Just letting y'all know in advance that 'Blackout' is now changed to 'Spectral Zone'. I realized a bit too late that there was another technique in mind that would make much more sense with the former name, and so I didn't want you guys to be confused with this chapter. Also, I edited the previous chapters to change the basis of the move from Dark Pulse to Shadow Ball, since it makes far more sense. Happy reading!

Chapter Twenty-One: Psychic Debut

Ash sat in his pokécenter room, idly listening to the howl of Houndour outside his window. It was chilly despite the thermostat turned way up. Humming softly to himself, he pulled the sheets higher. The sandy cocoon next to him twitched.

He smiled fondly, petting Atlas for a moment as he let Eevee curl up next to him. He would be leaving for Saffron tomorrow, he decided. The past week in Celadon had been fun, with Erika's ruthless training and the game corner cheering him up, but it was time to make a move. His friends were restless in the confines in the cities, and he wanted to revisit the open wilderness as soon as he could.

He certainly wouldn't miss Celadon. While being around Erika was fun, the city held too many bad memories for him that he couldn't seem to turn away from. Even being in the pokécenter made him uneasy - visions of blood and glassy eyes kept haunting him, despite everything.

Ash focused on his breathing. He tightened his fists, forcing himself to calm down. He needed a good rest before tomorrow's travels. It would be a long day, full of endless walking and shivering through snowy grasslands. He couldn't wait.

He cracked his knuckles and sighed. Exhaustion tugged at his senses and he slouched into his bed, muttering a "Goodnight" to Delphi, who simply nodded from her corner. The rest of his team, barring Kratos and Snorlax, had taken up the remained of his room, with Hydrus, Zeus and Monferno all piled up in a haphazard column.

A tired smile graced his face at the sight of them, although it was quickly replaced by a painful yawn that made his jaws ache. Sighing, Ash closed his eyes and welcomed hazy dreams to fill his sleep.

XxXxX

The few days of travel through route seven was painfully uneventful. Ash had never witnessed such an absence of trainers such as now - he considered himself to be lucky to bump into even one trainer, and they declined any form of challenge, much to his disappointment.

At least Misty was there to help him train and battle. His team had fun taking on the gym leader's pool of water-types. Starmie and Slowbro provided entertaining challenges, even though they were infuriating with their psychic techniques. Screecher put a stop to that quickly with a ready Spectral Zone that rendered them grumbling and wincing as they blindly ate an endless stream of Shadow Balls.

Zeus and Saur took turns bringing Misty's arrogant Blastoise down a few pegs, too. It was surprisingly humble after screaming through a Megavolt that would make Surge proud.

Shivering, and wreathed in tiny snowflakes, Ash and Misty arrived through the gates of Saffron City after three days of aching limbs. Rows of skyscrapers greeted them, and in the heart of Saffron stood Silph co, the tallest skyscraper in the To continent. He had not visited Silph the first time around (due to his eagerness at reaching Vermillion). This time, he would receive the full experience of everything Saffron had to offer.

But he made sure to have his gym battle at the top of his list. Ever since the treacherous wilderness had thinned out and the signs of an urban civilisation had appeared, Ash had been attacked by heart-thumping visions of his fight with Sabrina. Each dream ended with Screecher burying an endless army of psychics under Shadow Balls until Sabrina begged for mercy with her marsh badges.

He hoped Sabrina wouldn't pick that up during their fight. That would be embarrassing.

Night had swallowed the sunset by the time they arrived in Saffron. They walked down unending streets, moving past more corporate workers than trainers as Misty led him to the heart of the city. The red-roofed pokécenter greeted them with bright lights, cold as they lit up the dimming streets.

As expected, the pokécenter was crawling with trainers - most were lamenting their defeat at the hands of Sabrina and her parade of psychic-types. A girl was murmuring words of sympathy as she brushed the fur of her disheartened Houndour, while an circle of youngsters stared in awe at the golden, marsh badge levitating in the palms of an older trainer's Jynx.

The Jynx's eyes snapped to Ash as she felt his curious gaze upon her. It made him uncomfortable - he met her cold stare and thin smile for a brief second before looking away, bristling at Misty's concerned touch.

While Misty made her way to book rooms for them, Ash traced his fingers through the array of leaflets and magazines neatly arranged in a cabinet by the corner. He yawned, eyes idly skimming through Trainer's Weekly - there were reported sightings of Elite Four Bruno training in the caves of Mount Hideaway. Huh, that was interesting…

A tap on his shoulder made him jump. Misty. "Here," she said, flashing two key-cards in her hand.

"Thanks," Ash muttered, taking one and stowing it in his pocket. Misty peered over his shoulder.

"Hey, look," she said, reaching over to pull at one of the leaflets. "The Silph company is giving a tour on the weekend," she muttered, focusing on the large block of words. "Do you want to go? It's only a hundred dollars."

Ash shrugged. "Why not," he replied. "How about the Fighting Dojo? They're allowing friendly battles…a day before Silph's tour." He snorted. "Convenient, huh?"

Misty's eyes gleamed at that. "I'm not going to say no to that. Poliwrath and I are winning that thing."

A smirk graced his face. "We'll see." Despite the everstone around his neck, Monferno was strong enough to take down Misty's Poliwrath even at a type disadvantage. Ash knew it - so did Monferno - and they were going to prove it.

His fingers danced across his belt of pokéballs. "I need to make a call," he chirped suddenly. Misty nodded.

"I'll see you for dinner!" She smacked his arm playfully and squeezed her way through the crowd of trainers. Ash let his gaze linger for a few seconds, then made his way to the videophones in the corner.

Although there were entire rows of videophones available, Ash still had to wait for someone to get off theirs. He tapped his foot impatiently, sighing every few seconds, until a disgruntled trainer stomped away furiously after an intense-shouting match.

He quickly typed in the professor's number - hopefully, Oak wouldn't be too busy to attend to his call. He hadn't heard from the man for several weeks, and now would be better than ever.

To much of Ash's surprise, his call was picked up barely a second after it rang. Professor Oak entered his view, hair frazzled and dark bags under his eyes. He looked far too tired than he usually did. "Hello- Ash, it's you," he muttered. His lips quirked into what was a smile as he yawned.

Ash's grin was far wider and energetic. "Hello, Professor!" he greeted.

The pokémon professor nodded in return. "It's good to see you, my boy." He sat up straighter, failing to flatten his hair. "You've reached Saffron already, haven't you?"

Ash hummed a 'yes'. "We just arrived a while back," he told him.

Oak smiled. "How have you fared? Any new additions to your team?"

He smirked. "We got her a few weeks back," he said, enlarging Eevee's pokéball from his belt. He felt around for the release button, Oak's eyes focused on the sphere as it snapped open. Bright energy coalesced into Eevee, who trilled curiously, and instantly leapt into Ash's lap.

He laughed as he caught her, smirking at the way Oak's eyes widened. "This is Eevee. Eevee, that's Professor Oak," he introduced, pointing to the coherent image on the screen. Eevee yipped, and Oak waved back in response.

"I noticed your trainer file updated with her information, but this confirms it." He chuckled. "That makes two of you, then," Oak added wryly.

Ash blinked. His scratches slowed, but an annoyed bark from Eevee made him pick up the pace once more. "What do you mean?"

It was Oak's turn to frown. "Hasn't Gary told you?"

He shook his head. He hadn't thought about Gary much, to be honest - neither had he wondered about Jack or Natalie. "We haven't talked ever since…"

His words sputtered and died in the back of his throat. Memories of the St Anne, of death and carnage, flickered in his mind, growing clearer every second. Oak seemed to understand, from his pained grimace, and he quickly hurried on.

"Gary purchased an Eevee a few weeks back. He's been insufferable since, going on about being the first to complete the pokédex." Oak shook his head. "Unless he captures the birds themselves, I don't believe that's happening anytime soon."

Ash snorted. "Has it evolved?" he asked, a bit too eager.

"I think I'd leave that up for Gary to say," Oak said, laughing as Ash scowled. "But it's been quite the fighter on Gary's team - from what I've heard, it was invaluable during his challenge against Sabrina."

Ash hummed in thought, scratching a yawning Eevee behind her ears. If it was a key player in the fight against Sabrina, then Gary must have evolved his Eevee into an Umbreon. They were one of the more durable eeveelutions, with a stronger bone structure to withstand hits that would normally cripple most dark-type pokémon.

Ash liked Umbreon - there were not many dark-type pokémon in Kanto, apart from the few Houndour and Houndoom, and the odd Murkrow flock that migrated from Johto every now and then. Sneasel were there as well, but they resided only in the Seafoam Caverns and Icefall Cave, the latter of which was far away in the Sevii Islands. He didn't like the idea of travelling a great distance away to capture a creature that would most likely try their best to slice his throat.

But he didn't want to be an influence on what Eevee would become - it would be her choice, and he hated the idea of having her choose a form that would please only him.

"How is Gary doing, by the way?" Ash cocked his head.

Oak waved a dismissive hand. "Gary's fine. He managed to unearth a fossil in Grampa Canyon a few weeks back, and he's on his way to Cinnabar Island to revive it."

Ash whistled. "And Natalie? Jack?"

A smile tugged at his tired lips. "Jack is well. He's currently in Viridian for the earth badge, but, from what he's told me, Giovanni is quite the challenge. As for Natalie…" It was now that his smile faltered, and wrinkles creased his forehead as he frowned. "I'm afraid I haven't heard from her since Cerulean, I believe, and neither have her parents - the only way I have managed to keep a track of her is with the help of her pokécenter records…but even her visits to civilization are so far and few that they might as well be useless."

Ash frowned. Natalie couldn't go a day without contacting her parents, so it was uncharacteristic of her to go off the radar for months. She reminded him too much of Red. Why could she have gone AWOL?

"I believe you didn't just call to listen to an old man's ramblings," Oak said suddenly, smirking. Ash flushed, caught. He should've realised the professor would know he wouldn't call just to chat.

"I'm challenging Sabrina the day after," Ash murmured. "I was wondering if you knew anything I should be prepared for during our battle."

Oak stroked his chin and leaned back, chair creaking. "Hmm…I'd ask you to be wary of her Alakazam, but you'd have to be a fool to not know that already." He snorted. "From what Gary told me, she's very fond of her Mr Mime and Espeon. They are extremely proficient at barriers, but a Brick Break will put a stop to that."

He pinched the bridge of his nose. "Her Alakazam is what you have to watch out for," he said, tone full of warning. "It took down Gary's Blastoise and nearly defeated his Hypno."

Ash shuddered. He had no doubt that Gary's team was most likely as strong as Ash's by now. To take down his starter, which was no doubt his strongest, and still have enough strength to bring a second pokémon to the brink of exhaustion…

He steeled himself. He was confident in his friends, in their power and strength. They had come far from the motley crew they had once been. His team was not going to lose - not after their battle with Blaine.

"I'll be ready," he assured the professor.

Oak stifled a yawn. "I'd love to chat, but it seems that my old age is catching up to me," he said wryly. He chuckled. "Take care, my boy. Let me know how your gym challenge goes."

"I will," said Ash, smiling. Oak waved tiredly, and the screen flickered black. Ash stared at his reflection for the briefest of seconds, eyes twitching with fatigue.

He was ready for Sabrina - his team was ready. They weren't going to lose, not now.

XxXxX

There was a surprise waiting for him the next morning as he rushed to exit the pokécenter. Sitting in the lobby was a familiar face, alone and statuesque as he ignored any attempts at conversation.

When he saw Ash, however, his eyes flashed with recognition. "Ketchum," he stated, voice flat.

Ash blinked - he could pick out that shock of purple hair from anywhere. "Paul?"

Paul nodded, standing. He shook Ash's hand. "Come here for the marsh badge?" he asked.

"Yup," Ash replied. "You?"

Paul smirked. "Already got mine," he said, voice smug. He opened his jacket, flaunting seven badges pinned to the inside. The golden marsh badge gleamed like a treasure as Ash stared, although his gaze lingered on the volcano badge a bit longer.

Misty appeared right then, scowling with impatience. "Ash, we're- wait…Paul, is it?" Her frown disappeared, replaced with an uncertain smile as she searched for an answer.

"Yes, Leader Waterflower," he muttered, dipping his head respectfully. Misty reddened at that, but Ash saw her straighten smile with an air of smugness after that.

"So, Ketchum." Paul cleared his throat. "I haven't had a good fight in a while. It's been weakling after weakling all month. Care to break that streak?"

Ash smirked. "You bet." It couldn't be more fitting - defeating Paul would only assure him further about his victory over the marsh badge. "Misty, could you ref for us?"

Misty shrugged. "Sure. Fields are in the back."

They didn't talk much as they made their way around to the back. Much of the training fields were occupied - it was early in the morning, and trainers were eager to begin their hour-long training sessions with each other. Paul, Misty and Ash had to wait in the pleasant heat before they got a turn at one of the fields, with a few scorch marks, but otherwise relatively unscathed.

A few trainers, either taking a break between training periods or simply there to spectate, took to the sidelines as Paul and Ash stood on either end of the arena.

They eyed the battling trainers like hawks, bills already in hand as they waited to bet based on their opinion of the challengers. Many were pointing and murmuring at Paul, who stood resolute as he spun a pokéball with practised ease. One girl flashed an encouraging smile at Ash; he blushed and decided to focus on the battle.

"How do you want to do this?" Ash asked, voice easily carrying over to the other end of the field.

"Two pokémon each," Paul yelled back. "Don't disappoint me, Ketchum."

The crowd ooh-ed at that, and Ash felt his cheeks heat up. But he didn't rise to the bait. He looked to his right, watching Misty take her place as the referee, while her Slowbro and Starmie worked in tandem to construct psychic barriers. His eyes caught the glint of a coin in her fingers.

Ash called for heads as she flipped it into the air expertly. She caught it in her palm, smirking as her closed fist opened. "Paul, you're first."

He made the briefest of scowls before tapping the release on his pokéball. White energy sprouted in a focused beam, twisting into a thin, lithe creature that hissed and yowled as it formed. He recognized it instantly, from his time in the Seafoam Caverns - slick, black fur, long red feathers crowning its tail and ear, and sharp, ivory claws that could carve into flesh like a knife in butter.

Paul snapped his fingers. "Sneasel, standby for battle!"

The Sneasel hissed. A wicked smile worked its way up as its claws flexed. Its was gangly as it swayed lazily. Thin mist made itself known with every breath.

Ash's fingers yearned to reach for Monferno's pokéball - he was the ideal choice for someone like Sneasel, with an advantage over it in every aspect - but he stopped himself. He wasn't going to take the easy way out - besides, he wanted the others to have some fun as well.

"Kratos, I choose you!" he called, grinning as the sphere snapped open. The wind hissed as the pokéball's energy coalesced into the Scyther, blades gleaming in response to the Sneasel's claws. The dark-type hissed and raised his claws, but Kratos simply snarled back. His wings were a blur as he floated in the air, ready to pounce.

"I spent a week searching for a Scyther in the Safari Zone," Paul remarked, shaking his head. "But enough talking. Ice Beam!"

The Sneasel reacted fast. Bright blue crackled around its claws, focusing into a sphere of icy energy a split-second before it was released in a jagged thunderbolts. Kratos was faster. While the telltale blue of Agility coiled around him, he let out a mocking hiss as he blurred away and let frost gather in a thick shell as it impacted the ground.

"Vacuum Wave!" Ash called.

"Dodge," muttered Paul plainly.

A beam of pure vacuum erupted as Kratos slashed his blades, but Sneasel leapt away with unsurprising speed; it cackled madly, spitting and hissing as it skidded to a halt and began to charge Kratos as an icy blue formed around its claws. Ash didn't have to tell him to evade the Ice Punch. Mist billowed in smoky wisps with each dodge.

"Brick Break!" Ash smirked at the way Paul's eyes widened. He figured he hadn't expected that.

Kratos snarled, swinging a glowing blade to meet another one of Sneasel's Ice Punches. The air boomed as they met, a minute shockwave crackling out as the attacks connected. The recoil had no effect on Kratos, but Sneasel yowled. It drew its arm back, jarred by the impact, and wrung its clawed hand.

A snarl replaced its pained grimace as it screamed out a torrent of purple rings. Kratos replied with a Vacuum Wave that met the Dark Pulse head-on, covering the field in thick smoke. The gaggle of spectators cheered in awe; through the corner of his eyes, Ash saw a few trainers exchange money with a scowl.

"Hail," Paul said, frowning. Sneasel hissed, a cruel smile forming on its face as a sphere of focused energy form between its claws. With a shriek, it tossed it into the sky, where the crackling orb exploded with hail.

Thick, dark clouds engulfed the sky and unleashed a torrent of hail. Kratos balked, shaking and snarling as he was bombarded with icy pellets. The Sneasel cackled; the hail would do nothing to it, other than make it feel right in its element. Thick spheres of ice turned the air white, and Ash could see Starmie and Slowbro strain as the psychic barriers toughened.

He shuddered from the sudden cold, but grit his teeth through and focused on the fight once more.

"Tailwind!" Ash yelled, voice piercing the roaring storm. Kratos grunted. His wings fluttered, almost invisible, as they kicked up a turbulent whirlwind that wrestled with Sneasel's own storm. Paul was frowning as the Tailwind buffeted the icy storm away, but he betrayed no other emotion.

"Ice Shard," Paul barked, crossing his arms. Thick spears of ice, glistening and gleaming, whistled through the air in a matter of seconds. Kratos hissed, scythes glowing with the power of Brick Break.

The first Ice Shard was destroyed in a quick swipe; the second exploded in a shower of crystals as well. The third, too fast and too sudden for the Scyther to identify, pierced into his thorax like a missile, pinning him to the ground.

A Dark Pulse cut through the hailstorm and engulfed Kratos in a stream of amethyst rings. His shriek of pain was all Ash heard over the explosion of smoke - then a dozen Sneasel leapt through the white sky, like a pack hell-bent on dissecting their prey. A sickly purple came over ivory claws - Poison Jab - as they plummeted down, ready to strike.

"Agility, Double Team!" Ash yelled, frantic. Kratos didn't bother acknowledging the command - with a flare of psychic blue he leapt away, the dozen Sneasel converging angrily on the ground. There were whooshes as a swarm of Scyther filled the air, arm-blades stretched as they circled, but they were in vain.

Ash bit back a curse as they distorted and flickered in the hail - spheres of ice passed through the clones, disrupting their coherent forms and singling out the real Scyther. He ignored Paul's pronounced smirk, which he could see even through the frothing hail. Unlike Kratos' clones, the pack of Sneasel yowling and hissing held far more substance, and were barely disrupted by the buffeting hailstorm.

Kratos dismissed his cover with a flick of his scythes, and the Scyther clones disappeared. They would be nothing more than a hindrance now that he was revealed, and they would simply draw on his concentration during the fight.

"Shadow Claw, Poison Jab," called Paul. Sneasel cackled; a terrifying miasma of murky purple engulfed its claws as it rushed with its clones.

"Night Slash!" Ash flinched at the resulting shockwave as claws and scythes connected. Sneasel blinked as the ghostly aura around its talons were torn apart by Kratos' obsidian blades, but lashed around to rake the bug-type with a spear of poison. Kratos grimaced as his carapace was punctured; poison flooded his bloodstream as he pulled back, his breathing heavy.

Paul's smirk hardened. "Dark Pulse!"

"Vacuum Wave!" Ash's teeth were gritted. They were on a time limit now, and Sneasel would have to be taken down as quickly as Kratos could.

A stream of purple rings snapped through the howling hail, responding to a burst of pure vacuum released by a thrust of Kratos' arm blades. Ash felt a surge of pride as the vacuum blast split through Sneasel's Dark Pulse like a knife through butter; dark energy moaned as it faded into nothing and melded with the hail.

A hiss from the Sneasel clones drew Ash's eyes to the black blurs zigzagging through the arena. He saw pale blue wreathed around their claws, then the hiss of ice as the real Sneasel slash them into a bewildered Kratos' back. The Scyther hissed, arm-blade reaching behind his back, but Sneasel had already leapt away; a split-second later, a bolt of ice thundered against the bug-type's front and knocked him out of the sky.

He dug his scythes into the earth and rose, wings fluttering. Kratos' eyes were heavy as he regarded Sneasel with hot anger - as it cackled, he slashed his blades and released crescents of energy that sliced cleanly through four Sneasel clones.

As Sneasel rushed with a snicker, Ash decided to change his method of attack. "Vacuum Wave - spin while you're at it!"

A look of brief confusion crossed Kratos' face, but he nodded, raising his glowing scythes as he began to spin rapidly. Ash could see vacuum bursts spraying in every direction, wrestling with the pelting hail. Sneasel was oblivious as it ran at Kratos, claws flecked with darkness, only to be blasted away by a turbine of compressed vacuum.

It tumbled across the ground just as Kratos ceased his spin, blades thrumming with fighting energy as he sprinted forth with a Brick Break. A bark from Paul forced the ice-type to look up and parry with an Ice Punch; flecks of crystalline ice flew out in waves as the two pokémon were locked in place, but a weak Tailwind to the face distracted Sneasel enough for Kratos to send it skywards with a Vacuum Wave.

"Super Slash!" Ash bellowed. His grin was manic as Sneasel arced through the air, flailing as it fell down.

Kratos was so blindingly fast that he left an afterimage that flickered out a fraction of a second later. One second he was outlined in blue energy; the next, he was right above an airborne Sneasel, scythes thrumming with blackness. The crackle of an Ice Beam made itself known, but Kratos didn't hesitate - he drove the Night Slash into Sneasel's head and smashed it into the ground. Sneasel was stunned by the impact and Kratos too the chance to strike it twice more with Brick Breaks that let out a sharp crack as they ricocheted off its midsection.

The crinkle of dollars switching hands filled the air; a few trainers looked disgruntled at the loss, while the winners looked pleased with the rolls of money between their fingers. Ash was certainly happy with the number of trainers that had bet on him and Kratos.

Paul recalled the fallen creature when it failed to respond with nothing but a soft whimper. "Your Scyther is strong," he observed. "Sneasel and I will have to work harder."

"Thanks," Ash muttered, but even as Kratos lumbered over to his side through the fading hail, he could see nothing but fatigue in his eyes; he was at the brink of exhaustion and in no shape to fight. "You did great, Kratos. Take a rest."

Kratos groused, as if disputing his tiredness, but even his snarl of defiance was too feeble to even fool himself. He closed his eyes and sagged as the red energy absorbed him into his pokéball, which was clipped to Ash's belt once again.

The hail had now completely disappeared, with the dark clouds clearing and only spheres of ice littered the ground like confetti. Ash felt himself smile and match Paul as he selected a second pokéball from the roster.

"I'll go first this next round," Ash said as he enlarged a pure red pokéball. Paul nodded, twisting an ultra-ball as he waited for his opponent to release the next pokémon that would take to the field.

Monferno emerged with a cheerful bark, fists beating his chest as his tail swung wildly. Paul cracked a smirk as he readied to throw his ultra-ball. "Aggron, standby for battle!"

An ear-shattering roar filled the air. The creature that coalesced was massive, making the earth around it shudder as it formed. Covered almost entirely in black, stone armour that looked thicker than a Rhydon's, it stood at a mighty seven feet tall, chin jutting up high in arrogant pride. Metal armour spotted its otherwise dark hide - silver bands around its arms and knees were just one of the few instances of steel covering its body. Piercing blue eyes burned fiercely beneath the darkness of its metal mask, which bore two horns as long as his forearm and as sharp as Kratos' claws.

Its tail, a weapon that could shatter boulders with a single swing, scraped against the earth as it dragged from side to side. Tough, silver claws dug into the earth and crushed hailstones under its feet like they were confetti.

Ash held back his amazement as he eyed the Aggron. It was beast of a creature, and he wondered if there was much that could penetrate its armour. He was hoping Monferno would pack enough of a punch to do it. "Alright, Monferno." He pumped his fist. "I know you can win this."

Monferno screamed, beating his chest as his tail blazed brighter. His yells were drowned out by a gravelly bellow from Aggron; in an effort to not be unheard his screams intensified, standing on the tip of it toes. It was only Ash's and Paul's frantic calls that ceased their shouting match, although Aggron did not let up without a final growl that sent shivers down Ash's spine.

"Iron Defense. Stone Edge."

Silver wreathed Aggron's entire body as it focused, coiling and humming as it fortified its already unbreakable defenses. Ash scowled, but shook it off. "Flamethrower, Monferno!" he called. "Aim for the head - that's steel!"

Monferno nodded, fire rippling in his mouth, but yelped and leapt away as he felt the ground below him shudder; a split-second after he moved a blade of stone shot out, missing him by mere inches. He flipped onto his feet, eyes furious as he turned to see the metallic glow around Aggron fade, and charged his larger foe with renewed vigor.

"Protect!" Paul barked. An emerald shield flickered to life as Aggron hunkered, protecting the steel parts of its body from the torrent of fire. But even as flames splashed harmless against the barrier of green energy, the intense heat radiating through was enough to make Aggron wince.

Jagged, sharp stones morphed into existence in the air, falling like a meteor shower with no hesitation. Monferno didn't skip a beat as he danced around the field, avoiding the Rock Slide expertly; but in the moment he was taken surprise by the rocky pillar that jutted out to slam into his stomach and send him skywards.

"Flash Cannon!" Paul shouted an instant later. Aggron bellowed, a sphere of concentrated silver expanding between pressed claws. Bright energy burst forth in the form of a thick beam that arced and hissed through the chilly air, exploding as it made contact.

Monferno yowled, thrown backwards, but he snapped back to his feet and glared. Fire curled around his fingers as Ash called for him to get in close. "Fire Punch and Brick Break!" he called. "Don't let up!"

"Water Pulse," Paul said, and an orb of throbbing water enlarged in Aggron's open mouth. Monferno moved in close to Aggron, beginning to leap as the Water Pulse shot towards him; the round shot of water whizzed harmlessly around Monferno's charge and exploded violently against the ground, but a line of jagged rocks burst forth on a direct course. Monferno didn't even wait for a command, skipping along the tops of several rocks and avoiding a second Water Pulse effortlessly.

His aim was perfect - twin fists wreathed with flames slammed into Aggron's chin, snapping its metal head upwards; a deep gong rippled from it. A clawed arm curved out, spilling bright electricity, but Monferno grabbed Aggron by the horns and sprang away. A jet of flame roared against its metal mask and left it glowing a red hot.

"Keep it going!" Ash encouraged, smile slowly widening as Monferno closed in once more. Brick Breaks scored hits across the armoured beast's plates, peppering it with resounding thuds. Aggron brandished its tail in one long, fluid movement - water bubbled around it as it swung like an axe intent on felling a tree. Monferno growled, releasing a Stone Edge to shield him, but the Aqua Tail easily shattered the boulder like it was nothing. Debris flew in every direction, some spraying Monferno, but he weathered them with a grimace and stood back up with a scowl.

"Earth Power!" Paul bellowed. Sensing danger, Monferno scurried back, narrowly avoiding an Iron Tail swinging his way. A tendril of golden energy cracked through the earth as Aggron smashed through hailstones with its claws, thrumming with a deep note, like ripping paper.

Despite Monferno's astounding sense of acrobatics the golden crack reached him, causing the ground below him to violently detonate. Dirt mixed with golden light gushed into the air like a geyser. As Monferno flailed in the air, Aggron charged up a sphere of concentrated silver in its mouth, streaming forth in a shimmering beam. Flames trickled down Monferno's mouth as he awkwardly righted himself midair and met the Flash Cannon with an incandescent Flamethrower.

Smoke and dust billowed outwards from the explosion that rocketed the sky. Ash saw Monferno rocketing down, producing a slanted Stone Edge to land on. It cracked under his weight but stood sturdy, and he looked up to pound his chest at Aggron. The steel-type roared, incensed, and thrashed its tail to produce another Flash Cannon, but missed, instead leaving a deep furrow in the ground.

"Fire Spin!" Ash yelled. Monferno waved his tail as though brandishing a whip, and breathed a stream of flames that easily crossed the field and over to Aggron. It balked as the jet of fire cocooned around it in one smooth motion, a fiery maelstrom blazing wildly. It shuffled to the centre of the ablaze vortex, twitching and grunting in pain as fire hissed against its body. Ash frowned; why wasn't Paul shouting for Aggron to dodge? It had barely moved ever since the start of the fight. He knew Aggron had ridiculously strong armour, but they were not infallible…

A look of dawning comprehension came into his wide eyes. If his guess was right, Aggron had evolved just recently - which meant there was no way it had gotten used to its new body so quickly. Right now, it was nothing but a sitting, a wall that would eventually cave under Monferno's strength.

So they would have to play the waiting game. Ash didn't mind - he would prefer having to end this quickly, but until Monferno evolved he just wouldn't have enough power to fell a beast like Aggron so quickly.

Paul seemed to realise Ash's understanding, because a frown creased his forehead and his eyes harden. "Stone Edge," he said tersely. "Then use Thunderbolt!"

A line of rocks rippled out, but Monferno bounced out of the way with ease. "Hide behind the rocks," Ash murmured as his eyes narrowed at the electricity sparking around Aggron's horn. "Bulk Up."

Electricity leapt from Aggron's horns in a jagged bolt as Monferno shielded himself with Aggron's own attack. It flashed through a few rocks, but crackled out of existence, dealing no harm to Monferno, who grunted as a faint red outlined him.

"Metal Sound!" Paul bellowed, fists tightened. Aggron grunted; its two horns glowed and vibrated so impossibly fast that they were blurs.

A horrible metallic screech, like scraping metal, reverberated. Ash clamped his ears shut; the sound was terrible even through the psychic barriers, and even the spectators at the side were cringing. Misty was glaring daggers at Aggron.

Monferno hunkered at the sound waves, teeth clenched, but he pushed through as his muscles bulged and hardened. He looked up, heaving, his pupils as wide as saucers as he glared angrily at Aggron, who seemed satisfied as it cut off the nauseating noise.

"Get in close, buddy!" Ash winced at the ringing in his ears, which continued to pulse annoyingly even in the absence of Aggron's screeches. "Brick Break and Mach Punch!"

"Use Aqua Tail!" Paul bellowed, eyes fierce as he tracked Monferno's rush. Pulsing water coiled around Aggron's thick tail as it bellowed, arms outstretched. Monferno didn't cease his charge; instead he moved faster to meet Aggron and, at the last possible second, ceased a Brick Break and willed a glove of lightning around his fist. Sparks forked out as he slammed the Thunder Punch into the Aqua Tail, which intensified the electricity racing through its body. Aggron shuddered and flinched.

Taking that moment of Aggron's momentary surprise, Monferno screamed and drove two, glowing fists straight into Aggron's breastplates. A resounding thud echoed through the arena. Aggron stumbled.

"Keep it up!" Ash said, smiling. "Hit the same spots!"

"Earthquake!" snapped Paul, eyes furious. A massive shockwave made the field shudder and shake just as Monferno curled his fingers into shining fists. The earth heaved, knocking the fire-type off his feet. As he landed in a harsh roll, a beam of silver energy blazed across the field and sent Monferno flying away.

"Attack at range!" Ash barked. "Flamethrower!"

Monferno skidded to a halt and to his feet, sucking in a mouthful of air to exhaling a veritable river of fire that leapt over to Aggron. A swarm of rocks burst from the ground, but did little to stop the Flamethrower - flames curved around the gray pillars and surfed over the steel-type. A shimmering barrier of bright green hummed protectively around Aggron, holding against the Flamethrower for a few moments; then it gave away and the steel-type was awash in flames. Electricity flared around Aggron, but it seemed useless against the fire that roared and swirled around the iron-clad beast. It was almost unending, as if Monferno was attempting to render his opponent into a pool of molten stone.

"Rock Tomb!" boomed Paul as he slashed his arm into the air. Aggron grunted. A circle of stony pillars surged around it, closing shut with a clunk, like a pyramid. Paul's smirk was evident even across the field as Monferno's jet of flame battered the rocks harmlessly, but a slow smile crossed Ash's face as an idea sparked in his mind.

"Flamethrower, don't stop!" he called. Monferno glanced back and made eye contact with Ash, a frown of confusion forming on his face, but it disappeared when he nodded, trusting his trainer's direction. Another surge of fire spewed from his mouth. It splashed harmlessly against the rocks, much to everyone's expectation, but Ash's smile never left.

Bright flames pounded the rocky barrier endlessly, turning it a bright orange. For a few moments, it seemed like Monferno's efforts were in vain, until they could hear Aggron's slow, metallic groans reverberate from within its stone cocoon. The air around the Rock Tomb began to distort and shimmer - Ash swore he could feel the heat all the way from his side of the arena.

Paul had finally caught onto Ash - Monferno's endless Flamethrower had turned Aggron's Rock Tomb into a furnace, trapping every iota of heat radiating through the cherry-red stones. "Get out!" he screamed, angry at both himself and Ash.

Aggron roared as if it liked nothing more than to agree. The Rock Tomb exploded, superheated rubble flying out as it pulverised the pyramid of stone with the flailing of its arm. As heat and steam rushed, Aggron emerged, the metal bits on its body having turned incandescent, and its stone armour hissing. Ash silently wondered if its mask would be malleable under Monferno's punches, although he pushed that thought away as he pounced on the opportunity to attack.

"Brick Break!" Ash snapped quickly.

Paul's jaw tightened, but an odd gleam came into his eyes. "Get ready!" he barked, and Aggron tensed, crossing its arms over its chest. Ash frowned, but didn't call Monferno off - he had to strike while the iron was hot…literally.

The first Brick Break made Aggron scream. The second sneaked past Aggron's arm and smashed into its stone plates. Monferno was almost invisible as he cut off the Brick Breaks and slipped into an endless flurry of Mach Punches, so blindingly fast that Ash struggled to keep pace with his friend.

And then the sound of a thunderous crack made Ash grin. Monferno had finally breached through Aggron's tough hide, leaving a spiderweb of a fissure in the centre of its chest. Its harrowing bellow of agony made Ash press his hands against his ears, but his smirk was wide and triumphant as he regarded its throes of pain.

But Paul was smirking as well, and he almost laughed as he yelled, "Metal Burst!"

Aggron guffawed - a deep, terrible sound as it focused all its might into a humongous sphere of concentrated white, almost half the size of itself.

Monferno barely had the time to yelp before the massive orb of energy slammed into his entire body. Silver lightning burst in the explosion that followed and sent him hurtling away like a comet almost thirty feet away.

A Stone Edge popped out behind Monferno's path with a stomp of Aggron's clawed foot. There was a sickening thud as the fire-type banged into the tapering column of stone. Monferno slumped over, stunned and terribly weakened, but he stood back up with a snarl.

"Fire Spin!" Ash commanded in a frantic yell. A vortex of orange flame circled Aggron once more, making the creature gurgle harshly.

"Use Earth Power around you!" Paul cried. Tendrils of golden energy threaded around Aggron, erupting noisily with dirt and bright light, and the Fire Spin was put out instantly.

"Flame Wheel, Brick Break!"

"Dragon Tail!"

Turquoise met orange in a rippling shockwave. For a moment, it seemed as if Monferno would keep curling into Aggron's tail; then he was sent flying upwards from the devastating blow. "Water Pulse," said Paul, and a concentrated sphere of pulsing water flew from Aggron's hands. Monferno twisted to turn it to steam with a Flamethrower, but his angle was wrong and he'd have to move twice faster to make a difference, and he was knocked out of the air from the explosion of energy.

He fell to the ground, bouncing as he did so and completely drenched, and glanced up to hear Paul's next command. "End it with Shock Wave."

"Block with Stone Edge!" Ash cried, but Monferno, already on his last legs, was too slow. A burst of electricity, almost invisible with how quick it travelled, shot from Aggron's horns as it cried a challenge.

Sparks flared around Monferno as he was electrocuted. The water all over him only amplified the electricity and he crumpled, twitching and shuddering. His eyes rolled in their sockets.

Ash sighed and recalled his friend. Monferno had done well - now that he was defeated, Aggron was finally showing how truly weakened it was. It was hunched over and caressing the cracks across its chest, its breathing heavy. He would make sure to get Monferno the finest payapa berries Saffron had to offer.

Starmie and Slowbro ceased glowing; they were exhausted, and Misty promised them a good rest before recalling the tired psychics. Through the gaggle of money-exchanging trainers, she jogged over, a pleased smile across her face. "That was fun," she said, slapping Ash on the back. "Monferno looks ready to evolve. When are you going to take that everstone off?" she added teasingly.

Ash felt himself bristle at that. "When Monferno wants to," he told her, voice curt.

Misty blinked. "I was simply joking," she muttered. Her frown turned into a smile as she turned to face Paul, who had walked over. "Nice one, Paul!"

"Thank you." He dipped his head, and Misty blushed once again. Ash found himself slightly nauseous with the way Paul treated gym leaders - he didn't quite simper, but it was odd. "Good battle, Ketchum. You almost had us."

Ash grinned. "Did Aggron evolve recently?"

Paul hesitated. "Two nights ago. He's not used to his body yet, which makes him a sitting duck for opponents…" He rolled Aggron's pokéball in his hand, regarding it with a frown. "We'll have to work harder."

Ash's stomach rumbled. His cheeks reddened.

"Is someone hungry?" Misty quipped, snorting. Paul's lips quirked.

Ash scowled.

XxXxX

Kyle Hamm's Noodle Shop was famous all over Saffron, and Ash could easily tell why. As he slurped down his third bowl of hakata ramen, he felt warmth billow in his chest, like he'd just been microwaved. On his side, Misty looked disgusted, although he tried his best to ignore her.

"Ugh, your Snorlax has more manners than you," she muttered, inching away.

Ash rolled his eyes. "Come on; this is so good!" he remarked, and he had already asked for his fourth bowl.

Paul placed down his bowl with the grace of connoisseur. "So, Ketchum. Have you figured out mega evolving your Ampharos?"

Ash blinked, forgetting the roll of noodles between his chopsticks. "Not really," he admitted, frowning. "I've been studying up on it, a lot - Professor Oak's given me this book, A Guide to Mega Evolution-"

"By Professor Augustine Sycamore," Paul finished.

"Yeah." Ash nodded. "It's frustrating, really. Zeus - my Ampharos - and I haven't really tried, it but we don't know where to start…"

Paul hummed in understanding. "Well…Hopefully, by the next Winter Solstice, I'll be able to mega evolve any pokémon with the ability to do so."

Misty frowned. "What do you mean?"

"There's a place in Kalos that is said to hold the secrets to mega evolution," Paul said, slowly sipping his broth. "Through Professor Rowan, I have managed to receive an apprenticeship in the Tower of Mastery - under the guidance of mega evolution experts, I hope to achieve mega evolution and make my pokémon stronger."

"Whoa," Ash exhaled. His heart thumped; there was a place designed to guide trainers and pokémon to attain mega evolution? "Do you think I could get in there?"

Paul shrugged. "All I know, Ketchum, is that when we meet after, you'll find it much harder to defeat me."

Ash smiled. "We'll still beat you, though." His words, though playful, carried an edge to them.

Paul said nothing; he stared pensively into his bowl, eyes hard.

"I hope you're prepared for Sabrina," he said suddenly. "Unlike the other gym leaders, she's a real challenge."

"Hey!" Misty exclaimed, indignant. "I could kick your ass in a battle right here, Slate!"

"I never said you're weak," muttered Paul. "Just that Sabrina's stronger." Misty glowered; she looked ready to rip Paul's head off. Ash inched away.

"We're ready," Ash told him anyway. They had grown stronger than ever, and he and his team were going to give the Psychic Mistress a pleasant surprise. "Sabrina's going to have one less marsh badge in her gym!"

"Don't count your Pidgey before they hatch," Misty sang. "Sabrina's very smart. She'll have counters for your strategies before you even begin to plan them."

"Trust me, she won't this time."

"Uh-huh." Misty nodded disbelievingly, but kept silent. Ash liked it that way.

"I'm off." Paul stood up, tossing a few bills in his stead. "Nice meeting you, Ketchum. You too, Leader." He smirked. "You won't be winning the next time."

And then he was gone. Misty's gaze lingered on the doors, and scoffed.

"Weird guy."

Ash couldn't help but agree.

XxXxX

The Saffron City Gym was as imposing as the last time he'd laid his eyes on it. This time, however, he had returned with a challenge instead of a mere appointment that squashed his hopes of being a psychic. Ash breathed softly - he could, oddly enough, feel his heart pulse with every beat. Next to him, Monferno looked equally exhilarated, even if he wouldn't be partaking in this fight.

He glanced back at Misty, who threw him a thumbs-up. "Good luck, Ash!" she said, eyes cheery. "I'll see you when you're back at the pokécenter, alright?"

Ash nodded. He would've liked to have Misty on the sidelines with him, but Sabrina was one of the few gym leaders - with Giovanni and (unsurprisingly) Blaine - that forbid spectators. "Thanks, Misty," he muttered with a smile. Then, he beckoned Monferno to follow him through the sliding doors of the gym, fists clenched.

Faint memories of the gym's lobby revisited him as he stepped in. It was devoid of any life, apart from the cold receptionist that regarded him coolly. "Gym battle?" she drawled.

"Er, yeah," he replied. Monferno shifted uncomfortably as the woman stared at him for a moment longer than Ash appreciated before looking to her computer.

Ash's gaze drifted to the long corridor to his right. He'd passed through there on his last visit, he remembered. And then, as he reminisced his talk with Sabrina, he felt something tugging at the back of his mind, a memory that had never existed. It was almost at the tip of his tongue; there, yet somehow lost to him all at once.

"The stadium is that way," murmured the receptionist, her tone bored as ever. Ash nodded, but even as he walked to the arena, his eyes seemed to linger on the hallway. He felt like Sabrina had talked to him about something important…

He reached the battleground in minutes. It was like nothing he'd ever seen - he'd expected it to be a plain, earthy arena, but it was a solid lavender, smooth devoid of any texture. Monferno growled in confusion as they walked over to examine it, curiosity growing.

Even though he was prepared for Sabrina's teleportation, Ash couldn't help but flinch at the soft crack that announced the psychic's presence. Sabrina's eyes left their crimson lustre as her toes touched the ground, ceasing her levitation. She was dressed in her battle garb - a trainer suit of maroon and black, although gold flecked her knees, wrists and waist.

Her face broke into a genuine smile that looked uncharacteristic with her piercing eyes. "You've finally arrived, Ash Ketchum," she observed, her smooth voice carrying undertones of joy.

He nodded, nothing but determination carved on his face. "I'm here to challenge you for the marsh badge, Leader Sabrina."

She laughed - it was a deep, rich sound. "Of course you are." She motioned him towards the trainer box behind him. "There are a few things I wish to speak to you about…but that can wait. Let us not tarry."

She ignored his confused blinks and imploded away with no warning and appeared at the other end of the field with a softer crack. Ash, having no such abilities, sprinted to his trainer box with Monferno in tow.

Ash looked down at Monferno. "Alright, buddy. I'll let you back out once we're done, okay?"

Monferno yipped. Ash blinked when he held up a fist - he bumped it with his own, a slight grin forming.

"This will be a five-on-five gym battle," Sabrina boomed, her voice amplified. "Neither gym leader nor the challenger will be allowed substitutions. Are these rules acceptable?"

"Yes," Ash said with a nod, although he had a nagging feeling that those conditions were non-amenable anyway.

"I've had a vision of our battle, Ash Ketchum," Sabrina boomed, rising a foot in the air. An eerie crimson flooded her eyes as she stretched her arms, her hair billowing slowly with nonexistent wind. "Show me how far you've come!"

A lump formed in his throat as he nodded. He could feel his heart thump against his chest, and every pulse in his veins. This was it.

A pokéball appeared in front of Sabrina out of thin air. For a brief moment it revolved slowly; then it snapped open, releasing a river of white energy that hummed and hissed as it formed into the first pokémon of the battle.

A Mr Mime coalesced on the field, warbling in excitement. Ash recognized it from the spindly limbs, stocky torso, and the two blue horns twitching on its head. It was already moving, arms moving rigidly in a comical fashion. Ash bit back a laugh.

It cocked his head and smiled, pressing its hand against an nonexistent wall - or maybe it was real, Ash thought with amusement. A pokéball slipped into his hand. His breathing quick, he flicked his finger across the release button, and sent out his pokémon with a boisterous call.

Delphi was far from stoic as her claws curved into the field. Her onyx eyes gleamed with mirth and excitement as she glanced back, and she entered his mind without even a hint of the fuzziness her presence normally carried. Don't be surprised - there's too much psychic energy I can feed from in here, she murmured wryly.

"Didn't think you'd go low enough to steal," Ash teased. He heard the Xatu hiss in his head, but she spread her wings and focused on the Mr Mime, who waved a large, white hand at her.

"Begin!" Sabrina yelled.

"Give it your best shot!" he yelled as Delphi soared as high as she could. The stadium wasn't as open as she would like, but she could still fly relatively freely. "Shadow Ball and Night Shade. Steel Wing whenever you can close in!"

Mr Mime exploded into action. Bright sparks trickled around its horns and shot forth into brilliant bolts of white-blue. Delphi twisted around it easily, screeching as the bolt slammed into the ceiling overhead; the psychic barrier shimmered, but Ash paid it no attention as a Shadow Balls swirled around Delphi in a circle of flickering black.

Mr Mime leapt out of the way, inhumanly agile; its barriers would do little against the shadow energy that would disrupt it with ease. Two Shadow Balls exploded with grey lightning where Mr Mime had stood a moment ago. The remaining were expertly sniped with well-timed Thunderbolts that filled the air with explosions.

Delphi tore through the cloud of smoke with a low shriek. Silver wreathed her wings as she swooped down, eyes ablaze with shadowy energy as she fired a bolt of black from her beak. Another Thunderbolt flew from the Mr Mime's horns, meeting the Night Shade halfway and filling the air with another explosion. Mr Mime waved its hands, forming a translucent barrier as it expected Delphi to ram into him, but frowned when she never came.

Crack! Ash saw her teleport before he heard her, wings gleaming silver. Mr Mime shrieked as the Steel Wing was driven into its back - the force behind it sent it hurtling away, although it cartwheeled to its feet almost instantly.

An uncharacteristic glare crossed the Mr Mime's face as it stood to its full height. Shadow Balls grew to size in each hand as it stretched its arms. Delphi trilled, forming her own Shadow Ball between curved wings.

Grey lightning swept through the field as the spheres of ghostly energy collided. A blast of iridescent energy leapt from Mr Mime's hands - a Psybeam - Delphi met it with a bolt of obsidian. The Night Shade carved through the Psybeam effortlessly, and flecks of rainbow light flew as it was ripped apart. A split-second before it would've drilled into Mr Mime's chest, the psychic imploded.

Delphi spun around and unleashed a Signal Beam as she felt Mr Mime teleport behind her - a spiralling beam of sickly green met the humanoid's Thunderbolt, triggering another explosion. Ash saw he fly through the smoke an instant after, her eyes calm, yet focused as she waited for the dust to cl-

Wham! Ash flinched as Delphi crashed into an invisible wall. The Xatu squawked, flapping backwards, only to be struck in the back by another barrier. Then another, sending he plummeting, only to crash into a psychic wall below. She screeched, flailing her wings, only to be caged in a box of psychic screens that only announced their presence with faint glimmers.

Mr Mime grinned. It clapped its hands, condensing the psychic box even further - in the air, Delphi had curled up awkwardly, her eyes burning with rage as she scratched and beat her wings to break free, but in vain. Ash could tell she hated it - he could feel her hints of her fear flitting through his mind. It only made him angrier.

"Ominous Stream!" Ash cried.

She glared at him, as if to say, Does it look like I can move my wings? But tried it anyway. Her wings strained against the psychic cage, producing a focused gale of eerie wind that diffused through the walls. Mr Mime was barely hurt by the weak whirlwind, but the split-second of distraction was enough for Delphi to burst through the psychic walls and teleport away.

"Double Team," he muttered, just loud enough for Delphi to pick up on his commands. "Pin it with Aerial Ace, and then Confuse Ray."

She circled back, nodding, and a swarm of Xatu filled the air that instant, each moving independently. Mr Mime head snapped in every direction, one hand holding up a psychic barrier while the other crackled with electricity as it tried to pick out the real Delphi. Using one arm to raise the barrier like a shield, it threw bolts of electricity with its other hand - Shock Wave. One by one, the clones began to fall.

Delphi's response was producing even more clones until there seemed to be a cloud of birds in the sky. Mr Mime was undeterred - it ceased its Shock Waves and discharged electricity everywhere. Threads of lightning weaved across the sky with a crackle. Ash guessed it to be Thunder Wave. He was surprised with Mr Mime's control over the technique, although he didn't expect anything less from Sabrina's pokémon.

Delphi teleported to the ground - there was no way she was going to risk having her wings immobilised, but that meant giving herself away. Mr Mime struck instantly, already tossing a Shadow Ball that it had formed the second it ceased producing electricity. It struck her square in the chest and sent her rolling away.

She rose even as Mr Mime lunged at her with an electrified fist, reacting to Ash's cry of "Ground!" As her feathers shone metallic, she embedded a wing through the floor and raised the other as a shield, taking the full brunt of the Thunder Punch. Sparks flickered and dazzled as the electrical burst was neutralised in a split-second. Mr Mime blinked, confused, only to shriek as beam of ghostly black tore into its chest and threw it to the ground.

"Bury it - Night Shade!" Ash bellowed. Delphi screeched and soared, flying right above a downed Mr Mime. A sphere of obsidian solidified in her open beak, crackling for the brief moments it formed, before bursting forth in a focused spray of unending black. Mr Mime shrieked, and Delphi lowered herself closer to her pinned foe as she screamed out more of the same black energy.

A spiderweb of cracks fissured beneath Mr Mime, widening by the second, until a shimmering green barrier expanded around Mr Mime and protected it whole. The Night Shade hissed to a stop as Delphi flapped her wings, sending a continuous gale of searing wind. Mr Mime grimaced - although it was extremely proficient in barriers, the emerald shield around it would hold only for a few moments until it would give out and leave Mr Mime wide open for assault.

And it did. As Mr Mime threw all its willpower into keeping the shield up, it wavered, then vanished, allowing the psychic to be engulfed by the superheated winds. Burns scored its body as it shrieked and writhed, large hands flailing.

Delphi shrieked, ceasing the Heat Wave, and banked down as she slipped into a blurring corkscrew. Her beak glowed and lengthened in an instant and she plummeted with the speed of a fighter jet even as a disoriented Mr Mime scrambled to pour its energy into a shield.

It proved to be useless. The barrier was flimsy, more fragile than ceramic as Delphi shattered it and drove her beak into Mr Mime's chest. Its warble of pain was music to Ash's ears as it flew back, landing on the floor with a heavy thud. It stood back up, swaying and blinking as it struggled to stay awake, but Ash gave it no quarter as he barked out a final order. "Steel Wing!"

Metallic wings sliced into Mr Mime's face, but it did not go down silently. Focusing the last of its strength into its right hand, the Mr Mime screamed in anger as it brandished its arms just as Delphi cut into it. A pale black miasma swirled around the psychic as it lunged with speed that stunned both Ash and Delphi. It was nothing but a blurring shade as it twisted and kicked at Delphi right into her breast.

And then Mr Mime crumpled like a sac of rocks, breathing softly. It looked peaceful in its forced sleep, although Ash had no time to observe it - Sabrina returned the creature to its pokéball, smiling softly.

"Good job, Delphi!" Ash called, beckoning her to his side. She crooned, slowly flying back even as she winced.

The Sucker Punch was a cheap shot, she groused. Ash couldn't help but agree.

Another pokéball replaced the Mr Mime's, snapping open to release a creature Ash had never laid his eyes on. It looked…alien, from its round body and cylindrical head. Its bulbous figure held strange, green markings. At first he thought it had a cyclopean blue eye, but he soon realised the blue circles on its body were eyes as well. A pair of yellow wings held it afloat, 'feathers' tipped in blue and red, the same as its split tail. Black appendages sprouted from either side of its body, taking the shape of short tridents.

The alien hovered in the air, wings unmoving. Instead it kept itself afloat with its psychic powers that coated its feathers in a near-invisible shimmer.

Ash had no idea what it was. Thankfully, Sabrina gave him a few moments to turn on his pokédex, holding the creature in the path of the lens.

Sigilyph, the Avianoid pokémon. Psychic powers allow these pokémon to fly. Some say they were the guardians of an ancient city; others say they were the guardians' emissaries.

The pokédex said it was a psychic and flying type, the same as Delphi. Of course, Ash had enough confidence in his friend being the better flier. This Sigilyph unnerved him, but it didn't seem all too powerful.

Sabrina's eyes burned red once more, forming a psychic link with her pokémon. A series of beeps filled the air as the Sigilyph voiced its eagerness, and then the battle began anew.

Electricity crackled around its yellow wings, the telltale sign of a Thunder Wave. "Heat Wave!" Ash yelled, despite Delphi's urge to teleport. The air between Delphi and Sigilyph distorted and twisted as burning winds billowed out with a flap of wings. Threads of bright lightning splayed from the Sigilyph, but fizzed out of existence as they were swallowed by the Heat Wave. Ash grinned.

Then Delphi launched herself at her aerial foe, twisting into a spin. An odd noise escaped from the Sigilyph - an alien moan - as a sphere of darkness grew to size between its trident claws, then bursting forth in a stream of purple rings. Delphi teleported.

Sigilyph turned, sensing its foe with an eerie hiss, and unleashed an Ice Beam right where Delphi reappeared. She barely had any time to react, but moved quickly to shield herself with a pair of metallic wings. Frost gathered around her steel feathers and crawled out to form a spiderweb of ice, although it was shattered with a flex of her muscles.

"Ominous Stream," Ash called, pinching the bridge of his nose as Delphi screeched. A gust of pale, black wind rushed forth, swirling to form a focused cyclone of ghostly energy. Sigilyph tittered and flapped its own wings - a whirlwind howled to life and wrestled with Delphi's ghostly tornado, until both winds were shredded by each other.

Sigilyph crooned in its supernatural voice, the trio of blue eyes flashing. A powerful psychic wave burst out from a twitch of its feathers, which Delphi met with a Psychic of her own. Air rushed outwards as a shockwave swept through the skies and strained against the arena's barriers.

The battlefield was suddenly filled with a flock of Xatu that shrieked and squawked and loosed a dozen Shadow Balls that honed in on Sigilyph. The Avianoid warbled, managing to pull up a green shield at the very last second. Black miasma thundered out as the Shadow Balls exploded; the next second, Delphi corkscrewed in for a Drill Peck so blindingly fast that she nearly left an afterimage.

Dark feathers were ripped from the Sigilyph as it was sent flying away, its fall halted by hasty levitation. It rose, wings flapping as an ominous groan replaced its alien cries. Sabrina's smile vanished, replaced by a cold stare as her eyes burned harsher, and she snapped her fingers, eliciting a terrifying shriek from her pokémon.

Sigilyph crooned. A singular eye glowed with psychic energy. Bright blue foamed around its wings as they twitched, and a crushing force overwhelmed the field.

Ash felt himself buckle to one knee, gasping as he pushed against the floor. Every fibre of his body seemed to quiver as he strained against the magnified gravity. Only a shriek from the field gave him the strength to rise up, his eyes furious.

Delphi lay on the field, wings shaking as she struggled to stand. He was surprised to find her still conscious even after the Gravity technique, but his amazement was clouded by his anger as Sabrina's Sigilyph hovered above her tauntingly. It sang a mocking croon as it circled above, shivering with delight as it didn't even move to attack. It filled Ash with rage.

But Delphi wasn't one to wait for a finishing blow. A sphere of angry black shaped itself in front of her as she spat a Shadow Ball straight at Sigilyph, who shrieked as it was taken by surprise and knocked from the sky, though it righted itself almost instantly.

Sigilyph hummed, having had enough. A ball of freezing blue focused between the eyes on its torso and leapt down in a stream of ice.

Frost and ice crystals burst as the Ice Beam froze Delphi whole. She looked shock and angry for a second, then choked as she shut down under the blast of sub-zero energy, eyes rolling in her sockets.

Ash recalled her with a grimace, still reeling from the effects of Gravity. His glare never left Sigilyph, even when he muttered thanks to Delphi as he clipped the ball back to his belt.

"Hydrus, you're up!" His Golduck hissed as he formed on the field, quacking maniacally as he felt joy at having to battle. Sabrina's eyes narrowed as his gemstone flashed dangerously, blinking with psychic power.

"It took down Delphi," Ash warned, and Hydrus' eyes narrowed. He was practically Delphi's ward, ever since he'd joined the team as a dopey Psyduck. He growled with anger and flexed his claws. The Sigilyph was unbothered.

Ash took the first move, yelling, "Ice Beam!" Frost gathered in a concentrated ball as Hydrus roared, and transformed in a beautiful beam of rippling blue that shot forth into Sigilyph, although it quickly shielded itself with a perfect barrier that faded as soon as the threat was gone.

Then Sigilyph released crescents of energy with a flap of its wings. "Freeze it," Ash called, eyeing the Air Slash cautiously.

Ice Beams leapt from the Golduck in short bursts and froze their targets with shocking precision. Hydrus didn't bother using the strength of an attack to destroy the frozen blades - he simply swiped at the falling blades with nonchalance that betrayed the adrenaline rushing in his veins, snorting as they crumbled into powdery ice.

Sigilyph hummed. Electricity gathered around its wings, flaring out like an Ariados shooting silk. Hydrus quacks were almost a laugh as he weaved around the field, avoiding the shoddy attempt at a Thunder Wave with contemptuous ease.

It redoubled its efforts and summoned electricity once again, far brighter and concentrated, before releasing it in an intense beam. This time, Hydrus had no choice but to shield himself. He thrust his arms out, gemstone gleaming, and cocooned himself in a sphere of solid emerald, against which the Charge Beam thudded harmlessly.

Ash beckoned his friend back to his side of the field. "Get in close with Aqua Jet," he murmured. "Then use Shadow Claw." Hydrus grunted, cloaked himself in swirling water, and used it to easily leap tens of feet into the sky.

Sigilyph balked, flying backwards in an awkward fashion, and Hydrus passed through empty air. But he twisted and dispelled the cloak of water around him and swiped out with claws dripping with murky energy. Dark feathers flew out and Sigilyph shrieked, briefly losing focus on its levitation, its mind disrupted. Hungry for another hit, Hydrus struck it with a second Shadow Claw and raked between the eyes on its chest.

Ash felt a bout of fear as Hydrus fell to the ground, but he eased his fall with Aqua Jet. Recovering from its convulsions, Sigilyph filled with air a freezing gale that had Hydrus shivering, even though he adjusted to the cold within seconds.

"Alright, Hydrus. Rain Dance!" called Ash, grinning madly. They had never used it before, but, if successful, even the smallest of rain clouds would trigger Hydrus' ability, Swift Swim.

Hydrus blinked. He looked up at Sigilyph and tried to focus on something, gemstone shining. Light flowed from the jewel on his forehead as he looked up, thrusting his hands in the sky, as if throwing something upward, and then mist and fog whooshed and swirled into a dark fog that took the shape into a massive, gray cloud that covered the field with its shadow.

The plashing patter of steady rain made Ash laugh and Hydrus stomp his feet. A terrifying quack escaped the Golduck as he soaked in the raindrops that stung his skin. And then he moved.

He was so much faster that Sigilyph actually flinched when he stopped under it and blasted at the bird with an Ice Beam. Only a last moment Light Screen blunted the beam, though it was still reeling from the blow. Water frothed in Hydrus' gullet, bursting in a pressurised blast of water that Sigilyph only barely managed to avoid.

"Aqua Jet!" Ash called. Hydrus screamed in anger as he twisted in a shell of water, blasting himself skywards. Instinctively, Sigilyph reacted with an Ice Beam, but that only worked in Hydrus' favour - the icy tendrils that erupted from the strange bird turned Hydrus into spear of ice, acting as both the perfect weapon and an impenetrable defensive cocoon.

The Ice Aqua Jet smashed directly into a dumbstruck Sigilyph, driving the psychic-type barrelling away. It ploughed straight into a barrier surrounding the field, bounced off and fell to the ground.

But it rose, its levitation a bit wobbly, and shrieked angrily as it shook away a brewing concussion. Ash felt a smirk tug at his lips as he saw Sabrina's eyes widen in surprise, although she slipped back under her emotionless mask, only revealing a soft smile. "Colour me surprised," she muttered, her first words ever since the battle had begun.

Hydrus twisted and melted through his icy shell with a scalding blast of water, dropping to the floor with a grin. He cackled, claws wreathed in black miasma as he pounced to tear into his foe, who simply electrocuted him with a point-blank Charge Beam that made Ash jump.

"Keep moving!" Ash yelled, realising that while the rain had made Hydrus faster, it would also intensify any electric attacks. "Use Hydro Pump in short bursts, and Shadow Claw whenever you can close in!"

He grunted as he rolled to a stop, still wincing from the electrical blast, but he zigzagged the field with the same blurring speed. Ash figured he could almost give Kratos a run for his money - almost. Still, Hydrus was no slouch, managing to clip Sigilyph's wings with blasts of high-pressured water that sent it spinning, while jumping around beams of electricity at the same time.

And then Sabrina's face hardened as a Shadow Claw burned in her pokémon's back. Her lips moved, and even though no words escaped her mouth, her Sigilyph nodded with a croon and levitated higher.

A flurry of energy blades streamed at Hydrus with a flap of Sigilyph's wings. Some he evaded, lazily jumping around, while he destroyed others in a swipe of his claws, but Ash soon realized it was a distraction. Even as he called out a warning Hydrus couldn't help but look as Sigilyph shrieked, and then he was locked in a trance, frozen in place for the briefest of seconds before he threshed and fell to the ground.

Ash blinked. "What the hell…?" Fear gnawed at his heart as he breathed those words. Had Sabrina used an underhand technique to knock Hydrus out?

His worries were abated, albeit slightly, as Hydrus rose, swaying somewhat, although he recovered rather quickly. But his confused frown never left his face.

There were two things Ash noticed as Hydrus leapt at his foe with a snarl. One: his friend was noticeably slower, even though the dark clouds continued to shower the field with rain; and two: Sigilyph seemed to fly as if it the world around it had slowed down.

"Wha?" He didn't believe his own eyes, even though he could see the strange bird flying with a noise that seemed to be a laugh, flitting away from every Ice Beam and Hydro Pump with contemptuous ease. He had no idea what had caused it to be so much faster all of a sudden. He seemed to wonder if it was under the influence of Agility, but the only psychic glow around it was the pale white of its subconscious levitation. Even so, it didn't explain Hydrus' setback whatsoever.

So what was it?

He filed that away for later and focused on the battle again, albeit slightly unnerved. "Scald!" he stammered. "Burn it!"

A short blast of steaming water burst from Hydrus with deadly precision, but it shot through empty air. He snarled, thrashing his tail in anger, which only bubbled as Sigilyph let out a mocking laugh. "Screech!"

Pain filled Ash's ears even through the protective barriers, but he looked up at a writhing Sigilyph and leapt at his chance. "Shadow Claw!" he roared, hoping Hydrus could hear him. He did.

Sigilyph's cries intensified as Hydrus mauled it with his claws. His eyes burned with rage as he slashed it repeatedly, reaching to cripple its wings. His talons were a blur of black as he did his work, but then he stumbled back as Sigilyph rammed his skull with a glowing head.

It flew up out of the Golduck's reach instantly, moaning eerily as it wobbled in the air. Then electricity arced as it prepared for a Thunder Wave. Bright blue danced around its feathers, glaring at Hydrus as it prepared to paralyse him-

Instead, to Ash's shock, it electrocuted itself. He blinked as it cried, wings tightening as it fell to the floor with a thump.

Even Hydrus was so confused that he hesitated to attack. Ash wondered if Sigilyph had gone mad; then it rose weakly, focusing on some unknown energy, and suddenly an afterimage of itself and Hydrus flickered to an impossible size.

Then, it was Hydrus' turn to convulse. He writhed and fell to his knees, eyes squeezed shut as his muscles cramped and his limbs seized and he staggered back as electricity jolted his body. Ash barely had any time to react when Sigilyph ploughed into him with an intense beam of electricity that left spots in his eyes.

Hydrus screamed. He had no idea what had just happened, and continued to grimace and growl as he fought against the tightness in his limbs. A second stream of lightning consumed him, electrocuting every fibre of his body. He twitched and shuddered helplessly, eyes flitting as he hung on his last threads of consciousness.

Ash's heart was palpitating in reaction that whatever Sigilyph had just done. Panic crept up his chest, and his mind was as blank as a slate. "Hydrus, try using Refresh!"

He grunted through his clenched beak, focusing on something as pale green washed over his body. Then a Charge Beam interrupted his process, breaking his focus and making him shriek and wriggle once more.

"Return your Golduck," Sabrina called, tone emotionless. Her Sigilyph hurried to its trainer's side, but it looked ready to blast Hydrus with electricity if he even dared to stand up. "It is in no fighting condition, and on the brink of passing out."

Ash felt his teeth clench. He didn't even bother nodding; he just recalled Hydrus in barely-contained anger, jaw tightened. "You did incredible, bud. Take a good rest."

Anger replaced the panic in his heart. "What was that?" he asked, although it sounded more like an order. "Hydrus was faster. And how's your Sigilyph still flying? It was paralysed!"

Sabrina laughed. It wasn't cold - it was more condescending and pitying. "Psycho Shift and Skill Swap," was all she said. "Be grateful I've even uttered those words."

It didn't make it easier to understand, but Ash filed them for later. He recognized Psycho Shift as a technique Delphi would be able to learn naturally, although he didn't really know what it did, and Skill Swap was lost on him entirely.

He levelled Sigilyph with a stony glare, plucking a third pokéball off his belt. "Kratos, come on out!" he shouted, unleashing his Scyther on the arena. He balked and hissed as the rain surprised him and scowled at Ash with a look that said, you could've warned me!

Ash gave him a sheepish grin, but it was replaced with a hot glare as he heard Sigilyph titter tiredly.

"It hurt Delphi and Hydrus," he informed his friend, and Kratos turned back to the field with a hiss. Kratos didn't care for Hydrus - they hated each others guts - but he was still part of the team, and Delphi was someone he could call her friend. Besides, taking down the Sigilyph would allow him to mock the Golduck till his death-day.

Sigilyph readied itself as it rejoined its mental link with Sabrina. "Cripple it," Ash said coldly.

Kratos grinned. He liked those orders.

Sigilyph was faster now, but Kratos put its newfound speed to shame. He flashed under the stinging rain and crossed his scythes, aiming for the joints in Sigilyph's wings. It shrieked and flapped away as it spat a Shadow Ball, but Kratos sliced through with a Night Slash that forced it out of existence.

A circle of Scyther shimmered and surrounded Sigilyph. Ash was pleased to see they didn't distort too much under the rain - Sigilyph would be able to pick out the real Kratos if it focused enough, but in the heat of the battle it would be impossible.

He felt panic pierce his heart again as he saw the beginnings of Gravity build up in Sigilyph's wings. "It's using Gravity!" Ash warned, his words melding with each other. "Night Slash - break its focus!"

Sigilyph warbled warily as Kratos' scythes glowed a fierce, burning black. It tried to pin him to the ground with its crushing psychic force, but Kratos didn't care. He swung, blades stabbing at the bird, and sliced Sigilyph's wings outright. It writhed and shrieked as its suddenly lost control of Gravity and the built-up psychic energy exploded on itself.

"Air Slash," Ash ordered, grinning as over half a dozen crescent blades of blue energy gashed all over Sigilyph's wings. Its shriek was music to Ash's ears. After freezing Delphi solid and electrocuting Hydrus, he was glad to see Kratos beating the daylights out of it.

Another Night Slash dug into its wings. This time Ash could see clear flecks of blood fly out as Kratos pierced his enemy. Sigilyph shrieked, floating down, even as it struggled to levitate higher.

"Super Slash-Dark," Ash said slowly. Sigilyph was down for the count, no matter however much it tried to levitate itself with one twitching wing.

He only caught a pair of gleaming, black scythes before they crossed into Sigilyph with such crushing force that it flew all the way back and bounced violently off the psychic barriers. It rose weakly, cyclopean eye blinking as it struggled to stay away, and Kratos leapt forward to knock it out for good.

His scythes cleaved through thin air as Sigilyph was absorbed in a beam of red light. Sabrina called the pokéball containing her beaten friend back to her hand, after which it was teleported away with a whoosh. Kratos hissed, shaking raindrops off his scythes, and jerked his head at Sabrina with a challenging snarl.

A soft smile graced her lips as a great-ball appeared in her grasp, wobbling with every twitch of her fingers.

In a beam of light, a pokémon erupted on the field, a solid foot taller than Ash as it stood straight. It was slender and lean, the bottom half of its body white, while the upper was painted green. Its head resembled a gladiator's helmet, through which its white face peeked through with wise, red eyes. Red horns jutted from its chest and back, as if a spike had been stabbed right through. Its arms, shaped like tonfas, made Ash's blink in shock when blades extended from its elbows.

It looked somewhat similar to a Gardevoir, but Ash didn't have the foggiest idea as to what this creature was. In an instant his pokédex was out, scanning the pokémon as it stared pointedly at him.

Gallade, the blade pokémon. Gallade extends its elbows as if they were swords and, when protecting someone, it fights fiercely. It uses the blades only in defense of something or someone.

He knew it was a psychic-type, but its physique told him that it had fighting attributes as well. It seemed funny that Kratos would have to fight someone with arm-blades of their own.

"Kratos, use Double Team and circle it!" Ash yelled through the rain. The dark clouds up above were thinning rapidly now, and there was nothing but a faint drizzle.

The Scyther hissed, leaping into the air to fly, and summoned a swarm of clones that began to run around the Gallade in green blurs. It looked from side to side, trying to find Kratos hidden amongst his clones, and closed its eyes to focus on something.

Suddenly rings of white energy surrounded the Gallade, spinning for a moment, and then they split into white balls that shaped into stones sharper than diamonds. They circled the blade pokémon for the briefest of seconds before flying into the Scyther clones with deadly precision.

Kratos snarled, his cover blown as the copies vanished in puffs of smoke, and battered away the Stone Edge with a Brick Break. Then he lunged at it with a scythe reared back as he prepared for a Night Slash. Gallade stepped back and curled its claws into a fist, which then flared up with fireballs while it prepared to counter.

It parried Kratos' arm with one of its elbow blades and twisted a Fire Punch into his midsection. The blow knocked the wind out of him and fire coursed through his armour, but he recovered instantly and somersaulted away to launch blades of energy that whizzed through the air. Gallade grunted, skidding as the blow blew it back, but hacked the air to produce its own Air Slash.

"Super Slash," Ash hissed, and Kratos leapt in to slice Gallade with every fibre of his soul, but the psychic merely frowned and imploded away with the softest of cracks.

Only the noise of its teleportation warned Kratos of his foe's arrival, but it was too late and he was sent tumbling away as Gallade smashed his back with a Brick Break. Fireballs of the brightest blue grew at the tip of Gallade's claws, blazing ethereally for a moment, then pulsed out like bullets to sear Kratos.

"Vacuum Wave!" Ash yelled, and Kratos slashed his arms to release a burst of pure vacuum that extinguished the Will-o-Wisp with a whoosh.

Tiny sparks raced Gallade's claws as it pointed and aimed for Kratos' wings, but he was blurring away before the Thunder Wave was even released. He banked right down and slashed at Gallade's back, releasing crescent blades of energy, but they burst angrily against the wet floor as it teleported in an instant and reappeared in the air to deliver two swift fiery blows right between Kratos' shoulders. He snarled, back arching, and twisted to rip into Gallade's neck, but with a soft crack it vanished to the floor once more.

Ash chewed his lips nervously. Kratos was undeniably fast, but his speed held no leverage in this fight if he couldn't land a hit. It was frustrating to have an opponent that relied on hit-and-run techniques such as Gallade. Truthfully, he was infuriated. He had half a mind to call the Gallade a coward, but he had a feeling that Sabrina would relish his annoyance.

So he hid behind a mask of false calm and asked for Kratos to keep pressing his opponent. "Air Slash, Kratos!" he urged, but Gallade showed no discomfort as it winked in and out of existence and let the curved blades of energy raze the spots of floor it had claimed.

But Kratos was nothing if not unrelenting. His blades were supersonic as he reacted to every single instance of Gallade teleporting and hacked the air in a desperate attempt to tear his enemy into nothing. Unfortunately, he failed every time.

What enraged Kratos even more was Gallade's lack of retaliation. Apart from its attacking stance, it did nothing to challenge him apart from the playful smiles and occasional taunts. Ash knew that his teammate was reaching his tipping point - soon enough, Kratos would blow his lid and lose himself in a frenzy with no regards to his own self.

Eventually, Kratos decided he'd had enough. With a terrifying snarl he slammed his blades into the floor, cracking through, and conjured a mass of clones that hissed in tandem and moved to bury the psychic. Gallade flinched, briefly surprised, but still had absolute control over itself and teleported away without hesitation under a stream of incoming Air Slashes. It popped across the battlefield like a game of whack-a-mole, tearing through a few clones for good measure, and shadow-boxed every few moments in an effort to taunt Kratos.

The Gallade cut another Scyther in half, grunting as the clone vanished in a puff of smoke, and then it balked and tightened as Kratos hugged it from behind, seemingly from nowhere. Ash bit back a laugh as Gallade shrieked indignantly, writhing in Kratos' embrace, but only winced as his scythes dug deeper and deeper until it instinctively teleported away-

And then it reappeared a second too late, having taken Kratos for the ride. They teleported a foot above the floor, collapsing in a tangled heap. Kratos gasped and blinked furiously as he tried to regain his senses. A few feet away from him, Gallade heaved and caught its head as it swayed, disoriented and completely confused.

"Razor Wind!" Ash snapped, leaping at the change. Blades of focused energy bowled into Gallade as it listlessly crossed its blade in a battle-stance. Kratos rushed through the resulting cloud of smoke, his scythes glowing with fighting energy; there was silence for a second, until two, sharp thuds echoed through the cloud and Gallade was sent flying away. Its back snapped into the psychic barriers and it slumped over, groaning.

"Bury it with Air Slash," Ash bellowed, his heart beating faster than ever. If they have Sabrina's Gallade even a second to rest, it would recover and get back to its unending teleportation once more.

Scythes of compressed air blazed out as Kratos swung his arms, but a spire of tough stone erupted in front of Gallade as it climbed to one knee, weathering the energy blades until Kratos crushed it to a puddle of rubble. Gallade heaved and erected a psychic shield just in time to blunt a Brick Break, which bounced off the barrier and had Kratos stumbling.

Gallade bellowed. A row of stones flicked out from under the arena's floor and stabbed into Kratos' chest with such force that his armour dented. The Scyther shrieked, flying back like an arrow and crumpling into the floor. Gingerly he stood, his breathing coarse and ragged as he glared daggers at his assailant.

Gallade didn't stop there. It sprinted for Kratos, arms glowing purple, and teleported with unrestrained ferocity to Kratos' left. It swept its arm downwards before flickering over to Kratos' other side to deliver a second Poison Jab that flecked the air with venom. It was so instantaneous, that it almost seemed as if two Gallade had struck Kratos on either side and dropped him to the floor.

Breathing heavily, Gallade stepped away, grimacing in pain as it stumbled back.

A twinge of anger speared Ash's heart as he saw Kratos on the ground, struggling to rise. The Stone Edge had been devastating even without the Poison Jabs. Despite his admirable resolve, he was as good as defeated. Ash grit his teeth as he raised his friend's pokéball. He'd done his best.

But then he froze as a ferocious snarl made him lower the device in his hands. Kratos stood, albeit groggily, his eyes locked with Ash's as he roared for him to clip the ball back to his belt. Pride made his chest swell and, as he tightened his jaws, Ash nodded.

"Let's do this, Kratos." The Scyther grunted, shaking his arm blades and making Gallade blink in surprise. But then it smiled in respect and took up a fighting stance, twitching its claws in a come-hither motion.

Air Slashes flew from his arms in every possible direction. Gallade frowned, teleporting away with a bit more focus than usual, and retaliated by jabbing with an impossibly fast Ice Punch that Kratos somehow managed to block with a Brick Break. Gallade gasped in pain as crystalline ice flew from the impact and it vanished from a pair of scythes that looked like they could cleave its head off.

Ash noticed that Gallade was closing in with each teleportation. He waited until the last possible second, then yelled, "Tailwind in its face!" A cylindrical cyclone twisted out from Kratos as he swung his arms like windmills, blasting Gallade with a face-full of raging winds. It shrieked in surprise and flailed as it was blown of its feet and into the air, where Kratos had already flown to attack with Ash's next set of orders.

Twin Night Slashes slammed into its chest before it could even begin to recover and it plummeted to the ground. Kratos had already blurred away below to smash upwards into Gallade with Brick Breaks that made it shriek so piercingly that Ash wondered if he'd snapped its back. It slumped to the floor and instinctively erected a Stone Edge that crushed between Kratos' wings, and he was thrown to the arena as well.

Ash's breaths were the loudest sound in the stadium as Kratos and Gallade struggled to rise. Kratos' fangs scraped against each other as he pushed himself up. Pain wracked his shoulders, but was determined not to be the first to fall, and he made sure to keep a gimlet-eyed gaze on the rising Gallade.

And then they were up, facing each other like a standoff, and struggling to keep themselves from staggering. They lumbered at each other like drunken warriors and raised a bladed arm each to strike.

The snarl bubbling in Kratos' throat sputtered a died as a Fire Punch sank into his gut, but his strike hadn't been stopped. Gallade relished only a brief split-second of satisfaction before a Night Slash crushed into the back of its skull, and its eyes rolled in its sockets as it fell. Then an Air Slash flew as Kratos swiped his arm reflexively, snapping into the psychic's lean build and bowling it across the floor.

This time, it didn't get back up. Sabrina sighed and recalled her pokémon, but just then Kratos' legs gave out and he crumpled to the floor. He too didn't rise.

As the Scyther vanished in a ray of bright scarlet, Ash regarded with pokémon with the proudest smile he'd worn all week. "Thank you, Kratos," he murmured.

"It seems that it is a tie," Sabrina boomed, her voice psychically magnified, and Ash flinched. "However, as my Gallade was the first to fall, I will be releasing first."

Gallade's great-ball was replaced by a shiny new pokéball, the fourth on Sabrina's team. Ash felt a smile grace his lips as the flash of light shifted into the form of a Slowbro, dazed and uncaring. Its lazy smile soon transformed in an uncharacteristic scowl that made even Ash shudder as it lounged.

Still, he wasn't nervous - far from it. The tips of his finger rolled across Zeus' pokéball on his belt, and released the Ampharos within.

The Slowbro immediately grew wary as flickers of lightning arced around Zeus, its aggressive demeanor changing to a far cautious one. "You know what to do, Zeus!" Ash called, grinning wildly. "Thunderbolt!"

Forks of lightning leapt from Zeus' horns, but Slowbro casually absorbed the blast with Protect, leaving it utterly unscathed. "Again. Keep it on the defensive," Ash boomed, and another jolt of lightning streamed from the Ampharos. Once more an emerald shield formed as Slowbro grunted, deflecting the electricity effortlessly.

The Slowbro yawned and raised its claws, loosing a spear of ice that was blunted only by a judicious use of Light Screen. Zeus yelped as he was knocked a good foot away, but he was otherwise unaffected - in an instant he harnessed a lance of electricity that whipped across the battlefield and forced Slowbro to roll away.

A shell of energy froze Zeus in a twitch of Slowbro's claws - and then he was sent soaring skywards and slammed back to the ground. He groaned, gritting his teeth as he got on all fours, only to be blasted in the face by a psychic wave that left him sputtering.

Slowbro smiled a smile that terrified Ash. With a sweep of its tail it stomped the ground, sending out a thick wedge of earth that rolled out and tore up the neatly smoothed floor. Zeus yelped, propelling himself a foot in the air with a hastily-constructed magnetic field that saved him from the wave of dirt which would've knocked him away into the barriers.

"Agility, then Electro Ball!" Ash screamed. Zeus grunted, lost in a sudden burst of speed that made Slowbro flinch, and incandescence consumed his tail almost instantly. A sphere of condensed lightning, like a miniature sun, flew from the orb on his tail as he stopped behind a starstruck Slowbro, electrocuting the creature in a burst of sparks and smoke. It tumbled to the ground.

"Thunder Wave."

Slowbro froze as a lance of electricity coiled around its feet; in an instant it was paralysed, muscles cramping with agonizing intensity as it stood with the support of its arms, a pained grimace on its face. It staggered as it struggled to stand upright. A cheerful bleat escaped Zeus as he regarded his foe, curling his fists as he charged them with electricity.

But despite the paralysis, Slowbro looked undeterred. Its grimace was replaced by a determined scowl as it sprayed the air with enough water to fill up a swimming pool. Ash blinked when the water did not drench the floor immediately - on the contrary, it hung in the air like a mystical chandelier, before swirling and twisting to form a massive, raging whirlpool that put Kenny's Empoleon's to shame.

Zeus scowled and blasted it with a stream of electricity that should've instantly torn the maelstrom apart, but an unseen force merged them together. The supercharged whirlpool frothed and churned and thrashed about violently as Slowbro held it with a grin, and, with a deafening bellow, it hurled it at Zeus with no remorse.

Ash couldn't help but grimace when he saw Zeus shriek and thresh as he was swallowed by the electrified vortex. It picked him up like a toy car caught in a cyclone and drowned him in the tempestuous waters that Slowbro controlled with little difficulty. The water-type winced and growled as its claws struggled to hold the whirlpool together, but its intense focus was enough for the few moments of torture it put Zeus through before gasping and falling to one knee as it lost control of the vortex under its power.

A sopping wet Ampharos fell to the ground in the middle of splashing water. He gasped for breath and hawked up salty water, clearing his vision with furious blinks, and looked up to glare at Slowbro angrily. It laughed - a deep, booming guffaw that made Ash cringe - and forced the water on the arena to dissipate in a flourish of its arms.

A frown creased Ash's forehead as he saw a sphere of hard-packed mud grow to size in Slowbro's hands. "Iron Tail, blow it away!" he ordered, just as the Mud Shot was fired with the noise of a shotgun. And then Zeus spun with perfect timing and slammed his muscular, metallic tail directly into the earthen ball, painting the air with flecks mud.

Slowbro shielded itself from Zeus' initial Thunderbolt with an impromptu Protect and nimbly crawled away from the second, which fizzed harmless against the floor. "Discharge it across the field," Ash suggested, scowling at the inhuman speed with which Slowbro carried itself, even after the paralysis seizing its legs. Sabrina must've trained it to be the fastest Slowbro in Kanto. He'd bet a whole lot of money to prove that true.

Dazzling bolts of blue flashed out from the Ampharos' tail as he got down to all fours, covering the field in a spiderweb of electricity. Slowbro was fast, but even it could not weave through the many lightning bolts cracking against the floor. An emerald orb engulfed it as it came to a screeching halt, deflecting a stream of bright blue that threatened to electrocute every cell in its body.

"Keep it up," Ash encouraged. He knew there was no way Slowbro could avoid this - Protect was meant to absorb short blows and not sustained attacks. Pokémon were known to pass out from uninterrupted usage of such an impenetrable barrier, and while he was sure that Slowbro had been trained extensively in such an area, it would still be exhausted and drained if it kept it going long enough.

With a gravelly gasp, the green energy dissipated, and Slowbro was instantly blown away by the blast. It shrieked and flailed as it was thrown tumbling away, and rolled onto all fours only to be struck in the face by another electric blast that left it shuddering. Then another, and another, and-

It vanished in a ray of scarlet. Ash blinked, meeting Sabrina's soft smile with a glare of pure determination. This was Sabrina's last fighter.

A mix of fear and excitement and anxiety speared his chest as the Psychic Mistress hurled a shiny, gleaming ultra-ball. Burning light poured from the ball and revealed a wiry yellow fox, pads of rich brown protecting its shoulders, torso, wrists and knees. Ash felt its psychic presence through the arena as it unveiled its arms, producing two silver spoons that hung over each open palm of sharp claws.

The Alakazam sighed and closed its eyes, its long, silken moustache twitching as it infused its psychic powers with the spoons it held. Ash felt a needle of throbbing pain stab his forehead for the tiniest of seconds before the headache vanished as if it had never existed.

Then the silvery spoons bent at their necks and exploded with energy. Focused beams of rainbow light flashed out like bullets and were stopped in their tracks only by a equally-bright bolt of electricity that triggered an explosion. Smoke and dust covered the air, although it vanished as soon as Alakazam willed it.

And then it smiled and raised its arms, and flooded the world with blue.

A dome of psychic power engulfed the arena, straining against the barriers boxing the field. Zeus yelped and willed his magnetic field to propel him higher as the very field was saturated by a fierce, burning blue that shone with the strength of the sun. The psychic energy in the air intensified and Ash could see Alakazam's aura swelling as it took the deepest of breaths, soaking in its surroundings, and then it stared up and twisted the spoons in its claws as it unleashed the most powerful energy wave Ash had ever seen.

It slammed into Zeus with such force that he was sent spinning away for a good few seconds until he crashed into the field, his electromagnetic field disrupted. He grunted and groaned and pushing himself up, only to be lifted by a cocoon of psychic force that held him like a piñata before he was smote in the chest with the most precise Psybeam. A scream tore his throat and he was sent rolling away yet again.

Zeus growled. He surrounded himself with the energy of Agility and leapt at Alakazam, far faster than normal. But the psychic merely crossed its spoons and teleported away, striking him in the back with a mocking beam of electricity.

"Power Gem and Signal Beam!" Ash yelled, hoping Zeus would at least deliver some damage before his inevitable fall. His tail curved to point at Alakazam and released a beam of glittering red just as a ray of alien energy burst from the gemstone on his forehead. This time, Alakazam did not teleport, but conjured an impossibly thick screen that filtered the energy beams so much that they were nothing but a mere annoyance as they struck.

And then it vanished, imploding away behind a bewildered Zeus. A guttural groan escaped the fox as it tossed the spoons to one hand and clenched its claws, focusing every ounce of energy within it to collect in the form of blinding light. Zeus spun to slam it in the face with an Iron Tail, but a Psybeam erupted from the spoons in its free hand and threw him to the ground.

Alakazam snapped into Zeus' skull with the full burning force of a Focus Punch, powerful enough to crack the floor. His mouth was half-open as he fell, a soft moan floating out as he was lifted into the sky once again. But before Alakazam could knock him out with another psychic blast, Ash returned him to his pokéball without a second of hesitation.

He stared at Alakazam. He'd expected it to win against Zeus, but not so quick - he'd basically been tossed around like a rag doll during their fight. Nervousness began to bubble in the pit of his stomach as he clipped Zeus' pokéball back to his belt. Would they win this?

"Screecher, you're the last one!" he yelled, smiling when his Mismagius rushed out from his shadow and floated to the field. He didn't know if she hated pokéballs or just preferred his shadow to them, but it had certainly made her entrance theatrical. Even Sabrina had a smirk tugging at her lips as the ghost spun like a ballerina and focused her warm, amber eyes on Ash with a trill.

"Let's do this," he said.

Screecher trilled, her ghostly gown swaying as she turned to stare at Sabrina's Alakazam. It seemed unfazed by her appearance, although its silver spoons shone brighter than ever now. However mighty it was, it wasn't fool enough to dismiss the threat Screecher posed.

The spoons in its claws twisted and unleashed yet another Psybeam that seemed to glow brighter under the psychic dome engulfing the two. But Screecher was unfazed - her cry was almost a lazy drawl as she poured her energy into a Shadow Ball that dissipated the Psybeams entirely.

A smile graced Ash's lips as Screecher screamed out a stream of purple rings that forced Alakazam to teleport away with a grunt of annoyance. "You know what to do, girl," he said. "Spectral Zone!"

And they all watched, entranced, as the Mismagius drenched the floor in a flood of ghostly energy. The Shadow Ball swept over the arena and stretched over the psychically energized floor within seconds - it had swallowed Alakazam's Psychic Terrain whole and replaced it with the blackest of voids. The psychic barriers trapping the stadium flared angrily as the shadowy field covered every inch it could, fortifying themselves as they were eaten away by Screecher's energy. Ash grinned.

"Fantastic!" He couldn't help but laugh as Alakazam's moustache bristled with irritation, and it crossed its legs to levitate rather than stand - coming into contact with darkness had done exactly what Ash and Screecher had wanted. Sabrina was frowning, her forehead creased and the scarlet glow covering her eyes flickering as she tried to reconnect her link with her pokémon.

Sabrina gave up her mental link, and her eyes lost their blood-red shine. "Alakazam," she boomed, speaking for the first time. "Psyshock!"

Thick masses of psychic energy revolved around Alakazam as it hummed. Ash could see them crackling fiercely - no doubt they were packed with explosive power. "Circuit, Screecher," Ash countered. "Then use Confuse Ray!"

Half a dozen Shadow Balls formed around the ghost as Alakazam launched its attack with a crack. Screecher yawned and lazily tossed her Shadow Balls to counter the Psyshock attack - thunderous explosions rang through the stadium, making Ash wince. If they'd hit Screecher, it would've hurt.

Her eyes shone with a menacing purple as she turned to meet Alakazam's gaze, but the psychic's spoons pulsed with light before engulfing the arena with pure brightness. Ash bit back a gasp of pain as his eyes burned, and he blinked the spots out of his eyes. Flash had been a cheap shot, but it had done its work of nullifying Screecher's Confuse Ray.

"Counter its attacks with Dark Pulse," Ash commanded. His heart beat with an odd calmness as regarded the inky blackness encompassing the field. "The rest is up to you."

Screecher giggled. Her yellow eyes glowed with a piercing fierceness as she screamed out a stream of purple rings that howled through the air. Alakazam merely frowned as it grasped its spoons - then its frown deepened when nothing happened, and, with dawning comprehension that its teleporting abilities were severely hampered now, it unleashed a hasty Shadow Ball to neutralise the pulse of fiery darkness.

But it was futile - there was an ripple of dark and ghostly energy that swept over like lightning, and Alakazam was struck by the collateral damage. It shuddered and hissed, eyes shut tight as it wobbled and concentrated to overcome the fleeting moments of disorientation that had ruined its focus.

And Screecher took that chance to attack. Her eyes glazed over as she let loose an unearthly and she doubled over in pain; it was a small price to pay as Alakazam was engulfed by a lance of ghostly essence. A Curse had been inflicted, slowly sapping away at Alakazam's life force over the duration of the battle.

Screecher recovered from her throes instantly - she was intimate with the sacrifice that came with Cursing her foes, and the agony only fuelled her focus and anger in battle.

As Alakazam formed a duo of Shadow balls at the tip of its spoons, Ash knew that the powerful psychic was done for. But they would be walking a fine line now - it was still a formidable opponent, and the Curse disrupting its body would only make it more dangerous. They would have to be careful now.

Alakazam displayed its first emotion ever since it had been let out - clear anger dotted its eyes as it grunted and grimaced, teleporting away despite the Spectral Zone eating at its powers. It reappeared right behind Screecher with a pronounced crack, rearing its claws to throw punch packing raw electricity. Sparks exploded as it rammed its fist into Screecher's head.

Screecher squealed as she was thrown away like a doll, but spun to right herself almost instantly and smiled at Alakazam with thinly-veiled hate. A dozen clones split into existence and floated to encircle the psychic, whose eyes darted to and fro as it tried to locate the real Mismagius. A chorus of eerie voices filled the silence as Screecher and Alakazam waited, and Ash felt a sliver of ice run down his spine.

"Psycho Cut," muttered Sabrina. A frown had ruined her smooth face.

Alakazam grunted. It curled its claws around its spoons as they glowed with such intensity that Ash had to squint. Blue energy formed into scythes, hissing and distorting around the spoons, and then it slashed outwards, releasing twin blades of psychic power that cut through the Mismagius clones as if they were nothing. Screecher only got away by floating higher than Alakazam could reach.

"Circuit, defend yourself!" Ash snapped as a sudden Shadow Ball slammed into Screecher's side with unbelievable speed. "You're not invincible!"

Screecher scowled, but she agreed. A ring of Shadow Balls surrounded her within seconds as Alakazam released more Shadow Balls like a cannon. Whenever the spheres grew nearer, a Shadow Ball from the ring around Screecher would fly out to neutralise it instantly. At least that was taken care of.

Alakazam shuddered as the Curse stabbed it yet again, and Screecher tittered with delight. Her eyes gleamed murderously and she spat a Shadow Ball that Alakazam sliced through with a Psycho Cut, barely in time.

It was huffing and humming angrily as it locked itself into a staring contest with Screecher, but she seemed more amused than anything. Ash bit back a scowl - he had half a mind to yell at her to get serious, but so far she had dominated the fight and negated Alakazam's techniques with little difficulty and he wasn't going to complain.

"Will-O-Wisp," Ash whispered, hoping that his voice would carry over Screecher's laughs.

Screecher's ghostly hat twitched in acknowledgement, replacing the circle of Shadow Balls with blue wisps of fire that shot out like bullets. Alakazam dissipated them with a slash of its spoon - a feeble psychic wave erupted from the sweeping motion and the fireballs were extinguished like candles being blown out.

"Thunder Wave," tried Ash, dropping his attempt to burn Alakazam. "Discharge it all over!"

Blinding electricity weaved across the field with a crackle. Alakazam frowned, moustache twitching, and it was quick to teleport further up to avoid having its body freeze up by the paralysing electricity. A Shadow Ball grew to size between its claws, releasing it with a shockwave, and collided with a reflexive Dark Pulse that leapt from Screecher on a whim.

A lance of electricity zigzagged through the explosion, too fast and too sudden for Alakazam to avoid. It could only flinch and scramble away as the bolt ploughed into its chest and knocked it to the ground.

Alakazam grimaced as it crashed, recoiling as it came in contact with Screecher's Spectral Zone. It staggered and groaned as it struggled to fight off its painful spasms, while Screecher hovered close with an infuriatingly cheerful smile. Alakazam's pained grimace transformed into an ugly scowl as it leered up at the ghost hovering above.

It stood on trembling feet, hunched over as if cowering for mercy, but Ash noticed a flare of sparks racing along its tightly clenched fist. "Payback!" he yelled, a maniacal grin forming on his face. Screecher smirked, nodding in understanding. A frown of confusion disturbed Alakazam's glare, but it focused once more on its anger and threw a Thunder Punch, so blindingly fast that Ash could only discern it from the dazzling cloak of electricity crackling wildly.

Arcs of blue flew out as Alakazam rammed the Thunder Punch into Screecher's neck. She flailed, shrieking as her body threshed from the electrical shock, but transformed her pain into a wild aura of what looked like black fire, blazing like an inferno, and then she moved to crash into Alakazam with such overwhelming force—

And Sabrina yelled, "Foul Play!"

Alakazam's scowl had disappeared. No longer was it grimacing in pain, despite its cramping limbs; a smile had taken over, as devilish as Screecher's own. Glowing black claws, as dark as the night, slashed into Screecher's Payback and turned her own power against her. She yelped in surprise as she was blown away and she crunched into the psychic barrier with a sickening crack.

Rage built up in Ash's chest. "Hex!" he roared, lip curled in a snarl. Screecher had already got back up, shuddering in pain but still ready to fight, and shaped molten black light into what seemed to be an ominous eye. It blinked and flashed with crimson - Alakazam could do nothing as it shared a glimpse with the ghostly sphere.

Then it vanished, and the air was filled with Alakazam's screams. It seized and dropped to the ground, engulfed in a ghostly aura as the paralysing pain in its limbs attacked it with renewed vigor. Ash smiled. Despite himself, twisted pleasure bubbled in his chest as he watched the psychic writhe and thrash about in excruciating pain, and he found himself laughing with his Mismagius.

Despite all odds, Alakazam got back up. It was sagging and shaking as it did, but it was still conscious nevertheless.

The most massive Shadow Ball appeared between its trembling hands, silver spoons focusing every remaining ounce of energy into the sphere of crackling obsidian. "Dark Pulse!" Ash screamed.

But Screecher did nothing. Ash felt irritation build up as she simply giggled at the oncoming Shadow Ball, and then－

Out of nowhere a thin portal whooshed to life above her, clouded with purple miasma, and she sank into it with a ghost of a smile.

Shock and confusion consumed the arena. Alakazam's Shadow Ball passed through empty air, and it suddenly looked at its surroundings, worried and fearful. Its claws itched with psychic powers, waiting for the ghost to make her presence known.

But Ash looked at the field with wide eyes. He was dumbstruck by what had just happened; he'd never seen Screecher do anything like this, or even hint at such an ability. Sabrina answered his rampant questions without him asking. "It's using Phantom Force," she yelled, eyes troubled. "Future Sight, my friend!"

Alakazam's eyes turned a cloudy white. The air hummed with psychic energy despite the Spectral Zone still corrupting the floor. Alakazam crossed its spoons in the air - a blue sphere grew to size, bright and gleaming. Sparks of white energy raced all over it as it moved to circle overhead, like a halo.

Everyone's eyes were glued to the floor that still moaned with dark energy. Seconds passed, but Screecher still hadn't appeared. Ash frowned. Where was she?

And suddenly, his brain felt like it was on fire.

I'm right here.

Ash gasped as the voice burned within his mind. It felt like something had carved through his skull with the pressure of a diamond and he quickly found himself kneeling and sputtering. The voice in his head echoed once more with the same ferocity, harsh and amused and raspy, and then the searing pain was gone as quickly as it had come, and he felt himself breath normally again.

Confused and scared and utterly bewildered, Ash looked to Sabrina. She glanced at him with a flicker of worry in her eyes, but the fraction of concern disappeared as if it had never been there. But in that instant of whatever had just happened, Ash had missed Screecher's appearance on the field, and he immediately forgot his fear in favour of the awe that overcame him.

Miasma frothed on the pitch-black floor. In a split-second, the same portal formed with a crackle of energy and Screecher emerged through it like a submarine. Alakazam snapped around as it began to prepare a Shadow Ball, but it gasped and hunkered over as its arms cramped once more. Screecher lunged, wreathed in an alien aura of arterial scarlet as she slashed her ghostly appendages across her foe.

Alakazam shrieked. The silver spoons fell from its psychic grasp as it was thrown away spinning, and it landed in a tangled heap of twitching arms and legs. But it hadn't been beaten without a final blow - even as Alakazam groaned on the ground, the orb of energy floating above let loose a bolt of white lightning so brilliant, that Ash had to cover his eyes as he heard Screecher's keening shriek.

A pang of worry rose within Ash as he saw Screecher crumple to the floor, but then she floated once more, blinking as she regained her senses. Her ghostly form was ripe with agony, but she had completed her task - Alakazam laid unmoving, apart from the rise and fall of its padded chest. It was defeated.

Ash blinked. He'd won!

"You did it!" he cried, clear joy etched on his face as he regarded Screecher with the biggest grin he'd ever worn. The Mismagius trilled, and her necklace of jewels flashed as she twirled in the air with unrestrained mirth. As the arena returned to its unblackened state, he waited for the barriers to disappear before leaping in to approach his pokémon.

He laughed as Screecher nuzzled him with such eagerness that made him wonder if she'd forgotten about the wounds still hurting her. "You were great. You all were," he added, glancing at the pokéballs on his belt. "I couldn't be more proud."

He felt someone behind him - Sabrina was floating towards him with a bright smile on her face. Her Alakazam was no longer unconscious on the floor, and it walked behind her, albeit with a limp in its gait. "Your power…It far exceeds what I foresaw," Sabrina murmured. "You've won, Ash Ketchum. Your victory has earned you a marsh badge."

She held out a slender arm and opened her fist. The circle of gold nestled in her palm rose and floated over to Ash, who snatched it from the air and inspected it with wide, awestruck eyes. Screecher peered over his shoulder, yellow eyes twinkling.

"Thank you," Ash said, nodding.

"And here is your complimentary TM," she added, handing out a pink record she'd seemingly plucked out of thin air. He decided he'd never get over his wonder when it came to her psychic tricks. "It contains the move Psyshock, a special attack that actually does physical damage. Use it well."

"I will."

She smiled. "Once you win the eight gym badges you need to collect, I'd like for you to return for a rematch. Alakazam does not find himself defeated often, and we would like the challenge."

Ash nodded, gulping as he felt Alakazam's intense stare fall on him. Then he felt a presence pierce his mind - unfamiliar and cold, but not painful unlike the voice that had torn his senses earlier. He flinched.

You will find it very difficult to win a second time.

Its voice was more playful than threatening, but Ash couldn't help but retort. "I think your Alakazam needs a paralysis heal," he told Sabrina, smiling innocently at the psychic. Its moustache twitched in annoyance.

"I think he does," Sabrina teased, smirking at her pokémon. Alakazam scowled, but then it hunched and sighed. "My friends need to rest, Ash Ketchum."

He nodded in understanding and opened his mouth to bid goodbye, but he remembered Sabrina's earlier words and stopped. "You said you wanted to talk to me about something," he said slowly, remembering her cryptic remark.

"Later," she dismissed. "Your pokémon are tired, and I think your friend Misty would like some company for the rest of the evening."

He blushed a bit at that, but either Sabrina didn't notice or she didn't care. "Tomorrow, four p.m. Don't be late." Then she turned to face the Mismagius hovering at Ash's side. "You were magnificent, Screecher. Not many opponents find victory against Alakazam."

Screecher rolled her eyes as if it had been no trouble for her, but her weary condition belied her demeanor.

"Until tomorrow, Ash Ketchum," Sabrina said, and with a smile, she and her Alakazam vanished.

Ash stared at the marsh badge in his palm. "That was fun," he said, cracking a grin. He made a note to call his mother as soon as he could and tell her of his victory against Sabrina.

Screecher nudged him and broke through his reverie. Ash blinked. "What?"

The ghost flicked her eyes to Ash's feet and schooled her face into the cutest, most innocent pout she could muster. Ash sighed.

"Yes, Screecher, you can stay in my shadow."

She giggled.

XxXxX

Trainer:Ash Ketchum

Pokémon in possession:

Saur – Venusaur

Delphi – Xatu

Zeus – Ampharos

Hydrus – Golduck

Monferno

Snorlax

Screecher – Mismagius

Kratos– Scyther

Atlas – Trapinch

Eevee