"Your turn Ash." Cynthia grabbed his attention and Ash nodded, reaching up to pet Raichu. "You ready?" She asked, blue eyes clouded with genuine concern.
Ash gave her a rough smile. "No, but we have to do this at some point. Right buddy?"
"Raichu!"
Grinning at his buddy, Ash headed towards his side of the arena. Standing across from him, across the half water arena, was Misty. In way, this battle brought Ash back to the memory of when he had first started out, when he battled her for the Cascade Badge so many years ago. But this was different, because they weren't friends, and Ash was not going to let her beat him.
—-
Misty stretched as she stood up, wringing out her joints. A haughty smirk played on her lips as she turned towards the hallway that led to her side of the arena.
"Good luck Misty." Brock wished before she walked into the hallway, and Misty felt a quick wave of offense.
"Its just Ash, and we already know Raichu won't battle against me. I'll be fine." She stated firmly, missing the doubtful glances shared between her friends. Even Professor Oak looked doubtful, having guessed that Pikachu-Raichu no longer held any love or held them in any regard. But Misty didn't think like that. In her opinion, they didn't do anything wrong, and Raichu knew that, and was still her friend, he just had to side with Ash because Ash was his trainer, obviously not a good one seeing as he made Pikachu evolve.
Misty smirked as she met Ash's eye across the arena, silently taunting him. Ash barely blinked at her, simply standing and waiting for the referee to call the match, much to her chagrin. Whatever, she knew he was just scared and was scrambling to think of a strategy to beat her.
—-
"The Battle between Ash and Misty is about to begin! This battle is three on three, no substitutions! The battle is over when one trainer is out of Pokemon or one trainer forfeits! Trainers, call your first Pokemon!"
"Misty Calls: Psyduck!" On one of the floating platforms formed a chubby yellow duck Pokemon who held onto his head in confusion.
As she did so, Ash happily called out his Pokemon. "Lurantis, I choose you!" On the solid part of the field formed a pretty pink praying mantis looking Pokemon with big pink eyes and clothing like frills made from cut up petals and leaves.
Misty's face drained of all its color before turning green as she looked at the 'bug' type Pokemon. "Ash you idiot! How could you use a disgusting bug type against me?!" Misty screeched, causing a ripple of unhappy murmurs to pass between the crowd. A fair few people had bug types afterall, and they were quite fond of them.
Ash didn't say a thing, brown eyes focused on the upcoming battle and not the infuriated red headed woman before him. Clearing his throat, the Referee moved on before Misty could anger the crowd any further. "Let the battle between Psyduck and Lurantis: Begin!"
Ash didn't move first. He remembered Psyduck vividly, and knew that any blow to the head would awaken his Psychic abilities, instead, Ash waited for Misty to make the first move, something she would be doing soon as she was impatient.
As he had guessed, after a few moments of no one moving, and impatient Misty called for Psyduck to fire his first attack. "Water Gun!"
"Knock it away Petal Blizzard." His only hope was to tire Psyduck out, or finish him in one hit.
Psyduck opened his beak, spraying a swift Water Gun towards the grass type, but Lurantis was one step ahead. She flared her raptorial leg(arms) outwards, causing a cyclone of pink petals to whip around her, protecting her from the wet spray.
Misty frowned, she needed Psyduck to get a headache to use his Psychic abilities, but Ash had used his move to simply block and protect, obviously she would have to be the aggressor. "Scratch Psyduck!" Psyduck clumsily took off on the platform, his claws lighting up as he ran towards Lurantis, swiping wildly.
"Dodge!" Lurantis easily dodged the scratching duck, quickly and easily jumping just out of reach despite how hard Psyduck was trying. "Now Finish this with Solar Blade, aim for his body!" Lurantis started glowing, absorbing sunlight as she dodged, but she couldn't attack right away as the move absorbed energy. Psyduck, in the meantime, continued to try and scratch, slashing wildly, though he never landed a hit. Finally, when Solar Blade charged, Lurantis focused the solar energy into her raptorial legs, causing them to glow a bright sunshiny yellow before she swiped.
Misty Smirked. "Meet it with Zen Headbutt!" Zen Headbutt was the only psychic move Psyduck could use without a headache, and it helped give him a headache in the process, resulting in him unlocking the other moves.
Silently, Ash cursed. Psyduck's head glowed a soft blue as he raised his head up, meeting Solar Blade head on. Psyduck cried out in pain, taking a significant amount of damage despite Zen Headbutt giving him some protection from the grass move, his head pulsing and shifting with a bad headache that made his eyes glow a soft white.
"All Right! Use Psychic Psyduck!" Misty cheered loudly, wooping in joy at her Pokemon.
Ash narrowed his eyes in thought before grinning. "Quit, use Sweet Scent!" Lurantis did so without having to be told twice. She softly ruffled the leaf and petals that covered her body, releasing a pink sweet, pleasing scent that spread through the entire arena. The smell surrounded Psyduck, causing him to halt, before relaxing, Sweet Scent helping ease away the ebbing headache that struck Psyduck.
"Psy?" Psyduck blinked in confusion, his headache now gone along with his psychic abilities.
"No!" Misty cursed.
Ash grinned. "Now, use Petal Blizzard and wrap it up!" Lurantis nodded, and pink petals again started swirling around her, except now she directed the attack to Psyduck, picking him up in the spinning pink blizzard before throwing him into the water. After a few moments, Psyduck resurfaced, his eyes merely swirls.
"Psyduck is unable to battle. Will Trainer Misty please send out her next Pokemon or forfeit?"
"We're not done yet!" Misty spit, recalling Psyduck. "Misty Calls: Corsola!" This time a pink coral Pokemon with a white underbelly.
"Corsola!" Corsola chimed.
"Let the battle between Corsola and Lurantis: Begin!"
"Move in with X-Scissor!" Lurantis' raptorial legs crossed over her front, glowing a soft blue before she launched herself at Corsola.
"Spike Cannon!"Corsola glowed a bright white, the coral branches on her back moving to point at the incoming Lurantis before sharp white spikes shot outwards, colliding with Lurantis' arms. Lurantis used X-Scissor to protect herself, taking Spike Cannon head on and hitting Corsola, causing her to slide back into the water. Misty growled. "Bubble Beam!" From the water, a freezing beam of bubbles shot out, shoving Lurantis into the water.
"Quick, get out of the water!"
"Spike Cannon!" A Lurantis flailed in the water, Corsola swam under her, shooting the sharp white spikes at her, causing Lurantis to shoot out of the water, a bit damaged.
Frowning, Ash called his next move. "Synthesis!"
Misty watched slack jawed as Lurantis shut her eyes and preened under the clear sky above, white sparkles pulsing around her and healing the cuts along her body caused by Spike Cannon. "But Lurantis is a bug type! How can it know Synthesis! Unless…" Misty's mind wandered to Ash's Levanny. She had steered clear of the disgusting bug Pokemon, but she distinctly remembered it being part grass type. "The disgusting thing must be double typed!" She cursed. "Corsola use Recover!" Corsola leaped back onto the platform, and started glowing a bright yellow, healing some of her injuries.
"Petal Blizzard!" A flurry of pink petals whipped around the field, grabbing Corsola before she could heal all the way. Corsola called out in surprise, getting tossed and turned and damaged by the gust of petals.
"Bubble Beam!" Corsola launched a beam of bubbles, but the Petal Blizzard was too strong, trapping Corsola within her own attack.
"Jump into Petal Blizzard and use Solar Blade!" Lurantis bubbled with absorbed sunlight, building the energy in her legs, while Misty and Corsola desperately tried to free the coal Pokemon from the spiraling Blizzard. With glowing raptorial legs, Lurantis launched herself into Petal Blizzard, spiraling for a few moments and even dealing some damage to herself. Once she straightened out however, she moved towards Corsola, and slashed at her with sun powered blades. Corsola went flying out of the blizzard and crashed into the platform, unable to battle. Lurantis dispelled Petal Blizzard and landed back onto the Platform, preening under Ash's proud gaze as he cheered her on, even as she was panting heavily, exhausted.
"Corsola is unable to battle! Will Trainer Misty please send out her final Pokemon or Forfeit!"
"This can't be happening." Misty whimpered, recalling Corsola. She was the best Gym Leader Cerulean City had ever seen! She was a Water Type Master! Ash was a nobody from a nowhere town! It wasn't fair and it didn't make sense! With grit teeth, Misty threw out her final Pokemon. "Misty Calls: Gyarados!" Into the water appeared a ferocious blue and white water serpent with a gaping maw and angry red eyes. Gyarados roared as soon as the energy from his Pokeball dispelled.
"Let the Battle between Gyarados and Lurantis: Begin-!"
"Gyarados use Flamethrower now!" Misty called as soon as the referee stopped talking. Before Ash or Lurantis could respond, a large stream of flame spit from Gyarados' mouth, striking Lurantis and causing her to cry out in pain. When the flame disappeared, Lurantis was several shades darker and unable to battle.
The Referee sighed. "Lurantis is unable to battle! Will Trainer Ash please send out his next Pokemon or forfeit."
"You were awesome Lurantis! Get a good rest!" Ash chimed to his Pokemon as he returned her. "Ready to battle Buddy?"
"Raichu Rai!" Raichu cooed, running down Ash's outstretched arm.
"Raichu, I choose you!" Raichu landed on his tail, hovering above the platform with a cheeky smile.
Misty smirked arrogantly. "Really Ash! Youcan't expect Raichu to try his best! We're friends, Raich would never want me to lose."
"You seem to forget who Raichu's trainer is. Oh right, me." Ash said back with a clenched jaw. Raichu narrowed his round blue eyes at Misty with distaste.
"You might be his trainer, but we're friends! Right Raichu?" Misty's voice turned sickly sweet as she addressed the cinnamon colored Raichu.
Deciding to put an end to the smack talk, the Referee broke in. "Let the battle between Raichu and Gyarados: Begin!"
"Quick Attack!" Raichu didn't hesitate for a second, flying through the air with silver streaks behind him to slam into Gyrados, causing him to slide back.
Misty, in that moment, felt her heart break. Raichu hadn't even hesitated to attack at full power! There was no way Pikachu-Raichu would betray her like that! With a quivering lip, Misty called her first attack. "Hydro Pump!"
"Surf on Hydro Pump and use Psyshock!"
A powerful jet of water shot out of Gyarados' mouth. Raichu jumped up, landing his tail on the water, and then his body on his tail. Raichu easily surfed on Hydro Pump's water, getting in close before letting out a powerful shock of Psychic energy that made Gyarados cry out in pain.
"Rain Dance and then Hurricane!" Gyarados let out a loud roar, summoning dark clouds that accumulated above before a strong drizzle started to pour. Gyarados was probably the closest to Misty, they both had a bit of a temper, and since they could Mega Evolve, it only made sense that they were close. He could feel the hurt and betrayal Misty felt towards Raichu, and it made him want to fight that much harder. So, with another ferocious roar, Gyarados released the strongest Hurricane attack as he could muster, the winds whipping and tearing across the arena towards Raichu, the rain water above aiding in making Hurricane a bit stronger.
"Stop it with Psychic!"
"Raichu!" Raichu chirped in agreement, his blue eyes starting to glow an even brighter blue. White paws raised up and outwards, pulling Hurricane to a full stop.
"Now, Raichu use Thunderbolt!"
"Rai-CHU!" Raichu's yellow cheeks sparked followed by a strong yellow beam shooting up into the dark clouds above. Right above Gyarados, the dark clouds thundered, before a beam of strong electricity struck down, causing Gyarados to cry out in pain.
Gyarados thrashed, trying to shake the electricity off, but he was doubly weak against electric type attacks, especially ones as strong as the ones delivered by Raichu. Gyarados struggled for a little bit longer before finally passing out.
"Gyarados is unable to battle! Ash is the winner of the match!"
Misty was numb as she returned Gyarados to his Pokeball. She lost. She lost to Ash. And worst of all, she lost to Ash because of Raichu. For the first time in three years, Misty finally realized the mistake she made three years ago.
Author's Comments: Ash has a Lurantis because I really like them, but the idea of Misty getting trashed by a bug looking Pokemon brings me great joy. Ash has two other Pokemon we haven't seen yet, Lurantis is grass type and part of his ace team, which is why she could take down two Pokemon, and I wanted Raichu to battle, to show Misty that Raichu isn't a 'Pikapal' anymore, that he's willing to battle her when he wasn't willing to battle her back when Ash battled for the Cascade Badge, and obviously Raichu isn't going to lose to a Gyarados!
Next Chapter is a drama chapter before we get into the real semi finals!
Disclaimer: IWriteBullshit does not own Pokemon in any way shape or form. Pokemon is the property of Game Freak and their partners. Alola's Betrayed Champion is a nonprofit fanfiction story written by someone with too much time on their hands.