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.

35. Benver's Lodging

"I'm happy to hear everyone is excited for the classes to come," the teacher smiled at the kids seated at their desks. "I know five years is a long time, but when you all get the chance to become trainers, it will be a moment you'll remember for the rest of your lives." neatening the papers in her hands, she began passing them to each student. "As we told you before, the past first couple of weeks will not affect your grades, but it's still important you all get your test results back. Most of you did fairly well for this early in, but if you didn't, try not to worry too much. We're only getting started, after all."

Five year old Gary Oak found his legs impossible to keep still as his eyes remained locked on the teacher passing the papers to each of his classmates. It almost felt like fate was mocking him; the longer it took for her to reach him, the more it started to feel like everyone else would get their test results first. His tiny legs kicked at the air beneath his desk, and almost subconsciously, he began working on a rhythm, as though that would somehow keep him entertained before the moment of truth.

He saw Ash get his paper next, then Angelina right next to him. There were only a few left, so it shouldn't be long now…

His heart skipped a beat when the teacher finally stopped in front of him. It was certainly less than five minutes, but his brain had not processed it as such. It felt like he had been sitting here for a whole hour, and the woman almost seemed amused at his eagerness.

"Well done, Mr. Oak." she spoke softly as her hand set the paper on his desk, and his eyes almost bulged at the score.

96… he had been so nervous taking the test, paranoid at every answer he wrote down… and he had scored almost perfectly?! For a while he just stared at the big number, the excited grin on his face only going away as he realized the teacher had started talking again.

/

"I must say, Gary," Mr. Henrod's words echoed in the young boy's mind as he sat at the cafeteria table. The bag of chips in his hands was being oddly uncooperative while trying to pull it open. "I don't think I've ever seen someone your age do so well this early on. At the rate you're going, I'm certain to expect great things from you."

Despite his frustrations with the bag of chips, Gary couldn't help the smile on his face. All of these Pokemon training lessons had been so fun, and he was so good at all of them! Every adult in the room would talk about how much promise he held, and how he could be just like gramps one of these days. It was super encouraging, and had him looking forward to every lesson and assignment.

Finally, the bag opened, and the spikey-haired boy's hands greedily reached in so he could start munching. The echoing chatter across the cafeteria drowned out the sound of footsteps, and he didn't notice Sarah until she had placed her tray next to his.

"Why do they keep serving tunaaa?!" the blonde-haired girl whined. "It's so gross!"

Gary tilted his head oddly at his friend. "But it's been three weeks." taking a bite out of his sandwich, he added after swallowing. "And I think it's the school that's the problem; I've had good tuna at home. The one Miss Ketchum made for me was also really good."

"Well, they should make it better." she huffed. "I'd rather go hungry than take another nibble of this junk." as if to prove her point, she took her sandwich and placed it on his tray, leaving only an apple and a small cup of pudding on hers. "Here, you like it so much, you eat it. I'll wait till I'm home digging into daddy's raviola."

"It's ravioli, Sarah." Gary corrected with a small frown. "And you'll have to get used to cheap food when we become trainers," he tried to remind her. "We won't be eating first class on the road, you know." Despite that, he accepted the second sandwich. At least the bread was good.

In getting to know the blonde girl, he had come to realize that she was quite the brat. Every other day either she or her parents would find something to complain about. To the school, to the ice cream shop, to the arcade, just about anywhere public, it almost felt. What was it Daisy called people like that? 'Snobs', if he remembered right. Was it because they were city people who had just recently moved into the much quieter town? A lot of people from the city seemed to be like that; looking down on the smaller places and preaching "bigger is better".

But Sarah was pretty. Really pretty. Beautiful, even. He remembered his eyes being drawn to her like a magnet when she first walked into the classroom, and before long he was quickly starting to find excuses to talk to the new girl. The developing familiarity had often gravitated the new girl towards him, and although his ears were constantly exposed to her whining, Gary found that he cared little. For all the times she complained to him, her complaints were never about him.

"Ugh, please don't start." the pretty girl moaned while opening her pudding (was she really going to go the next few hours with just that and an apple?). "Just because my big brother is a cool coordinator now, mommy says I have to be a trainer too. I love Pokemon, but I don't want to camp everyday!" sighing, she shuffled her feet before turning to him. "That's why you have to do it, right? Because of your grandpa?"

Gary quickly shook his head. "No, I WANT to be like gramps." feeling a surge of pride, he puffed his chest. "Gramps is one of the fastest Conference winners, and now he's the best researcher ever! And everyone says he could have been Champion if he hadn't switched. So, that's what I'm going to be!"

"A Champion or a researcher?"

"Gramps is already the best researcher, so I'll be the best trainer."

Her lips curled into a smile. "That sounds nice. Oh, and I heard you aced that test on the…" feeling awkward, she suddenly looked down at her tray. "On the…" her words hung in the air as she bit her tongue in bewilderment.

"It was on camping."

"Ugh! No wonder I forgot. But congrats."

"Thanks," and all of a sudden, the Oak boy felt his mood lifted as the memory of his conversation with Henrod replayed in his mind once more. "This morning Mr. Henrod says I'm going to be doing great things if I keep this up. I bet he'd say I can be Champion!" giggling a bit, he scratched his cheek. "I think everyone did pretty good on the camping test. Not as good as me, but I think we'll all be great trainers."

"Hmmm…" Sarah hummed for a moment, pudding-filled spoon pausing halfway to her mouth as she tried to remember something. "I heard Ash got a bad grade."

"Huh?" Gary perked up. Ash was one of the kids who would always show up whenever the Oak boy gathered their class to play pretend trainer games. Ash Ketchum was always energetic and happy, and Gary remembered him talking about how much he wanted to be a great trainer as well. His mother was such an incredible cook as well; like the Lance of food! "What do you mean?"

"I think Mark might have said it or something?" Sarah answered after swallowing her pudding. As if by accident, she glanced to the side and perked up. "Oh, he and Angelina are coming!"

Sure enough, a boy with muddy brown hair and a girl with blue pigtails were approaching their table. There were five seats and Gary and Sarah were the only ones there at the moment, so there was still plenty of room.

Mark and Angelina were two other kids who would always come to Gary's gatherings. Both were just as excited to be trainers as Gary was, although neither thought they would become the best. They were both pretty excited when hearing of the Oak boy's intentions, though.

"We needed to switch tables," Angelina explained as she set her tray down next to Sarah's. "Jake and Ash spilled their juices and it got everywhere."

"That's why you bring your own juice box!" Sarah replied a bit too loudly. "Daddy says they shouldn't be giving us drinks in cups, because they're too big for our hands. It just makes a mess!"

Gary had to admit he'd never thought of that before, so he offered his blonde friend a quick nod before turning to Mark, who had sat down next to him. "You said something about Ash doing bad on the test?"

"Oh, Ash?" With some effort, Mark unpeeled his banana. "Yeah, I was sitting next to him and saw his paper. He failed the thing on camping. Seemed a little bit bummed, actually."

"I didn't know that," Angelina commented after swallowing a bite of her sandwich. "When we were playing during recess last week he told me he failed the move quiz."

"That shouldn't count," Sarah huffed. "Pop quizzes aren't fair! They don't let you study first! Mommy calls it Sa… savo… uh…"

"Savotage?" Mark asked.

"Sabotage," Angelina corrected. "But I thought the quiz was pretty easy until he told me."

"It was pretty easy," Gary remarked. He barely remembered that pop quiz because it was so simple. The answers were Thunderbolt, Blizzard, Snowscape, Focus Punch, and Gyarados. "How did he fail it?"

"He said they were hard to remember," Angelina spoke with minor strain, as though trying to recall a past conversation.

"No they weren't," Mark shook his head. "I get the camping test, though. Who cares about camping, anyway? I just want to battle."

"Exactly!" Sarah agreed.

/

"Hey Ash, wait up!" Shortly after the school bell, Gary spotted the other boy in the crowd of dispersing kids in the hallway. For a moment, he was worried his friend couldn't hear him, but Ash thankfully looked back to see him shortly after. Adjusting the straps on his backpack, he stopped walking and turned to face the approaching Oak boy.

Not wanting to keep Ash waiting, Gary quickened his pace before stopping in front of his friend. A few passing students glanced at them curiously, but kept walking as Gary raised a hand in greeting.

"Hey Gary, what's up?" Ash's tone was one of casual familiarity. Though Gary was the grandson of the legendary Samuel Oak, these kids saw him nearly every single day. All eyes fell on him whenever he entered the room, but there was little stammering when addressing him. Gary liked that.

"I'm sorry for holding you up," Gary quickly apologized. From what he could tell, Ash's mom was always something of a doter, but he was sure she wouldn't mind him getting held up for a few minutes at most. Not if it was talking to a friend. "I just wanted to talk to you about something, really quick."

"Sure, of course." Ash quickly reassured, completely unbothered. "Did you need something from me?" The other kids were always down to do a favor or two for Gary.

"Not exactly, but…" Gary paused for a moment, suddenly finding mild difficulty in managing his words. 'Come on, Gary, this is important! You knew what you were going to say!' Regaining his tongue, he shook his head for a moment before looking the other boy in the eye. "It's just, I heard you did badly on yesterday's test. The one on Pokemon food, remember?"

As though a switch had been flipped, Ash's face fell. "Wait… who told you that?"

Quickly, Gary held his hands up to assuage Ash's concerns. "Jake noticed the score on your paper by accident; don't worry, it's not his fault."

In truth, Jake had peaked at Ash's test score because Gary had asked him for a favor. But Ash didn't need to know that; Gary was doing this for his sake, after all.

A mild pang of guilt made itself known in Gary's chest as Ash let out a light sigh, adjusting himself for a moment before returning the Oak boy's gaze. "Okay, it's… true, I guess."

"But that isn't that three tests in a row now?" Gary bit his lip.

"How did you…" Just before Gary's face could turn pale, Ash shook his head, brushing it off, and the Oak boy held back a sigh of relief. "Yeah, the past few tests have been kind of difficult. The pop quiz on moves was really hard and I wasn't ready."

Gary looked Ash over as the other boy's face fell further. Seeing Ash's reaction, a part of Gary almost regretted bringing it up. Almost. But he couldn't express his concerns without bringing it up, so he knew he was doing the right thing.

"But… What about your grades?" the Oak boy pressed. "You remember what Ms. Staridd taught us on Tuesday, right? 'Good momentum VS bad momentum'. If you keep on building bad momentum, you won't be ready for the Qualification Exam in a few years. And if you fail that you won't get to be a trainer."

Ash's eyes widened at Gary's statement, but he did not respond. Gary wasn't done talking yet, and he never needed to worry about the other kids interrupting him. He was so smart, that even the teachers sometimes allowed him to go on whenever he was on a roll.

"You said you wanted to be a Master, didn't you?" Ash silently nodded, and Gary put on an encouraging grin. "I want to be a Master too, you know. But I can't be one if I don't do well in school! I'm just worried about you. Not all of our classmates are looking for the big Leagues, but if you are, then you need to do better. Only the best in Indigo get to be at the Conference."

Ash didn't say anything; Gary still wasn't done yet.

"I mean, just imagine it!" Gary held his shaking fists in front of him, eyes glowing like a Draco Meteor. "We've seen what that tournament is like on TV! It's amazing! Incredible! And to be the best in the world, a trainer needs to be a part of it! I wanna be, you wanna be, some of our friends wanna be." giving himself a moment to breath, he lowered his arms, closing the distance a bit to place a hand on Ash's shoulder. "But that can only happen if we do well. That's 'positive momentum', like what Ms. Staridd said, you know? She's trying to tell us that if we want to be something great, we need to start out as something great. That way, we can continue being great once we've left town with our starters! You get it, don't you?"

Ash blinked for a moment, and Gary had a hard time reading the other boy's expression before his friend put on a smile. "Y-Yeah, I know all that."

"Good!" Gary nodded back at him. "As your friend, I'm just telling you that you need to fix this. Make sure you do better on the next test, okay?"

Turning to match Gary, Ash nodded. "...Alright, thanks Gary."

Gary beamed, both at Ash and himself as his friend walked off outside to where his mother was waiting.

/

"And, that's the story." Professor Oak leaned back in his recliner as seven year old Gary Oak stared in awe from his place on the couch. In between them was a plate of cookies and muffins that was mostly eaten at this point, coupled with two empty glasses of milk. "I was crowned winner of the three hundred and sixtieth Indigo Conference, and to date, it's my favorite battle I've ever fought." Gary's grandfather smiled fondly, clearly remembering times that were now ancient history, but forever cherished and, on some levels, maybe even coveted to return. "I'll tell you, I was certain Agatha had me dead to rights for a moment there during those last few minutes. It could not have been a closer battle unless Golem was on the ground right next to Banette."

"But you still won," Gary pushed.

"Yes," Samuel nodded.

"That's so epic!" Gary pumped both his arms downwards, fists clenched in front of him. 'I'm totally gonna have an awesome story like that after I win!"

"Yes, I bet you will." Samuel encouraged as Clefable removed both empty glasses from the table. The fairy type was clearly nostalgic as well; even though her part in the story had Agatha's Ninetales, Sage, dancing circles around her, the moment the battle represented was more than enough for her to view the memory fondly.

Gary, too energetic from his grandfather's exhilarating story, quickly found himself standing. His grandfather was the greatest in the world, and had been a successful trainer from his very first year. If he was already good as a rookie, Gary imagined he must have been good in school too. Yes, that was right: His grandfather had positive momentum going for him. Just like Gary himself now did today.

"Yo, gramps, that reminds me of something." Quickly getting a hold of himself, the boy remembered the question he had kept on forgetting to ask. He just barely remembered, what a relief: This was the perfect time to ask.

"Go on, shoot." Samuel nodded at his grandson's eagerness.

"Well, you see…" All of a sudden, Gary found his cheeks going red. What an embarrassment! "People say that if you had not quit training to become a researcher, you would have been Champion eventually."

"Hmmm…" Samuel hummed, drumming his fingers against the cushioned arm of his chair. "Yes, I have heard that plenty of times."

"Sooo, uh…" Gary was blushing again, but quickly did his best to shake it off. Did his best, at least. "Do you think…" his index finger poked the palm of his hand. "You know, that they're right?"

Professor Samuel Oak smiled thoughtfully at the inquiry. "Well, it's not like we could really say for certain. The title of Champion is considered 'beyond unreachable', as is the title of Elite Four. I did come close to beating Elite Four Alexandra, who was certainly a Master of larger than life capability, but to make all the way to the Champion's throne is too much of a hypothetical for me to say for certain." leaning forward a bit, he accepted a second glass from Clefable with a quick 'thank you'. "To answer your question, though… I will admit; I believed in my heart that I had a chance. That I had that in me."

"Do you regret becoming a researcher instead?"

"Not at all." Samuel's voice was firm as he shook his head. "Training and battles were moments that I'll never forget, but my number one pursuit was always the path of knowledge. To crack open the world of Pokemon and bring all of the mysteries that it offers to light, sharing them with everybody else to broaden humanity and Pokemon kind's understanding of this planet. Research was my calling, and success as a trainer was simply one of many steps to that." he sipped his glass for a moment. "In another life? Perhaps 'Indigo Champion Samuel Oak' would have been the name. And in that life, I imagine I would not have traded that for the world. But in this life? I feel the exact same way about 'Professor Samuel Oak'. That was my one, true destiny."

"And… right now you're basically the researcher's equivalent to a Champion, right?" Gary pointed out.

That got an amused laugh out of his grandfather. "Ha! I suppose that may be an appropriate way of putting it."

Gary's grin was wider than ever, fists planted firmly against his hips. "Well… just you watch, gramps! I'll do it!"

"Become Champion you mean, correct?" Of all people in the world, nobody was more aware of Gary Oak's dream than his grandfather. Not that it was a secret to the rest of Pallet Town.

"Yeah, of course!" Gary pressed. "I inherited this from you, just like everybody says! If you're at the top of the research field, and chose not to become Champion in exchange for that, then I'm gonna use my potential to win the title you never did! Wouldn't that be something?"

"Sounds like quite the romantic tale," Samuel replied with easygoing posture. "But I won't deny it sounds like a strong motive."

/

The edge of Fuchsia territory was a place deliberately touched by few faint of heart travelers, and those who simply found it by losing their way likely would not find much more luck anytime soon. Crossing the border was like walking through an invisible portal, to a place where the road was harsh and the wildlife were equally unpredictable. Certain "claimed" areas of Fuchsia made for good stomping grounds for higher leveled trainers looking for the appropriate training environment, but those who weren't ready to brave the road ahead would find themselves overwhelmed in a myriad of ways. Because of this, Fuchsia City did not see many rookie visitors coming in from the north, and those taking the large bridge from near Viridian to the northwest would likely find themselves ill prepared for the Gym anyway.

It only made sense to set up a Pokemon Center on the border leading into Fuchsia territory, even if it was somewhat off the beaten path to be fully convenient for those looking to go in. It served a double purpose for travelers who have lost their direction to regroup, and not go even deeper. Benver's Lodging served a similar purpose, and with its somewhat more convenient positioning, it doubled as something of a hangout for more seasoned travelers.

Gary Oak had certainly felt like the odd one out walking into the place: his grandfather had warned him that the less "beginner friendly" an area was, the more judgmental those around him would be towards such rookies. A ten year old in a place like this could only mean one thing: he had wandered too far and gotten lost. In the eyes of most people looking the Oak boy's way, his presence was not a sign of boldness and bravery to challenge himself traveling to a place like this, or even a sign of recklessness; but a sign of incompetence for coming here by accident. The thought of a rookie venturing their way over here on their own, full intent was once in a blue moon, and the inexperience leading to a poor sense of direction was by fae the more plausible interpretation of his actions.

The thought mildly disgusted the Oak boy. He could tell what those teenagers were thinking just by catching sight of the lingering looks sent his way as he walked through the lobby and into the halls to find his room. But who did they think they were, turning their noses up to him!? The grandson of Professor Oak, golden child of Pallet Town and first to ever score perfectly on the Qualification Exam? Who already had four badges to his name well before the Season's halfway point? He was nothing like any of the other rookies, he was certainly much better now than these so-called "experienced trainers" had been at his age. He was (thankfully for them), too exhausted to say anything, simply leaving his team in the healing machines for a few hours while getting settled in his room. The next morning, he opted to eat breakfast there as well, rather than in the lobby; he simply was not in the mood.

"Is something wrong, Gary?" perking up from his chair, he saw Meditite seated at the table in front of him. Most of his team were still asleep, as he had woken up early, although Wartortle's shell leaned against the wall as the water type watched his trainer in stoic silence.

Gary regretted to admit to himself that he had not noticed Meditite at first; he had been deeper in thought than he realized. And he knew why. Every now and then, that battle would replay in his mind.

"I'm just…" Gary's fingers drummed against the table as a bitter taste touched his tongue. "I keep thinking about the last time we fought Ash, back in Celadon."

Ash Ketchum… when the hell had that kid of all people become such a thorn in his side? He shouldn't be this held up on a battle that he had won, of all things, and yet… It was him.

More bitterness found its way into the Oak boy's mouth. Him. The fact that he had beaten him for the third time in a row had barely even registered. All he could think about was how close they had come to losing. That they would have lost if things had gone even slightly different. And after how decisive things had been the first two times, what the hell had changed?

"That's still on your mind?" Meditite's voice was as gentle as it was careful. She was well aware that Ash Ketchum was a sore subject for their trainer, having been such ever since the run in back at Celadon. The smallest of frowns graced the psychic's face as she eyed Gary's features.

As though her words had pushed a button, Gary let out a deep, deep sigh that suddenly made his chest feel somewhat lighter. One of his hands curled as he looked out the window, observing the clouds as though trying to distract himself. With the increasing grayness, he may have to close the window by tonight. The forecast had made a fifty-fifty prediction…

"I know it's nonsense," he started, locking eyes with Wartortle before looking back at his psychic friend. His starter was still leaning against the wall, although Gary could tell he was listening as intently as he was looking. Wartortle was always like that, rarely using his mouth, but always using his ears. "You never saw Ash until Mt. Moon, but the kid's a walking fluke. He floundered his way through school and somehow lucked his way through the Exam. Our first battle exposed him for the fraud he was, he had no idea what he was doing. And we put him down in our rematch too." Breathing through his nose, he felt his fingers drumming against the table once more. "It was the same as it had always been between us, long before we got our starters. So why…" more drumming. "I keep asking myself how he could have come so close that third time. We were so far ahead of him for so long, and all of a sudden he comes up by a hair? After everything we did to keep getting better?" his hand curled again. "He couldn't have been improving faster than us, yet he's done better in every match we've had. So…" he bit his tongue. He couldn't speak the forbidden sentence.

But Meditite spoke it for him. "You're thinking that if a fourth match were to happen, he might win."

It was spoken out loud. Telepathically, at any rate, but either way, the words were now out there, no longer confined to his own thoughts. And hearing them, Gary suddenly felt the sweat as he fought back the paling complexion in his face.

"It really is as ridiculous as it sounds…" Gary trailed off after a moment, his sentence giving way to unsteady chuckles. "Two months ago, there's no way I even would have thought of it, and I know I shouldn't be thinking of it now. Celadon was a fluke, just like the Exam. I know it'd never happen again." he rubbed his forehead, fingernails somewhat digging into the skin. "But that's not the point. The thought won't leave me alone, no matter how untrue I know it is. It just keeps… staying there." he hissed those last words.

Ash Ketchum, Ash Ketchum, Ash Ketchum… the little prick wouldn't leave his mind; he'd been taunting him ever since he got stupid ninety on the Exam. One lucky grade and the walking failure had completely forgotten his place back in Pallet. He'd probably cheated his way all the way through the Exam and his journey.

Meditite's sympathetic gaze fixed onto her spiky-haired trainer as she crossed her arms and legs. It was a similar pose to when she meditated, and given the upcoming weather, she'd likely be doing so decently soon. She always enjoyed doing it during rain.

"Gary… maybe we need to prove it, then." After knowing she had his attention, she closed her eyes and continued. The pause was welcome; she still wouldn't be fully equipped for full-length conversions for some time. "If you keep… letting this gnaw at you, it's only going to keep coming back. Just remind yourself of that, and… once we see him again, we'll beat him again." Opening her eyes, she locked gazes with him and nodded. "That's how you can show that little voice in your head… that it was just a fluke."

Some of the tension disappeared from Gary's shoulders as her words sank in. Meditite was right; what the hell was he doing? Letting Ash freaking Ketchum of all people be the one to get stuck in his head. He needed to stop letting that tiny whisper in the back of his mind be the one that spoke the loudest. It shouldn't even be quiet; it should be silent, nonexistent. He knew who he was, and who Ash was. It was Ash who needed the reminder. To fall in line.

Standing up, his hand rested on Meditite's head, the psychic closing her eyes with a soft smile as he patted her. "Thanks for the… you know, reality check, buddy. I shouldn't be letting a little prick like him try and dictate my thoughts. We'll lay those to rest on the dot."

"I'm always there for you."

"Yes… you are," taking his hand off of her, he straightened his posture. "Now try and get some rest; you'll hurt yourself if you keep talking for too long. Good exercise, though."

Allowing himself a breath, Gary turned and walked closer to his bed. On the way, he locked eyes with Wartortle, who was still sitting against the wall, eyes on his trainer. The sight elicited a small grin from the Oak boy.

Ash Ketchum was like a leech. A needle digging into his skin. The thought of him was like both, snuggling in the back of the mind. Sooner or later, they'd be rid of that once and for all.

/

"Miltank, Iron Roll!"

Across from Ash stood another boy commanding the normal type, who ignored the painful gash on her face as she curled her body into a metallic ball and shot forward for Glaceon. The quadrupedal ice type leapt to the side to cleanly avoid the missile-like force of her attacker, only for the cow to immediately change direction without effort, once more with sights set on her. Glaceon dodged again, but Miltank was gaining speed, and once more changed direction in hopes of pulverizing her frosty opponent. The ice type's teeth clenched, a frustrated growl hissing through her teeth as she watched her opponent turn.

'All that momentum will leave Glaceon in bad shape if the attack connects, but if we could halt it all at once, the whiplash could leave Miltank dazed.' With that thought in mind, Ash quickly got his icy friend's attention. "Meet her, with Super Tail!"

Even as Miltank's metal-coated form once again shot forward towards her, now faster than both of the previous two attempts, Glaceon's legs launched her off of the grass straight for him. The velocity immediately took hold of her, pumping adrenaline throughout her blood as the distance was closed in an instant. Since evolving, she, with Quick Attack, was now fast enough to tail Pikachu when he used Agility, and the mouse found he stood no chance against her in a footrace otherwise. She had been as shocked by the exponential increase as she was by how used to it her body almost immediately seemed to be.

Her physical strength, however, had been boosted at least as much. As she and Miltank's rolling form came head-to-head, she swung the powered up Iron Tail with a force that Nebula's Reckless could not hope to match, and the impact of both metallic attacks was loud and grating as Miltank's momentum halted almost immediately. Losing her metal coating, the normal type cow lurched back, head-over-heels before collapsing into a sitting position on the grass in front of her opponent, gripping her head in a confused daze.

With her opponent momentarily unable to register anything, Glaceon performed a tiny hop as an Ice Beam left her mouth. Though not perfectly formed, the attack was still forceful in striking Miltank's belly, shooting a sharp, frigid pain throughout the normal type's body just in time for an Iron Tail to bash her over the head. A beam of red light returned Miltank to her Poke Ball as her eyes glazed over, losing consciousness. On the sidelines, Pikachu and Phenom both applauded, to which the ice type turned her chin upwards with a somewhat too satisfied grin.

After leaving Lavender, Ash and Janine had made a point to battle as many trainers as possible on their way to Benver's Lodging, and thankfully had found no shortage of opponents. Despite a few close calls, both trainers had maintained a streak, earning back the money previously spent and then some.

On Ash's end, although everybody saw action, the majority of the team's battles had been fought by Glaceon, Phenom, and Tempest, in what almost felt like something of a feedback loop. Eevee's evolution had brought on an ironic shift in the team; after all the effort she had put into catching up with her teammates (an endeavor she had most certainly succeeded in well before evolving), the freshly evolved ice type was now the one making everyone else feel as though they were under an eclipse. It almost reminded Ash of the time Nebula had first evolved; the very Pokemon that had defeated Eevee so soundly in the first place.

Glaceon's battles were won faster than anyone else's. Her legs carried her at a far greater speed than anyone short of Pikachu's Agility could manage, and the sheer force behind her attacks could only be rivaled by Nebula's Reckless ability, which itself was far outclassed whenever the time came to use Super Tail. With one stone, it was as though Eevee had left all of her comrades in the dust, and though such a fact acted as motivation for everybody, none felt it anywhere nearly as a certain crab. It had not taken Tempest long to request a match with the formidable ice type, and following his defeat, it had taken even less time for the water type to throw himself head first into any battle, trainer or wild, he had a chance to fight, although thankfully, he never picked a fight without his trainer's approval.

Phenom's eyes, however, were locked on the river crab, to Ash's close observation, and Tempest's resolve and worth ethic were quickly followed by a dinosaur-shaped mirror seeking to upstage him in every affair. If Tempest won a fight, Phenom wanted to win two. If Tempest smacked an opponent hard, Phenom would find one to smack harder. If Tempest pulled off a particularly memorable move in battle, Phenom would seek to impress just as strongly. It had not taken Tempest too long to catch on to his prehistoric teammate's pursuit of him, and although annoyance had not gone unfelt by the water type, it only took a little bit longer for him to take the unspoken competition just as seriously, not allowing himself to be upstaged by the Tyrunt.

The two had kept at it for as long as either of their bones would allow it, until both were soon to be capable of little other than rest. Ash permitted them to indulge for as long as it remained safe, but no responsible trainer would allow their team to continue past the point Phenom and Tempest were at when he finally benched them permanently. Although Tempest rested in his ball for the remainder of the trip, Phenom had been let out recently to watch Glaceon. Though the self imposed gauntlet the Tyrunt had put himself through put the aggression-fueled shift in his demeanor on full display, his old self would still make itself known whilst observing his ice type friend, although Ash could not tell if that was partially owed to him having spent everything on battle after battle.

Glaceon herself saw equally frequent battles along the road. The ice type quickly worked her way to a proud winning streak against an appealingly varied roster of opponents, even overcoming a couple of fighting types with her new, overwhelming speed and hard-hitting force. Her evolution had immediately opened the door for her arsenal, the effects of which were quickly felt, but would only be tapped into more and more in the coming weeks and months. She had essentially gotten Icy Wind for free, and Ice Fang proved not much more difficult to learn. Ice Beam and Chilling Water, through the combination of her natural biology and the guidance of TMs, were given promising starts, but would require more work. The former was more battle-ready than the latter, however.

Glaceon's biology in question would still require getting used too, however. What was once a fluffy, pillow-esque comforting coat of fur was now cold to the touch, as though winter itself resided in the ice type's new coat. Phenom was mildly disappointed that he could no longer comfortably snuggle against her (particularly since his typing made him more sensitive to the cold), but it did not take him too long to get over that, not as infantile as he once was. Glaceon would often have to remind herself of this, of course, acts of affection towards any given teammate needing to be performed with care.

As Ash's opponent prepared to release his second Pokemon, Glaceon dug her paws into the dirt, eager to extend her undefeated streak even further. The Pokemon that greeted her was an Azumarill, and as the aqua rabbit quickly turned to his trainer for instructions, Ash silently gestured for his friend to come over.

"Glaceon," kneeling down, Ash kept his eyes fixed on the water/fairy type newcomer as Glaceon approached him expectantly. "Some Azumarill have an ability called Huge Power, which gives them incredible space. Think Tempest's ability, but offense instead of defense. You understand?" she silently nodded. "Good… I don't know if that Azumarill has it or not, but our opponent saw how strong you were when you stopped Miltank as easily as you did, so he could be keeping that in mind." As Azumarill assumed his position, having heard whatever instructions his trainer had given him, Ash got ready to wrap up their quick exchange. "Also, some Azumarill have the Thick Fat ability. You dealt with that already with that Munchlax yesterday, but Azumarill is already resistant to ice, so those moves might be next to useless, even with your power. We'll get a feel for it, okay?"

Glaceon's expression had turned more serious (but not nervous) as Ash laid out the potential problematic attributes. Nodding steadfastly, she enjoyed a quick rub on the hand (Ash trying not to flinch too much from the cold touch) before returning to her position and fixing her eyes on her aquatic opponent. In return, Azumarill directed a quick glare towards her, but the expression did not last long as she sprang into action.

"Scald, Azumarill!" It was a clever tactic: Being an ice type, Glaceon would theoretically be more susceptible to the heat of the boiling water, even if it was not the same as getting hit with something like a Flamethrower or a Fire Blast. Ash's partner seemed no less aware of this than him, quickly dodging the stream with a clean, admirable sideways leap. "Aqua Jet and Iron Tail!"

'We'll feel out their strength.' Ash seized the opportunity as Azumarill surrounded himself in water. "Glaceon, Iron Tail!"

Both combatants shot forward, Glaceon moving a decent bit quicker, but her opponent not failing to impress. The two Iron Tails clashed as the grass enjoyed a comfortable drizzle from liquid of Aqua Jet, and Glaceon, grinding her teeth, immediately felt the resistance behind her opponent's strike.

Azumarill's Iron Tail was strong, enough to where she regretted not using Super Tail instead. Perhaps he did have the Huge Power ability as Ash suggested? Or was he capable of threatening her without such a thing? The thoughts raced through her mind as she struggled to push him back, but her opponent's trainer followed up faster than Ash.

"Brick Break!" Using his tail as leverage, Azumarill pushed off of Glaceon and whirled around to drive his fist into the side of her chin. The impact was agonizing, and the shock prevented her from crying out as she tumbled sideways away from her opponent. Her body was tumbling fast, too, and as she worked her way back to her feet, it began to register how far her body had been launched. "Scald, again!"

The upside to that was that she was not close enough for her adversary to land an easy follow-up hit, and the time it took took for Azumarill to position himself for a second stream of boiling water provided herself with a valuable moment or two to shift her body to face him once more, and regain some of her composure. Her jaws burning from that previous strike, and had she still been an Eevee, she regrettably doubted she'd even be conscious. But evolution had been a boon for her durability as well. In the plentiful battles she had fought since Lavender, she found she could shrug off hits better than anyone on the team short of Tempest, and according to Ash's prior research, Glaceon were deceptively durable creatures.

No Pokemon since her evolution had inflicted this much hurt on her in just one single attack as the Azumarill now preparing to bathe her in Scald, but it was far from enough to put her down.

"Quick Attack, circle him!" Ash regretted to admit he had been alarmed by Azumarill's dominant display of brute strength, but it at least provided them with a clue, even if it confirmed very little. He wouldn't be so arrogant as to assume that no Pokemon around these parts could match Glaceon's might without an ability like Huge Power. Nonetheless, this would require care, especially after taking such a big hit.

Borderline at the same moment the Scald had left Azumarill's mouth, Glaceon took off running. Zipping across the makeshift battlefield with a sharp curve, the ice type covered her ground at an astonishing pace, already in the process of circling her alarmed opponent.

Azumarill's trainer was significantly less alarmed, however, composure fully maintained as he shouted "Meet them with Aqua Jet and Iron Tail!" Quickly getting over his brief shock, Azumarill launched himself off of the ground in the opposite direction, performing a sharp curve of his own to put himself on a collision course with the ice type. Not allowing herself to fall victim to the same tactic twice in a row, Glaceon jumped as the two approached one another, her legs carrying her off of the ground and over the Aqua Jet like a fast approaching hurdle. Upon landing, she slid to a stop, glaring to the side at her opponent as he stopped on the opposite end. "Once more!"

'They're committing to it.' Ash watched Azumarill submerge himself a second time, once more becoming an aquatic missile as he launched himself at Glaceon. "Full speed, Super Tail!"

Once more, Glaceon organically slipped into Quick Attack, now charging Focus Energy through her Iron tail as the two attacks clashed. This time, although Glaceon still felt the force behind the opposing tail, and grinded her teeth all the same, she pushed back against her foe's momentum, and Azumarill yelped as his advance was halted moments later, water splashing all over the grass as he was sent tumbling onto his bottom. With not a moment spent, a Shadow Ball found its way from Glaceon's jaws to her opponent's stomach, knocking him back with a pained cry.

"Perfect! Iron Tail, then Ice Beam!" With just as much speed as before, Glaceon bounded her way across the grass towards the aqua rabbit. Though he swung another Iron Tail to meet her own, the speed and momentum behind her advance had forced the stationary Azumarill into an uphill battle that he easily lost, once more rolling across the dirt as the ice type pushed him away. Not missing a beat, she sent an Ice Beam into his stomach next, even as her trainer gave his next and final command while the attack was still leaving her mouth. "Super Tail!"

A direct hit from Eevee's Super Tail was an agonizing blow that only Nebula's Reckless ability could dispute in pure, raw power and pain, almost a certain death sentence for whoever was on the receiving end if landed in the right place. When Glaceon used it, the might was untouchable. What was already a devastating knockout punch could not compare to what it had now become, just the same for all of the boons granted by the Ice Stone.

Azumarill had still not been given the opportunity to brace himself for the fatal blow that struck his body, and Ash himself could not help his wince as the aqua rabbit was launched far, well out of bounds from the unspokenly agreed upon area. Lying face first in the dirty grass, he was completely motionless.

/

"That was incredible, Glaceon! Here, eat this real quick."

Once Glaceon was finished swallowing the oran berry, almost immediately feeling the pain in her jaw lessen, Ash endured the cold touch of her fur to place a hand on her head. The most beautifully soothing of purrs escaped the ice type's throat as she closed her eyes, lips stretching into a relaxed grin.

Their latest opponent had paid them well, and offered compliments that Ash had been quick to return. Incidentally, Azumarill and Miltank's trainer was coming directly from Benver's Lodging, having spent the night there after losing his way (and would be staying there again to shelter the incoming weather), although he had expressed some surprise in learning that Ash and Janine were headed there deliberately. Nonetheless, he had informed the pair that they were close before turning around and hurrying off.

A happy call from Pikachu directed Ash and Glaceon's attention to him and Phenom, who were both quick to praise the ice type as Ash turned to Janine, Ivysaur, and Toxtricity, the trio having hung back a bit.

"I think he speaks wisely," Janine offered as Ash approached her, angling her head up to the sky. The gray clouds had grouped together to block out almost all views of blue, and had become quite thick in addition. Though they still had daylight in theory, the coming storm had darkened the area a fair bit. "The moisture in the air is getting a lot more… undeniable, and it won't be long before the sun starts setting anyway." she returned her gaze to him. "By then, I imagine we'd already be drenched."

He nodded in agreement. "We'll bike the rest of the way, see if we can beat the rain. Hey, everyone!" His voice grew mildly authoritative as he turned to Pikachu, Glaceon, and Phenom to call out to them. The trio immediately directed their attention to him. "We're moving out now before the storm hits, and we won't be on foot. Pikachu, you can ride in the basket if you wan't, but I'll have to return you two." Phenom, once a perfect fit, had begun growing too big for the bike's basket at this point. All three Pokemon nodded as Ash reached for the dinosaur's Poke Ball, as well as Glaceon's.

/

The first few rumbles of thunder accompanied the light drizzle that pelted the two trainers and Pikachu's fur as the lodging came into view.

It was certainly fairly large, standing at what looked to be four or five stories tall with a considerable width. Despite only offering single rooms per trainer, Ash imagined (with some gratitude) that the chances of the place being full with nothing available were decently low. The building's exterior was a simple, chocolate brown, not aiming for a particularly eye-catching aesthetic whilst still being easy on the eyes nonetheless. The path leading up to the building was surrounded by trees on either side, although none quite as tall as the lodging itself; they were hardly the towering, eclipsing trees of Viridian Forest.

Ash took whatever moment he had to take in the appearance of the building, but did not bother trying to scan it thoroughly: Once he and Janine were parked in front, they quickly returned their bikes before heading inside, Pikachu on his shoulder. The drizzle had already upgraded to rainfall as they approached the door.

It was hard to pinpoint the exact feel he got as they emerged in the lobby, but "welcoming" felt like a pretty good word, even if overly general. Based on the interior of the lobby alone, one would hardly expect this to be a place you'd find in the middle of the outdoors. The sight of it gave off a bit of a cozy vibe, clearly designed as a hangout first and foremost for travelers to relax together when not in their rooms. He could see a few other trainers two or three years older lounging together further into the lobby, enjoying the sofa and cushioned chair by a table. A Delcatty leaned against a blonde boy with a tightly wrapped ponytail on the sofa, talking to a red haired girl sitting in the chair with a drink. Accompanying the two was a white haired boy watching a Furret and Minun playing nearby. A couple of vending machines and a coffee maker were also at the far end.

The man at the counter nodded at Ash and Janine as the two stopped in front of him. "You looking for rooms?"

"Yes," Ash nodded, eyes lingering on the other three trainers in the lobby for a moment before making eye contact with the man. "And we would like to use the healing machines, too."

The man did some quick calculations before giving them the go ahead. After the winning streak both trainers had garnered, the price was not too steep, although Ash found himself immediately missing the "free of charge" nature of the Centers. Until now, he had taken them for granted.

"Right now," the man went on. "The rooms are being cleaned by staff, but you should both have your keys within the next couple of hours."

Janine bowed politely. "Thank you, sir."

Pikachu was the only Pokemon within the group not placed in the healing machine with everybody else, preferring to remain out. Without much else to do, the two trainers found a spot in the lobby to sit. They could hear the thunder continuing to rumble outside, although it thankfully had not grown too loud.

Though Janine was quick to take out her book, her attention was not undivided, and the duo made light conversation as Pikachu found a comfortable position beside his trainer. The mouse eyed the other Pokemon in the lobby with some curiosity, but made no effort to approach.

Since leaving Lavender, Ash had noticed (with no complaints) that his conversations with Janine had grown more… loose. It was never rare for them to talk about whatever as a means of passing the time, but something about their more recent talks felt different in the way they flowed, in a way that always relaxed him. Usually they would reflect on a particularly noteworthy battle from earlier in the day, like this morning when Ivysaur had used Vine Whip to shove Poison Powder up an Arcanine's nose, winning a battle that both doubted Janine's chances had been very high in. Their opponents had certainly been getting much stronger as of late, likely owed to the area they were traveling through. It was almost a miracle they had managed to stay undefeated in the past few days since departing from Lavender, although the thought certainly kept Ash's spirits up. He'd cling to whatever he could after everything they had been through.

The subject of Lavender Tower was not brought up openly, but it always had an unspoken presence. Both rookies knew that it was on the other's mind, on and off, and both had had one nightmare since leaving Lavender Town behind. They had kept their promise to tell one another whenever such a thing happened, and there was always a comfortable feeling of trust whenever they talked. That vibe carried over even when it was not the subject, just being in one another's presence offering something that resembled consolation.

At the moment, such tension was thankfully absent from their conversation, which was unweighted by baggage, simply focused on the day and how eventful it had been, and sharing training plans with one another as usual. The sound of approaching footsteps after what felt like ten or fifteen minutes of casual talk ultimately interrupted the subject as unceremoniously as it had begun.

Blinking, Ash saw the white-haired boy standing near them with a somewhat uncomfortably suspicious expression. Closing her book, Janine looked up and eyed the newcomer. "May we help you?"

"I haven't seen either of you around here before," the other boy commented.

"We just got here," she replied. Glancing at her, Ash recognized the seriousness bubbling beneath his friend's exterior gaze. It was something he might not have realized if he had not been with her for as long as he had. "We came from Lavender."

The white haired boy seemed to flinch, and the mention of the town attracted the attention of the other two trainers in the room. It was no surprise; the attack on and destruction of the sacred tower was global news at this point. Even a Region as distant and isolated as Alola or Paldea likely knew of it.

"You look young," the white haired boy pressed after the brief pause the mention of Lavender had given him.

Ash tried to suppress the scrunching in his nose; no doubt Janine had seen the comment coming. "We're both first years," he stated matter-of-factly.

"Isn't it a bit early for you two to be out here?" now the red haired girl chimed in. "The Season's not even half done yet. Or even close."

"We're well aware," Janine responded, keeping an even tone while looking over at the older girl. "We didn't come by accident, we're heading for Fuchsia within the next few days."

It was probably the snort from the blonde boy that annoyed Ash the most. Carefully rising from his seat to give his Delcatty time to find another comfortable position, the blonde boy shook his head while scratching at his neck. "You must be joking, there's no way you're that reckless."

As the blonde made his way over, Ash could not help the feeling that he and Janine were being ganged up on, and the thought caused his hands to tighten. Beside him, he could almost feel Pikachu's tail stiffening as his starter's eyes scrutinized all three of the older kids.

'We were warned about this.' he recalled Fuji's words before they had left Lavender. Novice trainers often avoided this section of Kanto for a reason, and those who did not were known to receive less than favorable reactions from many of the more experienced and seasoned competitors that often ventured the area.

"Simmer down, Jordan." the white haired boy spoke as the blonde stopped just shy of him. "Just let me handle this."

"You're being too nice, Josh," Jordan responded, stepping in front of the other boy to look at the pair directly. "Look, you two, I don't know if one of the fleeing ghosts from Lavender possessed you on your way out, but you have no business in a place like this. The way to Fuchsia City is way above whatever that Pikachu sitting next to you can pull off. If you're looking for badges you'd be better off hiking it back to Saffron while you have the chance."

"We appreciate the advice," Janine's coolheadedness hid her irritation as Ash fished in his backpack. "But we've already made up our minds."

"Tch," Jordan hissed a bit. "And here I assumed that other rookie who showed up here had just lost his way. You have what, two badges at this point? Koga will spit you guys out even if you survive the trip."

As if on cue, Ash pulled out his badge case and opened it. He did not like bragging, but this was more about proof than trying to boast. "I have four badges right now, and my friend's already beaten me once. Now please leave us alone."

Both of the older boys paused, blinking eyes staring at the four badges very visibly resting in the case, when the entrance to the lobby suddenly opened. Apart from the rumbling thunder briefly growing louder as the door briefly opened, nobody paid it any mind until the voice of the newcomer was heard.

"Hey guys, something going on here?"

All eyes turned to the approaching figure, and though the three older trainers seemed familiar with her, Ash and Janine's eyes progressively widened as her appearance began to register with them.

She stood taller than the others, with wavy brunette hair and shining blue eyes. She was in the process of removing a a raincoat, a piece of protective headgear being placed down beside her as her eyes scanned the other five trainers in the room.

Ash knew her face all two well: She was Patricia Racewood, a top competitor in Indigo's training scene third place in the last Conference. Hailing from Celadon, she had performed admirably in the Conference during her rookie year, placing in the Top 64 before going on to become a fan favorite in the coming years. Notably, she and Tanner Redgate had an acclaimed rivalry across tournaments that started with him defeating her in the Top 64 of the Conference in their second year. From that point on, it felt as though the two wound up facing each other in nearly every tournament where both were participants, trading wins back and forth. They were currently even, with Tanner claiming victory in the latest two matches. All in all, the two were both some of the biggest stars in Indigo, and the favorites going into the upcoming Conference at the end of this Season.

The red haired girl's attention was ripped away from Ash and Janine as she stood up to greet the older girl. "Phew, you had us worried when the storm hit before you got back."

A closed-mouth chuckle escaped Patricia's nose as she nodded at the other girl. "Don't worry, Beth. I've been caught in way worse downpours than this." a squeak from the approaching Minun caught her attention as she knelt down to pat the mouse on the head, and an observing Ash quickly realized who the electric type's trainer actually was.

/

"Here you two, try this on me."

Neither Ash nor Janine fully understood how abruptly situations had shifted up until now. One moment they were relaxing together after a long day of travel, the next they were dealing with two patronizing older trainers, and now… they were being treated to a hot, coffee-flavored drink by one of the Indigo training community's biggest celebrities.

It was somehow still less abrupt than Tanner's Slowbro removing his disguise.

"Don't worry," Patrica added, gently stroking the now peacefully slumbering Minun in her lap. The storm outside had grown a little bit louder since her arrival, yet the electric type slept undisturbed. "It's not caffeine, just coffee-flavored. Although, the actual coffee is a lodging specialty; Benver the founder had a pretty famous recipe. This drink mostly replicates the taste, but it won't jolt you wide awake the way the coffee did."

Nodding, Ash brought the mug to his lips before carefully sipping. The drink wasn't too hot, and he enjoyed the taste. Next to him, Janine watched Pikachu and Furret chase each other other for a moment before Patricia's voice brought her attention back.

"Sorry about all that," the teenage veteran commented while setting her own drink down. "I know you two probably have plenty more to be worried about without anyone trying to stick their nose into your business." Jordan shifted a bit awkwardly at her gaze.

"How was I supposed to know?" the blonde spoke up. "You hear all about those clueless first years who throw themselves at LT. Surge without giving it any thought. Next thing you know, they're scarred for life with half their team in the emergency room. It's not like it's normal for one of them to get four badges this soon."

Ash's mind flashed back for a moment. His encounter with the Vermilion had not been as fatal as Jordan had described, but it had certainly been as disastrous. It was not a mistake he would make twice, however: he was much more ready for Fuchsia than he had been for that Gym back then.

"Yeah, he actually beat Sabrina this quickly?" Beth was wide eyed. "That's amazing! She was my first challenge when I started out and it went horrific. How'd you do it? And what did you-"

"Calm down, Beth." Patricia mercifully spoke up as Ash reddened at the praise. "The kid looks a bit tired, so don't crowd him."

"Yeah, there's enough excitement going on outside…" Josh observed the window cautiously. "You sure this storm isn't going to get too bad? The wind's getting heavy."

"It's supposed to weaken in less than an hour." the man at the counter, about to go to a backroom called after overhearing. "It'll linger for most of the night, but the worst won't last long."

As the man disappeared behind the door, Patricia looked between the other trainers. "I won't be turning in for a while, so… is there anything any of you wanted to talk about?"

"How bout' Truth or Dare?" Jordan smirked. "Let's see if I can get Josh in a Team Rocket disguise this time-"

"Are you mentally derailed?!" As though she had teleported, Beth was directly behind the blonde to smack him roughly on the back of the head. "Leader Koga will have this place torched to the ground if someone gets the wrong idea! You couldn't have forgotten what happened to that juice shop already."

As Jordan nursed the back of his head, Ash's eyes glanced over at Janine before he asked "Juice shop?"

Patrica paused just before she was about to speak, but continued after a moment of thought. "It was about nine months ago," she started with a light frown. "There was a remote juice shop a few miles to the east of here. A popular stopping place for people who frequent these parts, but…" she sighed. "Well… the place was also supplying rare candy ingredients for Team Rocket in secret."

"Rare candies…" Ash tapped his chin for a moment. "He knew he'd heard of them before…"

"An illegal drug," he looked over at Janine as she clarified beside him. "It's a performance enhancer, makes Pokemon stronger for a bit, but it's physically and sometimes mentally unhealthy to consume, and really dangerous if done constantly."

Josh nodded somewhat grimly. "Yeah, the whole thing was a really big mess. Fuchsia's forces caught wind from a whistleblower. The shop doesn't exist anymore."

A chill snaked its way down Ash's spine as he looked over to a shifting Janine from the corner of his eye, but he made no comments as Patricia spoke up next.

"I feel that's only going to become more commonplace for a while, after… you know, what happened in Lavender Town." glancing at the clock for a moment, she continued. "I follow League news as closely as one can try. Numerous Rocket operations have already been shut down, and a good few quite coldly at that. Troop movements were intercepted just yesterday in southern Johto. They're as out for blood as Team Rocket themselves right now."

"Yeah…" Beth trailed off for a moment before shooting Jordan a stink eye. "So no jokes, okay?"

"You're right, you're right, I'm sorry…" Jordan sighed. "For… being insensitive."

Beth did not stop glaring at him until a few moments later before returning to her seat. Frowning at the girl's soured mood, Patricia was about to try and change the subject when Josh spoke next.

"There was even talk yesterday about how the S.S. Anne party might be cancelled…" he started. "Some people have already had their tickets refunded, but others are pushing against it. Elite Four Lorelei was already going to be there as a VIP, but the League is debating whether to keep the party docked instead of out at sea, beef up security even further, or even just ax the whole thing."

"My cousin from Kalos would be really bummed at that last one," Patricia replied. "She's going to be a VIP too."

Thankfully, the brief mention of the S.S. Anne was the last of the topic, and the conversation began shifting to more casual business. Eventually, talk shifted to…

"Isn't the expedition for Grampa Canyon in roughly a month?" Jordan perked up, as if remembering out of nowhere while glancing at Patricia. "You're in on it, right?"

"Oh, you're interested in fossils?" Ash asked curiously.

Patricia scratched her cheek. "My Persian likes them, but I'm mostly doing it to look for work. The project is looking for trainers on hand, not just people for digging. And they're paying quite well."

"The extra security will probably be even more appreciated now with everything that's going on with Team Rocket." Josh added in.

"Can we please go at least an hour or something without Team Rocket coming up?" beth grumbled.

"Sorry, I know we hear enough on the news."

Just as the conversation started continuing, the sign of movement coming out of the hallway caused Ash's head to turn. As it did, he froze.

Standing right by the doorway… was Gary.

About a million thoughts were racing through Ash's mind as the two boys locked eyes. When was the last time they had seen each other? Celadon? The odds of them being in the same place right now.

As Ash fought back the pit threatening to grow in his stomach, Gary was as still as he was. For however long Ash could think of, the two just stared before the Oak boy's eyes lingered over to the rest of the group. Shooting a quick scowl at Ash, he turned around, going back into the hallway.

"Hey Ash, something wrong?" a quick nudge from Janine brought him back to reality.

"Oh sorry, I'm just getting a bit tired," he half lied. Bed was sounding pretty good after the long day they'd had, but not so much that he wasn't willing to hold out. Perhaps Patricia's sudden arrival had woken him up a bit. It was crazy enough that they had met Tanner…

He wondered if Janine bought what he said, but did not take the time to study her given that they weren't alone.

"We were just talking about how you and Janine will probably be nearby once the expedition starts," Josh stated, seemingly picking up from wherever they had left off before the sight of Gary had zoned Ash out. "Grampa Canyon is not too far from Fuchsia City."

"It's not…" Ash tapped his fingers, realizing something he had not quite before. "I hadn't thought of that," he admitted. But the idea sounded tempting. He had heard bits and pieces of the project offering handsome payment, so signing on as a trainer could be an opportunity…

Despite that realization, he found himself having increasing difficulty trying to focus, his head occasionally turning back in the direction Gary had shown up in while everybody else continued to talk, as though expecting his rival to pop back out at any moment. Sooner or later, he found himself only mildly following whatever the current topic was.

Finally, he politely excused himself and exited the lounge into a different hallway. Seeing his trainer walking off, Pikachu offered Furret a quick wave before giving chase. Ash wasn't too startled when he felt his starter's weight climb up his back and onto his shoulder; if anything, he was greatly for the feeling, and ensured the electric type knew that with a gentle scratch under the chin.

"Hey buddy, just need to clear my head for a moment. Wanna come along?" as the mouse nodded, he started walking without any particular aim. The occasional rumble of thunder had grown more muffled as of recent, seeming to quiet down a bit, which did wonders fo rhis thought process.

A spaced-out group of pictures lined the hallway, depicting fighting type Pokemon that Ash assumed had been members of Leader Benver's team. He recalled noticing a portrait of the man himself in the lobby, as well.

Soon, they reached an open space, where a picture of a large building was displayed. The plaque underneath it revealed that it was the former Saffron City Gym, back before it had been repurposed into the Fighting Dojo.

"You know…" Pikachu perked up as Ash spoke for the first time since the brief walk had started. "I remember hearing about Leader Benver back in Pallet. He's long past, but Professor Oak had a really high opinion of him. Apparently they had their fair share of encounters back when he was first starting out. He was one of the top Gym Leaders back then, people credit him for being the one to bring Saffron's training scene to the prestige it's maintained ever since." An intrigued moan from pikachu filled the boy's ear, just before he scratched his starter's cheek. "... I guess you could say he was that era's equivalent of someone like Koga or Giovanni… and that's gonna be our next big challenge once we get to Fuchsia City." chuckling with a bit of a breath, he rubbed his chest, as though noticing his heart rate had begun to quicken. "Heh, it's… we've been talking about it for a long time, it feels like, but we're actually about to do it. Going for Fuchsia of all places, with the Gym Leader's daughter."

Janine's confession to being the Koga's daughter was still somewhat mind boggling, but that had come and gone. It did raise additional questions on what to expect from the city itself however, but Ash reminded himself to keep a clear head. He would not be getting the Soul Badge otherwise.

"Still a bit nervous about the trip," he admitted. Camping definitely did not beat being indoors, especially in an unpredictable environment like the one they were about to go into. "But… I'm kind of excited. Fuchsia is popular with the big trainers for a reason, so maybe training there will give us that same chance. We'll need every bit of it we can get for the Gym."

The electric type on his shoulder agreed with a small, quiet hum. Although the rumblings from outside still continued on occasion, Ash started feeling relaxed as he stared at the picture. Just a couple months ago, going for his fifth badge felt like it was a hundred years into the future, And even being this far from Pallet was still a surreal sensation. He had been far from home for a good while now, but Lavender had essentially been on the other side of the entire Region.

The Conference still felt almost as far away as it had when he had first set out, like the peak of a mountain not getting any closer no matter how far you climbed. But the more they did…

Ash couldn't help the smile. At times like these, the images of Lavender's events found no spare room in his thoughts.

"Hey! Ashy boy, over here!"

The familiar voice snapped him and Pikachu out of their collective trance as he whirled around, a bitterness immediately taking hold in his chest as he found himself face to face with Gary. The Oak boy wore an annoyed scowl, foot tapping against the floor at an aggravated pace as Pikachu's expression quickly shifted to match that of his trainer's rival.

Despite the relaxed mood leaving his body more quickly than he had wished, Ash kept an even face, his hands only curling for a second or two as he adjusted himself to face the other boy in full. "I didn't know you were there."

"What a shock," Gary sounded more irritated than usual. More bitter than usual. Ash was used to the resentment as much as the opposite was most likely true, but it felt… different tonight. There was no smugness, just disgust. "I've been trying to get your attention for the past fifteen minutes. What's so interesting about that picture that you and your rat can tune me out?"

"We weren't here that long."

"Might as well have been."

Ash suppressed the huff, stopping it just before it could rise any further past his throat. He could feel his face shifting for a moment, eyes almost forming into a scowl, but if they had, he corrected them quickly. They weren't as even as before, however. "What do you want, Gary?"

"Tch," The other boy looked him and Pikachu over for a moment or two before saying, "I'm surprised to even see you out here. Did you get lost on your way to Cerulean when the storm hit?"

"Very funny." Ash replied, already growing tired of the conversation. "Is this how things are going to go every time we run into each other?" he felt his fists tighten for a moment. "I don't have time for this."

A small smirk finally made its way to Gary's face, but even this one felt more frustrated than smug. "I see… you come close in one battle against me and all of a sudden you think you're beyond all of it, like you've changed or something." as though it would prove a point, he took one step forward, shortening the distance between the two somewhat. "Well I don't think you've changed a bit. I think you're the same worthless pipsqueak you were before the Exam, who found himself a quick little ego boost after lucking his way through a few lousy months."

Pikachu's growl entered Ash's ears, the mouse's tail standing fully erect as his eyes stared daggers into the Oak boy, but it ceased almost immediately when Ash raised a hand.

He felt something after hearing Gary's words. Questions on how much his attitude may have been different if the past few months had gone differently. Questions about whether or not he'd still be the same person he was back on Opening Day if he had not done so well in Pewter, or Cerulean. But he realized he was letting those questions linger in his mind for just a bit too long.

"You can doubt my accomplishments all you want, Gary." he spoke with a breath. "I don't need your approval, you don't know enough about me."

"Is that so?" Gary almost sounded offended at the statement. Taking just enough steps to close the distance, he jabbed a finger in Ash's chest. "All of a sudden I'm the one who doesn't know you? Bullshit. I know you more than anyone you've met on the road these past three months, including your own team."

"And you think that means nearly as much?" Ash hissed through his nose. "At least half that time was you and your friends treating me like a bag of trash after tossing me aside like one."

"There you go with the sob story," Gary spat back. He poked Ash's chest again. "I did not just 'toss you aside', doofus. You think that's what I wanted to do? That's what I was forced to do!"

"Forced!?" The Oak boy was almost caught off guard by the hostility in Ash's voice, and even Pikachu jumped off of his shoulder, looking up at his trainer as Ash adjusted his cap, eyes finally targeting Gary with unfiltered fury. "You turned almost all of our peers against me over a few poor grades! You rubbed every great thing you ever did in my face just to remind me of how behind I was. You had your friends mocking me every time they had an excuse. I was forced to deal with all of that! What the hell were you forced to do!?"

The outburst was sudden, but Ash felt something else from it. Satisfaction? Catharsis? Something was allowed out, for just a moment.

"A few poor grades," Gary repeated in frustration. Now it was his turn to hiss through his nose. "For the sake of my sanity, I had to stop keeping count! Did you forget that you were one of my friends once?"

A few memories played in Ash's mind. Memories of Gary's gathering all of the other kids to play games at the playground, or anywhere else with open space. Memories of the pretend trainer battles. Memories of simpler times.

"I remember," Ash's anger slowed to the small degree he allowed it, more controlled now as he shot a Pikachu a brief, apologetic glance, before locking eyes with his rival once more. "Feels like it didn't mean much to you."

"Don't guilt trip me, Ashy boy." Gary snarled. "I do care about my friends. I did not want you to become a failure." crossing his arms, his eyes fell on Pikachu for just a moment. He sneered at the mouse's tightening face before meeting Ash's gaze again. "Why the hell are you even here?"

Ash did not roll his eyes. Instead, he simply said "None of your business."

"That's not what I mean, idiot. Why are you out here? Why are you a trainer? Why do you want to become Champion so badly?"

Ash blinked once or twice at the question. He had wanted to be the Champion of Indigo for just about as long as he knew professional Pokemon training was a thing. The starstruck awe he had felt when watching Karen win the Indigo Conference just a few years back. The feeling he got whenever he saw Lance or even just one of his dragons on TV.

He had wanted it. Being a part of that. Like reaching for the peak of a mountain from the foot of a hill. It was the ultimate dream.

After what must have been several seconds of silence, Gary shook his head, something that sounded like a mixture of a snarl and a hiss escaping his mouth. "There it is again." he put his finger against Ash's chest for the third time. "That's another reason why I hate you. Look around you, you ignorant waste of space! People like Patricia Racewood are actually working to achieve something. They didn't just make a commitment on a whim, it's personal to them. My gramps was the same way; after he won the Indigo Conference, he chose not to pursue the Champion mantle, and walked away from the trainer's life for research. Not because he was better at one than the other, but because he knew which one meant the most to him." a vindictive sneer covered his face. "But you never had a dream, did you? Not a real one. You're just a small child chasing after some delusional fantasy. Sure, the rest of us were like that when we were younger, but most of us grew out of it. You never did, and you wonder why you were so pathetic growing up."

For the first time in the conversation, Ash flinched. All of a sudden, it felt like Gary was taller than him. His mouth half-opened for a response, but shut shortly after. However, he did not allow himself to break eye contact.

Staring Ash down for a moment longer, Gary continued. "Do you know why I want to be Champion?"

"Why?" Ash kept his voice even. The illusion of Gary looming over him was a bit more difficult to keep his gaze on, but he did nonetheless.

"because," Gary started. "Being a researcher would work out just fine for me, and I've definitely considered it in the past. But my number one goal, from the moment I stepped out of Pallet's gates, was to complete my gramps' legacy, by winning the title that he chose not to pursue, but could have won if he had. For me, winning is about family, and mine is the best. I'm going to prove that when I start breaking records, starting with that ludicrous statistic that no rookie has ever made it to the six-on-six rounds of the Conference. And it's only going to keep getting bigger from there." he jabbed his finger against Ash's chest again, and this time was more forceful than the previous three. "But I never could have done that if I had kept you around! I gave you as many chances as I could tolerate to shape up and start improving, because you were my friend! But you never took those chances. All you ever did was prove that you were an anchor weighing me down on my way to the mountaintop. I couldn't let you drag my friends down with you, and I sure as hell wasn't going to let you do that to me!"

Pikachu's cheeks sparked for a moment before looking back up at his trainer. Ash's face was pale, his fists tightening as his body wanted to take a step back. Gary was still there, looking taller than he actually was. But he was no longer all that Ash saw.

He saw Angelina. And Mark. And Jake. And Sarah. One by one, all of Gary's friends were appearing behind him, and they were all giving Ash the same stare. It was a familiar look, one that he had gotten for years, almost every time he was in school, or the same place as any given member of Gary's circle.

His body asked him to take a step back. Told him to.

But he did not move. Instead, he simply looked. As if giving himself a chance to look everyone in the eye, he looked, and looked, and looked.

"What's going on? Did we both get the same thing!?"

"I had it first Gary, it's mine!"

"Like hell you did, loser! Your rod just got tangled on! Now stop pulling already!"

Yelping in surprise, Ash fell over onto the grass as he lost his grip.

…

Memories came back, but the images stayed the same. Until he saw something else…

…

Marauder was there. Standing in the cavern. The guy in the silver mask, his Feraligatr leering down looking for a meal. Ghosts were whispering loudly, rocks were falling, and a Tyranitar's roar echoed throughout an endless space like boundless thunder.

And then it was back to Gary. Somewhere down the line, Ash realized his face wasn't pale anymore, and Gary wasn't so tall. Not looming over him, just in front of him.

He felt his fists tightening once more. He let them tighten. He let the fury return to his eyes as well, but he did not unleash it. Instead, he simply spoke.

"And what did you ever do to help me?"

Gary's nose scrunched. "What?"

"You heard me, golden boy." Ash jabbed his finger into his rival's chest, and he made sure it was as forceful as possible. "What did you ever do to help me? All you ever did back then was stop me in the hallway, or sit down with me at lunch, constantly reminding me that I couldn't succeed if I kept getting bad grades, or performing poorly on exercises. And looking back, it almost felt more like a threat, in hindsight." he pushed his finger against the other boy's shirt. "Did you ever stop to think how I felt? How embarrassed I was whenever an assignment or exercise went badly for me? How much your little warnings and reminders kept piling on the stress? Did you even try to see things from my point of view? Or did you only ever care about your perspective because your so used to Pallet's world revolving around you and everything you do!?"

He almost shoved Gary away, but he didn't. Instead he simply lowered his finger, gazing into the Oak boy's glowering eyes.

"All I wanted was the support the rest of you kept giving each other. Instead, you shut me out and took every chance you had to embarrass me in front of everyone else." He took a breath, but continued before Gary had the chance to respond. "And I was an idiot back then, so for a while I was so obsessed with proving you wrong. Maybe thinking I might feel better about myself if I did, but that just dug me deeper. That stupid incident with the Poke Ball and the fishing rods broke me, and I know you loved it so much."

Gary arms were crossed now, his cruel eyes still fixed on Ash. he was not saying anything yet, and Ash knew he probably had about a million words waiting to come out of his mouth. He did not give him a chance.

"But you know what happened, Gary?" Ash did not hiss. His tone of voice was beginning to return to normal. "I did become a trainer, and that gave me a reality check. I probably hit five or ten missteps in my first week alone, but when I got to Pewter, I knew things needed to change." As though sensing something from his trainer, Pikachu climbed back onto his shoulder, and was welcome with a quick scratch beneath the chin. "I wasn't going to risk dragging my team down, like you just said I'd do to you and your friends. So I stepped up, I got my first Gym badge fair and square, and then I got three more. You can call it luck or a fluke all you want. The only reason you keep saying I haven't changed is because you haven't changed at all."

Something in Gary's pupils was set ablaze. "I'm not the one who needed to change, you leech. Whatever grand epiphany you had came five years too late. I was better than you then, and I still am now. A single lucky near victory isn't going to change that."

"Luck, luck, luck," Ash repeated. The fire in Gary's eyes did not make him look away; if anything, it only kept his own gaze locked in. "You don't know what I've been through, so you're wrong. You don't know me any better than the people I've met on the road. You know a version of me that isn't here anymore, and to be honest, your excuses are pathetic."

The Oak boy's face darkened. "Say that again."

"Why should I?" Ash crossed his arms. His hand almost touched his belt, but apart from Pikachu, he remembered that his Poke Balls were in the healing machine, not there. "I don't think there should be anything left to say. We're both trainers and there's a battlefield outside. Let's settle this tomorrow."

Gary lips twisted up, and it might have been the cruelest expression Ash had ever seen from a person his age. "Well what do you know? You actually-"

"I'm not done," Gary glowered as Ash cut him off. Unclipping Pikachu's (empty) Poke Ball from his belt, Ash looked down at the small orb for a moment before showing it to Gary. "If you and I are doing this, then we're doing it. That means six on six. We'll use our full teams and leave it all on the line. If you say no, we're not battling at all."

Gary stared at Ash for a moment. His expression did not convey hesitance, he just looked. Finally, his face evened out into a steady glare. "As I was trying to say, you actually had a good idea for once. For once, I don't think I could have said it better." Unclipping a ball from his belt, the Oak boy held it in front of him, tapping the Poke Ball in Ash's hand. "The battlefield at this lodging needs to be registered ahead of time, and the storm's supposed to be done by morning. Tomorrow afternoon, at 2:00 PM. Let's tell them now."

No more words were spoken between the two boys from Pallet Town, both simply went back into the hallway to talk to the man at the counter. But there were two entrances to the hallway from where they stood, and their conversation had not been private.

Her face entirely stoic, Janine waited until several seconds after both boys had disappeared before leaving her position behind the wall.

/

"And that's that," now in their private room, Ash sat on his bed in front of his entire team. They were all ready to turn in for the night, but first he needed to share the news. "We've never been in a six on six match before, it's the biggest kind of battle you can have. And that's why we're doing it, because it's against him and his full team."

The collective reaction among his Pokemon family was easy to summarize: Nobody was nervous. Not too nervous, anyway. Most wore the same expression: Pikachu, Nebula, Valiant, Glaceon…

It was Phenom's face that was the most difficult to read: a strange combination of anxiety and unrivaled eagerness. Tempest only wore the latter.

Ash allowed his team to chat amongst themselves for a few minutes. He'd signal for them to get to bed soon enough, but whatever thoughts they had needed to be gotten out of their systems now, before turning in for the night. Even as they talked, a few thoughts already ran through his mind.

'I really haven't been in a match where I used my full team. Not since getting a full group of six, anyway. This whole match is going to be paced and structured differently than anything we've ever done, with no reserves whatsoever. I wonder if Gary's ever done this before.' as if by accident, his eyes fell on Glaceon. 'He has an Eevee, and mine has evolved now. To be safe, I should assume his has too. No way to know which, though-'

A knock on the door broke him from his thoughts. Signaling for his friends to stay put, he opened it to see Janine.

/

"I hope you don't mind me asking," Janine scratched the top of her forehead, just beneath her hair. The two were in her private room now, just across from his own. Each member of her team was doing their own thing, getting ready to turn in as the two trainers sat side by side on her bed. Ash had kept his Pokemon in his room, telling them he'll be back soon. "I just noticed something seemed to be bothering you tonight. I just wanted to check on you before we turned in."

Ash gave his best friend a grateful look. "Thanks, I'll admit I was being a bit weird back there. I didn't want to worry you."

After a few moments, she looked him in the eye. "Do you want to talk about anything?"

Ash returned the look, mind flashing back to their conversation back in Lavender Town. Where she had told him that she was Koga's daughter… and they had asked one another to open up about any nightmares they had. This was not a bad dream, but…

…

As he spoke, the words left his mouth with an ease that made his chest feel light. As though no weight had been there in the first place. "I saw somebody from my hometown tonight, and spoke to him. We're going to be battling tomorrow afternoon." The look on her face, though accepting, told him that she knew that was not the full story. He was hardly surprised; that much would have been obvious to almost anyone. "His name is Gary, and… we used to be friends."

"Used to be?"

After a moment or two, Ash looked away, to nothing in particular. Since leaving Pallet, he had never told anyone before, but back in Lavender, he had already told Janine something that he hadn't come forward about to anyone else. And she had done the same.

It felt… strangely easy.

"A lifetime ago, honestly." he continued. "We were all in this big… group, basically. He was the leader, and he was the best of all of us since day number one. The smartest, most competent, most likely to make it big in the future, everything." Although he looked down for a moment, his face wasn't solemn. Instead, he smiled a little bit, a short chuckle escaping his mouth along with the breath he had let out. "You remember when we first met back in Viridian? Back when we did not know each other very well?"

Although he did not look at her, Janine hadn't taken her eyes off of him. As she scanned his face, her expression was one of stoic understanding, as though a few pieces had materialized out of nowhere, all finding their spots without any need for input. "Yes."

"You remember how different I was back then," Ash commented. "Compared to when we met again in Celadon. And now." his head lifted, turning again to look her in the eye. He could see the analytical tone in her face. Evaluating every look he gave and every word he said, and prepared to keep doing so. But it was not judgmental. "Back at home, I was… well, I was at the bottom, basically. I did really well on the Qualification Exam, after busting my behind studying as hard as I could, but before that, I was pretty poor. I didn't do well in school; in class, on tests, or most of the hands-on exercises. I was just skirting my way by. I did get better, but not very quickly. I was always left behind." removing his cap, he looked at it for a few moments. "Gary, never took kindly to that. He didn't want someone like me around, so he kicked me out of the group. And everyone agreed with him, because all of the other kids looked up to him. He was always so smart, so his friends thought he was right about everything. After that, they all ganged up on me. They labeled me as worthless, and kept labeling. They made sure I knew how far behind I was compared to where I should be."

Crossing her arms, Janine's face softened a bit, but she did not say anything, or even gesture for him to continue. Instead, she waited.

Looking back at her, Ash found his friend's eyes again. Looking at them made the words come easier. "It's not that they were wrong, in fact, they were mostly right. I was doing badly, and it was looking like I'd never get to become a trainer, and live out my dream. But…" he took a breath, and took his time doing so. "No one deserved to hear it the way I heard it from them. And it put me in a really bad place. I let it warp me for a while, and Pikachu and I both paid for it on Opening Day. Especially Pikachu. I didn't know what I was doing and I let my starter down. You saw the result."

She nodded back at him. As the two sat together, the silence grew progressively comfortable. By now, her team had mostly gone to bed, and the only sounds came from the rain outside, the water sliding down the window.

He wasn't sure how much time had passed when she said, "Have you two battled before?"

"Three times," Ash nodded. "He won all of them. The first battle might have been the most embarrassing moment of my life, but the other two weren't so bad." he looked to the door, knowing that his team rested in the room across from them. "It's six on six tomorrow. We reserved the battlefield outside."

She nodded back. After a moment, she added, "I won't go, then. Do what you need to."

He smiled as she nudged him. "Thanks." The two shared a quick hug before he left the room.

When he got back to his, it was equally silent. Everybody was already asleep, except for the mouse that greeted him as he sat down on his bed. Lying on his pillow, Ash reached up to pat the back of Pikachu's head.

The Pichu emerged from the Poke Ball, flinching just before he could pet him.

Pichu's body battered and bruised from the group of Spearow.

Onix collapsing from Pikachu's final attack.

A small, closed-mouth chuckle sounded from Ash as Pikachu laid down next to him. "We'll need all the rest we can get for tomorrow, buddy."

His grinning starter simply hummed with a nod.

/

Gary's room was comfortably dark as he observed his sleeping team from his bed, each finding different places to spend the night. On different sides, Wartortle and Meditite both slumbered in tiny, makeshift beds next to his own as the spiky-haired boy pulled the covers over him.

The images of that Kirlia almost, almost, almost, landing the finishing blow on Skarmory played in his mind. Just before Skarmory landed her final attack instead. It had been like dodging a punch from death, more of an escape than a victory.

The Oak boy's fists tightened beneath the covers. He could feel his heart speed up for just a short moment before he relaxed, breathing as he closed his eyes.

Ash Ketchum was a leech. An anchor constantly trying to chain itself to his leg.

Tomorrow afternoon, that chain would be severed forever.