Hello Fanfiction Readers! How have you guys been doing? I've been good. -Shrugs- Anyway, on with the next chapter! Also, sorry in advance for the rambling at the beginning of the chapter. I'm not necessarily good at recapping the previous chapter.
Disclaimer: The Disclaimer is planting apple trees.
Pokémon Black and White
Chapter Twenty-Five
Ash's Point of View
As we were traveling to Nimbasa City, we ran into this Pokémon Trainer named Stephan. He challenged me to a battle which I agreed to. Before I could battle his Blitzle with Pikachu though, Oshawott came out of his Poké Ball. It seemed that Oshawott couldn't attack with Aqua Jet though. When Oshawott attacked with Razor Shell, Blitzle used Double Kick. This knocked Oshawott's Scalchop away and into the area behind us.
Followed by Misty, we chased after Oshawott as he looked for his Scalchop. When we found him, we helped him try to find his Scalchop. It seemed the only things we could find were a bottle cap – something Misty decided to hold onto – and a Joltik. After the Joltik was done shocking Oshawott, it went away. It was then that Iris and Cilan came after us. Apparently, Iris thought that an Iapapa Berry would work as a great substitute for Oshawott's missing Scalchop.
The Iapapa Berry would prove to be insufficient as Pikachu's Thunderbolt split it in half and went to shock Oshawott. Iris, Cilan, and Axew then took a bite of the charred Iapapa Berry before Cilan offered his dish to Oshawott. The dish would also prove to be useless as Pikachu's Thunderbolt attacked Oshawott. Cilan then freaked out about how his dish was blackened from Pikachu's attack. I couldn't help but notice as Iris seemed to absently put a hand on his shoulder.
Recovering from his slight freak out, Cilan called out his Dwebble. Dwebble then made a shield in the likeness of a Scalchop for Oshawott to use. Misty commented though that it seemed to be a bit too big though. Oshawott managed to deflect the Thunderbolt with the rock, but collapsed under its weight. I then started to do some vigorous exercise with Oshawott so he could use the Scalchop made of rock.
As night had fallen, I then noticed along with Misty, Pikachu, and Marill that Oshawott seemed to have vanished. We then, with Pikachu's assistance, saw that Oshawott was training with the Scalchop made of rock. I then engaged in some more special training with Oshawott as Misty decided to train along with us. Most likely to stay in top condition. Oshawott was then able to use the Scalchop to deflect Pikachu's Thunderbolt attacks.
The day next, we then went to look for Stephan when we saw him riding a stationary bicycle to power up his Blitzle. It vaguely reminded me of what I did before taking on the Pewter Gym. We then decided to have a battle right then and there. A powerful Shock Wave made the Scalchop Oshawott was using to crack. It then broke apart from a Double Kick attack.
Remembering what Cilan had said earlier about how the best offense is a strong defense, I told Oshawott to charged forth with Tackle. Soon after though, Blitzle corned Oshawott against a tree. Oshawott and Blitzle then went head to head with Aqua Jet and Flame Charge. They then slammed into a rock, sending them reeling back as Blitzle fainted. Axew then came up holding Oshawott's Scalchop soon after the battle was over.
Now though, after that, we continued on our way to Nimbasa City and my fourth gym badge! On our way though, Iris decided to have Axew battle against Scraggy.
Normal Point of View
"Now, Scraggy, Headbutt!" Ash shouted after Scraggy pulled on his "pants".
"Dodge it, Axew!" Iris shouted back.
As Scraggy came in for a Headbutt, Axew nimbly jumped and dodged it.
"All right, use Scratch!" Iris said.
Axew then went by Scraggy and scratched him.
"Scraggy!" Ash shouted.
"Pika Pika." ("Interesting.")
"Quick, Dragon Rage, let's go!" Iris shouted, pointing in front of herself.
Axew fired the attack from his mouth. The dark and light blue attacked morphed into a dragon once before reverting to being a line and attacking Scraggy. This caused a plume of dark smoke and white-blue light to appear.
Scraggy was knocked back to the ground by the blast.
"Aw, man..." Ash said, his left hand on the side of his hat and the back of his right hand on his hip.
"Pika Pikachu." ("Oh well.")
The wind started to rustle and whistle, blowing leaves in its wake.
"Pika?" ("Huh?")
As the wind stopped, what appeared to be a Grass-type Pokémon drifted down from the sky.
The Pokémon hovered over Scraggy's forehead. Scraggy awoke from his unconscious state to see the Pokémon staring down with brown eyes.
"Whoa, what's that Pokémon?" Ash wondered after hearing the Pokémon speak. "Think it's a Cottonee?"
Cilan nodded his head. "That, Ash, is a Cottonee!"
"Hmm." Ash said, kneeling down to the Cottonee as he brought out his Pokédex.
"Cottonee, the Cotton Puff Pokémon. Cottonee shoots cotton to distract its opponent when attacked and travels around wherever the blowing wind carries it." The Pokédex uttered.
Scraggy rose to look at Cottonee, a challenge in his eyes and facial expression. Scraggy used Leer against the Cottonee. This caused the Cottonee to sweat-drop. Cottonee backed away from Scraggy, leaving behind four puffs of cotton. Scraggy jumped up to scratch at them, but to no avail.
"It's rather unusual to see a Cottonee all by itself this time of year." Cilan commented.
"What's so strange about that?" Misty asked.
"You see, under normal circumstances, Cottonee will gather in large group and then happily pair up!" Cilan explained.
"So, it's like a big singles get-together?" Iris asked, walking over to Cilan, Ash, and Misty.
"Uh, I guess you could say that." Cilan said with a sweat-drop. "Then, after they've found a partner, the happy couples ride the winds as they start their new lives together!"
Iris took a bite of the green apple she was holding. That she inexplicably pulled out of thin air. "How romantic can you get?"
"Though, it sounds a little less romantic with your mouth full." Cilan said.
"Sounds interesting, that's for sure." Misty commented.
"Of course!" Ash exclaimed. "So the couples are like really good buddies, right?"
"That's so like you!' Iris commented. "You're such a little kid!"
"'Little kid'?" Misty repeated, waving her mallet around threateningly. "I think the problem is more along the lines of his density."
"I was joking Misty!" Ash said defensively as Misty seemed ready to hit him over the head with her mallet.
"Well, it wasn't very funny." Misty said, her mallet returning to wherever it comes from. Her expression soften a little. "Although it would be like you to be so dense."
"What's that suppose to mean?" Ash asked, his gaze narrowing.
Before Misty could answer, Cilan interrupted them. "Now, hold on."
"What is it?" Iris asked curiously, taking another bite of the green apple.
"Let me see..." Cilan said absently as he was fiddling with a his Town Map. "Ah, I thought so!"
"Thought so what?" Misty inquired.
"Rainbow Valley's close to where we are now." Cilan explained.
"Huh?" Ash asked.
"Rainbow Valley?" Misty repeated.
"It's quite popular." Cilan said before raising his right arm. "It's a world-famous spot known for its rainbows, as well as its Diamond Breeze!"
"But, what's a Diamond Breeze?" Ash asked.
"A glorious wind that sparkles like diamonds when it blows!" Cilan answered.
"Sounds fascinating." Misty said.
"It's also known as the place where Cottonee pair up," Cilan continued. "hop on the Diamond Breeze and set off on their new life together!"
"Sounds ultra-romantic!" Iris noted.
"Yeah, it does, doesn't it." Misty said, linking her arm with Ash's.
The teens walked over to the Cottonee.
"I would guess this Cottonee is probably on its way to Rainbow Valley right now!" Cilan presumed.
"Then what is it doing here?" Misty wondered.
Their attention was diverted by Scraggy pointing at something in the sky.
"What's the matter, Scraggy?" Ash asked.
"Look, it's another Cottonee!" Iris commented, referring to the Pokémon that Scraggy had been pointing at.
The first Cottonee blushed in the other Cottonee's presence.
"Hmm?" Iris said, diverting her attention from the second Cottonee back to the first Cottonee. "This Cottonee's blushing!"
"I'll bet that Cottonee distracted you from your group, right?" Cilan asked.
The Cottonee nodded their head once.
"Of course!" Cilan said, pointing upwards.
"That means..." Iris said.
"It must be in love." Misty mused.
"Yes, and it's..." Cilan said, kneeling on the ground. "Heart-to-Heart Time!"
Cilan then stood back up as he continued. "The time to confess your true innermost feelings!"
"Being honest and assertive is so important when it comes to true love!" Iris added after taking another bite of her apple.
"Yeah, I bet you two are just experts in that field." Misty said, rolling her eyes.
"Anyway," Cilan said with a sweat-drop before composing himself. "Although, Iris, talking with your mouth full is still a bit less than inspiring."
"Well, I just happen to be hungry, so get over it!" Iris said.
"Just go and tell that Cottonee you wanna be in a relationship!" Ash imputed.
"A relationship?" Misty said, an eyebrow raised. "Seems a bit forward."
"Just tell Cottonee how you feel." Cilan said gesturing for Cottonee to go.
"Go for it and be brave!" Iris added, her fist clenched.
"And don't forget to be friendly!" Misty added with a thumbs-up as Cottonee went over to the other Cottonee.
"And now, we wait and see the result." Cilan said.
"Cottonee'll be great!" Iris added.
"And yet...I'm no so sure." Ash said skeptically.
As the Cottonee were talking, the second Cottonee turned to the side and blasted the other with Stun Spore.
"I think that was Stun Spore!" Cilan observed.
"Was that a brush-off?" Iris wondered.
"Talk about getting the cold shoulder." Misty added.
The Cottonee that used Stun Spore fired Razor Leaf from her green leaves on either side of her body at the male Cottonee.
"And now it's Razor Leaf!" Ash exclaimed.
"Heart-to-Heart Time has changed into Battle Time!" Cilan said.
"Why is that?" Iris pondered.
"It's probably a test to see how strong Cottonee is when it comes to battle." Cilan said, a hand to his chin thoughtfully.
"Makes sense." Iris said.
"Seems a bit uncouth to me." Ash muttered.
The female Cottonee gathered energy in front of herself before firing the sphere of Energy Ball. The Energy Ball collided with the male Cottonee, causing a puff of black smoke to appear.
"Ugh..." Ash said. "Cottonee should've dodged that!"
"Pika Pika!" ("I agree!")
"Looks like a counterattack!" Cilan said as the male Cottonee fired a Razor Leaf attack of his own.
The Razor Leaf attack, however, flew right past the female Cottonee.
"Whoa, talk about bad aim!" Ash commented.
"Reminds me of Oshawott's Aqua Jet." Misty added.
The male Cottonee then formed an Energy Ball, however, it flew off aimlessly.
"And there goes an Energy Ball!" Iris noted.
The Energy Ball landed to the ground near a tree with a small "pop" noise.
Iris had her eyes closed and her left hand over her right eye. Axew looked disappointed at the turn of events. Cilan was slightly opened-mouthed with his eyes closed as he hung his head back a little in exasperation. Pikachu also looked to be a bit disappointed at what had occurred. Ash was growling a bit with his right fist clenched in front of himself. Misty was shaking her head while Marill looked on with the same facial expression worn by Axew and Pikachu.
After turning away from the awry Energy Ball, the female Cottonee readied an Energy Ball of her own. It collided with the male Cottonee, causing a small puff of black smoke and green light while Cottonee fell to the ground. The female Cottonee then flew away, unimpressed.
"Guess that's it." Cilan said.
"That had to be a snub!" Iris said.
"It would appear so." Cilan agreed.
"Definitely seemed rude to me." Misty added.
The teens and their Pokémon walked over to the fallen male Cottonee who, at the moment, was crying their eyes out.
Ash knelt down on one knee in front of the male Cottonee. "Cottonee, you okay?"
The male Cottonee turned over so his tears couldn't be seen.
"Poor Cottonee." Misty said.
XXXXXXX
Iris took a bite out of a red apple before speaking. "No partner is going to say yes if you battle like a weakling. When it comes to true love, you've got to be able to really show off!" She added as she was winking and wagging her finger a little.
"That sounds...messed up." Misty murmured under her breath. Although, it wasn't completely under her breath as she was overheard.
"I agree with you there Misty." Ash whispered back. "But I guess to be fair they are Pokémon."
"Though, love advice somehow loses something with your mouth full." Cilan said as he was sitting in a chair, a first aid kit on the ground next to him. He was tending to the injuries the male Cottonee sustained.
"Hmph." Iris said, sounding indignant.
"That should do it!" Cilan said after he put a bandage on the male Cottonee's forehead.
Cilan sighed. "If you want to be a couple, Iris is right about needing to be strong in battle."
"Of course I'm right!" Iris exclaimed proudly, taking another bite of her apple as a faint shade of crimson was on her face.
"And you get strong by training hard!" Ash said.
"Through hard work and determination!" Misty added as Pikachu and Marill spoke their assent.
"Yes!" Cilan exclaimed, standing up and his right fist clenched. "With our help, you'll train so hard, you'll conduct yourself with confidence!"
"What do you say, Cottonee?" Ash said.
"Let us assist you!" Misty added.
"Impress for success!" Iris imputed as Pikachu spoke in agreement.
The male Cottonee agreed as he hovered. Ash noticed that Scraggy was pulling on the leg of his pants.
"Wow, so you wanna battle against Cottonee, Scraggy?" Ash asked, looking down at the Shedding Pokémon.
"Great!" Cilan said next to Ash. "I'm sure Scraggy will be a wonderful opponent to train with."
XXXXXXX
The male Cottonee, Scraggy, Ash, and Pikachu were on opposite sides of the open field as Iris, Cilan, and Misty were standing on the sidelines.
The male Cottonee looked ready and determined.
"Ash, we're counting on you!" Cilan said, holding up his right arm and hand.
"You just leave it to me!" Ash said.
Scraggy pulled up his "pants".
"Don't mess it up Ash!" Misty shouted, although, a hint of amusement was in her voice.
"'Kay, Scraggy, let's start with Leer!" Ash said, choosing to ignore Misty's comment regardless.
Scraggy looked at Cottonee using his Leer. To Cottonee, it looked like a giant and angry Scraggy was in front of him. The male Cottonee went to hide behind a slanted tree stump.
"Come on, you're not supposed to run away!" Ash shouted as Cottonee peeked from behind the slanted tree stump.
"Pika Pika!" (You're supposed to battle!")
Cottonee sweat-dropped at those in front of him.
"Scraggy, Headbutt!" Ash said.
As Scraggy looked ready to attack, Cottonee covered himself in a field of cotton.
"Say, that was Cotton Guard!" Cilan commented after Scraggy was bounced off.
"Looks like a good defense." Misty added.
"Yeah, that'll come in handy!" Ash said before walking over to kneel in front of the Cottonee.
"Now, first off, you need to learn how to dodge an attack."
"Nee." ("Yep.") The Cotton Puff Pokémon said in agreement.
"Say your opponent's trying to attack you..." Ash began, putting his left arm in front of his chest. "Keep your eyes glued and watch everything your opponent does!" Ash raised his right arm and looked to be pointing at his left fist.
"Nee." ("Okay.") The Cotton Puff Pokémon said as he nodded his head.
"Then you move to the side!" Ash said, his right hand up like a wall. He then moved that hand as his fist passed by it harmlessly in demonstration.
"Cottonee!" ("Got it!") Nodding his head.
"You won't be able to dodge if you look away, see?" Ash said, pointing to his left eye with his left index finger.
"Nee!" ("I see!") Nodding his head again.
"Then let's try it!" Ash said, determined as he stood up.
"Eyes on Scraggy!" Ash said as Scraggy came forth with a Headbutt.
"Pika Pika!" ("Stay focused!")
"Don't look away!" Ash said as Scraggy got closer.
"Keep watching!" Ash said as Scraggy got ever nearer.
The advice would prove to be ineffective as Scraggy slammed his head into Cottonee's face. Ash put his left hand against his face as he looked down and away to the right and sweat-dropped at the occurrence.
"Hmm." Cilan said as Iris sighed.
"I guess Cottonee was too distracted to do anything, but look at Scraggy." Misty said.
"It was good that you looking at your opponent," Ash said, standing next to Cottonee, his hands on his knees. "but then you've gotta dodge."
"Let me show you." Ash continued, getting behind Cottonee and placing his hands on the Cotton Puff Pokémon.
"Eyes open..." Ash said as Scraggy looked ready to charge.
"...then you dodge quick!" Ash finished, pulling Cottonee away as Scraggy went by harmlessly.
"And that's all there is to it!" Ash said, holding a hand up as he pointed upwards.
"Scraggy, let's do it one more time!" Ash said, running back over to where Pikachu was. "Use Headbutt!"
As Scraggy charged forward with Headbutt, Cottonee dodged the attack.
"You did it!" Ash exclaimed. "That was great!"
"Things are looking up!" Iris commented.
"Well, Cottonee does have a good teacher." Misty said. At the comment, a faint shade of crimson appeared on Ash's face.
"You bet!" Ash said, recovering and referring to both of the statements. "'Kay, try floating up and dodging!" Ash said, pointing at the hair with his left hand.
Cottonee nodded his head.
"Now, Scraggy, Headbutt!" Ash exclaimed, pulling his left hand back as he punched the air with his right hand.
As Scraggy charged forward to attack with Headbutt, Cottonee floated above him.
"Good!" Ash said after Cottonee dodged two more Headbutt attacks. "Just don't forget your timing!"
"Cottonee sure is a quick study!" Cilan observed.
"Talk about learning fast!" Iris added.
"In my unbiased opinion," Misty said without a hint of anything other than sincerity. "Ash does manage to train Pokémon well if given a little time."
"'Unbiased?'" Iris asked, an eyebrow raised in skepticism.
"Okay, maybe a little bias is involved." Misty admitted, her arms holding Marill closing in substitution for crossing her arms.
"Axew ew!" ("I want to battle!")
"Huh?" Iris asked. "Do you want to battle against Cottonee, too?"
"Ew!" ("Yes!")
"Hmm." Iris said in affirmation. "Okay!"
Iris ran over a little in Ash's direction. "Ash, we want to battle too!"
Ash turned behind him as Iris continued and ran across the open field.
XXXXXXX
As a group of five Cottonee were floating about aimlessly, a certain trio of troublesome people were watching them.
"Cottonee located!" James exclaimed, as Meowth was looking at the Cottonee through his goggles.
"One, two, three, four..." Meowth said, counting them. "Five of them in all!"
"Not worth the trouble!" Jessie said. "Cottonee are widely known to gather by the hundreds this time of year!"
"You're correct." James said as he was fiddling with the tablet-esque device in his hands. Jessie turned to look at him. "It's just not worth the effort!"
"I say we catch a horde of them while they ride the wind," Jessie began. "before they all scatter!"
"And do it in one fell swoop!" Meowth said.
"A Cottonee haul..." James said as he looked at the map on the device. "A model of efficiency!"
XXXXXXX
Back with Ash and Company
"All right, you both ready to go?" Cilan asked as Misty stood next to him while Iris and Axew was on one side of the open field and Ash, Pikachu, Scraggy, and Cottonee on the other.
"Whenever you say!" Iris said, the back of her hands on her hips as Axew got into a battling stance.
"Heads up!" Ash said, kneeling behind Cottonee. "Keep your eyes on Axew!"
"Pika Pika!" ("Stay focused!")
"Scraggy!" ("What he said!")
"Here we go!" Iris shouted, pointing in front of herself. "Axew, use Scratch!"
As Axew came at him, the Cottonee steeled his resolve and easily dodged the Scratch attack. He also dodged the two after that.
"Hmm." Cilan said, his hand to his chin thoughtfully. "Cottonee's moves are looking sharp!"
"Looks like Axew's moves are fairly good too." Misty added, in a way voicing the other thought on his mind.
"Awesome, you're on a roll!" Ash exclaimed, fist-bumping the air.
"Pika Pika!" ("Go and get 'em!")
"Scraggy!" ("Good job!")
"Cottonee!" ("Thanks!") The Cotton Puff Pokémon said upon landing in the air in front of Ash, Pikachu, and Scraggy.
"Now, Energy Ball!" Ash shouted.
Cottonee's two green leaves then glowed and shimmered as he readied the Energy Ball in front of himself. As before though, the Energy Ball swerved away aimlessly. It landed with a "pop" behind and to the left of Iris. Cottonee scratched his head with his right leaf, sweat-dropping.
"Not quite." Ash said, pointing in front of himself as everyone walked over to Cottonee. "Aim toward your target first and then shoot!"
"Axew had the same problem," Iris said. "except in Axew's case, it was Dragon Rage!"
Axew scratched the back of his head at the statement.
"Axew," Iris said, leaning down a little. "why don't you teach Cottonee how to do it?"
As Axew spoke his assent and was conversing with Cottonee, Misty spoke up. "Yeah, a Dragon-type Pokémon is going to help a Grass-type Pokémon learn Energy Ball. That makes sense."
"It does seem a bit...ridiculous...when you think about it." Ash said, scratching the back of his neck.
Before Iris could respond to the slight, Axew unleashed his Dragon Rage into the sky. The beam of the Dragon-type move hit a rock on the open field, flattening it.
Axew then went over to it ad put a smaller rock on top of it. Axew then motioned for Cottonee to hit the rock. Before he launched the attack, Pikachu offered words of encouragement. When Cottonee fired the attack though, he fell backwards a little into Pikachu's paws. The Energy Ball landed a little ways off from the rock and Axew, hitting the ground with a "pop" and a puff of dust.
"Oh no!" Ash and Cilan exclaimed in unison.
"I'm sure you'll get it eventually." Misty said, placing a hand on Cottonee's hand and rubbing it.
"That wasn't even close." Ash commented.
Ash then knelt down behind Cottonee after Misty had stood up and was standing next to Cilan. "'Kay, the first thing you need to do is pick your target!" To emphasize his point, he pointed forward with his right index finger at the direction of the rock and Axew.
"Cottonee." ("Okay.") The Cotton Puff Pokémon said with a nod of his head.
Ash then placed his hands on Cottonee's head. "Then, focus when you start to use your move and make sure you stay completely still. It'll mess up your aim if you move even a little bit!"
Cottonee nodded his head once more.
"'Kay, once more!" Ash exclaimed, holding Cottonee up a little.
Cottonee's leaves then glowed light green. He then started to form the orb of Energy Ball in front of himself. Cottonee then fired the Energy Ball, hitting the rock and surprising Axew. A slight plume of
dust appeared after the blast.
"That's it!" Ash said, rubbing Cottonee's head. "You've got it now!"
"Pika. Pikachu!" ("I'd say. You did it!")
"I told you." Misty said.
XXXXXX
"All right, now it's our turn!" Cilan exclaimed. "Dwebble, use Slash!"
The Rock Inn Pokémon's claws then glowed white at the attack was prepared.
"Cottonee, dodge it!" Ash shouted.
As Dwebble used Slash, Cottonee had dodged the attack by getting out of the way twice.
"Now, use X-Scissor!" Cilan shouted.
Dwebble then charged forward, the white and purple "X" of X-Scissor in front.
"Cotton Guard, let's go!" Ash exclaimed.
Cottonee then covered himself in a wide array of cotton puffs. As Dwebble came in to attack, he was bounced back.
"Use Razor Leaf!" Ash exclaimed, pointing forward with his right hand.
Cottonee's leaves were then outlined in a yellow energy while he launched the Razor Leaf attack. The Razor Leaf attack collided directly into Dwebble.
"Keep it up!" Ash encouraged as Pikachu on his right and Scraggy on his left cheered along with him.
"How about a round with Pansage?" Cilan suggested, holding Pansage's Poké Ball in his right hand as he extended his left arm outwards. The Grass-type Pokémon then made an appearance.
"Razor Leaf, once more!" Ash ordered.
Cottonee did exactly that as he fired the crescent-shaped leaves of Razor Leaf.
"Quick, dodge it!" Cilan commanded.
Pansage then jumped up from the ground to avoid the Razor Leaf attack.
"Use Energy Ball!" Ash said, bringing his right arm from his left shoulder before extending it outwards.
Cottonee then prepared the move. He then fired the ball of energy, hitting Pansage in mid-air. The result was an explosion of a puff of black smoke.
"All right!" Ash exclaimed, giving a high five with his right hand to Cottonee's left green leaf.
Iris, Cilan, and Misty then walked over to them.
"After that kind of battling, you'll be just fine!" Cilan commented, his hands clasped behind his back.
"Being rejected once doesn't mean you ever give up!" Iris added after taking a bite of the yellow berry that was covered in tiny black dots. "You keep on keeping on! And once you prove you're serious, then you're in!"
"You would think all this talk of love would quiet down that hearty appetite of yours just a teensy little bit..." Cilan commented.
"Well, when I think about love and romance, then I eat!" Iris said. "I'm hungry!"
"Then you must think about it a lot given your hearty appetite." Cilan said, a sort of suggestion under his voice.
At that, Iris blushed imperceptibly before taking another bite of the yellow, black-dotted, fruit. "I have no idea what you're talking about."
Misty then looked between the two of them and couldn't help but notice something about the two of them. I wonder, could it be?
"So!" Cilan exclaimed, breaking Misty out of her reverie. "Let's go and find that Cottonee!"
"Wait!" Ash said. "Think it already went to Rainbow Valley?"
"That is a possibility." Misty said absently.
"No, the Diamond Breeze usually blows through Rainbow Valley right after a full moon, so I think we're in good shape!" Cilan answered.
"Some more than others." Ash commented, causing a faint shade of crimson to appear on Misty's face.
"Of course!" Iris imputed, facing Cilan. "The moon wasn't totally full last night."
"Then let's get there on the double!" Ash said as his Pokémon spoke their assent.
"Scraggy, return!" Ash said, bringing out his Poké Ball to return the Pokémon.
Scraggy then waved his arms in disagreement.
"Huh, what?" Ash wondered. "You want to stay and help Cottonee?"
"Scrag, Scrag!" ("Yes, I do!") The Shedding Pokémon said with a nod of his head.
"Right!" Ash said, pointing upwards with the Poké Ball still in his hand. "Then let's all head over to Rainbow Valley together!"
His Pokémon spoke their agreement.
"And find that Cottonee." Misty added. A thought then struck Misty. "Actually, how about you battle with one of my Pokémon Cottonee?"
The Cottonee looked hesitate at first, but soon shook his head in agreement.
"Great!" Misty said, getting a Poké Ball ready. However, before she could release the Pokémon, a bright light emerged from one of her other Poké Balls. "PSYDUCK!"
"I see Psyduck is the same as always." Ash said with a sweat-drop.
Misty sighed. "Yeah, but he is getting better at battling. Somewhat anyway."
"That's awesome Misty!" Ash said, patting her on the shoulder. "But can he swim yet?"
A small patch of cross-popping veins appeared on Misty's forehead before she shook her head. "Unfortunately no. I swear, Psyduck is the only Water-type Pokémon I know that can't swim."
"Sounds like a contradictory assortment of ingredients to me." Cilan commented.
"I agree." Iris said, eating a bite of a red apple. "How can a Water Pokémon not swim."
"Yeah, it's strange." Misty admitted before looking at the Duck Pokémon with a soft expression. "I love him anyway, even if he can be a bit...off."
"Are you talking about Psyduck or Ash?" Iris asked with a mischievous smirk.
"Now who is acting like a little kid." Ash muttered.
"Why are you eating an apple anyway?" Cilan asked. "We weren't talking about love at all."
Iris blushed faintly. "No reason." She then took another bite of her apple.
"I think I know why." Misty started with a smirk as she wiggled her eyebrows. "It might be because she was thinking of-"
"Don't you have a Pokémon Battle to do!" Iris exclaimed, interrupting her as her blush intensified imperceptibly. Cilan raised his eyebrow in suspicion. Iris, could it be that perhaps you're not telling me something?
XXXXXXX
"Okay Cottonee, are you ready?" Ash asked as they were standing opposite Misty on the field.
Cottonee nodded his head in affirmation.
"I'm ready too!" Misty shouted confidently. She then looked at Psyduck holding his head and sweat-dropped. "Well, as ready as I'll ever be."
"'Kay, Cottonee use Razor Leaf!"
"Psyduck, attack back with Water Gun!"
"Psy?" ("Huh?")
Misty brought her hand down her face. She then sighed. "Psyduck."
Cottonee's side green leaves then sparkled as he shot the crescent-shaped leaves at Psyduck. Oddly enough, the majority of them hit Psyduck's head.
"Why is it that other Pokémon attacks feel inclined to hit Psyduck in the head?" Misty wondered with a sweat-drop.
"Psyduck." ("Well that hurt.")
"Well, it helps to increase his Psychic-type powers." Ash said.
"Yeah," Misty admitted. "But I don't think I'd purposely want Psyduck's headache to worsen."
"Well anyway," Ash started. "Cottonee, use Energy Ball!"
Cottonee then gathered the energy in front of him.
"Psyduck, try to use Psychic!" Misty said.
"Psy." ("Okay.")
Psyduck's eyes then glowed blue as he managed to take control of the orb of energy heading toward him. However, he didn't maintain enough control as it was sent spiraling into the sky.
"Okay, then," Ash said. "that happened."
"I think we've done enough battling today." Cilan said.
"I agree." Misty said, bringing out a Poké Ball. "Psyduck, return!"
The Duck Pokémon then returned to his Poké Ball.
"So, let's go help Cottonee find the other Cottonee!" Iris said.
"Right!" Ash, Misty, and Cilan said in unison.
XXXXXXX
"Hey, did you find Cottonee?" Ash asked, the fingers of his left hand intertwined with Misty's as Tranquill came for a landing. The sun was setting in the distance but still gave off ample sunlight.
"Tranquill." ("No I didn't.") The Wild Pigeon Pokémon said with a shake of her head.
"Well, thanks for trying anyway." Ash said, returning Tranquill to her Poké Ball that Ash held in his right hand.
"Man, I don't have a clue!" Ash said, looking at Tranquill's Poké Ball.
"Not that that's anything different." Misty commented, the reassuring squeeze she gave Ash's hand belying any mocking insinuation.
"Well, Cottonee aren't able to fly on their own," Cilan said, a finger to his chin thoughtfully as he looked upwards with his eyes closed. He opened them as he looked at Ash, removing his finger from his chin. "so if we simply follow the wind's path, I'm sure we'll be able to find them!"
"That's a great idea!" Iris said, her hands making fists in front of herself.
Cilan felt himself blush slightly before shaking his head imperceptibly. Pull yourself together. It's just a friendly compliment.
"But how do we do that?" Ash inquired, turning his gaze to Cilan.
"We run a few tests!" Cilan replied.
Cilan brought out his Town Map as he continued. "Which means it's wind-testing time!" He said as he held it up proudly.
Cilan began to fiddling with the Town Map as Iris stood next to him and put her index finger to her tongue and putting it in the air. She was 'hmming' thoughtfully to herself as she did so.
"The winds are from the south!" Iris said, turning to look at Cilan.
"So, if we calculate the direction that southern winds blow..." Cilan began.
"You mean, in the southern direction?" Misty asked, an eyebrow raised.
Cilan chuckled lightly to himself for a moment before continuing. "It's toward that mountain! Let's hurry!"
"Right!" Ash, Misty, Iris and their Pokémon said in unison.
XXXXXXX
Team Rocket's Point of View
Woobat was coming in for a landing on Jessie's open right hand.
"Were you successful locating Cottonee?" Jessie inquired.
"Woobat!" ("Nope!") The Bat Pokémon said with a shake of her head.
"Then, time to use this!" James said, holding up a black-gray device with a bar on the side and divided in the middle of the cube.
"Off you go, then!" Meowth said as he held the same device and a propeller emerged from the both of them.
They released about four more of the devices.
XXXXXXX
Normal Point of View
"Now let's see..." Cilan said as they were walking along the path and he was looking around. "They would intersect the wind here..."
"This isn't easy!" Ash noted.
"Isn't exactly difficult either." Misty added as Iris emerged from a tree behind them.
"Reading the winds is complicated!" Iris exclaimed.
Iris held up her left index finger to get a reading.
"Here the winds are from the west!" Iris said, looking down at them. Iris put her left hand to her forehead. "I'd better watch the clouds moving, too..." Turning her head a little she continued talking and pointing in the direction she was referring to. "The northwest winds are blowing through that part of the forest!"
"The northwest winds, which means only one thing..." Cilan said, moving his gaze from the Town Map to his right. He pointed in the direction he was looking at. "The winds are all gathering at the foot of that mountain!"
"Great, let's go!" Ash exclaimed before taking off,
"Wait for me, Ash!" Misty said.
Misty was running on his right while Cilan ran on his left. Iris was close behind by moving in the trees.
XXXXXXX
Team Rocket's Point of View
"All right, here's our location." James said as they had moved from their place on the mountain to the trail at the foot of it. Jessie was standing on his left while Meowth was on his right as James knelt on the ground, the tablet-esque device in his hands.
"Now, are those the temperature and moisture readings?" Jessie inquired, a hand on James's shoulder.
"Yes, and this indicates wind direction and speed." James answered. On the device looked to be a river going through the area with arrows going into it, representing the wind.
"So, where are the Cottonee gathering?" Jessie asked.
"I'll tell you in a jiff..." James said as he was fiddling with the tablet. As he went further up on the tablet, the answer revealed itself. "The winds all congregate right up there."
"Hmm." Jessie said, the area covering with a light green circle and yellow blocks of dots in the center while a light blue circle was in the middle. "Bingo!"
The three then chuckled simultaneously.
Normal Point of View
The night had fallen as they found the Cottonee together in a field.
"We finally found the Cottonee!" Ash said as he held the Cottonee they were training.
"Just look at all of them." Misty added.
"Let's hope we find your friend, too!" Cilan said.
As they were slowly milling around, Iris gave a little gasp as she spotted a Cottonee. "Over there!"
"Okay, just do your best!" Cilan said as Cottonee was now floating in front of them. "Don't try too hard and be yourself!"
"Give it everything you've got!" Iris added, a red apple in her right hand. "Show off some of the fire in your heart!" She added and it looked as if she actually was on fire. "After all, we're talking about love here, aren't we?" Iris then took a bite of her red apple after freaking out a little.
"This isn't martial arts, you know." Cilan said.
"All's fair in love and war." Iris said.
"Somehow your blend of eating and talking about love doesn't have quite the right flavor." Cilan added as Iris took another bite of her red apple.
"Just don't feel pressure and you'll be fine!" Misty said as Cottonee was floating over to the female Cottonee.
"If you battle, battle hard!" Ash added.
The male Cottonee approached the female Cottonee.
"It's Heart-to-Heart Time, Second Edition!" Cilan said, a hand over his heart.
As the male Cottonee was talking, a sudden gust of wind appeared to blow them away.
"Whoa!" Ash said, as they turned from the left to look at the right. "Cottonee!"
"What's that?" Ash wondered, looking at at a gray fan with orange blades that were separated by three silver bars in the shape of a steering wheel.
"Looks like a giant fan to me." Misty said, squinting as she looked closer at it. "And something about it strikes me as...familiar."
The Cottonee were being blown into a gray-white sack by the fan's winds.
"What's going on?" Iris wondered as they saw the Cottonee going into the sack.
The sack closed up as they figured out who was responsible. The people responsible were chuckling evilly.
"Team Rocket!" Misty exclaimed. "I thought that "R" on the side of the fan looked familiar!"
"What are you guys doing here?" Ash inquired.
Jessie: "You would ask. Clueless indeed!"
James: "We'll answer your question as we feel the need."
Jessie: "Bringing the blinding white light of evil into the future!"
James: "Thrusting the hammer of justice onto the black darkness of the universe!"
Meowth: "And carving our names in the rock of eternity!"
Jessie: "The fiery destroyer! I am Jessie!"
James: "And wind thunderous emotion, I am James!"
Meowth: "Wisest of the wise, I'm Meowth!"
Team Rocket Trio: "And now, gather! Under the name of Team Rocket!"
"Team Rocket!" Iris shouted.
"How dare you?" Cilan added. "You can't have Cottonee!"
"We're gonna blow you off, so keep your tie on!" Meowth said as he held a sort of detonation device in his right paw. A golden device with a red button at the top.
After he pushed the button, the fan's head turned to its left to blow wind at Ash and Company.
"Told ya!" Meowth shouted as they sped away and the force of the wind caused the teens to fall to the ground. "Bye!"
"Pikachu, quick, use Thunderbolt!" Ash said.
"Marill, you help too and use Water Gun!" Misty added.
Pikachu then gathered up his electricity before firing the bolt of electrical energy at the machine. Marill puffed her cheeks out before unleashing a torrent of water at the fan. The force of both attacks caused the fan to explode in a plume of black smoke, yellow electricity, white light, and a bit of water.
"Yes!" Ash said after the wind was no longer blowing on them. Ash then brought a Poké Ball out. "Okay, Tranquill, I choose you!"
The Wild Pigeon Pokémon appeared as she chased after Team Rocket.
"Use Air Cutter on that bag!" Ash said.
Tranquill flapped her wings. She unleashed about eight light blue moves in the shape of a "X". The blows of energy though would prove to be fruitless as nothing happened.
"Oh, now there's a surprise." Jessie commented as the Team Rocket Trio looked back.
"We never travel unprepared!" James said.
As Iris and Cilan looked a bit distressed, Ash and Misty growled at them. The Team Rocket Trio was looking back confidently. That was until, the bag started to increase in size.
"Uh, what's going on?" Jessie wondered.
The Cottonee burst from the sack, spilling out of it.
"I can't see a thing!" James exclaimed as he was covered in the Cottonee's cotton.
"It's pandemonium!" Jessie added as they were swerving a little.
After James cleared his eyes of the cotton and Meowth and Jessie looked ahead, they saw that they were about to hit a rock. After what they were driving hit the rock in a explosion of light and a plume of black smoke, the Team Rocket Trio escape by way of their jet-packs.
"Drat!" James said as they were in the air. "We were so close!"
"Oh, they're going to pay..." Jessie said.
James, Jessie, and Meowthflew off into the night.
"All right!" Ash said.
"Well, looks like they're gone for now." Misty said.
They saw the Cottonee descending in front of them.
"Cottonee, you're okay!" Ash said as the male Cottonee floated over into his hands.
"And all the other Cottonee too." Misty added.
"Look who's there!" Iris interjected, seeing the female Cottonee they were chasing after.
"I'd say you're quite prepared, so why not go and speak with your heart?" Cilan said.
"Don't be scared." Iris added. "It's time to be confident!"
"Give it your all!" Misty imputed.
The Cottonee then floated away from them to the female Cottonee. The male Cottonee, after going to the female Cottonee, was flanked on either side by two other Cottonee.
"Cottonee's got company..." Cilan observed.
"Doesn't look like friendly company." Misty added.
"How popular can you get?" Iris said.
The two Cottonee threw the male Cottonee away with their green leaves. Their leaves were outlined in a light green-blue color as they unleashed Razor Leaf. The male Cottonee easily deflected them by using Cotton Guard.
"All right, what a block!" Ash commented.
"Quick, counterattack!" Cilan exclaimed.
"Yeah, go get 'em!" Iris cheered.
"Don't give 'em an inch." Misty added.
The two Cottonee fired Energy Ball attacks at the male Cottonee. The male Cottonee easily dodged the attacks. The female Cottonee seemed to be interested by the male Cottonee and the battle at hand.
The male Cottonee unleashed a Razor Leaf attack of his own.
"Awesome!" Ash commented as the Razor Leaf attack hit the other two Cottonee directly.
"Great stuff!" Iris cheered.
"Go, go!" Cilan encouraged.
"Yeah, that's the way!" Misty added.
The male Cottonee unleashed an Energy Ball attack that hit them in their entirety, causing them to fall to the ground,. The two Cottonee were rendered fainted.
"Wow, two of them in one shot!" Iris noted.
"Fancy battling!" Ash added.
"'Fancy battling?'" Misty repeated, an eyebrow raised as her mouth quirked up at the end. "Sounds more like what Cilan would say, not you."
"The taste of brilliance!" Cilan said, spreading his arms out wide.
The female Cottonee looked on at the male Cottonee. As the male Cottonee turned to face her, the female Cottonee was amazed by what she'd seen.
This caused the female Cottonee to look downward to the right, blushing a shade of red.
The male Cottonee floated over to the female Cottonee. As they looked into the eyes of each other, they knew they had fallen in love.
"Success!" Cilan exclaimed happily. It looked like his green eyes were sparkling. "A loving pair! It's like a blend of fresh-baked bread and cheese!"
"The Cottonee do make a great pairing." Misty said.
"It's great that Cottonee finally found a Cottonee to pair up with." Ash commented, his arms crossed.
"It is, isn't it." Iris said before taking a bite out of the red apple in her hand.
"What?" Ash wondered.
"Who knows with her mouth full?" Cilan said, a small sweat-drop on his head. After recovering, Cilan continued. "And so, our happy couples float off to Rainbow Valley to live happily ever after!"
"Let's go tell them all goodbye!" Ash suggested.
XXXXXXX
"We made it!" Cilan said as they were walking up the trail to where Rainbow Valley is. "Rainbow Valley!"
"Wow!" Ash and Pikachu said in unison.
"Look at those waterfalls." Misty said.
"It's just amazing!" Ash commented.
"Pikachu!" ("It sure is!") The Mouse Pokémon said with a nod of his head.
They turned around to see the sun rising behind them.
Iris turned around and pointed in the direction. "Hey, look!"
"What?" Misty asked as they turned around.
"A giant rainbow!" Iris said.
"Wow, the whole valley's sparkling!" Ash observed as he saw that the rocks and water were sparkling.
"That's because it's made up of lots of minerals!" Cilan said.
"What a view." Misty said as the wind started to blow behind them.
They turned a little behind them to see sparkles coming towards them.
"That's it!" Ash said.
"It's the Diamond Breeze!" Cilan confirmed.
"Scraggy, check it out!" Ash exclaimed, getting Scraggy's Poké Ball ready to release the Shedding Pokémon.
"Let's say goodbye to the Cottonee!" Ash said as Scraggy was pulling on his "pants". "They're leaving!"
Scraggy nodded his head.
On the Diamond Breeze were the happy couples of the Cottonee as they floated lazily on the wind.
"What a wonderful sight!" Iris commented.
"Such a beautiful start to the rest of their lives..." Cilan added.
"I wonder where those two Cottonee are." Misty wondered.
As if on cue, the two Cottonee floated in front of them, looking content.
"Hey, it's them!" Ash said.
They then ran along the trail, waving goodbye to the Cottonee.
"Bye-bye!" Ash said.
"Goodbye!" Misty said.
"Take care of each other!" Iris added.
"Have a wonderful life together!" Cilan said. "Best wishes!"
"Pikachu!" ("Farewell!")
"Scraggy!" ("Later!")
Author's Notes: Well, that chapter happened. Anyway, I'm not sure how to end this chapter so I'll just bid you all farewell!