2,977Chapter Twenty-Two: The Gathering
Three days.
Just three days of training at the Saffron Dojo under Greta's (and occasionally Bruno's) careful eye had done wonders as far as Ash was concerned. Douse had visible form and polish to his attacks, attained with startling efficiency one could only attribute to the careful eye of a fighting-type. The Poliwrath's techniques were already cleaner and more focused.
Not that he'd been sloppy before, but without the proper training of dedicated fighting-type specialists, he'd been lacking in refinement. Part of that was simply because he'd only recently evolved. This felt like Douse had been put on a proper track to follow.
To say nothing of Scizor. The mantis had been quick to cease her aggression upon realizing how advanced their teachers were. She wasn't arrogant to the point of stupidity—she knew she could still learn. As a creature who had long fought day-to-day in the struggle for survival in Silver-Viridian Forest, she was greedy for any edge she could gain against future opponents.
They refined Technician's precision. Bruno's Breloom had spent a whole session with Scizor on Greta's recommendation after their first day at the Dojo. Between it and Blaziken, Scizor had learned quickly how to remove wasted movement and make pinpoint strikes in the most brutal and wonderful ways.
Superpower was something of a project. That Greta hadn't immediately shot it down told Ash he was onto something. He'd been able to see the gears turning in her head as she considered his idea.
Scizor—and a great many bug-types for that matter—were not like most flesh and blood Pokemon. Their exoskeletons and unique joints pushed beyond typical boundaries. Heracross, for instance, were able to lift more than a hundred times their own body weight. It wasn't true for all bug-types, but a good few of them were much stronger than they appeared.
Superpower removed the natural limits placed upon the body so that it wouldn't rip itself apart. Improper use would rend joints, tendons, and muscles into uselessness. Before Ditto cells were implemented into medical treatments, such mistakes were capable of becoming career-ending injuries depending on the severity of the misuse.
Fighting-types like the Machop line were uniquely suited to Superpower; their bodies were capable of withstanding such an immense strain, although even then they needed to be careful to prevent overuse.
Scizor's exoskeleton and steel muscles made Superpower a practical option in short bursts, but such power produced a great deal of heat in addition to the strain. Overuse would cripple her in a fight.
Rain Dance—once they'd mastered it—would help mitigate the heat problem, but only experience and careful, tempered practice could eliminate the vast majority of the risks. Superpower would be a marathon to master, not a sprint.
That was fine with Ash.
Greta oversaw much of their training. At her suggestion, Ash used his permanent copy of Brick Break to teach Scizor a simple fighting-type move to get her started. It would get her used to wielding the energy required for Superpower and would also make it that much easier for her to shred past a psychic's defenses.
Bruno's team would sometimes help out, but for the most part the Fighting Master kept to the more specialized trainers. Only at the end of the third day, when the training classes had reached their end, did he actually approach Ash personally.
He was putting his shoes back on when Scizor clicked her pincers and Douse rumbled. Ash looked over his shoulder to see the towering shape of Bruno standing not far away with Greta close behind. The Elite's eyes were firmly fixed upon him.
"Mr. Ketchum, isn't it?"
"Yes sir," Ash was quick to stand up, stuffing his foot into his shoe.
"Greta tells me you have made progress," Bruno said simply. "That is good. You will need to be at your best when the Old Crone gets her claws on you."
"You mean Agatha?"
The corner of the martial artist's mouth quirked up just the slightest. "Indeed. She is an effective teacher, though she holds little sympathy for weakness."
Ash blinked. "I didn't think she'd tell anyone about that."
"It was a passing conversation," Bruno admitted. "But then, your name has appeared in several reports over the past few months. Learn all you can. The battles ahead will test you to the utmost."
That seemed to be all the Elite was willing to say, for he turned away and disappeared back into the dojo. Ash watched him go with bemusement as Greta approached him.
"That's sensei for you," she murmured fondly. "Always to the point, then it's back to the task at hand."
"I'm a little surprised Agatha told him at all. She said she was going to help me train Spectre—my Duskull—as a favor for him, not for me."
"I suppose you'll find out how true that is when you get there," Greta flashed him a grin. "In any case you did well, however brief your time was here. Next time you find yourself in Saffron, come by again. The Morimoto Dojo might not be a gym anymore, but I'll still accept your challenge."
Ash matched her smile. "I'll do that."
They shook hands and parted ways.
He'd just made it back to the Pokemon Center when he received a message from Professor Oak on his PokeNav. Ash glanced at it as he passed through the automatic doors.
Call when you get a moment.
He raised an eyebrow, thoughts running rampant. Had Jasmine evolved? It was expected to happen soon, though even Oak hadn't been sure exactly when it would happen.
He hurried to the phone and within a minute, got an answer.
"Ah, there you are!" Oak looked good, all things considered. It seemed he'd recently been bullied into getting some actual sleep since he was missing the dark spots that often formed under his eyes.
"What happened?"
"Oh, nothing to worry about. Dratini is close to evolving. I'd give it another day or two at the most before it happens."
Ash felt excitement well up in him, but Oak carried on before he could say anything. "My reason for calling was to send Dratini over to you, as well as Espeon."
That got a frown out of him. "I have six Pokemon on hand already."
"Agatha messaged me. She's removed the carry limit for your lessons. She suggested you take the utmost advantage of it."
It seemed Agatha was intent on throwing him for a loop every chance she got. "Alright. What about Pikachu? He's had the Alolan spices in all of his meals."
Oak scratched his chin in thought, then looked away from the screen. Probably checking the experiment schedule. "Hmm…one more week marks the theoretical end of the test. It'll give him about a week to adjust to his new form before you meet with Agatha."
"One more week," Ash checked his PokeNav, marked the date, and looked back up. "Was there anything else?"
"Not on my end. Gary wanted to tell you he's challenging Koga soon. He seemed quite keen on besting him before you or Leaf."
Ash rolled his eyes. Of course he was.
He hoped that Koga kicked Gary's ass.
"I'll head over to the transfer machine to get Espeon and Jasmine."
"They're already set to go."
"Thanks, Professor."
With that, the call was cut and Ash headed off to receive his friends.
An hour later he was outside of Saffron, back in the wilderness on his way to Lavender Town. It was a shorter walk before he set up camp since he'd spent the majority of the day in the city, but he still made good time. Saffron was already just a vague shape in the distance.
Once camp was ready, he set his team loose for their reunion. They were surprised, but happy to see Espeon amongst them again. She was greeted eagerly by the majority of the team.
But there were introductions to be made.
Scizor stared down at the psychic with something that wasn't quite contempt, but it wasn't friendly. She knew she held a natural advantage over Espeon.
Ash sighed as Espeon bristled at the newcomer, a growl building in her throat. Evolution might have brought her greater maturity and wisdom, but clearly her old temper could still be roused with the proper motivation.
"Enough," he ordered. Espeon sat by his feet, leering at the massive insect. "Scizor, meet Espeon. You'll get to spar in the future. Be warned; she packs a punch."
Espeon's tail twitched as she stared Scizor down, unafraid of the newcomer. No doubt she was considering all the useful skills Oak's Alakazam had taught her that might teach the bug-type where she stood on the team.
Scizor's pincers clicked, but she obeyed Ash's command. Their lessons at the Morimoto Dojo had warmed her up a little to the young trainer.
Ash held up the Safari Ball next. "Jasmine is back too, everyone. But she's really close to evolution—it means she's nearly blind from the shed skin. Take it easy on her."
Jasmine was set loose after the team let out a quiet chorus of agreement to Ash's request. The Dratini emerged with pale scales and milky eyes, crooning uncertainly.
"It's okay, girl," Ash knelt and held his hand close enough for her to catch his scent. She sniffed and tentatively made contact, relaxing once she'd successfully reached him. "It's just us. Everyone's here, plus someone new. We'll wait until you can see for a proper introduction, though."
Jasmine trilled and curled up, tucking her blind eyes beneath reptilian coils. With the exception of Espeon, the team kept their distance and only called to her quietly so as not to startle the Dratini.
Scizor dismissed her, uninterested. Ash wasn't terribly surprised by that.
"We'll start up training again tomorrow," he told them. "Just relax for now. You'll need all your energy for Lavender Town. I'll get dinner ready in the meantime."
The team made their sounds of compliance and each settled down somewhere close by. Jasmine didn't so much as twitch, but she let out another quiet trill.
Green-Eyes requests a bath. Her shed skin itches.
"Sure," Ash responded without thinking, adding it to his to-do list before his brain caught up with the literal voice in his head.
His attention whipped over to Espeon, jaw dropping as she watched him with just a hint of smug amusement. "Wait. You just—"
The Teacher instructed me, Espeon's tail swayed. She must have meant Oak's Alakazam.
Her mental voice was that of a young woman's, quiet and firm. Ironically, it reminded him a bit of the researchers who had taught at Oak's lab when he was studying for his trainer license. Ash's mouth slowly curved into a wide smile. That would take some getting used to, but he was eager to talk with her more.
He put his excitement aside long enough to think about Jasmine's request. "Douse! Would you mind giving us a hand?"
Ash was roused in the night by a slight static shock, followed by Pikachu's chittering sniggers. He yelped, swatting at the offending rodent, and struck nothing but air. The mouse danced away with glee.
"What was that for?"
Pikachu gestured to the entrance of the tent and leapt outside. Ash sighed and pulled himself up. There was no chance he'd be getting back to sleep anytime soon.
Quickly, he realized why Pikachu had deigned to wake him in such a manner. Well, they'd have a talk about how to properly wake someone up, though he suspected the mouse would shock him awake anyways. But the why was what mattered this time.
His whole team's attention was fixated on Jasmine.
The Dratini was still curled up. A steady glow, flickering every few moments, signaled that all the energy she'd built up over the course of her life was nearing its peak. Her last shed was upon her.
Espeon was crouched next to her friend, eyes pulsing in telepathic communication. If Ash had to guess, she was doing her best to ease Jasmine's thoughts. The transformation brought on by evolution could be taxing and perhaps a bit daunting.
The rest of the team waited patiently for the evolutionary energy to crest and trigger the metamorphic process. Even Pikachu kept quiet, despite vibrating with anticipation. Pyro, Sobek, Douse, and Scizor hadn't deigned to move far from their resting places, though they kept their interested gazes fixed upon the Dratini.
Spectre floated over to Ash, but he didn't dive into the boy's shadow. It seemed he wished to observe the proceedings directly.
Ash sat down near Jasmine, though he was far enough away so as not to startle the nearly-blind dragon. She twitched as the grass crunched beneath him. "It's just me, Jasmine. We're all here."
She trilled—tired, he thought. He wondered if she'd actually gotten any sleep. A quick glance at the moon told him it was well-past midnight. Perhaps she'd sensed the change coming and become restless.
They waited patiently. The steady pulses of energy became more frequent as the minutes ticked by. Jasmine shifted and rubbed her scales together now and again. Eventually, the power was a constant buzz in the air.
Finally, it shone full and bright.
Jasmine wriggled as the evolutionary energy completely consumed her and did not fade. Her coils slid against themselves, sloughing off the last of her shed skin as her body stretched and lengthened. She more than doubled her current size, reaching an easy fifteen feet from nose to tail tip.
The bump upon her head stretched and thinned at the end into a proper horn. The ear-shaped structures on the sides of her head became feathered, extending into wings meant to help direct the wind and control draconic energy for flight.
Three pearl-like jewels formed upon her body; one at her throat and two more near the end of her tail. Though she remained lithe and serpentine, her body gained a significant amount of muscle mass for the sheer increase in size.
The light of evolution steadily faded as Jasmine—now a Dragonair—shook herself free of it, trilling a song that was both familiar and new all at once. Her pale scales had changed to a brilliant sapphire, though her belly was still as snowy white as before; a match for her new wings. Her eyes remained green.
When she lifted her head, she was able to look down on Ash now for all the extra length she'd gained. The Dragonair shifted and studied herself curiously as the rest of the team finally broke their silence.
A cacophony of calls and roars filled the night as they all stood up and approached her. Jasmine met them with confidence now, no longer limited by her weakened eyes. Her tail waved, though it seemed she was adjusting to her new size—she almost clocked Spectre in the face when he floated around to get a better look at her.
That was fine. Some adjustment was always needed after a process like evolution.
Her wings shrunk down on the sides of her head. Ash grinned and approached her, lifting a hand to stroke the Dragonair's cheek. She made a whistling noise, pleased by the attention.
"I'm happy for you, girl. You look fantastic!"
Jasmine trilled again and Espeon matched her, tail waving. She seemed overwhelmingly pleased for her friend. The whole team did.
Even Scizor's attention had been captured. The mantis hadn't deigned to acknowledge Jasmine before her evolution, but the dragon before her now demanded such without her even needing to do anything.
That wasn't surprising. Dragons always drew eyes to their majestic forms, and that attention only grew as they evolved. As Dratini, Jasmine had only been a curiosity for anyone who saw her.
As Dragonair, she was regal. Bigger, more mature, and elegant in a way she simply wasn't before the change.
"We can test out your abilities in the morning," Ash told her (and the rest of the team, half of which seemed geared for a spar). "For now, get some rest. Evolution is pretty exhausting."
Jasmine hummed, nuzzling him, and the team settled down around them. Scizor looked disappointed that there would be no fight now, but she accepted the fight that would come if she was patient.
They settled down again with the moon overhead. Jasmine shoved as much of her body into the tent as was possible, smooshing her head between Ash, Espeon, and Pikachu. Spectre retreated back into the shadows to watch.
"Ice Beam!"
Jasmine spat bolts of freezing energy into a stone spire, icing it over in a matter of seconds. Ash beamed, pleased by the strength of the attack. He'd barely begun teaching her the technique when they trained with Gyarados, but it seemed Oak's Dragonite and her newfound strength brought on by evolution had made the task come to her quickly.
Her power was tremendous compared to what it had been as a Dratini. Not as ridiculous as a Dragonite, to be sure, but she was far beyond her old form. Flamethrowers had become rivers of twisting heat. Thunderbolts rent their targets. Dragon Tails shattered stone with an errant flick.
Oak's Dragonite had done more than build on moves she'd already been working on, though.
Jasmine focused draconic energy into a tight sphere. It flickered unsteadily, not quite mastered as her other moves were, but it was cohesive enough to reach its target with a terrible explosion.
Dragon Pulse would take time to get down, but the foundation was there. Jasmine snorted, tail thrashing as it glowed with her eagerness to test her newfound power, and smashed the iron-hard gems into another stone target.
The Iron Tail carved through rock like a hot knife through butter, sending splinters all over the place.
"That's enough, girl," Ash told her. The Dragonair trilled. She was still eager, but obeyed.
"Espeon, you're up. Sobek, mind bringing in a few more targets?"
The Krookodile casually summoned up a dozen more Stone Edge blades from beneath the earth. Espeon stepped forward with a gentle flick of her tail as Jasmine slithered back to watch her friend beside Ash.
"Show me what Alakazam taught you," he instructed the psychic. Her ears twitched and telepathy answered his command.
As you wish.
His lips twitched up. Espeon focused and his team paid attention once again.
A Psybeam burst from the gem on her forehead, the aim precise and power carefully concentrated, and exploded into one of the stone spires.
Electricity surged from the gem next and her body shook as she harnessed it. Zap Cannon was not an easy move to master by any means, but she'd clearly made some progress with the TM. Several seconds passed before she fired it, but like Jasmine's Dragon Pulse, it remained stable.
The impact of the super-concentrated electricity sounded like a lightning bolt striking the earth, rattling Ash's teeth with the force of it. Espeon sagged for just a moment before she got moving, this time charging the stone spires.
Zen Headbutt first as she rammed through the rock, then Psychic Fangs tore apart another. Alakazam had really spent most of their training time focusing on psychic techniques. Harnessing the strengths of Espeon's chosen form was an obvious choice, but Ash marveled at how quickly she took to the simpler moves once she got a grasp for it.
She paused in the midst of the boulders and focused again. Seconds passed before pink light–fae energy, Ash realized–coalesced around her gem and then burst out in every direction. Dazzling Gleam.
He knew Alakazam was capable of the technique, (in fact, was probably capable of more moves than he could believe) but hadn't anticipated the psychic teaching Espeon the fundamentals of fairy-type power so soon. Perhaps Alakazam had deemed their shared weakness to dark-types issue enough to get Espeon started on mastering fae energy as quickly as possible.
Dazzling Gleam, like Zap Cannon, was far from mastered, but it was sufficient enough progress that Ash could pick up where Alakazam had left off to help Espeon finish the technique.
Espeon shook herself and strode back to him with her head held high. There. Are you satisfied?
"Yes," he knelt and scratched under her chin. Her tails flicked happily.
Scizor's claws clicked and Ash sighed, but his lips curled into a smile. He stood as Espeon met the insect's smoldering gaze with a stern glare.
"Hm," he glanced around the team for a few moments. "Let's have some fun. Espeon will team up with Douse. Jasmine will team up with Scizor."
The combatants lined up as the others watched. Ash barely held back a chuckle as Scizor challenged Espeon and she responded with a low growl.
"Go!"
Scizor immediately lunged for Espeon and barely ducked under a Psybeam aimed for her face. If she was expecting the psychic to run, she had another thing coming.
Jasmine had barely met Douse's opening Hydro Pump with an Ice Beam when Espeon lunged at Scizor with Quick Attack and leapt up to smash into her with Zen Headbutt.
Scizor grunted, a bit surprised by her sheer aggression, and howled as an Iron Tail slapped her across the face. Espeon fled a second later, spitting, as Scizor gave chase with Quick Attack and murder flashing in her eyes.
Jasmine fired a Thunderbolt off and Douse leapt out of the way. Espeon darted past him with Scizor in hot pursuit and the water-type shot the mantis with another Hydro Pump. Scizor snarled, staggering, but continued pursuing Espeon.
Jasmine flew after Douse this time with Agility, refusing to let him gang up on her partner, and swung a Dragon Tail into the Poliwrath. He managed to get his arms up to block, but the impact was still enough to send him skipping over the ground.
Scizor howled another challenge to Espeon, only to yelp as she spun on a dime and spat a Shadow Ball into the insect's chest. She drove a Bullet Punch into the psychic in retaliation, furious, and her pincers clicked as she tried to grab her foe. Espeon's form flickered and Scizor caught nothing but a Double Team.
She took hold of Scizor's body with Psychic, but the mantis flexed her insectoid strength and the energy ripped clean through her restraints. Espeon had gained some distance during that time–she'd clearly known Scizor would not be restrained for long.
Sneering, Scizor fired off a volley of Flash Cannons, nearly striking Jasmine when Espeon darted back towards the other dueling pair. The Dragonair yelped and warbled angrily, but didn't let the distraction give Douse a chance to grab her.
She seemed the most annoyed of the four, despite Scizor's fury. The mantis was warming up to the team, but she had no notion of working together. Espeon and Douse drove their opponents back and forth, taking shots at the other's foe whenever they could. Scizor was as likely to hit Jasmine as she was to hit the others.
Jasmine dueled with Douse for a short time before one of Scizor's Flash Cannons finally struck her in the back, and Ash saw the moment the dragon's temper, for so long kept tight, finally snapped.
She roared, a sound she could never make as a Dratini, and her wings spread wide on either side of her head. She launched herself skyward, twisting around the Hydro Pumps and Ice Beams Douse shot after her.
Ash raised an eyebrow and only yelped when the Dragonair rained down a barrage of elemental fury upon the field.
Scizor jumped as a Flamethrower nearly caught her and dove away, alarmed by the unwelcome introduction of fire to the battle. Jasmine took a Psybeam from Espeon and spat an Ice Beam in retaliation, covering a patch of ground nearly twenty feet across as the psychic fled.
Douse shot his own Ice Beam up at her, which she melted with Flamethrower, then fired a quick Thunder Wave to stun him. He smothered the worst of it with Mud Shot, but was still rattled by the electric attack.
Jasmine focused up a Dragon Pulse and spat it down into the center of the field. The explosion didn't hit anyone directly, but it stunned the three others long enough for Jasmine to get her point across.
She was done with this nonsense.
Agility took her down in a blur and she smashed Douse with a Dragon Tail, then gave chase to Espeon. The Poliwrath got back up quickly enough, hardy as ever, but it was a much-needed distraction.
Espeon spat a flurry of Shadow Balls, barraging Scizor with them, and yelped as a Dragon Rage from Jasmine finally caught the blur of a psychic. She was sent flying, landing on her feet, but dazed by the blow.
Scizor charged after her, though she had wisened up enough to keep her distance from the cross Dragonair. Espeon's fur bristled as the two of them closed in, but she flew into Quick Attack and rushed towards Douse as quickly as possible.
Jasmine wasn't falling for it. She let out a cry (that Scizor surprisingly heeded) and both came to a stop, unleashing a Thunderbolt and Flash Cannon nearly in-tandem.
But between the four of them, Espeon and Douse were the most experienced combatants. Espeon let out a cry to Douse and the Poliwrath unleashed two Ice Beams in quick succession, each meeting the blasts coming for them.
They weren't enough to completely shut down the Thunderbolt and Flash Cannon, but they were enough to weaken them so that the pair could get out of the way. More importantly, it bought Espeon time to twist and prepare her own assault.
Jasmine and Scizor howled as another flurry of Shadow Balls crashed into them, then a Hydro Pump big enough to smother them both in water. Ash realized their plan as soon as Espeon half-charged a Zap Cannon.
Even Jasmine's scales weren't quite enough to fully block the electrical surge, soaked as she was. She had only evolved the night before, too, so her scales weren't particularly thick. The Zap Cannon stunned both of them. Scizor's fury saw to it that she unleashed a Hyper Beam, but Douse cut it off with another Hydro Pump.
Espeon rushed them, Psychic Fangs gleaming as she tackled Scizor. The mantis howled as she bit down on one of her arms, but managed to finally grab the psychic with a Metal Claw. Espeon's gem glowed a fierce purple.
Psychic power exploded in a violent burst that sent Jasmine rolling away from her partner. She shook herself, body still wracked by electrically-induced shudders, but she was ready to go on. Douse cracked his knuckles, ready to meet her.
Espeon snarled at Scizor's face, still caught in the mantis' claw, but she was spitting Shadow Balls one after another and Scizor's grip was steadily weakening even as she tried to crush the furious psychic-type.
Ash was satisfied. "That's enough!"
Espeon's growl didn't cease until Scizor released her, and only then did she limp away. Scizor had left her mark, to be sure, but the victor was clear.
At least for this match, Ash mused. Double battles were new to Scizor and she barely knew what it meant to team up. In hindsight, perhaps it hadn't exactly been fair, but it was an important lesson. Being on a team required coordination, not just a rivalry to get stronger.
Scizor stood up. She could certainly have gone on, and she would certainly challenge Espeon again, (and Jasmine as well, he suspected) but for now, the battle had been enough. She was satisfied that her new teammates were powerful in their own right.
Jasmine still seemed a bit annoyed. Her fury was new, no doubt a result of evolution and the hormonal changes induced by the process. They'd work on that.
"You all did great. Let's get you patched up and we can hit the road again," Ash praised. "We'll do more of these spars on the way to Lavender Town. If we ever have to go up against Agatha's ghosts, you'll need to team up if we want any chance at beating them."
Scizor's pincers clicked and she nodded after a moment. Ash was starting to realize she got overly eager whenever she was faced with a new, powerful opponent. But to her credit, mantis was also figuring out that she needed to keep a leash on her single-minded pursuit of their foes before it landed her in a bad spot.
A few more steps forward. She was getting better. All of them were. And Ash was confident they'd be ready for whatever Agatha could throw at them.