Pokemon: Radical Redux-Chapter 355: Vs Chuck

A while later, after things had started to cool down, parts of the city were destroyed, but it was much less severe than what happened during the Olivine incident. After some effort, everyone sat down to rest. Ash leaned against a rock, sipping water while Pikachu snoozed lightly in his lap.

As he did, however, Charizard snuck in, gently nudging Pikachu off and taking his place, nuzzling into Ash's chest like a loyal dog.

Ash just smiled and rubbed his head. "I missed you too, bud. You've been getting stronger, haven't you? Didn't even need to transform this time."

Charizard puffed his nose proudly, smoke spiraling out like a badge of honor.

Not far away, Yellow, Liko, Shelly, and Roy knelt by a group of wounded Pokémon, carefully wrapping bandages and soothing the more restless ones, those that Horace's Gardevoir couldn't get to. The Psychic-type was completely exhausted, slumped against a tree. Nurse Joy and Mollie moved with practiced precision, treating Pokémon as quickly as they could.

Yellow glanced at a little Rattata whose leg was splinted and gently patted its head. She gave a soft smile. "There you go, all better..."

The three girls didn't say much to each other. They all had social anxiety, so unless someone else started a conversation, they wouldn't speak up. In fact, they were so shy they could practically communicate through awkward silence alone.

Shelly fumbled the gauze she was holding and nearly toppled over trying to pick it up. "S-s-sorry!"

Heather, who stood behind her like a looming bodyguard, folded her arms. "It's fine. You're doing great." Her eyes flicked to Ash suspiciously, narrowing as if daring him to say anything stupid.

Ash just blinked, confused as to why she was looking at him.

Meanwhile, Misty sat with her legs soaking in a tub of seawater, sighing. "How does this keep happening to us..."

Brock, who had returned with a handful of supplies from the Pokémon Center, sat down beside her with a dry laugh. "I'm starting to think we're either cursed... or we're magnets for crazy."

"Crazy magnets..." Misty repeated, closing her eyes. "Sounds about right."

"Yeah... I take everything back. Maybe Ash isn't the one that attracts trouble, maybe it's us," Brock muttered. "Since Ash and Yellow were nowhere near the island when it started, Ash finally beat the allegations of looking for trouble."

"Oh yeah, that reminds me, we made that bet," Misty said, standing up with a stretch.

Brock rubbed his chin. "Huh... Oh yeah, I forgot. I guess I lost. What did we agree would happen if I lost again?"

"That I'd put all my anger on you," Misty said, almost too enthusiastically.

Before Brock could react, Misty socked him on the head. A cartoonishly large bump formed as he crumpled to the sand with a groan.

"I needed that," Misty muttered, settling back into the water with a sigh. "I swear, I want a rest. That's three disasters back-to-back."

Cain was flat on his back in the sand, legs crossed, arms behind his head, staring at the sky with a dreamy look, "That. Was. Awesome," he drawled. "Monsters from the deep. Hyper beam nuke dragons. And I still look great. A ten out of ten day."

"Keep telling yourself that," Heather said, rolling her eyes.

"Don't hate me 'cause I'm beautiful. It's not like I stole your boyfriend, I don't think so, anyway. I've done that a few times, so I lost count~" Cain said playfully.

Heather rolled her eyes again. "You're insufferable. And no, for the umpteenth time, I'm not dating anyone, and I'm not going to."

"Shame, really. A cutie like you could get boys running after you. It's a crime, I say," Cain said dramatically.

Heather rolled her eyes, looking away and walking back over to Shelly, completely done with whatever was happening, and then shot a suspicious glance at Ash. She leaned in close to Shelly and whispered in her ear, "Ash, huh? So that's who you named your-meph-"

She was cut off when Shelly quickly covered her mouth.

Shelly didn't respond, mostly because she was trying not to pass out from embarrassment. She just looked up at her friend with a deep blush on her face. "Please don't say it. It's embarrassing."

Meanwhile, Yellow sat nearby, her hat tilted low now that there weren't any more Pokémon to help. She had taken to drawing quietly in her notebook. She could talk normally with Ash, after all, they grew up together. Same with people like Green and Gary; they all had history.

Misty and Brock had been harder to talk to at first, but after spending a year together, she'd opened up. But now? Misty and Brock were both too busy and too tired. Sure, she could go over and talk to them, they'd probably force themselves to stay awake for her, but she didn't want to make them push themselves. Ash was also resting and preparing for his gym battle

That left everyone else. And... she wasn't quite there yet. Sure she liked the Rising Volt Tacklers, she'd talked with them before, but she wasn't at the point where she could open up like she did with the gang.

Same went for Liko, who was sitting stiff as a board nearby, visibly overthinking how to hold her knees while sitting. One wrong move and she might combust.

None of them were talking to each other, of course.

That is, until Roy, oblivious as always, looked up and said, "Hey, Liko? You okay? You're holding your leg like it's about to fall off."

"I—NO, I MEAN—YES—I'M FINE!" she shouted in a panic, raising her arms and waving them frantically in front of her.

The sudden shout startled Yellow, who jumped, accidentally flinging her pencil into the air. It smacked Shelly on the head.

"Eep!" Shelly squeaked, ducking instinctively... right into Heather.

Everyone stared and sighed. These girls were hopelessly nervous. It was like watching three lost puppies.

Eventually, Chuck came walking back to the group with a smirk on his face.

"Alright, good news: I informed the League. They're sending in a recovery team and some Rangers to deal with the wreckage. Bad news: you kids are gonna have to give an official debrief."

Ash blinked. "What now?"

Chuck chuckled. "They wanna know how in Arceus' name a group of teenagers beat back a rampaging Godzilla Tyranitar. Again. Paperwork, you know. Gotta have it."

Ash groaned. "Ugh... I hate paperwork..."

"Don't we all," Brock mumbled, still nursing the bump on his head with an ice pack. "That's one thing I don't miss about being a Gym Leader. I didn't even have the option to hire a cute secretary."

Cain sat up, brushing sand out of his hair. "Ooh, do I get to give a dramatic retelling? I'm thinking third-person, with lots of emphasis on me."

Chuck gave him a flat stare. "Only if you're okay with League agents checking your taxes afterward."

Cain immediately flopped back down. "Yeah okay, never mind."

Heather, still whispering things into Shelly's ear despite the earlier mouth-covering, suddenly paused and looked up. "Wait... we have to be there too?"

Chuck raised an eyebrow. "Well, you did technically participate. Don't worry, though, I doubt the League will share what happened here. We don't want anyone learning about the Black Tyranitar if we don't have to."

"Paperwork?" Yellow whispered to herself, the color draining from her face. She clutched her notebook like it was a safety blanket.

"C-commendations?" Liko squeaked, now trying to figure out how to sit even more rigidly.

"Th-the League knows what happened?!" Shelly covered her face with both hands, a quiet whimper escaping her lips.

Cain waved his hand dramatically. "Relax, darlings, this just means you're all going to be officially recognized heroes. I mean, who wouldn't want that?"

Heather looked at him, deadpan. "People who hate attention."

Cain snapped his fingers. "Touché."

"Okay, counteroffer," Ash said, putting his hands together. "We have our battle, you and me, and if I win on the first try, you have to do all our paperwork for us. And we don't do anything else."

Chuck let out a barking laugh, crossing his arms. "You drive a hard bargain, but I like that vigor of youth! Fine. You beat me on the first try, I'll write up every single report for you lazy brats and sign your names in cursive. But you should know, in my career as a Gym Leader, I've only lost on the first try to three other people."

Brock raised an eyebrow. "You can do cursive?"

"Don't disrespect calligraphy. It's a fundamental part of fighting," Chuck replied seriously.

Ash stood up, Pikachu stretching beside him with a yawn, while Charizard huffed and rose to his feet, flame flickering from his tail.

"Alright then," Ash grinned, cracking his knuckles.

Yellow glanced up from her notebook, looking relieved Ash was taking charge, until she remembered the stakes. "Ash, wait, if you lose, we all have to do the paperwork."

"Yeah, I guess," Ash shrugged.

A collective groan rippled through the group, even the injured Pokémon made subtle whines of protest.

"What? It can't be worse than fighting a giant monster. Which, by the way, you still haven't explained, how I left for 30 minutes and everything went downhill."

"...Ash, buddy..." Brock muttered, slowly lowering the ice pack. "You better not lose."

"Relax. When have I ever let you down?" Ash said, putting his hands behind his head.

Misty looked up and narrowed her eyes. "If you lose, I will hit you with a rock." but Ash ignored her and walks to the field

"Are you gonna use that Charizard of yours?" Chuck asked. "I'd love to fight it."

"But that'd be so boring," Ash said overdramatically. "I'd beat you so quickly."

"Hey, I don't care if you'd get bored, I don't want to do paperwork! So you better use Charizard!" Misty shouted, and some of the others nodded in agreement.

Ash sighed dramatically. "Fiiiine. This is my fifth badge, so I get five Pokémon. Charizard will be my fifth, okay? You have to make me use him."

"Fine by me. I've got everything ready anyway," Chuck said, holding up a Poké Ball belt with five Poké Balls on it. "But don't think I'll be going easy on you just because you helped out the town."

"Wouldn't dream of it," Ash replied, walking to the other side and stretching his arms as he reached for a Poké Ball from his belt.

Cain sat back up, suddenly energetic. "Can I be the commentator? Oh please, oh please. I can even do the dramatic announcer voice."

"Absolutely not," Misty and Heather said in unison.

Cain deflated.

Meanwhile, Bea stepped forward. "If you do not mind, I will be the referee of this match. Since this is an official battle for a badge, the regular League rules apply. Each trainer is allowed five Pokémon. Only the challenger is allowed to switch. Begin!"

Ash tossed his first Poké Ball high into the air. "Alright, let's warm up, Crobat, you're up!"

From the Poké Ball, Ash's Crobat burst out, wings flapping wide. She had a Flying Gem attached to her chest, gleaming faintly in the light.

Chuck smiled as he grabbed his own Poké Ball. "Let's test that spirit go, Primeape!"

With a flash, a large, angry Primeape landed on the battlefield, pounding its fists into the ground and then its chest, like it was trying to hype itself up. It wore an Assault Vest, strapped tight across its bulky frame.

"Alright, I'll take the first move [Gunk Shot]!"

Crobat soared upward, puffed out her chest, and launched a giant blast of purple sludge at Primeape. The angry monkey huffed and crossed its arms, taking the hit head-on. Most of the damage was absorbed by the vest, but the impact only made Primeape look angrier.

Chuck grinned. "That's all you got? Primeape [Rock Tomb]!"

Primeape let out a fierce roar and smashed the ground. Massive stones erupted and shot toward Crobat in a chaotic flurry.

"Crobat, [Agility], then [Cross Poison]!" Ash shouted.

Crobat zipped through the stones, dodging left and right in a blur. With the last rock narrowly avoided, she dove straight at Primeape. Her wings glowed purple as she slashed down across Primeape's chest, catching it off-guard. It was a critical hit, and Primeape was sent skidding back across the dirt.

Primeape dug in, snarling as it stopped itself. The Assault Vest dulled the damage, but not by much.

Chuck just kept smiling. "Not bad... but kid, you forgot one thing."

As he said that, Primeape stood taller, its muscles trembling with rage, eyes glowing red, breathing heavier and heavier.

Chuck continued, "Primeape's ability is Anger Point. And you activated it,"

Primeape screamed and punched the ground, sending cracks through the arena.

Chuck thrust his arm forward. "Let's have some fun, [Close Combat]!"

In a blur, Primeape charged. Crobat tried to dodge, but Primeape grabbed her wing, slammed her into the ground, and began a brutal barrage, punches and stomps. Even with a x4 resistance, at +6 Attack, the damage stacked.

"Quick [Substitute]!" Ash called out.

With a shimmer, Crobat vanished, replaced by a lifeless Crobat-shaped doll. Primeape didn't even notice. It kept pummeling the poor dummy into the dirt.

Chuck pointed sharply. "Primeape! No time to rest, Crobat's in the sky! Use [Stone Edge]!"

Primeape roared, veins bulging as it tore jagged stones from the ground and hurled them like javelins at the sky.

"[Double Team]!" Ash swiped his arm.

Suddenly, dozens of Crobat images exploded into the air like a swarm of bats. The Stone Edges tore through a few, but the real Crobat weaved through unscathed.

Ash grinned. "We've got one shot at this [Acrobatics]!"

Crobat blurred into motion, appearing behind Primeape. The Flying Gem on her chest shattered as she attacked, boosting her move.

Now here's a fun interaction, the Flying Gem gives a boost before Acrobatics checks for a held item. So Crobat got both boosts, one from the gem, one from the lack of an item.

With a shriek, she slashed down hard onto Primeape's back. The powered-up Acrobatics blasted the fighting-type into the ground. Primeape hit face-first, spirals in its eyes.

It was out cold.

Chuck took a second to process it, then threw his head back and laughed. "Ha! You got me there! Guess I got a bit too cocky, hahaha!" He returned Primeape to its Poké Ball.

Then he got serious again, grabbing another ball from his belt. "But it only gets harder from here. I hope you're ready for a good workout, Hitmonchan, you're up!"

Chuck tossed the Poké Ball, and with a flash of light, Hitmonchan landed in a crouch, fists raised as he snapped into a precise boxing stance. He wore a pair of red boxing gloves, and a shimmering Blue Gem was tied neatly around his waist.

Chuck didn't waste a second. "Hitmonchan, [Mach Punch]!"

A blur of red streaked across the battlefield as Hitmonchan closed the gap in a blink. With lightning speed, he slammed a powered punch right into the back of Crobat's head.

Crobat cried out, wings flailing as she dipped in midair.

"[Roost], now!" Ash called out.

Crobat darted down to the ground, glowing softly. A gentle white light spread over her body as she folded her wings and began to recover stamina.

But Chuck didn't ease up. "That won't save you forever. Hitmonchan [Thunder Punch]!"

Electricity sparked to life around Hitmonchan's glove as he dashed in again, cocking his arm back for a brutal hook.

Ash's eyes narrowed. Crobat was grounded [Roost] had canceled her Flying-type for a sec so dodging wasn't an option so he went with the next best thing, "Intercept with [Brave Bird]!"

Crobat's wings flared wide, a fiery blue aura bursting around her as she launched straight into the incoming punch.

BOOM!

The battlefield shook from the impact. Both Pokémon were blasted backwards, rolling and tumbling in opposite directions. Crobat flipped through the air with a growl of determination, catching herself just before she hit the ground. She wobbled, wings fluttering, clearly struggling.

Hitmonchan skidded across the field, sparks crackling off his gloves, but he remained standing, battle-ready.

Ash clenched his fist. "We're not done! Crobat, [Air Slash]!"

Crobat rose again, wings glowing with a sharp, wind-infused energy. She spun in place and launched a slicing crescent of air toward Hitmonchan.

Chuck snapped his fingers. "Counter with [Bullet Punch]!"

Hitmonchan dashed forward, his fists a blur of silver light. He deflected one crescent slash after another, weaving through the barrage. As he closed the distance, he charged one final punch.

Ash saw the opening. "Now, [Cross Poison]!"

Crobat surged forward, her wings glowing with venomous energy. She darted behind Hitmonchan in an instant, slashing a clean X across his back.

But Hitmonchan gritted his teeth, spun, and slammed a punch down into Crobat before she could fly clear.

Crobat hit the ground hard, this time, she didn't get up. Spirals filled her eyes. She was down.

Ash sighed and returned her to her Poké Ball. "Yeah... she did way better than I expected, honestly."

Across the field, Hitmonchan was still standing, but barely. He was breathing heavily, and his cheeks had taken on a faint purple hue.

Chuck frowned slightly. "Poisoned, huh?"

Ash gave a small smile, as Ash grabbed his next Pokeball spinning it in his hand

Chuck chuckled. "Well, I assume based on that look on your face you're not giving up."

"And do paperwork? Never, besides-", He grinned, "I don't plan on losing. Because I'm unbeatable."