Ash's Team
Styx - Hydreigon
Hemlock - Morgrem
Bane - Zoroark
Mirae - Mytheon
Sagitta - Togekiss
Libra - Hakamo-o
Castor - Krokorok
Polaris - Frogadier
Artemis - Houndoom
Orion - Alolan Ninetales
Ladon - Appletun
Wisteria - Galarian Ponyta
At Oak's
Nettle - Naganadel
The hostess filled their water glasses, gurgling the only sound at the table. Forcibly keeping his posture relaxed, Ash let his eyes drift over his three… lunch dates.
Rose looked as carefree as ever, unfolding his napkin and setting it in his lap with an unconcerned expression. Oleana's austere gaze locked on his and Ash refrained from narrowing his eyes at the woman. Her entire presence threatened to make hives break out over his skin.
Sonia looked distinctly uncomfortable and stiff, having no previous experience hiding her emotions. Ash had to admit he was slightly amused even though he felt equally uncomfortable.
The hostess placed a basket of gourmet bread on the table and assured them their server would be with them soon.
"So! Mr. Ketchum, I'm sure you've spoken about it, but dear Sonia here is writing a book about Galar's history. I caught wind of her research and I must say, I'm engrossed. Would you mind giving me an update?"
That shook the researcher from her discomfort and she smiled widely, every line of her body brimming with excitement. "Of course, Chairman Rose!" She leaned forward, fingertips pressed against the white tablecloth. "When we last spoke, I was diving into The Darkest Day, and I kept coming across hints of possible Legendary Pokémon."
Ash furrowed his eyebrows when even Oleana looked interested. He'd gotten a brief explanation from Hop, but wanted to hear Sonia's take on what she's discovered.
"We know from various historical accounts that 3,000 years ago, a Behemoth darkened the sky and caused Dynamax to sweep across Galar for the first time. We also know that tens of thousands of years ago a meteorite crash landed into what would later become the Wild Area. There is evidence to suggest this meteorite was the Behemoth, implying it is not of our world. Naturally, this causes a disruption of natural balance." Sonia's eyes flicked to Ash, most likely thinking of their earlier conversation about Ultra Beasts and their potential impact on the ecosystem.
"Again, this is all speculation, but upon waking, we think the Behemoth was weakened and began absorbing some sort of energy that led to the Darkest Day. The exact timeline of events is fuzzy; we don't know if violent Dynamaxed Pokémon began tearing across the region before, during, or after the Behemoth started absorbing energy. But there's a tapestry I found in the old Watchtower Ruins that depicted the Behemoth changing forms at some point during the event."
They were interrupted by the server who took their orders before Rose gestured for Sonia to continue.
"Ah, yes, anyway-" Sonia took a hasty sip of water, "history had been split over how the Behemoth was stopped. The most common retelling says the King and his two strongest knights defeated the Behemoth, breaking it down into pieces that saturated Galar with the particles. Again, there's a lot of confusion surrounding if it was giving off particles the whole time or only after it was defeated, and if it can absorb the particles at the same time- it's just unclear and unless we understand the biology of the creature we won't have those answers."
Sonia shook her head and focused back on what she's been researching. "I've been traveling across Galar piecing together written accounts, tapestries, the Turffield Geoglyphs, pottery, carvings, murals, and anything else I can find. It's woven together a story of two powerful lupine creatures that assisted in defeating the Behemoth. The two might have worked with the King's knights, but it's unclear.
"Now the King, that's a whole other story! I've found carvings of two equine creatures that were always at his side, and a small-"
"Sonia, dear, the Darkest Day?" Rose's voice and expression were teasingly reprimanding, bringing a splotchy blush to Sonia's pale complexion. Ash bit back his scowl at the man treating Sonia like a distracted child.
"Hem- yes, uh, there's nothing detailing where the lupine creatures went after the Darkest Day, but the Behemoth was broken, weakened, and it's unknown where it went- where any of them went. The rebuilding was better documented since the ability to harness the particles and Dynamax Pokémon lead to improved repair. Galar was restored, but bigger, stronger, and more sprawling than before. This is also when Wishing Stars were discovered and their ability to directly influence Dynamax."
"Have you come across anything else on the lupine Legends?" Ash cared more about that than the King.
Sonia sighed and put her chin in her palm before catching herself and taking her elbow off the table. "Not much. I've been able to find a few old pieces of parchment that describe the Legends as large, but not much else. The accounts were in an olde language, and I think they said something about the end and a glaive? It was a little smudged."
Ash hummed and lost interest in the conversation. The server came back with their food shortly thereafter and thus he ate quietly as Rose and Oleana asked Sonia more questions.
"Tell us more about this second form-"
"The lupines haven't been seen since, correct-"
"Are you sure the Dynamaxed Pokémon were violent-"
Ash rolled his eyes and ate until the table returned to silence.
"So Mr. Ketchum," Ash looked up to see Chairman Rose swirling his red wine around in the glass. "I apologize if this was overstepping, but I thought your name had sounded familiar when we met, so I looked you up. I must say, you have quite the list of accomplishments under your belt, and not even a year into your journey! Very impressive. What brings you to Galar?"
He was still getting used to people knowing his name, so it wasn't a huge improbability that Rose had heard of Ash Ketchum before.
"I came to Galar to catch some particular Pokémon."
"Oh? Which ones?" Rose looked genuinely interested, even as Oleana had taken out her phone and was typing away.
"I wanted a Flapple, but ended up with an Appletun. Though I can't say I'm disappointed, Ladon is wonderful. I actually just caught the other; a Galarian Ponyta."
Sonia grinned, probably remembering the foal asleep in his arms. Rose inclined his head. "Very well done. What's next?"
Frowning lightly, Ash bought a few seconds while sipping on his water. "Well, I registered for the Coronation Series Tournament, but I'll probably head home after that."
Chairman Rose grinned widely, "Ah, the tournament! Leon and I have been working on it for a long while now. It'll be going for two weeks!"
Ash stopped himself before he could raise his eyebrows in surprise. "Really?" Only official League Conferences went that long.
"Oh yes, there's no limit to how many can enter. Trainers will battle whoever is closest to their ranking and keep going! Last I checked we had someone ranked 7,292nd and someone else ranked 37th! We've got trainers all across the board."
"That's a lot of battles."
"Ha ha! Yes! But Wyndon Stadium has multiple battlefields so there won't be too big a gap between battles for each trainer. Also, to make it a bit more interesting, each trainer has to register the Pokémon they're using before they find out who they're battling! Focuses more on capabilities than type advantages. We already have quite a number registered!"
Ash leaned back in his chair and smiled to himself. This was going to be fun.
Conversation wrapped up and food finished, Chairman Rose graciously paid for the meal and the four stood. Ash was itching to get out of there and start training. The tournament started soon and he had to get to Wyndon.
Shaking hands with Rose and an apathetic Oleana, the two headed deeper into the city, leaving Ash and Sonia.
"I'm sorry you were dragged into that."
Ash side-eyed the researcher, seeing her chew on her thumbnail and tugging on her Ponyta-tail. "Why?"
"Huh?"
"Why are you sorry?" Ash wanted to know what she was thinking; what she thought of the two influential people.
"Oh, um, well I know Rose can be pretty intense, and Oleana isn't the most approachable person. You were blindsided by the offer."
Pursing his lips, Ash shrugged. "No big deal. But I hope you studied the mural in Stow-on-Side before it was demolished."
"What?" Sonia's face was bloodless, aqua eyes wide in her disbelief.
Ash sighed under his breath, taking out his Pokédex and bringing up the photo he got of the construction area. He forcefully pushed the device in Sonia's face, probably a little rudely, but whatever.
Sonia gasped, a hand being brought to her mouth. "When did this happen? How did this happen? This was… this was history."
"Around five days ago. Rose ordered it since there were Wishing Stars behind it."
"Why… Why didn't I hear about this?" She was staring intently at the picture, eyes squinting before she pressed a button.
Ash just shrugged. "Not sure. I'll send it to you, and you do with it what you will." The researcher blinked out of her scrutiny and she gave Ash her number so he could send her the photo. "Thanks for… thanks for chatting." Ash awkwardly waved goodbye to the young woman, her smile strained but warm as she bid him goodbye.
He was done with Hulbury.
He could barely recognize Route 5 without all the snow.
Almost two months have passed since he caught the outrageously large Applin here, and in that time Ladon has grown more than Ash could have hoped. He had already mastered Iron Defense and Protect and had a solid grasp on Solar Beam.
Now it was time to truly hone their strength and skills.
They had five days to train for the tournament, and they would certainly make the most of that time.
"Listen up! This tournament is going to be a test. A test of strength, adaptability, versatility, and backbone. There is a chance you'll have to battle an opponent that has every possible advantage over you. But that's where we'll shine. Let's get to work."
His teammates didn't care for long-winded speeches. They just wanted to fight.
"We're pairing up today. Ladon and Sagitta, Polaris and Mirae, Libra and Orion, Styx and Artemis, Bane and Castor and Hemlock as a group of three. Wisteria with me." Ferocious snarls and taunting sneers were thrown around as everyone paired up. Ash tried to limit how often his teammates went 1-on-1 due to how competitive they all were. Resentment would fester if he wasn't careful.
The little Ponyta pouted but trotted over obediently to Ash. The trainer could tell he still needed to prove himself to the foal. She was an heiress, technically. He saw how Bede's Rapidash bowed to her.
Thus, Ash backed away, spread his feet to give him a steady base, and leered at his newest capture. "You'll be fighting me. If you can land a hit, you win."
The look on her face was priceless. She was probably wondering if he was sane in the head.
Up for debate.
But Wisteria was a fighter, and so without any further hesitation she charged. With a delighted laugh, Ash promptly twisted out of the way, landing solidly on his feet and waited for the equine to turn herself around.
Now she was going to give it her all.
What followed after was a flurry of movements and attacks, Confusions and Fairy Winds trying to catch him in their widespread attack, but Ash employed the wisdom of dodge, duck, dip, dive, and dodge, and once in a while sent a plume of dirt into the foal's eyes. A Confusion almost caught him, but with how much time Ash spent around Dark types, the Psychic attack seemed to roll off him.
Thanks Yveltal.
At the end of it all, Wisteria was on shaky legs and glaring at him with all the heat of a Blast Burn. Smirking, Ash made his way over and plopped down beside the angry Ponyta. "So I was thinking we'll work on your aim, power output, and reaction time first. Sound good?" Wisteria held her glare for a few more beats before imperiously lifting her chin and nodding.
Withholding a chuckle, Ash held out a sitrus berry and pulled himself to his feet. Dusting his hands off, he shot a grin at the foal. "Come on."
She followed promptly.
In the dark of night with the demolition crew gone, Sonia crept beneath the yellow tape and around fluorescent orange cones. She crawled over the remains of the ancient mural with a heavy heart but heavier determination.
With a quick look over her shoulder and a pause to listen for any visitors, she flipped on her flashlight to shine light into the black hole that shouldn't have been in a cliff-face.
The flashlight clattered to the ground as tears filled the researchers eyes.
"Oh my," was whispered reverently into the wind.
"Castor, let Shadow Claw encase your arm to block!" The croc snarled as he lifted his arms in a familiar X, Bane's Skitter Smack slamming into him. The Bug and Ghost energies warred and weakened one another until Bane and Castor jumped apart.
The two collided once more, Iron Tail redirecting the Night Slash and Fire Fang absorbing the Zoroark's Flamethrower. The two flashed fanged grins at each other before diving back into their fight, Iron Tails and Night Slashes meeting blow for blow.
While Castor had the most physical strength, Bane had the best speed and reflexes.
Turning his gaze, Ash watched Ladon and Sagitta go at it. Well, more like watching the Togekiss try to get past Ladon's defenses. The Appletun was either shining with the light of Iron Defense, surrounded by Protect, or curled up tight with Rollout. Sagitta was forced to think or else she'll just waste her energy trying to break through.
She had already figured out counters to Leech Seed, Sweet Scent, and Gyro Ball, which had ended up helping her with Iron Defense. The downside to Iron Defense was that it gave the user a temporary Steel typing. While in some cases this was a massive advantage, in others it was a weakness. Especially when an opponent knew Flamethrower. Though Ladon's Thick Fat ability was a boon.
Protect could be solved on its own, seeing as it exhausted most Pokémon after one use (if you weren't Ladon). But Rollout was giving the Togekiss trouble.
Until she remembered Aura Sphere.
Ladon was cracked open like a nut, landing heavily in the grass. But just as Sagitta was about to celebrate, he glowed.
Gotta love Synthesis.
Groaning and ducking her head at Ash's look of disapproval for early celebration, Sagitta prepared to do it all over again.
Smiling to himself, Ash turned to the next pair. Libra and Orion were an interesting match up. Orion could throw himself at the Hakamo-o all he wanted, but his teeth and claws weren't going to pierce her scales.
While yes, Ash appreciated Orion's aggression, it wouldn't work all the time. Honestly, not even half the time. There were huge risks involved with close-range battles and Ninetales weren't the most sturdy Pokémon. His battle against Bede's Rapidash showcased this.
Libra was Orion's antithesis.
The fox had to get creative if he wanted to actually inflict any damage. Ash had given him some pointers, specifically how when water froze it expanded. It had taken a day or two for Orion to figure out what that meant, but when he did…
The water of Aqua Tail had soaked Libra, dripping between her scales. When Ice Beam suddenly froze every drop, it was like a thousand little knives with every movement.
Ash had then evened the tides by telling Libra that Automotize and her burgeoning Clanging Scales would shatter the ice easily.
From there, Orion was a bit more creative and Libra a bit more wary.
After a few days of working with Wisteria, Ash had pulled Mirae away from Polaris so the Mytheon could work with the Ponyta.
What took him by surprise was Mirae's sudden hostility towards the foal.
Mirae was meant to send very low powered Swifts at Wisteria so she could work on aim, reaction time, and power. Instead, the Mytheon blasted the Ponyta with a Dragon Pulse that she barely dodged in time.
Of course, Wisteria wouldn't take that lying down and had charged the Dragon and Fairy type.
It was only Ash taking the brunt of her rush and Mirae cutting off his building Shadow Ball that prevented Wisteria from getting hurt.
Ash had immediately sent Mirae away to Styx. That had been yesterday, and Ash's starter had managed to figure out the crux of the issue.
Apparently Mirae was jealous.
He had been the baby of the family, and as much as he acted like he was all grown up, Mirae still revelled in Styx and Sagitta's doting attention. Getting an unofficial 'little sister' was not appreciated.
Ash had to play mediator before Styx did something callous such as brushing the Mytheon's hurt aside. She wasn't the most… emotionally intuitive creature. Neither was Ash, but he knew Mirae needed reassurance.
It's what Ash would have wanted.
Reluctantly, Styx had awkwardly patted Mirae's head with a single wing and spent the afternoon training with him. This gave Artemis the chance to meet and 'play' with the newest member of the team, not realizing Wisteria was trying so hard to inflict legitimate damage.
Today, Mirae was doing what was requested of him and firing off slow, weak Swifts and allowing the Ponyta to work on her aim and reflexes.
A few dozen meters away, another spar was occurring.
"Hemlock, try to box him in!" It made Ash excited knowing Polaris was giving the Morgrem trouble. The Frogadier was quick and light on his feet, practically a blur on their makeshift field. If Bane wasn't careful, Polaris would take his spot as second-fastest teammate. Sagitta still held the top spot due to her specialized training.
Taking his advice, Hemlock quickly split into a dozen clones, surrounding the frog and releasing a wave of darkness. Unable to know which was real, the Frogadier leapt above the Dark Pulse.
But that's what Hemlock wanted.
He was ready with a False Surrender that caught Polaris around the ribs and slammed him to the ground. Hemlock smiled nastily and charged a Thunder Punch.
But Polaris surprised them.
A quick blast of water, like the beginnings of Aqua Jet, exploded outwards to loosen the wiry hair pinning him in place. Polaris blurred into Quick Attack to dash to safety, spinning around to shoot a Hydro Pump at the glaring Morgrem.
Ash winced before the attack connected, knowing what would happen.
The electricity from Thunder Punch traveled through the Hydro Pump and back to the Frogadier.
'Ouch.'
Polaris got up, twitching violently, but it still counts.
Smiling, Ash turned to the last pair.
The ground was destroyed and everything was on fire and Styx had Artemis pinned.
He quickly turned around and walked away.
'Nope, not dealing with that.'
Shivering lightly, Ash pressed himself closer to Styx's back as she soared above the clouds. It was a long way from Route 5 to Wyndon, but the Hydreigon could handle it easily. It also gave the two a chance to enjoy each other's quiet company, the closeness flying together brought them.
While five days didn't seem very long, Ash felt proud of the improvements seen in his team. They weren't relying on him as much when it came to commands. Their attacks were stronger, faster, and more versatile than ever.
He had gotten a message early this morning with the details of the tournament. Registration had closed at midnight the previous night with a whopping 1054 participants. No wonder Chairman Rose said it would take two weeks. Honestly Ash thought it would take longer, but there were so many stadiums in Wyndon that it shortened the duration tremendously.
Every participant will be paired against whoever had a ranking closest to their own.
Tournaments like these, Ash learned, were necessary.
Before Galar joined the United League Association and expanded the ranking system to the entire world, they could just assign matches. But with trainers spread across over a hundred thousand miles, assigned matches became a tad difficult.
There wasn't much gain for higher ranking trainers to accept battles from lower-rankers. The higher-rankers had all the risk of their rank decreasing. A trainer's rank could go up a small amount from defeating a lower-ranker, but nothing crazy. Yet if no one battled anyone with a lower rank than them, no one would battle.
Ash had read up on it last night since it seemed like it'd be a big problem. Apparently the League had tried to implement perks for trainers that accepted battles from lower-rankers. Things like points that can be exchanged for items or TMs. But that only did so much.
The Coronation Series Tournament ensured lower-rankers had a way to advance before the World Coronation Series started and trainers were given their opponents.
The preliminary rounds would have the lowest ranking 60 trainers battling it out until the total number of participants fell to 1024. From there it would be 10 rounds until a winner was declared.
Luckily, Ash wasn't in the preliminaries. He's done well for himself with a ranking of 415.
He already had to register his Pokémon for all 10 rounds, just in case. The tournament directors didn't want people planning teams based on which participants were closest in ranking.
They wanted every trainer going in blind.
It was rather exciting.
Preliminaries would be 1v1 matches, rounds one through five would be 2v2, rounds six through eight were 4v4, and the semi-finals and finals were 6v6. Almost like a real League.
Naturally, the Masters Eight won't be competing - there was no need. There were bigger events for that, specifically the actual World Coronation Series. There probably won't be many from Ultra Class competing either.
But still. A tournament is a tournament.
The preliminaries start at noon, which gives them two hours before the deadline to check-in. Ash would be getting in some light training until the preliminaries ended, giving them two days.
Wyndon was a city made for tournaments. There were eight battlefields clustered in the middle with a contest hall to the south and Rose Tower to the north. It was the newest city in Galar and already had people chomping at the bit to live there.
Ash was startled from his thoughts when Styx took a nosedive, careening towards the bright red building that held the administrators for the tournament.
Shouts and yells sounded as Styx touched down, the ground trembling slightly beneath her bulk. She growled at a passerby who quickly scurried away. Rolling his eyes, Ash tapped her Dusk ball to her side and watched her disappear in a flash of light.
You'd think in a region known for their terrifyingly oversized Pokémon, the citizens wouldn't be as skittish around a Pseudo-Legend.
He strode into the building and groaned under his breath at the long line. Thankfully, it seemed to be moving quickly. It was maybe 20 minutes later he was handing over his Pokédex to a harried woman to be checked in.
Ash booked it out of there, ready to be away from the crowds of trainers. The Pokémon center was on the outer edges of the central ring of the city, the dark cobblestone roads splitting off and into four directions. Figuring he should check into his hotel, Ash pulled out his Pokédex for directions.
Rose of the Rondelands was a very expensive hotel, but Ash had money to spare and felt like spending it.
The receptionist was another snobby man just like in Vertress, but upon seeing Ash's name he flushed and handed over the card key.
Stifling his eye roll, Ash took the pretentious golden elevator to his floor. And just as he expected, his room was ostentatious, but the bed was heavenly. Stretching his arms above his head, Ash got up to shower and put medicine on his piercings. He only had another week or so until he could stop.
Ash wouldn't admit it to Plumeria and Roxie, but the piercings were growing on him. Specifically having Styx's fang on him. The cuff on his ear still made unease rise within him, its similarity to the band on his arm too much for comfort. His mission to ignore the jewelry bonded to his arm was becoming tenuous with the weather warming; t-shirts barely hiding the Ancient Cuff.
Thinking of clothing, Ash furrowed his brows and grabbed his Pokédex to send a text to Valerie. Should he wear the outfit? She was quick to reply.
Valerie Kimura
Received 03/10/xxxx at 11:10
If you make it to round 4 or higher, then yes.
Don't want bad publicity if you can't make it there.
:3
Ash scoffed and shoved his Pokédex back in his backpack.
Flopping back onto the bed, Ash flipped on the TV and found the livestream of the preliminaries which were about to start. Scanning the names of participants scrolling on screen, Ash managed to spot Victor and Hop in the list of 60.
Guess Gloria wasn't competing.
Seeing both of the 13 year olds in the preliminaries made Ash realize how far he's come as a rookie. In nine months he's managed to climb his way to #415 in the world. June feels like a lifetime ago.
Obviously there were some very strong trainers who weren't registered, like veterans, rangers, ACE Trainers and the like, but anyone who wanted to battle as their career had a ranking.
And Ash was 415th out of the 25,000 registered.
It was as humbling as it was thrilling.
Shaking his head gently, Ash sat back to watch the battles as his heart beat wildly in his chest. He was ready.
"THE PRELIMINARIES ARE OFFICIALLY OVER! WHAT A RANGE OF STRATEGIES AND POKÉMON, INCREDIBLE!"
The stadium cheered at Rose's words. His image was being broadcast around the world and to each of the eight stadiums in Wyndon. After two days consisting of 30 matches, the people were ready for the main event.
Ash stood backstage in Orchid Stadium (each stadium named for a flower of course), and tapped rhythmically on one of his Pokéballs. Ash was the first battle, as soon as Rose's speech was done.
"REMEMBER, NOT ONLY IS THIS TOURNAMENT AN OPPORTUNITY FOR TRAINERS TO TEST THEIR METTLE AND IMPROVE THEIR RANKING, BUT WE ALSO HAVE SOME SPECTACULAR PRIZES FOR THE TOP 5 TRAINERS!"
There was wild applause and screams of excitement over the TV. Rose was currently in Rose Stadium (shocker) and was smiling widely with his arms thrown out to the sides.
"THOSE PRIZES ARE GOING TO BE A SURPRISE! BUT WE ALL KNOW IT'LL BE WORTH IT!"
Ash had researched past tournaments and could readily agree with that statement. Last year's tournament gave a Beldum to the 1st place winner. 2nd place had gotten a Dawn and a Dusk stone. From what Ash could find, that trainer, Gym Leader Fantina, now has a Froslass and a Mismagius.
"ROUND 1 IS ABOUT TO BEGIN OF THE CORONATION SERIES TOURNAMENT! TWO ON TWO BATTLES WILL ALLOW TRAINERS AND THEIR POKÉMON TO SHINE BRIGHTER! ARE WE READY?"
Rose waited a long moment for the crowd to quiet down with a large grin. "THAT'S WHAT I LIKE TO HEAR! THEN LET THE CORONATION SERIES TOURNAMENT OFFICIALLY BEGIN!"
And with that, Ash was ushered onto the field, his opponent walking 60 meters across from him. Looking at the screens, he could see his opponent didn't have a Dynamax band on.
To keep the tournament fair for those competing who weren't native to Galar, trainers could only Dynamax if their opponent had the ability as well.
The two trainers took their places in their trainer boxes and Ash was trying to keep his excitement off his face.
The referee held up two flags, one gold and one red in preparation. "This is a two-on-two battle between Maxim Laurant of Lumiose City - Ranked 410 - and Ashton Ketchum of Pallet Town - Ranked 415! The first trainer to defeat both of their opponent's Pokémon will be declared the winner! Both trainers will release at the same time. Substitutions are allowed! Release in 3-2-1 now!"
Artemis landed on the field in all her glory.
The audience buzzed at the appearance of the Houndoom. While many regions didn't have the taboo, they still knew of it. But this was a calculated step, and Artemis sat on the field with her tail wagging like crazy, her head flopped back so she could smile at Ash, her tongue lolling out.
A few chuckles resonated around the smaller stadium.
Across from her, a bulky Electabuzz whirred its arms with a manic grin. Artemis lifted her head and stood, bracing her legs and narrowed her eyes in determination.
"Trainers ready! 3-2-1 BATTLE BEGIN!"
"Smog-screen."
"Light Screen!"
Ash smiled a small smile as thick inky clouds streamed from Artemis's maw, spreading across the field and blocking any visual of their opponents.
"Livewire, use Discharge!"
"Ground yourself." Ash was just buying time. The more Electabuzz breathed in the toxic vapor, the more poisoned it would become. He didn't have to see Artemis to know she had an Iron Tail buried in the field.
Glancing quickly at the screen, Ash could see Maxim looked annoyed. "Rain Dance!"
Blinking in surprise, Ash once again waited… 3-2-1… "Sunny Day." Just as rain started to fall and clear the black clouds, a ball of artificial sun was tossed into the air, breaking apart the storm clouds gathered there.
When it came to exerting control over terrain and weather, it came down to both strength and willpower.
Now with a clear view of Electabuzz, Ash smirked.
"Feint Attack."
"Reflect."
Ash pursed his lips as the Psychic energy wrapped around Electabuzz, protecting it from some of the damage of Feint Attack. He was somewhat placated when he saw the Electric type struggling to breath. Good. The toxins were working.
"Flamethrower." The veritable torrent of flames doused the Electabuzz, even with a new Light Screen acting as a protective barrier. The Pokémon was sweltering from the heat and panting from a mixture of dehydration and poison. A thin shield of electricity wrapped around the Pokémon's fur, offsetting the flames further. Ash narrowed his eyes and called, "More." The flames doubled in size.
"Teleport."
Oh. Must be a Kantonian breed.
Elekid from the Kanto region had a much stronger affinity for Psychic attacks. The reason? No one knew. Many theorized it was their ability to breed with Hypno, Mr. Mime, and Alakazam. The Elekid line typically couldn't summon the psionic potential or power necessary for Teleport.
Ash hid a scowl. Maxim was running scared, hardly even attacking. How he got that 410 ranking was a mystery.
"Odor Sleuth, Flamethrower."
Just as Electabuzz blinked out of existence again, Artemis inhaled heavily before turning her head slightly to the left, releasing the supersized Flamethrower just as the Electric type appeared.
The wails from the Pokémon were chilling.
"Lock and Trap!" The cries of pain suddenly cut off, the Electabuzz popping into existence behind Artemis. The Houdoom's ears twitched and she bounded out of the way.
That didn't seem to help.
She was scooped up and thrown back by a Swift-guided Electroweb. Pinned to the ground, Artemis howled from the electricity. She didn't even wait for Ash's call before sinking her Steel-coated tail into the ground and burning the webbing away just from her body heat.
Maxim's face was twisted up in displeasure at this point and Ash wanted this first battle done. Looking up to see the Sunny Day still going strong, Ash smiled.
Electabuzz flinched violently when Artemis Howled, throwing up a Protect.
Feint cut straight through it, and Crunch bit down on the Electric type's arm; Teleport temporarily disrupted.
"Fire Fang."
Electabuzz shrieked in agony, Artemis's teeth buried into its arm and the heat emanating from her body warping the air around her. In a frenzy, mind clouded by pain and poison, Electabuzz caught Artemis in the temple with a Thunder Punch. The Houndoom quickly hopped back, putting space between her and the thrashing Pokémon. When it finally slowed to a stop, its arm and chest were blackened and smoldering, its fur smoking. It glared at Artemis weakly, before hacking a cough and collapsing.
"Electabuzz is unable to battle. Gold trainer, send out your last Pokémon."
Ash ignored Maxim for a moment, focusing on his teammate. Artemis was standing tall, but he could see her slightly swaying frame from here. That Thunder Punch had probably disoriented her.
"Wonderful job, Artemis. One more." The hound shot a toothy - slightly loopy - grin at him before taking a deep breath and refocusing on her opponent.
Maxim was scowling at the artificial sun while his Pokémon flinched in front of him. Heliolisk must have the Dry Skin ability. See, Heliolisk were interesting Pokémon in the sense that some were built for intense sunlight, others sandstorms, and a small percentage for rain. A majority are found in deserts and open grasslands, but a certain population has been discovered in Lush Jungle in Alola.
Ash smirked. How unfortunate this one happened to be one of the rarer breeds. Too bad their Pokémon were registered beforehand.
While not a popular Pokémon, Heliolisk were tricky and strong reptiles with a lot of potential. In the wild they stole eggs and prey from others, able to sneak around almost as well as a Dark type, but could almost be as vicious as a Dragon type.
Almost being the key word.
"3-2-1 BATTLE BEGIN!"
"Howl."
"Field Charge!" In a flash, a pulse of almost invisible electricity was released from Heliolisk. The ground sparked in its wake and Artemis yelped when the wave washed over her.
Ash's eyes narrowed briefly, but after assuring himself Artemis was neither paralyzed nor injured, he dove back in. He'd figure out what just happened momentarily.
"Flamethrower."
"Dig." When Artemis's stream of fire looked significantly weaker, he realized what happened.
'Damn Eerie Impulse.' It was probably mixed with Electric Terrain as well. He'd have to be careful.
"Odor Sleuth." One of the many reasons he loved having a canine Pokémon was their sense of smell. Just as the ground crumbled a couple meters to the Houndoom's left, Artemis leapt the distance, her flaming fangs chomping down on the lizard's shoulder.
The subsequent Thunderbolt blinded the onlookers.
Grinding his teeth together, Ash shouted "Sludge Bomb!" One overpowered Thunderbolt wasn't going to take down Artemis. She was going to be hurting, but she could still fight.
Heliolisk was clutching its shoulder with sparks jumping off of its scales, glaring at its opponent harshly. It didn't even wait for Maxim's call before sending out another small bolt of electricity that struck Artemis before she coughed out the sludge.
But the toxin was bright yellow and dancing with sparks. The Electrified Sludge Bomb bounced harmlessly off of golden scales which were already flaring with electricity once more.
'Shit'
"Dodge, Solar Beam!" Artemis jumped away, narrowing escaping Heliolisk's Wild Charge as it flew through where she had been standing. To Ash's surprise, the lizard spun on its foot and shot forward, still blazing with the attack.
Solar Beam collided with the sparking, hissing reptile, the warring energies reacting and sending an explosion across half the field.
Heliolisk flew backwards, body spinning and landing on its side. It continued to skid until it got its claws beneath it and hissed violently, frills extending in a clear display of aggression. It began to spark again, but this time it looked stronger, frenzied, and far more powerful.
Thunder ripped across the battlefield.
Artemis's throat glowed, fire dancing in her maw.
Ash paled.
"Ground!"
The Houndoom almost tripped in her haste to dig an Iron Tail into the ground just as she unleashed the condensed Flamethrower.
Thank Mew.
Fire is plasma, plasma is conductive. If both electricity and fire are powerful enough, the electricity will flow through the fire, just like with water.
With Artemis's tail grounded (just in time) she was draining the electricity from Heliolisk.
Dagger-like teeth bit down, cutting off the stream while simultaneously pushing off hind legs. Heliolisk only had a moment to squeak before the inky Crunch dug into its neck.
Without Ash's input, globs of Toxic dribbled into the wound as she released the reptile and put distance between the two. Heliolisk shrieked and writhed on the ground, the poison burning through its bloodstream. Artemis braced herself and watched; her entire body frozen as her opponent succumbed to its wounds.
Drooping slightly, her electrical burns almost invisible against her dark fur, Artemis made her way over to her trainer as the crowd cheered. She butted her curved horns against Ash's stomach lightly, eliciting a tired chuckle from Ash as he scratched her jaw.
"Incredible! Ash Ketchum takes down both opponents with his spectacular Houndoom! His rank has changed to 409!" Ash ignored the announcer and returned Artemis, nodding once at a silently fuming Maxim before heading back through the stadium doors.
If he was being honest with himself, that was an okay battle. Yeah, Heliolisk was a bit tricky in the end, but neither of the Electric types had any major power to them. Heliolisk could have been a bigger threat, having draconic genes, but Artemis probably could have taken on a third opponent.
Raking his fingers through the few pieces of hair escaping his Ponyta-tail, he walked past the few trainers eying him in the locker room. If this was how the entire tournament was going to be, he wasn't exactly chomping at the bit.
A decisive knock jolted Thomas from his haze, tearing his exhausted gaze from his computer screen to stare at the door to his little closet office. He pushed off the ground, sending his desk chair rolling across the linoleum so he could open the door.
His bloodshot eyes widened and his mouth went dry with the sudden flooding of adrenaline to his system.
"B-boss! Hi, hello, um… What-what can I do for you?"
His boss pursed their lips in the slightest displeasure that made Thomas wince. His foot tapped incessantly on the ground no matter how hard he tried to stop it. Swallowing thickly, he silenced himself and waited.
"Have all the trainers been paired up for Round 2?"
Eyebrows furrowing, Thomas nodded. "Of course, there's-there's an algorithm that does it automatically."
"Hmm. Well, I need you to pair up two trainers. Here." They passed over a piece of paper. Thomas looked at it noting the two names, his confusion ramping up even further.
"But Boss, this one isn't in the tournament? Doesn't even have a ranking number, it'll completely mess up the schedule."
"While unfortunate, I don't pay you to ask questions."
Heart pounding against his ribcage, Thomas licked his dry lips. He had no idea what was happening. This seemed pretty sketchy to him, but this was his boss. Biting his cheek, Thomas shrugged. "Uh, okay."
"While you're at it, create a temporary trainer page for her."
"But- but that's illegal?"
The hardened glare that earned him made Thomas press himself back in his chair.
"That's how we recruited you, isn't it? Trying to hack into our servers. It was this job or… well. You remember."
Thomas's knuckles were white from where he was gripping the arm rests. Yeah, he remembered.
"Now, do as I ask, and maybe I'll even give you a raise."
Thomas knew that was a lie, but it wasn't like he had other choices. He pushed against the ground again, the momentum bringing him back to his desk and multiple monitors. His fingers started flying across the keyboard, only pausing to hesitantly ask one question.
"Um, boss, what name should I give her?"
That earned him an approving glance. "Keep her first name, make something up for her last. Use this picture." She handed over a USB that Thomas quickly inserted into one of his computers. The picture that filled his screen showed a purple-lined smirk and vindictive brown eyes. Thomas gulped, but typed in a generic last name and a ranking number with a bug attached, making sure the fake profile was slightly separate from the database so it wouldn't disrupt the trainer who was truly ranked #408.
"All set, boss."
"Last thing, what two Pokémon have been chosen by her opponent?"
Thomas glanced at his screen and typed for a moment. "Uh, a Krokorok and a Frogadier."
The boss nodded once. "You've proven your usefulness once more." With those parting words, the boss spun and left the room, the clacking of heels the only sound besides Thomas's labored breaths.
Ash frowned down at his Pokédex. His next opponent's profile was scarce, only showing a few Pokémon and the battle history was one tournament from last year. No videos, no achievements, no nothing.
It wasn't unheard of, per se, but it was rare. Some trainers liked to stay off the grid and slowly build up their ranking from good old fashioned battles of chance. However someone of her ranking and caliber should have something.
Frustrated, Ash shoved his Pokédex back in his pocket. He'd get no insight to her battle strategies from research. He's taking a gamble with Castor and Polaris, two unevolved Pokémon both weak to Grass types. But he had the utmost faith in them.
"Ash Ketchum to the waiting bay, Ash Ketchum to the waiting bay."
Pushing himself to his feet, Ash stepped forward, his belt light with only two Pokéballs on it; Polaris's Lure ball and Castor's newly painted Pokéball. Castor's was a dark, bloody crimson in anticipation for his evolution while the bottom half was black.
The League worker waiting for him nodded once in his direction, but kept her eyes on the device on her wrist. Nodding a few times, she ushered him through the door the next second, where the wave of cheers and screams washed over him.
With a nod of approval from the worker, Ash stepped forward onto the field with his head held high. He nodded once at the crowd, remembering Serena's comments on public approval. However his eyes were more glued to the woman stalking towards him from the other side of the stadium.
Everything about her screamed 'predator', it had his fight or flight blaring the alarm. Her prowl reminded him of Omen. Lips were painted a toxic purple and her dark hair was pulled into a severe bun on top of her head. She was wearing what appeared to be a purple and white jumpsuit but it looked more like tactical gear.
Confidence and impassivity poured from her very being.
Something heavy settled in Ash's gut.
"This is a two-on-two battle between Sierra James of Vermillion City - Ranked 408 - and Ashton Ketchum of Pallet Town - Ranked 409! The first trainer to defeat both of their opponent's Pokémon will be declared the winner! Both trainers will release at the same time. Substitutions are allowed! Release in 3-2-1 now!"
Castor appeared on the field with a vicious hiss, thick tail slamming into the ground with feral anticipation.
But then Sierra's Pokémon took to the field and Ash gritted his teeth.
The Shiftry was huge. Standing almost seven feet, fans razor sharp, and a glare that would chill lesser Pokémon to the bone. The Grass and Dark type was a looming wall, a presence threatening to dwarf Castor with its shadow.
"Trainers ready! 3-2-1 BATTLE BEGIN!"
"Sandstorm!" Ash pressed his lips together when Sierra just stood there, hip cocked and looking utterly unperturbed. It only took a few seconds for a raging sandstorm to whip up around Castor, sand building up on the field and the Krokorok slowly fading with his natural camouflage.
"Hurricane." Shiftry clicked once, crossing its fans in front of its chest, before slashing them outwards.
The winds that erupted from the Pokémon's body were unlike anything Ash had seen. The air went barrelling over the field, pushing the sandstorm aside like it was tiny bugs before it slammed into Castor.
The croc was sent flying, the landing peeling away scales as he tumbled and rolled only to strike the psychic barrier harshly.
"Dig!"
"Sunny Day."
Ash's breath came in quick, shallow pants as his mind whirred. He knew Castor would be powering up with Hone Claws while he was beneath the ground, but Ash honestly didn't know if that would make much of a difference.
The croc burst through the ground, sending turf and dirt flying, flaming jaws open and ready to clamp down around flammable skin.
But Shifty blurred and was gone.
Castor's teeth audibly slammed together, gaining a wince from the audience. But he didn't even have time to regain his bearings before something slammed into him. Once again, the croc went flying, a deep bleeding gash on his chest visible as he landed.
Shiftry's leaves lost their glowing green aura, instead now beginning to fan wildly as frost streamed from the Pokémon's mouth.
The makeshift blizzard raced towards Ash's heavily injured Pokémon. "Sand Tomb!" Heaving himself to his feet, Castor roared, sand and dirt exploding outward into a protective cyclone. The Icy Wind and Hurricane slammed against the pseudo-protect, flash-freezing it immediately. The Krokorok was hidden from view in the frozen tornado.
Dammit, Ash had to figure out a way to slow down their opponent. "Pop Up!" Stone Edges popped up all around the field, rising almost a dozen feet into the air, obstacles now blocking the direct path.
"Solar Beam."
The CRASH was deafening, the beam moving so fast the dozen explosions blended together into one clamor. It tore through stone and frozen sands alike, all obstacles bursting into a million pieces. Debris fell to the ground or was swept up in Solar Beam's wake.
For a split second, there was confusion from the lack of reptiles.
Then, for the first time, Shiftry shrieked.
The Grass and Dark type's right fan was smoldering and quickly burning apart, falling to ashes at its feet.
Ash saw the rage that flooded the Pokémon's face, and reflexively shouted, "Sand Skin!"
Shiftry's left fan took on the bright glow of a truly violent Solar Blade that struck Castor, the croc carving a divot into the battlefield.
The audience "Ooh'd" at the violence behind the attack, figuring that was that.
Castor pulled himself to his feet, the sand he used to protect his body falling away. It didn't work perfectly, a sizable dent in his chest thickening his breaths.
But he was angry.
Castor released a savage roar, his body glowing red with Anger Point. The sands whipped up in a rough wind around him, Sandstorm starting up again, taking the large chunks of scattered rubble into the storm.
Shiftry darted in, but Earthquake was already spreading through the enormous field, cracks spreading dangerously throughout. Shiftry reacted quickly, using its winds to launch itself into the air, sailing over the field and battering the vicious Krokorok with another Hurricane, this one released from its mouth.
"Protect!" The green sphere around Castor cleaved the brutal Flying attack, sending the diverted energy into the field. Ground was blasted away, deep fissures showing just how much damage it would have done.
The two Pokémon were on a collision course with each other, and Ash figured now was the time.
"Power Play!"
Castor's maxed-out rage made him blaze with Dark energy. He launched himself at the airborne Shiftry, eyes furious at the pain he's been dealt.
But then Shiftry released the torrential explosion of dagger-like leaves that drove Castor unforgivingly into the ground.
A cry got stuck in Ash's throat as a crack reverberated over the microphones. Castor laid there, unmoving within a messy crater with lacerations pouring blood pooling beneath his unconscious body.
Wasting no time, Ash returned the Desert Croc, willing a glare into place instead of the wild-eyed shock he was feeling.
The worst part? Sierra didn't even look like she cared. Not about winning, not about the damage done to Castor, not even about Shiftry's missing fan.
She just… looked around and waited.
Fury arose in Ash so swiftly and so suddenly, his body burned with the force of it. His hand gripped the Lure ball so tightly his tendons creaked.
Polaris landed on the field in a three point crouch, eyes narrowed at his enormous opponent. "Give this everything you've got." Ash spoke lowly, but it didn't matter much since he was wearing a microphone. The frog nodded once and tensed.
"3-2-1 BATTLE BEGIN!"
A torrent of Smokescreen erupted from Polaris's mouth even as he separated into a dozen clones, Quick Attack turning the field into a frenzy. Shiftry bared its wooden teeth before it unleashed a Whirlwind, this one weaker with only one fan. The buffet of air erased any remnants of Smokescreen like it had never existed in the first place.
With his powerful hindlegs, Polaris and his clones leapt high into the air, the next Air Slash brushing some of the frogs' toes causing those clones to fade. With half a dozen Frogadier diving towards it, Shiftry clicked aggressively before tendrils of acid green darted from its skin.
The Giga Drain vines shot through all six frogs, dissipating the last of the clones and wrapping the real Polaris up in the draining embrace.
"Ice Lance!" The blast of water from Polaris's body froze over, breaking the Giga Drain connection and allowed the Frogadier to bolt away and put distance between himself and his raging opponent.
But Shiftry decided it was time for another Sunny Day, and the attack was prepped and launched so quickly, Shiftry blurred out of sight within seconds.
Damn Chlorophyll.
In the time it took Polaris to reach the other end of the field, Shiftry was already waiting. One good fan was glowing with the energy of Leaf Blade, so Ash made a call.
"Ice Lance!" The very tip of the Aqua Jet had only just frozen solid before impact. Shiftry howled, Polaris screeched, and the two were blasted apart.
A small, perfectly round hole was now in Shiftry's remaining fan, light frost gathered around the wound. Polaris was lying on the field with a blackened slice across his flank. The frog was huffing from the rapid fire attacks but still pushed himself to his feet.
By this point, Shiftry was apoplectic. Its eyes were burning with its anger and probably a little pain. Dirt went flying as it rocketed towards Polaris.
Ash opened his mouth to shout an order when a churning, roiling compressed orb of the ocean incarnate struck Shiftry in the gut.
The Hydro Cannon slammed the Grass and Dark type into the Psychic barrier with an audible CRACK. The Pokémon fell to the ground, twitching.
Ash held his breath, but his attention was suddenly drawn back to Polaris.
He was glowing.
The crowd went thunderously silent as the intense glow of evolution engulfed the Kalos starter. Bright and stark white, the shine was powerful and blinding, and Ash had to look away even as something unfurled within his chest, something burning hot and pulsing.
Thoughts and feelings that weren't his own bombarded Ash's mind, muted and fuzzy.
What seemed like hours but was really only seconds, the light was pulled back in towards Polaris. But before Ash could see the Greninja his teammate had become, something happened.
Water swirled and enveloped his teammate, creating a vortex around the newly evolved Pokémon. Something pulled in Ash's chest, his heart stuttering and suddenly finding a new rhythm, beating with exertion Ash didn't feel. His muscles burned with an exhaustion that wasn't his. His flesh dripped with a sweat that he hadn't worked up.
His vision doubled, his head aching when he not only saw Polaris, but also a swirling whirlpool in front of his face. Those fuzzy emotions sharpened, determination and resolve pouring into Ash, determination and resolve pouring into Polaris.
It happened so fast.
One moment, energy unlike anything he'd ever felt was flooding through his body, his attention split between this weird phenomena and the vortex before him that was whipping up winds. The next moment, everything stopped.
The vortex crumbled in on itself, Ash felt a blinding, burning pain in his chest, and Shiftry was smoking with sadistic glee from its final Solar Beam.
Ash's legs crumbled beneath him just as Polaris fell to the ground.
The last thing he sees is Sierra rolling her eyes before his own close and the red haze of pain fades to black.
"Hm, what a shame." The topbox's glass walls reflected the eight screens mounted around the room. "Mr. Ketchum was favored to place in the Top 16. This is going to upset a good number of betters."
"Man, I was looking forward to watching more of his battles! That Sierra woman was something else…"
"As was I, Leon. No matter, the day's battles are almost over. Come, I'd like to show you something at Rose Tower. Oleana, call a Flying Taxi."
Corruption, Coercion, and Abuse of Authority oh my!
Polaris's evolution was denigrated by a cheap shot.
Note on that: It is illegal to attack a Pokémon while it is evolving. Doing so is a felony and will automatically have your trainer's license revoked and the offender taken into custody. However, it was obvious Polaris was done evolving - no more light - so technically Shiftry and Sierra were within their rights to attack.
I have no clue how the ranking system works for the WCS, I'm just winging it.