Chapter 44
"Well what an exciting first half we've had here so far in this, the Final of the Silver Conference" Sharon said to the TV screen "Kanto Champion Ash Ketchum holds a slender lead going into the second half at 3-2 but it should have been a lot easier for him, no?"
"I'm not sure about that" Clair said "We have no idea what set his Sneasel off just yet but that was very troubling. Other than that he successfully found a way to combat Pidgeot from a disadvantage, his Sneasel proved why it's so easy for Ice types to combat anyone hiding and Ampharos didn't need to even try against an already severely injured Weavile. So we don't actually know how easy it could have been had the Sneasel vs Weavile fight been an actual battle."
"It was very worrying" Blue said "I'm very interested in what happened there but as Clair said we'll never know how easy it could have been."
"By contrast Harrison has found it much tougher out there than I think he suspected." Sharon said.
"He's made so many basic errors in this match" Cynthia said shaking her head "and Ash has not let one opportunity to make him pay slide by. You just can't make those mistakes and as a Champion he should know better. He gave up the advantage from the word go so to answer your first question, no Ash shouldn't have found it easy but he has. Teaching a move mid battle was a crazy strategy that paid off, but Harrison still had the advantage in that fight and let his frustration bottle over. That's what cost him and until he sorts that out it will continue to cost him."
"What can he do to stop those?" Sharon asked intrigued.
"Study Pokémon battling properly" Blue simply said getting a nod from both Clair and Cynthia "I know it sounds simple but that's because it is. We all got to the positions we are in and stayed there because we relentlessly study battles to come up with different strategies for different scenarios. Harrison knew roughly what Pokémon Ash has in his arsenal as it's pretty well documented. He should have done a deep dive into the strengths and weaknesses of each one and come up with strategies based on that. I know to most people that sounds like a lot of work but it really isn't and it's incredibly important if you want to succeed at a high level being a trainer."
"Wouldn't the fact you cannot substitute change that?" Sharon asked.
"Not really" Cynthia said "you can still keep in mind about what to do to combat them and if you're any sort of trainer you can prepare the best you can by doing what you can for the next Pokémon you send out. You're only at a disadvantage very briefly."
"The best trainers find a way" Clair said "they just have the knack for thinking of a solution or doing what they can to make the next Pokémon being sent out have an easier time than they would if it was just them out from the beginning. Harrison, if he wants to be called Champion at some point needs to work on that aspect as too often this year he's made simple errors and got away with it. Ash won't let him get away with it and hasn't."
"Mark, what is the view pitch side?" Sharon asked as the TV screen split into two and the pitch side broadcaster came onto the screen.
"The view echoes everything the panel have said" Mark replied "too many errors that have been punished. We've also just heard there will be an investigation into the Sneasel vs Weavile fight too after the match but it may be a few days before anything comes of that."
"What is the chance Ash will face retroactive suspension?" Sharon asked.
"Slim to none" Mark said "Ash has had certain issues in the past with his Pokémon acting out of character but the issues have always been dealt with swiftly and fairly. He has always cooperated with the relevant authorities and provided evidence and valid reasons for the actions so I can't see this being much different."
"But isn't it a concern that he keeps having this issue?" Sharon asked.
"No not really" Mark replied "people forget that Pokémon are beings with their own thoughts and feelings too. We need to stop trying to gauge them from a human perspective and realise that just because we might have second thoughts about something doesn't mean it even enters their heads as it's not an issue for them. We don't vilify Seviper and Zangoose for fighting each other on sight because they're natural enemies, maybe Sneasel and Weavile are the same. This could be something as simple as a territorial attitude that makes them instinctually fight. We don't know but no, I don't think Ash has many issues with that."
"To piggyback on that" Blue said interrupting "it's been well documented over the years that Pokémon fight much harder and fiercer against those of the same type. My own Blastoise would rather die than lose to another water starter and wouldn't give up no matter how grievously injured he gets. And for years after my fight with Red whenever he fought another fire Starter he would be ruthless with them."
"Exactly" Mark said "some Pokémon just don't want to lose against another of their kind, especially when in the wild that usually means death. We often forget that Pokémon are only semi-domesticated beings and still have those animal instincts that help them survive in the wild. But no, I can't foresee Ash being in trouble over this."
"So we know Ash goes into the second half as heavy favourite, has that changed in your opinion?" Sharon asked.
"No" Mark said "he was favourite before the match and he's still the favourite now. He just knows how to get over the line in these situations but I will say it won't surprise me if Harrison makes a comeback. He is after all a Champion of a league and has been to two finals so don't count him out just yet."
A knock on the door brought Ash out of his meditative reverie and he opened his eyes, focusing on the door. "Are we ready to win another League Pi?"
"Very much so" Pikachu said, nodding in agreement and climbing onto Ash's shoulder. Standing up Ash took one last look at the room before he swept out and walked down the tunnel where he waited at the entrance. The field had long since melted by now leaving a slightly muddy field, looking up he could see that Harrison was also waiting and he grinned, this was it.
"Welcome all to the second half of the final of the Silver Conference between Ash Ketchum and Harrison Hazuki" the announcer shouted "Ash holds a slender 3-2 lead over Harrison but don't count him out just yet. So without further ado please welcome back the referee Alyssa Hargrave along with the two competitors!"
The crowd cheered like crazy as all three of them walked back onto the field from the three entrances and walked into their podiums. Ash placed his remaining two Pokéballs on the plinth and grabbed Ampharos' knowing he would be out next. He watched Harrison do the same thing and grinned slightly.
"Welcome gentlemen" Alyssa said gaining their attention "I don't feel like I should need to go over the rules. Ash you currently hold a lead but your Ampharos has a move locked in. Good luck to you both, when I drop my flags you will release your Pokémon."
She dropped the flags and Ash released his Ampharos while Harrison released a Dragonair.
"Ampharos vs Dragonair, begin" Alyssa shouted.
Ash immediately ordered Discharge while Harrison countered with a Thunderbolt drawing the electricity into the bolt itself.
"Interesting" Ash said, nodding at the counter "get in close Ampharos."
"Keep your distance Dragonair" Harrison shouted "Blizzard."
"Cotton Guard" Ash shouted as his Ampharos sprouted tiny bits of wool on his skin and carried on running through the heavy snow towards where he knew Dragonair to be.
"Dragon Rush" Harrison shouted over the noise of the Blizzard. Ampharos saw a blue glow just off to the side of him and cursed that he had not felt the dragon move. He had to quickly dive away from the oncoming attack and felt a slight bit of heat on his back as he only just got out of the way. Standing up he saw the blue glow disappear but the storm raged on. Cautiously he walked forwards keeping his head on a swivel as he did so expecting an attack and his instincts took over as he flattened himself again as the dragon came hurtling over him grazing his back.
"Ampharos" Ash shouted over the snowstorm "he keeps circling you, when you next feel him use Discharge."
"Dragonair, use Blizzard again" Harrison shouted "keep him blind."
"Hmmm" Ash said, looking around trying to see what he could do as Ampharos slowly started to get covered in snow hampering his movement. It wasn't long before Amoharos had become coated so much that he could barely move.
"Dragonair, Dragon Rush" Harrison shouted. His Pokémon lit up blue and started smashing his way through the top layer of snow as it charged at Ampharos who could do nothing but take the attack crashing heavily into the deep snow, with it falling on top of him as he landed, covering him completely and more piling on top of him as the storm carried on.
"I think that's all she wrote" Harrison said, pleased that he'd evened them match up.
"Ampharos…" Alyssa started to say before Ash cut her off.
"Ampharos, can you hear me?" Ash said, stopping her. Listening carefully he heard a very small 'yes' and smiled as he put his hand into his pocket discreetly using his aura on a pendant he hadn't worn in a while. "Ampharos, Moo!"
"What the hell?" Lance said "did Ash just Moo?"
"He sure did," Gary said, nodding and laughing "I never thought I'd hear him do that on national television."
"Why did he say moo?" Lacey asked, confused.
"Ampharos has always been very strange" Gary said gaining all their attention "When he first walked into Ash's camp as a Mareep he said 'moo' and then started eating food Ash had left on the floor. Then when he met Jasmine's Ampharos they started mooing at each other. I think it's an in-joke for their species but it drove Ash mad and continues to do so. Why he's saying it though I have no idea…ah, well this changes things doesn't it."
They all as one looked down to the field to see it glowing and the snow exploded outwards from where Ampharos was last seen but instead of an Ampharos was an entirely different Pokémon.
"Where did he get Ampharosite?" Lance asked in shock.
"He met a woman just outside of Cherrygrove City who uses her Donphans to mine the mountains for gemstones that she crafts into Jewellery" Gary said "he spoke to her and told her what she was giving away for free were actually Mega Stones, apparently the jewellers just told her they were marbles. To say she was pissed would be an understatement but Ash used that to partially employ her for the Kanto League so any Mega-Stones she finds now gets bought by the Kanto Pokémon League."
"But she lives in Johto" Will said ignoring the glare he received from Bruno "surely that's encroaching and stealing from us?"
"Not if she's employed by the League" Lance said "she's also a self-employed jeweller. I vaguely know who it is because Melanie has bought jewellery from her before. Ash employing her is legal because she's free to to do so, anything she finds in the mountain comes under the finders law so she's free to sell to whomever she wants."
"Ash was the first person to not fleece her and actually tell her the real value of what she was being conned out of" Gary said "over the last few years she's been done out of hundreds of thousands of Pokédollars by people in Johto so don't expect her to switch to you guys anytime soon."
"I'll go and see her" Lance said "see if we can do some kind of deal with her too."
"Ask Ash" Gary said "I can't see him having an issue with sharing whatever is found as long as it's a stone someone in your Elite Four can use."
Down on the field Harrison could only shake his head in amazement as a Pokémon he had never seen in person literally blasted the snow away hitting Dragonair who winced. He may be able to cope with flying in his own Blizzard but that didn't mean he was totally immune.
Jasmine who was in the Gym Leaders box with the other leaders stood up and leaned over the balcony, her eyes shining with admiration. She just had to get her hands on an Ampharosite now. Ampharos hadn't changed much size wise, he was a little taller than usual but his tail had completely disappeared due to thick wool appearing that was gently flowing in the wind along with several lights as opposed to just the one which were lit up, flashing off and on. His ears had also moves slightly to accommodate a long flowing mane of wool. But the biggest change was the bulk that he had gained, he was now significantly heavier than his unevolved form which gave him a very stable base. Overall his demeanour had changed from a usual placid one to one that was fiercely glaring at the Dragon type on the other side of the field.
"Ampharos, Dazzling Gleam and follow it up with Dragon Pulse." Ash shouted, taking advantage of the stupor Harrison was in. His Dragonair paid for that lapse in concentration as it was sent flying backwards when a bright pink light flashed across the stadium temporarily blinding everyone before a blue beam of light lanced its way across the ground burning up the snow and smashing into a very dizzy Dragonair sending it back further into the snow. Ampharos seemed to have lost himself to the anger as he spammed Dragon Pulses moving forwards every now and then to get closer. Dragonair frantically tried to twist and turn out of the way but it made a crucial error, believing Ampharos to be herding it in one direction when in fact it was waiting for Dragonair to move a certain way and beaned it on the head when it tried to turn backwards. Crashing down it struggled to raise its head and saw a heavily panting Mega-Ampharos glaring at him before the pain took over and he passed out.
"Dragonair is unable to battle, Harrison please send out your fifth Pokémon" Alyssa shouted raising a flag.
"How does he always seem to win from a losing position?" Harrison muttered, shaking his head. He was now two Pokémon behind when he should have been drawing. He looked at the two Pokéballs left and shook his head at who to use next.
"Hey Ash" Ampharos said, turning to him.
"What's up Ampharos?" Ash asked him concerned.
"Moo" he said before his eyes rolled into the back of his head and he de-transitioned back into Ampharos.
"Er...Ampharos is unable to battle" Alyssa said surprised "Ash please choose your fourth Pokémon."
Chuckling Ash recalled Ampharos and looked at his two Pokéballs on the podium too. It was unfortunate that Ampharos passed out but he had clearly been more injured than Ash had known but was determined to win. When he saw who Harrison had chosen next though he grinned.
"Queenie, you're up" he shouted, throwing Salamences ball. His huge bulky blue dragon appeared in silence as she landed on the ground, snorting when she saw her opponent. They had talked over the last few days about who he was going to use against Blaziken and what his strategy was going to be and they had determined the best course of action was to send out Salamence.
"Blaziken vs Salamence, begin," Alyssa shouted.
"Blaze, your light will burn brightly" Harrison shouted as he touched a ring on his hand to a pendant on his chest which started to glow. Blaziken also began to light up at the same time as he changed his colours were usually a light red and pale orange they were now a dark black and a deep red, the heat that came from him could be felt across the stadium as the flames on his wrist that were normally more like cuffs were now streams of fire burning harshly, and every now and then drops of it would fall onto the floor melting the rocks. Opening his eyes Harrison grinned. He was now in control of this match he felt as no one had beaten Blaziken since he acquired the mega stone and Ash had used his up already so there were no more surprises Ash could use.
"Blaziken, let's win this. Fire Blast" Harrison shouted. Blaziken nodded as he roared his name to the sky, crossed his arms and leaped forwards sending out a kanji shaped blast of fire.
"Queenie fly" Ash said as she nodded and in one huge wingbeat she swept above the fire feeling the heat pass underneath her and snorted in contempt. She'd dealt with worse at the Valley. Ash had never really asked what Charizard had called her to the Valley for, believing it to be about the Entei situation and while that was the more pressing matter she had used the time very wisely and trained with the Charizard there. Battling over and inside a volcano was harsh training but it was well worth it to her.
"Oh no you don't" Harrison said smiling "Blaziken follow her."
Blaziken nodded and crouched down before leaping into the air after her showing incredible leg strength to be able to leap thirty feet into the air.
"Now Queenie, Aerial Ace" Ash said as the trap was sprung.
Before Blaziken could react he felt a huge impact in his torso as Salamence slammed into him sending him flying back into the ground back first kicking up lots of mud which quickly dried around him.
"What?" Harrison shouted in shock "get up Blaziken, we can't be beaten that easily. Use Stone Edge."
Blaziken shot to his feet shaking his body as he punched the ground and focused his aura. The ground heaved as rocks shot upwards into the sky homing in on Salamence who blasted them apart with Dragon Pulses. Ash grimaced as he wouldn't have used that move but it did the job as very few managed to reach her as she scored across them but some still hit her causing her to flinch. Ash watched as Blaziken leaped again behind her knowing she would have to take this attack as she was caught up in the stones.
"Blaziken, Blaze Kick" Harrison shouted as his Blaziken did a front flip and landed his foot square on her back sending her down to the ground kicking up mud as she impacted the ground. Ash winced slightly as he knew that there was nothing he could do there but let her take the hit. Blaziken landed lightly twenty feet away and sent another Fire Blast her way which hit her on the left wing as she covered her body protecting herself as best she could. A few seconds later she felt the heat disappear and she lowered her wing glaring at Salamence before flapping her wings and taking off again. She looked on as Blaziken sped rapidly across the ground at a speed that was much faster than usual.
"Dragon Dance" Queenie Ash said "it has Speed Boost as an ability so it'll soon be too fast to counter. All we can do is try and match it for now."
"Good luck with that," Harrison said, smirking. "No Pokémon is faster than my Blaziken using Speed Boost."
"I'll let you keep that delusion" Ash said smirking as his Salamence stopped glowing blue and looked at Blaziken who took a run at the wall of the stadium, jumped on it and used it as leverage to leap higher than last time climbing higher than Salamence where he sent another Fire Blast at her which she twirled around gracefully using her new speed and headed towards him. Ash however was waiting for the perfect moment to strike as Blaziken seemed to levitate in the air using the air currents generated by the sheer heat coming from his arms and legs before he quickly descended.
"Now Queenie" Ash shouted "Aerial Ace."
"Defend" Harrison said as he crossed his arms and took the attack head on, sending him down faster. When he was twenty feet from the ground he twisted so that he could see where he was landing and Salamence twisted off to avoid crashing herself coming to a stop thirty feet in the air.
"Dragon Dance" Ash said as he saw Blaziken sprinting across the ground towards the wall again "I have an idea Queenie, but you may need to take a hit."
Nodding Queenie started to glow again as she raised her speed and attack again. No one knew how exactly Dragon Dance worked in the air but Ash had long since stopped questioning it.
Harrison seemed content to keep doing what he was doing as Blaziken was still more than good to go, the attacks he'd taken hadn't done the damage Ash thought he was so he was quite happy to keep hitting and running. He still had Pikachu and Machamp to go through and he had another Pokémon in reserve too so the quicker he got through Salamence the better. He felt that people thought too much of the Dragon type as Blaziken seemed to be having very little trouble with her. He had heard of course the chatter that she was considered an Elite Pokémon and he just couldn't see it. If she was considered Elite then his Blaziken must be a level above that as this was easy so far. He watched as his Blaziken prepared to leap again but this time he had something different in mind.
"Sky Uppercut" he shouted as his Blaziken nodded and leaped, his hands glowing red as he zeroed in on Salamence.
"You have one move left Ash" Pikachu said looking concerned as he knew he would be next. Machamp for all his speed couldn't match Blaziken after several Speed Boosts and while he could easily match him strength wise, the speed of the attacks may be a bit too much.
Ash didn't say anything as he watched Blaziken leap in front of Salamence, surprising her with the speed and getting punched in the mouth, sending her spiralling backwards in the air. Quickly rectifying it she banked to face Blaziken who was slowly descending again.
"What's the plan then Ash because that was bloody painful!" she snarled as she felt a tooth loosen in her mouth. Spitting it out she saw it land just off to the side of the field and started to grow angry.
"Again" Harrison shouted "she's weakening, we can win this."
Blaziken nodded and took a running leap, his arms glowing bright red again and he was soon extremely close to Salamence twenty feet into the air.
"Now Queenie" Ash shouted as he was face to face with her "Hydro Pump."
"What?" Harrison shouted as a huge geyser of water erupted from her mouth blasting him in the face sending him arcing in the air, crashing very heavily into the ground. Queenie did a backflip in the air and shot downwards, scoring the very dry ground with water, raking the back of Blaziken again as he was getting to his feet, sending him headfirst into the ground again from the super effective attack. "Ref? Since when can Salamence learn that move?"
"Egg move" Ash said simply looking at Queenie who had taken her place again in the air "Dragon Dance into Aerial Ace" he said as Queenie glowed blue again and shot down at terrific speed as Blaziken set himself, grunting as he took the attack on his crossed arms sending him back ten feet.
"Are you ok Blaziken?" Harrison asked, earning a brief nod from his Pokémon who tested his arm out and winced. Muttering to Harrison something he didn't understand he grimaced and set himself, holding his left arm close to his body.
"He says his left arm is broken," Ash said grimacing, "but he wants to continue."
"Damn," Harrison said, gritting his teeth and looking troubled. On one hand he wanted to win this battle as it would be a stepping stone for him to challenge his own Elite Four but he didn't want to do it at the expense of his Pokémons health. Looking up at the sky he muttered a little prayer hoping for some divine intervention or a sign to tell him what to do. Closing his eyes he nodded to himself and raised Blazikens ball to recall him but amazingly the beam was dodged and Blaziken started chattering angrily at him.
"He says he's fine to carry on battling so don't even think about recalling him." Ash said.
"Blaziken" Harrison said "your arm is broken! You could do permanent damage to yourself and that is not worth it! We will have other chances and other tournaments to compete in, but not if you injure yourself."
Blaziken shook his head again and looked skywards at Salamence who lowered herself to be ten feet from the ground.
"I've been where you have been" she said "during my battle with Bugsy I snapped my wing clean in half and had to go home for three weeks to recover. I hated the thought of leaving Ash but it was necessary as if I'd have carried on battling I would have likely lost the ability to fly."
"But I know I can win this!" Blaziken said angrily to her.
"No you cannot" she said "I have been holding back on my attacks from the beginning."
Blaziken snorted and Salamence glared at him before turning to the wall, set herself before taking a deep breath and letting loose a massive geyser of water that strained against the psychic shields before shattering them and punching a hole in the wall. As soon as she'd battered the shields down she stopped and turned back to him, saying nothing.
Harrison looked on in astonishment at the power Salamence exuded in that one attack. He had no idea that kind of power could come from a Pokémon's move that wasn't STAB.
"Queenie" Ash said, shaking his head and pinching his nose.
"What?" she asked, looking at him.
"You've just disqualified yourself" he said looking up at the sky.
"What?" she asked shocked "how?"
"Any Pokémon that deliberately attacks the psychic shields that protects the audience faces immediate disqualification" Ash said "I know you were showing Blaziken that you were holding back but it's always been in the rules. Pokémon breaking them from stray moves is fine, deliberately breaking them though isn't" Turning to Alyssa he said "I apologise, she was trying to impress upon him that she had been holding back against him. She didn't know it was a rule but we are prepared to accept whatever judgement you give."
"I'm making a decision anyway" she said nodding "while she didn't know it's still not acceptable behaviour. Ignorance of the rules is not an excuse so therefore in accordance with the guidelines set by the league, Salamence is disqualified from the battle. Harrison, your Blaziken is also disqualified on the grounds of safety. I will not risk further harm to any Pokémon regardless of the magnitude of the battle so I'm sorry, but Blaziken is unable to battle. Gentlemen, please recall your Pokémon and send out your next one. Harrison, this will be your final Pokémon while Ash still has two remaining."
"Harrison," Ash said as he recalled Queenie, who was grumbling up a storm. "If your Blaziken ever wants a rematch I'll be in Hoenn next year and I will be more than happy to have one. I'll be honest Queenie will be insufferable for a while." he stopped as her ball burst open and she hovered in front of him glaring at him when she heard his words. The crowd had gone very quiet at seeing the Dragons head so close to a humans. "You know I'm right!" Ash said pointing at her.
"I am not insufferable," she said, irritated.
"Yes you are and you know it" Ash said leaning over the barrier and poking her on the nose, ignoring the razor sharp teeth "do you remember the Tyranitar."
"He cheated and you know it," she said, outraged.
"It was your own fault for challenging a Tyranitar inside a bloody mountain!" Ash said "you nearly collapsed Mt Silver onto us and when we went back you immediately flew off to look for him. That was over a year later!"
"I got my own back didn't I?" she said, sounding smug.
"And haven't shut up about it since" Ash said before tapping her on the nose with her ball recalling her "honestly, why is it always me Pikachu who gets strange Pokémon."
"You're strange yourself" he said as he jumped down onto the field to face off against Harrison's last Pokémon.
"Pikachu, I choose you," he said pointlessly, shaking his head, getting a laugh from the audience.
"Do you often have arguments with your Pokémon?" Harrison asked, confused.
"More than you know" he said "It's a downside of being able to understand them and my use of Aura on them in training. They are more intelligent than those you'll find in the wild and can get their point across easier but they chat endlessly." Ash moved his head from a lightning bolt that moved past his head, being absorbed in the newly reinstated psychic shields "You know I'm right Pi. Tell me Sneasel and Shuckle don't make you want to move to a different region on almost a weekly basis."
"You have a point," Pikachu said before looking at the Tyranitar as a rock just missed his head. Ash had looked into this Pokémon, apparently it was very newly evolved during his group matches so Ash knew it was still trying to get accustomed to its new body. Ash, if it was his Pokémon would likely have not used it for the rest of the tournament because of that reason but he wasn't Harrison who obviously thought Tyranitar could cope.
"I'm right here, rat. Don't ignore me" Tyranitar said looking irritated at Pikachu "I can't wait to smash you."
"Oh dear" Ash said, shaking his head knowing this was already over with. Looking at the referee he waited.
"Pikachu vs Tyranitar, begin" Alyssa shouted, dropping the flag.
Before Harrison could say a word Tyranitar roared and stomped on the field creating a huge tremor which shook the stadium and rushed forwards. Rocks rose up from nowhere and homed in on Pikachu who simply ran through them, bouncing off them before using Quick Attack to go through Tyranitars legs making him trip up when he tried to look through his own legs. Getting up he seethed with anger and again stamped on the field trying to dislodge the ground before charging forwards again with reckless abandon. Harrison meanwhile was shouting down orders that were being ignored and could only watch on as Pikachu effortlessly dodged the attacks.
Ash shook his head. This was exactly why he wouldn't have used Tyranitar. He was too sure of his new power to be able to use it effectively and had let it go to his head. Pikachu was doing exactly what Ash would have done and had done in the past, let Tyranitar exhaust himself and take him down easier.
A few minutes later an extremely irate Tyranitar stopped, panting.
"You bloody rat!" He shouted at Pikachu before roaring again.
"Harrison, get control of that Pokémon before I am forced to disqualify you!" Alyssa said.
Harrison though was lost for words as he'd never seen his Pokémon like this before. He had only let him out a few times since he evolved all those weeks ago and found that without Dragonair and Blaziken to keep him in check he couldn't handle his own power. He knew it was a risk using him in this final but he needed a win and Tyranitar was his Pokémon.
Ash knew instinctively that something major was going to happen and was in motion before anyone else. He saw Tyranitar lift his leg and let loose a huge Earthquake which shook the entire field along with what seemed to be Stone Edge at the same time. He had long since gone beyond the four move limit, uncaring as long as he got the Pikachu who was taking the piss out of him.
Ash saw the podium that Alyssa was on crack from the bottom and swept upwards where it split into two. Ash was already on the field running to her direction releasing Machamp at the same time.
"Machamp, help Pi secure the Tyranitar." He shouted not waiting to see his Pokémon obey him as he ran to the middle of the field, using the bits of ground as stepping stones before leaping up to the top of the podium that was breaking apart, grabbing ahold of Alyssa and picking her up bridal style as he jumped down the ten feet to the ground, wincing as he did so as the pain in his leg from a few weeks earlier came back with a vengeance. He had no time to wait though as he placed her on her feet and then raced over to join his Pikachu and Machamp who were fighting in tandem slowly whittling down the rampaging Pokémon.
Releasing Queenie he shouted "rampaging Tyranitar, do what you need to do."
Without waiting she swept upwards into the air, did a backflip before charging downwards. Pikachu and Machamp had heard Ash's command and instantly moved off to either side before a huge torrent of water came sweeping across the broken ground, smashing into the wide eyed Tyranitar who had very little choice but to be swept up and embedded in the wall. The tremors immediately stopped and the ground settled down.
The crowd, who had been largely frightened looked around bewildered as the tremors stopped and looked down to see Ash and his three Pokémon waiting for the Tyranitar to move.
Harrison had been thrown around by the last attack but thankfully his box hadn't cracked as Tyranitar had been nearly in the middle when he attacked but the movement had caused him to lose his footing and fall over, the various pedestals falling on top of him. Groaning he lifted his hand to his head and found it to be slightly matted with blood. After a few minutes though he managed to get to his feet with the aid of the rail and looked down at the devastation caused by his own Pokémon. Carefully he climbed down the steps and onto the field, picking his way over to Ash who looked warily at him before focusing on the Tyranitar who had started to move. Without warning Pikachu charged forwards, swung his tail and clocked it on the head causing it to topple over, finally knocking it out.
"Great job guys" Ash said nodding to them and recalling them. Pikachu however wasn't faring as well. He limped back over to Ash, wincing in pain. "What's wrong Pi?" He asked.
"My tail" he said sounding very hurt "I think it's broken."
"Shit" he said gently picking Pikachu up and running his aura on it "I think we'll need to have that scan immediately, it was only a matter of time wasn't it before something gave."
"Is Pikachu ok?" Harrison asked.
"No," Ash replied "his tail has finally broken. We knew something was wrong but we were going to wait until after the tournament to get a more in depth scan on it to see what the issue was. Evidently it can't wait any longer."
"What can you do in the meantime?" He asked concerned.
"Bandage it up, secure it to stop it from moving and do what I can with my aura" Ash said "it's very temporary though as I suspect he'll need surgery right away."
"Ash, about Tyranitar" he began to say.
"Don't" Ash said "this one is not your fault Harrison. Tyranitar are notorious for not being able to contain their power when they evolve. They need weeks, sometimes months of training to be able to get a handle on their strength. Yours has only just evolved and is very much still in that arrogant phase of his life. He's basically a teenager who is going through puberty at the minute and maturity is years off but he'll be ok. If you want my advice, go to Mt Silver and present him to the Tyranitar clan there. You may have to leave him for a few months but trust me it'll be extremely beneficial for him."
"I don't have permission to go there yet" Harrison said "I was hoping that winning this league would do that."
"I'll give it to you." Ash said surprising him "being Kanto Champion and a Junior Professor has its benefits. Just let me know when you plan to go and I'll send my Kabutops with you who can explain the issue. Just hand her back to Nurse Joy at the centre there and she'll get her back to me. Anyway, we both have Pokémon who need urgent medical care. I doubt there'll be a ceremony today at least. Actually we can kill two birds with one sone, I'll take you to Mt Silver now, the sooner this is sorted the better."
Carefully they walked around the side of the field and left down Ash's tunnel as the referees and Harrisons had been blocked off with debris. Hurriedly they walked down the tunnel in silence and out into the huge foyer where thousands of people were streaming out of the front door. Joining them they eventually made it outside where they veered off to the left to head to Ash's chalet. Quickly walking in Ash left a note for Nia saying he'd be back later, grabbed his bag and walked outside where he released Salamence.
"Queenie, we need to head to the front entrance of Mt Silver" he said climbing onto her, Harrison getting on behind him. It didn't take more than ten minutes for them to land outside the Pokémon centre where they rushed in, Ash explaining to Nurse Joy what had happened to Pikachu and Blaziken. She took them both as a matter of urgency to see what she could do leaving Ash and a very subdued Harrison sat down heavily on the couch.
"I think if you'd have told me at half time I'd be sat here with one Pokémon out of commission for few weeks, and one that may never be allowed to battle again I'd have laughed my head off" Harrison said "and to top it all off I'm sitting with my opponent who's having to vouch for me that I'm actually a competent trainer, and don't abuse them with Nurse Joy because of what happened."
"Standard procedure" Ash said "I've had it done to me many times over the last few years, especially by those who work here. They're on three month rotations because of how isolated it is so I never get the same Nurse Joy and I have to explain to her that I'm actually training inside Mt Silver and that's why they're all beat up. Honestly, don't worry about it too much, your Blazikens attitude proved to me what kind of character you have. The fact it wanted to carry on with a broken arm just to help you win says a lot about you as a trainer. Come on, she'll be a while yet. Let's go and get your Tyranitar sorted out shall we?"
"I'm worried about letting him out," he said, standing up and following Ash out of the building, "I knew he shouldn't have battled, but I was so desperate to win. The last few days have been horrible, every news source, media interview and newspapers have all said you'd crush me without trying. It was maddening to be honest because I'm a really good trainer and trying to brush it off has been impossible."
"I can get that" Ash said "It's been frustrating from my end too because I found it very disrespectful for you. I got that as a Champion that I was the favourite, I knew that going into this tournament but still…"
"I shouldn't have used Tyranitar" he said as they came up to the guard station. Ash pulled out his Pokégear and let him scan it.
"We should only be a few hours Paul" Ash said "we're meeting with the Tyranitar matriarch to see what we can do to help Harrison out. He may be here quite a lot over the next few months so I'll send your bosses my approval. Harrison, can you hand Paul your Pokégear and Pokédex so he can scan it. It will be your I.D every single time you come here, there are absolutely no exceptions, even for me."
"Mr Ketchum is correct" Paul said "the area is off limits for a reason for normal trainers, the Pokémon here aren't tame and never will be so you need to keep your eyes open all the time. I'll let you through this time because you're with Mr Ketchum but next time I will need to see the approval documentation."
"Thanks Paul" Ash said nodding to him as they walked away into the mountain itself. Ash walked in silence, something which Harrison mirrored as he was very nervous coming in here. The trip only took twenty minutes but they heard the herd before they saw them as every now and then roars would echo through the cave. As they drew closer Ash released Machamp, much to the confusion of Harrison.
"As Paul said, they're not tame and we're coming here unannounced into their territory" Ash said "and while I am free to come and go after helping them out a few months ago, they could have changed their mind in that time. Hence Machamp here as back-up. Should it go south, you run and you do not look back. You tell Paul what happened and under no circumstances do you come back in here without him. Is this clear?"
"Wh…" Harrison managed to get out sounding confused.
"This isn't up for debate Harrison" Ash said seriously "You run and you don't look back. Understood?"
"Yes," he said, nodding.
"We should be ok as we're here for their help but some of her herd do not like humans so be aware of your surroundings." Ash said "come on."
It took another five minutes for them to reach the outskirts of the Tyranitar territory. Ash knew immediately as the roaring noise had stopped and there was utter silence. Out of a cave, thirty feet away Harrison saw the biggest Pokémon he had ever seen in his life walk out on its own and bar their way. Ash signalled for Harrison to wait where he was as he walked forwards and spoke briefly and quietly with the giant Pokémon. Harrison saw the Tyranitar make a brief motion forwards to Ash before stopping when he glowed blue, a stark difference to the few lit up torches dotted here and there along the walls. Harrison heard Ash shake his head before reluctantly Tyranitar walked back into the cavern leaving Ash still standing there. A few minutes later Harrison took a step back as what could only be described as a giant Pokémon lumbered out stopping in front of Ash. Ash was by no means a small man but this one towered over him at around ten feet tall, giving off a feeling of barely restrained power. He didn't hear the conversation, and the Matriarch didn't even look over at Harrison while it was happening but he saw Ash nod and walk back to him.
"She said she'll take him but absolutely no contact for at least six moons, then and only then will she let you talk to Tyranitar. I told her he could be possibly destroyed if something didn't change which is why she agreed so quickly. Now, when you come to visit they will allow you to have Blaziken out as protection because some of the younger Tyranitar won't take kindly to a human being on their territory but warn Blaziken that he absolutely must not start a confrontation. He's there to protect you only. The Matriarch understands this but just be wary."
Nodding Harrison pulled Tyranitars ball from his belt and walked beside Ash to the Matriarch who was watching them with guarded eyes.
Harrison only heard a grunt before Ash turned to him and said release him. Trepidatiously he did so and took a step back when he heard a growl come from the huge Pokémon at the sight of one of her kin.
"Pikachu and Salamence ended the fight" Ash said to her "if we hadn't stepped in Lance would have done so and he'd now be set for destruction. He nearly brought down the stadium with 30,000 people inside because of his anger issues."
Ash watched as the much smaller Tyranitar started to stir and heave himself to his feet. Looking up at Harrison he looked confused, wondering where he was before he instantly felt the powerful presence behind him. Cautiously he looked around and saw the Matriarch staring down at him and felt for the first time in months like he was a tiny Larvitar. Bowing his head he waited for a sign he was doing the right thing before she grunted and looked over to the side and the huge Tyranitar from before stomped over.
"This way runt" he said glaring at the newcomer and turned expecting him to follow.
Tyranitar looked confused before starting to follow and his eyes set on Ash. Stopping, he glared at Ash and said "If it's the last thing I do, I will have my revenge on you and that rat." Ash started to walk forwards but stopped as he saw a huge tail, glowing silver smash into Harrison's Tyranitar sending him careening into the side of the mountain. Harrison shouted and went to run over but was stopped by Ash and they watched as the Tyranitar who ordered him to follow stomped over. "That trainer and that 'rat' as you called it are untouchable by everyone except the mistress and those she allows to battle them. I will not tell you a second time so you have been warned. Now, follow me."
Groaning Tyranitar stood up, feeling dazed and confused. Why had his own kin chosen a trainer over him? Why was that trainer and the rat untouchable? What had happened in that battle for it to go so wrong? Just a few of many questions that he felt needed to be answered as he shuffled after the huge Tyranitar ignoring the despairing look from his trainer.
"What happened?" Harrison asked Ash as the Matriarch nodded at Ash and walked off after her beta and the newbie.
"He said something that the Matriarch would have killed him for had she been the one to respond" Ash said leading him away, back towards the entrance. "He'll be ok, I'll be back myself in a few months training for the Elite Four Challenge so I'll keep you updated on his progress. The time will fly by and you'll be back out on the road before you know it."
"I'm worried about him" Harrison said looking back "I've had him since he was an egg so this is the first time in over two years that he's not been with me."
"That's tough," Ash said as they wandered outside. Heading into the centre they spoke briefly with Nurse Joy who informed them that Blaziken would be fine with rest and no battles for a month. Pikachu on the other hand required surgery as his tail bone had completely shattered, something she couldn't do here in the centre. For the minute though he was sedated and on a strong painkiller. Nodding Ash took him back, smiling softly at his sleeping starter as he took the medicine from Joy, thanking her for her efforts. Walking outside Ash carefully placed Pikachu inside his bag and released Salamence. It was early evening now and the sun was beginning to set over the mountain. Climbing on it didn't take them long to land in front of the stadium, finding there were still quite a few people hanging around. Walking past them into the building they spoke to the receptionist and waited. Soon enough Lance walked out of an elevator and nodded to them both. Following him they headed up the elevator in silence and followed him to his office. This was the first time Harrison had ever been in a setting like this so he was wide-eyed as he walked past the portraits of the past champions in silence. Tentatively he took a seat and waited. Lance however hadn't said a word as he was standing looking over the now empty stadium.
"Why is it that every time you take part in a big match something happens, Ash?" Lance finally asked, turning around with a wry smile.
"Well for once this wasn't my fault" Ash replied chuckling "and before you say anything it wasn't really Harrisons either."
"Wasn't it?" Lance asked looking at him "it was his Pokémon that went on a rampage was it not?"
"He didn't know it would go mad like that" Ash said "I don't think Harrison would have deliberately sent out Tyranitar if he knew it would go mad."
"What happened?" Lance said, sitting down looking at Harrison holding his hand up at Ash. "From him Ash, not you."
Harrison took a deep breath before saying "I didn't know he would rampage like that. He evolved a few weeks ago as you know and I've not really had the chance to train with him a lot but he never gave me any indication that he didn't have control of his power. For some reason he seemed to have taken Pikachu battling him personally and I have no idea why."
"Oh that one's easy" Lance said "did you never do any research on Pseudo-legendaries when you caught Dratini and Larvitar?"
"I talked to a few people" Harrison said "and they gave me a bit of advice but it didn't really help much. Not many people use the Larvitar line so there's very little information on training them. I haven't had any issues with Dragonair though."
"That'll change" Ash said getting a nod from Lance "you'll find it goes one of two ways with Dragons. Either they become quite placid, not tame mind you or they become extremely competitive. There's no in between with them until they accept their spot in your line-up. My Salamence for example has only just settled down accepting she'll be second behind Pikachu, third when Charizard is in my party. It took a long time though."
"Damn," Harrison said, frowning, "so what do I do?"
"Here" Lance said, handing him a card with his own number on it "when she evolves fly straight here and my Pokémon will evaluate where she's likely to be. However that brings us back to why we're here doesn't it. I've been fielding calls for the last hour demanding to know what I plan to do about Tyranitar and as you likely know they range in severity of what people want to happen. Fortunately for you I will never order the destruction of a Pokémon unless it is beyond saving and I don't believe that is the case here. So where is it?"
"Mt Silver" Ash said "I took him to the Tyranitar herd there to be trained on using its power properly. The Matriarch has banned any contact for six months and will enforce that very strongly. After that Harrison can visit where Tyranitar will either be ok to travel or need more training. I suspect it'll likely be a year at most before he's released back into Harrisons care."
"Hmm" Lance said sitting back and looking thoughtful "are you willing to be Harrisons sponsor until that time?"
"Sure" Ash said looking confused "but isn't that cretin his sponsor? You know, given he's from Hoenn and all."
"Wallace couldn't sponsor someone doing a fun run and we both know it" Lance said shaking his head looking grim "No, I'll need to appease the Johto League Board with this as a very expensive stadium will now need very extensive work done to it and the only name they'll accept is either you or me taking ownership and responsibility of the Tyranitar issue."
"Very well" Ash said looking at Harrison who looked confused "what this means is that until I clear Tyranitar for battle you can't have him on your active roster so from tonight he will be ineligible and blanked out on your online trainer I.D. It's either that or we hand you over to Wallace who will release him tomorrow just to spite us because that means anything that happens will be your fault and not his meaning your own trainer licence could be at jeopardy."
"Is he really that bad?" Harrison asked "I've never actually met him in person."
"There's currently a legal dispute happening between him and one of my gym leaders whom he got pregnant and he's denying all knowledge of any interaction between them both" Ash said angrily "I'm fighting for her to protect her and Wallace tried to get me barred from entering the Hoenn region. Obviously he has no grounds but a man with that low of a moral compass will do anything he can to protect himself first before he protects anyone else."
"God I miss Steven," Lance said, shaking his head. "And while Misty's situation doesn't indicate he's crap at his job, he spends most of his time touring the regions, self promoting and not doing his actual job. His region is going to shit but as long as he has his hair care products he's fine. There's been a discussion lately between the regional boards on initiating legal proceedings to quietly push Hoenn out of the big six regions because of the damage he's doing."
"You can't do that!" Harrison said, alarmed at the thought.
"I don't think it will happen," Lance said, waving his outrage away, "but it's getting that serious now. But anyway, Ash I will get the paperwork started and speak to Professor Birch in Hoenn, who will likely forward that on to Professor Layton."
"Oh yeah I saw he took over from Sam" Ash said "I've never met him before but Sam believes him to be very capable as chief of the regional Professors."
"He is" Lance said "I've only met him once before myself but he'll be at the Indigo League next year I believe so you will definitely meet him then."
"It'll be strange not seeing Sam at that meeting" Ash said, sighing.
"He emailed before" Lance said "he also wants to know what happened today between your Sneasel and Weavile."
"Oh yeah" Ash said nodding "In all the commotion I forgot about that. They're brother and sister and there seems to be some major sibling rivalry between the two of them. When I rescued Sneasel he told us he'd been pushed out of his clan but never mentioned who by, all he told us was that he was different from the others and it led to his exile."
"Oh wow" Harrison said "so that's why it was a scrap and not a fight. What are the odds that they would face each other years later?"
"I don't know," Ash said chuckling before looking at the clock. "I need to get back to my Chalet, what's the plan from here?"
"We're going to do the ceremony tomorrow in Stadium two at midday" Lance said "we were going to do it tonight but calmer heads prevailed and I managed to convince them to let some of the dust settle on today."
"Very well" Ash said standing up and shaking Lance's hand "No doubt I'll see you tomorrow then."
Lance led the two back downstairs where having said goodbye they parted ways. Smiling and waving at the public who were waiting for him, Ash headed as quickly as he could back to his chalet. Walking in he nodded at everyone before immediately going into his room. Nia walked to the door a few minutes later and stopped when she saw Ash lying on his bed with a sleeping Pikachu on his lap quietly talking to him. Deciding to leave him be she informed the others what was going on. Gary though made his way to Ash's room and sat down on the chair.
"His tailbone shattered" Ash said without looking up from his stroking of his best friend "he'll need corrective surgery but I don't know if he'll ever be able to battle again.
"Does that bother you?" Gary asked quietly.
"No," Ash said after ten seconds of silence. Looking up he said "No, not even slightly. I know I've only been a trainer for a few years now but Pikachu has more than put his work in in that time and should he want to retire he will deserve it. It's crazy how many of my original team are now retired or semi-retired. There's only Machamp and Salamence left."
"The surgery could go very well though" Gary said after a minute "and he could be fine."
"It could" Ash said nodding "but I suspect his recovery will be long. Probably the entirety of my Hoenn league journey to be honest."
"Which will mean he'll be fine when you finally face Cynthia" Gary said encouragingly.
"Yeah" Ash said quietly, continuing his petting "how did you know? The time to give up on battling competitively I mean."
"I just knew," Gary said, shrugging his shoulders. "To be honest I think it was losing in the Kanto League that started it and then facing such shit opposition in Johto kind of cemented it, I couldn't even find it in me to celebrate a League win which messed me up. When Gramps asked me what I actually wanted to do with my life while you were in the Orange Islands I couldn't answer him because I didn't know. And then I saw an article published by Jess and it drew my attention. I have always been interested in prehistoric Pokémon, something about them fascinated me and I could never put my finger on it. It was Gramps who took me to my first dig when I was seven years old and we pulled out a fossil, which turned out to be an Omanyte so when I was offered the chance to go to the dig with him at Pokélantis and Pokémopolis I jumped at the chance. Evidently I impressed Professor Sharon enough for her to offer me a spot on Saydar Island and I struggled to come up with a reason to turn it down. So, yeah. I think growing up has a lot to do with it. I grew up with stories of dad and gramps being these incredible trainers so it was inevitable that I would do the same right? But while I'm good I'm not on dads level. I found accepting that easier than people think you know?"
"I always wanted to be like my dad" Ash said "mainly to make mum proud. But I'll be honest as good as I am, I always preferred creating things or working on things. My work with Bill on the box transfer system and now on the Poképal is something I've found real joy in. I thought I'd regained my joy for battling before the final, and actually felt it at half time but there's always something that brings reality crashing down on me."
"Maybe you should think about that more than battling then," Gary said.
"I dunno" Ash said sighing "I think I would always regret not going for the youngest ever master. At least then I can say I've achieved something great and not wasted my potential."
"Who's said that?" Gary asked surprised, "You became the Kanto League Champion at 13. There's pretty much no way to beat that now unless they lower the age to travel."
"Which won't happen" Ash said "The Hoenn Board are pushing it as it is having ten be the starting age for trainers. I dunno, I'm sure I'll think of something but all I know is I feel so much happier at home than I do travelling and that's something which really depresses me when I think about how much I was looking forward to visiting the regions of the world."
"Ash mate you're 14" Gary said standing up "you have decades to be able to do that still. But if I were you I'd have a think about what you actually want to do. Don't forget, come January you won't have my words of wisdom in your life for two years."
Leaving Ash had a quiet word with Nia who walked into the room. "Hey you" she said as she motioned for him to scoot over on the bed. Lying down with her head on his chest she gently stroked Pikachu and the three just enjoyed the silence.
The next day Ash and the rest of the tribe made their way to the second stadium, saying hello to the various other people who were heading the same way. Walking through the open doors and onto the field Ash guided them into their seats and waited for the rest to fill up which quickly did. Seeing Giovanni motion for him to take his seat on the stage he gave Nia a forehead kiss, picked up the bag he was carrying and made his way down the aisle and walked onto the stage, doing his best to ignore Will who was sitting there looking smug. Strangely he had the weirdest feeling coming from Bruno when he passed him, like pent up rage just waiting to be unleashed. Sitting down just behind the podium he waited and was soon joined by Bethany and Harrison who were chatting quietly as they walked up.
When Giovanni, Gary and Lance walked up to the stage the crowd, of which there were a few hundred on the field and thousands in the stands, hushed.
"Hello" Giovanni said in his suave rich voice "and welcome to the awards ceremony for the Silver League Conference. Over the last six weeks we have seen some absolutely terrific shows of heroism, bravery, daring and incredibly battling which of course culminated in the best two trainers reaching the final to duke it out for the winners position. Now, it might not have turned out how we thought it was going to be but the final was still an absolute spectacle that we will be talking about for generations, even if it wasn't for the best reasons. There was still however a winner. But before we announce that we have some awards to hand out to various deserving trainers who have proved to the world that they absolutely deserve to be here. We have six awards to be given out today so let us begin.
The first is for the best newcomer award. This goes to the trainer who has never been on this stage before and managed to fight their way and progress as far as they could in the tournament. That of course goes to Vincenzo Hanzo!"
The crowd cheered, as did Ash when his little cousin stood up from the side of a woman in her forties, who looked very much like him and walked shyly onto the stage to accept the award. Taking the plaque he held it up slightly before thanking Giovanni and turning to walk away.
"Before you go Mr Hanzo you are also the recipient of another award, that being the youngest trainer to go the furthest. I believe you are also the youngest in Johto League history to do so too so congratulations." Handing another award to him Giovanni bent down and whispered "I'm very proud of you, as is your grandmother."
Vincenzo looked confused before nodding and walking down the steps and sitting down next to his mother who he handed the awards to.
"The next award is for the most spectacular move of the tournament" Giovanni continued "as is custom the final is exempt from this award but I think we can all agree that this recipient more than deserves it. Please give a hand to Casey Nanako and her Pidgeot for their spectacular bravery in her match with Olivia."
Ash cheered as his little protege walked shyly onto the stage and received her reward, cheering as she lifted it.
"The fourth award is for the best act of sportsmanship in the tournament." Giovanni said "now there were quite a few acts to choose from for this but we all decided that it couldn't be anyone other than Ash Ketchum for his actions when battling Walter in his last 32 match."
Ash stood up and waved at the crowd and accepted his award before sitting back down again, placing it by his chair leg.
"The fifth award is actually a dual award and is for the trainers who we feel had the most spectacular battle. This one was also rather easy to choose so please give a big hand to Harrison Hazuki and Vincenzo Hanzo!"
The crowd cheered again as Vincenzo stood up and walked to the stage and shook Harrisons hand as they both accepted their awards.
"And now the final award. This one is a triple one as it's for the three trainers on stage. In third place please give a hand to Bethany Monroe!" Bethany accepted her award with good grace before sitting back down. "In second place please give a hand to Harrison Hazuki!" Harrison stood up again to accept his second award of the afternoon waving as he did so. "And finally, the winner of the Silver Conference. Please give a warm applause for Ash Ketchum!"
Ash stood up smiling as he collected the trophy from Gary, shaking his hand and those of Lance and Giovanni before walking to the front of the stage raising it in one hand and smiling. Walking back to his seat he sat back down.
"And now we come to the end of another amazing tournament but before we go I want to thank every single person who made this possible. Will the staff of the League please stand up and take your well deserved applause. Without you this would not have been possible so please give yourselves a well deserved pat on the back when you think about how well you've all done."
"Yes" Lance said, taking over at the podium "so to send us all home, Ash. Can we have a winners speech?"
"Erm sure" Ash said standing up and addressing the crowd. Before he could speak though the speakers started making strange noises and the various TV's flickered to life showing a blank screen. After nothing happened for a few seconds Ash went to speak before staring in disbelief as a face appeared on the screen, one Ash knew very well.
"Hello Ash," Silver said, smirking "did you miss me?"