Johto Chapter 28
July 29th
"Oops" Nia said laughing as she watched the match on the TV at her parents house in Saffron City "I'm guessing he didn't know he could be heard eh?"
"I would guess not" Sarah said shaking her head before looking over at her husband who was crying with laughter at the comment "It wasn't that funny."
"Yeah it was" he said wiping a tear from his eyes "the fact he's not wrong doesn't help either."
"She's quite pretty" Sarah said looking back at the TV to see Clair getting redder as the crowd laughed "well, when her face doesn't look like a smacked arse that is."
That was all it took for her husband and daughter to burst out laughing.
"Welcome everyone to the battle between Gym Leader Clair Blackthorn and Kanto Champion Ash Ketchum for the Rising Badge. This battle will be five on five, singles battle with no substitutions allowed for both sides, one Mega Evolution each and the move limit in place. Do either participants have any questions?" The referee asked from his box.
"Is he wearing eyeliner?" Pikachu asked Ash who leaned forward in his box and peered at the man from where he stood who grew uncomfortable at the Kanto Champion leaning forwards to look at him.
"I think you're right, he is wearing eyeliner Pikachu" Ash said much to the audience's amusement and the horror of the referee.
It took a good ten minutes for Nia and her family to pull themselves together only to burst out laughing again at Ash who put his foot in his mouth again within the eyeliner comment.
"That is enough!" Clair shouted losing her cool "Not only do you come into my city and try and get into Dragons Den, but you then insult my ancestor and then my referee! Have you no shame?"
"Whoa, hang on old lady" Ash said, creating a visible tic over her right eye "For one I landed outside Dragons Den to get a look at the names. The architecture was incredible and I wanted a closer look. At no point did I try to get in. Secondly I don't know who your ancestor is so you'll have to explain that one and lastly Pikachu asked me a question, and given the referee is thirty feet away I had to guess the answer."
"My ancestor is Richard Blackthorn, the very first Dragon Master." she replied haughtily, drawing her blue cape around her as she did so.
"Oh not that bollocks again" Ash said shaking his head and ignoring the gasps of outrage from the citizens of Blackthorn. "Just because you write something on a tomb does not make it fact. There have been several conflicting documents found over the years, each countering the claim of the world's first Dragon Master, and given Richard didn't actually have a single Dragon on his team I'd say his claim isn't that great."
"What on earth do you mean?" Clair screeched leaning over the barrier "Of course he had Dragons. He was a Dragon Master!"
"Name his Pokémon," Ash said, folding his arms and raising an eyebrow at her.
"Seadra" Clair said
"Not a Dragon" Ash countered "It's a Water type. Next?"
"Charizard" she said.
"Again, not a dragon" Ash replied "it's a fire/flying type. Only upon Mega evolution does it gain Dragon characteristics, a development which is only a decade old, therefore unavailable to Richard. Any more?"
"Gyarados" she said angrily.
"Water/Flying" Ash said "not a dragon. You, as a Dragon trainer should know that subsets of Dragon types are only allowed because there are so few pure Dragon types in the world. Having Dragon characteristics does not make it a Dragon type. I myself have several Pokémon who could probably get away with being called a dragon type despite not being one, that doesn't make it the truth though. At least Emperor Tsung had a Gabite in his team, your ancestor didn't have one hence his claim being less stronger to me. Anyway I'm not here to argue with you over which document is correct, or who was the first to do something. I'm here to win the badge and then sweep the League. So shall we get on with it?"
Lance watched on with growing irritation. He was already angry with Ash for spurning his G-Men, he was further annoyed when Clair rang him to tell him about what Ash said in the museum and then having to have a conversation with the head of Silph over televising Ash's battle without asking them, despite him not needing to had left him brooding angrily. So hearing Ash disparage his ancestor on national TV left him raging. It didn't matter to Lance if Ash was technically right, after all he himself had three Pokémon in his team that shouldn't really be classed as dragons, the fact is Ash should keep his opinions to himself.
"Oh dear" Lorelei said, smirking from her couch and looking over at a visibly angry Lance who had visited them to try and get their opinion on Ash "someone's not happy."
"Can you blame me?" Lance said standing up and starting to pace "after everything I've done for him, and he treats me like this?"
"What have you done for him?" Bruno asked, looking over at him as Hailee bounced on his knee.
"Lots" came the surly reply "I could have had him arrested and placed in jail many times but I chose not to. I helped him out with the Aerodactyl he revived, I even gave him his Salamence as a Bagon. I backed him up against the Orange League board dispute, I've vouched for his character on TV several times. Over the years I've turned a blind eye to many of his antics but no more. He's out of credit with me now."
"First of all there's nothing you can prove that would see him placed in jail" Lorelei said raspberrying Satoshi getting a squeal of delight from him "secondly it's the law that Ash had to hand over the Aerodactyl given he was a rookie trainer, a Pokémon he stated he didn't want in the first place I might add and one we noticed you put straight onto your team immediately after he handed it over. You gave him the Bagon in exchange, so that could be seen as a trade. With the Orange League he was in the right, you backing him up meant nothing ultimately. His character is what it is, he'd be the first person to tell you he isn't perfect but there's very little he says that he can't back up with proof. Nothing he has just said was a lie, you're just angry that someone finally said what a lot of people have been thinking for years."
"About my ancestor?" Lance asked, glaring at her.
"Take that look from your face before I slap it off" Bruno warned pointing a big meaty hand at his long time friend "what she means is that many people have long since debated whether having a Pokémon that acts or could be a Dragon type but isn't should be allowed on a team of Dragons or even talked about in the same vein. Seadra isn't a Dragon, neither is Gyarados or Aerodactyl yet because they have dragons blood distantly in their ancestry that's supposedly enough to end the debate. It's not right in my opinion but my opinion doesn't matter on this as I'm not the one that makes the rules."
"If I got rid of those that weren't pure Dragon I wouldn't have a full team" Lance said grimacing as he sat down on a stool "even as a Dragon Master I'm limited by how many I can control. Their nature is destructive, they crave power and they'll stop at nothing to get it. Not many people know this but all Dragon trainers are basic aura users. We can all to some degree activate it, not on the scale of a guardian or anything like that but we have slightly more access to aura than normal trainers. The Dragons we capture actively leech it from us, daily. It's a steady drain that most wouldn't feel if they only had one, but any more than three and it becomes an issue. To counter that we need other Pokémon to balance out the aura sharing. There will never be a master with more than four different species of Dragon types on their team. It's why they're classed as the most volatile type. They will stop at nothing to keep a power source that is full of aura and will jealously guard any trainer that can give them their fix. How Ash has stopped them from swarming him while he's in the Blackthorn Valley I don't know."
"He can disable it" Hailee said getting down from her dads knee and picking up Riolu from the floor and giving him a cherry "It's one of the first things he and Mister Lucario taught me to do. Regulating your aura is very important as using too much can kill a person, walking through Olivine with Mummy is very hard at times because there's so many people and so many minds open to me but mummy and daddy say it's good practice. Uncle Ash has told us stories of how he switches his aura off when entering cities to not become over..over…"
"Overwhelmed" Lorelei said nodding at her daughter who nodded happily.
"That" she said brightly looking up before tilting her head at Lance "that's not why you're mad at Uncle Ash though."
"No, it's not" he said as the reason came back to him and he frowned "I can't believe he's being this selfish. The G-Men do a lot of good for the world, how can he not see that?"
"You're lucky he even entertained the thought to start with and hasn't been hostile from the get-got" Melanie said changing Lizzies diaper on the counter-top behind them "or are you forgetting it was because of Red going on the mission in Viridian that cost him ten years with Delia and Ash."
"Ah yeah I did forget that" Lance said wincing.
"Well I can only deal with one Wataru spitting their dummy out today," she said putting a fresh one in her daughter's mouth "so perhaps you can keep hold of yours, at least for the time being?"
"Ouch" Bruno mouthed over to Lorelei who silently giggled before kissing her son on his belly again.
"Who do you think will win this match then?" Lorelei asked.
"Ash" came the response from everyone at once making her look round in surprise at Lance. "Clair has yet to beat me in battle and Ash has" he said shrugging his shoulders "only the fact Ash is without half his Kanto Championship team gives Clair any chance here but given the training Ash does on a daily basis, training which puts us all to shame really and it's an outside chance at best. Obviously I'm rooting for Clair but given Ash has already gotten under her skin, and she's prone to losing when angry it's Ash's match to lose."
"Champion Ash, please release your first Pokémon. Leader Clair, you will do the same."
Ash looked over the stadium and observed the pitch, not that it was one as it was a huge pool with pontoons sparingly placed.
"Kingdra, you're up" Clair shouted as her Seahorse Pokémon appeared in a cloud of ink that quickly dispersed and oozed outwards across the pool. 'So that's her game' Ash thought as he threw his first Pokémon out.
"And Ash leads with… Suicune" the commentator said quietly.
"Calm yourself Suicune" Ash said feeling her agitation at being surrounded by people and began to focus on the calming aura Ash was sending her way. Eventually she opened her eyes and focused on her opponent and was sending a wave of calm aura out herself. She could do this.
"Kingdra vs Suicune begin" the referee shouted.
"A Suicune?" Clair asked, getting over her shock "I thought you didn't like people using Legendaries."
"Normally I wouldn't but given your Kingdra poisoned the water before we even began I decided to use a Pokémon who instantly purifies any water she lands on." Ash said, pointing to the black water that was beginning to spread around the pool that seemed to mysteriously halt as it got within twenty feet of Suicune. "I wonder how many people lost to you and wondered why their Pokémon started to become majorly fatigued or ill because you cheated to start with?"
"I did not cheat." she said looking furious.
"Ok I'll do you a deal then" Ash said "let Suicune clean the water and I'll forfeit her from battle so we can have a fair match."
The audience looked on in shock at finding out Clair often gained a secret advantage in battle by sending Kingdra out first and having him poison the water.
"And have you be a Pokémon down to start with and be called a cheat?" she sneered, "I think not."
"Fine, your loss Freeze Dry Suicune" he said as his Aurora Pokémon leaped forwards at great speed and circled around Kingdra creating a small cyclone of frigid mist that made Kingdra cry out in pain before he ducked under the water to escape.
"And Ash starts off with a powerful Freeze Dry to do significant damage" the commentator said "Kingdra has it all to do."
Clair grit her teeth at seeing the move hit her Pokémon but knew Kingdra had to think on his own with this one and was thankful when he ducked under the water to escape. Looking around though she growled when she realised that as Suicune used her attack she purified the majority of the water as she ran across it, so much so that the tiny amount of ink left around the edges wouldn't impact the battle in any way.
"Surface and use Smokescreen" Clair shouted as her seahorse quickly leaped out of the pool and covered his area with smoke.
"Gust" Ash said "get rid of it."
Clair could only shake her head in frustration as Ash countered her move. Usually the set up she did with Kingdra won the battle before it even began but seeing the smoke drift away and dissipate from Suicune using her ribbons to redirect what little wind there was in the bowl. Her Kingdra didn't have many moves he could use to win this one as she usually relied on attrition.
"Dragon Dance" she commanded, wanting to get as big an advantage as she could to try and win this one. She hated being schooled in battle and the fact the eyes of the world were on her too made this fight that much more important. "Extremespeed" he shouted knowing he only had one more move left but given Suicune wasn't going to win the entire battle he wasn't too bothered.
Charging forwards Suicune raced across the water towards her foe determined to win a battle. She would never live it down with her family if she lost her first official battle, even if she hadn't trained that much with Ash. She just hoped the training she had done with Sneasel over the past few weeks was enough to make her at least put up a good fight. As she neared her opponent he managed to finish off his power up and ducked under the water, not a moment too soon either as another two seconds later and she'd have hit him. Growling she slowed and circled around and slowed to a trot walking back towards Ash, keeping an eye on her opponent who she could see crystal clear in the pool. One of the benefits of being her was when she cleared impurities from water she cleared everything including chlorine so the water was now as clear as glass.
"Dragonbreath" Clair shouted knowing she had to start doing some damage to Suicune or they'd just be looking at each other for hours.
"Take it" Ash said as she looked confused at him. He nodded to her to reassure her as Kingdra burst out of the water in front of her and a chartreuse beam of energy sprayed from his mouth and hit her causing her a lot of pain. Clair cheered inwardly at Ash's mistake, why someone would let their Pokémon take a hit like that baffled her. After ten seconds the move began to die down and Kingdra started to descend.
"Now Suicune, Mirror Coat" Ash shouted much to Clairs horror. That was exactly why he let the move hit and she could only watch on in shock as a bright purple energy seeped from Suicune's body and in a flash raced across the ten feet distance smashing into Kingdra who was sent flying into the wall of the pool where he was embedded into the wall.
The crowd that was silent at seeing a Legendary take a hit like that suddenly as one rose to their feet cheering when she countered and won.
"Kingdra is unable to battle, Suicune wins. Clair, please send out your second Pokémon." the referee said.
"And just like that she's down one Pokémon" Lance said shaking his head "she should have taken his offer because she could always have poisoned the water with a legitimate move afterwards like Toxic and still been a Pokémon up. She seems to have forgotten in her anger that Ash is a Champion for a reason."
"She thinks he's arrogant," Bruno said, nodding.
"She's always been like that though" Lance said "ever since she was made Clan leader, she's underestimated everyone because she's full of her own self-importance. I can get having confidence in yourself, but she takes it to the extreme. It's one of the reasons I wished I never had to give it up. And Ash is arrogant, let's not pretend he's not."
"He trusts his Pokémon" Lorelei said "and they trust him to know what he's doing. Suicune has only been part of his team for a few weeks and she trusted him to take a direct attack like that knowing he had something in mind. It worked."
"He did the same in the match with Blue and it nearly cost him the victory" Lance said "he had the match sewn up when Blue was down to just Arcanine and Blastoise but he foolishly let Arcanine nearly beat his Gyarados. Red would have wiped the floor with him after that had it been him he was battling and it seems Ash hasn't learned that lesson yet. It was foolish to let Suicune take that hit, even if he did end the match a move later."
"And Clair sends out her Gyarados" the commentator said, drawing their attention back to the screen.
"Gyarados vs Suicune, Begin" the referee said.
"Wait" Ash said, holding up Suicune's ball and recalling her "I forfeit Suicune."
"Why would you do that?" Clair asked, perplexed. She had never come across anyone like Ash before. Not only was he obnoxious but now he forfeits his Pokémon and denies her a victory against a Legendary.
"Because I can" he said smirking as he released his next Pokémon who landed on one of the platforms.
"Gyarados vs Flaaffy begin" the referee shouted.
"Really?" Flaaffy said "a Gyarados. Couldn't you make it more exciting for me."
"I know it's only a Gyarados but her big hitters are coming up soon so get through this one and you could be in luck" Ash said making Clair irate.
"Hyper Beam" she screeched at hearing what he said "don't let up."
Ash just chuckled as Flaaffy yelped and began to leap from platform to platform to avoid the constant sprays of Hyper Beams. It was about five minutes later that Gyarados stopped, panting harshly with exertion, looking spent.
Flaaffy on the other hand was on a platform looking slightly tired "Thunder" Ash said smirking at Clair who realised what she'd done. Sadly for her Gyarados it didn't have much time to react before thousands of volts of electricity coursed through its body. "Gyarados is unable to battle, Flaaffy wins" the referee said much to the enjoyment of the fans. Clair though grit her teeth as she recalled her Gyarados, she was counting on him to get through at least one of Ash's Pokémon but her own temper had cost her there, badly.
"Told you" Bruno said "she's underestimating who Ash is and it's cost her two Pokémon. She needs to get her head sorted or she'll be breezed past here."
"Her Gyrados is strong though so to take it out in one hit is some going" Lance said. "He was exhausted and couldn't move" Lorelei put in "I'd wager even your Gyarados would struggle to survive that one."
"Leader Clair, please send out your next Pokémon" the referee shouted.
"Lets go Dragonair" Clair said, throwing out her next Pokémon cousin Ash some confusion.
"She's using her main as her third choice?" Pikachu asked also confused.
"No," Ash said "I think she has a few of them. We'll find out soon anyway. Flaaffy, use Cotton Guard."
Immediately Flaaffy began doing something very strange. He focused very hard and soon bits of hair started to form around his body in patches of wool until a few seconds later he looked more like his pre-evolved form Mareep.
"Dragonbreath" Clair shouted as her Pokémon's gem started to glow and from her mouth a very familiar chartreuse beam headed for Flaaffy who pirouetted out of the way letting the attack pass by him. He had to move quickly though as Dragonair started to move her head and follow him and while he had trained a lot while under the effects of Cotton Guard he was still a lot slower than he usually would be so it wasn't long before he was clipped and sent into the water where his wool began to thicken and he began to sink.
"Get out of there Flaaffy, shed the wool. It's too much of a hindrance in the water." Ash shouted as his sheep struggled to climb onto the pontoon but not before flattening himself as much as he could as another Dragonbreath streaked overhead. "Good, Ash shouted. Now, he's on your four, use Dazzling Gleam."
"Move Dragonair" Clair shouted at the unexpected move as Flaaffy stood up and shook himself sending wool flying from his body. Lining up his opponent he focused again and his eyes began to glow a strange pink colour and a brief pink flash stunned the Dragon type before it went crashing into the water where he swam down to the bottom to try and recover from the very painful move.
"And the Dazzling Gleam hits Dragonair for a very super effective attack. Very little is known about this strange move other than it hits everything in sight as long as there isn't a barrier in between." the commentator shouted down the microphone.
Ash watched as his Pokémon was on the platform shedding the last of his wool when he noticed Dragonair was trying to stealthily move underneath the platform. Ash couldn't do anything but chuckle at the attempt causing Flaaffy to look up and then to where Ash was pointing.
"You realise Clair that Suicune cleared the entire pool so we can see your Dragonair moving, right?" Ash asked, leaning forwards against the balcony shaking his head "Flaaffy, Thunder again on the pool."
"Get out of there" Clair said, panicking. Her Dragonair though couldn't hear her very well due to being ten feet underwater but he soon felt the electricity coarse through him and he picked up speed breaking through the water landing on a platform just in front of Clair looking very nearly done in.
"You're lucky" Ash said to her confusion "Suicune clearing the pool has an unintended side effect that she can't control. When she purifies any water she gets rid of literally everything that could be in there so all that is left is pure water. Pure water's conductivity level is very low. Had she not cleaned the water you would be down another Pokémon, as it is it can barely stand."
Clair looked over and noticed Ash was right. Her Dragonair was very nearly spent. "Can you continue Dragonair?" Dragonair looked up and growled before starting to low a bright white light as he began to expand and bulk up significantly, wings sprouting from his back as he did so. Ash shook his head in disbelief at the evolution, so many people had evolved against him over the years to the point he wondered if all he needed to do was walk past them and it would happen. "Dragonite" Clair said looking very happy "we can win this!"
"Wait" Ash said "you can't seriously be considering fighting with him."
"Why not?" she asked, smirking "scared." "Of your lack of intelligence, yes" Ash said looking irritated. "I was talking about this to Lance the other day when those bastards forced the Magikarp to evolve at the Lake of Rage. Evolution changes a Pokémon and not just in looks. Their brain needs to be given time to adjust to their new way of thinking, the new amount of power their body holds and the fact they are physically different. All those Gyarados died because the forced evolution fried their brains and they couldn't cope. Battling with a newly evolved Pokémon can be extremely hazardous to your Pokémon's health."
"I trust my Pokémon," Clair began to say.
"It's not about your trust in your Pokémon but their trust in you!" Ash said angrily "you could do serious harm to your Pokémon if you carry on without giving him time to adjust."
"Enough of this" Clair said "Dragon Rush" Dragonite nodded and sped towards Flaaffy who had listened to the conversation with disgust at Clair. Seeing her Dragonite listen to her made him shake his head in sadness as he briefly glowed pink and the wave of Fairy energy hit again sending Dragonite sprawling back into the water. Flailing around Dragonite eventually righted himself looking very hurt from the move but just as he was about to fly he was hit with the same move and blessedly blacked out.
"You're a disgrace to the name Pokémon Trainer" Ash spat in disgust at Clair who didn't even have the grace to look ashamed "and if I was the Johto Champion I would have sacked you on the spot. You're bloody lucky Lance is your boss. Now send out your next Pokémon."
"I won't be chastised by someone like you" she said recalling her beaten Dragonite "I have been a trainer a lot longer than you, I know what my Pokémon can and cannot do."
"I'm not interested in your babble" Ash said, cutting her off "send out your next Pokémon. I suddenly have the need to have a shower."
"Fine" she said acidly "Dragonair, to the Battlefield."
"Oh dear" Lorelei said shaking her head and looking at Lance who looked murderous "are you ok?"
"No" he said angrily before walking outside and making a phone call.
"Who do you think he's calling?" Bruno asked.
"Likely the Elders at the Den" Melanie said picking up her daughter and cooing at her "I think she may have just lost the Elder Status."
"Sadly I don't think she will" Lance said walking back in "I'm not Ash's biggest fan right now but what he said was right. For years I've tried to push that rule through about forfeiting Pokémon that evolved mid-battle because of the very reasons he stated. She'll likely keep her status because it's not a law, therefore not illegal. It will be illegal in Kanto after the next League though. Sam and Giovanni have pushed that one through over the last few days after speaking with the Johto Board and telling them Ash's position on the matter. I'm hoping Johto will follow suit soon, especially when the report about the Lake of Rage is published but the board are dragging their feet for some reason."
"That's her main Pokémon right?" Pikachu asked.
"Yeah, I think she's hoping to sweep from here." Ash replied "it's not going to happen though. Flaaffy use Thunder"
"Dodge!" Clair said as her dragon twisted in mid air and the attack went through her coils "Dragon Rush".
"Dazzling Gleam" Ash shouted as the pink flash swept across the stadium again gaining a pained cry from Dragonair as she was sent into the water. "Now, use Thunder"
"Surf" Clair shouted as the water heaved and rose up sending it crashing over Flaaffy sending him into the pool. "Now use Extremespeed she shouted knowing the battle was over."
"Flaaffy, we've lost this but use Thunder on the water you're in" Ash shouted seeing Dragonair rapidly approach. Clair grit her teeth at the last minute play knowing Dragonair couldn't get out of the way in time as she ploughed into Flaaffy and drove him further into the water but not before wincing as the electricity coursed through her. Ash raised his Pokéball and recalled his sheep Pokémon and grinned. Pulling out his third Pokémon he looked at the ball for a few seconds contemplating whether he should use it.
"Get on with it Ketchum" Clair said looking at him hungrily "don't be scared now."
"Scared isn't the word I'd have used" he said placing the ball back onto his belt and throwing out a different one as his huge Gyarados landed sending a big wave of water over the arena, thankfully for the audience the walls were so big no one was even remotely close to being drenched.
"Dragonair vs Gyarados, begin" the referee shouted.
"Extremespeed" Clair shouted after recovering from seeing such a huge Dragon in her stadium. She of course knew Ash had a Gyarados, everyone did but to see it in person was still awe inspiring.
"Dive Princess, get underwater and then use Rain Dance" Ash said as his huge Gyarados dove and then used her huge tail to launch herself out of the water and into the air where she sent a huge ball of condensed water into the sky. The air soon became heavy as the clouds quickly covered the arena and it wasn't long before huge drops of rain started falling creating a veritable storm that seemed to be centred on the pool. "Thunderbolt" Clair shouted seeing Ash had created the perfect scenario for her. After all everyone knew the rain conducted electricity and Rain Dance was the perfect set-up. "You know what to do Princess" Ash said confidently.
Clair could only look on in disbelief as the Gyarados bit herself and electrocuted herself and as the Thunderbolt from Dragonair hit her she didn't even flinch.
"What the hell?" Clair asked as her dragon stopped in shock.
"Blizzard" Ash said as Gyarados stopped biting herself and looked up. Focusing she breathed in and using the rain as a focus she breathed out and a huge snowstorm escaped from her mouth. Dragonair panicked and dove underwater to escape from the move and soon the pool stopped moving as a huge layer of snow and sleet coated it.
"Chase her Princess, do not let her escape!" Gyarados nodded and dove through the snow and ice leaving a hole that while colossal in size was still nowhere near enough to let anyone see what was happening underwater. All people could see for the next few minutes was flashes of yellow and blue as both Dragonair and Gyarados waged war on each other. Ash was shocked to figure out that Dragonair was very near Gyarados' equal in terms of power and was seemingly giving as good as she got. A few minutes later a very scuffed up Dragonair broke through the water and landed on the snow near Clair.
"Is it over?" Clair asked the referee looking over at him.
The referee just shrugged before looking over at Ash. "Twister" Ash said, looking down at the water. The crowd looked on in wonder as the snow and sleet started to turn in a clockwise motion from underneath the pool until it quickly began to pick up speed and soon a massive whirlpool formed drawing in the bits of ice that had formed. Clair was thankful that her Pokémon hovered above the water and wasn't sitting inside or she'd have certainly been caught up in this. She cried out in shock though when the whirlpool reached maximum speed and shot upwards in a straight line creating a massive snowstorm where bits of ice was sent flying in every direction. The crowd was very lucky that every Gym had Alakazams on site to protect the public if they felt they needed them. Clair was very thankful as the psychic barrier took an absolute battering from the sleet and pool water but it was nothing compared to what her Dragonair took. When it finally died down and the water fell in one go creating a huge wave Dragonair was lost to the crowd and everyone watching at home. The rain water had muddied up the once crystal clear pool, the snow and ice had certainly not helped with the visibility either and the pool now looked like the waters around the Arctic.
Gyarados popped her head up from the water and waited for her opponent to surface looking extremely beat up. Ash had considered not using Princess seeing as she was still recovering from the battle at the Whirl Islands but he had promised her a battle and so far she had more than delivered. He knew though in his head she wasn't battling whoever Clair chose as her last Pokémon. To his surprise Dragonair popped her head out of the water looking exhausted, she wasn't even floating anymore like her kind usually do, instead she slithered on top of the water looking like the water snake she was.
"Can you still battle Dragonair?" Clair asked, looking worried. Dragonair cooed back to her before focusing on Gyarados and the stadium was once again hit with a bright white light as Dragonair evolved.
"Oh for Arceus' sake" Ash said, running a hand down his face at yet another Pokémon evolving while facing him. As the light died down Ash wondered what else could go wrong when Dragonite glared at Gyarados before closing his eyes and falling back first into the water.
"Dragonite is unable to battle, Gyarados wins. Clair, please send out your final Pokémon." the referee shouted over the crowd.
"I forfeit Gyarados" Ash said to the referee "she's still not fully recovered from a few weeks ago but I promised her a battle, one she won so she isn't taking part anymore."
"Very well, Champion Ash please select your fourth Pokémon, Leader Clair send out your final one." the referee said.
"My last hope" Clair said throwing a ball and releasing a very familiar looking Pokémon that landed on a broken pontoon, struggling to gain its footing.
Ash chuckled as he plucked the previous ball from his belt and released his.
"Charizard vs Charizard" the referee shouted.
"I was told he wasn't part of your team anymore" Clair said looking worried at the very vicious looking fire dragon that was hovering silently looking at his counterpart before it landed on one of the pontoons that had survived the Twister. Clair looked worriedly at the very heavily scarred Charizard who was gazing at nothing but her own Pokémon.
"Charizard will always be part of my team" Ash said smiling "he just has more important priorities than being with me. But he wanted to pit himself against the strongest Gym Leader in Johto just as he did in Kanto as a rest from doing those duties."
"A rest?" Clair asked, sounding irritated "a rest? You think battling me is a rest?"
"Yeah" Ash said nodding "he's been through a rough time over the last few months settling everything down in the Charicific Valley. It's not easy being the new leader of anything, you must know this, leading your clan as you do."
"I do" she said, "but battling me is not easy, and your constant insults are aggravating."
"Er, I mean I've not exactly struggled against you" Ash said "I've forfeited two of my Pokémon and still hold a lead over you. I had more of a challenge against Jasmine and Morty than I have so far."
Clair's tic over her eye became more pronounced at his words and she gripped a jewel on her necklace and closed her eyes expecting a white light. However that's not what happened as when she opened her eyes her Charizard stayed in base form.
"What's happening?" she asked, gripping the jewel again, concerned when nothing happened. "Charizard, what's wrong?"
Charizard looked at his trainer and winced before looking back over at his opponent who did nothing but stare at him in silence, exuding power. Amazingly to everyone watching, Clair's Charizard bent low, closing his eyes and bowed at his opponent baring his neck, something every Dragon trainer watching recognised.
"Ah" Ash said "yeah, that'll do it."
"What?" Clair asked with gritted teeth, her mind clouded with anger. "What is wrong with my Charizard?"
"Nothing is wrong with it, he just needs permission before battling." Ash said.
"I've given him permission" Clair shouted leaning forward "I am his trainer! He obeys me!"
"What a pitiful trainer you are" Ash said shaking his head at her "Have you learned nothing in the years you've been a Dragon trainer? They always, always gravitate towards power and right now you have none when it comes to ordering your Charizard to battle its own Clan Leader. MY Charizard has to give him permission to battle, especially against himself because normally anyone that challenges him is usually doing it for the status of Alpha of the Charicific Valley."
"Then tell him to give it" Clair said angrily.
"You really need to brush up on your reading" Ash said "when my Charizard became Alpha at the Valley my claim on him as owner was eradicated as their priorities changed from listening to me to commanding his own pack. As important as I am to him I am nothing compared to his charges, he is now their Champion, for want of a better word and is my equal. Now I have never ordered my Pokémon to obey me and I never will, instead we live together and work together to a common goal as equals. We, all of us have been through situations you couldn't even dream of being in and have saved each other's life multiple times. That's why Charizard still obeys me even if he can choose not to and why he is silently observing. It's a test, for me, from him."
"You're too smart for your own good," Charizard said to him, turning his head to look at him.
"I know you" Ash said "and I know how proud you are. After you became Alpha I read numerous documents about your Valley, including one written by my father. Liza's journals should be published for how detailed they are too. I studied as much as I could so that if I ever needed you for anything I wouldn't then infringe on your own command when asking. So, back to the matter at hand, do you give the Charizard permission to battle you?"
"I do" he said, turning back to his opponent who was still bowing but looked back up when his Alpha spoke and gave permission. Immediately he glowed a bright white light and began to change his appearance until he was black, his tail glowing a very dark blue and blue flames coming from his mouth. His appearance was extremely draconic and he blew out blue smoke as he observed his opponent.
Ash received a shake of his head from Charizard who cracked his neck and flared out his wings before bellowing a challenge and took off into the sky to warm up his limbs.
"Begin" the referee shouted again over the noise of the crowd.
"Who do you think will win this one?" Bruno asked "and why has Ash not mega-evolved his own Charizard?"
"Ash" Lorelei said, gaining nods from Lance and Hailee which made them chuckle "his Charizard is obviously confident enough to not need to evolve further to win this. Oooh that looked like it hurt" she said as the two Pokémon raced at each other across the pool kicking up spray and colliding with each other in a simultaneous Flare Blitz that echoed across the arena in a huge sonic-boom. Flaring out their wings to stop them from landing in the water they circled around and raced back at each other. "I wonder why Ash is shaking his head."
"Because Clair has lost this one already" Lance said shaking his own head "we found out a long time ago that Ash and his Charizard has long since overcome the recoil damage that Flare Blitz does. Clair only uses the move when he's Mega-Evolved because he has a minus defence nature and it seriously harms him. Look, he's already wincing while Ash's doesn't even look like he's been in a battle so far, those few months at the Valley have obviously helped him further understand how Charizard work more than his training with Ash."
"Sam's Charizard is the biggest reason his Charizard is as powerful as he is," Bruno said "He once told me that Sam's Charizard was brutal in his training but it seems to have worked."
"Have you ever taken your own to the Valley?" Lorelei asked.
"Once, he got demolished in battle by Reds Charizards understudy. I believe it was the Alpha that Ash's beat" Lance said "he's never wanted to go back since, I think the shame still gets to him that he's a Champion Pokémon that was beaten convincingly all that time ago."
"That's a shame" Bruno said "he needs to get over that though."
"He can't" Lance said "he's banished for cowardice. Ash mentioned it to me after his own became Alpha when he remembered a conversation with it. His own Charizard noticed mine has a nick in his shoulder, something Dragons do a lot to signify shame or banishment, the only way of getting past that is by going back to the Valley and beating the current Alpha or whoever the Alpha chooses in his stead. It's quite sad really as he is widely recognised to be a very strong Charizard by the community at large, everyone except his own kind."
"That's really sad" Haillee said from the floor "do you want me to talk to Ash about it? I'm sure he'll listen to me."
"That's ok sweetheart" Lance said smiling down at her "it's something that my Charizard has to ask himself."
"You're pretty good," Charizard said, landing on Ash's side gripping the balcony looking at his counterpart who was panting harshly on the podium. He was on his knees glaring balefully at his Alpha as flecks of yellow sparked from him every few seconds where he had taken a Dragonbreath directly between his wings as he tried to fly away from a missed attack "But you leave yourself open far too much. You need to be aware of your deficiencies when battling, much more so than your proficiencies as they're learning practices. You're good though, your trainer has served you well."
"Thank you" he said, nodding before de-transitioning and falling forwards onto his face, out cold.
"Clair's Charizard is unable to battle, Ash's Charizard wins. And as Ash still has two Pokémon remaining Ash wins the Rising Badge." the referee shouted over the crowd who went wild.
Clair looked at her downed Pokémon and sighed as she recalled him, she thought he would have at least put up a fight but her opponent's Charizard was a monster in battle. Pressing a button on her balcony the whole thing started to extend outwards, with Ash's side mirroring her. Charizard took off in surprise at the sudden lurch growling, Ash gripping the side as his side extended outwards where eventually they met in the middle where the front barriers lowered until it looked like a huge box in the centre.
"Congratulations" Clair said looking at him haughtily "you proved to be competent enough to win the Rising Badge. While your manners may be lacking, your battling skills aren't."
"My manners have nothing to do with this battle" Ash retorted "your lack of care to your own Pokémon is what's most concerning about this battle and I stand by what I said, if I was your Champion I'd have sacked you on the spot however you're fortunate that's not for me to decide. Just give me the badge and I'll go, I have a league to prepare for."
Through gritted teeth Clair pulled out a badge from her pocket and slapped it into Ash's hand before walking back down the runway. Ash just chuckled as he pocketed it and waved to the crowd as he walked back down his own walkway recalling Charizard as he did so. As soon as the noise cut off when he walked through the sliding doors he sighed and hung his head. Waving a few people off he walked back into his room and sat down looking at the ceiling and just observed the various dragon types that had been painted on them. He chuckled when he figured out he was technically a Dragon trainer himself due to having three of them, those being Charizard, Gyarados and Salamence. He could also claim Lapras as one which was weird as she was more dinosaur than Dragon but due to the subsets being allowed her species had been lumped in with them.
A phone call drew his attention from his musings and upon looking at it he saw it was Lance. What could he want?
"Hello?" Ash said as he answered.
"Hello" Lances voice said as he appeared on his screen "I'll start out by saying congratulations on winning your match. You showed everyone just why you became Champion in that fight so well done. The next thing I want to say is while I don't like it I accept your reasons for not joining the G-Men and we'll say no more on that. I'm not going to pretend to be ok with what I just witnessed, from either of you. Clair has brought great shame on the Dragon Clan with her attitude however because she has done nothing illegal the Elders will not pursue action against her. You on the other hand need to realise that you are a Champion and must hold yourself to a higher standard when dealing with people you don't agree with whether that be ethically, politically or generally. For better or worse Ash you are now the face of the Kanto League and you need to be mindful of what you say in public as it doesn't just impact you anymore but the region as a whole.
Now, I am fully behind your decision to publicly chastise Clair for her decision to continue battling with her new Dragonite. I've long since tried to get that put into law and hopefully with what happened at the Lake of Rage, those dragging their feet will have no leg to stand on. That being said some of the things you said should have been kept private however I understand that in the heat of battle things are said that shouldn't be. Expect an apology from Clair soon, that is something I am still able to control where she's concerned so I would appreciate it if you sent one back."
"What do you want me to say?" Ash asked, sighing "nothing I said was wrong Lance."
"Essentially what we just discussed." Lance said "that it should have been a conversation in private and you'll agree to disagree with each other."
"Alright" Ash said nodding "I can agree to that."
"Good" Lance said, sighing and running a hand down his face "the last week has been rough Ash on us all. Johto in the last few months has made me look shit at my job ever since you arrived and it's not a coincidence either. You have a habit of doing this."
"I'm a proponent for change Lance" Ash said getting irritated "and I've done nothing but dig your leaders out of the shit along with the inhabitants of Johto. I've not been to blame for a single event that's happened here except maybe the green wave that wiped out every aura user. Other than that I've simply passed through places and helped out."
"And left them in ruins at times" Lance said "whether that's literally or figuratively doesn't matter, the fact is where you go disaster follows."
"Ones I never plan on" Ash said "I've told you and the rest of the important people exactly why I was created, whether you choose to believe that or not is frankly irrelevant as I don't get a choice in it myself. Do you really think I want to endanger the lives of myself or my Pokémon wherever I go? Do you think I want to have to argue with every trainer that pisses me off because they're ignorant? No, I don't but the fact is I seem to be sorting out problems you should have long since sorted out. The leader of Team Rocket lives in Goldenrod City for fuck sake, I met him less than a week ago there and you've done nothing to get him so for all your talk on responsibilities you seem to be falling short yourself. Stop blaming others for your own inadequacies Lance."
Ash, irritated by the conversation, hung up on him and paced around the room. He needed to get out of here, as soon as possible. He had beaten the gyms, albeit not battled everyone for the badges but he still had them nonetheless so he had nothing to do now until the beginning of October. Standing up he left the room and followed the aide that gilded him back to the outside where to his astonishment a crowd was still gathered. Ignoring the clamouring people he pushed through and made it to the Pokémon centre where he handed over the ones who had battled. An hour later he thanked Nurse Joy and began to walk out of the door when she stopped him.
"I've received an email for you" she said, printing it off and handing it to Ash who thanked her and left. Releasing Charizard he climbed on, whispered in his ear and soon they winged their way to the north where they landed on the overpass they previously took refuge on a few hours later. Opening the piece of paper he read it and snorted.
Calling out Salamence she stopped dead when she noticed Charizard was standing gazing out at the horizon and she landed quietly.
"You're back," she said quietly to him.
"For today" he replied turning towards her and staring at her "you look well. The training has suited you, I've heard of your exploits, they're well earned."
"Thank you" she said again before falling silent. Looking at him she wondered what she could say to him as he looked very different to the last time she saw him. He was still missing a fang on the left side of his jaw and he had a few more scars across his muzzle but his claws had grown back and were as lethal looking as ever but the overriding feeling she felt was this was an Alpha in every way. His power was clearly being restrained but she knew, even with her own Draconic arrogance that this was a battle she wouldn't ever win and she made a decision there and then. Silently she walked forwards until she was ten feet away, Charizard turned fully towards her and was astonished when she bowed her head to him.
"Alpha" she said in a quiet voice before lifting her head back up and proudly staring at him.
"You do not need to bow to me" Charizard said after a few seconds to think over "just promise me to look after our trainer. He gets into enough trouble by himself and Pikachu seems incapable of steering him away."
"Hey, you overgrown lizard" Pikachu said, hopping forwards and poking Charizard in the leg drawing a gasp from Salamence at the disrespect "You know full well it's impossible to keep him out of trouble so I do my best to see he survives it."
"That you do Pikachu" he said chuckling at his long time partner in crime "and you do it brilliantly."
"Can we go for a fly?" Pikachu asked him "I have something I need to talk to you about."
Looking over at Ash he nodded and smiled at them "go for it, I'll be here for the next few hours. There is something I need to talk to you about myself, Charizard so try and get back before dusk. Otherwise go have fun."
Pikachu didn't waste time hopping onto his friends back and soon the took off down into the valley and disappeared from sight. Queenie who was usually talkative remained silent contemplating what to do.
"They have a bond not even Pikachu and I have" Ash said pulling out her food and putting it into a bowl for her "a long time ago, about a week after the incident at Porta Vista those two made a pact to always be there for one another and that if one had a problem the other would do their best to give advice, kind of like Blastoise and Sylveon have. I've never once asked what they talk about, nor will I ever do so unless they come to me with their problems.
I noticed you took offence at Pikachu hitting Charizard. My advice is to forget it because those two have earned each other's respect in ways most will never understand. It was cemented at Shamouti Queenie. They both decided that day that surviving may not be an option if it meant saving the world and everyone in it. That changes you inside, it creates something that cannot be quantified or created synthetically. Charizard nearly killed himself trying to rescue me and Pikachu, we're very grateful that you managed to do what he could not so you earned a lot of points that day to him. That's very likely why he said you need not bow."
"He's an Alpha in every way" Queenie said looking over to where he had flew off "his mate is a lucky Charizard and his followers have no clue how lucky they are to train with him every day."
"Do you have a crush on him?" Ash asked before regretting it as she looked at him sharply and growled "sorry, sorry. Very personal I know."
"No," she said, "I don't but I'm envious that I'll never be his equal. It's a horrible thought for a dragon to know you'll never be Alpha in your own pack but I could feel immediately that he wasn't one I could successfully challenge for Alpha in this pack."
"I'm Alpha in this pack" Ash said chuckling, earning another growl which he ignored "I don't say it because it's not something I care about Queenie. I recall you asking us not long after Shamouti about Alpha's and Beta's and the order of the top three hasn't changed. Me, Charizard and then Pikachu, in that order but you have long since earned that fourth spot. There's very few of my Pokémon that could challenge you, not that they care about doing so, so be happy that you have made such great strides in the last eighteen months or so. We're all very proud of you, you know."
"My aim is to displace Pikachu" she said after a few minutes mulling over what Ash said "that's my goal."
"You probably will get there one day" Ash said, putting away everyone's dishes and looking around at his assembled Pokémon who were listening on with interest. "I will say this though, you're likely the only one here that cares about ranking or hierarchy. It doesn't particularly interest us as we all bring something different to the group."
Machamp chuckled nodding at Ash's assessment as did a few others as they all found a spot to relax in. Ash joined Machamp where he sat and looked around at the Pokémon he had acquired. Sneasel sat with Flaaffy and Shuckle playing about with some berries Ash had given them, Lapras was sat asleep with Chinchou on her head in the middle of Gyarados' coils as she herself listened in to Ash before closing her own eyes and going to sleep.
Suicune had leaped onto an overhanging rock and was lying down like a lion observing her pride, something which made Ash laugh as she did look majestic with her ribbons flowing behind her. It was strange, she thought to be with someone who had amassed such a powerful team but wasn't obsessed with power.
Shutting his eyes he tapped Machamp on the knee as they both closed their eyes and began to meditate, ignoring the various goings on in the group.
Queenie hasn't moved from her spot as she went over in her head how dismissive Ash was of her goal but also she understood exactly why he was the way he was which often had her questioning if she should stay or not. Ultimately though Ash was well on his way to becoming Legendary in the Pokémon world and she knew she didn't want to miss the journey, one which she knew she would only become stronger.
A few hours later Ash felt Pikachu and Charizard draw closer and he opened his eyes and stretched before getting their food out. As they landed Ash placed a bowl in front of each of them, patted Charizard on the shoulder, Pikachu on his head and walked back to his bag where he retrieved the piece of paper.
"Good flight?" Ash asked after they had eaten. Nodding Charizard looked at Pikachu who also nodded "good, now I received an email this morning requesting a meeting with the Elders of Dragons Den. Normally I would have dismissed it given my interaction with Clair but I'm not sure if this is one I can dismiss without repercussions later on."
"Explain," Charizard said, fully alert.
"They have a lot of sway where Dragon trainers are concerned" Ash began "and given our role in the next few years I will likely have to deal with them a fair bit. I don't want to alienate all of Kanto just because I have an issue with their Clan Leader. Plus any Dragon trainers in Kanto will inevitably want to make the pilgrimage to Dragons Den at some point and I don't want them blacklisted because of me."
"So what's the issue?" he asked, not seeing one.
"They want to test you" he said looking grim "apparently there's been a vote and they believe you deserve a statue in the halls of Dragons Den for your battling abilities against their leader but in order for you to be recognised officially they have some sort of test."
"I'm a Dragon" he said looking over the horizon at the sunset "I'm not a show Ponyta, to be summoned at their beck and call. Their leaders' actions have not exactly brought favour to them from the Valley and I'm not feeling very charitable either."
"That's fine" Ash said agreeing "like I told Clair you are your own Pokémon and I will never order you, any of you to do something that goes against your moral code. Your actions reflect on your clan, and I won't be the one to bring shame to the Charicific Valley."
"Thank you" he said nodding "We will go tomorrow and I will decide whether or not I want to be associated with them. I need to think." flapping his wings he rose and banked away leaving Ash standing there looking out at the sunset.
"He's not wrong" Ash said "but I also cannot alienate every Dragon Trainer in Kanto either. Hopefully by the morning we can come up with something."
The next morning they hadn't come up with anything other than turn up and see what happened. Landing outside the doors to the Dragons Den Ash noticed that strangely the doors had been taken off yet the guards were still there, only they weren't the same ones from a few days ago.
"What's going on?" he asked one of the guards.
"Clairs Dragonair evolved therefore we need a new visage next to her name" one of the guards said.
"State your business here, Sir!" the other guard said, blocking the path off.
Ash simply reached into his backpack and pulled out the letter and handed it over to the guard who nodded "wait here Sir."
Ash shrugged his shoulders before turning back out to the huge lake. It was particularly beautiful this morning with the sun bouncing off the water against the backdrop of the mountains surrounding it.
Hearing a noise behind him he turned around and saw someone he didn't really want to talk to.
"Morning Lance" he said monotonously "I didn't expect to see you here."
"I know," he said, "but I received a call early this morning that you'd been given a letter from the clan elders. It seems they deliberately bypassed me when doing so, I'd have told them not to bother because I know you have no interest in being here."
"I don't" Ash said "but I also didn't want to alienate every Dragon Trainer in Kanto by snubbing the people here."
"Very wise" Lance said, holding his hand out as Ash followed him into the Dragons Den. the first twenty metres were nothing but solid tunnel but as they exited the next set of double doors, which were also on stands being changed he stopped as the Den was more of a huge cavern, gems sparkled from nearly every surface and the floor soon gave way to a huge indoor lake where the only thing Ash could see, in the distance lit up by a faint green glow was a building. Walking around the huge cavern flooring Ash walked in silence with Lance who stopped and greeted every single trainer who was training their Pokémon in the water or having mock battles with those who couldn't swim like Charmeleon or Gible. Ignoring the stares, or sometimes glares as he passed by, he waited patiently as Lance spoke to people until they came to a path that faced the huge building that led to the entrance. They seemingly had walked around the entire indoor lake and Ash looked up at the huge golden doors that were shaped like Dragons wings, set into huge blue pillars on a building that was gilded with golden filigree around the building's façade. It screamed opulence in a place that Ash felt needed humbleness. Having said that Dragons were known for their arrogance, so why should the people who train them be any different?
"Humble lot aren't you" Ash said rhetorically looking up at the doors and missing the glares from the two guards who stood by either pillar.
"It's our place of worship, would you tell the builders of the great cathedrals to tone it down when worshipping their gods?" Lance asked, arching his eyebrow.
"I see what you mean" Ash said nodding and agreeing with his assessment as they walked through the doors that opened for them "I couldn't live here personally though. The idea of servitude has always been my Achilles heel. It's why I don't make major decisions for my Pokémon, they have their own thoughts and feelings that are just as valid as ours."
"Pokémon do what we tell them to do" a voice said from the side of the room after hearing Ash plain as day.
"Of course you'd think that," Ash said, arching his eyebrow at Clair who walked forward looking unhappy to see him here "that's why you failed to beat me, it's also why you failed to beat Lance every time you've battled him. For all his faults he still has the humbleness that led him to the top and his Pokémon respect him for that as do I. His Pokémon trust him implicitly to the best for them and not himself. It's why when I was growing up I studied him more than anyone else."
"Truly?" another voice said from the side of Clair who winced when he walked forward. Ash wondered who he was before he looked at Lance and could see the family resemblance except this man was a lot older than Lance "is that what you really believe? I thought you two weren't getting along."
"I have always believed that" Ash said "ever since I was able to understand them I knew that they aren't here to serve us, instead we're here to live together as partners and grow with each other. I have never been able to understand nor get along with those who treat Pokémon as objects and it frustrates me that Pokémon have to put up with that when everyone knows full well humans wouldn't. As for Lance and I, we're currently having personal issues but it doesn't change my opinion on him as a trainer. He's long since earned my respect, especially given his chosen Pokémon too. Dragons aren't easy to handle and the fact he's been on top for so long is a testament to his dedication to his craft. Professionally I have no issue with Lance, personally we have several issues but they're not deal breakers for me in continuing to listen to his advice. I just have issues with people using 'tradition' as 'mandatory enforcement' of values and getting angry when someone says no."
"That's very wise of you" the man said bowing to him "Arthur Wataru at your service."
"Ash Ketchum at yours" Ash said nodding his own head "I recognise your name on the door, you were once Clan Leader right?"
"I was yes" he said pointing his hand in front and Ash walked with him leaving Lance and Clair standing there. Clair was fuming at the disrespect, she was Clan Leader so why was someone who wasn't getting to speak to Ash.
"Because he's not arrogant" Lance said knowing exactly what that look on Clairs face was "your face says everything even before you speak. You have still not learned to control your emotions Clair and it cost you in battle. If you're not careful it could easily cost you Clan Leader status."
"You're not leader Lance" Clair said glaring at him "I am."
"And you're bloody lucky you still are Clair" he said angrily "you have absolutely no idea how close you came to losing that status yesterday with your attitude and you're bloody lucky you're still here. The vote was very close."
"What vote?" she asked, concerned.
"There was a vote on whether you're still able to lead the Clan." Lance said "You won 6-4. Another vote against you and you would right now be having to justify your actions to those who voted against you. I have never been so ashamed to be associated with the Clan as I am right now."
Before she could retort the halls echoed with the laughter of Ash who was shaking his head with Lance's Uncle. Seeing him hold his hands up to Arthur they wondered what was being said but Arthur seemed to be happy with whatever Ash said as they carried on walking slowly and chatting.
Clair looked at Lance who was observing the two walking, wishing he could hear what they were saying. She didn't know what to say to his statement that she nearly lost her position. There had never in their history been a Clan Leader deposed for bringing shame on them. She couldn't understand just what she had done to make her fellow leaders be so unhappy with her.
"I don't understand" she said finally.
"I think that's the biggest issue" Lance said sighing "I don't think you ever will understand no matter how many people tell you. Ash told you yesterday what the issue was and you dismissed it. It wouldn't surprise me if Arthur has asked him to be the new Clan Leader."
"I am Clan Leader" she said fiercely "he has no right!"
"Actually Ash has already met three of the requirements for being leader" Lance said grimly "he has at least three Dragons as the rules and laws state, he has beaten the previous Clan leader in battle and proved he has the strength required to be a Dragon Master and he has proven that he holds their health above all else. In fact the only thing that disqualifies him is the fact he lives in Kanto and has no desire to ever move."
Clair was silent as she mulled it over in her head. She was furious that Lance was right and she knew if she battled Ash again at full strength he would wipe the floor with her because she knew he wouldn't include Suicune or Flaaffy. It was humiliating that he used them to start with and won their respective battles.
"Why are you suddenly singing his praises?" She asked seeing the two walk back towards them "as I understand it he's not your biggest fan right now."
"Only personally as he said" Lance retorted "but like him I'm able to put that to one side in order to work together. Our personal differences don't affect the way we view each other professionally and that I feel is why my Uncle wants to talk to him. He's got all the attributes to lead us should he want to. Be glad he doesn't."
"Well that was most illuminating" Arthur said as they re-joined the two "it's a shame your Charizard doesn't want to be honoured here amongst us but your reasons are sound and I can accept them."
"Wait, why would he not want to be?" Clair asked, confused "to be inducted here is the highest honour a dragon can have."
"To you maybe" Ash said shrugging his shoulders "to him not so much. He's already honoured both at home with me, with our family and at the Valley with his Kin. He sees no value in being honoured here when we have no intention of being part of this clan. As I said to Lance the only reason I didn't dismiss the invitation is because of the number of Dragon trainers that will fall under my watch as Champion and I don't want them to be blacklisted for my personal feelings."
"His reasons are valid" Arthur said "and accepted. Lance, could you see him out please?"
"Of course Uncle" he said bowing his head and walking away with Ash who bowed too.
Once they were out of earshot Arthur turned to Clair and looked at her appraisingly "I'm sure Lance told you about the meeting late last night. You are lucky that a few of us still have faith in you. It may interest you to know that it was my own vote that kept you in your position but make no mistake Clair, shame us like that again and I will see you lose your position. I may not be Clan leader here anymore but I never lost the position through battle, Heidi dying saw my list go battle disappear so my word still has a lot of weight. Your youth and abilities in battle have saved you today."
Arthur bowed to her before walking away leaving her with her thoughts before she too followed and headed into the inner chambers where her office was located. For the rest of the day she ignored any meetings, determined to figure out why things happened the way they did.
Lance led Ash out and they stopped as they looked over the lake.
"Thank you for your words in there" Lance said looking at his fellow Champion "for my Uncle to listen to you and accept your reasons means your words rang true to him. Not everyone gets the stamp of approval from him so be honoured. As for us you have my gratitude for your help over the years so I propose a truce."
"That's fine with me" Ash said holding his hand out which Lance took "I will see you at the League in a few months time."
"No doubt you will" Lance said releasing his hand and bowing before walking back into the Den leaving Ash alone. Chuckling Ash released Charizard and climbed aboard before they took off in one clean wing beat and headed South-West towards the Valley. It was a good twelve hour flight, one which Ash relished due to missing his friend and through stops along the way they reacquainted themselves with each other and discussed the last few months they'd been separated. It was near midnight when the Volcano appeared, glowing under the clear skies a vibrant bright orange and it wasn't long before they were joined by three other Charizard who took up positions behind them. Twenty minutes later they landed on the rock that overlooked Charizard's Valley and after letting Ash down he roared into the other side quiet Valley. Their Alpha was back.