Creation began on 08-06-18

Creation ended on 02-01-19

Neon Genesis Evangelion

Elite Three, Two and One

Thud! As Aaron's Drapion fell after being scorched by Shinji's Moltres, the referee declared, since Drapion was the Elite Four member's last Pokemon to fall, the match had ended in Shinji's favor, allowing him to move up against the second member of the Elite Four, Bertha.

The crowds went wild with cheers for Shinji's success as his Eevee rubbed her head against his left cheek.

"That was quite the match, Aaron," Shinji told the Elite Four trainer as he recalled his Drapion. "We should have another match in the future."

"Totally," Aaron agreed with him, giving him the thumbs-up gesture with his left hand. "Best of luck to you for when you face off against Bertha. Don't quit."

Shinji gave the thumbs-up in response with his right hand.

-x-

"…Maybe we should try and get you to travel there sometime, Mr. Fuyutsuki," Antonio suggested to Fuyutsuki as they watched the match between Shinji and the first of the Sinnoh Elite Four conclude.

"As tempting as that seems, I'd doubt I'd be able to get there," the sub-commander expressed. "I have barely had so much as a single conversation with him ever since he arrived in Tokyo-3. Also, there should be someone around that is affiliated with NERV in case of a future Angel attack if Major Katsuragi is presently indisposed to ensure some strategic edge."

"Even if the theoretical possibility is a desire to reach out to remind him that there's another person that awaits his eventual return?"

"Yes."

"Well, it was worth a short."

Yes, Fuyutsukithought; if the circumstances were different right now, he'd probably take the opportunity to traverse subconsciously to the Pokemon world to see Shinji and meet his Pokemon, particularly his Eevee nicknamed after Major Katsuragi and the Legendary Pokemon referred to as the Legendary Bird Trio, his Lugia that he nicknamed Guardian and his Entei that he called Pyro. It was worth a short to try and convince me to try getting there myself.

Then he thought of the Shiny Gyarados that he nicknamed after Rei and how such a Pokemon known for being a creature of malice could be tamed by people that put in the effort necessary to calm the rage that dwells within them. And then, there was the first that when Shinji got his, it was due to being in a dangerous situation where his life was on the line…and his large Magikarp, a Fish Pokemon that was virtually weak and worthless…evolved to save him, becoming the powerful serpent that she was.

"Have any of his other Pokemon evolved saving him in life-threatening situations like his Gyarados?" He asked Antonio.

"No," Antonio answered him. "She's been the exception of each of his Pokemon since he became a trainer."

-x-

His next match was tomorrow, and Shinji had to focus on setting up his next roster of Pokemon that could handle the pressure of facing Ground-Type Pokemon once he studied Bertha's roster. They were partially Ground-Type, but supplemented by additional types such as Flying or Water, making tricky the means to overcome their strength. He would likely need to use his Water-Type Pokemon primarily while supplementing them with his Grass-Types, meaning that he'd need his Gyarados and Meganium among them…and he missed his first Grass Pokemon that earned his first badge to get into the Pokemon League.

"Eee," Misato spoke as he was looking on the computer at his list of Pokemon at Prof. Oak's, getting his attention. "Eevo."

"Who do you think should be on the team?" He asked her, and she hopped onto the desk, looking at the pictures of his Pokemon they haven't seen much of, and then she placed her left paw on the picture of a Tropius. "Oashisu? Do you really think she would be a good addition?"

"Eevo!"

"Well, then, okay. I'm putting my trust in your judgment over this, Misato."

Oashisu ("Oasis"), the female Tropius that was the strongest among the Tropius he had caught, was unique among Shinji's Pokemon in that unlike the other Tropius, she had six wings instead of four…and had a tendency to grow peaches alongside her bananas while her fellow Tropius grew apples or oranges with their bananas.

"Eevo!" She went, tapping her paw on another Pokemon for Shinji to consider.

"Oh…Numachi, too?" He asked her, looking at the picture of his Tangrowth.

"Eee," she responded.

Numachi ("Bog") was one of Shinji's more…problematic Pokemon because of its protective behavior. It was only after he caught it that he sent it to Prof. Oak in the hopes that it could help him with keeping the minority of his stubborn Pokemon in line. Unfortunately, Numachi only had one Pokemon to put up a resistance against its enforcer-like position, and that was a wild Ursaring he and Kensuke encountered in Johto that was…unbearably vicious in both its deception and malicious attitude towards others; it once tried to fool them into thinking it was friendly, but it was only because of Misato's observation that Shinji was able to see the danger it posed to them and anyone else if left alone. When a week had passed after sending Numachi to Prof. Oak, he had received a call back from him, revealing that his Ursaring, let out of its Poke Ball in order for it to exercise and be observed on how it interacted with the other Pokemon, was almost beaten to death by the Tangrowth because it wouldn't stop trying harm Suzuhara and Horaki, his Nidorino and Nidorina, respectively, even after being warned by Numachi to stop.

While they were all fortunate that Numachi had been able to keep from going too far with the Ursaring, it only helped to confirm that the Hibernator Pokemon was unlikely to change its ways and be friendly towards others unless it was on its terms and no one else's. The Tangrowth was kept from receiving any reprimand by Shinji or Oak only because the other Pokemon vouched for its role in keeping the peace.

"It's not every so often that I regret trying to keep Ursaring from crossing the line by having Numachi try to enforce the peace and order alongside the other large Pokemon charged with watching over the smaller Pokemon," Shinji told Misato.

"Wee," she uttered back in understanding; the Ursaring might've been trouble for anyone, but even she knew that it didn't deserve to be beaten almost to death for its troublesome attitude…and Numachi, who was friendly with her and the other Pokemon under Shinji, even with Master and Pyro, was only doing what Shinji and Prof. Oak had asked of it when the former sent him to the latter's lab back in Pallet Town.

"And Numachi isn't really a problem," Shinji stated, selecting his Tangrowth for the new roster. "It was just that Ursaring is not likely to stop this viciousness unless it realizes that it will ultimately cross the line that will be the line it can't uncross."

"Eevo."

While his Tangrowth was considered for the roster, Shinji still had to wonder…if the Ursaring he and Prof. Oak decided upon that wouldn't be allowed to be around the smaller Pokemon…would ever change. Was Ursaring within the slivers of redemption…or would it be just another troublemaker that would one day make a choice that would result in severe repercussions?

"Hey, Shinji," he and Misato heard his guardian behind him as she came over in the Pokemon Center and looked at the screen, "is that…Numachi? It certainly looks like a bog?"

"Uh, yeah," he answered her. "Numachi…she's one of my Pokemon that helps around at Oak's lab in Pallet Town as a peacekeeper, although…she's more of an enforcer when they try to cause problems for the sake of causing them or for personal amusement. If you wanted to start a club for people to hang around and mingle, she'd make an excellent bouncer."

"She's that strong?"

"When Kensuke and I met her in the swamp where we found her, she had managed to defeat a trio of Golem and a Steelix, and it didn't look like she used too much power to keep them from hurting the other Pokemon that lived there."

"Incredible."

"Yeah, it is."

-x-

People were psyched to watch the second match involving Shinji up against the Elite Four, cheering for him to win.

"You certainly got a lot of fans rooting for you, young man," said Bertha to Shinji as she stood before him and his Eevee. "However, I doubt you'll be able to defeat me."

"We'll never know until after the match begins and concludes." He responded to her. "But I'm glad to be here facing the Elite Four."

"Eee!" Misato cheered.

Bertha then took out a Poke Ball and threw it out onto the field, releasing a large boulder with a reptilian head and limbs.

"Golem!" It growled.

"A Golem, huh? Well, I'll defend my chances of winning with Numachi first!" Shinji declared, throwing a Great Ball onto the field, releasing his Tangrowth.

"And this match has started in greatness, people!" One of the announcers yelled to the audience. "Bertha has chosen to fight with her Golem while Shinji has chosen a Tangrowth!"

In the audience, Misato and the others watched as the match begin with interest.

"So, let me see if I understand this right," said Toji as he watched the two trainers engage their Pokemon against one another, "this Bertha uses Ground Pokemon, and she chooses a Golem, and Shinji is using a…wad of vines with a large pair of arms?"

"Yep," Kensuke responded.

"How tough is this…Numachi?"

"Oh, she's very tough."

-x-

The broadcast happening in Tokyo-3 again was getting the people's attention as children saw Shinji's Tangrowth release a beam of light at Bertha's Golem, sending it to the ground in an exhausted state after it had closed up into a ball of tectonic plates.

"Golem is unable to continue," the referee announced. "Tangrowth wins!"

"All of that kid's Pokemon must be powerful," a man expressed to his girlfriend at a café.

"Not all of them," she reasoned. "Some are stronger than others."

They watched as Bertha recalled her Golem and replaced it with a large, hippo-like creature covered in holes with sand coming out of them.

"And Bertha has called out her Hippowdon, one of her strongest Pokemon!" One of the announcers shouted. "Shinji Ikari has no idea what's in store for his Tangrowth!"

The referee let the match commence…and the people saw the Hippowdon charge towards Shinji's Tangrowth with speed that was not natural for a heavyweight beast…and it had flames coming out of its snout! It managed to bite Tangrowth on the right arm and inflict a burn upon the limb!

"Fire Fang?!" Shinji gasped; he must've never expected a Ground-Type Pokemon like this Hippowdon to know such a Fire-Type move. "And that speed… You took me by surprise, Ms. Bertha, but it'll take more than that to best my Pokemon."

-x-

Central Dogma was having a good time watching the broadcast of Shinji's second Elite Four match, with some of the personnel technicians placing their bets on Shinji winning again.

Only Gendo was unimpressed by this waste of time; Shinji should've been focused on finding and catching a Palkia and Dialga in order to return to this dimension, not waste his time trying to become a champion of some meaningless tournament. Even if the Pokemon shown during these matches were proven to be impressive in both their abilities and functions, they were beyond their reach until the Third Child or Giovanni Corporation managed to bring some over to this world to be exploited.

"A creature that looks like a hippopotamus that can survive in the desert just harmed a wad of vines with an attitude," Ritsuko stated, wondering if Shinji would substitute his Tangrowth for a Pokemon better suited against a Ground-Type with a Fire-Type technique. "A woman that specializes in Ground Pokemon may not be as unpredictable as someone who specializes in a variety of Pokemon, but she might have Shinji up his strategy against her if he already hasn't."

On their screens, Shinji recalled his Tangrowth and threw out a ball that unleashed his Shiny Gyarados; it was deduced that since this hippo-like creature was capable of setting its mouth on fire, any Pokemon with plant traits would be vulnerable, prompting the use of a sea serpent that would be stronger against fire and could use water to harm it.

"Okay, Rei, use Hydro Pump!" Shinji commanded, and the Shiny Gyarados unleashed a large stream of water that pushed the Hippowdon backwards, almost out of the battlefield and against a wall.

"It's gonna take more than that to beat my Hippowdon, Ikari!" Bertha told him.

"I wouldn't have it any other way," he responded and Rei roared out a second time, feeling invincible so long as her trainer had faith in her abilities.

"I think against all Ground-Type Pokemon, Shinji should lead with his Gyarados," Ritsuko heard Maya suggest to Hyuga and Shigeru.

I really hate how he's wasting his time doing this, thought Gendo.

To be continued…

A/N: I'll cliffhanger here and we'll proceed to the next chapter that takes us to the third member of the Sinnoh Elite Four. What do you think of the fact that Shinji mentions capturing an Ursaring that has a manipulative side to it and how he caught a Tangrowth that almost killed it for going too far? Do you have any ideas on why this particular Ursaring would be unwilling to settle down and put in the effort to befriend any of Shinji's other Pokemon? Review and let me know what you think. Until the next chapter, y'all.