Enjoy the chapter!
pokemonking0924: I'm glad to hear you like the way the battles play out, as I've debated a lot about how I wanted them to play out.
PokemonFan: I don't think I will do Contest, I'm not confident enough to do them justice but yeah I can see him being a fan of them. As for Aj, he and Samurai, I intend to have them reappear at some point before the league, I have an idea for an original chapter where Ash and Evelyn take part in a local tournament where they meet them again, the only thing I'm not sure of, is what the winner's prize would be, I've been considering a Pokémon egg, but if I go for that idea, I may have to abandon my other idea where Evelyn gets Togepi instead of Misty.
The gang is back on the road, having left Cerulean City several days ago. As they walk, Ash suddenly turns around and puts his hands behind his head.
"So... Where are we going again?" Ash asked.
Evelyn sighed. "As we've already told you, we're on our way to Vermillion City to earn our third badge."
"There's even a huge luxury cruise ship, which I've been dying to see." Misty added.
"Nevermind that, we aren't going there to sightseeing!" Ash frowned.
"Ash, calm down, you don't have to worry about us sightseeing as we'll have plenty of time to challenge The Gym." Evelyn said, before turning to Misty. "Unfortunately, I don't think we'll get there in time before it departs.." Misty sighed, knowing she was right.
"All right!" Ash cheered. "Let's get there right away!" He exclaims as he rushes off, leaving the others behind.
"Hold on, Ash!" Misty yelled. "There are a lot of strong trainers on the road ahead."
"Aw', bring 'em on! I bet none of them even have a badge!"
"He's quite energetic, isn't he?" Misty said.
"That's just the way Ash is." Evelyn chuckles and runs after Ash, closely followed by Brock and Misty.
Timeskip...
On the way, Ash and Evelyn are stopped by trainers who challenge them to a Pokémon battle. This is their tenth battle, but as the battle went on, the tide quickly turned in Ash and Evelyn's favor.
"Pidgeotto, finish it with Quick Attack!"
"Let's wrap this up, Spearow, Aerial Ace now!"
Pidgeotto knocked back the first trainer's Rattata with a swift Quick attack, while Spearow slam into the second trainer's Murkrow with a powerful Aerial Ace.
"Ah! Rattata!"
"Murkrow, no!"
"And I win! That's number 10!" Ash declared, cheering at yet another victory.
Spearow flies back to Evelyn and lands on her shoulder.
"Good job, Spearow. You fought very well." Evelyn smiled as she rubbed Spearow's head.
A few minutes later, after the two trainers have returned their defeated Pokémon, they approach Ash and Evelyn to congratulate them.
"You two are really great trainers." The boy said.
"Yeah, we hardly stood a chance." The girl added.
Evelyn smiled as she shakes hand with the girl. "I must say, your Murkrow gave us quite the challenge, as you almost had us with your Faint Attack." The girl smiled at the praise.
"Well... I guess I was pretty good there." Ash said, as he showed off his badges.
"Wow! You've got badges!" The boys exclaimed, shocked.
"Do you have some too?" The girl asked Evelyn.
"I do." Evelyn nods, showing them her badges too.
"No wonder you two were so good." The girl said.
"Hey... I bet one of you could beat AJ."
"Who's AJ?" Evelyn asked.
"He lives down the road." The boy said, pointing in the opposite direction. "People says AJ trains savages Pokémon. And not only that, but he built his own Gym while racking up one victory after another, without even losing once."
"Without even losing once? That's hard to believe." Evelyn folds her arms.
"Whether we believe it or not, he hasn't fought someone like me." Ash said, bragging, causing Misty and Brock to frowned.
"He's getting a big head..." Misty grumbled.
"Yeah, but his brain's still the same size." Brock said.
Later...
After parting ways with the two trainers, the group made their way to AJ gym. After an uneventful hour-long trip, they finally came to a halt in front of the gym's gates. Above their heads, a sign indicated that they were at the right place.
A.J.'S GYM
UNDEFEATED
W - 97 L - 0
NOTE: GYM NOT SANCTIONED BY THE POKÉMON LEAGUE
"Undefeated." Ash scoffed. "Big deal. I bet I can beat him."
"I don't know, 97 wins in a row is pretty impressive." Evelyn said.
Misty glanced at Ash with a smirk. "You may have won 10 in a row, but he's won almost ten times as many matches as you have."
"I go for quality! Not quantity!" Ash retorted.
But before Evelyn could calm Ash, a voice interrupted them as they heard footstep coming towards them. "Are you my next victim?" The voiced asked. They turned and saw a green-haired boy walking towards them, holding his backpack.
"You must be the wild trainer we heard about." Ash said.
"Yeah, that's me, and beating up chumps like you is my hobby. So... are you ready to lose?"
'He's quite confident...' Evelyn thought, as she glanced at the sign. 'But I would be too if I had such a winning streak...'
The gates swing open as they walk into AJ's compound. Evelyn glances around the compound, noticing a doom-roofed tent towards the back. To the side, she can see a small garden tended by a Sunflora, an Oddish and a Bellsprout.
"It's a really nice place." Evelyn commented. "Did you build this by yourself?"
"Sure did." AJ replied with pride in his voice as a Butterfree came out of the tent and took his backpack away.
"What was in that backpack?"
"The wild Pokémon I just caught. There's a bunch more in the tent." AJ answered.
"Hey! Can I see them after our match?" Ash asked, excitedly.
"If you want..." AJ shrugged. "So, which Pokémon are you gonna choose for my 98th win?" He asked as they arrived at the battlefield, which was a league standard half-field. AJ walked up to the battlefield and took up position.
"98!?" Ash repeated, angrily, before glaring at him as he walked to AJ's other side, while Evelyn, Pikachu, Misty and Brock stood behind Ash. "I'm afraid you're gonna have to change your sign after this match. You'll be formerly undefeated!" He declared, confidently.
AJ smirked as he pulled out a whip. "You may think you're hot stuff, kid but you're not playing in the Pokémon little league anymore." He whacks the ground, startling everyone. Evelyn crossed her arms and frowned, as she hoped the whip was just for show.
"After I win 100 matches in a row, I'll start competing for badges." AJ declared, which brought Evelyn out of her thoughts as she raised an eyebrow, surprised that he has yet to start participating in the gym's challenges.
"That means he's only three wins away..." Brock commented.
"Ninety-seven wins, and you still don't have a badge? That's though luck, AJ." Ash said, opening his jacket to show his badges. "I have ten wins, and I've won two Pokémon badges!" He bragged.
AJ scoffed at seeing the badges. "Did you buy those badges or steal them? Either that or you competed in some loser gyms. Where were they? Failure City or Wimps Ville?" He asked, which made Misty and Brock quite furious as they glared at him.
"What do you mean loser gyms?"
"Evelyn, if Ash doesn't win, pulverize this guy."
Evelyn nodded, as she and Pikachu held each other nervously.
"I'm not going to lose!" Ash yelled.
"Hey, eyes on the field!" AJ snapped as he took out one of his Pokéball. "Sandshrew, go!" He threw his Pokéball releasing his Pokémon on the battlefield.
"A Sandshrew, huh? This should be interesting." Ash grin.
"Remember, Ash, Sandshrew is a ground type, so he will be immune to electric attacks." Evelyn warned him.
"I know exactly what I'm doing! Pidgeotto, I choose you!" Ash declared, as he threw his own Pokéball releasing his Pokémon as Pidgeotto soar through the air.
"Sandshrew, go!" AJ ordered, as Sandshrew took off running towards Pidgeotto.
"Pidgeotto! Dive at it and used Wing Attack!"
Pidgeotto flaps her wings as she dives towards Sandshrew and her wings suddenly shine white.
"Ash's lucky, Pidgeotto should have the advantage here." Brock said.
"True..." Evelyn nodded. "but he may have something up his sleeve to counter flying Pokémon."
Suddenly, they hear another crack of the whip as Sandshrew dodges Pidgeotto's attack and immediately scratches Pidgeotto in return, causing her to flinch as she flies higher.
"Too bad Sandshrew can't fly." Ash said.
"I wouldn't be so sure..." AJ smirked as he cracked his whip once more.
Sandshrew curls up into a ball and starts to spin towards Pidgeotto, when he suddenly leaps into the air. Which startles Pidgeotto, who gets hit by Sandshrew, sending her crashing to the ground.
"That was Rollout!" Evelyn gasped.
"Ah! Pidgeotto!" Ash exclaimed, as they watches Pidgeotto struggling to stands up while Sandshrews seems ready to attack once more.
"Finish it!" AJ declared as he crack his whip.
Sandshrew immediately ran to Pidgeotto, which cause Ash to panic and pulled out his Pokéball to call his Pokémon back. Pidgeotto returns into her Pokéball just in time as Sandshrew has just stopped where she was before, then Ash pulls out another Pokéball.
"Butterfree! I choose you!" Ash declared as he threw his Pokéball releasing his next Pokémon. "You can do it! Go Stun Spore!"
Butterfree begins to release its spores as it flies towards Sandshrew, but another crack is heard as Sandshrew dives underground, dodging Butterfree's attack. He stops his attack and looks around, confused, wondering where his opponents have gone.
"This Sandshrew is well trained." Brock commented.
"And It's quite impressive that he can command his Pokémon with a simple whip." Evelyn added.
AJ cracked his whip once more as Sandshrew emerged from the ground and leapt towards Butterfree, knocking him to the ground as he stood over him.
"Butterfree!" Ash gasped.
"He's not so free anymore." AJ sneered, which frustrated Ash, who turned around and did something that made Evelyn yell.
"Ash, what are you doing!?"
Ash ignored her as he continued pulling Pikachu by the tail. "Come on, Pikachu, you gotta help your friends!"
"Ash! Stop it!"
"Pika. Pi-Pi-ka..."
Unfortunately, Ash continues to ignore them as he keeps pulling, when suddenly Pikachu unleashes a thundershock, causing Evelyn's eyes to widen as she watches her friend being electrocuted... Ash groaned as he fell to the ground.
Evelyn glanced at her friend before shaking her head, she did warn him.
"And that makes victory number 98!" AJ declared, as Sandshrew wiggles his tail in happiness.
Ash immediately got to his feet and went over to AJ, grabbing him by the arm. "It's not fair! I'm the ones with badges!" He complained. "How about a two out of three?"
"Stop whining!" AJ snapped as he released himself from Ash's grips.
"Hey, there's something fishy here! I didn't have any problems winning until I battled in your battlefield! How do I know this whole match wasn't rigged?" Ash retorted.
Evelyn frowned. "What? The battlefield looks perfectly normal, he hasn't rigged anything."
"Then he must have cheated!"
AJ gets angry after being accused of cheating and as he's about to speak, he's interrupted by Evelyn.
"No, he didn't!" Evelyn exclaimed, placing a finger on Ash's chest. "You lost because you were overconfident, thinking you could easily win, without even thinking once that he might have a way of countering your tactics." She then sighed. "You know, Ash, you can't win every match, you'll lose some, all you can do is learn from them."
Ash sighed reluctantly before asking weakly. "One more chance...?"
"Not a chance, if I battle again, I'd battle little miss here." AJ replied.
"Me?" Evelyn asked, getting a nods from AJ. "Well... I wouldn't mind having a one on one."
AJ smiles enthusiastically at the chance to get closer to his goal, and returns to his spot while Evelyn takes Ash's, who leaves the battlefield with a grunt and joins Misty and Brock.
"It's not fair..." Ash muttered.
"Alright! Bulbasaur, I choose you!" Evelyn exclaimed, throws her Pokéball as Bulbasaur emerges on the ground in front of her.
"Bulbasaur, eh? In that case... I choose you!" AJ said as he summons a bipedal Pokémon that resembles a weasel.
"Huh? Who's that pokémon?" Ash wondered as he took out his Pokédex.
"Sneasel, the Sharp Claw Pokémon. A smart and sneaky Pokémon, it makes its opponents flinch by suddenly showing the claws hidden in its paws."
Evelyn clicks her tongue, knowing this is going to be a hard matchup. "Let's start this off with Razor Leaf!"
Bulbasaur launches a wave of leaves towards Sneasel as a whip crack is heard, Sneasel suddenly disappears from view, startling Bulbasaur as he reappears on her left side before delivering a punch that knocks her over.
"Get up and use Tackle!"
She leaps to her feet and charges at Sneasel, AJ cracks his whip once more as Sneasel dodges Bulbasaur with incredible speed.
"Ice Punch!" AJ declares with another whip, Sneasel obeys his command and his claws glow a pale blue as he runs towards Bulbasaur.
"Dodged!" Evelyn declared.
Bulbasaur dodges the attack causing Sneasel to punches the ground where she was standing, causing frost to form where he struck.
"She's doing well so far." Misty said.
Brock nodded. "But if she wants to win, she'll have to be more aggressive."
"Keep up the pressure!" AJ said, as he crack his whip.
Sneasel lunges at Bulbasaur, trying to hit her, only for her to continue dodging his attacks. As Sneasel continued to attack relentlessly, Evelyn noticed something, Bulbasaur wasn't fast enough and was sometimes caressed by his attack...
"Vine Whip, Bulbasaur, knocked him back!" Evelyn ordered.
Unfortunately, she was too late as Sneasel managed to hit Bulbasaur, but then Bulbasaur return the favor with an uppercut from her vines, knocking Sneasel into the air and to the ground. He stands up and shakes his head as Bulbasaur recoils from the attacks, as ice forms where she was hit.
Aj smirked at how close he was to another victory as he cracked his whip once more. Sneasel runs towards Bulbasaur, claws ready to strike.
"Used Growl now!" Evelyn exclaimed, as Bulbasaur roared at Sneasel, who stopped in his tracks and winced at the noise. "Now, Tackle!" As Sneasel shakes his head, trying to regain his composure, Bulbasaur runs towards him, much more slowly than before, and slams into him knocking him backwards.
"Get up!" AJ said as Sneasel began to get back to his feet.
"Don't let him recover, used Razor Leaf!"
"Finish her off!" AJ retorted, cracking his whip one last time.
Bulbasaur launched her attack, and just like how the battle began, Sneasel blured out and appeared to Bulbasaur's right, delivering a punch that sent her reeling backwards. Bulbasaur lands on the ground and struggles to get up before collapsing on the ground.
"Bulbasaur!" Evelyn gasped as she run towards her down Pokémon. "Are you okay?" Bulbasaur opened her eyes and gave a low growl as Evelyn gently stroked her head. "You did well." She said, as she reached into her backpack and pulled out a container. She opened it and took out two berries, which she offered to Bulbasaur, who happily began to munch on them. As Bulbasaur munches on the berries, she takes the time to gently remove the frost from her side.
At the same time, AJ begins to celebrate his victory.
"And that's number ninety-nine which brings us one win away from our goal!" AJ declared, as Sandshrew wags his tails in happiness and Sneasel crosses his arms with a smirk.
Once Evelyn had finished looking after Bulbasaur, she returned her to her Pokéball to rest before approaching AJ. She shakes his hand and congratulates him on his victory, AJ smiles as he returns the handshake, then keeps his promise and shows them his other Pokémon training inside the tent.
They see a Beedrill engage in aerial battle with the Butterfree from earlier. Sentret and Rattata were doing their exercise, Sneasel joined them while Sandshrew donned a harness before heading to the pool's jump platform. AJ notices Sandshrew in position and cracked his whip, which causes Sandshrew to jump into the pool, taking the gang by surprise, and the next moment he jumps out and shakes himself.
"Get back in the water!" AJ ordered.
"Stop!" Ash yelled, grabbing AJ's arm before he could crack his whip. "You're hurting Sandshrew!"
Evelyn furrows her brows as she looks at Sandshrew, who seems to be doing just fine.
"Mind your business, I don't need an amateur telling how to train my Pokémon." AJ glared at Ash.
"You call that training? And what are they wearing?" Ash asked. "It looks like a straitjacket!"
"It's not a straitjacket, but rather it seems to be a training harness." Evelyn said, looking at the harness with curiosity. "Where did you get them?" She asked.
"I made them myself." AJ answered, proudly, before turning back to Sandshrew. "Now, get back in the pool!"
"Stop it!" Ash interrupts him once more. "Didn't you hear what I said? You're hurting Sandshrew by sending him into the water!"
"Ash, enough!" Evelyn exclaimed. "he's not hurting Sandshrew, if you'd looked at him, you'd have noticed that the water didn't even bother him." Ash was taken aback, as he thought she'd be on his side.
"She's right. And if you don't believe me, see for yourself. Sandshrew, dive!" AJ reassured, everyone watches as Sandshrew dive down into the pool perfectly.
"Nice dive..." Misty commented, as Sandshrew leapt out of the pool and before spinning his curled body around to shakes off all the water.
"What!? But how?" Ash asked, bewildered.
"You have to understand, Ash, that even though ground types are weak against water-type attacks, that doesn't mean that they can't come in contact with any source of water." Brock explained.
"Yeah, remember Prof. Oak's Nidoking?" Evelyn asked Ash, who nodded. "Even though he's part ground, it never stopped him from joining us to play in the lake when we were younger."
AJ ignored them and praised his Sandshrew before giving him another order. "Pick up the pace!" Nodding with a grunt, Sandshrew curls into a ball before rolling over the Rattata, who begin to pass him to a second, who then passes him to Sentret, who passes him back to the first Rattata, a passing game begins.
"Wait! I thought you said pacing, not passing." Ash jokingly said, causing Misty and Brock to fall.
"That was horrible..." Evelyn shakes her head.
Ash then turns his attention back to AJ. "Why are you so tough with Sandshrew?" He asked him.
"I have to be tough, but I ask no more of Sandshrew than I do of myself the very best!" AJ answered.
"Could it be that-?" Evelyn tried to ask, but AJ interrupted her.
AJ nodded. "That's right... Sandshrew is my very first Pokémon that I've caught. I will never forget that moment..." He said, as he recalled his past with Sandshrew. "We promised to do whatever it took to become the greatest Pokémon and trainer of all time! Nothing would stop us from reaching our dream, no matter how difficult our path! Enduring fierce storms and raging winds. We've sacrificed everything to achieve our dream and it was worth it. We are an unbeatable team!"
"It's an admirable dream, but I must say that the whip is a tad too much..." Evelyn commented.
"Ah, you don't have to worry, I've never whipped any of my Pokémon, I've only used it to motivate them."
"I must say, your Pokémon are all in great shape. What kind of Pokémon food do you give them?" Brock asked, with interest.
"My own recipe. Come on, I'll show ya." AJ answered as he led the group to where his Pokémon food is storage. "To get the results I want, I have to carefully monitor the Pokémon's diets." He said as he showed them selves filled with jars of Pokémon food. "And of course, the recipe's a secret."
Brock nodded. "Of course, I understand. You know, Evelyn and I mix our own food too. Sandshrew..." He continued to chat with AJ as Misty and Evelyn stood by his side as they conversed about Pokémon food.
While, Ash is deep in thought, reflecting on what had happened so far while watching Pikachu working out with Sandshrew. Suddenly, they hear a bell ringing.
"Okay, you wimps! You get a 15 minutes break!" AJ called out, as every training Pokémon falls to the ground, exhausted.
"They're all worn out..." Evelyn frowned with concerned.
"You better believe it, in this gym we follow the "no pain, no gain" philosophy."
"But still... I think you should give them a longer break, you don't want to over-exhaust them as this could harm their growth."
AJ hums in thought. "You're right... All right everyone! 30 minutes break!" He declared as Ash seems surprised that Evelyn has managed to convince AJ.
During the break, Brock pulled out some sandwiches he'd made earlier in the morning and passed them around. While they ate sandwiches, everyone chatted among themselves, AJ and Evelyn talking about training methods, with the exception of Ash who ate his sandwich in silence as Evelyn frowned worriedly at him, wondering what was bothering him. It wasn't long before the bell rang again, signaling the end of the break.
"All right everyone, break's over!" AJ called out, as his Pokémon returned where they had left off in their training. He looks around and notices something alarming... "Hey, where's Sandshrew!?" He yelled, looking around frantically, when he spots Pikachu curled up in a ball. "That's weird..."
"Pikachu!" Ash gasped as he run over to Pikachu and immediately tries to remove the harness. "Ugh... It's no use."
"Let me see it." Evelyn said as she crouched down, took Pikachu from Ash's hands and started looking at the harness. She tries for a minute until... a click is heard, Pikachu uncurls himself and begins to stretch. "Are you okay?" Pikachu nodded and gives her a thumbs up.
"Pikachu have you seen Sandshrew around?" AJ asked.
"Pika. Pi-Pika. Chu..."
"The last time you saw him, he was with you..." AJ frowned as he began calling for his Pokémon again. "Sandshrew! Where are you!?" He yelled.
"He could have gone for a stroll." Evelyn suggested.
AJ shakes his head. "No, he would have told me if that was the case."
Ash remains silent as he watches AJ fret over Sandshrew's disappearance... 'He really cares about his Pokémon...' He thought, before clearing his throat. "What can we do to help?"
Evelyn smiled, happy that he had decide to put aside his difference.
AJ stared at him and nodded. "We should split up to cover more ground, as he shouldn't have gone too far."
Everyone nodded, and they all set off in opposite directions in search of Sandshrew, while Evelyn and Ash sent out their flying Pokémon to help in the search. They searched the area for a good twenty minutes before regrouping.
"Does anyone have find him yet?" AJ asked, but before anyone could respond, something burst from below and struck Ash, knocking him to the ground. They all looked and saw it was Sandshrew!
"Sandshrew!" He exclaims, happily embracing him with all his Pokémon, who are delighted that their friend is back.
"AJ and all his Pokémon are sure happy that Sandshrew is back." Misty said.
Brock nodded. "AJ might be tough in his training, but as you can see he cares deeply for his Pokémon."
"You're right..." Ash muttered as he watches the reunion.
Evelyn smiled at the reunion before looking down and notices Pikachu poking at something with a stick. "What's that Pikachu?"
"Pika!" Pikachu points at an unconscious Meowth.
"Wait! Is that-"
"Meowth!" Ash exclaimed.
"This means that Team Rocket is behind Sandshrew's disappearance." Brock said, crossing his arms.
Ash approaches Meowth and grabs him by the tail. "Wake up!" He yelled, startling Meowth, who began scratching his face. Ash flinched as he fell to the ground, while Meowth jumped back, looking around in confusion.
"Hey! Where am I? What's going on here?"
Meowth then freezes as he notices everyone surrounding him. He looked around, trying to find a way out... Suddenly, voices can be heard at the entrance to the tent.
"Prepare for trouble!"
"Make it double!"
Everyone turns and sees two figures standing in the entrance.
"Ugh... Team Rocket!" Ash groaned.
"Use the old motto!" Meowth called out as Team Rocket proceeded to recite their motto.
"Surrender now, or prepare to fight!"
"Meowth, that's right!"
Once they had finished their motto, Jessie and James began crying happily.
AJ glared at them. "So these are the creeps who kidnapped my Sandshrew!?".
"Mm..." Jessie wag her finger. "That was an unfortunate mix-up."
"We have no interest in your second-rate Sandshrew." James added, only to tick AJ off as he glared at them fiercely.
"Second-rate!?" AJ growled in annoyance.
Team Rocket ignored at they turned to were Pikachu stood.
"The only Pokémon we want is Pikachu." Jessie declared.
"You can keep all those wimps."
"Wimps, are they!?" AJ hissed. "No one insults my Pokémon and gets away with it. Let's step outside!"
Everyone left the tent as AJ and Team Rocket entered the battlefield, while Ash, Evelyn and their friends stood by and watched. AJ took out his whip and cracked it on the ground.
"Team Rocket has insulted our Gym! We'll answer them with our 100th win!" AJ declared.
"One hundred?" Ash asked.
"That's right. As Sandshrew and I vowed."
Ash smiled. "Good luck!" AJ nodded in response.
Jessie and James smirked confidently as they brought out their Pokéballs.
"Your small talk will cost you big time! Ekans, go!" Jessie said.
"Your turn, Koffing!" James exclaimed
The two poison types emerged from their Pokéballs and entered the battlefield. Despite being outnumbered, it doesn't faze AJ as he prepares for battle.
"Sandshrew, go!" AJ declared, as Sandshrew dashed forward, dodging Ekans' and Koffing's blows. He leapt into the air and curled into a ball.
"Ekans! Bind it now!" Jessie ordered.
Ekans obeys and wraps himself around Sandshrew, but unfortunately he easily breaks free, causing Ekans to tie himself in a knot, much to his displeasure. Sandshrew then slams onto Ekans, much to everyone's amazement.
"He's so strong!" Ash said.
"Good work." Evelyn praised as Pikachu cheered him on with his folding hand fan.
"Koffing, Sludge attack!" James ordered.
Koffing spits sludge at Sandshrew, but the latter curls up into a ball again and begins to spin, repelling the attack.
"Meowth! Don't just stand there!" James snapped.
Meowth smiles before chasing the rolling Sandshrew, which further annoys his teammates, while Evelyn giggles at him acting like a cat.
"Stop pussyfooting around!" Jessie growled.
"Just biting my time!" Meowth said before trying to bite Sandshrew's shell, causing his teeth to break. "AAH! THE MOMENT OF TOOTH!" He shrieked as he held his mouth.
"Finish it! Sandshrew! Fissure strike!" AJ ordered out loud.
Wasting no time, Sandshrew uncoiled himself before he began to dive towards the ground, with his sturdy little fist aimed at the ground. As he dives, he begins to spin, his speed increasing as he descends.
"Go, Sandshrew! Drill it to the ground until it splits!" AJ shouted.
Sandshrew slammed his fist into the ground, and nothing seemed to happen... until the ground began to crack. And seconds later, the ground began to split! Everyone gasped in surprise as Meowth, Ekans and Koffing screamed as they fell into the crevice. Fortunately, Meowth managed to hang on and drag himself and the other two Pokémon out of the crevice.
"THAT'S IT! I FORFEIT THE MATCH!" Meowth yelled as he ran away from the unofficial gym with Ekans and Koffing quickly following behind him.
"Come back here!" Jessie shouted as she ran after them.
"Meowth!? Where are you going!?" James called out as Team Rocket ran off and disappeared from sight.
Once they were gone, both AJ and Sandshrew began to celebrate their victory.
"We did it, Sandshrew! We finally reached victory number 100!" AJ declared proudly as the scoreboard now indicated 100 wins and 0 lost. Tears began to flow from their eyes like waterfalls. "Today, all our sacrifices and hard work finally paid off! Now we can start winning our badges!" The two embrace, while the other looks on, happy to see that they've been able to fulfill their wish.
Later...
The gang stands in front of the unofficial Gymnasium, saying a final goodbye before going their separate ways.
"When I return here, I'm gonna be... the number one Pokémon Master!" AJ declared boldly.
"Why don't you come along with us?" Ash asked.
"Thanks, but Sandshrew and I... have our own path that we must follow." AJ replied, as the gang nodded in understanding. He then shakes hands with Evelyn before turning to Ash and extending his hand, to which Ash smiled and shakes his hand.
"Someday, we'll meet again at the big Pokémon League competition." Ash said.
"And the next time we meet, we'll win." Evelyn added.
AJ smirked. "I look forward to it." He told her before turning back to Ash. "And you'd better be in top form, 'cause I only wanna beat experts trainers."
"That's a deal." Ash nodded.
"So long!" AJ waved as he walked away alongside Sandshrew.
"He's though but pretty cool." Misty said.
"Yeah! Looks like you two have found a new rival."
"AJ, I'm not gonna lose next time!" Ash called out. "I'll train hard to Pokémon the greatest Pokémon Master in the world, following my own path!" He declared.
"Yeah... but you'll have to defeat me first." Evelyn teased him, before blowing him a raspberry as she ran away laughing.
"Hey! Get back here!"
Ash and Pikachu chase after her, as Brock and Misty look at each other in amusement before following suit as they continued their journey.
I hope you liked the changes I made as I really didn't like the way Ash was in this episode. The next chapter will be the Bulbasaur episode, since I've decided to skip the school episode.
AJ's Sneasel move used: Feint, Ice Punch, Agility, Fury Swipes
Evelyn's teams:
Bulbasaur (F) Overgrow -Tackle, Vine Whip, Growl, Razor Leaf-
Nidorina (F) Hustle -Scratch, Poison Sting, Double Kick, Bite, Growl, Supersonic-
Spearow (M) Keen Eye -Peck, Fury Attack, Leer, Whirlwind, Aerial Ace-
Marill (M) Huge Power -Water Gun, Rollout, Defense Curl, Slam-
Pokémon at Prof. Oak:
-None Currently-