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Title: The Final Step to the Master Reloaded
Part: First Arc, Third Episode
Author: Matthias aka MysticMew (Solarsenshi@gmx.de)
Beta: H-Man #89995, partly xryuran
Status: Alpha
Rating: R
Category: Romance, Adventure, Dark, lots of other things...
Pairings: Ash/Dawn (main), added as revealed
Continuum/Spoilers: Everything up to the start of the Sinnoh League Tournament, from there on original plot.
Distribution: M&M DreamWorks Blog (http://mysticmew44.blogspot.de), M&M DreamWorks Archive (http://mysticmew.bplaced.net), Fanfiction.net (www.fanfiction.net), M&M DreamWorks archive and blog gets preference and the desired and best format, all versions will first go to the blog and archive.
Disclaimer: Pokémon©1995-2011 by Nintendo, Creatures Inc. and GAME FREAK Inc.
Story Disclaimer: TFSTTM Reloaded©2011-? (ongoing) by Matthias aka MysticMew
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(Dawn)
"... a spectacular event so far. We have seen many exciting matches. The most outstanding, however, were the performances of two Trainers whom each had a flawless streak of victories throughout their matches. Little is known about the mysterious trainer called Phantom. A late entry into the tournament, background checks have so far come up empty. On the other hand, young trainer Ash Ketchum is fairly known in expert circles after having competed in Kanto, Johto and Hoenn so far with high results, as well as winning the coveted Orange League title and mastering the Kanto Battle Frontier. No small feats indeed but his overwhelming victories this year have even most experts floored and grasping for explanation. Throughout all the qualification and tournament matches so far all he has shown us is the high speed of his Pikachu and Infernape, winning his matches with these two alone. We are all asking us, now that the final rounds are beginning, will we see how good this competitor really is when faced with a serious opponent. We shall see tomorrow when Ash faces of with Barry, another young Trainer showing great promise in this tournament!"
I clicked off the television with a sigh. As should be expected after the initial matches, Ash was taking the League in a storm and that was generating quite a hype. Such smashing victories were bound to attract attention and we had to dodge a lot of media lately or risk getting swarmed up in distractions. And distraction was something Ash didn't need right now. With the group battles over it was now getting serious. His first opponent was Barry who only made second place in his group. How exactly that happened I wasn't sure but he claimed that it had just been "bad luck". Regardless, the hyperactive, blonde Trainer from Twinleaf would be Ash's first real challenge. They had had a few sparring fights in the past and had been more or less evenly matched. Sure Ash was definitely the favorite this time around but to write Barry off just like that was bound to invite disaster.
Getting up, I headed towards another room in our lodgings. Barry wasn't the only thing on Ash's mind. The matchup pairs for the next rounds had been decided already. If all went as planned he would face Paul in the semi-finals. Yet, even more important was that with their overwhelming success both Ash and the mysterious Phantom were on other sides of the brackets, meaning they would only meet in the final. And it seemed Ash was already expecting it to happen this way. I wasn't sure if he had a suspicion regarding the unknown Trainer and if he did, he wasn't elaborating on it. However, he had been going over strategies every free minute as if expecting the greatest battle of his life.
Quietly I slipped into the room we were using as a study and frowned slightly seeing Ash sprawled over his notes, snoring lightly. Forcing a wry smile, I shook my head at his stubbornness. Logically seeing he had little reason to second guess his success. However, what had started with the decision for the special training before the tournament was more than just that. He was determined to see this through and leave nothing up to chance this time.
For a moment I lingered at his side, watching quietly. Despite obviously stressing himself out, he looked quite peaceful now and it made me smile softly. That he was pushing himself so hard concerned me but I wasn't overly worried about his performance. In fact, I had utmost faith in him that he was going to win this tournament and make his dream come true. After all the dedication he had put into this tournament, anything less would be unacceptable for him and unimaginable to me.
There were a few things that I would have really liked to do in a situation like this. My feelings for him had settled awhile ago and I knew precisely what I wanted. But the time for a more romantic setting would come later. Ash had promised we'd continue travelling together, preferably just the two of us. There was plenty of time then. For now I would play the role of the steady support and be there for him when he needed me.
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M&M DreamWorks Presents
The Final Step to the Master Reloaded
First Arc: Breaking the Limit
Episode 3: Road to the Final! Challengers Everywhere!
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(Narrator)
"The first rounds of the Sinnoh League competition are over and Ash has breezed through them with smashing success." C'mon, guys, give him a harder challenge this time. It was starting to get boring. "Today he will face one of his rivals. Will Barry be able to compete against the overwhelming strength Ash has so far shown in this tournament?" As if. I wondered why we didn't just jump straight to the final. It would help me trying to build up suspense where no suspense is needed... "Eeek!" Dodges lightning bolt. "Sorry, sorry...! Ah!" A fireball singed my hair and I scrambled for the door in desperate flight from the mad muse. Hastily yanking it open I was flattened by the wrecking ball...
[Maia snickers from atop the wrecking ball. "Serves you right. Never heard of building up atmosphere?"]
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(Barry)
With the crowd going wild all over the stadium and the anticipation before the match reaching its climax I felt a strange, unusual calm. This was it. The moment of truth. I had reviewed most of the matches from competitors who would prove the greatest challenge. Before the tournament I would have said that Paul was surely going to be the hurdle to take if one wanted a chance at the title. Life, however, was full of surprises and now two others were the hottest candidates for the final. And the biggest surprise was that Ash was one of them.
I should feel excitement over this but somehow I couldn't. Not that I had given up already. Every Trainer with ambitions like ours always came to win, nothing else was allowed as a goal. The best I could describe was a sense of... yes, almost reverence that I had the chance to test my mettle against a Trainer of Ash's caliber. There was no doubt for me that his overwhelming success was not a fluke or just the work of his Pikachu and Infernape. A Trainer with his mindset would never allow such disharmony in his team.
Let's see if I couldn't force him to show his true skills. "Ready or not, Ash, I don't plan on losing here!"
Ash sent me an answering grin, his concentration cracking a moment. "Wouldn't want it any other way!"
And with that the match was on. And going right against my calculations. I had hoped he would start with Pikachu and not Infernape since so far he had been switching around every match. However, it didn't matter either way. Skarmory would have had a bad stand against either of them. Timing was everything here. "Skarmory, start now! Spikes all over the field!" We had intensely trained for this. A shower of small but sharp metal spikes struck the rocky terrain in a seemingly endless stream. Normally spreading the ability in this quantity would seriously dampen its effect but the damage was not the idea here. Seeing Ash frown and Infernape unsure for a moment only bolstered my confidence in this strategy.
Not wanting to give them time to get accustomed to the situation I followed up. "Tailwind, now! Then follow with Defog!" I had Skarmory specifically retrained for this match as soon as it was clear I wouldn't make first place in the group and end up against Ash. The momentary confusion and to greater extend, the highly impeded radius of movement allowed Infernape to get hit by the Defog. I wasn't stupid enough to believe the Tailwind would make my Pokémon faster but with the prepared ground it would serve to even out the field.
"Infernape, jump and Flame Wheel!" Ash had recovered and responded. I had expected that and was pleased to see that Skarmory managed to slip past the incoming Infernape. Just as expected. Without the ability to gain speed on the ground, jumps out of a standing position were still breathtakingly fast but not as impossible to follow.
I had no illusion of Skarmory lasting for long though. It was not built to be a sweeper. Indeed Skarmory managed to evade two more attacks barely but it was clear that the gaps were getting radically different. Ordering him up, a flaming sweep kick was evaded and with the way Skarmory had been positioned would send Infernape right into a particular area thick with metal spikes. "Quick now, Brave Bird!" Using the speed picked up from the dive and the effects of Tailwind, Skarmory came down with a similar spectacular meteor-like appearance as Ash's Infernape had done in other matches before. Said ape had just landed, barely avoiding getting hurt by the spikes and to my satisfaction didn't make a move to try and avoid Skarmory's attack.
For a moment I truly thought it would work. The Defog should ensure the impossibility of a close-quarter evasion in such limited space. If Infernape stepped willingly into the spikes it would seriously hamper its movements on a permanent basis. What I didn't expect was what happened next.
"Infernape, bend with it and counter with Blaze Kick!" To my astonishment and dismay I saw Ash's Pokémon face the attack head on. There was a definite collision and a clear hit. But instead of getting drilled to the ground or flung across the field, Infernape twisted its body along with the attack, allowing it to actually flow around Skarmory's body, following this fluent movement with a sweeping kick covered in flames that smashed right on top of the steel bird, disrupting any attempt to complete the move and avoid crashing into the ground. I didn't need to wait for the dust to clear to know that with the added fire in the attack that there was no way Skarmory would get up from this one.
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(Pikachu)
Sitting this one out was harder than I had anticipated. In hindsight I might have dealt with this situation a little better. The constant evasion training had given me an edge of flexibility in movement that Infernape hadn't quite reached yet. The Defog further impaired his movements and even while able to endure Skarmory's attacks and effectively taking it out of the match with the counter kick, the maneuver had left him weakened.
By far not beaten. But Barry had successful managed to force Ash into a position to consider continuing and needing to show more of Infernape's qualities or to switch out. "Pika pi," I queried softly, glancing up at Ash and seeing his mind work. Perhaps Barry was actually hoping that it would be the former, in the hopes of taking Infernape out of the match completely. He would be in for more surprises then.
As I had suspected, as soon as Barry had send out his next Pokémon, a Hitomnlee, Ash recalled Infernape much to the surprise of the majority of the stadium and the frustration of Barry. Much like Conway he was clearly set up to deal with a high speed battle. Skarmory was meant to impede speed and movement which Hitomnlee could then take advantage of. Ash had deliberately chosen his party for this match in anticipation for such a tactic and to throw of the other competitors who were sure to be watching.
Gabite quickly took Infernape's place, taking a few hits from the spikes but nothing our endurance training hadn't prepared us for. For Infernape and to some extend me the spikes would have been more of a problem but Gabite wasn't that speed-orientated to really care about it. With interest I followed the second battle as the two Pokémon clashed fast and furious. Hitomnlee started out with a Mind Reader and Focus Punch combo which Gabite blocked and reversed to counter into a Dragon Rush. Hitomnlee took the punishment well and countered with a kick which Gabite once more caught, prepared to slam Hitomnlee to the ground but found himself the victim of a Reversal that send it right into a concentration of spikes. At this point Ash had had enough of the field advantage Barry had created and had Gabite clear most of the field with an Earthquake.
Barry obviously realized he wasn't getting far with this and finally brought in Empoleon at this point, trying to capitalize with a powerful offense of water attacks right away that kept Gabite at a distance and busy. However, the field was clear now and there was much more room to move. Evasion training was kicking in to a great deal now. Most other Pokémon would have been overwhelmed under the barrage but Gabite was weaving through it as best as possible and taking the rest in stride.
I could see Ash was fully concentrated on Empoleon's attacks the whole time and sure enough he had figured out the timing after a short time, ordering Gabite underground at precisely the right moment. For a moment committed to an attack without a target, Empoleon was unable to get out of the way when Gabite came out of the ground with a hard jab that lifted the penguin straight off the ground and open for a devastating Draco Meteor that carried Empoleon up into the air upon its ascend, dropping it hard to the ground as it split for the actual attack.
This battle had been a lot closer than most of the previous matches. Barry had definitely made his homework. However, it wasn't enough. Whatever suspicions some might have that the gap between Infernape, me and the rest of Ash's team was a big one, they should be squashed after this match. The real tournament had begun now and while we still wanted to retain some surprises we couldn't afford to play around. Especially not if what Ash suspected about Phantom's identity turned out to be true. Hiding the rest of the team's abilities would in that fact be far more outweighed by giving them actual battle experience in this environment.
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(Ash)
While Barry recalled his beaten Empoleon I used the chance to look up into the stands, towards the V.I.P. box. Leaf had pulled some strings and had managed to get everyone up there... Something about my friends surely being better company than some annoying officials. This gave me a chance to actually spot Dawn cheering for me, along with Piplup. I always thought she was kind of cute playing cheerleader and her support in this manner gave me an extra boost of confidence. Before quickly returning my attenion to the field, I caught Leaf's gaze, studious and calculating. I frowned slightly, the suspicions that had been driving me harder for awhile now only getting stronger. How likely was it that someone else beside the two of us with a similar training was here?
Shaking my head, I pushed the thoughts back for now. I couldn't allow myself to get distracted. Barry had proven as much a challenge as I had expected. He had definitely been creative. Unfortunately he had also tried one thing that I myself was quite good at even before the extra training. Controlling the field had always been a strong point of mine and while initially surprised, I did not need long to figure out the purpose and strategy behind Barry's actions.
"Good work, Gabite," I congratulated my Pokémon. For his first real major fight in a setting like this, Gabite had stayed focused the entire time, a trait that he had been showing ever since his evolution where before Gible had been lacking a bit in that area. Dodging and withstanding the attack barrage from Empoleon had tired him out somewhat though and there was one more Pokémon I wanted to give some experience. "Your turn, Torterra!"
To be fair, that matchup was rather uneven. Barry had clearly chosen Hitomnlee to deal with Pikachu and/or Infernape in the wake of Skarmory's setup. Torterra was the one Pokémon in my team that stood in clear contrast to my usual orientation in battle. And I had no intention to show everyone just how "agile" my Torterra was. Not yet. So, once again, I resigned myself to a wait and counter strategy as I had been doing for pretty much the entire match. In a way that was a good thing since it would keep the opposition guessing even more from seeing me successfully deviate from my normal battle tactic.
Torterra had little trouble shrugging off Hitomnlee's attacks regardless of what combination was tried. Patiently I waited for the attack that eventually had to come. I was fairly certain that it would and sure enough Barry was ordering a Blaze Kick a little while later. "Raise a barrier!" I called out. Torterra immediately jammed his strong vines into the ground and had them come spearing out of the ground in front of the charging Hitomnlee. If it had been just that, the fire kick would have easily shattered a wooden barrier but we had worked on this defense technique for awhile now until Torterra could make it as fast and sturdy as it was now, reinforced by layers of earth that dampened the attack. It still broke through but Hitomnlee had lost all of its momentum. "Energy Ball!" Still hanging half in the air, the green sphere hit it straight in the chest and carried Hitomnlee up further into the air. I would give neither Barry or his Pokémon time to recover though. "Now, Razor Storm!" Technically this was a combination formed with a Leaf Storm as a basis but the individual leaves as sharp as a Razor Leaf attack which gave the attack a more physical edge.
Barry tried to have Hitomnlee block the attack while still in midair but it was too dense and altogether too fast to defend against effectively. After endless hours of trying to hit Pikachu, Torterra's aim had become outstanding and the overwhelming number of razor-sharp leaves had Hitomnlee soon surrounded, obscured and then crashing to the ground. I had to give him that he was not giving up, trying to get to his feet after that. However, the last attack in addition to having fought with Gabite already proved too much.
"That was great, Torterra." I recalled the big Plant Pokémon with a sigh of relief. I could safely say that I was satisfied with this battle. Barry had given me as good a battle as I had expected and Gabite and Torterra had performed excellently. I should think we were ready for the last matches if there just wasn't that sneaking suspicion. No, I shook my head. Even if it was true, that didn't change anything. All of my Pokémon had worked hard to come to this point and there was no reason to doubt their ability to preserve against any challenger. Whoever it might be, I added silently with a glance up at the V.I.P. box.
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(Leaf)
"No really? He did that?!" I exclaimed in delighted surprise at the latest tale related by the other girl. My initial assessment hadn't proved me wrong. Dawn was indeed a peculiar and very likeable girl. To that point, I had only been half-joking in my flirting comment at our first meeting. Of course I would never intrude on someone else's territories, friendly teasing aside.
I could see why Ash was liking her so much, enough that he had finally broken this shell of his and allowed himself to venture out into the wide universe known as relationships. Even in that short time I had known her – and this was really our first chance to talk in an unofficial setting – I could tell a few things already that made her special. A strong, shining personality was at the core of her strongest traits. Her goals were set and she pursued them with a similar idealistic drive as Ash and I did. In that regard we were all very similar. While still developing she already had a certain aura that inspired those around her – and most importantly her Pokémon – to go those extra lengths in order to see her smile happily. To have that kind of effect was something I had come to believe as the small but significant difference between a potential Elite Trainer and... a legend.
Therein lay the crux and why I could see that Ash had fallen for her, and also why, if circumstances had been different, I might have done so as well. The bond that Ash and I had formed in that one year was something I valued highly and had not found with anyone else. We were kids then and didn't truly understand how important it was until we were separated. However, it never became anything more than a strong friendship. If there was love, then it was more a sibling love. And therefore, regardless how much Dawn was fitting right on the same wavelength, that road was already closed to me.
There was no regret over that realization. No bitterness or even just a touch of bittersweet longing. I was glad for Ash that he had found someone who he could share and live out his dreams with. He would need that in the times ahead. Both would...
I shook off the dark path my thoughts had taken involuntary. It was not time to think along those lines already. There would still be time, time that they needed to develop. "So," I decided to tease a little more, hopefully prodding in the right direction. "Have you and Ashy kissed already?"
Dawn flushed, looking away quickly and I couldn't suppress the giggle. Just too cute. Everyone around them knew, could probably tell at first glance, they didn't even make an effort to hide. However, for all that, they seemed comfortable to stay in the silent affection phase for now.
"N-Not yet..." Dawn spoke softly, confirming my assessment. "There's a lot going on and Ash needs to focus on the tournament." I raised an eyebrow. "Well, um..." The bluenette suddenly seemed to gain a little more confidence and I could see a glint of mischief in her eyes that intrigued me. "I wanted to save it for a special moment."
Aha, so she had thought about it. Probably quite a lot. She definitely wasn't a tomboy but clearly a romantic at heart where it counted. Good for Ash. The poor guy would probably just stumble along otherwise. Cutely so but still with little plan on what to do. "Got anything particular in mind?"
Dawn now grinned slightly. "A couple of scenarios..."
Before she could further elaborate the object of our discussion had finally figured out where we had run off to. "There you are!" he exclaimed. "Brock said I'd find you here, probably swapping embarrassing stories about me."
Dawn had the good grace to blush. I just shrugged and smirked at him. "Among other things."
He snorted but sat down next to Dawn. "I'm glad you two are getting along." All of us smiled at that. The first meeting had indeed been awkward but now that the initial misunderstanding had been cleared, I was glad to have been accepted so easily by Dawn as well. I wouldn't want to be the source of conflict between Ash and his girlfriend.
I was about to make some witty comeback but Ash beat me to it. Leaning forward he peered at me with a suddenly rather intense and scrutinizing gaze that I couldn't quite understand. "I've got a favor to ask. I'd like to see where I'm really standing before the last three rounds so I thought we could perhaps have a battle."
Oh boy, how was I supposed to answer that one now...
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(Brock)
While the girls were having some bonding time and now with Ash off to join them, I had been left fairly alone in the small café. I wished I had followed as well but it didn't feel quite right to intrude. It was fortunate enough that Dawn had been quick enough to forgive and actually bond with the other girl. Old childhood friends could often become one of the major stepping stones in any relationship. Especially because there was often enough some mild to serious interest from said friend which could quickly escalate. Thankfully it wasn't Kenny that was here. The other boy had made it more than clear last time that he liked Dawn a lot and was jealous of the fact that she was travelling with Ash. It would certainly become interesting when they ran into each other again in the future. Leaf wasn't that kind of person. Her feelings for Ash were clearly platonic.
I still wished I had tagged along. Being grilled by Paul of all people about Ash's sudden increase in skill had not been a preferable activity. To be fair, I was surprised he had waited so long to say something. By now I had been more certain he would simply accept it and quietly prepare for it. Not that he really asked much or pressed long when it became apparent that I wouldn't be forthcoming but the intimidating look and the suspicious stare had been unnerving. Paul wasn't necessarily as bad as he came across most of the time. I knew for a fact that while Ash despised Paul's attitude towards his Pokémon, he also held a high respect for his rival as a Trainer.
If I thought about it a little more, Paul actually getting emotional about Ash's fast growth, was almost out of character and left only one conclusion. He was nervous, unsure of just how great the jump was that Ash made and how he achieved it in such a short time. After all, Paul had been one of the last serious challengers to fight with Ash, he even witnessed the event where Monferno evolved. From an outside view I could understand just how big the difference became.
That wouldn't stop Paul from giving the best he could. He always demanded that of his Pokémon and thus of himself as well. When I told him simply that Ash was really looking forward to their rematch, he had just grunted and walked away but I could catch the tiny glimpse of a pleased expression.
Leaning back in my chair with a weary sigh, wondering again why it had to be me to have this confrontation, my thoughts drifted away again, like so often in quiet moments these days. The tournament was coming to a close. If everything went as we hoped there would be two more major events. Barring the quarter finals against an opponent that so far had shown no outstanding abilities to suggest an upset, there was the expected semi-final with Paul and the final, probably with the still unidentified Phantom. The matchup had officially the highest exchange rate with Paul VS Phantom coming up quite a ways behind that.
I would soon have to decide what to do after the tournament. Surely I would once again spend some time at home. My siblings would be missing me and I felt that whatever Ash and Dawn had planned together after this, I would feel like being in the way. Giving them some time by themselves was something they needed to deepen and stabilize their relationship.
However, much like before, I had never been able to stay home for long ever since setting out the first time with Ash. Always I had ended up with him again, the pull of adventure, the knowledge I could only obtain by travelling, luring me. So far I had always been assured that it was my dream to become a breeder. Lately though I had started to think along a different path. Perhaps it was all the time I had to play field medic for our travelling party's Pokémon that had made me think about becoming a doctor. It wouldn't be so very different than what I had been doing so far. A lot more theory though and would I really want that? So far I had done well with my practical learning. Despite that, I often felt that compared to Ash, May and then Dawn I seemed to always fall behind in getting closer to my goals.
I sighed again, once more not finding an enlightening answer. I doubted I would have one before I returned home and had some more quiet time to contemplate my future.
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(Dawn)
I was a little surprised not to find Ash poured over strategy notes like he had been most of the time lately. Instead he was sitting outside on the small bench on the balcony of our suite. As I stood in the door I took a moment to study him. Something was different now. The somewhat hectic, definitely concerned air around him was gone. Whatever had Ash so spooked, he seemed to have gotten over it. No, not over it. More like a resigned calm had settled over him.
Thinking back to my talk with Leaf before Ash had interrupted us, I quietly slid the door closed behind me. There was no point in trying to surprise him, he would know by now, regardless how absorbed he might be in his thoughts. However, he clearly wasn't expecting me to boldly slide onto his lap. The action was followed by a long moment of silence, then another... "Do you mind?" I smiled sweetly, sounding a lot more self-confident than I felt. I honestly meant what I told Leaf. As long as the tournament was still going on, I did not want to push our relationship deeper. He had enough on his mind and we were both in rather unknown territory as it was. That would serve to be distracting whether we wanted to or not. At the same time I did long for a little more closeness. This shouldn't be pushing things too much, I hoped. Besides, Ash might really need a distraction by now.
It was rather cute seeing him sweat as he tried not to say the wrong thing. Eventually he settled for shaking his head and I shifted so that I was with my back to him, pleased to find his arm coming around my waist with only a slight hesitation. He might be a little slow than it came to the emotional stuff but Ash had proven that he could be surprisingly adaptive even outside of a battle situation.
"Are you upset that she turned you down?" I guessed at his mood, though I still had to figure out what this had to do with his shift in attitude tonight. Ash had obviously not been pleased when Leaf had turned down his challenge, even if I had to give credit to her reasons. For one, a major battle with someone of her skill at this point could both exhaust and dull Ash's concentration, easily leading to underestimation of the remaining contenders. That Leaf was swept in official work, making acquaintances and generally getting introduced to the upper echelon of the Pokémon League now that she had decided to take the Master title officially was also a believable reason. I had wanted to have a talk like today for some time now but Leaf had always been busy. On the other hand, this particular reason, truthful as it was, would also go through as a cliché excuse. An excuse from what though?
Ash had been silent for a bit and so I started slightly when I felt his finger playing with my hair. Was he doing that on purpose or unconsciously? With the way he ended up surprising me sometimes, I could never quite know and decided to simply enjoy without questioning. "Not really. I mostly wanted to see how she would react." So he knew she would refuse? How? And what did her reaction have to with this? There was something I was missing. What did all this, what did Ash's challenge and Leaf's refusal have to do with Ash's intense preparation in the last days? That had started as soon as we had established that Phantom was probably the real deal. In that regard I could see why Ash wanted to challenge Leaf, whom he would regard roughly on a similar level as him, as preparation for the expected final and greatest hurdle in the tournament...!
All of a sudden the puzzle pieces were falling together... or at least into a more recognizable order. "You mean..." They were still pieces, some of them not quite fitting. "But... But she was there when Phantom fought. We were with her," I voiced my doubt. And probably Ash's confusion as well, judging by his frown.
"I know. I can't say how but just think what we have already seen when it came to illusions and hypnosis." No, not really doubt or confusion. There was an almost total certainty there. He just didn't have a real answer to the contradiction standing in the way of his conclusion. I wasn't so sure about the suggestion that a Pokémon had something to do with it. That would take a powerful psychic at least to pull off in a convincible manner. And I couldn't fathom the reasons for going to such lengths.
Ash chuckled slightly, taking me by surprise. "Well, regardless of how. At least I know what to expect. I wanted a challenge after all." His tone was light but I caught the underlining mixture of emotions ringing from excited anticipation to confusion and slight bitterness.
I honestly wasn't sure what to say to this revelation. I still had my doubts but Ash apparently didn't and the way I saw it, he could judge this one slightly better. In the end, I remained silent, snuggling a little closer to him and trying to express my support this way. Even if his suspicions turned out to be true, my confidence might have taken a damper but it was still unshaken. I believed that he would win this tournament. However, it might just have gotten a whole lot more difficult.
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(Ash)
One thing I had learned during my many participations in tournaments was to totally devote myself to the battle. A lack of concentration could quickly spill disaster. Especially when it came to nearly equally-matched Pokémon, the Trainer most of the time would make the difference. I had perfected that focus long before the three training months and only sharpened that skill in order to keep up at blinding speed. That allowed me even now to keep my concentration when it became painfully clear that the older girl across the field could not keep up.
Pikachu had already cleared out two of her Pokémon before I had decided to give some arena experience to those that hadn't fought yet. Buizel was out first and I hoped I didn't come across as mocking or belittling to my opponent by purposefully setting it up against Cherrim in full Sunshine Form. The weather had staid excellent which gave the flower Pokémon an extra edge which it had been quick to further strengthen by intensifying the already glaring sunlight with Sunny Day.
As expected a fast Solarbeam was quick to follow. "Buizel, Aqua Jet Spin!" From out of all my Pokémon Buizel had taken the most to Dawn's original spin move and made what was a purely evasive maneuver into an offensive weapon. With high speed Buizel passed just above the Solarbeam, spinning rapidly like a drill of high-pressured water. Cherrim managed to dodge, however, the sunlight greatly enhancing its performance once more.
That didn't end Buizel's spin though. Out of all of his moves, this Aqua Jet variation might just be its greatest asset. The spin gave a fast but at best mediocre water attack extra drive and damage potential, adding maneuverability in the air to the sequence which did not end with the initial assault. Curving through the air as if actually flying, Buizel used the boost from the spin to turn the attack around for another assault. I had to give my opponent the credit that she was quick to adapt and had Cherrim quickly attack the incoming Buizel with a few Magical Leaves that despite their sure-hit nature were all evaded with deft movements, barely allowing them to glide past and through the water surrounding Buizel where the high pressure actually cut the leaves apart.
Despite how impressive the action looked, the Aqua Jet could not be maintained indefinitely and another pass would be hard to achieve and doubtlessly lose much of its momentum, I knew I had to finish it now or leave Buizel in a hazardous position. "Buizel, now!" On my command Buizel cocked back his fist, channeling cold energy into it while still maintaining the spin. The timing would be everything now and determine just how ready he was for the decisive two rounds.
My opponents must have realized what I was up to as well and in desperation called out for another Solarbeam, figuring that with Buizel this close, it would be enough. I had no doubt that a direct hit at point-blank range would do him in, even with all the training. Buizel was a fighter but not quite yet on the growth level of the others. Fully concentrated I waited just until Cherrim was finished charging. Having seen and calculated how much it took under these conditions – which wasn't long – I was able to determine the correct moment to put the final touch onto my tactic.
"Sonicboom to the ground, now!" Using his tail, Buizel created a shockwave that shook the arena floor. The effect was shocking to my opponent and the Cherrim as well. So far the drilling Aqua Jet had been rather graceful in its movements. The pressure from the sudden Sonicboom sent Buizel jerking up, clearing the intense beam of sunlight by just a small margin. However, instead of losing control because of the sudden directional change, Buizel quickly had the spin back under control, sharply descending once more, only now trailing wisps of cold air, descending upon the helpless Cherrim like a bird upon its prey. "Ice Punch!"
Power, speed, inertia and elemental weakness were clearly too much for Cherrim who was driven into a ground with a protesting wail. Small ice particles exploded from the impact zone before Buizel eventually pulled away from his defeated opponent. I acknowledge his efforts with a satisfied nod. Execution of the sequence had been flawless and I was in fact very pleased. Buizel had made another jump in precision and speed.
When the referee declared the winner, I couldn't help but once more chance a glance up towards where I knew the others would be sitting. Strangely enough I didn't feel as anxious about what I suspected would be ahead of me should I make it to the final. There was nothing but a good battle to strengthen your confidence after all. My Pokémon had all trained hard and were in top condition. In fact, if anything, now was the perfect timing for such an opponent. Now was the perfect time to win even the toughest challenge.
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(???)
Just like the matchup before, the next was a similarly mismatched choice, clearly designed to give the utmost challenge to Staraptor as it went facing Rampardos. Then again, even if it was a deliberate setup, Ash had never been one to let type difference get to him regardless of how extreme and radical the odds were. Rampardos clearly had the upper edge concerning its moves. Not only the Rock Slide but the surprising Thunderbolt would have been very damaging if they hit.
IF was the keyword. Once again the superior speed and agility of most of Ash's Pokémon became the decisive factor. Staraptor was naturally fast to begin with but what I could see now was very close to the warp-like movements Pikachu and Infernape had displayed on several occasions. Back and forth it zipped with unnatural ease through hazardous rocks and lightning, not one of them coming any closer to touching it when its Trainer wanted.
"Are you sure you want to go through with this?"
I didn't turn my focus from the fight below, committing everything I saw to memory. Ash wasn't giving away much, so in order to prepare I would have to draw conclusion from the smallest details. The spot atop the stadium's outer wall gave me a surprisingly good and clear view, especially when Staraptor climbed up higher and in a move that I could definitely appreciate created a sharp downward wind that shook up the group and a sight-blinding sand cloud, much like a smokescreen.
"I don't see anyone else providing him with a challenge here, I'm afraid. Besides... he might already be stronger than me," I analyzed in reply to my partner, watching as Staraptor used the smokescreen of sand for a dive, actually taking a hastily thrown Thunderbolt head on without flinching. In moments it was down on the ground and the eventual goal of the tactic became apparent to everyone as it started to hammer Rampardos with a powerful Close Combat, moving its wings and talons in a way one would not think a bird capable of.
My partner snorted, announcing his doubt. "I don't doubt his skills. But surely he isn't quite there yet." Staraptor down below briefly disengaged, allowing the Headbutt to ram into the ground to leave Rampardos open for another round of combos that was enough to take it out of the match.
"Maybe, maybe not. Didn't you say he is supposed to be the Chosen? If so, then he'll need to be ready soon. If he isn't, better to show him now than learning when it is too late." I saw Ash sending another glance up at the V.I.P. box. He wasn't stupid, of course. To what extend he suspected, I wasn't sure but I doubted he had figured out the full story yet and with the shadows pulled so tight around us there was no way anyone could spot us here. I turned to look at the black Pokémon with the striking red hair and fox-like appearance. "Besides, I'll use a team that he has at least a chance against. Not that I'm going to make it easy."
My partner, whom I had only known for a short time as we happened upon each other by complete coincidence, made a rumbling sound which I had learned was the closest thing to a laugh I would get. "Still, it's kind of cruel to do this to your friend, isn't it?"
I shrugged, turning my attention back to the fight. Pikachu was back in the battle and so I didn't really expect many more interesting things to happen. The battle with Paul would certainly force him to show more and I was looking forward to that. "As I said, I have a feeling he might surprise us all, even more than we could imagine. Besides... He wanted a match, right?"
My partner merely gave another rumble and we continued to watch the rest of the quarter final that was all but decided already.
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Author's Notes
And done, just one and a half day short of going off to work. I wanted to get this finished before then and I did. This chapter was a bit of a bridge for the final two rounds when the action will really get more interesting.
First of a note for potential beta-readers, especially to Paolo. If you like to apply, please do so per mail or IM while logged in. If you leave your addies please realize ff . net does not like links or email addresses and rigorously cuts out anything that could pose as one... which I do find kind of ridiculous. Point is, I even specifically modify one html file for this before posting and putting empty spaces between the dots etc. Please do the same when sending your addy over an IM because otherwise I have no way of replying, especially when you are making an anonymous review like Paolo did. My email is in the header, as I said all links modified for this purpose.
I dropped a lot of hints in this chapter and I believe they were obvious enough for most of you to figure out where I'm heading for the final matchup. If you still didn't get the clues, you'll just have to wait. I'm not elaborating further until I fully reveal the facts in the story.
I hope you liked the battle scenes I did show. I did sent the Barry fight over to Twilight for a first impression and he seemed okay with it. It really is a problem trying to write a battle that regardless of how you turn it, it will be one-sided without letting the other side look bad. I definitely won't sink so low as bashing. That is one of the big no-no's for a serious author and unfortunately is already far too widespread in certain sections. Bashing is merely a confession that the writer is unable/unwilling to make the effort and understand the character they are writing about from an objective point of view. So you won't find it in any of my stories. My style doesn't really allow it either since I focus more on inner mental and emotional workings than an outward description and retelling of a story. Bashing would just not fit and be entirely too awkward to do in first person view.
Since I'm on the topic. I haven't really said anything about my writing style of changing first-person POV. I hope the newer readers are getting used to it because I doubt I won't be changing it anytime soon. In my opinion this style really is perfectly suited for my needs. Thoughts and inner workings of a person is one of these things where writing makes the difference to a TV series, movie or otherwise graphically animated media. While there are ways to portray these to a certain extent, someone writing first person POV or even an extremely internal third person POV will always be able to portray more of a characters thoughts and emotions than would ever be possible on TV. I consider this the difference separating the written and visual media.
The next part will definitely take me a little longer. Not just because I'll be busy most of the days now but I need to put some serious thought into how I want the battle with Paul to play out. I hope you'll be patient and feedback will always be inspiring and might actually speed up my motivation and inspiration. I would advise anyone really interested in updates or progress reports to subscribe to my site list at: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/msd_updates. Progress reports are more likely to go over this than anything else.
Until next time and don't forget to R&R, yours
Matthias