Gotta Catch That One

Chapter 53: The Final Battle

"Alright Meowth...uh...fury swipes!" Ash ordered, barely believing what he was doing.

"Right on, twerp!" Meowth shouted happily. He leaped forward and extended his claws and whipped them towards Persian's face. However, Meowth's evolved counterpart was too quick, easily managing to duck and dodge.

Giovanni chuckled. "Meowth, you're pathetic. Allowing yourself to be commanded? I thought you were above that."

"I've been following orders from you for years." Meowth said. "It's time to listen to someone who knows what they're doing." He turned to Ash. "Come on, gimme another one."

"Uh...what other moves do you have?" Ash asked. He'd only ever seen Meowth use fury swipes and maybe bite once. Other than that, he seemed kind of limited.

"I don't know...I never really managed that night slash one." Meowth answered.

"Thunderbolt!" Giovanni yelled. Persian darted forward quickly and slid behind Meowth. Immediately a jet of electricity shot towards the smaller cat and he shrieked as electricity coursed through his body. "Game over, Meowth." Giovanni laughed again.

"Not quite." Meowth stood up and glared at his now former boss. "I've faced worse thunderbolts than that." He turned to Ash. "Come on twerp. Gimme one of your innovative strategies. I know you got more than this."

"Right..." Ash didn't really know what he could do. He couldn't really get in sync with Meowth. The two of them weren't bonded. Ash was able to bring out the power of his other Pokemon because they were close. He and Meowth...well...they were kind of the opposite of bonded. He narrowed his eyes. No...as bad as Meowth had been for so long, at least he'd made the right choice here. They did have one thing in common, and it was that they both cared about their friends. "Give night slash a go."

"What?" Meowth asked. "I told you, I can't do that."

"Trust me, you can do it." Ash said firmly.

"Persian, show them a real night slash." Giovanni said quietly.

Persian then rushed forward, his front right claw glowing in a purple light. He raised it as he ran forward, preparing to viciously strike Meowth. Ash saw Meowth hesitate and twitch nervously. He was too spooked to try it. Come on Meowth. Ash thought. You can do it. Meowth's ears suddenly perked up and he tensed up. He pulled back his right arm, narrowed his claws together, and lunged forward. Just before they met with Persian's night slash, they started glowing in a purple light. He'd done it.

The attacks smashed together and Ash noticed, with a feeling of satisfaction, that Persian looked shocked by the power of Meowth. "Keep it going Meowth!" Ash encouraged. "Power through!" Then, bit by bit, Meowth did power through. He shoved forward and knocked back Persian's claw. After that, he struck forward once more and slashed Persian across the shoulder with his newly learned night slash and sending the cat-Pokemon staggering back.

"Yeah!" Meowth shouted happily. "Good one, twerp, thanks!"

Giovanni narrowed his eyes. "Thunderbolt."

"Deflect it with night slash!" Ash yelled. Meowth quickly stepped back and then swung forward with his claw again. Once more, it glowed in a purple light and it smashed into the electricity that had surged forward from Persian. Both Pokemon continued their attacks, Persian trying to overpower Meowth and Meowth trying to keep the electricity at bay. "Bring it forward, Meowth!" Ash commanded. Meowth then started running forward. It was a slow run, given the fact that he was being pushed back by Persian's thunderbolt, but he still managed to keep forcing his way through. "Now go!" Ash yelled. Meowth then shoved his claw forward and slammed it, now charged with the electricity from Persian's own thunderbolt, into Persian's face.