Chapter 14: Red Eyes
'I didn't care if what I was doing is right or wrong.'
An image of a honey-blonde girl resurfaced.
'I just let that desire to make them pay push me forward.'
Her face burnt away, intercepting recognition.
The room was huge.
Opposite of Ash were the remaining Team Rocket grunts.
Numbering close to a hundred.
And in front of them, was their Boss.
"Name's Giovanni, child," his voice deep and authoritative.
"Keep your nose out of grown-up matters…"
Ash and his Pokémon readied their battle stances.
"Or experience a world of hurt!"
A gigantic purple horned monster bellowed behind him.
With Pokémon from the grunts behind it acting as its soldiers.
Roaring at his enemies, Ash moved forward.
The battle ensued.
Ash was hopelessly outnumbered.
Nidoking's [Earth Power] shook the floor.
Its [Stone Edges] littered the floor with rocky spikes.
Spikes sharp enough to kill.
One by one, the grunts fell.
Mostly thanks to friendly fire, courtesy of Nidoking.
Even so, Ash's fatigue started to build up.
Nights without sleep were taking effect on the boy's body.
His Pokémon as well.
But they still pushed forward.
Eventually, the room was left with two Trainers.
Ash vs Giovanni.
The latter without so much as a scratch on him.
His Nidoking showed no signs of fatigue.
The raven-haired boy's party of 5 were barely hanging on.
Exhausted and out of breath.
"You have my praise, child," Giovanni started with a look of amazement.
"To use my Nidoking's moves as a means to defeat my forces; even though you could have easily been at the unfortunate end," he continued.
"You are one crazy child."
A smirk present on his wicked face.
"Does death not scare you, boy?" Giovanni inquired, fascinated by Ash.
"What motivated you to go this far?"
Red eyes glared at the man.
"My Cubone…" he answered.
"His mother's death at your hands."
"You robbed him of his family."
"That's unforgivable to me." Ash concluded, clenching his bloodied fingerless gloves.
Giovanni merely scoffed.
"You come here and destroy my organization… all for mere sentimentality?" he spoke with a voice laced with anger.
"Very well, boy. Come, you now face Giovanni! The greatest Trainer!" Giovanni roared.
With that, Ash moved forward once more.
Crash!
Slam!
Bam!
The inexperienced Lapras was defeated in mere moments.
The Nidoking felled the Transport Pokémon with a powerful [Earth Power].
Lapras had fainted.
Snorlax put up more of a fight, [Body Slamming] repeatedly dealt quite some damage to the purple behemoth.
Eventually, however, the oversized Pokémon was poisoned due to Nidoking's ability:
Poison Point.
Nidoking then paid the Pokémon back with a barrage of [Poison Jabs].
Snorlax had fainted.
Pikachu was too tired to move.
The electric mouse was the main reason Ash defeated the army of grunts.
Now, it was too exhausted.
Cubone could only watch from the sidelines, his Trainer telling him to hide while he and Charmeleon rushed towards the Nidoking.
They could not win.
But Ash was not finished.
Drained in body, but not in spirit.
Seeing this, Giovanni sighed.
Already tired of the boy's antics.
"Nidoking, crush that Cubone in front of the boy," he simply commanded.
Ash widened his restless red eyes in horror as the behemoth made its way towards his Pokémon.
Cubone clutching both his and his mother's bone club.
Summoning the last of his energy, the raven-haired boy screamed in anger.
"Don't you dare touch him!"
Charmeleon following suit, refusing to let Nidoking hurt Cubone.
It then followed Ash into battle with a roar.
However, Giovanni had predicted this and smirked.
"Now, Nidoking."
As if on cue, the horned monster turned towards the two and choked them with its claws.
Grinning to itself, the Nidoking let out a deafening bellow to Ash and Charmeleon.
"Pikapi!" Pikachu cried out and jumped on Nidoking's arm that held Ash.
Desperately trying to save his partner to no avail.
Ash began coughing blood.
But his focus was on Pikachu.
"…St…op…, Pi…ka…" he groaned in pain, trying to call Pikachu.
"You really don't know when to give up, do you?" the man sighed.
With one last glare, Giovanni closed his eyes.
"Nidoking, throw them off the building."
Crash!
And Ash fell with his two oldest Pokémon.
'Damn it…'
Ash clutched both Pikachu and Charmeleon close to him.
'Cubone's still there.'
He wanted to go back.
For the poor Pokémon.
But his body was emptied.
Fatigue finally caught up.
And he continued falling.
His eyes slowly closing.
Accepting his end.
'I did all I could… No regrets…right?'
All he could do now was wait.
And death readied its scythe.
"Then dream bigger!" a sweet voice invaded his mind.
Ash's eyes flew open.
"The greatest Pokémon trainer in the world?" the voice continued.
Tears welled up in his eyes.
"That's nothing compared to a Pokémon Master!" the voice finished.
He clenched his locket.
He could not accept this.
'I'll always wait for you,' the girl whispered.
Strength flowed through his blood.
'No matter how long it takes.'
"Not yet!" Ash roared into the night.
Crimson orbs whirred back to life.
As if responding to his words, Charmeleon's body started to change.
Facing the broken glass, Giovanni let out a satisfied grin.
It was only a matter on time before the police showed up.
And so, he prepared to leave.
"Cu-bo!"
He turned around to find a crying Cubone.
Glaring at Nidoking with tears in his eyes.
The small Pokémon clutching his mother's bone, pointing it at the purple beast.
He knew his Trainer would keep fighting.
Never giving up.
So why should he?
Cubone now faced Giovanni with determined eyes.
Defiant until the end.
Just like his Trainer.
"Well, another few thousand wouldn't hurt," Giovanni muttered, making his way towards the skull-wearing Pokémon.
But before he could lay a finger on Cubone, a vortex of flames sprung in front of the Rocket Boss.
An orange dragon covered in flames appeared outside the broken glass.
Its large blue-green wings served to intimidate its enemy.
Blue eyes stared menacingly at Nidoking.
But what rendered the Giovanni speechless was the child on top of it.
A raven-haired boy missing his cap.
His clothes torn and bloodied from his previous battles.
And finally, the reddest of eyes that illuminated in the dark sky.
The boy had rebelled against death.
"Charizard! [Flare Blitz (Fake)]!" the boy called out.
Instead of a [Flamethrower] that blasted a jet of flames, Charizard used [Flamethrower] in a circular motion.
Covering its body with its burning blaze.
And then, it charged towards the Nidoking.
While Charizard unleashed its attack, Ash had already made his move.
Towards Giovanni.
The man still stupefied by his glowing eyes.
Ash prepared his right arm…
Â̶̮̙̖̿̏͂̋̀̈́̉̊͌̔͒̂̌̚ͅt̷̡̤̱͔͕͙͓̝͉̠̺̔̿̀͌̉̈́́̄̕̚ẗ̷̺͚̭̤̭̺͚̬̞͕̘̈́̾͐̑̏̊̏e̴͍͂̌̓n̵̛͈̭̣̫͎͔̤͓͆̄͆̏̑́̍̐̈́́͂̄͘t̸̠̰̱̀̊̐̄̒̈́̈́̾̉͘͘͝į̶̡͙̤̯͎͈̹͚̳̣͍͕̞̫̀͛̓͋͗̈ó̶̠̱͙̯͖̫̰n̸͖̬̲͍̤̥̰̻͛̈́̏̑͐̋͑͗̐͘̚͠.̷̩̱̦̯̠̼̳̺̉̋̆̏̒̋̈̀̋͋́͘͘
Which Pikachu held onto.
R̸̡̪̠̘̝̖͎͖͎̟̩̥̱͛͆͊ȩ̵̬̭̜̻͎͒̅̄̃͘͘̕͝q̴̗̣͚͇̖̈́͒̓͂͐̐̔͌̎̃͝ȕ̸̮̬̟͚̯̦̋̊͂ȉ̶̧̥̗̟̬̯͙͚̺͈̘͕̞̄̆̅̃͐͆̈́ȓ̸̞̦͈̳̻͎̕e̷̬̿̾͂̂͛̈́͆̋͐̓̊̚͝͝͝m̴̢̛͇͚͈̣͇̘͎̻͖͉̈̍̈́̊̾e̸͖͚̘̜̣̺̼̎̓̐͛̌͋͆̈́͛͝ņ̶̡͖̭̭̳̮̩̖̦͎̑ţ̶̢̨̮͖̱͍̭̲̰͂͝ ̶̩̮͉̣̳̠̹̭́̽̃̎̌͆̽̈̓̒̃̕͜m̶̟̜̗̭̃͑͝ȇ̷̢̢̨̢̧̛͙͚̳̟̼̣̤̈̉̋̋̿̌̾͂̎́͘͜ͅt̴̤̗͕̟̗̤͈̩͓̯̦͇͔̀̒̔̍.̴̧̲͈̳̲͕̀̾̋͗͑̃͐̽̌͑͘̕
Facing its tail towards the direction of his Trainer's fist.
C̴͌͘͠ͅo̷͓͚͚͉̬̬̬̦̠͕͚͔̐̅͐̍m̵̢̳̟̫̺͉̰̀̂͂̃̍̋́̔m̵̢̡͕̥͔͕͈͉̺͈͚͘e̵̢͇̠̻̩̥͙̓̔̋͛̎ͅn̷̲͎̣͎͙̱̳̗̖̱̄̍́͑̅̊̒̎̔̒̒͝ĉ̸̨̲̤̹͕̍͐̐̆͋̒̂͂͗̈́̕͝͝i̷̳̯͍̤̞̍n̵̢̢̡͉͍̤͎̥̪̈͂̓̀͗̄̿͜͜͝ğ̴̠̯͓͔͉̗͛͛ͅ ̵̛̜͙̹̫̭̰̈͑͛͂͗̃̀̈̈́͘͝Ą̷̪̘͚̪̞̻̩̲̘͕̉́̅̀̈́̈̑͝U̶̡̨̠̮͓̮̯̹͕̼͋́̎́͌̓R̴̢̛̟̼͔͐̿͊̐̐͐͊̓̓̾̔Ả̸̛͎̭̒̀̓̄̾̀͐͒̅͐͂͝ ̵̹̤͕̬̭̪̫̮͈̈́̅̐̌̉̏͋̇̕͠ű̷͎̠̳͓̤͍̦̬̲͈͇̜̬͆̒̈́͌́̍̒̎͜ͅs̶͙̓̓̍́̈́̓̄̎͠ä̶̢̡̛̞͉͙͓̫̣͕̭̘̘͖́͂͐̂̃̾̈́͝ģ̵̲̙̫̩̪̟̬̟͉͗̏ȩ̶͆̓.̷͕̣͓̟̫̥͌̑̌̾͠ͅ
"[Slash (Fake)]!"
Ų̷̡̥̞͇̥̣̻̫̭̗̣̫͎͌̇̇̃̾̈́̄̀̕͜n̸̤͈͎̽̇̎͂͜ͅs̶̨̱̲̗͉̻̗̗̯͈̒͐̐ͅǘ̷̡̯̟͚̣̟̠̬͓̫͗̐̆̈́͗̀̌̕͝͝ͅc̴̡̨̨̡̛̣̙̬̳͍͖͍̘̻̅͑̑͐̌͒͝c̸̨̑̉͊́ę̷̝̙͎̣͔̯͔̜̈́̽̾̉s̶̤̤̖͇̲͍͙̗̭̹̲͆́̽̅̀̔͠s̵̢̨̨̡̭̞̯̮̺̘̺̩͗̒̏͌̌̋͒̾̋͘͜f̸̳̞̫̩̪̘̫͆̀̽͘̕u̶̖̭̩͋̈́̚l̵̻̳̥̩̈̍.̸̢̢̡̨̢̙̥͓̲̰͈̱͖͍͚͐̿̑̿
A sharpened metallic tail appeared on Ash's arm.
B̵̹͗͑͛̉̓͋̀͗o̵͓̪̭̽̃̒̀̿͛̂͛͑̊̍̊͑͒͠ͅd̸̛̹̟͍̻͚̗̘̠͔̙̂́͌͌̿̓̕ȳ̴͔̯͇̻̩̙̗͕̹̬̻̟̦̿͆͊ ̴̨̬͔̗̰͎͍͗̑͊͘n̴̫̟̘̭̉̎̿͑̃̎̀͐͌̅͠͠͠͝o̶͚͍̞͓͕̜̟̹͆t̴̛̠̲̰̆͌́̀́̚͠ ̸̥̯̪̳̹̅̋͊̿̀̀͛̿̍ͅi̵̟͕̻͇̳͙̖͒̆̀̑̉͛̚̚͘̕͜͠n̷̡͔̩͚̝̩̮͂̂͐̆̾̾̄̅͛͛̒̑͐̉̚ ̸͍̤͇̫͔͇̖̽̓͘ŏ̴͙͉͍̙͕̹̗͍̻p̵̝̀̍͂̄̊̄́͑͌́̍̿̚̚͠t̸̢̢̼̦̞͚̫͍͕̅͗̊͒̈́̄̎͘͜͝͝ī̷̡̥̌̔͑́͐͗͂̔͆̈͝͝ṃ̶̛̠̓̌â̷̽̓̔̈͑͗̌̄̔̉ͅļ̵̱̥͕͓͙̜͕͗̎̈̈́́̓́̆ ̵̛̞͓̲͖̩̱͖̓̒͗͐̽̄̂̿̽̚s̶̡̛͚͚̱̪̼̞̓́̇̒̾̓̈́̇̌́̚ţ̷̧̣͙̼̯͇̖͍͓̟̞̗̣͋͂͂͗͊̅͌̒̓̽̋̿̓å̸̡̪͙͎̗͖̜͕͕̎̒̅ṫ̴̨̠͔̣̜̱͙̥̫̭̾͂̈́̓̐̆̅̒̅̓͝ę̶̧̧̲̞̻̮͒̈̍́͘͠.̷̧̫̮͍͉͓̟̮̜̈́̉̏́͝
Then, using the [Iron Tail] as if it was an arm blade…
C̸̰̣͓̣͈̗̮̹̍̃̃͋̐̓̌̓̓̀o̴̡̡̹͙̩͚̫̯̘̰͕͋̄̍̐͊͑̄̑̈́̄͊̔̕̚͝ͅͅm̷͍̙̠̯̆̃́̚ḿ̷̛̬̠̦̘̺̟͒̔̀̾̕͘͜ë̷̢͙̪̭̝̱̪͈̗͖̦̹̥͔͎́͋̄̾͑̇͂͐̕̚ņ̴̮͙͕̙͐̿̂c̷̦̻̳̫͚̯̈ȩ̸͉͇̤̭͍̠̲̭̩̑̾͒̋̀̋́͛̇̈́̃̐͑̇̚ ̷̰̟̮͔̪̞̽̓̆A̷̢̛̩̗͍̗͈̖̾Ü̷͉͕̫̆̎̈̉̿̒̔͘R̷̳͈̹͕͍̞̫̰̘̒̒̀̏̔̃̑̌͂̔̃͜͜A̷̧̡̱̦̰̙͙̥̘̮̻̖̓̾͑̈́͛̃́̇́ͅ ̵̖̳͓̥͙̞̠̙̘͓͇̀̑͑̅͠r̵̙̙͓͈͚̬̻͔͙̰̻̓̐͑̋̑͝ȇ̵͈͍̦̿͐̇̓̑̑̐̍̈́̚̕s̶̡͉̟̻͍͇̮͖̬̟͍͍͎̩̲͛̂t̸̢̙̀̓̾ơ̴̙͓̪̼̯̭̲̩̬̆̍̎̂̚͘͘͘r̴̺̤̞̘͍̫̰͉̖͙̜͙͔̥͑͐̊̄̇̇̃̍́̈́͘͝͝͝a̵̰̯͂͌͗ț̵̭͓̭̗͓̟̭̄̂̀̑͌̔̚ĭ̵͉̻̥̞̞̭͖̕ơ̵̧̛̫̬̠̫͎̣̅̾̏̇̕n̶̛̜̊̽͆̅̊́̏͛̚ ̸͙̾͆̅́̊͛̆̒̾̽̂̌̅͂ò̷̞̜̪̙̦͔̙̬̺̖̲͖̯͕͆̐̉̇̋͑͐͜͝͝͠ņ̵̨̳͈̜͖̞̦̐̃̐̂̆̄͘͘͝͠͝ ̴̨̱̮̠͎͔̠̥̯͒̌̄́̊͐͌̑͐͆̇̑̓̕͜͠s̷̡̛͔̤̦̦͖̹͕͕̥͙̱͍͓̾͆̌̾̚͝͝é̷̺͓̥ͅͅl̷̛̞̬̟̯̊̄͗̈́̀f̵̢̲̤̘̰̹͙͕̘̠̣̞̮̦̋͛̀̈́̔̂͐̓͊̒́̃̚.̷̬͇̱̪̲̜̩̭̞͖̒̽̉̉̃͒́̃̇̕͘͘̕͝ͅ
Ash swung with all his might.
Chapter 14: Red Eyes
"I don't give up until it's over!"