Hey there guys! Well, this is the longest imagination-created chapter up to date, and I have a good internet buddy of mine to thank! I'm sure you'll figure out who it is as you read the chapter. I hope you guys enjoy this, because I had a TON of fun writing it! I own nothing except the story.
_
Chapter 28
Misty's POV
What a week, the Academy was a whole lot of fun, but it had its share of sadness as well. Mostly for me since I almost lost Ash due to my own stupid jealousy. But thanks to Brad, I was able to pull myself together and ensure that Ash remained mine. Speaking of Brad, right after we said goodbye to Angie, he came running after us, saying he had to meet someone on the way to Celestic Town.
We just couldn't resist the guy's charm. We had to say yes and let him travel with us! Brad was the kind of person that could make you laugh even in the most depressed kind of moments. And as we walked by a nearby meadow, Brad pointed out a young man with messy blonde hair, dark blue joggers and a T-shirt who was training with an Eevee and an Electrike.
Normal POV
"Hey D. Shad!" Brad yelled. The young man in the meadow ceased his training to look around for the owner of the voice. When he saw Brad walking towards him, he waved. "Yo Brad! Long time no see!" he replied. The man, who looked only a little bit older than Brock, hopped over the wooden fence with his Pokémon and greeted Brad with a hard yet friendly slap on the back.
"How ya been man? Haven't heard from ya since those Team Rocket losers tried to steal the Pokémon from your hometown." the young man said. "Just finished with the Academy. Dude, you should've been there this year." Brad replied.
"And who's this lot? I knew you were comin' but I didn't know you'd have tag-alongs." the young man asked, referring to Ash and Co.
"Actually D, you could say I'm tagging along with them. These are my friends, Ash, Misty, Dawn, and Brock." Brad said.
"Nice to meet you." the group said.
"Same here. The name's D. Shad."
"Is that your REAL name?" Dawn asked. "Actually, 'D. Shad' is short for my hero name." D. Shad replied. "Hero name? You mean you're like a super hero?" Ash asked. "In a sense. You see, I'm sort of a self-appointed guardian over Sonzonia City." D. Shad explained dramatically.
"D, how long are you gonna milk this? Just tell them the story." Brad said, rolling his eyes with a laugh. "Heh heh, ok, ok." D. Shad chuckled.
"It was a few months back. I was taking a night walk in the city with my faithful Luxray, when I saw a couple of shadowy figures sneaking through the alleys. I went after them to see what was going on, and I saw them trying to break into the local Pokémon Center." D. Shad continued,
"When I confronted them, they took off their masks and did a freaky motto for me. I never saw something so boring in my life, so I decided to fake sleeping just to irk them, and boy did they get mad. The chick called out a Seviper, and her rather odd friend sent out a Carnivine." D. Shad was about to continue, when Ash and Co. exclaimed in shock. "Team Rocket!"
"Yeah, how'd you know where they were from?" D. Shad asked. "We've been tangling with them since Ash started out on his journey!" Misty exclaimed. "Journey? So you guys are all Pokémon Trainers?" D. Shad asked.
"Well, I am anyway. I wanna become a Pokémon Master!" Ash exclaimed. "Hmm, well good luck with that." D. Shad replied. "Could you continue your story? I love hearing how Team Rocket gets their cans kicked!" Dawn said excitedly.
"Oh sure. So after they did all that, there was a bit of a racket in the alley from the battle. Needless to say, we earned a bit of attention, but that came after the battle. Anyways, they were nothing compared to my Luxray, so I just toyed with them for a while, I let them get a few attacks off just for kicks." D. Shad said.
"After I finally had my fill of watching those losers waste their time trying to hit Luxray, I told Luxray to use 'Charge Beam' and send them back to where they belonged: The trash dump." D. Shad concluded.
"Wow, your Luxray must be really powerful." Brock said. "He is. The beam showed the cops exactly where we were, and we took off before they showed up. The next day I read the 'Weekly Zonia' and Luxray and I had apparently been spotted trying to make a break for it, and I had been given the nickname: Darkness Shadow. I've been keeping an eye on Sonzonia City ever since."
"Yeah, but with hair that bright I'm still surprised they didn't call you Sunny Day." Brad joked. "Ok, so why do they call you that?" Misty asked. "Simple. The article said I was a shadow in the darkness, and I happened to like the name, so I shortened it and decided that only my friends would get to call me D. Shad." D. Shad said.
"And thusly, I get to call my buddy here, D. Shad." Brad said. "Yeah, although I have often questioned that choice." D. Shad joked. "So what IS your real name?" Dawn asked. "I did say my friends call me D. Shad right? You guys are officially my friends; you don't need to know my real name." D. Shad said.
"Aww man." Dawn moaned. "So what do you do then?" D. Shad asked.
"I'm practicing to be a top coordinator." Dawn replied.
"And I want to become a top Pokémon Breeder." Brock added.
"And as for me, my dream is to become a water-Pokémon master!" Misty added.
"Water trainer eh? Is that a fact?" D. Shad said. "Hey D. Shad, I wanna challenge you to a battle!" Ash exclaimed determinedly. "No thanks, instead, I have a proposition for the water-trainer here." D. Shad said.
Ash was taken aback at this. "You wanna battle Misty?" he asked in disbelief. D. Shad ignored Ash and walked up to Misty. "So, you want a real challenge?" D. Shad asked. "O…k?" Misty replied, slightly nervous at how close he had gotten.
"Good, let's head over to that lake over there and then we'll have a battle." D. Shad said. D. Shad and Brad walked off, leaving a rather stunned Misty and an upset Ash. "I can't believe he said no to a battle!" Ash said angrily. "Actually, he DIDN'T say no to a battle, he said no to a battle with YOU." Misty replied.
"I get the sneaking suspicion that D. Shad has something up his sleeve." Dawn said. "You suspect something Dawn?" Ash asked. "I don't know, there's just something unnerving about him." Dawn replied. "Well he is a friend of Brad's; you don't really think there's something suspicious do you?" Ash asked.
"Just to be safe, let's keep an eye on him for now." Brock said. "Right." the other three teens said. Ash and Co. chased after the two blondes and finally caught up with them at the lake D. Shad mentioned. "What took you so long?" D. Shad asked. "Err, nothing." Ash replied hastily.
"Good. Now I want you guys to meet my other Pokémon. And be ready for some total epicness." D. Shad said.
D. Shad tossed out six Pokéballs, and his Pokémon emerged soon after. A Luxray, Lucario, Staraptor, Garchomp, Golem, and Floatzel all appeared next to his Eevee and Electrike. "Whoa." the group all said.
"Impressive eh? These guys are my team members and buddies from a while back, but most of all is Luxray." D. Shad said, as he stroked Luxray's mane. Luxray purred at the affection. "Whoa, awesome!" Dawn said, pulling out her Pokédex.
"Luxray, the Gleam Eyes Pokémon. Its eyes can see through anything. It can even spot its prey hiding in the shadows." her Pokédex chirped. "So you had a Shinx as a starter then." Brock figured.
"Yep, I went for an electric-type. Electric-types are my favorite Pokémon type." D. Shad replied, "So let me see your Pokémon."
"Ash and Co. threw out their Pokéballs, and their Pokémon emerged in a huge group. "Well, impressive bunch you got there, I really like that Charizard and Gyarados." D. Shad said. "Actually, that's MY Gyarados." Misty said.
"Well then, I wanna battle it AND that Charizard." D. Shad said. "Well that's MY Charizard so you'll have to battle me too!" Ash exclaimed. "Fine, we'll do a three-on-three battle, but I wanna battle Misty first." D. Shad said.
"Alright then, you want me to be your ref?" Brad asked. "Only if you promise not to go into one of your long-winded monologues." D. Shad joked. Brad rolled his eyes and took his place on the sidelines. "Choose your Pokémon Misty, so my electric-types can zap 'em!" D. Shad exclaimed.
"Never underestimate a gym leader!" Misty countered. "G-Gym Leader? You?" D. Shad asked in shock. Misty ignored the question and went to her Pokémon, who went to go play in the lake. "Alright guys, I need three of you to help me in a battle." Misty said.
Her Pokémon became excited and crowded her, all except Gyarados who gave some distance so as not to injure its master. "Ok, so Gyarados. Surskit, so you can get some experience…" Misty was cut-off when Vaporeon and Corsola began hopping up and down, begging Misty to choose them for the final spot.
"Ok…Vaporeon, let's go!" Misty exclaimed. Vaporeon cheered and rubbed up against Misty's leg affectionately, while Corsola looked on in disbelief. "Don't worry Corsola; you'll get the next battle." Misty reassured. Corsola frowned and turned back to the water.
"Whoa, I've never seen Corsola that upset before." Ash said. "Yeah, I wonder why." Brock added. "I'm interested in seeing how Misty matches up with D. Shad's electric-types." Dawn said. "I'm sure she can handle it, gym leaders are supposed to know stuff like that." Ash said.
"Well, I didn't know you were a gym leader." D. Shad said. "Why does it matter? Are you scared now?" Misty asked cockily. "Not really, I just like to know who I'm battling." D. Shad replied. "So…who goes first?" Brad asked.
"I can help with that! Misty, heads or tails?" Dawn said. "I choose heads!" Misty exclaimed. "Guess that leaves me with tails." D. Shad said dismissively. Dawn pushed the button on her Pokétch, and the virtual Magikarp coin flipped and landed on heads.
"It's heads! Misty you're first!" Dawn exclaimed. "Alright! Misty calls Surskit!" Surskit hopped from behind its new master and readied for battle. "Staraptor, let's get the fun started!" D. Shad's Staraptor gave a mighty cry and faced the small Pokémon.
"Misty's at a disadvantage since Surskit's a bug-type as well." Brock said. "I'm sure Misty will pull it off!" Ash exclaimed. "Alright everyone put your helmets on and let's get this battle started!" Brad yelled.
"Surskit, use 'Sweet Scent'!" Misty ordered. Surskit emitted a pleasing aroma that wafted through the air and headed straight for Staraptor. "Staraptor, counter with 'Defog'!" D. Shad countered. As quickly as it came, it went away. Surskit's 'Sweet Scent' was sent away by Staraptor's 'Defog'.
"Surskit can't use 'Sweet Scent' because of Staraptor's 'Defog'! It's keeping the atmosphere clear!" Brock said. "So that means Misty'll have to win using speed and strength rather than strategy." Dawn said. "Not necessarily. Strategy is more than using tricky moves, but without them, Misty has her work cut out for her." Brock explained.
"Use 'Fly'!" D. Shad ordered. Staraptor flew up into the sky! Misty had to shield her eyes to keep from blinding herself with the sun's light. "Surskit, use 'Bubblebeam' towards the ground!" Misty countered. Just like they practiced at the academy, Surskit fired and made the ground wet to give it a speed advantage.
"Not bad. That's a move worthy of a gym leader." D. Shad said. "You're not bad yourself!" Misty quipped back. "But now it's time for the carnage! Nail it Staraptor!" D. Shad ordered. Staraptor swooped down to hit the skating water/bug-type, which squealed for help.
"Stay cool Surskit! Turn around and use 'Ice Beam'!" Misty countered. Surskit acknowledged, and fired a freezing beam toward the predator-Pokémon. Staraptor managed to dodge however, and amply nailed Surskit with a hard, swooping tackle.
"You alright Surskit?" Misty cried. Surskit quickly got back to its feet and glared at its opponent. "That move was super-effective against Surskit." Ash said. "And Staraptor's way faster than Surskit, how will Misty be able to make up for it?" Dawn asked worriedly.
"Let's wrap this up! Use 'Brave Bird'!" D. Shad ordered. Staraptor backed up and charged ahead in a fiery aura. "Hold your ground Surskit!" Misty screamed. Surskit looked back at Misty with worry. "You heard me! Hold your ground!"
Surskit was unsure of the plan; nevertheless it did what it was told. "Now! Punch it in!" D. Shad roared. Staraptor charged ahead to finish the small Pokémon off. "Duck Surskit!" Misty screamed. Surskit practically flattened itself to the ground, and wound up with only a small scratch on its head.
With the miss, Staraptor was forced back into the air with a short time stunned from the recoil of the attack. "Now while it's stunned, use 'Ice Beam'!" Misty ordered. Surskit got up and fired. This time, Staraptor had no choice but to take it, but the cry it emitted said it was in pain.
"Awesome! Misty used Surskit's small size to make it hard for Staraptor to land the attack!" Dawn cheered. "And since Staraptor's 'Brave Bird' left it stunned, Misty was free to nail it with that 'Ice Beam'!" Ash added.
"Use 'Bubblebeam'!" Misty ordered. Surskit fired at the stunned bird; the water from the 'Bubblebeam' sent it hurling towards earth. With a crash, Staraptor was left in a crater. "Staraptor's unable to battle! So…huh?" Brad was about to announce the winner, but Staraptor refused to go down. It slowly got back up to its feet and growled at the small Pokémon.
"I should've known better. D. Shad's Pokémon don't know the meaning of the world quit." Brad said. "Surskit, finish it with 'Quick Attack'!" Misty ordered. Surskit used the remaining water on the ground to speed up its attack, leaving Staraptor with a VERY small window of opportunity.
"Staraptor, 'Close Combat'!" D. Shad ordered. Staraptor surprisingly found a second wind and started kicking Surskit with its talons, leaving it stunned and shocked. "But how?" Misty cried. "Use 'Brave Bird'." D. Shad ordered. Staraptor charged ahead and finally nailed the water/bug-type with the super-powerful flying-type move, leaving poor Surskit fainted.
"So Surskit is unable to battle, the winner is Staraptor!" Brad announced. "Epic job Staraptor." D. Shad said. Staraptor landed on the ground and panted wearily. Misty called back her newest Pokémon and stared at the Pokéball. "You were awesome Surskit, take a nice break." she said comfortingly. "Wow, after all that, Misty still couldn't pull it out of the fire." Dawn said sadly.
"That was a really good move. D. Shad looks like he's really tough." Ash added. "Let's hope Misty can finish Staraptor off quickly to make up for it." Brock added. "Vaporeon, you're up!" Misty exclaimed.
Vaporeon leaped onto the field and glared at the weakened bird. "Staraptor, return." D. Shad returned the exhausted bird to its Pokéball and snapped his fingers. "Electrike, let's get the fun started!" he exclaimed. Electrike leaped onto the field and stared down Vaporeon.
"Hmm, an Electrike." Dawn pulled out her pink Pokédex to scan it. "Electrike, the Lightning-Pokémon. Using the electric charge stored in its fur, it can run faster than the eye can follow." her Pokédex said.
"Put your helmets on everyone! The battle's on!" Brad yelled. "Vaporeon, use 'Quick Attack'!" Misty ordered. "Electrike, YOU use 'Quick Attack'!" D. Shad countered. Electrike charged towards Vaporeon and literally blew right by it.
"Whoa, Electrike's fast!" Ash exclaimed. "There's no way Vaporeon has a chance in a speed battle!" Dawn added. "Alright Vaporeon, try 'Water Pulse'!" Misty ordered. Vaporeon fired the energized ball of water at the Lightning-Pokémon, but it easily jumped out of the way.
"So, you like the lightning reflexes of my Electrike, Misty?" D. Shad asked. Misty quietly growled at the comment. "How fast is that Electrike?" Ash wondered out loud. "All the electricity stored in Electrike's fur fuels its speed; Misty has to come up with another strategy." Brock said.
"Electrike, 'Bite', let's go!" D. Shad ordered. With lightning speed, Electrike charged forward and bit down on Vaporeon's leg. "Aah! Vaporeon!" Misty cried. While Vaporeon was getting teeth marks in its leg, a soft cheering could be heard from the lake area.
"Shake it off with 'Blizzard' Vaporeon!" Misty ordered. Vaporeon closed its eyes, and with incredible effort, summoned a freezing snow storm that forced Electrike to release Vaporeon's leg. "Now, use 'Aqua Ring'!" Misty ordered.
Vaporeon summoned rings of water that slowly healed its leg and strengthened it. The cheering originally heard was now grunts of disbelief. "Not bad, Gym Leader. Teaching your Pokémon a healing move." D. Shad said.
"Try this on for size! 'Shadow Ball'!" Misty ordered. Vaporeon launched a shadowy blob of ghostly energy at the small electric-type, but once again it merely jumped out of the way as if the attack was standing still.
"We've got to make up for some of that speed somehow." Misty said to herself. "Use 'Spark'!" D. Shad ordered. Electrike charged again with incredible speed, and slammed into Vaporeon with an electrified tackle. The damage would've been much worse, but the 'Aqua Ring' previously enabled by Vaporeon made up for some damage.
"Try 'Water Pulse' again!" Misty ordered. Once again, Vaporeon fired, but this time Electrike had a slightly harder time dodging the move. "Did you see that?" Dawn asked. "Electrike's dodge was slower that time." Ash said. "It makes sense. Since the electricity in its fur fuels its speed, using electric-type moves will slow it down." Brock explained.
"Electrike, use 'Bite' once more!" D. Shad ordered. Electrike charged Vaporeon at a noticeably slower speed, but still managed to bite down on the same leg as before. "Vaporeon, knock it back with 'Shadow Ball'!" Misty countered.
"Quick, change 'Bite' into 'Thunder Fang'!" D. Shad ordered. Before Vaporeon could fire, sparks flew out of Electrike's mouth, and Vaporeon cried out in pain. "Come on Vaporeon, be strong!" Misty encouraged.
Electrike still has the advantage." Dawn said worriedly. "Yeah, but if Electrike keeps using electric-moves, Vaporeon should be able to match up in speed, that's assuming of course Vaporeon doesn't go down first." Brock explained.
"Vaporeon, use your 'Acid Armor' on that puddle you're standing in!" Misty ordered. Vaporeon melted into the small pool of water, leaving Electrike with nothing to bite down on, or so Misty thought. "Use 'Thunder Fang' on the puddle!" D. Shad ordered.
"Quick Vaporeon, use 'Quick Attack' to dodge it!" Misty countered. Vaporeon leaped out of the puddle just seconds before Electrike shocked the pool of water with its fangs. "Now use 'Blizzard'!" Misty ordered. Vaporeon summoned the ice storm, and this time Electrike had no means of dodging it.
"Come on Electrike, use 'Quick Attack'!" D. Shad ordered. Electrike charged once more, trying to regain its speed. "Counter with your 'Quick Attack'!" Misty countered. Vaporeon ran ahead at full speed, and this time they were neck and neck in the speed department, and Misty knew this too.
The attack collided and both Pokémon jumped back and got back into battle-ready stance. "Electrike's been slowed down alright, but Vaporeon can't take much more, I've got to finish this now!" Misty thought.
"Alright Vaporeon, wrap this up with 'Water Pulse'!" Misty ordered. Vaporeon blasted one last water ball at the small electric-type and then collapsed onto the ground with exhaustion, but it did not faint. "Electrike, dodge it!" D. Shad countered.
Electrike tried to dodge it, but too much of its speed had been depleted, and it took a direct hit. "Come on Electrike, stay with me. Use 'Bite'!" D. Shad ordered. Electrike did. It used 'Bite' on itself. "What are you doing Electrike?" D. Shad yelled.
"That's why 'Water Pulse' is my favorite move! The Pokémon hit can become confused!" Misty cheered, "Vaporeon, heal yourself with 'Aqua Ring'!"
Vaporeon summoned a rather weak move, but as the rings did their job on Vaporeon, they slowly got stronger, and Vaporeon managed to get back to its feet, but only barely. "Good job Vaporeon! Now let's wrap this up with 'Shadow Ball'!" Misty ordered.
The move it knew as an Eevee was easy to activate even in its exhausted state. Vaporeon fired and hit Electrike dead-on. The combination of its confusion paired with the attack was too much for Electrike to handle, and so it fainted.
"Looks like Electrike is unable to battle, so that makes the winner, Vaporeon!" Brad announced. "You did it Vaporeon, what a comeback!" Misty cheered. She knelt down and hugged her exhausted Pokémon, who just closed its eyes and rested in her arms.
"Epic job Electrike, take a rest." D. Shad said, "Impressive, I'll say that much…Staraptor, the fun continues!" D. Shad sent out Staraptor for a second time, and the time spent in its Pokéball seemed to strengthen it slightly, but not much.
"Vaporeon, you think your 'Aqua Ring' can get you through one last battle?" Misty asked. Vaporeon nodded, and stood back onto the field, though weakly. "I hope you realize that I've only been training Electrike for a few months, Staraptor won't be a picnic." D. Shad said. "You don't know what we're capable of!" Misty quipped back. "Alright, put your helmets on, the battle's on!" Brad yelled.
"Staraptor, let's start and end it with 'Brave Bird'!" D. Shad ordered. Staraptor charged forward towards the tired bubble-jet Pokémon in a fiery aura. "Vaporeon won't be able to survive that if it hits!" Misty thought.
"Use 'Blizzard'!" Misty ordered. Vaporeon summoned yet another snow storm, which caused Staraptor to falter a bit, but it was determined to stay on course. "Vaporeon, use your 'Acid Armor' to dodge!" Misty cried.
Vaporeon looked at its master with worry; it COULDN'T use 'Acid Armor'. "Oh no, I froze the water!" Misty cried. Staraptor now had a clear target, and it nailed Vaporeon with a powerful attack that would make any Pokémon say ouch.
Vaporeon simply couldn't stand the stress, with or without an enabled 'Aqua Ring'. Vaporeon fainted on the spot, leaving Staraptor as the victor. "Vaporeon's had enough! The winner is – huh?" Brad stopped to look at Staraptor, who had just fainted from the recoil caused by 'Brave Bird'.
"Uh, check that. BOTH Pokémon are unable to battle!" Brad announced.
"Vaporeon, you were amazing."
"Epic job Staraptor, take a nice long break."
"Vaporeon sure gave it her all, I had no idea she had it in her." Dawn said in awe. From behind them, Dawn could swear she heard a small "hmmph".
"Well then, guess it's all down to this." D. Shad said. "Guess it is…Misty calls Gyarados!" Misty's mighty water-dragon crawled onto the field, ready for the final battle. "Luxray, let's get the fun started!" D. Shad's starter Pokémon leaped onto the other end of the field, also ready for the exciting final battle.
"This'll decide it all, but once again, D. Shad has the type-advantage with Luxray." Brock said. "I know Misty can pull this off! She's a gym leader after all!" Dawn exclaimed. "Put your helmets on! The battle's on!" Brad yelled once more.
"Luxray, use 'Thunderbolt'!" Luxray launched the furious electric-attack, and Gyarados was immediately forced to go on the defensive. "Now use 'Charge Beam'!" D. Shad ordered. Luxray charged the follow-up attack, which left Misty with a small window of opportunity.
"Use 'Hydro Pump'!" Misty ordered. Gyarados recovered and fired the powerful stream of water at the electric-type. Luxray took the attack valiantly, but eventually was forced back by the water-pressure being exerted from Gyarados' mouth.
"Not bad, not a lot of Pokémon can even hold a candle to my Luxray." D. Shad said. "When you're training to be a water-Pokémon master, beating type-advantages is mandatory!" Misty quipped back. "Of course it is, but now it's time to get serious! 'Discharge'!" D. Shad ordered.
Luxray launched the blue electricity attack at the water-dragon. "Quick Gyarados, counter with 'Flamethrower'!" Misty countered. Gyarados spewed flames from its mouth, and aptly countered the electricity, causing an explosion to span the field.
"Now I'm completely convinced you were a gym leader. Teaching your water-type a fire-type move to beat grass-types." D. Shad said. "I just happened to be one of the top-rated gym leaders back in Kanto!" Misty quipped back. "So you're Misty Waterflower, former gym leader of Cerulean City!" D. Shad said.
"Glad to see you've heard of me." Misty said. "Oh yes, it's an honor to meet you, but that won't change how I battle! Luxray, use 'Crunch'!" D. Shad ordered. Although not as fast as Electrike, Luxray charged forward and bit down hard on Gyarados' midsection. Gyarados roared in pain, which brought worry to Misty.
"Luxray's faster and has the type-advantage. If Misty's going to win this, she'll have to rely on Gyarados' power. "Come on Misty; show him what you're made of!" Ash yelled. Hearing Ash's voice calmed the water-trainer, and ironically enough, with serenity came an idea. "Use 'Protect'!" Misty ordered.
Gyarados glowed and a green force-field appeared, bouncing Luxray off of Gyarados and onto the ground. "Now use 'Hyper Beam'!" Misty ordered. Gyarados followed up with an ultra-powerful attack that sent a shockwave through the surrounding area, even D. Shad was surprised by the sheer power of the attack.
"Dodge it Luxray!" D. Shad yelled. Luxray just barely managed to avoid a direct-hit, but it did take quite a bit of damage. "Impressive." D. Shad said. "Glad you approve." Misty quipped back. "But now that you're vulnerable, we'll show you our ultimate power!" D. Shad yelled. Misty became fearful once more.
"Thunderbolt!" D. Shad roared. Luxray began charging what would be an extremely painful attack to the weakened Gyarados. "Come on Gyarados, snap out of it!" Misty cried. Gyarados shook the weariness off, only to find an electric blast heading straight toward it. "Quick, use 'Protect'!" Misty screamed. Gyarados formed the green field just as the attack made contact. An explosion took place and smoke covered the whole area.
When the smoke cleared and the dust settled, Gyarados…had fainted. "Gyarados has had enough! So the winner is Luxray and the match goes to D. Shad!" Brad announced. "Epic job Luxray." D. Shad said.
"You did your best Gyarados, I'm proud of you." Misty sadly returned her water-dragon to its Pokéball. "Hey Mist, don't feel bad, that battle was awesome!" Ash consoled. "I'll be ok Ash; this was just a friendly battle after all." Misty said.
"Well Misty, that was indeed quite a battle, I expected Luxray to take you down way faster than that." D. Shad admitted. "Guess to show that you can't keep water-types down." Misty quipped back. "Indeed, so what say we relax for a little while before I take Ash on?" D. Shad suggested.
"Sounds good to me, I'm tired just watching that battle." Dawn said. "Good, my team could use a good break." D. Shad said. The group called out their Pokémon for some much-needed rest and relaxation. Even Brad's Pokémon went to go play with the others.
"If you guys wanna wait a while, I can whip up something for lunch." Brock said. "How about some of that chili Brock?" Ash suggested. "Heh, alright big guy, one pot of chili coming up." Brock chuckled. Brock proceeded to get lunch ready, while the others watched their Pokémon splash around in the water.
"So D. Shad, I was wondering, that Eevee of yours, are you going to evolve it?" Dawn asked. "Yeah, I've got one of each set of evolutions except for Umbreon, so that honor goes to that one." D. Shad replied. "Does it know any moves yet?" Misty asked. "Just the basic egg moves: 'Tackle', 'Tail Whip', 'Helping Hand', it hatched only a few weeks ago." D. Shad explained.
"Where'd you get so many Eevee?" Ash asked. "Well…actually…that's kind of a long story; I'd prefer to keep it private if you don't mind." D. Shad said. For the first time since they met him, D. Shad actually looked unsure or sad. From behind D. Shad, Ash saw Brad giving him a look, telling him to drop the subject like a brick.
A noise coming from the water made the subject change quickly. "What's going on over there?" Misty asked. They looked and saw Pikachu and Turtwig trying to keep Corsola away from Vaporeon. "Corsola, what are you doing?" Misty asked angrily.
Corsola panicked and dove underwater to escape its master's gaze. It didn't work. Misty walked up to the water and yanked Corsola out. "What's wrong with you?" Misty asked again. Corsola looked away angrily and didn't reply. "Fine, get back in your Pokéball until you're ready to behave." Misty huffed.
Misty returned Corsola to its Pokéball, and crossed her arms as she sat back down on the grass. "What's wrong with Corsola?" Ash asked. "I don't know, she's copping an attitude!" Misty replied. "Actually, I think I may know why." D. Shad said. "Really?" Misty asked. D. Shad was about to explain, when Brock began shushing them and all the Pokémon.
"Brock, what's wrong?" Dawn asked. Brock shushed them again. "Do you hear that?" he asked.
The group warily looked around, and they too heard a faint noise in the distance. "Sounds like…an airplane." Ash said. "I wonder if the passengers were taught by those hypocrite attendants that tell you not to be afraid to crash but then teach you how to crash." Brad joked.
"Brad, not now." D. Shad said. The group became slightly nervous when the noise was becoming louder, but nothing could be seen. "I don't like this." D. Shad said seriously. The noise seemed to be right above them now, but still nothing could be seen.
"Luxray lux!" The group turned around and saw Luxray being pulled away by something. "Oh no, Luxray!" D. Shad charged toward the situation and yanked Luxray away from the suction pull. The bounce back however caused the pull to grab onto Vaporeon instead, who cried for help to its master.
"Something's taking Vaporeon!" Misty cried. Vaporeon seemed to vanish from sight, and then the noise slowly began to become fainter. "We've got to do something!" Misty cried. "We will, I'll take Staraptor and chase after whatever just took Vaporeon!" D. Shad said determinedly.
"I'll help! Charizard, let's go!" Charizard rushed to Ash's side, and Ash hopped onto its back. "You coming Mist?" Ash asked. "I'm gonna give those freaks a piece of my mind!" Misty replied. Misty grabbed Ash's hand and hopped on, she then wrapped her arms around Ash's waist and balanced herself.
"Brad, hold down the fort, make sure no one else gets taken." D. Shad said. "Gotcha covered, good luck D." Brad replied. D. Shad nodded and grabbed Luxray's Pokéball, returned Luxray to it, and then stuffed it into his pocket. Pikachu certainly didn't want to miss the adventure, so before take-off, he hopped onto Ash's shoulder.
"Let's go!" D. Shad yelled. Staraptor and Charizard took off with their passengers, and chased after the noise that filled the sky. "You think they'll be ok?" Dawn asked. "With Darkness Shadow on their side, believe me; it'll turn out just fine." Brad reassured.
In the sky, Staraptor was showing off its speed, as it put distance between it and Charizard. "Boy that Staraptor sure can move." Ash said in awe. "Never mind that, just keep your eyes and ears peeled for whatever took Vaporeon." Misty hissed. "Misty, we'll find her, don't worry." Ash reassured.
"Sorry Ash, I'm just really frazzled. Someone's taken Vaporeon, Corsola's being a pain, and I'm still recovering from our recent…personal struggle." Misty said, her voice trailing off at the end. "Just relax Mist, everything always works out." Ash replied with a smile.
Ash wrapped one arm around her shoulder and squeezed, comforting her. "Thanks Ash…hey, what happened to D. Shad?" Misty asked. Ash and Misty looked around the sky, and found that D. Shad had indeed vanished, but the noise was still as present as ever. After a bit more flying, the noise changed somewhat.
"Ash, does it sound like the sound is going down?" Misty asked. "You mean, getting quieter?" Ash replied. "No, I mean literally going down." Misty said. The noise was indeed lowering from the sky, and eventually landed and stopped.
"The noise is gone!" Ash exclaimed. "We couldn't have lost it!" Misty added. They hadn't, as they floated in mid-air atop Ash's dragon, the noise revealed itself. "Hunter J's ship!" they both exclaimed. "It was in stealth mode, no wonder we couldn't see it!" Ash exclaimed.
"And now that she's landed, we've got to sneak in somehow." Misty said. Charizard flew up to the ship, making sure not to trip any exterior alarms and keeping an eye out for any entrance. When they looked through one window, they saw D. Shad sneaking around the interior of the ship with Luxray.
"It's D. Shad!" Ash whispered. Ash softly rapped against the window to get D. Shad's attention. It worked. D. Shad tip-toed to the window and found a way to open it. "What took ya so long?" D. Shad asked humorously. D. Shad helped Misty through the window first, and then Ash jumped through.
"Thanks Charizard, take a break." Ash whispered. Ash returned Charizard to his Pokéball, and the couple joined D. Shad on the mission. "So, from what I've seen so far, it looks like this ship belongs to a bounty hunter. And whoever it is, was aiming for Luxray. Well they'll get Luxray, but my way." D. Shad said determinedly.
"Sounds like a plan!" Misty replied excitedly. D. Shad suddenly shushed the two teens, and cautiously looked around the corner. "Guards. You two stay put." D. Shad said sternly. Ash and Misty followed instructions and stayed put, but curiosity made them peek around the corner. "Luxray, knock them out with 'Thunderbolt'." D. Shad whispered.
Luxray fired, and the noise caused the guards to turn around. "Hey you!" they screamed. Too late. The 'Thunderbolt' reached them and zapped them silly. They passed out on the floor, smoking from the attack. "I'll take this." D. Shad snickered, taking a passkey from the guard's pocket.
D. Shad motioned for Ash and Misty to come out of hiding and opened the door with the key. "This looks like the brig." D. Shad whispered. "That means Vaporeon should be in here." Misty added. "Vapo vapo vay!" That cry for help confirmed her suspicions.
"That was Vaporeon, come on!" Misty exclaimed. "Misty wait!" D. Shad yelled. Too late. Misty charged for the cell and got knocked back by an electric force-field. "Mist, you ok?" Ash asked with concern. "Yeah, but I feel kinda numb." Misty replied.
"An electric security field…this'll be tricky. Electric moves obviously won't have any effect, so Luxray and Staraptor won't be of any help." D. Shad said. "Dang it! I left my Pokémon behind too! All I have are Pikachu and Charizard!" Ash said with frustration. "I don't have any Pokémon with – wait a minute, yes I do! Corsola!" Misty exclaimed. Misty threw Corsola's Pokéball, and Corsola emerged soon after. "Corsola, we need your help!" Misty exclaimed. Corsola gave a determined smile. "We need you to free Vaporeon from that cell!" Misty said.
When Misty said Vaporeon, Corsola immediately frowned and turned away angrily. "What's wrong Corsola?" Misty asked. "If I may, I believe Corsola might be angry at Vaporeon." D. Shad said. "But why? Did Vaporeon do something?" Ash asked.
"Is that it Corsola? Was Vaporeon mean to you?" Misty asked. Corsola fired a 'Spike Cannon' at Misty, who narrowly dodged. "What's the big idea?" Misty hissed. "Mist, I don't think she's mad at Vaporeon, I think she's mad at YOU." Ash said. "I think it's a little bit of both." D. Shad said.
"Both? I don't get it." Misty said. "I think she's mad at you for choosing Vaporeon over her, and she's jealous of Vaporeon because she's your favorite." D. Shad explained. "Wait a second; I don't have a favorite Pokémon beyond Tentacool and Tentacruel! Corsola, is that REALLY why you're upset?" Misty asked. Corsola shot an icy glare at its trainer, and then turned its back again.
"I think that's a yes." Ash said. "Listen Corsola, you know…you're acting just like my other Pokémon did a few years ago. They were jealous of Luxray because they thought he was my favorite, but I explained to them that I cared for all of them exactly the same way." D. Shad said.
"The same goes for me Corsola, I may have chosen Vaporeon this time, but that doesn't mean I love her any more than I love you. I'm just as proud to have you as a Pokémon as I am to have Vaporeon." Misty said. Corsola smiled and jumped into Misty's arm for a hug. "That's my Corsola." Misty giggled.
Corsola hopped out of Misty's arms and faced the cell. "Ok, use 'Spike Cannon'!" Misty ordered. Corsola fired a flurry of spikes at the cell, and the electric-field easily blocked them. "Ok, try 'Bubblebeam'!" Misty ordered. Corsola fired a stream of bubbles; once again, the field blocked them. "Try again!" Misty exclaimed. Corsola did, but with the same result.
"Geez, a rock-move would bust through the field AND the glass. Too bad I left Golem and Garchomp behind." D. Shad said. "Hey Misty! Corsola is a rock-type right?" Ash exclaimed. "Yeah, but she doesn't know any rock-type moves." Misty replied.
"Corsola cor!" (Yes I do!) Corsola squealed. "What? When did you learn one?" Misty asked. "Cor corsol cor corsola!" (I learned it at the gym!) Corsola replied. "Heh, way to go Daisy." Misty said quietly. "What are you waiting for Mist? Let's make with the jail break!" Ash exclaimed. "Right! Alright Corsola, let's see that move!" Misty shouted.
Corsola charged an orange, glowing sphere above its head, which grew in size as it held it suspended. "Whoa, it's beautiful!" Misty said in awe. "Let's see what the Pokédex says." Ash said, pulling out his red Pokédex.
"Power Gem'. The user attacks with a ray of light that sparkles as if it were made of gemstones." the Pokédex chirped. "I bet that's why my sister's tried using Corsola for jewelry. They saw her as valuable when she learned 'Power Gem'." Misty said, half proud and half upset.
Corsola launched the sphere, and it blasted through the field and shattered the glass into a million pieces. Misty wasted no time running in to embrace her Pokémon. "Vaporeon, I was so worried!" she cried. Corsola looked down sadly for a moment. "C'mere Corsola, group hug!" Misty exclaimed.
Corsola smiled and hopped into Misty's arms to share the embrace with its new friend Vaporeon. Suddenly though, an alarm went off throughout the ship. "Dang! I forgot the security system!" D. Shad growled. Before they knew it, they were surrounded by henchmen, and of course, Hunter J herself.
"So you're the one behind all this huh?" D. Shad growled. "David…so we meet again." J said. "Huh? How do you know my name?" D. Shad asked suspiciously. "Don't tell me you don't recognize me, my dear old flame." J replied.
D. Shad's eyes grew wide in realization. "J?"
Hunter J removed her mask, and the young bounty hunter gave a devilish smile to the city guardian. "It's been a long time." she snickered. "Not long enough." D. Shad replied. "And I see you've made friends with some thorns in my side, not surprising." J said.
"Why did you steal Vaporeon?" Misty screamed. "An error on the part of my henchmen, I was targeting a Luxray and we wound up getting that." J said with disgust. "Looks like you fulfilled your dream of being a Pokémon Bounty Hunter." D. Shad spat.
"Indeed…and come to think of it, that Luxray you have there must be the one were supposed to be captured instead." J said. "Yeah, remember that little Shinx I had back then? Not so little now, is he?" D. Shad growled. Luxray also growled, with sparks coming from its body. "And if this is the Luxray I was to capture, then you must be Darkness Shadow, the person my client wanted me to steal from." J said.
"Glad to see my reputation precedes me." D. Shad growled. "And I'm sure YOU remember the little Bagon I used to have." J said. Hunter J tossed out a Pokéball, and her loyal Salamence appeared and roared ferociously. "Looks like you did a good job with that thing J." D. Shad growled.
"And you have done well with Luxray, my dear David, but my client insisted that I come through, so I'm afraid this little reunion must end." J said menacingly. Her henchmen threw out Pokéballs, and a Rhyperior, Exploud, Machamp, and Hitmonlee emerged from the multiple light flashes.
"Kill them, and bring me Luxray." J ordered. J walked away with Salamence, but before closing the door behind her, she gave D. Shad one final devilish grin, and then blew him a "farewell" kiss. "Let's make this quick boys." the head henchman snickered.
"Four against four, think we can take 'em?" D. Shad asked with a smirk. "Let's take them down!" Ash exclaimed.
"Rhyperior, use 'Rock Wrecker'!" the henchman ordered. "Vaporeon, use 'Water Pulse'!" Misty countered.
"Exploud, use 'Hyper Voice'!" the second henchman ordered. "Corsola, use 'Power Gem'!" Misty countered.
"Machamp, use 'Focus Blast'!" Henchman number three ordered. "Luxray, use 'Discharge'!" D. Shad countered.
"Hitmonlee, use 'Hi Jump Kick'!" the final henchman ordered. "Pikachu, use 'Volt Tackle'!" Ash countered.
The four Pokémon launched their most powerful attacks at each other, and the resulting explosion caused the ship to rumble, and smoke to come out in all directions. In fact, there was so much smoke that the ship's inner fire alarm went off and all the security doors in the ship automatically opened.
"Let's jam!" D. Shad yelled. While the henchmen struggled with the smoke, Ash, Misty, and D. Shad ran for the first window they could find.
Meanwhile, J found a nearby security monitor, and found Ash and Co. taking off. "Of course." she hissed. J took off for the cockpit to start the ship.
Back with the escapees, they finally found a window they could squeeze through. "Corsola, use 'Power Gem' to break the window!" Misty ordered. Utilizing its newest move, Corsola sent the huge glowing rock right through the window.
"Staraptor, let's get the fun started!"
"Charizard, I choose you!"
The two flying Pokémon emerged and allowed their masters to hop onto their back. They recalled their Pokémon to their balls and flew off as fast as possible. But of course, J was not one to just give up. "Start the engines!" she shouted. Her engineers complied, and the huge airship took off, uncloaked.
"We did it, we did it!" Misty cheered. "Don't start cheering too soon, look!" D. Shad yelled. The couple turned around and found J's airship chasing after them, not only that, it was firing at them. "Lock missiles on target." J ordered. The helmsman of the giant ship used the ship's targeting system to lock onto D. Shad and Staraptor.
"Missiles locked sir!" the henchman announced. "Farewell, my darling David, we WON'T meet again." J snickered, "Fire missiles!"
The henchman pressed the firing button, and missiles began pouring down on the trio of escapees. "Whoa, she's really trying to kill us!" Ash yelled angrily. "No, it's my Luxray she wants! You two get back to Brad, it's time Darkness Shadow did what he's good at." D. Shad exclaimed.
"But D. Shad…" Ash was cut-off. "Don't ask questions, I said go!" D. Shad yelled. Ash was forced to comply, and they left D. Shad to take the missile fire all for himself. As they flew away however, he heard the hoots and hollers from D. Shad ringing through the air. "What's the matter, got nothing left? Keep 'em coming!"
After a bit more flying, they finally landed back near the lake area, where Brad, Brock, and Dawn were patiently awaiting their return. "Glad to see you guys are in one piece." Brad said. "Did you manage to rescue Vaporeon?" Dawn asked.
"Yeah, she's safe, thanks to Corsola." Misty replied. "So the problem's been resolved then?" Brock asked. "Yeah, the thing was that Corsola was jealous of Vaporeon, but thanks to D. Shad's help, I was able to convince Corsola that I love all my Pokémon exactly the same amount." Misty replied.
"Speaking of D, where is he?" Brad asked. Ash and Misty's faces drooped. "He's not…dead, is he?" Dawn asked worriedly. "Does it look like I'm dead?" a voice asked. The group turned to find a completely unharmed D. Shad landing from the air.
"D. Shad!" the group cheered. They ran up to the city guardian gleefully, patting him on the back and congratulating him. "So what happened up there?" Ash asked. "They were no match for Staraptor. Once you guys were safe, I just had Staraptor burn 'em!" D. Shad exclaimed. "So that's it then right?" Misty asked.
"With any luck, yes." D. Shad replied. Apparently, luck was not with them. "It's J's ship! She was the one who took Vaporeon!" Brock yelled, as the giant ship loomed over them like an angry storm cloud. "But why would she want Vaporeon?" Dawn asked. "She didn't! She was hired to capture Luxray and she made a mistake!" D. Shad replied.
A noise came over the ship's exterior intercom, and then a voice. "Ah my dear David, I'm afraid you're efforts to escape have been useless. Now I shall take care of all your friends right here and now. And once you and all the other thorns in my side are dead, I shall take your Pokémon and give them to my client…quite worthy of a Bounty Hunter, wouldn't you say?" J said.
"That does it." D. Shad growled, "Alright guys, we don't have much time!" Indeed they didn't, J was once again locking her weapons on them. "Lock all weapons on the targets."
"Call out your Pokémon! We're gonna do some damage on that ship before she can do permanent damage to us!" D. Shad yelled.
"Charizard, I choose you!"
"Misty calls Gyarados!"
"Piplup, let's go!"
"Croagunk, let's go!"
"Torkoal, let's do this!"
"Luxray, let's get the fun started!"
The six called out Pokémon, along with Pikachu growled at their metallic opponent, ready to take whatever actions necessary to protect their masters. "Alright guys, you ready? Fire!" D. Shad roared.
"Charizard, use 'Flamethrower'! Pikachu, use 'Thunderbolt'!"
"Gyarados, use 'Hyper Beam'!"
"Piplup, use 'Bubblebeam'!"
"Croagunk, use 'Poison Sting'!"
"Torkoal, use 'Solarbeam'!"
"Luxray, use 'Thunderbolt'!"
The seven Pokémon fired a furious barrage of attacks at the giant airship. "Fire all weapons on – what the?" J shouted. J's ship was rumbling furiously after the barrage of attacks, bodies went flying all over the cockpit, as the ship hurled them to and fro.
"Retaliate immediately! Fire all weapons!" J ordered. The henchmen regained their balance and did what they were told. Lasers came flying out of the guns in the ship, leaving the group on the surface to jump and dodge by any means necessary. "Same old J, eh D?" Brad said. D. Shad ignored Brad's comment and barked out more orders.
"Lucario, join the party with 'Aura Sphere'!" D. Shad yelled. Yet another of D. Shad's Pokémon emerged, and started launching attacks at the ship. All the previously released Pokémon followed suit, and fired again at the giant ship.
More bodies went flying as the ship took damage once more. "Sir, multiple injuries being reported on decks three and five!" a henchman exclaimed. "Activate our cloak!" Hunter J ordered. The ship began to vanish from sight. "Looks like they're trying to make us take blind shots, I'd say they're just about ready to go down!" D. Shad yelled.
"Ash, remember the combination Pikachu and Electabuzz did back in Veilstone City?" Misty asked. Ash's eyes widened and he nodded at his red-headed girlfriend. "D. Shad, tell Luxray to use 'Thunderbolt' on my signal!" Ash exclaimed.
D. Shad had no idea what Ash was up to, but Ash seemed sure of himself, so he complied. "Pikachu, use 'Volt Tackle' and jump over Luxray!" Ash ordered. Pikachu backed up a few steps, and then charged ahead, gaining more and more momentum as the electricity enveloped its body. When Pikachu leaped over Luxray, Ash made his move. "Now D. Shad!"
"Luxray, use 'Thunderbolt'!" D. Shad ordered. Luxray launched the furious electric-attack at Pikachu, who was jet-propelled into the air. "Pikachu, use 'Iron Tail'!" Ash ordered. Still surrounded by the electric-aura, Pikachu raised its tail and placed it in front of its face.
When the steel-hard tail made contact with the metallic structure of J's ship, a loud clang was heard over a two mile radius, and the ship began sparking furiously. "Sir, what are your orders?" a henchman asked. "…Retreat." J growled. Even the henchman was surprised at J's decision, but he followed orders and turned the ship around.
"J's running away!" Dawn cheered. "We did it!" Ash cheered. The group high-fived, hugged, and congratulated each other on a job well done. They thanked their Pokémon and returned them to their balls for a well-deserved rest.
"I can't believe someone would hire Hunter J to steal one of OUR Pokémon." Dawn said. Ash and Misty's curiosity had been peaked during the exchange of words on the airship, but they remained quiet because of the emergence of the situation. Now that the danger was diverted, they had questions.
"D. Shad…how did Hunter J know you?" Misty asked. "And how did she know your real name?" Ash added. D. Shad looked to the sky, as if searching for answers. "Come on D, these guys are trustworthy, tell them." Brad encouraged.
"(Sigh) J and I used to be a couple." D. Shad said. The group, excluding Brad, gasped. "Tell us about it." Misty said pleadingly. D. Shad told the group to take a seat, saying it was a long story.
"It was years ago. J and I were happily in love, we worked together in a Breeding Center in Sonzonia City." D. Shad was cut-off. "That explains where you got all the Eevee." Ash figured. "Right. Anyways, me and J went on a picnic one day, to kinda, discuss our future and such. I told her I was really looking forward to one day taking over the business and working together with her." D. Shad continued,
"That's when she dropped the news on me…the news that changed everything. J told me that she had read into the benefits and profits involved with being a Bounty Hunter…when I told her I disapproved, she tried to convince me how much better of a future it would be, and tried to convince me to come with her." D. Shad continued,
"I almost agreed. I mean, this was the girl I had been together with for over two years, she was beautiful, smart, and good with training Pokémon, but she never mentioned her secret life as a hunter in training. It was then and there that I ended our relationship. I had standards about life and the lives of Pokémon, and I wouldn't lower them for anyone, not even her." D. Shad continued,
"I left her alone on the hill, and I went on with my life without her. But I will admit that it was hard to cope without her. I eventually forgot about her, but now that I know who she is and what she's doing…well…let's just say that old wounds should never be reopened." D. Shad concluded.
"Too bad you didn't stay with her D; you could've made great rap music with her, D and J!" Brad joked. "Brad, please." D. Shad mumbled. Brad cooled off and pat his friend on the back. "Sorry big guy." Brad said, "Actually, I knew J myself, she was always one to stop at nothing to get her way, but she was never that ruthless before." Misty's hand mechanically made its way to her mouth. "I'm so sorry D. Shad." she said sympathetically.
"It's not your fault, I should've known that one day we'd meet again, I was just caught off guard is all." D. Shad replied. "Hey D. Shad, if you wanna take your mind off of things, how about we have our battle now?" Ash suggested. "You know what Ash? That sounds like a great idea." D. Shad replied.
Back with Hunter J, she was busy talking to her client, who had shadowed his/her figure and disguised his/her voice. "So, you didn't get his Luxray." the client said over the communications console. "No…we didn't." J growled. "Consider our agreement null and void, you're fired!" the client exclaimed. The client hung up, leaving J alone.
"I'll get those meddling kids!" J hissed to herself.
"So, what do we do now? The professional couldn't pull it off." The client's helper said. "We're professionals too! We'll just have to take Luxray ourselves!" the client replied. "Oh dear." the helper moaned.
"The battle between Ash and D. Shad will begin now!" Brad announced. "Ok Lucario, let's get the fun started!" D. Shad called out his fighting/steel-type Pokémon, and it growled determinedly. "Chimchar, I choose you!" Ash's fire-monkey emerged, ready for battle.
"Don't forget, I wanna battle that Charizard of yours!" D. Shad exclaimed. "You will, don't worry! But let's see if you can handle Chimchar!" Ash quipped back. "Put your helmets on everyone! The battle's on!" Brad yelled.
"Chimchar, use 'Flame Wheel'!" Ash ordered. Chimchar made the first move, and charged toward Lucario in a wheel of fire. "Dodge it Lucario, and then use 'Force Palm'!" D. Shad countered. Lucario masterfully dodged Chimchar's attack, and then turned to grab Chimchar and blast him with a beam of energy.
Chimchar was knocked back hard, but it quickly rebounded. "Use 'Dragon Pulse'!" D. Shad ordered. Lucario formed a sphere in its hands, similar to its 'Aura Sphere', but this attack was pigmented differently, it was more green than blue. Lucario fired, and the attack swiftly hurtled towards the small fire-type.
"Use 'Dig' and fast!" Ash countered. Chimchar dug a hole, narrowly avoiding being directly hit by the dragon-type move. "Keep your eyes peeled Lucario, he could be anywhere!" D. Shad exclaimed. Lucario looked around warily, but Ash noticed something about D. Shad's Lucario.
"He's not telling Lucario to use his aura…maybe that's his weakness!" Ash thought. "Nail him Chimchar!" Ash yelled. Chimchar emerged from the ground and threw Lucario off balance. "Not bad Ash." D. Shad said. "You think that's good? Try this! Use 'Flamethrower'!" Ash ordered.
Chimchar spewed a powerful flame at Lucario, who once again looked unfazed. "Dodge it." D. Shad said calmly. Lucario complied, and easily moved out of the way of the flame. "Lucario's so fast, Chimchar can't keep up!" Dawn exclaimed.
D. Shad likes having a speed advantage, and he usually gets it, so this'll be tough." Misty added. "Use 'Rock Climb'!" D. Shad ordered. Lucario's claws grew in length and glowed white; he slammed them into the ground and a mountain appeared from seemingly out of nowhere, knocking Chimchar off balance.
"Quick Chimchar, use 'Flame Wheel' up the mountain!" Ash ordered. Chimchar complied, and spun up the mountain in a blazing inferno. Meanwhile, Lucario was running up the mountain as well, when he reached the top, he would slam into the small monkey and finish the job, or so it thought.
"Lucario, look out!" D. Shad yelled. Not even Lucario could dodge in time, Chimchar had beaten him to the top, and he slammed into Lucario hard. Lucario rolled down the mountain in pain, and slowly got back to its feet. "Keep it going Chimchar, use 'Flamethrower'!" Ash ordered. Chimchar followed up with a blazing blast of fire, which hit Lucario hard as well.
"Come on Lucario, use 'Aura Sphere'!" D. Shad ordered. Sweating and in pain, Lucario launched a barrage of attacks that slammed into the charging Chimchar. "Chimchar, are you ok?" Ash asked with concern. Chimchar slowly got back to its feet and growled at its opponent.
"A little tip about Lucario, the more damage he takes, the stronger he gets!" D. Shad yelled. Ash growled in response. "If Ash doesn't hurry up and finish this match, D. Shad will." Brock said seriously. "Use 'Flamethrower'!" Ash ordered.
Chimchar fired once more. "Counter that with 'Dragon Pulse'!" D. Shad countered. The two attacks collided and caused an explosion all over the field. "Now use 'Rock Climb'!" D. Shad ordered. Lucario charged back up the mountain, only to find that Chimchar was once again nowhere to be seen.
"Now where'd it go?" D. Shad asked. Chimchar emerged from under the ground and threw Lucario down the mountain; it had used 'Dig' while the smoke was covering the field. "Finish it off with 'Flame Wheel'!" Ash ordered. Chimchar charged down the mountain, adding on to the damage Lucario was taking by rolling down the mountain. When they finally reached the bottom, Chimchar leaped back to his side, and awaited the result of his barrage.
Lucario grunted, groaned, and growled, but when he tried to push himself back to his feet, he fainted. "Lucario's had enough, that means Chimchar is the winner!" Brad announced. "Yeah, way to go Chimchar!" Ash cheered.
"Epic job Lucario, take a nice break." D. Shad said, "Well I'm impressed Ash, that little Chimchar of yours sure has a whole lot of determination."
"Yeah, that's our Chimchar!" Ash replied. "But now that determination won't help you! Floatzel, let's get the fun started!" D. Shad called out his lone water-type, who stared down its opponent with a toothy grin. "Chimchar's already weak, if Ash goes with Chimchar, he won't last long." Brock said. "Ash, you need to switch Chimchar out for this one!" Misty exclaimed. "Don't worry, we can take it, right Chimchar?" Ash said. Chimchar raised its fist and replied with determination. "Ugh, I'll count how long it takes for Chimchar to faint." Misty grumbled.
"Put your helmets on, the battle's on!" Brad yelled. "Chimchar, use 'Dig'!" Ash ordered. Chimchar dug a hole and prepared to attack from beneath the water-type. "Ready Floatzel?" D. Shad asked. Floatzel nodded and stepped back a few steps.
Thinking it had reached its target, Chimchar jumped up from under the ground, only to find Floatzel staring down at it. "Use 'Aqua Jet'!" D. Shad ordered. Floatzel dove down into the hole with Chimchar in front of it. When Floatzel emerged from the hole, Chimchar was above it, being thrown into the air by the momentum.
"Finish it with 'Waterfall'!" D. Shad ordered. Floatzel summoned a pillar of water that formed from right beneath Chimchar; it quickly reached the sky and totally smothered Chimchar in swirling water. When the waterfall dissipated, Chimchar fell to the ground with a thud, fainted. "C-Chimchar." Ash groaned with worry.
"Chimchar's had enough, which makes Floatzel the winner!" Brad announced. "Well done Floatzel, be prepared for the next battle." D. Shad said. "You were great Chimchar, take a nice long rest." Ash said, returning the exhausted monkey to its Pokéball.
"He can't say you didn't warn him." Dawn said. "No matter how much he matures, Ash will always be Ash." Misty moaned. "Ok Pikachu, you ready to get in there?" Ash asked. Pikachu bounded onto the field with sparking cheeks.
"Put your helmets on, the battle's on!" Brad yelled. "Pikachu, use 'Thunderbolt'!" Ash ordered. Pikachu fired the furious electric-attack at Floatzel. "Floatzel, dive into Chimchar's hole!" D. Shad countered. Floatzel dove into the hole previously dug out by Chimchar, and completely avoided the attack.
"Now use 'Ice Beam'!" D. Shad ordered. Floatzel leaped out of the hole and fired the freezing beam at Pikachu. "Dodge it with 'Quick Attack'!" Ash countered. Pikachu put on the speed and dodged the beam before it reached him. He then turned back at Floatzel and gave it a quick tackle into its abdomen.
"That's nothing! 'Surf'!" D. Shad ordered. Floatzel summoned a huge wave and barreled towards the electric-mouse. "Use 'Iron Tail' to spring up!" Ash countered. Pikachu's tail glowed white, and it sprung high up into the air and avoided the huge wave.
"Now turn that into 'Volt Tackle'!" Ash ordered. Still in mid-air, Pikachu dive-bombed Floatzel and slammed into it hard. "But how? It hit in mid-air!" D. Shad exclaimed in shock. Floatzel was pushed into a ditch from the impact of the 'Volt Tackle', but it wasn't done just yet.
"Way to hang in there Floatzel! Now, use 'Waterfall'!" D. Shad ordered. Floatzel summoned a pillar of water, and climbed up into the sky, riding the waterfall. When the attack dissipated, Pikachu was unharmed. "What happened?" Ash wondered out loud.
"Nothing yet!" D. Shad yelled. Ash gasped as Floatzel dive-bombed Pikachu from above. "Use 'Aqua Jet'!" D. Shad ordered. Floatzel's downward speed increased when it went into attack mode, and Pikachu could do nothing except brace itself for the inevitable.
Pikachu was knocked back hard from the 'Aqua Jet', and flopped onto the floor in pain, sopping wet. "Come on Pikachu, you've gotta get up!" Ash encouraged. Pikachu slowly pushed itself up, but was obviously in pain.
"We're not done yet! Now use 'Ice Beam'!" D. Shad ordered. Floatzel fired at Pikachu, and the attack made a direct hit; the water dripping off of Pikachu's body froze his bottom half, leaving Pikachu totally immobilized from the waist down.
"Pikachu's frozen in place!" Misty cried. "Yeah, me and my girl Floatzel here worked on that combination for a long time! And very few people have escaped it!" D. Shad exclaimed. "Let's finish the job Floatzel! 'Waterfall' once more!" D. Shad ordered.
Once again, Floatzel went up the pillar of water, this one would be the finishing blow. "Pikachu's frozen in place, there's just gotta be a way to beat that thing! Wait, that's it, but I've only got one shot!" Ash thought.
"Pikachu, use 'Thunderbolt' on the water!" Ash ordered. Despite its half-frozen state, Pikachu was still quite capable of launching a well placed 'Thunderbolt' on the pillar of water. The attack traveled all the way through the pillar of water, and it shocked Floatzel with double the damage.
"Yeah, that did it!" Ash cheered. Floatzel fell out of the 'Waterfall' and crashed into the ground, fainted. "Floatzel's had enough! The winner is Pikachu!" Brad announced. "Yeah Pikachu, that was totally awesome!" Ash cheered.
The still frozen Pokémon sighed with fatigue, but shared its master's enthusiasm. "That was amazing! Who knew Pikachu could pull something like that off?" Dawn exclaimed. "I did. All he needs is the right trainer at the helm." Misty said.
"Weren't you just upset at him for using Chimchar at the wrong time?" Brock asked with a smirk. "Hmm, I don't recall that." Misty replied, sticking her tongue out at the other two. "Well Ash, I did say not many people have been able to beat Floatzel's ultimate combo, congrats." D. Shad said.
"Hey thanks, but Pikachu did all the work." Ash replied, rubbing his friend's head affectionately. "Pika pika chu Pikapi! Pika chu!" (Don't pet me Ash! Defrost me!) Pikachu exclaimed angrily. "Oh oh, sorry buddy." Ash said.
"Ash has the worst timing." Brock said with a sweat-drop. "Hey Charizard, how about a quick 'Flamethrower' buddy?" Ash called out his dragon to defrost Pikachu with a soft fire-attack. "Oh, so I finally get to battle that Charizard eh?" D. Shad asked.
"Depends on your choice of Pokémon!" Ash quipped back. D. Shad smirked and clutched his final Pokéball. "Golem, let's get the fun started!" Golem emerged and stomped its foot, making a small rumble.
"Pikachu, whaddya say we let Charizard finish this off?" Ash suggested. Pikachu nodded and wearily walked back to Ash's side, a small smile on its face the whole time. "Alright, put your helmets on, the battle's on!" Brad yelled.
"Charizard, let's start off with a 'Flamethrower'!" Ash ordered. Charizard launched the blazing inferno at the rock-type. "Bounce it off Golem!" D. Shad countered. Golem crossed its arms and merely blocked the attack with little to no damage done.
"That didn't even faze it." Misty said in awe. "Naturally Golem's being a rock-type provides a lot of defense, but a blast from Charizard should've at least made it wince, D. Shad's trained it really well." Brock explained.
"Use 'Stone Edge'!" D. Shad ordered. Two light blue rings surrounded Golem, and then the rings turned into small shards of rocks, the rocks were then fired at the dragon-like Pokémon, who roared in pain. "That was a direct hit!" Dawn cried. "And super-effective too!" Brock added. "Come on Ash; get your head in the game!" Misty screamed.
Ash nodded and took a deep breath. "Alright Charizard, use 'Flamethrower' once more!" Ash ordered. Charizard fired once more, and once again Golem blocked it. "Quick, use 'Steel Wing'!" Ash ordered. Charizard opened its wings, and charged forward like an angry Rhyhorn towards the rock-type Pokémon.
"Golem, use 'Dig' to dodge!" D. Shad countered. Golem started to dig a hole, but Charizard managed to get to Golem before he could get down. Golem rolled backwards from the impact, and eventually rolled back onto its feet. "Way to go Charizard!" Ash cheered.
"Finally! Ash finally has the speed advantage!" Misty cheered. "Yeah, but don't forget Golem has the type-advantage, this might still be a tough battle." Brock said. "Golem, use 'Strength'!" D. Shad ordered. Golem ran at full, but nevertheless; relatively slow speed to grab Charizard. "Take off Charizard!" Ash ordered.
Charizard opened its wings again, and dodged the attack by flying into the air. "Golem, use 'Strength' to jump up and grab Charizard!" D. Shad ordered. Golem pumped its legs and leaped up into the air, grabbed Charizard's neck and forced it down painfully.
"Charizard, shake it off with 'Dragon Breath'!" Ash ordered. As the two Pokémon plummeted, Charizard turned its neck ever so slightly and blasted the fiery breath attack at the undefended Golem. Golem released Charizard and rebounded to the ground. Charizard was not quite as lucky; he landed a bit less gracefully.
"You alright Charizard?" Ash asked with concern. Charizard grunted and clenched its claws into fists. "Use 'Stone Edge'!" D. Shad ordered. The blue rings turned into rocks once more, and were fired at Charizard again. "Use 'Steel Wing' to protect yourself!" Ash countered.
Charizard's wings glowed white, and it put them in front of its face to block the rocks. They bounced off with a loud clang, but Charizard wasn't through yet. Charizard charged towards Golem once more and slammed into it with wings of steel.
"Stay strong Golem!" D. Shad yelled. "Not a chance! Finish it with 'Seismic Toss'!" Ash ordered. Charizard grabbed Golem and swooped up into the air, did three mid-air flips and almost hurled Golem down to the ground. "No ya don't! Golem, use 'Strength'!" D. Shad roared.
Golem grabbed onto Charizard's neck and was determined to bring Charizard down with it. A huge crash rumbled the surrounding area, sending a dust storm in all directions. When the dust finally settled, both Pokémon were lying on the ground, fainted.
"Both Pokémon have had enough! And since D. Shad is out of Pokémon, the match goes to Ash!" Brad announced. Ash ran up to Charizard and held its head. "You did it Charizard, you won it for us, you were great." Ash said softly. Charizard gave a tired grunt in response.
"Epic job Golem, take a nice long rest." D. Shad said, returning his exhausted rock-type to its Pokéball. While Misty, Dawn, and Brock congratulated Ash on his amazing victory, D. Shad looked on. "He's gonna make some master someday, as long as his friends stay by his side." he thought.
"Yo Ash!" D. Shad shouted. The group stopped celebrating to allow D. Shad to speak. "Yeah D. Shad?" Ash replied. "That was truly an epic battle, but it seemed a bit unfair that you had a whole cheering section on the sidelines." D. Shad joked.
"Heh heh, yeah, what can I say? I've got the best friends a guy could want." Ash replied with a smile. "I can see that. Hey, take my advice. If you wanna be a master, you'll need your friends close by, so keep them close dude, and you'll go far." D. Shad said.
"Believe me; he'll never be able to get rid of me." Misty joked. Despite Misty's joking tone, both she and Ash couldn't help but turn a little pink around the edges. "You two especially…you'll need each other the most on your journey…promise me you'll stay strong." D. Shad said seriously.
"We promise." Ash and Misty replied. D. Shad smiled and exchanged fist-pounds with Ash and Co. "Well, I think I'll grab my comedian of a friend and head on home." D. Shad said. "Hey, it was nice meeting you!" Dawn exclaimed. "Well guys, this is ta ta for now, see you around." Brad said, also exchanging fist-pounds with the group.
Before they could get the chance to separate, another rumbling was heard, a much softer one however. "Did anyone feel that?" Brock asked. Before they knew it, the entire group on the pathway was trapped in a ditch. "Oh no." Ash moaned. "What? What's wrong?" D. Shad asked. "You'll see in a minute." Misty face-palmed.
Jessie: "We see you've forced J back on the shelf."
James: "If you want something done right, you have to do it yourself."
Jessie: "On the wind!"
James: "Past the stars!"
Meowth: "In your ear!"
Jessie: "Bringing chaos at a breakneck pace!"
James: "Dashing all hope, putting fear in its place!"
Jessie: "A rose by any other name's just as sweet!"
James: "When everything's worse, our work is complete!"
Jessie: "Jessie!"
James: "And it's James!"
Meowth: "Meowth, now dat's a name!"
Jessie: "Putting the do-gooders in their place."
James: "We're Team Rocket!"
Team Rocket: "And we're in your face!"
It was Team Rocket in their hot-air balloon, with yet another attempt to steal the group's Pokémon. Much to their frustration however, D. Shad and the others had fallen asleep in the ditch. "Hey! Dere's nuthin ruder den takin' a nap while we do our ting!" Meowth screeched.
"(Yawn) I'm sorry, did you say something? I couldn't hear anything over all the static." D. Shad heckled. Team Rocket face-faulted. "You have no respect for a terrific team trio." Jessie spat. "Oh and by the way, hiring a bounty hunter to do your dirty work isn't all that diabolical." D. Shad said with a smirk.
Team Rocket face-faulted again. "That's enough; we're here to take that Luxray AND that Pikachu!" Jessie exclaimed. "Ugh, this is a waste of time. Luxray…" D. Shad snapped his fingers and Luxray knew exactly what to do. With a furious 'Thunderbolt', Luxray sent Team Rocket blasting off.
"That so-called hero did it to us again!" Jessie screamed furiously. "I could see this coming a mile away." James moaned. "We shoulda known betta den ta mess with his primo Pokémon." Meowth added.
Team Rocket: "We're blasting off again!" *Ping*
"I'm assuming those are the guys who waste your time all the time?" D. Shad asked. "Yep, and I'm assuming they're the ones you beat that gave you your name?" Misty asked. "Yep, what a bunch of losers." D. Shad replied.
So after sharing a laugh at Team Rocket, the group departed with Brad and D. Shad, happy to have met such incredible personalities, and positive that they would one day meet again. And so, Ash and Co. continued their journey on the road to Sinnoh.
_
A/N: Hope you guys enjoyed the adventure of Darkness Shadow! I spent the week working with him on it. It's his actual game team with their actual moves and every detail is in place. Next up will be the movie. Being perfectly honest, I'm a little intimidated by it. Give me some motivation gang! Please review and watch for updates!