Pokémon Movie01 Japanese BGM - The Copy Pokémon Awaken!
Gary, historically, had always found a way to pull ahead of him.
Whether it was being the first to receive a Pokémon, or leading him in their quest as Pokémon trainers; badges, Pokémon caught, general knowledge and wisdom. Being tailed by a gang of accompanying cheerleaders; shallow things like that, Ash later learned, weren't so important.
Being the first to humble him after several different triumphs, on the other hand, spoke more to their relationship. And, it usually did Ash a favor, spurred him forth towards his next quest. But, that didn't mean that it didn't bruise his pride.
Once again, when Ash was on the cusp of snatching an advantage he'd planned minutes ahead of time, Gary beat him to the punch. The Heat Wave, meant for Scizor as soon as the heavy downpour dissipated, instead soaked into the lustrous coat of Arcanine.
The fiery embers emanating from the Legendary Pokémon were solid, empirical proof that Ash's secret strategy had been used to his foe's advantage.
"You switched Scizor out," Ash said, frowning. "So, unless you're bending your own rules, it must've been the effect of that U-Turn." His eyes widened. "It must be like Volt Switch, then!"
"Congratulations! You've figured it out." Gary praised Ash, but the crooked, upward turn of his lips told Ash that it was at least, in part, patronizing. "You've had quite a bit of leeway in swapping your team around, Ash. But the Gym Leader has to be a little bit more innovative. I can't just leave my Scizor out in the face of those Fire-type moves… Thanks for playing into my hands by using one, by the way! You almost made it too easy."
"What!?" Ash snapped, troubled and insulted by the insinuation. "You planned this, then… and you thought ahead to have Arcanine ready to deal with any fire moves that would head for Scizor… That's a pretty nasty play, I'm not gonna lie." His eyes narrowed; that raised more questions than it did answer. "But, wait. If that was your plan, why bother discouraging it with Rain Dance, in the first place?"
"That is a good question," Gary replied, "but the answer is simple. With Electivire using Rain Dance, you'd expect that I'd want to avoid Fire-type moves, wouldn't you, Ash?"
"Yeah, you've got me," Ash conceded reluctantly. "I connected the dots as soon as you sent Scizor out. Why else use it for a Pokémon with no Water or Electric-type moves? Of course you'd want to avoid the weakness to fire."
"...So you were waiting for the weather to change," Gary finished. "In other words, I made you so sure that you had my number, that you wouldn't even think twice about that trap!"
Ash found himself dumbfounded, and quite frankly, embarrassed. "You played me twice over, then…!"
"I'll admit, I didn't predict the stunt you pulled with Pikachu. I was starting to worry that the little guy would take us out, before I could see that game through! I think it's a good thing the rain ended when it did," Gary said.
"Pika…" Pikachu, who now stood back at Ash's feet, growled. Any momentum they'd built during the scuffle had been spent. Gary had played them like a fiddle. Looking up to his trainer, he frowned. Ash's trembling fist spoke to just how collected he was, right now. "Pikapi…"
"Poor Ash… To think that Gary had his number that whole time," Dawn said, linking her fingers together in front of her. "It's a little bit like his and Paul's battles… But, there's no way that move was specifically meant for Ash. Gary must have planned his team around making challengers run into that trap!"
"Empol" Empoleon curtly agreed. He never knew Gary to be so clever.
"The guy makes one heck of a Gym Leader," Dawn said. "But anything he can do, Ash can definitely do better!"
Ash inhaled sharply, then exhaled. The tension that'd built in his shoulders seeped away, and he collected himself. "Y'know, you're a real wiseass."
Gary snorted. "I would say it takes one to know one, but I'd like to think that I'm above that."
"Yeah, keep tellin' yourself that," Ash smirked. Losing his cool wouldn't do him any good, here. He'd walked into Gary's trap, sure. But, there was no reason he couldn't pay his old friend back for it, twice over. "How do you feel, Pidgeot? What do you say we show them that their tricks won't get them anywhere!"
Looking back, Pidgeot heard Ash's feelings. And she mirrored them, just as prideful. She shrieked, throwing her wings out to accompany her war cry.
"Hmph! We'll see," Gary replied. "Arcanine! Flamethrower!"
Flamethrower's ambience even reached across the interior of the Gym; even from a distance, its orange glow and uncomfortable heat told a story; this was no ordinary Flamethrower.
"Air Slash!" Ash hastily commanded.
Churning, slicing winds were thrown into Flamethrower's path, consuming and swallowing its fiery wrath… At least, it did for a brief moment. Flamethrower proved too powerful, bursting Air Slash and assaulting Pidgeot with remnant gusts of heat.
"Pidgooo!" Pidgeot cried, blown back from the aftermath.
"Tch…!" Ash frowned, but kept his cool. It was just a setback. "Charge back in, and use Steel Wing!"
Pidgeot quickly recovered, and soared under the scattering embers with shimmering wings.
"Arcanine! Extreme Speed!" Gary countered. His Pokémon quickly lived up to the name; an earthy green glow coated Arcanine, and quickly stretched to the limits of human vision; darting across the field as little more than a streak.
Pidgeot lost sight of her foe, before a nasty strike to her side threw her off balance. Keeping herself guarded with steel-plated wings, she surveyed her surroundings. There were no signs of him…
Ash acted as a second pair of eyes, scouting where Pidgeot couldn't. Then, he gasped. "Above you!"
Arcanine howled, dropping in to divebomb Pidgeot with his full weight upon her back.
Pidgeot squawked, committing to a barrel roll to shrug his paws off of her. A few feathers shook loose as she corrected herself, and watched Arcanine land. The canine outspeeding her was flustering her, to say the least. How dare he!?
"That Extreme Speed… It's so fast!" Ash marveled.
"I don't know what else you'd expect," Gary replied. "It's in the name."
Ash ignored Gary's wise remark, and kept his eyes on Pidgeot. She looked about as frustrated as he felt, right now. "Yeah, well, two can play at that game. You thinking what I'm thinking, Pidgeot!?"
Pidgeot turned back, and nodded. Words weren't necessary.
"Whatever you can do, we can do it better! Pidgeot, Mirror Move!"
Ever watchful like the sharpest hawk, Pidgeot's eyes gleamed. Recognizing and instantly copying what she'd just seen, she disappeared from sight.
Gary frowned. "Arcanine! Extreme Speed, again!"
"They're moving so fast," Dawn exclaimed. Her blue hues were darting left and right, hanging onto the occasional glimpse of emerald shooting across the room, before she lost it again.
"Pol! Empol." Empoleon folded his wings. What fun was a battle if he couldn't even see it!?
The occasional collision of the streaks of light caused the briefest of pauses, sending gusts of wind across the Gym's interior. Clouds of dust gathered before dying away, and Dawn's blue tresses were ruffled.
"C'mon, Pidgeot!" Dawn shouted, cupping her hands around her mouth. "You can do it!"
Extreme Speed outclassed its contemporary mirrors, like Quick Attack, by a great margin, both in power and speed. But, a move that great wasn't quite as sustainable. After several rounds of butting heads, Pidgeot and Arcanine began to lose steam.
Arcanine was first, sliding across the dirt of the battlefield. Digging in his paws to gain footing, he was now fully visible, and the green glow around him had died.
Pidgeot took this prime opportunity to give chase, smashing into Arcanine's side. Hearing his cry of pain, she flew ahead and passed in front of Arcanine, reorienting herself in the air. "Pidgo!"
"So, Pidgeot had the edge," Gary noted, frowning. "It makes sense. As a Normal-type, she's more adept at even a move she can't learn than Arcanine."
"That's just how great Pidgeot is!" Ash boasted, before waving a hand. "Charge in! Steel Wing!"
Pidgeot obeyed, and turned around for another assault.
"Arcanine! Box them out with Flamethrower," Gary called.
A stream of white-hot flames appeared in Pidgeot's path, forcing her to back off. The heat was oppressive, even if she'd avoided a direct hit. Clicking her beak, she pulled around and came in for a pincer attack.
Arcanine's sharp eye caught her again, and he unleashed another Flamethrower.
"Tch…!" Ash tutted in frustration, watching Arcanine fend off Pidgeot a second time. Pidgeot sank and dipped under the previous attack, coasting in to aim at Arcanine's legs. A third Flamethrower flew directly after, and she was forced to retreat to the air.
"Pidgooo!" Pidgeot cried angrily. The ordinarily sharp tactician was losing her cool; flustered and irritated, she took a deep breath. She should collect herself, and think this through. Surely, Ash was on his way to thinking his way out of this, if he hadn't already. She looked back to her trainer for affirmation.
But, she didn't find what she was hoping for. Ash's teeth were grit, and his brows were fixed with a look of frustration. Like her, he seemed impatient.
"If we can't break through, then try this!" Ash thrust a hand forward. "Pidgeot! Rapid-fire Air Slash!"
If Ash wanted to push an aggressive strategy, then Pidgeot had no reason to doubt him. Several fierce beats of her wings bombarded Arcanine with projectiles.
Arcanine leaped back from the barrage of cutting winds, darting around several more. He was safe, so far, but he was cutting it awfully close.
"Okay, that actually could be a problem," Gary muttered. But, he couldn't help but notice the gusts of wind dispersing from the Gym floor. That gave him an opportunity. "Arcanine! Jump over the next Air Slash, when it hits the ground!"
Arcanine did as told. Jumping into the fleeting tempest, Arcanine found a cushion of propulsive air, and lunged at Pidgeot.
"Now, Thunder Fang!"
Ash gasped. The force provided by Air Slash was enough to close the gap between the two Pokémon very quickly; it was a tactic he, himself, had used before. "Block, with Steel Wing!"
Arcanine's jowls came down on a prudently-timed Steel Wing. Sharp fangs gnashed into the metallic casing, and worse yet, loose electricity shot through Pidgeot's nervous system.
She shrieked, but she bore the pain. A veteran of many battles, Pidgeot hoisted Arcanine up with one wing, and mercilessly struck at his legs with the other.
"Arh!" Arcanine howled, losing his grip on Pidgeot's wing. This was enough for her to spin around, and fling him towards the ground.
Arcanine landed on all fours, and winced. His weight buckled a bit, under him.
"Arcanine…!" Gary exclaimed, frowning. "His legs took a hit." His mobility then, most likely, was shot. 'If Ash has us on the run again, Arcanine will be in trouble…' Naturally, that left one option. "Hang in there! Use Flamethrower!"
Ever the loyal and reliable partner, Arcanine returned fire.
Perhaps, Ash at his sharpest would have perceived the advantage he'd just gained. Perhaps he would have battled prudently and taken advantage of what Pidgeot had just accomplished. But, he only saw his own Pokémon, flustered and prideful. He could see her stubbornness to prove herself the strongest.
He felt that same desperation in his veins. And with Ash, pride often came before the fall. "Pidgeot can take that, and then some!" He shouted. "Pidgeot! Mirror Move!"
Pidgeot opened her beak, and a vortex of wind conjured to snatch up Flamethrower.
"Ash!? What're you doing!?" Dawn exclaimed, watching the whole scene unfold with bewilderment. Arcanine's own flames were dragged in, and with a purposeful toss of Pidgeot's head, returned to its source.
Cascading reds and oranges highlighted the Gym's interior. Dawn had a clear view of Ash, then. If he'd made a mistake, he didn't seem to notice; teeth grit, sclera wide, and pupils narrow, he was absorbed in the passion of the battle.
She could only wonder.
Gary tutted in disappointment. "Bad move, Ash. Arcanine! Thunder Fang!"
In his haste, Ash left Arcanine a safe path forth. Charging into the Flamethrower, Arcanine lunged, and emerged on the other end.
Pidgeot was greeted by a dark silhouette against the flames. Try as she might to escape, she was far too late; fangs sunk into her hide, and harsh electricity shot through her.
Ash called Pidgeot's name, but he was too late. He'd realized his mistake too late, and he could only watch Arcanine somersault, and brutally toss Pidgeot to the ground.
The dust and embers cleared. Pidgeot was laid out on her back.
"Pidgeot is unable to battle," the referee shouted. "Arcanine wins!"
"Pika…" Pikachu lamented, his ears falling to frame his face.
Ash, meanwhile, found himself at a loss for words. His loyal partner laid, sprawled out. An expert of the skies, defeated because of… whatever it was that'd gotten into his head. Why had he made that call. Why was he so hasty?
"Ash!" Gary's voice jolted him out of his stupor. But, the blank, lost look in his eyes wasn't lost on the brunet. "Just what was that? I know you wouldn't just hand me a win. And I know you're too good a trainer to make such a novice mistake."
Ash opened his mouth, but hadn't found any words to fill it. His head should be fully immersed in the battle, right now. The thrill of confronting the next obstacle and overcoming it was like a steady rhythm that he immersed himself in. But, right now, he felt more like he was entertaining the faint buzz of furious Beedrill, stalking from a distance. Chipping away at his patience and concentration.
He shook his head and silenced it. "I'm fine," he insisted. "It was just a bad call!"
"You sure don't sound like it," Gary prodded.
"Just worry about the battle," Ash snapped back. He immediately felt guilty, but there was no going back on it, now. He held Pidgeot's Poké Ball outward, recalling her. "Sorry, girl… That was my fault. But don't you worry. We'll avenge you!" One sphere was exchanged for another.
"Let's show out for Pidgeot, Tauros!"
The next ball was slung backhanded, and Tauros emerged, sliding across the Gym's dirt floor. He dug his hooves in and stomped, letting out a bellowing battlecry.
Gary's eyes lingered on Tauros, and then his very own Arcanine. The Fire-type seemed to be shifting his weight between his legs with uncertainty. "We'll see if you get the chance. Arcanine! Overheat!"
The inferno that followed was unlike any attack before it. White hot, starkly bright, and wrapped in a spiral of red and orange flames, Overheat closed in on Tauros.
Ash swallowed heavily, but refused to give up. "Hold it off, with Fire Blast!"
Much like his trainer, Tauros' spirit and passion burned. With a stomp of his hooves, he snorted and fired a blazing kanji into the path of Overheat.
Overheat and Fire Blast collided, pushing against one another. While both moves were mighty, Overheat was significantly moreso. Both fiery moves burst, but the aftermath was far harsher on Ash's end of the field.
The trainer guarded himself and his eyes with his arms, as his jacket flapped about behind him. His hat flew off of his head in the gusts, but the air was far too hot for him to expose himself catching it. "Tauros…!"
The flames died down, and Ash found it safe to assess the aftermath. Tauros had been knocked on his side, with burn marks on his fur, and wisps of smoke rising from them. "Tauros…!"
Tauros winced in pain, and shook his head. Stubborn and hardheaded as ever, he got back on all fours and snorted.
"After Overheat, those Fire-type moves won't be so hot," Ash concluded. "Tauros! Take Down!"
"Arcanine! Extreme Speed," Gary countered. Arcanine charged the stampeding bull, but the momentum he counted on never quite built up. His green glow flickered, and his footsteps were clumsy.
Tauros crashed into Arcanine, sending them stumbling back.
"It's just like I thought," Gary mused to himself, frowning. "Pidgeot's Steel Wing hurt his legs. His mobility's shot!"
Ash closed a fist, seizing the moment. "Now, use Fissure!"
Thunderous stomps sent a nasty, devastating quake through the field, cutting a schism down the middle. Earth rattled and rumbled, and Arcanine had no recourse to escape it.
The Fire-type fell with swirls in its eyes.
"Arcanine is unable to battle! Tauros wins!"
Ash whistled, wiping sweat from his brow. He found that Pikachu had boarded his shoulder to avoid Fissure's effects, and smiled. "Phew… Nice one, Tauros! You got 'im."
Tauros looked back at Ash and cried happily. His breaths were heavy, and his fur was still charred, but he'd won.
"Return, Arcanine!" Gary recalled his partner, and gently kissed the Poké Ball before depositing it on his belt. "I'll admit, I had a feeling Tauros would use Fissure, Ash."
"You studied us that closely?" Ash asked, taken aback.
"I had a good deal of free time before you came around to Viridian; checking back on your history was the only sensible way to prepare! And I saw Tauros's battle at the Orange League. I wanted to knock him out quickly to avoid that outcome."
"Then that's why you spent that power on Overheat," Ash deduced.
Gary nodded. "It didn't work. But it still did plenty of damage to your Tauros."
Tauros snorted loudly. If he was having any difficulties, he certainly wasn't willing to show it.
"If Tauros needs a break, he can take one," Ash replied. "But he looks like he's hanging in, just fine! Am I right, big guy?" Ash encouraged him.
Tauros answered with a cry, stomping his hoof.
"Right," Ash smiled. "So come on, and let's see your next Pokémon!"
"Hmph! Don't say I didn't warn you. Scizor, I choose you!"
Released into the fray once again, Scizor snapped his crimson claws.
'We saw Scizor in action before,' Ash thought to himself. 'There's no way they'll just sit still for the kind of moves we want to land.' Deciding on his strategy, Ash resumed. "Use Scary Face!"
Scizor flinched when confronted with a nasty, terrifying glower from Tauros. The Pincer Pokémon suddenly felt unnerved; like his limbs were frozen in a fleeting terror.
"Now, Fire Blast!"
Tauros snorted, and fired the blazing star, once more.
"Cutting our speed before a full frontal attack… Not bad Ash," Gary remarked. "Double Team!"
Clones of Scizor spawned in a half-circle around Gary's end of the field, while Fire Blast embraced and incinerated one optical illusion. Embers and sparks danced in the air, while a majority of his clones remained.
"Now, use Swords Dance!"
Each of the Scizor started to spin in place, moving their claws in a pattern that generated the illusion of winds wrapping around them. Whichever the real Scizor was, their attack power was about to jump significantly.
"We can't just let them take that for free," Ash said. "Take them all down, with Take Down!"
Tauros charged the line of dancing Scizor, tackling one after another. After the majority of them were taken down, Scizor's dance stopped. The third-to-last clone was next in Tauros' sights.
Suddenly, that one reached out and grabbed his horns.
"Tauros!" Ash gasped. "They finished it before we could find them…"
Tauros bucked and thrashed, yanking himself away from Scizor's grip. But the boost from Swords Dance seemed fruitful; Scizor planted its feet, and stubbornly held the bull in place.
'If that's how they want to play, then fine.' Ash thought to himself. "Tauros! Fire Blast, now!"
"Sorry, Ash. Not this time," Gary replied. "Throw him up high, Scizor!"
"Sci…!" Scizor struggled briefly with Tauros, throwing up his claws in a mighty upheaval. "Zor!"
Before Tauros could gather any flames, he was hurled towards the ceiling, belly-up.
"Now, use Bullet Punch!" Gary cried, and Scizor caught up with Tauros, coating his pincers in steel. A barrage of jabs pummeled Tauros's torso, and sent him plummeting.
Dirt and dust clouds blew from the impact, forcing Ash to guard his face from the debris. Pikachu opted to sit atop Ash's hatless head as well, blinking any dirt away. "Shoot… Tauros!"
"Now, Double Team!" Gary's voice could be heard in the aftermath. By the time the field was visible, Scizor had gathered another band of clones to oppose Tauros.
Tauros grunted, forcing himself back onto his feet.
"Tch… Give me a break. How're we supposed to tag Scizor, like this?" Ash felt his frustration bubbling, again. After losing Pidgeot, and Rosa before her to it, he knew better than to put his pride before good sense. But, Gary still had two completely fresh Pokémon after Scizor, and all three of his own had battled… He had a good guess at what they could be, but he wouldn't even have a shot at them until he got past Scizor.
'Get past Scizor!?' Ash echoed his own thoughts in his mind, his face screwing up. 'I'm thinking the same way I did against Surge… I can't count out the opponent I have, right in front of me!'
Tauros, meanwhile, looked back at his trainer expectantly.
As did Gary. "No moves on your end, Ash…? Well if you won't, then I will. Bullet Punch, Scizor!"
The platoon of Scizor clones scattered across the field, if not somewhat sluggishly, thanks to Scary Face. Their sloth gave Ash an idea, but he had little time to execute it, as gleams of silver danced across the field, and copies passed through Tauros.
The Normal-type cried, suffering a multitude of Bullet Punches.
"Tauros!" Ash called out. If they couldn't see where their foe was coming from, they couldn't fight back. "Try using your Scary Face to slow them down, again!"
A nasty red glow shone in Tauros's eyes, ready to petrify his foe as soon as they made eye contact. But, none of the Scizor seemed to even meet his gaze, let alone the real one. A sudden strike to his side made him stumble, and he cried in irritation.
"No luck… Tauros, listen!" Ash called out. "You've got to calm down and clear your mind! Feel out the real one! Bein' antsy won't help us!"
The command was hypocritical, really; Ash, himself, was far from cool and level-headed.
Tauros was looking every which way, leering red eyes at the ready. But, Scizor was everywhere. Bullet Punches, although only irksome at first, swarmed and irritated him like gnats. He cried angrily, stomping his hooves and whipping his tails about.
"It's no good…" Ash clenched his teeth in frustration. 'Tauros can't find them, and he's really looking weary, now… Looks like it's do or die!' Ash threw a hand in the air in tandem with his next command.. "Tauros! Jump up high, and fire a Fire Blast at the field!"
"What's Ash up to, now!?" Dawn asked, her eyes following Tauros into the air.
Having leapt towards the high ceiling of the Viridian Gym, Tauros huffed and gathered his burning frustrations towards the battle at large. Battered and disoriented, he was of the same mind as Ash — he wanted to finish Scizor in one grand, clean hit.
Those wishes manifested in a flaming star, descending rapidly before hitting the battlefield.
Five volatile streaks of flames stretched over the field, incinerating whatever it touched. One Scizor clone after another was consumed, and vanished.
Tauros landed in the gap between flames closest to Ash, stomping the field.
"Burning the battlefield… Not bad, Ash," Gary could be heard from behind the chaos. "But, you ought to remember — this isn't the first time I've seen you pull that trick! It's not going to work a second time."
"What!?" Ash snapped, moments from asking just what Gary was referring to. But it came to him, rather quickly. 'Of course… when I had Charizard melt the field at the Johto League!'
If Gary was prepared for this, then what could he have in store…? It was a question that was answered for Ash before he could give it a voice, when he looked right in front of him. "Oh no!"
In the gap between flames where Tauros stood, he suddenly found himself cornered. The strong red of Scizor stood between the bovine and Ash, himself. The insect made slow steps forward, encroaching upon his foe.
"Blasting everything away wasn't the worst idea, but I think you'd know as well as anybody that the field can work against you, too," Gary lectured. "I can't see over there, but judging by your reaction, Scizor's right in formation!"
"He's right," Ash muttered. Even as Fire Blast was starting to die away, hot embers lingered and drifted about, and harsh smoke clouded the way; there was no sure guarantee Tauros wouldn't step into a hot spot if he backed off.
"Finish this," Gary shouted. "U-Turn!"
"Sci… Zor!" A bright, lime aura surrounded Scizor. He shot forth, bashing into Tauros, before bouncing over the scattering embers, and disappearing into a red beam of light.
Tauros cried, knocked back and onto his side.
"Ummm…" The referee paused, scouting the fray to the best of his abilities. The black smoke was luckily blowing off into the unattended interior of the Gym, clearing the way. "Tauros is unable to battle," he shouted. "Scizor wins the round!'
"Thank you, Tauros." Ash looked down at the Poké Ball sitting in his palm. His fingers tightly clutched the cold metal; if the object had any give, his nails might've dug into it. "You did your best."
"Talk about a tough break," Dawn frowned, crossing her arms. "And I could've sworn that strategy was going to work. But now, he's in a pretty rough position."
'I've got two Pokémon left,' Ash recounted in his mind, as if he and Dawn were working on the same train of thought. 'And Gary's got three, now. We'll really be battling uphill from here.'
As Gary reached for his next, though, Ash knew he had no time to dwell. He matched his former rival, and grabbed his off his belt. Both trainers slung theirs forth at the same time.
"Blastoise!"
"Torterra!"
"...I choose you!" They called in unison.
Both tortoises appeared opposite of one another, entering with hearty battle cries. One with well-polished cannons, aimed sharply at their foe. The other with a thriving ecosystem supported on his back.
Eye met eye, and stubborn intensity burned in each.
'Luckily, Torterra got his stamina back from that Giga Drain earlier. But, if we're going to win, now, we need some momentum.' Ash thought. "Torterra! Let's see the power of your Energy Ball!"
The green, vibrant orb appeared in front of Torterra's beak, ready for consumption.
"Not this time," Gary shouted. "Ice Beam!"
Freezing rays targeted the Energy Ball with utmost accuracy. Before Torterra could chow down, it was frozen solid, shattering into shimmering shards of ice.
"They froze it!?" Ash exclaimed.
"Please," Gary scoffed, frowning. "Do you really think I'd let you pull the same trick twice, after seeing the kind of power Torterra has?"
Those words could be taken as praise; flattery, even. But, Ash was far more occupied with the way his strategy had been undermined. He grit his teeth. "Use Rock Climb!"
"Skull Bash, let's go!"
Blastoise geared his weight forward, and tucked his head into his shell. At the same time, Torterra's weight unearthed a high, rocky structure underneath the Shelfish Pokémon's feet.
With his path set, Torterra stampeded up the ramp. Blastoise launched himself like a missile at Torterra, skull-first.
Everyone present stumbled to catch their footing when the two Pokémon met; the shockwave billowed through the Gym, and the floor trembled. Two powerhouses had clashed.
Blastoise dug his claws into rock, and grunted while applying more pressure. While he'd slowed down Torterra, he couldn't quite find greater footing. In fact, when he tried to lean forward, Torterra's beak pried under his chin, and shoved him back.
This left Gary in quite a precarious position. "It's like last time. Blastoise can't aim his cannons. Torterra's making sure of that…!"
"You bet he is," Ash replied. "You're not the only one who learned from our past matches. Do it, Torterra!"
"Terra!" Torterra cried with a burst of effort, tackling Blastoise successfully off the precipice.
"Hang in there, and use Scald!' Gary shouted.
Those words struck worry in Ash, as he watched Torterra bear the brunt of a white-hot crescendo of a wave. Rock Climb started to buckle beneath him, and collapsed.
The Continent Pokémon grunted, before he was consumed by a sudden blaze.
"He's burned!" Ash lamented.
"It's a pretty ruthless move, honestly," Gary said. "By the look on your face, though, I'm willing to wager that you've seen it before, Ash."
"Unfortunately," Ash grumbled.
"A burn status on the first try… That's some really bad luck!" Dawn pouted. "Now all of Torterra's physical attacks are cut in half… But at least that just means Rock Climb."
"Pol, Empol!"
"Now, Ice Beam!" Gary commanded, as Blastoise fired from one of his cannons.
"Energy Ball," Ash countered, and Torterra returned fire.
Freezing cold rays crashed against abundant natural energy, pushing against one another for dominance. With the momentum it'd already built, Energy Ball was holding its own.
Blastoise grunted, and aimed his second cannon. Another prong of freezing cold joined the first, pushing back against Energy Ball. Jagged, cutting cyan bit into emerald, and pushed the latter back towards Torterra until it burst.
Torterra groaned, suffering a residual gust of bitter cold energy. He shook his head out to dispel the pain, though ice was starting to gather on the moss of his shell.
"Tch…!" Ash tutted, furrowing his brows in concentration. "Torterra! Giga Drain!"
Vine-like energy projectiles shot out of Torterra's shell, wrapping around Blastoise to drain his energy.
"Blastoise," Gary countered, "Rapid Spin, now!"
Blastoise retreated into his shell, and turned against the grain of Giga Drain's tendrils. They pulled back with some resistance, but ultimately snapped, as Blastoise spun and shook himself free. He landed on his feet, dusting off his shell. "Blast…!"
Meanwhile, Torterra cried, as his burn struck again.
"Torterra…!' Ash frowned, swallowing heavily. "You hanging in there, big guy?"
Torterra's red eye turned back to Ash and he nodded, smiling.
Ash nodded to acknowledge him. 'Glad he's hanging in there, but with that burn, this is going nowhere, fast… We've gotta turn the match in our favor! Hit 'em so hard that Gary can't just shake us off.' With that strategy picked, the move of choice was obvious. "Leaf Storm!"
The moss and leaves on Torterra's shell illuminated, and a dangerous, cutting tempest fired towards Blastoise.
"Dodge it, with Rapid Spin, now!" Gary shouted, waving an arm.
Blastoise retreated, and spun his way to the right of Leaf Storm.
Torterra stomped sideways to gear his body towards the retreating Shelfish Pokémon. Leaf Storm's path slowly followed him.
Blastoise emerged to land on his feet, skidding into a circular motion with one hand pressed into the ground. "Blast!" He grunted, pushing off his limbs to immediately use the momentum for a second spin.
Ash couldn't help but notice that it was much faster than the first. In fact, it carried Blastoise on a wide arc around Torterra, avoiding the powerful Leaf Storm entirely.
"Hey, the way you just used Rapid Spin," Ash said, with arching eyebrows. "I looks a lot like-"
"Like the technique you developed?" Gary finished. "Afraid so, Ashy-boy."
"But, how!?" Ash demanded.
"I heard through the grapevine, from Blaine, himself. You think Gym Leaders don't gossip?" Gary smirked. "Your uses of Rapid Spin have been the talk of the town among us. First to deal with hazards, and now to boost speed, too. I figured you'd be coming soon, so I had to try it out for myself!" He seemed to notice the look of bewilderment on Ash's face. "Come on, though. You shouldn't be surprised. I've taken your moves and improved on them, before!"
"Yeah, I guess I really shouldn't," Ash shot back. Still, he was finding his confidence to be on increasingly shaky foundations. A move he worked so hard to figure out, and it was already being used by his opponent… 'If he's evolving off my moves, I'll have to find a way past that, too!'
Torterra roared, as another round of burn damage struck him. "Terra…!"
That was enough to break Ash out of his train of thought. "Energy Ball, rapid fire, Torterra!"
"Rapid Spin, Blastoise!" Gary shouted in turn. This time, Blastoise didn't retreat, but instead, spun right into the incoming blasts. Lively green bursts of energy broke and splattered, unable to tough it out against Blastoise's shell.
"He just brushed them off!" Ash grimaced. Looking at Torterra, he understood why; the larger tortoise was taking heavy breaths. 'Leaf Storm takes a lot out of him… But it may be our only chance.' Seeing no choice but to gamble, Ash continued. "Leaf Storm, to your right!"
A hurricane of sharp, energized leaves blasted past Blastoise to cut him off, forcing him back towards a corner of the ring. Within the legal bounds of the battle, he'd been boxed in.
"Now!" Ash cried, punching a fist in the air. "Use Rock Climb!"
Torterra's claws latched into the ground, elevating a rising slab of rocky terrain under Blastoise. With nowhere to go, he was primed for Torterra's aggressive charge.
"So you boxed us in… Have it your way, Ash!" Gary shouted. "Blastoise, Skull Bash!"
The two tortoise heavyweights smashed into one another, skull to skull, halfway down the ramp drawn out by Torterra's power. A burst of power billowed across the stage, again, but this time, there was no immediate winner; the two Pokémon were locked in a stalemate.
'If we can just get the edge on Blastoise, we can pull off a Leaf Storm, point-blank,' Ash thought to himself. His fists were clenched tightly in anticipation. They were so close! 'Even if its power is cut down, pulling this off should be enough to beat Blastoise! Hang in there, big guy…'
Between exertions of sheer will, and claws digging into stone, Blastoise and Torterra stubbornly pushed their weight against one another. But, at the most critical of moments, Torterra was consumed in flames.
"The burn!" Ash exclaimed.
Gary smirked. "Now, Blastoise!"
"Blaaast…!" Roaring loudly, Blastoise took advantage of Torterra's slipping focus, and smashed into his foe with the brunt of his skull. The impact sent Torterra flying back into the air.
"Now, Ice Beam!"
Freezing rays fired from Blastoise's cannons, and exploded on impact.
"Torterra!" Ash shouted, watching his Pokémon fall. the rocky foundation below him crumbled under his weight, making the whole battlefield shake. He winced, waiting for the results. Though, in his heart, he already knew the outcome.
"Torterra is unable to battle," the referee called. "Blastoise wins!"
Previous setbacks in this battle had been discouraging stumbling blocks. This one, in comparison, felt like it'd taken the air right out of Ash's lungs. Was it the fact that he'd failed Torterra yet again? He never dared speak it, but his failure to carry Torterra to victory after evolving was an ugly, hidden wound. It couldn't be his Pokémon's fault, so what was he doing wrong…?
Or, maybe it was just the losses piling up. Five of his Pokémon had already lost, and in several different cases, he just hadn't been able to guide them to victory. 'Am I doing something wrong…?'
Feeling a debt to his Pokémon, he took care to recall his partner, at the very least. Staring down at the reflective metal capsule in his hand. "Thank you, Torterra. Try resting for a while."
"It looks like you're in a pretty tight spot, Ash." Gary said from across the room. Rather than taunting him, though, Ash got the sense that it was a word of caution for him. Like he was disappointed. "I've got three Pokémon left, one of them fresh, and you've only got one. But then, it's not like you've never made a huge comeback before."
"Yeah…" Ash agreed, but his words sounded absent. Like he was just agreeing with whatever'd been said without quite listening to it. Did he even believe it?
"Pikapi." Pikachu addressed Ash, standing at his feet. Ash found his expression to be stern, his little brows furrowed, and beady eyes filled with resolve. It was a look Pikachu often gave him while trying to talk sense into him. "Pikapika. Pika pi, Pikachu!"
The word-by-word, sadly, was lost on Ash. He thought of the day he was sure he'd heard Pikachu speak, at the volcano. But, the message was clear. Ash smiled in gratitude. "Yeah… yeah, you're right! And there's no better way to make a comeback than with Pikachu by my side!"
"Pika-Pika!" Pikachu cheered, pumping his fists. That was the spirit!
"Pikachu!" Ash shouted, throwing a hand outward towards Gary. "I choose you!"
"Phew… Good on Pikachu for giving him a pep talk," Dawn breathed a sigh of relief. "I was starting to get worried, there."
"Pol," Empoleon agreed, exasperated. The tension in the air was unbearable.
"Show him what-for, Ash and Pikachu!" Dawn cheered.
"Pika…!" Pikachu crouched on all fours, facing off against Blastoise. His ears stood on end, tail raised and alert. As Gary's very first Pokémon, Pikachu knew to take him seriously.
"Blast…" Blastoise stomped the field, surely assessing the same of Pikachu.
"Let's see how strong your Pikachu has gotten, Ash!" Gary shouted. "Blastoise! Scald!"
Blastoise aimed his cannons, firing scalding-hot water.
"Pikachu! Agility!" Ash countered.
"Pi-ka!" Pikachu chanted, suddenly vanishing from sight. The boiling water struck where he'd stood.
"Where'd he go…!?" Gary asked. "There he is!" He spotted Pikachu off in the middle of the field, towards the referee. But, by the time he'd gotten a glimpse of his yellow fur, Pikachu vanished once more. And appeared again, closer to the Gym Leader, himself, before darting off. "He's showing up everywhere… Even with Rapid Spin, Blastoise has no chance of catching him."
There was nothing, really, for Gary to do, but watch and wait.
Ash smirked. Now, he could take control of the match. "Pikachu! Thunder attack!"
"Pi!" The yellow blur that'd started dominating the field slid towards Ash, kicking up dust and mud as he went. Lightning started to gather on the wide end of his tail, before firing into the air. "Pikaaaaaaa… Chu!"
The bolt shot towards the ceiling, crackling and flickering wildly. Wild, untamed bolts boomed and rained upon the field, striking at solid ground in Blastoise's vicinity.
"Blastoise," Gary quickly urged, "dodge them with your Rapid Spin, now!"
The Shelfish Pokémon jumped and retreated, spinning wildly to maneuver around the currently very volatile battlefield. Thunder rained down, just barely cutting by his path. Sparks might have danced along Blastoise's shell, but the Water-type was untouched.
"Got you," Ash said triumphantly, waving a hand through the air. "Pikachu! Electro Ball!"
"Pika!" Pikachu leapt at Blastoise's shell, while the vibrations of his rapid movements built up a rapidly gathering bundle of static into an orb. A huge, golden sphere hung on the broad end of his tail, quickly dwarfing him in size. "Pika-pika-pika-pika-pika-Pika…!"
To his horror, Gary now saw what Ash's plan was. "Blastoise! Get out of the way, now!"
"Pika-chu-pi…!" Pikachu screeched, swinging his body around to sling the huge shocking ball towards his withdrawn opponent. A deafening bang sounded through the Gym, and smoke and lightning flooded the arena.
Ash's jacket billowed about behind him, as he guarded his eyes from the light.
The referee studied the smoke, until it started to clear. "...Blastoise is unable to battle! Pikachu is the winner!"
"Alright! Nice!" Ash cheered. For the first time, perhaps, since the match began, his confidence was returning to him in full force. "Great job, Buddy!" He praised Pikachu, punching a fist towards him in celebration.
Pikachu turned, mirroring the gesture with a smirk. "Pi-Pikachu!"
"Well, well… I think that answers my question!" Gary whistled, as he recalled Blastoise. "Blastoise may've taken some damage from Torterra, but still, no one takes him down that fast."
"That's because Pikachu and I can do anything together!" Ash boasted, riding on his high spirits. "All that time on the mountain was spent training our butts off. And our training's carried all the way through Kanto, too!"
Ash fully believed what he'd said. Pikachu was strong… So strong, that the leader of Team Rocket had to resort to dirty tactics to overcome him. Thinking about it from that angle, at least, made Ash feel better. He'd go on to show Gary that same strength, too!
"What could you possibly hope to achieve, with that kind of power?"
The tyrant's words, then, replayed in Ash's mind. He felt his eye twitch, and tried to shake it off.
If Gary noticed, he didn't mention it. "And you have every reason to be proud of that strength… But you know what happens when your pride gets the better of you, Ash," he warned, picking up his sixth Poké Ball. "My friend, here, has humbled you before. Let's see if he does it again." The brunet lightly kissed the Poké Ball, before throwing it.
"Umbreon! I choose you!"
Golden rings and ruby eyes stood out against pitch-black. Lithe and agile, the quadrupedal envoy of the moon stood bravely against Pikachu. "Bre…" His eyes met Pikachu's.
The mouse's own hues narrowed. This was Gary's treasured partner. The one who'd embarrassed him, before their adventures in the Johto region. He'd never gotten the chance to redeem himself, yet. He answered with his own low growl.
"We've got this, Pikachu," Ash assured his partner. He, like Pikachu, felt on edge. But, they'd started building momentum, and they weren't going to stop here. "Electro Ball, again!"
"Pika-Pika-Pika… chu-pi!" Pikachu gathered another megaton sphere of electricity, and fired.
The blast impacted with Umbreon, swallowing Gary's field in smoke.
"Toxic!"
Ash was sure he'd heard Gary right. He opened his mouth to tell his partner to dodge, but the momentary shock left his throat dry. Purple goo subsequently flew out of the smoke, splattering over Pikachu.
"Pikachu!" He shouted.
Pikachu cried, writhing and recoiling from the severe poison. Purple sparks danced over his body, and his muzzle gained a sickly blue discoloration.
"Toxic, again…" Ash lamented through grit teeth. His battle with Erika was a harsh teacher. If they wanted to win, they'd have to build on their momentum, and quickly. "Electro Ball, again!"
"Ka…!" Pikachu grunted, shaking his body out. Lightning gathered on his tail, once more.
"Umbreon! Snarl!" Gary commanded.
Umbreon attacked with a nasty bark, firing dark waves from his mouth.
"Pi…!" Pikachu took the blast, gritting his teeth to bear it. His willpower was commendable, and he swung around. "Pika-pika-chu… pi!" He fired Electro Ball, though it was significantly smaller.
"Oh, no… Pikachus special moves got weaker," Ash said, clenching a fist. He watched it collide with Umbreon; this time, the smoke cleared more quickly. Umbreon stumbled out, sporting a few marks on his golden rings. 'That had to have did some damage… but it's not enough.'
Special moves might not cut it, and he'd already committed to four moves. There was only one option. "Pikachu," he cried, punching forward. "Use Quick Attack!"
"Pi-pi-pi…!" Silver light accompanied Pikachu's blitz forward. Approaching Umbreon in what seemed like slow motion, he drew close before darting off to their right. Nearly passing him by, Pikachu turned on his paw, and ricocheted himself brutally into Umbreon's side.
Umbreon squealed, recoiling from the impact.
"Umbreon! Foul Play!" Gary shouted; soon enough that Pikachu and Umbreon were still in mid-air. The Moonlight Pokémon regained his clarity and composure, a gleam in his red eyes. Suddenly, his four legs reached out for Pikachu, and hugged around him. He was yanked in.
"Pika!?" Pikachu exclaimed.
Umbreon hugged Pikachu in, and turned himself and his foe over, so that his paws were pressed into Pikachu's back and the top of his head. Still reeling from Quick Attack's impact, they flew towards the Gym floor.
Pikachu faced an ugly collision, when Umbreon smashed him into the ground, facefirst. Skidding through it off of his very own momentum, Pikachu was beaten and dragged through the mud, quite literally.
"Ka…!" Pikachu coughed, catching his breath after Umbreon hopped off of him. Immediately afterward, he writhed, with the sickly bubble of Toxic emanating from him. "Chu…"
"Pikachu…!" Ash's face twisted up with worry and confusion alike. He pulled out his Pokédex. "Dexter, what's Foul Play?"
"Foul Play: A Dark-type attack. The user turns the target's power against it. The higher the target's Attack stat, the greater the damage it deals."
"Pretty nasty, isn't it?" Gary boasted. "Umbreon's powerful, but Pikachu packs even more of a punch. That momentum of his gave us all of the leverage we needed to strike back better than our own attacks ever could!"
"Tch…!" Ash grit his teeth. "Pikachu, how're you doing?"
"Pika… Pika-Pika!" Pikachu barked back stubbornly, standing up and shaking the dust and grime out of his fur. As if he'd go down that easily!
"Good," Ash affirmed. "In that case, rapid-fire Quick Attack!"
Pikachu shot off again, smashing into Umbreon.
"Foul Play!" Gary called.
Umbreon went for an encore, reaching out for Pikachu. But, the Electric Mouse had dug all four of his paws into the dirt, denying himself the same forward motion he'd had, last time. The Dark-type's paws fell short.
Subsequently, Pikachu pushed off to dash past Umbreon, speeding back towards it like a shooting comet. He crashed into his foe's back, mankind him cry out. The mouse saw Umbreon's ears twitch, and he dashed off again before he could be caught.
"This is new," Gary mused, frowning. "Pikachu's moving too quickly to be caught by Foul Play."
"That's the idea," Ash said. "That attack is dangerous, but it won't do you any good, if you can't catch Pikachu!"
"That's the way, Ash!" Dawn cheered, hopping up and down. "Get 'em, Pikachu!"
"Empoleon!" Empoleon cheered wildly, waving his wings.
"Pi-ka!" Somersaulting out of his most recent hit, Pikachu landed with his back to Umbreon, who was stumbling forwards in a struggle to keep his balance. Smirking, he kicked off his feet, shoulder checking Umbreon in the jaw. "Chu!"
Umbreon slid through the mud, panting. His body was battered, but he was remarkably still on his feet.
"Umbreon's still holding out, though," Ash said, eyes wide. "What's the deal?"
"You should do your homework, Ash," Gary lectured. "Umbreon may look sleek, but their physical defense is infamously top-of-the-line. It's even comparable to a Golem's! That's why I took a shot at Pikachu's special attack. Anything else, he can take, and I know Pikachu's not as durable as Umbreon, as stubborn as he is. In other words, your own training's working against you."
Gary's explanation was as harrowing as it was humbling. "I'm really impressed, Gary… That's a solid strategy. But, it's not like Umbreon can just keep taking hits, forever!"
To that, Gary smirked. "I wonder about that. Umbreon! Moonlight!"
The stubborn Umbreon righted himself, and howled towards the high boundaries of the Gym. A bright orb resembling the moon appeared, shining a blue glow upon him like a spotlight. His ears folded back, and the marks and bruises covering his body were highlighted in the heavenly glow.
Under its influence, they started to fade, and the burns covering him lessened in severity.
"No…" Ash stammered out, his brows knitting low. Suddenly, with Umbreon's healthy howl, the trainer felt his confidence slipping right through his fingers, like fine sand beyond his grasp. "We were so close…"
"Pikachu…" Pikachu also mourned the turn of the tides. A sharp pain coursed through his body, and he stumbled. The sickly influence of Toxic was creeping through his veins, worse than before. "Cha…"
'Pikachu's poison is getting worse by the minute. And his electric attacks are weakened.' Ash assessed their condition. It was an awful case of Deja Vu… Do you call it that, though, when the events at Silph were mere days ago?
"I know how powerful Pikachu is, Ash," Gary said, "or at least, I had an idea about it. I had to come up with a strategy to handle opponents like him. A Gym Leader's meant to account for everything a challenger will throw at them. That's my method of learning more about Pokémon, now!"
Gary had done his homework. That much Ash knew. He'd thought his rival's strategies through, and built a near-unbreakable defense around it, even though Ash, himself, was probably the stronger of the two, one-to-one. That Deja Vu rang harshly in his ears, again.
"Correction: I won because I was willing to use every possibility and advantage at my disposal," Something that you aren't willing to do."
'But, this isn't a dirty trick… Gary's just winning, fair and square. I don't know if that makes it better or worse.' Ash shook his head. 'I guess it's better, if it's for my benefit. I just need to find a way to overcome it… I just have to!'
Another unfriendly voice whispered in his ear.
"The Gyms aren't a waste of time! They're meant to teach a trainer about themselves on their journey, and make them grow!"
"Anyone who could stand to grow from this circuit could be no larger than a dust mite."
"Pikapi…" Pikachu's voice cut through Ash's thoughts again. He was looking back to his trainer, frowning, with one ear lopsided. His breaths seemed to be labored. Despite his own condition, he could only be worried about his trainer. "Pika Pika."
Ash shook his head. He couldn't guide Pikachu, like this. "Pikachu! Thunder!"
Ever-faithful, Pikachu obeyed, building lightning in his tail. "Pikaaa….!"
"Use Snarl!" Gary shouted.
Black rings tormented Pikachu; although not terribly painful, they made his body feel weaker, and broke his concentration, he tumbled backwards through the muddy, broken terrain.
Ash grimaced. He wasn't sure what to do. What move to call. What tactic to use. But, they were running on borrowed time. They had to attack. "Rapid-fire Quick Attack!"
A silver streak shot across the stage, and Pikachu barraged Umbreon, yet again. A first, a second, and a third hit came in rapid succession. When the Electric Mouse went for a fourth, a surge of pain stopped him suddenly, and he tumbled across the stage. Toxic bubbles floated away from his form.
"Pikachu…!" Ash gasped. Genuine worry was written on his features, even if he knew Gary would never truly let him get hurt outside of sport. "Are you alright, there?"
"Ka… Pika… "Pikachu gasped, and pushed himself back on his feet. Mud caked his fur, and although he hadn't taken much direct punishment, he felt weak.
"It's like we're punching away at a wall," Ash lamented.
"Pika…" Pikachu grunted, feeling much the same. He was having no luck working his way around his opponents' strategies… Or, Ash was. But surely, as the other half of their partnership, he could do something!?
He looked to his trainer. Ash looked just as lost as him. If they couldn't overcome this…
Umbreon stood in his path, looking down upon him. Behind him was Gary, cool and collected as ever. Maybe it was the poison making him delirious, but Pikachu could only see the shadows of Nidoqueen and Giovanni looming over him.
If he couldn't beat this, he'd never overcome them.
"Use Moonlight!" Gary shouted.
Umbreon did as told, and the healthy nighttime glow replenished Umbreon again. The Dark-type stood tall, his glow even healthier than before.
'Umbreon's back to square one,' Ash thought, clenching a fist. 'And Scizor's on the bench, too…' There was only one answer left, he figured. "Pikachu! Let's see all the Agility you've got!"
Pikachu gathered himself, and put his faith in Ash. His bolstered speed from the last round of Agility gave him a head-start that felt like a breath of fresh air. Or, maybe that was the cool air blowing past him that made him feel just a little less sickly. He was gaining speed regardless.
"What now, Ash?" Gary quirked a brow. The question was rhetorical, though, really. All he could do was watch.
"There's one move up our sleeve that can still beat you guys," Ash asserted. He put the last of his hopes in his best friend, and punched the air. "Pikachu! Electro Ball!"
"Pi-ka!" A yellow blur appeared above the field. Pikachu was there, gathering electricity into his tail. One flicker of static after another, he forced friction and momentum to bend to his will. "Pi… ka… Pi… ka… Pi… ka…!" Electro Ball started to take shape, about as large as the one he'd wielded against Blastoise and Umbreon earlier. "Chu… kah!"
Poison shot through Pikachu's veins again. His eyes became glassy, and the gathering electricity burned at the air and scattered.
"Pikachu…" Ash gasped. Abandoning all pretenses of the battle, he put his partner first, and sprinted onto the field. Stepping in depressions caked in mud, he felt it splatter against his shoes and jeans. He ignored it, and held his arms out for his partner.
Ash caught Pikachu, and hugged him to his chest. The mouse was breathing steadily, but no longer conscious.
The referee saw fit to make the same decision. "Pikachu is unable to battle! All of the challenger's Pokémon are unable to battle, leaving the Gym Leader Gary, the victor!"
"Poor Pikachu…" Dawn frowned. Her shoulders and posture dropped with her hopes for victory. "They had such a strong start, but… they just got outplayed." This sort of stinging defeat rang close, for her. Her stomach felt tight from sympathy.
"Poleon…" Empoleon hung his head.
The two watched Gary approach Ash, and they saw fit to follow along. Dawn had second thoughts about stepping into the muck, but she was quickly glad she did. Towards the darker outsides of the main hall, she saw Ash's cap, sitting in the dirt, upside-down.
That alone felt like a bad omen. She ran towards the overturned headgear, and picked it up. Holding it at length, she shook some of the dirt and mud off of it.
"So… that's that." Ash's voice sounded, behind her. Resigned to the outcome.
"A loss is a loss," she heard Gary reply. "No point in rubbing it in. We should both get our teams checked out at the Pokémon Center." He thanked Umbreon afterward, and Dawn could hear the unmistakable 'ping' of a Poké Ball recalling its inhabitant.
"Yeah," Ash agreed. "C'mon, Dawn, Empoleon. Let's go."
"R-right!" Dawn ran ahead, clutching his hat closely. He hadn't even thought to check or ask for it, when she approached his back. "Your ha-"
"Sorry," Ash said, cutting her off inadvertently.
"Sorry…?" Dawn was taken aback. "What for?"
Ash seemed to slow down, as if he hadn't thought about his answer. He continued walking, though, acting like it hadn't happened. "For the letdown, I guess."
"Don't mind him," Gary told Dawn. "He can be a sourpuss when he loses. Just let him blow off some steam, and he'll get over it."
"Shut up," Ash said, taking a half-assed swing at Gary. The brunet caught his fist.
Gary shot her a smile, as if to say 'I told you so.' Dawn, being herself, took it at face value. She didn't have the keen emotional intelligence to see the concern behind it. She simply knew that Ash always did, in fact, bounce back.
"Yeah. No need to worry."
Outside the large half-dome building that characterized its grand Pokémon Center, shadows stretched to the east, standing out against the golden light that blanketed the city as the late afternoon started to slip into evening. Several benches were stationed outside, for convenience, by the decorative shrubs surrounding the care facility.
Ash sat between Gary and Dawn on one of them, with Empoleon on his girlfriend's opposite side. He stared down at the pavement at his feet, resting his wrists on his knees. Unfortunately, Gary had his number; he was moping. He wanted to excuse it, or brush off his bad mood as something else, but it was the ugly truth. He hadn't said a word, really, since speaking to Nurse Joy, and he didn't want to change that, either.
"C'mon, Ash." Dawn prodded first, gently nudging his shoulder. "I know it stinks, but you bounced right back after losing to Blaine. Now's your chance to turn a loss into a future victory, right?"
"...Yeah," Ash replied, though it came out more like a whine. "You're right, but…" He trailed off, trying to put words to his feelings and make sense of them. "This is… different, somehow."
That felt like an awfully dumb excuse.
"Different?" Dawn blinked. "Why's that?"
"...I don't know," Ash shrugged. "It just is."
"I think I might have a clue," Gary replied. "It's because Ash isn't satisfied with how he fought. What's worse than losing, is losing when you know you weren't giving your best."
"Wasn't giving my best!?" Ash snapped, offended at the accusation. "You know I'd never hold back in a proper battle!"
"No one said anything about holding back." At the risk of retaliation, Gary pushed Ash's head back with his index finger to reclaim personal space. "It means that you were off your game." Leaning back into the bench, he crossed his arms. "I'm not trying to say that your battling was necessarily poor, back there. It wasn't. I could see the logic behind almost all of your moves. But, that might be the problem."
Before Ash or Dawn could ask for an explanation, he continued. "I shouldn't be able to predict or analyze everything you do, beat-for-beat, Ash. Your battles have always been about your off-the-wall ideas that only you would think of, because you know your Pokémon better than anybody. But, I didn't see that today. I saw someone going through the motions. Someone who wasn't connecting with his Pokémon."
Every word hit a little too close to home for Ash, but that last accusation made his eye twitch. "So, what's your point!?" He shouted. "I was… off my game today, I guess! I'm not gonna come up with some amazing strategy, every time I battle."
"Maybe not," Gary conceded. "But, everything about you has been fishy today. Something's bothering you." There was no touch of teasing, or even harshness in his voice.
It was soft, if anything. His concern was genuine, which only made Ash more uncomfortable.
"It's nothing," Ash replied curtly. "It was just a bad day."
"Don't give me that," Gary said. "You're lying through your teeth."
"Mind your business, alright!?" Ash answered. His cheeks burned, and he stood up from the bench to hide it. His back was turned to Gary, and his arms folded over his chest.
To his irritation, he heard his rival stand up behind him. "You know, you've got a really bad habit of keeping your problems to yourself."
"And, so what if I do!?" Ash swerved around, putting himself up in Gary's face. "My problems are my problems! I didn't ask for the peanut gallery."
"What was it you said, last year, about being older, now?" Even for all his patience and maturity, Gary's patience was starting to wear. But, he held his ground, poking Ash in the chest. "You're not a little kid anymore. Time to act like it."
From Dawn's perspective, it looked like Ash was about to blow a gasket, judging by his trembling fist. But, she was never a peaceful mediator. Pushing herself between Ash and Gary, she practically pried the two apart. "What's your deal!?" Dawn scolded. "You're supposed to be helping Ash!"
"I'm trying to help him, Dawn." Gary gently pried her away from him by her shoulder, knowing better than to stoke the temper of someone perhaps even more headstrong than Ash. "But I can only do that if Ash lets me."
If there was any mercy in the context of today, sheer coincidence smiled upon the Viridian Gym Leader. A tone rang from his pants pocket, and he pulled out his Pokédex. "...My Pokémon are ready. I'm going to go get them and return to Pallet for the night." Gary collected himself, and took a deep breath, turning to head back into the Pokémon Center.
"Later Dawn, Empoleon. Oh, and Ash…" He stopped, and raised a hand to salute the group. "Come back when you've got your head on straight. Or when you're willing to talk."
The sliding glass doors opened, and closed behind him.
Ash watched on, the adrenaline running his every move and impulse starting to simmer down. The fight-or-flight he'd felt a moment ago was dying, and frustration and embarrassment took over. "Gary…"
It felt nice, at least, to have the weight of Pikachu on his shoulder again. The short, but dense, soft fur occasionally brushing his cheek could bring Ash's blood pressure down on the worst of days. Seeing his partner rested, if not exactly elated, alleviated his guilt.
His cap was back on his head now, too, after Dawn had taken care to wash it off inside the Center. She was always more concerned with neatness and cleanliness than him. He'd thanked her, at least, by squeezing her hand, and holding it after they'd left, even if he didn't feel much like talking.
He wasn't ready to think and reflect. He just wanted to walk, and enjoy the fresh air in one of Viridian's parks, coming towards the edge of the city. Her fingers curling into his was comforting. Having Rosa back with him was nice, too, though she hadn't said anything, either.
"...The sunset's nice," Dawn said tentatively, unsure how to break the ice.
"Uh-huh," Ash agreed absently. But, he realized that he didn't like giving Dawn non-answers nearly as much as he did Gary. "...Sorry about what happened, back there." A pause. "I mean, for keeping my mouth shut, and getting into that fight. I wanted to talk, but I just… couldn't."
"What? Why?" Dawn asked. "I thought we agreed that it's easier to just speak our minds."
"We agreed to do it," Ash reminded her. "And it may be easy for you, but for me, it isn't. I don't… like to throw my problems at people. Certainly not this one."
"This one…" Dawn's eyes widened. The lightbulb in her head finally went off. "You mean Gio- uh, you-know-who?"
Ash nodded. "It was bugging me the whole time. I just… couldn't get in the zone, and think about what we all could do together." He looked to Pikachu and Rosa alike. "Sorry, guys. I just couldn't stop thinking about matching up to him. About battling right. But, if I admitted all that to Gary, everything we did… I just know he'd call me out for acting stupid."
He just wasn't ready to hear it. He flinched, though, expecting it to come now. The inevitable 'well you WERE acting stupid.' To his surprise, Dawn said nothing. "...Well?"
"Well? Well, what?"
'Right,' Ash thought to himself. That was right. Dawn didn't do that… at least, not terribly often. She'd scolded him for jumping out of a high rise building from the eleventh floor, but really, he'd deserved it. She didn't beat him over the head about it, afterwards. Not for barging in, in the first place.
"Thanks, Dawn," he said, squeezing her hand. "I'm glad I can trust you with stuff like this. Being, y'know, vulnerable and honest and all. It ain't easy."
Dawn smiled fondly. "Well, I may not get why it's hard for you, but of course you can! That's what friends… well, boyfriends and girlfriends are for! At least, I hope that's what they are."
"Yeah. It'd be pretty dumb if we couldn't be straight with each other, huh?" Ash laughed. They'd left the boundaries of the park, wandering absently towards what looked to be city limits. Over Dawn's shoulder, there looked to be an old, worn-down estate. It was touched up just enough to avoid looking off-putting, but it clearly hadn't been occupied in a while. Beyond it, were forests that led towards the far-off Mt. Moon. If they kept going like this, they'd end up lost.
He smiled, shaking his head. "...Alright. That's enough of this."
"Pika?" Pikachu asked.
~Huh? Enough of what?~ Rosa asked, leaning over to look up at Ash.
"Enough moping and overthinking things." Ash let go of Dawn's hand, if only to adjust the brim of his cap. "I'm gonna get back to being the trainer I am, and pull myself together. I'm putting Team Rocket behind me, from this moment onward!"
While Ash's companions all cheered on his declaration, a rumbling drowned out their voices, drawing increasingly closer. Ever louder. A pitch-black mass, moving through the forestry.
Rosa bore her fangs, leaping in front of the group. ~They're back, again!~
"What?" Dawn exclaimed. "Who's back!?" Empoleon now guarded her front.
A pitch-black truck came through the clearing, coming towards the group at full speed. Suddenly, it took a hard turn, tires screeching and burning. It swerved and dragged through the grass and dirt, coming to a halt. Its side faced the group, bearing one despicable detail. Drawn elaborately in crimson, a single capital 'R' stood out against the dreary dark surface.
Pikachu leaned over Ash's shoulder, his cheeks sparking wildly. A low growl in his throat rumbled in Ash's ear.
"Oh, you've got to be kidding," Ash spat. But really, what else in the world could he expect?
