Author's Notes (3)
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Hi, all. Sorry for the sudden lack of uploads! I'm now resuming classes at school right after vacation since explains why I've updated quite frequently in the past 2 or 3 months. But now that I'm back to school, things will be slowing down a lot. I know I've said I don't have a set schedule, but that doesn't excuse the huge delay. Sorry for that.
But now that this chapter's done, let's make some things clear:
Although I may be infrequent with the updates, rest assured I will never abandon this story since all of these ideas have been circling my mind for years now. And Fated is just an outlet for those ideas to thrive and I'm happy you guys love them so much.
As for Cynthia's sister, I've decided to go with Verity so keep your eyes peeled for any small changes in the previous chapters since I'll be retconning her into the story.
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Team Rocket:
Not of worry, they'll still be around since we still need villains for Johto and the occasional movies.
Orange Islands:
I want to include this as this was a major stepping point for Ash in the anime. That's why, Orange Islands arc is probably taking place after Mewtwo Strikes Back or after Johto. The former would be out of place but it'll match up since it takes place after Kanto, but the latter would be better paced after some rearranging.
Anime Exclusive Characters:
The Kalos exclusives are DEFINITELY going to be in the Fated story (but not Nini since she adds nothing to the story) while some from other regions might not make the cut (either I forgor or they just didn't have a place in the story)
Ultra Beasts:
Yeah, I didn't explain much on that, my bad. Unlike what the wiki says, I refuse to believe they're Legendaries. UBs are just invasive species from alternate dimensions. Guzzlord could be the Pidgey of its dimension (imagine that) for all we know. But yeah, that's all for UBs. Some characters from the cast might catch one but for now, there's no plans for the Fated!Alola storyline currently.
Hoenn Remakes:
The original RSE will take place after Johto but will not be introducing the ORAS features such as Megas or Zinnia, though the latter will probably make some cameos here and there. The ORAS revisit is mainly just the Fated version of the Delta Episode with the new versions of Maxie and Archie and their goons just like the manga version.
Serena's team:
Her actual ace is in Fated's version of her team. Interpret this how you will on who it is. (cough, cough MEGA cough, cough)
Tao Trio:
Man... Where do I begin with this? Apparently, Kyurem's NOT even part of the Original Dragon (wtf)! Kyurem's actually an alien. What people mistakenly remembers is that Drayden's the one who tells you that Kyurem is the remainder of the Original Dragon. His speculation but not the truth probably. Well, at least there's some way to make an original story about those three now that there's an alien route I can use.
Timeline:
Keep in mind that some of the regions MAY OR MAY NOT be following the chronological order. (For example, after Sinnoh, Ash might go to idk, Paldea or something). Not saying that he's going to, but just a head's up if I changed the ordering just like the Orange Islands that I'm considering.
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And that's it for the third Author's Notes. Thanks for reading!
Chapter 47: The Semi-Finals Begin!
I watched as Espeon and Arcanine perform their blindingly fast attacks on each other. Their [Quick Attacks] and [ExtremeSpeed] were so similar yet so different.
Espeon's [Quick Attacks] were that of an evasive dancer, her elegant movements avoided every strike that her opponent made as if she was like serene water flowing with grace.
Arcanine's [ExtremeSpeed] was a combat-oriented technique as every strike he did was performed with only victory in mind. An exceedingly intimidating berserker with the speed of a fighter jet and the strength of a bulldozer.
And yet, despite [ExtremeSpeed] being the faster move by a considerable margin, Arcanine couldn't get a clean hit onto Espeon. It was as if she could see the future.
Then, it happened. I felt my eyes involuntarily heated as I noticed Espeon's unsteady gait and glazed eyes. I knew right then and there that she had fainted. Nevertheless, the satisfied expression she wore tugged my own lips as I understood her desire had been fulfilled.
Her desire to battle Raticate once more. And [ExtremeSpeed] delivered.
But that small elation quickly faded as I noticed Green still having that desperate look.
…Crap! He doesn't know!
There was no time to ponder nor wait. There was only time to act. And my body moved on its own accord as if responding to my will.
"Pikachu, [Iron Tail] on the glass windows!" I called out with urgency in my voice.
My partner nodded in response as he turned his zig-zagged tail into a sharpened steel weapon and slammed it onto the glass, shattering in with deafening cracks.
"Ash, what're you do—" I heard Daisy's query, but I didn't catch that last part as something within me was once again manifesting to my will.
Time slowed down once more. Although at this point, I'm starting to think it was just my brain accelerating my thoughts due to adrenaline.
Ever since I'd come to the Indigo Grand League, this power had been introducing itself to me at every chance it could get. As if it wanted me to use it.
Damn, this makes it like the third time I've used this thing today! This is gonna hurt like hell!
I knew the phantom blades were going to try and stop me soon, but I didn't care about that.
The last thing I need now is pain and so, I transformed my heart into steel. The same coping mechanism I've installed into myself when I found out the cause of my mother's death:
Me.
For better or for worse, by doing this, the pain would dull to the point where it felt like truckloads of painkillers were injected into my veins.
Power surged within my body, or more specifically, the unknown veins. I focused all of it into my legs as I prepared to jump.
My entire body felt hot, hotter than when I gave Marowak the strength to use [Nine Strikes]. It's probably due to me.
Every time before this, I would transfer my own energy… No, that's not right. This power was the one being transferred to my Pokémon. I already know it's a part of me, that's why I incorrectly thought that it was my stamina at first.
My accelerated thoughts stiffened for a moment as the heat built up even more within my legs. No matter how much pain I could endure, there's always a limit. And boy did I feel that limit coming soon.
I don't care if I had to sacrifice my legs for this. Saving others was already something deeply ingrained into me ever since knowing that my mother gave her life to bring me into this world. And I'll repay that by living that same way.
If it was Yellow below, helpless against the fiery claws of death…
"AURA…!"
I'd save her, no matter what.
"ON!"
Even at the cost of myself.
The ground beneath me burst into a shallow crater as I thrusted myself forward. Seeing as there's still some distance before I could reach my intended destination, my feet found the ground once again. And I exploded the power within my legs into the floor one more time.
Fuuuuuuu…!
Swords pierced into my actual nerves as they demanded I stop my self-destructive actions. I knew my mind was playing tricks on me, but I couldn't help but feel my trousers getting wet with some sort of liquid. Pretty sure I haven't wet my pants since I was 3.
Which meant only one thing. My senses were sharpened to a higher degree so I could smell what had wetted my trousers.
I soon came to wish that it was urine instead.
What my nose picked up was the familiar scent of iron. That was all the information I need.
The second burst propelled me even further and faster as Pikachu hung on for dear life. I felt very bad subjecting my partner to such a scary experience that even I didn't know what would happen later. But Pikachu had stuck with me through thick and thin, and he wasn't about to throw in the towel as I noticed the electric mouse beginning to spark up as we neared the towering flames.
My surroundings were returning to normal as the towering flames were reverting to their usual speed towards Blue. Panic brewed within me.
Within that window of seconds before Blue was engulfed into ashes, I linked my partner through our bond.
Link established.
Pikachu, save her!
'Pika-Pikachu!'
Although I knew Pikachu had already made his way towards Blue using [Volt Tackle] by riding the lightning he created, a trick we discovered when we battled Reggie and Nidoking, my desperation compelled me to voiced out my directions to my partner.
"[THUNDERBOLT!]"
A shower of crackling lightning came clashing with the wild flames from behind Blue. The immense force of [Thunderbolt] added with the power that I gave Pikachu was probably overkill for the raging flames Arcanine created. But there was no such thing as overkill when it came to saving someone, something I learnt from my late mother.
As expected of my partner.
My thoughts came to a halt as my feet made an explosive greeting to the scorched meadow. I've watched Pokémon Rangers-in-training, otherwise known as Student Rangers, learning to perform parkour during their training exercises from some documentaries that Blue, Green and I once watched when we went to Blue's house.
I've always wondered why the Rangers roll after dropping to the ground instead of just continuing their run after jumping down.
And now, I realized why the hard way.
My legs buckled as the impact from my descent travelled all the way from my feet to my brain. The rather amazingly painful experience had me reminding myself to learn parkour in the future.
AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!
My mental cries did my body's job of screaming out the pain. But I trudged forward anyways with a limping gait. Finally, I made it to Espeon and cradled her in my arms.
"You did good, Espeon…" I whispered softly, not knowing if she could hear me.
"Leave the rest to me and Pikachu."
After my brief exchange with a now sleeping Espeon, I felt a nudge from my back. It was sudden but thankfully, the injuries I took from Lorelei's [Ice Shard] prevented me from jumping in surprise.
I turned my gaze to Arcanine, who seemed ashamed to have almost injured Espeon who had already fainted and almost incinerated Blue by accident. Sighing to myself, I reached out my gloved palm and petted him gently.
Like Pokémon, like Trainer.
Right now, my legs are killing me. Thinking back, I maaaay have heard a pop.
…Oh crap.
Arcanine returned the gesture with a little nuzzle before offering me a ride to the top. Probably because he noticed my legs wobbling.
Yep, I'm convinced now. If I'd also used the new chant, my legs would've exploded from within.
Nodding to my rival's ace, I climbed aboard and was carried to Blue and Green's side.
The sight that greeted me had me shocked. Green hugging Blue was a definite surprise, but somewhere within my mind, there was voice shouting: 'About time!'. But that little happiness was smothered as Green turned to me with a hateful glare.
"Man, can this guy's face get any uglier?"
…Ah. I accidentally spoke out my thoughts.
It was probably due to my exhaustion and wracking pain in my legs since I usually chose not to say all the remarks in my head aloud. Using that power must had really taken a toll on me if my filter got turned off like that.
But Green never responded to that slight as his attention was focused only on me. His glare was really making me feel uncomfortable.
"Dude, I'm flattered by your flirting but… Ah."
Again! I'm too spent to care about holding my tongue.
…Haaaah, screw it.
"Shouldn't your attention be on Bluey now?"
"Someone needs to bring her to the medical bay. But unfortunately, I can't move right now."
And I shrugged with a mocking tone with woe in my voice.
"Ah… wouldn't someone please carry poor Bluey there?"
"I get it already," Green finally said with resignation as he held Blue into a princess carry towards the exit, with Arcanine and me in tow behind him.
Hook, line and sinker, jerk.
To my relief, that last thought did not see the light of day from my mouth. In fact, I'm already too tired to talk since my eyelids were getting heavier.
Pikachu kept shaking my body in worry atop of Arcanine's back. Not wanting to worry my partner anymore, which I seem to have a talent for, I patted his soft head tenderly.
"Don't worry, Pikachu. I'm just gonna get some shut eye for a while, OK?"
"…Pika," he nodded.
Welp… Here I go passing out for the third time today.
Lemme dream of Yellow this time, brain. I'm begging… you…
Pokémon Academy, Kalos Region.
The maniacal flames danced maliciously towards the frozen chestnut-haired girl, eliciting screams of fright and gasps of horror.
{ BLUE! }
The once cocky and arrogant Gary was gone and replaced with a terrified boy, helplessly reaching out to the girl beyond his grasp.
The students could only shut their eyes, afraid to witness the inevitable burning of the Trainer.
And then…
{ [THUNDERBOLT]! }
{ PIIIIIIIIKAAAAA-CHIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII! }
A surge of golden light fended off the uncontrollable flames, crackling with might as an electric mouse summoned every drop of electricity stored within his rosy cheeks. With a whimper of defeat, the flames died out without having singed Blue and left her unharmed.
"Red!" Serena exclaimed in relief as her sweetheart swooped down from the stands to save the chestnut-haired girl.
The camera had caught the raven-haired boy's outrageous rush from the lounge to the battlefield, all within seconds with that inhuman speed. But right now, everyone watching was only focused on Blue's safety which Ash managed to achieve, regardless of his methods.
Froakie watched speechlessly as Ash came to the rescue. An admiration of the boy quickly grew within the blue frog as his selfless actions was what he looked for in a Trainer.
While the Kalos starter was busy watching the aftermath of Ash's stunt, the honey blonde whose lap he sat on was worried for the raven-haired boy.
Serena could not believe her eyes when the replay showed the boy's willingness to destroy the competitor's lounge's glass with no hesitation. Furthermore, the robust strength he displayed as he rocketed towards Blue and Espeon was the biggest question mark she ever drew up.
Despite all the mystery surrounding the boy, the honey blonde's main worry was Ash's safety. Heroic his actions may had been, but her instincts were screaming that the unknown power he used had a cost, seeing as how Ash had to be carried by Arcanine in the end.
'I swear, he's gonna be the death of me,' she inwardly sighed as she watched Ash's grin as he slept on the red canine's back.
"Wait a minute… I just realized something," Calem said aloud for his friends and the adults namely Grace, Sycamore and his aide, Sophie.
"Hm, what's wrong Cal?" Shauna asked, still in disbelief of Ash's outrageous rescue.
"All of Serena's sweetheart aside, do you guys understand what this means for the Semi-finals?"
Everyone had not realized it yet, and so shook their heads.
"The Indigo Grand League's a prestigious tournament held every decade. But just because it's prestigious doesn't mean anyone could just enter. In fact, Champions and Elite Fours of different regions are banned for fair play."
The black-haired boy drank a bottle of water before continuing.
"It may not rank the Trainers' strength on a global scale like the Masters Tournament, but in terms of Kanto alone, the top 4 are recognized as the strongest Trainers of that region."
"Doesn't that mean…" Serena blinked in understanding of what Calem was getting at.
"Yep! Green and your sweetheart are Kanto's strongest with two others now!" he exclaimed in excitement.
His loud remarks echoed across the hall, creating a ruckus among the students as the raven-haired boy the Ice Queen was rooting for was now one of Kanto's best. And at the age of 11, no less.
"That's amazing!" Shauna gasped while covering her mouth in surprise.
While Calem's realization was worthy of celebration, Serena did not share their excitement but instead, in shambles upon hearing that.
'Red's amazing…' she frowned, disappointed in herself.
'Within a year since his journey began, Red's already accomplished this much already…'
'…But what about me?'
'When we reunite, will he be disappointed in me? I haven't achieved much in this past year…'
The honey blonde was beginning to be disheartened as she did not feel worthy to be with the raven-haired boy due to the sudden expanded distance between the two.
While drowning in her decrepit thoughts, she was enveloped into a hug by her mother, Grace. The woman was unnaturally sharp of her daughter's feelings, mostly due to not wanting to neglect her after separating the girl from her first friend and love.
"You're worried that he'll think less of you as you are now?" she asked in a comforting tone.
Within the mother's embrace, she felt a nod in her chest as the honey blonde burrowed into Grace's hug.
"Well… Have you ever thought about how Ash had managed this far?" the woman asked again.
This time, Grace felt her daughter's head shaking horizontally, signalling a 'no'.
"Haaah… Foolish girl. It's all thanks to you, Serena."
Those words caused the honey blonde to face her mother with a curious stare.
"If you had never sent that recording to him, no doubt Ash would've lost to that Elite Four woman. But because you did, you gave him the strength to go even further and made him defeat Lorelei."
"Believe me. If a boy is willing to go that far just for you, he's a keeper."
"You're THAT important to him, Serena. Does he mean that little to you?"
"Absolutely not," the honey blonde immediately rebuked.
Hearing the unshakeable resolve within her daughter's voice caused the woman to smile gently.
"Good. Just as you're his motivation, use Ash as yours. You don't have to rush finding something you're passionate about, just do your best in everything you could do. And while you're at it…?" the mother grinned.
"Go for broke, right?" Serena beamed at Grace's encouragement.
"That's my girl."
Cameran Palace, Kanto Region.
Queen Ilene had grown tired of the rusted sword on her lap. The runes adorned on its short fuller pulsing even more whenever Ash was present. This time, Ash's inhumane feat had the sword radiating brighter.
"Again?" Riley asked as he packed his belongings and got ready to set out.
"Yes… Honestly, at this point, you might as well gift this to that child," the queen sighed as she presented the sword to Riley.
The man with the blue hat was visibly surprised at the nonchalant offer that the Queen was giving.
"My Queen! That's a sacred relic that belonged to—"
His pleas were swiftly cut off as Queen Ilene raised a hand, prompting the man to hold his tongue. She caressed the runic sword tenderly with her dainty fingers.
"This child has been through so many generations of royalty yet not once is those lifetimes has this child ever shine this brightly. All those centuries away from its homeland…"
"It would be proper for the sword to meet the boy, right?"
Riley shook his head in resignation as he took the rusted blade and placed it into a box for his travels.
"Yes. It would be akin to…" Queen Ilene smiled at a painting to her left.
It was a man with a similar appearance to Riley. The staff that he held was now resting on the throne alongside the queen.
"A fated reunion."
Blood red eyes cautiously open as they awakened to the body's recovery. With rejuvenated strength, he sat upright from the soft white bed that he laid with a sudden rise.
The raven-haired boy found himself in the medical bay with the three women plus Blue staring at him with a bewildered expression. Seeing that his red and black clothes were virtually untouched, he rolled up his trousers as the ever-present invisible steam began to rise from underneath. There were now new lacerations on his calves to join the old and faded scars, courtesy of Team Rocket.
'The hell? Is this Self-Mutilation Day?' he sarcastically thought to himself as he gazed at the old cuts as well as the newly bandaged ones.
A fuming Misty immediately grabbed the raven-haired boy's collar and pulled him to his feet wobbling in the air.
"WHAT IN THE WORLD WERE YOU THINKING, IDIOT?!" she shouted at the top of her lungs.
"Kyaa~! Pervert! There's a pervert here!" the boy replied with equal volume, while jokingly trying to cover his signature red and white vest before earning a fist to his head.
"Man… this is how you treat the injured?" Ash smirked teasingly.
Immediate after his ignorance to the outrageous stunt that he pulled, Ash got bombarded with ruthless squeaks by his yellow partner. The raven-haired boy could only chuckle in defeat as Pikachu angrily scolded his Trainer for being so reckless. Then, seeing the angry glares from the women around him, he dropped the carefree attitude with a clear of his throat.
"Anyways, how long has it been since then?" Ash asked while he got back up.
"About half an hour," Lorelei answered.
'Half an hour and no Yellow. Can't ask for one thing from my brain,' he deadpanned to himself, annoyed at the lack of Serena in his dreams.
'Well, at least there were no swords this time, so that's something.'
"Sorry, Red," a timid Blue apologized with a healthy Espeon on Ash's bed.
The purple feline's recovery went without a problem and was playing with Pikachu with a gleeful smile.
"We lost against Green…"
"Huh? No, you didn't," Ash flatly rebuked.
His instant reply got the chestnut-haired girl to break from her depressed state and to gaze at her childhood friend in confusion.
"You made Green use [ExtremeSpeed], right? Sure, you may have lost the battle, but you definitely won the war," the raven-haired boy flashed a toothy grin.
"You made that jerk eat his own words, Blue. That's already a heavy blow to that Power value that he has. So don't worry!"
Ash pointed a thumb to his heart, his cheery expression oozing confidence.
"I'll defeat Green with everything I've got! Besides, I'll be keeping that promise that I made for you."
Blue was infected with her friend's optimism and gave a smile to him. She could now place her hopes of Gary returning to the boy she loved onto Ash.
"I'll be holding you to that, Red! I still haven't punched him yet," she smiled with a dangerous aura behind her.
'…Ah, better pray for him just in case,' the raven-haired boy palmed both his hands together.
However, while the two childhood friends were bantering alongside their aces, the three women began discussing amongst themselves outside of earshot range about Ash's inhumane feats.
"Those eyes… I'm pretty sure they were glowing right?" Misty asked hesitantly.
"Yeah. But Ash doesn't seem to realize it, so I doubt we'll get any answers from him. The boy can't lie to save his life, after all," Lorelei commented as she helped Daisy with the emergency treatment before they carry the wounded to the Pokémon Centre.
"And what about the mess Ashy made?" the Oak sibling asked nervously.
"Ah… President Goodshow is taking care of that, so don't worry your head over it."
I made my way outside the stadium along with Arcanine, not bothering to observe the other battles for my upcoming strategies for the Semi-finals.
…
No, that's not right, either. Just thinking about it makes my head throb in agonizing pain. Right now, all I want to do is to clear my head from these annoying burdens.
Ambling aimlessly, I found a long bench facing a giant screen affixed to the outside walls of the League's stadium.
Two birds, one stone, I guess. And I took my seat.
I watched the replay of my match against Blue as there was now an hour intermission. After seeing how Blue fought alongside her Pokémon and allowing their every whim, the rageful fury within me bubbled to the surface again.
Haaah…
Nope. I'm not doing this.
I did some breathing exercises to calm myself. It was taught to me by Blue whenever she saw me stressing over something when we were 6 or 7.
Thinking about her made me pause as I recalled my stupidity near the end of the battle.
I really hate myself.
In my ironic desperation to save Espeon, I almost lost both her and Blue. All because I didn't listen to my Pokémon.
Because of that, I completely missed what Espeon wanted.
Because of that, I almost repeated the same mistakes again. And this time, the cause would've been due to the value I made for myself.
My way is right. That's an immutable truth right now.
The fact that I've managed to beat Karen and Blue is proof of that. I cleared the Prelims with only Arcanine, never once showing my other Pokémon.
And yet, I still feel hollow. As if my heart had been swallowed by a void that I can't seem to fill.
My way is right. That's an immutable truth.
But instead of vindication, I only have regrets.
My stalwart belief of Power was slowly beginning to crumble.
But I can't turn back now. I needed to win for Raticate so that his death won't go to waste.
My way is right. That's an immutable… truth…
His passing turned me into a stronger Trainer. All because of the value of Power I nurtured for myself. To turn back on that was terrifying to me.
After all,… I can't hear my Pokémon's voices anymore.
This was all I have left. And that's how I'll climb to the top.
A large shadow came into view.
I glanced up from my drooped view for my eyes to greet them.
Arcanine had been patched up nicely. The handiwork seemed to be Daisy's doing.
My older sister was training to be a Pokémon Doctor. Hence, her knowledge of treating wounds was something she taught me in case of emergencies.
Back when I was younger, I thought that there would be no way that her lessons would come in handy until I went on a journey. Imagine my surprise when I got tons of training and experience in that area because of Red.
"…Damnit."
Ever since that day, I've never once bothered to talk to my Pokémon and preferred to draw a line between us. The only times I did were to discuss my strategies and tactics. Nothing more, nothing less.
It was something like a professional business.
Wordlessly, we watched the screen as President Goodshow dealt with the aftermath Red caused. Gotta admit, the old man's PR skills are top notch.
…Red.
Raven black hair. Lightning-shaped birthmarks. And blood red eyes.
My foster brother, Ash Ketchum.
I will never understand that blockhead, no matter how hard I try.
The Bonds he has with his Pokémon, that strange power that he showed during his battle against an Elite Four. And his incapability to stop nosing into other people's business.
He went against a whole evil organization just for one Pokémon's sake. Though I'm not one to talk since I stormed into Silph Co like him. But the difference between me and Red were how we did things despite wanting the same results.
I went there as training for my Pokémon and revenge for Raticate. I was outnumbered but I had already planned it beforehand for the absolute best outcome. But Red… he just went in there guns blazing without any regards for his own life.
He pisses me to no end. And the feelings mutual.
That look in his eyes just then… We both know.
There's no need for words anymore. The both of us won't change.
And there's only one way to settle this.
I'll prove my way is right.
By defeating the Trainer who embodies Bonds himself.
"Let's go, Arcanine. We've got an idiot to beat."
The remaining matches dragged on with only Bruno vs Agatha taking a significantly longer time than Grant vs Lance's 10 minutes with a total of 40 minutes since it was a match between two of Kanto's finest.
In the end, Agatha managed to edge out the win with great difficulty. The burly man accepted his defeat with grace and only lamented the chance to battle Lance. The carmine-haired man chuckled and promised to honour that match on a later time.
Then, the Semi-finals' matching was displayed for the world to see.
Red vs Green
Lance vs Agatha
Both Lance and Agatha wanted to win to battle against Ash and Gary respectively. Lance wanted to test Ash's caliber after witnessing the amazing power that the raven-haired boy unknowingly showed during his battle against his colleague. Meanwhile, Agatha had been extremely angered by her former rival's grandson that she wanted to teach him a lesson in humility.
All four competitors were now lined up similar to the opening ceremony of the Grand League. The only difference being the original 16 had been cut down to 4.
"Welcome, ladies and gentlemen! Finally, we've reached the Semi-finals of the Indigo Grand League!" the announcer presented with excitement in his voice.
'Oh, so that's how he looks like,' all four of the Trainers thought in unison as they had never seen the announcer commentating their matches in person until now.
"Before we introduce your Semi-finalists, let us give a round of applause to the other Trainers that came up short as they've truly given us spectacles after spectacles!"
The 12 defeated that were lined up behind the 4 were put under the spotlight, creating roars of applause and cheering from the audience. No one was a loser in the Grand League.
"Amazing Trainers we have here for the Festival of Champions. What's even more amazing are the two children who have managed to climb to the top alongside our Elite Fours!"
"Give it up for both Red and Green of Pallet Town!"
At the mention of both youngsters, the whole stadium rumbled with excitement even further.
The raven-haired boy pumped up his gloved fist like he did during his introduction in the opening ceremony. However, this time, coiled around that fist was the chain that held his treasured silver locket. It had been opened to reveal the name 'Serena' for the attentive camera to zoom in and broadcast.
Elsewhere, a blushing honey blonde beamed at the affectionate gesture and led the explosive cheers that followed in the hall. Right then and there, Serena was determined to become someone who could stand alongside the boy who saved her.
Blue eyes sparkled with love at the sharp blood red eyes that hosted passionate flames within them. The girl then squealed in sweet delight when Ash swung the locket back into his palm and proceeded to kiss it for good luck.
'What a charmer,' the group of friends minus an oblivious Tierno mused happily for their friend.
Back at Indigo Plateau, the announcer gestured for the audience to quieten down to say his next piece.
"Now, after deliberation with the Elite Four as well as President Charles Goodshow, we have decided to push the Elite Fours' match to begin the next day. This is due to the duration since a match between two of Kanto's strongest would be too long for a closing match, wouldn't it?"
Chuckles murmured around the battlefield at that small joke. But things suddenly turned serious as the announcer continued.
"Furthermore, due to the reckless actions of Green of Pallet Town's, it was suggested in the discussions that he should be disqualified from the Grand League due to his endangerment of his last opponent, Blue of Pallet Town."
'Figures…' Gary shrugged, turning to leave already.
Murmurs of agreement emerged from the crowd while some protested as they wanted to watch Gary in action again.
Petalburg City, Hoenn Region.
"Well, that settles it! That Red guy just got a free pass to the Finals!" Max exclaimed with awe.
"Doesn't that mean he'll be the youngest Finalist in the Indigo Grand League's history?" May asked, still unaware of the Grand League's history.
Twinleaf Town, Sinnoh Region.
"What that Green boy did was very dangerous, but isn't that going a bit too far?" Dawn's mother asked.
"In any case, there's no need to worry for that Red guy now since he can just go to the Finals the day after," Dawn commented.
Veilstone City, Sinnoh Region.
"Hmm… Logically, I would agree to that decision," the purple-haired boy said to himself with a Pokémon by his side.
The Pokémon was a yellow creature with black stripes and two horns resembling the prongs of a plug, Elekid.
'But I doubt that guy will just accept that,' he pondered, already having a grasp of Ash's character despite never meeting him.
Celestic Town, Sinnoh Region.
"Oh, easy win for the kid. Lucky!" the younger girl remarked while eating ice cream.
"I don't think it'll go the way you expected, Verity," Cynthia smirked at the pondering Ash.
'That boy…' she mused with hidden interest.
Village of Dragons, Unova Region.
"Looks like an easy choice," Iris commented to her friend.
"Yeah, I didn't like how Green almost hurt that Blue girl," Shannon nodded.
Lumiose City, Kalos Region.
The two children nodded towards the decision to remove Gary from the tournament as the elder brother could not condone such acts as a budding Gym Leader.
Their father, on the other hand, was watching Ash expectantly. As if he had high hopes for the raven-haired boy.
Shalour City, Kalos Region.
"No way! A battle's gotta happen! That's what Trainers do!" Korrina threw a tantrum.
"Well, from what I've seen from this Red child, I don't think he'll just accept this," the grandfather grinned.
Pokémon School, Alola Region.
"Professor Kukui? Does that mean there'll only be one match tomorrow?" a green haired girl raised her hand as her classmates and her watched the announcement being made.
"Well, I'm not sure about that, Mallow," the muscular man answered.
'Something inside me already knows what that Red's gonna say,' Kukui mused, confused at his gut feeling of knowing how Ash thought.
'Strange.'
Postwick Town, Galar Region.
"Woah! A free pass to the Finals, Leon!" Hop shouted with exhilaration.
Leon said nothing, only awaiting the raven-haired boy's decision with a curious glint in his eyes.
'Now… Are you just going to let that happen?'
Pokémon Academy, Kalos Region.
"Well, damn. Looks like Ash's going to the Finals," Calem whistled.
Murmurs of agreement filled the hall as they were of the same mind as the President of the League Competition Committee.
But the honey blonde suddenly giggled to the students' surprise.
"As if Red'll let that happen," she confidently stated.
"OBJECTION!"
A loud protest cried out from one of the remaining competitors. Some of the Trainers present did not even need to turn to that voice to know who it was, instead giving a silent chuckle.
Ash had raised his arm in protest with a defiant look in his eyes.
"I'm the one who's gotta battle him in the next match, right? Shouldn't I have a say in this?" he clarified.
The headstrong boy realized that he was grasping at straws, not knowing whether his request was in line with the Grand League's ruling.
"Hmm…" the old man hummed in contemplation as he scrutinized the raven-haired boy.
Especially the fiery red eyes that Ash possessed.
'…Good eyes. Boy's got potential,' the President smiled as he gazed upon the fiery red eyes that carried fierce determination.
"Then, Red of Pallet Town, what do you propose as Green's next opponent. You have the right, after all."
Hearing the approval from President Goodshow, the raven-haired boy lit up.
"We're battling tomorrow. No strikes or penalties," he grinned.
With a nod from the old man, the decision was done, and the Quarterfinals came to an end.
Dinnertime…
At the night banquet reserved for the Grand League's competitors…
"Daisy, you and Bill and stay at my room tonight," Ash offered while stuffing his face with food in a hurry.
"Eh?! You don't have to do that, Ash!" Bill refused with a blush.
"Don't worry about me. I'm gonna camp tonight since I've promised Snorlax to cook a lot of special food for him."
Without giving the man time to refuse for a second time, the raven-haired boy dashed out of the banquet with Pikachu in tow who was holding a ketchup bottle as his personal treasure.
The competitors could hear the fading groans of the boy as he sped out with haste.
"I swear if you put ketchup on my food again, Pikachu!"
"Pika-pika!"
The raven-haired boy's comical departure earned some giggles from the Trainers as they went on their business, chalking it up as one of Ash's amusing quirks.
"That kid still runs off at his own pace…" Bill grumbled.
"Anyways, Daisy, you can take the bed. I'll be cam—"
"Nope. You're~ with~ me~, Bill~" the older Oak sibling insisted in a sing-song tone.
Blue smirked as the two marched back to Ash's unused room.
'That reminds me, Red doesn't really like sleeping in rooms…' the chestnut-haired girl pondered as she recalled the raven-haired boy's room within Pallet Town's Laboratory being mostly empty and spotless.
If it was not for a few of Ash's scarce belongings, anyone would have mistaken the room for being vacant.
Then, her thoughts were interrupted by a presence behind her. Spinning around, she found a guilty Gary not wanting to meet her eyes standing before her.
"Green…" Blue gasped, not expecting the orange-haired boy to initiate a conversation after their mishap earlier in the day.
"I'm sorry…" he meekly apologized.
"There's nothing for you to apologize," she shook her head.
"But… If you wanna make it up to me…"
"Give Red everything you've got. Don't hold back."
Gary eyed the chestnut-haired girl incredulously before scoffing.
"Don't worry about that. I'll be using everything I've got to destroy Red."
'Blue's one thing but I just can't stand Red after all,' he mused with fury on his mind.
'That guy… He just lost his chance to get to the Finals. All just to have one battle against me.'
'That's perfect then…'
The orange-haired boy had been waiting for this since he lost Raticate. It was irrational yet to him, it was personal.
Raticate's desire to help the captured Pokémon was what led to his untimely demise. In a way, Gary blamed Ash for it even though he knew it to be false and that he was just grasping at straws.
But the anger clouded his judgement, and the darkness took the helm once more. The boy no longer had any qualms against the chestnut-haired girl. Instead, everything encompassing the wrathful blackness within him focused its malice on the raven-haired boy.
'Just you wait, Red. I'll destroy you and prove once and for all that I'm the real victor!'
Professor Sycamore's Lab, Kalos Region.
"Eh? Are you OK with this, Headmaster?!" Calem exclaimed with excitement.
"Yeah, I'm fine with it. Tomorrow's going to be the greatest match we'll probably see so I have no problem having you all crash here," Sycamore chuckled.
"Besides, it's gotten lonely here for the past few days."
The Professor had offered Serena and her friends to accommodate his lab since it was closer to the Academy compared to Vaniville Town.
"Why us, though?" Shauna asked with a puzzled expression.
"Think of it as a token of gratitude for Serena since she gave us one of the most fascinating Trainers for us to watch."
Serena's friend group had fallen asleep in their sleepover at the Professor's lab after returning from the Academy's hall. All except for the honey blonde herself.
The girl sat by her lonesome within the garden where the lab's Pokémon resided. The earthen ground and the fresh scent of leaves calmed her after Ash's adamant decision to battle Gary in the Semi-finals. The artificial forest was very welcomed by her.
The Pokémon that inhabited said forest had recognized the honey blonde and made no intentions to drive off the human girl that treaded into their home.
Wordlessly, Serena sat on the luscious grass while reorganizing her thoughts:
- The pulsing azure lines that appeared on the raven-haired boy's arm.
- His otherworldly dash to save Blue.
- And the ashen-haired man in red that grinded her gears.
Her thoughts were immediately tangled into a jumbled mess, so she set them aside first before refocusing on her objective.
'What do I wanna do? What's my goal?'
'Sure, my wish is to meet Red. But…'
'What's next after that?'
'I can't keep depending on Red. I've gotta be a charming woman on my own!'
The honey blonde made an enthusiastic fist pump to herself.
"Yep… Go for broke," she whispered quietly before returning to her soft bed for tomorrow.
Unbeknownst to the sleepy girl, something watched Serena from a distance. The yellow blur quickly escaped from the honey blonde's sight when her blue eyes landed to its direction.
'Hmm? Was that a tail?' she pondered as she got a fleeting glance at a fluffy pale-yellow tail with a dark orange tip.
Thinking her mind was playing tricks on her, Serena shrugged and continued walking back to her room.
"Fenn…" the Pokémon yipped silently as it peeked from the corner, watching the girl go away.
…
…
…
…
…
{ LADIES AND GENTLEMEN! WELCOME BACK TO THE SEMI-FINALS OF THE FESTIVAL OF CHAMPIONS! }
{ AFTER THAT AMAZING MATCH BETWEEN LANCE AND AGATHA, WE HAVE THE LONG-AWAITED MATCH BETWEEN THE TWO UP AND COMING TRAINERS OF PALLET TOWN! }
Placements:
Lance vs Agatha = Lance wins
Red vs Green = ?
{ WHICH ONE OF THESE TWO TRAINERS WILL HAVE THE HONOUR OF BATTLING AGAINST LANCE OF THE ELITE FOUR?! }
"This is it," Misty said.
"Yep," Blue nodded.
"Hopefully those two boys play nice, otherwise I might intervene," Daisy huffed as she recalled the messy fights the two rivals would get themselves into.
Bill could only chuckle nervously at the older Oak sibling with eyebags due to his inability to sleep last night. Next to him was the pink Butterfree who was waiting for her lover's Trainer.
All the competitors watched in anticipation as they waited for the appearance of the two Trainers.
"You did well, Lance. Shame I couldn't get to the Finals," Agatha congratulated.
"I'm really getting on with my years..."
"Don't say that, Miss Agatha. You almost wiped the floor against me. I barely managed to win," the carmine-haired man chuckled.
"In any case, I'll be betting my hopes on dear Ash for setting that detestable boy straight," Agatha stated.
"Oh? What a coincidence, so am I," Lorelei chimed in.
The spectators from other regions were trembling in excitement as the wait got longer. The match between the Pallet Town boys were skyrocketing views as more livestreams of the Grand League popped up. It was even higher than the match between Elite Fours.
{ NOW THEN! LET'S GIVE IT UP FOR OUR NEXT TRAINERS! }
{ GREEN OF PALLET TOWN! }
The orange-haired boy ambled his way to the battlefield with his hands in his pockets. His posture and relaxed pace exuded confidence and charisma that the crowd cheered louder for him.
{ AND NEXT…! }
'Here he comes…!' everyone thought simultaneously.
{ RED OF PALLET TOWN! }
The raven-haired boy strode forward with a grin plastered on his face as he made his way to the battlefield with hastened steps. Anyone could tell that the boy was thrilled even before the match had started.
The audience roared with deafening cheers as the two took their positions.
'There's no need for any more words.'
{ THIS IS THE LAST SEMI-FINALS MATCH OF THE DAY! }
'This match will determine which of us is right.'
{ WHOEVER WINS WILL GO ON TO THE FINALS! }
'I'm gonna win, Green!' /'I'll never lose to you, Red!'
{ ARE BOTH PARTIES READY?! }
"Yeah! / "Yes."
{ THIS WILL BE A 6V6 BETWEEN RED OF PALLET TOWN AND GREEN OF PALLET TOWN! }
Chapter 47: The Semi-Finals Begin!
{ BATTLE START! }
Ash: It's finally here!
Gary: Wow, you're that excited to get your ass handed to you, Red?
Ash: Whaddya say, jerk?!
Blue: Calm down, Red! And stop antagonizing him, Green!
Ash & Gary: Yes, ma'am...
Misty: Wow, she's got them both under her control...
Blue: Next chapter! Chapter 48: Fire Red & Leaf Green (1)!
Fated Lore Explanation: Currency
While the games have an official currency called Pokedollars, the anime does not. Since there's a stark difference, Fated will have its own money called PokeCoins. This will be the representation of Pokemon Go. Although named that way, the PokeCoins are not coins. They are actually paper bills that are slowly but surely becoming scarce due to the ever-growing digital age where the currency will become electronic in the near future.
*The Pokedex is able to act as an e-wallet.