Chapter 13
Ash Ketchum loved Pokemon. He knew that they came in all shapes and sizes, and he knew that almost all of them possessed fearsome power. But today was the first time in his life that a Pokemon instilled fear in him.
Gyarados threw her head back and roared. Her fury caused the whirlpool around her to churn violently, and the waters around them grew rough. When her head came forward again, her eyes locked with Ash. Her irises were a deep red, with bead-like pupils that sent chills down Ash's back. Instinct told him to run, but they were near the center of the Cascade River. Plunging into the water would only lead to his demise at the hands of the treacherous waters.
What could he do?
Fortunately, there was someone else that was prepared for this moment. A young woman stood beside Ash on the back of her Lapras, who didn't hesitate to act.
"Floatzel, use Rain Dance and Aqua Jet!" Misty shouted.
Floatzel followed her command, and the sudden rainfall he created gave him a temporary speed boost. A torrent of water engulfed his body, and he used it to catapult himself into the air above Gyarados. From there, he traveled around her, calling for her attention as he did so.
"Lapras, I want you to use Ice Beam and create a perimeter for us!" Misty added, and Lapras began her assignment. "Top speed!"
Ash was amazed when Lapras kicked it into high gear. She raced across the water while unleashing a sub-zero beam from her mouth that froze the surface and created a jagged wall of spikes. While Gyarados was occupied with Floatzel, she failed to notice that Lapras made the border of a makeshift battlefield around her.
"We'll be safe on Lapras," Misty said as she looked back at Ash. "But if we have to dive underwater, just be prepared to grab onto her neck or shell."
Ash nodded in response to Misty's warning. A roar from Gyarados drew their attention back to the battle, and they saw her eyes become a dark red. Lightning seemed to flash from them before Gyarados' head snapped around in search of Floatzel. Until that point, Floatzel was moving too quickly for Gyarados to track, but now her instincts intensified. She spotted Floatzel, predicted where he wanted to go, and crushed him beneath her tail. Floatzel was slammed into the water and snatched by the rapids created by Gyarados' whirlpool. He was an easy target now as Gyarados opened her mouth for a follow-up attack.
An orange glow enveloped Gyarados' body and gathered into her open mouth. It shined brightly, and Ash bit down on his lower lip at the sight of it. He read all about this attack in the past. A move recognized as the coup de grace of the strongest Pokemon out there. Hyper Beam.
Floatzel fought against the current, but there was no escape as the water pulled him in a predictable pattern for Gyarados to target. They could all hear the buildup of the attack, an ear-piercing screech that threatened to puncture their eardrums when Gyarados fired. Misty swung her hand through the air as she barked a command, but it went unheard by everyone. But Corsola lurked in the water beneath the whirlpool, and the orange light was her cue.
Corsola erupted from the water in front of Floatzel, and her body shinned with a glass-like armor around it. Gyarados fired her Hyper Beam straight into Corsola. That energy collided with the target, which was minuscule compared to it, but it was reflected nonetheless. Gyarados' eyes widened before her attack was thrown back into her face. The impact left a billowing black cloud around her head.
Misty smirked as she saw Gyarados thrashing about. The damage to Gyarados caused the whirlpool around her to waver, allowing Floatzel and Corsola to escape. Floatzel carried Corsola in his arms and brought her back to Misty and Lapras.
"Great job, Corsola! You're Mirror Coat was perfect!" Misty called out as she got a look at Corsola's form. Her body was bruised and blackened despite her use of Mirror Coat. Misty kneeled to examine Corsola, who was held in place by Floatzel. "Lapras, we need your Aqua Ring asap!"
As Lapras began to use her healing technique on Corsola, a roar from Gyarados gained everyone's attention. This one was deafening as it blasted away the smoke around her, and the water shook in response. Her eyes were completely red now, and while Ash shivered at this sight, Misty had no fear.
"Floatzel, get ready!" She called out to them, and then she looked to Ash. "Things are going to get messy from here. If you see a chance to get Gyarados' attention and take some pressure off us, just go for it!"
Ash gulped and nodded his head. He looked to his Pokemon, first to Pikachu. "Charge up, buddy." Pikachu's cheeks began to crackle.
Charge was an old command, one they abandoned years ago. But in Pikachu's current state as a stationary battler, Charge was a necessity to build the electricity he needed.
Ash turned to Greninja. "If Floatzel is in trouble, use your Water Pulse. Stay at a distance," Ash advised him, and Greninja nodded. Then he jumped from Lapras' back to the ice that made up the border of their watery battlefield. Ash opened his mouth to warn Greninja about losing his balance, but the suction cups on the hands and feet of his partner showed their value. He was locked into place with no threat of slipping.
"Oh crap, we have to move," Misty exclaimed. "Ash, hang on!"
Gyarados' body became engulfed in orange light again. Another Hyper Beam was charged, even faster than the first, aimed at them. Misty snatched Corsola out of the water, and Lapras surged off to her right while Floatzel darted off to the left. Gyarados fired.
Her Hyper Beam left a chasm in the water straight across the river, cutting through the barrier of ice Lapras created. Once it hit the shore at the water's edge, it erupted into a fiery mayhem. Ash shuddered as a cloud of smoke rose from the impact site, and he looked to Gyarados as she roared again.
"Floatzel, you have to keep her attention! We can't let her fire that Hyper Beam all over the place!" Misty exclaimed. Floatzel released his hold on Corsola and summoned another Aqua Jet to get airborne. He quickly wrapped around Gyarados and slammed into her tough skin twice to get her attention.
Gyarados didn't like that, and her response was swift. Her eyes flashed red again, and despite Floatzel's rapid movements, he was swatted out of the air by Gyarados' tail.
"Damn, her Outrage is just too good," Misty muttered as she clicked her tongue.
Fortunately, Floatzel had backup. A dense sphere of water hit Gyarados right on the jaw, and she flinched from the blow. Gyarados whirled around searching for the source and saw Greninja running across the ice barricade that Lapras set up. In response, Gyarados opened her mouth again, but a powerful jet of water was released this time. It shattered a portion of the barricade on impact, but Greninja remained on the move. This gave Floatzel enough time to recover and resume his use of Aqua Jet around her.
"This is perfect," Misty said before she called to Corsola.
Floatzel and Greninja worked together to keep Gyarados busy, which afforded Misty the time for Corsola to recover from some of the damage and set up a combination attack. Ash raised his brow as Corsola was lifted into the air by Lapras using Psychic and positioned directly in front of Lapras' head. Misty followed with a request for Corsola to use Iron Defense, and her already rigid body became steel-like. The final piece of the puzzle was Lapras' Hydro Pump, and Misty dubbed their tag-team effort as the 'Corsola Cannon.'
Lapras cried out before she unleashed her Hydro Pump, and Corsola disappeared within the torrent of the water. Floatzel recognized his cue and raced around Gyarados to turn her toward the incoming attack. When Gyarados caught sight of the Hydro Pump, she did little to avoid it. However, hidden inside that jet of water was a hard object better known as Corsola. She connected with the front of Gyarados' skull, right between the gap in her horns.
Corsola bounced away from Gyarados and plunged back into the water, leaving the sea serpent to hunch over. Her eyes were shut as she writhed in pain.
Ash felt his heart skip a beat. As Gyarados remained still, he saw wings emerge from the upper portion of her body. Cyan and blue…just like Misty's. Then Ash looked at Misty beside him, and he saw that she had a hand on her head.
"Misty?" Ash asked her. "Are you okay?"
Misty staggered slightly and fell to her knee, grateful for the cone-like supports in Lapras' back. The front of her head throbbed like never before, as though she got hit by an anvil! She couldn't even explain where this pain came from suddenly. Just a terribly timed headache.
Gyarados regained her composure and roared again. That familiar orange glow appeared again, and another Hyper Beam was fired into the Cascade River. This one went straight to the bottom of the river and detonated below. A bulge of water was created, and Ash hung onto Lapras as they were all raised by the shifting water. However, Misty was caught off guard. Her grip on Lapras' back was lost, and she disappeared into the water.
"Misty!" Ash exclaimed as he reached out to the water. He froze when Gyarados bellowed once more. She glowed again, and another Hyper Beam was summoned that was fired at the coastline. This left a sizeable crater, and Ash forced himself to focus on the situation. Gyarados had to be stopped.
Lapras called out to Floatzel, likely informing him that Misty was getting swept away in the waters. Misty had to be saved, which only left them with one option.
"Pikachu," Ash said as he took his partner in his hands. "We're going to need your Thunderbolt. I know it's been a while, but just dump everything you can into it!"
Pikachu nodded, and Ash saw a lightning bolt cross his eyes. Ash then hurled Pikachu into the air as high as he could. Pikachu turned to face his target in the air, and the electricity he built was now called forth. "Pi-ka-chuuuuu!" A lightning bolt circled Pikachu's body before it was launched at Gyarados, and it quickly entrapped her whole form. She shuddered and shook from Pikachu's Thunderbolt, thrashing about wildly.
The Thunderbolt lasted a full ten seconds before Pikachu exhausted his reservoir. But it was more than enough to accomplish their goal. Gyarados was thoroughly electrocuted and retreating up the river. She didn't want another taste of that Thunderbolt.
Ash breathed a sigh of relief. They didn't have another Thunderbolt in the tank to fire at her, but they would take this victory and run with it.
Floatzel emerged from the water several meters from them with Misty on his back. He expanded the floatation sac on his body and towed Misty back to the shore. Lapras quickly picked up Greninja, and everyone met on the coast to check on Misty. She coughed a few times and spat up some of the water she had swallowed earlier, but she wasn't harmed.
"Wha…What happened to Gyarados?" Misty asked as she looked around for that beast of a Pokemon.
"We managed to scare her off with our Thunderbolt," Ash said proudly, and Pikachu pumped his fist.
When she heard this, Misty flopped onto her back. She didn't care how it was done, but they managed to turn Gyarados away from the Nugget Bridge.
Now that they were back on the shore, Ash took a closer look at the damage caused by Gyarados' Hyper Beam. A sizeable crater was still steaming, and several meters from that was a boiling fissure that was left back from the ray of death. Ash gulped as he imagined a group of Gyarados terrorizing the ocean waters. He wondered how the natural environment kept Gyarados in check.
After some time, Misty's headache subsided, and she sat upright. Corsola waited at her side and beamed as Misty regained her composure.
"You guys did great battling Gyarados," Misty commented as she looked around at the trio of Lapras, Floatzel, and Corsola. The Pokeball at the back of Misty's suit popped, and her Psyduck took shape beside her. He raised his hands to hold his head as he always did, and Misty giggled. "You too, Psyduck. Thanks for your support."
Corsola gave Psyduck a slight bump as she grinned at him, but Psyduck simply tilted his head.
"Just out of question," Ash interjected as he approached Misty with Greninja and Pikachu. "If you need to get Gyarados past the bridge, why not capture her and then release her back into the ocean."
Misty rolled her eyes. "Don't you think we've tried that?" Misty asked in return. "Gyarados has taken a beating from us, but she refuses to be captured or reasoned with. She just goes berserk whenever she gets close to the city."
Ash frowned. "Mhmm…" He muttered. Surely there had to be an explanation for it.
Another trainer soon arrived, and he introduced himself as Ralph. He was the one who contacted Misty to warn her that Gyarados was approaching. Of course, Gyarados' presence prompted his distress call. Ralph attempted to slow down Gyarados with his Golduck, but they were quickly defeated.
"I just knew you'd find a way to fight off Gyarados," Ralph gushed about Misty proudly. "And when I was on my way here, I saw Gyarados heading in the opposite direction. I was like, 'Misty went and did it again!'"
"I did have some help," Misty pointed out with a nod toward Ash and his Pokemon. "In fact, if it weren't for them, I don't know if we would've managed this time."
Ralph turned to Ash and extended a hand for a knuckle touch. "Hey, we all get to be heroes sometimes."
Ash nodded as he returned the gesture.
"If your Golduck is hurt, let him out for Lapras to treat him," Misty said to Ralph. He nodded and released his Golduck from his Pokeball. Misty cringed at the sight of Golduck's body littered with gashes.
"Golduck got caught in Gyarados' Twister," Ralph explained as Lapras began her Aqua Ring treatment. "That damage piled up quickly, and Golduck was down for the count."
Ash glanced back at the damage done by Gyarados' Hyper Beam. Her attack strength was other worldly, but what gave Ash chills was the realization that Misty and her Pokemon faced that sort of power with no fear. Their resolve couldn't be questioned, and they possessed supreme confidence in their abilities and each other.
There was no use denying it. Misty was a world-class trainer…and she had something special about her.
Lapras' Aqua Ring closed most of Golduck's wounds, but he remained unconscious. Without a Pokemon partner, Ralph said he would return to the resort to see if he could round up a group to patrol the river. Misty told him not to worry about it and that she would cover the rest of his shift until the next group arrived. Ralph recalled his Golduck, thanked her graciously, and went on his way.
Misty looked at Ash. "I guess I should thank you for helping," she said as she crossed her arms. "Things would've gone a lot worse without you here."
Ash forced a grin. "Glad I could help," Ash replied before motioning to his Pokemon. "But Greninja and Pikachu did all the heavy lifting."
Misty nodded and thanked each of them individually. They accepted her thanks, and Ash decided to pull the trigger on a question he was holding in.
"Can I ask what happened during the battle?" Ash inquired. "You were so put together for most of it, but suddenly, you sort of checked out mentally."
Misty bit down on her lower lip. "I can't act like it didn't happen," Misty noted. "It was just an awfully timed headache. It was like I got hit on the head with a brick, and I couldn't focus."
"That sounds kind of serious," Ash said. "Does that happen often?"
Misty leered at him. "That's none of your business," She retorted.
Ash raised his hands in his defense. "Hey, I won't pry. I just thought I would ask," Ash replied. "I don't know you at all, but it seemed a little weird based on what I've seen."
Misty met Ash's gaze and held her breath. The way Ash was looking at her, she knew that look. Discerning eyes. It was the same way her Pokemon looked at her. Misty studied Ash closely, and her eyes quickly darted to his Greninja and Pikachu. Ash's eyes were the same as his Pokemon.
When her family and friends couldn't understand her...it was always her Pokemon that could make sense of what she was feeling.
Misty exhaled. "Alright, this might sound crazy," She began. "There was a point in the battle where I'm positive that I could hear Gyarados' voice…" Misty trailed off when she heard a snicker from Ash. "But you wouldn't believe anything like that. Talking Pokemon…" Misty scoffed at the idea. "I'm just crazy. Forget I mentioned it."
She rose to her feet with a huff and turned away from him.
The smile fell off Ash's face. "Wait, I believe you!"
She shot him a narrow glance over her shoulder. "Don't try to fake it for me," Misty stated. "There's nothing I hate more than a fraud."
"I'm being serious," Ash's voice didn't waver. "I hear the voices of my Pokemon too," he added. "In fact, that's how I met Greninja in the first place. We crossed paths, but I don't think we would've become friends if I didn't hear his voice."
Misty softened somewhat as Ash revealed this.
"Part of the training we did together was building our bond," Ash explained as he looked at his partner. "As we trained together, Greninja's voice became clearer to me. I don't always hear it," Ash admitted. "But I know what you're talking about, Misty."
Was that why Greninja was so loyal to him? Maybe she misjudged Ash Ketchum.
"What does it mean when you hear their voices?" Misty asked him softly.
Ash shrugged his shoulders. "Heck if I know," He answered. "But every Pokemon has something to say, you know. Something they want to achieve," Ash recalled his discussion with Growlithe on the beach in Vermilion City. "Pokemon are a lot like us. They're also trying to figure things out, and listening is the first step to helping each other."
Misty was…successfully disarmed. Ash might have been a bonehead in some areas as a Pokemon trainer, but there were things he understood about Pokemon better than Misty.
"So, Gyarados is trying to tell me something," Misty concluded, and she looked at Ash with one eyebrow raised. "I guess you're not as dumb as a doornail."
"Wait, what?!" Ash exclaimed.
Misty ignored him and focused on Greninja. "Come on, let's head up the river, and we'll start your Liquidation lesson."
They traveled up the Cascade River for about three miles until they reached the farthest checkpoint used by the patrol teams. Once they arrived, Lapras spotted a small private beach they could use.
Ash and Pikachu took a seat to watch while Misty, Lapras, and Corsola took charge of teaching. Misty didn't waste time as she pushed Greninja into the deep end.
"You should know this already, Greninja, but water represents fluidity. The ability to change and take on any shape," Misty began as they all stood ankle-deep in the river. "Water is powerful, capable of blunt force like a tsunami…but water can also be used with precision. That's what we'll show you how to do with Liquidation."
She explained that Water Pledge was a good start, but is elementary water manipulation. It lacked power, and it lacked precision. But in this spectrum, Liquidation would show him how to be precise when molding water to do his bidding.
Lapras started with a demonstration. She sang a song and pulled a sphere of water from the river. It hovered in the air above her, and it gained a shape. It became a pyramid, then a cube. Lapras then called up more water, giving them different forms around her. Greninja stared in awe, and Misty encouraged him to take control of one of these shapes for himself. He attempted to take a cube out of the air, but as soon as Lapras released her hold, it lost its shape.
"Don't worry. It takes time to get a feel for it," Misty assured him. "Lapras is accustomed to this, but in your case, just let the water become a shape that feels natural to you."
He tried again, collecting one of the water shapes that hovered in the air courtesy of Lapras. It was another cube, but it lost its shape and fell to the ground as a puddle. Greninja furrowed his brow before he made a third attempt. This time, it was a shape he knew. A sphere. It held that form as he took it into his hands, and then he looked to Misty. She motioned for him to keep going and try something new.
"Gre-ninja?" Greninja asked himself. What shape felt natural to him?
"Don't think too hard," Misty interjected. "Just let it happen."
Greninja shut his eyes and relaxed his body. He followed Misty's advice and thought of something that would fit comfortably in his hands. The water shifted in his hands, but when he opened his eyes, there wasn't any change.
"Maybe that's a bit too advanced," Misty noted as she placed a hand against her chin. "How about, instead of what feels natural, think of something you've seen before. Something you've seen a lot."
Greninja nodded and looked back down to the sphere. There was one shape that he saw a lot of when he was younger. His father always made throwing stars…shuriken.
"Well, that's not what I was expecting," Misty said as Greninja held a four-point star in his hands. He seized up when he heard her comment, and the water lost its shape. But Ash did catch sight of what Greninja molded.
"Greninja, that was awesome!" He exclaimed. "That looked just like the water shuriken you had on your back during a few of our battles!"
Greninja's eyes became narrow, upset that he let his focus slip so easily. Ash recognized that expression on Greninja's face. He didn't want to be disturbed. Misty's guidance was already proving its worth, so Greninja tuned out their voices and continued. Misty and Lapras observed Greninja, but they didn't do anything else for the time being.
That left Ash to approach her other Pokemon. Psyduck and Corsola were further down, seated at the water's edge, while Floatzel patrolled the river. Ash took out his Pokedex to investigate Corsola further. He saw her in action in that practice battle against Floatzel and then again against Gyarados. In both cases, he saw that Corsola had a unique skill set that didn't depend solely on her water typing. But one move, in particular, stuck out to him.
With the damage caused by Gyarados' Hyper Beam, Ash realized that an even more impressive power was Corsola's Mirror Coat, which reflected all of that energy.
"You can talk to your Pokedex too," Brock stated. "We've been working on voice recognition for specific requests."
"Mirror Coat," Ash said to his Pokedex. It took a few moments before a few entries were displayed.
Ash raised his brow as he read about its purpose. Essentially, the damage taken from an attack was launched back at the sender at twice the power. However, the damage received wasn't mitigated. At first, Ash thought of it as a move similar to Protect or Ampharos' Magnetic Flux. But Mirror Coat was entirely different. It didn't offer any protection as a trade-off for the potential damage it could cause. Only the most resilient Pokemon could make the most use of Mirror Coat.
"Wow," Ash said as he down on his hands and knees to take a closer look at Corsola. He didn't mind the sand on his pants as he studied her appearance. After taking a gut punch from Corsola earlier, Ash knew her outer skin was as tough as nails. But to take a Hyper Beam head-on and send it right back was incredible! "You're awesome, Corsola!"
She blushed with a large grin. "Cor-sola!"
Ash didn't stop there. His next topic was the 'Corsola Cannon,' stating that he never would've thought to do something like that. Corsola became bashful as Ash gushed about her toughness to take the damage from a Hyper Beam. Misty could hear each of his compliments, and she fought off a proud grin as she glanced at them.
"Psy…?" Psyduck tilted his head as he watched the exchange. Pikachu approached him, assuming that Psyduck wanted a compliment too, but when Pikachu offered a few kind words, Psyduck only stared at him. With a shiver, Pikachu backed away from Psyduck and returned to Ash's shoulder.
"Alright, Pikachu, since Greninja is busy, how about we do some training of our own," Ash suggested to pass the time. Pikachu nodded and then returned to his usual footwork exercises. Now that they were back on a beach, this was the perfect chance to check Pikachu's progress since they first left Vermilion City. Training on the sand was always exhausting, but Pikachu fared much better now. His conditioning and stamina finally reached a point where Ash felt it was safe to split Pikachu's focus as they trained.
Unfortunately, a new lesson would have to wait. A phone call from Brock demanded his attention.
"Ash, where have you been?" Brock inquired. "We didn't see you at breakfast."
"Oh, we got breakfast early and then went for a run," Ash explained. "And while we were out, we actually ran into Misty."
"Mmm," Brock pursed his lips. "How did that go?"
"Uh…" Ash trailed off for a moment. "Not that bad. We helped her out, and she's teaching Greninja a new move with her Pokemon."
"So, you're friends with her now?" Brock asked him.
"I wouldn't say that," Ash answered as he shook his head. "I guess you could say she owes me one since we helped her earlier…but she said she's doing this to help Greninja, not me."
"Shoot, I was hoping you could ask her to help us meet with her dad," Brock noted, and he clicked his tongue.
"What about her sister, the one we met yesterday," Ash pointed out. "It looked like she was pretty into you. Did you try asking her?"
"I tried, but they live in a private suite with security and uh…" Brock laughed nervously. "Let's just say my reputation precedes me."
Ash raised his eyebrow. "The hotel security already recognizes you, huh?"
"Yeah…" Brock muttered. "And I don't want my status to get upgraded to 'stalker' for trying to meet with Violet, ya know."
"I hear ya," Ash said as he rolled his eyes.
"So, ask Misty for me," Brock encouraged him. "Give it a shot. She might not be as bad as you think."
"She doesn't seem terrible," Ash whispered. "But I don't think she'd be willing to help if I asked her. And I don't want to push my luck while she's still teaching Greninja."
"Hmm," Brock paused for a moment. "Okay, how about this…?"
Misty's left eye twitched as she stared at Ash. He was on the ground in front of her, lying prone with his phone beside him.
"What are you doing?" Misty asked him.
A voice answered from Ash's phone. "Misty Waterflower, my name is Brock."
Misty furrowed her brow as she stepped toward Ash and his phone to kneel down. "Can I help you?"
"I work as an assistant for Charles Goodshow, the acting commissioner of the developing Pokemon League," Brock announced.
"Yeah, I'm familiar with him," Misty stated.
"Well, Ash and I will be traveling around Kanto on behalf of Charles Goodshow to promote the Pokemon League. We'd like an audience with your dad to speak to him about it," Brock explained.
"Like I said, I'm familiar with all of that," Misty interjected.
"So, is it possible for you to arrange a meeting for us with your father?" Brock inquired.
"You know, my father has an assistant. That's the person you should be talking to instead of me," Misty pointed out with a huff.
"I already made contact with his assistant," Brock replied. "I was told it could take between two weeks and a month to speak directly with your father. I don't know how long we'll be in Cerulean City, and I'd hate to miss an opportunity to talk to him."
Misty pursed her lips. "I can't really do you any favors. I understand that the Pokemon League is supposed to be good for trainers and Pokemon, but from a professional standpoint, I don't see the potential," Misty explained as she shook her head. "Especially if you're using someone like Ash as a test dummy for this thing."
"Hey!" Ash exclaimed as she shot a glare up at her.
"I don't blame you one bit," Brock interjected. "The Pokemon League is new and trying to break boundaries, so maybe we did bite off more than we can chew...Ash might be in over his head too," Brock added.
"Hey," Ash cut in again. "I'm right here, ya know."
"But we're trying," Brock concluded.
Misty frowned as she looked from Ash to his phone. Then she rolled her eyes. "I'll give you one chance," Misty said. "We get together as a family for lunch on weekdays. You can join us for lunch, but my dad uses that time to be with his family, not business. It's up to you guys to make a good first impression with him."
"We'll take it!" Brock exclaimed.
"There's a private booth in the dining hall. I'll call the staff to let them know you're joining us. Just give me your full names; that way, you won't get harassed by security," Misty explained.
"Thank you, Misty!"
12:38pm.
Ash and Misty entered the main lobby of the Cascade Beach Resort. The next rotation of trainers to patrol the river arrived earlier, and the duo returned to the resort for lunch with Misty's father. The trip back was brief since they rode on Lapras' back, and by the way the wind blasted his face, Ash was sure they topped out at sixty or seventy miles an hour! When they arrived at the resort, Misty and Ash disembarked from Lapras, who then sunk beneath the water.
Misty explained that there was a network of water tunnels beneath the resort that connected different pools and water chambers. Water Pokemon could move throughout the resort freely and enter the Cascade River if they chose to do so. Ash called back Greninja to his Pokeball while Pikachu remained perched on his shoulder.
Misty donned a pair of flip-flops as they approached the resort entrance and left her hair down. Once they were inside, Misty guided Ash through the lobby and into a large corridor that led to the dining hall. Ash was there for breakfast this morning, but he was given a chance to really appreciate it when Misty took up to the upper balcony where her family would eat.
There was one guard at the entrance to the balcony, and he welcomed them warmly. A private buffet table with a beautifully decorated table was waiting for them. Daisy, Lily, Violet, Brock, and Gary were already there.
"Well, it's about time," Gary said with a small salute toward Ash. "I was wondering if you would know how to fix that."
"Fix what?" Ash asked in return.
Gary motioned to Brock and Violet at the end of the table.
"Your gaze is like a ray of sunshine that brought light back to my darkened world," Brock declared to Violet.
"Oh, Brock, you're too much!" Violet gushed. "Tell me more!"
Both Daisy and Lily gagged.
"This has been going nonstop since they ran into each other here," Gary muttered.
Ash scratched the tip of his nose. "I've never seen this happen before," Ash replied. "I don't know how to stop it."
"But who would've thought we'd run into each other again," Daisy pointed out to help them ignore Brock and Violet.
"You all met already?" Misty asked.
"Yup, at a rest area near Vermilion City," Lily explained as she looked at each of the guys. She pointed to Brock, "That's the guy that was hitting on us at the same time," Lily motioned to Gary. "This is the guy with the super cute Wartortle!" She then looked at Ash. "And this guy has Misty acting like a lunatic."
Misty scoffed with pink cheeks. "I was not!"
Daisy blew a raspberry at her. "Sure, whatever you say."
"Misty, when did you get here?" Violet asked suddenly.
"Violet, so nice of you to join us," Daisy remarked.
"I just got here, Violet," Misty replied. "I came to drop Ash off. I'm going to get changed for lunch before dad gets here," Misty turned to leave the balcony while the conversation continued.
Violet grinned at Ash. "I'm glad you managed to find her. Did my description help at all?"
Ash smiled as he sat at the table between Gary and Lily. "You were right. I couldn't miss her."
"What'd you say about Misty?" Lily inquired with a wrinkled brow.
Violet giggled. "The two obvious things, her hair color and huge butt."
Misty was about to step out of the balcony when she froze mid-step, and her ear enlarged.
"Oh yeah," Ash chuckled. "You could land a plane on that thing."
Lily rumbled her lips before she burst into a fit of laughter. Daisy and Violet joined in while Gary and Brock fought to contain themselves. Then, a flip-flop connected with Ash's face. He jolted backward in his seat, and the whole thing tipped over with him. Ash was left splayed out on the floor with an imprint of the bottom of Misty's footwear on his face. Gary and Brock erupted with laughter, but that was short-lived as the shadowy form of Misty loomed over the table.
"I have two flip-flops in case anyone else thought that was funny," Misty's warned the guys. The laughter from Brock and Gary died in their throats as they saw Misty's eye twinkle with a malicious glint.
Pikachu glared up at Misty, and his cheeks crackled. Thankfully, someone else spoke before Pikachu could use his voice.
"Sheesh, you need to chill out, Misty," Daisy said with no regard for Misty's current demeanor. "You've said all sorts of things about Ash, so don't get upset that he's got something to say about you."
"Yeah, don't be afraid of her, Ash," Lily said as she helped him sit up. "Say something else about her!" Lily encouraged him.
"Whose side are you on!?" Misty shrieked at them. Then she stomped her feet. "Ugh, I can't stand you guys! You can eat lunch without me!" Misty stormed out of the upper balcony.
Daisy and Lily shared a laugh while they helped Ash set his chair upright.
"I'll apologize on Misty's behalf," Lily went on as they all got settled in their seats. "She's always been a little crazy, but ever since she saw your Greninja, she's been nothing short of insane."
"Yeah, totally," Daisy added. "One minute she's happy with her Pokemon; the next, she's a raging lunatic."
"He knows," Violet interjected. "I filled him in yesterday."
Ash bit down on his lower lip. There was a small voice in him that wanted to defend Misty, but at the same time, she did try to steal Greninja from him. Ash kept silent for the time being.
Misty's older sisters, Daisy and Lily, proved to be good company while they all waited for the guest of honor. When Ash thought about their status, he realized they were basically famous performers at this resort. He expected a bit of pretentiousness from them, especially after his encounter with Misty, but that was hardly the case. They were pleasant, almost too nice. Perhaps they were showing him some pity based on his current relationship with Misty. That aside, Daisy and Lily guided the conversation and invited Ash and Gary to speak at every opportunity.
Their subjects changed rapidly, and it was hard to keep up. But thankfully, they didn't have to keep this up for long. When Mr. Waterflower arrived, everything slowed down. He was a middle-aged man, sharply dressed and possessing a dazzling smile as he addressed his daughters. With such a smile, Ash wondered if their father was a performer at any point. That would certainly explain the origin of the Sensation Sisters.
"Ah, who might you be?" Mr. Waterflower asked as he looked at the likes of Ash, Brock, and Gary.
Brock cleared his throat as he exited his 'lovesick' mode. Then he rose from his seat to extend a hand toward Mr. Waterflower. "It's nice to meet you, Mr. Waterflower," Brock began.
"Please, call me Fletcher," He interrupted Brock. "Mr. Waterflower is my father."
Brock raised his brow but followed through on the request. "Fletcher, it's nice to meet you," Brock repeated. "My name is Brock, and I work as a research fellow for Professor Samuel Oak and an assistant of Charles Goodshow."
"I'm very familiar with Samuel," Fletcher remarked with a grin. "I wasn't aware that he had some of his research fellows visiting Cerulean City. Is there something of interest around the city?"
"Actually, we're here doing research for Charles Goodshow and the Pokemon League," Brock went on. "I understand that you usually spend lunch with your family, but we just wanted to arrange a meeting with you to ask a few questions about your facility."
"You know, I've heard a few things about this 'Pokemon League' recently. But I didn't expect someone to come to my resort to talk to me about it," Fletcher remarked as he took a seat across from Brock. "Give me a one-minute pitch, and if I like what I hear, I'll talk to my assistant to make a meeting for us."
Brock hesitated, with his voice caught in his throat. He was prepared, yet he still wasn't ready to be put on the spot.
"The ultimate goal of the Pokemon League is to help people and Pokemon come together," Ash interjected. "But doing that takes a lot of effort in all sorts of stuff. I don't understand most of it, but Brock can tell you all those details."
"Right," Brock forced himself to speak. "For example, the Pokemon League is researching ways to create a sustainable economy for Pokemon trainers worldwide. That's the reason we came here to speak with you. The Cascade Resort might be an example we can use on a larger scale, so who better to speak to than the general manager?"
"Those are some lofty goals for the Pokemon League," Fletcher noted. "Do you think creating something like that is really possible?"
"Of course, it is," Ash exclaimed, his eyes shimmering. "Everyone loved Pokemon before the Great Crisis, and there might not be many of us who love them now. But, if enough of us work together, we can help people everywhere overcome their fear of Pokemon."
Daisy, Lily, and Violet shared a glance before they looked back to Ash.
Fletcher smirked. "I remember saying things like that when I was younger. I met others with the same idea, and we thought we would change the world…" Fletcher spoke softly. "We made progress; this resort is my contribution," Fletcher paused and shook his head. "It wasn't enough to make a difference. Perhaps…perhaps the 'Pokemon League' is the catalyst we've been waiting for. I think I'd like to hear more about it."
"Awesome!" Brock exclaimed as he gave Ash a high-five.
"I'll have my assistant reach out to you, but for now, let's enjoy lunch together," Fletcher suggested.
They discussed the resort's most popular attraction among trainers for the rest of their time together. There was an official battlefield modeled after the one within the Hidden Cove stadium within the resort. Trainers all over Cerulean City gathered daily to participate in battles with a posted schedule. Fletcher invited Ash and Gary to use his battlefield, much to their surprise.
Fletcher snorted. "I may work a lot, but I'm not ignorant. I've been well aware of who Ash Ketchum was from the moment Charles named him as the 'liaison' of his Pokemon League," Fletcher explained before he winked at them. "I've been waiting for your visit for a while now."
"You knew we were coming?" Ash exclaimed.
"Of course, I've been listening to Misty talk about you nonstop for a few weeks, and I knew it was only a matter of time before she challenged you to a battle," Fletcher went on. "She has very high expectations for you and your Greninja, and I hope you manage to meet those expectations."
Ash looked down when he heard that. Until this point, he thought Misty's attitude toward him was fueled by spite. But perhaps it was disappointment.
It was about six o'clock in the evening when Ash returned to his room within the resort. After leaving their lunch party with the Waterflowers, their afternoon was uneventful. Pikachu stuck to his basic training, while Greninja worked on his Liquidation independently. Of course, it was only his first day working on it, so there was some frustration.
Misty described Liquidation as a more advanced form of water crafting than Greninja was used to, and it showed. He could shape the water for his Liquidation, but it never held that shape for long. His water throwing stars would collapse as soon as he let go of them, and his attempt at other forms didn't fare much better. So, for Greninja's sake, Ash cut their training short for today. Perhaps a night of rest would help would lead to a discovery.
Or so he thought…
When they got back to their room, Greninja insisted on practicing more. At first, Ash was fine with letting him practice in the middle of the room until he got the carpet wet. To Ash's surprise, Greninja could lift the spilled water from the carpet to reuse it, but he wasn't very thorough. There were still wet spots, and Ash didn't want to cause any sort of water damage to the floor. So, Greninja was moved to the bathtub. It was large with plenty of room for him to sit in, while Ash filled it with water for him to practice as he pleased.
Ash couldn't help but chuckle as he saw Greninja splashing about in the bathtub, trying to shape a water shuriken. He stood at the bathroom entrance and took out his phone to take a quick snapshot for a future photo album.
When Ash returned to the desk in his room, he dropped himself on the chair with a sigh. His earlier conversation with Misty was still fresh on his mind, and it inspired him.
"I studied everything about water Pokemon. Their habitats, migration patterns…I did my homework," Misty stated. "Pokemon aren't magic. There is science to everything about them, and once you understand it, that changes everything."
Ash was going to do homework.
He frowned and scratched the back of his neck. He did his homework back in his school days, but when it came to Pokemon research, he struggled to clear the first hurdle. He didn't know where to start.
Ash wanted to know more about Greninja. He made a few attempts to learn more about Greninja already, but those attempts were feeble, to say the least. Today, he would do better. But what would he research?
"I remember…" Ash said to himself. Greninja had a few skills, but they lacked synergy. But, Misty did present Ash with an idea to look into.
"If a Pokemon has a subtype, you'll find all kinds of interesting twists that can help you create ideas that synergize with their main abilities," Misty stated.
"What was Greninja's subtype?" Ash asked quietly. It felt like this was something he should've known by now.
Greninja, the Ninja Pokemon. Primary typing: water. Secondary typing: dark.
Pikachu climbed into Ash's lap and curled up there to take a nap. Ash stroked Pikachu's back while he used the voice command on his Pokedex to search for information on dark type Pokemon. His Pokedex accessed the public database used by the PokeHub, and dozens of research papers were presented to Ash for him to choose from.
He started with something very general, with a familiar name attached to it. A research paper written by Samuel Oak. Ash skimmed through Samuel's opening remarks and skipped the sources he used for this research paper. Partway down the second page was the start of what Ash was looking for.
"Dark type Pokemon have had a poor reputation. Throughout history, they have been described as fickle, bitter, and difficult to train. In fact, during some of the earliest points of recorded history, dark type Pokemon were regarded as deceptive, underhanded, and ruthless. There are reports of them terrorizing villages during the late tribal and early feudal eras. This was where dark type Pokemon established their reputation, which has remained until today."
Ash frowned as he read that passage. As much as he didn't want to label dark type Pokemon, his past experience with a dark type Pokemon fit that description. Cross' Lycanroc came to mind. He was a vicious Pokemon…
But not all dark type Pokemon were like that. Greninja certainly wasn't! And if Cross' Lycanroc was a symbol of darkness, then N's Zoroark was a light among the dark. Regardless of their reputation, every Pokemon deserved an opportunity to prove that they were an individual.
Samuel briefly referenced trainers' struggles with dark type Pokemon in early eras. Those who attempted to tame the dark were met with the ferocity of these Pokemon. But with time, dark type specialists appeared, but Samuel continued to refer to one in particular.
A gentleman by the name of Grimsley, who lived before the Great Crisis. He was revered as possibly the greatest dark type specialist. A picture of him was shown, seated on a chair with his Pokemon around him. Ash didn't recognize three of them, but thankfully, a caption listed their names.
Around Grimsley was a Krookodile, Bisharp, and Liepard. Seated in front of him was a crimson-eyed Pokemon with chalky white fur known as an Absol. But behind him was a behemoth that gave Ash chills in the same fashion as Gyarados. Sharp eyes, sharp fangs…sharp points all over its body.
"Tyranitar…" Ash whispered the name and licked his lips.
How in the world did Grimsley manage to befriend a Pokemon like that?!
Ash checked back on the sources used in Samuel's research paper and saw that quite a bit of information was taken from documents left back by Grimsley. Most of them were available to read, and Ash quickly switched to reading Grimsley's research. As a sort of guru for dark type Pokemon, Grimsley discussed the behavior of these Pokemon at length.
"These 'umbral' Pokemon are some of the most volatile you will ever encounter," Grimsley remarked. "Like most Pokemon, they channel their ambitious nature into a pursuit of growth. But this is where umbral Pokemon tend to stray from that path. They are 'heavily' influenced by their background. Negative experiences, such as losing family or territory, can cause them to pursue selfish strength. Where most Pokemon develop a spirit of competition, an umbral can have their ambitions develop into a…'vendetta.'"
Ash leaned further into his chair as he set down his Pokedex. Grimsley's insights caused him to recall a conversation he had with Frogadier in Ecruteak City. During that discussion, Ash and Frogadier revealed that they went through negative experiences that festered within them. But they both promised to speak up if they saw the other heading down a dark path.
However, Frogadier was a pure water type at that time. Could his acquired dark typing affect his behavior going forward? Was Greninja harboring any resentment inside him that could cause him to pursue selfish strength?
Ash heard a splash from the bathroom and a grunt from Greninja. With a sigh, Ash set down his Pokedex on the desk. Perhaps he would have to keep a closer eye on Greninja going forward.
"There's so much to learn about them," Ash said softly. Just a brief glimpse into some of Grimsley's research had Ash thinking about Greninja in new and different ways. His evolution was more than just a transformation of his body in a physical sense. Greninja's mind was changing in subtle ways, and Ash needed to be aware of all of this.
Ash breathed and looked out the window. The skies were darkening. He didn't even realize so much time had passed while he was reading. Ash scooped up Pikachu from his lap to set him down on the bed, but the act still awakened Pikachu.
"Sorry, Pikachu," Ash apologized to him as Pikachu yawned. "I was trying not to disturb you."
"Pi-ka," Pikachu muttered in response as he sat upright.
"You can go back to sleep. I'm going to take a shower," Ash explained as he grabbed a towel on his way to the bathroom.
Pikachu watched as Ash disappeared around the corner, and Ash announced that it was time for Greninja to get out of the bathtub. Soon enough, Greninja joined Pikachu in the central part of the room while they heard Ash start the shower. Greninja still had a sphere of water in his hands, a small one to ensure he didn't drench the carpet as he did earlier. He sat on the floor and continued practicing while Pikachu watched from the edge of the bed.
"Pi-pikapi?" Pikachu inquired as he raised his ears.
Greninja glanced in his direction and then attempted to demonstrate. He flattened the sphere between his hands, and when he lifted his top hand, he showed Pikachu the shape of his water shuriken. It wobbled after a few moments before it broke and spilled out onto the floor. Greninja rolled his eyes and waved his hand over the carpet to draw the water back out of it. He pulled it back into a sphere and held onto it to hold that shape.
"Gre-ninja," He answered.
Pikachu wiggled his nose and watched with intrigue as Greninja made another attempt. Then he posed another question to Greninja, one that caused Greninja to pause his practice.
Are you really going to let that girl teach you after what she said?
Greninja shrugged. He didn't like it any more than Pikachu did. Misty's comments about Ash were aggravating. Both of them could tell that she didn't understand Ash…but Greninja had an answer for Pikachu.
Misty was passionate. He could feel it while she was talking and even more so when she was teaching. She was…more passionate than Ash, if that was possible. And she had some similarities to Ash. Her passion was hard to understand, but they should at least try to get to know her before judging her character.
'Judge with your heart, not your eyes.'
Tuesday, April 20th
After breakfast, Ash, Pikachu, and Greninja returned to their usual routine. Stretching, followed by a morning run. Once again, they ran alongside the Cascade River until they found a secluded place to resume their training from the day before. Greninja didn't hesitate to separate from them and step down into the water to continue his practice with Liquidation. Ash left him alone to work since Pikachu was his top priority today.
The two sat together on a flat rock to outline their plans. "You've been working really hard for the last month, Pikachu," Ash remarked as he grinned at Pikachu. "I was a little nervous yesterday when I asked you to use Thunderbolt, but you came through for everyone."
Pikachu's eyes glimmered, the memory still fresh in his mind. His Thunderbolt was enough to make a Gyarados turn tail. Pikachu was giddy, and his cheeks crackled as a result.
"I know we haven't done much with your electric type attacks since you need your speed, so I thought today would be a good time for a progress check," Ash explained as he motioned to their private beach. "We'll go through each of your moves and see how they look."
They started with Pikachu's Agility. Pikachu's overall speed improved significantly compared to when they were first reunited a month ago! His burst and acceleration were back, but his true test of speed came when Ash called for Double Team. This move tested Pikachu's footwork since he relied on movement to create the after-images needed for Double Team. When they participated in Vermilion City's underground circuit, Pikachu could produce up to eight after-images. However, in his current state, he could only make three. There was still a lot of work to do in the fitness department, but Pikachu made some substantial progress.
Next was his electric attacks. Thunderbolt was the first one Ash called for, and as one of the more basic lightning attacks Pikachu knew, it was just as good as Ash remembered. But a trend developed from there. His more advanced electrical attacks were an eyesore. Thunder Wave fizzled out before it reached its target. Electro Ball was more like a flattened disc. And he couldn't generate the electricity needed to summon an Electric Terrain.
Pikachu sat down beside Ash, and they shared some water from a bottle Ash brought. Ash glanced down at his partner, and he saw that Pikachu wore a frown, his ears drooped over.
"Don't get down on yourself, Pikachu," Ash interjected. Pikachu didn't bother to meet his gaze. "I know it's taking a while to get yourself back in shape, but just keep at it. Your hard work is already paying off, even if you don't see it now."
Pikachu crossed his arms. That wasn't enough to change his opinion of his performance.
"I know you expect a lot of yourself," Ash went on as he placed a hand on Pikachu's head. "That's why we're going to do something new today."
Ash spent the last few days thinking about what Charles shared with him before they left Vermilion City. Ash knew that Pikachu's specialized skills went hand in hand. His speed and electricity worked together, but right now, he didn't have either of them. He needed something else to work with, something to use if his primary skills were blunted.
"Volkner suggested that you learn Iron Tail, like his Ampharos," Ash stated, and Pikachu perked up. "Your speed is your best weapon, but Charles was right. You should have a few more options during a battle that isn't tied directly to your speed."
While Ash and Pikachu got started, Greninja sighed as another attempt at his Liquidation fell apart in his hands. He inhaled sharply and flicked off the water on his fingertips before he decided to take a short break. Lapras made this look so easy when she first showed this to him, and her explanation made sense.
Water was formless, and it was up to him to determine its shape. But when he tried to execute this task, it was always short-lived. He spent hours practicing in the bathtub yesterday and had nothing to show for it! Greninja scratched at the back of his neck and abandoned the shore for the time being. Instead, he took a seat a fair distance from Ash and Pikachu to observe how they would practice Pikachu's new move, Iron Tail.
Ash explained how Pikachu was a capable fighter, but only on rare occasions did he make use of his tail. Iron Tail would be an added form of defense and offense at close range. Pikachu needed this sorely if his speed advantage was nullified. But when it came time to explain how to use Iron Tail, Ash drew all of his inspiration from how Bruno explained Brick Break.
"Latent power…flow of energy…surpass your limits," Ash used all the keywords that Bruno used with Pikachu. Still, it took on a much different form as the electric type took action.
Pikachu focused on guiding the latent power with him. Previously, he always directed it to his muscles to accelerate, but now, he sent it to his tail. Ash furrowed his brow as lightning circled around Pikachu's tail. It crackled and hissed, but Pikachu's tail didn't glow like how Ampharos' would do for this attack.
"Is everything okay, Pikachu?" Ash asked him as he kneeled beside Pikachu. They looked at his tail, and Ash went as far as to touch it. He didn't actually make contact before he was zapped. Ash shook his hand furiously to get rid of the tingling sensation.
"Pi? Pika pi?" Pikachu wasn't quite sure what to make of it either. He wasn't sure how to describe what he felt, so their only option was to conduct a test. They would use a nearby tree trunk as their training dummy, and Pikachu lashed out at the tree with his tail, and…nothing happened. Not a scratch, not even a chip in the bark. Pikachu bounced back and landed on his feet.
Ash thought about what Bruno shared with him and how that applied to Pikachu.
"Energy resides in all things, and it takes on many different forms. All Pokemon possess a means to manipulate this energy…in different forms, like fire, water, or electricity," Bruno explained.
Ash punched his palm softly. The form of Pikachu's 'latent power' was electricity. So how would he turn that power into 'Iron Tail?'
"What did you feel when you tried Iron Tail, Pikachu?" Ash asked.
Pikachu offered the best explanation he could, but Ash frowned. Nothing Pikachu said made much sense to him…but rather than dwell on that, Ash focused on an adjustment. If electricity was the natural form of Pikachu's power, then that meant Iron Tail was unnatural. It was something new, which would require a whole different mindset.
Ash looked to his Pokedex for more guidance. Iron Tail was a steel type move, and steel type Pokemon were regarded as the toughest of all. If toughness was something natural to those Pokemon, it was likely required for their moves as well.
"Toughness, huh," Ash remarked as he stroked his chin. "Alright, Pikachu, let's try this…think of something tough. You know, like an immovable object…a rock or wall. Yeah, be a wall!" Ash explained as he planted his feet and took up a fighting stance. "Then take that and put it into your tail!"
Pikachu deadpanned.
Ash laughed weakly. "Yeah, that made a lot more sense in my head. But steel type Pokemon are all about toughness, and for you to use a steel type move, you've got to think like one," Ash explained. "Remember what Misty told Greninja about water being formless and changing. Well, steel is like the opposite of that. It doesn't change or bend! You've got to think like that!"
Ash continued to talk, and gradually his ideas started to come together. Steel types were rigid, stubborn, and forceful, so he told Pikachu to imitate that. But that didn't change the result. Pikachu struck the tree again and again with his tail wrapped in lightning. Trying to think like a steel type wasn't working.
"I don't get it," Ash mumbled as he sat a few feet from Pikachu, who continued to prepare one Iron Tail after another. It didn't glow or anything like how Ampharos' Iron Tail did.
"Pika!" Pikachu slammed his tail into the tree again, but there wasn't any luck. He jumped back, and Ash called for him to take a break.
"Maybe we need to change things up a bit," Ash noted through pursed lips.
They were thinking about toughness by its definition in science. The ability to absorb energy and release it without sacrificing your current form. Perhaps they needed to look at toughness from a different angle…a human one. Ash went to an online dictionary on his phone and looked up toughness.
"The ability to deal with hardship or cope with difficult situations," Ash said aloud. Pikachu's ears perked up as he heard this. "Hmm, okay, Pikachu. I want you to think of the toughest person you know…and see if that affects your Iron Tail."
Pikachu's eyes glimmered as someone came to mind almost immediately. A certain teenage girl that looked after him for the last few years. Casey Hale.
She was, without a doubt, the toughest person Pikachu knew. When Ash was wrongfully sentenced to prison, Casey's life spiraled out of control, and Pikachu witnessed it all. Cassidy's sudden death. How Casey and Macy were returned to foster care and later separated. In the span of a few months, Casey's entire family vanished. When despair would've crushed just about anyone else, Casey hung on to the hope that Ash would keep his promise and come back one day. Casey didn't let her circumstances change her.
"Pika pi," Pikachu stated as he shook his feet and looked back at his target. A glint flashed across his eyes, and Ash raised his eyebrows. Pikachu went down on all fours and raised his tail.
Toughness wasn't about knowing who or what you are. Toughness was being who you are, regardless of what is happening around you.
A faint white light enveloped Pikachu's tail as it became rigid. Then he pounced at the tree trunk he had been attacking all morning and lashed out with his tail. It cleaved through the outer layer of the tree bark, leaving a sizeable gash across it. It was no more than an inch deep, but it was progress!
Greninja sat near Ash and Pikachu, his legs crossed as he meditated. But when he heard cheers from Ash and Pikachu, he opened one eye. Pikachu used his Iron Tail again, splitting the tree bark again. How was Pikachu able to make so much progress with Iron Tail in a few hours while he barely made any progress with Liquidation? Was it Ash's guidance? Or was Pikachu 'smarter' than him? Greninja didn't notice, but his hands became tight fists as he observed Ash and Pikachu. The sight of their small celebration was Greninja's cue to get back to work.
He returned to the riverside to resume his Liquidation practice, but there was still nothing to show for it. Greninja kicked the water, and this didn't go unnoticed.
"Greninja, what's the matter?" Ash asked as he left Pikachu to continue on his own.
Greninja's vision refocused, realizing that he had lost his composure for a few moments. Ash now waited by the edge of the water, and he waited for Greninja to approach him.
"Nin-ja," Greninja admitted as he approached Ash.
"That's okay," Ash said as he shrugged his shoulders. "We all get upset sometimes. What's bothering you?"
They took a seat together on the sand, and Greninja explained himself.
"I get it; you're comparing your progress to Pikachu's," Ash summarized. "And now you're feeling a little jealous," That comment earned a leer from Greninja, and Ash chuckled in response. "I get it, Greninja, but I don't think you shouldn't compare yourself to Pikachu. He's way older than you. He understands himself and his body better than you do, so learning new moves is easier."
Greninja frowned as he looked back at Pikachu.
"And don't forget," Ash added. "Everything takes time. Pikachu was super strong back in the day, and even after a month of basic training, he's still pretty far off from where he used to be. I'm sure he'd love to be in shape like you are right now." Ash gave Greninja's shoulder a pat. "Don't take what you have for granted. It takes hard work, which you've clearly done. So, keep doing what you've been doing, and everything will fall into place."
Ash offered him a grin with a wink, and then he motioned to the water. Greninja took a deep breath and gave Ash a nod of thanks. Then he stepped back into the shallow waters and continued to practice.
As the sun reached its peak, Ash Greninja and Pikachu returned to the Cascade resort for lunch. Brock and Rockruff were their company today while Gary was off doing his private training. As they ate, Brock discussed plans for what he would present to Fletcher Waterflower later in the week. However, Ash's mind was elsewhere.
After Fletcher revealed that there was a battlefield that they could use within the resort, Ash signed himself up for a battle today. The battlefield was in high demand, so there weren't many time slots available. So, Ash would only be able to battle there once today, and it was right after lunch. He couldn't wait to battle on an official battlefield again! Little did he know that a certain water specialist would be in attendance…
The Cascade Beach Resort had many attractions to draw in tourists from other regions. But it also appealed to local Pokemon trainers in Cerulean City. Years ago, a basement level was built beneath the resort, with an enormous room that housed a regulation-sized Pokemon battlefield. Word of this quickly spread among local trainers, and this battlefield became the only place where trainers held battles in the city. Free from public scrutiny, trainers could battle to their heart's content.
Misty Waterflower sat near the top of the metal bleachers that overlooked the battlefield, her arms crossed and one leg folded over the other. Down on the field, a Bibarel and a Girafarig exchanged blows using Take Down and Zen Headbutt, respectively. Bibarel was rather heavy set, but his weight and stature didn't match up well against Girafarig. She was taller and stronger, and Bibarel struggled as a result. Misty could tell that Bibarel was accustomed to using brute strength to win his battles. But despite being a psychic type, Girafarig was no stranger to a brawl.
They slammed heads, and Bibarel tumbled away from the blow. Misty hoped that Bibarel's trainer would switch to using more ranged attacks. That hope went unanswered as it soon became apparent that Bibarel didn't have anything like that in his arsenal. He stuck to brawling and was punished as Girafarig dominated the battle. The bruises piled up on Bibarel, and his trainer forfeited the match.
Misty huffed as she shifted in her seat, which triggered a response from her company, who sat beside her.
"Is something wrong, Misty?" Lily asked her.
Misty exhaled. "It's nothing."
"Come on," Lily leaned against her. "You wouldn't be making a face like that if something wasn't bothering you."
"I just don't understand why Bibarel's trainer didn't adjust during the battle," Misty began. "Bibarel was clearly overmatched in a brawl, but he stuck to that and lost because of it."
"Well, brawling might be Bibarel's greatest strength," Lily pointed out. "Sometimes it's better to stick to what you know instead of trying to adjust."
Misty bit down on her lower lip and nodded. "That's a fair point," She admitted.
"And when you think about it," Lily went on. "Just because Girafarig was physically stronger than Bibarel doesn't mean he's at a disadvantage. Bibarel can battle on all fours and standing upright, so you could argue that he might be more skilled at close range than Girafarig."
Misty raised her brow but kept silent as she conceded to Lily's points. In times like this, Misty was glad to have Lily as one of her older sisters. Daisy and Violet loved Pokemon but didn't care much for battles. However, Lily loved battling almost as much as Misty, and she dedicated the time to learning the nuance of Pokemon battles. Lily was the only person that Misty could talk with about a battle that understood things on a similar level. And as Misty's older sister, Lily always played the devil's advocate. Anything Misty had a problem with during a battle, Lily would always try to present the other perspective on the matter.
And Lily would get another opportunity to do that shortly.
The next pair of trainers took their place on the battlefield, and Misty scoffed when she saw one of the participants. Ash and Greninja.
"Alright, Misty," Lily cut in.
Misty heard the change in Lily's tone and glanced at her.
"Seriously, what's your problem with Ash?" Lily asked her. "Did he do something to you that we don't know about?"
Misty wrinkled her nose. "Why do you ask?"
"Well, you've been acting crazy since you first saw him. But lately, you've just been a total snob, and it's not even remotely funny anymore," Lily pointed out.
"It's…" Misty cringed as she thought about her answer. "It's everything about him. He's stupid!" She retorted.
Lily narrowed her eyes with a smirk. "That's something you'd say in fourth grade about a boy you like."
"Gross! Who could fall for a bonehead like that?!" Misty exclaimed. "And it's more like…it just drives me up a wall that Ash doesn't have the slightest clue how to help Greninja reach his full potential."
"Why do you think he can't do it?" Lily asked in return.
Misty motioned to the battlefield and watched as Greninja battled a Raticate. It was a slow-paced battle, where Greninja carefully picked his moments to attack with Brick Break while avoiding damage from Raticate. He won convincingly, and Lily furrowed her brow as she looked to Misty now that the battle was over.
"They both looked pretty good there," Lily noted.
Misty stuck out her tongue. "Yeah, against someone who didn't stand a chance against them. Ash isn't any good when they face someone who's at the same level or better than them."
"Is that really what bothers him about you?" Lily inquired. "Because it seems like something else if you ask me."
"Oh yeah? What do you think it is?"
"I think you're expecting too much from Ash," Lily answered. "You saw him and Greninja at their best, and that's the only standard you're holding them to. That's not really fair when you think about it," Lily reasoned with her.
"Everyone loved Pokemon before the Great Crisis, and there might not be many of us who love them now. But, if enough of us work together, we can help people everywhere overcome their fear of Pokemon."
"He's a good guy," Lily went on. "And I think it's a shame you've been so nasty to him when he hasn't done anything to you. Be a little more objective when you look at him, and stop clinging to whatever fantasy it is that you've been holding on to."
Misty gagged. "I don't have any fantasies about him," She declared. Lily rolled her eyes and decided to drop the subject from there. It was a waste of time to try reasoning with Misty once she made up her mind.
Misty looked back to the battlefield and watched as Ash and Greninja left it for the next battle. As they disappeared into the corridor, she shook her head. They might have won this battle convincingly, but that didn't change Misty's opinion of Ash. He still didn't know how to assert himself and affect a Pokemon battle as a trainer.
If he remained that way, he would never become a 'Pokemon Master.'
A/N
Let's see, what should I say? I guess an apology for the delay, but I can't even feel bad if I'm being honest. My life has changed a lot since getting this new job, and I've had to change some of my priorities. I can assure you that I don't plan on dropping this story. I still think about it daily and love writing it, the problem is that I have no time to write. The progress might slow down for the foreseeable future, but I'm still working on this project! As a confession, this was my last 'buffer' chapter, as in, this has been complete for a while. I think since sometime in July, and I've been writing chapter 14 since then, but I've made very little progress. I delayed this chapter with the hope that I would've been farther along by now, but that hasn't been the case, and I decided I won't hold out any longer.
So, I hope you enjoyed chapter 13! This one was a lot of fun as it featured what was basically a 'raid' battle. I had this planned for a long time, but it was still more complicated to write than I thought it would be. A lot of Pokemon and people to keep track of, field effects, flanking, etc. It had a lot going on, but definitely interesting. I have other different kinds of battles outlined that you will see in the future, so this is just an example of what's to come. Hope you all enjoyed it.
What did you think of Ash's research session? I know some of you even predicted that he would learn or study under Grimsley at some point. I know this probably isn't what you had in mind, but famous characters (like Grimsley and Bruno as an example) are all over the place in this universe since the Pokemon League doesn't exist. Of course, I have plans for Ash to meet more Elite Four/Champion level trainers, but we're not at that stage yet. Ash has some more work to do before he's challenging those sorts of trainers, but he's definitely on his way.
I guess to conclude, I want to thank everyone for their support and patience. Also a shoutout to MjrGenMatt! Stay safe ya'll, its one big crazy world out there!