Chapter 64: OJT! (On the Job Training!)
(Che'val-yere hotel lobby) (04:20 PM)
It was all quiet today at the hotel lobby of Che'val-yere. The rooms were empty, the restaurant was cut down and not even the tiniest squeak could be heard from the rest room of the hotels. However… on one of the tables of the hotel, one particular group of trainers and coordinators were present to discuss the next move of their plan.
It was none other… than Ash's gang.
Usually this particular group of trainers would be bustling with news of excitement and joy. They would be talking, yelling arguing and even strategizing with one another, but right now… nothing was being passed through the mouths of the trainers.
Johanna, Cynthia, Norman, Anabel and Zoey were sitting on one side and Soledad, May, Dawn, Paul, Kenny, Richie and Duplica were sitting on the other side and the one who was dabbed right in the middle of the whole discussion was Ash who sat alone on the central sofa with professor Oak, Burch, Ivy, Elm and Rowan and of course the boy's personal advisor and friend, Brock. The rest of the gang were not participating in the league simply watched them from the next door table.
Everyone had their hands on their chins and normally this would mean that they were planning on something big, but right now all they could think about was the third preliminary match which came to a big surprise to all of them.
"So, does anyone have any idea on what to do?" asked Ash who seemed rather uncomfortable with all the silence. The gang noticed his discomfort and decided to stress out a bit.
"Well, not really" Richie admitted, "I've battled with a partner before, but it never really worked out for me"
"A tag team battle huh…" Drew muttered as he focused his heart and mind to the task, "Never had one of those before, but if it's the rules then I guess we don't have much of a choice"
"But this could turn out to be a problem" Brock stated out suddenly, "Choosing a partner for battle isn't something that you can just pull out of hat. When you pick a partner, you have to be in total synch with that other person or else your form will be a total disaster. It's like trying to find your perfect match"
The others agreed to the young man's theory but Paul simply let out a sarcastic huff. Back when he first double battled with Ash during the Shinou double battle tournament they were probably the least of best partners. They both had different motives and totally different styles of battling that they became an individual pair rather than a team. Paul was merely focused on power, strength and brute force while Ash was constantly going for tactic, strategy and balance. If the two of them had concentrated on being partners then the tournament would've been an easy win for both of them.
"Well then…" Cynthia stated suddenly, "So how are we going to pick out our partners? We can't wait forever. Remember what the rules said?"
Surprisingly for all of them, it was Max who had the info of the match. Usually Brock would be the one to bring them the information, since he was the guy who always had the guidebook, but sadly, Valmarian city did not have an official guidebook.
"Well according to the rules, a trainer must have a partner before Thursday this week" Max explained thoroughly, "Any trainer or coordinator without a partner by then will be paired with another person from there"
"Hmm… interesting" Drew muttered, "So we have two days to find our own partners huh"
"I guess we'll just have to pair up with one another then" Ash admitted.
"Well then, I guess I'll just have to be your partner Ash" Soledad cooed to him closely.
"We do?" the boy said questioningly.
"Of course, since we live so close to each other, it'll be perfect! Right?" she sent out a silent eye message to Johanna and Caroline who were sitting together by the sofa. Little did the girl know that the two of them were carrying frying pans, kunais, and shurikens in their pouches.
"Wait" Max called out to them, "There's a special rule too!"
"A special rule?" May questioned.
"Yeah! If by some condition a partner is not found, a trainer may also be allowed to bring in a disqualified member of the Valmarian league. The two trainers may combat together but only the one who is still registered can advance to the next round"
"What does that mean?" Kenny questioned
"It means we'll be seeing a lot of old faces at the next round" Paul grumbled, "So how are we going to do this? Should we draw straws?"
But before the gang could conjure up any more bright ideas on who to pair with one another, a familiar voice came in, "Do you mind if I made a suggestion?" it was non other than Delia, Ash's mother.
"Mom?" Ash said quizzled.
"I heard about the third preliminary round and noticed that you were all arguing who to partner with, so I made this" she pulled out a top hat from back and showed it to the gang. They then noticed there were a bunch of torn colored papers inside the hat. "It's a game I learned when I was about your age Ash" Delia explained, "There are different colors in there and which ever pair picks up the same color then they'll be partners. How's that sound?"
"Hmmm that's a great idea" professor Oak agreed wholeheartedly, "It'll be fair and like they say, if your mind can't decide, then let luck be your guide"
"Yes, that's a wonderful idea!" Johanna yelled out in agreement, "You really know how to decide things evenly Delia" she then sent another eye message to Soledad who glared back at her with an equally powerful gaze.
The gang looked at each other for a moment and hesitantly agreed with the plan. It was childish, but heck, if it could get them to decide who to partner with then they're all for it.
"Ok, I guess we could try it" Ash submitted and gently put his hand into the hat. He felt the ruffling of papers and licked his lips just like his Gligar does, and when he finally pulled out a paper, he noticed that it was, "Blue…" he said flatly.
"I guess it's my turn" Richie added as he pulled a piece of paper out of the hat. He covered it, not wanting the others to see what it was.
"Ok, you're turn Drew" Delia gestured to the green haired boy who sat quietly on his chair. He ruffled through the hat and pulled out another piece of paper and like Richie, he hid it to himself for a moment.
Duplica, Anabel and Dawn came next and they didn't have any problem in picking out the pieces, although they faces did show a little hint of disappointment. That alone was enough to say that they didn't get the color blue.
"Your turn Paul" Dawn gestured to the purple haired ex-emo-boy who didn't find this game interesting.
"This is childish…" he muttered out silently before forcing his hand into the hat. He felt that most of the papers were taken already so that mean only a few of them were left. "Alright, I got mine" also like the others he hid his own color so that he could reveal it later.
After a couple of more rounds with the others, Soledad came next. From a close proximity, you could practically hear her muttering, "Please be blue please be blue please be blue please be blue" she was praying to the great power above so much that it actually worked. When she pulled out her color she didn't even have the courage to even look at it.
Once everyone got their color, Delia let out a smile, "Ok, that's everyone. Everybody, please show us your colors!" and with the count of three, everyone showed their colors to each other.
When Soledad looked at her paper, she noticed that it was… blue. "YEAH! I got blue!" but her yell of victory was cut short when Johanna stepped in.
"That's impossible!" the young mother yelled, "You probably rigged the game didn't you!"
"As if!" Soledad countered with a wide smirk, "This only means that lady luck is with me today. I didn't even need to cheat for a game this simple" and right before the gang could even tell what was happening, the two girls began chowing each other down like animals. Their behavior was so out of order that Brock was glad no one else was around to see this. This was just too humiliating for two professional contest champions to be acting.
But just when the two of them were about to tear each other's hair out, Cynthia suddenly noticed the paper Soledad was carrying and compared it to hers. "Uh oh…" she said before stopping the two of them, "Hold it you two" she literally separated the two of them before they could do anymore damage to themselves because of a little misunderstanding. "Soledad, it looks like you got your color wrong"
"Huh?" the two Pokemon contest champ said in unison.
"Your color isn't blue, it's actually light blue, like mine" the blonde champ then showed her, her own paper which was identical to hers. Soledad's face immediately paled like she just turned into a ghost or something. She really thought that she had won, but it looks like someone beat her to it.
Johanna then recouped herself before stating, "Well if she didn't get blue, then… who did?"
"No me" Dawn replied almost instantly, "I got purple"
"Hey, me too!" May squealed before showing the same colored paper to her. "Looks like we're partners again"
Johanna then turned her attention to Richie who simply waved his color out, "Sorry, but I got red. Anyone here got red?"
Paul scoffed out loud as he pulled his color out, "Great… just when I thought this day couldn't get any worse"
"Hey! What's that supposed to mean!?"
"Nothing… just try to keep up with me, alright?" the emo-boy replied a little disappointed that he couldn't be paired up with a better trainer. If he was paired with Ash again then they just might have a bigger chance of getting through the third and fourth round than the others.
Kenny was next to show his color, "I got yellow, who here got yellow?" he then noticed Drew coolly showing his paper to his.
Anabel, the Salon Battle Maiden then noticed that Duplica had her colors as well, "Well, it looks like we'll be partners for the next match"
As the rest of the gang paired up with one another, Ash soon found himself wondering… who was his partner. He looked around but no one seemed to be approaching him. "Hey… it looks like the others got their partners, but where's mine? (Pika pikachu)" his little yellow companion was also wondering where the boy's partner was.
Noticing this, Johanna decided to find out, "Well, if all of you have their own partners, then… who's mine?" she then noticed that Norman, was waving embarrassingly at her. At first she thought that it was just a friendly wave, but when she noted the colored paper in his hands, her face paled almost the same as Soledad. "No way… no… nonononononononononononono!" she shrieked out loud before stomping on the man himself, "Of all the people, it had to be you!? I'd rather pick my partner out of a garbage dumpster!" (Ouch…)
"Wait a second" Cynthia called to their attention, "If all of you guys have the same color than who…?" they all looked around for a minute in search for the lucky one to get paired with Ash and just when they thought of redoing the whole procedure again, Zoey's hand rose up in the air to catch their attention.
"Umm… I got blue" she said quietly to them before conjuring another silence to the entire gang.
(Time skip) (1 hour) (Arena District)
After the gang agreed to the arrangements of the partners, they decided to head off to the Arena District to get themselves registered for the next preliminary round. Johanna and the others didn't mind Zoey being Ash's partner since they all considered her a neutral player in the war. In fact, some of the members were even glad that it was Zoey, because if one of the real players got him then the balance of the war would tilt over one side indefinitely.
Luckily for all of them, Soledad managed to bring her grandfather's van, which was able to fit the entire group, but just barely. Once they were all in, the partners began discussing their tactics and moves with one another.
"Sorry about that Ash" Zoey apologized knowing full well that she was late in announcing her own colors. "Everyone was so loud that I didn't even know what was going on"
But Ash simply waved it off with a smile and a small sweat drop, "Oh that's ok, I didn't know what was going on either. Sometimes, it's hard to even understand what they're all saying at once huh. Ahehehehehe (Pikachu…) But anyway, the third round is finally starting and that's what counts, right guys?" the others simply let out a positive sound amongst themselves.
"Yeah" May added, "Besides, battling together is way more fun than battling alone"
"And the chances of you guys fighting each other will be pretty slim too" Brock notified them, "With everyone bringing partners around the coordinator and trainer sides, I think it'll be around 1/100,000 for you guys to meet as opponents"
"But it isn't going to be easy" Cynthia stated out seriously which caught their attention, "Since it's going to be a tag team battle then that means our opponents we'll be twice as hard to defeat. It also means we're going to have to become twice as strong as well"
"If it's getting stronger that you need, then that won't be a problem for me" Paul replied with a small smirk, "I'm used to becoming stronger"
"Yeah, but in the wrong way" Dawn added with a huff sound at the end.
"Well in any case, we all can expect our opponents to become stronger than before" Soledad finished off as she parked the van inside the district. "Alright, here we are. There are three registration blocks in this area, so we'll meet back here in an hour ok?"
"Right" the gang said together before moving out to their own respective registration boards.
The registration areas were built right next to the Pokemon centers and some of them were settled in the other popular areas, like J's place and the fast food joints. Tables and computers were lined up in six rows and a file of two people stretched out farther than they could imagine. It didn't matter where you looked in this district. In every turn and in every corner, you would see a trainer occupying every available space that was free.
As Ash approached one of the registration areas, he noticed that there was another pair waiting in line, "Hmm?" he looked at them and realized that they looked somewhat familiar from behind. There was one tall guy and a short chubby guy with orange hair right next to him.
"Is something wrong Ash?" Zoey noticed the boy's strange stare at the guys in front of them. "Is it someone you know?"
"Maybe…" he replied a little unsure, but when the two of them turned their faces to him the boy instantly recognized them with a glance. "Hey, could it be? It is! Hey, Harrison, Morrison, over here!" the mere mention of their name immediately made the two trainers turned their heads to the sound of the voice.
"Hey, it's Ash!" Morrison, the chubby Pokemon trainer with a large appetite was first to notice, "How ya doing Ash? Or should I say, champ?"
"I'm great! Ahehehe, it's nice to see again Morrison, how ya been?"
"The same as ever" Harrison answered for him, "Still hungry as a Munchlax and a great trainer"
"Hey, he didn't need to know that!" the chubby guy fumed, "Anyway Ash, I saw your battle with Binor a few weeks ago. Awesome work. I guess this shouldn't be surprise for the world's greatest champion"
The boy in question simply rubbed the back of his head in embarrassment, "Oh, I'm not that great, aehehehehe" he then noticed his red head partner looking at them with a slightly puzzled face, "Oh and let me introduce you to my partner. Harrison, Morrison, this is Zoey, she's a Pokemon coordinator. Zoey, this is Harrison, one of the top four in the Hoenn league and Morrison, one of the top six-teen also in the Hoenn league" the three of them exchanged handshakes with one another and smiled.
"Nice to meet you" the red head stated with her Glameow.
"The pleasure's all ours" Harrison replied, "You're pretty lucky to have Ash as your partner. He's one of the best Pokemon trainers I know"
"We should know, we battled before" Morrison added before looking at his watch, "Oh, look at the time. Sorry, but we have to go Ash, we got a lot of training to catch up on later today. We'll see you in the semi-finals and you bet I won't hold anything back like last time!"
"Hey, I don't expect anything less from a rival! Bring it on anytime, anywhere!" the two boys quickly lock hands with one another giving out a challenging glare with one another. After the two trainers from Hoenn left them, Zoey became quite curious on how many rivals Ash really have. When she heard about Paul and Richie she thought that two of them were enough, but it seemed like wherever the boy went, he had a rival somewhere in every city like he was some kind of wanted man or something. Maybe this was how the boy got famous in the first place. To be known by so many talented trainers and coordinators and having his fame spread throughout the world through them was probably an unconscious strategy of his.
"Those are some pretty tough rivals you got there Ash" she said finally when they were out of sight.
"Yeah" he replied proudly, "But it doesn't matter how many there are. I'll just get stronger and reach for the top! It's as simple as that! (Pika pika pikachu!)" again, the boy showered his undying will to become the best of the best to the rest of the world, making everyone feel his own pride, dream and glory.
But Zoey simply chuckled as his childish dreams, "Saying it is easy, doing it, will be a little harder than you think" she thought to herself.
"(sigh) How foolish" came another voice which Zoey heard, but when she looked at where the voice came from, she saw no one. The only one there was Ash's Lucario, which was simply following them. "Huh? Was I hearing things?" she said to herself.
"Hey, it looks like we're up next" Zoey quickly jerked her head around as she realized that they were next on the registration table. "Come on Zoey!"
"Huh? Oh yeah" she said a little drowsy.
As they handed out their Pokedex to the clerk, he quickly gave the two devices a quick scan before inputting some sort of code in the computer, "Alright, please present your Valmarian badges" he requested which the two trainers gladly complied. After another minute of checking up the smaller details, he quickly handed them back their Pokedex. "Alright, congratulation Ash and Zoey. You two are now officially registered for the third preliminary round. Please report back here in two days for the match ups (ping) Ok, here are the registrations" as the giant mega screen showed their faces, Ash and Zoey quickly scanned for their companions as well.
Ash-Zoey
Paul-Richie
May-Dawn
Johanna-Norman
Kenny-Drew
Duplica-Anabel
Cynthia-Soledad
Harrison-Morrison
"Hey look, there we are" Ash pointed out their faces, "And there's Paul, Cynthia and the others"
"Looks like we're all going to make it to the third round without any problem" Zoey replied before turning her attention back to the clerk.
"Alright then, your opponents and the arena you will be battling in will be sent through a mail on your Pokedex" the clerk explained, "Once you have received the mail, you have one hour to make it to the Arena District. If you do not come on time you will be disqualified from the match, and remember that you must have your Valmarian badges as well to participate or else it will take some time before we can get you a new one. Ok then, good luck you two, I hope I get to see you on the semi finals"
"Thanks, we will" Ash replied before heading off towards the van.
But on their way back, Zoey decided to get a little discussion, "So Ash, which Pokemon are you going to use for the next round?"
This of course got the boy into thinking. His mind was always into Pokemon battles anyway, so it didn't matter who brought the topic; he'll answer it honestly and without any hesitation. "Well, I don't know yet. We barely know anything about our next opponent and it could probably be anybody for that matter"
"That's true" Zoey agreed, "But anything can happen in two days time. We're gonna have to get ready for anything"
"Hmm… maybe we should start training for tomorrow then" and then suddenly, an idea struck the boy's head almost literally. "Hey, why don't you stop by the Half Way Home Inn? We can use the training field there. I don't think Lewis would mind. We can work on our combinations there later this evening. How's that sound?"
The girl thought for a moment, and considered her options well. The sun was already setting and today they had spent all their energy on picking out their own partners. To train now would be a good idea, but saving their strength for tomorrow also sounded like a better plan.
"Hmm… alright then, it's a plan. We can have the others join us too" she said finally, "It'll be just like training back in the 2nd time in the Shinou league"
"Huh?"
Seeing that the boy didn't remember well about his past adventures, the young red head sighed, "Don't you remember back in the Pokemon center? Everyone was training and you and the Elite Four?"
"Well… not really"
Again, the girl sighed, "Never mind. Come on, I think the others are waiting for us by now" and while the gang gather together once more, they agreed to meet up at the Half Way Home Inn to get their battle up in gear. After resting and cooping up for so many days their skills may have gone rusty. Like wisemen always say, time heals all wounds, but the healing also comes with a price. It also clouds one's mind and ages one's body.
(Somewhere nearby)
Behind the bushes disguised as simple trash cans with strangely decorated lids, were none other than Jessie, James and Meowth of Team Rocket. Though they have been roughly forgotten by the people, their names still ring familiar to those who have experienced their dastardly deeds, first hand. Right now they have disguised themselves as simple street decorations to remain unsuspicious by the local security force, but the plan they have in mind was probably more sinister and more pathetic than their costumes.
"Wow… look at all them trainer" Meowth the team mascot stated first as he poked his head out of the gutter… literally.
"From what I can see here, there must be at least two or three thousand trainers" Jessie noted, "Right James? (silence) (grumble) James?"
James wanted to say something too but the lid on his disguised was tied too tight onto his head. "Help! The lid on this trash bin is cutting my oxygen supply!" the man was rattling his costume so much that it also attracted several trainers to them, but luckily, they all thought it was just their imagination.
After a few minutes, Jessie quickly took the lid off to let her incompetent partner breath the fresh but not so clean air. "Be quiet! Do you want the whole neighborhood to know that we're here!? (sigh) Anyway, just be on the look out for any rare Pokemons out there"
"That's gonna be easy" Meowth answered back, "With all these trainers running around with their Pokeballs, this place is a goldmine for rare Pokemons. Looks at those two, they're trading Pokemons already. And over there, that guy's got a Dratini around him, and that guy beside him has a Ninetails. They're all equally rare Pokemons and hard to breed that much I can tell"
But just when Meowth could add another to his list, James suddenly spotted a group which seemed pretty familiar to him, "Hey, speaking of rare Pokemons, there's a rare sight for you" he gestured to Ash's gang who were all assembling at the van Soledad drove. "It's the twerp… and he's not alone too"
"Looks like they're gathering strength in numbers" Jessie added with a grumbling sound, "That means it'll be a lot harder to capture Pikachu than before"
"We can always use one of our bots to try and take them on" Meowth suggested.
"We tried that already" James groaned as he counted with his fingers, "We used our robot machines fifty-two times, this year… use traps seventy times and head on attacks twelve times…"
"Who asked you to count you moron!?" Jessie roared out as she pound the guy with her own magical mallet. "Keep counting on our failures and we're sure to lose again!"
But then Meowth suddenly noticed that the gang were leaving, "Hey… it looks like they're leaving"
"Do you think they'll be heading back to the inn that the twerp with the Pikachu are staying?" James questioned
"Well, only one way to find out" the talking cat replied before putting the lid back on and moving out. Jessie followed behind and then James, but sadly he couldn't see where he was going due to the darkness.
"Ah! Oh no, the lid is cutting off my air circulation!"
(Half Way Home Inn Dojo) (06:02 PM)
Right after the gang got registered in the third preliminary round, the entire group decided to head off to the Half Way Home Inn for a little top down training. A practice today might actually prove useful for tomorrow.
The gang were teamed up against their own partners by Brock's recommendation. He thought that the best way to find out their partners own techniques was to have them battle each other. Even though the guy was a Pokemon breeder, he still had his talents on various Pokemon battle. I guess they would call him an expert since he was a gym leader before after all.
Since the place only had about three battlefields, the gang had to take their turn in practicing their matches. Norman and Johanna took the first set, followed by Paul and Richie and then Duplica and Anabel.
"Ok guys, you'll be battling each other from this point on" Brock briefed them, "This way, you'll be able to assess each other's battle tactics and so you'll be able to cooperate much better when fighting in a tag team match"
"An interesting theory" Nando prescribed, "Pairing them against themselves. I guess it's like they say. To know your enemies, you must first know your friends"
"Don't worry" Normal grinned heroically, "Johanna and I had plenty of battles during our time. We're so in synch that we're practically like brothers and sisters. Why… I even remember the time when she shaved her head and… (WHAM!) GOHHO!!" before the guy could even finish his sentence off, a large frying pan the size of a hammer slammed right onto his face, sending him down his corner of the field.
"Keep your stories to yourself, Norman!!" Johanna fumed.
But Dawn only let out a small sweat drop back at them as she sat on the sidelines having a cup of tea along with her Piplup and the rest of her companions, "Man… I never knew my mom had such a temper. Kind of reminds me of me… ahehe…"
On the other side of the dojo, Richie and Paul were also getting ready to battle. The two of them had sent their best Pokemons up front (Torterra and Sparky) and both looked like they were ready for anything.
"Bring it on Paul, I'm ready for ya!" Richie cheered himself on with a huge smirk on his lips.
But Paul didn't really find him a worthy opponent. He simply let out a fake yawn as he waved his hand off, "Yeah yeah, I heard ya the first time. Just try not to make this too boring ok?" but his overconfident attitude only made Richie fumed, "Hey! What's that supposed to mean?! You should take this battle seriously! I'm supposed to be your partner, remember?!"
"Please, just because you look like Ash doesn't mean you're as strong as he is" the Shinou trainers replied while letting out a sarcastic cough, "Besides, I can already read your technique just by reading your face"
"What?! Can't you show a little respect to your partner here!? Just because I'm not Ash doesn't mean you can treat me like a 'nobody' you second rate trainer!"
"What did you call me!?" and right then, the two of them began arguing about the most ridiculous things like two rivals should.
"Well what do you know" Brock held up a laugh, "They're acting just like real rivals hehehehe"
"They're certainly getting along quite well" Anabel chuckled at her side of the court, "You ready Duplica? I won't be holding anything back"
"Hey, that's just the way I want it!" the ace duplicator replied with a smirk, "Bring it on!"
With all the trainers ready for combat, Brock signaled the beginning of the first practice round, "Alright then… begin!" and with that, the three pairs began. With the entire gang assembled, they all fought together valiantly and with dignity. None of them held back even the slightest of power against their opponents. None felt the need to show the slightest remorse and not even the Pokemons would dare to think of leaving an ounce of their strength out of the fight. With the Valmarian league finally continuing after such a long period of stillness, they were all practically burning with excitement.
(Uno Café)
Gary and his crew were once again, assembled at their main stronghold, the Uno Café. A place so deep within their territory that only an idiot would dare come to this place, looking for a fight. Gary was surrounded by his most trusted men and from the looks of it, they were about to go to war.
The café manager didn't mind that they were holding a meeting there. He was already used to their presence and the other employees actually enjoyed their company. Whenever they met in a big group like this, it would always be exciting and it was always worthwhile to listen to what they have to say. To listen to the words of professionals trainers like them was awe inspiring.
Havic or as they call him the Spiked Armor, sat by his partner Steve who was as usual, doing the two things he liked the most. Eating and typing on his computer. They answered Gary's call almost immediately when they were given and yet they didn't know why they were even called here for.
Jaques, who was now referred to as Gary's personal bodyguard sat on the opposite side of the café, eyeing anyone suspicious who might enter this café and interrupt their meeting. He was Gary's partner for the third preliminary round and he didn't mind, he was so stubbornly loyal that he would even go rob the bank if Gary wanted to. But money wasn't really the problem right now.
Emma, who was also referred as the Dark Queen was forcibly paired up with Red, the least favorable member of the gang. Gary forcibly bribed her into going with him because the guy didn't trust him well enough to let him go on alone. He needed someone to keep an eye on him and luckily, Emma was just the girl to keep that eye on him.
Strangely enough, Brendan wasn't there to meet with them. He only told them that he had a friend who was sick in the hospital, but only idiots would actually believe that story.
With all the main members of the gang collected, Gary began, "Alright everyone, listen up" the crew stiffened as the boss rose from his seat. "The third round is starting and the matches are going to be tougher than before. We're going to need some new strategies if we want to defeat our opponents"
"Oh come on boss" Havic said in a singing voice, "You sound like you're expecting us to lose or something. We're the strongest group out in the city. The Bail Outs are no more and the Bicento Brothers are all scattered. It's only us and us alone"
"Yeah" Steve agreed, "And with you holding the final round, our victory's all in the bag"
"Idiots…" Emma muttered which everyone snapped to right away. "Haven't you guys been listening to the rumors going on around town? Other than listening to music and eating all the time, you might learn something" she then unwinds her leg to give herself some breathing room. "There's been rumors going around the city about a group of trainers who are participating in the Valmarian league. But not just any group. These trainers were once all champions of the Indigo Plateau, the best Kanto has to offer other than the usual Ash Ketchum"
"Oh yeah, I've heard about them too" Steve added, finally taking his time off his eating, "They say that those guys were supposed to be the next batch of Elite Four. They were all handpicked by the official Pokemon league about a year ago to be candidates. I hear they're also participating in the league but no one knows who they are" if Brendan was here right now, he would be laughing his heart out when he heard that.
"Oh, those guys" Havic noted shifting his sitting position. He placed his head on the chair and groaned, "Yeah, I've heard about them too. All I was able to get was that there are two boy and two girls in the group. They're gonna be a pretty tough team to beat"
"And let's not forget about Kevin and his lackeys too" Gary motioned as he returned to his seat with his arms crossed. "He might not have that much power anymore but he's still has his Elite Five gang along with him and that alone makes him a threat" the group let out a respective nod all together. They had to admit, even Kevin could give them a run for their money.
"But that's not all" Jaques spoke up as he sat there silently on his seat, "I've also been hearing another disturbing rumor as well…… (pause) Does the name White Bandits, mean anything to you?"
"White Bandits?" Steve answered, "You mean that group of trainers that have been stealing Pokemons from around the country?"
"The same one…" Jaques replied coolly, "There's been a rumor going on about a group of three white haired kids going on around the city lately. The police think that it might be the White Bandits"
"Don't you think that it could just be some wannabes?" Havic chuckled, "I mean come on. Even Brendan has white hair. Are you saying that he could be a member of that… group?" he was saying it first, but after thinking on what he said, the gang couldn't help but wonder: Who was Brendan anyway?
"Could he?" Steve questioned which was followed by a shrug from the boss.
"Nah, I don't think Brendan's part of that group" Red said finally after remaining quiet for some time now. "Trust me, I know him for a long time now and he has more than enough Pokemons NOT to be a thief"
(Half Way Home Inn) (09:25 PM)
Hours passed and time did not stand still for our young heroes. They all worked hard and they all trained hard. Even with the night being young, they could not help but give it their all in this fight.
The dojo was literally torn inside out. Giant holes, burnt marks, scratches and broken pieces of stones littered the place obviously from the practice battles the gang had been doing. The two fields on the left and right sides were utterly decimated by the last pair and the one in the center that used to be a rock field was flattened into a field of sand and dust. If Lewis saw the state of the dojo now, Soledad wouldn't be surprised if her old man got a heart attack. I mean, it took the old guy weeks just to get this place up and they all came in and destroyed it in mere hours.
"Prinplup is no longer able to battle! This match goes to Drew!" Brock announced as Kenny's Prinplup submitted to Drew's Absol's might.
As the two coordinators returned their Pokemons to their Pokeballs, they met up at the center of the field to give each other a good handshake. "An excellent match Drew, you really did earn that place as top six-teen in the grand festival"
"You too" the green haired boy replied, "Your Pokemons really are made for contest battles. I think we'll do just fine in the third round"
As the two of them left to discuss further about their battle strategy, Brock looked around to see if anyone else hadn't battled. It was getting pretty late and the night wasn't exactly getting any younger until tomorrow. "Alright guys, it looks like we only have enough time for one last match. Ash, Zoey, you guys are up next"
"Alright!" the young champion to be cheered out loud. "You ready Pikachu? We're gonna give it everything we've got (Pika pika!)" the little mouse let out a cheer of his own as he gave out a thumbs up to his master.
With both contestants on the battlefield, Zoey quickly summoned out her Glameow to do battle. "Alright Ash, don't hold anything back just because we're friends. I won't be holding anything back either"
"Hey you know me. I never hold anything back no matter who my opponents are! Let's go Pikachu! (Pikachu!)" and with the little mouse on the field, the others began cheering on them. Dawn's Buneary and Anabel's Espeon were all rooting for Pikachu, which made the little guy blush with embarrassment.
Zoey stood on her pedestal smirking, knowing full well who her opponent was. Ash on the other hand was standing along with some of his Pokemons and as ever, his personal bodyguard Rosa stood by his side, guarding her master with diligence and pride.
"Go Ash, go Zoey, do your best!" Dawn cheered for them.
As Brock looked at both of the trainers, he knew right away that they were ready. With a wave of his hand he yelled out, "Begin!" to signal the beginning to practice battle.
"Pikachu/Glameow, quick attack!" the two trainers ordered out to which their Pokemons obeyed. They both wanted to begin their battle with a little fast paced attack. The attacks collided but neither of them affected the other opponent greatly.
"Alright Pikachu, give it a thunder bolt attack!" the little yellow mouse quickly shot our a quick bolt of electricity at Glameow.
"Dodge it Glameow and counter with shadow claw!" even with the speed of light Glameow seemed to match up with speed against Ash's Pikachu. The cat like Pokemon managed to dodge the attack, and quickly showed a shadow claw attack.
"Pikachu, use agility and dodge it!" Pikachu quickly vanished from sight and leaped out of the way, "Good work! Now use volt tackle!" trying to make use of the momentum, Pikachu immediately charged with electyricity covering his body.
But Zoey wasn't planning on getting the first hit. "Glameow, use shock wave now!" but just when Glameow was about to do what she command, a strange feeling suddenly surged through her body. A feeling of warmth and determination. It was a weird combination, but ignoring that, she quickly changed her command. "Wait, Glameow, use shadow ball on Pikachu, now!"
"Huh?" the crowd gasped. "Hey, why did Zoey change her orders?" Dawn said slightly puzzled.
"Dunno" Brock answered equally confused as well.
But for some strange reason, Ash knew that Zoey had made the right decision in changing her attacks. If she had used shock wave then, he would've had the upper hand using the electricity it gave out. The two attacks met up and exploded in mid ground. But thanks to that attack, it looks like Pikachu had taken most of the impact.
"Alright, Glameow, use iron tail!" with Pikachu unable to react to attack, Ash had to think of another way to fight back and luckily for him, he still had one thing to fight back.
"Pikachu, jump and spin with the wind!" utilizing his spinning technique again, Pikachu leaped in and followed the iron tail attack and dodged it but just barely. "Good work Pikachu now use tackle attack!" with Glameow on its back, Pikachu had no problem in hitting the cat out of the gutter.
"Glameow, are you ok? (nyaar meow)" the cat replied with a smirk, "Alright then, let's keep going! We can still continue. Let's show em one of our combinations! Use, shadow ball on the ground!" her Pokemon immediately unleashed one of its most powerful attacks onto the floor, creating a huge fume of dust to cover the field.
"Whoa, what power!" Richie stated while covering his face from the particles. "She must be trying to create a fog to blind Pikachu!"
Ash had to agree with Richie on this one. The tactics she used maybe unusual but it was brilliant nonetheless. Usually, Ash would be able to clear a fog like this with one of his special moves, but having sand and dust collected all together makes it a lot more difficult to manage. "Darn… I can't see anything through this fog and Pikachu can't sense anything at all. But Glameow has great hearing abilities and not to mention eyesight. She could attack from anywhere" but just as Ash was thinking of a way to counter this threat, he suddenly felt a strange warmth deep inside him bulging up. He could feel another presence within him and it was a lot different from the time when Hsa, took control of him. This time it was warm and passionate… like he was in one of the inn's famous hot springs. "Wait a minute…… she's attacking… from above! Pikachu use iron tail upward now!"
The little guy heard the order and immediately used iron tail upward. And just as Ash suspected, Glameow appeared from above with its tail curled up to form a spring. But that wasn't the end for Zoey's attack. "Now Glameow, use thunder bolt!" and thanks to Pikachu's tail entangled with Glameow's tail, the attack had a point blank shot which affected the little electrical mouse greatly. "Alright, it worked!"
"Wha… what happened?" Max asked to whoever could decipher what just happened a few minutes ago.
"That combination Zoey used was a tricky one" Brock explained, "She used the dust to cover her attack, but she knew that Ash's thunder wave attack would be able to hit her no matter where she came from. That's why she attacked from above to gain advantage against Pikachu's tail. Even though thunderbolt was an electric type attack, a point blank shot like that might actually be able to hurt Pikachu"
"Zoey really isn't pulling any punches" Drew added noticing the red head's determination to defeat her opponent. "It's not surprising seeing that she's a coordinator after all"
"If she fought like that back in the Kanto Grand Festival, she might've also defeated me" Soledad admitted seeing how well she planned her strategy.
But just when Zoey thought this match was hers, her smile dropped down and was replaced with a face of confusion and surprise when the fog finally cleared out. "What the?!"
The same expression could then be found on everyone's faces too.
When the fog finally cleared up, they could see that there was a giant hole made deep on the group. Obviously this thing was made by the thunderbolt attack Glameow shot out from its tail, but by some miracle, Pikachu was able drag himself out of the area of impact and escape the explosion just barely. The two Pokemons still had their tails entwined with one another which gave Ash the advantage.
"Alright Pikachu, let's finish this match quickly! Throw it up in the air!" and with Glameow so high in the air, it was not able to mount any kind of attacks. "And now use volt tackle roulette!" as the little guy charged up its electrical batteries, Pikachu began jumping from one section of the battlefield to the other, hitting Glameow repeatedly over and over again. The attack was so fast and so furious that it even made Gary's hydro beam cannon look like a firecracker. After seven rounds of attack, Pikachu finally stopped, landing on the ground in a cool way.
"Whoa! What an attack!" Tracey said extremely amazed, "I didn't see him make that one back at professor Oak's lab!"
"He must've made that on the spot" Brock smiled, "That's Ash for ya. Making things up as he goes. He always thinks on his feet. But I don't think Zoey's Glameow is out of the fight just yet"
And to the boy's truth, Zoey still had some fighting spirit left in her. "Glameow, spin around hurry!" Glameow quickly used its tail and began spinning around, and soon dodged Pikachu's powerful volt tackle roulette attack. "Good work Glameow, keep it up!"
"Even after so much damage, Zoey's Glameow still has the strength to fight" Norman stated slightly impressed by the cat's immense strength. Even after taking so many hits by Pikachu, it still stood firm but a little shaken by the attack. When both Pokemons returned to their respective sides of the field, Zoey decided to take the next move.
"Alright Glameow, use furry swipe!"
"Pikachu, iron tail one more time!" again the two attacks collided and it only managed to cancel each other out. "Ok Pikachu, let's show her what we're made off! Charge in with volt tackle!"
"Glameow, use shadow claw!" the balance of power was equal and none seemed to laying out any punches off this round. The two trainers kept attacking each other over and over again, but neither side seemed to falter. By then the gang knew that this match had turned into a battle NOT of strength and power, but of stamina and concentration. Unless one side plans to does something unusual, this fight wasn't going to shift until one of the Pokemons lose focus or energy.
"Man, what an awesome battle" Max muttered, "Neither of them are giving a chance for an opening"
"Yeah, this battle could take awhile" May agreed.
"And using that array of attack gives Zoey the advantage too" Cynthia cooed while crossing her arms and legs, "With her Glameow attacking repeatedly after another, Ash won't be able to use Pikachu's absorb ability to recover. She's pressuring him so that she could take the upper hand"
"So it means that Zoey's got Ash by a foot lock" Norman clarified to the others, "By stopping Pikachu's true potential from coming out, she levels the playing field evenly. (sigh) That's one heck of a battle strategy she's got there"
"What's going on?" Zoey thought to herself, "I can barely see Ash's movements but I know what he's going to do next. What's this strange feeling I'm getting?"
And while the battle raged on, Rosa suddenly began to see an omnimous glow coming from Zoey's body. "Hmm?" she raised a brow of suspicion thinking that it was nothing more but her imagination, "Strange, could that be… an aura?" as she looked closer at the girl's inner spirit, the glow became more visible to the spiritual eye. "It is… it is an aura. A powerful one too…" the young Guardian muttered silently to herself.
Seeing that battle was turning anywhere, Ash decided that it was time for him to tilt the scale. He was going to do what he loved doing best on a battlefield…
Gamble…
A simple technique that only has two answers. If he succeeds than the possibility of him winning would go up and if he fails than losing was something that might just be possible. But hopefully, lady luck was still with him today, "Ok. It looks like I'm gonna have to turn the table around! Pikachu, jump into the sky now!" as Pikachu dodged another one of Glameow's shadow ball attack, it quickly leaped high into the air where it was most vulnerable to attacks.
"What the?" Zoey was caught up with the surprise move, "What is he…" and then again, the strange feeling returned to her once more, but this time it was hotter and more fearsome than before. "He's………… Galmeow, you jump up too!" immediately both the cat and mouse Pokemon were in the air and their eyes brimmed with strength and determination.
"NOW! Use iron tail!" the two trainers said in unison.
Both Pikachu and Glameow used their iron tails again and again in mid air and from the looks from below, it seemed that they were equal in power. When they finally land back on the ground, Zoey planned a step ahead to keep her level of the game in check.
After another minute or so, the two Pokemons began to show signs of fatigue with each other. Their breathing became more rhythm, and their sweat glands worked its way up to their skin.
But even with these kind of odds, Zoey still believed that she had a chance of winning. Silently she signaled Glameow to fake an opening to which to bait Ash out. It worked most of the time during her contest battles but it looks like it wasn't going to work on her new opponent. From years of experience and studious learning, Ash learned that sometimes the trickiest tricks are the ones easiest to spot.
It was right at that moment when Zoey finally realized Ash's true techniques. "I get it now" she muttered softly, barely enough for anyone to hear. "At first I thought that Ash relied solely on tactics and combination strategies, but he's actually quite different. He switches tactics every time he makes a move on his opponents, which makes him unpredictable. I guess that must be the reason why he's the world champ. He really has change since we last met back in the Shinou region. I don't think Glameow will be able to hold much longer either"
"This is incredible" Ash thought, "Zoey's way stronger than I could've imagined. With all that power and combination tactics she'd make a great Pokemon trainer. But it's strange………… she knows exactly I'm going to do next. Weather its guard or a simply attack she can switch her attacks almost immediately. I guess I'll have to get creative on this one"
But then suddenly, Zoey decided to make the first move, "Glameow, let's finish this battle once and for all! Use hit and piece combination! Shadow ball and thunderbolt together!" and with that Glameow obeyed and fired two shots at the same time.
"Hey, that's the same combination she used to defeat me back in the Twinleaf town Bake Off" May noted.
"Yeah and it looks like she's gonna use it against Ash" Cynthia added.
As the double attack approach Pikachu, Ash had to think of a counter quick or he can kiss this match goodbye. Even though he was facing certain defeat, the boy had to admit that this was indeed an awesome move Zoey had created. Utilizing every aspect of Glameow's body was indeed a remarkable achievement; he even entertained the thought that she'd actually be a better trainer than a coordinator.
But just before Ash was going to admit defeat, he quickly remembered one of the battles he had a long time ago. Back when he was traveling in the Hoenn regions with his friends, he fought against three gym leaders all at once with his Pikchu and they had powerful Pokemons with them. He faced more than three attacks at once but they were not exactly coordinated like Zoey's. Her attacks were planned and strategize step by step making sure that there were no rooms for mistake. If he orders Pikachu to dodge, it would only create an opening for her to take, and if he takes the attack head on it'll just inflict more damage against him.
"Darn, looks like there's no way out of this one… (ting) Wait…… maybe there is. Pikachu use thunder shock on the ground!" Pikachu gladly obeyed and unleashed a powerful electrical shock around itself, creating a small dustbowl beneath him. A few seconds before the attack was delivered, Pikachu suddenly vanished from sight.
It was almost like watching magic. With a puff of smoke, the little yellow mouse was gone in a blink of an eye.
"W… what the? Where'd Pikachu go?" Zoey said in shock as she scanned the battlefield. "Where's he coming from? The sides? (gasp) From above!?" she looked up to the roof but saw nothing but the ceiling light. "No? Then where'd he?" as she looked back at where Pikachu had vanished, Ash's smirk caught her eyes. "Wait… from… Glameow, jump out!"
"Not quick enough!" Ash barked confidently, "Pikachu, now use thunderbolt full power!!" in a move that surprised everyone in the room, a powerful thunderbolt suddenly emerged directly beneath Glameow's foot. Before the cat Pokemon had a chance to react it was already far too late. The damage had been done and explosion that happened in the aftermath sent Glameow flying halfway through the air.
"Oh no Glameow!"
As Brock looked over at Glameow's side, he could instantly tell that the battle was over. He then waved his arms up and signaled the results, "Glameow is no longer able to battle, the round goes to Ash of Pallet town"
"Alright, great work Pikachu!" Ash cheered as his buddy climbed back onto his head. "Good job ahahahaha"
But as the trainers recuperated from the battle, the other members of the gang couldn't help but wonder what had just happened. "Whoa, how did Ash attack Glameow from below?" Richie wondered.
"Idiot, isn't it obvious?" Paul huffed again with his arms crossed. "When Pikachu used its thunderbolt on the ground, he dug a hole and made his way directly under Glameow. Thanks to the fog cover made by Zoey's attack, it created the perfect diversion for him to sneak in without being noticed. It's kind of like using a dig attack but a lot faster"
"Well, I guess that's what we should all expect from a guy like Ash" Dawn praised him, "He always thinks of something new every time. I wonder where he gets all these ideas from"
"My guess would be from all that movies he's been watching" Max joked followed by a series of laughs from the others.
After the dust of battle finally disappeared, Zoey returned Glameow to its Pokeball, "Great job Glameow, you really held your ground back there" the two partners then approach each other at the center of the field. "You were awesome as always Ash" she began, "I guess Harrison was right. I guess I am lucky to have you as a partner. You switch your strategies every time you make an attack and you always think about your Pokemon's safety first"
"That's right" Ash nodded back in reply, "And your strategy is mainly focused on using combinations and attack strength. I got to say that I'm glad you're not my opponent Zoey"
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As the gang finally finished off their training session, Brock gestured them that it was time to head on back to the hotel to get some rest. They were going to have a big day tomorrow and they were gonna need every ounce of energy they can muster. By the time they got to the entrance of the inn, two taxis had already lined up for them.
"That was a great match you guys" Ash praised his comrades along with the rest of the H.W.H inn employees and their Pokemons, "I'll see you guys later at the third round"
"You bet Ash" Zoey replied with a small handshake. "I'll come by later tomorrow so we can have another training session, ok?"
"Great, I'll see you then" when the young red head coordinator strapped herself in, the convoy drove off, sending the young trainers back to their hotel.
"Bye Ash, see you tomorrow" Max waved off from the taxi. "I'll be sure to watch your battle, youcan count on me cheering for you!!"
But as the gang waved their final farewells to the young champion, they did not notice that three figures was spying on them from the rooftop of the Pokemon center next door.
"Looks like they're gone" said James as he watched through his binoculars. The entire team was now dressed up as camouflaged soldiers complete with helmets. They had been waiting patiently on that rooftop for hours now. At first they planned to jump into the compound and swipe Pikachu from under their noses, but seeing that they had the upper hand in numbers they all decided to play it smart and wait for the gang to split up.
"Now's our chance to swipe that Pikachu and all the other them Pokemons" Meowth added putting on his camo-helmet. "Let's dive in while their guard's down and take them"
But before the little villain could drop in, Jessie pulled him by his uniform collar and stayed his hands, "Hold your horses soldier" she cooled the cat Pokemon down, "Let's wait a little bit longer. Even if the twerp is all alone, those Pokemons are surely gonna pack a punch. Let's wait for them to fall asleep, then we'll go and swipe those Pokemons. A surprise attack always needs it momentum"
"Hmm… you're right Jess" James agreed a little surprised on how serious Jessie was taking this mission. She never acted this way unless there was a sale on the shoe store in the mall. "I never would've thought of that"
(Time skip) (30 minutes after the gang left the inn)
Dinner was served late this night at the Half Way Home Inn. With the gang being there and the training round in session, Soledad wasn't able to prepare a meal for the hungry employees of the compound. In truth she did this on purpose because she didn't want to cook for the whole gang until they were gone. She had a knack for cooking thanks to her being the chef of the restaurant, but cooking for Ash was already enough of a challenge for her. The boy had the appetite of an army and that alone proves that he was just a growing child. And not to mention that they had another employee in the troupe as well.
Nando the harpist was now part of the crew. Though he had yet to prove his talents to Lewis, he didn't mind staying at the rundown inn at all. The guy had already moved in the room next to where Ash was staying and of course he brought his own line of clothings as well. Every member of the H.W.H inn were all gathered at one table eating together happily like one big happy family.
"Sorry for the late dinner you guys" Soledad bowed her head with an apologetic smile. "Because of the training session, I forgot to prepare dinner for everyone"
But Ash didn't mind. He could actually eat any time of day and still he wouldn't feel much difference. "That's ok Soledad. We were just so busy that we didn't even look at the time ahehehehe"
"Well lucky for all of you that I didn't open the restaurant today" Lewis grunted as he ate, "Tomorrow, you guys are working double time, you hear me!?" he said in a comical fume. "Really, you children are all the same. All play and never really any work. They should really ban the word fun out of this world hmph"
"Oh quiet grandpa" Soledad scolded, "Hurry up and eat before your food gets cold"
"Don't tell me what to do young lady. Seriously, you kids need to learn how to respect your elders too! What's wrong with the world nowadays!?" the old man then began to shout out loud with fake tears coming down his eyes. "What happened to the good old days where we elders were respected by the young? What happened to the little girl that used to run around and call me baldy!? WAHHH!"
"Grandpa!!"
"My my… they're… certainly an interesting bunch" Nando said through sweat drops. "They must really be close ahehehehe"
"Yeah…" Ash said with an even bigger sweat drop, "But sometimes I can't really tell that if they love each other or hate each other completely. I guess every family has its own uniqueness ahehehehehe"
And with that another day was done…
With the third preliminary round just right around the gang prepare themselves for one match that they will never forget. For weeks they have been preparing for this and now, it was coming faster than they could imagine.
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But while Ash and his friends continue to munch down inside the restaurant, Rosa stood atop the building and looked afar through the dome that covered the skies. Ever since she realized that Zoey had an aura surrounding her, she became slightly worried about the situation around her. She no longer possessed any power therefore she could not contact Hagard and the others. She was alone and the presence of another Aura user has disturbed her conscious.
She first thought that Ash and Zoey were the only ones with auras, but as she delved her eyes deeper into the city, she could sense about six, maybe even seven-teen more auras being emanated from different locations.
"So many aura Guardians in one city" she muttered silently to herself. "I wonder what's going to happen now…"