Surmount

by HDK315

Although they travel down a long, merciless road that has overwhelmed all but the very strongest to eventually throw in the towel, they do so with unrivaled resolve and convictions. This is the story of Ash Ketchum and his beloved family of Pokemon, and how they became the greatest of all time. Cover by Atenburgh.

36. Unanchored

"It's been a while since you got here early enough for breakfast," Gary spoke casually, approaching Angelina from behind as her blue pigtails came into view.

The girl perked up as his tray was set next to hers. "Yeah, I… hadn't realized that until I got here, actually."

"Any reason for the change?"

Biting into her pumpkin muffin, Gary's friend made a face realizing it was somewhat overcooked. Setting it aside unpleasantly, she shifted her attention to opening her cereal. "I guess I'm just a bit eager. I've been out for the past week, and the Exam's right around the corner." her giddy grin was a bit infectious. "I know it's not gonna be an easy test, or anything, but I am getting that grade!"

Gary offered a split second chuckle before turning to his own food. Of all his friends, Angelina was one of the most eager to get her license. And she was projected to have one of the stronger chances of passing the Exam; she'd had some of the most consistent grades throughout class, even if she did not necessarily excel at anything. "Speaking of the Exam, have you figured out your topic for the essay yet? I think most people are still considering."

But to his surprise, the blue-haired girl firmly nodded. "Fossils, duh. You really thought I needed to think that long?"

Blinking a moment, Gary almost mentally kicked himself. Of course it would have something to do with prehistoric Pokemon, that was Angelina's favorite subject! Her eyes would always light up like a treasure trove of gems whenever a particular lesson focused on the long forgotten era. "You're right, I should have guessed."

"Heh," she lightly smirked for the briefest of seconds before her grin turned more even. Speaking of fossils, there has been talk about a big expedition being planned for Grampa Canyon this year! Can you believe it? If I pass the Exam and become a trainer, I might be able to join in on it! I'll just be a rookie, but I'm sure they'd take my help in some form."

"...I might be able to ask Gramps to vouch for you." Gary said after a moment of thought.

Her spoon froze in midair on its way to her mouth. "Wait… you mean it?"

He shrugged. "Yeah, why not? And if you do good on your essay he could maybe use that to get you favor with whoever's running the thing."

The girl beamed at him. "That'd be awesome! You're the best." after taking a few spoonfuls, she wiped her mouth. "All the more reason to do as good as possible, then." having a thought, she turned to him. "Do you know what you're going to be writing?"

The question lit a fire in his eyes. "My essay's going to be on Blastoise. Why I think the Squirtle line is the best of the three."

"So ten pages worth of fanboy gushing?" she teased. "Bold move, great Oak."

He just rolled his eyes.

/

"Wow," Angelina spoke up as the two put their trays away and turned to head out of the cafeteria. "I guess we both have a lot we can cover, huh?"

"Definitely," Gary nodded in agreement. "A ten page essay may sound daunting, but they're expecting us to choose a super meaty subject to compensate for that. There's so much you can write about to dissect Blastoise's usefulness and how it compares to Venusaur and Charizard, and that's not even getting into all the ways it can be applied! And your fossils are pretty much an entirely different world; those ten pages are gonna be overflowing by the time we're done with them!"

His friend giggled. "They might as well just hand those licenses to us now, this'll be cake for us." Patting his back, she added. "By the way, Sarah told me that Ms. Starrid was super impressed about that rundown you gave on the Squirtle line's defenses in class."

Gary's eyes flashed fiercely at the memory. "You should have seen her face. I said that a Squirtle that masters its defense almost has no weakness. As a pure water type, Squirtle, Wartortle, and Blastoise only have two weaknesses in typing, but the best of them have shells that no grass type moves or electricity could ever-" he was cut off as Angelina tapped his shoulder. "What is it…?" following her finger, his eye landed on the subject of her attention, and his expression shifted. "Oh…"

Ash Ketchum was eating alone as usual. Judging by the amount of food on his tray (and the fact he had not even bit into his muffin yet), it seemed like he had just arrived. The boy was doing his best to ignore his surroundings as he opened his cereal.

A nudge from Angelina's elbow brought the Oak boy's attention back to her as she leaned in to speak quietly. "While I was gone, I also heard the loser was thinking of skipping the Exam altogether. Probably for the better, right?"

A tinge of amusement sparked in Gary's chest at the thought. "Smartest thing he ever did, if that's the case." motioning for her to follow him, he changed direction and headed to the other boy's table.

Ash had not noticed their presence until Gary's hands rudely planted themselves on the other side of the table from where he was sitting. Somewhat startled, the boy's heart sank as he looked up to see the approaching duo.

"Mornin', Ashy boy," Gary's head tilted a bit as Angelina came to his side. "Nothing like a nice tray of breakfast to get ya ready for the school day; not that it's ever done you any good."

The other boy only felt half his size under the gazes of his two peers, and almost scooted back on instinct, quickly remembering that he was sitting in an open seat with nowhere to go. So instead he squirmed, body language undermining his frustrated tone. "What do you want, guys?"

"Weeeell," Gary stretched the beginning. "It just so happens Angelina and I were having a fascinating discussion on the upcoming Qualification Exam. It's an exciting time, right? If we can pass it, the past few years of hard work will finally pay off. All of this has been building up to our Opening Day. When it's our turn to finally become Pokemon Trainers."

Angelina nodded, lips curving ever so slightly upwards as she scanned Ash. "You don't have as much to look forward to, of course."

Gary hummed an agreement as his fingers drummed the table in front of Ash. "What about you, Ashy boy? Planning on taking the Exam?"

Ash did not say anything. He simply looked between his two peers for a moment or so before his gaze traveled down to his tray. He wanted to ask them to go away, but his mouth would not open.

"Why?" The Oak boy asked simply. "Why even consider it? How many times have you embarrassed yourself already? You already know you're not going to be a trainer anytime soon; you really wanna torture yourself by bringing more disappointment?" When Ash didn't move, Gary tapped the table a bit harder. "Well? I'm asking you a question, Ash."

"..." taking a breath, Ash paused for a moment longer. "I…" finally, he looked back up at them. 'I'm still thinking about it."

Gary rolled his eyes. It was the expected answer. "Look, Ash, I don't know what kind of fancy exposure therapy you're trying to test out for yourself, but it's not worth it. My advice is to not even touch the Exam this year. You'd be safer cuddling up in a blanket with your mom than getting eaten alive on the road anyway." his lips curved up. "Of course, I'm sure your eyes will be glued to the TV when I reach the six on six rounds. The famed Top 16. Can you believe no rookie's ever done that before? History is about to be made at the end of the year, and at the four hundredth Conference no less. We're all just on the cusp of something big this Season; I'm sure you're looking forward to seeing it."

It was like Gary and Angelina's gazes were lasers digging into the other boy's skull. Shrinking further in his seat, as squirmed as the blue-pigtailed girl's eyes twinkled with a cheeky smile. After a couple moments of silence, her arm reached out and plucked the untouched muffin from his tray.

"Hey-!" Ash's almost-outburst was cut off as he froze in place, only halfway to rising from his seat as his eyes fell on Gary. All three children were still for a moment, both pairs of eyes still drilling into him before he finally sat down in defeat.

Removing the paper from the muffin, Angelina looked it over for a moment before her attention fell back on Ash. "Banana nut isn't really my favorite, but my muffin was burnt this morning. You don't mind, do you?" After a few more frozen moments of Ash saying nothing. She slowly brought the food to her mouth and took a bite, chewing methodically as her gaze never left the boy.

"Alright," said Gary, pushing himself up from his position leaning against the table. "Good chat. We'll be seeing you in class then." he nodded to the tray. "Enjoy your breakfast."

As the duo walked off, and Angelina took a second bite, still within earshot, Gary nudged her with his shoulder. "You know, you could've offered me a piece first."

"Oh, hush."

/

Images Lavender Tower flashed through Ash's mind as his eyes shot open, feeling the unpleasantly familiar cold sweat as he climbed out of bed.

The clock only read 6:35 AM; and unsurprisingly his team was still asleep. Unbeknownst to the boy, Pikachu watched him with one eye open as he entered the bathroom for a shower. About twelve minutes later, Ash felt his mood somewhat shoot up as his starter greeted him on his way out.

"Hey, buddy." His smile was not forced as the electric type climbed his way to his shoulder, rubbing his forehead against his trainer's cheek for just a moment before receiving a quick head pat in return. "I'm going to get some breakfast from the lobby, you wanna come?"

Gravity slowly but surely took hold of the young rookie's thoughts as he and the mouse exited the room. Sometimes, when you first wake up, you know what is in store for the day, but you don't fully process it until moments later. Especially when the agenda is not the most positive. It's a feeling that lingers in the back of your mind, before slowly starting to gnaw its way to the front.

2:00 PM. The scheduled time. It felt like it was an eternity away, something that would never be reached, leaving the suspense to continue gnawing at him until he was finally devoured whole. Yet it also felt like it would pass in the blink of an eye, something that he would reach far sooner than could be prepared for, whether he was ready or not.

He had, not requested, but outright demanded a six on six battle; a format he had never done before, against an opponent he had never beaten before. It was seven hours away, much too long yet much too soon. Anticipation, dread, and a fast moving blend of much else swirled through him as he opened the door and entered the hallway. Glancing at Pikachu's face, Ash could see his starter looking forward with a content expression. He was not sure what was going on in the mouse's mind, but he appreciated the sight. It made his thoughts easier to control.

There was not too much activity as they entered the lobby; a couple of older trainers (albeit none from the previous night) were present, drinking what Ash presumed to be coffee whilst paying attention to one of the TV monitors. The lobby had two: One for television channels, and another (as he and Gary had both learned last night) that allowed those in the lobby to watch whatever was taking place at the Lodging's public battlefield. The two trainers from Pallet had requested their battle take place in private, but he wondered if anyone would be watching from the lobby…

Pikachu's face lit up as the duo spotted Janine sitting at a sofa near a table, a plate of waffles and a bagel about halfway done, and Ash felt his mood lift yet again. The poison specialist had looked up to see them coming about halfway there, and quickly made sure there was room for him to sit next to her. After giving her a quick greeting, Pikachu hopped off his trainer's shoulder to where Ivysaur and Golbat were eating nearby, taking the opportunity to have a peek at the Lodging's Pokemon food before chatting.

The girl's familiarly analytical eyes fixed themselves on Ash as he took a seat beside her. "How did you sleep?"

Making easy eye contact, Ash found the words with little difficulty. "I had a nightmare."

Mild concern shifted onto her features for a moment as she lightly nodded. "How are you feeling now?"

"I'm fine," he said evenly, head turning to where Pikachu was talking to Ivysaur and Golbat. "I'm ready."

/

"We know of six Pokemon on Gary's team so far," Though he was not looking at his trainer, Pikachu's ears soaked in every word as the electric mouse dug into his food.

Janine had finished her meal at this point, and though she remained nearby, she gave her friend just enough space so as to not be intrusive as he went over his morning brainstorm. She sat in a recliner reading one of her books as Ash and Pikachu ate their breakfast together. He would bring more food back to the room for the rest of the team afterwards; it was still fairly early.

"Wartortle, Meditite, Eevee, Weepinbell, Growlithe, and Skarmory." Ash subconsciously spoke the list in the order he had first seen them. "We don't know if he's caught anything else since." It had been a long while since they had last battled, and even then, Ash had seen more from certain members of Gary's team than others. It would be hard to predict how each of them had grown, although he could make educated guesses. The big sticking point, however…

"Our Eevee is evolved now," he pointed out, tapping his fork against the plate. "For the sake of argument, we'll have to assume his is too. If we could get our hands on a stone, then there's no stopping him either." the mouse nodded in agreement. "It could've been Growlithe he evolved, but they usually take longer before they're ready." The Oak boy was far too smart to ever evolve a teammate prematurely. It was not as unheard of for an Arcanine, but the possibility of him evolving Eevee was definitely the safer bet.

That thought brought Ash's mind to Glaceon. Without a doubt, she was their ace for the time being. Using her too early could be as much of a tactical mistake as it could be an opportune way to take the lead. But how would Gary play his hand? They had no way of knowing if the Oak boy had been in a six on six match before, or if he was as inexperienced with them as they were. Battles of this format were not overly common with trainers at their current level, after all. Some trainers, not unheard of, would not even see such a battle until the Top 16 of the Conference should they make it that far. Such a position was uncomfortably disadvantageous, however: The Indigo Conference, especially the Top 16, was when stakes were at their highest. Lacking experience in the prestigious six versus six format could cost a trainer on its own. Figuring out which structural strategies and gameplans to use for which battle against which opponent, according to Patricia and a good number of other top contenders over the years, was far more exhausting and complicated on its own than one might think. Being thrust into such a battle unprepared could prove overwhelming, especially in such a gigantic stadium.

Taking a breath, it occurred to Ash that having such a battle now, at this early of a point, may have been a smart move on the long term, even if it was hardly what was on his mind at the time.

And even now, he couldn't afford to let anything else take up his mental attention span. Thoughts on future high level competition could wait: They had a battle to win right now.

/

Sitting in the lobby, Janine's eyes occasionally shifted to the TV monitor displaying the battlefield. The scheduled match was still shy of twenty minutes away, but Ash was already there right now, having talked to his team one final time. Seeing him at the bench, through the camera, caused her brow to furrow. Her book was open in her hands, but whenever she attempted to get engrossed in the pages, her gaze would always find its way back to the monitor. She wanted to huff in frustration, roughly close it shut, and shove back into her backpack, but treating a book like that would be such repulsive behavior.

"Oh, hey there."

Surprise gave way to relief as she looked up to see Patricia approaching her. The older girl scanned the poison specialist for a moment, silently checking for permission before Janine caught on and nodded for the brunette to sit next to her.

"I saw this morning that there was a match scheduled soon," she nodded to the monitor. "That's why you're here, right?"

"Yes…" Janine spoke after a moment or two, closing her book (gently) to return it to her backpack. "I was trying to read before the battle started but…" she sighed. "I can't focus on anything."

It was infuriating. She could only imagine the words her father would have for her if he ever caught wind she had lost concentration this badly. She tried to block it out, but the image of his scolding face nonetheless found its way into her mind. When was the last time she had struggled this much with collecting her thoughts (in times of peace, at any rate)?

"Hmm…" Patricia frowned. "If you don't mind, do you know why the battle was requested to be private? I would've thought you'd be out there with your friend."

Janine hummed. That was it, after all… "I would… like to be, on some levels." she admitted with some hesitance. "But…" she bit her lip. The words that would come out of her mouth next were not her business; she needed to be careful what she divulged. "Ash is facing somebody from his hometown. It's a… personal affair."

Understanding washed over the teen's face. "I see, makes sense you'd give the guy some space."

Even as she nodded in agreement, Janine's eyes still flickered over to the monitor. "My… father would not want me forcing my way into something like this." Even as she spoke, she felt a slight hesitancy on her tongue when mentioning her father. Tanner had somehow known who she was, did Patricia as well? She was of equal status to her rival, after all. She made sure to be careful just in case, and her next statement came out more smoothly as she crossed her arms. "Ash deserves the chance to fight his own battles."

The older trainer nodded steadily. "Well, there's nothing wrong with showing a friend your support, even if it's none of your business." she tilted her head with a small grin. "We're trainers aren't we? Companionship is the game. I'm not saying you're wrong, though. Sometimes there are things that are better off if you handle them on your own." With some caution, she reached over and tapped the younger trainer's shoulder. "Hey…" as Janine's head turned to her, Patricia's grin shifted more relaxed, reassuring. "There's no need to feel so conflicted, okay? It's about finding the right balance. I've paired up with all sorts of travelers in my career."

After a moment or so, the purple haired girl felt her body relaxing a bit, easing a few nerves that she had not fully realized had been as tense as they were, offering the brunette a grateful nod. They sat in patient silence for a few moments before Janine spoke again.

"Oh, by the way Patricia," suddenly remembering something, she got the older trainer's attention. "Ash and I ran into Tanner when we were in Saffron."

"Oh," Patricia's brow raised in surprise. "So he wasn't disguised this time?"

The memory of the Tanner's prankish Slowbro removing his trainer's disguise right in front of them played in the girl's mind, but she chose not to bring that part up. "It's a long story." Maybe long wasn't the right word, but she did not dwell on that. "Anyway, he told us that you said something about this Season's Indigo Conference being the most stacked in years. Is that true?"

Perking up, the brunette nodded. "Yup, that's what every big analyst is projecting, and we're already seeing it, too. The competition's set to be super stiff this year."

Janine tapped her chin. "Any specific reasons why?" She was finding that this conversation was a great way to pass the time before Ash's battle, and getting what would likely be important information straight from a top competitor would certainly be helpful in the long run.

"Well," Patricia started. "You're obviously aware that this is the four hundredth Indigo Conference, correct?" the younger girl nodded. "That's why. This entire Season is a huge milestone for Indigo, and people all over the world want to be a part of it. There has been a surge of foreigners coming in specifically to compete. My cousin among them."

"Cousin?" Janine recalled Patricia mentioning a cousin from Kalos last night, but the thought of asking about it had passed her by.

"Have you heard of Annette Racewood?"

"Annette Racewood…" the poison specialist repeated with a thoughtful glint in her eye. "Hmm… Oh! I think I remember an Annette is a top competitor in Kalos right now."

"Runner up of the last Lumiose Conference," Patricia confirmed. "Lost only by the skin of her teeth, too. She came to Indigo this Season specifically because this was going to be the four hundredth Season." her face scrunched just a bit. "And of course, she's just dying to beat me on my home turf. Not that I'd ever let that happen, of course."

"Have you two ever battled before?"

The older trainer shook her head. "No. It's been on our agenda, but it never happened. We've been following each other's careers super closely though; there aren't many ways we can catch one another off guard." Glancing at the clock for a moment, she added, "Annette's going to be a VIP guest on the S.S. Anne cruise if it still happens. Along with Horace Bluewall."

That name quickly sparked Janine's recognition. "Wait, you mean the runner up of the Ever Grande Conference? He's here too?"

"Yup, in the flesh. Annette told me the moment she found out, and I've been researching in advance."

"Wow…" Janine blinked, suddenly feeling a minor tension setting in. "So… your cousin and Horace, they're basically like you and Tanner, right?"

"Mhm," Patricia agreed. "They're names are just as big in their respective Regions as Tanner and myself are here in Indigo, and that extends to their prowess in battle as well. Honestly, I wouldn't be comfortable battling either of them." she chuckled a bit. "Like I said, Annette and I have been following each other religiously ever since we first started out. Even Wallace himself would be proud of her Milotic, and the rest of her main roster lives up to that hype."

'And all four of them are going to be at the Conference.' Janine told herself. That alone explained the projections.

"Anway," Patricia continued. "Annette and Horace are just the two biggest ones. There are a lot of other worthwhile contenders coming in from numerous Regions to take part. Hoenn and Sinnoh have never been unheard of, but also Unova and Kalos, and even a couple from Galar if I'm correct. Indigo and Sinnoh are the most historic League's in the world; the thought of winning this Conference in its four hundredth Season is an opportunity too good to pass up. A lot of foreign spectators are buying tickets to watch as well, and even more on their screens at home." she leaned back in her seat, a thoughtful gaze. "It's always the biggest event of the year, but the buzz and activity surrounding it this year are second to none." She gave Janine a mildly sly look. "You and your friend picked a hell of a year to start out."

Unable to help humming in agreement, Janine made sure to mentally pocket all of this information. Surely Ash would want to know.

"Yo, it's almost time right?"

Janine could not help the somewhat unpleasant furrowing of her brow as Jordan came into view, although such a reaction did not stretch to Beth or Josh, who were closely behind the blonde boy.

"I wanted to keep looking for that green Oddish I spotted yesterday," Beth admitted while taking a seat next to Josh. "But I'll admit I was too curious about this."

"Course you were," Jordan snorted. "When was the last time a couple of first years were stupid enough to half a six versus six this early? Ahead of the curve or not, it's ludicrous."

Josh tried to pointedly ignore the other boy's comment, eyes on the clock before his head turned back towards the TV monitor. "I'm interested in seeing just how this kid got four badges in fewer months. Was planning to challenge him myself, but this will do. For now."

"Ignore the boys," Patricia nudged Janine with a mild sigh. "Seeing is believing; I'm sure the peanut gallery will quiet down halfway through."

"They best," a brief shifting of her purple eyes was the most attention the poison specialist offered the subtle pair of hecklers before her gaze rested on the monitor.

/

1:56 PM. Ash's heart rate quickened a tad as he looked down at the time on his Pokedex.

Four minutes…

Four minutes.

He knew Gary wouldn't be late. Enjoying the fresh air had proven to be the best way to clear his thoughts.

Last night's storm was a thing of the past, but the moisture it left behind was still lingering in the air. The battlefield was as dry as could be however; no puddles in sight. More than ready to be used. Pikachu sat next to him on the bench, having taken a peek at the Pokedex himself for a brief moment.

The door opened, and Ash quickly stood up from the sound. Gary emerged from the doorway, immediately stopping in place as his and Ash's eyes fell on one another.

"I better not be late." The Oak boy's face tightened.

"I was early." Ash shook his head.

Gary made no verbal response, the only acknowledgement he offered being a forceful exhale through his nostrils. Ash's eyes followed his rival on his way to his side of the battlefield before looking back down at Pikachu. His starter was still locked on Gary, tail fully erect behind him, with a gaze far more steel than most outsiders would stereotypically expect from his species.

Pikachu's attention returned to his trainer as Ash knelt down in front of him. The boy and his starter held each other's gaze in their eyes for a moment or two before he unclipped the mouse's Poke Ball. "I'm returning you for now, but I'll see you soon, buddy."

Even as Pikachu smiled, the steel expression in his eyes remained as he nodded, the Poke Ball tapping against his forehead and sucking him in with a spark of familiar red light. Ash lingered for just a moment before returning the orb to his belt, and taking his position on his side of the battlefield.

It was the fourth time he had stood across from the Oak boy just before a battle. There was no smugness in Gary's expression, no grinning or sly posture. The spiky-haired boy stood, calmly glaring ahead into Ash's eyes. Ash's face tightened as their gazes locked, feeling his own eyes narrowing just ever so slightly, vision turning focused and purposeful as he stared down his rival. His hand reached down for his belt, but did not grab any of the capsules just yet.

"I'm sure you at least remember your own terms." Gary started, sarcasm only mildly leaking through his tone of voice before being drowned out almost immediately, venom taking its place..

"Six on six," Ash confirmed without a nod. "Conference and Gym rules, we both select our first at the same time."

"Well then what are you waiting for?" the other boy spat, already holding up a ball. "Don't test my patience."

Ignoring the venom that remained, Ash removed the first Poke Ball from his belt. He had already decided this morning over breakfast which teammate he would be leading with, and had informed all six members of the team in advance.

Valiant appeared in front of him, no surprise on the Kirlia's features as his eyes opened to take in the battlefield. Not a moment later, Meditite appeared in front of Gary, viewing Valiant for just long enough to register him before turning around as her trainer crouched in front of her to talk.

Ash and Valiant both mimicked their actions, finding each other's gazes as naturally as breathing as the boy placed a hand on the young psychic's head. "You've already beaten her once, after she battled Tempest, but I doubt either of you are going to be fighting the same after all this time. Remember: she's a fighting type who might have the same ability you do. You're not beating her up close. Be careful with however she tries to approach."

Valiant nodded back at him, not saying a word, even telekinetically. As he turned back to face his opponent, Meditite was already doing the same, the two young psychics walking forward a few feet before stopping and sinking into their stances. Were it not for their different species, both Pokemon may have looked almost exactly the same, their seamless body language and tranquil expressions reflecting off of one another as each of them stared the other down: Peacefully, without disturbance, but beyond ready to start moving.

"Psybeam!"

After a few moments that could not have lasted any longer than a minute, Gary mirrored Ash's first call, both Pokemon firing the narrow, rainbow blasts from their eyes. As the two attacks collided halfway through, Meditite had already sidestepped to begin her advance the fighting/psychic type sprinting at a much greater speed than Valiant knew he'd be capable of matching. Sinking into Shadow Sneak, Valiant traveled diagonally opposite to his opponent for just a few seconds before remerging with a Shadow Ball that he chucked the second his hands were once again exposed. His opponent's momentum was cut off for just a moment as she rolled out of the way with near-perfect execution, but Meditite took off in another sprint without missing a beat, every movement, from the first run, to the dodge, to the second run all chained together with dexterous grace.

"Aqua Swift!"

Without slowing down her pace, Meditite fired a barrage of stars coated in what looked to be the orbs of a water type Hidden Power. The homing stars guided themselves and the water to their target, who took a small hop back as he fired a Magical Leaf in response. Though the leaves easily tore through the watery layer, they still exploded against the stars themselves, triggering a stalemate as Meditite abruptly picked up speed. Before Valiant could fire a second Shadow Ball to deter her, she had already hurled one of her own, and just after lunging out of the way, the Kirlia found his opponent almost on top of him.

"The throat!"

Thanks to his Telepathy ability flashing through his eyes, Valiant already knew where his opponent was aiming even as Gary first gave the order, which therefore felt more like a reminder than a command. Straining himself just a bit, he surrounded himself in an erected barrier of almost invisible, yet shimmering psychic energy that absorbed Meditite's Poison Jab with ease. No more than a second later, however, he found himself straining as that same barrier cracked against the Ice Punch that she had thrown at his head with her other hand.

Not wanting the barrier to break, Valiant lowered his shield in preparation to counter her, but Meditite was already striking again, a Low Sweep taking the Kirlia off of his feet. Catching him with ease, Meditite swung his body backwards over her head, slamming his back onto the pavement behind her. The impact drew the air from his lungs, eyes closing for a moment before opening to stare directly into hers. Crouching over him, Gary's partner wore a steel expression laced with tranquility as her arm stretched over her opponent's head, hand firmly (and somewhat painfully) pressed against the Krilia's chest as she raised her free arm for another strike. The glow of Poison Jab reflected in Valiant's eyes as she plunged her fist downward.

Despite reeling from the impact, Valiant's eyes flashed a deep purple, and Meditite's toxic fist froze in place just shy of an inch away from him as Confusion held her in place. Even as she strained against the binding hold, Valiant too strained to act, tossing her off of him before his eyes flashed pink to launch a Dazzling Gleam in her direction.

"Zen Headbutt!"

Meditite landed in a crouching position, shielding her eyes as she rolled away from the flash of fairy type energy. Seamlessly pushing herself back up with her hands, she charged forward and lowered her head, shining with a deep blue energy as she plowed headfirst into Valiant's abdomen. Even as the Kirlia briefly wheezed for air, he fought to grip his opponent's sides as she tackled him to the ground. His hands sparked with electricity just long enough to make her wince, seizing the opportunity to toss her off of him.

"Stay at a distance!" Ash reminded. Rising back to his feet, Valiant only clutched at his stomach for a moment or two before he sank back into Shadow Sneak, traveling just a foot or two away before quickly remerging to toss another Shadow Ball in hopes of delaying his opponent's pursuit. Both psychics had long since gotten fairly good at using the technique, and both needed to be wary of the other's usage at all times. One hit from either side would inflict decisive damage that could and most likely would turn the tide of the bout.

Bracing herself for just long enough to be prepared, Meditite rose over the ghostly projectile with a backflip that granted her surprising height. Even as she reached her peak, she fired a second round of Swift, this time not coated in water, to which Valiant responded with another Magical Leaf. The moment she landed, she was sprinting again with a Poison Jab ready.

"Thunder Leaf!"

To her mild surprise, Valiant lunged forward while firing the barrage of electrical leaves. Slowing her abrupt advance to a noteworthy degree, Meditite's eyes flashed a deep blue as she destroyed the leaves with Psychic, only to quickly realize that Valiant had teleported away. Turning around while coming to a stop, she found him further away than before from a different angle, just in time to catch her foe chucking yet another Shadow Ball.

Sidestepping the distorted projectile, Meditite once more gave chase while Valiant ran back in retreat. Though she was faster, Valiant continued hurling ranged attacks that slowed her progress as she was forced to avoid them.

"Keep running, spread Swift!" At Gary's command, the fighting/psychic type held out her hands and fired a series of golden stars in multiple directions in front of her. Though they all locked onto Valiant to home in on the Kirlia, they were approaching the Kirlia from different angles.

Even as Valiant gritted his teeth, however, Ash did not. "Spread Magical Leaf, then Shadow Sneak!"

Now holding out his own hands, Valiant continued his retreat whilst turning around to fire a barrage of leaves to block Meditite's Swift. Seizing the opportunity, Meditite picked up speed through the small cloud of smoke left behind by the collision, a Shadow Ball in her hands just as Valiant began sinking into Shadow Sneak. As fast possible, she chucked the orb at him, only for it to strike the ground mere instants after the Kirlia's shadow had already snaked away. Turning her head, Gary's partner glared as her eyes remained firmly on her target, who popped back up several feet away, just in time to fire a Thunderbolt which she dodged.

"Double Team!"

Ash could not help but wince as their target split into four, all rushing at Valiant from different angles, but he remained composed as the Kirlia teleported once more, firing a second Thunderbolt into one of the clones just as he reappeared. The remaining three Meditite gave pursuit once again, the real one revealing her position with another spread out Swift that was promptly blocked by the same Magical Leaf maneuver. Just as before the stalemate gave her time to pick up speed and fire a Shadow Ball as the distance between both psychics began to close. Valiant winced as he swerved to the side, feeling the round projectile of distortion painfully clip his skin, but still fired a slightly weaker Shadow Ball of his own, mostly undeterred.

Just before the ghostly sphere could strike her, Meditite smiled in mild satisfaction as one of her two remaining clones jumped in front of her to take the attack. Now running at full speed, she raised an icy fist with her right arm…

Which Valiant's Telepathy quickly told him was a feint. The real attack was the Poison Jab coming from her left arm. Focusing his attention on that, he prepared to dodge to the side…

But Meditite's own Telepathy already read Valiant's muscles as he prepared to respond to her poisonous strike, and a fast Low Sweep had suddenly taken him off of his feet. As his opponent grabbed onto him, preparing to spike him straight down into the pavement, he began sparking his hands with electricity whilst holding onto her arm. To his surprise, however, Meditite seemed to see that coming, immediately letting go and roughly kicking him to the side as she took a step back.

From his corner of the field, Ash's eyes widened as he noticed the green aura briefly outlining Meditite's body. 'She's using Detect!' Detect was an exceptional move that heightened a combatant's senses to their fullest possibility, allowing them to focus their sense of touch, hearing, and sight to do just as the name of the move implied; although the latter two usually required more practice than the former. Of course, it could only remain active for so long before usage would become taxing for the user, but when put to good use, a Pokemon could boost their fighting instincts to pivotal degrees whenever they were using such a move. Particularly useful for evasion and countering.

With the combination of Detect, Meditite's fighting typing, and what was most likely also Telepathy at play, Valiant would not just be at a disadvantage in close quarters; he'd be outright doomed. Almost cupping his hands, Ash prepared to call out a warning, but suddenly paused himself. Should he be letting Gary know that he knew what Meditite was doing? Normally, it would be a poor decision to not warn his teammate…

But Valiant was an observant combatant, and a precise thinker, even in the heat of battle. And he knew of Detect and how it functioned. Ash was hesitant to stay tight-lipped on the matter, but if there was anyone on the team he could trust to figure this out, it would be him.

As Ash made his choice, Valiant took a small hop backwards and fired a Magical Leaf that was quickly intercepted by Meditite's last remaining Double Team clone. Even as it was, a new clone emerged as Meditite broke into another run.

"Zen Headbutt!"

Ash could not help the tightening of his face. In addition to being stronger and faster than them, Meditite had proven quite dexterous in her movements, and even more adroit than expected at hand to hand combat. He knew she could not keep at it forever; sooner or later fatigue would kick in and her dodges would begin growing more sloppy. Valiant could easily suffer the same problem however, in his effort to keep his distance from their persistent opponent. Keeping the fight going at its current pace would be a risky endeavor, yet a head on exchange would be playing the game on Gary's terms.

Valiant considered blocking the Zen Headbutt with Reflect, but quickly decided against it. If she were to switch to Brick Break whilst closing in, it could be disastrous for him. Instead he leapt out of the way, a bit closer for comfort than he'd have liked, and quickly turned to blast the new clone with Dazzling Gleam. His eyes widened at the mistake, however, as Meditite ceased the opportunity to kick off the ground and aim an Ice Punch at the back of his head.

Turning around as fast as possible, Valiant met the Ice Punch with a Fire Punch The two psychics' fists clashed, the flames from Valiant's fist sizzling against the cold touch of Meditite's own. The contrasting heat from the Fire Punch sent a burning pain shooting through her fist, but Valiant was not without his own recoil, the superior force behind his stronger opponent's strike leaving him to feel a much greater blunt force impact than she did. As both combatants staggered back from the exchange, Meditite halted her retreat to lunge forward again, this time aiming a Poison Jab with her other arm. Though Valiant had not fully recovered yet, he tried to move and doge the blow, but as Medidite's eyes flashed with the familiar glow of Telepathy, her arm curved, and her toxic fist found its way into the Kirlia's abdomen.

"Get back!" Ash hollered a little louder than he was proud of as Valiant doubled over, hands covering his sore stomach as his body folded from the impact of the blow. Meditite's fists were hard as rocks, and her strikes had the force to match. Just one direct punch felt devastating, at least in the short term, but as he grit his teeth, the psychic/fairy type locked as with his foe one final time before teleporting away, just a few feet in front of Ash.

Meditite did not immediately advance, the action finally catching up to her-for whatever brief moment- as she paused to take a deep breath. In front of Ash, Valiant's own breathing had grown somewhat heavy, one hand still on his now-burning stomach as a visible bead of sweat rolled down his head.

Fatigue was setting in for his friend; not much was obvious to Ash. What was not immediately obvious was how consequential Meditite's Poison Jab would prove in the long term. He was dealing with both at once, and was only going to have so much time to recover before Gary's partner was finished catching her breath.

But even as the thought crossed his mind, so did an idea, and the slightly reassuring tone of voice he spoke the command in matched Ash's small, subtle smile. "Valiant, Calm Mind."

It only took his trusted psychic an instant longer than usual to register the command as Valiant clenched his teeth while keeping his hand on his burning stomach. The moment the order was processed, however, his eyes flashed again.

The lingering pain from Medite's Poison Jab, and perhaps more importantly, the burning it had left behind, was still there. The first signs of fatigue were still there, and still slightly felt in his breathing, but the soothing sensation passing through him washed over such feelings. All of a sudden, everything felt less… debilitating. He could still feel the pain in his stomach, or the first signs of tiredness in his muscles, but as he stood up straight, he felt focused. Somewhat less hindered.

Just by looking at Valiant, Ash could see the difference. It was not the same as healing; his partner was in still in the same shape as before, but only physically. Mentally, he was ready.

'Going in close is playing by Gary's rules.' Ash reminded himself. 'We can make him think that.'

"Go for it, Meditite!"

Ash's face tensed as Gary's partner sprinted for them once more. There was no more time to plan, the small window having now already closed as quickly as it had been opened, but his gambit was decided, and needed to be relayed to Valiant without their opponent understanding.

"Valiant… what move has he been teaching you?" Subtly, the Kirlia's head rose just a little bit higher. Message received. "Charge her!"

Meditite's eyes narrowed as Valiant broke into a sprint, the two now on a collision course. As they approached, another Shadow Ball appeared in her hands, not slowing her pace as she tossed it at Ash's partner. Maintaining his own momentum, Valiant ducked under the attack with Shadow Sneak. The moment he began to resurface, his hands turned frigid to the touch as he fired an icy Wind right at the ground in front of her. Meditite cried out in startled surprise as her foot slid over the ground it landed on, taking her off balance with both legs in the air. Immediately, Valiant had teleported directly in front of her, fist reared back before striking her face with Thunder Punch.

"Moonblast, Valiant!"

Focusing Calm Mind once more, Valiant put his hands together to charge the lunar blast. Although he had not fully mastered such a strong move yet, the usage of Calm Mind helped the process, as did the precious moments it took Meditite to pick herself up off the ground…

He fired just as she was almost fully standing. Meditite's eyes widened like plates at the blast ripping through the air towards her, with no time to try and dodge. Hastily, she surrounded herself in psychic energy just before it hit, and the attack exploded against her barrier. The fighting/psychic type cried out as the blast easily shattered her shield, the concussive force sending her tumbling away.

Gary's face was as pale as a white cloud. "Meditite, stand up!"

As his partner struggled to push herself off the ground, Valiant teleported just a few feet away, and fired a Shadow Ball into her. The blast once again sent her tumbling before she lay still.

Meditite did not get up.

As Gary recalled his teammate, Valiant returned to Ash's side of the field, greeted with a nod of approval.

"Excellent work," the boy knelt down to gently pat his head. "One down, five to go." Saying the words out loud was almost like an unintentional reminder to himself; the victory they had just obtained could still very easily prove to be short lived. This battle was going to be the longest they had ever fought.

As the duo turned their attention back to Gary, the Oak boy stared at the unconscious Meditite's Poke Ball for a moment, face darkening as he raised his head to look back at them. Ash almost expected a complaint, or a frustrated comment about how they had only won with a fluke. Perhaps more unsettlingly, his rival remained somewhat eerily silent as he reclipped the capsule to his belt and exchanged it for a new one. Without a word, he released his Growlithe.

The fiery canine's head rose from the flash of light with a regal posture. As her full body came into view, she sank into a stance that half-resembled a pouncing position, tail fully erect as she stared Valiant down with competitive vigor in her gaze.

After thinking for a moment, Ash took Valiant's Poke Ball from his belt. "I'll call you back for now, see you soon." the Kirlia nodded as while disappearing in a flash of red light that was quickly sucked back into the orb. The boy's hand danced around the belt for a few seconds before gripping another Poke Ball.

The next moment, Nebula was in front of him, turning to greet her trainer with a quick chirp and a raised wing before hovering just a few feet above the battlefield to face her opponent.

"The battle's still young, Nebula. You ready?" The nod from the bird was all he needed. "Then Aerial Ace!"

"Fire Swift!"

Bathed in white light, Nebula shot forward, flying somewhat low as she aimed her beak for Growlithe's face. The fiery dog leapt to the side, rotating her body in midair to keep her mouth aimed at Nebula. The Swift that erupted from the canine's jaws was cloaked in flames, locking onto the bird. Unintimidated, Nebula flew upwards at an angle, looping above the battlefield and back down to the other side. The flaming stars tried to follow her, but lost their way halfway through as she charged Growlithe with a second Aerial Ace. The dog lashed out at her with a fiery Iron Tail, to which Nebula quickly responded with a Steel Wing. As the two attacks struck each other, the Staravia quickly grimaced uncomfortably from the heat of Growlithe's combo, but her momentum still sent her fire type opponent sliding backwards.

"Swift!" Ash spoke the command just as Nebula had pushed Growlithe back with her Steel Wing, and the golden stars were already exiting her beak before the fiery canine came to a stop. Growlithe leapt to the side as the projectiles approached her, but was struck anyway as they angled to match her trajectory.

"Flame Charge!"

Eyes widening just a tiny bit, Ash quickly shouted for Nebula to shoot up as Growlithe cloaked herself in fire and dashed forward to nail the Staravia head first. Moving at an alarming speed, she barely missed her mark, the flames from flame charge dancing against Nebula's talons her wings carried her above her attacker.

Flame Charge was like a literal missile of fire that the user transformed themselves into. It was a fast attack that packed a punch, but particularly skilled users saw a dangerous boon: The longer they maintained the form, the faster they got. They would keep gaining more and more momentum the longer the move was being used, so those capable of holding it together for a good while would reach exhilarating velocity.

Growlithe did no such thing, however. With Nebula out of her reach, she slowed her pace and dissipated the Flame Charge, focusing her fire into another Fire Swift that trailed after her flying target. Nebula turned to meet the flaming projectiles with an Air Cutter as Gary shouted "Agility and Burn Tail!"

The blue light that Ash often saw outlining Pikachu's body now wrapped its way around Growlithe's fur as she quickened her pace once more, running at a speed most likely comparable to his electric type starter. Ash she leapt off the ground, her momentum carried her barley above Nebula, who was still mid-rise as Growlithe swung the fiery iron tail downward towards her head. Quickly, the yelping Staravia crossed two Steel Wings together to block the attack, feeling the flames of Burn Tail heating against her metallic wings. Gravity worked against her, unfortunately, and she was pushed downwards, catching herself just before striking the pavement, only for a Flamethrower to smash against her at the next second.

Nebula screamed as the blast of fire bathed her, and as she staggered in agony, Growlithe landed and immediately shot forward again, her eager paws closing the distance as her jaws became coated with lightning.

"Ominous Wind!" Gary's face lit up in surprise as Nebula fired the gust of purple wind into her would be assailant. Rising back into the air, she took a moment to charge up an Air Slash before firing it down towards growlithe, who quickly dashed to the side, activating Agility once more.

"Use Swift," Ash commanded. "Move around, but stay above." Even he doubted Nebula would be able to hit her target, Growlithe will eventually tire herself out if she held onto Agility for too long. It was a mentally taxing move, and although Pikachu had gotten quite good at it, he still could not utilize it long term without pushing himself. At her current level, Growlithe would most likely be the same. She'd tire herself out far faster than Nebula simply firing attacks from above.

Of course, Ash was certain that Gary knew this, which was why the Oak boy would be forced to change tactics sooner or later. They'd keep him and Growlithe on their toes for as long as they had the chance beforehand.

It only took a moment or two for Gary's face to tighten into a smirk. "Flame Wheel."

Curling her body, Growlithe morphed into the wheel of fire, rolling across the battlefield and making a sharp turn as she reached one end. All of the stars that struck her were deflected, bouncing off as the momentum of Agility propelled her form.

"Flame Charge, and jump!" Seamlessly exiting her wheel form, Growlithe remained cloaked in fire as her body was propelled yet again, now at an even greater speed than she had been rolling before leaping upwards. Lightning coated her jaws once more as Ash called out to his partner.

"Wind Blast!"

Before Growlithe could reach her, Nebula fired the blast of condensed wind into her attacker. The attack struck the fire type directly and sent her back towards the pavement as intended, but even as it hit, Growlithe curved her body to avoid getting hit in the face, a barrage of golden stars let loose and curving to strike Nebula in the side. Caught by surprise, the Staravia was knocked out of the air just like her opponent. As she descended, Growlithe swung an Iron Tail into the ground to break her fall. Nebula did the same with Steel Wing, but the canine was already running forward, Agility activated once again as she aimed her Iron Tail straight for the bird's beak.

Just in time, Nebula swung her Steel Wing to meet the attack, but Growlithe's speed had put far more force behind her blow compared to the flying type's stationary position. As the two metallic attacks clashed, the impact sent Ash's partner rolling away, although she managed to flip onto her feet by driving another metallic wing into the ground. As she landed, now far closer to her trainer, Ash got a view of the burns and singes left behind on her feathers by the Flamethrower from earlier. She could certainly look a lot worse, but the attack had done its damage for certain.

He remained undeterred by the sight, however. "Swift, then Whirlwind."

Still planted on her feet, Nebula let loose another barrage of golden stars as Growlithe tried to rush her once more. Stopping in place, Growlithe quickly held out an Iron Tail in front of her body, using the metal coating as a shield for the projectiles to bounce off of. This was quickly followed by Nebula kicking off of the ground and rising just a few feet above the battlefield, however. As she approached her fire type opponent, the Staravia's rapidly flapping wings unleashed a strong gale that blew Growlithe back. The gust only lasted for a second or two, however, and as Growlithe's body somersaulted in midair, Nebula found herself with no time to dodge the Flamethrower fired in response.

On instinct, she crossed two Steel Wings together to intercept the blast of fire. Though she was offered partial protection from harm, she still squawked in pain as the flames pounded against her now overheating wings and licked her cheeks. Eyes widening, she realized a second too late that she was now falling from the air.

And Growlithe's dashing form was there to meet her, swinging an Iron Tail into the side of her head and sending her bouncing painfully across the pavement. As Nebula rolled to a stop, the canine paused her movements, taking in a deep breath that was let out in an exhale that almost echoed across the battlefield.

Now lying down on her stomach, Nebula had once again stopped in front of her trainer, who looked down at her in concern as she pressed her wings against the pavement to pick herself up. Staggering back for just a moment, Ash's feather partner steadied herself and her balance before she could fall onto her back. The bruise on the side of her head was on full display for the boy's eyes to see, and her feathers had been somewhat dirtied by the pavement. Much like Growilthe, she took a moment to take a breath too, although Ash could not quite tell how much of that came from fatigue compared to immediate pain.

'Growlithe's too fast. She reacts to everything so well. Nebula can't easily win any exchanges because her own momentum keeps getting shut down.' Ash's face tightened in hesitation for just a moment. "Nebula, Reckless."

Nebula's eyes perked at the order, but no questions left her beak as the crimson sparks surrounded her body and overtook her eyes. Her squawk was the loudest noise to occur yet in the battle as she bellowed her challenge to the fiery canine.

The color momentarily drained from Gary's face as images of Wartortle being battered across the battlefield flashed through his mind. Straightening himself, his orders grew slightly louder. "Flame Charge, in a circle!"

Ash immediately knew, just from the one sentence, what Gary was hoping for: To have Growlithe gain as much momentum as she conceivably could; maintaining Flame Charge for as long as possible to produce the amount of force necessary to combat Nebula's strength and speed.

Hell no.

"Whirlwind, full blast!"

With another loud, bloodcurdling battle cry, Nebula was kicking off the ground, lining herself up to meet Growlithe's fiery form head on. Even as the canine attempted to make a sharp turn and avoid the contact, the raging Staravia was flapping her wings, sending the wailing dog flying through the air and off the ground, where she could not run.

"Now Aerial Ace!"

The white aura cloaking Nebula's body mixed beautifully with the crimson light as she tore through the air in Growlithe's direction. Though the fiery canine swung an Iron Tail in response, she was still launched back with a startled cry as Nebula crashed head-first into the steel type attack. Gary cried out in panic as his fire type companion was sent on a collision course for the barrier, and suppressed his sigh of relief when she slammed a second Iron Tail into the barrier to save herself from the impact. On her way back down to the pavement, she turned her body to face the circling Staravia and let loose another barrage of fire-coated golden stars. Unintimidated, a series of strikes from Nebula's Steel Wing smacked all of them away.

As Growlithe began to pick up speed once more, Ash's face tightened again. Nebula could keep picking her off the ground, but they could no longer play the war of attrition game. Reckless was using up all of her reserves at once to skyrocketed her capabilities, and once that ran out, she would have nothing left. They needed to go for the kill. "Double-Edge!"

Nebula shouted to the sky once more as a far fiercer pale aura wrapped around her crimson-glowing body. Angling herself like a missile, she prepared to charge downward with her ultimate attack.

But as Ash's eyes widened, Gary's next command was the only warning he would get.

"Supernova Dash!"

Nebula tore through the air with the speed, momentum and power that, for the longest time, was unrivaled by anyone else on the team. Her Double-Edge, coupled with Reckless, although rarely used, was the offensive magnum opus of their group, and the ultimate trump card beyond even Reckless itself. One direct hit would leave nearly any opponent they'd face with certain defeat, whether it be by immediate knockout or the shape they would inevitably be in after taking such an attack.

The form Growlithe took on, however, was concentrated. Precise. Agility and Flame Charge came together as one as the Growlithe ripped through the field at a speed not even Pikachu and his own Agility could match. A speed in a class of its own, unrivaled by anything Ash and his team were capable of.

And with the force to back it up.

Growlithe struck Nebula's lethally charging form square in the chest, and the powerful bird's shock was palpable as the air left her lungs. Both combatants fell to the ground, but Growlithe's headache did nothing to stop her from catching herself with Iron Tail, and pouncing just as Nebula picked herself up.

"Thunder Fang!" Gary spoke the word at the exact moment Growlithe had sprung into action, vindictiveness glazed over his features as his friend's electrified jaws wrapped around Nebula's upper back, just below her neck.

Ash called out to his friend as Nebula wailed in agony. The electricity from Growlithe's lightning-filled teeth coursed through her as she thrashed about the ground, but Growlithe clenched her teeth even more tightly, fighting to maintain her grip at all costs as her flailing enemy pounded the fire type's body against the pavement. As Ash and Gary both called out in encouragement, the two combatants committed as though their lives and trainer's lives depended on it, and what may have only been slightly over ten seconds felt like a minute before Nebula's movements slowed.

Growlithe was bruised, and perhaps worse for wear, but she had strength left, and used it to deplete the rest of Nebula's own. The Staravia could feel her muscles failing her as her movements grew weak and sluggish, no longer able to fight back against her opponent's devastating, electrical hold.

"Burn Tail!" Gary's voice carried the satisfaction of a gleeful executioner as Growlithe finally, voluntarily released her lethal grip, leaving Nebula in a sitting position as she took off running with Agility, immediately performing a sharp turn and running back twice as fast with the fire-coated Iron Tail.

It was a hollow pit in Ash's stomach as Nebula was bashed in the head, flopping across the pavement before lying still on her back.

Nebula did not get up.

Ash allowed himself no more than a small sigh as he returned his friend to the safety of her Poke Ball. Rubbing the orb almost subconsciously, he suppressed the urge to bite his lip.

"You fought a good fight, it won't be a waste." Reclipping the ball to his belt, he set his narrowing eyes on the pair of Gary and Growlithe. The fire type's speed was certainly equal to Pikachu's, or close at the bare minimum… until that last combo she had revealed. It was not quite like anything he had ever seen, and it had completely shut down Nebula's greatest attack. They had thrown all of their eggs in that basket, as was inevitable whenever Nebula activated her Reckless Ability, and especially when she used Double-Edge on top of it. The failure of the move had left them with nothing else, like a kiss of death.

Gary had just finished petting Growlithe as he stood back up to lock his eyes onto Ash's form. His posture was a bit more relaxed now as his fire type friend turned back towards their opponent and retook her position. The canine was certainly bruised, but it did not seem as though she was on her last legs.

"I never forgot that bullshit you and the Staravia pulled back on Mt. Moon, Ashy boy." Gary started, and then his face slightly darkened as his eyes narrowed. "Did you really think I was going to allow another close call like that?"

Without a word, Ash's hand gripped his belt. Last time, Pikachu had taken Growlithe to a draw, but he would not send his starter out just yet. That left him with four other options, all who would have to deal with Growlithe's fire and speed in tandem, but not all that he had been planning to use just yet…

… Was this what it was often like in six on six battles? He had only been in two five on fives to even try and prepare for something like this. The amount of options and timings to consider…

…As he thought harder, his eyes narrowed a bit further as an idea formed into his mind. It was not as ludicrous as it sounded on paper. Not at this stage.

"Well, what's wrong?" Gary's voice carried itself across the battlefield. 'Where's this so-called 'new and improved' Ash Ketchum I've been hearing so much about?"

Ash's hand curled around his Poke Ball of choice as he locked eyes with his rival. "You'll regret asking."

One moment later, Glaceon was in front of him. As the light from her capsule dissipated, her head rose, her chin elevated as she took in the sight of Gary and Growlithe. She focused her attention on them for just long enough before turning to her trainer.

Ash greeted her with a light nod and smile. "It's still early. Valiant took out Meditite, and Growlithe took out Nebula." Glaceon's eyes moved to the side to briefly glance at the fiery canine once more. Just after she did, however, Gary, with some thought, returned his partner.

Ash and Glaceon paused for a moment as Skarmory took the fire type's place. The metal bird was quite a bit larger than she had been back in Celadon, and although not quite the size one would expect from the average member of her species, was definitely a good deal bigger than Nebula. The steel/flying type's head rose in a diagonal angle as a hostile cry sounded from her beak. With irritation, Glaceon's face scrunched up as she turned back to face her new opponent in full, firing a series of barks in rapid succession.

"Calm down," Ash quickly spoke as Skarmory turned to Gary for instructions. Glaceon's verbal aggression subsided immediately as she turned back to her trainer, her face only mildly apologetic as he looked her in the eye. "That Skarmory's a steel type, and that means her defenses are going to be very high. You've had all the power you've ever needed since evolving, and you hit much harder than anyone else on this team, but this might be the first fight where your opponent isn't strictly vulnerable to direct hits alone." Kneeling down, he quickly patted her head, although the cold touch ensured that his hand did not stay there for long. "But I'm sure you'll be fine. Let's topple her."

A combination of cold and joy flowed through his senses as Glaceon lovingly licked his hand before turning back and walking forward to look the metal bird in the eye. Standing up straight, memories played through Ash's mind as his eyes fell on the Skarmory. It was the Pokemon that had beaten them back in Celadon, the moment they had come so close to beating Gary before. No doubt she'd be very hard for most Pokemon on their level to topple with brute force alone.

From the moment she had evolved, Glaceon's attacks had carried more power than anything her teammates could match. Now, that strength was being pitted against what was certain to be Skarmory's beyond impressive durability. Pikachu's electricity and Glaceon's excellent offense were likely to be the best options to overcome those defenses, yet Skarmory's own attributes were surely one of Gary's best counters to the latter.

This would be a contest.

"Alright Glaceon, start out with Ice Beam, then Super Tail!"

"Flash Cannon, Iron Defense!"

Glaceon's legs kicked off the pavement and carried her across the battlefield, not going at top speed, but still at a comparable pace to Pikachu when he was not using Agility. The jagged beam of ice that exited her mouth was not entirely stable, but any flaws were also not to a noticeable degree. In just a few days, she had already picked up on the move fairly well, and it would only grow much more potent by the time they had reached Fuchsia City proper.

As the ice type approached, Skarmory's wings lifted her body above the battlefield, just high enough to narrowly avoid the Ice Beam as a silver blast erupted from her mouth. A quick sidestep from Glaceon, doing very little to cut off her momentum, was all that was needed to avoid the Flash Cannon as her tail became bathed in the supercharging light of Focus Energy, and encased in the metal of Iron Tail. Even as the distance between the two combatant's closed, Skarmory crossed her wings together, and the metal bird's body was quickly covered in a chrome layer, her already impressive durability stacking on top of the respectable shield that was Iron Defense.

Glaceon hollered as her Super Tail struck her protected opponent right in the crossed wings. The sound of metal against metal rang across the battlefield at what would have most likely been a painful volume had it not been for the barriers. The attack inflicted no visible harm to its target, but Ash's eyes still lit up in catharsis as Skarmory was sent sliding back several feet at the minimum. Gary's face lost some of its color at the sight.

'That helps us gauge things right out of the gate.' Ash told himself as Glaceon dodged an Air Slash with a sideways leap.

"To the skies, Skarmory!" the authority in Gary's voice glazed over the lingering traces of anxiety.

"Trace her with Swift!" Ash quickly responded.

With impressive speed, Skarmory rose higher into the air while Glaceon jogged after her. Ash knew the stars his friend was firing weren't likely to do much to the armored bird, but they could be an annoyance, primarily with their homing ability.

As the stars reached their target, Skarmory began swatting them away with little difficulty as Glaceon continued trotting after her. A second Flash Cannon erupted from the steel bird's beak, but was promptly avoided just before Glaceon fired another Ice Beam on Ash's command. Skarmory swerved to the side to avoid the attack before firing a new, blackish-purple beam of energy that Ash's eyes quickly identified as a Dark Pulse. Glaceon avoided that as well.

"Remember this one, Ashy boy? Missile Drill!"

Ash's fists tightened for just a moment. He did remember. "Glaceon, Super Tail now!" It was probably the urgency in his voice that had Glaceon prepared even faster than she normally would have been.

Cloaked in the aura of Agility, Skarmory angled her body in a downward-diagonal form with her glowing beak pointed straight for her ice type opponent. With her wings spread out, she resembled the spinning blade of a helicopter as her body rotated at a speed far too great to properly make out her form. And then she struck.

Glaceon struck as well, however. Leaning to the side as though her fully erect tail was a baseball bat, she let out another, even louder holler as she swung forward. Super Tail smashed into Drill Peck as Skarmory charged straight into the ice type's strongest blow, and Glaceon's teeth immediately grinded under the pressure. She could feel her paws sliding backwards at a slow, yet slightly increasing rate as the still spinning bird's momentum grinded her beak against the powered up Iron Tail.

Eyes flashing, Glaceon dug her paws into the pavement as much as her muscles would allow. Her backwards sliding halted as her tail strained against Skarmory's beak, and then, pushed back, sending the steel/flying type tumbling across the battlefield.

"WHAT!?"

Ash ignored his rival's shock as Glaceon, without missing a beat, gave chase. "Shadow Ball, then Iron Tail!"

Gary snapped out of his state just before the ghost type attack left Glaceon's mouth. "Try this one you prick, Titanium Wing!"

Skarmory had not yet picked herself up when the Shadow Ball struck her, sending her back a little bit more with a sharp squawk. As Glaceon closed in for her Iron Tail, however, the bird suddenly pushed herself off the ground, just barely swerving away from the metallic strike as she activated Steel Wing. Before she struck, that same wing glowed with the familiar chrome.

Steel Wing strengthened by Iron Defense. Ash's warning was cut off as Skarmory's eyes flashed with aggression, swinging the attack directly into a yelping Glaceon's face.

"Glaceon!" Ash's fists tightened again. He knew his partner could take a hit; her durability was on a completely different level from her time as an Eevee, but he doubted she'd be unscathed from an attack like that.

Indeed, Glaceon's left cheek was reddened as the strike sent her bouncing uncomfortably away from her attacker, but the distance did not last as Skarmory gave chase.

"Talon Frenzy!"

Picking herself up, Glaceon lifted her head with growing frustration-turned anger in her eyes just in time to see Skarmory on top of her. Her adversary was cloaked in Agility once more as her feet lashed out at the quadrupedal ice type in a flurry of rapid-fire slashes. She could not suppress her scream for long as the talons carved against her cold, sturdy exterior, inflicting superficial cut after superficial cut; the threat of breaking the skin growing with every strike.

"Fight through it!" Ash encouraged. There wasn't really much else to say until she had escaped the onslaught.

"Keep the pressure up, then another Titanium Wing!" Gary pressed further.

The first signs of blood dripped from just a slight distance away from Glaceon's shoulder as Skarmory reared back, preparing to send her reinforced wing straight down to spike the ice type's skull into the pavement. The bird squawked in surprise irritation as her target spun around to meet the strike with an upwards Iron Tail, teeth grinding and sweat forming on her face as her tail shook unsteadily against the downwards pressure of the far harder wing. She could feel her knees beginning to bend, as though she were sinking.

'She'll collapse,' Ash quickly told himself. "Focus Energy, turn it into a Super Tail!" Even as he spoke the words, he knew it would be easier said than done. Glaceon was under more than enough pressure as it was, and activating Focus Energy to concentrate it into her tail would require effort she may not be able to afford. Doing nothing would be far worse than making the attempt, however.

The sweat on Glaceon's face increased, cold against her fur as she clenched her eyes shut. Her tail began flickering with light, like a bulb turning on and off as it was about to burn out, and her knees buckled further. A few moments later, however, and the flickering light was turning more frequent, until her Iron Tail was finally shining with the familiar, amplifying aura, and her legs grew more steady as she pushed upwards against the Titanium Wing.

The skin on Gary's face was a sheet of snow as the surprised Skarmory found her wing shaking, and slowly being forced upwards. "Wha-"

With a loud grunt, Glaceon overpowered her attacker, pushing the Titanium Wing away and sending her attacker staggering back. Though the combination of efforts caused her Focus Energy to briefly dissipate, the Iron Tail itself remained intact, and with a final surge of concentration, the Super Tail reignited as she lunged forward and swung it into Skarmory's wide-open abdomen.

"Yes! Ice Beam!"

The absurd, devastating force of Glaceon's Super Tail collided with the iron hide of Skarmory's stomach with a might unmatched by any attack prior. Skarmory's eyes bulged as the tail grinded against her now dented outer armor, and she was launched away a good distance onto her bottom. While her opponent still reeled from the sharp ache in her stomach, Glaceon took a leap forward and fired the Ice Beam.

"Flash Cannon!" Gary's encouragement seemingly gave Skarmory the strength she needed to power through the pain as the silver beam collided with and shattered the jagged blast of ice. Glaceon swerved to avoid the incoming attack before quickening her pace into a sprint and striking with another Iron Tail. Forcing herself to her feet, Skarmory tried to meet the offense with a Steel Wing, but the two attacks collided mid-rise, before she was fully up, and after a brief struggle the armored bird was sent tumbling away again, this time using the momentum to return to the air as she righted herself, a Steel Wing deflecting the upwards Shadow Ball that Glaceon had fired in pursuit, sending the ghostly projectile right back towards her.

Memories of their battle with Sabrina's Espeon flashed through Glaceon's mind as she swung a Super Tail into the incoming Shadow Ball, deflecting it back to Skarmory far faster than the metal bird could respond. Eyes widening, Gary's partner was further upwards as the distorted orb exploded against her.

"Great work!" Despite still feeling some of the pain from her opponent's previous onslaught, Glaceon could not help the grin that crossed her face at her trainer's praise. Clearly, Ash had remembered too.

Sucking in some air, the knuckles on Gary's fists whitened. "Flash Barrage, then Talon Frenzy!"

For a few seconds, Skarmory circled her opponent from above, every movement followed without fail by Glaceon's glaring eyes. Then, she struck, opening her beak and firing a series of silver orbs in fast succession. Darting around the battlefield, Glaceon dodged each of them, leaving the projectiles to harmlessly explode against the pavement just before the metal bird let out a shrill, spine-chilling cry, followed by a speedy divebomb. Her body once more became coated with Agility as her raised talons prepared to slice into Glaceon's skin yet again. Glacoen had picked up speed, however, wincing with briefly clenched eyes as one of her opponent's slashes grazed an already existing cut, causing blood to squirt, but avoiding the charge nonetheless. As Skarmory returned to the air above, she reared her head back to fire a Flash Cannon, which was once more avoided.

"Air Cutter, then Missile Drill."

"Dodge again, Glaceon."

A similar process was repeated; still circling her opponent from above, Skarmory's wings unleashed a barrage of windy blades that descended to find their target, only for each of them to be cleanly dodged as Glaceon remained in motion, now breaking into a sprint. When Skarmory's spinning form ripped through the air with the intent on tearing into her, Glaceon avoided her assailant with greater ease this time, before dodging another Flash Cannon as Skarmory returned to the air above.

'Glaceon has the speed advantage.' Ash thought to himself with some satisfaction. 'Now to take care of their aerial advantage.'

Another memory played through his mind: Their second battle against Misty in Saffron, where Eevee had overcome Togetic.

"Ice Fang! Launch yourself with Super Tail!"

Taking a leap while still running, Glaceon somersaulted in midair to slam the attack down onto the pavement, using the momentum of her speed coupled with the strength of her tail to launch herself upwards after Skarmory. WIth a startled squawk, the metal bird only had time to swing a Steel Wing at her fast approaching attacker, even as Glaceon's bared teeth became coated in ice. The ice type's eyes bulged as her Ice Fang clamped down onto the Steel Wing, the burning pain in her jaw almost causing her to lose her grip the moment she had acquired it. Her teeth remained clamped onto Skarmory's wing, however, even as her forward momentum carried her painfully into her opponent's strike. She now held onto the metallic bird several feet above the battlefield as her legs dangled into the air.

"Big mistake," Gary shouted. "Point-blank Flash Cannon!"

"Hyper Voice!"

Glaceon's eyes did not widen as the silver sphere of energy began forming in Skarmory's opening beak, although the glow right in front of her face briefly caused her to squint. Skarmory did not even have time to charge the attack halfway before the shockwaves erupted from Glaceon's mouth, teeth still firmly clenching her opponent's wing. As the wing rattled and vibrated from the point-blank impact, Glaceon immediately released her grip to avoid damage to her teeth as Skarmory was knocked off balance, head angling backwards as the incomplete Flash Cannon prematurely left her beak. It did not take long for Gary's partner to register that she was now falling, her flight disrupted from the unexpected force.

Ash's eyes shone with competitive fire. "Super Tail, NOW!"

Skarmory caught herself in midair halfway to the ground, but Glaceon was already descending after her. In the split second before collision, the two combatants locked eyes; one a mixture of surprise and frustration, and the other of hostility and vigor. Somersaulting again, Glaceon brought her tail downward, spiking it into the side of Skarmory's head and driving her face first into the pavement with a loud crash.

As dust erupted around the two Pokemon, Glaceon deftly leapt off of her fallen foe, slowly walking away with a raised chin and relaxing tail. The cloud parted to reveal Skarmory's bruised form lying motionless behind her as she returned to her trainer's spot.

Skarmory did not get up.

Ash's eyes sparked with elation as Glaceon trotted forward to close the remaining distance between them, kneeling down to quickly pat her head, cold touch be damned. "Amazing, girl! You punched right through her!" It seemed as though his icy friend's evolution was bearing more fruit with each passing day; this had to have been her most demonstrable victory yet.

As Glaceon soaked in her trainer's words, Gary silently stared at Skarmory's fallen form without any motion, forgetting for a good five seconds to remove her Poke Ball from his belt before returning her.

With the mild excitement dying down. Ash motioned for his friend to take a small step back as he examined her a bit more thoroughly. Her face was clearly bruised from where Skarmory and hit her, and although most of the cuts from Talon Frenzy had not pierced, they were still plentiful, and there was still blood, some of the red liquid seeming to frost over in slightly disturbing fashion. The boy figured this wasn't too uncommon for when an ice type was wounded, but he still hadn't had a chance to get used to the sight.

Before he could speak up, a flash of light redirected their attention back to Gary, who had sent Growlithe back out after another several seconds of pause. Ash's eyes narrowed in thought at the sight of the canine's arrival.

"What do you think?" Glaceon turned back to lock eyes with her trainer. "Should we keep this up?" Despite her typing, Glaceon's strength and speed gave her the tools to oppose Growlithe, based on what the fire type had demonstrated so far against Nebula. Using her would keep Pikachu, Phenom, and Tempest fresh for later. At the same time, the thought of Growlithe's fire interacting with those cuts almost gave him pause. "Your wounds aren't too bad, but she's still a fire type. And she has a really fast attack that took out Nebula's Reckless Double-Edge."

Glaceon actually thought about it for a moment, instead of immediately nodding her head. Nonetheless, that was still her answer, the bark she offered feeling almost non-negotiable.

"Alright then," Ash's grin was small, his eyes determined. "Let's avenge Nebula and get this to 3-1."

For an ice type, the look in her eyes was even more fiery than his, although her lips mirrored his small, steady grin significantly more. With a final bark, she turned back and trotted onto the battlefield, crouching down into what somewhat resembled that of a pouching position as a low growl rumbled from her throat. Growltihe's face tightened in response, tongue lapping the exterior of her jaws before matching Glaceon's position. A couple of low barks were offered in response as the fire type exhaled a puff of smoke.

"Fire Swift, then Flame Charge!"

The fiery projectiles that Growlithe spat out curved in response to Glaceon's attempt at evasion, trying to chase after their target. As she prepared to deflect them, Growlithe was already rushing her, cloaked in flames. Leaping over her fast approaching opponent, Glaceon activated Iron Tail and batted away the remaining stars still tailing her.

"Keep it up, Growlithe! Loop around!"

Growlithe maintained Flame Charge as approached the end of the battlefield, taking a sharp turn to resume running, but this time not specifically towards Glaceon.

'We can't let her build up speed.' Glaceon could outrun Growlithe for the moment, but the more momentum Gary's canine friend stockpiled, the less true that statement would become. They needed to cut her off now. "Intercept her with Shadow Ball and Iron Tail!"

Glaceon appeared to be having similar thoughts to her trainer as she kicked off the ground with haste. The Shadow Ball she fired missed its mark, but with a sharp curve, she was able to position herself in Growlithe's path as her tail lashed out. Growlithe responded in kind, her Iron Tail molten hot from the heat left behind by the flames. The two attacks clanged together in an effort to push one another away, but it did not take long for Glaceon to win out, roughly shoving Growlithe several feet away. The fiery dog bounced for a moment or two, but quickly regained her balance to fire a Flamethrower at her opponent.

Glaceon showed no signs of fear towards the fiery blast; she straightened herself and let loose a Hyper Voice that destroyed the attack as it approached her, forcing the flames to part and dissipate from the shockwaves and leaving her unharmed. Growlithe offered only a frustrated snarl before activating Agility.

"Supernova Dash!"

Ash's breath almost caught in his throat from the familiar name. He only had a split second to make the decision; did they dodge? Or try to overpower it where Nebula failed?

Glaceon decided for him. Growlithe was already charging her, and Super Tail was not fully ready by the time the ice type needed to lash out. For a moment, Glaceon growled in pain as the Iron Tail intercepted her charging assailant yet did nothing to stop the fiery assault. A moment or two later, however, the light of Focus Energy was once again flickering around her tail before finally strengthening it in fully. Baring her teeth, the fresh snow Pokemon continued to push forward, almost halting Growlithe's advance, even as the flames surrounding her charging opponent licked at her wounds.

Fists in front of his chest, Gary glowered at the resistance. "Keep pushing, Growlithe!"

"Hyper Voice, again!" Growlithe's eyes widened as the shockwaves erupted from Glaceon's throat once more, this time at point blank. Normally, the Supernova Dash would have certainly ripped right through them, but with Super Tail restraining her, the fire type was a sitting duck. With a pained yelp, Growlithe was launched away, but fired another barrage of flame coated stars in midair moments later. Glaceon's Iron Tail batted them away as the fire type landed.

"Agility and Burn Tail!"

"Parry, then Shadow Ball!"

Growlithe zipped effortlessly through the distance between the two combatants, Glaceon meeting her with Quick Attack. The ice type's iron Tail struck against Growlithe's flame-coated equivalent, but after a brief struggle began to push back.

Gary sneered. "Roar!"

Ash's eyes widened as Growlithe opened her mouth and, with a loud shout befitting the name of the attack, let loose her own shockwaves. He yelled in vain for Glaceon to get out of there, but it was too late; she was already forced backwards, stumbling on her hindlegs as she struggled not to fall on her back.

And then Growlithe struck. With Burn Tail still activated, she lunged forward and struck Glaceon clean in the abdomen. The air left the ice type's lungs even as the fiery metal scorched her stomach, and she was sent tumbling back. Now lying on her stomach, she suppressed a cough as her belly continued to burn.

Gary's eyes had lit up the moment the blow landed. "Finish her, Flamethrower!"

"Block it, Glaceon!" Even as Ash gave the order, his hand had already wrapped around her Poke Ball.

But he let go a moment later, as Glaceon, only halfway to a standing position, fired another Hyper Voice, once more stopping the Flamethrower in its tracks.

"Wha-Wha…" Gary's face was once more drained of roughly half its color. How was she still fighting!?

Dissonantly, Ash's eyes lit up in excitement, but concern nonetheless glazed his voice. "Are you okay, girl?"

Luckily for them, Growlithe seemed to be catching her breath as Glaceon stood up in full, letting out a light, somewhat uncomfortable cough before turning her head back to nod at Ash with a bark.

"She won't be okay for long!" Gary chimed in. "Fire Swift, move around!"

"Do the same, Glaceon." Ash quickly responded as Growlithe's paws kicked off the ground. Both quadrupeds ran in almost opposite directions, spitting out the homing projectiles, many of which collided with one another in tiny bursts of flames. The two combatants must have circled around each other roughly two and a half times before Ash gave his next command. He wondered if Growlithe still had enough left in her to safely use a third Supernova Dash, but they would have to end the fight before they had a chance to find out. Glaceon herself could only use Super Tail so many times before diminishing returns came into play, and Ash was not confident about what the outcome could be if they were faced with that technique again. "Get in there, point blank!"

Running at full speed, Glaceon continued to fire the Swift as she jumped through the miniature storm of flames. Growlithe barely had time to react to the rapidly closing distance, changing direction to swing an Iron Tail at Ash's partner, who avoided it and forced a Shadow Ball into her side. Gary called out for Growlithe as the fire type tumbled away, but Glaceon was already in pursuit, bashing an Iron Tail into the canine's jaw moments later and launching her away yet again, mouth slightly hanging open as she came to a stop.

Growlithe did not get up.

Ash nodded in approval as Glaceon began making her way back to him, but as his eyes briefly glanced back at Growlithe's fallen body, his heart suddenly skipped a beat.

They were halfway there.

They had beaten three of Gary's Pokemon… and they were still leading by two.

It was a thought that didn't fully process, even as it passed through his mind. He had gotten a similar feeling back in Celadon, after realizing that Gary only had one Pokemon left. But this was not entirely the same thing.

All of a sudden, Ash felt a lump in his throat, and he was pretty sure his heartbeat was speeding up, if the feeling in his chest was anything to go by. He found that looking at Gary or Growlithe made the sensation worse, and so averted his eyes, unsure of what to look at.

A bark stole his attention downward, and he realized that Glaceon had probably reached him a good few seconds ago, now looking up at her trainer. Blinking, he regretted that it took an additional second or two to register her, but then it felt as though the world was slowly returning to normal. The nerves in his muscles were almost binded, and he had not fully grasped how it felt until they had started easing up, bit by bit, second by second. The breath he let out was further relaxing. It stopped there, however, not allowing itself to fully go away.

"Good job, girl." he offered, to which the ice type smiled. "That's three down now, but keep your eye on the ball." as he spoke, he was not entirely sure who the words were for. She nodded nonetheless as he looked back over to Gary. The now returned Growlithe's Poke Ball was still in his hand, but apart from that, he had not moved yet.

Staring at the orb, Gary squinted for a moment. The capsule was shaking…

No, it was his hand, and the realization caused it to shake more. He almost lost his grip on the Poke Ball, hastily reclipping it to his belt as he clenched his hand into a fist, hoping to steady the motion. Almost involuntarily, the fist tightened until the knuckles turned white.

"This…" he muttered to himself, but at first it was all he could get out. This was not right. This was not supposed to be how it would go. For a moment, a memory of Celadon flashed through his mind. "It has to be a fluke…"

It was the only explanation. This was Ash Ketchum. But then why the hell was he leading 3-1!?

The Oak boy hissed through his teeth as his hand instinctively grabbed at his belt once more, eyes uneasily falling on the Glaceon, who had finished speaking to her trainer and resumed her position on the battlefield. She was crouching again, this time silent as she stared him down. It was not an appreciated sight, especially with the holes it felt she was staring into his chest.

The spiky-haired boy did not notice at first that his face had scrunched, but by the time he did, he did not care. Instead, he pulled another orb from his belt and released his next teammate.

Both Ash and Glaceon perked up at the next arriving opponent. It was a yellow quadruped easily familiar to just about anybody, and the spiky coat of fur on its own was equally recognizable.

A Jolteon.

'So his Eevee did evolve.' Ash had figured, even before seeing it. The only truly uncertain element was which, but that mystery was now resolved.

Jolteon were a statistically favored evolution of the Eevee line, known for their beyond impressive speed, and of course, the numerous ways their spikes (an otherwise defensive attribute) could be weaponized. Every evolution option of Eevee's had its potential, but Jolteon were among the most consistent to reach high level combat in professional arenas, and were certainly an appreciable option for an electric type team member.

"Careful, Glaceon." Ash spoke just loudly enough for his friend to hear him. "You're really fast, but he might be faster than you. It's one of a Jolteon's most consistent qualities."

Glaceon offered an understanding nod, and her tail erected as she and her counterpart locked eyes. Jolteon did not mirror her stance, but nonetheless bent his knees as tiny sparks appeared at the tips of his spikes.

"Shadow Ball!" both trainers called out at once.

The two projectiles collided in the middle of the battlefield, exploding against one another while Jolteon slipped into Quick Attack. Curving to the side and not immediately rushing Glaceon, the spiky electric type galloped across the pavement at a rate that immediately vindicated Ash's suspicions. Not wanting to be circled, Glaceon took off as well in the opposite direction. Her actions provoked Jolteon to fire a Swift after her, which in turn provoked her to fire one of her own as she curved to avoid the incoming projectiles.

Glaceon's Swift angled their way through the air to reach Jolteon as he changed direction to face them. Leaping over the first several stars, a blast of electricity from his spikes destroyed the remaining projectiles as Glaceon used Iron Tail to bat away those that reached her. The ice type perked up in alert when Jolteon now began charging for her directly.

"Super Kick!"

The distance between the two quadrupeds closed almost faster than Ash could fully register. Rearing back his hindleg, which now glowed a fierce white with the surging light of Focus Energy, Jolteon fired a powerful kick straight for Glaceon's jaw. She managed to duck just in time, raising her tail to strike back, but Jolteon suddenly whirled around to face her in full, firing a close-up Hyper Voice that sent the ice type back with a pained wail. Quickly regaining her footing, she took a leap backwards to put more distance between Jolteon and herself, to which Ash nodded in approval.

"Again!" As Gary called out, Jolteon began running after Glaceon once more, no doubt planning for his Super Kick to actually connect this time.

"Freeze the ground!" The small patch of ice left behind Valiant had long since been done away with by Growlithe's fire, but Glaceon could freeze the pavement a lot more easily. Ash knew he could not be overzealous with doing so, lest he make things more difficult for the rest of his team when the time came for them to fight, but it would prove effective in moderation. "Then Iron Tail!"

Jolteon did not have time to properly react as the ground in front of him froze over. As his paws landed on the icy surface, he immediately felt a shift as his legs gave out, slipping out from under themselves and forcing him to collapse. With momentum maintained, he involuntarily slid across the ice, face-first into Glaceon's Iron Tail. The blow sent him rolling away from the ice, but with impressive dexterity he was back on all fours in what felt like a blink of an eye, and fired a retaliatory Shadow Ball. Glaceon simply narrowed her eyes, swinging her metal tail again to deflect the ghostly orb back where it came from. Jolteon's eyes widened with a yelp just before his own attack crashed into him, sending him sliding back again.

"Keep it up, girl!" Ash encouraged. As Jolteon regained his bearings, the boy's attempt at inspection noticed that his ice type friend seemed to be breathing harder than before. He could not see it from this distance, but her sweat was increasing. Nonetheless, it did not take too long for her breathing to be back under control, albeit not as easily as usual; despite her waning energy she was still ready for a fight.

As if on cue, Glaceon's head rose, and her chin turned upwards with a quick series of barks towards her electric counterpart. Having sunk into a fighting stance, Jolteon returned the gesture.

"No more Shadow Balls," Gary started. "Thunderbolt!"

"Get in closer and freeze him, Glaceon!"

Jolteon's spikes began to crackle. At first, the electricity was just a spark at the tips, but in a split second, had spread all throughout. Just before firing, he took off in a light jog, lunging forward to launch the Thunderbolt. Glaceon was running at a greater speed, a quick turn dodging the blast of electricity before firing another Ice Beam that her opponent leapt away from. Hoping to knock him off balance, she began firing Swift as she drew closer, but yelped in surprise as she lunged away to barely avoid the Hyper Voice the electric type fired, destroying the golden projectiles.

"Double Kick!" Now Jolteon was running faster. Glaceon coated her tail in metal, but was only mid-swing when her opponent drove the first kick into her shoulder. It did not leave much of a bruise, but was enough to break her momentum with a pained grunt. A second, more painful kick to her head knocked her on her side as Gary's gaze turned to that of a predator. "Body Slam, then Thunderbolt!"

As Ash yelled for his friend to get up, Jolteon's powerful legs carried him into the air just above the fallen ice type. As he reached the peak of his jump, he rotated his body so that the spikes on his body were pointing downward, aimed right for Glaceon. The realization that passed through Ash's mind was his only warning, just before the electric type plummeted downwards.

Glaceon's body was very durable, to a deceptive degree. Creatures like her did not look as capable of taking hits as they were, but their inner structure transcended the aesthetic. Nonetheless, the series of spikes that cannonballed down to her stabbed into the ice type's skin with enough force to truly pierce. Even as the fresh snow Pokemon let out a holler that chilled Ash's spine, Jolteon's spikes began to spark, while still embedded and pressing into her skin.

Glaceon's hollering turned to shrieks of true, unmatched agony as her opponent pumped the lightning directly into her. She could feel the spikes in her skin, digging through like a barrage of tiny blades, pressed in under the pressure of the rest of Jolteon's body and the momentum of Body Slam. The wounds and cuts created by the impact of the still digging spikes were set ablaze by the point-blank lightning as Jolteon continued to dig in, forcing himself downwards as much as his strength would allow as he held onto the Thunderbolt for as long as he could.

In a situation like this, Ash wasn't sure what he was supposed to say. Giving Glaceon advice or commands certainly would not help. Even yelling something like "get him off you!" would not only be totally unnecessary, but most likely fruitless. Instead, generically calling out in concern was all he could manage, even as the cries of his friend and the sight of the attack made him sweat, treating him to a mental image that was going to find its way into his mind and stay there indefinitely. With just one maneuver to knock Glaceon off balance, Jolteon had completely shifted the fight to a point beyond repair, mere moments after they had gained the upper hand.

Just a second or two after Glaceon had all but run out of energy to cry out, the sparks subsided, Jolteon no longer able to continuously force them out without hurting himself or excessively wasting energy. The battle was from over, after all, especially from his and Gary's perspective. With a deep breath, he pried himself off of Glaceon, treating Ash to the sight of the blood stuck to his spikes, a good deal of it burnt from the lightning of the Thunderbolt that he had just fired. With a deep breath, the electric type took several steps back as all eyes fell on Glaceon.

The side of her body that Jolteon had targeted was immediately distinguishable was the mostly superficial wounds previously inflicted by Skarmory. Though not crippling on their own, the cuts and wounds were fairly deeper, having pierced through the deceptively durable exterior of the ice type's body, and scorched by the Thunderbolt. The otherwise gorgeous beyond belief winter-blue coat was blackened and charred in the worst of these spots.

Ash's disturbed eyes may have froze on the sight if it weren't for a separate detail that astonished all three parties:

Glaceon was still conscious.

Even as Jolteon managed to catch his breath, successfully recovering from the exertion he had just put himself through, his eyes widened as Glaceon began to rise. She stumbled as her effort to stand put pressure on her injured side, beginning to favor the other one as she pressed her paws into the pavement and forced herself back up on all fours with grinding teeth. Stumbling again as she rose to full height, she steadied herself at a quicker rate than any Pokemon with such an injury had any business being able to do so.

She was huffing, breathing deep and drawn out, the slight signs of tears in her eyes turning cold against her wintry coat of fur. She locked eyes with Jolteon, managing a low growl as the electric type's own eyes returned her gaze with an entirely different tone. Surprise, bewilderment, and respectful acknowledgement all laced the spiky quadruped's features as the two foes stared one another down.

Gary's face had nothing of the latter. "Oh for the love of- Super Kick the bitch!"

With a grunt, Jolteon's back leg lit up with Focus Energy just before he lunged forward, striking clean and hard into Glaceon's chin. The sound of the impact, loud and forceful, would have been quite satisfying if the roles were reversed, and Glaceon was not the one dropping like a stone.

Glaceon did not get up.

Ash felt no defeat as he recalled his fallen friend, speaking into the Poke Ball almost the moment she was fully returned. "You're fighting on a completely different level, especially today. We're going to win, because of you." Even by his own standards, he meant every word and then some before reclipping the capsule to his belt.

On the other side of the battlefield, the sight of Glaceon's unconscious body disappearing in the familiar crimson light triggered a deep, heavy sigh from the Oak boy, his chest and shoulders growing lighter as the ice type's fallen form departed from the battlefield. His hands clenched into fists for just two or three seconds before he breathed again, this time through his nose, and his eyes only fell on Ash for an instant before the approaching Jolteon drew his attention.

The electric type smiled as Gary nodded in approval. "Way to shut her down, keep that up and this battle is ours." As Jolteon returned the nod, Gary's eyes turned back to Ash, his voice stealing the other boy's attention.

"I'll never let you get in the way of my dream, Ashy boy." unable to suppress a light glare, Ash's eyes drifted back to his rival as Gary called out to him, the hand in front of the Oak boy's chest once more tightened into a fist. "You think you're an obstacle? Gym Leaders are obstacles. Real trainers are obstacles. Letting a failure pull ahead of me is the same as giving up, like you should have done instead of taking that Exam. You've had your time in the sun, you've gotten more good luck than you deserve, you've humiliated me enough, but now it's back to reality, and as usual, I'm gonna have to be the one to put you there."

Ash did not respond right away. Instead, his eyes simply froze in place, locked on Gary for a few seconds before his hand made its way to his belt.

'Jolteon isn't a very ideal matchup for us,' Ash confessed to himself. He did not want Pikachu or Tempest anywhere near the speedy electric type that most likely had access to Volt Absorb. With Glaceon out of the picture, that left him with two options.

Phenom was fresh, and his Strong Jaw would undoubtedly be enough to pierce through Jolteon's defensive spikes. That did not mean trying would be a wise move; the inside of the young Tyrunt's mouth could still be injured biting through them. Nonetheless, Phenom's leaps and bounds over the recent period had spoken for themselves, and his typing and specialties made him a more ideal opponent for the evolved Eevee than two of the other three remaining members of the team.

Then there was Valiant, another option who, much like the dinosaur, was not advantageous, but safe. Phenom was the fresher combatant, however…

…

'If I send Valiant out now, Phenom could be saved as a trump card.' thoughts began creeping into Ash's mind. They still had the lead, and three of his teammates had yet to fight. This gave him a chance to keep it that way, and also…

Another thought entered his mind as he took out Valiant's Poke Ball, staring at it for a moment as his other hand rubbed the capsule containing Phenom. 'Yes…'

Satisfied with his choice and thought process, Ash enlarged the orb and his eyes fell back on Gary. "Maybe I'm not the one who needs a reality check, Gary. And I'm not sure if anyone's put you there before." He did not give his scowling rival a chance to respond, immediately releasing Valiant. The Kirlia's eyes fell on Jolteon, who sunk back into a fighting stance in response to the young psychic's arrival, before turning back to look up at Ash.

"Hey pal," Ash greeted Valiant with a small smile that was quickly returned. "A lot has happened, but there's still a ton left to do. Glaceon just got knocked out by Jolteon; he knows Shadow Ball and is really fast. And he weaponizes his spikes with Body Slam." as Valiant nodded along to his trainer's words, the emotion Pokemon perked up as Ash's face grew serious. "He probably has Volt Absorb. Do not use any electricity. Not a spark, okay?" After a more emphasized nod this time, the Kirlia turned back and assumed his position across from the electric type. He had only just sunk into a stance when Gary's voice signaled the start of the next round.

"Shadow Ball and Thunder Fang!"

Valiant dodged the ghostly orb fired his way while Jolteon sprinted forward with Quick Attack. Baring his teeth, the spiky Pokemon filled his jaws with electricity before leaping at the Kirlia, intent on clamping down on his head. Swerving away, Valiant reared his fist back for a Fire Punch, only for Jolteon's body to suddenly shift; the electric type's head moved out of view, leaving only the spikes in the path of the young psychic's incoming strike. Fearing injury to his fist, Valiant canceled the Fire Punch and lunged away a second time, this time dodging a kick aimed for his head.

In a quick flash, Ash's partner had teleported several back. Somewhat frustrated, Jolteon turned and fired a Thunderbolt, but Valiant was already prepared, and met the streak of lightning with a Magical Leaf. The grass type properties acted as a picture perfect shield against the electricity, which was easily blocked by the attack. Gary quickly alerted Jolteon as the Kirlia next tried to approach with Shadow Sneak, and the electric type bolted away, taking off at a much greater speed than his psychic opponent could manage.

"Get out of Shadow Sneak for now, Valiant!" Shadow Sneak was a great move for approaching, but Jolteon's speed Valiant would only be using up energy. As his friend rose back up from his shadow, Ash could not help but bite his lip in realization.

In a general sense, Jolteon's speed was their biggest hurdle, at least in this particular situation. Although not as fast, Glaceon was the only member of the team who could at least attempt to contend with that mobility aspect, whom Ash was also comfortable using against the spiky electric type. Pikachu was still the fastest member of the team when using Agility (Glaceon had greatly shrunk that gap), but the high probability of Jolteon having Volt Absorb would make him a terrible matchup for Ash's starter. And Nebula (who was already out) lacked the means to deal with electricity. With Glaceon out of the picture, Jolteon had become a highly troublesome opponent to tag, and the way he currently ran circles around Valiant had caused such to truly sink in.

"Stay put, and spread Magical Leaf."

Stopping in place, Valiant took a deep breath before firing the glowing leaves in every direction he could manage, rotating his body in the process. None made contact, Jolteon either dodging or countering with Swift rushing straight towards the Kirlia. The electric type flew straight over Valiant's head as the psychic ducked under a kick.

"Hyper Voice!" Gary called out.

Turning in midair, Jolteon's retained momentum had him sliding backwards for a second or two as he landed and took aim at Valiant, firing the blast of shockwaves from his mouth. Valiant quickly surrounded himself in a psychic barrier that absorbed the Hyper Voice, but Jolteon was already lunging forward and taking aim again. The tips of the spikes surrounding the electric type's body began to glow as a barrage of needles were fired at the emotion Pokemon. The Pin Missile pierced through the barrier, leaving what resembled bullet holes in Valiant's psychic shield as he was painfully pelted by the barrage.

"Shadow Ball!" Gary called out next.

But Ash saw an opening. "Teleport and Fire Punch!" Just as the ghostly projectile was about to strike him, Valiant had vanished, reappearing right in front of Jolteon with a reared back, flaming fist that struck Gary's partner in the face. "Psyshock!"

Jolteon was knocked back onto his side by Valiant's strike as Gary yelled for him to get up. With a deep breath, Valiant channeled Calm Mind and took a leap to aim his attack, before firing the powerful blast of psychic energy. Jolteon just barely returned to his feet soon enough to dodge, but not soon enough to escape the concussive force of the blast; the explosion only barely missed him, and he was sent tumbling a second time by the shockwaves.

"One more!" Ash encouraged. If they could just get a direct hit in…

"Double Team and Shadow Ball!" Gary's voice carried frantic haste.

Valiant was halfway through charging the second Psyshock as Jolteon split in two. The surprise on the Kirlia's face had probably only lasted a single second or so, but just as suddenly, the Shadow Ball slammed into him. With a yelp, he was knocked onto his back, a nauseating discomfort overtaking his muscles as the ghostly energy seeped into him. Grinding his teeth and pressing his hands against the pavement, he was halfway to standing up again when a Thunderbolt hit him from behind, bathing his body in lightning as he screamed in pain. Sparks continued to roll over his body as Jolteon ceased the attack. Now on his knees, he could almost feel sweat as he struggled to lift himself up, growling in frustration when it felt as though his muscles were locking on him, the act of rising feeling as though it were a great strain. His knees just barely left the ground before he collapsed face first into the concrete.

Valiant did not get up.

Jolteon's short-lived Double Team clone disappeared as Ash recalled his friend. He'd be lying if he said he wasn't more than a little frustrated with the outcome; had he gotten carried away at the last second?

"You did good, Valiant. Rest up now." After reclipping the Kirlia's ball to his belt, his hand immediately landed on Phenom's next. The Tyrunt was the last remaining Pokemon that Ash wanted to use against Gary's troublesome spiky teammate, but much like Valiant had his own share of disadvantages.

"What's the matter, Ashy boy?" Over on his side of the field, Gary seemed a bit more relaxed than he had been going into the round. "Choking up now that you've lost your lead? What happened to all that momentum? I thought you said you were gonna give me a reality check." As Ash's face tightened, the Oak boy crossed his arms. "You heard what I said, no more flukes. From here on out, we're picking you apart." As Gary finished his sentence, Jolteon bent his knees into a stance, and the spikes surrounding his body almost appeared to become more pronounced, pointed outward. For a split second, the tiniest of sparks appeared on the tips, but they were gone as soon as they had appeared. Ash almost wondered if he had imagined them, but knew that he had not.

Ash allowed his eyes to examine Jolteon for a moment or two longer before glaring at Gary. 'He's not wrong about our lead being gone… but…' Chewing his lip, he allowed everything to play through his mind. On some levels, this was a fresh slate. Both sides were down to the second halves of their teams, and Pikachu, Phenom, and Tempest were all fresh for what was to come. Wartortle and Weepinbell were certain to be Gary's remaining two, yet to be revealed Pokemon, and if they could just get Jolteon out of the way, Ash couldn't help but feel more confident in his current lineup's chances. Not that either of them would go down easily (the battle at Mt. Moon was not easily forgotten, and for the best), but he had faith in how his team could equipped for them.

He'd worry about that after Jolteon was no longer on the battlefield, however. Right now, he had one final chance to put the spiky electric type down before things started looking bleak.

"You haven't taken the lead yet, Gary." Ash raised his voice to make sure his rival could hear every word. "My friend's and I aren't half done, but you are."

Gary snorted, although his eyes almost flashed. "Tch, your math all jumbled up? What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means you won't be picking anything apart anytime soon." Ash's smile was not a smirk, but it was steel, a small wave of confidence glowing in his face as he tossed the Poke Ball and released Phenom.

As the Tyrunt emerged from the light, his head was held high, and his arms were spread out pointed upwards as he let out a passionate cry. Gary's face scrunched up as his eyes examined the newcomer.

"Jolteon, come here."

While Jolteon turned back to speak to his trainer, Ash quickly signaled for Phenom to come to him as well. Kneeling down and patting the dinosaur on the head, he couldn't help but appreciate the visible growth of the team's youngest member, who was now the typical size of his species.

"Each side has three Pokemon left, buddy, and in my opinion, you're the best option for him." As the boy nodded in Jolteon's direction, Phenom looked back at his soon to be opponent for just a second before returning his focus to his trainer. "You should be able to handle Jolteon's electric attacks, but he's a lot faster than you are and can power up his Double Kick. That could spell a lot of trouble for you if we're not careful, and of course, look out for the spikes. He knows Double Team as well so stay alert, especially when you're on offense. You got it?"

Reading Phenom's face, there was a level of seriousness that almost would have felt uncharacteristic if he had worn the expression several weeks ago. It was not quite hardened, but nonetheless, there was a concentrated energy and vigor in the Tyrunt's eyes as he nodded definitively to his trainer's run down. It was not a playful look, or a childishly excited one. It was the look of a Pokemon ready to win. "Motivation" was the best way to summarize it in one word.

But that motivation was not yet done coming.

"Good." Ash patted Phenom's head one more time before rising back to full height. "Electricity might heal him so don't use Thunder Fang. Oh, and Phenom?" Having almost turned away from his trainer to take up his position on the battlefield, the young dinosaur stopped midwalk and locked eyes with his trainer again, just in time for the trump card to leave Ash's mouth.

"That Jolteon took out Glaceon and Valiant."

Ash saw it. It wasn't something extravagant, like an explosion of fire in the dinosaur's pupils. But he saw, in real time, the shift. The change in Phenom's eyes. It was a look that perpetually remained as the young Tyrunt assumed his spot and crouched down into his stance, head pointed forward as his eyes locked onto Jolteon, who's spikes once again began to very briefly spark at the tips.

Gary, Ash knew, would say whatever he wanted about him. But that ignorance was at his own peril, because he did not know what he or his team had been through. And he certainly did not know how they had been brought together.

But maybe they could give him a taste.

"Rock Blast, and Dragon Tail!"

Phenom's roars, (when he wasn't using the move itself, at any rate) were nothing like his evolved form, but nonetheless, the attempt he made as he took off charging towards Jolteon carried an intensity and vigor that few would think to expect from a creature so outwardly cute.

And what a charge it was; the young dinosaur's legs carried him with the force of a one-man stampede, and Ash could not help but wonder if his friend had abruptly grown faster in the moment. This was accompanied by the barrage of rocks that escaped his wide open mouth.

It was a barrage that Jolteon had no trouble avoiding, however. The electric type galloped across the pavement and circled around behind the charging Tyrunt before firing a Shadow Ball directly at Phenom's back. Phenom's Dragon Tail was already ready, however, and Gary could not suppress his frustrated grunt as the prehistoric dragon whirled around and smacked the ghostly orb back in the direction it had been fired. Jolteon leapt to the side and resumed dashing.

"No Shadow Balls against this one either, then." Gary stated. "Double Kick!" Picking up speed, Jolteon's gaze locked onto the Tyrunt, who had started running towards him again.

"Roar, then Earth Power!" Ash knew he was taking a gamble meeting Jolteon head on, but with their opponent's speed making distance combat a likely losing game, they could not afford to be afraid of getting gutsy.

Fear was hardly in Phenom's vocabulary; the young dinosaur quickened his own pace as Ash called out to him. Jolteon was by far the faster of the two, but as the distance between the two fighters rapidly drew to a close mere moments after the command, the Tyrunt's widely opening jaws let loose a loud, forceful shockwave that knocked the charging electric type back, completely halting his momentum and leaving him open and vulnerable. Gary's shout resembled something closer to a shriek as Phenom struck the ground beneath him, sending a surge of energy traveling from underneath towards its target. Having not fully regained his footing, Jolteon yelped as he hastily leapt to the side, narrowly avoiding the attack as the Earth Power detonated at the spot he had just occupied. Not fully balanced, Jolteon didn't land correctly, tumbling as his paws hit the ground.

On his side of the battlefield, Gary released a breath as his electric type companion returned to all fours and broke into another sprint, away from his opponent. Even as he picked himself up, Phenom was already charging him again, and fired a Dragon Pulse in pursuit of the evolved Eevee's fleeing form. The attack likely would have struck Jolteon from behind if he had not looked back and quickly swerved to the side, only barely avoiding the blast as it exploded against the pavement a good distance away.

'We have Gary and Jolteon on the run,' Ash observed the exchange. 'But we'll never catch him. Not when he's running away.'

Although not supremely confident, however, Ash was not too worried either. Jolteon's best offensive option against the Tyrunt would require him to come to them, in which case both combatants would become equally lethal to one another depending on who could win the ensuing exchange. Jolteon was gaining some distance to regroup, but sooner or later, Gary would tell him to…

"Double Team and Super Kick!"

Ash's face tightened, and Phenom's eyes widened just a bit (albeit more in alert than in surprise) as Jolteon split into two, both the real one and the clone running in separate, parallel directions. The Tyrunt's efforts to give chase would not bear fruit, the exchange was going to be on the faster electric type's terms.

"Rock Blast in a circle, catch the real one with Poison Fang!" Even as the words left his lips, Ash knew how this could backfire, pitting the power of Jolteon's Super Kick (backed up by how fast he was coming in) against the strength of Phenom's jaw, but he had full confidence in the latter, and pretty soon, Gary would see why.

A spark of aggression shined in Phenom's eyes as Jolteon charged him. The shards of rock were fired in all directions, quickly evaporating the clone while the real target managed to leap over them. Even as he did, the venom began to lace the Tyrunt's teeth.

Ash's face scrunched in frustration as Phenom, with no wasted effort, whirled around with his jaws wide and Poison Fang fully powered, only for his target to barely swerve away in time, just before he had a chance for his powerful bite to clamp down. The electric type slid backwards as he turned his body to face the Tyrunt's exposed back.

"Hyper Voice, then Super Kick!"

Ash called out a warning as Jolteon fired the Hyper Voice into Phenom, who got hit in the side as he tried to turn to face his target again. The impact sent the Tyrunt staggering back, trying to retain his balance as the Poison Fang began to dissipate, and then Jolteon struck.

The impact was just as loud, forceful, and definitive as the one that had finished Glaceon off. Phenom felt his head jarringly whip to the side as Jolteon's glowing back leg rammed into the side of his skull, and whatever balance he had managed to maintain was immediately lost on him as his body was sent tumbling away several feet. Coming to a stop, the dinosaur's claws dug into the pavement in an effort to hold himself up, but he quickly found himself reaching for the spot on his head that Jolteon had struck, and the first signs of tears formed in his eyes as his vision blurred for a split second.

It was only a split second, however. Massaging his head for only a moment, a low growl, debatably lower than any one he'd given off before, rumbled in Phenom's throat as he forced himself to his feet. When his glowering eyes locked onto Jolteon, something else sparked in his gaze as he let loose another, far louder battle cry.

Jolteon responded with a bark before firing a Thunderbolt from his spikes, no doubt intending to immobilize the Tyrunt and leave him open for the kill. Phenom leapt to the side, leaving the streak of lightning to scorch the ground where he had previously stood before charging forward with a snarl of vigor. As his feet stamped against the pavement, it felt as though his speed had not been reduced an inch, and Ash could not prevent the flare of pride in his chest from reflecting in his grin, nor did he try.

"Let him have it, Phenom! Dragon Pulse!" Jolteon wanted very little to do with the dragon-shaped blast of energy erupting from Phenom's mouth, quickly leaping to the side before turning around and sprinting away once more in another effort to put distance between himself and the dinosaur. Phenom did not relent, firing a Rock Blast the moment the Dragon Pulse was avoided. The shards of stone missed their mark as well, and Jolteon responded with a Swift, even as he continued to retreat.

"Deflect them with Play Rough!" Ash knew the Swift was not likely to do much against the Tyrunt, but they needed to avoid him being knocked off balance a second time. The first Super Kick to the head had not depleted the prehistoric dragon's tenacity, but a second blow of the same nature might not end well for him.

Phenom's body lit up pink just as the first projectiles reached him. A series of flails, tail lashes, and headbutts knocked each and every star away without resistance.

Gary didn't seem too annoyed, likely due to his next command. "Another Super Kick!"

Ash's face turned tight again. This was it. "Poison Fang, catch him this time!"

Both Pokemon took off running towards one another, Jolteon easily the faster of the two as usual, but Gary was not done yet. "Circle with Swift!"

His heart quickening, Ash quickly shouted. "Rock Blast, in a circle!"

Still a fair distance away, Jolteon lapped around the Tyrunt three entire times as the stars were fired from his mouth. Phenom did his best to follow his opponent's movements, firing shard of rock after shard of rock to intercept the golden projectiles. A good few of the stars struck him, prompting pained winces that almost broke his concentration (and momentarily slowed it), but the majority of Jolteon's offense was successfully blocked, just before Jolteon himself made his move and charged straight for him.

"Snatch him!" Ash's voice rose arguably higher than at any other point throughout the match thus far, and Phenom lunged for his approaching foe.

Only for Jolteon to break away again, potentially sooner than he had in the previous exchange.

'Damnit!' His heart racing, it took a great deal of willpower for Ash to not speak it out loud.

"Do it, Jolteon!"

Once more, a Hyper Voice slammed into Phenom's back, sending him staggering just in time for Jolteon to charge forward and strike-

Ash's breath caught in his throat as Phenom whirled around, his teeth still charged with poison Fang as his powerful jaw clamped down on Jolteon's glowing leg.

The force of the Super Kick was far from lost on the Tyrunt, who immediately found himself tackled onto his back by the charging Jolteon's second to none momentum. As he hit the pavement, he almost lost his grip, and felt his hold on his opponent's leg loosening as his jaw flared in pain. The weakened grip only lasted for a moment, however, and as though in defiance, the young Tyrunt somehow managed to strengthen his hold to an even tighter degree as Jolteon screamed in pain. The muscles in the electric type's leg were greatly strengthened and amplified by Focus Energy, and the same could be said for the skin, which felt greatly reinforced. Nonetheless, Tyrunt continued to chew, eyes flaring in determination as his teeth dug into the leg, injecting the venom of Poison Fang as he squeezed harder and harder.

Though his heart had not yet slowed down, Ash managed to find his breath just in time to call out. "You did it! Don't let go!" His trainer's encouragement prompted Phenom to double down on his efforts further, squeezing with increasing aggression until he could not strengthen his grip any further. It did not take long for Jolteon's leg to give, and it only took a bit longer for Tyrunt to begin slowly rising back to his teeth, Poison Fang still clamped onto his opponent with no signs of mercy.

All of the color had left Gary's face, but the same could not be said for his eyes. "You know what, Ash? FUCK YOU! Thunderbolt, Jolteon! ZAP HIM!"

Jolteon cried out again as he struggled to summon the effort, the first signs of electricity sparking and fading at the tips of his spikes. With a final burst of vigor, and fire in his eyes, he unleashed the Thunderbolt point-blank, with Phenom's jaws still clamped on his now broken and infected leg. Struggling to maintain his grip, Phenom screamed through his teeth as the electricity bathed his body.

"Hang in there, buddy." Fists clenched, Ash supportively called out to his friend. "Spit him out with Roar!"

Though Phenom's eyes were briefly clenched shut, they slowly found their way open as a final spark ignited inside of them. With a mighty lunge, the Tyrunt launched his opponent out of his mouth, leaving Jolteon to sloppily tumble across the pavement, leaving behind a streak of blood.

"Earth Power!"

With a grunt, Phenom ignored the sparks dancing across the surface of his hide as he struck the ground yet again. This time, Jolteon had no chance of avoiding the surge of energy racing towards him from beneath the ground, and took the impact full force, launching him away with a final cry of pain that cut off halfway through, and leaving the blood from his mangled leg to drip further across the battlefield before he stilled.

Jolteon did not get up.

With triumph in his eyes, the last remaining sparks flickering against Phenom's body fizzled out as the young Tyrunt raised his claws and let out a loud, forceful cry into the air. Grinning from ear to ear, Ash allowed his friend to bask in the moment before calling out to him. The moment of pause also allowed for his quickened heart to calm itself, only somewhat slowly. He kept his eyes locked onto the dinosaur, not daring to catch a glimpse at Jolteon and his leg.

"Phenom, over here!" The dragon had an expression matching his trainer's own as he turned back and headed over to Ash. In that moment, the image of the blissful hatchling of the group saw a resurgence. Crouching down to meet him at eye level, Ash patted the Tyrunt's head fondly while his eyes scanned his teammate's body.

Jolteon's final attack had left more than a few superficial scorch marks, but although Ash was no medical mind, they did not appear too bad. Phenom's natural resistance to lightning had definitely paid off. What looked worse was the mark that the Super Kick had left on the side of his head, which Ash was careful not to touch. "How's the bruise, pal? It hurt?" Phenom nodded, his posture shifting to a more alert state, but not upset, or too serious. "How bad is it? Do you think you can keep it up?" He had done a great job maintaining his strength up to this point, but now that the round was over, it was an important question to ask. Phenom nodded in response, but it was a calmer nod; not the frantic, giddy gesture he would make in the past. The thoughtfulness conveyed in the dinosaur's answer was more reassuring than the nod itself: It meant that Phenom had actually stopped to think, and took the question seriously. "Sounds good, buddy." with a smile, he patted the Tyrunt's head one last time before standing up.

As he rose, his eyes fell back on Gary. The Oak boy was frozen in place, still holding the Poke Ball of the now returned Jolteon. Ash felt some guilt at the thought of the electric type's injury, but he knew what Janine would say, and has said in the past: "It's nothing the Center cannot fix."

The thought of Jolteon's knocked out form provoked another sensation, however, and he could feel his chest tighten for a second or two.

'Only two more.' The words echoed in Ash's mind.

…

Only. Two. More.

…

"...We can win." It took a few seconds for Ash to realize he was whispering out loud. "We're going to win…"

He could feel the malice in his rival's gaze as Gary finally reclipped the ball to his belt, and set his eyes on Ash. Only about half of the color had returned to the spiky haired boy's face as he stared swords into Ash's chest.

Ash did not flinch from the attention, and his heart only quickened to a slight degree, for the briefest of moments. The look he gave Gary in return was not a glare, but a stern gaze nonetheless. "I've said it more than once, I'm not the same person or trainer you remember. If you haven't accepted that yet, you're the only one to blame."

Gary's face darkened. "Shut up." His eyes fell on Phenom for a moment as a shaky hand made its way back to his belt. "You're not beating me, you'll never beat me. It won't…"

The pause hung in the air for several seconds before his hand finally wrapped around a Poke Ball. After a forceful toss, Ash's eyes turned steel.

Wartortle had appeared.

Gary's starter, Ash was certain had grown a good deal bigger since their battle at the foot of Mt. Moon, as the boy would have expected. But everything else, at least in this moment, remained the same. The bulky water type stood across from him and Phenom, in front of Gary, with an uncompromised state of calm and arms crossed against his chest. The stoicism had only ever broken when his Torrent ability had been activated against Nebula. It had only been over two months ago, but by this point, two months felt like an eternity.

"Pichu, I said DOUBLE SLAP!"

Looking at the blue turtle, nonetheless, felt as though it had only been a day. The most humiliating moment perhaps in his life, and one of the worst possible starting points he could have ever imagined his career having. Followed by the dominance at Mt. Moon, where they had come so close, but in the end could not muster up enough to bring down Gary's first partner. The partner that the Oak boy had selected so long in advance, and had even done his essay on.

Gary allowed his narrowing eyes to burrow into Ash one final time before kneeling down and speaking to Wartortle, who silently turned to hear what his trainer had to say as Ash addressed Phenom.

"Hey, buddy." It took a second or two for his voice to register with the dinosaur, who had been gazing intently at the stoic turtle since his arrival, but nonetheless turned to Ash with equal attention. "That's Gary's starter. We haven't seen him fight since before you hatched, but he was a monster. He beat Valiant and Nebula on his own back then. It's been a long time since that match, so we have no way of knowing how much stronger he's gotten." He nodded sternly. "But he definitely has." When the alert nod from Phenom signaled that he understood, he continued. "That shell of his is very strong. It's what they're famous for, the Squirtle line. It's also the reason Gary loves them so much in the first place, so he's definitely found good ways to make use of it. We'll need to get a feel for his defenses first."

Another nod from Phenom, which Ash returned. On the other side, Gary and Wartortle appeared done with their exchange as well, and both Pokemon assumed their positions on the battlefield. Trainer and Pokemon alike locked eyes for a good few seconds as Phenom crouched back down into his stance, the focused passion in his eyes gazing into the immovable steel of the unfazed Wartortle's gaze.

Ash made the first move, as quickly as he could. If they were going to get a reading on Wartortle's sure to be daunting durability, they needed to be able to get on the offensive as quickly as possible. "Approach with Rock Blast!"

Phenom did not waste a single second more than Ash did, charging forward with the same speed and passion he had displayed against Jolteon. Predictably, the shards of stone erupting from his mouth harmlessly struck the surface of Wartortle's shell as the bulky water type Pokemon wordlessly retreated into it. The stone projectiles shattered against the shell's exterior with so much ease that it was as though they were not even there in the first place, not making a single mark.

Phenom quickened his pace, however, and Wartortle remained inside of his shell as the dinosaur closed the remaining distance between himself and the turtle.

"Thunder Fang!"

"Iron Defense!"

Jaws filled with lightning, Phenom leapt forward as Wartortle's shell glowed with a layer of chrome. With as much force as he could muster, Phenom chomped down onto the surface of the shell, gnawing away with all the strength his body could manage.

…

And everything remained still.

Ash's eyes were still widening as Gary's own gaze turned elatedly vindictive. "Checkmate, Ashy boy. Rapid Spin and Aura Sphere!"

Ash didn't have time to warn Phenom: The dinosaur's eyes widened as Wartortle's shell began spinning with his jaw still clamped around it. Within seconds, Phenom was flung to the side with a startled yelp and Wartortle had exited his shell with seamless perfection and speed, standing tall with his hands cupped to his side, charging up a sphere of dark blue light.

Phenom had mostly returned to his feet when Gary's starter lunged forward to hurl the Aura Sphere towards him. The dinosaur successfully leapt to the side, but the enigmatic projectile curved mid-flight, alternating its trajectory. Phenom's eyes widened yet again as it slammed into his side, exploding against him with a shockwave that sent him tumbling across the pavement, landing on the bruise Jolteon had left behind on his head.

"You okay?" It was all Ash had time to ask before his tongue froze at Gary's next order.

"Surf, and Iron Tail!"

'Surf…?' Ash's eyes ripped away from Phenom and towards Gary's starter. 'He can use Surf in battle already!?'

Gary's order was not a bluff: Beneath Wartortle's feet, a small pillar of water lifted him slightly above the ground, and carried him towards Phenom at a significantly greater pace than the water type could most likely run. The young Tyrunt lifted his head just in time for the swiftly approaching blue turtle to swing his metal-coated tail into the side of his skull, not far from the spot Jolteon had struck him before. The dinosaur felt the pain for just a moment or two before everything went black, and he collapsed head-first into the concrete.

Phenom did not get up.

With a breath, Ash recalled his fallen partner and gently looked down at his Poke Ball. Gary interrupted his train of thought before he could say anything, however.

"Let me guess, was your plan to 'test his durability'?" There was venom in the Oak boy's scoff. "Talk about predictable. Well it looks like you failed that test, Ashy boy. Just like you should have failed that Exam!"

Without a word, Ash's face tightened before relaxing as he gazed back down at Phenom's Poke Ball. That Iron Defense had completely blocked the Thunder Fang, seemingly just as easily as a simple Withdrawal had blocked the Rock Blast. He had known Wartortle's shell was going to be a powerful shield, but if it could block Phenom's Strong Jaw ability the way that it did, nothing in Pikachu or Tempest's arsenals was going to get through.

Gary must have known that he was going to try and feel Wartortle's durability out to start the round. He had fallen right into his rival's trap.

"That was not on you, buddy." Ash coaxed Phenom's Poke Ball. "I was way too careless, but you did a great job." he reclipped Phenom's ball to his belt, but did not let go, his hand frozen in place.

The knowledge of how far Wartortle's durability went was essentially the one good thing to come out of the bout, and it had come at the expense of Phenom himself. The thought brought a bitter frustration to Ash's tongue, but he did his best to drown that in brainstorming. Things were far too critical for him to dwell; that was self reflection that needed to be done after the battle, not during.

'Two Pokemon left, for each of us.' Ash's eyes fell on Wartortle, who had returned to Gary's side with crossed arms and a seemingly perpetually unchanged expression. With near certainty, Gary's sixth Pokemon would be Weepinbell, whom Ash had only seen in action just long enough for the grass/poison type to make short work of Eevee back at the foot of Mt. Moon. On the other end, he was left with Pikachu and Tempest. 'That means there are four possible matchups.'

Pikachu against Wartortle or Weepinbell. Tempest against Wartortle or Weepinbell. All of that would depend on which Pokemon each of them chose for the next round…

…

Ostensibly, a type matchup against Wartortle would be in Pikachu's favor, while one against Weepinbell would not be. But his starter had ways to oppose the grass type opponent with his mobility, while the same could be said for Wartortle against Pikachu. After all, if Gary's starter could block a Thunder Fang backed up by Phenom's devastating biting power, he could certainly shrug off any electricity the young mouse sent his way. Meanwhile, Tempest had his own boons in defense, his shell armor ability granting him enough natural durability to where Ash usually was not uncomfortable using him against grass or electric types. His defensive prowess coupled with his now fairly useful utilization of ice type moves gave him a reliable means of combating Weepinbell, whilst a battle between him and Wartortle would be a slugfest between two tanks.

But what was Gary's viewpoint? Ash was not sure if Gary himself was aware of Tempest's ability, yet he had little doubt that the Oak boy suspected it. Gary was far too knowledgeable, and Ash was all but certain that the spiky haired trainer knew what a Krabby's potential abilities were. At the very least, the possibility of Tempest having such an ability would at least be a part of his rival's thought process.

But what matchups did Gary want? Whatever advantages Ash could think of for any of the four possible matchups, Gary could likely think of his own as well. And with Ash being the one to send out his next teammate, the Oak boy effectively had the power to choose whatever the next round would be, depending on which of his two remaining teammates he was most comfortable using against whichever two of Ash's. On some levels, it did not matter who he sent out next; Gary would either keep Wartortle out, or substitute for Weepinbell according to his own interests.

And as he looked over at his opponent, Ash knew that Gary was likely in the middle of his own brainstorming, thinking the same thoughts, and making his own decisions.

With a light sigh, Ash gripped Tempest's Poke Ball. 'Just two more.'

The Krabby appeared in front of him as the Poke Ball burst open. The first thing he did was predictably scan the battlefield, eyes slightly narrowing as they fell on Gary and Wartortle before turning to focus on his trainer. Ash could see the ever so familiar passion in his aquatic teammate's gaze as the river crab looked up at him with expectation. At times like these, it was appreciated.

"It's finally your turn, Tempest." the boy started, to which the crab nodded with gradually growing excitement. Raising a finger, he continued. "It's only you and Pikachu left now. Gary has two left as well, so this battle is in its last stretch. I'm counting on you."

The clicking of the Krabby's pincers oddly felt more reassuring than excited or bloodlusted. As the duo turned back to Gary and Wartortle, the Oak boy slowly removed a Poke Ball from his belt and returned his starter. Ash's face tightened as a new Poke Ball found its way into Gary's hand, and Weepinbell appeared in front of him.

'So he believes Weepinbell has a better chance against Tempest.' Or was it Wartortle who had a better chance against Pikachu…?

"Tempest," Ash broke away from the thought to regain his teammate's attention. "Listen real quick: I don't know much about how that Weepinbell fights, but there is a reason Gary chose her over Wartortle against you. It could be her typing, and you've beaten your fair share of grass Pokemon, but Gary knows better. Put your ice to use, but never forget to be on guard. Your defense is just as useful."

The Krabby nodded. There was understanding in his features, but it did not eclipse the fire in his eyes. That satisfied Ash.

"Then let's win this." With an anticipatory gurgle, Tempest assumed his position, clicking pincers held out in challenge as he stared down Weepinbell. The plant's eyes narrowed at the gesture, but she made no further response.

"Alright Tempest," Ash was quick to kick things off. "Frozen Bullets!"

Tempest took a step forward while aiming his pincers directly at the plant. The new technique that Ash had pitched to him before Lavender Town had since proven to be a fairly effective tactic; freezing his signature Bubble Beam solid to turn it into a makeshift ice type move. The challenge, Ash had found, was being able to use the move at the same rate as a normal Bubble Beam, something that the river crab had initially experienced trouble with. That trouble was over now, and the frozen bubbles exited Tempest's pincers just as easily as the regular version of the move.

Weepinbell did not need Gary to order her; as soon as Tempest fired the icy projectiles her way, she summoned her own barrage of small, glowing rocks to intercept the onslaught. Tempest's first offense was nullified as the rock type hidden power easily halted the Frozen Bullets, but he was already running towards Weepinbell while preparing a Metal Claw. Though easily the slowest of the team, his movements were not as slow as one would expect from a Krabby, even one of such above average size like him. Now safe from the icy blast, Weepinbell, in response, summoned a cloud of whitish-blue powder to intercept the charging crab.

"Tempest!" Ash began speaking at a quick pace. "That's Sleep Powder, shoot it down!"

Shifting gears as quickly as his trainer had spoken, Tempest halted his advance and sprayed an icy Wind, as large as he could muster, into the cloud of powder, managing to do away with all of it. Just as he began to resume his approach, Weepinbell lashed out with a Vine Whip that knocked him back, although the sturdy Krabby successfully maintained his footing as Gary narrowed his eyes.

It was only the first moment or two of the fight, but it had given them a decent look at their opponent: Weepinbell was good enough at the rock type Hidden power for it to make a decent shield against ice (and would probably work even better against fire, for that matter), and the usage of Sleep Powder meant that approaching her for close quarters was not going to be safe without difficulty. Weepinbell were capable of learning Poison Powder and Stun Spore as well, and Ash didn't doubt she knew all three.

"Acidic Machine Gun!"

The Bullet Seed that Weepinbell fired out of her mouth was coated in a burning acid that reminded Ash of Janine's own Bullet Seed combos. Getting hit by them could prove worrying, but Tempest wasted no time crossing two Metal Claws together, leaving the acidic projectiles to harmlessly bounce off. As Tempest began to approach again, the plant fired an emerald sphere at him, and he quickly responded with an Ice Beam to destroy the Energy Ball.

"Vine Whip!"

"Catch it, Tempest!" Weepinbell swung the vine at her water type target, but Tempest reacted with haste, snatching the vine out of the air with one of his pincers. Eyes widening, and then narrowing in annoyance, Weepinbell pulled back against Tempest's grip, only for him to respond in kind. Before a tug-o-war could break out, he began raising his other pincer to take aim at her. "Ice Beam!"

"No! Outta the way!" Summoning a second vine, Weepinbell awkwardly propelled herself to avoid the blast of ice. Still holding onto the first vine, Tempest felt himself being pulled by her movements, and quickly clamped his other pincer down onto the vine, now holding onto them with both as he stumbled forward. The extra strength and grip enabled him to regain his balance as Weepinbell now found herself struggling against his forceful pull. "Energy Ball!"

"Knock it back," Ash shouted as the sphere formed in Weepinbell's mouth. "Ice Beam!"

Gary yelled for Weepinbell to hold her fire a second too late. Letting go of the vines, Tempest batted the green orb back at his attacker with Metal Claw. The attack predictably did not do much to hurt Weepinbell, but it knocked her off balance just long enough for the crab to blast her with the ice, eliciting a pained shriek from his grass type opponent.

"Hit her with Night Slash while she's down!" Both of the Krabby's pincers lit up blackish-purple as Tempest charged his foe with a loud gurgle.

"Not for long!" Gary retorted. "Slam!" Shooting up with a willpower that Ash couldn't help but feel impressed by, Weepinbell's body glowed a light orange as she used to two vines to slingshot herself into the surprised crab. Unprepared for the attack, Tempest easily bowled over and tackled into the ground. "Giga Drain!"

Ash failed to suppress his grimace as the glowing vine latched itself onto Tempest's body with Weepinbell pinning his back to the pavement. The tenacious water type squirmed against the pressure of his opponent's hold, but the pain and discomfort began to grow as his energy was sapped.

But Ash knew his partner could fight it. Tempest had more "fight" in him than any Pokemon he'd met, and for as many problems as that had once caused, he knew the river crab was the one he could rely on the most in a situation like this. "Don't let up, pal! Freeze it!"

Weepinbell pressed her body against Tempest more firmly as the Giga Drain continued to take hold. Both of his pincers shook as he struggled to raise them, but to Gary and Weepinbell's widening eyes, the struggle was short lived, and both pincers clamped down onto the glowing vine of Giga Drain on either side. Tempest's eyes squeezed shut out of pain for a moment or two, but then the vine began to freeze over, and the pain gradually subsided.

Weepinbell still had Tempest pinned, however, and that danger made itself known when Gary spoke again. "Keep him down, girl. Poison Powder!"

Ash's eyes flashed. They were not getting hit by that move point-blank. "Surf, Tempest!"

Just as the first signs of the bright purple powder began to appear, a pillar of water emerged from just beneath Tempest's back. The river crab still could not get much out of the technique (not yet, at any rate) but the battle with Sabrina had demonstrated that using it in split-second bursts could have its benefits. One such benefit being when your opponent was pinning you to the ground: the force behind the water's emergence pushed Tempest's body upwards despite Weepinbell's best efforts to keep him down, and the startled plant was forced off of him as a result. Now above her, Tempest's left pincer once again glowed with the dark energy of Night Slash, and a blade of the same color and glow extended outwards. Lashing out, the Krabby struck his opponent in the face with a loud, aggressive grunt, knocking her back. As she tumbled away, he fired Frozen Bullets from his other pincer, but Weepinbell forcefully used a vine as a somewhat awkward slingshot to change the direction of her roll, narrowly avoiding the icy projectiles just before regaining her balance.

"Good work!" Ash commented as the pillar of water collapsed and Tempest's feet returned to the ground. "How are you feeling after that?" Whatever strength had been sapped from Tempest by the Giga Drain hopefully had not been too great, as it had not taken too long for his teammate to stop it. He hadn't had much of a chance to breathe in the poison powder either.

Tempest responded to the question with two raised pincers and an affirming gurgle, although he wisely did not take his eyes off of Weepinbell. The plant looked like she was about to fire an attack when Gary spoke up.

"Swords Dance, and Poison Jab."

A pale light appeared on Weepinbell's body, first starting on what was likely her forehead between her eyes, and quickly spreading across as she performed strange motions not perplexed Tempest for a moment or two. The river crab decided it would be best not to wait; quickly firing another barrage of Frozen Bullets. Even as she maintained her dance, Weepinbell narrowly dodged the attack with another slingshot motion from a Vine Whip, and the light surrounding her body became concentrated around the leaves that looked to be her hands, now shining to what felt like blindingly-bright extents. A second slingshot sent her barreling forward in Tempest's direction as he charged her, both leaves now dripping with poison while still glowing with the amplifying energy of Swords Dance.

Tempest staggered back as his Metal Claw struck the first Poison Jab. It had been an attempt to block Weepinbell's attack, undoubtedly amplified in hopes of piercing through his powerful shell, but the force behind her blow had been overwhelming, and he found himself on the verge of losing his balance. His eyes quickly fell on the second Poison Jab, which she was almost certain to strike with next. He raised a pincer to fire an Ice Beam-

"Acidic Machine Gun, in the pincer!"

The order caused Ash's face to lose some of its color, but even as it did, the boy couldn't help the confusion he was feeling. 'Is that familiar…'

Tempest opened his pincer as the first signs of cold air began to seep out from inside, but the moment the pincer opened, a barrage of Acid-coated Bullet Seeds were fired right inside.

The river crab's eyes bulged as his arm went limp. He staggered even worse, barely retaining any semblance of balance before Weepinbell drove the second, still powered-up Poison Jab into his torso. The Poison Jab mildly punctured the armored surface as the Krabby's breath left his lungs, and a small amount of poison found itself injected into his system. The force of the blow lifted his body off of the ground, knocking him back and sending him tumbling away against the concrete as Ash's eyes widened in horrified recognition.

"Pikachu! Get a Thunder Wave in when it opens its pincers!"

Now a lot more color had left Ash's face. 'This is how Pikachu and I beat Tempest in the first place!' It was the first time Valiant had ever spoken to him telepathically, and the very strategy that they had initially used to overcome Tempest's impressive durability back at Bill's Lab.

All of a sudden, it was making a lot more sense why Gary had chosen Weepinbell to use against Tempest, for reasons beyond just type matchups. Had he wanted to do this from the start, or was it a spur of the moment improvisation?

He knew he did not have time to think that question over. Tempest was already picking himself up, but it was clear that his left arm was not the same. The Krabby's eyes narrowed in discomfort as his pincer ached from the inside, and his stomach burned. Though there was no sign of blood (from what Ash could see, at any rate) it was still possible that the poison from the Poison Jab had found its way into the water type's bloodstream, or would eventually if it had not already. Even if it had not, the effect it had on his abdomen was clearly debilitating as it was already. Gary would waste no time capitalizing.

"Venoshock! Then Energy Ball."

Venoshock was a dangerous move when used on a poisoned opponent. It interacted with the toxins in a way that amplified whatever pain or, in especially skilled instances, general symptoms that the victim already had from the poison itself. Getting hit with the move would force the target to suffer further, making it harder and harder to fight back.

Tempest did not let it come to that, raising his good pincer and firing a Scald into the dark purple liquid that Weepinbell attempted to spray him with. The Venoshock was quickly followed up with an Energy Ball, which the Krabby was quick to block with a raised Metal Claw from that same, uninjured pincer. Weepinbell was already acting again, however, slingshotting herself into the Krabby with another Slam. As he was bowled over and pinned onto his back once more, the force from the collision further irritated both the injured pincer and his sore stomach, prompting a spiteful hiss from the water type, frustration mixing in with the pain.

"Giga Drain, right around the pincer, girl!" Weepinbell quickly summoned the glowing vine, which latched onto the injured pincer. Tempest's eyes watered as the river crab howled in a disturbing combination of rage and agony.

The chill that the sound of Tempest's voice sent down Ash's spine was a feeling surpassed by very few that he had experienced during a match, but he did not allow it to twist his tongue. His teammate needed him right now. "You can do it, Tempest! Do what you did before!" it almost felt as though his own volume was slowly restoring the color on his face.

Yes, Tempest could do this. He had the best chances out of anyone on the team.

"He's not doing anything this time!" Gary raised his voice so it was louder than Ash's. "Sleep Powder! Bury him deep!"

"Spray it away!" Ash quickly shouted, trying to be louder than Gary.

The glowing vine remained wrapped around the injured left pincer, squeezing it as hard as Weepinbell could manage. With clenched eyes, Tempest struggled to lift the other, good pincer, but was only halfway through when the whitish-blue powder came into view. There was nothing stopping him from breathing it in.

But the sight of the powder triggered a surge in the water type's chest. Even as he began breathing it in, his eyes shot wide open for a moment or two, feeling the adrenaline will his good pincer all the way up. A stream of boiling water spat out of the pincer and washed away the powder. Weepinbell hissed in discomfort as the Scald splashed onto her as well, her grip around Tempest's injured pincer mildly loosening for just a moment as the Krabby forced himself to (painfully) angle his body, fighting her efforts to keep him pinned to his back and latching onto the glowing vine with the good pincer. Once more, the Giga Drain began to freeze over, and a second pillar of water emerged from just underneath Tempest, pushing him upwards, and Weepinbell off of him.

Tempest's eyes blazed with pained fury as he took aim at Weepinbell, firing a vengeful Icy Wind point-blank into her eyes. The plant screamed in an agony that uncomfortably tingled both Ash and Gary's spines, but Tempest was not done. Even as the pillar of water beneath him collapsed (and his aching stomach flared up upon his feet landing back on the ground), the river crab lunged forward with Night Slash, driving the dark blade into Weepinbell's side with a violent stab. The pain shot all the way through the plant's body as Tempest drove the attack in as deeply as he could, before keeping his pincer embedded as more cold air began to leave it. The grass/poison type's screams filled the Krabby's ears as he continued to press, until, in a moment of final, forced tenacity, she spat out a Sludge Bomb that blasted him point-blank. Caught off guard, Tempest was knocked back and sent tumbling away as the burning and aching grew worse and worse, laying on his side as he came to a stop, and Weepinbell slumped over onto hers, pressing her leafy hand into the pavement to push herself back up.

His good pincer was pointed right at her, however, and in a moment of forced tenacity of his own, one last barrage of Frozen Bullets found their way to his opponent, who collapsed soon after the onslaught as Tempest's eyes went shut and his body went still.

Neither Tempest nor Weepinbell got up.

Ash's heart began quickening again as he removed Tempest's Poke Ball from his belt, preparing to recall his friend. The action was over, but the meaning of it all had immediately hit him, the moment both Pokemon stilled.

'Just one left.'

…

Just one left…

…

Just. One. Left. That applied to both sides.

Gary recalled Weepinbell first, and Ash returned Tempest soon after. The two trainers' eyes met as the Krabby disappeared back into his Poke Ball, but if Gary had wanted to say something, the Oak boy had uncharacteristically held his tongue.

"Way to go, Tempest." he spoke approvingly into the water type's Poke Ball. From day one, the Krabby had been the most stubbornly defiant member of the group, sometimes for the worst. But today, it was for the best, and Ash was certain that streak would only continue. "You fought a really hard fight today, and we'll make sure it's not wasted."

He meant it when he said that, but it was still as sentence that Ash felt the need to hear himself say, just as much as he had wanted to speak it to the river crab directly. It was as though the boy was assuming the role of somebody trying to assure him, assure himself in a moment where it was just him and Gary.

Just him, Gary, and their starters. That was all that stood between both parties and the end result of this battle.

His hand reclipped Tempest's ball to his belt, and immediately wrapped around Pikachu's. As he gripped the electric type's ball, the boy sucked in a breath of air, giving his nerves a chance to ease themselves. Moments later, Wartortle was out, and Ash, after briefly staring at the ball, followed suit, releasing the mouse.

Pikachu's ears twitched as he emerged from the light, before immediately standing full erect as his eyes fell upon his opponent. Wartortle was standing directly in front of Gary with what may have been his signature pose: Crossed arms, legs perfectly straight, face calm and unreadable.

"Pikachu," before his friend could focus his full attention on the water type, Ash quickly grabbed the electric mouse's attention, crouching down as he spoke. Pikachu did not turn right away, but it did not take him very long. On the other side, Gary and Wartortle had done the same. "You and Wartortle are the last ones."

The words were spoken in the simplest tone he could have mustered, but they hung in the air as heavy as a damp log. The emotion on Pikachu's mostly neutral face did not outwardly change, but from this close up, Ash could see the shifts and twitches as his starter processed the information.

"Pikachu, listen to me." The declaration had quickened Ash's heart once more, but speaking to the mouse kept him focused. He needed to keep talking before he lost his thoughts in the surge. It worked for Pikachu, at the very least, ears twitching for just a moment before standing firm." "Phenom fought Wartortle a little bit ago, and his shell was strong enough to completely tank a Thunder Fang. He's also able to use Surf." he glanced over at his rival and the water type for a split second. They were still talking. As he looked back, he managed better eye contact with Pikachu this time. "Before I sent you out, Tempest was fighting. Gary recalled Wartortle in favor of Weepinbell, knowing full well that it would likely lead to Wartortle fighting you instead. There's no way he would have done that if he wasn't confident in Wartortle's chances at beating you. I know we could just call that arrogance, but he's still brilliant. That's the whole reason why he's arrogant in the first place. Whatever benefits your typing and electricity may grant you in this fight, they won't be the deciding factor." his lips tugged upwards, just barely. "Unless we can make better use of our advantages than they can of their counters, right?"

Pikachu's lips stretched further than his trainer's did, an affirmative squeak accompanying the sparks that laced his cheeks. From this close, Ash almost thought he could feel the heat from those sparks, but it was likely just his imagination.

"Alright," his starter leaned into his touch, briefly closing his eyes as his hand patted the top of the yellow mouse's head. "Remember what I said: Not even Phenom's Strong Jaw could do anything to that shell. There's no way through him, we'll need to go around him to win. So if-... when your attacks bounce off of him and do nothing, don't let yourself be surprised or intimidated. Just keep fighting. You're faster, and you have Agility. Don't use it too much and wear yourself out, but don't be afraid too, either. Do whatever it takes to keep the pressure on him and find a decisive opening. You got that?" Pikachu's nod widened Ash's grin. "Great. Now let's beat Gary Oak."

Those five words sat atop their shoulders as Pikachu, on all fours, made his way onto the battlefield, and Ash stood up to full height. Wartortle was assuming his position as well, arms crossed once more as his head angled barely downwards to look the mouse across from him in the eye. Pikachu returned the steel gaze with a neutral stare, tail fully erect and cheeks mildly sparking.

Squealing in surprise, Pichu skidded to a halt, shivering a little bit at the sight of his opponent. Fists planted in his hips, the turtle towered over the mouse with his stoic expression, perfectly calm.

Ash's beating heart quickened again. With only mild frustration, the boy pressed a hand to his chest and took a deep breath, feeling his nerves relax as his eyes scanned the battlefield, then the two combatants, and then his rival.

Gary's line of vision mimicked Ash's own, observing the sparks rolling across Pikachu's cheeks, and the lightning-bolt shaped tail sticking upwards, as firm as a steel bar. Finally, his and Ash's eyes met from across.

"Heh, brings back some nice memories, doesn't it, Ashy boy?"

Ash didn't answer; his face simply tightened slightly as he crossed his arms, although his eyes did not leave Gary.

The Oak boy's face scrunched for a moment, a twinkle of venom flashing in his eyes as he pointed forward. "We'll do a whole lot more than just embarrass you two, this time. Aura Sphere!"

Wartortle's knees bent as he leaned forward, hands cupped his hip. The same orb of dark blue light that he had hurled at Phenom appeared between his hands, expanding in size before he shot it forward with a quick lunge.

"Don't dodge it, deflect it!" Ash recalled what had happened when Phenom had attempted dodging the move. The orb had homed in on him and caught him off guard. Pikachu was fast enough to avoid such a fate, but they needed to pressure Gary and Wartortle as much as possible.

Pikachu shot forward, sprinting with the full force of Quick Attack backing him up, and smashed a Thunder Punch into the blue sphere.

The Aura Sphere was batted back to its user with just as much force as it had been thrown with in the first place, but Wartortle showed no signs of surprise, simply retreating into his shell. The projectile exploded against the exterior and even pushed the shell back a couple of feet, but Wartortle felt no pain from the collision, and quickly exited his shell for a counter attack.

"Strike his head, then Thunderbolt!"

Pikachu had felt a mild sting when his fist connected with the Aura Sphere, but his momentum did not slow, and as Wartortle left the safety of his shell to fire a Scald, the electric mouse easily avoided the blast of boiling water before closing the remaining distance between them.

"Double Slap again, Pichu!" Ash called out. "Aim for the head!" the head would likely be a better target.

The time between the Scald leaving Wartortle's mouth and Pikachu, after avoiding the stream, leaping above the blue turtle as his tail turned to metal was likely not much longer than a single second. Locking his narrowing eyes onto Wartortle's, the mouse came down and swung his Iron Tail straight into the side of the water type's head. Grunting in clear displeasure, Gary's starter staggered one, two, three steps, not falling over, but left with compromised balance. Landing on his tail, a habit almost as old as Ash's career, Pikachu used the still metal tail to push himself back into the air with a jump, now taking aim with Thunderbolt.

But Wartortle was back in his shell, and the streak of lightning washed harmlessly over the surface, the water type feeling little more than a bit of warmth from the electricity. Pikachu showed no signs of frustration as a few lingering sparks danced along the exterior before fizzling out with no effect.

"Mud Sport!"

Exiting his shell as quickly and seamlessly as he had entered, Wartortle reared his head back and spat out a large, round glob of mud. Backflipping over the the projectile with ease, Pikachu took off running the moment he landed, but did not run straight for Wartortle, instead performing two zigzags as the large turtle followed turned his head to follow the mouse's movements, before finally charging forward as Ash spoke again.

"Zap Tail!"

As Pikachu blitzed his way towards him, Wartortle made no attempt at attacking from a distance this time, instead rearing his body back as his tail became coated in metal. Pikachu leapt into the air, his own tail taking on the identical metal coating becoming bathed in electricity, before swinging downwards to strike his foe's head once more. Swinging upwards, Wartortle met the Zap Tail with Iron Tail. Sparks splashed in every direction as the two tails smashed together, and Pikachu grit his teeth in an effort to push through, but his eyes widened as the force behind Wartortle's parry grew, and he was soon shoved off with a startled yelp. As the mouse landed close by, Wartortle fired a second Mud Sport, but Pikachu landed on his tail, and once more used the durability of the metal coating to leap upwards and dodge. As he rose back into the air, an Electro Ball formed at the tip of his tail.

"Surf, and Ice Punch!" As Pikachu flung the Electro Ball downwards, a pillar of water emerged from beneath Wartortle's feet, carrying him slightly off of the ground. Angling his body forward, he rode the now moving pillar at an even quicker rate than when he had fought Phenom, and his clenched fist began freezing over in an icy aura, charging straight in Pikachu's direction as the mouse landed further back.

Ash's eyes narrowed. 'Here we go.' "Pikachu, Counter Shield!"

Flipping onto his back, Pikachu began spinning his body as quickly as he could. As he did, he fired a Thunderbolt from his tail. The streak of electricity rotated along with its user, creating a tornado of lightning that extended outwards and lashed out at the rapidly approaching water type. Eyes widening, Wartortle could not halt his advance in time. The pillar of water carrying him collapsed beneath his feet, and the exterior of the lightning tornado zapped painfully against his skin as all momentum he had was completely cut off.

"WHAT!?" Ash allowed himself some satisfaction from Gary's startled screech. It was a good sign: They had never seen a technique like this before. Gary recovered from the surprise at an impressive rate, however. "Charge through it with Aqua Rush!"

Grunting one final time from the painful encounter with the Counter Shield, Wartortle retreated into his shell, which quickly became coated in Iron Defense. Using Aqua Jet, the blue turtle rapidly propelled himself through the makeshift barrier of lightning, intent on running Pikachu down with no remorse. At Ash's call, however, the mouse was already moving, narrowly avoiding the speedy charge by temporarily activating Agility. Wartortle exited his shell several meters away, and Pikachu quickly came to a stop. The two turned around to face each other once more. On all fours, tail fully erect, Pikachu narrowed his eyes as the water type stoically glared at him, additional sparks rolling down his cheeks. His tail almost began seemingly vibrating.

Ash's eyes calmly fell on Wartortle. The Counter Shield had proved just about as effective as he had hoped, and Gary and Wartortle's ability to safely approach them without risk was now limited to shell charges. It was not without concern, however: Wartortle's Aqua Rush was astonishingly fast in its own right, and although Pikachu had proved capable of avoiding it with his speed, it was best not to tempt fate. Wartortle would take big hits far better than Pikachu would be able to, after all. It was nonetheless a proven tool from here on out.

They needed to be the ones approaching them, however. Wartortle was predictably excellent with his powerful shell: Given how much stock and admiration Gary had put into such an attribute when talking about the Squirtle line, it was no surprise to Ash that the Oak boy had done everything that he reasonably could to train his starter into utilizing it as good as possible, and Ash was not ashamed to admit that it had paid off tenfold. It was still at his and Pikachu's expense in the current moment, however, and they needed consistent pressure to find a way over the hurdle.

"Keep moving, Pikachu!" As if remembering, Pikachu's ears perked up as Ash called out to him, and the young mouse took off once more, running close to his full speed with Quick Attack as Wartortle's eyes followed his movements. "Static Tail!"

"Dodge it, and Ice Punch!"

Now activating Agility, Pikachu raised an Iron Tail, bathing the metallic exterior in Thunder Wave as he charged forward to strike the water type. He grimaced in frustration as an Aqua Jet carried Wartortle just in time to avoid the attack. The water type did not go far, however: A pillar of water was summoned beneath his feet, and he launched himself to change direction. Still charging with Aqua Jet, this time in Pikachu's direction, the rapidly approaching turtle reared back an icy fist and swung.

But Pikachu maintained Static Tail, and whirled around on his forepaws to meet the strike. Wartortle winced as the sparks from Thunder Wave licked his fist, but Pikachu let out a loud, startled squeak as the force of the Aqua Jet boosted Ice Punch flipped him over, soon to land onto his back. Wartortle's tail became coated in water, swinging an Aqua Tail to bash Pikachu in the skull, but the mouse had already skillfully driven his still metallic tail into the ground to catch himself and prop himself up. Just before the Aqua Tail could strike him, the electric type raised two fists coated in lightning, attempting to block the strike with the two Thunder Punches. Wartortle felt the electricity on his tail, growling in discomfort, but Pikachu still failed to suppress his pained cry as the attack smacked into both of his fists and launched him backwards.

"Ice Beam!" Even as Pikachu was flung away from him, Wartortle whirled to face the mouse's retreating form and fired the blast of ice. Just barely in time, Pikachu drove another Iron Tail into the ground, catching himself yet again, before rolling to the side to avoid narrowly avoid a direct hit. His face still scrunched up in discomfort as the Ice Beam struck the ground right beside him, the air around him turning disturbingly frigid as the immediately nearby concrete froze over. As his paws pressed into the ground, he clenched his teeth to suppress a painful wince, still feeling the collision from the Aqua Tail.

"You're doing fine, buddy!" Ash encouraged. Wartortle was getting far more offense than he was comfortable with, something that needed to be reversed as soon as possible, but every close call reminded him of how big a fan he was of the "Break your fall with a steel type move" tactic.

"No he isn't!" Gary's voice was laced with mild wrath. "Aqua Rush, and Aura Sphere if it doesn't land!"

"Block the Aura Sphere with Electro Ball!"

Pikachu slipped into Agility just long enough to leap away from the charging form of Wartortle's water cloaked shell. True to Gary's orders, the moment Wartortle failed to feel an impact, he exited his shell, the momentum of his charge sending him sliding backwards for a split second before stopping himself with a pillar of water. His hands were already cupped together at his hip, and in what felt like an instant later, the Aura Sphere had been chucked.

Pikachu's Electro Ball was already formed at the tip of his tail as his opponent threw the attack. Responding in kind, Pikachu swung his tail forward and tossed the ball of lightning into the Aura Sphere. The two attacks exploded against each other, but the young mouse's eyes widened as Wartortle, lunging forward with Surf, fired another glob of mud at him from his mouth, having prepared the second attack the moment the Aura Sphere had left his hands. Pikachu barely avoided the muddy projectile, but in a moment of slight panic, dodged forward instead of backwards or to the side, closing additional distance between himself and his opponent, even as Wartortle voluntarily did the same with Surf. As the pillar of water began to collapse (although Wartortle was clearly better with the move than Tempest, it was still predictably far from perfect), the turtle launched himself forward with a brief, split second Aqua Jet. Pikachu tried to change direction as the water type's bulky form flew headfirst towards him, but Wartortle was already lashing out, and the electric type was struck in the face by an Aqua Tail that launched him several feet away.

"Do you WANT to lose this, Pichu?! JUST DO IT!"

"You're alright, Pikachu!" Ash's voice did not lose its encouraging tone as his starter was painfully smacked away, the swinging of Wartortle's tail almost resembling that of a baseball bat. Pikachu's eyes briefly stung with tears that he blinked back as quickly as he could, and he tried to ignore the pain (and undoubtedly, bruise) on his face as an imperfect Iron Tail broke his fall. Before returning to all fours, he quickly massaged his head with a paw, wincing a bit before turning his head back to Wartortle and running to the side. "Use Agility!"

This time not using it in a short burst, Pikachu's body glowed blue and his pace skyrocketed. As he did, Ash felt his heart quicken again, the pressure atop his shoulders feeling like it had gone up. They would be putting themselves on a time limit if Pikachu held onto Agility extensively; eventually he would tire himself out. They needed that opening.

But Gary was looking for one as well. "Freeze the ground!"

Taking a step forward, Wartortle unleashed an Ice Beam that traveled across the pavement, initially in a straight line until his head started turning. With widening eyes, Pikachu nearly ran over the now frozen ground-sure to send him slipping out of control- before barely changing direction in time.

"Melt the ice with Thunder Wave!" Ash knew they were giving Gary an opportunity by focusing on the ice; most likely what the Oak boy wanted. But the alternative would be for Pikachu to become a sitting duck on a battlefield where he could not properly run. They could try to rush Wartortle while he blasted the ground, but they weren't close enough. Not yet. Even with Agility, the water type's reaction time had proven very deceptive for something so bulky- yet expected for a Pokemon with such good defense.

The moment Pikachu leapt into the air, Gary's eyes lit up. "Aqua Rush!"

"Block it!" Ash quickly responded.

Pikachu was already firing the Thunder Wave, which sizzled against the icy ground, but he did not have time for much more. Wartortle was already inside of his shell, coated in Iron Defense and rocketting upwards towards him in a stream of water. Knowing full well that he could only minimize the assault, not block it, the mouse swung an Iron Tail to intercept the deadly projectile that Wartortle had transformed himself into. He hissed in pain as the Aqua Rush slammed against his tail, launching him several feet further back in the air as Wartortle's momentum catapulted him away. Fighting to not lose his barings, the electric type somersaulted in midair, and fired an Electroweb from his tail. The net of lightning landed on the ice, spreading more sparks that softened the frozen surface.

Pikachu was still flying backwards, on a collision course with the barrier on his trainer's side of the field. Ash saw their split second chance. 'We're turning this around now.' "Bouncing off rush him with Agility!"

Common habits put themselves to good use as Pikachu's Iron Tail smashed the barrier, the force of the collision triggering a brief shimmer. Eyes narrowing, but lips curving into a small smile, the electric mouse launched himself off of the artificial wall and his body glowed blue again. He was dashing at top speed the moment he landed on all fours, curving around some of the ice with little to no momentum lost and driving a Static Tail into Wartortle's forehead. Ash did not blink as the water type staggered back, some sparks dancing across his head for a moment before he lunged forward with an icy fist. Pikachu met the Ice Punch with a well-timed Brick break, and although the mouse's fist stung from the clash of strikes, his opponent recoiled more.

Ash almost failed to find his voice, but forced the words out as quickly as he could. "Play Rough, then Thunder Wave!"

"IN YOUR SHELL, WARTORTLE!"

"Hit him fast, Pikachu!"

It was a moment that could spell the difference between victory and defeat. They'd be back to square one if Wartortle returned to that impregnable shell in time, but that fact pumped the adrenaline through Pikachu further. Body glowing pink, the electric type drove a fist into his foe's sturdy stomach, before showering the bulky turtle with a series of punches and kicks that sent him progressively staggering backwards. A final strike nearly caused the larger fighter to lose his footing, leaving him hopping on one foot in an increasingly desperate effort to regain balance.

Pikachu did not give him the chance. His line of vision was a tunnel as his eyes narrowed, cheeks sparking, and tail blazing with lightning. Thrusting forward, he fired the Thunder Wave straight into the water type's chest, eliciting wide eyes from the turtle as his balance finally failed him. His muscles locked up, and the electricity traveled across his body while his bottom collided with the pavement in a forced sitting position.

"Wartortle, GET UP!"

The color drained from Ash's face, and he forced himself to swallow. This was a chance they might not recreate. "He's down, buddy! Super Shock Rush!"

"Super Shock Rush" was code for "Use Shock Rush with Agility". Pikachu's ears twitched at the order, eyes not leaving Wartortle's fallen form as he ran past the water type to pick up speed. The turtle had been struck by the Thunder Wave while off balance and without guard, and now, still in a sitting position, he was straining himself to rise to his feet.

Pikachu would not give him the chance. Curving back in the water type's direction, his body glowed blue, running at the highest speed his capabilities would ever allow him too. The electricity sparking along his cheeks, and crackling out of his tail, spread across his fur until he was enveloped like a living bolt of lightning. At the highest speed he had ever used the attack, he lunged forward with Slam, smashing shoulder-first into Wartortle's ribs.

The water type was still unsteadily rising to his feet. His body was not ready for such a collision, especially one with this much speed and force. His eyes bulged, and Pikachu's electrified body pierced his sturdy form like a sentient bullet. His cry was cut off halfway through as his lungs lost air, and his body was launched away, bouncing across the pavement for what felt like an eternity before coming to a stop.

When striking the water type, Pikachu had felt the collision as well. His shoulder ached as picked himself off the ground, first rising to a sitting position to catch his breath before standing back up in full. Another deep breath calmed his nerves as his eyes landed on Wartortle's fallen form. Sparks were still dancing across his body, and his eyes were closed. There was no sign of movement.

For a moment or two, the young mouse just stared. He was still breathing hard, trying to regain his oxygen. The pain in his shoulder had been mostly temporary, now just a mild ache after a quick massage from his paw. He was tired, but-

"Heads up Pikachu!" his ears shot up. Ash's voice was not panicked, but serious. Like a guard on alert during double duty. "It's not over!"

Wartortle's eyes shot open.

"You already know you're not going to be a trainer anytime soon; you really wanna torture yourself by bringing more disappointment?"

Involuntarily, Pikachu's feet sprung back, and ocean blue aura surged out of the water type, wrapping around his body like an extra layer. Adrenaline surged through the blue turtle's veins like the raging waves of the ocean in a hurricane, and all the sparks dancing across his body vanished. His muscles, strained and locked up, loosened, more free than they had ever been. With a leap, he was on his feet as though he had never left, and his glowing blue eyes locked onto Pikachu's form.

The stoicism was gone. The sheer ecstasy and excitement of Torrent had completely replaced the usual demeanor of Gary's starter, in a manner almost identical to whenever Nebula used Reckless. Spreading his arms out as though to pump his muscles, a battle ready shout left the water type's mouth, as though he had put his full lungs into it.

Ash did not dare to take his eye off of his rival's starter. His gaze remained glued to the turtle like his life depended on it. Like the next move the turtle made would be the last thing Pikachu ever saw.

"Pikachu," his eyes were still on Wartortle, as was the mouse's. Nonetheless, the electric type zeroed in on every word. "Keep breathing, and run. Hold onto Agility for as long as you can."

On the other side, Gary sucked in the deepest breath of air he had all day. As he exhaled, his hands curled, and his fists tightened.

"I really have had it with you, Ketchum. I've had it with your rat, your crab, your bird, your luck, your nonsense, EVERYTHING." His eyes scanned the battlefield on their way to Ash himself. "Who do you think is going to be the one breaking the records? The one with the legacy to make? The one who's been busting his ass to make it to the top while you flounder at the bottom? Me. I'M that guy." Finally, his gaze fell on his starter. "Blow it all away, Wartortle! Hit him with EVERYTHING!"

A pillar of water appeared beneath Wartortle's feet, a bit larger than the previous ones. With a forward lunge, Wartortle surged towards Pikachu, riding atop the wave as it ripped its way through the battlefield, leaving a wet trail in its wake. Previously, he had only been able to use Surf for decent but ultimately short bursts. With Torrent, the strength of his water, and his control over it, had all been amplified, allowing him to use the move both longer and better. Even the speed of his charge had greatly improved to a degree that was immediately noticeable to both Ash and Pikachu.

Pikachu wasted no time activating Agility and dashing out of the water type's path, but his eyes widened as Wartortle changed direction in pursuit, making the increase in speed sink in even further. A barrage of bubbles, glowing incredibly intense, were let loose from Wartortle's mouth, and spread to a wide range that came close to resembling a cloud. With a sharp u-turn, the mouse fired a Thunderbolt that exploded into the bubbles before charging through.

The streak of lightning collided with the cloud of Bubble Beam in a burst of water that forced Pikachu's eyes shut as he dashed through the aquatic mayhem, feeling his fur wetten for the split second or so that it had taken for him to run through. On the other side, Wartortle had fired a glob of mud that Pikachu opened his eyes just in time to see. With a startled squeak, the mouse swerved, nearly losing his balance as the Mud Sport missed him to the shortest degree conceivable. The close call broke his momentum, and Wartortle's continued advance closed the remaining distance. The Aqua Tail that the turtle lashed out with was bigger and more concentrated than before, and the electric type knew his fate would not have likely been good if he had not somersaulted over it.

As Pikachu flew over the turtle's head, both combatants were now headed in opposite directions. It would not remain that way for long: the moment Gary's starter registered that he had missed, the water type kicked off of the wave he had been riding and submerged himself in water. His Aqua Jet was now far faster and stronger as well, and Pikachu was in no position to dodge.

So instead, the mouse struck, definitely hollering and swinging an Iron Tail that his larger opponent smashed head first into. The metal plating did not prevent the surge of pain Pikachu felt in his tail as he was launched backwards with a loud cry. A large blast of boiling water was sent surging after him as he reached the ground. Smacking his tail into the pavement to break his fall (but still hissing through grit teeth at the impact), he narrowly avoided most of it, but still felt some of the heated liquid splashing against his fur as he activated Agility once more.

'At this rate, Pikachu's either going to tire himself out or get pulverized before he has the chance.' Ash did not grit his teeth, but the thought of doing so was mildly therapeutic. Fatigue was already starting to set in for his starter right before Torrent had activated, and now the electric type was forced to do double duty just to stay alive. Pretty soon, it would be sheer willpower keeping the strain of constantly maintaining Agility from catching up to him. But that willpower would only last so long, and all Wartortle needed was one good hit. 'But the same could hopefully be said for us.'

The incredible power boost of Torrent was a mask that made it easy to forget that Gary's starter was on his last legs as well. One or two big hits should be enough to end this for good, but only if they did it right. That would require going for broke. "Double Team! Get in there and use Zap Tail!"

"Spread Bubble Beam!" Gary's voice was as unrepentant as it was intense.

Giving everything he had, Pikachu split into multiple clones, all of which tried to split off in separate directions. Even as he did, Wartortle's mouth opened to unleash the greatest barrage of bubbles that Ash had ever seen in person. The sheer storm of aquatic projectiles that came out of the turtle's gullet would have been a beautiful spectacle had it happened anywhere else. Here, all it did was bring his hand to his chest.

The real Pikachu kept Agility intact, fighting against the incoming fatigue that urged him to stop running. Pretty soon, the mental fatigue of the psychic type speed boosting move would make him want to lie down and close his eyes, but the thought of doing so was one thought that the young mouse refused to let enter his mind. With a loud, defiant cry, he navigated the storm of bubbles while his raised tail became encased in lightning-coated metal.

The Double Team clones had no such speed boost, and were soon struck by the bubbles, vanishing upon contact. Hoping for an opening, Pikachu closed in on Wartortle, lashing out with Zap Tail…

And struck hard against the blue turtle's Iron Defense coated shell. The impact sent his protected opponent sliding back several feet, but both Ash and Pikachu's scrunched in realization that no harm had been dealt.

"Aqua Rush!"

Staying in his shell, Wartortle was launched back the way he came by another burst of water, leaving yet another wet trail in his wake as he ripped across the pavement like an aquatic missile. Expecting to be hit, Pikachu screamed in desperation as he bolted to the side. In that one moment, Ash Ketchum's starter ran at a speed far greater than anything he had ever managed to reach before, and it was most likely the only reason he was not pulverized.

The moment Wartortle exited his shell, Ash watched with tight fists as the turtle hurled a large Water Pulse in pursuit of Pikachu. It did not have much chance of hitting its mark, but it did ensure that the electric type stayed on the evasive. A war of attrition that Pikachu would almost certainly lose if he was forced to keep dodging for too much longer.

Agility put a strain on the mouse when used for this long. Another Double Team could make that strain worse. Stopping Agility would make Pikachu a sitting duck; his impressive utilization of the speed boost was arguably the only thing keeping him in the fight.

As Ash's brain combed through everything that he knew his starter was capable of, his eyes widened. It was far too impossible, but right now, it did not matter.

Nonetheless, they first needed the chance to try.

"Get closer, Pikachu!" With that order, an Aura Sphere was fired at the mouse, who hurled an Electro Ball to intercept it before dashing to the side to avoid an Ice Beam. The ground where he had once occupied was frozen, but Pikachu paid it no mind, attempting to rush Wartortle even as another storm of bubbles left his mouth. "Double Team!"

The clones did not last long, but they did their job. For the brief moments it took for the bubbles to strike and eliminate them, Wartortle's attention was divided, and the real Pikachu redoubled his push. Ash's face lit up as his starter neared the other side of the onslaught. The next order could easily backfire, but he knew he'd never blame Pikachu for not being able to pull it off.

"NOW! Counter Shield, while running!"

It took only the instant his ears twitched at the order for the electric mouse to get over the surprise. Eyes narrowing he burst forward before flipping onto his back. His body rotated in midair, allowing him to spin on the ground like a top the moment he landed. All the momentum he had accumulated allowed him to slide across the pavement (which briefly included some of the frozen ground) as his body erupted in a tornado of lightning.

The startled Wartortle took a step back in vain just before the lightning lashed out and struck him. Before, he had simply been on the border of the Counter Shield. Now, he was forcibly near the Center, inside of the vortex of lightning. A loud, pained holler erupted from his throat as the lightning covered his body, leaving him doubled over and immobilized.

Gary's screech somehow rose over his starter's pained cries. "NO! In your shell, NOW!"

"Don't let him!" All color was gone from Ash's face, and likely would not return until the battle was over.

Pikachu sprung back onto his feet with haste, but Wartortle was unable to show the same. He was still reeling from the electrical onslaught when the mouse leapt up and drove an Iron Tail into the back of his head, leaving a mark as the water type stumbled forward, sparks still dancing along his body…

Ash almost stopped breathing. He almost lost his voice. Wartortle was vulnerable. Definitively vulnerable, with no way out. It was right here…

In that moment, he almost choked, his train of thought nearly failing to find the words. But the realization of that came an instant later, and he forced the words out, even if it took every bit of effort that he could muster.

"Do it Pikachu! SUPER SHOCK RUSH!"

Pikachu ran in the opposite direction just long enough to build up speed before a u-turn sent him barreling straight for his target. All the aches and fatigue in his body were ignored as held onto Agility for the final few moments that he needed. It had only taken a few seconds at most, but it felt like an eternity to him before he made contact.

The moment did come, and his electrical body charged straight into Wartortle's hip. He felt the impact in his shoulder that very instant, and it stopped all of his momentum. He collapsed onto the pavement, rolling painfully as the bruise pressed against the ground multiple times, before stopping on his side in a daze. His eyelids felt heavy, and a new battle began to keep them open.

In that same moment, Wartortle let loose a pained cry that never saw itself complete. His bulky form was launched like a baseball struck by a bat before bouncing across the concrete several times, stopping on his stomach.

There were no calls of encouragement, or any commentary. Both trainers stared between their starters, who lay still. Pikachu's back was to Ash, who could not tell if the mouse was still conscious.

Then there was movement. The electric type rolled over, his heavy but still open eyes coming into view, and with a strain, slowly pushed his body upwards. All he could manage was a sitting position before his head turned weakly to Gary's starter. The blue aura of Torrent was fading, and after a moment or two, evaporated, leaving only a motionless turtle as the mouse stared at his opponent's unconscious body.

Wartortle did not get up.

Ash's nerves could not quite register what was shooting through his body, or how to properly respond. All he could manage was a hand shooting up to his mouth as the first signs of tears were quickly blinked back.

It might have been the sight of Gary's frozen body that finally managed to get him to realize that he was frozen as well. That realization moved his muscles, and the next thing he knew, he was crouching down in front of Pikachu.

"B-Buddy, you alright?" He only struggled to get his voice out for a moment, the briefest of giggles stumbling his words before gaining a grip. "You did it. We won, you hear me?"

Pikachu's expression was welcoming as Ash gently pulled him in, doing his best not to aggravate his starter's bruises. The mouse did not mind; he simply leaned into his trainer's embrace, cheeks sparking for an instance as his face was buried in Ash's first. A soft, gentle squeak responded to the boy stroking the back of his head before he finally stopped fighting the fatigue.

/

Although no cheering left her lips, Janine's face had lit up to a somewhat embarrassing degree in the lobby. She nearly stood, but suppressed that urge, remembering that she was not alone. What had come over her?

A sudden sound caught her attention. Patricia's hands were clapping, somewhat slow, but consistently as the veteran trainer released a brief. "You're definitely not gonna see something like that every day. I don't think anyone's gonna say your friend isn't ready for Fuchsia after this."

Janine shot her a quick smile before her eyes turned back to the monitor, with a fond twinkle this time. "Yeah."

A few seconds later, a nudge from Patricia directed her attention to the three other trainers in the lobby. "What did I tell you? They did shut up halfway through."

Josh and Beth could only manage a brief, annoyed glance sent in the older girl's direction before Jordan finally found his voice, his eyes having never left the monitor.

"T-t-that… how the hell could two first years have a fight like… whatever the hell that was?" For once, Janine was not annoyed as the blonde boy's gaze landed on her. "And you're just as strong as they are!?"

"Careful, Jordan." Beth piped in. "She might be ready to make you find out the hard way after her buddy's little demonstration. His face turned red as he glared at her, but he did not manage anything else.

To Janine's mild guilt, she felt a slight sense of satisfaction from the exchange, but chose to distract herself by focusing on the monitor. On Ash, who was still cradling his starter.

/

It had not taken Ash long to realize that Pikachu had fallen asleep in his arms. It might have been the final note he needed to bring himself back down to Earth, fishing for the electric type's ball. "Get some rest, buddy. A lot of it." A light tap to the top of the head, and his friend was sucked back in, safe and sound.

Now alone, he slowly stood up and looked across the battlefield, taking in a breath as his eyes fell on the only other two parties.

He hadn't noticed Gary move from his spot, too occupied with his own starter. Now, the Oak boy was with Wartortle, not saying a word, simply holding the water type's unconscious body in his arms. For the briefest of seconds, Ash felt the urge to slip away. He was not sure where it came from, and it did not last long enough for him to try and find out. Taking in another breath, he walked forward.

The other boy's attention was grabbed by the sound of his footsteps about halfway through. With mild hesitance, Ash stopped in front of his rival, slowly crossing his arms as he peered down at Wartortle's condition.

Gary, standing over him as Ash cradled the unconscious Pichu in his arms.

"That's it, then." The tone in his voice was fairly final, as though it was the last piece needed for pressure in his shoulders to subside. "This battle's over."

Gary's face, having been devoid of color, scrunched up for a moment. "No, it's…" his hands curled as his tongue stopped halfway through. "None... None of this makes any sense. You had to have-"

"You're gonna call this a fluke, too?" Ash's voice stern. For a moment or two, he wanted to harness the anger in his chest. He an idea of where that had come from, but was equally glad he didn't follow. "If you want to keep doing that, that's on you. But if you think I'm going to care, you're wasting your time. I wasted my time letting you drag me down for years. I realized that a good while ago, but I also wasn't going to run away whenever you showed up." He let out another breath. In that time, he expected a response, but when none came, he spoke again. "You know something, Gary? There were times when I blamed myself. If I had just kept up with the rest of you, you and I might still be friends. I could've had a lot more friends back at home. Sometimes that ate away at me just as much as the things you said and did." another brief pause. Now, his entire body felt light. Almost weightless. "But in the end, you were probably never worth pleasing in the first place. I got this far without you and the others, and with some exceptions, it was the happiest I've been in a long time." images of a crumbling tower and dark cavern were pushed out of his mind. "I never needed you. You were my anchor. You dragged me down just as much as you think I would have done to you." For a moment, Gary's eyes narrowed, and despite the Oak boy's vulnerable state, Ash could still feel the venom. "I… hate the fact I'm about to say this to you, but… I guess I should thank you for one thing."

"..." there was a pause before Gary said "And what's that?"

Thoughts to the previous night replayed in Ash's mind. "You remember what you said before I challenged you? You said I had no motive behind this dream I've been chasing. That I just saw Pokemon training as this romanticized thing we all see as kids." his face stiffened. "You… you were right. I never really put much thought into this, and yet I dedicated so much to it just because I saw people like Lance and the Elite Four and thought they were awesome. If things were more… I don't know, real, I guess, maybe I would have done better in the past. If my goals were more tangible like you and Angelina, or even Sarah. My view of training might have been a lot more mature." his arms fell to his sides. He'd be leaving soon. "So that's what I'm going to do. I don't know how long it will take, but… a lot of stuff has happened since I left home, and I'm not sure I'll see certain things the same anymore. So I'm going to find a real reason. Something that will actually drive me, the way it drives you. That'll be what gets me to the Conference. And further than that." one final glare, and his voice carried a rare, definitive tone that he was determined to get used to. "And after today, you know that I can. Even if you had won today, don't for a second think that I'm just some stepping stone that you can leave behind, because I'm not going anywhere."

He had said everything he wanted and needed, and didn't want or need to say anything else. Not waiting for Gary's response, he walked past his rival and towards the door. Stopping just in front of the entrance, he felt his chest flutter and spoke softly as his hand ran over the six Poke Balls on his belt.

"You guys are the best thing that ever happened to me, I love all of you."