{The Abby Show}
"[Welcome back, junior siblings, it is I, your very favorite elder sister, Abby, and we are back for another episode of 'Are You Courting Death!']" Abby announced happily.
"[One of these days we really need to put something on her to try to shut her up,]" Alakazam sighed into his hand.
"[We tried, remember,]" Hypno sighed too, resting his head on his arm. "[I just want to go read my books, and I just got to the good part.]"
Psyduck nodded as he pulled out a small bag and started ruffling through it. "[Psyduck also believes we should do something. Clementine actually got Psyduck something for this.]"
"[Dude, you don't have to rub it in, we get it, you have a girlfriend. Don't we suffer enough with her?]" Alakazam pointed behind him where Abby and Abratwo were chatting about how soil quality affects cultivation.
"[And that is why I am always right, junior sister,]" Abby finished with her arms crossed.
Abratwo pointed at her. "[Are you courting death? Clearly I am right!]"
"[Oh yeah? How about I cripple your mana core and snuff your true fire!]" Abby shouted back.
"[Ok, please can we get this over with so we can go home,]" Alakazam sighed.
"[You're right, senior brother. Well, today we are coming at you with the deluxe scoop on the Silver Conference. It may have gotten delayed, but it's back and we're gonna cover each and every second of it!]" Abby announced.
"[Ok, but can we do it normally? Last time was actually fine, but please don't be weird,]" Hypno said, shaking his head.
"[Nonsense, senior brother. We will go through each realm of power to show everyone how to become the strongest for our sect!]" Abby declared with her hands on her waist, laughing into nothing.
Meanwhile Psyduck finally pulled out what he was looking for: a small yellow-and-orange stone. "[Here it is, Clementine gave this to Psy-gahhh!]" Psyduck tried to walk over but he tripped and dropped the stone; it rolled to Abby's feet.
Abby picked it up and looked at it. "[Ahh, a cultivation pill, of course! I thank you, senior brother; with this I shall reach my breakthrough to the heavens!]" Abby said as she popped it into her mouth.
Alakazam blinked. "[Wait, don't do that, that's not a—]" He stopped when Abby swallowed. "[A pill?]" Alakazam recognized what it was, that was a Mega Stone, an Alakazite, and Abby had just swallowed it.
Immediately Abby began shaking, then she started glowing and changing. She began floating into the air; a gem appeared on her head, and she became Mega-Abby.
Abby blinked and looked down at everyone. For a moment she said nothing, then she opened her mouth and immediately covered her face in embarrassment. "[Oh my Mew, oh my Mew, oh my Mew, why did I say all those things? I'm so stupid. What even is cultivation? What was I thinking? Oh guys, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry,]" Abby began repeating.
"[Ehh…]" they said in unison, blinking at the fact that Abby was… talking normally and apologizing.
Abby waved her arms up and down with an embarrassed blush on her face. "[I'm sorry, please forgive me. I was so stupid. Ahhh, I want to dig into a hole and die; please forgive me!!]" she cried.
They all blinked and didn't know what to say. Alakazam raised his hand. "[I-um, I… it's… okay, we forgive you… right, guys?]"
"[I-um… yeah, sure, I guess,]" Hypno muttered, still confused.
"[Psyduck wonders where Clementine got that stone…]" Psyduck muttered to himself.
"[Really, guys?]" Abby sniffled. "[Even when I was being an idiot and talking about this stupid cultivation stuff, you still want to forgive me?]"
"[Um, sure. I mean, at least it looks like it's over now,]" Hypno said, waving his hands. "[Really, we forgive you.]"
Abby wiped her eye. "[Thank you. I guess I wasn't as smart as I thought I was,]" she said. But as everyone was relaxing, Abratwo came in with the steel chair and hit Abby in the back of the head, making her cough out the Alakazite, and Abby immediately fell back to base form.
Abby blinked, looked around, "[Wait a minute, yes I am! I am senior sister Abby, the Jade Beauty of the sect, praise me mwahaha!]"
The boys blinked, looked at each other, and immediately jumped on Abby, holding her down to try and force her to swallow the Alakazite again.
—
The crowd was going wild. As Ash looked around, he saw his friends in the stands and even the Gym Leaders watching. Up above, in the VIP section, he spotted both Elite Fours, Lance and Cynthia, watching from there.
As he was thinking, the announcer began going over the rules, rules Ash already knew. They were the same as the Indigo League, nothing anyone needed to hear again. But then came the part everyone did need to hear, as the announcer pointed up at the big screen. It was slightly cracked, but still working.
The screen flickered to life, showing all eight of their faces before quickly randomizing the matches. Finally, it stopped:
Ash vs. Shelly
Gary vs. Virgil
Ethan vs. Vincent
Silver vs. Harrison
The crowd buzzed with excitement, cheering loudly. Well… everyone except Shelly, who sighed as if she was already expecting to lose. Ash frowned. Since his battle was first, he went to sit in the bleachers.
As he waited, he thought about which Pokémon to use. With this tournament format, he wouldn't be able to use all his Johto team. Not like all of them were the same strength anyway, some of his Pokémon were just obviously weaker than others.
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Shelly sit down a little ways away, tapping her foot nervously as she waited for their call. She was so lost in thought she didn't even notice Ash nearby.
Ash walked over and sat down beside her. "Hey, Shelly. You good?"
Shelly yelped in surprise, realizing Ash was right next to her. "A-Ash, I-I'm good, yeah, thanks for asking. You look good, I mean, your new clothes, they look good on you, I mean…" she stammered, her face flushing red.
Ash rolled his eyes and poked her forehead. "Hey, calm down. It's okay to be nervous. You don't have to be ashamed of it."
Shelly gulped and looked down. "I… I see… I'm sorry."
"Why?" Ash tilted his head.
"You probably wanted a stronger fight than someone like me," Shelly mumbled. "Maybe… do you want me to just forfeit so you don't have to-ow!" She flinched as Ash flicked her forehead again.
"Stop saying that. You're not weak. You're here, aren't you? That means you're strong. And no, I don't want you to give up. You got all the way here, and you're still standing. Isn't that something worth celebrating?"
Shelly's eyes dropped. "I… well… I mean…"
"Look, Shelly," Ash said, tilting his head. "Do you really think anyone will accept you and see how great you are if you give up now? Don't you want Bugsy to trust you with the Gym?"
Shelly bit her lip. She opened her mouth, but no words came out. Before she could answer, the announcer's voice boomed through the speakers:
"Will Ash and Shelly please come to the stadium!"
Ash sighed and stood up. "Well, looks like it's time for the show." He looked at Shelly and offered his hand. "Come on. Let's give them a battle to remember."
Shelly looked at him, then at his hand. Slowly, she reached out and took it.
–
A few moments later, Ash and Shelly stood on opposite sides of the stadium. The crowd was roaring, ready for the match, as the announcer's voice boomed through the mic:
"Alright, you all know the rules. No need for me to explain those boring things, so if both trainers are ready, send out your Pokémon and begin!"
Ash and Shelly threw out their first Pokémon.
"Noctowl!"
"Cain!"
Ash's Noctowl emerged in a flash of light, while Shelly sent out Cain the Scolipede. A certain purple-haired boy in the stands immediately made himself heard:
"Yeahhh, baby! That's my boy right there, you can do it, me!" Cain from the crowd shouted.
Heather rolled her eyes and smacked him in the back of the head, finally shutting him up.
With that, the battle began. Shelly moved first.
"Cain, go in fast with [Steamroller]!"
Scolipede screeched, curling its body into a wheel and launching forward, aiming to crush Noctowl.
Ash raised his arm. "Noctowl, [Reflect], now!"
Noctowl hooted, its wings glowing as a shimmering barrier formed in front of it. Cain crashed into the Reflect wall with a resounding crack! The impact slowed it down but didn't stop it entirely, Scolipede still burst through, grazing Noctowl's wing before tumbling back onto its many legs.
"Good, Cain!" Shelly shouted, her voice shaky but gaining confidence. "Now, [Poison Tail]!"
Scolipede whipped its massive tail, glowing with venomous purple light, and lunged again, leaping into the air with a spin.
"Noctowl, counter with [Air Slash]!" Ash commanded.
Noctowl's wings glowed white as it fired sharp blades of compressed air. The attack struck Scolipede mid-lunge, knocking it off balance. The glowing tail still clipped Noctowl's chest, scraping it before Scolipede crashed to the ground.
"Cain, don't stop, [Rock Climb]!" Shelly called, her voice stronger now.
Scolipede screeched, its body glowing faintly as jagged rocks burst up from the arena floor, forming a ramp. It shot forward, using the rocky incline to launch itself straight at Noctowl.
"Not bad. Noctowl, dodge and use [Hypnosis]!" Ash said calmly, thrusting out a hand.
Noctowl swerved sharply midair, dodging the charge. Its crimson eyes glowed, sending out waves of hypnotic energy toward the airborne Scolipede.
For a moment, it looked like the attack would connect, until Shelly shouted: "Cain, break through with [Smart Strike]!"
Scolipede narrowed its eyes. Just as the hypnotic waves closed in, it shut its own eyes and shot forward, piercing through the attack. Its horn slammed into Noctowl, sending the owl spiraling backward through the air.
Shelly pumped her fist. It worked! The crowd erupted in cheers.
Ash smirked. "Not bad. But then again, not good enough. Noctowl, let's kick it up a notch, [Esper Wing]!"
Noctowl spun in the air, its wings glowing violet. Psychic slashes of energy shot out in rapid succession, striking Scolipede again and again, knocking the centipede backward.
The blasts exploded across Cain's armored body, staggering it as it screeched in defiance. The stadium lit up with flashes of psychic energy tearing through the air while Scolipede's body glowed faintly from resisting the onslaught.
"Cain, hold on! Use [Iron Defense]!" Shelly cried.
Scolipede planted its many legs firmly against the cracked arena floor. Its armor shimmered silver as the plates thickened. The next wave of Esper Wing strikes crashed into it, but this time Cain held firm, skidding back only a few feet instead of being sent flying.
"Too bad [Psychic]!" Ash swiped his arm.
Noctowl's eyes glowed, and Cain the Scolipede was lifted into the air before being slammed into the ground, once, then again.
Shelly clenched her fists, desperately looking for an opening. Cain couldn't take much more of this. Then she spotted something and her eyes lit up.
"Cain, [Sludge Bomb] into the air!"
Scolipede obeyed. Even as it was slammed into the ground one more time, it fired a ball of sludge upward. High above the battlefield, the orb burst, exploding into a toxic rain that began falling over the arena.
Scolipede was fine, it was a Poison-type, but Noctowl wasn't. The poisonous downpour left the owl poisoned, and the pain broke its concentration for just a moment. That was all Cain needed. The giant bug lunged in with a glowing [Poison Tail].
Noctowl staggered, flapping weakly as the venom took its toll. Gritting its beak, it rose back into the air as Cain dashed upward in pursuit.
"Cain, [Venoshock]!" Shelly shouted.
Scolipede reared its head back and fired a barrage of glowing purple needles straight at Noctowl.
But Ash smirked, lifting his arm. "Alright, [Double Team], then finish it with [Extrasensory]!"
In a flash, Noctowl split into a flock of clones. The Venoshock needles tore through the copies one after another, bursting them apart, but none were real. The true Noctowl materialized behind Cain, eyes glowing with psychic power.
The scattered poison needles suddenly froze midair, then, under Extrasensory's control, flipped around and rocketed back. One after another, they pierced into Scolipede from every direction. The centipede shrieked before crashing to the ground in a heap.
The crowd erupted with cheers. Cain, in the stands, clutched his chest and dramatically fainted in sympathy.
On the field, Shelly looked down, sighing as she returned her fallen partner. She cradled the Poké Ball gently. "You did great, Cain. Thank you."
Taking a deep breath, she grabbed her next ball. "Okay…" Her eyes flicked to Ash's side, where Noctowl was still airborne but breathing heavily from the poison. She tightened her grip. "Alright then, Heather, your turn!"
She threw the Poké Ball. With a loud buzz, Heather the Yanmega burst out, hovering in the air and glaring down at the weary owl.
Ash grinned. He glanced at Noctowl, who gave him a sharp look back as if to say, Don't you dare recall me. I'm still fighting.
"Pshhh, alright then. Let's keep going. Noctowl, [Lumina Crash]!"
Noctowl raised its head, releasing a flash of blinding psychic light that burst across the battlefield. Yanmega screeched and turned away, momentarily blinded.
Shelly clenched her fists. "Heather, let's start strong! [Bug Buzz]!"
Yanmega steadied itself, then released a shriek so powerful the air rippled. The sound waves slammed into Noctowl, rattling its brain. The owl cried out, losing balance midair, before crashing down in pain.
At that exact moment, Yanmega's Speed Boost ability kicked in, its wings buzzing even faster.
Noctowl staggered, struggling to rise again, but the poison finally overwhelmed it. The owl collapsed, knocked out.
Ash returned his bird, "Hm. Not bad at all, Shelly. And you were saying this wasn't going to be a good fight, huh?"
"I—I… well, I didn't…" Shelly stammered, her cheeks red. Then she shook her head, focusing again. "I'm just doing my best."
Ash smiled and pulled out another ball. "Your best, huh? Alright then, how about you try this one. I think you'll like it."
He tossed the Poké Ball, and with a flash, Kleavor appeared. The axe-armed Pokémon stood tall, scanning the field. Spotting Yanmega, it narrowed its eyes and brandished its stone blades.
Shelly opened her mouth, but no sound came out as the crowd erupted, cheering at the sight of the newly discovered evolution of Scyther.
Ash gave a lopsided grin. "So come on, let's have some fun. [Stone Axe]!"
Kleavor charged forward, axes glowing faintly.
"Heather, quick, dodge!" Shelly shouted.
Yanmega darted upward, avoiding the initial swing, but when Kleavor's axe struck the ground, jagged spikes of rock erupted upward, slamming into Yanmega and shattering into fragments across the field.
Kleavor yanked its axe free from the dirt with a shriek, the stone still glowing from [Stone Axe].
Shelly gritted her teeth. "Heather, quick, [Air Slash]!"
Yanmega's wings blurred, sending compressed blades of wind screaming toward Kleavor.
Ash snapped back, "No you won't, catch it with [X-Scissor]!"
Kleavor crossed its glowing axes and slashed through the Air Slashes one after another, cutting them down as it advanced on Yanmega, who had grown even faster thanks to Speed Boost.
Shelly flinched at the sight of Kleavor bearing down. "Heather, keep your distance, [Ancient Power]!"
Yanmega's body glowed pale brown as rocks floated around it. With a loud buzz, it hurled them forward, striking Kleavor across the head one after the other.
As Kleavor lifted an axe to strike again, Shelly called, "Dodge quick, then [Bug Buzz]!"
Yanmega blurred and reappeared behind Kleavor, unleashing a deafening sonic blast into its back.
Ash smirked. "Oh, you wanna play like that? Fine. [Stone Axe], wide sweep!"
Kleavor roared, leaping high and swinging both axes in a wide, helicopter-like arc, making sure Yanmega couldn't sneak in from behind again.
"Quick, [Double Team]!" Shelly shouted in panic.
Multiple Yanmega clones appeared around Kleavor. With a single slash, Kleavor tore through them, but none were the real one.
"Now, [Shadow Ball]!" Shelly cried.
From above, a dark sphere shot down, slamming into Kleavor's head, Yanmega had taken position high overhead.
"Okay, new strategy! Keep using [Shadow Ball]!" Shelly ordered, pointing.
Yanmega began spamming Shadow Balls, pelting Kleavor again and again. Explosions lit up the arena as the bug's attacks hammered against Kleavor's armor.
But Ash wasn't worried. He was waiting for his chance.
Yanmega had stacked up too much speed, while Kleavor, never the fastest and with wings too small to fly, needed another game plan. Ash just had to bide his time until the perfect opening came. And now, he had it
"Alright, [Stone Axe] on the ground!" Ash commanded, earning a surprised look from everyone.
Kleavor raised his axe, which glowed orange, and without hesitation slammed it into the ground. A jagged pillar of stone shot out beneath him, launching him into the air like a comet.
The flying Kleavor caught them so off guard that by the time Shelly snapped out of it and told Yanmega to dodge, it was already too late. Kleavor slammed down on Yanmega, grabbing hold of it and hurling it into the ground. He charged another [Stone Axe], holding it tight as they fell, so Yanmega couldn't escape. The axe came crashing down as they hit the ground.
The earth cracked from the impact. Yanmega, taking the brunt of the strike, suffered quadruple damage. When Kleavor raised his axe again, Yanmega lay there with spirals in its eyes.
Shelly's hand shook slightly as she raised the Poké Ball. "Heather… return…" She looked down at it as Yanmega vanished inside. "Thank you." Then she looked up at Ash and Kleavor.
She glanced at her belt. Only one Pokémon remained, so she had to make it count. Her fingers hovered over one ball, then hesitated, before settling on another. Biting her lip, she grabbed it. "Okay…"
She raised her hand and threw the ball. "Ash, go!"
Yes, she did say Ash.
Because when the ball burst open, out came a Leavanny (already chipped from the spikes) that Shelly had nicknamed after Ash.
Ash blinked, then grinned. "Awww, you named one of your Pokémon after me. That's nice~"
Shelly blushed. "I-no, it's not what you think!" she stammered, fumbling for an excuse. "I-I just—"
"It's okay, it's okay, I get it. Suuurrreee," Ash teased with a smile.
Shelly blushed harder, covering her face with one hand, and with the other pointed forward. "Ash, [Leaf Blade]!"
Leavanny dashed forward, its leafy blades glowing green. Kleavor swung down to meet it, but Leavanny sidestepped with a flourish and slashed across Kleavor's arm.
Ash raised an eyebrow and smirked. "Alright, Kleavor, don't let up, [X-Scissor]!"
Kleavor crossed his stone axes and charged, bringing them down toward the Grass-Bug type. Leavanny bent backward in a fluid dodge, the blade of air rushing past its leafy antennae. It snapped upright, jabbing with another [Leaf Blade], grazing Kleavor's chest before darting back.
Shelly's eyes lit up, her nerves melting into focus. "That's it, Ash! Keep up the pressure, stay close and jab!"
Leavanny zig-zagged around Kleavor's swings, striking when it saw openings, dodging when it couldn't.
Ash gave a knowing smile. "Heh, tricky. But you can't dodge forever. Kleavor, [Stone Axe]!"
Kleavor roared, driving his axe into the ground. Jagged stone spires erupted in every direction. Leavanny darted between them, quick as a thread of wind, then shot out a strand of [String Shot]. It wrapped around Kleavor's arm, tugging hard.
The sudden pull yanked Kleavor's arm sideways, toppling him face-first into the dirt.
Ash arched a brow as Leavanny flipped back, grappling tight on the line. The tension forced Kleavor's axe to cleave into his own shoulder, making him strike himself.
Shelly pumped her fists. "Yes! Again, Ash, tie him up!"
Leavanny zipped across the battlefield, firing threads like spider-silk. One bound Kleavor's other arm, another snared his leg, another wrapped across his torso. In moments, the sturdy bug was strung up like a puppet, jerking against the bonds as he struggled to break free.
"Ok, not bad. You sure you didn't get that from somewhere?" Ash asked. It reminded him a lot of how he used Beedrill's web strategies, but he wasn't going to push it. "Break free with [X-Scissor]!"
"Not so fast!" Shelly cut in. "Ash, quick, do it again!"
As Kleavor managed to slice through the threads and pull hard, Leavanny vaulted over his head, yanking both strings at once. The force jerked Kleavor's arm, making him smack himself across the jaw and stumble backward, losing his balance.
"Now quick, finish this!" Shelly shouted.
Leavanny fired another string, wrapping it tight around Kleavor's feet. With one final pull, it slammed him headfirst against a rock. The impact knocked Kleavor out cold.
Shelly gasped, then broke into a relieved smile. "Yes! I did it! That really worked!"
Ash shook his head as he returned Kleavor to his ball. "Yeah, you did great. No wonder you made it this far." He grabbed his last Poké Ball, his voice softening only for a moment. "But sorry… my little sister's watching, so I can't lose. I'm sure you understand."
He threw the ball, and from it came good old Typhlosion. Its flames roared to life, flickering hot with battle intent.
Shelly almost panicked. "I-uh, Ash, qui—"
But Ash cut her off. "Nope. [Eruption]!"
Now, if you remember, Typhlosion's ability was Flaming Soul. At full HP, all of its Fire-type moves gained priority.
Typhlosion's flames blazed even hotter as it opened its jaws, unleashing a massive firestorm. The blast engulfed Leavanny before it had the chance to move. When the flames finally cleared, Leavanny lay on the ground, spirals in its eyes.
"Ash…" Shelly muttered, her voice small. "I lost…"
The announcer's voice boomed over the cheering crowd. "After that spectacular battle, Shelly's Pokémon is unable to battle! Therefore, the winner is Ash!"
The audience erupted, cheers echoing through the stadium.
Shelly stared down at the Poké Ball in her hands, whispering, "I'm sorry…" as she returned Leavanny.
Ash walked over, holding his hand out to her with a warm smile. "Great fight. You've really gotten better."
Shelly looked at his hand. For a moment, she wanted to take it, but hesitated. Her gaze fell. "I… but I still lost. I guess I'm still no good, huh…"
"Don't say that." Ash shook his head. "Everyone loses sometimes. I mean, half of a Gym Leader's job is to lose. And besides, you're here, aren't you? Doesn't that mean something? You proved you're not useless, and you never were. So come on. Be proud of what you've earned."
Shelly looked up at him, then out at the crowd. They weren't just cheering for Ash, they were cheering for her too. She spotted her friends: Cain wiping at imaginary tears, and Heather clapping, even if she looked a little grumpy about the Pokémon named after her losing.
Seeing them all, a slow smile spread across Shelly's face. She finally stood and reached out, taking Ash's hand. "Y-yeah… you're right. And… thank you."