Episode 368: Arthur Ketchum
On the day after May has earned her fifth Contest Ribbon and her spot in the Grand Festival, things get back on track as the group have taken part of the Pokémon Stadium Cup once again.
Before that, Sora had exchanged all of his Pokémon except for Pikachu and Meltan for Sceptile, Blaziken, Feraligatr, Tropius, Metagross, Hariyama, Tyranitar, Gyarados, Banette, and Hypno.
By then, Roxas's Bulbasaur, Charmander, and Squirtle had evolved into a Venusaur, Charizard, and Blastoise. They had the same markings on their bodies when they first met Roxas.
In fact, it was the last battle as Sora is battling Roxas a three-on-three match on the City Field. Roxas took out a Pokéball and threw it. The referee came in to start the match.
"Choose your first Pokémon and begin!" The referee called out. Sora and Roxas each took out a Pokéball and threw their Pokéballs.
"Venusaur! Go!" Roxas called out.
"Go! Sceptile!" Sora called out. Sceptile came out and placed his twig in his mouth. "Okay, Sceptile! Dragon Claw!" Sceptile rushed at Venusaur.
"Vine Whip!" Roxas ordered. Venusaur uses his Vine Whip and grabbed Sceptile in it. Venusaur gave Sceptile a toss. Sceptile was down, but he wasn't out.
"Sceptile! Leaf Blade!" Sora ordered.
"Dodge and use Trailblaze!" Roxas ordered. Venusaur dodged Sceptile's Leaf Blade and charged with a Trailblaze.
"Quick Attack to dodge!" Sora ordered. Sceptile dodged Venusaur's Trailblaze with his speed attack. "Use Dragon Claw!" Sceptil came at Venusaur and slashed at him.
"Use Razor Leaf!" Roxas ordered. Venusaur fired Razor Leaf right at the Forest Pokémon.
"Dodge it, Sceptile!" Sora called out. Sceptie dodges Venusaur's Razor Leaf with his incredible speed.
"That was a great dodge, Sora," Roxas said.
"Thanks, Roxas. You're a great Trainer," Sora said.
"Who do you think I take up after?" Roxas asked.
"You're right about that, Roxas. Gimme more of what you've got," Sora said.
"Be careful what you ask for, Sora, otherwise you'll just get it. Okay, Venusaur!" Roxas said.
"Sceptile!" Sora said.
"Solar Beam!" Sora and Roxas ordered. Sceptile and Venusaur began to build up solar energy to fire their Solar Beams. Sceptile's seeds began to glow brightly as solar energy builds up in Venusaur's flower. They fired Solar Beam and collide with one another. An explosion occurred between the two of them and they both received heavy damage.
"Venusaur, you okay?" Roxas asked.
"Saur," Venusaur said.
"You alright, Sceptile?" Sora asked.
"Sceptile," Sceptile said.
"You still good to go on, Sceptile?" Sora asked.
"Tile," Sceptile nodded.
"You still okay to battle, Venusaur?" Roxas asked.
"Saur," Venusaur said.
"That's what I thought! Trailblaze!" Roxas ordered.
"Dragon Claw!" Sora ordered.
Sceptile charges at Venusaur with a Dragon Claw. Venusaur charges right at Sceptile with Trailblaze and they each land a hit on a hit. Venusaur and Sceptile fell over, exhausted.
"Sceptile and Venusaur are both unable to battle! This round is a draw!" The referee announced. Sora and Roxas called their Grass-types back. Roxas took out his next Pokéball and he threw it.
"You're up, Blastoise!" Roxas called out. His Blastoise has emerged from inside to battle. Sora took out a Pokeball and threw it.
"Feraligatr! You're up!" Sora called out. Feraligatr emerged from inside. "Feraligatr! Use Ice Fang!" Feraligatr came at the Shellfish Pokémon with an Ice Fang.
"Dodge and use Rapid Spin!" Roxas ordered. Blastoise dodged Feraligatr's Ice Fang and spins right into Feraligatr.
"Hydro Pump!" Sora ordered. Feraligatr fired Hydro Pump right at Blastoise, landing a hit. "Use Slash!" Feraligatr slashed at Blastoise. "Slash again!"
"Use Hydro Pump!" Roxas ordered. Blastoise fired Flash Cannon, hitting Feraligatr. "Okay, use Aqua Jet!" Blastoise came at Feraligatr with Aqua Jet.
"Dodge it and use Crunch!" Sora ordered.
"Rapid Spin!" Roxas ordered.
Feraligatr attempts to land an icy bite with Ice Fang, but Blastoise was coming in too fast for Feraligatr to do so. The Big Jaw Pokémon was becoming overwhelmed by Blastoise's strength.
"Gotta hand it to you, you raised your Pokemon right," Sora said.
"Well, I did a lot of training to help them grow strong," Roxas said.
"Yeah, it shows. Feraligatr!" Sora called out.
"Blastoise!" Roxas called out.
"Hydro Pump!" Sora and Roxas ordered.
Both Water-type Pokémon fired their attacks, colliding with one another. Both Feraligatr and Blastoise held their own. They increased their power, so Feraligatr managed to overcome Blastoise's Hydro Pump and land a hit.
"Slash!" Sora ordered. Feraligatr came at Blastoise and land a Slash across Blastoise and knocked the Shellfish Pokémon out.
"Blastoise is unable to battle! Feraligatr wins!" The referee announced. Roxas called back his Blastoise and took out his third Pokéball and threw it.
"Charizard, you're up next!" Roxas called out. His Pokéball opened and his Charizard emerged from inside. Sora looked at Feraligatr and noticed the Big Jaw Pokémon was panting. He knew it was from Hydro Pump.
"Feraligatr's worn out. He must have used more power than I thought with that Hydro Pump. I gotta end this match quickly," Sora said in his thoughts.
"If I know Sora as well as I think I do; and I do know him since I came from him, he'll be wanting to end this fast. Also, his Feraligatr is tired from battling Blastoise. And I think I can take advantage of the situation," Roxas said in his thoughts.
"Okay, Feraligatr! Hydro Pump!" Sora ordered. Feraligatr fired Hydro Pump at Charizard.
"Fly to dodge it!" Roxas called out. Charizard started to flap his wings to avoid Feraligatr's Hydro Pump. "Okay, move in!"
"Hydro Pump again!" Sora ordered. Feraligatr fired another Hydro Pump, but Charizard quickly dodged Feraligatr's Hydro Pump. "Get behind Feraligatr!" Charizard flew to get behind him.
"Don't take your eyes off of Charizard!" Sora called out. Feraligatr moved to watch Charizard, but the Flame Pokémon flew too fast for Feraligatr to keep up, so he grabbed him from behind. Charizard took flight while holding Feraligatr.
"Great! Use Seismic Toss!" Roxas ordered. Charizard flew around and around to give Feraligatr a toss of a lifetime. After one last circle, Charizard hurls Feraligatr down to the ground. He hits the ground very hard. Feraligatr tried to get back up, but fell back down due to exhaustion. Feraligatr was beaten.
"Feraligatr is unable to battle! Charizard wins!" The referee announced.
"Great job, Charizard," Roxas said. Sora called back his Feraligatr and smiled.
"Not bad, Roxas. You took out my Water-type with a Fire-type," Sora said, praising his brother.
"Yeah, but it's not over yet," Roxas said.
"You're right about that," Sora agreed as he took out his next Pokéball and threw it. "Blaziken! Go!" His Pokéball opened and Blaziken came out to battle.
"Blaziken? Okay, you should know my Charizard is a Flying-type, and Blaziken's a Fighting-type. So I got the advantage," Roxas said.
"You beat my Feraligatr with Charizard despite him being weak against Water-types, so you're not the only one who can use a disadvantage as an advantage," Sora said.
"You got that right, Sora. Let's see how well that works out for you, Sora," Roxas said. "Charizard! Dragon Claw!" Charizard flew at Blaziken with a Dragon Claw.
"Dodge it and use Flame Charge!" Sora ordered. Blaziken avoids Charizard's Dragon Claw and charges at Charizard, landing a hit. Blaziken's speed has gone up. "Flame Charge again!" Blaziken came at Charizard with another Flame Charge.
"Not falling for that again! Fly to dodge!" Roxas called out. Charizard flew to avoid Blaziken's Flame Charge. Sora just grinned.
"Sky Uppercut!" Sora ordered. Blaziken jumps and lands an uppercut onto Charizard. The Flame Pokémon fell to the ground.
"So, that's gotta be Sora's plan. He's planning to build up Blaziken's speed with Flame Charge. Not too shabby," Roxas said.
"Okay, Blaze Kick!" Sora ordered. Blaziken came at Charizard with his leg flaming and moves it to land a kick.
"Dodge it and use Wing Attack!" Roxas ordered. Charizard flew right at Blaziken with a Wing Attack.
"Dodge and use Fire Punch!" Sora ordered. Blaziken dodged Charizard's Wing Attack and lands a Fire Punch onto Charizard. The Flame Pokémon then grabbed Blaziken in his arms. "Uh-oh!"
"Nice grab, Charizard! Seismic Toss!" Roxas ordered. Charizard flew up in the air and circles around and around. Charizard gave Blaziken a toss. The Blaze Pokémon then lands on the ground. Blaziken wasn't out, so he stood up on his feet.
"Okay, Blaziken! Flame Charge!" Sora ordered. Blaziken charges at Charizard and lands a hit, increasing Blaziken's speed.
"Dragon Pulse!" Roxas ordered. Charizard unleashed a Dragon Pulse right at Blaziken.
"Dodge it!" Sora called out. Blaziken jumped to dodge out of the way. "Blaze Kick!" Blaziken gave Charizard a feiry kick. Charizard fell to the ground. Charizard wasn't beaten either.
"Blaziken is giving me a real hard time because of his speed from all those Flame Charges he was using. I gotta figure out on how to slow Blaziken down," Roxas said in his thoughts.
"Okay, Blaziken! Use Fire Punch!" Sora ordered. Blaziken came at Charizard with a Fire Punch.
"Slash!" Roxas ordered. Charizard flew right at Blaziken and both Fire-type Pokémon land a hit on each other. "Flamethrower!" Charizard fired Flamethrower at Blaziken.
"Dodge and use Flame Charge!" Sora ordered. Blaziken came at Charizard with lightning speed and lands a hit onto Charizard. "Sky Uppercut!" Blaziken gave Charizard a Sky Uppercut and sends Charizard on his back. Charizard got up with a roar, but fell, beaten.
"Charizard, no!" Roxas gasped.
"Charizard is unable to battle! Blaziken wins! The winner is Sora from Pallet Town!" The referee announced. Roxas helped Charizard up.
"You alright, Charizard?" Roxas asked. Charizard roared weakly. "Don't apologize, Charizard. You did your best. So did Blastoise and Venusaur. You were all awesome."
George Worthington III clapped his hands.
"Well done! You've all performed beautifully! We have done a scientific analysis. Based on the battling skills of each of our combatants, we have determined who have made it in as the final eight! And here they are!" George Worthington III said as the computer screen has revealed the eight finalists. It shows that the eight finalists are Sora, Roxas, Wes, Michael, Chase, Elaine, Brendan, and Trace. "I have to admit, it was hard to choose from since there are so many promising Pokémon Trainers. A date will be determined to when the finals shall begin, so that gives plenty of time to train, train, train! And remember, it will be a walk in the park. Like the official Pokémon League tournaments, it's going to be a full six-on-six battle! Adding to that, the battles shall be over when all six are unable to battle. And that'll be all I will share with you, so I'll be seeing you eight until then! Tata for now!"
"Wow, the Pokémon Stadium Cup is coming to a close and it's gonna be like the Pokémon League battles. Since the Grand Festival is taking place in the Indigo Plateau, where is it taking place?" Sora asked.
Shortly after the series of battles, Sora, Kairi, Riku, Naminé, Roxas, Xion, Ash, Leaf, Ethan, Kris, Lyra, Brendan, May, Chase, Elaine, Wes, Rui, Michael, Rei, Pikachu, Angel, Eevee, Azurill, Xipak, Celeste, Marill, Volt, and Maple have taken their leave as they went off to train.
"Hard to believe the Pokémon Stadium Cup is almost over, and they already made up their minds on who made it in. I'm surprised you didn't make it in, Riku," Brendan said.
"I did my part, but I did get a little careless when I was up against Roxas," Riku admitted.
"Eevee," Eevee said.
"You're not upset, are you?" Naminé asked.
"Nah, it's only a tournament. Besides, not everyone makes it in the finals. It's not the end of the world," Riku said.
"I'm proud that you're being mature about it, Riku. Now, I will say to the seven of out eight of you," Rei said, addressing Sora, Roxas, Brendan, Chase, Elaine, Wes, and Elaine.
"Yes, Master?" The seven finalists said.
"I can understand that it's not easy going up against a friend, but you must never allow it to cloud your judgement as Pokémon Trainers. Even though you are friends, but you shouldn't go easy on each other because of that. I realize you all already know that fact, but it will serve as a reminder to all of you," Rei said.
"And we appreciate the reminder, Master," Wes said.
"We're gonna give it everything we've got," Chase said.
"And no matter who wins, no hard feelings, right?" Elaine asked.
"Right, Elaine," Brendan said.
"Let's all make a promise to each other," Roxas said.
"And what promise is that, Roxas?" Michael asked.
"Let's promise each other that we give it everything we got. No holding back, no matter what. And no matter what happens in the end, we shouldn't forget that we're friends," Roxas said.
"I like that promise, Roxas," Sora said.
"Of course you would, Sora. You'd make the same promise," Roxas said.
"Yeah, he would," Brendan said.
"Let's seal the deal," Chase said.
So, the seven finalists placed their hands in the center, promising each other to give it everything they have.
It didn't take long until word of the eight finalists being identified, so Sora, Roxas, Brendan, Chase, Elaine, Wes, and Michael have gone and did their own separate training.
Sora has Pikachu and Meltan do sparring as Meltan fired a Thunder Shock at the Mouse Pokémon.
"Okay, and dodge!" Sora called out. Pikachu dodges Meltan's Thunder Shock. "Okay, Meltan! Try a Flash Cannon!" Meltan fires Flash Cannon right at Pikachu. "Dodge it!" Pikachu jumped out of the way in time. "Nice one, Pikachu!"
"Pikachu!" Pikachu said.
"And you too, Meltan! That Flash Cannon was awesome!" Sora said. Meltan beamed at the compliment. "Okay, let's continue."
Kairi watched on as Sora trained for the finals. She knew she had to prepare for the Grand Festival, so that's what she has in mind.
A few minutes later, she worked with her Pokémon to train for the Grand Festival.
A little further, a boy is wondering the area. He has a strong resemblance to Sora, but has short, brown hair, and he looks three years older. He wore a gold outfit. His shoes are gold. He has green eyes instead of blue. He wears the same kind of necklace as Sora, but gold.
Just then, some Neoshadows appeared to attack him. The boy then held out his hand and summoned a Keyblade in his hand. This Keyblade is based on Excalibur. The blade and guard is that of the sword. The teeth of the Keyblade are a golden version of the crown necklace Sora wears around his neck. And the token is a golden heart with a crown. This Keyblade shall be known as the Rising Calibur.
He engaged the Neoshadows and struck them all down. He casts a fire spell, hitting a Neoshadow. He then slashed through another Neoshadow. He hurls his Keyblade, hitting some of them, destroying him. He calls his Keyblade back to his hand and slashed through the last Neoshadow.
"If only dealing with those Heartless wasn't such a hassle. Of course, that's what I get for having a Keyblade like my father and my uncle," the boy said.
"Okay, Thunder Shock and Thunderbolt!" A voice called out. He recognized the voice.
"No way," the boy said. He went even further and he saw a yellow light. And there he saw Sora along with Pikachu and Meltan.
"Okay, Meltan! Flash Cannon!" Sora ordered. Meltan fired a Flash Cannon and sends it right at Pikachu. "And dodge!" Pikachu dodges Meltan's Flash Cannon with his speed, much to the boy's amazement. "Nice dodge."
"Sora, is that you?" The boy asked. Sora turned to see the boy.
"Arthur? I don't believe it! It's been a few years since I saw you. How are you?" Sora asked with a smile.
"I've been good. Same for Lily and my mom," Arthur said. He looked at Pikachu and Meltan. "So, are these Pokémon yours?"
"Yeah. Pikachu is my partner, and Meltan is my newest one," Sora said.
"Pikachu," Pikachu said.
"It's nice to meet you, Pikachu," Arthur said, petting Pikachu. He liked the feeling of Arthur's hand. "To think this is the same Pikachu that won you the Indigo Plateau the first time."
"You saw that, didn't you?" Sora asked.
"My mom and Lily saw it, too. She was really proud of you. Just like she was proud of how you brought down Team Rocket," Arthur said.
"Sora, you here?" Ash asked as he came in. He instantly recognized him. "Huh?! Arthur?"
"Hi, Ash," Arthur greeted.
Not too long, Arthur was brought over to the rest of the group.
"Arthur, I want you to meet Kairi, my girlfriend," Sora introduced.
"Hello, Arthur," Kairi said.
"Hello. Sora, she's beautiful," Arthur said.
"Thanks," Kairi said, blushing. "And this is Angel."
"Eevee," Angel said.
"It's nice to meet you, Angel," Arthur said.
"You already remember Rei, Ash and Leaf, but I'll let the rest of the group introduce themselves," Sora said.
"I'm Chase. It's nice to meet you. And this is Volt," Chase introduced.
"Pikachu," Volt said.
"I'm Elaine, and this is Maple," Elaine introduced.
"Eevee," Maple said.
"I'm Ethan."
"My name's Kris."
"I'm Lyra, and this is Marill."
"Marill," Marill said.
"I'm Brendan."
"My name's May."
"My name's Wes."
"I'm Rui."
"My name's Michael."
"I'm Riku, and this is Eevee."
"Eevee," Eevee said.
"My name's Naminé, and this is Azurill."
"Azu, Azurill," Azurill chirped.
"My name's Roxas, and this is Xipak."
"Pikachu," Xipak said.
"I'm Xion, and this is Celeste."
"Eevee," Celeste said.
"Roxas? You're the Roxas I was hearing about?" Arthur asked.
"Yeah, as you may guessed," Roxas said.
"Everyone, this is Arthur Ketchum, my cousin," Sora introduced.
"So, how is he your cousin, Sora?" May asked.
"Well, he's the son of my dad's younger brother, Zhako Ketchum. He died pretty much after my dad died," Sora said.
"And because of that, my mom's been in huge grief," Arthur said.
"We're sorry you had to go that awful experience, too, Arthur," Kris said.
"Don't be. I hardly even remember him, but I never forgotten him," Arthur said. He took out a picture and he showed his cousin's friends. Arthur in it is much younger in it. His mother has light skin, blue eyes, and brown hair tied in braids and she wore a white dress and white shoes. She is seen with a pregnant belly. Holding her by the shoulder is his father who resembles Arthur. Like Arthur, he has green eyes and brown hair. "This was taken just two days before my Uncle Kaito disaid.
"Yeah, this was when aunt Paddy was pregnant with Lily," Sora said.
"He and Kaito were very close to each other, and he hoped the same for Arthur, Sora, and Karen," Rei said.
"Despite it all, we still keep in touch; until Sora started traveling, so I heard everything that happened through Karen," Arthur said. Sora winced.
"Everything?" Sora asked.
"Everything," Arthur said. Sora figured Karen told him about everything that happened when was around, like when he turned into a Heartless to protect Kairi, Roxas being his Nobody, ExDark, defeating Organization XIII, and everything else. "Karen told me all about your past adventures. Also, there's one more thing I think you should all know; you especially, Sora." Arthur summoned his Rising Calibur, shocking everyone.
"A Keyblade?" Riku asked.
"Yeah. I guess it doesn't skip a generation at all," Arthur said. He dismissed it.
"When did you get that?" Kairi asked.
"Well, it was a while ago. Ben came by and he offered that he teach me, so I jumped on board for it. And there was another kid who's learning just as me. Tom," Arthur said.
"Tom has a Keyblade?" Sora asked.
"He does," Arthur confirmed.
"Um, does Karen know about it?" Sora asked.
"Yeah, she does. They're still staying in touch," Arthur said.
"I never would have thought Tom had it in him," Roxas said.
"Well, I wanted to tell you while I can," Arthur said.
"What has your mom been up to?" Ash asked.
"She's been busy at her company, keeping everything up float," Arthur said.
"Company?" May asked.
"My aunt is actually the chairwoman of a company she founded. She called it PokéStars," Sora said.
"Wait, you mean, your aunt is Padgett Amaca?" Lyra asked.
"Yes," Sora said.
"You're just full of surprises," Kris said.
"I'll say," Brendan said.
"She might be the chairwoman of the company, but she still puts her family before everything else," Arthur said.
"That sounds a lot like her," Rei said.
"So, what have you been up to?" Arthur asked.
"Believe it or not, but Brendan, Roxas, Wes, Michael, Chase, Elaine, and I actually made it to the finals of the Pokémon Stadium Cup, but I'm you already know that, don't you?" Sora asked.
"Yeah, I do. I wasn't surprised to see that you're in the finals since you got so far in the Indigo Plateau, and the Johto and Hoenn Pokémon Leagues," Arthur said.
"Say, Arthur, since we might bump into Ben, would you like to tag along with us for a while?" Sora offered.
"Sure. I can think of it as an excuse to get to know your girlfriend," Arthur said. Sora and Kairi laughed.
Meanwhile, in a volcanic world, there lays a black castle in the middle. The only clouds in the sky are only black smoke with ash raining down and there are rivers of lava flowing all around. Inside the castle, there is a liquid-filled tube in a chamber. He has an oxygen mask over his mouth and nose in order for him to breathe. He has some serious scarring all over his body, and he has no arms nor legs. Just then, a man entered the chamber and he kneels before him.
"My lord, you are being summoned by Lord Insidious," the man said. The tube began to drain its liquid. He is grafted with mechanical limbs and placed in a cybernetic suit. Lastly, a mask placed over his face and he breathes deeply. He then summoned his Keyblade. It is a red version of the Oblivion Keyblade, but the teeth are in the shape of the Kanji for blood (血). This Keyblade shall be known as the Red Shadow. He uses it to open a portal and he walks through it. He arrived to Count Ernesh's mansion and he stood before Insidious himself.
"Good of you to arrive, Darklight," Insidious said.
"What is thy bidding, my Master?" Darklight asked.
"The time has come that you take in an apprentice of your own," Insidious said.
"If that is your bidding, Master," Darklight said.
"It is. You will train your new apprentice to prepare to fight against the Guardians of Kingdom Hearts. They cannot be allowed to interfere," Insidious said.
"They have become more of a threat since Organization XIII's destruction. All threats against us must be annihilated," Darklight said.
"When will you depart?" Insidious asked.
"I will begin at once, Master," Darklight said, bowing his head. He began to take his leave to begin his task.
Back in Kanto, Paddy looked into her locket and she looked at her wedding picture and sadly sighed to herself.
"Zhako, I missed you everyday since you died. If only I got to see your face and hear your voice one more time. I would give this company away if it meant seeing you again," Paddy said.
"Ms. Amaca, the board meeting is about to begin," her secretary said.
"Thank you, Stella. We mustn't keep them waiting," Paddy said. She enters the boardroom. "Welcome, ladies and gentlemen."
Back with the group that night, everyone went right so sleep after Arthur has gotten a taste of Kairi's cooking. He enjoyed bit of it. Arthur was still awake, looking up at the night sky.
"Dad, Uncle Kaito, I hope I get to see you both," Arthur said as he fell asleep and drifted off to dreamland.
And since Arthur Ketchum is a new Keyblade wielder, how far will he go learning under Ben Blaze? And what could Darklight be planning when he begins to train his own apprentice? Find out as we continue for the Hoenn Grand Festival coming up.