Chapter 18; rematch
Raichu was running on the sand as it enjoyed the sensation of it as well as the heat of the sun while Sonic was slowly walking on the path next to the beach observing his partner playing and running in the sand. The image of his happy partner put a smile on his face. As his gaze shifted towards the endless blue of the sea as well as the path ahead he started going down memory lane as to all his adventures in Kanto so far. It had been a wild ride already and they were only halfway there through the gym challenge.
His mind drifted back to viridian forest as he remembered his raichu as a Pikachu defiantly going against its own tribe desiring to reach greater heights compared to the rest of its tribe which was shunning it because of said desire.
"I wonder if Ash's Pikachu is from the tribe as well" Sonic wondered as he kept walking forward "maybe it knew my raichu and they had a falling out or something. Well who cares. We are who we are" he thought as he observed a flock of pidgeys led by a pidgeotto flying across the sky in a v-shaped formation.
The world was so vast and Sonic felt free to experience it. Little did he know that his peace was about to be interrupted.
While raichu rejoined him on the path as the beach turned to rocks bringing a shell it happened to find along the way which Sonic thought was nice of it, he received a facetime call from Jet.
"Hey bro. You're not going to believe who dropped by earlier".
"Who?"
"Amy".
"What?!"
"Yes. She asked where you were. I told her you were in Kanto, on a journey and all".
Sonic was left dumbfounded by the news. Amy was looking for him?"
"What um… what did she want?"
"I don't know. For all I know she could be just asking. You know just …"
"Just asking as a friend? I don't buy it" Sonic said, the heartache returning but this time he was determined not to make the same mistake "she's up to something".
"I know it sounds suspicious but… why would she come by the house? No reason not even in her way to well… anywhere".
"Look" Sonic said not wanting to think it over, feeling he would end up overthinking it and drive himself nuts "forget it happened ok? I will. I don't need that girl in my life. She's bad news".
"Yeah. Well that's all I had to say. Take care bro".
"Thanks for letting me know bro. Talk later" Sonic said as he hang up, his gaze turning back to the horizon.
"Amy" he thought "what are you up to now?"
His mind drifted again back to how he, Tails, Knuckles and Amy used to be friends until Shadow moved in town. Sonic and Amy were hanging out when he came across them. He immediately started hitting on Amy with Sonic trying to gently get him to leave them alone as back then he had begun falling for Amy only for Shadow to punch him hard. Amy of course didn't immediately take Shadow's side and at first thought him to be a bully as well or at least that was what it seemed back then to Sonic.
As time progressed Shadow kept trying to goad Sonic into fighting while flirting with Amy any chance he got. Of course, them being teenagers only, Amy fell for the bad boy. Tails and Knuckles had met with her after her rejecting Sonic in the cruelest way possible, not to try and vouch for him but to stand up for him as back then he was too ashamed to come out of his room, not even talking to Jet. He remembered the conversation he had with the 2 of them later that night.
"That girl is a damn bitch" Tails said mad unable to refrain from cursing "after all we have been through the 4 of us she ends up getting together with a bully? Calls you a loser who can't assert his dominance? And us your little nerd friends?!"
Sonic was not talking, just listening as he wanted to agree with Tails but the heartache was making him think he was the problem.
"Like wow" Knuckles agreed with Tails calmer but just as angry "and like both of us? I mean a mean person could argue Tails is a tech nerd but me a nerd? I literally go looking for abandoned ruins on my own. If anything I'm a young adventurer. Tails is right she is a bitch".
"But what if she's right?" Sonic asked them "what if I am a nerd and thinking she and I could be together was the stupidest idea ever?"
"Wow so you're a nerd just cause you're a tad bit shy and a house cat? No I mean hedgehog. No I mean… you get the idea" Knuckles said mixing his words a bit.
"What if I had been anything but that?"
Tails seemed offended at what Sonic had just said.
"Sonic. You know I'm your friend now and forever. But I will not. I repeat, I will NOT! Tolerate hearing you wishing you were someone else!"
"But that's what she's into" Sonic insisted.
Tails looked ready to exit the call when Knuckles once again took over the speaking.
"Yes Sonic. She's into that. So what? There's plenty of fish in the ocean".
"No" Sonic said "not one like her".
"Amen!" Tails yelled in frustration "may there never be another one like her!"
Sonic didn't answer just stuffed his face in his pillow.
"I can't watch you do that to yourself" Tails said and hang up.
Knuckles sighed with his eyes closed.
"I'll let you to calm down Sonic. Don't get lost ok? We're here for you, me and Tails".
Sonic saw as Knuckles also hang up and he was left alone in the dark.
"So what? She's not here. She's with that bully" Sonic thought in sadness.
"Wow" present day Sonic thought to himself as he recalled all of that "I can't believe what a sore loser I was. Literally cutting my friends off over a rejection?"
As he spoke those words he noticed the sun had begun setting. Having reached the south coast, Sonic decided to stop there for the night. As he unpacked his stuff to make his pokemon something to eat, he observed the setting sun. He felt like it was the first time he experienced this.
"My feelings were valid" Sonic thought "but that time has come and gone. Never again. I won't let myself lose another second".
As he unpacked his sleeping bag he noticed something on the center setting sun. While the sun was slowly turning into a reddish color as it fled to the horizon, something orange could be seen in the middle of it heading their way. Sonic managed to notice what looked like a flapping of wings as well as flying flames before he blinked and the thing whatever it was disappeared.
"Yeah" he thought to himself also remembering the other promise he had made when he reached Cerulean city "soon enough I will find you again".
As he looked down to get the food ingredients out of his backpack he heard a pokemon cry pierce his ear drums as well as raichu's. The slightly darkened location was lighted by a set of flaming wings flapping up and down as Sonic and raichu realized what it was.
"Moltres!" Sonic said in shock.
The moltres stopped roaring its cry and just looked into Sonic's eyes in determination as it let another cry. Raichu took a battle stance and cried out as well.
"Wait. It's challenging us?"
"RAI!" raichu cried out at Moltres who responded with its own cry.
Sonic couldn't believe the turn of events. However he smiled at the prospect.
"Challenge accepted Moltres! Raichu not yet! Nidorino come on out!"
Nidorino came out of its pokeball with sparkles and cried out in battle excitmenet. Moltres cried out and dived as its wings glowed.
"Wing attack! Nidorino protect!"
Nidorino created the protect shield but Moltres was leagues stronger partially breaking through the shield and knocking it back a bit.
"Damnit. Poison touch didn't activate. No matter! Sludge bomb!"
Nidorino fired the sludge bomb but Moltres dodged and unleashed a fire blast attack that struck nidorino head on knocking it out. Sonic was impressed and surprised by the power of the legendary bird.
"Man even after all that training. Nidorino return! Valiant effort pal. Rest for now. Raichu no not yet" he told his partner who was ready to stand opposite of Moltres "you're our best chance. Let us weaken it first. Alakazam you're next!"
Alakazam emerged and hummed as Moltres cried out and dived again.
"Reflect!"
Alakazam's reflect was powerful enough to deflect Moltres' wing attack giving them an opening.
"Psychic!"
Moltres was caught off guard as Alakazam being even more powerful than when it was a Kadabra managed to knock it down. Sonic then acting on an impulse toot out a pokeball and threw it at Moltres. It turned into red energy and was absorbed into the pokeball. It wiggled once. Then twice.
"Come on!" Sonic said anxiously.
A huge flash appeared as Moltres broke out and cried out in what seemed like anger, unleashing a powerful flamethrower attack. Alakazam tried to contain the flames with psychic but it proved too much as the flames engulfed it. Sonic knew it wouldn't be able to battle after this so to save he withdrew it.
"You did your best Alakazam. Rest for now. We will handle the rest" Sonic said determined as he looked at Moltres, now with the eyes of a trainer.
"Moltres! I am a trainer! And I wish you to join my team! If I have to beat you to earn your respect so be it! Wartortle come on out!"
Wartortle appeared. Moltres unleashed another flamethrower attack.
"Rapid spin!"
Wartortle span fast deflecting the already not very effective on it attack with relative ease. Moltres screeched and dived for the wing attack.
"Water pulse!"
The two attacks both connected but wartortle being tankier than Moltres took the attack better. Moltres crash landed and Sonic managed to throw a second pokeball. It wiggled once. It wiggled twice. It wiggled thrice.
"We got it?!" Sonic thought in excitement.
Moltres broke out again and screeched in clear anger this time, using its final move, ancient power. Wartortle rushed in front of Sonic and started using protect to shield its trainer from the boulders.
"Wartorlte! Wartortle! Blas" it cried out as it started glowing to Sonic and raichu's shock.
The body of the turtle pokemon became massive as 2 water cannons seeming emerged from the huge shell. Once the glowing stopped the duo were standing behind a tall blue shield.
"Blastoise!" it let out a deep cry.
"Blastoise! Oh my you're so cool!"
"Blastoise" it cried out looking back with a smile.
Moltres cried out again and used wing attack to strike at blastoise. Blastoise took the attack stopping Moltres in its tracks.
"Ice beam!" Sonic said realizing the potential.
Ice beam hit bullseye, as Moltres was frozen solid. Before Sonic could throw a pokeball however, it used flamethrower breaking through the ice and melting it before it hit blastoise head on with the flamethrower. With blastoise shielding Sonic from the fire Moltres flew above and unleashed a powerful fire blast, which blastoise saw too late resulting in a critical hit. After the dust settled, blastoise toppled fainting making a huge noise. Sonic was now almost trembling from the adrenaline of fighting a legendary pokemon.
"Blastoise return" he said "you were awesome. Raichu your time has come. You ready?"
"Rai rai!" raichu cried out, temper flared, desiring nothing more than to teach a lesson to the pokemon that had knocked out its teammates.
Moltres cried out and unleashed a flamethrower.
"Raichu quick attack!"
Raichu dashed around dodging the attack. Moltres then fired an ancient power that raichu also dodged.
"That's it buddy" Sonic thought "let it come down first".
Moltres cried out once again and dived for a wing attack.
"Now's our chance! Use thunder punch!"
Raichu jumped and punched Moltres in the neck while being struck by the wing attack. Having trained for physical moves however it rolled on the sand a bit but used its tail to regain its balance. Moltres crashed on the ground. Sonic knew it was now or never. Throwing one more pokeball at Moltres he prayed. It wiggled once. Twice. Thrice.
But it wasn't meant to be.
A powerful fire pillar destroyed the pokeball as Moltres emerged again and attacked Sonic this time with flamethrower.
"Rai rai!" raichu cried out as it dashed in front of Sonic and following blastoise's example used its iron tail to deflect the attack, separating into 2 jets of fire that went on their left and right. Sonic was in awe but could tell raichu was hurting bad.
"Moltres stop!" he yelled as he got to one knee "I forfeit the fight. Just no more hurt ok?"
Moltres looked at Sonic tilting its head to the side as if in confusion and intrigue. Raichu dropped down from exhaustion as Sonic got to its side.
"Rai" it cried out weakly.
"You did great partner. I'm proud of you".
At that moment a brighter light lighted the night. Sonic, raichu and moltres saw another flying pokemon greatly resembling a flying turkey but a lot more majestic than Sonic could ever describe descended. As Moltres cowered before it, Sonic took out his pokedex in puzzlement as he didn't recognize that pokemon. The pokedex scanned the newly arrived pokemon.
"Data not found. Species unknown".
"Species unknown?!" Sonic said in surprise.
The pokemon let out a powerful cry. Sonic roughly heard the cry coming out as Ho-oh. A sparkling dust then started falling from the wings of the pokemon as raichu as well as Sonic's other pokemon who came out to observe the flying type were miraculously healed and all their injuries from the battle restored. Sonic also noticed that the ash falling out of the flying type also healed Moltres. The two flying types then exchanged a cry, Moltres took one last glaring gaze at Sonic and flew away above him disappearing before Sonic could turn his head to see it leave. As the area around them became dark again, Sonic noticed something faintly glowing in the sunlight at the direction Moltres left from. Approaching with raichu and his pokemon in tow, he saw a feather on the ground. He noticed it was orange and the edge was red and in shape of fire.
"Moltres" he said in realization with a smile "thank you".
The crew then returned to their stuff and after a quick dinner fell asleep due to the exhaustion from the battle.
The next day when they woke up at first, Sonic thought the whole battle the previous night was a dream. That was until he saw the moltres feather on raichu's curled up body. As he picked it up again he noticed it was hot. Furthermore when they were picking up the stuff, when nidorino accidentally stepped on the feather it didn't break. Sonic was intrigued by the feather's endurance and decided it deserved a place of honor as a trophy of his acknowledgement by Moltres. Tying it to the side of his backpack so that he could see it just by looking down, the crew picked up their stuff, blastoise, nidorino and alakazam retreated into their pokeballs for the journey as Sonic and raichu started following the path again.
Ten minutes later Sonic received a facetime call from an unknown number. Confused he accepted the call.
"Good morning Sonic" a familiar female voice was heard. Sonic felt anxiety creeping up on him. Temptation was knocking on his door again.
"Amy" he said trying to sound calm.
"Where did you disappear at?"
"None of your business".
"Oh come. I'm just asking as a friend".
She purposefully spoke the word friend a bit deeper so that it sank in. Sonic felt a small heartbreak but fought to remain calm.
"Ok then. You asked and you got an answer. If you don't mind I'm busy".
"Wow. You're still such a sore loser. You're too scared to face reality. That's why you became a trainer right?"
"The past is behind me Amy. And so are you".
"Dream on".
"I will. I dream of fighting in the league conference tournament. So make like a tree and leave so I can focus on that dream".
Amy was visibly shook that he didn't fall for her taunts.
"I can tell you're lying Sonic. Don't try to act cool on me. You're not cool not now not ever! You will never be as cool as Shadow".
Sonic felt he was at a breaking point. Up until now he really was just acting cool. Before he could break however his eyes met raichu's. They then fell on the Moltres feather. And then his mind was invaded by Tails' voice reminding him of what he had become when he was acting like Shadow. Remembering all that and smiling, he turned back to Amy on his screen.
"You know what. You're right".
"Huh?"
"I agree with you. Being as cool as Shadow is impossible. And you know why?"
"Let me guess? Because you're a softy who can't assert his dominance".
Sonic laughed.
"Of course not silly. How can you be as cool as someone when you're already way cooler than them?"
Amy wasn't expecting this answer and before she could speak again Sonic took the liberty.
"I'll let that sink in. Ciao" he said winking as he hang up on her.
The way he had managed to speak to her made him feel powerful and confident. He also felt gratitude at his partner raichu for just being his partner, for the Moltres wing that reminded him of his progress ever since his journey began and for Tails, Knuckles and Jet for being there for him in his hour of need and during his journey up to this point. Looking at the road stretching straight ahead west he turned to his partner.
"Come on raichu! A new day awaits!"