Pokémon Black and White
Chapter Thirty-Four
After getting a much-needed night's rest, it didn't take Ash and his friends long to leave Eindoak Town and their adventure of mythical proportions behind them. Upon awakening, Ash, Misty, Cilan, and Iris gathered their belongings and their Pokémon friends and - after Misty and Cilan gave the two Town Maps in their possession fastidious scrutiny - took to traveling upon the road once more.
As they walk along a mountainous path that soon gives way to flatlands, the four humans and their Pokémon are in high spirits. However, despite their good mood, despite the cheerful illumination provided by the shining midday sun, some are feeling better than others.
Some cannot shake unpleasant feelings of uncertainty. Of apprehension.
Despite their untroubled interactions in the morning, Misty cannot help noticing something...off about Ash. When she woke up, she thought that any doubt she had about her friend's mood could be attributed to troublesome nerves or an overactive imagination. She quickly became mistaken. She thought that if she wasn't as close to him as she was, she might not have noticed it at all. Might not have noticed the tightness around his eyes, the subtle working in his jaw. And so, whatever malevolence was shadowing her friend, so too does shadow over her as her heart thrums in concern.
To a much less harrowing extent, Misty cannot shake this suspicion that they're being followed. Though whether it's Pokémon or human, friend or foe, remains to be seen.
As for the rest of them, their good mood becomes sullied with dismay when their paths cross with that of another.
Quite honestly, it feels like the young woman appears out of nowhere.
As their modest quartet walks along the dirt road that'll inevitably lead them to their next destination, an as of yet unidentified person soon stands in front of them. Barring their way, she has a hand on her hip and a confident twist to her lips. Her other hand is raised, pointed directly at them.
"So," she starts, her gaze scanning the four of them before landing on Iris. "You're Iris. I've been looking for you."
With her outstretched hand, she jerks a thumb at herself.
"I'm Georgia, and I'm a Dragon Buster!"
"You're...a Dragon Buster?" Ash repeats. Frowning, he tilts his head to the side.
"What does that mean?" Iris asks.
"See, my thing is to defeat Dragon-type Pokémon and their trainers." Georgia elaborates. "Especially Dragon-types from the Village of Dragons!"
"That's certainly specific." Misty remarks flatly.
"Huh?" Iris murmurs.
"Why are you so obsessed with Dragon-type Pokémon, Georgia?" Cilan asks.
"A long time ago," Georgia says. "My Pokémon and I were badly beaten in a battle at the Village of Dragons."
"So, that's why your a Dragon Buster?" Ash says, only looking more confused.
As for Iris, she stares, unimpressed, at Georgia.
"What's it to you?" Georgia says.
"That's why you're a Dragon Buster?" Iris says, incredulous. She heaves a long and suffering sigh. "Geez, only a little kid would get so worked up over one little loss!"
That appears to be a great faux pas.
"It's not just one little loss!" Georgia roars. Closing the distance, getting up in Iris' face, her voice takes on a mocking quality as she hurls the other woman's words back at her with great venom. Seething, Georgia takes a few steps back. "My Pokémon were beaten so badly, I had to rest in a nearby Pokémon Center for three whole days! I vowed that day that not only would I never get beaten by a Dragon-type Pokémon again, I would trounce those trainers at the Village of Dragons! And that starts with you!"
Taking a deep breath, Georgia ends her tirade by pointing a finger directly at Iris once more.
"Starts...with me?" Iris repeats, blinking once whilst Axew climbs back up to relax in his trainer's hair, having fled earlier when Georgia advanced.
Said woman smirks, noting the other's uncertainty.
"Go right ahead," Georgia taunts, turning around, crossing her arms over her chest, and glancing over her shoulder at Iris. All in all, she looks the picture of superiority. "Run away if you're scared. I've heard a lot about you from when I was in the Village of Dragons, but I don't think anyone mentioned you were a coward."
Iris instantly decides she doesn't like her.
Glaring at Georgia, Iris growls out, "I'm not a coward! Look, if you wanna battle me, I accept your challenge!"
Returning the glare with one of her own, Georgia and Iris stare each other down. Their teeth clenched, features determined, one could feel the tension radiating off them like an ailing Electric-type.
Meanwhile, Ash, Misty, and Cilan glance between the two of them. After a moment, Cilan shrugs his shoulders and hangs his head in dismay.
"And this day was shaping up so peacefully." he muses.
After pushing past his initial discomfort, Cilan was the first to interject between the two combatants. Seeing that they wouldn't solve their disagreement amiably, he deduced that a Pokémon battle was inevitable. And thus, he indicated a nearby field free of trees and bushes. Upon doing so - and declaring himself as the referee - Iris and Georgia stood several feet apart whilst Ash, Misty, and Cilan stood with their Pokémon. Anticipation, and in Cilan's case, concern, running through them, they await the battle's commencement.
"The battle will be a one-on-one match!" Cilan declares after a clearing of his throat. "Between Iris and Georgia and their Pokémon! The match will be over when one or both Pokémon are unable to battle!"
"'One or both are unable to battle'?" Georgia repeats, looking vaguely insulted. A cocky grin soon appears on her face. "My Pokémon are second to none! The victor is obvious before the battle even begins!"
"Oh?" Iris says, looking equal parts indignant and confident. "Second to none, huh? I seem to remember how you said you're Pokémon were badly beaten at the Village of Dragons, isn't that right?"
With a glare, Georgia only growls at Iris. A glare Iris is only too happy to return.
"They haven't even sent out their Pokémon, but they both look ready to battle each other." Misty observes.
"Yeah." Ash says in agreement before saying, with a smile on his face, "The two of them are gonna be great rivals!"
Misty jerks to the side, almost dropping her box of evolutionary stones.
"That's...one way of looking at it." she admits softly. Readjusting her grip on the box, she glances between the two combatants to Ash and back again.
"Marill." the Aqua Mouse Pokémon adds cheerfully, earning a thin smile from Misty.
Eyes closed, Cilan puts a fist to his mouth. Clearing his throat, he spreads his arms wide above him at forty-five degree angles.
"In any case, the battle begins now!"
Georgia is only too happy to oblige. Pulling forth a Poké Ball from her belt, she tosses it in the air once, catches it, and rears her arm back before throwing it, releasing and revealing her Pokémon of choice.
"Beartic, let's go!"
The Pokémon appears in a flurry of alabaster sparks. Crouching low to the ground, Beartic draws himself to his full height with a mighty roar and cry of his name.
Ash, being the inquisitive young man he's wont to be when confronted with a new Pokémon, pulls out his Pokédex.
"Beartic, the Freezing Pokémon. Male. A pure Ice-type, Beartic's frozen breath can create fangs and claws made of ice. It lives in frigid northern areas, predominantly the mountainous landscapes of Unova."
"Wow." Ash breathes.
Iris, however, is less than enthused. Bringing her hands to her shoulders, she shivers at the sight of an Ice-type.
"I don't do ice that well." she murmurs, Axew shivering along with her whilst Ash pockets his Pokédex. Shaking her head once, she turns to her Pokémon companion with clear determination. "But let's do it anyway!"
"Ax! Axew!" the Tusk Pokémon exclaims. Sharing in his trainer's determination, he jumps out from her hair to stare his opponent down.
Expelling two wintry plumes of ice from his nostrils, Beartic looks on, wholly unimpressed.
Axew, realizing in that moment what he's up against, recoils up on one foot, regarding Beartic with wide eyes.
"Don't worry!' Iris cries in reassurance. "We may have a type disadvantage, but we can still win this!"
"Xew!"
Soothed by his trainer's words, Axew gives Beartic a resolute stare. In response, not only does the Freezing Pokémon look unimpressed, now he looks downright bored. He rears his head back slightly, his mouth opening in a lazy yawn.
"Axew!" the Tusk Pokémon cries out in alarm and just a bit indignant.
"You could've used a Pokémon with more oomph." Georgia remarks, Beartic rubbing at one of his eyes with the back of a paw whilst Axew takes to glaring at his opponent. Axew fumes, saying nothing as Georgia, tugs at the brim of her hat, going on to say, "What kind of cool Dragon Buster can I be if I don't beat a humongous Dragon-type?"
Iris grits her teeth, retorting, "Save the attitude until after the match is finished!" she adds, thrusting an arm out. "Now Axew, use Scratch!"
Following the command, Axew jumps into the air. High above Beartic, Axew prepares his left claws for the attack.
"All right Beartic, use Slash!" Georgia orders.
"Beartic!" the Freezing Pokémon cries. Giving a decisive nod of his head, he rears his right arm back. His three claws shining white, Beartic slams them directly into Axew as the other Pokémon tried to make his descent to attack. The attack sends Axew flying through the air much to Ash and Misty's surprise and Iris' horror. Axew lands in a heap a few short paces from his trainer.
"Now, Icicle Crash!" Georgia commands, bringing an arm high into the air before bringing it down.
Complying with his trainer's demand, Beartic takes a deep breath. His chest puffing up as he rears his head back, he jerks it forward unleashing a flurry of ice. Ice that soon forms the spears for the Icicle Crash attack.
"Axew, dodge it!" Iris says.
Hastily getting to his feet, Axew barely manages to dodge an icicle that lands right where he was a few moments prior. As it turns out, that's where Axew's luck wears out. An icicle manages to land directly behind Axew, the force of it sending him forward. And directly into another icicle, hitting it fully with his face. The result are chips of ice flying off the icicle as Axew is sent flying back once more.
"Axew, you okay?" Iris asks, the Pokémon in question laying with his stomach on the ground.
"Ax...ew." the Tusk Pokémon manages as he gets to his feet.
"All right, Beartic!" Georgia exclaims. "Finish this up with Ice Beam!"
Rearing his head back once more, Beartic prepares to fire an Ice Beam as a sphere of crackling blue energy forms in his jaws.
"Use Dragon Rage!"
Channeling the necessary energy in his stomach, Axew unleashes a blast of bluish-black energy in the shape of a dragon. The attack meets the crackling stream of ice midway through the battlefield. However, it quickly becomes clear between the two of them which attack is stronger.
The Ice Beam quickly overtakes the Dragon Rage, going on to hit Axew directly in the chest. As it does, not only does an explosion occur, sending a plume of black smoke high into the air, it leaves a crater several inches deep in the ground.
And in the center of the crater, clearly bested, is an unconscious Axew.
"Axew, no!" Iris cries as soon as the smoke clears. Seeing her Pokémon in such dire straits, Iris rushes over to him.
"Axew is unable to battle!" Cilan declares, raising his right hand high in Georgia's direction. "The victory goes to Georgia and her Beartic!"
"Axew, are you okay?" Iris asks, distressed, taking Axew into her arms. Iris gazes at him with concerned eyes, Axew soon shaking his head to the left then to the right exactly once. He smiles wanly at his companion; bruised and beaten, but generally unharmed.
"Axew." the Tusk Pokémon chirps.
Iris' next breath leaves her in a rush, joyful and grateful for the response. She smiles, a soft open-mouthed affair.
A smile that soon twists into something ugly and harsh when Georgia makes her continued presence known.
"That was quick." Georgia remarks, her arms crossed behind her head. "And easy. What a yawner!" she puts her hands on her hips. "Now, bring out your next Dragon-type!"
Glaring at Georgia, Iris can only offer a groan of knowing displeasurement.
"What's wrong?" Georgia says, crossing her arms over her chest, a brow raised. "Step on it!"
Iris doesn't say anything. Clenching her teeth together, she glares angrily at the empty space between her and her Pokémon.
"Axew is Iris' only Dragon-type Pokémon." Cilan interjects.
"Huh?" Georgia says, looking befuddled by the admission. She looks from Cilan to Iris, something reproachful about her features. "No way! You wanna become a Dragon Master? Get serious!"
Closing her eyes, Iris turns her head to the side. All things considered, she's had her fill of the adversarial newcomer. "Keep your nose out of my business."
"Ugh…" Georgia groans, hanging her head in defeat. As if she is more unsettled by this information than Iris. "Good grief! For someone from the Village of Dragons, you're unbelievably weak!"
"It's not a Dragon-type," Iris starts, lifting her head up to look at Georgia. "But I've got a Pokémon that'll beat Beartic, hands down!"
"Oh?" Georgia drawls, looking captivated by this piece of information. By Iris' bold claim. However, she puts the back of her hands on her hips, shakes her head back and forth. "If it's not a Dragon-type, I'm not interested."
"Scared, huh?" Iris goads, smirking. The young woman feels a great sense of satisfaction by throwing the other girl's words back in her face.
"What did you say?" Georgia asks in a low voice.
"Go ahead and run away if you're scared." Iris taunts, rising to her feet with Axew snug in her arms. She narrows her eyes in glee at Georgia, the corners of her mouth lifted up.
"All right, I accept your challenge!"
"Awesome!"
Going back to her former position, Iris gently places Axew on the ground.
"You'll be fine." she whispers. "Everything will be just fine."
"I'm waiting." Georgia drawls.
Feeling an eye twitch, Iris takes a deep breath. Shaking her head, she turns around to face her opponent. Pulling the Poké Ball from her sleeve, it isn't long before another of Iris' Pokémon appears.
"Excadrill, you're up!"
Predictably, the Subterrene Pokémon appears as he usually does: his shell drawn in close, his features out of sight.
Ash makes a little gasp of protest. "You're using Excadrill?"
"Pika!"
"Excuse me!" Georgia barks. "Is this a battle or a nap?!"
If Beartic pushes him, I'm sure Excadrill will battle.
That thought is the only thing keeping Iris from second-guessing herself.
"Excadrill's taking a nap because your Beartic's a complete pushover!"
"Really?" Georgia says, disbelieving. Nevertheless, she turns her head to the side, closes her eyes, and waves her hand up and down dismissively. "Beartic, use Slash and wake that sleepy Excadrill up, okay?"
Following his trainer's orders, Beartic charges forward on all fours. Upon reaching the dual Ground- and Steel-type, Beartic swipes at Excadrill with the three claws of his left paw. The attack sends Excadrill flying through the air, into a tree, and landing at the base of the trunk.
The effect is immediate.
Uncurling himself, an angry glint to his eyes, Excadrill has his gaze fixed on Beartic.
"It worked!" Iris cheers.
"Excadrill sure doesn't look happy." Misty remarks.
"Wow! Excadrill's gonna battle!" Ash says.
"All right Excadrill, use Dig!" Iris orders.
Despite his trainer's orders, Excadrill does not begin digging into the ground. Instead, his claws glow white, quickly turning silver as Excadrill prepares a Metal Claw attack. With a boisterous cry of his name, Excadrill charges forward to meet Beartic.
"Right." Iris wails. "And don't forget to ignore everything I say."
"Use Icicle Crash!" Georgia orders.
Rearing his head back, Beartic unleashes another flurry of ice and snow. Crystallizing into spears, Excadrill manages to deal with the attack not by dodging them, but by allowing them to glance off his sharpened claws.
"You're doing great, Excadrill!" Iris cheers.
"Now use Ice Beam!" Georgia orders.
Rearing his head back, a crackling sphere of light blue manifests in Beartic's jaws. Firing it into Excadrill's path, the Ice Beam never hits its target. The silvery light fading from his claws, Excadrill jumps into the air, forms his body into a drill, and uses Dig. Underground, he's safely out of harm's way.
Beartic looks around, wondering where his opponent might spring up from. Beartic soon finds that digging underground isn't the last of Excadrill's actions. Feeling the ground beneath him rumble violently, Excadrill makes himself known. Breaking the surface of the earth, Excadrill charges into Beartic, hitting the other square in the chest with the tip of his drill. Sending Beartic flying in the direction of his trainer, Excadrill springs away to land in front of his.
The two Pokémon stare each other down.
Feeling optimistic given the momentum of the battle, Iris tries to issue a command.
"Perfect!" Iris praises. "Now let's use—"
Her words fall on deaf ears as Excadrill prepares an attack. Jumping into the air, forming his body into a drill, Excadrill charges at Beartic. All the while, Excadrill spins rapidly on the way to his foe.
Beartic - and Georgia - are not so easily subdued however.
Thrusting an arm out, bringing it close in a clenched fist, Georgia barks out a command.
"Use Rock Smash!"
And with it, Iris feels her entire world slow down, then freeze completely.
"Rock Smash?!" Iris exclaims, her throat suddenly feeling dry and scratchy.
Out of all the moves she could've used…
As if she was hit with an Ice Beam instead, Iris can only stare on. Rooted to where she stands, she watches, helpless, as Beartic prepares the Fighting-type attack. As Beartic's right arm glows a bright orange. As Beartic punches directly into Excadrill's side when he gets close, not only knocking the other free from his Drill Run, but also sending him flying, wide-eyed, into a nearby boulder.
The boulder shatters into pieces.
For a brief, horrifying moment, Iris can feel her heart doing the same.
Then, as Excadrill doesn't seem intent on moving, lying motionless on the ground afore the shattered rock, Iris' world thaws and speeds up.
"Excadrill!"
That tearful exclamation wrenches itself from Iris' lips as she rushes over to her beaten Pokémon. Crouching down next to him, Iris places her hands gently on Excadrill's back.
"Are you all right?" she asks, desperately searching her Pokémon for signs of movement. For consciousness. Fortunately, she doesn't need to look far as he looks up, only slightly, at her. Something indecipherable shines in his eyes before he looks away.
Iris feels an uncomfortable pinch in her chest. Excadrill's okay and at the same time still so much the same.
Looking away isn't the end of his standoffish demeanor. Slamming a claw against the ground, Excradrill retracts into a drill, shielding himself from Georgia and her Beartic. From the world. From Iris.
Iris sighs miserably, even as her heart stitches itself back together.
"No, Excadrill!"
Beartic tilts his head to the side in confusion whilst his trainer is more vocal about her puzzlement. "Problem? You give up?"
Iris rubs a hand in gentle circles on Excadrill, not even hearing Georgia, not really.
"I guess," she murmurs, more to herself than her opponent. "we'll have to forfeit."
"Oh great!" Georgia complains, raising her shoulders in a shrug, shaking her head back and forth. "And after all that big talk as well. Face it!" she adds, bringing forth Beartic's Poké Ball to return him. "You're weak! A Pokémon that doesn't listen to its trainer's commands and does what it wants..." she shakes her head, turns up her nose. "Not worth it."
Iris doesn't say anything, taking Excadrill's Poké Ball out so she can return him to its confines. She stares at it, tracing the outer area of the giant white button with a finger.
Georgia pulls on the brim of her hat, already turning to make her leave.
"So do me a favor and try to be a little stronger the next time I see you." she says. Turning around, she has a hand raised in a parting wave. "Buh-bye!"
Georgia continues along the path without so much as a backward glance.
With Georgia gone, Ash, Misty, and Cilan go over to join their friend. Pikachu sits atop his companion's shoulder whereas Marill walks merrily along at her trainer's side.
"Iris, you okay?" Ash asks.
"That was some battle." Misty remarks, glancing between Iris and the spot Excadrill previously inhabited.
"That girl's demeanor is sure peppered with attitude." Cilan remarks.
"Thanks guys, I'm fine." Iris says, looking at each of them in turn, smiling a smile that doesn't quite reach her eyes. Eyes that she settles firmly on Excadrill's Poké Ball. "I'm worried about Excadrill, though. We were beaten by that same move a while back."
"Beaten by the same move?" Cilan repeats, his voice a touch thoughtful.
"Rock Smash." Iris elaborates, seeming to want to put Excadrill's Poké Ball back up her sleeve before thinking better of it. She stares at it a silent moment longer before rising to her feet. "It was the first time we lost a Pokémon Battle. And poor Excadrill's been hiding ever since that day."
"I see." Cilan says. "Perhaps I can prepare us refreshments and you can tell us more?"
"That sounds like a great idea!" Ash cheers, patting his stomach. "Watching that battle made me hungry!"
"Is there anything that doesn't make you hungry?" Misty asks dryly.
Ash opens his mouth to respond, only no sound comes out. He narrows his eyes at Misty, his lips flattening into a frown.
"That's what I thought." Misty says.
Ash sticks his tongue out at her.
Meanwhile, Iris rubs at her stomach, a pang that has nothing to do with hunger or thirst rampaging about.
"Actually, I'm not that hungry." she admits.
The smallness of her voice instantly quells any further squabbling between the two Kantonian natives.
"Not to worry!" Cilan assures, sweeping his left hand through the air in front of him. "We can talk over simple beverages instead! I happen to know quite the delicious tea blend that can set the mind at ease."
Surprisingly enough, that manages to tease a faint smile to Iris' lips.
"Okay. I am rather thirsty."
"Excellent!" Cilan cheers, clapping his hands together twice. "On the way here, I noticed a small homey clearing nearby. Let's dine there, shall we?"
Iris nods her head, but says nothing.
None of them say anything or even move.
Seeing the silence descend upon them, the encroaching tendrils of an uncomfortable atmosphere, Cilan takes initiative.
"It's right over here." Cilan says, pointing a short distance away from them. "Follow me, everyone!"
As the four humans and their Pokémon head to their agreed upon destination, not even Cilan himself is aware of the way he appears to draw closer to Iris, as if to comfort her.
Iris takes a long, hard swig of the tea in front of her, Excadrill's Poké Ball sitting snugly to the side, before diving into her story.
It's really good...Iris thinks, the thought managing to break through the distressed fog clouding her mind.
"I was still living in the Village of Dragons." Iris says. "And my favorite thing in the world was to play with all the wild Pokémon."
The recollection tugs a smile to Iris' lips. Even after so much time has passed, she can remember it all so very clearly.
Swinging from a vine as a Minccino and a Pansage held on to her.
Standing ankle-deep in a crystal blue pond. Splashing around with an excitable Panpour as a Deerling and a Sandile and a Pidove hovered about nearby.
Running along a dirt path behind a Pidove, a Deerling, and a Minccino. A Patrat peeked out of the ground nearby, eyes shining bright with inquisitiveness.
"One day, my friend, a Patrat, got kicked out of its burrow." Iris continues. "Kicked out by a Drilbur. It was laughing, sitting in the bed Patrat had made and eating some of its food."
"That's awful." Misty says, reproachful.
"Drilbur?" Ash repeats after taking a drink of his hot cocoa.
"That was Excadrill before it evolved, right?" Cilan presumes, half in an aside to Ash.
"Yeah." Iris answers curtly. "I told Drilbur it had no right stealing what Patrat worked so hard for. Drilbur didn't care at all and even dug up some dirt to throw in my face. I was so mad after that, I charged right for Drilbur without a second thought, ready to fight."
Cilan gasps at that.
"You fought with a Pokémon?!" he cries.
"Right." Iris confirms with a tiny nod of her head.
"What happened then?" Ash asks.
"I really wish I could tell you that I won." Iris admits before taking a sip of her tea. "But I got knocked around pretty badly. The next day, I challenged Drilbur again. I stood on the branch of a really high tree. My plan was to swing from the branch and hit Drilbur with a powerful kick. Instead, I was the one kicked around when he hit me with a Metal Claw attack."
Misty winces, only able to imagine how painful that must've been.
"I can't believe you actually tried to fight a Pokémon yourself." Misty admits, hoping she sounds more disbelieving than judgmental. She cast a sideways glance at Ash. "Not even Ash is that reckless."
"Yeah." Ash nods thoughtfully. He takes a sip of his beverage, soon realizing what Misty had said. "Hey, wait!"
"Anyway," Cilan interjects whilst Misty gives Ash an impish grin. "Iris, you were saying?"
"The next day, I tried attacking him from a different angle." Iris continues. "And the next day after that, until finally, on my tenth try, I managed to stop Drilbur's Metal Claw by landing on it. Jumping into the air, I tried to land a kick only for him to dig underground. He tried to hit me with Dig and Drill Run, but I managed to avoid them too.
"Then, when I dropped to the ground to avoid the Drill Run, I kicked him and send him flying over me." she continues. "He ended up falling through the nearby trees and got tangled up in their vines. And directly over a cliff, treetops below him."
Cilan gasps, but otherwise Iris' audience remains silent as she speaks.
"Not wanting him to fall, I ran as fast as I could." she says. "I jumped from branch to branch and when I was close enough, I swung through the air on a vine. I managed to get to Drilbur just in time. The vines keeping him safe snapped. As he was falling, I grabbed him with an arm. Once I got him to safety—"
The rest of Iris' words get lost in a loud and cacophonous sound.
"What was that?!" Cilan exclaims.
"Whatever it is, it sounds angry." Misty says.
"Yeah, I'd—"
Ash isn't able to finish his thought as a concentrated blast of water hits him square in the face. The action makes Ash jerk a knee upward into the table. Lurching forward, Misty puts her hands on either side of the box of evolutionary stones to prevent it from falling. When she's sure it's secure, she - as well as her companions - find themselves face to face with a Palpitoad.
A very, very angry looking Palpitoad.
"Hey, what's the big idea!" Ash shouts. Getting up from his chair, he glares at the Vibration Pokémon standing a few paces away.
The Palpitoad merely blasts Ash with another faceful of water. This time, the force of it is strong enough to send him crashing to the ground. He lays on the ground, motionless and unconscious.
"Ash!" Cilan cries out, rushing to crouch next to his friend's side. "That looked like quite the blow."
Meanwhile, as Cilan tries to rouse Ash from his unfortunate state, Misty glares at Palpitoad. She feels indignant on behalf of her unconscious companion as well as herself.
"You can't go around hitting people with water!"
In response, Palpitoad gives an agitated cry of its name before firing another blast of water, this time for Misty's face. She barely manages to avoid it by ducking her head. Her glare intensifying, she cannot help noticing something...different about the Palpitoad. Instead of its usual light and dark blue color scheme, the Palpitoad's appearance consists of yellow and light bluish-green.
"Palpitoad!" the strangely-colored Palpitoad shouts. "Palpitoad, pal palpitoad toad!"
"What's it saying?" Iris says.
"I have no idea." Misty says, shaking her head. She turns to Marill. "Marill, do you think you can translate?"
"Marill!" the Aqua Mouse Pokémon chirps happily, jumping off the table where she was enjoying a snack with Pikachu and Axew to walk over to the Palpitoad.
"Palpitoad!" the Vibration Pokémon hisses and for a brief, terrifying moment, Misty thinks Palpitoad might harm her precious baby. Thankfully, it passes as Palpitoad seems quite accepting of the idea of an open dialogue with a fellow Pokémon, a Water-type at that.
The two of them talk animatedly with each other. As they do, Misty doesn't miss the way Palpitoad glares over at Ash every once and again. She feels a momentary rush of gratitude for Cilan; by utilizing the aroma of the beverage he made, the young man was able to awake the other from his unconscious state. Looking back over at Marill and Palpitoad, Misty finds that the two are done with their conversation.
A smile on her face, Marill bounds over to her trainer.
"What did it say?" Misty asks, taking Marill into her arms. Ash, Cilan, and Iris and their Pokémon crowd around her to learn what Palpitoad's intentions are.
Marill goes on to explain what Palpitoad wants, the humans and Pokémon listening intently. Finally, when Marill is finished, Ash is the first to react. His mouth opens, closes, and opens again whilst the tips of his ears and the nape of his neck glow crimson.
"Well, this is embarrassing." Ash remarks flatly in an attempt at levity, to mask the unpleasantness he feels.
"Certainly is an...interesting flavor." Cilan says.
Iris, not being one to mince words, cuts directly to the heart of the matter. She glares at Ash, though even she cannot help the smile pulling at her lips as she takes into account the absurdity of the situation.
"I can't believe you caught this Palpitoad's boyfriend!" Iris says, even chuckling a little.
"How was I supposed to know that?!" Ash retorts defensively. "I didn't see any other Palpitoad around and the only Pokémon that were around were Stunfisk and Tympole!"
"We should focus on something more important." Misty says, a glint in her eyes. A glint that, while unfamiliar to Cilan and Iris, is all too familiar to Ash.
"More important?" Cilan repeats the same time Ash says, "Mist, what are you thinking about?"
"According to Marill, Palpitoad wants to be reunited with the one you caught Ash." Misty says, the glint turning into a gleam. A gleam that nearly blinds Ash with its brilliance. "And I know just how to do that."
She trails off into silence, bringing forth an empty Poké Ball.
"Mist," he stresses. "Are you sure ab—"
A triumphant cry cuts him off, Misty walking over to stand before Palpitoad. Her legs spread apart, she stares directly at the dual Water- and Ground-type Pokémon.
"Ready or not Palpitoad, you will be caught!" she declares.
"Palpitoad!" the Vibration Pokémon shouts.
Ash isn't sure if he should be worried or mesmerized. If it's the former, that prompts a greater, more important question: should he be worried about Misty or about the strangely-colored Palpitoad?
Judging by how Palpitoad runs off into the woods, Misty giving chase after uttering an incoherent sound of dismay and urging Cilan to look after her box of evolutionary stones, Ash has a feeling he should be worried about both of them.
"I should probably make sure nothing bad happens." Ash mumbles before chasing after Misty, Pikachu on his shoulder and Marill at his heels.
After Ash, Misty, and their Pokémon left to chase after the Palpitoad, instead of joining their friends, Cilan, Iris, and Axew linger behind.
"That was interesting." Cilan remarks. "What are the chances that the Palpitoad Ash caught would be tethered to the bonds of romance?"
"I definitely wasn't expecting that." Iris says. "Say, Cilan, should I continue telling the story of me and Excadrill?"
Cilan regards her with wide, curious eyes, realization dawning on his features.
"I understand your indecision." he admits softly, taking a sip of his own beverage. "With Ash and Misty gone for the moment, it doesn't make much to discuss something so personal without some of our friends present. Especially considering how you had already begun telling us your story." he pauses, takes another sip. "However, I believe it would be better if you did continue telling your story. You seem...happier now after discussing your story, even just a little of it."
"Yeah." Iris says noncommittally, soon realizing the truth of Cilan's words. She does feel better than she had a short while ago before she had started her story. "Yeah!" she exclaims, more insistent. She smiles at Cilan. "Thanks Cilan, I think you're right."
"Of course I am!" Cilan declares, his voice oddly high-pitched. It quickly reverts to normal when he continues. "I am a Pokémon Connoisseur, after all. It's my responsibility to know intimately about such matters."
"If you say so." Iris says dubiously, more amused than she usually would be. "Anyway, after I rescued Drilbur, I was so happy to find him awake and unharmed. And from that moment on, Drilbur and I became the best of friends. When we battled together, we won every single time. So after a little confidence-building, we decided to enter the annual Village of Dragons battle competition.
"We trained as hard as we could." she continues. "Way up in the mountains. We mastered his speed as well as Metal Claw and Drill Run and spent our nights under the stars. Then, on the competition's opening day, that's when everything went wrong, even though the day started out so well."
She takes a sip of her beverage, suddenly feeling extremely parched.
Cilan regards her with patient and attentive eyes, saying nothing.
The sight brings a great warmth to Iris that she cannot exactly pinpoint or explain.
Iris takes a deep breath before she resumes telling her story.
"Drilbur and I were doing so well during the competition." she says, a smile pulling at her lips. "We beat each Pokémon we came across, even this Druddigon that was pretty strong. Of course, it helped that during the battle, that's when Drilbur evolved into Excradrill." she takes another deep breath. "And then Drayden arrived."
Cilan almost chokes on his beverage, the mention of such a character shocking him to his core.
"Drayden?!" Cilan exclaims, his voice remaining remarkably calm, of even pitch. "As in, the gym leader of Opelucid City, Drayden? The Spartan Mayor himself?!"
"The one and only." Iris confirms, smiling a thin smile, tinged with the faintest bitterness. "We ended up winning the entire competition. Me and Excadrill were so happy, so confident in winning such important battles, I couldn't help wanting to challenge Drayden to a Pokémon Battle."
"You challenged Drayden?!" Cilan exclaims, gaping at her.
"In my defense," Iris says. "The referee for the competition reintroduced him as "Dragon Master" Drayden, the gym leader of Opelucid City. Not only was the opportunity to battle such an amazing trainer too good to pass up, but Excadrill and I were only one win away from having one hundred victories."
"I see." Cilan says. "That does sound rather compelling; no wonder you felt almost obligated to do battle. What happened after you asked him?"
"He accepted my challenge without hesitating at all." Iris answers. "We started battling - my Excadrill against Drayden's Haxorus - and that's when things started to go wrong. No matter which attack I chose, Drill Run, Metal Claw, Fury Swipes, Dig, each attack glanced off Haxorus like they were nothing. Until finally," she tightens her hands around her mug, her next breath shaky. "Until finally, Haxorus attacked. I can still remember how one of Haxorus' tusks glowed bright orange. When Haxorus used Rock Smash, Excradrill was sent flying. He was unable to battle. After that battle, we were never the same. He never listened to me. Ever since I left the Village of Dragons, I've tried to cheer Excadrill up whenever we trained. But no matter what I do, nothing will work."
She pauses, stares down into the rapidly shrinking beverage in front of her.
"I guess...losing was just too much to take."
"Maybe," Cilan says. "It isn't just about losing."
"Huh?" Iris gasps with wide eyes.
"It's clear if Excadrill gets angry, he'll battle." Cilan continues. "I think it's something else. Maybe the problem has more to do with you, Iris."
"What do you mean?!" Iris demands. Getting up from her chair, she leans across the table. Placing her palms flat in front of Cilan, she gets in his face.
Cilan gasps, though from the proximity, the anger on her face, or something else, something more, the young man isn't sure nor does he feel particularly keen on investigating.
"Think back to your battle with Haxorus." he says. "Maybe Excadrill didn't like your strategy?"
"My strategy?" Iris echoes, remember how Excadrill did seem somewhat unfocused during their battle at the time.
"Iris." Cilan says, recapturing her attention. "Maybe you misread Excradrill? Excadrill may have been feeling a certain way and you missed it. I think it's certainly worth giving it a little thought."
Iris' next breath leaves her in a quiet rush, sitting back down in her chair. Rifling through her sleeve, she pulls out Excadrill's Poké Ball. Staring at it, she wonders if Cilan's right.
"Excadrill's…feelings?" she murmurs softly.
"Iris." Cilan says with a gentleness that sends something strange tingling down her spine. "I believe you'll find a way to reconnect with Excadrill."
Iris looks between Excadrill's Poké Ball to Cilan before landing on Axew.
"Axew ew axew!" the Tusk Pokémon offers helpfully, saying something about how they should do something, just the two of them.
Iris glances between Axew and the Poké Ball in her hand, soon giving the former a determined nod.
"You're right Axew!" she declares, before rifling through her other sleeve for Emolga's Poké Ball. She hands it off to Cilan. The Pokémon Connoisseur fumbles with it for a moment before steadying his grip.
"Iris?"
"I think just what Excadrill and I need is some time to ourselves!" Iris declares. "Something to remind him of the good times we used to have! Look after Axew and Emolga for me, okay Cilan?"
"Iris," Cilan repeats. "Are you sure?"
Iris nods emphatically. "I'll see you later, Cilan!"
The young woman from the Village of Dragons doesn't say a single word more as she takes a final sip of her beverage before running off into the forest with Excadrill's Poké Ball firmly in hand.
Cilan stares after her for a few seconds before hanging his head. A sigh passes through his lips, looking down at the Poké Ball in his hand then to Axew. Axew stares back at him, a curious set to his features.
"I suppose," he ventures. "We may as well check to see where Ash and Misty went off to."
"Axew!" the Tusk Pokémon cheers in agreement.
"Hopefully they haven't gone too far." he says, getting up from his chair. He begins to organize their supplies. "It's getting rather late."
And thus, as Cilan endeavored to find their wayward companions, Iris finds herself and Excadrill beneath the starry Unovan night sky. A breath leaving her in a happy little sigh, Iris fixes the pale pink blanket covering the two of them. Stretching her arms high above her head, she glances over with a smile at her beloved Subterrene Pokémon.
"Why don't we sleep under the stars, just you and me?" Iris suggests.
Lowering her arms, Iris firmly grabs onto the blanket. She looks up at the sky.
"This sure brings back memories." she asserts. "All that training in the mountains, training hard day after day, we'd fall asleep totally exhausted. But I guess we never really worked on any long-range moves, now did we? If we had, maybe we would've battled in a different way."
A startled gasp leaves her then; confusion mixed with realization. Iris turns over on her side, snuggling deeper into the blanket.
"Maybe…" she muses softly, thinking back all those moons ago when she challenged Drayden and his Haxorus.
After Excadrill's first move, he realized Haxorus wasn't opponent he could beat. And maybe, I didn't even notice!
"Excadrill." Iris says. "I'm sorry."
She sniffles, turning over on her side to face her Pokémon. Tears beginning to brim the corners of her eyes, she gently places her hands on Excadrill's side.
"I'm so—" she breaks off, lifting a hand to rub at an eye, trying, in vain, to stem the flow of tears. "I didn't even try to understand how you felt!I just kept telling you to keep battling! Listen please!" she adds, pleading, drawing closer to Excadrill. She hiccups, tears flowing freely down her face. "You don't have to battle if you don't want to. Why don't we run through the fields, and pick at berries, and play the way we used to? I'll do my best to be in touch with your feelings."
When faced with nothing but silence, Iris turns so her back is to Excadrill. Feeling her heart sink, she rubs at her eyes, this time more successful in dispelling her tears.
"Excadrill…"
Giving a soft murmur of Excadrill's name, feeling exhausted and crestfallen, Iris ends up drifting off into a deep, restless slumber.
Meanwhile, as Iris sleeps the night away, Exacdrill's mind is alive with activity. Spurred on by Iris' kind words, her gentle touch, the Subterrene Pokémon couldn't help himself from remembering happier days.
He thought of Iris' dogged insistence to cheer him up, either through her words, through her actions, or outright declaring for him to cheer up. He thought of Iris extending an apple to him, her eyes alight and cheerful, three other apples nestled in the crook of her arm. But most of all, he thought of Iris' joyous smile, the way how, even after all the days spent misbehaving, she wanted nothing more than for him to accompany her.
Excadrill feels a twinge of remorse, the feeling only exacerbated further when a particular prominent memory appears at the forefront of his mind.
One day, when he was still just a Drilbur, he was walking around the forest. He decided to scavenge for some food when he came across Iris practicing. Swinging high from a branch, she aimed a considerable kick for a log bearing Drilbur's face on it. Landing perfectly, that's when the log - having been sent flying by the kick - crashed directly into the back of Iris' skull.
Rubbing her head in what he assumed was agonizing pain (that log looked especially sturdy) before getting to her feet, what Drilbur saw became firmly imprinted on his mind.
Raw, unfettered determination shining bright in Iris' eyes as she declared: "I've still got a long way to go, but I'm not gonna give up until I finally defeat that Drilbur! He-yah!"
"Drill…" he murmurs softly, back in the present.
Relaxing his muscles, unfurling from his drill form, Excadrill risks a glance over at his trainer. Having turned over on her side sometime during her slumber, Excadrill is able to regard Iris' face. Given her peaceful countenance, Excadrill never would've guessed she had been crying just a few short moments ago.
Looking at her face only manages to solidify Excadrill's resolve.
Standing upright, an idea in his mind, Excadrill begins to walk away from Iris.
However, he doesn't leave entirely without incident.
Whether due to him moving around, thus disturbing the blanket or the sound of the movement itself, Iris stirs. She stirs, mind half-clouded with residual grogginess, opens her eyes.
"Exca...drill?" she murmurs. Getting into a sitting position, a hand raised to rub at her eyes, she watches Excadrill go. Worry wars with confusion. After a moment, she follows him.
Walking through the forest, using the nearby trees spread oh-so-generously throughout for stability as Iris' mind tries to catch up with her belated sense of wakefulness, the aspiring Dragon Master finds Excadrill without much difficulty. He appears in a clearing, not much other than him of note beside the large gray boulder nearby.
She finds him panting heavily, hunched over, and practicing a new move from what she could tell from the way of things.
"Excadrill." she breathes, feeling immense pride in her heart for him.
Clearly startled, Excadrill turns halfway to look at her, his eyes narrowed.
"Wasn't that Focus Blast you just used?" she continues, believing the light blue orb that was trembling in his claws to be nothing else.
"Ex." he grunts, giving a stiff nod of confirmation. He turns back around.
Worrying her hands in the folds of her sleeves, Iris takes a step forward. He answered her without much of a clamor; that's a good sign, right? Regardless, she compels her vocal cords to act, saying, "Would it be okay if I practiced with you?"
Another stiff nod.
"You sure?" Iris asks, her heart giving a hopeful little shudder in her chest.
Excadrill turns around fully then, uttering a simple, "Drill."
"Excadrill!"
Feeling overjoyed, swept up in her delight, Iris breaks off into a running start. Her intention on embracing Excadrill and herself fall short a few paces away from him when Excadrill turns back around.
Iris gasps before realizing Excadrill's meaning. His reaction is not due to general standoffishness or disdain, but a desire to perfect the Fighting-type move. Or, at the very least, that's what she tells herself.
"Sorry." Iris apologizes. "We should concentrate on practicing that move. Now, let's do it!"
She turns away from Excadrill then, walking away a few short paces.
"Ready Excadrill?" she asks, turning back around. "Use Focus Blast!"
Excadrill thrusts his arms up, soon bringing his claws together in front of him. Between them, a light blue orb of energy begins to form. It shudders and shakes between Excadrill's claws before imploding harmlessly, dissipating into little sparks.
"Once more!" Iris orders. "Now, aim at one spot!"
"Excadrill!"
Excadrill tries again, only to fail again.
"Again!"
"Excadrill!"
He tries again.
"Again!"
He fails again.
"Excadrill!"
But neither of them have any intention of giving up.
The two of them spend so much time trying to perfect the move, the moon had set and the day had begun.
"Focus Blast!" Iris commands, the two of them panting heavily, almost in sync.
Once more, Excadrill tries to enact a Focus Blast attack. Unlike the previous attempts, the light blue orb solidifies between Excadrill's claws.
"Now, keep it steady and throw!"
"Excadrill!"
At his trainer's behest, Excadrill pulls his left claw back and fires the Focus Blast at the nearby boulder. The Focus Blast hits the rock directly in the center, shattering it into pieces.
"That's it!" Iris cheers.
"Excadrill!"
Hearing the pride and satisfaction in her Pokémon's voice, as he turns around, Iris is so overwhelmed with their victory that she doesn't think twice about what she does next. She throws herself at Excadrill, wrapping her arms around him in a loving embrace. All the while, the young woman giggles exuberantly.
Eventually, her senses returning to her, Iris pulls away from Excadrill.
"We did it, Excadrill!" Iris cheers.
"Excadrill!" the Subterrene Pokémon offers in agreement, a bright smile on his face.
It's been so long since I've seen him smile like this…
The sentiment doesn't drive her to tears. Instead, it simply causes her to smile softly at one of her cherished Pokémon.
"You did it, Excadrill." she murmurs to herself.
The moment betwixt the two is shattered when they both hear a voice.
"Iris?"
"It's Ash." Iris remarks upon turning around. Getting to her feet, having crouched down to hug Exacdrill, she brushes herself free of dirt.
"I bet you two are hungry." Ash says, grinning. "That Focus Blast was incredible!"
That answers that, Iris thinks.
"I am pretty hungry." Iris admits.
Ash nods his head, his shoulders barren. "Good, 'cause Cilan prepared a pretty good breakfast. If it wasn't for his suggestion to come find you, I probably would be eating right now." a hand goes to his stomach. "The food smelled so good!"
Iris is in such a good mood, she doesn't comment. Instead, she turns to her Pokémon, saying, "What do you say?"
He responds with a happy cry and a smile, and that answers that.
Following Ash back to where Cilan presumably set up camp, Iris and Excadrill find her companions already dining. Iris sees Misty and her Marill, Cilan and his Pansage, and Pikachu, Axew, and Emolga all eating together. However, she finds, her eyes widening and hands tightening into fists, they are not the only ones present.
With a broad smirk on her face and a plate of food in front of her, Georgia looks thoroughly amused.
"What is she doing here?" Iris hisses, grabbing Ash by the shoulder.
"It wasn't my idea!" Ash asserts, shaking his head and holding his hands up.
"Your friend over here," Georgia drawls, giving a slight incline of her chin at Cilan. "Really knows how to cook! This is some of the best food I've ever had."
"Cilan's a great cook." Iris offers in clipped tones, her eyes narrowed. Crossing her arms over her chest, her good mood evaporated. "Now what are you doing here?"
"I was in the neighborhood."
"We're in the middle of the forest."
"She was camping nearby and smelled the food." Misty says.
"I did make more than enough food." Cilan adds. "It would be rude to turn her away."
At first, Georgia says nothing as her smirk widens. Then, as she pulls down on the brim of her hat, she notices their new arrival, as if seeing him for the first time.
"If it isn't Excadrill, the loser, forfeiting Pokémon." she taunts.
Excadrill tenses, glaring at the young woman.
"Well," Iris starts, pushing Ash away from her as she focuses entirely on Georgia. "I want to challenge you and Beartic to a rematch!"
"No way."
A gasp of surprise leaves Iris, her eyes wide.
"Just kidding around." Georgia admits after a moment. She rises to her feet, eyes sparkling with amusement. "That goofy, stunned look on your face was worth it."
Georgia walks around the side of the table. Leaning against it, supporting her head with a fist, she stares at Iris: a silent taunt. "Alright, I accept your challenge."
Smirking in return, Iris turns to Excadrill. The two share a confident smile and determined nod.
After Ash, Misty, Cilan, and their Pokémon polished off the rest of their meal, they all returned to where Iris and Georgia first did battle.
Georgia and her Beartic stand a few paces away from Iris and Excadrill in the middle of the field. Meanwhile, sitting on the sidelines with their supplies, are Ash, Misty, and their Pokémon. As for Cilan, he stands a few paces away, ready to referee the battle.
A battle that does not need much encouragement to get started.
"A one-on-one Pokémon battle!" Cilan shouts, his arms raised at forty-five degrees above his head. He brings them down to his sides at the same time he says, "Begin!"
Georgia is the first to go on the offensive, urging her Beartic to use Slash.
"Beartic, Slash!" she cries. "Let's go!"
The Freezing Pokémon runs across the field on all fours, primed to attack.
"Excadrill, Metal Claw!"
With his arms crossed in front of him, Excadrill's claws glow silver. Charging forward himself, one of his claws comes into contact with one of Beartic's. The attack appears to be evenly matched as Beartic forces Excadrill back, but the latter ends up standing on the ground without a scratch.
"You okay?" Iris asks.
"Drill." Excadrill answers curtly, giving a quick nod.
"Now, Icicle Crash!" Georgia orders, thrusting an arm into the air. Bringing it down, she points at Excadrill with an index finger.
In accord with his trainer's orders, Beartic takes in a deep breath before expelling it. When he does, he releases a wind of light blue sparkles from his mouth into the air. Small clumps of ice form in the wind before growing longer and larger. As they turn into sharp icicles, Beartic has them poised to attack Excadrill.
Excadrill, however, will not stand idly and allow himself to be injured.
"Use Dig to dodge it!" Iris commands.
Excadrill promptly digs into the soft earth beneath him, narrowly avoiding the Icicle Crash attack. In retaliation, Excadrill digs through the ground beneath Beartic and punches him in the underside of his jaw with one of his claws. The impact of the Ground-type move sends Beartic flying into the air.
Iris, not wishing to waste the momentum of the battle nor that of her Pokémon, orders Excadrill to attack once more.
"Excadrill, let's go! Use Focus Blast!"
"Excadrill!"
Channeling energy between his claws, it doesn't take long for the sphere of blue light to manifest. Excadrill fires it at Beartic, the Ice-type still airborne. A beauteous conflagration of blue flame surrounds Beartic, having resulted from the attack. Beartic is soon obscured by plumes of colorless smoke.
He isn't hidden from view for long as he plummets through the air. Crashing upon the ground in a heap, as he struggles to his feet, Iris doesn't give him a moment's rest.
"Now use Drill Run!"
Excadrill quickly transforms himself into a drill. Hurtling himself through the air, he connects directly with Beartic's chest. Excadrill spins around and around, dealing damage to Beartic.
"Alright!" Iris cheers.
"Beartic, Ice Beam." Georgia orders.
Opening his jaw, Beartic manages to form an ice-blue ball of energy in his mouth. Firing it point-blank at Excadrill, it ends up freezing the other Pokémon completely.
"Excadrill!" Iris cries, the Pokémon in question crashing to the ground in a block of ice. "Break out of there with Metal Claw!"
The ice shuddering, it takes Excadrill but five seconds to destroy the block of ice rendering him incarcerated.
"Use Icicle Crash!" Georgia orders.
Beartic unleashes a stream of icy wind from his mouth, the small clumps of ice quickly taking the shape of sharp icicles.
"Focus Blast!" Iris says.
Excadrill fires the light blue sphere from between his claws, managing to destroy several icicles. However, the Subterrene Pokémon is not completely unscatched as some of Beartic's attack ends up crashing down upon his head. Excadrill covers his face with both claws in an attempt to minimize the damage. Despite his efforts, he falls to the ground in a kneeling position.
"Excadrill, no!" Ash shouts.
"Pikachu!"
"Excadrill." Iris says, then louder, her eyes falling shut for a brief moment. "Excadrill!"
Though seemingly exhausted, the passionate declaration of his name from his trainer's lips is all Excadrill requires to get back on his feet.
"Excadrill!" Iris cries, sounding much happier than she had a moment ago.
"Ex." he offers with a fleeting glance.
"Hm." Iris responds with a nod.
"Finish this with Rock Smash!" Georgia orders, pulling her arm through the air, closing her hand in a fist in front of her.
Beartic rears his left arm back in compliance, the appendage glowing a dark orange.
"Excadrill, Drill Run!"
As Beartic aims his fist for his opponent, Excadrill morphs into a drill. Flying through the air, the Drill Run ends up colliding with the Rock Smash. Tendrils of yellow energy crackle off from where the two attacks meet as both Pokémon try to achieve victory over the other. Eventually, the tendrils dissipating, an answer is found. Still in drill form, Excadrill flies past Beartic. He lands a few paces away from his opponent.
When he does, he transforms out of drill form to stand on the ground. Meanwhile, Beartic still has his arm raised in a Rock Smash attack.
After a pause, Excadrill falls to the ground, noticeably unconscious.
"Excadrill!" Iris cries, rushing over to her defeated Pokémon. "Aah!"
Georgia chuckles, content with her victory. A victory that doesn't seem as cut and dry as she would've liked or anticipated. A gasp escaping her, Georgia watches as the color fades from Beartic's arm and he falls to the ground, as noticeably unconscious as his opponent.
"Both Excadrill and Beartic are unable to battle!" Cilan declares, thrusting his arms out above his head before lowering them once more. "And that means, it's a draw!"
Georgia growls at the sight, hand reaching for Beartic's Poké Ball. With a roll of her eyes, scoffing, she returns Beartic.
"Unless I'm battling against a Dragon-type Pokémon, I couldn't care less." she asserts, placing Beartic's Poké Ball on her belt as she turns to Cilan. "And I'll be expecting another delicious breakfast the next time I see you, 'kay?"
Cilan only has time to utter a confused and indignant "huh?" before Georgia puts up her nose, raises a hand in farewell, and begins walking away.
"Bye!" she says.
With Georgia gone, that leaves Iris and her friends time to focus on one another.
"Excadrill, are you alright?" Iris asks, holding her injured Pokémon; one hand behind his head, the other on his chest.
With a groan, Excadrill manages to give Iris a slight affirmative grin.
"It may have been a draw, but it was an awesome battle!" she says.
"I would have to agree." Cilan says.
"Oh yeah, you were totally in sync with each other!" Ash adds.
"Like you've been battling together your whole lives!" Misty says with a grin.
"Pika pika!"
"Marill!"
"I promise I'll do my best to pay attention to your feelings!" Iris says, nodding her head along intermittently with her next words. "I'll get better and better at it, you'll see! Do you think you can hang in there with me in the meantime?"
Iris' answer is a surprisingly cheerful cry as Excadrill is the one to pull Iris in for a hug.
A giddy little wordless exclamation escapes Iris at the actions. At the implications.
Giggling, she's all too happy to return the hug.
"Thank you, Excadrill."
"Excadrill!"
As Ash puts his arms behind his head, regarding the joyful scene with a grin, his attention is momentarily diverted when Misty jabs him lightly in the side with her elbow.
"Misty?"
When he turns to regard her more fully, she doesn't say anything. The only thing she does is stare at him with curious blue-green eyes.
His heart skips a beat at the sight. In that moment, he thinks of the conversation they had after she caught Palpitoad as if it had happened only a moment ago.
"I meant what I said, Mist." he says softly.
"So did I." Misty retorts.
Before their conversation could escalate, a rather loud noise next to them captures their attention. Both Ash and Misty and their Pokémon turn to the source with wide eyes.
"Cilan?" Ash asks.
"Are you...crying?" Misty says.
The Pokémon Connoisseur in question is busy holding a dark green handkerchief to his nose. Not only that, but tears are escaping from the corners of his eyes. It's only after he blows into his handkerchief that he turns to address his two companions.
"It's simply beautiful!" Cilan cries, using the edge of the handkerchief to swipe up wayward tears. "To think, just yesterday their relationship as Pokémon and trainer bore the sour tang of an ill-prepared dish, now it bears an aroma most sweet! Sweeter than that of the richest pastries!"
Cilan's words peter out in a cheerful sigh.
"Okay?" Ash drawls.
"I guess." Misty says. "It is pretty great."
"You bet it is!" Iris cheers, smiling the brightest any of those present have ever seen. She returns Excadrill, putting his Poké Ball up her left sleeve. "Now, after a battle like that, I'm feeling really hungry! Cilan, do you have any of that breakfast left?"
"Why, of course!" Cilan answers with a smile, pocketing his handkerchief. "Given Georgia's unexpected appearance, I had a feeling you might disregard eating to challenge her to a rematch. I also anticipated that you and Excadrill would be quite famished when you returned."
"And I am definitely so—"
A loud rumbling sound interrupts Iris. Subsequently, a very telling blush appears on Iris' face.
"So hungry?" Ash teases with a grin.
Iris merely crosses her arms with a huff.
Cilan clears his throat.
"Perhaps after you've eaten, we could visit a nearby Pokémon Center." he suggests. "I imagine Exacdrill, Axew, and our other Pokémon could use a check-up by Nurse Joy."
"That's a great idea." Iris enthuses, starting to walk in the direction of where their campsite was. "But first, food."
Ash, Misty, and Cilan are quick to follow their companion, their Pokémon at their heels.
Whilst Iris happily skips along, Cilan and Misty consult their Town Maps, Ash peeking over their shoulders.
"Looks like there's a few Pokémon Centers nearby." Misty observes.
"That's true." Cilan confirms, putting the tips of his index finger and thumb together to the electronic screen in front of him before pulling them apart. "However, it would appear that one Pokémon Center is closer than the others. It would appear that that's our next destination."
Their next destination determined, the three humans fall into a comfortable silence.
Originally Added: August 1st, 2019.
Author's Notes: I plan on updating a chapter featuring what happened after the shiny Palpitoad appeared and Misty and Ash chased after it at a later date. I won't leave the capture - and other things - up to the imagination like the capture of Brock's Zubat.
Until next we meet.