Chapter 33: A Dragon's Brawl of an Evolution
"Human Speech"
"Pokemon Speech"
The battle between Iris and Zack is about to kick off, with the two Pokémon waiting patiently as the ref announces.
"It's determined that Zack will get the first move," the ref said as Zack smirked.
"Humph, your gonna need it, kid," Iris said.
"I'll show you use Ice beam Bearitic," as it fires an Ice beam at Flygon.
"Predictably use Flamethrower," as it clashed, causing an explosion "Now Steel Wing," as Flygon emerges from the underground, which lands a massive hit on ice bear Pokémon, sending it back but still standing.
"I thought that would end this, but I can see that you raised it," Iris said as Ash was watching this surprised by the way she's basically in control of this and her attitude.
"Man, what's her problem," Ash said to himself.
"That's Iris for you, Ash. She's usually the one who loves to dominate the battle when it's trainers she sees as either childish or not worth her time" Ash turned around to see Cillian talking.
"I have taken you two to know each other," Ash asked Cillian, who nodded.
"You can say that. Remember I said yesterday that one more trainer was supposed to be here? Originally her Grandfather, the Opelucid city gym leader Drayden was supposed to participate in this, but he asked Iris; here, she's stubborn. Yes, but she's no slouch regarding battles, even against type disadvantages. What you're seeing is a Pokemon she just caught on her team compared to the rest of her team," Cillian explained to Ash which caught Ash off guard.
"I didn't think that Drayden had another relative and one who is like this," which is Cillian's turn to be surprised.
"You know him, Ash," Cillian asked Ash. Ash sighed.
"They're other reasons why my family visits Unova, but I rather talk about it with Iris if she would let me, but I wouldn't let the way Iris is acting fool you, Ash, or get to you. She's nice, but she's upset because her train was late yesterday," Cillian said to Ash, who sighed and nodded as he watched the battle continues.
"Fight back with an avalanche!" As it launches massive amounts of ice at the Flygon.
"Draco meteor counters back at it," Iris said, wanting to end this quickly. That caught Ash and Cillian off guard as it barely overpowered the move as the Pokémon was trying to avoid them all. "Time to end this dragon tail," Iris commanded her Flygon as the Flygon took advantage of the exhausted Pokémon. The latter barely dodged the meteor storm as the attack was coming for and hit it, knocking it out.
"Bearitic is unable to battle Flygon wins, and moving on to the next round is Iris," the crowd cheered and was shocked by this. As Iris returns to Flygon after giving it an excellent job, she sees Zack taking the loss better than she thought.
"I'll admit you are better than most trainers I fought. I can see a rematch in the future. Lose the smug attitude, and you might win," Iris said as Zack nodded as she left, walking towards where Cillian and Ash were as the second battle was about to start.
"Nicely done, Iris," Cillian said. She sighed.
"It was a bit more challenging than I expected, but I hope for a real challenge here," Iris said. Cillian had a sweatdrop on his face when Iris said that.
"Well, you might get one, Iris," Ash said to Iris, who looked at Ash, and Iris waved her hand at Ash.
"Don't kid yourself, kid, but you don't know how strong I can be."Iris politely said to Ash.
"Well, Ash has beaten me, my brother's to Burgh," Cillian pointed out as that caught Iris's attention slightly. "And he knows your grandfather," which surprised Iris.
"Huh, you know Grandpa Drayden?" Iris asked to which Ash nodded at Iris, who was surprised by this.
"Yeah, we're not blood-related, but he's a step-uncle from my dad's family. I last saw him in Udella town before I started my journey six years back," Ash said to Iris, who now remembers her Grandfather mentioning something about that back then.
"I remember him telling me that he had family visiting back then, and the gym had to be closed because of it," Iris said to Ash, who nodded as Cillian interrupted.
"You want me to tell him who you are, Iris, or should you?" Cillian asked Iris as Iris pouts.
"I rather wait, thank you," Iris said as she sensed the dragons Ash had again. "Huh, I have taken you to have a few dragon types on your personnel?" Iris asked Ash and nodded.
"Yeah, two and a half of them, though only 2 of them will battle the other is here for support," Ash said as Iris was confused.
"Huh, half one?" Ash lets out Axew, Scraggy, and his Gabite."Wow, you have an Axew, and a Gabite" Iris was in awe slightly. Ash nodded.
"Gabite is here to support these two, given Scraggy and Axew is twins," caught Iris off guard.
"That's what you meant by half-dragon Ash," Cillian said. Ash nodded.
Ash kneels and pets the head of Axew near the horn on the top of her head, making her wag her tail.
"I ask my older Pokémon to train them to my battle style, and there will be times I might be able to use all of them in gym battles" The two nodded in understanding.
"To be honest with you, Ash, that's a good idea, especially since, from the looks of Axew, she looks like she's going to evolve any time soon," Iris said, which made Ash sigh and turn to Gabite, who's smiling knowing what Ash was about to say.
"Okay, Gabite, how much time in those two months did you do to train these two to that level?" Ash asked Gabite as he snickered, making Ash curious why.
"Don't underestimate the ways of a dragon types training, especially which the two Pokémon in question are related to, said the teacher," Gabite said to Ash, who was surprised to hear this.
"Wait, related to you, Gabite? Axew and Scraggy are relatives of yours?" Ash asked, which made him nod.
"Yeah, my little niece and nephew from my brother's side of the family, technically my cousins, but I was given the position of Uncle by dragon blood, as my brother belongs to this regions gym leader," Gabite said to Ash as Ash translates this to Iris and Cillian. Iris may have yet to pick up on what he said.
"I thought you looked familiar. There you were, the little Gible that loves to bite everyone you meet back at the village back home," Iris said to Gabite, who smiled and nodded, recognizing Iris as well.
"Says the wild child who always plays with the Pokemon in the area," Gabite said as Iris chuckled. Iris thought of something as she pulled out a Pokeball.
"Well, I have this little Axew's final stage with me," Iris said as she let out her main partner, a Haxorous, which noticed the Pokémon and the resemblance of the fighting/dark type.
"It seems like my little brother has a few kids of his own," Haxorous says.
"You can say that again, cousin. Been a while, Haxorous," Gabite said, crossing his claws as Haxorous recognized Gabite and nodded. The group of dragons was catching up. The second battle was ending.
"There will be a 30-minute break, and the next match of Ash and Tim will begin, "the announcer said. Tim was preparing, and Ash noticed that he was strict but not hard on his Pokémon, especially with a young Eevee.
"I'm taken. You are not using her battle. She looks like she just hatched," Ash asked, and Tim looked at Ash and shook his head.
"No, but I am using another Pokémon for our battle. By the way, I'm also from Kanto but decided to start my journey here in Unova," Tim said, and Ash nodded.
"I understand. Just don't be too strict on your Pokémon as they're like us as well," Ash said as he nodded in agreement.
"My parents were strict growing up, and I try not to be, but I can't help it at times," Tim said, looking down at the Eevee asleep on his lap.
"I understand that we all have either had one or two growing up or knew someone of some sort," Ash said to Tim, which made Tim curious, and he asked if Ash had.
"My dad was always like that, ensuring that we understood why we should be trainers even though I had planned on being one first. Sadly, while I do love him, I didn't like some of his policies which I would rather not talk about," Ash explained to Tim. Tim nodded in agreement and gave Ash a respectful handshake, which Ash accepted. The 30 minutes were up as the two trainers headed to the battlefield.
"Now for the 3rd battle of the battle club, two trainers of different ages but the same region and different hometowns."The two trainers entered the stadium.
"From Vermilion, an inspiring trainer whose journey just began here in Unova, give it up for Tim," the crowd cheered as he was on the green side of the battlefield.
"Now from Pallet town. A boy who has been through 5 regions won the Orange Island league and is now on a journey here in Unova Ash Ketchem" The crowd cheered louder, and hearing all that made Iris surprised as Gabite and Scraggy were watching the battle on the sidelines behind Ash.
"Watch, Iris. He's the trainer of unpredictability," Cillian said as she nodded. Misty and Brock watched in the crowd as Ash was ready to start the battle.
"Now let out your pokémon trainers' the announcer said as Ash and Tim pulled out their Pokeballs.
"Deino, your up" Tim sent out the Dark/Dragon type, which Ash scanned with his Pokedex and smiled at this.
"Perfect, Axew, come on out," Ash sent out his Pokemon as the tusk Pokémon came out. As the two stared at each other. Axew was raring to go as a dragon. Pokémon loves battling other dragons as Gabite smirks at this, knowing that this would be a good battle for Axew to evolve against.
"Perfect, and they'd seem like they are going to be even," Gabite said to Scraggy Scraggy nodded as the two watched her as the battle started.
"Axew vs. Deino, Ash has the first move," the referee said as Ash nodded.
"Okay, let's kick this off, Dragon Claw," Ash said as Axew used the move. As her claws glowed as she charged in. Axew was faster than a normal Axew, which caught Iris's eye.
"Dodge and use dragon rush," Tim commanded as the duel-type dragon barely dodged, which Ash, Axew, and Gabite smirked at.
"Stike now," Ash commanded Axew as Axew slashed at the last minute, hitting the Deino and sending it back Axew grinned at this as Deino used a dragon rush at her.
"Dig now," Ash said as she used it quickly.
"Got you to use dragon pulse on the hole," as Deino used it in the hole Axew made, sending her flying out of there hard.
"Are you okay, Axew?" Ash asked as Axew stood up and nodded.
"Takes more than that to best me," Axew said, shaking off the attack, which made the Deino growl hearing that Ash nodded.
"Use dragon rage," Ash commanded as Axew launched a massive fire dragon attack.
"Counter with dragon pulse," Tim commanded as it clashed with the dragon's rage. As the two moves hit them, sending them back again.
"This battle is getting more heated up by the minute, folks," The announcer said as the two dragons were panting.
However, Axew refused to lose as she was already glowing a tiny bit and surprisingly did the Deino, which caught everyone's attention as they did evolve Axew to a Fraxure and Deino to a Zweilous. However, Fraxure was still the happy-go-lucky dragon even after she evolved, Zweilous.
On the other hand, he argued with each other's heads as if they were Dodrio. Which made Ash and Tim make a sweat drop.
"Get it together with you two. We're battling, please," Tim said, not in a harsh tone that made the two heads get back into the action. Ash noticed that Fraxure knew a new move.
"Now bulldoze," Ash said, catching Tim off guard as it hit the dark/dragon type hard. "Time to wrap this up. Use Dragon rush," Ash commanded Fraxure, who fired the attack at the duel-typing dragon.
"Counter it with yours," the moves clashed as the crowd cheered. This match was almost better than the first match. The dust cleared as the two dragon types struggled to get up, but ultimately Zweilous fell as Fraxure was victorious over the two-headed dragon Pokémon.
"Zweilous is unable to battle Fraxure. Wins. Moving on to the top 100 is Ash from Pallet Town," the ref said as Ash's picture was displayed as the winner of the match.
Fraxure ran over to Ash and petted her head again as she made a cute roar to this. "You did great out there for your first official battle Fraxure," Ash said, making her nod.
"Tough, but it's nothing I can't handle," Fraxure said confidently, making Ash chuckle.
"Easy, girl, you just evolved. It doesn't mean you have to go all Gabite on the competition," Ash said, making her snicker as they saw Tim smile at this and congratulate Zweilous on the excellent battle before returning it.
"You battle well, Ash. I still have a bit of a way to go, but I hope we will battle against each other again in the league," Tim said before putting his hand out for a handshake. Ash accepts by returning it.
"Agreed, keep those two under wraps. We don't want them to argue every time we battle or, in their case, whenever they battle," Ash said jokingly, making Tim nod in agreement. "I'll try and deal with working things out with them. Thank you, Ash," as he left the stadium as Ash returned to the group. Gabite and Scraggy ran over to Ash and Fraxure.
"Well, Gabite, you did a good job at training her though I think a lot of your personality when you evolved actually in little Fraxure here," Ash said to the ground/dragon type, which made him chuckle.
"Just doing what you asked me to, Ash. I'll admit this with a little good training, that boy Tim, will be able to raise a strong Dragon Pokemon like that," Gabite said to Ash, who chuckled as the group heard a voice call out to them.
"Well, that happens when you own a dragon or two. Ash, you still have a ways to go to understand them," The group turned to see it was Iris who said that she made a gesture of why she knew that Ash was going to say that.
"Well, as I said, Fraxure is the second dragon type. I owned Gabite here being the first," Ash said, trying not to offend Iris, who sighed and nodded.
"Alright, Ash, I did say to Cillian that I would give you all a chance, and right now, I can see you as a pretty good trainer," Iris said as Cillian nodded. "But you still have a ways to go to be at my level of strength, but I'll wish you the best of luck in the tournament; we can talk later," Iris says as she walks off to her room at the Pokemon Center.
"What's her problem? I was just being myself out there. I'm not here to prove anything or be at anyone's level of strength," Ash asked.
"Don't let Iris get to you, Ash, "Cillian said as Ash turned to him. "The Tournament has just started, and remember that Iris was trained under her Grandfather. She's usually outgoing and carefree, but I think she'll come around once the first round is over," Cillian said as Ash nodded.
The rest of the first group of battles for the day ends.
"With the first 100 battles over, tomorrow will be the second wave of 100 trainers," the announcer said as the crowd dispersed.
With Ash's first battle in the battle club ending, we begin to see more rivalries and more competition for Ash and the group to come for the group as the battle club has just started.
Stay tuned
And done, yes, another short chapter, but they'll get longer, as this is just the start of what I have planned for this arc. As I said in a previous chapter, I have not received any reviews or requests. Just surprised, that's all. With that said, the next chapter will be more of a reunion-like chapter, as the meat of what I have planned for the story of this arc will start in the next chapter, especially between Ash's Ash's Dewott and Trip's Servine. More to come to see you guys next time.