Chapter 36:
Resting and Learning
Route 11
After the autumn-looking Routes of Tancoon Way, Pahar Hills and Rochfale, the beaches of Tandor Sheets and Bealbeach, and the endless crops and farmlands of the Wheatfields and Vinoville, the lush, exuberant greenery of Route 11, also known as the Nature Preserve, was a welcome change of scenery, both the vast fields of grass and beautiful and large trees.
Naturally, plants weren't the only thing they could see, as they were many Pokemon roaming the green expanses: wild Baashaun grazing –and these ones looked far less docile than those seen in the farms– a pack of Tancoon running around, lead by a trio of Tanscure, some Gligar flying above the trees, and an Ekans that quickly hid under the tall grass.
Given the linear nature of the route, its gentle, downward slope, and lack of big obstacles, they surmised it wouldn't take them more than a day to reach Legen Town.
"And the contest is in three days. Meaning once we'll get there, I'll have enough time to prepare for it," Serena said.
"Heh, I can't wait for you to win your fifth ribbon, Serena. You're so close!" Bonnie said.
Serena smiled. "Yeah, I can't wait either. And that way, we won't have to worry about future contests in order to decide where to go next."
"Though, it's not that it's such a bother," Ash gently countered. "Gyms aren't going anywhere, so it's not that I'm in a hurry to challenge them."
"You could have fooled us, given how you act when we reach a city or town with a Gym," Clemont said in good nature.
"Pi, pika," Pikachu agreed.
Ash merely chuckled. "Well, that's because I get really excited about challenging them, you know? But I don't mind waiting a little bit for the sake of others," he said. "Besides, I think we're doing a pretty good time. There's still months until the Pokemon League begins, more than enough time to get the remaining badges. Even those from East Tandor."
"Of course you'd want to challenge the Big Three," Serena said.
"I made a promise to Vaeryn to fight him again, didn't I? Especially now that I'm on my way to master Mega Evolution," Ash said. "Plus, how can I be ready for the League if I can't beat the strongest Gym Leaders? Besides, I'm sure Alain, Natalie and Theo are aiming for them too."
"Alain? Definitely. Natalie? I can see that," Clemont began. "But Theo? I don't think so. That guy doesn't seem to deal well with adversity."
"Come on Clemont, cut him some slack. The guy's a bit of an immature brat, yes-" Ash began.
"Just a bit?" Bonnie deadpanned, raising an eyebrow.
"-but he has just started his journey, and is finding out that it's not like he expected. But if he perseveres, all his experiences will make him grow into a better person," Ash countered.
"The way you talk, it almost sounds like you already saw people like Theo before," Clemont noticed.
"You can say that. In fact, I kinda see a little of myself in Theo, you know?" Ash said.
"You? Like Theo?" Serena asked, before letting out a little chuckle. "Sorry Ash, but I can't see it."
"I'm serious! When I started my journey, I was kind of a brat too. I thought I was awesome and that I would blow through every obstacle in the way without breaking a sweat," Ash began. "Yet I wasn't even able to make Pikachu listen to me."
"Piii..." Pikachu softly cried as an apology.
"It's okay, buddy. I admit I wasn't the most understanding trainer either," Ash reassured his starter, gently petting him on the head. "But the first few days after leaving home... Well, they were quite the eye-openers. I just found how big the world was, and how small I was in comparison. I was boastful, arrogant and believed hard work was below me, and thus I tackled most challenges ill prepared, thinking that I was ready to face anything and that I would prevail because I was determined..."
As Ash gave a recount of his early adventures, especially some particularly painful defeats, Serena tried to imagine the past Ash the present one was describing and... she couldn't. Ash could be a little boastful –okay, more than just a little,– but he was able to back those boasts with actual skill. Arrogant? Quite the opposite. Serena would have never learned of his past accomplishments unless they were related to the topic at hand. And avoiding hard work? Ash loved training with his Pokemon so much, many times he needed to be talked into stopping.
But then again... Serena herself wasn't the same person when she left her home town of Vaniville. She lacked drive and perseverance that had to slowly gain, in no small part thanks to Ash inspiring her. And while Ash would never say it out loud, he knew that was true as well. Maybe that's why Ash had so much faith in Theo. Everybody has the potential to change for the better.
"Hey, speaking of Theo..." Bonnie snapped Serena out of her thoughts, as the girl put her hand just above her eyes. "Isn't that him, over there, besides that big tree?"
The three teens looked into the distance, and they realized that there was indeed somebody, a boy they couldn't recognize from that far away, but the bright red hair with a dash of electric blonde was a dead giveaway of his identity. He was directing two Pokemon in a sparring battle.
"It's him!" Ash said, visibly excited. "Come on, let's go say hi!"
And while Ash didn't break into a run, his pace accelerated into a swift march. As they approached him, they could see that Theo had what they presumed were all his Pokemon out: his initial Orchynx, now a Metalynx, an Eshouten, his Fortog, now a Folerog, his Lunapup, and a small, red, imp-like Pokemon none of them recognized.
"Hey there, Theo!" Ash said, waving at him.
The boy and all his Pokemon turned to the source of the voice, and he waved back at them.
"Oh, it's you guys! It's been a while, huh?" Theo said.
"Since Bealbeach City, if I recall," Clemont said. "A lot of things have happened since the last time we met."
"That's selling it short," Serena muttered, remembering the Nuclear Pokemon invasion on Bealbeach. Theo was surely lucky to have missed that.
"So, what are you doing? Training hard, huh?" Ash asked.
"Yep! I just caught Devimp here not long ago, so I'm getting it up to catch up with the others!" Theo said.
"De, devimp!" the Pokemon in question cried happily upon being mentioned.
"You have a new Pokemon? Neat!" Ash said, as he took his Pokedex to scan it.
"Devimp, the Imp Pokemon. Fire/Dark. A Pokémon that is said to come from a separate plane of existence. It is very curious about the world around it and often gets into mischief as a result," the Pokedex explained.
Devimp was a devil-looking Pokemon, a bit shorter than Bonnie, whose body was bright red, except for three black circle-like spots on its chest. It had a tail ending on an arrowtip, and two small horns that curved upwards. A single flame floated between them.
"You got yourself quite the interesting Pokemon, Theo," Ash told him, putting the Pokedex away.
"Yep! Devimp is a perfect fit for my team!" Theo proudly boasted. "So, I see you guys are coming from Vinoville?"
"Exactly! Ash just beat Sheldon and got his fourth badge, so now we're heading towards Legen Town, so Serena can win her last ribbon!" Bonnie happily explained.
"You have four badges already!?" Theo asked in shock, before pushing the surprise out of his body, forcing his body language to be more relaxed. "Eh, sure, I have four badges too! Sheldon was hardly a challenge for my awesome team, haha! Had you guys arrived earlier, you would have seen my Pokemon wiping the floor with his team!" Theo said. He was trying to sound like his usual boastful self, but he sounded more stiff and unnatural than usual, as if he was trying to put on a facade.
Something everybody else, including Ash, was able to tell, but they chose not to say anything.
Well, Ash, Serena and Clemont chose not to.
"Really? Can we see your badge case then?" Bonnie asked, crossing her arms, as she eyed the redheaded boy suspiciously.
Bonnie's question made Theo look like a Deerling in headlights. Still, the boy managed to regain his composure. "Eh... maybe later. I have the case in my backpack and I don't feel like getting it out..."
Ash, Serena and Clemont looked at each other. Despite not trading a single word, their looks made the other two know that they also reached the same conclusion.
"You know, Theo," Ash said, taking a step forward, his voice taking on a conciliatory tone. "You don't have to lie to us, you know. We aren't going to mock you or judge you if you lose against Sheldon. Heck, I barely won myself!"
Theo looked stiff. Except for his legs, which were visibly trembling. "What? Why do you think I'm lying? I beat Sheldon, I swear!"
"Really? Because when Sheldon gave Ash his badge, he also said it was the first badge he had handed out in a long time," Clemont pointed out. As his words left his lips, Theo's face lost all trace of color.
"Wh-what...?" Theo sputtered. "Th-There's no way...!"
"In fact," Clemont continued, pushing his glasses back. "That's why you caught and are training that Devimp, didn't you? A Fire-type would give you an edge against Sheldon's Steel-type team."
Right now, it wasn't just his legs, but his whole body that was trembling, though given his clenched teeth and curled fists, it was more trembling of rage and impotence rather than fear.
Theo couldnt taking anymore. "Okay, fine, I lied! I fought against Sheldon, but he beat me! There, are you happy now!?" he yelled, before turning around and crossing his arms.
Ash placed a comforting hand on Theo's shoulder. "It's okay, Theo. Like I said before, no one's going to think less of you because you don't win all the time. Everybody loses sometime."
"What do you know about losing, mr. 'I'm such an experienced and seasoned trainer', huh?" Theo snapped at him.
Theo's hostility had no effect on Ash. "When I said that everybody loses, I was talking about myself as well. I've known quite a lot of defeats, from fun spars, all the way to big championships, to everything in between. In fact, when I first faced Maria, she totally kicked my ass."
"R-Really?" Theo asked, sounding a little surprised.
"From your point of view, Ash may look invincible. But that's only because he has much more experience than you," Serena interceded. "He didn't start out as an expert trainer, you know? There was a time where he was a beginner just like you. We were all beginners at some point."
Theo didn't say anything, but Serena's words seemed to have an effect on him, as the redheaded boy appeared to be more at ease.
"So, since we're here, would you like it if Ash helped you train, Theo?" Serena offered. "I believe you improved a lot under the short time you trained under Ash back when we met at the Baa Grasslands, and given that Ash fought Sheldon, he could help you prepare for your eventual rematch."
Taken a little aback, Ash looked at Serena in surprise. "Sure I'd love to help Theo, but what about you, Serena? The next contest will be coming soon. Wouldn't you prefer me to train with you?"
"It's okay Ash. I think I can do without you for a single day. Plus, this will be a good opportunity for Theo," Serena stated, before looking at the younger boy. "What do you say?"
"Alright..." Theo conceded.
"In that case, let's set camp here for the time being!" Ash declared to no one's objections.
…
As Ash had stated, they set up their camp on the same spot as Theo's, and immediately let all their Pokemon out. Ash and Theo brought theirs to a nice clearing next to a small lake that could make for a great training spot, leaving Serena enough room for her to train near the camp. Since Ash was going to train with Theo, Serena had asked Clemont to be her sparring partner this time around.
Given that Bonnie didn't feel to be near Theo, she decided to stick with Serena and her brother this time around.
"So, is there any Pokemon you'd like me to use in our spar, Serena?" the lemon blond asked.
Serena placed a finger under her chin, pensive. "How about Nucleon and Geigeroach?"
The answer surprised the inventor. "Those two? Are you expecting your contest rivals to have Nuclear Pokemon?"
"Alain managed to catch one, so I wouldn't rule it out," Serena said. "It never hurts to be prepared."
"Very well. Nucleon, Geigeroach, time to battle!" Clemont called.
"Nu!"
"Roach."
As the two Nuclear-types moved forward, Serena turned around to pick her first two Pokemon.
"Plus, there's another reason as for why I want you to use those two," Serena began, as she scanned her six Pokemon. "Alright, I think I'll go first with-"
"SYYYYYL!" Sylveon let out a high pitched cry, before quickly hiding behind Braixen.
Serena sighed. "This is also why I wanted to spar against Nuclear-types. Come on Sylveon, Nucleon and Geigeroach are our friends, they aren't going to hurt you."
"Syl! Syl! Veon!" Sylveon cried while quickly shaking her head with her eyes shut.
"Sylveon, I know you had a harrowing experience with Nuclear-type Pokemon, and I'm not going to force you to face your fear but..." Serena began. "You'll have to do it sooner or later."
"Veooooon...!" judging by Sylveon's reaction, she had chosen 'later'.
"Nu..." Nucleon sadly whined, as he dejectedly walked away.
"Nucleon..." Clemont said.
"Let him be. I don't think he's going to be in a great mood for battling," Serena advised.
"Maybe it's for the best," he agreed. "Chespin! Come on, take Nucleon's place."
"Ches, chespin!" Chespin happily said, ready to prove himself one more time.
"As for my Pokemon, Braixen, Quetzoral, you go first!"
As the Fox and the Canopy Pokemon walked in front of Serena, the rest of her Pokemon sat down next to Bonnie in order to watch the spar.
"Braixen, Hidden Power! Quetzroal, Razor Leaf!" Serena ordered.
"Counter the Hidden Power with Vine Whip, Chespin, and use Sludge Wave, Geigeroach!" Clemont replied.
With that exchange of moves as their opening, the battle began. Bonnie could easily tell how much Serena had improved since she started sparring with Ash. Back in Kalos, there's no way Serena could have been able to keep up with her brother without the latter holding back –which definitely wasn't the case here– but now? Serena had now power and sound tactics on top of the grace and elegance she acquired while she trained for showcases.
"Quetzroal, Drill Peck on Geigeroach!" Serena ordered.
"Chespin, block it with Iron Head!" Clemont shouted.
Bonnie couldn't help but feel a little pride whenever Chespin used his newest move, the very first move he learned since Clemont ever caught him. Back in the day, Chespin loved to do nothing more than eat and laze around, and only fought when he had to. But now? After a little encouragement, he was much more active in both training and battling.
He still ate a lot, but hey, baby steps.
"Well done, Geigeroach! Now, Nuclear Slash!" Clemont shouted.
"Dodge, and Energy Ball! Braixen, Psybeam!" Serena replied.
In fact... Why stop there? While her brother was busy with Chespin and Geigeroach, she could spend some time training his other Pokemon. It would serve as even more practice for when she finally started her journey in a few months.
"Now who could I train next...?" she began, as she scanned Clemont's Pokemon sitting next to her, but noticed that only Luxray and Bunnelby were there. She didn't expect Nucleon to be there, but where was Eletux?
She didn't take long to find him, as the Hippocampus Pokemon was walking towards Nucleon, who was resting under the shade of a tree, looking gloomy. Driven by curiosity, she followed him.
"Ele, eletux!" Eletux cried happily, as he began to bounce around Nucleon, almost like an hyperactive child who wanted to play.
Though, did he really want to play, or did he want to cheer Nucleon up? If he wanted to play he could have badgered any other Pokemon of Clemont, after all, yet he went after Nucleon.
"Nu..." Nucleon whined, moved one paw as if to push Eletux away.
"Ele, ele!" Eletux insisted. The Water and Electric-type wasn't planning on leaving anytime soon, it looked.
"Come on Eletux, leave Nucleon alone. He's a little sad right now," Bonnie asked the Tandorian starter. "If you are bored, Dedenne and I will play with you, okay?"
"Nene?" Dedenne asked, looking at his trainer.
"Ele?" Eletux asked, titling his head at her.
"How about if we toss you a ball, and you toss it back with Water gun?" Bonnie suggested.
"Tux, ele, eletux!" The Hippocampus Pokemon seemed to like the idea, as he bounced excitedly from one side to another.
"Great! Wait here, I'll go fetch the ball!" Bonnie happily said, as she skipped towards Clemont's backpack, where the inflatable ball was. After blowing it up –it could be automatically inflated by merely pressing a button– the young girl returned to Eletux. "Alright, let's go find a spot where we won't get in the way of the others."
"Tux?" Eletux asked, and motioned his head at Nucleon.
"Just let him be. I don't think he's in the mood for playing," Bonnie said.
Fortunately, the promise of fun and entertainment was enough for Eletux to stop bothering Nucleon, even if his intention was to help his depressed teammate.
"Alright Eletux, here it goes!" Bonnie said, tossing the ball at him.
And thus they began their game, where Bonnie would toss the ball at him, and the Tandorian starter would use Water Gun to send it back at her. Though sometimes he would hit it with his head or even his tail. There were also sometimes where Dedenne tried to hit the ball as well, but his small size meant the ball wouldn't go far –and more often than not, he would end up knocked on his back by the ball.
"Very well, Eletux! You have proved to be a worthy playmate!" Bonnie said, as she grabbed the back Eletux had sent at her. "But are you good enough to withstand my ultimate move? The Super Amazing Explosion Kick!"
Bonnie kicked the ball at Eletux in a high arc. As the Hippocampus Pokemon prepared to send it back at her with a Water Gun or a well aimed headbutt, both human and Pokemon realized that Bonnie had put way more strength into her kick, as it sailed past Eletux and was heading towards Nucleon, still lying on the grass, unaware of the rubbery meteor heading his way.
"Oh no, the ball will hit Nucleon! Curse my unbridled strength!" Bonnie cried, as she and Eletux ran towards the Atomic Pokemon. "Nucleon, watch out!"
Nucleon raised his head, his detached ears perking up upon hearing Bonnie's warning. His three eyes quickly located the ball heading for him. Jumping to his feet, Nucleon gave the ball a solid headbutt, bouncing it back at Bonnie, who quickly caught it.
"Well done, Nucleon!" Bonnie praised. "You've got moves! Anyway, sorry for that. We'll go a bit further so this doesn't happen again."
She led Eletux to another spot further away, but still close enough so her brother could see her. However, she stopped, feeling like somebody was following them. Turning around, said feeling was validated when she saw Nucleon doing that. The Nuclear-type appeared a bit startled that Bonnie had heard him.
"Nucleon? Do you want something?" Bonnie asked.
Nucleon didn't say anything, and averted Bonnie's gaze. He appeared to be bashful.
Bonnie's lips curved into a smile. "You want to play with us, don't you?"
"Nu..." he bashfully said.
"Aw, come on, no need to be embarrassed! The more the better! Let's go!" Bonnie said.
"Nene!"
"Ele, tux!"
And thus, Nucleon joined Bonnie and Eletux in the fun they were having.
…
"Alright Devimp, Fire Punch again!" Theo ordered.
"Deeeeee!" Devimp cried as it leaped towards Greninja, one of its fists wreathed in flames.
The Ninja Pokemon didn't need to be told to create a Water Shuriken and use it as a makeshift shield. The attack connected, resulting in a hissing noise, producing thin threads of smoke that billowed upwards.
While Serena sparred against Clemont and Bonnie played with the idle Pokemon, Ash helped Theo prepare his rematch against Sheldon. Right now, they were focused on Devimp, who not only was Theo's newest member, and thus in the most need of training in order to catch up, but Theo believed it was key to defeat the Steel-type specialist.
"Great! Devimp has the hang of Fire Punch!" Ash praised.
"Yeah. Guess now it has something better than Ember to rely on," Theo said, though with not much energy. "So, what's next?"
Ash couldn't help but raise an eyebrow at Theo's current demeanor. Normally he'd be ecstatic over one of his Pokemon growing stronger in one way or another, yet he was barely showing any enthusiasm. Did Sheldon's loss affect him that much?
"Theo? Everything's okay?" Ash asked.
Theo was a little startled by the question. He quickly regained his composure, and replied: "Sure! Everything's peachy! Why shouldn't it be?"
"Listen Theo, I know that losing an important match, like those against a Gym Leader, can sting," Ash began. "But it's not the end of the world. You can still try as many times as you can."
"Why are you telling me this?" Theo asked, sounding a little irritated. "I already know that! And I don't care that I lost some dumb Gym match, I'm not a baby!"
"No one's saying that you are," Ash calmly said. "Though, there's something that's clearly bugging you, if it's not your recent loss."
"It's none of your business!" Theo snapped, before angrily turning his back at Ash.
Ash didn't say anything, and merely sighed. "Very well, Theo."
A moment of tense and uncomfortable silence followed. Theo then clenched his fists and gritted his teeth, before kicking some grass. "Why this stupid journey isn't going the way I thought..." he began, without turning around.
"Theo?"
"This was supposed to be my big moment. Where I showed everybody that I'm not just some brat, that I can be as good as Vitor and Natalie, if not better! Everything was great at first, but then everything went downhill, and then... and then..."
"And then...?" Ash repeated.
Theo finally turned around to face Ash, his eyes wet with tears. "It's my dad, okay?"
"Cameron?"
"Yes! After the nuclear plant blew up... he called me, you know?" Theo said, forcing his tears back and wiping his eyes. "He told me that he knew it was no accident, that it could be connected to what happened ten years ago, and that he was going to investigate it. And... I haven't heard from him ever since..."
"Theo..."
"I tried to call him myself many times, but all I get is a stupid message on how his Pokegear is either off or has no connection!" Theo began. "What if something bad happened to him? What if whoever did this caught him? What if... what if he's..."
"Cameron will be fine, Theo," Ash confidently said, placing a reassuring hand on the redhead's shoulder. "And I'm sure that if he hasn't contacted you yet it's because he didn't have the opportunity."
"And how do you know that?" Theo asked, unconvinced.
"Before the first power plant exploded, it was attacked by an army of Nuclear Pokemon. There were so many, there's no way the people there would have been able to leave that place alive," Ash began, sounding ominous, before smiling. "But they all did. And do you know why?"
Theo shook his head.
"Because your dad was there to protect them. Cameron and his Pokemon kept the horde of Nuclear Pokemon at bay while all the people on the island could evacuate," Ash told Theo. "My friend Clemont was there, and saw your father and his Pokemon fight, and he said it was like watching an Elite Four member."
"R-Really?" Theo said, sounding a little more hopeful. He almost seemed surprised to learn how cool and strong his father was.
"Yes. So if we didn't hear about your dad yet, it's because he's probably hidden, hoping to catch the criminals who caused such a catastrophe by surprise before they can strike again," Ash reassured him. "And while he's doing that, he wouldn't like you to worry so much about him, but to continue your journey and keep getting better, so when the two of you reunite again, you can make him proud by showing him what a great trainer you have become."
"Yes... yes!" Theo said, his usual youthful energy slowly returning. "You're right! I can't just stay here moping over something that may not even be true! I need to keep getting better and keep going forward! So I can catch up on Vitor, Natalie, you, everybody! That's what he would want!"
"Well said!" Ash said, slapping him on the back.
"And tomorrow I'm going to show that computer nerd who's boss!" Theo shouted, thrusting a fist into the air, before pointing a finger at Ash. "Fight me Ash! I will show you how much I have improved!"
Ash couldn't help but excitedly smile. "It will be a pleasure."
…
"Pin Missile, Chespin!" Clemont ordered.
"Deflect them with Drill Peck, Quetzoral!" Serena replied. "And Braixen, Hidden Power!"
"Geigeroach, counter with Nuclear Slash!"
The spar between Serena and Clemont had been going on for quite some time, with neither of them appearing to get the upper hand over the other. The four Pokemon were starting to show some signs of exhaustion, meaning that the trainers would soon call off the battle, rest a little, and continue with two new Pokemon.
She would probably be the next one chosen by Serena. Clemont's options were far more limited, since the only two Pokemon there were Luxray and Bunnelby, given that the other two weren't present.
Sylveon was glad that Serena hadn't forced her to battle against those monsters Clemont allowed in his team for some reason. Couldn't he see the danger he posed for him, for her, for everybody in the group? Clearly not. Of course, she knew better than trying to force Clemont to kick them out of the group, so she did the next best thing: try to avoid them as much as she could, and be ready when the danger appeared.
"Razor Leaf, Quetzoral! Set them on fire with Flamethrower, Braixen!" Serena ordered.
"Parry with Half Life and Vine Whip!"
Sylveon couldn't understand how her teammates could be so nonchalant fighting that monster. And Chespin fought alongside it.
Even if it wasn't doing anything that warranted being aware of him. But no matter how friendly and like everybody else they appeared, she couldn't relax around them.
Also, now that she thought about it, where was the other? She thought she was lying under a tree, but she couldn't see it anymore.
"Yes, good one Nucleon!" she could hear Bonnie laugh in the distance.
Looking towards the direction of the voice, Sylveon could see Bonnie playing with both Nucleon and Eletux. The three of them were looking to be having a good time, chasing and hitting that rubber ball. Neither the girl nor the Tandorian Pokemon had any trouble playing with the Nuclear-type. Why? How could they be so nonchalant around him?
Sure, those two Pokemon hadn't done anything that would label them as threats, but it was only a matter of time they did, right? Right?
...because it's not that her gut feeling was wrong.
Right?
"They appear to be having a great time, don't you think?"
"Syl!?" Sylveon was a little startled upon hearing Serena addressing her. Was the battle finished already?
Yep, looking around, Braixen and Quetzoral had returned with the others, who were congratulating them for such a good battle. Clemont's Pokemon also returned to him, the blond human giving them some treats, which devoured them greedily.
Serena then sat besides her, her eyes still fixed on Bonnie, Nucleon and Eletux. "I know we're training, but if you want to join them, I wouldn't mind."
"Syl, syl!" Sylveon screeched, profusely shaking her head.
"Alright," Serena said, understanding her plight, and placing a comforting hand on her back. "I won't force you to spend time with them if you don't want to."
"Veon..." Sylveon said in relief.
"I understand why you're so wary of Nucleon and Geigeroach, Sylveon," Serena said, as she began to gently pet the Interwinning Pokemon's back. "If I were in your situation, I think I would react the same."
"Syl...?"
"However... Well, you know how Selkid and Minicorn used to belong to those Team Omega criminals, don't you? And their experiences under them, they were... well, not that great, to put it lightly," Serena began. "And after such experiences, it would be normal if they never trusted a human ever again. But I showed them that not all humans are bad, didn't I?"
"S-Syl..." Sylveon weakly nodded.
"So maybe, despite past experiences... maybe not all Nuclear-type Pokemon are bad after all," Serena said. She then got up. "Again, I'm not going to force you to do something you don't want to, just... think about it, okay?"
And with that Serena turned around, and left.
One part of her wanted to call Serena out for underestimating the danger those Pokemon posed. But another part of her claimed that Serena was much smarter than that, and that she should listen to her.
Maybe if Serena trusted them... perhaps she could give them a chance?
…
Meanwhile, Ash and Theo got ready for their match. They decided to use two Pokemon each, and given that, unlike their previous bout this was a friendly spar, they would do without a referee. Theo started with Devimp, while Ash chose Aveden.
"Are you ready, Theo?" Ash asked.
"Yeah, I'm good to go!" the redhead replied.
"In that case, let's begin!" Ash said. "You can make the first move!"
~Ash (Aveden, ?) VS Theo (Devimp, ?)~
"Alright Devimp, begin with Shadow Ba-no wait!" Theo interrupted himself. "Aveden is part Normal-type, and Shadow Ball has no effect on those Pokemon, right?"
"That would have been a blunder. Thankfully you managed to catch it on time," Ash congratulated him.
"See? I can learn from my mistakes!" Theo proudly said. "Alright, in that case... Ember!"
"Dev, devimp!" Devimp cried in its high pitched voice, before taking a deep breath, and exhaling a flurry of small fireballs.
"Counter with Gust!" Ash ordered.
"Av, Ave!" Aveden whistled, as he began to beat his wings as strongly as he could, creating a powerful wind that snuffed the small fireballs away, while blowing Devimp backwards.
"Yes, well done, Aveden!"
"Hang on, Devimp!" Theo encouraged the Imp Pokemon.
"Follow up with Quick Attack!" Ash commanded.
Aveden beat his wings again to gain a little altitude, before folding them and diving at Devimp like a rocket, leaving a trail of white light behind. The Bliss Bird Pokemon hit Devimp squarely in the chest, sending it rolling backwards.
"Deeeeeee!" it cried.
"Devimp, no!" Theo said, a little distressed.
"Calm down, Theo! Devimp isn't going down this soon!" Ash told the redhead. "Keep a cool head, and plan a counterattack!"
"Yes, yes, you're right, no use in getting all worked up," Theo agreed. "Alright Devimp, Dark Pulse!"
"Deeeee...!" Devimp formed a sphere of darkness between its cupped hands, in a way similar to Pancham, before thrusting said hands upward, firing a stream of purple and black energy at the Bliss Bird Pokemon.
"Counter with Mirror Shot!" Ash replied.
"Aveeeee!" Aveden whistled, opening his beak as he formed a sphere of silvery light inside it, before firing a beam of the same color.
The two attacks clashed in the middle, unable to overpower the other, resulting in a small explosion.
"Quick Attack again!" Ash ordered.
"Dodge it!" Theo shouted.
Once again, Aveden dived at Devimp at a breakneck speed, cutting the resulting cloud of smoke in half as he dashed through it, leaving a trail of fading white light behind. The Imp Pokemon tried to move away, but it wasn't fast enough to avoid Aveden's attack, the bird slamming into the little demon, knocking it on its back.
"Well done, Aveden!" Ash praised his Pokemon.
"Devimp! Are you okay?" Theo asked. The boy was clearly worried over how his Pokemon had taken quite a few hits already without landing any on Aveden.
"De, devimp!" he cried, as it jumped back on its feet. Theo relaxed, seeing that there was still some fight in the Fire and Dark-type.
"Aveden, Air Cutter!" Ash ordered.
"Den, av!" Aveden whistled, and with a pair of powerful beats of his wings, he sent a pair of blades of compressed air towards Devimp.
"Devimp, counter them with Shadow Ball!" Theo shouted.
"Deeee...!" Devimp brought its hands together, summoning a sphere of pure darkness, before sending it at the incoming wind attacks.
The two attacks collided, resulting in yet another explosion.
"Very well, Theo! Shadow Ball might not have any effect on Aveden, but it can still be used to block or counter attacks of other types!" Ash praised.
"I'm getting better at this thinking outside the box thing, huh?" Theo asked, proudly puffing his chest a hint of his former bravado briefly resurfaced. "Alright Devimp, this is when we counterattack! Rock Tomb!"
"De, imp!" Devimp cried, as it raised its arms while its eyes glowed yellow.
Both Ash and Aveden looked up as several large boulders of various sizes appeared above the latter.
"Quickly, dodge them!"
As gravity took hold of the rocks, they fell down, making a loud thud when they crashed down. Aveden expertly maneuvered around the, but unfortunately for the bird, he was unable to dodge the last one, hitting him with such force he was sent tumbling backwards.
"Aveden!" Ash cried.
"Av, ave!" Aveden cawed, shaking his head in order to get rid of the dizziness.
"Yes! Nice hit, Devimp!" Theo cheered. "Now, Ember!"
"Counter with Air Cutter!" Ash replied.
Devimp exhaled a flurry of small fireballs at the flying Pokemon, while Aveden beat his wings twice, producing yet another pair of blades of compressed air. The attacks collided, with once again no attack overpowering the other, leading to yet another explosion.
"Quick Attack!" Ash quickly shouted.
"Not again! Devimp, Fire Punch!" Theo ordered in return.
Ash Aveden dived at Devimp for the third time, Devimp clenched a tiny hand into a fist, which was quickly coated in flames. Swinging his fist at the approaching bird, the Imp Pokemon delivered a precise right hook at the bird's face, interrupting the Quick Attack.
"Yes, well done, Devimp!" Theo cheered.
"Very good, Theo, you're doing great!" Ash praised.
"Let's follow up with Rock Tomb!" Theo excitedly shouted.
"Aveden, dodge it, quickly!" Ash ordered.
Once again, large boulders of varying sizes appeared above Aveden a second before they fell onto him. The Bliss Bird Pokemon was agile to evade most of them, but Ash could see that there was at least one boulder he couldn't avoid. Something was counting on, but Ash wasn't going to make the same mistake twice.
"Aveden, Mirror Shot!" Ash shouted.
Aveden fired a silvery laser from his beak, cutting the falling boulder in half like a hot knife would cut through butter, before the Steel-type attack hit Devimp in the face, producing a brief flash of light.
"De, devimp!" Devimp cried, as it clutched its eyes.
"Devimp, what's wrong?" Theo asked, worried.
"That's the effect of Mirror Shot. It has the chance to briefly blind a Pokemon," Ash explained.
"What!?"
"And that chance is all that we need! Aveden, Quick Attack!" Ash ordered.
"Ave, avede!" Aveden whistled in agreement.
This time, Devimp was unable to dodge or reply to the attack in kind, and was sent rolling backwards after Aveden slammed into it.
"Now, follow up with Gust!" Ash shouted.
Aveden flapped his wings as fast as he could, generating a powerful tornado around Devimp that lifted it into the air, while violently launching it from one place to another, before the Imp Pokemon was slammed into the ground.
"Devimp...!" Theo shouted.
Devimp was lying on its back, limbs spread around and eyes all swirly. It didn't move.
"I may be no referee, but I'd say that Devimp has been defeated," Ash said.
Theo sighed, wordlessly agreeing with Ash assessment as he returned the Imp Pokemon to its pokeball.
"Guess I was over my head again, thinking I could beat one of your veteran Pokemon with one I just caught, huh?" Theo asked, his voice devoid of the fire it had only a few seconds ago.
"Hey, that's not true! If anything, this battle has shown how much you have improved," Ash quickly replied. "I mean, sure, Aveden won, but he had to work for that victory. The fact that your freshly caught Pokemon was able to keep up and fight a veteran one like an equal says a lot about your skill as a trainer."
This managed to draw a small smile from Theo. "You always have to look at the bright side of things, huh?"
Ash shrugged nonchalantly. "Somebody has to. Come on, this is a two versus two. Choose your next Pokemon."
Theo looked at the spot where his other Pokemon were sitting. After a couple moments of pondering, he made his decision. "Alright Eshouten, let's go!"
"Shou!" Eshouten happily cried, as it hovered in front of Theo, ready to battle.
"We're ready!" Theo said.
"Very well! This time, we'll attack first! Aveden, use Air Cutter!" Ash ordered.
"Air Cutter too, Eshouten!" Theo shouted.
Both Pokemon beat their wings, producing blades of compressed air that flew towards each other. Both attacks clashed in the middle, producing a powerful air blast that blew in every direction.
"Aveden, Quick Attack!" Ash ordered.
"Block with Steel Wing!" Theo replied.
As Aveden barreled towards Eshouten, wings folded and a trail of vanishing white light left behind, Eshouten's wings took on a silvery shine, and hid behind them. There was a loud clang as Aveden smashed headfirst into the Steel-enhanced limbs, the painful bounce sending the bird back reeling.
"Yes! Now give him a good smack!" Theo said, thrusting his first forward.
Eshouten grinned, and delivered a series of swipes and slaps at Aveden with its hardened wings, pushing Aveden back with each hit.
"Aveden, hold on!" Ash cried.
"And finish him off with Confusion!" Theo excitedly shouted, already savoring victory.
Eshouten's eyes glowed with a pink light, as an outline of the same color surrounded Aveden. Then, as if he was being held by a pair of invisible arms, the Bliss Bird Pokemon was slammed against the ground multiple times, making him squeal in pain with each hit.
"Aveden!" Ash cried again.
The last slam was so powerful, it cracked a crater open in the ground. It was also strong enough to beat the last shreds of vitality of Aveden's body, knocking him out cold.
"Yes! I knocked one of Ash's Pokemon out!" Theo cried in joy.
"Es, shou!" Eshouten cawed, sharing his trainer's happiness.
The shock on Ash's face was short lived, as it was replaced by serene acceptance and vicarious joy over seeing how much Theo had improved.
"Well done, Aveden, take a good rest," Ash said, recalling his first Tandorian Pokemon back to his pokeball. "And well job to you too, Theo. You trained your Pokemon well."
"Well, truth be told, Devimp did a good job softening Aveden up, otherwise Eshouten wouldn't have won so quickly," Theo said. Well, admitting something that would undermine his victory wasn't something the Theo Ash had met in Moki Town or the Baa Grasslands would have done. "Let's see if we can take down your second Pokemon."
"Right," Ash said, before looking at the spot where all his other Pokemon were. He didn't take long to make his decision. "Frosulo, I choose you!"
"Fro, fro!" The Ice Crystal Pokemon happily chirped, as he hopped towards the battleground as well as he could.
Theo raised an eyebrow at Ash's choice, but refrained from making any comments. It seemed like he was learning not to judge a book by its cover.
"Let's begin," Ash told him.
"Very well! Eshouten, Shadow Ball!" Theo ordered.
"Shoooooo...!" Eshouten cried as it opened its mouth, forming a sphere of darkness in front of it, which shot towards the Ice Crystal Pokemon.
"Deflect it with Shadow Claw, Frosulo!" Ash commanded.
"Fro, su!" Frosulo chirped as he generated a clawed arm made of the same ghostly energy as the Shadow Ball, and used it to swipe the projectile away.
"Whoa! So that's how a Pokemon without arms can use Shadow Claw?" Theo asked, genuinely impressed. "Oh well, that was just a minor setback! Eshouten, Air Cutter!"
"Sho, shouten!" Eshouten cried, giving a pair of powerful wing beats, sending a pair of blades of compressed air.
"Counter with Powder Snow!" Ash replied.
Frosulo took a deep breath, and exhaled a powerful cold wind with snowflakes in it. The sudden frigid air undid the blades of compressed air, while pelting Eshouten with the hard snowflakes, making the Observer Pokemon whine in pain.
"What's with that ice bug? Nothing I throw at him works, and he hasn't even moved!" Theo complained.
"If a direct assault doesn't work, try something else! Think outside the box!" Ash adviced Theo.
"Okay, okay! let's see..." Theo began to ponder, his face turning a little red over the pressure he was feeling. "Oh, I have it! Eshouten, Quick Attack!"
"Es, shou!" Eshouten cried before barreling towards Frosulo, leaving a fading trail of white light behind.
"Frosulo, use Powder Snow again!" Ash ordered.
"Protect yourself with Steel Wing!" Theo quickly replied.
As Frosulo blew yet another frigid, snowy wing, Eshouten's wings glowed with a silvery sheen, and put it in front of itself as a makeshift shield that not only successfully blocked the Ice-type attack, but it added the power of Steel Wing to the Quick Attack, smacking the Ice Crystal Pokemon backwards.
"Froooooo!" Frosulo cried, as he was sent rolling back.
"Frosulo!" Ash cried.
"Yes! Direct hit!" Theo cheered, pumping his fist. "Time to press the advantage! Air Cutter!"
Taking advantage of Frosulo's plight, Eshouten gained a little altitude, and fired yet another pair of blades of compressed air.
"Frosulo, use Shadow Claw to stand yourself upright!" Ash quickly commanded. "And then use Protect!"
A shadowy, clawed arm emerged from within the ice chrysalis, grasping the grassy ground, stopping Frosulo's rolling and using the sudden motion twist to lift himself up. As the ghostly arm disappeared, Frosulo's eyes glowed green, and a dome of green light appeared in front of the Ice Crystal Pokemon, just in time to block Eshouten's attack.
"Whoa! I never would have thought of using Shadow Claw like that!" Theo said, once again shocked by the audacity of Ash's tactics.
"I would never have thought of doing that either when I was starting out, but like me, you'll learn with enough time and experience," Ash said. "Signal Beam!"
"Dodge it!" Theo shouted. "Fly around him!"
Frosulo fired a multicolored energy beam from his eyes, but Eshouten was able to avoid it by flying circles around the Ice Crystal Pokemon. His lack of mobility greatly hindered his ability to track his foe down.
"Well done! Now catch him with Confusion!" Theo ordered.
Eshouten's eyes glimmered with a pink shine, and Frosulo was enveloped by an aura of the same color as he was lifted off of the ground. Ash, however, knew how to avoid a repeat of Aveden's defeat.
"Frosulo, anchor yourself to Eshouten with String Shot!" Ash ordered.
Frosulo turned his head towards Eshouten, and fired a sticky thread of web at the Observer Pokemon, who was unable to move as it cast the Psychic-type move, wrapping its body in the sticky substance, pinning its wings against its body.
"SHOOOOO! SHOOOOO!" Eshouten yelled as it wildly trashed around, trying to force its wings through the sticky thread.
"Frosulo, use Shadow Claw to anchor yourself to the ground, and pull Eshouten to you!" Ash ordered.
"Eshouten, pull back!" Theo ordered.
As Frosulo generated yet another arm of pure darkness and dug its fingers into the ground, both Pokemon pulled with all their might. Eshouten was stronger, but thanks to Ash's trick with Shadow Claw, Frosulo had become immovable. The sticky thread tightened as the two Pokemon pulled in their direction.
"Keep going Eshouten! Soon the thread will snap!" Theo said.
"Frosulo, release the Shadow Claw and let Eshouten pull you!" Ash ordered.
"What!?"
The Ice Crystal Pokemon didn't hesitate for a moment and cancelled the Ghost-type attack, which in turn caused all the force Eshouten was pouring in its pull to launch Frosulo towards it like a rocket.
"Eshouten-"
But Theo was unable to issue an order before Frosulo painfully slammed into Eshouten, knocking the wind out of its sails.
"Frosulo, Powder Snow!" Ash ordered.
Frosulo took a deep breath, and blew a frigid wind at Eshouten point blank. At such a short distance, the Observer Pokemon's whole body was quickly covered in frost and snow, leaving it completely immobile.
"Eshouten...!" Theo cried.
Between the sticky thread still binding its body and all the ice over it, it was obvious that Eshouten wasn't able to fight anymore. A conclusion Theo reached and agreed, given that he sighed dejectedly as he returned his defeated Pokemon back to its pokeball.
"Guess this is it. Good job, Eshouten. We'll do better next time," Theo said, a little dejected.
"Well done Frosulo! You did an amazing job!" Ash said, patting the Ice Crystal Pokemon on the head.
"Fro!" Frosulo chirped, as he tackled Ash in an armless hug, smearing frost all over his body.
After putting the excitable Ice and Bug-type on the ground and wiping the ice bits from his clothes, Ash walked towards Theo.
"It was a great match, Theo. It goes on to show how much you have improved since our last encounter," Ash told him.
"Thanks," Theo said, looking a little bashful. He smiled confidently. "So, what do we do now?"
Ash looked at the sun, who was high in the sky. "It will be lunchtime soon. How about if we have a light training with your other Pokemon before that? And after that, we can talk about it then."
"Sounds great to me!"
…
Given that the group had time until Serena's next contest, they decided to spend the rest of the day as well as the next morning there for the sake of helping Theo. While Serena trained either on her own or with Clemont, Ash helped Theo prepare his rematch against Sheldon, by having his Pokemon train with Theo's, or with more sparring matches.
By the next day's noon, right after lunchtime, Theo decided it was his time to return to Vinoville and claim that badge from Sheldon.
"Thanks a lot for all the help, Ash. Now I feel like Sheldon has no chance to beat me!" Theo proudly boasts.
"I'm sure you'll do fine, Theo," Ash said. "And I hope we can battle again in the future!"
"We will! And when we do, I'll be even stronger than I'm now!" Theo said, as he began walking northwards. "Anyway, goodbye, and good luck in your contest, Serena!"
"Thank you! Good luck in your Gym match!" Serena said, as she and the rest of the group waved Theo goodbye.
"Alright, time to continue our journey. If we set a good pace, we'll be able to reach Legen Town with a full day to spare for Serena's contest!" Ash declared.
They all nodded, and continued heading south. All of them hoped that, by the time the contest was over, Serena would already have her final ribbon in her hand.
Author's Note: So yeah, after the intensity of Ash battling his fourth Gym Leader, a more calm, character driven chapter was needed.
...what? Did you guys expect something more exciting and plot-critical to happen after Sheldon's Gym Battle? ;P
An thus, Theo makes his return! Last time we see him was on Bealbeach City, but he didn't do much before leaving. Here, however, has a much better chance at taking the spotlight. He's still a little brat with a bit of an ego, but both his experiences while traveling, Ash's mentoring, and more importantly, the fact that he might lose his father, forced him to mature a little. The poor kid's not having a good time, though tahnkfully for him he has Ash to lend him some comfort, as well as help him for his rematch against Sheldon.
On another subplots, Serena keeps trying but failing in making Sylveon overcome her phobia of Nuclear-types. But hey, if there's something Serena has learned from Ash is to never give up.
Also, if you feel like asking me about Ash leaving the series (because I know some of you plan to), don't. To me Ash has been dead since 2017, with SM and JN Ash being some creature wearing his skin, so I don't feel anything over him being retired.
Thanks a lot to Jake, Diatomic Rex, MegaSalamence64, Fox McCloude, BrightNova169, hirowriter and Viroro-kun for reviewing the last chapter, as well as special thanks to Viroro-kun for betareading this chapter and making it so much better with his edits and suggestions.
Next time, our heroes arrive at Legen Town, where Serena will try to win her fifth and final ribbon. In the meantime, don't forget to drop a review, alright? See ya!
