I can't say for certain when I'll be done with the next chapter since I'm distracted by other projects at the moment. I still have the goal to finish the Johto Saga by the end of this year.

After this chapter, there will only be two left of the Johto Saga, so we're almost at the finish line. Enjoy the rest of the saga while you can before we take off to Hoenn!

Disclaimer: I do not own any Pokémon characters! I only own my OCs!

Chapter 56: Fight with All Your Might

To say Ash and I were excited for the Victory Tournament was an understatement. We waited anxiously for the bracket shuffler that was about to be announced in the Pokémon Center. The last battle was done an hour ago, so the administration had a lot of work to do before they could pair the advanced Trainers for the finals. Ritchie and Sparky were with us when the large screen above the front desk released the image of the bracket.

"The pairs for the finals are up!" Brock announced.

"Awesome! Let's see who we are gonna battle!" Ash smiled.

"Pika pika!" Pikachu chirped.

"Look, Harrison made it too!" Misty said, pointing at the first pair in which Harrison was part of.

"Looks like he's going to battle first the day after tomorrow", I nodded.

"Oh yeah, tomorrow's a break for Trainers and Pokémon to prepare for the finals", Ash remembered.

"Umm, Ash", Ritchie spoke up hesitantly. "Look at the second pairing."

"Pika…", Sparky mumbled.

My eyes widened when I spotted Ash and Gary's pictures right next to each other. "Ash, you're battling Gary!"

"Holy Miltank, you're right!" Ash gasped.

"Lucky you!" Gary cackled as he joined us. "Your Silver Conference didn't end in the semi-finals. Now I get to crush you once and for all!"

"Oh yeah?! Not if I crush you first!" Ash growled back.

Gary dropped his smirk and held something up to my brother. "Hey, Ash. Remember this?" A piece of a Poké Ball rested on his palm, the red part old and rusted. It was part of a memory from Pallet Town, just a week before Ash and I became Pokémon Trainers.

"That's the Poké Ball we got when we tied!" Ash exclaimed with a smile.

"What are they talking about?" Misty wondered in the background.

"No! I consider that contest a loss!" Gary growled and clenched his hand with the half Poké Ball.

"Why?" I wondered. "You both equally tied back then."

"Yeah, Ashley's right!" Ash nodded. "We both got one piece of-"

Gary interrupted my brother. "Sorry, but I can't lose more time arguing with you, Ash. The battles in the Victory Tournament are gonna be six-on-six, so I need all the time I have left to prepare my team to defeat you and settle the score!"

"Oh, we'll settle the score, alright! And I'm gonna be the one making it to the second round of the Victory Tournament!" Ash argued back.

"Piikachu!" Pikachu growled at our childhood rival.

"I'll believe that when your Pokémon actually defeats mine", Gary chuckled before he walked away. "Smell ya later!"

"What were you two talking about?" Ritchie asked.

"Yeah, and what's with that broken Poké Ball Gary has?" Brock wondered.

"It's an old story", I replied. "Ash, do you still have yours?"

"Yeah, of course I have it!" Ash nodded. "It's in my backpack in our room!"

"Can we go after I check where I am on the bracket?" I asked.

"Of course, sis!"

After learning I was in the third pair, we went back to our hotel room where Ash dug through his backpack until he found the pouch I sewed for him a long time ago. It was the one and only thing I was good at sewing when our mom first started teaching me.

"I found it!" Ash exclaimed happily. "My treasure pouch!"

"Treasure pouch?" Misty repeated confusedly.

"I sewed that pouch for him so he can store stuff he consider treasure", I explained.

"You sewed that?" Ritchie said in slight awe. "I didn't know you can sew."

I blushed and turned away while playing with my hair. "I-I'm not an expert, but I can mend and sew easy stuff."

"That's still very impressive", Ritchie smiled.

"Pika pikapi!" Sparky nodded.

Ash picked up his rusty half of the same Poké Ball which was the bottom part. "I still have it. My lucky charm."

"Your lucky charm is the other part of that Poké Ball Gary has?" Brock questioned.

"Yeah, and it's quite the story behind it", Ash explained.

We sat down on the couch to get comfortable for the storytelling. Ash and I took turns on what happened on that fateful day. "It happened a week before we became Pokémon Trainers", Ash began. "Ashley and I went fishing to see what Pokémon we could find in the river in Pallet Town."

"Ash fished up a Magikarp that slapped his cheeks with Flail before it landed in my arms", I continued. "It got comfortable with me so I dropped my fishing rod and snuggled with it."

Misty giggled. "Snuggling with a Magikarp. That's so cute."

"That's when Gary showed up, claiming he had been fishing in our secret spot whenever we weren't around and played with the wild Pokémon he fished up", Ash picked up the story, a smile blossoming on his lips. "I threw my hook back into the water when Gary started bragging about his knowledge of Pokémon, quizzing me of Magikarp's known moves. I knew them because it's easy to memorize three moves; Splash, Tackle and Flail."

"Yeah, especially since Magikarp is considered one of the weakest Pokémon in existence", Brock nodded.

"That's when Ash and Gary both got a bite", I continued. "It turned out their hooks were latched onto the same rusty old Poké Ball, so they started having a tug-of-war."

"The Poké Ball split in half in the end, me getting the white part while Gary got the red part", Ash said. "I was perfectly fine with our little competition ending in a draw, but Gary got livid and said having a tie with either me or Ashley was just as bad as losing and stormed off with steam blowing out of his ears."

"Wow, that's some story", Ritchie said. "I've never had a rival back in my hometown, so I'm a little envious of you."

Ash studied his broken Poké Ball with a fond smile. "Gary and I had many fights, especially when Ashley got involved, so I made it a goal to one day defeat Gary…and I have a feeling the day after tomorrow is going to be that moment!"

"I already got my revenge after I defeated Gary in the Kanto League, so I'm not that bothered by it", I shrugged, staring out the windows to see the last ray of sunlight before the sun vanished behind the mountains.

"I'm gonna prove to Gary that just because he knows a lot about Pokémon and he's related to a Pokémon Professor, you can still win if you simply don't give up until it's over!" Ash exclaimed determinedly. "The Ketchum motto has proven us right many times before, so I want to have a satisfying battle with Gary!"

"That's the spirit, Ash!" Misty smiled.

"Togi togiprii!" Togepi chirped in her arms.

"And we're here to help you put together a team for your battle!" Brock nodded. "And for you too, Ashley."

"Thank you, guys", I smiled, happy to have such kind friends. I somewhat wished we could have met before when Ash and I were young and endured torture from the bullies.

"I'd love to share my knowledge with you too", Ritchie raised a hand. "It's the least I can do since I was unable moving on to the Victory Tournament."

"Pika pika", Sparky nodded.

"Really? That'd be awesome, Ritchie!" Ash's smile widened. "Let's work hard tomorrow!"

"Pi pikachu!" Pikachu cheered.

XXXXXXXXXX

We went to sleep early to get up early in the morning to have some breakfast before we could take our seats by the computer and analyze our opponents' Pokémon for the Victory Tournament. I covered a yawn as we walked out to the garden of the hotel where we had our breakfast with Ritchie.

"Morning, guys!" Ritchie greeted when he came to our table with a tray of his breakfast.

"Morning, Ritchie!" Ash greeted after he gave Pikachu his food.

"Did you guys sleep well?" Ritchie wondered.

"I think so…", I replied, rubbing my eyes. "I guess I'm a little nervous for the finals."

"I was already up in the break of dawn checking Gary's Pokémon", Ash replied.

"What? Really?" Ritchie blinked in surprise.

"Yep, I found him by the computer about six o'clock when I woke up", Brock chuckled. "Ash was eager to start making preps for his team."

"So what kind of Pokémon does Gary have?" Ritchie wondered before he took a bite of his sandwich.

"All kinds", Ash explained. "He's rotating them a lot, so all of them might be on an equal level."

"He has Pokémon of all types?" Misty's eyes widened.

"Yeah, and he also has some duplicates that he doesn't battle with", Ash pointed out.

"That sounds like the successor of Professor Oak", Ritchie commented. "I wonder if he likes studying Pokémon like his grandfather."

"Studying Pokémon?" Ash mumbled.

I remembered the times Ash, Gary and I studied together under Professor Oak's care. Gary always exceeded on the tests getting all questions right. I did my best studying and sometimes got 100% correct, but I usually ended up having over 90% points. Ash wasn't the best student as his mind often went in different directions, but he still scored over 75%.

I thought back the other day when Ash and I sat with Gary and watched the moon the night before the opening ceremony of the Silver Conference. He spoke so weirdly like he had his mind set on something else besides the typical Pokémon training. It was like he was torn between two things and he needed something to help him make a final decision. That was probably why he said this Pokémon League was important to him.

Brock broke the silent moment. "Since we know Gary tends to rotate Pokémon and doesn't rely on just one type, you need to build a team that can cover many weaknesses as possible, Ash."

"Right", my brother nodded and took a bite of his egg sandwich.

"I looked up Ashley's opponent, Darren, and he seems to be specializing in fighting-type Pokémon", Ritchie told me. "I'd suggest you put a team together that can withstand fighting Pokémon and use one Pokémon or two to cover the others' weaknesses."

"Mm", I nodded. "I need to put together a team today and train with them one final moment so we can be prepared for anything. So, if he uses fighting-type Pokémon, I need to add Firered to my team."

A screech echoed from the sky which caused us to look up. Two silhouettes were flying toward us and the closer they got we realized who they were.

"Firered!"

"Charizard!"

Ash and I rushed to our Charizards and gave them big hugs as soon as they landed. I was so happy seeing my first Pokémon again. "Did you hear me when I said your name, Firered? You showed up at the right moment."

"Yeah, same with you, Charizard!" Ash laughed as he got tickled by Charizard's tongue.

"Wow, talk about coincidence!" Misty laughed heartily.

"Togi togi!"

"I called Liza last night and asked her to send them to Silver Town", Brock explained. "I thought they might be crucial for the finals."

"Is it just me or are both your Charizard larger than they were before?" Ritchie wondered.

"Yeah, we left them in the Charicific Valley where they train with wild Charizards to become much stronger", Ash replied while Pikachu played with Charizard.

"There's a sanctuary for wild Charizards in Johto?" Ritchie asked in awe.

"Yes", I nodded. "We stumbled upon it on our way to Azalea Town. It felt like paradise for me."

"Rawr!" Firered smiled.

Ritchie grabbed a Poké Ball from his belt. "I want to compare Zippo with them. Come out, Zippo!"

Zippo the Charizard came out from his Poké Ball and yawned widely before he noticed our Charizards. He flinched when he saw how huge they were compared to him.

"Yep, definitely a large height difference", Brock chuckled.

"Zippo almost feels like a Durant next to Charizard and Firered", Misty giggled.

"I'm so glad you're here, Charizard!" Ash smiled at his partner. "We're gonna turn up the heat for the Silver Conference now that you're here!"

"Grawwr!" Charizard smiled while Pikachu jumped over to my brother's shoulder.

I caressed Firered's face and planted a kiss on the tip of his nose. "Firered, will you join me and our friends for the Victory Tournament?"

"Rawr!" Firered nodded.

Somebody cleared their throat breaking our little reunion. Ash froze when he made eye contact with Gary. We hadn't noticed when he showed up, but he was obvious very serious and seemed annoyed.

"Morning, Ash", Gary greeted.

"Good morning, Gary", Ash replied.

The tension was high that it almost felt like they were going to brawl right now. Luckily, somebody froze the awkward moment. "This calls for a poem!"

Everybody jumped by the sudden appearance of none other than Professor Oak.

"Grampa?!"

"Professor Oak?!"

Professor Oak cleared his throat. "Rivals now they meet, Gary Ash to compete."

I had heard several of his poems, but this one was simply terrible. Or maybe I didn't have good taste when it came to poems.

I jumped when I felt a pair of hands on my shoulders. "It's a brilliant poem, Professor Oak!" the person behind me spoke.

I recognized the voice and turned around to see my mother. "Mom!"

"Ashley, sweetie!" mom immediately embraced me. "You've become prettier since you left!"

"Mom, stop it!" I whined in embarrassment. I didn't feel pretty at all.

"Hi there, Delia", Misty smiled.

"It's been a long time", Brock nodded.

"Hello, Mrs. Ketchum", Ritchie greeted with a soft nod.

"Mom!" Ash smiled and joined the hug-fest. "What are you doing here?"

"I've come to watch the Victory Tournament!" mom explained, hugging my twin brother. "I cannot miss such an opportunity with both my little champions-in-making advancing to the finals!"

"You three are the pride of Pallet Town!" Professor Oak nodded. "And for my grandson to have his long-awaiting battle with Ash is very thrilling!"

"But how are we going to switch Pokémon if Professor Oak is here?" I asked. "We need to put together our team for the battles starting tomorrow."

"Don't you worry, kids!" Professor Oak said. "My new lab assistant, Tracey, will take care of it."

"Tracey? Did he replace Daisy after she left for university?" Gary wondered.

"Yes, and he's an excellent assistant", Professor Oak nodded. "I'd like to introduce you to him when you come back to Pallet Town. I'm sure you'll be great friends with him."

"That's awesome!" Ash exclaimed eagerly. "I can't wait to meet him!"

"Pika pika!"

"That's the spirit!" Professor Oak chuckled. "Now that you are relaxed, you'll have lots of focus for the match tomorrow. It's not good being so tense before that because that will also affect your Pokémon."

"You're right, gramps", Gary nodded, smiling soft. "Oh, by the way… Have you discovered anything new?"

Professor Oak laughed heartily. "I keep discovering new things every single day, Gary. Thanks to my colleagues across the planet, I've collected data for the Pokédex. In fact, I've got the latest version of it back in my lab which I'll give to you after the Silver Conference."

Gary's eyes lit up like he had won a million dollar, but he then shook his head like he wanted to erase something from his mind.

"That's great! I can't wait to learn more!" Ash smiled.

"Me too!" I nodded.

Gary hummed in agreement. "Yeah… Excuse me, gramps, but I've gotta go and prepare for tomorrow."

"I understand, my boy", Professor Oak pulled him into a hug. "I wish you nothing but the best. You'll always be my grandson no matter how your battle with Ash will go."

"Right…", Gary nodded before he wandered off.

"Gary's not acting like his usual self", Ash pointed out.

"I think his mind is preoccupied for your match tomorrow, Ash", Professor Oak said.

"Ash, we've gotta prepare your and Ashley's teams for tomorrow too!" Brock reminded us.

"And you've gotta do some last minute training with them!" Misty added.

"My Pokémon and I gladly help you out with the training", Ritchie offered.

"Right!" Ash and I nodded.

Mom placed her hands on me and my brother's shoulders. "Ashton, Ashley, I'm the proudest mom on the planet and I know you will do great! You two have grown immensely as Pokémon Trainers and I can't wait to see what you will achieve in the Victory Tournament."

Ash and I leaked a few tears before we embraced her. "Thanks, mom", my brother hummed against her bosom.

"I'll always do my best…", I nodded, relieved to feel her soothing warmth again.

XXXXXXXXXX

I sat in the locker room where Trainers waited for their turn to battle in the Victory Tournament. There was a television set up so we could watch our fellow Trainers' matches. Harrison had already won his match and Ash and Gary were almost done with only Charizard and Blastoise left in their teams.

I started feeling nervous the closer it got to my turn. Our friends helped us put together a team and I was thankful to them, especially Ritchie. He helped us practice new moves for our Pokémon until they perfected them. All that was left for me to do was to battle it all out against Darren and his Pokémon. Darren was actually the same person who ran with the Sacred Flame during the opening ceremony.

The announcer declared Ash the winner, advancing to the second round of the Victory Tournament, after Charizard defeated Blastoise. Which meant his next opponent was Harrison himself. I was proud of my brother, but I couldn't let him down by not advancing myself. Still, making it to Top 16 was quite an achievement.

A staff member poked into the locker room with a clipboard in his hand. "Trainer Ashley and Trainer Darren, you're up in five minutes!"

"Yes, sir!" both Darren and I called out.

I stood up from my seat and brushed invisible dirt off my lap. I breathed in and out a couple of times to calm my nerves down.

Darren walked to me and held out a friendly hand. "Let's have a great battle, Ashley."

I was a little nervous, but I still shook his hand. "T-Thank you. Let's do both our best."

We left the locker room and split up to get to both sides of the stadium. I caught up with Ash who embraced me as soon as I jumped into his arms. "You were amazing, Ash! You finally defeated Gary!"

"Yeah…", Ash nodded against my shoulder, tightening his hold on me. "I made quite the mistake of going all offensive at the beginning."

"But you recovered and changed strategy", I told him. "And that paid off."

"I guess", Ash laughed sheepishly. "Now, hurry and go! It's your battle now!"

"Right!" I nodded and rushed off.

I walked out to the field with Darren coming out from the other side with the crowd cheering both our names. "Ladies and gentlemen, it's time for the third battle of the first round of Victory Tournament between Trainer Ashley Josephine Ketchum and Trainer Darren Hart! Ashley's twin brother, Ashton, made it to the second round, so can she keep up with him? The wheel has decided they will battle on the grass field!"

The field was swiftly replaced by a grass field, greatly resembling the field they used in the Indigo Plateau Conference when Trainers had to win one battle on each type of field.

"Now the wheel will decide who will call their Pokémon out first! And it is…Darren Hart! What Pokémon will he send out?"

"I choose you, Hitmontop!" Darren yelled and called out his Pokémon.

"Hitmooo!" Hitmontop growled as he came out from his Poké Ball.

This was an easy choice for me. "It's show time, Lily!"

"Espeooon!" Lily howled as she landed on the grass with such grace. She flinched when Hitmontop growled aggressively at her, but she

"Darren starts the battle with Hitmontop and Ashley with Espeon! Anything could happen, so let's watch and cheer for both Trainers!"

The referee raised both bangs to commence the battle. "Let the third match of the first round of the Victory Tournament begin!"

"Hitmontop, use Agility!" Darren yelled.

"Lily, use Swift!" I shouted.

Hitmontop spun on the very tip of his head across the field, the claws on his feet mowing grass so they flew around him. Lily breathed out a shower of magical stars that flew after Hitmontop. He did his best to dodge them, but Swift was a move that would hit the target for certain so he couldn't outrun them for long.

"Hitmooon!" Hitmontop shrieked as he got hit by the stars and lost balance.

"Hitmontop, return!" Darren recalled his Pokémon and switched Poké Balls. "Go, Annihilape!"

An Annihilape pumped its muscles and glared angrily at Lily who wasn't fazed by her new opponent. "AnniiIIIII!"

"For those who don't know about Darren's new Pokémon, Annihilape is the evolution of Primeape, now being fighting and ghost type!"

I had seen that Pokémon while studying Darren, but I had a counterplan for it. "Lily, return! It's your turn, Luna!"

"Clefaiiiry!" Luna chirped eagerly as she replaced Lily.

"Ashley has also switched to Clefairy! What could her strategy be?"

"Your Clefairy stands no chance against Annihilape!" Darren grinned. "Annihilape, use Bulk Up!"

"Luna, use Cosmic Power!" I shouted.

Both Pokémon collected their inner energy to increase their stats and become much stronger for their next moves.

"Annihilape, use Cross Chop!" Darren yelled.

"Anniiihiiil!" Annihilape rushed toward Luna with its arms crossed and struck her. She was thrown up in the air, but she flipped backwards and landed on the ground with minimal damage.

"Huh?! Why is Clefairy still standing?" Darren wondered, very surprised that his Pokémon didn't knock her out instantly.

"Professor Oak told me something interesting yesterday", I spoke up. "Clefairies are actually not normal-type. They are fairy-type!"

"Fairy-type?!" Darren gasped.

"Luna, use Moonblast!" I shouted.

Luna was enveloped in a bright light as she gathered energy into a sphere above her. She then threw it at Annihilape who stood perfectly still like it was hypnotized.

"Annihilape, dodge it!" Darren panicked.

The Moonblast struck Annihilape in an explosion and when the smoke faded away, everyone saw the Pokémon was down and out after that single move.

The referee raised the green flag. "Annihilape is unable to battle! Clefairy wins!"

"Unbelievable! Clefairy defeated Annihilape with one single move!"

"Great job, Luna!" I praised her.

"Clefairy faairy!" Luna chirped happily.

Darren recalled his Pokémon and mumbled something to it before he switched Poké Ball. "Go, Shuckle!"

"Shuccckle!" Shuckle popped its head and limbs out of its red rock shell.

"Darren's third Pokémon is Shuckle! A weird matchup, but there could be a plan behind it."

Shuckle was a Pokémon very well known for its defense. Its endurance was going to be a problem, so my Pokémon had to chip its health down while there was an open window.

"Luna, use Psychic!" I shouted.

Luna's eyes glowed blue as she lifted Shuckle up in the air, making it flail about while levitating.

"Shuckle, Withdraw!" Darren yelled.

"Shuuck!" Shuckle withdrew its head and limbs into its shell just before Luna threw it down to the ground. I hoped it caused some sort of damage and lowered Shuckle's health.

"Quick, Luna! Use Moonlight to recover!" I shouted.

"Shuckle, use Toxic!" Darren yelled.

Luna chirped a melody while dancing around with her body glowing silver. However, Shuckle popped its head out and spat a large ball of sludge at her. Luna shrieked as sludge covered her face. She wiped as much as she could off, but her complexation quickly turned purple, a sign that she was badly poisoned.

"Shuckle, return! Go, Heracross!"

"Return, Luna! It's your turn, Lily!"

We both switched Pokémon before anything else could happen. "Ashley has called out her Espeon again while Darren picked his Heracross!"

"Lily, use Psybeam!" I shouted.

"Use Endure, Heracross!" Darren yelled.

Lily fired a colorful beam from her red jewel at Heracross. Heracross in turn curled itself and glowed red before it got hit by the super effective move. Smoke erupted from the blast, which made it hard both for me and Lily to see where the dual type Pokémon was.

"Heracross, Megahorn!" Darren yelled.

Before I could blink, a light of yellowish-greenish shot itself out from the smoke and struck Lily. She screeched in pain and crashed on the soft grass while Heracross landed in front of her. Its body was glowing greenish, which meant its ability Swarm was active.

"Lily, are you okay?!" I shouted worriedly.

"O-Oon…", Lily whimpered.

The referee inspected Lily's condition and raised the red flag. "Espeon is unable to battle! Heracross wins!"

"What a clever victory! Heracross took out Espeon with an instant hit with Megahorn after its ability Swarm activated thanks for enduring Psybeam!"

I recalled Lily and gave her Poké Ball a kiss before I switched to my next Pokémon. "You were amazing, Lily. Rest well. It's time to burn, Firered!"

"RAAAWR!" Firered roared when he entered the field, stomping to show Heracross he wasn't here to play games.

"Ashley's third Pokémon is Charizard! This one looks feisty, so Heracross might be in trouble!"

"Firered, use Flamethrower!" I shouted.

"Heracross, fly up!" Darren called.

Firered breathed fire toward the bug Pokémon, but Heracross quickly dodged it and flew up to the sky. "Fly after it, Firered!" I yelled.

"Rawr!" Firered flapped his wings and flew up to the same eye level as Heracross.

"Night Slash, Heracross!" Darren shouted.

"Heraaa!" Heracross growled and flew toward Firered with its horn glowing black again.

"Catch the horn with Metal Claw!" I yelled.

Firered made his claws glow with a metallic sheen before he caught Heracross before its horn could touch him. Heracross struggled to get free from his grip, but all the training in the Charicific Valley had made Firered much stronger than before.

"Flamethrower!" I shouted.

"Endure!" Darren panicked.

Firered breathed fire at Heracross that tried to shield itself from the heat, but it was useless getting hit by a move up close. Once the fire died down, Firered flew down to the ground and dropped a very scorched Heracross.

"Heracross!" Darren yelled worriedly.

"Heracross is unable to battle! Charizard wins!" the referee announced.

"That was a quick defeat of Heracross! It must be because Espeon had already weakened it much and Charizard finished the rest for its comrade!"

"Great job, Firered!" I smiled.

"Raawr!" Firered smiled.

Darren returned his Heracross to its Poké Ball and smiled sadly at it. After giving it a few reassuring words, he switched to another Pokémon. "It will not end like this, Ashley! Let's go, Poliwrath!"

"Poliwraaath!" Poliwrath growled and pumped its muscles when it was released.

"Poliwrath is Darren's fifth Pokémon! This gives Ashley an advantage knowing what Pokémon he has while three of her own Pokémon are still unknown!"

I raised Firered's Poké Ball and recalled him to switch to another Pokémon. "Return, Firered. Be ready for another battle. Go, Hikaru!"

"Ampharooos!" Hikaru bleated as his antennas and tail sparkled by his electricity.

"Ashley has switched to Ampharos! A great type matchup against Poliwrath, but this Poliwrath might be more than meets the eye!"

"Return, Poliwrath!" Darren switched Pokémon right away. "Go, Shuckle!"

"Shuuckle!"

"Darren switched to his Shuckle! Is he trying to make it use Toxic on Ashley's Pokémon again?"

"No, you won't!" I yelled, refusing to fall for that trap again. "Hikaru, cover Shuckle with Cotton Spore!"

"Shuckle, Withdraw!" Darren yelled.

Hikaru blew so much cotton that Shuckle was wrapped in a whole cushion. I hoped it was trapped and the cotton was so dense it couldn't spit any poison.

"Okay, use Thunderbolt now!" I shouted.

"AmpharOOOOOOS!" Hikaru fired a lightning bolt and electrocuted the cotton bush. I could barely hear Shuckle scream, but from the sound of it Thunderbolt was effective.

Darren recalled Shuckle, which caused all the cotton to disperse into nothing. "Return, Shuckle! Go, Hitmontop!"

"Hitmoon!" Hitmontop glared at Hikaru who bleated concernedly at the sight.

"Hitmontop is back, folks! And it seems ready for revenge after Espeon's Swift attack!"

"Hitmontop, use Agility!" Darren shouted.

"Charge up, Hikaru!" I shouted.

Hitmontop spun on his head again while going around Hikaru who gathered his energy to increase the power of his next electric move.

"Knock it down with Close Combat!"

"Attack with Thunderbolt!"

Hikaru bleated as he unleashed a perfect Thunderbolt at Hitmontop. Hitmontop didn't actually slow down, no. He kept spinning while being electrocuted by Hikaru. He struck my Pokémon with his outstretched legs and arms, throwing him into the barrier of the stadium.

"Hikaru!" I cried worriedly.

Hikaru slid down the barrier and landed on his back, twitching slightly by pain coursing through his body. "A-Ampha…"

"Ampharos is unable to battle! Hitmontop wins!" the referee announced, raising Darren's flag.

"This now evens the score between Ashley and Darren! It's still anyone's game, so Ashley has to be very careful with what Pokémon she picks next."

"You were awesome, Hikaru. Rest well", I praised him as I recalled him. However, I was feeling a little concerned. Hikaru was meant to be used against Darren's Poliwrath, but he got defeated much faster than I anticipated. Thankfully, I still had some strategies up my sleeve.

"I choose you, Rina!" I yelled as I threw her Poké Ball.

"Doooon!" Rina roared when she entered the field and stomped the ground.

"Ashley's fifth Pokémon is Nidoqueen! A questionable choice, but Nidoqueen seems eager to have a round!"

"Hitmontop, use Agility to get closer to Nidoqueen!" Darren called out.

"Stop Hitmontop with Earthquake, Rina!" I yelled.

Hitmontop jumped on his head and dashed around like a spinning-top toy in an attempt on getting closer to Rina. Rina jumped and stomped the ground so hard it quaked the whole stadium. Hitmontop lost his balance because of the quake and crashed on the ground.

"Hitmontop!" Darren shouted.

"Strike with Body Slam, Rina!" I yelled.

"Drrooon!" Rina leaped in the air and stretched her body out to properly land on Hitmontop so he wouldn't escape her weight.

"Counter, Hitmontop!" Darren yelled.

I had no idea if Hitmontop's Counter succeeded because Rina crash-landed on him one second after Darren yelled out his next command. Dust was thrown up at the impact so we were unable to see the result.

The dust was swiftly blown away by the wind and revealed a mashed Hitmontop stuck on the ground. Rina got off him with some bruises on her body. She didn't seem so tired so perhaps the Counter failed.

"Hitmontop is unable to battle! Nidoqueen wins!" the referee announced.

"Darren is the first to only have three Pokémon left! With this, we're taking a five minute intermission for Darren to re-strategize with his remaining Pokémon!"

I sat down on a bench behind me and studied my Poké Balls with my four remaining Pokémon after I recalled Rina. Among them, Luna was in the worse condition because she was badly poisoned. She was basically on a timer if I sent her out to battle. My sixth Pokémon was still a mystery to Darren and I wanted to keep it that way to surprise him.

My greatest concern wasn't Darren's last unknown Pokémon. It was Shuckle. It had such an amazing defense, but it was dangerous because of its Toxic move. I had a feeling that Darren was going to reply more on Shuckle now and poison every single one of my Pokémon minus Rina because she was immune to poison moves. If so, I had to make sure my Pokémon dealt some damage to Shuckle before Darren could switch it for another Pokémon.

A beep from the large monitor echoed across the stadium. It was time to continue the battle. This time, I felt a little more confident after reviewing my opponent's Pokémon. With this, I could probably still win if I played my cards right.

"It's time for the second half of our match! For a quick reminder, Ashley has four Pokémon remaining while Darren has three left! Which Pokémon will they choose now?"

Darren and I threw both our Poké Balls at the same time, refusing to wait for one another and get the upper hand of sending out a Pokémon with a type advantage.

"Go, Machamp!"

"I choose you, Firered!"

"Machaaaamp!"

"Raaawr!"

"Darren has chosen his last Pokémon, which is a Machamp, while Ashley has selected Charizard!"

"Firered, use Flamethrower!" I yelled.

"Raaawr!" Firered breathed a thick beam of fire that scorched the grass as it was aimed at his opponent.

"Machamp, counter with Thunder Punch!" Darren shouted.

Machamp struck the incoming Flamethrower with both right sparkling fists, splitting the flames apart without getting burned. I quickly realized Machamp was at the same time running toward Firered, so I had to act fast.

"Fly up, Firered!" I shrieked.

Firered sensed the incoming danger and swiftly took off to the sky. He made sure he was out of range for Machamp so it couldn't grab him by his tail and pull him down.

"Jump up and grab Charizard for Submission!" Darren shouted.

Machamp surprised us all by leaping so far up to the sky. It was inches away from grabbing Firered when I gave him my next commands. "Smokescreen!"

Firered breathed a thick cloud of smoke at Machamp, engulfing both of them. Machamp clearly got distracted as it landed on the ground while Firered flew in circles above it in a taunting way.

"Firered, Wing Attack!" I shouted.

Firered's wings glowed white before he dived toward Machamp who was busy cleaning its eyes after that surprise Smokescreen. Firered actually landed a hit, but then Machamp grabbed him with all four of its arms, immobilizing him.

"Vital Throw, Machamp!" Darren shouted.

"MacHAAAMP!" Machamp threw Firered to the ground like a sumo fighter. It didn't do much damage because fighting-type moves weren't effective against flying-type Pokémon, so Firered got up after he got thrown.

"Strike with multiple Thunder Punches, Machamp!"

"Flamethrower, Firered!"

Machamp made its four fists sparkle in electricity as it dashed toward Firered. Firered in turn breathed another thick fiery beam that engulfed the four-armed Pokémon. Machamp screamed in the middle of the inferno that sparkled thanks to the electric move. An explosion soon followed that threw Firered and Machamp to the ground.

"Firered, are you okay?!" I asked, not sure if Machamp managed to land a hit on him.

"G-Graawr…!" Firered growled as he pushed himself up on his feet.

"Machamp, can you keep fighting, buddy?" Darren asked.

Machamp attempted to get up with the help of its four arms, but it apparently had enough and fainted.

"Machamp is unable to battle! Charizard wins!" the referee called out.

"Ashley's Charizard swiftly took out Machamp! This leaves Darren with only Poliwrath and Shuckle left! Who will he choose against this mighty Charizard?"

Darren recalled his fallen Pokémon and threw another Poké Ball. "Go, Shuckle!"

"Shuuckle!"

"Return, Firered!" I swiftly recalled him and switched Pokémon. "Let's go again, Rina!"

"Nidooooh!" Rina shrieked as she was sent out for the second time.

"Both Trainers switched Pokémon at the same time!"

"I see", Darren smirked. "You don't want to let any of your Pokémon get poisoned."

"Maybe", I replied, not wanting to expose my plan. "Rina, use Aerial Ace!"

This was a new move I taught Rina yesterday with Ritchie's help. Rina ran toward Shuckle with her body surrounded in white streaks of energy. She aimed her horn at Shuckle who waited for its next commands.

"Shuckle, use Bide!" Darren yelled.

"Shuuckle!" Shuckle braced itself with its body glowing white. Even so, it got thrown into the wall after Rina struck its shell.

I bit my lip in frustration. Bide was move that made the user endure attacks and then struck back with double the damage it took. Aerial Ace was a neutral attack on Shuckle, but the damage was already done. Perhaps I could go offensive and deal more damage with the cost of Rina.

"Rina, use Body Slam!" I yelled.

Body Slam was a normal-type move and did very little to a rock-type Pokémon, so perhaps it could make the Bide move less powerful.

Rina dashed toward the glowing Pokémon and leaped up in the sky. She stretched out her body and slammed herself on Shuckle. She quickly jumped back as Shuckle now started glowing red, a sign it was about to launch Bide.

Like clockwork, Shuckle launched a white beam that engulfed Rina. She struggled to stay up, but she ended up getting knocked down on her back when the move was done.

"Rina, are you okay?!" I called worriedly.

"R-Roooh…!" Rina grunted as she slowly got up on her feet.

Darren aimed his Poké Ball at Shuckle and recalled it. "Return, Shuckle! Go, Poliwrath!"

"Pooli!" Poliwrath growled when it entered the field.

"The battle is getting intense for each minute! I'm on the edge of my seat, folks!"

"Poliwrath, use Hydro Pump!" Darren yelled.

"Use Protect, Rina!" I shouted.

Poliwrath fired a water beam from the middle of the swirl on its body at Rina. She put up a protective shield in time before she could get splashed by the water move.

"Earthquake, Rina!" I shouted.

"Dhooon!" Rina stomped the ground, making it quake beneath our feet. Poliwrath grunted as it felt the rumble and got down on one knee.

"Now! Aerial Ace!" I yelled, thinking there was an opening to attack.

Rina was enveloped in white energy streaks as she dashed toward Poliwrath. It seemed all would go well, but I was proven wrong.

"Rock Smash, Poliwrath!" Darren shouted.

Poliwrath was hit by Rina's Aerial Ace, but it returned the favor by striking her face with a thick fist. The made Rina dazed as she tried recovering from the surprise attack.

"Now, Hydro Pump!" Darren quickly yelled.

Before I could tell her to use Protect, Poliwrath struck her with a Hydro Pump so strong it threw her into the wall behind me. "Rina!" I shrieked worriedly as she collapsed.

"N-Nidoo…"

"Nidoqueen is unable to battle! Poliwrath wins!" the referee announced.

"After a surprise sucker punch, Poliwrath took out Nidoqueen with a strong Hydro Pump! This leaves Ashley with three Pokémon!"

I recalled Rina to her Poké Ball and gently caressed the surface. "You did your best, Rina. Take a good long rest. It's your turn now, Mystic!"

Mystic was released from his Poké Ball and chirped eagerly. "Togitiic!"

"Ashley has called out her sixth Pokémon which is a Togetic! A cute Pokémon, but it probably packs a punch!"

"Mystic, use Sweet Kiss!" I shouted.

"Dodge it and use Hypnosis, Poliwrath!" Darren called.

Mystic sent a flying kiss in the shape of a heart and an angel at Poliwrath who dodged it with ease. It then sent hypnotic waves from its swirl toward Mystic.

"Dodge and use Extrasensory!" I quickly shouted.

Mystic barely dodged the Hypnosis and launched a colorful psychic beam from his eyes. It struck Poliwrath head on and sent him flying into the wall, an act of revenge after hurting Rina.

"Poliwrath!" Darren shrieked.

"P-Poli…", Poliwrath grunted as it collapsed on the ground and made no efforts to get up.

"Poliwrath is unable to battle! Togetic wins!" the referee called out.

"What an incredible strike by Togetic! Now, the only obstacle left for Ashley is Darren's Shuckle! Can they break through its defense and advance to the second round of the Victory Tournament? Let's find out!"

The announcer was very much right. Shuckle was going to be the real challenge. I had no idea how much damage my other Pokémon had done to it so far, but I knew it was far from enough.

At this point, the best Pokémon against Shuckle was Firered, but I was going to save him for the last if Shuckle takes down Mystic and Luna.

Darren recalled his Poliwrath and switched to his final Pokémon. "It's up to you now, Shuckle! Go get them!"

Shuckle landed on the ground after it was sent out, growling angrily. "Shuuckle!"

"Mystic, use Sweet Kiss!" I shouted.

"Dodge with Withdraw, Shuckle!" Darren yelled.

Mystic loudly blew a kiss in the shape of a heart with tiny angels flying around it. Shuckle withdrew into its shell just before the Sweet Kiss came in contact. The heart split apart with a smooch sound, but I had no idea if it worked.

Shuckle poked its head out with a mischievous grin. That was proof enough it didn't get confused as I had hoped.

"Nice try, Ashley! Shuckle, use Rock Slide!" Darren shouted.

"Dodge them, Mystic!" I yelled.

Shuckle summoned multiple boulders in the sky above Mystic before they rained upon him. He flew in a zig-zag motion dodging them so they fell on the ground.

"Attack with Ancient Power!" I yelled.

"Bide, Shuckle!" Darren shouted.

Now it was Mystic's turn summoning boulders with fossils sticking out from them. He threw them at Shuckle that began glowing in preparation for a counterattack. Ancient Power was super effective against Shuckle, so I feared it made lots of damage.

"Mystic, use Charm!" I panicked.

Mystic flew a little closer at Shuckle who opened its eyes. Mystic winked charmingly at his opponent, tiny hearts flying from his eyelid. Shuckle blushed and even chuckled sheepishly, almost forgetting it was preparing a Bide.

"Attack, Shuckle! Don't get distracted!" Darren yelled.

"Dodge it quick, Mystic!" I shouted.

Shuckle snapped out of its trance and launched a massive beam of light. Mystic tried flying away, but he got engulfed by the light screaming in pain. I watched horribly at the scene, fearing for the worst.

Mystic landed on the ground after he fell from the dissipating light. He was covered in bruises, but he was still awake. "Mystic, are you okay?!"

"T-Togi…!" Mystic growled as he flew up with the little energy he had left.

"That's quite a stubborn Togetic", Darren said. "Shuckle, use Toxic!"

"Sweet Kiss, Mystic!"

Both Pokémon launched their moves, one firing a bunch of toxic bombs and another sweet hearts. The moves flew past each other and struck the other Pokémon. That resulted with Mystic getting badly poisoned and Shuckle confused.

"Both Pokémon are affected by status conditions! Togetic is badly poisoned and Shuckle got confused! I'm more worried about Togetic because it's on a time limit!"

"I believe in you, Mystic! Land one final Ancient Power on Shuckle!"

"Shuckle, use Bide!"

Despite his terrible condition, Mystic summoned a new set of boulders and threw them at Shuckle, almost burying it alive. I couldn't even see its red and white shell among the boulders.

Mystic flinched when he got affected by the poison, his complexion turning dark purple. "T-Tic…"

I didn't want to see him suffer anymore, so I made a drastic decision. "Mystic, return! Go, Luna! Use Cosmic Power as much as you can!"

Luna jumped out of her Poké Ball, her complexion also a little purple, but not as terrible as Mystic. She immediately began glowing as she was enveloped in cosmic light. I prayed her defense was strong enough to endure Shuckle's Bide.

A large white beam blew itself through the Ancient Power boulders and engulfed Luna. She shrieked as she bounced backwards until she came to a stop meters from me. "Are you okay, Luna?"

"C-Clefairy…", Luna nodded before she forced herself up, coughing out some purple bubbles. The damage done by Bide this time was much smaller than before. Perhaps it was thanks to Mystic's Charm and Luna's Cosmic Power.

Seeing Luna coughing out poison made me frustrated with myself. I couldn't bear watching her or Mystic battle anymore. It was time to finish this!

"Luna, return!" I recalled her and threw Firered's Poké Ball. "Avenge your friends, Firered!"

"Graaawr!" Firered roared as he replaced Luna, snorting smoke from his nostrils.

"Ashley has switched to her Charizard. Is she getting ready to defeat Shuckle now?"

"Shuckle, use Rock Slide!" Darren yelled.

"S-Shuckle…", Shuckle mumbled as it crawled out from the boulders it had crushed with Bide. Its movement revealed it was still under confusion. Before we knew it, it smashed its head onto the ground.

"Shuckle, snap out of it!" Darren yelled.

"Flamethrower, Firered! Max power!" I yelled, determined to end this long battle.

Firered breathed a thick beam of fire that engulfed poor Shuckle. Shuckle shrieked as it fought against the heat. Firered pushed himself and expanded his Flamethrower until the grass was caught on fire. Thankfully, the fire didn't spread as my Pokémon finished the attack.

Shuckle sat immobilized, but its entire body was scorched. It coughed a tiny puff of smoke before it collapsed, making everyone in the stadium let out a unanimous gasp.

Darren and I waited for the referee to make his decision about Shuckle's condition. My heart drummed in my chest as he raised the green flag. "Shuckle is unable to battle! Charizard wins!"

"There you have it, folks! Ashley and her Pokémon are moving on to the second round of the Victory Tournament! A huge reward after defeating Darren's Shuckle's indestructible defense!"

The crowd exploded into cheers and applauds as I stood still processing the news. "I… I did it… I made it to the next round!"

I rushed to Firered and gave him a huge hug. "You and everyone were amazing, Firered! Thank you and congratulations!"

Firered embraced me with his arms and lifted me up making me laugh at his joyful smile. He even licked my face as we celebrated our victory. For the first time, I made it to Top 8. Maybe I could make it even further now?

XXXXXXXXXX

Ashley's party:

Lily the Espeon (female)

Luna the Clefairy (female)

Firered the Charizard (male)

Hikaru the Ampharos (male)

Rina the Nidoqueen (female)

Mystic the Togetic (male)

XXXXXXXXXX

Ashley's Pokémon at the Lab:

Wanda the Gyarados (female)

Aria the Lapras (female)

Kobra the Arbok (male)

Poseidon the shiny Gyarados (male)

Queendra the Kingdra (female)

Cedric the Tyranitar (male)

Victor the Houndoom (male)

Trica the Furret (female)

Axel the Scyther (male)

Sora the Dragonair (female)

Hunter the Aerodactyl (male)

Oliver the Vileplume (male)

Volt the Jolteon (male)

XXXXXXXXXX

Ashley's roaming Pokémon:

Crystal the Suicune (genderless)

XXXXXXXXXX

Ash's party:

Tauros (male)

Heracross (male)

Muk (male)

Bayleef (female)

Snorlax (male)

Charizard (male)

XXXXXXXXXX

Ash's Pokémon at the Lab:

Kingler (male)

Poliwrath (male)

Wartortle (male)

Shiny Noctowl (male)

Dudunsparce (male)

Pikachu (male)

Cyndaquil (male)

Croconaw (male)

Phanpy (male)

Larvitar (male)

Ivysaur (male)

XXXXXXXXXX

Ash's roaming Pokémon:

Entei (genderless)

XXXXXXXXXX

Misty's party:

Staryu (genderless)

Psyduck (male)

Togepi (female)

Politoed (male)

Lanturn (female)

Corsola (female)

XXXXXXXXXX

Misty's Pokémon in the Cerulean Gym:

Goldeen (female)

XXXXXXXXXX

Brock's party:

Geodude (male)

Onix (male)

Crobat (male)

Forretress (male)

Magcargo (male)