𝒳
"I choose you, Pikachu!"
"Pika!" With a thunderous shout, Pikachu stormed onto the battlefield, crackling electricity in his step as he slid across the slick grass. All at once, the still stones on the battlefield shot to life, racing to crash into his side. They were fast, but still far too slow. "Chuuuu— Pi-ka!"
Firing a rapturous cry, Pikachu swiped away Paul's Stealth Rocks with an Iron Tail, leaving only the shattered fragments to graze his skin as they passed. They hurt, but he was far from kowtowing to that.
The combatants were set. Ash and Pikachu stared down Paul and Gumshoos, each itching to see who'd take the first move. The answer was neither.
"Body Slam!"
"Iron Tail!"
They struck in unison.
Gumshoos rocketed forward, muscles primed with the potent energy of Stakeout. Pikachu was no sitting duck, however. With another flash of his Iron Tail, he went to meet his opponent blow-for-blow.
"Guuuum!"
"Chuuu!" Pikachu's Iron Tail crashed against Gumshoos's shoulder, breaking both their momentums and bringing them to a complete stop. For a moment it seemed like the two were evenly matched— before Pikachu came to prove he was the stronger rodent. "—Pi-ka!"
"Throw 'em back, and hit 'em again, buddy!"
"Pika!" Pikachu's Iron Tail sent Gumshoos flying, tumbling across the ground in an uncontrolled roll. Before Paul could try to counter, Pikachu was on the move again. He rocketed after Gumshoos and launched him into the air with another potent blow.
"Thunderbolt!"
"Hidden Power!" At Paul's word, Gumshoos recovered, flipping in midair and firing a beam down on Pikachu. The hipshot blast was nothing, however, compared to the raw power of Pikachu's lightning.
"Piiiikaaachuuu!" Thunderbolt swept away Gumshoos's blast, before slamming into the Pokémon itself.
"Shoos!?"
Paul grit his teeth, eyes racing across the field. He needed to recover, fast.
"Roll into a Body Slam!"
"Sho! Gum!" Skidding across the ground, Gumshoos broke their fall, before sprinting back towards Pikachu. Time for round two.
"Meet 'em with an Iron Tail, buddy!"
"Chuuu! Pi!" Pikachu charged another earth-rumbling Iron Tail, happy to let his opponent come to him. He reared back and—!
"Pivot! U-turn!"
—Was met with a feint! Gumshoos leapt over Pikachu's swing, slamming him in the back as they passed.
"Ka!" Pikachu was far from done, however. Whipping around on the balls of his feet, he crashed his Iron Tail into Gumshoos, knocking them out of the air and sending them rolling towards Paul. They were going for their Poké ball.
"Oh no you don't! Pikachu, lock it down!"
"Pika!" Pikachu hit the ground and lunged, disappearing into a flicker before Paul could even respond. A moment later, he reappeared, right above Gumshoos. "Pikachu!"
"Iron Tail!"
"Return Gumshoos!" Paul leapt to pull Gumshoos back into their Poké ball, but it was too late. Just as Gumshoos became coated in red light, Pikachu swung, slamming them into the ground with a critical Iron Tail.
"Finish it with Thunderbolt!" At Ash's command, it was done. Pikachu fired a blast of crackling electricity, lighting up his opponent just as they crashed into the grass. When the plume of dirt and debris from the clash cleared, Gumshoos was knocked out and Pikachu stood victorious.
𝒳
"They did it!" Dawn leapt, feeling a spark of her old cheerleading routine hit her as she hyped Ash and Pikachu up. "Way to go, guys!"
"My, my, Pikachu certainly hasn't been slacking." Rubbing his chin in thought, Conway couldn't help but let a touch of praise reach his words. "That speed is amazing— Dizzying even. Question is, will it be enough now that Paul has free reign to pick a counter."
Dawn paused for a moment, considering Conway's words, before shaking her head and grinning.
"Knowing Ash, he'll just counter it right back!"
𝒳
"Pika!" With a call that was more than a little proud, Pikachu declared his victory. By his hand, Paul's switching shenanigans were done. He took a moment to congratulate himself before flickering back to his partner's side.
"Good work buddy!" Ash was ecstatic. Finally, they were making progress— Putting Paul on the backfoot and forcing him to change up his strategy. Ash looked up at his rival, shooting off a grin as the two exchanged a glance.
Paul silently looked between the Poké balls in his hands, before forging ahead.
"Again, Torterra. Standby for battle!" Arriving once more to shake the earth, Torterra appeared at the scene, taking a firm stance after his encounter with Hawlucha. There were signs of damage across his shell and tree, bent, messy branches being the most apparent. Still, he was far from out of this.
"Toorterra!" He pounded the ground, challenging Ash and Pikachu to stay in.
They would happily oblige.
"Back into it, Pikachu. Iron Tail, from above, then behind!" Torterra's Ground-Typing and high defenses made Thunderbolt useless and Quick Attack barely a consideration. To take on this foe, they'd need to strike hard and strike fast.
Thankfully, Pikachu was an expert at both.
"Send them back with Stone Edge!"
"Pika!" Darting across the battlefield in a flurry of movement, Pikachu quickly closed the distance to Torterra, a distance he was intent on keeping.
"Terra!" A wave of stone pillars erupted from the ground at Torterra's call, the earth buckling as it went to push Pikachu back. Ash's partner was forced to duck and evade, leaping across the return fire, in order to keep moving ahead.
"Chuuuu—!" With a jump, Pikachu rocketed up one of Torterra's pillars, charging a potent Iron Tail right at the peak of his ascent. "Pi-ka!"
"Deflect with Giga Drain!" Paul was no sitting duck, however. Just as Pikachu shot down to take his first blow, Torterra moved to block, the energetic tendrils of Giga Drain rising in his defense. Unfortunately against Pikachu's speed and power, they did little more than cushion the blow.
Pikachu's Iron Tail slammed into the crown of Torterra's shell, before he flickered from view once more.
"Hit 'em again, Pikachu!"
"Evade, Torterra! Stone Edge!"
With Pikachu's follow-up, Paul went for evasion over defense, sending Torterra sliding across the field on a bed of its own stone pillars. Pikachu appeared once again to slam into the experienced Grass-Type, only to just miss as he dodged out of the way.
"Keep at it, Pikachu!" Skidding across the ground, Pikachu continued his pursuit, jetting in for potent side swipes and then leaping back to evade the counterattack. All the while, Torterra was on the move, deflecting or cushioning against Pikachu's strikes with Giga Drain as they came.
Against Torterra's monstrous defenses, this hit-and-run strat would just have to do.
"Torterra, on my mark!" Paul's eyes flickered across the battlefield, following Pikachu in the instants he appeared. His sheer speed was disorienting, and to a lesser trainer, untrackable. But Paul was anything but lesser. When Pikachu leapt up to attack Torterra from above, Paul went to respond. "Now! Frenzy Plant!"
"Whoa!?" Ash called up in shock as thick, thorny vines erupted from the earth, lunging for Pikachu right as he went for another Iron Tail. The counterattack snatched him from the air. "Get out of there, buddy! Iron Tail!"
"Don't let him escape, Torterra!" The vines tightened around Pikachu's chest, squeezing a pained cry from Ash's partner. Paul had him exactly where he wanted him. "Now, why don't we reintroduce them to your Stealth Rock!"
"Huh!?" Staring up in shock, Ash quickly realized what Paul meant. Torterra reared his vines back, before slamming them down against the earth, bashing Pikachu in the process. Pikachu grit his teeth against the blow, trying to hold on, but the accelerating stones of Stealth Rock broke his resolve.
"Pika!?" One of the sharp stones slammed against the back of Pikachu's head, pulling out a cry and an annoyed growl. "Piiiikaaa!"
"Get out of there buddy! Cut through it with Iron Tail!" Pikachu tensed to do just that, but was stymied all the same. The vines of Torterra's Frenzy Plant held him too tightly. Ash needed another plan.
"Again, Torterra! Slam him down!" Torterra raised Pikachu into the air once more, pausing only to recharge off his use of Frenzy Plant. It was in that moment of reprieve that Ash knew what he had to do.
"Time to go for broke, Pikachu! Use Thunderbolt! 110%!" At Ash's call, Pikachu grinned, sparks sputtering to life at his cheeks.
"Piiiiiiikaaaaa!" The clouds above the battlefield began to churn and darken, coalescing overhead as Pikachu built up his charge. The air became heavy with static, before it all drained away in an instant. Moments after Ash gave his command, Pikachu fired. "Chuuuuuuuu—!"
"What the—!?" A blinding blast of pure electricity filled the air, cutting Paul off and forcing him to turn away. The last thing anyone could see was the Thunderbolt crashing down on Pikachu.
The sound was overwhelming, the attack thundering in a way that overpowered even thought. Paul and Ash were forced to hold on until it came to an end, as only then could they look onto the battlefield again. After a solid moment, silence fell.
The air smelled heavy with ozone. Excess static nipped at the senses. Still, the battle was on.
"Chuu— Pi-ka!" With a quick swing of his Iron Tail, Pikachu broke free from the vine of Frenzy Plant, the thick flora now mere charcoal. Kicking against the crumbling plant life, he leapt back to Ash's side, panting and grinning all the while.
"Tor… Terra." Torterra too was short of breath. Though the blast could do no harm to him directly, the overwhelming heat was something else entirely. The vines of Frenzy Plant dissolved into ash, as small fires burned away the last few spots of grass surrounding Torterra.
Torterra now stood in the center of a circle of bare, heat-baked dirt.
It gave Ash an idea.
"Hey Pikachu, think you're up for swapping out again?" His request surprised Pikachu, but Ash expected that. The real response he was looking out for was Paul's, who through all this remained a stoney quiet. Ash watched for a reaction as he pulled a Poké ball from his pocket, and got none.
Paul was staying in.
"Pikapi, pikachu, chu ka!" Climbing onto Ash's shoulder, Pikachu gave both his support and his concerns. Whatever Ash was planning, he'd better be sure of it, Pikachu said.
"Trust me, I am, buddy!" With a grin that said just that, Ash tossed a Poké ball into the air. "Alright Froakie, one more time! I choose you!"
"Pika— pikachu!"
"Right— And watch out for Stealth Rock!"
"Froooooakie!" Appearing in a flash of light and bubbles, Froakie returned to the field, already tensing for what would come next. With a leap, he dodged the first set of Stealth Rocks, deflected the next, before finally he was nailed in the back by one he missed. The damage wasn't avoided, but it was minimized.
Ash grinned.
"Now, go in for a Water Pulse! Fire when I say!"
"Trying this again?" Finally breaking his silence, Paul moved to counter. "Torterra, prime a Giga Drain! On my signal!"
In perfect unison, Torterra and Froakie leapt into action. The former tensed with the bright green energy of Giga Drain, while the latter raced in with a plume of water in his palm. Quickly closing the distance to his gargantuan opponent, Froakie flew into the air with a mighty jump.
"Water Pulse—!"
"Giga Drain!"
"—Straight down!" In quick succession, move and counter-moves fired. The tendrils of Torterra's Giga Drain wrenched up for Froakie, only to just miss as the nimble frog fired downwards. A pillar of torrential water slammed into the dry dirt at Torterra's feet, instantly turning a swath of it into mud.
Paul grit his teeth, before throwing a hand back.
"Cheap trick, Ash! Surely you know what goes up, must come down!" Right on his word, Froakie reached the peak of his flight, as his Water Pulse sputtered to a stop. "Blast them out of the sky, Torterra!"
"Water Pulse again, over him this time!" Not missing a beat, Froakie rocketed to the side, evading Torterra's Stone Edge and sending more water raining down on his opponent. More and more of the bare dirt was turning into mud now, a fact that made Ash flash a grin. "Swing wide, then come back, Froakie!"
"Giga Drain, before they escape!" At his command, Paul's Torterra made another grab for Froakie, snapping up at him with a lasso of green energy. Yet again, it was for naught.
Froakie evaded capture, beating the attack back with one final slash of Water Pulse. The clashing blows sent a cascade of water raining down over Torterra, and launched Froakie into the air. With a steady flick of his arms, Froakie sent himself flying back to Ash's side.
His chest heaved after that high-flung maneuver, but he was grinning all the same.
"Good job, Froakie! We got Paul right where we want 'em!" Ash grinned. Despite his confidence, however, Paul seemed unfazed.
"Do you, Ash? Because it seems to me you've just been watering the grass." His tone was flat and unwavering, unaffected by Ash's claims.
Ash was intent on changing that very soon.
"Hang back and charge up a Water Pulse, Froakie! As long as you can!"
𝒳
"My, my. What is Ash's plan here?" Conway cocked a brow at the display, as the battle kicked off once more. "Trying to break through Paul's defenses with sheer force?"
Paul's Torterra was slamming the earth, sending pillars of stone thundering after Ash's Froakie— To no avail. The nimble Water-Type easily dodged each errant blow, the distance he kept from his opponent doing most of the work for him. All the while, a plume of blue water grew in his hand with every passing moment.
"Frooooakie— Frooooakie—!"
Watching the battle unfold before her, Dawn quickly gained a knowing glint to her eyes. The pieces of Ash's strategy were clicking together in her mind.
"He's got more in store than that," she assured, confident as she was speaking fact. With a sudden shout, she called out. "Come on Ash, you can do this! Bring it home!"
"Hm." At her sheer enthusiasm, Conway couldn't help but snort and mutter under his breath. "Your capacity for faith knows no bounds, Dawn."
Soon after, Conway and Dawn found their little watch party gaining a few more guests.
"Hey! There you guys are!" Appearing from the path leading back to the party was Zoey, quickly followed by Angie right behind her. She waved the two down as she approached. "We were wondering where half the party had slipped off to, before the next thing we see is a huge Thunderbolt from over here!"
"Figures it's these two. Ash really can't pass up an opportunity to show off, huh?" Angie snorted as she took Dawn's side, resting her fists at her hips.
"What can I say? Ash takes to being in the spotlight almost as well as I do!" Grinning, Dawn flipped her gaze back to the battlefield. "Show 'em what I mean, Ash!"
𝒳
Ash flashed a grin, sparing a moment's glance to Dawn and their friends. They had gained a budding audience, it seemed.
Now he really had to show off.
"You heard her, Froakie! Let's show 'em what we can do!" Ash's eyes scanned the battlefield, rewriting plans on the fly as he looked to up the spectacle. In an instant, he found his answer: The tall stone pillar Torterra had used to push back Hawlucha. "Froakie!"
"Froa?" Froakie leapt back, sliding across the grass while dodging the hail of stones being sent his way. The moment he locked eyes on what Ash was pointing to, he grinned. "Oakie!"
"Go!" On Ash's word, Froakie leapt towards the towering stone pillar, a hail of stones battering the earth in his wake. Torterra's attack chased down his every step, but Froakie remained untouched— As the charge of Water Pulse was growing more and more.
"Oakie!" Latching onto the rocky pillar, Froakie began a full-throttle sprint straight to the top.
"Frenzy Plant!" Paul was no sitting duck, however. At his command, Torterra leapt into action, pounding the muddied soil and launching two shooting vines from the earth. The thick foliage wrapped around the stone tower, narrowly missing Froakie as he ascended higher and higher. "Bring it down!"
All at once, Torterra's vines began to shake the tower back and forth, wrenching it through the air with each swing. It forced Froakie to a dead stop, to avoid getting launched off.
Ash grit his teeth.
"Do it now, Froakie! Jump!" At his command, Froakie raised his Water Pulse into the air, as the Torterra wrenched the tower back. When his perch was thrown forward once more, he followed its example, and leapt into the air!
"Froa!" Soaring above the battlefield, Froakie launched his attack!
"Useless! You'll never hit me at that distance!" Quick to cut Ash off at the knees, Paul made his countermove. "Dodge with Stone Edge, Torterra!"
"Tor— Terra!?" Torterra tensed, attempting to juke to the side with the aid of his Stone Edge. But, he couldn't move— His body had sunk into the mud! The supporting pillars from Stone Edge rammed into his side, useless!
"What!?" The realization of what happened came too late. Froakie's massive Water Pulse crashed down on the still Torterra, its girth consuming Paul's Pokémon in a direct, unblocked hit.
Froakie barreled the attack down on his foe, sustaining it until he could hold it no longer. With that, he landed in the center of the battlefield— panting, but still very much standing.
The same could not be said for Torterra. Paul's trusty partner was out of the count.
"Torterra." Letting his moment of shock pass, Paul closed his eyes, before snorting. "Focusing too much on my opponent. Rookie mistake. Guess you're not the only one who's gotten soft, Ash."
He led with a jab, before giving his concession.
"Torterra, return."
A round of cheers erupted from Dawn and the others, putting a wiley grin on Ash's face. Even Paul's comment couldn't get him down now.
"Pika-kapi!"
"Alright! Good job, Froakie!" Ash threw a fist into the air and cheered. Though the match had started rocky, they were coolly in the lead now. Three-to-one, they just had to bring it home! Ash locked his gaze onto his opponent. "Paul! Let's see whatcha got!"
Paul stood by, unaffected by Ash's demand. In his hand was a Poké ball, one Ash had only seen once before— Black with two gold stripes. Without a moment's hesitation, he raised the ball forward.
"Let's finish this! Standby for battle—!" With a practice throw, Paul brought his final Pokémon into play and brought the whole field to silence. " —Xurkitree!"
"Whoa!?"
A truly alien Pokémon took the field, with bundles of rope-like tendons affecting the appearance of limbs, all leading to a head that was nothing but spikes. Ash could find neither face nor eye to look into in Paul's Pokémon, yet felt it looking back at him all the same.
It struck Ash, when he realized Xurkitree hadn't even made a sound yet.
𝒳
"What the heck is that!?" Xurkitree's appearance wasn't just making waves on the battlefield. The audience too was shocked, not the least of which being Angie. She took a half step back, before making a fist and furrowing her brows. "I've never seen a Pokémon like that before!"
"Me neither, and my Pokédex has nothing on it too." Dawn tucked the device back into her pocket, surprisingly unaffected compared to her guests. In all her time traveling with Ash, an odd-looking Pokémon was one of the least surprising things they could come across. "Guess Paul was busier in Alola than he let on!"
"Xurkitree must be a very special Pokémon, if Paul's been willing to hold off sending it out until now." As observant as always, Conway gave his read of the scene. "And while Ash may be ahead in terms of Pokémon, all of those Pokémon have suffered damage— Either by battle or Paul's Stealth Rocks."
He painted a rather dower scene, one Dawn was more than happy to disregard.
"That just means we're where Ash does his best work— Right on the edge between winning and losing!"
𝒳
Ash stashed away his Pokédex, the device useless against the Alolan native Paul had brought out. Xurkitree was a complete unknown. They'd need to feel this out.
Not that Ash minded, of course. He lived to see new Pokémon in action.
"Paul! Xurkitree! I wanna see everything you two got!" Raising a fist and a challenge all at once, Ash called an end to the battle's recess. It was time to begin again. "Froakie! You feel good to keep going?"
He got a confident, if weary, thumbs up from his Pokémon. He was staying in.
Ash grinned.
"Good! Get in close with Double Team!"
"Hmph, we'll see if you can handle that much. Xurkitree, use Tail Glow."
In the blink of an eye, both combatants leapt into action— Froakie racing forward as Xurkitree began to move in a loose, rhythmic dance. The ball of spikes it called a head began to glow a soft yellow, before spiking towards a bright gold.
The light show wouldn't deter Froakie, however, who split into a mob of shadow clones, and descended upon his foe.
"Knock 'em down with Cut!"
"Dodge and finish your Tail Glow, Xurkitree!"
"Froa!" With perfect coordination, the group of Froakie clones raised their white blades and leapt. They barreled down on Xurkitree from all sides— and were evaded all the same!
"Pika!?"
Xurkitree went limp in the limbs, collapsing into a pile as the Froakie clones above slammed into one another. It wasn't done there, however. Slithering across the ground like an Octillery along the seafloor, Xurkitree made ample distance while the Froakies caught their bearings.
"Keep going, Froakie! Cut!" Ash was quick on the draw, but not quick enough. As Xurkitree stood tall, its Tail Glow reached completion, igniting its body with a sudden flare of golden aura. The spike in pressure alone sent Froakie flying back, reducing the clones down to the original. "Froakie!"
"Oakie!" He wouldn't be deterred, however. Leaping to his feet, Froakie went to finish what he started.
Paul was ready to do the same.
"Tch. Pathetic." With one shout, he called out his counterattack. "Dazzling Gleam!"
Xurkitree tensed, its head lighting up in a sudden spike of pink energy. That energy burst forth, all at once, sending a blinding wave of dazzling light in all directions.
"Froa—!?" There was no time and no space to dodge. The wave hit home, before it consumed the whole battlefield in bright, blinding light.
"Froakie!?" Ash and the other onlookers were forced to look away, as the light was too intense to see for even a moment. By the time the field became visible again, the deed was done.
Froakie laid on the ground, out of the count.
"Froakie…" A touch of sadness tinged Ash's voice, as he clenched his jaw and recalled his partner. That tension passed as he looked down, and sighed. "You did a great job. We wouldn't have gotten this far without you. Rest up for now, okay?"
The match was now two-to-one. Ash had the lead in numbers, but Paul had the momentum. Not only that, but he was working with a completely unknown quantity— Xurkitree. Ash couldn't even tell what type this thing was.
"Tail Glow, Dazzling Gleam… Jeeze, Paul, you're throwing me for a loop here." Ash snorted, muttering that comment with a tone halfway between sheer respect and utter annoyance. Those were moves he'd never seen before.
Paul crossed his arms.
"Of course. Great trainers use everything they have, every advantage they can get their hands on. Your ignorance is to my benefit." His jeer was dripping with a pretentious undertone, but Ash shook it off. He wouldn't let Paul get under his skin.
"Got any ideas, buddy?"
"Pika… Chu-pikapi!"
"Play it safe, and see what we can learn. Got it!" Grinning, Ash pulled out another Poké ball. "I choose you, Hawlucha!"
The moment Ash made his choice, Paul scoffed.
"Pointless. Xurkitree, use Tail Glow again!" The moment Hawlucha appeared on the field, Xurkitree began its rhythmic dance once more. Its glowing head began to shine even brighter.
"Take 'em down before he can finish, Hawlucha! Flying Press!" Ash was quick on the offense, but Paul's Stealth Rocks were even quicker. The moment Hawlucha tensed to attack, he was bombarded by a hail of stones and rocks. Ash grit his teeth. "Darn it— Keep going Hawlucha! You've got this!"
"Lucha!" Hawlucha nodded and leapt, taking to the air as he locked on to his new foe. With a flare suiting his warrior's spirit, he dived to attack.
"Dodge it!"
"Don't let Xurkitree get away!"
Still in the throes of Tail Glow, Xurkitree was forced into evasive actions, going limp in the limbs and collapsing onto the ground. Yet, Hawlucha would not be dodged that easily.
"Lucha! Hawlucha!" Flying past Xurkitree, Hawlucha took a sharp turn, momentarily skidding across the field before he shot back the way he came. Now, closer to the ground, he slammed into Xurkitree as it tried to crawl away!
"Dazzling Gleam, now, Xurkitree!" Unable to afford waiting another moment, Paul put Xurkitree on the offense. Now it was Ash's turn to evade.
"Get out of there, Hawlucha! Fly straight up!" Releasing Xurkitree from his grasp, Hawlucha took to the air, making distance as Paul's Pokémon fired its attack.
All at once, another blinding flash of light burst from Xurkitree, forcing Ash to look up and away lest he be blinded. But he could still see one thing, soaring above the battlefield: Hawlucha!
"Sweet! When the attack clears, Hawlucha, use High Jump—!"
"Thunderbolt!" A flood of static jolted through Ash's skin, as another attack burst through the remains of Xurkitree's Dazzling Gleam. A beam of the bright, crackling electricity split the sky, hitting Hawlucha dead on.
"L-lucha!?"
"Hawlucha!" Despite Ash's cry, the deed was done. Hawlucha plummeted to the ground, completely unconscious. A sigh escaped Ash's lips. "Return!"
He gave Hawlucha's Poké ball a reassuring squeeze before stowing it away.
The match was tied. Ash's three-to-one advantage had been swept away in practically an instant, and he had nothing to show for it. He didn't even know what type his opponent's Pokémon was.
Unless…
Xurkitree stood tall and proud at the battle's center, a familiar buzz of static ringing out from it like a victory chant. Electricity crackled and sputtered through its limbs, taking to its body like a hand to a glove.
As Ash considered his next move, a thought worked its way through his mind. Dazzling Gleam was tough, but that Thunderbolt was something else. And with how Xurkitree was preening itself, how it looked basked in electricity, there was only one conclusion Ash could come to.
"Xurkitree is an Electric-Type, isn't it?" It was a guess, but not an uneducated one. When Paul snorted and nodded, it also confirmed it was the correct one. With that, Ash found his in. "Heh, well in that case, I can consider this match as good as won!"
"Hmph, and how do you figure that, Ash?"
"Cause you're outmatched. You're facing the best Electric-Type there is—!" The static in the air shifted, like turning winds pushing back against Xurkitree's aura. The source of the change stood right there on Ash's shoulder. "My buddy, Pikachu!"
"Pika!" Like a flash of lightning, Pikachu stormed onto the field, the air shuddering and sparks flying in his wake. In an instant, the pressure in the air flipped, static crackling as Pikachu stared his opponent down. "Chuuuu— Pika!"
When the remains of Paul's Stealth Rock stuttered to life, Pikachu reduced it to dust with a swipe of his tail.
The jovial buzz from Xurkitree paused, as it found itself faced with a strong opposing charge. If it had not yet found a challenge, it had least come face-to-face with an equal.
The stage was set. The combatants were ready. Between Ash and Paul, there was only one thing left to say.
"Go!"
"Pika!" Pikachu tensed, taking one step, before blitzing into the next. A flash of sparks darted across the field in a flash, until the golden mouse appeared in the air behind Xurkitree.
"Iron Tail!"
"Dodge it!"
With a swing like that of an axe, Pikachu barreled down on his opponent. Xurkitree was forced to go limp to evade— to no avail!
"Chuuu— Pika!" In a single bound, Pikachu slammed his tail into the ground, before ricocheting back towards Xurkitree. "Pikachu!"
With all the force of his Iron Tail behind him, Pikachu delivered a massive kick to Xurkitree's side. The blow sent it flying!
"Recover and use Dazzling Gleam— with precision!" At Paul's command, Xurkitree slammed its tendrils into the ground, ending its flight in one move. In another, it fired a barrage of bright lasers, each aiming to hit Pikachu dead on!
"Quick Attack!" Pikachu flickered from view, dodging one wave of lasers, then another. "Iron Tail!"
On the third wave, Pikachu didn't dodge, but instead deflected, sending Xurkitree's attack flying into the distance. With a jeering grin, he blitzed forward once more.
Paul furrowed his brows.
"Dazzling Gleam, now!" Holding for the moment Pikachu appeared, Xurkitree fired its massive spread attack, seemingly catching Ash's partner right in the heart of it.
Ash and Pikachu were far from being hit that easily, however.
"Meet it with Iron Tail, Pikachu! Full force!" Flipping in mid-air, Pikachu launched his Iron Tail down like a whip crack, slamming it into the wall of Dazzling Gleam as it came to barrel over him. The two forces buckled and fought, but in the end, Pikachu's tail broke through.
The Iron Tail split the Dazzling Gleam in two!
"Keep going, Pikachu! Quick Attack!" Just as Xurkitree's attack faded into dust, it was back to the offensive. Pikachu bounded forward in a flickering sprint, before crashing into his opponent and sending it tumbling across the ground.
"Get up and use Tail Glow!"
"Again, Quick Attack!"
Xurkitree had barely a moment to stand before it began the charging move, and only a moment more before it got knocked down again. Pikachu sent Paul's Pokémon scrabbling across the ground, as he gave chase once more.
"Tail Glow, now!"
"Quick Attack!"
Without even bothering to stand, Xurkitree tried powering up, only to be befuddled again. Ash and Pikachu had it trapped in a stun lock, and now they just had to finish it!
"Tail—!"
"Iron Tail!" With another burst of speed, Pikachu appeared in the air, an Iron Tail primed to hit Xurkitree dead on.
Paul had one move left, and with it, he smirked.
"—Wrap!"
"What!?"
All at once, Xurkitree surged to life, its limbs shooting up and snatching Pikachu out of the air. With a triumphant buzz, Paul's Pokémon pulled Pikachu taut, locking him in place.
"Break free, buddy! Iron Tail!"
"Now, finish your Tail Glow!" Standing tall, Xurkitree began building its charge once more. Sparks flew and the earth rumbled beneath it, as it could finally complete the move unabated. All the while, Pikachu struggled against its iron grip— The amorphous tendrils keeping his tail under lock and key.
All at once, Xurkitree ignited with light and electricity, its aura skyrocketing until it consumed the very sky itself.
Ash gritted his teeth, a moment of panic giving away to excitement in an instant. If this was how Paul wanted to do it, they'd just have to meet him there and beat him anyways!
"We can play this game too, Pikachu! It's time we go all out!" At Ash's command, Pikachu went limp, his own determined grin taking his face.
"Pikapi! Pikachupi!" Pikachu let out a heart-pounding battlecry, one that peeled away electricity from Xurkitree and sent it swirling into his body. His cheeks came alight with a thunderous aura, seeking to challenge Xurkitree tit-for-tat.
Paul saw their challenge and scoffed.
"You want to stress-test this? Fine, be my guest!" Throwing his hand out, Paul called his next move. "We're ending this, Xurkitree!"
"This is it, Pikachu!" At Ash's declaration, a plume of electricity burst from Pikachu's cheeks, whipping in the wind like a mantle off his shoulders— A mantle of thunder and lightning!
"Piii—! Kaaa—!"
"Thunderbolt, Xurkitree!"
"Thunderbolt, Pikachu! 110%!"
"—CHUUU!"
From the sky above, a massive pillar of pure electricity thundered down, crashing into an explosion of power from the two combatants.
Pikachu's Thunderbolt hammered against Xurkitree's, the twin attacks breaking down into a pure clash of crackling energy. The sound was like the Earth itself was shuddering, and the light was blinding like the Sun.
"PIII—! KAAA—! CHUUU!" With one final push from Pikachu, an explosion took the center of the field. The air itself had ignited!
"Pikachu?!"
Fire and electricity consumed the combatants, obscuring the center of the field in a haze of smoke. The thundering attacks continued to beat against each other for a moment more, before dissipating in an instant.
Silence fell, with both trainers looking into the smoke. After a moment, it cleared.
Pikachu and Xurkitree stood face-to-face, covered in scuffs, soot, and other marks.
The former's chest heaved as he stared his opponent down, while the latter's head faintly glowed and pulsed with energy.
A grin grew on Pikachu's face, as confidence swelled in his chest.
That confidence faded with the last of his energy.
"Pi… ka… chu." Tumbling back, Pikachu collapsed.
"Pikachu!"
𝒳
Dawn felt her shoulders slouch, as she watched the battle come to a close. The moment Pikachu fell, Ash had rushed onto the battlefield to reach his partner.
"He lost…" Angie broke the silence first, distinct disappointment in her voice.
"Ash's gotten a lot stronger, but it seems so has Paul." Zoey was more matter-of-fact, but the energy in her voice had definitely died down.
"It only makes sense— Ash's team had suffered too much damage early on." Conway in contrast had barely changed, keeping his standard analytical tone. "Stealth Rocks are a potent utility."
What he said made sense to Dawn. It was objectively right. However, there was something else nipping at her, there at the edge of her mind. She just didn't have all the words to describe it. As she watched Ash cradle Pikachu and comfort him for a job well done, she spoke up.
"It's more than that. He's… missing something."
𝒳
"I gotcha buddy— I gotcha." Ash buried his disappointment deep into his chest, as he helped his partner off the ground. Despite being tapped for energy, Pikachu was surprisingly still conscious, just too tired to continue.
"Pikapi… Pikachu, kapichu?"
"You did amazing, Pikachu. I practically went blind watching you go!" With a cheeky grin to sell his point, Ash gave Pikachu a squeeze, before depositing him gently on his shoulder. Once his partner was secured, Ash paused to let out a sigh— Half relieved and half bummed. "We were pretty dang close. Close, but no—"
Ash paused, as he realized he wasn't talking to just Pikachu. Paul had approached the center of the field himself, his own partner, Xurkitree, hanging behind to watch the two.
Paul and Ash locked eyes, the former looking down at the latter, as Ash was kneeled on the grass. For a moment, Ash expected a biting remark, or a rebuke of his performance. He got neither.
Paul offered his hand.
Ash snorted, and accepted it gladly.
𝒳
With Ash and Paul's reunion match wrapped up, the party had resumed without a hitch. There were festivities to be had, and Dawn was intent on having them. Even Ash and Pikachu, who had the greatest reason to be sullen, were happy to join in and celebrate.
Still…
Despite the rest of the day going by, and all the fun that was had, Ash couldn't escape a lingering thought, turning in the back of his mind. He couldn't stop thinking about the loss to Paul, and what it meant.
"Pikapi… Pikachu pi?" Pikachu leaned against Ash's head, a quiet tone to his voice as he nibbled on a cupcake in his hands. In an instant, it pulled Ash from his thoughts.
The two stood at the edge of the party, away from the center of attention.
"You did great, Pikachu. I'm the one who should've been leading you better." In the hours since their battle, Ash had been thinking long and hard about why he'd lost. He wasn't about to let his team think that they were the reason.
"Kachu! Pika kachupi, pikachu!" Yet, it seemed his team felt the same way. Pikachu pushed back against Ash's attempt to take all the blame for himself. Ash couldn't help but chuckle at that.
"Okay, you win. I guess we both messed up a bit." With a warm smile, he gave Pikachu a scratch behind the ear, one that elicited a purr and a squeal from his partner. That comfort put a spark of confidence back in Ash's mind. "After tonight, it's back to work, buddy. We're gonna find it. I swear, we're gonna find—"
"Ash." All at once, Ash and Pikachu were pulled from their train of thought by a familiar voice at their side.
"Paul." Paul, of all people, had managed to sneak up on them, with that same, unreadable expression he'd been carrying for the whole day. Without a word, he took the spot at Ash's side, and looked out at the same sight he did— The rest of the partygoers.
A moment of quiet passed, before Paul spoke up.
"Whether you realize it or not, Ash, you were holding back during our battle earlier." The accusation was biting, and for a moment Ash wanted to object. He waited though, and listened. After a moment, Paul continued. "In a few days' time, you'll find me at Lake Acuity. Be there, and this time, show me the trainer I faced two years ago."
Ash balked at the offer, Pikachu similarly confused as the two lacked the words to say. Soon, though, Ash found his conviction.
Standing tall and flashing a grin, Ash replied.
"I'll be ready."
