Going forward and beyond {Path of the Aura Ranger: Book I}

I Litten's P.O.V

I laid comfortably on my trainer's lap as we waited to watch the last contest battle of the day. This was my first time watching a contest. I honestly had not known what to expect, but this was not. It's pretty interesting, and while this style of fighting did not suit me, I don't mind watching it. Quite entertaining if I am being honest. Stoutland would have loved it. Before I could get depressed by the reminder that my dad was no longer here, Pikachu distracted me.

"Don't get used to all contests being like this," Pikachu warned me from Ash's shoulder. "This is an important and big cup, the competition here is fierce, and coordinators came from all regions. Normally, half of the performance stage is a bore and repetitive. As for battles, not many of them possess the strength to back up their flashy moves."

"They don't train their pokemon's stamina and strength?" I asked him shocked. I've been watching the girls train their pokemon and their training is very similar to Ash's, the only difference is that it's lighter and they try extra hard to be flashy. "But how will they grow otherwise?!"

"Dawn and May were coached by Ash, so their training base is similar to Ash's. Jessie used to be a Team Rocket grunt. That's why they are different. They learned from the beginning that a pokemon with a good stamina and strength base will grow healthier and better. Most coordinators believe that control and grace are all their pokemon need for contests. That training their pokemon in strength will turn them into brutes and is something only trainers participating in the gym circuit should do." Pikachu explained.

"That's stupid!" I exclaimed, enraged by such dumb reasoning, and thanking that Dawn, May, and Jessie were not like that.

"Well, most humans are irrational and stupid," Lucario commented, making all the pokemon close-by laugh, and their trainers look at them strangely.

"I was not expecting that from you Lucario," Pikachu replied.

"Well, I like to keep people guessing," Lucario said with a mysterious smile.

Before any of us could have opened our mouths to reply, the last battle of the day was announced. James and Meowth jumped on their feet to cheer for Jessie, or Jessilina as she is known in the coordinating circuit. The rest of us were also cheering for her, but we were calmer about it.

"Seviper, Showtime" Jessie threw the capsule in the air, and with confetti raining down Seviper appeared.

"Lanturn, Dazzle them," Kyle threw his capsule, and with lightning flying everywhere Lanturn appeared and landed in the water. "Charge." Lanturn swam over to Seviper while glowing and charging power, which caused Jessie's points to drop. "Now use Thunderbolt." Lanturn jumped out of the water and landed the powered-up electric type attack causing Jessie's points to fall even more. However, Seviper did not react negatively and looked like it is hardly doing anything.

"Good luck trying to hurt any of our pokemon with an electric attack," James commented beside us. "Seviper was used to be way worse from Pikachu." We all chuckled at the comment, while Pikachu puffed his chest in pride.

That's so true!

"Iron Tail." Seviper lowered its head and raised its tail causing the electricity to travel to the tail and got discharged into the air until the move finished lowering Kyle's points to about the same as Jessie's.

"If electricity won't work try that Bubble Beam-Aqua Tail Combo." Lanturn jumped out of the water and used an Aqua Tail on the water to kick up a wall of water, then Lanturn launched a Bubble Beam that passed through the water wall and landed on Seviper causing her to lose more points. Lanturn rapidly retreated into the water.