This is Me

Chapter Twenty-Six

It was now the final day of the Pokémon Summer Camp. Ashley and the others were standing on the sandy beach in such nice warm sunny weather waiting for Professor Sycamore's announcement.

Ashley looked over to see Delilah and Julie having a conversation with a blond headed girl with a shiny elegant Ninetales standing by her side. She heard someone clearing their throat as the campers turned, seeing Professor Sycamore with his usual gentle smile. "Good morning, everyone." He joyously exclaimed as they all told him good morning back.

"At last, we enter the sixth day of the Pokémon Summer Camp." He calmly recalled to them. Ashley kept her positive smile. "Today is the fateful day that will decide who will be inducted into the Hall of Fame." He happily went on with the others who listened carefully to him.

"Today's program is a team battle tournament!" Ashley and the others gasped in so much surprise as he continued to speak.

"All right, the battles will be conducted in a knock-out tournament system." He recalled heartily throwing his hands up in the air. "Of course, the top four teams will each receive points based on their placement." Ashley took a deep breath and waited for the result with Leafeon taking a small nap.

"Currently on top with 13 points are... Team Froakie and... Team Squirtle." He heartily announced, with Jake and Audrey standing right beside him. "Enjoy it to the fullest!" The campers started cheering roaring loudly when he finished making the statement.

Ashley was about to say something to the others but felt a sudden tapping on her shoulder. She turned to face Jake who was giving her a positive smile on his face. "Ashley, can I ask you a favour?" He asked calmly to her.

Ashley slightly nodded her head at him with a small smile on her face. "Sure thing." She softly answered him and slowly walked over to him. "So, what do you want to talk about?" She curiously asked, raising up her eyebrow as Jake pulled her to the other side of the woods.

Jake took a deep breath for a few seconds before opening his mouth to speak. "I was wondering if you could team up with Delilah and Luka's group just for a short time... Because of what happened the other day with Kasper and Eleanor's rude behaviour as well as getting exposed during the double battle against my younger sister." He explained in rather a polite way, putting his hands under his black leather jacket pocket waiting for what Ashley is going to say to him.

Ashley thought for a moment in silence, closing her mouth very shut. 'Okay, so he is offering me to just go on Team Chirokta for the time being on the last day at camp... What's going to happen if I'm going to leave Team Froakie?!' She looked back at Jake who was just patiently tapping his foot with his arms crossed over his chest.

"Yes, I'm going to take your offer." She happily responded to him shrugging her shoulders a little with the two of them headed back to the campground to get ready for this big final day at summer camp.

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Ashley arrived back at the cabin with Leafeon following right beside her to see the others having a conversation. Pikachu was taking a huge bite of the PokéPuffs. "In team battles, several people team up and battle in various formations." Clemont exclaimed calmly, slowly adjusting his glasses neatly while Ashley walked over to take a seat between Serena and her brother Ash.

Trevor turned his head to face the others with his usual gentle smile. "Today we'll be having a triple battle with three people per team, but there are some cases where there can be five or even seven people per team." He reminded the rest of the group, watching his Charmander finishing up eating his food.

"That many?" Ash gasped in total shock at what Trevor had said about having so many people in the triple battle. "I feel like that would get confusing." Serena quietly mutters, gently placing her right hand against her long hair feeling very worried about this big day.