With Courage I Will Face
Arc IV: Cerulean
Chapter Nineteen: Mano y Macho!
Jessie, James and Meowth stood at the top of the glass retaining wall as they finished their motto, mock bowing to the now non-existent crowd.
"A shame nobody stuck around to hear our performance, I think that was some of our best work." Jessie commented.
"You three again?" Ash yelled out, grabbing their attention.
"Oh, the twerp did stay behind." James noted.
"Shoulda known." Meowth agreed.
"What do you think you're doing?" Ash demanded of them as he ran up to the wall. They laughed as they looked down at him.
"What does it look like? We're here to steal these water Pokemon." Jessie said teasingly.
"As if!" Misty cut in, rushing behind Ash.
"Yes exactly, as if they were never here!" James happily twisted her words.
"You'll never get them all out of here, we won't let you!" Ash declared. Daisy, Lily, and Violet all broke the surface in that moment and were shocked at the turn of events.
"And you'll, like, never even get them all out of this tank before we battle you." Lily agreed. To their surprise, Jessie and James laughed again.
"We don't have to get them past you. See we anticipated some resistance so in the event we couldn't just walk out the front door," James began smugly.
"We'll take 'em out the back!" Meowth finished. He produced a small remote with a button on it.
"All we have to do is press this button and we'll blow a hole into the tunnel to Cerulean Lake, where we've set up a huge net at the other end." Jessie told them. "We'll be out of here before you can even say 'Seafood Special'!"
"You're bluffing." Daisy called out. "Why haven't you blown it yet, if that's the case?"
"We were hoping to pilfer a few straggling Pokemon from the audience before making our daring escape." Jessie answered.
"But it looks like the twerp's Pikachu and other Pokemon will have to do!" James added.
"You're not leaving here with anybody else's Pokemon!" Daisy shouted back. "Lily, Violet, go recall all the Pokemon! Leave them to me!"
Lily and Violet hesitated only a moment before they obeyed, diving back into the pool as Daisy climbed out. Jessie and James didn't bother to stop her, too confident in their plan.
"I'm in this too!" Ash jumped forward. Pikachu mirrored him, adding a strong "Pika!"
"If you insist, twerp." Jessie said. "Ekans, Spearow! Go get that twerp!"
"Koffing, Spearow, Weedle, this one is ours!" James pointed at Daisy, who was advancing with Poliwag.
"Brock, we should target Meowth and try to get that remote." Misty whispered. Brock nodded and they backed away from Ash for now.
"Weedle, use String Shot!" James ordered.
"Dodge it and use Mud Slap!" Daisy countered.
Poliwag leapt forward and jumped over the String Shot. It landed just in front of Weedle and smacked it with its glowing orange tail just in time to dodge Spearow's dive.
"Bubble Beam!"
Poliwag spun fast, striking Spearow with a Bubble Beam as the Tiny Bird Pokemon flew beneath it.
"Koffing, Tackle!" James ordered, but Poliwag was faster and aimed its Bubble Beam at it next. "Spearow, Peck! Weedle, Poison Sting!"
Spearow and Weedle charged Poliwag with their appendages glowing, but Daisy was faster.
"Mud Shot!" She called urgently.
Poliwag was on the ground now and twisted to fire out globs of brown mud from its mouth, forcing Spearow and Weddle to attempt to dodge or collide with them. Spearow ascended higher while Weedle tried to move to the side, though the Hairy Bug Pokemon was not fast enough and ended up getting flung backwards still.
"Yes, that's it, pincer maneuver! Spearow dive and use Peck! Koffing, Smog attack!" James said eagerly.
Spearow swooped down and Koffing shot out a ball of thick green smoke from its mouth at Poliwag. Poliwag was trapped between the two attacks, seemingly with no way out, but Daisy still had orders to give.
"You use Peck too!" She called.
James was shocked when, in a flash, Daisy's Goldeen jumped from the pool to a startling height and collided with Spearow in the air. Goldeen's horn jabbed straight into Spearow's side, skewering it and taking it back down to the ground as they descended and leaving Poliwag free to roll out of the way from the impending smoke cloud.
"Hey, that's no fair!" James complained.
"It was three against one!" Daisy shot back angrily.
"It didn't feel like it!" James did not falter with his response. "Koffing, Poison Gas!"
"Water Pulse!"
Poliwag quickly charged the blue sphere of energy, ready to fire when Daisy gave another order.
"Slam it into the ground!"
Poliwag was noticeably confused by the command and hesitated, but ultimately complied and forced the Water Pulse into the ground. It exploded out with a wave of water that defended much better against the onslaught of toxic purple smoke than the ball would have. It gave a barrier that the gas bumped into and fizzled out against before it could find its way around. Inwardly, she wondered what Ash would think of that strategy.
Thankfully, Koffing seemed to be relatively young still just like Poliwag, or it's gas would've stayed around longer.
"Weedle, String Shot!" James called.
Having forgotten about Weedle, the bug-type landed a String Shot on Poliwag and pulled with all its might, pulling Poliwag off its feet and Weedle launched forward to attack. Though just at that moment, Goldeen and Spearow jumped from the water and into the String Shot, getting caught up and pulling Weedle and Poliwag along for their scuffle.
"That's it, Weedle, make more string! Keep everyone right there for just a minute more! Koffing, Smog that ball!" James ordered happily.
Daisy gasped as Koffing floated up to the conjoined mess of Pokemon covered in String Shot. Had she been wrong in her assessment of the situation? Perhaps she should have used a higher-level gym Pokemon for this.
But she glanced over at Ash, holding his own just fine. Daisy shook her head quickly and continued to give commands.
"Poliwag, I need you to use Pound on the floor!" She called. Poliwag was just able to move its tail enough to slam into the ground and the force pushed the ball of Pokemon forward. "Again!" Another roll.
The Poison Gas was trailing them, and Poliwag's fin-like tail quickly grew tired after three hard slaps into the ground. But after one final Pound, the conjoined Pokemon rolled over the edge and fell into the pool. James gasped in horror, thinking that Daisy had just doomed his two Pokemon to death-by-drowning. But the water quickly dissolved the silk binding them all to each other and Poliwag and Goldeen quickly broke away, retreating as Spearow and Weedle climbed back onto the surface.
"That's not fair, just when I managed to get you in a sticky situation you go and rain on my parade!" James was still smiling despite his complaining, and Daisy frowned harder. What was it with these two? "Koffing, Tackle!"
Koffing lunged again.
"Butterfree, Pidgeotto, both of you use Gust!" Ash ordered his flying-types quickly.
Butterfree and Pidgeotto in tandem flapped their wings, sending a cyclone of wind at Jessie's Pokemon.
"Spearow, use Leer! Ekans, Bite attack!" Jessie countered.
Spearow, being a bird also, managed to escape the cyclone of its own volition eventually and glared down at Ash's flyers while Ekans shot out using the wind to accelerate its path as it launched at Pidgeotto.
"Butterfree, Psybeam on Ekans! Pidgeotto, Quick Attack on Spearow!" Ash's orders were swift.
Pidgeotto dodged Ekans' attack in a moment, blitzing forward to slam into Spearow while Butterfree's pink eyes shot a jagged pink beam at Ekans, who was where Pidgeotto had been moments ago. Ekans and Spearow both dropped quickly but were not down yet and Jessie laughed.
"Not bad for a twerp." She taunted him.
"I'll show you not bad! Butterfree, Confusion! Pidgeotto, Wing Attack!" Ash cried.
Butterfree's eyes glowed a threatening red at Ekans, who was picked up and launched by the psychic energy. Spearow, meanwhile, had managed to dodge away from Pidgeotto's Wing Attack strikes long enough for Ekans to slam into the larger bird Pokemon, beginning a Wrap attack.
"Yes, now I'm scared." Jessie hummed, taking out another Pokeball. "Maybe I need more help. Jynx, go!"
Another Pokemon appeared in a flash. It was taller than the others and shaped like a human. It had long blonde hair, purple skin and wore a bright red dress.
"A… Jynx?" Ash looked at it confused. He had heard the species name before but had never seen an image of one let alone seen one in person. He couldn't help but check his Pokedex about it.
Jynx, the Human Shape Pokemon and the evolved form of Smoochum. It sways its hips to a rhythm all its own. The precise movement of Jynx living in Alola are truly wonderful.
"Are you caught up yet? Use Powder Snow!" Jessie commanded.
Jynx took a deep breath and blew out hard, sending a gust of cold wind with small snowballs mixed in at Pidgeotto as she was distracted trying to disengage with Ekans. Just as she did, she was slammed with the ice-type attack and Ekans took advantage of the momentary weakness to lunge again with Bite.
"Pikachu, it's your turn! Use ThunderShock on Jynx!" Ash called.
Pikachu gave an affirmative and jumped, gathering and shooting electricity at Jessie's Jynx. As the electricity slammed into her, Jynx stopped its Powder Snow attack long enough that Pidgeotto had taken back to the air.
"Jynx, Confusion on Pikachu!"
Ash and Pikachu gasped in unison as Pikachu was covered in a light blue light that matched Jynx's eyes and was lifted off the ground. Pikachu winced in pain, being contorted and pressed by the psychic power of Jynx.
"Spearow, Peck! Ekans, Bite! Focus that Pikachu!" Jessie continued.
"Pidgeotto, Quick Attack on Jynx! Butterfree, use Confusion to stop the others!" Ash countered.
Pidgeotto blurred towards Jynx, slamming into the ice-type with all her might at the same time that Butterfree enveloped Ekans and Spearow in the same glowing blue light Pikachu was. Their advance forward was cut off by Butterfree holding them with his psychic abilities and throwing them backwards onto the floor while Pidgeotto's body-check was enough to break Jynx's concentration on her hold over Pikachu, who safely dropped back to the ground.
Jessie's Pokemon regrouped closer to her as Ash gave his next command.
"Alright Pikachu, use ThunderShock!"
"Hand over that detonator, Meowth!" Brock said, closer to the glass wall.
"If you think we're just gonna give up that easy, you got another thing coming!" Meowth responded, teeming with excitement.
"Actually, we just needed your attention." Misty replied slyly.
Misty's Goldeen and Brock's Zubat both launched their Supersonic attacks at Meowth just before he could react and avoid them. Meowth quickly lost his balance and started to sway back and forth, desperately trying to hold onto the detonator with his claws.
"Staryu, Water Gun! Aim for the remote!" Misty ordered.
Staryu took the shot and by virtue of Meowth's confused state, separated the remote from the Scratch Cat Pokemon. The detonator clattered to the ground and Meowth stumbled back into James' leg.
"Not yet Meowth, we've got them on the ropes!" James didn't bother looking down at Meowth.
Misty and Brock noticed that that was not true at all, and Ash and Daisy were each managing to push Team Rocket's Pokemon back despite their advantage on the platform. Ash was fighting down in the thick of it while Jessie was on top of the tank, James beside her and Daisy was largely fighting her battle over the water.
Jessie and James both noticed the dropped detonator at the same time, and both made a grab for it, knowing they couldn't let it leave their control.
"Poliwag, Goldeen, Water Pulse!" Daisy cried.
The two water-types shot off spheres of water that rushed forward and just before they made contact, both orbs broke open into a waves of water that washed the entire group off the platform and sending them tumbling down as they all tried to grab for the detonator at the same time.
"Pikachu, finish it with ThunderShock!" Ash ordered next.
Jessie, James and Meowth tried to scramble both to stand and grab the detonator but could not escape the pile-up of Pokemon they found themselves surrounded under. Certainly not fast enough to avoid being struck by Pikachu's ThunderShock. They were soaking wet, holding several electronic devices and Koffing was nearby, constantly expelling flammable gases, none of which made for a great mix with the electricity that struck them.
There was a chain reaction set off that led to an explosion. They heard vague noises of panic from everyone in the room, an explosion and a few crashes followed by soft screams. Smoke was blown everywhere, but not as much as the incident in Viridian City's Pokemon Center and just like before after it cleared Team Rocket was nowhere to be found.
"Looks like they blasted straight through the ceiling somehow." Misty noted, looking up.
"Did they get away with any Pokemon?" Brock asked Daisy as he helped her down onto the ground.
"No, I don't think so. Lily and Violet recalled all the ones that were part of the show, and Poliwag and Goldeen are still up there." She responded, looking around. "Ash, are you okay?"
"Yeah, we're all good, I think. Right guys?" Ash was kneeling before his three Pokemon, inspecting them closely. They all seemed mostly unbothered by the incident, just happy to have helped. "Sorry, Daisy, I didn't realize there was gonna be an explosion like that."
"It's okay, everything happened so fast. I'm just happy exploding the remote didn't detonate it. It looks like all the water is still in the tank." Daisy observed.
"Plus, you guys were such a big help! We couldn't have acted so quickly if you didn't help fight Team Rocket, Ash." Violet added.
"All's well that ends well, I guess." Brock noted. "Is there anything we can do to help clean up?" Daisy scoffed.
"You think I'm gonna deal with this? Not a chance. I'll put in a complaint to the league and hope they get maintenance out here soon. The should pay for the damage done considering we were under attack. We'll just sweep up and close the gym for a day or two." Daisy replied easily. "Just go turn in early and you can head out in the morning."
A little reluctantly, Ash, Misty and Brock agreed. They thanked the sisters for their show, despite the interruption, as it had been a fantastic start. Likewise, they thanked them for coming and prompted them to come to another when they passed back through Cerulean.
With promises to stop by again in the morning, they left the gym and headed back to the Pokemon Center. They decided to leave their Pokemon, minus Pikachu, with Nurse Joy for the night. Ash's had all battled, and Misty and Brock wanted to ensure theirs were in the best condition before they set off again.
"I can't believe those three showed up again." Misty commented as they got into bed.
"I can't believe you guys weren't kidding about them." Brock noted.
Though he had been with them for a week, he had yet to meet Team Rocket since the last two times Ash was the only one to encounter them. Misty scoffed.
"Would we lie to you, Brock?" She joked.
"I dunno, it has only been a week." He said back and they all laughed.
The group bid each other goodnights and settled in to bed, eager for their last sleep in a comfy space for who knows how long.
The next morning was an early start.
They wanted to get into the gym and get gone before Daisy, Lily and Violet had to break the news about the gym being closed to the townsfolk until further notice. It was more emotional than Misty had expected, and she found herself hugging Daisy back tightly before they departed.
"Don't tell Ash." She had whispered quickly, slipping a TM case into Misty's drawstring back during the hug. "He might be jealous of yours."
Misty laughed and quietly thanked her, secretly giddy to check what TM her sister had given her.
They kept a good pace through the morning. Ash had only stopped to battle ten trainers, one of them a Master Trainer. His Mankey was strong, but Butterfree pulled through to give Ash his tenth win of the morning.
"We're on a roll today!" Ash proclaimed out loud.
"The extra money is nice, but don't kid yourself, Ash. Most of these people haven't battled as much as you have today in months." Misty pointed out.
"Well, most of them challenged me first, and I'm not gonna pass that up! That's free experience and training!" Ash replied.
"They say that when two trainers make eye contact on a passing road, they must battle. That's how it's always been." Brock added as he began to look around. "What do you say start looking for a place to sit down and eat lunch? It looks like about half past twelve already."
Ash and Misty agreed, and they kept their eyes open for any good spots as they marched forward. After walking for just another ten minutes, they noticed a wooden structure peaking out through the tree line.
"Maybe it's a building with a restaurant." Ash said hopefully.
"That'd be convenient. It'd sure save me time on cooking." Brock agreed, and they headed off towards it.
As they got closer, they saw it was not a restaurant, but a giant fence made of wood to surround a large tent and a raised battlefield that looked like it was made of wood as well. There was a makeshift scoreboard attached to the front of the tent with number cards.
99 Wins, 0 Losses.
Ash smiled while Misty and Brock couldn't help but sigh, and Ash charged forward.
"Hey, anybody home? Have you really won ninety-nine battles in a row?" Ash was calling.
Another boy stepped out from the tent, taller than Ash but shorter than Brock. He had wild dark-green hair and wore a black button-up shirt with red shoulders, and he had a nasty scowl on his face.
"Yeah, what's it to you?" He said, looking Ash up and down.
"I bet you won't make it to a hundred." Ash challenged. "What do you say?"
"I say there's no way you can ever hope to beat me. You're way too green, kid." He replied, waving his hand dismissively.
"Me? There's tree's out there jealous of how green your hair is!" Ash shot back. Misty and Brock winced, but the other boy just rolled his eyes.
"It means new, kid, yeesh. I don't have the time to waste to show you how outclassed you are. Besides, you and your Pikachu both look more out of shape than a Kakuna." He said, waving Ash off again.
Ash and Pikachu were both starting to get annoyed now. Pikachu's cheeks sparked, unprompted, and Ash felt his own heat up while the boy laughed again.
"See? Can't even control your pet, there. There's no reason for it to be discharging like that, especially that close to ya. Not good for either of you." He said.
"Pikachu's just as eager as I am to battle you and prove you wrong, that's all." Ash said. "But if you really think someone with two gym badges is so far beneath you, consider setting up your poor mans stadium closer to the Indigo Plateau, would ya?" He turned around in frustration. "Let's go, this was a bust." He said to Misty and Brock.
They shared a glance with each other and turned to follow Ash out, but the boy called out just as they were approaching the gate.
"Two badges you said?" Ash stopped walking. "Alright, maybe you'll surprise me. Come on up here, kid." The boy was on one side of the battlefield.
Ash looked at Misty and Brock, as if asking what he should do. They both shrugged. Pikachu sparked his cheeks, and Ash took that to mean he wanted to fight, so Ash took up a spot on the opposite side of the field.
"How about a simple three-on-three?" He said.
Ash nodded and the boy took off the black whip he had attached to his hip and cracked it. Ash and Pikachu both flinched back while an assortment of Pokemon came running from inside the tent. There were several Rattata and Pidgey, but also a Mankey, Butterfree, Beedrill and Sandshrew. They all stood by, ready to be selected for battle.
"Sandshrew, let's show this punk how its done!" He said. Sandshrew moved astonishingly fast onto the field, bouncing like a ball curled into itself.
"Alright then, Pidgeotto, I choose you!" Ash selected his avian Pokemon. "Use Wing Attack!"
"Sandshrew, use Defense Curl!" His opponent responded.
Pidgeotto sped forward at Sandshrew, but Sandshrew had enough time to curl into a ball to defend itself, and Pidgeotto's attack glanced off its exterior. Pidgeotto swooped back, striking it again and causing it to roll, though it didn't appear to cause any harm.
"Pidgeotto, use Gust!" Ash changed tactics.
Pidgeotto turned around mid-flight to send a whirlwind of air at the rolled-up ground-type as it remained unfazed.
"Rollout!"
Sandshrew spun like a wheel at rapid speeds, covering most of the field in one go and launching into a jump, slamming into Pidgeotto before she could even react. As they came crashing back down, Ash was surprised to see Pidgeotto knocked out.
"Pidgeotto, return! You did your best. It's your turn, Butterfree, I choose you!" Ash made his second choice.
"Poor choice, kid." The other boy taunted. "Sandshrew, Rollout again!"
"Stop it with Confusion!" Ash countered.
Mid-spin, Sandshrew was lifted off the ground under Butterfree's psychic powers and slammed back down onto the ground. Once again to Ash's surprise, Sandshrew didn't hesitate before barreling at Butterfree again, launching just like before and colliding with the flying-type. Ash knew if Pidgeotto couldn't take that hit, neither could Butterfree and he solemnly recalled his second Pokemon. His opponent barked a laugh, cracked his whip and Sandshrew withdrew from its ball.
"Are you ready, Pikachu?" Ash asked his partner. Pikachu gave a determined nod. "Let's show him, then. Pikachu, I choose you!"
Pikachu leapt forward and let sparks fly off his cheeks as intimidatingly as he could, while their opponent shook his head.
"You just don't learn, do ya?" He said. "Sandshrew, keep it going with another Rollout!"
"Quick Attack, dodge past it!" Ash ordered.
Pikachu was much faster than Pidgeotto or Butterfree and lunged forward, easily avoiding Sandshrew as they passed each other. Their opponent then cracked his whip and Sandshrew entered a turn, attempting to veer back at Pikachu, to Ash's surprise.
"Brick Break, on your right!"
Ash's order was swift and just in time. Pikachu spun and swung his glowing tail just in time to intercept a powerful Rollout that would've hit him from the side if he had been just a second slower.
"Growl!" Ash called. Locked in combat, Pikachu attempted to Growl at Sandshrew. It didn't appear to have the complete effect, since Pikachu's attention was split on maintaining the struggle, but Sandshrew could still hear from inside its ball as proven when it reacted to the whip, so it had to feel some type of change.
They forced each other apart moments later, each skidding to a stop and glaring.
"Go in for Scratch!" Sandshrew's trainer ordered.
"Use Charm!"
Sandshrew moved a lot slower when it wasn't rolling around, giving Pikachu plenty of time to shoot its best cute-faced-rounded-eyed look at it before it made contact. Sandshrew scratched at Pikachu, but it did little more than make Pikachu flinch and jump backwards while commands changed.
"Fine then, use Sand Attack!" The boy cried out.
"Block it with ThunderShock!" Ash's command was just as effective as it was nonsensical.
Sandshrew swiped at the ground to throw heaps of sand at Pikachu from close range, but Pikachu sniped each one in the air before they could land anywhere and hit their mark.
"Quick Attack!" Before the other boy could register it, Pikachu had lunged forward and barreled into Sandshrew's chest.
The ground-type went flying backwards as Pikachu landed again, panting but exhilarated. He could feel Ash's enthusiasm pumping through his veins as he tensed, ready for the next play.
"Sandshrew, use Rollout!"
"Jump and use Brick Break!"
Sandshrew rolled at Pikachu again, and again Pikachu was fast enough to react. He jumped as high as he could and maneuvered so his tail was slamming down onto the ball that was Sandshrew. With its lowered attack stat, there was no chance for the ground-type mouse to overpower the electric-type mouse. Sandshrew was bounced off the ground like an extremely heavy basketball, uncurling while it was in the air and flailed its limbs about. Even though it was barely two feet off the ground, and still not as high as Pikachu, it was clearly very surprised by the events.
Ash grinned.
"Finish it with Brick Break!" Ash cried.
"Piii-Ka!" Pikachu grunted heavily as he slammed his glowing tail down directly on Sandshrew's head.
They crashed down roughly, and Ash was elated when he saw Sandshrew was clearly unable to get up and Pikachu stood strong.
"Sandshrew!" The boy cried, running out onto the field. He put a hand gently on his back and rubbed it comfortingly. "It's okay, fella, you did your best. I thought we had 'em for sure." It was the first moment of anything other than cockiness Ash had seen from the boy.
"Your Sandshrew was really good." Ash found himself complimenting. The boy smiled brightly now, not a hint of the annoyance that was there before.
"Thanks, I know. Your Pikachu's not bad yourself." He shot back. Then he sighed. "I guess you win, then. Goodbye to my winning streak."
Ash, Pikachu, Misty and Brock all gasped at once in shock.
"I thought you said we were gonna have a three-on-three?" Ash asked. The boy smiled.
"Well, see. I don't actually have any other Pokemon. I was really counting on sweeping you with Sandshrew." He told them with a slightly embarrassed tone.
"But what about all those Pokemon?" Misty asked as she and Brock approached now that they wouldn't interrupt a battle.
"Oh, them? Those aren't mine; those are all wild Pokemon." He told them. They all made noises of surprise again. "Yeah, see, they just stick around to train with me and Sandshrew to get stronger. None of 'em have ever expressed any interest in being caught, just in the training so I welcomed 'em. The more the merrier." He said casually, looking out at the rest.
"Now he's all sunshine and smiles. Ten minutes ago, he couldn't throw us out fast enough." Misty grumbled. Brock nudged her with his elbow.
"I'm sorry about that. I've been in a bad mood since yesterday and I'm so used to being challenged by a bunch of kids out playing with their parents Pokemon or trainers who don't know the difference between a ground-type and a rock-type, I didn't want to take that out in a battle." He explained.
"Name's AJ, kid. Sorry about the attitude." He stuck out his hand to Ash, who smiled and accepted it.
"I'm Ash, and this is Pikachu." Ash introduced them. "Pika, Pikachu!" Pikachu interjected quickly. "Don't worry about it, water under the bridge. These are my friends, Misty and Brock." They both waved, relieved at the lack of tension between the boys now.
"So, AJ, what are you doing out here? What's with the whole set up, and why the counter?" Brock asked curiously.
"Innit obvious? I'm out here training! Me and Sandshrew were on a winning streak, and we're tryna get it to evolve. I want to be the Sandslash Master Trainer in Kanto, so obviously we gotta work to evolve." AJ replied.
"No way! That's awesome!" Ash cried happily.
"I thought you had to go through a school to do that." Misty noted, thinking back to her conversation with Kimberly, the Poliwhirl Master Trainer.
"You do, I am. I'm the second-best in my year right now in the academics, but Pokemon Tech isn't really hands-on with battle experience so if I want a Sandslash I've got to put in the work for it outside of school." He replied. He shrugged again. "Not that I mind, it's more fun this way. Only so much you can learn battling the same people and Pokemon every day, especially when they don't do nothing different."
"That makes sense. We've seen a few Master Trainers around, and even though they're definitely a cut above normal rookies most of them seem new to battling. Ash here has taken down, what, six of them now?" Brock said, counting on his fingers.
AJ gave a whistle.
"That right? You're doing pretty good for yourself out there, Ash." AJ complimented him again. "The Master Trainer system has its problems, but if nothing else they know their stuff. Beating any of them is something to be proud of, but six? And you have two badges? How long have you been a trainer again?"
"Uh," Ash hesitated. "Almost three weeks now?"
AJ whistled again.
"You've got chops, Ash, I'll give you that. That was the best battle I've had in a long time, and as you can see the first battle I've lost in almost as long." AJ said, gesturing to the sign with his 99 wins on it. "I'll have to change that now." He muttered.
"Y'know, we can call that a draw, so you don't have to start over. It was three against one." Ash pointed out. AJ hummed.
"Maybe. I'll think about it. For now, I gotta feed these guys lunch. Ya'll hungry?" AJ offered. The group smiled.
"We were actually about to sit down and have lunch earlier, until Ash smelled that battlefield from a mile away." Misty said. She ignored Ash sticking his tongue out at her.
"We'd love to stay, if you don't mind." Brock added.
AJ nodded and led the group of people and Pokemon back into his tent.
"So, AJ, how did your Sandshrew get so strong? What kind of training do you do?" Ash asked between bites of his sandwich.
AJ had been kind enough to share food with them as well as feed their Pokemon some of his home-made Pokemon food while he fed the wild ones.
"Mostly we use weights. Sandshrew lifts 'em, runs with 'em, moves 'em with its tail, the whole thing. It helps strengthen all of Sandshrew's existing muscles." AJ replied. He took a bite of his own sandwich. "Then there's the Macho Braces they wear while battling." He pointed towards the floor.
On the floor was a pile of small green boxes with straps and wires strown about. There were brown, leather-like collar straps that each looked like it wrapped around the arm or leg of a Pokemon. There were wires attacked, black and cable-like, that connected to the green boxes that were roughly the length of one brick and the width of two.
"They wear those, and it gives a bit of a push-back when they try and move their arms, legs or neck. It's got settings for tightness, so it don't hurt 'em none, and they only wear them during practice battles here, in the tent. Too much weight training can tear muscles, then your just asking for more problems, but they help gain strength fast if you use 'em right." AJ explained.
"It's really impressive that those wild Pokemon hang out here and train with you and Sandshrew. They even came out when you cracked your whip, like you called them." Brock complimented him. AJ smiled.
"Gotta control the group somehow. The whips loud enough to get everybody's attention, even over battles. Sandshrew can follow the cues of it for specific commands, but the rest of 'em, it just gets their attention real good." He said. "Where are you heading next, Ash?"
"We're heading towards Vermilion City, so I can challenge the gym there." Ash said enthusiastically. AJ nodded.
"Figured as much. Since your going that way, maybe you want to stop at Pokemon Tech. They're getting ready to have a tournament soon, sometime this week." AJ advised. It seemed like Ash got even more excited, if possible.
"Really? Alright!" He stood up quickly, throwing his arms into the air.
"Relax, you haven't won it yet." Misty said, rolling her eyes.
"Emphasis on 'yet'! You guys don't mind if we stop there, do you?" Ash asked as he sat back down. Misty and Brock both shook their heads.
"No, I'm in no rush. I still don't know what the next step for me is yet, except maybe just catch a few more water Pokemon." Misty replied.
"It's your journey right now, Ash, I'm just walking through it." Brock added. "Could you point out where that would be on our map?" He produced a large map of Kanto from the side pocket of his backpack with a black marker.
AJ nodded and took it, unfolding it only as much as necessary to get a gist of the land. He marked a small area on the map with a circle, labeled it as 'PKMN TECH' and drew a very squiggly line back down closer to Cerulean City.
"Right about there. It's kinda off the main road, so you'll probably end up missing Saffron City if you go this way. It's designed to be a little secluded for space and privacy." AJ said, passing the map back to Brock.
Brock inspected it with Misty and Ash looking at it over the sides.
"Doesn't look too far out of the way. If we make the tournament, it looks like it'll only add another day or two onto the walk." Brock observed.
"Are you gonna compete in the tournament, AJ?" Misty asked. He gave a hearty laugh.
"I haven't decided yet, but with Ash in it, my decision might have just been made. How could I pass up a rematch so soon? Don't worry 'bout me, though. If I do leave, I'll have to close this place up a bit. It'll take some time, but I know my way better'n you so I should make it in time." AJ replied.
After everyone finished eating, they stuck around to watch AJ strap in all the Pokemon to their Macho Braces. It was a process, but they all waited patiently and gave no issues while AJ maneuvered the devices around their bodies. Then, they all took off to start sparring.
"Hey, before y'all get going, let me give you something." AJ ran over to a box in the corner and started to dig around inside. "I'd really like to give ya a Macho Brace of your own, but Pokemon Tech logs 'em all. But I have a bunch of spart parts from older or broken braces in here."
"You don't have to give me anything, really. I'm happy with the battle." Ash tried to wave him off, but AJ insisted.
"Nonsense! Think of it as an apology for being such a tool at first. Pokemon Tech don't care about the scraps, all I do is refurbish 'em a little and sell 'em back to the PokeMart's around. I've been trying to study 'em, too, and if I'm not mistaken –" AJ stood up and rushed back over to the group. "This one'll do you good."
He held out a small red band-like object, small enough to fit in the palm of his hand.
"This is a Power Bracer. It's part of a set that, when you know how to build 'em, make the Macho Braces. This one's necessary for raising attack. Just have a Pokemon wear this during battle and it's attack will get stronger, faster!" AJ told him.
"Wow, really?" Ash reached for it hesitantly. He was excited at the prospect, but still felt the gesture was unneeded. AJ pushed it into his hands, not taking 'no' for an answer. "Thanks a lot, AJ. I really appreciate this."
"Don't mention it! Just do me a favor and be ready to show me the results in the Pokemon Tech tournament, alright?" AJ made him promise.
"You bet!" Ash agreed eagerly.
AJ waved them off after that. With their next destination set, Ash, Misty and Brock headed out again down Route 5.
AJ had started to dismantle all his equipment after dark. The tent could wait until tomorrow morning, it was nice to have shelter. The rest was collapsable enough. He wasn't planning on transporting the whole thing with him, but it wasn't smart to leave so much equipment out in the open. The least he could do was store it in boxes, even though he had built a nice fence.
He dismissed the wild Pokemon after that. With the training equipment locked away, they had no reason to hang around anymore. He and Sandshrew watched as they nodded and ran off into the shrubs, grateful for their time training with him. He had surely made them way stronger than their wild cousins.
Maybe he'd even see them when he got back, he and Sandshrew had a ways to go still before evolving and he wasn't going to give up getting a streak of a hundred that easy!
Rattata scampered under the bush, excited to run off and hunker down for the night. It passed under a vine, noting the glare of the moon before a chill ran down its spine. There was a not-so-gentle breeze now that brought ice to the tips of the plants around it.
The cold had given pause to the others from the gym as well, all confused over the sudden drop in temperature. They all shivered at once. Then, just as they began to adjust and Rattata tried to take a step forward, green clouds rolled in and obscured its vision. It no longer saw the moon and trees and fellow Pokemon. It couldn't even see the ground through the gas being poured into its vision.
It heard footsteps coming from somewhere and froze. Dash? No. Maybe it was another Rattata- or AJ- or Sandshrew. It coughed once and stood up on its hind legs, trying to sniff out a solution.
The last thing it saw was a Pokeball being flung in its direction, and everything turned red.
Finally, we are back! Summer is consistantly the hardest time for me to write, there's so much to do! I'm not even in school and I still mourn the summer months on Labor Day :(
I'd say this was a slower chapter, but we did get two battles so can I really say that? I'm pretty happy with this one, but I got stuck FOREVER on the Rocket battle, so sorry if we expected that to be a bit grander. Jessie's Jynx will have plenty of other moments to shine- it didn't feel right to make it seem like it was a huge advantage in a situation where there was literally a Gym Leader present. Technically speaking, there was hardly any threat there- the only win-con for JJM was to not do their motto and just blow a hole right away. But that's not their style, is it?
Changed up AJ a good bit, hope I left him memorable enough for you guys. I know we've been sticking pretty close to canon with minor changes so far, but after Ash gets the starters is when things will open up a bit more and it won't feel as much like we're going episode-by-episode of the anime. I've been trying to keep it unique still though, like tying AJ to Pokemon Tech, so they feel more like a connected storyline rather than two random filler events if that makes sense.
End scene of the chapter is from one of the Rattata's POV. It'll be expanded upon next chapter a bit, but the context is Jessie and James ambushing and catching all the Pokemon AJ had been working with as they left his camp. Jynx cut them off with Powder Snow, Koffing clouded the field with Smog and their Spearow's Keen Eye ability helped them aim their shots through the smoke. They caught them by surprise and are going to turn over the high-EV'd wild Pokemon to Giovanni and, once again, piggyback off of someone elses work. Hooray for working smarter, not harder!
Ash's Team: Pikachu, Butterfree, Pidgeotto
Pikachu: Electric - Male - Static - Rash | ThunderShock, Tail Whip, Growl, Nuzzle, Charm, Thunder Wave, Brick Break, Quick Attack
Butterfree: Bug/Flying - Male - Compound Eyes - Hardy | Tackle, String Shot, Harden, Gust, Supersonic, Confusion, Stun Spore, Poison Powder, Sleep Powder, Psybeam
Pidgeotto: Normal/Flying - Female - Keen Eye - Hasty | Tackle, Sand Attack, Gust, Quick Attack, Wing Attack
Misty's Team: Staryu, Goldeen, Tentacool
Staryu: Water - N/A - Natural Cure - Modest | Tackle, Rapid Spin, Harden, Water Gun, Confuse Ray, Swift
Goldeen: Water - Female - Swift Swim - Careful | Peck, Tail Whip, Supersonic
Tentacool: Water/Poison - Male - Liquid Ooze - Hardy | Water Gun, Poison Sting, Acid, Supersonic, Wrap
Brock's Team: Onix, Geodude, Zubat
Onix: Rock/Ground - Male - Rock Head - Calm | Tackle, Bind, Screech, Harden, Rock Throw
Geodude: Rock/Ground - Male - Sturdy - Relaxed | Tackle, Defense Curl, Rock Throw
Zubat: Poison/Flying - Male - Inner Focus - Hasty | Absorb, Supersonic, Astonish
Jessie's Team: Ekans, Spearow, Jynx
Ekans: Poison - Male - Shed Skin - Serious | Poison Sting, Bite, Wrap, Leer
Spearow: Normal/Flying - Male - Keen Eye - Hasty | Peck, Growl, Leer
Jynx: Ice/Psychic - Female - Oblivious - Modest | Powder Snow, Pound, Sweet Kiss, Lick, Confusion
James' Team: Koffing, Spearow, Weedle
Koffing: Poison - Male - Levitate - Bashful | Poison Gas, Tackle, Smog, Smokescreen
Spearow: Normal/Flying - Female - Keen Eye - Lax | Peck, Growl Leer
Weedle: Bug/Poison - Female - Swarm - Jolly | Poison Sting, String Shot
Meowth: Normal - Male - Pickup - Sassy | Fury Swipes, Scratch, Growl, Fake Out