Author's Notes
Hey, all! Sorry this one took a whole ass month to finish.
I don't really like giving excuses so I'll just say what happened as candidly as possible. (Being direct worked wonders for me)
Long story short, after 3 years(?) of writing, I finally had my first experience of the dreaded combo of writer's block and demotivation.
Of course, I was self aware enough this phase was temporary but man, did it sucked to even open my documents.
So, with an emergency break for meself... I didn't know what to do. So I found a little game called Pokerogue.
My initial thoughts were: "Damn, this should be enough for be to enjoy the 2 weeks of rest."
...
That 2 weeks turned into nearly a month. I was addicted.
After that, I made this chapter asap. Realized I could have skipped some Gyms... until I saw who was next.
Morty CANNOT be skipped due to Ecruteak being lore galore.
Chuck CANNOT be skipped due to what I have plans for.
Then, Jasmine! I've already set up a potential battle from the first Johto chapter so I CANNOT skip it.
Pryce is self explanatory.
And Clair is the last Gym, so it's impossible to skip.
TLDR, I lost my chance to skip Gym Leaders (Bugsy and Whitney could've been skipped)
Listen guys. I may be able to roadmap the endgame of my fic, but I sure as hell suck ass at the short term events.
In the end, I had to settle for a 'filler' chapter in this.
I'm really sorry it took so long just for a short chapter!
Reviews!
Alright, I'm recovered since last chapter so I'll post the reviews for chapter 78 in the movie chapter so it'll be chapter appropriate.
Now, let's get into the reviews!
perseusdiangelo007:
Happy to see you back! This was as awesome as it was confusing at times, but all the new lore is very interesting and I'm excited to see how it's expanded on later chapters. Right now I can't really give a detailed review like I've done before, but I at least wanted to leave a comment. Hopefully next time I will.
Thanks for review, Perseus!
If you're confused then that's great for me! One thing I noticed is that as a writer, having literally everything spoiled really makes me second guess whether I'm too on-the-nose with things and accidentally revealing things too early. So your confusion is my happiness, mwahahaha!
As for expanding on later chapters, it's gonna pay off, don't worry.
What I'm excited for is finally revealing Zacian's identity, obvious as she may be.
Take your time with a detailed review, it's fine. I'm just glad someone's enjoying this.
Wissper0:
Ash is alot like Zoro
Man, he wishes he was Zoro.
Rales Mckoy:
Well this has gotta be one of my favorite chapters and second favorite fight. This was pretty great. I'm looking forward to seeing just how Deep Ash's connections to things are.
Thanks for the encouraging review, Rales.
Just wondering if this is your second fav, what is your top fav fight in Fated?
Ash's lore connections are gonna go insane in the future. Right now, he's just networking his human ones lol.
Tainan republic:
The charges against you have been dropped as the court has seen sufficient evidence and reason that You've cooked and that your reasons are valid for your defense on basis of software and hardware issues. You are acquitted of charges of procrastination and story abandonment and the judge has pardoned you from death via pikachu chair. Along with dodging death by strangulation by a angry Serena.
For real tho, you compensated with a funny ass skit as well as balls to the wall action and lore along with comedy mixed in this chapter. Can't wait for the next chapter and holy hell, the rabbit hole gonna get deeper and I'm here for this and more headaches to come
Thanks again, Tainan, for the kind words.
But with this chapter coming out so late, I ain't escaping the allegations.
With that, let's start!
Chapter 80: The Show
2 weeks later…
Tock! Tock! Tock!
The archery club had their eyes glued to a certain person of interest as her arrows sang the fields, hitting the bullseye while their master hummed to herself, clearly unable to hide the smile on her face.
The members grew curious as to their club ace's jovial mood, but soon diverted their attention towards the black bow she wielded.
Tock! Tock!
Custom bows were uncommon in Kalos since the practice of archery was already a rare sport in the current age.
Tock!
What fascinated them was the bow's elegance.
It had both power and precision, yet sacrificed none of the admittedly masterful design.
Tock!
Serena let out of a sigh as she caressed her new bow's handle, smiling with reddened cheeks at Caliburn's insignia.
…
"A bow? That's what he got you?" Calem marvelled at the equipment.
The group circled around the black bow on Serena's desk, who wore a proud look as she explained.
"Got me? Red made it for me," she clarified smugly.
The mixture of steel parts and Apricorn wood frame were a splendid blend of materials, making the students wonder how Ash even forge it since it was his first project.
All in all, a first rate creation from the 11-year-old budding blacksmith.
"Red never made us anything, hmph!" Blue huffed playfully.
"Well, he was rushing to Greenfield…" Gary shrugged.
"And it isn't even your birthday," Calem said bluntly.
"Erk, foiled by words…" the chestnut-haired girl clutched her chest exaggeratingly.
The Greenfield Disaster.
It was an event recorded as an unnatural occurrence, but due to the peculiar circumstances and isolation, it was quickly forgotten by the majority of the public.
According to what Ash said to Serena right after he left, he spoke of a Paldean woman badgering the now Gouging Fire/Spencer Hale about his new body.
Paradox Pokémon were a mystery that took the world by storm, but the authorities had remained silent on them.
Not that it interested Serena.
'I think her name was… Brie? Something like that?' she could not remember.
Since then, Greenfield's scenery was further adorned with Tera crystals.
The sight was a scare for locals as they thought the disaster was repeating again.
But after some professional studies, it was concluded to be genuine Tera crystals that formed although the cause was unknown.
As of now, Johto's Greenfield had become the third known location where Terastallization was natural, right behind Paldea and a lesser known region called Kitakami.
The honey blonde kept fidgeting the bow as if it was her precious baby, occassionally stealing glances during class.
Throughout her schooltime, all she could think of was how Ash was doing.
.
.
.
Ecruteak City, Johto Region
It was now a few months since Ash had arrived in the Johto region.
Thinking to himself, he felt his progress was quicker than Kanto.
Hazarding a guess, it was most likely due to Johto being a smaller region as well as Ash's second time traversing a region.
Ever since the previous event, some things had changed.
The raven-haired boy noticed how much closer Misty had gotten with him, almost to the point of coddling him much to his dismay.
On the other hand, Brendan felt more distant as if he was mad at him.
Both reactions warranted his confusion but he felt the latter was more disheartening as Ash felt his relationship with Brendan deteriorating without much knowledge of what he did.
But all of that could wait as they entered Ecruteak City, the city of their next Gym Badge.
…
'A Historical City Where the Past Meets the Present.'
That was the slogan for Ecruteak City.
It was a city that bore the marks of its history.
As Ash scanned around, he could feel the historic value all over the place.
Its traditional architecture gave a mythical vibe, welcoming its visitors to explore and enjoy the land.
The raven-haired boy recalled some of the places of interest such as the Bellchime Trail, a short path where the trees were autumn-coloured all year round, regardless of seasons.
Ash was interested in it, wanting to experience the autumn trees.
He in particular, liked how stubborn the trees were as they refused to change despite the seasons.
In his head, there was a certain someone gushing about the city nonstop.
Tonelico, Tonelico! Look at the scenery!
What an exquisite blend of man-made structures and nature.
The boy had a tourist inside his Sword relaying her every thoughts.
Not that he minded.
"Hey guys! The Dance Theatre has a showing for tonight!" Misty exclaimed excitedly at the two boys.
"Dance Theatre?" Ash questioned.
"It's where the Kimono Girls perform a stage play," Brendan answered swiftly.
"The play's probably about the history of the Burned Tower."
'Sounds interesting,' Ash remarked.
The white-hatted boy immediately turned away from the raven-haired boy, leaving the latter to wonder what he had done to offend his companion.
"Pika…" Pikachu shook his head on his partner's shoulder.
"Kero…" Froakie responded the same.
Sighing to himself, Ash told his companions that he would take a walk at Bellchime Trail since Larvitar was excited to visit the path.
Just like that, the boy left.
Suddenly, the redhead let out a small yelp as she felt her pockets.
"It's not here!"
Brendan stared at her, wondering what had happened.
"May I be of assistance, Cerulean?"
The white-hatted boy turned to see an unfamiliar man standing before the two.
He was a tall young man with blond hair and purple eyes. He wore a light blue bandanna on his forehead. His attire consisted of a long sleeved shirt the same color as his bandanna with yellow elbows, jeans and sneakers.
"You are…?" Brendan raised his brow.
"Ah, Morty!" Misty recognized.
"Morty?"
"He's the Gym Leader of Ecruteak."
At once, Brendan stood straight and bowed out of embarrassment.
"Haha, no need for that. I know I don't dress myself up like a Gym Leader after all," the blond laughed.
"In any case, need my help, Misty?" he pointed to his eyes.
"Oh thank you! Please help me find my Key Stone," she clapped her hands together.
"Such a precious thing! Hold on," Morty was alarmed at what had been missing.
'Keystone?' Brendan thought to himself, wrongly assuming the unfamiliar term as one word.
The boy watched as Morty touched his palms with Misty as she concentrated on her missing item.
"Ah, it's accidentally hooked up on a boy's bag," the Gym Leader discerned.
"...Ash!" Misty realized.
…
Misty, Brendan and Morty arrived at Bellchime Trail swiftly.
The Key Stone was the redhead's priority but checking on Ash was also at the back of her mind.
Finding him was merely killing two birds with one stone.
The path was devoid of people as the people and Pokémon were more fascinated by the upcoming stage play tonight.
However, as the three reached deeper, they found a boy and his Pokémon playing while the former seemed to be talking happily with his Bag.
"It's so beautiful!" a voice from the yellow sack.
"Right? It's not even autumn too," Ash nodded whilst gazing at the screen with a gentle smile.
"Ash."
The raven-haired boy spun to find Misty and the rest approaching him.
"Hm? You guys here to sightsee too or… who are ya?" he narrowed at Morty.
…
After a brief introduction, Ash said his goodbyes to Serena as he turned off his Bag's screen.
"What did you two talk about?" Misty asked, stuffing her stone back into her pocket from Ash's Bag side pocket.
"Just showing her this place… and some thanks," Ash smirked.
"What thanks?"
"Oh, ya know. For giving me a hand," he answered cryptically with a mischievous grin.
His literal joke came across as a confusing answer for the others.
"Right, how did you know where Misty's… wait, what were you finding for again?" Ash recounted.
"Nothing special," the redhead shot down.
"Well, it's because I have a sort of… gift, you could say," Morty answered.
The raven-haired boy stopped, eyes widened as he stared at the Gym Leader.
"...It wouldn't happen to be a pair of LED-esque eyes, would it?"
"Well, my eyes don't glow per se, but they do change colours," Morty let out a small chuckle.
"You know Sabrina, don't you? The Gym Leader of Saffron City," the blond man asked to which the boy nodded.
"If you know her, then you know she's someone on the more… supernatural side of things."
He continued his explanation.
"Sabrina's something known as an Esper. It's actually the root word for Psychic Types in Kantonian."
(Psychic = Esupā in dialect)
"And Espers are common nowadays. But what makes Sabrina and I different are our extra gifts," Morty explained.
"It's called Mystic Eyes."
'Mystic Eyes?' Ash quirked a brow at the unfamiliar name.
An ocular ability. It grants the wielder's eyes a spell through sight alone.
'What kind of spell?'
It depends on what the user was born with.
"Anyways, Sabrina has a really strong and rare power," Morty continued.
"They're called Mystic Eyes of Distortion."
"Distortion? It doesn't happen to be twisting the Gym walls just because a certain someone threw a tantrum over not being able to read my mind, is it?" Ash recounted from past experience.
"Hahaha! She mentioned that before! Said a boy with red eyes managed to defend against her mind-reading. Not bad," the man guffawed.
"Then, are you an Esper, Mr Morty?" Ash asked.
"Just Morty is fine. But no, I'm not. I was born with my Mystic Eyes but not the telekinetic powers of an Esper," he shook his head.
"Even though Mystic Eyes are rare, my particular power among them is considered common. I have Mystic Eyes of Finding."
…
They arrived at Morty's Gym:
A darkened room complimented with fog.
As soon as they entered, their surroundings were clad in black.
"Morty?" Brendan turned.
The Gym Leader had disappeared.
"I see. It's a test," Ash stretched his arms.
Since the Gym Leader was absent from the get-go, the raven-haired boy surmised that the goal would be simple. In this case, reaching the battlefield at the end.
Knock, knock.
'A wall?' Misty felt the hard surface before them.
"A maze," Brendan concluded.
Immediately, Ash's eyes glowed as he pressed his fingers onto the darkened walls.
The layout of the maze.
Each route, both dead ends and the one true path to exit.
All were transferred into his head like a river's flow.
'This is… my Super Finder power?!' he exclaimed mentally.
Structural Analysis. Tis a better name.
The raven-haired boy hung his head in shame at his naming sense, though he agreed Zacian's input was way better than anything he could come up with.
"Alright, guys. I know the way outta he-"
"KYYAAAA! EYES! EYES!" the redhead flubbered over her words.
'Ah, right.'
…
As the trio traversed the pitch black, Ash had Pikachu and Froakie ride on Misty and Brendan's shoulders respectively while the boy held their hands as their guide.
Larvitar sat quietly as his Trainer walked.
"..." / "..." / "..."
'Holy crap this is awkward!' Ash panicked.
"Man! If I had a Coin for every Gym I entered with a maze trial, I'd have two Coins!"
"..."
Silence rang deafening into Ash's ears.
'I JUST MADE IT WORSEEEEEEE!' the glowing eyes trembled in embarrassment.
"Ash."
The raven-haired boy broke from his cringe, catching Brendan's soft whisper behind him.
"I'll be honest. I'm pissed at you," the white-hatted boy blurted out.
'Wow, no shit.'
"The way you came to Greenfield. Then you left just as quickly…"
"I know it was urgent but… I can't help but feel angry at you for that."
Misty kept silent, letting the novice say his piece while the two Pokémon listened in silence.
The redhead hazarded a guess of Ash's behaviour, linking it back to Molly's past with the boy.
'...Sorry,' Ash apologized internally.
…
Soon, they arrived at the end.
A battlefield with Morty at the centre awaited them as he was visibly surprised by the pair of bloodred orbs approaching from the darkness.
"Gotta say, kid. You make one hell of a scary entrance," Morty joked.
His eyes blinked as their light dimmed out, returning to his normal look.
"I'll go first," he raised his hand.
Ash's decision was swift.
His reasoning was so that Brendan could have an easier time later while the raven-haired boy would use himself to reveal Morty's skillset.
'Brendan'll have a smoother time later,' he thought to himself.
Of course, the white-hatted boy understood what Ash was doing.
And he did not like it.
As Brendan and Misty walked past Ash to the stands, the latter caught wind of a whisper directed to him:
"I'm not that weak, Ash…"
The raven-haired boy widened his eyes in shock before biting his inner lip.
He did not intend to, but he did.
He had unknowingly insulted his friend.
.
.
.
A 1v1 battle. Standard.
It had the same conditions as Whitney's Gym match.
The only difference being Ash liked Morty.
"Froakie, I choose you!"
"Appear, Annabelle!"
"Kero!"
"Kekeke!"
The blue frog jumped to the battlefield from his Trainer's shoulder, finding himself face to face with a dark gray Pokémon.
It had three short spikes on its head and a long zigzagging ribbon trailing off the back of its head. A zipper acted as its mouth, and it had purplish-pink eyes with slit pupils. Its long, flat arms had three-fingered hands, while its legs were short and stubby. It had a yellow, brush-like tail.
[=]
Banette, the Marionette Pokémon
Banette generates energy for laying strong curses by sticking pins into its own body. This Pokémon was originally a pitiful plush doll that was thrown away. Some say that treating it well will satisfy it, and it will once more become a stuffed toy. If it opens its mouth, its cursed energy escapes.
[=]
After hearing the Pokémon's entry, Ash turned up to the Gym Leader with a face of dread.
"Before we begin, I should explain, shouldn't I?" the man said sheepishly.
"Well, it is what I always do for challengers anyways. So listen carefully, Ash. Brendan too."
"First question: What are Ghost Types?"
Everyone opened their mouths to answer but as they pondered on the matter more, they started to question themselves instead.
"Haha, not an easy answer, right?" Morty cackled.
"Keke!" the Banette known as Annabelle floated onto the man's head, giving itself a piggyback ride.
"The general answer is that they're spirits. In short, literal ghosts," he patted his doll's head affectionately.
"Oh, right. Granny Agatha's book wrote the same thing too," Ash recalled from his time with Blue at Saffron Hospital.
"You know the Matron of Ghost Types? How surprising…"
The boy was rather close to the elderly lady as during the Grand League, she would sometimes pamper him and Blue like a grandmother. Needless to say, Ash grew fond of her, both as a person and an Elite Four member.
"But thanks for bringing up the topic, Ash. You see, Madam Agatha's published papers on the Ghost Types back when they were not recognized as a Type were the foundation of what the world knows about them today," he explained.
"Ghost Types are unique as they have 3 methods of birth: Egg, Manifesting, and Crossing."
"Egg is self-explanatory as it is Ghost Types hatching from Eggs."
"Manifesting is like my Annabelle here, a Ghost Type that was born from a doll's feelings. But the more common kinds are those lingering spirits in our world transforming into Pokémon, even if they were human in their previous life."
"And the final one… Crossing."
'Crossing?' Ash mused.
"Basically, Madam Agatha hypothesized of the existence of a Spirit World," Morty continued.
"The spirits from that plane of existence would cross over to our world, hence the name. Ghost Types that were born through Crossing can never return back to the Spirit World, meaning it's a one-time jump."
"Ah, but a Pokémon species known as Dusknoir are the only known ones capable of going back and forth between worlds thanks to a special antenna on their heads."
"Hm? Doesn't that proves that the Spirit World exists?" Ash questioned.
"Haha, who knows? But we do know one thing," Morty shrugged before a serious expression took his face.
"Trainers with Dusknoirs always say the same thing: They would always protect their Trainers from even having a glimpse of the other side."
…
"Sorry for making you battle again, Froakie. Two times in a row is kinda much," Ash apologized.
"Kero!" the blue frog pumped a fist.
"Ready when you are," Morty nodded.
"Kekeke!" Annabelle snickered.
The Banette known as Annabelle.
According to Morty, the Pokémon was female.
After hearing the Gym Leader's impromptu mini lecture about Ghost Types, Ash could not help but wonder about the doll's past.
But now was not the time.
Ash began his move.
Froakie started with a ball of Frubbles…
And threw it up into the air.
"Ke?"
The white ball reached its peak before falling down…
Tmp!
And a whirlwind of water slammed into the ghost's face.
BAMM!
A [Water Pulse] direct hit sent Annabelle twirling into the air before she regained her footing.
"How fast! That has to be the swiftest Froakie I've ever seen!" Morty praised.
'Alright!' Ash grinned.
"Froakie, we're taking the lead again!"
"Kero!"
Annabelle landed gently on the ground, awaiting the frog's attack.
'No guard? Fine!'
"[Water Pulse]!"
Froakie loaded his fingers and prepared to shoot his attack straight onto-
Clink!
"Eh?"
"Kero?"
The two shared an expression rivalling that of Quagsire.
The water bullet was nowhere to be found and only the Kalos starter's empty hand harmlessly smacked Annabelle.
"My turn," Morty gave a kind smile.
"Wai-" Ash tried to voice out.
The marionette's eyes glowed an evil black as a pair of malefic energy beams blasted Froakie backwards.
BOOOM!
"Froakie!" Ash shouted in a panic.
'That was [Night Shade]!'
However, his attention soon trailed towards Froakie's wrist.
"Ke?!" the frog croaked as he stared at his arm.
A shadow-like tattoo of a chain had manifested on his wrist, the same one that used [Water Pulse].
"What is this?!" Ash exclaimed alarmingly.
"Ash! That's Cursed Body!" Misty shouted from the stands.
Cursed Body.
An Ability that disabled the opponent's move.
However, there was a time limit for the disable of 4 minutes.
'Cursed Body? But- Wait, now ain't the time!'
Normally, this would not pose as much of a threat for most Trainers.
But it was extremely detrimental for Froakie.
"Tch! [Double Team]!"
Clones scattered around the battlefield, trying to buy time for [Water Pulse] to return.
"[Shadow Sneak]."
The real Froakie felt a chill down his spine as a looming shadow haunted his back.
With a headbutt, Annabelle knocked the blue frog, ending the clones.
'He found Froakie in no time!' Ash gritted his teeth.
"I'm a veteran, Ash. I've seen maybe thousands of [Double Teams] in my life," Morty smiled.
'...I messed up,' the boy could only give a nervous chuckle.
.
.
.
A series of explosions followed the escaping frog.
Froakie was running for his life as [Shadow Balls] rained down upon him, narrowly evading them thanks to his limber body.
'58… 59… 3 minutes!' Ash counted in his head.
"One more minute, Froakie! Hang in there!"
"Kero!"
His webbed feet dug deep into the earth, rocketing into sharp corners as he continued to avoid the ghostly bullets.
'This Cursed Body… is strange!'
"[Shadow Sneak]!" Morty commanded.
Ash and Froakie's movements synchronized. Both whipped their heads around, anticipating the attack.
Sure enough, Annabelle emerged from the frog's shadow as she delivered a punch.
'Not this time!' / 'Kero!'
"[Lick]!"
Froakie's tongue sprang from his mouth, hitting Annabelle like a fist.
However, due to the motion of his attack, Froakie was unable to move as well and so, felt the brunt of [Shadow Sneak].
BAM! BAM!
The two fell backwards, creating distance before they recovered.
'59... 4 minutes!' the bloodred eyes widened.
"Alright, Froakie! We're counterattacking!"
The Kalos starter sprang again, flexing his fingers before sending…
Pap.
A slap with no elemental attack.
"...Eh?" / "…Kero?"
"Thanks for coming close," Morty gave an unchanging smile.
'Shi-!'
"[Knock Off]!"
The doll's shoulder glowed blacker, charging all the way for Annabelle's full-on tackle onto Froakie.
BAAM!
"Ke…!" the Kalos starter struggled to stand, opting to kneel instead.
"Froakie still can't use [Water Pulse]?" Brendan observed the state of battle.
"That doesn't make sense. It's been 4 minutes already."
'Unless…!'
"ASH! THAT CURSED BODY!" Brendan yelled out.
"Yeah! I got it too!" Ash nodded back.
The raven-haired boy observed the persistent cursed chain on Froakie's wrist.
Then, he signalled Froakie to stick out his tongue.
And what he found shocked the group.
"Pika?!" Pikachu squeaked from the stands.
"Yogi!" Larvitar gasped in bewilderment.
'So that's really it…' Ash narrowed his eyes.
Around the frog's tongue… was an exact tattoo of the cursed chain.
"Another one?! Is this not Cursed Bo-" Misty creid out.
"Nah. You're right that it's Cursed Body, Misty," Ash gulped.
"But… It changed due to Equivalent Exchange, right Morty?"
Snap!
"Bingo! You're quite sharp," Morty snapped his fingers.
"A Cursed Body that stays until the end of the battle… Shoulda renamed it to Cursed Mark instead," Ash grinned nervously.
"That's impossible! An Equivalent Exchange doesn't give such broken effects. It's 'Equivalent', not 'Haphazard'!" the redhead protested.
"You're right, Cerulean," the Gym Leader nodded.
"But I'm not going to reveal it so easily."
'Figures. It's probably something he and Annabelle spent a painstaking amount of time to figure out. Even then, putting it into practice is even harder since something this complex takes overwhelming effort,' Ash exhaled.
"Kero!"
An orb of water formed on the blue frog's unchained hand, the latter smirking towards his Trainer.
"Hah!" an exact smirk plastered on Ash's face.
'I figured it out after seeing Froakie's tongue.'
"[Quick Attack]!"
A blur of blue zipped around the battlefield, circling the Marionette Pokémon as she tried to find the frog.
'That's 4 moves. Big mistake, Ash,' the Gym Leader thought to himself.
Morty's Mystic Eyes were a different story. As their name suggested, it was an ocular ability with a specialized 'finding' power. With no effort, the eyes were trained onto the blitzing starter.
"There! [Night Shade]!"
Malevolent eyes prepared their attacks as soon as Froakie jumped above the doll.
Poof!
"Ke?!"
But the Pokémon turned out to be a fake.
'[Double Team]?! Since when?' the Gym Leader gasped.
Zip!
Froakie reappeared behind Annabelle, catching the latter off guard.
[Water Pulse] whorled into existence on his free hand…
And the blue frog crashed his attack right into the blackened body.
BOOOM!
Another direct hit.
But it was not enough to faint Annabelle.
Clink!
The cursed chain claimed Froakie's remaining wrist, sealing away [Water Pulse] from both hands.
"[Shadow Sneak]!" Morty commanded.
Annabelle dispersed into a fog of darkness, crawling into Froakie's shadow for her next attack.
But despite the inability to use [Water Pulse] from his hands…
Ash and Froakie wore a crazed grin, reaching heightened senses.
Their feelings were one. Unable to explain but neither rejected the other.
They were ecstatic. A battle where they were being pushed to a corner.
It fed their battle hunger.
But they would be damned if they lost now.
As Annabelle exited the shadow… she was met with a [Water Pulse] to the face.
"KEEE!" the doll's head was blown back from the impact.
She was flung away, tumbling across the field with great pain.
Clink!
"I see… You used [Water Pulse] with your leg," Morty could not help but show a smirk of acknowledgement.
"Yeah, I had Froakie launch it with a kick. I call it [Water Football]," Ash grinned with a peace sign.
"The Unovans would kill you if you call it that so brazenly…"
However, the fact that the Kalos starter's leg was chained remained.
Now, only his right leg remained unchained.
"[Shadow Ball]!" / "[Water Pulse]!"
The orbs collided, resulting in an explosion of elements.
Within the smoke, a rocketing shadow made her way towards the frog.
Without any choice to avoid a confrontation, Ash called out to his Kalos starter.
"Let's do this, Froakie!"
[Water Pulse] formed from the webbed feet and with a strong kick, blasted the attack.
Grab!
"Kero?!"
However, even with such close distance, Annabelle twisted away from the attack and held onto Froakie's kicked leg with a devious smile.
Clink!
"Now all of Froakie's limbs are chained!" Brendan stood up anxiously.
"Ash!" Misty cried out.
"[Quick Attack]!"
Squeezing out of the doll's grasp, Froakie slammed into her body.
However…
"A Normal move doesn't affect a Ghost Type!" the redhead clutched her head in despair.
True enough, the blue frog's attack was met with no resistance as he passed through the Marionette Pokémon.
"...I was banking on that."
Annabelle turned back, her face horrified at the accumulating water.
'How?! Cursed Body has already taken effect on his body!' Morty widened his eyes.
But as everyone took a better look…
Froakie stuck out his tongue, pulling it taut with his right hand.
And on his left… he stretched the middle part horizontally.
It was like...
"A bowstring tongue?!" Morty realized.
Forming on his tongue in between his knuckles was [Water Pulse].
The shape began to shift.
From a sphere… into a shape he was familiar with.
"An arrow!" Brendan shouted.
'This is my…!' Misty finally understood what Ash and Froakie were doing.
"Annabelle, get out of there!" the Gym Leader cried out.
But the doll was stuck.
"Keke?!"
Frubbles had glued themselves onto the ghost's feet, sticking her unmovable.
The raven-haired boy grinned.
His body mimicked the same motion as his Pokémon.
"Bullseye."
"[Water Pulse], Variation: Arrow."
BOOOOOOMMMMM!
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Dance Theatre, Ecruteak City
Ash fiddled with his received Fog Badge while he waited patiently for the play to start.
'Damn, I was really winging it at the end. Compared to Whitney, I was really about to lose due to that Cursed Body,' he mused.
'Had it not been for Morty going easy on me, I wouldn't be holding this Badge now.'
Ash's presumption was correct. Morty's Annabelle was not part of his Level 2 Pokémon.
In fact, when it was Brendan's turn, a healed Annabelle was his opponent with the same conditions.
However, thanks to Ash, he was able to win without much difficulty thanks to prior knowledge.
'Now then, when's it starting?'
The Theatre's seat were not chairs but floor pillow on the tatami.
Ash preferred this as he was more comfortable on the floor, especially the tatami mat.
"Yogi…" the green reptile marvelled the setting.
"Pikachu…" / "Kero…"
The two aces sat beside Larvitar, both occupying their Trainer's knees while the baby took the middle.
"Make sure he doesn't get hurt, Onii-chans," Ash grinned.
Pikachu and Froakie gave their thumbs up, eliciting a laugh from the boy.
And then, the theatre went dark.
.
.
.
The curtain was shone with gentle light.
A painting projected onto the cloth, depicting two distinct characters:
It was a majestic phoenix with golden feathers.
As well as a great wyvern with silver scales.
Clap! Clap! Clap! Clap! Clap! Clap! Clap! Clap!
A great applause from the excited crowd rang across the theatre, signalling the first act.
The shrouding curtain made way for its opening narrator:
A beauty dressed in a kimono of silky black, adorned with rings of gold.
The stage illuminated, accentuating her black clothing.
On a platform of bright light, she alone stood out.
Her companion as she stood was the serenade of instruments.
Ash could not help but be drawn by the spectacular colours.
"A long time ago…"
"The people of Ecruteak City built two towers."
Nine-storied towers so tall that they seemed to reach the heavens.
The column pillars on both the Kimono Girl's sides flared up, depicting those said towers.
"The Bell Tower."
"And the Brass Tower."
Ash took notice of the second tower's name as he had not heard of it before.
"One day, two Legendary Pokémon from far away appeared before them:"
CAWWWWW!
"The God of Rainbows and Fire, Ho-oh."
A quartet of Venomoth, Hoppip, Skiploom and Butterfree flapped and shook, bringing down sparkling dusts of [Sweet Scent] powder.
ROOOAARRRR!
"The God of Seas and Storms, Lugia."
Fearows above the stage cried into the microphones, combining their cries into a mighty bellow.
A slight prickling sensation stabbed into Ash's skin as he watched the Gods' introduction, unknowingly twitching at the sight of them.
"Ho-oh descended upon the Bell Tower…"
"And Lugia upon the Brass Tower."
"The people communed with the Gods and before long, formed bonds with them."
"And those bonds lasted until a fateful night 150 years ago, when moonlight shone upon the towers."
The black kimono twirled gracefully, a capsule in hand as she summoned a familiar black creature with similar patterned of the clothing the performer wore.
'Umbreon!' Ash recognized, recalling Karen's Pokémon.
The stage switched. Their colours from the vibrant yellow now were the cool and quiet blue.
Umbreon's golden ring shone bright, summoning the [Moonlight].
The audience were captivated by the sight.
Children gasped in wonder.
From the shadows, another Kimono Girl appeared with the spotlight trained onto her person.
This one wore striking yellow, cluing in Ash and the rest on what she represented.
"150 years ago, Lugia's rest was disturbed!"
Poof!
Jolteon appeared, conjuring crackling lightning.
Crack! Boom!
A shower of electricity rained upon the stage.
Pikachu's cheeks began to spark as they were sensitive to the ambient electric.
"Pika?" Pikachu felt the calling thunder.
"Oiiiiii, partner!" Ash whispered in a panicky tone.
"Kero…" Froakie moved Larvitar away from the electric mouse.
"Pi… Pikachu," the yellow mouse gave a confident gaze, cheeks still sparking.
"Phew…"
"Fierce winds, violent winds…"
"A storm enveloped the city of Ecruteak, culminating in a tremendous lightning bolt which struck the Brass Tower."
The Tower burned.
A Kimono Girl with flame patterned clothes rose from the ascending platform alongside her companion, Flareon.
"Flames engulfed the tall tower in an instant."
"Before long, it became an inferno!"
Gentle embers pulsed through the building, warming the audience as if they were feeling the heat of the burning tower.
At this, all Water Types in the crowd instinctively created water before their Trainers stopped them.
"Wait, wait, buddy, calm down!" Ash and Pikachu locked the frog's arms."
"Pika… chu…" the mouse held with strain.
Misty's Pokémon were well-behaved so they were not agitated at the sight of fire while Brendan's Zuzu was sleeping in his capsule.
"Lugia ascended high into the skies and brought forth strong winds."
"And yet… the flames did not fade, only seeming to spread further…"
Another spotlight illuminated the side stage, showing a Kimono Girl in blue with scale patterns.
"Lugia summoned rain to the skies above Ecruteak."
Poof!
Vaporeon materialized in an instant.
"The rain fiercely combated the fire until it was completely quenched."
A clash of Vaporeon's [Water Gun] and Flareon's [Flamethrower] fought at the centre, creating a cloud of smoke overhead.
After that, the Kimono Girls fell one by one.
Their weakened state a part of the script.
…But a certain someone was unable to realize this.
Seeing this, Ash was ready to jump in to save the performers, stopped only by Pikachu and Froakie.
"Pika…pi!"
"Kero… Ke!"
"Let go, you two! Those people need help!" he growled in a hushed manner.
The two Pokémon struggled to hold their Trainer back from ruining the staged play while Larvitar was moved to Misty's lap after the redhead saw the trio's inability to stay quiet.
"We don't know him, don't make eye contact," she whispered to Brendan.
"Yeah…" he agreed.
The smokescreen faded, revealing a rising sun as the Kimono Girls stood back up.
"Once the dreadful night was past, the sun began to rise, heralding a new day."
An Espeon used [Morning Sun], projecting the sunlight across the building.
"Lugia had lost its bonds with the people, and with a broken heart… it departed."
"And now, deep beneath the sea, it waits for one with a pure heart to this very day."
The Kimono Girls lined up, their colourful dresses resembled a rainbow.
'So that's it. That last part must be talking about the Shamouti prophecy,' Ash figured.
'...Wait.'
He then remembered who was the one who fulfilled the divination and entered a foul mood.
'What part of that smug asshole screams 'pure heart'?! That prophecy is bullshit!'
The red man was the only thing that could anger him this much without much effort.
"To remind us of what we have lost, and to never allow the same tragedy to happen again…"
"It remains, even now."
The final scene… was the ruined Burned Tower that stood the test of time.
.
.
.
.
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Pokémon Centre, Ecruteak City
"That was amazing!" Misty squealed as the audience exited.
"The crowd went nuts too," Brendan nodded.
After a while, the redhead retreated into her room while the white-hatted boy glanced outside.
"Nana, go back into the room with the others. Take care of Zuzu," he instructed the hyena.
"Arf!"
The novice went out, finding a lone raven-haired boy with his tent.
Although a peculiar sight, Nurse Joy was kind enough to let the Kanto native to set up camp near the entrance even though it was a sore sight from afar.
Ash heard the footsteps inching closer, turning to see Brendan.
"Yo."
"Yo."
Brendan sat in silence while the raven-haired boy prepared a light snack.
"A kebab?" the white-hatted boy identified.
"Close, it's called a satay," the raven-haired boy took a seat next to him with a bowlful of sticks.
Brendan took a bite and was instantly taken aback by the savoury taste.
"Is this… chicken?"
"Yeah. I'm a dobutarian*," Ash nodded.
"Man, then Galar and Paldea's gonna be rough for you since they eat Pokémon meat."
"Hm."
A comfortable silence washed over them as they ate.
"Sorry," Ash started.
"Do you even know what you're apologizing for?" Brendan shot a dubious stare.
"...Sorry."
"Sigh… I'm mad at you, Ash. Because you're thinking I'm weak," he explained.
"Huh?! No way I'm-!" the raven-haired boy's jaw clamped.
At this, Ash began to think back to his actions.
He had denied Brendan from following him during the Greenfield Disaster.
Even if he meant well, he did not regard Brendan's feelings at all.
Then recently, he volunteered to go first against Morty so that Brendan could observe for his own match.
What Ash had mistaken for kindness… was actually mockery towards his fellow Trainer.
"Let's do this, Ash," the white-hatted boy challenged.
"One on one. My ace, Nana, against Pikachu."
"...You do realize I'm at an advantage here, right?" Ash warned.
"What? Going up against a stronger opponent?"
Eyes of power.
Flashes of Brendan's childhood sparked.
Triumph against the cursed marks.
A great blue dragon with terrible red wings.
The drive to survive was ever-present.
A friend's proof of strength.
"I have never forgotten that feeling."
Chapter 80: The Show
His scar throbbed in burning determination.
Author's Notes
Do you smell that? It smells like... Ash vs Brendan.
Next chapter is gonna be interesting to write.
MYSTIC EYES:
Yep, we writing the Eyes in.
Right now, only Espers have Mystic Eyes (i.e the Psychic Trainer class and some notable Trainers like Sabrina and Morty)
AURA users cannot have them eyes, so Ash doesn't have it.
Morty's Finding eyes are basically the Itemfinder like in the manga.
Fated Sabrina's character is actually based on Asagami Fujino from Kara no Kyoukai, even the abilities.
Remember when I said some characters in Fated are expys of the Nasuverse? Yep.
GYM BATTLE:
Morty giving Ash a run for his money is deliberate.
Dude has been cruising the Gyms way too easily except for Whitney.
With Morty, he is to show Ash that he would have lost if not for sheer luck and his battle sense.
I'm not giving Ash an easy time, especially next Gym.
He's only on his second region so he has A LOT to learn. We're climbing all the way to absurd levels of damages and ploys in the future.
Cursed Body or Cursed Marks is something I thought of while in the shower one day and thought: Neat.
A body part with the chain cannot use attack A but is still able to use attack B.
The reason why Froakie struggled a lot was because with the exception of two moves, he only has Normal moves.
THE SHOW:
Now, the chapter title and content should clue you in that it's based on Pokémon Evolutions Episode 7.
It is a retelling of the Burned Tower but focused more on Lugia than Ho-oh.
Now, Lugia's already got its spotlight in Shamouti so I should've gone for Ho-oh's version.
But that's the thing. Ho-oh should be as mysterious as possible, especially for Ash.
Fun fact: If it wasn't for Zacian, Ash's most compatible Legend/Incarnation bond would be Ho-oh. (Canon accurate after all)
Right now, Ash and Ho-oh are gonna be separate until the climax of Johto.
ASH V BRENDAN:
It's gonna be a small battle, but it is by no means unimportant.
Not spoiling anything.
DOBUTARIAN:
It means someone who only eats animal meat and not Pokémon.
Ash does not eat Pokémon as Kanto to Sinnoh find it quite uncomfortable about the subject.
It is the combination of dōbutsu (animal) and the suffix -arian.
Also also... As we are now, Ash is on fun adventure mode. (Yes, even including M03)
The not so happy fun times are almost here.
Don't worry, I didn't forget about Rocket. I'm saving them for later.
And hopefully, I can finish next chapter faster...