The orange sky of a sunset (and sunrise for that matter) was always a recipe for beauty. The way the clouds were decorated with the color and the aesthetic of the light made just about any good photo a desirable look. In a place like Cerulean City it was even better, as all of that gorgeous imagery was reflected by the water.

Many trainers were heading back to the Pokemon Center where Janine's team had been medically cleared just recently, but the ninja girl wished for some extra time before turning in for dinner. Ivysaur sat next to her in the grass as they observed the water after another long but hard and satisfyingly worked day.

The Cascade Badge rested between her fingers, the subject of the duo's gazes, and the second prize that they had obtained since leaving home.

"I must say, Ivysaur. Father's warnings about the sisters were not exaggerated." Despite her good mood, it was not quite enough to fully keep the disgust out of her voice. She had battled Violet with Daisy as the referee, but being in and out of the Gym had already put the obnoxious trio on full display. As gifted in showmanship as they were, as professionals with a responsibility to their Gym, territory and people they were a disgrace. She would never set foot in that building again.

Ivysaur grumbled in agreement, and she reached over to pat his head. "You did very well this morning, as always. That Poliwhirl was a real pain, was he not?" another grumble of agreement, and she gave her starter a soft, fond smile.

"I believe it has been nearly a month at this point. I'm sure you have not forgotten our first meeting," she suppressed a giggle. "Not the smoothest start to a journey. It was hard to connect when everybody was avoiding me - and you by extension, and then just when things start looking up, we're retreating back to the Center soon before it is attacked." she sighed at the memory before shaking her head. "But I think we were both able to come out of our shell since then, do you not?"

Everything had truly looked up once they had reached Pewter City. Dealing with the insufferable Bug Catcher gang and their so called Samurai mercenary had been excruciating, but once they had entered Pewter, and all of that had gradually begun to fade. They could mingle and talk strategy with whoever they liked, talk about nearly anything, really. There were times when it almost felt like she was becoming a different person. Her instincts would prod at her and tell her not to get too comfortable, and sometimes she listened, sometimes she did not.

As Ivysaur leaned against her, the moment the girl they had battled the other day waved them over for a quick word, was one of those latter times.

She knew she was being irresponsible. She did not know how long she could get away with it. But letting her guard down felt fairly good.

"Oh hey, nice to see you again. We'll be right there!"

/

Janine's battle with Koga was viewed by an even larger audience than Ash's own, and almost immediately, the match felt entirely different. The team Koga used was completely different. And the tactics he employed had little in common with the approach he had taken against Ash - Toxic Spikes would not be of much use against an exclusively poison type team like Janine's.

The only thing that had not changed was the gruelingness of the contest. Even from the stands, Ash felt tense as he watched his friend navigate through her father's skillset. There were multiple moments in the fight that he couldn't quite grasp - but Janine seemed to, almost like some sort of inside thing that only she and her family would know. Thankfully, the battle ended in her victory after Tentacruel finished off Koga's Weezing with a Frost Pulse, just moments before he could finish his combo move that most likely would have cost her the match. Ash had breathed a deep sigh of relief when Akira called the finish, before joining the rest of the clan in applauding her victory.

The badge wasn't the only thing Koga had handed to her afterwards; Ash was pretty sure the TM she received was Toxic Spikes, but Koga had given the girl something else that looked like a book. The look on Aya's face told Ash that she knew what it was, but all she would say to answer his question was "a journal".

He had made sure to personally congratulate her, and although she was clearly proud, her entire posture was a whirlpool of mixed emotions. He wasn't surprised (nor offended) when she requested some time alone.

So now he sat outside the mansion and beyond the training grounds.

Pikachu, Phenom, Valiant, Tempest and Glaceon were all resting at the Center, and unsurprisingly they would all be staying overnight after the beatings they took both internally and externally. Janine's team (minus Golbat, who had not participated) was there as well, and he wondered how they're recovery would compare. They had certainly taken a sound beating (especially Ivysaur, who suffered burns and head trauma), but the natural immunity to poison would certainly be a boon for at least a couple of them. With Nebula at Oak's lab, the only one in his company was Silica.

The brown Hippopotas was calmer sitting in the grass near him, in a quiet and inactive section of the village, enjoying her bowl of food. As he had left the scene of the battle and come out here, Ash had found that he really appreciated the atmosphere himself. The adrenaline and stress were being put behind him, and as satisfying and exciting as it was to know that he had the Soul Badge resting safely in his case, the slow, calm nature of the moment - just following the Gym itself - was a mixture of whiplash and relief.

The longest leg of his journey yet was over. This one match had been increasingly looming over him for so long, that even with the knowledge that there was still plenty more to come, he still felt satisfied and content. He hoped that feeling would stick with him until the moment he left Fuchsia. He couldn't be complacent forever, not when there was so much left to do, but he hoped his instincts would allow him this break, and return to him when the time was right.

The Charm of Maya that Koga had given him was hanging from this neck. The baby blue serpent head jewel and the violet chain looked as though they came out of a treasure chest. Ash found himself looking down at it for a moment, admiring how beautiful it looked.

"As proof of my personal acknowledgement."

Koga's words replayed in his head. Acknowledgement… one of the greatest trainers in all of Indigo had said that to him. It could have been any Gym Leader in the League, and it would have meant something to him, but to hear it from somebody like Koga was different.

He caught Silica looking at him - watching her trainer stare at the jewel that certainly had not been there the last time she had seen him - and sent her a smile, holding it out to give her a good look. "It's really pretty, huh?" Silica nodded slowly after a moment, and he gently reached out to pat her head. The charm gave off such a different vibe compared to the rest of what was associated with the Kyo Clan. Not mysterious or sinister, but attractive. And it was named after Maya Kyo of all people, which hardly seemed coincidental. "I don't know the story behind it, but it's apparently significant."

"It certainly is."

Turning around, Ash saw Ruunia approaching them. Silica instantly turned tense, as though the press of a button had activated every nerve in her body. Taking a few steps back, the young hippo bared her teeth and growled, trying to appear as scary as possible - it wasn't hard with a mouth as large as that. The old woman wisely stopped and held up her hands - probably in reassurance rather than surrender, as she didn't seem to be scared.

"Silica, it's fine." Ash quickly turned to her. "Ruunia's a friend." Silica kept her gaze on the woman, the relaxation gone from her body, but ceased her aggression. Taking a few more steps back, she sat down in the grass, and Ash moved her bowl back in front of her. She resumed eating cautiously, constantly looking back at Ruunia as she resumed her advance slowly.

"I apologize," the red haired woman spoke softly when she sat next to Ash. "I didn't mean to spook her."

"She knows I trust you." Ash responded, looking back at Silica. She wasn't sweating any sand, but her eating had definitely slowed, and even as she consumed the food in her bowl, her eyes remained vigilant, focused on Ruunia as though making sure she wouldn't pull out a gun. He put on a friendly smile for the ground type, nodding gently at her before looking back at Ruunia. "Just keep your distance and I think she'll be fine."

"Noted," the old woman answered coolly. She made herself comfortable next to him, mirroring his cross-legged position. "As long as I'm not intruding, you have had quite the day."

The slightest bit of heat tickled his cheeks. "Yeah, we all did."

"I imagine you and young Janine will have a lot to celebrate once your teams have recovered tomorrow," Ruunia said. "Not that you will have to wait - Leader Koga has already instructed the cooks to prepare a feast for tonight. Not just for his daughter, but you as well." her pink eyes found their way to the jewel hanging off of his neck.

He gripped the violet chain subconsciously. "It feels kind of unreal, coming from someone like him."

"He is a man of very high standards indeed," she confirmed. "But that goes both ways, anyone who's earned his approval will know it." she raised her finger to the charm, although she did not touch it. "That piece of jewelry he gave you, however, is a high honor bestowed on certain, special outsiders. It is not merely a matter of earning his professional respect, but signals a relationship with the clan itself. A close friend of the family. Rather captivating a sight, is it not?"

"It is," Ash said. Looking back at the necklace, it felt hard to fathom having something like it on his person, even without what it apparently symbolized. It was actual jewelry, like something out of an adventure show. Certainly not something commonly found around his house. "He called it a Charm of Maya."

"A bit of a tribute," Ruunia explained. Nearby Silica kept stealing glances while eating her food. "The very first of them was given out by Maya Kyo herself, years after her vow to the League. The person she gave it too was…" her lips curved up a bit, and a split second chuckle escaped her mouth. "Well, it was quite the token. Over the generations, that charm has gone on to hold special meaning to us. And you, young man, will always be welcome back here with open arms."

There was a warmth in her voice. Ruunia had always been approachable, but she had delivered that last line differently. Invitingly. So many thoughts had been flowing through Ash's mind when he first stepped into Fuchsia, let alone Shadowblood Village, but now, just as he was soon to leave…

"I'll come back some day," he promised. "No idea when, though."

"Such is the life of a trainer, is it not?" Ruunia surmised. "How much longer do you think you will be here?"

"Hmmm…" he thought it over for a moment or two. "Definitely a few days at least. Maybe a week tops, before I leave for Grampa Canyon."

"That starts in two weeks," she agreed. "You'll have time to get to the meeting place and settle yourself in. It is just east of here, after all."

"Yeah…" he said, trying not to trail off. It would certainly be a first for him, taking up work, but it would make for an interesting adventure - and one he and his team would be paid for. His post gym to-do list would come and go as always, and then he would be setting off on the next leg of his journey. Without Janine.

"I think it is a good idea, by the way." Ruunia added, probably noticing him sinking into his thoughts. "You'll see that it's pretty easy to find work as a trainer, most of the time. Some mundane labor here and there for the extra money is one thing, but certain adventurous ones can be quite fun. Either way," she offered Silica a glance, but did not hold it for too long, so as to not make the ground type nervous. "I hope you enjoy whatever time you have left before departing. And remember not to be a stranger - if you ever were, you certainly are not now."

The boy gave her an easy grin. "Yeah, I'll definitely keep that in mind."

/

Ruunia had not been exaggerating when she mentioned a "feast". Ash had begun to fear the moment he went from the food at the mansion back to his typical "on the road" meals, as the dinner and dessert that night felt like true royalty dining. He and Janine were the people of the hour, and almost overwhelmingly it felt as though everyone in the room had something to say to them. To his pride, he had memorized a fair amount of names, and any prior reservations he had felt the first night he had set foot in here had mostly evaporated. It had all gone over so seamlessly that he had barely noticed - the whole dinner, he was always having some form of interaction. With whoever it was that was talking to him at the time.

He slept soundly that night. Maybe it was the victory at the Gym, or the pleasant dinner, but for once he had little to no fear of bad dreams, and then the next day came.

Without Tempest to keep her company, he made a conscious point to eat breakfast with Silica this morning, taking a couple of bananas with him. He brought some food for Golbat as well, the only other Pokemon in the lodge. Within a few hours, the rest of their teams would be returned to them, but for now the group was small.

"We'll be here for a little while longer," he explained as he poured the Hippopotas her food - and gave her the bananas which she quickly snatched. "You sure you don't want to save those for last?" he giggled when she continued munching. "Fair enough. You've probably never been on the road before, have you? Traveling from place to place? You were always in the Safari Zone."

Silica's eating slowed as she processed Ash's question. Going from place to place… for a while her dad would drag her and her siblings around wherever. It never mattered where they were going; the same things would happen to them wherever they were, the next time he got mad.

"We've been to a ton of places before Fuchsia," Ash emphasized, setting his food down on a table to start eating. "From one end of the mainland to the next - Kanto's mainland, anyway. Our next stop is going to be a place called Grampa Canyon. A company called Pelsberry Inc. is organizing an expedition to look for fossils, and they're hiring able-bodied trainers for help. Once we leave it won't take too long to get there."

Silica listened carefully while continuing her breakfast. A "ton" of places, he said. She wondered how far away Ash had come from. He had mentioned it before, but where was Pallet Town exactly? The thought of moving around constantly caused some sand to begin sweating from her body. Her surroundings were about to change, and it made her feel vulnerable.

"I know it's going to be new for you," Ash chimed in, keeping his voice soft and easygoing. "Trust me, I promise I know what it's like. I lived in Pallet Town my whole life before going anywhere else, and leaving and watching my environment change so much could be jarring, but the rest of us can help you. We're all used to being on the road now, and even when the area changes, we'll still be with you, we aren't going anywhere."

Silica tried to study the boy for a few moments before relaxing slightly, or at least making the attempt. She dared to hope she wouldn't feel as exposed as she used to, as long as Ash and Tempest were around. Back in the "Safari Zone" (as he often called her old home), the only constant company was her father, and sort of her siblings. But just about every day would be spent worrying about their dad's next outburst, and which of them would be next. The closest thing to relief she could ever feel was it not being her turn yet - until she was the only one left for him to target. Fearing for her life had been the only thing she could remember from the routine.

But then, Ash and Tempest came out of nowhere and stopped it. And then gave her food and offered to take her with them.

"Speaking of that," Ash said. "Tempest and the others will be back from the Center today. Believe me, he's probably going to be telling you some stories about our battle with Leader Koga. He loves regaling this stuff."

A small smile found its way to Silica's lips. She had hoped Tempest wasn't too badly hurt after yesterday, but the thought of him coming back soon put her at ease.

Her eating returned to its usual pace, and Ash paused his breakfast for a moment to observe her. Once they hit the road, he was going to keep her in the group, she wouldn't be sent to the lab yet. That meant putting a member of his main six on leave; not just swapping them around like he was during their stay in Fuchsia, but actually keeping them at the lab for multiple days on end. That was… going to be a difficult choice, and the thought of singling out any of his team and traveling without them formed a lump in his throat. Of course he'd start by seeing if there were volunteers, but he wouldn't blame any of his friends for not volunteering. He supposed it could be viewed as a bit of a "vacation" on the bright side, but they would be on their own in a new environment. Maybe he could send two of them to keep each other company, but that would likely hinder their progress in training.

For her sake, he had to keep Tempest around, meaning he was disqualified for the foreseeable future. The absence of any of his team would take some getting used too, even for as little as a few days. And it wouldn't be the only absence…

The universe seemed to be responding to his thoughts when the door opened. Turning around, Ash felt a concoction of emotions when Janine stepped into the room, holding a breakfast tray of her own. She greeted Golbat by offering him a portion of her food (which he gladly accepted) before turning to the table, and a knot formed in Ash's stomach when she set her tray next to his.

There was a stiffness in the air when she took a breath and sat down next to him, but it eased as quickly as it came before she turned to him. "Early start for you, I see."

Despite taking a bit more work than normal, the smile on his face was just as genuine as usual. "Got it from you, I guess. Did you sleep well?"

Her expression was still for a moment - a thinking form of still. Someone as calculated as her wasn't a stranger to deep thought, but he was capable of spotting the difference. This was not the same calculated aura that he easily recognized and admired.

"No bad dreams," she assured him after seeing the concern creeping onto his face - he knew she wasn't lying. "However… I was somewhat restless. There is a lot I need to think about."

Ash set his fork down, taking some time to study his best friend - and giving her a chance to enjoy a few bites before replying. "Like the other night?" He remembered their conversation the night before battling Koga almost word for word - and everything leading up to it. It occurred to him that he had not seen much of her since - their interactions after both Gym battles had been brief, and at dinner he was occupied talking to almost everyone else. He hoped he had at least remembered to say goodnight to her.

"Father gave me something important." Janine answered. "It is related, yes."

She was talking about the journal, Ash realized. He wondered what was in it, but didn't ask. It had to be something very personal, and he didn't want her feeling pressured to tell him. She already knew he was available to listen.

'For the limited time we have.' the self reminder stung.

The next few moments were comfortably quiet. Silica and Golbat contently munched on their food, the former having grown more relaxed again, while Ash and Janine settled into their meal. The knowledge that this was one of the last times they would be having breakfast together pricked at the back of his mind, but he managed to limit it to only that area.

"You played really hard out there," he said between spoonfuls of applesauce. "It almost felt more intense than my match."

"The grass is not greener," she replied with mild amusement before her eyes took on a serious glint. "Are you okay? The Haunter, I mean."

It did not take long for the mention of the ghost to bring his mind back to Valiant being tortured into submission, but Ash did not flinch this time, despite partially feeling tempted to.

"It's fine," he promised. "It was really hard, but I made it through, right?"

She seemed convinced, from the shape of her lips. "You were amazing out there, and so was your team. And now you have a Toxic Spikes TM?"

"Yeah," Ash remembered the disc Koga had handed him. "Your father said it was his favorite move. Kind of shows, don't you think?"

Janine nodded in agreement. "As far as I know, it has been integral to him since his career took off. At full strength, he is unrivaled with it."

Ash shuddered to think of what "full strength" might entail. The team Koga had used against them yesterday was nothing close to his true team - the Poison Master was an Elite Four member in all but title when his main party was at play. Even with the strictly limited capabilities that he had restricted himself to during their match, Koga had pulled off some unspeakable things with his Muk. One of the greatest trainers in the land could get more mileage out of Pokemon of just about any level.

"I believe it after yesterday," he said sincerely. "It's a really useful move, but his versatility with it is unreal." he took another bite before continuing. "Having a move like that to set traps and shape the arena could let me try approaches I've never even considered up to this point," biting his lip in amusement, he added. "Although for the moment there's nobody on my team who can learn it, and I;m not sure if I should be thinking of new catches for at least a little while." The pair looked over to Silica, who was nearly finished with her breakfast. With her on the team, easing her into things would already open up new doors as it is. Toxic Spikes would be in the back of his mind for the time being.

"You can start with it whenever you want though, right?" he finished.

Janine nodded. "Yes, everybody except Ivysaur and Golbat are capable of learning it. It takes a lot of practice, but we will be working on it once we resume training."

Janine with Toxic Spikes… the thought encouraged fearful excitement, and a lot of curiosity. An amazing trainer like her with such a deadly tool that - on its own - could invite a copious list of new strategies and fighting styles. The fact that four of her current six will soon be practicing the technique at once was astounding.

"Heh," he commented. "With a move like that, I think the one who won the most is you."

"I would not sell yourself short," her eyes drifted to the charm around his neck. With a smile, she reached out and gently took the jewel in her hand. Her gaze was very soft, and there was an emotional fondness in her purple eyes. "It looks really good on you."

Ash remembered her reaction to seeing the necklace the previous day. It had really meant a lot to her that Koga had given it to him, and knowing that sent Butterfree to his stomach. It still lingered a little bit when she gently let go of the charm.

"I'm glad you invited me here," it almost felt like he had blurted it out. "Thanks."

Her smile turned slightly bittersweet. "Me too."

He figured they were probably both thinking the same thing: That it would be over soon. That one thought wouldn't leave him alone, and he was starting to worry the dread would be eating at him for the next few days, or however long until he left. It hadn't been this way when he split up with Misty - how long ago had that been?

"So, what are your plans for today?" he asked. He was not so sure himself - outside of the basic premise of unwinding and celebrating with his team. If he knew Phenom and Tempest, there would be some light sparring at least, but he planned to put his foot down and make sure it didn't go anywhere beyond that, especially with Nurse Joy advising that they not exert themselves too heavily right after being cleared.

"I told the Center that I will be picking my team up in person," she answered after swallowing her mouthful. "I wanted to take a walk on the way, and visit the Church. After that I am probably going to just… relax, to be honest, but I would like to go out tomorrow if you're interested."

"Of course," Ash spoke readily. "Did you have anything special in mind?"

"Not yet…" she admitted before nodding at him. "But I will come up with something." she checked on Golbat, who was just about finished with his food. "You still want to have that battle, right?"

"No doubt."

"Good," she said, clearly satisfied. "How about… not tomorrow but the next day? At the training grounds battlefield?"

"Sounds great to me." Ash felt an itching excitement. It was a silly thought; marking a date felt like they were making it official, even though they both knew it was going to happen.

/

Janine took Golbat with her when she left, so that he could be there to congratulate the rest of their team in person when she picked them up from the Center. With breakfast over, Ash had a small bit of time to kill before his team was transferred back to him, and there was an easy way to do that: Calling his mother.

She had not been available yesterday when he had tried giving her the good news (which to his mild embarrassment, she profusely apologized for), but she was quick to respond this morning. He had been sure to bring Silica with him for the call, so that the two of them could finally be introduced properly. Delia was delighted as expected to meet the anxious hippo, who was not as on edge talking to a screen as Ash imagined she would have been in person. It may have helped that his mother was aware of the ground type's situation, as she was especially soft in speech when addressing her son's newest teammate.

Seeing his mom's face light up at the sight of a new Gym badge was always a treat he looked forward to, but in what seemed to be a pattern for the Soul Badge, this time felt somewhat different. For a split second he thought she was about to cry, and as much as he appreciated it, he was glad that Silica was the only one there to hear her shower him with praise and verbal affection. Sometimes her voice was made of honey, and although he would never tire of hearing it, he preferred it in privacy.

After hanging up, he turned back to the hippo. "Told ya she was awesome, didn't I?"

Silica turned her head to the monitor that they had just spoken to her trainer's mother on. She wanted to think that the woman was pretty friendly, especially with how much Ash seemed to love her. She wondered what it was like…

"Ah, there you are."

Ash almost jolted, quickly whirling around to come face to face with Koga. He hadn't heard so much of a footstep.

On sight, Silica flinched back with a start and snarled fiercely at the sudden arrival. Koga showed no reaction to her hostility, simply sparing her a glance.

"It's alright, Silica." Ash tried to assure her. This would quickly become a routine if he could not find a way to do something about it. "You're safe, I promise." Thankfully, the ground type's trust in him was an adequate antidote for her anxiety, at least for the time being. He could tell from the small amount of sand leaking from her that she was not calm, but she at least wasn't prepared to bite somebody's leg off anymore (although Ash doubted Koga had felt remotely endangered).

Suppressing a sigh, Ash turned back to the Poison Master. He was somewhat surprised that Koga had been looking for him directly, rather than summoning him to his office.

"Pardon the interruption," the Gym Leader spoke as though the brief incident had not happened. Ash noticed the folder he was carrying. "There is something I need to inform you of. However," his eyes landed on Silica again for a moment, but mercifully did not stay there for long. "It is best not discussed in her presence."

Ash was a bit puzzled to hear that, but nonetheless turned to crouch down in front of her. "I'm gonna recall you for a moment, okay?" She seemed to be compliant about it, and he wondered if getting away from Koga had anything to do with it or not. He gently tapped her Poke Ball against her head, sucking her in and leaving behind the small bits of sand that she had leaked onto the floor. Standing back up, he reclipped her ball onto his belt before turning back to make eye contact with the Gym Leader. "Sorry about the sand, sir." it occurred to him how jarring even a small mess must have been in a place as clean and tidy as this.

Koga remained unaffected. "It is not a problem. I am here to give you an update on the Hippowdon you caught at the Safari Zone."

That almost caught Ash off guard, but he quickly realized why Koga had wanted to talk to him without Silica. The less Hippowdon was mentioned in front of her, the better. Now alert, the boy's posture turned more serious. "Okay, how is he?"

"As you requested, he has been sent to a facility for rehabilitation. It is a place near Cherrygrove, which specializes in hostile, aggressive cases. He was personally evaluated here by our specialists to determine the best course of action, and the place to send him was unanimously recommended." he handed Ash the folder, which he quickly accepted. "As you know, you are still Hippowdown's registered trainer, which means you are both allowed and entitled to full access to his records and progress. This folder contains the facility's contact information, as well as your Hippowdon's evaluations up to this point. You are free to get a hold of them and ask whatever questions you believe need be."

"Thanks," Ash said. It was definitely great news; he would be sure to at least skim through all of this before getting together with his team. "I'm just glad he is in good hands."

"It was responsible of you to ensure that," the Poison Master replied. "If you have the time, could you walk with me for a moment?"

Ash blinked. No doubt "take a walk with me" was a clue for "I would like us to talk more". The anxiety in his chest was mostly brief before he pushed it down. "Sure, of course."

Koga led the way through the halls, although Ash was sure not to lag too far behind him. He couldn't help but think to himself the contrast between this position and his first true conversation with Janine's father, which had taken place on opposite sides of a desk in his office.

"If my information is correct," Koga began. "You are challenging Leader Surge of Vermilion once you are finished in Grampa Canyon, correct?"

"Yes," for some reason, Ash felt compelled to specifically say 'yes' instead of 'yeah'. "It's actually not going to be the first time I've battled him." he bit back the embarrassment.

"A similar situation to my daughter and Sabrina then." Koga surmised.

"You could say that," Ash half agreed. Similar in the sense that neither of them had come looking for a rematch right away, but Janine's loss had not been nearly as one sided as his own.

"Janine was not ready to take on a knowledgeable opponent with unfavorable type matchups," Koga said. "She lacked the experience to properly deal with a team full of psychic types. I imagine you also challenged Surge well before you were equipped."

That was probably the gentlest way to describe his experience in the Vermilion Gym. Everything from Raichu's absurd speed and power completely out of his and his entire team's League, Surge's booming presence, and even the roaring audience - like thunder in more ways than one - there was no defense for how overwhelmed Ash had been on that day. Or more importantly, how outclassed.

"I was nowhere resembling ready," the boy chose not to mince words. There was no point with Koga. "It's followed me in the back of my mind basically the whole time since."

"Most trainers have some form of a blight on their heads," Koga answered. "Not all are created equal, but the biggest or most noteworthy failures stick to a person. How you learn to respond to that is a key distinction in what motivates yourself. You believe it is finally time to silence it?"

"Pretty soon it will be." Ash asserted. "After Grampa Canyon, the Thunder Badge will be my sixth. I was honestly debating for a bit whether I should go back to Vermilion or come to Fuchsia first. I felt this was the better option that would give me and my team more time to train." with how close his match with Koga had been, even after everything they had done to prepare, he was wholly convinced he had made the right judgment call - unlike when he had first challenged Surge.

As they turned a corner, they passed a clan soldier who offered Koga a quick, silent bow, as if doing so on pure reflex. "Surge is a very vindictive man," the ninja leader said. "Just about any Gym Leader would have their work cut out for them trying to emulate his intensity. He has never been very fond of green trainers, and can often take that to unprofessional places." Ash could have sworn he caught the man slightly shaking his head. "As a teacher however, he is a man who sets out to get his students ready for anything."

"What does he have against rookies?" Ash asked.

"In short, they aren't worthy of his patience. The vast majority of trainers flop in their first year, or at the very least underperform. Even most great trainers don't find their stride until their second year. Freshman year is often bogged down by growing pains. There are numerous potential reasons for that; some first years lack the maturity and fortitude and simply need the experience to start making progress and be a proper leader to their team. Others fall victim to trial and error, making their rookie year a glorified learning experience more than anything else. Many still are simply juvenile and foolish, the kind who fail to even attempt to put what they learn in school into practice, and worse, carry themselves in an inappropriate manner." Koga explained. "I bent mountains to ensure that Janine would never disgrace the family with such things."

Ash frowned. "But aren't Gym Leaders supposed to test their challengers and help them grow?"

"Indeed, although many of us have different definitions of that." Koga answered. "Surge views the rookie scene with contempt for what he sees as entitled ignorance and immaturity. Reckless, arrogant, ill informed at best. He'll tell you that they have no place in his Gym. And his method of choice when dealing with such challengers is to beat it into them. Or beat them into submission. And every year there is a new wave of newcomers for him to humble or traumatize."

Ash hummed. "I'd like to think I'm closer to the first."

"He's not an easy man to gain the respect of." Koga said. "Do you have any plans after him?"

"Let's see…" Ash scratched his cheek. Once he was done with Surge (in a battle that he was planning to win) his journey would be nearing its endgame. "I could go back to Saffron and use the Magnet Train to get my last two badges from Johto, but I haven't thought that over as much. Viridian and Cinnabar will be the last Kanto Gyms left, so I'm tempted to go from them after doing everything else. I'd also like to visit my home in Pallet if I have the chance, and going after Giovanni would give me a good excuse."

"Certainly bold of you," the man complimented. "If you could handle me or Surge, challenging Whitney at Goldenrod should not be an issue. You would be stacking the deck staying in Kanto. Although I would recommend thinking twice about going to Blaine's Gym."

"...Why?" Ash failed to suppress his confusion. He doubted Koga was going to say he didn't think he could beat the Fire Master, given that the same discouragement hadn't been extended towards Giovanni. "What's wrong with challenging Blaine?"

"You are not the problem," Koga specified. "For starters, are you aware that Cinnabar's Gym has had the least number of challengers in Indigo, for the past several years?"

Ash nodded. "Of course, that's common knowledge." Blaine was a very mysterious person because of it. Rather than being a "horror story" Gym Leader like Koga or Surge, Blaine was the hidden man. Little was known about him, and nowadays rumors outnumbered actual public information surrounding him, and were arguably easier to find. The boy remembered talking to Fuji back in Lavender (how long ago was that?) and being told that Blaine was closed off and bitter nowadays.

Koga stopped walking, turning to the boy with crossed arms. His expression had turned genuinely serious, even by his standards. "As a Gym Leader myself, I simply don't think associating with somebody like him is in your best interests. Blaine practices unethical conduct that is inexcusable for a man of his position and responsibilities."

"What… do you mean by that?" Ash raised a brow.

The man breathed through his nose, clearly thinking of examples the boy knew that he himself was unaware of. "The role of a Gym Leader is to test and push their challengers. Evaluate their abilities and character. The Conference is sacred, so performing our duties with utmost dedication is an absolute necessity. Blaine is hardly a dedicated person these days. He is bitter, resentful and petty, and could hardly care less about his responsibilities or challengers. He goes out of his way to make things needlessly unpleasant for those who seek his badge, especially a freshman like you."

"Mr. Fuji from Lavender Town said that Blaine dislikes rookie trainers," Ash remembered aloud. "Like Surge."

"Ah yes, a good man who knows Blaine well." Koga confirmed. "Blaine victimizes first years quite a bit, although that is not to say that any older trainers are in for a worthwhile or meaningful experience at his Gym either." the man paused to address another soldier passing by them before continuing. "Of course, pushing a challenger to their limits is a vital part of our job. Nobody ever said that a trip to a Gym was painless," the warrior's face darkened. "However, such things are meant to benefit the challenger - make them stronger if they succeed, and hopefully wise up to their shortcomings if they fail. I do everything I can to make things arduous and complicated so that a trainer like you can prove that they are worthy of the Soul Badge. Blaine's conduct, on the other hand, is a twisted farce of what it means to be a Gym Leader. He does not care about testing trainers or making them prove themselves. He is simply a man who takes advantage of his position to punch down on people who come his way, making them miserable for his own amusement."

"Oh…" Ash tried to process everything Koga had said. Even with the Poison Master's exemplary composure, his true feelings were clear as day just from the wording alone. Hearing another Gym Leader describe one of his own in such a way caught him off guard. It was a difficult thing to take in, and yet it was not easy to dismiss coming from such a reliable source. "But then, why doesn't he just get fired or something?" Despite his best efforts, he couldn't help the mild reddening of his cheeks when he said that. He had no idea what "firing" a Gym Leader entailed, given the amount of power that they held, and felt silly even as the words left his mouth.

Koga thankfully showed no reaction. "Seniority, for the most part. Blaine has been a part of the League longer than almost anybody with comparable authority to him, and as you may already know, he was a member of the Elite Four when in his prime. Although stripping a Gym Leader of their position is a process, he is in an easier position to get away with things than a younger, less decorated person of the same standing would be. I do not approve of the double standard, but it is unfortunately real."

Ash frowned. "That makes sense."

The Fuchsia Gym Leader lowered his arms. "Blaine has become increasingly isolated and jaded over the years, and he takes it out on his challengers. I am hardly above his methods in theory, but the intention behind them is vital, because the ends justify the means. He cares more about curing his own boredom at a challenger's expense than he does at actually testing or pushing them. That is why I would advise against giving him your time. You are free to make your own choices, but there are plenty of other Gyms that can do the job with more integrity."

Ash tapped his foot for a second before stopping himself. It was definitely something he would have to keep in mind when planning whatever route he would be taking after Vermilion City. Something he had not expected, but very useful information to have. "I understand, thank you for telling me this."

"It is part of my responsibility," Koga answered. "Which, unlike a few bad apples, I hold to the utmost standard. Someone with your future doesn't need to put up with such entitled self indulgence." he held out his hand. "Wherever you go from here, I wish you luck. Seeing you at this Season's Conference is something I am hoping for."

Ash chose not to fight back his smile when he accepted Koga's (very firm) handshake. There were a lot of mixed emotions when speaking to him, especially recently following talks with Aya, Valiant and Janine. But to hear such endorsement from somebody like him - and knowing without a doubt that it was not empty words - was a rush of encouragement.

"I'll be sure to live up to your expectations, sir."

/

Sitting outside the Church, Janine consciously distanced herself from the people still there. Service had just ended, but some still lingered for a variety of reasons. The mood among them was fairly good spirited. Casual community chatter that the girl often envied.

The service had been relaxing as usual, but it had not fully cured the glum pit in the girl's stomach, just the tension. Or perhaps some of the former had come back when she pulled out the book her father had given her following their battle yesterday.

"Diary of Gwyniff Kyo"

Gwyniff's journals were among the most guarded within the Clan, something that only those of the bloodline were allowed to view the contents of. Simply skimming her ancestor's writing the previous night had been enough to make sleep restless, and her father intended for her to study it in full. Sooner than later, there would be no more prolonging. There couldn't afford to be, after what she had gone through. Or what she had seen Ash go through.

Ash…

Janine felt Golbat's eyes on her when she sighed and put the book away. It almost felt too coincidental that all of this was happening the moment she and him were about to split up. Almost like a reminder that the past four months had been like a vacation. She could handle the fact that it was time to do things differently, to 'turn nightmares into a reminder, and suffering into a lesson' as her father had said, but the fact that she would be doing it without him…

"I'm silly," she said aloud, the fact that Golbat was listening being a bit of a consolation. "I knew the moment I started letting my guard down around people that I'd have to stop frolicking eventually. We all knew our arrangement with Ash and his team was going to end here. Trainers pair up and split up all the time." she sighed. "...It's really been fun, hasn't it, Golbat?"

The bat nodded, and she appreciated the mixed emotions on his face. Not because he clearly wasn't looking forward to splitting up, but because she wasn't the only one who wasn't. The two teams had been together so long that everything was taken for granted. Talking, sparring, eating, every day to day and night to night activity was a shared one. They weren't two groups of seven, they were one group of fourteen about to be chopped in half.

Now it was hard to even talk to Ash and his team without feeling the void they were about to leave.

Her eyes fell back on some of the leftover people at the Church, and she could see a few people who could be no older than two years her senior. They were openly carefree in a way she hadn't been given the chance to understand until leaving. The lightbulb that had gone off in her mind when talking to Jazzy and Mitch back in Viridian had felt really good once she was able to fully process it.

"It has been a great two months, for the most part." she said again. "But we have responsibilities, Golbat. It will be time to stop ignoring them soon, are you ready for that?"

The understanding on her partner's face was comforting, as was his nod. Golbat leaned into her touch when her hand rested on his head, and a tiny, thoughtful grin formed across her lips.

"Not quite yet, though. Let's take advantage of what's left, shall we?"

They would have to start planning tomorrow as quickly as they could.

/

Ash and Silica found an open space outside to release the rest of the team (aside from Nebula, unfortunately), and the celebratory mood quickly turned infectious when he showed them the Soul Badge up close. The Hippopotas was quick to distance herself from the cheers, but watched the group with interest.

Ash beamed at his friends as the five Pokemon soaked in the joy of their victory. He had been a little bit concerned about Valiant's state of mind, given how badly things had gone for him, but for better or worse, the Kirlia seemed more focused on the end result than his individual performance. Seeing him in good shape again was a relief nonetheless, but it would be a mistake to let certain things remain unaddressed.

"I'm really proud of you guys as always," he said, and his voice was a signal for everyone to listen to him. "And I'm really looking forward to giving Nebula the news too. Still, Valiant," he tried not to look too serious when his attention landed on his psychic friend. "How are you holding up?" The last time he had seen the emotion Pokemon was him being tortured into submission, a difficult thing to keep out of his mind even when the mood was high.

Predictably, Valiant's face fell a little bit at the question, but it wasn't a total one-eighty. "It hurt a lot, but I'm happy everything else turned out well. I'm sorry I couldn't do more."

Unfortunately, the apology didn't catch Ash off guard. "I'm the one who's supposed to be sorry, buddy," he answered with a sigh. "I let Koga snake his way into my head, and you paid for it. I completely froze in my tracks when he and his Haunter did… you know." he made sure to keep eye contact on the Kirlia before looking between the rest of his team. "Koga made it clear how bad it would have been if I ever acted like that in a life or death situation. But I'm promising all of you, as your trainer and friend, that I'm going to do everything I can to make sure that never happens again. I mean it I promised myself and the rest of you that I'm done running away. After everything we've been through, we're too strong to let the scary stuff get the better of us. I won't freeze up again. And if I ever do, I expect you guys to hold me responsible for it. Don't let me forget my promise, okay?"

Aside from Silica, every Pokemon present nodded candidly. The ground type looked on, feeling herself sweating sand at the exchange. Her imagination was trying to fill in the blanks regarding what had happened, but she felt somewhat entranced by her new trainer's words. A promise to never let fear get to you again… how could that ever be possible?

"Anyway," Ash tried to restore the mood. "Phenom, I'm proud of the progress you were able to make against Haunter. Not just your power, but I think you were able to control yourself a little bit better in the end, too." Koga and Haunter's Taunt had been a deadly weapon against a Pokemon of the Tyrunt's nature, but in the end it had not been enough. Hopefully a sign of things to come. He grinned cheekily as the young dragon lifted his chin before moving on to his starter. "And Pikachu, I know you couldn't beat Skuntank, but I really appreciate all of the effort that you put in. You've been pushing the limits of your stage for a while now, ever since we fought Gary. And with all due respect, I don't think Glaceon would have managed if you hadn't roughed Skuntank up first."

Pikachu was proud at first, but the bark of agreement from Glaceon gave him pause, suddenly conscious of all of the eyes on him - hers in particular. Ash almost felt guilty for it, but decided the best way to handle it would be to keep the subject moving, rather than linger.

"Speaking of which, you were amazing, Glaceon. Pikachu may have helped, but you fought through that poison so incredibly. No way in hell we would have the badge without you in the fight."

A knowing smile graced the beautiful ice type's face. Now it was her turn to be complimented by her peers, and unlike Pikachu she didn't shrink under the praise. No doubt in Ash's mind that the hotheaded, confident fighter was relishing in the earned recognition.

Last but not least, he turned to Tempest. "The same goes for you, obviously. And I'm sure you were thrilled to have a fight that was so difficult. You really came through for all of us." Silica watched as the large crab gurgled proudly, looking on with a nervous grin at the water type.

"That's not the only thing I have to share, though," Ash announced, putting the badge away while regaining everyone's attention. "As you guys all know, we're leaving Fuchsia in a matter of days and, well… Janine and her team aren't coming with us." It was like he had completely killed the mood for himself; even just saying turned his stomach into a bottomless pit.

He wasn't the only one, for better or worse. Apart from Silica, the rest of the team showed an immediate reaction to the reminder. Everyone knew that this was going to be the time they went their separate ways, but reaching that moment was a whole different feeling from dreading it. It was clear to Ash pretty quickly; nobody wanted to split up.

He just wondered if any of them were dreading it as much as him.

Silica took a couple steps back as the atmosphere around her completely changed without warning. There was a thickness to the air that was weighing on her nerves.

"None… of us are happy about it…" Ash tried to find his words, hoping to articulate things competently. "But that's just part of traveling. We were lucky that we were all going in the same direction for so long, and… and…" he rubbed an eye, partially paranoid that it would start leaking. "We have different agendas now. Janine is ready to show Sabrina what she's learned, and after that she's planning to finish her Gym circuit in Johto. It's smart of her, because the Magnet Train is right there, and she'll be in Goldenrod right from the start. As for us, we're going to Grampa Canyon, and then having our own revenge match against Surge."

The name "Surge" stuck out to Silica. Not because she had any idea what it meant, but because of how Tempest and the others reacted to it. Even the way Ash spoke the name contained a light edge that put her on her guard.

"I'm kind of just realizing this…" Ash hooked himself onto the first detail he could think of. Anything that could take Janine off of his mind for at least a little bit. "All five of you, you're the ones who fought Surge the first time. I don't need to… give a quick crash course reminder of how everything went, but I can remind you of this. Glaceon, Tempest," he pointed between the two of them. "Both of you have evolved since then. Surge is going to be dealing with a whole different universe from what the two of you were able to offer last time, and by the time we've reached Vermilion again, you'll both be even stronger and better prepared than either of you are right now. And you, Phenom," the Tyrunt growled in anticipation. "Are not a hatchling anymore. You've hit your growth spurt, and when we face Surge again, you're gonna be a totally different beast. Pikachu, Valiant, if we're lucky enough you'll both be evolved by then. If not, I won't have any less faith in either of you. Not after everything we've been through since then. Surge didn't crush us, he crushed a version of us that hadn't beaten Sabrina yet, or survived Fuchsia's wilderness. He certainly didn't crush a team that stood toe to toe against a Master like Koga and won. That's the team that's going to be confronting him pretty soon, and they're gonna kick his ass."

Although some expressed more than others, the reaction he got was one of unanimous excitement. It was all so foreign to Silica - Ash was talking to Tempest and the others about an upcoming fight like they were going to a party.

"I'm glad we're all on the same page…" Ash said, trailing off for a moment as he realized the topic of discussion was about to shift back to Janine. "But before any of that we still have some time left in Fuchsia. And we're also going to be battling Janine and her team in a couple of days." he watched most of them perk up at that, more out of interest than excitement. Tempest and Phenom showed more of that latter.

It was going to be a lot different from just about any other match they have had, because everyone involved in this battle were friends. Some of the team had spent a good deal more time traveling with Janine and her team than without - Tempest definitely had. And also…

"We all know each other inside out, of course," Ash continued. How could they not? "We've watched each other battle, fought side by side, and trained together more times than we can count, practicing moves or sparring. On both sides, there isn't really much that either of us has that the other doesn't already know about. And this time the battle is going to be six against six, so all of that is going to come into play." He managed to smile again. Thinking about Janine had become a sudden source of apprehension, but the thought of battling her was the blood pumping exception. "We already battled Janine back in Celadon, and we lost. Let's remember that as much as we can, we all know how great she and her team are. They've gotten a lot stronger just like us, and there's no way any of them are going easy. She's one of the last people who would ever pull her punches."

Tempest grumbled in agreement, while Phenom amusingly licked his lips. There weren't any conflicted feelings amongst the group: Battling was for friends just as much as it was for strangers and enemies.

/

From Ash's perspective, it felt like Janine was attempting to cram two weeks into a single day. They had left the village almost immediately after breakfast, and it wasn't long before he was being dragged halfway across the city in whichever direction she saw fit. Fuchsia was loaded with activities, as expected of a major city, but today felt very different. Maybe it was because they were doing so much, or maybe it was the thing he did not want to think about looming over his head - but the latter barely felt like a factor as he was taken from place to place, squeezing out every nook and cranny there was to offer.

The duration of the morning was spent at an arcade, which almost immediately invited nostalgia that was not lost on Ash. The Game Corner had been the place they had first truly bonded, although that fact remained unspoken as they combed the place and its games. Thinking back to that day had compelled the poison specialist, enough to where time flying by felt worth it.

During a quick lunch, the girl discreetly went through her checklist. The thought of taking Ash to a museum gave her pause, for as much as she wanted to gush over the art Fuchsia had to offer. Unfortunately, the inevitable memories such a trip would inspire made the idea not feel worth it or not. If it had been any occasion other than this, she would have been willing, but to her mild dejection she found herself crossing off the option. That hardly left her void of them, however: The afternoon was spent showing Ash numerous historical sights worth marveling at, something that her hometown had always been a treasure trove of.

Hours later in the late afternoon, the duo found themselves at their last stop. It was an old war fort located near the eastern outskirts of the city - what remained of it had been repurposed into a monument. Upon finishing, the two trainers and their teams relaxed away from prying eyes.

Although some of their Pokemon had chosen to stay behind and hang out in the village, Pikachu, Silica, Valiant, Tempest, Ivysaur and Tentacruel were all somewhat spaced out in the area. Silica predictably stuck to Tempest like glue the moment they were freed, which made conversing with Tentacruel difficult, although the jellyfish managed a brief interaction with the crab before giving the hippo her space. Afterwards she joined Valiant and Ivysaur, who had found an elevated spot with a good view of the fort they had just explored. Ash found Valiant's pose mildly amusing as his psychic friend looked out with a hand on his forehead; like an adventurer from a fantasy show.

Ash and Janine sat together with Pikachu, who perched himself on the ninja girl's lap and enjoyed a round of petting. She offered him a fond gaze while running her hand through his yellow fur. She liked Ash's entire team enough to sometimes see them as one of her own, but between all of them it felt like his starter was one of the ones she had grown closest to. She had no good memories of the incident with the Scarfists, but in retrospect she couldn't help but recall the brief period where she was giving Pikachu orders during the fight, and throughout their time in Fuchsia he would spend just as much time on her shoulder as Ash's. It was an odd connection she wasn't lacking in appreciation for, and another thing that was soon to be lost.

She had likely spent somewhere around ten enjoyable minutes with the electric mouse relaxing on her, before noticing that his gaze had progressively shifted more and more to Silica. The sight made her pause for thought; most of them had wanted to make the Hippopotas feel welcome, but just about any attempts at getting too close to her were greeted with anywhere between terrified flinching or hostility. Based on her observations, Pikachu was among those who had wanted to try talking to her the most; perhaps even the most as a whole. More than once, even when he wasn't actively trying to approach her, she found him looking the hippo's way, clearly wishing to.

Her palm rested on his soft head - it was always fascinating knowing that a small body housed so much power. "Pikachu, are you thinking about Silica?" She smiled sympathetically when he made an unsure noise. He obviously wanted to talk to her now, but knew what the result would be if he made the attempt.

"We had a start," Ash commented. "When we first introduced her to the rest of the team. But since then there hasn't been much progress. Me and Tempest are still the only ones she's comfortable being super close to, and forget physical contact."

She nodded along. A dead end, unfortunately. She was sure Silica would come around eventually the more she realized how good Ash's group was, but how long that would take wasn't a certainty. "Are there any ideas?"

"One, actually." As they spoke, Ash reached for his backpack and brought it to his lap, reaching into it. "Hey buddy, would you like to try something now?" Pikachu's curious eyes found their way to his trainer just in time to see him pull out a banana. "I got this from one of the vendors we passed by earlier, and I was thinking I could maybe have someone other than me give it to her."

The mouse's ears perked up. He studied the banana for a moment before looking over to Silica and Tempest. The ground type was sitting in the grass talking with Tempest. He could only vaguely make out whatever conversation they were having from here, but for the moment she seemed perfectly content. The thought of disrupting it and putting her on edge made him feel bad.

"She'll need to leave her comfort zone eventually," Ash commented, seemingly thinking of something similar. "But we can help her do that gently."

"I agree." Janine chimed in, briefly rubbing the electric type's neck.

After another moment or two, Pikachu left Janine's lap and took the banana from Ash's hand. Looking back in Silica and Tempest's direction, he carefully hopped off of the bench and made his way over to them, trying his best to move slowly without looking like a predator inching closer. Tempest noticed him first, and the diversion of his attention caused Silica to look in the same direction, pausing when she saw Pikachu heading over to them.

Choosing to go for it, Pikachu kept walking after a brief pause. Silica grew predictably tense, but still took notice of the fruit the electric mouse was carrying in his paws. She leaned back a little bit, but did not move too much. He wondered if keeping eye contact with her would make things better or worse, but either way, he did his best to keep his movement speed consistent and void of any suddenness. Tempest made a quiet, reassuring noise as Pikachu came close to closing the remaining distance, which may have helped prevent one of her signature warning growls.

Still choosing not to press his luck, he stopped quickly after. He had gotten close enough to give her the banana, so there was no need to violate her boundaries any further. The mouse unpeeled the fruit and almost left the peel in the grass, but remembered that Ash and Janine would probably tell him not to litter. So instead he pushed the peel behind him before laying the banana itself between him and Silica. The ground type stared at the fruit for a few moments, and both Pikachu and Tempest could easily spot the temptation in her eyes. She began inching closer - just close enough to grab the fruit with her mouth and drag it back where she just was, and started eating it.

Pikachu watched her for a second. It wasn't much, yet he still felt a small satisfaction. The fact that it had gone over better than the usual attempt was enough for him to feel some victory when he turned to leave, taking the banana peel with him.

Ash and Janine watched the exchange from their seats on the bench, not saying much until it was done.

"How long was that on your mind?" she asked.

"A little while," Ash admitted. "I uh, didn't want to interrupt you two." It was an awkward thing to admit. On a few occasions throughout the day, he had found himself consciously wishing that they could be alone for a little bit. The thought was selfish of him, as he wasn't the only one saying goodbye. The rest of his team deserved to spend just as much time with her as he did. Nevertheless, the somewhat guilty side of him had seen Pikachu's fixation on Silica as an opportunity. He wasn't sure if Janine had detected that detail or not. She was such a sharp person, and was trained and raised by someone who seemed as though he could see through anything. She made no comment, however, taking a brief moment to watch Pikachu join the others after finding a nearby trash can to toss the banana peel into (good boy, Ash thought).

"Tempest seems a little bit more comfortable than he was before," she noted, seeing him and Silica resume their conversation. "I wonder what he's telling her about; he doesn't seem excited enough to be talking about yesterday's battle."

"Good point," Ash agreed. "Honestly, it's a bit disturbing to think what things may have been like if they met months ago. He'd be such a bully, I'm not even sure I could have them on the team at the same time. Now it's separating them that's out of the question."

"Right…" She was quiet for a moment, and Ash took the time to look at her. Even when calm, there was often a calculated air about her. An observant expression. He was going to be on the receiving end of the much more hardened version of that tomorrow, and the thought gave him anticipation.

Knowing she wouldn't mind, he scooted a little bit closer to her on the bench before looking back at Tempest and Silica. It was harder to tell when they weren't right in front of him, but the hippo's face seemed fairly interested in whatever the river crab was telling her. He wondered what Tempest could be talking about that didn't involve battling, or gloating about battles for that matter.

"I have a question, Ash." Her tone was almost professional, another thing he had gotten used to from her, but hadn't heard as often as of recent (when she was addressing him, anyway).

"Okay?" he answered invitingly.

"What are you planning on doing with Hippowdon in the long term?" she looked back at him. "I know he's going to be in rehab for a while, but he won't be forever."

It was a subject that he had inwardly danced around for the past few days. As Koga said, Ash was still Hippowdon's trainer; the large ground type simply wasn't in his custody for now. The thought of what happened afterwards drew a massive blank from him.

"I don't know yet," he admitted. "My kind's mostly been on Silica, and I don't want her anywhere near him any time soon. Not while either of them are the way they are. But even after that…"

"I have learned about such things in the past," the ninja girl rubbed her arm. "About certain Pokemon in the wild harming or being cruel to their offspring. To think you ran into such an incident in person."

"I couldn't fathom it," he admitted. "I kept comparing Silica and Hippowdon to me and my mom, and at first none of it really made sense to me." almost against his will, saying that made his mind wander. Discussing this subject with Janine made him unable to help it.

"Your mom seems great," she approved. "Even though I've only spoken to her on the phone a few times. It's too bad Silica didn't have someone like that."

Ash bit his tongue to stop himself from saying it. From changing the subject just yet. "She does now," he promised. "And one day she's going to be even stronger than her dad. I won't even consider having them together again unless she says she's ready. And if he tries anything then, well he'll learn the hard way."

"I approve."

"I'm sure Tempest would too if it ever comes to that." Ash managed to hold back his giggle, but his tongue started to itch again. He had wanted to speak to Janine alone, about anything in particular, but he hadn't pictured it being about this. And now that they were, it kept reminding him of things.

'Just say it already.' he tried to tell himself. It would be over with if he just blurted it out, but then there also wouldn't be any going back. He hoped he didn't look too visibly uncomfortable - she would definitely notice otherwise.

"H-Hey…" he started before looking back at her. His gaze drifted to the bench for a moment, but he already had her attention. He could feel her eyes on him. "I uh, wanted to ask you something about… well, Valiant talked to me recently."

There was mild concern on her face, likely at the way he was behaving, but she was mostly attentive. "Go on."

Encouraging as always. He just hoped she wouldn't regret that after he said what was on his mind.

"It's just…" he managed to resist the urge to fidget. "Well, you know how he can read emotions, right?"

"Yes," her brow seemed to furrow in thought, and the sight was discouraging, but he had already started at this point. She wouldn't respond well if he stopped and left her hanging. Taking the chance was the only option at this point, since he hadn't kept his mouth shut.

"Well, don't get mad at him for this." Ash decided to lead with that. "But the other day, he talked to me about a couple of things, and he said it felt like you were scared of your father."

He had taken the leap.

She blinked for a moment, and he could see the surprise in her eyes. Almost immediately, he regretted what he said.

"Oh…" her voice trailed off like the sound was disappearing into a void, and he knew he deserved the lost eye contact. "Of course, it makes sense he'd…"

Ash wanted to curse himself. "He wasn't trying to pry, I promise. He just can't help it sometimes, and after he told me it was just on my mind a lot. I… know I shouldn't have asked. You don't have to say anything."

He didn't know what to make of the realization on her face after she had pieced it together - the fact that it was that much harder to hide something from Valiant.

"You've been worried about me." she said it as though she was stating a fact.

"I…" he fought back against the lump in his throat. "Yes. I'm sorry, I know it's none of my business. It was after Silica's incident, and everything." he consciously left out the talk he and Aya had.

Her purple eyes traveled to Valiant, who was still talking to Pikachu, Ivysaur and Tentacruel on the hill. "So that's the reason you came to talk to me the night before battling him"

"It's part of it," he confessed.

Janine hummed at his confirmation. "Ash… My father is a very scary man. I am terrified of him." she folded her arms, watching Pikachu chasing Valiant around for a bit - before easily catching him and tumbling into the grass. "But I also respect him more than anybody else. That is no different from how most people see him, correct?"

Ash stared at his friend. It was amazing and weird how easy she could make it make sense. "But have you two really never done anything fun before?"

"I do that with Aunt Aya a lot," she said. "Father has a job, which I am a part of as his daughter." she finally looked back at him. There was reassurance in her eyes now, but Ash wanted to tell himself that there was something else. Something he couldn't quite see. He didn't have Koga's x-ray vision, or even Janine's limited form of it. It wasn't enough to quell his anxiety, but when her hand curled around his, that helped more. "We are not like Silica and Hippowdon. I've gotten hurt plenty of times, but it was always to teach me respect. Discipline. Make me stronger. Otherwise I would not be the way I am now. There is a reason for everything father does, it is always for a greater purpose. Not just with me." she looked back to Silica, who was watching Tempest (lightly) practice a few of his moves. "That Hippowdon was hurting his child for no reason other than to take his anger out. There is no excuse for that. Silica would be much stronger without him, and I know you're going to see to that."

Ash wasn't looking at Silica. He was still looking at Janine, and listening to how easily she had spoken her mind. What did it remind him of?

"Blaine has become increasingly isolated and jaded over the years, and he takes it out on his challengers. I am hardly above his methods in theory, but the intention behind them is vital, because the ends justify the means. He cares more about curing his own boredom at a challenger's expense than he does at actually testing or pushing them."

Koga had said something very similar about the Fire Master governing Cinnabar Island. Causing somebody misery for the sake of it, as opposed to for a perceived purpose. But where was the line drawn?

The feeling of Janine tightening her grip snapped him out of his thoughts. She was so strong, yet it never hurt - he could just feel the strength behind it without being on the receiving end of the full brunt.

"It's okay, my friend. I'm not upset that you asked me. The thought means a lot to be honest." Her reassurance tugged on his lingering anxiety, and he silently remembered that they wouldn't have many more quiet moments like this. "Actually, if you are worried about butting in, then I need to confess something as well."

"What do you mean?" he asked. He wondered if the mild guilt on her face was how he looked.

With her other hand, the ninja girl brushed her ponytail before exhaling through her nose. Her face turned serious - but not deadly serious. The young warrior wasn't in battle mode, but she was conscious and aware.

"Back at Benver's Lodging, I went behind your back. You remember when you excused yourself after seeing Gary, so you took a walk and ended up running into him?"

Ash nodded. "Yeah, of course." That argument was when he had challenged Gary - and then finally beat him the following day.

"I was worried about you," Janine explained, her expression solemn. "So I followed you, and I eavesdropped on your conversation."

He blinked. "Oh…" he thought back to that night before their battle. "So, the stuff I told you about him…"

"I already knew," she confirmed. "I heard everything. But I didn't want you to know I did, so I pretended not to when I checked on you later, and I kept it from you."

"I had no idea you were there," Ash knew he was stating the obvious. "I was just focused on him." Not only that, but stealth was clearly a part of the Kyo Clan's skillset. They were ninjas, after all. The thought should have made him uncomfortable, knowing that Janine could stalk him whenever she wanted. Knowing that she had, at a time when he had asked to be alone.

It didn't, though. It was Janine, and if he didn't trust her, he trusted no one but his mother.

"That's not a big deal-" he started.

"It isn't the only thing I did, Ash." her face showed a little bit more emotion. "The day after your battle, I ran into Gary, and threatened him."

"Threatened him?" his voice conveyed alarm. "How?"

"I didn't specify, but he knew what I meant." she answered. "I told him that if he ever tried to bully you again, I would come after him."

He just stared for a moment or two. "You said that to his face?"

"Yes, and he knew I meant it." she took a breath. "It wasn't to baby you. I stayed behind when you two battled because I wanted to give you the chance to fight your own fights. And you did. After that, I decided it was fair game from then on."

Ash wasn't sure what to say. No kid had ever stood up for him back when Gary and his clique were picking on him. They would either watch from the sidelines or participate themselves. But Janine had confronted him directly.

"Why didn't you tell me you guys talked?" he asked.

"I knew I was butting into your business, and I also figured you wouldn't be comfortable with me confronting him like that." she answered. "So it was my secret, until now. But you don't have to worry about you or Valiant overstepping any boundaries. You both were just concerned. I did it because I cared about you, and your tormentor was right there in front of me."

Ash wondered how he would have reacted if he had known right away. Would he have been moved, or creeped out? And how did he feel about it now?

…He knew how, once he had a moment or two to process it.

He squeezed her hand a little bit. "You don't have to apologize either, Janine. Thanks for standing up for me." He found that it almost hurt to say. He could never have asked for a better friend, and it wasn't going to last much longer.

Her expression was warmer now. "In that case, I would do it again." she scooted closer, and Ash's stomach was incoherent mishmash of whether it made him feel better or worse. He followed her gaze up the hill where their teammates were still keeping each other busy. "So, after all of this, what do you think of Fuchsia?"

"There's so much to it," he replied. "I think it's a great place to live. A lot bigger than Pallet, but I guess not every place can or has to be so simple." a thought occurred to him. "Hey… if you could live anywhere apart from here, where do you think it would be?"

"Interesting question," the poison specialist's fingers rubbed her chin. "Let me think…"

"I would go with Lavender," Ash said. "Cities are great, but towns have something they don't, too."

"Yes, that is what I would expect you to say." Janine agreed. "I suppose Celadon would be my answer for now. I'll see if Johto tops it."

"I'm sure your team appreciated seeing your home," he added. "It makes me think about when I will come back to Pallet eventually. I'd love for them to meet Trucy, she'll flip when she sees them."

"A pleasing thought." she answered.

"You know," he almost blurted out. "You should come by there sometime. I'm not sure how much sightseeing there would be to do, but you know."

"It's a promise," she said good naturedly. "As long as you're there. Sightseeing or not, you owe me some form of tour after today."

He chuckled. "Well there's a good ice cream shop. And Professor Oak lives there, of course." Come to think of it, he wasn't sure what there would be to show her, compared to Fuchsia or just about any other place he had been to since leaving home. He just knew he wanted her there, one day.

Janine grinned at the idea. As far as she was concerned, Pallet did not need to be a large, grandiose place of historical significance. The simple fact that it was where Ash came from would do.

Noting the color of the sky, she said the five words she had spent most of the day dreading in the back of her mind. "We need to get back."

She could see his disappointment, which he seemed to be trying to hide. "Yeah, gotta be back in time for dinner."

She was prepared to call everyone over to them, but she kept her eyes on him for a moment longer.

'Don't leave.' she began thinking about the things that she wanted to say. 'Forget about Grampa Canyon. You don't need to go back to Surge. Come to Johto with me, we can get our last badges together and train until it's time to go to the Plateau.'

She was selfish just for having such thoughts. Wanting somebody to upend their entire plans for her own convenience was disgusting. Arguably worse, she was not sure if Ash had considered it himself or not, so it would certainly be irresponsible to put it in his head.

"Well…" she breathed out of her mouth. Time continued to pass. And it had taken one of their last remaining days with it. "I had a good day if you did."

"Of course," he gently bumped her with his shoulder. "A few last minute memories, right?"

Her lips curved up, and some of that battle ready fire became present in her purple eyes. "Are you ready to make one more tomorrow?"

It was the only thing he was decisively looking forward to.

/

The only downside to proposing a six on six match was the need to send Silica to Professor Oak's lab, but Ash was thankfully capable of working his way around that. He knew it would be a bad idea to send her anywhere without him or Tempest, but she only needed to be there for a few hours at most. With a little bit of rule bending (As Len had stated after he first caught her, Nurse Joy had the power to make exceptions), the Pokemon Center would be able to take his core team of six after the battle with Janine, and he would still be permitted to have Silica on him while they healed, not having to send anybody back to Oak's lab until everybody was cleared. For that reason, he had requested that Oak keep her in her Poke Ball during the short span of time that she would be at his lab, so that she wouldn't panic from being in an unfamiliar environment without either of the two that she trusted.

With that small hoop jumped through, Ash met Janine at the training grounds, where the battlefield would do perfectly fine. The late morning sun was high in the sky and bathed the clean pavement - as well as everybody present with just the right amount of heat. There was no need to worry about their anticipated match being spoiled by imperfect weather.

A small audience occupied the stands, consisting of Akira, Aya, Ruunia and a few other clan members, the last of whom occupied the referee stand.

Len's posture was stiff but focused. Ash wondered if he had volunteered on his own accord, or if Akira had considered the position to be a form of training. He knew being a good referee was more work than it looked - it was one thing to call a straightforward match by the book, but on the rare occasion things went off the rails, it wasn't something that just anybody could do. It was why the Conference only employed well rated professionals, compared to many tournaments enlisting local volunteers (although even those had at least one or two of such professionals present and involved).

Seeing Janine standing on the opposite end was quick to bring back memories from what his mind had convinced him to be ancient history. It wasn't the first time they had faced off - he had challenged her the day they ran into each other at Suzie's Salon, and back then she had defeated him. As he knew she would, the poison specialist stood tall and firm, arms crossed with eyes of purple steel. It was an exhilarating sight of the prodigious fledgling warrior that he had the honor of calling his closest friend.

"Okay," Len announced. For a thirteen year old boy, he wasn't half bad at sounding commanding. "This battle will be six on six, with substitutions allowed from both sides. The battle will end when all Pokemon on either side have been defeated, or if either party surrenders. Are there any questions?" When both Ash and Janine remained steadfast and silent, the older ninja boy raised his arms. "Very well, send out your first Pokemon!"

Ash already knew who he was leading with, so in a flash Glaceon appeared in front of him. Toxtricity appeared on Janine's side just as quickly.

"We know her team almost inside out, girl," Ash said as Glaceon nodded along in confirmation, staring down her opponent with coolheaded aggression (which he answered by lighting up his frills with crackling sparks). "But they know us just as well, you ready?" her bark was half aggressive, and half excited.

"BEGIN!"

Toxtricity were an incredibly exotic species that Janine had only gotten her hands on with brilliant luck, and Ash's knowledge of them was effectively limited to just hers. Janine's Toxtricity was predictably versed in electricity, but his other, just as prominent specialty was sound based moves. He was capable of learning many, and his Punk Rock ability granted him a natural talent for mastering and strengthening them, as well as making him more resistant and tolerant to such noise, making Glaceon's Hyper Voice a less than ideal option offensively.

He also knew multiple moves that were especially effective against ice types: Brick Break, Fire Punch, Drain Punch, and Power-Up Punch. The latter was a unique move that absorbed the impact of the collision and turned it into energy to strengthen the user. It was a normally brief effect that was difficult to maintain for long on its own, but Janine's Toxtricity was very good at chaining multiple Power-Up Punches together to boost his brute strength to an exhilarating degree. If he could pull off a combo on Glaceon, he could accumulate the boosts before putting it all into a move like Fire Punch for the final blow.

Glaceon's best bet (according to Ash's quick thinking) was to utilize her superior speed and fight from a distance, not that Toxtricity would be helpless in such a scenario.

"Jog forward but don't get too close," he started off. "Hit him with Shadow Ball."

Glaceon attempted exactly that, trotting in her opponent's direction while forming the ball of distortion in her jaws. She fired it just before moving to the side, changing direction to avoid getting too close. Toxtricity was already charging an Electro Ball, which he launched to intercept her attack before giving chase. She darted back to keep the distance, leaping into the air and firing an Ice Beam.

"Keep going, intercept it." As Ash always knew she would be, Janine was collected and unflinching going into the fight, and it would take a lot to break that posture. "Then Toxin Swift."

Undeterred by the Ice Beam Glaceon was sending in his direction, Toxtricity continued to run forward, into the attack's path. Both of his fists erupted in flames, and he crossed them in front of him like a fiery shield. The impact wasn't painless, and he still staggered when the Ice Beam struck him, but the move was thoroughly blocked. As Glaceon landed, Toxtricity sent a barrage of stars after her, but these stars were drenched in poison.

Ash had seen this move multiple times; taking advantage of Swift's ability to home in on a target and combining it with poison. Toxtricity had an electric type variant of this technique as well, which he made a mental note to try and teach to Pikachu at some point. "Block it with your own Swift, then full speed!"

Glaceon fired her own barrage, colliding with Toxtricity's as the two canceled each other out. The poisonous liquid that coated Janine's Swift fell onto the ground in purple droplets. Once the last of the projectiles had been neutralized, Glaceon pushed herself forward and began speeding up. Her body became enveloped in green energy as Trailblaze took hold, and she blasted past her approaching opponent. Toxtricity quickly changed directions to chase after her, but had no chances of catching her. It was not for a lack of trying, as he sent another Toxin Swift her way.

Glaceon was on Janine's side of the field now, and Toxtricity pursued her with his back to Ash. His frills crackled with electricity, lighting up brilliantly as he prepared a Thunderbolt. With a lunge, he fired a streak of lightning that easily exceeded Pikachu's in raw power, and was also quite bright. Ash called for Glaceon to block, and she knew what to do: Channeling Trailblaze to its full strength, she charged into the bolt, letting the grass type energy act as a suit of armor. The lightning blasted her head first, and she had to grit her teeth from the impact, and the heat of the electricity. It tried to to envelop her, but failed to fully penetrate her defenses, hurting but not deterring her. As Toxtricity's attack ended, Glaceon formed a Frost Pulse in her mouth and fired it into him. The frozen Water Pulse struck him in the chest and launched him backwards. He managed to land on his feet, sliding back in a kneeling position, but was noticeably hurt based on his balance and posture.

"Use Screech!" Janine called.

"Get back!" Ash quickly responded.

Toxtricity's frills and horns grew stiff, and then vibrated. The vibrations traveled across his body, and then he let loose a thunderous shriek.

Even with the protection of the barriers, the noise was loud. The shockwave slammed into Glaceon even as she tried to leap back, and the ice type visibly recoiled from the blast. With his opponent staggering, Toxtricity broke into a run, clenching a fiery fist.

"Water Pulse, girl! Keep your distance!"

Although not as fast as Glaceon, Toxtricity still did not waste any time closing the remaining distance between the two. Despite not being fully balanced after the Screech, Glaceon managed to dodge backwards in time, forming a Water Pulse in her mouth to launch at her opponent. Janine was already calling for a Thunderbolt, which broke through the Water Pulse - practically popping it in an explosion of droplets - and nailed the ice type quadruped in a direct hit. Glaceon's fur was briefly bathed a flashing golden as she was launched back by the attack, tumbling across the pavement with sparks dancing across her frosty fur. Even before she came to a stop, Toxtricity was running for her. Knowing that his next attack was coming, she fought through the pain in record time, grinding her teeth and pushing herself onto all fours.

"Power-Up Punch!"

There it was: Janine was going for the kill before the fight had any time to be dragged out. Glaceon needed to dodge the attack, so that there wouldn't be any collision for Toxtricity to channel energy from -

Ash's widened in surprise as he saw his partner's tail turn to metal. With little time to think, Glaceon reacted with her first instinct, which was to parry her opponent's blow with Iron Tail, and her trainer's warning came too late.

The tail struck Toxtricity's fist, and although Glaceon's superior strength parried the attack as intended (and caused Toxtricity to grunt in pain), Power-Up Punch did its work: The glow in the punk Pokemon's fist intensified, and energy shot through his arms. Pulsing with more power, Toxtricity raised his other arm for a second Power-Up Punch and swung into Glaceon's side. Although far from the worst blow she'd endured, the impact produced a good amount of pain, flipping her off of her paws and sending her rolling for a short time. A small bruise was visible when she stopped on her stomach, once more trying to push herself up while her assailant zeroed in on her again. Even more power was now flowing through Toxtricity, and he intended to use it.

And so did Janine. "Another Power-Up Punch!"

"Blast him with Water Pulse!" Ash called out. Things were going south fast.

Glaceon tried to pick herself up, but with more fresh pain, it was harder to force herself back on all fours the way she had just done prior. She was halfway there when she was struck by the third blow in a row, and this one landed much harder than the others. She was flipped over again, but this time she managed to catch herself on Iron Tail, almost wobbling, but managing to stand firm despite everything, propped up on her metallic appendage. Toxtricty's arms were pulsing now, and Ash knew what was next.

"Ice Beam, hurry!"

"Fire Punch!"

Glaceon knew just as much as Ash did what she was in for. She had watched Toxtricity develop this combo, after all. With defiant eyes, she tried to launch the blast of ice point blank, but Janine's partner had cleverly leapt back and cleared some distance so that it would be easier to swerve to the side and avoid the attack that his opponents knew they couldn't afford to miss. With thoughts of a quick victory flowing through his brain, he raised his clenched, amplified fist, which erupted in flames, and reared back to deliver the mother of all punches.

Toxtricity's fiery fist smashed into her face, cashing in on the stockpiled power boost that the three consecutive Power-Up Punches had managed to produce. Her head whipped back, and her body was flung several feet - no, meters - away, tumbling uncontrollably until she managed to stop herself, propped up on her paws. A much worse bruise was left behind on her head, with a burn mark to go along with it. Even now, she was still conscious, growling, and attempting to push herself up, and Janine's eyes twinkled in admiration. Most opponents who fell victim to that were knocked out cold.

The ninja girl's voice remained mostly unchanged, but there was a hint of aggression in her order. "Overdrive!"

Toxtricity's frills and horns stiffened, vibrated, and crackled. The lightning decorating them intensified, turning his body into a sizzling light show, and in the process he clawed at the organs on his chest, as though he were twanging a guitar made out of electricity. With a mighty cry, he fired an extremely loud blast of electrical shockwaves into Glaceon. Having still not fully recovered, she took the full brunt of the assault with little to no time to brace herself, and was blasted into the barrier before slumping onto the ground. Sparks danced across her limp form.

"Glaceon is unable to battle, Toxtricity wins!"

Ash could feel his heart quickening for a moment. The stress didn't come from the fact that they had lost the first round, but how quickly they had lost. As he recalled Glaceon, he looked across the battlefield, where Toxtricity was returning to Janine's side. The girl remained perfectly coolheaded and stoic as she congratulated her partner, who was hurt but clearly in good shape.

It did not take too long for him to realize what had gone wrong. Janine knew Glaceon, and she knew her instincts. She had been counting on the ice type to fall back on them in the heat of the moment, and try to block Power-Up Punch with Iron Tail, and Ash's own failure was not correcting her fast enough. In a longer fight, Glaceon definitely would have done better, which was why Janine took the risk to go for the finish as fast as possible, before they had any chance to build momentum. And by exploiting such simple knowledge, she had succeeded.

Even then it was alarming just how… easy it had been for them. Glaceon had tenacity to spare, and had endured so much against Koga just the other day. Ash had seen Toxtricity's raw power first hand, and he knew the Power-Up Punch chain combo could prove to be an easy death sentence even for Glaceon if he managed to pull it off, but even those worries hadn't stopped him from being surprised. If she had a hard time handling it, few others on his team would fare any better - unless they were able to escape or prevent it. Tempest was probably the only exception.

The hairs on the back of the boy's neck stood stiff, seeing his friend looking at him with her unchanged expression. She was taking no prisoners just as promised, and punishing the slightest of errors was the Kyo way. And yet he felt his blood rush with a small, pleasant adrenaline all the same.

"Don't be too discouraged, Glaceon," he said to the ice type's ball. "That was my fault, I'll make sure it doesn't happen again." clipping the ball back onto his belt, he quickly selected his next teammate - he already knew who it was going to be.

"That was the only easy round you'll get," he announced. "But well played." Janine smiled for a moment before he tossed the ball.

Phenom appeared in front of him, bending his knees as he and Toxtricity stared each other down. It didn't last long - the punk Pokemon was quickly recalled and replaced with Skrelp.

"Not a bad choice," Ash commented to himself. "Phenom, Skrelp's faster than you when she uses Surf, but her usage is still limited, and she's not the best land fighter without it. You know all of her moves and what to watch out for, but don't forget she knows you. Glaceon was already taken out pretty quickly because of that." Phenom's face tensed in acknowledgement of that, his expression turning more serious. On the opposite end, Skrelp was a bit more nervous with the larger dragon staring her down, but a few words of instruction from her trainer caused that to vanish.

"BEGIN!"

Without waiting for Janine to tell her, Skrelp summoned a small wave of water beneath her and skipped across the pavement. Phenom ran for her, spitting out a Rock Blast, which she avoided while attempting to circle him.

"Toxic Pulse."

At Janine's command, Skrelp used her momentum with Surf to flip herself into the air, forming a polluted Water Pulse that glowed a murky purple.

"Hyper Voice," Ash called. "Blow it away!"

Phenom braced himself, bending his knees as he directed his snout upwards where Skrelp was preparing her attack. When she fired the Toxic Pulse, he responded with a mighty shout, producing a blast of shockwaves that scattered the polluted orb of water in purple droplets. On her way down, Skrelp summoned a new wave of water to catch her, but Janine ordered her to briefly ride backwards, creating a little bit of extra distance between herself and Phenom before performing a sharp turn to curve back in his direction.

"Go the opposite way," Ash ordered. "Don't stand still!" Phenom may not have been as fast, but he wanted to at least do what they could to prevent Skrelp from surfing circles around his dinosaur friend. Besides, much like Tempest and Tentacruel, she could only hold Surf together for a certain amount of time, even if all three had greatly improved their usage of the move.

Improved it by working together.

Phenom broke into a run, initially a sprint to make good distance right away, before turning around and attempting to follow Skrelp's traveling form with his gaze. She continued to curve around him, but he jogged backwards, rotating his body in an attempt to ensure that he was always facing her.

And then she vanished.

By the time Ash and Phenom realized what had happened, the last of the red streak had disappeared back into Janine's Poke Ball. It was a familiar feeling that Ash knew the Tyrunt was experiencing: The whiplash, the frustration. The purpled haired girl eyed him from the other side of the field before returning the ball to her belt in exchange for a new one.

Golbat appeared just overhead. The bat gave Ash and Phenom a knowing look before turning to Janine and settling down next to her. As she spoke to him, Ash motioned for Phenom to come back over to him, which the Tyrunt wasted no time doing.

"Sorry about this, buddy," the boy said with some guilt. "But I'm going to recall you too, now. You'll get your chance, I promise." Understandably, Phenom grumbled over his fight getting cut short, but otherwise complied. Gently tapping the ball against his friend's forehead, Ash watched the dinosaur get sucked back into the capsule before reclipping it onto his belt.

He sent Nebula out next. On the other side, Golbat's eyes lit up, and hers were quick to in turn.

"It's time, Nebula," Ash encouraged. There were few better ways to neutralize an aerial advantage then by sending out a flier of your own, especially with Golbat's Double Team being a potential factor in the upcoming fight. "Janine and her team have the lead over us right now, but it's only one to zero. Ready to even things up?" the Staravia chirped, and with an approving nod he pointed his finger upward, signaling for her to take to the air. Golbat did the same, and soon both fliers were several feet above the ground.

There was a fair amount of camaraderie between the two of them. They had already fought each other once back in Celadon, but since then they had shared countless training sessions, helping one another learn moves, racing in midair, and sparring. The past two months or more had birthed healthy competitive friendship, and the mutual eagerness to put everything to the test was accompanied by fond familiarity.

"BEGIN!"

Before doing anything else, both fliers offered each other a smile. Then they circled one another, slowly rising higher into the air as they traded positions in what seemed to be nearly perfect symmetry. Beneath them, Ash and Janine could not suppress their own grins at the sight as well.

"Hey Janine," Ash broke focus for just a short moment. "This is how our first battle ended."

On the other side, the ninja girl's purple eyes shone with nostalgia. "Indeed."

The two aerial fighters continued to circle one another, completing multiple rotations without either of them making a move. Just when it seemed as though neither would attack until ordered too, Nebula darted forward. Her wings turned to metal, and rather than meet her head on, Golbat pulled back, doing his best to keep the distance between them the same while a steady stream of stars left his mouth.

Nebula altered her course, making a sharp swerve to the side and initially avoided the Swift, but as expected most of the projectiles did their best to change direction and pursue her. She destroyed them with a Swift of her own, still flying away from Golbat while he himself flew back in the opposite direction, expanding the distance between them both before the two aerial combatants curved around once again, now approaching each other on near opposite sides.

Both of them summoned two Double Team clones, one on either side, before spacing them out just enough. Looking between her three options of attack, Nebula darted for one of the Golbat in front of her - one of the clones. The real Golbat took advantage to intercept her, allowing both clones to vanish and rushing forward to meet her Steel Wing with his. As the two attacks clanged together, Nebula allowed her clones to vanish as well, before pulling back and aiming a strike for Golbat's head. The toxic flier crossed both of his Steel Wings against each other, easily blocking Nebula's strike before pushing her back. She kept her balance to prevent herself from stumbling in midair, and spat a stream of golden stars out of her beak, painfully pelting Golbat in the face and knocking him off balance. Ceasing the opportunity, she lashed out with her wing, striking him clean in the side and sending him rolling in midair. He recovered easily, however, bringing his wing back to charge an Air Slash.

Nebula's eyes narrowed. Instead of dodging, she responded with a challenge, rearing back her own wing to form her own blade of air. Just after Golbat launched his, she launched hers, and the two attacks met halfway between their respective users, canceling each other out in an even match. With a shriek, Nebula pulled herself to the side, attempting to circle her opponent again, but Golbat countered by doing the same, neither allowing one another an opening. Clones began popping up, and both responded in the same way: With a volley of Air Cutter that eliminated all false targets one by one, while both the real Nebula and Golbat narrowly escaped harm.

A loud squawk filled the air as Nebula rushed forward faster than she had before, trading aerial chess for brute force while preparing a Steel Wing. Golbat wasted little time doing the same. Enhanced by Agility, both fliers slammed into each other, metal wing to metal wing, in a loud impact. The two of them only grinded together for a moment or two before pulling back… and then striking again.

Metal wings clanged together over, and over, and over again. The battle transformed into a midair sword fight as both fliers took swings at one another, occasionally rising slightly higher in the air while doing so. They would circle each other for a brief period, no more than a few seconds, before rushing in and bouncing off of one another. One of them would strike, the other would block or parry. Both would strike at the same time, pushing each other away in a rough clang that would occasionally stagger them. One or twice, one would fire a projectile that the other would dodge, attempting to cease an opening only to be countered anyway. The two continued their aerial brawl, flurry after flurry canceling each other out.

Ash was tempted to just marvel at the sight. The speed and intensity on display was captivating, but he knew better than to get lost in the spectacle. "Do a loop and use Aerial Ace!"

His command broke the pattern. Pushing Golbat off of her, Nebula somersaulted overhead and came charging back to him while cloaked in white energy. Golbat responded with his own Aerial Ace, and the two crashed into each other, each stumbling back and shaking their heads from the collision.

"Wind Blast!" Both Ash and Janine called for the same attack. Flapping their wings rapidly, Nebula and Golbat produced powerful, condensed gusts of air that slammed into each other. Both tried to flap harder to overtake one another, but when neither could, they stopped, hovering in midair to catch their breath.

Janine remained unflinching. "Pull back and cover yourself with Haze."

While Nebula still regathered herself, Golbat retreated away from her. Thick, blue mist streamed out of his mouth as he moved back, expanding into clouds that obscured him from view, overtaking a significant portion of the battlefield.

'She's done this plenty of times.' Ash thought to himself. Normally Golbat would send in one or two Double Team clones out of the clouds to attack first, acting as a feint to throw the opponent off balance before coming in for the real strike, usually to poison them. But Janine knew how familiar Ash and his team were with such a tactic - chances were she was plotting to subvert expectations at their expense. "Blow it away with Whirlwind!"

A tiny grin formed on Nebula's beak, but her eyes held a steel glare. Rushing forward, she produced a gale of wind that separated the clouds, but the moment they began to part, two fingers shot out, flying above her. It was Golbat and a Double Team clone.

"Nice try," Ash mumbled. Janine and Golbat still had a chance to get the jump on them. "Hit them both with a spread out Swift, Nebula!"

Nodding, the Staravia ascended higher, pushing herself upwards with Quick Attack to get into firing range as fast as possible. Barely even a moment later, she was opening her beak to spit out the golden stars-

"Foggy Gale!"

Ash responded as quickly as he could. "Wind Blast!" Aborting Swift, Nebula halted her approach and produced the condensed attack. Above her, Golbat was producing a gust of Whirlwind combined with Haze, but unlike a standard Whirlwind, Nebula's Wind Blast was concentrated to produce more force. Her attack punctured through Golbat's, but he blocked the blast of wind with two Steel Wings crossed together while allowing his Double Team clone to vanish. Rather than fighting back against the current, he allowed Nebula's Wind Blast to push him upwards, gaining more momentum before suddenly kicking off of it with Aerial Ace. Ash called for an Air Cutter just in time for the toxic flier to launch a barrage of stars.

The blades of air carved through the golden projectiles and threatened to bombard Golbat next, but Janine remained as calm as ever. "Wind Blast, then Poison Fang!"

Maneuvering through the onslaught, Golbat hissed as one of the windy blades clipped his wing, but kept himself on course and fired the blast of wind downwards at Nebula. Stopping her assault, she quickly crossed her two metal wings together in hopes of defending herself, but she knew the position she was in, and Ash, cursing under his breath, knew as well.

The Steel Wings blocked the Wind Blast, but while Nebula was firing up, Golbat was firing down. The Staravia's midair balance threatened to give out when her assailant's attack pushed her downwards, seeing the pavement beginning to grow closer from underneath her. Golbat stopped the attack as quickly as he had started, however, and his body glowed with Agility as he blurred down in pursuit of his prey. His mouth opened as wide as it could, ready with Poison Fang.

The bat snatched the bird in midair, and pain shot through Nebula as his teeth dug into her hard. Toxins were being injected into her system, and she fought to force him off of her, but as Ash cried out a warning, she had little to no time. The speed boost from Agility had granted Golbat a tremendous amount of momentum and force, which had not only strengthened the impact of Poison Fang, allowing it to carve more deeply into her body, but also tackled her out of the air and towards the ground. With Nebula's side still a prisoner of his jaws, Golbat kept descending, piledriving her into the pavement and releasing his grip a close instant before impact.

The violent collision sent the Staravia bouncing and tumbling across the ground before coming to a stop with Golbat looming over her. Her body ached, the area where he had bitten her burned from the toxins, and the toxins themselves were now attempting to work their way into her system. She stumbled for a moment rising to her feet, but caught herself in time to see her opponent rushing her. Having recovered more quickly than Golbat expected, she conquered the pain and took him by surprise with a Swift. As Golbat was only slightly above the ground, he was briefly knocked out of the air himself, but managed to break his fall with a Steel Wing before rising back up.

"Are you okay, Nebula?" Ash asked the question more as a knee jerk reaction than anything else, and managed a smile when Nebula nodded at him before attempting to rise back into the air. Janine's cleverness had impressively doomed Glaceon far quicker than he could have expected, but Nebula was still in the game.

It was a game that they were still clearly on the losing end of, however. Nebula would have to strain herself to fight with her full strength after the fall, and as Janine was perfectly aware, the poison in her system would make activating Reckless an easy way to knock herself out. There weren't any paths to victory that he could come up with, but for a moment there had not been any against Koga either.

They weren't giving up.

Janine showed no hesitation. "Air Cutter, bombard her and keep her low!"

Nebula still was not very high up when Golbat took aim and launched the barrage of windy blades seeking to slice into her. With a squawk, she maneuvered around them, hissing at the risk of irritating the burning wound left behind by her opponent's Poison Fang. Golbat kept up the assault, and although Nebula was able to avoid getting hit, she found it harder and harder to gain the height she was looking for.

Frustration and concern crept onto Ash's features as he watched his friend struggle to escape her predicament. With Golbat already locked onto her, and following her to maintain the barrage, Double Team would not be very helpful, and with the poison in her system, Nebula was basically guaranteed to run out of steam before he did. A risky thought came to his mind: Attempting to avoid harm would only put them on a time limit. There may not be a way out of this without getting hurt…

But it could still be on their terms.

"It's alright, girl!" he called out, louder than before. "Charge through it with Brave Bird!" he knew Nebula would trust his judgment, and she did. Without mucus second thoughts, the Staravia bathed herself in the raging blue energy that almost completely covered her body. The energy around her took the shape of a larger, fierce bird, as though a suit of armor, and with an ear-piercing shriek she shot upwards. The Air Cutter struck her, and although she felt the pain, it did little to slow her down. Janine called out for Golbat to block, and her startled friend managed to cross his Steel Wings together in time.

Nebula smashed into her opponent, and although the metal wings received the brunt of the impact, Golbat still felt the force slamming into him, flying back in midair with a pained yelp as his aerial balance completely failed him. Luckily for him, Brave Bird was a move that often subjected its user to considerable recoil, and Nebula was forced to take a moment and recover from that as well. The Staravia stumbled in midair, but with defiant grip, the flapping of her wings kept her hovering in place while she caught her breath.

"Impressive, dear friend." Janine delivered the compliment with the same battle hardened tone she often used when issuing orders and attacks. "Golbat, rush her!"

Golbat regained his bearings and shot forward with as much might as he could produce. Nebula regained hers in time to block his Steel Wing with one of her own, but her opponent's forward momentum pushed her back.

Even as they collided, Janine was shouting. "Keep going! Attack, attack, attack!"

As Nebula stumbled, Golbat took another swing at her, which blocked again with some desperation. He continued to lash out, forcing her to scramble and defend herself from the whirling flurry of Steel Wing strikes. He finally managed to hit her in the face, flipping her over and knocking her back, but Janine did not relent, calling for more. He rushed her again, and she struggled to keep up: Parrying his blows one after another, but being forced back as she did. She could feel a looming weakness in her body, threatening to take hold, and her retaliatory strikes did not feel like they were as strong as her attacker's. The poison was slowly starting to catch up, its effects creeping in as though trying to sneak under the radar.

Ash noticed it too. Just like before with the Air Cutter assault, Janine knew that Nebula's compromised stamina put Golbat at an immense advantage in an all out attack. By assaulting her nonstop, Golbat effectively forced Nebula to push her body to its limits, which would only wear her out with the poison sapping away her strength from within. Sooner or later he would outlast her, and she would be overwhelmed by his attacks. As long as he stayed on top of her and kept up the assault, fatigue would claim her faster than it would claim him.

The boy almost clenched his fists. The situation truly did feel unwinnable. Janine was taking advantage of the poison in the best way that she could, and there was no easy solution to the problem. And yet Nebula kept on fighting.

So he would encourage her.

"Come on, girl! Give him everything you have and don't let up for a second!"

Her trainer's voice was like mental fuel for Nebula. Golbat's strikes were pounding against her, overpowering her own counterattacks and overwhelming her with the superior force, but she kept on striking. She could feel the poison in her body threatening to take hold, her muscles threatening to weaken at any moment, and it was slowly becoming more difficult to produce the necessary force to fight back against her poisonous opponent.

But she would.

With a blazing glare in her eyes, Nebula shrieked and rushed forward, ramming into Golbat with all of her might. He parried her, and the two circled one another. Steel Wing after Steel Wing was exchanged, producing a cacophony of clanging noises as both aerial combatants continued to smack into one another, once more as though they were having a sword fight with their wings.

After a few exchanges, Nebula found herself wincing. Each time they collided, she would feel a sting from the impact, and an inner sensation that her muscles were waning. It was like her body was pleading for her to stop, but she would not. She would keep fighting, and so she did.

"Everything you have, Nebula!"

"Don't give her any breathing room, Golbat!"

The two kept at it. There was no pause; Golbat continued to attack Nebula without mercy, and she fought against her weakening body to meet him head on. They exchanged positions in midair, circling one another and rotating above the battlefield as they repeatedly closed the distance to strike each other in loud clashes of metal wings.

And then Ash saw a flash.

It was a "blink and you'll miss it" moment, and he very nearly did. He wasn't sure where it had come from, but he could have sworn he had seen a split second spark. The two continued to attack each other, and it happened again. And then the third time, his eyes widened, and he nearly took a step back. On her side of the field, Janine could see it too.

The fourth time, the white light traveling across Nebula's body lasted longer. As she swung another Steel Wing into Golbat's own, the light completely overtook her before fizzling out, and then it happened again.

That sixth time, it did not go away.

In the midst of the aerial brawl, Nebula's entire body was cloaked in a beautiful glow that everybody present knew all too well. Ash's heart skipped a beat, and his jaw dropped as the Staravia's body expanded. His friend bulked up, assuming a more muscular and opposing form as her attacks began to push back her startled opponent.

The Staraptor emerged from the light and gave the fiercest shriek Ash or Janine had ever heard from a bird in person, and pounded her Steel Wing into Golbat's. The force of the blow produced unforeseen whiplash - Golbat was completely overpowered, and found himself flying back against his will.

Ash lost his voice. For a moment, he did not need to use it. Nebula raced after her opponent and bombarded him. Her brute strength outclassed the venomous flier so much that he was nearly defenseless, and inevitably could not block them all. The Steel Wing that smashed him in the face sent him rocketing through the air on a headfirst collision with the barrier. Instincts won out, however, and he managed to stop the impact with his own Steel Wing, although he still bounced off and stumbled awkwardly, albeit managing to remain hovering above the battlefield.

"N-Nebula…" Ash shook off his shock, blinking back in the dampness in his eyes as his grin spread across his face. "Finish it up, girl!"

Janine's expression had been overtaken by awe at the sight of the evolved bird, but she managed to steel her voice, even as the look in her eyes betrayed her joy. "Supersonic, then Brave Bird!"

Nebula blitzed forward at a beyond startling speed, tearing through the air to pulverize her target. The sight of the far stronger Staraptor blazing towards him faster than he could hope to match greatly sped up Golbat's blood flow, but he still managed to unleash the horrible soundwaves. Despite Nebula's speed and strength, the Supersonic assaulted her ears and disoriented her, disrupting her momentum - but she was still flying forward despite that. Fearlessly, Golbat rushed towards her, enshrouded in the same raging blue aura that she had summoned earlier, and smashed into her head on.

Despite the Supersonic, however, Nebula managed to brace herself before the impact. Golbat's Brave Bird was incredibly strong as expected, and had she still been a Staravia, the battle would have ended with that collision. Even with her immense strength, the impact was still far from painless, sending her flying back. But she caught herself, managing to stop herself mid flight. She needed a moment to shake off the powerful attack, but Golbat was staggering and fighting to keep his balance in midair, giving her the window she needed to recover. Ash silently wondered if Nebula's superior strength and durability had worsened the recoil Golbat was experiencing.

How did her physical capabilities as a Staraptor compare to when she used Reckless as a Staravia? The poison in her system made it likely that activating the ability would do more harm than good, but now, Golbat's advantage in a war of attrition had been completely shattered by her evolution.

"Do it!" Ash called out. Evolution or not, Nebula was still poisoned. The toxins would have to do much more work to sap away her strength, and they would take advantage of that by ending this now.

Nebula blitzed forward, and was on top of Golbat in what seemed to be the blink of an eye. Too fast for him to stop, she reared back and smashed a Steel Wing on top of his head, spiking him violently into the pavement, which he bounced off of in a loud impact that made Ash feel like his bones would break just from listening to it. Golbat's form was completely still as his body came to a stop, and an unsurprised Janine simply sighed in resignation.

"Golbat is unable to battle, Staraptor wins!"

It occurred to Ash that the small audience had been clapping between rounds, but he barely registered it. His focus was only on the muscular bird descending towards him, and when Nebula landed right in front of him, it was hard not to marvel at her size. Staraptor were known for being among the fiercest of all bird Pokemon, both in looks and in nature, and to see one up close like this…

It was her proud expression that got to him. She was poisoned and bruised, but her head was high, and her smile was the most assertive that he had ever seen in his life.

'The small Starly perched on the branch.'

The first Pokemon he had ever caught, and one of the first things he had ever done right as a trainer. Now she was as beautiful as she was ferocious, and had grown into such before his very eyes, step by step.

When his arms wrapped around her, he briefly allowed the silent awe take hold when feeling her muscles, especially when she gently returned the embrace.

"You look incredible, Nebula," he whispered softly to her. "Congratulations." Before separating, he planted his lips on the side of her head, producing a content hum from the greatest bird he had ever met.

Their attention returned to Janine, who was reclipping Golbat's ball to her belt while watching the exchange. Although it wouldn't be permanent, his best friend's cool composure had broken momentarily: Even from here, he could see her smile. He didn't know what she was mouthing to him, but he had an idea.

The warrior slowly returned as she prepared to send out her next Pokemon, however, and soon Toxtricity was back on the field. Ash tried to tighten his face - they would have a lot to celebrate when this was over, regardless of who won, but for now it was time to get back into battle mode.

Turning to Nebula, he took out her Poke Ball. "I'm going to recall you for now, great work out there." she nodded with no defiance, and tapped her head against the capsule's button. Eying the punk Pokemon carefully, his hand considerately ran over the other balls on his belt before selecting one.

Valiant appeared in front of him. Everybody knew that Toxtricity was the offensive powerhouse of Janine's team, perhaps next to Skrelp who's Adaptability had aided in her learning Gunk Shot and Hydro Pump ahead of the curve, but now there was more clear than ever, and if there was ever a time to take advantage of the advantage that Valiant's psychic moves granted him…

It was far from a freebie, however. Janine had consciously prepared her team to get better at dealing with such matchups, given it would be needed to defeat Sabrina in their upcoming rematch. Valiant's fairy typing also surrendered the resistance to poison that a pure psychic type would have. Nonetheless, at the current moment he seemed like the most comfortable option.

"We're tied, Valiant. One to one, Glaceon and Golbat are out." the Kirlia didn't need to nod, having made his undivided attention clear to his trainer. "This is important: You know how strong Toxtricity's Power-Up Punch combo is, right? It's even more than it looks; it helped put Glaceon away. And don't forget how strong his sound based moves are, either."

Valiant took in Ash's words before turning to face Toxtricity, who was already sparking in deep anticipation. Much like Phenom and Tempest, the electric/poison type was the aggressive member of Janine's party, with a very similar willingness to never back down.

"One more thing, Valiant," Ash grinned. "Nebula just evolved, so make her proud."

The boy couldn't sense emotions like his psychic friend could, but even he could have sworn he felt the surge of motivation coursing through the Kirlia's soul.

"BEGIN!"

Janine aimed her index finger at Valiant like a weapon. "Forward, now!"

With his body still sizzling with sparks, Toxtricity lunged ahead and broke into a run. Valiant remained stationary, firing a Psybeam at his opponent, but the punk Pokemon was unfazed, letting out a shout that produced a wave of dark energy to block the rainbow-colored psychic attack. Snarl wasn't the strongest move in his arsenal, but being a sound based move always ensured that it would pack a punch, and it made for good defense against psychic attacks.

The moment Valiant's Psybeam had been deflected, Janine called for a Thunderbolt, and Ash responded with a Magical Leaf. The bolt of electricity that Toxtricity sent Valiant's way collided with the barrage of glowing leaves, which shielded the Kirlia very well, but it would be short lived. Toxtricity was quick to follow up with a Sludge Bomb, rapid firing a barrage of purple globs that broke through the grassy shield and descended upon his opponent.

Valiant had been expecting such a move, however, surrounding himself in a psychic barrier that absorbed the sludge.

"Overdrive!"

Ash tensed. The strongest move in Toxtricity's (and maybe even Janine's) arsenal, and the attack that took Glaceon out. He wasn't confident a standard barrier could stand up to it. "Light Screen, spare no expense!"

The blast of lightning was like a clap of thunder when Toxtricity fired it. Dropping his psychic barrier, Valiant hastily formed the strongest Light Screen he could manage. When the Overdrive smashed into his golden shield, the Kirlia recoiled from the impact, immediately being pushed back by the collision. He lost his balance, falling backwards, but caught himself on his hands and returned to his feet with a well placed backflip, sliding into a crouching position.

"Power-Up Punch!" As per usual, Janine did not let up. With battle-lusted eyes concentrated on his opponent, Toxtricity prepared to close the distance once more, fist pulsing with the same energy he had racked up against Glaceon.

'Not a chance in hell.' Ash thought. "Shadow Ball, then Shadow Sneak!"

Toxtricity stopped to block Valiant's Shadow Ball with his Snarl, and the emotion Pokemon vanished into the ground. His shadow slithered across the pavement in rapid, zigzagged movements as his opponent attempted to follow it.

"Don't move." Janine instructed, and Toxtricity stopped dead in his tracks.

"Teleport, and Shadow Ball!" Ash waited several moments before giving the order. Valiant emerged from his shadow and immediately vanished, reappearing from a different angle and tossing a second orb of distortion that detonated against Toxtricty's side. The lizard was knocked over, but caught himself on his hands and somersaulted back to an upright position, rubbing the spot where he had been blasted for a moment.

"Forward, and Hyper Voice!"

Toxtricity quickly wasted no time charging at Valiant again. After inhaling for a moment, the punk Pokemon unleashed another powerful shout, loud enough for Valiant's ears to recoil, resisting the urge and desire to grab them so that he could produce a psychic barrier. The blast of shockwaves hammered against the Kirlia's cocoon of energy, and Valiant could feel it beginning to puncture, flinching from the force of the collision.

Toxtricity was upon him, and Valiant's eyes widened - too late to react when Toxtricity let loose a Snarl. The dark type energy carved through the psychic shield and sent the emotion Pokemon sliding back. Toxtricity continued to pursue him, now raising a fist blazing in electricity.

Ash was pretty sure his friend was getting ready to dodge, so he quickly chimed in. "Get in with Fire Punch!"

Valiant changed course the moment he heard his trainer's orders, and ran forward to meet his larger opponent head on. Toxtricity reared his arm back, preparing to swing, but the Kirlia's eyes flashed. Aided by Telepathy, he predicted his opponent's movement, and ducked under the Thunder Punch, leaving the electric/poison type's torso open and defenseless. With all of his might, Valiant pounded his flaming fist into Toxtricity's front. The fire left a burnt bruised, and Toxtricity staggered back.

Ash knew it wouldn't take long for Janine's partner to recover, though. "Teleport away!" As predicted, Toxtricity was ready to fight back, but Valiant vanished meters away before he had the chance, eliciting a frustrated growl from the lizard.

"Toxin Swift!" Janine commanded. "Keep approaching!"

Toxtricity was jogging this time, moving at a decent speed, but not his fastest. He launched the barrage of poisonous stars Valiant's way, and the Kirlia quickly erected more psychic energy to stop them.

'Once he gets close enough, he's gonna use Snarl again.' Ash told himself. "Valiant, Teleport again!"

When the last of the poisonous stars were deflected by the psychic barrier, Toxtricity had gotten within range, but Valiant quickly dropped his defenses and vanished away again. Another growl came from the lizard, although this one sounded more like a snarl.

"Calm down." Janine's voice was as precise as a sword stabbing through a mostly armored individuals one weak point. Her vocal cords were like a button that halted Toxtricity's mood, and although some of it was still present in the features on his face, he ceased his complaining. "Now, Wild Charge!"

Toxtricity's entire body erupted with lightning, and he charged faster than he had ever moved throughout the battle thus far, resembling a missile of electricity. Ash called out for Valiant to use Reflect; the Kirlia put all of his focus into defense, summoning a silver barrier in front of himself. Toxtricity smashed into it - the impact created a large dent that punctured the structure of the shield, and the shockwaves passed through, knocking Valiant over. He tried to catch himself, but he was tumbling too fast, and even after stopping himself fell over into a sitting position. Ahead of him, Toxtricity staggered back, holding his head and attempting to shake off the recoil.

"Blast him with Psybeam!" Ash called out as quickly as he could. With Toxtricity reeling from the recoil, this could be their chance, but Valiant needed to recover too. The Kirlia tried to force himself up, stumbling forward for a moment before managing to fire the rainbow beam, but Toxtricity was ready just in time to unleash another Snarl. The shockwaves of dark energy produced by his shout ate up the psychic energy, and the lizard bolted forward. His fist ignited in a cocoon of lightning, and with a lunge he socked Valiant across the jaw.

"Hyper Voice!"

Valiant was sent flying back a few feet before flipping in midair and landing, sliding back into another crouching position. Sparks danced along his bruised jaw, spasming his facial muscles, but he did his best to ignore it, forcing himself upright. Toxtricity was taking aim at him gain, firing another concentrated blast of shockwaves from his vocal cords. Holding his hands out, Valiant summoned more psychic energy to surround him as a shield, but flinched the moment the Hyper Voice struck. The shockwaves pounded against the barrier, pushing Valiant back as he desperately tried to hold onto it. Toxtricitiy needed to be conservative with Overdrive and Wild Charge, but his raw power was devastating even without them.

Toxtricity was finally forced to stop and catch his breath, and Valiant dropped his heavily damaged barrier. The stress from trying to keep it together amidst the assault, coupled with the force of the impact had him stumbling for a moment, but he did not allow himself to do so for any longer than that - not with the looming threat of his opponent's next attack.

"They're so much stronger than us," Ash muttered to himself. A direct hit from Hyper Voice was becoming more and more likely with the way Valiant was being overwhelmed, and leave him in bad shape for certain. If Janine risked another Overdrive (which Ash was certain she was gearing up to do), it could be over right there.

Janine wasn't giving him any free time to think. "Sludge Bomb, bombard him!"

Valiant's barrier could defend against it like before, but with the way things were going Toxtricity would just overwhelm him again. Being stationary against him was a bad idea.

"Dodge, dodge, dodge!" Ash yelled.

Toxtricity was advancing again, launching glob after glob in Valiant's direction. The Kirlia quickly leapt back, allowing the first of the bunch to splatter against the pavement, and his opponent gave chase, firing more and more.

"Now, Psychic!" Ash countered.

"Leap back!" Janine quickly ordered.

Lunging backwards one final time, Valiant concentrated hard and sent out a wave of psychic energy, which destroyed all of the globs of sludge being fired at him. The attack would have nailed Toxtricity, but the punk Pokemon brought himself out of range with a strong backwards leap.

"The biggest Magical Leaf you can!" Ash hollered. "Cover him!"

With Toxtricity at bay, Valiant pressed his hands together, sucking in air with a concentrated breath. An emerald orb shone in front of him - he concentrated as much power as he could into it, focusing with Calm Mind, and then let loose. A gorgeous, emerald cloud of leaves erupted out, enshrouding Toxtricity. It would not do much damage, but it would obscure Valiant from view, and Ash trusted the Kirlia to take advantage of it well, without him having to give any direct orders that Janine would hear.

Toxtricity braced himself as the cloud of shiny leaves engulfed him. He couldn't see anything but green, and the force pushed him back as the attack surrounded him from all ends. His natural resistance to grass helped, but he still failed to suppress his grunt.

He heard his trainer calling out to him. "Blow them away!"

Eyes widening, Toxtricity concentrated through the assault and spread his arms out wide. With a tremendous Screech, he sent an explosion of shockwaves out from his body in all directions, completely scattering the cloud of leaves. After catching his breath, he realized that Valiant had vanished.

Janine noticed at the last second. "Behind you!"

While the leaves were keeping him out of sight, Valiant had sunk into Shadow Sneak once more, traveling behind his opponent. As Toxtricity whirled around as fast as he could, the Kirlia sprinted out of his shadow with his head lowered, pulsing with powerful psychic energy. A Zen Headbutt.

Toxtricity and Janine were both too late. At full speed, Valiant leapt forward, driving himself headfirst into Toxtricity's torso. Pain spread throughout the punk Pokemon's ribs, and all of the air shot out of his lungs as the Kirlia tackled him to the ground. Valiant rose to his feet in triumph while his opponent recoiled on the pavement, holding his ribs like he had been smashed with a sledgehammer.

Janine was calling for Toxtricity to get up, and for as strong as the blow had been, Ash and Valiant both knew better than to take their time. The powerhouse was vulnerable.

"Psyshock!"

Valiant sucked in more air, once more concentrating to gather as much power as he could. An orb of rippling psychic power formed in his hands, growing and crackling as he concentrated and stabilized. Toxtricity was still holding his ribs while making his way to his feet, letting go when he was about halfway up. Despite the previous attack, the resilient lizard was rising quickly, but Valiant's attack was ready.

The Kirlia took a leap back, creating just enough distance to properly aim and get himself out of the blast zone, and before landing he fired the blast. Toxtricity was only fully standing for a moment before the Psyshock violently exploded into him, launching him back and sending him flopping away across the hard pavement.

After landing, Valiant took a moment to catch his breath. He had exerted himself a lot in the fight, and although he was much better with Psyshock and Moonblast than he had been at first, such powerful moves still took a lot out of him.

A lot of dust had erupted upwards from Psyshock's explosion, but it wasn't long before Ash could see Toxtricity's still form lying face first on the ground. There was no movement.

"Toxtricity is unable to battle, Kirlia wins!"

The small audience clapped while the lizard vanished back into his Poke Ball. Janine complimented her partner before watching Valiant make his way back to Ash. As she had expected, psychic types were still a problem for her.

"Great work turning that around, buddy." Valiant smiled while his trainer patted his head. "I was worried about what more Toxtricity could do if we gave him the chance." the Kirlia hummed an agreement, and the pair looked back to Janine, who was in the midst of selecting her next teammate. She seemed to be taking longer than before. "That means we're in the lead now, but there's still a long way to go." things had gotten off to a really rough start for them, but they were bouncing back. That meant very little at this stage, however. The battle was still in its early stages, and there wasn't a single weak link they had to go through if they wanted to win.

"Good going," Janine announced while finally unclipping her next Poke Ball. "It's been a lot of fun so far."

"Same," Ash nodded. "Let's make the rest even better."

On her side of the field, Janine's stoicism broke for a moment, offering a grin while her eyes glowed with purple fire. "As you wish."

Beedrill appeared next. The large bug offered Ash and Valiant a friendly gesture with her stingers before quickly assuming a stance, as though she was holding two swords.

Beedrill was another strong offensive fighter. Her stingers could indeed strike like actual blades, bad news for the less durable members of the team, and made them even more deadly was that she could be very fast thanks to Agility.

With his hand on his belt, Ash considered his options for a few moments. Valiant had tied with her before, but she wasn't the most favorable matchup for him. Most of his team would carry some form of risk against her, but the same could be said for just about all of Janine's Pokemon.

"I'm sending you back for now, okay?" Valiant nodded compliantly and vanished into his ball. Ash's hand moved between Pikachu and Nebula, before making his choice.

Pikachu appeared in front of him, standing upright to call out a greeting before sinking to all fours. Sparks of excitement rolled across his fur as his tail stood fully erect, and Janine allowed her guard to drop for just a second to give the mouse a thumbs up before returning to her usual composure.

"We're winning two to one, buddy." Ash announced to his starter. "But the battle is still young. You may not be very durable, but you can outrun Beedrill just fine so make sure you use that to your advantage. Those deadly stingers won't be able to do the job if she can't land a hit, but if she does it could be lights out." his friend nodded, offering a friendly squeak. "Oh, and more thing: Nebula evolved a little bit ago."

If there was one member of the team whose motivation would double from such an announcement, it was Pikachu. Ash couldn't hide his grin when the sparks coming from his tail intensified, coating his fur with lightning almost as though it were a second layer of fur. His starter's body was a beacon, but also resembled an engine that had been fully revved up.

Ash hardly needed the morale boost, no one on his team did, but it amplified his excitement nonetheless. His eyes moved away from Pikachu and onto Janine and Beedrill. The former stood with her arms crossed, as focused and intense as ever, and the latter was ready to strike at a moment's notice to carve her way through the opposition, as everyone present knew she was perfectly capable of doing.

'One more memory.'

Len sliced his hand down. "BEGIN!"

"Get moving right away!" Ash raised his voice for emphasis, and his starter took off like a gas pedal inside of him had just been floored. A trail of sparks was left sizzling into the pavement when Pikachu kicked off of the ground and sprinted at the highest speed he could muster without using Agility. With the lightning covering his fur, more sparks danced and leaked off of him like firecrackers.

"Move around as well, with Agility." Janine announced, unintimidated by Pikacu's velocity. Beedrill became coated in the familiar blue, psychic aura and buzzed in the opposite direction. As Ash was already prepared for, she moved really fast, and her eyes followed Pikachu even as he curved around in a speedy blaze. "Infection Blast!"

Beedrill fired the poisonous Pin Missile like a machine gun. The needles (which, given their strength, were more like spikes) bounced off of the pavement as Pikachu kept up his speed to avoid the onslaught. Beedrill curved her body to follow him, continuously firing with perfect consistency, but he remained fast enough to avoid it all.

"Double Team," Ash called out. "And go in for an Iron Tail!"

"You do the same, Beedrill."

Pikachu split into three, zigzagging his movements for a moment before charging forward. Beedrill ceased firing the Infection Blast and split into three as well, rushing forward to meet him head on. The real Beedrill suddenly stopped midway, allowing her clones to go ahead and vanish when her mouse opponent struck them. With the real Pikachu exposed, Beedrill rushed forward again, this time with Agility, with Pikachu's back to her.

Pikachu's body glowed blue. Boosting his own speed with Agility, he outran his opponent before turning around with a midair flip, and fired a Thunderbolt down at her. Beedrill crossed her stingers together defensively in front of her with X-Scissor, and took the hit. The lightning sizzled against her, shooting a burning pain through her stingers as the blast pushed her back, but she remained upright through it all. As Pikachu landed, he rushed her again, with his tail once again turning to metal.

Boosting his speed with Agility for a split second, Pikachu closed the distance before she could properly respond, swinging his Iron Tail into her crossed stingers, knocking her back more. She stopped herself midway, using Agility to reverse her momentum and propel herself forward. Her left stinger bubbled with toxins, and she lashed out with a Poison Jab. Pikachu swung his Iron Tail to parry it, but her other stinger glowed orange, charging a Brick Break. Pikachu would not be able to painlessly block the fighting type move with Iron Tail, so he flipped over instead, and his metal tail erupted with electricity. He tried to swing it at her head, but she whirled around and brought the Brick Break right into it, pushing him back and sending a shooting pain through his tail. The mouse hopped on one foot for a moment before lashing out again.

"Fury Attack!"

Now Beedrill's stingers glowed with a pure white, and she began stabbing forward in rapid fire motions. Like a sword fight, Pikachu parried the first several, but they were coming in too fast to block them all. As he tried to retreat backwards, one of the strikes grazed his face, leaving behind a tiny cut that leaked a drop of red just above his cheek.

"Remember to keep moving!" Ash chimed in. Pikachu stood zero chance against Beedrill in close quarters; she would skewer him with ease. He needed to best her at the hit and run game.

Janine knew that just as much as he did, unfortunately. "String Shot!"

Pikachu started to pull back, turning around and flipping onto all fours to run away, but Beedrill spat out a thick string that wrapped around his ankle and yanked it off of the ground. The mouse's nose bounced off of the pavement - momentarily obscuring his vision with tears - and Beedrill pulled back to reel him in like a fish on a hook. Her right pincer glowed with deadly poison, ready to ram the toxic blade straight through her opponent's back.

"Stay focused, Swift!" Ash called out, not allowing himself to panic. Instead of fighting to free himself from the string, Pikachu rolled over onto his back, giving his opponent a view of the blood coming out of his nose and staining his fur. The tears made his vision imperfect, but he simply spat out the golden stars straight ahead, pelting Beedrill in the chest and forcing her to relinquish her grip on the string. "Counter Shield!"

The string around Pikachu's ankle was still present, but would quickly be burnt away by the lightning. Leaping up to gain some momentum, the mouse spun around on his back, producing a tornado of lightning that left Beedrill with no choice but to retreat out of range, lest she get zapped.

"Now run away!" Ash ordered.

"Chase him!" Janine called out.

"Agility!" Ash quickly added.

Pikachu ended the Counter Shield, flipping himself over onto all fours and dashing away. Both pokemon were cloaked in Agility as Beedrill gave chase, charging more poison through her stingers, but she could not get in range - the distance between them progressively widened. They were headed in Ash's direction, right towards the barrier in front of him.

"Zap Tail!" he announced. "Then Electro Ball!" He considered using Static Tail instead, in hopes of inflicting some paralysis, but with Beedrill's potential counters, he decided to prioritize power first.

"Brick Break!"

As Pikachu closed in on the barrier, he smashed an Iron Tail right into it, shielding himself from the crash. Sparks traveled along the metal, before erupting into a full coat of lightning, and he used the force of the impact to shoot himself off, straight for Beedrill. Her left stinger was glowing a brilliant orange, and both combatants charged fearlessly towards one another, swinging their attacks at the same time.

Pikachu felt the pain in his tail as their attacks collided, but despite Beedrill's usage of the fighting type move, his superior speed gave him an advantage in the clash. The poison bee was pushed back, feeling a similar pain in her stinger, and Pikachu landed on his forepaws to flip himself into the air, charging a ball of lightning at the tip of his tail.

"Evade it!" Janine's voice was more encouraging than commanding. "Infection Blast!"

Beedrill regained her balance in time to propel herself off of the side with a short burst of Agility, evading the Electro Ball that Pikachu had flung her way. The projectile detonated against the pavement in an explosion of sparks, and Beedrill took aim at the mouse while he was still in midair. A barrage of poisonous needles assaulted Ash's starter, and the boy knew with a mild curse that the mouse had just been poisoned. Despite this, Pikachu grit his teeth through the likely agony and swung a well timed Iron Tail into the ground to catch himself before he could land on his face.

"Toxin Saw!" Janine was raising her voice, but it carried more of a commanding presence than that of aggression. A small part of Ash almost thought it sounded kind of similar to Koga.

Both of Beedrill's stingers pulsed with bright, white energy, strengthening like swords before vibrating violently. As they did, they also began to glow a deep, deadly purple, channeling a large dosage of her inner venom.

Buzzsaw was a combo move that strengthened Fury Cutter with Focus Energy. Toxin Saw was the poisonous upgrade of that, and easily the deadliest move in Beedrill's arsenal thus far. They were going for the kill now - Pikachu had no chance of getting hit by it without being crippled and at their mercy.

"Pull back, Pikachu! Cover yourself with Swift!" He wasn't sure how badly poisoned Pikachu had been by the infection blast, but they couldn't afford a drawn out fight. They had to move in for the knockout while simultaneously maneuvering around Janine and Beedrill's fatal skillset.

Pikachu spat out another stream of golden stars while attempting to retreat. Beedrill responded with a Pin Missile that successfully canceled them out, but the mouse was already retreating out of range with his own short burst of Agility, before settling into his top speed without it.

"Go after him and grab him with String Shot."

Beedrill activated Agility again, so Ash commanded Pikachu to do the same. As long as he kept up his top speed, she could not catch him, probably not even with String Shot. But continuous usage of the move would prove strenuous for either one of them, and with Pikachu now being poisoned, the war of attrition was likely to go in Janine's favor.

'She knows we can't run forever.' Ash thought to himself. If Pikachu didn't come to her, he would run out steam first, and be at Beedrill's mercy anyway. Situations like this were a constant danger when contesting against a team of poison types. On a superficial level, it reminded him of Nebula and Golbat, but this time Pikachu wouldn't be evolving to turn the tides.

Beedrill kept her eyes locked onto Pikachu like the barrel of a gun. As fast as her body would allow, she buzzed after him, zipping across the battlefield in pursuit of her target. Pikachu was faster, gaining more distance and performing sharp turns and zigzags in an attempt to trip her up. She fired a String Shot at him, and almost hit her mark, but he managed to barely avoid it. The mouse tried not to think about the poison in his system. It hadn't taken any sort of hold yet, and he didn't know when it would, but for now he could not afford to slow down. He pushed himself as hard as he could, maintaining his top speed to maneuver away from his pursuer.

Neither Ash nor Janine said a word as their eyes followed the movements of both combatants. It was a stalemate for now, but it wouldn't last forever. Neither could hold onto Agility for much longer before mentally taxing themselves too much, so both Pokemon dropped it, resuming the chase at their otherwise normal speeds.

Ash's face tightened. It was a risky idea that could easily lead to his starter getting pulverized, but if it worked…

"Pikachu, Discharge! While you run!"

On the other side of the field, Janine's eyes widened.

Sparks began flying from Pikachu's cheeks. The mouse doubted he could pull something like this off while using Agility at the same time, but now that he no longer was…

He concentrated. His tail stiffened. He had to maintain his top speed - if he did not prioritize that Beedrill would catch up to him and land the finishing blow first. It was a struggle gathering and maintaining all of his power while in the midst of a chase like this, but he had been practicing this move for such a long time now.

The sparks intensified. His body flowed with lightning desperately begging to be let out, and then he turned around, sliding to a stop. Janine was calling for Beedrill to get away, but then the mouse sprung forward, threw out his arms and legs, and with a holler, unleashed the explosion.

Electricity shot out of him, going in every direction. Ash had to shield his eyes as the lightning flashed over and over. The blast extended outwards and consumed Beedrill, who screamed.

And then it was done. Small clouds of dust and smoke surrounded both Pokemon, but they were still mostly in view.

Pikachu was on all fours, breathing in and out. His training to control his electricity had allowed him to use Discharge at least once without having to worry about the drawbacks slamming into him too much, but still took a moment to recover from.

Several feet away from him, Beedrill was still upright. She shook in the air, with electricity rolling down her exterior, spasming some of her muscles, but she was still conscious. She was badly wounded, however, and Pikachu felt a little bit of guilt from the burn marks on her. She was his friend, and yet they were still battling, and having fun doing it. Despite the pain she was in, he recognized her gesture - she was impressed.

Pikachu recovered first - Beedrill was still reeling from the Discharge, and wide open because of it. Without waiting for Ash to give another order, the mouse shot forward, turned his tail to metal, and smashed her in the face. She was flung back before lying still.

"Beedrill is unable to battle, Pikachu wins!"

Janine watched Pikachu turn and race back to Ash, leaping up to give his trainer a high five. The sight moved her, but it also formed a knot in her stomach. She was going to miss this.

"You fought a good fight," she reassured Beedrill in her Poke Ball. "Leave everything else to us."

She had three Pokemon left to Ash's five. It was easy to be nervous in such a situation, but she felt a surge of admiration instead. This was the boy who had overcome her father's trials to both professional and personal recognition. And now he was here, pushing her to her limit.

She considered her remaining three team members. Ivysaur, Tentacruel and Skrelp. All but Ivysaur would be weak to Pikachu's electricity, and he had the looming threat of Nebula to worry about - unless she could convince Ash to send her back out. As it currently stood, sending her starter out would be inviting potential trouble.

The ninja girl hummed for a moment. Reading your opponent and predicting their decisions was a vital component of competition and taking control of the flow of battle. It would take more than simply that to come out on top, however. Ash had already proven that.

Tentacruel appeared in front of her next. The large jellyfish greeted their opponents with her usual polite attitude before turning to her trainer, who nodded calmly.

"Tentacruel, I have a favor to ask."

Ash was caught off guard by Tentacruel's appearance. He had expected Skrelp to be Janine's choice, since she was faster. Tentacruel was no worse with Surf than Skrelp or Tempest were, so she would not be fully stationary on land, but speed wasn't her strength. She was certainly durable, but Pikachu's superior mobility equipped him to overwhelm her with his electrical attacks. In his current state, a second Discharge would take more effort to pull off, and would also take more out of him, but it was hardly his only option.

Janine had to know sending Tentacruel out now was a gamble; she wouldn't do it without a plan, but what was her plan? Was she counting on him to exploit Pikachu's advantage and fall into a trap, or…

He almost groaned to himself before looking down at his starter. "Ready for another round, buddy?" Pikachu gave him what looked like a thumbs. If they could make Janine pay for her mistake, she would be put in a potentially unsalvageable position.

"BEGIN!"

Pikachu took off the instant Len gave the signal. Galloping across the field, he flipped himself into the air as crackling sparks engulfed his cheeks. With a forceful, downward swipe of his tail, he sent a Thunderbolt Tentacruel's way. The jellyfish angled her head up to follow his movements and, already seeing the attack coming before he even used it, formed a Frost Pulse to fire in response. The streak of lightning collided with the frozen Water Pulse, which exploded into scattering chunks and cold mist. As the two attacks collided, Tentacruel summoned Surf underneath her to retreat backwards, using Haze to obscure herself with an icy cloud.

'Trying to keep their distance.' Ash thought. Mind games or not, Janine wasn't going to be the one to psyche him out. "Pikachu, Shock Rush!"

The moment he landed, Pikachu bolted forward, surrounding himself in electricity as he charged through the Haze. It was almost like winter when he entered the cloud, abruptly very cold. It did not hinder his momentum though, and Tentacruel would not be fast enough to run from him. Closing in, he leapt forward and launched himself shoulder first into her body. Tentacruel recoiled back from the force as the sparks sizzled against her, fighting to stay upright as Pikachu continued to push.

Fighting through the attack, Tentacruel retained her balance and retaliated. A set of tentacles wrapped around the surprised mouse and bound him against her. All of a sudden, he was the one recoiling pain as his opponent's grip progressively tightened, enduring the pain from the electricity until it was forced to fizzle out from the pressure.

Ash didn't see it right away. The Haze obscured his view for a moment, but when Pikachu and Tentacruel were back in his line of sight, he saw his friend captured in her clutches.

"Damnit," he quietly hissed to himself. "I should have known." Tentacruel could end the fight right here if they gave her the chance. She could squeeze the life right out of the electric type, or sap away at him with Giga Drain, or even blast him point blank.

The latter of which seemed to be the plan. "Use Toxic Pulse, don't let him go!"

They needed to escape Tentacruel before she had the chance. The tight bind that she had him in would no doubt disrupt Pikachu's attempts to use his electricity, but that didn't mean it made it impossible. "Thunder Wave, get out of there!" As Thunderbolt might have been more difficult to manage, but if they could paralyze her limbs, it would be all they needed.

"Bind him more!"

Tentacruel squeezed Pikachu even tighter, and the electric mouse worried his bones might pop. It was an agonizing grip, and the pressure made it such a strain to produce electricity, but he fought against it with everything he could. Debilitating sparks flowed through his tail and traveled across the tentacles. Tentacruel felt her appendages going stiff - Pikachu was still imprisoned in them, but binding and squeezing him was becoming more difficult. She was losing strength.

Janine could see it. "Giga Drain, hurry!" The grass type move could suppress the Thunder Wave and worsen Pikachu's condition all at once.

"Fight harder, buddy!" Ash called out. "I know you can do it!"

Tentacruel tried to produce Giga Drain, but Ash's encouragement was like a supercharging device for Pikachu's defiance. The mouse put more and more effort into properly using Thunder Wave, straining himself to produce the electricity even when trapped in her grip. The sparks rolled across her tentacles until the appendages finally gave out, going momentarily limp. Wrestling himself free, Pikachu winded back an Iron Tail and bashed the jellyfish in the face, knocking her onto her side as she struggled to get feeling back in her limbs.

Ash's heart sped up. This was it, she was wide open. "Thunderbolt, as strong as you can!"

More electricity flowed through the mouse's cheeks, but as he landed on the pavement, his balance suddenly gave out. Ash started to call out in alarm before immediately realizing what was going on.

Pikachu's back was throbbing, and his ribs ached. Grabbing at the sore spots, the mouse found with tightly gritted teeth that it was a struggle to stay upright. Tentacruel was right in front of him, vulnerable for what was likely to only be a short window, and he needed to to zap her while he could.

Snarling through the pain, the young mouse pressed his forepaws against the ground to push himself back onto his hindlegs. As he rose, it was like a knife was stuck in his back, and he staggered before nearly falling onto his side, catching himself with his paws before he could hit the ground. Trying to push himself back up again, he began stumbling, and almost collapsed into a sitting position before finally managing to stay upright. But his back and ribs still hurt.

"Pikachu," Ash tried not to make his concern sound too alarming or stressful. "Are you okay?" his starter called back to him in reassurance, but kept his eyes on Tentacruel, catching his breath while trying to maintain his posture.

The large jellyfish was rising back up, the strength in her tentacles having mostly returned to her, and Ash almost shook his head. They would have had a chance to go for it, but Pikachu had come out of the exchange just as harshly as she had, and likely more long term. He was likely least durable member of the team, and although his resolve had led him to surviving Tentacruel's trap, it didn't erase the damage that was done. He hoped that nothing was broken, but one way or another, Pikachu had a bad back now. That robbed him of his speed advantage, and probably made Counter Shield impossible from here on out.

The boy looked past Pikachu and Tentacruel, over to Janine. She stood as sturdy as ever, arms crossed and eyes glued to the action. It was both an intimidating and admirable display to see from someone his age. She had known what put Tentacruel at poor odds in this matchup, and just like that it was no longer in play. He hadn't been able to piece together what her plan had been - to spring a trap, or throw him off his game overthinking it. She had clearly been up to something, and yet he fell for it anyway.

Across from him, Janine saw Ash's gaze turn to her. The plan had been a success - for now. It was wishful thinking to assume the gambit they had pulled off would be enough to take Pikachu out on its own; she knew he was more likely to escape Tentacruel's wrap than not, but it would all be worth it as long as they physically hindered him to take away his speed. Skrelp would not have done that. Now Pikachu could not run circles around them, and with Counter Shield no longer an option, his defenses were limited. Speaking of defense, Tentacruel could take a big hit much better than he could, and avoiding such things had just become a lot more difficult.

"It's time to end this." If Ash had not been all the way on the other side of the field, he was convinced he may have gotten a chill from her tone.

With Pikachu in her sights, Tentacruel took aim and fired Bubble Beam - these bubbles were a glowing purple, containing poison. Pikachu flinched as the jellyfish prepared to pick him off, and braced himself for the inevitable discomfort he was about to put himself through. When the bubbles were fired, he threw himself to the side, wincing as his back protested the sudden movement. Pain flared through him, but he knew that if he surrendered to it he would be taking hits that he couldn't come back from. To Janine's amazement, the mouse hopped away from the poisonous barrage, leaving the Toxic Bubbles to splatter onto the pavement. Tentacruel gave her opponent an approving eye before summoning a small wave of water underneath her, ready to pursue.

'What options do we have.' Ash thought to himself as quickly as he could. Swift was probably the only ranged attack Pikachu could use without irritating his back, and Tentacruel could defend against that easily. Electro Ball or Thunderbolt were their best options, but would also be painful to pull off.

He wished he had more time to come up with a solution, but he was only given what felt like a split second to come to the decision that he did. For the current moment, his team had the lead, which means Janine had more to lose than him, even if Pikachu's condition ended up worsening, knocking Tentacruel out or at least weakening her a great deal were the top priority. If they played conservative they would just be ineffective and make it easier for their opponents to finish them off. With some guilt, he called out his order.

"Pikachu, Electro Ball. Do your best!"

The mouse's eyes did not leave the jellyfish. He knew it was a tall order, and he knew Ash knew it as well, but his choices were to either risk going down swinging or go down not swinging at all. At least Nebula and the others could pick up where he left off if he lost here.

Cheeks crackling, Pikachu glowered at the bulky water/poison type closing in on him, and formed the orb of electricity on his tail. He swung forward, and the motion indeed flared up his back, but he refused to let it halt him, and flung the Electro Ball straight at his opponent's face. He staggered forward and nearly lost his balance, but managed to remain upright.

Tentacruel did not have time to form a Frost Pulse and block, so instead she crossed her tentacles and braced herself for the impact. Pikachu's Electro Ball was not at its full strength, but it still hurt to be struck by, and forced her backwards. As she shook off the blow, Pikachu staggered for a moment, reaching back to clutch his sore spot while keeping his eyes on her.

It was rare for Janine to feel guilt in the middle of a battle. When she saw what Pikachu was being put through, however, that unusual feeling crept at the back of her brain. This was no random opponent, this was a Pokemon that she had spent so much time with, and her best friend's starter no less. But he was also an opponent that she respected, and every party knew going in that things could get brutal. Nobody intended to go easy on the other, after all.

So she pushed the hesitation down. "Frost Pulse, Tentacruel."

The thick sphere of ice formed in front of Tentacruel, who chucked it at the electric type while advancing forward. Pikachu scrambled to the side and fell to his knees, avoiding the attack but now wide open for the next.

"Rapids Rush!"

The combo was almost Tentacruel's equivalent to River Brawl, being another technique of rapid strikes involving Liquidation. This one utilized Brutal Swing, however. As she closed in on her half fallen opponent, Tentacruel surrounded her body in water, and her tentacles pulsed with dark energy that decorated them a blackish purple. Rearing back, the jellyfish rushed forward while spinning like a helicopter made of water. Her rapidly rotating form plowed into Pikachu, assaulting him with blow after blow after blow before knocking him away. Covered in bruises, his body limply bounced across the pavement, before coming to a stop with no signs of motion.

"Pikachu is unable to battle, Tentacruel wins!"

Ash recalled his starter and gazed gently at the capsule. "Amazing effort, buddy." he couldn't have asked the mouse to try any harder with the condition that he was in, and he could only imagine how painful Janine and Tentacruel's final attack could have been in such a situation.

Looking back at Tentacruel, she seemed to be in fine shape. Pikachu had landed his hits, but it was nothing she couldn't handle, and whoever he sent out next wouldn't be able to rely on her being softened up for them.

Nebula, Valiant, Phenom and Tempest. Between the four of them, Valiant and Tempest were the ones that immediately came to his mind, and he was just about to narrow his options to just them before stopping himself. If he sent out Tempest, who's brute strength would perfectly contest with the jellyfish's vicious utilization of her tentacles, Janine would likely substitute her for Ivysaur. If he sent out Valiant, who's psychic abilities and Thunderbolt would be the natural offensive counter to Tentacruel (compared to Tempest being the defensive counter), he had a feeling Skrelp would be Janine's first choice. Her arsenal included Shadow Ball and Iron Tail, and although her usage of Surf was limited like Tentacruel's and Tempest's, she had naturally gotten good at balancing that, being the fastest of Janine's remaining Pokemon.

Phenom was a wild card. The Tyrunt was a very strong threat, but Tentacruel also had the arsenal to combat him, and Ash found that he was the one he was least comfortable sending out right now. And then Nebula…

… Saving her for Ivysaur was the most ideal strategy, but Janine was going to do everything she could to keep them apart, and if she didn't succeed, he had seen her starter deal with flying types before. A Pokemon with such versatility had numerous ways of wrestling their way out of disadvantages. If he sent out the Staraptor right now, Janine was not likely to make a substitution, and her flight gave her an evasive advantage over the strategy that had just been employed against Pikachu.

The boy's hand began to curl around the newly evolved bird's Poke Ball. He could hold off on her in hopes of checking Ivysaur, but he had already been burned with Pikachu and Tentacruel, and he couldn't ignore the rest of her team either. That could cost him just as much.

Nebula appeared in front of him, and although he already knew, seeing her as a Staraptor almost took his breath away all over again. On the other side, Tentacruel's surprised expression was more than a little satisfying to see. Apparently Janine had neglected to warn her.

"Ready for another round, girl?" Her fierce squawk was music to his ears. "You have the aerial advantage, so use it. Since you're still poisoned, we can't play things too safe; dragging things out would backfire, but prioritize ranged attacks over charging in. They can and will do some real damage with those tentacles, especially if they get them around you. Other than that, remember she knows some ice attacks." Looking back to Janine, she was telling Tentacruel something. Probably a strategy to get her tentacles around Nebula.

"BEGIN!"

As Ash had suggested, Nebula's first course of action was to rise higher, fully taking flight. While she ascended, Tentacruel fired off an Ice beam that wasn't likely to hit, but designed to keep her on her toes, and the Staraptor swiftly avoided it before getting into position to unleash a flurry of Air Cutter.

Tentacruel surrounded herself in Liquidation once more, spinning around with Rapids Rush to deflect the barrage. The blades of air were deflected, but the large jellyfish was still being pushed back somewhat, hopefully receiving at least minor damage for her troubles. She was very strong, and the water she had submerged herself in was a clever suit of armor, but Nebula was not a Staravia anymore - her attacks were stronger and more forceful than ever before. And in this attack's case, sharper.

"Let's see you deflect this," Ash muttered. "Air Slash!"

Nebula took a moment to circle around her opponent, but stopped midway, rearing her wing back. The bladed construct of air that she formed was bigger and brighter than any she had used in the past, and when she threw it, it traveled significantly faster as well. Tentacruel braced herself to take the hit… and her body began to liquify. The blade carved into her, but thanks to Acid Armor, the impact was lessened. Ash had seen piercing moves be an effective counter against such a tactic, but as far as he knew, they were normally better off in succession, which was likely the reason Tentacruel had not done the same against Air Cutter.

From high up, the Staraptor could wear Tentacruel down, but the longer she took, the more time they would be giving the poison in her system to do the same to her. Evolving had delayed that, but sooner or later it would catch up to her if they did not get aggressive - which in turn would increase the number of options that Janine had to fight back. Tentacruel wasn't as equipped to ground Nebula as Ivysaur would have been, but her Supersonic and ice type attacks would still be a danger.

'So we don't charge her while we descend.' Ash nodded to himself. Have Nebula lower herself closer to ground level while still keeping a distance, and use her ranged attacks to work her way in.

"Nebula, come back to me and get closer to the ground!" The Staraptor did a sharp U-turn to avoid her opponent's frozen Bubble Beam flew back in his direction, lowering herself in midair along the way.

"Pursue her with Surf!" Tentacruel summoned more water underneath her body, riding the wave after the large bird and leaving a wet trail in her wake. Ahead of her, Nebula stopped in front of Ash, hovering just above her trainer's head.

"We're gonna make an opening," he announced. "Charge in with Wind Blast." with an obedient shriek, the Staraptor propelled herself away from him, flying low and on a collision course with Tentacruel. Almost just as quickly, she came to a stop, flapping her wings to generate the condensed current. Tentacruel tried to brace herself, but was not prepared for the force behind it, and was promptly knocked off of the water and sent tumbling back. "Wing Attack!"

Nebula resumed her low flight, shooting forward even faster than before and bashing her wing against Tentacruel before she could recover. The bulky jellyfish was lifted off of the ground and sent flying at least a couple of meters before landing again. Despite the painful blow, she retaliated pretty quickly, shooting a stream of boiling water at the offending Staraptor, but not quickly enough to hit her before she was already ascending out of range.

Tentacruel was the most durable of Janine's team for sure, and could handle Nebula's newfound strength better than Golbat. They had to keep a consistent pace if they were going to knock her out. Ash was sure that the poison in Nebula's system was doing its work, and soon she would have to start fighting against it the way she had done against Golbat.

"Another Air Cutter, girl!"

As Nebula rose back into the air, she could feel something off about herself - something similar to before. The poison was making itself known again. She needed to turn up the aggression before her strength started to fail her. In defiance, she fired a flurry of windy blades down into Tentacruel, trying to make it even better and stronger than the one before it. Her jellyfish opponent assumed her signature defensive stance to weather the punishment, but Nebula could see her losing her balance, and began lowering herself for another attack.

"Use Haze, upwards!"

The Staraptor's eyes widened as Tentacruel used a short burst of Surf to advance towards her in her descent. A thick icy cloud traveled upwards and into her path - caught off guard, she was engulfed in it. The air around her turned alarmingly cold, and on instinct she stopped in place, recoiling from the sudden blast of winter air.

Ash watched the cloud cover his friend, obscuring her from his view. Janine was trying to disrupt Nebula's flight, and Tentacruel wasn't stopping at just that. The jellyfish continued her Haze, now obscuring herself from view just as much as Nebula. The cold fog spread through a significant portion of the battlefield, and the two trainers could no longer see each other, or either of their teammates.

Inside the cloud, Nebula shivered. The internal poison was already working against her, but now she could feel her body weakening externally too. Tentacruel was still keeping the Haze going, launching more and more wintry fog upwards. It was getting harder to maintain her balance in this cold. Clenching her beak tight, the muscular bird summoned her strength and flapped her wings hard, generating an air current that pushed the Haze away. Although the cold air lingered, she felt some relief as the temperature returned closer to normal, and the clouds were forced elsewhere onto the battlefield, where they began parting and dissipating.

Tentacruel ceased the opportunity. Before her opponent was done producing the Whirlwind, the jellyfish angled herself and fired a forceful Scald. Nebula quickly took notice, stopping her Whirlwind to move to the side, but the blast of boiling water clipped the tail end of her wing. Her body had just been subjected to the cold from Haze, and the contrast from the extremely hot water stung like a stab from Beedrill. The moment it made contact, she recoiled, shifting onto her side and fighting to keep herself balanced - with one wing doing more work than the other. Tentacruel followed up with a Frost Pulse, hurling a large sphere of ice with the intent of knocking the Staraptor out of her flight. Nebula saw the attack coming, and despite her pain, her good wing turned to metal and bashed hard against the incoming projectile, sending it straight back to her attacker. Tentacruel's eyes widened, and she attempted to catch the now cracked Frost Pulse, but it slammed straight into her head.

"Aerial Ace!" Ash quickly capitalized.

Nebula flapped her wings a few more times, doing her best to readjust herself while Tentacruel shook off the blow. Angling herself for the charge, the large bird cloaked herself in the signature white aura and rushed downwards. She was not moving quite as fast as before, but was still faster than before she had evolved, and certainly had much more strength backing her up when she crashed beak first into the jellyfish. Tentacruel cried, bouncing and tumbling away as Nebula used the impact to flip herself back into the air. Janine's partner recovered, however, summoning Surf underneath to catch herself. She maintained the pillar of water for a few moments, hovering just above the ground before allowing it to collapse. Ash watched for a moment before looking back up at Nebula. He was about to give her another order when something seemed off.

The Staraptor inhaled a large sum of air, a sudden fatigue passing through her body. The poison was starting to get a better grip, and for a split second, her vision blurred.

"Nebula!" Ash's voice reached her. "Stay strong girl, you've got this!"

"Not for long," Janine said to herself. "Frozen Bullets, advance!"

Tentacruel summoned Surf again. This time the wave was a little bit larger, and carried her forward at the best speed she could muster. She had taken some punishment, and was beginning to feel the aches, but she was resilient enough for it to be bearable. Now in range, she reared her head back and fired a volley of frozen bubbles. Nebula tried to dodge, but her brief episode ended too late, and she was pelted in the side of her stomach. Tentacruel continued to advance, zeroing in on the spot her opponent would fall in so that she could catch her with her tentacles…

Nebula's fall halted halfway through. With a strong flap of her wings she produced a gust of air that assaulted the ground and remained in place, out of Tentacruel's reach.

Ash's sigh of relief did not last long.

Tentacruel's Supersonic was imperfect, but it was just enough. The unpleasant soundwaves triggered another bout of nausea in the poisoned Staraptor, who fell out of the air while her flapping halted. She caught herself just in time to not hit the ground, pushing herself back upright, but Tentacruel leapt off of her Surf to close the remaining distance. The jellyfish's tentacles spread out wide on either side of her as her large form collided with her feathered opponent. Nebula pushed her wings against her attacker, fighting to keep herself from being tackled to the ground, but then the tentacles wrapped around her, binding her entire body in the same prison that had previously claimed Pikachu.

"Crap," Ash blurted out, somewhat to his own embarrassment. It was the exact scenario he had been trying to avoid - and that Janine had very clearly been trying to achieve. On the battlefield, Tentacruel squeezed Nebula as hard as she could, eliciting a pained gasp from the trapped bird, who strained her wings in a fruitless attempt to push back the tentacles that enveloped her body. Opening her beak, she managed to suck in some air before redoubling her efforts. "Stay calm, Nebula! You can fight it!"

"Harder!" Janine refuted. "Don't give her an inch!"

Nebula tried to push back with her wings, desperate to pry her opponent's tentacles open, but she was facing an uphill battle from the start, and Tentacruel had an easier time bearing fruit for her efforts. The crushing grip of the jellyfish and her tentacles only seemed to worsen, but despite the pain, the Staraptor's body did not give out nearly as easily as Pikachu's. Both Pokemon knew it would not matter in the long run, however. As long as the poisoned bird was trapped between the tentacles of Janine's partner, her strength would continue to fail her until she could fight no more.

But Ash wasn't about to let it end like that. "Steel Wing! Use your Steel Wing!"

Nebula heard Ash's order, and she tried to follow it, but with the amount of pressure assaulting her from both sides, it was much easier said than done. She struggled to concentrate on anything other than resisting the bind of Tentacruel's wrap. She needed to put enough focus into turning her wings to metal, while still putting in the strenuous effort to push back. The bird's eyes squeezed shut, trying to will her way through it over and over, but the jellyfish just kept on squeezing.

It took what felt like all of the sheer force of will in the world, but the Staraptor's wings began to harden. And the more they hardened, the easier it got, even if only slightly. The pressure binding against her wings was still present - and certainly still assaulted the rest of her body - but her wings were now protected. And far stronger. She continued to push, fighting with all of her heart to spread her wings out and pry Tentacruel's appendage off of her. Tentacruel tried to summon even more strength and squeeze around Nebula even harder than she already was, but slowly she found herself being met with just as much resistance as her opponent. After a struggle, the water type's eyes widened in surprise as her grip forcibly loosened, and Nebula's wings began to separate, gradually pushing back the tentacles trying to squeeze the life out of her.

"Keep going!" Ash encouraged.

A frown passed through Janine's face, a familiar sensation of guilt coming along with it. "Sorry, Nebula." the ninja girl quietly muttered to herself. "Tentacruel, Liquidation!"

Nebula was probably about halfway through when Janine gave the order. With determined eyes, Tentacruel surrounded herself in water - and submerged Nebula along with her.

One moment the Staraptor was fighting to break free of Tentacruel's Wrap, and beginning to win. An instant later, she was underwater. The water of Liquidation surrounded herself from every direction, including above and below, and all of the oxygen left her, taking her strength with it. Her wings stopped resisting, and Tentacruel's tentacles fully squeezed around her once again, trapping her in a new prison where she was not allowed to breathe.

Ash's eyes doubled in size. He had seen some vicious things from Janine, but of all the tactics she was capable of, he had never once considered something like this. Inside of the liquidation, Nebula's head shook from side to side, desperate to rise above the water and suck in some air, but no inches were given. It was inescapable.

There was no other way. Most realistically, this would only result in Nebula expended all of her energy anyway, but it was nonetheless the only way for them to overpower Janine and Tentacruel now. "Nebula, use Reckless!"

Maybe Nebula could not hear him from underwater, or maybe she just was not capable of activating the ability with Tentacruel's vicious tentacles binding away at her, and her lungs robbed of oxygen; but the crimson sparks that had saved her in the past never came. Nothing else did, either.

It was hardly very long, but the short span of time was as game changing as an eternity when Janine called out. "That's enough, Tentacruel."

The water surrounding them collapsed, leaving the immediate ground that they stood on drenched. Tentacruel released her grip, and Nebula collapsed to the side. She was still conscious, coughing in a fit that expelled water from her beak. Her body was weak, her vision was blurring more consistently now, and she could barely remain upright - even half upright.

Janine's eyes were a mixture of commitment and emotion. The newly evolved Staraptor had thrown herself into this battle with defiance to spare, and before everyone's very eyes transformed into a powerhouse. One who had made her newfound abilities and prowess known the instant she evolved.

"Finish her."

Tentacruel took a moment to catch her breath before forming a Frost Pulse. Taking the large sphere of ice into her tentacles, she held it up, reared back, and smashed it into the side of Nebula's head. The Staraptor was unconscious before she hit the ground.

"Staraptor is unable to battle, Tentacruel wins!"

As the audience clapped, Ash silently pointed Nebula's ball at her drenched, fallen form and sucked her back in. Looking at the capsule now containing the unconscious bird, a bittersweet smile formed across his lips. "Today will always be a win for you, congratulations on your evolution."

Putting the ball back, he allowed his hand to fall to his side, taking a moment to survey Janine and Tentacruel before plotting his next move. Tentacruel's success had evened up the score, with only half the Pokemon left on each side. The jellyfish was clearly beat up, and he suspected Janine might recall her to give her a break in the next round, although he doubted all of the fight had left her yet.

"That was a good move," he complimented after his opponents were finished speaking to one another. "It might be one of your best ever."

The ninja girl's lips turned up. "Flattering me will not make me go easy, my friend. It's my turn to corner you now."

His mouth mirrored hers. "I'd like to see you try." He had seen her triumph over numerous opponents over the course of her travels, but being on the receiving end of her vicious side reminded him just how good of a trainer she was. The adversity that he and his companions were faced with, all at the hands of familiar faces, lit a rare breed of fire in his chest. There was no better form of competition that got his blood rushing in amazement, or fully captured his love for battling.

"Let's see…" the grin on his face lingered for a little bit longer as he looked to select his next team member. His remaining team consisted of Tempest, Valiant and Phenom, taking on Ivysaur, Skrelp and Tentacruel. The latter of whom was most likely about to be recalled. With some thought, he selected Valiant.

The moment the Kirlia appeared back in front of him, Tentacruel predictably vanished, although Ash was taken aback when Ivysaur took her place. He had expected Skrelp to be Janine's favored option, unless she figured he was thinking that…

He shook off the thought. Janine's starter was probably the most versatile member of her team, largely because of his gifted usage of ailments. Ailment Mix and Concoction Barrage to combine Sleep Powder with Poison Powder, Sweet Scent to forcibly relax the opponent into dropping their guard, and who could forget the way he so organically imbued the ailments into so many of his attacks? Anesthesia Blast and Infection Blast respectively combining Bullet Seed with Sleep Powder and Poison Powder, and he could do the same thing with Vine Whip and Razor Leaf (although he more commonly used poison for those). He was becoming decent at Synthesis, which allowed him to draw from the sun to slowly heal himself, although he was better at feeding off of an opponent's energy with Giga Drain or Leech Seed, and although it may be more difficult to use with soil, his Grass Knot could be fairly unpredictable as well.

Since he wasn't very proficient with Solar Beam or Leaf Storm at the current moment (it was hard for him to use either one of them without spending himself, and Janine was still training him to draw from the sun with both the former and Synthesis), his raw power wasn't normally on par with Toxtricity or arguably Skrelp, but his damage output was still respectable, and more than backed up by the numerous ways he could inflict damage and status conditions at the same time. He also knew Power Whip, the strongest move that he could at least semi reliably use, which packed more than enough of a punch as long as he was tactical about the timing and moderation, to say nothing about how strong he became when his Overgrow ability was activated.

Everybody on the team, including Nebula and Glaceon, needed to be careful against him.

Valiant certainly did not need to be reminded of that, so Ash cut to the case. "We're all tied up now, buddy. Fight hard." his young psychic friend saluted before walking forward to assume his position. Janine was taking a moment to speak with Ivysaur, kneeling down and placing a hand on his head before sending him over. The grass/poison type calmly stopped halfway to Valiant, giving him a polite nod. The emotion Pokemon made deliberate eye contact, placing his hands together and bowing before assuming a fighting stance.

"BEGIN!"

"Anesthesia Blast!"

Ivysaur bent his body forward, opening up his bud to fire the powder-covered glowing seeds. They bounced off of Valiant's psychic barrier, but kept coming for longer than Ash expected. The barrier began to chip away, but Valiant put more power in it to smooth over the tiny dents that formed.

'Trying to make him wear himself out like that?' Ash raised a brow. He supposed the little things could add up with Valiant and his barriers, but it wasn't like Ivysaur could keep his attack going forever either. Sure enough, Janine's starter finally stopped the assault, and Valiant quickly answered by dropping the cocoon surrounding him and firing off a Psybeam. Vines sprouted from either end of Ivysaur's bud, which he jammed against the ground to leap to the side like a slingshot. Valiant abruptly vanished from sight, reappearing next to Ivysaur as he landed and swinging a fiery fist to sock him in the jaw. The seed pokemon recoiled from the sudden, burning blow, but recovered quickly and lashed out with his vines, which Valiant leapt away from.

"Ailment Mix!" Ivysuar reopened his bud to perform one of his and Janine's favorite techniques; Poison Powder and Sleep Powder coming together to form a cloud of purple and white. The cloud surrounded Valiant, but he surrounded himself with more psychic energy to avoid contact. Just like before, however, Ivysaur continued longer than normal, sending out more and more of both powdery attacks. Valiant was completely obscured from view, and had no option other than to remain in place under the protection of his psychic barrier. "Energy Ball!"

Ivysaur finally stopped the Ailment Mix, returning to a neutral position and opening his mouth. Emerald energy formed into a sphere between his lips and shot out into the cloud of powder that he had created. Inside of the cloud, Valiant still kept his barrier around him, waiting for the ailments to wash over when the Energy Ball collided with him. Not expecting the attack, the Kirlia shook from the sudden impact, and his barrier destabilized. He tried to put more focus in to hold it together, but the cocoon was weakening.

Ash couldn't see what was going on within the cloud, but it was easy to see what Janine was doing. Valiant was trapped in place; he could not afford to lower his barrier as long as the powders were surrounding him, forcing him to focus fully on that while leaving Janine and Ivysaur with an at least brief window where they could do whatever they wanted. Trying to Teleport away or use Shadow Sneak would only mean dropping the barrier and risk breathing in the ailments.

Thankfully, the cloud of powders began to fade away shortly after the Energy Ball had been fired, and Valiant finally dropped his barrier. "Use Shadow Sneak!" Avoiding the urge to take a quick breath (for fear of sucking in the lingering powders surrounding him), Valiant sank into his shadow and slivered swiftly across the ground towards Ivysaur.

"Jump with Vine Whip, and another Energy Ball." Two more vines sprouted from Ivysaur's bud and pressed into the pavement. Valiant emerged from under him just as he used the vines to launch himself into the air, throwing an upwards Fire Punch that struck nothing but air. Now above the Kirlia, Ivysaur aimed an Energy Ball down at him, but Valiant responded with a Psybeam that canceled the attack out. "Ailment Mix cover!"

The moment Ivysaur landed, he used the vines to sling himself further back, creating distance between himself and Valiant. More spores came out of his bud, but these were aimed upwards instead of forward, surrounding him instead of Valiant. As he continued to leap, now sideways, the spores continued to come out, covering both himself and the previous areas he had been in as he attempted to circle his opponent. Ash was familiar with this one: A camouflage technique that hid Ivysaur from view and made it dangerous to approach him. And since being a dual grass/poison type made him immune to both halves of Ailment Mix, it was a good defensive strategy. Recently they had begun working on this mobile version of it, allowing him to move around under the cloak of the harmful ailments. With a few good leaps, Ivysaur had closed Valiant off, leaving no escape route.

At least that would be the case, were it not for the Krilia's capability of simply teleporting out of the donut shaped cloud his opponent had formed. Ivysaur retaliated by spewing more Ailment Mix in the direction the Kirlia had retreated. They were trying to create multiple hiding places from where Ivysaur could launch a sneak attack, most likely expecting Ash and Valiant to take the safe route by using a barrier as a shield instead of trying to dodge.

'They really want Valiant keeping those barriers up.' the boy noted to himself. Frequent usage of Teleportation and Shadow Sneak would eventually wear him out too. War of attrition was a constant plan of attack in Janine's battles, and a game where nobody on her team was more difficult to beat in than her Ivysaur. "Valiant, do not use any barriers right now."

"Your funeral," Janine sharply quipped. "Venom Leaf!"

A barrage of sharp leaves emerged from the cloud, not only covered in poison powder, but also taking in some of the Sleep Powder from the Ailment Mix it was passing through. Valiant saw the attack coming and deftly leapt out of the way. Putting his hands to the sides of his head, he focused for a quick moment before his eyes pulsed with Psychic, sending a wave of energy that parted some of the lingering clouds. Ivysaur was not hit by the attack, but the forced parting of the foggy spores did finally expose where he was. Unfortunately, he was incoming.

Using his vines as a slingshot once more, the seed Pokemon flung himself shoulder-first into Valiant with Body Slam. His bulk easily knocked the young Kirlia over before lashing out with those same vines. On instinct, Valiant raised his arms to shield his face, and the vines wrapped around them in a painful squeeze that left Ash's partner squealing.

"Giga Drain."

The vines pulsed with light, and in addition to the binding squeeze, Valiant began feeling a sharp sting where his arms were being gripped. Energy flowed across the vines back to Ivysaur, who easily maintained his hold while his target struggled to no avail to pull back from his grip.

"Valiant!" Ash called out to the writhing psychic. "Remember to stay calm!" His words seemed to reach his friend, who didn't stop struggling, but didn't start panicking, either - more defiant than worried. As more energy flowed into Ivysaur, Valiant knew the perfect tactic for the situation, without his trainer needing to tell him. Concentrating, he ignited his hands with fire, burning away the vine and severing the attachment. With a glare, he lunged forward and fired Psychic into Ivysaur, toppling him. "Now Zen Headbutt!"

With Ivysaur down, the Kirlia lowered his head, pulsing it with psychic energy before charging forward. Despite the blast he had just taken, Ivysaur managed to force himself up and fire a weak Energy Ball to intercept his attacker. The emerald orb struck Valiant in his lowered head, and although it did not hurt too much, it did stagger him and halt his advance.

"Venom Vine, then Anesthesia Blast."

With Valiant now the one off balance, Ivysaur sprouted two more vines from his bud, covered in poison powder. With a lunge, he lashed out and struck Valiant in the face, leaving a burning bruise and knocking him onto his bottom. Hissing, Valiant involuntarily reached up to touch the spot where he was hit. He did not have time to nurse it or worry about whether or not any poison was now entering his system, because Ivysaur was quick to follow up with another barrage of sleep-inducing seeds. Despite the flaring pain, the young emotion Pokemon forced himself to his feet and rolled to the side, forming a Shadow Ball in his hands. The ghostly sphere slammed into Ivysaur's face and sent him sliding back, putting valuable distance between them.

"Hurry buddy," Ash chimed in. "Life Dew."

Nodding in agreement, Valiant held out his hands to form a small, blue orb. Glowing water shot out and sprayed against his face. The pain quickly went away, replaced with a pleasurable sensation, and the bruise on his face disappeared.

"Don't let them breathe, Ivysaur." Janine butted in. "Sludge Bomb!" While Valiant sprayed himself, Ivysaur fired a volley of purple globs into the air, descending towards their target. The Kirlia stopped Life Dew and angled his head upwards, firing Psybeam fromeyes. The rainbow beam carved through the globs of sludge, and he rotated his aim to destroy them all before they could reach him.

"Now, Psyshock!" Ash ordered.

"Not a chance," Janine quickly retorted, knowing full well just how dangerous a direct hit from that would be. "Vine Whip, Vine Whip, Vine Whip!"

Valiant was not given any time to charge the attack when Ivysaur lashed out with his vines in a rapid-fire flurry of strikes. The Kirlia began dodging them, but was soon overwhelmed, taking multiple painful hits. Ash called out for him to get out of there, and with some effort, he managed to teleport away. He reappeared out of Ivysaur's range, charging the psychic blast.

"Back up, now!" the ninja girl called out as Valiant ran forward and reared back to toss the blast of energy. Pulling back his vines, Ivysaur was in the process of slingshotting himself, and successfully avoid the brunt of the damage, but when the Psyshock exploded against the ground where he once was, the shockwaves managed to hit him. Bruised, he was nearly knocked over, but managed to take advantage of his four legs, dancing back on his two left ones before lowering both right ones to remain standing.

Ash saw Valiant taking a noticeably large breath before sinking back into his fighting stance. Whether they liked it or not, Janine was getting the war of attrition that she wanted. Landing a good hit with Psyshock could hopefully knock Ivysaur out, but it would also run the risk of Overgrow activating, and at this stage in the fight would likely leave Valiant quite tired - if they missed it would backfire badly.

Should they use a flurry of weak Psybeams to approach? Ivysaur could probably overcome that easily, but they had to approach somehow. Do they risk another Teleport or Shadow Sneak, hoping that Valiant could keep holding out? If they didn't think of something now, Janine and Ivysaur would make the first move.

He went with his gut. "Buddy, Psybeam flurry. Get in close." Valiant broke into a run, firing numerous weak rainbow beams in Ivysaur's direction, which Janine's starter easily fended off with Razor Leaf. His trainer waited for him to get closer before saying "Zen Headbutt!"

"Ailment Mix!" Almost the moment he told Valiant to close in, Ash was calling out for him to pull back. More spores erupted from Ivysaur's bud, and Valiant broke off his momentum to leap forward and escape the cloud. As he maneuvered away, he fired a slightly stronger Psybeam to carve through the cloud of powders in hopes of hitting his opponent, but it did not. Suddenly, Ivysaur sprung out of the cloud, painfully slamming shoulder-first into the Kirlia with Body Slam. "Again!"

Valiant was knocked over when Ivysaur collided with him, but managed to use his hands to flip himself over and land in a crouching position. That was all of the time he was given, however, and his eyes widened when a smaller stream of Ailment Mix shot out of Ivysaur's bud. With no chance to erect any barriers, the combination of Poison Powder and Sleep Powder flew right into him, decorating his body in purple and white.

"Valiant," Ash shouted almost immediately. "Keep it together!" But he knew it was to no avail. Valiant had been hit directly by both ailments at once, and although he could hear his trainer's voice just fine, his balance began to fail him. He stumbled around, vision turning mildly blurry, and his eyelids grew heavy. It was a fight to keep them open, and an even bigger one to remain standing at the same time. He was also becoming a little bit dizzy…

"This is the end," Janine spoke with finality. "Power Whip!"

Numerous vines sprouted from Ivysaur's bud all at once, but these ones wrapped around each other, thickening into one giant tentacle of grass that pulsed with a blinding greenish-golden aura. As the glowing intensified, Ivysaur let out a grunt, straining himself to gather all of the power and keep it together. It was not a move that he could use right away, but now he had plenty of time, and Valiant would not be prepared for the hit. Lunging forward, he swung the giant vine with everything he could muster and punted the defenseless Kirlia across the battlefield. Valiant's body turned limp as he ragdolled over the pavement (leaving a trail of powder in his wake) before finally coming to a stop with his eyes closed.

"Kirlia is unable to battle, Ivysaur wins!"

Ivysaur took multiple deep breaths after finishing his last attack. Power Whip wouldn't drain him completely, but he was never one hundred percent after using it - it was fairly similar to Pikachu's relationship with Discharge. The seed Pokemon kept his eyes on Valiant's unconscious body until his opponent - and also friend - was recalled, before wordlessly looking back to his own trainer, who gave him an approving thumbs up for his performance.

"Good going Valiant," Ash reassuringly spoke to the capsule. "There's no shame in losing that one." Especially given the way that he had lost. Having to deal with a direct hit from Poison Powder and Sleep Powder at the same time was a game changer, especially when it was followed up with a move like Power Whip that was already a very effective finisher on its own. Reclipping the ball, he took a moment to survey Ivysaur's condition.

It definitely had not been an easy fight for the grass/poison type, and Valiant could take solace in the fact that his opponent, much like Tentacruel, was notably weakened, but he wouldn't be easy pickings for Tempest and Phenom to finish off. Just a head start. Neither of his remaining two teammates would be going into this weakened: Tempest was fresh and Phenom might as well have been, unlike Ivysaur and Tentacruel, but Janine had the numbers advantage. Skrelp was in as good a shape as they were, and Ivysaur and Tentacruel still had reserves to call on.

The pleasant burning in his chest curved his lips up. Earlier, he and his team had been in the lead five to three, with three consecutive knockouts. But Janine had not only evened the odds, but even managed to pull ahead herself, putting him on the back foot. The adrenaline was hard to conceal, but he was starting to not want to. Why should he? He had Phenom and Tempest by his side for the climax, and he was understanding them more than ever from this one day alone.

Janine noticed the smile on his face. "What is it, Ash?"

The boy simply shook his head, but his grin did not leave him. "Nothing." 'I just think you're freaking incredible, that's all.'

Phenom appeared in front of him next. The Tyrunt's snout rose to the sky as he attempted a roar announcing his arrival, and his feet scraped against the concrete. This time he was in the battle for real, and he was going to sink his teeth into any opponent. Ahead of them, Janine eyed the young dragon with noteworthy consideration before recalling Ivysaur, giving him a brief "thank you" before Skrelp appeared in front of her. The ninja girl knelt down and began speaking to her teammate.

"Real deal this time, Phenom." Ash announced. "We're really far in now; it's only you and Tempest left. Janine also has Tentacruel." Phenom growled in understanding. "Oh, and one more thing: Nebula evolved today, you're not gonna let her upstage you, right?"

Phenom froze for a moment, taking the revelation in. Then he smiled, baring his teeth at Skrelp.

"Heh, that's what I thought." reaching up, Ash gripped the rim of his cap and turned it backwards. "Then get ready!"

"BEGIN!"

Once more, Skrelp summoned Surf underneath her, and skipped across the pavement at impressive speeds. Phenom's jaws crackled with sparks as he ran forward to meet her. Suddenly she stopped in place, doing a flip off of the wave while unleashing a Haze. Phenom stopped and leapt back a bit, growling at the sight of the cold fog.

"Iron Tail!" Skrelp burst out of the Haze and launched herself off of the wave just as it collapsed. With her tail turned to metal, she pointed it forward and rammed its tip straight into Tyrunt's head. Caught off guard, the prehistoric dragon snarled in displeasure and was knocked onto his bottom while Skrelp summoned another wave to catch herself. Unable to maintain the wave for very long, so soon after using the first, she used the pillar of water as a launch pad to build distance between herself and the larger (and physically stronger) Tyrunt. "Scale Shot!"

Ash was still smiling. "Rock Blast!"

Skrelp turned around to aim a barrage of scales, which glowed with draconic energy. Phenom forced himself to his feet, ignoring the throbbing in his head from the Iron Tail and defiantly firing a volley of stones from his throat. Both series of projectiles raced through the air like machine gun ammunition, colliding midway through and canceling each other out in a small cloud of smoke.

"Go for it, Phenom!"

"Retreat, Skrelp!"

With a hungry roar, Phenom pounded his feet against the cement and dashed towards his opponent. Skrelp summoned more water beneath her, riding the wave away from her pursuing opponent for the limited amount of time that she would be able to. She sprayed some Haze behind her in hopes of disrupting the Tyrunt's chase, but this time Ash reminded him to use Hyper Voice. Still running, the dinosaur slowed down a little bit to prepare himself before letting loose a powerful shout. The shockwaves easily pushed away the Haze (which had been a decently small variant), but did not hit Skrelp. Even as Phenom returned to his full speed, she was still faster, but since her top speed required Surf, she could not maintain it for much longer.

Janine's Skrelp had greatly come into her own in terms of offensive capabilities, but mobility was a constant shortcoming. Her species was not biologically suited to fight on land and needed water to move around properly. Her evolved form (which was called Dragalge, according to Janine), despite not being a water type, was aquatic in nature, but was capable of levitation with practice. Her fighting style was rather awkward because of this, but her excellent proficiency in ranged combat greatly assisted her in combating that weakness, although it was hardly convenient. Constantly needing Surf to move around was a source of fatigue in drawn out fights, and whenever she reached her limit with it she would be left grounded and vulnerable, her only hope being to keep foes at bay with her ranged attacks. She would be at Phenom's mercy if he could reach her, and she would do everything in her power to prevent that.

Conversely, Ash wasn't sure about Phenom's chances when she was moving around.

The Tyrunt fired another Rock Blast at her, but by now she was out of range. Just after he missed, her Surf collapsed, leaving her stranded.

"Scale Shot."

From her position, Skrelp fired another barrage of scales to try and deter her pursuer. He moved to the side before continuing his advance, and stomped onto the ground to send an Earth Power her way. In desperation, she activated another Surf to avoid the attack, but could not hold it together for as long. As it collapsed, she used the momentum to launch herself higher into the air, forming a Toxic Pulse in her mouth.

Ash was about to tell Phenom to avoid it, but changed his mind at the last second. "Hyper Voice!" Angling his head upwards, Phenom shouted another beam of shockwaves, which easily popped the poisonous Water Pulse before continuing on and slamming into Skrelp. She squealed from the hit and sailed through the air, but broke her fall with an Iron Tail. "Now get in for a Dragon Pulse. Snatch her with Thunder Fang or Psychic Fangs if you ever get close enough."

Determined to catch the elusive water type, Phenom tried to run even faster, gathering draconic energy in his mouth. Skrelp acted faster, launching a Mud Shot into him. The attack struck him in the knee just before he fired, throwing him off balance and causing him to launch the Dragon Pulse in the wrong direction, exploding against the barrier while the Tyrunt staggered forward.

Janine nodded, a hint of excitement adorning her features. "Forward with Counter Shield!"

Ash froze. "Wha-" Skrelp had been trying to learn Counter Shield as of recently, but she was only getting started and had not gotten the hang of the technique. She had not used it against Koga, so he had figured it wasn't battle ready yet.

'Unless Janine was practicing behind our backs.' It was certainly more than plausible. Going into a battle where everybody knew just about all of each other's moves, it would certainly give her a leg up, but when did she have the chance to do so in such a short amount of time-

He knew it didn't matter. Janine would probably tell him later anyway, but for now if Skrelp knew Counter Shield, it would be a problem. "Phenom, get out of there!"

Fully alert, the Tyrunt leapt backwards and changed course. Now it was his turn to retreat, but Skrelp was faster, riding Surf and progressively closing the distance. Once she was in range, she would use a Counter Shield of Toxic Water to lash out and possibly poison him.

The Counter Shield never came. She never started spinning. Ash and Phenom were both bewildered for a moment, growing tense in anticipation.

But Janine just smiled. "Gunk Shot!"

Skrelp leapt off of her wave and reared her head back. A glob of filth disgusting enough to be a Muk's manure formed in front of her, steadily growing in size. Lunging downward, she launched the Gunk Shot down towards the surprised Phenom, who was too caught off guard to dodge.

Gunk Shot was an extremely powerful poisonous move that Skrelp had only been able to get the hang of at her current level because of Adaptability. It was a move most poison types normally would not be trying to touch until later on,and Phenom's resistance to poison would not be enough to truly resist it.

The garbage exploded against him, and when he yelped in pain, some of the sludge slipped into his mouth, filling it with a burning sensation. The force of the impact toppled him over and sent him rolling away as Skrelp landed on another wave of water to catch her breath.

Ash was speechless for a moment. The whole thing had been a fakeout to throw them off - and then deal a far worse blow than what they thought they were going for. Seeing Phenom picking himself up snapped him out of the brief stupor, however. "Are you okay, buddy?"

Phenom snarled as he rose back to his feet, but he stood up too fast, stumbling and feeling a brief, mild headache. Poison was in his system now, and his left side - which taken the worst of the Gunk Shot - was sore. And Skrelp was not done.

"Perfect," Janine spoke softly. "Finish this with Hydro Pump!"

"You need to dodge this one, Phenom!" With his defenses already weakened from the Gunk Shot and its toxins, there was little chance the Tyrunt survived a direct hit. Not from a move as powerful as Hydro Pump.

Skrelp reared her head back again. It took a moment to charge, and her mouth expanded almost comically, but when she fired, she unleashed a dark blue blast of water that was thicker, faster and stronger than any that a Pokemon of her level could ever imagine being capable of. The Hydro Pump tore through the air, and the sight of its approach sent a signal to Phenom's brain. The Tyrunt through himself to the side, and even though he only took half the attack, he was still sent tumbling. The rest of the Hydro Pump continued onward, reaching the barrier near Ash and splashing against it.

Phenom was on the ground coughing, both poisoned and hurt. Skrelp had just used Gunk Shot and Hydro Pump in quick succession, risking it all to land the killing blow, and it half paid off, half backfired. She had taken a lot out of herself in order to use both back to back, and currently sat exhausted on the ground, with little hope of being able to use Surf proficiently anymore, but her opponent was injured.

Panting, the water/poison type watched the dinosaur stumble to his feet, clutching at his side where the worst of the pain was. He was breathing just as hard as she was, and was in a great deal more pain, but the look in his eyes was as stubborn as ever.

Janine considered her options as quickly as she could. Phenom was probably one good hit away from going down, but mustering it up immediately would be even more taxing for Skrelp, and he wasn't going to give her time to recover. If they tried to retreat he'd reach her for sure.

After some hesitance, her face hardened.

'It's now or never.' Ash thought. "Phenom, go in for an Earth Power!"

With a strained roar, Phenom allowed the adrenaline to carry his body. Despite his pain, he pushed through the poison in his body and ran shockingly fast for a Pokemon that had just taken such punishment. Skrelp stayed put, watching her opponent stomp his way in for the kill.

Janine waited a moment longer, and then went for it. "Now Skrelp, Iron Tail!"

Although she would not be cashing in on her draconic genes until after she evolved, Skrelp did not need them to be defiant and tenacious in her own right. With a big breath, she summoned another wave of Surf, fighting through the exhaustion to fling herself forward. Her tail turned to metal, and she swung it harder than she had any right to. Phenom's jaws closed around the Iron Tail when he intercepted the attack, but the impact still knocked him over. Both combatants tumbled to the pavement, and the Tyrunt did not relinquish his hold, biting and gnawing as fiercely as he could.

"Thunder Fang!"

"Icy Wind!"

Phenom's jaws filled with electricity, which traveled across the metal surface of Skrelp's tail and onto her body. She shrieked for a moment, but clenched her mouth shut, doing her best to focus. As Tyrunt continued to gnaw, she sprayed the Icy Wind onto him point blank. He was almost completely unprepared for the attack, screaming through his teeth as his body involuntarily shivered. Both Pokemon were recoiling from the agony, but did not let up, continuing to assault one another up close. Ash and Janine did not say anything to encourage them; they were already as motivated as they needed to be, each combatant determined to be the one to see the other pass out.

Then Phenom began to rise. Skrelp's eyes widened for a moment, but she put even more effort into the Icy Wind, bombarding him with everything he had. It took all of the willpower in the world for him not to let go, but he did not. Raising his head, he hoisted her into the air and then slammed her down. Upon impact, the air left her lungs, and the Icy Wind stopped. The Tyrunt remained in a crouching position for a moment longer, growling through closed teeth. He stood up again, feeling his knees threaten to buckle, but managed to lift her up and slam her down a second time. His legs gave out on the impact. His muscles were shivering, and it was becoming hard to see. But he didn't need to see her, she was in his mouth. With that reminder, he fought to win his balance again, rising up on some of the shakiest legs he had ever stood on… and slammed her down a third and final time.

His legs gave out again, and he collapsed for good. Her unconscious form rolled out of his now open mouth, badly bruised with sparks continuing to dance and roll across her exterior. Phenom's hide was covered in icy crystals, enough for one who didn't know better to think that he had Glaceon's fur.

Len waited for a little bit longer than he normally did, not prepared to call the match until it was certain that neither were getting up. "Both Skrelp and Tyrunt are unable to battle. Therefore, this round is a draw!"

The clapping from the audience felt different this time. Ash knew that it was probably just in his head, but he brushed that notion aside as he and Janine both recalled their partners, and gave them their due compliments.

"Thanks for the hard work in the end, Phenom."

"I'm sorry things did not go as planned, Skrelp."

Ash returned Phenom's ball to his belt and took out the one containing his final team member. Tempest was completely fresh, but Tentacruel and Ivysaur outnumbered him. Even if he defeated one, they could soften him up enough to even the playing field with the other - not that "soft" was ever a word to describe the river crab. Ash enlarged the ball, but didn't throw it yet. First he looked back up to his opponent, who was getting ready to send out her teammate of choice. One of the big advantages she was at was having the ability to determine the order in which Tempest fought her two remaining companions, although she would certainly have the first beat him on their own if given her way.

Tempest would never let the opponent have their way. Even friends.

Suddenly, a new feeling hit him in the face. Tempest was his last Pokemon. This battle had been long and difficult, but now that he was at this point, his mind was suddenly saying "already". When the battles with Koga had ended, both trainers had felt like they had reached the end of a long day, like taking a dangerous hike that would never end. But here…

"You know," his voice caught her attention. "This has really flown by. Am I the only one?"

Janine lowered her arm, and her face softened momentarily. "No, of course not."

That was the confirmation. She didn't want it to end either. It was partially comforting, but it also stung in a weird way.

"We still have to work on things before we challenge Sabrina again," she spoke up. "That is clear after battling Valiant, so thank you."

He chuckled through closed lips. "Glaceon was ahead of the curve for a good while, but even with her durability after evolving, I need to have her ready for a fighter like Toxtricity that hits as hard as she does. We haven't faced many." Caesar's Zangoose was another one, but Ash didn't dare let him come to mind.

For a moment, those who saw Janine's smile out of context might not have guessed she was in the middle of a battle. "It has been an honor facing your team."

"I'm sure they'll say the same about you guys," he confirmed, reaching back to pull on the rim of his cap again, still facing backwards. "But we're not done pushing you just yet."

Her eyes narrowed, but her expression could not have been more alive. "I think we have a few things left to teach you too."

Janine pressed her capsule's button first, and Tentacruel appeared. Ash was surprised for a split second, having expected Ivysaur to be next, but it didn't matter. They were finishing this on their own terms either way: By winning.

Tempest appeared in front of him, taking a moment to observe the people in the stands before turning expectantly to his trainer.

"Nice to see ya, big guy." Ash crossed his arms. "You're the last one left, and Janine has Tentacruel and Ivysaur. Sound like a fight you want to be a part of?" The water type grinned, gurgling a few bubbles out from his mouth. "Great, then let's give this one the best ending a match can have. Cause as much havoc as you like, because they can take it." Before Tempeast could turn around, Ash raised his hand, knowing that there was still one thing left to say. "Nebula evolved, by the way. Think you can top her?"

At first the Kingler's expression was a proud one, but that pride soon morphed into the adrenaline that Ash was all too familiar with. With what seemed like his version of a thumbs up, the large river crab turned around and made his way onto the battlefield. Having just finished talking to Janine, Tentacruel was quick to join him.

The two water types stood across from each other, and as their eyes locked, it was as though memories were going by in real time. Their trainers felt the same sensation, and for a moment Tempest's smile was not one of a fighter ready to go into battle. It was soon replaced by that, however, and he was pleased to see the jellyfish echoing his expression.

"BEGIN!"

Tentacruel allowed Tempest to come to her, because she already knew he would. The moment Len spoke the word, the Kingler summoned a sturdy pillar of water beneath himself and charged. His pincer rose up, channeling Night Slash. Tentacruel remained in place when she summoned her own Surf; her tentacles pulsed with toxins and came together to form a large, bladelike X. Cross Poison intercepted the Night Slash, protecting her from harm, but she was still pushed back. She managed to balance herself on her wave of water, having it move back with her so she would not fall off.

"Sludge Bomb!" Janine's voice contained more excitement this time, as though the enthusiasm was leaking.

"Pull back, Mud Shot!" Ash's face might as well have been glowing.

Steadying herself on her wave of water, Tentacruel fired a volley of sludge at her opponent. Her variation of Sludge Bomb often utilized globs that were a bit more condensed and thick; heavier and slightly slower in travel, but also sturdier and packing a punch. Tempest retreated back at a diagonal angle, collapsing the water underneath him while firing a much faster glob of mud from his pincer. Tentacruel tried to dodge, but was narrowly clipped in the side, grumbling in displeasure as her wave collapsed. Tempest quickly followed by pointing his other pincer and firing a barrage of Frozen Bullets, which she endured with a defensive stance, suffering no worse than mild stings.

"Rapids Rush," Janine announced. "Get in close."

Easily shaking off the frozen bullets, Tentacruel surrounded herself in Liquidation and surged forward. Her tentacles turned dark, and she once more spun like an aquatic helicopter. Tempest sneered and and prepared to use his own Liquidation to meet her head on with River Brawl, but Ash's command quickly stopped him.

"Iron Defense, take the hit." Obediently, Tempest went on the defensive and turned his shell to metal, bracing himself. Tentacruel's whirling form crashed into him, delivering a lightning fast series of strikes that did very little but push him back. As she came to a stop, Tempest returned to normal, but kept one of his pincers metallic.

"Acid Armor!" With a forceful grunt, Tempest lunged forward and threw the strongest punch he could. Tentacruel's body began to liquify, absorbing the the Metal Claw before reaching out with her tentacles to seize the Kingler. Tempest knew better, however, and pulled away as quickly as he could. "Supersonic!"

Tempest avoided her grab, but he was still in her range when she sent out the weak soundwave. Squeezing his eyes, he stumbled back for just a brief moment, which gave her enough time to lunge at him. With what could only be described as a bear hug with a lot more limbs, the jellyfish wrapped her appendages around her opponent and bound him in place. Tempest's hard shell was too strong for her squeezes to hurt, but they did lock him in.

Ash's excitement did not go away. "Use Surf to lift yourself up!"

"Toxic Water," Janine quickly countered. "Then Giga Drain."

Tempest began to form water beneath his feet, but just as he started, Tentacruel sprayed him in the face point blank with a stream of polluted water. The Kingler's coughs were muffled while imprisoned in her grip, and Ash knew that he was probably at least slightly poisoned. Afterwards, the jellyfish's tentacles began to glow green, squeezing against him harder. Tempest was still coughing from the Toxic Water when his energy began being sapped, and the pulsing of the green tentacles intensified as energy - his energy - was pumped into his opponent's body.

"Break out of it, Tempest!" Ash remained calm. Tentacruel was strong, but in a contest of brute strength Tempest was the certain winner. It would be harder with the Giga Drain working against him, and he was having a hard time catching his breath from the sudden poison, but Ash knew his partner had it in him.

Indeed, it took more than what Tentacruel was throwing at him to take away the Kingler's fight. Despite everything, he pushed back and resisted her squeezing. The tentacles closed around him, doing everything they could to keep him trapped, but he continued pushing back, separating them just enough to summon the concentration and turn his pincers to metal. With the extra strength behind them, he began to pry the appendages off, even as Tentacruel clenched her face to double down.

Janine nodded in approval. "Surf and Poison Thrash!"

Before Tempest could fully break the hold (he was halfway there) Tentacruel summoned another wave of water that lifted them both up. The Kingler wasn't prepared for the sudden movement, which threw off his efforts and caused him to teeter. Tentacruel released her remaining hold on him and channeled Poison Jab and Brutal Swing at the same time. Her tentacles bombarded the river crab's backside with a raging flurry of uncompromised blows, bruising his outer shell and knocking him off of the wave. Steadying herself, she waited for him to come to a stop before firing more globs of sludge.

But as much as the Poison Thrash hurt, Tempest had been through far worse. He recovered just in time to rise up and attempt to block the sludge with Metal Claw. His timing was imperfect, and some of the sludge splashed onto his face, but the majority was nullified. Like a man holding a gun, he took aim at Tentacruel again, smirking a bit as she rode her wave to the side to dodge his incoming Mud Shot.

He did not fire yet.

Tentacruel realized too late that her opponent's motion was a feint. Tempest briefly summoned Surf, holding it together for just an instant long enough to follow in the direction his opponent was retreating, before firing the Mud Shot for real. The attack struck Tentacruel square in the face, promptly knocking her off of her Surf, which collapsed in a big splash as she fell. Before letting his own Surf collapse, Tempest used it as a platform to leap off of and drive a Night Slash

into the jellyfish's side. A loud grunt of pain escaped her as she was pushed back by the sinister swipe, but she was not helpless, and Tempest earned a barrage of poisonous Bubble Beam in his face for his troubles. He staggered back in displeasure, shaking off the attack while his opponent rose back up.

The two large water types stared one another down for a moment or two, observing the injuries that had been inflicted. Tempest's were mostly minor, and the recent poison in his system did not seem too strong as of right now, while Tentacruel was showing more immediate signs of fatigue, but her strength had yet to leave her. The two friends exchanged easygoing nods before assuming their stances.

Battling was competitive. It was exhilarating. It was brutal, and it was a test. But it was also known to be a form of connection and sometimes even dialogue. For once, the fight was about more than just the adrenaline and thrill for Tempest.

Tentacruel moved forward to spray Venoshock at him. He blocked it with Scald, and continued moving back as she whirled around, lashing out with her tentacles. He avoided each hit before readying a Night Slash, but she used a split second Surf to throw herself back and out of his range, launching another Venoshock his way as he overextended with his missed attack. The sickening liquid splashed onto his head, eliciting a pained snarl as she moved in for another flurry of Poison Jabs, but he did not allow the discomfort to slow him down, parrying them with Metal Claw before smacking her in the face.

"Hex!" Their enthusiasm was growing contagious for Janine, bringing her own to the forefront.

Tentacruel's appendages darkened again, forming a ball of distortion which crackled like lightning. She tried to drive it into Tempest, but on Ash's orders he did not run away. Surrounding himself in Liquidation, the river crab lunged forward and met her with a head on strike, staggering her.

"Throw yourself on him and use Supersonic!"

Using Surf so many times in succession - even when only in short bursts - was getting increasingly taxing, but the energy that Tentacruel had siphoned from Tempest provided at least a little bit of assistance. Launching herself off of the split second surge of water, she landed on top of the Kingler and grappled him to the ground, but the weak soundwaves that she mustered up weren't enough. Tempest strained himself against the jellyfish's weight, attempting to deadlift her.

Janine's heart blazed with excitement. Ash had trained such a strong creature. "Giga Drain, hold until he passes out if you can!"

"Not so fast!" Ash grinned. "Icy Wind, point blank!"

Tentacruel's tentacles began to flash green again, first in a series of blinks before beginning to stabilize. They tried to wrap around Tempest's pincers as he worked to raise her above him, but even in his efforts to hold her up, the river crab produced a blast of frigid air from both of his pincers. The attack traveled around Tentacruel's body and into the tentacles, which struggled to keep the Giga Drain stable as the Icy Wind worked against it.

Tempest was straining his muscles to not only lift his opponent up, but also fight off her Giga Drain at the same time. She could not get a good grip on him with the icy wind, but she was fighting to get any kind of grip that she could. He stumbled backwards, almost falling over and leaving himself at her mercy, but managed to catch himself, lurching forward before coming to a stop. Still holding onto her, he attempted to lift her up again, but went back to stumbling from the effort. Feeling the icy crystals starting to form on some of her tentacles, the the jellyfish pressed her weight down onto him, doing everything in her power to force him to the ground where she would have the upperhand. In a short burst, the snarling crab intensified the Icy Wind, but could only manage to do so for a moment. The tentacles were going numb and stiff from the ice that began thickening around them.

'That's right Tempest, show them how strong you are.' Ash thought. You could meet him head on with brute strength or try to take his own away, but Tempest would never stop fighting to power through.

The large river crab teetered to the side, still squeezing his pincers against the jellyfish that he was holding. FInally his balance turned stable, and he began to lift her up. And up. And over his head. With a strained roar, Tempest lunged forward and powerbombed Tentacruel onto the concrete. She bounced off of the pavement, momentarily immobilized by the impact as he continued forward, managing to keep his balance even as he kept on lunging. His pincer reared back, crackling with the dark energy of Night Slash, and swung into her. With little resistance, her body was completely toppled over by the strike, briefly rising into the air and roughly bouncing away from him before rolling to a stop. On her side, she tried to get up, but even as the numbness in her tentacles began to subside, the aches and weakness in her body took hold.

When Tempest pointed his pincer at her again, she knew that there was no stopping him. She could not summon the strength fast enough, and he had her in his sights like a sniper. Their eyes met again, and she saw a rare serenity in his gaze - serenity by his standards, at any rate. She didn't stop trying to get up, as she owed it to her trainer and team, but acceptance settled in nonetheless.

Tempest fired.

The Mud Shot ripped through the air like a bullet and struck the jellyfish between her eyes. She felt the pulsing agony in her head for a little bit longer than a split second, and then it began to go away. She rolled ever from the shot, now facing her trainer, and her eyes became too heavy to remain open.

"Tentacruel is unable to battle, Kingler wins!"

On the inside, a part of Tempest thrived in the clapping from the audience, and especially the congratulations from Ash. He did not look away from Tentacruel however, and before Janine could recall the jellyfish, he pressed his pincers together and attempted a bowing motion towards his fallen friend.

It felt very awkward, and he knew he looked extraordinarily stupid.

Janine returned Tentacruel to her Poke Ball, completely content as she watched her teammate disappear into the red streak of light. After finishing off two of Ash's teammates, one of whom was newly evolved and the other who had multiple, fundamental advantages over her, there was no shame in losing any fight. Looking carefully at the Kingler, she knew he had taken his fair share during the battle, and there was likely some poison inside of him as well. But she also knew that he can and has suffered far worse and still came out the winner. She had seen it just a couple of days ago, after all. A part of her wished that she had saved Toxtricity for this, but she had faith in Ivysaur.

"You have done amazing work today, Tentacruel. Rest well." with that said, she tucked away her valued comrade back onto her belt before taking out the Poke Ball that belonged to her starter. As Ivysaur's capsule enlarged in her hand, she gave Tempest an approving nod before looking over to Ash. His face was more neutral for now, but she was still certain that there was fire in him, and it was contagious. "You were right, Ash. You are pushing me to the very end."

"I'd never do anything less." he promised.

"Indeed…" the warrior returned, passing over her features. "And I respect you far too much to show mercy. This ends now!"

Ash's smile returned. It was the look of a boy who was going to go far higher than five badges. "Then bring it on!" As Tempest echoed him, it was almost as though they were the same being.

She pressed the button, and Ivysaur appeared in front of her. He stuck around just long enough to accept her head pat, and then he was walking onto the battlefield, gazing right into Tempest's waiting eyes. Both Pokemon had taken punishment, and both had taken far from enough.

One more memory. One more fight.

"BEGIN!"

"Anesthesia Blast!"

Ivysaur opened his bud to fire the Bullet Seed, at a seemingly faster pace than he normally did. Whatever additional force there may have been behind the attack did not matter, though. Tempest met the attack with a defensive Metal Claw held out in front of him, which easily deflected the seeds as though they were softer than cotton. The moment Ivysaur finished, he leapt back, and then to the side, in order to avoid the barrage of Frozen Bullets Tempest sent his way. The Kingler's icy volley traveled along the pavement where his target had once stood, but with some aid from his vines Ivysaur narrowly escaped from harm.

There was no denying that Tempest had the power and durability advantage, even if Ivysaur had his fair share of both, but a Pokemon with Ivysaur's skillset rarely won big fights by overpowering the other party. The seed Pokemon's typing advantage was made up for by Tempest's ice type attacks, durability and defensive steel type moves, but the outcome of the battle would not be determined solely by those factors, regardless of who won. Like many similar matchups, it was a matter of who made the best use of their respective advantages.

"Venom Vine!"

The two vines that sprouted from Ivysaur's back were more decorated purple than Ash was used to seeing - Janine and her starter were not sparing anything for the final fight. Lunging forward, Ivysaur whirled his body around, sending the whips cracking at Tempest in rapidly rotating motions. It was like watching a martial artist deliver a series of forward spinning kicks, but with the reach of Vine Whip. Tempest launched himself backwards with Surf, avoiding the initial strikes, but soon found himself raising his claws to defend against the continued assault.

'We'll be leaving everything in the battlefield too.' Ash vowed to himself. The unspoken agreement between him and her were clear: They were going to make this a match they would never forget. "Stay steady, Ice Beam!"

Tempest tried to leap back again, giving himself just enough room to aim his opening pincers. He needed to be as quick as can be to avoid the lightning fast lashing that Ivysaur was attempting to subject him to, and knowing that pushed him further. The arcs of ice frozen over the vines and caused them to snap, halting the seed Pokemon's assault. Seeing his chance, Tempest prepared to rush his opponent.

But Janine knew what the Kingler was planning before he did it, and spoke up the moment the vines began falling apart. "Ailment Mix, cover!" Just as Tempest was about to move in for a strike, Ivysaur took a leap back while Sleep Powder and Poison Powder burst out of the bud. The ailments formed a cloud that cloaked him from view, and provided a shield to prevent Tempest from getting too close.

"Spray it down!" Ash called out. Undeterred, Tempest sprayed jets of water out of his pincers to wash away the cloud of ailments. With a slingshotting Vine Whip, Ivysaur emerged above the spores with an emerald sphere forming in his mouth. Tempest quickly ceased spraying the water and deflected the Energy Ball with a Metal Claw. "Now get in there with Frost Pulse!"

"Seed Bomb!" he could tell Janine's blood was pumping just from her tone of voice.

As Ivysaur landed, Tempest advanced towards him while forming the large, frozen Water Pulse. As he reared back to toss in, Ivysaur's bud opened again. The seeds that emerged this time were bigger and thicker than Bullet Seed, being round with hard shells like armor. Seed Bomb was not as easy to use as Bullet Seed, nor was it quite as fast, but it still had a lot more individual force and punch to it, and most likely a better suit for an opponent like Tempest. The barrage of armored seeds crashed into the Frost Pulse and shattered it in a small explosion of mist, icy chunks falling onto the ground beneath it. Tempest kept advancing, raising a Metal Claw as vines sprouted from Ivysaur's back once more.

Before Ivysaur could fully lash out, Tempest successfully closed the distance and whacked him across the face. The grass/poison type's head whipped back as he slid away with a noticeable bruise on his right cheek, but his vines still extended outward. They wrapped around the alarmed Kingler's arms and pulled tightly, halting Ivysaur's sliding and allowing him to catch and balance himself while shaking his head from the blow. Then he tightened his grip, binding Tempest's arms as the water type growled in displeasure. The river crab tried to pull back, but Ivysaur resisted, digging his feet into the ground to hold his position. The tug of war continued with both combatants straining themselves against one another, worsening Tempest's pain with the effort, but despite all of that he was still the physically stronger of the two, and began slowly dragging Ivysaur in his direction, managing to haul himself backwards at a gradual pace and taking the grit-teethed grass type with him against his will.

Ash and Janine were both silent during the exchange until the latter shouted "Giga Drain!"

The vines round Tempest tightened even further, and when they lit up with the familiar glow, the painful pressure was accompanied by the draining sting. Energy began flowing through the vines towards Ivysaur as the Kingler moaned. He kept resisting, but was no longer pulling Ivysaur back. The grass type dug his feet harder into the ground and yanked down on the vines to pull Tempest's arms downwards. To the water type, it almost felt as though his pincers would fall off.

Ash watched the exchange carefully. At the rate this was going, Tempest's arms would be badly injured before his energy was sapped beyond comeback, and if that happened just about everything he used to fight would be deprived or compromised. In the past his instinct would have been to have him grip the vines and freeze them, but with the way the vines were constricting his arms that would be impossible. But maybe instead…

"If you can't fight your way out, use Ice Beam!"

Janine hummed. "Harder, Ivysaur!"

For a moment Tempest's eyes widened from the struggle, before narrowing and scrunching on instinct as he continuously strained himself against his opponent's grip. He fought against the numbness threatening to creep into his arms and did everything he could to bend his pincers forward. Ivysaur kept on binding him, doing his best to tighten his grip to whatever degree he was able, although he was already using his full strength as it is. Energy continued to flow through the vines, but Tempest kept on fighting. It was so hard to follow Ash's command while in the position that he was in, and yet…

One of the pincers began to make more noteworthy progress, slowly tilting forward with great effort and beginning to point forward in Ivysaur's direction. Janine was paying close attention, and finally said "Out of the way!" Ivysaur tried to move, but it was tough with the vines still around Tempest. He loosened his grip a bit, but Tempest's aim was set. He tried to call on the icy move, which took more effort with the pressure that his arms were under.

He fired.

The attack had been aimed at Ivysaur's face, but the delay in firing and Ivysaur's effort to dodge instead caused the blast of ice to nail him in the side. Crying out, the seed Pokemon rolled over once, but managed to stop himself on his stomach before shakily returning to his feet, stumbling on all fours. Ahead of him, Tempest reeled, experiencing instant relief from being freed from the vines, but also trying to get the feeling and strength back in his pincers.

Pincers that he would have a harder time defending himself with if his opponents managed to capitalize right away, Janine told herself. "Seed Bomb!" Ivysaur was recovering as well, but managed to force himself to lean forward while opening up his bud. The barrage of hard seeds assaulted Tempest head on, knocking him back and off of his feet. "Excellent, now Ailment Mix, full blast!"

The moment the seeds stopped firing, Ivysaur lunged after Tempest, keeping his bud open to shoot out the purple and white cloud of spores. Tempest was stumbling back into a standing position as the ailments closed in on him.

With a blazing grin, Janine held a fist in front of her chest, matched only by the passion in her voice. "My victory is imminent, Ash Ketchum!"

"Not so fast!" Although it was also matched by Ash's own. "Counter Shield, big guy!"

Tempest did not allow the painful Seed Bomb to keep him down for long. Even as the spores began to make contact, he summoned water beneath himself, spinning on his back to produce a rotating torrent of Scald to roughly wash it away. Riding the wave forward just a little bit, he leapt off of it and towards Ivysaur, his pincer turning to metal. Janine's starter only had time to widen his eyes before the Metal Claw bashed him downwards in the face. Punching at his full strength produced a mild jolt of pain in Tempest's arms, which were still sore, but it was easily bearable for him - he would not let a minor annoyance jeopardize his ability to fight.

Ivysaur collected a few small scrapes as he tumbled back against the concrete, once more flopping onto his stomach. Tempest prepared to close in, advancing on his fallen foe, but to his mild surprise Ivysaur's bud opened while he was still down. A pinkish substance seeped its way out and produced a sweet aroma in the air. As Tempest breathed in the Sweet Scent, he suddenly felt his body relaxing against his will. He was consciously aware that his aggression was subsiding, and it frustrated him, but it was almost as though those thoughts were being suppressed.

"Venom Leaf!"

"Snap out of it, Tempest!" The Kingler could feel Ash's voice bringing him back to his senses. Almost like when he was calming down Phenom, except this was oddly the opposite. "Frozen Bullets!"

Ivysaur returned to his feet to launch the series of Poison Powder-coated Razor Leaf, and Tempest managed to respond with the frozen Bubble Beam. The icy bullets smashed into the sharp, poisonous leaves, and although some of them canceled each other out, a decent amount of the Frozen Bullets managed to break their way through and pelt Ivysaur in thew face, although he hardly took the worst of the attack. Tempest ran forward, vowing to keep his assault going regardless of whether or not Ivysaur used Sweet Scent again while charging up a Night Slash. Ivysaur used his vines to leap just out of the Kingler's reach before lashing out and striking him in the stomach. Tempest staggering back, but managed to recover and and shoot out a Water Pulse in time to intercept the large glob of purple sludge that his opponent was sending his way. The two attacks splattered against each other, with neither able to truly win out. The Sludge Bomb appeared to be slightly stronger, as some of it lingered and kept going forward even after the collision, but with its momentum halted and its strength greatly weakened, none of it reached Tempest.

Both Pokemon were left with little choice but to take a breath, allowing themselves to be mildly content that their opponent was also doing the same, and thus could not capitalize. For the briefest of moments, Tempest felt a pressure in his eyes. He had been hit with some Sleep Powder and Poison Powder before blocking most of it with his Counter Shield, and Tentacruel had also been able to afflict him in the prior round, but he shook off the mild sensation. He still had a battle to fight.

On his side of the battlefield, Ash was smiling again. "There's more where that came from, right Tempest?"

Janine suppressed her chuckle at the large river crab's agreement. "Come on Ivysaur, let's finish this now." her starter bent his knees forward. "More Sweet Scent!"

"Not this time," Ash shook his head. "River Brawl!"

Tempest was not discouraged by the familiar aroma coming from the bud on his opponent's back. The smell was reduced when he surrounded himself in water, and although it did not conceal it completely, he was able to resist its intoxicating influence to rush forward and batter away at Ivysaur. Unfortunately, Ivysaur reacted just a little bit too quickly, using his vines to once more spring himself out of the way. Once he landed, he stretched the vines out to the best of his ability to lash forward, but Tempest managed to block it.

'He can't keep doing that forever.' Ash noted to himself. Ivysaur's usage of Vine Whip made him deceptively agile (even though he would never be Pikachu or Glaceon), but in his current state it wasn't something he could keep up. "Ice Beam, rapid fire!"

"Do the same with Sludge Bomb, Ivysaur!" Tempest fired his Ice Beam at as quick of a pace as he could manage, but Ivysaur's Sludge Bomb came out much faster, overwhelming the Kingler's attack and forcing him to shield himself. "Sleep Vine!" As Tempest staggered back, Ivysaur lunged forward with a vine - this time coated with Sleep powder, and lashed into him.

Tempest snarled as he was knocked onto his back. Gashes and cuts were forming on his outer shell from the beating he had taken throughout the fight, and the feeling of drowsiness was starting to return to him. He could feel his muscles weakening and his vision of Ivysaur beginning to split in two…

The Kingler's eyes practically burst fully open. In absolute defiance, he sprung up to his feet as though a ghost Pokemon had assumed control of his body. In front of him, the startled Ivysaur leapt back. Another Ice Beam escaped the water type's pincers as he moved forward as quickly as he was able to. Ivysaur could feel the freezing cold air coming from the ice as he dodged the attack, but narrowly managed to avoid getting hit, but Tempest still managed to close in on him.

His pincers seized Ivysaur by the side near his shoulders, digging in with an excruciating grip. The seed Pokemon tried to pry himself free, pushing his legs against his opponent's armored chest, but Tempest held his grip firmly, squeezing down even tighter as a pillar of water elevated them off of the ground. Moments later, Tempest came down, driving his opponent straight into the concrete. For a moment, Ivysaur saw everything white as his head bounced off of the concrete, and Tempest raised his pincers. Cold air seeped through them, but the river crab squeezed his eyes as he was about to fire, feeling a sudden numbness in his muscles. The longer it went on, the more none of it would leave him alone.

"Come on, Ivysaur!" Janine cupped her hands as her wounded starter struggled to pick himself up. The grass/poison type's head was pounded, his eyes clenched shut as well, pushing against the pavement to force himself onto all fours. He managed to fully rise, but his feet wobbled, threatening to give out and surrender his body to the ground.

"You can fight it, Tempest!" Ash watched his partner shake his head, trying to ward off the nausea and keep the strength in his muscles, even if he had to trap it there.

And then it was Ivysaur's turn for his eyes to burst open.

If trees had a visible soul, it would probably look a lot like the green energy rushing through, around, and out of Ivysaur's body. His red eyes turned a beautiful emerald, almost resembling gems, and all previous physical struggle vanished as the adrenaline held his body together.

Overgrow was the grass type equivalent to Blaze and Torrent, and although it signaled that Janine's partner was close to defeat, it also meant that the final few steps to the finish line would be the most difficult of them all.

Tempest's heart did not sink when he saw the ability activate. Instead, it raced. It was almost like the sight of the power up banished the toxins and sleep ailments from his mind. He was fully awake, as strong as he had ever been, and could not have been more motivated. Across from him, Ivysaur was very different from Gary's Wartortle when using Torrent. Instead of overflowing with raw excitement and lust, he was instead more focused than ever, like a martial artist who had found absolute enlightenment from meditation.

Even now, Ash could not hide his smile. The final round of fireworks was here, and he would enjoy them for however long or short they lasted. "Frozen Bullets, finish him off!"

"Venom Leaf, the Vine Whip nonstop!"

One almost could not tell that Ivysaur's Razor Leaf was imbued with poison, because the presence of the energy surrounding them was so dominant. The leaves shot out faster than ever, stronger than ever, and more deadly than ever. They clashed with the frozen Bubble Beam rocketing out of Tempest's pincers, and although the Kingler was firing at what might have been a greater pace than he had ever managed prior, the magnificence of Overgrow was demonstrated in just one move. Not every leaf survived the clash, but those that did struck hard against Tempest's defenses as they broke through his counter attack and forced him to block with Metal Claw.

Ivysaur finally stopped firing and lunged forward. The two vines that sprouted out from either side of his bud also glowed with that same indescribable power, and when they lashed out it was like a blur. The two tentacles struck, and struck and struck, moving at a pace that Ash's eyes could not follow. Tempest did everything he could to parry them, but he was being pushed back and staggered by each and every blow, which seemed to come in succession faster than anybody could blink. Finally, he was knocked over in full, rolling over his head.

Ash knew what was coming next. "Come on, big guy! Iron Defense!"

"Break through it with Power Whip!" Janine could feel victory at the tip of her tongue, and Ash knew it.

Power Whip was already a brilliant move to witness, but the one that Ivysaur produced now was indescribable. It was probably twice as big and twice as bright, unless Ash's eyes were playing tricks on him, but it was definitely far stronger, and even as Tempest braced himself with the best defensive move in his arsenal, it was a bated breath wait to see if it would withstand.

Ivysaur lashed out, and Tempest felt as though a tree trunk was smacking him. He worried that he may be knocked silly even with Iron Defense protecting him. The giant vine smashed into him with a greater force than anything that he had stood up to before.

And with defiance, he fought back. He pushed. He grinded. He strained. Ivysaur pushed harder, and Tempest felt himself sliding back. He felt the pain, even as the Iron Defense shielded him from the crucial harm that would otherwise be done. He felt the Iron Defense itself threatening to give out - wanting to give out, because that would be easier than fighting against this for even a second longer. He tried to snarl, but was under too much pressure to manage even at. His crossed pincers were shaking, wanting to go numb.

And then there was a final push.

The attack ended, and Tempest was sent staggering back. His Iron Defense had failed him, but he was still conscious - it had given out just as Ivysaur had finished. Now he struggled to stay afoot, his vision splitting, blurring, and spinning. He was beginning to feel weak, and he thought he could make out Ivysaur, even if the image was starting to split in half…

Even with Overgrow giving him energy to spare, Ivysaur could not use Power Whip without feeling the effects. He stumbled forward, sucking in air, but remained calm while doing it, thanks to his ability flowing through him. Calm or not, however, it was a fight to regain his bearings. Janine did not say anything to him, not wishing to disrupt his near perfect focus.

Tempest's situation was different, however. The water type needed Ash's voice to make it through. Janine and Ivysaur's attempt at a finishing blow had failed, and now he was exposed. They just needed to muster up one final attack.

"This is it, Tempest! Keep it together and use Ice Beam!"

The sound of his trainer's voice continued to be a source of adrenaline for the water type. His vision still wasn't clear, but it was coming together. He saw Ivysaur stumbling, defenseless, one attack away from defeat. His pincer rose and pointed outward. The appendage was shaking, unable to remain steady, and his vision of the grass/poison type was imperfect, constantly splitting into two every few seconds before going back to one, and then splitting again a few seconds later. He needed to focus. He needed to aim. He needed to land this final hit.

If Ash had not known better, he may have thought that Tempest had developed his own form of telekinesis out of the blue in order to hold his arm in place. The image of Ivysaur's form turned clear as crystal, and he knew exactly where and how to fire the blast of ice.

He fired it. The ice traveled from his open pincer at a decently forceful speed, aimed perfectly for just long enough for him to manage to use the move properly. He was not going to miss.

Ivysaur caught himself. Glowing vines sprang from either side of his bud and pressed into the ground. With a strenuous push, he propelled himself off of the pavement. The Ice Beam grazed his side, causing him to hiss in pain, but he still flew shoulder first, and with a Body Slam smashed right into Tempest.

Ivysaur's shoulder burst in pain from the collision, but Tempest had the air knocked out of him. The power of the vine whip had launched Ivysaur at a far greater speed than he had gone throughout the whole entire match, and although the force had backfired on the seed Pokemon, it had still made itself known to the exhausted river crab. Gasping for a breath, Tempest was staggering backwards, and it was everything he could do just to remain on his feet and keep his eyes open. His vision was clouded. In pain, Ivysaur landed on his side. His body told him not to get up, but this time Janine's voice did.

"Energy Ball!"

Against everything, the wounded quadruped stumbled up to all fours, teetering to the side for a split second as the bright emerald orb formed in his mouth. It was only half size, and it was all that he would need. The Energy Ball flew from his mouth.

And struck Tempest in the front.

First the Kingler's vision turned all white, and then it turned all dark. His eyes could not be kept open any longer than his feet could remain standing. His back hit the pavement, and his bruised body went still.

Len raised his arms. "Kingler is unable to battle! Ivysaur wins," he thrust his hand towards Janine. "Which means that the victor of this match is Janine Kyo!"

As the audience clapped, Ash could feel the remaining energy swirling inside of him, unable to leave. He knew the battle was over, yet that feeling of excitement stuck around for as long as it reasonably could, as though whatever it was that pumped emotions into him did not want this sensation to go away either. Across from Tempest's fallen form, Ivysaur painted, exhausted but conscious.

And then a new light surrounded the seed Pokemon's body.

Ivysaur's figure was nothing but white, and although it probably would have been impossible to make out anything other than his shape regardless, Ash was forced to shield his eyes. The living beacon grew brighter as his form expanded - as did the light surrounding him. Little by little, but still alarmingly fast, a presence took hold, one that everybody could feel without even looking at it.

When the light faded, a massive dinosaur-like creature stood in Ivysaur's place. He easily towered over the two trainers at more than six feet, and had bulk to spare. The bud that had once been a bulb was now a large pink, white-spotted flower in full bloom. Though still wounded and exhausted from the battle, the evolution had granted him a period of grace allowing him to stand tall, a full mirror from the image of his defeated opponent.

When Janine's purple eyes were allowed to look upon her starter again, they froze for a moment or two before trembling involuntarily. The wave that passed through her body overtook all other feelings, both internal and nearly external as well. Her hand came up near her mouth, only managing no higher than that, and her shaking eyes leaked.

"Venu…saur…"

It all broke.

She forgot everything. She was no longer in the company of a small audience in a battle that she had just won. She was no longer a fledgling warrior. For however long the moment would last, she was a ten year old rushing forward and glomping her starter, now far bigger than her, burying her face and sobbing straight into him.

Ash didn't know how long he had been staring, or when he had broken out of the trance to rub his wet eyes, but even then he did not move his gaze right away. It may have taken longer if he did not have a Pokemon to recall - managing to get Tempest's capsule off of his belt without dropping it, he returned his fallen partner before rubbing the device fondly.

"I told you before that I couldn't ask for a better line of defense, big guy. That's still true."

He tucked the ball back onto his belt, running his hand across all six. His visual attention was back to Janine and Venusaur - as was every set of eyes.

The adrenaline had finally subsided, and he felt oddly tired, but not deflated. That feeling of defeat or failure never came, nor did it even make the attempt. It had no place here, and even if it had, the sight in front of him likely would have washed it away in the blink of an eye. It would have been replaced with the desire to shake Janine's hand, commend for such a fun battle, and tell her how much it meant to him that they had done this.

But that could wait, and this moment could go on for as long as it needed. With the road ahead banished from his mind, he likely preferred it that way.

The stream was still going down Janine's stained face as she lifted it from Venusaur's hide, still holding onto his leg as she looked up at the massive grass type. "I love you." Bending down, he nuzzled his face against her.

The final memory would never be forgotten.

/

Two full days went by like they were each thirty minutes long. The first had simply been dedicated to recuperation after the intense battle. Nobody left the village, or did anything exciting. It was simply a quiet day together, the only thing that anybody wanted. The next day had been the more difficult part - Ash had gone out into the city and got all of his shopping done. Time seemed to move like a train speeding on the racks during his shopping spree, and before he knew it the sun went down, and he was fully stocked on supplies and ready for the road. Physically ready, at least.

Koga had received a summons that he was to answer first thing in the morning - at this point, the thought of Koga answering to anybody sent chills through Ash's bones - so his personal farewell to the boy had happened at dinner. Even with Ash beginning to adopt Janine's early rising habits, the Gym Leader was out of sight well before he woke up. Janine would be staying for at least a couple days longer, while Ash would be getting ready to go after breakfast, with the hope of being out of the city before noon.

The day prior, it had been decided that Glaceon would be the one to stay at Oak's lab while Ash and the rest of the group were traveling on the road to the Pelsburry Inc. meetup location. Since she would not be present when everybody else said their goodbyes, she was having hers with Janine and her team early, just before Ash sent her over.

Janine pulled the Glaceon in for a tight hug, enduring her ice cold coat of fur to commit to the embrace. "It will not be the same without you, but I know you are going to do great as always." the ice type purred softly in the ninja girl's ear before giving her face a few gentle licks. When they pulled apart, Janine was shivering, but remained steadfast as Glaceon made her way through each member of the poison specialist's team.

Toxtricity was incidentally the last one in line. His arms were crossed good naturedly when Glaceon reached him, and she knowingly narrowed her eyes, albeit with no animosity intended. The two competitive Pokemon would not be forgetting their bout anytime soon - especially the one who had lost (she dared to say it) easily. But for now, they simply shook, and exchanged nods between two traveling partners. Perhaps in the future, she would look back at the fight with a sense of rivalry, but for now, this was all they were.

Ash made sure for Pikachu, Valiant and Phenom to all be present to see Glaceon off. She certainly wouldn't be gone for too long, but by they're group's standards, it would be more than long enough. It was something that they would need to get used too until they had finally earned eight badges, but today was a long way from that,

Phenom wasted no time nearly pouncing on his "big sister", who soaked up her "little brother's" enthusiasm with glee. Valiant was much more modest, giving a humble bow that his best friend mimicked with flawless eye contact.

Pikachu was last, due to being the only one of the trio that hadn't approached her himself. He silently wondered if his undesired passiveness had made him invisible, but all of that went away when her eyes left her two closest friends and landed on him next. Not wanting to miss his chance, he didn't wait for her to come to him anymore, making his way over with a swallow. Raising a paw, he offered a casual goodbye and a wish of good luck during her stay with Oak. Glaceon nodded, giving the electric type a friendly bark before wrapping her forelegs around him and pulling him in.

Ash was left wondering if it was scientifically possible for somebody to shiver while overheating.

With the farewells concluded, he gave his own to her before taking out her Poke Ball. "Professor Oak and the others are going to be very good to you. You'll see that I'm not kidding when I called the Oak Corral a vacation. You might not even want to leave." he scratched his cheek. "Of course, I'm assuming you'll still be happy to come back." she barked an affirmative, and after procrastinating for just a little bit longer, he tapped the capsule against her forehead. The realization sunk in that this would be the last he saw of her for at least a few days, and he resisted the temptation to let her out one last time.

/

With Glaceon comfortably at the Corral, Ash's current team heading out was made official: Pikachu, Nebula, Valiant, Phenom, Tempest and Silica. The ice type's absence, knowing that he would not be equipped to call on her after leaving the city, tightened the boy's chest. He hadn't even left Shadowblood Village yet, let alone passed through Fuchsia City's gates, and he was already feeling the anxiety.

But he tried to focus on the good that would come of this. His mother had already expressed enthusiasm at the thought of meeting Glaceon in person, a feeling that was mutual, and he hoped the two of them would have the chance to bond whenever she visited the Corral. The thought of Glaceon getting to meet Clefable and Heracross was comforting as well - he wondered how the bug/fighting type was doing recently. And maybe Delia could bring Trucy for a visit, although he wondered if he was getting ahead of himself there.

With all of that taken care of, it was finally time for them to officially set off.

Currently, the group was standing at the entrance of the village. Pikachu was enjoying some last moments on Janine's shoulder while she escorted them to the city's eastern gates, but before they stepped out of the village, Aya, Akira, Len and Ruunia were seeing him off as well.

"I trust you will not forget the notes on meditation I wrote up for you, is that right Ash?" Ruunia was speaking knowingly, but the overtones lacing the old woman's voice betrayed her jest.

"I'll be reading them before the day is over," the boy promised - and it was a promise that he would keep - while offering her his hand. "Thank you so much for all of your help."

"You may thank me by continuing to be responsible as you are, young man." Ruunia gently shook with him. "Keep your not so little dragon friend under control and your enemies will never be envied again."

His expression was bright. "No need to tell me twice. You'll be seeing the Tyrantrum of a lifetime at the Conference." he looked back at Pikachu while feeling all of the Poke Balls on his belt - and with Glaceon on his mind. "Not that you should expect anything less from the rest."

"Dear me, if I didn't know Janine and her abilities so well I'd almost consider you a threat." the hardened exterior of Ruunia's face evaporated. "I hope the Guardian Mew continues to bless you for the rest of the Season and beyond, boy."

"Of course," Akira stepped in, his face perfectly relaxed. "Your return is an open invitation, the doors to our home will never be closed to you or your team. Especially if you would like a place to train in preparation for the tournament. I'll set a piece of my schedule aside for you if so."

"As will I," Len raised a hand. "I may not compete myself, but I know a thing or two about training exercises. I am yours, with sensei's permission."

"Granted." the black-haired man stated.

Ash felt the Butterfree returning to his stomach. "I can't promise when, but I will be coming back. And I'll look forward to it every day. Thanks for your help with Hippowdon too, you guys."

"It was not strictly us," Akira replied. "But we are glad we did our part. We hope everything goes as planned regarding Silica."

"It will," Ash assertively assured. "Everything that she will need is right here with us." Not simply training and the tools to get stronger, but a welcoming family that will make every place she goes - including the road itself - feel like home.

"Well after seeing how things worked out with Tempest," Aya chimed in. "I couldn't have more faith, personally."

The nostalgia decorated the boy's face as he nodded at the green-haired woman. Somebody that he had met before he even had a full team. Looking at the Ace Trainer now made it hard to not compare the past with the present, but he liked how it looked. And he would make it certain that the net comparison would be even better, and the one after that as well. They would never stop going up no matter how steep the hill became.

Aya's grin was affectionate and familiar, and her index finger pointed at the beautiful jewel that Ash wore on his neck. "Anybody who knows what that charm means; there's no chance of them not taking you seriously from here on. Between that and your five badges, a lot more people are going to have an idea what Ash Ketchum is made of, or look to find out. And that includes every Gym Leader in both Kanto and Johto."

It was a heavy statement for one delivered with such a look. Ash resisted the urge to touch the jewel - something that he had already done several times before - when he responded. The only thing most had expected of him was missed potential, or no potential at all, in a lot of cases. That was all long past the point of mattering, as he had already made clear to Janine shortly after getting here. He didn't care what the other kids in Pallet expected of him. He damn sure didn't care what Angelina or Mark did, and it damn sure would not matter what Gary would ever think about him ever again.

None of that would ever hold a candle to Koga's thoughts, or especially Janine's. Or more importantly, his own.

And if any of them had a problem with that down the road, they could take out a Poke Ball and put their money where their mouth is.

"Hey Aya," he said at that thought. "Do you remember what you told me back at Bill's place, about how it's eventful being a trainer that it feels like ten years just to get to the Conference?"

"Hmm, I do think I've said something like that." she nodded.

"Well, I just want you to know…" Ash resisted the urge to make himself look taller. He did not need to. "I'm really looking forward to the rest of those ten years."

The Ace Trainer walked forward and wrapped her arms around him, snuggling his back for a moment. "Bottom of the fourth inning. Here's to the fifth."

His face glowed red, but it wasn't very visible in their position. He returned the hug, finding it easy to relax and push away the heat. "And every one after it."

They pulled away, and her eye contact was gentle and inviting, with the strength of an Ace Trainer nonetheless. "Well I'll be there for the ninth in person. No way I'm missing my niece in the Conference, after all. It looks like that means you too."

"You won't be disappointed." he promised with his grin returning and not going away.

"I already know I can count on that. Now go get yourself those last three badges and come in strong and unflinching. You're gonna remember it for the rest of your life."

"It's a promise!" from Janine's shoulder, Pikachu echoed the sentiment.

If only it could have lasted a little bit longer, but it was nearly eleven. Noon would be here before they knew it, and they still needed to reach the city gates.

Janine was as patient as could be throughout the exchange up until Ash finally turned to her and said "Okay, I'm ready when you are."

Nodding, she reached out, and four members of the Kyo Clan watched two prodigies walk off hand in hand.

/

The morning had so many steps to it that had gone by in a flash. Waking up and getting out of bed. Packing his things. Having breakfast. Calling his mom and Professor Oak. Sending Glaceon to the Corral. Sending his goodbyes to the others. And finally walking through the city until they reached the eastern gates.

They had finally run out of steps.

Every member of both Ash and Janine's teams were sent out. Silica stayed back and watched, but everybody else wasted no time going over to each other.

Pikachu sat atop Venusaur's head while Ash felt his thick hide. Ivysaur had been an amazing fighter capable of winning nearly any battle, and how much stronger he had become - and will become still - was an exhilarating mystery sure to be on the boy's mind. Phenom and Tempest had already clearly vowed to one day defeat him.

"Sabrina won't know what's coming for her pretty soon," he commented, locking eyes with Janine's starter - he was so huge now! "Even with her visions. But I'm sure she won't forget!" A vine sneaked its way behind him and pushed him into a hug, which he returned with a giggle. "Haha, I'm gonna miss you too, Venusaur. Keep being the best starter your team can ask for." A friendly and somewhat bittersweet grumble came from Venusar's throat, and his eyes moved upwards with a smile as Pikachu gently patted his head.

Nearby, Nebula shook wings with Golbat, who she towered over now. Thank yous were exchanged between the two fliers who had spent so much time working and honing themselves in each other's company, as well as a quick, friendly exchange of both crossing their wings and bumping them together - Golbat stumbled back from that - before saying their last farewells.

Phenom chatted with Toxtricity and Beedrill, admiring how sharp the latter's needles had gotten while exchanging encouraging banter with the former. Much was said about how stronger all three were going to be in the future, and how much fun they would continue to have in their travels.

Skrelp nuzzled her head against Tempest's shell for a moment. Pulling back, she gave him a few words of thanks before moving aside for Tentacruel. Many thoughts of reflection found their way into and through Tempest's brain as he spoke to the two of them, but by the end of it he was perfectly content as he and the large jellyfish embraced - the second hug he had ever given.

Everybody spoke to each other at least once, from Pokemon to human. The whole thing likely took up an hour on its own by the time all of them were close to being done.

Janine and Pikachu's cheeks pressed together as the mouse gave off happy, content squeaks while Valiant looked on. "Make sure you give Ash's shoulder twice as much love for the both of us, okay?" the electric type nodded intently, remaining on the ninja girl's shoulder as she looked between him and Valiant. "I'm really glad he has you two - all of you. He doesn't deserve anything less."

"I feel the same way about you and your team." the Kirlia pressed his hands together.

She looked the young psychic over, tickling a delighted Pikachu under the chin. "You kept me company back in the dojo on those nights. Thank you for that, Valiant."

Valiant studied her for a moment. It was hard to tell with her current emotions being front and center, but there was something both familiar and different, compared to what he had felt before. "I'm glad I went there when I did. You were good company too."

She started humming, but with a turn, the three saw Ash approaching them, having just finished speaking to Toxtricity and Tentacruel. Pikachu and Valiant's eyes met for the briefest of moments before the electric type gently leapt off of Janine's shoulder, and the two rookies were left alone.

Ash watched them go for a moment before looking back at Janine. The two of them had had so many talks that it partially felt like there wasn't much left to say, and yet the fact that this would be their last interaction made him feel like they were pressed for time. Where was he even supposed to start?

"So, have you decided on the Safari Zone?" it seemed like a reasonable point to start. He knew she wanted to go to the Safari Zone before heading off herself, but was concerned about dividing her team during extended travel when they all needed the training for Sabrina. She would need to leave one teammate back in Shadowblood Village while integrating the new member into the group, like what he was doing with Silica and Glaceon.

"I am going to go tomorrow," she replied. "When I go back north from where we came, I am going to try to plan my route so that we can run into a couple of pit stops to swap my team out. And I will be giving my team individual instructions for what to work on if they have to spend a lot of time here, so that they hopefully do not fall too behind."

"That's smart," he confirmed. "Good luck in there, that place can be tricky."

"I have a few things up my sleeve," she assured before briefly looking out to the nearby road. Looking back at him, she sighed with a sad smile. "I know you've heard this plenty of times, but good luck out there."

"You too," he gripped the straps of his backpack consciously. "But I know I'm ready. I'm… really gonna miss this." he kept his gaze straight. "Nothing is going to be the same without you guys."

"We all feel the same," her voice stayed even. "I am so used to having all of you around with us. It will be tough to get used to, but," she shook her head. "That's how it works for us trainers. Our paths don't always intersect forever."

"I'm glad it did for this long," Ash said warmly, setting his backpack down to open it. "I uh, have something for you."

She blinked when he pulled out a book - a fairly thick one. "Hm?" After taking it from him, realization passed over here. "Wait…"

"I found it yesterday," Ash explained, not sounding too sheepish. "I remembered that your birthday was in a month. It was written by the same author of that series you really like, and it only came out a few weeks ago while we were in the wild, so I knew you didn't have it yet."

"I remember this being talked about a while back," she stared at the cover for a moment. "It's a side project that's been in the works for years." she grinned kindly. "Thank you for this, but I actually have something for you as well."

"You do?"

Tucking the book safely into her backpack, Janine pulled out something of her own. It was wrapped up, but it looked like a new outfit. "I think you'll find the design goes very nicely with the cap Caleb gave you."

Knowingly, he touched the rim of his cap before taking the set of clothes and putting it away. "Thanks, I wasn't expecting that."

"I couldn't let father be the only one giving you a gift, could I?" she eyed the Charm of Maya around his neck.

WIth a chuckle, he reached up and touched the jewel. "I'll be sure to wear both."

He wanted to drag the conversation out. It didn't have to be a heart to heart, they could just talk aimlessly for a while. But he knew the clock was not going to pause for them - that was not how it worked.

"Listen, Janine…" he lost his voice for a second, the anxiety swelling up in his chest more than ever. What was the last thing you said to your best friend before going away for who knows how long? How could you possibly get out everything you wanted to say - or even think of everything you wanted to say - in just one conversation.

He wondered if she was thinking the same thoughts. Right now, he was just grateful for her patient expression and posture relieving some of the pressure he felt under. He couldn't take too long, but he could still take his time. He needed to.

"I know I've said variations of this before, but us traveling together has really meant a lot to me. I honestly can't imagine all this time happening without it. I don't want to repeat myself over and over, so I'll just…" he paused, feeling some of the sweat returning to him. He could feel some of the moisture building in his eyes, too. Sneaking up on him like a ninja. "You're an amazing trainer, and when I'm out there training and fighting with my team, keeping up with you is going to be one of the things that motivates me. Not Gary, you. That's my gauge. You're the best friend I ever had and I'm really glad I met you."

The upward curve of her lips was soft and gentle, but he knew she was anything but - even as she smiled he could see it on her face. It was that fierce strength and composure always behind the compassion that truly made her who she was. Intimidating but also benevolent. You needed to be able to see both.

Taking a few comfortable steps forward to him, the purple-haired girl resisted the urge to rub her face. "I think you've done more for me than you realize, Ash. Knowing where you came from, I find your strength as a trainer and person very inspiring, and I can't wait to see the mark you'll end up leaving. I am always going to cherish our talks - even the aimless ones with no topic, just because I was having them with you." she took the moment to sigh, releasing a fairly heavy breath. "I have a lot on my mind about what I've been doing and the decisions I need to start making, but knowing that you're going to be out there somewhere continuing to rise like the future master you are, that gives me a lot of encouragement to do what needs to be done, even if it's a Region apart. You'll be on my mind too, I promise." For the last time for who knows how long, she offered him her hand. "Thank you… so much for everything, my dearest friend."

Maybe it was just the sight of her outstretched arm being the final trigger, or maybe he just could not hold everything in any longer. Ash Ketchum's stomach swelled with the tornado of emotions and thoughts that had accumulated and strengthened over the course of the past few days, demanding for him to let them out before they broke the door down themselves.

But that was his wish.

He took her hand, but instead of shaking it he pulled her in, wrapping his arms tightly around her. Not startled in the slightest, Janine returned his embrace, and this time, the tightness was apparent, not that he noticed. There was no room. Their smiles faded away - there was no room for them right now either.

His tears blocked his vision momentarily, and he made no effort to stop them, as that would require letting go. Neither of them were ready to do that just yet. "You're not gonna be disappointed," he promised. "Good luck with everything."

"I know you're not going to forget everything you've said," the young warrior pressed against him, trying to pull him in closer if possible. "So remember to do everything that needs to be done. Show as many as you can who Ash Ketchum truly is."

It wasn't the longest embrace that the two best friends had ever shared, but it was maybe the most important. The one that spoke the most words, beyond what was said. And both of them knew that once they pulled apart, they would only become further away. It was not clear to either how long it lasted before Ash was ready to separate, probably ten or fifteen seconds, but time did not occupy their thoughts.

Ash's grip started to loosen, but Janine's did not, and he didn't fight it. He kept his arms around her, waiting for when she was ready, no longer caring about the rush or feeling the pressure. But then he felt something else.

A pair of lips pressed firmly against his cheek, and stayed there for a good few seconds before she pulled apart.

It was a slow separation, partially because Ash forgot his name and surroundings for a few moments, and partially because she kept her hands on his shoulders, sliding them off gradually before stepping back. Her cheeks were decorated with a shade of red, but her face was content, and her eye contact was perfect.

"I'll see you at the Conference." She spoke her last words of the conversation.

Ash's cognition steadily restored itself, reminding him of where he was and what he was doing. His face was hot, but he managed to replicate her with one last, easy smile.

"Yeah, you definitely will."

/

Fuchsia City was still close behind them, having only passed through the eastern gates a short while ago. About half of Ash's present team were in their balls, but Silica walked alongside her new trainer; nervous, but not alarmingly so, thanks to his presence. The Hippopotas carefully took in their changing surroundings as the vegetation would soon give way to a rockier landscape heading towards the mountain range.

Pikachu and Nebula were above them. The mouse proudly stood atop the Staraptor's back as she soared through the sky, circling around to get a magnificent view of the gigantic city that was so different from one like Celadon or Saffron. The electric type's observations were almost like a visual scavenger hunt as he attempted to make out familiar places from so high up.

An amused grin decorated Ash's lips as he looked up to observe them. "We've just gotten started and they're already having fun." he would not have had it any other way. Silica felt his eyes on her, looking up to meet him. He made sure to keep his gaze gentle. Some moisture still lingered in his eyes. "A few days of walking with some training in between, and then we'll be at the meetup. Just stay close and you'll have nothing to worry about, it's a promise."

The brown hippo nodded slowly before focusing back on the path ahead of them. She was still nervous, but as long as Ash or Tempest went where she did, things could be fine. She could feel secure.

'You'll see, Silica.' Ash silently promised himself. No matter what happened to them from here on out, the young ground type was going to be happy, content, and if she wanted to be, strong.

A familiar cry from high up stole away their attention. A call. Ash realized what it was while turning around, just before seeing it and widening his eyes in surprise.

From the city that they had just exited, Golbat rose above the buildings and into the air, perfectly lined up with Pikachu and Nebula. He wasn't alone, he was holding onto Skrelp in his mouth, tight enough for her to be secure.

Calls were exchanged as Pikachu and Nebula's faces lit up, and the Staraptor resumed her circles, now in perfect symmetry with the toxic flier. A final farewell before they were truly out of reach.

Ash's eyes watched the movements of the four in the air, standing still and simply gazing up. Their aerial circles decorated the blue sky with their presence, and that moisture in his eyes leaked out. As he lifted his hand into the sky to wave, knowing full well that Golbat and Skrelp could see him, the tears streamed down his face, and he did not know or care when they would stop. Silica simply watched her trainer, curiously looking back up where he was looking, and wondering what was going through his head.

It was one thing to change. A transformation was something different, and Fuchsia would be remembered as the place that had transformed Ash Ketchum. For the next month, year, decade, and for the rest of his life, it was all clear.

New goals had been found. New measuring sticks had come into play. Realizations and vows that would hold like a stronghold. And all a boy like him had to do was leave the town where he grew up and travel to the other side of Kanto.

Lessons learned by a future Master and generational prodigy that a whole Region would not see coming.

/

The sun was setting over Fuchsia City, many hours after Ash and his team had left for Grampa Canyon. Janine's bedroom window glowed orange as she privately went over her notes for tomorrow's trip to the Safari Zone.

'Settled,' she thought to herself. 'I will be taking Toxtricity then.' On the next day, she would be breaking in Venusaur's evolution, maybe having battles at the Pokemon Center, or training with some of the clan. Aunt Aya would be leaving for a mission around the same time that she did, and the ninja girl itched for a battle with her. She almost felt jealous that Ash had gotten to have one first, even if it was merely a casual one on one so long ago.

And once that was over, she would be leaving. She would be heading north - first to Saffron, then to Goldenrod, and then through Johto.

After finishing and putting away her notes, she made her way to her desk, where her two new books sat. The diary of Gwyniff Kyo, and the book that Ash had given her as an early birthday gift before leaving - "Tourney of Temptation."

The diary felt as heavy as an Aggron as she took it in her hands. Things would be so different moving forward. From the absence of Ash, going from Kanto to Johto, to the changes that were to be made. Every trainer had some phase in their journey where nothing would be the same - she had reached hers, and she knew that the friend she had grown to treasure had reached his as well.

She tucked the diary away in her backpack. She had only just started it, and there would still be much studying to do. She then turned to the remaining book on her desk. It was easier to hold, and she could already feel the vacant void left behind from this morning as she affectionately gripped the hardcover.

"When we meet again, it will be where our new roads finally converge. Where all of them do. Until then, Ash Ketchum."

She tucked the book away, and turned to the third and final item remaining on her desk: A piece of purple material anyone from Fuchsia would know all too well. Gripping the mask, she tied it around her face, obscuring everything except for her eyes.

The hardening eyes of a future Master and generational prodigy that had chosen her path.