Ash's Arc

Chapter 12 of 14

Charmander had just become Charmeleon. Pikachu stood beside it, sparks jumping off its cheeks. The hooded figure raised his sabertooth for one more strike. Ash pointed and shouted. Charmeleon opened its jaws and let loose a wall of fire. The flames swallowed the sabertooth and drove the hooded figure back. When the smoke cleared, the man lay pinned under his own fallen Pokémon. His cracked-ring beast would not rise. For the first time, the hunter had nothing left to send. The man dragged himself up and stared at Ash. He said nothing. He recalled his Pokémon and limped out of the healing center. Ash did not chase him. He knelt by his team instead. Pikachu was hurt and shaking. It sniffed a purple berry on the floor, dropped from someone's bag, and swallowed it before Ash could grab it. The berry was a Leppa berry. Pikachu's ears perked. Its energy came rushing back, and it stood straight again. Ash laughed with relief. Then a warm voice spoke behind him. "Now that," it said, "was a battle worth walking in on." Ash turned. A tall man stood in the doorway, purple hair spilling from under a white cap, a long cape trailing behind him. He wore a grin like winning was a joke only he understood. This was Leon, an unbeaten champion Ash had only heard about in stories. Beside Leon came a rounder, older man in a stained lab coat, breathing hard. "Leon, you walk too fast," he complained. This was Professor Birch, a researcher who studied wild Pokémon in the field. Birch crouched and looked at Charmeleon with bright eyes. "A fresh evolution. And it fought off a trained sabertooth. Remarkable." Leon crossed the room and studied Ash's Charmeleon and Pikachu. "Two evolutions in one day," he said. "You've got fire in you, kid." He pulled a folded card from his cape and held it out. "There's a stadium built for trainers like you. A mini arena where challengers prove they belong before the real Elite Four." He smiled wider. "Beat me there, and I'll clear your path to the League here." Ash took the card. His hand was steady. He had survived the hunter, but he had learned nothing about winning a championship yet. Leon was offering a real door. "When?" Ash asked. "Now, if you dare," Leon said. He turned toward the exit. "The polished one, with the crisp tiers. You'll know it." Birch grabbed Ash's arm as Leon walked out. "Careful," the professor whispered. "Leon has never lost. Not once. He tests every trainer who catches his eye, and most leave crushed." His grip tightened. "But he never lies about a reward." Ash looked down at Charmeleon and Pikachu. Both stood ready. The hunter was gone. A champion had challenged him. He pocketed the card and stepped toward the door. His next fight would not be for survival. It would be for a title.