Brotherly Love
Second in a series. After collecting eight badges, the young, blond-haired trainer from Saffron is making his way to the Indigo League. At the same time, a mysterious young man with dark hair wakes up to realize he's lost his memory.
Author Note: This is not a self-insertion fanfiction series. It's advised to read the preceding story 'A Blond Ray of Sunshine' before reading this story. The link for the story is in my author profile.
Antoshi took a few deep breaths, shaking off the nervousness he and his best friend Fireball shared. Following the harrowing rescue of his friend from the clutches of Team Rocket several weeks ago, Antoshi and his partner had competed in the Viridian Gym for their final badge -- and won. The road they'd traversed through the many cities, towns and gym's of the Kanto region for over a year had brought them to their ultimate goal: The Indigo Plateau. At that moment, Antoshi was standing in wait in a long tunnel under the stands of the massive stadium where their next match would take place.
"Are we ready for this?" Antoshi asked his companion with a bit of nervousness in his voice.
"Ready as we'll ever be," Fireball replied with a huff, hopping up and down while loosening up his neck to get ready for their battle.
"No matter what happens," the young trainer said, "we're in this together."
"Ab-so-lute-ly!" Fireball agreed with vigor. The two shared a handshake just before an announcement came over the loudspeakers.
"Our next competition is about to begin!" the announcer proclaimed. "Antoshi and Sam, please take your places on the stadium floor!"
"Well, this is it," Antoshi said, clenching his fists, shaking with nervousness and determination. They both stepped out to the field where thousands of spectators had come in the hopes of watching a new Pokémon Champion be crowned.
Under the bright, mid-day sun, the crowd roared with anticipation as Antoshi, with Fireball, and their opponent, a young man with spiky brown hair stepped out from across the large, rectangular field. Antoshi was overwhelmed by the deafening sound of their cheers, unsure of whether to wave, bow or simply keep his focus on his adversary. He swallowed nervously as he politely waved while his opponent ate up the attention, shouting back to them as he held a fist in the air.
"Time to make you proud, grandpa," Sam muttered to himself, clenching a green and yellow yin-yang-shaped pendant at the end of his necklace, a confident smirk on his face as he stared down the nervous blond-haired boy across the field.
Antoshi sighed, trying to get rid of the butterflies in his stomach. The preliminary matches were far less nerve-wracking, being held indoors and without a massive crowd. But he knew he had earned his spot to be on the field, being in a small tournament bracket of only sixty-four trainers out of the thousands that had entered. He and his friend endured far too much to lose their confidence, standing tall and determined as he faced down his competitor. Just then, a referee walked out into the center of the field, quieting down the crowd as he spoke into a microphone.
"This match will be contested under Indigo Plateau rules," he announced. "Both trainers can have a maximum of six Pokémon on hand. Of those six, only three may be used for battle. Once a trainer has defeated all of their opponent's Pokémon, they will be declared the winner and move on to the next round!"
"Three Pokémon," Antoshi muttered to himself, knowing he only had Fireball and no other Pokémon in reserve. That put them both at a severe disadvantage. He shook it off, knowing they had victories over eight gyms with just his best friend and nothing else. He would never lose faith in Fireball.
"Competitors," the referee spoke, "do you agree to these rules?"
"Yes!" Antoshi shouted in agreement.
"Definitely!" Sam exclaimed. Just then, a female aide ran onto the field, whispering something to the referee before running back to her post. The referee hummed thoughtfully.
"It's come to my attention that competitor Antoshi will be using just one Pokémon!" he announced, much to the shock of the crowd, evidenced by their collective gasps and muttering. Some in the crowd wondered if the blond boy was crazy, while some thought he was overconfident using only one Pokémon.
"Ha!" Sam exclaimed with a smirk. "This will be an easy win!"
"We'll just see about that," Antoshi muttered, narrowing his eyes at his opponent.
"Trainers, ready!" the referee announced as he stepped off the field, standing at the sidelines. "Begin!"
"Let's win this, Fireball!" Antoshi exclaimed.
"Got it," Fireball replied, hustling onto their side of the field. Sam smirked, pulling a Poké ball off his belt. He pressed the button in the center of the sphere which rapidly enlarged its size. He then gave the ball a kiss for good luck before tossing it onto his own side of the field.
"Go, Rhyhorn!" he shouted just as the Poké ball opened, revealing the large, four-legged, rock-plated Pokémon. Rhyhorn let out a loud shout before scratching its front hoof into the ground. Fireball smirked.
"Same to you, pal," he said with a chuckle.
"Let's make this quick, Rhyhorn!" Sam instructed. "Use Take Down!" Rhyhorn nodded with a snort, charging at full speed toward its fire-type opponent.
"Strength, Fireball!" Antoshi instructed. Fireball smirked, digging his feet into the ground to keep a solid base, holding his arms open as Rhyhorn charged forth. The crowd was on the edge of their seats, wondering just how the Typhlosion was going to take a head-on collision with the heavy Rhyhorn. Fireball braced himself just as Rhyhorn neared, grabbing the rock-type's horn and stopping his advance.
The crowd gasped as the two Pokémon battled for superiority, with Rhyhorn slowly pushing Fireball backwards while Fireball held its horn tightly. They growled loudly at each other, until Fireball realized Rhyhorn's momentum was all but gone. He smirked, suddenly ducking down and lifting the large, craggy Pokémon up over his head. Sam was just as shocked as the crowd as they watched the sight, Fireball straining a bit to keep the writhing Rhyhorn over his head, before giving a shout and throwing him to the ground with exceptional force.
Rhyhorn hit the ground hard, rolling over several times before coming to a stop on its back. Rhyhorn kicked its legs wildly, attempting to get back up, but the Pokémon was simply too top-heavy, unable to get back to its feet. Sam grit his teeth, infuriated, as his Rhyhorn groaned in defeat and stopped attempting to get back up. The referee swung his arm up on Antoshi's side.
"Rhyhorn is unable to continue battling!" he exclaimed, the large overhead scoreboard immediately fading out the image of Rhyhorn, indicating Sam was down to two Pokémon. Fireball sighed in relief.
"Great job, Fire!" Antoshi excitedly exclaimed, getting a confident nod from his friend. The two of them were bubbling with anticipation and nervousness for Sam's next Pokémon. Sam huffed angrily as he recalled Rhyhorn into its Poké ball, placing it back on his belt while pulling off his second Poké ball in the same motion. He enlarged the ball, gave it a kiss for good luck and tossed it onto the field.
"I think you'll like my next Pokémon!" he shouted to the duo as the ball opened, revealing a large, fur-covered fire-type Pokémon familiar to the two. Antoshi and Fireball both gasped in surprise when they saw Sam's next Pokémon was a Typhlosion.
The crowd was also just as surprised, audibly chattering as the nearly-identical Pokémon stared each other down. The only thing distinguishing the two was Fireball's unusually tall stature. Sam smirked confidently as the Poké ball returned to his hand.
"What's up, brother?!" Fireball exclaimed, excited to be around another Typhlosion like himself. Sam's Typhlosion just huffed in deeply before letting out an intimidating roar that caused Fireball to stumble back a bit. Fire quickly shook it off and narrowed his eyes at his opponent.
"I guess he's not in the mood to chat," Fireball muttered.
"Let the battle continue!" the referee announced. Sam was quick to get the first command in.
"Typhlosion, use Rollout!" he exclaimed. His Typhlosion barked in response before curling into a ball and rolling itself quickly at Fireball.
"Fireball, use your own Rollout!" Antoshi commanded. Fireball nodded, mirroring his opponent's status and rolling towards it. The two trainers watched intensely as the two Typhlosion shot toward each other with increasing speed. The crowd was again on the edge of their seats as the two neared, finally colliding with an audible crash. They continued to spin into each other, vying for dominance. The fur on their backs began to spark fire from the friction, both Pokémon focused solely on overwhelming their opponent.
"Come on, Fire!" Antoshi shouted. "Let's make it to the finals! I believe in you!" Fireball was enthused by his friend's cheers. He squinted his eyes closed and poured on the gas, flames engulfing the two. Fireball gave a loud shout before spinning fast enough to launch Sam's Typhlosion's over him, causing it to flail in the air as it lost control of its ball form and landed hard on its stomach. A collective gasp was heard from the crowd while Sam shouted in disbelief.
"Typhlosion!" he exclaimed. "Are you okay?!" Typhlosion growled as it got to its feet, shaking the dirt of its fur before barking positively at its trainer. Sam calmed down considerably, shooting Antoshi a confident smirk. Fireball hopped out of his ball form to his feet, shaking the last few embers off his own fur. The two Pokémon and their trainers were back to staring each other down, seemingly with no ill effects from the previous clash.
"Your Typhlosion is pretty gutsy!" Sam said to Antoshi. The blond boy didn't take the remark as a compliment, getting the sense that Sam was planning something. "But so is mine! I'd like to see how gutsy your Typhlosion is when it's poisoned!" Antoshi swallowed nervously, not liking where the battle was heading.
"Typhlosion!" Sam exclaimed. "Use Toxic attack!" Antoshi and Fireball both gasped, knowing a severe poisoning from the attack would surely be their defeat. Sam still had one more Pokémon in reserve after his Typhlosion, and it wouldn't have been too hard for him to stall with it while the poison sapped away at Fireball's strength. Sam's Typhlosion breathed in deeply, summoning a dark, viscous, purple liquid in its mouth which it quickly spat out like a projectile at Fireball. Fireball looked on, frozen, unsure of what to do. Antoshi knew there was no time to dawdle.
"Dig, Fireball!" he shouted. "Quickly!" Fireball ducked down at the instant the command was given, rapidly digging away at the soil-covered ground and tunneling down under it, causing the Toxic bile to narrowly miss its mark. Antoshi sighed in relief while Sam grit his teeth irately.
'How does this kid keep getting so lucky?' he angrily thought to himself. "Typhlosion!" he shouted, "On guard!" His Typhlosion barked in agreement, keeping his stance as he carefully listened for sounds of burrowing. There was nothing else Sam or his Typhlosion could do as it was unable to dig.
They were left vulnerable but staunch, preparing for Fireball's next move. Antoshi relied on the sixth sense he developed several weeks prior when attempting to rescue his friend from Team Rocket. It gave him the ability to sometimes sense where his Typhlosion pal was, an ability that was incredibly useful while his friend was underground. Antoshi watched Fireball burrow around, waiting for him to get underneath Sam's Typhlosion. His eyes widened as he saw the opportunity.
"Fireball, now!" Antoshi shouted loud enough for his friend to hear him. Fireball grunted as he rapidly dug his way back to the surface.
"Typhlosion, move it!" Sam commanded, but it was too late as the ground gave out under him. Fireball spun out of the ground like a drill, sending Sam's Typhlosion flying a short distance away where it landed hard.
"Nice job!" Antoshi cheered his Pokémon, getting a smirk and a thumbs-up back from Fireball. The fire-type sighed heavily, starting to become exhausted after the first two battles. As Fireball shook the dirt out of his fur, Sam's Typhlosion slowly pushed itself up onto his hands, only to fall back down, growling weakly.
"Sam's Typhlosion is unable to continue!" the referee announced. Sam felt a stabbing pain in his heart at the announcement, feeling even more pain as he watched his Typhlosion's image fade out on the scoreboard, leaving him down to only one more Pokémon. He recalled his Typhlosion back into its Poké ball, growling as he watched his two opponents laugh and cheer as though they'd already won. He didn't shift his gaze away from his opponents as he pulled off a third Poké ball from his belt, enlarging it before planting a kiss on it.
"Time to finish this," he muttered before tossing the ball out onto the field. "Come on out, Swampert!" Antoshi and Fireball's parade came to a screeching halt at the name of Sam's last Pokémon. For just a second they hoped he was kidding, but both of them gasped as they realized his final Pokémon was indeed what Sam said it was.
Antoshi's focus on the battle became serious again. He knew they were in trouble as Swampert, like Rhyhorn, was a dual-type Pokémon with dual advantages over Fireball.
"We can still win," Fireball reassured him. Antoshi looked up at his friend, surprised by his confidence despite the odds. Antoshi shook off his nervousness.
"You're right," he replied, both of them turning to face Sam's Swampert. "We've been through worse times than this."
"Let the final match of this battle begin!" the referee exclaimed.
"I took you lightly before, Antoshi!" Sam shouted. "But I'm not kidding around when my championship is on the line!" Fireball chuckled at Sam's confidence. "I'm done playing games with you! Swampert, finish this battle with Muddy Water!" Antoshi panicked at the command, knowing it would be a finishing blow. Swampert breathed in deeply, before spraying a long blast of mud-infused water from its mouth.
'I have no other choice!' Antoshi thought. 'We need a miracle now...'
"Fireball, Dig, quickly!" he commanded. Fireball burrowed himself back into the ground once again, causing the muddy water to splash harmlessly a short distance away. Sam seemed to smirk at his opponent's command, waiting a short moment before he began laughing in amusement. Antoshi became distracted by Sam's laughing. He looked up from the image of his friend below ground to wonder what was so funny.
"I hoped you'd use that move again!" Sam exclaimed. Antoshi looked at him cautiously, knowing Sam was up to something. "You just sealed your fate!" Antoshi's mind began racing, pondering what advantage Swampert would have with Fireball underground. He gasped as he suddenly formulated an answer, and it was not good, especially for Fireball.
"Fireball, get back up right now!" Antoshi shouted with much insistence in his voice, surprising Fireball as he'd never heard Antoshi sound so worried. He quickly began digging his way back to the surface.
"It's too late!" Sam proclaimed. "Swampert, Earthquake attack!" Swampert cried out in response, shifting its weight from left to right as it stomped into the ground like a sumo wrestler.
"Fireball, no!" Antoshi shouted, realizing his friend hadn't surfaced yet. The ground rumbled and shook as the powerful attack rattled Fireball around in all different directions under the earth.
"Game over," Sam confidently added as the earthquake subsided. Antoshi stood in stunned silence as did the rest of the crowd, waiting for Fireball to surface. A short moment later he did, groaning loudly from exhaustion, completely drained of energy after the effective attack took its toll on him.
"No..." Antoshi whispered as he fell to his knees just as the referee raised his arm on Sam's side.
"Typhlosion is unable to continue!" the referee exclaimed. The words echoed around in Antoshi's head as he fell to his hands in disbelief. "The winner of this battle is Sam!"
"Yeah!" Sam cheered loudly as he leapt into the air while thrusting a fist over his head. He stood next to his Swampert and waved as the crowd cheered the victory, as well as the engaging battle of a trainer with one Pokémon nearly defeating three in a row.
"I knew I'd make you proud grandpa Gary," Sam whispered as he clenched the symbol at the end of his necklace.
"It's over already, huh?" Antoshi whispered to himself as his eyes flooded with tears. "I thought we had more of a chance... I'm sorry Fire, I failed you."
"No," Fireball spoke up as he slowly trudged over to his friend. "Don't say that, Antoshi." The boy looked up just as Fire sat down next to him, his fur covered with dirt. "We did really well, don't you think?" Antoshi sniffled as he slid into a sitting position, rubbing his eyes with his forearm.
"But... we could have made it to the finals," Antoshi quietly said. "We could have won."
"It wasn't our time to win," Fireball reassured him with a hand on his back. "Maybe not this time, but I know we will eventually." Antoshi hung his head down, still feeling the pain of their defeat. Suddenly a voice caught his attention.
"Hey," Sam spoke as he stood over Antoshi. The boy gasped as he looked up at his victorious opponent who greeted him with a smirk. "You didn't fail. You were one heck of an opponent, full of surprises. You're really bold and I respect you for that." He held out a hand to Antoshi, who sighed heavily before taking it, being helped to his feet by Sam. Sam put a reassuring arm around his back as he waved to the crowd.
"They're cheering more for you than me, you know," Sam said to him. Antoshi felt his spirits lifted a bit by the remark, smiling a bit as he also waved, tears in his eyes as the crowd cheered loudly. Sam then parted from Antoshi's company, leaving him to have his moment.
"Wait," Antoshi spoke up as he turned to Sam. He turned around to see the blond boy smiling at him. "Thank you." Sam chuckled and nodded, giving him a thumbs-up before walking back to his Swampert. Fireball suddenly lifted Antoshi onto his shoulders, causing the boy to shout and laugh in surprise, continuing to wave as the crowd cheered him on. Despite his loss, at that moment, Antoshi never felt more like a winner in his life.