It hadn't taken long to brief Tempest on the current situation. It had taken even less for him to agree to take part.

'Note to self: the upside to having Tempest around is that you'll always have at least one teammate who's in the mood.'

Gary waited for Ash on the other end of the Center's battlefield. Pikachu and Tempest were back in their Poke Balls, with Valiant remaining out. The Poke Ball was still in Gary's hand, tossing up and down.

With Valiant standing at his side, Ash pulled out Pikachu's Poke Ball, listening to the other trainer speak.

"I already told you the conditions. I'll be sure to keep this short and sweet." Not wasting any time, Gary chucked the orb into the air. Ash's brow raised in intrigue at the newcomer.

It was a Growlithe, head raised with regality as she assessed the duo. There was no shortage of popularity with the species in Indigo. They were naturally loyal, and very appealing to raise and train as a result. And their evolved form, Arcanine, was practically a celebrity in Indigo's competitive field. Swift as a bullet, and hit just as hard. They had always been amongst the most popular fire types amongst trainers worldwide. And a staple in just about any big, Indigo-native tournament.

Tempest would be a natural fit, but trainers were supposed to select their first Pokemon at the same time, and Ash had already grabbed Pikachu's ball…

Thankfully, he was still satisfied with that matchup.

His trusty starter was already on all fours, cheeks blazing with lightning as he emerged from the Poke Ball. Looking back at Ash and Valiant, Pikachu offered a chirp, the determined grin to go along with it, and a nod, which Valiant had immediately returned with a quick word of encouragement (not that Ash understood what either of them were saying, unfortunately).

On the other side, Growlithe was in a sitting position, looking back and her trainer as he gave her instructions.

"Pikachu." Ash got his starter's attention as the mouse fixed his eyes on the fiery canine. "You've fought Growlithe before, but this one Gary's." he emphasized. "Of course, it's probably a fast runner like you are. We may have to use Agility early." as his starter tensed up, he added. "Can you handle that?" a nod.

Ash smiled at his friend before returning his focus to Gary, who was now ready.

"Prep time's over, Ashy boy. Growlithe, Agility!"

They were going for it right away. "Same for you, buddy!" Ash called to pikachu.

Growlithe kicked off the ground, a blue glow coating her fur as her paws galloped across the pavement. Pikachu's body did the same, dashing to the side to avoid her charge, then changing direction to acquire his target. As he thrust his body forward with Slam, the puppy mimicked his dodge, just before a stream of flames escaped her jaws.

The moment Pikachu's paws landed back on the ground, he immediately kicked off again, narrowly avoiding the Flamethrower as it passed by and pelted the barrier.

"Zap Tail!"

"Burn Tail!"

Now both combatants were on a collision course for one another. Still cloaked in Agility, their tails became encased in metal, Pikachu's engulfed in electricity, and Growlithe's in fire. Shockwaves spread around them as the attacks smashed into one another, the impact sending sparks and embers scattering about.

Teeth grinding together, Pikachu strained his muscles as he pushed against his opponent, who mirrored his own resolve. Both sets of paws grinded against the pavement as best they could, each combatant trying to steady themselves while simultaneously pushing the other away. Finally, Pikachu was sent tumbling a foot or two before balancing himself on all fours.

"Headbutt!"

Just as Pikachu had righted himself, however, Growlithe had turned to face him yet again, lowering her head as she rammed into his face. The electric mouse rolled away with a yelp, stopping himself just in time to look back at his opponent and see her preparing a Flamethrower.

Wasting no time, Pikachu's fur became engulfed in electricity, the bolt of lightning that erupted from his body exploding against the blast of fire that had been sent his way.

Ash's eyes narrowed analytically at the dust cloud that was kicked up from the clash. So far, Growlithe was just about as formidable as he expected. And her power and speed were at least on par with Pikachu's own. They'd need to focus on more than just outmaneuvering her and Gary.

But right now, the smoke cloud was-

"Roar!"

On the other side of the cloud, Growlithe bent her knees, feeling energy building up within her throat, before letting out a loud blast of shockwaves that smashed into the cloud of dust standing between her and Pikachu. Rising to his hindlegs, the mouse shielded his face as the dust blew against him, along with lingering shockwaves.

Ash didn't wait. "Double Team! Into three!"

Even before the remaining force from Roar had dissipated, Pikachu was already rushing to the side, just as a barrage of golden stars escaped from his enemy's jaws. Two separate clones of Pikachu abruptly formed, and split off from either side as the Swift curved in an attempt to follow its target, only to pelt against the barrier instead.

Gary's voice was firm and confident. "Growlithe! Pikachu's clones won't be able to use Agility like him. Go full speed and weed him out!"

It was clever on his part, but hearing the order brought a risky thought into Ash'd mind. "Don't use Agility, Pikachu!"

No doubt Pikachu was confused by the order, but he seemed to comply. Ash only hoped it wouldn't backfire.

True to Gary's command, Growlithe was once again coated in blue, her body galloping after her targets as the psychic energy of Agility bolstered her speed. One clone immediately fizzled out of existence as her metallic tail smashed through it, the fiery puppy only taking a moment to reposition herself before speeding after the next target. As she closed in, a stream of flames exited her jaws, her eyes predatorily glinting as Pikachu leapt over the Flamethrower, a small bit of his fur catching fire. She had found the real one.

Ash's blood was pumping. "Agility and Brick Break!"

Growlithe's tail was already raised as the puppy once again prepared Burn Tail. Pikachu, the moment he landed, kicked off towards the fiery canine, the familiar aura of Agility surrounding him as he pounded an orange fist into the flaming Iron Tail. His fist became engulfed in agony as the flames washed over it, but punctured the Iron Tail even as the mouse shrieked from the burning sensation. As Growlithe recoiled from the pain in her tail, Ash continued.

"Thunder Punch!"

Pikachu's fist thankfully wasn't in contact with the flames for long. He was a Pokemon, not a human, and the pain he felt was brief despite being sudden. Ignoring the lingering burning sensation, the young mouse reared back his other fist, the lightning in his tail flowing into his arm and condensing into the fist, before thrusting forward to sock Growlithe in the jaw. As his opponent tumbled away, he returned to all fours, the lingering ache in the briefly burned fist beginning to subside, before taking off yet again.

Gary was frustrated, but unfettered. "Move around, Swift!"

Now Growlithe was running as well. Both combatant's maneuvered across the pavement, not allowing either to leave the other's sight. Before long, both were cloaked in Agility again.

Pikachu wouldn't be able to keep this up for long, but with any luck, neither would Growlithe. Gary must have been planning to end the fight quickly by going no-holds-barred right from the start, in an effort to overwhelm Pikachu immediately. Since they had responded in kind, both pokemon were left using up everything they had at rapid rates.

But Agility was dependent on mental prowess, not physical prowess. Ash could only hope that Growlithe's endurance in that regard wasn't any better than Pikachu's.

The stream of golden stars erupted from the puppy's mouth, and Pikachu was left with no options. If he deflected the stars with Iron Tail, he'd be left open. If he changed direction to avoid them, he'd still be all the same.

Moving as fast as possible, the mouse swerved to the side, the homing projectiles not quite locking on completely. Growlithe was prepared for that, however, head lowered as she pursued her opponent like a missile and smashed into his ribs.

Pain shot through Pikachu's body as Ash's starter was flung through the air, body a few feet above the arena as Ash and Valiant followed his flight. He did not relent, however, smacking an Iron Tail down onto the pavement before using the impact to regain his momentum and take off again before Growlithe could rush him. As his paws carried him forward, he could already feel his eyes growing slightly heavy, but ignored the sensation as his body became cloaked in Agility again.

"Fire Spin!" no doubt Gary was trying to ensnare them.

"Jump, Electroweb!"

The stream of flames that escaped from Growlithe's jaws rotated into a spiral as it made its way to its target. As Pikachu leapt above the arena, flipping himself over and pushing against the ground with an iron Tail in order to enforce his jump, the Fire Spin collided with the ground that the young mouse had previously occupied, engulfing it as it spread out across.

Thanks to Iron Tail, Pikachu maintained his momentum, even as he soared through the air. Angling himself to keep his gaze focused on the dashing Growlithe, his cheeks crackled with lightning before transferring to his tail, his body flipping over yet again to launch the barrage of lightning downwards.

The electricity took the form of a net as it descended onto the arena. Growlithe sidestepped around it as it landed, zigzagging to avoid the electrical trap, but Pikachu returned to the ground immediately after, attention fixated on the preoccupied puppy.

"Zap Tail!" Ash spoke the words before Pikachu had even landed, the moment when Growlithe had changed direction. Capitalizing on the split-second opportunity, Pikachu rocketed after her, plunging his electrified Iron Tail into her side. A howl of agony escaped her throat as she was launched across the arena, but as Pikachu tried to pursue her, her own tail smashed onto the pavement, the metal coating shielding her as she pushed off and back onto her paws.

She didn't have time to build up speed however, as Pikachu was already upon her. Just as he prepared to deliver another strike, a startle yelp instead escaped his throat as he flung himself away from the sudden Flamethrower she launched while turning her head back to face him. Even as he dodged, he could feel the heat against his face. In the confusion, his aura dissipated. With his momentum gone, her fleeing form cleared distance as her momentum returned to her.

Now with the wave of fatigue filling his brain even moreso, Pikachu took off after her, his body flickering as he struggled to call upon Agility yet again. On the other side, growlithe, still running, faced the same obstacle, the blue aura of Agility flashing in and out around her body.

The two combatants returned to their earlier routine, circling around one another, doing everything they can to remain locked on. Ash knew neither of them would last much longer. Although their bodies could probably take more, their minds were shutting down, on the verge of passing out. No doubt, Gary knew the same. Now was the time for the decisive strike.

"Growlithe, Flame Wheel!"

"Pikachu, Shock Rush!"

Shock Rush was the name Ash had given to the Spark/Slam combo that Pikachu used against Damian's Charmeleon the previous evening. He had shared it with his starter over breakfast. For now, he figured the move would be a decent substitute to Volt Tackle.

Mutually sensing the finality of the situation, both pokemon summoned the strength to coa themselves in Agility, the flickering finally coming to a stop after a few last moments of struggling. They were likely using up whatever mental strength they had left to pull this off. This would be it.

Maintaining the speed-boosting move, both Pokemon found themselves lined up with one another. As the charged forward, Growlithe's body became enveloped in the storm of fire that escaped from her mouth. Her advancing form curled head-over-heels, assuming a spherical form as she rolled across the pavement, closing in on Pikachu as fast as Agility could carry her.

Pikachu, at the same time, growled as his cheeks became engulfed in lightning, only for it to transfer to his tail, and then around his body. As his fur became shrouded in the onslaught of electricity that now surrounded him, his body took on an orange glow. The young mouse hollered with determination as he thrust himself into the Flame Wheel.

With no interruptions to slow their speed, both attacks collided, the ensuing explosion immediately coating the surrounding space in smoke. Shockwaves carried the dust cloud across a sizable portion of the battlefield, hopelessly obscuring both combatants from view.

Over on the other side, Gary was fidgeting as his foot hastily tapped against the ground. Ash had to admit that he could feel some minor sweat himself.

At his side, Valiant simply watched, the concern in his eyes not matching his steadfast body language.

It didn't take long for the smoke to clear up, revealing the unconscious forms of both fighters. Ash's heart sank a bit, but he wasn't overly surprised. He quickly took out Pikachu's Poke Ball and returned him, even as Gary did the same for Growlithe.

"Thanks, buddy. You took everything she had and brought her down with you." Ultimately, both sides had mutually benefited from the battle. If it indeed had been Gary's plan to get an early lead by using Growlithe's full speed right from the start, then he had failed.

Looking over at the other trainer, Ash took note of Gary's irritable glare, seemingly confirming his suspicions.

"It's a tie." Ash spoke matter-of-factly, to which Gary scoffed.

"Tying with you is just as bad as losing." the boy spat back as a second poke Ball appeared in his hand. "That won't happen again."

Ash removed Tempest's Poke Ball from his belt, returning Gary's gaze with confidence. "Agreed."

The river crab appeared in front of him, pincers clicking together excitedly as he realized the action was about to start. Taking a moment to glance at Valiant, Ash could see the Kirlia eying the Krabby with crossed arms, albeit not quite as tense as he usually was.

Ash almost didn't recognize the Pokemon that emerged on Gary's side of the field. It was slightly larger than Nebula, body coated with metal armor.

For at least a moment or two, Ash thought he was looking a foreign Pokemon, but after a somewhat more thorough examination, his eyes widened in understanding.

This was a Skarmory. It was just smaller than most, likely because it was still growing. Unlike Pidgey or Starly, Skarmory were not part of any evolution line. It made training and raising them a notably different approach from most, and the same could be said for watching them grow.

The metal bird took the time to crane her head back, offering her trainer a loyal coo, which returned with a thumbs up. As her eyes set themselves back onto Tempest, the young Krabby leered at her, pincers extended predatorily.

Ash considered what he knew about Skarmory, trying to rack his brain for details. If he remembered correctly, these birds could actually fly quite a bit faster than their metallic armor would suggest, due to their wings being hollow. Much like Tempest, Gary's friend could likely prove very successful in taking hits, but their opponent wasn't a sluggish tank.

"Careful, Tempest." The Krabby perked up as Ash gave his usual pre-battle advice. "That's a Skarmory. It may look bulky, but it can still fly, and its speed is fairly deceptive. Find a way to intercept it."

The boy grinned as Tempest nodded in acknowledgement. Truth be told, he wasn't sure how favorable this matchup would be. Both combatants were far from lacking in the durability department, but Skarmory's ability to fly and apparent speed would spell clear trouble if they couldn't stop her in her tracks.

Thankfully, Tempest appeared to recognize that.

Gary took the initiative. "Air Slash!"

Tempest had already gone on the offensive with a stream of bubbles, only for Skarmory to avoid the aquatic onslaught by taking off into the air above, hovering over the battlefield, where she raised a glowing wing.

Tempest was already crossing two Metal Claws together when Skarmory tossed the blade of air. The young Krabby could feel his body being pushed back a slight amount as his pincers intercepted the blow. As Skarmory angled her body to face headfirst towards her opponent, Ash called out to Tempest.

"Razor Shell!"

Dropping the metallic coating, the river crab raised his opening pincers (now glowing ocean-blue) as a blade of aquatic energy erected from both. Above him, Skarmory's body began to rotate as her beak glowed white. Like a missile, her body propelled forward, the Drill Peck intercepted by the crossed blades. Tempest felt his body straining as he tried to press his feet into the ground, attempting to stay in place as Skarmory's bulk bombarded him. Even as he repelled her, the river crab staggered back, but still managed to aim a pincer and blast a torrent of boiling water at the metal bird's fleeing form.

Skarmory shrieked as the Scald washed over her, metallic hide burning from the heat, yet straining from the impact. Tempest pursued his target, a barrage of bubbles trailing after the powerful bird.

"Pull up with Aerial Ace!" Gary's voice betrayed minor irritation as Skamrory's glowing body curved upwards and avoided the Bubble Beam. "Air Cutter!"

"Defend with Metal Claw!" Ash was conflicted. If Gary attacked from a distance they'd have no chance at intercepting them. All Skarmory needed to do was stay overhead. But if they could successfully fend off any long distance assaults, then what? Would it be a stalemate? Would one of them have to switch out?

Skamrory ceased flight, hovering above the arena once again as a series of small blades of wind streamed out of her glowing wings. As they harmlessly bounced off of Tempest's metallic pincers, Gary pressed on. "Air Slash!"

The much larger blade of wind was tossed with all the strength the metallic bird could possibly muster. Although his pincers remained unharmed, Tempest found himself staggering back as the flying type move struck him.

Gary was grinning. "Missile Drill!"

Tempest hadn't even finished staggering backwards as Skarmory's body became outlined by a blue aura. As her body rotated, her beak glowed pale, and the bird shot downwards.

Ash realized at the last second: A combo of Agility and Drill Peck.

The boy could only cry out to Tempest as Skarmory crashed into him. Too quick for the Krabby to cross his Metal Claws again, Skarmory's drilling beak found its way right into the river crab's abdomen, pain shooting through the water type's body as the momentum of Agility carried his opponent's bulk like a literal missile for her rotating beak to tear through his hide.

The painful sensation lingered in Tempest's body as the Krabby was sent flying into the barrier in front of Ash and Valiant. Ash perked up, however, when the water type regained his composure in time to smash a Metal Claw into the barrier, shielding his body from further impact.

'I guess he's been paying attention to Pikachu and the others at least a little bit.' Ash thought to himself with a small smile.

Ignoring her sore beak, Skarmory took off flapping into the air as Tempest picked himself up, glowering at her retreating form while clutching his stomach for a brief moment. The sudden jolt of pain had been excruciating, and much of it was still lingering from the attack.

Ash grimaced. If Gary kept repeating the process Tempest was a goner. They needed to go on the offensive.

"Scald!" Skarmory was still high up. He wasn't sure if this attack would connect or not…

Sure enough, the bird simply swerved out of the way as the stream of hot water rushed for her.

Gary was smirking now. "Air Slash again!" Without thinking , Tempest once again crossed two Metal Claws together, and was pushed back by the force of the blow.

As Gary called for another Missile Drill, Ash's brain sped up, desperately trying to grasp onto something. As if on random, he called out a move.

"Flail!" Struggling to maintain his balance, Tempest heeded his trainer's order, extending his pincers outward and beginning to spin. Clearly frustrated, he put as much force into the move as possible. Skarmory's body rocketed forward with the same speed as the previous attack, prepared to leave yet another gash in the river crab's abdomen.

As if by accident, Tempest's pincer struck the side of the bird's head, prompting a pained shriek from Skarmory as her trajectory was altered. Slamming beak-first into the ground, the metallic bird bounced across the pavement as Tempest regained his balance and pursued her.

Eyes lighting up at the unexpected opportunity, Ash's abrupt excitement crept into his tone of voice. "Vise Grip!"

Smirking with vindictive vengeance, Tempest raised a pincer, glowing blue, and grabbed onto Skarmory's neck. The river crab's tightening grip clashed against the metal plating that served as the bird's outer armor. Ash and Valiant couldn't help but grimace as a horrible shriek filled the air. He should've known Tempest would have gone for the neck.

Even as Skarmory cried out, Tempest raised his other pincer, an aquatic blade of energy shooting outward. He loosened his grip just enough for the blow to the abdomen to force Skarmory back, the bird gasping for air as she landed on her side.

Abruptly, Gary recalled her.

The whiplash of the situation wasn't lost on Ash, but he supposed he couldn't blame Gary, given the sudden change of pace.

'A change that was brought on by chance.' he reminded himself. It didn't feel like a total victory. And Skarmory wasn't down just yet.

Ash didn't notice the sweat on the young Oak boy's face, or the furrowed brow, but he couldn't miss the scowl.

"Don't go thinking I'm gonna start praising you for a lucky shot." Gary replaced Skarmory's Poke Ball with a third.

Meditite appeared in front of her trainer. The female psychic emerged from the bright, white light in a cross-legged position, levitating off of the ground as her hands pressed together. Raising her head, she opened her eyes to see the Krabby, ignoring the painful bruise on his stomach to leer at her. Although her eyes narrowed at the sight, her expression remained otherwise stoic.

Ash thought back to their encounter with Gary back at Mt. Moon. Pikachu had fought Meditite back then and won. But how much stronger was she now?

Gary had knelt down to speak some instructions to his psychic companion as Tempest turned to Ash expectantly.

"She's a psychic and fighting type." Ash warned. He gestured to Valiant. "Think of the tricky stuff that Valiant's capable of, mixed with martial arts. Up for it?" The question was practically a formality. Neither he nor Valiant were surprised when Tempest nodded gleefully while turning back to face his newest opponent.

Hands still pressed together, Meditite had begun lowering herself onto the ground, legs straightening out to fixate herself into a standing position, before her arms fell to her side, only to be readjusted into a fighting stance upon landing. There was recognition on her features. She remembered Ash.

"Scald!" Ash went for it immediately. This could hopefully disrupt Meditite if it connected.

It didn't, however. The torrent of boiling water that escaped Tempest's pincers crashed into the golden wall that erected in front of Meditite's outstretched hands. Though she felt a mild burning sensation on her palms, the young psychic was otherwise unharmed.

Tempest was even more proactive than Ash, however, viciously charging for his target at speeds that almost surprised her as a metal pincer reared back to strike.

As the Light Screen dropped, Meditite's eyes flashed a bright blue, just quick enough for her target to miss it. As she analyzed the movements of Tempest's muscles, the actions that the river crab took became telegraphed. Her fist erupted with lightning as the Metal Claw struck the air, completely missing her head. All the while, she lunged forward and planted the Thunder Punch into the bruise that Skarmory had left behind.

The lingering pain that still pestered Tempest erupted into a quick surge of agony as the powerful, elegant strike carried the electricity into the wound. Ash and Valiant collectively flinched at the shriek erupting from the water type's mouth as the bulky combatant staggered backward. Gary was taking advantage of the injury that Skarmory had already inflicted upon Tempest. Should he recall Tempest for later? But if he sent Valiant out now, Gary would just call on Skarmory again. Valiant had the tools to fight against the metal bird, but vice versa was also true…

Meditite's body flashed as her blow sent Tempest staggering away, the young psychic type suddenly splitting into three separate Meditite. However, one of the clones created by her Double Team was almost immediately dissipated as a duo of Water Gun erupted from the enraged Krabby's pincers on reflex. The remaining two meditate circled around their target, the real one prepared to strike, while the clone got ready to perform a feint.

Ash wouldn't let that happen. "Freeze the ground around you with Icy Wind!"

Just as his dual targets were about to close in, their advance was halted as the young Krabby spun around, open pincers spraying frozen air across the immediate surrounding pavement. The delay was only momentary, however, and even as the ground in front of her froze over, Meditite allowed her final remaining clone to fizzle out before pressing her own hands firmly into the pavement, launching herself above the young Krabby with a quick flip.

"Shadow Ball!"

Hovering over her opponent, the young psychic firmly pressed her palms together as the blackish-purple orb of distorted aura formed in front of her. After expanding to about twice the size of her head, the Shadow Ball was launched downwards towards the river crab, who was already crossing dual metal Claws together in preparation.

The explosion only eclipsed the Krabby's figure with dust for a brief moment as the young psychic descended downwards. Curling her fist and rearing it back, she began to gather more lightning in preparation to strike Tempest's head from above. Ash had already called out a warning to the river crab, however, and the water type, unharmed from the Shadow Ball, scurried to the side, emerging from the already dissipating cloud of smoke as he slid across the ice. Realizing that she was going to miss, Meditite readjusted the angle of her body, landing on her feet before propelling herself forward, after the Krabby's fleeing form.

The electricity covering her fist fizzled out, however, as a stream of bubbles nailed her face, prompting a surprised cry of pain from the psychic martial artist as her momentum halted and reversed. As she was knocked off her feet, Tempest altered his own course, rushing her yet again as an aquatic blade extended out of his pincer. She landed on her feet just in time to erect a wall of glass. Shockwaves slammed into her scrunched up face as the Reflect cracked from the force of the Razor Shell. Quickly dropping the barrier, she leapt backwards, angled a bit to the left. A rush of heat slammed into her face as the boiling water the rocketed out of the other pincer just barely passed by her head, although a few painful droplets still stung her skin.

Flipping over and landing on her feet once more, Meditite stretched her hands out, eyes flashing purple as she attempted to lock Tempest in place with Confusion. His body strained from the sudden struggle, a purple glow outlining his exterior features as his muscles suddenly felt heavier, his movements slower. He fought against it, continuing to move forward, albeit at a slower pace.

She didn't; account for his aggression, however, as the dual Water Guns had already escaped his open pincers. Forced to release Confusion, she ducked under the aquatic jets while resuming her advance forward. This had returned Tempest to full speed, however, and although he almost staggered from the sudden increase in momentum, the whiplash failed to halt him, and he was upon Meditite in seconds. Her eyes flashed once again, telegraphing the movements of his raised pincer, before raising an orange fist into an uppercut, her Brick break meeting the Metal Claw and pushing it back over her opponent's head. Tempest barely flinched from the clash, however, his durability coming through.

Although she had responded to one of his moves, Meditite had no time to respond to the next. Eyes widening, all she could do was jerk her head in the direction of the other poincer as it opened up, firing a point-blank blast of boiling water into her body. As the Scald propelled her away to the side, Gary flinched at her pained shriek.

Success filled Ash's mind as Meditite caught herself on her hands, flipping her way back onto her feet before sliding a few feet back across the arena, deftly glaring at her target. Steam was rising from her body, emanating from her somewhat reddened skin. Although he couldn't see it from here, the young psychic martial artist had her teeth clenched in an effort to ignore the lingering pain.

"Tempest, hit her with Icy Wind!" With her skin painfully hot, the sudden drop in temperature was sure to be overwhelming for her. Sadistically grinning, yet with still somewhat angry eyes, Tempest rushed forward yet again, his body carrying him towards the young martial artist as his open pincers prepared to erupt with cold air. As the snowy air was about to escape, however, Gary called out to his -partner on instinct having already caught on to Ash's plan.

"Double Team!" This time, Ash's eyes widened as Meditite split into four. She must have been limiting herself to conserve stamina, as he realized all too late.

As the four Meditite spread out, Tempest halted his advance, glancing around in frustration. Ash was about to call out for the Krabby to focus on the one in pain, when he finally got a good look at two of the Medititie.

Both of them were clenching their teeth.

'She's… having her copies mimic pained expressions…!' He couldn't even get mad at that. It was genius.

"Poison Jab!" Gary's fists were eagerly held out in front of his chest.

"Tempest!" Ash called out hurriedly. He was going to ask him to look for the one with steam coming out of her body, but that was a tall order. They didn't have time to distinguish. They just needed to attack. "Just spin around while you fire!"

All four Medidite were rushing him from all directions as Tempest raised his open pincers and did as he was told. The snowy blast of air erupted from the openings as his body rotated, the ground it struck beginning to freeze over as the barrage of Icy Wind advanced.

"Shadow Ball!" Gary's orders were completely in sync with Medititie, flawlessly timed as she, along with her three clones, flipped over on their hands and rose back over Tempest. The young river crab turned to face one of them in hopes of blasting the real target, only for the one that he was locked onto to fizzle out of existence (along with the other two clones) before he even had a chance to fire. The next moment, even as he had begun to turn around, an explosion slammed against his back, flipping him over his head, and leaving him sprawled out with his belly exposed.

The real Meditite came down even as he lost his balance. Almost at the very moment his back had collapsed onto the pavement, her reared back fist, surrounded by a purple, sludgy aura, shot downward, landing directly on top of his still worsening bruise. Ash's heart sank as the Poison Jab almost certainly injected its toxins into the young Krabby's system, the bruise left behind by Skarmory and exacerbated by Meditite's Thunder Punch acting as the ideal weak spot and point of entry. With her downward momentum carrying her punch forward, and into Tempest's bruise, Meditite couldn't help but flinch at the aching of her knuckles upon impact, but pressed forward regardless as Tempest's agonizing scream gave way to a desperate gasp for air.

As the sludge flowed through his blood, Tempest was roughly hoisted upwards as Meditite rose to her feet. His vision was slowly beginning to blur, his muscles abruptly feeling tired. His bruise was burning horrifically, and all he could do was struggle to gasp yet again as a Thunder Punch found its way right to his sore spot. The electricity flowed across his deepening gash as his body was launched backward, pincers spread out over his head as he landed onto his back. Struggling to lift his head, his increasingly blurred vision fought to make out Meditite's slowly advancing form, just before his head fell, and his world turned to black.

Meditite halted as Gary clapped his hands for her. From where they were standing, neither Ash nor Valiant could make out the subtle unease creeping into the young Oak boy's eyes.

"Bravo, bravo Meditite! I knew you wouldn't disappoint against that hopeless brute!" As Gary offered a quick thumbs up, Meditite took the time to nod back at her trainer, allowing a small smile to form onto her face before turning back to Ash and Valiant, her gaze expectant.

As he removed Tempest's ball from his belt, Ash's mind raced. Valiant was all he had left. A strong hit from one of Skarmory's steel type moves would devastate him, as would one of Meditite's Shadow Balls. But the young Kirlia had the tools necessary to take on both, and neither had gotten away from Tempest unscathed.

Unsurprisingly, the young emotion Pokemon was already looking up a thim as Ash turned to face his psychic partner, the boy's eyes immediately met with the sight of Valiant's own.

"That Meditite's smart, but so are you." A warning and a reassurance. Ash couldn't help but return Valiant's forming grin as the Kirlia nodded, the duo turning back to face gary and Meditite, the former's voice stretching across the arena just before Valiant could step forward.

"This is the final curtain, Ashy boy. Send out your last teammate so I can take my money and leave!"

"We're ready." Ash simply responded before nodding to his psychic friend, who stepped onto the battlefield and lined himself up with Meditite.

The two psychics stood a few feet apart, eyes finding their way to one another. Medititie's face was cold, analytical, and steadfast. Valiant's own replicated that same unbreakable analysis, but with stoicism traded for curiosity as the two studied one another's pupils.

He tried to mimic her stance, but found it felt far less natural compared to witnessing her. Not wasting any time, Gary called out.

"Shadow Ball!"

Meditite retained eye contact with the Kirlia as the blackish-purple ball of distortion formed in her pressed hands. As the orb expanded in front of her, the psychic martial artist stepped forward and prepared to break into a run, firing the attack.

Instinctively, Valiant's arms shot outward, eyes flashing gold as the wall-shaped barrier of the same color formed around him. His eyes reflexively clenched as the Light Screen strained against the ghost type attack, but any cracks formed were rather small.

Gary's expression had widened into a smirk, however, and Ash didn't have time to fully warn Valiant before the advancing Meditite drove an orange fist into the barrier.

Disorientation overtook Valiant as he stumbled backwards, the shards of the now shattered Light Screen scattering in all directions upon impact from Meditite's Brick Break. Frowning, Ash couldn't help but wonder if Gary had accounted for that…

"Go for the throat, Poison Jab!" Ash started at that. Gary wanted to go for the kill asa quickly as possible…

In a case of fortunate irony, however, the weight of Gary's orders hadn't been lost on valiant, either. Even as Meditite's other hand curled into a fist, drenched in a sludgy aura, the Kirlia dove away to the side, still not fully focused from the shock of Light Screen's destruction, but powered by adrenaline all the same. As the Poison Jab missed its mark, Valiant forced his body to straighten out, his vision refocusing as he reared back a Thunder Punch.

Meditite's eyes flashed blue. Although the arm that had struck with poison jab remained outstretched, the psychic martial artist whirled her body around as best she could, her other fist crackling with electricity as she met one Thunder Punch with another. Her block hadn't been delivered at an ideal positioning, however, and Valiant's momentum quickly cost her her balance.

As her hands pressed against the ground to catch herself, Meditite used the momentum of her fall to raise her legs. Valiant's own eyes flashed, but he didn't have time to react as the psychic in front of him twirled around on her hands, her foot connecting with the back of his head. He nearly struck the ground face first, but managed to (albeit painfully) press his own hands against the pavement and flip forward onto his feet. Now a few feet behind him, Medidite once again pressed her hands together, another Shadow Ball beginning to take form.

"Teleport behind her, Valiant!" Ash warned his partner as quickly as he could. He almost allowed himself a sigh of relief as Valiant reappeared in front of his opponent just before she fired the ball. Already in throwing motion, Meditite could not stop herself, and the orb traveled uselessly across the arena, no destined target apart from the barrier that would soon cleanly absorb it.

Even as she was tossing the attack, the Kirlia behind her pressed his own hands together, eyes flashing pink as an orb of the same color formed in his palms.

"Light Screen, surround yourself!" Gary was quick to warn his own partner just before the Dazzling Gleam fired, only to be met with a hastily erected golden cube, which strained under the force of the pink-colored blast. Ash grunted as the cracks formed in the cube nearly caused it to fall apart, but in the end, the barrier was dropped on Meditite's own terms after enduring the blast. Turning around to face Valiant, the stoic martial artist took off running backwards, a somewhat smaller Shadow Ball quickly forming between her hands before being tossed in Valiant's direction just as the young emotion Pokemon had begun to pursue.

Full power or not, Valiant knew quite well what a ghost type move could potentially do to him. Meditite hadn't even bothered fully chagrin it up, simply opting for a quick offense that would throw him off course. It sadly worked, and the young Kirlia was forced to roll to the side, just barely avoiding the blow as the windforce from the passing Shadow Ball pushed against his body.

After clearing enough distance, meditite stopped in place just in time for Ash's next order.

"Valiant, attack with Shadow Sneak!"

Rapidly picking himself up, Valiant took off running, his momentum continuing as he sank into his shadow mid-run. Meditite kept her eyes focused on that shadow, which slithered across the ground at an impressively steady pace, before the young Kirlia rose up at her side.

As he emerged, Valiant swung a flaming fist mid-rise, aimed for the side of Meditite's head. But as she turned to address the offense, Meditite's eyes flashed blue, Valiant's motions coming into view more quickly than she otherwise would have been able to get at the right angle to read them. The Fire Punch was caught firmly in her palm. Her eyes squeezed shut as a burning sensation assaulted her hand, and she nearly lost her balance form the force, but the psychic martial artist remained steadfast, planting her feet firmly in the ground to prevent herself from falling over as she squeezed as tightly as she could against the Kirlia's fist, exacerbating her pain for the sake of a better grip. As his opponent pulled her arm back, Valiant found himself abruptly yanked forward, right toward the waiting Thunder Punch that was driven into his abdomen.

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Gasping for air, Valiant felt the sparks of electricity rolling along his stomach just before meditite took advantage of her control over the situation. In the next instant, the young Kirlia almost yelped (but couldn't muster the breath to do so) as his opponent hoisted him over her shoulder, his back slamming against the pavement.

Although his vision blurred for a split second, he quickly received an upside-down view of his opponent, feeling his shoulder firmly grinding against the ground as her outstretched arm pinned him. Her other arm was raised above her head, the fist on the end sporting a familiar purple glow…

Just before the Poison Jab could be thrust downward for his throat, Valiant raised his free hand, sparking with some electricity, and fired off a weak Thunderbolt. Meditite's body convulsed just as she began to deliver the blow, her fist stopping in its tracks as she was forced onto her bottom. With his shoulder now free, Valiant rose to his feet and clenched his fist, gathering more electricity before going on the offensive. Still in a sitting position, Meditite once more pressed her hands firmly against the ground, flipping away just before the Krilia's Thunder Punch could strike her head. Tracking her retreating form, Valiant flashed his eyes pink as another Dazzling Gleam began to form in his hands.

Meditite was one step ahead of him, however, a Shadow Ball already between her palms as she landed on her feet. Not waiting for the attack to fully charge up, the female psychic fired off the move. With no time to continue charging his own attack, Valiant let the Dazzling Gleam loose, the pink blast exploding against the distorted ball of energy.

Both combatants, no more than several feet from one another, crossed their arms defensively as the wind briefly pushed against their bodies, only to subside as quickly as it came. Collectively allowing their arms to fall to their sides,the two young psychics found themselves absentmindedly sinking back into their respective stances, eyes quickly locking once again.

With the action paused, both trainers were given a chance to observe the state of the conflict as each combatant analyzed one another's respective condition. Valiant could feel the exertion of the fight creepily catching up to him, although he wasn't ready to sink to his knees just yet. Despite himself, however, he could almost feel his breath grow slightly heavier, but did what he could not to think about it. Maybe as long as he kept it out of his mind, the fatigue would not overtake him…

The young Kirlia studied Meditite's face extensively. She was showing signs of a similar situation. The stoic expression in her pupils was beginning to feel more like a mask, a sight akin to desperation threatening to leak to the surface. Her skin was somewhat charred (no doubt the previous soaking from Tempest had aggravated the small Thunderbolt she had just received), and her teeth chewed her lips, almost as if to distract from pain or soreness. Perhaps her arms and/or hands were sore? Her knuckles had gone through a decent bit of punishment, as had the palm that had stopped his Fire Punch.

As he looked more closely, he could almost spot a trembling sensation in her body's behavior...

Ash tried to push down the small surge of anxiety that threatened to creep to the surface. Valiant was having trouble with this one, and although that wouldn't normally be a problem, they still had Skarmory to deal with after this. Even assuming they won, they'd still be battling uphill, regardless of the damage that Tempest had previously dished out to the metal bird.

Looking over to Gary, however, Ash caught sight of a glare on the Oak boy's face, although his opponent seemed to immediately drop it after being spotted. Perhaps Gary was frustrated that Meditite hadn't landed a decisive hit yet? They were both in the same boat, but Gary was the one with a cushion…

Finally, Gary broke the silence. "Meditite, Double Team, to the max!"

Ash and Valiant collectively started as the female psychic split into five. Although a strained expression initially lined her features as the clones spawned out of her, it was soon replaced with focus after a few moments, as the five Meditite that now stood in front of Valiant shuffled around in a sideways jogging motion.

Ash almost felt his breath catch in his throat at the sight. Four clones total, and she was still able to move them all along with herself…

Instinctively, Valiant found his form taking a few reflexive steps backwards as the real meditite bended her knees, her clones mimicking the action as they all prepared to pounce together. His mind was racing, combing his thought process for solutions.

If Meditite had been limiting her Double Team all this time, that meant she had been conserving energy. Using all four clones at once to split herself into five must have been excruciating for her to do in the long term. If he dipped under with Shadow Sneak, he could potentially wait it out. She'd be forced to relent eventually…

But overuse to the ghost type technique would be taxiing on him as well, and with Skarmory still lurking overhead, he couldn't afford to expel too much energy, even if he won.

The thoughts raced through his mind in a matter of seconds at most. Irritatingly, he felt the sweat rolling down his face. Was there no way to tell them apart-

Something in his mind lit up. Meditite's clones may have been capable of faking emotions…

But they couldn't give them off.

That should have been it. His species could feel the emotions that others emanate. If he could just concentrate enough to single out which Meditite was giving off any emotions… but he was not yet good enough at the ability to focus it. It still overwhelmed him in extreme situations, like with crowds, or with… he shut the memory away from his mind.

"Valiant, clear the distance with Teleport!" Ash's order sounded off before Meditite had the chance to act.

Gratitude filled Valiant's mind at the command. Ash likely knew of his predicament, but still remained on top of things. Still focused on the Meditite and her clones, the Kirlia teleported backward, to the other end of the battlefield, nearly with his back pushed against the wall.

The Meditite and her four clones took off running. The real one got ready to charge upa Shadow Ball, only to stop as a golden cube encased her target.

As long as he could maintain it, this could buy him some time. She wouldn't attack from a distance and give away her position. SInce she and her clones were all closing in rapidly, she wouldn't have much more time to shuffle back up and confuse him once more, and the Light Screen would protect him from the Shadow Ball, leaving her exposure a waste.

But now that the barrier was up, she'd likely go for Brick Break. If she broke the barrier, he was a sitting duck. He needed to figure this out…

The five figures all surrounded the cube, each with their fists raised. Only one could actually give off the glow of Brick Break, which was why she was probably going to be careful about it. Start charging at the last second before she strikes...

How long did he have? One second? Two? Maybe three if he was lucky? He needed to get this right! He just needed to manage it once… even for a brief moment…

All of them had their fists reared back. He could feel the modest hostility, but… who was it coming from? Valiant squeezed his eyes shut. Focus, focus, FOCUS!

And then he felt it. Aggression. Intention. Coming from the… left side!

He dropped the Light Screen, just moments before the orange fist would have collided with it. Instead it was now on collision course for his head, but he quickly ducked, leaving Meditite lunging forward with an outstretched arm.

Valiant thought fast. During the fight, it had occurred to him that Meditite likely had the Telepathy ability like he did. She could read movements too. Coupled with her natural fighting senses and martial arts instincts, she no doubt had the edge over him in close quarters. Her reaction time was better, and his own Telepathy wouldn't be able to compensate for that if she knew it too.

Instead, he flashed his way behind her, Teleport changing his position by less than a few feet as he turned around to face his target. Before Meditite could even know what was happening, she was in a full nelson. As she struggled, Valiant rotated his body before backing away, trying to clear a few feet between them and the barrier. Almost losing his grip on his target, his eyes flashed as Confusion attempted to bind her, although it did not halt her efforts completely.

Abruptly, he halted the Confusion, shoving his opponent away as his eyes flashed pink. As Meditite staggered forward, desperately trying to regain her balance from the suddenness of the situation, the Kirlia fired the Dazzling Gleam. Pain overtook Meditite's senses as she was blasted in the back of the head.

The next moment, she crashed head first into the barriers. Her form remained sprawled out on the pavement, and an attempt to push herself up resulted in her collapsing face first into the arena. She stilled a few moments later.

As Gary recalled the unconscious psychic, an abrupt realization dawned on Ash, the implications of the situation never sinking in until they were already there… Gary only had one Pokemon left. They… actually had a chance to win.

The sensation felt foreign. Almost dull. Like he could barely make it out. He had never bested Gary at anything before. Just the possibility of that happening now… he wasn't sure how to grasp it. It had come without warning.

He tried his best to push the excitement down, however, as he waved at Valiant with a smile, the young emotion pokemon making his way back to his side of the battlefield.

"Valiant, way to go!" They still needed to defeat one more Pokemon. Skarmory was weak to electricity and fire… that needed to be their focus for now. But being a fairy type, Valiant was in danger.

'Don't get excited yet.' he told himself. 'Focus only on winning.'

His gaze refocused itself on Gary. As he returned Meditite's Poke Ball to his belt, the Oak boy was staring at him.

On the other side, Ash could make out the Oak boy's pale expression, but the horror that glazed over Gary's eyes was not visible to him.

"You…" Gary's body was shaking. "How did you…"

Making his way back in front of his trainer, Valiant turned to fix the opposing trainer with a glare. Ash tried to keep his expression even. He couldn't let the optimism overtake him just yet.

As if flipping on a switch, the white sheet that passed over Gary's face turned red.

"I'm gonna…? No…!" Without another word, his hand scrambled for Skamrory's Poke Ball, and the metal bird was in front of him. Valiant's body tensed as the Skarmory pumped her wings outward, raising her head to the sky with a loud shriek.

As the metallic flier leered at the duo, Ash returned Valiant's nod when the emotion Pokemon looked back at him.

"We're at a disadvantage." he whispered honestly, just loud enough for Valiant to hear. "We can't afford to take big hits. Remember to prioritise fire and electricity." Ash grinned at his partner as Valiant turned around and sunk into a stance, eyes fixed on Skarmory. His body was tense for a moment, but steadied as he gained control of his breath.

This was it. They had kept pace with Gary for the entire match. Now they just needed to make the final push.

Shaking his head on the other side, Gary appeared to steady himself, the look in his eyes shaping into a dull glare, never leaving Ash. "Take off, Air Slash!"

Squawking with aggression, Skarmory's powerful wings carried her above the arena as she locked onto Valiant like a predator. Valiant didn't wait, breaking into a run as he kept his gaze skyward, following the sight of the metallic figure flapping her way through the air.

Reaching the other end of the battlefield, Skarmory performed a sharp u-turn before raising a now glowing wing. Lashing forward, a blade of air shot out of her wing, carving through the air on a collision course with its target. Quickly changing trajectory, Valiant turned to face the blade and dove to the side, even as Gary was currently giving another order.

"Flash Cannon!"

Ash responded quickly. "Thunderbolt!"

As the Air Slash carved its way into the ground that Valiant had once occupied, Skarmory's beak opened to reveal a orb of silver energy, expanding to just enough of a size to occupy the beak fully opened. With a loud cry from Gary's partner, the orb extended into a beam that traveled downward, diagonally for Valiant, who simultaneously placed his hands together as electricity began to gather in his palms.

The bolt of lightning collided with the Flash Cannon, creating a cloud of smoke that briefly obscured Skarmory's view of Valiant. Even as the cloud subsided, however, Valiant was gone.

As Skarmory blinked, Gary was just about to warn her when the Kirlia abruptly emerged from his shadow just behind her. A second Thunderbolt extended from his palms even as he rose. The blast of electricity pushed her away with a pained yelp, the lingering sparks rolling across her body as she regained her bearings and retook control of her flight.

Valiant braced himself as she turned to face him again, hovering in midair. Ash wondered if she and Gary would go for the same missile technique that they had used against Tempest. He wasn't fully confident that Valiant's Reflect could handle that combo, but at the same time, a well timed Thunderbolt might be able to intercept her. It likely wouldn't halt her momentum, however, and therefore wouldn't be Valiant's ticket out of harm.

Teleport could work if Valiant reacted fast enough. No doubt Skarmory would be doing herself quite a bit of harm if she missed with the technique and collided with either the ground or the barriers, but he wouldn't put it past Gary to be aware of such a risk.

"Air Cutter!" As the command left Gary's lips, Ash's heart abruptly sank. Of course. Gary was going to be playing at this from a distance. And unlike Valiant, Skarmory didn't have to erect any mentally taxing barriers to protect herself. In a war of attrition, she would…

He snapped out of it as quickly as he could. He needed to guide Valiant through this. Otherwise they'd never win. "Light Screen!"

The barrage of small blades of wind erupted from Skarmory's glowing wings just before the golden barrier manifested in front of Valiant. The psychic strained as the onslaught pelted his glowing shield. Saving on energy, he dropped the now cracked barrier the moment the attack ended.

Skarmory was already in motion again, however, her beak opening to reveal another Flash Cannon. The blast of silver energy extended downward towards the arena, crashing into the ground as Valiant took off sprinting to avoid it.

As his partner remained in motion, Ash chewed on his lip. There was no way for Valiant to get to her. Skarmory would just keep sniping away at him until he had nothing left in the tank.

An Air Slash was intercepted by a Thunderbolt. Some lingering sparks passed through the collision but had lost enough force to be easily avoided by Skarmory.

"Rock Slide!"

Ash blinked as Skarmory pursued her target, hovering directly above him as her wings glowed brightly once more. Rocks began to form underneath her, descending downwards towards Valiant in a barrage.

Valiant kept on running, turning to jog backwards as a familiar emerald orb formed between his two palms. As he evaded the rocks, the magical leaf erupted from the ball and collided with a few of them. Dust spread out across the air, once again temporarily obscuring Valiant from view.

But Gary wouldn't allow the same tactic twice. "Fly higher!" Just as he was about to sink back into his shadow, Valiant paused upon hearing the command. By the time the dust was no longer obscuring him from view, Skarmory was at least twice as high as she had previously been. Now there was no way for Valiant's attacks to reach her at all, and although it came with the silver lining of her likely being too far away to properly aim, the difference was that she could close the distance whenever she was ready.

Ash scowled. Gary was clever. Like a true trainer, he exploited any advantage he had, including one as fundamental as flight. It was to the point of blatant unfairness, yet the Oak boy would have to be crazy to not appreciate the convenience, and utilize it while he had the chance. Throughout the match up to this point, the other trainer had been relentless. Aggressively trying to go in for the quickest knockout possible. The abrupt change in approach was jarring, but effective.

As looked to the other side of the field, however, Ash did not find himself met with his opponent's trademarked, insufferable smirk. Gary's head was angled upwards, gaze locked onto Skarmory, and his expression tight. He almost looked paranoid.

Ash quickly returned his eyes to Skarmory, however. He couldn't get distracted…

Either they found a way to break the stalemate, or the stalemate would slowly decay, until Skarmory was declared the winner. With the way things were currently panning out, Valiant would surely run out of stamina faster. Sparing a quick glance at his partner (being sure to not let Skarmory leave his sight for more than a few seconds at most) Ash frowned at the deep breaths the young Kirlia took while his gaze followed after the metallic bird. Her form wasn't as visible as before, but it wasn't like she had soared all the way towards the clouds, either. His glare might as well have been glued to his face, masking a fatigue that wasn't visible amongst his expressions.

What moves could Valiant use to break the current status quo of the fight? Thunderbolt was the only ranged move that would do much damage, and Gary had already figured out how to properly avoid it. Fire Punch and Thunder Punch would only work up close, and-

Teleport.

'If Valiant teleported onto her back, he could zap her point blank…!' Even as the thought occurred to him, Ash felt no relief. Valiant wasn't used to warping vertically, and they'd have to wait for Skarmory to get in attacking range before they even made the attempt. And even if he did pull it off… Even when in attacking range, Skarmory could still potentially be a decent ways above the battlefield. The sharp distance would put a strain on Valiant for sure.

Mentally cursing, Ash shot his friend another look. Valiant was still now, not hiding with Shadow Sneak (which would expend more energy), or even running. It was an approvable approach: he wasn't going to act in any way unless he needed to. The psychic had long since recognized the war of attrition they were in.

He wasn't sure how Valiant would respond to his command, however. How long would it take for him to summon the concentration to pull it off? He doubted it would be instantaneous, and Skarmory could very easily retreat the moment the order was given. She had the luxury to do so. The further away she was, the less likely they were to succeed…

They only had one shot at this. Gary had many.

As his eyes squinted at Skarmory, it abruptly dawned on Ash that Valiant still wouldn't be out of harm's way, even if they succeeded. If he delivered a Thunderbolt point blank, he'd be zapping himself, too…

Valiant had done it before, Ash supposed. But the thought of the tactic was always uncomfortable. Still, if they didn't do it, his friend would be taking a beating anyway-

It seemed Gary was done with the stalemate. "Flash Cannon!"

Ash immediately snapped out of his train of thought. On full alert, he turned to valiant, who was bracing himself to take off running as Skarmory descended into the sky. Hopefully this order didn't surprise him too much…

"Valiant, Teleport on Skarmory's back!"

"WHAT?!"

Valiant's reaction did not mirror Gary's. Instead, he took just enough time to shoot his trainer an affirmative nod, the calculated glare still not leaving his face, before returning his fierce gaze to his opponent.

"Skarmory, pull up, quick!" The metallic bird was already in the motion of firing, having descended downward just enough to take aim for her prey. As the silver blast escaped her open beak, Valiant took off sprinting, eyes closed as the Flash Cannon carved its way into the pavement. Ash's breath caught in his throat as Skarmory began her ascent back upwards. As expected, Valiant wasn't teleporting instantaneously as usual. Did he still need more time-

A flash.

Valiant had appeared on top of Skarmory, arms wrapped around the startled bird's torso as the sudden weight began to drag her down.

Ash's heart was pounding, his eyes wide. This was a chance they'd never had before. It didn't even feel like his mind was processing it…

But he wasn't going to wait. "THUNDERBOLT!"

Valiant's enthusiasm emulated his trainer as lightning erupted across Skarmory's body. Bathed in a golden glow, the bird's screams spread throughout the air above the battlefield as Valiant's jaw snapped shut, the Kirlia's own scream muffled through a forcibly closed mouth that desperately begged to open, fearing that outwardly venting his pain would encourage his body to lose its grip.

"NO!" Ash was momentarily startled out of his composure from the primal noise that escaped Gary's throat. The Oak boy's hands were gripping his head, fingers fiddling away at his hair as his gaze locked onto the pavement. "This isn't...argh!" his gaze shot skywards, rage giving way to desperation. "Skarmory! Get him off you! Now!"

Not wanting to be distracted, Ash's focus quickly returned to the two combatants, hands cupped to his mouth. "Hang in there, Valiant!" His excitement somewhat gave way to concern as he observed Valiant clinging onto the thrashing Skarmory, who had thankfully adjusted to the new weight just in time to receive the shock. Struggling to maintain his balance atop the bird trying to throw him off, he had been unable to maintain the Thunderbolt. Although Ash couldn't see it from here, he was in the midst of attempting to prepare another.

"Hit her again!" Ash urged. "You can do this!"

It was as though his trainer's words were a performance enhancing drug. Valiant's grip atop Skarmory's metallic hide stabilized mere moments later, the sparks in his palms becoming more numerous as his focus redoubled. Though his skin was burning, he kept his jaw squeezed shut, fearing the temptation of grunting in discomfort. The lingering sparks from the previous Thunderbolt were still rolling along her exterior. Just one more blast-

"SKARMORY!" At the top of his lungs, Gary's words were more of a plea than an order. "Agility and Steel Wing! On the barrier!"

Even as his face paled, Ash's tone of voice didn't waver as his hands balled into fists. "Hold on, Valiant!"

Still trying to charge Thunderbolt, Valiant attempted to add pressure to his grip around Skarmory. The breeze slammed into his face as his opponent tore through the air, her exterior layered in a blue aura as an extra coating of metal adorned one of her wings.

Trying to fight through the sudden motion, the Kirlia bit back yet another scream as electricity erupted across Skarmory's body once again-

SMASH!

The Steel Wing collided with the barrier just moments after the Thunderbolt was fired off. Though Skarmory squawked from the painful zap, her momentum remained true, and to the psychic's dismay and panic, Valiant could feel the shockwaves ripping his arms away from the metallic flier's torso.

Ash called Valiant's name as his partner fell to the ground, but Gary's relief was short-lived as Skarmory tethered in the air. With more sparks rolling across her wings, the bird felt her muscles lock up.

Gary shouted as she began to fall as well.

Heavier than the Kirlia, Skarmory passed Valiant on her way down, and although her outer armor cushioned the impact, it did not completely erase the pain. On his way down, Valiant's eyes squeezed shut, the emotion Pokemon struggling to summon the concentration to call on Reflect-

His form struck the ground.

Not able to hold it in any more, the Kirlia shouted as a surge of pain blasted through his side. A few feet from him, Skarmory struggled to catch her breath, rising to her feet as confidence returned to Gary's voice.

"T-that's right, Skarmory! This battle's ours!" he pointed forward, index figure laser-focused on Valiant. "Finish him off! Flash Cannon!"

With encouragement, the metal bird stood up straight, wings pumping outward as she prepared to flap.

Ash's face scrunched in guilt as he observed Valiant's form. Despite everything, the Kirlia was still struggling to his feet, hand pressed against the pavement as he collected his breaths, steam rising from the charred parts of his skin, and an ugly gash where he had landed on the ground. "Come on, buddy! Fight back!" His confidence was beginning to diminish, however. Although it was slow, Skarmory was already rising into the air-

Almost as soon as her feet left the ground, she had descended. Still standing, the silver orb in her beak had fizzled out.

"Wha…" Gary trailed off.

Sparks trailed across her body as the orb began to form again this time with Skarmory making no effort to take flight. The silver orb steadily began to grow, only to fluctuate in size, ranging from half complete to almost nonexistent. It fizzled out again.

'Paralysis…' as the realization dawned on Ash, his earlier spark of hope dared to return.

"Valiant, use Thunderbolt!" His tone of voice was encouraging. Empowering. Having witnessed Skarmory's setback, Valiant shoved his hands against the pavement, forcing himself to his feet, whether his body was ready for it or not. As the aches and fatigue threatened to drop him, he stumbled to the side for a second or two, before wobbling in place on one foot, and firmly planting his feet on the pavement.

Gary's panic returned as the young Kirlia pressed his palms together. The sparks were coming out slowly, fizzling out every now and then as he desperately fought for control. Squeezing his eyes shut for two or three seconds, he could feel them beginning to stabilize.

"You can do it, Skarmory! Flash Cannon! Flash Cannon! FLASH CANNON!"

Skarmory's beak had almost completely closed both times the charging Flash Cannons had fizzled out, as though the sparks around the beak were clamping down on it. With an audible grunt, she forced it open yet again, the silver orb emerging from the opening beginning to fluctuate in size once more. The lingering electricity still clung to certain parts of her body, and she didn't dare attempt flight again, instead settling to keep her feet grinded against the pavement, much like Valiant, as though the action stimulated their tenacity.

Valiant's vision momentarily blurred a couple of times as the electricity between his palms gathered. The Thunderbolt was coming slowly, but as both trainers called out to their respective partners, Skarmory wasn't faring any better.

The fluctuation was beginning to slow down, however. The orb was gradually stabilizing. Skarmory fought against the paralysis, exacerbated by pain and fatigue, as she desperately summoned the final attack. Across from her, even as the orb in her beak neared its full size, the lightning in Valiant's hands was on the verge of shining like a beacon.

Raising his arms upward, the Kirlia stepped forward and-

Most of the electricity fizzled out, and he almost stumbled.

Skarmory fired.

The lightning never left his palms. The glow of Flash Cannon filled Valiant's eyes just before he was struck by the blast. His adrenaline disappeared as his form was launched several feet back, rolling across the pavement before stopping himself, blistered hands pressed firmly against the pavement as he struggled to rise to his knees.

Just before he could finish, his arms gave out, and his forehead collided with the ground.

As Skamrory's form collapsed onto her bottom, Ash's hands fell to his sides, his fists unfolding back into open hands.

All the excitement in his chest plummeted down into a hastily formed pit, gone in almost an instant. The whiplash was jarring.

They had been there. They had been right there, with a gift wrapped finish line screaming to be stepped over. But they hadn't passed it.

With a strange feeling surging through his body, he took a moment to glance at Skarmory, the metallic bird in a sitting position, catching her breath as she observed Valiant's fallen form. There were burn marks on her body, and tiny sparks of lingering electricity made themselves visible every now and then. It didn't look like she wanted to stand.

With his gaze now on Valiant, and his hand absentmindedly reaching for his partner's Poke Ball, a deep sigh that Ash hadn't even realized had been forming escaped from his mouth. The red beam of light returned the unconscious Kirlia.

"Valiant… good work…" he tried to say something else, knowing that his friend deserved more, but couldn't think of anything.

His attention was brought back to Gary as Skarmory disappeared in a flash of red. Without a word, the Oak boy had returned the Poke Ball to his belt. He hadn't moved yet.

'Time to pay up.' with a mild sense of dread, Ash's legs carried him across the arena. This could've ended differently. What else could he have done? They had been so close… surely just a slight change in tactics would have changed things, right?

He almost didn't want to come up with any ideas. He needed the hindsight, but, would the confirmation just exacerbate it?

As he approached Gary, the young rookie took out his Pokedex. This didn't hurt him too badly on a financial level, he realized as he made his way through the menus, practically on autopilot. He had already spent most of his cash at the department store. Thankfully, he should still have enough for food later on.

He kept his eyes on the screen for a few moments before raising his head to Gary. The Oak boy hadn't confirmed the transfer yet…

Gary's expression was pale. For a moment, his eyes were distant, although that went away as Ash looked at him.

"You…" Gary's arms were shaking as his hands folded into fists. Abruptly, they tightened, as his eyes momentarily flashed. "How…? You almost…" Ash flinched as he took a step forward. "What's going on with you?! You weren't like this when we first battled, you were never…!" absentmindedly, one of his hands lifted up and picked at his scalp. "You and that mouse were helpless on Opening Day! Squirtle and I could've beaten you a thousand different ways if we wanted too. I've been training nonstop for almost two months, it should be the same as…!"

"Stop." Ash straightened himself as Gary glowered at his interruption. Almost out of patience, his eyes fixed into a glare. "I've already told you, I'm not that person anymore, and I won't go back, either. I'm tired of having to repeat that to you." raising his Pokedex, Ash faced the screen towards his opponent. "You're the one who won. This is what you wanted, right-"

"I wanted to remind you of…" Gary's words trailed off into a snarl. Ash's face tightened.

"Remind me of what? That I should be helpless? You just wanted to humiliate me like you always did?" He fought to suppress the temper rising in his chest. "My shortcomings really mattered to you that much, didn't they?!" Gary said nothing. "Answer me-!" Ash cut himself off. He couldn't keep this up. He didn't want to be here anymore. He wanted to be in his room. Or at the Gym. Away from Gary. With his team, or even anyone else.

"You said you're not slowing down for me." his muscles tried to relax as he took a deep breath. Some of the anger left his face, replaced with confidence as he gazed into the Oak boy's eyes although he couldn't get rid of it all. "Well as you can see, my friends and I are doing just fine. Whether you like it or not."

Taking out his own Pokedex, Gary took a deep breath, although not much of the anger left his face as he confirmed the transfer.

Ash watched him leave.

/

The stars above the skyline were partially covered by the cluster of clouds. Although there was no rain in sight, the view of the night sky wasn't entirely clear as Gary moved away from his window.

He had just picked his team up from treatment, giving them the news on how the battle had gone. Weepinbell and Skarmory had both turned in for the night, dozing off in their own respective corners of the room. Eevee and Growlithe were curled up side by side at the foot of his bed.

That Oak boy's back pressed against the wall as he slid to the floor beside the window. The events of the battle were playing through his mind on loop, never leaving his consciousness since he had walked away from the battlefield.

Wartortle and Meditite wandered over to either side of him. Gary acknowledged their presence with an absentminded nod as they curiously looked up to their trainer..

What had changed in such a short span of time? Ash had never had anything to his name back home. He'd done nothing to earn it. Everyone knew about the boy who wouldn't go anywhere, not worth paying attention to.

It had all started with that damn Qualification Exam, hadn't it? Ever since he had miraculously lucked out and passed (and not even barely!). But why was it happening now? He had never been capable of anything before. And now…

"People at the bottom don't deserve anything…" he muttered out loud, before shifting his head to Wartortle. "That's why they want what we have. They were never good enough to earn nothing for themselves." patting his starter's head, he turned to Meditite next. The female psychics had her arms crossed, sitting cross legged with her side against the wall as she met her trainer's eyes. "But they'll never be able to get it. It's our privilege. Not theirs. They have no say." his gaze shifted forward again.

Ash could never hope to beat him. He never had before. He belonged in obscurity. Only one of them had grown up proving themselves to the world.

He remembered the times when things were simpler. Before the trials of their trainer preparations had determined where who standed. Every kid had gathered around the Oak boy. Followed his every move. And once, Ash had been a part of that group. Just like everybody else.

He wasn't like them, though. That's why he had fallen behind so easily when it counted. Had Gary not given him plenty of chances? Warned him of how the world would soon see him if he didn't shape up?

It had never happened. Ash Ketchum was a weak link in the squad. That's why he had to go. An imperfection to be wiped. Despite Gary's best efforts, Ash Ketchum didn't belong with them.

It had shown even after he had passed the Exam. Their first battle was exactly what the world could have expected of either trainer. Floundering from one party, flourishing from another. The match had been a representative of their lives up until that point, and a preview of what's to come.

Gary's teeth pressed together. But at Mt. Moon… that Ash hadn't been the same. And today…

"He's doing…" Gary trailed off. 'How is he doing better with each consecutive match?' his hand scratched his scalp again. 'How did I almost lose to the last person who could have ever…'

Was Ash improving faster than him? Was it only a matter of time before…

Gary took the time to look around the room, observing the four Pokemon who had turned in for the night, and reminding himself of the two present at his side. For nearly the past two months, he had worked himself to the bone with his new family, ensuring that they'd always grow at the best rate possible. See the best results. Be the best results. Both before and after receiving his license, he had done everything right. And so had they.

Thee hadn't been slacking. And they had left the starting line long before Ash and his crew had ever reached it. So what was…

"Well keep fighting." taking note of Medidite's attention, his psychic companion staring at him intently, his hand patted her head. There was a place in his heart that only the six Pokemon present were allowed to enter. He'd never have gone anywhere further without his team's loyalty, but that had just been another part of the test. Which he had passed perfectly, as always. They were a well oiled machine. A family. Soon to be the greatest family of the profession. "We earned our places up here. Noone's knocking us off. Especially the people down there." She nodded at him, before her gaze turned to the door. Much like her trainer, she had a distant look in her eyes as well.

Start strong, stay strong forever. That was what his grandfather, one of the greatest minds to ever exist, had told him. The perfect career. It was their legacy.

Even so, Gary Oak's arm was shaking.

/

It wasn't known to either of them, but in the room directly below, Ash plopped down in the chair in front of the desk, as he looked behind him to observe his team.

The night had grown somewhat late while waiting for his team to recover. They'd likely be sleeping in for a bit tomorrow morning, which was fine by him. They would all need the extra rest for the upcoming battle with Erika.

Pikachu was seated on the desk, tranquil as Ash patted his starter's head every now and then. Valiant was nearby, in deep thought. Ash assumed the Kirlia was going over the previous battle in his head. Eevee and Tyrunt were asleep on their respective pillows, and Nebula at the windowsill. Tempest was awake, but was getting ready to doze off in his corner.

Rubbing his forehead, Ash let out a sigh.

The battle… for a moment there, he had actually thought he'd won. It seemed silly in hindsight. It's not like he'd ever managed such a thing against Gary before, even if he had come closer than ever today.

The real frustration, however, was how Gary still always got him worked up. It felt like forever since he'd decided that he didn't care about the Oak boy's opinion, and yet he couldn't help but feel like he had failed to put that into practice. Was he just spouting platitudes to himself, that he had no way of following? The optimist in him wanted to say that he was just confusing "getting worked up" with "fighting back", but he wondered how far that line of justification would take him.

'Not that there is no justification.' Ash thought somewhat bitterly. After all, Gary had started this whole thing.

Truth be told, he and the Oak boy had never been extremely close before. Friends, for sure, but never anymore close than any other kid in Pallet Town.

The kids in their age group had been jus that. A group. Gathered around by instinct, their own junior community. And given Gary's status, everybody had rallied behind him. So Ash had as well. He was just doing what everyone else was, following the instincts of the herd. And things had been great for a while. Carefree and innocent.

It was when preparations for their careers had started that everything had gone downhill.

Now that Ash thought about it, he wasn't sure what the origin of his dream was. He wanted to become Indigo's Champion. It was relatable, but hardly original. He had been sucked into professional Pokemon training ever since he had first started watching tournaments. But really, his passion was no different from most other kids in the class. In a sense, it made him feel plain. But that didn't mean that he was ashamed of it. Had Lance been ashamed when pursuing the mantle? None of the other kids seemed ashamed. The goal existed for a reason.

Unfortunately, that harmony within their little junior community had quickly fizzled out after preparations began. At least for him.

"Woah, Ash. That's a pretty big bummer. Hopefully you'll do better next week." Gary's shocked voice when he had seen Ash's grade on the first test. A fifty. One of three students to fail the early assessment.

The Oak boy had sounded so sincere at the time. Genuinely concerned. Almost encouraging, even. But it hadn't taken long for the ace student of the class to become increasingly less sympathetic as time went on. Same shoddy results with slow improvement. Ash couldn't remember when he had finally detected the change in tone. In presentation. Gary's words had gone from "hopefully you'll do better next time", to "you'll never get anywhere at this rate".

When had Gary cast him aside? He couldn't even remember that, either. All he could remember is that Gary had deemed him worthless. Irredeemable. Not worth the acknowledgement. Because he didn't mean anything. Because he would never mean anything. The world had to keep moving forward, even if people got left behind.

And of course, every kid in the group had immediately followed his lead. Took his words to heart. Because if Gary said it, it had to be true. Because they always followed Gary. They always rallied around him, their guiding compass. After all, Gary was the best of them. Committing to his wisdom was the best way to ensure success. To ensure that they always took the right approach. It was the beauty of having a peer who was right about everything. You always knew what the smartest answer was.

And once, Ash had been one of those kids. Always blindly following Gary Oak. Taking what he said first. As though it were a routine of life. Right up until the point that very mindset had turned against him.

More whiplash. He hated Gary. He hated his ideology. He hated how it had ruined his reputation. And he hated how the Oak boy was now.

But… did he even have a right to? Had he not also been a blind follower to the grandson of the great Professor Oak? What if he had never fallen behind? What if somebody else had fallen behind instead? Would he have followed Gary around, parroting how worthless that person was, all because Gary Oak said so? He hadn't been disillusioned with the habit of "Gary Oak is always right" until it had hurt him specifically. If it had not… would he have been just another enabler?

Gary's earlier words pricked away at his mind. He believed that he was entitled to everything, all because he had started out as the best. That he needed to stay that way. That people lie him and his grandfather, who were always-

Wait… what?

"Gary said that Professor Oak started out as a winner…" Pikachu and Valiant perked up as Ash mumbled allowed. Cheeks flushing, he grinned sheepishly. "Sorry, just talking to myself."

His gaze shifted forward in front of him. Up until now he had been glancing around the room to observe his team every now and then, but he remained still for now.

Just before the battle, Gary had claimed that both he and his grandfather had started out at the top...That wasn't consistent with what the Professor had told him on Opening Day. it was how he had consoled him after that utterly humiliating match with Gary and Squirtle.

The Professor had opened up to him that morning. Told him something about himself that not even his iconic biography had shed any light on. Along with that Janine girl's encouragement, it was what had led to him and his starter patching things up, leaving their horrific first day behind and starting anew on the second. It was why the first day of his career hadn't broken him. It was even why he had given Valiant his name.

Professor Oak had told him of all people such a thing. Despite having no obligation to. Ash wasn't part of his family, he was just another kid from pallet Town who just so happened to be Delia's son. The most important takeaway of his first day as a trainer had been handed to him free of charge.

But if Oak was willing to share such a thing with him, then why hide it from his own grandson-

Ash froze.

Had… he been lied to…?

"People aren't defined by their starting points." That was the mindset that the great Professor Oak had implanted in him. It was what had pushed him forward in those first couple of weeks. All the way to the top of that Onix's head. Who knows how far he would have gotten without that ideology in the back of his mind? It was a simplistic one, for sure, but for him, it was all that he had.

But… had that even applied to Professor Oak? Did it even apply at all? Was it Gary that Oak had lied to? But what reason did he have to lie to his own flesh and blood that didn't apply to the boy that his grandson despised?

Had he just been told what he wanted to hear? To ensure that he;d step out into the world and pursue his dream, lost cause or not? If Oak's own statement didn't apply to himself, then was it even true? Then what was the point of-

Ash stopped himself again. He was doing it again. ALways faltering so easily. Always getting worked up. Absent-mindedly, his eyes found their way to Pikachu, who was beginning to doze off in his sitting position, albeit not completely just yet.

Right… he knew what the point of this was. It had been one of the first things he learned.

"Are you okay?" Valiant's compassionate voice entered his mind, prompting Ash to nod back at him with a smile.

"Yeah… just fine."

Looking around the room, his true family was here. Pikachu, Nebula, Valiant, Eevee, Tyrunt, even Tempest. Delia was waiting for him back at home with Trucy.

Was the Qualification Exam just a lucky fluke? A miracle birthed from excessive studying? Ash didn't know, but what had happened after that had been no lucky fluke. He had been to six different cities. Had a team consisting of as many Pokemon. Had won two Gym badges in not quite as many months. Even the past few days, he had seen their own progress in a more linear form, keeping pace with Paul, and now Gary, two trainers he had no chance against at first.

"People are not defined by their starting points." Had Professor Oak meant what he said? Was it empty encouragement? Ash didn't know, but he also knew that it didn't matter. They had proven it themselves. He didn't need that phrase to keep him going anymore. He had passed that starting point a long time ago. He didn't need empty encouragement to fuel him any longer. Because as he told Gary, he was not that person anymore.

"Let's get that third Gym badge tomorrow." he looked between Pikachu and Valiant. There was fire in his eyes, although it threatened to get put out by the wave of fatigue he suddenly felt. It was getting late.

Pikachu grinned sleepily as Ash ceased patting his head, scooping his start up in his arms to carry him to the bed. Valiant shot them a smile as well.

They'd keep showing Indigo how far they'd come. Tomorrow, Erika would be the next to know.

/

Valiant had remained seated on the desk for a time as Ash and Pikachu turned in at bed for the night. Cross-legged, he gazed at his trainer for a few seconds, before his gaze shifted around the room.

When he had first joined forces with Ash, he hadn't been sure what to expect. He had wanted to repay his new friends for getting him out of… there, at all costs, and that was initially what had driven him. Return Ash's kindness, and help him achieve this dream of his.

At some point or another, however, that initial motivation had simply integrated into their travels. Something about the dream was contagious. Maybe he had just developed the habit, from all of the constant training for Brock, to the heated battle with Brock, to everything else that had happened since then… At first he was just doing what he could to be helpful, but somewhere down the line, he began to believe in the goal as just that: a goal, and not simply a means to assist his friends.

Now, he truly wanted to see everything through. And so did everyone else.

His eyes narrowed a bit as they lingered on Tempest. The one member of the group who wasn't loyal. Who cared more about barbarism than camaraderie. The one who had picked a fight with a baby just for a cheap thrill.

...He hated that Krabby. He wished Tempest had never been captured. What was the point in having a teammate who didn't have the group's best interests at heart? Ash had pointed out that the young water type had yet to do anything wrong ever since the dreadful incident with Tyrunt, but how long would it be before Tempest's egotistical selfishness jeopardized them again?

But then he thought back to last evening. Pikachu had told them about Tempest's attempt at saving Paul's Sneasel, failed or not. And the young Kirlia had even seen it for himself. It was probably the one time the young Krabby had done something for somebody else, or, at the very least, tried to. He had been attacked before he could perform the rescue, not that Valiant held such a thing against the river crab. The thought mattered just as much as the end result. But could he dare hope…?

Valiant looked away. He didn't have time to dwell on something so uncertain. Not with yet another Gym battle looming ahead of them. Especially since…

He frowned as he hopped off the table and made his way towards his pillow, in between Eevee and Tyrunt. It had felt like ages, but he was finally back. He was in Celadon.

He knew it would happen eventually. And it wouldn't matter right away. Theys till had one last battle left to win before…

His eyes became downcast as he seated himself on the pillow. Then there'd only be one thing left on their agenda. He was looking forward to it wholeheartedly. The place that he never should have left in the first place. And yet…

She had told him that he could get a trainer whenever he was ready. He had been allowed to stay because he wanted to, not because he had to. For that reason, he wasn't too worried, but if the worst case scenario happened…

He was being paranoid for no reason, wasn't he? She had never forced him to do anything. So why was he even worried? And yet, he'd still be saying goodbye to someone…

His gaze lingered on Tyrunt's snoozing form. Memories flashed through his mind. The dinosaur hatching. Helping Ash to raise him. Him and Eevee assisting in the young royal heir Pokemon taking his first ever steps as a battler. At first, caring for the infant was mostly just a way to help Ash, but Tyrunt was certainly no object.

He felt something brush up against his back. Pressing against it. He rolled over to look at Eevee, grinning at him sleepily. The feeling of her nose was familiar.

He had thought she'd been asleep, but perhaps she just had her eyes closed. The look on her face, although tired, seemed curious. Like she knew he was deep in thought.

He smiled reassuringly at her. He always enjoyed spending time with the quadruped. He couldn't quite place his finger on why. It had just happened naturally.

Although… he had learned his lesson after attempting to pull a prank on her, back when he had first discovered his mental speech. She'd made him pay for that.

Rolling over, the young Kirlia closed his eyes. Maybe it was just paranoia, but he wasn't sure what would happen after this. But that was all the more incentive to fight as hard as possible at the Gym tomorrow.

One way or another, at the very least, he'd be earning his trainer one more badge.