Chapter 60

Walking down the dirt path of the residential cabin area, Ash almost felt as though he were floating from glee. He had finally made it past his first four rounds, and would now get the chance to battle in the Indigo Stadium. Even though he found out that Gary was stronger than ever, he wouldn't let it get him down. He had done it all on his own.

"We should all go out for a big meal to celebrate Ash's big victory!" Brock suggested beside him, folding his fingers behind his spiky dark brown hair. The thought of food excited Ash even further, and he clenched his fingers into his palm tightly.

"And dinner's on me 'cause everybody in the Pokémon League eats for free!" he cried excitedly, and let out a loud chuckle.

As they approached their cabin to meet up with his mother and Professor Oak, who had gone off to congratulate Gary after his match as well, he saw the pair waving at the front door. "Hi, Ash!" his mother called. She was wearing a beautiful baby blue dress and a light cream-colored blouse over it.

"Hello!" Professor Oak added, wearing his normal lab coat.

"Hi Mom! Hi Professor Oak!" Ash greeted, running ahead to meet up with the older two.

"I was quite impressed with the way you battled out there, Ash," Professor Oak complimented.

"I'm so proud of you!" If it was possible, Ash's smile grew wider, threatening to split his face in half. "You have to keep your strength up while you compete, so I'm making your favorite meal for you."

"You are?!" Nothing was better than his mom's cooking, and it was the one thing he truly missed while out on his Pokémon journey. Aside from his mother, of course. But then, a thought occurred to him and he frowned. "But where are you gonna cook around here?"

"Leave that to me!" she sang while raising her index and middle finger in a victory sign, and Ash and Brock exchanged a glance while she and Professor Oak led the way.

They soon found out what she meant when she brought them to a huge building in the center of the village. It reached ten stories high, and the restaurant was on the highest floor. Without any regard for the host at the front, Delia walked past the gaping-mouth young man with the sweetest smile on her face and headed toward the kitchen.

"Excuse me! I'd like to cook in here, please!" she said to the head chef, who looked shocked upon seeing a customer come back into the kitchen, and then even moreso upon spouting her request.

"Uh, I don't know-"

His words were cut off as her balled hands rested on her hips, and though they couldn't see her face from the angle they were staring, Ash felt a certain cold chill fill the hot kitchen, and could imagine the look she was giving him. He had only received it a thousand times himself. "My son is one of the top 16 in the Pokémon League competition and I want to give him a proper meal; are you really going to tell me no?"

Instantly, the head chef and the others all dropped their utensils and stepped back with their hands in the air like they were getting robbed at gunpoint. Turning back to her son and the others, she wore a sweet smile on her face once again. "Mother knows best!" she sang, and then immediately got to work. Throwing on an apron, she bounced all around the kitchen, preparing ingredients, chopping vegetables, prepping meats, and heating water all at a breakneck speed. The chefs all followed her wordlessly with their dumbfounded eyes.

"Our customers... do not come here to cook..." the head chef murmured to himself.

"Well, maybe they should try it!" she responded lightheartedly, and then turned back to the gang. "Ash, dinner's almost ready!"

"I... can't wait..." he muttered quietly. His entire face was as red as the top of a Poké Ball, burning from embarrassment. The host showed them to an empty booth that was available, and they only waited for a few moments before Delia showed up with the entire kitchen staff at her back, each of them carrying plate after plate. The initial embarrassment wore off as she sat down, and the smell of his mother's cooking instantly filled their nostrils and watered their mouths.

"Well, how does it look?" she asked as she sat down beside Professor Oak.

"It looks great!" Ash and Brock answered simultaneously, and dug in immediately.

"These croquettes are excellent!" the Pokémon Breeder complimented with his mouth still full.

"These are... so good!" Ash added. It was almost as if he couldn't fit enough in his mouth. "Nobody cooks like you do!"

"Use your napkin!" his mother told him, and sipped from her coffee.

"You know, if you win your next battle, you'll then be allowed to use up to six Pokémon per match," Professor Oak mused with a small smile on his face. "Have you decided which Pokémon you'll choose?"

Ash stopped chewing at the question and his eyes drifted to the ceiling in thought, and then smiled. "I think I'll wait to see who I'm up against first!"

"Tomorrow they decide who everybody battles," Brock pointed out.

Professor Oak nodded, and then turned back to Ash. "Don't forget to let me know if you need any more Pokémon. Just call me, and I'll transport them to you right away."

"Thanks, Professor," Ash thanked, and then turned his attention back to his food.

o 0 o

With their stomachs full and bulging – and their euphoria at an all-time high – the group all left the restaurant after paying the bill and headed toward the elevator. Since there were no other battles that interested him for the rest of the day, Ash was planning on simply relaxing and letting his Pokémon rest.

Professor Oak pressed the down-facing arrow and the elevator began to hum. "If you just remember to always do your best, you're a winner even if you lose," he said wisely. "That's the important thing."

"But try to win," Ash's mom added as the elevator dinged and the doors opened up.

"Right!" he nodded.

"Of course he will; he's got me!" Brock grinned, and they all stepped onto the elevator. Just before the elevator door was about to start closing, they heard another voice call out to them.

"Hold the door, please! I'm going downstairs, too!"

"Sure," Professor Oak responded, and stepped aside so the young boy around Ash's age wearing a green and yellow jumpsuit could run in. The boy let out a sigh of relief as the doors shut at his back, and smiled up at the gray-haired professor.

"Thank you very much."

"No problem," Oak responded with a wave of dismissal. They all sat in silence for a few moments, but then the elevator buckled beneath their feet, and everyone let out a gasp as the lights flickered and finally died above them.

"What's going on?" Ash asked with his neck craned upward.

"The power went out!" Brock answered.

"Try using the emergency call button," Professor Oak suggested, and the shadow that Ash knew was Brock nodded.

"Right." The Pokémon Breeder walked up to the control panel and pressed a button. "Hello, uh, can anybody there hear me? Hello there! Hey!" He waited a few moments, but no response came. "Looks like it's busted, too."

"It's probably just a power outage."

"What should we do?" Delia's worried voice spoke up.

"Hmm, I guess we're stuck here until someone restores the electricity." As their eyes adjusted to the darkness inside the elevator, Ash heard a commotion going on near the control panel where Brock had been, and looked down. The boy that they had let into the elevator had ducked down and removed the covering of a panel and was digging around inside the wires. He really seemed to know what he was doing, and despite the situation, was doing it calmly.

Reaching down to his belt, the sound of a Poké Ball expanding filled the elevator. "Sparky, you're on," he called upon, and the whole elevator lit up as plasma spilled out of the inside of the capture device. When the light faded, a Pikachu with the fur on the top of its head all ruffled out appeared.

"Pi-ka-chu!" it stated.

"Hey, it's a Pikachu!" Ash said with a smile on his face. "But, what did you call on your Pikachu for?"

"I want to use Sparky's ThunderShock to jump-start the elevator," he explained, retrieving two conductors out of the wiring inside the elevator's panels. "That should get us to the lobby." Ash seemed mystified at the fact that the boy had thought of that, and behind him, a smile stretched across Professor Oak's face.

"Say there, you've got an interesting idea," he complimented. The auburn-haired boy smiled up at the praise, and then placed the conductors on his Pikachu's red cheek pouches.

"Sparky, ThunderShock," he told it.

"Pi... ka... CHUU!" The dark space lit up with yellow light only slightly, but most of the electricity the Electric-type was producing poured into the conductors that its Trainer held to its face. Almost instantly, the lights above flickered to life, and the elevator awoke underneath their feet.

"Hey!" Brock said in awe.

"We're moving!" Ash commented happily. But they were only on the fifth floor and needed to go to the lobby, so with one last push from Sparky the Pikachu, the elevator continued, and eventually reached its destination. A ping had never been so satisfying to Ash's ears, and they all poured out when the door opened.

"I'm glad we held the door for you!" Brock joked as the young boy and his Pikachu stepped out last.

"We can't thank you enough," Delia said sweetly with his hands folded in front of her dress.

"Don't thank me; thank Sparky," he dismissed.

"Thank you!" Ash thanked the small Electric-type, and the ruffled Pikachu smiled up at him. Turning back to the boy, he opened his mouth to thank him, but realized he didn't know his name. "Your name's..."

The boy chuckled, realizing he never introduced himself, and his blue eyes landed on Ash's brown ones. "Oh, yeah. My name's Ritchie."

"My name's Ash; nice to meet 'ya!"

"I gotta go," Ritchie said after a nod. "See 'ya!" And just as quickly as he appeared, him and his Pikachu ran down the hallway and out of sight.

"Bye!"

"What a sweetie," Delia commented as they watched Ritchie disappear around the corner.

"Very mature for a boy his age," Professor Oak added.

"I was really impressed by the way he handled his Pikachu," Brock agreed with his arms crossed over his chest. Ash's eyes lingered in the direction where Ritchie disappeared to, and finally, he turned away.

o 0 o

The rest of the day was spent at their rented cabin. Ash's mother and Professor Oak went to go talk with Gary, so they had the afternoon to themselves. As a way of congratulating his Pokémon, he made sure to give each of them all a big meal and high praise. He was very proud of each of them for making it this far.

After they all had their fill, he brought them to the Pokémon Center closest to the cabin so that they would get rest overnight in preparation for the upcoming battles. These would be some of the hardest battles he would have to face. Afterwards, they tucked themselves to bed early that night, knowing that they would have to get up early to see who he would face on his first battle on Indigo Stadium.

Sleep did not come easy, as anxiety filled his lungs, but confidence was slowly starting to build. As Professor Oak had stated that afternoon during lunch, it would be the last match that Ash would be allowed to use just three Pokémon. And if he was paired up against Gary, he would have to bring his A-game. Eventually, the Pallet Town Trainer drifted off to sleep, and was up and ready to go the next morning.

The pavilion was hustling and bustling that morning with spectators looking to see who would be fighting who in the top 16 of the tournament. Some had already been decided, as shown by a brightly colored screen in the middle of the main lobby, but he mostly paid attention to the new layout. As there had been before, there were many different counters placed throughout the area, but each of them had a tank of water placed in front of them. Magikarp were swimming around inside them, and they seemed to have letters attached to the sides of their bodies.

"What do you think they're for?" Ash asked Brock curiously after he had registered to participate.

"You fish for a Magikarp when your name is brought up," the Pokémon Breeder replied, though he was reading the answer from the guide in front of his face. "Whoever you match with will be who you battle against."

"Oh, cool!" His eyes glanced up as another face was added to the middle of the scoreboard – Gary's. He glanced over in the back of the pavilion where he noticed his rival receiving instructions from the Pokémon League official. He also noticed Pierre's picture as well, but his was on the far right side of the board.

Before he had a chance to fully study the other faces, he heard his name being called. "The next Trainer will be Ash Ketchum from Pallet Town."

"That's me!" he announced, running up to the booth. Taking a fishing rod from the young woman, he dipped the end of it into the tank. "Let's see..." It didn't take long for one of the Magikarp to bite, and as soon as he felt a tug on the rod, he pulled it up past the surface.

"Karp karp karp!" the Pokémon sputtered as it flailed at the end of the hook in the air.

"A-3," the woman read off the Magikarp's side, and his picture appeared up on the monitor above her. "That means your next opponent is going to be..." She gestured up as the screen shank down. Beside Ash's picture was a picture of a young man that was very familiar. Ritchie.

Ash gasped, and heard a similar gasp as well nearby. Turning his head, he saw the boy from the elevator looking at him as well. They stared in each other's eyes for just a moment before Ritchie's gaping mouth curled into a smirk. Ash returned it and nodded. Now there was an unspoken rivalry between them.

o 0 o

Ash and Ritchie's match wasn't scheduled until five the next afternoon. This gave Ash and his Pokémon a full day of rest until the battles started up again. The night of getting his results, he sat looking out the window with his chin resting on his gloved palm. From where the cabin was, there was a perfect view of the building where they had met Ritchie, lit up in the night like a Christmas Tree. Silently, he wondered how strong Ritchie was as a Trainer. He hadn't seen him battle at all, but he had to have been a strong Trainer if he made it this far, right?

Behind him, he could hear clacking on a keyboard, and the noise snapped him out of his daze. Turning to the computer that was set up in the rented room, he saw Brock browsing some sort of database. "What are you doing?" he asked, and pulled his attention away from the cold glass.

"I went onto the Pokémon League database – the guidebook says it's a good way to learn more about the other Trainers competing," Brock explained. "I thought I'd help you learn some more about Ritchie."

"Something about Ritchie?" he repeated, and peered over Brock's shoulder. A few clicks of the mouse later, and soon an image of the auburn-haired Trainer smiling and looking forward appeared.

"Ritchie won all four rounds without losing any Pokémon!" Brock said, obviously impressed by what he was reading on the screen. "This kid's amazing!"

"Well I won four rounds, too, 'ya know!" Ash spat, his voice sopping with jealousy.

"But Ritchie has only used three Pokémon those entire matches," Brock continued. "Butterfree, Charmander, and Pikachu." He hummed in thought as images of the three Pokémon popped up on the screen. "An Electric-type, a Fire-type, and a Flying-type. They're almost the same kind of Pokémon you use, Ash!" he added with a smile.

"I'll have you know I'm just as good a Trainer as Ritchie is!" he retorted.

"I don't know, Ash. If he's made it this far without losing a single Pokémon, he's definitely a cut above the rest." Ash opened his mouth to shoot back at Brock, and the Pokémon Breeder just held up a tan hand. "I'm just saying, you should really think about the Pokémon you'll use tomorrow. It may make or break the match."

The green, jealous monster defeated with Brock's words, Ash closed his mouth. Brock was right. There was a lot he had to think about.

o 0 o

As Ash and Brock entered the Pokémon Center to retrieve the Pokémon Trainer's Pokémon, Ash stopped and gasped. Ritchie had just picked up his Poké Balls as well, and were placing them on his belt when the pair arrived. Feeling the eyes on him, Ritchie looked up and his eyes locked with Ash's. "Oh, hi Ash."

"Hi, Ritchie." The two hadn't spoken since the elevator, and didn't say a word to each other when they found out they were battling against each other in the main pavilion. But now that it was hours before their battle, he didn't know how the other boy would react. "A-are you ready for the match?"

Instantly, Ritchie's mouth curled upward. "Listen, Ash, you seem like a really good Trainer, so let's promise each other to make this a really great battle." The words of encouragement surprised Ash, and he mirrored Ritchie's grin with one of his own.

"Okay," he nodded. "That's a promise, Ritchie." The auburn-haired Trainer held up a black-gloved fist, and Ash tapped his knuckles with his own.

"I'll see you later at the stadium."

"Okay."

"Bye." And with a small wave to Brock, Ritchie ran out the Pokémon Center doors. He stared and watched the boy through the glass doors, but Nurse Joy's voice at the counter grabbed his attention.

"Ash?" The Pallet Town native turned and approached the front counter. "All your Pokémon are ready for today's match, too." She already had his tray prepared and was holding it up as he approached.

"Oh, thanks, Nurse Joy!" Ash thanked, and took the tray from her.

"I'm sure you and Ritchie will do your best no matter what," she encouraged with a light smile. "Good luck to both of you."

"Oh, we will!" Ash said with a slight chuckle. "Thanks!"

o 0 o

Finally, the time had come for Ash's match. Nerves were already settling in Ash's stomach as he waited in the dark hallway of Indigo Stadium. The arena was much larger and housed a lot more people than the last four arenas did, and he could already hear the crowd going wild in anticipation of the next battle.

"You've got this, Ash," Brock affirmed, placing his hand on his friend's shoulder. It was almost as if he could feel his friend's nerves. Ash turned back to his traveling companion and nodded.

"Ritchie has entered the arena, and just listen to the roar of this crowd!" The crowd's cheers only brought Ash's nerves from his stomach to his chest, but he took in a deep breath and followed Ritchie's lead. Opposite the other Trainer, Ash emerged, and tried not to look at the audience that would be watching him win or lose here, and simply kept his eyes on Ritchie across the field. The slightest hint of a smile could be seen on the boy's mouth – a hint that he was looking forward to the upcoming match. Instantly, Ash could feel his nerves melt away. He needed to relax, because if he was nervous, then so were his Pokémon. "We're ready to start this fifth round Pokémon League match, and both are newcomers to not only the Pokémon League, but to Indigo Stadium as well!

"On the red side, we have Ritchie from Frodomar City. Ritchie impressed us all by breezing through the first four rounds on the elemental fields without losing a single Pokémon!

"And on the green side is Trainer Ash Ketchum from Pallet. Ash is shown to be quite a capable battler and thinks quick on his feet, so we all know this is going to be a spectacular match! Ketchum is accompanied by his coach.

"Now folks, hold onto your seats because this fifth round Pokémon League battle is finally about to begin!"

"It's good to see you," Ritchie called out from across the stadium over the roar of the audience. "Now, are you ready for your biggest battle ever?"

"I'm ready when you are!" Ash grinned back.

Ritchie had already selected his Poké Ball, and he expanded it in his hand. Looking at the blue and yellow star sticker on the cap of it, he tossed it forward. "Gooooo, Happy!" A burst of light emerged out of the middle of the ball, and a Butterfree appeared in the air, looking ready for battle.

"Freeeeeee!"

Ash selected his Pokémon quite easily, with Brock's words echoing in his head. Rearing his arm back, he threw his own selection forward. "I choose you, Blastoise!" Emerging from the Poké Ball, Blastoise pulled out its cannons from its shell.

"And it's Ritchie's Butterfree Happy and Ash's Blastoise going head to head to start things off!"

"Happy, Tackle attack!" Ritchie commanded. His Butterfree sang out a cry before darting forward, its wings slicing through the air and colliding with Blastoise's stomach. The hard shell seemed to hurt Butterfree more than its attack hurt Blastoise, and it countered by blasting a Hydro Pump straight at Happy. The water engulfed the Butterfly Pokémon, and it shook water off its body before flying forward and driving its foot into Blastoise's back. The attack barely affected the Water Pokémon and it swung its fist backwards, succeeding in pushing Happy away.

"Both Pokémon launches attack after Poké-attack!"

"Happy, Sleep Powder attack!" Ritchie called after finally knowing that his Butterfree's attacks weren't going to pierce Blastoise's defenses. Happy obeyed and chirped as it flew higher into the air, and with each wing flap, sparkling blue powder came pouring out of the scales on its wings.

"You're not winning that easily! Blastoise, go underground!" Ash countered. As fast as it could, Blastoise dove toward the ground and the surface of the arena crumbled under its weight. Within seconds, Blastoise had completely disappeared under the ground as the Sleep Powder attack dusted over the field uselessly.

"Now that's thinking outside the box – Ash had Blastoise use its Dig attack to go underground to dodge Butterfree's attack! Now the question is: where will it come up?"

Ritchie let out a gasp of surprise, not expecting the Water-type to use a Dig attack, and both he and his Butterfree shook their heads back and forth in an attempt to try and figure out the answer to that question the announcer had. Across from them, Ash had a smirk on his face, and kept quiet for a few moments to let Ritchie stew in the anxiety. Finally, when he had enough, he stomped his foot on the ground. "All right Blastoise, come up and hit Happy with your Hydro Pump attack!"

The ground behind Happy crumbled, and in an explosion of rocks, debris, and sand, Blastoise came bursting out of the ground. Ritchie let out a cry and Happy whipped around just in time for Ash's starter Pokémon to land a direct hit of Hydro Pump. The attack doused the Bug Pokémon and knocked it out of the air and onto its stomach. "Happy! Try to shake it off!" Ritchie cried as his Pokémon attempted to get up. But the water in its wings made it too heavy and it eventually fell back onto its stomach.

"Butterfree is unable to battle; Blastoise is the winner!" The referee raised the green flag in his hand, and a loud ping filled the stadium as one of the boxes underneath Ritchie's face disappeared.

"With a literal come-from-behind victory, Blastoise blasts Butterfree out of the match! Now with two Pokémon left, Ritchie must decide which one can take down Blastoise."

"Return, Happy!" Ritchie called, holding out his Pokémon's Poké Ball. Once the Butterfly Pokémon was brought safely back into the red glow, his eyebrows drew together under the brim of his hat in thought. "Maybe it's risky, but it may be my only chance to win." The Pokémon Trainer pulled out another Poké Ball and threw it forward. "It's your turn, Sparky!" The light came together on the ground, and the ruffled-furred Pikachu from the elevator appeared on the battlefield.

"Pika!" it growled. Despite looking up at the massive Blastoise, it didn't seem the least bit intimidated.

But neither did Ash, even though his Water-type was looking at an Electric-type. "Blastoise, Dig underground!" the Pokémon Trainer commanded with a smirk on his face.

"Sparky, use Thunderbolt where Blastoise is going to go down!" Ritchie countered, and immediately, as Blastoise crouched down to dive down into the stadium floor, yellow static flickered on the Pikachu's cheek pouches before the Mouse Pokémon released a blast of electricity at the ground. As soon as Blastoise's claw touched the ground, the electricity coursed through its body, and the Shellfish Pokémon let out a cry as the Super-effective attack ran through it. The Water-type stumbled backwards when the Thunderbolt stopped, and it fell onto its stomach with its body sizzling.

"No way!" Ash exclaimed with his mouth opening in horror. "Blastoise, try again! But do it away from Sparky!"

"Blasss..." his Blastoise muttered, pulling itself together and standing on its feet. It turned to the right and dove forward, but despite this, Sparky sent out another blast of electricity out at the ground where it was about to land. Once again, electricity coursed through Blastoise's body and it fell onto its side.

"Blastoise!"

"Sorry Ash; you may have caught us by surprise the first time, but now that I know your trick, we're not going to let it happen again," Ritchie said with a smirk of his own. It was as if Ritchie had taken his, because now the Pallet Town native sunk back with a mask of frustration. His main strategy of taking care of Electric-types had been blown away, and now he couldn't do anything.

His mind was turning a mile a minute trying to figure out a strategy to beat Ritchie's Pikachu, and his eyes fell upon the hole that had already been made. Turning to his Blastoise, Ash opened his mouth. "Blastoise, go into the hole you already made!" he said, pointing to it. Blastoise turned back at its Trainer and nodded, and then bounded over as fast as it could.

"Sparky, stop it!" Ritchie ordered.

"Piikkaaa... chuu!" his Pokémon cried, and the stadium lit up brighter as yellow electricity shot out at the hole. Blastoise skidded to a stop to avoid getting shocked this time, but this was all part of Ash's strategy.

"All right Blastoise, Hydro Pump!" he shouted. Using the momentum of the skid, Blastoise went down on all fours and brought out its hydro cannons from its shell before blasting a powerful burst of water from them at Sparky. Ritchie and his Pikachu gasped, while the latter was engulfed in water.

"Sparky! Thunderbolt!" Ritchie hurriedly declared, and though Sparky couldn't be seen as it was taken off its feet, a spiraling stream of electricity spiraled up the water and made contact with Blastoise. The Water Pokémon cringed as the lightning coursed through it once again, and the Hydro Pump stopped. Sparky broke out of the water and landed on its feet, and though it was soaked, it shook water from its body. However, Blastoise fell onto its stomach, unable to stand upright.

"Ritchie's Pikachu shocks everyone and Blastoise and delivers a shock-tacular Thunderbolt to stop Blastoise in its tracks!"

"Blastoise is unable to battle; Pikachu is the winner!" the referee announced.

"Blastoise!"

"Pikachu's power-surge just caused a Blastoise melt-down, and now the battlers both have two Pokémon left to play with."

Recalling Blastoise back into its Poké Ball, Ash hesitated for a moment before retrieving his next Poké Ball and pressing the device's button on its face to make it larger. "Primeape, I choose you!" The Poké Ball that left his hand burst open, and his Fighting-type Pokémon appeared with a snort from its pig-like nose.

"Pri-yah!"

"Go Primeape, use your Thrash attack!" Ash commanded, jumping right into action. With a quick stomp of its foot, Primeape's heavy footfalls pattered in Ash's ear's through the yells of the audience as it charged at Ritchie's Pokémon.

"Sparky, use your ThunderShock now!" Ritchie ordered, and right away, his Pikachu got down on all fours and sparks danced from its cheek pouches before it fired a small beam of yellow lightning from its body at Primeape. The Electric attack made a direct hit, but Primeape was hardly affected and barely flinched as the electricity flickered off it. Both Trainer and Pokémon gasped, but Ritchie was quick on his feet. "Agility!"

"Pika!" Primeape skidded to a stop in front of Sparky, and it dove its foot at Sparky's legs, but the Electric-type jumped over it and somersaulted in the air over it. Primeape quickly whipped around and tried to strike its opponent with a back-handed fist, but Sparky landed just in time and leapt backwards. Following in close pursuit, the Pig Monkey Pokémon lashed out in a series of punches and kicks, but Sparky was just too quick and agile and dodged the strikes. However, Ash could see that the assault of attacks was quickly wearing out Ritchie's Pokémon.

"Primeape, Seismic Toss!" Ash declared. Sparky landed on its feet, breathing heavily, and as Primeape dug its foot into the stadium floor, the Mouse Pokémon jumped in the air to dodge it. This was all part of the skilled Fighting-type Pokémon's plan, however, and a bulky hand reached out and snatched Sparky by the throat in its grasp.

"Sparky!" Ritchie screamed, his eyes widening as his Pikachu struggled to breathe and pawed at Primeape's hand in an attempt to get it to let go. Bending at the knees, Primeape jumped stories into the air before swinging the Pikachu in the air. Spinning its body like a dreidel in the air, Primeape let out a loud cry before throwing Ritchie's Pokémon down to the stadium floor.

"Ash's Primeape delivers a devastating Seismic Toss attack!" The Electric-type barely had time to pull in air before its body plummeted to the ground and collided with it. The audience was dead silent as Primeape landed back on the ground, and all eyes were on Sparky to see if it would rise. Without even waiting, Ritchie ran out to the battlefield, and though he refrained from touching his Pokémon, his hands lingered in its aura.

"Sparky..."

"Pikachu is unable to battle! Primeape is the winner!" the referee declared, resulting in a cry of cheer from the crowd. Another ding rang out as another box was dashed underneath Ritchie's face on the scoreboard, and the Pokémon Trainer recalled his Pikachu back into its Poké Ball and made his way back onto his side of the battlefield.

The auburn-haired Trainer closed his eyes and thought for a moment, taking a deep breath to calm himself before drawing his eyelids back open. "Just one Pokémon left... Okay." He plucked his final Poké Ball from his belt and raised it. "Now it looks like I'm gonna have to fight fire with fire. Zippooo... gooo!" As soon as the Poké Ball left his palm, it opened and released a bright light. It quickly condensed together into an orange lizard Pokémon that Ash knew all too well, having had one of his own.

"Charmander!" his Pokémon announced upon its appearance, and immediately opened its mouth. Red-yellow flames began to burn brightly in its maw instantly. "Charrrrr..."

"Primeape, watch out!" Ash warned. Showing its steel-like courage, Primeape ran at Ritchie's Charmander as the Fire-type sent out a Flamethrower its way. The Fighting-type didn't show a moment of hesitation as it skidded off to the side, letting the flames hit the ground behind it. Zippo tried with another Flamethrower, but this was dodged skillfully again by Primeape before Ash's Pokémon reached it and swung its leg with a powerful Mega Kick attack. The Charmander let out a cry as it was taken off its feet and sent flying backwards.

"You're okay, Zippo! Just keep battling!" Ritchie encouraged his Pokémon. His Charmander shook off the pain from the Normal-type attack and planted its feet in the ground, but Primeape was on it in an instant. "Flamethrower!"

"Chaarrrr!" Flames bursting from Zippo's mouth enveloped Primeape's body completely, but soon the Fighting-type's smoking body broke through the flames without a hint of slowing down.

"Primeape, Thrash!"

"Zippo, Slash!"

The two Pokémon exchanged attacks of slashing claws and erratic punches. They weaved in and out of each other, while some blows landed. "Ritchie's Charmander and Ash's Primeape are neck and neck in this battle, but Primeape seems to be quite an unstoppable force. No physical nor special attack seems to be enough to take it down!"

"Zippo, hit Primeape with a point-blank Flamethrower attack!" Ritchie commanded, and as his Charmander tucked under a right hook from Ash's Primeape, it craned its neck and let out a loud cry.

"Chaaaarrrr!" it screamed, and this was immediately followed by a stream of flames coming out of its body. The attack blew past Primeape and only its legs were visible for a moment. Soon, the attack stopped, and Charmander scurried back while Primeape seemed to be frozen despite it being charred to a crisp. Finally, a puff of smoke came out of its nostrils and it fell onto its stomach.

"Primeape is unable to battle! Charmander is the winner!" Ash's eyebrows pulled together at the declaration, though Ritchie seemed relieved. He had taken down two of Ash's powerhouses; Ritchie was certainly a powerful Trainer.

I can't use Bulbasaur against a Fire Pokémon but... Ash thought to himself. His eyes opened as his mind came to a conclusion on his last Pokémon. "It's my only hope, so I choose you! Charmeleon!" The Poké Ball soared into the air at what seemed like a million years before the cap lifted open, releasing Ash's own Fire-type onto the arena in front of it.

"Char!" his Charmeleon growled.

Ash studied his opponent's Fire-type Pokémon. It was exhausted after fighting with Primeape, but he still couldn't shake away the feeling of heavy iron in his stomach. They were both down to their final Pokémon; whichever one goes down first would move onto the next round.

As the Pallet Town Trainer took a deep breath to calm his rapidly-beating heart, both Charmander and Charmeleon opened their mouths to prepare a Flamethrower attack.

"Char!"

"Charr!"

The two Fire-types sent out their attacks simultaneously, and the orange and red flames collided with one another in the middle of the stage. The air around it became distorted from the intense heat, but it was clear that the previous battle that Zippo had been in had taken its toll on it, and its own flames were being pushed back. "Look out, Zippo!" Ritchie cried with anxiety filling his voice. The Lizard Pokémon cut off its Flamethrower attack and quickly hurried out of the way before the flames of its evolved form could hit it.

"Meleon!" Charmeleon growled, and followed Zippo with its Flamethrower, chasing it back and forth around the arena.

"Ash's Charmeleon seems too hot for Ritchie's Charmander to handle!"

His anxiety came to a head at the base of his neck to the point where it almost seemed as though he couldn't breathe. This was it. "Charmeleon, Skull Bash attack!" His Pokémon obeyed, and it charged at Zippo with its head lowered. Ritchie's Pokémon stopped running now that the Flamethrower attack that had been chasing it was gone, but it still hesitated just enough to try and catch its breath. But this moment's hesitation was all Charmeleon needed.

From both sides of Indigo Stadium, the Trainers gasped at the same time as Charmeleon's head protrusion drove into Zippo's stomach, lifting the Fire-type off its feet. The Charmander flew through the air for just a moment with its eyes closed and mouth open in a silent yell, and when it hit the ground, it landed on its back.

"Zippo!" Ritchie yelled, his eyes widening. He stepped forward but stopped when his Pokémon stirred and attempted to rise. Its body was covered in bruises, and the poor creature looked exhausted. Charmeleon watched with a blank expression as its pre-evolution got onto its feet, but before it could get back down into another battle position, Charmander fell forward onto its stomach. It could battle no longer.

"Charmander is unable to battle! Charmeleon is the winner! The winner of the match is the green Trainer, Ash!"

Cheers and applause erupted around Ash as the scoreboard declared the Pallet Town native the winner, but this quickly faded out and Ash's face and shoulders fell with disbelief. He had won. "Char!" He heard his Charmeleon in the back of his mind, which brought him back to reality, and saw the Fire-type smiling up at him at his feet. Slowly, his mouth curled upward and a laugh escaped his mouth.

"We did it! We won!" Ash cheered, and opened up his arms and letting his Fire-type jump into them. He jumped up and down with his Pokémon, and the flame on the end of its tail singed his pants, but he ignored it. He was far too happy to feel pain.

"Ash." Ritchie's voice close by made Ash open his eyes, and he looked to see the auburn-haired Trainer standing a foot away from him. His face was unreadable as he looked at the black-haired boy, and brown eyes stared into blue ones. Finally, after what seemed like forever, Ritchie extended his hand and smiled. "Congratulations, Ash."

Ash returned the smile and gripped the boy's hand in his own. "Thanks, Ritchie! I'll win the next one for you, too."

-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