Man in the Mirror

Chapter 19: Someone in the Dark

"Sceptile, use Agility and Quick Attack. Let's show May what we can do!" Ash encouraged. Sceptile would not let up. His speed caused afterimages of himself to form on the battlefield.

"Show me what you've got!" May's fiery passion engulfed her eyes. Blaziken and the coordinator were ready for anything they would throw at them.

Blaziken was focused but enjoying himself. It was the reunion he pictured having with Sceptile. The passionate fighter eyed his swift opponent. When he had a lock on Sceptile, Blaziken fired a Flamethrower. Despite Blaziken's quick initiatives, Sceptile was quicker. The gecko swerved to the right to avoid the flames.

"Nice job!" Ash cheered with his fists in the air as Sceptile grinned confidently.

However, their celebration got cut short when another Flamethrower came for Sceptile. The giant lizard tried to dodge, but this Flamethrower fired quicker and burned the Grass-type. "Title!" Sceptile cried out. The offensive technique left some scorch marks on its chest.

"We were just testing your Sceptile's reaction time. Not bad, but don't underestimate us," May crossed her arms. She could be cocky when she wanted to.

Ash gritted his teeth, frustrated for letting their guards down. Sceptile winced when it stood up. Flamethrower stung, but it was nothing he couldn't shake off. "Are you alright, Sceptile? Can you continue?" Sceptile insisted that he could. Ash admired his fighting spirit. "Alright then, Bullet Seed!" Ash pointed at Blaziken.

May extended her arm forward when she made her command. "Fire a projectile," she smirked.

Blaziken charged forward with a 360-degree spin. The Pokémon's talon became enveloped in a flame. Once the bird-like Pokémon built momentum, he released the power kick that sent the fire flying out of his sharp talon like a fireball. The fire burned the Bullet Seed to a crisp. Ash was stunned. He didn't know it was possible to use Blaze Kick like that.

Nonetheless, he remained undeterred by the unique execution. May noticed his smirk with suspicion. When the projectile version of Blaze Kick hit Sceptile, it went right through. The brunette's eyes widened. "An afterimage?" She failed to realize Sceptile had moved.

"You're not the only pair who can increase their speed. Prove it to them, Sceptile!" Ash yelled. Ash's Sceptile was centimeters within range of Blaziken. May's starter had no time to react when he felt a jab from Leaf Blade. The strike knocked the air out of Blaziken, causing the Fire-type to drop to his knees. "Don't let up, use Pound!" Ash took advantage of the moment for Sceptile to swing its tail at Blaziken.

"Flamethrower!" May ordered. Still kneeling, Blaziken regained its composure in an instant. Her Hoenn starter released the stream of fire right on cue. The intense heat sent Sceptile flying backward as it yelled in pain. When the flames dissipated, Sceptile groaned. It hurt more than the last Flamethrower, yet he chose to continue. Blaziken stood back up.

"Ken!" Blaziken's fiery wrists flared up. It wanted to show Sceptile who was the boss.

Ash and May looked at each other. Without saying a word, they nodded. The brunette looked at the blue sky with the sun shining. The two trainers knew what to do. "Let's call it a session. It's lunchtime," the sapphire-eyed coordinator informed the gang.

Sceptile and Blaziken's jaws dropped. "That's right, you can't keep fighting on an empty stomach," Ash joked at them.

"Besides, this was only sparring, not the Terracotta Contest. Don't take yourselves too seriously," May teased them. Blaziken and Sceptile moaned with annoyance. The two Pokémon mirrored their trainers and nodded at each other. They agreed to have an independent match in their free time. There would be no interruptions then.