"Yup" Jessie said, popping the 'p'. "I was hired to find you, twerp".
Ash glowered, still on guard. "Hired by who?" he inquired, crossing his arms.
"That would be whom, twerp." Jessia corrected lazily, checking her reflection in a small, hand held mirror as she applied lipstick.
Ash growled at her snide remark, thoroughly unhappy with the interaction thus far. Which was impressive, considering the fact that they had only just run into each other.
Jessie signed, putting away her mirror and straightening the shaded sunglasses she wore. "Oak? I think that was his name." She said, waving a hand lazily.
Ash frowned in confusion. "Professor Oak hired you to find me? Yeah, right." he scoffed.
"Well, seeing as I ama private investigator, is it really so surprising, Twerp?" Jessie drawled, finally meeting Ash's eyes. "And I must say, it wasn't as hard as I expected to find the famous Wayward Champion. I guess all that experience helped, didn't it?" The violet haired woman laughed.
Brock scowled, walking up to stand shoulder to shoulder to Ash, and said "How are you a private investigator?"
Misty piped up then, arms still crossed. "Yeah! How are you not behind bars?"
Jessie shrugged, getting up and gathering her things. "I was, for a little while. But they let me out on good behavior." she retorted, shrugging with a smirk. Her smirk faded after a few seconds, becoming something more business like. "Oh well, I guess that is enough fun for now. Yes, I did spend some time behind bars. Yes, I am a private investigator. And yes, Professor Oak hired me to find you, Twerp. He seemed rather worried about you." Jessie said with a shrug.
"I'm sorry, who are you?" Serena asked tentatively. "You seem a little familiar, but I can't really say…" she muttered, trailing off. Jessie flashed yet another irksome smirk.
"You mean you don't remember your greatest competition from all those years ago, the gorgeous Jessilee?" she asked airily.
"Er, uh, no. Not really." Serena replied abashedly, blushing in embarrassment.
Jessie stared at the honey blonde with an annoyed look until Brock interrupted.
"So the professor hired you to find Ash. How did you of all people become a private investigator?"
"Please, with how good I am with disguises? It was rather easy. Besides, I had to find a job once they let me out on parole." Jessie replied nonchalantly.
"What happened to James and Meowth?" Misty inquired, arching one shapely brow.
Jessie waved yet again before answering. "James works for the league now. And P- er, Meowth retired for good. Last I heard he was living as someone's pet." she replied.
Ash frowned. He just couldn't imagine the pluck, talking normal type becoming someone's pet. "As a pet?" he asked.
Jessie smirked. "Yes, yes. As a pet. Apparently all he ever wanted was to be pampered by the boss. Now that Giovanni is gone, Meowth has settled for someone else. But enough of this. The professor would like to speak with you, Twerp."
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Ash scowled as he walked past a fountain. The verdant roofs of the nearby apartment complex were almost blue, reflecting the light from the sun as it got lower and lower in the sky. It was summer, so the sun would take it's sweet time setting, which was fine by Ash. The warm rays permeated the surrounding air, sinking deep into his skin and loosening the tension in his chest.
The talk with the professor had gone well enough. He had broken down crying when he first saw Ash on the pokecenter screen before interrogating the young man for nearly two hours. It was quite evident to all involved that the old man had missed Ash, and he felt a substantial twinge of guilt thinking about it.
Shaking his head, Ash called on Sirfetch'd. The path had to the gym had become overgrown with shrubs and small, tree like plants in such a quantity that Ash couldn't get past without climbing, and with how emotionally exhausted he was he just didn't want to.
"Gamon!" Sirfetch'd cried as he formed, turning to face Ash and saluting with his leak in the same move.
"Sirfetch'd, use leaf blade to cut a path through this vegetation, please." Ash instructed. Sirfetch'd turned back to the path and brought his weapon down in a wide arc, the green, glowing blade cutting easily through the dense brush and pushing it aside in one swift action.
"Thanks, pal." Ash said, recalling the fighting type and continuing his trek to the gym.
Erika uses primarily grass types, so I'll need to go with flying and fire types. Glalie could be helpful here, too. And Heracross. Only, plenty of grass types are also poison types, eliminating their weakness to bug type moves. So who should I lead with? If she leads with a non poison type I could go with Naganadel or Venusaur, or maybe even Muk. Their poison typing could nullify any poison or grass type attacks she throws at use.
Ash strategized for another minute or so before nodding; pushing the doors to the gym open. He had a battle to win.
Ash strode into the gym confidently, despite the fading light outside. Generally speaking, gyms in most regions wouldn't accept challengers past five, six, or in rare cases, seven in the evening. Most of the gym trainers would either be off or in private training sessions, to say nothing of the actual gym leaders themselves.
So it could be said that he was pleasantly surprised when not only were the doors open, but the receptionist was still behind the counter.
"I'm sorry, but we close in ten minutes, sir. If you wish to issue a challenge you'll have to come back tomorrow." The receptionist, a young lady with yellow-blonde hair trilled, just barely looking up from the paperwork she was working on before returning her attention to her work.
Ash paused, before asking "What would be the best time to return, then? I don't want to be that guy but I do have a very busy schedule." he said, rubbing the back of his neck as he did so.
A small smile flickered to life at the edge of the receptionist's lips. "I am sure you are sir. As is every challenger eager to earn a badge." the young lady said, looking up briefly from her work yet again. "But I am afraid-" she paused, her eyes going wide in astonishment. "You- you're…" she stammered, her hand slipping and leaving a jagged line of ink on the top page of her paperwork.
"Uh, yeah. I'm Ash. It's a pleasure to meet you." Ash said, blushing and rubbing his neck yet again. He still wasn't used to the fame that came with being a champion, even after all these years. Plus, he was kind of afraid that he'd broken her. The poor girl's mouth moved up and down randomly, but no words made themselves known.
Then, to Ash's surprise, the receptionist let out a shrill, ear shattering squeal.
"Oh my Arceus, I'm your biggest fan!" she cried, rushing from behind the counter with her pen and a piece of paper. "You're the reason I got into pokemon battles! Oh, could you sign this for me? Please!?" she uttered, crowding into Ash's personal space and thrusting the paper into his arms.
Ash's blush intensified, and as if by instinct he began to sign the paper. "Of course. I'm always happy to meet a fan." He stammered, completely swept up in her excitement.
"When I heard you had come back to Kanto I thought it was just another rumor about you, but then I saw your battle against Lt. Surge the other day and I just couldn't! And that move you pulled off against his rotom was just brilliant!" The girl gushed, getting closer and closer. Ash smiled nervously. He was embarrassed, that was sure, but he also didn't want to lose sight of his goal here.
"I know I don't have an appointment, but I'd really like to talk with Erika, if that's possible. I can come back tomorrow, but I don't want it getting out that I am here quite yet, ya know? Do you think it's possible?" he said, gesturing with his hands towards the door that lead further into the gym.
The receptionist nodded so swiftly that Ash was afraid she might break her neck. "Of course! Let me just call Erika real quick!" she said, rushing back behind the counter.
A few moments passed as the phone rang, and only after a second did Ash register what the young woman had said. Wait, rumors? About me? What rumors? He thought, slightly perturbed.
A few seconds later the receptionist was putting the phone down and nodding emphatically at Ash. "Erika said to send you right back!" she said in a chipper tone.
"Thank you. Uh, before I go, you mentioned rumors?" Ash asked hesitantly.
The blonde girl giggled "What about them?" she inquired.
"Uh, just what kind of rumors are there? About me, I mean." he asked.
"Oh, well there are plenty!" she replied excitedly. "Some say you and Champion Cynthia eloped, only she refused to abandon her responsibilities, and so you left, angered. Other rumors say much the same, only with varying public figures." she explained.
Ash paled at that. "Such as?" he asked, afraid to know the answer.
"Various gym leaders and contestant stars, such as Misty Waterflower or even the daughter of the President of the Aether Foundation. And even with Champion Diantha, of the Kalos region! Other rumors say you fought off all the legendary pokemon, sacrificing your life to save the rest of the world. Still another rumor claims that you fought Arceus himself, and that you were banished for daring to defy him. And the last one that I know of claims that you fought a massive criminal organization and that, for the sake of your loved ones and fans, you had to go into hiding after they tried to assassinate you." she explained sincerely.
Ash's face turned the color of sour milk as he listened to her explanation. I guess with me disappearing so suddenly I should have expected something like this he thought to himself, once again perturbed.
"Well, Leader Erika is ready for you, so just go down the leftmost hall and go all the way to the back. Knock before you enter, but she is expecting you!"
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Ash thought back to when he had first met Erika as he walked down the hallway. When they had first met Ash had been denied entry due to a comment he had made about the perfume the gym produced, as he found it too opulent and overwhelming for his taste. Of course, that wasn't going to stop him. He had disguised himself as a girl and snuck in, eventually challenging Erika directly. They fought back and forth for a while before being forced to flee thanks to a fire that had sprung up due to Team Rocket's interference. Ash and his friends had assisted in fighting the fire, with Ash himself running through the flames in order to save Erika's gloom. Erika had given him the Rainbow Badge out of gratitude. But then, that was years ago, back when he and his friends were first starting their journeys. Ash smiled fondly as he reminisced, grabbing the doorknob to the door at the end of the hall and pushing as he turned.
" I knew after your fight with Lt. Surge that you would be coming to challenge me, but I didn't expect you to get here so soon. Always defying the odds, aren't you Ash?" A young girl in a light green kimono said as he walked in. The room was well furnished, with potted plants in every corner and large mirror hanging on the back wall. Erika was focused on the mirror, her back turned to Ash as she brush her short, dark hair.
"I aim to please." Ash replied, crossing his arms and leaning against the doorframe, resting his weight on his right shoulder.
Erika smiled into the mirror, her eyes finding his in the reflection.
"This time you'll have to beat me fair and square. Can you do that, Ketchum?" Erika put the brush down turned to face Ash, who rose to his full high and grabbed the luxury ball at his waist. "I will always be grateful for what you did, Ash. But is you wish to challenge me I won't hold back. And we've grown much stronger while you traveled the world. I promise it won't be an easy fight." the gym leader said, crossing her arms confidently.
Ash grinned, battle lust shining in his dark brown eyes. "You're on."
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"This will be a six on six official gym battle with unlimited substitutions!" the receptionist turned announcer cried, quieting the growing crowd. Despite Ash's best efforts word had still leaked that he was here, and now dozens if no hundreds of fans stood between the trees that lined the battlefield, and he could have sworn he spotted a couple camera crews among them. Rolling his eyes, the Lost Champion stepped forward as he grabbed at the luxury ball. He was pretty confident he knew which pokemon she would throw at him first, and so he was rather surprised when a shiftry took the field.
Shrugging, Ash tossed the luxury ball to the ground by his feet, and after a red flash Venusaur stood in front of him.
"Let's start this off right, Venusaur! Use Sunny Day!" Ash instructed, smiling with glee. He hated the politics and the glam and the cameras. But this? This is what he lived for.
Venusaur shook himself and particles of light poured forth from the plant upon his back. The particles rose higher and higher until they gathered beneath the domed ceiling of the Gym. Suddenly the sunlight streaming into the gym appeared all that much brighter.
Erika tilted her head. She hadn't expected the brash boy she knew to use a setup move on the first turn, nor another grass type. "Shiftry, use air slash!" The flying and grass type raised it's fans, slamming them down and creating slashing waves of air hurtling towards Venusaur.
"Stop them with solar beam!" Ash shouted, thrusting his open hand in Erika's shiftry's direction.
Venusaur shifted his weight and fired a beam of pure green light, sweeping the air in front of him and intercepting the blades of air flying towards him. The biting winds were knocked aside, cutting through branches and shrubs and throwing foliage into the air.
"Now, use sludge bomb, Venusaur!" Ash commanded.
The poison type shifted his weight once again, hurling purple sludge from the leaf upon his back. The move had a wide spread, with a dozen globs of poison flying in a wide range towards the flying and grass type.
The sludge slammed into the opposing grass type, knocking it back a few feet. Shiftry slumped to it's knees, it's eyes swirling, before falling face first to the ground.
"Shiftry is unable to battle! The winner is Venusaur!" the secretary turned announcer cried, raising an arm in Ash's direction. The assembled crowd muttered amongst themselves. They had never seen anyone manhandle one of Erika's pokemon like that, nor a venusaur that moved so swiftly.
This was also true for Erika herself. As an expert in grass type pokemon and a Kanto native, she was familiar with the species of pokemon that many trainers received as their starters, but few were even nearly as fast as the one standing before her now. She would need to plan carefully if she wanted to recapture momentum.
He used speed and typing to his advantage, countering our strongest attack before taking advantage of the lull in battle to land a decisive strike. Very bold. Erika thought as she took another pokeball from beneath her robes.
She tossed this one just in front of her and out sprang a roserade.
The poison and grass type took a stance, showing off the flowers that were where it's hands would have otherwise been with a faint cry. It locked eyes with Venusaur, and both shifted into stances that suggested they were ready for the upcoming battle.
"Roserade, dazzle with extrasensory!" Erika cried, fanning her face with a traditional paper fan. Roserade posed again, this time with even more dramatic flair, only nothing seemed to happen. After maybe a second of silence, Venusaur grimaced and tensed, as if struck. He shook his head and leveled a glare at his pompous opponent.
Ash grimaced in turn, frustrated. Didn't expect a psychic move from a poison type. This is gonna be more annoying than I thought. "Return for now, Venusaur. We need a different approach." Ash said, recalling his long time partner.
"Let's do this, Meltmetal!" he cried, tossing the luxury ball and summoning his first steel type. Melmetal sprang to life, flexing and bellowing metallically in challenge.
"Alright partner! Double iron bash!" Ash exclaimed. The hulking steal monotype lumbered forward excitedly, swinging it's large arms back and forth as it bore down on the stunned grass type.
Erika shouted "Roserade, dodge!", but it was too late. Melmetal came to a halt in front of the poison grass type and began to swing it's hulking arms side to side. Roserade leapt straight to the side, taking a glancing blow form the heavy arm that came crashing past and cried out in pain as the blow left a massive bruise alongside Roserade's shoulder.
Roserade fell to the round, struggling to rise to it's feet as it's opponent loomed above it. "Roserade, use toxic spikes!" The gym leader instructed. Roserade gritted it's teeth and nodded, understanding her intentions. Giving up on rising from the ground, it threw it's arm out, scattering dozens of small, purple spikes in the grass. Almost instantly it lost all strength in it's arms, falling to the ground and fainting.
"Roserade is unable to continue, making Melmetal the victor!" The secretary announced, jumping up and down in excitement.
Smiling bitterly, Erika retracted the extravagant grass/ poison type.
"Standby for battle, breloom!" she said, once again daintily tossing her newest pokeball to the ground. Breloom sprang to life ready for battle, hoping from one foot to the other and stretching with a cry of "looom!"
Ash frowned. First a Roserade and now a Breloom? Erika must be well traveled.
"Stay out of range, Melmetal! Breloom can stretch their arms and strike from a distance. We need to hit it with ranged moves. Start with flash cannon!"
Melmetal groaned, turning it's head towards the spunky fighting type and loosing a beam of gray metallic energy directly at it. Breloom dodge low and to it's left, winding up with it's short right arm.
Erika grinned slightly. "Mach punch!"
BAAAMMM!
Breloom's hand zoomed forward, striking Melmetal upon the… jaw? Face?
Melmetal stumbled back from the blow, falling to one knee with a loud crash.
"Now, close combat!" Erika commanded. Breloom dashed forward, it's fists a flurry of flashes as it landed hit after hit upon the hulking metal pokemon.
The attack lasted a minute, one full minute of blows rained upon the already weekended steel type. When it was all over Melmetal was still and unresponsive. With a heavy groan the steal titan slowly began to fall, landing on it's back with an earth shaking BOOM!
The retract beam found Melmetal even before he hit the gound. Ash had known Melmetal couldn't take the hit. She did the exact same thing we did earlier. And now I can't use anyone that isn't a poison or steel type without poisoning them. Unless… that might just work.
"Lend a hand, Talonflame!" he said, calling upon one of his fastest flying type pokemon. Talonflame took to the sky just above Ash, flying in tight, lazy circles.
"Start off with flame charge!" Ash instructed, crossing his arms.
Flames instantly danced to life along Talonflame's wings, and the fire type dived towards the opposing grass type.
"Breloom, stop it with mach punch!" Erika responded.
Breloom's arms shot forward at dizzying speeds, little more that green and red blurs. One of the blows nicked Talonflame along the right wing, knocking the orange pokemon off course.
Ash grinned. "Let's do it again, Talonflame! Flame charge."
Talonflame circle back around before entering a steep dive, his wings once again alighting. Erika frowned, confused. They had handily repelled the tactic not minutes ago.
"Same thing, Breloom."
Once again Breloom's arms darted forward, striking Talonflame's wing and knocking it off course. Only this time, Talonflame got a few feet closer before being intercepted, something that only Ash seemed to notice.
Grinning, he decided that now was the time. "Alright Talonflame! Use Acrobatics!"
Talonflame instantly vanished, moving so fast that none of those watching, Ash included, could see it. Seconds later something slammed into Breloom, sending it flying back to the ground just in front of Erika. Talonflame reappeared seconds later at Ash's side.
Erika frowned, instantly understanding what had happened. Ash used flame charge to raise Talonflame's speed twice, taking an already fast pokemon and making it far faster than we ever could have hoped to counter. She glanced up towards the ceiling and sighed when she noticed that the sunlight was still rather intense for the time of day. And with Sunny day still in effect, any fire type move Talonflame uses will do twice the damage, even if it's something as weak as ember.
Shrugging ever so slightly, Erika withdraw yet another pokeball from beneath the folds of her kimono.
"Let's turn this around, Ferrothorn!" she exclaimed, summoning her fourth pokemon.
Gasps went out from the crowd, and Ash understood exactly why. Ferrothorn weren't the rarest of pokemon, but they were by no means common. Not only that, but they were grass and steel types, giving them a 4x weakness to fire but nullifying their weakness to the flying type. Considering the fact that sunny day was still in play, and that Talonflame had boosted his speed twice, it didn't look good for Erika.
She's got to have something up her sleeve.
"I'm sorry, Ferrothorn. I need you to use that move." Erika muttered sadly.
Ash's eyebrows rose. 'That move'? Would could she be-
"Be ready for anything, Talonflame!" He shouted, and Talonflame nodded, his eyes never straying from his opponent.
Ferrothorn seemed to focus inward before he was engulfed in a bright flash of light. Before Ash could even respond a blast of energy threw him back, and a barrier sprung to life. The barrier encircled the pokemon, protecting Ash, Erika, and all the onlookers. Every gym and stadium had a similar mechanism, but it was the first time Ash had seen it in action.
Self destruct?! Since when does Ferrothorn learn that!? He thought in bewilderment. In reality if had been the move explosion that Ferrothorn had used, but it mattered very little which move it was. The results were absolute. Both Ferrothorn and Talonflame laid about on the ground, completely out of it.
"Both pokemon are unable to battle! Trainers, please send out your next pokemon!" The announcer cried.
Ash locked eyes with Erika, a newfound sense of respect behind his gaze. They both knew she couldn't win if Talonflame remained on the field. The fire and flying type posed two entirely different types of threats to her grass types, and she wouldn't have been able to poison him through toxic spikes, either. Erika had to do something to remove Talonflame from play, and so she sacrificed one pokemon to get rid of another. That took a special kind of conviction that most trainers just didn't have.
Ash grinned. "Alright then. Charizard, take the field!"
I hope I didn't keep you guys waiting for too long! Well, I am back. Small update, though. I will no longer be posting every second week from here on out. In an attempt to focus on longer, more in depth chapters, I will be posting on the third sunday of each month.
Like, follow, comment. Each and every one inspires me to write even more, and that becomes really valuable whenever I run into writers block, which is becoming more and more frequent. Or don't, I'm not going to be that person, ya know? Regardless, stay tuned!