Responses to Reviews:
VincentFS: I really appreciate your feedback. Although I disagree with most of it, I completely understand where you're coming from regardless of whether I share the same beliefs. You're completely right about Ash deserving to be on the center stage for the majority of scenes. He is the protagonist after all. However, there will be several chapters where other characters have the spotlight, as it's necessary to introduce and refine them. As for Leaf physically comforting Ash's Pokemon, I kind of understand where you're coming from but don't see it as much of a big deal. Of course, it's Ash's pokemon and he should be in that position as well (As we've seen countless times in less than two Gym Badges throughout the story). Leaf has also been his best friend for years, so I find it believable that they have the kind of relationship where this is seen as normal. As for character progress, the group has passed through one Gym battle. There is plenty of time, as this story will most likely reach around 300k words just through the Kanto arc alone. I promise you that Ash will progress into the strong and calculated trainer everyone wants him to be. Hopefully, you continue to enjoy most of the story as Ash develops into a much more well rounded trainer. Thanks for your feedback!
Reader: That seems to be the case so far that Ash is uncontrollable. Leaf is certainly the most level headed between the two.
Zarc4d: Leaf, Brock, and Ash will be the trio traveling through the Kanto region. There will be no more additions for at least this region.
REVIEW as it motivates me to update quicker!
Chapter 11: Ash vs Ritchie
"Alright, this will be a one on one battle. Both trainers send out your respective Pokemon." Brock stated, standing in the middle of the field as he operated as the referee for the match. The sun was just rising, being extremely early in the morning due to Ritchie's request. Leaf yawned, sitting at a safe distance from the battle as she scanned the field with her brown eyes.
"C'mon Sparky!" Ritchie exclaimed, pointing at the field as Sparky hopped off the boy's shoulder. Sparky stood on all fours, replicating Ash's own Pikachu as he emerged from the Pallet Town native's Pokeball.
"You can start first Ash, since I challenged you." Ritchie said seriously, clearly invested in the battle and aiming to win it decisively.
"If you say so. Pikachu, start us off with Thunderbolt!"
Pikachu bent over, making himself slightly more compact before shouting and releasing a strong bolt of electricity.
"Dodge it!" Sparky barely got out of the way, having pushed himself off to the side to avoid the ranged attack.
'Crap, that's an impressive Thunderbolt for sure. I'm shocked that it even knows the move already. It usually takes Electric types a while to learn it. Even Sparky hasn't learned Thunderbolt.' Ritchie thought, gritted his teeth in thought. He was broken out of his thoughts at Ash's next command.
"Hit him with Quick Attack!"
"Takedown!" Ritchie countered, thinking quickly on his feet.
Pikachu pushed off with his back legs, accelerating at an appalling speed. Pikachu's were known to be extremely fast, as it was their best statistic measured by far. It made up for the species lack of power in other areas such as its defense and attack.
In less than three seconds, Pikachu had covered the distance between the two with its physical attack. However, Sparky was more than ready as it was already on the move as well to connect with its own physical attack. The two Pokemon clashed against each other, struggling for just a moment before it was a clear a winner would be crowned.
It was Sparky who easily overpowered Pikachu, with Pikachu crying in pain as it was sent airborne the way he came from.
'Dammit! I can't let that happen again. If Pikachu's Quick Attack meets Sparky's Takedown head on, Sparky is going to win every time.' Ash muttered internally, registering the issue. Takedown was a much more aggressive and powerful attack. The only benefit from their exchange was that although Sparky was affected much less, it was probable that he took some recoil damage from his own attack.
"Electro Ball!" Ritchie continued on the offensive, pointing at Ash's Pikachu who was still getting back on his feet.
Ash raised his eyebrows, completely lost as to what the move was. It had to be a move foreign to Kanto, as he had never heard it from Professor Oak. Just as he remembered seeing the move on television, Sparky had already grown the sizeable electric ball on his tail before sending it in Pikachu's direction.
"Thunderbolt!" Ash shouted, chastising himself for taking longer than he should have.
Fortunately for Ash, Pikachu's Thunderbolt accurately intercepted the medium sized Electro Ball. Despite the Electro Ball being the size of both Pikachu's, the collision with Thunderbolt resulted in an explosion. Temporarily, both trainer's eyesight was compromised from the smoke of the explosion.
"Double Team, Pikachu!"
Just as the smoke cleared, Ritchie tightened his lips as he immediately spotted several Pikachu's facing Sparky. Due to being temporarily blinded, it was impossible to tell where the original Pikachu was at that moment.
"Quick Attack!" Ash commanded, as all five Pikachu's sprinted towards Sparky.
"Use Electro Ball! Hit as many as you have to!" Ritchie panicked, not sensing a more viable plan. Sparky obeyed, forming a small Electro Ball in less than two seconds before launching it with his tail towards one of the Pikachus. Unfortunately for Ritchie, Pikachu disappeared upon being struck by the attack.
"Takedown!" Ritchie ordered again, as the other four forms of Pikachu were almost there. Sparky set off in a sprint, lowering his head to connect with the middle Pikachu. Just as before, Sparky went right through as the decoy vanished. Before Sparky could turn around, he shouted in anguish as he was struck from behind by Ash's real Pikachu.
"Sparky!" Ritchie screamed helplessly, with Sparky crashing face first into the ground from the contact. Ash praised Pikachu, who crouched down in a battle ready position once again. Sparky seemed alright, as he pushed himself up and shook his head to clear it.
"Thunderbolt!" Ash didn't let up, taking advantage of Sparky recovering from the blow.
"Quick Attack to get out of there." Ritchie ordered, his voice composed as Sparky finally regained his footing. Using Quick Attack, Sparky easily dodged the attack. The Thunderbolt landed more than several feet away from Sparky, leaving a patch of scorched grass.
The two Pokemon faced each other, panting heavily from the pace of the battle. It was clearly a fast paced one, leaving both Pokemon little time to make decisions and to react.
Ash's mind raced, mentally noting yet another potential issue. Sparky was freaking quick! Sparky's Quick Attack seemed to be another level above Pikachu's. Before he could strategize any further, he was forced to push away those thoughts once Ritchie spoke.
"Attack with Quick Attack!"
Sparky burst across the field again, with his small legs generating a remarkable speed.
"Don't let him get close! Pikachu, use Thunderbolt!" Ash shouted.
Pikachu was surrounded with a field of crackling electricity, but it was just a second later that Sparky reached the opposing Pokemon.
"Pika!" Ash's Pikachu cried, rolling across the grass and dirt from being hit by Sparky's Quick Attack. It was a costly mistake for Ash, as Pikachu didn't have enough time to launch his Thunderbolt before being struck by the high velocity attack.
"This looks like a pretty even battle." Leaf stated, now standing behind Brock as she had gotten up from her position at a distance. Brock hummed, nodding slightly as he kept his attention on the battle.
Both Pokemon were fatigued, but not hurt too bad. It was a common result when two quick Pokemon faced off against each other. In all honesty, Brock didn't expect Ash to hold his own in such a battle.
Ritchie's Pikachu, Sparky, had proven so far that it wasn't the average wild Pikachu trainers encountered in Kanto. It was much quicker, as well as knowing a move uncommon in the Kanto region, that being Electro Ball. Not to mention that the two had been with each other for years.
Ash didn't have the same luxury, having caught Pikachu less than forty eight hours ago. Of course, Ash's Pikachu appeared strong as well, but it was a complete disadvantage in regards to their chemistry. That being said, the match was turning out to be more competitive than the Gym Leader could have expected.
"Who do you think will win?" Leaf spoke once more, tying her long brown hair into a lazy bun.
"I'm not sure. It looks really even thus far." Leaf hummed in agreement, wincing at Ash's Pikachu being struck by a Thunderbolt by Sparky.
"One thing is for sure. Ash is definitely going to have to outsmart Ritchie and Sparky. Sparky appears to be physically stronger than Pikachu, so it will be more difficult on Ash's end." Brock finished. The two continued to watch the battle with their full attention, wondering who the victor would be.
"Quick Attack into Takedown!" Sparky didn't waste another second, already being just a dozen feet away from Pikachu.
"Jump over it to dodge!"
Ash's Pikachu somehow barely leapt over the charging Sparky. Sparky slid several more feet, turning around quickly to face Pikachu. Pikachu remained airborne, wearing a determined expression.
"Now! Hit him with another Thunderbolt!"
"Sparky! Get out of there!"
Sparky attempted to use Quick Attack to escape, but it was too late. The Thunderbolt connected dead center, completely encapsulating Sparky. Ritchie had a worried expression as the Thunderbolt finally stopped, leaving Sparky slightly wobbled. Despite the move not being super effective, the attacks were adding up for both Pokemon.
"Pikachu, Double Team!"
Like before, several Pikachus surrounded Sparky. Ritchie cursed, his eyes scanning the field and a possible way to defend the strategy.
"Thunderbolt into Quick Attack." Ash continued, keeping up the pressure on Sparky and Ritchie. However, Ritchie's next decision left Ash and even Leaf and Brock confused.
"Let the Thunderbolt hit you, Sparky."
"What the hell?" Leaf asked incredulously, having no idea why Ritchie would order Sparky to be hit on purpose. Brock wondered the same, though he kept quiet to observe further.
Not arguing or protesting in the slightest, Sparky remained still, letting various Thunderbolts fly at him in various speeds and locations. Most of the Thunderbolts struck at the same time, leaving Sparky crying in pain from the Electric move. After a moment, each Pikachu then rushed towards Sparky using Quick Attack.
Ritchie waited patiently, as Sparky also remained impressively calm in the situation. Once they were close enough, Ritchie made his next move.
"Takedown, full force!"
To Ash's surprise, Sparky seemed to turn his attention to a particular form of Pikachu. Sparky lunged towards this Pikachu, meeting it head on. Ritchie simply smiled widely as Pikachu didn't disappear upon contact, confirming their belief that it wasn't a decoy.
"Pikachu!" Ash shouted, watching Pikachu be completely overpowered in the exchange. Pikachu rolled harshly against the rough ground, finally coming to a stop after a few seconds. Leaf and Brock were clearly shocked, confused as to how Sparky knew which one was the real one. Even Ash wasn't sure which Pikachu wasn't a fake.
'I knew we couldn't meet him head on with Quick Attack. It's why I told Pikachu to use Double Team in the first place. So how the hell did he know?' Ash thought, appalled with the previous action. Sensing Ash's confusion, Ritchie explained proudly.
"It's a risky move, but it's how Sparky and I have dealt with Double Team. With some Pokemon, there's a slight delay in ranged attacks when they use Double Team. I told Sparky to let Thunderbolt hit him to see if he could decipher which attack was real. Luckily, the delay or spot where the real Thunderbolt hit Sparky gave away your Pikachu. Like I said, it's risky but I guess it paid off this time."
"Impressive." Brock stated to himself and Leaf. It wasn't the most glamorous or smart strategy, but it definitely rewarded Ritchie and Sparky this time. Sparky took some damage from the Thunderbolt, but definitely won their exchange due to the more effective and dangerous Takedown Ash's Pikachu was hit with.
"You alright Pikachu?" Ash questioned his newly acquired Pokemon, who nodded in response. Pikachu was in bad shape now, having taken a lot of damage. He was littered with bruises and sweat, but remained standing on wobbly legs. It was definitely the later stages of the battle, as both Pokemon were nearing their limit. Sparky wasn't as hurt, but things could change in just one exchange.
"Alright, let's finish this then. Thunderbolt!" Ash ordered.
"Again, Quick Attack to get out." Ritchie countered.
Like earlier in the battle, Sparky maneuvered away from the Thunderbolt easily with the help of his own move. Pikachu panted heavily, becoming even more exhausted from each attack it used.
"Pikachu, keep up the pressure with Thunderbolt." Ritchie shrugged, not sensing any issue with Ash's own gameplan.
"Whatever you say, Ash. Get closer to Pikachu with Quick Attack before you can hit him with it."
Slowly but surely, Sparky navigated around the field and minimized the distance between them. Each Thunderbolt missed their marks, but it was doing an effective job in slowing down Sparky's progress.
For one particular Thunderbolt, Sparky was forced to jump in the air to avoid it. Having caught Sparky vulnerable, Ash took advantage!"
"Quick Attack, Pikachu!" Pikachu used the move, dashing towards the airborne Sparky.
"Crap! Counter with Takedown!" Ritchie panicked, making a grave mistake in the process. Pikachu leapt into the air, striking the defenseless Sparky. Having been airborne, Sparky was in no situation to use Takedown. Sparky crashed into the ground, creating a decent sized hole in the dirt.
"Yeah! Great job, Pikachu!" Ash praised Pikachu, who attempted to catch his own breath. To everyone's surprise, however, Sparky somehow made her way back on her feet.
"Are you sure you could continue, Sparky?" Ritchie asked, receiving a verbal affirmation from his starter.
Since Sparky was willing to continue, Ash ordered Pikachu to continue. "Thunderbolt, once more!"
"Counter with Electro Ball!"
Both attacks met each other, battling for a split second before resulting in another explosion. The two barely waited for the smoke to clear before continuing.
"Double Team, Pikachu!"
"Don't let him! Electro Ball into as many as you can!" Ritchie spoke a second later, not wanting Ash to gain the advantage. The two couldn't afford to take another Thunderbolt for the sake of identifying the real Pikachu. Fortunately, Sparky managed to hit two clones of Pikachu, leaving behind just two visible forms.
Ash wiped the sweat from his forehead briefly, stressing about the situation. Sensing a fifty fifty opportunity, Ash made his decision.
"Quick Attack! End it, Pikachu!"
Pikachu approached Sparky, gaining speed despite the fatigue he was experiencing. Ritchie tightened his lips, forcing himself to take a chance. He wouldn't have enough time to hit both Pikachu's before being met by Quick Attack.
"Use Electro Ball on one of them!" Everyone watched on anxiously, as Sparky formed another compact ball of electricity on his tail for a final time. Sparky flicked his tail, sending the ball sailing towards Pikachu. Everybody watched on anxiously, knowing the following events would determine the battle.
In reality, what felt like minutes for Ash, was just seconds were Electroball headed towards the Pikachu to Sparky's right. In what was a probability of a coin flip for both sides, Ash came out on the losing end. The Electroball struck Pikachu, making him stop in his tracks and scream in agony. The clone of Pikachu disappeared as a result, leaving the two by themselves.
"Finish it with Takedown!" Ritchie shouted, his eyes wide in exhilaration.
"You have to get up Pikachu! Stop him with Thunderbolt!"
There would be no chance of Pikachu being able to avoid Takedown. He was too tired and hurt. In this condition, there was no shot he would be able to escape Sparky's incredible speed.
Pikachu barely got back up to his feet, although it was no use. Sparky crashed into Pikachu's stomach, resulting in Pikachu being sent back to the ground. A crash sounded, as dirt kicked up into the air.
Pikachu remained on the floor, his white eyes staring up into the air without focus or any movement.
"Pikachu is unable to continue. The winner of this battle is Ritchie." Brock declared, as Ritchie celebrated with Sparky once she returned to her trainer.
Ash rushed to Pikachu, worried for his health as he picked her up to carry in his arms.
"Pikachu, are you alright?" Ash asked quickly, his eyes tracing Pikachu's various injuries. Pikachu nodded weakly, which did little to ease the boy's concern. Brock appeared behind Ash, patting the shorter boy's back.
"He'll be fine, Ash. Pikachu is much more tired than hurt, I'm sure. Could I take a look at him?"
"Please." Ash responded, handing off the Electric type to Brock. Brock proceeded to lay Pikachu on the floor, before opening up his backpack to treat the Pokemon. Ash's eyes remained on Pikachu, before Leaf appeared beside him.
"That was a great battle, Ash." Leaf supported, keeping a happy expression in hopes of cheering Ash up.
"Thanks, Leaf." Ash thanked Leaf, who nodded in response. He couldn't help but feel disappointed, regardless of the circumstances prior to the battle. It was a very winnable battle that could have gone in his favor. Little mistakes he made cost him. Leaf leaned her head on his shoulder, comforting him slightly as they both watched Brock tend to Pikachu.
"That was probably the best battle I've ever had, Ash. Your such a talented trainer! Ritchie complimented the black haired teen, who scratched his head sheepishly with a grin in response. It was already an hour past the battle, as the group had made their way back to camp.
Pikachu had returned to his Pokeball a while back, after being treated for his injuries. Brock had informed Ash that he was perfectly fine, but it was necessary for the Pokemon to get a lot of rest to recover.
"Likewise, Ritchie. You and Sparky were so strong." Ash said in return, making Ritchie laugh in appreciation. "Are you sure you don't want to travel with us? Even at least to Cerulean City?" Ash offered once more, feeling slightly bad for the boy. He understood that the majority of trainers traveled alone, but it was never something Ash would want to do. It seemed much too lonely and isolating. Of course, trainers like Ritchie and Gary disagreed with the thought.
"Thanks, but I think it's best for Sparky and I to travel alone. Though, I'm sure our paths will cross again soon. You guys take care of yourselves." Ritchie bid his farewell, shaking the hands of the group. The trio watched as Ritchie departed, with Sparky on top of his shoulders and the sun already having risen fully from above.
"Geez, he was too much like you." Leaf whispered, though his words were heard by everyone.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Ash asked, his tone carrying a hint of annoyance. Hearing this, Leaf became irritated herself.
"Nothing bad! He just looks a lot like you. Not to mention you two having similar personalities!"
"We do not! There's no chance!"
"Uh huh!"
Brock scoffed, though he smiled a second later at the two bickering. It were these simple exchanges and moments that made him grateful he wasn't alone in chasing his dream across the region.
"Let's get going you two. We're almost at Cerulean City." Brock laughed, hearing the two continue to argue as they continue to journey across Route Four. The the tan skinned teenager had a feeling that the meeting of Ritchie would be beneficial for both Ash and Leaf in the future. Although Ash had lost against Ritchie, it would definitely set a fire underneath the boy. Ash was just that way. Too competitive for his own good.
Brock had no doubt that Ash and Leaf would have the success they desired as they aimed to win their Gym Battles, one at a time.
Author Notes: Unfortunately, Ash is unable to claim victory against a new rival and friend in Ritchie. I know this may upset a lot of people, as Ash has already lost against Gary for his first battle, struggled against Brock, and now lost against Ritchie. It's part of a process! Each of these battles, Ash has dealt with handicaps. Whether it's Charmander's fear of Pokemon (which is slowly getting more manageable), Ash's team being completely screwed against Brock due to type advantages, and the fact that Ritchie used his starter Pokemon he has had for years against a Pikachu Ash has known for a very limited amount of time (Ash also barely lost due to a ballsy play from Ritchie). I assure you that it is these losses and experiences that will make Ash become much more intelligent as a trainer, as well as improving his team. I don't want to write a story where Ash is somehow the best trainer the world has ever freaking seen, and he simply can't lose. It's not interesting and it would get boring QUICK. I value character development and if Ash smoothly sailed his way across Kanto, the story wouldn't be any fun to read or write. I hope this makes sense. Now that I'm finished with my rant, I hope you enjoyed this latest chapter.
REVIEW as it motivates me to update quicker and I'll see you all next time!