Destiny Rebirth

Attack of the Rocket!

Ash's eyes adjusted to the sunlight, as his platform rose from the corridors below. He felt Pikachu release a few bursts of electricity and Lucario's body stiffen next to him. Ash's eyes shifted to Pikachu, on his shoulder, before moving to Lucario, who sported a scowl on his face, as he bared his teeth.

What's gotten into these two? Ash thought, as his eyes moved across the field.

He gave a soft gasp, as he saw the expression on Giovanni's face. The Pallet Town native was confident that he wouldn't be seeing the confident smirk, which his enemy was known for, but he was wrong.

Ash felt a jolt go up against his spine, as Giovanni's cold eyes settled on his auburn gaze. Something had changed. The angry and confident look, in the ex-boss of Team Rocket's eyes, had turned emotionless; expectant, as if he knew something that Ash didn't.

The last time I saw that look, in his eyes, was. . .

Ash had to shake his head, before enlarging his next choice.

"You ready to go down, Sakaki?" he challenged.

A low hum began to start in Giovanni's throat. His head turned down, as he tried to hold the laugh that was slowly growing in his chest. He threw his head back, as he cackled. Ash took a step forward, before fortifying his gaze again, and taking another step forward.

"What's so funny?" he asked the still laughing trainer.

Giovanni's cackle began to die down, as his eyes returned to the masked trainer across from him.

"You've never had the guts to do what's needed," he responded with venom in his voice. "We've been here before, but the same thing will happen. You'll watch me walk through your fingers, as you stand there, too scared to move." Again, a maniacal chuckle escaped his lips. "Do you remember that day, boy?"

Ash's eyes widened, as the images of the encounter began to flash through his mind. He felt his body begin to shake. He closed his eyes and breathed in a big breath of air, before releasing it and opening his eyes again.

"That was then, and this is now!" Ash yelled. "Things have changed, and now, I'm going to finish you!" Ash tossed his first choice, for the second half of the match, in the air, to reveal his Sceptile.

"Open your eyes, you fool!" Giovanni said coldly, as he unclipped his choice. "Things don't change that easily. If you never had the guts to finish me before, then you won't have them now! Come to this reality, right now, and your defeat will only be easier to come to grips with!"

Giovanni tossed out his device, to reveal a monstrous purple Pokémon. The chest and torso of the Pokémon was a grey color, which was matched by the claws on its feet and hands. Purple spikes ran down its back to the base of its spine, where a big purple tail protruded. On the top of its head, there was a large purple horn. The ground and poison Pokémon let out a roar, showing its sharp, white teeth.

"Nidoking, use Sludge Bomb!" Giovanni commanded.

The drill Pokémon let loose large, purple projectiles toward the forest Pokémon.

Ash didn't waver at the incoming attack. "Quick Attack into Slam!"

Sceptile gave a quick nod of acknowledgment, before darting to the side of the attack, as white streaks appeared behind it. Quickly making his way over to the Kanto Pokémon, Sceptile twisted its body and slamming its tail into the gut of the beast.

Giovanni growled as he watched his Pokémon skidding across the stadium floor, but it still kept standing.

"Earthquake into Sludge Bomb!" he quickly pushed on.