Chương 284: Masked man's plan: failure
So this was originally going to be two chapters, but I decided why not, so you get a super long chapter. Aren't I so generous, and for this generosity, I demand your stones,
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Houndoom, Gengar, Ariados, and Delibird stood across from Ash, Brock, Misty, and Yellow, respectively.
The Masked Man looked down with a darkened expression. Even though his face was covered, it was clear he was furious. Misty, the only one without a Pokémon out, quickly reached into her bag and threw out Starmie, knowing it had an advantage against the bug.
The Masked Man scanned them and let out a cold sigh. "Ignorant brats. I was being generous—I offered you a way out. But now, the time for pleasantries is over," he said, raising his hand.
He gripped at what appeared to be nothing and then lifted his hand. Ariados shot out a thick but non-sticky web, striking them and pulling them apart. A room of webs formed in the center of the forest, separating Ash, Brock, Misty, and Yellow.
Brock had Kabutops next to him, and Misty had Starmie in front of her. Pikachu, however, was not with Ash when they were separated—it was closer to Yellow. This left Yellow with both Pikachu and Chuchu, while Ash was left with no Pokémon at his side.
This was bad, as the Masked Man now confronted Ash directly, with Delibird standing menacingly next to him. The air grew colder.
The Masked Man approached, staring Ash down like he was scolding a child, though there was no intention of being gentle or kind. This was the gaze of a villain eager to eliminate an annoyance.
"Boy, you should have taken the chance I extended. Now, you'll pay," the Masked Man growled. He pointed at Ash, and Delibird smiled wickedly as it began charging forward to attack.
Ash grit his teeth and reached for his belt, grabbing two Poké Balls.
—-
{Brock}
Brock and Kabutops found themselves isolated by the web, unable to see anyone else. Brock wanted to call out but was cut short as one of the enemy Pokémon, Gengar, approached menacingly.
Gengar cackled, its eerie laughter filling the space as it prepared for battle. Brock and Kabutops exchanged uneasy glances before bracing themselves.
With a mischievous grin, Gengar formed a dark, pulsing [Shadow Ball] between its hands and hurled it at the duo.
Brock grimaced and raised his arm, "Kabutops, [Night Slash]!" he commanded.
Kabutops's scythe-like blades extended as it rushed forward to intercept the attack. Despite having a type advantage, Gengar's sheer power overwhelmed Kabutops, causing it to struggle.
Brock saw this and knew he had to do something, so he went back on his belt, grabbed another Pokeball, and rolled it under, catching Gengar by surprise when it opened, Golem jumped out and grabbed the ghost.
Gengar was previously concentrating on pushing the [Shadow Ball] more but with it now being distracted by Golem. Kabutops made one final push, and with a lot of effort, he cut the [Shadow Ball] in half and was already feeling tired after that.
Gengar grits its teeth in annoyance as it went intangible, making Golem fall he then reappears behind them and slams its body on the ground, making a wave of dark purple sludge start heading towards them as he uses [Sludge Wave].
But as the large wave was coming, Brock didn't look scared as he pulled out another Pokeball and threw it down, "Steelix, save us!"
Steelix came out of the Pokeball and immediately wrapped its metal body around them as the sludge hit him, doing nothing, much to Gengar's annoyance.
Gengar flew up, ready to hit Steelix with a [Dazzling Gleam] to abuse the fact that it has low Special defense, but as it released the pink light extended and shot at Steelix like shards of Glass, Golem jumped up and took the hit instead.
Now, usually, if this was a regular Golem, that would be fine. They also have low Special defense, but Brock's Golem didn't remember it had the mutation, Tempered Body, so it shared Physical and Special defense,
All that to say, it didn't do much damage, much to the surprise of Gengar, but he shook his head as his eyes glowed as he prepared to shoot a [Night Shade], something that ignored his defenses.
But as it aimed at Golem, Golem retreated into his shell and rolled as he revealed that Kabutops was hiding behind Golem, much to Gengar's surprise as Kabutops sent another [Night Slash] at the ghost, getting a direct hit and a crit.
Gengar opened its eyes only to see a large metal tail from Steelix come down and hit it across the face, sending it slamming down to the ground.
Gengar fell and clenched his chest as he looked angry at the 3 Pokemon and boy that he was facing.
Brock looked at Gengar, and for a moment, he believed that this battle wasn't as hopeless as they thought.
—-
{Yellow}
Yellow was with Pikachu and Chuchu, they looked at the web wall and looked around, finally seeing that the boy and his Farfetch'd were on her side. She wanted to run up to them to help them get to safety, but then, at that moment, Pikachu and Chuchu started behind them, stopping Yellow.
From behind, Houndoom marched up with fire, leaving his nose as he stared them all down, especially Pikachu after that elbow drop he gave it.
Houndoom bit as his teeth started glowing red with flames as he started running towards them to use [Fire Fang]
Yellow looked panicked as she scrambled to find her Pokeballs, but Pikachu and Chuchu looked at each other and nodded.
Pikachu dashed to the side while Chuchu stepped in front of Yellow, raising her tiny hands to her face, squishing her cheeks together to make a cute expression as she used [Charm], hearts radiating around her and hitting Houndoom.
Houndoom hesitated, momentarily disarmed by the display, willingly taking a -2 Attack drop. At that moment, Pikachu returned with a charged [Volt Tackle], slamming into the dog's face.
Houndoom staggered but remained standing. However, he didn't expect Chuchu to dart in with a quick [Quick Attack], leaping onto his back and wrapping her arms tightly around his neck to use [Submission].
Thrashing wildly, Houndoom tried to shake Chuchu off, but she held firm. Pikachu then charged in again, this time channeling his [Volt Tackle] into a powerful punch, lightning crackling as it struck Houndoom square in the face.
Yellow was stunned by how well Pikachu and Chuchu worked together without her giving any orders. Shaking off her surprise, she finally grabbed the Pokéballs she had been searching for.
She threw them down, releasing Omny the Omastar and Gravvy the Golem. Extending her arm, she called out, "Omny, Gravvy, please help Pikachu and Chuchu!"
Omny and Gravvy exchanged a nod. Omny leaped onto Gravvy's arm, and Gravvy hurled Omny with all his strength toward the fire dog.
Houndoom was just about to launch a blast of fire to get the two electric rats off of it, but then, out of nowhere, Omny came in flying and wrapped his tentacles around Houndoom's maw, forcing it open as he launched a [Hydro Pump] point blank in Houndoom's mouth.
That not only extinguished the fire, but the pressure and smoke left behind caused Houndoom to start choking and coughing all the while, Chuchu didn't let go and kept using [Submission]
As Houndoom looked up, it saw Omny release its grip and fall, only to reveal that behind him, Gravvy ran up and was now face to face with Houndoom, too close for Houndoom to react.
Gravvy's arm glowed red as he sent a [Hammer Arm] directly to Houndoom's throat, making Houndoom feel the pain and cough some more.
Yellow stood by. She took a breath and decided to trust her friends to take care of Houndoom as she ran to the side to get the boy and his Farfetch'd, but things didn't seem hopeless.
—
{Misty}
Misty and Starmie were separated, and there weren't any other Pokémon around, so they started walking slowly, trying to navigate the maze.
Misty was creeped out of her mind, looking around. She didn't know what to do, especially with the possibility of a Bug-type nearby. Just the thought made her shiver.
As she walked, a figure scurried across the webs behind her. She quickly turned around, only to see nothing. Misty gulped as she grew even more unsettled. She kept moving, yelling out, "Ash! Yellow! Brock!"
But her voice was muffled, almost as if the web was specifically designed to prevent those trapped in it from calling out to others. She could hear muffled sounds in the distance, but she couldn't make out what they were.
Misty took a deep breath, stepped back, and pointed at the wall of the web. "Starmie, use [Rapid Spin]!"
Starmie spun its body and flew through the air, crashing into the web, trying to break through or cut it. But nothing happened, as Starmie was bounced back.
Misty watched Starmie fall to the ground and sighed. "Well, it was worth a shot…" she mumbled.
As she looked around to find another way, the sound of skittering came again. She turned, only to see nothing once more. Gulping, she resumed walking with Starmie close by.
As they moved deeper into the maze, they stopped to assess their surroundings. While their backs were turned, a large spider slowly lowered itself on a web hanging behind Misty and Starmie.
Misty and Starmie froze as they felt something breathing down their backs. They glanced at each other, then slowly looked behind them—only to be greeted by the face and chelicerae of Ariados.
Misty screamed, jumping back and falling onto the ground, scurrying to crawl away. "Starmie, do something!"
Starmie responded immediately. Its gem glowed as it shot a [Power Gem] at the bug. Ariados was hit directly, but it shrugged off the attack, releasing the web it clung to and flipping gracefully onto the ground. It stared them down.
Misty gulped. "Starmie, use [Power Gem] again and again! Get rid of that thing!"
Starmie obliged, firing multiple beams one after the other from its gem, all aimed at Ariados.
Ariados, now that it was ready, wasn't as easily hit as it web siped around, dodged, and scurried around the area, even though Ariados would be considered the weakest Pokemon, the Masked man's Pokemon, it made up for it with this web prison.
In this Domain of webs, Ariados could control the momentum of any battle. Its webs were nearly unbreakable, and it could maneuver this domain easily and no one could even hide since it had such good control over these webs that it could even feel when someone breathed on one of its webs.
Ariados flipped around and swung. As it reached the top of a tree, it charged up and spit out a [Sludge Bomb], shooting it at Starmie, getting a direct hit and knocking Starmie down, but still struggling to get up.
Misty saw that Starmie went down and was struggling, and Ariados was now climbing down the tree to go get her, so she frantically went to her belt and grabbed Gyarados' Pokeball, "Lets see how you like this, go Gya-"
Before she could throw out Gyarados, a Pokéball at her side popped open, and Psyduck emerged. Misty stared at Psyduck for a moment, more surprised than angry. It had been so long since Psyduck had done that she had almost forgotten it was even a habit.
Shaking her head, she threw Gyarados's Pokéball anyway. The large blue sea serpent roared as it appeared. Ariados, however, didn't flinch as it advanced.
Misty stood up and took a deep breath, lightly slapping her cheeks to focus. "Alright, let's do this! Starmie, use [Power Gem]! Gyarados, use [Waterfall]! And Psyduck… well… make yourself useful."
Starmie's gem glowed as Gyarados's tail did the same. As Gyarados slammed its tail onto the ground, a wave of water erupted, obscuring Starmie's bright beam. Ariados was caught off guard since the beam came from behind the water, so it was hit by both attacks.
Psyduck, meanwhile, looked around nervously. Holding its head, Psyduck managed to finally have some control over his power, so as he concentrated, his eyes glowed as he used [Confusion], lifting a rock and flinging it at Ariados's back.
But that did little more than irritate Ariados. The spider scurried faster, shooting a stream of webs that ensnared Misty and her Pokémon. Gyarados's mouth and tail were bound, Starmie's gem was tightly wrapped, and even Misty's arms were immobilized. Ariados began pulling them in.
The only one spared was Psyduck, whom Ariados didn't even consider a threat. Misty glanced back at Psyduck, who was panicking.
"Psyduck, do something!" she yelled, then silently crying as she realized her only hope was put on this duck, 'I'm doomed' was the only thought going through her head as she shook her head, she couldn't give up hope yet.
"Psyduck, get your biggest headache!" Misty yelled as they were trying to resist Ariados, "Come on, what makes your head hurt, what don't you like the most!!!"
Psyduck thought for a moment. A certain yellow fox crossed its mind. Psyduck shook its head in terror. "Psy-y-y! [No, please, anything but her! Psyduck will do anything!]"
Misty saw Psyduck holding its head, and hope sparked in her eyes. "Yes, Psyduck, think about that! If you don't get us out, I'll find out what it is and make sure you face it as punishment every single day!"
Psyduck's mind snapped. Every day,… having to deal with Abra every day. Psyduck had once jumped off a building to escape her, and she had still dragged it back. No—it was too much. Psyduck's head throbbed, and it began to scream. "PSSSYYYY!!!"
Psyduck slammed its head against a tree repeatedly. "PSY-SY-SY-SY! {NO, NO, NO, NO!!!}"
Its eyes glowed a dark purple as psychic energy erupted around it. Ariados was hit the hardest, suspended midair by Psyduck's [Psyshock] as needles of energy stabbed into it.
Nearby trees were ripped from their roots, broken into pieces, and turned toward Ariados, surrounding it completely. Misty and her Pokémon watched in stunned silence as Psyduck let out another cry. The wooden fragments slammed together, trying to crush Ariados like a wood hammer.
The crash echoed as wood splintered from the force. Psyduck collapsed to its knees, breathing heavily. In a rare moment, Misty scooped Psyduck into her arms, nuzzling the duck. "Oh, Psyduck! I was so wrong about you. I'll never take you for granted again!"
But as Misty celebrated, the wood pile shifted. Ariados crawled out, battered and bruised but still standing. For the first time, Misty smiled at a Bug-type.
She gently set Psyduck down to rest. "Leave the rest to us, Psyduck," Misty said as Gyarados and Starmie nodded, ready to finish the fight.
—-
{Ash}
Ash was breathing heavily as Venusaur and Blastoise battled fiercely against Delibird. Despite appearances, Delibird was the strongest of the Masked Man's Pokémon at low Elite Four level.
If it weren't for Venusaur's Thick Fat ability, the battle would have ended long ago. As for Ash, he was in no better condition. The Masked Man had taken a direct approach—his arm had transformed into a long, sharp spike, and he was relentlessly trying to cut Ash down.
Ash dodged attack after attack. He had tried blocking once, but the blade melted through his defenses, reforming instantly and nearly impaling him. Now, his sole focus was evasion.
Ash was the one in the most trouble, and that wasn't even a question, he couldn't hit the masked man because this body wasn't even real, it was a copy that the real one controlled remotely.
And with Venusaur and Blastoise, they were holding Delibird back; they couldn't exactly say they were winning, but they could say they could hold it off enough so that Ash didn't have to worry about it.
Why hadn't Ash thrown another Pokémon into the fight? Well, funny story actually, he tried, but when he reached the Masked Man, he left a deep slash on his hand whenever he tried; he wasn't giving Ash the chance to call another Pokemon. All Ash could do now was dodge, bide his time, and wait for the opportunity he knew was coming.
All he could do was dodge as he waited. He was waiting for something he knew was coming; he just needed a few more seconds.
The Masked Man's spike arm extended suddenly, grazing Ash's cheek and leaving a thin line of blood.
"You're persistent, I'll give you that, brat," the Masked Man sneered as his arm retracted. "But face it—you can't beat me. Not you, and not your worthless Pokémon."
As he spoke, Delibird ascended into the air and unleashed another Icy Wind, freezing Venusaur and Blastoise feet to the ground as the ice crept upward. The Masked Man smirked, his arm transforming into another blade.
"It's over," he declared, raising his arm. "You've lost, and now you'll lose much more."
Despite the threat, Ash didn't flinch. His eyes darted to a faint light glowing in the distance. The moment he had been waiting for had arrived.
Just as the blade was about to come down, a bright light illuminated the forest, causing the Masked Man to pause mid-swing. He turned his head toward the source of the glow, his mask concealing any reaction.
Pulling his arm back, he muttered to Delibird, "Leave them. It's here—we need to move quickly."
He signaled Delibird, which immediately abandoned its efforts to encase Venusaur and Blastoise in ice. Together, they approached the shrine, emitting the radiant light. The thing he came for was his ultimate goal.
But Ash was ready as he smiled, raising his wrist, and he revealed his Keystone. "Time to get serious," he said, his voice steady.
Both Venusaur and Blastoise nodded. Their Mega Stones glimmered, one hidden within Venusaur's flower, the other tucked inside Blastoise's shell. Ash activated the Keystone. "Mega Evolve!"
Mega Evolution energy surged as Venusaur's flower glowed brilliantly, and Blastoise's cannons extended and gleamed. As the Masked man and Delibird were walking, they saw the bright light illuminating the forest as they turned back, they saw a vine come out and grab Delibird by the foot, pulling it back fast, and when they looked back, they saw Mega Venusaur pulling Delibird back.
And right next to him, Mega Blastoise held his hand cannons out, charging a [Flash Cannon] as Venusaur swung the bird to him so he shot a point-blank [Flash Cannon], sending the birt into a tree as Blastoise and Venusaur went after it
Ash took advantage of the chaos, charging toward the Masked Man. With a powerful kick, he struck the mask, leaving a crack across its surface. The Masked man stumbled back, out of all the things, if Ash destroyed the mask, then he would win because, without the mask, the real one couldn't give orders to this clone, but as much as the Masked man wanted to retaliate, he couldn't, not with this chance.
Knowing the stakes, the Masked Man ignored Ash's assault and sprinted toward the shrine. But Ash was faster. But as he ran, suddenly he saw Ash's hand pierced through his chest.
Ash smirked as his eyes glowed blue, and with a swift motion, he severed its torso from its legs. The legs melted and began reforming at the stump, but Ash's Aura slowed the process.
The Masked Man collapsed but continued crawling, clawing at the dirt. Desperation fueled him as he neared the shrine,
"Everyone to me now!" the Masked man called. He could waste time, but if his Pokemon could take care of Ash, it would be better.
But no one came, he didn't know why, but he could only guess one thing: they were being subdued by these kids, he grit his teeth; he severely underestimated these kids, and now he was paying the price, but he couldn't stop not yet.
He crawled, he crawled like his life depended on it, as he dug his hands into the dirt, he was so close to the shrine that he raised his hand to reach for it, but before he could, Ash stomped down on his hand. There was no pain, but he couldn't move he tried pulling, but he couldn't.
He looked up at the shrine as the light started dimming down. He struggled to get his hand out, but he couldn't reform his hand for some reason, he was truly stuck, "NOO!"
But it was no use, as the light dimmed down, and then the light was gone,
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