"Ugh, there's no sign of them anywhere…!" May groaned, holding the sides of her head in agony. What could be bothering the adventurous brunette, exactly?
Well, one might chalk it up to the fact that she and Dawn had been scouring Indigo Village for signs of an elusive Top Coordinator on the premises for the last several hours, to no avail.
"How hard can it be to find just one Top Coordinator!? They're bound to have some glitz, some glam, some stage presence!" May threw her hands out with gusto, stomping the walkway under her feet. Tried as she may to look like a bombastic diva, she might have just been throwing a tantrum.
"It'd probably be a lot easier if we knew what they looked like," Dawn said flatly.
"...Oh! Yeah. Ehehe, I guess that would help, wouldn't it?" May rubbed her neck, laughing sheepishly. "I've tried to think like a Top Coordinator, but I guess I won't know the feeling until I have the title for real. Why would they be at the Pokémon League, anyway?"
"They could be both a Coordinator and a League Trainer," Dawn supplied. "Wallace is both a Master Coordinator and a Champion Master!" She boasted, raising her index finger smugly.
"Girl, I love you, but when it comes to Wallace, your head holds more hot air than a Drifloon," May countered.
Dawn huffed, folding her arms. "Well, if that's not good enough for you, my rival, Nando, competes in both! Or, they could be scouting inspiration for their appeals and tactics. I've taken inspiration from Ash's League battles before! You know?"
"Oh, that's a good point!" May snapped her fingers. "I actually used to take a lot of inspiration from Ash myself," she giggled, scratching her cheek. "It actually became a bit of a problem."
"Wait, really?" Dawn asked, blinking. "How?"
"Well, when you're watching his battles the entire time you find an identity as a trainer, his habits can mix right into yours! I found that I needed to form my own identity and style, you know?"
"That does make a lot of sense!" Dawn said. "Now that you mention it, that must be why my Mom stopped letting me watch her rehearsals and Contests when I was getting towards trainer age…"
"Wait, that happened to you, too!?" May exclaimed. "My Dad never let us watch his Gym Battles!"
"Huh? No way!" Dawn giggled. "I guess there's a difference between inspiration and imitation… But, even if we're right, that still only narrows down our search a little."
Yeah… Come to think of it, looking through entire crowds would be impossible," May sulked, her shoulders slumping.
"And my legs already feel like jelly," Dawn complained. She slid back on a nearby bench, shaking out her shin. "Well, I guess this was kind of a wild goose chase, anyway. Why bother looking for a Top Coordinator when we can both just become one, ourselves?"
"Yeah! Now you're talking!" May beamed, offering both of her hands to Dawn in a double high five. The Sinnohan reciprocated the gesture. "Well, we've got most of the rest of the day to kill. What do you want to do?"
Dawn held a fingertip to her lip. "That's a good question. I was thinking of helping Ash train for his next match, later! I could always get a headstart on that… but oh, I barely get to see you!"
"I know!" May whined. "Well, we could always help out our favorite guys later! We can just browse. Maybe get a bite to… Oh, how cute!" She cooed, rushing over to a nearby kiosk. "Oh, Dawn~! You just have to check this out!" She waved, coaxing the other Coordinator over.
"Huh? What's the big deal?" Dawn asked, trudging over.
By the time May got around to answering, it was slurred around a mouthful of an ice cream bar; strawberry and rocky road, by the looks of it. Its shiny wrapper was pulled halfway down and crumbled. "Mphphph. Ahhmmh…!"
"...What?" Dawn scrunched her nose. "I'm starting to think that your battling isn't the only habit you picked up from Ash."
May took a bite out of the ice cream bar without flinching, which terrified Dawn a little. "Sorry~! It's a booth full of merchandise from all the greatest Trainers and Coordinators! See?" She pulled back the black and gold wrapper on her ice cream, which sported an image of Cynthia.
"Oh! That's perfect!" Dawn dove into the racks of keychains, nicknacks, and packaged snacks without delay, fussing and rummaging through them at a rapid pace.
"Watcha lookin' for?" May asked around a mouthful of strawberry.
"Wallace," Dawn said with determination. "I'm gonna find something cute with his face or I'll die trying."
"Like a Drifloon," May repeated.
Ignoring May, Dawn began digging through the little bin with Pokédex charms on it. Various Champions' ace Pokémon were within, all wearing said Champion's signature accessory.
Bypassing a Garchomp sporting a black coat with a twinge of guilt, Dawn's hand darted furiously for a Milotic in a white beanie. "Yes!" she cheered, pulling the charm back…
Only to realize the charm's cord was tangled up in the cord of another charm, in the hand of a young woman. The other charm was Lance's Dragonite, sporting a luxurious crimson cape.
Dawn looked down at the tangled charms, and up at the person yanking on them. She had teal eyes and capri hair worn in twintails that defied gravity, framing her face. "Um, excuse you. I had my eyes on that first."
"What are you, in kindergarten?" The other scrunched her nose. "Besides, I saw it first."
"Uh, Dawn…?" May tried to interject, to no avail.
"Kindergarten?" Dawn's face sported a hot streak of red. "Well, if you really want to play by playground rules, then fine. How's a knuckle sandwich sound!?"
The woman's grip on the tangled charms tightened, her knuckles whitening. "You don't want to know what I'd do to get my hands on top quality Lance merch."
"Hey, uh… don't the two of you think this is getting a little intense!?" May waved her hands.
"Wait, Lance?" Dawn tuned May out, her grip on the Milotic charm loosening. "Who said anything about Lance merch? He's a nice guy when you get to know him, sure, but he's not Wallace." She blinked; her anger evaporated in the blink of an eye. "Yeah, if we can untangle this thing, you can have it."
"You're right, he's not Wallace. He's better." The woman took the keychains from Dawn, starting to fiddle with them. Fortunately, before another fight could escalate, May exclaimed in shock.
"Wah! You…!" The brunette pointed at the other. "You're Marina! Top Coordinator and Idol extraordinaire!"
"That's me~!" Marina instinctively struck a pose, with her free arm folded behind her head and a wink. Her showmanship only lasted a moment, though, when that hand covered her mouth for a gasp. "Oh! And you're the Princess of Hoenn, May! And you… Two-time Wallace Cup winner Dawn?" She gasped, throwing her arms around the two of them. "Oh, talk about a dream meetup! We've got more star power between us than the stadiums!"
"Oh! I recognize you!" Dawn exclaimed. "Oh gosh, you're on all those magazine covers for PokeChic…!" Her face sported a burning blush. "Oh my gosh. I can't believe I didn't recognize you!"
"Hey, hey! Don't worry about it!" Marina winked, before returning to fumbling with the keychains. With a bit of dexterity, she pulled them apart, and brought them up to the kiosk's register. She paid for both, not willing to hear any argument, and tossed the Milotic charm to Dawn. "Like, what're you two doing here, anyway? The Grand Festival won't…" Her eyes widened, and she covered her mouth as if she'd said something she shouldn't. "...well, it won't be for a while, heh!"
"Oh, thanks!" Dawn clipped the Milotic to her bag at once. "I'm actually here to support my boyfriend in the League, who's been totally sweeping the competition, by the way!"
"What? No way!" Marina laughed, clapping her hands together. "I'm actually doing the same for mine! The guy's won the Silver Conference, you know. But Lance stopped my poor boo last time with his awesome dragons, so he's here for the runback~!"
"And I'm here to support my little brother!" May added. "This is his first Pokémon League, but he's made it all the way to the Top 16!"
"Well, what do you know? Small world!" Marina giggled. "Though, they're all in the Top 16, now. So there's a good chance that our guys will be battling each other soon! When that time comes, we'll be rivals!" She winked at the other two Coordinators.
"I'm just glad that we're just rivals," May pointed out, as a bead of sweat rolled down her forehead. "You two were a few seconds from beating the snot out of each other."
"Huh? Oh, no need to worry! There's nothing wrong with a few gals tussling!" Dawn grinned, flexing her bicep that certainly wasn't toned for brawling. "As soon as you let your aggression out, you can end up being the best of friends!"
"What? You were serious?" Marina blinked, then laughed. "Ahaha, I was totally bluffing! I can't be getting into scraps; I need to be camera ready at all times! Which reminds me…!" Marina pulled out her phone, which was decorated with a warm pink phone case with a Totodile graphic. "You girls mind taking a pic with me? I run a picture blog, so it's good to have photos with other celebs on here! Really gets the traffic flowing, you know?"
"Oh, I'd love to!" May cooed.
"Me, too! Just give me a sec," Dawn said, before pulling out a brush and her pocket mirror to meticulously brush her hair and inspect it for split ends. "It has to be picture-perfect, especially if it's going to be on a blog loaded with big names."
"Hey, hold on." May squinted. "You're super serious about your image, aren't you?"
"Well, duh? We're stars, aren't we?" Marina asked.
"No, you don't understand. This girl will spend a good two hours in front of the mirror in the morning. She's sick. So, how are you okay with getting into fights!? You could get a real shiner!"
"Well, yeah? A bruise is like a hard-earned badge, not a fashion faux pas," Dawn rationalized, before putting her mirror away. "Okay! Ready!"
The three girls leaned in together for a selfie, grinning at the camera.
"Nice! Thanks." She clicked away on her phone, uploading the picture on her blog.
"Hey, wait, you don't even coordinate anymore. Whatcha tryna keep up your image for?" May asked.
Marina smiled. "Oh, I just became a Top Coordinator for the fame, honestly! About like when I entered the Silver Conference way back when! I'm, like, a professional influencer! I do promotional work and exhibition battles!"
"I guess everyone does things for their own reasons," May whispered to Dawn.
"I think Zoey might kill her," Dawn whispered back.
"Wait a sec…!" Marina gasped.
The two girls froze.
"You said you met Lance!? Girl, what are you holding out on me!?" She pointed at Dawn.
"Huh? Oh, yeah! I met up with him with my boyfriend; apparently they knew each other already. We even both got to watch him have a battle!"
"Yeah, he showed up to help Ash and the rest of us to save Hoenn," May supplied.
"You saw him battle." Marina looked between the two back-and-forth. "And save a region… Okay! That settles it." She snapped her fingers. "The three of us are going out to lunch, and you both are going to give me every sweet little detail about that guy." She beckoned them both with a wave, and walked off. "I'm not taking no for an answer!"
"Fine with me! As long as you're paying," May giggled.
"May!" Dawn scolded.
"Duh! Consider it an idol's treat to live deliciously," Marina agreed. "Come on!"
"Well… They say not to look a gift Ponyta in the mouth, I guess," Dawn giggled. It was only then that she realized that they were both leaving her behind. "Hey! Wait for me!"
The hours rolled on into the night, as the golds and oranges of the early evening gave way to dark, starry skies. Outside of Indigo Village itself, light pollution was at a bare minimum, out in the woods bordering the Plateau. Twinkling glimmers of light spanned the skies, and moonlight offered a glow sufficient to travel by, if one was a seasoned enough trainer to navigate.
The cozy, toasty comforts of rented cabins were traded for grassy hills, a crackling campfire, and a gentle summer breeze, tonight. Outside of Pokémon village, Ash and Ritchie sat in the quiet wilderness at the bottom of a slope, roasting marshmallows over a flame.
Peeks and Sparky sat between their trainers, doing the same with smaller sticks.
"You've seen that in person!?"
"Sure have." Ash snatched a bite of a marshmallow, flashing his Pokédex to Ritchie with his free hand. A small, orange specter appeared on the screen, surrounded by limbs formed by sparks of electricity.
"Rotom, the Plasma Pokémon. Rotom plays practical jokes, which it carries out by embedding its plasma body in electronic devices."
"What an interesting Pokémon…! I'd love to see it for myself."
"You sure?" Ash deadpanned. "It's not so nice when you've got a weed whacker chasing you."
"No way," Ritchie laughed.
"I know ghosts love their pranks, but that was a special kind of twisted," Peeks said flatly.
"They said your ass was gonna be grass, bro," Sparky laughed.
"Well," Ash bit into another marshmallow, "you said you had some pictures from your time in Fiore, right? Let's see 'em!"
"Oh, right!" Ritchie grabbed his backpack, searching through its contents. "...Here! Check these out!" He pulled out a small collection of photos, handing one over to Ash at a time.
"Pretty cool lookin'." Ash observed the first; a large stone structure, not unlike a pyramid, fraught with moss and cracks, but otherwise untouched.
"That's the Fiore Temple," Ritchie explained. "Apparently, it was built in ancient times by both people and Pokémon!"
"No kidding… That's amazing. Something created by people and Pokémon working together. I like that a lot, don't you?" Ash smiled down at Peeks, who quickly picked up on his words.
Peeks's mouth was full of gooey toasted marshmallow, so he wordlessly leaned into Ash's side. His trainer scratched atop his scalp, making him coo something unintelligible.
"Oh hey, who's this?" Ash flashed one of the photos to Ritchie. The brunet was close to being shoved out of the frame by another ranger; a dark skinned girl with black hair tied into two incredibly long twin tails and round chestnut eyes. More or less photobombing, she grinned, flashing a peace sign at the camera, her other arm secured around an awkward-looking Ritchie.
"Oh! That's my, uh, coworker, Himashi." Ritchie laughed nervously, scratching his cheek. "We were paired together a lot when I was in Fiore. She's really tough, but, uh, the gal's basically a walking barrel of sugar. There's no end to her pep, heheh… It's a little overwhelming."
"Overwhelming, huh?" There was a mischievous glint in Ash's eye, matched with a crooked smile. With Peeks and Sparky between them, there was no room to elbow him, so Ash poked at Ritchie's cheek instead. "Are you sure that's the word you're looking for? 'Cause it sounds a lot more like she's your type."
"Hey, knock it off!" Ritchie swatted Ash's hand away, but laughing all the same. He looked off, nervously adjusting his blue cap. "Besides… You know what they say about workplace relationships… They're pretty much doomed." He cleared his throat. "Not that I was thinking…"
"Alright, alright! I get it." Ash chuckled. Ritchie wasn't helping his case, but he understood the feeling of wanting to avoid the topic all the same. He put the photo aside to pick up another. "Woah, is that Raikou?"
The Thunder Pokémon could be seen dashing off into the distance, its purple cape billowing in the wind. What looked like a corner of the ruins could be seen behind it.
"It sure is. Entei and Suicune were there too, but I didn't get to take pictures of them…" Ritchie trailed off, slightly disappointed. "Unfortunately, there were some crooks trying to catch them."
"That figures," Ash rolled his eyes.
"Yeah, they called themselves the 'Go-Rock Squad,'" Ritchie continued. "Had some big scheme set up to hypnotize them with capture styluses. They're supposed to be used to befriend Pokémon, though."
"Leave it to another one of those gangs to mess that up." Ash took an angry bite into a marshmallow, smearing it across his lip.
Ritchie was silent for a moment, considering his words. "...Have you been feeling better lately?"
"Huh?" Ash looked up from his brooding, blinking. "Oh, yeah! We're feeling great, now. Peeks has had a couple of nightmares, but they've shown up a lot less often since Rota."
"I feel at peace with myself, now that we've made up," Peeks continued. "More or less."
"That's what's up, brobro!" Sparky chirped, offering his tail to Peeks. The other mouse stood, offering his tail for a shake. Rather than shake, Peeks smacked their tails together twice, and offered a fistbump. "Oh crud, new Pika-shake? I'm in!" He bumped his paw against Peek's.
"Chu-shake," Peeks clarified proudly. "Lt. Surge's Raichu and I started it."
"Woahhh…"
Ritchie smiled at the interaction between their Pikachu, lost on exactly what they were saying. All he could tell is that they were in good spirits. "That's really great, you guys. I'm glad."
"Thanks for comin' with us back there, by the way," Ash said, smiling gratefully. "I know that we weren't exactly good company, back there…"
"Hey, I don't want to hear anything like that!" Ritche countered. "That's what friends are for. No PokéManiac gets left behind!" He smirked, extending a hand. "But, you still owe me that battle."
Ash laughed, clasping Ritchie's hand in a firm shake. "You're gonna eat those words, Ritchie. Come tomorrow, you guys aren't gonna know what hit you!"
"Oh, yeah? That'll be the day!"
The two young men erupted in laughter together, echoed only by the crackling of their campfire.
He remembered a night sky, nearly pitch-black, lit only by the blaring stadium lights. Sweat-stained clothes, and the shame of thousands of eyes locked on him, leaping from the tattered remains of Team Rocket's balloon. He recalled his legs feeling like jelly, and his eyes like lead weights, from his grueling escape. He remembered his iron will to begin his match, regardless.
Only that last detail escaped the long-stowed confines of the past. Today, Ash breathed in fresh air with no struggle. Sunny skies blanketed the battlefield and stadium over. Roaring cheers of excitement left no uncomfortable silence, nor boos of dissent. His mind was clear, his Pokémon were fresh, and his heart was raring for action. He stepped onto his box at one end of the proper final battlefield, opposite of Ritchie.
His friend, clad in blue, had already been waiting for him. Ash watched his expression soften as he stepped out into plain sight. Sparky seemed to be bouncing on his shoulder.
"Both trainers are on the field, and ready to battle! Now, we'll be starting the seventh, and second-to-last match of the first of the final rounds! Most of those watching may not remember, but for some, this is a blast from the past! These two trainers have met in this arena, once before, many years ago! And, beyond that, in the very same round! Ash Ketchum of Pallet Town, and Ritchie Gettou of Frodomar Town battled to advance to the quarterfinals, where Ritchie prevailed! One can only imagine that Ash will fight hard to settle the score!"
A tense silence passed, as both trainers stared one another down; Poké Balls at the ready.
"You may begin!"
"Bulbasaur! I choose you!" Ash threw his Poké Ball, calling on the Seed Pokémon.
"Jazz! You're up first!" Ritchie threw his in kind. Out of the ball came a Grovyle, who crossed one knee over the other, grinning roguishly and taunting Bulbasaur with a beckon of her hand.
"So Ritchie's got a Grovyle, now," Ash noted.
Bulbasaur's eyes narrowed. "I see this one's got an attitude."
"'Having attitude' is the squawking of someone who lacks a personality," Jazz countered.
"Uh, what's she saying?" Ash asked.
"She's asking to be knocked off her pedestal, more or less," Bulbasaur surmised.
"That, we can do!" Ash grinned, pointing forward. "Bulbasaur! Power Whip!"
Purple glowing vines shot out of Bulbasaur's bulb, striking at Jazz. The Grovyle skipped over the initial strike, and Bulbasaur went for a sweep under her legs. In response, she sprung backwards to land in a handstand. Bulbasaur's other vine shot towards her torso, afterwards.
Jazz caught it between her claws, grinning while still supporting herself. "Oh, so close!"
"Ash's Bulbasaur is known for his good aim and watchful eye, but Ritchie's Grovyle, Jazz, is showing some real fancy footwork, folks!"
"Not bad," Ash frowned. "But see how you like this! Sludge Bomb!"
With his target essentially on a leash, Bulbasaur spat a barrage of explosive sludge.
"Cut it down with X-Scissor!" Ritchie quickly urged.
"Oh, yikes! You got a firm shake, pal, but I've gotta go!" Jazz let go of the vine, and crossed her forearms over one another. Each of her leaves took on a lime glow in the shape of a sickle.
Just as Sludge Bomb closed in, she sliced outwards. She found herself struggling with the weight of the sludge, forcing her way through with great effort. "Gro… Vahl!"
The sludge split in half, but only barely; each bomb detonated far too close for comforting, shrouding Jazz in noxious fumes. She coughed, leaping out of the aftermath with only a few scuffs.
"That's a really strong Sludge Bomb," Ritchie noted, unnerved.
"There's more where that came from," Ash boasted. "Keep up the pressure, Bulbasaur!"
Bulbasaur aimed, and fired once more.
"Dodge it, with Quick Attack!" Ritchie cried. Jazz stretched into a green blur, appearing and disappearing intermittently in the wake of the coming Sludge Bomb. Streaks of silver followed her, as she weaved between explosive muck in a jagged, hastening pattern.
"Good! Now, use X-Scissor!"
Two green glimmers crossed Bulbasaur, following Jazz, who landed behind him on one knee.
Bulbasaur winced, shaking off the sharp pain that'd crossed his side. "Not bad… not bad."
"Now we're talking," Ash smirked. "Now, Power Whip!"
Bulbasaur's vines shot out of his bulb, firing behind him with razor-sharp precision.
"Get airborne; Quick Attack!" Ritchie urged. Jazz sprung into the sky, just barely clearing Bulbasaur's vines with a streak of silver. She hung in what had to be Bulbasaur's blind spot.
"Fire up high!" Ash coached, throwing an open hand into the air.
Bulbasaur's vines moved precisely, and shot at an upward angle from below Jazz. With the Grovyle airborne, she was entirely vulnerable to a strike . . . Or, that was their assumption.
Jazz snagged both of Bulbasaur's vines in his claws, securing them under her arms.
"She caught them!?" Ash exclaimed.
"You shouldn't underestimate Jazz, Ash!" Ritchie smirked. "Give it to them, girl!"
Jazz struggled with the pair of thrashing vines, crossing her hands over one another to cross the tendrils. Then with a feral cry, she yanked them over her head to sling Bulbasaur into the sky and over her head. She threw her weight back, coming down to the field to supplex Bulbasaur.
The Seed Pokémon crashed into the field, scattering dust about. Grovyle landed smoothly, balancing her weight while leaning almost all the way backwards; vines still in hand.
"Oooh! What a nasty takedown by Jazz and Ritchie! Bulbasaur has been made acquainted with the ground in no time flat!"
"Bulbasaur!" Ash cried. He grit his teeth, turning his eyes to Ritchie. "They're real tricky, huh."
"That's Jazz for you!" Ritchie chuckled. "I'm kind of giving myself away here, but she'll often put herself in positions that look fatal, only to turn it on her opponents. But, knowing that isn't going to save you, Ash!"
"You talk big, but a lil' trickery ain't enough to take down Bulbasaur. Right, big guy?"
Bulbasaur emerged from the dust, shaking his head out. He had a bruise on his forehead, but that was the extent of his injuries. "Not nearly enough."
"That's what I thought. Now, Sludge Bomb!"
"Twist them, Jazz!"
Just as Bulbasaur aimed and fired, Jazz yanked one vine over the other, flipping Bulbasaur belly-up. Sludge Bomb fired at random, thankfully coming short at the audience as it detonated all across the field.
"Now, let's make sure that Power Whip doesn't bother us anymore, shall we?" Ritchie asked.
The Grovyle obliged, wrangling with Bulbasaur's vine ends before swiftly tying them in a knot.
"Ooh! Now, that's as embarrassing as it is cumbersome for Bulbasaur! His vines are stuck together!"
Bulbasaur grit his teeth, struggling to yank his tendrils free from another to no avail.
"Now, that was dirty," Ash muttered. "Sludge Bomb, once more!"
"Use Giga Drain!" Ritchie countered.
Jazz clung to Bulbasaur's vines, sending a green shimmering glow through them and down to Bulbasaur. She started to sap vitality from a disgruntled Bulbasaur, if very slowly.
"Jazz has Bulbasaur trapped in a Giga Drain! Although I can't imagine she'll be dealing much damage, let alone recovering, with a double resistance piled against her!"
The sickly sensation was a distraction to Bulbasaur; he spat a nasty Sludge Bomb in retaliation. But, his aim was terribly off, sending Sludge Bombs exploding left and right. Clouds of smog flooded most of the battlefield; it was hard to see if any of them had hit Jazz.
"So, that's what he was doing!" Ash exclaimed. "They were trying to shake Bulbasaur's aim!"
"Good deduction, Ash," Ritchie praised, "but you were a little late on the draw! Jazz!"
The Grovyle lunged over and into the poisonous fog, with the bowtied vines in her grasp.
"That was a hectic Sludge Bomb! Giga Drain seems to have thrown Bulbasaur off… But, oh, what's going on in the middle of all that muck!? We'll just have to wait and see!"
In a show of great timing, the smog started to clear. Jazz stood proud, hiking a foot atop her bounty; that being Bulbasaur's bulb. The Seed Pokémon was hogtied with his own vines, complete with a well-woven bow, packaging him like a Christmas present.
"Well, that's…! Certainly a statement from Ritchie and Jazz! Bulbasaur has been giftwrapped, courtesy of his opponent! I can't… pfaha, say I've seen this before!"
More than a couple members of the crowd were cracking into laughter, in the background.
"Oh, that's just painful." Misty dragged a palm across her face, which burned in secondhand embarrassment.
"I get that that was tactically sound, but the bow was just unnecessary," Brock remarked.
Drew snorted, brushing one of his bangs away. "If this were a Contest, Ash would've just lost."
"Well, you have to give Jazz one thing! She'd be great to have around at Christmas~!" Delia cooed, to the collective quiet exasperation of her son's friends.
"How… embarrassing." Ash groaned, pulling his cap down to cover his eyes.
"You, uh… doin' okay out there, pal?" Peeks asked, failing to stifle a snort.
"Don't talk to me," Bulbasaur replied.
"Jazz…!" Ritchie sighed, his posture slinking. "You were supposed to tie them up, not turn him into a sideshow attraction."
"Oh, was I not?" Jazz tapped her chin with her claw. "I don't remember that command."
"Let's just put an end to your misery," Ash grumbled. He extended Bulbasaur's Poké Ball and tapped its center button. "Return!"
"Well… lemons and lemonade, I guess," Ritchie said. "Jazz! Use Pursuit!"
The red light to recall Bulbasaur came so close; but, not before Jazz could rear her foot back and punt Bulbasaur out of its range! The poor Seed Pokémon was sent flying, still tied up.
"Okay, now we're ending your misery," Ash groaned. He pointed the Poké Ball properly, recalling Bulbasaur successfully. He exhaled heavily, as Bulbasaur's portrait on the scoreboard faded.
"Well… so much for not making a fool of ourselves this time," Ash laughed.
Ritchie awkwardly rubbed his neck. "Sorry about that, Ash."
Ash smiled, shaking his head. "What's done is done. And there's plenty more of this match to look forward to; no sense in lingering in the past!" Ash juggled another ball in the palm of his hand before tossing it forward. "Charizard! I choose you!"
A spinning Poké Ball birthed a blinding light, towering in the shape of a mighty winged lizard. Charizard's taloned foot stomped the field, making it tremble. A beat of his wings generated mighty gusts of wind, and a feral roar shook all onlookers to the core. Charizard was here.
"Ash brings out his mighty Charizard! Although his last performance at the Indigo Plateau wasn't ideal, he's won many a battle since then! Let's see what he has in store!"
"Now, that's a familiar face," Ritchie said, smirking.
"Hope you're ready," Ash replied. Wasting no time, he waved a hand. "Flamethrower!"
Charizard threw his head forward, spewing a mighty blaze.
"Quick Attack! Dodge that!" Ritchie quickly urged.
A silver trail propelled Grovyle high into the air. Even with her increased speed, she only barely avoided the flames licking at her scales. The ambient heat gave her a bit of a scare.
"Return!" Ritchie recalled Jazz with a well-aimed Poké Ball, and placed hers back on his belt. "Take a rest for now, Jazz. We can put you back in, later."
"Ritchie switches out Jazz against Charizard; understandably so! Who will be next?"
"You're about to find out!" Ritchie laughed, juggling a second Poké Ball in his palm. He threw it towards the field with gusto. "Now… I choose you! Happy!"
A fluttering Butterfree appeared opposite of Charizard, zipping about energetically. Meanwhile, Jazz's icon on the scoreboard lost color, while a Butterfree's appeared below hers.
"An… interesting choice! Ritchie brings out his signature Happy, but against Charizard of all Pokémon, this is quite the gamble! One has to wonder what he's thinking."
"I'm Happy!" the Butterfree chirped gleefully. "I like my name 'cause I'm Happy! I'm happy 'cause I like my name!"
"...Uh—huh," Charizard huffed in mild confusion. "Save some cheer for the rest of the crowd."
"I can't imagine what they're up to either," Ash thought aloud, "but we know better than to bank on just type advantage. Charizard, use Flamethrower!"
Charizard spat another torrent of flames towards Happy.
"Stop it, with Psychic!" Ritchie countered.
Happy took on a more focused expression, surrounding herself in a bright blue. waves of psychokinetic force rippled from her body, struggling to hold the Flamethrower at bay. With a shriek of effort, she forced the attack back, short of embers singing her scales.
She was holding it back a bit too easily, Ritchie thought. Flicking his teal eyes, he spotted the reason; Charizard had abandoned his stream to over above Happy, putting her in his shadow.
"Shadow Claw!" Ash waved a tensed hand. In tandem with his trainer, the Fire-type drew back his paw, sharpening it with razor-like spiritual projections. Charizard roared, slashing at Happy.
"Acrobatics!" Ritchie cried.
Happy ascended above the petering flames, surrounding herself in a sky blue glow. She suddenly gained speed, zipping her way out of Charizard's slash. The Flame struck again, and she zipped around to flank him with an agile dance. For a moment, she was in his blind spot.
"Got you," Ritchie muttered. "Sleep Powder!"
"Oh, no!" Ash exclaimed. "Charizard!"
The warning was insufficient; even with the unpleasant feeling that he'd been ambushed, Charizard couldn't react in time. A beat of his wings tried to repel the spores back on their user, but Happy's light body simply blew her away. He inhaled a bit of the powder, which was enough.
Charizard snorted, fighting an increasing wooziness. It was for naught, as he collapsed face first on the field.
"...Oh, you have got to be kidding me." Ash slumped over forward in disbelief.
"The universe has a sense of humor, and I'm not laughing," Peeks said dryly.
"Now, that has to sting," Misty said flatly.
Brock nodded. "If I didn't know Ritchie better, I'd assume he did that on purpose."
"Huh? I don't get it." Max frowned. "Sure, Charizard falling asleep isn't good, but you guys are acting like Ritchie and Happy robbed Ash and Charizard, or something. What's the big deal?"
"Well-" Before Brock could explain, the emcee shouted over him.
"For those not in the know, Ash and Ritchie's last Indigo League clash fell under remarkably similar circumstances! Although Charizard was never hit by Sleep Powder back then, he refused to follow Ketchum's commands, and voluntarily took a nap; forcing his trainer to forfeit! What a fateful — if not unfortunate — turn of events!"
"That's what happened!?" Max blanched. "I only got to see his Johto League battles, back then! Having to surrender because your Pokémon won't even listen to you… That must've been humiliating."
"It was," Misty recalled. "I remember the audience heckling and booing him from the stands."
"Sheesh, really? Talk about a tough crowd," May huffed.
"Aha—ha…! Wow. That's totally humiliating. How did Ash even manage to screw up that badly?" He snorted, fiddling with his glasses. "If that was me, I think I'd die of embarrassment." He swallowed heavily, then, his eyes shifting around. "...O-of course, that'd never happen to me! Because I wouldn't be dumb enough to go into a match that unprepared. I-it's just common sense, y'know? And-"
"Shut up," Koda interrupted him, rolling his eyes. "Your mouth's running faster than Ritchie's Butterfree."
Max resigned with a whine, slinking lower into his seat.
"Sorry, Ash! But I had a feeling you'd bring your heavy-hitters to our battle. So, I came prepared!" Ritchie boasted, only stopping when he got a better look at his friend. Ash's cap was covering most of his face, obscuring it from view. "Uh… Ash? You alright?"
The youth's shoulders trembled… Before he burst into laughter. "Ahahaha…! Aha, oh, man! That's too rich." Ash tipped up the brim of his cap, flashing a grin. "You can't take these things too seriously, you know? There's too many uncertainties in life to get hung up on the past!"
Ritchie breathed a sigh of relief. "Well, that's good. I felt a little bad for a minute, there."
"Thanks, but save the pity." He recalled the sleeping Charizard, pocketing the Poké Ball to swap for another. "You won't have time for it, when I'm out to win this thing! Let's show 'em, Wartortle!"
"The Big W is in the house!" Wartortle popped out of his shell in mid-air, landing to strike a cool pose; donning his sunglasses in the process. He grinned cockily, before identifying his opponent. "You!" He scowled, pointing at Happy. "That last battle was straight dogwater, y'hear?"
"Last battle?" Happy tilted her head. "Did we battle? What does it have to do with dogwater? What's dogwater?"
"At the League!" Wartortle barked back. "You hit me with that Sleep Powder and I got ruled KO'd. That ain't how that works, and it ain't happening again. You're…" He drew his forearm across his throat, and then gave a thumbs-down with his claw. "...going down."
"...Oh! Well, that's boring. Losing a match by falling asleep wouldn't make anyone happy! So let's make this a happier fight, okay? Win or lose, we ought to fight a fun battle 'till the end!"
"Couldn't'a said it better myself, sister."
"You ready, Ritch? Here we come!" Ash shouted. "Water Gun!"
"Use Signal Beam!" Ritchie countered.
Wartortle spat a powerful jet at Happy, who returned fire with a multicolored beam from her antennae. The two attacks clashed, bursting into a colorful mist.
"Again!" Ash and Ritchie shouted in unison.
Wartortle lunged high into the air, eclipsing Happy's height, while the Butterfree backed off to a lower altitude, exchanging Water Gun and Signal Beam in an attempt to outsnipe the other. The attacks clashed again, and Happy fired again at the airborne Wartortle.
Without Happy's flight, Wartortle was vulnerable. He retreated to his shell, spinning out of the way, and popped out immediately afterward. He returned fire, which Happy only barely avoided.
"One more time!" Both trainers commanded.
Both projectile moves collided once more. Though, this time, a strange, prismatic glow surrounded Happy. Signal Beam doubled in volume, cutting through Water Gun.
Wartortle cried, taking the attack head-on. He plummeted to the field, landing on his hind legs.
"Ooh, that's the side-effect of Signal Beam! Occasionally, it will boost the special attack of the user; now, Happy has the edge against Wartortle, blow for blow!"
"Not bad, Ritchie. Not bad," Ash smirked. "Wartortle! Ice Beam!"
Wartortle fired a freezing ray from his mouth towards Happy.
"Acrobatics," Ritchie countered. Happy Zipped towards the incoming chill, and ducked under its icy prongs, gliding belly-up to orbit the freeze. She seemingly disappeared from view, kicking up a cloud of dust behind Wartortle.
"Free~!" Happy knocked an off-guard Wartortle into the air.
"That Acrobatics is proving to be quite the problem for Ash! What speed!"
"There's more where that came from," Ritchie boasted. "Ground them, with Psychic!"
A telekinetic grip seized the flying Wartortle, and chucked him towards the ground.
"Fire Aqua Tail under you, Wartortle! Quick!" Ash urged.
"War…!" Wartortle forced himself upright, and aimed his fluffy tail downward. A cyclone burst from the bottom of his shell, putting a quick stop to his descent. "Wartortle!" With another burst of effort, the Water-type launched himself airborne again.
"One more Aqua Tail, at Happy!" Ash punched the air.
Wartortle tilted belly-up, and fired another ripping spiral tide towards his foe.
"Use Signal Beam!" Ritchie countered. "Right in the eye of the storm!"
Butterfree fired a well-aimed burst, slipping through the rough waters toward Wartortle.
Ash was quick to catch on. "Let it go! Rapid Spin!"
Wartortle packed himself into his shell, spinning his way out of Signal Beam, and towards Happy for a counterattack.
"Acrobatics!" Ritchie cried.
Happy zipped a zigzag pattern towards the incoming shell, hip-checking it off its path.
"Use it again!" Ash commanded, waving a hand.
"You too, Happy!"
Wartortle picked up speed, zipping around to ricochet off of Happy's Acrobatics a second time. Ever stubborn, he orbited the Butterfree, who continued her erratic path. The duo smashed into each other repeatedly, in a veritable sky ballet of consecutive attacks.
'There we go. We've gotta keep an eye out for that Sleep Powder, so staying close is risky,' Ash thought to himself, as the Pokémon clashed. 'But the faster Wartortle gets, the harder it'll be for Happy to corner 'im. So we can just keep our distance with a hit-and-run strategy!'
"A continuous clash between Rapid Spin and Acrobatics! A test of wills and a test of speed wrapped into one exhilarating package! But, Wartortle seems to be getting faster by the second…! This may very well be Ash's own signature spin to Rapid Spin!"
As of the emcee's narration, Happy was forced to veer off course, only barely dodging Wartortle's shell that came close to knocking the daylights out of her. She was forced to duck another immediately afterward; caught in a spiral of the ruddy orange of the shell's blitz.
"That speed is going to be a problem…!" Ritchie's eyes narrowed. "Happy! Consecutive Signal Beams, STAT!"
Happy backed away from the spinning shell, firing burst after burst of light. Wartortle served around several, veering left and right in arcs to corner the Butterfree. But, the fourth beam coated Happy in light, increasing her power further. A significantly larger laser hit the shell.
Signal Beam broke into several different prongs of light, but Wartortle's shell slowed.
"That Signal Beam hit! But even then, Wartortle seems to have fended it off!"
Ritchie smirked. "Sleep Powder, now, Happy!"
Happy hovered above the stalled shell, coating it in spores. The shell stopped spinning completely after a moment, and plummeted to hit the ground from a high fall.
"Oooh! Sleep Powder was a success! Despite his seeming disadvantage, Ritchie was one step ahead!"
"Oh no, Wartortle!" Ash grimaced. His partner's shell sat on the field upside down, unmoving. "The speed of that Rapid Spin was supposed to ward off Sleep Powder if any came near him… But, that Signal Beam slowed down his momentum. That was your plan, wasn't it, Ritchie?"
"Bingo!" Ritchie smiled. "I had a feeling that you were using his speed to keep our spores away, so there was no helping it until we could slow Wartortle down! And that Signal Beam's power-up was just what we needed! And, now that you've got your hands tied… Happy! Psychic!"
With a toss of Happy's head, Wartortle's shell was flung into the air. Then, he plummeted and crashed back down into the ground. She repeated the motion, and so did his shell again.
"Oooh, a brutal Psychic attack, when Wartortle can do nothing to combat it!"
Ash grimaced. "C'mon, Wartortle… just hang in there, and come out, soon!"
"Up… and down. Up… and down." May repeated rhythmically, her eyes following Wartortle in Happy's cycle of brutality. "I don't think I'd be able to sleep if I were him. I'd be too dizzy!"
"I have to wonder how we'd tell if he's even conscious," Drew remarked, folding his arms. "He's still inside of his shell. What would the logistics be, for the referee?"
"Whatever it is, I have to imagine it's better than what happened last time," Misty remarked.
"Er, last time?" Max asked. "What do you mean by that?"
"Ash and Ritchie's first battle involved more-or-less this exact scenario. Happy had gotten Squirtle with their Sleep Powder, pretty much right out of the gate. But instead of what we're witnessing now, if I recall, Squirtle was immediately ruled as unable to battle."
"Are you serious? That's ridiculous!" Max complained.
"Honestly," Misty shook her head. "Everything about that match was a disaster. It's a real relief that they're getting a second crack at it."
"Poor Ash locked himself up in his room that night," Delia sighed. "But look at how he's grown!"
"I'd hate to have one of mine remembered like that," Max muttered.
Another toss of Happy's head sent Wartortle plummeting for another fall.
"Another brutal fall! This could be it for Wartortle!"
"C'mon… You've gotta wake up," Ash muttered, clenching a fist. He was awfully lucky, as for just a moment, he spotted a bit of fluff poking out of Wartortle's shell. 'His tail… He's awake!'
"Aqua Tail, right below you!" Ash shouted.
A cyclone was whipped up by Wartortle's tail before his head even emerged from his shell, stopping his descent. On the contrary, he was sent soaring into the air, popping out opposite of Butterfree with a stylish grin. "Hey, I'm gonna wake up bruised like a banana after all that, sis! That was totally not cool!"
Happy snickered. "At least you weren't disqualified, this time!"
"You're right," Wartortle agreed. "Unfortunately for you!"
"Happy, he's within range," Ritchie coached. "Another Sleep Powder!"
The Butterfree beat her wings, bombarding Wartortle with spores.
"Not this time! Aqua Tail!"
Wartortle tilted back, belly-up, and whipped up a torrent. Aqua Tail tore through Sleep Powder, dousing and pummeling Happy.
Wartortle landed on his hind legs, sporting several bruises, but otherwise fit to fight.
Happy, however, was hovering awkwardly, shaking out her doused wings.
"Wartortle evades a second round of snoozing with a powerful Aqua Tail! And, Happy doesn't seem to be looking too good!"
"Happy…!" Ritchie grimaced. "Her wings are weighed down by the moisture!"
"Bingo." Ash smirked. "Just what I was going for! Finish it, Wartortle; Ice Beam!"
"Use Acrobatics!" Ritchie urged.
Happy darted around the incoming prongs of cold, but her flight was clumsy. Cool ice clipped her wing, making her lose altitude. The remainder of Ice Beam struck head-on, numbing her.
Happy touched solid ground, belly-up and unconscious.
"Butterfree is unable to battle!" The referee shouted. "Wartortle wins!"
"Yes! That's one down." Ash cheered, punching the air. "No snoozing through it, today!"
"Way to go!" Peeks cheered.
Wartortle donned his shades from within his shell, waving and showboating to the crowd.
Ritchie chuckled at the display, recalling Happy with a quiet word of gratitude. "Well, you had us there, Ash. I can see that beating you is going to be a lot more complicated, this time around."
"Who said you're winning at all?" Ash answered, smirking.
Ritchie mirrored Ash, and tossed his next Poké Ball. "Alright, Jazz. You're back in the fight!"
Jazz appeared on the field, as did her portrait in place of Happy's.
"You were great, Wartortle. Have a good rest, for now!" Ash recalled Wartortle, and swapped his Poké Ball for another. "Alright, so I told you that there won't be anymore napping on the job, but…" He tossed the next into the fray, summoning a snooping Charizard. "I might've lied."
"Ketchum sends out his still-sleeping Charizard! Knowing his record, it's highly doubtful he recalled Wartortle solely to maintain type advantage…! So, what is he up to!?"
'It is for type advantage,' Ash thought to himself, 'but not because of Wartortle. Knowing Jazz's moves, there isn't a ton she can do to rattle Charizard. So if he can just wake up before he takes too much damage, then this is my best bet to get him back in the fight!'
"Return, Jazz!"
Ash did a double-take, as the Grass-type returned to her Poké Ball.
"You're clever Ash, but not that clever." Ritchie teased, juggling his third Poké Ball in his palm. "Trying to give Charizard an easier time before he wakes up, right? Sorry, but that's not happening." He chucked the ball into the fray. "Zippo! It's your turn, now!"
A Charizard materialized from the Poké Ball's light, roaring loudly. He smacked his tail against the ground, making it tremble.
"So, Zippo's evolved!" Ash exclaimed. 'Great… Now, this could be more of a problem.'
"Use Earthquake!" Ritchie waved his hand. Zippo followed by leaping into the air, flapping his wings. After acquiring decent airtime, he dropped back down like a stone. One foot stomped the ground and then the other, rattling and demolishing the ground under him. Ripples were sent through the earth, working a jagged path towards Ash's slumbering Charizard.
The ground under him broke and shattered, giving Charizard a very rude awakening.
"Charizard!" Ash cried, steadying his footing in the wake of the tremor. Broken earth swallowed and battered the Flame Pokémon. "To use Earthquake on a Flying-type… That's either some luck, or you're really good at thinking ahead."
"Call it a contingency plan," Ritchie replied with a smirk.
"A what?"
"It means it's a backup plan," Peeks explained.
"Wow! An Earthquake on Charizard takes serious advantage of his slumber! Theoretically, such a move shouldn't be able to hit. But under these circumstances, it's dealt out super-effective damage!"
"That…" A bone chilling voice growled. Charizard breathed out scalding air, pulling himself out of the wreckage. He spanned his wings, dispelling rubble and dust. Standing upright, he glowered at Zippo. "was uncalled for."
"Sorry. Try not sleeping on the job, next time." Zippo flashed a smirk, hunching over into a battle ready stance.
"Now that Charizard's back with us," Ash said," I think we oughta kick this battle into high gear."
"I agree," Ritchie replied. "Zippo! Fire Blast, now!"
"Charizard, Flamethrower, now!"
Charizard's hot stream of flames collided with Zippo's blazing star in the center of the field. Sizzling heat poured across the fray in the midst of the struggle. But, it was a struggle that wouldn't last.
"What's this!? Despite being the stronger attack, Fire Blast is losing ground against Flamethrower! I think it's safe to say which Charizard knows how to bring the heat!"
Ritchie grimaced, as he watched their move slowly push in his direction. He felt uncomfortably hot, even from the sidelines. "No good… We don't have enough firepower. Back off, Zippo!"
Zippo took flight, narrowly avoiding the combination of flames.
"Now, use Rock Slide!"
Zippo conjured a slew of boulders in his orbit, and tossed his head, firing them at Charizard.
"He came prepared," Ash muttered. "Charizard, cut through them with Shadow Claw!"
Charizard lunged at the incoming stones, wielding necrotic blades on each of his claws. He sliced through one rock after another, leaving the debris to fall harmlessly as he decimated one after another; following Zippo higher into the air. But, with the last boulder carved, he found Zippo right in his airspace; far closer than he intended.
"It was a feint!" Ash exclaimed.
"Bingo," Ritchie confirmed. "Fire Blast, now!"
The five-pronged inferno scorched Charizard, forcing him back with a grunt of pain. He snorted, emerging from the smoke with a Flamethrower that hit Zippo's torso with precision.
"Fight back with Slash!" Ritchie shouted.
Zippo shook off the excess heat, summoning long, pointed claws, and uppercutted Charizard with a nasty Slash.
"Shadow Claw!" Ash barked.
Charizard shook his head off, ignoring the stinging up his jawline. "Grawrh!" Shadowy forces sliced Zippo's shoulder. Zippo Slashed back at Charizard, striking his torso. The latter wielded Shadow Claw over his head, slashing down at Zippo with all of his might.
"Oooh! A head-to-head clash of Slash and Shadow Claw! Absolutely brutal, folks!"
Charizard grinned, beating his wings with irritable anticipation. "You're going to have to try harder. I've had Razor Leaf cuts that sting more than you."
Zippo snorted. "If you think you're going to goad me into a hot head, good luck."
"Suit yourself. I'll spit enough heat for both of us," Charizard answered; perfectly timed, as Ash had just ordered a Flamethrower from below. He fired a Flamethrower, hitting Zippo head-on.
"Counterattack, with Rock Slide!" Ritchie cried.
Another round of boulders materialized out of thin air. The first of many hit Charizard head-on, breaking into pieces against his scuffed scales. A second came immediately afterward, which he caught between his arms, clutching it. A third was on its way, and he wielded the second over his head to smash it into the third; breaking both to fine rubble.
Several more rocks came his way; Charizard whipped his tail around, striking them with a whiplash movement that sent the rest flying back at Zippo. One pelted his wing, disorienting him and leaving him open for several more to break against his body. Bruised and winded, he fell.
"Oooh! That's a super-effective Rock Slide; brought down by Zippo's own move! Could this be it!?"
Zippo looked to be on the cusp of defeat; beaten and overpowered by an unshakeable rival. But, for any proud starter Pokémon, the brink of defeat was just another ledge to hoist oneself upon to deliver an unlikely victory. Despite his cool head, a blazing fighting spirit kindled in Zippo's heart. It extended to the symbol of his strength — the flame on his tail erupted into a blinding Blaze. Its sudden propulsion slowed his fall, and Zippo corrected his flight with a roar.
"He's back in the fight," Ash exclaimed. "And, I think that's…!"
"It's Blaze! On the brink of defeat, Zippo turns up the heat for a final confrontation!"
"Sorry, Ash. We may be on the backfoot, but we're not out of the fight yet," Ritchie said. "Let's show them, Zippo! Give them your full power Fire Blast!"
Zippo reared his head back, and spat a Fire Blast twice as big as before. It dwarfed Charizard.
"We can take the heat! Charizard, Flamethrower!" Ash cried.
Charizard took this as a challenge. Spitting his own flame, he put a momentary stopper on the sweltering star. But, even he found himself starting to struggle; Fire Blast was encroaching upon him, growing closer by the second. He growled, pouring in more effort.
"That is one incredible Fire Blast! Even Ash's Charizard seems to be struggling!"
His efforts were proving to be less than fruitful, as Flamethrower was all but consumed. Charizard wrapped his arms around the Fire Blast, struggling to hold it off. The intense heat licked at his scales. He was built for the heat, but even he couldn't deny its power.
"Now, we're the ones with our backs against the wall," Ash said from below. His red jacket whipped around with the hot winds, and he held his cap down to shield himself from the light. "But that's fine — the stronger our opponents, the stronger we get! Charizard, Dragon Rush!"
Cyan started to creep through the intense red and orange. Ethereal wings bloomed behind Fire Blast's glow. With a willful struggle for dominance, a dragon's jowls consumed the star.
Charizard roared, powering through Fire Blast with all of his might. The winged serpent aura he boasted worked a jagged, swift path for Zippo, and when they collided, it exploded.
"Now, let's finish it!" Ash shouted, seizing his fist in the air. "Use Seismic Toss!"
Charizard discarded his dragon aura with a flex of his wings, and seized Zippo in a bearhug. With a triumphant roar, he shot down towards earth at full speed.
Ritchie laughed to himself, garnering Ash's attention. "Your Charizard's awesome, Ash, but he's also very predictable." He could see the confusion on his friend's face. There was little time to elaborate. "Zippo! Use Earthquake, now!"
Ash had no time to think. No time for a change in course; he could only nurse a feeling that he'd been outdone, as the earth trembled and threw him off of his feet. Peeks went flying from his shoulder, and he snatched him into a hug before taking the fall on his side.
Dust flooded the field. Ash had to guard himself and Peeks with his jacket collar; the air was so arid and dirty that it was making them cough. "Gr… Ack! great… He pulled one over on us, huh?" He laughed to himself, flipping back onto his feet. His legs felt a little numb from the tremor, and he nearly fell flat on his face. He was glad the debris shielded him before scattering.
The dust settled. Zippo laid in the wreckage of a crater, with Charizard halfway strewn over him. With a bit of scrutiny from the referee, both looked to be unconscious.
"Charizard and Zippo are both unable to battle!"
"A double knockout! A reversal of Charizard's signature Seismic Toss made for an unbelievably powerful Earthquake, making use of its momentum to bring Ash's star player down with Zippo! As usual, Ritchie puts his wits to use, to great effect!"
"Aw… a tie!?" Max groaned, leaning forward in his seat. "It looked like Ash had it… But then again, that Seismic Toss keeps coming back to bite him. You'd think he'd learn."
"I'll say, though, I'm sure Charizard was going to feel good about this battle no matter who won," Brock mused. "Win or lose, he fought by Ash's side, fair and square. That alone is ample redemption for the first Indigo League, I think."
"You know… It's like I said." Ritchie started, recalling Zippo to his ball. "Charizard's awesome, but you guys have a habit of going for the same finishing move, all the time. It's in your battle records."
"Thanks, Charizard. You can rest for now." Ash recalled the fiery titan, pocketing him to address Ritchie. He had to laugh. "Now that you mention it… I guess we do! And this isn't the first time it's come back to bite us, either." Against Brandon, Deidra… and now Ritchie. "It's such a solid finisher, I forget sometimes. Feels a little silly, now that I put thought into it."
"Well, live and learn, huh?" Ritchie smiled good-naturedly. "Every defeat is a chance to grow stronger!"
"You said something like that after our first Indigo League too," Ash pointed out, smiling. "Right. Then I'll use this upset to climb even higher!" Ash wound up his left arm, and chucked another Poké Ball into the fray with enthusiasm. "Bulbasaur! It's time for round two!"
"Then, that makes two of us!" Ritchie countered, sending out his own. "Jazz! Your turn, again!"
Bulbasaur and Jazz appeared opposite of one another, reflected by the battle monitor.
"What a show of sportsmanship and healthy self-improvement! I think it's easy to see why these two friends have made it so far in their careers, folks; this might be some good advice for everyone to internalize for themselves, going forward! In the meantime, though, Ritchie is down to his last Pokémon, while Ash has Bulbasaur and Wartortle!"
"Well, well. Look who it is!" Jazz flashed a sneering grin at Bulbasaur. "And here I'd gone and giftwrapped you, just for the occasion. People are so rude when it comes to their presents."
Bulbasaur was no longer tied up, thanks to the convenience of being merely data inside of his Poké Ball. He exhaled through his nose, suppressing his temper. "Pleasant as you were, I see."
"These two have squared off before, to ill effect on Bulbasaur's end! What will happen, now!?"
"It's not gonna be like before," Ash claimed, wearing a bold smile. "I can promise you that."
"Oh, yeah?" Ritchie goaded. "What could've changed in just a couple of minutes?"
"Well for starters, we no longer have Zippo to worry about," Ash answered. "Use Sunny Day!"
An orb of harsh light fired out of Bulbasaur's bulb. It jettisoned high above the battlefield, and bloomed into an artificial sun; amplifying the already intense summer heat.
"Bulbasaur brings in the harsh sunlight! It's a bit of a scorcher today already, so don't hesitate to buy some sodas from our vendors, folks! Unfortunately for Ritchie, a cold beverage won't alleviate whatever Ash has planned for him!"
"So, that's your move," Ritchie said, smirking. "You've been holding out on us to make sure we didn't take advantage of that. Good thinking, Ash!" He pointed towards his opponent. "Let's see how it stacks up against us! Jazz, use Quick Attack!"
Jazz leaned forward and kicked off the dirt under her, making the ground break. A silver streak propelled her towards Bulbasaur for a swift shoulder tackle.
Bulbasaur's bulb illuminated under the sunlight. Invigorated, he sprung from all fours, clearing the quickly approaching Grovyle with a leap.
"He seems faster…" Ritchie's eyes narrowed. "Use X-Scissor, back to back!"
Jazz slid to a halt, digging her feet into the dirt to gain traction. With a quick pivot, she dashed at Bulbasaur, who had his back to her. She drew back both of her forearms, sharpening her leaves into sickle blades. With a cry, she slashed at his back in a cross formation.
The harsh sound of sharpening blades hit Bulbasaur's ever-alert ears. He leaned his weight onto his front legs to lift himself all the way up into a handstand, narrowly dodging the slash.
His upside down view of Jazz gave him a fair warning of the sweep at his feet. He leaned his weight onto one leg, and pivoted to flip in Jazz's direction just as X-Scissor sliced under him.
"You're slippery this time, aren't cha?" Jazz taunted through gritted teeth. With a grunt of effort, she swung at him with slice after slice, while Bulbasaur weaved and took backwards steps to dodge each one. Jazz shrieked angrily, slashing across with both arms.
Bulbasaur somersaulted a safe distance away, dodging it entirely.
"Bulbasaur's speed has picked up considerably, as he dodges every one of Jazz's attacks! My best guess is that Bulbasaur boasts the Chlorophyll ability, sharply increasing his agility under harsh sunlight! Things are heating up!"
"It's a good thing we learned about his ability while we were prepping for the League," Ash said, smirking. "Your fancy tricks aren't gonna work on us, this time!"
"Wanna bet?" Ritchie goaded.
"Hey, Smiles McGee," Jazz taunted. "Why don't you let me see your vines again, huh? I hear I missed your trainer's birthday. I'd like to hand deliver his present, this time."
Bulbasaur glared, but kept a cool head and ignored her; a remarkably easy feat, as Ash had the prudence to order Sludge Bomb, just then. He spat a barrage of explosive acid at the Grovyle.
Jazz backflipped to land in a handstand, and pivoted on her palm to roll sideways out of the way of Sludge Bomb's aim. She tucked into a barrel roll, dodging the remainder.
"Use Weather Ball!" Ash ordered.
Ritchie gasped. "Jazz! Be careful!"
Bulbasaur tilted up his hind legs, aiming his bulb towards Jazz. An ethereal clear orb conjured at the top of the bulb, igniting ablaze under the harsh sunlight. "Saur!"
Weather Ball didn't target Jazz, but instead fired right past her, igniting the sludge on the field. A massive, incendiary explosion ignited, which the Grovyle only barely dodged.
She landed in front of the explosion with her back to it, grinning at Bulbasaur.
"A massive ignition of Sludge Bomb; that could've been it! Who would've thought to see such pyrotechnics from a Grass-type!?"
"Power Whip!" Ash commanded. "Give 'er the one-two!"
Glowing vines shot out of Bulbasaur's bulb towards Jazz, one approaching more swiftly than the other. The other Grass-type was backed up against the wall of fire that hadn't quite died down; her footwork wouldn't save her.
Jazz reached for the vine that reached her first. But, it veered out of her path, to her surprise.
"Not gonna happen this time," Ash said, smirking.
"Jazz!" Ritchie shouted. "It's a diversion! Watch out for the second vine!"
She returned her attention to the incoming tendril, claws at the ready. Then, she felt a tap on her right shoulder. She squawked in surprise, looking behind her. The first vine had emerged from the smoke and embers, poking her. It gestured to her right, turning her attention there.
The second vine was hoisted right near her. In that moment of confusion, it smacked her across the face, making Jazz stumble off-balance. Then, the first vine dropped at her feet, tripping her.
"Now, that was a sight! Bulbasaur fooled Jazz with something right out of a Saturday morning cartoon! That may be payback for that stunt from earlier in the match!"
"Oh, you think you're funny, huh?" Jazz growled.
"Hi-larious," Bulbasaur said dryly.
"Sludge Bomb!" Ash waved a hand. Bulbasaur fired another acidic barrage.
"Jazz!" Ritchie warned.
Jazz sprung off her hands, avoiding the densely-packed poison.
"Good, now grab some of the sludge, and charge in!" The trainer ordered. "Quick Attack!"
The Grovyle swiped up grime between her fingers, and propelled herself towards Bulbasaur.
"What's he up to…?" Ash's eyes narrowed. Jazz was making quick headway; moving just about as quickly as Bulbasaur's vines could return to him. "Be careful, Bulbasaur!"
"Now, grab his vines!" Ritchie snatched a hand shut; just in time for his Pokémon to lunge, and snag both of Bulbasaur's tendrils between her claws. She fell face first, right in front of him.
Jazz put on a smug smile, eyes half-lidded. "You know, you just keep drawing me back in~"
Bulbasaur's face sported a scalding blush. He averted his eyes from her. "I… have my eyes on someone else. There's this lady from the Xanadu Nursery…"
"Oh! Well, why didn't you just say so?" Jazz dropped the alluring persona to smile brightly, throwing an arm around Bulbasaur in a friendly manner. "I'm no homewrecker; I'd hate to make such a lovely thing blow up in your face," she said candidly, patting his bulb roughly.
"I don't know what she's pulling, but there's no time for gossip," Ash remarked. "Not when we have 'em right where we want 'em. Bulbasaur, Weather Ball!"
"Kind of you. Afraid I have to cut our chat short," Bulbasaur said, aiming directly at Jazz.
"Whoops!" Her eyes widened. "Gotta run; we'll have to catch up over drinks, sometime!" She released Bulbasaur, backflipping before sprinting out of range.
Weather Ball started to glow. Suddenly, Bulbasaur was caught in a deafening explosion of blazes and ash. The black smoke towered over the field.
"Bulbasaur…!?" Ash guarded himself and Peeks with his arm to ward off the incoming smoke and cinders. "What the heck was that!?"
"What's this!?" The emcee mirrored Ash's confusion, as did the clamor in the crowd among whoops of excitement. All awaited the answer, as the smoke and ash started to clear.
Bulbasaur trudged out of the debris, covered in bruises and ashes. He was breathing heavily, but still standing, despite the scorch marks on his prized bulb.
"Bulbasaur is still standing! A stubborn Pokémon if there ever was one, but the question still stands — what was behind that sudden explosion!?"
"Your Bulbasaur's really tough, Ash!" Ritchie praised. Despite his kind words, his lips picked up in a coy smirk. "As for the question on everybody's minds… Let's just say it was sleight of hand."
"Sleight of…?" Ash's eyes widened in realization. "I get it! That sludge you told Jazz to pick up from our attack. You had 'er rub it on Bulbasaur, so the Weather Ball would set it off, didn't you?"
Ritchie laughed. "Guilty as charged!"
"You're… you're despicable," Bulbasaur huffed, coughing up smoke.
Jazz crossed one leg over the other, grinning. "Ain't I a stinker?"
"Aha, wow. I thought playing with grime and fire was our thing. And Dawn's," Ash corrected himself. "But, how did she know what you had planned when you told her to head in?"
"That's just the power of knowing each other for so long," Ritchie answered. "I know how Jazz thinks, and I do my best to work it into her battles. Her moves may not be the most powerful in the world, but it's great for making opponents underestimate us! It's a little bit of planning, a little bit of improv."
Ash smirked. "I get it. Being on the same page as your Pokémon is a really important skill! With all that said…" The trainer's face fell. "I was listening in, and your Grovyle is messed up, dude."
Ritchie laughed nervously. "Believe me. I know."
"And there you have it! Some sleight of hand topped off with a bit of psychological warfare got Bulbasaur scorched by his own attack! Ritchie's reputation as a sharp-minded threat lives on, and Jazz is right up there with him! What a unique battle!"
"And the battle isn't over yet," Ash said. By now, he'd noticed that the intense heat from above had petered out. "Bulbasaur, Sunny Day, once more!"
"Don't let them do it for free!" Ritchie shouted. "X-scissor, backed by Quick Attack!"
The ground broke under Jazz, propelling her towards Bulbasaur at breakneck speed. The lime of her X-Scissor leaked silver light from her Quick Attack, sharpening it further. She shrieked, slashing across the stationary Bulbasaur. The slice made him wince, and it sent him flying.
"Quick Attack gave that X-Scissor plenty of power! Bulbasaur was interrupted!"
Bulbasaur was also stubborn. He fired Sunny Day while airborne, lighting the stadium's skies before he hit the ground; landing on all fours. He shook his head out, ignoring the mild bleeding.
Ash pointed towards Jazz. "Weather Ball!"
Bulbasaur fired instantaneously. A blazing orb descended upon the Gorvyle.
"Jump, Jazz!" Ritchie coached. Jazz landed on her hind legs, and sprung just over Weather Ball.
"Gotcha!" Ash grinned. "Grab 'er leg, with Power Whip!"
Bulbasaur's vine snapped out, tying itself tightly around Jazz's ankle. She reached for the vine.
"Now 'er hand, too!"
The second vine snapped out at lightning speed, thanks to Chlorophyll's boost. It snagged itself around the Grovyle's wrist, securing it. Bulbasaur whipped her towards the ground, and she smacked its surface with tremendous force.
With a bit more tangling, Bulbasaur tied her arm and leg together. "Not so fun, is it?" He taunted.
Shaking off her dizziness, Jazz regained her bearings, and gawked. "H-hey, no fair!"
"Let's finish it!" Ash threw a hand in the air. "Use Weather Ball, Bulbasaur!"
Bulbasaur aimed, and fired. Blazing sunlight pulverized Ritchie's end of the field, swallowing Jazz. Smoke and dust burst from the point of impact, before the wind carried them away.
Jazz was free of Bulbasaur's hold, but she looked less than cognizant, stumbling dizzily. The Grass-type stumbled out of the aftermath, collapsing on her face. Her eyes were now swirls.
"Grovyle is unable to battle!" The referee cried, raising his flag. "That makes Bulbasaur the winner of the match, and the victor of the battle is Ash from Pallet Town!"
"Yes!" Ash laughed, running onto the field towards Bulbasaur. The Seed Pokémon looked weary, so he did the courtesy of scooping him into his own arms, spinning him around. "Nice one, Bulbasaur!"
Bulbasaur nuzzled into Ash's chin, and sighed. "Is it wrong to say that I'm glad that's over?"
"As former victims of relationship woes, I don't think either of us could blame you," Peeks said.
Ash laughed, petting Bulbasaur's head. "I think you deserve a break. Catch up with you later, tough guy." He tapped the Grass-type with his Poké Ball, recalling him. After he had, Peeks tapped his shoulder and pointed; Ritchie was approaching. "Hey, Ritchie! What a battle, huh?"
"What a battle is right," Ritchie laughed. He'd already recalled Jazz, stepping around the acid and scorched earth to reach his friend. "So, what's the verdict? You think this battle makes up for the first one?"
Ash held his hand out to Ritchie. "If you ask me, it more than makes up for it! What do you think, Peeks?"
"Well, if you ask me, we didn't arrive filthy and exhausted, and we actually finished the battle," Peeks replied. "So, I'd call that a win." He walked down Ash's forearm, offering his tail to Sparky.
Ritchie clasped Ash's hand in his. "I don't know what he said, but it sounded like a good answer!" Ritchie replied, smiling. "Ah… We didn't win, but we got to battle to the finish! This was always more your league than mine, anyway. So, just make sure to win for us, won't you?"
"If you don't, you're gonna have to answer to me, brobros!" Sparky joked, turning to shake his tail with Peeks's. He gave the mouse a jolt of motivation. "If you beat us, you can beat anybody!"
"Don't worry. We're going all the way to the top!" Peeks grinned, cheeks crackling with static.
" 'Course we will!" Ash agreed. "That's a promise."
"And, there you have it! In a massive upset of their original battle in a prior conference, Ash and Ritchie have settled the score in a clean match, full of entertaining twists and turns, and heart-stopping action! All of this and more are things you can expect to see at the Indigo Plateau Conference! One can only wonder what Ash will show us, next!"
Cheers and roars of excitement hit Ash's ears; a pleasant contrast to the jeering and heckling of years past. Even if it didn't necessarily bother him anymore, and hadn't for a long time, there was a nice feeling of closure it came with, maybe. Like the last of any old feelings of humiliation, or inadequacy, were buried. Budding excitement sprouted from the satisfaction of a well-won battle, and he couldn't quite keep the smile off his face.
A smile wishing farewell to the past, and welcoming the bright future ahead.