Before we get going there's something I need to get off my chest. I know I'm not going to be able to please everyone with my stories all the time, and that everyone is entitled to their own opinion. But one thing I just can't stand is getting reviews from readers who just want to tell me how much they hate my story. Seriously, if that's all you're going to do them do me and everyone else a favor and don't waste my time. If you don't like it, don't read it.
For those who are here to read and enjoy my story I give you first of all my thanks, and Chapter 32.
Chapter 32: How They've Grown
A long sigh escaped Nikki's mouth as she glanced over at Ash. Ever since Charizard and Larvitar returned to him he had been staring at their Poké Balls in his hands. More times than not this led the Pallet Town native to almost walk into all kinds of things, forcing Nikki to keep a lookout for the both of them.
"Come on, Ash. You need to pay more attention to where you're going and less to those Poké Balls," Nikki stated.
"I can't help it. Having Charizard back was great, but getting Larvitar as well… this is just amazing," Ash said. "It's been a long time since I last saw them."
"(I wonder how much stronger they've gotten?)" Pikachu commented. Upon hearing Pikachu's question Ash paused.
"What's wrong, Ash?" Nikki asked once she saw him stop. Ash, however, was too deep in thought to hear her.
"Ash," she called again, once again getting no response. At this point she realized she would need to take a different approach. She walked up to him and snapped her fingers in front of his face, instantly getting his attention.
"Huh, what?"
"Finally. You spaced out on me for a bit there," Nikki said.
"Oh, sorry. I was thinking about what Pikachu just said," Ash explained.
"(What about what I said?)" Pikachu curiously inquired.
"You mentioned wondering how strong Charizard and Larvitar had become. That's something I'd like to know as well," Ash said.
"In that case why not put them in a battle," Nikki suggested.
"(But against who?)" Pikachu wondered.
"I already know who I want Charizard to battle against. I just need some help with it," Ash said. He then glanced over at Nikki. The Pinegrove native immediately put her hands up in defense.
"Oh no. After what he did to Team Rocket there's no way I'm putting any of my Pokémon up against your Charizard," she declared. At first he was confused, but soon after Ash laughed.
"I wasn't suggesting outing Charizard against one of your Pokémon," Ash said. "No offense, but they wouldn't stand a chance."
"Believe me, none taken," Nikki replied. "So, who are you going to put Charizard up against?"
"I brought over a Pokémon I think would make a great sparring partner for Charizard, but I'll need you to use him while I use Charizard," Ash explained.
"Oh. Well if that's all you need then count me in," Nikki stated.
"Great. Now all we need is an area big enough to have our battle," Ash said.
"(Like that one?)" Pikachu suggested, pointing off to the side. Situated amongst the trees was a large field.
"Yeah, that's perfect," Ash declared. "Good eye, Pikachu." With the battlefield found Ash and Nikki decided to let out their Pokémon. Grabbing their Poké Balls the two trainers tossed them, calling out the Pokémon inside. Vulpix, Shinx and Swablu emerged from Nikki's while Venusaur, Pidgeot, Infernape, Larvitar and Charizard emerged from Ash's. Shortly after emerging Charizard, Venusaur and Pidgeot reunited.
"(Hey, Charizard! Welcome back!)" Venusaur said.
"(It's good to see you again, old friend,)" Pidgeot greeted.
"(It feels good to be back,)" Charizard admitted. "(I just didn't think I'd come back and see you evolved, Venusaur. I seemed to recall you hated the idea of evolving. What changed your mind?)"
"(What can I say? It was time,)" Venusaur explained.
"(It took you long enough,)" Pidgeot joked. Soon afterwards Charizard took notice of Infernape.
"(You must be one of Ash's new Pokémon,)" the dragon commented.
"(Sort of. I joined him when he traveled through Sinnoh,)" Infernape explained.
"(Sinnoh, huh? I've heard of that region. It's supposed to have some powerful Pokémon I hear,)" Charizard commented. Upon hearing that comment Infernape couldn't help but smirk.
"(It's true. Us Sinnoh Pokémon are very strong,)" he bragged. Charizard returned Infernape's smirk.
"(Is that a fact? I'd like to see for myself one of these days,)" Charizard stated. Elsewhere Nikki's Pokémon had gathered around Larvitar, who was enjoying the attention she was getting.
"(I heard there were some new Pokémon joining our family, but I never would have thought one of them would be a girl,)" Swablu commented.
"(I like it. I always felt that we needed more girls around,)" Shinx stated. "(Not trying to sound mean or anything, but the guys here really aren't good conversation material.)"
"(What do you mean?)" Larvitar asked.
"(Let's just put it this way… most conversations between us girls and the boys end in awkward silence,)" Buneary explained.
"(Oh… I see,)" Larvitar said. With all the Pokémon now outside of their Poké Balls Nikki grabbed her Pokédex and scanned the only one she wasn't familiar with.
Infernape, the Flame Pokémon and the evolved form of Monferno. It tosses its enemies around with agility. It uses all its limbs to fight in its own unique style.
"So Ash, who am I going to use to spar with Charizard?" Nikki inquired.
"I was going to let you use Infernape," Ash answered. Upon hearing that they were going to battle each other the two Fire types looked to each other and smiled.
"(Looks like we're getting our wish sooner than we thought,)" Infernape commented.
"(Just don't expect me to go easy on you. It may just be a sparring match, but I don't plan on losing,)" Charizard stated.
"(Neither do I,)" Infernape added. As Ash, Nikki and their respective Pokémon took their positions the remaining Pokémon gathered on the sidelines to watch.
"(This should be good,)" Pikachu commented.
"(I agree. We all know how strong Infernape is, and with Charizard getting stronger during his time in the Charisific Valley this is definitely going to be a high-powered match,)" Venusaur said.
"(Who do you think is stronger?)" Buneary asked.
"(Hmm… hard to say,)" Pikachu answered. "(There's no denying that Infernape is a powerful Pokémon, but as Venusaur said there's no telling how much stronger Charizard's become. In truth it's anyone's guess as to which on is the stronger of the two.)"
"(It'll be a good battle, regardless of who wins,)" Pidgeot said. With the promise an exciting battle the Pokémon turned their attention to the two trainers and their battling Pokémon.
"Ready to go?" Ash asked.
"Hold on. What moves does Infernape know?" Nikki inquired. Right then Ash realized that Nikki had never seen Infernape before today and thus had no idea what he could do. Ash, though, informed her.
"He can use Mach Punch, Flare Blitz, Flamethrower and Dig," he answered. Nikki nodded and began thinking up her strategy. Once she was confident she informed Ash she was ready.
"Ladies first," the Kanto trainer said.
"Alright. Infernape, Mach Punch!" Nikki called. With an incredible burst of speed Infernape closed the distance between himself and Charizard, intending on delivering his hi-speed punch.
"Take flight!" Ash instructed. Right before Infernape's attack connected Charizard flapped his wings and took to the skies, avoiding Infernape's Mach Punch.
"It's not going to be that easy! Flamethrower!" Nikki shouted.
"You use your Flamethrower!" Ash countered. Both Fire types let loose a Flamethrower, the two attacks meeting head-on in a fiery collision. After a few tense seconds the attacks dissipated.
"(They're even,)" Pidgeot commented.
"(Looks that way,)" Venusaur agreed.
"Time to go on the attack, Charizard! Steel Wing!" Ash instructed. The mighty dragon dove down towards Infernape, his wings taking on a silver-ish glow as Steel Wing came into play.
"Use Dig to dodge!" Nikki instructed. Right before Charizard reached him Infernape dug underground, completely avoiding Charizard's attack.
"I wasn't expecting that," Ash groaned. "Stay alert, Charizard! They can attack from anywhere!" The Flame Pokémon nodded and scanned the ground, looking for anything that would tell him where Infernape was going to attack from.
"Now, Flare Blitz!" Nikki called. The ground right beneath Charizard burst upward as Infernape charged into the dragon, his body engulfed in bluish flames. Charizard had no time to react and could only take the attack. The resulting collision sent the Flame Pokémon spiraling to the ground while Infernape landed safely on his feet.
"Use Mach Punch before he can recover!" Nikki shouted. Infernape once again charged Charizard, his fist drawn back for a Mach Punch.
"Counter with Seismic Toss!" Ash shouted. Right before the punch connected Charizard ducked his head to the side, letting Infernape's fist pass by. He then grabbed the fire monkey's arm and took flight once again. Once he reached optimal height he began making rotations in the air, preparing to deliver the final slam.
"Bring it home!" Ash cheered. With a loud roar Charizard dove towards the ground, bringing Infernape with him. Right before slamming into the ground he slung the monkey downward, the impact kicking up a large cloud of dirt. Charizard landed in front of Ash and glanced back at the dust cloud. The dust was settling, revealing a very tired, but still standing Infernape. Despite only landing one hit each both Pokémon had been launching high-power attacks and both were running low on energy.
"(Looks like it's going to come down to one last attack from both of them,)" Pikachu observed.
"(This is going to be big, isn't it?)" Buneary questioned.
"(Knowing Charizard and Infernape… oh yeah, this is going to be huge,)" Pikachu answered.
"(I'm sure Ash and Nikki won't be disappointed,)" Venusaur commented.
"Let's try finishing this with one move, Infernape! Flare Blitz!" Nikki shouted.
"Stop him with Overheat!" Ash instructed. Both Pokémon began powering up their final attacks. Infernape's body became engulfed in a blue flame while Charizard's body gave off a red aura.
"Attack now!" the trainers shouted simultaneously. Right then Infernape charged head-on towards Charizard. At the same time the dragon let loose the spiraling fire beam. The Flare Blitz collided violently with the Overheat with neither attack having the clear advantage.
"(Looks like we've got another stalemate,)" Shinx commented.
"(I don't think so. Look,)" Larvitar argued. At first it looked as though both attacks were equal in strength, but slowly Infernape's Flare Blitz began to overpower Charizard's Overheat.
"That's it, Infernape! Keep it up!" Nikki cheered.
"Don't give in, Charizard!" Ash urged. Both Pokémon pushed themselves to the limit, neither one wanting to give an inch. Suddenly, the flame on the tip of Charizard's tail erupted into a giant blaze. At the same time the flame on Infernape's head did the same. As soon as that happened both attacks grew in strength and ferocity.
"(Oh boy… I was not expecting this,)" Pikachu said.
"(What's happening?)" Swablu asked.
"(It's Blaze, their special ability,)" Venusaur answered. "(It activates when they're low on strength and boosts the power of their Fire-based attacks.)" With their attacks now super-charged Charizard and Infernape continued to overpower each other. As the struggle continued the power contained within the two attacks became unstable, resulting in a massive explosion that forced everyone to cover up.
"Is everyone alright?" Ash called.
"I'm alright," Nikki replied. "What about the Pokémon?"
"(We're okay,)" Pikachu said. Charizard and Infernape, however, were not okay. The sparring battle had left them both worn out. Yet despite their obvious exhaustion both Pokémon appeared eager to continue.
"I think we should let them rest for now," Nikki suggested.
"Good idea," Ash agreed. "Okay, that's enough for now. Take a break, you two." They didn't need to be told twice, for as soon as Ash told them to take a break both Charizard and Infernape fell to the ground, completely exhausted.
"(Oh man… I can't remember… the last time… I had a workout… like that,)" Charizard panted.
"(Me…neither,)" Infernape agreed. "(You're… just as strong… as I imagined… you'd be.)"
"(You… too,)" Charizard said. While the two of them recovered from their heated battle Ash and Nikki were talking about the impressive strength each Pokémon showed.
"Man, Charizard was a lot stronger than I thought he would be," Nikki commented.
"I know, and the way you handled Infernape during the battle was amazing. You acted like you were his trainer instead of me," Ash said.
"I just had to think like a trainer rather than a coordinator," Nikki explained.
"Well it worked," Ash said. "Thanks to that battle I know that both Charizard and Infernape are more than strong enough to handle anything that gets thrown their way."
"Glad I could help," Nikki said. "What's next on the agenda?"
"Well…"
"(Hey, I wanna battle!)" Larvitar shouted, catching everyone by surprise.
"You, Larvitar?" Ash asked, making sure he heard her correctly.
"(Yeah. I've gotten stronger too,)" she stated.
"I don't know," Ash said.
"(I say let her battle,)" Pikachu stated.
"You do?" Ash questioned.
"(Sure. She did say she's gotten stronger, and I'm curious to see just how strong. Besides, it's only fair we give her a shot,)" Pikachu explained. As usual Ash found it hard to argue with Pikachu's logic.
"Okay, then. You're up, Larvitar!" he called.
"(Alright!)" the Rock Skin Pokémon cheered. She quickly ran out onto the battlefield and took her place in front of Ash. Now all she needed was an opponent.
"Now… who to put you against." Before Ash could decide on an opponent for Larvitar Vulpix stepped forward.
"(I'd like to face her,)" the Fox Pokémon announced.
"You would?" Nikki questioned.
"(If it's alright with you, that is,)" Vulpix replied. To Ash it seemed like a rather odd request since Vulpix had a type disadvantage, but after some thought Nikki seemed to like the sound of it.
"It's not actually a bad idea. Both Larvitar and Vulpix are our two newest members so I think they'd match up well against each other," she explained.
"When you put it that way it does make sense," Ash admitted. "Alright. Let's do it." As Vulpix took her place on the battlefield Ash took time to learn what move Larvitar knew.
Larvitar's known moves are: Sandstorm, Screech, Dig, Stone Edge
"Those are some good moves," Ash commented. Now that the trainers and Pokémon were ready the sparring match was all set to begin.
"(Good luck, Vulpix,)" Larvitar said.
"(You too,)" Vulpix replied.
"You have the first move, Nikki," Ash called.
"Fine by me. Vulpix, Energy Ball!" Within seconds the Grass type attack was formed and launched at Larvitar.
"Dodge and use Stone Edge!" Ash shouted. Larvitar quickly dove to the side, avoiding the super effective attack and retaliated with Stone Edge, sending dozens of razor-sharp rocks towards Vulpix.
"Defend with Iron Tail!" Nikki countered. Vulpix looked surprisingly calm as she powered up her Iron Tail. Then, with one accurate swing, she struck one of the rocks in a way that sent it careening into the remaining rocks, creating a chain-reaction of rocks crashing into each other. This not only broke up the attack but it also sent each rock flying safely away from Vulpix, leaving her untouched.
"Nice counter," Ash praised.
"Thanks, but I'm not done yet. Fire Spin!" Vulpix opened her mouth and let loose a spiraling trail of fire.
"Counter with Screech!" Ash shouted. At that moment an ear-piercing scream came from Larvitar's mouth. The Screech attack slammed into the Fire Spin, disrupting the Fire attack and causing it to dissipate. Larvitar's attack continued on course and devastated Vulpix's sensitive ears.
"Now use Dig!" Ash instructed. While the Fox Pokémon was still recovering from her Screech attack Larvitar quickly dug underground. By the time the effects of Screech had worn off the Rock Skin Pokémon was safely underground.
"This isn't good," Nikki said. "Careful, Vulpix! Larvitar can come up anywhere!" With a nod Vulpix began to carefully look around the battlefield, trying to determine where and when Larvitar would pop up. To her this was the same strategy Nikki had used against Ash when they were battling with Charizard and Infernape a few minutes ago, meaning that Ash would more than likely have Larvitar strike whenever she wasn't paying attention.
"(Not like I plan on letting that happen,)" she said. Unfortunately for Vulpix as alert as she may have been she couldn't see behind her, something she found out the hard way when she felt something yank on her tails.
"(What the?)" she yelped. She pulled her tails free and spun around just in time to see Larvitar disappear back underground.
"(Okay… wasn't expecting that,)" the Fox Pokémon commented. She once again went back to scanning the area, intent on making sure Larvitar didn't surprise her again. Again, though, she could not see behind her, which is where Larvitar was slowly coming back up.
"(Let's see how you like this,)" she whispered. Being as quiet as possible she reached out and took hold of Vulpix's leg. As soon as she grabbed her Larvitar darted back underground, pulling Vulpix's leg down with her. A surprised scream came from the Fox Pokémon as she felt herself being pulled down, but as quickly as it happened she pulled her leg free, turning to once again see a hole left behind by Larvitar.
"(Man… just how am I supposed to beat her if I can't see where she's attacking from?)" Vulpix growled. In Nikki's eyes Larvitar was a very worthy opponent.
"I don't know if this is what Ash planned, but right now Larvitar has Vulpix on the ropes," Nikki commented. "She's got Vulpix completely off her game right now." In truth Ash was not expecting this as he too was surprised by Larvitar's battling skills.
"I was not expecting this. Larvitar looks like a pro out there," he said. Vulpix was constantly looking back and forth, spinning around just to make sure Larvitar didn't sneak up on her again. The Rock Skin Pokémon's stick-and-move strikes had her a bit nervous, and the fact that she was at a type disadvantage didn't help matters.
"(Okay… just stay calm and make sure to keep an eye out for anything,)" Vulpix said, trying to calm her nerves. As her eyes darted all over the battlefield she caught a bit of movement. A small patch of ground seemed to be bulging upwards, indicating that Larvitar was about to come up to the surface. A smirk appeared on Vulpix's face once she realized the advantage she now had.
"(I've got you this time,)" she stated in a whisper. Walking as softly as she could the Fox Pokémon approached the spot and waited for Larvitar to pop up. Her wait wasn't long, for mere moments later Larvitar surfaced. She was expecting to once again be behind Vulpix, but when she didn't see the Fox Pokémon she began to wonder what went wrong.
"(Just where is she?)" Larvitar wondered.
"(Looking for me?)" Larvitar quickly turned around and came face-to-face with a smiling Vulpix.
"(Oh no!)" She quickly tried to escape back underground, but Vulpix wasn't about to let that happen. Before Larvitar could get away she bit down on her tail, preventing the Rock Skin Pokémon's escape.
"(Let me go!)" Larvitar demanded.
"(Not a chance! I'm not letting you get away again!)" Vulpix replied through clenched teeth. Despite Larvitar's best efforts to get free Vulpix held strong, preventing the Rock Skin Pokémon from getting away.
"Don't give up, Larvitar!" Ash urged.
"Pull, Vulpix! You've almost got her!" Nikki cheered. Spurred on by her trainer Vulpix mustered up all the strength she could and yanked Larvitar out of the ground, tossing her up into the air.
"No, Larvitar!" Ash shouted.
"Use Energy Ball!" Nikki instructed. Vulpix quickly formed the attack, but rather than launch it normally she gently tossed it up into the air. Then, as it fell back down, she spun around and struck it with a powerful back kick, sending it flying towards Larvitar with much more force than normal. The result was an even more impactful hit from the super-effective attack that damaged Larvitar a great deal.
"Now close in and use Iron Tail!" Nikki said. While Larvitar was still dazed from the attack Vulpix charged her, her six tails taking on a silvery glow.
"Stop her with Screech!" Ash shouted. Larvitar quickly shook off the dazed feeling, took a deep breath and let loose a Screech that paralyzed Vulpix in her tracks.
"Now use Stone Edge!" Ash continued. Larvitar ended her Screech attack and began forming her Stone Edge. Once it was formed she hurled the razor sharp rocks at Vulpix. The Fox Pokémon was still recovering from Screech and could do nothing to defend herself from the super-effective Stone Edge. By now both Pokémon were breathing heavily and looked low on energy.
"(Man… those attacks really took a lot out of them,)" Swablu commented.
"(They each took a super-effective attack so it's no wonder they're running on empty,)" Venusaur added. "(Looks to me the battle will be decided on the next attack.)"
"(You think so?)" Buneary asked.
"(I'm positive,)" the Seed Pokémon replied.
"Larvitar, get back underground!" Ash shouted. Though she was still trying to recover from the recent series of attacks Larvitar managed to dig underground, a move that didn't go unnoticed.
"Follow Larvitar down that hole, Vulpix! We can't let her get away!" Nikki instructed. Once she had recovered from the Stone Edge Vulpix spotted the hole Larvitar had escaped down. She ran to the hole and dove down, following the Rock Skin Pokémon underground. Ash had a shocked look on his face. This was not something he was expecting.
"Larvitar, use Sandstorm!" he yelled.
"Flamethrower, Vulpix!" Nikki countered. Because their Pokémon were underground neither trainer were sure if they had heard them, but after a few seconds a swirling column of sand erupted from the hole Larvitar and Vulpix went down. Shortly after that a column of fire spewed from another hole. This continued until multiple columns of sand and fire were spewing from the ground. After a while a section of ground in the middle of the battlefield began to arch upwards.
"(Heads up!)" Pikachu called. Right after his warning the ground exploded, sending chunks of dirt, as well as sand and fire, spiraling into the sky. The display was brief, and when it was over both Larvitar and Vulpix fell to the ground, having been caught up in the massive eruption.
"Larvitar!" Ash called.
"Vulpix, are you alright?" Nikki panicked. Both Pokémon managed to stand up, but they were on shaky legs.
"I think they've battled enough, don't you?" Ash said.
"I'll say," Nikki agreed. Since the battle was over both Larvitar and Vulpix were able to relax. They fell to the ground, completely exhausted. Ash and Nikki walked over to them and picked them up, both proud of the effort they had shown.
"You battled really hard out there, Vulpix. I'm so proud of you," Nikki praised.
"The same goes for you, Larvitar. You really impressed me out there," Ash added. "I know you're going to become incredibly strong." Both Pokémon, though tired, smiled at the praise they were receiving.
"You know, I think this deserves a special dinner. What do you think?" Nikki asked. Before anyone could answer Ash's stomach decided to chime in.
"I think that speaks for itself," Ash laughed.
"That it does," Nikki agreed. Everyone had a good laugh about that before focusing on helping Nikki prepare their dinner.
"Excellent as always, Nikki," Ash praised as he finished his dinner. The Pokémon had similar compliments as they finished as well. Even Charizard and Larvitar, who had never tasted Nikki's food before then, admitted it was some of the best they had.
"Thanks, everyone. After those sparring battles earlier I felt everyone deserved the best meal I could cook," Nikki replied.
"And speaking of those battle you guys really made me proud," Ash praised. "All of you have gotten so strong, especially Vulpix and Larvitar."
"I know. The tactics Larvitar used out there made it seem like she was a pro right out the gates," Nikki added. "And Vulpix… I knew how strong you were already, but the amount of heart you showed out there was nothing short of incredible."
"(I have to agree. Infernape and I may have been the strongest ones battling, but you and Vulpix stole the show out there,)" Charizard commented. The other Pokémon all agreed that Larvitar and Vulpix really impressed out there today.
"(Aww… thanks, everyone,)" Larvitar said.
"(You know, this brings to mind the time I crossed paths with an angry Graveler,)" Vulpix stated.
"(Really? What happened?)" Larvitar asked. Vulpix smiled as she began.
"(Well, it was raining Meowth and Growlithe outside, and I happened to be caught up in the middle of it. There was a cave nearby and I decided to take shelter inside. What I didn't know was that it already belonged to a very territorial Graveler, and let me tell you he did not like the fact that I just came barging in without an invitation. So…)"
"(Doo you think this is another one of her tall tales?)" Buneary wondered.
"(There's no telling, but judging by the excited look on Larvitar's face I'd say it doesn't really matter,)" Pikachu stated. As Larvitar continued to listen to Vulpix's story one could only wonder what the future held for Ash, Nikki and their Pokémon.
A strong sparring session has left both Ash and Nikki feeling confident about their Pokémon's abilities. How will this affect future battles, like Ash's battle against his first Area Boss? Find out in the next chapter of Search for Power!
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