Misty and Bea stood before the Masked Men with May having already vanished from sight. She was off to pursue the Star Champion's group with the other Masked Men, not doubting they could easily handle them. That all didn't matter now, however, and now they had to make sure that they could go free.
Misty was glaring intensely, sensing there were around 8 men with varying Pokemon, intending on keeping her contained until they met with May again. Bea stood beside her, as it could prove to be difficult without their Pokemon, not with their Poke Balls taken away from them.
The Masked Men stepped forth, whipping their whips around and swinging them at the two girls.
"It's over!" One of them bellowed. However, as Misty cowered, Bea suddenly caught one of them by her feet, spinning around before kicking a man down to the ground and removing his mask.
"We won't just let you defeat us!" Bea proclaimed, taking a fighting stance. At that moment, she gained her own courage, recalling the years she spent being whipped by Volman's men. As soon as another whip came her way, she would grab onto it.
The second man reacted in surprise, yanking the whip towards her, thinking he would have an advantage on her. Instead, she twisted the whip around in her arm, gritting her teeth.
"Urgh...!" The man cried. "How dare you...!"
He yanked the whip back, as did Bea. The Masked Man launched a fist at her face, but she ducked down, leaning herself back while clenching the rope in both hands and falling over the man. A clear one-two spin with her legs that caused him to stumble and let go of his whip. Without missing a beat, she quickly swung the whip down at his back, sending out a shockwave which caused the man to lie flat on the ground.
"I've been whipped for years by Volman's men." Bea explained coldly, standing up after knocking a man down. "Your whips are barely that much of a threat to me in their simplest forms! If you were more worthy, you would take them seriously...!"
"Wow! You're something else, Bea!" Misty cheered her on, not expecting the woman to have this much fight. Misty would turn, backstepping from the men before looking back. As fast as she could, she leaned back, noticing a whip was being pulled to the man. Misty gasped once she saw the whip flying her way as she narrowly avoided it by ducking her body down.
Bea would then grab that same man she knocked down, throwing him against the other masked men, managing to hit three of them away. Once they were down, Bea and Misty took the opportunity to run out of this tent, needing to quickly outrun all the Masked Men after them.
"I wonder if you even need Pokemon, Bea!" Misty cried, getting out and rushing behind Bea, seeing many of the Masked Men coming after them. Bea then grabbed Misty's arm, pulling her away from the men.
They had only two options here. Either try to go outside, or return back to where Brock and the others were. So for now, they were going to return to the path they originally used, running around the camp, searching for an exit of sorts. But before that, they would have to find their Poke Balls which were taken from them.
There were many tents here, meaning that any of them could have their Poke Balls waiting there. Getting their Pokemon would make their chances of escaping much easier. As easy at it can be anyway. Misty and Bea were still being chased, and this was not an easy escape.
After turning the corner, a group of Masked Men were heading for them, intending on blocking the path so they could be cornered. Misty held her head back, stopping in her tracks. "H-Huh?!" Misty cried out before Bea grabbed her again, throwing her forward and catching a fist aimed for her. She then elbowed the Masked Man across his face, knocking him over.
"Most likely, our Poke Balls are fine! May wanted us to join, so she was obviously keeping our Poke Balls safe somewhere! " Bea yelled out as Misty nodded in response. But then one of the Masked Men roared, charging his whip with energy as the rope extended.
The two girls widened their eyes and jumped aside, Misty still getting a part of her hair cut. The Masked Men would continue to brandish the whips, as they would bend and lash out, attacking wildly. Bea would dodge and grab the whips, pulling it away and pushing the men back. This would cause the men to stumble and end up falling on the one behind, creating a pile of the Masked Men.
However, when looking at her hand, Bea noticed that she took damage from that one whip, already seeing some wounds on her hand. "Nggh...!" Bea cried out. As tough as she may be, she could only handle the regular whips. Anything embedded with energy could leave a painful shock and serious wounds that she couldn't shrug off.
"Bea!" Misty held onto Bea's hand as the two hid behind some crates, allowing the two a bit of a break as the Masked Men were still on the search for them. As they hid, Misty checked out Bea's hand, which had a cut going across it, making it bleed quite a bit.
Misty narrowed her eyes, not believing these people had the nerve to do something like that. "Ugh. Don't worry. I'll protect you."
"Wha? But Misty...Our Poke Balls are still away from us. If you head out there without my defence you'll-"
"Don't worry about that." Misty would smile all of a sudden. You're still new to the Aura, so here's something neat to know. Doesn't matter if they've been taken away. I can sense my Pokemon."
Bea stared at Misty as she smiled. "What I have with them, bonds that we built. Our spirit. My connection is there for every one of my Pokemon. We're as close as friends get. Now stay close to me. I'll get our Pokemon back."
Misty continued to hold Bea's hand before staring directly at the Masked Men again. The ones who were searching for the two girls, keeping a lookout for them. After a short pause, Misty held Bea's hand as well. At that moment, Misty closed her eyes, suddenly channelling her Aura, summoning a flow of Aura around her as if it was another type of force being breathed into her.
A couple moments later, she exhaled deeply, standing up and revealing herself to the Masked Men who backed up once they could sense her powers. A powerful feeling of Aura radiated throughout the area, and Misty would unleash a stream of water from the palms of her hands.
The Masked Men turned, only able to strike at it, but their whips simply couldn't counter the flow of water. The blast of the waterfall pushed all the men back, separating them by how strong it was, creating a good gap between her and them.
"Amazing..." Bea uttered.
"We can use this type of power even without our Pokemon here. But it's weaker and takes some more time to build up." Misty explained, revealing more of Aura's capabities to Bea. She then focused her mind on her Pokemon's location, running away from her waterfall attack and continuing on their way out of this place.
The waterfall she summoned would flow acros the camp, disrupting the Masked Men while they were distracted, but sadly this technique didn't deal any knockout blow. They would have to act quick. And based on Misty's senses, their Pokemon were to be found nearby.
Bea trailed Misty as they rushed across the camp, heading north of this area which led to a tent near a cliffside. That was where she sensed her Pokemon waiting. "This way!" Misty shouted. Bea ran behind her as they continued running through the camp, leaving another part of the area behind them.
They arrived at the tent, only to stop in their tracks, finding their Poke Balls lying on a large table. Quickly, the two girls ran over to the table and reached for the balls.
"Finally! This is great!" Misty held her Poke Balls in hand, successfully retrieving them. Now that they had their Pokemon back, they could get out of here as soon as possible. After all, they were still in enemy territory and the roars of the men pursuing them were still evident.
To make a quicker getaway, Bea would tear a hole through the back of this tent, lifting it from the bottom and making a hole big enough for them to go through. The only reason no one tried stopping them here was because of their loud steps ahead, making people turn and look in another direction.
"Let's go before they find us." Misty said. Bea responded by running ahead, climbing down from the cliffside with Misty jumping right after her. With no time to waste, they chose to create more distance away from the camps.
The only issue left was if May and her men would find them. Misty couldn't help but hope May could turn around and make a better decision.
The shouts of the Masked Men was lessened the further they ran, but Misty wasn't going to let down her guard yet. So far, they wre managing to lose them at this pace and it was thanks to Misty taking advantage of the connections they have with their Pokemon. Otherwise, Bea and Misty could have taken serious damage and lost their Pokemon.
By heading down further, they eventually reached a durance where rocks covered the bottom, much to their shock.
"U-Urgh!" Misty gasped before dropping down and skidding across a pile of rocks at the bottom of the ravine. It was a steep climb, going all the way to the ravine. After such a long jump, she and Bea found themselves at the bottom, left to stand back up on their own. Bea grunted, landing on her knees before picking herself up.
"That...was dangerous. But at least we got out." She explained, crossing her arms. She looked back to see they managed to cross another lengthy area, getting a great distance away from the camp. "We're so far from them now, haha. Good thinking. We did it, Misty."
"Yeah...Let's hurry and reunite with Brock. Then, we'll meet up with the Star Champion. If he's close by, I'm sure he'll find us."
"He won't be finding you at all." A voice responded to them, making the two girls turn their backs and spot May behind them. They were somehow snuck up by her even after Misty and Bea went the long way. This startled the girls, believing they had really lost them in the midst of everything. However, it was only May who was present here.
"May!" Misty and Bea gasped, immediately backing up and taking a distance from her.
"Why am I not surprised that you escaped? I should've known. Turning down my offer was the first red flag that you'd be trouble, considering who you're allied with. And now you're just wasting my time and mission."
"Listen." Misty narrowed her eyes. "Nothing against you and everything you said about how you turned to the Empire...but there is no way I'll ever agree with someone like you! Never! I still have so many goals and things that I want to achieve, and no way in heck I'll just say nevermind and join the people who brought me pain, directly or indirectly!"
"Stubborn to a fault, aren't you? I can relate to that. But that can only get you so far." May closed her eyes. "Just accept your fate. These odds are far too above you."
"Not a chance." Misty raised a Poke Ball in her hand. "If you've forgotten, I'm a Pokemon Lord. When it comes to us, our bond with each other is the strongest it gets. I won't deny you being strong, but right now, I'm just not that willing to accept your intentions!"
"Hmph." May opened her eyes, raising her hand in the air. "At any rate, there's no time to fight. But I won't let you win so easily. I will not make such a mistake. I'll deal with the two of you immediately. I'll beat you and bring both of you back with me! So, keep your tails low!"
May would get into a stance, closing her eyes again and readying for a fight. Misty and Bea backed off, aiming to get rid of May and get back to Brock. At the same time, all three of them threw their Poke Balls forward, summoning their Pokemon to begin the battle.
Misty summoned Staryu and Starmie while Bea summoned Machop. May summoned her Blaziken, going for her main partner right away.
"Come on, Staryu! Use Swift!" Misty commanded.
"Use Karate Chop!" Bea added in.
Misty then pointed ahead as a golden streak of stars immediately shot forward from Staryu's gem, aiming to attack Blaziken in the face, but May would respond right away.
"Blaze Kick!" Blaziken leapt into the air, crashing its flaming leg against Staryu as the stars were blocked. It exploded upon impact, though there was still enough of the sparks that came flying out of Staryu's jewel which pelted the leg which stomped upon its body.
Jumping through the smoke was Machop, swinging its fist, now gleaming gold from the energy, attempting to strike Blaziken. May pointed ahead, instructing her Blaziken to attack. Blaziken proceeded to grab Machop's attack, then flip it over and fling it into the air, causing Machop to scream and go spiralling high.
"Rapid Spin!"Misty yelled.
Once Staryu rushed in it hit Blaziken using the Rapid Spin attack, its rotating body catching the Fire Pokemon off guard. The swirls would spin about the Blaziken, only for Blaziken to immediately match that speed of the Swirl, leaning back and leaving Misty gasping.
After matching its speed, Blaziken kicked Staryu away, forcing Misty and her Pokemon to separate away as the sheer force of the kick caused a wind pressure to follow afterwards. Misty and Bea raised their arms from the pressure, keeping their eyes focused on Blaziken.
"That strength...!" Misty gasped. "But it's nothing I can't get over! Water Pulse!"
Staryu launched a set of swirling water rings to attack Blaziken as Blaziken had yet to fall back. As strong as her kicks were, it was difficult to match the attack of a Pokemon with this much rotation.
Using its quick thinking, Blaziken evaded the attack and moved around before then rushing towards Bea and May, attempting to strike them as well. Bea gasped, only for Machop to intercept the attack with a Karate Chop, trying to stop Blaziken. However, it still did not stop the momentum or even budge Blaziken as Machop was then dealt with a back hand strike from Blaziken and sent flying back.
"Machop! No!" Bea turned.
"You shouldn't even be taking me on." May said to Bea. "Your Pokemon just isn't that strong compared to mine. Give up."
"Gh...!" Bea growled before looking back at May. At this rate, Machop wouldn't be able to last much longer, already on the verge of fainting. May, a commander of the Auravale Empire was not kidding around at all, showing no mercy. Misty gritted her teeth, ordering her Staryu to attack.
"Water Gun!" Misty commanded.
"Use Sky Uppercut!" May countered.
Staryu fired a barrage of water blasts from the tip of its point, but it was not strong enough to even hinder Blaziken at all as it went right up through the spray of the water blasts, charging head-on. Staryu shrieked in the air and then was met by a forceful uppercut, getting whacked into the air.
"Rapid Spin and Bubblebeam! Quick!" Misty changed her commands, having Staryu spin rapidly in the air, unleashing another deluge of water to attack Blaziken. The Fire Typ Pokemon was caught off guard by the water which sent it back a bit. However, it gritted its teeth before using its flames, lighting itself ablaze. Misty gritted her teeth and kept firing a variety of attacks to fight back, hoping to drive it away.
"I can see that you can't hold a candle to me." May narrowed her eyes, already deciding that she had won this. Staryu was still in the air, unleashing another rave of bubbles.
"Blaze Kick!" The burning Blaziken made a kick across the sky, sending a sharp line of burning flame forward. With its immense speed and power, Blaziken proceeded to create a line of burning flames that would attack the Pokemon and their trainers before they even realized it. Staryu and Blaziken clashed as their attacks shattered through everything.
The force of the blow and power of May's Pokemon forced Misty and Bea to hold their ground from the pressure. Staryu managed to hold on against Blaziken's great strength as the two would tie in their clash, unleashing a similar burst of energy at the same time.
"Tch." May narrowed her eyes, backing up as Misty huffed heavily and kept her arms crossed, ensuring she could take on a blow like that. She raised her hand again, giving May another thing to worry about. "Staryu, use Power Gem!"
May responded immediately with Blaziken as the Fire-Fighting Type would rapidly kick at the gems that were shooting their way. With the speed and the heat emitting from the claws, the gems were shattered and fell down into pieces, leaving an opening for Blaziken to attack. Misty's eyes widened, realizing Staryu's attack had been negated that easily.
"That's enough!" May's Aura would suddenly flare out, growing extremely massive and expanding from her in such a way that she almost glowed herself. In her state of increasing her own energy, she gained a fiery aura that matched Blaziken. "You've done well to last this long, Pokemon Lord. But this is where it ends."
The nearby water was beginning to bubble from the heat that May was generating, evaporating from the amount of Aura the girl was radiating. Bea could do nothing but watch in shock and awe. The ground was also being set on fire as Blaziken's power was swelling up as well. In that moment, the two shared a common flare of power, allowing them to team up once more, unleashing an eruption of flames and Aura together.
Misty would respond by having her Aura glow as well, syncing with Staryu in her moment of desperation. Misty screamed loudly, combining her power with Staryu. They emitted more light, the two Aura's combining until they completely shielded Staryu, holding its body in place.
"Staryu! Endure it!"
There was an explosion of flames and Aura as Misty and Bea widened their eyes from the force. Both Staryu and Misty tried their best to block such a move, yet both were breathing hard, feeling the force of the power exploding against them. The tremendous pressure did all but push Staryu back and Misty went down on her knees.
Though, she only did so to gain ground and steady herself from the force. The ground splintered from the amount of pressure coming from the two users. Even in their combined attack, Misty would raise her hand and extend it forward, causing a splash of water from behind her to come into the air, holding the force of the attack back.
This was absolutely amazing. To block such a strong attack from the very start would determine how much experience she has when it comes to Aura. Not just her, but Bea would drop her mouth, unable to even react properly.
"Just what...what the heck kind of strength is that...?!" Bea lowered her body, a part of her arm burning from the wild inferno May's Blaziken unleashed. "It's almost like..."
May clenched her fist, noticing that neither of them got knocked out from her combined attack. Although it did take quite a bit of strength to sustain that attack, Misty seemed like she could manage at this rate, being resilient to the highest level. The durance would break apart immediately once May and Blaziken ceased their attack as a wave would suddenly rise.
May turned her head, gasping as she saw the tidal wave approaching her way, the eruption of flame fading away. Suddenly, a much more powerful wave crashed down on Blaziken. More waves came forward, trying to overpower May as well. After defending the first wave, May looked up to see where the incoming one was going to strike her. There, May would command her Blaziken to attack the wave and force it to break apart with a few flaming kicks.
"If that won't work, I can still push you two back! Use Fire Blast!"
"Staryu! Hydro Pump!" Misty responded.
Blaziken unleashed a large, flaming star into the air, a symbol of the fire type, aiming to strike Misty and her Pokemon. Misty would respond, having Staryu unleash a powerful spray of water into the air. The two attacks collided with each other, creating a strong blast of steam that rose into the air.
The mist and heat would expand, forcing Misty and Bea to cover themselves as the smoke and heat would rise in the air, clouding their view of the area. May was still able to stand her ground, remaining where she stood and watching the smoke rise.
"Alright. That should keep you hidden for now." May said, smiling. "We'll wait for you to come out. Or you can give up if you want to get out of there."
"Never!" Misty responded. "Staryu! Use Thunderbolt!"
Misty would then have Staryu emit a bolt of thunder from its body, shooting it through the smoke as May and Blaziken widened their eyes. Before Blaziken could even react, the bolt of lightning struck its body, causing Blaziken to scream and fall over. It was a direct hit, which surprised May.
"How did you-?" May gasped, holding her head back.
"I can sense the electricity in the air. That's all there is to it!" Misty revealed. "Staryu, use Brine!"
Staryu would raise its arms, unleashing a powerful surge of water into the air, raining down on May and Blaziken. The water was not just normal water. It was mixed with salt, causing more damage to the Pokemon. May grunted, feeling the force of the water crashing down on her.
May was struggling to stand, feeling the force of the water pushing her back. However, she held her hands out and managed to catch herself, even though she had to hold her ground and keep herself steady. She could feel the water splashing against her, but she was using her own Aura to defend against it.
"You're stronger than I thought, Pokemon Lord." May smirked. "But it's still not good enough!"
"Hydro Pump!" Misty commanded.
"Blaze Kick!" May commanded as well.
Staryu would unleash another torrent of water from its body, while Blaziken kicked its leg forward, emitting a wave of flames. The two attacks would clash with each other, but the strength of the Blaze Kick was too much as it sent Staryu flying back. Staryu cried out before falling to the ground, causing the water to stop flowing.
"Staryu, no!" Misty called out.
"That's it. Game over." May said. "You've lost now, Pokemon Lord! You're nothing compared to me!"
"You're wrong!" Misty shouted back. "I'm not done yet!"
"Fine. I guess we can do this the hard way, then." May sighed.
Misty growled and raised her hand, intending to continue the battle. Staryu would fly back up, ready to fight on. At the same time, the two Pokemon would jump back up, staring at each other.
However, due to the intense power used in this battle, the entire area around them began to crumble. The ground was destroyed from the sheer force of May's Blaziken and Misty's Staryu. The cliffside began to crack, and Misty widened her eyes.
A burst of Fire and Water would also rise from the cracks as a result of their Pokemon unleashing their full powers, hitting the ground and creating a fierce explosion. The explosion was so great that it was enough to destroy the cliffside, sending rocks flying in all directions.
"Quick! Run!" Misty held Bea's hands, rushing away from the scene as they were barely able to escape. After getting a distance away, Misty and Bea managed to find a spot to hide, having barely escaped the explosion. Misty's Pokemon had also managed to escape, flying away from the scene.
The explosion was so great that May and Blaziken were caught in it, but they also managed to escape, jumping into the air. Blaziken held May while leaping through the air, barely able to avoid the explosion. The two were left floating in the air as May eyed them down, seeing them run. She wasn't about to let them get away.
"No way they're escaping." May said with a growl as Blaziken started falling. She would then hold out another Poke Ball, throwing it into the air and summoning a Skarmory while also returning Blaziken into its Poke Ball. May landed directly on Skarmory's back, allowing her to chase after the two girls.
"Hmph. So this is the power of the Pokemon Lord. No wonder you're so strong. But it's not enough to defeat me. Not at all."
|
As for Brock, he was still with the people that have managed to be freed, but they weren't out of the clear yet. Brock failed to find Misty and Bea anywhere, truly being separated from them both. All he could do now was keep leading the people to safety, getting them out of this region
"Keep moving! We can't stop now!" Brock said.
"Where are we going, exactly?" One of the women asked. "Is there any place left safe?"
"We can't stop running. If we keep going at this distance, we could reach the outskirts of this place. We can't stop." Brock explained. "In the meantime, you can stay with us."
Brock, Goh, and Nessa were leading these people to safety, trying to get them back to the others in the meantime. However, it was only a matter of time before more of the Masked Men would come back for them.
Goh and Nessa would keep watch around the area, keeping their eyes open for anyone else who might be after them. "I'm not seeing any more of those guys. I think we're good." Goh said.
"We can't be too careful. It's not over. I know it." Nessa said. "The Star Champion is currently going for a nearby camp so we aren't guaranteed to be near hi at all times. If he's still occupied with the enemies, then we're on our own."
"We're almost there!" Brock shouted. "All we need to do is keep going for a bit longer. Don't worry!"
The group would continue to move on, making sure to steer clear from any signs of danger. They were almost out of the woods, but there was still a long way to go. That is until they felt the ground shake all of a sudden.
"What the...?!" Brock gasped. The ground shook again, causing the group to stop in their tracks. The people gasped and stumbled, trying to keep their balance.
"Is it an earthquake?!" One of the men shouted.
"No! It's something else!" Brock yelled. "Everyone, get back!"
The group would back up, seeing a stream of Fire and Water move across the land. The ground would crack and split apart, causing the people to scream. The explosion was so powerful that it created a large cloud of dust, which would rise into the air.
"Fire and Water at the same time?! What's going on?!" Goh was absolutely flabbergasted. To see these two elements moving together at the same pace while clashing against each other was wild. In the distance, Brock would spot Bea and Misty who were trying to escape from this destructive event.
"It's Misty and Bea!" Brock shouted. "But who's fighting them?!"
"Brock! Look!" Nessa pointed at the sky, seeing a Skarmory flying towards the two girls. May caught up fast, not surrendering her pursuit. Upon seeing her, the people cowered in fear as the Fire and Water ripped the land apart, but mainly the Fire. The ground was scorched and destroyed, the land burned and the trees were being set ablaze.
Nessa would quickly try and get the people to safety away from all the destruction, but they were all too afraid to move. Brock and Goh would have to get them to move while looking back at the approach Auravale Commander.
The only way to go was to the nearby camp, but that was where the Star Champion was. The camp was still being occupied by the Masked Men and the people were afraid to go back there.
"Please! You have to move! We can't stay here!" Nessa tried to persuade them.
"The camp...!" One of the women cried. "But that's where the Masked Men are! We can't go back there!"
"The Star Champion has probably defeated them all. I promise that." Nessa reassured them. with a smile. "Trust me."
They would trust in Nessa since they already trusted in the Star Champion. If he was still there, then it was likely that the Masked Men were all defeated. The group would head back to the camp, hoping to reunite with the Star Champion.
As for May, once she closed in, she would leap off her Skarmory's back and land on the ground, facing Misty and Bea. The two girls turned their heads, seeing May standing before them.
"You're not getting away from me." May said, closing her eyes. "You're coming with me. I don't care if you're a Pokemon Lord or not. You're not strong enough to defeat me."
"Strong enough? You're the one who was struggling to defeat me!" Misty shouted. "I'm not going to let you take me away!"
"That's enough out of you!" May's eyes lit up as her flames would grow in strength. She was increasing her Aura which would resonate with the ongoing flames and Blaziken's own strength. Misty would try and do the same, but feared harming everyone else nearby. Thus, it left her wide open to May's attack.
Misty quickly tried putting up a Water Shield with her Aura, but it was not enough to block the incoming attack. May and Blaziken would unleash a powerful kick, sending a burst of flames and Aura towards Misty and Bea.
"Hah!" Misty screamed, holding her hands out and trying to block the attack, but it was not enough. The force of the attack was enough to send Misty and Bea flying into the air, crashing into a nearby tree.
"Misty!" Brock and the others arrived, seeing Misty and Bea lying on the ground. Misty still had the strength to continue, slowly getting up and gritting her teeth.
"Misty! Are you okay?!" Brock asked.
"I'm fine." Misty grunted. "She's strong...But not impossible for me to beat. And yet..."
"Ahh...!" The one most harmed from this was Bea, who held her arm. She was still feeling the pain in her hand from when she grabbed one of the attacking whips and now her arm was injured after it was crashed against the tree.
"Bea!" Misty gasped. "Your arm! It's bleeding!"
"It's fine. I'm fine." Bea said, holding her arm. "I can still fight. I can't just let you do this alone."
"It's a shame that you're choosing this path. It's a path that only leads to total loss." May clenched her hands, visibly frustrated by this. "Doing it by force is the only way with you all. I'll show you why this path is doomed to fail!" Channelling all of her Aura, May would unleash a massive wave of fire from her body, sending it forward.
Brock was prepared to shield them both, gathering up his own Aura to form a wall of rocks, but something had already intercepted the flames.
"What?!" May widened her eyes, seeing the flames being blocked by a barrier of water. The water was so hot that it was evaporating, but it was strong enough to hold the flames back. The flames were then snuffed out, revealing the Star Champion himself.
"S-Star Champion..." Bea said with a smile while she held onto her arm, grunting in pain.
"Good job holding out and doing your best, you two." Ash said to them. "I'll take it from here. Brock. Can you get them to the camp for me?
"Right. I'll do just that." Brock nodded. He would hold them both, helping them back up as they were all able to retreat.
"You..." May was frozen when looking right at Ash, surprised by the man standing before her. She could already sense the amazing Aura coming from him, a powerful force that she had never felt before. It felt otherworldly. Beyond everything else. "There's no doubt about it. You're the Star Champion."
"And you are?"
"I was looking for you...while I was dealing with your stragglers." May added. "You've already become a huge talking point across the entire world after you took down Volman's Kingdom at Miragea. It was a great surprise to me and everyone else. That fact that you're real and not just some legend or myth. But now that I'm seeing you in person, I can tell that you're the real deal."
"Hehe! Yeah!" Ash grinned alongside Pikachu. "Stuff travels fast across the world, huh?"
"Either way, when I learned of your existence being a reality, I was both shocked and angered. I need to know one thing..." May would clench her hands, her fists shaking as her eyes were lowered. She would then raise them, glaring into the eyes of the Star Champion. "Where were you when I needed you?! When others needed you back then?!"
"Eh?"
"You've got some nerve showing up now of all times. You're said to bring freedom to those who need it the most and yet you weren't there when I needed you!" May continued. "Just like those who believed that you would come one day, I waited for you when my town was enslaved by the Auravale Empire. I needed you! I was there, and you weren't there! My home was destroyed! I had no choice but to join the Empire because you weren't there! I had to free myself by going through the absolute worst!"
Ash listened to May intently, listening to her story.
"Why? Why'd you show up now?" May clenched her teeth, visibly frustrated. "I lost faith in you long ago. I freed myself after all, so you showing up now doesn't matter all that much to me. I'm a part of the Auravale Empire now, and you're an immediate enemy."
"I see." Ash closed his eyes, understanding May clearly. "I wasn't there for you and everyone else that needed me. That's true. I have my reasons but...if you wanna take your anger out on me, then go for it."
"What?!"
"I know you're mad at me. For not showing up at a time when you needed me the most. It's a feeling I'm all too familiar with, so if you want to let your anger out on me, then go ahead."
"Why you..." Something about that just angered May, fueling her burning anger from within. The words he was saying caught her off guard and in her current state, it just frustrated her. "Agh! Blaziken! Flamethrower!"
Blaziken would hold its arms out, unleashing a powerful torrent of flames at Ash, aiming to hit him. The flames would strike Ash, but nothing happened as he stood there, the flames dissipating around his body. Ash had blocked the attack by raising his hand slightly, creating a barrier of Aura.
"But...I'm not just gonna fall here, ya know. I'm also gonna snap you back to your senses." Ash stated. Even though he wanted May to exert her anger, he wasn't afraid to retaliate. Not one bit.