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Chapter Text

A short girl of only twelve years old, hummed happily to herself as she checked through her backpack for all of her supplies. She had packed four additional outfits, a basic tent and sleeping bag, a tarp, lightweight blankets, a fishing lure, matchsticks, a flashlight and assorted batteries, hygiene supplies, a laptop, a clothesline, a navigation guide, cooking supplies, water purification tablets, sunblock, a first-aid kit, and no small quantity of clean underwear. After some thought, she also added a sketchbook, colored pencils, a digital camera, and a short well-thumbed book of fairytales.

At the end, it was amazing that it could all even fit inside the green, waterproof backpack, but Ashlyn was more than satisfied with the results.

"Are you done packing, sweetheart?" Delia Ketchum asked, as she walked into the room. She was a pretty woman with dark auburn hair and hazel eyes. Ashlyn had inherited her facial structure and build, though her colouring had apparently come from her deceased father.

"I think so, Mom," Ashlyn affirmed, leaping up from her crouch to give her mom a tight hug. "Just a little longer, and I'll be off to get my starter Pokemon!"

"Do you know which Pokemon you want?" Delia said, returning her daughter's hug.

"They all have their good points, but I think I want to get the Charmander," Ashlyn replied seriously, "I know that the first gym I'll pass will be full of rock types, but I love the idea of one day flying on my own Charizard."

"Well, no matter which Pokemon you choose, I know that you'll become a great trainer, Ashlyn," her mother replied. The dark-haired girl raised her eyebrows. Her mother rarely used her full name, so she knew that whatever Delia said now would be serious.

Delia led her daughter to the bed, and after they both sat down, placed her hands firmly on her daughter's shoulders.

"You remind me more and more of your father every day," Delia murmured, eyes glistening slightly as she looked into Ash's face, "He would be so proud of you right now."

Ash's eyes widened. Her father was a topic that her mother always avoided.

"There's something I want to give you for your journey," Delia continued, standing up and walking over towards the door. She picked up a red and white cap placed just outside the door, and placed it in Ash's hands. The girl looked it over curiously; it was clean and slightly worn.

"This cap belonged to your father," Delia explained, smiling wistfully down at the piece of clothing, "It's actually how we first met. Your father had a Pidgeot that he was teaching Gust to, and one of the attacks blew his cap straight off of his head. He chased it down a grassy hill by the side of the road, and nearly ran me over when it landed on my poor Marill's head."

"This belonged to… Dad?" Ash whispered, fingers running over the resewn brim.

"He wore it everywhere he went."

A wide smile crossed her face. "And you want me to have it Mom?"

Delia nodded. "I know he's not here to see you off on your journey… but I thought you would have liked to take one of your father's keepsakes along with you. So that you can always know that he's watching out for you from Arceus' kingdom."

With a bright grin on her face, Ash jumped up from the bed and carefully placed the hat over her messy, short dark hair. She rushed over to the mirror, and looking back at her was a slightly wet-eyed young girl in a red and white short-sleeved jacket, black pants, red sneakers, and a red and white cap.

"I love it, Mom, thank you!" Ash exclaimed, giving her mother one more hug. Then she lifted up her backpack, and swung it on her shoulders.

"Now, I'm off to become a great Pokemon trainer!" Ash shouted, pumping one fist in the air and striking a victory pose. And I'll make you and Dad proud too, Ash added mentally.

"That's great sweetheart," Delia said, as she sweat dropped. Her little girl really did take after Ashton at the oddest of times. "Did you pack enough clean underwear?"

Ash's victory pose broke as she toppled to the ground. "Mom!" Ash complained, with a bright red face, "You ruined my totally cool declaration! And, of course, I packed enough clean underwear!"

"Just checking, dear," Delia giggled, "We wouldn't another Pokemon Summer camp incident, would we? This time, there might not be any kind Serena's around to lend you some."

Ash huffed, her cheeks still red from embarrassment. Her mother never let her forget that incident.

Then her eyes caught sight of her watch, and she hurriedly stood up again. "Agh, I'm going to be late! Bye Mom! Love you!"

Delia Ketchum laughed a little as her energetic daughter rushed outside, and started jogging down the road to Professor Oak's laboratory. She then picked up the phone to call her friends and neighbors, to inform them that Ash was about to set off on her journey.

'I wish you were here, Ashton… you would have been so proud of our daughter."

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"Well if it isn't Pallet's tiny little Ashlet," Gary Oak teased as a short, dark-haired girl paused in front of his grandfather's lab. "How did you even pass for twelve when you registered for your license?"

"Shut… up… Oak," Ash gasped out, still winded from her run. She took a few deep breaths to calm her racing heart, and then offered her childhood friend/rival a glare. "I'm not short!"

Her height was a bit of a sore spot for her, since the registration officer actually did have trouble believing that she was twelve years old. She had needed to provide a copy of her birth certificate, grr.

Gary nodded agreeably. "The polite term is height-challenged then?"

Ash scowled, and poked her nose up in the air. She wasn't going to let the likes of Gary Oak ruin her day. She was about to get her starter Pokemon!

"Ah, don't be mad, Ash," Gary chuckled, taking out a Pokeball and waving it in front of her face. "Don't you want to see which Pokemon I chose?"

Ash hesitated, but then reluctantly turned her eyes to the ball. "Which one?" she asked, curiously.

"A squirtle," he boasted, "With him on my team, I'll become the best trainer ever!"

"Oh, yeah," Ash challenged, "You'll have to beat me first!"

"I look forward to it, Ashlet," Gary replied, before turning and waving to his adoring crowd. Ash suddenly sweat dropped as she realized that she had been unaware of the large crowd of fans and cheerleaders surrounding them until now. Well, that was embarrassing.

"My fans and I are going to drive straight to Pewter City for my first gym badge," Gary added, looking over at her, "Do you want a ride, Ashlet?"

"A ride…?" Ash murmured in confusion, before her eyes landed on a brand new red Corvette. "Your grandfather…"

"...has got to stop agreeing to my requests, when he's distracted by his research," Gary smirked. "I thought about asking for a helicopter, but that just blatant abuse right there."

Ash snorted. "And Daisy would have stopped you from taking it?"

"That too," Gary agreed, "So, do you want that ride?"

"No, thanks," Ash laughed, shaking her head, "I'd like to walk there instead."

"Suit yourself," the boy shrugged, before getting into the backseat of the car. Ash watched them drive off with a small smile. Gary could be a little- okay, more than a little- arrogant, but he loved Pokemon, and had his heart in the right place. She was proud to call him a rival.

When her friend/rival had left, Ash turned and walked right into the disappointing frown of one Professor Samuel Oak, widely acclaimed Pokemon researcher and her next-door neighbor..

"You're late, Ashlyn," Professor Oak said sternly, "Is there a reason for that?"

Ash looked very embarrassed, as she offered an apologetic bow. "I'm really sorry, Professor," she said, contritely, "I don't have a very good reason… I lost track of time."

"If you won't even keep track of such important events, how can I know if you're responsible enough to be a Pokemon trainer?" Professor Oak asked.

"I know that I didn't make the best first impression," Ash said, firmly, "But I am ready to be a trainer, Professor! I spent the last four years studying about how to be the best trainer possible. I know that I'm ready for this!"

"Hmm, very well then," Professor Oak allowed, offering the girl a smile, "I know that you've studied hard in the past few years. But I'm afraid that I still can't give you a Pokemon."

"What?" Ash exclaimed, panicked. "Have all of the starters been taken?"

Professor Oak nodded. "I'm sorry Ash, but the early bird catches the worm… or the Pokemon, in this case."

"Are there really no other Pokemon left, Professor?" Ash begged. "I can't wait another six months!"

"Well, I do have one Pokemon available," Professor Oak mused, "I just caught a little Pikachu this morning, when I saw him chewing on the power cables. But he hasn't been tamed yet-"

"I accept!" Ash interrupted, happily bouncing on her feet, "Can I meet Pikachu, Professor?"

Professor Oak's eyes glimmered with a strange sense of nostalgia as he regarded the girl. "I had a feeling that you were going to say that," he said, smiling.

He lifted up a Pokeball with a yellow thunderbolt edged on the top and released it. A small yellow mouse with a thunderbolt-shaped tail and two red circles on his cheeks appeared.

The Pikachu looked over at her warily, as Ash crouched down on her knees. She made no move to get closer, but offered her right hand to the electric-type Pokemon.

"Hello Pikachu," Ash said softly, with a warm smile on her face, "My name's Ash Ketchum, and I want to be the greatest Pokemon trainer in the world. I would like it if you would join me on that journey, but I want you to make that decision."

"Pika-pi?" the yellow mouse said, in clear surprise. His small black eyes darted to the Pokeball held in the Professor's hand with clear dislike, and then returned to her.

Ash had followed his gaze, and understood the meaning. "So you don't like your Pokeball, huh?" she asked, "Well, you don't have to travel in it, if you don't want to."

"Pika!" the Pikachu then squeaked, before jumping into her arms.

"Omph!" A grunt escaped the girl, as her new Pokemon's force caused her to topple backwards. She looked down at the Pikachu braced against her chest, looking up with innocent black eyes, and laughed gleefully.

"Awesome!" Ash chirped, hugging her first Pokemon, "I have a Pikachu!"

"That's very impressive, Ashlyn," Professor Oak complimented, helping her stand up. "Now I want to give you this: five standard Pokeballs, a badge case, and a Pokedex. The Pokedex is a digital encyclopedia that I've compiled of all of the known Pokemon in most of the regions. I think that it'll prove most useful along your journey."

"Wow, Professor, thank you!" Ash beamed, accepting his gifts, and flipping the Pokedex open. "I wonder what it says about Pikachu?"

She lifted it up to the electric mouse Pokemon in her arms, and an electronic voice started.

"Pikachu, the Electric Mouse Pokémon, and the evolved form of Pichu. It can generate electric attacks from the electric pouches located in both of its cheeks. Pikachu's tail is sometimes struck by lightning as it raises it to check its surroundings. This Pikachu is capable of Static, Thundershock, Quick Attack, and Lightning Rod."

"Lightning Rod is a rare skill in Pikachu," Ash noted, nuzzling her new Pokemon affectionately on the head, "I really lucked out with you, huh buddy?"

"Pika," her Pikachu agreed, smugly.

"Thank you for everything, Professor Oak," the young trainer said, "I promise to take good care of Pikachu."

"I will expect nothing less of you," Professor Oak replied, "Now I think there's a group of people outside, who would like to see you before you leave."

Ash peered outside the door, and looked both embarrassed and pleased. "Haha, it seems that Mom rounded up the cavalry," she said, rubbing her head, "Ready to meet the crowd, Pikachu?"

"Pika!"

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Chapter Text

"Now, according to this summary of the gyms currently accepting challenges for the Indigo League, the Pewter Gym is the closest, and specializes in rock-type Pokemon," Ash mused, as she walked down Route 1 to Viridian City. Pikachu was curled up in her arms, after they managed to escape her well-meaning but suffocating crowd of neighbors.

"We'll have a type disadvantage, since electric attacks don't have much of an impact on rock types," Ash continued, "And this gym requires at least two Pokemon, so we'll have to catch one along the way. But don't worry, I have a plan!"

"Chu…" Pikachu deadpanned, giving her a doubting look.

Ash pouted. "Ah, even my own Pokemon doubts me…" she whined, "So hurtful, Pikachu…"

"Pika-chu," her Pokemon rolled his eyes.

"I think you'll be able to do some serious damage if you learn Iron Tail before the match," Ash explained, using one hand to scratch Pikachu behind his ear, "And as for the second Pokemon, I think we should aim for a water type to get an advantage against the more experienced trainer. What do you think?"

"Pika-pi," Pikachu assented, before one of his long ears cocked to the side. A second later, he jumped down from Ash's arms, and looked towards the long grass, growling threateningly.

"Pikachu?" Ash asked, looking towards the grass. She saw what had caught her Pokemon's attention as a purple rat Pokemon appeared at the edge of the bush. She raised her Pokedex in front of it.

"A Forest Pokémon, Rattata. It likes cheese, nuts, fruits, and berries. It also comes out into open fields to steal food from stupid travelers."

Ash smirked at the last sentence. It seemed that Gary had inherited his sense of mischief from Professor Oak then. She also noted that the Pokemon's attacks had not been listed, probably since she hadn't caught it, and had her Pokeball analyze its traits.

"Do you want to battle Rattata?" Ash asked, smiling in anticipation. In response, the forest Pokemon rushed towards Pikachu with a Tackle.

"Dodge Pikachu!" Ash shouted, a thrum of adrenaline rushing through her. Pikachu easily dodged the attack, as Ash analyzed the battle. The Rattata slid through the empty space, before turning for another tackle.

"Move away from Pikachu," Ash shouted, "Get some space between you- and now, use Thundershock!" Pikachu's red cheeks sparked suddenly, as he built up the attack.

"Pika-chu!" Pikachu shouted, releasing a Thundershock towards the Rattata. It hit it full-on, and caused the wild Pokemon to land on the ground, paralyzed. Ash looked at the scene in satisfaction.

"Chu?" Pikachu asked, questioningly, as it hurried back to its trainer.

"Excellent job, Pikachu," the girl praised, scooping him up and hugging him, "That was a great first battle. But I'm not going to capture him. I want to be more selective about our companions, so I can build the strongest team."

"Chu?" Pikachu repeated, nodding towards another one of the Pokemon staring at them. Ash took out her Pokedex, and pointed it at the Flying type.

"The Flying Pokemon, Spearow. Unlike Pidgey, Spearow has a terrible attitude. It is very wild and will sometimes attack other Pokémon and humans."

"Hmm, I don't think I want a Pokemon that can't be a team player," Ash said, shaking her head, "I guess we'll just have to keep looking then! Let's see if we can find a river, and catch ourselves a water type."

They continued walking down Route 1, sticking close to the trees, when the sound of off-key singing reached their ears. Pikachu was the first one to hear it, of course, with his keen senses, and he quickly nudged Ash's arm with his nose to alert her to the sound.

"I wonder if there's another trainer there," Ash commented, following the sound. They went down a sloping road, until Ash could see a girl with short red hair fishing by the side of the river.

"Hello there," Ash called out, breaking into a jog when she saw the other girl. She had bright red hair pulled up into a short crooked ponytail, sea-green eyes framed by long lashes, and wore a yellow shirt and shorts.

"Hello," the girl answered, looking up and offering Ash a smile, "I'm Misty from Cerulean City."

"My name's Ash," she introduced herself, "And this is my friend, Pikachu! Are you fishing for Pokemon?"

Misty nodded. "I'm a water-type trainer, and I wanted to find a new water Pokemon here."

"Really? I'm looking for a water Pokemon too," Ash said, "Pikachu and I are planning to challenge the Pewter City gym, and it would be really useful if we had a water Pokemon with us."

"A water Pokemon is really strong against rock types," Misty agreed, her eyes blazing with passion, "I think water Pokemon are the best type of Pokemon there is."

"Well, I'm not sure about that, but I do agree they're useful. Would you mind if I fished here too?" Ash asked.

"No problem," Misty said, patting the ground next to her, "Your Pikachu is really cute. Do you have any other Pokemon?"

"No, I just started out," Ash answered, sitting down and taking out her fishing lure. She placed a big piece of Pokemon food on the hook, and cast it out to sea. Pikachu curled up on her lap, and proceeded to nap. "Pikachu and I just met a few hours ago."

"You're surprisingly well-prepared for a new Pokemon trainer then," Misty commented, "I received my Pokemon about a year ago. I have a Goldeen and a Staryu right now, but I'm looking for some more."

"I'm looking for a Pokemon that can battle on land and water," Ash informed her, "But I wouldn't mind catching other ones, and training them for future battles. I still have a some time until Pewter City."

They sat there in companionable silence for almost half an hour, before Ash felt a tug on her hook.

"I think I caught something!" Ash cried out, her loud voice waking Pikachu, "Pikachu, get ready, I'm reeling it in!"

The electric mouse Pokemon leapt from her lap, as Ash got up and started to tug on her lure. There was some resistance on the other end, but Ash took a deep breath, and with a strong pull, the girl dragged the Pokemon out of the water. With a loud splashing sound, a red fish with a golden crown and yellow whiskers jumped out.

"Quickly, Pikachu, use Static!" Ash yelled, scrambling to take out her Pokeball as Pikachu released a jolt of electricity towards the fish.

The girl steadied her hand, and once the electrical current hit the wild Pokemon, she aimed her Pokeball and tossed it. It hit against the Pokeball, and absorbed it with a red light. She nearly lost her balance when she had to reach over and grab it before it fell into the river, but it thrummed in her hand, and with one flash, two flash, three… it stilled.

"Yes!" Ash briefly shouted, before she did lose her balance, and tumbled into the river. "Aagh!"

"Pika!" Pikachu cried in alarm. Misty got up too, concerned about where her new friend had fallen, before Ash's head parted the surface. The current wasn't too strong, so the slender dark-haired trainer was able to easily climb back onto the bank.

Despite being thoroughly wet, and shivering slightly, Ash had a wide grin on her face.

"I think I just caught a Magikarp!" she waved her Pokeball in the air. "Magikarp, come on out!"

A red light flashed out of the open Pokeball, and the newly caught Magikarp appeared in the river. Ash raised her Pokedex.

"Magikarp, the Fish Pokémon. Because all Magikarp seem to do is splash around, some consider them weak, but they're actually a hardy Pokémon that can survive in water no matter how dirty it is. This Magikarp can use Swift Swim, Splash, and Flail."

"Okay, so not the most battle-ready of Pokemon," Ash conceded, causing her new Magikarp to wilt, "Aah, no, don't be sad! I'm really glad that I caught you! I always wanted a Magikarp!"

"You did?" Misty asked, widening her eyes. People generally avoided Magikarp, since they weren't very useful in battle. But Ash nodded eagerly, as she bent down to pet her new Pokemon's head.

"Yep, because Magikarp's can evolve into Gyarados," Ash explained happily, not noticing how Misty paled. "With a lot of training, my new Magikarp can become one of my strongest fighters."

"A Gy-Gyarados," Misty stuttered, taking a step back. The other girl looked confused by her reaction.

"Are you scared of them?" Ash asked, tilting her head cutely to the side, "I guess they can be a little scary…"

"It's just that a Gyarados tried to eat me once, when I was younger," Misty mumbled, before shoring up her courage, "But I'm a water-type trainer, so I have to get rid of this fear! By the time, your Magikarp evolves, I'll be more than ready to face one."

Ash blinked, and then a sly smile crossed her face. "Hey, you implied that you would be there when my Magikarp evolves. Are you asking if you could travel with me?"

Misty blushed. "Ah, I didn't mean it like that," she said sheepishly, laughing, "But I think I would like to travel with you. I don't have anywhere specific that I'd like to go, and you seem to be interesting enough."

"Great! Then we'll travel together," Ash gave her a thumbs up, "Now- ah- ah- achoo!"

"You're standing there, still wet," Misty scolded, "You're going to catch a cold. Do you have fresh clothes to change into?"

"Achoo! Y-yes," Ash replied, nervously, as Misty made a sudden switch from happy to anxious in less than a second. 'So bipolar,' she thought.

"Then we should set up camp here," Misty decided, "It's getting late, and we won't get much additional traveling done anyway. Have you had lunch yet?"

"My mom prepared one for me," Ash answered, riffling through her bag, "And- yes!- she packed some hot chocolate. I have a two-person tent. How about I set it up, and change into some dry clothes, while you make a fire? Pikachu can help you gather wood."

"Pika," the electric mouse cheerfully agreed, as Ash recalled Magikarp back into his Pokeball.

In short order, a yellow tent was set up by the side of the forest, while a small fire was cheerfully humming along. Ash had changed into a copy of her previous outfit, minus her father's hat, which dried along with her other clothes on the clothesline. She and Misty were sitting around the fire, eating a combination late lunch and early dinner, and sharing the hot chocolate Delia made.

They were also having an amicable conversation that was enjoyed by both girls. Ash, because her only previous female friend was Serena, and Misty, because the only other girls she regularly interacted with were her older sisters, who were closer to each other than to her. Pikachu and Staryu were eating their Pokefood on land, while Misty shared some special fish-based Pokefood for Goldeen and Magikarp.

"And you really had three older sisters?" Ash repeated, envious, "I had Gary, but only when he wasn't going through one of his cootie phases."

"I wish I was an only child though," Misty said, "My older sisters can be very patronizing and self-absorbed. That's one of the reasons why I left the gym, and the others were to see the world, and capture great water Pokemon."

"Why didn't you introduce yourself as one of the Cerulean gym leaders earlier though?" Ash asked.

Misty shrugged. "I didn't want anyone to link me with my sisters while I travelled. We're quite different really. They're very pretty and feminine, though I will admit that they take their Pokemon training seriously."

"How is that different from you?" Ash wanted to know. "You're very pretty too." Pikachu, who was listening to the conversation from beside her, squeaked his agreement.

The red-haired girl looked surprised, and then faintly embarrassed. "Thanks Ash…"

The dark-haired girl just waved it off, not understanding why she would be embarrassed by that. It was the truth, wasn't it?

"Forget about that, and tell me more about the Dewgong!" Ash said eagerly, to which Misty laughed and began recounting a story. And the rest of the night passed in this manner.

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Chapter Text

Ash snuck out of the tent she was currently sharing with Misty, being careful to slide out on sock-covered feet to muffle any noise she made. Once she was outside in the cold, dewy morning, before even the sun had crept up, Ash put on her sneakers, zipped up her cozy hoodie, and proceeded to light a fire. After the kindling was lit, she placed larger pieces of wood around it, to grow the flame, set up a collapsible steel pot on a makeshift tripod, and started breakfast.

"Pika?" Pikachu asked quietly, as his sensitive ears caught the sound of her cooking, and led him to investigate the noise. Ash smiled and used one hand to beckon him closer.

"Just making breakfast," she replied, using a ladle to stir the gooey brown oatmeal, "I just need to add some honey. Can you take out the honey cannister from my bag?"

"Pika," the electric mouse Pokemon open the zipper of her bag with his teeth, and then pulled out the metal canister. After carefully carrying it to her, he scampered back to the bag and drew out a partially finished bag of Pokemon food and a small canister of special Poke fish flakes.

"Thanks Pikachu." Ash added a generous portion of honey, before pouring some Pokefood out for Pikachu, and taking out her newest Pokemon's Pokeball. "Magikarp, I choose you!"

"Magi-karp," the fish Pokemon greeted her eagerly, especially once she sprinkled some fish flakes into the water.

"Eat up, both of you," Ash encouraged, taking out her own bowl and ladling half the oatmeal into it, "We're going to do a lot of hard training soon! I already have some ideas about how we can start."

The Pokemon took her words to heart, and after breakfast had been consumed, and dishes cleaned, Ash stood up.

"The first thing we'll start off with every training session is a basic workout," Ash began, balancing back and forth on the balls of her heels to counteract some of the chilliness in the air, "Pikachu, you and I will jog along the river for at least half an hour, while Magikarp swims upstream besides us. Resisting the current will increase your strength and speed, Magikarp, and that'll be the main focus of your training for now. After our jog, Pikachu will do some push-ups, sit-ups, and curl-ups, while I work directly with Magikarp on some special exercises. Okay?"

The Pokemon voiced their agreement, and the small group began their daily exercises. They started of slow, but Ash gradually increased the speed of their jog, until her breath was coming out in small pants and the chilly morning became unnoticable through her building sweat. At several points, the young trainer desperately wanted to quit, but looking at the determined faces of her tired Pokemon on either side of her, gave her the push to last until her watch beeped at the half-hour mark. Rather than stop jogging, the group slowed down to a fast-paced walk to slow their beating hearts and headed back to the campsite. By then, the sun was peeking out of the horizon, and the trio blissfully bathed in the shards of light.

As Pikachu settled in front of the riverbank for his next array of exercises, Ash searched the ground for a few pebbles. They were large enough to the easily seen, but small enough that an impact with them wouldn't cause much more than a light sting.

"We're going to work on your agility, Magikarp," Ash explained, waving the stones in the air, "I'm going to start off easy, but the throws will get progressively more difficult. I want you to avoid getting hit by any of them without going underwater, okay?"

"Magi!" Magikarp's yellow whiskers beat against the river water in clear challenge, as it faced Ash.

"That's the spirit!" Ash said, and lobbed one pebble overhead to Magikarp's side. Her Pokemon easily dodged the weak blow, but, as the girl had said, it got progressively more difficult, and soon Magikarp had to fast pebbles, curved pebbles, and multiple pebbles at once. When Ash ran out of stones, she merely crouched down to scoop up another handful and continued. At the end, Magikarp had several shallow cuts and bruises, but was happy to have dodged the vast majority of pebbles.

"That's great, Magikarp," Ash said, pleased with the result. "Now, we just have one more exercise before we're done for the day. Are you ready for it?"

"Magi-karp," the Pokemon confirmed. The care and attention Ash had shown to his training so far, left him fired up with energy and eager to continue.

"I want you to practice using Splash. Since every force exerted has an equal and opposite reaction, I want you to increase your strength by making bigger and bigger splashes," the dark-haired girl continued, "We'll practice this same regimen every day, until we reach Viridian City. By the end of it, your speed, strength, and agility will have taken a massive boost."

Magikarp voice his agreement, and started to diligently work on his training, while Ash turned her attention to Pikachu. Before she could begin his personal training, a voice distracted her.

"Wow, I don't think I've ever seen a new trainer set such a detailed training regimen before," Misty said, sounding impressed as she stepped out of the tent. Her red hair was loose and fell in messy waves down to her shoulders. "Usually, they just battle any Pokemon they can find."

"Good morning, Misty," Ash chirped, waving at her new friend, "I do think getting battle experience is important, but I want to increase my Pokemon's base stats and give them more diversity in attacks first. I don't want them to get hurt if we come across a Pokemon that's much stronger than us."

"Well said," Misty praised, heading over to the fire and peeking in, "You made breakfast! Thanks Ash. This smells delicious."

"No problem." Ash replied. She then returned her attention to her electric type Pokemon.

"Okay, we have to make sure that you learn Iron Tail before we reach the Pewter City Gym. The best way to learn Iron Tail, I think, would be to have you focus your energy on your tail, and then try to attack some tree trunks. If we can break through one, than we can practice on rocks next. When your tail is strong enough to drive through stone, than you'll have mastered Iron Tail. What do you think of that plan, buddy?"

"Pi-chu," Pikachu said, his cheeks sparking in eagerness. The electric mouse scarpered closer to one of the smaller trees by the side of the forest, and began to channel his energy into his tail. It started to glow a pale, burnished silver as Pikachu ran at the tree, jumped up, and twisted around, so that he could bash his tail against the wood. Slivers of bark flew out, and when Pikachu stepped back, Ash could see a small gouge on the trunk.

"Just keep practicing, Pikachu," his young trainer encouraged, with a proud smile, "You're going to master Iron Tail before you know it!"

As one of her Pokemon practiced Splash, and the other experiment with Iron Tail, Ash plopped down on the ground and took out her laptop. The solar battery was fully charged, so she activated it, and called her Mom.

After a beep, the screen lit to reveal Delia Ketchum's face.

"Hey Mom," Ash greeted, feeling her throat choke up a little. This wasn't the longest she had been away from her Mom- she did attend Pokemon Summer Camp for a few years- but this was the first time that didn't have a set return date. Her mother looked to be resisting tears too, as she smiled back.

"Hello sweetheart," Delia said, dabbing at one eye with the palm of her hand, "How are you?"

Ash's sadness dimmed, as she recalled everything she had done so far.

"I'm great, Mom," she answered, more cheerful, "Pikachu and I battled a Rattata on Route 1! We won, because we're just that awesome, but I decided not to catch him. Then we met this girl named Misty, and we fished together for awhile. I caught myself a Magikarp!"

"That's great, Ash!" Delia enthused, "You've already caught your first Pokemon! And I'm glad that you made a friend. What's Misty like?"

"She's a water type trainer, and she's really nice, but can be a little bossy and anxious sometimes," Ash reported, ignoring her new friend's tongue sticking out at her, "In fact, we decided to travel together. She's right over here. Misty, want to say 'hello' to my mother?"

"Hello Mrs. Ketchum," Misty said dutifully, scooting over to sit beside Ash, "My name's Misty Wallflower of Cerulean City. I'm a friend of your daughter's."

"It's nice to meet you, Misty," Delia Ketchum replied warmly, "Please take care of my daughter, for me. Ash can be a little headstrong and reckless."

"I will!" Misty grinned, over Ash's indignant protests, "Thank you for the hot chocolate, by the way. I really enjoyed it."

"I'm glad you liked it," the auburn haired woman said, "If you ever want more, just ask Ash. It's a little Pallet town recipe that's just wonderful for a rainy day. Oh, is Pikachu there? I haven't seen him yet." The electric mouse heard his name being called, and headed over to exchange his own greetings with Mrs. Ketchum. Ash then brought the screen over to the river, where Magikarp gave a small, but happy splash. After talking some more, Ash said goodbye to her mom, and turned off the video chat.

"Your mother's really nice," Misty said, once Ash had put away her laptop.

"She is," Ash agreed, "I'm really lucky to have her." The girls then proceeded to train for the next two hours, with Misty's Goldeen and Staryu being given a more difficult version of Ash's training methods for Magikarp. Ash studied the more experienced trainer's methods, and asked her a lot of questions about water Pokemon in general, which Misty was happy to provide answers and tips for.

Misty also allowed Ash to scan the two Pokemon with her Pokedex.

"Staryu. The core of this Water Pokémon shines in a rainbow of seven colors, a core that is valued by some as a type of jewelry."

"Goldeen. Its tail fin billows like an elegant ballroom dress, giving it the nickname of the Water Queen. A strong swimmer, it is capable of swimming non-stop up fast streams at a steady speed of five knots."

At the end, Ash was satisfied that she had learned a lot of useful information from her new friend, who had practically grown up with water Pokemon from the cradle. In turn, Misty was refreshed by Ash's curiosity and enthusiasm, and even hashed out a few training method with the other girl's insight.

Soon after, Ash called a halt to her Pokemon's training and cleaned and bandaged their few scrapes and bruises. By then, Misty had finished making lunch, since Ash had covered breakfast, and they sat down to ham sandwiches and watercress salad. Ash ate her lunch eagerly, surprised by how hungry she felt after all of her hard work from the morning. Pikachu and Magikarp were just as eager to eat their lunch, which was all the more satisfying after training.

"We'll only get about three hours of travelling in with this weather," Misty scowled, looking up at the darkening sky, "We'll want to stop early, and set up camp before it rains. Have you brought a tarp?"

"Yeah, it should cover the tent, but not much else," Ash answered.

"We'll combine your tarp with mine to cover our extra supplies then," Misty sighed in relief, "Thank Arceus, I was worried that my bike was going to get ruined."

They quickly and efficiently cleaned up their campsite, packed the tent, and covered the remains of the fire with dirt. Ash recalled her Magikarp, scooped up Pikachu in her arms, and followed the red-haired girl along the riverbank, as they continued to Viridian City.

"I'll have to sell my bike at Viridian," Misty commented, "I can't ride it with a partner, and it's too unwieldy to carry along."

"I'll have to pick up some fish flakes, bug spray, and poison antidotes, while we're there too," Ash commented. Misty blanched.

"Why would we need to buy bug spray?" she asked, in horror.

"Well, Viridian Forest is filled with bug-type Pokemon," Ash answered cluelessly, "Didn't you know that?"

Misty shuddered. "I know now. Please tell me you're not going to try and catch a bug type Pokemon."

Ash smirked mischievously. "Don't worry," she assured, "Just think of it as contact-based therapy!"

The water-type trainer groaned, while her dark-haired friend laughed. They continued travelling, discussing some of the finer points of battle strategy, before Misty decided that they should set up camp in a clearing by the road. They had just set up the tarps and tents, when the first droplets of rain fell from the ground. Ash was left feeling grateful that the Pokeball kept her Magikarp in stasis, where she didn't need any food and water, because the girl couldn't call him out in this weather and without a body of water nearby.

"That's one of the most common frustrations of a water-type trainer," Misty empathized.

Later, when they had been comfortably cocooned in their blankets inside the tent, and with Pikachu curled up by her side, gnawing on a ripe oran berry, Ash took out her laptop. It took a few seconds, but soon the screen was lit, and Ash clicked on a blue folder icon. The dark-haired trainer grimaced in distaste when a trigonometry worksheet popped up.

"Ash, what are you doing?" Misty asked curiously. She was flipping through a novel, but looked over oddly as Ash took out a notepad and pencil.

"I'm finishing my math homework," Ash groused, starting on the first problem.

"You're doing classwork?" Misty was surprised. Ash looked up, and nodded.

"I know that a lot of trainers put their regular educations on halt during their journey," Ash allowed, "And follow an accelerated curriculum afterward, so they won't stay too far behind, but I didn't want to do that. I took an accelerated course before my journey, and I'm keeping up with my classes at a slower pace as I travel. Hopefully, I'll get my Kanto High School certification along with everyone else when I'm eighteen."

"That's a very ambitious goal," Misty teased, "Especially since you want to win the Indigo Plateau at the same time."

Ash laughed nervously, as she rubbed the back of her neck. "I know the plan's a little crazy, but I also know it can be done. It's the same plan that my Dad followed when he was a trainer, and he reached the semifinals for his first Indigo League! He also won silver at the Hoenn League, but then retired from travelling to attend Saffron's Poke University and become an engineer for the Devon Corp."

"He sounds like a really impressive man," Misty said, "You must have inherited your ambition and hard working tendencies from him."

"Yeah," Ash laughed, "But my mom says I inherited his recklessness and stubbornness too. He died when I was younger, but my mom never told me how."

"Oh, I'm so sorry," Misty cried out, looking contrite, "I didn't mean to bring up any bad memories. Your mother must have been a really strong woman to raise you up alone."

Ash shrugged, but a soft smile crossed her face. "She is," the girl agreed, "But Mom did have some help. Dad left us some money from the royalties his inventions earn, and Professor Oak was always there to look after us."

They stayed silent for a little longer, as Ash's pencil scribbled furiously across her page, working out the math problems that she would late type into the computer. After she completed two of the four worksheets waiting for her, she emailed the answers she had so far to Professor Oak. He would grade them for her and submit the official results to the Poke High database.

Finally, exhausted from her day, Ash fell asleep. A few hours later, Misty was shaking her awake.

"Wake up, Ash," Misty sing-songed, poking her shoulder. With an inaudible grumble, Ash turned over and ignored her. Undeterred, Misty continued poking her, while Ash did her level best to ignore the irritation. Finally, the older girl huffed in disappointment, picked up her pillow, and swung it at Ash.

"Ash, WAKE UP!" Misty crowed, hitting her over the head with the pillow. "Wake up! The sun is shining, and it's a beautiful new day!"

"Aaah!" Ash screamed, putting her arms up to protect her head, "I'm up! I'm up! For the love of Arceus, you sadistic woman, stop hitting me with that pillow!"

"Good, you're not being lazy then," Misty chirped, with a sweet smile on her face, "Good morning, Ash." The dark-haired gir sat up and glared at her. With her hopelessly messy hair tousled from sleep and covering her head like a particularly spiky halo, she looked more adorable than scary.

"Meanie," Ash pouted, before looking around the tent to see why her Pokemon didn't defend her honor and person. She saw Pikachu sitting by the edge of the tent, laughing at her and she stuck her tongue out at him. Her Pokemon were so mean…

Once Ash was sufficiently woken up enough to stagger to her feet, and into the eye-squinting bright light of the day, she looked up. In the sky, where a thunderstorm had raged just hours ago, was a beautiful rainbow spanning across the blue expanse. Her breath was being taken away by the beauty of it, as a majestic red-winged bird Pokemon flew across the rainbow.

She raised her Pokedex up, but it only beeped.

"There is no data. There still are Pokémon yet to be identified."

"Misty, you have to see this!" Ash shouted back into the tent, as she raised her Pokedex higher, and switched to the camera function. She kept clicking until she had at least three good pictures of the stunning avian Pokemon. Pikachu and Misty both rushed out, and got to see the bird disappearing into the horizon.

"He looks so beautiful," Misty whispered, in awe, as she beheld the Pokemon. Ash nodded soundlessly, and then smiled.

"This world is really filled with some extraordinary Pokemon," Ash said, softly.

xxxxxx

Chapter Text

When Ash and Misty finally reached Viridian City, they were halted by Officer Jenny on the suspicion of being Pokemon thieves.

"I know it's a little strange, but my Pikachu just doesn't like being in a Pokeball," Ash explained.

"Alright then," Officer Jenny nodded understandingly, "I'm sorry about holding you up, but there's been signs of a team of Pokemon thieves in the area. Be cautious, and keep your Pokemon safe."

"We will," Misty replied, "Goodbye, Officer."

As the two walked away, Ash looked around the streets of Viridian with interest. She had been here before, when Professor Oak took her and Gary to the city during one of his supply pick-ups, but had never had the opportunity to explore on her own. There were also lots of new Pokemon wandering around with their trainers, which made Ash's fingers twitch to grab her Pokedex and scan them for information. She suppressed that feeling because it would be incredibly rude to do so.

"Where do you want to go first, Ash?" Misty asked.

The dark-haired girl considered it. "If it's okay with you, I think we should head to a Pokemart first and stock up on supplies before we forget to do so. We don't have to go to the Pokemon Center immediately since none of our Pokemon are hurt."

Misty nodded. "Well, there's one over by the corner, so let's grab our supplies."

This Pokemart was much larger than the small storefront she had seen back in Pallet Town, but the layout followed the standard format. Ash quickly gathered her necessary supplies, including the Poke fish flakes, bug spray, poison antidotes, and oran berries (due to Pikachu's imploring gaze), before hurrying to the front. They were a reasonable $2000 Poke Dollars, which she paid through her Pokedex Checking Account.

When she first received her Pokedex, it included the $100,000 Poke Dollars given by the Kanto League to each beginner trainer, along with an extra $40,000 Poke Dollars her mother added just in case. Generally, the amount offered by the League was much less than typically used, so trainers were expected to bolster their funds with gym battles, sponsored contests, and personal battles. On top of that, families added some additional cash to account for unexpected expenses and mishandling of money, which were common for new trainers.

Ash's mom had set up a Pokemon Trainer account for her daughter from a young age, and made regular deposits there, so there was a nice cushion of cash ready for her should she need it. The money would be transferred on a bi-weekly basis to the tune of $20,000 Poke Dollars, so if she didn't make too many extravagant purchases or stupid financial decisions, she should be able to handle the costs of Pokemon Journey.

That being said, it was Ash's intention to complete her first year as a Pokemon trainer with her finances in the black. While it was nice to have a mother would could and would support her, Ash also wanted to become financially independent and contribute to her family's income. The path that she was on usually wasn't profitable until two or three years of experience were had, but the black-haired girl loved accomplishing difficult tasks.

"Thank you for making a purchase at the Viridian Pokemart," the saleswoman said cheerfully, packing up her purchases, "We're also having a discount on specialized Pokeballs. Would you like to see our current selections?"

Ash's interest was piqued. "Yes, please," she answered, politely.

"We're currently selling the Lure, Moon, Friend, Heavy, Love, and Fast balls," the woman explained, indicating the brightly coloured Pokeballs within the display case, "They normally go for $300 Poke Dollars each, but they're 50% off this week! Would you like to purchase any?"

"Hmm, it could be useful," Ash said, thinking. She turned towards where her red-haired friend was browsing near the fishing lure section of the store. "Misty! They're having a sale on specialized Poke balls. Do you want to buy a Lure ball?"

"A sale?" the redhead perked up, and headed right over. "Yes, actually, I'd like to have five Lure balls. How much do they cost?"

"$750 Poke Dollars," the saleswoman replied, taking out five ocean blue balls with red arrows and three vertical yellow dashes on them.

"I would like two Friend balls, one Fastball, and one Heavy ball, please," Ash added, authorizing another $600 Poke Dollar deduction from her account. "Thank you."

"No problem," the woman replied, once their payments had been completed, "Please shop at Pokemart again!"

"We will," the two girls chorused, as they left the store.

xxxxxx

xxxxxx

When they got to the Pokemon Center, they were greeted by a woman with cotton-candy pink hair, curled at the front, and pulled into two bows at the back. She wore the standard nurse's uniform, had bright blue eyes set on a sharply defined faced, and offered the girls a welcoming smile. This must be Viridian Center's Nurse Joy.

"Hello, and welcome to Viridian City," the pink-haired nurse said, "How may I help you?"

"I would like to have both of my Pokemon checked over please," Ash replied, placing Pikachu on the desk and handing over Magikarp's Pokeball, "Pikachu is a starter, and has had his health verified recently by Professor Oak. I just caught Magikarp though, and haven't had a chance to get him looked over. Neither Pikachu nor Magikarp have battled recently."

"I'll have them checked over then," Nurse Joy replied, "Are you planning to stay overnight?"

"Yes," Ash confirmed, "Can we get a double room, at the beginner trainer's rate?"

"And we would also like to rent at least two collapsible rubber pools, if they're available," Misty added.

"Not a problem," Nurse Joy answered, "Is there anything else?"

"No, thank you," Ash accepted the proffered room key, and passed it on to her redhaired companion. As Misty headed upstairs to put away their supplies and purchases, Ash walked to the cafeteria and purchased two warm meals. Then, she had to wait a few minutes for Pikachu and Magikarp to receive a clean bill of health, before she could head to their room.

"I come bearing food," Ash called out, peeking over the side of the door and grinning when she saw a disappointed Misty with pillow in hand, "Throw that, and yours' will be the first one to fall."

"Well, I could always purchase another one…" Misty mused, still not relinquishing her pillow.

Ash, arms full with dishes, waited until Pikachu fully pushed open the door before entering. "Hmm," the dark-haired girl hummed, "You would have to go downstairs… and wait in a long line… and there might not be any french fries left by the time you're able to pay. They were going pretty quickly."

Misty pouted, let go of the pillow, and snatched a fry from the top of the plate. "Well-played, Ketchum, well-played. I thought you were an only child."

Ash snorted. "I am, but I have pseudo sibling experience from Gary. When he wasn't dragging me on adventures in his endless curiosity, he would annoy me until I distracted him. As his grandfather can't cook, and my mom makes the best chocolate chip cookies, I bartered peace for food."

"A sound strategy," Misty nodded. The two girls held each other's gazes for a second, bound in solemn agreement, before they burst out into laughter.

Misty had already set up the collapsible pools, so Ash released her Magikarp and added the fish flakes, before digging into her meal. She enjoyed her hamburger immensely, but felt that she wouldn't have done so nearly as much had she seen them being made. It was one thing to know that meat and fish products were created by in-vitro culturally grown flesh cells drawn from deceased Miltanks, among other Pokemon, but quite another to see it.

She was just glad that no living Pokemon were harmed in the creation of her lunch.

Once Ash had consumed her meal, she took out her laptop and logged in to give an update to her Mom. She also tried to contact Gary, but he was offline at the moment, and most likely doing something that would give his grandfather gray hairs. Instead, she settled for an email:

'To Gare-Bear,

I know you really want to hit me over the head for calling you that… but, you can't! I'm in Viridian City now, after catching my first-ever Pokemon. It's a Magikarp, and while you might not think it's impressive now, you'll change your mind pretty quickly when it evolves. Can you guess what Magikarp's evolution form is? No cheating! So, don't ask your grandfather.

I hope that you've made it safely to Pewter City, and didn't get stopped by the side of the road by Officer Jenny. Underaged driving and a bloated head are crimes outside of Pallet Town, you know. Has Daisy even heard of your latest stunt yet? If she hasn't, than tell her that I've already expressed my serious disapproval for your actions, and totally didn't laugh, at all, whatsoever.

I've also found a travelling companion along the way to Viridian. Tall, redhaired, and attractive, with stunning blue eyes and an absolutely beautiful smile. My companion loves water Pokemon, and is really quite eager to travel with me. In fact, I don't think I've ever felt this way about someone before…

Also, before you get into the whole protective 'big brother must smash puny suitor' mode, I should add that I'm just messing with you. I get the feeling that you've read those words in horrified disbelief up til now, and maybe had a small panic attack. But you have no need to worry. Misty's a girl, so don't freak out and drive back to 'save' me, okay?

Tell your Squirtle I said 'hi'! And if you didn't call your grandfather yet, make sure you do it soon!

Reply soon,

Ash'

Once the young trainer had finished typing her message, she switched to Video Chat again, and called Professor Oak.

"Hello Professor," Ash greeted, feeling happy to see the familiar image of the sandy-haired researcher on the screen. "How are you?"

"Ash!" Professor Oak exclaimed, rushing over from his work to look at the screen, "I was hoping you would call. I'm well, and you? Have you and Pikachu caught another Pokemon yet?"

"I caught Magikarp," Ash reported proudly, moving over so the screen's camera could shift to the red and yellow fish Pokemon, "I also asked Gary what his evolution form is, and told him not to cheat, so please don't give him the answer, if he asks."

Professor Oak laughed. "It's good to see that you two are still continuing your trivia game. I'll make sure not to give the answer away. And Magikarp is a very good catch, Ash. They're difficult to train, but the rewards could be great if they evolve into Gyarados. Most trainers try to catch Gyarados directly, but those are some very temperamental Pokemon. It's better off to gain their loyalty now, early on in the evolution stage."

Ash nodded in agreement. "I've also finished some of my assignments. Did you receive them?"

"They're probably in my inbox, but I haven't checked them yet," Professor Oak answered, "Gary said that he submitted a few of his as well, so I'll be busy grading them for the rest of the day. Have you seen him so far?"

"No, not yet. He's heading directly to Pewter City, while I'm walking there, and taking long stops to train my Pokemon. I am glad that he hasn't forgotten to call you though," Ash smirked, "He offered me a ride. In his new Corvette."

Professor Oak rubbed his head sheepishly, and mumbled something about important deadlines and manipulative grandchildren. Then he cleared his throat.

"Anyway, you won me a bet," he said, upbeat, "Gary placed $5000 Pokedollars on you not having caught a second Pokemon by the time you reached Viridian, and, since you did, I'm $4000 richer today than I was yesterday."

"$4000 Pokedollars?" Ash repeated, confused.

"I needed to use $1000 Pokedollars to bribe off Vulpix," Professor Oak explained, utterly unashamed, "She's developing an admirable skill in blackmail and coercion these days. It's cutting into the profits from my illicit business ventures."

Ash stared at him. "I always wondered where Gary gained his special brand of insanity from."

"I was thinking of entering the cookie smuggling world next," Professor Oak said, with a completely straight face. "Now, ignoring my budding criminal empire, is there anything else you'd like to tell me."

"Actually, I was wondering if you had ever seen this Pokemon before," Ash showed him the pictures she'd taken of the majestic Pokemon bird, "It was flying over Route 1, just a few miles off of Viridian City. The Pokedex couldn't identify it."

Professor Oak perked up in interest. "Couldn't identify it, you say," he murmured, rubbing his chin and scrutinizing the photo, "Indeed, there are some Pokemon that are considered to be extinct or legends, lost to the mists of time. From personal experience, I can say that quite a few Pokemon believed to be fantasy are actually quite real. But in all my travels, I had never come across this one."

"It seemed to be fire-based," Ash offered, recalling her scarce observations, "I saw it appear after a rainbow, and- this may seem weird- but I just felt so calm, and happy after seeing it. Could it have the power to manipulate emotions like Psychic Pokemon?"

"Perhaps, but most Psychic types need at least eye contact and you weren't facing it…" Professor Oak mused, "An unconscious propulsion of aura… or maybe a wide area defense mechanism drawn out before it appears… how fascinating! Ash, could you send me the pictures?"

"No problem, Professor," Ash connected the laptop to her Pokedex, "I'll continue sending you pictures of any interesting Pokemon or habitats I come across."

"I appreciate that, Ash," the old man said kindly, "Now, I don't mean to be rude, but I would really like to analyze these pictures-"

"It's perfectly fine, Professor," Ash laughed, waving her hand in the air, "Enjoy your research!"

Ash completed her call, and mentally considered what she should do next. It had been a long day, and she really didn't feel like continuing her class assignments. She also decided against forming battle tactics or inside training; Pikachu would revolt if she tried to move him from his happy ketchup coma, and honestly, she needed a break too. By the time she was seriously considering turning in early, a stray thought passed her head.

'Professor Oak said that the mysterious flying Pokemon could be legendary,' Ash thought, suddenly scrambling to her backpack and rummaging through it for a slim, bound book, 'And I haven't read many of these in awhile… It might be mentioned here in my book of Pokemon fairytales!'

"Magi," the Pokemon asked, interestedly, as his trainer waved a worn book triumphantly in the air.

"It's a book of fairytales," Ash explained, showing it to him, "My Dad wrote it for me when I was a baby… hey, do you want to listen to some of the stories? Pikachu?"

"Pika-chu," the electric mouse mumbled sleepily, as it ambled over to its trainer.

"Magi-karp!" the energetic red and yellow fish added, as it swam to the side of the pool closest to the bed. Ash sat, legs criss-crossed, on the bed, and Pikachu curled up comfortably on her lap. It had very quickly moved up to his favorite resting place, the second one being her arms.

"Well this is one that my Mom used to read to me," Ash began, moving to a creased page, "This is the true story of Sir Aaron, Hero of the Wave, and Guardian of Aura. Long ago, in the lands of Cameron, was born a boy with a great love for all kinds of Pokemon…"

xxxxxxx

Chapter Text

Ash had been in the middle of her third story, a lullaby about the Guardian of the Seas and the Elemental Trio of Kanto, when the lights began flickering ominously in the room. They sputtered on for a few seconds longer, before shutting off completely, leaving the room in a state of semi-darkness.

"Magi-karp!" her second Pokemon said, sounding distressed. He drew back from the edge of the pool, to swim around in agitation. "Magi? Magi-ka?"

"I don't know Magikarp," Ash answered worriedly. She looked down at the faded book in her hand, and then her eyes hardened. "But I'm going to find out. Ready Pikachu?"

"Pika-pi," Pikachu agreed hesitantly. The electric mouse nudged his nose in Misty's direction. "Pika?"

"Can you wake Misty up, Pikachu?" Ash asked. She took out Magikarp's Pokeball and pointed it towards him. "I'm sorry, Magikarp, but there's no water for you to swim in. You'll have to return."

"Magi," the water Pokemon responded, petulantly. In a flash of red light, he returned to his Pokeball, but made a private promise to himself to become a Gyarados as soon as he could. Then he could help his electric teammate protect their partner.

"Ugh, Ash, what's going on?" Misty said groggily, opening her eyes. "Why are the lights off?"

"The power's out," Ash shrugged. "Pikachu and I are going downstairs to see what caused it. Can you come along?"

The redhead's eyes became more alert. "I better come along. It might be those Pokemon thieves Officer Jenny was warning us about."

"Why would thieves attack a Pokemon Center though?" Ash questioned, as the two girls slipped out of the room. Pikachu led the way, as they crept down the stairs. "There will only be weak and sick Pokemon here."

"Yes, but that'll only make it easier to capture them," Misty explained, grimly, "And they might come across a rare or exotic Pokemon to steal."

"That's terrible," Ash whispered, furiously, "Attacking sick Pokemon is the work of dishonourable cowards."

"And that's just what these types of thieves will be," Misty replied. The two fell silent once they reached the ground floor, and paused, unsure of where to go next. The Poke Center's entrance room was completely silent and devoid of trainers.

"Pikachu, can you hear anything?" the dark-haired girl suddenly asked. The electric Pokemon stood still for a moment, his ears straining upward, before he nodded.

"Pika," he said softly, before making a sharp right turn and hurrying down the hallway.

"Good idea," Misty compliment, as they followed behind. Ash nodded in thanks.

When Pikachu finally stopped running, they halted a few steps behind him, and stared at the white cat Pokemon in front of them. It was a pale cream colour, with two whiskers on each cheek, and a golden coin attached to its head. Currently, it looked none-too-pleased to see them.

"What's a Meowth doing here?" Misty exclaimed. She didn't expect an answer, but, much to their shock, she certainly received one.

"I think the real question is what two twerps are doing running around in the middle of a heist," the Meowth snapped back. "This is a Team Rocket raid! Surrender now, and give me all of your Pokemon, and maybe I'll let you go free." The Pokemon smirked, waiting for them to yield.

Instead, Ash squealed. "No way, you can talk!" she said, excitedly, "And you're so cute!"

"Um… thanks, I guess…" Meowth answered awkwardly. He reddened under the girl's beaming gaze.

"Do you already have a trainer?" Ash asked earnestly, "Because if you don't, I'd love to have you on my team. I plan to win the Indigo League, and I'm really dedicated to training my Pokemon. You could battle exciting opponents and travel to cool new places. And I give fantastic belly-rubs."

"Eh, well, you know, I'm already involved in something," Meowth stammered, "Not that I'm not flattered twerp, but I'm really not up for grabs."

"You're not going to garner a lot of positive attention on the wrong side of the law though," Ash persisted. "And you don't look like the thuggish type."

Pikachu sweatdropped as his trainer continued to try and persuade the rogue Pokemon to join them.

"Pika-pi-chu," he deadpanned.

Misty slapped a palm against her forehead. "Ash… he's part of a criminal organization…"

"Yeah!" the cat Pokemon shouted, shaking his confusion off. A leer spread across his face, and he pointed one extended claw towards the girl. "Surrender now, to the power of Team Rock-aaahhhh."

Meowth's demands fell by the wayside, as a mischievous Ash raised her hand and began to scratch behind his ears. A purring noise came from the Rocket thief, as the dark-haired girl continued to pet him. Misty didn't know if she wanted to hit her own head again, or hit Ash.

"Aren't you just the sweetest thing," Ash cooed, crouching down next to the Meowth and using her other hand to gently rub his whiskers. "You're far too adorable to be evil. Isn't that right?"

"Shut up twerp, and keep scratching," Meowth shot back, positively melting, "No, a little further up, yeah, yeah, right there, that's perfect… You're good at pampering, brat."

"Glad to be of service," Ash said merrily, "So about that offer…"

Unfortunately, before the girl could press a positive answer out of the cat Pokemon, two other people appeared at the end of the hallway. It was a blue-haired man and a magenta-haired woman, both several years older than her, and wearing white uniforms emblazoned with a large red R. They were also holding two large sacks of undoubtedly ill-gotten loot.

"Meowth, we've got the Pokemon! It's time to scram!" the blue-haired man shouted, before looking taken aback, "Meowth, what are you doing?!"

"Huh?" the second Meowth saw them, he jumped back, as if scalded. "Nothin'! I saw these two twerps here and told them to hand over their Pokemon."

"You didn't do it very well then," the magenta-haired woman snorted. "Brats! Under the authority of Team Rocket, I demand that you hand over any Pokemon in your possession."

Both girls looked incensed. "Never!" Ash declared.

"Where's Nurse Joy?" Misty demanded, "And where did you get those Pokeballs?"

"We stole them, obviously," the woman said, nastily, "As for your Nurse Joy, she's found herself a little tied up right now."

"No one refuses Team Rocket," the man added, "It seems you need an introduction."

"Prepare for trouble!"

"Make it double!"

"To protect the world from devastation!"

"To unite all peoples within our nation!"

"To denounce the evils of truth and love!"

"To extend our reach to the stars above!"

"Jessie!"

"James!"

"Team Rocket, blast off at the speed of light!"

"Surrender now, or prepare to fight!"

"Meowth! That's right!"

Ash looked unimpressed. "Pikachu, use Thundershock."

"Pika-CHU!" her Pokemon's cheeks sparked, before he let loose a violent discharge of electrical energy. Team Rocket was completely unprepared as the current ran through their body, and then, with a flicker, became far stronger than a mere Thundershock. With a crackling noise, the attack stopped and the trio of thieves were sent blasting through the walls.

"That's not fair!" Jessie cried.

"We didn't even get to battle!" James shouted.

"Team Rocket's blasting off!" Meowth screamed.

Soon the trio was nothing more than a twinkle in the sky.

"Wow, that was brutal," Misty laughed, as she hurried forward to pick up the dropped Pokeballs. "You didn't even bother to battle them, Ash."

Her friend shrugged. "I don't believe in having fair battles with thieves. Shame about not being able to convert that Meowth though." She took out her Pokedex, and pointed it towards Pikachu.

'Pikachu has learned the new move Thunderbolt.'

"Nice!" Ash praised. Pikachu preened under the attention.

"Pika," he replied, modestly.

"After gathering up the rest of the Pokeballs, we should go look for Nurse Joy," Misty decided. "Let's not mention the part where you tried to talk Team Rocket's Meowth into joining your team."

xxxxxx

Ash and Misty didn't stay in Viridian City for long. After rescuing Nurse Joy and giving a statement to Officer Jenny, they quickly made their way out of the city. Neither wanted to gain the attention of the local media, partially to avoid the attention of more Team Rocket members, but mostly because Ash didn't want her mother to know about her crime fighting escapades. Delia Ketchum would not have reacted well.

Now Ash was making her way through Viridian Forest, with an unexpectedly clingy Misty by her side.

"I don't why you're so afraid of bug Pokemon," Ash looked puzzled, "You even jumped when you saw that Weedle, even though you could stomp it to the ground if you wanted you."

"Everyone has something in their life that they will hate," Misty insisted, "For me, it's peppers, carrots, and bug Pokemon! They're slimy, and creepy, and AAAHHHH! BUG!"

Ash jumped at the unexpected shout, and hurriedly looked in the direction Misty was pointing. At first, she was confused when all she saw were empty trees, but then her gaze lowered.

"Misty, that's a Caterpie," Ash pointed out. The green and yellow worm-like Pokemon crawled closer to them, making Misty step back in horror.

"Ash, do something!" she wailed. The sudden spark of mischief in her friend's eye made Misty momentarily regret her words, especially as Ash made a grab for one of her Pokeballs and threw it towards Caterpie. A flash of red light and the Bug Pokemon was immediately sucked in.

"Congratulations, Misty," Ash cheered, "You just caught a Caterpie!"

xxxxxxx

"No. Absolutely not. I refuse," Misty insisted. She held the Pokeball with two fingers, extended as far away from her as was possible, and looked at it with disgust. "I don't want a Bug Pokemon, Ash, and I will not raise one. You captured it. It's your responsibility."

"Misty, the capture was logged into your account," Ash sighed. They had decided to make camp for the night, even though Ash hadn't found any more Pokemon to capture. Well technically she saw several, but Misty refused to stop her panicked half-jog through the forest long enough for Ash to properly battle one. So far, Caterpie was their only catch, and Misty was less than thrilled with that.

As could be judged by the purplish bruise that Ash was nursing on her head.

"I don't care," the redhead said fiercely, "I will not train a Bug Pokemon!"

"I know that you don't like the idea of Bug Pokemon, Misty," Ash grimaced, "But if you don't learn to get over your fear, than it will always be a weakness for you. Other trainers could take advantage of that in the future, and I think the best way for you to address that problem now, would be raising your own. Caterpie is as gentle as a Bug Pokemon can get, and he likes you."

It was true. When Ash released the newly captured Pokemon mere seconds ago, the first thing it did was make a beeline towards Misty's leg. The high decibel shriek that Misty released then caused half of Ash's hearing to go.

"And I think you shouldn't have said those things to Caterpie," Ash continued stubbornly, "He has feelings too, and you hurt them."

Although a flicker of guilt passed Misty's face, she was firm. "I don't care," she answered, "I didn't choose to capture him. You did. That means it's your responsibility to take care of him."

"Alright," Ash admitted grudgingly, "I may not like it, but it's your right to choose which Pokemon you want to train. Just keep Caterpie for now, and when we reach Pewter City, we can use Nurse Joy's transfer machine to assign ownership to me. Though you might just change your mind."

"Thank you," Misty exhaled. "I doubt I'll change my mind, but I am glad that Caterpie will go to a considerate trainer."

Ash nodded, but didn't say anything else. In silence, they ate their dinner, and got ready to sleep. Soon Ash was gently snoring away in her own sleeping bag, with Pikachu nuzzled in her arms. A troubled Misty though, was unable to rest. After a few hours, she decided to get up.

"I must be going crazy," Misty murmured to herself, as she picked up a Pokeball and headed outside of their bug-sprayed campgrounds. Once she was far enough away to not bother her sleeping friend, Misty pressed the center button of the Pokeball. A green, worm-like Pokemon appeared.

"Hello Caterpie," the redhead managed to say, swallowing the reflexive hysteria bubbling inside of her. She gingerly sat a few meters away from the Bug Pokemon.

"Cater-pie," the Pokemon said sadly, not making a move closer to his trainer. Misty squirmed.

She took in a deep breath. "I- I'm sorry, about today," the water trainer said, shakily. Misty looked away. "I reacted that way because I'm afraid of Bug Pokemon. But I shouldn't have taken that out on you. I'm sorry."

"Cater," the Bug Pokemon replied softly.

Misty forced herself to continue. "I know that it's an irrational fear, but I can't help the way I feel. Bug Pokemon are really scary for me."

Caterpie rolled over on his back, and waved his little yellow suction cups in the air. "Cater, Cater-pie!"

Misty laughed a little. "I know, you don't look very threatening."

The redhead looked up at the sky. "We didn't have the best of introductions, did we? I'm Misty Waterflower, and my dream is to become the best water-type trainer in the world. What's yours?"

"Cater-pie," the Bug type jerked his face in the air. He wiggled around in a mimicry. "Cater!"

"You want to swim?" Misty asked in confusion, "Run? Become stronger? Fly?"

Caterpie nodded enthusiastically to the last one.

"Oh, you want to become a Butterfree and be able to fly," the water trainer realized, "That's a cool dream. Ash will help you become a strong Butterfree."

Caterpie wilted again. "Cater," he moaned, piteously.

Misty shook her head. "No, I'm really not a Bug Type trainer," she protested, "I would have no idea on how to train you!"

"Cater-pie," the Pokemon said encouragingly, shifting slightly closer. When Misty only flinched, he crawled a bit more.

The redhead hesitated, but then gave a tentative pat on the Bug Pokemon's head. She was rewarded with a happy wiggle.

"I'm not making any promises," Misty sighed, "I don't know… you deserve a trainer who's not afraid to touch you, but Ash did make a point. Maybe. We'll see."

"Cater-pie," her Pokemon crowed happily.

xxxxxxx

Chapter Text

The sound of beating winds drew Ash out of her sleep, causing dark lashes to flutter in tired irritation. The young trainer turned towards the direction of the sound, dislodging Pikachu, who had been situated comfortably on top of her stomach.

"Pika," her Pokemon mumbled in protest, opening his eyes. His cheeks dislodged sparks of electricity, which stung his trainer's skin.

"Sorry Pikachu, but I think we have a visitor," the girl pushed herself up to a sitting position. A few meters away from her was a large brown and cream coloured bird with the plumage of a female, which regarded her curiously. She reached over to her Pokedex and scanned the wild Pokemon.

'Pidgeotto, an evolved form of the Pidgey. It is armed with sharp claws and dives from the sky to capture its prey. Unlike the more gentle Pidgey, Pidgeotto can be dangerous. Approach with caution.'

Ash's eyes lit up. "A flying type," she said excitedly. "I would love to have a Pidgeotto on my team. What do you say, Pidgeotto? Do you want to battle?"

"Pika-pichu," her electric mouse Pokemon added, also energized by the thought of an upcoming battle. He bounded out of the sleeping bag, and landed across from the Pidgeotto. His cheeks sparked again.

"I'm never going to have a full night of sleep with you guys around, am I?" Misty said, exasperated. Since the noise had woken her up as well, she opted to sit up and watch the match.

Ash offered her an apologetic grin. "Alright, Pikachu, let's win this match," she ordered, "Start it off with a Quick Attack!"

The electric mouse shot forward with a burst of speed, but Pidgeotto took to the air, and just barely managed to dodge. A few rapid flaps of its wings turned into a Gust attack, but Pikachu ducked under the cover of a bush and managed to avoid the worst of it. Pidgeotto then used a Sand Attack, and Ash grit her teeth as visibility dropped to near zero from all of the particles in the air. She had to duck her head to avoid breathing it in.

"If you can't see Pidgeotto, than use your ears to find her," Ash ordered, "Follow it up with a large-scale static."

Although she couldn't see the battlefield, Ash knew that her Pokemon would be standing stock still, with his ears pricking upwards. Less than a minute later, as the dust began to settle, Pikachu moved.

"Pika-CHU!" Pikachu shouted, releasing a burst of electricity towards a dark shadow sweeping downwards.

Ash's eyes widened. "Pikachu, dodge!" she yelled frantically.

"Pika!" the electric mouse cried out, as Pidgeotto's Quick Attack hit him head on. Pikachu was sent flying back, hitting a tree behind him harshly, before landing on the ground.

"Pikachu!" Ash was about to call off the battle and run towards him, when she saw her starter struggle back to his feet.

"Pika-pi," Pikachu said smugly, despite the pain in his body, as he faced his opponent. While Pidgeotto's attack may have caused some serious damage, his Static had managed to paralyze her.

"Let's finish this with a Thunderbolt," Ash ordered. She felt relieved as a bolt of condensed lightning finally knocked Pidgeotto unconscious, and allowed Ash to capture her with a thrown Pokeball.

"Good job, Pikachu!" Ash enthused, picking up her latest catch and then hurrying over to her starter. "That was a great battle, buddy. I'm so proud of you."

"Pichu," her Pokemon answered, contentedly, as he accepted her praises. He shook off the last bit of sparks clinging to his fur before he allowed her to pick him up. Ash rubbed the top of his head, and accepted Misty's proffered Healing Spray with a thankful nod. Once Pikachu had been patched up to the best of their ability, the girls returned to their sleeping bags and Ash released her newest Pokemon.

"Pidgeotto!" the flying Pokemon crowed. She didn't appear to be too upset by her capture, though she did give Pikachu a wary look. Ash wasn't bothered by that; Pikachu had just shocked her with over a hundred volts of electricity after all. Now that she was closer, Ash could make out a few more details. This Pidgeotto was larger than average, and her red plumage had streaks of brown still in it, indicating recent evolution. Her feathers were also rather downy, suggesting a young age or recent molting, and her beak was curved inward, commonly associated with a diet of predominantly fruits and seeds.

"Hello Pidgeotto," Ash began, clearing her throat, "My name's Ashlyn Ketchum, though I prefer to go by Ash, and I'm your new trainer. This is Pikachu, my starter Pokemon, and in a few minutes, I'll introduce you to Magikarp, your other teammate. I have some Healing Spray here. May I apply it to you?"

"''geot," the Pokemon responded amiably, raising one battered wing towards her.

"Thank you, Pidgeotto," Ash chirped, applying the medicine, "I'm currently training to win the Indigo League, and become a famous Pokemon trainer. That means that my Pokemon are being trained to battle. Would you mind fighting in gym battles?"

"Pidge," Pidgeotto shook her head in the negative.

"We can work out a training regime for you later then," the dark-haired girl said, enthusiastically, "Oh, and I would like to introduce you to my friend, Misty. She's a water Pokemon trainer, and she's travelling with us." Misty offered a wave from her sleeping bag, where she was currently reclining.

"To get an idea of where you stand, ability-wise, I'll need to scan you," Ash added, lifting her Pokedex, "This will just take a second, so please stand still."

'This Pidgeotto is female, and can use Gust, Sand Attack, Quick Attack, and Feather Dance. She has the egg move Brave Bird.'

"Now that is going to be a powerful move once it's unlocked," Ash commented, pleased. "You have a decent moveset, Pidgeotto, but they're not very effective against rock types, which is what our first gym specializes in. I'll teach you Whirlwind first, since it's just a stronger version of Gust, and you'll be able to pick it up quickly. After that, we'll see if you can learn Steel Wing, though you're unlikely to master it before the battle."

Pidgeotto nodded in understanding, so Ash left her and Pikachu behind to chat, while she set up Magikarp's pool. Once that was done, her three Pokemon were happily chatting to one another, as Ash made breakfast. While the girl waited for the artificial bacon to sizzle, she stared at the odd sight in front of her. Misty was sitting and talking to Caterpie.

"Misty, have you finally gotten over your fear of Bug Types?" Ash asked, surprised yet happy for her friend.

The redhead flushed red. "I'm still afraid," she admitted, tentatively patting a thrilled Caterpie, "But I'm trying to get to know Caterpie better… but that doesn't mean we're not transferring him to you! I'm still not ready to raise a Bug Pokemon!"

"Yes, of course," Ash acquiesced easily, smiling. She had the feeling that by the time they left Viridian Forest, Misty would be fully accepting of Caterpie. It was a shame, since Ash would have liked to raise a Bug Pokemon, but she would rather that her friend overcome her fear. And Caterpie was very fond of his trainer.

"I get the feeling that you're laughing at me on the inside," Misty grouched.

"I can't imagine why," her friend said, demurely. After a delicious breakfast of bacon and boiled Chansey eggs, washed down with orange juice, they packed up and headed into the forest. Misty was far less clingy than yesterday, but that just meant that Ash's hand was strangled instead of crushed.

They had made some good time, when Pidgeotto gave a loud squawk from above them. She had preferred to fly ahead, rather than wait in animation in her Pokeball, and noticed a figure in dark, plated armour sneaking towards her trainer. She hurried down to land on a tree branch near the girls.

The alert was enough warning that Ash was prepared when a strange human shape broke through the treeline. The figure waved a sword threateningly in the air, as he stumbled towards them.

"Pikachu, Thundershock!" Ash announced, grabbing Misty's arm and taking a step backwards. Her Pokemon leapt forwards and released a wave of thunder.

"Aaahh!" the figure yelped, body spasming briefly in a surge of yellow light. He crashed down on the forest floor, moaning pitifully, as wisps of smoke wafted from his body.

"You are way too liberal with that attack," Misty told her friend.

"He had a sword in his hand," Ash defended, "I regret nothing."

"Pika-pi," Pikachu nodded in assent. He looked at the prone figure at his feet and growled threateningly. "Pi-ka."

"No, please don't attack again!" the figure pleaded, scrambling to his feet, and holding his hands up in surrender. The sword had fallen to his feet. "I mean no harm! I only meant to challenge you to a battle!"

"You should avoid threatening people with swords when you want to battle them," Misty told him.

The figure was a round-faced boy around their age, wearing a slightly too large, black samurai helmet, and red and black armour. He had a bug net attached to his back, and his sword appeared authentic.

"Are you really not trying to attack us?" Ash asked dubiously. The boy nodded furiously. "Ah. Sorry then. I tend to overreact sometimes."

The boy stared at her oddly for a moment or two, appearing starstruck, before he suddenly blushed.

"I am the Samurai, fair maiden!" he declared, gazing determinedly at Ash, "I aim to be the greatest Bug Type trainer in the world."

"Oh, cool," the dark-haired girl replied, smiling back, "Misty, here, wants to specialize in Pokemon too, though she prefers water types. I'm Ash Ketchum, from Pallet Town."

"And I'm Misty Waterflower from Cerulean City," Misty looked between the blushing boy and her oblivious friend in amusement. "It's nice to meet you."

For some reason, their introduction made the samurai boy wilt.

"The fair maiden is from Pallet Town…?" he mumbled sadly, "Would you perhaps be the friend of the young master trainer Gary Oak?"

"You know Gary?" Ash looked surprised.

"Gary Oak has defeated me in battle," the Samurai professed, "He told me that I may regain my honor by battling another trainer from the town of Pallet that he holds in great esteem. Would you be that trainer? Please tell me. Are you… attached to him?"

"Um… I guess," the clueless girl answered, "He's an old friend of mine."

The boy's face only became more depressed. Ash looked confused, while Misty tried not to laugh. Pikachu shared in his trainer's bemusement, while Pidgeotto rolled her eyes.

"While your heart may be out of my grasp for now," the Samurai vowed, fire suddenly appearing in his eyes, "I will prove myself worthy, by becoming a more powerful trainer and defeating young Master Gary! He shall become my number one rival!"

"Why does Gary get to be your rival?" Ash protested, frowning, "I'm a good trainer, too. Why can't I be your rival?"

The Samurai became starry-eyed. "Truly, you have such a battling spirit! However, only Gary Oak can be my rival. He is the obstacle that I must overcome."

Ash sulked. "I'd still make a better rival than Gary," she muttered rebelliously.

"Pi-chu, pika," Pikachu said, comfortingly. The electric mouse patted her leg in consolation.

"You should battle Ash anyway," Misty suggested, winking at the boy, "Ash admires strong trainers."

The Pallet Town native perked up. "Yeah," she agreed enthusiastically, "Let's have a battle."

"Very well, fair maiden," Samurai accepted, "I shall deny you nothing."

"In that case, I want you to try your best to win," Ash determined, "Will a two-on-two battle work?"

"That shall be acceptable," Samurai unclipped one of his Pokeballs, "League mandated rules, and standard payout then?"

"That's fine with me," Ash turned to Misty, "Would you mind being the referee?"

"Not at all," Misty took her place roughly midway between them. "This battle is between Ash Ketchum of Pallet Town and Samurai of Viridian Forest. It's a two-on-two match, with substitutions allowed by either party. The trainer with the last Pokemon remaining will be declared the victor. Begin!"

"Pikachu, to the battlefield!" The electric Pokemon eagerly ran forward and faced the Samurai.

"Pinsir, it's time to battle!" A large, dark brown stag beetle appeared at the other end of the field. It clicked its pincers menacingly in their direction, making Pikachu shrink back in fear. Ash pointed her Pokedex in its direction.

'Pinsir, the Stag Beetle Pokemon. If it fails to crush the victim in its pincers, it will swing it around and toss it hard.'

Ash's eyes narrowed. "Keep your distance, Pikachu. Start off with a Thundershock!"

"Dodge Pinsir. Then get in close, and try Vice Grip!"

The dark brown Pokemon scuttled closer, faster than its size would bely, but Pikachu managed to dodge it's pincers with ease. The electric mouse had far less body mass, and his training focused on speed, agility, and endurance. Pikachu released a wave of thunder, but it caused little damage.

"Fall back Pikachu, and use a Thunderbolt," Ash called.

"Brace yourself Pinsir," the Samurai yelled out, "Hold fast to the ground."

Pikachu danced back, and unleashed a Thunderbolt. Once again, the electric attack hit, but didn't cause enough damage to knock Pinsir out.

"Now Pinsir, get close and grab Pikachu," the Samurai ordered. The Bug Pokemon leapt forward, but Pikachu easily ducked under the attack.

"Pikachu, jump over him, and use Thunderbolt again," Ash ordered, "Aim for the tree branch!"

"Pika-CHU!" a bolt of electricity arced over Pinsir's head, and made a focused strike against the tree branch. With a sudden snap, it broke away, and gravity sent it tumbling to the ground.

"Pin!" the Bug Pokemon cried out in distress, as the branch hit him. It knocked him to the ground, causing considerable damage.

"Let's finish this up with a Thunderbolt," Ash finished. Pikachu released his signature attack, and Pinsir was finally knocked out.

"Pinsir is knocked out," Misty announced dutifully, "The winner is Pikachu."

"Pinsir, return!" the Samurai recalled the unconscious Pokemon, a rueful smile on his lips. "You did a great job, Pinsir. You deserve a nice, long rest. Now, fair maiden, you shall face my second Pokemon!"

"I look forward to it," Ash beamed. "Pidgeotto, would you like a chance to battle?"

Her flying type squawked an agreement, so Pikachu ran back to his trainer's arms, ready for his post-battle, congratulatory head rubs.

"I choose Metapod," Samurai announced. He released a lime green, cocoon with eyes. Ash peered at it in interest.

'Metapod, the Cocoon Pokémon. Metapod is the evolved form of Caterpie. Using a hard shell to protect its body, it prepares for its next evolution.'

"I always wondered how Metapod could breathe," Ash mused, "It's nice, but not a very battle-ready Pokemon. It's in the same boat as Magikarp."

"Metapod use Harden," Samurai ordered. "Harden increases Metapod's defenses dramatically, and makes it impossible to knock him out!"

"No defense is perfect," Ash said in reply, "Pidgeotto, pick Metapod up, and drop him from the air."

"What?!" Samurai yelped, as his Pokemon was swiftly plucked from the ground and flown into the sky by Pidgeotto. The bird type circled around once, with Metapod hanging helplessly in her talons, before releasing him to the ground. Metapod fell with a heavy crash, and when the dust cleared, was shown to be unconscious.

"Metapod is unconcious. Pidgeotto wins," Misty reported, raising her hand towards Ash, "The winner is Ash Ketchum of Pallet Town!"

"Alright!" Ash cheered, "Good job, Pikachu, Pidgeotto. We won our first trainer battle!"

"Pika!" Pikachu said, delightedly. He was starting to develop a love of battling.

"Pidge," Pidgeotto chirped, landing on the girl's shoulder. She carefully retracted her talons, lest they cut into Ash's skin, and nuzzled the girl's hair affectionately. It wasn't a very challenging match-up, so Pidgeotto wasn't as happy as her teammate, but she was glad that their first match was a success.

"You are a talented trainer, my fair maiden," Samurai praised, a blush rising on his face, "I enjoyed my battle with you greatly."

Ash rubbed the back of her neck, sheepishly. "Thanks Samurai. I had fun too," she enthused.

"As it is nearing time for lunch, perhaps you would like to partake in a meal with me in my cabin," the boy suggested shyly, "Oh, and your friend is invited too, of course! I would love to host you both."

"I'm sure you would," Misty smirked. She faced Ash directly, and waggled her eyebrows in a suggestive manner. Her friend appeared baffled.

"Lunch would be nice," Ash answered, "So, do you have any other Pokemon?"

xxxxxxx

Chapter Text

It took Ash and Misty another four days before they entered Pewter City. They had reached the end of the forest easily enough, but chose to make camp at the edge of the treeline, besides a river, for the last three days. It gave both of them a chance to train their Pokemon, and Ash time to devise a few strategies against Brock, the Pewter City Gym Leader. Misty was particularly helpful in this area, as she had met the teen in a gym leader conference, and knew about his preferred Pokemon and tactics.

In that time, Pikachu had finally mastered Iron Tail, and even had enough time to get a good handle on Dig. It was one of the easier moves for him to learn since the Pikachu species were naturally oriented towards physical moves, and lived primarily in burrows in the wild. Magikarp's speed had nearly doubled, and he had developed a particular fondness for jumping through hoops that Ash would throw into the water. During one such session, he had unexpectedly learned Bounce, and now used it constantly. Pidgeotto learned Whirlwind easily, but made little progress with Steel Wing, mainly because her wings hadn't grown strong enough to bear the weight necessary for training in that move.

Ash was hesitant about entering the gym with the current level of her team, especially since rock types were Pikachu's chief weakness and Pidgeotto's attacks were largely ineffectual. Her best bet of winning would be to have Pidgeotto weaken Brock's Pokemon, and then have Pikachu carry on the victory through Iron Tail. It was a long-shot, but even if she lost, she would be able to gain some valuable battle experience.

"Oh, civilization, how I've missed you so," Misty declared, dramatically lifting her arms and spinning around, "Ash, our first stop will be the Poke Center!"

"As you wish, General Misty," Ash quipped, "Would you like to make the transfer for Metapod?" In the middle of training yesterday, Misty's Caterpie had made the evolution to the second stage, and the water trainer had picked him up, without reserve, and spun him around in joy.

"Well," Misty hesitated, "No. I think I've become really close to Metapod now, and I want to continue training him. If that's alright with you?"

"He's your Pokemon, Mist," she answered, giving the other girl a one-armed hug, "And I'm glad that you got over your fear. Now that you know it's possible, you should be able to accept Magikarp's evolution!" Ash gave her friend a thumbs up.

Misty shuddered at the idea of a large, fearsome Gyarados taking the place of Ash's cheerful Magikarp. She didn't think she was quite ready for that.

Ash ignored her friend's dramatics, and walked down the road to Pewter City. Pidgeotto was inside her Pokeball now, but Pikachu was perched comfortably on her shoulder, and able to take his first glimpse of Pewter City with her. Ash stared out at the rising buildings with amazement. She had already experienced it a little with Viridian, but Pewter City once again rammed into her head just how small and unassuming Pallet Town was.

The large buildings lining the cobble-stoned streets were made of a light grey stone, that practically sparkled when the bright sunlight fell against it. The architecture was blocky and minimalist, but held a certain aesthetic beauty, and the occasional burst of flora could be spotted throughout. People were milling around the streets, shopping, running errands, or just meeting up with friends, with a lack of the urgency found in Viridian. It wasn't Pallet Town, but Ash liked it.

"There's an entire world out here, Pikachu," Ash whispered, "And we're going to experience every single bit of it."

"Chu, pikapi," Pikachu nuzzled her cheek. "Pichu."

"It's a nice city, isn't it?" a voice interrupted, making both Ash and Misty jump a little in surprise. A strange man with a red snow hat pulled low over his eyes and a spiky brown beard appeared suddenly before them. Ash took a step back.

"Pikachu, Thundershock," she ordered. A second later, the weird man was lying on the ground, twitching in pain and smoking slightly.

Ash looked over at her friend, expecting censure. Misty shrugged.

"I think you made the right call this time," the redhead said, "He's wearing a snow hat in the middle of the summer. That's definitely suspicious."

"Owww," the man moaned, making the girls tense, "You shouldn't attack people just for their strange fashion choices. That's rude."

"Hey, I recognize that voice," Misty frowned, cocking her head to the side consideringly, "Hmm… I've never been to Pewter before, so we must have met… oh! You're Flint, the former gym leader!"

"No, I'm not," the man protested, jumping to his feet.

"Yes, you are. You look similar to him," Misty scowled, crossing her arms. "We've met before. At the Fuchsia gym leader conference?"

"Flint doesn't have a beard," the man insisted, "I do!"

Misty raised an eyebrow, and then- before the man could stop her- reached out to harshly yank his beard. It immediately fell off, with a sharp snapping sound, leaving behind clean-shaven skin. Two strings wafted from the ends of the facial hair clenched in Misty's hand.

"Hey!" the man, now exposed as Flint, protested. "That's destruction of private property!" She looked unimpressed.

"I think Pikachu should shock him again, Ash," Misty suggested, glaring at the man. "Young girls like us can never be too careful with weirdos like him."

"And you used to be such a cute kid too, Misty," Flint sighed, nervously eyeing Pikachu. The smug electric type smirked at him. "So what are you doing here, in Pewter City?"

"My friend, Ash, wants to battle Brock for the Pewter City gym badge," Misty explained, pointing to the girl in question. Ash offered the man a wave.

"You think you can defeat Brock then?" Flint asked, laughing, "Ha! You have no chance! I can tell just by looking at you that you're only a rookie trainer, and that your Pokemon are in their cutest stages. Tell me, do you have any type advantages?"

"No," Ash admitted, irritated by the man's attitude, "But I'm going to try anyway. It will be valuable battling experience."

"A fair point," Flint admitted, "Good luck to you then. After you're done with your battle, take the time to visit Pewter's Fossil Museum. It has a great collection of prehistoric Pokemon, and is one of Pewter City's top attractions."

"We'll be sure to do that," Misty nodded, "Say, Flint, why are you in disguise?"

"An excellent question, Misty, but not one that I can answer right now," Flint replied, "By the way, can I interest you in some top-notch, high-quality Pewter City rocks?" He brought them over to the side of the road, and showcased what appeared to be several dull and unremarkable stones of various sizes.

"No, thanks," Misty answered, before noticing Ash's hand reach to her pocket, "Ash, you're not buying these! If you want a rock, you can pick it up by the side of the road!"

"I don't think it'll hurt, Misty," her friend said, handing over a few bills and receiving a mid-sized stone in return. "Thanks Flint. We should go now."

"No problem. It was nice meeting you, Ash," Flint shook her hand. "Misty, would you mind not mentioning our meeting to Brock when you see him?"

"I won't lie if he asks me directly," Misty sighed, "But I won't volunteer any information either."

"I guess that's all I can ask for."

As the two girls walked away, Misty leaned over and began a quiet conversation. "Ash, why did you purchase that rock? You know that it's a scam."

Ash shrugged, discomforted. "I know," she whispered back, "But I think he needs the money. He looked a little hungry."

Misty nodded, but pulled back with a frown. 'Why would Flint need money?' she wondered, 'Gym leaders are well-paid for their professions, and Brock should make enough to support his entire family. For that matter, why was he wearing that ridiculous disguise?'

xxxxxx

Dear Ashlet,

I have no idea what happened between you and that weird Samurai kid in the Viridian Forest, but did you have to drag me into it? I just got a message via Pokedex for a 'declaration of intent for rivalry', which is apparently an actual status in the League. Bug Boy wrote that he wanted to battle for your hand, so something clearly got lost in the translation. I accepted, of course, because I'm not going to refuse a challenge, but, for the record, I am foregoing the prize. I have absolutely no interest in your hand, although I don't think you understand the implication involved.

I'm glad that you found a travelling partner early on, because someone needs to keep you from acting recklessly in my absence. Daisy does know about my most recent stunt, but her lectures and threats lose their effectiveness in relation to my distance from Pallet. I've been fortunate not to have caught the attention of the law, though Grandpa tells me that you have. Tsk, tsk, Ashlet; what would Mrs. Ketchum think of your rule-breaking ways?

Grandpa also told me about the possible-Legendary that you saw, and I did some research on it in my free time. I think it might be Ho-Oh, the legendary fire/flying dual type from Johto. It's nicknamed as the 'Guardian of the Skies', and only appears to those trainers who are pure of heart. I assume it made a mistake when it met you, since you got called out by Officer Jenny less than twelve hours later.

My journey has been going well, and I've already caught far more Pokemon than you. Along with my Squirtle (and yes, he says 'hi' back), I have two Nidorans, a Krabby, a Horsea, a Kakuna, a Sandshrew, a Spearow, a Rattata, and even more amazing Pokemon. You, I'm sure, have far less.

Don't worry, Ashlet, there's no shame in being the second best trainer from Pallet Town.

Gary

P.S. Your Magikarp will evolve into a Gyarados- nice. What will my Eevee evolve into?

Ash tried, and failed, to suppress a smile as she finished reading Gary's message. She was curled up on the top bunk of the room she was sharing with Misty, waiting for her chance for the shower. They had made the tradeoff that the first person to commandeer the bathroom had to sleep on the bottom bunk. Misty was apparently a believer in soaking until you were pruned, as Ash had managed to complete her History reading, call her Mom, and now, read her correspondence. Her friend's most recent letter, in his own unique mixture of arrogance and concern, managed to pique her interest.

'Why would Ho-Oh be travelling in the Kanto region?' Ash wondered. She had never heard of legendary Pokemon leaving their spheres of influence, so to speak, though, in all fairness, she'd also never heard of anything forcing those Pokemon to stay in their own territory. And while it was flattering to be considered 'pure of heart', it was rarely in a human's good fortune to catch the eye of a legendary, even one as benign as Ho-Oh.

Assuming, of course, that the Pokemon was even a legendary in the first place.

A part of Ash though, felt confident that the Pokemon she saw really was Ho-Oh, and that made her inwardly cringe. Her fairytales all claimed that the appearance of legendaries heralded 'times of great change', which was, more often than not, some type of upcoming disaster or catastrophe. Ash didn't want to see anything foreboding appearing in the horizon, and she most definitely did not want to be drafted into it, by way of legendary Pokemon.

Unable to compose a lighthearted reply now that her head was spinning with the implications of Gary's words, Ash closed her laptop and placed it safely away in her bag. Then she dug out her Pokemon brush kit, a purchase made less than an hour ago, and jumped down from the top bunk.

"Pidgeotto, would you like me to brush your feathers?" Ash asked.

Her flying type opened one eye, from where she was roosting on a collapsible perch (another new purchase in Pewter's Poke Mart), and nodded. Ash selected the fine-toothed, slender birchwood brush inscribed with wings and a bottle of sandalwood feather polish from the kit. She squeezed a few droplets of the polish over the brush, and then rubbed it in with a cotton handkerchief. Then she placed the brush against the uppermost, large feathers on Pidgeotto's back and started brushing.

The simple, repetitive action was soothing to her, and enjoyable for Pidgeotto too, as she began to croon her approval. Soon, the feathers on her back were smoothed down and glowing faintly, and Ash tackled the more difficult aim of the delicate wing feathers.

"Pika-pichu?" Pikachu called from her bed, peering down at his trainer and teammate.

"I'm almost done with Pidgeotto," Ash answered, "Do you want me to brush your fur next?"

"Pika!" her starter replied, in the affirmative. It didn't take much longer to finish grooming Pidgeotto, for which Ash got an affectionate nip on her wrist in thanks. She placed the flying Pokemon materials away, and drew out another thicker-bristled brush and a bottle of polish that smelt faintly of ozone. Pikachu was equally appreciative of his brushing, and Ash laughed softly under her breath as the proud electric type melted under the repetitive strokes. It was a shame that the equivalent for fish-based water Pokemon- a scale cleaning kit- was so specialized that she couldn't purchase one in Pewter. Ash resolved to look for a set in Cerulean City. It had a larger population of water Pokemon, and she didn't want Magikarp to feel left out.

"Ash, the shower is free," Misty called, coming out wrapped only in a large, fluffy blue towel. "Are you brushing Pikachu?"

"Yeah, but I'll wash up as soon as I'm done," Ash answered, "Are you planning anything for the evening?"

"I thought we could check out that Fossil Museum Flint mentioned," Misty offered.

Ash shook her head. "Thanks Mist, but I'm pretty tired," she answered. "I think I'll just tackle some more homework, and have an early dinner. Have fun, and take lots of pictures for me."

"Suite yourself then," Misty replied. Despite her flippant words, a look of concern was on her face. "Are you coming down with a headache?"

"I just need some downtime," Ash assured, "I'm totally, perfectly, 100% fine. Pikachu, Pidgeotto, would either of you like to visit the museum?"

Her Pokemon both shook their heads. "I'll have some company then," Ash yawned, "Hm, maybe I should forego the homework, and just sleep."

"You have been pushing yourself hard," Misty agreed, "Take a shower, and then get some sleep. You want to be well rested for your gym battle tomorrow."

"Yes, Commander," Ash snapped off a salute, laughing. Then she ran into the bathroom before Misty could throw a pillow at her.

xxxxxx

"Stay calm and remember the plan," Ash gave her final pieces of advice, as she stood outside the massive stone gym with Pikachu in her arms. It was a plain building, with only the words 'Pewter Gym' inscribed on the top. "And no matter what happens in there, I want you to know that I'm proud of you. Both of you have trained hard, and I know that you'll give this battle your all."

"Pidgeotto," her flying Pokemon said, confidently, from her shoulder. "Pid-geo, geo."

"Pikapi, pi-chu," Pikachu added, patting her cheek. "Pika."

"Looks like your team is eager to battle," Misty said, smiling. "Come on. Let's go see Brock."

When they entered the building, Ash was struck by how dim the lighting was. The entire main room was suffused in darkness, except for a single spotlight falling at the other end of the entrance. Sitting in that pool of light was a tall, teenaged boy with cinnamon skin, spiky brown hair, and squinted eyes.

"Who goes here?" the teenaged boy shouted. His deep voice reverberated around the room, and Ash took a brief moment to be impressed by the acoustics. "Declare yourself!"

"My name's Ash Ketchum, from Pallet Town!" she shouted back, "I'm here to challenge the Pewter City Gym Leader!"

"Very well, Ash," the boy nodded, "I'm Brock, and I will be your opponent. Will you be fighting with Pikachu and Pidgeotto?"

"Yes," Ash replied, glaring at him, as though just daring the boy to make fun of her Pokémon. Luckily for him, Brock had more tact than his father, and managed to keep his mouth shut. Though the dubious look on his face did make the Pallet Town trainer bristle.

"Well, gym battles are different from your average trainer battles," Brock explained, standing up, "Each gym can constitute its own set of rules and penalties. Judging by the relative youth and cuteness of your Pokémon, I'm guessing that you have less than four badges?"

She nodded. "This is my first gym battle," Ash affirmed.

"Then we'll use the beginner set," Brock decided, "It will be a two-on-two match, with substitutions only allowed by the challenger. My referee, Forrest, will call the match. Your friend may sit in the viewer section, if she wants."

"Hey Brock," Misty called out, as she made her way to the stand. "How are you?"

"I'm good, thanks," Brock answered, waving back, "Are you travelling with my latest challenger?"

As Brock and Misty exchanged quick greetings, and a rocky battlefield opened before them, Ash set Pikachu on the ground.

"Don't forget the plan," she warned.

"Pikapi," Pikachu replied, determined. The gym trainer was the first to make his move.

"I choose you, Geodude!" Brock shouted, releasing a large boulder-like Pokémon with two thick, heavyset arms. Ash gulped. Geodude looked strong.

"To the battlefront, Pikachu," Ash ordered. Her electric Pokémon ran forward.

"The battle between Gym Leader Brock and Challenger Ash Ketchum begins," Forrest shouted. "Brock calls out Graveler, and the Challenger calls out Pikachu."

As their trainers attempt to glare each other down, the Pokémon on the field exchange some trash talk.

"I'm going to kick your furry little behind," Geodude cackled, flexing his arms, "You're a puny, weak baby Pokémon that doesn't stand a chance."

"I have legs," Pikachu replied, jumping up and down tauntingly. "Nah, nah, nah-na." The rock Pokémon growled.

"Geodude, use Rock Throw to knock that Pikachu out!" Brock howled. The rock Pokémon quickly scooped some large stones out of the ground, and tossed them to Pikachu. Both trainer and Pokémon looked confused when Ash didn't speak up to give her own orders.

Instead, Pikachu utilized Dig and threw himself underground to avoid the boulders. Geodude looked around, warily, waiting for the mouse Pokémon to shoot out of the ground and attack him.

"Geodude, he's behind you!" Brock shouted, making his Pokémon spin around. "Dodge!"

The gray Pokémon jumped back, but it wasn't necessary, as Pikachu just offered him a smirk before throwing himself underground again. Ash smirked.

"Listen to the vibrations in the ground, and use Rock Throw when he comes up," Brock ordered.

Geodude's first attack with Rock Throw missed by a wide margin, as Pikachu popped out in one spot and went back down in another. His second throw was also a miss, but the third one grazed the tired electric type's tail as he burst out of the ground.

"Pika!" Pikachu winced, but gritted his teeth and used another Dig. The fourth throw was another miss.

"Dammit, you can't run away forever!" Brock exclaimed, frustrated. "My Geodude may be getting tired, but so is your Pikachu!"

"Who says we're running away?" Ash yelled back, grinning as her elusive Pikachu popped out of the ground only to use Dig just a second later. She gazed at the battlefield with calculating eyes. Pikachu was getting tired from repeatedly using Dig, but her defense system was almost set up.

After Pikachu's eight consecutive Dig, Ash spoke. "Alright Pikachu, now take Geodude out!"

"Pi-CHU!" Pikachu shouted his favorite battle cry as he popped out from behind Geodude, with his tail glowing white.

"Geo-!" the rock Pokémon brought his arms up, but it was a weak defense against the full-powered Iron Tail hitting him over the head. "GEO!" The boulder Pokémon was thrown into the air, and flew across the gym until his back hit the unyielding metal walls. As he slid down the wall, the swirls in his eyes indicated that Geodude was out.

"Geodude is unconscious! This round goes to Ash Ketchum of Pallet Town!" Forrest called, an undeniable note of frustration in his voice.

The black-haired girl didn't hear it though, as she was practically bouncing on her feet in happiness. "Alright, Pikachu! That was fantastic! Now get some well-deserved rest, as Pidgeotto gets her turn."

"Pika, pikapi," Pikachu said proudly, as he hobbled back to his trainer. Despite having won the battle, Ash could see that Pikachu was exhausted, and would need some time to recuperate, if he wanted to face Brock's second Pokémon. Hopefully Pidgeotto would be able to buy them enough time for Pikachu to catch a second wind.

"Hmm, not bad," Brock admitted grudgingly, "But if your Pikachu knew Iron Tail, then why did you waste all that time with Dig? It just wasted Pikachu's energy, and now you have to use a flying type to battle my second Pokémon… ONIX!"

"Damn," Ash breathed in awe, as a giant, snake-like Pokémon made of stone appeared. The Pokémon towered over her tiny form as it roared out in challenge.

"Pidgeotto!" her brave flying type screeched back, hovering in front of the mammoth rock type. "Pidge-OTTO!"

"Your Pokémon doesn't lack courage," Brock remarked, sounding impressed. "But unfortunately, that's not enough to beat my Pokémon. Onix, use Rock Throw!"

"Pidgeotto, to the tunnels!" Ash commanded. Pidgeotto deftly dodged the hail of thrown stones, and then dive bombed herself into one of Pikachu's holes.

Brock looked dumbfounded. "That's what you were using Pikachu for… wow. Using the battlefield for your defense was clever, but how do you plan to attack?"

"Thanks," Ash said, "But the battlefield can help with more than just defense. Let's show him, Pidgeotto, with a Whirlwind!"

"Pidge!" the bird Pokémon appeared, and with a flurry of her wings, created a powerful gush of wind. The wind picked up the loose stones scooped up by Graveler and Onix and threw them towards Onix. As her opponent recoiled from the attacks, Pidgeotto tucked her wings in, and escaped back to the tunnel system. Unfortunately, her opponent suffered little damage, due to his rock nature.

Although Ash did not know it, by this point she had won the Pewter Gym's challenge. Brock was impressed enough by her creativity and adaptability to award her the badge, regardless of the outcome of this match.

"Again, Pidgeotto!" Another hit-and-run attack commenced.

"Keep an eye on those holes, Onix!" Brock shouted, "And when Pidgeotto comes out, use Bind."

Onix chance came when Pidgeotto had finished her third Whirlwind. The rock type Pokémon lunged forward as the bird tried to escape, and bound her wings with his tail.

"Pidge-!" Pidgeotto shrieked, pained.

"Pidgeotto, no!" Ash cried out, as her flying type struggled vainly against the hold.

"Use Bite, Onix, and take Pidgeotto out!" The flying type gave one last scream of defiance, before succumbing to the overwhelming pain of Onix's Bite. When Onix let her go, she crashed to the ground, with swirls in her eyes.

"Pidgeotto, return," Ash smiled sadly, as the red light sucked her flying type back in. "You were brilliant, my friend. Take a good, long rest."

Then the girl turned her attention to the electric mouse by her side. "What do you say, Pikachu? Do you want to avenge our teammate?"

"Pika!" the electric mouse shouted in response, glaring at the Onix. Ignoring the various scratches on his body, and the aches in his limbs, Pikachu ran forward and faced his opponent. He would not lose this battle.

His trainer surveyed the battlefield with a grim look in her eyes. While Pidgeotto had managed to weaken Onix, she hadn't lasted as long as Ash had hoped. Now both Pokémon on the field were tired and injured, but Pikachu more so than Onix, and with a type disadvantage too.

Brock acted first. "Onix, use Rock Throw," he ordered, and then smirked, "Aim for the tunnel openings!"

"What?!" Ash looked startled, as Pikachu made an aborted movement towards the nearest hole. "Pikachu, don't go in there!"

"You didn't think I'd leave those open for you, did you?" Brock asked, "Onix, Rock Throw again!"

"Pikachu, dodge!" Ash shouted, nerves flaring as her main plan crashed around her ears. Her brain raced furiously, as Pikachu leapt away from the attack.

"Use those boulders as stepping stones!" she said wildly, "Iron Tail!"

Pikachu rushed forward, jumping onto one boulder and then the next, as he made his way closer to Onix. His tail began to glow white.

"Onix, catch him with a Body Bind," Brock said calmly, "Use Bite."

Pikachu's exhaustion was obvious here, as, with a speed that he would have previously been able to dodge, Onix jerked forward and captured the electric type. He then rushed forward, mouth gaping open to attack the yellow Pokémon.

Ash's eyes widened. "Jump into his mouth, Pikachu!" she shouted out, desperately, "Then use Thunderbolt!"

To the shared surprise of all of the people in the room, including the trainer who had given that order, Pikachu obeyed. With a twist of his body, he slipped out of Onix's crushing body, and threw himself, headfirst, into the dark abyss of the rock type's mouth. The electric type's body glowed yellow.

"PIKA-CHU!" A bolt of thunder erupted inside of Onix's mouth, causing the rock type to scream in shock and pain. Electricity spilled out of massive stone teeth, as the behemoth Pokémon crashed to the ground. The ground shook and a cloud of dust flew into the air, forcing Ash to cover her teary eyes from the dust particles.

As the dust settled, both trainers anxiously peered into the dust storm, waiting to see the result of their battle.

xxxxxx

Chapter Text

Ash sat in quiet contemplation at the Pewter City Pokemon Center, as she waited for Nurse Joy to finish scanning her Pokemon through the Restoration Machine. Had Pikachu been conscious at the time, he would have surely protested returning to his hated Pokeball, but her brave, loyal little starter had been out like a light. And he had managed to drag his opponent down with him, causing a double knockout and a tie for her first gym battle.

Ash hadn't really cared at that point, as she was straight-out running towards where Onix had fallen, with her heart compressed to the point of bursting. She had been scared witless. Utterly terrified that her reckless order could have caused her friend serious damage, far out of the scope of the usual battle. It was a minor miracle that Pikachu avoided internal injuries, due to the cloak of electricity being constantly recycled through his cells, as he charged his Thunderbolt. Ignoring the sparks dancing across his body, she had scooped him up and cradled him in her arms. She stared down at those arms now. They still bore the tender, freshly-healed burn marks of his electrical discharge.

Brock had recalled his own Pokemon then, and was likely to announce the outcome of their match, had Ash not made a run for the Pokemon Center. The girl had been coiled like a spring throughout it all, from Nurse Joy's harried exclamations to pacing outside the emergency ward as Chansey ripped Pikachu out of her arms. Her friend had needed multiple potion applications on the electrical burns on his body, along with several hours under a respirator, before his condition had stabilized to the point where the Restoration Machine could clear out the remainder of the damage. Ash was aware that Misty and Brock had arrived at some point, but was thankful that neither moved to talk to her now.

Ash didn't need their censure, as she was doing a more than effective job of condemning herself.

The messy-haired girl couldn't believe her actions. How could she have been reckless enough to order Pikachu to jump into Onix's mouth? How had she been stupid enough to battle Brock in the first place, when her Pokemon were wholly unsuitable for the gym? Why didn't she analyze the battlefield more thoroughly, and develop better strategies, so Pikachu wasn't cornered into such a position? Why was she such a failure as a trainer?

"Would Trainer Ash Ketchum please come to the center desk?" Nurse Joy's distinctive voice called over the monitor. "Her Pokemon are ready for pick-up."

Broken from her pity session, Ash got up and walked over to the pink-haired woman. She had a sympathetic smile on her face, as she presented two Pokeballs to the Pallet Town trainer.

"Both Pidgeotto and Pikachu are in perfect health," Nurse Joy said. She had been touched by the concern Ash had shown for her Pokemon's well-being. "I would advise against having Pikachu battle for two or three more days, but he's set to make a full recovery."

"Thank you, Nurse Joy," Ash replied, gratefully. "Do I have any additional payments to make?"

"Well, the Restoration Machine and first healing potion is free for all trainers," Nurse Joy replied, sheepishly handing her a slip of paper, "However, you will have to cover the cost of the additional three potions Pikachu needed: the electrical restorative, blood clotter, and nerve fiber cleanser. I understand that the third can be a bit expensive for beginner trainers, so you can sign up for the payment system if necessary."

"It's fine," Ash said, scanning the paper, "I have enough to cover this. I can pay with the Pokedex system. Would you mind emailing me a copy of the invoice and receipt, for my records?"

Nurse Joy assured her that it would be no trouble at all, and the transaction was handled quickly. When it was done, Ash expressed her thanks once again, requesting that it also be extended to Chansey, and left the center desk. Misty and Brock were waiting for her in the visitor area.

"Is Pikachu alright?" was the first thing Brock asked. When Ash nodded, the gym leader let out a deep sigh of relief.

"Nurse Joy said that there's no permanent damage, but he should avoid fighting for a while," Ash reported quietly, staring at the Pokeball in her hand.

"Aren't you going to let Pikachu out now?" Misty asked. "I thought he didn't like his Pokeball."

Ash squirmed. "I'm afraid of how's he going to treat me now," she confessed.

"Is it because you ordered him to make that attack?" Brock said. When Ash nodded, he smiled at her knowingly, and patted her shoulder.

"You may have given the order, but Pikachu chose to follow through," he told her, "He did so, because he trusts and respects you, as a trainer, and a friend. I don't think he'll blame you for the results."

"But they put him in the Pokecenter," Ash protested, despairingly, "I miscalculated, and Pikachu suffered for my mistake."

"Your actions may have been reckless, but not uncommon," Misty added kindly, "A lot of beginner trainers overestimate what their Pokemon are capable of, and the Pokemon suffer as a result. I'm not saying that this is a good thing, but it does have the benefit of you learning that lesson without any permanent harm coming to Pikachu."

"And now that you know what mistake you made, you can avoid making it again in the future," Brock supported. "I suggest that you let Pikachu out, apologize, and go on from there."

Ash looked at the two gym leaders, before staring down at her starter's Pokeball hesitantly. She wasn't entirely sure if Pikachu would ever forgive her, but her friends certainly seemed to believe it, and they had far more experience than she did. And it's not like she could keep Pikachu in his Pokeball indefinitely, just to avoid the permanent loss of his friendship.

It almost seemed crazy to think that less than two weeks ago, Ash hadn't even known Pikachu, when now she counted him as a precious friend.

"Pikachu, come on out," Ash said softly, pressing the opening mechanism on the Pokeball. In a flash of white light, a red-cheeked, long-eared, electric mouse appeared before her.

"Pikapi!" Pikachu announced eagerly, upon seeing her. Under her startled gaze, the electric type jumped forward, just barely avoiding falling as her arms reached out to catch him. Pikachu happily snuggled into her arms, rubbing one cheek affectionately against her hand.

"Pika," he added disdainfully, using his tail to flick his Pokeball out of her hand. It flew away from her, and clattered against the floor, making a hollow thumping sound. Ash couldn't help but laugh.

"Hello, Pikachu," she said, squeezing him into a hug, "I'm glad you're okay, buddy. I want to tell you how sorry I am for getting you hurt."

"Pika-chu!" her Pokemon protested. He patted her cheek. "Pika, pi-chu, pi, pi, pika-chu. Pikapi."

Ash blinked, trying to hold back her tears. "You don't blame me?"

"Chu, pi-ka," Pikachu firmly shook his head 'no'. He patted her cheek again. "Pikapi."

"Thanks, Pikachu," Ash sniffled, hugging the electric Pokemon even more tightly, "I promise that we'll get even stronger, so that you're never put in this position again! I'll double our training, and design more battle plans, and challenge more trainers to gain battle experience!"

"Chu," Pikachu blanched. He kept shaking his head, as he protested. "Chu, pikapi, chu!"

"I wonder if we can find some training weights for you?" Ash mused aloud. "And I bet we can practice your thunderbolt in the water, to see if you lose control over the currents."

"Pikapi!" Pikachu wailed, "Pika-chu, chu, pi-pika, pika-pi."

"Right, lost control of myself for a second," Ash rubbed the back of her neck sheepishly, "Sorry, Pikachu. I'll try to control my enthusiasm."

"Pika-chu, pika-pi," Pikachu said, in relief.

"I'm glad to see that you two have worked it out," Brock interrupted, walking forward until he was standing right in front of the dark-haired girl, "Ash, I want to tell you that I was very impressed by our battle. You worked around your Pokemon's type disadvantages, developed sound strategies, and used the battlefield to your benefit. I was also impressed by the loyalty you inspired in your Pokemon. For those reasons, I would like to present to you the Boulder Badge, as proof of your victory against the Pewter City Gym."

Ash's eyes widened, as she took in the polished, octagonal, silver, gem-shaped badge. She felt an almost irresistible urge to snatch that prize out of Brock's hand.

"I didn't beat you, though," Ash frowned, making no move towards accepting the badge.

"Defeating a gym leader isn't necessarily the sole way to win a badge," Brock explained patiently, "If that were the case, almost nobody would win, since many of the older Main Gyms are near elite level. You have to show qualities that the gym leader prizes. In this case, you showed fortitude and determination in the face of adversity, which is what the Pewter Gym awards. You and your team deserve this badge."

Ash's eyes brightened, and she accepted the symbol. "Thank you!" she exclaimed, showing the badge to Pikachu, "Can you believe it, Pikachu? We won our first gym badge!"

Brock and Misty both watched, amused, as the younger girl swung her Pokemon around in the air, and performed an impromptu victory dance.

"Does she know how ridiculous she looks right now?" Brock asked Misty quietly, as Ash did some strange hop-jump motion with her feet, and pumped her fist in the air. "Haven't you told her?"

"I don't want to," Misty confessed, also keeping her voice low, "It's too adorable for me to stop."

When Ash finally stopped her dancing attempts, she put the Boulder Badge inside of her badge case, and returned her attention to the older boy.

"Thank you for giving us this badge," she said, sincerely, bowing slightly. "I also enjoyed battling with your team. Onix is a powerhouse, and Geodude showed a lot of heart."

"It was my pleasure," Brock replied, a sad expression crossing his face, "So, where are you guys headed next?"

"We were planning to go to Celadon," Misty answered quickly.

"No, we weren't," Ash disagreed, "We were going to go to Cerulean, for the Cascade Badge."

Misty pouted. "Come on Ash, do you really want to go to Cerulean? It's ugly and boring, and there aren't any good Pokemon around for you to catch anyway."

"Cascade Badge," Ash repeated, making Pikachu rolling his eyes.

"You can always challenge one of the minor gyms," Misty wheedled, "We don't need to go to Cerulean."

"Okay, I'm confused," Brock interjected, "Why doesn't Misty want to go back to Cerulean City? Isn't that where she's from?"

"Yes, but I don't want to see my sisters," Misty replied, grumpily. She glared at Brock, when the older boy perked up at the mention of the gorgeous Waterflower triplets. "I told them that I'm not coming back home until I'm a Master-level Water Pokemon Trainer, and I haven't accomplished that yet."

"If you don't want to see your sisters than you could just avoid the gym," Ash told her, exasperated, "You don't have to skip the entire city."

"You could also battle Ash yourself as one of the official Cerulean City gym leaders," Brock pointed out, "No need for her to enter the gym then."

"I could do that?" Misty's mouth fell open. "Is that even possible?!"

"Well, you'll need to fill out some paperwork with the League as a travelling gym leader," Brock scratched his head in thought, "You also need a third party that can officiate a match, a battle ground that fits league and Cerulean gym standards, and forms excusing bystanders from injury-related lawsuits. Not to mention a Cascade Badge."

"I can do that!" Misty announced, turning pleading eyes to her friend, "I even know the perfect place to hold our battle- Cerulean Cove! It has a lot of powerful water types, but I couldn't enter before due to the danger. If we go together, then it'll be a lot safer, and I might even catch a Pokemon!"

"It sounds like a lot of trouble to go through to avoid your sisters," Ash shook her head, exasperatedly, "But I guess it's also a good plan. Alright, Misty, you've won. We'll skip Cerulean Gym."

"Yes!" Misty shouted, victoriously, "Thank you, bureaucracy! And you too, Brock, for the suggestion."

"No problem. I wish I could come along," Brock said ruefully, "I'm sure that it'll be an exciting match."

"Why don't you travel with us?" Ash cocked her head to the side. "It'll be fun to have another friend join us."

"I can't," Brock answered bitterly. "My parents are both travelling, and I need to stay behind and take care of my siblings and the gym. I don't really like being a gym leader, but someone has to stand up to the responsibility."

"And that someone should be me," a deep voice interrupted, as a dark-skinned man wearing a red winter hat appeared. The man struck a penitent pose. "I'm sorry, Brock, for forcing you to shoulder all of these responsibilities at such a young age! I have done you a great injustice!"

Brock blinked. "Who are you?" he asked bluntly.

The man fell over. "You don't recognize your own father!" he cried out, shocked.

"You're still wearing the fake beard," Misty pointed out, dryly.

"Pika?" Pikachu asked curiously, looking between Flint and Ash in a questioning manner.

"Don't attack him yet," Ash told her Pokemon, "But if he makes any sudden moves, I want you to use a fully powered Thundershock." Pikachu nodded. Flint edged away from the pair.

"Dad, what are you doing here?" Brock demanded, angrily, "Where were you all this time?"

"I was in Pewter City, too ashamed to visit home because of my failure as a trainer," Flint answered, hanging his head, "I know that my children needed me, but I couldn't bear to show my face to them. But now, I've seen that what you really want is to travel the world with your friends, and I've come here to apologize for my mistake and take over the gym again."

"I see," Brock said slowly, "In that case, I have some things to tell you..."

Flint braced himself. "It's okay, son, I understand," he said, "Do your worst to me. I won't fight back."

"Never mind that," Brock said impatiently, "Timmy always wants eggs for breakfast, while Cindy hates cabbages and steak. Tommy won't wake up before eight, Billy doesn't know how to tie his shoes, and Tilly needs two cups of strawberry bubble bath every night. Suzie always rips her dresses, so you'd better learn how to sew. And Forrest has trouble with his History homework-"

"Wait, don't talk so fast!" Flint yelled, frantically writing everything down, "Slow down, Brock!"

Misty and Ash exchanged a confused glance, before edging away from the father and son duo. Ash would spend the rest of the day bonding with her Pokemon, sending out emails, and catching up on her class assignments. Misty would evolve her Metapod, and have a lot of fun challenging trainers around town with her new Butterfree. And the next day, three trainers would leave Pewter City, eagerly anticipating their next adventure.

xxxxxxx

The adventure came sooner than they had anticipated, as less than a few meters from Mt. Moon, a screaming, brown-haired man with round glasses and a lab coat ran heedlessly towards them. He was followed by a mass of angry Zubat and Golbat. Ash was about to order an attack, when Misty and Butterfree beat them with a well-placed Sleeping Powder. Brock tossed a Pokeball and captured one.

Pikachu sulked. He had wanted to Thundershock the attackers. Not that he had an addiction towards electrocuting people or anything…

"Thank you so much!" the strange man cried, jumping forward to hug a startled Misty, "You saved my life! I thought those Zubat and Golbat were going to make me a goner! How can I ever repay you for-"

"No hugging," Misty grimaced, pushing the man off. Above her head, Butterfree hovered in the air, and stared eerily down. "Who are you, and why were you being chased by those Pokemon?"

"Free," Butterfree added menacingly, in support of his trainer. "Freeee."

The man stepped back, and sheepishly adjusted his glasses. "I'm Seymour the Scientist," he introduced himself, "I study the Clefairy community in Mt. Moon, and I was attacked by those Zubat and Golbat because they're angry over their home being disturbed."

Seymour offered an unexpectedly fierce scowl. "Someone installed lights along the cave tunnels, which interrupt the Pokemon's sleeping cycles and makes them far more likely to attack visitors. The lights are also negatively impacting the Pokemon's health; it's drying the skin of the Sandslash and causing the Paras to emit biological spores constantly. I tried to take them down, but they're replaced by new ones less than a day later."

"That sounds awful," Brock frowned. "Do you have any idea who the culprits are?"

"No," Seymour admitted, "But the lamps have large red 'R's on them. Does that mean anything to you?"

Ash perked up. "Large red 'R's, you say?" she asked, rubbing her hands together, "Actually, yes, that does sound like the symbol for Team Rocket, a criminal organization that tries to steal rare and powerful Pokemon. Misty and I came across a team of them in Viridian City."

"They must be after the Clefairy or the Moon Stone then," Seymour deducted, before blinking confusedly at Ash, "Er… why do you seem so happy about meeting Team Rocket…?"

"Ash wants to convert their talking Meowth," Misty sighed, catching Brock and Seymour's even more confused looks. "Trust me, it's better if you don't know."

"Misty just doesn't appreciate the rehabilitation of criminals," Ash huffed, grabbing Seymour's arm, "Now let's go and find my future Pokemon! -and, ah, foil a criminal plot too."

xxxxxxx

Brock rested his head against his crossed arms, as he considered his day. It had only been Day One of his journey, and already he had made a new friend, caught a new Pokemon, fought against the infamous Team Rocket, watched a once-in-a-lifetime evolution ceremony, and ate a dinner that he hadn't cooked himself. He had been surprised, but pleased, to learn that both of his travelling companions knew the basics of cooking, and that Ash was willing to share her mom's excellent hot chocolate recipe. She had made a pot to cheer herself up from failing to convert Meowth, but had been willing to share with them.

As he went over the events, Brock concluded that this had been an exciting start, and far more enjoyable than his previous occupation as a gym leader.

With the events themselves concluded, Brock turned his attention to the people involved in them. Seymour was an eccentric fellow, but a font of knowledge on the Pokemon residing in Mt. Moon, and on evolution theory in general. It wasn't the specialization Brock pictured himself in as a breeder, but welcome knowledge nonetheless. Overall, Seymour struck him as a friendly, cheerful, and harmless man, and Brock was happy to exchange contact information with him.

Misty, his fellow gym leader, was someone he had known previously, and admired, as an adept water Pokemon trainer. She was as fiery and passionate as always, but Brock could also appreciate the practical side she showed when setting up camp early, and her lighthearted teasing of everyone. One interesting observation Brock had noticed was Misty's (loud) fear of Bug Types, which confused the older teen as she was obviously fond of her Butterfree.

This turned his final observations on Ashlyn- "call me, Ash!"- Ketchum, a recent trainer that was unlike any other he had ever known. She was brash and reckless, like many other twelve year olds just beginning their journey, but that was tempered by her (mostly unpolished) talent for battling, knack for out-of-the-box strategies, and strong bond with her Pokemon. Her ambition and drive would be impressive enough for trainers twice her age, and was intensely focused on a set of distinct, explicitly stated goals. To be frank, those lofty goals were defined to the extent where Brock would feel a little inadequate by comparison.

Ash wanted to gather two full teams of Pokemon in Kanto, no more and certainly no less, and dedicate all of her attention to turning them into powerhouses. She wanted to outright win the Indigo League, and secure a place in the Elite Four, as her position of choice in the Kanto government. After the Indigo League, she planned to travel each of the regions in the world, though not necessarily to conquer them, and, somewhere along the way, complete her regular education. Ash had also been firm about attending University at one point, though she didn't know what course of study appealed to her, other than something vaguely connected to Pokemon, and becoming financially solvent. When she started cheerfully declaring her more immediate goals- to capture Team Rocket's Meowth- Brock turned her out, and contemplated her words.

The older boy was forced to admit that Ash had a mostly clear idea of what she wanted to accomplish in life, and could articulate an acceptable path on how to do so. Her goals, while ambitious and difficult, were not unreasonable (except for that Meowth obsession), and while they might change in the future, the fact that they existed at all meant that Ash paid some serious thought into what she wanted in life. In comparison, Brock had the vague plan of becoming a breeder, while even Misty became sheepish over her water-master plan.

Part of the reason, the boy acknowledged, was because he simply didn't have the time to seriously consider or pursue his path of becoming a breeder. He was the only provider and adult-figure in a household of twelve, and when he wasn't busy with his siblings, he was battling challengers at the gym. Forrest tried to help as much as he could, but he was only eleven himself, and so, the Pyroar's share of the work fell on his shoulders. In the few brief respites that he had, Brock opted to rest, rather than study about his chosen profession. He didn't regret his decisions, but the male trainer also knew that he couldn't follow that vague goal in the future.

It had only been the first day of his journey, and Brock had already come to a painful realization about his life. If he actually wanted to accomplish his goal, than he needed to do some serious research about the prerequisites of becoming a certified breeder, and take the steps necessary to gain for himself that vaunted license. He should probably research possible jobs, join a breeder forum, purchase some additional texts…

Brock smiled, as all of the potential actions he could take came to mind. He may be at the starter's spot for now, but the former Pewter City Gym Leader had no intention of staying there.

xxxxxxx

Chapter Text

The inner walls of Cerulean Cave practically sparkled from the sun rays peeking through the natural skylights on the calcite ceiling. The entire area was unlike any cave Ash had ever seen, emitting an aura of serenity and light, and diffusing warmth from the sunlight-absorbent water. Ash hadn't even needed a flashlight as she carefully picked her way through the water-slicked stone paths. No wonder Misty wanted to come here, it was practically teeming with water Pokemon.

Already, Ash had counted Poliwags, Tentacools, Seels, Psyducks, Marills, and Whoopers, and she had only made it a few meters in. Though she could probably move faster if she didn't use Dexter to scan each new Pokemon.

"Isn't this place amazing, Ash?" Misty's eyes were filled with excitement as she easily navigated the treacherous stones. She had experience borne from a childhood of exploring the damp networks of crumbling tunnels and eroded caves underneath Cerulean. "Doesn't that Marill look like the most adorable Pokemon you've ever seen? And look at that Chinchou! She must have migrated here from Hoenn."

Ash dutifully took a picture of the dark blue spherical Pokemon with two lanterns hanging in front of her vertical cross-marked eyes. She would send it to Gary later. He would be so jealous that she got to see a Hoenn Pokemon.

Pikachu bounded towards the dual electric/water type and struck up a conversation.

"Are there a lot of foreign Pokemon in these caves?" Ash asked, keeping one eye on her starter. She was still on pinpricks over the electric mouse's health.

"Not as many as the Safari Zone, but a good selection washes in here from the ocean," Misty answered, "It's a shame that Brock decided not to come along. He doesn't know what he's missing."

"I'm sure that his research on breeding will keep him occupied," Ash placated, "And doesn't he plan to watch some water show later? That could be exciting."

Misty huffed in displeasure. "Please. He just wants an excuse to ogle my sisters in bathing suits. Pervert."

Ash's eyebrows raised, but she decided to keep her mouth shut. She herself hadn't seen any evidence of Brock's supposed perverted tendencies, but then Misty seemed rather insistent on the accusation. And the redhead had apparently neglected to share all of her dislikes: carrots, peppers, Bug Pokemon (except for Butterfree), and perverts.

They continued walking for a few more minutes, as Misty burst with raptures over every rare/cute/interesting/alive water Pokemon that they came across. The steady clicking of Ash's camera joined each exclamation, until they had reached a point in the cave where they had to walk single-file against the wall, to keep from submerging themselves ankle deep into water.

"We can release our water Pokemon here," Misty indicated the stream, as she released Goldeen and Starmie, "The current's weak enough for them to swim against it, and all of the Pokemon here are early evolution types that won't attack us. If we walk a little further, the cave will open to an underground lake with a high ceiling. You can let Pidgeotto stretch her wings there."

"In that case, Magikarp, come on out!" Her fish Pokemon jumped out of the ball with a happy gurgle. Ash crouched down to rub his head, and as she drew her hand away, she noticed fine flakes of reddish gold clinging to her finger pads.

"You must be close to evolution," Ash noted, brushing the shedded scales off, "A little more training, and you'll be a proud and fearsome Gyarados."

"Karp!" The red and gold King Pokemon said, swimming around joyfully in a circle. "Magi-magi-karp."

"Yes, we just can't wait," Misty deadpanned, "A Gyarados. Yay."

Ash grinned. "Careful there, Misty. If you showed any more enthusiasm, I'd have to accuse you of jealousy."

"You can only wish, Ash. First Butterfree, and now a Gyarados?" Misty shook her head, "Sometimes I feel like your ambition in life is to drive me to an early grave."

"Don't be ridiculous," Ash mimed offense, "That's just one objective along my true aim- world domination!"

"That explains why you want Meowth so badly," Misty laughed, before pausing as something caught her eye. "Oh! Ash, look!"

The older girl scrabbled over the walkway, and ran forward, until her hair was just a glint of red in the distance. Having no false modesties about her own grace, and somewhat more concerned about the state of her unsnapped neck, Ash slowly followed behind.

She could see what had lured Misty here. There was the lake that she had been promised, and swimming languidly within, a large pool of Chinchou, and their evolutionary forms, Lanturn. All of the Pokemon's antennae were lit, creating the impression of bobbing fireflies within the water.

"Wow," the dark-haired girl breathed. Seeing Pikachu's and Magikarp's delight at the enthralling sight, Ash unclipped her third Pokemon. "Pidgeotto, you definitely don't want to miss this."

"Pidge-otto!" Her flying type crowed upon its release, catching the attention of the swimming Pokemon. The bird glided over the lake, looking down at the water Pokemon with apparent interest.

In response, the graceful swimming Pokemon became more frenzied and shied away from the bird.

"Pidgeotto must remind them of their natural predator, Wingull," Misty realized.

Ash sweatdropped. "I really should have thought of that." She looked up, and cupped her hands to her mouth in a megaphone shape. "Pidgeotto, don't eat them! They're not food!"

The look Ash received back, made it clear how absurd her flying type found that idea. Pidgeotto didn't have the digestive system necessary to break down those electricity pouches, so of course she wouldn't hunt them. It's not as though she hadn't been scolded enough for that minor misunderstanding with Caterpie.

Her words had mostly calmed the Chinchou and Lanturn though, so they weren't entirely for nothing. Still, the wild Pokemon gave Ash and Misty a wide berth.

"We need some way to get on their good side. Hmm… I've got it!" Misty turned to Pikachu with a pleading expression. "Those lanterns could use some recharging. Do you think you can spare the electricity, Pikachu?"

Pikachu cocked his head to the side, and considered it. He looked pointedly at Magikarp.

"We have been practicing Thundershocks in the water," Ash supported, "You have enough control to avoid zapping Magikarp… though he's built a lot of resistance in the past few days." Finally, Pikachu nodded.

"Pi, pikapi," The yellow mouse waded into the water. "Pika-pichu. Chu, pika-CHU."

Happy shouts of 'Chinchou' and 'Lanturn' rang in the air, as the Hoenn Pokemon swarmed around the electricity pouring out of Pikachu. Ash watched proudly as her electric type focused the energy into two solid bands, rather than let it be conducted away by the water. When Pikachu cut his stream off, the bobbing lanterns were even more beautiful than before.

"I would love to battle one of you," Misty called out, standing by the shallow end of the water, "My name's Misty. I'm a travelling trainer from Cerulean City, and I love water Pokemon! I'd be happy to have a Chinchou or Lanturn join my team. Would any of you be willing to fight me?"

The mass of Pokemon moved uncertainly amongst themselves, until one tiny Chinchou swam forward.

"Chin-chou!" The Angler Pokemon challenged, bobbing directly in front of Misty.

The red-haired girl looked thrilled. "You're a plucky one, aren't you?" She praised, "Well, that's good. I love a Pokemon with spirit!"

"Chin-cho," the water type assented. Ash scooped up Pikachu, and moved a few meters away, to allow her friend to battle. Magikarp swam over in her direction, and Pidgeotto swooped down to land on her shoulder. They all regarded the upcoming battle with anticipation.

"Misty calls Goldeen to the field!" The red and white, horned fish appeared. Ash made a mental note to inform her friend that she should avoid referring to herself in the third person until she had already become a Water Type Master. People would be too awed of her to call out the arrogance then.

"Let's start this off with a Swift Swim and Horn Attack!" Misty ordered. The fish spurred forward, speed increased massively by her first move, as her horn glowed white.

"CHO!" Chinchou ducked into the water, and started charging his lanterns. "Chin-!" A moment after the horn struck a devastating blow to his side, Chinchou released Thunder Wave.

"Aqua Ring, Goldeen!" The Cerulean trainer ordered, after her Pokemon's body convulsed with electrical energy. A ring of turquoise surrounded Goldeen, healing some of her burns. "Tail Whip, followed by a Horn Attack."

While the first attack missed, the second launched a direct hit that caused even more damage to the electric/water Pokemon. In retaliation, he released a Bubble Beam into Goldeen's face.

"Brace yourself, Goldeen," Misty encouraged, "Chinchou's almost down! Now let's show him a real water type move- use Water Pulse!"

Ash would have thought the final attack enough, but Chinchou managed to duck below the worst effects. Then, in a surprising move, he released a crescent of dark purple energy. Once it hit Goldeen, the fish's movements became erratic and agitated.

"That was a Ghost Type move," Ash gasped, "Goldeen got hit by Confuse Ray!"

"Damn!" Misty looked worried, "Goldeen, try to snap out of it!" Her words were in vain, as Goldeen swam forward and bashed her own horn against the cave wall. "Goldeen!"

Chinchou performed another Bubble Beam, causing more damage to Misty's Pokemon. An unexpected side effect occurred though, as the additional damage triggered a reactivation of Aqua Ring, which managed to draw Goldeen out of her haze.

"Goldeen!" The water Pokemon shouted angrily. Misty had a wide grin on her face.

"Let's finish this with Megahorn!" Misty declared. Goldeen was all too happy to follow her trainer's orders, and the minute swirls appeared in Chinchou's eyes, Misty threw her Pokeball.

One red beep, two red beeps, three… and the Pokeball fell silent.

Ash had expected Misty to cheer at this point, or perform some type of victory ritual like her own cool dance, but instead her friend just stared at the floating red ball, a slight smile fixed on her face. Ash was starting to get concerned, until Misty finally broke out of her stupor and picked up the Pokeball.

"My very first catch," the red-haired girl said quietly, her eyes starting to glitter.

Ash panicked. "Hey, that's a good thing!" The Pallet Town trainer replied earnestly, "A Chinchou is a great catch! You'll be able to use electric type moves in the water. Don't cry, Misty! I don't know how to deal with crying people!"

"Pika-chu, pikapi," Pikachu added, sounding worried.

Misty turned red. "I'm not crying, id-idiot," she hiccupped, rubbing her eyes, "I just have something in my eyes."

"Are you upset over your catch?" Ash ventured carefully. Misty shook her head 'no'.

"No, I'm really glad that Chinchou joined my team," Misty confessed, "It's just that I've been training for a while now, and I've never caught any new Pokemon- by myself. You caught Butterfree for me. This is visible progress that I'm improving."

She paused, and laughed a little. "I'm glad that Brock wasn't here to see me get teary over something so stupid."

"I saw nothing!" Ash announced, feeling relieved. "So now that you have the rush of capturing your first Pokemon, let's continue the streak and get you another one."

The younger girl made a show of peering around the cavern, lingering at the many tunnels leading out of the area, before a flash of pink caught her eye. Ash stared. Misty followed her gaze, and squealed.

"A colony of Slowpoke," Misty crowed, "They'll be a great addition for the team, and a good opponent for Butterfree. Let's go, Ash!"

As Ashlyn Ketchum followed her friend- slowly!- over the slippery stones, she mentally frowned. It could have been a trick of the light, but for a second, just one, Ash could have sworn she saw a pink feline Pokemon staring back at her.

xxxxxx

Brock Harrison, eldest of twelve children and former gym leader of Pewter City, furrowed his brow in concentration, as he took detailed notes of the book in front of him. The Practical Pokemon Breeder's Compendium held a wealth of information on his chosen field, particularly with registration guidelines and breeder regulations. It also held hints of Pokemon breeding and care from other regions, which had Brock practically salivating from the possibilities within.

Pokeblock! Puffins! Aprijuice! Brock hadn't even known that nutritional items like those existed.

(Although the minute he did, the teen calculated how he could get his hands on an expensive Berry Blender. Brock figured that if he bought one of the smaller models on discount, pooled all of his birthday money, and foraged for berries, he would be able to afford it in monthly installments.)

Even without the exotic recipes and revolutionary breeding tips- Muk spawning sounded fascinating, and also mildly traumatising- Brock had learned so much new information about his chosen profession, that this library trip had more than compensated itself. Becoming a league-certified breeder was a tricky process.

Prospective breeders had to complete a written test, consisting of four hours of multiple choice and short answer questions, and ace a practical examination. The latter was easily the more difficult of the two, as students had to identify regional Pokemon, approach and treat a volatile species, assist in a Pokemon birth, design a diet regimen for a random Kanto native, and so on. The entire practical portion would be judged by a panel of four judges, each an expert breeder, and each one of them had the veto power to deny a student's application. Such an intensive and personalized process was, of course, incredibly expensive, and therefore not open to any wannabe breeder.

No, to even have the chance to take the exam, students needed to submit a breeder portfolio.

The breeder portfolio had no set guidelines, beyond the vague aim of 'displaying the traits necessary to ensure the emotional, physical, and mental development of Pokemon from egg stage to young adulthood, with a special emphasis on breeding strong evolutionary lines and key egg moves'.

Still, the Breeder's Compendium suggested at least four letters of recommendation from notable Pokemon professions, a journal chronicling the raising of a Pokemon, and personal Pokeblock/Poffin recipes, among other documents. And this didn't even take into account the sheer amount of bureaucratic paperwork that needed to be filled every step of the way.

Brock couldn't help but shudder at the work ahead of him, though he understood why it was needed. In a society where Pokemon were integrated in every aspect of life, from family companions to national defense, the League couldn't let any uninformed moron run around, harming Pokemon left, right, and center. Breeders could cause catastrophic results if they screwed up (especially with Pokemon birthing), and thus, their field was just as tightly regulated as medicine or construction. It was not a pursuit for the faint of heart.

Fortunately, Brock was anything but faint of heart.

"Excuse me, ma'am, but could you point me to the Sinnoh edition of Pokemon Specialty Nutrition?" Brock asked, putting the thick Compendium down, and signaling an approaching librarian. He hid a grimace, as he discreetly massaged his throbbing wrist. Those were a lot of notes.

"They should be in the back, under the Health section," the pretty, blue-haired woman answered. She smiled at him. "Is there anything else I can do to help?"

"No, thank you," Brock replied, distracted. He absently flashed her a charming smile, making her cheeks flush slightly, before wandering over to the right section.

'I wonder if Ash can write a letter of recommendation for me when she wins the Indigo League,' Brock wondered. 'A few years from now, she'll definitely be a noted specialist of Pokemon.'

He pushed those thoughts out of the way when he found the right book, and promptly became engrossed in its pages. In fact, Brock was so absorbed in his studies, that he didn't even remember to attend the Sensational Sister's water ballet show. Later, he would find himself less devastated by this than he thought he would be.

Still a little devastated though. Brock was busy, not dead.

xxxxxx

When the three friends reassembled at the Pokemon Center for lunch, each of them was lost in their own little world. Misty was over the moon over new Chinchou and Slowpoke, Brock was mentally planning the next step of his breeder studies, and Ash was contemplating that strange pink Pokemon. A part of her still believed it to be imaginary, but the lost expression on the feline's face was stuck in her head. An instinct inside her demanded that she pay attention, for that Pokemon was hurt and confused, and her heart ached over that.

"Hello, Ash? Anyone there? Earth to our resident loudmouth pipsqueak," Misty sang, waving a hand in front of her face.

The dark-haired girl snapped to attention. "I'm not short!" Her older friends looked at one another, before reacting. Ash pouted. Brock had the decency to muffle his laughter. Misty did not.

"We're handing our Pokemon over to Nurse Joy to use the Restoration Machine," Brock explained, "Do you want to get yours checked as well?"

"Yeah, that would be great," Ash answered, handing over her two Pokeballs and allowing Pikachu to jump from her shoulder and onto Nurse Joy's desk. "I want them in top shape to win our match."

"You mean, to lose our match," Misty smirked, "You're lucky that Chinchou and Slowpoke are both new catches, so I won't use them in battle. Instead you'll be facing Goldeen and Starmie."

"Not Butterfree?" Ash asked, mentally giving a sigh of relief. The Bug Types status moves could be troublesome.

Misty smirked, as though she knew where Ash's thoughts had headed. "The Cascade Badge is given to those trainers that show intuition, grace, and depth in their battling style against water Pokemon. So as much as I love fighting with Butterfree, I won't use him in this match."

Ash was spared a reply, as Brock cut in. "A Chinchou and a Slowpoke, Misty? I know the second one is a dual psychic and water type, but I've never heard about the former."

"My Chinchou's a dual electric and water type from Hoenn," Misty bragged, "He's so cute with his bright glowing antennae and silky blue-white fins."

As Misty enumerated on her newest Pokemon's many virtues, Ash waited patiently for Nurse Joy to return with her Pokemon. She was internally grateful that basic care was covered by League insurance, as the portion of her budget earmarked for medical care had been blown straight through with Pikachu's expensive treatments. Not that Ash wouldn't pay them all over again if she had to, but until she could battle some other trainers, her budget would remain in disarray.

Ash had an almost obsessive need to keep a balanced budget in hand. It was a trait she had learnt from her mom. As a small business owner and sole caregiver, Delia Ketchum was utterly ruthless in the organization of her time and brutally efficient in the allocation of her resources. It was a characteristic she had passed onto her daughter, similar to Brock's own attitude towards money.

When their teams had been checked through, the three purchased lunch, and opted to eat in Ash and Misty's room. Brock was sharing a bunk bed with another male trainer, but they didn't think the stranger would appreciate three kids and almost every one of their Pokemon crowding in the room. Brock had the sense to arrange Onix's meal bowl outside, so the rock Pokemon occasionally stuck his head through the second floor window to partake in conversation.

Three burgers, two stolen ketchup packets, and one fifteen minute walk later, Ash found herself standing on the right end of a wide, slow-paced river. Misty and Brock stood at the opposite bank, with Brock holding two flags in his hand.

"This battle is between Misty Waterflower of the Cerulean City Gym and Challenger Ash Ketchum of Pallet Town," Brock announced, "This will be a two-on-two match, with the trainer to have the last Pokemon standing being declared the winner. Only the challenger is allowed to substitute Pokemon. Understand?"

He waited for the girls to nod, before lifting his flags. "Begin!"

"Misty calls- I mean, Starmie! To the field!" Misty shouted, releasing her starfish shaped Pokemon.

Ash nodded to her starter, and Pikachu bounded forward. He jumped on top of one of the large stones jutting out of the river. The slicked rock nearly made him fall, but he used his tail to balance himself.

"Stay out of the water, and use Rapid Spin, Starmie," Misty began. The starfish's red jewel blinked once, before the water type spun across the river with startling speed. It wasn't quick enough though, as Pikachu was able to dodge onto another stone.

"Rapid Spin, again!" Ash stayed silent, as Pikachu made another agile dodge. She knew that her Pokemon was an adept enough battler to handle himself, until she had a plan ready. Not to mention, it always frustrated her opponents when she didn't vocalise every order.

"Iron Tail angled on the water," Ash commanded softly, "Double Team, and lie in wait."

She was briefly nervous that Pikachu might not understand, but need not have worried. Her clever little starter created a massively distracting splash with his tail, before creating several illusory copies of himself. Starmie gazed around, trying to identify the real one amongst Pikachus surrounding him.

"Get rid of those copies with Water Gun," Misty ordered. Starmie spun around, releasing five streams of water from each of his fins, and hitting every Pikachu around him.

Except, of course, for the real one, that was lying in wait below the water. Pikachu leapt out.

"Pika-CHU!" The battle cry was followed by a burst of Thunderbolt, fully concentrated through the water, and striking Starmie directly. The starfish Pokemon skidded back, electrical burns darkening his purple skin, as its body convulsed.

Misty scowled. "Starmie, use Recover."

"Star," it beeped, as it's jewel glowed red. Pikachu shot forward with another Iron Tail, but not before the worst of the damage receded from Starmie's body.

"Use Swift," Misty calculated, "Press Pikachu back, Starmie."

As Pikachu tried to dodge the wave of fiery stars, Ash narrowed her eyes. "Thundershock, in the water."

"Jump out of the water, Starmie," Misty said immediately, "Water Gun!"

"Brace yourself," Ash called, making Pikachu close his eyes and tense his body forward, "Put your tail into the water."

Ash ignored the puzzled look of her opponent, as she watched Pikachu intently. She grimaced at the pain he appeared to be in, as he was hit with a cannon's pressure of water, but approved of his sheer tenacity. Once his tail was in the water, his Lightning Rod ability activated, and all of the electricity he had discharged so far, came rushing back to him. It was even stronger than before, from having picked up the kinetic energy of the river. Pikachu's electric sacs practically sparked with power.

Misty seemed to realize the danger at this point, as she hurriedly called for Starmie to get away. Unfortunately, by then Pikachu had drawn in enough power.

"Aim for the jewel," was Ash's last order.

"Pika-CHU!" With that final massive burst of electricity, Starmie was fried into unconsciousness, and Ash's starter left the clear victor.

"Starmie is unconcious," Brock called out dutifully, "This round goes to Ash Ketchum of Pallet Town."

"You battled beautifully Starmie," Misty said, recalling her Pokemon, "You deserve a good, long rest."

Ash waited for her friend to call Goldeen out, but instead Misty just smiled ruefully at her.

"I had been planning on knocking Pikachu out with Starmie," Misty explained, "Since Pikachu is an electric type and still available to battle, it would be irresponsible of me to send Goldeen out, when she would easily be defeated. The outcome of the second match is obvious."

"So, congratulations Ash, on winning the Cascade Badge," her red-haired friend said warmly, a genuine smile crossing her face, "You've shown all of the qualities that the Cerulean Gym prizes, and may I say that the last bit of tactics was truly brilliant?"

"Really?" Ash asked, shocked. "I won?"

"Pika?" Pikachu rubbed his ear, confused, "Pi-chu, pikapi?"

When Misty nodded, Brock raised his flag and announced the darkhaired girl, the winner. Ash felt her cheeks hurt from the massive grin on her face, as Misty removed a crystal blue water droplet from her pocket and presented it to her. Pikachu quickly climbed onto her shoulder to get a closer look.

"The Cascade Badge," Ash announced reverently, closing her hand around it, "My second victory… now there's only six more badges to go."

"Pi-pi chu, Pikapi!"

xxxxxx

Delia Ketchum hummed gently to herself, as perused her latest message from her only daughter. Ash had sent it by email, but Delia didn't want to strain her eyes by constantly reviewing it, and thus printed out a copy. Judging by the ample amount of creases and finger smudges along the paper, that had been a safe precaution on Delia's part.

Delia would be lying if she claimed to be happy about her daughter's journey. She was intensely proud of Ash's ambition and hard work, of course, and glad that her daughter was able to follow her dreams, but Delia missed her only child. The mother also wasn't entirely comfortable with the idea that her twelve year old daughter was traversing an entire region filled with dangerous Pokemon on her lonesome, and felt that any mother who was had some screws loose. Those worries had eased a little since Ash befriended Misty, and even more once Brock had agreed to join them, but they could never disappear completely.

Still, Delia Ketchum was immensely proud of how far Ash had come, with three Pokemon and two Main Gym badges to her name. The latter was the reason for her current occupation. Delia had purchased a badge case during her bi-weekly shopping errand in Viridian City, and spent her time after work sewing a silk covering for it.

The cover was made of strong Ariados silk, dyed a royal blue, and imprinted with a light motif of one of Delia's favorite fighting/steel Pokemon. She was sure that Ash would love the solemn, reassuring gaze of Lucario just as much as she did. As Delia nimbly added another half dozen stitches to the corner, her fingers glowed with a steady, pulsing blue light.

Delia Ketchum's pleasant humming continued, as she wondered whether or not it was time to bring her daughter in on some of the family's more… esoteric skills.

Chapter Text

"Hey Gary, the girls and I are going out for some sightseeing," Alicia, a tall brunette with chin-length bangs and a button nose, said. She smiled kindly towards the younger boy. "Do you want to come with?"

"Don't bother with him, Alicia," a curvy blonde with laughing blue eyes replied, "Our Gary here would rather stay in, and write a letter to his girlfriend."

Most of the teenage girls in the private hotel room immediately began to giggle, making said boy flush a deep pink color. One of the quiet ones, a young woman with light blue, shoulder-length tresses, rolled her eyes.

"Stop teasing him, Amelia," she chided, goodnaturedly, "Save the energy you have in making quips for our cheers, and we'll crush the competition."

With a wicked smile, she added. "Besides, puppy love is the cutest kind of love there is."

"Aye, aye, Captain," the aforementioned Amelia said, snapping off a salute. "Come on, ladies. We have some espionage to conduct on enemy forces."

With mild grumbling and brief bursts of laughter, the group of pretty, teenaged girls filed their way out of the room, until only one remained. It was the young woman with the light blue hair, who promptly sat herself besides the only male in the vicinity.

"So, this will be the last cheer competition for the next two months," the bluenette informed, "Where do you want to go next?"

"I was thinking Celadon, for Erika's gym badge," Gary replied, smiling easily at the young woman. Kate Phillips was the captain of Viridian High's cheer squad, and Daisy Oak's best friend since junior high. They had bonded over being the only two thirteen-year-old girls from the tiny town of Pallet to make the long bus ride to Viridian City's more prestigious and better-funded school. Kate was an only child, but had adopted Daisy's little brother as a pseudo-sibling of her own.

She was also the reason why Gary had his own personal cheer squad following him around. Daisy had wanted someone to look after her little brother, Kate's squad had liked the idea of travelling the region in style, and Gary had been given absolutely no quarter on the subject. Not that travelling with an entourage of attractive women had been of particular hardship to him, besides the (common) teasing of his (somewhat existing) feelings for his (pretty in a waifish sort of way) childhood best friend.

Kate's eyes lit up at the news. "Celadon makes the best perfume in the region!"

"I know," Gary informed her. And he actually did too, which was kind of horrifying for him. Travelling with a group of cheerleaders had done more than just change his retinue to include their competitions.

Among Gary's talents, he could now (regretfully) boast the ability to recognise fake perms, apply nail polish, skillfully braid hair, blend makeup, match accessories, and walk in high heels. He still wasn't entirely sure on how he had acquired that last talent.

"Celadon will make your fourth badge, and we can head directly to Saffron afterward," Kate mused, "Should we make that the tentative plan?"

Gary shook his head. "I want to fight Koga before Sabrina. None of my Pokemon are ready to face a psychic of her caliber. And… I need to read some texts on legendary Pokemon in Fuschia. The library there has the largest collection in Kanto."

Kate nodded, simply assuming that the younger boy had developed an interest in legendary Pokemon at some point along the journey. Anyway, now that their plans were finalized…

"So," Kate began, a teasing glint appearing in her eye, "Have you written to dear little Ashlet yet?"

xxxxxxx

It was on their second day out of Cerulean that Ash learned about Brock's obsession with attractive women. They had passed by a small town's Pokemon Center, in order for the older teens to send some Pokemon back to their respective gyms. Misty had transferred Goldeen, so she could focus on Chinchou and Slowpoke, while Brock sent Geodude and Onix to help his father with the gym battles. Ash used the opportunity to call her mother and thank for her for the gorgeous badge case she had set by Pidgey Air Mail.

The aerial mail system was the collaborative brainchild of Johto Gym Leader Falkner and Unova Gym Leader Elesa. They had designed a talon bracelet integrated with a tiny processor that used radio waves to determine its proximity to specific Trainer ID Pokedexes. As each unique identification number was input into an international database on the first day of each trainer's journey, the Pidgey evolutionary line could be taught to follow certain orders of beeps to find any trainer in the world.

Ash had been pleasantly surprised when one such trained Pidgey landed before her, it's royal blue and gold harness showcasing the airline logo, and with a package in its claws. She had signed the accompanying form, and accepted the tightly wrapped box. Now Ash's Boulder and Cascade badges were pinned proudly inside the artful box.

"Nurse Joy! I'm so honored to be in the presence of your breathtaking beauty!" Brock shouted, clasping the startled woman's hands in his own, and kneeling before her, "I have travelled for so far and so long just to bask in your your exquisite smile!"

Misty sighed. "Idiot," she mutter, somewhat fondly, as she stomped up to the older boy and harshly grabbed his ear. "Sorry about this, Nurse Joy. Please excuse us."

Under the pink-haired woman's perplexed gaze, she dragged the besotted boy away.

"Now do you see what I mean?" Misty asked, addressing her shocked friend.

Ash nodded hesitantly. "Brock… you're in love with Nurse Joy?"

The older boy nodded vehemently. "There's no one I admire or esteem more than the stunning Nurse Joy!" He declared. Misty rolled her eyes.

Ash's heart softened. "Brock, you'll never win her over like that," she cried out, "What you need is-"

"Self-restraint," Misty suggested dryly. Ash shook her head.

"A wingman!" Ash beamed at her friend. "I'll support you in your quest for love, my friend."

Brock sniffled. "I've never had anyone's support before," he lowered his head, "Thank you, Ash!"

"Nurse Joy just needs to know about all of your best traits," the dark-haired girl added supportively. Then, under Misty's blatantly disbelieving gaze, she marched up to Nurse Joy.

"Nurse Joy, I want to introduce you to my friend, Brock," Ash declared passionately, "Brock's training to be a certified Breeder, because of his love for Pokemon. He's a selfless, kind, and compassionate friend. He can cook, clean, babysit children, and even knit! Brock likes to take long walks on the beach, and- ack!"

By then, Misty had heard enough, and proceeded to drag her two friends away from the poor woman. Only now, she had one hand on Brock's ear, and the other tugging Ash along. Sometimes the red-haired trainer from Cerulean City felt like she was the only sane person in their little group.

xxxxxxx

"Finish it, Pikachu," Ash called, making her electric Pokemon deal one final, devastating blow with a Dig/Iron Tail combo. Her opponent's Caterpie flew through the air, only to land roughly on the ground, with swirls in her eyes. By then, Caterpie would have been grateful for the reprieve, after the nearly one-sided match with Pikachu.

Ash was proud of how much her starter had progressed in the month and a half that they were together. Pikachu had added Dig, Iron Tail, and Thunderbolt to his reporte of skills, and he could semi-reliably call upon Double Team in battle. Ash had intended to master Double Team before learning any additional moves, but Pikachu's practice with the water currents had strengthened his control of his electricity considerably. If they increased his speed, Pikachu could make significant process on Electro Ball.

In comparison, Pidgeotto had hit a brick wall with Steel Wing, so Ash assigned her to practice Double Team with Pikachu instead. That move was mastered relatively quickly, so Pidgeotto was now in the process of learning Wing Attack, the forerunner to the unfortunate Steel Wing. It was considerably less disheartening for the flying type, which showed Ash that she should have worked her way up to Steel Wing, rather than try to learn it from the start.

"You're really strong," her opponent, a new trainer around her own age, said. He disheartenedly recalled his Pokemon. "Do you have any badges?"

"Two," Ash answered, showing off her Boulder and Cascade badges. The boy made an impressed sound.

"That's so cool," he said, admiringly. He looked at Ash with a small blush on his face. "Hey, I bet you're strong enough to fight AJ!"

Not particularly observant of the opposite sex, Ash merely cocked her head to the side. It was a habit she had picked up from Pikachu. "AJ?"

"He's a trainer, who built an unofficial gym down the road," the boy replied, "He's not planning to go on his journey until he's had 100 straight wins, though he's pretty close to that number now. You could try battling him?"

Ash considered it. On one hand, she liked battling strong trainers, and her funds still weren't replenished from Pikachu's medical bills. On the other, it would take up valuable training time, and Ash had wanted to practice a new technique with Pidgeotto today.

"Do either of you want to battle AJ?" Ash asked. Misty shrugged indifferently, while Brock refused.

"I guess we're not going then," Ash said, "Thanks for the battle."

After the three had picked their camping spot for the day, Ash took out several cheap, plastic disks. The last town had a sale on frisbees, and Ash decided to stock up for her latest training idea.

"Pidgeotto, I'm going to throw these frisbees into the air, and I want you to use your wings to deflect them back to me," Ash instructed, "You'll need to carefully choose the angle here. If you hit them with the broadside of your wings, then they'll just absorb the blow and the disks will plop to the ground. If you don't get the aim or force right, than they won't head towards me. You're allowed to use a weak Whirlwind if you want to increase their speed. Don't worry about breaking them- I bought plenty of cheap ones. This is for your Wing Attack, okay?"

"Otto!" Her flying type chirped in assent, and their first round began.

Though what started off as a training exercise quickly devolved into an epic Misty/Brock/Ash and assorted Pokemon threeway Ultimate Frisbee match.

xxxxxx

Misty was not impressed. "So what you're telling me is that this Giselle bullies you terribly, but you carry around a picture of her because… she's pretty?"

Joe squirmed under her sharp gaze. "When you put it like that…" he mumbled.

"I never really got the attraction of the Pokemon Technical Institute," Ash commented, "Why would anyone want to learn from simulations and textbooks when they can be out travelling the world and battling Pokemon instead?"

"Poke Tech teaches students to become champion battlers," Joe puffed up, indignantly, "Graduates of Poke Tech are equal to those trainers that have eight badges from the Main Gyms. They're automatically enrolled in the Indigo League. Even I, the lowest student in my class, am better than trainers with two gym badges."

Ash began to edge away, as the look on Misty's face showed that violence would be incurred soon.

"Only there's never even been a single Poke Tech graduate in the Kanto Top 16," Brock pointed out, making Joe deflate again. "I can't think of a single famous alumna from your school."

Ash agreed. "Being a trainer is about more than just book knowledge. It's about passion, training, and the bond you have with your Pokemon. Money can't buy you any of those things."

"None of you understand," Joe moaned, "Being accepted into Poke Tech is such a huge honor, and my parents saved up money for years to send me here. If I don't do well, than they'll be so disappointed."

"Poke Tech sent me an acceptance letter," Misty said bluntly, "My parents refused since they thought the program was ridiculous."

"They send it to all children of prominent families," Brock added, "I got an acceptance letter on my tenth birthday. My Dad threw it into the trash- one of the few sensible decisions he made that year."

"Even I got one," Ash admitted, offering a cheeky smile in response to her companion's surprise, "Before you ask, I am not secretly related to any super famous individual, though my Dad used to be a good trainer. My letter was addressed to 'Ashlyn Oak'. I think Prof. Oak brags about me, along with Gary and Daisy, so people end up assuming that he has three grandchildren, not two."

"And the good Professor never makes an effort to correct them either," Ash mused affectionately.

"The point is that you can't live your life bullied, alone, and in fear of a twelve-year-old tyrant," the red-haired girl said firmly, "You need to stand up for yourself!"

"How would I do that?" Joe wanted to know.

"Battle her," was Misty's passionate response. The short, brown-haired boy blanched.

"I don't think that's an effective solution," Brock said, thoughtfully, "I agree that it could improve Joe's confidence, but beating Giselle won't make her stop her bullying ways. She would have gone from a bully with no losses to a bully with a chip in her shoulder."

"There are two ways that you can stop the bullying," Ash continued, "You can beat her at her own game, by becoming popular and attracting a crowd of sycophants. Or you could make yourself an undesirable target for bullying through indirect means."

The look in the dark-haired girl's eyes became partially mischievous and partially malevolent, as she draped an arm over the nervous Joe's shoulders. "Joe, my insecure, pitiful, and anxious new friend, I have the perfect solution to this problem. Tell me, has anyone ever introduced you to the wonders of berry dye in a girl's shampoo before?"

Joe's fearful gulp was music to her ears.

xxxxxxx

When Brock had showed his friends the notes he took in Cerulean's library, he hadn't expected them to be so interested in the idea of Pokemon nutrition. However, both girls thought adopting the foreign practices would be great for their teams, and Misty proposed splitting the costs of the machines and sharing. Thus, Brock made a down payment on the Berry Blender, and Ash set up an installment system for a small Poffin oven. Misty, easily the wealthiest of the three, outright purchased an Aprijuice Blender, and then covered the additional costs of a basket full of fruits and berries.

"It's fine, guys," Misty placated, ignoring the younger girl and older boy's protests, "My sisters rake in a lot of cash from their water shows. But if you really wanted to pay me back, I wouldn't say 'no' to another cup of Mrs. Ketchum's hot chocolate or some of Brock's raspberry tarts."

As they were making decent progress towards Vermillion City, the three trainers decided to make camp early today and experiment.

"Peeling these apricorns take forever," Misty griped, glaring down at the half-torn green fruit in her hand, "Why are the shells so hard?"

"They had to spray them with some kind of polish to keep them fresh," Brock explained, "Apricorns only grow in a certain area of Johto, and had to be imported here. The hard shells also make them singularly useful for designing specialty Pokeballs."

"Specialty Pokeballs?" Ash's interest perked up, "Misty and I bought a few in Viridian City. Are you telling me they're made from Apricorns?"

"They're made from the outer shells," Brock answered, the gentle whir of the Poke Blender in front of him coming to a stop. A couple of shocking blue cubes popped out. "My first batch of Pokeblock is done! I present to you an aspear and pinap combo, with just a hint of tart oran berries for flavor. Guaranteed to increase the potency of a Poison Type… I think."

Ash and Misty watched eagerly, as Brock called Zubat down from his training. Zubat, Butterfree, and Pidgeotto had developed an elaborate combination game of frisbee, aerial tag, and follow-the-leader that made sense to no one but them, but was surprisingly effective for training. Judging from the smug expression on the Pokemon's face as he landed, Ash surmised that Zubat was currently winning.

"Zubat, can you try this for me?" Brock asked, picking up one of the neon blue cubes, "It's a special treat that's made for Poison Types."

Brock watched in anticipation as a blueish pink tongue snapped out to grab the Pokeblock. Zubat chewed it slowly, before swallowing, and making a happy sound. "Zu."

His trainer beamed. "Do you think it's too sour?" Zubat shook his head in the negative.

"I was thinking of adding some pecha berries, since they're so good for the skin, but they might be too sweet," Brock continued, proffering a slice of the pink-yellow fruit for his Pokemon's inspection. "Think I should go for it?"

Zubat ate the offered fruit, and immediately made a face.

"Then what if I added a lum berry, and some more oran berry slices?" Brock questioned, "I'm using a 2mm cut, so there's not a lot of juice in them."

As Brock continued his interrogation, and Zubat got roped into a round of charades, Ash turned her attention to her own cooking station. She gingerly poked the smoky, black poffins on her plate.

"Think I can convince Pikachu to try them?" Ash asked no one in particular.

The three continued working for the next few hours, until Brock signaled their attention.

"What happened to the pile of poffins I had here?" Brock looked sternly at the eight Pokemon in the campsite. "None of you snuck a treat before dinner, did you?"

A chorus of protests greeted him, except from a large, pink figure that looked chagrined.

"Slowpoke, you ate all those poffins?" Misty said, taken aback. "Over half the plate is gone! Those were for everyone."

"Slow-poke, poke, slow," Misty's Pokemon wailed, holding up his claw and tapping the ground twice.

"I think he's telling the truth, Brock," the red-haired girl frowned, "But if Slowpoke only stole two- which still isn't right, Slowpoke!- than what happened to the rest?"

"I think she can answer that," Ash pointed to a fluffy brown tail sticking out of the bush near the scene of the crime. Brock moved a few branches away, and lipid black eyes stared back.

"Vee," the Pokemon squealed, jumping out of the leaves. The small Pokemon made a dash for escape, by running straight into Brock's back. "Vee!"

One paw accidentally brushed against an empty Pokeball, and a single flash of red light later…

Ash started to laugh. "Congratulations, Brock, on catching an Eevee!"

xxxxxx

In the past…

Delia Taylor was the only child of Edward and Anne Taylor, born on the Kingdom of Cameron, and later raised in her mother's hometown of Pallet. Her parents were reasonable, genial folk, who were happy to stay in the sleepy little town and run Pallet House, the restaurant that their daughter would later inherit. Delia lived a simple, somewhat dull life in Pallet, and spent most of her time dreaming about a starry future as a Pokemon Master and model.

When she was ten years old though, two years before she would start her Pokemon journey, Edward Taylor sat Delia down for a talk. He told her of duty and honor, tragedy and wonders, and how he was one of the rare few humans with the ability to manipulate a special power- aura.

"Our family has been granted the titles of Gatekeeper and Guardian," Edward instructed solemnly, "The first originated in Sinnoh, after Giratina breached the boundary of the Distortion World, and the second was won by our noble ancestor, Sir Aaron, in your own birthplace of Cameron."

Those names were not unfamiliar to young Delia. Her bedtime stories consisted of the stuff of legends, and the Creation Trio and Mew's Tree were particular favorites of Edward. That was all they were supposed to be though. Bedtime stories.

"I know that this has come as a shock to you," Edward sighed, before gruffly continuing, "My own power isn't much, but you have inherited great control of your aura."

Delia was taken aback, as her father raised a hand and brushed a tear out of his eye.

"I know that you have the potential to be an incredible Aura Guardian one day," Edward said, smiling at her, "So I called your Uncle Richard in Sinnoh and asked him to take you in the for the summer. Pallet's not the most exciting place for a young girl, but Hearthome City has a lot of places to explore."

She was still too shocked to respond, so Edward continued.

"You'll be able to see your Cousin Riley too!" Her father added brightly, "He just turned three last week. And Richard has plenty of fascinating Pokemon for you to study. Some of them are even aura users!"

Two months later, Delia found herself tearfully waving goodbye as her parents bundled her into a ship headed for Sinnoh. Although tears were pouring down her cheeks, the young girl felt excited at the opportunity for new adventures in Hearthome City. Her life was going to be anything but dull now.

xxxxxx

Chapter Text

"Butterfree, use Confusion to stop the rope!" Misty's frantic shout came in the nick of time, as the psychic energy enveloped the falling teens. "Can you pull us up?"

"Free!" Butterfree called out, distressed. "Free, free!" The flying type's wings were fluttering rapidly, as it bore the mental strain of their combined weight. The three were clinging to the worn rope bridge, hanging by the side of a sheer rock enclosure, and precariously close to falling.

"Can you carry us down?" Brock called out, judging the speed of the rapids below, "The distance is further, but it won't work against gravity. A water Pokemon could drag us to the edge."

"And the water barely looks freezing from here," Ash joked weakly. Ignoring the rope burning against her palm, she released one hand, and unclipped a Pokeball. "Pikachu, are you up for a swim?"

"Pika, pikapi," the electric mouse chattered, clinging firmly to her head. He used his razored tail to pin the worn rope against the ravine's edge, cementing their position. "Pika!"

"Carry Ash down first," Brock said. "Then Misty, and I'll go last."

"No, Pikachu and I are holding on tightly," Ash argued, "Send Misty down first. She has the most water Pokemon to release."

"No, you're the youngest," Brock disagreed, his every instinct as an older sibling protesting at the thought of fleeing to safety.

"And you're the heaviest and least secured," Ash countered, "If you want to be chivalrous, than you should volunteer to do the dishes, not risk-"

"Both of you should stop arguing!" Misty cut in, irritated. "We'll jump at the same time! The rope's going to snap. Ash, release Pidgeotto, and have her slow your descent down. Brock, Butterfree's Confusion can only last a few seconds, before you hit water. Then grab my Starmie and hold tightly."

"What about you?" Ash asked, unclipping a second Pokeball, and releasing her flying type. Pidgeotto hovered anxiously over her trainer, gripping the top of the girl's backpack with her talons. Pikachu pulled his tail loose, and clambered into the waterproof vessel.

A nervous, though undeniably impish, smile crossed Misty's face. "I guess I'm going to figure out if thirteen years of swimming and diving lessons will pay off."

Both Brock and Ash looked ready to object, but Misty didn't give them a chance. "Three, two, o- AH!"

THWACK!

With a sharp snapping sound, the rope abruptly gave away, and Misty was forced to awkwardly bend her body into an impromptu dive. Ash only caught a flash of bright orange-red, before her body was jerked against gravity by Pidgeotto's flapping wings. Her scream caught up against her throat, as Ash dipped down, then slid, before stopping haltingly, and finally crashing down into the icy water.

"Pidgeo," Pidgeotto cried out, keen gaze following the messy dark hair of her trainer submerging into the water. "Geo!"

Ash's first sensation was the sting of water in her eyes, before the shock of bitter cold bit against her body, quickly draining the warmth and flexibility of her limbs. As her fingers became numb, Ash pressed down on the Pokeball in her hand, and released Magikarp. At the flash of red light, she immediately threw her arms around the smooth, flaky scales.

"Sh-shore," Ash spluttered, kicking her legs down to keep above the water.

Magikarp's tail flailed upon the river, as he swam against the current, and dragged the young girl's deadweight to the shore. Once she saw a muddy bank, Ash released her water Pokemon, and felt two sets of arms dragging her to land. The trainer from Pallet Town curled into her body, shivering uncontrollably, as Brock took out a blanket from her waterproof backpack and draped it over her. Coupled with Pikachu's warm body cuddling her, Ash could feel her tremors subsiding.

"We need to get you into something dry," Brock ordered, rifling through her pack again, "Put your dirty clothes and the muddy blanket in here, and we'll wash it in the next Poke Center."

Ash made a face, but left the warm- if dirty- cocoon of her blanket, to change behind the trees. Pikachu was kind enough to act as a lookout, as the dark-haired girl shoved the dirty clothes into a plastic bag Brock had provided. When she was done, she felt mildly chilly, but far cleaner than before.

"You don't handle the cold well, then?" Misty asked, handing her a thermos of their leftover morning tea. Ash greedily took a few gulps, and then looked dismayed by the miniscule amount left.

"I lived in the southernmost region of Kanto," Ash replied, guiltily, "Sorry Brock… I finished the tea."

The male trainer waved it off. "It's fine. What I'm worried about is that this is the second near-escape we had, and if Misty didn't keep Butterfree out, we would have been seriously injured by that fall."

"By the way, thanks for the save Butterfree," Ash added, "And the rest of you were great too." She returned Magikarp, but allowed Pidgeotto to rest on her left shoulder, in case her services would be needed again. Pikachu, as usual, settled on her right shoulder.

"You were all a big help," Misty raised her arm up, and Butterfree tiredly landed on it. "But we wouldn't have lasted very long without your help, Butterfree."

"Free," the Bug Pokemon affectionately rubbed his cheek on Misty's red hair. "Free, free, free."

"It's a shame that Zubat can't function in direct daylight," Brock said, regretfully, "I'll have to address that in our future training sessions."

"And I should teach Slowpoke Psychic in case we need a stronger telekinetic move in the future," Misty agreed. "Do you think this bridge was intentional?"

"After the rope trap, I'm beginning to think so," the male trainer said darkly.

"Maybe we've stumbled into a ninja training ground!" Ash wondered excitedly, looking around them to spot any other traps, "Like in Pokemon Ranger: Ninja Mansion, when Kellyn and Kate had to break into that mind-controlled gym leader's mansion to find the Last Stone of Roth!"

Her red-haired friend snorted. "That movie was marketed to eight to ten year olds, Ash."

Ash blushed. "It was still good," she muttered. "We could use some of the ideas to keep safe. Kellyn had a flying type Pokemon scout ahead, and Kate used her Para's Sleep Powder to get rid of the evil grunts."

Brock cracked a grin, and ruffled the embarrassed girl's hair. "I don't know about evil grunts, but I'd feel safer with Pidgeotto and Butterfree scouting ahead."

The three trainers continued walking through the forest, though they were careful to keep an eye out for traps this time around. Thanks to Pidgeotto and Butterfree's vigilance, they were able to avoid four more well-hidden snares, and one deep pitfall. They paused once, to refill their canteens at a fresh spring, but continued on quickly.

"That Oddish was so cute too," Misty bemoaned, "Oh well. I still have two new Pokemon to train."

Finally, the trio stumbled into a small house tucked into a discrete half-circle of trees, and stopped.

"Wow! Look at all these Pokemon," Brock exclaimed. He examined the Oddish, Bellsprout, Hoppin, Jumpluff, Parasect, and Rattata ambling around, eating nuts and berries, or just lazing in the sun. "They all look happy and healthy."

"I wonder who lives around here?" Misty asked, gazing interestedly at the young Pokemon.

"Only one way to find out," Ash determined, striding forward, and knocking loudly at the door. It was opened by a pretty young woman with dark blue hair and pink-red overalls.

"Oh!" She cried out, clearly frightened, "Who are you? What are you doing here?"

Taken aback, Ash only rubbed at her head. "Er… I'm Ash Ketchum from Pallet Town," she replied automatically, "My friends and I were passing through, when we saw your cabin."

"I'm Brock, one of Ash's friends!" The dark-haired girl was abruptly pushed aside, as the tall, male trainer took her place. "And, please tell us, what is the name of this lovely vision standing before me?"

Ash was miffed enough about being pushed, that she didn't even wince when Misty's fist rocketed down on Brock's head. "Oomph!" The older trainer was dragged aside.

"I'm Melanie," the blue-haired woman answered, apparently registering that they weren't a threat, "I live in this cabin."

"Have you noticed the traps around the forest, Melanie?" Misty said, concerned, "We stumbled across a few of them, and they can be pretty dangerous."

Melanie winced. "Oh dear," she murmured, "I placed those traps in the forest. I hope that none of you got hurt!"

Brock frowned, and straightened up. "None of us got injured, but we did have a close call with the rope bridge."

"I owe you three an explanation, then," Melanie sighed, stepping aside, "Please come inside. See, I'm studying to be a Pokemon Breeder and…"

An hour later, Ash politely excused herself, and left Pikachu and Pidgeotto behind to enjoy some of Melanie's homemade Pokemon food pellets. She had seen the enraptured look on Brock's face when he got into a discussion about breeder techniques with the blue-haired woman, and wanted to give the two older teens a chance to converse. Misty had agreed with the sentiment, and left to play with some of the Pokemon in Melanie's resort and spa.

Besides, the dark-haired Pallet town trainer was contemplating the rare grass type that guarded this Pokemon sanctuary. Melanie had told her about Bulbasaur's past, as a starter that was abandoned after his trainer lost a series of battles with opponents that wildly outmatched him in skill, and the knowledge tugged at Ash's heart. She couldn't imagine anyone being so cruel as to abandon their starter like that. She certainly couldn't imagine parting from Pikachu; the electric mouse had been her erstwhile companion even before she had accomplished anything in her journey.

Melanie had been looking for a trainer for Bulbasaur for a long time now, since the grass type needed battling experience for his bulb to grow. She had urged any of their new guests to try, and while Brock and Misty had reluctantly declined, Ash felt an instinctive urge to try. Following a compulsion that even she wouldn't be able to explain, Ash left her Pokemon behind, and strided into the forest with only her backpack in hand.

She didn't bother to look for the grass type, but settled on a mossy log, and took out her sketchbook. Bulbasaur preferred to go on patrols, so he should stumble across her sooner or later.

Ash was intensely focused on shading the lower feathers of Pidgeotto's wings, when she felt a prickle at the back of her neck. Looking up, her sight fell on a green Saurian Pokemon, that regarded her with wary, red eyes. Bulbasaur had pale blue-green skin, covered with occasional forest green splotches, a wide, thin mouth, and, protruding for his back, a large green bulb of rubbery texture. Without missing a beat, Ash flipped to a new page in her sketchbook, and began outlining the grass type's figure.

"Bulba!" Bulbasaur growled, using one extended vine to slap her hand. Ash barely refrained from grimacing at the stinging sensation, as the charcoal chalk flew out of her hand.

"That's not nice," she chided, picking the chalk up again, "I'm trying to draw."

"Bulba, Bulbasaur," the grass type insisted, displeased. He jerked his head towards a path leading out of the forest. "Saur!"

"I can't leave until my Pokemon are done eating Melanie's food," Ash explained, "My name's Ashlyn Ketchum and I'm a trainer from Pallet Town. It's nice to meet you."

"Saur!" Bulbasaur said petulantly, sitting down on the floor and staring at her. He clearly didn't trust her enough to leave her alone.

Ash mentally shrugged, and then shifted to the right of the log to have a better view of Bulbasaur's profile. Her charcoal resumed its dance across the page. They stayed that way for a few minutes, Bulbasaur's distrustful gaze warring against her forced indifference, before the young trainer broke.

"Argh! I am not cut out for patience," Ash said, pouting at the grass type. "I don't suppose you want to hold a conversation as I draw?"

"Saur," the look on the Sauron's face conveyed his utter lack of enthusiasm with the idea.

"If you don't mind the noise, than I'll make up your answers," the dark-haired girl said merrily, returning to her sketch, "What's your favorite food?"

Ash waited a few moments, and, not receiving an answer from the grass type, nodded. "I agree. Strawberries covered in melted marshmallow and caramel are decadent and delicious. Do you have them often? My mom never gives me more than one or two at a time, if I behave particularly well or bring good grades home from school. I like them, but my favorite food is my mom's lasagna. It's six layers of melted cheese, pasta, and tomato sauce. Do you like lasagna?"

Bulbasaur had a look of wide-eyed disbelief on his face, as the weird human in his forest continued to prattle on about her culinary tastes. That continued for a good twenty minutes, before Ash exhausted of food, and turned the conversation to other topics. Although Ash's eyes were usually fastened on her sketch pad, she took an occasional peek in her guard's direction to gauge his interest. Her school didn't elicit much of a reaction, or stories about childhood scrapes, but Bulbasaur definitely perked up when she recounted her gym battles and discussed her Pokemon's training.

When her voice ran the serious threat of becoming hoarse, Ash paused, put the chalk down, and cleared her throat. "Do you want to see?" She asked.

Bulbasaur's red gaze widened, as Ash turned the sketchbook around. Sitting at the foreground of a bramble was an image of a Bulbasaur, that beared a great likeness to him, from the prominent wide diamond shape on his forehead to the slight protrusion of his left nostril, in black charcoal. Ash had a proud grin on her face as Bulbasaur let out a soft 'bulba' in amazement.

"Do you want to try?" Ash offered, moving from the mossy log to kneel before the grass type. Not waiting for him to respond, she dug out a water bottle and a plastic bowl from her bag, crumbled the charcoal stick in her hand, and quickly mixed up a batch of ink. It wasn't as smooth and dark as professional quality ink, but the thickness and consistency wasn't too bad. Then she turned to another blank page in her sketchbook, and placed it on the ground.

Sitting back, Ash regarded the hesitant Pokemon. "Go on," she said softly, a teasing smile on her lips, "You know you want to."

An extended vine dipped itself into the ink, before hovering over the paper, and pressing down to make one, definitive spot. Quickly drawing his vine back, Bulbasaur looked over at Ash anxiously.

The dark-haired girl nodded encouragingly. "Keep going," she urged.

Slowly, and with painstaking care, Bulbasaur dipped his vine into more ink, and began to draw his own picture. Ash resumed chattering about nothing in particular, the individual words fading into a reassuring hum in the background, as an image of a woman with squarish bangs and dark eyes appeared. Had Ash not a decent idea about the subject matter, she would have mistook Melanie's bow as a random rectangle on the page. It lacked the polish that only practice could bring, but the dark-haired girl could admit to a certain charm about the sincere work.

"I'm sure Melanie will be flattered to be the subject of your first portrait," Ash teased, once Bulbasaur was done. "Why don't you sign it?"

"Bulba," Bulbasaur nodded, dipping one foot into the ink and then pressing down a paw mark.

"Now we need to get you clean," Ash pulled out some tissues and soaked them in water, "Did you like painting, Bulbasaur?"

"Saur," the grass type nodded.

"I'm glad you enjoyed it," Ash hummed, as the ink wiped easily from the vine, "I'll leave some of my supplies behind with Melanie, so you can continue your work."

"Bulba, Bulbasaur," Bulbasaur shook his head, using a vine to tug at the girl's wrist. "Saur."

A smile crossed Ash's face. "Then you know why Melanie asked me to talk to you?" Bulbasaur nodded. However, when Ash took out an empty Pokeball, the grass type used a gentle Vine Whip to rip it from her hand.

"Saur, bulbasaur," Bulbasaur insisted. Rather than infuriate her, this only caused Ash's smile to widen.

"Alright then, Bulbasaur," a certain glint appeared in her eye, "Let's get back to the cabin. I think I owe you a battle."

"Bulbasaur!"

xxxxxxx

"I can't believe she rejected me!" Brock wailed, "I thought we had a connection."

"I thought you did too," Ash empathized beside him, while Misty rolled her eyes.

The three were walking down the road, with at least half of their Pokemon walking or flying along. Pikachu and Bulbasaur were chatting in a friendly manner ahead, as the grass type gently corralled Brock's exuberant Eevee and Misty's adventurous Chinchou along. Pidgeotto, Butterfree, and Zubat were all playing a round of their unique aerial game overhead, with the shadowed sky allowing the poison type a chance to stretch his wings. Only Starmie, Slowpoke, and Magikarp were in their Pokeballs, for either a lack of speed or maneuverability on land.

"You had one conversation Brock, and then offered to move in with her immediately after," Misty reminded, "No wonder that poor girl was creeped out."

"What Misty's trying to say is that you should continue your email correspondence and see where things go from there," Ash advised. "And don't lose heart, Brock! I think she was really impressed by your Breeder knowledge."

"She was," the redhead grudgingly admitted, "That makes it one maybe-victory in love for Brock against… several hundred rejections?"

"Misty!" Ash exclaimed, fighting a smile, as Brock continued to lament his loss. The group of friends continued walking, until Pikachu caught sight of a blob of orange curled up on a rock.

"Pika, pikapi!" Pikachu shouted, catching everyone's attention as he scampered forward.

"Er, guys? Is it just me, or is there a rare, fire type pseudo-dragon Pokemon sleeping on that rock?" Ash rubbed her eyes.

"If you're seeing a Charmander, than you're not the only one," Misty answered drily, creeping forward. When she had gotten a better look at the orange Pokemon, she gave out a loud gasp.

"This Charmander's hurt!" The red haired girl announced, in distress. Seeing her Pokemon lean forward to take a better look, the gym trainer quickly recalled Chinchou. "He's too young to see something like this."

"Eevee shouldn't see this, either," Brock said grimly, recalling the protesting fluffy fox Pokemon. The Breeder in training scanned the bruised skin, hallowed stomach, and darker colouring around Charmander's ribs. "Injuries like this don't come about from normal battling."

Ash paled. "You think Charmander's been abused?" She reached out a hand towards the Pokemon, only to give out a cry of pain as the Charmander's sharp teeth dug into her palm.

"Ow!" Ash jerked her hand back, tears coming up at the welling of blood-red droplets. "I'm not trying to hurt you, Charmander!"

"Pikapi!" Pikachu shouted, the red pouches on his cheeks sparking with static electricity.

"Char," the fire Pokemon said weakly, cobalt blue eyes opening. They were initially filled with defiance, but turned into regret and guilt at seeing Ash's bloody palm. Since it was still outstretched, Charmander leaned forward and licked the blood away in apology. "Mander, char, char."

"Saur," Bulbasaur threatened, extending his Vine Whip. "Bulbasaur."

"Geo," Pidgeotto added her support, landing on Ash's shoulder. Under the three Pokemon's unhappy looks, Charmander cringed.

"It's fine, everyone," Ash murmured, catching Pikachu's eye and subtly shaking her head. "Charmander, my name's Ashlyn Ketchum, and I'm a trainer from Pallet Town. My friends and I have some experience with Pokemon. Can you answer some questions for us?"

Still ashamed over his unprovoked attack, Charmander nodded.

"Do you have a trainer?" Ash began. The fire type nodded proudly.

"Do you know where your trainer is?" The dark-haired girl continued. At this, Charmander shoulders hunched forward, and he shook his head.

"I see," Ash grit her teeth, then, going on a hunch, added. "Did you trainer release you from a Pokeball?" Hesitantly, the fire type nodded.

Ash took out her Cascade badge and held it carefully over the little lizard's face. "The light from the Pokeball… was it this color?" Charmander nodded again.

The young girl then clenched her hands, and took a deep breath. She drew her Pokedex out, and promptly took a picture of the Charmander laying on the stone.

"Char!" Charmander coughed out a weak Ember in protest of the flashing light. "Char?"

"As gym leaders, will your word and this picture be enough to have this scum thrown in jail?" Ash asked her friends, ignoring the Pokemon for the moment.

Misty's fiery blue eyes glimmered with the same fury Ash felt coiling inside of her. "Yes, but we'll need to get Charmander some medical attention first."

Charmander seemed to understand that this equated to moving away from his rock, because he quickly protested. "Mander, char!"

"Pi-chu, pika," Pikachu urged, trying to convince him otherwise, "Pikapi, pichu."

Charmander weakly shook his head. "Char," he said stubbornly.

Bulbasaur stepped forward, encircling his vines around the lizard's emaciated body. "Bulba."

"Char!" The fire type bit harshly down on the vine whip. Bulbasaur's red eyes narrowed, but he didn't move his vines away. "Mander, Charmander."

"If Charmander doesn't want to move than we can't force him," Brock interrupted the Pokemon, "Mostly because his body is too weak to move in this condition. The Poke Center is just a few miles away. We can get Nurse Joy to bring some medical supplies here."

"Two of us should go to Nurse Joy, so one's available to answer questions from a League officer," Misty looked up worriedly, "We have to move quickly. There's a storm coming down soon."

Ash recalled the wealth of knowledge she had pursued before her trainer journey, when she had her heart set on a Charmander for a starter. As one important piece of information came to mind, the dark-haired trainer blanched.

"We can't let Charmander get hit by the rain," Ash realized, "If his tail flame is put out, then he'll die!" While a healthy, mature Charmander could suffer potent water attacks, without having their tail flame doused, this one was easily too weak and malnourished to stave off the inevitable result.

Two of them needed to fetch Nurse Joy, one to lead the medical professional back here and a second to answer League questions. They couldn't move Charmander, but they couldn't let the rain put his tail fire out either. And some emergency aid should be applied. Okay, Ash could make this work.

"Pikachu, use Dig to make a burrow deep enough for at least two adult humans," Ash ordered, gesturing to the mostly clay ground beside the road. "Bulbasaur, when the burrow has been dug, move Charmander into it as carefully as you can. Pidgeotto, I want you to go with Brock and Misty, and lead Nurse Joy here. I'll stay with Charmander."

"Then you should take these," Brock passed a bag full of berries with healing properties over to her, along with a package of their personal Poffins.

"We'll get you some help as soon as we can," Misty promised, giving her a brief hug. As the two made off for the Poke Center in a fast-paced sprint, Ash monitored the status of the burrow Pikachu was digging. Her starter's Dig had become a lot more impressive from constant use, to where Pikachu's paws would unerringly strike at the loosest batch of soil, and scoop it out of the ground.

Bulbasaur's task, in comparison, was not going as well, from the stubborn protests of Charmander. Ash observed the situation for a minute.

"Bulbasaur, I don't want to bring up bad memories," she stated awkwardly. "But do you think you can explain to Charmander what the blue light means?" She had caught the rare grass type less than two days ago, and would never have considered broaching such a sensitive topic so soon, if not for the present circumstances. As it was, Bulbasaur explained his history in a succinct, emotionless manner, and Charmander's struggles abruptly stilled.

"Char?" Her heart broke at the distraught tears welling up in the fire lizard's cobalt blue eyes.

'How could any trainer be so heartless?' Ash thought angrily, 'This the second time I've seen a Pokemon abandoned, and I bet Charmander did nothing to deserve it, just like Bulbasaur.'

Ashlyn Ketchum was not one to describe herself as naive, but even she couldn't deny that she had a sheltered upbringing in Pallet Town. She had been raised on the belief that humans and Pokemon were equal- friends and partners that worked on a basis of mutual respect and affection. While she was aware of abuse cases concerning Pokemon, they were events that happened in the abstract.

They weren't tiny Charmanders with too skinny ribs and teary cobalt blue eyes.

By the time their impromptu shelter was ready, the first water droplets had begun to fall. Pikachu stood, panting, against the downward-sloping burrow, as Bulbasaur gently carried Charmander's body inside. Ash crawled in behind the Saurian Pokemon, followed at last by Pikachu, who tiredly collapsed on the floor. Ash took off her jacket, and smoothed it down on the burrow's floor, so Charmander could be laid down. Then she dragged out a few blankets, and tucked them around the fire lizard, carefully avoiding the flame at the end of his tail. Finally, she took Brock's package out of her pocket.

"Hey, I have something for you," Ash whispered, taking out a blue Poffin and placing it below Charmander's nose. "It's a treat that my friend made. Would you like to eat some?"

"Char," the fire lizard turned away. While the appetizing smell of the Poffin tickled his nostrils, his stomach hurt too much to eat the food.

"You need to eat something to keep your strength up," the dark-haired girl reminded him, unhappily, "These Poffins have berries in them to stimulate your natural healing. If your stomach is hurting, then you don't have to eat it all. Please, just take a bite? For me?"

"Pichu, pi-ka," the electric mouse picked up an oran berry with his paws, and plopped down besides the Charmander. He took a deep bite of the berry, and made a hum of contentment. "Pika?"

"Mander, char," Charmander opened his mouth, and made a valiant effort to eat the Poffin. Despite all of Ash's coaxing, he could only take a few bites, and then nibble halfheartedly on some of the berries.

Ash reached into her backpack, and drew some supplies out. "You know, what I really like to do during rainstorms like this?"

"Mander?" Charmander looked curious, at the dark brown slab that the girl was cutting with a hand knife. It had a rich, sweet scent.

"This is chocolate," Ash cut off a small piece, and held it up to Charmander's mouth. When the fire lizard obligingly extended his tongue, she placed the sweet down, and watched him eat it. Charmander's cobalt blue eyes widened with delight once the chocolate melted in his tongue.

"Char, char!" He praised, excitedly. The dark-haired trainer laughed, and offered pieces to Pikachu and Bulbasaur. Aware of the treat, Pikachu took his own share with glee, while Bulbasaur inspected his own, before trying it. The grass type gave an approving grunt at the taste.

"I like to make s'mores," Ash explained, drawing out some crackers and fluffy marshmallows, "Now, if we had an open fire, that would be- huh? Your tail?"

Charmander nodded, shyly waving the flickering appendage in the air. "Mander."

"Well, it's not big enough to make more than one at a time, and we'll have to be careful to keep the marshmallow from melting," Ash began dubiously, before shaking her head at Charmander's disappointed expression. "No, we can definitely make this work! And you'll get to participate in an age-old Ketchum tradition."

Charmander was a lot more receptive to fresh s'mores than he was to dried berries, and the four spent a peaceful hour consuming the simple treat within the cozy burrow. Their relative quiet was broken, when Pikachu's ears caught the sound of a distinctive bird cry.

"Pidge-otto!" The flying type called. "Geo! Geo, pidge-otto!"

Pikachu climbed up to the burrow opening and called back. "Pika! Pi-pika-chu!"

The sound of footsteps came closer, before Brock's signature square-jawed face and spiky brown hair appeared at the opening. "Hey, is there room for Nurse Joy down there?"

"Yeah, but we can't fit anymore," Ash called back, tossing the marshmallow skewered fork into a tray, and hunching at one corner of the structure. Pikachu and Bulbasaur scrambled onto her lap, making for a tight fit, but allowing Nurse Joy to crawl down.

The pink-haired woman nearly growled at the sight. "I can't believe that Damian would do this to his own Pokemon," she snarled, "That boy deserved to be arrested by Officer Jenny."

When Charmander shrunk away from the angry woman, she moderated her tone. "No, no, dear, you did nothing wrong. You are completely blameless in this situation."

Ash carefully observed as Nurse Joy poured a mouthful of bright green potion down Charmander's throat, and ran her fingers gingerly over his bones. "Your internal flame is weak," Nurse Joy noted, "Skeletal structure mostly intact, ribs fractured, right shoulder ligaments torn. Claws scraped thin, mild internal bleeding, bruised stomach, malnutrition. We'll have to bring you in for surgery."

"Can he be moved to the Pokemon Center, Nurse Joy?" Ash questioned, feeling both Pikachu and Bulbasaur tense in her arms.

"We can use a Pokeball to transport him," Nurse Joy answered, drawing a bright blue one out, "This Pokeball is used solely by medical professionals, and can only be used for transportation needs. If I capture you with it, you will not be registered to me, and can release yourself at any time. Will that be okay, Charmander?"

The fire type lizard stared at the Pokeball briefly, before his eyes flickered towards Ash, and he shook his head. Nurse Joy was about to protest, when Charmander painfully pushed himself up.

"Char," he rasped out, cobalt blue eyes glinting determinedly, as he reached for an empty Pokeball on Ash's belt.

Under the dark-haired girl's surprised gaze, a flash of red light covered his body, and sucked him in. A second later, the robotic beep of the Pokeball signaled a successful capture.

Chapter Text

There were few situations in which Ashlyn Ketchum didn't want to see Gary Oak, but trapped at the bottom of a deep pit was undoubtedly one of them.

"Need to get out, Ashlet?" Gary asked, peering over the hole. "I might be persuaded to give a helping hand, if you can ask nicely."

She scowled up at his smug, grinning face. "Go away, Gary."

The brunette cocked his head to the side, made a show of considering her words, and then shook his head. "Make me."

Ash narrowed her eyes. "I'm not afraid to electrocute you."

"I'm not afraid to press charges," he retorted, unclipping a Pokeball from his belt. "Kadabra, come on out!"

Ash's ire was temporarily replaced by curiosity and wonder as the second evolutionary form of one of the most powerful psychic types in the world appeared. The human-sized Pokemon was coloured a dusky yellow, with three-clawed hands, a bulky tail, a drooping mustache, and a pale pink star embossed on his forehead. A shiny silver spoon was held in his hand, and with a brisk slash of the air, it began to glow.

"Whoa- hey!" Ash shouted, as the psychic energy enveloped her body and began to lift her through the air. It was a truly odd feeling, not weightlessness like Ash would have expected, but that of being trapped in a thick, gelatinous liquid that sucked her through its chosen medium. "Gary!"

"Ashlet!" Her friend chirped back, laughter in his tone, as Kadabra gently placed her on her feet. At once, the energy seemed to disappear, making Ash feel temporarily dizzy and unbalanced. She might have fallen over, had Gary's hands not grabbed her shoulders, keeping her steady.

"I fell on my back the first time Kadabra used Psychic on me," Gary informed her, squeezing her shoulders before abruptly letting go. The male trainer turned his attention over to Pikachu, Misty, and Brock, as they were all levitated out of the pit. "Hello there, my name's Gary Oak."

"Misty Waterflower, and that would be Brock Harris," the red-haired girl replied, looking at him curiously, "Thanks for getting us out of there."

"Yeah, we really appreciate it," Brock added, rubbing his shoulder and wincing, "That fall wasn't fun. Do you know who did it?"

"The likely culprit would be the Squirtle Gang," Gary answered, "Officer Jenny told me that they like to run around the town, and play pranks on unsuspecting travellers. They tried something with me, but Wartortle scared them away."

He nodded proudly towards a smirking blue Pokemon, with a hard shell and curly blue tail.

"So this is you starter," Ash mused, sticking her hand out, "It's nice to meet you, Wartortle. I'm Ash, and this is Pikachu. We'll be your main rivals."

Wartortle eyed her with evident interest. "Tortle," he affirmed, shaking her hand politely.

In contrast, his trainer snorted in disbelief. "My main rival? Don't make me laugh, Ashlet."

Ash dropped the Pokemon's hand, and spun around furiously. "And what's so funny about that, Oak?"

"A pipsqueak like you couldn't even handle one small gang untrained Squirtles," the brown-haired boy taunted, "It wouldn't even be fair on my part to let you lose to my Pokemon. I'd feel terrible if I sent you home crying."

"You shouldn't make promises your Pokemon can't keep," the dark-haired girl stepped closer, head tilted upwards to increase the efficiency of her glare, "If you're so confident, than let's have a battle."

Gary replicated her action, until they were only a handsbreadth apart. This close, it was easy to see that he was almost a head taller than the dark-haired girl. "Name your terms."

"Two-on-two, no substitutions," Ash bartered, ignoring the way her friends stared at the two.

"You can only bring two Pokemon to battle, Ashlet?" Gary made a tsking sound, "How disappointing. The least you can make it is a three-on-three match."

Ash hesitated. She had caught Bulbasaur less than a week ago, and Charmander was in no state for a battle, but she really wanted to wipe that smirk off Gary's face… "You're on."

As their two trainers were trying to glare each other to death, their starters were having a far more congenial conversation.

'Hi! My name's Pikachu,' the electric mouse said, with a friendly expression, 'I'm Ash's starter.'

'I'm Wartortle, and that's… oh, he's sleeping again,' the water type sweat dropped, as saw his silent comrade, 'Ignore Kadabra. He's recently evolved, and hasn't managed to drop off his Abra habits yet.'

'That's fine,' Pikachu replied, politely, 'So, how's your trainer working out for you? My trainer talks about him sometimes.'

'Gary's great,' Wartortle said, mischievously, 'Though, he talks about your trainer at least once a day. It was nice of her to shake my hand.'

'She's that kind of human,' Pikachu's voice was filled with pride, 'The best type of trainer you can ask for. Only your trainer's turning her into an Ursaring on a bad day.'

The other Pokemon waved it off. 'Gary's a smart boy, but he hasn't learned how to talk to girls yet. Hey, you should meet the rest of our team one day. Fearow's convinced we're going to be in-laws.'

'Well I don't want to count any Exeggcute before they hatch,' Pikachu chuckled, 'But if there's one thing Pidgeotto's taught me, it's to never bet against the Pokemon with the aerial view.'

The Pokemon continued their amiable chatting for a few more minutes, until their trainers had finished insulting one another. Wartortle and Kadabra were then recalled, while Pikachu got scooped up by an irritated Ash. The group of teens then followed the brown-haired boy, as he led them to a riverside clearing fit for a Pokemon battle.

As Ash began to sulk, Misty walked forward until she was alongside Gary. Her friend had mentioned the boy often enough, that she was interested in knowing more about him.

"That Wartortle of yours looks very healthy," Misty complimented, "I specialize in Water Pokemon, so I could see the slickness of his skin and the way his fluffy blue ears spiked upward."

Gary looked surprised, but then a cocky grin crossed his face. "Well I learned a lot about Wartortle's type from Gramp's lab," he boasted, "His evolutionary line is difficult to evolve, but when he becomes a Blastoise, he'll be able to help me travel across the regions by sea. Blastoise have some of the best stamina of all Kanto Pokemon, and, while the Squirtle lines' defense has always been high, their attack power receives a major boost when they get those high-pressure canons. They're also particularly sensitive to vibrations in the ground, which makes it difficult to launch surprise attacks…"

Misty nodded, suppressing the urge to roll her eyes. Ash's description of her childhood playmate's arrogance didn't do it justice. "Is Wartortle the only Water Pokemon you have?"

"I also have a Krabby and a Poliwhirl," he answered, "I'm hoping to find a Tentacool along the coast, so I can add some more poison types to my team. My selection criteria for Pokemon isn't as selective as Ash's would be. She's always wanted a small, close team, that she could give a lot of personal attention to."

The redhaired girl's eyebrows rose. "You're not calling her 'Ashlet'," she noted.

"That name is mostly to annoy her," Gary grinned, "Did she tell you where it came from?"

Misty shook her head in the negative, and the brunette boy continued. "As a researcher, my Gramps has access to some exotic Pokemon from far-off regions. One day, he received a Unova water and flying type by transfer, so he could study its adaptability in Kanto's warmer weather. That Pokemon was a baby Ducklett, and he became obsessed with following Ash around. I think the poor guy just wanted attention, but every time Ducklett came close enough, he would soak Ash with a Water Gun. He was dedicated to it too; one day, he managed to escape the farm, and waddle down to Pallet Primary, where he used Rain Dance on the entire class!"

A mirthful smile cross his face, as he recalled the look of sheer horror on Ash's face that day.

"No matter what she did, Ash couldn't convince the Ducklett to leave her alone, or at least stop using Water Gun on her," Gary chuckled, "Daisy, my older sister, said that it looked like the baby Ducklett was following his mom around, so I coined the name 'Ashlet' from that. It frustrates her to no end, and reminds her of diminutive size at the same time. She even puffs up like an angry Ducklett's tail feathers whenever I say it."

"Okay, I can see why that would annoy Ash," Misty replied, laughing, "How many other funny childhood stories do you have of her?"

A wicked grin crossed the younger boy's face. "If there's a single embarrassing moment that I wasn't there for, I'd be surprised. Did she tell you about the time she used a Ditto to try and convince our teacher that shiny purple Vulpix can exist?"

By the time they had reached the battling area, the two trainers had found unlikely shared ground from trading stories about their mutual dark-haired friend. Gary's longer familiarity with her gave him more stories to offer, but the brown-haired boy didn't bother to hide his interest in Misty's accounts. The observant trainer from Cerulean City noticed the soft smile on his face, as she discussed Ash's latest catches, and her tendency to resort to a few, oft-made dishes whenever it was her turn to cook.

"We tried to establish a weekly slot for dinner, but after having spaghetti and meatballs four times in a row, I had to put his foot down," Misty lamented dramatically, "And the less said about the rock projectiles that Ash tries to pass off as Poffins, the better."

"Ash's cooking talents come more from bull-headed determination than anything else," Gary commented, "Her first attempt at that dish featured a tomato sauce that substituted sugar for- I assume- every other ingredient in that recipe, including the tomatoes."

The two shared a laugh at that, but while Misty felt a newfound familiarity with the brunette, she still planned to cheer for Ash in their battles. She took a seat under the shadowed, leafy boughs, as Brock would be the referee for the match.

"This is a three-on-three match between Ash Ketchum of Pallet Town, and Gary Oak, also of Pallet Town," Brock raised his flags upward, "There will be no substitutions allowed, and the winner will be the one with the last Pokemon remaining in the battleground. Begin!"

"Let's have a battle, Nidorino!" Gary called, releasing a smoky purple Pokemon with spikes running along his back. Nidorino snorted, and pawed the ground.

Two flashes came from Ash's side of the field, as Charmander and Bulbasaur both appeared. Although Gary was aware of both of her catches, he couldn't stop the surprise from momentary crossing his face at the appearance of two of the three starters. They were rare enough, that only two Professors in the entirety of the Kanto region were licensed to give them out to trainers, and even then, there were years when none were available. Catching one in the wild was impressive; catching two an act of incredible luck or impressive skill.

'Though if the Kanto Shoki is true, I shouldn't be surprised,' Gary considered grimly, 'They wouldn't throw Ash in the path of legendaries, without powerful allies by her side, would they?'

He shook his head. The brunette was basing his anxieties on an ancient record that was probably half fable, and better left forgotten anyway. Besides, who would be reckless enough to make tiny, naive, and immature Ashlet some type of Chosen One, anyway?

Ignorant of her friend's mental chiding, Ash was speaking to her two new Pokemon.

"Okay, Charmander, you're not cleared off for battling yet," she said, pointing to the mint green paste that had been reapplied to his ribs just this morning, "But I feel that you would benefit from watching a battle anyway. You could see some of the strategies we use, and encourage the rest of the team."

Charmander nodded. "Mander!" He would cheer his comrades on dutifully.

Ash was glad for the fire lizard's easy acceptance. Damien's actions were even more extensive than she had originally thought, and Charmander would need several more weeks of potions, ointments, and physical therapy, before he could be cleared to battle. He had undergone Nurse Joy's procedures without complaint, but when Ash noticed that Charmander wasn't receiving a few of the medicines that had been so instrumental to Pikachu's recovery- the burn healing cream, in particular- she had questioned the woman.

It turned out that there was a fund to pay for the medical costs of abused Pokemon, but the portion allotted would only cover the most serious of Charmander's injuries. The fire type would live, but he would never reach his peak battling ability, and may not even be able to evolve, as evolution would place undue stress on his weak internal organs. Ash had requested that Charmander's regimen be changed to include all of the medicines that he needed for full recovery, and paid the remainder of the costs out of her own pocket. Between these costs, Pikachu's medical bills, and the Poffin oven, Ash was most likely going to complete her first year with finances in the red, but she could bear with that.

What Ash couldn't bare, was for Charmander's future to be permanently affected by a boy that had better hope he never came across her in a dark alley someday.

"As for you, Bulbasaur, you'll be facing Nidorino," Ash switched her attention to the grass type, "I know we haven't battled together often, but you're strong, and I have no doubt that you'll do well. May I scan you again, though?"

At Bulbasaur's nod, she pointed the Pokedex at him.

"Bulbasaur, the Seed Pokemon. It bears the seed of a plant on its back from birth. The seed slowly develops. Researchers are unsure whether to classify Bulbasaur as a plant or animal. Bulbasaur are extremely calm and very difficult to capture in the wild. This Bulbasaur knows Tackle, Growl, Leech Seed, Vine Whip, and Sleep Powder. He has the special ability Chlorophyll."

Since he was already there, she directed it towards Charmander next.

"Charmander. A flame burns on the tip of its tail from birth. It is said that a Charmander dies if its flame ever goes out. This Charmander knows Growl, Scratch, Ember, Slash, and Smokescreen. His special ability is Blaze."

"Hey, Ashlet, it's not too late to forfeit now," Gary called out, "You shouldn't even be battling, if you don't know what moves your Pokemon have!"

Ash scowled. "Bite me," she shouted back. "Bulbasaur, take to the field."

"Nidorino, use Horn Attack," Gary called the first attack, making the purple Pokemon rush forward.

"Jump, Bulbasaur," Ash ordered, her grass type's vines whipping out to propel him into the air. "Sleep Powder over the field."

"Saur," the rubbery folds of his bulb planted on his back flexed open, as a greyish-blue powder whirled into the air. Bulbasaur's shook his body to expand the range of the attack.

"Use Dig, Nidorino," Gary quickly interjected, "That's an uncommonly agile Bulbasaur you have there, Ashlet. Impressive."

Despite the use of the disliked nickname, the girl smirked. "He's a unique character," she agreed, "Let me show you the versatility of his talents. Bulbasaur, it's time to paint."

"Mander, char, char," the fire Pokemon excitedly chattered from the sidelines, once Bulbasaur landed. Rather than retract his vines, the grass type extended them over the fallen sleep powder, coating them in the potent grey-blue mixture.

"Pika, chu, pi," Pikachu agreed, watching the battle with rapt eyes. He called out. "Pi-chu, pika!"

"Bulbasaur," his teammate responded, red eyes tracking the ground. "Bulba…"

"Come out, Nidorino, and use Peck, followed by Poison Sting."

"Rino!" The super-effective flying type move caught Bulbasaur unaware, and sent the Saurian stumbling back. It was immediately followed by a set of pink-purple needles that the winded grass type was unable to dodge.

"Bulba-!" The grass type cried out, one knee crumbling under the poison's entrance. As the affected area became a dark purple, Gary grinned.

"Poison Sting once more," he ordered. Ash began to get worried. Now that Bulbasaur was under the status move, his time was limited.

"Dodge, and use Leech Seed," she said, causing the Nidorino to dodge towards the river. Ash's eyes narrowed. "Leech Seed, again! Once more, Bulbasaur!"

"Bulbasaur's trying to corner you," Gary shouted, "Cut those seeds open with Horn Attack, Nidorino, and then use Take Down."

"Catch him!" Bulbasaur's vines went flying forward, enveloping the purple Pokemon. He didn't care about the poisonous spikes digging into him, as he had already been infected. "Bring him down, Bulbasaur!"

"Poison Sting, Nidorino," Gary intoned calmly.

"Nido," the Poison type released another set of needles, before the status powder took effect. His sleep transitioned into unconsciousness, as Bulbasaur's drove the body harshly into the ground.

"Saur," Bulbasaur winced, as he was hit by more pinkish-purple energy. His body began to sag.

"This round goes to Ash Ketchum," Brock announced, as Gary recalled his Pokemon. Despite the fact that Bulbasaur was still standing, Ash called him in too. The poison was moving too quickly through the grass type's bloodstream for him to be effective for another round, and the Pokeball's stasis would temporarily halt that pain.

"Not bad, Ashlet," Gary complimented, "Maybe you know a thing or two about battling, but you'll have a much harder time against Growlithe."

He released the orange and cream Puppy Pokemon, who cheerfully announced his name as he arrived on the field. Ash observed the adorable creature with interest; he was the forerunner to one of the most powerful fire types, Arcanine. Despite the controversy over whether Arcanine was a Psuedo-Legendary or Legendary Pokemon, there was no doubt that it was a strong species.

"Pidgeotto, let's start things off with a Sand Attack," the dark-haired girl released her flying type.

Unfortunately, Gary saw the danger. "Use Ember on that sand, Growlithe! She's using it to hide Bulbasaur's Sleep Powder!"

"Growlithe." Small fireballs came out of the Puppy Pokemon's mouth, burning through the sand.

Ash smiled. "You see through my tricks too easily, Gary. Try a Wing Attack, Pidgeotto."

"Pidgeo!" The bird angled her body to the left, as she swept down on her opponent.

"Catch that wing with a Bite, and follow it up with Ember," Gary ordered, making Growlithe lunge forward.

"Use Gust to push him away," Ash countered, "Get into the air, and toss another Sand Attack."

"Ember," the brown-haired boy snapped. Seeing that Ash had no intention of drawing Pidgeotto closer to the fire type's strong jaws, and unable to use any long-distance attacks himself, he sighed. "Roar."

Growlithe released a deep, growling sound from the back of his throat, and Pidgeotto's body was sucked back inside of her Pokeball. "What the heck?" Ash asked, blinking in surprise.

"Roar forces the target to switch out of battle," Gary explained, "Since we were both at a stalemate, I decided to change the terms of the battle. Don't worry, Roar counts as an exception to the substitution rule according to League handbooks."

"Huh, you learn something every day then," the dark-haired girl commented, "Alright then. Pikachu, to the battlefield! Use Quick Attack."

Rather than order Growlithe to dodge, Gary chose an unexpected route. "Ember!"

"Pika!" As Pikachu's body slammed into the other Pokemon, fireballs skimmed over his body and left painful burns in its wake. Both Pokemon jumped away from the engagement, but the electric mouse had gotten the shorter end of the stick, with black soot staining his skin.

"Use Thundershock, Pikachu," Ash clenched her fist, "Then concentrate the electricity."

"Chu!" As the widespread electric attack made Growlithe squeal in pain, Pikachu shifted the attack to Thunderbolt, making the bolt of energy even more effective and damaging. "Pi-chu!"

"Dammit!" Gary looked panicked, "Use Fire Wheel, Growlithe!"

Ash's eyes widened, as the Puppy Pokemon's cream coat became enveloped in flames, and he rolled forward. The strong move was clearly unfinished, as the fire wasn't compressed around Growlithe's body, but it absorbed enough speed that it could be very damaging if it hit Pikachu. Unless…

"Iron Tail, Pikachu," Ash announced, "Toss Growlithe away!"

"Pika, pikapi," Her starter braced himself, as his tail began to glow, but before either attack could hit, a spout of water hit both combatants.

"Pika!" Pikachu cried, tossed back by the Water Gun.

"Lithe!" Gary's Pokemon wailed, as the super-effective move knocked him unconscious.

"Where did that just come from?" The brunette demanded, turning towards the source of the attack, by the forest side, "The Squirtle Squad?!"

Ash turned to see a group of five small, blue Pokemon, with yellow bellies, and dark sunglasses, laughing at them. The one at the center, whose sunglasses had pointy edges unlike the circular ones of his brethren, was laughing the hardest, and holding red, candle-shaped objects in his hands. Ash squinted her eyes in order to identify the objects.

'Fireworks!' The trainer from Pallet Town realized, 'How did the Squirtles get their hands on those?'

"Squirtle, squir," the lead miscreant chortled, making a face, "Squirtle!"

"This is a private battle," Gary snapped, recalling his Pokemon, and unclipping another Pokeball, "Leave, before my Wartortle comes out and makes you."

That was definitely the wrong thing to say, as the Squirtle Gang practically howled their refusal. Several more water guns were shot at them, and Ash hurriedly threw herself in front of Charmander before he could get. She recalled the distressed fire type, before going through the possibilities.

'Charmander and Magikarp aren't options, Bulbasaur's been poisoned, and Pikachu can fight, but got injured from battling,' Ash considered, 'Pidgeotto's my best best, but she's not very effective against large groups of water types. If necessary, I'll have her use Sand Attack, so I can sneak away.'

It galled her not to stand her ground and fight, but Ash wasn't one to pointlessly engage in risky battles. Most of the time.

"Squirtle, squirtle, squir!" The lead Squirtle chanted, as the other members of the gang took out more fireworks from under their shells. They lit up the wicks and tossed it at the trainers. "Squirtle!"

"Kadabra, use Protect!"

"Blow them away with Gust, Butterfree!"

The two attacks tossed most of the sparking fireworks back, causing the Squirtle to withdraw into their shells. Drawing on their confidence, the gang popped back out, with even more projectiles. Butterfree and Kadabra made quick work of tossing them back.

"Guys, the wicks are still lit," Brock announced, staring at the grass. Flames had begun to spread. "We have to stop the fire!"

"I hadn't thought of that," Misty winced, "Chinchou, Slowpoke, Starmie… use Water Gun."

"You too, Wartortle," Gary appeared dismayed, as he called his starter out, "Set those flames out!"

By then, the flames had grown far stronger than intended, eating up the grass as kindling, and strengthened by Butterfree's wind-based deflections. Ash ran forward to pick Pikachu up, panic rising up as she looked around at the treeline, which was enveloped in fire.

"Squirt, squirtle!" Their tormentors had also noticed the flames by now, and were trying to counteract them. The Water Gun was proving ineffective against the rapidly growing forest fire.

"Get into the lake," Misty shouted, running forward, "Hurry!"

The teens made a rush for the lake, Ash lagging behind from carting Pikachu and being the one closest to the tree line. She was almost at the edge, when she heard a desperate cry from behind her.

"Squirtle!" The terrified voice, made her pause and half-turn towards the flickering orange and yellow flames. One of the trees had snapped straight through, and a heavy branch had fallen on a squirming blue shape. Ash's heart leapt up to her throat. The Squirtle was trapped!

She didn't even need to consider her decision.

"Ash, what are you doing?!" Gary howled, as the dark-haired girl dropped Pikachu, turned around, and ripped one sleeve open. "Ash!"

"Squirtle needs my help!" She wrapped the fabric around her mouth, and threw herself back into the smoky forest.

"Dammit, Ash!" Gary pulled himself up from the water, and ran after her. "Why do you have to be so reckless?!"

Ash couldn't hear him, as she tried to navigate the thick, cloying smoke of the fire. The dark-haired girl could easily avoid the licking tongues of red and orange flames, but the black vapor stung at her eyes, and made them water. Despite the fabric around her mouth, some of the smoke managed to enter her mouth and made the girl cough. Focusing on her ears, she half-stumbled her way over to the sobbing Squirtle.

"H-here," she hacked out, kneeling and keeping her face tilted down to avoid more smog entering her throat, "I'm h-here."

"Squir," the black sunglasses had fallen off, so wide hazel eyes were staring at her own, "Squirtle!"

Ash tried to lift the branch, but discovered that it was too heavy for her to move. Still coughing, she chose to throw her strength against it instead, pushing it sideways over Squirtle's body.

"Squirt," the water Pokemon stiffened his body, as the rough bark scraped against his skin.

'Almost there,' Ash urged, as her head began to spin. 'A little more…'

Suddenly, she felt the branch get lifted into the air. Blinking her eyes rapidly to clear her sight, she glimpsed a grey, muscular Pokemon holding the heavy implement up. A second later, Squirtle had scrabbled himself into her arms, and Ash was roughly being pulled up.

The dark brown eyes of a familiar trainer glared at her. Although one hand was covering his mouth, Gary used the other to enfold her into a tight hug. His mouth was pressed against her ear. "Brace yourself."

In the next moment, Ash was enveloped in Psychic energy as Kadabra Transported them out of there.

xxxxxxx

The first order of business is an apology, for my delay in posting this chapter. The reason I took so long was because of midterm exams, which I have thankfully completed the last of, yesterday. Secondly, concerning my previous question, there was a close divide between Pikachu battling or not, but- by a narrow margin of 6 to 5- was yes, Pikachu should battle. The other top battler was Bulbasaur, so those two will be featured against Lt. Surge.

Anyway, this chapter was fairly action-oriented, and had some, hopefully decent, battling. I'm trying to avoid the type of battles where trainers just shout direct attacks at their Pokemon, but not be so complex that a beginner couldn't conceivably pull it off. And while I haven't mentioned the Pokemon that lifted the branch at the end, I did leave the answer blatantly in the chapter, so I assume that everyone will be able to find it. I also explicitly stated the main source of relationship conflict Ash and Gary will have down the line. I think it fits with both of their characters, and shows that while they do have complementary personalities, they'll need to put in the effort to make a relationship work.

Next Question: Which one of Ash's Pokemon should be the first to evolve? Note that, regardless of who it should be, it will not affect my decisions on battling Lt. Surge.

xxxxxxx

A Pokemon List (In Order of Seniority) for 00-SilentObserver-13:

Ashlyn Ketchum: Pikachu, Magikarp, Pidgeotto, Bulbasaur, Charmander, and Squirtle

Misty Waterflower: Starmie, Butterfree, Chinchou, and Slowpoke

Brock Harris: Zubat and Eevee

Gary Oak (Pokemon on Hand): Wartortle, Nidorino, Machoke, Growlithe, and Kadabra

Chapter Text

"How could we have gotten so lost?!" Misty demanded, looking through the map in her hand.

"We assumed that Ash knew what she was doing, and followed accordingly," Brock answered, pausing to sniff the air, "Do you smell the ocean?"

"Yes," the red-haired girl admitted, "But we shouldn't be anywhere near Vermillion City yet, and since we were moving inland… Ash, are you paying attention?"

"Huh?" The dark-haired girl looked up, still absently playing with the cuffs on her sleeves, "Um, yeah. I agree with Brock."

Not so oblivious as to disregard the dangerous twitch of Misty's features, Ash had the presence of mind to duck before her friend's fist connected with her head. "Sorry, sorry," she said, hurriedly, "I've been thinking about the events at our last town."

The water specialist's face immediately became sympathetic. "You're not still suffering from a sore throat, are you?"

"Nah, Nurse Joy patched me up perfectly," Ash assured, "I'm worried about… other things."

"You were in a dangerous and traumatizing situation," Brock empathized, patting her shoulder, "Take all the time you need to acclimate to it."

"We can ask for directions as soon as we come across someone," Misty forced a smile, "Don't worry about it."

Ash nodded gratefully, and the three trainers lapsed into silence. The youngest traveler among them felt slightly guilty for not correcting her friend's assumptions. While she was still a little shaken from running into a fire, the bulk of her worrying thoughts centered around the conversation afterward. The fire itself happened too quickly to make much of an impression, and after it was over, each one of her friends took the time to express their displeasure for her careless actions.

Gary had been the first person to yell at her, after his Kadabra had brought them to the town's Poke Center, and they had both undergone minor oxygen treatments. He had been well into his rant, when Ash- grateful for his help- had impulsively wrapped her arms around him, and gave him a thankful hug. The brunette's face had gone a peculiar shade of cherry red, which Ash assumed was from anger, because his resumed scolding had been- if anything- even more fierce than before.

Ash was well-used to Gary's overreactions at this point though, and resigned to the subsequent dressing down she would receive from Misty, Brock, Professor Oak, and, worst of all, her mother. Her actions were every bit as reckless and ill-thought as they claimed, and while Ash would have done it all over again if she had to, she didn't begrudge them their concern. No, the main reason Ash was worried was because of the conversation Gary initiated several hours later.

Flashback Starts

"I want you to be careful, Ashlet," Gary's face was unusually serious, "You have a strong sense of right and wrong, and a habit of doing something stupid when you see someone that needs you help. It's an incredible characteristic to have- one of your best traits, even- but it also puts you in undue danger."

"Gary, haven't you already yelled at me for going into the fire?" Ash asked, tiredly, "I know that my actions were reckless, that I should have asked for help, that smoke inhalation is a serious medical issue, and so on. I've heard all of this already."

"That's not what I'm talking about," the boy sighed, frustrated, "Look, I left behind some notes for you at Fuchsia City with Koga. Ask him for a copy if you have the chance, and Ash… don't visit the Shamouti Islands."

"What?" An expression of confusion crossed the young girl's face. "Don't visit the Shamouti Islands? Gary, you're not making any sense."

"Just promise me," he insisted, "You don't need to go there for an Indigo League badge, so please don't visit."

Despite the incredulity in Ash's face, she nodded. The urgency in her friend's voice compelled her to obey the minor request. "Can you at least tell me why?"

Gary laughed weakly. "I don't think you'll believe me. I don't think I believe myself."

"Then why ask me to avoid Shamouti Island?" Ash asked.

"You might understand when you read my notes," the boy answered cryptically. A half-smile crossed his face, as he ruffled her hair. "One more promise?"

She batted his hand away, and huffed. "You're asking me to trust you, without giving me a reason why!"

"I know," Gary's smile widened, "Please Ashlet? For your very best friend in the whole wide world?"

The dark-haired girl rolled her eyes. "If it's not too ridiculous," she allowed.

"Promise me that you'll avoid any pink, catlike Pokemon."

Flashback Ends

Ash didn't know where those two random promises had come from, but she had given her word to Gary that she would follow them. Then, the young girl had proceeded to spend the night searching anything related to those requests, to understand why Gary had been so insistent. She had learned that Shamouti Island was on top of an active volcano, which may have explained Gary's first fear, but the second one made no sense. The only pink, catlike Pokemon Ash had been able to discover were Skitty and Espeon, and the former didn't even reside in Kanto. Neither were particularly scary either.

As she had made a solemn vow to her oldest friend, Ash would honor those words. Still, the mystery constantly wriggling in her mind, coupled with the lack of sleep from a night of research, had made for a very grumpy twelve-year-old the next morning. Her friends had noticed her unhappiness, but had made the logical assumption that it was due to her recent brush with significant injury, if not death.

Their assumption gave her the silence she needed to reorganize her thoughts, but no matter how Ash looked at it, the answers remained as murky as a Muk. As the trees in front of them became thinner and sparser on the ground, Ash pushed her worries out of her mind, and resolved to pay them no attention. She would either receive her answers when she got to Fuschia City, or spend her life following two minor requests that weren't too difficult.

"There's a lighthouse!" Misty said excitedly, pointing to a conical brick structure situated at the edge of the cliffs, "We might be able to get some directions there."

"Or we might be meeting a crazy recluse," Brock countered, one hand drifting to his Pokeball, "The place is either abandoned, or inhabited by someone that literally in the middle of nowhere. Maybe we should all keep one Pokemon at hand?"

"It's a fair precaution," Ash agreed, rubbing Pikachu's head, "Ready to shock any weirdos inside, Pikachu?"

"Pi, pikapi," her starter confirmed, rubbing his cheek against her ear. "Pika."

"Butterfree, we might need your help," Misty released the dual bug and flying type. "If you see anyone suspicious, then use Sleep Powder, okay?"

"Free," Butterfree nodded, hovering a few feet above his trainer's head.

The three cautiously made their way to the lighthouse, before stopping, entranced, by the large metal door in the front. Ash wasn't sure about her friend's reactions, but she was filled with a sense of wonder as she saw the beautifully inscribed images on the metal plates. The entrance was easily three times the height of a grown man, and partitioned into 24 parts, each featuring a Kanto Pokemon.

"There's Dugtrio, Arcanine, Golbat, Lapras, Ditto, Gengar, Hypno, Scyther…" Brock whispered in awe.

"Vaporeon, Pinsir, Hariyama, Mankey, Victreebel, Muk, Tauros, Mankey…" Misty continued, smirking.

"Kakuna, Flareon, Machoke, Graveler, Koffing, and… Omanyte, I think," Ash hesitated, "The fossil Pokemon."

"What's this bird Pokemon?" The water trainer questioned, peering closer to see the lightning clouds emblazoned on the metal.

"One of the legendary birds, Zapdos," Ash replied, confidently. She had learned a lot about legendary Pokemon from her mother's stories. The dark-haired girl frowned, and traced the one plate that none of them could name.

"I wonder what this Pokemon is," Brock leaned in closer to take a look, "It looks a bit feline, but almost tall enough to be human-sized."

The other two were ignorant of Ash's startled gasp, as they began to throw out theories about the mystery Pokemon. The youngest trainer's mind was racing as she studied the Pokemon; she couldn't name him, but she instinctively knew that she had seen him before. This Pokemon was important to her. She didn't know why, she didn't know when, she didn't know how… but Ash would meet him again some day, and he would change her life.

She would probably end up breaking her promise to Gary then, too.

"Why don't we just ask the person living here?" Misty suggested, cutting off the argument in order to ring the lighthouse doorbell. "Hello? Is anyone here?"

"Who are you?" A male voice, distorted by the speaker, came through a metal box placed within the wall, "What are you doing here?"

"We're three trainers who have gotten lost on our way to Vermilion City," the red haired girl explained, "May we come in?"

"That depends," the voice replied, "Do any of you know how to cook? Without tofu?"

"We all do," Misty answered, "We'd like to use your kitchen to make a meal, and, if you want, we'll be happy to share."

"Excellent!" The voice was filled with relief, "My cook has gone on vacation, and I haven't had anything but tofu for the last week. Come in."

The steel doors swung open, and Misty cautiously led the way in. Ash had to squint against the dim lighting, as she looked around the entrance. It had all of the hallmarks of wealth that one could expect from a man with a personal cook, from the dark wood-paneled walls to the luxurious red carpet. She was particularly interested in the bookcases that lined each wall, and were overflowing with paper.

The only thing that was missing was the lighthouse owner himself.

"Hey! Where are you?" Misty cupped her hands to her mouth, and shouted.

"I'm over here," a deep, muffled voice, as a brown Pokemon with two scythes attached his body stumbled forward into the light.

"A talking Kabutops," Ash said enthusiastically, "Pikachu, use Thunderbolt!"

"Pika-CHU!" The mouse's attack made the Kabutops spasm in the air, before crashing down. Smoke wafted from his body, as Ash tossed a Pokeball at him. The Pokeball made a dull thunk sound as it hit Kabutops, and then bounced off. Frowning, she threw another, only to achieve the same result.

"Ow! Stop throwing Pokeballs at me," the Kabutops wailed, making his mandible quiver, "I'm not a Pokemon!"

Ash paused, and prodded the body experimentally with her foot. The substance did feel softer than what she assumed a bug fossil's skin would feel. "Huh. You're not. Why are you dressed as a Pokemon?"

"I wanted to do research on Kabutops' behavior," the man in the costume exclaimed, struggling to lift his body back up, "Didn't you know that I was human when I started talking to you?"

The dark-haired girl shrugged, embarrassedly. "I've met a talking Meowth before."

"Really?" The Kabutops' head cocked to the side in interest, "How fascinating! It must be using the energy inherent in each Pokemon to manipulate its larynx- wait! Are you trying to distract me so I won't get angry?"

"...No?" Ash replied, weakly, "Is there any way I can make it up to you?"

"Pi, pika-pi-chu?" Pikachu added, in an apologetic tone.

"You can get me out of this costume," the man answered, "And then maybe we can discuss that talking Meowth you saw…"

xxxxxxx

There existed a comfortable silence between Ash and Bill, as the former washed the dirty dishes, and then passed it on to the latter to dry. During a delicious meal by Brock and dessert by Misty, the two discovered that they shared many similar interests, chief among them a fascination for rare, unusual, or legendary Pokémon. Being also in possession of chatty natures, it soon became that their self-imposed silence was broken.

"You have a beautiful home, Bill," Ash began, "In particular, the lighthouse's door has amazing depictions of several of Kanto's Pokemon. My friends and I were able to name almost all of them, but there was one that confused me."

"Was it of the feline Pokemon standing on two hind legs?" Bill questioned. At her nod, he added, "I was unable to identify that Pokemon myself. This lighthouse was built in my great-grandfather's time, and the door built in then. It was a gift from a travelling Psychic, and her Mystic Pokemon, Xatu."

"I've never heard about a Pokemon called Xatu before," Ash broached, "Is it from another region?"

Bill smiled at her minor pique. "I would have been surprised if the Pokemon originated from Kanto, but was unknown to you," he complimented, "I suppose- correctly, by your smile- that you were the one to identify Zapdos and Omanyte? That was impressive."

The scientist ignored her flush of pleasure, and continued. "Xatu is a Johto dual Pokemon, of flying and psychic types, that is often aware of knowledge that it should, by all rights, not know. This has led some scientists to attribute the gift of prophecy to the Xatu line."

"But you don't believe that?" Ash noticed. The dark-haired man grimaced.

"I know that many Pokemon have powers far beyond human capability," he confessed, "But those abilities have been publically documented, independently verified, and rigorously tested. Xatu is one of those Pokemon whose abilities are less tangible, and that makes it difficult to measure or study them. Many of the people who believe in that claim, have little more proof to their name then mere faith. Admittedly, my own training and profession predisposes me to be skeptical of the matter…"

"That's perfectly understandable," Ash replied, assuringly, "Still, I would like to believe that there are many wonders of the Pokemon world that humans have yet to discover, and keep an open mind, so that I can learn about them one day. Maybe this mysterious Pokemon hasn't been documented yet?"

"Most likely," Bill agreed, "Now, instead of talking about Pokemon from Johto, why don't you tell me about the ones on your team?"

"I have six Pokemon," Ash reported proudly, "Pikachu was my starter, but I also have a Magikarp, Pidgeotto, Bulbasaur, Charmander, and Squirtle."

"You caught all three starters?!" Bill gaped at her, disbelief in his tone, "That's incredible! Wild Bulbasaur are very rare, and, while there are larger Charmander and Squirtle populations, they concentrate in a few, difficult-to-reach environments. You'd have to scour the volcanic mountainside of Cinnabar Island for days just to find a Charmander."

"I caught them by a stroke of luck," Ash admitted sheepishly, rubbing the back of her neck, "In the space of a week, I came across Bulbasaur, who was the self-declared protector of a wild Pokemon spa, Charmander, who was curled up on a rock by the road, and Squirtle, who was running his own gang."

The young scientist seemed to have forgotten that he had any dishes in his hands. "You sound like an interesting friend to have, Ashlyn Ketchum."

"Thank you?" Her tone suggested that she was unsure of what to do with his statement.

Fortunately, he moved on. "Those are stories that I would like to hear from you later," Bill said, resuming his chore, "Curled up by a fire and with a cup of hot chocolate in hand. Now, I find it curious that you would carry all six Pokemon with you. Don't you want to leave a slot open for a future catch?"

Bill was surprised when the dark-haired girl vehemently shook her head. "They're my team!" she declared, passionately, "I plan to travel throughout Kanto with them."

"Although a plan based on affection, I would caution you against it," Bill said, bluntly, "There's a reason that there's a limit to the Pokemon that you have on hand. For one, sending them to the licenser allows them to monitor the Pokemon for neglect or abuse, as well as giving them necessary time to recuperate. Additionally, licensors are usually scientists, breeders, or other professionals that can benefit from having a variety of Pokemon on hand to study. Another reason concerns the expense on the system- basic aid may be covered by the League, but the Poke Centers can only handle so many patients. Not to mention that most trainers aren't mature enough to handle so many Pokemon at once."

Although mildly stung by his words, Ash cautiously nodded her understanding. Bill's reasoning was logical and astute; as a novice, she hadn't even considered those concerns. Eyeing the young girl warily to see whether or not she took offense, Bill hesitantly continued.

"Those reasons, though individually important, are not even the main reason why the League bans unlimited carrying of Pokemon," he stated, "The most important argument in favor of limits is that trainers make up the minority of the population that are in possession of more than six Pokemon, and when they battle, they shouldn't need more than six. A good trainer needs to be strategic and practical in their team set-up, because they may not always have the best Pokemon on hand."

"I see," Ash said quietly, after taking a few minutes to contemplate his words, "Then I'll just have to challenge the Indigo League with six Pokemon then."

"..." Bill shook his head, "You are a very stubborn girl."

An impish smile crossed his new friend's face. "Thank you!"

"That was not a compliment," Bill complained, laughing, "If you're so convinced about the matter, than you should look into an exemption license."

"They have exemption licenses for carry limits?" Ash's disbelief was profound. "They give exemption licenses to beginner trainers?"

"It's not unlimited," the scientist warned, "The maximum amount is twelve Pokemon, six of which have to be designated for your Primary Team, and used for official battles. And you don't get all of your slots at once. If you have three Main Gym badges, they can be raised to eight slots, four badges, ten slots, five badges, eleven slots, and six badges, twelve. By that point, it's assumed that you're pretty much guaranteed to come to the League Championship, and can handle two teams."

"That sounds absolutely perfect!" Ash burst out, giddily bouncing on the balls of her feet, "How do I apply for a license?"

"Well, you'll need to be sponsored by a mid-level League official, excluding your licenser," Bill mused, waving his hand negligently in the air, "Hmm… I technically qualify, and you did have the excellent judgement to compliment my house. I think I'll fill out the paperwork tomorrow."

The trainer's eyes were starry. "Bill," Ash said seriously, "You are now the greatest friend in the entire world. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise."

xxxxxxx

Bill had invited them to stay at his humble abode for a few days, to focus on training and recuperate from the fatigue of their travels. Ash wouldn't have characterized anything within the lighthouse to be humble, from the gleaming crystal chandeliers to the good-natured boasting of the owner, but had been happy to accept the invitation nonetheless. Bill had even issued an open allowance for his library, which Ash and Brock, at least, were willing to take full advantage of.

The Pallet Town trainer had taken a break from her readings for her Charmander's daily application of medicinal cream.

"Can you lift your arm up?" Ash asked, once the fire lizard's back and shoulders were covered by a minty paste. "Good. Do you feel any soreness?"

"Char," the fire Pokemon shook his head. He proudly flexed one thin arm, and growled. "Mander!"

Ash made no attempt to hide her smile. "Then you should be ready for some light exercises tomorrow. Today you can enjoy the beach, though I want you to avoid getting into the ocean. I'm not sure if this cream is waterproof."

"Mander." The fire Pokémon made a face, as though the mere mention of a large body of water was offensive to his sensibilities.

"Just wanted to make sure that we were on the same page," Ash soothed, putting the medical supplies away. "Would you like a Poffin?"

"Charm," was the enthusiastic response. The young fire type was the only one of Ash's Pokémon to enjoy the burnt, rock-hard snacks. Even Squirtle, whose food preferences were limited to 'mostly edible', avoided the berry-filled cakes. After handing a few Poffins over to Charmander, Ash stepped outside and called two of her other Pokémon over to her.

"Okay, I've made the decision to use you two in our next gym battle, against Lt. Surge," Ash explained, "Bulbasaur has a type advantage, and Pikachu's Lightning Rod ability could help us negate Surge's powerful electric attacks. We won't be facing him for another week, at least, so I want to spend this time getting some serious training in. Are you up for it?"

"Bulba," the green Saurian replied, nodding seriously. A hint of pride glimmered in his red eyes.

"Pika, pikapi!" the electric mouse's reply was far more energetic, and discharged sparks from his red cheeks. "Pichi."

"Then we'll try to learn a new move for each of you," their trainer started, lifting her Pokedex, "Pikachu, you have a lot of control over your electricity, so I think you should be able to handle a mid-length move called Electro Ball. The name is a little misleading, because instead of concentrating your power in a beach ball shape, you'll be making an electrical 'pouch', and then filling it with energy. Then you have to use your tail to catapult the ball towards your opponent. The attack is moderately powerful, but the main downside is that it can only be shot in a straight direction. Understand?"

Pikachu's black eyes squinted. "Pi-pichu?"

"I have some videos here, if you want to see other Pokémon do the move," Ash offered, sliding her finger across the screen, "They're uploaded by trainers from all over the world. I think the best one is by an Elekid belonging to a Sinnoh trainer named Paul. Here, check it out."

Pikachu stared intently at the screen, while Ash turned her attention to the patient grass type.

"You'll be learning a staple of the Bulbasaur line," the dark-haired girl said, grinning, "Razor Leaf is a long-distance, projectile attack, which will add some variety to your move set. It can also be paired well with some of your other moves, for some truly devastating combo attacks. The name is self-evident, but I've found a few videos that explain the technique. Apparently, the hardest part of the move is honing the leaves to a razor's edge inside your bulb, but you should be able to aim well enough when you're done. You have some experience from Leaf Seed."

"Saur, bulb," Bulbasaur nodded, the grin on his wide mouth revealing two sharply pointed incisors.

Once both Pokémon had watched the videos, they split apart to work on their respective techniques alone. Ash directed her attention towards having Magikarp Bounce through a series of hoops, then tossing disks for Pidgeotto to counter, and finally, working with Squirtle on his decidedly poor aim. Once she had them set up in their own drills, Ash returned to observe Pikachu's progress.

"You have the shape down," she encouraged, "But you need to make the net lines thinner. We need the Electro Ball to explode on impact."

The grass type had a little less to show, as his trainer couldn't observe the work inside of his bulb.

"Saur," he huffed, a mixture of frustration and disappointment on his face.

"May I see one of the leaves?" Ash asked, "The edge is dull, but we can work with the general shape. Why don't you try coating them in Sleep Powder and then throwing a few rounds? Then you need to take a break- don't give me that look, Bulbasaur! You won't accomplish anything if you're exhausted."

She cycled through each of the training Pokémon, offering encouragement, suggestions, and praise in turn. Charmander ended up tagging along midway, and had a blast throwing pieces of driftwood in the air for Squirtle to attack. Ash was pretty sure she had a minor heart attack when Squirtle's powerful Water Gun strayed a little too close for comfort, but allowed the two Pokémon to work together. This was a great way to build up camaraderie in her team.

xxxxxxx

Ash decided that the best way to gain some battling experience with her newest catch would be to have a friendly match on the beach. Misty had offered to be her opponent, in order to gain some equally important practice with Slowpoke, so the two girl's faced off on the sandy field. Ash studied the field in her typically indolent manner, as she considered her water type's capabilities. She recalled the words of her trusty Pokedex.

'Squirtle, the Tiny Turtle Pokémon. It draws its long neck into its shell to launch incredible water attacks with amazing range and accuracy. The blasts can be quite powerful. This Squirtle knows Tackle, Tail Whip, Bubble, Withdraw, Bite, Water Gun, and Rapid Spin.'

Ash had been surprised and impressed by the large move pool, before she tested each of them out, and saw that Squirtle was far from mastering many of his abilities. Bubble and Water Gun were often off-target, Withdraw was slow, and Rapid Spin caused too much dizziness to be reasonably used on the battlefield. The glum water type- who had hoped to jump straight to learning new attacks- spent the last day working on his aim, but it was still far from where Ash needed it to be.

"Slowpoke, use Water Gun," Misty called out, causing the pink Water and Psychic Pokemon to release a prodigious amount of water concentrated into a hose form.

"Withdraw, Squirtle," Ash said quietly, the sensitive ears pricking up, as Squirtle's arms and legs jerked inward. The attack still managed to throw him back, before Withdraw could be completed, but the complementary natures caused little damage. "Tail Whip on the sand."

"Not this time, Ash," the red haired girl retorted, "Water Gun to weigh the sand down, Slowpoke."

"Use Bubble, Squirtle," Ash ordered. Squirtle maw opened, and a wave of acidic bubbles rapidly headed in Slowpoke's direction. Misty smirked.

"Psychic to send them back," Misty shouted, the lavender energy wrapping around the bubbles, "Follow it up with… Disable." Ash's eyes narrowed; she didn't recognize the move.

"Withdraw, Squirtle!" The water type attempted to hide back inside of his shell, but for some reason, couldn't move his limbs, and was caught in a hail of bubbles. "Squirtle!"

"Disable causes the opponent's move to become useless for at least ten minutes," Misty explained, seeing her confusion, "Unfortunately, it can only be used for one move at a time… Water Gun."

"Dodge it, and use a Water Gun of your own, Squirtle," the dark-haired girl's mind raced furiously as she tried to consider a countermeasure. "Squirtle, try-"

"Psychic once again, Slowpoke!" The opaque lavender light forced the hail of water to pause and turn back at Squirtle, hitting the Pokemon directly in the stomach. The turtle's body flew through the air, and crashed against the sand, sliding a few more meters before he finally stopped. Two swirls were present in his eyes.

"Damn," Ash breathed, overcome with a sudden feeling of acute loss. She had never been so overpowered in a match before; Squirtle didn't stand a chance. Misty had been able to counter each of her moves with ease, and Slowpoke's combination of Disable and Psychic made her attacks useless.

"Slowpoke, return," the red-haired girl recalled her Pokemon, and jogged forward. "You okay, Ash?"

"Yeah," the dark-haired girl picked her unconscious water type up, "I'm going to feed Squirtle some healing potions first, and then put him in his Pokeball. He'll need a good, long rest."

"Did Squirtle get hurt too badly?" Misty asked, worried. She had a soft spot for the prideful Pokemon.

"Most of the damage would be to his ego, I think," Ash quipped, before her shoulders fell, "And mine."

"Hey, this is just one loss," the water trainer comforted, "And you haven't had much opportunity to train Squirtle before now. Besides, if you think this is bad, than I should tell you about this one time that a trainer from Hoenn came to the gym, and utterly destroyed Lily's team. He had this monster of a Vigoroth, and…"

As the two girls walked back to the lighthouse, Ash's discomfort slowly faded into amusement, from her friend's stories and encouragement. This had been an unprecedented loss, but she could work through this. As soon as Squirtle was taken care of, Ash would scour Bill's library for information on Psychic Pokemon. She would take this lesson to heart, and hopefully, when Squirtle awakened, her Pokemon would learn from it as well. If she was lucky, he might even decide to stop wearing sunglasses to battle.

xxxxxxx

Brock ran his brush carefully through Eevee's soft, golden-brown fur, as the fox-like Pokemon rested contentedly on his lap. Every now and then, Eevee let out an approving noise, as the bristles ran over a sensitive part of her body. Amused, Brock would shake his head, and dutifully brush over that part.

His new Pokemon certainly had a clear idea of what she wanted in life.

After a few more minutes, he was done, and placed the brush away. Eevee let out a discontented sigh, as her human grooming machine suddenly stopped, and lifted her from his warm lap.

"I need to put these away," Brock explained, rubbing the Pokemon's ears, "Why don't you have a Pokeblock or Poffin or two?"

"Vee," Eevee confirmed, gracefully rising up and padding towards his bag, "Ee-vee?"

She moved her paw away, as the male trainer removed a plastic bag full of snacks, and removed two Pokeblocks from within. He also took out two Poffins, and handed them over to the excited Eevee. The way she fell ravenously upon her snacks, made Brock turn away to hide his laughter.

"I think you should have been named the Walking Stomach," Brock snickered, "You might have a Munchlax or two in your family tree, Eevee." The Normal Type refused to dignify that with a response.

Assured that his mischievous Eevee's attention was engaged, at least until the food ran out, Brock checked up on Zubat. The flying and poison type was sleeping, upside down, on a detachable hook that Bill was kind enough to gift him. The former gym leader was embarrassed to admit that he hadn't even considered purchasing one before, but Bill assured him that the Pokeball took care of the tendon exercise when Zubat was in stasis. Still, after observing the happiness on his Pokemon's face, when Zubat roosted in the open air, Brock decided that he would set it up whenever possible.

When the teenaged boy was satisfied with his Pokemon's comfort, he focused his attention on a less pleasant task. Brock had yet to call home since the day he left Pewter City, and while he did want to hear some news from them, he wasn't sure if he was ready to face his father. Their last interaction had not been overtly unpleasant, but Brock was rushing around preparing his travelling supplies and imparting childraising information- knowledge that Flint should have known- and they hadn't really talked. Brock had mostly ignored the abandonment issue, because who wanted to address that?

Now his older brother instincts were urging him to check up on everyone, so Brock finally gave in and dialed his home phone. Tommy was the one to pick up.

"Hello?" the nine year old's voice said, "Who's calling? I mean- this is the Harris Residence! Tommy Harris speaking?" In the background, two raised voices could be heard arguing over a doll, against the high-pitched whistling of a tea kettle in the background.

"Hey, Tommy," Brock replied, grinning at the excited shout over the phone, "It's me, Brock. I'm calling from a friend's home, somewhere north of Route 25. How is everyone?"

"Brock!" Tommy crowed, "You called! Did you have any cool adventures or catch any new Pokemon? How many new friends did you make? Whose house are you in? Have you- hey!"

Tommy's voice was abruptly caught off, as another hand snatched the phone away.

"Bwock, we miss you!" Tilly yelled, her three year old understanding not having extended to the knowledge that one could speak normally into a phone, "When you come home?"

The phone was jerked away again, and Yolanda's calm, self-assured (and bossy, if her sibling's were to be believed) voice came on. "Hello, Brock. It's good to hear from you. We're all fine and-"

"All of you, back away!" the third eldest, Salvador, shouted, and Brock amusedly heard more sounds of fighting, "This is Salvador- I'm older than you, Yolanda- and I'm holding the phone."

"Salvador, can you put the phone on speaker?" Brock questioned. A second later, he heard the click, and suddenly the cacophony of his sibling's voices could be heard over the phone. Their loud infighting made any individual messages indistinguishable, but warmed Brock's heart.

When they finally reached some semblance of quiet, he spoke. "I'm well, but I miss you guys," Brock began, eliciting a wave of tearful agreements. "Where are Dad and Forrest? Cindy can answer."

"Daddy's at the gym," his sister's cheerful voice piped up, "And Forrest is out buying groceries." Brock felt unexpectedly relieved at not having to face his father just yet. Then he recalled the last noise that he had heard.

"Then why is there a tea kettle in the background?" Brock's voice became stern, "Timmy answers."

"Yolanda set it up," the boy immediately confessed.

"It's an electric kettle! That's safe!" the girl in question protested, causing a multitude of other voices to add their support or disagree with the statement.

Brock waited for them to settle down again, before he sighed. "Okay, Yolanda. If it's an electric kettle, and Salvador pours, then I'll let it go. Don't complain! Now, does anyone have any questions for me? Suzy can ask one first, and then Billy gets a turn."

In the hurried, chaotic manner common to his household, Brock was able to lie on the bed, and have a nice, if not relaxing, talk with his family. As Tommy boastfully accounted of his victory against a stubborn Sandshrew wind-up toy, Brock burst into laughter. As much as he enjoyed his newfound independence and exciting adventures, the male trainer had kind of missed this.

xxxxxxx

They had been at Bill's lighthouse for nearly three days, before the three teens agreed that they would have to leave tomorrow. As this was the last day though, and her team had been working so hard recently, Ash decided to cancel training. Instead, they would spend the day enjoying the perks of full access to a private beach.

"Is there any reason you have so many women's bathing suits lying around?" Ash raised a brow, waving the offered cloth around.

"I have a lot of female visitors," Bill replied, "No! Not like that, Ash! I meant that I have several younger, female cousins who visit from time to time… Look, do you want the bathing suit, or not?"

"Yes, please," Ash decided to stop the teasing, and picked out a red one-piece with white flowers. It was one size too large, but one of the closer fits available. "Your 'cousin' has excellent taste."

The green-haired man rolled his eyes. "I'm serious, Ash. They really do belong to my cousin."

"M'hmm," she murmured, smirking, "I'm sure they do. Well, thanks for the suit, Bill."

Her new friend was also in possession of snorkeling equipment; Ash was particularly excited to try them out. The ocean's waves were mildly chilly, making the young girl shiver, until her body had accustomed itself to its frigid temperature, and she had swum out several meters from the beach. A red and gold fish Pokémon swam beside her, occasionally speeding forward, before falling back and bobbing happily around her.

"Magi!" Magikarp's tail sharply hit the water, making a wave splash upwards. "Magi-karp!"

The water Pokémon dove downward, and Ash, after touching her goggles reassuringly, followed him. As her body submerged itself into the water, and legs strained to propel her below, the view around her changed. Sunlight dimmed, casting the water in a hollow, eerie green light, and flecks of seaweed drifted by. The resistance of the water made her limbs sluggish, as Ash strained her eyes to see the flash of red that indicated Magikarp's appearance.

She turned her head against the cold water, squinting around for Magikarp, before the bright red Pokémon swam up to her. He butted his head gently against her body, dislodging flecks of red scales. Ash was confused for a moment, before he nudged her arm, and helped her realize that Magikarp wanted her to hold onto him. Once she did so, carefully securing one arm around his body, the fish Pokémon propelled himself forward again.

Had Ash been able to speak underwater, a startled shout of glee would have escaped from her lips. Magikarp's speed was much greater than her own, and the young girl found herself dragged deeper and further into the ocean than she would have thought possible. The pull of the ocean seemed meaningless as Magikarp's strong body easily navigated the languid waves. Soon, they reached a point far enough from shore, for a multitude of other Pokémon to appear around them.

Ash's eyes widened with utter delight as she saw schools of Pokémon she could recognize, such as Magikarp, Goldeen, and Tentacool, swimming besides Pokémon from other regions of the world. Her hand itched, though whether for a Pokeball or a sketchpad she didn't know, when she saw a majestic Kingdra among a colony of Shellder on the sandy floor. Magikarp's speed lessened once they became surrounded by other Pokémon, allowing Ash to observe them with open interest. Many looked back curiously at the small human with the too-large goggles, almost slipping from her eyes, that was in their midst, but they didn't move any closer. As Magikarp kept a safe distance from them, none of the Pokémon breached their implicit peace.

When the girl's breath started to become shallow, she reluctantly tapped Magikarp to get her Pokémon's interest. At his glance, she tapped her snorkel, and then pointed upwards. Magikarp nodded, and began to rapidly draw her to the surfeit of light upward. When Ash's head broke the surface of the water, she pushed aside the snorkel, and took in several deep breaths.

"That was amazing," Ash laughed, kicking her legs, and holding on to Magikarp, to stay in the ocean's surface, "Magikarp, that was absolutely brilliant! Can you take me down there, again?"

"Karp, magi, magi, magi-karp," her water Pokémon nodded eagerly. "Magi!"

When she had regained her equilibrium, Ash slipped the snorkel back on, and grabbed her Pokémon's body again. Magikarp immediately dived below, moving even more quickly now, as he knew the best paths to take to bring them near to the bottom. His trainer was just as thrilled with the second trip underwater, even summoning the courage to release Magikarp and shyly approach a stunning Luvdisc. The pink, heart-shaped Pokémon tolerated Ash's petting with good humor, and bopped her stomach slightly before swimming away.

Their third trip passed without incident, but when Magikarp ventured northwest in the fourth run, Ash stiffened. Feeling the greater resistance, the red and gold water type looked directly at her.

"Karp?" the bubbles released from his mouth made it more difficult to hear his question. Nonetheless, Ash jabbed her finger down.

She couldn't explain it, to either her Pokémon or herself, but Ash felt a pull towards the ocean's floor. There was something there that compelled her to come forward, a basic instinct that assured her of its benign nature, a mental attraction that Ash simply could not resist. She strained forward, eyes vainly cataloguing a handful of shapes in grey and black, as Magikarp swam forward. When they were close enough, and the pressure of the call strained against her mind, Ash released the water Pokémon.

Clumsily, and through a great deal of difficulty to push through the water's resistance, Ash drifted towards the pull. Surrendering herself to the draw of instinct, the young girl searched amongst the stones littering the sandy bank. She knew that her search was fruitful when her hand wrapped around one smooth stone, and it lit up bright blue-

-and it clicked, this warmth that surged through her body. But she wasn't underwater, Ash was flying on a proud Dragonite, King of the Skies. Than the clouds disappeared to a grass-filled meadow, and Riolu was throwing a ball of bright, blue energy at her- her hands stung as she caught the Aura Sphere- but the world was suddenly black, and she was curled up beside a Glaceon's icy nature. Only, no, Ash was laughing as Ponyta chased her around, a sandwich clenched triumphantly in her hand-

Ash removed her hand, and the stone's light suddenly cut off, making her eyes blink rapidly against the sudden onset of color and then darkness that shocked her retinas. Her mind scrambled against the memories of places she never visited and Pokémon she did not have, as Ash jerked her body back. Yet despite the fear and confusion elicited by the stone, the girl was still compelled to pick it up again.

"Magi, magi-karp," Magikarp burbled, swimming closer to press protectively by her side. The light show hadn't just caught his attention; several of the Pokémon around them, were staring at her intently. Swallowing down her nerves, Ash reached over to pluck up the stone once more.

Thankfully, an onset of those strange memories didn't deluge her, which filled Ash with mingling relief and disappointment. But the stone did begin to pulse with its steady blue light, and grow warm before her fingers. This brought her a comfort, that Ash found inexplicable, and potentially frightening.

Keeping the strange stone fully in her grasp, and dimming the blue light with her fingers, Ash took ahold of Magikarp. The water Pokémon understood her request, and a flash of red could be seen as he hurriedly rushed to break the surface of the water. After Ash had taken a few deep breaths, she observed the glowing blue stone lying innocuously on her palm. It was an almost perfect circle of pale blue, that fit perfectly against the shape of her hand, and bore not a single mark or blemish.

"Karp?" Magikarp intoned, anxiously staring at the strange stone.

"I don't know," Ash answered, staring at the blue light, transfixed, "I think we should head back to shore. Maybe Bill will know what this is."

Less than half an hour later, Bill, Ash, Misty, and Brock were assembled around a research table, whereon the stone laid. Despite all of his poking, prodding, and microscopes, Bill could not identify what this stone was. It appeared to be just a regular rock, of no particular characteristic whatsoever, and eliciting not a single reaction, if not for one minor thing.

It turned into a miniature neon glow lamp the second it came into contact with Ash.

"Did you find any Pokémon around it?" Bill asked, recording the physical characteristics, such as weight and length, of the rock, "Were there any other rocks of a similar nature?"

Ash responded in the negative for both questions, before extending a finger and tapping the stone. The blue light flickered on and off along Ash's touch.

"It's extraordinarily sensitive," Bill mused, drawing out a video camera, "If you want, I can send it off to some colleagues that specialize in evolutionary stones, or even fossil Pokémon."

"I don't think this fits into either category," Ash said, hesitating. For some reason, she felt that the stone should stay with her. "May I keep it?"

The young scientist shrugged. "It was your find, and it doesn't seem to react to anything else. Would you mind updating me if you learn anything new about it though? It's piqued my curiosity."

"Not a problem," Ash replied absently. "There's something else I should tell you though. When I picked it up, it felt like I was being inundated by someone else's memories. In one of them, I was riding on a Dragonite…"

xxxxxxx

"I've marked each common landmark, and patterned them over the official map," Bill handed a piece of paper to Brock, "With these directions, you can't possibly get lost on your way to Vermillion."

"Challenge accepted," Ash joked, giving the young man a hug, "Thanks for putting up with us for the last few days, Bill. And, uh, my apologies for electrocuting you. Again."

"Pichu, pikapi," Pikachu added, waving his paw.

"It was my pleasure," Bill assured her, "Not the attacking me part, but everything else was fantastic. And I stand by what I said before, Ash. You are an interesting friend to have."

"Also exciting, frustrating, dangerous, and occasionally mind-boggling," Misty smirked, "But our Ash is certainly never boring. Thanks for everything, Bill."

"We should leave then," Brock extended his hand, and shook Bill's firmly, "Thank you for all of your hospitality."

"Goodbye!" the green-haired man waved, watching the three trainers walk away, "And Ash, remember to keep me updated on your blue stone!"

"Will do," the dark-haired girl turned back, so he could see the smile that flashed across her face, "And if you ever meet that mystery giant Pokemon of yours, call me!"

xxxxxxx

A Pokemon List (In Order of Seniority):

Ashlyn Ketchum: Pikachu, Magikarp, Pidgeotto, Bulbasaur, Charmander, and Squirtle

Misty Waterflower: Starmie, Butterfree, Chinchou, and Slowpoke

Brock Harris: Zubat and Eevee

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