Chapter 39: Blue's Battle
Minutes before the conclusion of Gary's battle…
Ash got up from his seat and prepared to leave.
"Where are you going, Red?" Blue asked aloud to catch his retreating figure.
"…To see Green," Ash replied, turning towards her for his answer.
He had noticed Gary's shift in character during the battle. The moment their eyes met.
His red eyes were beginning to see even more after being able to perceive Umbreon's AURA.
'Is it just me or is there something around that guy?'
Within that fleeting moment of locking eyes, Ash sensed his rival's inner turmoil.
Anger. Grief. Annoyance. Sorrow. Rage.
All those emotions swirled inside him like a whirlpool.
'I dunno what is this 'weird thing' is, but it's never wrong,' Ash pondered in his mind as he recounted every single instance that he used said 'weird thing'.
"Wait! I'll come with you," Blue insisted, getting up from her seat with Espeon in tow.
As they passed every Trainer in the room, Misty kept glancing at the two.
Kalos Region, Pokémon Academy.
{ LOSING MY FRIEND MADE ME REALIZE SOMETHING. }
{ FRIENDSHIP. SENTIMENTS. EMOTIONS. CAMARADERIE. }
{ MOVES. ABILITIES. TACTICS. TIMINGS. }
{ EACH ONE IS A PIECE THAT HAS EQUAL VALUE IN OBTAINING VICTORY. }
{ IN OTHER WORDS, THEY'RE TOOLS. THEY EXIST TO HELP ME WIN. }
{ BUT A PERSON WHO IS SWAYED BY SENTIMENTS FOR THEIR POKÉMON CANNOT MOVE FORWARD TO VICTORY. }
{ JUST LIKE YOU. }
Serena and her friends were in disbelief at Gary's words.
The students who had yet to become Pokémon Trainers themselves were beginning to ask themselves a question they would have never thought of before:
'Is the overwhelming pain of losing your Pokémon, a dearest friend, even worth going on an adventure at all?'
That question plagued their minds as they watched the victor's lifeless expression despite winning.
"A person who is swayed by sentiments for their Pokémon cannot win, huh? I hate to admit it but he's kinda right…" Calem sighed in defeat as the orange-haired boy had the skills to back up his claims.
As much as the black-haired boy wanted to refute that claim, the results spoke for themselves.
"He did win after all…" Trevor responded weakly as the boy was now debating whether to treat his future Pokémon the same way if he ever wanted a shot in the Kalos League.
"Each one of them really ticks me off…" Tierno grumbled under his breath, not buying whatever Gary was selling.
Serena then felt a tug of her school uniform's sleeve. The honey blonde's friend was visibly dejected at Gary's words.
"…Do you think he's right, Serena?" Shauna asked.
"No way in hell."
Froakie who had found his way to Serena's lap after the cheering croaked out in disagreement as well.
The honey blonde's immediate answer shook her friends.
The blue frog's behaviour surprised Sycamore.
Froakie was angered by Gary's words.
Serena's eyes of blue were set ablaze with rage.
And she began ranting at Gary's monologue… By monologuing herself.
"If that's true then why did Red win?!"
"My Red won by believing in his Pokémon!"
"Completely the opposite of what he spouted out!"
"Is Green dumb?!"
"And Red calls him a genius?!"
"Self-proclaimed is more like it!"
With a huff, she calmed down after venting her frustrations, causing everyone to sweatdrop at her outburst.
"So don't worry Shauna," she said to her best friend.
"My Pokémon Master is going to knock some sense into him," the honey blonde chuckled, completely confident in the raven-haired boy.
A smile crept onto her face. Her bright blue eyes resembling the skies.
"Be it a Gym Leader or Elite Four, Red will never give up until it's over."
…
...
After we left Saffron City, the three of us all went our separate ways.
Along the way, I caught and trained my Pokémon. All to catch up to Red and Green and beat them in the Indigo Grand League.
The next time I saw Green was on Victory Road.
I saw a familiar sight.
The blindingly fast attack. Arcanine's victory pose against the opposing Persian.
It reminded me of… him.
"Hey Green, that move..."
I called out to him from behind. Arcanine noticed me and gave a small nod as acknowledgement of my presence.
"I call it [ExtremeSpeed]."
He turned towards me with a smile.
"It's a refined version of Raticate's old [Quick Attack]."
His gaze warmed my heart.
I was so relieved.
That arrogant attitude. That smug smile.
It was like time had rewound itself.
Green was back to his old self. And this time, we weren't in any dream world.
I couldn't be happier. The boy I admired was back.
The only time he seemed a little off...
Was when I showed him Espeon.
But I shrugged it off as thinking he still needed time to heal.
I thought maybe time and the excitement of making it to the Grand League had eased his wounds a little.
Maybe I wouldn't have to worry about him anymore.
But…
I was very wrong.
In his battle against Karen, I saw it again.
"All that crap about changing people's minds about Dark type Pokémon has blinded you to the truth!"
It was in his words.
"Your past, your friendship, none of those matters! You're just drunk on your own meaningless sob story!"
And his face.
"Stop looking at me like you understand me!"
That hateful wrath. As if the whole world was his enemy.
I hate it. That's why I will push away these rose-tinted glasses.
Standing before me now… is not my Green.
To the Green standing before me:
Back in the hospital, you told me…
That bonds exist to shackle instead to strengthen.
That your value would be Power.
With those exact eyes.
…Fine.
I'll make you eat your words.
…
…
"What do you guys want?"
"To preach to me?"
The orange-haired boy spoke with clear animosity.
Blue flinched at Gary's demeanour, slightly backing off.
However, …
"Whaaaa? 'Course not," Ash replied with a dash of sarcasm.
The raven-haired boy extended a hand to congratulate his rival.
Blue was taken aback by Ash's nonchalant behaviour.
"Can't a guy just congratulate you on your victory? C'mon, bring it in."
Although Ash was smiling, the air around him was not. The raven-haired Trainer was not one for subtlety.
The atmosphere between the three grew tenser. If one were to compare imagery of such intensity, it would be akin to an impeding earthquake, the low rumbling signifying its coming.
Gary was not amused and slapped the extended hand away from him.
The green-eyed Trainer simply replied with the same amount of sarcasm.
"You're far too kind."
The slap elevated the tense atmosphere further, bubbling it to the maximum. The earthquake began cracking.
"Pikapi?" Pikachu squeaked out in alarm.
"Sheesh. What are ya getting so down about?" Ash asked, shaking his hand off the pain.
His eyes shadowed by his cap's visor and a cocky smile plastered on his face.
"You just won, y'know?"
The raven-haired boy was riling Gary up.
"Ahhh, I see…" Ash began.
"Must suck to win the battle and lose the war, amirite?"
Ash Ketchum was a genius at provoking others.
Gary snapped.
"What?"
But the boy regained his composure. He knew Ash practically since birth.
Gary knew what his rival was doing and would not fall for his taunts.
"…Ah, right, right."
"You mean her whole 'showing off Dark Pokémon's strengths so people won't hate them anymore' thing?"
"Yeah. And she succeeded," Ash confirmed, dropping the act as he realized that Gary was not falling for it.
"Pft."
"You think that battle changed the world?"
"Are you an idi— Oh wait, you are."
'Leave it to this jerk to insult me at every chance he got,' Ash thought, a vein popping on his head.
"This is the Indigo Grand League, and these matches get broadcasted all around the world, I'll give you that."
"But even if some of the people watching were moved by what they saw today..."
"Do you really think that's going to change how Dark Pokémon are treated?"
"Thrills like this match are cheap, they're not going to achieve anything. Most people will probably have forgotten about it by tomorrow."
The pessimistic answer the boy gave irritated the two other Pallet Town Trainers.
"But Karen won't give up. Not until the message sticks," the raven-haired boy shot back.
"Ooh, you know an awful lot for someone who's never even interacted with her here."
"But… I guess it makes sense."
"After all, …"
"You two are just like her."
The venomous words spat out by the wicked smile of the orange-haired Trainer were directed to Ash and Pikachu.
The Trainer and Pokémon shared the same expression.
The fire in their eyes matching each other.
"You could say she's the superior version."
" And if she couldn't beat me, there's no way you ever will."
"…You don't know that," Ash replied, clenching a fist inside his pocket.
"Do you know why she lost this battle?"
"The best way to show off her Dark Pokémon would've been to win every single match."
"She's got the skills to do that, too. I'll admit that."
"But with that said, why didn't she beat me?"
Blue and Espeon already knew what he was going to say.
"It's 'cuz she put her faith in the wrong things."
Gary's emotionless green eyes glared at Blue and Espeon.
"Her Pokémon's feelings..."
Then to Ash and Pikachu.
"Her friendship with them..."
"The only thing she proved is that it all amounts to worthless trash."
With that, Ash could not hold back.
The raven-haired Trainer then grabbed onto the collar of Gary's black shirt.
"How can you say that?!" he snapped in anger.
"Red! Calm down!" Blue tried to persuade, wanting to diffuse the irredeemable atmosphere of rage.
"What about you and Arcanine?!" Ash continued, ignoring Blue's pleas.
"Blue told me all about [ExtremeSpeed]."
"You and Arcanine took Raticate's [Quick Attack] and carried on its legacy."
"Friendship means something to you, too. It has to!"
Gary stood in silence.
But he replied to Ash's lecture with words he would have never said.
"…You know what this match proved to me?"
"About the pain of losing Raticate?"
The wrathful green eyes pierced the two childhood friends with burning anger.
"A shitty sob story like that will never have any value."
Blue and Espeon widened their eyes in shock.
The boy they loved would have never gone so far.
Especially when it was about Raticate.
Ash gripped onto the collar tighter. He was losing control.
The blood red eyes were moments from flaring up again.
"Value, my ass! Do you really belie—"
"That part of you…"
Tired of Ash, Gary then proceeded to land a right hook punch onto his pseudo-brother.
"Really pisses me off."
The impact from the punch made Ash stumble backwards into a wall, dropping his red cap in the process.
"That's one of the things I hate the most about you."
"Green, what are you doing?!" Blue screamed out.
Pikachu, who managed to get out of the way, squeaked out in worry.
"Pika…"
Cling!
The silver locket dropped to the floor; the chain broken from the impact.
Its lid opened with the name of his beloved inside.
The air grew heavy with intense fury.
Blue and Gary widened their eyes in shock.
Espeon and Pikachu got startled by the change in Ash's presence.
The boy paused to look down at the broken locket. His eyes shadowed by his raven-black hair.
"Stay out of this, Pikachu," Ash instructed as he wiped the blood on his mouth.
Ash's eyes of red were set ablaze with rage.
The AURA around him formed with extreme bloodlust.
Something he obtained from his exploits against Team Rocket.
"You…"
The smouldering red eyes heated for the two others to see.
And Ash dashed towards Gary with a fist prepared.
"Weren't the only one that cared about Raticate!"
Gary was too angry to question the red eyes and prepared his own fist in retaliation.
"Keep talking!"
"Stop!" a scream echoed towards them.
The two fists stopped short as if held onto by an unseen force.
"You're both going too far..." Blue asserted firmly.
The chestnut-haired girl was putting her foot down.
Espeon had the two under control due to [Psychic].
'…! [Psychic]?' Ash pondered, finally regaining control.
But the smouldering red eyes were still present.
"…Espeon."
The rageful green eyes now settled towards their former starter.
"Let. Me. Go."
But Espeon had enough. She ignored his orders.
"…Tch! Arcanine!"
With that command, a wounded but battle-ready Arcanine let himself out of the Ball to attack the assailant.
However, upon realizing it was his late idol's best friend, he hesitated.
The two locked eyes in twisted surprise.
But Arcanine was forced to resume his duty.
The large paw was primed towards the purple feline with blinding speed.
The sharp claws ready to harm their former friend…
Clang!
Only to be stopped mere inches away from Espeon's face by a metallic tail.
Pikachu and Arcanine glared at each other.
Creak.
The electric mouse gritted his teeth as he tried to push back the looming paw.
Creak!
But the large canine had energy to spare and pressed even harder.
Creak!
A worried Espeon was too stunned to move.
CREAK!
The tail and the paw battled for dominance.
CREAK!
And Arcanine was winning.
"Stand down, Arcanine."
"Espeon released me. It's fine now."
The red canine then retreated his paw from the yellow mouse's [Iron Tail].
"Anyway, where were we?"
"Oh, right."
"[ExtremeSpeed] and Raticate's 'legacy'."
The two Trainers tensed up at his cold tone. Ash narrowed his glowing eyes as he picked up his locket.
"I'll admit, I was surprised when Growlithe started using a move he couldn't learn naturally. Guess it was his way of coping or whatever."
"So long as it helped me win, I didn't care how he did it."
"But that ends today. We can't rely on that move anymore."
The green eyes gazed at the fiery canine and issued his order.
"Arcanine, you're not allowed to use [ExtremeSpeed] ever again. It's become a liability. I can't allow that."
Arcanine widened his eyes at his Trainer's words, unable to believe what he was hearing.
To never again use the technique that he inherited from his beloved idol made the red canine devastated and sank his heart.
"The hell are you—" Ash shouted in indignation before getting cut off.
"You flinched when Houndoom countered [ExtremeSpeed]."
"A move that's supposed to be a fool-proof way for us to control the battle."
"You've let your emotions interfere with that. It's made you weak."
And the cold green eyes issued his last command.
"It's time to forget about Raticate."
"He was nothing but trash. I need you to be better than that."
Blue and Espeon were overwhelmed with disgust at his words.
Ash's flaming eyes flared even brighter.
"Green…!"
But the first to move… was Pikachu.
The electric mouse could not take it anymore. Insulting his late rival was the final straw.
Pikachu leapt towards Gary and was about to attack him with [Iron Tail].
"PIKA!"
But the orange-haired boy never flinched…
Chomp!
As he knew Arcanine would protect him.
The large canine crunched onto the metallic tail, stopping its assault.
"Pikachu!" Ash cried out.
"Pi…kaaa…?!" Pikachu squeaked out, trying to win this battle of strength after losing the last one before being shocked by his rival's legacy.
Arcanine's black eyes were dead. Not a hint of light behind them.
The black eyes now finally matched that of his Trainer.
With a mighty fling, he tossed the electric mouse into the air.
"Pikachu!" Ash cried out again.
Luckily, a mass of purple energy surrounded Pikachu and gently placed him on the ground safely.
Ash knelt to check for any injuries on his partner.
Espeon released [Psychic] on Pikachu and hissed aggressively towards her former Trainer.
Blue's heartbeats grew louder as the tension between the trio got pushed to the limit.
Aces mimicked their Trainers' expressions.
"Hah."
Blue and Espeon with worried yet determined eyes.
"I knew it."
Ash and Pikachu with flames behind their eyes, the former's glowing intensely.
"There's only one way we're going to settle this!"
Gary and Arcanine glared with soulless eyes, their darkness manifested menacingly.
"Alright, that's it!" a voice boomed.
A familiar redhead approached the trio, her orange hair flowing freely.
"The three of you, stand down," Misty commanded.
"Start battling here, and you'll be disqualified."
It was not a request, but an order.
"Misty!" Ash exclaimed while the blood red eyes retreated, turning back to normal.
"…Hmph," Gary huffed, turning away from his childhood friends.
"Oi, jackass! Wait!" Ash yelled.
"Are you really in a position to be worrying about others right now, Red?"
The orange-haired boy's question startled both Ash and Pikachu.
"You hid it well, but I noticed it. During your battle against Misty as well as our little scuffle just now…"
Ash widened his eyes in alarm.
"Pikachu has hit his limit, hasn't he?"
The raven-haired Trainer and his partner began sweating at his speculation, proving him right.
'…'
"Green!" Blue called out to the withdrawing figure of the boy.
Gary stopped in his tracks with Arcanine following suit.
"Please… watch our next match!" the chestnut-haired girl requested.
"I want you to see how much Espeon and I have grown!"
Gary hesitated upon seeing the girl's sincere expression.
Every fibre in his body cried out to just accept it like a normal person.
But his curse would not allow it. And so, he sank back into the wicked smirk he wore.
"Heh… Fine. Do whatever you want."
"Do your veeeeery best not to embarrass yourselves in front of the whole world, okay?"
Red and blue eyes watched the greens go.
The yellow mouse and purple feline locked their gazes at the red canine.
With that, Gary and Arcanine were gone.
"Geez… that jerk just evolved into a damn menace at this point," Ash grumbled, getting up from his kneeling position.
Finally, Blue exploded angrily at the raven-haired boy.
"It's your fault for hitting back, Red! You too, Pikachu!"
"Eek!" Ash hissed out in fright.
"We came here to talk to him, not fight him, remember?"
"I-I know, but..." Ash quivered nervously, his hands in the air as a sign of surrender.
"Pika…" Pikachu cooed, doing the same actions as Ash.
"Sheesh... Once you two flew off the handle, I didn't even get to say my piece..." Blue sighed.
"You three just can't help causing drama, can you?" Misty asked rhetorically.
"Tell that to that jerk," Ash complained with Pikachu climbing onto his shoulder.
The boy thanked Espeon for using her psychic abilities to fix the broken chain of the silver locket.
"Red," the chestnut-haired girl called to her childhood friend.
The boy listened intently at what she had to say.
"From here on...I'm fighting to win."
"I don't mean I haven't been trying up until now."
"But really, I just wanted to catch up with you and Green."
"That, and to show Green how well Espeon is doing."
The deep blue eyes showed their resolve and the girl's hand on her heart, emphasizing her newfound goal.
"But now, I want to defeat Green. I want to show him..."
"…Just how strong carrying on Raticate's memory has made us!"
Hearing her determination, Ash cracked a grin.
"Now you're talking! We'll be cheering you on for your match!" Ash exclaimed, pumping a fist towards the girl.
"I'll be rooting for you, too. Both of you," Misty said.
"Every Pokémon trainer has their own way of doing things."
But… when it comes to proving your resolve, there's really only one way."
"Right / Uh-huh," Ash and Blue agreed.
{ IT'S TIME TO BATTLE! }
{ PLEASE GIVE A WARM WELCOME TO OUR NEXT TRAINERS AS THEY ENTER THE ARENA! }
{ FLYING IN FROM THE FAR-OFF REGION OF UNOVA, IT'S THE GRANDCHILD OF MISTRALTON CITY'S GYM LEADER! }
{ THE SOARING ACE, SKYLA OF MISTRALTON CITY! }
An auburn-haired teenager entered the battlefield, waving at the audience.
{ NEXT UP! CHILDHOOD FRIENDS WITH AND COMING FROM THE FAMOUS PALLET TOWN AS FAMILIAR FACES RED AND GREEN! }
{ A REAL OASIS IN THE DESERT, FOLKS! }
{ IT'S BLUE OF PALLET TOWN! }
A chestnut-haired girl timidly walked to the battlefield, not used to the number of cheers from the crowd.
The appearance of the final member of the Pallet Town trio caused the audience to go wild. Especially a certain Academy.
…
"What a cutie!" Tierno exclaimed with hearts for eyes.
Trevor blushed at sight of Blue.
The male students roared in excitement as the hormones took over. The female students were dazzled by the young girl as she made it to the main event.
"Man, another good-looking one showed up after that Green guy," Shauna commented.
"Funny how Red is dead last in the appearance department now," Calem joked.
"It's fine. At least now, no one's gonna look at Red," Serena smugly stated as she could now have Ash all to herself.
Then, a strange occurrence happened, causing everyone's jaw to drop.
…
{ OH! WHAT'S THIS?! }
"ORAAAA! LET'S GO, BLUE!" a loud shout emerged from the stands.
"Pika Pikachu!" Pikachu squeaked out with fans on his paws.
An energetic Ash was waving a large impromptu flag with the words: [ Fight on, Blue! ] on it. Pikachu was similarly holding fans with the words: [ Love Blue ].
Misty chuckled beside the enthusiastic boy and mouse, but she also began cheering for the chestnut-haired girl.
"Woooo! Go get 'em, Blue!" the redhead cheered.
The passionate cheers infected the crowd and within no time, the stadium roared even louder for Blue.
"Pft! What an idiot," Blue snorted upon seeing Ash's goofy grin.
Gary stood in the shadows to oversee Blue's battle like he promised.
A glare of disdain smeared across his green eyes.
…
"Pft, that dummy…" Serena snorted in amusement.
"Let's go, Blue!" the honey blonde cheered.
Ash had told Serena during their time in summer camp about both Blue and Gary. The former being someone she could empathize with as a fellow shy individual.
Now, seeing her for the first time, Serena could not help but cheer for the chestnut-haired girl louder.
…
{ NOW, LET'S REVEAL THE TERRAIN THESE TRAINERS WILL BE BATTLING IN! }
The metallic doors of the battlefield came to life and opened, revealing a grassy field with logs and several trees.
{ LOOKS LIKE IT'S THE FOREST TERRAIN, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN! }
"We meet again, Blue!" Skyla addressed cordially while waving towards the young girl.
"You ready to see how we battle in Unova?"
Blue perked up upon hearing that and held her first PokéBall in hand.
"Only if you're ready to learn the Kanto way—" the girl replied but stopped herself before rectifying her statement.
"No… My way!"
{ SKYLA OF MISTRALTON CITY VS BLUE OF PALLET TOWN! }
{ BATTLE START! }
The two Trainers summoned their respective lead Pokémon.
Skyla sent out a brown-feathered ostrich with three heads, Dodrio.
Blue sent out a pink fairy with spikes resembling wings, Clefable.
The chestnut-haired girl made the first move.
"Cleffy, [Thunderbolt]!" she called out.
The pink fairy began gathering lightning with its two hands, creating an orb of shining yellow.
"[Thunderbolt]!" Ash gasped in surprise at Cleffy's first move being the expert of the move himself.
"The opponent's a Flying-type so that's the right move…" Misty assessed the battle.
"Typically."
The three heads opened their beaks and from each one, a surge of different coloured energy blasted towards the pink fairy.
(Left: Yellow (Electric) . Middle: Blue (Ice). Right: Red (Fire))
The three elements made their way rapidly towards Cleffy.
Having no choice, the pink fairy abandoned charging up its [Thunderbolt] and resorted to barely dodging the rampant energy blasts. The orb of yellow vanished without a trace.
'S-So fast! Cleffy had no time to charge up the electricity!' Blue thought in disbelief.
"When a Pokémon uses a move outside its own Typing, both the speed and power of the technique are lowered to a certain degree," Misty explained.
"Just because a move is super effective, doesn't mean it's gonna connect. You and Lapras took advantage of that delay from Starmie's [Thunderbolt] as well."
Ash nodded in understanding.
Suddenly, Dodrio began bracing its legs.
And with a powerful push, the three-headed ostrich propelled itself high into the air, leaving an explosion of dust in its wake.
"So high…!" Blue gasped.
"Have you ever wondered how Dodrio could use [Fly] even without wings?" Skyla asked, her hand directing towards Cleffy.
"The answer is because of these powerful legs! These legs that will trample anything in their way!"
"Dodrio, [Jump Kick]!"
The talons approached the target with amazing speed, and the unguarded Cleffy met them without a moment to respond.
Crush!
Dodrio kicked the pink fairy into the dirt with help from gravitational strength.
However, Dodrio noticed something was off.
The crushed Cleffy began vanishing into a cloud of smoke, revealing an unharmed Cleffy behind it.
"I see, [Substitute]. You used a quarter of your stamina to create a decoy," Skyla smiled, impressed by the girl's quick thinking.
"But you only managed to avoid the attack!"
Dodrio leaped high into the sky once more.
"Then we'll keep whittling you down until you're a sitting duck!"
'If we take too many of those kicks, we're in big trouble!' Blue mused in worry.
"Cleffy, you know what to do!" Blue commanded her Pokémon.
With a sparkling pink AURA from its hands, the pink fairy enacted its move.
An unseen force held the Dodrio onto the air and flung it back down onto the battlefield.
{ [GRAVITY]! }
{ AS THE NAME SUGGESTS, IT'S A MOVE THAT INCREASES THE GRAVTY THROUGHOUT THE BATTLEFIELD! }
{ WITH A SINGLE MOVE, FLYING TYPE ATTACKS AND JUMPING TECHNIQUES HAVE BEEN RENDERED UNUSABLE! }
"Clefable can do that?!" Ash exclaimed in amazement.
"That's amazing," Misty said, equally impressed.
…
"Woah! Isn't that move like the perfect counter to Flying types?!" Calem cried out in astonishment.
"Correct, Calem. In fact, it's said that Clefable's pre-evolution, Clefairy is a Pokémon deeply rooted to the Moon," Sycamore explained.
"Just as the Moon influences the tides, it's also possible for Clefable to harness that same power."
…
"But such a technique clearly requires intense concentration," Oak explained, observing the sweating Cleffy.
"I'd say about a few minutes?"
The battlefield's air grew heavy as Dodrio could not muster the strength to oppress [Gravity] while Cleffy who was surrounded by a pink AURA was concentrating with everything it had.
"I'm just spitballing here but… you were hoping to use this against a real Flying-type Pokémon instead of my flightless Dodrio, correct?" Skyla guessed.
All attention turned towards the young girl of Pallet Town.
"…Whaaaaaat? You're waaaaay off the mark…" Blue unconvincingly lied.
'Ah, she got me.'
The chestnut-haired girl's poker face was terrible.
"But too bad. Even if you've sealed off her ability to jump, Dodrio's legs have more than enough power to finish the job!" Skyla declared.
The three-headed ostrich then sprinted her way towards Cleffy with high speed.
"Erk! Cleffy, behind the tree!" Blue ordered as her pink fairy darted towards a tree with a thin trunk.
The beaks of the three heads were then surrounded by spiralling winds and aimed towards the tree, snapping it with ease.
"[Drill Peck] x3!" Skyla called out.
'A simultaneous attack from all three heads?! We can't dodge that!' Blue internally shouted in bewilderment.
"Cleffy, [Substitute] again!" Blue called out.
A decoy was conjured in place of Cleffy's initial position but was quickly taken down as the whirring beak pierced through [Substitute], leaving behind a fading Cleffy with a gaping hole on its chest.
"It's no use! All you're doing is making it easier for me!" Skyla confidently declared.
"Now that your Clefable's health is now halved, wrap this up, Dodrio!"
Dodrio obliged her Trainer's command and lunged towards Cleffy with [Drill Peck]. The spectators could only watch the inevitable.
The students of Pokémon Academy were groaning in defeat at their new adoration's imminent loss.
Then, Blue spoke to the teenager with an unfazed expression, her blue eyes covered by the rim of her white hat.
"You know… Cola isn't the only thing I like from Unova."
The girl reminisced about her childhood.
For most of her youth, Blue felt like an outsider in Pallet Town. The fact that she had a name named literally after the Unovan word for 'blue' was more than enough to ostracize her from the rest of the children.
(Ash = Satoshi, Gary = Shigeru in Kanto)
However, she felt solace towards the two boys who would fight for her and befriend her without judgement.
Then, on the first day of meeting Blue's parents…
"Oh, my sweet Blue! Are you hurt?!" Blue's mother gasped out in worry upon witnessing her daughter's dirt-coated dress. The girl was pushed to the ground by some bullies.
"I'm fine, Mama. Ash and Gary helped me," the girl shook her head and expressed her gratitude to the accompanying boys.
A young but bruised Gary laughed with a wide grin.
"It's no biggie. They wouldn't dare fight against a genius like me!"
But Ash stood silently with a steel-hardened expression, merely shaking his head at Blue's gratitude.
"…"
Compared to the other two children, Ash was the most injured.
The raven-haired boy fought for Blue, uncaring about the punches or scratches that came his way. It was as if he did not care about his well-being.
"In any case, thank you for helping my daughter," Blue's father began, showing his thanks towards the courageous kids.
"How about you two stay for dinner, huh?"
Gary vigorously nodded his head while a silent Ash bowed as acceptance towards the man's offer.
While the adults were cooking, Gary and Blue were treating Ash's wounds using the first-aid kit.
"Geez, Ash. I told you not to be reckless whenever you see someone in trouble," Gary sighed as he wrapped a gauze around the raven-haired boy's arm. The orange-haired boy swiftly bandaged Ash as if he had done it numerous times, which he had.
Ash and Gary had known each other for their whole lives. If someone were to comment on the two, they would always call them brothers.
Stubborn to a fault, Ash merely turned his head away in defiance, causing a vein to pop on Gary's head.
Soon after, the children got bored and began watching some Unovan programmes. The boys ate their meal in silence together as they waited for Blue to pick a show.
There, Blue came across the PokéStar Studios channel and without thinking, played the first show.
The children felt like a door of entertainment had opened before them.
Humans and Pokémon working in tandem to create amazing shows. It fascinated Blue to no end.
The romance of [Romeo and Juliet] made her squeal and heartbroken in the end, causing her spaghetti to turn soggy with her tears, much to her parents' amusement.
Meanwhile, Gary cheered for the main characters of [Spy and Sidekick], woohoo-ing boisterously and choking on a meatball as a result.
However, what surprised everyone was Ash's reaction towards a certain movie.
Although they were meeting the boys for the first time, Blue's parents could not help but feel pity for the raven-haired boy when his first appearance was so haggard and bloody. Even more so when his expression showed no pain from the injuries he had received.
Blue continued playing multiple movies in hopes of getting the taciturn boy to enjoy something as a way to repay him for helping her in her own childish way.
Then, it came.
A bastardized version of an old Galar legend.
A peasant boy gripped a golden ornate blade that was stabbed into a stone of unflinching gray.
And when he pulled it out, Blue noticed Ash's features.
The blood red eyes widened as if he had seen such a scene before. She could tell he was not paying attention to the low-quality show anymore.
But Gary and Blue let out a gasp of bewilderment at Ash's first words.
"…Sword…"
It was a weak mutter but audible for everyone to hear, and Gary was the first to hug him.
"Took you long enough, idiot!" the orange-haired boy cried out in joy at his pseudo-brother's first words since Ash's revelation towards his mother's passing.
"Weird choice of word for your first but I'll take it!"
Gary had been trying to get Ash to open up more and react with his surroundings. But as much of a genius that he was, the orange-haired child was still that, a child. And so, he did it the only way he knew how: provocation and bragging.
And that continued for a while, until Ash finally spoke.
It was then Blue realized something.
She loved the PokéStar Studios movies.
She loved how much emotion they could evoke to make the watchers swoon, cry, cheer or even speak their first words.
Films were extremely powerful, and she knew that.
The young child would then be inspired by the movies she adored and make it her own.
Her style.
"I also really adore the movies from the PokéStar Studios channel when I was a little child."
It washed away her shame of her Unovan blood. It was the first time she thought about how amazing Unova was upon watching more spectacular films made by the region.
"And my favourite genre?"
Blue then gazed at the battlefield, her fingers shaped like an L on both hands and brought them together as if looking for the perfect shot.
Her mind wandered to her first movie.
"Romance!"
Cleffy then proceeded to dodge [Drill Peck] and began stroking one of the Dodrio's head.
The pink fairy's eyes became sharp and gazed upon one of the Dodrio with unbridled passion. Imaginary subtitles began popping into everyone's minds.
[ What's wrong, baby? That angry face doesn't suit you… ]
The gentle touch from Cleffy caused Dodrio to blush immensely.
From the crowds, Misty whistled in amazement by such flawless acting from Cleffy.
In the halls of Pokémon Academy, the girls squealed in delight at the romantic(?) flick before them while the boys were disturbed by the sight.
Blood red eyes and bright blue ones could only watch in disbelief, sharing a single thought.
'What.'
{ WHAT THE?! }
{ ARE YOU SEEING THIS, FOLKS?! }
Cleffy's gentle caress made the right-most head's heart skip a beat.
The tuffs of hair on the head bended to create the shape of a heart.
"I see… Cute Charm, is it?" Lance deduced, with a slight chuckle.
An Ability that activated through physical contact with the opposite sex and reduced their will to fight.
"It may seem like a rather strange effect, however, the power to force an opponent to surrender their fighting spirit is deceptively powerful," Bruno chimed in, not bothered by the slightest at the strange sight.
The burly man had enough experience in battles to know not to underestimate the Charmed effect.
Back at the field, Skyla was exasperated at the sight of Cleffy's wooing techniques.
[ I will always love you~ ]
"This is our secret technique! With this, we can win on the fields of both love and war!" Blue declared in a sing-song tone.
However, that did not last long.
The other two heads primed their beaks at their offender, causing Cleffy to step back from the attacks.
"What?!" Blue choked in surprise.
"Turbo, Rocket! Wake Recipro up!" Skyla commanded.
(*Turbo = Left, Rocket = Middle, Recipro = Right.)
The two heads pecked on the one named Recipro, thus nullifying the Charmed status.
'No way… They undid Cute Charm,' Blue mentally exclaimed.
"Each of Dodrio's three heads can think independently of the others," the auburn-haired teenager explained.
"Even if you managed to seduce one of them, my girls can save each other!"
"This is bad! Cleffy, [Moon—"
"I won't let you use any more of your cheap tricks!" Skyla interrupted.
A rampaging Dodrio then burst into a sprint towards the pink fairy.
"[Thrash]!"
The wild three-headed ostrich chased after the poor fleeing fairy with absolute disdain. Their eyes were white with unbridled rage.
Cleffy tried to lose them by weaving through the trees of the battlefield, but it was futile. Dodrio would just destroy everything in its path.
"Keep running!" Blue called out, her blue eyes wide in panic.
Cleffy then ran up an inclined tree that was uprooted from the earlier rampage. With that, Blue made her move.
"Now, Cleffy!"
The pink fairy then jumped from the trunk, barely dodging another beak from Dodrio, and finally, propelled himself onto the three-headed ostrich.
"[Body Slam]!"
'Not good! She's using [Gravity]'s pull!' Skyla speculated after seeing the increased damage done to her Pokémon.
[ This too is Fate. The one embracing you tonight isn't me. ]
The pink fairy continued to womanize the two other heads who had unfortunately been Charmed as well.
[ It's this beautiful moonlight. ]
The pink fairy then conjured a brilliant orb of pink and slammed it down onto Dodrio.
"[Moonblast]!"
[ Moon Fairy and the Three-Wedded Brides]
Thus, imaginary credits played in the audience's head.
STAFF
MOON FAIRY – CLEFABLE
TRIPLET BRIDES – TURBO, ROCKET, RECIPRO
SPONSORS – SKYLA, INDIGO PLATEAU, INDIGO GRAND LEAGUE
DIRECTOR – BLUE
Back to reality, Cleffy coolly walked away from the crater he made with the fainted Dodrio in his wake.
{ DO- DODRIO IS UNABLE TO BATTLE! }
The stadium roared in applause. And a confused Skyla had her jaw unhinged.
"Good job, Cleffy! You're a famous actor now!" Blue praised her posing Pokémon.
"Weird… Could've sworn I saw some credits scrolling by…" Ash murmured in confusion, rubbing his eyes.
"What a coincidence… I thought I heard music just now…" Misty gave a strained smile, not knowing whether her mind was playing tricks on her.
{ WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS, PROFESSOR? }
"Hmm… well, Dodrio is known to have excellent cognitive abilities between the three heads as well as an innate ability to sense danger," Oak explained while snacking on some Lava Cookies.
"However, Clefable's lack of hostility was the deciding factor as it managed to get close without their noticing."
The crowd then became amused as they noticed Dodrio's behaviour. The ostrich were still blushing with hearts forming on their heads.
"Hahaha!"
"Cute Charm is still active even though they're knocked out!"
"So adorable!"
And so, an embarrassed Skyla quickly recalled her Pokémon.
'I know they don't mean harm… but this is so embarrassing,' the auburn-haired teenager blushed in humiliation.
'Battles… Pokémon Battles should cooler than this!'
Within the stadium's security room, a concerned Lt. Surge watched the young girl grit her teeth in annoyance.
Then, from the stadium, Ash began waving the large flag again, catching Blue's attention.
"Let's go, Blue! Keep going with your style! It's amazing!" Ash cheered loudly with Pikachu voicing out his support.
Responding to her friend's support, Blue simply smiled and gave a peace sign…
In the same fashion as Gary's own signature pose.
'Red…' she began her internal monologue.
'Red fights with burning passion as he synchronizes his dreams with his Pokémon's feelings. That's how Red battles…'
'Green kills off his emotions and dictates over the fight with cold calculation. That's how Green battles…'
'But what does battling mean to me?'
'To showcase the beauty and form of Pokémon that is beyond reach in ordinary life.'
'Even if we appear silly and carefree…'
'We're not here on a whim. We truly wanna win.'
'However, …'
A determined smile crept onto the chestnut-haired girl's face.
'To me, battling is really all about finding pleasuring and understanding the magnificence of Pokémon!'
From the announcer's booth, Oak smiled at the girl.
'Well, would you look at that?' the elderly man mused in satisfaction.
'To think that girl who was afraid to touch Pokémon a year ago…'
'Would stand so radiantly in the Grand League with such conviction.'
Gone was the timid girl that wore gloves as a means to escape her trauma.
Standing without a hint of fear before an intimidated Skyla…
Was a girl enjoying herself in the Grand League.
Was someone who forged her own path.
Was the third member of the Pallet Trio.
Blue Leaf of Pallet Town.
'You're amazing, Blue!' Ash remarked excitedly with a toothy grin.
The grin was slightly forming into the crazed one whenever he was relishing a difficult battle. However, this time, it was towards his friend who had overcome her demons and he could not be prouder.
'You're not just unique… You've gone and got so much stronger as well!'
'Gah! I wanna fight her in the Grand League as well!'
Then, from the shadows of the audience entrance, was a sneering Gary with his arms folded, disapproving the chestnut-haired girl's resolve.
"Hmph."
His lifeless green eyes swam towards Blue.
"Pathetic."
Then to the cheering Ash.
Chapter 39: Blue's Battle
"Every last of them."