Chapter 424: Vs Ash and Paul
~Third POV~
[Anime Canon – Sinnoh Region, Hearthome City – Pokémon Center]
The mountain air was thin and bitingly cold, but the atmosphere on the Pokémon Center's outdoor battlefield was scorching. Azure Sky stood with his hands tucked into his jacket pockets, the familiar weight of Pichu (Mew) resting against his chest.
On his shoulder, Pikachu crackled with surplus electricity, his eyes narrowed in a competitive spark he hadn't felt since the Battle Frontier. Atop Azure's head, Eevee sat like a fluffy crown, her ears twitching as she analyzed the two trainers across the field.
Ash Ketchum and Paul.
In the anime timeline, these two were the personification of two different extremes: the heart and the cold, hard logic. Azure, coming from the brutal, high-stakes world of the Pokémon Adventures manga, knew that neither was currently complete.
They were both missing the 'World-Class' perspective that came from surviving legendary catastrophes and mastering the technicalities of a universe where a Hyper Beam could level a city block.
Ash shouted excitedly, his voice echoing off the rocky outcrops, "Aipom, let's go! Swift!"
Paul commanded, his voice a sharp contrast to Ash's enthusiasm, "Electabuzz, Light Screen, then Thunderbolt on the Ampharos!"
Azure didn't move. He didn't need to, as he commanded calmly, "Quagsire, Amnesia. Ampharos, Cotton Guard."
The battlefield erupted into motion. Aipom leaped into the air, her tail glowing as she unleashed a flurry of golden stars. Simultaneously, Electabuzz slammed its fists together, erecting a shimmering wall of light before channeling a massive bolt of lightning toward Azure's yellow-and-black partner.
*BOOM*
The stars slammed into Quagsire, but the marsh Pokémon simply wobbled, its eyes glazed over in a state of zen-like forgetfulness. The Thunderbolt struck Ampharos, but the sheep Pokémon had already fluffed its wool into a massive, protective cloud.
The electricity dissipated into the thick fibers like water into a sponge. Dawn exclaimed from the sidelines in shock, her hands gripped tightly over her scarf, "What?! It barely did anything!"
Cynthia, standing beside her, crossed her arms. Her grey eyes were fixed on Azure. She murmured, more to herself than to Dawn, "It's not just their power. It's the timing. He's using moves that buff defensive stats the moment the attacks are launched. He isn't just reacting; he's predicting."
Azure finally smirked as he gave some advice to them, "If you can't tank a hit, you don't survive the first five minutes. Ampharos, Power Gem on Aipom. Quagsire, Sludge Bomb on Electabuzz."
*PEW*
Ampharos's tail orb flashed with a brilliant, multifaceted light. A beam of crystalline energy shot out, jagged and fast. Ash's Aipom tried to dodge, but the speed was unlike any Ampharos Ash had ever seen. The move clipped Aipom, sending the monkey Pokémon tumbling back toward Ash's feet.
*SPLAT*
Meanwhile, Quagsire unhinged its jaw and launched a glob of toxic purple sludge. Paul's Electabuzz stepped behind the Light Screen, but the Sludge Bomb didn't just hit the screen—it splashed around it, the corrosive liquid sizzling against the ground near Electabuzz's feet, the fumes making the electric type cough.
Paul muttered as he continued issuing commands, "Tch. Useless. Electabuzz, ignore the Quagsire. It's a Ground-type. Use Brick Break on Ampharos!"
Ash yelled, trying to create an opening for Paul's Pokémon, "Pikachu, help him out! Use Iron Tail on Quagsire!"
Azure sighed, seeing their teamwork as he commanded calmly, "The synergy is terrible. Quagsire, Yawn on Pikachu. Ampharos, use Dragon Pulse."
The battle became a whirlwind. Azure was managing two Pokémon with the grace of a conductor. When Ash's Pikachu—who had jumped in to assist—charged forward, Quagsire simply exhaled a heavy, pink bubble of sleep-inducing energy.
*YAWN*
Ash had to recall Pikachu instantly to avoid the status condition, returning Aipom to the field. But Paul was having a difficult time.
*PEW*
Ampharos then unleashed a roaring dragon made of violet energy. It didn't just hit Aipom; it slammed into Paul's Electabuzz as well, the sheer concussive force shattering the Light Screen like glass.
Brock noted, his eyes narrowed as the battle progressed, "He's fighting 1-on-2, and he's winning the war of attrition. He's forcing them to switch and burn through their moves while his Pokémon are barely breaking a sweat."
Ten minutes in, and the battlefield was a mess of craters and scorched earth. At some point Azure even suggested to bring out 2 of their Pokemon out against his Quagsire and Ampharos.
Ash had already rotated through Staravia and Turtwig, losing his Snorlax that he brought back from Oak's Lab, while Paul had brought in Weavile and Murkrow but also lost Magmar. Azure, however, still had his original duo out.
Quagsire looked as bored as ever, and Ampharos was glowing with the residue of a Charge boost. Paul snapped, his frustration finally boiling over, "Enough games! Murkrow, Night Slash! Weavile, Blizzard!"
Ash followed suit, finally syncing his timing with Paul's assault, "Staravia, use Brave Bird! Turtwig, Energy Ball!"
*SWOOOSH*
The combined might of four Pokémon descended on Azure's two. A blizzard of ice, a cloak of blue fire from Staravia, a dark blade, and a concentrated orb of nature's energy.
Azure's eyes flashed. He reached out a hand, finally getting excited as he countered, "Bout time you two go serious. Quagsire, Strong Style Earthquake. Ampharos, Confuse Ray into the Blizzard."
*RMBL*
The ground didn't just shake; it heaved. Azure's Quagsire slammed its tail into the earth with such force that the very foundation of the Pokémon Center seemed to groan. The shockwave ripped through the field, knocking the grounded Pokémon—Turtwig and Weavile—off their feet and disrupting their attacks.
*FLASH*
At the same time, Ampharos sent a sinister, flickering light into the heart of the Blizzard. The ice crystals caught the light, refracting it a thousand times over, creating a blinding, kaleidoscopic strobe effect.
Paul's Murkrow and Ash's Staravia, caught in the air, were instantly disoriented. Staravia veered off course, slamming into Murkrow.
Azure commanded in a calm voice, "Now, the finisher for this round. Ampharos, use Strong Style Dazzling Gleam!"
Cynthia whispered, leaning forward, "Fairy-type energy…"
*FLASH*
A burst of ethereal, pink-white light exploded from Ampharos. It wasn't like a normal Flash; it was searing, elemental, and beautiful.
The light washed over the field, hitting both flying types and the grounded Pokémon. Because of the "Fairy" properties Azure had explained, the move felt fundamentally different to the Pokémon receiving it. It bypassed the usual resistances they expected.
*Thud*
When the light faded, four Pokémon were down.
Silence fell over the mountain. Ash looked at his fainted Turtwig and Staravia, then at Azure, who hadn't moved an inch from his starting position.
Paul was staring at his Weavile, his face a mask of disbelief. Paul whispered, "That... that move. It was super-effective against Weavile. But Weavile is Dark/Ice."
Azure said calmly, his voice echoing through the battlefield, "Fairy is super-effective against Dark, Fighting, and Dragon. You two are fighting like it's a game of numbers. In a real battle, you don't just use types; you use the environment, you use the opponent's momentum, and you use types they don't even know exist."
Azure recalled Quagsire and Ampharos, the two Ultra Balls clicking shut as they returned. Azure said, his Eevee jumping down from his head to stand defiantly on the dirt, her tail glowing with a strange, silvery light, "You've both got about half your teams left. I'll switch out, too. Eevee, you're up. And Pikachu... get off my shoulder. It's your turn."
Ash's Pikachu hopped onto the field, sparks dancing between its ears. He looked at Ash's Pikachu and gave a cocky little wave of his paw, as if to say, 'Show me what the local version of me can do.'
Paul felt insulted as Azure used his Pikachu and Eevee as he responded sternly eyes narrowing, "You're using an Eevee and a Pikachu? Against our final Pokemon? You're mocking us."
Azure laughed, a genuine, sharp sound as he replied bluntly, "Mocking you? Paul, this Eevee has survived a battle against the Elite Four. This Pikachu has stood its ground against the Deoxys entity. If anything, I'm being generous. Now, send out your best. I want to see if both of you have anything that can actually make me move my feet."
Cynthia watched as Ash sent out his Sceptile and Paul sent out his Torterra. She realized then that Azure wasn't just a traveler. He was a catalyst.
He was there to break the ceiling that Ash and Paul didn't even know existed. She couldn't help but whisper, "Azure Sky… Just who did you have to become to get that strong?"
Azure signaled for the next round with an open hand with an eager expression, "Come at me. And don't hold back, or you'll lose more than just a battle. You'll lose the chance to see what lies beyond your limits."
Dawn whispered, her hands clasped over her mouth, "This... this is impossible. Ash and Paul... they've each lost four Pokémon, and that guy hasn't lost a single one?"
Ash Ketchum's voice rang out with his signature fiery passion, "Sceptile, use Leaf Storm! Now!"
Paul commanded, his voice as cold and clinical as ice, "Torterra, Frenzy Plant. End this."
The two trainers were currently engaged in a heated sparring match, but they weren't alone as Azure coordinated the battle. The scene was chaotic…
*RMBL*
The ground groaned as massive, thorny roots erupted from the earth, racing toward Azure's pair like hungry serpents. Simultaneously, Sceptile blurred into motion, the blades on its arms glowing with a deadly emerald light.
Azure commanded calmly, eyeing the battlefield, "Eevee, Double Team. Pikachu, use the roots as a path."
*Wooosh*
Eevee flickered, creating a dozen afterimages that confused Sceptile's trajectory. Meanwhile, Azure's Pikachu didn't retreat; he leaped onto the rising Frenzy Plant roots, sprinting up them with gravity-defying speed.
Azure followed up, "Now, Iron Tail on the tree!"
*CLANG*
Pikachu's tail turned to gleaming steel as he vaulted off a root, slamming his weight directly into the tree on Torterra's back. The impact was thunderous. Torterra bellowed in pain as the shockwave disrupted its control over the Frenzy Plant.
Ash yelled, "Sceptile, behind you!"
*BAM*
But Eevee was already there. She hadn't just used Double Team to hide; she had used the distraction to charge a Quick Attack powered by a sudden burst of energy using Mimic: Swords Dance. She slammed into Sceptile's midsection, her small frame carrying the momentum of a wrecking ball.
The exchange was brutal and fast. Within minutes, the heavyweights were gasping. Azure's pair moved with a synchronization that made Ash and Paul look like amateurs.
To the side, Brock, Dawn, and the Sinnoh Champion, Cynthia, stood as spectators. Their faces were etched with varying degrees of shock and disbelief seeing the battle.
Cynthia narrowed her grey eyes, her arms crossed over her black coat as she murmured, "It's not just about power. Look at his movement. Look at how his Pikachu and Eevee react before he even gives a command. It's as if they're sharing a single mind.... his battle experience is on a level I've rarely seen that he doesn't need to commands to be in sync with his Pokemon."
In the center of the battlefield, Azure stood with his hands in his pockets, looking remarkably relaxed. Across from him, Ash's Sceptile and Paul's Torterra were huffing, their bodies covered in scuffs and bruises.
Azure asked, a small, challenging smirk playing on his lips, "Is that all? You've got heart, Ash. And Paul, you've got strategy. But you're both missing the bigger picture."
Ash yelled, "We're not done yet! Sceptile, Leaf Blade!"
Paul added, "Torterra, Giga Drain!"
*Zooom*
The massive grass-type starter surged forward, its heavy footsteps making the ground tremble while Sceptile blurred into a green streak, the blades on its arms glowing with emerald energy.
Azure said softly, "Pikachu, Eevee. Show them the gap."
*Zooom*
Azure's Pikachu didn't use a standard move. It used the terrain.
With a sudden burst of speed, it leapt onto Sceptile's glowing blade, using the momentum to flip over the forest Pokémon. While mid-air, Pikachu's tail glowed metallic silver.
*CLANG*
An Iron Tail slammed into the back of Sceptile's head, driving it face-first into the dirt. Simultaneously, Eevee danced through the massive roots of Torterra's Giga Drain with impossible grace.
It was as if the Eevee knew exactly where the roots would emerge before they even broke the surface. Azure commanded, "Eevee, Double-Edge."
*SHREEEEE*
Eevee became a white-hot blur of kinetic energy. The sound of the wind shearing around its body was deafening. It slammed into Torterra's sturdy legs, the sheer force of the impact toppling the mountain-sized Pokémon over.
*CRASH*
Dust billowed as both Sceptile and Torterra fainted, their eyes swirling.
Ash cried out, rushing forward before stopping himself, clutching his Pokéball, "Sceptile! No!"
Paul's face darkened, his fists clenching at his sides as he muttered, "Torterra, return. You were useless."
Azure said, his voice cutting through the tension, "They weren't useless, Paul. You just didn't know how to push them past their limits."
Ash looked up, his hat casting a shadow over his eyes. Ash yelled, "We can still do this. Pikachu, you're up!"
Ash's Pikachu hopped into the fray after it woken up from the Sleep Status Condition it was placed in, its cheeks sparking with a fierce determination, "Pika-pi! (Ya got it!)"
Paul, silent and brooding, pulled out his final heavy hitter as he uttered, "Ursaring, stand by for battle!"
*Pop*
The massive hibernation Pokémon emerged with a roar that shook the very air, its muscles bulging, the white circle on its chest gleaming under the afternoon sun, "ROOOOAR!"
Azure's Pikachu and Eevee returned to his side, standing ready. The atmosphere changed. The air felt heavy, charged with static and an emotional weight that made Brock and Dawn shiver.
Brock muttered, eyeing the three, "This is it. The final round. But Azure's Pokémon don't even look tired."
Azure stepped forward, the Pichu (Mew) in his jacket letting out a tiny, encouraging chu! that only Azure knew was a Mew giggling. Azure started, his gaze locking onto the cold trainer, "Paul. You believe that strength comes from searching for the 'perfect' Pokémon. You discard the 'weak' and focus only on raw power. You're not entirely wrong—power matters. But you're blind to the source of the greatest power."
Paul scoffed as he replied, sounding annoyed, "Bonding? Friends? That's the talk of losers who can't win on merit."
Azure's eyes flashed with a cheeky grin, replied cheekily, "Is it? Ash believes in bonds, but he lacks the refinement to channel that bond into absolute kinetic force. You both have half of the puzzle. Let me show you what the completed picture looks like."
Azure barked, "Pikachu, Extreme Speed!"
*ZOOOOM*
Azure's Pikachu vanished. Not just moved fast—it vanished.
Even Cynthia gasped, her eyes widened in surprise, "That's not just Quick Attack... the acceleration is incredible!"
*BAM*
*BAM*
*BAM*
Ash's Pikachu was struck from three different directions before it could even process the movement. Paul's Ursaring tried to swing a Hammer Arm, but Azure's Pikachu was already gone, appearing behind it to deliver a stinging Thunderbolt that arced across its fur.
*K-TCHAK*
Paul yelled, "Ursaring, Focus Blast!"
Ash countered, "Pikachu, Volt Tackle!"
*PEW*
*ZZZZZT*
The two Pokémon launched their desperate attacks against them. Ursaring condensed a sphere of blue energy, while Ash's Pikachu became a ball of golden electricity.
Azure smiled. It was a wide, genuine grin as he declared, "Now. Let's finish this with something you won't find in any Pokédex. This is the manifestation of a bond without limits. A move that echoes the soul!"
Azure held out his arms as he declared, "Time to show the rope, you two! Pikachu! Pika Papow! Eevee! Veevee Volley!"
*ZZZZT*
The air didn't just crackle; it hummed with a melodic, resonant frequency. Azure's Pikachu began to glow with a brilliant, shimmering gold light that was far brighter than a standard Thunderbolt. It wasn't just electricity; it was pure, condensed affection turned into a weapon.
*SHIII*
Simultaneously, Eevee was enveloped in a swirling aura of pink and white energy. It began to move in a spiraling pattern, its speed increasing until it looked like a comet of pure heart-power.
Dawn shouted, shielding her eyes, "What is that move?!"
Brock added, stunned, "I've never seen anything like it."
*PIKA-PAPOW*
A massive wave of golden energy erupted from Azure's Pikachu, shaped like a giant, smiling lightning bolt. It collided with Ursaring's Focus Blast, vaporizing it instantly and swallowing the bear Pokémon whole.
*VEEVEE-VOLLEY*
Eevee slammed into Ash's Pikachu with the force of a falling star. The impact created a shockwave that sent a cloud of dust and debris flying toward the spectators.
*BOOOOOOM*
When the dust settled, the silence on the mountain was absolute. Ash's Pikachu lay on its back, exhausted but with a strange, peaceful expression on its face. Paul's Ursaring was sprawled out, completely unconscious, and the ground beneath it cracked from the force of the impact.
Azure's Pikachu hopped back onto his shoulder, and Eevee leaped back onto his head, both looking as if they had just finished a light jog. Cynthia whispered, stepping forward, "Unbelievable…"
She looked at Azure with newfound respect as she uttered, "That wasn't just a battle. That was a demonstration."
Ash picked up his Pikachu, cradling it in his arms as he said respectfully, "Wow... Azure, that was amazing! I've never felt power like that before. It felt... it felt like your Pikachu was talking to mine through that attack."
Azure nodded as he explained calmly to Ash in a knowing voice, "That's exactly what it was, Ash. Pika Papow and Veevee Volley... they're moves that only a partner with a maximum bond can use. They scale with how much you love and trust each other. There is no roof to their power."
Paul stood over his Ursaring, his face unreadable. He remained silent for a long time, analyzing the memory of the golden light. He had seen raw power before, but that... that was something that defied his logic.
Azure walked over to Paul. The cold trainer looked up, expecting a lecture. Instead, Azure reached into his bag and pulled out a heavy, dark, rectangular object that looked like a block of compressed earth and peat.
Azure said, tossing the item to Paul, "Here."
Paul caught it, confused as he asked, "What is this? Dirt?"
Azure explained what the item he handed him was in a calm tone, "It's a Peat Block from the Hisui region—or what you call Sinnoh's ancient past. Wait for a full moon. Give that to your Ursaring. It'll trigger a final evolution you didn't even know existed."
Paul's eyes widened as he muttered, "A final... evolution?"
Azure explained with his arms crossed, "Your Ursaring is strong, Paul. It has a high ceiling. But it's stuck. It's frustrating. It feels your disappointment, and that limits its growth. Use that block on a night with a full moon here in Sinnoh. It will trigger a dormant evolution that hasn't been seen in this era for a thousand years."
Paul looked at the block, then back at Azure. He couldn't help but ask bluntly, "Why give this to me? I lost."
Azure said calmly, his voice turning slightly stern, "Because you have a good head for battle. But I hate seeing trainers waste their Pokémon's potential. Evolution isn't just about stats; it's about the Pokémon reaching the pinnacle of what it was meant to be. Your Ursaring deserves to be an Ursaluna. Whether you deserve to be its trainer... that's up to you to prove."
Paul didn't say thank you—he wasn't the type—but he tucked the Peat Block into his bag with a deliberate, careful motion. He gave Azure a stiff nod before turning and walking away into the mist of the mountain, his mind clearly racing with new calculations.
Azure then turned to Ash, giving him some advice, "And you. Keep that fire, but start using your brain as much as your heart. Don't just wait for a miracle—engineer one."
Ash grinned, his energy already returning as he asked, "Man, I've got so much to learn! Azure, you must stay and—"
Azure held up a hand, yawning as the sun began to dip below the horizon, painting the Sinnoh sky in shades of violet and orange as he replied, "Maybe another time if we meet. I'm about done battling for the day, and I have things to do. Right, guys?"
Azure looked at his Pikachu and Eevee, who both nodded in agreement. The Pichu (Mew) in his jacket let out a long, sleepy yawn. Azure said calmly, walking toward the Pokémon Center, "I'm turning in for the night. But keep training. The world's a lot bigger than the Sinnoh League."
As Azure walked away, Cynthia watched him, a thoughtful smile on her face, "Azure Sky... a trainer who carries the history of the past and the power of the future. Quite the fateful encounter, I'd say…"
Cynthia pondered deeply as she reflected on the Poké Balls on her belt, '… And I need to up my game. Never thought I'd be motivated to train again and to see that others outclass me… I don't like it.'
Cynthia turned to leave Ash's group. But they noticed an ignited fire and determination in her eyes as she left, as the desire to grow sprouted in her heart…
/////
A/N: Hope you liked the chapter!