My Wings

by DestinyHead123

This vast world is filled with uncertainties, from ancient myths to urban legends. Stories passed down for centuries have become intertwined with current cultures, producing this reimagined world in which our hero, Ash Ketchum, chases the answer to an age-old question. What does it mean to be a Pokemon Master? – AU, adult characters, real-world cultures

4. Phoenix Festival

Chapter 4

---

Saturday, April 11th

Growlithe trotted alongside Ash and Froakie during their morning run. She had some extra pep in her step today, pleased to see that Ash was running with a renewed purpose. Not only was he open to company, but today was 'day one' of his training with Froakie. She was anxious to see how Ash would do going forward.

They returned to the courtyard at the front of the estate and took two minutes to cool down from their run. Froakie continued to stretch and stay limber in anticipation of Ash's upcoming lesson.

Ash clapped his hands together to gain the attention of the Pokemon with him.

"Alright, Froakie," Ash announced. "Let's get started."

Ash recalled everything he saw from the two battles he witnessed yesterday. For lack of a better description, Ash would say that Froakie was 'rough around the edges.'

He didn't have much battle experience, and it showed with how he fought. He didn't make use of his physical advantages. He didn't understand how to hit someone or something properly. And he had an awful tendency to take hits. All of that could be corrected, though it clearly wasn't something that could be changed overnight.

Froakie didn't adjust quickly on his own, so it was up to Ash to help him remove those bad habits.

"Let's talk about defense, Froakie," Ash stated as he motioned for Froakie to join him on the field and take a fighting stance. "There are different ways to defend yourself. Squirtle uses his shell to protect himself and I'm sure you understand the value he gets out of his shell."

Ash looked down to Froakie and received a blank stare in return.

"Kie?"

"Sorry, um…" Ash paused as studied Froakie. "Do you know what I mean by value?"

Froakie shook his head.

"Okay," Ash muttered as he dropped down to his bottom. "I think we need to start at the beginning. Describe a battle to me…in your own words."

Froakie sat down as well and took some time to consider his answer. After several moments, he began to elaborate. And his answer caused Ash to purse his lips.

"Alright, I see we've got a lot of things to talk about before we even start practicing," Ash noted. "I've told you this before, but I was a trainer when I was a bit younger. I did it professionally, so I got to battle a lot of really strong Pokemon. As you get more experienced, you'll realize that battles are more than just getting hit and hitting back. You'll start to think more as you battle," Ash tapped at his forehead. "And you'll realize that there are all sorts of little things to take into account, like the value of a decision you make. Then you'll start to develop things like insight to start predicting the attacks of your opponent so that you can counterattack. Don't take battling at face value, there's so much more that's going on."

Froakie's eyes were wide by the time Ash's explanation concluded. He lowered his head.

"Please…teach me."

"I'll do what I can," Ash answered. "Now come on, let's get started."

Their first lesson was focused entirely on correcting Froakie's defensive tendencies. He didn't have the body type to withstand many blows so he would have to cut down on the unnecessary hits that he took while in combat.

"Froakie, has anyone ever told you that you're fast?" Ash asked him. Froakie nodded immediately. "So then why don't you use that speed to avoid attacks. You're light on your feet, so you shouldn't have any trouble dodging attacks. Run circles around your opponent if you have to."

---

Wednesday, April 15th

The mock battles they held with Growlithe to work on Froakie's defense came with results that were…less than stellar.

Ash sat on the sidelines and watched as Growlithe rushed at Froakie, and once again, Froakie planted his feet and met Growlithe head-on. She pushed him back several feet, but he eventually got his footing to stop Growlithe from moving him any further. When they separated, Growlithe barked at Froakie, but he jumped away to put some distance between them and motioned for her to attack again.

"No, no," Ash interjected before they could continue. "Let's go over this again, Froakie," He stood up and joined them on the field. Growlithe knew to give them some space as Ash continued a lesson that he had with Froakie daily. "Hands up."

Ash took an orthodox stance, his feet split, waist lowered, and a high guard. Ash then motioned to his feet.

"You see this," He stated. "Stop doing that."

Ash corrected his stance as a reminder for Froakie. He brought his feet closer together and bounced on his toes.

"Don't plant your feet. Stay on your toes and remember to rotate around your opponent. You don't need to get hit," Ash stated as he demonstrated the movement for Froakie. He feinted right and sidestepped to his left. During that brief movement, Ash whipped out two left jabs. "Make that your go-to move."

"Froa…" Froakie crossed his arms and looked away. "Kie, kie…Froakie."

"Froakie," Ash kept a straight face, even as he repeated himself for what felt like the thousandth time. "You're not running from anything. If you expect to win battles, you have to be mindful of your weaknesses and use your strengths."

"Froa-kie," Froakie raised his head proudly.

"Fine, do it your way,"

They had another battle with Gary and Squirtle later that afternoon. It wasn't until halfway through the battle that Froakie was able to understand what Ash was teaching him. Squirtle didn't pull his punches. The damage built up, and Froakie found himself holding his bruised sides. Squirtle beat him up and puffed out his chest when the contest was over.

After the battle, Ash took Froakie to the kitchen for more ice treatment. Froakie's body was so small that he could probably fit it into the bowl of ice if necessary to help numb the pain.

"Froakie, do you really want me to be your teacher?" Ash asked him as they sat at the island.

Froakie nodded immediately.

"Then why you do ignore everything that I'm trying to teach you?"

Froakie paused and looked down. He pursed his lips and held back a response as he thought back to Ash's lessons so far.

"I'm trying to teach how to avoid ending up like this after every battle," Ash made a motion to Froakie's torso that was wrapped in ice. "Because you don't have to get beat up to win a battle. I understand that you want to stand your ground, but that's not the style for you."

"Froakie-kie," Froakie pointed out.

"What I'm teaching you may not be the right style for you either, but I'm trying to teach you to be smarter during a battle," Ash explained as he looked to Froakie. "If you expect to get stronger, you have to try different things. You won't make any progress otherwise. Just look at your battle today, for example. Do you think you did any better against Squirtle than last time?"

It was a pointed question and it earned a response from Froakie in their next training session.

---

Froakie took up the stance that Ash taught him. He bounced on his toes and kept his hands raised as Growlithe charged at him. As she came close, he sidestepped to his left and threw out two jabs. Both punches hit their mark and Growlithe turned to attack again with her Take Down. She got him this time and that attack sent him tumbling away.

"Great, Froakie," Ash called out as Froakie got up and dusted himself off. "That was good. Keep practicing that and look to create space from Growlithe every time you dodge her Take Down."

Their practice continued, and Froakie began to build some consistency. He dodged consecutive attacks, slipped in a punch or two, and then jumped away before Growlithe could retaliate. It was a marked improvement in Ash's book and he made sure to tell Froakie about it when the day was over.

Ash, Growlithe, and Froakie sat together on the porch under the cool air of the evening.

"I know it's a lot to take in all at once, but tell me what felt different to you, Froakie," Ash asked with a gesture for Froakie to speak.

The water Pokemon took his time before he answered. He compared all his prior battles with how it felt to practice against Growlithe earlier. It certainly was different.

He didn't have to grit his teeth in preparation for each hit he was going to take. He wasn't sore and covered in bruises at the end of practice. But the biggest difference was that as he became accustomed to his routine of dodging Growlithe, he had time to think and observe his opponent closely.

Ash pointed out little details for him to be mindful of, such as watching Growlithe's feet to gauge the target of her next attack. With information like this, it became easy to avoid her Take Down. Ash was quick to remind him that in an actual battle, his opponents won't be so straightforward with their attacks. With the power of observation, Froakie would be able to handle any sorts of new tactics his opponents threw at him, but that would come with time.

Ash nodded with approval as Froakie concluded his thoughts. Ash wanted to say that the change in attitude happened rapidly, but it actually took a few days of Ash berating him and another loss to Squirtle for Froakie to realize he needed to adjust how he battled. Thankfully, with the change in attitude, they could develop a foundation for Froakie and then expand his skills.

"Time for your next lesson," Ash stated as he motioned for Froakie to stand up. "Now that you understand the value of avoiding damage, it's time you did some meaningful damage yourself."

Froakie raised his brow with intrigue.

"Think of that Pound attack of yours as a jab. You can land all the jabs you want, it's not a knockout punch," Ash stated as he raised his arms. He threw out two jabs and then shifted his weight to throw a right hook. "You don't have natural power, so this is where you have to learn to create power by using your whole body."

Froakie mirrored Ash's stance and attempted a right hook. It lacked the sharpness of Ash's, and they immediately addressed the issues.

"It's not a jab where you want to create space," Ash explained. "Now you're using the space you have so dig in, use your weight, use your hips, use all of it to generate power and hit your target."

Ash demonstrated again and Froakie paid closer attention. He looked for the details that Ash mentioned, how he shifted his weight on his toes, turned his hips, and threw his punch all in one motion. With time, his punch gained the same sharpness and he saw the fruits of his practice sooner rather than later.

---

Tuesday, April 21st

Froakie bounced on his feet and kept his arms tucked in, ready to guard both his face and body. He approached Squirtle who smirked the moment that Froakie entered his striking distance. Squirtle lashed out with his arm and pounded Froakie's guard, but Froakie used both his forearms to guard against the weight of Squirtle's attack but the blow still forced him back a step.

Gary stood nonchalantly, his hands in the pockets of his vest as he watched the battle. For nearly two weeks of training with Ash, Gary expected Froakie to develop a larger arsenal of attacks, but Ash had him furiously practicing the very basics. Defense, guarding, parrying…Froakie had yet to demonstrate an offensive weapon that they hadn't seen.

That was Ash's trademark back in Vermilion City, but that was hardly the case here.

Squirtle took a hard step forward and reeled his arm back. He was going to put all his weight behind this one and smother Froakie to topple his guard. But Froakie saw Squirtle take that step-in and the preparation involved for such a large swing. That was his time.

Rather than raise his arms to block the attack, Froakie ducked beneath it and followed Ash's guidance. As Squirtle's arm passed overhead, Froakie adjusted his stance and threw out a punch of his own, the right hook that Ash taught him. All Squirtle saw was a blur rush toward his face and his head was rocked backward.

Even Gary raised his brow as Squirtle stumbled away with a hand on his forehead from the blow. Ash bit his lip to hold back a laugh as Froakie held up in his hand, his wrist throbbing from yet another bad punch. For all the lessons he gave Froakie, Ash realized that he missed one more crucial lesson. Don't punch someone's forehead.

It was an expectation…at least until Ash took Froakie's battle experience into account. There was hardly any and that explained most if not all of his poor decisions. And Froakie's inability to focus on the battle going forward was further proof of his inexperience.

Squirtle quickly regained his bearings and tackled Froakie to end their mock battle.

Once again, Ash and Froakie were back in the kitchen of the estate, though today it was empty, and Froakie had his wrist buried in a bag of ice. They sat in silence, but as Froakie eyed Ash in anticipation of his latest critique, he saw a glint in Ash's eyes. Ash concealed his mouth with his hands, hiding away a smirk from Froakie as he finally began to speak.

"Alright, this one is on me," Ash confessed as he turned to face Froakie and hunched over to be eye level with him. "That was a great counter punch you got in against Squirtle. Your timing was perfect…but your target was crap."

Froakie pursed his lips.

"It's not your fault, it's something you may or may not have known," Ash noted. "But if you're going for someone's head, you don't punch their forehead. That's always going to hurt you more than them. These are the spots you want to go for," Ash placed a fingertip against his temple, jaw, chin, and nose. "This is where you want to hit someone. No forehead, okay?"

"Kie," Froakie nodded.

---

Ash and Froakie departed from the kitchen and returned to the courtyard where Gary was seated on the porch with Squirtle. The Eevee gang was busy wrestling in the center of the field while Growlithe oversaw their contest. Ash gave a nod to Froakie who went off to join the other Pokemon on the field, which left Ash to take on the company of Gary and Squirtle.

As he came close to them, Ash found a rather peculiar sight. Squirtle was resting on his belly and Gary was scrubbing the back of his shell with a toothbrush. Ash snorted at the sight of Squirtle's blissful smile.

"What are you doing?" Ash inquired and Gary glanced up at him.

"This? It's a little reward for Squirtle after he took that hit to his head," Gary explained as he brushed the very top of Squirtle's shell. "He loves this."

Ash raised his brow, but Squirtle's expression put any skepticism to rest.

"Alright Squirtle, we'll continue later," Gary said as he patted Squirtle's shell. His partner got back on his feet and gave Gary a salute before he dashed out into the field to jump into the wrestling contest. "So, Ash, do you mind if I ask you something?"

"I don't see why not," Ash replied.

"You've been training with Froakie for a while now, what's with all the boot camp training?" Gary asked as Ash looked out to the field where Froakie stood on the sidelines, observing the competition with Growlithe.

"Well, I guess the obvious answer is that I know next to nothing about Froakie," Ash confessed, which earned a snort from Gary. "I don't know what moves he can learn, so I'm just sticking to the fundamentals right now…especially since he needs a lot of work there."

"What about his Water Pulse, he's still pretty crappy at using it if you ask me," Gary pointed out. "He's hardly got any offense; he's not going to get very far if you leave him like that."

"I get it, but there's more to battling than just knowing different moves," Ash responded. "I want Froakie to understand that because…I was caught up in that same thought process back in Vermilion City," Ash's confession caused Gary to steal a glance at him. Ash hardly spoke of his past career as a trainer. "Battles are deeper than just trading attacks to see who's the strongest. It's like a test that connects you with your Pokemon to…"

"To what?" Gary asked.

Ash pursed his lips, unsure of how to conclude his thought. It remained incomplete, just like it always did.

He shrugged his shoulders and Gary left it at that.

"So, you're just going to stick with this super basic stuff for him?" Gary noted and Ash gave a nod. "Well, that's not going to be enough to beat me and Squirtle, just so you know, Ashy-boy."

Ash sent a glance at Gary, which was met by a smirk in reply.

"Don't get too caught up in yourself," Was all Ash said before he went on his way.

Gary remained seated on the porch as he watched Ash go. For all the talk Ash gave about not wanting to be a trainer and how 'little' he knows about Froakie, it was obvious that he was no amateur despite his short career a few years ago. Only the best trainers understood that they had to refine their most basic skills to truly improve.

Ash didn't fall for the trap of trying to make big gains through new moves and strategies. He placed more value on small incremental gains and a strong foundation. If anything, Ash must have used all of his time in prison on some self-reflection to dissect his style as a trainer.

"I'm not going to get caught underestimating someone like you, Ashy-boy," Gary commented as he looked back to the gang of Pokemon in the courtyard.

Ash disappeared into one of the corridors and sighed now that he was alone. He couldn't fault Gary for trying to strike up some conversation, but all Gary ever did was remind him of his former life…of his love for Pokemon. He spent years thinking about every battle he ever took part in with Pikachu and wondering how he allowed that love to wane.

Ash took a breath and looked upward. He would make up for those mistakes.

Froakie gave him an opportunity to start from the beginning and learn everything all over again.

It was a chance at redemption.

---

Wednesday, April 29th

It was late in the evening as Gary rode his bicycle back into the city district of Ecruteak City. It was a ride that he did daily, so he could follow his course absent-mindedly. This gave him time to reexamine the mock battles between Froakie and Squirtle.

"Try your Water Pulse…Don't worry about the outcome, just try it!"

The outcome was far from spectacular and then there was the…

Froakie ducked beneath Squirtle's haymaker and met him with a perfectly time counter punch…to his forehead.

Gary snorted as Froakie writhed in pain and held his wrist up. But despite those poor showings from Froakie, his practice continued and it finally bore fruit in their most recent mock battle earlier today. Even though Squirtle was the victor, he actually walked away from this battle with a few bruises on his jaw and arms. Froakie clocked him a few times during the battle with what had to be the most orthodox fighting style Gary had ever seen. He kept his hands up to guard his face, parried away Squirtle's attacks and counter punched where he could.

It seemed as though Froakie was starting to have the advantage in a close-range brawl. The only thing Squirtle could do was take advantage of Froakie's mistakes and bully him with his weight. Otherwise, Froakie threatened to control the pace of the battle…at close range.

Even though Froakie was becoming adept as hand to hand combat, Gary wouldn't let them control the battle. They fell right back to Squirtle's primary form of offense, his water-based attacks. With a simple call for Water Gun, they forced Froakie to battle at a distance where he had nothing that he could rely upon. Squirtle wouldn't let him get close for the rest of the battle, and when the five minutes were up, it was fair to judge Squirtle as the winner since he scored a majority of his points through landing his Water Gun attack to keep Froakie at bay.

But Froakie's improvement was evident. Froakie wasn't quite so inept now since he possessed a foundation that Ash could work with. Froakie understood the concept of attack, defend, and counter. That must have been what Ash was trying to teach him. Whether it was intentional or not, Ash was slowly molding Froakie. At first, the young Pokemon was stiff; stuck in the bad habits that he developed through his self-study. But now that Froakie had a proper grasp of the basics, he was like malleable clay in Ash's hands.

Ash was trying to construct something in Froakie, but Gary couldn't envision the endgame. Was Ash being truthful when he said he knew nothing about Froakie, or did he always have a plan in mind?

Either way, Gary couldn't help but smirk. Based on the trajectory of Froakie's growth, the small Pokemon should have improved exponentially. Just in time for the Phoenix Festival and hopefully their first official battle against each other.

---

Wednesday, May 6th

Froakie stood in front of his usual wood post, his guard high to protect his face and he bounced in place. He imagined Squirtle in place of the post, and he struck it twice with his Pound attack, both directed at the chin. Then he feinted left and sidestepped to the right, following his usual attack pattern. Froakie ducked and acted immediately to throw in a counter punch.

But Squirtle had grown weary of this and blocked it with his forearm. He spun and lashed out with his tail to sweep Froakie off of his feet. Froakie quickly jumped away to avoid any contact, and fearlessly leaped back in with perfect timing.

As Squirtle turned around with his jaw exposed, Froakie caught him with a cross using his strong hand. Squirtle's knees buckled from the blow, and Froakie raised his hand triumphantly. He then turned and looked back to Ash was seated on the grass with Growlithe, watching him carefully.

"Alright, since the festival starts tomorrow, we're going to keep practice light for today," Ash commented as he invited Froakie to approach him. "You've been doing a really great job. Just remember your form. Don't let your arms do all the work, step into your punch, use your hips and back to give your punch some real power."

Froakie raised his hands and demonstrated Ash's advice. Ash gave a nod of approval at the sight of the crisp punches that Froakie threw. His Pound attack was no longer an eyesore, but the thought put a frown on Ash's face. Despite Froakie's marked improvement, would this be enough to compete with the Pokemon that were taking part in the tournament?

Ash pursed his lips and pushed the thought aside. Regardless of Froakie's skill level, actual combat experience was the most important thing he could get from this tournament.

A bark demanded Ash's attention and he saw Growlithe come sprinting into the courtyard of the estate. Several paces behind her was Sayo, Kuni, Naoko's Espeon, and their gaggle of Eevee. At the sight of Froakie, all of the Eevee came charging and built a dogpile on top of him. Ash gave a laugh and Growlithe yipped at the group, though at this point she understood that her protests wouldn't stop the usual antics of these Eevee.

"Ash, Froakie, are you guys ready to go?" Sayo asked as she and Kuni neared them.

Ash gave a nod. Naoko requested that they gather at Nakamura's restaurant in the shopping district for lunch today.

"Then let's get going, Naoko expects us to be there by eleven o'clock," Sayo declared as she motioned for everyone to make their way out of the courtyard, but the Eevee continued to wrestle on top of Froakie.

"And I'm definitely not in the mood to hear another speech from Naoko about being late," Kuni added. Ash could sympathize with her since he experienced Naoko's strictness firsthand.

Espeon hummed and the crystal on her forehead shimmered before the Eevee were each snatched up in her Psychic grasp. She separated them and gave a warning for them to be on their best behavior in the same fashion as Naoko. Then at Sayo's command, the group of Pokemon fell in line behind her as they all began their journey to the shopping district.

It was a half an hour walk at their leisurely pace, time which Ash spent listening to Sayo and Kuni converse. Considering that Kuni was the quietest of the Kimono Girls, Ash always paid close attention to her when she spoke, though sometimes she was a little hard to understand.

"Hey, Ash," Sayo called out. He left his thoughts as he looked at her. "Have you ever heard about the Rising Phoenix Festival?"

"Not since coming to Ecruteak City, and all I really know are the little bits and pieces I've heard from you guys," Ash replied which caused Sayo to beam with pride.

"Great, then let me tell you all about it," Sayo began as she waved her hand through the air. "Long ago, Ecruteak City was left in ruins after a great war. The established society that our ancestors created was on the verge of total collapse, but then the phoenix descended upon our land and revived it thanks to the efforts of Lady Okuni. The phoenix then remained as our protector, and our culture thrived. But about a hundred years ago, the phoenix took flight and vanished."

Ash nodded. He was aware of that portion of the story.

"So, does anyone know why the phoenix left?" Ash inquired.

"The phoenix spreads peace during his travels. We believe he put that task aside to live in Ecruteak City, so the most likely explanation is that he returned to his duties. But there hasn't been a single traveler that reported any sightings of the phoenix since he left." Sayo explained and Ash pursed his lips.

"Well, I'm sure someone out there has seen him," Ash reasoned. "I mean, a phoenix would be pretty hard to miss, right?" Ash furrowed his brow for a moment. "Actually, what does a phoenix look like?"

"There's a mural in Bell Tower," Sayo pointed out.

"But," Kuni interjected sharply. "It's said that the phoenix resembled the sun when in flight, in a way that could cause your spirit to soar. And wherever the phoenix traveled, he left rainbows as a symbol of the peace for those that he passed over."

Ash raised his brow as he looked at Kuni but she kept her gaze forward.

"I-I was going to say that!" Sayo stammered with a pout. "Anyway, we've all be waiting for the phoenix to return, but we hold the festival as thanks to him for restoring Ecruteak City and staying with us for so long."

Ash gave a nod as he looked up. As they walked along the dirt pathway, he could see Bell Tower in the distance. Ash tried to imagine this great 'phoenix' perched at the top of the tower. Then he thought of this creature taking flight and leaving a rainbow. He'd seen rainbows throughout his life, but he never thought that a Pokemon could be responsible for their appearance.

Sayo filled the rest of their walk with chatter about the current generation of Kimono Girls and some of their hobbies. One example was that Lady Satsuki, the oldest of the five matriarchs, was incredible at flower arranging. Ash saw her tending to the flowers around the estate on many occasions but he didn't think anything of it. Perhaps he would pay closer attention to what she was doing going forward.

When they arrived at Nakamura's, Ash was greeted by a familiar sight. A Pancham was waiting in the lobby and he called out to the hostess. It was Megumi, the young woman he met during his first week in Ecruteak City.

"Ohayogozaimasu!" Megumi welcomed them before she took a good look at the group. She bowed repeatedly as she spoke to Kuni and Sayo, and her Pancham mimicked her behavior just like last time. Their conversation continued in Japanese for a few moments before Sayo requested that they speak in English for Ash. "Oh, I'm so sorry!" Megumi exclaimed as she began to bow to Ash. "I made the same mistake as last time, Ash!"

Ash raised his brow.

"Oh, you remember me?" Ash asked her.

"Of course," She declared. "I never forget a name."

"I hate to cut in on your conversation, but we're on Naoko's schedule today," Kuni pointed out.

"I see, I'll take you all to your room, right away!" Megumi stated as she motioned for the group to follow her into the restaurant. She led the group and their Pokemon to one of the largest private rooms and opened the door to reveal Naoko, Zuki, Miki, and Gary all seated around a long table at the center of the room. There was also a smaller table for the Pokemon set up to the side where Gary's Squirtle and Eevee were situated. At the sight of Gary's Eevee, the entire Eevee gang became gung-ho and charged into the room to form their usual dogpile on top of them.

But before the usual chaos could set in for this group of Pokemon, Espeon captured them all in her Psychic attack and lifted them into the air for Naoko to deliver a lecture and a flick on the nose. However, she was far from done as she turned to the newest arrivals.

"You're late!"

Ash swallowed his urge to chuckle as Sayo cowered under Naoko's criticisms about their lack of punctuality while Kuni stared off absent-mindedly. Once she was done, they were allowed to join the others at the table. Ash found himself seated with Gary on his right and Kuni to his left.

"Ugh," Kuni remarked as she took a glance around the room. "The feng shui is off in this room."

Ash blinked after hearing her comment and he looked to Gary in search of an answer.

"What does that mean?" He asked in a whisper.

Gary shrugged his shoulders.

"Just try the chow mien," Gary replied as he looked over the menu. Zuki was sitting across from them, and she couldn't help but stifle a laugh. As Ash looked to Zuki, he caught a glimpse of Kuni out of the corner of his eyes as she leaned forward to send a glare in Gary's direction.

"Feng shui," Kuni interjected sharply. "Is the art of spatial arrangement to make sure the energy flows through the room properly," She said the remainder of her sentence through grit teeth. "It is not…something you eat."

Gary eyed her for a moment and raised his brow. Then with a smirk, he reached for the decorative flower jar at the center of the table and moved it slightly to the side. He looked back to Kuni and she scoffed at him. Ash sat between them, but he paid no mind to the tension.

"So, Naoko," Zuki began as she looked to the eldest of the Kimono Girls. "Why did you invite us all out for lunch? It's not often that you want to eat outside of the estate."

"Oh yeah, that's true," Miki noted with a nod of agreement. All eyes were on Naoko.

"Well, you all were going to find out sooner or later," Naoko began. "There was a special meeting earlier this week, and Lady Satsuki has decided to step down from her position as head matriarch."

The girls exchanged glances; their eyes wide at the news.

"Wait, how can she step down? None of us are of age to take a seat on the council," Sayo pointed out immediately.

"That was my next point. Not only did Lady Satsuki decide to step down, but she also proposed that they lower the age requirement to become a matriarch on the council," Naoko explained.

"Does that mean we'll all take a seat on the council when we turn twenty-six? Is that the new requirement?" Miki inquired.

"This is a special case. Lady Satsuki wanted to step down immediately," Naoko went on. "So, Lady Sumomo will take her place as the head matriarch and I will fill the vacant seat."

"No way, congratulations!" Sayo and Miki exclaimed together, but Naoko raised a hand to stop them from praising her.

"The reason I'm telling you all this is that during the festival, I will be joining the matriarchs to perform the ceremony at the top of Bell Tower," Naoko continued. "Lady Satsuki will take charge in leading the public ceremony in the plaza with the rest of you."

"That means we won't be seeing you as much pretty soon, huh?" Zuki asked, which earned a sigh from Naoko.

"That seems to be the case," Naoko noted softly. "But think of this as an opportunity for you all to learn from Lady Satsuki. She told me that she is looking forward to working with you all," Naoko's gaze shifted from one girl to the next. "And I don't want you all giving her the same headaches you give me every day."

Miki and Sayo shared a broad grin, Zuki gave a snicker and Kuni concealed a smirk behind her hand. At the sight of their smiles, Naoko concluded with one final statement.

"Minasan, ganbatte," Naoko said to the girls as she gave them a nod.

"Hai, ganbarimasu," They replied as they returned the gesture.

"What does that mean?" Ash asked as he looked to Zuki for a translation.

"Naoko told us to 'do our best,'" Zuki explained before she repeated the term. "Gan-bat-te."

"You'll hear it a lot during the tournament, the crowd supports every participant," Sayo added and Ash tucked that piece of information away.

"Speaking of the tournament," Gary interjected. Ash took a glance at him and saw that Gary sported a smirk of his own. "Has anyone gone over the rules with you, Ashy-boy?"

Ash narrowed his eyes at the mention of his nickname.

"No," He stated and Gary snorted.

"See, it's a good thing I thought of you," Gary said. "The battles during this tournament aren't the same as the rules you went by in Vermilion City. Have you ever watched fencing?"

Ash shook his head.

"Well, they use a scoring system that's similar to it. The match is timed like our mock battles and truthfully, the local trainers aren't amazing, so no one really wins by knockout. Instead, there are judges at each battle stage that track the number of hits you land during the battle. You gain additional points for knocking your opponent down as well."

As Gary listed the rules for him, Ash made mental notes of the key ones. This style of battle actually played perfectly to Froakie's current skillset. He didn't have a convincing method to secure a knockout yet, but this point system would allow them to ignore that weakness for now, at least.

"But you'll be battling on a stage," Gary went on. "It's nowhere near as big as a regulation battlefield, and a ring out will be judged as a knockout."

"Ring out?" Ash repeated. "As in, if you get pushed off of the stage?"

"Yup, knocking your opponent off the field is a valid tactic here," Gary confirmed with a nod.

"Alright," Ash said as he took a glance at Froakie who sat with all of the Pokemon. "Where can I see the tournament brackets?"

"I had a feeling you might not have seen them yet, Ash" Zuki stated as she pulled out a small poster from underneath the table. "They post them around the city, but I know you don't tend to wander around much."

As she set it down on the table, Ash took a gander at all of the participants. There had to be well over four hundred trainers!

They were divided into seven separate brackets. Six of the brackets were labeled as 'the streets' with an address listed as the site of the battle stage. The final bracket was known as 'the plaza' and Ash saw Gary's name listed there.

"What's the difference between the streets and the plaza?" Ash asked with a furrowed brow.

"The good-looking trainers battle in the plaza," Gary interjected immediately, earning a scoff from Kuni.

"Ignore him, Ash," Kuni cut in as she shot a leer at Gary. "However, the plaza is where most of the more well-known trainers are invited to battle. They draw a bigger crowd and the plaza has the room for it."

"Oh, it's for the popular people," Ash noted with a chuckle. "Well, that's fine by me. I'm not sure how Froakie is going to handle battling in front of an audience anyway."

"If you and Froakie expect to battle me and Squirtle, you'll have to win your bracket," Gary pointed out. "There will be six winners from the street brackets, and they'll be invited to the plaza stage to join the two winners there on Sunday as the finalists."

Ash felt his chest swell as he suppressed a smile. All of the talk of battling kindled a fire within him.

He was…excited.

"Uh, are there any other trainers that are really good?" Ash asked curiously and that threw everyone into a tizzy.

"There's Jin," Zuki answered immediately as she pointed to the name under the plaza's listing. "He's representing the city watchmen."

"Don't forget about Li," Miki added. "Lady Tamao talked him into participating this year."

"I heard Gaku entered as well," Sayo chimed in.

"Ash, you can forget all of those guys," Gary stated which silenced the girls. "I've battled all of them, and they're pretty good. But there's one guy who is head and shoulders above everybody in this competition."

"Who's that?" Ash inquired which caused Gary to set his fingertip beneath a name.

Bruno.

"I don't understand why you all haven't said a word about Bruno yet," Gary said with a glance to each of them. Froakie perked up at the mention of 'Bruno' and listened closely to their conversation from afar.

"Well, he wins every year that he participated," Zuki replied as she shrugged her shoulders. "Him winning is like a foregone conclusion."

"Heh, well not this year," Gary stated confidently. "He might seem invincible to you guys, but if I watch all of his battles, I'm sure I can find something to use against him."

"Don't underestimate him, Gary, Bruno has been a trainer for a very long time," Naoko advised him, but Gary paid no mind as he put his hands behind his head.

"And I wouldn't spend all your time looking past us, either," Ash added.

"I've got nothing to worry about against you, Ashy-boy," Gary responded casually. "Our mock battles prove that. Froakie is only effective at close range, and Squirtle's Water Gun will force him to stay at a distance. We'll win either by points or by a ring out. One way or another, I know we're going to win because Froakie hasn't learned how to close the distance on an opponent yet."

Ash lacked a response after he considered Gary's analysis. It was actually spot on! And if they wanted to beat Gary, it was something they would have to try to address immediately. They had four days to do it.

---

Even though they ate out for lunch, the atmosphere was no different from eating together back at the estate. Whenever the Kimono Girls got, trouble ensued, and Naoko was there to straighten it out. After they finished their meal, the group ventured forth into the shopping district to assist in setting up the final decorations for the festival.

As they arrived at the main plaza in the city district, Ash recalled that this was the same location where he'd see the Kimono Girls perform on a past weekend. He remembered how crowded the plaza was during their show, and he was glad that they wouldn't be battling in front of a massive audience. Froakie's lack of experience might be even more pronounced in front of an audience, but hopefully battling in the streets would ease Froakie into what might be a new concept.

Naoko was quick to hand out assignments to each of them. Ash received the task of helping an aged shopkeeper hang lanterns outside of his shop. It was short and simple, though obviously not a task that an elderly man should be doing since Ash and Froakie had to climb onto the roof to hang them.

Once their job was finished, the man invited them into his shop for a cup of tea as thanks. As Ash waited at the counter of the stop, he observed the items that the man sold. It was all sorts of finely crafted pottery. Eventually, the shop owner returned with a small tray in his hands that held several cups and a steaming teapot.

"Thanks very much for your help," He said politely after he set the tray down on the counter. Thankfully, Naoko explained to this man that Ash didn't understand their primary language, so he spoke in English for Ash. His accent might have been thick, but Ash got accustomed to the way English was spoken after a few conversations with the locals.

The man bowed to Ash briefly before he poured a cup for each of them and a small bowl for Growlithe. Ash accepted his cup and the herbal aroma of the tea hit his nose immediately. But for how strong it smelled; the taste was surprisingly light.

"Have you been to the Phoenix Festival before?" The man asked curiously. When Ash shook his head, he beamed at him. "Then you are in for a treat. Use it as an opportunity to reexamine yourself."

Ash furrowed his brow. "What do you mean?"

"You are searching for something in yourself, are you not?" The man stated as he sent a soft smile at Ash. Froakie raised his brow and Growlithe gave a bark of agreement.

As Ash opened his mouth to answer, the bell that hung on the door rang as it was opened. A middle-aged couple entered along with a small boy.

"Grandpa! Guess what?" The boy approached the shopkeeper with a grin. "Bruno is already here!"

Froakie's eyes grew wide.

"Ah, Bruno is in town again," The shopkeeper noted as he stroked his chin. "I was looking forward to seeing him again."

"They said he was visiting Bell Tower before he comes into the city district," The boy's father stated which prompted action from Froakie.

He gulped down the rest of his tea which burned his tongue before he dashed out of the open door.

"Froakie, where are you going?" Ash called out. Growlithe abandoned her tea completely and ran to the entrance of the shop. She turned and barked for Ash to follow her. Ash looked back to the shopkeeper to apologize.

"Don't mind me, this is your springtime, run everywhere while you can," The shopkeeper said with a gesture for Ash to pursue. Ash gave a short bow as a farewell before he went on his way to chase Froakie.

Froakie had already disappeared into the crowded streets, but Growlithe sniffed at the ground before she yipped a few times.

"Have you got his scent?" Ash asked her and she nodded. Ash then made a gesture for her to lead the way and their pursuit began. Growlithe guided Ash through the busy streets and thankfully, most people were quick to step out of their way. Ash was surprised at how much of a lead Froakie got on them, but then again, Froakie lived in Ecruteak City before meeting Ash. He clearly knew how to navigate the streets.

In time, they reached the outskirts of the shopping district. The buildings were sparsely placed as the woodlands of the northern province became the main attraction. The area was quiet as they followed a lengthy pathway that cut through the foliage, and Ash could see the tower through the canopy. As Ash drew closer to the tower, he felt his chest grow warm.

Bell Tower was considered sacred ground, based on everything he heard around the city. He'd been on the property, but by the looks of it, Growlithe was leading him to the tower itself. The trees opened up and Ash reached the small clearing where the tower rested. It was simply gorgeous with the golden leaves floating by in the breeze.

Froakie was at the entrance of the tower and he was speaking with the elderly man that Ash met on that night when he first encountered Froakie. The man smiled warmly at the sight of Ash and Growlithe and he motioned for them to come closer.

"So good to see you again, young man," He said with a small wave. Now that it was daylight, Ash got a good look at this elderly man and he was certainly a sight. His skin was dark, with tattoos on his arms that seemed vaguely familiar to Ash. "I was hoping we would meet again."

"Froa-kie!" Froakie exclaimed to get the man's attention.

"Ah, I'm sorry," He apologized. "I know you're looking for Bruno. He's inside, but he'll be out shortly."

"Kie," Froakie huffed.

"Well, I think this would be a good opportunity for us to catch up," The man said warmly to Froakie. "After all, I haven't seen you in quite some time. Not to mention, I'd like to get to know more about the person you selected to be your trainer."

The man locked his gaze on Ash and beamed.

"I didn't get to ask for your name the last time we spoke," The man said with a gesture to Ash.

"I'm Ash Ketchum," He answered.

"Ah, very nice to meet you, Ash," The man stated. "My name is Spenser. I am the groundskeeper of Bell Tower."

Ash and Spenser each bowed to each other.

"So, Ash, I understand you're visiting us from a distant land," Spenser began and Ash gave a nod.

"Yeah, I'm from Kanto. I came with Growlithe," Ash replied as he studied Spenser. "Where are you from?"

"I was born in Hoenn," Spenser replied. "And when I was fifteen, I left home to start my journey as a trainer."

"Your parents were okay with that decision?" Ash inquired.

"Oh yes, in fact, they encouraged it," Spenser replied with a chuckle as Ash's eyes became wide. "I know it might seem hard to believe, but it was a different time back then."

"Different?" Ash questioned. "If you were born even eighty years ago, there's no way anyone would've supported you choosing to become a trainer."

Spenser laughed at Ash's statement.

"Eighty years ago," Spenser noted. "You are correct. There was a great deal of animosity back then. It was very rare for a trainer to visit Ecruteak City at that time."

"You were here eighty years ago?" Ash asked and Spenser nodded to him. "But I thought you said that you left home when you were fifteen. How old are you?"

"Much older than you think, Ash," Spenser replied. "I watched the world transform in many ways, though even my experience doesn't compare to Bruno's."

"So, Bruno is even older than you?"

"Why not ask him yourself," Spenser said as some heavy footsteps approached the main entrance of Bell Tower. Spenser made a gesture to the doorway and Ash glanced toward it. The footsteps grew louder and Ash's jaw dropped as a man stepped out of the tower with two Pokemon.

In most cases, Ash's eyes were always drawn to someone's Pokemon. But this time around, he couldn't help but stare at Bruno. He was gigantic! Eight feet tall might have been a little generous, but the man was giant. His biceps were bigger than Ash's head! But he looked young, in the prime of his life! How could he be older than Spenser?

"Are you finished, Bruno?" Spenser asked curiously as this mammoth of a man approached them.

"Yup," His voice was deep and burly to match his appearance.

"I'm glad," Spenser said before he motioned to Froakie. "I have someone here who has been dying to see you again."

Bruno looked down at the Pokemon, and Ash couldn't help but make a face at the massive difference in size. Bruno even kneeled to address Froakie, though he kept a stern expression.

"Well look who it is," Bruno exclaimed. "I saw you here last year!"

"Froakie-kie! Froa!" Froakie declared.

"So, you've been training all this time? Are you challenging us?" Bruno asked in return before he looked at the two Pokemon that accompanied him. One was a little taller than Froakie with horns on his head and he had bandages wrapped around his wrists and waist. The other was at least as tall as Ash, with blue skin and a fitted gi as his main features. "I don't think you stand much of a chance against Sawk here, but Tyrogue hasn't been training with me for very long. You might be a good opponent for him, but that depends on if you've improved at all."

"Froa-kie!" Froakie announced before he pointed to Ash. "Kie-kei! Froakie!"

"Oh, so you've found yourself a trainer," Bruno noted as he looked to Ash now. "I'm Bruno, it's nice to meet you!"

"Ash," Ash said in reply. Bruno offered a hand, but as Ash extended his own to complete the gesture, Spenser swatted his hand with the walking stick he held. Ash frowned as he looked to Spenser who clicked his tongue a few times.

"Never shake hands with Bruno," Spenser interjected, which earned a belly laugh from Bruno.

"Ah, he's right," Bruno said as he looked at his hands. "I tend to forget my own strength. It's rare that I'm around anyone besides my Pokemon."

Ash raised his brow, but he could accept such an answer. Bruno wore some heavy-looking weights on his wrists and ankles, and the muscles on his body were tremendous.

"That aside, I believe Ash and Froakie will be participating in the tournament during the festival," Spenser explained. "Perhaps you'll have a chance to battle them there."

"Aha! I like the sound of that even better," Bruno exclaimed as he gave a nod to Froakie. "Hopefully we'll meet on the battlefield. Tyrogue will be participating in the tournament and I'm sure he's looking forward to your challenge."

"Tyrogue!" His Pokemon declared as he hit his chest twice.

"Froa," Froakie said as he sent a glance at Tyrogue. Then he looked to Bruno's Sawk who stood proudly. Growlithe approached and initiated a conversation in which all of the Pokemon became involved, so Spenser took the opportunity to separate the trainers from their Pokemon.

"Ash, I thought you might use this time to speak with Bruno," Spenser explained as the three of them stood together under the shade of the trees. Ash took a moment to observe Bruno as he watched their Pokemon from afar.

"You are searching for something in yourself, are you not?"

Ash sighed. This past month with Froakie was a blast from the past. All those years he spent away from Pokemon. He forgot how much he enjoyed getting up early to practice. Unlike Pikachu, Froakie needed a lot more guidance, but Ash found the aspect of teaching to be very pleasant. He liked…no, he loved training with a Pokemon. But was he worthy of being a Pokemon trainer?

"How long have you been a Pokemon trainer?" Ash asked Bruno as the man took a seat against one of the tree trunks.

"A very long time," Bruno responded and Ash sent him a sideways glance.

"And in that time, have you ever questioned your worth, Bruno?" Spenser cut in.

"Of course," Bruno replied flatly. "There is no one less worthy of being a trainer than me, but I carry on."

"Why, though?" Ash asked.

Bruno gazed up to the peak of Bell Tower.

"A debt of gratitude," He replied as he raised his arms to observe the weights on them. "I live with my past mistakes, but I was given a chance to redeem myself. No one is beyond redemption…"

As Bruno made this statement, Ash felt his eardrums pop. Bruno continued to speak, but his words were drowned out by a screeching white noise. Even with his ears under an assault, Ash's focus remained firmly on Bruno. A pair of wings sprouted from his back, possessing splashes of brown, gray, and orange. Colored wings! But Bruno's were bound up in chains, held tightly against his back.

Ash blinked and Bruno's wings were gone.

"…we would've destroyed everything. It's our fault that a great man became the phoenix to stop us," Bruno went on as Ash focused on the conversation again. He was missing the context, which left him to wonder how long he wasn't listening. "I come to this festival to thank him for saving us, and to show that I've continued to move forward despite my mistakes."

There was a moment of silence that Spenser used to watch Ash closely. There wasn't much he could draw from Ash's facial expression, but he could see some movement from the wings on Ash's back. This caused Spenser to smile, though he kept it hidden as he transferred his gaze to the Pokemon.

---

It was late. The skies grew dark and the lanterns around the estate were lit and blazing. But Froakie was still hard at work in the courtyard as he sparred against an image of Squirtle in his imagination.

"Froakie is only effective at close range, and Squirtle's Water Gun will force him to stay at a distance."

But even in his imagination, he still couldn't find a way to get past Squirtle's Water Gun. Froakie wasn't the only one with concerns. Ash sat on the porch with Growlithe as he observed Froakie's actions.

"Froakie hasn't learned how to close the distance against an opponent."

There was no denying that. Gary was right. Froakie had no experience fighting at a distance, and that must have been something Gary picked up on early. Even though Froakie improved rapidly at close quarters combat, Gary kept an ace up his sleeve for the tournament. If Squirtle and Froakie did meet on the battlefield, Gary would deny Froakie the one skill he's been working on.

It was a harsh but valid tactic. Gary was a shrewd competitor.

Closing the distance wasn't something that Froakie could master in just a few days. It was a concept that revolved around possessing fast reaction time, good timing, and impeccable footwork. Froakie possessed all three, but without experience, he might have lacked the confidence or conviction to charge headfirst into a ranged attack.

Pikachu was exceptional at closing the distance with moves like…Quick Attack and Double Team. Ash tilted his head. Could Froakie learn those moves? Froakie had the footwork and the stamina. He spent the last month running with Ash every day after all. But perhaps it was too soon for a move like that. There was an even more basic move that Froakie could use as a starting point.

"Froakie," Ash called out as he stood up to join Froakie on the field. "You're trying to think of how to get past Squirtle's Water Gun, right?"

Froakie nodded as Ash came close and kneeled down.

"Alright then, I know what you have to do, so we're going to start working on a new move," Ash stated which caused Froakie's eyes to grow wide. He pumped his tiny fist eagerly, and their lesson began.

---

Friday, May 8th

The weather seemed to understand the importance of the ceremony being held in Ecruteak City as it provided warm springtime air and clear skies that were bathed in orange hues as the sun began to set. Ash was among a massive audience that stood in the center plaza of the city district, but silence ensued despite such a large gathering of people.

Lady Satsuki, Zuki, Kuni, Miki, and Sayo all stood together on the stage at the center of the plaza. Their hairstyles were all uniform, held in place by various lengthy pins and they all wore autumn-themed kimonos. Beside the stage was a band with various string instruments that Ash had never seen before. Thankfully, Koji was with him and he happily told Ash each of their instruments and their part. The heart of the band was an instrument called the guzheng, a stringed instrument that Koji adored.

Koji was silenced though when all eyes looked to the top of Bell Tower. On the rooftop, a flame was lit which was the cue to the rest of the city.

Down in the plaza, Lady Satsuki stepped to the forefront of the stage to address the crowd. Unfortunately, she spoke in Japanese for the audience and Ash was left to chew on his lips, unable to decipher what she was saying. He looked to Koji, desperate for any sort of translation, but the attendant motioned for him to be patient. He then nodded toward the stage and encouraged Ash to watch.

Lady Satsuki only spoke for about a minute and a half, which felt unbearable to Ash. But at the conclusion of her speech, the Kimono Girls separated. Each of the four younger girls stood at each corner of the stage, while Lady Satsuki took her place at the middle of the stage.

A large drum was hit to trigger the start of their dance. The Kimono Girls all spun once and the crowd watched with their full attention. At the next beat, they spun again and Ash gasped as he swore that there was a small flash of light. A gust of wind blew overhead, and suddenly the golden leaves of the pagoda trees were fluttering about. The girls transitioned through several stances. Zuki, Kuni, Miki, and Sayo moved around the perimeter of the stage with Lady Satsuki leading each movement from the middle. Their dance continued and the guzheng players strummed the instrument expertly to provide a melody.

It was simply captivating.

It wasn't a very long dance and when it concluded, the pagoda leaves were blown off into the distance. Ash let out a breath that he didn't realize was holding. As he relaxed, the Kimono Girls were invited off the stage onto a trio of Pidgeot's that whisked them away to another stage elsewhere in the city for them to perform again.

"What did you think?" Koji asked Ash who furrowed his brow.

"Why do they do that dance?" Ash asked him in return.

"Ah, I'm sorry, you would've heard that if I translated," Koji said sheepishly. "But I couldn't speak during the ceremony. That was performed by Lady Okuni when the phoenix first arrived in Ecruteak City. As descendants of Lady Okuni, the Kimono Girls perform it as thanks to the phoenix for restoring Ecruteak City after the war."

"Oh, wow," Ash said after the brief history lesson. "It was um, very…"

He couldn't find the right word for it. It wasn't like any of the other forms of dance he knew from Serena and the dance group. It wasn't exciting or flashy. He remembered the first time he saw the girls dance and agreed with the thoughts that he had then.

"It was beautiful," Ash stated and Koji gave him a smile.

"I'm glad you think so," Koji noted before he looked down to Growlithe and Froakie who stood beside them. "And what did you all think?"

Growlithe yipped with approval, wagging her tail as she did so. Froakie, on the other hand, had his arms raised in a fighting stance as he put in some last-minute practice.

"I see someone is ready for the tournament to begin," Koji noted. "There's only about an hour before the matches begin. I supposed we should make our way to the stage you'll be battling on."

---

The battle stage they would be using this evening was located in the southwest portion of the city district at a large intersection. According to Koji, this was a busy intersection that was often used as a spot for the mobile carts to set up and sell food during the day. However, the stage took up that space, though there was still ample room for an audience to view the battle. Thankfully, the crowd here was much smaller when compared to the audience in the main plaza.

Ash took another glance at Froakie and saw that he was still practicing his left jab. He couldn't help but smirk as he appreciated Froakie's focus. It looked like he wouldn't be bothered at all by the audience.

As the battles commenced, Koji guided Ash to the waiting area on one side of the stage. Thankfully, the host of this stage spoke in English for Ash and found his spot in the lineup of participants. He would be the fifth battle on this stage. Growlithe remained with Koji while Ash and Froakie went over their game plan one last time.

"Alright Froakie, just remember everything you've practiced and don't underestimate your opponent," Ash said as a small pep talk, and Froakie gave him a nod, though Ash said that more as a reminder to himself.

As he looked around at some of the other participants, Ash had to remind himself that he couldn't judge the other trainers by their appearance or their Pokemon. There were young children, elderly people, all ages were present as participating trainers. He wouldn't underestimate them. These were people that lived peacefully with Pokemon. They might have all been refined trainers since they could practice openly.

Ash decided to adjust his focus and pay attention to the battle that was taking place. The two Pokemon on the makeshift battlefield was a Farfetch'd and a Snubbull. For all the elegance that Ash witnessed in this city, this Pokemon battle was a far cry from that. The two of them wrestled on the stage. Snubbull gnawed on one of Farfetch'd's wings while the bird Pokemon beat away at Snubbull's head with his stick. The battle never did evolve into anything more than a wrestling match, though Ash could tell that was due to the two children that were acting as trainers.

It was either their very first battle or close to it. Their commands went ignored by their Pokemon which left the match to be determined by the judges. In the end, Snubbull was declared the winner since she was the more capable wrestler of the two. The crowd applauded the two children as they left the stage to meet with their family who congratulated them regardless of the outcome.

A half an hour passed quickly as Ash watched the different battles, though he could see that there weren't many standout trainers battling in the streets. Clearly, the more seasoned trainers were at the plaza battling the likes of Gary and Bruno. It almost put a smile on Ash's face.

Nothing was given to him and Froakie. They would have to prove that they could battle the best trainers in the city.

The host of the battle stage raised his hand and pointed to Ash and Froakie. He made a gesture for Ash and Froakie to come up onto the stage where he approached them.

"Your opponent is but a child, eight years old," The host began as he nodded to the other side of the stage. Ash could see a boy that was next in line with a small green Pokemon that Ash recognized as a Skiploom. "You are much older and more experienced. His parents request that you go easy on him."

The host then nodded to the audience where a couple stood at the front of the crowd. They were watching Ash intently, which caused him to give a sheepish wave in response.

"I understand," Ash said as he returned his gaze to the boy. He looked around nervously, his hands locked together as he twiddled his thumbs. "What's his name?"

"Haruto," The host replied and Ash nodded. The host went to the other side of the stage and instructed Haruto to take his place on stage with Skiploom. Froakie and Skiploom each stood inside of a circle that was painted on the stage. It was a fairly large area to work with, but the threat of a ring out was still very real.

The host explained the rules, once in Japanese for Haruto and then again in English for Ash. As the host spoke, Ash kept his eyes on Haruto. He wouldn't even make eye contact with him. Instead, he continued to look around the audience with wide eyes since everyone was staring at him.

Ash heard the familiar shouts of 'ganbatte' from the audience, most of which he assumed was for Haruto. But it seemed as though he couldn't hear their encouragement. Then the host raised his hand and made the declaration to start the battle which silenced the crowd.

"Hajime!"

"Skip-Skip-Skiploom!" Skiploom shouted triumphantly as she raised her ears to flex them. Then she charged forward across the stage in a bee-line toward Froakie.

Froakie took a breath, just as he practiced with Ash, and raised his hands to assume his usual stance. As Skiploom neared him, he sidestepped her Tackle attack and hit her with two jabs before he jumped away to put some distance between them. Skiploom brushed her cheek with one of her tiny arms before she turned and rushed at Froakie a second time.

Their exchange of attacks continued for the first two minutes of the battle. Skiploom's Tackle would be dodged easily by Froakie who retaliated with two Pound attacks. Haruto spent this time struggling to grasp everything around him. Each time Skiploom took a hit he would focus on the battle and attempt to give her a command, but Skiploom would puff out her cheeks and charge at Froakie once again.

"Haruto!" Ash could hear his parents shouting from the sidelines, though he needed a translation to understand what they said next. However, Haruto didn't seem to respond to their cheers.

Ash scratched at the back of his head as he saw himself in Haruto. The panic in his expression, it reminded Ash of his first major battle back in Vermilion City. He was facing Brawly and his Medicham down at the beach. It was one of his worst battles because Ash couldn't focus on the battle itself. He let himself get distracted by everything around him and to this day, the result of that battle was still a bitter memory.

Haruto didn't need this battle to be a bad memory.

Froakie dodged yet another Tackle from Skiploom, but since he had a full grasp of the timing, he shortened his sidestep to step up for a big punch. He planted his feet, turned his hips, and delivered an uppercut to Skiploom's chin as she turned to face him.

That sent her down to her side where she remained, briefly stunned from the hit.

"Oh no, Skiploom!" Haruto exclaimed as the sight of Skiploom snapped him out of his panic.

"Haruto!" Ash called out to him. He looked directly to Ash after hearing his name. Ash scratched at the back of his head for a moment before he forced a smile for Haruto. "Uh, gan-bat-te."

Ash's statement won over the audience immediately as they all cheered for Haruto and Skiploom. As Skiploom got back on her feet, she and Haruto looked around the audience with bright eyes. Then they looked to Ash who raised his hand and invited them to attack. Ash wasn't sure what Haruto said, but his voice was firm and steady for the first time since the battle started.

Skiploom clapped her cheeks with her long ears and puffed out her cheeks again. She rushed at Froakie once again, but in the same fashion that Froakie was learning her tendencies, she picked up on his routine. As he dodged her, she braced herself for his two jabs and powered through them. She pounced onto Froakie and brought him down to the ground with her.

Now in a position of power as Skiploom used her larger body to pin Froakie down, she began to beat at him with her large ears. Froakie used his forearms to block most of her attacks and struck her in the chin when he found an opening. It stunned Skiploom briefly and bought Froakie the time to push her off so that he could create some separation.

Their battle continued, but Froakie remained wary of her headstrong advance. Froakie wasn't a hard hitter, but Skiploom was also surprisingly resilient. No matter how many times Froakie hit her or knocked her down, she got back up, much to the delight of the audience.

In their end, their battle reached the time limit and both Pokemon were left huffing for air as they relaxed their postures. The host stepped off the stage to discuss the scoring with the judges. It didn't take very long before he stepped back onto the stage and invited the trainers to the middle.

His announcement was in Japanese, but he motioned to Ash and Froakie and the audience applauded. Ash chuckled as he saw Froakie looking around at the crowd, his mouth agape. Ash had the feeling this was probably his first victory in a public battle. He kneeled down beside Froakie and gave him a pat on the shoulder.

"Enjoy it," Ash stated. "You did well."

Froakie smiled and sent a salute at Ash.

As they left the stage, a pair of voices called out to Ash and Froakie. He turned and saw that it was Haruto's parents. Together they bowed before Haruto's father spoke to Ash.

"Hold on," Ash said as he raised his hand. "I can't understand you."

"Oh, I'm very sorry," Haruto's father said with a chuckle. "The host spoke in English for you but I didn't realize it."

"That aside, we just wanted to thank you for helping Haruto," His mother interjected.

"Yes, that was his very first battle. You could've ended that quickly, right?" His father asked. Ash pursed his lips but gave a nod. "Thank you for giving him an opportunity to learn."

"It's no problem," Ash said as he forced a smile for them. "I think it's great that he gets to be around Pokemon while he's so young. Not everyone has that opportunity," Ash remarked as he looked to Haruto as he lifted Skiploom into the air proudly. "Hopefully he'll love Pokemon all his life."

---

Since the tournament would be stretched out over three days, each participant only took part in one battle on the opening day. With his only match complete, Ash was led back to the main plaza by Koji to watch the battles there.

They actually arrived just in time to find Gary and Squirtle in dire straits. They faced Jin, one of the city's watchmen, who commanded a Pawniard. For all the trouble that Squirtle's defense gave Froakie, it didn't mean much to Pawniard. Squirtle's shell was covered with deep gashes and he had several cuts on his skin from the sharp blades that Pawniard wielded. Sayo and Kuni watched the battle from the beginning and they explained that Gary was already in a significant point deficit. If he wanted to avoid elimination, he had to win by a ring out.

And just as Ash suspected, Gary did have an ace up his sleeve. He ordered Squirtle to use Withdraw to bait Pawniard in. Jin and Pawniard seized the opportunity to add to their point total as they scored more hits on Squirtle's shell, but then Gary called for Squirtle to use a move that he had yet to use against Ash since they officially became practice partners.

"Rapid Spin!"

At point-blank range, Pawniard had just enough time to brace himself and sink the blades on his arms onto the top of Squirtle's shell, but he was still lifted from his feet by the impact. Squirtle began to spin and gained momentum rapidly. Pawniard hung on for a few moments, but his hold on Squirtle's shell loosened and he was thrown off the stage and into the audience. The bystanders quickly moved out of the way to avoid contact with his blades before the host acknowledged Gary as the winner.

The reversal was met with an outburst of applause that far exceeded what Ash heard at his battle stage. There were even some high-pitched shrieks from a group of teenage girls who waved their arms wildly for Gary.

"Geez, who are they?" Ash asked as he furrowed his brow.

"Gary's fan club," Kuni said as she rolled her eyes.

"Fan club?" Ash repeated.

"He's been here for over a year," Kuni explained. "He's gotten pretty popular with the girls, though I still don't understand what they see in him."

Ash looked back to the stage as Gary was declared the winner and he took a bow with Squirtle before he shot a smirk to the girls. They continued to scream and jump together, earning a scoff from Kuni. Ash chuckled as he scratched at the back of his head.

"So, how did your battle go?" Sayo asked.

"Pretty well," Kuni answered before her eyes widened slightly. Her cheeks turned pink and she raised one of her long sleeves to conceal her face.

"Yeah, I'd have to agree with Kuni," Ash noted as he looked at her. "But how did you know how I did? Did you come to watch?"

"So that's where you ran off to," Sayo exclaimed to Kuni's dismay.

"I-I don't know what you're talking about," Kuni stammered and Ash raised his brow. That was the first time her voice lacked composure, but he did his best not to laugh.

"Kuni clearly has good taste. She came to see the humble trainers, that value substance over style," Ash reasoned with Sayo. "Everyone knows the trainers that battle in the main plaza. But if you go out on the streets…that's where you'll find a hidden gem."

"Well, I guess that's true," Sayo noted before her attention was drawn back to the stage as the next two trainers were called up.

Ash stole a glance at Kuni and she mouthed a quick thanks in reply. Ash gave her a smile in return before his gaze was pulled to the giant that stood on stage. The air was electric as everyone was anxious to see Bruno's first battle. Even Ash, though, was prepared to point out that it was for research.

However, there wasn't anything to glean from Bruno's battle. To call it one-sided was an understatement. His Tyrogue ended the battle with one blow that sent their opponent flying into the audience. The show of fearsome power left the audience in awe and Ash could only wonder if Gary managed to learn anything worthwhile about Bruno from that.

---

The first night of the Phoenix Festival concluded and the citizens of Ecruteak City returned to their homes, eager for the festivities that would continue the following day. Despite it being late, Ash and Froakie were still outside in the courtyard of the estate practicing.

"Alright, Froakie, I think that's enough for tonight," Ash called out to the small Pokemon who came skidding to a halt. "I don't want you all burned out for tomorrow. You'll be in a lot of battles tomorrow if you keep winning."

Despite the sound reasoning, Froakie still stomped his feet angrily. Ash knew what the cause for distress was.

"Look," Ash said as he approached him on the field. "I know you want to have a new move for tomorrow, but this isn't something that you'll master in one day."

Froakie was fast on his feet and Ash wanted to turn that development into moves like Quick Attack and Double Team. Unfortunately, Froakie wasn't some sort of gifted genius that could master a move in a day. In fact, he could barely grasp the basic principle for these moves in the form of Agility.

"I'm sorry, Froakie," Ash apologized as he stooped down next to Froakie. He scratched at the back of his head as Froakie crossed his arms with a huff. "I don't really know how to explain it. When you use Agility, it's like a burst of speed to help you get close to your opponent."

Froakie looked down at his feet and lifted each to inspect them. Then he shook his head. Where did this 'burst of speed' come from?

"It's okay, let's get some rest," Ash said with a gesture for Froakie to follow him. Growlithe gave a bark of agreement from the porch as she got back on her feet. "Tomorrow is a big day, so let's focus on that."

---

Saturday, May 9th

Kuni stood among the crowd that populated the largest intersection of Ecruteak City's southwest district. It took all her might to resist getting swept up in the excitement of the crowd as Froakie was declared the winner of his semi-final battle for this stage.

Ash came out onto the stage to thank the opposing trainer with a bow. Then he raised Froakie to his shoulder so that the small Pokemon could make an appeal to the audience and Kuni's kept her eyes locked on Ash. He wore the oddest expression as his lips tried to curve upward in a smile, but he was fighting it which produced an odd twitch. This was the first time she saw him make a face like this today.

During each of his battles, he would make a similar expression, as if it was painful to smile. But why?

Having watched all of his battles today, Kuni recalled each instance that she could when Ash made that face. They weren't exclusive to when he and Froakie won. In fact, the majority of them she saw during each battle, usually as Froakie exchanged attacks with each opponent. Through her observations, she could see a distinct difference in how Ash was battling.

When facing Gary and Squirtle in a mock battle, Ash and Froakie were very deliberate in their strategy. They played it safe and stuck to what they practiced. But, today was a different story. They tried things that Kuni had never seen them do against Gary. They were taking risks and testing new tactics. The lack of practice showed, but Ash seemed to enjoy it nonetheless. So why was he trying to hide that fact?

Despite his efforts, their final battle for this stage made it even more evident.

It was late in the evening as the host called for the two finalists to take their place on the stage. Of all the people to appear as an opponent, it was a face that he actually recognized. Ash raised his brow as he looked at her which earned a broad grin from both his opponent and her Pancham.

"Megumi?" Ash exclaimed as she snickered.

"You weren't expecting me to be your last opponent, huh?" Megumi asked as she gave him a 'v for victory.'

"Well, I didn't really think you were the type to train Pokemon," Ash replied with a chuckle.

"Well, you thought wrong," She declared. "And we'll show you how wrong in this battle, right Pancham?"

"Pan-cham!" Pancham added as he shot a smirk at Froakie.

"Alright then, looking forward to it," Ash responded as his lips quivered.

Ash and Megumi took their places on the stage and the host raised his hand to initiate the contest.

"Pancham, overwhelm with your Arm Thrust!"

"Froakie, take your time and observe. Use Pound to counter when you see it!"

Froakie and Pancham met at the center of the ring to exchange blows. Froakie batted away Pancham's opening strikes and swayed to dodge the third. Pancham's attack was relentless as he followed Megumi's direction and forced Froakie toward the edge of the ring.

"Froakie, be mindful of your surroundings!" Ash called out.

Froakie slapped Pancham's arm off course and used that brief moment to steal a glance to his left. He was getting close to the edge of the ring and he didn't even realize it. Froakie focused on Pancham as threw out a haymaker to end the battle, but he struck air as Froakie became airborne.

He leaped over Pancham to land behind him and reverse their positions. But Pancham's response was a swift spin kick that caught Froakie before he was settled on his feet. It sent him tumbling away but he quickly sent himself and sent a glance at his opponent. Pancham merely smirked and fell into a fighting stance with one hand outstretched.

"Pan-cham." He said as he invited Froakie to attack again. Froakie welcomed the challenge as he dashed back in. Their forearms met and Froakie took the initiative as he stepped in to throw an uppercut at Pancham's exposed chin. Pancham leaned back to avoid it and spun again to lash out with a kick. Froakie recognized the motion and ducked before he went in to counterstrike, but Pancham stopped his momentum with one leg raised and he kicked Froakie's hand away.

In one smooth movement, he delivered his foot to Froakie's cheek which sent him down to the ground once again. Ash raised his brow as Pancham settled back into his fighting stance and waited for Froakie to get back on his feet. It was clear that Pancham was an experienced fighter, and he received proper training. His use of both his hands and feet were clearly superior to Froakie who still fought primarily with his hands.

This was going to be tough, and Ash found himself fighting a smile at the prospect.

"Come on, Froakie," Ash said Froakie stood back up. "This is exactly what you've been practicing."

"Froa-kie!" Froakie shouted as he took up his usual fighting stance. Ash raised his arms and mirrored Froakie's posture as the battle resumed. Froakie reengaged, but his focus was heightened. He blocked Pancham's kicks with his forearms and parried his Arm Thrust with the same polish that Ash expected.

'Defend well to create an opportunity to counter the attack!'

Froakie found the pattern in Pancham's attack. He always went from low to high, from Low Kick to Arm Thrust, trying to catch Froakie off guard. But Froakie remembered how Pancham defended with his kicks and attempted to do so himself. Pancham raised his leg and lashed out at Froakie's stomach, but Froakie raised his knee to take the blow. Pancham failed to take notice of the variation in Froakie's defense as he continued with his Arm Thrust. With his leg partially raised, Froakie then lifted it further to kick the armpit of Pancham's outstretched arm which caused his attack to falter.

Then he switched his feet and spun to deliver a heel strike to Pancham's face that sent him down to the floor.

"Nice!" Ash exclaimed as he pumped his fist.

Kuni felt her cheeks grow hot at the sight of the broad grin on Ash's face.

"Days of diligent, steady practice and repetition of basic training," Kuni said softly as Froakie's training came through. He used his forearms to intercept Pancham's Arm Thrust and he attacked during the small lapse in between each of Pancham's attacks. "That training piles up little by little and becomes the trigger for victory."

The host stepped out onto the battle stage with his hands raised. He made several shouts to stop Pancham and Froakie since their time bank was exhausted. The two Pokemon lowered their hands as they huffed and puffed. The contest was over and they shared a nod as they then shook hands. Their audience erupted with applause as the host stepped off of the stage to speak with the judges.

Both Ash and Megumi joined their Pokemon on stage where they stood proudly beside them.

"Regardless of the outcome, you looked solid in that battle, Froakie," Ash stated as he gave Froakie a nod of approval.

After a few moments, the host got back on the stage and took his place at center stage. He announced the winner and then motioned to Ash and Froakie!

Kuni was delighted to see Ash celebrate on stage, raising Froakie into the air on his bicep. He looked so much better with such a bright smile on his face.

---

The finalist from each of the six battle stages in the streets of Ecruteak City was invited to the main plaza at the end of the second day. In the main plaza, all of the finalists, the six from the streets and two from the plaza, stood together on the stage as the bracket for the finals was created.

The host came to each of them on stage with a box in hand. Each participant was instructed to pull a card from the box and read the number aloud. Ash bit down on his lower lip as he opened the folded paper and saw that the number was written in kanji. He showed it to the host, who translated for him. Eight. Then he announced the number to the audience.

"San," Gary stated as he read his number in Japanese, then he sent a smirk at Ash. "That's 'three' in case you didn't know, Ashy-boy."

Ash rolled his eyes.

"Roku," Bruno announced as the final person to draw his card.

The host then explained that he would call the numbers of the participants to determine who they would face next.

As he announced each pair, the trainers moved alongside each other. And, as fate would have it, Ash and Gary were the only two left. The host didn't need to call their numbers as they eyed each other immediately. Their Pokemon mirrored their intensity.

Both parties were eager to meet on the battlefield.

---

A/N

Chapter four! Two noteworthy characters were introduced.

Bruno, the 'Blue Swallow.' His name has been dropped here and there in Fallout, and I believe he was mentioned somewhere in Caged Wings, but I could be wrong. Anyway, this is his official debut. Bruno has a storied history, but that's for a different story if I get to it someday.

Spenser. Formerly known as 'the man' at Bell Tower. There are actually a couple of 'Spenser/Spencer's in the anime/games, but this Spenser was the Frontier Brain/Palace Mavenof the Battle Palace. Of course, he's in a different role here in Ecruteak City. We'll explore that subject in the near future because you'll be seeing a lot of him during the rest of this arc.

In reply to questions concerning Pikachu, the little guy is still part of the story. All I can say for the time being is that he is still located in Vermilion City where Ash left him.

As always, thanks for your support! I hope you all enjoy your holiday or time with family or football. I'll be back with another chapter next month, probably at some point during the holidays again. The next chapter is a doozy and I'm really looking forward to it.