Chapter 21

Emmet's mind raced as he questioned the wisdom of allowing Leaf to join him on his journey. Initially, her upbeat personality and wide variety of Pokemon were refreshing. She lifted his spirits, mitigated his insecurities, and broadened his training strategies. His skills were getting sharper, quicker. Actually, on second thought, he realized her companionship had more pros than cons. Life with Leaf wasn't so bad after all.

But now, he was terrified. Terrified that Leaf's shout-out to Ash might screw up the very timeline he was so meticulously observing. If Ash were here, this close to Vermilion, he would likely camp tonight and challenge Lt. Surge's gym tomorrow. The anticipated series of events would have Pikachu losing, receiving a Thunder Stone, learning new moves, and ultimately winning on the second try. This process couldn't happen in a single day, could it? Did his interaction with Ash risk upending everything?

The possibility loomed large in Emmet's mind. He had already been contemplating how even minor interactions could create ripples in the timeline. What if just by being here, he was messing everything up?

He paused his frenzied thinking. Did it really matter? He already knew key future events, many of which didn't hinge on Ash. And if all this was orchestrated by Arceus, wouldn't the God of Pokemon ensure things remained on course? On that note, why hadn't Arceus wiped his memories yet? Did it even care?

His internal debate was cut short when he saw Ash, Brock, and Misty making their way toward them. Leaf looked like she had just won the lottery and got a lifetime supply of Pokepuffs in the process.

"Long time no see, Ash!" Emmet stepped forward, offering a hand for a shake. "And hello Gym Leader Brock. Always a pleasure." He then noticed Pikachu on Ash's shoulder. "Hi there, Pikachu." Turning to Misty, he gave her a warm smile, "I'm Emmet Grant, Pokemon Master in training. Pleasure to meet you."

Misty smiled, "I'm Misty, the fourth sister of the Cerulean Sisters. Future Water Pokemon Master. It's nice to meet another ambitious trainer."

Leaf chimed in, "I'm Leaf, just like Emmet here, but I'm aiming to be a future Elite Ranger. How's everyone doing?"

Ash grinned, "It's been too long! Great to see you guys again!"

Taking the conversational reins, Brock asked, "So, you two also headed to Vermilion? Looking for gym battles?"

Leaf replied enthusiastically, "Absolutely, we're aiming to wipe the floor with Lt. Surge for the Thunder Badge. After that, we might even catch the S.S. Anne if we can get tickets."

Emmet's mind raced again. He never agreed to go on the S.S. Anne, especially knowing it would sink. No water Pokemon, no ship. He made a mental note to deter Leaf from that course of action later on.

Brock dropped to one knee in front of Leaf. "Ah, the S.S. Anne, the vessel of love. It would be my honor to escort such a radiant beauty like you on the sea's romantic journey."

"That's enough, Romeo!" Misty interrupted, yanking Brock up by his ear. "Could you go one day without embarrassing yourself?"

A weird sense of discomfort washed over Emmet. Why did Brock's advance on Leaf irk him? Leaf also seemed equally distressed, possibly concluding that avoiding Ash's trio might not have been a bad idea.

Ash's eyes sparkled at the mention of gym battles. "I've already got two badges, just so you know. Going for my third in Vermilion!"

Emmet chuckled under his breath, recalling how Ash had received his badges more out of pity than skill. Ash scowled, "What's so funny?"

"Oh, nothing really," Emmet replied, trying to sound nonchalant. "I was just thinking how everyone who left Pallet Town already has two badges. So, how did your fights go? With Brock and the Cerulean Sisters, I mean. Fair and square wins, right?"

Ash's eyes narrowed, visibly irked by Emmet's words but holding his tongue. Leaf glanced between them, noticing Brock and Misty's grimaces. What had she missed? Were they all on the same page of some unwritten script she hadn't read?

"So, um, how has your journey been? Any exciting battles or wild Pokemon encounters?" Leaf asked, trying to steer the conversation toward less tense waters.

Brock inhaled, gearing up for what looked like another cheesy line, but Misty cut him off. "Awful," she declared. "We keep getting lost, Ash's 'sense of direction' has been leading us in circles, and don't get me started on the cleaning. Training? What training? I think we've spent more time lost than actually battling. The only thing close to a training that we had was Ash letting his Charmander hurt his Bulbasaur yesterday."

"Oook… Well, our journey has been a breeze since we left Cerulean," Leaf chimed in, elated to share their triumphs. "We've been training like crazy. Emmet here took down a guy named A.J. who had a 100-win streak or something. Ended it like it was nothing, really. Poor A.J. practically sprinted back to the Pokemon Center in tears."

Emmet slapped his forehead. He knew exactly what Leaf had just initiated. As if on cue, Ash's eyes widened. "Wait, you beat A.J. easily? There's no way! He's really tough! Are you saying your Pokemon are stronger than his? Then, I challenge you to a Pokemon battle, right here, right now!"

Pikachu, picking up on his trainer's heightened energy, stood upright and shouted, "Pika-Pikachu!"

"Can't we just settle this with rock-paper-scissors?" Emmet asked, eyeing Ash with exasperation. "I mean, come on, we're civilized, right?"

"Afraid of losing, are you?" Ash taunted, "Rock-paper-scissors isn't how we do things in the Pokemon world."

Emmet wanted to rise above the juvenile baiting. Really, he did. He yearned to be the kind of trainer who wouldn't fall for such base tricks. But alas, his pride took the bait.

"Fine. We'll battle. But no starters," Emmet stated firmly, locking eyes with Ash.

"Scared of Pikachu, huh?" Ash mocked, his grin stretching ear to ear.

"Scared? No. I am, however, afraid my Charmeleon would barbecue your Pikachu," Emmet shot back. "Look, I made a deal with Firefly, my Charmeleon. She gets the honor of facing Lt. Surge, and I want her in top form for that. No offense to your Pikachu, but he's just not on the same level."

Leaf chimed in, "Trust me, you really don't want any of your Pokemon to go up against Firefly."

"Why's that?" Misty piped up, curious but skeptical.

"Because Firefly doesn't know how to hold back. She's all power, no restraint. Emmet's been working day in and day out to teach her some self-control, but she's too stubborn and keeps getting stronger. Like, astronomically faster than any training schedule we've come across," Leaf explained, taking a deep breath before continuing. "So, after weeks of this, she just decided, why hold back? Why not unleash the full extent of her capabilities? And let me tell you, a fully unleashed Charmeleon is not something you want to tangle with."

"Alright, alright. No starters it is," Ash conceded. "We'll just have to see who has the better non-starter Pokemon, won't we?"

"Fair enough," Emmet agreed. "I've got three other battle-ready Pokemon that can take you on."

Brock took note of the four other Pokeballs on Emmet's belt, deciding to file that away for later discussion. What they didn't know was that Cleffa, one of Emmet's Pokemon, was a non-combatant, not that Emmet would have let her battle anyway.

With the terms agreed upon, the trainers stepped apart. Brock stood in the middle, prepared to referee, while Misty and Leaf took up spectator positions on the side.

"Pidgeotto, I choose you!" Ash bellowed, hurling a Pokeball skyward. The bird Pokemon burst forth, screeching, "Pidgeotto!"

"Go, Pidgey!" Emmet responded, sending out his own bird Pokemon. "Pidgey!" it chirped, taking to the sky.

"Keep it simple, Pidgey. Stack up Agility!" Emmet called out, a quick hand gesture underscoring his command.

"Pidgeotto, use Gust!" Ash yelled, convinced this would be the knockout blow.

Pidgey's feathers glowed white for a brief second, a sign that Agility was taking effect. The small bird's enhanced speed allowed it to effortlessly dodge the incoming Gust from Pidgeotto.

Emmet couldn't help but appreciate the strategy. So few trainers understood the potency of speed boosts, how moves like Quick Attack could be devastatingly effective after using Agility.

"Now, Quick Attack, Pidgey! Aim for the wings!" Emmet instructed, eyes locked onto the aerial action.

"Dodge it, Pidg—" Ash started, but was cut off as Pidgey's Quick Attack slammed into Pidgeotto's wings. The bird screeched in pain, plummeting toward the ground.

"Don't let up, Pidgey! Use Aerial Ace to finish the job!" Emmet shouted, edge in his voice.

Pidgey's form blurred momentarily, a sign of the Aerial Ace maneuver he'd recently mastered. It wasn't flawless, but it was good enough—Pidgeotto fainted before it could even hit the ground.

"Pidgeotto is unable to battle!" Brock announced, confirming the obvious.

"Wha— how did that...?!" Ash stammered, recalling his Pidgeotto and fumbling for another Pokeball. "Go, Butterfree!" The butterfly Pokemon materialized, flapping its wings gracefully.

Emmet turned to Misty, concern etched on his face. "Does he know about Pokemon types?"

Misty shrugged, an ambiguous response that left Emmet wondering whether Ash was willingly ignoring type matchups or Misty was too jaded to care.

Ash seemed to sense the critique but ignored it, refocusing on the match. "Butterfree, use Stun Spore!"

"Counter it with Gust, and then use Agility again, Pidgey!" Emmet barked the commands, his eyes still on the battle.

Pidgey's Gust not only dispersed the Stun Spore but also smacked Butterfree mid-air, causing it to let out a pained cry.

"Wing Attack, Pidgey! Let's keep up the pressure!" Emmet called out, confident in his strategy.

"Counter it, Butterfree! Use Gust!" Ash yelled back, eyes wide and hopeful.

Emmet couldn't help but think that Ash wasn't strategizing at all. The kid was just calling out moves his Pokemon knew. Pathetic was the word that came to mind.

Pidgey's wings began glowing white as it shot towards Butterfree at a terrifying speed. Despite Ash's command, Butterfree's Gust did nothing to stop the oncoming attack.

Pidgey's Wing Attack slammed into Butterfree, sending it spiraling towards the ground. Yet, shockingly, Butterfree managed to rise again, though it was shaky and clearly struggling to breathe.

"Ash, you should return Butterfree. It's in no condition to continue," Emmet warned, his eyes narrowing.

"If Butterfree wants to fight, then I'm gonna let it!" Ash retorted, hands clenched into fists.

"That's the behavior of a bad trainer, Ash. I could tell Pidgey to use Aerial Ace again, and that would undoubtedly injure Butterfree," Emmet said, his voice dripping with disdain.

Emmet then commanded, "Pidgey, use Whirlwind to pin Butterfree to the ground. Keep it going until Ash sees reason and returns it."

Before Ash could even react, Pidgey unleashed a powerful Whirlwind that kept Butterfree grounded. Despite its attempts to fly, Butterfree was unable to lift off. Brock was on the verge of declaring the battle over when Ash finally returned Butterfree, his face showing a mix of frustration and concern.

Emmet raised an eyebrow but refrained from commenting. Ash was already heated, and there was nothing to gain from pouring salt on the wound.

"Go, Squirtle, show 'em what you got!" Ash shouts, releasing Squirtle onto the battlefield. With flair, Squirtle lands, donning black sunglasses and yelling its own name. "Squirtle!"

Emmet felt an energy radiating from Pidgey, like it was on the verge of something big. There was no way he was switching out now.

"Squirtle, use Water Gun! Let's soak that bird!" Ash commanded, clearly excited to see his turtle Pokemon in action.

"Pidgey, keep dodging! Stay agile!" Emmet shouted, his eyes laser-focused on the aerial ballet that was unfolding.

Squirtle continued to fire Water Gun bursts, attempting to corner Pidgey. But Pidgey seemed to be getting faster and more precise with each dodge, bobbing and weaving effortlessly through the water jets.

Emmet grinned, sensing through his Aura that Pidgey was on the cusp of breaking its own limits. It wasn't so much the pressure of the battle but the bird's own growing confidence, mirrored by Emmet's rising belief in its abilities.

As Squirtle continued its relentless Water Gun assault, its movements began to slow, clearly fatigued from expending so much energy. Suddenly, Pidgey was engulfed in a blinding light. Its form grew larger, wings extending, talons sharpening. The light finally faded, revealing a newly evolved Pidgeotto that crowed its name proudly, announcing its new identity to the world.

"Pidgeotto, you're itching to show off, aren't you? But let's save it for when we've trained together. We'll get to know this new form of yours better, then come back and battle," Emmet advised, locking eyes with his newly evolved Pokemon.

Without a peep of protest, Pidgeotto nodded in agreement. Emmet returned him to his Pokeball. "Why didn't Pidgeotto argue?" Misty turned to Leaf, puzzled by the harmonious trainer-Pokemon interaction.

"Because Emmet has his team's full confidence. Even if he doubts himself, his Pokemon don't. His orders, training methods, and decisions have been nothing but beneficial for them. They respect that," Leaf explained, a note of pride in her voice.

Hearing this, Ash felt a jab of jealousy. He loved his Pokemon, and they certainly loved him back. But could he imagine them following his lead without question, like Emmet's did? Maybe Pikachu and Butterfree, but the others, he wasn't so sure.

"Listen, Ash, my next Pokemon won't pull any punches. Don't do to Squirtle what you did to Butterfree," Emmet warned, his tone stern but fair.

"No need to worry about Squirtle or Charmander. They can handle themselves," Ash retorted, masking the irritation he felt at Emmet's cautioning.

Emmet exchanged a glance with Brock, who gave him a subtle nod as if assuring him he would intervene if things got out of hand. Emmet felt a bit more at ease but was still skeptical of Ash's reassurance.

"Go, Mankey!" Emmet shouted, throwing the Pokeball into the air. Mankey sprang onto the battlefield, eyes filled with mischief and excitement, as he screeched, "Mankey!"

"Mankey, use Focus Energy!" Emmet's voice rang out, a sense of urgency mixed with confidence.

"Squirtle, Rapid Spin—let's go!" Ash yelled, pointing a finger in Mankey's direction.

Squirtle immediately withdrew into its shell, spinning rapidly as it careened toward Mankey.

"Mankey, finish up that Focus Energy and stop Squirtle in its tracks!" Emmet ordered.

Mankey, eyes glowing from its Focus Energy, stretched out its arms and astonishingly managed to catch the spinning Squirtle shell in its grasp.

"Now, Seismic Toss!" Emmet shouted, eyes locked onto the scene.

"Squirtle, hurry! Use Water Gun to break free!" Ash's voice was tinged with desperation.

It was a good thought, but Mankey had grabbed Squirtle's shell in such a way that Squirtle was facing outwards, unable to direct a Water Gun.

With a grunt, Mankey vaulted into the air, higher than even Pidgeotto had been hovering earlier, and with a swift motion, hurled Squirtle down with enough force to get the turtle Pokemon stuck into the ground.

"Mankey, Thunder Punch, now!" Emmet commanded the moment he heard Squirtle struggling to lift itself from the ground.

Still airborne, Mankey's fist sparked with electric energy. Gravity did the rest, pulling him rapidly toward the earthbound Squirtle.

The anguished cry that erupted from Squirtle upon impact didn't give Emmet any satisfaction. He noticed Ash's hand hovering over Squirtle's Pokeball but not making any move to return it. "Ash, are you going to call it or what?" Emmet snapped, visibly frustrated.

Emmet glanced at Brock, who seemed caught in a moment of indecision—probably not wanting to hurt his friend's feelings. But that wasn't Emmet's problem; if the referee didn't call the fight, Mankey would finish it.

"Again, Mankey," Emmet said dispassionately, his eyes narrowing as he prepared for the next move.

To his credit, Ash raised Squirtle's Pokeball, the intent to withdraw clear on his face. But it was a split-second too late. Mankey's electrically charged fist connected with Squirtle's midsection, eliciting a final, painful cry before the turtle Pokemon slumped in unconsciousness. Only then did the red beam pull Squirtle back into the safety of its Pokeball.

Brock sent an apologetic look Emmet's way. "I should've called it earlier. Squirtle is unable to continue," he announced, waving a hand to signal the end of that round.

Ash felt his confidence plummet to rock bottom. His hand quivered as it held his last Pokeball. "Alright, you're my last hope—Go Charmander!" The fiery lizard emerged with a proud chirp, flames flickering vigorously at the end of its tail as if sensing the urgency of the situation. Emmet found it strange that he called Charmander his last hope as he still had Bulbasaur, but then he remembered that Misty had just told them that Bulbasaur was hurt.

He didn't waste a second. "Mankey, kick it off with Leer!" The primate Pokemon glared at Charmander, his eyes glowing menacingly.

Ash responded just as quickly. "Charmander, use Ember!"

Charmander barely flinched at the Leer but it clearly connected. Instead, he responded by spewing a spray of embers straight at Mankey.

"Mankey, dodge and hit him with a Cross Chop!" Emmet's command was crisp and clear.

Mankey soared to the right, evading the embers. Ash, unsure how to counter, barked, "Charmander, use Smokescreen!" Mankey aborted the Cross Chop and waited for further instructions.

Unable to rely on long-range moves as he hadn't taught Mankey yet, Emmet improvised. "Mankey, grab some rocks and chuck 'em at Charmander!"

Hilariously, Mankey's aim was impeccable. A rock soared through the smokescreen and—THUNK!—struck Charmander right on the noggin. The lizard stumbled out of the smoky veil, sporting a cartoonish lump on his head. Could he call a plan stupid if it worked?

"Charmander, use Scratch!" At the same time, Emmet called, "Mankey, Thunder Punch!"

Charmander lunged with claws bared, but his Scratch seemed to have zero effect on Mankey. The primate Pokemon shouted his own name and hit Charmander in the belly, electrifying him with the Thunder Punch.

Charmander crumpled to the ground, unconscious. Ash grimaced and activated the Pokeball, pulling his defeated Pokemon back to safety.

Mankey looked at Ash as if expecting something. When Ash said nothing, confirming to Emmet that he couldn't field Bulbasaur, Mankey turned to his trainer who understood immediately. "Mankey, it's over. We won."

Mankey scoffed, an audible, derisive snort that felt like it sucked the remaining confidence right out of Ash who was being consoled by Pikachu.

Leaf stood up, breaking the tension that had settled over the area. "Wow, things got awkward and depressing really quick, didn't they?" She shot a grateful look at Misty and Brock. "Thanks for sticking around, guys. You've been great sports, we will talk more if we meet again." Turning to Ash, her eyes softened. "Ash, I hope your Pokemon recover soon. They fought well." She didn't really think they did, but it didn't hurt to be mindful of how Ash might be feeling.

Finally, she looked at Emmet. "Ready to go?"

"I'll be there in a sec," Emmet replied, giving her a nod as his eyes trailed over to Ash.

As Emmet walked over to Ash, he noticed that Ash's cap was pulled down, obscuring his face. And then he saw a few wet drops on the ground. Had he really made Ash cry? Great, now he felt like the biggest jerk in the Kanto region. Not the world, mind you. Paul was kicking it somewhere after all.

He gently put a hand on Ash's shoulder and said, "Look, you've got the makings of a great trainer, Ash. It's not the wins that define you; it's how you rise from the losses. Learn from this."

"Pick yourself up, man. Head to Vermilion City and kick Lt. Surge's butt. Prove to yourself and everyone else that you're on the road to being a Pokemon Master." Emmet then turned on his heel without waiting for Ash's reaction and headed toward Leaf.

Inside, Emmet wasn't exactly brimming with confidence about what he'd just said. There were bad trainers, there were 'Cerulean Gym level' bad trainers, and then there was Ash. He snorted mentally. The 'Chosen One,' indeed.