Sting left it pretty weak." The MC's words made Ash's brown eyes dart over to his Pokémon. The brown Bird Pokémon flapped in place, and it seemed to be breathing heavily, and a sickening dark hue covered its face.
"It's been Poisoned!" he hissed quietly, biting his lip from nerves. Now it was only a matter of time before Pidgeotto was knocked out.
"Cloyster, you're up!" Pete called, throwing his second choice of Pokémon out. The Poké Ball burst open, and after a pop, the shelled Water Pokémon appeared, opening its shell and sneering up at Pidgeotto with a toothy grin.
"Cloyster has rock-hard defenses; how is Ash going to counter this development?"
"We'll have to attack from a distance here as well!" Ash murmured, and then looked up at his Pokémon. "Pidgeotto, Gust attack!"
"Cloyster, Aurora Beam!" Pete shouted, pointing up at the sky at Pidgeotto. As Pidgeotto pulled its wings back, Cloyster released a rainbow-colored light from its horn. The light enveloped Pidgeotto, and the Flying Pokémon threw its head back and screamed in pain. Little crystals of ice formed on its body, and after the attack faded, Pidgeotto's eyes didn't open up, and it plummeted to the ground. Ash could only get a gasp before the referee called his decision.
"Pidgeotto is out of the match! The red side is the winner!"
"What a turnaround!" the announcer practically yelled and his enthusiasm was clear even through the speakers. "Pidgeotto didn't even have time to get its own attack out before Cloyster took it down!" The audience screamed with joy, and the only one who didn't seem impressed was Ash, who frowned and pulled out his Pokémon's Poké Ball.
"Pidgeotto, return!" he called, and within seconds, the Flying Pokémon was back in its Poké Ball and he had replaced it with another. "Kingler, I choose you!" The ball spun through the air and split in the middle. In a blink of an eye, Ash's crab-like Pokémon appeared where Pidgeotto had lay moments before.
"Cookie, cookie!" it announced, opening and closing its claws. Both Trainer and Pokémon stared across from each other, sizing each other up to see who would make the first move.
"Now we're waiting for this third round match between Pallet Town's Ash Ketchum and Pewter City's Pete Pebbleman to continue. Both of them have already won one battle apiece. And even though we're on the ice field, this match is really heating up!"
It was Kingler who made the first move, and it scuttled sideways toward the stationary Cloyster across the ice. "Kingler, Crabhammer attack!" Ash declared.
"Cloyster, use Withdraw now!" Pete countered with a pump from both of his fists.
"Cloyster..." his Pokémon smirked, and then its shell closed over its face and fell onto its side. Kingler approached its opponent and, per its Trainer's command, began to hammer at Cloyster's shell with its larger claw.
"And it looks like Kingler's Crabhammer attack is completely ineffective against Cloyster's rock-hard shell," the announcer stated as Kingler continued striking the Bivalve Pokémon's shell over and over again, but it was clear from the rate it was going that Kingler was starting to get exhausted.
"Oh, no..." Ash murmured, his lips peeling back from his teeth. "If Kingler gets worn out, I'll have to switch Pokémon."
"Wait, Ash!" Brock encouraged, and Ash turned around to look at his friend. "Just let Kingler hang in there!" It succeeded in reassuring him, and the Pallet Town boy smiled and nodded.
"Okay!" Turning back to the field, he closed his hand into a fist and smirked. "Just keep hammering away, Kingler!" Despite the ever-increasing strain, Kingler followed its Trainer's order to the letter and continued pounding away. Across the stadium, Pete simply watched with his arms crossed and a smirk on his face, obviously confident that they were wasting their time. But, his smile slowly faded when a crack formed on Cloyster's shell, and soon spiderwebbed into more with one final strike.
"Oh, no!" he yelled. Cloyster's shell opened up, and inside, its face was dazed and it had swirls in its eyes.
"Cloy..."
"Cloyster is out of the match! Victory to Kingler!" the ref declared. As the stands rang out in cheers, Pete frowned and extended his arm, holding Cloyster's Poké Ball.
"Cloyster, return!"
"Ketchum's Kingler's crushing crab hands cracked the case of Cloyster!" the announcer said as Cloyster was recalled back into its Poké Ball. "Now with just one Pokémon left, will Pebbleman choose an Ice-type or a Water-type?"
Pete raised his selection of Poké Ball, and tossed it forward with a swing of his hand. "Goooo Arcanine!" The burst of light that was produced formed into an Arcanine, which howled as it landed on a large ice plateau.
"And a big surprise! Pebbleman's chosen Arcanine; a Fire Pokémon." But while the MC was surprised, Ash grinned confidently.
"All right! Kingler's a Water Pokémon; this should be easy! Kingler, Bubble!" Kingler scuttled forward to get closer to Arcanine and when it was close enough, it opened its mouth and released a stream of white bubbles from its mouth straight up at the Fire-type. Surprisingly, the Legendary Pokémon leapt up before the bubbles could hit it, and then jumped from ice platform to ice platform with extreme grace and agility.
"Arcanine, good job! Now show 'em your Dragon Rage attack!" Arcanine slid to a stop on the flat ground of the ice, and it threw its head back and gave a chilling howl. A spiraling cyclone of wind appeared around it, kicking up stray ice shards from the previous battles and forming into a tornado of wind. Ash was so surprised by the attack choice that he only could let out a gasp as the twister came barreling towards Kingler and sucked it up. The Pincer Pokémon was only a scarlet blur as it spun around and around inside until it was finally spit out of the top of the Dragon Rage attack and landed hard on its backside.
"Are you okay, Kingler? Try to get up!" Ash encouraged. Though its body was covered in bruises from the Dragon-type attack, its whole body shook as it struggled to get to its feet.
"Go... gee... coo..."
"Dragon Rage attack! I never expected that!" Brock exclaimed from the sidelines, his eyebrows raised to his forehead.
Even though Kingler had slowly stood up, he knew that it was too weak to continue battling, and he held out its Poké Ball. "Okay! Kingler, return!" he announced, and the red recall beam drew Kingler safely back inside the capture device. Replacing it back on his belt, he plucked another Poké Ball from it and expanded it in his palm. "Blastoise, it's all up to you now. I choose you!"
"Blaaast!" his starter Pokémon growled as it appeared in the air from inside the Poké Ball, and crashed to the ice heavily.
"All right, now; let's hit it with your Skull Bash, Blastoise!" Ash commanded. Blastoise's eyes flashed and it rose off the ground slightly before a white aura shimmered around it. It then shot at Arcanine like a rocket, but the Fire-type was prepared and instantly dodged.
"Arcanine, Fire Blast!" Pete countered. Both Pokémon stopped and skidded in the ice, spinning to face each other, and Arcanine opened its maw and gave a bark before releasing a stream of fire from its mouth at Blastoise. As the fire shot out further from its mouth, it spun into a star-shape.
"Blastoise, block it!" Ash instructed quickly, and Blastoise planted its feet best it could into the ice and caught the Fire-type attack. It was instantly pushed back because of the slippery ice underneath it, but it manged to block it successfully. With some effort, it moved its arms and the Fire Blast was thrown to the side, where it hit an ice pillar. A loud hiss cut the air and fog filled from hot hitting cold. "We're too strong for a Fire Blast!"
"Then let's see how you can handle multiple?" Pete called from across the stadium. Arcanine fired another Fire Blast at Blastoise, and this one was grabbed as well, and thrown to another side. As another hiss cut through the air, Arcanine fired another Fire Blast, and another. Blastoise was starting to sweat and its palms were starting to singe from the intense flames, but using all its strength, it threw the Fire Blasts off to the side. Soon, the intense heat being thrown into the ice from all angles caused the icy stadium to begin to melt underneath Blastoise's feet.
"This is unbelievable! The whole field has melted down to two little icebergs!"
Ash looked down at what was once the ice stadium and peered down. The whole stadium had turned into a pool of water, aside from the two platforms that held Arcanine and Blastoise on opposite sides. "All right! Now you shouldn't have any problem!" Brock smiled behind Ash, and Ash agreed with a grin of his own while Pete looked down in confusion.
"Looks like your plan backfired!" Ash told him cheekily. "Blastoise is better in the water than on land! Blastoise, dive in!"
"Blaaaast!" Blastoise called, and jumped into the water with an elegant splash. Arcanine's eyes darted around, but even so, it had nowhere to run to. It was a sitting duck.
"With nowhere to go, Arcanine is trapped! It can't use its speed!"
The water moved as Blastoise surfaced directly in front of Arcanine, and the Fire-type Pokémon looked down at it without a hint of fear in its black coal eyes. "Arcanine, just one more Fire Blast!" Pete ordered, but Ash quickly countered with an attack of his own.
"Blastoise, Hydro Pump attack, now!" When Arcanine took in a deep breath, Blastoise's hydro cannons rose from underneath its shell, and before the flames could come out, the Shellfish Pokémon sent two blasts of water directly into Arcanine's chest. The attack swept Arcanine off its feet and off the lone platform of ice it stood on. With a great splash, Arcanine fell into the water.
"Archy!" Pete cried with worry on his face, and soon, his Pokémon surfaced belly up.
"Arcanine has been eliminated; the victory goes to Trainer Ash Ketchum!" Cheers and applause rang out all around as the last call of the match was declared, and Ash jumped with glee high into the air.
"We did it! We just won our third-round match!"
-end-
Ash:
Party:
Blastoise (Poké Ball)
Moves: Skull Bash, Dig, Hydro Pump, Withdraw
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
Primeape (Poké Ball)
Moves: Thrash, Mega Kick, Scratch, Seismic Toss
Kingler (Poké Ball)
Moves: Water Gun, Bubble, Crabhammer, Hyper Beam
At Professor Oak's Lab:
Muk (Poké Ball)
Moves:
Tauros (Safari Ball) x2
Moves: Fissure, Horn Attack, Take Down
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