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Chapter Text

Chapter One: The First Step

In the quaint settlement of Pallet Town, morning sunlight filtered into a small bedroom. In that room, a boy was awake and getting ready for quite possibly the most important day of his short life. Ash Ketchum was about to leave home and begin his travels as a Pokemon trainer.

"Ash! Are you ready to go?"

"Yeah, just a second!" Ash called back to answer his mother.

Ash was ten years old. Well, a little older than that. Rather, it had been six months since he'd turned ten, but he and the rest of his class had had to postpone their starting date as trainers. Usually, trainers set off on their journeys once they reached their first decade, but circumstances in the Indigo League had forced them to stagger that date. For the last ten years or so, Indigo had only held its Pokemon League every other year because the region had just gotten out of a major world war.

For nearly fifteen years, the region of Orre had been under the influence of a dangerous rogue military organization called Cipher, who had weaponized Pokemon with their "Shadow" technology. Since Orre was hardly an organized region in the first place, Cipher took power easily with their Shadow Pokemon and when they turned their eyes to the rest of the world, the other regions could no longer ignore them.

What followed was the most brutal war in the history of the Leagues. Tens of thousands of people and Pokemon had died in combat, creating a generation gap so massive that most of the regions now consisted of children and older individuals. Most of the average adult trainers had fallen in the violent battles. Kanto and Johto suffered severe casualties, with Hoenn not far behind. The regions of Fiore and Almia had also participated, and the damage they suffered was so great that they secluded themselves, barring normal trainers from their borders for the sake of protecting their people.

Eventually, Cipher was only destroyed because an incredibly skilled agent from one of its own branch organizations went rogue. That young trainer swept through the ranks of Cipher with a unique capture device and a female partner that could identify the previously unrecognizable Shadow Pokemon. They had infiltrated right into Cipher's core and managed to crush their leader. The regions had gotten lucky.

With Cipher destroyed, the world settled back down, but it took a decade for things to even remotely resemble normalcy as it had before the war. That was why Indigo had added on to the amount of time trainers typically had to get stronger before the League Tournament began. They needed not only stronger trainers, but as many new trainers as possible to fill the huge generation gap. The first tournament that took place immediately after the war consisted of just thirty-two individuals. It was only over the last year or so that they had returned to yearly tournaments.

But new trainers had to wait until the League officially began the competitive season before setting out, which was the reason for Ash's six month delay. Now that Spring had come along, aligning with the start of the new Indigo Tournament season, he could finally leave to begin his journey.

He was just glad that he had passed Professor Oak's exams with flying colors. Oak only accepted three new trainers every six months. If Ash hadn't made the top three scores, he would have been forced to wait until the Fall to start his travels. That would leave him with six months to train for the massive Indigo Tournament, which wasn't nearly enough time to get anywhere that mattered.

Not to mention that Gary would have mocked him until the day he died.

The door to his bedroom opened to reveal his mother, Delia Ketchum. She had a bright smile on her face as always and leaned against the doorway to watch him. "Do you have everything you need?"

"I think so," Ash replied. "All the supplies we got at the store last week are already in my bag. I think the only things I'm missing are Professor Oak's gear and a Pokemon."

"Have you decided which one you want?"

He grinned widely. "Oh yeah."

He'd been thinking about this for years—ever since he decided to be a trainer, actually. It had been incredibly hard to choose just one of the three starters Oak offered to young trainers because they were so varied. Bulbasaur, Charmander, and Squirtle. All three of the starters were rare and highly prized Pokemon.

Bulbasaur was a hardy little grass type with great versatility. It was specialized for immobilizing opponents with various spores and toxins, which made it invaluable for battles and captures. Bulbasaur could trap a wide variety of wild Pokemon and make them an incredibly easy catch—great for any trainer. Both of its evolved forms only improved on these abilities, and Venusaur were regarded as one of the most powerful grass species in Kanto.

Squirtle was the most defensive option of the trio. Its evolutionary line had developed an incredibly hard shell that was nigh impenetrable from most attacks. Along with its sturdy defenses, Squirtle could pack a punch with high-pressure water blasts, and its hard skull and powerful jaws gave it options to work with close-up. Blastoise was the prize of that evolutionary line; anything that could punch through solid steel plates with hydro cannons was something to be greatly feared in combat.

But Ash wanted neither Bulbasaur or Squirtle. Besides, Gary had basically laid claim to Squirtle already and Ash decided he wanted a different Pokemon than him.

Charmander, the fire type, was Ash's desired partner. Its breed was primed for attack power and speed, two attributes that could be put to great use in battle. Charmander and its evolutionary line could slash enemies with sharp claws and then blast them with intense flames. Even against a Pokemon with a type advantage, their onslaught could usually pull them through to victory. Charmeleon took Charmander's abilities and greatly improved them with enhanced speed and firepower.

But Ash sorely wanted a Charizard. Infamous for their fiery personalities and roaring popularity on the battlefield, the pseudo-dragons were true monsters when properly trained. Even Lance, the Champion of Indigo, had a Charizard at his disposal. The beast of a fire-type was arguably his second most powerful Pokemon despite not being a dragon type in the first place. Ash had watched a battle between Lance's Charizard and Elite Four Bruno's Machamp on TV once. His decision on a starter had been cemented the second that Charizard used a move called Blast Burn to effectively demolish the field.

So he was getting a Charmander.

Delia checked her watch and smiled. "There's no rush, Ash. You've still got an hour before you have to be at the Professor's lab. Come on downstairs and have some breakfast."

Ash shouldered his bag and grinned at the prospect of starting the day with his mother's delicious cooking. "Alright!"

While the Ketchums ate breakfast together for the last time until Ash returned, Delia switched on the TV to see what the latest news was. It was always important these days to stay on top of the current events around the world.

"—and there has recently been a swarm of Tailow sighted near Fuchsia City, likely on their migration pattern further south to Hoenn. Any trainers seeking to catch one, best hurry! Researchers expect the flocks to have passed through Kanto in the next two weeks. That's it for Pokemon News today. Expect the next update tomorrow, same time, same channel!"

Delia sipped from her glass of tea and looked back to her son. "Make sure you keep up with the news while you're out traveling, okay, Ash? You never know when an exotic Pokemon species might be moving into the area you're in."

"I'll remember," Ash replied, then shoveled down the last of his scrambled eggs. He would definitely miss his mother's incredible food. After swallowing the remnants of breakfast, he looked at his mom. "I'm pretty sure the Pokedex has a feature that'll let me stay on top of news like that."

It was about time for him to leave. Before he could grab his bag, however, the TV came through with a breaking news story. Ash and his mother turned their eyes to the screen as a serious reporter appeared.

"A group of criminals have been stealing Pokemon from trainers around Viridian City. Recent reports suggest that the group is affiliated with Team Rocket, a criminal syndicate operating throughout the Kanto Region and parts of Johto. Last night, the Pokemon Center in Viridian was raided by the thieves and several Pokemon were stolen. As a result, the League has ordered Gym Leader Giovanni to take action. All trainers are warned to avoid all contact with the Rockets and report any suspicious activity."

Ash whistled. "That sounds pretty serious if Giovanni has to step in. He's the strongest Gym Leader in Kanto."

"Yes. Yes, he is," Delia muttered. She had a frown on her face.

Ash wondered on her disturbed expression, but shrugged and shouldered his bag. "Well, I'm heading off."

Delia immediately put a smile on her face and stood up. "I'll go with you to the lab. I have to start work in an hour anyways."

So the pair of them left the house together, discussing Ash's upcoming journey all the while.

They arrived at the lab shortly. Waiting for them were the other two children that had graduated Professor Oak's trainer class with Ash—Gary and Leaf. Ash grinned upon seeing them.

"What took you so long, Ashy-boy?" Gary smirked. "I was afraid you weren't going to show up!"

"And miss the chance to beat you down in a battle? There's no way I'd miss that."

"Uh-huh. I'm sure," the taller boy snickered. He glanced to Ash's mother and nodded. "Morning, Ms. Ketchum."

Delia smiled. "Good morning, Gary. And you too, Leaf. Excited?"

Leaf smiled fiercely. "As if I couldn't be! I can't wait to get my Bulbasaur!"

"You only picked that because it's got an advantage over Squirtle," Gary jabbed. "Can't say I blame you, though. You'll need a type advantage to beat me!"

The girl gave him a sly look. "Oh really? Who made the highest battle simulation scores again?"

Gary colored a bit and looked away, muttering under his breath. "…just because that stupid Shellder got a lucky hit off on Tangela…"

"It's not luck if that Shellder tanked two super-effective hits and then busted you with Aurora Beam."

"Shut up!" Gary scowled.

"Now, now, that's enough."

The door to the lab opened up and revealed Professor Oak, who had apparently heard the exchange from inside. He wiped some of the exhaustion from his eyes, causing Ash to smirk. Oak practically lived in the lab and it was clear that he'd spent another sleepless night up researching.

Oak stifled a yawn and nodded to Ash's mother. "Good morning, Delia. Come to check on the love birds?"

"You and I both know they're anything but right now, Professor!" Delia laughed. "I'll get through to them eventually, though. Skarmory and Fearow won't have any idea what hit them!"

"I'll leave that pair in your capable hands, then," Oak grunted. "Now, you three. I assume you're all prepared to receive your starter Pokemon?"

Gary grinned widely. "Is that even a question, gramps? Course' we're ready!"

The older man smiled at his grandson's energy and gestured into the lab. "Well, come on, then. Let's not keep your Pokemon waiting. That Bulbasaur looked like it wanted to Vine Whip me last night. It wants to leave the lab now."

He led them inside and spoke to them on the way to the lab's main area. "As the three of you know, I'm conducting research on Pokemon. In return for me granting each of you a very rare Pokemon, I'm going to provide you with a Pokedex to gather information on Pokemon in the field. It comes with a database on Pokemon around the world and I expect you all to put it to good use."

Gary scoffed. "Aren't those three starters for like a third of the trainers in Kanto? They aren't spectacularly rare, gramps."

"These three are rare. Not because of the species, but because of their moves," Oak informed him. "I wanted to keep this as a surprise until today. The three starters you are about to receive each have unique moves that have been passed on to them from their parents, which are normally exceedingly difficult for them to learn naturally. You have Ms. Delia to thank for that. She took time out of her busy schedule here at the lab to make this possible."

Ash grinned at his mother for the pleasant surprise. "Is that why you came home late for so long?"

Delia laughed. "It is! I wanted the best for my boy and his friends!"

"Thank you so much, Ms. Ketchum!" Leaf practically squealed.

Gary was grinning so much that Ash though his face would split in half. "Aww, yeah! Ms. Ketchum, you're awesome! Thanks a million!"

"You are both most certainly welcome!"

Oak chuckled at their excitement. "Alright, now let's introduce the lot of you to your Pokemon, shall we?"

He walked over to a round table where three Poke Balls lay alongside uniquely colored Pokedexes. The three kids had been given the option of customizing their own devices, although it was little more than picking their favorite color out. Ash's was a dark red, Gary's was blue, and Leaf's was green.

"Right, I believe you've all already selected the Pokemon you want, right? It seemed as though it was decided a while back. Leaf, you wanted Bulbasaur, correct? Ash wanted Charmander, and Gary Squirtle? Did I get that right?"

"Yes sir!"

"Good. Now then, ladies first. This is Bulbasaur."

Oak took the Poke Ball next to the green Pokedex and tapped the release button, sending out the Pokemon inside. A short, green Pokemon with four stubby legs and a plant bulb on its back materialized following a brief flash of light. The Bulbasaur glanced around curiously at its surroundings. It eventually spotted the Professor and gave him a dirty look.

"Easy, Bulbasaur. Your trainer is here, see?"

The little grass-type looked at Leaf when Oak pointed and seemed to consider his words for a second. It nodded a second later, apparently satisfied with the girl.

Leaf knelt down so she was at Bulbasaur's level and held her hand out for the Pokemon to scan. She politely waited as Bulbasaur ran its two vines over her fingers. When the grass type finished and looked up at her, she smiled and spoke quietly so as not to startle it. "Hi there, Bulbasaur. I'm Leaf. It's nice to meet you! Would you like to travel with me?"

Bulbasaur's eyes lit up and it nodded vigorously. Oak laughed at its determined reaction. "He just wants to get out of my lab. I think he feels cooped up."

The grass-type gave the Professor another dirty look and made a light growl. Oak just chuckled at the irritated little creature and moved to pick up Ash's Poke Ball. "Right, since Ash's mother was the one who bred these three, his Charmander is next."

Oak tapped the release on the new Poke Ball and after the light faded, a small, bipedal lizard with orange scales and a small flame on the tip of its tail stood in front of them. Charmander yawned, showing off its white fangs, and then observed the group with big, onyx colored eyes.

It glanced at Oak questioningly. The Professor gestured to Ash. "Your trainer has arrived, Charmander. Go on, say hello."

Charmander turned back around to look at Ash. It tilted its head curiously and made a little trilling nose in the back of its throat.

Ash also knelt in front of the short Pokemon and held his hand out. "Hey, Charmander. My name's Ash. I want to become the world's greatest Pokemon Master. Would you like to help out? I promise I'll make you as strong as you can be!"

The lizard perked up at that and its tail flame flared a bit. Like most Pokemon, Charmander held a nearly insatiable desire to become strong. This boy wanted to become the best in the world, and so did Charmander. That sounded great to the little fire-type.

Charmander offered a toothy grin and swished its tail excitedly. Ash laughed. "We'll get along great."

"I'm sure you two will," Oak agreed. He picked up the last Poke Ball from the table. "Gary, this is your Squirtle."

The small Pokemon that appeared was a blue turtle with an orange and yellow shell and a curly tail. It looked up at the group of kids and adults and smirked.

Gary didn't kneel in front of the turtle and just grinned. "I like the attitude, Squirtle. You think you've got what it takes to keep up with the greatest Pokemon trainer of all time?"

Squirtle's grin widened and it nodded eagerly. Gary crossed his arms. "Good, then let's team up and open up a can of whoop ass on the whole Indigo League!"

"Language, young man," Oak snapped, though he didn't get particularly angry. The Professor handed out each of the three kids their Pokedexes and helped them with switching the devices on. "Now, why don't you three use those on your new partners? It'll act as a tutorial of sorts and give you a bit of information about your Pokemon."

The three nodded and held up their Pokedex's cameras to their new Pokemon so as to scan them. Before long, they each beeped and began to recite information in a mechanical, feminine voice.

Bulbasaur, the Seed Pokemon. It is born with a large seed on its back to accumulate nourishment for growth. Energy is also stored in the bulb that can be utilized in battle. Bulbasaur often take frequent naps in bright sunlight shortly before evolution.

This Bulbasaur is male and knows the moves: Vine Whip, Tackle, Power Whip, and Grassy Terrain. Its ability is Overgrow, which boosts its grass-type moves when it is low on health.

Leaf grinned. "Wow, Bulbasaur! You've got some moves, huh?"

Bulbasaur puffed up and seemed to be thoroughly proud of Leaf's assessment.

Charmander, the Lizard Pokemon. The flame on its tail indicates Charmander's health. If it's healthy, the flame will burn brightly. During battle, it attacks with sharp claws and fangs before spitting fire at opponents.

This Charmander is male and knows the moves: Ember, Scratch, Dragon Dance, and Dragon Rush. Its ability is Blaze, which boosts its fire-type moves when it is low on health.

"Yeah, I think you'll be fighting pretty well."

The lizard simply waved his tail and snapped his jaws playfully, showing off the sharp, white fangs once again.

Squirtle, the Tiny Turtle Pokemon. During battle, it hides itself in its shell and strikes with bursts of water at every opportunity. Squirtle uses its hard head to stun prey with tackles, then delivers fierce bites. As Squirtle prepares to evolve, its shell grows harder and it begins to develop sharp teeth.

This Squirtle is male and knows the moves: Water Gun, Tackle, Aura Sphere, and Dragon Pulse. Its ability is Torrent, which boosts its water-type moves when it is low on health.

"All attacking moves, woohoo!" Gary practically whooped. He grinned madly. "Ms. Ketchum, you outdid yourself."

"I did my best," Delia smiled. "I'm glad you're so pleased with him."

Squirtle crossed his arms and smirked arrogantly. Obviously, he agreed with his trainer's not-so-humble opinion.

Oak coughed to get their attention once more. "Well, now that you've all met your partners, let me emphasize a few things regarding them—the moves your Pokemon have inherited are powerful for such young examples of their species, but I suggest you work hard practicing before actually using them in a battle. The more basic moves will be the ones they are best at. You probably won't see the true power of their egg moves until they've fully evolved, and obviously without practice, they won't amount to much."

The kids nodded. That made sense.

"Good. That's all I have for you. I trust the three of you remembered to get Poke Balls, potions, and the other supplies from the store in town?"

When they all answered yes, Oak smiled. "Then you three are free to go. Good luck, and make sure to check up with me every now and again. I'll be keeping any Pokemon you have here at my lab after you reach the limit, so contact me if you need to exchange any of them."

"Yes, Professor," the three replied.

Now that they were free, Gary recalled Squirtle and immediately set off. Leaf picked up her new Bulbasaur carefully and carried it out of the lab, chatting to her Pokemon all the while. Professor Oak turned around and went over to his computer, switching it on and humming a light tune.

Ash looked at Charmander. "What about you? Do you want to stay out or do you want to go back into the Poke Ball?"

Charmander shook his head, so Ash didn't recall him. Delia walked up to him with a smile and hugged her son.

"You'll both do great. I can't wait to hear about all of your adventures," she murmured happily. "By the way, have you thought about nicknaming Charmander?"

"Depends," Ash looked back at Charmander. "Do you want a nickname?"

Charmander held up one of his small, clawed hands and made a chirping sound. Ash took that as confirmation and began to run all of the nicknames he'd come up with in the last few months in case his Pokemon wanted one.

Ash ended up going through about a dozen different options before he finally named one that Charmander liked.

"Pyro?"

Charmander's tail flared up a bit and he grinned. Ash grinned right back. "Pyro it is."

The newly-named Pyro hissed cheerfully and swished his tail around, evidently pleased with his name.

Ash was just about to suggest they head out when a loud shout from Professor Oak made him, Delia, and Pyro jump in surprise.

"Argh! You again?!"

Oak practically dove under his desk with a scowl on his face, hand swiping for something just out of his reach.

Ash tilted his head. "Something wrong, Professor?"

"As a matter of fact, yes!" Oak growled from underneath the desk. "This little rodent is eating my computer cables again! This is the third time this week! Do you have the foggiest idea how expensive these are, you little troublemaker?!"

There was a mild snicker from under the desk and then Oak froze. "Don't you dare, you little—GAHH!"

The three onlookers jumped again as the Professor suddenly spasmed from an electric shock. Oak collapsed on the floor, twitching as sparks flickered over his body. A small, yellow and black Pokemon leapt onto his back with a wide grin on its face, still snickering.

Ash looked at the little creature curiously and held up his Pokedex. It beeped a second later.

Pichu, the Tiny Mouse Pokemon. Pichu plays with others by touching tails and setting off sparks. When startled, it may send out jolts of electricity. It uses its large ears to avoid danger.

He watched the Pichu jump up and down on the stunned Professor and grinned. It wasn't like electric types were rare, but this was a nice find compared to the common Rattata and Pidgey nesting around Pallet Town.

"Hey, Professor! Can I catch this one?" Ash asked.

"Yes, just get it out of my lab," Oak moaned weakly. "The little rat has already cost me more money in repairs than I care to admit."

Pichu snickered at Oak again and then turned its gaze to Ash, Delia, and Pyro. It grinned and leapt off the paralyzed Professor, apparently challenging them.

Ash grinned right back. "Pyro, you ready for a battle?"

Pyro lashed his tail from side to side and the trilling sound he made was changed to a growl. His eyes narrowed with determination and his claws flexed.

Pichu snickered and suddenly sparked with electricity. Ash only had a second to react before it fired a weak Thunder Shock at Pyro.

"Dodge!"

Pyro leaped to the side and avoided the tiny bolt. He growled at Pichu as it continued to snicker and spark with more electricity.

"Ember."

The Charmander opened its mouth and spat a few hot flames at the mouse, which quickly scurried away to avoid the attack. Pyro charged it after the Ember missed and started to attack Pichu with his sharp claws. Pichu danced away from the move, snickering all the while.

Pyro was getting frustrated, but Ash called out to him. "Keep going, Pyro! Just like that!"

At his command, the fire-type continued to scratch at Pichu, backing the little electric type up as it snickered at him. Suddenly, Pichu bumped into the wall and froze in surprise. It had nowhere else to go.

"Now! Ember!"

Pyro grinned and blasted Pichu with a flurry of small flames and it cried out at the heat, launching another Thunder Shock and just managing to hit Pyro. The Charmander growled angrily at the shock, then lunged forward and landed a Scratch on Pichu. The attack smacked the tiny mouse against the wall, stunning it.

Ash had been scrambling to get a Poke Ball out of his bag while the fight was going on and had one primed just as Pyro knocked Pichu against the wall. He called out. "Pyro, back off!"

The Charmander did as he said, giving Ash a clear line of sight to Pichu. He threw the Poke Ball and tagged the stunned Pichu, triggering the device to open and suck the electric-type inside with a blaze of red light. The ball closed and hit the floor, wriggling furiously.

They waited with bated breath as the Poke Ball continued to wriggle for a few seconds. Then it made a clicking sound and stilled.

Ash's grin came back tenfold. "Yes!"

"Good job, Ash," Oak praised as he managed to stand up, albeit still wincing from the electric shock. "That was well done. Not to mention you just saved me quite a bit of money on repairs."

"I'm so proud of you!" Delia exclaimed, wrapping her son in a tight hug. "You're already on your way to being an amazing trainer!"

Ash managed to hug her back and wheezed as the air was crushed from his lungs. "Thanks, mom. But Pyro did the work, y'know."

"And he did a very good job," Delia released Ash and smiled at the Charmander. "You were great, Pyro! You'll be powerful in no time!"

Pyro smiled toothily and made a loud chirp at the praise.

Ash picked up the Poke Ball that contained Pichu and stared at it curiously. "What was it doing in here, anyway?"

"Eating my computer cords," Oak growled. "Electric-types can consume electricity as a food source. Anything with an electric current is a snack to them. Usually, they don't come into the lab because I have a charge station in the corral specifically designed for that purpose, but that little rat is always up to no good. It prefers to give me grief and eat my important equipment rather than take the easy way out in the corral."

"It'll still eat regular Pokemon food, right? I don't have that many electric items in my bag."

The Professor nodded. "Of course. There are charge stations at Pokemon Centers that Pichu can eat from, though. I'd advise letting it do that as much as possible. Pichu are fairly weak electric-types, so they have to build up their electricity by consuming it."

Delia glanced at Pyro, who was sniffing at the spot where he'd been shocked. "I think you should give Pyro and Pichu a potion or two to help them recover. You don't want to set off with your Pokemon already tired out."

"Yeah, sounds good," Ash held Pyro's Poke Ball out and smiled at the fire type. "You did great, Pyro. Take a quick break, alright?"

The Charmander chirped again as Ash recalled him. Oak took both of the Poke Balls from the boy and carried them to another room for healing.

Ash's mother tapped his shoulder. "Check your Pokedex. It should be updated with Pichu's information now that you've captured it. Find out what it can do."

He did exactly that, pulling out the device and selecting the tab indicating the Pokemon he owned. Ash tapped on Pichu's name and the Pokedex recited its information.

This Pichu is male and knows the moves: Thundershock, Tail Whip, and Tackle. It's ability is Static, which can paralyze opponents that make physical contact with Pichu.

Ash smiled. "Not bad. Pichu will probably be great for catching other Pokemon if he can paralyze them. I think I'll have to test that out on the road."

"You'll want to train it up a good deal before trying that, I think!" Oak called from the other room. "From what I can tell, it's young and rather weak. It only stunned me for a minute at the most. A wild Pokemon will shake off a move like that even faster."

"Alright," he replied. "How long until they're finished healing, do you think?"

"Just a few minutes. You should take this chance to look through the Pokedex some more. You'll want to learn how to use it as best you—"

The door was suddenly thrown open and Gary stepped in with an irritated look. "Hey, Ash! Stop goofing around! I've been waiting outside for like ten minutes to challenge you to a battle!"

Ash only looked mildly apologetic. "Sorry, I got distracted catching a Pokemon."

Gary stared in surprise. "Wait, what?"

"I found that Pichu I was telling you about eating my computer cables," Oak growled in annoyance as he returned to the room with Pyro and Pichu's Poke Balls in-hand. "Ash was kind enough to set his Charmander on the little rat and capture it."

Gary's jaw dropped. "You're kidding me! You haven't even left the lab and you already caught something?!"

Before Ash could even get a word in, Gary jabbed a finger at him. "Whatever! I'll just go and catch more Pokemon than you! Smell ya later, Ashy-boy!"

With that, Gary whipped around and bolted out the door. Ash blinked after him. The guy would probably catch the first Pokemon he saw.

Oak sighed at his grandson's brashness. "I hope he remembers to actually battle the Pokemon he finds before trying to catch them. He can be forgetful when he gets riled up like that."

Delia smiled and hugged her son once again. "Ash, I'm going to get to work in the corral. Make sure you let me know when you reach Viridian City, okay?"

"I will," Ash promised.

"Good. You take good care of Pyro and Pichu, alright? They're your friends now. You have to trust them."

"Yes, ma'am."

"Alright. Well, bye sweetheart. Good luck!" Delia kissed the top of his head, then turned around and left through another room. Ash smiled after her.

Oak returned Ash's Poke Balls to him. The Professor nodded at the boy. "I really am grateful that you captured Pichu, Ash. You'll do well with him once you curb that mischievous side of him a bit."

Ash smirked. "I think it'll just be a matter of pointing that mischief in a good direction. Thanks for healing my Pokemon, Professor Oak."

"You're welcome. Now, you'd best be off. Viridian City is a two day walk from here, not to mention that Gary and Leaf have a head start on you!"

The boy nodded, spinning on his heels as he bolted out of the door. He set Pyro loose and grinned at the Charmander. "C'mon, Pyro! Let's get going!"

Pyro swished his tail and let out a delighted chirp as he chased after his trainer.

Ash and Pyro took to walking along the trail once they got onto Route One. They both needed to walk to build up their stamina. Ash knew that Pyro was still young, so the Charmander needed to exercise as much as possible to build up muscle.

Most of the morning was fairly relaxed. Ash just talked to Pyro about himself. Things he liked, disliked, his dreams, his mom—everything he could think of. Pyro just listened and occasionally made a sound in response, including a trilling laugh when Ash told him about how he and Gary wrestled in the mud when they were toddlers.

They saw a few wild Pokemon while they were walking, but Ash decided not to make Pyro battle again quite yet. He figured it would be a better idea to get some training done before they challenged another wild Pokemon, or at least make sure Pichu would listen to him. After all, Pyro and Pichu weren't particularly strong. The pair of them were little more than freshly-hatched Pokemon.

When Ash eventually ran out of things to tell Pyro about and they fell into a comfortable silence, he began to think about what the Charmander should practice once they began training. He obviously needed to work on power and Ash really wanted to try and work on Pyro's egg moves. At the same time, he was debating how they were going to win their first gym battle.

While Viridian City had a gym, it was all but banned to any trainer without seven badges. Giovanni was a ruthless battler, and he was no foe any new trainer could face with even a hope of victory.

Pewter City was his best bet. The Gym Leader there certainly wasn't weak, but it was the nearest gym that would use low level Pokemon for battles there. Most gyms were like that; depending on how strong a challenger was, they would adjust their strength accordingly. The only gyms that didn't hold back their strength were the ones in Viridian, Saffron City, and Cinnabar Island. Ash was far away from Saffron and Cinnabar. He wouldn't be challenging them anytime soon, and Giovanni was completely out of the question.

The man had only given out three badges in the last five years. He was a menace.

Ash shook his head. He could think about fighting the stronger Gym Leaders later, once his Pokemon were trained and he had a few badges under his belt. For now, he needed to focus on the first one—Pewter City.

The Gym Leader, Brock, used rock-type Pokemon. They were sturdy and powerful, but had many weaknesses that could be exploited. There was just one problem: Ash had no Pokemon with a type advantage over them. Quite the opposite, as both Pyro and Pichu were vulnerable to rock Pokemon. Pyro was weak to rock-type moves and since a fair few rock-types were complemented with ground-type attributes, Pichu would be even less capable of fighting. Electricity did absolutely nothing to ground-types.

Ash actually had no idea what to do about Pichu aside from train him for later battles, but Pyro he could work with. He'd memorized the moves Charmander could learn ages ago, after all. His best bet right now against rock-type Pokemon was to teach Pyro Metal Claw. It was a steel-type move that could rend even a rock Pokemon's tough exterior. He hoped that was enough. Relying on a single move in a gym battle against multiple opponents generally wasn't the best plan, but it was the best he had for the time being.

He continued to think as they walked, hoping that a good strategy would eventually come to mind.

It was just after midday when they caught up with Leaf.

Ash stopped when Pyro hissed and gestured further up the path with his short arm. He grinned when he saw Leaf and her Bulbasaur at the base of a tree. He watched as the girl rose from a crouch with a Poke Ball in her hand and a wide smile on her face.

"Hey, Leaf!"

Leaf spun around and Bulbasaur growled at the surprise, but his trainer just grinned and waved. "Hey, Ash! You finally caught up."

He walked over with Pyro still beside him. "Sorry, I ended up catching a Pokemon that was causing the Professor trouble in his lab."

"Oh, really?" Leaf giggled. "I thought you just couldn't escape from your mom. She's so cool! Saur here actually just won a battle for me with Power Whip. I think he practiced it before I got him."

"That is cool," Ash admitted. "Saur, huh?"

She nodded. "Yep. What about you? Did Charmander get a name?"

"He did," he gestured to Charmander. "His name is Pyro."

"Nice to meet you, Pyro," Leaf smiled at the little fire-type. Pyro waved his stubby hand back at her, making a happy trill. Saur just grunted and shuffled over to a sunny patch on the trail, watching the lizard's tail flame warily.

Ash looked at the Poke Ball in her hand. "So, what did you catch?"

"A Spearow. He was giving Saur the evil eye and it was on from there. Saur just smacked him out of the tree! It was a pretty quick battle. What did you catch?"

"You mean the little troublemaker from the Professor's lab?" Ash grinned. "Pichu. He's not too strong, but once I train him, I think those electric shocks of his will come in handy. Pyro was great at battling him."

He suddenly smirked. "Hey, you and I both have two Pokemon now. How about a battle?"

"As much as I would love to beat you, I don't think that would work out right now," Leaf refused teasingly. "Saur just got done fighting and I'm pretty sure Spearow is unconscious."

"Gotcha. We could travel to Viridian City together, then? We can heal up at the Pokemon Center and battle there."

"Now that I'm down for," she agreed.

They spent the rest of the day walking along the trail together, chatting about each other's goals and plans. Leaf was just as determined as Ash and Gary to be the best Pokemon trainer out there. Her idol was the Kanto Champion Lance, after all. Of course, a lot of trainers looked up to the legendary Dragon Master, including Ash. He was one of the most powerful trainers in the entire world, commanding a ferocious team of dragons and draconic Pokemon.

Watching Lance fight was awe-inspiring, even on a TV. Ash couldn't imagine how incredible those battles must be up close and personal. But since it was his dream to become the greatest Pokemon Master in the world, he would have to face the Champion in battle one day. And he would have to win.

But that was a long way off—years at the very least. For now, he just had to worry about getting his first gym badge. Baby steps.

Ash and Leaf finally stopped walking when the sun began to set. They found a small clearing just off the trail and decided to make camp. He gathered the firewood with Pyro while Leaf and Saur cleaned up the area of leaves and rocks and such. When they were all done with chores and the sleeping bags were out, Pyro lit the firewood with his tail flame and the little group settled down.

"I think now's probably a good time to meet our new Pokemon, Ash," Leaf suggested. "Don't you? They're probably less likely to freak out now that we're all relaxed."

"Alright. I'll set Pichu loose first?" He asked.

"Fine by me. I need to grab a Potion for Spearow, anyways. He's probably still a bit shaken up."

Ash nodded and took out Pichu's Poke Ball, tapping the release and setting the little electric-type loose. Pichu's eyes were closed initially, but they opened up blearily after a moment or two.

"Hey there," Ash smiled at him. "How are you feeling?"

Pichu looked around and seemed rather confused. Ash did his best to fill him in. "I captured you at the lab, remember?"

The electric-type's eyes cleared in understanding and he nodded. Feeling optimistic, Ash took a chance and held his hand out to him. "Listen, Pichu. I want to become the strongest Pokemon Master in the world. I'd really like for you to join me. I promise to make you as strong as you can be. How about it? Do you wanna travel with us?"

Pyro made a friendly chirp in an effort to appear welcoming. Pichu smiled happily and reached up with his tiny paw to tap Ash's hand, but as he watched, the innocent smile turned into a devilish smirk.

A shock of electricity made his whole body spasm and jerk. Ash ended up on the ground with a yelp and began to twitch. Pichu's smirked turned into a full on grin as he cackled triumphantly.

Across the fire, Leaf and Saur were in hysterics. The girl was rolling in the dirt through her giggling fit and her Bulbasaur was making a barking sound that essentially amounted to the same thing. Even Pyro was chuckling a little, seeing as his trainer wasn't actually hurt from the shocking prank.

Ash got most of his body back under control in a minute. He leered up at Pichu, who was sitting on his chest and sniggering with delight. "Think that's real funny, do you?"

Pichu snickered agreeably and jumped off of Ash. He didn't make too much of a fuss though, so Ash figured that the prank was probably more for laughs than actual disobedience. The boy sat up and gave Leaf a deadpan look as she continued to laugh.

"It wasn't that funny."

"Are you kidding me?!" Her chest was heaving and it seemed like there wasn't enough oxygen in the air to fuel her hysterics. "You squeaked like a Rattata and started flopping around like a Magikarp!"

Pichu and Saur nodded agreement, both of them still sniggering. Ash reddened and looked away. Pyro came over and crawled into his trainer's lap, keeping his tail flame on the ground where it wouldn't hurt Ash. He had gotten over the amusement of the prank and decided to give his trainer some comfort to ease his ruffled pride.

At least Gary hadn't seen that one. It would've been way worse.

Leaf eventually got over her giggle fit and managed to remember how to breathe. She took a drink from her canteen and offered some to Saur. The grass type took a small sip, then settled down and began to close his eyes.

Ash looked at Pichu once the electric-type finished laughing over his prank. "Say, do you want a nickname?"

Pichu considered it for a bit, then shrugged and shook his head. Ash figured that the electric mouse decided his prankster attitude was plenty enough to be remembered without a unique name, so he just went with it. "Alright then. Let me know if you change your mind, okay?"

Pichu nodded and then yawned. Apparently, he was feeling tired. Considering how young Pichu was and the time of night, Ash wasn't surprised. He pulled out Pichu's Poke Ball.

"Do you want to sleep outside, or in the ball?"

Ash blinked when Pichu took one look at the Poke Ball and bristled, giving it the best evil eye such a small creature could muster. He had to admit, the amount of dislike that was carried in that gaze was actually impressive.

"I'll take that as a no."

A nod from the mouse confirmed his guess and Ash put the Poke Ball away. Pichu relaxed once it was out of sight and looked around for a spot to get comfortable. He finally just crawled on top of Pyro and settled there. Surprisingly, the fire lizard didn't seem to mind. Though then again, Pichu's weight was probably next to unnoticeable.

Ash lightly ran his fingers through Pichu's thin fur and felt a slight current run through him, though it wasn't painful. It made him shiver, but the electricity Pichu's body gave off was just a side effect of Static.

Across the fire, Leaf took out her own Poke Ball and set her newly captured Spearow loose. The bird looked like it had been beaten down quite thoroughly, and was too tired to even give his trainer the classic Spearow glare.

Leaf winced sympathetically once she saw the bird's sorry state. "Ouch. Sorry about getting so rough with you earlier, Spearow. How about I heal you up? I've got a potion that will make your wounds stop hurting."

Spearow just nodded exhaustedly and Ash quietly whistled. Saur had really done a number on Spearow to have knocked all the fight out of the small bird. The knowledge that flying-types had an inherent advantage over grass-types apparently meant nothing in the face of the Bulbasaur's aggressive battling style.

Leaf evidently agreed with him. She frowned with worry when Spearow failed to even squawk an objection and gently sprayed the potion over the injuries Saur had inflicted. The bird initially flinched away from the stinging sensation brought on by the rapid healing process a potion instigated, but relaxed once his wounds started to fade away.

Spearow ruffled his feathers and seemed a bit more relaxed now that he didn't feel as though he'd been smashed all over the forest. Which, in fact, he had been.

"Feeling better?" Leaf asked.

When the bird nodded, she smiled brightly. "Good. Spearow, I want to know if you'd like to travel with me. I'll help train you into a really strong Fearow. What do you think? Is that okay?"

They paused when they heard a loud snore and everyone looked over to Saur, who was now deeply asleep. Spearow leered at the grass-type furiously and made a low squawk, agreeing with Leaf whilst simultaneously promising vengeance one day on his ruthless teammate.

Leaf stroked Spearow's feathers to help him relax and gazed between her two Pokemon with a sigh. "That might take a while to work on. You're lucky Pyro and Pichu get along so well, Ash."

"I think they're just too tired to think about fighting right now, but yeah," he agreed. Ash yawned and settled down in his sleeping bag. Pyro made a slight grumble for the disturbance, but didn't move. Pichu was already asleep and hadn't even noticed.

Leaf smiled as the young Pokemon all began to fall asleep and murmured to Spearow. "You can sleep wherever you want. If you want to sleep in one of the branches around the camp, that's fine. I'll wake you up when we're about to head out tomorrow, okay?"

Spearow chirped and quickly flew to a low-hanging branch. The bird shuffled around a few times, then closed his eyes and fell asleep almost instantly.

Seeing as all the Pokemon were now happily slumbering away, their trainers joined them soon after.

Waking up the next morning reminded the group that they'd basically forgotten dinner the night before. Ash and Leaf hastily gave each of their famished teammates a can of Pokemon food. Pyro, Saur, and Spearow ate rather cleanly. Pichu on the other hand…

They all stopped eating to gape at Pichu as the mouse shoveled food into his mouth like a starving beast. Crumbs got everywhere and his cheek pouches were swelling rapidly.

Ash put a stop to that. "Pichu, slow down! You don't want to choke!"

Pichu tried to snap a retort and paid for it by getting food caught in his throat. The little electric-type furiously beat his chest with a tiny paw in an effort to get breakfast down.

With a sigh, Ash pulled out his canteen and offered it to Pichu. He held it up and tilted it when Pichu grabbed the bottle furiously, watching as the mouse took a big gulp and managed to free the trapped food in his throat. The mouse sat down and sighed in relief, wiping crumbs and water from his mouth.

Ash smirked and scratched Pichu around his ears. "Settle down. There's no rush. I'd rather you eat slow than choke trying to stuff it all down as fast as you can."

Pichu nodded and let out a little belch. Ash chuckled and returned to a tree stump where his own breakfast lay. He looked over his shoulder a second later and was happy to see that Pichu was eating again, albeit a good deal slower.

Leaf looked up at him from where she was eating beside Saur. "So I figure we cover some ground this morning. Viridian City isn't too far away now, so we could probably make it there by noon. We can heal our Pokemon there and then have that battle."

"Sounds like a plan," Ash agreed. He took a bite from his sandwich and chewed thoughtfully for a few seconds. "After that I think I'm going to stay in Viridian for a day or two. I really need to get some training done with Pyro and Pichu. Pyro needs to learn Metal Claw before I challenge the Pewter Gym and Pichu has to work on boosting his power. What about you?"

"I'm leaving right after our battle. I think Saur and Spearow will get a fair bit stronger fighting all the bug-types in Viridian Forest," Leaf explained. "Even if Saur's only a little bit stronger once we get to Pewter City, I'm pretty sure he can beat down a couple of rock-types."

Saur growled agreement. Spearow let out a low shriek at the grass-type, then returned to his breakfast. The Bulbasaur seemed to be contemplating whether or not to Vine Whip the impudent bird, but then decided that his food was more important.

Their trainer groaned. "And I'll have to work on their teamwork. Maybe if we're lucky, we'll run into a double battle in Viridian Forest. I think they'd make a scary team—Spearow can stun opponents and then Bulbasaur can pulverize them."

Ash mentally (but cheerily) apologized to any and every poor bug catcher in Viridian Forest that was unfortunate enough to challenge Leaf to a battle. He was pretty sure the girl would frighten even Pewter City's Gym Leader. She was ruthless.

"Alright, well let's get going once everyone is finished eating. I want to get as much training done today as possible," he stated.

"Agreed."

Another problem with Pichu arose when they were ready to travel. Ash and Leaf decided to recall their Pokemon so as to move faster, but Pichu took one look at the Poke Ball and blatantly threatened his trainer whenever the device was pointed at him. Ash was unwilling to risk the mouse's ire and simply let Pichu hitch a ride on his shoulder while they walked. It was a good thing the electric-type weighed basically nothing; they had a lot of ground to cover.

The road to Viridian City was quiet, as expected. Ash and Leaf ended up discussing strategies to use at the Pewter Gym (though Leaf's basically amounted to snagging the rock-types with Saur's Vine Whip and then beating them into oblivion). It became uncomfortably clear to Ash that his team really was limited in their ability to fight rock Pokemon.

The more they talked about it, the more obvious it was—even if Pyro mastered Metal Claw before they made it to the gym, rock-types had incredibly high defenses because of their tough exterior. Assuming he could beat down the first opponent, Pyro would probably be too exhausted to win against the second. He just didn't have the power in his current evolutionary stage. And if he got knocked out, Pichu's weak Thunder Shocks and Tackles would do little more than tickle the Gym Leader's Pokemon.

Ash's shoulders slumped when he realized that this first gym was already going to be the hardest challenge he'd ever had. Leaf could only pat his back sympathetically.

By the time noon came around, Viridian City was in sight. The two trainers made one last push to reach the Pokemon Center and were relieved when the red-roofed building was finally in front of them. Leaf led the way into the center and to the front desk.

Nurse Joy was a face familiar to practically anyone. The woman smiled as Ash and Leaf approached her at the desk. "Good morning! Welcome to the Pokemon Center. How can I help you?"

"Our Pokemon need to be healed," Ash started politely. "Also, are we able to register for the Indigo League here?"

"You most certainly can. Do you two have Pokedexes or other IDs?"

Both Ash and Leaf procured their Pokedexes and Joy took them both for a minute, installing them into a computer slot so that they could be registered. Once that was taken care of, she handed the devices back with a smile. "There you are. Now just place your Pokemon on a tray and I'll have them checked over shortly."

"Thank you, Nurse Joy," they both said gratefully. Ash and Leaf placed their pokeballs on a tray and Pichu simply hopped onto it. A Chansey came by and took the Poke Balls and Pichu to the back moments later, apparently not surprised that one of its patients was unconfined.

"You're welcome," Joy replied. "By the way, are either of you planning to stay the night?"

Ash nodded, but Leaf shook her head. "I'm leaving after we battle. I want to make some progress through Viridian Forest while there's still daylight left."

Joy frowned for a moment. "Make sure you stock up on Antidotes at the Pokemon Mart. The bug-types in the forest are very fond of using poison in battle."

The two trainers thanked her again for the information and retreated to the cafe once Ash got a room key for the night. Ash and Leaf rested for the better part of an hour, enjoying their food and the chance to sit down after walking all the way from Pallet Town.

Once the hour was up, Joy called them on the overhead speakers. "Ash, Leaf, your Pokemon are ready to be picked up!"

Ash stood with a grin. "You ready for a battle?"

Leaf smirked right back. "Are you?"

They raced to make it to the front desk.

Five minutes later, Ash and Leaf faced off on the dirt training field behind the Pokemon Center. The two trainers were grinning at each other widely, unable to contain their excitement.

Leaf called across the field. "So what's it gonna be? One on one, or two on two?"

"Is that even a question?" Ash reached up to scratch Pichu's ears. The mouse was firmly latched onto his shoulder once more—he seemed fond of the spot. "Two on two! Let's test out our new partners!"

"Alright. Just remember, you asked for it!" Leaf took her first Poke Ball and hurled it up. "Saur, you're up!"

The Bulbasaur materialized with a flash of light and growled. He gave Ash a glare that showed he meant business. Ash was all for it.

He set Pyro loose and the Charmander immediately swished his burning tail from side to side. Pyro took a look at Saur, then glanced back at Ash questioningly. His trainer grinned. "We're going to battle them, Pyro. Don't hold back!"

Pyro's eyes flashed with excitement and he turned back to Saur with a hiss in his throat. The grass-type growled again, unperturbed that his opponent was a fire-type.

Leaf provided the opening salvo.

"Vine Whip it."

Saur's vines shot out from his bulb like twin snakes, then lashed out at Pyro's head and body. Ash reacted as quickly as he could.

"Dodge it. Then Ember."

Pyro ducked under the vine aiming for his head, leaped over the one going for his body, then spat a series of small flames at his opponent. Saur frantically scrambled out of the way and dodged. The Bulbasaur stopped when Ember ended and peered at Pyro warily. Apparently, he wasn't quite as fearless as he wanted them to think.

Leaf wasn't about to let Saur give in to some flames, though. "Tackle. Follow up with Power Whip!"

As Saur lunged at his target, Ash frowned. He really didn't want Pyro to be on the receiving end of Power Whip, even if he resisted it. After all, Saur had knocked out Spearow with the same move. He doubted Power Whip would knock out Pyro, it would still deal more damage than he was entirely comfortable with.

He decided to try something risky. "Intercept it with Dragon Rush!"

Pyro's tail flame flared and his large pupils narrowed into slits. As he began to charge Saur, the grass-type froze, flinching back. Pyro picked up speed and crashed harshly into the Bulbasaur, knocking his target off its feet and sending it sprawling. The Charmander hissed and spat another Ember which made contact this time.

Saur cried out in pain and reeled away from Pyro's onslaught. Leaf called out to him, alarmed and trying to get her Pokemon back into gear. He didn't look anywhere near as confident as when the battle began, and completely forgot about using Power Whip on his fire-type opponent.

Ash vaguely remembered that Dragon Rush could make an opponent flinch sometimes from the sheer ferocity of the attack. What Pyro had executed was essentially just an overrated Tackle, but it was nice to know that the flinch effect could still take hold even if Dragon Rush was still totally unmastered. Pyro certainly hadn't managed to use any actual draconic energy.

He wouldn't worry about it now. It worked, and that was all that mattered. Saur was injured and stunned—there was no better opportunity to finish him off.

"Use Ember again! Keep at it until it goes down!"

The Charmander thrashed his tail from side to side and unleashed more of the small flames. Saur avoided the first few shots, but winced and collapsed a moment later. It was obvious that Pyro's Dragon Rush, though incomplete, had dealt a fair amount of damage. With the Bulbasaur unable to move, Pyro spat another burst of small flames and made a direct hit. When he stopped to see the effects, Saur was unconscious.

Ash's grin widened tenfold. "Great job, Pyro!"

Pyro spat a few small flames into the air and let out a delighted chirp. He seemed to bask in the light of his victory.

Leaf recalled Saur and put his Poke Ball away. "Not bad, but you lucked out with that Dragon Rush."

"We've got to work on it, but it's pretty great, huh?" Ash replied. He returned Pyro and reached up to scratch Pichu's ears. "Alright Pichu, get out there."

Pichu leaped down from his shoulder and scurried onto the field, his cheek pouches sparking while he snickered. Leaf smirked at the mouse and took out her second Poke Ball. "You got lucky beating Saur, Ash, but good luck beating Talon!"

Her Spearow was released into the air with a loud shriek. He glared at Pichu with pure arrogance, clearly finding the electric mouse to be beneath him.

Ash raised his eyebrows. "Talon? When did you nickname him?"

"Just before we left camp this morning," Leaf answered. She looked utterly confident despite Saur's loss. Her Spearow shrieked again and Leaf responded. "Get that Pichu! Fury Attack!"

Talon instantly dove with a flap of his small wings. His beak was aimed right for Pichu, ready to stab and peck until the mouse was unable to battle.

"Avoid it! Thundershock!"

Pichu waited, still smirking as the Spearow closed in, then began to dance away from its attacks. All the while, he snickered and mocked the bird, occasionally shooting small bolts of electricity. The shocks were weak and didn't do too much damage to Talon, but they were enough to ruffle his smooth feathers.

Talon finally got tired of the Pichu's taunts and screeched furiously. The sudden blast of sound at close range made Pichu cringe and cover his ears. He froze up for just a split second.

Talon seized his opportunity with righteous fury.

He peppered Pichu with vicious pecks of his beak, hitting the electric mouse anywhere and everywhere he could. Pichu squeaked in pain and tried to shock the bird, but Talon was so furious that the weak electric attacks only egged him on further.

Pichu tried to Tackle his opponent when the electricity failed, but Talon took the hit like it was nothing and then whacked the mouse over the head with his wing, knocking it out cold. Talon shrieked his victory and flew back to Leaf, landing on her arm to sneer at Ash and the defeated Pichu.

Ash sighed and recalled the electric-type into his Poke Ball. He couldn't say he was surprised. Talon had lived in the wild longer than Pichu had, certainly. The mouse was hardly a few months old at most. Even with his type advantage, if Pichu's moves were weak, then to the Spearow they were nothing more than irritants. And irritate him, they had.

Leaf smiled and scratched Talon's head feathers lightly. "Good boy. That was a great battle."

The Spearow cawed, causing his trainer to smirk. Leaf recalled her Pokemon and waited as Ash walked over. He was still grinning. "So we call it a draw?"

"For now," she admitted. "But I'll really beat you down the next time we meet."

"I'd like to see you try."

They walked back to the Pokemon Center together and got their worn-out teams back to Nurse Joy. Within an hour, all four of their Pokemon were healed completely and Leaf headed out to the Viridian Forest. Ash watched her go and then returned to the practice field.

He took a deep breath and released his revitalized Pokemon. It was time to train.

Chapter Text

Chapter Two: The Earth Master

When nighttime rolled around, Ash sat down on the training field with his exhausted partners. He'd spent the last six hours doing nothing but training Pyro and Pichu, both of whom had worked hard to improve and were now totally burnt out.

They'd only really focused on two things: teaching Pyro Metal Claw and making Pichu stronger in general. The best way to learn Metal Claw (or so the Pokedex claimed) was by having Pyro scratch at hard rocks repeatedly. Fortunately, there were plenty of those around the training field. Pyro had slashed at the stones for hours until his claws began to harden and gained a metallic glint to them. It was far from mastered, but at least Metal Claw was a viable option in battle now.

Pichu spent the whole time doing little more than discharging electricity and running around to charge it back up once he ran out. The mouse was furious that he'd lost to Leaf's Spearow, but he put his frustration to good use by training relentlessly. His stamina needed a lot of work. Ash had to bring him into the Pokemon Center three times to feed at the charge station for electric-types just to get his power back to full capacity.

Their hard work was already bearing fruit. He wouldn't be knocking out Pewter City's rock-types anytime soon, but he'd probably make Talon rethink a direct attack the next time they battled.

For now, Ash and his Pokemon were sprawled out in the dirt on the training field, getting their breath back as the moon started to rise in the sky.

Ash felt a cool breeze blow over his skin and finally sat up, looking at Pyro and Pichu's exhausted frames. The young trainer pulled out their Poke Balls and called to them softly. "Both of you worked really hard. Take a break now, okay? We'll heal you up and then we can go to sleep afterwards."

His Pokemon just nodded. Even Pichu was too tired to complain about being put back into the Poke Ball. The electric-type hated the device with a passion, (apparently suspended animation wasn't for everyone) but he didn't mind it as much when he was dead tired. Ash figured Pichu liked to be outside the ball when he was full of energy so he could enjoy the fresh air and run around. Sitting in a Poke Ball when he could be doing something exciting probably seemed like a waste of time.

Ash recalled the pair and forced himself to get up, wincing at the soreness in his legs. He trudged his way back to the Pokemon Center, too tired to be rushed.

As he walked over to the front desk, Ash blearily wiped some of the sleepiness from his eyes. Without thinking, he ended up bumping into a person in front of him. He stepped back quickly and made to apologize. "Sorry, sorry. I wasn't looking…"

He trailed off as his gaze went up, staring at a tall man who was now eyeing him from over his shoulder. The man had dark brown hair and wore a black suit with dark pants. His eyes were dark as well, with some quality to them that made Ash shiver slightly.

The man turned away after a second and grunted. "Just don't do it again."

Ash nodded and averted his gaze, embarrassed by the accident. He waited while the man received six Poke Balls from Nurse Joy, who smiled at him somewhat hesitantly.

"They're all ready to go. Just don't send too many injured Pokemon back to me, alright?"

The man smirked. "I make no promises. Anyone willing to challenge me knows the risks. They will have to deal with the consequences of their decision."

Joy sighed. "Well, you can't say I don't try…"

He grunted and turned around, walking past Ash with a muttered. "Excuse me."

Ash watched the man go and then approached Nurse Joy. She smiled more brightly than the man before him. "Welcome back, Mr. Ketchum. Finally finished training for today?"

"Yeah," Ash yawned in exhaustion as he handed her his Poke Balls. "I think Pyro and Pichu are too tired to train more anyways. We've almost got Metal Claw down, though…just a little more."

"I think you'll have it completed by the time you get through Viridian Forest," Joy replied. She took the Poke Balls and gave them to her Chansey on a tray. "With all the bug catchers running around in there, your Charmander will have many chances to use it in battle."

The boy nodded tiredly and Joy's smile became sympathetic. "Why don't you go get something to eat in the cafeteria? I'll call you on the overhead when your Pokemon are ready."

Ash thanked her and headed off to do just that. He was too tired to focus on anything else and didn't notice the man he'd bumped into earlier watching him curiously.

Ash sat down with a plate full of food and dug in. Now that he was getting some food into him, thinking was a bit easier. He decided to read about his current team's attributes while he ate, so he pulled his Pokedex out and selected the overview feature for Pichu. Ash knew Charmander's information like the back of his hand, but he didn't actually know too much about Pichu's.

From what he could tell, Pichu grew fairly quickly. They were among the few "Baby" Pokemon that were rarely produced by parents in the wild. Baby Pokemon like Pichu, Igglybuff, and Azurill rarely occurred outside of captivity unless the conditions were favorable enough to support them. The reason for that wasn't well known, but researchers speculated that it was an adaptation to give the offspring a better chance of survival. Only the strongest and healthiest of their adult forms would produce Baby Pokemon because they were the best of the species.

Scientists had wondered then, why would the strongest adults of a species produce the incredibly rare, but weak Baby Pokemon at all? The reason turned out to be, of all things, power. Baby Pokemon seemed to have greater potential overall than those of their species that did not go through the extra evolutionary stage. Moreover, some of them had the capability of learning extremely rare moves only while they were in that stage, though they did have to evolve to utilize their full power.

Pichu was a perfect example of that. If a Pikachu hatched from an egg, it would be stronger than Pichu initially, yes, but it would miss out on the opportunity to learn what was decidedly one of the most powerful electric-type moves out there: Volt Tackle.

The technique was exclusive to the Pichu line and considered the signature of an expertly-trained Pikachu or Raichu. Even in the hands of a Pikachu, Volt Tackle was impressive. Ash had never actually seen the move before, but it was rumored that Lt. Surge of Vermillion City had a Raichu capable of using the powerful electric attack.

He would find out one day, when he faced Surge in the Vermillion Gym.

The problem was that Pichu would evolve before too long. Baby Pokemon grew incredibly fast compared to the majority of other species. That was great in the long run, but it gave Ash a very short amount of time to teach Pichu a move that he hadn't ever actually seen before.

The good news, as he understood it from reading the data in the Pokedex, was that Volt Tackle didn't have to be perfected in that time—Pichu just had to get a rough grasp on it in his current evolutionary stage. If he evolved into Pikachu before getting even a basic semblance of the technique, he would likely never learn it.

Ash decided that Volt Tackle would take priority for Pichu. From what he could tell by reading about it, the move followed his plan for training Pichu anyways—it required a large amount of power and speed to perform. Those attributes were important to the Pichu line regardless, so the training would work out nicely. That was the theory, at least.

If he didn't teach Pichu Volt Tackle, he supposed that the move Wild Charge could take its place. But Volt Tackle and Wild Charge were, in fact, very different, despite their similarities. Both moves required the user to charge a cloak of electricity around their bodies, then recklessly ram into the target. There was a major difference, though—Volt Tackle required a much higher speed to pull off. Wild Charge used sheer mass and power to attack. It didn't have to be fast. Like Take Down, it just needed blunt force to be effective.

But Volt Tackle was far more devastating because it forced the user to charge far denser electricity and rush at blinding speed, essentially turning them into a lightning missile. The resulting impact was far more precise and made the recoil damage greater, but the payoff would be worth it.

It was an odd conundrum, why Volt Tackle was a move exclusive to the Pichu line. Researchers had pondered this curiously—there were many other electric-types that were even faster than their evolutionarily line, yet Volt Tackle simply could not be taught. There was no documented case of a Jolteon, Manectric, or even the incredibly rare Raikou using the technique. The move was a mystery.

In fact, Pichu itself was the answer.

While studying Baby Pokemon, researchers discovered that Pichu were born with a completely unique charge organ attached to their main electrical organ. The organ stored a separate source of electrical energy for Pichu to access. However, it would not react if a Pichu used a common electric attack like Thunder Shock.

The reason became clear when Pichu used Volt Tackle.

Pichu's secondary charge organ was specifically for Volt Tackle. The move switched on a kind of "backup generator" and unleashed the steady surge of dense electricity needed for Volt Tackle. It was a unique adaptation only possible because of the Baby Pokemon stage.

Pikachu that hatched from eggs would never be able to access the secondary organ because their primary electrical organs were larger than Pichu's. The size difference would cut off any flow of electricity from the second organ, thus making it benign. For the secondary organ to be of any use, it had to be accessed in the Pichu stage and connected to the primary organ with the electrical surge produced from using Volt Tackle. Once the electrical stream was initiated, the organ would stay active and grow even after Pichu's evolution.

Ash wanted Pichu to learn Volt Tackle. Not only would it be an incredibly potent weapon once the little mouse evolved, but it would allow Pichu to truly reach his full potential.

He finished reading up all he could on Volt Tackle and found that all the research had tired out his brain along with his body. Setting his Pokedex aside, Ash made to take another bite of his dinner. Before he could though, he heard the sound of heavy boots step near.

"Excuse me, young man."

Ash looked up and managed not to gulp at the sight of the same trainer he had bumped into earlier. He was an imposing figure—dark and tall, with a hard look on his face.

"Can I help you, sir?" Ash asked, trying not to stutter.

The man cracked a slight smirk and glanced at the chair across from the boy. "Do you mind if I join you?"

"Oh, um, not at all," Ash hesitantly gestured to the seat.

"Thank you," the man replied. He sat down and settled into the chair, leaning back to relax a bit.

An awkward silence took over the table as the man's dark eyes trained onto Ash and studied him intensely. Ash had no idea how to react and thought about saying something, but the expression on the older trainer's face made him think better of it.

Minutes must have passed before the man finally broke the uncomfortable silence. "I should introduce myself. My name is Giovanni."

Ash's eyes widened. "Giovanni? Wait—the Gym Leader, Giovanni? The ground-type Master, Giovanni?"

"The very same," Giovanni seemed slightly amused by the boy's surprise. "You seem to be a new trainer, are you not?"

"Yes-yes, I am," Ash replied shakily. "I started traveling the day before yesterday—oh! Sorry, my name's Ash. I'm from Pallet Town."

"Ash. A good name," the Gym Leader said thoughtfully. He noticed Ash looked confused and continued. "I would assume you're going to Pewter City to challenge Brock, then?"

The boy nodded. "Yes, sir. But I think it's going to be difficult for my Pokemon."

"How so?"

"Well, my starter Pokemon was Charmander," Ash began. "He's growing fast and I'm teaching him Metal Claw to fight Pewter Gym's rock-types, but I don't think it'll be enough. I've got a Pichu as well that I'm going to try and teach Volt Tackle to, but he probably won't be able to fight at all against Brock's team. And there aren't really any Pokemon around Viridian or Pewter City that really have a fighting chance against them, either. The bugs in Viridian Forest would get squashed by rock-types."

Giovanni smirked. "An accurate assessment, particularly in regards to the bug-types."

Ash wasn't really sure how to reply to that, but Giovanni kept talking. "You are correct in your analysis—your team clearly stands at a disadvantage against rock-types. Even if Charmander perfected Metal Claw at its current stage in training, it would not be enough to conquer Brock. His Geodude would likely fall to your Pokemon, but he uses an Onix as well."

That made Ash gulp. Onix were gargantuan rock-types with hard stone armor covering their entire bodies. Even though they had plenty of weaknesses, a well-trained Onix handled by an experienced trainer like Brock was a threat to be feared.

Giovanni was right. Charmander might be able to beat something as small as a Geodude with Metal Claw, but an Onix was entirely out of the question. He would probably just annoy the behemoth before getting crushed in the rock serpent's stone coils.

Ash deflated once he realized that. "I guess I'll just have to pass up Brock and go to Cerulean City for my first badge. Pichu will probably evolve by then and I could catch a water-type to beat Brock when I go back to Pewter City."

"That is a reasonable plan," Giovanni agreed. He was quiet for a bit, then spoke again. "Although…"

Before he could say another word, the overhead speakers beeped and Nurse Joy's voice echoed throughout the Pokemon Center. "Ash Ketchum, your Pokemon are waiting for you at the front desk."

Ash stood up and excused himself politely. "Sorry, I have to go get my team."

"It's quite alright," Giovanni replied. "It is about time I headed back to the Gym."

The boy nodded and walked to the front desk to retrieve his healed team. Giovanni quietly followed.

"Thanks a lot, Nurse," Ash said gratefully as he released Pichu from his confines. He knew the electric mouse would be annoyed with being in the Poke Ball before too long. Pichu shook himself once he was released and immediately hopped onto his trainer's shoulder, smiling cheerily.

Joy smiled at him. "You're welcome, Ash. They should be good to go for the trek through Viridian Forest, as well. Just make sure you're stocked on Antidotes and Potions. Poison is a constant problem because of all the bug Pokemon."

He nodded. "I'll remember that. By the way, I was wondering—"

Suddenly the lights cut out and Ash's question died in his throat. He and Joy both looked around, confused. The boy frowned. "A power outage?"

"That doesn't make sense," Joy replied, glancing towards the glass doors of the Pokemon Center. "The lights for the rest of the city are still active. But our generator wouldn't just cut like this unless someone turned it off…"

The Nurse suddenly paled and whipped around towards the back of the building, where the Pokemon storage was. "It's those thieves again! They cut the power to get past the electronic lock!"

Before Ash could react, the glass doors at the front shattered. He spun around with wide eyes to find three figures standing in the rubble. It was a man, a woman, and a small, feline Pokemon he recognized as a Meowth. The two people wore white uniforms with a large red "R" on the front of their shirts. Ash realized it was the symbol for Team Rocket.

Joy's eyes narrowed. "You three are awfully bold breaking in here while I'm still on duty!"

"Oh, please," the woman drawled. "You and that pink egg are about as threatening as an angry Caterpie. You're taught to heal, not fight."

Her male partner smirked. "Now, hand over the Pokemon in the storage room and no one has to get hurt. Little boy, you will be handing yours over as well. It wouldn't do for you to interfere with our work."

Ash glared at them. "I refuse."

"Huh, the twerp's got some backbone," the Meowth sneered. "I think he needs a lesson in pain."

Normally, Ash would have been utterly surprised that a Pokemon had spoken like a human, but he had more important things on his mind. He grabbed Pyro's Poke Ball and released the fire-type, then glanced at Pichu. "Get in there, buddy. We'll fight them off."

Pichu leapt down from his shoulder and landed beside Pyro, his cheeks sparking. Pyro glared at the thieves and swished his burning tail aggressively, a hiss rising in his throat.

"Oh? They aren't rare, but those are uncommon Pokemon," the man mused. "Now we'll definitely have to take them. Shall we?"

The woman nodded and released an average Ekans. The serpent hissed and eyed its prey with pale yellow orbs. It didn't look evil, but it was obviously ready to fight. The Koffing which was sent out beside it looked the same way.

Ash looked at his opponents and ran everything he knew about them through his head. Unfortunately, it wasn't much. Ekans and Koffing were both poison-types. Alone, they weren't especially powerful, but in numbers they could be dangerous. Ekans was fast and used bites in order to attack. Koffing could smash its tough body into foes and expelled a stinking toxic gas. It also had the ability to use Self-Destruct once it was well trained. Ash didn't think this Koffing looked strong enough for that, but he didn't really want to risk that either.

He muttered lowly to Pyro and Pichu. "Keep your distance and feel them out with Ember and Thunder Shock. Pyro, you're the main force here. If they get close, hit them with Scratch or Metal Claw. Pichu, run around them and keep jolting those two. Try and paralyze them."

His Pokemon nodded and tensed as Ekans and Koffing began to approach. The woman, who apparently was the leader of the group, shouted at Ash. "Last chance, kid! Obey your elders like a good little boy and hand over your Pokemon, or you will regret it!"

Ignoring her, Ash initiated the fight. "Attack!"

Pyro immediately spat flames at Ekans while Pichu unleashed an electrical shock. The snake quickly slithered away and avoided its enemy's moves, hissing angrily. Koffing just tanked the shock, but winced. Ash grinned when it showed visible pain. Training with Pichu all afternoon had paid off.

Ekans darted towards Pyro with its mouth agape. The Charmander spat flames until the last second, then leapt out of the way and slashed at the poison-type with Metal Claw. He scored a hit on the thin scales, causing it to wriggle away quickly. Ekans retreated and shifted into a coil, hissing while Pyro growled.

Pichu was running circles around Koffing as he dodged its clumsy Tackles, stopping now and then to shoot off a Thunder Shock. The mouse wrinkled his nose in disgust whenever Koffing got too close—those fumes almost had Ash gagging even at this distance. But Koffing couldn't hit the faster and more agile electric-type, so it was on the losing side of the battle. Apparently, the Rockets agreed.

"The mouse is annoying," snarled the woman. "Ekans, help Koffing squash it!"

The snake spun towards the fighting pair and made to spring at Pichu, but Ash wasn't having it. "Pyro, pin it down!"

Ekans hissed furiously as the Charmander leapt onto the back of its scaly neck and smacked it against the ground. Pyro gripped the snake firmly by using Metal Claw to dig into its scales. It kept him from sliding off and out of range from Ekans' furious bites. The female thief screamed furiously at her Pokemon, but Pyro was far too stubborn to shake off. Meanwhile, Pichu jolted Koffing again with Thunder Shock, this time slowing it down a bit as paralysis began to take hold.

Ash grinned. He had them on the ropes. But his smile faded a moment later when he realized something.

Meowth was missing.

He glanced around frantically to locate the cat and found it trying to sneak past the fighting Pokemon. Ash narrowed his eyes at the mocking glee Meowth exuded. Obviously, the thieving cat thought it was clever by trying to steal while he was preoccupied fighting. That irritated Ash more than he was entirely happy about, so he watched the battle a second longer to ensure his Pokemon were okay for the moment before taking the matter of Meowth into his own hands.

The cat was watching the fight while it snuck around the edge of the center and never saw Ash coming.

Meowth yowled when a well-aimed kick from Ash punted it clean across the room and right into the female Rocket's face. The cat was so shocked that it'd been caught and repelled that it forgot to sheathe its claws, which had come out as a reflex of being attacked. Its partner shrieked as Meowth's own claws dug into her skin.

The woman scrambled to get the feline off of her and only made matters worse by startling Meowth even further. Her male partner just watched, dumbfounded by what was happening. Even their Pokemon stopped to just stare in utter bewilderment. The pause gave Pyro and Pichu a chance to catch their breath and get ready for the next stage of the fight.

Ash smirked as the woman finally pulled Meowth off of her and stared at the boy. Her face was all scratched up, red and puffy and her shocked expression quickly became furious.

"You little shit! We'll see if you're smirking when I get my claws on your face!"

Ekans and Koffing prepared themselves to attack and Ash got ready to react and give his team orders. But just as the poison-types lunged, a flash of white light burst through the dark room.

Ash yelped as a tremor went through the ground and he scrambled to keep his balance. When he looked up to see what had caused it, any and all thoughts of battle left his head.

The biggest Pokemon he'd ever seen was standing in the middle of the room, pinning the now unconscious Ekans and Koffing down with stone arms as thick as tree trunks. Two large drills rested on its head and the entirety of its grey body was covered in thick red plates of armor. A long tail with a heavy club on the end was responsible for the tremor, cracks spreading along the floor like spider webs where it had crushed the ground.

Ash had no idea what it was, but he was more concerned about where it had come from. He spun towards Nurse Joy, but she just had her hands over her mouth to cover up her shock. They got their answer when a deep voice cut the stunned silence.

"That's quite enough of that."

Giovanni stepped out from the shadows with a stern expression. He stared at the Rockets and growled menacingly. "Out."

That one word was plenty to get the message across. The Rockets quickly recalled their unconscious Pokemon and ran so fast out of the building that Ash thought even an Arcanine would have trouble catching them. They were certainly quick on their feet, he'd give them that.

Giovanni's massive Pokemon let out a rumbling sound which made him jump as it turned to look at its trainer. The Gym Leader nodded to the behemoth. "Good work, Rhyperior."

Rhyperior snorted and turned to eye Ash and his comparatively tiny Pokemon. Pyro and Pichu did their best not to cringe under the stone giant's crimson eyes, but it made its judgement quickly and proceeded to simply ignore them.

Nurse Joy was still pale, though she managed to find her voice. "Mr. Giovanni, I didn't know you were still here…"

"I was actually just leaving when the power went out," he grunted. "The League ordered me to deal with those thieves personally if I ever encountered them. Though I must say, I'm fairly certain given how weak they were that Ash here could have run them off without my help. I only stepped in to settle the matter slightly faster."

Joy nodded. "Thank you very much for protecting the Pokemon Center. And you as well, Ash. Your quick thinking probably just saved dozens of Pokemon."

"We didn't do much. We just kept them busy," Ash replied, still staring at the behemoth with wide eyes. The huge Pokemon glanced at him momentarily, but it was utterly impassive. It was uncomfortable to see such a creature with little to no emotion like that. Rhyperior just looked bored.

Giovanni noted the exchange and looked at Ash pointedly. "You don't give yourself enough credit. Even though you've only trained your Pokemon for a few days, they reacted well to this battle. I was impressed. They got out of the fight without so much as a scratch."

He smirked then. "And you showed plenty of willingness to jump into the fight yourself. I can't say I've ever seen anyone reckless enough to try and kick an enemy Pokemon across the room."

Heat surged through Ash and he glanced at the floor. "Pyro and Pichu were busy fighting, so…"

"It was quick thinking and it worked. Just don't make a habit of it," Giovanni told him. The Gym Leader then looked at Joy. "I believe calling the police would be appropriate, although I'm certain the commotion will bring them here in a matter of minutes. I doubt the thieves will return. However, I shall remain here until the officers arrive."

"Thank you. Excuse me, I need to go turn on the backup generator," she replied and quickly strode off. Chansey, who had been hiding behind the desk during the event, scurried after her.

Ash found himself once again drawn to the massive form of Rhyperior. The nine-foot tall stone beast was now lazily spinning its drills. Giovanni saw Ash's interest and commented on it. "You seem impressed by Rhyperior."

"Yes, sir," the boy answered. "I've heard of them before and Professor Oak let us see a Rhydon once, but I've never gotten to see a Rhyperior in person. It's…it's huge."

"He's actually a fair bit bigger than the average Rhyperior," Giovanni admitted. "Most of the breed top out at eight feet tall. He's nearly ten. Heavier and slower, perhaps, but Rhyperior really have no need for speed of any kind as long as they have strong armor."

"I see," Ash murmured. Rhyperior spun his drill again and growled deeply.

Giovanni recalled the huge Pokemon and put the Poke Ball away. "He prefers to stay in suspended animation outside of combat and training."

Ash nodded in understanding. Professor Oak had a few Pokemon like that.

Several minutes later, the police arrived and took over the situation. Power was quickly restored to the Pokemon Center and Ash felt even more exhausted after the raid by Team Rocket. His eyes were closing against his will.

Giovanni seemed to tell the boy was about to crash and grunted. "Get to your room, Ash. Get some sleep. Come by my gym tomorrow morning."

Ash was too tired to ask why and simply turned away with a mumbled, "goodnight." He led Pyro and Pichu to his room in the Pokemon Center and fell asleep the second he hit the bed.

The next morning, Ash found himself in front of the Viridian City Gym. He stared at the imposing building and swallowed. Why did Giovanni want to see him again? Hesitantly, he knocked on the huge doors and they opened automatically. Ash walked inside and relaxed a bit once he saw Giovanni standing alone in the middle of the large room that took up most of the gym.

Giovanni looked completely unaffected by the events of the night before as he looked the younger trainer over. "Good morning, Ash. I expect you're wondering why I wanted you here."

"Yes, sir," Ash replied.

"Good. The reason I requested your presence was to engage you in a battle."

Ash froze. "Wait, what?"

Giovanni smirked. "Relax, boy. I'm not talking about an actual gym battle. We won't really be fighting. It'll be more of a test than anything for you. Call out your Charmander."

Still uncertain what to make of the situation, Ash set Pyro loose and Pichu leapt down from his shoulder to watch. The two little Pokemon gazed up at the Gym Leader curiously, recognizing him from the night before. Giovanni inspected them with measuring eyes and pulled out a Poke Ball of his own.

"Most of my Pokemon don't play well with others, particularly Rhyperior or Nidoking. But this one is the most mellow of my main team," Giovanni explained as he tapped the release and unleashed the Pokemon from its confines.

Ash's eyes widened at the large Nidoqueen that appeared. She was a lot smaller than Rhyperior's sheer bulk, but held an air of royalty and power that Rhyperior simply didn't possess. Nidoqueen was slightly taller than Giovanni and looked at Ash and his Pokemon curiously. He felt more relaxed around her than he had with Rhyperior. She seemed more prone to showing her emotions. It made it easier for him to tell what she was thinking.

"Nidoqueen is going to humor you," Giovanni explained, folding his arms behind his back. "None of your attacks now will scratch her, but I'd like to see you give your best effort. Understand this—power can only get you so far. Without knowledge and control, it is meaningless. Now, you may begin whenever you're ready. Nidoqueen will wait for you."

Ash didn't have the foggiest idea where to begin. Pyro's Metal Claw wouldn't pierce her thick armor at his current level and Ember might warm her up a bit. He thought as quickly as he could before deciding to take a risk. "Dragon Dance."

Pyro squeezed his eyes shut and tensed, focusing energy in the core of his body. It took nearly twenty seconds for it to show any kind of effect, however, and obviously wouldn't be useful in any real battle Pyro participated in at this stage. Ash had to risk it, though—without some kind of boost to Pyro's attack, he wouldn't be able to even make Nidoqueen twitch.

Giovanni nodded approvingly. "A good start, though you obviously lack training for such a technique. What will you do next?"

Ash knew exactly what he was going to do. "Metal Claw. Don't stop."

Pyro rushed Nidoqueen, slightly faster thanks to the weak Dragon Dance, and began to slash at her legs. He darted around and scratched with his metallic claws wherever he could touch the much larger Pokemon. At one point, Pyro even used Nidoqueen's tail as a platform to jump high and scratch at her face, though she just snorted in amusement.

The Charmander was beginning to look rather frustrated, but Ash called out to him. "Keep at it, Pyro! Just keep using Metal Claw."

"You may consider a different strategy. Only using one move isn't going to increase your chances."

"Metal Claw will," Ash replied, garnering a raised eyebrow from the Earth Master. He saw a glimmer of light as the glow of Metal Claw increased. "It's attacks can get stronger the more we strike."

The Gym Leader's mouth twitched, though he didn't seem too surprised. "I see. It's a decent plan. However…"

Giovanni's smirk returned. "How will you deal with Nidoqueen once she starts to move?"

At his cue, the matriarch let out a bellow and a shockwave blew Pyro away. Ash's partner hit the ground with a yelp and scrabbled back to his feet. Nidoqueen took a step forward and swept her tail towards the Charmander, but Pyro dodged by jumping up and clinging to the thick appendage.

"Ember!" Ash shouted.

Pyro growled and spat little flames over Nidoqueen's back, but she just huffed, not even annoyed, and made a swift turn. Her smaller opponent was hurled from her spine and hit the ground roughly. Despite the tough landing, Pyro got back up and stubbornly hissed at his behemoth foe.

Nidoqueen made a rumble that caused the ground at her feet to quake. Pyro almost lost his footing and staggered back from her, looking hesitant for the first time since the fight began. The matriarch lifted her chin and looked down on the tiny lizard, a silent command in her stern eyes that demanded respect.

Pyro was stubborn, but he wasn't stupid. He quieted his growl and bowed his head. Nidoqueen snorted in what might have been approval.

Ash blinked. He didn't understand what had just happened.

Giovanni broke the silence. "You have talent, but it's obvious you have a lot to learn. The wise decision would have been to recall Charmander the moment Nidoqueen began to move. Your Pokemon realized that before you did."

He opened his mouth to reply, then closed it. Giovanni made a good point. Nidoqueen had played possum for a while so that Pyro could attack, but the second she got into the fight it was over. There was just no way for him to inflict any kind of damage on the massive poison and ground-type.

"A strong, trained Pokemon can take a good deal more punishment than those as young as your Charmander or Pichu," the Gym Leader continued. "At their current level, it would be best not to let them take inordinate amounts of damage from far stronger adversaries. Serious injuries could result in problems later when they evolve. Do not be foolish enough to risk that."

Giovanni recalled Nidoqueen and looked at the boy. "You must not fight so rigidly, either. Against a foe with such a vast difference in experience, no manner of head-on attack is going to have an effect. Think outside the confines of what seems to be possible and impossible. Improvise. But do not act stupidly."

He took out a new Poke Ball and held it out. "Take this."

Ash stared at the ball and carefully took it from Giovanni. He looked it over curiously. "What's in it?"

"A Sandile," Giovanni informed him. "A ground-type. Obviously, a specialty of mine. You could make greater use of it than I. My team already has plenty of power, and this one requires time to train that I simply do not have. If you work hard with it, I believe it could be of use in your battle against Brock at Pewter City."

"You're just giving it to me?" Ash asked hesitantly. "I've never even heard of Sandile before. Is it rare?"

"You won't find it in Kanto," Giovanni agreed. "But it's rather common in the deserts of the Unova region. A well trained Sandile and its evolved forms are useful assets for any trainer. They typically are not easy to work with, but I think you might be talented enough to handle it with time and training. I suggest you research it extensively. You'll need a firm understanding of their species if you're to properly work with their adult forms."

"Why's that?"

"Uncontrollable aggression is a common trait as they mature. You'll understand in time."

The words "uncontrollable aggression" made Ash certain this was going to take a lot of research and hard work. He wouldn't open that Poke Ball until he felt like he could handle Sandile safely. Even if it wasn't yet fully grown, that did not necessarily make it easy to work with or tame in his book. Ash didn't even have the foggiest idea what a Sandile looked like.

Still, he was grateful for it and wasn't about to turn it down.

"Thank you very much, sir," Ash dipped his head politely.

Giovanni nodded back. "You may thank me when that Sandile proves to be useful. Now, you'd best get going. There's plenty of daylight left for trekking through Viridian Forest and I have a meeting in ten minutes. Farewell, Mr. Ketchum."

Ash took his leave quickly, pocketing Sandile's Poke Ball and recalling Pyro. Pichu climbed back onto his shoulder and the boy left the Viridian Gym without another word.

He felt the Gym Leader's eyes boring into his back right until the door closed behind him.

He pulled out his Pokedex again before leaving for the Viridian Forest. It was the last obstacle before Pewter City and frankly his only opportunity to give Pyro, Pichu and the newly-acquired Sandile experience in battle. If Ash was going to use the ground-type in his battle against Brock, he had to train with it to get an idea of its capabilities. Holding up Sandile's Poke Ball to the Pokedex, he let the scan feature activate and waited patiently as the computer retrieved and recited the data to him.

Sandile, the Desert Croc Pokemon. It moves along the desert just below the surface of the sand, except for its nose and eyes. A dark membrane shields its eyes from the sun. Female Sandile bask together in sunlight to warm up their bodies every morning. Male Sandile fight each other by inflicting vicious bites to show their dominance. Trainers must exercise caution when handling this Pokemon.

This Sandile is male and knows the moves: Bite, Dig, Sand Tomb, Leer, Fire Fang, and Thunder Fang. Its ability is Moxie, which boosts Sandile's attack power in battle every time it defeats an opponent. Warning: Sandile with this ability can be highly volatile.

Ash groaned. Sandile had every bad trait its species was known for—it was male, for one. Apparently, that made him more aggressive than the supposedly more mellow females. He also had the Moxie ability that, together with his gender, actually warranted a warning from the Pokedex. Ash would not be forgetting that anytime soon.

He also didn't realize until now that Sandile was a dark-type in addition to being a ground-type. That only made matters worse. Dark-types commonly had highly aggressive behaviors or negative dispositions compared to other Pokemon. There was just something about them that didn't mesh well with others. Of course, not all dark-types were like that, and there were a fair few (Umbreon, for example) that did quite well around people and other Pokemon. It seemed to just be a matter of which species to watch out for.

Ash had no doubt Sandile and its evolutionary line were high up on that list. If they were so violent with members of their own kind, he could only imagine what they were like around people or other Pokemon.

Still, if he didn't meet Sandile, Ash would feel as though he was being unfair towards him. So just before they set out for the forest, Ash set Pyro loose and let Pichu hop off his shoulder. He crouched in front of them and fondly scratched the pair on their heads before talking.

"Listen, I want to try and get along with the Sandile Giovanni gave me, okay? But I don't know if he'll be aggressive or not. So I need you two with me, just in case he gets snappy. Don't attack him when he appears and do your best to look friendly. If he attacks, stay away from his jaws—that'll really hurt."

His two friends nodded, so Ash pulled out Sandile's Poke Ball. He took a deep breath and tapped the release, unleashing its contents.

The Pokemon that materialized following the white flash of light was the color of sand, with a few thick, black stripes along its top jaw, midsection, and tail. Its eyes were jet black and gleamed beneath the dark visor that had evolved to protect Sandile's eyes from the harsh desert sun. It stood on four short, stubby legs and for the most part, didn't look too threatening.

That is, until Sandile opened his jaws in a yawn, gaping nearly ninety degrees to flash rows of white fangs. Ash blinked when he realized that Sandile's head and mouth took up nearly a third of his total body size. That was…kind of ridiculous.

Sandile peered up at him with a curious expression. Ash decided to introduce himself. "Hey, Sandile. Are you feeling good?"

The croc considered that for a moment before shrugging. He looked over Pyro and Pichu, then back to Ash, who crouched down to avoid looking like a threat.

"My name is Ash. This is Pyro, and that's Pichu," he gestured to each of his Pokemon in turn. Pyro waved his stubby arm and Pichu squeaked politely. Ash went on. "Listen, I'd really like you to travel with me. I'm traveling with Pyro and Pichu to become the greatest Pokemon Master in the world, so I'll need a team of the best Pokemon out there working with me. If you decide to travel with us, I promise I'll train you into the strongest Krookodile that there is."

Sandile's eyes gleamed at the prospect. Ash had his attention now. He was just glad he remembered the name of Sandile's final evolution from his brief glance at it in the Pokedex. Ash wanted to get across to Sandile that he knew what he was doing, so he could better earn the ground-type's friendship and respect.

"What do you think, Sandile? Would you like to come with us?"

The croc thought about it a moment longer before nodding. Ash smiled at him. This was easier than he'd thought it would be. Maybe Sandile wasn't going to be as aggressive as he'd feared.

"Would you like a nickname? Pyro has one. Pichu didn't want one, but it's up to you."

Sandile seemed to ponder that and eventually emitted a crooning sound by causing his jaws to shiver. Ash took that as a yes and thought about it. He would admit he'd had trouble thinking of names for Sandile off the top of his head, so had cheated a little by looking up acceptable nicknames for crocodile-like Pokemon. Only one had really stood out to him, but would Sandile like it?

"How about Sobek?"

Sandile bared his many sharp teeth in a fierce mockery of a smile. Ash grinned. It seemed as though the ground-type agreed it was a good name.

Sobek it was.

Ash didn't get a chance to think any further as the newly dubbed Sobek stepped forward on his short, stubby legs and brushed the tip of his nose against the boy's leg. He froze, uncertain as to what the ground-type was trying to do. The Sandile's throat vibrated again and the resulting sound was almost…relaxing.

Hesitantly, Ash reached up and carefully set his hand against Sobek's head, feeling the tough, firm scales under his fingers. Sobek's only reaction was to (for lack of a better word) purr even more.

He frowned briefly. The Pokedex was completely inaccurate for this particular specimen of Sandile, it seemed. He…wasn't sure if that was a good sign or not. Sure, he'd much rather have a calm Pokemon than one with uncontrollable rage, but this was pushing it given the reputation of the Sandile line. He made a mental note to ask Professor Oak about Sobek at some point.

Ash stroked Sobek's scales again and turned his frown upside down. He and Sobek were getting along, and that was the best he could ask for right now. "Listen Sobek, I'm going to recall you now. We're about to go through a big forest. There will probably be a lot of trainers in there, so I'll probably call on you at some point to battle. Is that okay?"

Sobek grinned toothily again and nodded. Ash felt more relaxed seeing the Sandile's eagerness to fight—maybe his aggression would come out more during combat. If Sobek had even a touch of his breed's typical fury, the place to see it would be in a battle.

"Alright. I'll let you out as soon as I can, Sobek. Rest up."

Ash recalled the Sandile and let out a sigh of relief. That had gone well. Pyro and Pichu both made small noises to get his attention and he was pleased to see they both looked happy.

"Well, you guys know the plan. Hop on, Pichu. We've got a forest to get through."

His Pokemon chirped and squeaked agreement. Ash grinned, recalling Pyro as Pichu hopped onto his shoulder and started walking towards the vast green curtain that was Viridian Forest.

Their first day of trekking through Viridian Forest saw a lot of action. Ash must have battled a dozen trainers, all of them bug catchers. Each and every one of them was using freshly caught bug-types from the surrounding woods, except for a couple that seemed to actually train the bugs they captured.

Pyro, Pichu, and Sobek all saw a good bit of action. Pyro could torch the bug-types with ease, but his flames were getting stronger and stronger every time he won a battle. It was at the point where lesser bug-types like Caterpie and Weedle would get knocked out by a single Ember. Even the chrysalis stages Metapod and Kakuna were wiped out quickly before long.

The only Pokemon he'd battled thus far that had given him a hint of trouble was a Butterfree, and even then Pyro had won by shooting the bug out of the sky with Ember. His tail flame was starting to get hotter and Ash could see a faint trace of red in his scales, signaling that Pyro was getting closer to evolving.

Pichu had made a great amount of progress as well. Ash only used him to battle the weaker bugs, (he still wasn't strong enough to take on something like a Butterfree or Beedrill) but took the opportunity to try and get Pichu started on Volt Tackle. The easiest way to start was by having Pichu just Tackle his opponents while using Thunder Shock. It was an effective combination anyway, but hopefully it would start to channel electricity into the secondary charge organ that was necessary to learn Volt Tackle.

But Sobek saw the most use, especially after Ash battled with him the first time. In battle, Sobek wasn't especially fast, but his biting attacks instantly defeated pretty much everything he met. He didn't waste the croc's time against Caterpie and Weedle (though that was mostly because he was afraid Sobek might fatally injure them) and tested his power against Metapod and Kakuna instead. Their shells could stand up to the bites, though they fainted immediately after taking one or two of the attacks. Those battles weren't where Sobek truly stood out.

No, where Sobek had impressed Ash was when he snagged an enemy Beedrill out of the air with Fire Fang and knocked it out by shaking it ruthlessly. The ground-type had finished off the strongest Pokemon they had encountered in the forest thus far in a grand total of ten seconds. Ash could see the aggression he had been warned about when Sobek fought, but he mellowed quickly when he wasn't fighting. He felt much better about the Sandile's health now that he'd seen the sheer fury Sobek tapped into when he was in combat.

By the time the sun began to set, Ash had covered only about a third of the forest. He had been slowed down by all the battles, but was in no mood to complain. On the contrary, he couldn't stop smiling. His Pokemon had gotten a good deal stronger by constantly fighting the bug catchers. They'd also been fortunate enough to avoid getting poisoned.

Ash set his team loose once he found a decent spot to make camp for the night. Pyro smiled happily upon seeing him again, though Sobek blinked in confusion when he found there wasn't a fight to be had.

"We're about to sleep for the night," Ash explained to the croc. Sobek blinked and nodded in understanding, so he pressed on. "I usually set everyone loose at night so that you can enjoy the fresh air. Would you like that, or would you prefer staying in your Poke Ball?"

Sobek snorted and immediately found a patch of ground to dig a shallow hole into. The ground-type nestled himself into the small ditch with his head exposed, allowing him to keep an eye on Ash and the others, but he seemed content to close his eyes and fall asleep quickly. Ash smiled at his newest partner.

He got his sleeping bag out and made himself comfortable. Once Ash was settled, Pichu crawled onto his stomach as usual and Pyro curled up beside him, careful to keep his tail flame away from anything flammable.

Ash slipped into a peaceful slumber before long, tired out by the day's events and all they had accomplished.

His awakening was not so pleasant.

Ash felt something cold touch his throat and frowned as the sensation woke him up. He blinked and froze immediately. Above him was a figure clad in strange armor, holding a katana to his neck. Pyro, Pichu, and Sobek were all still asleep.

"Are you from Pallet Town?" The intruder asked quietly.

Ash kept his eyes on the sword at his throat and nodded shortly, scarcely remembering to breathe. The figure's eyes flashed and he raised his voice. "I was defeated by a trainer from Pallet Town once! Now face me in battle so I may redeem myse—AGH!"

His scream was caused by a rush of sand scales and a furious hiss. Sobek had woken because of the intruder's raised voice and immediately attacked when he saw that his trainer was in danger. The Sandile's jaws snapped shut on the sword, yanking it away from Ash and then ripping it from the intruder's hands. Sobek glared furiously at the intruder with the sword still in his jaws. His jaws clenched tightly and the blade snapped like a twig.

The commotion brought Pyro and Pichu out of their sleep and they immediately got between Ash and the intruder. Pyro and Sobek were hissing aggressively and Pichu's cheeks sparked with electricity. Ash quickly got up to call them off before they could seriously hurt the guy.

"Hey, hey, it's alright, guys! Settle down! He just wants to have a battle!"

They didn't really settle down, but his Pokemon didn't attack, either. Ash figured they would control themselves for now and glared at the intruder, who he realized now was a boy barely taller than himself.

"What's wrong with your Pokemon?!" The kid exclaimed furiously. "It just up and attacked me out of the blue! It even broke my precious katana!"

"What's wrong with my Pokemon? What's wrong with you?!" Ash snapped back. "What kind of idiot wakes up a guy with a sword at his throat? Did you think my Pokemon wouldn't try to defend me when they saw you doing that? You're lucky Sobek didn't take your hand off!"

The kid reddened with anger and grabbed a Poke Ball. "I am Samurai. I challenge you and that little monster of yours to battle. My Pokemon and I shall regain my honor!"

"Pyro, Pichu, step back," Ash ordered, still furious. "Sobek, get ready. We're going to crush whatever bug he's got and get out of here."

Sobek hissed agreement. After Pyro and Pichu moved back to stand beside Ash, Samurai walked off a few paces and then spun around to face him. He threw the Poke Ball and yelled. "Pinsir, to battle!"

Ash blinked in surprise when the Stag Beetle Pokemon appeared. He hadn't expected to see a Pinsir in this forest, even if the only trainers here used bug-types. Pinsir were rare and notoriously aggressive. Ash kind of doubted the kid was a skilled trainer, but the sight of Pinsir gave him pause.

"Watch out for those claws on its head," Ash muttered to Sobek. "If it gets too close, try to bite one and smack it around."

The Sandile's hiss rose in pitch. Evidently, he was more than ready to beat the piss and vinegar out of this bug. He certainly wasn't fazed by it, even if Ash was being more cautious.

Samurai struck first. "Pinsir, attack! Use Vicegrip!"

Pincer menacingly clicked its pincers together and began to stalk towards Sobek. It was fairly slow, so Ash had plenty of time to respond.

"Dig. Trap it with Sand Tomb," he ordered.

Sobek quickly dug underground. That was something Ash had noticed about the Sandile after all the battles they'd fought yesterday. He wasn't especially fast on the surface except for short bursts, but he could practically swim through the earth. Underground was where he was at home, and his strikes were far quicker when they came from below an enemy's feet.

Pincer paused after seeing its prey disappear and looked around dumbly. Samurai yelled at Ash. "Hey! That's an underhanded tactic! You have no honor!"

"It's completely fair and I'm pretty sure Pinsir can learn Dig too," Ash retorted. "Maybe you should train your Pokemon better."

Samurai looked furious, but didn't get another word in as Pinsir suddenly sunk into the ground at its feet. It clicked its claws frantically and struggled to escape Sand Tomb.

Ash liked this particular combination. Sobek would use Dig to get beneath an enemy, homing in on the vibrations they produced through his sensitive crocodilian nose, then used Sand Tomb to weaken the earth they stood on and trap them. The move could immobilize pretty much anything that didn't fly and the heavier the target, the more effective it was. It essentially turned the ground their foes stood on into quicksand.

He had been thinking about just shortening the combo's name to Ant Pit, after a type of desert Pokemon that trapped its prey in an identical manner. It seemed appropriate, although there was one more step before the move was actually complete in his eyes.

With Pinsir trapped in the sand, Ash ordered Sobek to complete the process. "Bite!"

Pinsir made a shrieking sound as Sobek erupt from the quicksand around it and snapped his fangs into the bug's midsection. The Sandile's powerful jaw muscles punched right through the armored carapace.

"No! Pinsir, shake it off!" Samurai commanded frantically.

Ash was impressed that Pinsir still had fight in it. The bug was obviously at a low level and had probably only hatched a short while ago. Looking at it, it was a fair bit smaller than the description of Pinsir in the Pokedex. Even so, Pinsir were tough to knock out. Ash decided a follow up move was necessary.

"Fire Fang."

Sobek's jaws flickered with hot embers as he added fire-type elements to his assault. It was a move that Sobek still had to work on a lot—he couldn't generate much fire yet, but the heat and small embers that he could produce would get the job done in this instance.

Sure enough, Pinsir tried to wriggle away from the heat furiously, but collapsed after just a few seconds. Samurai seemed utterly beside himself from the loss and recalled his Pokemon with a large frown.

"That was a dirty trick. Using super-effective moves is not an honorable way to battle!"

Ash shrugged. Samurai could keep his opinions, but fighting the way he had was strategic. He still had a long way to go in Viridian Forest and didn't want to risk Sobek getting injured by a potentially dangerous foe. Besides, the warrior-wannabe annoyed him.

Sobek looked at Ash now that the battle was over. Ash smiled and nodded. "Good work, Sobek. That was excellent."

His Pokemon grinned toothily, but turned back to glare at Samurai a moment later. The kid hadn't left yet.

Samurai glared at them. "I shall train harder, and if you should ever return to my forest again, I shall defeat you!"

Ash smirked. "I'm looking forward to it."

The kid practically growled at him and then stomped away into the trees, not even bothering to pick up the sword Sobek had destroyed. With their opponent gone, Ash's Pokemon relaxed.

"Alright guys," Ash turned back to their camp and went to grab the bags of Pokemon food in his bag. "Who wants breakfast?"

Ash and his team ended up spending two more days in Viridian Forest, battling many more opponents and the occasional wild Pokemon. They got some serious training and combat experience in that would no doubt be useful when it was time to face Brock in Pewter City.

Pyro had finally perfected Metal Claw. There weren't many rocks in Viridian Forest, but the armored bug-types they fought helped a lot, not to mention that Ash had the Charmander slashing at thick trees whenever they stopped to make camp. He had also tried working on Dragon Dance, but that was a completely different can of worms. Pyro still took about twenty seconds to actually build up enough dragon-type energy for the boost to take effect. It would probably get easier when he evolved, but it would still take a long time to master.

Pichu got a good bit stronger while in the forest. Right towards the end, Ash began to let the mouse battle against some of the stronger bugs they met. He was pleased when Pichu managed to take out a Venonat that belonged to one of the more skilled trainers. Pichu's electric attacks were becoming a lot more formidable as well. Ash was still having him work on using Thunder Shock and Tackle in tandem, hoping that it would be enough for Pichu to learn Volt Tackle before he evolved.

Sobek had easily mastered the Ant Pit combo Ash had him working on. It was instinctive for the Sandile to use anyways and quite effective against most terrestrial foes. He was glad Sobek had gotten used to battling with him while in the Viridian Forest, because Ash intended for the ground-type to be his trump card against Brock.

Sobek was Ash's only chance at defeating the Onix Giovanni had told him about. If he couldn't do it, then Ash would have no choice but to go to Cerulean City first and try to capture a water-type. It was going to be a trial by fire, but Ash had full confidence in his team.

The boy finally stepped out of the Viridian Forest immense tree line and grinned. He could see Pewter City's lights just a few miles away. The sun was still out, but Ash figured he would spend the rest of the day training once he actually made it to Pewter—he would challenge Brock tomorrow.

On his shoulder, Pichu nudged him to get moving. Ash smiled at the mouse and scratched his furry ears before turning towards Pewter and walking down the trail that would take them to their first gym battle.

Chapter Text

Chapter Three: Stone Cold

"I need my Pokemon to be healed, please," Ash asked Nurse Joy politely. He placed Pyro and Sobek's Poke Balls on a tray as Pichu hopped off his shoulder. They had just finished their last bit of training for the day. Ash wanted them all rested up for the battle against Brock tomorrow.

Joy smiled back. "Of course. I'll have them ready for you shortly. In the meantime, please feel free to relax in the Pokemon Center."

"Thank you," he dipped his head and made for the room he'd be staying in while at Pewter City. Ash had eaten earlier and wanted to go over his strategy against Brock a few more times.

According to all the information he'd heard about the Pewter Gym Leader, Brock generally used the same two Pokemon when he battled new trainers—a Geodude and an Onix. Both were fairly low level, but Ash had no doubt they were seasoned fighters. He was pretty sure he had them covered, though. It was just a matter of which one Brock sent out first. Against Geodude Ash had full confidence that Pyro, through judicious use of Metal Claw, could pull through. As long as he could avoid getting hit by too many rock-type attacks, Pyro would win.

Onix was quite literally a far larger complication, but it had to have a weakness—there was no way the Indigo League would let Brock fight against fresh trainers with the stone behemoth unless they had a decent shot at defeating it. Ash figured that the best way he could defeat Onix was with Sobek.

His Ant Pit combo would be useful against a large opponent that had limited mobility to begin with. Once Sobek trapped Onix, it would just be a matter of time until the Sandile whittled their opponent's health to zero. With that said, Ash wanted to try and weaken the beast first by attacking it with Dig. He worried it might be able to escape if it wasn't tired out first. Or it might crush Sobek with its incredible weight.

He was as prepared as he could be for Brock. Ash felt like he had a fighting chance. He would win.

Ash stood in front of the Pewter Gym the next morning. The building looked old, but suited the rustic atmosphere the rest of the city possessed. Taking a deep breath, the boy raised his hand and knocked on the doors a few times. Several seconds later, a buzzer sounded and the doors opened towards the inside.

He walked inside and found that the gym consisted of a simple battlefield covered in rocks and a series of stands in case someone else wanted to watch. Ash saw a dark-skinned figure walk out of another set of doors and stopped when the young man began to talk.

"Welcome to the Pewter City Gym. I assume you're here for a battle?"

Ash nodded. "Yeah. My name is Ash. I'm from Pallet Town."

"Nice to meet you," the teen replied. "I'm Brock. Are you ready to…oh? You brought someone with you?"

Ash frowned and turned, blinking in surprise when he saw another boy about his age walk through the doors. He had deep purple hair and intense dark eyes that bordered between stern and angry. Quite frankly, the expression didn't suit someone so young.

When Brock made his comments, the other boy looked across the field and shook his head. "I'm not with him. I came here for a battle as well."

"I see," Brock nodded and gestured to the stands beside the rocky battlefield. "Well, feel free to watch. Forrest!"

At his call, a boy that looked very similar to Brock hurried out of the same door the Gym Leader had come from. He quickly ran to the referee post between either side of the field and cleared his throat. "This gym battle will now commence. Both sides will use only two Pokemon and the battle will be over when either side is unable to continue. Furthermore, there will be no substitutions. The challenger will have the first attack. Send out your Pokemon!"

Brock threw a Poke Ball onto the field and just as Ash had expected, a Geodude appeared. The rock-type was little more than a round boulder with two strong arms that it used to hold itself up. Going according to plan, Ash grabbed Pyro's Poke Ball and loosed his starter.

The Charmander appeared and spat a few embers into the air. He caught sight of Geodude and hissed aggressively, though the rock-type looked utterly unfazed by the fire lizard. As the trainers prepared themselves, Pichu leaped down from Ash's shoulder to stand beside him and watch. The little mouse was trembling eagerly—he couldn't wait to see how the fight would unfold. In the stands, the trainer that had arrived after Ash sat down and paid rapt attention.

Forrest slashed his hand down. "Charmander versus Geodude—begin!"

"Rush it," Ash ordered.

Pyro began to run towards Geodude, giving no hint as to which attack he would be using. That was part of Ash's plan—he didn't want to alert Brock to the knowledge that Pyro could use Metal Claw until his Pokemon was actually close enough to use it. If he gave away his trump card right off the bat, there was a chance that Brock would have Geodude fight from a distance, thus crushing any hope Pyro had of defeating it.

Brock was no fool, though. "Geodude, Rock Throw!"

Geodude's strong hands crushed some of the stone field and then hurled the chunks at Pyro. Ash's Charmander quickly leapt aside, doing his best to avoid the rocks while continuing his charge. Geodude crushed more stones in his other hand and launched another Rock Throw, but now Pyro was close enough to attack.

"Metal Claw! Aim for its body!"

"Brace yourself—Defense Curl!"

Pyro's claws flashed a metallic silver as he ripped apart the Rock Throw to get at Geodude. The rock-type quickly wrapped itself into a ball, bracing itself just as Pyro slashed at it. Ash heard a grunt of pain from their opponent as it was sent rolling away into a nearby boulder, three distinct gashes along its rocky body.

Geodude unraveled itself, wincing after being hit by the super-effective move. Brock whistled. "That Charmander of yours is well-trained. Usually all the freshmen trainers we get with those lizards take a while for Geodude to feel their attacks."

"Thanks, but don't expect Pyro or I to let up on you for the kind words," Ash grinned back.

Brock smirked. "As if. Rollout!"

"Metal Claw! Knock it off balance!"

Geodude curled back up and spun with unexpected speed for such a heavy creature. Pyro only just managed to jump out of its way before it could smash into the fire-type and wasn't able to get in Metal Claw. Growling, Pyro waited as Geodude turned and made to charge him again, anticipating the timing better the second time around.

Ash was also keeping an eye out for the perfect moment to attack and called at the very last second. "Do it!"

Pyro leaped to the side, out of Geodude's path, and slashed the rock-type with Metal Claw while still in the air. Geodude let out a groaning sound and lost control, smashing into another boulder with a painful sounding impact. It tiredly pulled itself up and glared at Pyro.

It was ready to fall. Ash could see it from the way Geodude's arms struggled to hold up its heavy body. Just a little more, and Pyro could take it down.

"One more Metal Claw!" Ash exclaimed. "Finish it!"

Pyro lunged and slashed at Geodude again, but Brock suddenly barked. "Mega Punch!"

Ash's Charmander yelped as the heavy attack collided with Metal Claw and overpowered it, launching the fire lizard up into the air. Pyro hit the ground hard and scrambled back to his feet, wincing from the blow.

Ash grit his teeth. He hadn't really gotten the chance to work on Pyro's endurance yet, so most hits were going to hurt. He hadn't been aware that Geodude could use Mega Punch, but he was kicking himself for it now—Geodude's huge arms were perfect for punching attacks. It should have been obvious.

He decided to change tactics.

"Ember. Circle Geodude and keep it guessing."

Pyro swiftly went into action, running in a quick circle around the rock-type while spitting small flames. Geodude shrugged off the flames like they were nothing, but it had trouble keeping up with Pyro's quick movements while Ember blocked its vision.

Brock had evidently seen Ash's game before and gave another order. "Magnitude."

Ash's eyes widened. "Pyro, jump!"

He barely got the command out before Geodude used its strong arms to throw itself into the air, then smashed down on the field to unleash a small earth tremor. Pyro managed to avoid it by jumping over the ground-type move, but it forced him to stop running around.

"Geodude, one last Mega Punch!" Brock snapped.

Geodude propelled itself towards Pyro with its powerful arms and clenched a fist, ready to clobber the fire-type. However, just as it swung, the Charmander ducked under and caused Geodude to overextend. The rock-type clumsily tumbled over its opponent and landed heavily.

Ash knew Brock wasn't going to give him another opportunity. "Finish it!"

Pyro lunged at the stunned Geodude and slashed at it furiously with his metallic claws. Geodude scrambled to get away, but Pyro just snarled and dug his claws into it with one hand while continuing to tear through the rock-type's armor with his free limb.

Brock recalled Geodude when the stone creature stopped flailing around. He muttered something quietly to the Poke Ball and then looked up at Ash. "I'm impressed by your Charmander's perseverance. It managed to recover from Geodude's Mega Punch. That doesn't happen often."

"Thanks, but to be honest I'm just as surprised," Ash admitted. "I haven't really had much time to work on his defense yet."

Pyro snorted a small puff of smoke and grinned at his trainer. Ash smiled at him and nodded, pleased with his starter's hard work.

"You've done well with him thus far, I'll give you that," Brock praised as he unclipped a second Poke Ball from his belt. "That being said, you'll need more than brute force to beat my second Pokemon."

Ash's eyes narrowed. "Get ready Pyro. Here it comes."

Pyro let out a hiss and flexed his claws, ready for the second round of the gym battle.

"Rock and roll, Onix!" Brock hurled the Poke Ball up and it released its contents a second later.

A tremor went through the ground as a massive serpent of solid rock landed on the battlefield. Onix let out a bellow, a deep sound that reverberated through Ash's whole body. He stared at the behemoth with wide eyes. He'd looked Onix up in the Pokedex and knew that they were big, but reading about their gargantuan size and actually seeing it in person were two very different things indeed.

Pyro was gazing up at his new opponent with narrowed eyes. He let out a barking sound that was probably the closest thing he could get to a roar in his current form. Onix snorted and looked down on the fire lizard with something along the lines of amusement.

Forrest looked from Ash to Brock and shouted. "Charmander versus Onix—begin!"

"Metal Claw," Ash ordered. "Use your speed to keep away from it and attack its flanks."

Pyro darted forward at his command and immediately hardened his claws. Onix watched him approach and let out another deep rumble.

Brock smiled. "Ash, one thing you should learn about gym battles is that the same tricks never work twice. Rock Polish and Bind it."

Onix's body suddenly glowed, blinding Ash for just a moment. When the light faded, Pyro was lunging in to slash at Onix, but the rock snake suddenly whipped away with speed that no creature of its size had the right to possess. Ash gaped as Onix bolted around Pyro, stunning the fire-type with its unexpected speed. It threw stone coils around the lizard and squeezed. Pyro let out a cry of pain as the Bind began to crush him.

He scowled. They were completely unprepared for Onix's speed. He had anticipated Onix to be a slow, lumbering behemoth that made up for that shortcoming with great attack and defense. That it could move so quickly threw a wrench in his plans to defeat it. Pyro had no way of escaping Bind, either. Fortunately, Onix hadn't been able to crush Pyro's arms too tightly to his body.

Ash saw the chance and he decided to go for it. "Use Metal Claw! Slash at it until it lets you go!"

Pyro had his fangs bared in pain, but he managed to harden his claws even as Onix squeezed tighter and furiously cut the stone behemoth's body. Onix winced in pain. So the stone armor wasn't completely full-proof. It was obvious that it would take dozens of Metal Claws for Pyro to have a chance at severely weakening the rock snake, but luckily it seemed like the move's attack boosting properties were starting to take effect. Now and again, Pyro's slashes would cut deeper into Onix, making it twitch uncomfortably and loosen its grip.

Brock must have seen it too, because he decided right then to end the fight. "Slam it!"

Onix roared and lifted the coiled tail which was bound around Pyro, then brought it down on the field like a hammer. Ash winced as the force made him unsteady and actually knocked Pichu off his feet beside him. The little mouse got up and stared at the debris cloud with wide eyes.

He wasn't surprised when the dust settled and Pyro was unconscious. Ash recalled his starter and gently ran his thumb over the Poke Ball. "You did great. I'm proud of you."

Ash took a look at Onix and smiled with satisfaction at the deep gouges in the stone behemoth's thick hide. It was clearly uncomfortable, but he wasn't sure how much more punishment it could take. Maybe this Onix was relatively young and had armor that was thinner than an adult's. That would explain why Brock used it for low-level gym battles.

He grabbed Sobek's Poke Ball and set the crocodilian loose. Sobek immediately locked his onyx eyes onto Onix and let out a ferocious hiss.

Brock looked surprised. "A Sandile? That's a rarity. I can't say I've ever actually seen one outside of my study book on Pokemon Breeding. Where did you get that?"

"He was a gift," Ash replied. "And he's already one of the best Pokemon in my team. Don't underestimate him, Brock."

Sobek hissed agreement, eyes gleaming eagerly to take on the mountainous serpent in front of him. Ash grinned at his excitement—he was pumped up too. The two of them were completely in sync for this fight.

Their opponent only had to look at Sobek's powerful jaws to take Ash up on his suggestion. "I don't think I'll be underestimating teeth like those. Slam!"

"Dig!" Ash ordered.

Sobek wriggled into the ground in the blink of an eye, just in time as Onix's tail came from the side and pulverized several boulders. Brock frowned. "Move around. Keep it guessing your actual position. Rock Polish once again."

Onix's body glowed again and then it darted around the field even faster than before. It was just ridiculous how quickly the massive serpent could move. Ash felt like they were fighting Ekans again—if Ekans was twenty-five feet long and made of solid rock.

He knew Sobek could move quickly underground, but this was pushing it. Ash didn't think the croc could accurately predict Onix with how fast it was moving and decided to go straight into his plan to trap the behemoth rather than weaken it at first. Maybe the damage Pyro had done would make up for the abandoned part of his strategy.

"Ant Pit," he said clearly. He didn't have to be very loud about it. Sobek's senses underground were impressive, and Ash had no doubt that his Pokemon could hear him just fine even if he was several feet below the battlefield.

Onix continued to dart around the field for several more seconds. Ash simply waited for Sobek to make his move. Brock seemed slightly confused by how unworried his opponent was, but then he hadn't heard the last command Ash had given.

As he watched Onix come around again, Ash noticed the ground start to dip and smirked. Sobek had laid his trap.

Onix came around one more time and the battlefield immediately sank under its colossal weight. It bellowed in surprise as it sank into Sand Tomb and wriggled in an effort to escape, but its own heavy build made that nearly impossible. Onix just kept sliding into the pit.

Brock was shouting something, but Onix suddenly roared in pain and the Gym Leader blanched. Sobek had erupted from the pit and punched his hard fangs into the damaged section of Onix's body—the same place that Pyro had slashed with Metal Claw. Cracks extended along Onix's armor, causing the beast's roar to rise into a shriek of grating stone.

"Slam!" Brock shouted frantically. "Get it off of you!"

"Let it go and use Dig!" Ash retaliated. "Unbalance it!"

Sobek let go immediately and wriggled back underground before Onix could crush him. He swam through the sandy pit as if it were liquid and tackled the behemoth's midsection. Onix bellowed as it was unbalanced and wobbled in an effort to regain control. However, the movement brought its head low to the ground and that was plenty good a target for Ash.

"Bite the head!"

There was another furious roar from Onix as Sobek leaped out of the ground and snapped his jaws into the rock serpent's crest. The Sandile heaved with all the strength in his massive head and managed to yank Onix to the ground. Ash grinned as the behemoth thrashed its body to get loose, but it was well and truly trapped in the Ant Pit while Sobek's teeth were tearing through its crest. He didn't care if Onix was made of stone armor—Sobek had bitten through a steel katana in the Viridian Forest. That had to hurt.

A few seconds later and Sobek snapped right through the stone crest. Onix roared in pain again and slumped to the ground, groaning heavily. Sobek spat out the chunk of rock and hissed at Onix threateningly, but Brock recalled it a moment later.

Forrest called it. "Onix is unable to battle! Both of the Gym Leader's Pokemon are incapacitated! The challenger wins!"

Brock pocketed Onix's Poke Ball and smiled across the field. "Well done. It takes a lot to do that much damage to Onix."

"Thanks," Ash frowned worriedly. "Um, its crest will grow back, right? I read that Onix can regenerate, but…"

"It'll be back to normal within a week or two," Brock assured him. "I appreciate the concern, though. Onix has taken worse, but that was impressive. I didn't think Sandile's jaws were that powerful."

Ash grinned at the crocodilian, who had calmed now that the battle was over and merely smirked toothily back at his trainer. "Well, Sobek's got the best teeth in the business."

Brock laughed and nodded. "I don't doubt it. He punched right through Onix's armor like it was styrofoam. I haven't seen that in a while. Anyways, here's your Boulder Badge."

He handed Ash a simple silver badge with an octagon pattern. Ash took the badge and pocketed it for the time being, though it would go into his badge case once he left the gym. He smiled at Brock and held his hand out. "Thank you. It was a great battle."

"It really was," the teenager agreed with feeling. Brock shook his hand and grinned. "By the way, feel free to come back here for a rematch once you get all your badges. I'd be more than happy to fight you with my real team once you get stronger."

Ash grinned back wildly and Sobek hissed with anticipation. "I think we'll definitely take you up on that."

"Good. Well Ash, I'd love to chat some more, but I have another challenger waiting on me," Brock glanced up to the stands where the purple-haired boy was waiting patiently. He called over to him. "I'll be right with you! Come on down to the battlefield!"

The boy nodded silently and got up. Brock turned back to Ash and gave him one last nod. "Get to the Pokemon Center and let your team get healed. I know Sandile didn't take much damage, but Charmander has to be feeling the Mega Punch and Slam it took. Geodude and Onix are low level, but when any rock-type hits something, they hit it hard."

"I will. See you around, Brock," Ash dipped his head and turned away to leave for the Pokemon Center, recalling Sobek and calling Pichu back to his shoulder on his way out.

He couldn't stop grinning. He'd won his first badge!

/

Joy took his Poke Balls and smiled at Ash when he showed her the Boulder Badge. "Congratulations! It's not easy for new trainers to beat Brock's rock-types. That Onix of his is particularly tricky."

"Yeah, it was a lot faster than I thought it would be," Ash agreed. "But in the end, Sobek managed to trap it. I'm really proud of him and Pyro. They worked really hard."

"I can tell," she agreed. "I'll have your Pokemon healed soon. What will you be doing in the meantime?"

Ash glanced at Pichu, who was practically wriggling with excitement. His energy had been through the roof ever since the battle ended and Ash knew he should probably help him work some of that out. "I think Pichu and I are going out to the practice field to work on Volt Tackle."

"Alright. Remember, we have a charge station here in case Pichu starts to run low on electricity. You're welcome to use it anytime!"

"Thanks, Nurse," Ash smiled and scratched Pichu's ears fondly. "We'll probably use it a few times today."

"That's it, Pichu, keep running!" Ash called to the mouse.

Pichu was currently running back and forth across the training field behind the Pokemon Center, putting the energy and excitement he'd built up from watching the gym battle to good use. He could consistently unleash electricity when he ran as fast as he could, but Ash wasn't sure if it was enough. It was impossible for him to tell if the electricity Pichu discharged was from his primary electric organ or the secondary one necessary for Volt Tackle. He figured the only way to find out for sure was to ask Nurse Joy if she could find out.

Ash thought Pichu was getting close to learning the move—far from perfecting it, but just learning it was enough. Besides, practicing Volt Tackle kept Pichu busy, and the busier he was, the less likely he was to try and shock Ash. He smirked at the thought. Pichu always got a good laugh out of zapping him awake.

He adjusted the hat on his head and paused when the speakers outside the Pokemon Center announced that his Pokemon were ready to be picked up. Ash smiled and called Pichu over, letting the mouse rest from his nonstop running.

Pichu was panting when he skittered over to Ash. He knelt down and scratched the mouse's fur behind his ears. "Good boy. You're working really hard."

Pichu leaned into his touch, then snickered and gave Ash a mild shock. It wasn't meant to hurt or even paralyze him, but it made every hair on his body stand on end. Ash rolled his eyes, though he couldn't find it in himself to be annoyed with the electric mouse.

"Yeah, yeah, very funny. C'mon, let's go get Pyro and Sobek, okay?"

The electric-type clambered back onto his shoulder as Ash walked back into the Pokemon Center. He made straight for the desk and saw Joy waiting with his Poke Balls. She smiled cheerily as he came over.

"Your Pokemon have been fully restored, Ash. Neither of them had any serious problems from the battle," Joy informed him.

Ash nodded. "Thank you."

"I assume you'll be heading for Cerulean City next?"

"That is the plan," he admitted while clipping the Poke Balls to his belt. "I want to try and get through Mt. Moon in two days. I won't be leaving until tomorrow, though. Pyro and Sobek deserve a short break and I want to keep working on Volt Tackle with Pichu—by the way, do you know if there's any way to tell if he's actually using his secondary charge organ?"

Joy looked at Pichu, reaching across the counter to scratch the little electric-type under his chin. Pichu chittered happily at the attention. "I can do a body scan on him, if you like. It should only take a few minutes."

Ash nodded politely. "I'd appreciate it."

Pichu hopped onto the counter and Joy passed the little mouse over to her Chansey. "Right, Chansey will get him ready."

He was about to say something else when someone walked up beside him. "Excuse me, Nurse? My Pokemon need to be healed."

"Of course," Joy smiled at the newcomer, taking the Poke Balls he placed on the counter.

Ash looked at the stranger and blinked. "Hey, you're that kid I saw at the gym, aren't you?"

The boy shrugged. "I guess."

"Did you win?"

"Obviously. Brock's Pokemon aren't that strong. Anyone with a good strategy can win."

Ash frowned. The guy had an attitude, but maybe he was just having a bad day? He shrugged. Either way, the kid was strong enough to defeat Brock. That gave him points in Ash's book.

He felt his stomach growl and figured lunch was in order. He nodded to the kid as he left. "Well, maybe I'll see you around. Let's have a battle sometime."

"Whatever."

Ignoring the snappy remark, Ash left for the cafeteria with intentions to feed himself and his hard working Pokemon for a job well done.

That evening as Ash was getting ready to sleep, he reflected on the events of the day. Pyro and Sobek had won him the Boulder Badge—that was obviously the highlight of it all. Both of them had fought well, each of them managing to win one of the battles.

When he released them following their recovery at the Pokemon Center, Ash noticed that Pyro's flame was larger than before and his scales had reddened further. He was close to evolving, so close. Ash felt like he would reach that milestone before they got to Cerulean City or right when they arrived. It was exciting to think about.

He had no idea where Sobek stood as far as his evolution went. The croc was powerful, but his species was still brand-new to Ash. He remembered vaguely from reading the Pokedex that Sobek would get more aggressive and his teeth would get larger, but Ash had a hard time gauging the ground-type's aggression outside of battle.

Sobek was just mellow when he wasn't fighting—not lazy necessarily, but he was calm and preferred to relax. Whenever Ash set him loose, the croc would find the nearest patch of sunlight or the warmest area he could get to and bask. If he stayed in one spot to heat up for long enough, he would open his jaws to release some of the excess heat. It was fun to watch, especially when he fell asleep like that.

Nurse Joy had given him useful information regarding Pichu—the mouse was starting to access his secondary charge organ, but it wasn't yet enough for him to use Volt Tackle. They would have to keep working on it every chance they got, because Ash was sure Pichu would evolve almost the same time as Pyro. Pichu as a breed just grew quickly and evolved fast. Baby Pokemon weren't meant to stay in their current form for a long period of time.

He could already see Pichu's fur starting to darken slightly and his electrical attacks were getting a fair bit stronger. Pichu was still the weakest member of the team, but he was clearly the fastest. Ash had no doubt that would continue when he evolved into Pikachu.

His plan now was to get through Mt. Moon. The mountain pass harbored a variety of Pokemon he had yet to encounter along with many trainers passing back and forth between Pewter and Cerulean City. He would get many chances to battle with his team and make them stronger. Ash was also debating catching another Pokemon while he was in there. It kind of depended on what he saw. Geodude and Zubat were known to be common in the caves and evolved into some powerful breeds, but he wasn't quite sure if he wanted one.

Geodude were strong when properly trained, but they had a whole myriad of weaknesses and very few counters to utilize. Moreover, many of those counters couldn't even be taught until they had fully evolved into Golem. Zubat had the potential to be versatile when they evolved into Crobat. However, both Zubat and Golbat were very sensitive to sunlight and required special training to effectively battle during the day.

He shrugged at the thought. There was still plenty of time before the League Tournament began. If Ash decided to catch a Zubat later in his journey, he would. If not, then there were still many flying or poison-types to capture around Kanto.

Mt. Moon wasn't filled with only Geodude and Zubat, though. There were supposed to be Paras and Sandshrew as well, though neither of them really caught his interest. Paras and Parasect were both fairly weak battlers, though he supposed their variety of spores would be useful for captures. He didn't want a Sandshrew because he already had a ground type—Sobek.

There was no need to capture a Pokemon of the same type as one he already possessed. At least, not at this stage in his journey. He didn't even have a full team yet. Ash figured he would only go to the effort of capturing more than a single Pokemon of any type if the Pokemon in question really caught his attention.

There were also Clefairy in Mt. Moon. He had never thought about capturing a fairy-type before, but he'd consider it. Clefairy and Clefable had a wide move pool and were quite rare. Ash decided if he found one worth catching, he'd go for it. If he didn't, then he'd just keep traveling until he found a fairy-type for himself.

He shifted in his bed and a light grumble made him smile. Sobek's head was on his stomach—the croc apparently found his body heat to be quite comfortable when he slept. Ash was glad Sobek had gotten used to traveling with him so quickly. He had initially thought the Sandile would be difficult to work with, but Sobek was laid-back and at ease around him. At least, he was when they weren't engaged in battle. That was when the infamous aggression of his breed gleefully came to life.

Pyro was nestled by his neck, keeping his tail on a fireproof blanket Ash had purchased earlier that day. He figured it would be safer and more comfortable for Pyro if he had a place to just set his tail that wouldn't burn the Pokemon Center down. The Charmander was sleeping deeply now. He hadn't taken as much damage as Ash had feared from Onix's powerful Slam, but the lizard was still tired from the accelerated healing process that Nurse Joy applied to him. Ash smirked when Pyro made a little snore and twitched.

Ash's little troublemaker was actually slumped over Sobek. The reason for that was because Pichu had a habit of setting off little electric shocks in his sleep that would jolt Ash awake. Sobek's ground-typing effectively nullified the small discharges and everyone got to sleep peacefully.

Pichu was annoyed at first when Ash asked him to sleep with Sobek, but promised that he could sleep normally again once he evolved. The mouse was having difficulty controlling his power now that he was close to evolution, but he would regain dominance over his random shocks once he was a Pikachu.

He smiled at how comfortable his team looked and decided to join them in dreamland. Ash was pretty tired after all the action today.

"Pidgey, Tackle!" Shouted the youngster. His small bird folded its wings and dove out of the air, aiming to take Pichu right in the middle.

Ash smirked. "Jump on it."

Pichu snickered and waited until Pidgey was just a few feet away before leaping straight up. His fall brought him right onto the bird's back, leaving it well and truly surprised.

"Thunder Shock."

Pidgey let out a shriek as its feathers stood on end from the discharge of electricity Pichu set upon it. The electric mouse giggled mischievously and leapt off his opponent, who struggled to stay in the air.

The trainer they were facing grit his teeth. "Pidgey, use Gust!"

Ash watched the bird unleash a whirlwind, but it was pretty weak now. Considering the bird was fairly close to the ground, Ash figured it was a good time for Pichu to try out the move they'd been working on.

"Volt Tackle!"

Pichu started to run and built up a cloak of electricity, picking up speed as he got closer and closer. He leapt up at Pidgey and impacted it, but Ash noticed that the charge had begun to break up just before the mouse made contact. He frowned. They still weren't there quite yet.

As it was, though, the makeshift Volt Tackle was enough to defeat Pidgey. The tiny bird fell out of the air and collapsed. Its trainer recalled it and sulkily handed Ash the prize money he'd earned. Ash watched the kid stomp away and shrugged. He had won that fair and square. The kid could sulk or get over it.

Ash smiled at Pichu when the mouse climbed up onto his shoulder. He scratched the electric-type's ears and smirked when Pichu let out a happy chitter. Pichu had gotten in several fights on their way to Mt. Moon, since Ash suspected he wouldn't be fighting anything aside from the occasional Zubat when they got to the mountain. He wanted the electric-type to get a workout in.

Volt Tackle still frustrated them. Pichu could get the move started and run with the charge, but he couldn't maintain it long enough to make the impact as powerful as it needed to be. Ash pushed that thought aside. They had made progress. Pichu would get it—he was certain.

He continued making his way towards the entrance to the mountain pass. They weren't too far away and Ash wanted to get through part of Mt. Moon while there was still daylight. It would probably take him a couple of days given that there would no doubt be several trainers for him to battle. There was a Pokemon Center stationed on the Pewter City side of the pass, which trainers could use to heal their teams before they made the crossing.

Ash had just spotted the building when he heard someone call behind him. He turned around and blinked. It was the same guy he'd seen at the Pewter Gym.

"What's up?" Ash asked him.

The guy looked serious, just like he had when Ash first met him. "I want to battle you. You were pretty good when you fought at the Pewter Gym and everyone else I've fought along the way here didn't even make my Pokemon break a sweat. I figure you'd be a decent enough challenge for them."

Pichu snickered with delight and Ash grinned. "Those are some fighting words. I'm Ash."

"That's the idea," the kid smirked. "My name's Paul. I'm from the Sinnoh region."

"Sinnoh?" Ash echoed. He'd heard about Sinnoh—it was north of Kanto and a fair bit colder. The region was old, with a Pokemon League as strong and steady as Indigo, although the land under its control was smaller than the Indigo League, which commanded both Kanto and Johto.

"Yeah," Paul shrugged. "I wanted to track down some Pokemon I can't find back home."

Ash was interested to see if any of Paul's Pokemon were from his home region. He didn't know very much about Sinnoh. "Alright, you're on."

Paul smirked. "How does three-on-three sound?"

"Perfect, actually," Ash grinned. "I've only got three Pokemon right now."

"I see. Pichu, Charmander, and that Sandile, right?"

"That's right."

Paul nodded. "I'll start off, then. Nidoran, standby for battle."

He tapped the release on a Poke Ball and out came a large, pink Nidoran. Ash recognized it as the male variety of the species and made a note of the impressive horn. It was small, yes, but Ash had seen pictures of Nidoran before and knew that the horn on this particular specimen was fairly large.

Ash sent out Sobek. The croc hissed when he spotted Nidoran and bared sharp fangs. Nidoran looked unfazed, though his ears twitched and his poisoned barb dripped toxins.

Paul made the first move. "Tackle. Get in close and use Poison Sting."

"Bite," Ash ordered. "Watch out for that horn."

Sobek waited as Nidoran rushed him, hissing all the while. When the small Pokemon impacted him, the croc used his low center of gravity to keep himself steady. He was pushed back a few inches, but then retaliated by snapping his jaws onto Nidoran's head ferociously.

Nidoran squealed and scrabbled to get away. Paul remained calm, however. "Focus Energy."

The poison-type's ears twitched and it stiffened in order to focus its power. Ash didn't know what game Paul was playing, but he wasn't about to let Nidoran stay that close to Sobek while it had a heightened chance of scoring a critical hit. "Fire Fang, then toss it!"

Embers seeped out of Sobek's maw, burning his opponent. Nidoran squealed in pain again before Sobek pulled his head back and hurled the poison-type into the air.

Paul's eyes narrowed. "Come down with Double Kick."

Nidoran righted itself in midair and aimed its large feet for Sobek, who hissed at his foe. Ash recognized the danger of being hit by the fighting-type move, however, and responded fast. "Dig."

Sobek scrabbled his way underground and disappeared a few moments before Nidoran's feet smacked the ground hard. The poison-type's ears quivered warily as it looked around the field. Paul just stood by and watched, eyes narrowed.

Ash waited. It wasn't like Sobek was going to take his sweet time.

That became abundantly clear when the croc burst out of the ground beneath Nidoran and smashed his large head into its flank. Nidoran was hurled away and came to a stop, ears drooping and looking pretty tired. Ash frowned. It wasn't putting up too much of a fight.

"Long range Poison Sting," Paul ordered. Instead of using its horn for Poison Sting, Nidoran opened its mouth and spat a series of venomous needles at Sobek. The croc wasn't far enough away to dodge, so took the attacks and just hissed furiously. Sobek was getting riled up. Ash knew that he wasn't going to let Nidoran hit him again without knocking it out.

Paul appeared satisfied by the Poison Sting and grunted. "Double Kick."

Nidoran made another rush and this time leapt up to try and hit Sobek from the flanks. The croc snarled and opened up his maw, which trickled fire. But Nidoran was apparently trained to aim better than that.

Sobek snapped his fangs on empty air when Nidoran's foot collided with his lower jaw. The Sandile was initially surprised and in pain from the attack, but then glared at Nidoran with sudden fury. Before Ash could even give an order, Sobek rapidly snapped his jaws on Nidoran's body and shook it like a rag doll. When the croc finally threw his foe away, Nidoran hit a nearby tree and slumped to the ground, unconscious.

Ash winced from the impact. Sobek really did get incredibly aggressive in battle. If something attacked him and didn't back off quickly enough, it would pay the price.

Paul recalled Nidoran and glanced at the Poke Ball before setting it back on his belt. Silently, he picked out another one. "Round one to you, then."

"Looks like," Ash replied as he returned Sobek. He scratched Pichu's ears. "Get out there, buddy."

Pichu leaped to the ground and sparked at Paul, snickering. The other trainer seemed to smirk at the rodent and released his second Pokemon.

The Pokemon which appeared was a small yellow creature with short legs, two strong arms, and a pair of horns on the top of its head. It spun its arms while grinning and electricity charged between the prongs.

Ash looked at it with interest. Elekid were fairly rare in Kanto, though their evolved form Electabuzz were only slightly easier to find. They were the kind of electric-type which had traded incredible speed for brute force. When they hit, they could hit hard.

He stated things off this time. "Pichu, Tackle. Run around it and keep it guessing."

Paul smirked. "Charge. Thunder Punch."

Elekid began to whirl its arms again, charging electricity between its prongs. It had only gotten in a few seconds of charge though before Pichu rammed into it with Tackle. Elekid let out a growling sound and built up electricity around its fist, then punched the smaller Pokemon ferociously.

Pichu cried out and was sent flying, but he recovered before hitting the ground and landed safely. Ash frowned. Elekid was a good bit stronger than Nidoran.

"Thunder Shock," he ordered. He knew Thunder Shock wasn't going to be very effective, but it would let him measure Elekid's strength without getting Pichu too close to it. He didn't think Pichu could take too many of those boosted Thunder Punches.

The small bolt of energy hit Elekid easily, but it just took a step back and whirled its arms again before launching a larger charge right back at Pichu. Ash's Pokemon weathered the assault fairly well, though it was obvious who had taken the most damage out of that exchange. He frowned again. He didn't think Pichu would be able to win this with their usual tactics of running circles around the opponent and zapping them.

He decided to go for broke. "Volt Tackle. Put everything you've got into it."

Pichu took a second to tense up and build electricity, then rushed Elekid as fast as he could. Elekid seemed surprised by the blur of speed, but its trainer wasn't so easily fazed.

"Meet it head-on. Thunder Punch," Paul ordered.

Elekid quickly whirled its arms, then swung a fist at Pichu right as the rodent leapt up to crash into it. The resulting impact was rough on both Pokemon—Elekid ended up taking the full brunt of Volt Tackle, (which appeared to have succeeded this time) but Pichu had been struck with Thunder Punch and took the recoil damage Volt Tackle was infamous for.

Pichu staggered back with a whine and sat down hard. Ash pulled out his Poke Ball and recalled him. He was just glad that Pichu had finally succeeded with Volt Tackle. There was no need for him to get completely wiped out—besides, Ash could tell that Elekid would have undoubtably won that round. It was simply stronger and more experienced.

Paul arched an eyebrow at the early recall, but Ash was quick to answer the unspoken question. "It takes a lot of electricity for Pichu to use Volt Tackle. If he doesn't knock the opponent out with it, he's basically empty on power. He can't fight anymore."

The other trainer nodded and recalled Elekid, which was grinning widely from its victory. Ash would admit that the electric-type had surprised him with its strength. Elekid, like other Baby Pokemon, weren't particularly strong, but that one had a lot of potential.

Ash set Pyro loose and Paul gauged the Charmander before sending out his third Pokemon. "Turtwig, standby for battle."

His third Pokemon was one that Ash hadn't even heard of before. It was a small green creature with a large head and a shell on its back. A small plant protruded from the top of its head. He noted the large mouth and decided that would be a good thing to stay away from.

He was curious about Paul's strategy, though. Sending out what appeared to be a grass-type against a fire-type didn't make a lot of sense. But this guy was good enough to defeat Brock, so he was sure to have something up his sleeve.

Ash watched Pyro swish his fiery tail from side to side and muttered. "Ember. Keep it at a distance and figure out what moves it has."

Pyro growled and started to run, spitting flames at Turtwig as he moved. Paul narrowed his eyes. "Evade it. Use Razor Leaf."

Turtwig began to run away from the embers and retaliated by swinging its head from side to side. The twig on its head started to launch sharp blades of leaves at Pyro, who just growled and burnt them with Ember. Both of the small Pokemon exchanged attacks like that fire a little while until Ash figured it was time to change things up a bit.

"Get in close. Metal Claw."

Paul smirked at that. He waited until Pyro was just a few feet away before barking. "Trip it! Pin it down with Bite."

Turtwig suddenly aimed a Razor Leaf at Pyro's foot and knocked the charging Charmander off-balance. Pyro hit the ground harshly, shrieking a second later when Turtwig leapt onto his back and clamped those powerful jaws around his neck. He scrabbled to get free, but the grass-type had him well and truly stuck in place.

Ash paled. There wasn't any way for Pyro to get Turtwig off of him. His arms just weren't long enough to reach the grass-type clutching his back. He raised the Poke Ball to recall his starter.

Suddenly there was a surge of white light and Pyro's form glowed violently. Turtwig's eyes widened in surprise, matching his trainer. Ash gaped as Pyro's shrieks deepened to a roar and his body became to change. A horn sprouted from his head and his snout became pointed. Pyro's arms and legs lengthened as he grew taller, and his claws and fangs grew larger. The light exploded away from him with a thrash of his tail, showing that the flame on the end of his tail was blazing more intensely than ever.

The Charmeleon that replaced Charmander's form was easily twice the size of his previous stage. His scales were a deep red and his onyx eyes took on a hint of bluish gray. Pyro pushed himself to his feet with his larger, stronger arms and twisted his head to glare at Turtwig (who had clung to his neck all along) with blatant fury.

Turtwig yelped as Pyro reached around with his long arms and grabbed the grass-type by one of its stubby legs, yanking it off the fire-type's neck. The Charmeleon held Turtwig upside down and bared his fangs at his bewildered foe.

Ash saw smoldering flames lurking behind Pyro's jaws and decided to try something. "Fire Fang!"

Pyro's jaws lunged forward with a roar and his burning fangs snapped into Turtwig's body. The grass-type squealed and wriggled in an effort to escape, but even newly evolved, Pyro was too strong. The Charmeleon shook Turtwig in his mouth a few times and then threw him across the field. Ash watched as Turtwig bounced along the ground harshly, eventually skidding to a stop. Turtwig slumped over and Paul recalled it, his face expressionless.

Ash grinned wildly. "Pyro!"

Pyro turned and matched his grin with fangs bared in a smile. He spat a flame into the air and growled excitedly, obviously thrilled to have evolved. Ash ran over to him and threw his arms around the Charmeleon. He felt the warm, tough scales under his fingers and exclaimed to his friend. "Congrats, buddy! You evolved!"

The Charmeleon let out a pleased rumble. Ash looked up as Paul walked over, looking unperturbed at his loss. The other trainer dipped his head. "It was a good battle. Congratulations on your Charmander evolving."

"Thanks," Ash nodded back. "Though we'll have to train harder than ever. If Pyro hadn't evolved just then, I'm pretty sure you would have won that."

"No point in worrying about what might have been," Paul grunted. "I'll just have to train Turtwig more. He's close to evolving as well—he should get there by the time we reach Cerulean City."

Paul was quiet for a moment. "You intend to participate in the Indigo League Tournament, right?"

"Of course."

"Good. In the event we don't encounter each other on the road again after this, I expect to meet you there on the battlefield," Paul gave him an even look. "You've got more talent than the other scrubs I've seen here in Kanto. Don't disappoint me. If you can't keep up, I'll knock you out of the tournament before it even gets started."

Pyro let out a growl and Ash's eyes narrowed. "I don't plan on losing."

Paul cracked a smirk. "Good. Make sure you're stronger next time—and I suggest you capture some more Pokemon. The three Pokemon you have now won't be enough to get past any more than maybe two Gym Leaders."

"Don't worry about me," Ash replied. "You'd better work on your own team."

"True," the other trainer agreed. Then Paul left without another word, making his way towards the Pokemon Center.

Ash looked back at Pyro and smiled, scratching the fire lizard at his neck. It was the same spot he had liked as a Charmander and that didn't change in his new form. Ash decided to leave his starter out as they followed Paul to the Pokemon Center. Then it would be on to Mt. Moon and Cerulean City—where Ash would challenge the water-type gym and win his second badge.

Chapter Text

Chapter Four: Cascade Blue

"Here you are, Ash. Your Pokemon have been fully healed!"

"Thank you, Nurse," Ash reclaimed the Poke Balls he had given her. He was just about to leave for Mt. Moon, but his team needed to recover after their difficult battle against Paul. Ash had also wanted Pyro to undergo a checkup with Joy to ensure he didn't have any complications regarding his evolution. That was a rare occurrence, but it was better to be safe than sorry. The good Nurse had confirmed for him that Pyro was perfectly healthy after his evolution and ready to resume traveling on the road again.

Ash returned Pyro and Sobek's Poke Balls to his belt and let Pichu out. The electric mouse shook himself once released and immediately climbed his trainer to claim Ash's shoulder. He had to admit, he was already used to that. At this point, it started to feel wrong if Pichu wasn't perched by his head.

He thanked Joy again and then left the Pokemon Center. Ash had already double checked his supplies while he was waiting on his healing team. He had everything he needed to get through Mt. Moon; rope, flashlight, jacket, and so on. Pyro would probably be spending a good amount of time out of his Poke Ball just to light the way and deter wild Pokemon. Ash figured that nothing in the mountain would give him too much trouble if they saw the fire lizard with him.

Ash walked from the Pokemon Center to the tunnel entrance about a hundred yards away. He looked up, noting that Mt. Moon's highest peaks were hidden in clouds. The mountain was absolutely gigantic, but he knew it was relatively small compared to some of the other mountains in the world. Mt. Silver, for one. It was the highest peak in Kanto and Johto, though even it was dwarfed by the infamous Mt. Coronet in Sinnoh, which was said to touch the heavens.

Pichu gave him a light zap that was meant to get his attention and snickered when Ash flicked his large ears. The electric-type made him smirk with those little pranks. Ash scratched Pichu's fur and then walked into the tunnel, where he would find the bowels of Mt. Moon and whatever creatures lived there.

As it turned out, Ash didn't have to wait long before he met the wild Pokemon. He'd only been walking for about ten minutes when a flock of Zubat made their presence known. The small poison-types liked to nest in large groups, only attacking travelers if they were startled or had a Golbat with them. They hissed at Ash, but Pichu's sparks and a breath of flame from Pyro kept the little Pokemon away. He just smiled at the furry creatures, amused by their clicking sounds as they tried to determine what he was with echolocation.

Mt. Moon held more Zubat than Ash cared to count. Most caves were full of them, but large mountain tunnels like this were almost overpopulated. Ash found five good-sized colonies of Zubat in just the first hour they spent trekking through the caves, though only one of them had a Golbat.

He paused when he saw the evolved form of Zubat and seriously considered catching it. Golbat were a fair bit more vicious than Zubat and easier to train in the sunlight. However, Ash didn't think it would be a good idea to catch the poison-type because it was literally buried in the Zubat masses. If he missed throwing a Poke Ball at it, not only could he accidentally capture a Zubat, but he could anger Golbat. That might set the whole colony on him, and his team was neither strong nor fast enough to escape so many enemies. He decided to pass on the Golbat. If he saw another one alone, maybe he'd have a go at it.

As time went on, Ash saw a few more of the mountain Pokemon, though he didn't see anything he really wanted to capture. Aside from the numerous Zubat in Mt. Moon, there were Geodude and Paras sitting around on the borders of the path. They weren't even bold enough to challenge him most of the time. That was what made most of his decisions on catching something new. If the Pokemon he encountered weren't interested in fighting, Ash wouldn't go to the effort of capturing them. That wasn't fair to the Pokemon and it wouldn't help him grow as a trainer.

Despite the lack of catchable Pokemon, Ash did run into a good few trainers. They were mostly beginners like him, but Ash had yet to suffer a defeat. Thinking about it, the only times he'd come close to losing a battle was against Leaf (whom he'd tied with) and Paul. Ash was certain Paul was the strongest trainer he'd fought so far. The guy had defeated Brock just like him and obviously knew how to train his Pokemon. He was definitely stronger than Leaf had been when Ash battled her.

He knew that there were far more powerful trainers out in Kanto, but for now Ash could defeat everyone who challenged him. That helped with training his Pokemon and earned him a bit of extra money.

However, as Ash got deeper into the mountain, he began to notice things that made him uneasy. A lot of the Zubat colonies began to get really quiet or disappeared entirely. Ash hadn't seen another person for a while and the lack of life disturbed him. Pichu was another reason for his worry—the mouse had his oversized ears pricked and seemed edgy. Slightly ahead of him, Pyro had a growl bubbling in his throat almost constantly. They were not happy.

"What do you think, buddy?" Ash scratched Pichu under his jaw, but frowned when the little mouse didn't lighten up. "That bad, huh?"

Pichu squeaked nervously and pricked those sharp ears of his. A light hiss slipped from Pyro's jaws and the usual swishing of his tail paused momentarily, as if he were listening for something. Ash bit his lip. He knew better than to doubt their instincts.

They hadn't let Ash down before, after all.

Ash knew he was supposed to be getting close to the halfway point in Mt. Moon. The tunnel system narrowed the further in you went, but had a large chamber deep inside that served as a resting spot of sorts. The problem was, the closer he got to said waypoint, the more nervous Pichu and Pyro became. Ash decided to take a break before they reached rest stop—if there was a fight waiting for him, he wanted his Pokemon to be ready. They ended up sitting in a small, enclosed cave just off the tunnel. It was out of sight from prying eyes and secluded enough for Ash and his team to feel relatively safe.

Not that they actually got to relax at all—Pyro didn't take his sharp eyes off the path and Pichu's ears were on high alert. Ash was tempted to set Sobek loose to investigate with Dig, but didn't want to risk sending him into some kind of trap. The way Pyro and Pichu were so on edge made him certain something was very wrong. Even more disturbing was that the wild Pokemon were completely gone.

Pyro suddenly froze and Ash saw his lip curl, exposing the lizard's fangs. The boy's hand drifted towards Sobek's Poke Ball. He tensed when he heard footsteps and voices, but remained silent. Whoever it was didn't need to know they were there—as long as they didn't attack, Ash's Pokemon would bring them no harm.

Ash saw two figures walk down the tunnel, opposite the direction he'd been traveling. Their backs were to him, so there was no chance they'd spot him even with Pyro's tail lighting up the inside of their little cave. He didn't move, instead listening to whatever they were talking about.

"Ugh, I can't believe we got put on some grunt job like this. Blocking the tunnel entrance? Really? Do we have to walk all that way? Why not just bring the ceiling down right here?" The first man grumbled.

"Because that might make the whole tunnel collapse, you idiot. There's a reason you get the grunt jobs," huffed his companion, another man. "Besides, it's an easy job compared to guard duty. Remember that kid that totally wrecked three of our guys earlier? Oh right, you were included in that little group, weren't you?"

"He got lucky! Just because he used some weird Pokemon from Sinnoh—"

"You got your ass handed to you. Shut up. Besides, Proton took him down. Now he and the other trainers that were stumbling through Mt. Moon can either join us or have their Pokemon taken. We win either way. Team Rocket has the cream of the crop."

Ash was frozen as the pair walked off. Team Rocket. They were in the tunnel, in Mt. Moon. They were kidnapping trainers and stealing their Pokemon. He swallowed hard. The idea of losing any one of his three friends was horrible. Maybe he could sneak past the grunts and get away on the Pewter City side…

Then a thought clicked in his head and Ash realized the Rockets had been talking about Paul. A trainer with exotic Pokemon from Sinnoh—it had to be Paul. He had left just before Ash did. And who knew which other trainers they'd kidnapped? Leaf? Gary? They couldn't be that far ahead of him.

His eyes grew hard. He would not leave any of his rivals here to have their Pokemon stolen by thieves. Ash had no choice but to help Paul and whoever else the Rockets had attacked. He needed a plan. His rival and the other trainers had been caught unawares, but Ash knew the Rockets were here. Plus, Team Rocket didn't know he was here. There was no way he could win in a straight fight, he knew. If Paul had been taken out, then he would probably meet the same fate that way. Fortunately, Ash didn't have to fight fair—these were Rockets. Criminals. They played dirty, and it was a good thing he didn't have too many morals to prevent him from doing exactly the same thing.

Ash quietly released Sobek. The croc blinked at him and opened his jaws, but Ash quickly set a finger against his own lips. That silenced his Pokemon, and Ash quietly filled him in. "We're still in Mt. Moon. Team Rocket is here. They're kidnapping trainers and stealing their Pokemon."

Sobek's eyes narrowed and a steady rage built up in the onyx orbs. Ash quietly continued. "We can't just leave those people here to have their Pokemon stolen, so we're going to give Team Rocket a nasty surprise."

Ash looked at Sobek. "I need you to scout for us first. Go further down the tunnel to the rest area—it's not far away and that's probably where the Rockets have made their base. Find out how many there are and then come back here. After that, I want you to set the other trainers loose. Help get them to their Pokemon. There's just no way we can beat the Rockets on our own. Don't attack unless you're spotted, and trap every Rocket that finds you with Sand Tomb."

His team nodded to him. Ash glanced towards the tunnel to make sure no one else was listening. "Pyro, I'm going to recall you for a bit. Your tail flame will stick out like a sore thumb. I'll set you loose when we spring the trap. Pichu, you're with me. If we run into anyone, I want you to zap them senseless, but keep it quiet."

Pyro nodded again. Pichu grinned with fiendish delight and Sobek bared his fangs aggressively. Ash scratched the ground type under his jaw and muttered lowly. "Alright. Go, Sobek. Remember—quick and quiet. Don't let anyone see you."

The Sandile pushed his jaw further into Ash's hand, then turned away and quietly used Dig to slip away. Ash recalled Pyro a second later and waited in the now dark cave with Pichu, eyes focused exclusively on the tunnel in case anymore Rockets came snooping.

It was just a waiting game now.

Ash and Pichu didn't have to wait long for Sobek to return, but it was probably the most intense twenty minutes of his life. The last thing he wanted to happen was to hear some ruckus coming from down the tunnel and find out that his Pokemon had been caught by Team Rocket. Fortunately, Sobek did return to Ash without incident.

He saw the croc pop back out of the first hole he'd dug and sighed in relief. Ash waited for Sobek to crawl over to him before muttering quietly. "How many are there?"

Sobek scratched the ground and Ash watched with a frown as the marks quickly went upwards of twenty. He glanced at the Sandile in front of him. "How many trainers were caught?"

Sobek tapped the marks with his claws. So Team Rocket had captured about as many trainers as they had members here. That evened the odds a bit, but only if Ash could set them free and get their Pokemon to them. That took priority.

Ash rubbed the Sandile's head. "Good work. Pichu and I are going in now. You do your part—get to those trainers and set them free. Did you find out where the Rockets are keeping their Pokemon?"

The ground-type shrugged, so Ash took that as a no. "Help the trainers find them, but be quiet about it. Remember to take down any Rockets that spot you, quickly. If they sound the alarm, we'll be in trouble."

Sobek nodded and ducked back into his hole. Ash stood up quietly with Pichu on his shoulder and warily glanced out of the cave. Satisfied that the coast was clear, he slipped out into the tunnel and did his best to stay inconspicuous as they made their way for the rest area, where the Rockets would no doubt be basing their operations here.

It was a tense few minutes, but the rest spot was close by. Ash peered around the curve of the tunnel, which would take them to the midway point. The large area had been converted to a mine of some sort. He frowned at that. The Rockets were obviously looking for something besides trainers. Ash hugged the curve of the tunnel and carefully scanned the area, noting the single guard that stood between him and the temporary Rocket base. Very temporary, if he had his way.

The Rocket guarding the entrance to the rest area looked bored and kept yawning. Ash smirked. If he played his cards right, it wouldn't be difficult to take the guard out. But he had to be quiet about it. Glancing past the guy- who hadn't even noticed him with his eyes continually closing with sleep—Ash saw the group of captive trainers. They were tied up on the floor and looked a little roughed-up, but were otherwise alright. Two more Rockets were watching them.

Ash was thinking about how to take out the first guard when he noticed the two that were watching their captives suddenly dropped into deep holes in the ground. Not a sound was made, as they were quickly engulfed in Sand Tomb. He could get them out later.

Sobek quietly poked his head out and glanced around, finding there were no other Rockets nearby. With that, Ash saw him crawl out to the surprised trainers and began to bite through their rope bonds. He had to get to them quickly before any of them panicked.

He scratched Pichu on his shoulder and breathed almost silently. "Get him, Pichu. Knock him out as quick as you can."

Pichu grinned with delight and hopped down his shoulder. The mouse casually skittered over to the grunt and climbed onto his shoulder before the man could notice. When the grunt snorted himself awake, he saw the Pichu by his face and blinked dumbly. Pichu snickered and poked his neck, eliciting a small crack of electricity. The man's eyes immediately rolled into the back of his head and he collapsed. It would have made a good bit of noise if Ash hadn't quickly run forward and slowed his fall, wincing at the weight. He was just glad that the grunt wasn't an especially heavy individual.

He dragged the guy back around the corner and let Pichu crawl back onto his shoulder. Ash got to the entrance of the Rocket Base and glanced to make sure there were no more Rockets looking in their area at the moment. Most of them were busy mining for whatever it was they wanted, while one Rocket (presumably their leader) barked orders at them.

Ash quickly darted towards the group of captive trainers, who by now had almost all been freed and were doing their best to stay quiet. He was grateful for that. It would've sucked if his plan got ruined by someone freaking out. Even more helpful was that there happened to be a bunch of unused mining equipment between them and the Rockets that were currently digging. That gave them something to hide behind.

Scanning the group of trainers, Ash found to his relief that neither Leaf nor Gary were among them. They had probably gotten through just before the Rockets set up camp. He spotted Paul and winced when he noticed a cut on the boy's forehead. It obviously hurt, though Paul just seemed to be royally pissed off. The boy was muttering into a Pokegear, but his eyes widened in surprise when he saw Ash rush over. "You!"

"Shh!" Ash hissed, glancing towards the Rockets. Fortunately, none had noticed their escape yet. He nodded when the other trainers looked at him. "We've got to get out of here. Where are your Pokemon?"

One of the other trainers, a girl with orange hair, pointed at the Rocket shouting orders and then to a black tent not far away from him. "Their boss keeps them in his tent. It's always got like four guards on it. Can you get them back for us?"

Ash glanced at the tent, noting that said guards were out with their Pokemon at the ready. He thought a Koffing, two Zubat, and a Sandshrew were a pretty low-quality guard for so many captive Pokemon, but he figured the Rockets preferred numbers. They would not, however, last long if Ash caught them by surprise—especially if Pyro and Sobek got a hold of them.

"I'll handle them. How many of you have Pokemon that can fight right now?" Ash asked. "Ones that weren't hurt too badly?"

While snapping his Pokegear close, Paul immediately stepped forward. The girl with orange hair did as well. His rival grunted. "Grotle got injured a little, but Elekid and the others of my team can fight."

The girl smiled dangerously. "My team is all healthy. I got caught before I was able to send out a Pokemon. That boss of theirs is strong—he's got the most savage Raticate I've ever seen."

Ash frowned at the knowledge, but nodded. "You two come with me. The rest of you, stay here. Act like you're still trapped. When we start fighting, run for the tent and set your Pokemon loose as quick as you can. We'll overwhelm them with numbers and surprise."

The group of captives listened to him. Ash muttered for Sobek to go underground while he, Paul, and the girl slipped through the mining equipment and made their way towards the tent. They stopped about ten yards away, not confident enough in their ability to sneak any closer towards four alert enemy Pokemon.

Paul glanced at Ash and mumbled under his breath. "Now what?"

Ash smirked. "Just watch."

About ten seconds later, the ground beneath all four of the Rocket guards unexpectedly gave way into a pit of sand, where they were buried before any of them could react—well, almost all of them. One managed to get a shriek of surprise out of his mouth, and their Pokemon screeched alarms. All over the base, Rockets froze and spun towards the tent.

"Now!" Ash shouted, setting Pyro loose. The Charmeleon roared furiously and slashed both Zubat out of the air before the bats could comprehend what their echolocation was telling them. Sobek grabbed Sandshrew with his powerful jaws, making it squeal in pain. Pichu jumped right onto Koffing's floating body and discharged a mass of electricity, though the gases the poison-type emitted made him gag.

Shouts were filling the rest area, but Ash had given Paul and the girl the chance they needed. His Pokemon had made quick work of the guards—now the other trainers could get their Pokemon back. He smirked as there was a yell from the group of captives and they all made a run for the tent. The Rocket grunts looked utterly flabbergasted by their sudden loss of control.

Their boss—Proton, Ash remembered from eavesdropping on the grunts—however, was not so easily enraptured. He set loose the biggest, meanest looking Raticate Ash had ever seen and yelled angrily. "Don't just sit there, you useless idiots! Get them! Get them all! Raticate, Hyper Fang that brat!"

Raticate lunged at him, its fangs glowing a harsh white. Ash dove away as it hit the ground and bit right through solid rock. He gulped. If that attack hit him, he would lose something. It wasn't even a question.

Before the angry rat could have another go at him, Pyro lunged and sank burning fangs into its tail. Raticate spun around with a shriek of fury, but the lizard whipped his head back and hurled it towards its trainer. Proton didn't even get a chance to avoid it and was knocked down by Pyro's well-aimed throw.

Pyro snarled with rage. Any creature that had the nerve to attack his trainer was going to hurt, and hurt badly. His tail flame flared and his onyx blue eyes narrowed to slits. Ash saw the other Rockets being engaged by the now freed trainers. For now, the fight was in the trainers' favor—the Rockets had been caught by surprise, after all. But who knew if it would last. Paul and the girl with orange hair were leading the fight. His rival was commanding Elekid and a large grass type that was probably Turtwig's evolved form, while the girl had a Starmie and Golduck out. They were making mincemeat of the Rocket's Pokemon.

The Rocket boss kicked Raticate off of him and screamed in fury. "Kill him, you fool!"

Raticate bolted towards Pyro, who roared a challenge. Ash whipped towards Sobek and Pichu, who were helping the trainers get their Pokemon back. He shouted quickly. "Sobek, help fight the grunts! Pichu, help Pyro! That Raticate is strong!"

Sobek tunneled immediately, appearing on the Rocket's side a few seconds later and snapping at a rather large Golbat. Pichu made a rush for Pyro just as the Charmeleon and Raticate collided.

Pyro was ripping at it with Metal Claw and snapped with Fire Fang, but Raticate was quick. Its opponent no longer had the element of surprise, and quite frankly it wanted the fire-type dead. The monster of a Raticate was more aggressive than any Ash had seen before it—he figured it was probably because of the Rocket's treatment of it, but he couldn't feel pity for the creature. It was a threat that hadn't hesitated to try and kill him. He had to take it out.

Raticate tackled Pyro with a Quick Attack, getting a snarl out of the Charmeleon. Pyro went for a Dragon Rush, but the move was still difficult for him to use and didn't offer a chance for the useful flinch effect this time. Raticate just sidestepped and bit into Pyro's arm. Ash's starter roared in pain as the sharp fangs tore through his scales and flesh.

Pichu made it then, leaping onto Raticate and discharging the biggest Thunder Shock Ash had ever seen. Raticate hissed furiously and let Pyro go, spinning around and biting furiously at the Pichu. It was a slavering beast, eyes bulging and red while saliva flew from its jaws. Pichu clung on for dear life and Ash could only watch with his heart in his mouth. If Pichu got tossed off and Raticate got its jaws into him, he would probably die.

Pyro, however, was not too injured from the bite to get revenge for it.

Raticate screamed as Pyro timed a Fire Fang just right, snapping his jaws once again into its tail and cleaving through it. The Charmeleon hurled the end of Raticate's tail away and roared hatefully, blood flowing from his fangs.

Ash felt sick looking at the gruesome injury, but Raticate was beyond pain or reason. The rat spun around and smashed into Pyro with reckless force. He realized it was a Double Edge—one of the strongest moves Raticate could learn. It would cause recoil damage, but Raticate was just too angry to care. Ash also realized that he'd sorely underestimated this Pokemon. If Raticate knew Double Edge, then it was a lot more experienced than his team.

Needless to say, the devastating force which struck Pyro sent the Charmeleon flying into the stone wall. Pyro slid to the ground with a hiss, stunned to the point of immobility. Ash turned his back to the battle and called out to his starter worriedly. But that was a mistake.

Raticate had seen Ash commanding its hated enemy and lunged at him, ignoring Pichu still clinging to its fur. It wanted to take out the trainer of the one that had caused it such pain. It would accept nothing less.

Ash didn't even get a chance to shout when Raticate bowled him over with Quick Attack. He hit the ground and smacked his head against the hard stone. He cried out as his head spun from the impact. Raticate lunged at him again. This time, it was stopped not by Pichu, but by Sobek. The Sandile had seen Pyro go down and immediately rushed over to help his trainer.

Sobek had managed to Dig below Raticate and sank his fangs into the rat's back leg, pulling it away from Ash. Raticate spun around and tried to land a Hyper Fang, but Pichu's constant electrical discharges were finally starting to take effect. It was getting weaker. While they kept Raticate busy, Pyro managed to recover from the Double Edge and rushed in to help. Ash felt hope swelling in him. Maybe they could—

Pain.

Ash screamed as something buried sharp fangs into his shoulder. He caught a glimpse of four wings and glowing red eyes, unconsciously recognizing the attacking creature as a Crobat. It let go almost as quickly as it had struck, then blurred away. Ash remembered reading that Crobat were amongst the fastest Pokemon in the world. Those four wings could power some ridiculous speed.

He looked up, trying to figure out where it had come from. His eyes locked onto Proton, who was sneering with a Poke Ball in his hand. Ash felt stupid for not even thinking that the leader might have more than just Raticate.

It was the last thought he had before his blood began to boil. Ash fell to the ground, choking on pain. There had been venom in the bite—it had to have been Poison Fang. He immediately felt nauseous and the taste of bile swelled in the back of his throat.

He was vaguely aware of screaming around him—apparently, Proton had set his Crobat on everyone fighting Team Rocket. It was an effective plan, going after all the trainers rather than their Pokemon. With their trainers down, the Rockets could overwhelm their panicked and injured opponents with ease.

Ash thought he heard Pichu cry out and felt himself slipping into unconsciousness. Before his vision faded to darkness, he felt the mountain shake, saw a flash of white light, and a titanic roar filled the air. Then he was gone.

Ash had no idea how long he was unconscious, but he didn't expect to wake up—not after being poisoned by a Crobat. He opened his eyes to find the rock ceiling of Mt. Moon still above him. There was a wonderful scent in the air, and it made him feel better the more he breathed it in.

"Ah, you're awake. That's good."

He blinked and glanced to the side. A young woman, probably nineteen or twenty years old, was sitting beside him. She had waist-length blonde hair and seemed to be a trainer, but Ash didn't recognize her from the group of captives Team Rocket had—

Team Rocket.

Ash almost bolted upright, but the girl set her hand on his shoulder and pushed him back down. She shook her head. "No, don't move. Roserade is using Aromatherapy to clear the poison out of your system. You can't disrupt the healing process or you'll just feel sick."

He frowned. Roserade? The girl smiled and pointed across from him, and he found a green Pokemon with red and blue roses for hands standing over him. The Roserade was gently emitting a green haze from its petals and he suddenly realized why. Aromatherapy was a move used to heal status conditions, like poison, but it was a difficult technique to learn because of the sheer number of healing factors that were incorporated into the special spores. It took a degree of delicacy and control that few Pokemon possessed.

"Don't worry. We got Team Rocket," she told him. "It was a close call for you, though. Proton set his Crobat on you first. The venom was in your system for almost two minutes when we got here—any longer and you might not have made it. You were lucky."

"Are the others okay?" He asked. Ash winced. His throat felt dry and he tasted vomit in his mouth.

She handed him a bottle of water and nodded. "They're fine. The trainers that got bitten by Crobat were already treated for it with modified Antidotes. Roserade had to treat you herself because you had the venom in you the longest. Aromatherapy is quicker and more efficient than modified medicine. Once we were sure you all were in the clear, it was just a matter of getting all the Rockets under arrest. All the grunts were accounted for and my Pokemon got Proton."

Ash took a long drink of water, spitting the first mouthful out to get the taste of bile from his mouth. Then he quenched his parched throat and sighed in relief, even if it was still a little bitter. "Are my Pokemon okay?"

"Yes. They were all huddled around you," she replied. "Your Charmeleon had some nasty bites from Raticate and Sandile got bitten by Crobat. They had the worst injuries from the entire battle. Your Pikachu is fine, though. It evolved literally the second we arrived and gave Raticate quite a shock."

He couldn't stop the wide smile on his face. Ash was upset he hadn't gotten to see Pichu evolve, but he was glad that his Pokemon were alright and had won their battle against Proton's vicious Raticate. Now Pikachu could take his rightful place as a powerful member of Ash's team. He was definitely going to be in the next gym battle.

"Thanks for saving us," Ash said gratefully, but then frowned. "Um, who are you? And how did you know we were fighting Team Rocket?"

"Paul called me a few minutes before the fight on his Pokegear," she held up her own Pokegear as she explained. "I was in Cerulean City by chance and we had an Alakazam teleport myself and several League trainers here. There wasn't much for us to do—you guys cleaned up Team Rocket pretty well, but we were able to arrest them and take out Proton before he could poison more of you."

"As for me, my name is Cynthia," she told him. "I work for the Sinnoh League, but I'm here in Kanto on some business."

Well, that explained how Paul knew her. Ash was grateful that the other boy had the means and sense to call for backup before they assaulted the Rockets. If he hadn't, Proton probably would have killed him and most of the other trainers as well.

"Hey, before I passed out, I thought I heard something roaring," Ash started hesitantly. "Was that my imagination, or…?"

Cynthia smiled. "That was one of my Pokemon. She likes making an entrance. You won't see her right now, though—I recalled her shortly after Proton was detained."

"What were they after, anyways?" He wondered. "They looked like they were mining, or something."

"They were looking for Moon Stones and fossils," Cynthia gestured to a few wooden crates nearby that were currently being sorted through by police. "Both can be sold for a high price. Team Rocket was probably looking to sell them on the black market."

Ash fell silent at that. Before he could think of something else to say, Paul walked over. He dipped his head to Cynthia and muttered. "Thank you again, Cynthia."

"I should be telling you that," she smiled at the boy. "If you hadn't called me, there would probably have been a few casualties."

Paul grunted and looked at Ash. "Well, seeing as you haven't died yet, I assume you're good?"

Ash nodded. "Yeah."

"Good. I'm off to Cerulean City now. We're even by my standing—you set me free and I saved your life by calling her," Paul gestured to Cynthia and then turned away. "Get yourself some more Pokemon. I want a longer battle next time."

With that, Paul left for the tunnel that would take him to Cerulean. Ash sat up and stared after him. "He's got the right idea. I should leave too—"

"Oh, no you don't," Cynthia stopped him with a sharp look. "Roserade treated the poison in your system, but I still need a doctor to clean up that bite you took. Otherwise, I can't allow you to be discharged from our care."

Ash groaned, but she was unwavering. Roserade smirked in amusement.

This was going to take a while.

"Well, I suppose you're free to go," the doctor told him, though he shook his head in exasperation. "Personally, I'd rather take you to a hospital to make sure your vitals are stable, but Aromatherapy generally covers everything I can think of as a result of Poison Fang. The only thing you'll need to watch out for is that shoulder—don't open up those wounds, young man. They're deep. Bites from the Crobat line are like stab wounds from hypodermic needles."

Ash nodded obediently. He had been waiting for an hour and really just wanted out now that his wound had a bandage on it. The doctor told him it would likely scar, but it was a relatively small bite. It wasn't as if he'd gotten a chunk torn out of him.

The doctor rolled his eyes. "You young trainers just can't be stopped. Very well, you may go. But if you start to feel dizzy or your injury begins to seep, I suggest going to the nearest town for medical treatment. Do I make myself clear?"

He nodded again and the doctor gestured to the exit tunnel. "That will lead you to Cerulean City. Take your time getting there. If you want, we can transport you with an Alakazam, but I think you'd rather walk, wouldn't you?"

Ash smiled. "Yes. I'd like to stretch my legs anyways. I've been sitting down for a while."

"Alright. Good luck, young man."

The doctor left and Ash made sure he had everything he needed before heading off. Just before he was about to leave the rest area though, Cynthia called him.

"Your doctor gave you the all-clear?" She asked. When he nodded, she smiled. "Good luck then, Ash. I have to stay to make sure these Rockets are transported to prison, but I wish you well."

"Thank you," Ash smiled back. "You really saved me and the others. I hope they don't give you too much trouble."

"Oh, they won't," Cynthia's eyes glittered with something akin to amusement at the idea of Rockets giving her trouble. The look disappeared quickly though, and she turned away from him. "Goodbye, Ash. Perhaps we'll meet again somewhere."

Ash nodded and then turned to leave the rest area. He really was ready to leave Mt. Moon.

It still took him a few hours before Ash finally got out of the mountain tunnel. He was taking it easy considering his injury, but not slowly. Besides that, he ran into a couple of trainers that had no idea about the Rocket incident further in. Ash saw no reason to warn them seeing as the Rockets were taken care of, but he took the chance to battle them with Pikachu.

Ash was still pumped that Pikachu had evolved. The mouse was no longer a "Baby Pokemon" but in a stage that was considerably more developed and mature. Now he could handle greater amounts of electricity, move much quicker, and learn an all-around larger move pool. Ash was even more thrilled when he found that Pikachu had retained Volt Tackle from his Pichu stage. Now they just had to master it and Pikachu would have the ultimate electric-type weapon a member of his species could possess.

He took it easy with Pyro and Sobek because they were still recovering from their fight with the Rockets, though Sobek was less injured and plenty willing to get in a good battle. Ash noticed that his team was a little subdued though. He had a feeling it was something to do with him almost getting killed.

Ash released his team once they were out of the cave system and in fresh air. It was late afternoon. He had just enough time to make it to Cerulean City before night came, which was visible from where he stood by the entrance to Mt. Moon. Before they headed that way, however, he had to talk with his team.

"You guys are upset because Crobat got me, right?" Ash asked. The sullen silence and avoiding looks his Pokemon gave him was answer enough for that. He shook his head at them. "It's alright. Guys, it wasn't your fault. None of us saw Crobat coming. It got a bunch of other people as well. Besides, I'm okay, aren't I?"

The three nodded and Ash smiled. "We'll just have to get stronger and find some more friends, won't we? That way, this won't ever happen again. Deal?"

That seemed to make them feel better, because he got a couple of happy growls and a chitter from Pikachu. Ash grinned. "Alright, let's head to Cerulean City."

His trio of faithful partners cheered and followed his lead.

The next morning, Ash woke up full of energy again. He still had to take it easy given that his shoulder was hurt, but there was nothing wrong with a little training before he challenged the gym. Ash decided that he'd like to head north of the city to Route Twenty-Four. There were plenty of trainers up there that would be good for training.

Before setting out, however, Ash wanted a plan. There were objectives he laid out prior to training that he sought to achieve—like certain moves to learn or combinations to practice. So while he sat down for breakfast in the Pokemon Center, pulled out his Pokedex, and got to work.

Pikachu was the one he needed to spend the most time with right now. Having just evolved, Ash needed to get a better feel for his abilities and teach him some new attacks. Pichu had been limited in his capabilities—Pikachu could learn a lot more. All he really knew right now was Volt Tackle, Thunder Shock, and Tackle.

Ash definitely wanted to teach Pikachu Quick Attack. A good speed move was always useful if he needed to get close to an opponent. In addition, he wanted to get Thunder Wave and Nuzzle into Pikachu's arsenal. His plan was to turn Pikachu into not only a good fighter, but an excellent capture Pokemon. If he could give his electric mouse the tools he needed to paralyze opponents, it would be beneficial both during a battle and when they were capturing a wild Pokemon.

That was something he needed to work on. Ash loved his team, but he wanted to expand it badly.

While Pikachu worked on speed and electric attacks, Ash thought about what to work on with Pyro. The Charmeleon definitely needed to practice his dragon-type moves. Dragon Rush was basically a glorified Tackle at this point and Dragon Dance took a solid fifteen seconds to even get one boost going. That was useless in a real battle. Dragon-type energy was notoriously difficult to master, so Ash decided that the dragon-type moves would take priority for now.

With Sobek, Ash wasn't really sure what to work on. He was still fairly unfamiliar with his evolutionary line. Going through the Pokedex, he couldn't decide on much more than Assurance. Ash eventually decided that his best bet was to ask Professor Oak. Besides, he hadn't called home since…

Ash froze. He hadn't called home at all in the three weeks he'd been gone. Once he got started, it had totally slipped his mind.

His mother was going to kill him.

"Three weeks," Delia Ketchum smiled at her son through the video phone. Ash gulped and Pikachu did the same on his shoulder—and Pikachu wasn't even the target of her ire. He could see behind that wonderful smile of hers a fury he was rightfully terrified of. Professor Oak had answered the phone, but she had been right there and politely asked for a moment with her son.

Professor Oak, being the wise man he was, did not even attempt to argue with her.

"It has been three weeks since you left and I haven't heard a word from you in all this time," Delia's eyes glared daggers into Ash's soul. "I specifically remember asking you to keep in touch with me every few days or so. You are calling from Cerulean City. That means you passed through Viridian and Pewter and the Pokemon Center at Mt. Moon. Unless there was some miraculous blackout at each of those places every time you passed through, I see no reason why you couldn't have called me."

Ash didn't answer her. His mother's smile faded into a scowl. "Ash Red Ketchum, do you have any idea how worried I was?"

"Sorry," he squeaked. "I…I got distracted."

Delia was never able to stay angry for long. Her scowl disappeared and she sighed. "Just don't worry me like that again, Ash. I thought something happened to you."

"I won't," Ash promised. He also did not dare mention that he had gotten injured in his fight against Team Rocket the day before.

"So, how has your journey been so far?" She asked. Now that Ash had escaped the danger zone, he could get excited again.

"Great! Pyro evolved a couple of days ago," Ash grinned. "And Pichu evolved into Pikachu yesterday!"

Pikachu smirked proudly and raised a paw at Delia. Ash's mother smiled at the mouse. "That's great! I'm glad they're doing well. Have you caught anything else?"

Ash scratched the back of his head. "Well…sort of. Actually, Giovanni gave me my third Pokemon."

"You met Giovanni," Delia was absolutely still. "And he gave you a Pokemon."

"Yeah," Ash frowned. His mom had an unreadable expression that he hadn't ever seen on her face before. "Mom, are you okay?"

"Oh," she nodded quietly. "Yes. I'm sorry. What kind of Pokemon is it?"

He thought that she was still acting odd, but shrugged. "A Sandile. I named him Sobek. He's actually pretty strong. He's the reason I won my gym battle against Brock."

That made her brighten up. "So you did win! I'm so proud of you, Ash! Have you challenged the Cerulean City Gym yet?"

"Not yet. That's actually why I called," Ash began. "I want to do some training before I challenge the gym. But the thing is, I don't really know what to work on with Sobek. I don't know much of anything about Sandile and its evolved forms. So I was wondering if Professor Oak could help me with that."

Delia frowned thoughtfully. "Hmm…Sandile, huh? I assume you're familiar with their tendencies to bite in battle?"

Ash grinned. "That's exactly how he likes to fight."

"I see," she smiled in amusement. "Well, I don't claim to be an expert like Professor Oak, but I think Stone Edge would be a good move. Only problem is…"

"It's a TM," Ash finished. Delia nodded and he sighed. TMs allowed Pokemon to learn so many different attacks, but they were very high-priced. Buying one right now would drain him of funds completely.

Delia smiled with optimism. "Well, better start saving up sweetie! Here, I'll go get Professor Oak. He should be able to help you out."

"Okay. I'll call you before I leave Cerulean City, mom."

"Thank you sweetheart. I wish you good luck on your gym battle!"

With that, his mother walked out of the camera view. A few moments later, Professor Oak came back. He looked at Ash and gave him a wry smile.

"I see you survived."

Ash shuddered. "I got off light. You remember when she caught Gary and I trying to jump on your Rhyhorn?"

Oak chuckled. "I hadn't seen her that angry in a long time. You and Gary didn't cause trouble for a week."

Pikachu snickered on his shoulder. Ash flicked his ear and then got down to business. "Professor, I need your help. There's a Pokemon I'm training…"

After explaining to the Professor his problem with training Sobek, Oak began to scratch his chin. "I see…Sandile, eh? That rather suits Giovanni, actually. In any case, I'm afraid I can't help you too much, Ash. Sandile itself is limited compared to its later stages. Your plan to teach him Assurance is good, but I'd at least recommend teaching him Foul Play as well for stronger adversaries. Most of the moves that make the Sandile line effective are learned through TMs."

Ash frowned. He'd hoped that the Professor would be able to help him more than that. But Professor Oak wasn't going to send him off with next to nothing. "Ash, even if there aren't many moves Sandile can learn right now, there are still things you can work on to prepare him for evolution. Sandile's second and third evolutionary stages are bipedal—his battle style is going to change drastically when he evolves. Right now, I'd suggest working on his biting attacks in addition to learning Assurance and Foul Play. Their biting habits are about the only thing that doesn't change when Sandile evolves. You could even work on Crunch if you desired. Sandile learn it easily if their jaw muscles are built up correctly."

Oak paused for a bit. "Actually, if you let me see him for a moment, I might be able to tell you if he's close to evolving or not."

Ash did just that. He pulled out Sobek's Poke Ball and set the croc loose. Sobek blinked at him confusedly, not seeing a battle around. Ash smiled at him. "There's someone I want you to meet, Sobek. He's going to tell us if you're getting close to evolving."

The notion of evolution apparently was enough for Sobek to decide he wanted to meet Professor Oak. Ash carefully picked him up and held him in front of the video phone for the Professor to see. Oak arched an eyebrow at the sight.

"Can't say I've ever actually seen that before."

"Seen what? A Sandile?"

"No. I've never seen a Sandile willingly let its trainer pick it up—much less one of the males," Oak said slowly. His eyes were glinting with interest. "Is he always this mellow?"

Ash shook his head. "No. You should see him in battle. He bit the crest off of Brock's Onix."

Sobek bared his fangs in a feral grin at that. It was obvious he took pride in his victories. Oak smiled at the sight. "I have no doubt of that. Well, from what I can see his teeth look excellent. He's also rather large, which is good—that means he's getting close to evolving."

Oak was quiet for about a minute as he looked Sobek over as best he could, then gave his deduction. "From what I can see, he's an impressive specimen. He'll be a powerful battler when he reaches his prime, Ash. Work with him as best you can and you'll have a valuable asset that few can bring down outright."

That must have pleased the Sandile because he growled agreement. Ash smiled at Sobek and scratched the croc's jaw. Oak shook his head at the sight and grunted. "You're lucky he's so willing to work with you, Ash. Most other Sandile would've taken your finger off."

"I know," he replied. Ash looked back at the Professor. "Thanks, Professor. I appreciate you helping me."

"My pleasure, Ash," Oak smiled. "Just remember to keep in touch from now on, alright? In fact…you're in Cerulean, yes?"

"That's right."

"In that case, would you mind doing me a favor?"

Ash blinked. "Sure. What is it?"

"There's a colleague of mine—Bill, who lives in the Sea Cottage by the cape on Route Twenty-five. It's a few hours away from Cerulean. He's in need of a trainer that can help him catch a problem Pokemon. Do you think you could help? He tells me he will reward you for assisting him."

"Yeah, I can help him," he grinned. "What's the reward?"

Oak's eyes twinkled with amusement at the boy's eagerness. "That is something you'll have to find out for yourself. I'll tell him you'll be there in a while. Good luck to you, Ash."

It was a four hour long walk up to Route Twenty-five, during which time Ash battled several trainers. They were all about his level as far as experience went, but he won every battle that came his way. Pikachu had gotten Quick Attack down in their second match—it wasn't like it was a difficult move to learn. Sobek and Pyro got a good workout in as well, though Sobek didn't get a chance to practice Assurance and Pyro was still struggling with Dragon Rush. Ash figured that the dragon-type moves would just require time for the Charmeleon to master.

Ash finally came across the Sea Cottage where Bill lived. He'd heard of Bill before. The man had developed the Pokemon PC system that trainers used all over the world. He was heralded as a genius who had many times over earned his fame, working with big companies like Silph Co. to develop some of the most high tech devices in the world. Bill liked his privacy though, which was why he lived in the Sea Cottage.

The place was nice and quaint. Ash liked the peaceful air it held—until he noticed the police car parked out front. That got his eyebrows up. He knocked on the door hesitantly, though he was answered just a few seconds later.

He was confronted with a young man bearing a head of curly brown hair and casual clothes. This was definitely Bill—Oak had told him before the reason Bill never worked in a lab was because he couldn't stand formal attire.

"Can I help you?" Bill asked.

Ash nodded. "I think it's the other way around. Professor Oak sent me."

Bill's eyes cleared and he smiled. "Ah, so you're the trainer the good Professor was telling me about. Pleased to make your acquaintance Mr. Ketchum. I'm Bill. Please, come inside."

Ash politely stepped into the house, but paused just a few feet in. The place was a disaster of papers, books, and equipment that Ash probably couldn't even pronounce the names of. Bill scratched the back of his head. "I apologize for the mess. I've been working on twelve different projects for various companies and my own interests. As you can see things get a little…chaotic."

"It's fine," Ash offered a grin. "You should see my room when my mother isn't around."

Bill chuckled and eased up a little. "Fair enough. Now, as for why you're here, I need your help capturing a problem Pokemon. See, I conduct studies in the field on Pokemon behavior, but lately I've been harassed by a rather territorial Fearow. I suspect the bird recently evolved and all those nasty hormones running through it are giving it more of a reason to attack me than normal. However, I would like to study it. If you could capture Fearow and bring it back to me, I would greatly appreciate your hard work."

He grinned. Ash hadn't gotten to battle a Fearow before. This would be fun. "I'm in. Fearow won't know what hit it."

"Excellent!" Bill exclaimed cheerily. "I can show you Fearow's nest right after I deal with my business here."

"What's going on?" Ash asked, recalling the police car parked outside. "Did something happen?"

"Not exactly."

The pair were interrupted by a rather stern Officer Jenny, who had a large Growlithe with her. She had a Poke Ball in her hand and seemed pretty cautious with it. "I'm here to deliver a Pokemon to Bill, but it's not the friendliest creature I've ever seen."

Ash looked at the pokeball curiously. "What is it?"

"A rare and unique species I've long desired to study," Bill informed him. "An Eevee. They're hard to find in the wild and getting one isn't easy, even for a researcher like me. I told my contacts that I would take whatever I could get if they had one. Jenny here recently confiscated an Eevee and brought it to me."

Jenny scowled. "I warned you Bill, this Eevee is beyond reason. I can't release it because it actively attacks people, but I can't exactly put it up for adoption, either. You study it at your own risk. It'll take your finger off the second you try to poke it."

Bill frowned. "Surely it isn't that bad."

The Officer's scowl deepened. "You have no idea."

Ash stared at the capture device in Jenny's hand. "What happened to make Eevee like that?"

"Abuse. It was born in a Pokemon mill—a place that illegally breeds rare Pokemon and sells them on the black market. Eevee was half-starved when we got to it. Once it finished eating, it tried to take a bite out of us. One of my newest recruits had to get stitches after getting tagged by the little monster."

He frowned. Abuse could make a Pokemon vicious. Ash had never seen the actual results of it, but he had heard stories.

Bill held his hand out. "I'll take good care of it—we'll be best friends in no time!"

Jenny rolled her eyes. "Outside. I'm not setting it loose in here. It'll rip everything apart."

So outside it was.

Once they were clear of the house, Officer Jenny told Growlithe to heel and tapped the release on Eevee's Poke Ball. The little creature was released and Ash got his first good look at the notoriously rare Pokemon.

Eevee was a very small Pokemon—smaller than Pikachu, actually. It looked like a small canine with large ears similar to a fox and a bushy tail. Lush, soft brown fur covered its entire body and its eyes were like pools of liquid chocolate. It was really cute when Ash first saw it.

Then Eevee tried to blast Jenny with a Shadow Ball and all hell broke loose.

Growlithe barely intercepted the attack with Flamethrower, then Eevee lunged at it, biting furiously at the fire-type. Jenny leaped back and shouted a command for Growlithe to use Flame Wheel. Eevee dodged with surprising speed and lunged at the next person it saw—Bill.

It had jumped into the air and was aiming for Bill's face when Pyro materialized in front of the researcher and snagged the little Pokemon out of the air with his claws. The Charmeleon held Eevee up by its scruff and pointed it away from the others, growling a warning to it. Eevee spat furiously and wriggled to escape, but Pyro was not going to let go.

Jenny's scowl returned full force. "You see? I told you it was going to attack us! There's no reasoning with it, Bill. I'm sorry, but I can't give it to you."

"Please, just a little more time!" Bill begged. "I'm sure I can work with Eevee!"

"No. For one, you're not a trainer. You have no way to defend yourself if Eevee decides to get feral on you. I'm sorry Bill, but I'm going to take it back to the precinct. It has to be put down."

Ash intervened then. He could see that Eevee was a problem Pokemon, but he wasn't about to let it get killed because someone had treated it so horribly.

"I'll take Eevee."

Jenny looked at him sharply. "Out of the question—"

"—it's not. Ask Professor Oak. He can vouch for me," Ash persisted. "I'm training a Sandile right now. A male with Moxie. If I can handle him, I can handle Eevee. Let me try and train it."

Jenny hesitated, but glared at him with stern authority. "I will ask Professor Oak about this, kid. If I find out you're lying just to get your hands on a rare Pokemon, you'll answer to me. Think very carefully about what you're asking."

"I'm not that kind of person, Officer," Ash promised. "Please. Just call him. I'm sure I can work with Eevee, given enough time. Don't put it down."

She glared at him for a little while longer before sighing. "Fine. I'll be calling the Professor while you two are out on your little Fearow hunt. Don't let the bird kill you before you get back. I don't like putting a Pokemon down, but I will do so in this case if you aren't able to train it. This Eevee is dangerous."

"All Pokemon are dangerous if they need to be," he replied. Ash glanced at Eevee, who was still struggling in Pyro's grip. He certainly had his work cut out for him.

Jenny shook her head. "I still think you're crazy, but alright. I'll give you Eevee's Poke Ball once the Professor tells me you're alright to handle it. For now, it stays with me."

She recalled Eevee into its Poke Ball and went over to her vehicle. Bill looked crestfallen, but Ash offered him a smile and tried to make him feel better. "Hey, where's that Fearow nest?"

That managed to make him brighten up a bit. "Ah, yes. This way!"

"Now I should warn you, Ash. Fearow are big, scary Pokemon," Bill cautioned him. "Don't be afraid when you see it."

They were hiding behind some shrubs to stay out of the bird's sight, but Ash took one look at the Fearow roosting in its nest on the cliff face they had walked to and snorted. He had seen scary Pokemon before—this one was nothing. It didn't even hold a candle to Giovanni's Rhyperior.

Pikachu was snickering at the Fearow. Ash grinned and scratched the electric type under his chin. "So, you just want us to catch it?"

"Yes, please."

Ash looked at Pikachu and the mouse's expression of mischievous delight was obvious. He smirked. "Want to handle this one, buddy?"

Pikachu sniggered and nodded gleefully, then ran out into the open. Ash followed him out and looked up at Fearow, who had yet to notice them. He looked at Pikachu and pointed at the bird. "Stun it with Thunder Shocks and avoid whatever comes with Quick Attack. It might have only just evolved, but I'd rather you not get hit by that beak. Other than that, do your thing."

The mouse grinned wildly.

Five seconds later, Fearow let out a shriek of surprise as a Thunder Shock plowed into it. The bird whipped its head towards them as it stared, stunned that someone had attacked it instead of the other way around. Pikachu giggled hysterically at Fearow and stuck his tongue out at the bird for falling prey to his prank.

Fearow screamed furiously and lunged out of its nest, aiming its sharp beak for Pikachu's body. Pikachu waited, sniggering all the while until Fearow was just a few feet away. He then darted to the side with Quick Attack, giving the bird nothing but dirt to impact.

Ash winced at Fearow slammed into the ground full speed and tumbled across the grass. Fearow squawked in confusion and bewilderment, dazed from its crash. Pikachu hopped onto its back and the bird managed to turn and look at the mouse dumbly for a second. Then Pikachu began to zap the target of his mischief senseless and Fearow finally got its act together.

A gust of wind blew over Ash as Fearow tried to fly up off the ground. Pikachu continued to hammer it with Thunder Shocks, but the bird stubbornly refused to go down again. Ash watched the madness above him for a few seconds before shouting. "Pikachu, Nuzzle! Paralyze it and bring it back down here."

The large electric shocks disappeared and Fearow grew puzzled for a moment. Then it's muscles clenched and the bird dropped out of the sky with a startled screech.

Pikachu leapt off of Fearow's back before it hit the ground and landed in Ash's arms. The electric mouse was still giggling in delight and Ash grinned at him. Pikachu was having the time of his life pranking Fearow in the middle of battle.

The bird was well and truly immobilized, but its beak was still stabbing the ground around it. Ash figured it still had enough energy to resist capture and gave Pikachu a final order. "Jump into the air with Quick Attack, then come down on it with Volt Tackle. That should put it down."

Pikachu nodded and left his arms to return to the ground. He ran towards Fearow to build up speed with Quick Attack, then made an almost vertical leap. As he reached his peak, Pikachu shrouded himself in a cloak of electricity and began to dive towards his opponent. The bird didn't even see its tormentor coming.

Fearow took the Volt Tackle to the back of its head and promptly collapsed, paralyzed and unconscious.

Ash hefted a Poke Ball, threw it at the bird, and Fearow disappeared in a flash of red light. The device hit the ground and wriggled for a few moments, but clicked quickly, signaling that Fearow had been captured.

"Alright!" Ash exclaimed. "Nice going, Pikachu. Fearow didn't stand a chance."

Pikachu shook off the recoil of Volt Tackle and gave Ash a wave with his tiny paw. He didn't look very tired at all. Ash remembered when he had been defeated by Leaf's Spearow and realized how much stronger he was after evolving from Pichu.

"That was marvelous!" Bill exclaimed. Ash handed him Fearow's Poke Ball and the researcher took it gratefully. "Such talent! Pikachu defeated its opponent with so little effort!"

"It wasn't too strong," Ash told him. "It's like you said—it probably evolved only recently. I doubt it knows how to fight well right now. Pikachu was just playing with it."

Pikachu sniggered gleefully and Bill chuckled. "Well, I'm grateful regardless. Come now, let's return to my cottage. Officer Jenny should have finished speaking with Professor Oak by now, I reckon, and I still have a reward to give you!"

Jenny was waiting for them when they returned. She eyed the Poke Ball in Bill's hand and nodded. "I see you got our troublemaker. That's good. You probably saved me some trouble, kid."

"You're welcome," Ash replied. "It wasn't too bad, actually."

"The only time I'll ever hear those words regarding a Fearow is from a Pokemon trainer," Jenny grumbled. "Anyways, I talked with Oak."

Ash tensed and waited for the verdict. Jenny pulled out Eevee's Poke Ball and held it out. "It's yours—for now. But if Eevee gets caught attacking someone unprovoked again…"

"I'll make it work," he promised. She nodded and handed him the Poke Ball. Ash set it on his belt and made a mental note to check on Eevee once he was far away from civilization. He dipped his head to Jenny. "Thank you. I'll take good care of Eevee."

"Any care is better than the care it got at the Pokemon mill," Jenny said bluntly. She shook her head at the thought and made her way back to her car. "Well, I have a job to get to. See you, Bill. Good luck, kid."

Ash and Bill waved her goodbye and then faced each other once the good Officer had driven off.

"Well, I wish you luck with Eevee, but I'm sure you're wondering what I've got for you, yes?"

"Just a bit," Ash admitted.

Bill smiled and walked into his house. He came back out a minute later with a small parcel. "Here you are—like Christmas in the Spring."

He opened the box and gaped at the contents—in his hands were five Ultra Balls and a PokeNav. Ash didn't know much about the latter, but he knew that both items were ridiculously expensive and not something the average trainer could purchase.

Ash stared at Bill. "Whoa, whoa—I only caught a freshly evolved Fearow for you! Isn't this over doing it?"

Bill chuckled. "You forget Ash, I've got more money than I know what to do with. This is nothing. The Ultra Balls I'm sure you know what to do with—I figure if you can take out Fearow so easily, you'll probably need these for when you meet something with more bite. Not every wild Pokemon will drop as easily as our troublesome little friend. And I want you to have this as well."

He handed him a black Poke Ball that Ash didn't recognize. Bill filled him in. "It's a Luxury Ball—designed for making a Pokemon more friendly. If you like, I can transfer Eevee into this from its current Poke Ball. The poor little guy probably needs some extra love."

Ash smiled. "I'd really appreciate that."

"Right, then I can get to that while I explain to you the features of the PokeNav," Bill said as he led Ash inside, chatting all the while.

After Eevee had been transferred to the Luxury Ball and he said farewell to Bill (both following a hefty discussion of the PokeNav's features), Ash headed back to Cerulean City. It was evening before he made it there, but rather than go into the Pokemon Center immediately, Ash went to the practice field and sent out his team.

Pyro, Pikachu, and Sobek waited for him to speak. Ash smiled at his three partners. "Okay guys, I've got a couple of things to say. First off, we're challenging the Cerulean City Gym tomorrow. The Gym Leader there uses water-types, so Pikachu is going to be our best bet."

The mouse puffed up proudly. Pyro rolled his eyes and Sobek growled lightly, but didn't complain. Apparently, the croc didn't mind not having to fight water Pokemon. Ash went on. "From what I've heard, it's probably going to be another two-on-two battle. Pyro, you'll be fighting as well. Sorry, but we don't have any other options right now. You three are the only trained Pokemon I have."

Pyro grinned, baring his fangs. The prospect of fighting water-types didn't deter the flame lizard at all. He swished his fiery tail back and forth a few times and hissed eagerly. Ash smirked at his starter and nodded. "Glad to see you raring to go. You'll need to be."

"The second thing I have to talk about is our newest team mate," Ash told them. "It's an Eevee—the one we had to restrain at the Sea Cottage. Remember?"

Pikachu and Pyro nodded, though Sobek didn't because he had yet to meet Eevee. Ash held out the Luxury Ball so they could all get a whiff of Eevee's scent. "Listen, Eevee was abused by its previous owners, so I need you guys to be on your best behavior. If it tries to attack us, restrain it, but don't hurt it. We have to convince Eevee that we're its friends. If we can't get through to it, Jenny will have to take it away and…well, let's not talk about what might happen if it comes to that."

His team made sounds in a chorus of agreement. Ash took a deep breath and held his finger over the release button. "Get ready. This probably isn't going to go so well right off the bat."

He set Eevee loose.

The little Pokemon's ears twitched the second it was released. It looked around warily before spotting Ash and growling with a ferocity that should not have belonged to such a small creature. Ash held his hands out to his side, showing Eevee that he was unarmed.

"Hey, it's okay. I—"

Eevee leaped at him, snapping like a rabid animal. Pyro quickly snagged Eevee out of the air like he had before and held it away from them. The normal-type wriggled furiously and hissed, biting on empty air. Ash sighed.

This would not be fun.

"Eevee, calm down," Ash tried calmly. Eevee snarled at him and snapped again, but it couldn't move well with Pyro holding it up by the scruff of its neck. The boy frowned at it. "Can you just give me a few seconds?"

A randomly launched Shadow Ball was his answer, though the attack fortunately didn't hit anything important. Pikachu looked ready to zap the little canine at the first sign it was escaping Pyro and Sobek had his fangs slightly bared. Pyro was just doing his best to keep a steady grip on the wriggling creature and avoid getting bitten himself.

Ash chewed his lip worriedly. Eevee wasn't responding at all. He decided that talking was out of the question. He'd have to win Eevee over with a different method.

He pulled an Oran Berry out of his bag and cautiously moved around to where Eevee could see him, but not hit him with one of those nasty Shadow Balls. "Are you hungry?"

Eevee took one look at the food and quieted for a moment. It glared at Ash furiously, as if he had stolen the berry. He carefully held the food closer to Eevee and almost jumped when it snatched the berry from his hands with surprising quickness. Ash checked his fingers, but hadn't been bitten.

"Pyro, put Eevee down."

Pyro shot him a wary look, but did as Ash asked. He didn't let Eevee go, though. His claws remained on the canine's scruff in case it made another attempt at hurting his trainer.

Eevee finished the berry in record time and glared at Ash again. It didn't immediately spit a Shadow Ball at him though, so he decided it was progress, however small. He was not, however, naive enough to think Eevee was going to let him speak again. So he offered another Oran Berry and the small Pokemon took it without a growl. Ash patiently fed Eevee until it turned its nose up at the food and gave him a cold stare.

"Feeling better?" Ash asked cautiously. When Eevee did not answer, he nodded. "I'll take that as a yes. Alright, Eevee, I've got some things to tell you. Will you listen?"

The cold stare didn't change, but Ash figured that was as good as he was going to get. At least he still had Eevee's attention. "Okay, here's the thing. You're a part of my team now. I'm your trainer—your friend. These guys are the rest of my team. The Charmeleon is Pyro, the Sandile is Sobek, and then Pikachu. All I want is for you to feel better, alright? You don't have to be friends with us right now. You don't even have to like us. I just want you to give us a chance, okay?"

Eevee's eyes narrowed. Ash smiled at it in what he hoped was friendliness and not hesitance. "We just need one percent of your trust. We'll earn the rest. Can you give us just that? Just a speck of trust. Because if you can, then I promise I'll treat you well. I'll take care of you and train you if you like so you can become strong. Please?"

Eevee did not react for a long time. After what was probably minutes, the small creature slowly, fractionally nodded. Its cold glare did not let up, but Eevee had given Ash the tiny amount of trust he had pleaded for. He sighed in relief. That was all he needed right now.

"Thank you. Okay, Pyro, let Eevee go."

Pyro made a light growling sound that wasn't quite aggressive, then let Eevee loose from his claws. Eevee spat at the Charmeleon, but didn't attack. Instead, it looked away pointedly, ignoring the larger Pokemon as best it could. That seemed to annoy Pyro, but he listened to Ash and didn't object.

Ash took his Pokedex out and let Eevee look at it. "This is going to tell me a little bit about you, okay? You don't have to do anything."

Eevee huffed and looked away from him. Ash shrugged at the reaction and tapped the scan feature, listening as the Pokedex pulled up Eevee's information.

Eevee, the Evolution Pokemon. A rare Pokemon that adapts to harsh conditions by taking on different evolutionary forms. Thanks to its unstable genetic makeup, this special Pokemon has more potential evolutions than any other species in the world. It reacts strongly to unique energy emitted from natural objects.

This Eevee is female and knows the moves: Quick Attack, Shadow Ball, Swift, Bite, Refresh, and Helping Hand. Its ability is Adaptability, which increases the power of STAB moves.

Ash whistled. "Wow, Eevee, you're pretty strong."

Eevee didn't react aside from a mild growl. The anger was actually cute rather than threatening at this point, but Ash wasn't willing to let Eevee know that. He'd only just earned a fraction of her trust. Insulting her would only lose him that precious fraction.

He looked at Eevee again. "Do you want a nickname?"

She didn't react in the slightest this time and Ash withheld a sigh. Of course not. She hardly trusted him at all—giving her a name wasn't even an option at this point. He put that aside and put another question to her. "Would you like to sleep outside of your Poke Ball, or inside of it?"

At that, Eevee looked at the Luxury Ball and jerked her head towards the capture device. Ash nodded. "Alright then. I'm going to recall you now. I'll let you out tomorrow for breakfast, okay?"

Eevee ignored him again, but he didn't take offense. Ash just smiled again and murmured gently. "Goodnight, Eevee. Sweet dreams."

With that, the small Pokemon was recalled to her Luxury Ball and Ash set it on his belt again. He let out a tense breath he wasn't aware he'd been holding. His team relaxed with him. Ash nodded to them. "Thanks for behaving, you guys. Eevee is going to take some working on. Do your best to get along with her, alright? I'm sure she'll come around eventually."

His team grunted acknowledgement and Ash sighed. "I think we're good for training today. Let's get inside the Pokemon Center and get some sleep. We've got a gym battle tomorrow."

The next day, Ash stood in front of the Cerulean City Gym. Pikachu was perched on his shoulder and stared at the building with him. It was definitely a lot different from Pewter's gym—this one looked more like an entertainment facility than one meant for Pokemon battles. Ash actually double checked to make sure he was in the right place, but sure enough, this was it.

His morning had been good—for the most part. Breakfast was…interesting. When Ash released Eevee, she almost attacked him again before remembering that she had given him a fraction of her trust. Once he was certain she wasn't going to try and bite his fingers off, Ash gave her a bowl of Pokemon food to eat with the others. However, Eevee took the bowl in her jaws and carried it away to eat alone. After eating, she just stared at him stonily until they went outside to warm up for the gym.

The entire time Pyro, Pikachu, and Sobek trained with Ash, Eevee just watched. He thought for a bit that the little Pokemon had confused herself with a Noctowl—all that staring was not typical of any member of her species. He offered Eevee a chance to join them, but she just continued to stare and did not react otherwise.

When Ash was certain they were ready, he recalled his team (minus Pikachu, of course) and set off for the gym.

He walked inside and immediately saw a pretty teenage girl with dark blue hair sleeping on the front desk. Ash went over and carefully rapped the wood, startling her awake.

"I'm up! I wasn't sleeping! Not at all!" she stammered. The girl blinked at him in surprise. "Oh, hello. Who are you?"

"I'm Ash," he told her. "I'm here for a gym battle?"

Her eyes cleared and she smirked. "I'm Violet. You actually came at the perfect time! Now Daisy and Lily can't sleep in either. I'll show them they can't just make me watch the desk whenever they don't want to."

She hit a button and spoke into a speaker system. "We've got a challenger! Daisy, Lily, get to the referee box! Runt, get your team ready!"

Ash heard an indignant yell from the room behind the entrance area and smirked. Violet giggled and gestured to a door on the right. "Go in through there. The battlefield should be ready. We don't have any shows until noon."

He nodded and went that way, but paused when Violet followed after him. She winked casually. "We don't get many challengers in the morning, anyways. Besides, the battles here don't last too long. If anyone walks in looking for a fight, there's a nice couch for them to wait on."

Ash didn't question it. He didn't work at the gym—all he wanted was to challenge it.

The battle room was an impressive construct. Bleachers surrounded a huge swimming pool, with several circular floats for land dwelling Pokemon to fight from. It wouldn't be fair for only water Pokemon to be capable of battling here, after all. Ash would've really been screwed if that was the case—he didn't own any water-types.

As he watched, two girls with orange and pink hair about Violet's age walked out of a room to the side of the field, groaning tiredly. Violet smiled at them mischievously. "Good morning, dear sisters!"

"Shut up," the girl with orange hair groaned. She was rubbing the sleep out of her eyes and pouted when she looked at Ash. "And you, what kind of trainer is up at the crack of dawn for a gym battle?!"

"It's like ten o'clock," Ash pointed out with a smirk. "What trainer isn't up?"

Violet sniggered as the girl puffed her cheek up. "He's got a point, Daisy. Besides, you were on referee duty anyways."

"Then what on earth did you wake me up for?!" Demanded the third girl.

"If us two can't sleep, neither can you, Lily," Daisy retorted. "It's only fair. Go sit on the bleachers or something."

Lily did just that. Ash looked between the three of them and frowned. "So who am I battling?"

"That would be me."

He glanced across the field as a girl who was barely older than him pulled herself out of the pool—he hadn't even noticed her swimming—and turned to face him. "I'm Misty. I'm the Gym Leader here. My sisters are…hey!"

Ash recognized her immediately. "You were the girl at Mt. Moon. The one with the Golduck and Starmie."

Misty's jaw dropped. "What the heck are you doing here? Weren't you hospitalized?"

"No. I got discharged like two hours after the fight ended," Ash replied. "Where did you go? I didn't even see you leave Mt. Moon."

"My Golduck took one of that Crobat's bites and had to get to a Pokemon Center," Misty scowled as she remembered. "I waited until I was sure you were going to be okay, though. It wouldn't have felt right if you got killed—you saved all of us back there."

Ash nodded. That was reasonable to him. Meanwhile, Violet, Daisy, and Lily were staring between the two of them in bewilderment, all sleepiness forgotten.

"Um, you two know each other?" Asked Lily.

Misty glanced at her sisters. "Yeah. Remember what I told you guys yesterday? This is that kid that set me and the other trainers free from Team Rocket in Mt. Moon. He's the only reason Golduck and Starmie didn't get stolen from me."

"Whoa, really?" Violet stared at Ash in surprise. "Thanks, kid! If something happened to Misty, like, we would've had to actually start acting like Gym Leaders!"

"The gym is in your names! You should be the ones battling, anyways!" Misty barked indignantly.

At that, Pikachu sniggered. He found some humor in people arguing. Ash smirked at his partner's antics and scratched him under his chin while the sisters went at it.

Daisy rolled her eyes. "Uh-huh. You know you like the gym battles more than us."

"Oh, shut up," Misty scowled. She rubbed her forehead and dried her face of pool water with a towel, then looked at Ash. "Look, I'm grateful for saving me and the other trainers back there, but don't expect me to hold back against you."

Ash grinned. "I wouldn't have it any other way."

Misty's scowl turned into a fierce smile. "I like that attitude. This'll be fun. What's your name? How many badges do you have?"

"Ash Ketchum, one badge," he answered. "Are you ready to battle?"

"Duh. I practically run this gym. I'm never not ready," Misty pulled a couple of Poke Balls out of the Leader's box on the other side of the field, then faced Ash. "I hope you're prepared to deal with my water-types, Ash. They might be beautiful, but if you aren't careful, they'll tear you apart."

"Bring it on," Ash challenged.

Daisy made her way to the referee's stand and began announcing. "This gym battle will now begin. Both sides will use only two Pokemon and the battle will be over when either side is unable to continue the fight. Furthermore, there will be no substitutions allowed. The challenger will have the first attack."

Misty threw her Poke Ball up in the air and it released a fish with white and red scales. Ash recognized it as a Goldeen and immediately sent out Pyro. His starter landed on one of the circular floating platforms and spat fire into the air to announce his presence.

His opponent arched her eyebrow. "A Charmeleon? Ash, you do know that fire-types are weak to water-types, right?"

"I know," Ash admitted. "But I've got a plan. Besides, Pyro can win this."

The Charmeleon growled agreement and Misty smirked. "Suit yourself. Just try not to fall into my pool, or Goldeen will have a field day with your lizard."

Daisy swiped her hand down. "Begin!"

"Dragon Dance," Ash said immediately. Pyro immediately clenched his muscles and began to charge up dragon type energy, though it was slow as always. Ash wasn't betting on the boost immediately, though—he was aiming for something else.

Misty scoffed. "It doesn't even look like you can use Dragon Dance properly. This'll be quick. Goldeen, Water Pulse!"

Ash watched as Goldeen leapt out of the pool and fired a sphere of liquid water at Pyro. He shouted immediately. "Destroy it with Metal Claw!"

Pyro's claws flashed metallic silver and he slashed at the sphere, tearing it apart. His attack blocked most of the Water Pulse, though he still suffered a bit of damage before continuing to boost himself with the slow Dragon Dance.

"You're still trying that? Goldeen, fire Water Pulse repeatedly!"

"Metal Claw, back to back! Rip them apart!"

Goldeen began to launch multiple Water Pulses, bombarding its opponent with the spheres. Pyro's claws remained silver as he slashed at the attacks and tore them to pieces, though it was obvious from the bits that still hit him that he was taking damage. Ash wasn't sure how many Water Pulses he could take before they started to wear at him, but he didn't think it would be too high a number.

He was relieved when Dragon Dance finally pulled through and Pyro's reflexes became quicker, his attacks stronger. Ash grinned and put his next string of commands into play. "Start moving to the other platforms! Try to hit it with Ember!"

Pyro rushed away from the next Water Pulse and leapt to the nearest floating circle of land. He spat embers at Goldeen wherever it popped up, though the attacks did little more than harass the fish. Ash doubted Goldeen could actually feel the effects of Ember at all. He was just biding his time."

Misty seemed to be getting annoyed by how long Pyro had stayed in the fight and shouted. "Goldeen, give it a Horn Attack! Knock it into the pool."

Ash smirked. Misty was fiery, but getting impatient would be her downfall in this fight.

Goldeen lunged out of the water and aimed its horn at Pyro. Ash saw his opening. "Pyro, duck and use Metal Claw!"

Using the quickness granted to him by Dragon Dance, Pyro dove underneath Goldeen's horn, leaving him directly below the fish. His claws flashed silver, then Goldeen made a gurgling cry as Metal Claw ripped at its scales. The steel-type move wasn't very effective typing-wise, but the attack boost Pyro had gotten from Dragon Dance meant it dealt a little damage. As Ash watched, Pyro's tail flame suddenly flared and he grinned. Metal Claw had just given them an unexpected bonus as well. The extra attack power wasn't necessary for his plan, but he would take it.

Goldeen hit the water hard and seemed to be momentarily stunned. Misty quickly shouted to her Pokemon. "Get it together! Drill Run!"

The fish suddenly leapt out of the water and rotated the horn on its head like a drill before rushing Pyro. Ash had no idea what the technique was, but he continued his stream of commands—Goldeen was still a little stunned and moving a bit slower. "Pyro, quick! Jump to the next platform on the right!"

Pyro did as he instructed and immediately turned to face Goldeen, who was still in midair and appeared startled that its opponent was now no longer in attacking range. Ash had a chance and he was going for it. "Dragon Rush!"

The Charmeleon's irises narrowed to slits as he lunged at Goldeen and smashed into it ruthlessly. The Dragon Rush had landed a direct hit and there was no question—Goldeen had definitely felt that.

But Misty still had some tricks up here sleeve and Goldeen wasn't unconscious yet. "Water Pulse!"

Before hitting the surface of the pool, Goldeen managed to turn and shot another sphere of water at Pyro, who was unable to block or avoid it this time. The move hit just as cleanly as Pyro's and caused the Charmeleon to roar in pain. Ash watched his starter land harshly on the platform and winced himself. That could not have felt good.

Pyro hauled himself to his feet, panting. He was tired, but Goldeen looked exhausted as well. Taking Dragon Rush—however incomplete it was—never felt good for anything that couldn't resist dragon-type moves. It was just that blatantly powerful an attack.

Misty bit her lip and commanded her Pokemon. "Get in close and finish it with Horn Attack. You're almost there, Goldeen!"

Goldeen swam as fast as it could and leapt out of the water to hit Pyro. Its horn made a clean hit to the Charmeleon's chest, but it wasn't enough—Pyro was more furious than ever. He grabbed Goldeen by the horn with his claws and then threw it into the solid platform beneath them.

He was relieved Pyro had survived that, but frankly Ash didn't think he could take another hit. "Pyro, finish it! Metal Claw!"

Misty was shouting frantic commands for Goldeen to get back in the pool, but her orders cut off with a wince the second Pyro's claws slammed into Goldeen's head and knocked it unconscious. The fish's desperate flailing ceased and it went still.

Ash sighed in relief. That was the hardest part of the battle done. Pyro sat down hard on the platform as Goldeen was recalled and groaned. He looked at Ash, who nodded back with a smile. "Good job, buddy. Come back and take a break."

He recalled Pyro. There was just no way that the Charmeleon could last in a fight against another of Misty's water-types. They were strong in their own right and Ash doubted she would fall for the same trick again.

Misty put Goldeen's Poke Ball aside and gave him an impressed look. "I gotta say, I didn't see you beating Goldeen with a Charmeleon, even if it was close. None of the fresh trainers I get here have done that before. You're pretty good."

"Thanks," Ash replied. "Ready for round two?"

"As if you have to ask!" She exclaimed. Misty hurled her second Poke Ball into the air. "Starmie, you're up!"

The water-type which appeared on the platform nearest to Misty was the same one he'd seen in Mt. Moon during the battle against Team Rocket. Ash knew Starmie was pretty strong, but he hadn't gotten a chance to really see what it could do. Regardless, there was only one choice for this fight.

"Go get him, buddy," Ash looked at Pikachu on his shoulder and grinned. Pikachu smirked back and jumped straight onto the nearest platform.

Misty smiled. "That's more like it. So you do have some brains."

"Well, I couldn't let Pikachu do all the work, now could I?" He smiled back. "Get in close with Quick Attack!"

Pikachu darted across the floating platforms, a yellow blur of speed. Misty knew better than to put Starmie in the water against an electric-type and shouted. "Rapid Spin. Smack it around!"

Starmie's jewel flashed and it began to spin almost like a helicopter. The star shaped Pokemon flew at Pikachu, who dodged its initial charge with Quick Attack and whipped around to watch Starmie continue flying.

Ash frowned. He didn't think Starmie could fly. That affected his plans a little, but not too badly. "Thunder Shock! Knock it out of the air."

Pikachu began to fire bolts of electricity at the flying water type, which dodged by effortlessly shifting position in the air. It was infuriating how easily Starmie avoided the attacks, but Pikachu was persistent. He eventually tagged it with a shock and momentarily stunned his opponent.

Misty wasn't having any of that. "Hydro Pump!"

A torrent of water suddenly blasted from the end of Starmie's first set of arms and whipped all over the field while it continued Rapid Spin. Ash realized there was no chance of Pikachu dodging it and shouted. "Thunder Shock into the Hydro Pump!"

Pikachu discharged another blast of electricity just as a jet of Hydro Pump slammed into him. The shock immediately traveled up the water and got another hit into Starmie, but Pikachu was sent flying into the pool.

Misty went into action immediately. "Starmie, now! Recover!"

Ash's eyes widened. That wasn't good at all. He had no idea Starmie knew Recover—the move was entirely uncommon and incredibly useful. In no time flat, Starmie would be fully healed of the damage it had taken. Pikachu was only just clambering onto the nearest platform when the gem glowed and healing energy began to flow over Starmie.

He immediately set about trying to stop the healing process. "Pikachu, Thunder Shock! Don't let it heal!"

Pikachu fired a surge of thunder at Starmie, but it continued to spin and avoided the move. Ash mentally swore when the healing energy ceased a few moments later and Starmie was good as new.

Misty smirked. "Swift."

There was no dodging that move, Ash knew. Swift was a unique normal-type move that was able to hone in on opponents, chasing their energy signature until they impacted it or hit something else. It couldn't be avoided, but it could be countered.

"Thunder Shock!" He snapped. "Blow them away."

Pikachu did just that—his electric shocks destroyed Swift, only for him to get blindsided by Starmie and receive a nasty Rapid Spin to the back for his trouble.

Ash gritted his teeth. Misty was tearing him to pieces. She knew how to take out electric-types and had it down to an art. Starmie was systematically destroying Pikachu and hadn't even gotten a scratch now that it had healed itself.

He watched as Misty repeated her Swift/Rapid Spin strategy and knew he had only one chance. Pikachu would not last against the relentless assault. If he messed up here, he was going to lose.

Pikachu destroyed Swift again and Starmie lunged at him with Rapid Spin. There was no chance to dodge, but there was an opportunity to counter.

"Nuzzle!" Ash shouted desperately.

The second Starmie smashed into Pikachu again, the mouse released a small, focused shock of electricity from his cheek pouches. The shock hit its target and while it didn't do much damage, it gave Ash what he needed—paralysis.

Starmie's limbs froze up and it skidded across the platform, almost to the water. Misty saw the sparks dancing on her Pokemon's jewel and scowled. "Refresh!"

"Not happening!" Ash roared. "Thunder Shock!"

Pikachu glared at Starmie and blasted it with righteous fury, stopping the water-type's status healing process in its tracks. Starmie's gem flashed wildly with pain and electrical surges, but it was trying to get Refresh to work regardless of the damage it took. If it could get back into Rapid Spin and Swift, that was it.

Ash had no intention of letting Starmie have that chance.

"Volt Tackle!"

Pikachu cloaked himself in lighting before charging Starmie like an electrified missile. He slammed dead-center into the jewel in the center of its body and sent the water-type flying. Starmie crashed into the wall of the gym and its jewel flickered a few more times before going dim. Pikachu wilted as the recoil of Volt Tackle took effect, weakening him further, but he did not faint.

Daisy called the fight. "Starmie is unable to battle! Pikachu wins! Victory goes to the challenger!"

Ash exhaled in relief. That had been way closer than his fight against Brock. Even with his type advantage, Pikachu had very nearly lost. The mouse was exhausted from his fight against Starmie, so Ash recalled him quickly to put him into suspended animation. He held the Poke Ball up and smiled at it. "You did great, buddy. I'm so proud of you."

Misty recalled Starmie and walked around the pool to meet up with him. She sighed and shook her head. "I guess I have to work on our strategy against electric-types. Paralysis still gets Starmie."

"I can't believe how powerful it was," Ash complimented her. He was actually amazed that Starmie had fought so well. "It was like I wasn't even fighting a water-type. Pikachu didn't take it out nearly as easily as I thought he would."

"Well, Starmie is one of my main team," Misty admitted with a smile. "It's not every day someone manages to work around our electric-type strategy. I didn't expect Volt Tackle either. That's not a common move, even for Pikachu. The only other person I've seen use that is Surge, and I only see him a few times throughout the year."

Ash grinned at the praise. He really was proud of Pikachu for his hard work in learning Volt Tackle.

Violet, Daisy, and Lily were suddenly crowding around them.

"That was like, totally awesome!" Lily squealed. "Your Pokemon are so well trained! It's hard to believe you've only got one—oops, two badges!"

"You should definitely come back for a rematch sometime," Daisy suggested. "We battle too, you know! Besides, the runt has stronger Pokemon that she uses for more powerful opponents."

Misty scowled. "Don't call me runt!"

"Sure thing, runt," Violet said playfully. Misty rolled her eyes and muttered something under her breath. Violet pulled out a small case containing a badge in the shape of a blue teardrop and offered it to Ash. "Here you go—the Cascade Badge. This shows that you won here, blah blah blah. You know how it is."

Ash took the badge gratefully and pocketed it. "Thank you. That was a great battle, Misty."

"I could say the same," she agreed as her smile returned. Misty paused for a second. "Actually, come with me to the front desk for a moment. I have something for you."

He blinked, but Daisy sniggered. "Ooh, you gonna give your hero a kiss?"

Misty went scarlet and glared at her sister furiously. "No! Now shut up and go back to bed!"

"Ugh, you're no fun. Fine, whatever," Daisy huffed before leaving. Lily and Violet snickered, but didn't antagonize their youngest sister any further.

Misty led Ash to the front desk and pulled out a drawer with disks lined up inside. He recognized them as TMs and blinked when she offered him one. "Here. I owe you for saving me from Team Rocket. This is the least I can do."

Not one to question a potentially priceless gift, Ash took the disc and looked back at her. "What move is it?"

"It's Scald. It's a water-type move that hits the target with boiling hot water. A lot of the time it'll burn whatever you hit," she smirked. "Neither Goldeen or Starmie can use it right now, but I've got a few other Pokemon that have it down. Besides, we've got a couple of Scald TMs. You might not be able to use it now, but keep it for when you catch a water-type, alright?"

Ash nodded and grinned. "Thanks. I'm sure I'll use it at some point."

She chuckled and offered a hand. "I hope so. Goodbye, Ash. Good luck on your journey—and like my annoying sisters said, come back for a rematch when you get stronger. I'd like to fight you again."

Ash shook her hand and left the Cerulean Gym, setting his eyes south for Vermillion City and its notorious electric-type Gym Leader—Lieutenant Surge.

Chapter Text

Chapter Five: Fierce Lightning

Ash watched as Sobek faced off their opponent's Drowzee, which had actually put up more of a fight than he'd expected. Even though the psychic-type couldn't affect its adversary with any of its best moves, it had a nasty Pound attack and kept spitting Poison Gas. Sobek had just taken to digging underground and snapping at it whenever he got a chance. Drowzee was, at this point, playing an unfortunate game of whack-a-mole that involved the "mole" biting back quite viciously.

The other trainer seemed frustrated that Drowzee couldn't defeat its opponent, though Ash thought it was likely he had just made the wrong call because Sandile were rare in Kanto. His opponent probably had never seen one before and knew nothing about them.

He watched Drowzee get bit again from underground and decided enough was enough. "Wrap it up, Sobek. Ant Pit."

Drowzee looked around for a second as the bites stopped, then it froze when its body began to sink into the ground. Sand Tomb had it trapped—now Sobek would finish it.

Ash winced as the Sandile erupted from the ground and snapped his jaws harshly around Drowzee's body. Sobek began to shake his head ruthlessly and their opponent recalled the poor psychic-type quickly. He looked a little pale, but paid out the prize money he owed and quickly left.

Ash smirked as he watched the kid run off and knelt to rub Sobek under his jaw. The Sandile rumbled happily at the contact as his trainer praised him. "Good job, Sobek. You're ready to take on some stronger opponents, aren't you?"

Sobek hissed agreement and Ash chuckled. "You'll get your chance at Vermillion. Let's hurry up and get there, okay?"

The ground-type nodded and Ash recalled him. He stood back up and stretched, then continued on his way towards Vermillion City along Route Six.

Ash had been making his way to the port city for nearly two weeks now. He'd briefly stopped in Saffron to call his mother and stock up on supplies, but for the most part he just wanted to battle Lieutenant Surge as soon as he could. He had considered going to the Saffron Gym to challenge Sabrina, though he thought better of it after hearing about a trainer with five badges getting completely swept by her infamous Alakazam. Ash knew better than to pick a fight he couldn't win, especially against a Gym Leader as powerful as Sabrina. He would wait until he had at least five badges before challenging her.

So far, he had spent his time on the road racking up experience for his team and money from the trainers they defeated. Ash wasn't desperate for cash, but if he wanted to buy TMs at some point to buff his team's move pool, he would need as much money as he could get. Most of the trainers they took on were beaten by his Pokemon, but Ash did lose to a man that had been a trainer for nearly ten years. The guy had a Primeape that he just wasn't able to defeat with his current strength. It had been odd for Ash, losing like that. He hadn't lost many Pokemon battles before. Still, it was a good experience.

Not to mention it got Pyro fired up even more for their next round of training.

Ash had been working on his Pokemon's move pool while making their way towards Vermillion. Right now, Pyro was working on learning Flamethrower, Slash, and Smokescreen. The latter two were fairly easy and he'd already gotten them down for the most part, but Flamethrower was taking some work. It required a lot more firepower than Pyro had ever had to handle before. It would just take time.

Flamethrower had more progress than Dragon Rush or Dragon Dance, that was for sure. Nearly two months into their journey and Pyro still couldn't get a grip on the frustrating dragon-type moves.

Pikachu was still practicing Thunder Wave. Nuzzle had been easy, but Thunder Wave was a long-range move that required precise aim. Pikachu had so far gotten away with just blasting their opponents with electric shocks, but he needed to work on moves that needed pinpoint accuracy to be effective. Aside from Thunder Wave, Ash had been trying to teach Pikachu Thunderbolt as well. That was coming along nicely. It was a step up from Thunder Shock, and, like Pyro's Flamethrower, simply required practice for Pikachu to build up the power necessary to learn it.

He still couldn't do much with Sobek—not until the crocodile evolved. All Ash had managed to do was teach Sobek Crunch (which was ridiculously easy once Sobek got his jaws into something that took actual effort to bite through). He did manage to get the Sandile to learn Assurance, however. Foul Play was taking time, but that wasn't going to be too difficult.

The problem with Sobek now was his limited move pool. It consisted solely of dark and ground-type moves along with Fire Fang and Thunder Fang. That left him (and Pikachu as well) pretty sore for variation.

Part of the reason Ash was saving up for TMs so desperately was because his team needed those extra moves. They had a strong variety of attacks they could learn naturally, but TMs would open up a whole new chapter for them in battles. Ash really wanted to get his hands on a Dragon Claw TM for Pyro and Sobek when he evolved, as well as Iron Tail for Pikachu. But for now, his team was making great progress.

Well, most of them. Ash hadn't gotten anywhere with Eevee.

The little Pokemon utterly refused to get along with them. She would not train and only listened to him when Ash told the group it was time to eat. Despite Ash's attempts to be friendly, she offered only cold glares and the occasional growl for her trainer. He'd be lying if he said he wasn't disappointed that Eevee was so slow to trust him, but at least she didn't attack him outright the second he released her from her Luxury Ball. That was a good thing.

Eevee did, however, start to walk outside with him and Pikachu. Ash figured the fresh air might do her some good and let her ease up around them. She seemed to like walking, though any offer Ash made to carry her when she got tired was blatantly refused. While it was clear that the fresh air definitely helped her relax, she did not let up on her passive-aggressive attitude towards him and his team.

She wouldn't battle, though. Ash had no intention of forcing her into a fight, but all she did when they got into a Pokemon battle was sit by his feet and stare in boredom. No matter if they won or lost, all she did was stare. There were no cheers of excitement when they won or growls of displeasure if one of Ash's Pokemon were defeated. Eevee just looked void of emotion.

It worried him. Ash knew that she'd been abused, but he had to wonder exactly what had happened to make her the way she was. He had gotten her checked out in Saffron City's Pokemon Center, but all Nurse Joy could tell him was that she was a bit underweight and hated needles with a passion. Hopefully she would come around with time.

Ash paused on his way to take a look at the sky and found that it was just around midday. It was getting hot outside as well. Spring was passing quickly—it would be Summer in just over a month. He'd been traveling for almost two months now. Ash wondered how Gary and Leaf were doing. He hadn't seen either of them since the first few days of his journey. Not to mention Paul. Ash had not encountered the boy after Mt. Moon. He was sure that wherever they were, the three of them were probably training hard.

He looked back down the path to Vermillion and blinked as a figure came into view. The person happened to look his way and blinked back.

Speak of the devil.

"Holy shit, it's Ashy-boy!" Gary exclaimed. He had a Poke Ball in his hand and a large Wartortle was walking beside him. Ash recognized the turtle as Gary's starter and grinned. It looked strong.

"Nice to see you, too," Ash replied dryly. "Did you just catch something?"

"Yeah, a Meowth. Freakin' cat tried to snatch my lunch, but Wartortle taught it some manners," Gary snickered. The Poke Ball in his hand shrank and locked up. Ash realized it was due to Gary having a full party of six on his hands.

Gary took a look at Pikachu on Ash's shoulder and smirked. "So, the little troublemaker from gramp's lab evolved, eh?"

"That's right," Ash scratched Pikachu under the chin as the mouse snickered. "He beat down Misty's Starmie a couple weeks ago."

"Did he? Not bad," Gary whistled. "It took Wartortle to defeat that. My Pidgeotto beat her Staryu easily enough, but that Starmie's Hydro Pump was crazy. So what do you have on you right now?"

Ash shrugged. "Aside from Pikachu here, I've got Charmeleon, Sandile, and Eevee."

His rival's eyes bulged. "Where did you get an Eevee?! I've been asking gramps to set me up with one of those forever!"

"She's actually a rescue," Ash told him. "Officer Jenny in Cerulean got her from a Pokemon mill of some kind. She won't listen to a word I say, but she's not attacking me anymore."

Gary's wide eyes cleared and he grimaced. "Shit. Sorry to hear that. She healthy?"

"She's underweight, but it's not too bad," he admitted. "I got her transferred into a Luxury Ball to help her feel more comfortable. I just have to be patient with her."

"Good luck with that. I'd comment on the Sandile, but I think I'd rather see that in battle," Gary smirked. "But I'll return the favor first, seeing as you don't know what I've got on me. My team now is Wartortle, Pidgeotto, Nidorina, Geodude, Abra, and Machop. I've got four more back at gramp's place, plus the cat."

Ash whistled. "Have you just been catching everything you come across?"

"Hey, you never know when you might need something with a certain set of skills," his rival shrugged. "Back home I've got a Raticate, Bellsprout, Growlithe, and Krabby. I rotate a lot of my Pokemon, but Wartortle is a constant on the team. He's my strongest without a doubt."

Wartortle crossed his arms and lifted his chin proudly. Ash grinned at the water-type. He looked strong, that was for certain.

"So, I seem to remember you wanting a fight?" Ash mentioned casually. Pikachu's cheeks sparked on his shoulder and he grinned with eager delight.

Gary grinned right back. "Duh. I haven't gotten to battle you yet. Of course I wanna beat you. So how do you wanna do this?"

Ash thought about it. "Two-on-two? I'd like to have at least one Pokemon on my team that can carry us to Vermillion."

"Psh, it's only like an hour away. You're almost there," his rival told him.

He blinked in surprise. "You've already been there?"

"That's why I'm back here. I'm training," Gary suddenly scowled. "I challenged Surge, but he's got a kickass Raichu. The monster curbstomped me. It's a four-on-four battle and his first three aren't too bad, but then he sends in Raichu and it just destroys whatever is left."

Ash felt a little worried about that. He only had three Pokemon that could fight on his team since Eevee wouldn't give him the time of day. If Surge was fighting with four Pokemon, he might not even make it to Raichu. Gary had lost and he had way more options than Ash did. Even if he spread his training among many Pokemon, there was no way his team was weak.

Maybe he should train for a little longer…

Gary shook his head and the grin returned. "Anyways, enough about that electric badass. I want a battle with you. Let's do a three-on-three. If you get your ass handed to you, I'll babysit you back to Vermillion."

Ash scowled. "Don't kid yourself. Fine, we'll take you on."

"That's what I want to hear!"

Gary and Ash backed away from each other several paces and then faced off. Pikachu leapt to the ground and Ash nodded to him—he wanted to go first.

"Alright, if the mouse is going to play…" Gary snatched a Poke Ball from his belt and tapped the release.

A Machop appeared in front of him. The fighting-type cracked its knuckles and grinned at the sight of Pikachu, who snickered back. Ash smirked. They were both ready to have a blast.

"Your move, Ashy-boy," goaded the other boy.

"Remember that you asked for it," he replied. "Unbalance it. Quick Attack."

Pikachu lunged at Machop with a blur of speed, zig zagging to keep the fighting-type guessing. Gary smirked and retaliated. "Low Sweep. Knock it back."

Machop watched Pikachu's movements and waited until he was close enough to strike. The moment Pikachu made to actually hit Machop, the fighting-type brought its leg back with surprisingly fast reflexes and delivered a powerful kick into its opponent's flank.

The attack repelled Pikachu away several meters. He hit the ground hard and skidded a ways, but recovered quickly and watched as Machop sneered at him. But Pikachu merely grinned right back. Shots had been fired, but they would be quickly returned.

"Focus Up!" Gary commanded.

"Quick Stun!" Ash countered.

Machop tensed and flexed rapidly growing muscles in what Ash assumed was a combination of Focus Energy and Bulk Up judging from the name of the technique. Pikachu darted at it with Quick Attack, intending to immobilize Machop before it could increase its power.

Quick Stun was simply Quick Attack with Nuzzle added to it. The whole purpose wasn't so much to damage as it was to deliver a fast-acting paralysis that most Pokemon wouldn't be fast enough to avoid. Machop hadn't knocked Pikachu back too much, so it was only a second before the mouse tackled his opponent and delivered the paralysis-inducing Nuzzle.

Machop's eyes widened when it realized what had happened to it and gritted its teeth. Ash had caught it right in the middle of boosting its power and that had clearly left an effect going by the uncomfortable twitching of Machop's muscles.

Gary realized it as well and snapped. "Revenge!"

"Dodge," he ordered. "Back off and use Thunderbolt."

Machop made to grab Pikachu, but it was slowed by the paralysis and had no hope of catching the quick electric-type. Pikachu retreated a few meters and then unleashed a huge discharge of electricity. The blast hit Machop head on and the fighting-type cried out in pain.

"Don't freeze up!" Gary shouted. "Get in there! Revenge!"

"Keep it at a distance and blast it," Ash told Pikachu. "If it gets close, Quick Attack to avoid whatever comes."

Machop tried to follow Gary's commands and get in close, but Pikachu was having none of it. With the fighting-type paralyzed and weakened from the first Thunderbolt, Pikachu started his usual pranking—darting around and zapping Machop with casual shocks. The behavior infuriated Machop, but its debilitated status meant it had no chance of getting in a counterattack.

Ash let Pikachu have his fun for a minute or two before deciding enough was enough. "Alright Pikachu, that's good. Finish it off."

The mouse was sniggering with glee, but he took his trainer's words to heart. Machop was panting and furious, greatly weakened from the electrical assault. Gary looked just as angry by how easily Pikachu was getting the better of his Pokemon, but he could do nothing.

Pikachu stopped to deliver a Thunderbolt that held none of his usual lighthearted pranking. The bolt slammed into Machop and knocked the fighting-type out before it hit the ground.

Gary recalled Machop and scowled as Pikachu snickered in his victory. "That mouse of yours is just as annoying as I heard."

"He's a prankster, that's for sure," Ash said wryly. Pikachu giggled again and retreated to stand by his feet again. Ash knelt to scratch his ears, then pulled out his second Poke Ball.

He sent out Sobek for the next round. The croc locked his eyes on Gary and hissed aggressively, challenging Ash's rival. Gary looked unimpressed by the display and snapped. "Wartortle, you're up."

The large turtle casually moved forward and grinned at Sobek. The Sandile growled in displeasure at the sight of the water-type, but didn't back down. Ash knew this wouldn't be easy, but he did have a strategy for opponents like this.

"Ant Pit!"

Sobek was underground in a flash, getting away from whatever attack Wartortle could throw at him. The turtle looked around his feet warily, but didn't realize he was being trapped until his feet began to sink into Sand Tomb. However, Wartortle didn't panic like the countless others Sobek had trapped like this and simply waited patiently.

Wartortle was far too at ease in his present situation for Ash's liking. He continued his chain of command quickly. "Thunder Fang!"

Sobek erupted from the sand pit and snapped his jaws into Wartortle's shell, electricity surging from the bite. Wartortle growled angrily at his attacker, but did not react until Gary gave his commands.

"Get it off of you with Rapid Spin," Gary ordered. "Balance yourself and then Water Pulse."

The turtle suddenly retreated back into his shell and began to spin. Rapid Spin tore it out of Sobek's jaws and Ash saw a few of the croc's teeth get pulled out forcibly from his jaws. Sobek snarled, snapping at Wartortle, but his opponent had spun into the air and escaped.

Wartortle popped out of his shell and created a sphere of water between his claws before launching it right at Sobek in the center of the sand pit. The croc was still snapping around and managed to destroy the Water Pulse with an angry bite.

Gary wasn't perturbed. He seemed far more comfortable fighting with Wartortle—that brought Ash to believe that Machop had been a recent capture of his. Wartortle was Gary's trump card.

"Aqua Tail. Wrap this up."

Ash watched as Wartortle's tail became enveloped in a layer of water. The turtle began to spin head over heels rapidly, coming down towards Sobek. He narrowed his eyes. "Get it with Thunder Fang when it comes down."

Sobek glared at Wartortle's incoming figures and opened his jaws wide, electricity crackling along the fangs. Ash winced when he saw blood dripping from the Sandile's mouth—a repercussion of getting his teeth knocked out by Wartortle's Rapid Spin. But the croc was still plenty angry and aggressive enough to keep fighting.

He snapped at Wartortle as the turtle got within a few feet, but underestimated the distance and fell short of his target. Aqua Tail slammed into Sobek's skull and Ash watched his partner's eyes briefly widen in surprise and pain before he was knocked out.

Ash frowned. He couldn't remember Sobek ever being defeated so quickly before—he'd lost only a few times as it was. Wartortle had defeated the ground-type more cleanly than any other adversary before him. Ash pinned it on Sobek having not evolved yet. He was just reaching the limits of what a Sandile could do.

He recalled Sobek and Gary recalled Wartortle. Ash reached for his last Poke Ball and tapped the release button. Pyro materialized and spat a small fireball before leering at Gary. Ash's rival grinned and tossed out his own Poke Ball, unleashing a Nidorina.

Ash eyed the small blue creature speculatively. Nidorina were from the female variants of the Nidoran family, a parallel to the male Nidorino. They were more docile than the aggressive males and lacked a horn, but still had venomous barbs, a fierce bite, and a sturdy body. Ash had never fought one before, but given that she was a poison type he decided that keeping his distance was a smart plan.

"Ember," Ash began slowly. "Test her reflexes. Avoid hitting her physically. She can poison you."

Pyro swished his tail to acknowledge him and spat a few small flames in Nidorina's direction. She dodged by jumping to the side and running as Pyro strafed after her with Ember. Ash watched Nidorina carefully—she wasn't too fast, but he could tell that Gary had worked with her more than Machop. She was confident in her movements and just as calm as Wartortle. Gary also hadn't commanded her yet. He was analyzing Pyro just as much as Ash was analyzing Nidorina.

He judged her to be a substantial threat and changed tactics. "Smokescreen, then Dragon Dance."

His starter ended his barrage of flames and instead exhaled a large cloud of oily black smoke. Ash lost sight of him, but that was the idea—Pyro still took over ten seconds to charge up one Dragon Dance. Doing it outright was impossible without the opponent attacking, but by concealing his position, Pyro could gain the precious seconds he needed to boost himself.

Gary's eyes narrowed. "Poison Sting into the smoke. Find it."

Nidorina spat several toxic needles into the smokescreen in various directions. Ash didn't hear Pyro react to any of them, so he assumed that the Charmeleon either hadn't been hit or was ignoring the pain of Poison Sting to keep Dragon Dance going.

The fifteen seconds Pyro needed came through and Ash immediately went into action. "Flamethrower. Clear the smoke away."

At his command, a stream of flames tore through the smoke and blew it aside, forcing Nidorina to scramble away. Pyro emerged relatively unscathed, though Ash could see a few of the stings had dug into his scales. The Charmeleon looked more angry than anything, but Ash decided he'd rather end the battle quickly—poison was debilitating and he had no idea how potent Nidorina's venom could be. It would be best to knock her out as fast as he could before the poison exhausted his starter.

Pyro spotted Nidorina and launched another Flamethrower, but she ducked under it and avoided the flames again. Flamethrower was still rather inaccurate at a distance. It served more as a deterrent than anything for now, but Ash had other ways of making it useful.

"Rush in and Flamethrower at close range," he commanded.

"Keep up Poison Sting," Gary countered. "Aim for its feet."

Pyro lunged at Nidorina, though he had to make his way around her Poison Sting when she tried to keep him at bay. Ash was patient—Pyro didn't need to get right up on Nidorina, just close enough to launch Flamethrower accurately. Once he was just a few meters away, the Charmeleon began to breathe streams of fire at his opponent.

Nidorina shied away from the flames, but her trainer wasn't about to let Pyro get away with the damage he'd done. "Tackle it! Knock that lizard back."

Ash was surprised when Nidorina literally ran right through Pyro's flames and smashed the full weight of her body into his stomach. Pyro was actually lifted off his feet and hit the ground hard, a little stunned from the blow. Nidorina was wincing from the pain of running into fire, but she shook her body and recovered quickly.

Pyro got himself back on his feet and growled angrily. Gary moved to act on his temporary advantage. "Poison Fang!"

"Dodge!" Ash said quickly. "Slash at her shoulder."

Nidorina charged again and snapped at Pyro with teeth that dripped venom. Pyro sidestepped her with his increased speed and delivered a ferocious strike to the poison-type with his sharp claws. The blow unbalanced Nidorina and she crashed headfirst into the ground.

Gary cursed and snapped. "Get up! Use Double Kick!"

Ash frowned. "Get ready to intercept."

Pyro stood his ground as Nidorina ran at him again. At the last second before she would have rammed into him, Nidorina dug her front feet in, spun around and kicked out with her back legs. Pyro's claws came up and caught her kicks, effectively immobilizing her.

Nidorina started to wriggle in an attempt to escape, but Ash wasn't about to let his opportunity go to waste. "Pin her down with Metal Claw!"

Pyro let go of her leg for just a split second and dug silver steel claws into the poison-type at the back of her head, pushing her into the ground. The steel-type move effectively disarmed Nidorina's venomous barbs. Gary was shouting orders, but Nidorina was trapped and Ash was ready to end this fight. "Flamethrower. Don't let up."

His starter blasted Nidorina at point-blank range with Flamethrower, dousing her in fire. Nidorina screeched and desperately tried to escape, but Pyro had her pinned and he wasn't letting go. Gary swore a few seconds later and recalled her, seeing that there was no chance for his Pokemon to win.

Pyro raised his head and spat a fireball in his victory. Ash smiled at the proud fire-type and recalled his starter. He wasn't sure if Pyro had been poisoned or not, but suspended animation would keep him from suffering if he had been intoxicated.

"As much as I hate to say it, you got me there," Gary grumbled. He shrugged through. "I'll hand it to you Ashy-boy, you haven't been wasting your time. That was the first time Nidorina lost a one-on-one."

"You're pretty good, too," Ash returned the compliment. Gary had definitely been one of the toughest opponents he'd faced thus far. "No one's ever beaten Sobek that fast before."

The other boy grinned. "Fair enough. Well, I said I'd show ya to Vermillion. Machop and Nidorina need some healing up anyways. C'mon."

Vermillion City was wonderful, Ash reflected. The port town was warm and sunny with a perfect view of the ocean. He and Gary had gotten lunch in the Pokemon Center while their teams were healed. Once they finished the decent cafeteria food, they ended up sitting with a group of trainers that were discussing the going-ons around Vermillion. Keeping track of the latest news was important, after all.

One particular newsflash had Ash interested.

"I'm telling you, it beat all three of my Pokemon!" A young girl protested. "I had no trouble beating any of the other ones I caught on my fishing rod, but then that thing jumped out and steamrolled my whole team!"

A couple of other trainers scoffed, but Ash and Gary were both interested in the news. Ash's rival put a question to her. "What were you fighting it with?"

"Goldeen, Mankey, and Voltorb," she said glumly.

Ash frowned. There weren't a whole lot of powerful water-types around Vermillion. Pokemon that had the potential to be strong, yes, but a Pokemon that could beat an entire team down all by its lonesome? That was a Pokemon worth looking into.

"Where was this?" Ash asked her.

The girl stared at him. "Why do you ask?"

"It sounds like a strong Pokemon. I want to catch it."

She gaped. "It'll beat you for sure! How many badges do you have?"

Ash shrugged. "Two."

"Then you've got no more chance than me," the girl said. "I've got two badges and you heard what it did to my Pokemon!"

"I'd still like to have a go at it," Ash smirked. "If anything, it'll be a good fight."

She looked dubious, but sighed. "Fine. I'll show you where I saw it. Just beat it up for me."

After recovering their Pokemon from Nurse Joy, Ash and Gary followed the girl (whose name turned out to be Jess) to a fishing spot on a currently uninhabited dock. She had brought her fishing rod with her and pointed to a spot just a few meters away from the concrete platform. "That's where I caught it. I'll see if it's still around. If it is…"

"If it's still here, it's mine," Ash declared. He didn't care if Gary had come along, but his rival was just here to watch. Gary had plenty of Pokemon—Ash still needed to build his team. This was a good opportunity. He didn't have a water-type yet and as far as he was concerned, it sounded like this one had potential.

They watched Jess cast her line into the water. She looked at Ash and eyed the Pikachu on his shoulder with doubt. "Can your mouse really beat this thing?"

"Probably," Ash admitted. Pikachu snickered, but his trainer frowned. "Though I wish you could tell us what it was."

"I didn't get a good look at it," she muttered. "It kept diving in and out of the water. I sent my Goldeen after it, but she got smacked right out in no time flat."

Gary smirked. "Well, at least you'll be in for a surprise. Maybe it's the world's strongest Magikarp."

Jess glared at him indignantly. "Excuse me, no Magikarp can beat my team!"

Her anger almost made her miss the rough jerk on the fishing line. Jess spun back around and pulled hard, wincing at the strength on the other end. "Geez, it's strong!"

"Pikachu, get ready," Ash ordered. Pikachu leapt down from his shoulder and dropped to all fours, glaring at the roiling water.

Suddenly there was an explosion of water like a geyser and whatever was on the end of the line burst out. Ash glimpsed blue skin and a flash of white, then a jet of water was fired at Pikachu. The mouse lunged sideways and dodged the Water Gun, giving Ash a chance to retaliate.

"Thunder Shock!" He shouted. Ash wanted an accurate shot first to figure out what this thing was. Thunderbolt held more power, but Pikachu wasn't as good at aiming it yet.

Pikachu fired the bolt of electricity and tagged whatever had burst from the water. Ash heard a grunt, then it fell back into the sea. Jess tugged on the rod to get it back out, but it leapt onto the dock on its own, plenty ready to keep fighting. Apparently, it deemed Pikachu strong enough to face him head-on.

Ash recognized the Pokemon instantly by the spiral pattern on its stomach—Poliwhirl. They were the secondary stage of the Poliwag line and had the potential to evolve into either the mighty Poliwrath or the frivolous Politoed. Ash hadn't thought about catching one before, but the strength this one had displayed—not to mention how quickly it recovered from Thunder Shock—had him wanting it.

Poliwhirl glared at Pikachu and launched a stream of bubbles. Ash recognized it as a Bubble Beam and snapped. "Thunderbolt! Blow them away and then use Quick Stun."

Pikachu let loose a powerful surge of lightning to destroy the Bubble Beam. A second later he darted at Poliwhirl and just missed it—the water-type had sidestepped with surprisingly fast reflexes and now had its fist clenched. The limb glowed, then slammed into Pikachu with blistering force.

Ash's eyes widened. He recognized the Mega Punch from his battle against Brock's Geodude. The fact that Poliwhirl knew it meant that it had trained hard. That made up his mind for good.

He was catching this Poliwhirl.

Pikachu was stunned temporarily from the Mega Punch, but recovered fast enough to avoid the second one that Poliwhirl attempted to smash into his skull. The mouse leapt back and glared at his opponent, who seemed to be preparing another round of Bubble Beam.

"Quick Stun!" Ash shouted.

It was a good thing Poliwhirl had tried to hit Pikachu with a second Mega Punch—now Pikachu wasn't too far away and was able to crash into Poliwhirl before it knew what was happening. The shock of electricity had it grunting from the pain and it shuddered, unable to fire Bubble Beam again. Ash had no intention of letting it get another hit in.

"Thunderbolt!"

Pikachu blasted Poliwhirl ruthlessly, causing the water-type's body to spasm and recoil from the countless volts surging into its body. Ash expected Poliwhirl to fall after that, but he was amazed when it refused to go down. Sheer determination kept it on its feet and he didn't have the heart to deny it a proper end to the battle.

"Volt Tackle."

Poliwhirl was sent flying by the ferocious impact of Pikachu's electrified body. It sailed through the air for a solid three seconds before hitting the ground harshly. Ash saw its body sparking and knew that it was unable to move. He primed a Poke Ball and hurled it at the water-type.

The three trainers and Pikachu watched with baited breath as the ball wriggled and shook violently. Even after being crushed by an electric-type, Ash couldn't believe how much Poliwhirl utterly refused to surrender. It tried to break free for nearly twenty seconds before finally settling down and allowing the capture device to click close.

He grinned widely. "Got you."

Jess was gaping. "Are you serious?!"

"Not bad, Ashy-boy," Gary whistled. "It's got some power to it for sure. Not as strong as Wartortle, but definitely not a weakling. I didn't expect it to know Mega Punch."

Ash picked up the Poke Ball and smiled. "Me neither, but I can't wait to find out what else it knows. Great work, Pikachu! You've earned your ketchup."

He still had no idea how the electric-type could eat so much ketchup in a single sitting, but to each their own. Pikachu grinned with delight and chirped excitedly before running back over to Ash, returning to his shoulder. Ash pulled an Oran Berry out of his pocket and offered it to the mouse, allowing him to recover his energy a little.

Jess still seemed unable to wrap her head around the fact that Ash had captured Poliwhirl with just Pikachu. She shook her head. "I can't believe you caught it. Thank you, I guess. I feel better knowing what it was that beat my team."

"Thanks for telling me about it," Ash replied. "I had no idea what water-type I was going to end up catching. This one was a great find. I better get it to the Pokemon Center, though. I can't imagine Poliwhirl feels too good after being on the end of Pikachu's Volt Tackle."

She smiled back. "You're welcome. But really, I can't believe how strong your Pikachu is! Poliwhirl beat even my Voltorb, but that was mostly because it isn't very fast yet."

"That little mouse of yours is going to be a beast when it evolves," Gary was grinning widely at the idea. "If it's even close to the strength of Surge's Raichu, I'd hate to be on the receiving end of those electric attacks."

Ash smirked. "Don't jinx yourself. Anyways, I gotta go. You coming, Gary?"

"Nah," he admitted. "I'm gonna head back onto Route Six and work on Machop."

"Okay. See you," Ash nodded to his rival and then left the port area, intent on healing up the newest addition to his team.

Ash brought his team outside to the nearest training field once Poliwhirl was healed up. They all looked at him eagerly (with the exception of Eevee) and waited for him to make the announcement.

"We've got a new teammate," Ash told them with a smile. "It's a Poliwhirl. It's pretty strong—it gave Pikachu the run-around before we paralyzed it."

Pyro and Sobek seemed impressed. Pikachu grinned, like he was remembering the battle. The mouse chittered and electricity sparked on his cheek pouches.

As usual, Eevee didn't seem inclined to care in the slightest.

Ash held the Poke Ball up and prepared to tap the release. "Remember to make a good impression, okay?"

With his team's approval, Ash set Poliwhirl loose. The water-type blinked when it found itself surrounded by four other Pokemon and then turned to stare at Ash. He smiled, doing his best to look friendly.

"Hey there, Poliwhirl. Feeling better?" When the water-type nodded, he continued talking. "My name is Ash. I'm the one who captured you. This is the rest of my team—Pyro, Pikachu, Sobek, and Eevee."

He gestured to each of his Pokemon in turn and watched as they greeted their newest companion. Well, all of them except for Eevee, who just stared at Poliwhirl like the water-type didn't even exist. That seemed to make Poliwhirl a little uncomfortable, so Ash hurried on.

"I'm going to become the strongest Pokemon Master in the world," he declared. "So I'm traveling and training my team to be more powerful than any other. You seem pretty strong. Think you have what it takes to be the best?"

Poliwhirl's eyes glinted and it nodded eagerly. Ash grinned. He liked Poliwhirl's attitude. The water-type wasn't complicated—it respected power and sought to become as powerful as it could possibly be. Ash intended to help it reach that goal. He would turn Poliwhirl into one of the greatest water-types in the world.

Ash brought out the Pokedex and held it up to Poliwhirl. "This is going to tell me a little bit about you, okay? Just stay there."

Poliwhirl nodded again, so Ash tapped the scan feature on the Pokedex. It recognized Poliwhirl and quickly brought up its information.

Poliwhirl, the Tadpole Pokemon. It can live in or out of water. When out of water, it sweats constantly to keep its skin damp. Because of this, Poliwhirl can slip out of an enemy's grip easily in battle.

This Poliwhirl is male and knows the moves: Water Gun, Hypnosis, Bubble Beam, Mega Punch, Wake-Up Slap, and Mud Shot. Its ability is Water Absorb, which heals Poliwhirl whenever a water-type attack comes into contact with it.

Just as he thought, Poliwhirl knew some great moves. He had obviously trained hard, and Ash was pretty sure he was as powerful as Sobek at the moment. Pikachu had defeated him with a little difficulty, but it hadn't been a close fight like the one Ash had against Gary. He suspected that given a week or two or solid training, Poliwhirl would easily climb in the ranks.

"I think we're going to get along just fine," Ash grinned at Poliwhirl. "So, do you want a nickname?"

Poliwhirl didn't hesitate to nod and that surprised him a little. Most Pokemon at least thought about it, but Ash found that Poliwhirl was very quick in his decisions. He paused to think about possible names for a few minutes, though eventually he decided on what he hoped was a good one.

"How about Douse?" Ash suggested. He was happy to see Poliwhirl think about it for a few seconds before the water-type nodded, solidifying the idea. "Douse it is. Welcome to the team."

Douse nodded and turned to the other Pokemon, grunting a greeting. Pyro and Sobek nodded back, Pikachu snickered, and Eevee steadfastly ignored it. Ash inwardly sighed. There would be any change in her attitude anytime soon.

"Anyways, it's just about late afternoon," Ash told them as he looked up at the sky and noted that the sun would only give them a few more hours of daylight. "So I want to get in some good training now. We're going to challenge Lt. Surge tomorrow—the Gym Leader. He uses electric-types and from what I heard, the biggest threat is going to be his Raichu."

Pikachu grinned widely at the mention of his evolved form. Ash suspected he just wanted to have a glimpse of what he would look like when he actually did evolve—though where he would find a Thunder Stone, Ash hadn't the foggiest idea. Regardless, the rest of his team (with the exception of Eevee) looked pumped up, so Ash grinned and clenched his fist.

"Alright, let's get to training! Pyro, I want you working with Douse. Figure out where he is and get him ready for our training sessions. Pikachu, you and Sobek get to sparring. I want you to work on evasion—Sobek, try to catch him. Surge's electric-types will be just as fast- faster, maybe. You've got to be able to catch them from underground. I'll alternate between you guys to check on your progress. Sound good?"

His team cheered and Ash nodded. "Then spread out and get started."

A few hours later and Ash was both nervous and excited. The nervousness was a result of watching countless trainers run to the Pokemon Center after getting destroyed by Lt. Surge. The Gym Leader was pulling out all the stops and apparently he hadn't given out a badge in four weeks. Ash was afraid that he hadn't trained hard enough to win, but his confidence was boosted by the highlight of the night.

He was excited because their training had been quite productive—Pyro's Flamethrower was looking better and Ash had gotten a good idea of how Douse fought. The Poliwhirl was in a great place development-wise. Ash thought about using the Scald TM the Misty had given him on Douse, but he decided against it—for now. Once he was sure that Douse had mastered all of the current moves he knew, then he would get Scald.

Aside from that, Pikachu was getting better at aiming Thunderbolt. Rather than only being able to blast whatever happened to be in front of him, he was starting to get the hang of actually picking out a target from a distance. There were still some accuracy problems, but Ash thought that the mouse would have it down within a couple of weeks.

Sobek had made the most progress. His aggression and agitation were rising substantially as the training went on. He was close—so close—to evolving. It was at the point that Ash decided to pull out all the stops and train for longer than normal. He wanted Sobek to fight the others and maybe the adrenaline rush would be enough to trigger the evolution that could save him in the battle against Surge.

Pikachu had been worn down by his earlier sparring with the croc and was currently eating beside the group's most disagreeable member. Eevee was watching with Ash and Pikachu while she ate, though she avoided all contact with them and the others and simply stared with boredom when she wasn't taking a bite of Pokemon food.

Sobek, Pyro, and Douse were fighting in a three-way. Ash had pit them against each other in the hope that more competition would increase the odds of the Sandile evolving tonight.

"That's it, Sobek!" Ash encouraged the croc as he pulled off a Thunder Fang on Douse. Sobek gnashed his teeth into the Poliwhirl, but Douse smacked him off with a Wake-Up Slap. The Sandile recoiled with a hiss from the super-effective move and dug underground. Pyro suddenly lunged at Douse in a Dragon Rush and met a Mega Punch head-on. The pair heaved against each other for a few seconds before Pyro's greater strength forced his opponent back.

Douse bounced off the ground and landed upright again, then fired a Bubble Beam at the fire type. Pyro's claws glowed and he slashed the attack apart, though a few of the bubbles exploded and dealt him some damage. The Charmeleon grinned at his success, but roared when Sobek exploded from the ground and snapped on his arm with a Crunch. Pyro snarled and bit right back with a Fire Fang, making the croc hiss. The two fighting Pokemon growled furiously and refused to let go until they were suddenly blasted apart by a Water Gun from Douse.

Sobek got the worst of it and hit the ground with a furious hiss. He struggled to his feet, breathing more heavily than Pyro because of his lesser stamina. Douse fired another Water Gun at Sobek and the croc snapped a Thunder Fang into it. The shock traveled up the stream of liquid and mildly shocked Douse, but Sobek took more damage from his opponent and nearly collapsed.

Ash bit his lip. This was bordering the limits of what he was willing to do in training. Too much longer and Sobek would faint. He just wasn't as powerful as the evolved Pokemon that he sparred with, but Ash could see that he was ready to evolve. He was so infuriatingly close…

The ground-type steadied himself and growled challengingly at Douse. The Poliwhirl blinked, apparently uncertain if another attack was a good idea. Sobek looked pretty banged up. Douse glanced at Ash and grunted questioningly. Ash bit his lip and looked over the ground-type carefully. The Sandile's eyes still held that familiar fire, no matter how tired he was.

One more go. If Sobek didn't evolve, Ash would stop for the night.

"Last move," Ash ordered finally. "Pyro, back off. Douse, Sobek, don't hold back."

The Charmeleon went back to Ash and stood beside Pikachu and Eevee as Douse cracked his knuckles and gave Sobek a firm look. The Sandile lashed his short tail and hissed as fiercely as he could.

Douse lunged and clenched his fist, preparing a Mega Punch. Sobek awaited him with open jaws, snarling with the aggression his breed was known for. Lightning crackled along his fangs. Ash watched as Douse leaped into the air and brought his fist down on the Sandile just as Sobek reared up to counter with Thunder Fang.

But Sobek aimed too high and took the Mega Punch right in the stomach. The Sandile went flying and hit the ground with a harsh thud that made even Eevee wince. Ash knew that was it, reaching for Sobek's Poke Ball a moment before he heard the croc roar and suddenly the dark of evening fled from a blinding light.

They watched, transfixed, as Sobek's body and tail doubled in length. His back legs grew substantially and allowed him to rear up into a bipedal stance. Sobek's front limbs lengthened into arms with large claws and hands, while his jaws grew even stronger. When the light finally faded, Sobek opened his fanged maw and let out a roar, reveling in his newfound power.

Ash grinned in delight. The Krokorok in front of him was more than he could have hoped for. Sobek stood as tall as Pyro and had all the raw power he so desperately needed to keep up with his evolved team mates. Now he had caught up with them and Sobek knew it.

The croc looked his new body over and hissed with satisfaction. He flexed his claws, making a few experimental swipes in the air. Sobek awkwardly tried to walk, but receded to all fours when he nearly tripped. He growled in annoyance—apparently walking in a bipedal fashion took some practice after spending all his time walking on all fours.

Ash walked over to him, standing a few meters away. Sobek looked up at him as his trainer held his hand out. "C'mon, Sobek. Try and walk over here."

The Krokorok nodded and unsteadily rose to both feet. He took a hesitant step and wobbled for a moment, then got his balance and took another step. Then a third. A few steps later and he had reached Ash, who set his hand at the corner of Sobek's jaw and scratched the sand-colored scales there. Sobek's throat rumbled in a pleased sound. Ash grinned. His friend still liked that spot.

Once Ash and Sobek had made contact, the rest of the team came over to inspect their friend for themselves. Pyro and Sobek grinned at each other with sharp fangs. Their profiles were surprisingly similar now and Ash could tell they were just waiting for a chance to have a go at their team mate. He would be lying if he said he didn't want to see them spar.

Pikachu jumped onto Sobek's head and snickered as the croc snapped at him in annoyance. But there was no true aggression in the motion, which was proven by the ground-type's amused smirk. Douse walked over and made a happy grunt, which Sobek returned with a growl. Eevee simply padded over to get a brief whiff of the ground-type's new scent, then sat back down and resumed her bored stare.

Sobek looked at Ash, who nodded approvingly. "You look amazing, buddy. I think Surge and his electric-types are in for a nasty surprise."

The Krokorok bared his fangs in vicious delight. Ash mirrored it with a wild grin. He wanted to let his newly evolved friend have a battle before Surge so he hand an idea of how to act. Glancing at Pyro, he deemed the Charmeleon to have enough strength for a short battle.

Besides, the two reptiles were eyeing each other aggressively. Ash figured letting them beat the snot out of each other early on would help curb that.

"Pyro, Sobek, care for one last fight?" Ash asked.

The pair of them growled eagerly, getting in their team mate's face and hissing. Ash smirked and backed off with the rest of his Pokemon. He watched the pair of them snarl a moment longer before stating clearly.

"Begin."

Ash looked up at the Vermillion Gym the next day. He had slept in a bit late because they stayed up longer than normal for training, but Sobek's evolution was more than worth it. Now he felt like he had a fighting chance. Surge's winning streak would be over once he left this place.

He walked into the gym and found that two trainers in military uniforms were guarding the entrance to the battlefield. Ash frowned. "I'm here for a battle."

One of them eyed him with a sneer. "How many badges do you have, little baby?"

"Two," his eyes narrowed.

The other scoffed, but before he could say anything, the doors behind the two trainers burst open and a kid ran out carrying a Rattata that had clearly been annihilated. Ash blinked as the kid ran past him, bawling his eyes out. Both of the guards snickered after the defeated trainer and one of them nodded to Ash. "Sure you want to go through the same punishment that baby went through? Surge doesn't go easy on anyone, even if they are chumps. Trainers with two badges aren't good enough for him."

Ash glared at the trainer. "Why's that? Is Surge too scared of getting wiped out by a new trainer?"

Both of the trainer guards glared right back at him and looked so furious that Ash thought for a moment they might actually attack. But then there was a roaring laugh and a massive figure that positively dwarfed Ash pushed past the doors and leered down at him.

"Those are some fighting words, punk!" Lt. Surge boomed. The man grinned maliciously and Ash saw that a huge Raichu was on his shoulder—the same place where Pikachu was usually on his. Raichu had the same vicious grin that its trainer did, but Ash didn't back down. He glared at the Gym Leader and his ace.

"That's why I came here," Ash declared. "My name is Ash. I want a gym battle."

Surge sneered. "Huh, a baby with fangs. Don't see those too often. Fine, I'll wipe you out. Then I'm going fishing. Raichu has more trouble blasting Gyarados than these weaklings—and they have a type disadvantage!"

Ash didn't even want to imagine Surge fishing for Gyarados—and for fun it seemed—when he was right about to fight him. He did his best to stand up tall, but it was a pathetic effort compared to Surge's gigantic build. Still, the Gym Leader jerked his head and grunted. "Come on, then. Let's get this over with."

They walked into the main room and Ash saw that the battlefield was fairly plain. He supposed that was to be expected. Surge appeared to be one that didn't need extravagance.

A third gym trainer that had clearly judged the last battle smirked at Ash and began his announcements. "This official gym battle will now get underway! Both trainers will use four Pokemon and the battle will end when all of either side's team is unable to battle. Furthermore, there will be no substitutions."

Surge pulled a Poke Ball off his belt and tapped the release, causing a Pikachu to appear on the field. Ash knew exactly what he was going to do. If he wanted a chance against Surge, there was only one choice.

Sobek appeared on the field with an aggressive hiss. He locked his eyes on the Pikachu and bared his fangs, ready to unleash his fury upon the electric-type.

To the ground-type's credit, Surge looked surprised. "Huh. What do you know? This might actually be fun. Alright little baby, you get the first move."

The gym trainer slashed his hand down. "Begin!"

Ash did not hesitate. "Sobek, Crunch!"

Sobek lunged at the Pikachu and snapped at it viciously. The mouse leapt back and skittered away from its attacker as Sobek continued to sink his teeth into it. Pikachu was obviously faster than the Krokorok, but that didn't stop the ground-type.

Surge snorted. "Quick Slam."

Pikachu dodged another bite from Sobek and then suddenly darted forward. It put all the power in its little body to deliver a fierce Slam, strengthened by the increased speed from Quick Attack. The force was enough to push Sobek back a few feet, but he snarled and managed to snap his teeth into Pikachu's tail before it could dart away. The mouse squealed in pain and wriggled in an effort to get away.

"Throw it, Sobek! Use Dig!"

Sobek spun and threw Pikachu harshly across the field, making the electric-type smack into the dirt. While Pikachu was stunned, the ground-type quickly dug into the battlefield and disappeared.

Surge muttered something under his breath. "Agility. Keep it guessing. When it comes out, bash its pretty head in with Iron Tail."

Pikachu recovered and began to blur around the field with such speed that Ash had trouble keeping his eyes on it. As much as he hated to admit it, Surge's Pikachu was faster than his, though it didn't seem to have as much power. That had him worried considering that this electric-type was evidently weaker than the massive Raichu still sitting beside Surge.

It was a few seconds before Sobek erupted from the ground and tried to slash at Pikachu with his claws, but the mouse easily darted around him and then leaped up. Its tail glowed silver and then it flipped, smashing the Iron Tail into Sobek's head. The Krokorok roared, but it was from fury more than pain. Sobek spun around and snapped at Pikachu aggressively, but the mouse managed to escape by a hair's breadth.

Ash grit his teeth. Pikachu was too fast for Sobek to catch outright. The mouse kept blurring around him and dealing small hits, and even though that was a small amount of damage, it was still damage that Sobek would carry on into the next battle when he beat Pikachu. When, not if. Ash refused to believe that the mouse had any chance of defeating Sobek—for one, the Krokorok's pride would not allow him to fall to such an adversary right after evolving.

Surge apparently realized that Pikachu wasn't doing enough damage and decided to up the ante. "Double Edge."

Pikachu put some distance between itself and Sobek before charging the ground-type, who snarled a challenge. Ash really didn't want him to take a Double Edge, but a plan formed in his mind as he considered it. He decided to go for it.

"Take it!" Ash shouted.

Sobek dug his claws into the ground and braced himself just in time for Pikachu to smash recklessly into him. This time the force was enough to knock the wind out of Sobek, but Pikachu suffered as well—the recoil of Double Edge took effect quickly. Ash jumped at the chance. "Assurance!"

The Krokorok spun around and slammed his powerful tail into the electric-type, sending it flying away with a cry of pain. Ash grinned at the obvious success. Assurance grew in power if the opponent had taken damage shortly before the attack was executed. The recoil of Double Edge served that purpose well.

Surge was grinning. "Not bad, kid! Take a hit to return a bigger one, eh? You've got some balls!"

Ash smirked and issued his next command. "Ant Pit!"

Sobek dove underground again and created a huge pit of sand in the middle of the field, right below Pikachu's feet. The electric-type had just pulled itself together after getting hit by Assurance, but quickly found the ground at its feet sucking it down.

"Double Team!" Surge ordered. "Agility. Go for Double Edge when it pops up."

Ash smiled as he watched Pikachu create multiple copies of itself, but the mouse was unable to move properly on the quicksand. Double Team was no good as a defense against Sobek—his sensitive snout would detect the real Pikachu's location quickly, seeing as the copies were only illusions with no real mass. Pikachu's struggled only allowed the croc to home in on it faster.

"Finish it, Sobek," Ash said clearly. "Crunch."

The ground beneath Pikachu exploded as Sobek burst out of the sand and snapped his huge teeth into the electric-type. Pikachu squealed and tried to escape, but Sobek had a strong grip on it this time and shook it ruthlessly for several seconds. When Pikachu stopped resisting, the ground-type hurled it away and watched with satisfaction as his prey hit the field and didn't get up.

One down, three to go.

Surge recalled Pikachu and smirked. "That overgrown lizard of yours has got some good power. Let's see if it can last."

The next Pokemon was a Magneton. All three of the individual Magnemite that made up its body sparked and locked their three eyes onto Sobek, who hissed at the steel-type. He was even more fired up than before and Ash could see a faint crimson in his eyes—Moxie had activated.

Ash watched the croc warily. As a Sandile, Sobek had slipped into Moxie only a few times, but when he did he became much more aggressive than normal in battle. Frequently, Ash recalled him when Moxie activated so that he wouldn't take things too far.

As a Krokorok, Sobek was far more savage and Ash had no idea what to expect from him now that Moxie had activated.

Surge apparently hadn't noticed though, and began to issue his orders. "Metal Sound, then Flash Cannon. Keep your distance."

Magneton sparked and then suddenly blasted the whole field with the horrible sound of shrieking metal. Ash threw his hands over his ears and gnashed his teeth, feeling his spine crawl. On the field, Sobek was roaring furiously and used Dig before Ash could say anything. Even if he hadn't commanded Sobek to do that, at least he was now out of Flash Cannon's line of sight.

"Magnet Bomb," Surge grinned. "Blow the field up!"

Ash watched as Magneton formed several large silver spheres and spun to launch them over the battlefield. A moment later, they all exploded and caused the ground to erupt. He heard Sobek snarl and realized that the croc had been hit, but he didn't even get to speak before Sobek exploded from the ground and snapped at Magneton with a maw of flames.

The Fire Fang made contact as Sobek's jaws clamped onto Magneton. Surge's Pokemon sparked frantically and attempted to escape, but the Krokorok was furious from battle-lust and the adrenaline of Moxie. Sobek generated another surge of flames in his mouth that exploded on Magneton and shook it just as ruthlessly as he had Pikachu.

Magneton actually made a couple of Magnet Bombs to make Sobek let go, but even that wasn't enough to deter the croc. Sobek's mouth blazed with more fire and Ash flinched when he heard a crack. It sounded like Magneton's steel body was beginning to get dangerously weak under the intense heat and Sobek's powerful jaws.

Surge apparently thought the same because he recalled Magneton a second later. He frowned at Sobek and watched as the ground-type's eyes flared from his second adrenaline boost in this battle. The Gym Leader's eyes widened. "Moxie?"

Sobek roared angrily. He wanted to keep fighting and Ash knew there would be no stopping him. Across the field, even Raichu was flicking its tail with unease. Surge sent out his third Pokemon—a Voltorb.

The electric-type didn't even get to spark before Sobek lunged at it, completely disregarding the fact that Ash hadn't even given a command. Ash opened his mouth to protest the croc's actions when Surge barked. "Explosion!"

Ash flung his arms over his face as a flare of heat and light signaled the execution of Explosion, followed by a concussive blast that demolished the already damaged battlefield. He heard Sobek roar, but there was pain in his voice now and then silence. When the intense light faded, Ash looked up and sighed.

Sobek was down from Voltorb's sacrificial attack, but it was just as well. Apparently, he wasn't skilled enough to handle Moxie yet. Ash would remember that—it disturbed him how much Sobek had lost himself in the adrenaline rush of his own Ability. He returned the Krokorok to his Poke Ball and looked at it with a smile. "You did great, buddy. Take a break. You've earned that."

Surge recalled Voltorb and scowled at Ash. "I don't know where you got your hands on that Krokorok, but it obviously isn't ready to use Moxie. Remember that."

His rough words made Ash angry, but he refused to let Surge get to him. Picking out his second Poke Ball, Ash got ready for what was probably going to be the toughest fight thus far.

Pikachu appeared as Surge knelt beside Raichu. The Gym Leader scratched Raichu's ears and jerked his thumb at the smaller electric mouse. "Shock them stupid."

Raichu sniggered eagerly and rushed onto the battlefield. Its cheek pouches sparked with electricity and Ash braced himself—this was the Pokemon that destroyed all others when the rest of Surge's team failed. It had defeated even Gary. He wouldn't fall to the same opponent.

"Quick Attack!" Ash shouted. "Evade whatever it uses."

Pikachu lunged towards Raichu, darting from side to side in order to make himself a more difficult target. Raichu continued to smirk as it awaited Pikachu, seemingly unwilling to move. Then a second before Pikachu would have crashed into it, the larger electric mouse blurred away.

Ash's eyes widened as Raichu suddenly appeared behind Pikachu and leaped onto it, crushing the smaller electric-type with a Body Slam. Pikachu had the breath knocked out of him and could only lay there, stunned, as Raichu brought its foot back and delivered a horrifyingly powerful Mega Kick.

Pikachu skidded across the field harshly, but pulled himself to his feet. He was dazed from the impact and glared at the snickering Raichu. Ash bit his lip. He knew Raichu would be strong, but that was just ridiculous. The electric-type could move with blistering speed and deliver ferociously powerful hits in no time flat. As it was, he was pretty sure Pikachu could only take one more hit from the beast of a mouse before he would be defeated.

"Volt Tackle!" Ash commanded desperately. It wouldn't cause as much damage against Raichu since it was an electric-type move, but the move had more raw power than any of Pikachu's other attacks. It would do the most damage before Raichu defeated its opponent.

Surge grinned widely. "Your mouse can use that too, eh? Good! Let's return the favor, Raichu."

Raichu's grin matched its trainer's. As Pikachu cloaked himself in electricity and began to rush his opponent, Raichu mirrored him. However, Ash realized that Raichu's Volt Tackle was far more concentrated and thus held a lot more power. His heart sank when he realized there could be only one outcome.

The two Volt Tackles collided, but Raichu forced Pikachu back not a second after the impact was made. Pikachu was sent flying and crashed into the ground with enough force to make a crater below his body. Ash recalled him into his Poke Ball—there was no doubt that Pikachu was unconscious after taking a hit like that.

Raichu shook itself as the recoil took effect, but it didn't seem tired at all. Surge smirked. "Your baby mouse still has a lot of work to do. That was one of the sloppiest Volt Tackles I've ever seen. Wouldn't you agree, Raichu?"

The huge mouse sniggered and nodded. Ash glared at the electric-type and picked out his third Poke Ball. Douse appeared and cracked his knuckles, fixing his gaze on the massive Raichu on the other side of the field.

Surge sneered. "Wow, a fish? Really? Raichu, get to cooking."

Raichu rubbed its paws together and sparked again. Ash wasn't about to let it get away with whatever electrical horrors it had in mind. "Douse, use Mud Shot."

Douse spat a blast of mud, which Raichu dodged with contemptuous ease. Ash noticed that it wasn't quite as fast as before though, and figured it was because of the recoil from Volt Tackle. He realized that Raichu was a bit of a glass cannon. It could deal out devastating amounts of damage with incredible speed, but receiving even a mild injury would slow it up. There was no way Raichu would go down easily, but if Ash could slow it down, he might have a chance.

"Bubble Beam!" Ash commanded. "Spread it over the field. Don't let it get away."

He watched as the Poliwhirl unleashed a stream of large bubbles across the battlefield, caging Raichu on Surge's side. Raichu blasted them away with a bolt of lightning, but it gave Ash a few seconds to come up with a strategy. "Blast it with Water Gun. Short bursts—if you fire a stream, it can still shock you."

Douse grunted and began to carry out his orders. He fired quick shots of Water Gun, attempting to snipe Raichu before it could launch its own attack. The first couple of shots actually hit the mouse, but it started running again before long and dodged the rest. It seemed annoyed that its fur was wet and began to zig zag as it ran, closing the distance to Douse.

Ash saw Raichu leap into the air to deliver a Body Slam and saw his chance. "Avoid it, then Mega Punch!"

As Raichu came down, Douse sidestepped it the same way he had when he battled Pikachu the day before. Clenching his fist, the Poliwhirl waited for Raichu to hit the ground and then smashed Mega Punch right into the electric-type's face. Raichu yowled and went flying, but did a flip and recovered its balance easily.

"Mud Shot!" Ash followed up quickly. "Water Gun. Keep it at a distance."

Douse struck again with a burst of mud, which only grazed Raichu before it landed on the field and started to run again. His Water Gun bursts missed their mark though, as the mouse slipped into Agility and evaded them.

"C'mon Raichu, quit playing about," Surge yawned. "Fry it."

Ash didn't like the sound of that. "Fire Mud Shot repeatedly!"

As Douse moved to follow his commands, Raichu's cheeks sparked and the air was suddenly charged with ozone. It was the only hint Ash had of what was coming before an intense beam of electricity was fired at Douse. The flash of energy blinded Ash and he was forced to close his eyes as the sound of an explosion rang out.

When he opened his eyes, he found Douse's smoking form lying unconscious on the ground. Ash sighed and recalled him. He had no idea what kind of attack Raichu had used, but he suspected it was probably Charge Beam. He wasn't aware of any other move that was remotely like that.

Surge smirked. "Three down, kid. Fork over number four so I can go get my lunch."

Ash grabbed Pyro's Poke Ball and hit the release, unleashing the Charmeleon upon the already ravaged battlefield. Pyro spat a fireball and glared at Raichu, who glared right back. The mouse was finally looking tired and Ash was pretty sure it wanted to end the fight as soon as possible. Ash intended to do just that—but not in the way Raichu would prefer.

"Ember," he ordered. "Keep moving as you attack. If you stay in one spot, it'll destroy you."

Pyro flicked his tail in acknowledgement and began his assault. He started to run to the right, spitting small flames at Raichu as he went. The mouse began to run in the opposite direction and dodged easily until it got to the halfway point on the field, where it skidded to a stop at its trainer's command.

"Volt Tackle," Surge told his Pokemon. "Wrap this up."

Raichu began to rush forward, cloaked in the same deadly charge that it had defeated Pikachu with. Ash acted on impulse and shouted. "Smokescreen!"

Pyro ceased the shots of fire and suddenly blew out a mass of oily black smoke. It spread quickly, covering his position just seconds before Raichu dove into the dark haze and vanished. Ash tensed, waiting for the sound of an impact. He wasn't sure if Pyro had been quick enough to evade Volt Tackle.

A screech suddenly broke the tense silence and Ash's eyes widened as Raichu was sent flying out of the smoke cloud. Pyro lunged after it, his claws still glowing bright from the impromptu Slash.

"Flamethrower!" Ash commanded.

The Charmeleon acted instantly and spat a fireball at Raichu while it was still airborne. Ash grinned with satisfaction as the attack made contact, damaging the electric mouse further. Across the field, Surge finally started to look a little nervous.

"Thunder!" Surge barked. "Fry that lizard!"

"Dragon Rush!" Ash yelled, desperate to keep up the pressure before Surge's Pokemon could use the ridiculously powerful electric attack. "Don't let it use Thunder!"

Raichu's cheeks sparked as it began to charge up a huge amount of electricity. Pyro was still running at it and propelled himself off the ground. His pupils narrowed to slits and made contact with Raichu's—the mouse froze for a crucial split second under the intimidating appearance of the dragon-type move.

Raichu's foot had just touched the ground when Pyro barreled into it, carrying the electric-type off its feet once again before crushing it into the wall. The Charmeleon backed off quickly and waited for any retaliation with a snarl on his face. Ash didn't move until he saw Raichu lying on the ground. A broad grin broke out on his face as Pyro spat a fireball into the air in victory.

Surge's jaw dropped. "Wha—wait, I lost? To a kid?"

Apparently, the referee was just as stunned because he completely forgot to call the match. Pyro ran over to Ash and bumped his head into the boy's arm, enticing Ash to scratch the fire lizard's warm scales. He was ecstatic—they had beaten Surge! Not even the Gym Leader's monstrous Raichu was able to stop them!

"Good job, buddy!" Ash exclaimed as he scratched Pyro's chin. "You were great."

Pyro made a delighted rumble and waved his tail again. The two of them looked up as Surge walked over with Raichu cradled in one of his huge arms. Ash realized the electric mouse was awake, though it looked pretty tired.

Rather than the scowl Ash expected, Surge was grinning widely. "Looks like you know how to use those fangs of yours, kid! That was the most fun I've had in weeks. Good job."

Raichu snickered tiredly. Ash wasn't sure what to make of that, but apparently Raichu liked fights that were worth its time—even if it lost. He decided he could respect that. He felt the same way about battles.

Surge dug his spare hand into his pocket and pulled out a badge. "This is the Thunder Badge. Not a whole lot of trainers have gotten this one yet. The League told me to get rougher with all the babies since I gotta hand out these damn tickets with the badge."

Ash blinked when Surge pulled a scrap of paper from the same pocket and passed it to him. He frowned. "What's that?"

"A ticket for the St. Anne cruise liner," the Gym Leader told him. "It's a big boat for trainers and rich people. The ship is scheduled to stop here in Vermillion about three months from now in July—that ticket will let you hop on board for a three day trip to Cinnabar Island. I'd take advantage of it, kid. They have tournaments on the boat that give out rare items and Pokemon as prizes."

That got Ash excited. He didn't really need a vacation, but the idea of a tournament on a huge boat sounded like fun to him.

Surge smirked at the boy's enthusiasm. "These tickets are the whole reason I was told by the League to start ripping the babies apart. Apparently only the best trainers are allowed onboard. Personally I don't think real trainers need something like that to get them working hard, but whatever. You got lucky being the first to beat me since I was given the order to let loose—that ticket there is for first class. Every other baby that beats me after this is gonna get some cheap room."

"Thanks!" Ash grinned.

"You earned it, I reckon," Surge shrugged. "Say, how about we grab some grub at the Pokemon Center? Raichu needs a checkup and I reckon your Pokemon do too."

They were definitely a sight that attracted attention—Ash eating at a table in the Pokemon Center across from Surge, who had gotten three burgers and put each of them down in something like two bites. Most of the trainers watching seemed to be shocked that Surge was begin civil—after all, most of them had been thoroughly steamrolled by the electric-type Gym Leader.

"Ah!" Surge grinned after downing the last of his drink. "Food always hits the spot after a good battle, eh?"

"Definitely," Ash agreed. He was still eating, but he didn't mind talking to Surge. The Gym Leader was surprisingly friendly despite being defeated by Ash. He suspected it was because Surge respected strength, and the boy had proven he was strong enough to stand up for himself.

"Right," the Gym Leader looked at Ash with a smirk. "I'll be frank with you—you've got a lot of potential, kid. Your Krokorok needs a lot of work with Moxie, your Pikachu's Volt Tackle is second-rate and that Poliwhirl is just a minnow, but they've got the makings of something good. I didn't get to see too much of your Charmeleon, so I'll bet it's about the same. Take my advice on this—challenge yourself. Don't go back to swimming with bottom feeders and put those fangs of yours to good use."

Ash nodded. "I know. I caught Poliwhirl yesterday and Krokorok actually just evolved last night. We'll have to practice Moxie on the trainers we meet on the road. I'm not really sure how to help Pikachu with Volt Tackle, though. I had enough trouble teaching it to him."

"You're a new trainer, right?" Surge scratched his chin thoughtfully. "How long you been training?"

"Two months, give or take a week."

"Huh. I'm actually amazed you made any progress with Volt Tackle at all," Surge remarked. "That's not an easy move to teach. Then again, you only just got the rough concept of it down. It's by no means anywhere close to perfected. Your Pikachu uses up too much electricity on it. It's excessive and not concentrated enough. Right now, I'd say it's halfway between a Wild Charge and Volt Tackle. Work on his control whenever you can."

Ash nodded again. He was soaking up whatever information Surge gave him. The man was an expert on electric-types—any advice he offered was priceless in regards to training Pikachu. Ash wanted Pikachu to reach his maximum potential.

"I dunno much about Krokorok or Poliwhirl, or Charmeleon for that matter," the Gym Leader shrugged. "But as far as Pikachu goes, I can help you out a good bit. Try teaching him Electro Ball. It's not overwhelmingly strong, but it'll teach him how to control and concentrate electricity better. He needs work on his speed as well, so here's a simple training regime—teach the baby mouse Agility, then have him run back and forth about a hundred meters for an hour or so. He won't like it, but he'll thank you for it later."

Ash smiled at that. He could imagine the pranks he would receive for putting Pikachu through exercises like that. The mouse did need work on his speed and stamina, though, and Surge's advice sounded legitimate to him. "Thank you. I really appreciate it."

"If you want to show me your appreciation, come back for a rematch after you train all your little baby Pokemon into a real fighting force," Surge grinned fiendishly. "My team needs a good workout and you fit the bill. Plus I want your mouse to fight Raichu once it evolves—that's something I'd really like to see."

That turned his smile into a fierce grin. Surge's battle-lust was infectious. "You're on."

"Good!" The Gym Leader roared in laughter. He stood up and held his hand out. "Well, I gotta get back to the gym. My break is over and I've got more asses to kick. See you kid. Don't get soft."

"I wouldn't dream of it," Ash replied, shaking Surge's hand before the huge man strode off.

"Ash, I'm so proud of you!" Delia Ketchum practically squealed on the other end of the PokeNav. Ash had just told her about his victory at the Vermillion Gym and she was near ecstatic from the news. He'd kept his promise since Cerulean City to stay in touch with his mother every week or so. That helped to assure her of his safety and kept Ash from ending up on the receiving end of his mother's anger should her knowledge of his wellbeing be neglected.

He smiled back at her through the video phone. "Thanks. I caught a Poliwhirl out here too—his name is Douse. Oh, and Sobek evolved!"

"It sounds like you're doing very well," she said happily. "So where do you think you'll be going next? There are still a few months before the St. Anne arrives in Vermillion. What are your plans?"

Ash frowned slightly. "I'm not really sure. I definitely plan on going to Celadon and defeating Erika—it sounds like she's going to be easy compared to Surge. I might try to drop by Fuchsia as well if I have time. But I need to have a plan to face Sabrina after that. She's…well, I've heard that she's one of the most powerful Gym Leaders in Kanto. Her psychic-types are crazy strong. I'm sure Sobek can probably beat one of her Pokemon, but there's no way he can handle all three by himself."

"Yes, I've heard that as well," Delia murmured. She was quiet for a moment, then her face seemed to clear. "Have you thought about catching a ghost-type? Psychics are very prone to damage from ghost-type attacks."

"Ghost-types aren't exactly common," he replied. "I don't even know where to go looking for one."

"Hmm…Oh! I remember Professor Oak saying that there are ghost-types in Lavender Town!" His mother exclaimed. "That's not too far from Vermillion, either! Maybe you should go there before heading to Celadon. It would give you more time to train it."

Ash thought about it. "Lavender Town, huh? I'll check it out. Thanks, mom."

Delia smiled. "Of course, dear. Good luck, and stay safe!"

"I will. Goodbye," he said before ending the call and leaving the video phone for the next trainer to use.

Ash went to his room in the Pokemon Center. It was too late in the day to leave now and frankly he wanted a break before setting out for his next destination. He also needed to plan out the next stage of training for his Pokemon. He didn't want to just hit the road with no goals in mind for his team.

Surge had given him a good plan for Pikachu, so Ash considered the electric-type's training set for the time being. Pyro needed to perfect Flamethrower and both of his dragon-type moves. Ash still had no idea why they were so ridiculously hard to learn. No matter how hard Pyro tried, he just could not seem to harness the correct type of energy necessary to execute them. He knew dragon-type moves were notoriously difficult to learn, but this was absurd.

Ash wanted to try and teach Pyro Mega Punch. He knew that the Charmeleon line could learn it, and he hoped that Douse could provide a good example for Pyro to learn. He just wanted Pyro to have a little extra variation. In the instance that Slash wouldn't work, Mega Punch would give him the option of brute force.

Sobek was the next order of business. Now that he had evolved, Ash intended to get him TMs as soon as possible, but until then, he wanted to work on Moxie. It had been made blatantly clear in the battle with Surge that Sobek was unable to control his aggression once the ability activated. He needed to learn how to maintain his composure—that would make him a more effective fighter.

As for Douse, Ash was going to use the Scald TM on him soon. He wanted to try and work on Hydro Pump as well. The water-type move was insanely powerful and would probably take them weeks, if not months to master, but Ash had faith that the Poliwhirl could do it. Douse was just as dedicated to training as the rest of his team. If anyone could do it, he could.

Eevee was Eevee. Ash would simply continue to show her kindness and make sure she was healthy. Her aggression was swiftly becoming a thing of the past, though her social skills were still nonexistent. He was patient—Eevee would become more friendly in time. At least, he hoped she would.

Ash sat down on the bed and took out the Poke Balls containing his five friends. One by one, he set them all loose in his room, watching as they all gave him their attention. He smiled at the group.

"You guys were amazing today. I'm really proud of you all. We were the first team to beat Surge in over a month. That Raichu of his destroyed every other trainer that came his way."

Pyro rumbled happily at the praise. Pikachu snickered and Douse bounced cheerily. Eevee's glare was mildly less frosty, but it wasn't quite friendly either. Ash didn't mind. She was getting better—he was sure of that.

Sobek seemed annoyed and Ash moved to reassure him. "Sobek, you fought so hard today. You should be proud. You beat two of Surge's team and forced him to sacrifice a third. We couldn't have won without you."

That seemed to placate the disgruntled Krokorok, because he grinned toothily and nodded. Ash scratched the ground-type's jaw and then looked at all the others. "Tomorrow we'll start traveling towards Lavender Town. We're going to try and add a ghost Pokemon to the team."

The news had mixed results. Pyro and Sobek seemed fine with it. Pikachu looked curious, if the twitching of his ears was anything to go by. Douse looked slightly nervous and Eevee just didn't care.

Ash internally shrugged. "Anyways, that's our next destination. We'll be training hard along the way, so rest up."

His Pokemon nodded and then moved to settle in their various spots around the room. Pikachu curled up on his trainer's stomach when Ash lay down and Pyro stretched out on the floor, resting his burning tail on his fireproof blanket. Sobek mirrored Pyro and Ash smirked a little at how similar they were. Douse sprawled out on his back on the floor, his round body rising up and down as he breathed. Eevee jumped onto the end of the bed and curled up, her back to Ash and the others.

Ash looked over his team one last time before he closed his eyes and fell asleep.

Chapter Text

Chapter Six: The Follower

Route Eleven was a long road, Ash reflected as he set up camp for the night. It was mostly prairie, with large patches of tall grass that he mostly avoided. In that tall grass were Ekans and Raticate, who could be aggressive if startled. Ash knew that there were also Drowzee around, but the psychics didn't actually cause any harm to passing trainers. They fed on dreams, which was harmless unless Drowzee attacked with malicious intent. The only noticeable change for the individual would be a night of dreamless sleep.

There were Spearow flocks as well, but again, they weren't aggressive until they were provoked. That is, unless a Fearow was leading them. The evolved Pokemon were what made Spearow dangerous, what with their highly aggressive temperament and short fuse. They were the real threat, but Ash was confident that he could handle any of the birds.

Over the course of the week he spent traversing the prairies, he fought every trainer that he possibly could and defeated most of the people he encountered. Many were training to defeat Lt. Surge, so he supposed that was the reason why he won the majority of the battles. He only met a couple of trainers that gave him an actual challenge, but did earn a good bit of money in the process, so that was a plus.

Ash pushed his team as hard as he could whenever they stopped for the night. Even Eevee, because the little normal-type spent the entirety of each day walking with Ash and Pikachu. She hadn't warmed up to him much, but she had been watching the rest of the team's training sessions with slightly more interest as of late.

Once camp was ready, Ash set his team loose. There weren't many targets to practice moves on in the prairie, so they just sparred against one another. He waited for each of his Pokemon to adjust themselves upon release from the confines of their Poke Balls before addressing them.

"More sparring tonight," Ash announced. "Douse, keep trying to help Pyro learn Mega Punch. Warm up with that and then practice some close-range fighting, okay?"

Douse nodded and cracked his knuckles. Pyro lashed his tail from side to side, the flame on the tip already burning brighter than normal. Ash smiled at that. Those two got along marvelously. Douse was just easy to befriend and Pyro seemed to like anything that could fight him on equal terms.

"Sobek, you and Pikachu are the other pair," he continued. "I want you two to work on improving speed and endurance. Start running and keep at it until I come over to you, alright?"

Pikachu nodded, but Sobek offered Ash a magnificent stink-eye. The boy smirked. "Don't give me that, Sobek. You need to improve your speed and you know it."

Sobek rolled his eyes and growled with displeasure. The croc hated these exercises. They were straight from Surge's training advice—simply running back and forth over a short distance nonstop until they could run no further. None of the team were particularly fond of the brutal sprints, but Sobek especially hated them with a passion.

Ash glanced at his team and nodded. "Get to work. You have ten minutes to warm up and then we'll be working for at least an hour."

A chorus of voices answered him as the four Pokemon separated into their groups. Ash went back to the camp and sat down, watching them exercise for a few moments before pulling out his PokeNav and looking up their current position. He was only two days from Lavender Town. One more day on the prairie, then another on the wooden bridges that made up the northern section of Route Twelve. Ash had never been that far east before, and he would be lying if he said he wasn't a little excited about it.

There was so much lore and mystery to Lavender Town and the enormous Pokemon Tower that commanded much of its historical significance. What sorts of ghosts would he encounter there? Undoubtedly he'd see Gastly and Haunter, which he felt he could take on easily enough, but what else? Misdreavus? Other, less common ghosts in Kanto? The town was so old, surely a little variety had established itself over the years…

A yip got Ash's attention and he glanced down at Eevee. The normal-type was giving him an annoyed look and jerked her head towards the others. He realized that he'd spent more time than he'd intended on the PokeNav and jumped up.

"Thanks, Eevee. Sorry guys, I'm coming now!"

"Slash!" Ash commanded.

Pyro ducked underneath a Water Gun from the Seadra they were fighting and lunged while it was still in the air. The water-type had jumped out of the sea to strike, leaving itself open to a counterattack.

Lashing out with sharp claws, the Charmeleon cut right through the tough scales covering Seadra's body. The water-type screeched angrily and tried to spit a Bubble Beam at him, but Pyro slashed through the bubbles and then crushed Seadra with a vicious tackle. The Dragon Rush proved to be too much for their opponent and at last battered it into unconsciousness.

Ash breathed a sigh of relief. That had been one of the tougher foes he'd met on the way to Lavender Town thus far. Seadra's trainer, a fisherman, recalled the seahorse and approached him.

"That was some fight!" Exclaimed the trainer. "It's not everyday someone beats my Seadra, especially a fire-type. Your Charmeleon is something else, kid."

"Thank you," Ash smiled back. "That Seadra really was strong. I thought it was going to beat us a few times there."

"I appreciate the kind words," replied the fisherman. He handed Ash the prize money he owed graciously and then poised a question. "Say, where are you headed to?"

"Lavender Town."

The man arched an eyebrow. "You might think about heading in the opposite direction, kiddo. There've been some creepy stories coming out of that town. Well, creepier than normal."

"Creepy?" Ash replied questioningly.

"Yeah. The town is a historical haunt of ghost-types, but word is lately that they're behaving nastily. I wouldn't risk getting attacked. They're dangerous, those ghosts."

The boy smirked. "Actually, those ghosts are the whole reason I'm going there. I wanted to capture one for my gym battle against Sabrina."

"Sabrina, eh?" the fisherman snorted. "Yeah, I'd say you'll need one to stand a chance against her. I think I'll hit one of the lesser gyms before I risk fighting those beasts of hers. Anyway, good luck with the ghosts kid."

Ash nodded and then went on his way. He was just a few hours away from Lavender Town and none of the warnings he'd heard about the place were going to deter him. Ash was getting a ghost—he'd travelled too far to turn away because of a few scared people.

Pyro nudged his trainer's arm and growled to get his attention. Ash smiled at his starter and scratched the horn on the Charmeleon's head. Pyro made a happy rumble in turn and the pair of them continued walking. Ash readjusted his hat in the face of the midday sun. The only downside of being so close to the sea at this time of year was it was ridiculously hot. Pyro loved it, but Ash was sweating bullets.

Ignoring the heat, he continued on his way.

Upon arrival at Lavender Town, Ash noticed two things that stood out: first, the locals were downright rude. Not a single one was kind enough to point out the Pokemon Center when he asked and just brushed him off. Ash ended up wandering for a while before he finally found the place, still sweaty and now irritated by the annoying behavior of the town residents.

Second, Lavender Town was unusually chilly. Once he'd walked into the town, the temperature plunged and Ash got the primal sense that he was not supposed to be anywhere near the place.

He was relieved that at least Nurse Joy was still polite despite the rest of the town.

"Welcome to the Pokemon Center!" Joy said kindly. "How may I help you?"

"My Pokemon need a checkup, please," Ash told her, setting his Poke Balls on the counter.

"Of course. I'll call you when your Pokemon are fully healed," she told him.

Ash nodded. "If it's not too much trouble to ask, what's going on in the town? I heard rumors on the way here that the ghost-types are acting strangely."

Joy frowned. "Yes, they have been more aggressive lately. No one seems to know why, but all the ghosts are congregating around Pokemon Tower. They attack anyone that tries to enter the upper levels of the tower and seem driven by some otherworldly force."

"It's that bad?"

"Under the circumstances, the League dispatched one of their agents to deal with the problem. But she hasn't returned yet…" Joy glanced at the phone at her desk. "It's been a day already. I've thought about calling the League again. This town is actually the home of Elite Four Agatha, but she was otherwise occupied when the call came in. Now…"

Ash thought about it for a moment. "Actually, I was thinking of entering the tower to pick up a ghost-type. Is that possible right now?"

Joy fixed him with a glare. "Now listen here. These wild ghost-types aren't anything to scoff at. If the agent the League sent can't handle the problem, you can't—"

"—I don't mean the upper levels of Pokemon Tower. You said the problem was concentrated up high, right?" Ash replied. "I'll stay on the lower floors. And if I find that agent, then I can tell you if she needs help or not."

"Well…" Joy hesitated, pursing her lips. "I can't encourage you to go. But if you really do insist on going, I can't exactly stop you, although I recommend you meet with Mr. Fuji. He runs the Pokemon Day Care here and he used to be a Pokemon Professor as well. Talk to him first."

"I'll do that," he promised. "I'll go talk to him while my Pokemon are being healed."

"Very well. The Day Care is just a short walk from here. Mr. Fuji built it close to the Pokemon Center in case any of the young Pokemon became sick."

Joy gave him directions to the Day Care and Ash took off. He couldn't enter Pokemon Tower yet, but he could at least get some idea as to what was going on.

A small girl answered his knock at the Day Care. She blinked at Ash and hid behind the door slightly. "Can I help you?"

Ash smiled and tried his best to look friendly. "I was wondering if Mr. Fuji is here?"

"Yeah, he is," she squeaked. "He's my grandpa. Do you know him?"

"No, but I need to talk to him. Please?"

The girl seemed to consider, then nodded. "Wait here a moment."

She closed the door and Ash heard the sound of footsteps running off. He inwardly sighed. Even the kids here behaved very oddly around strangers. Ash was tempted to pin that on the presence of so many ghost Pokemon, but decided against it. There were plenty of ghost-type trainers that didn't behave like this. Agatha, for one. The Elite Four member was fierce and not at all against human contact. Well, from what he had heard of her.

His train of thought ended as the door swung open, revealing an old man with a curious expression upon his face. "Yes? May I help you, young man?"

"You're Mr. Fuji, right?" He asked. At the elder's nod, he went on. "My name's Ash. I'm a trainer. I came here to catch a ghost-type, but Nurse Joy said I should come talk to you first because of all the strange things happening around here."

Fuji gave him a scrutinizing look that made Ash slightly uncomfortable, but he nodded again. "Very well. Come inside, please."

"Thank you."

Ash stepped in and looked around. The Day Care was a small and relatively simple affair. Several wooden stables gave the Pokemon their own space, though some of the stables had two or even three inhabitants. Those were small Pokemon though, so Ash assumed they were juveniles or even babies.

Fuji led him to the back, where there was an office of sorts. It was filled with books and research papers on subjects that Ash probably hadn't even heard of. Their owner did used to be a Pokemon Professor, after all.

"Now then," Fuji sat down in a chair and looked at Ash again. "You said you were here to capture a ghost-type?"

"Yes sir," Ash replied. "I've been thinking about ways to defeat Sabrina. She's still a long way off for me, but I like to plan ahead. I've got a Krokorok right now, but there's no way he could defeat her whole team on his own. I think a ghost-type would be a great addition to my team."

"Hm. What would this ghost-type be to you once it has served its purpose, Ash?"

Ash frowned. "Served its purpose? What do you mean?"

Fuji was eyeing him analytically. "You say you wish to capture a ghost to defeat Sabrina. Is that all it would be to you? Simply a means to an end?"

That made him scowl. "That's not funny."

"It's not meant to be funny. Please, answer my question."

"It would be a member of my team," Ash snapped. "Of course I would battle with it against Sabrina, but I'm not just going to discard it once I win the badge. What kind of trainer does that?"

Fuji smiled mysteriously. "More than either of us would be entirely happy about, unfortunately. Very well, you've convinced me. I apologize for the…interrogation, but good trainers are in short supply these days and I'm unwilling to help out those without the best intentions."

He thought the man had an odd way of finding out such information, but didn't say that. Fuji was probably the only one in Lavender Town that knew what was going on with the ghost-types.

"First of all, I should enlighten you as to the purpose of Pokemon Tower," Fuji stated. "It serves as a resting place for deceased Pokemon. The people of Lavender Town have buried their partners there for centuries. As a result of all the departed spirits resting there, ghost Pokemon were attracted to the sight. Our ghost-type trainers made a pact with them long ago, to protect the tower and the people of Lavender Town. In exchange, the ghosts could come and go as they please, as residents of the town itself.

"In regards to what is happening now, I have only a slight clue. There are ghost-types that have been relatively unaffected by the strange behavior that has inflicted the rest of their kind. They have informed me that there is an unusual energy flux in the highest floor of Pokemon Tower, caused by a massive gathering of spirits. Why this is happening, I have no idea, but it has the ghosts riled up for some reason."

Ash frowned. "Are they harmful, somehow? The spirits?"

"No. Spirits themselves are simply presences, or so I'm told. Ghosts can sense and interact with them, but spirits are not able to actually hurt anyone. No, something else has them on edge and I don't know what. That's what the League Trainer went to find out, but she has yet to return…"

The room was quiet for a moment. Ash suddenly felt a slight breeze on his neck and turned. He screamed a second later at the sight of a skull and a single red eye. He fell flat on his rear and stared with wide eyes at the skull, which turned out to simply be a mask. The owner of said mask made a cackling laugh and watched him with obvious amusement. Aside from the skull mask and large, single red eye, the small ghost was simply a wispy, black body floating in the air.

Fuji chuckled. "Don't be alarmed. This ghost has been unaffected by the odd influx of spirits. He often stays here and keeps some of the younger Pokemon company."

Ash stared at the ghost curiously. "What is he?"

"A Duskull," Fuji told him. "They're considered native to the Hoenn region, but you can find them wherever spirits congregate. They act as guides of sorts for wandering souls seeking the afterlife. It might sound ominous, but they're actually quite friendly."

"Duskull," Ash repeated. He had recovered from his shock and stood back up. The ghost-type slowly floated around his head in a circle, scanning Ash with his eye. He clearly liked what he found, because Duskull used the wispy appendages on either side of his body to pick up Ash's hat and set it upon himself.

Fuji chuckled again. "He likes you."

"I can see that," Ash smiled. Duskull flew to Mr. Fuji and tapped his forehead with a wispy limb. Fuji tapped the center of the ghost's skull mask in return. The old man frowned in thought for a moment more.

"I think you should take Duskull with you to the tower," Fuji said at last. "He is a resident, after all. He can guide you through the dangerous areas."

He blinked when the ghost appeared to agree and floated back over to Ash. Duskull tapped his forehead this time, surprising Ash with how solid the seemingly wispy appendage felt. The boy smiled back and mimicked Fuji by tapping Duskull in the center of his mask, which pleased the little ghost.

Ash glanced at Mr. Fuji again. "I still have to pick up my team from the Pokemon Center, but then I'll go to the tower. Is there anything else I should know?"

"Just a bit of folklore, if you're interested," the old man offered. When Ash nodded, he went on. "Pokemon Tower has actually been here since the ancient times. In fact, it was here long before Lavender Town was formed. We believe that a long-extinct culture made the tower in honor of a Legendary Pokemon, in the time when Kanto and Kalos were still one landmass."

That had his attention. Ash suddenly felt eager to find out more. "What was it?"

"Well, there are a few hypotheses," Fuji admitted. "There isn't much evidence for researchers to identify for sure one or another. However, I believe the tower was initially designed as a roost."

"A roost?"

"Have you heard of the Bell Tower in Johto?" Fuji asked. Ash shook his head, so the ex-Professor enlightened him. "The Bell Tower is, like the Pokemon Tower, an ancient construct. It was built in honor of the Legendary Pokemon Ho-oh, and served as a roost for the creature. The people who care for the tower still pass on the legend and continue to preserve it in hopes that one day, Ho-oh may return.

"I believe that given the geographical location of Pokemon Tower here in Lavender Town, it once served as a roost for a Legendary Pokemon thought to reside in Kalos—Yveltal. I think it used to live here before Kalos and Kanto split apart. The tower was on the edge of the continental drift and simply wasn't a part of the mass which became Kalos."

"Yveltal?" Ash repeated. He'd never heard of such a Pokemon. Ho-oh was a name he was familiar with, but Yveltal was alien to him.

"Yveltal is considered among Legendary Pokemon to be an incarnation of death. Its power drains the life force from all surrounding the creature. It would bear a certain irony that Yveltal may have once resided in Pokemon Tower, wouldn't you say?"

Ash nodded. That made sense to him; a Pokemon that embodied death resting in a place meant for the departed to be at peace. He wondered if that had ever made Yveltal sad—that its only companions would be those with no life left in them.

It seemed like a lonely existence.

Fuji smiled to himself and shook his head. "Anyways, I think that's enough rambling on my part. Go on, Ash. Good luck exploring the tower. I hope you find your ghost."

"Thank you," Ash replied. Duskull floated out of the room (still wearing his hat) and the boy turned to follow, but paused when Fuji stopped him one last time.

"If for whatever reason you do find yourself climbing the higher floors of the tower, do not attempt to enter the top floor. The ghost Pokemon guard it jealously and only Agatha is allowed access. I think it is a special place for them, though for what reason, I can only guess."

He nodded again. "I'll remember that. Thanks again."

After picking up his team from the Pokemon Center, Ash followed Duskull to the massive tower on the eastern edge of town. The construct was enormous, far bigger than he'd expected. It was at least twelve floors high and every brick was jet-black. There was something about the place that seemed to warn him away, but Ash had come too far to just leave. Duskull led him to a large door and the two of them entered Pokemon Tower.

It was fairly dark inside. Ash couldn't see much of anything, aside from countless tombstones that lined the floor in rows. He reached for a Poke Ball, but Duskull tapped his forehead slightly harder than before. Ash paused. Perhaps it would be best to take his guide's advice and refrain from releasing a member of his team just yet.

"So, where are the ghosts, Duskull?" Ash asked quietly.

Duskull started to float away, turning for just a second to let Ash know he was supposed to follow. He walked after the small ghost. It was easy to keep up with him. Duskull wasn't one for speed.

They walked throughout the tower for a while. Ash climbed three flights of stairs and stopped at the fourth, the warnings from Joy and Mr. Fuji ringing in his ears. Yet Duskull persisted and Ash's own curiosity gave way to the ghost's beckoning. They hadn't seen a single ghost-type and the absence of them was eerie.

They were at the base of the stairs that would take them to the sixth floor when Duskull tapped his forehead again to stop him. He paused and Duskull did the same, the single red eye narrowing. Ash thought that the ghost looked angry and decided that whatever was above them was not friendly. The ghost gave Ash his hat back and then vanished though a wall. He waited quietly; Duskull clearly had something in mind.

He heard two dull thumps and then Duskull appeared at the top of the stairs, beckoning him to follow. Ash ran up and froze when he saw two men unconscious on the ground. He had no idea what Duskull had done to them, but he relaxed as he spotted the telltale rise and fall of their breathing.

Then he saw the black uniforms with the characteristic red "R" on the shirts and realized what had angered Duskull.

Alarm and then rage went through him as he comprehended the sight. Team Rocket. The same group that had been ambushing trainers in Mt. Moon to steal their Pokemon for profit. They were operating here, undoubtedly capturing ghosts for their own personal gain. It also explained why the League trainer hadn't returned—they had possibly captured her or worse.

Even if they were unconscious, Ash wasn't willing to leave them there armed. He grabbed their Poke Balls and stuffed them into his bag. He'd deal with their Pokemon later.

Now in a hurry, Duskull led Ash to the base of the stairs for the next floor and stopped when they heard footsteps coming down. Ash hid behind a tombstone and gripped Pyro's Poke Ball. If it came to a fight, he was more than ready to fight off the Rocket grunts. They weren't very powerful on their own, as he recalled. It was when they were in a group that they were the most dangerous.

Two grunts appeared at the base of the stairs. They looked around and called out. "Hey, you lazy bums! You're on the job! Respond when we call you—"

Duskull suddenly floated in behind them and his single eye glowed brightly. Red energy coalesced in a faint outline around the two men. They froze and grimaced tightly before falling to the ground. Ash recognized the move as Disable.

He switched his hand from Pyro's Poke Ball to Douse's and set the Poliwhirl loose. The grunts were unable to move, but Duskull had left them conscious. That was enough for Ash.

Douse seemed confused by the situation. Ash pointed at one of the Rocket grunts and muttered quietly. "Use Hypnosis. I need to find out why they're here, Douse."

The Poliwhirl nodded and stood in front of one of the grunts. Ash pulled up the immobilized man's head and made him look at the spiral pattern on Douse's belly. The pattern began to swirl, enrapturing the grunt through his eyes. When the man's gaze became sleepy, Ash got started.

"What's Team Rocket doing here?"

"Catching ghost-types," the grunt responded sleepily. "The creepy monsters are rare and worth a lot of money."

Ash's eyes narrowed. "How many of you are there?"

"Standard squad. Twenty grunts and an Admin."

"Who's the Admin?"

"Lady Ariana. She's the head of research for Team Rocket. Real beauty, she is."

Ash rolled his eyes. He didn't care if the Admin was a supermodel. She was an enemy and a criminal. "A League trainer was sent to the tower a couple of days ago. What happened to her?"

"Ariana insisted we keep her," the grunt muttered. "She had some badass Pokemon, but Ariana's got a nasty Vileplume. The little monster blasted the League trainer with Sleep Powder before she even knew we were here."

"Where are you keeping her and her Pokemon? And where are you keeping the ghosts?"

"Next floor. Ariana didn't want her in the way of all the stuff happening on the top of the tower. We caught most of the ghosts. The rest of em are just floating around somewhere."

He nodded. "Douse, put him to sleep."

Douse's spiral pattern sped up a bit and then the grunt passed out completely. Ash stood up with clenched fists. He was gonna give the Rockets a taste of their own medicine. Snatching the Poke Balls from the unconscious grunts, Ash gave his orders to the two Pokemon beside him.

"Duskull, find out if there are any other grunts on the next floor. Douse, you're with me. We're going to help out that trainer and then beat Team Rocket senseless."

The ghost vanished quickly. Douse just nodded and followed his trainer. Ash knew that Douse had never encountered Team Rocket before, but he had to rely on him. Hypnosis would be invaluable for incapacitating the grunts they ran into.

Ash and Douse waited until Duskull returned. When the ghost reappeared at the base of the stairs, he shook his head. There were no grunts on the next floor. The ones they had just knocked out were likely the only ones that had been guarding the League trainer. Without further ado, they made their way the next floor.

Duskull led them straight to the League trainer, who was tied up and still asleep from what had probably been a nasty dose of Sleep Powder. To Ash's surprise, he recognized her.

"Cynthia?" Ash snapped his fingers in front of her eyes to get her attention. He glanced nervously around the room. They had no way of knowing when the next group of grunts would come downstairs to check things out. "Cynthia, wake up. C'mon."

She wasn't waking up anytime soon and he felt kind of bad for what he was about to do, but they would need her strength to beat down Team Rocket. "Douse, use Wake-Up Slap…gently."

Douse offered the sleeping woman a sympathetic look before delivering a (by his standards) fairly gently slap to her face. Ash winced. The move wouldn't even make most Pokemon flinch, but that was a decent slap by human standards.

Cynthia's eyes shot open and she glared at him furiously. She opened her mouth to snap, but instead winced as her voice came out scratchy and weak. "What the…"

"Shh!" Ash quickly put a finger over his lips. "There are still Rockets here. They're the ones who knocked you out."

She looked pale, undoubtedly a side-effect from being forced to sleep for so long. Ash grabbed his canteen and offered her a drink, which she accepted greedily. Once the worst of her thirst was quenched, she took a moment to center herself.

Cynthia's eyes narrowed. "You said there were Rockets? What happened? I was climbing the tower…"

"You got a dose of Sleep Powder from their Admin's Vileplume," Ash told her. When she gave him a questioning look, he embellished. "I had my Poliwhirl hypnotize a couple of grunts on the floor below this one and got some answers out of them. You've been here for two days, I think. I'm sorry for waking you up like that, but you were really out of it."

"No, you probably just saved my life…what are you doing here, Ash?"

"I came here to catch a ghost-type Pokemon. Then I ran into the Rockets and well…you know the rest. I didn't know you were the League trainer they were talking about, though. That was just chance."

Cynthia nodded. "Are my Pokemon still here?"

"I think so. Duskull—"

He was cut off when the little ghost floated over with six Poke Balls orbiting around him. Ash blinked and gestured to Duskull. "Well, there you go."

"That's a relief. Can you get these binders off of me?"

Ash set Pyro loose immediately. The Charmeleon looked bewildered by the odd situation, but didn't question Ash when he ordered the fire-type to cut Cynthia's bonds. Once she was free, Pyro looked at his trainer again.

"There are Rockets here in the Pokemon Tower," he told his starter quietly. "We're going to give them a taste of their own medicine."

Pyro's eyes narrowed into slits and his lip curled in the beginnings of a snarl at the mention of Team Rocket.

Cynthia stood up and took her Poke Balls from Duskull graciously. "Thank you. But Ash, you need to leave. If what you said is true, there's another Rocket Admin here. You remember how strong Proton was in Mt. Moon, don't you?"

Ash protested immediately. "I want to stay and help. You're not in great shape right now, anyways. What if you get knocked out again?"

"That was dumb luck on their part and not something I'll allow them to repeat," she muttered. Grey eyes blazed dangerously and Ash repressed a shiver.

"Very well, I'll let you come along," Cynthia said. "But you stay with me. Engage only the grunts and stay away from the Admin. I will deal with that one. They're on the upper floors, correct?"

Ash nodded. "Yeah. The Rocket we hypnotized said there were twenty of them and an Admin. There are sixteen grunts left now since we knocked out four of them. The Admin is a woman called Ariana. Apparently, she leads research for Team Rocket."

"Does she? Not for much longer. Come. We need to move quickly."

The next few floors were the same as the previous ones—guarded only by pairs of grunts. That was the case up until the final floor, where ten Rockets likely protected their Admin. Ash and Cynthia had yet to see them, but they had sent in Duskull to scout as he had done for the previous floors of the tower.

It also became apparent that there was an unusual power growing on this last floor. Ash had no idea what the power was, but it scared Duskull. The little ghost was shaking from the force Team Rocket had instigated. It was making them all uneasy.

Once Duskull reported back, Cynthia picked out one of her Poke Balls and looked at Ash. "I'm going to set one of my Pokemon on them. When the fighting starts, you stay behind me and do not stray. Do you understand?"

"I understand."

Cynthia nodded and tapped the release. Ash's eyes widened when a massive beast appeared before his eyes. It had dark blue scales covering its body, fins on its arms, back, and tail like a shark, and a sheer presence that could only belong to a dragon-type.

"This is Garchomp. She was my first Pokemon," Cynthia lifted her hand to rub the dragon's snout fondly. Garchomp rumbled a greeting to her trainer, observing her with concern, and then fixed pale yellow eyes on Ash. He did his best not to show the tension he felt—Garchomp held the same presence to her as Giovanni's Rhyperior. Maybe even more so.

The dragon seemed to deem him acceptable and then looked back to her trainer for instruction. Cynthia murmured something quietly to her, and Garchomp's eyes flared with aggression. Ash didn't get to ask what she had said because a second later, Garchomp had blurred up the stairs to the top floor and begun her assault.

Ash flinched as a violent tremor wracked the tower. The yells and screams of the Rocket grunts were easily audible above the furious growls of Garchomp as her wrath was unleashed. Cynthia had a satisfied smile on her face as she led Ash upstairs.

The whole place was chaos. Garchomp was darting at everyone in a Team Rocket uniform, knocking them out with swift blows from her claws, fins, and tail. Any Pokemon that the grunts tried to send out were defeated before they had even the foggiest idea what was happening. Ash caught sight of a woman in a white uniform barking orders and surmised that she was probably the Admin he'd heard of.

Cynthia had noticed her too. Once Garchomp had crushed all of the grunts, she strode towards Ariana with a firm glare plastered to her face.

"I'm going to be civil despite the fact that you saw fit to knock me out for a couple of days," Cynthia told her stiffly. "Give yourself up."

Ariana's response was to send out a Vileplume and a huge Arbok, which hissed and lashed its tail furiously. The serpent's hood spread and it managed to look rather intimidating. At least, it did to Ash.

Cynthia had no such reservations. "Garchomp, do it."

The dragon bared her fangs with righteous fury. She lunged at Arbok and her body became enveloped in blue-green energy—Dragon Rush, Ash realized. But a Dragon Rush that had been perfected to a degree that he hadn't even dreamed of. Arbok fired a Hyper Beam and Garchomp blazed right through it, impacting the serpent with devastating force. Vileplume frantically tried to hit the dragon with Sleep Powder, but then Garchomp unleashed a tongue of flame from its maw that cooked the grass-type instantly. Ariana's Pokemon were out not five seconds after their release.

Ariana looked shocked. "Who are you?!"

"That's none of your concern," Cynthia had a frown on her face. "Surrender. I'm not above letting Garchomp knock you out."

Garchomp sneered at Ariana, making the woman flinch briefly. For a moment, it seemed like she was going to surrender.

Then the temperature plummeted a good ten degrees and they all froze.

Ash startled as Duskull scrambled and tried to hide himself in his bag. The ghost was frantic—no, he was downright terrified. Ash looked back up as Ariana spun away from them to stare at a strange rock on the floor. To his surprise, it wriggled.

A moment later a blast of horribly dark energy erupted from the small stone and repelled himself, Ariana, and Cynthia away. Ash winced when he fell hard, but managed to look up just as the energy began to swirl around the stone, creating a vortex of purples and greens.

He wondered if this thing was the reason why the top floor of Pokemon Tower was banned to all but Agatha, but didn't get to think about it beyond that when the vortex suddenly grew a pair of slanted emerald eyes and a similarly colored fanged maw. The creature blinked and its eyes narrowed with anger. The three people watching could only stare as its ethereal mouth briefly closed.

The roar which tore from the creature's fangs made Ash's skin crawl and mashed down on every single primal instinct in his body. It was a command to flee from this creature's very presence, for it was not of this world and held no pity nor mercy for any living thing in its path. The ghost was uncontrollable fury incarnate.

Nothing had ever made him want to run before, but this thing was doing a better job of it than anything else he had encountered prior to it.

Ash saw ghostly black energy start to gather at its mouth and realized it was about to fire a Shadow Ball. He reached for Sobek's Poke Ball, knowing that the dark-type was probably his only hope of fighting this thing, but he was stopped as Ariana threw a Poke Ball at the creature. It was sucked in before it had the opportunity to attack, and the device hit the ground with a clatter.

There was a pregnant pause of utter silence. Then the Poke Ball exploded and the creature sprang free. Its eyes were widened with surprise, but the shock was brief. The emerald slits glared daggers at Ariana a second later and the Rocket Admin turned to run for the stairs. The creature roared again and unleashed a howling gale of black wind, blowing her away and sending the limp bodies of the unconscious Rockets flying all over the room.

Ash dove behind a tombstone to hide from the blast and cringed at the bloodcurdling howl the creature made. It was beyond reason. It would kill them all before letting even one of them escape, and it would not differentiate between the Rockets and himself.

Then Garchomp roared and lunged at it. The creature seemed surprised that something was actually attacking it, and shrieked when Garchomp spat a sphere of emerald energy at it. Ash watched as the Dragon Pulse made contact and exploded, knocking the creature back. It generated a second Shadow Ball and fired it this time, but Garchomp blocked it with the fins on her arms and roared at the creature again.

Cynthia was calmly giving orders to the dragon—Ash had no idea how she was doing it in the face of this terrifying entity, but it was awe-inspiring to watch. The creature that was making him freeze up was helpless in the face of Garchomp's onslaught, and he watched, incredulous, as the fury in its eyes turned to hesitance, then panic. Garchomp was overpowering it, proving attack after attack that she held more power than the ghost.

In desperation it seemed, the ghost tried to hit Garchomp with a Hyper Beam. The dragon again braced herself with her fins and took the harsh orange beam head-on. She blew it away when the Hyper Beam sputtered out and fired another Dragon Pulse, this time hitting the stone that the creature had originated from.

It gave out a wailing cry and suddenly all the violet and green energy retreated back into the stone. Cynthia had a Poke Ball flying through the air before Ash could blink, sucking the creature into it. This time, the ball wriggled on the floor and went still shortly after it had been contained.

Ash let out a breath he wasn't aware he'd been holding. The temperature went back to normal and the malicious air the creature had exuded was gone.

He jumped when he felt a hand on his shoulder and looked up to see Cynthia watching him with concern. "Are you okay?"

"Y-yeah," he managed. "I'm fine."

She nodded and looked up as Garchomp came over with the Poke Ball containing the creature in one of her claws. Cynthia took the ball gratefully and looked at it with a frown. "It seems as though we found out what was causing the influx of spirits here."

Ash blinked. "Wasn't that caused by Team Rocket capturing all the ghosts?"

"No. Their presence disturbed the ghosts, yes, but it didn't cause this," Cynthia told him. She held the Poke Ball up. "This is a Spiritomb. It's a ghost Pokemon that forms by gathering hundreds of spirits and concentrating them in the stone we saw—an Odd Keystone. It likely had been slumbering here until the Rockets came. They probably tried to awaken it in order to capture Spiritomb and use it for themselves."

"Well, they definitely succeeded in waking it up," Ash muttered.

Cynthia smiled with amusement. "I'll keep Spiritomb with me for now. I'll have to talk with Agatha, though, to decide what happens to it. Come on—we should get to the Pokemon Center. I have a call to make to the League. These Rockets can't just be left here to escape. Garchomp, watch them."

Garchomp grinned and nodded, stalking over to the unconscious form of Ariana and sitting down beside her. Ash had a feeling that the Admin wouldn't be moving much, even if she woke up.

That was fine with him. He just wanted to get out of the tower.

A few hours later, Ash watched as League forces came out of the tower with the Rockets in custody. He had given them the Poke Balls he retrieved from the unconscious grunts on the lower floors once they arrived. Cynthia was currently speaking with the leader of the group, but whatever they were talking about was lost to Ash.

"Seems you didn't find your ghost."

He jumped and spun around, but relaxed when he found the voice belonged to Mr. Fuji. The old man smiled with amusement. "Though you look like you sure have seen one."

Ash rolled his eyes. "Ha ha. Very funny."

"It is, depending on your point of view," Fuji chuckled. "Still, I'm glad you made it out of the tower alright. We owe you a great deal, boy. If you hadn't insisted on going, those Rockets probably would have made off with many of our town's precious ghost Pokemon."

"I didn't really do much," he protested, embarrassed by the praise. "Cynthia did all the real work. I just woke her up."

"Still, without you, who knows what may have happened? Don't sell yourself short, Ash. Few trainers would have had the courage to keep climbing the tower."

Ash shrugged helplessly, but Fuji just smiled. "By the way, where is Duskull?"

"Oh, he dove into my bag when Spiritomb…huh?" Ash looked into his bag and frowned. "Um…he was here a little while ago."

"Don't worry about it. I'm sure he'll come around before too long," the old man told him. "He's probably in the Day Care as we speak, playing with some of the little ones."

Their conversation was cut short as Cynthia walked over to him. Ash faced the older trainer with a question.

"The Rockets are taken care of?"

"Yes. They'll be taken to a prison for the time being until we can get someone from the League to interrogate them. It seems Ariana has quite a bit of information regarding their organization—we'll probably have Sabrina get it out of her."

Ash nodded and Cynthia gave him an apologetic smile. "That said, with the current state of things, I'm afraid Pokemon Tower is going to have restricted access for a while. Only Agatha and her people will be allowed inside. You'll have to put your ghost hunt on hold."

He smirked. "That's okay. I'm just happy I got to cause Team Rocket trouble."

That got him a brief frown, but it disappeared from the tall woman's face just as quickly. "What will you do now, Ash?"

"I'll probably make my way to Celadon," Ash replied. "That was the plan after I caught a ghost-type. Besides, I need to hit the department store there. A few of my Pokemon need TMs to give them more options."

Cynthia was quiet for a moment. "How about this? The fastest way to Celadon is through Saffron City. I'll come along with you as far as Saffron, if that's alright with you. I need to speak with Sabrina."

"Um, sure!" The offer caught him by surprise. Ash didn't really know much about Cynthia, but he knew that she was a powerful trainer beyond any other he'd met before. There was a lot he could learn from her—first and foremost how to help Pyro master Dragon Rush.

She smiled. "Great. We'll be staying here for the night so I can rest, but we can leave first thing tomorrow morning. Does that work for you?"

"Yes," he agreed.

"Excellent. Well, I've still got some things to take care of. I'll meet you in the Pokemon Center tomorrow, alright?"

He nodded. Cynthia turned to Mr. Fuji and bowed slightly to the old man, who returned the curtesy. Then she spun around and left, her long blonde hair swaying behind her.

Mr. Fuji looked back at Ash. "I'd best head home. The young Pokemon are sure to be a little nervous from all the excitement out here."

"Alright," Ash replied. He held his hand out to the elder, who shook it with a grateful smile.

"Again, thank you Ash. I wish you luck on your journey."

They said their goodbyes and parted. Ash headed to the Pokemon Center, suddenly feeling exhaustion from the intense day catching up with him.

The next day he was immediately faced with an astronomical problem: his hat was missing.

Ash practically tore his room and bag apart looking for it, but no matter where he checked, he could not find it. He briefly worried he had left it in Pokemon Tower, but dismissed the thought. He had taken it off just before going to bed, he was certain.

He searched for an hour before finally giving it up. It was frustrating—it was a great hat!—but there was no point in going nuts over something that could be replaced. Ash sighed. That wasn't exactly the best way to start out his day. He was more than ready to leave Lavender Town now.

No ghost-type on his belt and now his hat was missing. Wonderful.

Cynthia was waiting for him in the lobby of the Pokemon Center. She watched him sit down and blinked at the annoyed expression on his face. "Is something wrong?"

"My hat went missing," he muttered. "I know it's not that big a deal, but I really liked that hat."

She smiled sympathetically and waited for him to start eating breakfast before she began to talk. "This trip shouldn't take very long. A few days, perhaps. Route Eight is rather short and it's basically just a straight road between Saffron and Lavender Town."

Ash took a drink and swallowed. "I was wondering if you could help me with a move my Charmeleon knows."

"And that move would be?"

"Dragon Rush," he answered. Cynthia looked surprised, so he continued. "It's an egg move he knows innately. But Pyro can't seem to get the right kind of energy for Dragon Rush. He just tackles opponents as hard as he can."

"Hmm…" She considered what he told her thoughtfully. "At best, Garchomp can only point Charmeleon in the right direction. If we had more time, then I could help you more, but given that we'll only have a few days…"

"Anything at all would be helpful," Ash assured her.

"Well, then we'll do what we can with the time we have," she promised.

Their first day of travel was actually rather quiet, and the pace was sedate since Cynthia was still recovering from her ordeal in the Tower. Few trainers were traveling back and forth between Lavender and Saffron it seemed, though that might have been due to the high temperature. Ash battled as many of them as he could, while Cynthia simply watched. She analyzed every fight Ash took part in, silent for the most part. When they got back on their way, she would offer a few comments regarding the battle.

They stopped for lunch at midday and made themselves comfortable under the shade of a small tree. It was baking hot outside and any relief from the heat was more than welcome.

Ash set his team loose and passed each of them a can of Pokemon food. Pikachu, Eevee, and Douse settled down close to him because they weren't keen about the heat. However, much to his amusement, Pyro and Sobek went straight into an open patch of sunlight and started napping together. He knew they loved warm temperatures, but watching the pair of reptiles pile up in a tangle of scaly tails, legs, and arms was funny.

They thrived in the heat and piling up together made them happy. It made him happy too, seeing his most aggressive Pokemon getting along so well.

Cynthia seemed to find it amusing as well. "They're right in their element, aren't they?"

"Yeah," Ash agreed, chuckling when Sobek opened his huge jaws and closed his eyes in bliss. It was the croc's way of expelling excess heat, but he knew that Sobek took pleasure in showing off his fangs.

"I have to say Ash, I'm impressed," Cynthia remarked, gesturing to his team. "Last time I saw you, the only Pokemon you had were Charmeleon, Pikachu, and Sandile. You've built up quite the team."

"Thank you," he replied. Pikachu rubbed up against his arm and Ash scratched the mouse's ears fondly. "They did all the hard work."

Her eyes lingered on Eevee. "If you don't mind my asking, where did you get Eevee? They're quite rare."

Ash frowned slightly. "Actually, I adopted her from Officer Jenny in Cerulean City. She had been confiscated from an illegal Pokemon mill and didn't like people at all. I'm taking care of her as best I can, but…she still won't train with me. She doesn't really get along with anyone on the team, either."

Eevee offered him a rebellious look, confirming his words without placing herself on his side.

Cynthia hid a small smile from the little Pokemon. "It looks like she's healthy. You've done a good job caring for her, even if she won't train with you yet."

She pondered Eevee for another moment before pulling out her own Poke Ball. "I have an idea. Perhaps Eevee should meet one of my Pokemon. I think she's more likely to get along with this one."

Ash watched curiously as Cynthia tapped the release and set loose a small, canine Pokemon with beautiful icy silver fur. It had deep blue eyes and what looked like ice crystals on its forehead. To his surprise, Eevee perked up at the creature and stared at it intently.

"This is Glaceon," Cynthia introduced. "She's the ice-type evolution of Eevee. Glaceon, this is Ash and his team. They're new friends of mine."

Glaceon's elegant tail waved slightly as she made a soft call, breathing cool air upon Ash and his team. He shivered slightly and wondered how powerful the ice-type was—the temperature around her was dropping fast despite the sun's heat.

Eevee was actually the first one to approach Glaceon and sniffed her curiously. Glaceon watched the little normal-type and sat down, patiently waiting for Eevee to complete her inspection. Ash smiled at the sight—he didn't recall ever seeing the small Pokemon so relaxed.

Once Eevee had finished taking in Glaceon, she sat down and looked up at the ice-type, unsure what to do next. Glaceon's eyes glittered with amusement, then she used one paw to herd Eevee closer to her. Before Eevee could react, Glaceon was licking at her fur. She tried to protest briefly, but the ice-type made a low purr that settled the smaller Pokemon down. Eevee slowly relaxed, giving Glaceon the chance to groom the youngster.

Cynthia smiled. "Nothing quite calms a young Pokemon like being with an older one of the same line. You'll find that many species are like that."

"I'll definitely remember," Ash promised. He was amazed at how easily Glaceon had calmed Eevee and gotten close to her. It had taken him a month just for Eevee to accept him, and she still didn't really like or listen to him at all.

While Eevee dozed under Glaceon's care, Cynthia looked over to Pyro. "Charmeleon is the one that knows Dragon Rush, if I remember right?"

"Yes. But like I said, he can't use it well," Ash scratched the back of his head.

"I'd like to see it," she told him. Cynthia stood up and took another Poke Ball out. This one released Garchomp, and the sight of the massive dragon startled all of his team except for Eevee, who Ash was pretty sure was half-asleep.

Garchomp was a fan of the sun's warmth too, because she immediately walked into the light and growled happily as heat washed over her scales. Cynthia glanced at Ash. "Bring your Charmeleon over."

Ash nodded eagerly. "Pyro! Get up, buddy. Training time."

Pyro untangled himself from the pile of scales (much to Sobek's annoyance) and walked over to Garchomp fearlessly. He made a growl and the dragon looked down at him for a moment before snorting. She clearly didn't find him very threatening.

Cynthia seemed amused by the fire-type's aggression. "Ash, have Charmeleon use Dragon Rush on Garchomp. She needs to see where he's at to work on it."

Ash glanced at Pyro. "Do as she says."

The fire-type snarled with delight and leapt back from the dragon several meters. He tensed for a moment, pupils narrowing to slits, then lunged at her. Garchomp simply stood and waited, not even flinching when Pyro crashed into her plated belly.

Pyro recoiled from the impact and looked at the dragon with a dumbfounded expression. Garchomp bared her fangs in a mockery of a grin and made a chuffing sound that Ash interpreted as laughter.

Cynthia had her arms crossed as she analyzed the attack. She got Pyro's attention by whistling and gestured at Garchomp. "Again."

The Charmeleon glanced at Ash first, but when he nodded, the fire-type repeated the attack. Again, Garchomp did not move—literally not even an inch. She was so much bigger and heavier than Pyro that his attacks couldn't make her budge. Cynthia had Pyro repeat Dragon Rush thrice more before she looked at her starter.

"Garchomp? What do you think?"

Garchomp considered Pyro with a surprisingly thoughtful expression for several moments. Then she looked at Cynthia and made a light growl. The trainer nodded and looked at Ash next. "We'll give you a visual example. One of the best ways for a Pokemon to learn a new move is by watching another use it. Your Charmeleon understands the rough concept of Dragon Rush, but he lacks the finesse required to master it."

Cynthia turned back to Garchomp. "Go."

Garchomp growled at Pyro, getting the fire-type's undivided attention. She crouched slightly, bending at the knees and lowering her blunt skull. Ash felt the dragon-type energy gathering before he saw it, making the air shiver as it coalesced around Garchomp in a blue-green aura. The dragon's pupils narrowed into slits and she launched herself across the grass with unnerving speed. The sheer force of the charge was enough to send a whirlwind in every direction that was powerful enough to almost knock Ash over.

Pyro stood his ground against the blast of air and stared, transfixed by the power Garchomp had displayed. The dragon came to a stop, turned, and then performed the move again. When she was done, she looked at Pyro and made a series of growls and hisses. Whatever she was saying, Pyro apparently understood.

The fire-type crouched slightly to mimic Garchomp and lowered his head, though he must have done so a bit too much because the dragon stalked over and used her claw to lift Pyro's chin a few inches. She snapped her jaws together loudly and Pyro lunged.

Ash was intrigued. Before now, Dragon Rush had been little more than a rough tackling attack. Pyro didn't bother on technique because blunt force was usually enough to do the job. However, Garchomp's Dragon Rush was far more refined than that. Whereas Pyro's technique was similar to a bludgeon, Garchomp's was intensified to that of a spear—overwhelming raw power with a focal point to concentrate the damage upon.

Pyro's Dragon Rush looked better just after the first try. He didn't charge recklessly and seemed to be focusing on something. Garchomp was, however, clearly dissatisfied because she growled again and had Pyro repeat the move at least a dozen times. She then provided another example and had her fire-type charge practice again.

Cynthia got Ash's attention and gestured back to the shade. "We can leave them to it. Garchomp isn't about to stop now that she's gotten started."

Ash nodded and followed her. There wasn't anything he could do for Pyro, anyways. Garchomp was his teacher now, and Ash had a feeling that her new student would not be getting a break anytime soon.

The dragon had high standards and he doubted she would settle for anything less than perfection.

Their daily pattern over the next few days repeated in a similar fashion; they would travel for a few hours, Ash challenging any trainers he came across, then settled down for lunch at midday and later in the evening to make camp. During any long stop they made, Garchomp dragged Pyro away from Ash and ran him ragged in the training for Dragon Rush. His starter was dead tired by the time they stopped for the night and Ash always gave him a sympathetic look when Pyro passed out.

Garchomp was a great teacher, but she was utterly merciless.

While Pyro continued his harsh training, Ash focused on the rest of his team. He often pitted Sobek and Douse against each other, making sure that they stayed on their toes. Sobek hated getting hit by water-type moves and Douse did not enjoy being bitten by his crocodilian team mate. Needless to say, this resulted in a variety of tricks on either side in their efforts to strike without being stricken.

Ash had actually gotten an idea with Pikachu's training—it seemed like he had the same problem with Volt Tackle that Pyro had with Dragon Rush. With that in mind, he let Pikachu attend some of Pyro's lessons with Garchomp in an effort to make Volt Tackle more effective. When the mouse wasn't working with them, Ash had him practicing Electro Ball. The move wasn't difficult to learn (as Surge had told him in Vermillion) but it did require concentration Pikachu had yet to learn. Still, he was pretty sure Pikachu would have it down before too long.

He considered the most progress to have been made by Eevee. Glaceon's presence was a boon—she had single-handedly helped Eevee relax and open up. Ash had almost startled when Eevee crawled into his lap one evening after a particularly long grooming session with Glaceon and fallen asleep. She had never willingly gotten that close to him.

Eevee had even begun to train, though only with Glaceon. She was obviously behind the rest of his team, but he had to admit, her Shadow Ball was quite powerful.

Ash really enjoyed traveling and training with Cynthia. It was the most fun he'd had in a while, and the elite trainer was incredibly knowledgeable. She often told him of legends from the Sinnoh region, ranging anywhere from the two lunar islands to the deities that were said to govern time and space. Ash soon felt a great desire to see Sinnoh personally. One day, he promised himself.

However, all was not sunshine and daisies on their trip. Every night, Ash got an eerie feeling that they were being watched. He hadn't noticed anything unusual and Cynthia said it was possible that the Spiritomb she had captured was emanating negative feelings from inside its Poke Ball, but that didn't seem right to him. What he felt wasn't negative, just…odd.

It got to the point on their final night of traveling that he couldn't bring himself to sleep. Ash glanced around the camp warily, but found that everyone was asleep and apparently unaffected by what he was feeling.

He gave up after a while that he would see anything and decided to have a drink before sleeping. Ash opened his bag—

Ash barely stopped himself from shrieking when he found a skull and a big red eye staring back at him. He threw a hand over his mouth and took a minute to calm his pounding heart. Meanwhile, Duskull floated out of his bag and made a quiet snicker.

He glared at the ghost and hissed under his breath. "Duskull, what are you doing here? You're supposed to be back in Lavend—that's my hat!"

The ghost was wearing his missing hat and seemed to take even more mischievous glee out of the astonished look on Ash's face. He made to grab the hat, but Duskull easily evaded him. Ash's glare returned tenfold. "Duskull, give me my hat back."

Duskull shook his head and used one of his wispy arms to take the hat off. He held it away from Ash and then pointed at the boy with his spare arm. Ash frowned. "What do you want?"

Duskull again gestured to him, but Ash's frown didn't go away. The ghost rolled his single eye and then in one smooth move, plopped the hat on Ash's head and tapped an empty Poke Ball on his belt. The boy blinked as Duskull was sucked into the ball and settled there in moments.

Ash didn't really know what to do. Duskull had captured himself…was he supposed to wake someone up and say something about this? A ghost had been tagging along with them for days and no one had noticed. He helplessly wondered what to do for a few more minutes before shrugging and giving up. He'd figure out what to do tomorrow morning.

At least he had his hat back.

Chapter Text

Chapter Seven: Sunny Days

"I see you've gotten your hat back," Cynthia commented after Ash released Duskull. She was observing the little ghost with amusement as he snickered. Duskull had been a surprise for them all, but he was friendly to everyone—Pikachu especially. He mentally groaned when he comprehended the pranks that the two of them could come up with once they really started to get along.

Ash smirked and adjusted the hat upon Cynthia mentioning it. "Yeah. I didn't expect Duskull to tag along with us, though. You'd think we'd have noticed him by now."

"A lot of ghost Pokemon can hide themselves completely. If he didn't want to be seen, then he made certain of it. I think he was probably just watching you to verify that you were a good trainer."

Duskull nodded and floated over to tap Ash on the forehead. He smiled and poked the ghost-type's mask back, prompting Duskull to chuckle and float off again, this time towards Pyro. The only member of the team that their new friend had any aversion to was Sobek—probably because he was a dark-type. Ash suspected that Duskull would get over it before long, though. It wasn't like Sobek was openly malicious.

He realized he knew nothing about Duskull before long and quickly pulled out his Pokedex, pointing it at the ghost to initiate the scanning process.

Duskull, the Requiem Pokemon. It pursues those it chases wherever they go and passes through walls no matter how thick they may be. Duskull wander throughout the night and gather in numbers during the pitch-black of the new moon.

This Duskull is male and knows the moves: Astonish, Disable, Protect, Confuse Ray, and Shadow Sneak. Its ability is Levitate, which allows Duskull to avoid ground type attacks.

Ash considered Duskull's move pool thoughtfully. He mostly knew defensive and status-afflicting moves, but had few actual methods of attack. They would have to work on expanding that.

Duskull floated back over to him and stole Ash's hat before he could do anything about it. He smirked as the ghost circled him, wearing his hat in a humorous gesture. Ash held his hand out under the small ghost and watched as Duskull simply levitated above it.

"So, I can see that you want to travel with us," Ash began. "I'm more than happy to bring you along. Would you like a nickname? Some of the others have one."

Duskull nodded. Ash already had a few ideas, so he listen them off for the ghost until they found one that his newest partner liked.

"Spectre."

That made Duskull do a forward flip, which Ash interpreted as excitement. The ghost tapped Ash's forehead, which he wryly returned. "Spectre it is. Glad to have you with us."

He faced the rest of his team and pointed each of them out in turn for Spectre. "Alright, let me introduce you to everyone. That's Pyro."

The Charmeleon thrashed his tail and spat a gout of flame in the air, getting a snort from Sobek. Spectre floated over to the fire-type and tapped the strong red horn on his head. Pyro swatted at him, but the ghost had found out what he wanted, so Ash continued.

"Pikachu."

Pikachu chittered and waved his paw at Spectre, which the Duskull returned with his wispy arms. The ghost floated around the mouse for a moment and poked his tail. Spectre received an electric surprise however, and recoiled when the pranking shock traveled up his wispy limbs. Pikachu sniggered at his success and grinned at the ghost innocently. Spectre eyed him curiously, then moved on.

"Sobek."

This was where the Duskull was most hesitant, especially when Sobek bared his fangs and growled loudly, trying to outdo Pyro's show of strength. The Charmeleon was annoyed by that and snapped at him, but didn't attack. Spectre observed Sobek from a few meters away and seemed satisfied with that.

"Eevee."

Spectre approached Eevee and tapped her forehead immediately. The little normal-type looked annoyed, but she was in a good enough mood to make a sound of greeting. Spectre happily floated around her in a circle, depositing Ash's hat on her head before he continued on to the last member of the group. He smirked when Eevee shook herself thoroughly to toss the accessory off and appeared rather miffed.

"And Douse."

The Poliwhirl waved at Spectre, recognizing him from the Pokemon Tower. Spectre waved back and tapped Douse's spiral pattern. Douse blinked at him and tapped the ghost back on his mask. Spectre made a cheery sound at that, pleased by the action.

Ash smiled at the ghost. "This is our team. We'll add on to it as we travel, but this is everyone for now. I want to become the greatest Pokemon Master in the world and I'll do my best to make you as strong as you can be. How does that sound?"

Spectre nodded and made a hollow cackle. Ash figured that was as good an answer as he would get, so he looked back to Cynthia. "I guess we're ready to go."

She smiled. "Good. Saffron City is still a couple of days away. You'll have plenty of time to get to know each other."

Ash and Cynthia were setting up camp for the night. They planned on getting to Saffron tomorrow, hopefully around noon with any luck.

Garchomp was busy grilling Pyro with Dragon Rush again. The Chameleon was really getting the hang of it by now—he still had trouble mustering up much of any dragon-type energy, but his form was miles ahead of where they'd started at.

Eevee was content to take her last night with Glaceon and accept the ice-type's grooming. Cynthia's Roserade was also present, indulging the rest of Ash's team with some spars, along with a fighting-type Pokemon he'd never seen before. Cynthia called the jackal-like fighter Lucario.

Roserade and Lucario weren't doing much attacking (and honestly, Ash had a funny feeling the spar would've been over immediately if they had) and instead deflected or dodged most of the attacks from his team. It was a good experience, facing enemies they'd never encountered before.

There was still a bit of daylight left when Lucario stopped in the middle of blocking Douse's Mega Punch and jerked his head towards a nearby trail leading out of the nearby forest. He barked once, sharply, and everyone immediately stopped what they were doing to pay attention.

Ash blinked as three distinct shapes walked out of the dark woods—a young man, a girl about the same age, and an Umbreon trotting at the girl's side. They looked like typical travelers, although the guy looked a bit sketchy with a roguish, lazy sneer on his face.

The girl seemed kinder, though. She waved and smiled brightly as the travelers started to pass their camp altogether, but then the guy caught sight of Garchomp and halted. He blinked, let his gaze slide from the dragon to her trainer, and recognition sparked.

"Well, shit," the young man smirked, turning to face them. "I didn't think I'd see you of all people out here."

Cynthia raised an eyebrow. "Nor did I expect to see you. It's…Wes, isn't it?"

"That'd be me," he confirmed, walking closer with Umbreon and the girl close behind.

"What're you doing out here?"

"Just finished taking down Sabrina," Wes shrugged. "Thought we'd take the long road on the way to Vermillion. Been a while since we've seen the ocean."

Ash was totally lost. Wes spared him a glance and snickered. "Who's the runt?"

Pyro growled, but Wes didn't even give the Chameleon a hint that he'd heard the threat. Ash's eyes narrowed. "What's it to you?"

"Oh, it's nothing to me," Wes sneered. "I'm just wondering what a big shot Elite Four Trainee like Cynthia Solace is doing with some kid."

"Wes, be nice," the girl scolded, reaching up to cuff the back of his head.

Ash was a little surprised when the young man ran a hand through his messy, sand-colored hair and shrugged. "Sorry. Old habits."

"I heard you grew up in Orre," Cynthia replied. "I get it."

"I don't think you do, but I'm not interested in talking about that crappy place," Wes muttered.

Orre? Ash wondered. The roughneck, wasteland of a region where Cipher had originated. A shady place full of shady people. Not the ideal location to grow up in.

"Enough of that," Wes shook his head and fire blazed in his eyes as a dangerous grin curled his lips up. "I didn't think I'd meet another trainer anywhere near Sabrina's level anytime soon, let alone you. Up for a battle?"

Cynthia's eyes gleamed and she cocked her head to the side just the slightest. "Daylight's almost gone, so would a one-on-one suffice?"

"Works for me," Wes agreed without hesitating. "Rui."

"Yeah, yeah," the girl rolled her eyes good-naturedly. "C'mon Umbreon."

"Ash, get your team out of the way," Cynthia ordered, her tone suddenly no-nonsense. Ash didn't bother to ask why.

He called his team to his side, away from the pair of trainers currently facing off. Garchomp, Glaceon, Roserade, and Lucario were at Cynthia's back in an instant.

Rui skipped over and stopped near Ash. "Hi. I'm Rui. Sorry about Wes, he's a little…snappy."

Umbreon snickered, but its ears pricked curiously when it caught sight of Eevee, who stared back at it with equal interest. The dark-type approached slowly, stretching its neck out to sniff at its pre-evolution, who matched it.

Ash smiled at the exchange and nodded at Rui. "I'm Ash. Cynthia and I met up at Lavender Town and decided to travel to Saffron together. She's been helping my team train up a bit."

"Neat!" Rui exclaimed, infinitely more polite and friendly than her traveling companion. "Gunning for the Indigo League?"

"Yep."

"So is Wes," she turned to watch the face-off as Wes extracted an Ultra Ball from his belt.

Wes' grin became feral as the device enlarged in his hand and he threw it out onto the field.

Ash's eyes grew wide when an enormous shape emerged from the Ultra Ball—a resplendent, fierce beast that dwarfed all the other Pokemon. Gleaming brown fur covered the massive creature, and each of its mighty paws were wider than Ash's head. A glorious mask of gold and silver covered the beast's face, with a crimson frame of spines on either side. The mane at its back was a thick cloud of billowing ash, funneled between two sets of thick spikes.

When it set its fiery eyes on Cynthia, the beast opened its maw, baring enormous fangs, and howled a challenge. Embers sparked from its parted jaws and the ground at its feet began to sizzle and burn as its long, black claws were unsheathed.

The awe and splendor was almost ruined when Umbreon gave a yip and rushed over to the beast, who lowered its head so the dark-type could lick its snout. It watched, amused, as its companion returned to Eevee, who had been startled by the beast's arrival and fluffed up until she was almost twice her original size.

Wes smirked at Cynthia's frown. "What's wrong? Never seen an Entei before?"

"Not up close, no," she admitted, gauging the beast as it sat down on its haunches, studying her in-turn. Even sitting down, the enormous fire-type was seven feet tall at the shoulder, easily, and had to weigh at least a few hundred pounds.

"Entei?" Ash wondered aloud. "The legendary Pokemon?"

"One of them, yes," Rui admitted. "Wes captured Entei in Orre. He was being used by criminals there. Entei's a bit of a loner, but once he warms up to you, he's the most loyal friend you'll find."

Ash processed that silently, a little dazed as he stared at the incredibly rare Pokemon. There were some species out there, like Entei, who were considered "legends" for their absurd rarity and notorious strength. Locating them was difficult enough, but capturing and training one of the famed creatures was even more difficult. To achieve such a thing was the mark of a truly powerful trainer, and legends were rarely owned by anyone not at the level of the Elite Four.

Entei, like most others, was considered to be a "minor legend". As rare and powerful as it was, along with Pokemon like Kanto's Bird Trio, there were some legends said to be too powerful to catch or train, and "mythical" Pokemon who were so obscenely hard to find, few knew whether they were even real.

Cynthia assessed Entei for a minute in silence before she whistled sharply. "Garchomp."

The dragon darted onto the battlefield and splayed her clawed arms wide in a show of dominance. At her full height, she matched Entei, who rose back onto all fours and faced his foe with a deep, rumbling growl that sent a shiver down Ash's spine.

"The rest of you, damage control," Cynthia ordered. Roserade, Glaceon, and Lucario immediately spread out, keeping a fair distance from the two fighters.

"Expecting things to get messy?" Wes snickered.

"Don't get too overconfident," Cynthia warned. "Entei won't be the first legend Garchomp's brought down."

Entei snarled at that, spitting flames. Wes smirked. "We'll see. Extreme Speed."

Cynthia scowled. "Double Team. Hone Claws."

Garchomp split into a dozen illusions as she slid her claws against each other, moving in a rush as Entei crouched and launched itself into a blur. The beast pounced on one Garchomp and growled when it disappeared, twisting in the same motion to leap at another with fire tearing from its maw.

"Dragon Rush."

Entei's jaws closed on air as Garchomp ducked under the Fire Fang and belted up into the fire-type's exposed belly. The beast howled, then spun with a snarl and snapped at her tail. Garchamp narrowly avoided the bite and twisted as she landed, allowing the Double Team to fade away as she lunged at Entei's flank with another Dragon Rush.

"Lava Plume!" Wes snapped.

Entei roared as the cloud at its back seared to life, exploding in every direction with blazing flame and ash. Garchomp slowed only long enough to whip up a Sandstorm to combat the Lava Plume, then dove through the weaker flames to ram her full might into Entei's shoulder.

The beast snarled again and lurched forward, clamping his enormous jaws onto Garchomp's fin. Garchomp roared in pain and jammed a Dragon Claw into Entei's exposed neck, causing the beast to jerk away with a yelp. It opened its mouth and a corona of flame bellowed forth, forcing the dragon to leap away.

"Flare Blitz!"

"Dig."

Entei pounced onto the hole Garchomp's tail vanished into, spitting more fire into the tunnel. Ash heard an enraged bellow echo through the tunnel, and then Garchomp barreled out headfirst with a savage Giga Impact.

Entei recoiled as the unforgiving attack crushed his throat, sending him flying back. He barely kept his footing, choking out embers and looking up just as the furious dragon bore down on him again.

Garchomp snarled, a Sandstorm tearing around her as she assaulted the beast with all her might. Dragon Claws tore through Entei's thick pelt and when the enormous fire-type lifted a paw to try and swat her away, she dove down and clamped her terribly powerful jaws into the beast's ankle. The Crunch ripped through fur and muscle until they heard the crack of bone.

Entei howled, spitting and biting as Garchomp backed off with a growl in her throat. The beast limped on three legs, his body an inferno to prevent the dragon from getting close again.

Wes scowled. "Fire Blast!"

Entei spat a five-pronged explosion in Garchomp's direction, but the dragon dug underground again and popped up close to Entei again. Instead of going for another physical attack, she launched a Dragon Pulse in the beast's face, sending him staggering again. Entei roared in blind fury, but his opponent did not yield to his infernal rage. If anything, the beast's frustration made Garchomp sneer.

Ash chanced a glance at Cynthia and noted her frown. She looked a little disappointed.

He himself was a bit perplexed. Entei was powerful, yes, but its technique was sloppy. It wasted a lot of unnecessary energy and didn't seem experienced in combat against foes of greater or equal power to itself. He wondered if it was too used to just overwhelming weaker opponents—against Garchomp, it had only done a little damage.

"Enough," Cynthia declared. Garchomp leapt back to her master, still watching Entei sharply. The beast growled, but lowered himself onto all fours to lick at his wounded paw.

Wes looked bitter, but…not quite surprised as he walked up to the fire-type. "You did well."

Entei growled again, clearly not agreeing, but too tired and hurt to care.

Cynthia approached with Garchomp at her side, still frowning. "You haven't trained him much, have you?"

Wes pulled a pack from over his shoulder and extracted a number of potions. "Entei only recently recovered from Cipher's work on him. They were…really thorough with him and the other beasts. It's taken a long time for him to feel comfortable enough to venture away from Agate Village. Suicune still won't leave Celebi's Shrine."

Cynthia's eyes narrowed. "I see."

Entei rumbled again, like the sound of a dormant volcano, but the beast just looked tired. Rui shot Ash an inviting smile as she approached the combatants and he hesitantly followed.

Cynthia glanced at the others as they came closer. "We'll camp together tonight. Entei needs to recover and I would like to speak with Wes for a while, if that's alright with everyone."

Wes didn't look surprised. He looked up at Rui as he worked on Entei's paw and she smiled, bobbing her head in agreement. He cracked a slight smile in response and returned to his work.

Ash, still speechless, just watched.

Sometime later, when they'd all settled, the travelers gathered around a campfire Pyro had started (Entei apparently was still learning the value of restraint). Rui handed out a couple of tongs and happily pulled out some marshmallows, chocolate, and crackers. Ash accepted the offered tool with bemusement.

Cynthia had recalled all of her Pokemon save Garchomp and Glaceon. Ash's team was still out and about, huddled close to their trainer with the exception of Pyro and Eevee. Eevee, of course, was currently being groomed by Glaceon while she listened to Umbreon's chitters.

Pyro was close to Garchomp, but seemed to be slowly mustering up the courage to get closer to Entei, who was many times his size and resting his wounded paw.

Wes unhooked another Ultra Ball from his belt and everyone stilled as another great beast emerged, one with a mane of thunderclouds and a whipping tail like constrained lightning. Ash would've recognized the signature saber-teeth of the creature from any book detailing the mighty feline—Raikou, the Beast of Thunder.

Raikou was a lot more relaxed than Entei had been. Upon emerging, the enormous electric-type stalked over to Rui and growled playfully until she scratched behind its ears and planted a friendly kiss on its head. Raikou rumbled a friendly greeting to Entei, (who just grunted) got a lick from Umbreon before the dark-type returned to Eevee and Glaceon, and plopped down its head in Wes' lap.

Wes snorted and stroked the beast's fur. "Hey, boy."

Raikou yawned, exposing eight-inch fangs capable of punching through steel.

Cynthia studied the second beast with an appraising eye. "I take it you've had more success with him."

"Yeah," Wes admitted. "Entei was the first beast I snagged from Cipher, but Raikou was the easiest to work with. Well, no Shadow Pokemon is ever easy to work with, but you get the point, right?"

Something clicked for Ash and he stared at Wes with new understanding. "Wait, that guy who started taking down Cipher's top agents from the inside—that was you?"

"Damn right," Wes shrugged. "I was part of an organization called Snagem from the time I was little. I grew up and wanted more, so I stole a Snagging device and started taking all of Cipher's Shadow Pokemon for myself."

"Only once I agreed to help," Rui reminded him.

"True. Wouldn't have gotten anywhere without ya."

"They're Shadow Pokemon?" Ash asked, frowning.

"Not anymore," Wes grunted as Raikou tried to roll and push him onto his back, but the young man set a hand against the beast's shoulder and pushed back. "Ugh, get off, you lazy cat. They've been purified. It takes a lot of work to undo what Cipher did to their Shadow Pokemon. It's taken me years to get all the ones I snagged back to any sort of stable health, but we got them there. Entei only recently felt well enough to leave Agate Village, where we purified most of the Shadow Pokemon. The third beast I took from Cipher, Suicune, was purified a few months ago, but she's still not feeling great."

"My grandpa takes care of the purified Pokemon who aren't ready to travel around," Rui explained. "Suicune loves him and my grandma, but I think she's tired of fighting."

"Most purified Pokemon are," Wes agreed quietly, swatting away Raikou as the beast licked the side of his face and pulled up some of Wes' hair into a cowlick. Rui giggled and the beast left his master to pad over to her instead for some more affection. Entei watched with exasperation glowing in his eyes.

Cynthia smiled a bit. "I've heard a lot about your work, but this is the first time I've gotten to really meet purified Shadow Pokemon. They seem to be doing well."

"Raikou is a good example of purification done right," Wes jerked his thumb after the beast, who was currently mauling a giggling Rui's face with its tongue. "Entei's taken to it pretty well, I think. Others…not so much."

"Such as…?"

"Let's just say my Tyranitar was never going to be…friendly even before he was made into a Shadow Pokemon."

Cynthia winced. "I see."

Ash opened his mouth to ask another question, but stilled when he became the focus of Raikou's attention. The Beast of Thunder studied him curiously and released Rui to stalk over. Its enormous frame dwarfed Ash and his team, casting a menacing shadow as it walked on disturbingly silent feet.

Sobek let out a growl when Raikou stepped too close for his liking and the great feline paused, studying the crocodilian with interest. Ash wondered if the beast had ever seen a Krokorok before. The rest of Ash's team was wary as Raikou stretched his head as close as he could manage to catch a whiff of Ash's scent.

"He doesn't mean any harm," Rui assured them. "Raikou was kept in a lab for a long time. He's curious about everything, but he won't hurt you."

Ash believed her, but every instinct he had fought the knowledge, telling him to keep away from the creature whose fangs were longer than his body was deep. He quietly ordered Sobek to stand down and mustered enough courage to lift a hand slowly, offering it to Raikou for inspection.

The beast immediately sniffed at his fingers, the wet, warm nose prodding his digits. Raikou's eyes flitted up from his hand to Ash's eyes, meeting them without fear. The beast blinked slowly, intelligent red eyes glowing in the firelight. He took one step closer, careful not to tread on Sobek (who refused to move despite the enormous feline looming over him) and brushed his snout against Ash's hat.

Ash went very still as Raikou's snout nudged at his hat ponderously. His hand had been left halfway up and he cautiously lifted it to run his fingers through the beast's thin fur. Raikou let out a deep rumble from within his chest and Ash couldn't help but laugh in wonder when he realized the beast was purring.

"Told you," Rui grinned. "He's a big house cat."

"Didn't he crush your bed?" Wes asked dryly as he mercilessly shoved a marshmallow into the fire.

"He means no harm," she waved the comment off.

Pikachu had been on the ground, intending to steal a s'more, but found his interest taken up by the huge electric-type that had joined them. He leapt onto Ash's shoulder and Raikou chuffed, pulling back a bit to inspect the tiny mouse.

Ever the bold one, Pikachu leapt from Ash's shoulder onto Raikou's back. To his credit, the beast took it in stride and watched as Pikachu nestled himself on the base of his mane and began sparking at the cheeks. Raikou rumbled back and plopped down, (barely avoiding crushing Sobek, who snapped in annoyance) sparking in response. Pikachu chittered and the two electric-types began to commune with that unique method known to all electric species.

A bit more relaxed now, Ash looked up at Wes. "Rui said you're competing in the Indigo League?"

"Yep," he nodded. "I want to set up an official League in Orre to keep scum like Cipher from getting power again. Problem is, we're isolated and the whole region is a mess, so I have to do things…legally. Which takes forever. Best way to go about that is to make my position and power as the "future Champion of Orre" cemented by the neighboring League. So, gotta register with the Indigo League, show I can play by the rules, blah, blah, blah."

"It really takes that long? Doesn't Orre need the help sooner than later?"

"It does, but the International Leagues can't risk a dictator or someone with malicious intent rising to power again," Cynthia pointed out, to which Wes gestured to her in agreement. "The world only just recovered from the Cipher Wars, and the aftereffects are going to be felt for a long time, yet. They can't afford to rush putting someone in power."

"Besides, we're trying to find trainers good enough to establish an Elite Four in Orre, not just a Champion," Wes continued, eating his blackened s'more while Rui watched with a little disgust. "Battlus is worth hitting up, but Rui's grandfather retired and well…that's really all I've got. Everyone else is too weak or too shady. It's a mess."

Unwilling to linger for too long on that heavy subject, Ash grinned a challenge at Wes. "I'll be competing in the League, too. Think we could have a battle in the morning?"

Wes gauged him lazily. "How many badges do you have?"

"Three. Brock, Misty, and Surge."

"Surge, huh?" Wes cocked his head, a little more interested now. "Mmm…beat Koga or Sabrina. If we run into each other again before the League—if you make it there—I'll let you get crushed."

Ash scowled. "We might surprise you."

Pyro growled agreement, but Wes only snorted. "I've faced scarier foes than some kid's half-grown team. We'd make mincemeat of you right now. I'm betting you won't stand a chance even if you make it to the League."

"I'll take that bet."

Rui smiled, amused at their challenge. "Enough of that. Wes, remember that time in Pyrite when we…"

Ash let the fire in his belly die down enough to focus on Rui's story, but his eyes constantly darted to the pair of massive beasts dozing by the fire, and he knew then that these legends would be the greatest hurdle for his team to conquer.

And looking around, his team knew it, too.

He and Cynthia had parted from Wes and Rui early that morning. With a few words of farewell, (and a friendly lick from Raikou) the Orreans were off to Lavender, leaving their temporary companions.

Ash had passed through Saffron City once before, but the massive city was still just as easy to get lost in as it was before. Fortunately, Cynthia seemed to know where she was going and led him right to the Saffron gym. He stared at the building with curious eyes. This was the residing place of Sabrina, one of Kanto's most powerful Gym Leaders.

He followed Cynthia into the Gym and saw a few people wearing robes of sorts, apparently the standard for gym trainers. Ash's assumption was confirmed when he noticed that several of them were working with psychic Pokemon. He could see Abra, Kadabra, Slowpoke, Drowzee, and other psychic-types that he'd never seen before.

They made their way to a room in the back that appeared empty. Ash looked around, confused as to why they were there. Weren't they meeting Sabrina?

"You are."

He jumped and spun around to find a woman standing directly behind him. She looked down at Ash with glowing, pinkish-red eyes, though they seemed warm rather than creepy. Short dark hair stopped just past her shoulders, flowing slightly despite there not being any wind in the building.

Cynthia smiled at her. "Hello, Sabrina. I'm assuming you know who this is?"

"Ash Ketchum," she stated, giving Ash another jolt of surprise. Sabrina's eyes took on a curious light. "You've been traveling for three months now. You recently met the Purifier and his Beasts, and will be making your way to Celadon City shortly after this meeting in order to challenge Erika."

Ash gaped at her. So, the rumors of Sabrina possessing psychic abilities were true. He hadn't expected her to be able to discern that much information from simply meeting him, but then what did he know about psychics?

She seemed amused by his disbelief. "I learn many things upon meeting people. My powers allow me to see the past, present, and future to an extent. The bond I have with my Pokemon augments this even further."

Cynthia stepped forward. "I presume you know why I am here?"

"I do. However, I regret to inform you that the Team Rocket Admins you apprehended, Ariana and Proton, have already escaped containment."

"What!" Ash exclaimed.

Sabrina nodded gravely. "They were broken out of prison six hours ago and have since evaded recapture. It seems Team Rocket required them badly enough to attempt a breakout. The other henchmen detained at Mt. Moon and Pokemon Tower were not freed."

"We'll have to hunt them down again," Cynthia murmured with a frown. She looked at Ash. "I'm afraid this is where we must part. I have to discuss League business with Sabrina and unfortunately that includes information I'm not allowed to disclose to you."

He felt a little put-out by that, but there was nothing to do about it. Ash was just another trainer. The Rockets were for the elites who kept Kanto and Johto in order to handle. He simply wasn't privy to the secrets that Gym Leaders and Elite Four-Class trainers possessed.

Sabrina glanced at Ash again. "Be careful, Ash Ketchum. There are dangerous times ahead for all of us. Some sooner than others."

Ash didn't know how else to react aside from nod. Seeing as he was no longer privy to their conversation, the young trainer turned and left the gym.

Once he was outside, Ash took a moment to debate his next move. The obvious next step was to go to Celadon City and battle Erika, but he really wanted to get some extra training in as well. Meeting Wes and his beasts had set a fire burning in his belly.

He wanted to spend some more time with his team—particularly Eevee and Spectre. Eevee because they had been getting along very well since the little normal-type met Cynthia's Glaceon and Wes' Umbreon, and Spectre because Ash simply didn't know much about his new ghost.

He frowned to himself thoughtfully. Ash didn't know why Spectre had followed him all the way from Lavender Town and sought to be captured by him. The Duskull was an enigma that Ash really wanted to understand better—they would be working together, after all. If Spectre was to become a skilled fighter in his team, then Ash needed to get to know him intimately. Creating a strong bond with his new team mate would help him to understand what made Spectre tick and allow Ash to decide the best way to train him.

Thinking about it a little more, he decided that extra training would be completely necessary. If Ash was going to use Spectre in his battle against Erika, (and perhaps even Eevee if he was lucky) then he needed more than understanding how the Duskull fought. He needed to whip him into shape. Ash didn't even know if Spectre had battled before. He'd incapacitated Team Rocket grunts easily enough, but how would he do against an enemy that would actively dodge and fight back?

Ash pulled out his PokeNav and looked over Route Seven. It was a short route—shorter than the one they'd taken to get to Saffron, for sure. He'd probably only spend a couple of days on it before reaching Celadon, but each day was an extra one he could spend training his team for the battle with Erika.

He nodded to himself and set Pikachu and Eevee loose from their Poke Balls. The pair of small Pokemon chittered at him in greeting, then followed their trainer as Ash led the way towards Route Seven and Celadon City. They had work to do and a Gym Leader to fight.

That evening, he sent his team out for their usual training session. Ash had already set up camp for the night, so now it was time to make sure all of his Pokemon got in a good workout. That always served to tire them out and assure that they would sleep well.

Before releasing them for training, Ash decided to give Douse the Scald TM he'd gotten from Misty. He'd been fortunate enough to receive a TM Case from his mother before he set off on his journey. They were useful tools to trainers and made any TMs usable—without the case, there was no way to apply the move to any of his Pokemon. Essentially, he'd be carrying around a useless disc.

Scald was currently the only TM he had in the case, but that was fine with him. He would pick up more TMs in Celadon City, though whether he would do so before or after fighting Erika was something he hadn't yet made his mind up about. The great thing about TMs was that they could be purchased for either one-use or multiple uses. The multiple-use ones cost a fair bit more, but they were worth it for the trainers who could purchase them. Fortunately, it seemed Misty had given him a Scald TM with multiple uses.

Ash took out the TM Case from his bag and placed Douse's shrunken Poke Ball in a slot on the top of the device. A small screen next to the slot displayed the Scald TM as the only move available and Ash tapped it quickly. He watched as Douse's Poke Ball glowed blue for a few moments, then the tiny screen flashed green and said COMPLETE. Ash took Douse's Poke Ball out of the machine and put in back in his bag. Now he had to see if it worked correctly.

He released his team and got their attention quickly.

"Alright, you know that we're making our way to Celadon City," Ash began. "Erika is the Gym Leader there. All I know is that she uses grass-type Pokemon. Pyro, that means you're going to be the main player for this fight."

Pyro thrashed his tail and spat a small burst of fire into the air, baring sharp fangs in a grin of delight. Ash realized that his starter had never actually been the main fighter of one of their gym battles—Brock and Misty had held huge advantages over him and Sobek had been the star of their fight against Lt. Surge. He'd fought the former Gym Leaders' weaker Pokemon just to even things out and cleaned up Surge's Raichu right after it had battled Pikachu and Douse, but this would really be Pyro's time to shine, his chance to dominate the gym opponents.

"I don't know how many Pokemon Erika is going to use, but chances are she'll probably use a standard team of three. So I want Pyro, Eevee, and Spectre to battle this time."

That earned him the tilts of several heads. Ash could only imagine what they were thinking about his decision. Considering that every single fight he'd had thus far consisted of using Pyro, Pikachu, Sobek, and Douse, his lineup for this Gym Battle meant he would only be using one of his primary battlers. Ash had never fought with Eevee before and he didn't even know how strong Spectre was, yet.

There were other complications as well.

Eevee was glaring at him, probably because she was not fond of the idea that Ash had decided to use her in battle. His relationship with the normal-type was still on shaky ground, but Ash was hoping that their travels together and the recent bonding thanks to Glaceon and Umbreon would make her a bit more compliant.

"Training tonight is going to be busy. Pyro and Douse, you two are working on techniques today. I want Mega Punch mastered before we fight Erika, Pyro. Douse, I'll be with you in a moment to try out Scald. Pikachu, you're sparring with Sobek. Practice Electro Ball and work on your aim while you're at it. Sobek, try to dodge everything he throws at you."

His main fighters sounded their agreements and headed off a short distance away from the camp to begin their training. Ash watched as Pikachu wound up an Electro Ball and hurled it at Sobek, only for the croc to dive underground and disappear. He then turned to Eevee and Spectre, inwardly sighing when he saw the normal-type looking away pointedly.

"Eevee, please," Ash tried. "Could you try training with me? If you really don't want to fight in the gym battle, that's okay, just work with me a little."

She looked at him stiffly and apparently resigned herself to whatever he had in store, because her eyes rolled and she nodded. Ash had a feeling that any training with Eevee would only last until she got tired of putting up with him. That didn't raise his confidence about how well this would go, but at least she was cooperating thus far.

Plus Spectre looked excited about training and that made him feel better.

"Alright, I haven't gotten to really see what either of you can do, so let's see your moves," Ash began. He needed an idea of what they were capable of before deciding on how to start their training. "Eevee, let's start with you."

She rolled her eyes again, but listened without complaint. Ash considered her move pool for a moment before starting out simple. "Alright. Let's start with…"

They ran through Eevee's moves fairly quickly. She didn't have a huge variety of attacks, but she was good at using each one of them. She had a particularly vicious Bite and Ash was always impressed by one of her Shadow Balls. He realized with some anger that she'd probably gotten good at using them to defend herself from whatever horrors she'd been put through at the Pokemon mill Officer Jenny had taken her from.

As they practiced each move, Ash saw Eevee becoming a little more open to the idea of training. It made him grow more hopeful—maybe she was warming up to him.

"That's enough," he told Eevee after she fired a Swift into a tree and left it scarred. The small normal-type paused and looked at him. Ash smiled at her proudly. "That was great, Eevee. I wouldn't want to be on the receiving end of one of your attacks."

She almost—almost—smirked and sat down to groom her somewhat ruffled fur while Ash gave Spectre his turn. The Duskull was watching him expectantly.

"Alright Spectre, let's get started," Ash began slowly. He had to pull out the Pokedex again to remind himself what moves the ghost could use. Spectre was still a big unknown for him, and now was the time to change that. "Show me Protect."

The Duskull's single red eye flashed and then a moment later, a circular green shield erected itself in front of his body. It easily covered him and as could see from the steady glow that it was something Spectre was good at. He nodded. That was one move down.

"Right. Next use…"

Testing out Spectre's moves went by even faster than Eevee's. He didn't want to test out Confuse Ray in front of the others in case it misfired and made them hurt themselves while training. Ash knew that his Disable was just fine—he'd seen how easily Spectre had immobilized the Team Rocket grunts and had full confidence in the ghost's ability to use it well. All he had after that was Astonish and Shadow Sneak, both of which were relatively simple moves.

He frowned. He really needed to expand Spectre's move pool. Astonish and Shadow Sneak were great for catching the opponent off-guard, but they had very limited power and wouldn't be nearly enough to allow the Duskull to actually win any battles. Suddenly, Ash got an idea that might let him kill two birds with one stone.

"Hey, Eevee?" Eevee paused in her grooming and looked back up at Ash. "Would you mind teaching Spectre how to use Shadow Ball?"

Eevee glanced from Ash to the ghost and shrugged. He couldn't say she was eager, but she was willing at least. "Okay, get started on that and see how you do. I have to go check on the others, but I'll be back soon."

Spectre nodded and Eevee shrugged again. Ash figured that was as good as he was going to get from the normal-type, so he turned and made his way towards the rest of his team.

"Alright, Douse, do you think you can use Scald?" Ash asked the water-type. Douse bounced up and nodded. Ash couldn't help but smile at the Poliwhirl's enthusiasm. "Show me what you've got."

He glanced around and spotted a small boulder not far away. "Okay, use Scald on that rock."

Douse faced the boulder and immediately unleashed a blast of steaming hot water, which hit his target perfectly. Ash grinned. There was no question about accuracy, and that was probably due to Scald being so similar to Water Gun—that is, a Water Gun with a temperature hot enough to boil and burn flesh.

"Great job, Douse!" Ash exclaimed. "That was excellent!"

Douse beat a fist against his round body and gurgled cheerily. Ash was pretty sure he had Scald down no question, which he was grateful for. Usually, TMs required a fair bit of practice to master them because they only transferred the information regarding how to use the moves. Fortunately, Scald was a relatively simple move for a water-type to learn—all it really involved was a change in the temperature of water. The actual use of the attack was executed in a manner practically identical to Water Gun, which Douse had mastered prior to Ash capturing him.

Ash was proud of Douse and impressed by how quickly he'd adapted to the new move. He decided to get a little ambitious. "Douse, do you think we can start working on Hydro Pump?"

The gleam in the Poliwhirl's eyes said all that Ash needed to know. Douse looked more than ready to learn the incredibly powerful water-type move. Ash grinned and pulled his Pokedex out, searching for a description of Hydro Pump to instruct Douse with.

"Here it is," Ash said excitedly. "Okay…Hydro Pump is like Water Gun, but at the next level. It's a huge blast of high-pressure water. Once it's mastered, Hydro Pump can punch through steel plates. So…maybe for starters, we should work on how much water you can shoot."

Douse bounced again and faced the same rock he had shot with Scald, which was still steaming a bit. He reared his body back and then unleashed a huge blast of water. Ash watched as the mass of liquid positively drenched everything in sight, but it was so widespread that all it really did was water the plant life.

He stared at the soaked ground and looked at Douse, who seemed tired already. Ash hadn't realized how much energy just attempting a single Hydro Pump would take from his friend. Still, the Poliwhirl looked like he could have another go. "Again."

Douse nodded and reared back to repeat the attack. He did so four more times until Douse sat down hard and simply couldn't continue the training.

Ash bit his lip as he surveyed the soaking ground. He had thought that Hydro Pump would be as easy to learn as Scald, but this quickly changed his mind about that. Douse could fire Water Guns all day long, but Hydro Pump needed so much more water and raw power that even five attempts like this basically drained Douse of all his strength.

"Take a break, buddy," Ash told Douse as he rubbed the Poliwhirl's moist skin atop his head. "Try to get some of your energy back and then have another go at it."

Douse nodded and then collapsed onto his back, round body heaving from the strain. Ash frowned. It looked like Hydro Pump was going to take a lot of work.

"How's it coming, Pyro?" Ash asked his starter.

Pyro spat a gout of flame into the air and growled excitedly. He clenched one of his hands into a fist and Ash grinned when it began to glow white. It looked like Pyro had finally gotten Mega Punch down after weeks of practicing with Douse.

"Let's see what you can do with that," Ash exclaimed eagerly. He looked at a nearby tree that appeared to be dead and pointed at it. "Pyro, Mega Punch."

The Charmeleon glared at the tree like it was an affront to his existence and snarled, then lunged at it with a burst of speed. He curled his glowing fist back and smashed it into the hard wood.

Ash blinked as splinters flew through the air. There was a huge groan of creaking wood, then the tree fell over with a mighty crash. His jaw fell open slightly and the rest of his training Pokemon stopped what they were doing to stare at the destruction. He knew that Mega Punch was a strong move after watching Douse use it countless times, but he hadn't expected Pyro to do that with a single hit.

"Pyro, that was awesome!"

The Charmeleon let out a roar of victory and breathed more intense flames into the air. Ash grinned at the sight. He had really been debating which of his Pokemon was the strongest, but there was no question after that display. Barring Sobek when his Moxie was activated, Pyro held more raw power than any other member of his team.

He watched Pyro's tail flame flare and blinked at the intense white core in the fire. Ash knew that Pyro would take a good while longer to evolve, but seeing the flame on his tail getting stronger and hotter was a sign that Pyro had progressed far beyond where he had been when he first evolved from Charmander. His success with Mega Punch and improvement on Dragon Rush were testaments to that.

Ash grinned widely. He couldn't wait for Pyro to evolve into one of the infamous Charizard he'd seen on TV. They were notorious for their fiery tempers and lust for battle, not to mention they were relentless fighters—it simply wasn't in their nature to hold back against an enemy. Champion Lance's Charizard was the pinnacle of their breed as far as Ash knew, capable of defeating even dragon-types with its monstrous strength. Maybe one day Pyro would reach that level of power as well.

But that was a dream for the future. Ash needed to focus on the present. He smiled at his starter and decided to return him to training. "Pyro, start working on Dragon Rush again. Keep up the exercises Garchomp had you doing and…"

Ash returned to Eevee and Spectre after giving Pyro his next set of instructions. He'd checked in on Pikachu and Sobek, but there was really nothing else he could do with them at the moment. Their training was more about aim and evasion—all he could really do was tell them to keep working hard.

"I'm back," Ash said as he approached the pair of small Pokemon.

Spectre floated over and tapped his forehead, which Ash mimicked by touching the ghost's skull mask. He glanced at Eevee and saw that she was grooming herself again, although she did look a little tired.

"Eevee, how'd it go?"

Eevee looked at him pointedly and jerked her head at Spectre before returning to grooming herself. Ash frowned at that. Maybe she was feeling less cooperative now that she was tired. Still, she'd worked hard so he couldn't complain. He'd give her the break she wanted.

Instead, he turned to Spectre. "Did you figure it out, buddy?"

Spectre spun his floating body sideways and made a noise that Ash thought was somewhat confused. He glanced at the tree they'd been using for target practice and pointed at it. "Let's try it out. Use Shadow Ball."

Spectre floated over and pushed his wispy limbs in front of his body. Ash smiled as a small, black sphere of ghostly energy was formed, though it was obviously much weaker than Eevee's Shadow Ball. The Shadow Ball was launched and seemed to be heading in the right direction, but halfway there it broke up and disappeared.

The Duskull sagged and his single red eye leered at the spot where his attack had vanished with annoyance. Ash smirked slightly at the expression and looked back at the tree. "Again."

Ash ran into Paul just before he entered Celadon.

He was relieved by how close the city was, mostly because after three days of travel, he was well and truly ready to hit the hay in a good bed at the Pokemon Center. It was almost evening and Ash wanted nothing more than to give his team to Nurse Joy for a checkup and pass out for the night. They'd battled more trainers on the way here than he cared to count and trained relentlessly whenever they camped.

He actually would have preferred to avoid a battle since they were so close to the city, but when Ash caught sight of Paul training in a clearing just a quarter mile away from Celadon, he had to go meet the other trainer. Ash called to get his attention, but that was unnecessary—Paul's Grotle was facing Ash and grunted at his trainer.

Paul turned and arched an eyebrow in surprise. "I didn't expect to see you here."

"I was actually just about to get into Celadon," Ash told him as he walked over. "Then I saw you training. Sorry if I interrupted you, but I wanted to see how much stronger you'd gotten."

Grotle made a deep growling sound. His rival smirked. "A fight then, is it?"

Pikachu sniggered and Ash grinned right back. "If you think you're up to it."

"Three on three, same conditions as last time," Paul declared immediately.

Ash nodded and stepped back a few paces. Once they were each a good distance apart, he scratched Pikachu's ears and jerked his thumb towards the field. "Get in there, buddy."

Pikachu leapt onto the ground and sparks flew from his cheek pouches while the mouse sniggered.

"Nidorino, standby for battle," Paul muttered as he took out a Poke Ball and threw it. From within the confines of the capture device came a large, pink Pokemon with a large horn and many sharp spikes all over its back. Ash eyed it curiously. He'd seen Gary's Nidorina before, but Nidorino was a new one for him.

"Avoid the horn and those spikes," he told Pikachu slowly as he assessed the danger. "If you have to get in close, stay on its flanks."

Pikachu's ears flicked to acknowledge that he'd heard Ash, then the battle began.

"Thunderbolt!" Ash commanded. Pikachu's cheeks sparked again, then he unleashed a large electric shock which cracked towards Nidorino. The attack was made with such speed that the other, slower Pokemon was unable to avoid it and took the Thunderbolt head-on. Nidorino shook the pain away and growled angrily, spines flexing and dripping with toxins as he glared at Pikachu.

Paul didn't seem fazed by the damage. "Poison Sting. When it gets close, Focus Jab."

Nidorino's huge ears twitched as his mouth opened. The poison-type spat a barrage of poisonous quills at his opponent, seeking to put his lethal venom to good use. Pikachu leapt aside from the first series of needles and continued to run in order to avoid being hit, but Nidorino's aim was good. It was strafing the Poison Sting so that it might eventually hit Pikachu.

Ash wasn't about to let that happen. "Agility! Get on its flank and wind up an Electro Ball!"

Pikachu slipped into Agility with a blur of speed, causing Paul's eyes to widen fractionally. He apparently hadn't anticipated that kind of speed, but his surprise was quickly dismissed. "Protect!"

As Pikachu jumped into the air and charged a sphere of electrical energy around his tail, Nidorino spun to face the mouse and erected a green, circular shield in front of him. Ash frowned at that. It looked like Paul had gotten his hands on TMs. That meant his other Pokemon probably had some tricks up their sleeves to give him trouble.

Ash watched as Pikachu built up Electro Ball and winced at how rough it looked. Pikachu was still having trouble concentrating electricity into finite amounts. They really needed to work on that. Not that it mattered—once the Electro Ball was hurled from Pikachu's tail, it crashed uselessly against Nidorino's Protect and fizzled out.

Paul took advantage of the fact that Pikachu was still airborne immediately. "Focus Jab."

Nidorino tensed suddenly and Ash saw energy glowing at the horn. He recognized the technique as Focus Energy. It was a relatively simple move—the Pokemon simply concentrated its power on one part of its body in order to deliver a particularly powerful attack. Some people made the mistake of assuming that it was a way for the Pokemon to focus better in combat, but that was just instinct for almost every species.

Paul knew better. The other trainer had evidently done his homework regarding his team and knew the best ways for them to fight.

Nidorino lunged at Pikachu and struck the electric mouse directly in the center of his body just inches from the ground, making Ash wince as Pikachu was sent flying in the opposite direction with a squeal of pain. He saw blood flowing from where the point of the horn had stabbed at the mouse, but he doubted it was a deep wound given that Pikachu managed to recover a few seconds after hitting the ground. If Nidorino had been aiming to kill, Pikachu would not have risen from such a clean hit. That being said, it was more than likely that the poison-type's venomous spike had delivered its toxins into Pikachu's body. Now they were on a time limit.

Ash made a quick mental note to avoid presenting Nidorino with another opening like that and snapped his next orders. "Thunder Wave! Circle it with Agility and use Thunderbolt!"

Pikachu fired a small wave of electricity at Nidorino in an effort to paralyze it, but the poison-type formed a quick Protect to absorb the status afflicting-technique harmlessly. Undeterred by the failure, Pikachu blurred around his opponent and unleashed a furious Thunderbolt the second that Protect faded. Nidorino roared angrily as the bolt crashed into the left side of his body. He had definitely felt that. Despite the poison-type's tough skin, Ash knew that a strong enough shock would hurt Nidorino. Paul had trained it well, but there was no way to make it completely impervious to electric attacks until it evolved.

Apparently, Paul recognized this because he immediately went back on the offensive. "Finish it off with Venoshock."

Nidorino's mouth opened and it spat a nasty, glowing green liquid at Pikachu. Ash didn't have to tell the mouse to avoid it. He didn't know anything about that particular move, but he seriously doubted that any attack with a name like Venoshock would be harmless. He would have to keep Pikachu at a distance and hammer their opponent with Thunderbolts.

Unfortunately, that plan was useless given that Pikachu was evidently getting weaker and weaker as Nidorino's potent venom worked its way through his body. Ash would have to go for broke.

"Volt Tackle!"

Paul's eyes narrowed, but he didn't react as Pikachu cloaked himself in a veil of lightning, then blitzed at Nidorino. Ash thought for a moment that the other trainer simply couldn't think of a way to react until he barked. "Protect!"

Pikachu smashed into the green barrier with such force that he was knocked out instantly upon impact—as though he'd run head-on into a brick wall. Ash recalled Pikachu with a dumbfounded expression. It took him a second to fully recognize what it was Paul had done, which was to actually turn Protect into a move that could inflict damage. Protect of all things. It was literally the prime example of a purely defensive move and Paul had flipped the whole technique around.

Despite the loss, Ash had to give him credit—that was brilliant.

Nidorino snorted as Paul returned him. The boy seemed unaffected by his first victory and released his second Pokemon. "Cubone, standby for battle."

The next Pokemon that appeared was another first for Ash. Cubone was a small, reptilian creature with a large skull covering its face. No one really knew what lay beneath the mask, but every Cubone had one. It also had a small bone club that was its primary method of attack. Ash contemplated his next move.

He sent out Pyro. The Charmeleon thrashed his tail aggressively and roared at his smaller opponent, who seemed a little wary of the flame lizard.

Paul's eyes gleamed with what might have been a flicker of excitement. "Bone Club."

Cubone brandished its weapon and started to run at Pyro, who snarled a challenge. Ash decided that keeping the small creature at a distance would probably nullify most of its attacks and keep Pyro from taking any super-effective damage. "Use Flamethrower. Keep it away from you."

Pyro unleashed a blast of fire, which Cubone just barely dodged. The Charmeleon followed his target with the flame still burning, intent on hitting the charging ground-type. Cubone continued to run, but it was no longer getting closer to Pyro as avoiding the flames became a priority.

"Rock Tomb!" Paul suddenly ordered. "Trap it and use Bone Rush!"

Cubone suddenly smashed its club into the ground and Ash felt the earth waver slightly. A moment later, Pyro roared with surprise as a circle of rocks erupted from the ground around him and pinned him with painful force. Cubone's club glowed after its opponent was trapped and lunged again.

"Metal Claw!" Ash said frantically. "Get out of there!"

Pyro growled and strained to move enough to execute his trainer's orders. Just as Cubone leaped up to take a swing at the fire-type's head, Pyro managed to dig metallic claws into the rocks and slashed them away. Cubone lashed out with Bone Rush, but its now freed target ducked under the swing, causing the attacker to overextend awkwardly in the air.

Ash grinned wildly and seized his chance. "Flamethrower!"

Cubone was consumed in the blast of fire that Pyro unleashed, the fire-type roaring his fury at the other Pokemon. The ground-type was propelled several meters away and hit the ground harshly. It struggled to get back up, but Pyro spat another gout of flame to keep it down.

"Finish it! Mega Punch!" He commanded, blood pumping with adrenaline.

Pyro clenched his fist and lunged at Cubone while the weakened ground-type was still down. It had just enough time to look up as Pyro's glowing fist crashed into its small body and sent it flying in the opposite direction. Cubone sailed past its trainer before it hit the ground, this time without the strength to get up.

Paul recalled it without a word and looked back at Pyro, who spat a fireball into the air in victory. The boy smirked despite his loss. "I see your Charmeleon is as powerful as ever."

"He's gotten a lot stronger, that's for sure," Ash agreed. Pyro stalked over and made a light vibration in his throat as Ash scratched the fire-type's chin. He recalled his starter a moment later and grabbed his third Poke Ball.

Douse appeared and cracked his knuckles eagerly, always ready for a good fight. Paul considered the water-type for a moment and Ash frowned when a ghost of a smile touched the other boy's face.

His eyes widened at the Tentacruel that appeared on the field, supporting its soft body on dozens of powerful tentacles. Ash had seen Tentacool floating in the water along the coast, but he'd never seen its notoriously aggressive evolved form. They were made almost entirely of water and never stopped growing. Once they reached about twenty feet long, which was considered quite large by the standards of their species, they would descend into the abyss of the ocean and live out the rest of their long lives in the blackness. Ash had heard that the biggest Tentacruel ever recorded had tentacles that were something like forty feet long, big enough to combat even something as huge as a Gyarados. The whole beast itself had been a gargantuan sixty feet.

From the size of this one, Ash guessed it had only recently evolved, but that didn't mean it was weak. The creature was still almost six feet tall and practically reeked aggression. He really had no idea how to handle this Pokemon. He'd fought Tentacool before, but they were considerably weaker and had only two tentacles to fight with. This was far, far different.

He decided to start the fight at a distance. "Mud Shot. Stay away from it and avoid the tentacles at all costs. It'll probably try to poison you."

Douse nodded and immediately spat a blast of mud at Tentacruel. Paul did nothing as the jellyfish retaliated with a blast of water that dissolved the oncoming attack with ease. Tentacruel then raised a few of its tentacles and fired shots of glowing violet acid.

"Dodge it!" Ash commanded. "Keep using Mud Shot."

Douse followed his orders quickly. The Poliwhirl began to leap away from each shot of acid and spat mud whenever he could, but each attempt was thwarted by Tentacruel shooting water to counter the Mud Shots. Ash chewed his lip as the fight came to a stalemate, trying to think of some way to overcome the creature facing them.

Paul beat him to the punch. "Get in close and use Wrap."

Tentacruel suddenly bent its tentacles into a crouch, then pushed off with incredible force. Ash's eyes widened in surprise at the unexpected burst of speed, which caught both himself and Douse completely off-guard. Before he could react, the jellyfish had Douse wrapped tightly in its tentacles, immobilizing him completely.

"Acid Spray," Paul ordered. "Then smash it."

Tentacruel made a deep gurgling sound and drenched Douse in the violet acid it had been firing unsuccessfully beforehand. Douse struggled frantically to escape, but he was no match for the countless tentacles immobilizing him. Ash could only watch helplessly. There was no way Douse could get away from such an opponent.

The jellyfish raised its tentacles and crushed Douse into the ground. Ash thought that was it, but the Poliwhirl stubbornly pushed himself back onto his feet, glaring at the Tentacruel that was beating him as if he were nothing but a tiny Poliwag.

Paul didn't have to give Tentacruel any further orders because it was evidently annoyed by its opponent surviving. Ash saw about a dozen of its tentacles glow and stab forward at Douse with Poison Jab, but he recalled his Pokemon before they could impact. The venomous move hit the ground and killed the grass where it touched instantly, leaving a large patch of dead plant life where Douse had been. Tentacruel retracted its tentacles and leered at Ash for taking away its prey, but it seemed satisfied with its victory.

Ash watched as Paul recalled Tentacruel. The other boy didn't even look happy that he'd won.

"So the score is 1-1," Paul said finally. "Make sure you're stronger next time. Tentacruel isn't even my most powerful Pokemon."

Ash nodded, clenching his fists. He wasn't really angry from the loss, but it was an odd feeling that he didn't experience often or especially liked. He'd only lost a few times beforehand, and those losses were to trainers that had been training a lot longer than he had. Paul had gotten much stronger. The fights against Nidorino and Cubone had been pretty similar to their first battle, but Tentacruel's easy victory had taken him by surprise. And if Tentacruel wasn't even Paul's strongest Pokemon…

He mentally checked himself. He would simply have to get stronger. A lot stronger, if Paul was to be believed and the monster of a Tentacruel wasn't the greatest threat on his team. Ash would put money on his strongest being Grotle or maybe Elekid if it had evolved.

Besides, even those Pokemon were nothing to Wes' Entei and Raikou.

"We'll be stronger next time," Ash responded. "I have to give you credit, I didn't expect Tentacruel to be that strong."

Paul smirked. "I captured her in Vermillion and she evolved before we challenged the Celadon Gym. She turned out to be worth raising—she defeated two of Erika's Pokemon."

"I bet she did. No one's beaten Douse that easily since Lt. Surge's Raichu."

"That Raichu was a monster, wasn't it?" Paul admitted. "We defeated it, though."

Ash blinked. "You got the Thunder Badge, too?"

"Yeah. Just a couple of weeks ago. I didn't get into Vermillion until then because I took a detour through the Rock Tunnel past Cerulean City," he explained. "That's where I captured Cubone. He beat Surge's Raichu once Grotle tired it out."

"I just went straight through Saffron. I did end up going to Lavender Town after I beat Surge, though, so I could catch a ghost-type."

"Did you get one?"

"Yeah," he replied. "A Duskull."

Paul considered that. "You've got your work cut out for you. They grow slowly. If I were you, I'd try to battle with it every chance you get."

Ash looked at his rival curiously. "Why are you helping me?"

The other boy was quiet for a moment before he shrugged. "Frankly, I want to fight trainers that can give me a challenge. You remind me of my brother—he's soft and irritating, but he is strong. He won the Silver Conference a few years ago before retiring early to become a breeder. I think you can get stronger than him."

"Why's that?"

Paul smirked. "Because you don't seem like the type to settle down after you reach your goal. What kind of master goes soft once they stand at the summit?"

That made Ash grin. "I suppose one that doesn't have the nerve to keep going."

"Exactly," Paul's eyes gleamed. "You're good for someone our age. Most of the new scrubs aren't going to even get past Surge. Only a few will reach the Indigo League. I'm pretty sure you'll make it, but I won't accept a weak rival. If a little advice makes you stronger, then maybe I'll get a better fight later on."

It made sense, Ash surmised. He would be disappointed if Gary or Leaf turned out to be weak when they met in the Indigo Conference. He'd never really considered giving rival trainers advice before, but maybe it was something he could do more often if he felt he could help—after all, training would get boring if every foe he faced was too weak to be a challenge.

"Anyways," Paul continued. "I need to get back to training."

"I'll leave you to it," Ash replied, then turned and left his rival for Celadon City.

Once Ash got his team to Nurse Joy at the Pokemon Center in Celadon, he was torn in his next decision. He could challenge Erika anytime of the day. Celadon's gym wasn't known for being particularly difficult and he had no doubt that Pyro, Eevee, and Spectre could win a battle against her. He might even be able to beat all her grass-types with Pyro alone. But he wasn't arrogant enough to believe that his starter would be all he needed to best a Gym Leader.

He was really debating going to the department store first and buying some TMs for his team. That would give most of his team the versatility they needed. Sobek, Eevee, and Spectre were the ones most in need of new attacks.

The final deciding factor was the fact that he intended to use Eevee and Spectre in the gym battle against Erika, and both of them would need some new moves. The problem was Spectre needed to focus on learning Shadow Ball and Ash didn't want to divide his efforts between two different moves. Helping Eevee learn a new technique would just improve their relationship.

Ash walked to the counter and told Nurse Joy he was going out. She would be working on his team and all the other trainers' Pokemon for a while, so he had plenty of time to go out and get the TMs he would need.

An hour later and he was still staring at the huge selection of TMs at the Celadon Department Store. He knew that they were the leading business in Kanto when it came to selling trainer equipment, but he had not expected the walls to literally be stacked to the ceiling with technical machines. Ash couldn't decide on which moves he wanted.

The only one he'd picked out for sure was Iron Tail. It was a steel-type move that he could teach to Eevee and Pikachu to give them some much-needed versatility. He'd picked out the reusable version of the TM—though it was $1,000 more—so he could use it again if he needed to. If he really wanted to, he might even teach it to Pyro or Sobek if he felt they could use it.

Ash grabbed the first Stone Edge TM he saw. It was a one-time use, but that was fine seeing as the rest of his team had no use for it at the moment. Sobek was in dire need of some added versatility and Ash had been wanting to give him Stone Edge for a while now. The rock-type move would help him fight aerial opponents as well as the ice and bug-types he was vulnerable to.

Douse would be getting Ice Beam. It was a powerful attack that would help him fight off the grass-types which held a natural advantage against him. Ash was going to purchase the one-time use version of Ice Beam because frankly, he didn't have any other Pokemon that could use the move right now besides Douse and it was quite expensive to boot.

He was unsure what to get Pyro. The Dragon Claw TM was practically screaming his name, but Ash knew already that Pyro was having enough trouble learning Dragon Rush. Putting another dragon-type move on top of that and the even more difficult Dragon Dance might just frustrate the fire-type. Still, maybe the extra knowledge would give him a much-needed boost…

He took a leap of faith and bought it.

Ash also ended up selecting Brick Break. The fighting-type move would help Pyro combat dark-types and also give him an edge against any of the rock-types they met later on. It also had an added effect of destroying defensive barriers like Light Screen and Reflect. He picked out the reusable copy of that TM. Ash intended to give Brick Break to Douse as well.

That was all he could afford for the time being. He simply didn't have the funds to purchase any extra TMs, especially given that he hadn't yet restocked his supply of medicine. Ash brought the four TMs to the counter and the clerk got him out in good time. He then made his way downstairs to get the rest of the supplies he would need—Celadon Department Store did, after all, sell everything a trainer could need.

By the time he got back to the Pokemon Center, Ash was pretty sure his wallet would be crying if it could, but he didn't care. He still had enough funds to keep him going and that was just more incentive to beat down a few extra trainers on the road. Besides, now was no time to think about money—he had moves to give to his team. It was dark outside by now, but all of his earlier exhaustion was forgotten. He was just too excited to go to sleep.

Ash got his Pokemon back from Nurse Joy and practically ran out of the city to a clearing not far off from where Paul had been training. He didn't know if the other boy was still working with his team, but that didn't matter right now. Ash pulled out his TM Case and added the new discs to it before starting the process that would give his Pokemon their new weapons.

He set Pikachu and Eevee's Poke Balls in the case first and immediately selected the Iron Tail TM. Ash grinned the whole time as he watched their Poke Balls glow a metallic silver. Next was Pyro, who got Dragon Claw. Then Douse with Ice Beam and Sobek with Stone Edge. He'd save Brick Break for another day. Once he'd gotten knowledge of all the new moves transferred to his team's brains, Ash set them loose.

"Okay, guys," Ash began, a wide grin on his face. "So I'm sure that you know by now that you've got some new moves, right?"

Pyro clenched his claws and let out an eager growl. Pikachu snickered, cheeks sparking while his tail flexed slightly. Eevee inspected her tail with a little more interest than normal and Douse cracked his knuckles. Sobek bared his fangs in a snarl and hissed with delight.

Spectre seemed a little confused, but Ash filled him in. "You're still working on Shadow Ball, buddy. Once you master that, then I'll get you a new move of your own."

That made the Duskull excited, because he did a few flips in the air and settled on Pyro's head, though the Charmeleon snapped at him with annoyance.

"None of that," Ash stopped them quickly. His team paid rapt attention to him. "We're going to spend just a few minutes on your new moves. I want to make sure you know how to use them correctly, okay?"

A chorus of growls, chirps, and gurgles answered him. Ash nodded. "Okay, then. Pyro, you're first."

Pyro stepped forward, tail flame flaring while he waited eagerly for his trainer's orders. Ash looked around the dark clearing and pointed at a rock about the size of a small car. "Dragon Claw!"

Excitement roared through him as he watched emerald energy surge around Pyro's talons, then the Chameleon lunged at his target and slashed at it viciously. The Dragon Claw tore deep gouges into the rock as if it were mere styrofoam.

Ash grinned. It wouldn't have quite the same effect on a rock-type, but it was still obviously powerful. More than that, Pyro had gotten a clear grip on the dragon-type energy necessary for the technique—that would help him leaps and bounds when they practiced Dragon Rush and Dragon Dance in the future. "Good job, buddy. Pikachu, Eevee, you two are next."

Pikachu didn't actually wait for Ash to give him a command. Instead, he charged the same rock Pyro had attacked and jumped into the air. His tail glowed a metallic silver and, with a forward flip, he smashed it into the stone.

Ash blinked with surprise as the Iron Tail almost chopped its target in half. His grin widened. "That was great, Pikachu!"

Pikachu sniggered and Pyro spat a small flame at him for the mouse's attempt to one-up him, but Pikachu darted out of the way, much to the Charmeleon's irritation. Ash didn't both intervening since it wasn't escalating into a fight.

"Eevee, your turn," Ash offered her.

Eevee actually looked fairly interested and quickly rushed their target. She performed a similar jump and flip to Pikachu, driving the Iron Tail into the stone. It was obviously weaker than Pikachu's, seeing as Eevee hadn't been training as intensely as the rest of his team, but there was enough punch to it for Ash to almost feel sorry for any rock-type unfortunate enough to be on the receiving end of Eevee's Iron Tail.

When she padded back to the group with her head held high, obviously proud of herself, Ash knelt and scratched under her chin. "Good girl."

Eevee soaked up the attention for a few seconds before sitting down and watching Douse take her place.

"Ice Beam!" Ash commanded.

Douse beat his round body with a white fist before focusing for a second. As they watched, a sphere of glowing, icy-blue energy gathered in front of him, then was unleashed into three bolts at the stone. The rock was frozen instantly, breaking further as the ice filled in all the cracks and expanded them.

Ash nodded. "Nice work, Douse."

Sobek, like Pikachu, didn't even bother waiting for orders. The croc thrashed his tail and immediately smashed a fist at the ground.

The team froze in surprise as spires of sharp rock punched out of the earth in a trail leading to the target, which was split clean in half by the Stone Edge. The whole process took a few seconds, but Ash bet that when it hit an enemy Pokemon, it would leave a mark not soon forgotten.

"Excellent, Sobek!"

Sobek growled, eyeing his trail of destruction with evident satisfaction in his gleaming onyx eyes. Ash glanced at Spectre, who had been watching with the others. He smiled at the small ghost.

"Spectre, do you want to have another go at Shadow Ball?"

Spectre nodded and floated forward, pushing his two wispy limbs out in front of him. Ash watched patiently as the Shadow Ball was formed, though it still took several seconds. They'd made some progress on it in the last few days, though the success rate was only 50/50 at best.

He watched as Spectre fired the Shadow Ball, launching it at the (now destroyed) target. Ash smiled as the ghost-type move made it to the stone and exploded, though it was still a good bit weaker than Eevee's comparatively more powerful Shadow Ball. That was fine with him, though. Spectre was making good progress and he couldn't ask for more than that.

"Good job, Spectre," Ash told him. The ghost floated over and tapped his forehead with delight, which Ash mimicked as usual. He glanced at his team and nodded to himself. "Alright, I'd say that's enough for tonight. We'll be working on those moves more as we travel to make sure we master them to the best of our abilities, but for now, we can rest. And tomorrow, we're going to challenge Erika. Pyro, Eevee, Spectre, I hope you three are ready."

Pyro breathed a stream of fire into the air and growled, dark eyes shining with a lust for battle. Spectre seemed excited as well, albeit not quite as eager as Pyro was. Eevee simply nodded, neither excited nor disappointed. Ash felt like he was really beginning to make progress with her.

"Anyways, let's get back to the Pokemon Center. I don't know about all of you, but I'm ready to sleep."

The next morning, Ash found himself standing in front of the Celadon City Gym. He looked up at the average sized building with determined eyes. He was walking out of here with a gym badge. Erika wasn't going to beat him.

He walked inside and immediately had to stop himself from gagging. An overwhelming, noxious scent filled his nose and made his eyes water. Ash had never smelled anything so disgusting in his life. He wasn't even sure how he managed to make it to the front desk.

A female attendant at the desk smirked at him with some amusement. "It gets better with a little time. Just breathe."

Ash didn't bother replying. He took a few deep breaths, wincing at the smell still pervading his senses. After a minute or so, he adapted to it as best he could and looked at the smirking attendant with a little embarrassment. "I'm here for a gym battle."

"I figured. You don't look like you'd be interested in our perfume line," she giggled. Ash didn't know how to respond to that, but the attendant didn't give him a chance to reply as she lifted a phone to her ear and dialed a number in. There was a brief pause, then she spoke into the device. "We've got a challenger here. Wake up Erika."

She hung up and Ash frowned. "Wake her up? Who would be sleeping at this time of day?"

"Erika would be," the attendant giggled. She gestured to a door on the side of the front desk for him to go through. "She's a bit lazier than the other Gym Leaders, but she's no less powerful for it. Good luck."

"Thanks," Ash replied, then made his way to the door.

The smell only intensified as Ash stepped into the main part of the gym and he took a moment to simply breathe and recover his burning senses. His nose stung and his eyes were still watering. He had some vague thought that there was probably a really powerful Gloom or something like it creating the noxious scent, but it smelled too bad for him to really focus on it.

He walked down a small path towards the field, glancing to the sides as he did so. The gym was designed like a huge greenhouse, with plants all over the place and glass panels for the ceiling. Ash assumed that was for Erika's grass-type Pokemon—they thrived on solar power and direct sunlight undoubtedly amplified their strength.

Once he reached the challenger's side of the field, Ash saw a beautiful, soft-featured teenage girl in a floral kimono waiting for him. She was rubbing her eyes tiredly, as if she had just woken up. He assumed that was Erika, especially when a tenant of hers came running over with a trio of Poke Balls in her hands.

Erika looked up at him with bleary eyes and offered a smile. "Well, hello there. I am Erika, the Gym Leader of Celadon Gym. So you're my challenger, are you?"

"Yes," he responded politely. "My name is Ash. I have three gym badges."

"Three?" Erika echoed, inspecting him with practiced eyes. "You seem like a new trainer…Did you start your journey recently?"

"Yes," Ash nodded. "I started traveling about three months ago, give or take a week. The last Gym Leader we beat was Lt. Surge."

Her eyes glinted with interest. "You defeated Surge? You're like the other boy that defeated me the day before yesterday, then. This battle should be worth my time."

Ash presumed she was talking about Paul when she mentioned another male trainer (especially one as young as himself). He nodded and Erika's lips curled into something like a smirk. "I think I'm going to have some fun with you. Referee, begin your announcements!"

"Yes, my lady!" A young woman bowed to Erika and quickly made her way to the referee's stand halfway across the field. "This Celadon Gym match will now begin. It will be a three-on-three battle and will end when all of one side's Pokemon are unable to continue. Furthermore, there are to be no substitutions. The challenger may have the first attack."

Erika tapped the release on her first Poke Ball and set loose a Gloom. Ash did his best not to gag as the smell got even worse. He couldn't believe that Erika was unaffected completely by the scent—did she even have a sense of smell after training Gloom for so long?

He managed to grab Spectre's Poke Ball and released the ghost-type onto the field. Spectre eyed Gloom curiously and glanced at Ash with his single red orb. Ash smiled at him. "You're in a gym battle, Spectre. Let's see what you've got, okay?"

Spectre did a flip in the air and made a hollow cackle. The sight made Erika giggle. "This is a funny little one, wouldn't you say, Gloom?"

The grass-type on her side of the field didn't react to the ghost and yawned. Apparently, its personality matched that of its trainer's.

"Begin!" Declared the referee, slashing her hand down.

"Shadow Sneak," Ash commanded immediately. "Get in close and use Astonish if you see an opening."

Spectre dove at the nearest shadow and disappeared. Shadow Sneak allowed the user to merge their bodies into a shadow in order to make a quick surprise attack on the opponent. A Pokemon could use its own shadow to disappear, but it required more energy to maintain your own shadow than it did to just piggyback on another. There were plenty of shadows around the field thanks to the surrounding trees. Moreover, it was the only way Spectre could move especially fast—the ghost-type simply couldn't float at a very high speed.

Gloom got a nasty surprise as Spectre appeared at its feet and rammed his skull mask into the grass-type's face. It sputtered and backed up, only a little injured, but certainly surprised. Spectre's mask glowed an ominous purple-gray as he tried to follow up with Astonish, but Erika wasn't having any of it.

"Blow it away with Petal Blizzard. Then use Sunny Day."

Spectre made a hollow sound of surprise as a gale of sharp flower petals met his attempt at Astonish head-on. Gloom's attack was far stronger than the ghost-type's and sent Spectre spiraling through the air until he was all the way back on Ash's side of the field.

"Are you okay, Spectre?" He demanded. Spectre looked at him and nodded. That was one thing about Spectre that Ash was grateful for—even if he wasn't particularly fast or strong, his wispy body and skull mask were incredibly tough. It took a lot to actually hurt the little ghost.

Before he could dish out another command, Gloom fired a glowing sphere into the air from its bulb, which lined up with the sun and spread harsh sunlight over the whole battlefield. Ash felt the temperature rise and mentally cursed when the shadows over the field disappeared. Now Spectre would have to use more of his energy if he needed to move quickly.

On the other hand, Gloom looked positively fired up. It was actually jumping up and down like it had had one too many shots of espresso. He didn't know much about Gloom itself, but he was plenty aware that grass-types got a lot stronger when exposed to powerful sunlight. If its ability was something like Solar Power or Chlorophyll, that would give it an unforgiving power boost.

He frowned. Suddenly this fight was looking a lot harder.

Erika was smiling across the field and he was certain it was because she knew she had the whole battlefield under her control. She raised her hand with a flourish of her kimono and instigated the next stage of the fight. "Toxic Bomb!"

Gloom suddenly blurred away with shocking speed and appeared to Spectre's left. Ash barely had time to react before the grass-type pointed its bulb at the ghost and fired a noxious ball of sludge. "Protect!"

The green energy shield materialized as the sludge went airborne between them. Spectre leered at Gloom for the surprise attack, but had no chance to counter as it continued to rapid fire the venomous concoctions at him.

Ash bit his lip. He was certain now that Gloom's ability was Chlorophyll. It was the only explanation for the insane bursts of speed he was seeing from Gloom. Erika probably had her whole strategy centered around judicious use of Sunny Day and Chlorophyll to give her Pokemon a deadly advantage. The added boost would let her team annihilate enemies with toxins while avoiding all other attacks with that ungodly speed.

He was trying to come up with a strategy when Spectre's Protect gave way and the ghost took a clean hit from the sludge blasts Gloom was still firing. Spectre made a hollow sound of distress and floated away, trying to avoid any further attacks. Strangely though, Gloom had stopped attacking after hitting its opponent. Ash frowned at the confusing move until Spectre's body glowed purple and began to shake violently.

Poison. Ash's Pokemon had been poisoned before, but it was nothing like this. Usually, the toxins would wear down a Pokemon gradually as the battle progressed. This venom almost seemed to be actively attacking Spectre.

It had to be Toxic, a poison-type move that delivered an especially lethal dose of venom. Most poisons were used in a fixed amount that would slowly whittle away at a Pokemon's strength. Toxic was different. Its poison actually drew from the target's own energy reserves to multiply itself. One dose quickly grew into two, then four, and so on. A self-replicating poison that actively assaulted the enemy's body.

Many trainers hated Toxic, and with good reason. Once a Pokemon was poisoned by the move, it didn't matter how powerful they were—if they couldn't heal themselves of the poison or were immune to it, they would faint in a matter of minutes. Even Pokemon on the level of the Elite Four were vulnerable to the technique, though most of them could rid themselves of the poison quickly. It was a popular move in the higher ranks of trainers for its deadly efficiency, but if a Pokemon wasn't treated quickly, Toxic could be fatal. For that matter, any poison had the potential to kill, but Toxic was infamous for claiming more victims than any other poison-type moves.

The only downside of Toxic was that it was difficult to aim because building that unique cocktail of venoms took a great deal of concentration. Erika had seemingly mixed it with Sludge Bomb to increase the chance of hitting an enemy. It was a brilliant combination and all the more lethal.

"We've got to finish this fast, Spectre!" Ash shouted. The ghost nodded and winced as Toxic surged through his body again. Ash knew they didn't have much time, so he went for a move he really hadn't wanted to rely on until Erika had whipped out Toxic. "Confuse Ray!"

Spectre's single red eye glowed a bright, ominous red that washed eerie crimson light over the field. Erika, however, wasn't about to let him get away with confusing her Pokemon.

"Gloom, use Petal Blizzard!"

The Confuse Ray was made harmless to Gloom as a whirlwind of petals surged between the grass-type and the offending attack, so thick that it protected Gloom from Spectre's move. However, Ash wasn't going to give up on it just like that. "Shadow Sneak!"

Gloom was taken by surprise again as Spectre's skull mask smacked into its side, tipping it over. The grass-type quickly got back up, but not before Ash seized his opportunity to take advantage of its momentary vulnerability. "Confuse Ray!"

This time, there was no escaping the ghost-type move. Gloom squealed as its mind was twisted by Confuse Ray, much to Ash's relief. It was still going to be ridiculously fast thanks to its Chlorophyll ability, but they had a better chance at defeating it than they had beforehand. He looked across the field and started when he saw Erika still smiling. Ash frowned. Her Pokemon was confused. What on earth was she—

He yelped as a blast of solar energy ripped through the air, missing Spectre by mere centimeters and smashing into a nearby tree with devastating force. Eyes wide, Ash could see Gloom was definitely still confused, but confused or not, that had been a true Solar Beam. If Spectre got hit with that, it would probably end the fight right then and there.

The grass-type was rapidly charging another Solar Beam and Ash realized it would only take seconds for it to fire since the sun was still shining harshly. He had to take it out while it was confused before Toxic brought Spectre down. "Shadow Ball! Keep away from its Solar Beams and hit it as many times as you can!"

Spectre did as he instructed quickly and began to form a Shadow Ball. Ash grit his teeth when it still took a good bit of time to build up, and mentally swore when the move missed. Gloom was confused, yes, but its Chlorophyll was still in play and it was randomly darting around the field, launching Solar Beams now and again to try and hit some invisible enemy.

Only one Shadow Ball hit Gloom in the end, and that was just because it had tripped from its own random movements. The ghost-type move obviously hurt, but it wasn't enough to stop Gloom, and Ash was worried that Spectre was becoming increasingly hurt from the effects of Toxic. The ghost was just trying to stay afloat at this point. He was about to recall Spectre when Gloom suddenly rushed at his Pokemon with a Solar Beam charging, getting right up in the Duskull's face. Ash suddenly had an idea and decided to go for it.

"Protect!"

Erika's eyes widened as a green energy shield quickly formed around Spectre and a moment later, Gloom launched the Solar Beam right into it. They were just a foot apart, so the surge of light hit Spectre's Protect and exploded point-blank right in Gloom's face. A huge cloud of smoke filled the field as the blast settled, but Ash was relieved to see Spectre float out of it, albeit hurt and barely conscious from the poison.

Gloom had not been so fortunate. The confusion had driven it to fire Solar Beam right into an impenetrable shield mere inches away. Its own attack had exploded so close to the grass-type that it had knocked Gloom out. Ash could only imagine the surprise on Gloom's face when the move blew up in its face. He was just glad that his battle against Paul was still fresh in his mind—Spectre's victory against Gloom was a lucky win on Ash's part.

Erika recalled Gloom and Ash did the same for Spectre. There was no way the little ghost could keep fighting, not after the debilitating effects of Toxic had worked their way through his body for so long. He smiled at the Poke Ball in his hand. "You were great, Spectre. Now take a break. You've earned it."

"I'll admit, that surprised me," Erika called to him. "I didn't expect such a tactic from a trainer as young as yourself."

"I picked it up from someone else," Ash admitted. "Though I never thought I would have to use it so fast."

She smiled again. "Applying an adversary's moves as your own is part of growing as a trainer. Adaptation and personal ability can be enhanced when you grow with others. You aren't arrogant enough to deny that it is not only your own skills that grant you victory. That is a good thing."

Erika tapped the release on her second Poke Ball and sent out a Weepinbell. Ash chewed his lip thoughtfully as he considered the opponent. Weepinbell likely had Chlorophyll just like Gloom, so it would be absurdly fast and powerful as long as the sun was still bright. However, he could use the same harsh sunlight to his advantage.

Pyro appeared with a furious roar and a gout of flame that grew in the higher temperatures. Ash smirked at the delighted look on his starter's face. Pyro loved heat, and Sunny Day undoubtedly felt like paradise to him.

"Oh my," Erika murmured with a frown. "A fire-type. Weepinbell, use Toxic Bomb!"

Ash's eyes widened as the grass-type made to use the same deadly combination that Gloom had used on Spectre. He immediately snapped. "Flamethrower! Burn the poison away before it hits!"

Weepinbell spat the poison-type combination move at Pyro, but the Charmeleon wasn't having any of it and retaliated with a torrent of flames. The grass-type squelched with fear and darted away from the fire with incredible speed—Ash's guess for its ability being Chlorophyll had been correct.

"It's fast, so watch yourself," Ash began to say. "I'll bet it can fire Solar Beams as well. Make sure you don't get hit with its poison. If that tags you, it's going to knock you out one way or another."

Pyro's tail lashed in acknowledgement as the fire-type glared at the Weepinbell rushing around the field. Erika was apparently using its blinding speed to her advantage as she considered her opponent and came up with a strategy. Ash wasn't going to give her any more time than she'd already had.

"Flamethrower again! Set the whole field on fire!"

Pyro's dark eyes grew bright with unrestrained glee as he sucked in a huge breath, then doused the other side of the field with his furious, burning roar. The Flamethrower only grew stronger in the intense heat, which Ash was sure by now Erika was regretting. Enhanced sunlight gave her grass-types an edge with speed and the ability to fire Solar Beam ridiculously fast, but it was a double-edged sword; fire-type adversaries like Pyro would gain enough power to become unstoppable forces of destruction. Any grass-type move without the raw power of a Solar Beam would be burned away ruthlessly by Pyro's unforgiving flames.

Weepinbell was frantically trying to avoid being hit by the column of fire, but it was only a matter of time before the enhanced flames tagged it. Ash grinned as he saw Weepinbell stumble on the field, leaves burnt, and jumped at the opportunity presented to him. "Fire Fang!"

Pyro lunged at the grass-type and snapped at it with his burning teeth. Weepinbell managed to scramble up and avoid the first bite, but Pyro's sharp claws lashed out to grab at it. Ash watched as his starter yanked the grass-type to him, opened his jaws, and bit down harshly on Weepinbell's body. Pyro shook Weepinbell in his jaws like a Growlithe with a Rattata, burning it ruthlessly until it grew slack and went still. He threw it to the other side of the field, where Erika swiftly recalled it.

Ash couldn't stop grinning. That was becoming a favored tactic of his. Pyro and Sobek were two of his strongest Pokemon, and their sharp teeth were useful weapons. Biting down hard and shaking the opponent like a rag doll was effective, if rather brutal and tough to watch sometimes.

Erika glared at the Charmeleon with some frustration as she sent out her third Pokemon—a large Parasect. "Parasect dear, our opponent is a fire-type. Please deal with it quickly before it can use its flames to ravage the field."

Parasect clicked its claws, but it was eyeing the furious Charmeleon nervously. Ash couldn't blame it—Pyro was thrashing his fiery tail from side to side and exhaling embers with every breath. His blood was pumping and he was ready for a fight, type advantage or not. Weepinbell had simply been the first course. Parasect was the seconds Pyro was starving for.

"Effect Spores!" Erika commanded immediately. "Use Solar Beam to keep it away. Cross Poison if it gets close. Watch the teeth—it can use Fire Fang."

The grass-type clicked its claws again and shook its body, sending out a cloud of spores from its shell. Ash eyed the cloud with some nervousness—Parasect were notorious for having every kind of spore available to them, capable of debilitating enemies with poison, paralysis, and sleep. It wouldn't be good if Pyro got hit with that.

"Burn it away," Ash ordered.

Pyro snarled and released another surge of flames from his jaws, incinerating the spores without mercy. Erika frowned across the field, but smiled as a surprise Solar Beam from Parasect ripped through the destroyed spores and collided with the Charmeleon. Pyro roared furiously and glared at Parasect, more angry than hurt.

Solar Beam was strong, but it was still a grass-type move. Pyro could resist it, and he hadn't been injured up until now. Ash could tell that his starter was still raring to go and decided to try and finish the fight before Parasect could get any more status afflicting moves out. "Get in close. Use Flamethrower to counter its Solar Beams and hit it with Fire Fang. Don't let it get away."

Pyro didn't wait another second to lunge at the insect the moment Ash's string of commands had been given to him. Parasect clicked its claws nervously at the charging fire-type and immediately launched another Solar Beam, only for it to meet Pyro's Flamethrower in a direct collision. When the Charmeleon continued to run at his opponent, Parasect raised its claws and slashed in an X-formation, launching a razor-sharp projectile of poison that Ash figured was the Cross Poison Erika had mentioned.

"Metal Claw!" He shouted instantly. "Don't let the poison hit you!"

Silver talons glowed on Pyro's hands as he rent through the Cross Poison with Metal Claw, the toxins harmlessly washing off of the steel-type move. They got a surprise as a different slashing move hit Pyro, but it only served to infuriate the Charmeleon even further. Parasect didn't have any moves that could deal serious damage to Pyro, it seemed, so it was just throwing everything it had at the fire-type.

It wasn't enough. Pyro made it to Parasect and snapped at it, but the insect jabbed at him with its claws to keep him away. Pyro snarled and grabbed the huge claws with his own to keep the grass-type from slashing him again, but he was still kept far enough away to prevent him from biting Parasect with Fire Fang. Erika was shouting commands for Parasect to use Effect Spores again when Ash came up with a way to finish off the insect.

"Flip it onto its side!"

Parasect made a shrill sound of surprise as Pyro used the grip he had on its enormous claws to heave his opponent to the side and unbalanced it. The bug ended up lying on its soft, mushroom shell with its legs in the air, flailing desperately to right itself. Pyro let its huge claws go and lunged at the insect with a snarl before it could recover.

Ash had to wince as he heard the distinct cracking sound of Parasect's exoskeleton breaking under the force of Pyro's powerful jaws. The fire-type delivered several more punishing bites to his enemy before Erika recalled Parasect and ended the battle. Pyro roared his victory and glared at Erika, probably eager for her to send out another Pokemon, but when it became clear that she was done, he settled down and walked over to Ash.

Ash smiled at his starter and scratched the scaly horn on top of Pyro's head fondly. "You were great, buddy. I'm so proud of you."

Pyro snorted and leaned into his touch, soaking up the attention while Erika made her way over to them.

The Gym Leader was frowning. "I would be lying if I said I wasn't a little disappointed in myself. Your Charmeleon was stronger than I anticipated."

"Pyro is probably the strongest Pokemon I have," Ash told her. "He was my starter."

Pyro butted his scaly head into Ash's chest with a growl of agreement. Erika smiled at the sight and her frown vanished. "You clearly have a strong bond with him. I was impressed by how fluidly the two of you battled together. Your fighting style is rather brutish and focused on little more than raw power, but it is effective. I'll hand you that."

She pulled a small badge out of her kimono and offered it to him. "This is the Rainbow Badge. You've earned it."

Ash took it from her gratefully and carefully placed it in his pocket. He would put in his badge case later. "Thank you, Erika. It was a good battle."

"I'd hardly say so," she smiled wryly. "I think we both know that I was rather outmatched by your Charmeleon. However, I did use the team that I have for trainers with only three badges—all of them are rather young and not up to my main team's standards yet. If you find yourself coming through Celadon again later on, I'd welcome a rematch. I'll use my true team against you next time—and you will find no easy victory against them, fire or no fire."

Ash grinned at the thought. "I'll definitely come around for that. Thanks again, Erika."

He was halfway to the door when Erika called to him again and offered a mischievous wink. "When you've grown into a man, come back to my gym, Mr. Ketchum. I think you'll be rather handsome once you've gotten a little taller and I'm sure many of my students here would find you…interesting, to say the least."

Several giggles came from the female gym trainers that had congregated around Erika. Ash felt his face flush with heat and quickly left the building. He might have won the battle, but Erika had definitely gotten the last laugh.

Chapter Text

Chapter Eight: Consequence

Ash's team only took a few hours to heal completely following the fight with Erika. Pyro had only taken one or two hits, though Spectre did need more time for Nurse Joy to ensure that the effects of Toxic had left his body. Ash was more than willing to give him the break he needed. Spectre hadn't been on his team for very long, but he'd proven himself by taking down Erika's crafty Gloom.

Currently, he was sitting at a booth in the lobby eating dinner with his Pokemon while he contemplated his next move. Pyro and Sobek had already eaten their fill and were curled up by his feet under the table. Douse was eating on the other side of the booth, taking his time while he ate. Pikachu had a bottle of ketchup and was happily licking at the tomato-flavored condiment while Spectre floated by the window and stared out at the city. Ash found out that the Duskull only needed a few pieces of Pokemon food for him to be satisfied.

Eevee was actually sleeping in his lap. She had been pleased to hear that they won the battle against Erika and didn't seem too upset that she hadn't been able to take part in the battle. Ash had a feeling she wasn't quite ready to start fighting with him yet, but that was okay. She was warming up to him more and more every day. The fact that she willingly took part in training now was evidence of that, not to mention she got a little closer to the rest of the team. Ash was just glad she was happy now.

Everyone looked content in his eyes. Well, almost everyone.

Spectre had been acting oddly ever since he'd been healed. Ash didn't think he was upset by the battle, but the ghost seemed to be utterly fixed on something outside that he couldn't comprehend. Despite Ash's attempts to get his attention, Spectre continued to stare outside with intense scrutiny.

Sobek was behaving strangely as well. The croc seemed to be trying to go to sleep, but something kept distracting him, jolting the ground-type awake until he gave up the attempt at napping. After that, he cocked his head and simply went quiet, as if he were straining his senses to detect something just beyond his reach.

Ash had to frown at that. Sobek and Spectre weren't exactly friendly towards each other, so if they were both concerned about something, he deemed it smart to heed whatever they sensed. However, they weren't making any active efforts to find or warn him about whatever it was. What they sensed had their attention, but nothing more.

He'd figure it out tomorrow, Ash decided. It was late, his team was tired, and frankly they all needed to sleep. His plan now, seeing as they still had two months before the St. Anne arrived in Vermillion, was to head south towards Fuchsia City. There, he would challenge Koga, the Gym Leader that specialized in poison-type Pokemon.

Ash knew Koga was one of the stronger Kantonian Gym Leaders and was even regarded as an Elite Four candidate. There were numerous lower-class gyms throughout the region that would be easier to win at, but Ash wanted to challenge himself. He saw no potential growth for his team if they fought weak enemies. Only powerful foes would help them get stronger, thus bringing Ash closer to his goal.

Not to mention he'd stand no chance against the legendary beasts Wes commanded at the Indigo League if he set his sights on weak enemies.

It would take him about a month to reach Fuchsia City from Celadon. The road to Fuchsia was a range of forests and rough plains that harbored strong wild Pokemon and trainers who congregated there to train. Ash was eager to make the trip, thinking about all the experience his team could gain while traveling.

His imagination grinder to a halt as Pikachu's small body fell against him. Ash smiled as he realized the little rodent was asleep, belly full of ketchup and content as could be. He quietly recalled Pikachu and the other members of his team, though he lifted Eevee into his arms and carried her back to his room. Ash would set the rest of the team loose again to sleep once he settled for the night, as he always did.

They were tired. It had been a long day, after all.

Ash woke up to a loud knock on his door. He groaned and opened up bleary eyes, squinting at the clock by his bed. It was only eight in the morning, something that his team had also taken notice of. Pyro and Sobek were glaring daggers at the door, obviously eager to rend the foolish soul who had dared to wake them. Douse was rubbing his eyes tiredly and Pikachu was still snoring. Ash smirked at that. The electric-type had keen ears, but he had a habit of going into a food coma after eating lots of ketchup.

Eevee gave the door an annoyed look as whoever was on the other side knocked again, so Ash got up and went to answer it. He frowned when he couldn't find Spectre though. A quick glance around the room was insufficient to locate the small ghost, but a third knock forced him to answer, lest Pyro and Sobek tear the door down to attack whoever had woken them up.

"Ashy-boy!"

Ash had to blink a few times to get his mind to register that Gary was standing at his door with a wide grin. The other boy looked him up and down and smirked. "You look like shit."

"I just woke up," Ash retorted. "What are you doing here? Scratch that, how'd you even find me?"

"I told him."

The last person Ash expected to see was Paul, but the other boy was leaning against the wall next to the door. Ash looked between Gary and Paul with surprise. "You two know each other?"

Gary leered at the violet-haired trainer. "Well, sort of. We've battled a few times before."

"What he means is he's challenged me three times and I curb-stomped him twice," Paul smirked.

"Just because your stupid Elekid decided to evolve in the middle of our fight…" Gary muttered under his breath, then shook his head and grinned at Ash. "Well, that doesn't matter. Get yourself dressed, Ashy boy. We've got places to be!"

"Like what?" Ash arched an eyebrow. "I was going to set out for Fuchsia City today."

"Uh-uh!" Gary wagged a finger in front of him in a chastising manner. "You've only been here a day or two, right? Have you checked out the Game Corner?"

"The what?"

"Exactly," Gary smirked.

Paul intervened then. "Celadon City has a Game Corner that offers rare Pokemon and items as prizes. There are Pokemon here that are ridiculously hard to find in the wild. Dratini, for one."

That got Ash's attention in an instant. "They give out dragons as prizes for gambling?!"

"Aren't you glad we showed up to tell you?" Gary crowed triumphantly. "There are a couple of others you can get that are worth checking out, but I've got my eye on that dragon. I figured we should all go win a Pokemon from the Game Corner and then we can compare who did the best job training them at the Indigo League."

Paul shrugged. "I'm not really that interested in the gaming bit, but they do have some Pokemon I'd like to try and win. It's not an opportunity to be missed."

"Let me get dressed real quick," Ash said hurriedly, rushing back into his room without a second thought. His team looked bewildered by his sudden energy and didn't even have time to blink before Ash recalled them all, threw on his clothes, hat, and darted back out into the hall.

He remembered that Spectre hadn't been in the room and looked around the hall with a frown. "Have either of you seen a Duskull?"

Gary arched an eyebrow. "Duskull?"

"It's a ghost-type," Paul filled him in as he faced Ash. "Why do you ask?"

"My Duskull isn't in my room," Ash replied. "He's probably fine, but I hope he's not floating around scaring people. He likes to do that."

Gary shrugged. "Well, ghosts are pretty smart. He should be able to track you down if he comes back here. Gramps told me once that they can track a certain life force if they've been around it long enough."

Ash was still frowning, but Gary threw an arm around his shoulder and dragged him off. "C'mon, Ash, we got some gambling to do!"

The three boys made it to the Game Corner with little difficulty. It was certainly flashy enough, with a huge neon sign over the entrance and posters displaying the various prizes that could be won. Ash's jaw dropped as he eyed the list of Pokemon he had the potential to win here- Dratini, Scyther, Pinsir, Clefairy, Lickitung, Tangela, Abra, Sandshrew, Porygon…The list went on and on. Sandshrew weren't that hard to find and Abra were just really annoying to capture, but Scyther, Pinsir, Lickitung and Tangela were absurdly difficult to find.

Yet even they couldn't match the ungodly rarity of Dratini or Clefairy. They were the highest prizes available for that very reason, and Ash could only assume the Game Corner had access to a high class breeder in order to obtain the rare Pokemon. Porygon was another rarity, one that had been developed entirely with computer data. They had only been declared officially as Pokemon in recent years and most were owned by the League, so again, Ash assumed the Game Corner had some big-shot contact.

He would kill to get any one of them. Ash would have to win a load of coins for them, but if he did it, he would gain an invaluable new teammate.

They went inside and made their way through the crowds of gamblers to the desk in the back, where they paid for a coin case and 100 coins to start out. Everything else they'd have to earn or buy. Ash was going for the Scyther. There weren't many bug-types that were powerful enough to hold their own in the upper ranks of trainers, but Scyther and its evolved form Scizor were among that limited number. Scyther were fast and powerful—traits Ash was, admittedly, rather fond of. Aside from that, bug-type moves would give him an added advantage against Sabrina's psychic Pokemon when Ash challenged her. He would have to earn 6,500 coins, but that would be a small price to pay given how rare the bug-type was.

Ash, Gary, and Paul made their way to separate machines and started to play. Ash picked a slot machine and read the instructions. It was a relatively simple game—all he had to do was predict the pictures that came and try to match them up. If he could get straights every time, he would continue to gain coins. It wasn't hard to earn coins even with misses, but scoring big would be difficult. The best match he could get was three sevens across the slots. That would earn him five hundred coins. If Ash was lucky and predicted the slots well, he could get the 6,500 coins he needed for Scyther.

He inserted a coin and glared at the slots as they spun quickly, challenging him to predict the images. After a minute of watching the first slot spin and trying to predict the seven, Ash hit the stop button. He scowled when the slot came to a standstill more slowly than he'd anticipated and made him land on the picture of a Shellder's face. Ash frowned as he struck out on the other two slots as well and only managed to earn back the coin he'd put in.

This was going to take a while.

Five hours later and Ash was still at the same slot machine. He'd managed to earn about 1,000 coins, which was nowhere near enough for him to get the Scyther he wanted. It was ridiculously frustrating and he was just about ready to set Pyro on the machine that seemed to mock him with every miss he made.

"How goes the battle?"

Ash jumped as Paul appeared behind him. He scowled and jabbed his thumb at the slot machine. "Terrible. I still need like 5,000 coins to get a Scyther. I'll be here all day before I even earn half of that."

Paul smirked. "It's not easy to pick up on. It's a good thing there's a Game Corner in my home city. I've played all these before and then some."

He held up a Poke Ball that Ash could only blink at dumbly until he realized what it was. "You already got enough coins?!"

"Like I said, I've done this before," the violet-haired boy shrugged. He tossed the Poke Ball up and snatched it out of the air. "Besides, I only had to earn 5,000 coins. That's nothing. Some of the prizes at the Veilstone Game Corner are like 15,000 coins. Hyper Beam and Giga Impact TMs, for example."

Ash just gaped at his rival. It didn't even occur to him to ask which Pokemon Paul had chosen. He was still trying to compute the fact that Paul could beat these games and earn five times as much as Ash had in the same amount of time.

"Oh, look at that," Paul remarked as he looked over Ash's head. "Your ghost is back."

Ash blinked and spun around to find Spectre floating directly behind him. He smiled at the little ghost, relieved that he'd found his way to Ash again. "Hey there, buddy. Where'd you float off to?"

Spectre tapped his head and pointed towards the back of the Game Corner. Ash arched his eyebrow. "What were you doing here—hey!"

The ghost suddenly snatched his hat and started floating away. Ash growled and lunged after him, still annoyed by his inability to win at the slot machine. He wasn't in the mood for this. "Spectre, give me back my hat!"

Spectre floated along towards the back of the building, Ash chasing after him while Paul followed with a somewhat bored expression. The ghost led them to a lone potted plant that stood out from the rest of the Game Corner. Once they reached it, Spectre turned to Ash and gestured at the wall urgently.

Ash frowned. "What is it?"

"It looks like there's a door there," Paul said as he inspected the plain white walls. "It kind of blends in, doesn't it?"

He realized that there was indeed a door, colored white to match the walls and only discernible by the faint rectangular outline. There was no sign on it that told them not to enter, so Ash pushed on it. The door swung in to reveal a stairway heading down. Spectre immediately floated down, much to Ash's chagrin. He glanced around to make sure no one was watching, then followed the ghost-type with Paul.

Everything inside was white and black, as though the place had been designed like a checker board. Ash and Paul remained quiet as they went lower and lower, following Spectre to whatever it was he wanted to show them. They reached the end of the stairs shortly and paused at a corner that would take them to a hallway when they heard voices talking.

"Did you hear about what happened in Lavender Town? At the Pokemon Tower?"

"Yeah, Lady Ariana went and got caught by some big-shot League Trainer. What of it? We already broke her out. If you want big news, freshman, you ought to know that Petrel went and got what we needed to pull off Project: Darkwing. Now all we gotta do is ship it west and our allies there will weaponize it."

"Oh! Really? That's huge news!"

"I've been a part of Team Rocket for two years now, freshman. I'm a first-class soldier just below the Admins—staying in the know is what I do. Besides, once this deal goes down with Project: Darkwing, we're gonna hit the big times. That and Project: Origin, but even Lady Ariana ain't disclosing too much about it."

"Sheesh, all these big projects are going down at once? It's no wonder Proton's running us ragged."

"Shut up. If Proton hears you say that, you'll be on toilet duty for a month. Do you have any idea how many toilets there are in this base?"

"Um…"

Ash had frozen after the mention of Team Rocket and scarcely remembered how to breathe until Paul jerked his shoulder. The other boy nodded back to the stairs, an ugly scowl on his face. Paul led Ash back up the stairs in dead silence, with Spectre following.

They didn't stop walking until they were aboveground and outside the Game Corner, where Paul whirled around with a furious expression on his face.

"Rockets?!" He hissed. "What the hell are they doing here?!"

"Probably running the Game Corner," Ash replied, still a little shocked after their discovery. However, his shock was quickly giving way to burning rage. "The only thing they really seem to care about is money. Plus that's the only way they could do this without someone noticing."

Paul muttered something under his breath that was probably a word ten-year olds shouldn't know. He cast a venomous look at the Game Corner. "We've got to attack them."

"Attack who?"

They jumped and spun towards the voice as Gary made his way out of the Game Corner. He seemed startled by the intense expressions on their faces and frowned. "Something wrong?"

Paul grabbed the sleeve of his shirt and started to drag Gary towards the Pokemon Center. Ash and Spectre followed them.

"H-hey!" Gary protested with an annoyed tone. "What's the big idea?!"

"We need to plan. Now," Paul growled.

Gary crossed his arms at the circular table and frowned hard. "Let me get this straight; you're saying there's a Team Rocket base in the Game Corner?"

"No, the Game Corner is a Team Rocket base," Ash corrected him in a hushed tone. At Gary's startled expression, he explained his thoughts. "The only way they could get away with whatever they have going on down there is if they own the whole building. Those rare Pokemon they give out as prizes? I'll bet you anything those are Pokemon they've gotten illegally."

Gary held a Poke Ball up in his hand and stared at it. "I wonder where they got this one, then…"

"You got enough coins for a Pokemon, too?!" Ash gaped at him. "Am I the only one that sucks at those games?"

"No one cares about games right now!" Paul snapped. "This is real. Remember what happened in Mt. Moon?"

Ash grimaced and lifted a hand to his left shoulder, the spot where Proton's Crobat had bitten him with its deadly Poison Fang. The injury had scarred over by now, but just thinking about the battle reminded him of what could happen when they fought Team Rocket.

"What happened at Mt. Moon?" Gary asked as he leaned forward on the table curiously.

Paul sighed in exasperation and hurriedly filled him in. As Ash waited for him to finish telling Gary the story, Spectre floated in front of him and tapped his forehead. Ash smiled back at tapped the ghost's skull mask. "Thank you, Spectre. We never would've found out about the base if it wasn't for you. But how did you know?"

Spectre only turned to gaze in the direction of the Game Corner, an intense concentration in his single red eye. Ash remembered how focused he and Sobek had been the night before and wondered if Team Rocket was doing something that affected ghost and dark-types. They used similar energies, otherworldly and alien to most other Pokemon. But gatherings of that energy (like the one Spiritomb had gathered at Pokemon Tower, for instance) drew their attention like Venomoth's to a flame.

Perhaps Team Rocket was trying to repeat the process—Cynthia had foiled them, after all, and captured the Spiritomb Ariana had wanted. Maybe they had somehow gotten their hands on another Odd Keystone and were trying to replicate the process in their own base.

"…that's the gist of it," Paul finished telling Gary. Ash looked up as the violet-haired boy glanced at him. "So back to the present. If there's a Rocket Base here, we ought to go in there and crush it."

"Shouldn't we just call the police?" Gary set his hand on the table and started tapping one finger restlessly. "These are criminals we're talking about. We can't exactly arrest them."

"No, but we can give them a nasty surprise," Ash admitted. He met Paul's level gaze with his own. "You called Cynthia before we attacked the Rockets at Mt. Moon. She's nowhere nearby, but suppose we call the police on my PokeNav and then hit them while Officer Jenny is getting her squad ready?"

Paul nodded. "It'll work better this time since we don't have Rockets breathing down our necks from the start."

"This is crazy!" Gary exclaimed. "This is Team Rocket! And what are we? Three newbie trainers with only four badges apiece! What makes you think we can take them on?!"

"They aren't strong on their own," Ash told him with surety. "Only the Admins are really threatening. And they're even worse off when you catch them by surprise."

Gary opened his mouth to protest again, but Paul cut him off with a glare. "Those worthless thieves are used to running the place. They think they can take Pokemon whenever they want from whoever they want. They've pissed me off one too many times and I'm craving some payback right about now."

Ash nodded, his eyes dark. He hated Team Rocket as much as Paul, both for stealing Pokemon and personally injuring them. They were the lowest of the low, with no morals and no rules. He would be more than happy to give them a taste of their own medicine. "Gary, we're going, whether you're joining us or not. It's just something we have to do."

Gary scowled at him. "I think you're being reckless out of your mind, and coming from me that's saying something given how many times Gramps has lectured me. But that's not going to stop you from fighting them, is it?"

When the two other boys shook their heads, Gary sighed. "I can't say I'm fully in support of this, but I'm not about to let you guys get yourselves captured or worse."

Ash glanced between his two rivals. "Alright, then let's do this. Everyone has their teams on them? All of them are at full strength and ready for a fight?"

Gary and Paul both nodded, so Ash recalled Spectre to his Poke Ball and stood up from the table. "Good. Let's go give them a taste of their own medicine."

Getting back to the Game Corner and into the underground base wasn't that hard. All the people in there had only games and prizes on their minds. No one was going to pay attention to three boys heading to the back to seemingly check out a plant.

Ash quietly pushed the door in and glanced over his shoulder. Paul nodded—no one was watching them. The three boys slipped inside the base and closed the door behind them, then made their way down the stairs.

Gary hissed out a question. "So when is it exactly that we call the police?"

"Officer Jenny isn't going to take us for our word right off the bat," Ash replied lowly. "We need proof. Best way to do that is take out a grunt or two and show her them on my PokeNav's video phone."

"And how exactly are we going to get a grunt to show their face in front of a camera? Ask them nicely?"

Ash smirked and released Spectre. The ghost immediately glanced towards the downstairs, to whatever was drawing his attention, until Ash tapped his mask. "Hey, buddy. I need you to focus. We're fighting Team Rocket—remember them?"

When the ghost nodded, Ash went on. "I need you to scout for them just like you did at Pokemon Tower. We've got to knock one or two of them out fast so I can call the police. Okay?"

Spectre's eye glinted and he immediately floated through the wall, disappearing in an instant. Ash glanced at Gary and Paul. "If you have a Pokemon that can inflict status ailments like sleep or paralysis, get it ready."

"Why's that?" Gary asked.

"So that they can't bother us once we beat them down," Paul informed him somewhat irritably. "What, do you think they'll run away from their own base after you defeat them? They'll probably do whatever they can to keep us busy until backup arrives. We'll have to incapacitate them."

They finally reached the base of the stairs and went quiet, listening for the two grunts they had heard the first time Ash and Paul had snuck in. The three of them jumped however, when Spectre floated around the corner with a gleeful look in his single red eye.

Ash glanced around the corner and smirked when he saw the two Rockets immobilized under the effects of Spectre's Disable. The little ghost really was good at that move.

"Good job, Spectre," Ash praised him. Spectre did a little flip and waited patiently as the three trainers made their way into the large hallway, eyeing the two unmoving grunts lying against a wall.

Gary nudged them with his boot and smirked. "Not bad. That'll probably keep them still until we get out of here."

Ash pulled out his PokeNav and immediately dialed the number for the police, waiting patiently as it rang. After a few short moments, Jenny answered the video phone and looked at him with a somewhat bored expression. "You've reached the Celadon Police Department. How can I help you?"

"You need to send officers to the Game Corner right away," Ash told her. "There's a Team Rocket base underground there."

Jenny arched an eyebrow. "If this is supposed to be some kind of prank kid, it's not a funny one. I can write you up for pulling this."

Ash turned the camera towards the unconscious Rockets. "It's no prank."

"What!" Jenny exclaimed from the video phone as she stared at the Rockets.

Paul stepped into the camera's view. "We're in the base now. We're going to assault it, but we can't arrest any of the Rockets we take out without your help."

"Assault it?! Absolutely not! Get the hell out of there!" She hissed furiously.

"Not an option," Paul replied cooly. "I'd suggest you get your Celadon Gym trainers down here as well. We think there might be Rocket Admins here that are stronger than the average grunt. We'll need some extra firepower to beat them. In the meantime, the three of us will wreck them in any way we can."

Jenny gaped at him. "You kids are crazy! Get out of there right now and—"

Ash hung up. Her rising voice would catch unwanted attention at this rate. He pocketed the PokeNav and nodded. "That went well."

"Dude, she's gonna be more pissed off than a Primeape," Gary muttered. "Suppose she decides to arrest us too?"

"We can worry about that later. Right now, let's give the Rockets what they deserve," Paul told him, spinning around to walk further into the base.

Ash tapped Spectre's skull mask again. "Spectre, I need you to keep scouting. Don't attack anyone, just let us know where they are."

The ghost nodded and disappeared. Ash blinked when he saw Gary wasn't following them and found the boy taking Poke Balls from the two immobilized grunts. He looked at Ash and shrugged. "I'm not about to take my chances and leave them armed. We'll fork 'em over to Jenny when the cops get here."

With that, the two of them followed Paul deeper into the Team Rocket base.

The first battle they had was two minutes after they immobilized the first grunts. Ash was about to turn a corner when Spectre popped out of the ground and assumed a defensive posture between his trainer and the path ahead, causing Ash to tense and reach for Pyro's Poke Ball. At his sides, Gary and Paul also armed themselves as two Rocket grunts turned the corner and blinked at them with surprise.

"The hell are these kids? Did we get any new recruits, Cassidy?" Queried a man.

The woman shook her head. "Not that I know of. Little boys, what are you doing here?"

"Since you asked nicely, we'll use simple words so you can understand us," Paul sneered, causing the two grunts to glare at him darkly. "We're here to kick your asses."

"Oh? You hear that Butch?" Cassidy grinned maliciously. "We're looking at the three musketeers."

"Trying to be the heroes, eh?" Butch chuckled. "Well, I think you three brats are in need of some…correctional treatment. Let us show you what happens to those that defy-"

He didn't get any further as Spectre suddenly vanished into a shadow and then popped out a second later to pummel Butch right in the face with his skull mask. The Rocket grunt reeled back, dazed and disoriented, with a bloody nose to match. Spectre cackled, but it was only for a second as Cassidy released her Pokemon.

A Houndour and Raticate snarled at them and lunged, but Gary and Paul set loose a huge Geodude (there was no way it wasn't on the cusp of evolution) and Nidorino to counter her. While the battle got under way, Butch recovered and set loose a Mankey, which caused Ash to set Pyro loose.

The Charmeleon just had to take a single look at the Rocket uniforms on Butch and Cassidy to fly into a rage. He roared furiously and charged Mankey, who seemed surprised by the savagery Pyro was displaying. Before the pig monkey could even react, Pyro slashed at it with his claws, launching it right into Butch and bowling him over. The Slash attack did plenty of damage, but it angered Mankey and made it get over its brief surprise. The pig monkey lunged at Pyro and engaged him as the fire lizard breathed tongues of flame and slashed at his enemy violently.

Ash, Paul, and Gary had backed up immediately after releasing their Pokemon, Spectre floating as a guard between them and the battle in case an attack went in their direction. The fight was quick and brutal, but it was obvious that Butch and Cassidy's Pokemon were pretty new to the concept of battle. Pyro defeated Mankey with a vicious Mega Punch that created a crater beneath the pig monkey Pokemon, only half a minute or so into the fight. Geodude weathered Houndour's flames with relative easy and trapped it with Rock Tomb, then bashed a Rock Blast into the canine's head.

Raticate was the nastiest of the bunch since it was the only evolved Pokemon the two grunts had, but even then it was swiftly dispatched by a clean stab from Nidorino's Focus Jab. The rat tried to play possum and attacked Nidorino when the poison-type thought it was down, but Nidorino wasn't easily fooled and finished it with another stab of his horn.

Butch and Cassidy looked stunned at their easy loss, but the boys weren't going to give them the time of day.

"Knock them out," Ash commanded angrily.

Pyro grabbed Cassidy by her arm and threw her over his shoulder to smash the woman into the ground. The force knocked her out instantly. Nidorino ran into Butch's leg to trip him, then Geodude quite simply fell onto the man's back. Needless to say, Ash winced at the brief cracking sound that particular move created. Butch would definitely feel that later.

Gary scowled. "Is that seriously it? If they're all this weak, then this'll be easier than I thought."

"Let's just keep moving," Paul muttered. "I want to crush as many of them as I can before the police get here."

They left Butch and Cassidy unconscious on the ground with their defeated Pokemon. After another minute or so of tense sneaking through the hallway, they saw a door on the right side of the hall. Ash glanced behind him and the other boys nodded, so he crept towards it.

A Rocket grunt was sitting at a computer, but he was snoring loudly on the keyboard. Ash smirked and looked at Spectre. "Disable."

The ghost quickly followed his command with a glowing eye. A faint outline of dark energy surrounded the grunt and Ash noticed with satisfaction that his body stiffened up, still fast asleep.

They moved into the room and shut the door behind them quietly. Paul pushed the grunt away from the desk in his rolling chair and took his Poke Balls away as Gary looked at the computer with interest. "What do you think they've got stored on file in there? King Kong?"

"One way to find out," Paul tapped the spacebar and waited as the dark screen booted up. A box came up requesting a password, which made him sneer. "Password? I've got a password for them."

He pulled out a Poke Ball and released one of the oddest creatures Ash had ever seen. It was comprised of many geometric shapes, with a simple pink and blue body, two legs that could do little more than move up and down slightly, and a straight, pointy tail. It had no mouth and its head was just as pointy and jagged as the rest of its body. Two large, white eyes in the shapes of hexagons with simple pupils in the center completed the Pokemon.

"A Porygon?" Gary stared at it with interest. "This is what you won with your coins?"

"Yeah," Paul confirmed. He snapped his fingers to get Porygon's attention and the strange creature made several sounds that resembled computer beeps. "I haven't introduced myself to you properly yet, but there's not any time for that. I'm your trainer now, Porygon, and I've got a job for you."

Porygon beeped again in what sounded like agreement. Paul pointed at the computer and went on. "I need you to hack this computer. It's storing information for criminals, but we don't know the password. Can you crack it?"

Porygon looked at the computer for a second before floating towards it. The moment it touched the screen, it's body began to dissolve into particulates of data until an image depicting Porygon appeared on the computer desktop.

Ash cocked his head in fascination. "Okay, that's actually pretty neat."

"Porygon, can you do it?" Paul queried. The Porygon image on the screen went to the box requesting a password. It hovered over it for a few seconds, then a string of characters were typed into the bar and entered. Paul smirked as the computer accepted the hacked password, bringing up a screen with a big red "R" and a series of file options. "Good job. Find information about this base."

Porygon's image floated over to a folder and scanned it for a bit before passing to the next one. They waited tensely for a few minutes, aware that any intrusion would have them discovered. Finally, Porygon found something and brought it up on the screen. The boys watched as data about the base, including its layout and description appeared before their eyes.

Ash jabbed instantly at the room in the back of the base that was titled "Laboratory" with a scowl on his face. "We should hit them there and mess up their research. Maybe we can find out more about those special projects the first grunts we saw were talking about."

"That's pretty far down there," Gary admitted as he checked out the layout. "And it's probably guarded better than the front door was. Maybe one of their Admins will be hanging around there."

"Probably. One of the Admins is a lady called Ariana," Ash recalled as memories of Pokemon Tower came back to him. "She's apparently their head researcher. If she's in this base, that's probably the spot."

"Porygon, can you find information about a "Project: Darkwing" or "Project: Origin?" Paul requested.

Porygon searched again for the data his trainer had requested, but after five minutes of searching, it returned to the center of the screen and made a negative sounding beep.

"Well, it was worth a shot," Paul muttered with disappointment. "Porygon, I need you to shut off the security cameras if there are any and then come back. We have to get moving."

The virtual creature beeped again and floated over to the settings on the computer for a few minutes to access the whole system, where it pulled up screens for only five cameras. Ash arched an eyebrow. Team Rocket really was being careless if they were that lax on security. They watched as Porygon shut each of the cameras down by freezing their frames. Hopefully, whoever was supposed to be watching them wouldn't notice the difference.

Porygon began to materialize out of the computer screen shortly after and floated in front of the boys. Paul approached it with an approving nod. "Good work, Porygon. I'm going to recall you now. We'll meet again after this is over."

Porygon beeped again, then Paul recalled his Pokemon. Ash opened the door slightly and peered out into the hall, but fortunately, no one was there.

"Let's go," he muttered.

Progress was made slowly, but with ease. None of the grunts were expecting an attack and most fell prey to Spectre's Disable. Ash couldn't believe how ridiculously easy this was—these grunts had to be the lowest of the low in Team Rocket's organization. If their Pokemon were anything like Butch and Cassidy's, they wouldn't put up much of a fight anyways.

He may have jinxed them with that thought, because as the boys turned a corner, they found themselves facing six grunts, all of whom looked surprised to see them.

"Intruders?" One of the grunts exclaimed. Then he scowled. "Intruders! Get them!"

Ash unleashed Pikachu in an instant. "Quick Stun!"

The mouse lunged with blinding speed at the clustered group of Rockets and immediately tackled the nearest one to send a jolt of electricity through his body. Pikachu then used the Rocket as a platform to jump at a second enemy, paralyzing her as well.

He was only able to get two of the grunts paralyzed before the other four released eight Pokemon—three Koffing, two Grimer, a Drowzee, and two Machop. Ash called Pikachu to his side and released Sobek to fight so Spectre could float above him. Gary sent out Geodude and a Kadabra, while Paul released an Electabuzz and Cubone.

The group of Rocket Pokemon charged them, seemingly intent on engaging their enemies in a physical brawl. Only Drowzee hung back and began to build up psychic energy for an attack.

"Kadabra, take care of that Drowzee. Shadow Ball until it's unconscious—don't give it an opportunity to attack us," Gary commanded. "Geodude, cover him with Rock Blast and Rollout."

"Target the Machop with Thunder Wave and Thunder Punch, Electabuzz," Paul ordered calmly. "Cubone, go after the Koffing with Bonemerang. If they get too close, use Tomb Break."

"Sobek, use Stone Edge on the Grimer," Ash said quickly. "Don't let them touch you—they're toxic. Pikachu, help out Cubone with Thunderbolt. Try and paralyze those Koffing before they can start spewing poison gas."

Their Pokemon immediately carried out their orders. Kadabra began to levitate and used its spoon as a focal point to create a Shadow Ball, which it fired at Drowzee. Geodude took a stance in front of the psychic-type and waited in case it needed to act as Kadabra's defense. Electabuzz discharged two quick bursts of lightning from its horns to paralyze the Machop and then lunged at them, bashing the weakened fighting-types with electrified fists.

Cubone and Pikachu went straight for the Koffing. Pikachu fired a Thunder Wave that tagged two of the poison-types while Cubone's bone pummeled into the third right between the eyes. While they kept them busy, Sobek smashed his fist into the ground, causing jagged stones to burst out of the ground. The two Grimer were instantly impaled, straight through their gelatinous bodies. It looked brutal, but Grimer were odd Pokemon—they were biologically immortal if their bodies were torn apart. The only way to truly kill them was to burn them into ashes until nothing remained.

Sobek grinned with delight as the two enemies gurgled painfully and slowly began to reform. Whenever one of the Grimer got close to becoming complete again, the crocodilian ripped them apart again with Stone Edge.

The whole battle was over in mere minutes, despite the seemingly confused brawling. The Rockets' Pokemon were not trained like their enemies' were. They were used to overwhelming opponents with numbers—quantity over quality. Even though the Rockets did technically outnumber the boys in this fight, their Pokemon were helpless in the face of seasoned fighters like those belonging to Ash, Gary, and Paul.

When the last Rocket Pokemon was defeated, Ash and Paul quickly ordered Pikachu and Electabuzz to paralyze the remaining grunts. The four men and women were down before they could even comprehend that they'd been bested.

They made to move on, but a yell from behind them made the boys freeze.

Ash's face curled into an ugly scowl as he caught sight of Proton at the head of a huge group of grunts. The Admin was grinning at them darkly. "Oh, you boys are in trouble. You should know better than to pick fights that you can't win. I'm going to offer you this once, so listen carefully—surrender, or suffer the consequences."

"Kiss my ass," Paul snarled right back, then shouted to Electabuzz. "Thunder Wave!"

The electric-type did as he ordered instantly, firing a blast of lighting right at Proton. Before the move made contact, however, there was a burst of light and then the ground shook.

Ash's eyes widened as a Rhydon appeared, almost blocking the hallway with its massive bulk. Proton leaned around his behemoth after it absorbed the Thunder Wave harmlessly, still grinning at the boys. "Rhydon, have your way with them. Would you boys prefer your corpses to look like pancakes, or with holes drilled through your bodies?"

Rhydon's horn spun as it growled deeply, shaking the earth. Proton's smirk had vicious delight written all over it. "Ah, some familiar faces. The two little heroes from Mt. Moon, am I right? Didn't I teach you last time that it was unwise to interfere with Team Rocket? As I recall, my Crobat very nearly killed you. No matter, no matter. It would seem I'll have a second chance to have my way with you brats."

Ash grit his teeth. This wasn't a fight they could win—not against Proton's Rhydon, whatever other monsters he had on him, and ten plus grunts. He spun towards Sobek. "Stone Edge! Block the hallway!"

"Geodude, Rock Tomb!" Gary instantly shouted, also recognizing the danger.

Sobek stamped his foot hard on the ground and created spires of jagged stone between them and the Rockets. Geodude mimicked it by simply punching its stone arms through the floor and using its rock-type energy to manipulate rocks into bursting into the hall from below.

"Hammer Arm," was all the boys heard before Rhydon roared enough to make the ground shake. A moment later, pulverized rock went flying everywhere from the behemoth's devastating strike. Ash yelped and dove to the ground as a stone the size of a bowling ball missed his head by mere inches, though he was still pelted by smaller rocks that cut and bruised his skin. He saw Paul hit the ground a second later and Gary yelled in pain.

"OW, dammit!" Gary leaned back against the wall and slid down, clutching his left arm while he hissed in pain. He'd been tagged by one of the larger stones.

Proton snickered. "Give it up, boys! Or else—"

He was cut off by a brilliant flash of white light and a groaning bellow that sounded like rocks grating together. Everyone froze and stared as Gary's Geodude grew in bulk, tripling its size while growing two stubby legs and two extra, burly arms. When the light exploded away, a Graveler smashed its four fists together and bellowed furiously at the Rhydon that had injured its trainer.

When it used Rock Tomb this time, the rock-type created a solid wall of stone that was a huge improvement on the previous barrier. The hallway was filled completely by rock, blockaded until they couldn't even hear Proton's shout of surprise.

Paul got back up quickly. "We have to go. That wall isn't going to hold back his Rhydon for long."

"You okay?" Ash went over to Gary to check on the injured trainer.

Gary cursed again. "I think my wrist might be broken. It's definitely cracked."

Despite the pain, he stood up and grinned at his Graveler. "You just saved our asses, Graveler. Thanks."

Graveler nodded silently, keeping an eye on the wall of rock just in case it was broken again by Rhydon. After recalling most of their Pokmeon, they got moving again as quickly as possible, though they were hampered by Gary's injury. According to the information that Porygon had given them, they were almost at the furthest point in the base. There was still a chance they could make it to the laboratory and damage Team Rocket further before the police arrived.

They should have known that the lab wouldn't be a nice place, especially given that Team Rocket were the ones running it. They were never going to find anything they would like down there. But none of the boys were prepared for what they did find.

Massive test tubes going from the ceiling to the floor lined the room, containing the bodies of Pokemon that were either in stasis or, as they noticed with a rising sense of sickness, corpses. Each tube was labeled, describing if the individual inside was alive or dead, and what it was the Rockets were testing on them. There were holding cages as well in the back, keeping inside of them the most miserable creatures the boys had ever seen.

They saw bird Pokemon with their beaks blunted from trying to escape so much, Rattata and Raticate that couldn't close their own mouths because they had nothing to chew on, so their ever-growing teeth got too large. Groups of Nidoran were huddled together and some of them looked like they might have been feeding on a deceased member of their own kin.

There were more exotic species as well. Ash caught sight of a Scyther that was missing one of its huge blade-like arms, though it was regrowing in some way that was unknown to him. There was a Dratini that was smashing its head into the cell with a fury that had no place in the normally gentle dragon type. The biggest shock was an Aerodactyl that looked as if it hadn't been created properly—its wings were far too small and the teeth were so misaligned that they dug into its own skin.

In short, they all looked awful. The Pokemon varied from ones that appeared to have just arrived in the lab, to ones that looked like they hadn't eaten in weeks. The whole room made Ash sick.

"Son of a…" Gary trailed off as he stared around with wide, horrified eyes.

Paul had his fists clenched until his knuckles went white, fury pulsing through his eyes. He glanced around until he spotted something that made him freeze. "What is that?"

Ash turned to stare at whatever had Paul's attention and blinked at a strange form floating in a test tube. Whatever it was, it was only half-created from the head down, though bubbles of particle matter seemed to be attaching to the creature slowly as they watched. He couldn't even tell what it was supposed to be. It had a vaguely feline face, but with an almost anorexic humanoid body shape that was covered in thin, pale gray fur. There was a warning label on the front that he took notice of and read aloud for the others.

"Project: Origin Subject 003," Ash started, pausing as he realized that this might be more important than they thought. He continued to read eagerly. "Warning: Do not manage without consent of Team Rocket Head Scientist Ariana. Subject is still under development and easily damaged. Currently undergoing genetic reconstruction using material harvested from Hoenn's Faraway Island and Ditto cells."

There was a computer by the test tube, so Paul released Porygon again to hack it. In moments, the virtual Pokemon was back in the Rockets' system and drawing out as much information as it could, though it was far slower and less effective this time. Apparently, this creature's identity and information was worth added cybernetic protection.

Paul was annoyed when all Porygon could get from the database was that the creature was based on a psychic Pokemon. "Well, it's no good to Team Rocket right now. The thing's only half-baked."

"For now."

They whirled around towards the door they had come through to find a red-haired woman in a white uniform scowling at them. Beside her were two Pokemon—a Magneton and an Arbok. "Little boys should know better than to poke their noses where they don't belong."

"Ariana, right?" Ash glared at her. "Cynthia beat you in Pokemon Tower."

The woman's scowl turned deadly. "You're that little brat who ruined my plan to capture Spiritomb. I'm going to enjoy crushing you. You'll wish Proton had gotten his hands on you first."

She looked from him to Gary, and then Paul and his Porygon as the boy recalled it. The sight of the virtual Pokemon made her even angrier. "That's why our security systems went down? You've got some nerve."

Ash set loose Pyro, Sobek, and Pikachu immediately, while Spectre hovered over his head. Paul released his Grotle, Electabuzz, and Nidorino beside him, though Gary hung back because of his injury and let Wartortle, Graveler, and Kadabra act as guards.

Ariana sneered. "Going to pick a fight you can't win?"

"Ten against two?" Paul arched his eyebrow. "I think the odds are in our favor."

"Ten against four," another voice interrupted.

Proton had come into the lab through another entrance with a Rhydon and a small Pokemon with sharp claws that Ash didn't recognize. He looked furious. "There are police in the base. These brats set us up. They'll probably get through all those worthless grunts in a few minutes."

"You little shits," Ariana glared at them. "You're going to pay in blood for this."

"Now, now, there's no need for that!"

The boys froze as a third Rocket appeared behind them, seemingly from nowhere. The man had a confident smirk on his face right below a purple mohawk. "Team Rocket Admin Petrel, at your service. Pipe down, will you? Why fight when we can be productive about this? You three boys have talent to get this far into our base—that or incredible luck. Either one would be a great asset to our cause! How about it? I'm offering to you a chance to join Team Rocket and become filthy rich!"

Ash glared at him darkly. "Never."

"If that's a joke, I forgot to laugh," Gary sneered in response. Paul said nothing, simply opting to ignore Petrel and glare at Proton while the man scowled right back. They were both itching for a fight.

Petrel shrugged. "Very well. I hate to do this, but press-ganging is possible for you boys. You aren't so strong yet that you can resist three Admins at once. Our leader provides to us powerful Pokemon, you know."

The Rhydon growling at Proton's side was testament to that, but Petrel released two more Pokemon that Ash identified as a Haunter and a Murkrow. The Admin smirked again. "Surrender now. We're only using two Pokemon each. Do you actually think this is all we have on us? Don't make us set the really bloodthirsty monsters on you, little boys."

Ash glanced at Paul and Gary, who both nodded. He didn't bother replying to Petrel's threat. Instead, the boys immediately went on the assault.

"Flamethrower, Crunch, Quick Stun, Shadow Ball!" Ash roared.

"Razor Leaf, Thunder Punch, Focus Jab!" Paul commanded.

"Water Pulse, Rock Blast, Psybeam!" Gary shouted.

Their Pokemon unleashed the maelstrom of attacks instantly, blasting at the enemy Rockets and their Pokemon. The Admins were wary of begin struck by a stray move and backed off, but they didn't even respond as their Pokemon counterattacked.

Ariana's Magneton began to fire bursts of lightning to counterattack any ranged moves like Kadabra's Psybeam, while her Arbok lunged to intercept Sobek's Crunch with its own huge fangs. Petrel's Haunter began to engage Spectre, cackling while it easily evaded the slower ghost's attacks. His Murkrow did little more than guard its master, though it occasionally dove in to attack if it saw an opportunity. Wartortle spat Ice Beams at the bird whenever he could to keep it at bay.

Proton's Pokemon were by far the most dangerous. Rhydon was fighting Pyro, Graveler, and Nidorino all at once and still didn't even look like it was breaking a sweat. It was slow, but each and every one of its moves were ridiculously powerful and would do cataclysmic damage if they made contact.

The odd dark-type he had was fighting Pikachu and Grotle with ease. Ash had no idea it would be so blindingly fast, but it made Pikachu look like he was moving in slow motion. He could barely track the thing with his eyes and it seemed to be toying with its enemies in a sadistic kind of cat and mouse game. It would rush in, slash at them to make a small cut, then dart away before the Pokemon had any idea what had hit them.

Ash heard a roar of fury and froze when he saw Sobek in Arbok's coils. The serpent made to bite his Pokemon, but hissed when Wartortle hurled a Water Pulse into its face, making it dizzy. Sobek snapped his jaws into Arbok and began to rip his head back and forth, cutting deep into its flesh while the confused snake writhed in pain.

Kadabra was in a stalemate with Magneton, but the electric-type was getting the upper hand with its greater strength. Petrel's Haunter wasn't even really fighting, just taunting Spectre with its speed and occasional scratches of its ghostly claws. If it started to battle seriously, Ash had no doubt that it overwhelm Spectre. He didn't even want to imagine Rhydon getting serious—the stone behemoth was just swatting at their Pokemon as if they were bothersome flies. It hadn't hit any of them yet, but it seemed to be getting bored and impatient.

The biggest threat right now was the dark-type that Proton had released. It was done playing. The creature was darting around and spitting blasts of icy wind at Pikachu and Grotle, then moved in to slash with its claws—this time for real. Pikachu went flying after taking what Ash could only assume was an Ice Punch, then the creature lunged at Grotle and the grass-type let out a shriek of pain.

Ash stared in horror as Grotle fell to his knees, front right leg badly lacerated from the incredibly sharp claws. Paul swore and recalled his starter immediately. That was a bad injury that needed treatment immediately.

Proton sneered. "One down, Weavile. Finish off that mouse. It's beginning to annoy me."

The dark-type snickered evilly and locked its gaze on Pikachu, claws flexing as it prepared to rend its opponent at its leisure. Ash gritted his teeth. This was quickly becoming very one-sided. The Rocket Pokemon were beginning to get serious and started to beat their opponents senseless. The only way they would have a shot at victory was if they took their enemies by surprise.

They needed a distraction, and Ash had only one idea.

"Sobek, destroy that test tube with Stone Edge!" Ash shouted desperately, pointing at the creature that was so important to their enemy.

The Rocket's eyes widened, but none of them had expected the move, so they could only watch as Sobek glared at the tube and is inhabitant, then smashed his fist into the ground. They stared, horrified, as a jagged blade of solid rock punched through the glass, fluid, and straight into the half-formed creature. Its body jerked from the impact and began to dissolve as the liquid in the tube began to leak out of the glass.

"You fucking brat!" Ariana screamed in rage. "Kill him!"

Weavile rushed Ash with blurring speed when Proton repeated Ariana's order and brandished its claws, ready to tear the boy apart. Ash could do nothing—it was too fast for him to avoid, even if he tried to dive out of the way. He brought his arms up in a vain attempt to defend himself—

There was a yellow blur, a flash of claws, and then the gut-wrenching sound of flesh being torn. Ash saw blood spray across the ground with wide, horrified eyes as Pikachu slumped to the ground in front of him and went still.

He fell to the ground beside the electric mouse, vaguely aware of someone screaming. Ash felt like he was in a daze, a bad dream that he couldn't control. But there was no faking the warm liquid flowing onto his hands as it left Pikachu's limp body.

A shudder went through the ground that made his head jerk up. Ash froze as Rhydon—now done fooling about—grabbed Pyro and smashed the Charmeleon into the ground with crushing force. Pyro was stunned and trapped by the raw power of his enemy, and could do nothing as it raised its other fist to crush his skull—

"Frenzy Plant!"

The whole room shook as a dozen thick, thorny vines exploded from the ground beneath Rhydon and drilled right into its body. The attack forced Rhydon to release its prey and launched the behemoth into the air to smash it against the ceiling, then curved and whipped it in the back to crush it into the ground. When the dust cleared, Rhydon was unconscious, its stone hide cracked from the violent attack.

Everyone froze in surprise, but spun toward the door to find newcomers—a furious Erika, a scowling Officer Jenny, and Sabrina, as calm and stoic as ever. Beside them was the biggest Venusaur Ash had ever seen, an Alakazam, and an Arcanine. Why the psychic-type expert was here, Ash had no idea, but he couldn't bother to think about it much. Pikachu was badly hurt and the Admins were still—

He blinked. The Admins were gone. He was pretty sure he'd only taken his eyes off of them for a few seconds…

Ash looked down at Pikachu and felt his mind go blank. The normally yellow electric mouse had turned almost completely red. He didn't know what to do.

"Ash."

He felt someone lift his chin and found Erika there, kneeling in front of him with concern written all over her face. "Recall Pikachu now, Ash. It's bleeding out."

Ash froze and frantically grabbed for Pikachu's Poke Ball, but he fumbled and almost dropped it. He was shaking—when did he start shaking? His arm was steadied by a gentle hand. Erika guided him to recall the badly injured electric-type and then took the Poke Ball from him. She smiled at him reassuringly. "We'll get Pikachu to the Pokemon Center immediately, okay? Are you injured?"

He shook his head and didn't respond when Erika lifted his chin again to look into his eyes. She frowned and glanced back at Sabrina. "He's in shock. I'll stay here and do what I can for him. Can you get their Pokemon to Joy?"

"Alakazam will see to that," Sabrina replied. Her eyes flashed a menacing red. "Jenny and I have Rockets to interrogate. The Admins escaped via a psychic-type whose presence I was not aware of. I must find out its identity."

Erika nodded. "Very well."

Ash couldn't do anything. The next thing he knew, Erika had him wrapped in her arms and he breathed in something sweet that made him feel so sleepy…

When he woke up, he was no longer in the Rocket Hideout. Instead, he was lying in his bed at the Pokemon Center. Ash blinked and sat up slowly. Had that all been just a horrible dream?

"Ash."

He jerked his head to the side. He hadn't even noticed Erika sitting next to his bed. Ash frowned at her as she watched him carefully. "How do you feel?"

"I…" Ash looked away. "I didn't just dream all of that in the Rocket Hideout, did I?"

Erika shook her head. "I'm afraid not."

"Then Pikachu…" He swallowed hard.

"He's alive," Erika took his hand and squeezed it reassuringly. "It was close, but Nurse Joy got to him in time. She's been authorized to use Ditto cells for the healing. Your Charmeleon and Krokorok were injured as well, but they're going to be okay."

Ash felt his eyes sting and brought up a hand to cover them. He frowned when she made no mention of the other member of his team that had been fighting. "What about Spectre? My Duskull?"

"Spectre is alright. His injuries were mostly superficial—the Haunter was just toying with him. The other members of your team were the ones that really took the most damage."

He bit his lip, but eventually nodded. Erika patted his cheek. "You three aren't in trouble for what you did. Jenny thought that the injuries you three sustained and the damage done to your Pokemon was punishment enough. But do not try to engage Team Rocket again. You should have known better after Mt. Moon and Pokemon Tower, but they are not enemies that children can fight. You aren't nearly strong enough for that, nor is it your duty."

"We just wanted to help," Ash mumbled. "We couldn't just sit back and do nothing…"

"And you have. You found a Rocket Base and played a huge part in dismantling it," she replied. "But it was foolish of you to attack them on your own. There were three Admins in that base. Each one is Gym Leader class or higher—and I mean when a Gym Leader uses their real team. You saw my Venusaur, yes?"

Ash nodded, so Erika continued. "He is my first partner, and my most powerful. Not even your entire team would stand a chance against him. That is what the Rocket Admins are, especially Proton, who is their military commander."

He swallowed hard. When she said it like that, it made their whole invasion plan sound like a suicide mission.

"Do you understand?" Erika murmured. "Never go seeking out Team Rocket ever again. Do not engage them unless it is life and death. That is not your fight."

Ash bowed his head. She stood up and smiled. "Let's go see Pikachu, okay? Nurse Joy needs to talk to you about him, anyways."

"Mr. Ketchum. I'm glad to see you're alright," Joy smiled at him, though she looked tired. She sat him and Erika down at an empty table in the Pokemon Center and faced the boy steadily. "I assume you're here to talk about your Pikachu?"

"Yes, ma'am," Ash replied.

Joy's smile wavered. "Well…I'm going to be blunt with you, Ash. He's got a long recovery ahead of him. Weavile's claws didn't just cause massive blood loss, they ruptured his electrical organs. As of right now, he can't use any electric attacks."

He felt his heart rise into his throat. "What?"

"An electric-type Pokemon has special organs in their bodies that generate their power," Joy explained. "If these organs are damaged, they can hinder or cripple an electric-type's ability to use electric attacks."

Ash's eyes widened in horror. "Are you saying he won't ever be able to use electricity again?"

"Not necessarily. He can recover from this," she assured him. "But it's going to be a lengthy recovery that will require specialized rehabilitation. If he isn't trained to use electricity again correctly, it can and will severely hinder his growth. I can't give him that treatment, but there are a few people who can."

"Like who?" Ash demanded. He'd do anything to make sure Pikachu healed properly.

"Who else? Me!"

He wasn't sure if he should've even been surprised when the massive form of Lt. Surge walked into the room.

"How did you get here?" Ash asked.

"Sabrina's Alakazam teleported me here once Joy told her about your mouse a little while ago," Surge suddenly grinned rather nastily. "Frankly, I mostly came here just to interrogate some Rockets. Making bastards like them squeal is something I used to do for a living."

"Language, Lieutenant," Joy said sternly, casting a glare at him. "He's only a child, and he was in shock just twelve hours ago."

"Apologies, miss," Surge dipped his head to her, then looked at Ash. "I offered my help because Joy asked, but also because I told you not long ago that your mouse had the potential to match my Raichu once it grew up and evolved. I've got no intention of letting you get out of that fight. I've rehabilitated electric-types that suffered injuries like this in the Cipher Wars. I can take care of your mouse, but it's going to be a month or two until he's ready to start training with you again."

Ash swallowed. Pikachu was the first Pokemon he had ever captured. Leaving him for months sounded crazy. But crazier was the idea of Pikachu never being able to fight again. Without his electricity, he'd be helpless. All their training to master Volt Tackle and the other electric attacks would be for nothing.

"Okay," Ash managed. "I'm going to miss him, but I just want Pikachu to be alright."

Surge thumped his shoulder with one of his massive hands and nodded firmly. "He's in good hands, kiddo. Ditto cells are practically miracle workers for injuries like this. Modern medicine's come a long way since the Cipher Wars. That was a shit storm."

"Lieutenant," Joy scowled menacingly.

He just grinned widely and turned to walk away, calling over his shoulder. "See ya, kiddo. Don't go attacking Rockets again without me! I hate missing out on the fun!"

As Surge disappeared (probably to give the Rocket grunts that had been captured absolute hell) Joy scowled. "I don't know how my sister deals with that man. He's so abrasive!"

"You're just too used to dealing with me," Erika smiled at her with amusement.

Ash felt his eyes getting heavy and jerked his head awake when the Celadon Gym Leader patted his shoulder to keep him awake. "Go back to bed. Rest for now," Erika told him. "Meet with your friends. We will tell you if anything changes."

He just nodded blearily and made his way back to his room in the Pokemon Center after thanking them all. All he could really do now was rest.

Besides, his head felt like it was going to explode after all of this.

Ash woke up to a loud knock on his door. He rose with a feeling of deja vu and arched an eyebrow when he found Paul and Gary waiting for him outside—though Gary had a cast around his wrist and Paul looked like he hadn't slept a wink.

He leaned against the doorway and rubbed his eyes. "If you're trying to drag me into another arcade, I think I've played enough games to last a year."

Gary cracked a smile. "Glad to see you've still got a sense of humor. I got worried after I heard about Pikachu. But he's going to be okay, right?"

Ash scratched the back of his head. "He's got a long way to go, but yeah. What about you guys?"

"My team got away mostly unharmed," Gary shrugged. "I got hurt the worst out of all of them."

He looked at Paul, who shook his head with exhausted eyes. "The tendons in Grotle's leg were severed by Weavile's claws. Joy was working on him throughout the night to make sure he wouldn't be crippled for the rest of his life. She finished an hour ago."

"And now you need to go to sleep," Gary used his good hand to pat the other boy on the shoulder. "Hit the hay, dude. Everyone's alright now."

Paul nodded sleepily and stumbled off, probably to sleep through the rest of the day. Ash didn't blame him. He looked back at Gary, who shrugged. "So…I guess we're not allowed to mess with Rockets anymore."

"Guess not. Erika told me about that last night," he replied.

"You got lucky. Jenny blew a fuse on us," Gary shuddered at the horrific memory. "Women are scary as hell when they get mad."

Ash snorted. His mother was the same way. "Yeah, they are."

"Anyways, my team is all healed up and I got the all clear, so I'm leaving," he told Ash. "I think I'll head back to Cerulean City for a bit. There's a Power Plant to the east of there where I think I can catch an electric-type. It's an easier road than going south to Fuchsia."

"Are you going to board the St. Anne when it gets into port?" Ash asked. "When is that, anyways?"

"Almost two months from now," Gary pulled out his Pokedex and smirked. "Ship comes in halfway through July. It's June 1st today. I'll be there. I worked hard to kick Surge's ass and frankly, I want a shot at those tournament prizes."

Ash grinned back. "Not if I beat you to them."

"We'll see about that," Gary replied confidently. He turned and held up a hand in farewell. "See ya later, Ashy boy."

"See you," Ash called after him. He then closed the door and took a breath. He had a few things to do before retrieving his Pokemon from Nurse Joy. Namely, take a shower.

"Here you go," Joy gave Ash his Poke Balls—only five, he realized with a sinking heart. Pikachu was still being monitored under the watchful eye of her Chansey, and he wasn't allowed any visitors.

"Thank you," Ash replied gratefully. He set his companions on his belt and made to leave, but Joy stopped him for a brief moment.

She smiled at him. "Time heals all wounds, Ash. Even if things look bad right now, life has a way of getting better. Just be patient."

He nodded silently. It wasn't much comfort right now, but she had tried, and he was grateful for it. The only thing he could do now was get back to traveling and get stronger—so strong that nothing like this would ever happen to his team again. Ash clenched his fist tightly.

Never again.

Chapter Text

Chapter Nine: The Road

Ash didn't challenge any trainers his first day of travel since leaving Celadon City. He wasn't feeling up to a fight quite yet—not after the events that had transpired at the Team Rocket base just twenty-four hours ago. For now, he was just making his way along Route Sixteen at a steady pace. It would be a few days of travel on this road until he reached Route Seventeen, which would lead him south towards Fuchsia City. That road was the longest route in Kanto and would take him at least two weeks to traverse.

He ran his hand over the Poke Balls at his belt and sighed, disheartened by the missing device in his second slot. Pikachu wouldn't be back for months, even with Lt. Surge rehabilitating him. Ash could only hope for the best.

One of the most frustrating parts was that he hadn't been able to say goodbye to Pikachu. He was in a contained stasis that the Pokemon Centers used for critical care patients. Nearly being disemboweled by a Weavile would leave Pikachu in that room for days with only Nurse Joy and her Chansey for company, if he woke up at all during that time. No outsiders would be allowed in—not even Ash. There was nothing he could do for his partner right now.

Ash hadn't broken the news to his team yet, either. He hadn't seen any of them since the battle had ended. He was trying how to figure out how to tell them. Douse and Eevee didn't even know they'd gotten into a fight with Team Rocket.

He rubbed his temple in an effort to clear some of the stress and glanced at the sky. There was still daylight left, but frankly Ash just wanted to stop for the night. He'd had enough walking for one day.

He set his team loose after finding a small grove of trees that would be good for shelter. They all looked at him and took in his exhausted face with concern. Ash just shook his head. "We're setting up camp for the night. I've got some things to tell you all."

About an hour later, they finished making camp. Ash threw one last stick onto a pile of branches and glanced at Pyro. "Okay, buddy. Torch it."

Pyro spat a fireball at the bundle of tinder and watched with satisfaction as it caught immediately. They waited for the fire to grow before settling down around it. His team looked at him expectantly—Pikachu's absence had been noticed and became cause for concern.

Ash sat down, took his hat off and ran a hand through his hair. "So as most of you know, we found a Team Rocket base yesterday."

At that, Douse's eyes got wide and Eevee's ears pricked with alarm. Ash nodded grimly and went on. "We went in with Paul and Gary after we found it. Long story short, Proton, Ariana, and a third Admin called Petrel ambushed us there. While we were fighting, Pikachu…"

Ash swallowed and looked at the ground. "Pikachu took a major hit. He's going to have to heal for a while—a few months at least, so he can't travel with us."

His team was utterly silent. Pyro and Sobek lowered their eyes. Looking over them, he saw fresh scars from their battle. They had been the ones to get hurt the most after Pikachu, even if their injuries were nothing compared to the electric mouse's. Spectre looked upset as well. He didn't have any visible injuries, which was lucky since Petrel's Haunter hadn't been taking him seriously. Eevee's ears were drooping. It was the first time she'd looked truly sad. Douse looked similarly disheartened, head bowed in dismay.

"I owe you all an apology," Ash murmured. "I dragged us into a dangerous situation because I underestimated our enemies, and Pikachu paid for it. All of you could have been hurt like him or worse…I'm so sorry I put you all through that."

He bowed his head in shame, unable to look at any of them. Recklessness and stupidity wouldn't get him anywhere and the next time he pulled a stunt like that, one of his team could lose their life. It wouldn't just be a bad injury they would eventually heal from—he would be burying them.

Brown fur filled his vision and Ash blinked as Eevee crawled into his lap, curling up there to look at him with sad eyes. Her attempt to comfort him was joined by Pyro, who lay his scaly head on top of Ash's, then Sobek as the croc pressed his snout to the boy's shoulder. Douse placed both of his glove-like hands on Ash's shoulders and Spectre floated up to tap his trainer on the forehead with his wispy arms.

A lump rose up in Ash's throat as his team embraced him. He felt his eyes sting and squeezed them shut while tremors began to wrack his body. It was like a dam had broken to release all of the shock and hurt he'd felt ever since Pikachu had been injured. The reality of how close he'd come to losing his friend finally hit home.

"I won't let this happen to any of you ever again," he choked out. "I promise."

Ash pushed their training harder than ever from there on out. They trained for hours every evening until they exhausted themselves into sleep. His Pokemon reflected his determination to get stronger by putting in as much effort as they physically could handle without hurting themselves.

It helped that the trainers they encountered on Route Sixteen happened to be stronger than any of the others he'd met during his travels thus far. They were packing Pokemon that were fully evolved—that wasn't a first for Ash, but it was becoming more and more common as he went along. Those battles were particularly difficult, especially when he encountered Pokemon that he'd never fought before. Opponents like Hypno, Golduck, Rapidash, and Exeggutor were among the strongest of the bunch and really made him pull out all the stops to defeat them.

He was in no rush to make it to Fuchsia City. Ash still had about two months left before the St. Anne would leave Vermillion port, so he made the most of his time on the road to strengthen his Pokemon as much as possible. He would need to if he wanted to win the tournaments on the ship. Any trainer that could defeat Lt. Surge was a threat in his book, and he would treat them like one.

The weather was another reason he kept the pace slow. Summer was in full swing and it was boiling hot outside. Kanto was known for its relatively mild weather, but the halfway point of every year brought with it ridiculous heat waves that drove most trainers and Pokemon to the oceans in order to cool off. On the bright side, the heat also served to energize Pyro and Sobek. It made them even more eager to train and fight as hard as they could.

Speaking of Pyro and Sobek, Ash was beginning to see the signs of their upcoming evolutions. Pyro's tail flame was growing hotter and more intense with each passing day, and his dark red scales were beginning to lighten ever so slightly. It would be a while before he reached the point that was necessary for him to evolve into a Charizard, but it excited him to see visible progress being made.

He'd put on leaps and bounds with Dragon Rush after learning Dragon Claw, and now Pyro was trying to learn Fire Spin. It wasn't a powerful technique, but it was useful for trapping opponents and required control that Ash felt his starter would need as they learned more advanced moves. Dragon Dance still stumped them, but any progress was acceptable at this point.

In contrast to Pyro, Sobek's scales were beginning to get darker in color as he neared evolution. Ash had only seen a Krookodile in a database he'd accessed at Pokemon Centers, but he was eagerly awaiting it. As far as new moves were concerned, Ash wanted Sobek to learn the devastating Earthquake—that would give him even more firepower alongside Stone Edge to ravage enemies. He was one of Ash's most powerful Pokemon next to Pyro, holding more raw power than Eevee, Douse, and Spectre even though Douse had a type advantage over him.

That wasn't to say Douse was slouching. The Poliwhirl had set Pyro and Sobek as a goal to reach and he was working for it. Ash had him practicing Hydro Pump as well as the much simpler Body Slam. It was an easy technique, and quite useful in the right situations—immobilizing a faster adversary, for example. As far as evolving Douse went, Ash had no way of getting either a Water Stone or King's Rock. Frankly, he wasn't even sure where he could get them.

Ash's only concern with Eevee and Spectre at the moment was making them more powerful. Both of them lacked the sheer power that his other Pokemon did, plus they were new to training. He would work with them to perfect their current move sets before he taught the pair anything else. Spectre especially needed to work on his offensive strength—he had great defensive abilities that Ash would continue to improve on, but he lacked power. In his battle against Erika's Gloom, he had won only by turning the grass-type's strength on itself. Ash wanted him to reach the point where he could rely on his own power to defeat enemies.

While he traveled, Ash considered adding a new member to his team. He would need one to fill Pikachu's slot while the electric-type was recuperating. Whatever he caught would by no means be a replacement for Pikachu, but he knew from the beginning of his journey that he had to obtain more than just six Pokemon. There was nothing wrong with training only a small team, but it made predicting his every move easy.

He would have loved to win a Scyther from the Game Corner, but Ash had no intention of going anywhere near that building again for as long as he lived. Scyther could be found in the Safari Zone near Fuchsia City, though they were ridiculously rare and hard to capture. Ash would have preferred to capture the powerful bug-type simply because there weren't many other kinds that could compete in the higher tiers of training. As far as Kanto went, only Scyther and Pinsir were of any use in the finals of the Indigo League Tournaments. If he couldn't obtain either of them, there was always the option of going to Johto to try and capture the slightly more common Heracross, but that was a trip Ash didn't want to make for the time begin.

In addition to wanting a bug, Ash also needed a steel-type. Erika had exploited his team's lack of resistances to poison well, even if she had been defeated rather easily in the end. Koga, who was a true poison-type expert, would not be so easy to defeat. The man had a reputation on par with Lt. Surge's and Giovanni's. He was crafty and ruthless in battle, though not downright cruel. There was a reason he was being considered as a member of the Elite Four.

The only Pokemon Ash had right now that could exploit a weakness against poison-types was Sobek, but Ash didn't think Koga would be that easy to defeat. Even if Sobek could use Moxie without going on a rampage (which was by no means a guarantee) there was no doubt that Koga would find a way to remove him from the battle. He wasn't notorious for nothing, after all.

Steel-types were entirely immune to poison type attacks, but they were uncommonly rare, almost as rare as dragons. The only ones Ash was aware of that lived in Kanto natively were Magnemite, Magneton, and the odd Steelix or Scizor. But those were rare at best and none of them could be found around Fuchsia City to his knowledge. He would have to find one at some other point.

Dragon was another type on Ash's bucket list. He would love to capture one of the infamously rare and powerful Pokemon. They were fantastically strong and varied in their abilities, one of the reasons why the current Indigo Champion Lance was so successful with them in battle. The only species of dragon that was native to Kanto was the Dratini line, and they were among the rarest of Pokemon. As far as Ash knew, they could only be found in the deep sea or in a special lagoon at the Safari Zone along with their more powerful evolved form, Dragonair.

The fact that the Safari Zone held some of the rarest Pokemon in Kanto (in addition to Scyther and Dratini) was more than enough reason for Ash to go and check it out. He would definitely be making a trip there at some point while he was in Fuchsia in order to capture a new member for his team.

For now, he had to concern himself with traveling along Route Sixteen and soon enough, Route Seventeen. Once he reached the latter, he would have around two weeks to finalize a plan to defeat Koga and train his team in preparation for the battle. It would by no means be an easy fight.

He awoke on the fifth morning of travel on Route Sixteen to a shriek and furious roars. Ash's eyes flew open and he sat bolt upright, whipping his head around to find the source of the commotion. He locked on Sobek and Pyro snarling at each other and couldn't figure out what they were fighting about until he saw a girl on the ground behind Pyro. It took him only a second to recognize her.

"Leaf!" Ash exclaimed, standing up immediately once he realized what had happened. "Sobek, back off! She's not a threat!"

Sobek spun towards him and paused at the hard look in Ash's eyes. He nodded and backed off, leaving Pyro to snarl in irritation while Leaf stood up and dusted herself off. Apparently, she'd tried to approach their camp while the group was asleep—not a good idea since Sobek could sense vibrations in the ground. She'd likely gotten too close for the croc's comfort and he'd attacked in order to defend Ash and the others.

He couldn't blame Sobek. Only Pyro and Pikachu had ever met Leaf and that had probably saved her from one of Sobek's nasty bites. Pyro probably jumped to her defense the moment Sobek had gotten up to give her a piece of his mind. It was a good thing that the Charmeleon was just as paranoid about Ash's safety as Sobek, especially since the fight against Team Rocket at Celadon.

Leaf stood up and glared at Sobek warily. "I'm pretty sure I didn't deserve that."

"Sorry about that," Ash walked over and scratched the croc's jaw to calm him. "He's just protective. You're lucky Pyro remembers what you look like. Thanks by the way, buddy."

Pyro nodded and growled at Sobek again, getting a huff from his team mate. Ash rolled his eyes at the interaction, smiling at Leaf instead. "I didn't know you were in the area."

"Gary called me the other day. He filled me in on what happened in Celadon City and where you were going," she replied. Leaf gave him a concerned look. "I'm sorry about Pikachu."

Ash's smile faded. "He's not dead, you know."

"I know, but still…" She frowned. "Are you okay?"

"I'm…managing," he sighed. Ash really didn't want to continue discussing the subject, so he changed topics. "How have you been? I haven't seen you since Viridian City."

Leaf smiled a little. "Great, actually. I caught a bunch of new Pokemon and my badge count is up to four. Now I'm going after Koga, same as you."

Ash grinned. "You up for a battle?"

"Not right now. I've been battling people nonstop the last few days and I think my team deserves a day off. Besides, I think you need breakfast," Leaf giggled as his stomach growled loudly. Ash visibly reddened at the unexpected sound and glanced away with embarrassment. That got a snicker from Sobek and Eevee, (who had padded over to join them) and a toothy grin from Pyro.

"Breakfast sounds good," he replied, cringing as his stomach groaned even louder than before. Leaf broke into a laugh.

As usual, breakfast was a relatively simple affair, as it always was. Ash gave each of his team their Pokemon food and made himself a sandwich. He was glad that the tech usually associated with Poke Balls had been adapted to traveling equipment as well—there was no way he'd have been able to carry nearly a month's worth of food in his bag for his team and himself. As they ate, Leaf filled Ash in on what she'd been up to since Viridian City.

She had taken the same travel path as him up until she left Cerulean City for Saffron. Suspecting that Lt. Surge would have been too great a challenge for her at that time, Leaf had gone straight to Celadon in order to challenge Erika. It was a fight that she won, and only then did she go to Vermillion to battle the electric-type Gym Leader. Leaf had also challenged Sabrina, but Ash wasn't surprised to hear that the psychic trainer had defeated her.

"I wouldn't even have called it a battle," Leaf remarked. "She swept me three to nothing with a Kadabra. Can you imagine how powerful her Alakazam is?"

"I don't think that either of us could beat her right now," he admitted, glancing at his team. "Even with Sobek, I'm sure her Alakazam would find a way to defeat us."

Sobek looked up when his name was mentioned, prompting Leaf to give him a curious look. "Where did you get him, anyways? I've never seen Krokorok."

"Actually, I got him in Viridian City after you took off," Ash replied. "He's not native to Kanto. I met Giovanni while I was training and he gave me Sobek."

Her jaw dropped. "You met Giovanni? What was he like?"

Ash considered her question for a moment. "Intimidating. He's got some insanely powerful Pokemon too. I got to see his Rhyperior and Nidoqueen while I was there and they're definitely some of the strongest Pokemon I've ever seen."

"And he just…gave you a Pokemon?" Leaf asked in disbelief. "Why?"

"I don't know," he shrugged. "But I'm grateful for whatever reason he had to give me Sobek. He's one of the strongest Pokemon I have."

"Oh really?" She gave the croc an interested look. "I'd like to battle him. Not to mention the rest of your team. Where'd you get an Eevee?"

He glanced at the small normal-type eating her food beside him and smiled. There were still plenty of stories to exchange between them.

"I'll tell you later," Ash decided. "I'd like to start training. We need to get stronger."

"Fair enough. Mind if I join you?" She asked. At Ash's nod, Leaf pulled a Poke Ball from her waist. "If we're going to train together, we should probably introduce our teams to one another."

She set all of her Pokemon loose then—a team five.

First was the Ivysaur Ash recognized as her starter, Saur. The grass-type was big for his species, with a squat build similar to Paul's Grotle. The pinkish-red bud on Saur's back was starting to open up, signaling his nearness to evolution. He was certainly closer to evolving than Pyro or Gary's Wartortle were, but then again, the Bulbasaur line was known for growing somewhat faster than the other two starters that Professor Oak offered. That didn't make them any less powerful, for Venusaur were considered to be the most powerful grass-types native to Kanto.

Her second Pokemon was a Fearow—the same Spearow Ash had battled with Pikachu, he remembered a little sadly. The bird was about the same size as the Fearow he'd captured for Bill way back when, but Talon had a visibly stronger build from months of training and tough battles. He hadn't changed much personality wise—Ash smirked as the bird eyed him rather haughtily, arrogance practically radiating off of him. Talon and Saur were the only two Pokemon Ash knew about in Leaf's party, so from there on, it was all new.

He blinked in surprise when Leaf's third Pokemon turned out to be an Onix. The massive stone serpent was the first he'd seen since Brock's Onix, though its crest was longer and its stone segments thicker. Ash guessed it was probably older than the one he'd fought in Pewter City, though how old was impossible to tell—Onix grew incredibly slowly in the wild and could live for centuries, if not longer, underground. They were biologically immortal and rarely left the underground for the surface, so the only place one could actually find them was in caves. It wasn't like they were easy to house, either, but the good news was that Onix ate soil, which happened to be everywhere.

Ash didn't have the foggiest idea where Leaf had captured the Onix, but it definitely suited her. Like him, she was fond of using brute force to win battles, and a twenty-five foot rock serpent was all about brute force.

The fourth member was a fluffy Vulpix who immediately began to groom itself, uncaring of its surroundings. They were uncommon Pokemon, but easy enough to track down on the plains between Celadon and Saffron.

The final Pokemon Leaf released made him grin—it was a small, bear-like creature that resembled a teddy Leaf had when they were five. Her mother had promised to get her a real Teddiursa for her next birthday, and it looked like she'd followed through on that promise. That reminded him—

"Happy birthday," he told her, causing the girl to smile brightly. Leaf was the oldest of the Pallet trio, and her birthday had been just earlier this week on June 1st. Gary would be next in August and Ash last in early September.

"Thanks. Mom got a hold of her breeder friend in Johto and he pulled through. I got Teddiursa a couple of weeks ago. Isn't he cute?" Leaf picked up the small bear and held him close. The normal-type licked her arms happily, which made her giggle. Ash was willing to bet that tickled.

Leaf held Teddiursa against her chest and turned to look at the rest of her team. "Right, well you already know Saur and Talon. Say hello, guys!"

Saur grunted a simply greeting and Talon spread his wings out to look as imposing as he could before shrieking loudly. Ash smirked—Talon really hadn't changed a bit.

"I haven't given Teddiursa a nickname yet because he's still pretty young. I'll ask him if he wants one when he's a little older. My third is Onix. I got him in the Rock Tunnel by Lavender Town. Pretty cool, huh?"

Onix roared and lifted his body to its full height, an impressive twelve feet, and that was with the other half of his body still lying on the ground. Ash remembered from reading the Pokedex that Onix generally maxed out at thirty feet before evolving into Steelix and getting even bigger, but that took time. He figured that Leaf's Onix wasn't fully grown, though it was likely to grow faster now that it was training and battling constantly.

Wild Onix rarely fought unless they were competing against one another for territory. Their lives were simply spent underground—feeding on rich soil and excavating tunnels as they searched for more nutrients to supplement their enormous stone bodies. However, they were still Pokemon, and a general rule among Pokemon was that they grew stronger and faster through constant battling. Onix were known to grow much more quickly when they were well trained, contrary to their usual, slow way of life in the wild. It wasn't always easy to convince them to fight as a result of this attitude, but once someone earned an Onix's respect, they could be fearsomely powerful.

"Last is Rose. I caught her before I got to Celadon. She's tricky, but she means well."

The Vulpix offered them a glance when her name was spoken and considered Ash's team lazily before returning to groom her fluffy tails.

Leaf smiled once her team was introduced. "Well, that's everyone on my end. Your turn."

"Okay. Well, you know Pyro," Ash gestured to his starter, who thrashed his tail and spat a fireball into the air in an effort to show off. He rolled his eyes at the attempt to appear dangerous. "Yes, Pyro, we know how scary you are. Next is Sobek,"

The Krokorok snapped his jaws again and roared, flexing his claws and lashing his tail to one-up Pyro. The Charmeleon growled at him in annoyance, but didn't pick a fight.

"Eevee," he continued. Eevee was currently licking her paws clean and looked up when her name was called, but didn't react otherwise. She was still skittish around people with the exception of Ash, who was just happy that their relationship was improving.

"Douse," Ash gestured to his Poliwhirl next. Douse beat a fist against his round body and gurgled a greeting, to which Leaf waved back. No surprises there—Douse was the friendliest member of Ash's current team when it came to outsiders, with only one other member matching him.

"And Spectre," he finished. The Duskull floated over to Leaf and tapped her forehead. She blinked in response and hesitantly tapped his skull mask, causing the ghost to make a cheery, hollow noise before he took her hat and set it on his own head. His antics made her giggle.

"He's a funny one," Leaf admitted. "So, shall we start training? How about we divide everyone into pairs?"

"Sounds good to me," Ash agreed. He glanced at his team. "Alright guys, see anyone you'd like to train with?"

Sobek immediately glared at Talon, who leered back in response. Ash rolled his eyes. He'd seen that one coming a mile away. Leaf apparently did as well, because she smirked. "Alright, you two go and warm up. Behave yourselves."

Talon shrieked to express his displeasure and flew a short distance away. Sobek snarled after the bird and chased after him, teeth bared and at the ready.

Spectre floated over next and got in Teddiursa's face to peer at the small bear. To Teddiursa's credit, he only looked curious of the ghost-type and patted the skull mask fearlessly. Spectre seemed pleased by the act and began to float around his chosen partner. Ash was fine with that matchup as well—Spectre wasn't particularly powerful yet and since normal and ghost-type moves cancelled each other out, they wouldn't hurt each other too badly. That was good for Teddiursa, who was according to Leaf, still fairly young.

Rose actually picked next. The Vulpix padded over to Pyro and yipped, causing the other fire-type to snort smoke. Ash hadn't expected the fox to pick one of his most aggressive Pokemon for a training partner, but they were both fire-types, so it did make sense.

The next surprise was when Saur plodded to Eevee and grunted. Eevee looked the grass-type over warily, but accepted the proposition. He assumed Saur had selected Eevee because she simply seemed to be the calmest of his team. The Ivysaur wasn't a very energetic creature outside of battle, if he was anything like he'd been as a Bulbasaur.

That left Douse and Onix for their last pair. Douse walked over and looked up at Onix to gurgle a greeting. Onix roared a response, to which Douse simply beat a fist against his spiral belly.

"Okay, that's everyone," Ash decided, though he was sad that Pikachu wasn't here to train with them. He could just imagine the electric mouse giving Talon a look of mischievous glee—no doubt the Fearow would find defeating him much more difficult this time around.

If only.

Leaf seemed to pick up on his slight sadness and moved to get the training started immediately. "Alright everyone, start warming up! Ash and I will have a quick chat about what you'll be working on and then we'll come around to tell you the plan."

A chorus of growls, grunts, screeches, chirps, and roars answered her, then the Pokemon all headed off to prepare themselves for training. Leaf turned back to Ash with a smile and he pushed his unhappy feelings aside. There was work to be done.

"Good job, Pyro! Keep it up!" Ash encouraged his starter as the fire lizard unleashed a stream of flame on a target boulder and kept it up for a few seconds before it sputtered out. Pyro growled with satisfaction and glanced to the side as Rose stepped forward to match him with a fire-type move of her own called Incinerate. It was similar to Flamethrower, but had a slightly weaker flame that was based more on precision than raw, overwhelming force.

Rose's six tails glowed, then she breathed out the small, intense flame upon the same boulder as Pyro. She was only able to shoot it once instead of hold the flame for a duration, but it was still a good, accurate shot. Ash had no doubt that Leaf had helped hone the Vulpix's accuracy so that opponents would find avoiding her long-range moves difficult. Their breed was best when it came to fighting at a distance, anyways.

Ash nodded as Rose had her turn, then Pyro took over again. He glanced around the field to look at the rest of their training Pokemon, noting the progress of his own team. They'd been at it for several hours now and from what he could see, everyone was making good progress. While Pyro worked on the strength and duration of his fire attacks, Sobek tried to tag Talon with his Stone Edge. It was driving the Krokorok insane—Stone Edge was still a pretty slow attack and it wasn't very accurate since he'd only known it for a short time. Talon had little trouble evading the rock-type move and shrieked mockingly at his training partner.

He was keeping a wary eye on that particular skirmish. Surge's words continued to echo in his head, reminding Ash that Sobek's aggression was a real problem during battle, especially when Moxie activated. If Sobek got too many boosts from his ability, he snapped and wouldn't respond to Ash's commands. At that point, he was a danger to an opponent's Pokemon because Ash wasn't sure if he would heed a "stop" command. It was a problem that really needed addressing, but he had no idea where to begin.

Elsewhere, Douse was blasting Onix with variations of Hydro Pump while the stone serpent attempted to endure and block them with Iron Defense. When they alternated, Douse was forced to dodge streams of Dragon Breath and Rock Throws in retaliation.

Spectre and Teddiursa's training was based mostly on mastering new moves. Spectre was still working on Shadow Ball and Leaf wanted Teddiursa to try and learn Slash. The convenience of their partnership was that ghost-type moves wouldn't work on Teddiursa and normal-type moves had no effect on Spectre, so they could practice aiming at each other without worrying about hurting their partner. That was great for Teddiursa, who was still fairly young. Ash suspected Spectre had selected the little bear as his partner because of that. After all, the Duskull had played with young Pokemon back in Lavender Town at Mr. Fuji's Day Care. This was probably a familiar game to him.

Ash really had no idea what to expect when Saur picked out Eevee for his training partner, but it was practically a full-blown battle that Leaf was overseeing. Saur was trying to smack Eevee with his Vine Whip while the normal-type did her best to evade every single attack he launched. Once the Ivysaur finished his string of moves, she retaliated by unleashing a flurry of Shadow Balls and Swift attacks, which Saur did his best to endure. Leaf wanted his endurance to rise because evasion would be even more difficult once he evolved, so Saur would have to be capable of withstanding much more damage than he was used to.

Eevee was a perfect partner for that kind of training. She wasn't as powerful as Pyro or Sobek, but she was a ferocious attacker and put everything she and into each move. Ash winced when a Shadow Ball exploded in Saur's face, causing the grass-type to flinch back and growl in pain. Even Leaf was wincing whenever a Shadow Ball made direct contact. Eevee was good at making those hurt.

He was happy with the progress Eevee was making. She was training seriously now and he had hope that she would be willing to participate in one of their next Gym Battles. Ash had sprung Erika's battle on her in Celadon and that hadn't impressed Eevee one bit, but fortunately, she never had to actually fight since Pyro had taken care of it. However, he was certain she would be more open to the idea after training with them for a while longer. She was definitely more enthusiastic about it.

Suddenly, there was a loud crash and a furious roar that made everyone freeze. Ash spun around, eyes widening when he realized that Sobek had been struck by Talon's beak and had retaliated with a Stone Edge that caught the bird in his chest, delivering such an impact that the Fearow was instantly knocked out by the super-effective move.

Sobek's eyes flared red with Moxie.

Not good.

Pyro recognized the danger and lunged at his teammate before Ash could respond, roaring a challenge to get the Krokorok's attention. Sobek whipped towards Pyro and snapped at the fire-type, but Pyro ducked under the bite and tackled Sobek viciously with a Dragon Rush. The attack forced Sobek back, still growling aggressively.

Leaf looked appalled by the whole debacle and recalled Talon quickly while she watched with wide eyes, but her Pokemon weren't as shocked. Rose joined Pyro and spat an Incinerate into Sobek's back. He spun around in fury and drove yet another Stone Edge at the fox, who danced away only to find Sobek's terribly powerful jaws clamping around her torso. Rose squealed as Sobek shook her like a rag doll and threw her hard into Saur, bowling them over and knocking the Vulpix out.

Ash blanched as Sobek's eyes glowed crimson as his second Moxie boost was triggered.

So not good.

He roared furiously and made to attack Rose again while the fox was down, but Pyro blasted him with a Flamethrower to get his attention. The Charmeleon scrambled to escape a Stone Edge that was even bigger than the one that had taken down Talon.

The good news was that Sobek's endurance wasn't increased by Moxie. That meant if they hit him with a solid attack, he'd probably go down. He wasn't Ash's most durable fighter.

The bad news was that he had two Moxie boosts up and could probably take out most of their other Pokemon with one or two attacks. Not to mention he was far more aggressive than normal and wouldn't respond to Ash's orders.

Ash didn't have a chance to recall Sobek because he kept darting around in an attempt to hit Pyro, who was just fast enough to evade the quick bites and slashing claws, as well as the random Stone Edges that Sobek launched. He had hope that Pyro might be able to tire Sobek out like that until Leaf shouted an order to her Onix and the stone snake lashed out at Sobek with an Iron Tail.

It was a good attempt—until Sobek noticed the attack and his claws glowed an ominous black. Ash realized with horror what he was going for and shouted the warning to Leaf and Onix too late. "No! Don't—"

The Iron Tail hit Sobek from the top and hurt him, but then the croc's Foul Play turned the power of Onix's attack against him and launched the steel-type move right back at its user. There was a loud, sickening crack, and then Onix bellowed in surprise and pain as his own Iron Tail—now stronger thanks to Sobek's empowered Foul Play—smashed the underside of his jaw and knocked his head back into the ground with devastating force.

Up until now, Ash had only seen Sobek's Moxie boost him twice in a row at the most. Surge had sacrificed his Voltorb to defeat the croc and prevent him from going any further.

Sobek got a third boost following Onix's defeat and now the crimson glow was radiating over his whole body from his scales. He roared savagely while his eyes glowed a pounding red. Ash felt the ground tremor and he seriously hoped that Sobek wasn't about to try using Earthquake because it would probably floor the lot of them and wreck the field they were using.

The raw power Sobek emanated had Ash thinking that he might actually start evolving prematurely because of the incredible rush of adrenaline going through his body. He wasn't sure how that would go because Sobek still hadn't reached that point naturally, not to mention there was the risk of his Moxie-induced fury being passed on to an evolved form and making his rampage even more dangerous.

Everyone started to panic as Sobek stopped basking in his power and began to glare around for a target to take his rage out on, but it was at that point that Pyro decided he'd had enough.

The Dragon Rush that collided with the back of Sobek's skull held the raw fury of Pyro when he was aiming at an enemy. Ash flinched as Pyro smashed Sobek's face into the ground with enough force to create a small crater beneath him. He saw blood and several broken fangs on the dirt and feared for just a moment that Pyro had taken it too far.

The crimson glow of Moxie faded from Sobek when he fainted, but Ash didn't relax until he saw the sandy scales move as the ground-type breathed. Several of Sobek's teeth had been broken from the violent impact of Pyro's Dragon Rush and his mouth was bleeding, but the teeth would grow back. As it was, the Charmeleon snorted angrily and kept a clawed foot on his teammate's back just in case Sobek got up.

As he recalled Sobek, Leaf walked over to him and stared at the Poke Ball in Ash's hand with wide eyes. "What just happened?"

Ash grimaced. "Sobek lost control."

"Thank you, Captain Obvious," she snapped. "Pokemon don't just lose it for no reason. Explain to me in detail what just happened—because I'm still having a problem with processing the fact that your crocodile just took out Talon, Rose, and Onix on his own."

"Sobek's ability is Moxie," Ash began. "Every time he defeats an opponent, he gets an adrenaline boost that enhances his power. But the problem is that it makes him really aggressive and he just starts attacking everything in sight."

Her jaw dropped. "Wait—then he freaks out like this every time you battle someone?"

"No, usually I recall him after he beats just one opponent," he said immediately. "I can't get him to control himself, so I stop him before he can get to this point. He just caught Talon out of nowhere, and…It caught me off-guard and I didn't think about recalling him until it was too late."

"…I guess that's partly my fault," Leaf mumbled guiltily. "Talon gets too cocky. We're still trying to work on that. I didn't even think about it, to be honest."

"Sobek was probably frustrated and put everything he had into that Stone Edge," Ash sighed as he pinched the bridge of his nose. In hindsight, neither of them had mentioned their individual Pokemon's issues, so the misinformation was the fault of them both. It had just been really bad luck that they'd put together the most volatile two Pokemon in a sparring match—it was a disaster waiting to happen.

Leaf pursed her lips. "I think that's enough training for today, don't you?"

He nodded. "Yeah. I'm going to start heading for Fuchsia City. Do you want to tag along?"

"Sure. Talon and the others should be fine after a night of rest. How about Sobek? I saw a few of his teeth break when Pyro hit him."

"They'll grow back. He loses them all the time. Thanks by the way, Pyro," Ash smiled at his starter. "I don't know what we would've done if you hadn't been here."

Pyro snorted a small burst of fire and puffed his chest out a little. That made Ash smirk—Pyro knew he was important.

"Well let's get going," Leaf looked up at the sun thoughtfully. "We should be able to cover some decent ground today."

They got a look at the real damage of their earlier training accident that night at camp.

Ash winced when Sobek opened his jaws—Pyro had not been gentle when he knocked his teammate out. Most of the teeth in his upper jaw were broken or chipped and he definitely looked uncomfortable. Ash realized that some of the broken bits of tooth had been embedded in his gums and he spent a half hour pulling them out as gently as possible. Sobek looked miserable during the entire process, partly from pain, but also from guilt. He knew that he'd messed up.

Ash couldn't say that he was truly upset with Sobek because it wasn't like he intentionally got violent. Moxie was just a quirk of his anatomy that was difficult to manage. Besides, Sobek really was sorry for the havoc he'd caused.

And havoc was definitely the right word for what had happened.

Rose was the least hurt of the bunch, though she was definitely tender after Sobek had gotten his teeth into her and looked ready to hex the Krokorok for the rest of his life when Leaf set about healing her.

Which was more than could be said for Talon and Onix.

Talon had taken the brunt force of Sobek's Stone Edge right in the chest. Bird Pokemon didn't have incredibly strong bones compared to others, though they were certainly tough. Getting stabbed by a super-effective rock-type move was not advisable, and Talon was paying for it. He was badly bruised and felt pretty tender, so Leaf applied a potion to the location of his injury and decided to let him rest for a few days before letting him train again.

Ash and Leaf both paled when they saw Onix. His jaw had a huge crack along the stone that was obviously painful for the rock snake. Sobek's Foul Play had used Onix's own power against him and driven his enormous Iron Tail right into his face. The good news was that it would regenerate with enough time and rest. Onix's stone body would heal on its own, though Leaf liberally applied a potion along the entire length of the injury to accelerate the process.

He was just grateful that it was such a simple fix. If Sobek had hit a Pokemon that was flesh and blood with the same nasty combination, he probably would have shattered its whole jaw. That was an injury that would hospitalize almost anything for weeks, if not longer.

They had gotten lucky. The aftermath wasn't completely disastrous.

Ash scratched the underside of Sobek's sore jaw as the croc let out a groan of pain. His whole face was going to hurt until his broken teeth were replaced. Ash had already made the decision to give him a few days off until they could grow back in.

"Easy there, Sobek," Ash reassured him. "Just rest, buddy. It's a new day tomorrow."

Sobek slowly closed his eyes and let out a pained hiss. He was reluctant to move his mouth at all, but his jaws came together with an obvious wince before he finally fell asleep. Ash frowned worriedly. He hadn't seen Sobek this beaten up…ever. Pyro had really knocked the piss and vinegar out of him.

Then again, Pyro had also hit him with the best Dragon Rush Ash had ever seen from the Charmeleon. Ash hadn't gotten the chance to really say anything about it because of the chaos instigated by Talon and Sobek, but it had to be said that Pyro was getting closer than he realized to perfecting the notoriously difficult dragon-type move.

But at the end of the day, Ash and Leaf were just happy that no one had been critically injured.

Ash wasn't sure he could have handled another near-fatal injury so soon after Pikachu.

Route Seventeen was where the forest ended. From there on, the whole landscape was prairie, with a few trees scattered across the grassy plains. It was incredibly hot and the only ones that actually enjoyed the heat were Pyro, Sobek, and Rose, though Sobek spent most of the time in his Poke Ball to rest.

There weren't many trainers on the road aside from themselves—even fewer of which actually wanted to pick a fight, though there were plenty of Pokemon to look at. Herds of Ponyta and Rapidash were a common sight, as well as the odd herd of Nidoran and their evolved forms. Ash and Leaf never approached the Nidoran herds because there were always aggressive Nidorino guarding them, as well as the odd Nidoking here and there. Nidoqueen weren't much of a problem unless you threatened them first, but they didn't want to provoke the matriarchs and kept their distance.

Packs of Growlithe could be seen now and then chasing Rattata across the grasslands until the rats got to their parents, at which point, the Raticate would scare the puppies back to the adults. They rarely saw any Arcanine, but were always aware of their presence.

For the most part, the two trainers stayed away from the large groups of Pokemon because the adults could be very defensive. Leaf had thought about trying to catch one of the Nidoran, but the next herd they came across had a particularly angry looking Nidoking defending it that warned her off without so much as a growl.

They spent the first nine days traveling the plains, keeping up with their training and watching the health of their recovering Pokemon carefully. Aside from the scorching heat, it was actually fairly nice.

By day ten, Sobek had recovered fully from the negative effects of his latest rampage and was raring to go for difficult training. The croc was more than ready to get back to work. Anything was probably better to him than sitting about and waiting for his teeth to grow back. Now that he had a full set of fangs again and was ready to wreak havoc on whatever Ash pointed at, Sobek just wanted to train, train, and train.

Ash took him aside one evening a good distance from their camp and finally got to work on the new move he wanted Sobek to learn.

"We're going to try out Earthquake," Ash explained. "From what I read in the Pokedex, it's about using ground-type energy to set off a quake using yourself as an epicenter. Try jumping up and setting the quake loose when you hit the ground."

Sobek nodded eagerly, fangs bared in barely-concealed delight. Ash smirked at his enthusiasm. Sobek's taste for wanton destruction never truly diminished.

He backed away a good distance and called to Sobek once he felt safe. "Earthquake!"

Ash watched as Sobek leapt straight up several feet, then came down with powerful stomps—

He felt a mild tremor go through the ground, but it wasn't even enough to make Ash stumble. The boy blinked as the ground around Sobek remained utterly unchanged, much to the croc's surprise. Sobek stared around at his feet with a confused expression before jumping up and trying it again. The second time failed to produce visible results as well.

Sobek's eyes flashed with annoyance and he jumped again. And again. And again. Ash tried and failed to hold back a snort as the croc began to jump up and down with his fangs bared like a frustrated child. Little tremors were going through his body, but he was having trouble telling if they were from Sobek or his own amusement.

Sobek finally roared in frustration and gave the ground a scathing look, like he could scare it into making Earthquake work.

"Take a breath, Sobek," Ash ordered as he came back over to the crocodilian. "Try it again. Let's see if we can figure out what's going wrong."

He watched carefully as Sobek jumped again and hit the ground, releasing the familiar, weak shockwave that Ash had felt from his earlier attempts. He chewed his lip thoughtfully for several minutes before coming up with a suggestion. "Try setting it loose a little more slowly. Maybe you don't have enough power yet to make the quake with just the moment of impact."

Sobek nodded and prepared himself one more time. When he jumped and came down this time, the quake wasn't set off like before, but Ash felt the pressure building around the crocodilian. It was only then that he realized he hadn't backed off yet.

He yelped as Sobek set the Earthquake loose and ruptured the ground around him, sending cracks everywhere and successfully making Ash trip and land flat on his rear end. A small crater had been formed where Sobek had focused his power, a sign that he'd performed Earthquake correctly. It was by no means perfect and it certainly wasn't dangerous enough to use in battle yet against anything but the weakest of opponents, but that was progress in Ash's eyes.

He stood back up to find Sobek staring at him in concern, but Ash waved it off with a grin. "Good job, Sobek! I knew you could do it."

Sobek bared his fangs with satisfaction and clapped his jaws together loudly, a sign of his pride. Ash backed off again and turned to face his partner as Sobek tensed for his command.

"Again."

It would be a long night.

They were just a day away from Fuchsia City and Ash still wasn't sure how he was going to defeat Koga. All the training they had done over the past two weeks during their travels with Leaf definitely improved their power, but only time would tell if it was enough to win the coveted Soul Badge. Koga didn't hand badges out for free—they would have to work for it, shed blood, sweat, and tears to earn their prize.

All Ash could hope for was that they'd worked hard enough to give Koga a run for his money.

Chapter Text

Chapter Ten: Green Eyes

"Say, did you get any TMs at Celadon City?" Leaf asked Ash.

He nodded. "Yeah. I picked up a few of them while I was there. I didn't want to get too many and blow all my cash. Why do you ask?"

"Well, I hadn't really thought of this until now," she began. "But I got some TMs there as well. I was thinking that maybe if we could help each other. You got some of the reusable ones, right?"

"Yeah," Ash confirmed. "Iron Tail, Brick Break, and Scald. I got Scald in Cerulean City, though."

"I only got Incinerate and Solar Beam because Solar Beam was so expensive," she admitted. "I think we can do something with this. I've actually been meaning to get Teddiursa his first TM, but he can't learn any of the ones I have on me. I'll tell you what—let me use that Brick Break TM you have on Teddiursa and you can use either of my TMs on one of your Pokemon. Sound fair?"

Ash blinked. He hadn't thought of borrowing TMs like that, though what Leaf said made sense. While they were rivals, they were also friends. It seemed like a fair trade to him, and it wasn't like they were trading TMs. It was just a quick swap so their Pokemon could learn a new move.

"Alright. Just hold on a second," Ash pulled out his Pokedex and went through his team members to figure out if any of them could put one of Leaf's moves to good use.

The obvious choice was Pyro, because he could learn both Incinerate and Solar Beam. Ash was really tempted to give him access to the incredibly powerful grass-type move. It would give him a distinct advantage against water, ground, and rock-types, all three of which would normally be too much for him to handle. The only problem was that Solar Beam took time to master, even if was learnt through a TM, and it also required a significant amount of time to charge up.

Maybe he would teach Pyro Solar Beam some other way at a later point in the future. For now, it wasn't a great option. Pyro didn't need Incinerate, either. His Flamethrower attack was plenty to work with.

That only left him with Sobek seeing as the others couldn't learn either of Leaf's TM moves. He and Pyro were the sole two capable of doing so. Ash realized that Sobek could actually learn Incinerate, and that had him thinking because the croc really needed a good long range move. Incinerate wasn't the most powerful fire-type move in the world, but it would give Sobek a chance to blast enemies at a distance that he couldn't snag with Fire Fang.

Ash made up his mind pretty quickly. "Can I use the Incinerate TM? I'm going to teach it to Sobek."

Leaf smiled and nodded. "Sure! Here, let's trade TMs for a moment."

They each pulled out their TM cases and extracted the necessary discs from the storage units before passing them to the other. Once that was done, the two trainers installed the TMs and applied the moves to their Pokemon. It only took a few minutes, between exchanging the discs, using them, and then returning the TMs to their rightful owners.

Ash made a mental note to give Brick Break to Pyro and Douse soon. He'd kept it in storage so they could master Dragon Claw and Ice Beam, but now was a good time to start working on new attacks.

"We can have them practice their new moves later," Leaf told him as she returned her Incinerate TM to her case. "Let's keep going! Fuchsia City isn't far away now."

Ash couldn't have agreed more. After spending nearly three weeks on the road, all he wanted was to see civilization again, sleep in a real bed, and eat lots of food. He loved traveling in the wilderness, but there was nothing like the a good night's sleep and a hot meal. A Pokemon Center sounded like absolute paradise as far as he was concerned.

Sixteen days after leaving Celadon City, Ash and Leaf finally made it to Fuchsia. It was late in the afternoon and the city's lights had just turned on, illuminating the dark sky. They hurried down the remainder of the road to reach it as quickly as possible.

Leaf jumped from excitement once they walked pass the "Welcome to Fuchsia City" sign hanging over the entrance to the town. "We're finally here! Thank goodness!"

"Great. Now let's find the Pokemon Center so I can eat real food and slip into something more comfortable," Ash groaned tiredly. "Like a coma."

She laughed and rubbed her eyes slightly. "I'm not going to argue against that. I'm just as exhausted."

"You seek the Pokemon Center?"

Ash jumped and Leaf squeaked as a stranger's voice came from behind them. They both spun around to find a girl standing there in what appeared to be a ninja's outfit. She was smirking at them with amusement, but there was a curious glint in her eyes.

"You are both trainers, are you not?" She asked, not bothering to wait for them to answer her first question.

Leaf finally answered. "Y-yes. And yes, we're looking for the Pokemon Center. Um…who are you?"

The girl, who couldn't have been much older than them, dipped her head. "Janine is my name. I am a trainer like yourselves. If you like, I could escort you to the Pokemon Center. I am meeting a friend there tonight."

"That would be great," Ash latched onto the offer quickly. He was too tired to waste time searching for the building without the foggiest idea as to where it was. If someone was willing to lead them there, he would jump at the chance.

Janine smiled. "Good. Let us go, then."

The trio reached the Pokemon Center after a short walk. Janine walked them inside and, after dropping off all of Ash and Leaf's Pokemon with Nurse Joy, getting them each their own rooms, and leaving most of their baggage in said rooms, brought them to the cafeteria. Ash literally felt his mouth begin to water as he saw the food available to them.

"Thank you so much," Leaf told their guide once they were inside the cafeteria.

"It is not an issue. Trainers must help one another, yes?" Janine replied as she filled up her plate. "One grows stronger through cooperation with others. That is a lesson my father has ingrained into me over our many training sessions in my time as a trainer. If I may ask, what brings you to Fuchsia City?"

"We want to challenge Koga," Ash explained to her. "But I'm probably going to enter the Safari Zone while I'm here as well. I really want to try and capture one or two new Pokemon."

Leaf nodded in agreement. "I'm not going into the Safari Zone quite yet, but I would like to head towards the beaches after I battle Koga here. I really need to get a water-type for my team."

"It sounds like you both have well laid-out plans," Janine remarked. "That is good. You will need plans if you're to have a chance at defeating Koga. He is not a foe one can simply conquer with brute force."

She paused for a moment and smiled at someone behind them. "Ah, there is my friend. It seems she beat me here."

Ash turned to see who Janine was looking at, but his jaw dropped when he recognized the girl sitting at a booth immediately. "Misty?"

Misty—the shock of orange hair could only belong to Misty—blinked in surprise when she took in the three trainers. "Ash? Is that you? And Leaf!"

"Misty!" Leaf squealed. "Oh my gosh, I didn't know you were going to be here!"

Janine seemed only somewhat surprised. "Oh? You three are already acquainted?"

"Yeah. I ran into Misty at Mt. Moon," Ash explained. "Then we had a battle in Cerulean City. I got a Cascade Badge from her."

Misty smiled as the three trainers joined her at the table. Janine took the spot beside her, while Ash and Leaf sat down across from them. "You put up a good fight, I'll give you that. Both of you did. Speaking of, how's your Ivysaur doing, Leaf?"

"He's probably going to evolve soon," Leaf said happily. "Saur's gotten way stronger since Cerulean City."

"I don't doubt it," Misty grinned. "I might have to have another battle with you and Ash while I'm here."

Ash swallowed a bite of food and looked at her curiously. "What are you doing in Fuchsia, anyway?"

"I'm actually just staying here for a week," Misty explained. "There's a special migration going on in the ocean just south of the city and I really want to try and capture a new Pokemon."

Leaf's eyes lit up. "A water-type? What kind?"

"Clamperl. They're native to the Hoenn region, but during the summer they head up here across the seafloor to find colder waters," Misty informed her. "Ideally, I'd like to capture a pair of them. They have the potential to evolve into two different forms."

"Can I go with you?" Leaf asked immediately. "I was going to try and capture a water-type down by the ocean, anyways. Please?"

The water-type Gym Leader smiled brightly. "Absolutely!"

With that settled, Ash glanced at Janine. "So how do you know Misty?"

Janine grinned. "We've met at Gym Leader conferences before. I am not a Gym Leader yet, but I intend to take my father's place here once he becomes part of the Elite Four."

That went over both Ash and Leaf's heads until Misty cast them both a smirk. "I'm guessing she didn't tell you. Janine is Koga's daughter and a Gym Leader in-training. In addition to capturing a Clamperl, I came down here to train with her since our strengths are about equal."

Ash stared at the young ninja with surprise. "Wait, what?"

Janine's smile grew larger. "You heard Misty correctly. I specialize in poison-types just like my father, though I am nowhere near as skilled as he is yet."

"That sounds so cool, being the daughter of a Gym Leader!" Leaf exclaimed. "I bet you got to start working with Pokemon at a really young age, huh?"

"Yes. I received my first Pokemon, a Spinarak, on my seventh birthday. She is my most skilled fighter now, though my father's main team easily outclasses us."

Ash suddenly had an idea go through him. "Janine, I'd like to battle you."

Her eyes flashed for a moment. "Is that so?"

"Yeah," he continued. "It sounds like you've got a similar fighting style to Koga's. I think battling you might give me a good idea about how to defeat him. But I'd also like to see what a Gym Leader in-training can do."

Janine got a dangerous smile on her face. "Be careful what you wish for, Ash. You just might get it."

"I intend to," he grinned right back. Ash could feel his blood beginning to boil—

"Not tonight, you two," Misty interrupted them. "It's already late and I'm sure Nurse Joy doesn't want to see Ash's Pokemon again so soon after she healed them. Wait until morning."

They conceded the point. Ash really wanted to see what Janine could do, but he also really wanted to sleep. However, right now, he'd enjoy the Pokemon Center's food and the conversation going on between the three female trainers. They certainly liked to talk, but that was fine with him. It was nice to listen to, even if he interjected only a few times.

It was a good kind of chatter.

Ash was awoken by a few licks to his hand. He opened his eyes blearily to find Eevee attempting to get him up, licking at his hand a few times before looking to see if he was awake yet. When she saw his eyes open, Eevee made a small chirp and glanced at the door. He assumed someone was waiting for him rather patiently because Eevee would be giving both him and the door a death glare if anyone knocked on the door persistently.

He got up and scratched the normal-type's fur along her ears. "Thanks, girl."

Eevee chittered quietly and turned round a few times before settling back down on the bed. Ash smiled at the sight, glad to see that she was so comfortable. He made his way to the door and opened it as quietly as he could, knowing that the only reason the rest of his team hadn't woken up yet was because they were dead tired. Eevee just happened to have the sharpest ears out of them all.

Though it also might have had something to do with the fact that Pyro snored quite loudly.

Misty was waiting on the other side. "Morning, sleepyhead. You going to sleep all day?"

Ash shrugged and opened the door a bit more so that Misty could look into the room. "Sorry. We're all kind of dead to the world right now."

She grinned at the sight of Ash's team sprawled all over the room. "I can see that. Can I come in?"

He nodded and moved aside so that the girl could step inside his room. Ash was just glad that it was the Pokemon Center's room and not his actual room back home. That place looked, as his mother so eloquently put it, like the apocalypse itself bunked with Ash. Fortunately, he hadn't been in this room long enough to make a mess exceeding the rather sloppy spread of his team lying all over the floor.

Misty looked at Pyro and smirked when the Charmeleon growled in his sleep. "He looks good. Do you think he'll evolve soon?"

"There's no telling," Ash shrugged. "He's getting stronger for sure, but I don't think he's ready to evolve yet. Maybe in another month or two. Sobek might evolve before him, though."

"Sobek's the Krokorok, isn't he?" Misty queried, keeping her voice down as she observed the slumbering ground-type. Ash could see the fresh set of fangs in Sobek's jaws gleaming and realized suddenly how much they contrasted against his scales. They had been a sandy color when he first evolved, but they'd gradually darkened to the point that his pearly whites seemed to glow against them.

"Yeah," he answered Misty's question. "He might evolve pretty soon. His scales have gotten a lot darker recently."

She nodded. "Sounds promising. By the way, where's Pikachu?"

Ash froze at the mention of the electric-type. Misty blinked at his sudden stiffness and asked all-too innocently. "Is something wrong?"

"…Pikachu got pretty badly hurt a few weeks ago," Ash mumbled. "He's being rehabilitated in Vermillion City right now with Lt. Surge."

The blood drained from Misty's face and her smile vanished instantly. "What? What happened?"

He shook his head. "I really don't want to talk about it. Ask Erika or Surge."

Her mouth was opening and closing like a fish out of water, but she eventually recovered herself. "Is he going to be okay?"

"It'll be a few months at least, but…Surge seems to think he'll recover."

Misty sighed in relief. "Thank goodness. I'm so sorry that happened, Ash. But he'll get better, right?"

Ash just nodded and sat down on the edge of his bed, where Eevee scooted closer to him and nuzzled under his arm. He was grateful for the simple comfort. Reminders of Pikachu's injury made him feel tired, like all the energy was drained from his body to the point that he really didn't want to do anything. Ash had a feeling that if his team wasn't there to support him, he probably would have gone home after the events that transpired at Celadon.

It wasn't something he was going to recover from easily.

He hadn't spoken to his mother or Professor Oak since before the Rocket incident, but frankly he wasn't ready for that confrontation either. No doubt Gary had informed his grandfather about the whole thing, but Ash dared not imagine the fury his mother would be in once she found out. Their decision to attack hardened criminals had been the most idiotic thing they'd done in their lives.

"Hey," Ash blinked as Misty got his attention. She offered a smile. "Go get yourself ready for the day. We'll be waiting in the cafeteria."

Ash nodded again as Misty left, closing the door behind her before he gathered himself with a deep breath and made to prepare himself for the challenges of the day.

He met up with Leaf, Misty, and Janine in the cafeteria a short time later. It wasn't like he took long to get ready in the mornings anyways.

Leaf waved at him as he approached the same table they'd sat at the night before. "Hey there, Ash! Wow, you slept longer than a Snorlax."

Ash grunted and bolted down to breakfast, too hungry to immediately offer a witty retort. The girls chatted while he ate, and once he was done, Janine glanced at him with a challenging look.

"So, you still wish to challenge me?"

Any negative feelings from the reminder of Pikachu's injuries vanished. Ash returned the challenge with a grin. "Is that even a question?"

"Completely rhetorical," Janine smirked. "Come then, I would like to show you to the Fuchsia Gym. We will do battle in the training area there."

"Well, you guys can have fun with that," Misty broke into their conversation. "Leaf and I are going to head to the coast on the south side of the city. There's a strip of beach there with a pretty steep drop-off. We might be able to fish for Clamperl there."

Leaf nodded. "I really want to try and capture a water-type before I challenge Koga, anyways. How about you try battling him today, Ash? I'll fight him later."

"Sounds like a plan," Ash replied.

Fuchsia Gym was a lot more traditional looking and somewhat smaller than the other Gyms Ash had been to before. It was an older building, with sliding doors and wood flooring at the entrance. An attendant in a kimono was waiting for them, and she bowed when Janine led him inside.

"Welcome back, Miss Janine. Do you bring a challenger with you?"

"Of a sort," she admitted. "I will be engaging the young man in battle at the training field. Perhaps later, he will face father."

"I see," the attendant bowed again. "Come then, I shall lead you to the training field."

She turned and walked away, encouraging them to follow her. Ash had expected the pace to be slow because of the traditional kimono, but the attendant was surprisingly quick in it. He guessed that she was probably used to wearing such things around here.

The training field was behind a few sliding doors, and surprisingly large for how small the Gym appeared to be on the outside. Ash took a look around and saw that the whole field was surrounded by the traditional wooden walls and windows, but frowned when he realized there was a lack of damage, as if no one ever battled here.

Janine must have noticed his confusion because she smiled. "You wonder how the room appeared to be undamaged. I suggest you try touching the walls."

Ash did as she instructed, but found that he couldn't touch them. There was a thin, invisible surface about an inch thick no matter where he tried to touch the wall. He glanced at Janine in confusion. "Is that glass?"

She shook her head. "No, it's a psychic barrier created by one of our Pokemon. Appear!"

At her command, a corner of the room that appeared empty was suddenly given the form of a box, which faded away and revealed a stranger, white and red humanoid Pokemon. It had large hands, big ears, and almost shoe-like appendages on its feet. Ash had never seen one before.

"This is our Mr. Mime," Janine explained. "He is a psychic-type Pokemon that specializes in creating barriers. With his skills, our building rarely has to undergo repairs as a result of battles. Don't misunderstand though, for he is every bit as efficient a battler as my father's Pokemon."

Ash watched in fascination as Mr. Mime bowed to them, seemingly bashful of Janine's praise. He had no idea what a psychic-type was doing in a poison-type Gym, but then again, it wasn't like they weren't allowed to have different types of Pokemon. Ash was willing to bet that Koga used Mr. Mime to help train his poison-types, so that they could grow used to fighting at a disadvantage.

"Now then, let us begin our battle."

He turned and blinked when Janine was suddenly on the other side of the field. Apparently, her ninja appearance wasn't just for show.

Janine smiled confidently at Ash from across the field. "What shall the rules be?"

"Let's have a two-on-two match," Ash decided, taking a Poke Ball off of his belt.

"Very well. You may go first."

Ash grinned and tapped the release, setting Eevee loose. She blinked once she registered where she was and glanced at her trainer. "Ready for a battle, Eevee?"

Eevee's tail twitched somewhat, but she didn't refuse him and nodded shortly before facing Janine. Ash's grin widened. She wasn't reluctant to fight at all, which in his books was a huge step forward.

Janine eyed Eevee with interest before pulling her own Poke Ball out. "This is one I recently captured in the Safari Zone. I would like to test his skills today. Go!"

The creature she released was a Venonat, a small, round bug with a fluffy body and big red eyes that were actually clusters of many small eyes. Two antennae sat atop its head and a pair of small fangs were all that was visible of its mouth.

Ash eyed the creature and was unimpressed, but he knew better than to underestimate his opponent—especially if she was a Gym Leader in-training.

The attendant held her hand out. "Begin!"

"Swift!" Ash commanded immediately. "Keep it on its toes and try to flank it."

Eevee fired off a series of small energy stars at his order, honing in on Venonat's position before bolting to the left in a wide circle. The insect awaited its trainer's orders loyally, not moving until Janine told it to do so.

"Confusion! Send them back!"

Venonat's red eyes glowed a bright blue for a moment, then the Swift attack was halted in the face of its psychic abilities. Before Ash could blink, it had launched the normal-type move back at Eevee, who seemed surprised to find the stars heading her way.

"Intercept it with Swift!" Ash ordered. He wanted to see what else Venonat could do before he really let Eevee have a go at it. Using her greater speed to dart around the slow insect and launch assault after assault would hopefully draw out more of its moves so that Ash could figure out how to handle it.

Eevee launched more of the stars, destroying the first Swift attack with her second. Venonat's eyes faded back to red as it lost control of the destroyed Swift and patiently waited for Janine's next order.

She seemed to be judging Eevee as much as Ash was judging Venonat. He figured she was likely trying to do the same as him—draw out Eevee's techniques. "Psybeam."

"Dodge!" He shouted even as Venonat built up a psychic wave between its antennae before firing the small beam at Eevee. She dodged it with ease, not even slipping into a Quick Attack to avoid the move. Ash's suspicion about her attempt to draw out Eevee's moves was looking accurate, so he decided to humor her a bit.

Bait the trap, so to speak.

"Get in close with Quick Attack," he began. "Then use Swift."

Eevee turned into a blur of brown fur as she slipped into the accelerating move. Janine, however, didn't seem too daunted by Eevee's speed. "Stun Spore."

Now it was Ash's turn for his eyes to widen. "Get back! Back away from it!"

She just barely managed to heed his command and skid to a stop when Venonat shook its body and a cloud of yellow, dust-like scales scattered around it. Eevee lunged back to Ash's side of the field and glared at the insect warily, her fur somewhat ruffled. Ash chewed his lip thoughtfully. Venonat wasn't incredibly strong, but it was good at countering long-range moves and had a method to prevent opponents from getting too close without consequences.

A tricky adversary indeed. It looked more like Janine had baited him rather than the other way around.

Fortunately, Ash didn't have to run through too many options before he came up with a solution. "Eevee, use Quick Attack to get in close, then use Shadow Ball."

Eevee gave him an uncertain look, but Ash nodded at her. "Trust me."

Her tail twitched. She glanced back at Venonat and for a moment Ash wasn't sure if she would heed his order, but then she crouched and lunged, even faster than her first attack.

Janine seemed surprised that he was willing to get close to Venonat after seeing it use Stun Spore and narrowed her eyes. "A little extra speed isn't going to help you. Poison Powder!"

This time, the scales Venonat scattered were violet colored, but Eevee didn't stop and charged right through the cloud. Despite breathing some of the toxins in, she charged a Shadow Ball within a few feet of the insect and got at point-blank range, much to Venonat's surprise. It obviously hadn't expected Eevee to dive into its poison.

Ash always held sympathy for any creature unfortunate enough to be on the receiving end of one of Eevee's Shadow Balls, and Venonat was no different. The insect squealed as it was launched into Mr. Mime's barrier on Janine's side of the field, having been sent flying clean past its trainer. It looked utterly stunned from the vicious move and Ash couldn't blame it for that. Those Shadow Balls seriously hurt.

Eevee was panting and wincing from the poison, but Ash knew how to fix that problem. "Refresh!"

Janine's eyes widened. "Venonat, Disable! Quickly!"

Venonat managed to struggle to its feet, but cringed from pain. Ash could see that it hadn't trained much before because it was clearly unprepared for the damage of a direct attack. Any of his Pokemon would have shrugged it off by now and flown back into combat.

Eevee's body glowed a steady, pale yellow as she focused on the restoring technique and cured her body of poison within a matter of seconds. Ash hadn't really had the chance to have her practice Refresh, but he was glad that she could use it well enough. At least Venonat hadn't tried something like Sleep Powder—that would not have been a good way to test his idea.

Janine appeared frustrated when the glow from Eevee's body faded and the normal type shook herself, now healed of poison. She turned back to Venonat and commanded sharply. "Signal Beam!"

A multicolored beam of energy was suddenly launched from Venonat's antennae, far bigger than the Psybeam attack and obviously more powerful. Eevee easily dodged it and began to run, keeping the insect and its trainer guessing as to what her next move would be.

"Zen Headbutt!" Janine ordered. "Use Toxic when it's stunned!"

Ash watched as Venonat charged psychic energy upon the top of its round body, then began to run at Eevee with a considerably slow pace. It wasn't getting anywhere fast, and he thought for a moment that maybe Janine was losing her patience. She clearly wasn't used to fighting with Venonat.

"Wait until it gets closer," he told Eevee.

Her ears twitched in acknowledgement as she prowled back and forth from right to left as Venonat drew closer. Once it was within about five meters of her, Ash snapped. "Shadow Ball!"

Venonat squealed again as its psychic-type move was disrupted and its small body blown away by the force of another Shadow Ball. Ash didn't stop there though, and gave yet another order. "Quick Tail!"

Quick Tail was a very simple combination move he had come up with while training with Eevee—an Iron Tail backed by the enhanced speed of Quick Attack. It wasn't the most inventive or revolutionary of techniques, but it did the job and Eevee knew what to do when he gave the command.

She lunged at Venonat with that ever impressive speed, tail glowing silver as she got close. Venonat was only just pulling itself together from the Shadow Ball attack and trying to comprehend Janine shouting orders when it got a face-full of Iron Tail.

Eevee crushed the insect's soft body into the ground beneath her as she targeted the top of its head, right between the antennae. Janine winced as Venonat fell over, obviously unconscious, and recalled the small bug with a slight sigh.

Ash grinned widely. "Good girl, Eevee!"

Eevee padded back over to him and sat down in front of her trainer, tail wagging excitedly. Ash knelt down to scratch the soft fur behind her ears, praising the normal-type for a good battle. Come to think of it, he realized, their first true battle as Pokemon and trainer. She'd performed as well as he'd hoped she would.

Janine put away Venonat's Poke Ball as she looked back up at Ash. "Well, I cannot say I am surprised. Venonat and I have yet to truly begin our training together. He has much to learn. Your Eevee has talent and skill—I am impressed by its power."

"Thank you. She's more than earned it," Ash replied, causing Eevee to puff up her furry chest.

Janine pulled out a second pokeball and gave Ash a steady look that betrayed none of the earlier frustration she had showed during her battle with Venonat. "I will use one of my more battle-tested partners for this next round. You will find no easy victory against her."

Ash believed the confidence in her voice and looked at Eevee. "What do you say, girl? One more round? Or do you want to take a break?"

Eevee looked back at Janine and seemed to consider it for a moment. She finally padded over to sit down beside Ash, looking up at him to make sure he understood her.

He scratched her ears and nodded. "Alright, then. Take a break, Eevee. You did a great job."

She yipped and settled down to start grooming herself while Ash grabbed Sobek's Poke Ball. If Janine said she was taking the kiddie gloves off, then he would take her seriously as well.

Her second Pokemon was an Arbok. It was small for its species, slightly more slender, though perhaps average in length, but that didn't make it any less menacing. The serpent flared its hood for a moment and hissed at Ash, though he was unperturbed as he unleashed Sobek.

The croc took one look at Arbok and snarled aggressively, snapping his teeth to show off how dangerous he really was. His opponent hissed again, still flaring its hood in order to be as intimidating as possible. Sobek wasn't buying any of it.

He knew he was scarier.

"Coil," Janine began. Her voice had become much calmer—not lax, but focused. Ash could see she was used to battling with Arbok because Janine looked and sounded utterly confident in her abilities this time. Arbok as well responded to her more smoothly than Venonat had, curling up in a tight bundle of scaly limbs in order to focus its energy and musculature.

Ash wasn't about to let it build itself up too much. "Stone Edge."

Sobek punched at the ground and Ash watched with satisfaction as spires of stone erupted from the dirt, drawing closer to the poison-type. However, he got a jolt of surprise as the spire meant to hit Arbok was blown clean in half by a silver tail. He frowned. Arbok had built itself up with Coil faster than he had anticipated, if that Iron Tail's strength said anything.

"Incinerate," he ordered.

Sobek spat a gout of flame at Arbok, who easily evaded by slithering to the side with blurring speed. Janine gave Arbok a new command as quickly as Ash did. "Screech."

Ash threw his hands over his ears as Arbok let out an ear-splitting shriek and Sobek roared with fury, trying to drown out the awful sound with his own. He had no idea if Sobek could hear him or not while Arbok made that god-forsaken noise, but he yelled as loudly as he could. "Earthquake!"

Arbok's shrieking cry was cut off by a surprised hiss as Sobek slammed his foot on the ground as hard as he could, triggering a weak Earthquake that was just enough to make the snake cease its sound attack. Janine, however, was not going to simply let that be.

"Acid Spray," Janine ordered methodically.

"Incinerate," Ash countered.

Arbok reared its head back and unleashed a noxious spray of emerald liquid from its jaws, but Sobek met the attack with his fire-type move and burnt it away. Ash wrinkled his nose at the smell of burning acid, but Janine seemed accustomed to it—that or she just didn't care.

She seemed completely unfazed by the failure of Arbok's attack and continued. "Ice Fang."

Arbok bared its fangs, revealing them to be glowing a cold, icy blue moments before it lunged at Sobek with incredibly speed. Ash was struck by how quick it was. It was as if the fight had been switched around from the last one. Now his Pokemon was slow and her Pokemon was lightning quick.

"Stone Edge!"

Sobek punched at the ground again, trying to catch Arbok by making its own rush carry it onto his attack, but the snake curled around the stone as if it weren't even there and managed to sink its teeth into Sobek's arm. The croc roared in pain as the powerful fangs and biting cold did real damage to him—Sobek was by no means Ash's most defensive fighter. He couldn't let Arbok keep doing that or else the croc would be knocked out quickly.

"Crunch!" Ash snapped.

Sobek's teeth gnashed into Arbok's neck with a vengeance, causing the snake to shriek in pain and release its grip. However, Janine was not so easily distracted and took advantage of the close range her Pokemon was in immediately. "Iron Tail."

Ash winced as Arbok's metallic tail slammed into Sobek's gut. The croc's jaws were wrenched from his opponent's body as the force of the impact sent him flying away. Sobek hit the ground roughly with a low groan. He was getting tired fast and Ash was getting worried. Arbok was no joke.

The serpent slithered back to its master and coiled up, eyes locked onto its opponent as Sobek dragged himself to his feet. He leered at Arbok with pure fury, not keen on the idea of this adversary besting him so easily. Ash took the time that his Pokemon spent glaring at Janine's and utilized it to think as best he could.

Janine's strategy seemed to focus on building her Pokemon up and weakening her opponent with Arbok's quick strikes, adapting as the situation demanded to always have a way of hurting the enemy. Arbok weren't known for their durability, but who needed it when you were that fast? Ash remembered how fast Ariana's Arbok was, but it didn't hold a candle to Janine's for sheer speed. Maybe it lacked raw power, but that could be made up for if the opponent was weakened first and Arbok's power increased.

Ash decided it was time that they fell into their own familiar strategy.

"Ant Pit," he ordered.

Sobek dug underground instantly and it was just a few seconds later that the field developed a depression which quickly became a pit of sand. Arbok flicked its tongue at the disturbed earth and hissed uneasily, slithering along the edge of the Sand Tomb. Janine kept her eyes sharp, looking for any hint of Sobek's whereabouts.

He waited patiently. Sobek was the hunter here. Ash was simply the eyes aboveground. If the croc was aiming for something in particular, then he would wait patiently for the opportunity to arise.

Arbok suddenly paused, and then the ground erupted from behind its body and sharp teeth snapped into its midsection. The snake hissed furiously and spun to bite Sobek in response, but the croc used his powerful jaws to lift his prey and then leapt into the sand pit. He was dragging Arbok into the place where he would be at his most dangerous and efficient.

Sobek did get a second freezing bite from Arbok's Ice Fang for his trouble, but once the snake was in the pit, he let Arbok go and dug back underground. The serpent tried to slither out, but every time he moved, the sand slid away from beneath him and made his escape impossible. No matter how fast he was, the sand just gave way and kept him from going anywhere. Janine's eyes were wide. She clearly hadn't seen a strategy like this before, but then, it wasn't very likely that she'd fought a Krokorok before either. That was just good luck on Ash's part.

And no one ever said luck wasn't a part of winning sometimes.

He didn't need to order Sobek around at this point. Arbok was trapped and even though it could still deliver a nasty bite, Sobek was in his battle zone. He could burrow along the sand pit as easily as a Feraligatr could cut through water. Arbok was the helpless prey now, no matter what tricks Janine had.

Sobek delivered a Fire Fang to the serpent's underbelly, then retreated back underground before Arbok could counter. He snapped at the tail end next with Thunder Fang, and then the flanks, patiently weakening the poison-type until it just lay low and hissed furiously. The final straw was when Arbok lowered its head too much and Sobek erupted at the front end to snap his fangs into its neck, just behind the skull. Arbok flailed desperately, but Sobek had decided that he was ready to finish this fight and didn't let go until Janine recalled her Pokemon.

Ash would willingly say that if Sobek didn't have such an incredibly useful tool as Ant Pit, that they would have been hard-pressed to win that fight at all. Arbok was ridiculously fast and had a more varied move pool than he had anticipated. It probably had no problem wiping out Pokemon that couldn't escape underground, and even those probably had their work cut out for them.

Janine, for her part, looked dumbfounded. "I…I concede."

Sobek roared his victory and looked back at Ash for approval, grinning toothily when his trainer smiled and nodded. "Atta boy, Sobek."

He glanced at Janine as she walked over. "Sorry about that. There was no other way Sobek and I could have taken Arbok down. It was so fast."

She smiled ruefully. "I did not expect such a strategy. Your partner here is very skilled. If I may ask, exactly what is he? I've never seen anything like him."

"Sobek?" Ash watched as the croc walked over and pushed his snout into the boy's arm. He chuckled and scratched Sobek under his chin, right where he liked it. While Sobek let out a light growl of enjoyment, Ash answered Janine's question. "He's a Krokorok. They're native to the Unova Region. He's one of my strongest fighters."

Sobek snapped his jaws as if to prove this and offered Janine a challenging expression. Ash could see the red tint to his usually dark eyes and knew that his Moxie was acting up after defeating Arbok, so he recalled the ground-type before he could decide if biting someone was worth it.

Janine didn't seem upset by her loss and she was quickly getting over her surprise. "Well, I'd like to engage you and Sobek in battle again one day when I've trained more. I imagine he will be an even more worthy adversary the next time around."

"He's actually getting pretty close to evolution," Ash informed her with a widening grin. "So next time, you'll really have to watch out."

Her eyes flashed eagerly. "I look forward to it."

"My lady?" The attendant suddenly came forward with a PokeNav. "Your father has just sent a message for you."

She handed Janinethe device and the girl looked at the screen for several moments before frowning deeply. "This is unexpected."

"What's up?"

She glanced at Ash. "My father has been called in for League business. It is unlikely he will be available for a gym battle today."

He frowned at the news. Ash had been hoping to have a go at Koga as soon as he wrapped up his battle with Janine, but it seemed as though that would not be the case. Regardless, he had the whole day ahead of him and there were plenty of things he could be doing.

"How about we go to the Safari Zone?" Janine suggested. "I enjoy being out in the wild. I also seem to recall that you wanted to go there, yes?"

Ash nodded. "Yeah. I wanted to try and capture a new Pokemon or two. My team could use a little more variety."

"Well, then that's settled!" She exclaimed. "We can leave most of our Pokemon here, if you wish. The Safari Zone only lets you bring one Pokemon in with you, and that's only for self-defense. You aren't allowed to attack the wild Pokemon there."

"How do you capture them, then?" Ash asked incredulously, recalling that some of the species there were particularly rare and powerful. "You can't just throw ball after ball and hope something sticks, can you?"

Janine smiled widely. "Why Ash, that's exactly what you do."

The Safari Zone was just a short walk north of the city. A huge fence blocked the forest from the rest of civilization, with only a small building acting as a way in and out of the Safari Zone. Ash was silently impressed by how easily the manmade constructs blended with the surrounding nature. He had a feeling it had been designed specifically for that purpose so that the Pokemon residing in the area would be more comfortable.

Some of the species in this place were incredibly rare or even critically endangered. Kangaskhan, for example, had been hunted to the point that they were extinct in the wild. The only populations left of them were those in places like the Safari Zone that were maintained by the League. The hope was that they could be bred in captivity until the population was healthy enough to start releasing them back into their natural habitat in the wild.

He had brought Eevee with him because she didn't want to go back into her Luxury Ball quite yet. Meanwhile, the rest of his team and Janine's, (with the exception of her Ariados) would be kept safely at the Fuchsia Gym. There wasn't much point in bringing them seeing as they wouldn't be allowed into the Safari Zone anyways.

Ash let his eyes drift for what felt like the fifteenth time to the Ariados clinging to Janine's back. He honestly didn't know whether he should find it interesting or creepy, but whatever he thought, the spider was evidently quite comfortable int he position and Janine hardly seemed to notice its weight.

Pikachu riding shotgun was one thing, but having a big spider latched to your back wasn't high on Ash's bucket list.

Janine led them inside the building that connected the Safari Zone to the outside world. Inside the building was a desk with a ranger whom would allow them to enter the preserve once they paid, but Ash focused first on the opposite wall, where a map of the Safari Zone was laid out. On the map was an explanation of the various environments and the Pokemon species that could be found there.

He was impressed by the variety—jungle, plains, mountains, desert, lakes…In fact, pretty much everything barring ocean and tundra environments had been replicated in the Safari Zone.

"See anything you wish to attempt capturing?" Janine asked him as Ash scanned the various species.

"Well…I was thinking about getting a Scyther earlier," Ash jabbed his finger at the jungle sector, right next to the lake. A picture of the massive insect only made him want one even more—the tough green hide and large, sickle-shaped claws were practically irresistible.

Janine nodded. "A good choice. I will be going to the plains—the Nidoran herds are out there, and I have thought about getting a training partner to raise alongside Venonat."

"Then we'll meet back here after our time is up," Ash agreed.

They went over to the desk where the ranger in charge gave them the rundown of rules—only one Pokemon was to be allowed with any trainer for self-defense, no Poke Balls could be brought in that were not Safari Balls, and they had exactly six hours before they would be required to come back in—successful or not.

The ranger handed Ash and Janine thirty Safari Balls each and some bait. He mentioned that they could throw rocks as well, but didn't advise it. Many creatures got rather angry if someone threw a rock at them. Once they had been given the all-clear, Ash and Janine entered the Safari Zone.

"The plains where I am headed are in the east," Janine explained as she pointed to the right. "You will find the jungles in the west. I think you may want to stick along the edge of the lake. A lot of Pokemon will leave the forest to get a drink."

"Thanks," Ash smiled as he started walking with Eevee trailing beside him. "See you in a while."

"Good luck!" Janine called after him.

Ash couldn't remember the last time he'd been this muddy. It had to have been one of the times he and Gary played with the Poliwag at Professor Oak's lab.

He had been forced to trek through the marsh section of the Safari Zone in order to make it to the jungle, and it lived up to the name. Every step had put him nearly knee-deep in mud and he was exhausted by the time he got out of the swamp. The thought of trying to catch any of the Pokemon he'd seen there wasn't even on his mind because he was too focused on keeping himself from sinking into the mud.

Eevee had avoided getting her paws dirty entirely by hitching a ride on Ash's head and shoulders. She was not going to get mud in her carefully-groomed fur. Under no circumstances would she tolerate such a thing. Her trainer kept himself less clean than she did, so he could get dirty for the both of them.

Besides, the view from on top of his head was much nicer than getting a face-full of mud.

After a whole hour of trekking through mud, Ash finally made it to the jungle section of the Safari Zone, where he collapsed and took several minutes to catch his breath and drink from the water bottle he'd brought along. It was unbearable hot and he really needed a break. The Scyther could wait a few more minutes.

Eevee leapt down once she was safely clear of mud and looked up at her trainer, only slightly concerned by his heavy breathing. Maybe he needed to start training, too. She was pretty sure he wouldn't last five minutes in the training sessions he came up with for her and the other members of the team.

When Ash caught his breath, they continued on towards the lake. Now that they weren't trying to make their way through knee-deep mud, the pair were able to admire the surroundings and the Pokemon residing in the jungle. Ash caught sight of several bug-types including Paras, Venonat, and even the odd Venomoth. There were Exeggute and Tangela shuffling along the forest floor as well. Once he caught sight of two Pinsir fighting each other, but he wasn't crazy enough to get too close.

He didn't want to get cut in half by a pair of furious stag beetles.

But for the life of him, Ash saw no signs of a Scyther. The bug was proving to be as rare as its reputation made it up to be.

Ash and Eevee paused as a Caterpie crawled halfway across the small trail they were walking along, smirking slightly when the little insect noticed them and tried to hurry. It was amusing because a Caterpie trying to run was about as fast as a Caterpie on a casual stroll.

Eevee chittered softly as the bug disappeared into a bush and looked back up at Ash. He smiled down at her. "Not so scary, huh?"

She shook her head and Ash chuckled as they continued walking. It was nice walking with Eevee. She wasn't much of a chatterbox as some of Ash's other Pokemon, but the calm air between them was relaxing.

When they made it to the lake, Ash glanced around. There was about twenty feet between the edge of the trees and the lakeside itself, but that meant that whatever came out of the jungle would show itself easily. He couldn't see anything drinking right now, though with the sun at its peak, he had no doubt that there would be quite a few Pokemon coming to quench their thirst pretty soon.

He decided to stay just inside the tree line, where it was shady and cooler than out in the sun. Plus, he'd be mostly hidden from whatever came out to drink. So Ash found himself a spot where he could easily see the lake shore, settled down, and began to wait.

Eevee, on the other hand, wasn't in the mood to sit around. She was feeling hot in her luscious fur and needed a drink. She yipped at Ash to get his attention and glanced to the lake. He knew her well enough to know what she wanted and nodded. "Okay. I'll be right here. Don't get too far away, alright?"

She huffed. She would go wherever she so pleased. But maybe she would stay close like Ash suggested.

Eevee didn't want to walk too far in this unholy heat.

Eevee only walked a few minutes away from Ash, to a small, rocky spot where she had a bit of privacy. She liked being on her own now and again, simply to enjoy the quiet spell that fell upon her. While traveling with Ash was fun, she did need some time for herself, like any girl would.

Her male companions could drive her crazy sometimes with their constant need for battles and masculine displays of power. At least Douse and Spectre weren't so insufferable as Pyro or Sobek, or even Pikachu before he'd been injured. Spectre was only annoying at worst, but Douse was easy to be around. The Poliwhirl liked to fight, but at least he didn't get into roaring matches like his Charmeleon or Krokorok companions.

Eevee felt the distinct urge to blast them rather often with Shadow Ball to give them a piece of her mind.

They were lucky that Eevee was a patient creature.

She glanced around as she crouched by the lake. Once she was certain that she was alone, Eevee dipped her head and began to lap at the water. She was in no rush, even with the sun blazing overhead. The heat simply made her even more thirsty, so she would continue to drink. For a few moments, Eevee contemplated actually getting into the water, but she decided against it after a few moments. Her fur would dry quickly, but it would be ruffled and that meant she would have to groom it for at least an hour to make herself presentable.

A small splash of water and the patter of feet on rock got Eevee's attention, causing her to look up. She found a weird, pink creature staring at her with blank white eyes. The tiny pupils inside of the big eyes were fixed on nothing, giving the Pokemon a bizarre expression. It walked on four, stumpy legs, had a long pink and white-tipped tail, and a goofy muzzle with small fangs.

Eevee had never seen anything so strange in her life. This creature was just staring at her, rather rudely in her opinion. It hadn't even tried to introduce itself and thought it was acceptable to stare at her?

Her eyes narrowed and she growled at the strange thing, telling it to go find a different Pokemon to stare at. Several seconds passed without even the slightest reaction from the creature, so she growled again, slightly louder this time. She didn't want to be so loud as to make Ash come running, but she wanted this…thing to go away.

It didn't so much as twitch and simply continued to stare. Eevee shifted uncomfortably. Was it even aware that she was in front of it? Or was it just too stupid to come up with a response? It certainly looked ridiculous. Should she run from it? It didn't seem threatening.

Eevee eventually decided to just ignore it. The creature was annoying her, but it wasn't a danger and it wasn't making a sound. She would finish her drink and go back to Ash. Hopefully, it wouldn't follow her.

She turned back to take a drink and at first didn't notice the small head that was floating right in front of her from beneath the surface of the water. Only when it made a small trilling sound did she jump, choking on the mouthful of water she'd taken and spitting it at whatever was in front of her by accident.

Oops.

Eevee felt her fur flush hotly with embarrassment as the creature in front of her blinked with a bewildered expression. It didn't look angry, just surprised.

She had no idea what to do until the new creature repeated its greeting trill. Eevee chittered a response, then licked the fur of her chest to smooth over her ruffled fur. Once her fur settled, she took a moment to inspect this new Pokemon that was decidedly more animated than the weird pink creature still staring from its spot on the rock beside her.

It was reptilian judging from the smooth scales covering its body. A large white nose and two spiky ears were the most prominent features at first glance, along with a small white bump between its two big, green eyes. The rest of the body (or at least, what she could see of it from above the water) was serpentine, with bright blue scales covering its top half and snowy white scales on its underbelly.

The Pokemon made its gentle trill again and Eevee's ears twitched. She liked the soft voice this creature made. It was much nicer than her roaring teammates, and that made Eevee think that maybe this one was a female like herself. This one also had pretty green eyes. Not as gorgeous as Eevee's chocolatey ones of course, but still very pretty.

Eevee decided she would call her Green Eyes.

Green Eyes had asked her what she was in a polite way. She hadn't seen anything like Eevee before. There were other small, furry Pokemon that came to the water now and again, but they were skittish and ran away at first glance. There were big furry Pokemon too, but they were easily annoyed and had big horns.

Eevee chittered that she was simply Eevee. It was who she was and she knew no other way to describe herself. Green Eyes seemed satisfied with that and then asked Eevee what she was doing here.

She replied that she was here with her human. He was looking for a big green bug with big claws. Green Eyes trilled that she saw them come by a few times a day, but they were always alone. Their claws were very sharp and they could be very jumpy. If anything else decided to come and drink, they would dart back into the trees.

Green Eyes paused then and asked Eevee what her human was like. She told Eevee that she saw humans now and again at the lake, but they had weird sticks with long strings and sharp objects at the ends. There was always tasty food on the sharp bit, but it hurt to bite. She didn't like those.

Eevee didn't have the foggiest idea what Green Eyes was talking about, but said that her human didn't have a weird, sharp stick and instead was just weird in general. He was young and brash, and he annoyed her a lot, but he was nice. He was good at brushing her fur and made her happy.

The humans she'd known at her hatching place had been mean and loud and threw her in a small cage with other Pokemon that would bite her in ways she didn't like. She had gotten tough fast and bit anything that touched her. At some point, a bunch of even louder humans in blue uniforms came and took her from the mean humans. They gave her food, but they still aggravated her, so she bit them as well.

Then one of the blue uniform humans came and gave her to Ash. She didn't like him much at first and he really annoyed her, but he was patient and let her do what she needed to make herself comfortable. He had other Pokemon that travelled with him and they weren't too bad. Noisy, but tolerable.

She didn't like a lot of noise. It reminded her of the cramped, dark space with the mean humans.

Green Eyes cooed that her human sounded much nicer than other humans. Eevee agreed with her.

Ash was a rare human.

They both jumped and turned when the strange pink Pokemon (which had been staring this entire time) suddenly made a low, slow groaning sound. Eevee blinked when she translated it as an incredibly slow greeting.

Had it seriously taken this thing the better part of ten minutes just to get that out?

Green Eyes made a laughing trill and told Eevee that these funny creatures did things very slowly, but they were harmless. She had staring contests with them sometimes, but they always beat her.

Eevee only had to take one look at the still unblinking eyes to believe it. There was no way that any Pokemon or human could defeat one of these things in a staring contest.

Green Eyes got her attention again by asking if it was fun to travel. Eevee considered the question for a moment before shrugging. It was fun to see different places. She didn't always like to walk, but whenever she got tired, her human put her in a comfy, black sphere that made it easy for her to sleep. That or she would hitch a ride on his shoulders, but that wasn't as comfortable.

She leaned down to lap at the water again. Her throat felt dry from all this talking, but Eevee had to admit that she liked Green Eyes. She had a quiet voice and was well-mannered, much more so than the rest of her teammates.

She shifted a little. She kind of wanted Green Eyes to stick around…

Eevee chittered to Green Eyes if she would like to come with her and her human. She had a feeling that Green Eyes would like to explore with them, and there were lots of interesting things to do. They travelled to many places and got stronger together. The workouts weren't always fun and her teammates could be annoying, but there were more good things than bad things.

Green Eyes went quiet for a few minutes and Eevee was afraid that she was asking too much. They had just met after all, but Eevee hadn't gotten along with another Pokemon this much…well, ever. It was nice to have someone she could talk to a lot.

Another trill snapped Eevee out of her thoughts as Green Eyes said she wanted to meet Eevee's human first, then she would decide. She was getting bored of always swimming in the same lake and she wanted to see the outside world, but she wasn't going to just go off with a human unless she was sure he was good.

That was all Eevee had to hear for her to tell Green Eyes to wait a moment while she got her human. She ran off without a second thought, leaving the other two Pokemon behind. So Green Eyes remained with the slow pink creature, and decided to engage it in a staring contest while she waited.

Maybe she would win this time…

Ash heard Eevee yipping as she ran towards him and he half-expected something to be hot on her heels. He hadn't seen anything that he wanted to catch yet, and the most exciting thing thus far was Eevee running back to him with excitement. Her tail was wagging and frankly, he couldn't remember ever seeing her this excited.

"What's up, girl?"

Eevee yipped again and spun in a circle, trying to convince him to follow her. Ash blinked at the display, unsure what to make of her sudden, crazed behavior. She skittered away for a few feet and waited for him, but when all he did was stare, she narrowed her eyes and yipped a little more forcefully.

"You want me to follow you?" He asked hesitantly.

She gave him a deadpan stare for several moments that made Ash feel stupid. He nodded. "Okay, lead the way."

Eevee huffed and turned to lead her trainer to the lake. She was a patient creature, she reminded herself. This was just important.

They made it to the rocky spot where Eevee had taken her drink and, to her delight, she found that Green Eyes was still there, staring at the weird pink Pokemon that apparently had nothing better to do than stare right back. She ran over to get there before Ash, chittering to Green Eyes that her human was here.

Green Eyes immediately broke the staring contest and blinked a few times, trilling that her eyes hurt. The pink creature had beaten her again. Eevee sat down on the rock and turned to watch as Ash came over, yipping for his attention.

Ash wasn't sure what he was expecting when he came over to find out what had made Eevee so excited. He figured maybe she had seen some interesting fish Pokemon like a Seaking or maybe even a Gyarados. The Slowpoke plopped on the rocks beside her was also a possibility.

He did not expect her to go and find a Dratini of all things.

Ash had to stop and blink a few times to make sure he was looking at what he thought he was looking at. The small serpent in front of him had a large, white nose, two spiky ears of the same color, and two big, green eyes. Covering its body were smooth scales, the belly being white and the back a light blue.

He couldn't believe his eyes. He was looking at a Dratini.

It seemed a little nervous, but Eevee chittered to it quietly and it responded with a small trill. Eevee turned to give him a stern look and Ash was pretty sure she was silently telling him not to mess up.

Or else.

Ash made his way to the water and knelt down slowly, pulling out some of the food that the ranger had given him. "Hey, there…are you hungry, boy?"

Eevee nipped his arm for that one and Ash winced. "I mean…girl?"

Eevee nodded firmly. Honestly, how would Ash possibly function without her? If he didn't have her around, he would be stuck with a bunch of barbarian males who would never understand the intricacies of females.

Ash was lucky to have her around.

The Dratini trilled in amusement at Eevee's attitude and considered the food in Ash's hand for a moment before relenting. She was feeling a bit hungry after her long conversation with Eevee, so she leaned forward out of the water and nibbled at the food. It was the same stuff that humans put on their sharp sticks, but it didn't hurt to eat.

She liked that. Eevee's human was gentle, just like she'd said.

Ash couldn't help but smile at the ticklish sensation he got as the Dratini ate out of his hand. She was a calm creature and he really liked how she seemed to get along with Eevee. He waited until she finished eating all of the food before slowly reaching out to scratch the small dragon behind her spiky white ears.

Eevee felt herself growing more excited as Green Eyes cooed adoringly at the contact. That apparently felt really good, and even she had to admit that Ash was talented when it came to finding the best spots to scratch.

The Dratini looked at Eevee and trilled happily. She liked Ash.

Eevee chittered to ask if Green Eyes wanted to come with them and the answering "yes" had her nearly jumping with excitement. She immediately went to Ash's belt and paused when she didn't find any of the Poke Balls he usually kept there. Her eyes narrowed and she pawed at his belt. How could he forget one of the red and white spheres at a moment like this?

Ash chuckled as Eevee gave him a scathing look for his forgetfulness. "It's okay, Eevee! I've got plenty."

He pulled his bag off of his shoulder and extracted a Safari Ball from inside of it. He looked at Dratini while he held the device out. "Do you want to come with us?"

Green Eyes nodded and Ash gently tapped the button of the Safari Ball to the dragon's nose. He laughed when her already big green eyes got even wider with surprise, then she vanished in a flash of red light. The Safari Ball wriggled in his hand for several moments, then stilled.

Eevee actually squealed then and insisted on thrusting her nose in front of the Safari Ball containing her newfound friend to catch Green Eyes' scent. Ash laughed at the excited normal type and petted the fur along her back. "Relax, girl. I promise I'll let you see her again after we get back in. We've still got a Scyther to catch, okay?"

Eevee really didn't want to wait that long, but she had gotten her wish, so she would be patient. There would be plenty of time to talk and play with Green Eyes later.

Ash was beyond thrilled with the new addition, but he still really wanted to try and capture a Scyther, so it was back to the forest edge to wait until one of the enormous bugs came out for a drink. "Come on, Eevee. Let's go!"

Eevee ran after him as Ash led her back to their hiding spot, content in the knowledge that her travels were going to get much better with Green Eyes going with them.

Hours after the pair disappeared, the Slowpoke that had been sitting on the rock finally blinked and made a low, confused noise. Hadn't there been two Pokemon and a human in front of it just a moment ago?

Chapter Text

Chapter Eleven: The Ninja

Ash and Eevee ended up waiting for hours by the lakeside, but never saw even a glimpse of a Scyther. The rare bug-types simply would not show themselves. Either they could see the waiting pair somehow and weren't willing to drink while they were around, or they were drinking somewhere else.

Four hours into their Safari Zone excursion, Ash gave up on their plan to be patient. "Alright, Eevee. I think if there was a thirsty Scyther around, it would have come by already. We should probably just start searching through the jungle. We only have a couple of hours left before we have to head back in."

Eevee yawned in agreement. She'd taken to napping for the last couple of hours and stood up slowly, stretching the stiffness from her muscles. Ash scratched the normal-type behind her ears and shouldered his bag. He wasn't willing to throw in the towel yet, but he had to admit that the odds of them running into a Scyther at the lakeside by this point was about as likely as Gary admitting that Ash was the better trainer.

In other words, it wasn't going to happen.

"What do you think, girl?" Ash asked her as they started to walk into the forest. "You think there might be a Scyther running around here somewhere?"

Eevee shrugged, getting a smile from her trainer. "I guess there's only one way to really find out, huh?"

In the end, they didn't find the Scyther Ash wanted.

Despite combing as much of the jungle as they could within the last hour, there wasn't so much as a hint of their quarry. Ash was disappointed by that, but he was pretty sure any luck he'd brought with him to the Safari Zone had been used up completely when Eevee talked Dratini into coming with them. He was plenty happy with what he had—Dratini were incredibly rare, and Ash had no doubt that she would become a fantastic member of his team.

That was more than enough reason to call their excursion a huge success. He hadn't gotten the rare bug-type he wanted, but he'd gotten a dragon-type that would more than make up for it. Ash certainly wouldn't complain.

He met with a staff member as he returned to the main building and had Dratini transferred from a Safari Ball to a regular Poke Ball—the Safari Balls themselves would be kept by the rangers in charge of the Zone and recycled for future trainers to use.

Janine met up with him at the entrance when he was done, smiling when she saw Ash come back in from the wilderness. He was muddy, sweating, and exhausted, but grinning like a fool. She took his expression as a sign of success. "You captured your quarry, then?"

"Not quite," Ash said cheerily, surprising the Gym Leader in-training. "But I still got something really good with Eevee's help."

Eevee chirped agreement, puffing her chest out proudly. She was still over the moon that Green Eyes would be joining them on their travels. Ash had only truly come out of the Safari Zone a winner because she had talked the Dratini into coming along. So yes, she was extremely pleased with herself.

She had to wrinkle her nose, though. After six hours spent in the humid jungle, Ash smelled terrible. She refused to believe that she smelled terrible as well, but there was no harm in making sure she spent a little extra time grooming later on.

She did have a reputation to keep up.

Janine blinked in confusion, but Ash went on before she could question him. "I'll show you later. Right now, I need a shower—and food."

His stomach growled on cue and Ash couldn't stop his face from reddening. Eevee snickered for a moment, but then her stomach betrayed her by mimicking Ash's, causing the normal-type to immediately avert her gaze and fluff her fur with embarrassment. Janine grinned. "Well, why don't you head back to the Pokemon Center and get yourself cleaned up? I'll go back to the gym and pick up your Pokemon for you. I need to get Arbok and Venonat as well."

"That would be great," Ash agreed. "Then I'll see you later."

Ash couldn't help but groan in relief when he finally got into the shower. He didn't think water could ever feel so good, but it was utter perfection to have all the mud and sweat and grime washed from his tired body. The Safari Zone's terrain had been some of the most difficult he'd ever been through, and certainly the toughest he'd ever traversed in a single day. The hot water flowing over him felt like liquid nirvana.

He was, however, wearing swim shorts in this instance because Eevee insisted on getting a bath. Ash didn't think she would like cold water since he fully intended to enjoy the hot water while it was available, so he threw on the pair of trunks that his mother had provided him without complaint and let her into the shower so they could both get cleaned up.

He was glad that the Pokemon Center also provided trainers with shampoo for their Pokemon. Ash really hadn't even thought about it before, but he figured that if they felt a little extra cleaning was necessary in addition to their usual grooming, then he would indulge them. Eevee insisted that the boy wash himself off first before touching her, though.

She would not let him touch her as long as he smelled like a swamp.

Once Ash had cleaned himself up to her satisfaction, Eevee relented and allowed him to pour some of the shampoo over her fur. Sitting in the tub while the water showered down, Ash worked the cleansing liquid through her fur with his fingers, trying his best to be gentle.

Eevee was curled up in his lap with her eyes closed, relaxing under the soothing hands, warm water, and cleansing shampoo. The treatment was new to her, but she certainly could get used to it. Ash's hands were able to get at the spots in her fur that she had trouble reaching and Eevee would be kidding herself if she thought that it didn't feel ridiculously good.

Ash smiled as he watched Eevee begin to doze in his lap, lulled by the gentle cleaning. "You're pretty tired, huh girl?"

Eevee mumbled some quiet response that made Ash chuckle a bit. He spent fifteen minutes working the shampoo through Eevee's fur and making sure she was completely clean before washing it all out. After all the soap was out of Eevee's brown coat, Ash toweled her off with one of the smaller towels in the bathroom. The jostling woke her up a bit, but she didn't care.

He exited the shower with Eevee wrapped up in a fluffy towel and set her on the bed before grabbing a clean set of clothes for himself and returning to the bathroom to quickly change. Once he was in some more comfortable clothes, Ash went back to Eevee and finished drying her off with the towel, grinning widely when he saw her dozing. "Eevee, let's get you something to eat before you sleep, okay?"

Eevee groaned in protest, but even she wouldn't deny that her stomach could use a little food. She looked at Ash with an expression that said it all, and he couldn't help but laugh. "Alright, I'll carry you."

He gathered her up in his arms by his chest and made sure she was comfortable before carrying her out of the room and towards the cafeteria. Eevee snuggled into the white cotton shirt Ash was wearing, thoroughly tired and not at all against the idea of sleeping for a week. Ash did his best to prevent her from bouncing around in his arms too much, figuring that a lot of movement would make her cranky.

"Well, someone's tired."

Ash blinked as he saw Janine waiting for him at the same table they'd eaten at the night before. He walked over and replied quietly. "She's just about ready to pass out, but I wanted her to eat something first. She needs it after running all over the Safari Zone today."

"You look like you need it as well," Janine chuckled. She reached into a pouch at her belt and handed Ash his other four Poke Balls. "Here. Safe, just as I promised."

"Thank you," Ash said honestly, setting his four companions at his belt in their familiar places. He would feed them back in his room, after introducing Dratini to them. Eevee needed to eat now because Ash seriously doubted she was going to last another hour before passing out. He got Eevee some food from the Pokemon section of the cafeteria and watched with a smile as she nibbled at it lazily on the seat beside him.

Janine also smiled at the sight. "She looks very relaxed. You clearly treat her well."

"She worked hard today," he replied, scratching Eevee's fur just behind her ears. "She's earned a little babying, I think."

Eevee yawned rather cutely then and Ash's smile widened further. The last time he'd seen her so relaxed was around Cynthia's Glaceon, and frankly he was overjoyed that their bond had reached this point. Actively battling with him, training, and helping to capture other Pokemon were huge steps forward for her, not to mention the extra bonding time they had gotten throughout the day. Ash felt like Eevee was truly happy to be around him now, more so than she'd ever been since joining his team.

Around the time Eevee had finished eating, settled in Ash's lap with a full tummy, and was on the verge of entering a food coma, Leaf and Misty walked into the cafeteria. The two girls had enormous grins on their faces.

Janine smirked. "Well, you two appear to have had a successful venture, no?"

"Oh yeah," Misty grinned wildly, giving Leaf a high-five. "Hugely successful."

Leaf looked incredibly smug, apparently too pleased to speak. Ash had no idea what it was that they had captured, but he bet his bottom dollar that it was significant to get this kind of reaction out of them.

"Well, Ash and I got some new Pokemon today as well," Janine told them. Ash smiled and nodded, causing the two girls standing beside their table to grin even more.

"How about we compare captures?" Leaf suggested. "Let's go to the training field."

The training field was quiet in the early hours of night. The four trainers had walked out just as a couple of other people were finishing a battle there, allowing them to have the field to themselves. Ash had Eevee curled up in his arms, as she had sleepily insisted on staying outside of her Luxury Ball. He was pretty sure she knew that he was about to let Dratini loose for the first time since capturing her, and Eevee wanted to see her newfound friend.

Janine pulled out a Poke Ball first. "Right, here is my newest partner—come, Nidoran!"

A rather large, male Nidoran materialized from the capture device, boasting an impressive horn. Ash guessed from its size that the creature was probably on the verge of evolving, and it was clearly used to fighting. It gave the girls a passive look, but upon seeing Ash, it narrowed its eyes and growled challengingly.

"Nidoran, these are my friends. Be calm," Janine ordered the poison-type. It gave her a leery look like it was debating actually listening to her, but with a snort, Nidoran sat down on its stubby legs and obeyed. Janine smiled at her newest Pokemon. "Good. There will be plenty of time to train later, my friend."

Misty took out a pair of Poke Balls and tapped the release on them both, unleashing two identical, clam-like Pokemon. Ash eyed them curiously. He assumed that they were Clamperl, since they were definitely not Shellder. They were quite shy, only slightly peeking out from within the safety of their hard shells.

"These are my new Clamperl," Misty smiled at them happily. "Aren't they cute?"

Janine observed them with a trained eye. "They're fascinating. And they can evolve into two different forms?"

"Mmhm," Misty confirmed. "Gorebyss and Huntail. I don't have either of the items I need for them to evolve yet, but I want to train them for a few months first, anyways. I'd like to get to know them both well before they evolve."

Ash heard a low clapping noise as one of the Clamperl closed their shells completely, evidently nervous upon finding itself out of its element. Misty recalled them both pretty quickly. "I'll let them loose again once I get back to my gym. It'll be a lot easier to interact with them when they're back in the water."

"Me next!" Leaf exclaimed, grabbing a single Poke Ball and releasing the contents excitedly.

He got a surprise when a big Seadra appeared, balancing easily on its curled tail. The water type looked around to take in its surroundings, grunting when its dark eyes found Leaf. She smiled at her new Pokemon cheerfully. "Hi again, Seadra. These are my friends."

Seadra eyed the other trainers and rested its gaze on Misty for a moment, apparently recognizing the girl. It then looked at Ash and Janine, seemingly indifferent to them until Nidoran growled from Janine's side, bristling his toxic spikes. Seadra's eyes narrowed and it made a deep, rumbling sound that Ash easily interpreted as displeasure. Its considerably bigger and more intimidating spines easily outdid Nidoran's and it looked ready to blast the arrogant poison-type.

"They're eager,," Ash grinned at the pair's antics.

Janine shot Nidoran a disapproving look and recalled him before he could start a fight. She sighed. "I apologize for him. He will learn respect in time."

Seadra huffed, still a little annoyed, but it relaxed when Leaf smiled again. "It's okay, Seadra. We'll get some training in soon, I promise."

That seemed to satisfy the water-type and it puffed its chest out, obviously proud of its power and eager to make itself stronger. Ash could only imagine its capabilities when Seadra eventually evolved into Kingdra, one of only a few dragon-types that resided in the deep ocean. They were infamous for supposedly creating whirlpools by yawning.

If that said anything about their latent power, Ash couldn't begin to think of what they could be capable of when they got angry.

Leaf recalled Seadra a moment later, aware that the water-type was probably more interested in fighting than having people gawking at it. She glanced at Ash. "So, what'd you catch?"

He looked down at Eevee, who finally appeared to be interested. She had only dozed as the girls released their new Pokemon, but upon hearing that Ash was going to release her newfound friend, she found the energy in herself to wake up a bit.

Ash grinned and knelt to set Eevee down, as he doubted she would enjoy him simply letting her jump out of his arms. He stood back up and pulled the new Poke Ball out, then tapped the release.

Dratini materialized and blinked her big, green eyes at them. She cooed at the sight of Eevee padding up to her and trilled when the normal-type greeted her with a happy chirp. Now that she was out of the water, Ash realized that Dratini was just over six feet long—pretty average for her species. She would get a little bigger as she neared evolution, but if there was one thing Ash knew for sure, it was that dragon-types grew slowly compared to other species of Pokemon.

"Oh my gosh!" Misty gasped at the sight of the small dragon. "She's gorgeous!"

Ash had no idea how she knew that Dratini was female, especially since Janine seemed somewhat dumbfounded and Leaf's eyes were wide. "That's a Dratini…isn't it?"

Dratini froze at the sight of the three girls gaping at her, but Eevee yipped that they wouldn't hurt her. They were Ash's friends and simply wanted to see her. Dratini really wasn't that confident about it and Ash could tell, so he walked over and knelt beside the small dragon.

"Hey girl, do you want to go back in your ball?" He asked gently. Dratini nodded despite Eevee's protests, but Ash scratched the normal-type's ears to calm her. "It's okay, Eevee. I'll let Dratini out again when we're back in our room and it's quieter."

Eevee didn't seem happy about that, but integrating a new team member was always a process. Green Eyes was on the shy side and they would simply have to take her personality into account while doing so.

Ash recalled her and then picked Eevee back up as he faced his friends. Leaf was still gaping at him. "Where on earth did you get a Dratini?"

"Eevee actually met her by chance when I was looking for a Scyther in the Safari Zone and they hit it off," Ash explained. "Since they got along so well, I asked Dratini if she wanted to come along and that was that."

"So that is why you were so pleased despite not getting the Scyther you wanted," Janine realized with a grin. "I am impressed by your Eevee's resourcefulness. Many have searched for a Dratini, but few have succeeded and fewer still have captured one. My father has shown them to me before, but I have never seen one outside of the water."

"I owe it to Eevee," Ash smiled down at the sleepy normal-type. "Without her, I wouldn't have even known Dratini was there."

Eevee tilted her chin up slightly as a sign of her pride. She was pleased that she'd made Ash happy, even if it was only by making a new friend to bring with them. Frankly, Eevee didn't really care if Green Eyes was a rare Pokemon—they got along, and that was all she cared about. If she had been a more common species, Eevee still would have insisted that Ash capture her.

But Eevee was tired and she was ready to go to sleep. Ash noticed this and looked back up at his friends. "Hey guys, Eevee's getting tired and I need to introduce Dratini to the rest of the team. I'm gonna turn in for the night, okay?"

"Okay," Misty replied. "Leaf and I need to eat. It was hard work fishing all day! Janine, what's your plan?"

"I need to go back to the gym," Janine told her. "My father will likely return from his League work very soon."

"So Koga wasn't around today?"

"No," Ash admitted ruefully. "But Janine and I did have our battle."

"And a good battle it was," Janine smiled. "Goodnight, everyone. I will see you all again tomorrow."

Once Ash was back in his room, he set Eevee down on the bed and smiled when she immediately curled up. "You think you'll make it through Dratini's introduction, girl?"

Eevee mumbled some half-coherent response that told him she would do her best, but there were no promises. He couldn't blame her for that. She was full, sleepy, and clean, and if she was happy then Ash was happy too.

He released the older members of his team first. Since Dratini's personality was rather shy, Ash wanted to explain that to the others before they scared the dragon too much. He was pretty sure Douse and Spectre would be fine, but Pyro and Sobek had a habit of demonstrating their power in a rather aggressive way, and that would undoubtably frighten Dratini.

"Hey, guys," Ash greeted his team. Once they all chorused a response to him, he got down to business. "I'm sure most of you are hungry and probably wondering where I was all day, so I'll make this quick. Eevee and I went into the Safari Zone today and we spent a long time in there looking for new Pokemon. We have a new member of the team."

That got some excited responses, but they calmed when Ash raised a hand for silence. "It's a Dratini—a dragon-type, but she's a little shy, okay? I'm going to introduce her to you now, so keep things quiet and just be polite."

He gave Pyro and Sobek a pointed look and the pair almost looked offended at the expression despite the other members of the team offering them dry glances. Ash didn't push it though and he trusted them to act properly around Dratini until she was comfortable around them all.

Ash took her Poke Ball out and tapped the release, setting the small dragon loose into the room. She blinked and glanced around, more relaxed now that there weren't people staring at her, but still somewhat uneasy at the sight of four strange Pokemon.

"Dratini?" Ash got her attention by speaking gently, and he smiled when she looked at him. "Hey, girl. This is the rest of my team, okay? They're going to be your travel companions from now on along with Eevee and I."

Dratini looked at the other Pokemon then and offered a polite trill of greeting. Pyro offered the first response by waving one of his powerful arms rather than typically roaring and spouting tongues of flame, so Ash shot him an approving look. Sobek mirrored Pyro as did Douse, then Spectre floated over to Dratini and tapped her big white nose with his wispy arm. She trilled in amusement at the little ghost and poked him back with her nose. Spectre made a hollow chuckle and floated around the dragon, evidently pleased.

Pyro, Sobek, and Douse followed Spectre's lead and approached Dratini so they could all inspect each other a bit more closely now that everyone was more relaxed. Ash sat down on his bed beside a very sleepy Eevee and watched the interaction with a smile. He quietly pulled his Pokedex out while they were all getting to know each other and pointed it at Dratini.

Dratini, the Dragon Pokemon. It is called the "Mirage Pokemon" because so few have seen it. Dratini continually sheds its skin as it gets older. As it nears evolution, the life energy in its body reaches nearly uncontrollable levels. It lives in small colonies found in rapidly flowing water. They are especially fond of deep plunge pools formed by waterfalls.

This Dratini is female and knows the moves Wrap, Thunder Wave, Dragon Rage, Slam, Safeguard, Agility, Aqua Tail, and Dragon Tail. Its ability is Shed Skin, which allows it to slough off status conditions like burns, paralysis, poison, etc.

Ash nodded to himself. Dratini had a good move set that he could easily expand upon. She could immobilize, guard, and attack—giving her a whole variety of ways to maneuver in battle. Ash had no doubt that training her would quickly allow Dratini to become a powerful asset on his team.

Once his Pokemon had gotten familiar with each other, Ash called Dratini over to him. She slithered over across the floor easily, eyes shifting from Ash to the barely-conscious form of Eevee. She trilled at Eevee, who managed some vague, unintelligible response that made Dratini tilt her head in a comedic fashion. Ash chuckled at the quizzical expression on her face and spoke gently. "Eevee's just really sleepy, Dratini. She's about ready to turn in for the night."

Dratini's eyes cleared in understanding and she looked back up at Ash. He reached out to scratch her scales behind her spiky white ears, getting a happy trill from the small dragon. "I want to know if you'd like a nickname, girl. Eevee doesn't have one, but the rest of the team do. If you don't want one, then that's okay. If you do, just let me know."

She considered his words for several minutes and Ash could practically see the gears turning in her head as she thought about it. Eventually, she offered a tentative nod.

Ash spent a long while thinking about a name for her. He wanted something that would suit Dratini's gentle personality, and he was constantly drawn to the soft green eyes. They were a defining feature of Dratini that he was compelled to add into her name, and after a while, he settled on one that he felt truly fit her.

"Jasmine."

Her green eyes glimmered when he said it and the more Ash thought about it, the more he felt that the name suited Dratini. She was a shy, gentle creature that didn't really need a more aggressive name like Pyro or Sobek. And honestly, he couldn't imagine her any other way.

The newly dubbed Jasmine nodded in approval and then glanced at the basically sleeping ball of fluff that was Eevee. Ash smiled at the dragon's attention to her new friend. "Do you want something to eat before we sleep?"

Jasmine perked up at the mention of food and trilled eagerly. Hearing that also got the others to stare at Ash with expectant looks. He grinned at the sudden interest from his friends and grabbed his bag, then pulled out several bags of Pokemon food, which he gave to each of his team members. Pyro, Sobek, and Douse all sat down to eat, though Pyro growled when Sobek tried to sneakily take some extra from his share. Ash offered a bit to Spectre, who had the smallest appetite of the group, and the little ghost took his share before lazily floating over to the window so he could stare outside while he ate.

Ash set his hand on Eevee's head and gently ran his fingers through her fur, lulling the normal type into full, deep sleep at last. He rubbed his eyes with his other hand, feeling the effects of their trek through the Safari Zone going through his own muscles. Before he let himself fall asleep, however, he grabbed the fireproof blanket he always let Pyro rest his tail on and spread it across the floor. Only then, when he was certain that there would be no risk of the room going up in flames while they slept, did Ash retreat to his bed and pass out.

He was woken up by a curious, if slightly hesitant trill. Ash frowned and blinked his eyes open, freezing when he saw the big green orbs staring back at him from literally inches away. It took a moment for him to remember that the Dratini was his newest partner, but once he remembered that he grew calm again. He rubbed the sleep from his eyes and mumbled lowly. "Hey, girl. What's up?"

She cooed again and he smiled at the sound. Jasmine's head was hovering over him, while the rest of her long, serpentine body was still on the floor. Ash sat up and glanced at the clock, pausing when he realized that it was only seven in the morning. He arched an eyebrow at that. "You know, we can sleep in a little longer. The sun is barely up right now."

That didn't deter Jasmine in the slightest and Ash got the feeling she was used to getting up early in the morning. He sighed, but he was awake and he felt way better after having a good night's sleep. Ash glanced around the room and smirked. The rest of his team certainly weren't about to wake up anytime soon. Pyro was sprawled out on the floor, burning tail still lying on his fireproof blanket while he snored. Sobek was next to him, and Douse was belly-up as usual. Eevee, of course, was fast asleep on his bed and hadn't so much as twitched when Ash got up.

Spectre didn't need to sleep much, though, and true to form, the little ghost was hovering by the window, staring at the sun as it rose over the horizon. He turned to see Ash stand up out of bed and made a small, hollow sound of greeting. Ash smiled back and prodded the Duskull's mask when he floated closer. He still had no idea why the ghost liked that gesture, but it made him happy.

Ash stretched his arms over his head and glanced at Jasmine. "What do you say we go outside, girl?"

She trilled at that and he took it as a yes, so Ash quietly led her out of the room, but he paused at the door and turned back. "Spectre, do you want to come with us?"

The Duskull glanced around the room of sleeping Pokemon and Ash thought for a moment that his single red eye had a suspiciously gleeful glint to it. Spectre shook his head and Ash nodded to him, but as he left the room he had a feeling that he was going to come back to a prank of some kind.

Ash only hoped he wouldn't provoke Pyro into setting the room ablaze.

He led Jasmine down the hallways of the Pokemon Center, which was empty for the most part. They got a surprised stare from another trainer, who probably wasn't sure if he had actually seen a Dratini or not. Ash couldn't help but grin when he caught the kid rubbing his eyes and staring with an astounded expression.

Jasmine didn't seem to be as entertained by the attention, but she relaxed when Ash ran his fingers over her neck. He was really intrigued by the texture of her scales. Pyro scales felt really tough and Sobek's had a rugged feel to them all over his body with the exception of his softer underbelly. Jasmine's scales felt smooth under his touch and almost silky. They still held a definite firmness, but Ash was fascinated by how unusually soft her scales were.

It made him wonder if that was a trait all Dratini held or if she was just really young. He kind of doubted the latter considering the number of moves she knew, but then again, he didn't know very much about her species at all. Maybe all young Dratini were this versatile?

The questions bouncing around in his head caused Ash to realize that he hadn't contacted Professor Oak or his mother since he got into Fuchsia. He thought about it a moment more before deciding to give them a call. Both of them were probably up and already working.

He led Jasmine to the phone booth and she gave him a curious trill, obviously wondering why they were here and not heading outside. Ash smiled at her. "I just have to check something real quick, girl. We'll go outside in a moment."

She nodded at that, so Ash typed in the number for Oak's lab and hit the call button. It rang for several seconds before the Professor himself answered the phone, wide awake and looking a little more jittery than normal, like he'd had one too many shots of espresso.

Oak blinked in surprise. "Ash! I didn't expect to see you this early in the morning!"

"Well, my newest team member likes to get up with the sun," he chuckled, glancing at the shy Dratini that was already giving the Professor a wary look. "This is Jasmine, my Dratini. Jasmine, this is Professor Oak. He's a really great friend and he knows a lot about Pokemon."

Jasmine offered the man a small trill, but she didn't seem overly eager, though Ash found himself cracking a smile when she appeared fascinated by the video phone. He doubted that she'd ever seen anything quite like that before.

Oak's eyes widened. "My stars, you have caught a treasure, haven't you? It's been a long time since I last saw a Dratini. Not since one of my meetings with Lance a few years back. I saw your trainer file updated yesterday with her information, but I don't think I believed it until now. You found her in the Safari Zone?"

"Sort of," Ash admitted as he lifted a hand to scratch Jasmine's scales and help her relax. "Eevee was the one who found her. I was trying to find a Scyther and Eevee found Jasmine by the lake. They hit it off, so she decided to come with us."

"You're a lucky young man, Ash," Oak told him as he inspected Jasmine with a trained eye. "I spent years searching for a Dratini, though that was decades before the Safari Zone was developed. Goodness, I was fifteen when I finally found mine…"

The Professor took a second to reminisce and Ash recalled that Oak did in fact have a Dragonite from his days as a trainer. He had only ever seen it once or twice because it lived on the outskirts of Pallet Town in a small mountainous area, but the beast was a definitive example of a Dragonite in its prime. Oak had been a powerful trainer before he dedicated his life to researching Pokemon, and Dragonite was the cornerstone of his team from those days.

He had once shown Ash, Gary, and Leaf a video of one of his old League matches and the boy doubted that he would ever forget how ungodly powerful Oak's Dragonite was. He was sure that only Lance's own dragons held a candle to the dragon-type.

Oak's experience with the Dragonite line was something he needed to know about in order to raise Jasmine properly, so he got to the point. "That's why I called you, Professor. I need your help."

The Professor snapped back to the present as Ash went on. "I don't really know where to begin with Jasmine's training. She's got a great move pool, but what should I start working on with her?"

"Hmm…" Oak scratched his chin thoughtfully. "I would advise working on technique and widening the range of moves she can use for now. You won't really need to focus on raw power until she evolves into a Dragonair. Dratini store life energy in their bodies at a steady rate as they grow, far more so than most other Pokemon. It's how they prepare themselves for evolution in the wild. Whether you work on power with her or not at this stage is up to you, but it won't affect how much life energy she builds up, and that's really the key. There are no shortcuts to speed that process up. You will simply have to be patient.

"That being said," Oak peered at Jasmine a bit more closely. "It's hard for me to tell from this side of the screen, but she looks rather big. The average Dratini doesn't get much bigger than six feet, so unless she's going to be a giant of her species, she might be closer to evolution than I think. When you get to Pallet Town, I can make a more accurate assessment, but right now…I'd estimate her evolution to be anywhere from two to six months away. As I said, it's difficult for me to tell from here."

Ash nodded as he made a mental note of that. Most of his team, like Pyro or Sobek for instance, grew by becoming more powerful physically and literally working up to their evolution. Jasmine was a slightly different case since her body developed by storing energy. It would be a more time-consuming process than promoting her growth with typical training, but he could work with that.

"I had one other thing to ask you about her," Ash recalled. "Jasmine's scales feel strangely smooth, kind of like silk. Are they all like that? I've never seen a Pokemon with scales like hers before."

"Like silk, eh?" The Professor smiled. "That means she probably shed her skin a day or two ago. The scales will get tough again before too long, but a Dratini's shedding is always followed by a few days of very soft skin. It's fascinating, isn't it?"

Ash nodded, smiling when Jasmine cooed to get his attention. He rubbed her scales again and was rewarded with a happy trill from the small dragon. "It's interesting. I never knew Dratini did that. There's not a lot of information I could find on them, even in the Pokedex."

"That reminds me, don't battle with her while she's in that state, Ash," Oak startled the young trainer with his warning. "Dratini are vulnerable after shedding. It would be frighteningly easy to cause her body permanent harm while her scales are soft. Technique work is fine, but refrain from any combat training until her scales become tough again."

"No battles right after shedding. Check," Ash promised the Professor. "How often will she shed, anyway?"

Oak squinted at Jasmine again, who was leaning into Ash's hand while he scratched her scales. "Newly hatched Dratini shed twice a month and keep that pattern up for their first couple of years. It's nearly impossible to train them since their bodies are constantly fragile. She's clearly past that point, so perhaps once every two or three months until she evolves. Perhaps longer."

Ash tried to get all that down at once, but it was a lot to take in. "Wow."

"If you ever wondered why Lance is revered by even the strongest of trainers, now you know," Oak chuckled. "Training a dragon-type is exceedingly difficult. They require immense investments of patience and effort in order for them to reach their fullest potential. Lance and the Wataru Clan of Blackthorn City have perfected that kind of unique training more than almost anyone else in the world, myself included."

Jasmine nudged Ash's shoulder with her white nose to get his attention again and he smiled at her. "It's worth it, I'll bet."

"It is. Now, did you have any more questions? I don't mind answering them, but I'm a little pressed for time at the moment."

"Just one more. How's mom?"

Oak chuckled. "Oh, she's right in her element. She's playing matchmaker to my breeding pairs here at the lab. We were recently sent a few Kangaskhan from the Safari Zone last week to assist with their efforts to boost the population. Kangaskhan are difficult to breed in captivity, but your mother has a talent for achieving the impossible."

Ash grinned. "She did put up with me for ten years."

The Professor burst out laughing, causing Jasmine to rear back with eyes wide in surprise. Ash assured her all was well until Oak caught his breath and sighed, merriment still obvious on his face. "Well, I'll let her know that you called. Goodbye, Ash—actually, wait! One more thing. When do you intend on returning to Pallet for a visit?"

Ash paused at that. He actually hadn't even thought about going back home ever since he left. Obviously he would have to go back at some point to see his mother and Professor Oak, but when?

"You know, I really haven't thought about it," he admitted.

Oak nodded. "Gary told me the same thing not too long ago. I'll tell you what, why don't you come back for a week after your cruise on the St. Anne? I can give you a direct analysis of your team and you can see your mother again. She really does miss you, you know."

"That would be great," Ash said. "I think I'll do that."

"I look forward to seeing you again," Oak smiled at him. "Have a great day, Ash."

"Same to you Professor," he replied, then ended the call.

Ash turned to face Jasmine and grinned. "So, you wanted to go outside, right?"

The Dratini trilled in delight and nuzzled her head beneath his chin, causing Ash to laugh while he scratched her scales. They were going to get along just fine.

In fact, Jasmine really wanted to go outside so that she could bask in the warm morning sun. Ash ended up sitting on the edge of the training field while the Dratini coiled around him, resting her head in his lap so he could continue to scratch behind her ears. This was behavior he was used to seeing from Pyro and Sobek as well; their reptilian anatomy meant that they often needed a little sunbathing early in the day to get themselves going. Pyro had an easier time getting ready for training because of his fire typing, but he still enjoyed relaxing in the sun.

Jasmine very much enjoyed it, Ash noted as she soaked up the morning rays. They spent about thirty minutes like that until she was warm and ready to make the most of whatever the day brought with it. Ash intended to test out her attacks while they were out here and the town was still quiet—it was still fairly early in the day, after all, but his plans were cut short somewhat when Janine showed up.

"Breaking in the new team member?" Janine called to Ash as she walked over to the training field.

Ash nodded. "Yeah. I still haven't gotten to see what she can do, but she wanted to sunbathe for a bit."

"I see. Well, we can have a battle if you feel like seeing what she is capable of. I have yet to test out Nidoran's skills as well."

"She can't, actually," Ash told her. When Janine blinked in confusion, he elaborated. "I talked to Professor Oak this morning about her, and he told me that she just shed her skin. Her scales are really soft right now, so fighting is too dangerous."

Janine's eyes cleared in understanding. "Ah, I understand. My father has a Pokemon with a similar trait. Which reminds me, that is why I came here so early. My father has returned to the gym."

His expression brightened. "Koga's back?"

"Yes. He asked that I inform both you and Leaf that he will be prepared for a battle with you around midday. However, he is limited on time because this League business is still as of yet concluded. He and his Pokemon are resting at the moment, and will be ready for your challenge at noon sharp, so if you have any training you want to get done, I suggest you get started."

Ash grinned. "Thanks for telling me. I think I need to go wake up the rest of my team. They're in for a good morning workout."

Janine smirked. "I should think so. Go get your Pokemon—I shall go wake Leaf."

He nodded, then took off with Jasmine slithering after him. She trilled curiously and he glanced at her over his shoulder with a wide smile. "We've got work to do, girl. We've got a lot of work to do."

One hour of warm-up training, a check-up with Nurse Joy, and a strategy meeting with Leaf later, Ash found himself standing outside of the Fuchsia Gym with his friends. He was as ready as he'd ever be at this point. He and Leaf had discussed their opponent as thoroughly as they could, and Ash knew how he was going to fight him. Janine hadn't told them the kinds of Pokemon they would be facing, but she did let them know that they would likely be battling three on three.

Koga was known throughout Kanto for using poison as his primary means of attack, then whittling away at helpless opponents with crafty tactics. Just from a typing standpoint, Sobek was a must-have for this battle. His ground-type attacks would be capable of seriously damaging Koga's poison-type Pokemon, and Ash would have to wipe them out quickly before his opponent could poison his team. That was one.

Ash considered using Eevee because of her ability to use Refresh, but he wasn't sure if she had the experience necessary to take on Koga's team. She had done well in their battle against Janine, but that was against a Pokemon that Janine wasn't used to fighting against. Koga was a seasoned veteran, and he wouldn't be using amateur Pokemon in a gym battle.

Spectre also wasn't an option. He had only narrowly won a battle against Erika by using her Gloom's power against it, and even then, he was nearly defeated by poison. Ash really wanted him to have more power and versatility before he used the ghost in a gym battle again.

Jasmine was completely out of the question.

That left him with Douse and Pyro, and Ash was okay with that lineup. Pyro, Sobek, and Douse were his three most powerful Pokemon right now, and even though he was worried about only relying on raw power against a tricky opponent like Koga, he had to admit that they were his best shot at defeating the poison-type master.

Janine led the group inside and took them to a different room than the one where she and Ash had battled. As they stepped in, he realized that Koga was already waiting for them on the opposite side of the battlefield.

"Welcome to the Fuchsia Gym," he called to them, voice deep and commanding. Koga struck Ash as a military man from his stiff posture and stern expression. Though as opposed to Surge, who was rather carefree, the ninja seemed far more serious.

Janine bowed to the Gym Leader. "Father, I have brought the two challengers as requested."

Koga grunted. "Good. I only have so much time available to me today, so let us get started immediately. Janine, you will referee."

She nodded then and headed to the side of the field. Ash glanced at Leaf. "Ladies first?"

"You can go. You were supposed to fight Koga yesterday, anyways. Besides, watching him beat you will let me figure out how to win," she finished with a grin.

He rolled his eyes. "Watch and learn."

Ash went over to the challengers side of the field and faced Koga. The ninja's voice rang clear across the room. "Janine tells me you have four badges. Is this correct?"

"Yes, sir," he confirmed.

"Very well. Janine, begin the match."

"Yes! This Fuchsia Gym match will now commence! It will be a three-on-three match and will conclude when all of one trainer's Pokemon are unable to battle. Furthermore, there are to be no substitutions. The first attack will go to the challenger."

With a swift flourish, Koga threw a Poke Ball and unleashed Ash's first opponent—a Golbat. The poison-type was flying around right off the bat, flapping its large wings and setting off small bursts of sound to echolocate. Golbat could see much better than the smaller Zubat, but they still used echolocation as a reflex.

Ash responded by setting Sobek loose. The croc roared loudly to announce himself and immediately glared at Golbat, curling his lip in a snarl. Golbat hissed back, though Koga only quirked an eyebrow. He didn't even seem particularly surprised by the sight of the Krokorok.

Janine slashed her hand down. "Begin!"

"Stone Edge." Ash ordered.

Sobek immediately slammed his fist into the ground, triggering spires of rock to punch up from the field in a line towards Golbat. Koga didn't even have to say anything for the bat to dodge them, flying around the dangerous attack with ease.

"Screech."

Ash barely heard the command from across the field before a piercing shriek forced him to throw his hands over his ears. Sobek roared furiously and shook his head to clear the sound, but while the Screech had him distracted, Golbat blurred in from above and bit at the Krokorok's arm with its sharp fangs.

Sobek's rage-filled bellow replaced the sound of Screech and he snapped at Golbat on reflex. His sharp teeth narrowly missed the poison-type, who quickly retreated back into the air. Sobek snarled and glared after the bat with a loathing look.

"Sobek, focus!" Ash said sharply to get the Krokorok's attention. "Stone Edge again!"

More blades of solid rock punched out of the field, but again, Golbat avoided them with ease. The bat almost seemed to be taunting them—it was no secret that Stone Edge wasn't Sobek's most accurate attack, but it was still infuriating to watch Golbat dance around.

Koga didn't so much as say a word for nearly a minute while Sobek continued to attack and Golbat easily dodged. He was just watching with calculating eyes, betraying nothing of his thoughts. It almost startled Ash when he finally broke his silence. "Haze."

Golbat paused mid-flight and exhaled a stream of pale smoke from its large maw. The Haze filled the battlefield quickly, preventing Ash or Sobek from seeing whatever it was that Golbat was planning.

"Sobek, get ready," Ash muttered. The Krokorok hissed in agreement and glared at the smokescreen, dark eyes trying to discern his target's location. The whole room was silent for several seconds.

Suddenly, a figure darted out of the Haze—followed by another, and another. Ash's eyes widened as a dozen Golbats lunged at Sobek from the air. It was using Double Team, and he had no way of knowing which was the real one.

Ash went for the only option he had. "Dig!"

Sobek immediately burrowed underground, his tail avoiding the snapping teeth of a Golbat by mere inches. Ash pressed his lips from the close call, but Koga apparently had a plan already established. "Screech!"

Ash's thoughts went from relief to horror. "Sobek, get out of there!"

His panicked shout was too late. One of the Golbats suddenly flew to the hole in the ground and let loose that horrible sound straight into the tunnel. Ash could feel it reverberating through the field and he felt the blood drain from his face as he considered how much that was hurting Sobek.

He had no idea what condition Sobek was in after getting blasted with that unholy shriek, but Ash was pretty sure nobody expected Sobek's next move.

All he heard was a screaming roar of unfathomable rage and pain, then Sobek came barreling out of the hole right into Golbat's face. The poison-type looked utterly surprised by the Krokorok actually running into the Screech attack, but Sobek obviously didn't care. His dark eyes were bloodshot, saliva was dripping from his jaws, and he looked more pissed off than Ash could ever remember seeing him.

Ash didn't even get a command out before Sobek gnashed his teeth into Golbat's wing and ruthlessly whipped his head back and forth, drawing an agonized shriek from the poison-type. He opened his mouth to tell Sobek to back off—he wasn't sure that Sobek would stop if he felt Golbat's wing coming off—but then the Krokorok let go and smashed his fist into the ground, and Ash could only watch as the spire of rock punched into Golbat's stomach and crushed it against the wall.

He was momentarily horrified by the brutality of Sobek's rage. "Stop it!"

Sobek paused momentarily, still snarling, but he turned to face his trainer and blinked at the shocked expression on Ash's face.

The next second a burning pain erupted in the same arm that had been bitten earlier and Sobek let out a caterwaul, feeling his rage come back tenfold. He spun around to see what creature had the audacity to sneak attack him, but the last thing he expected to see was Golbat, who looked mildly tired, but otherwise unharmed.

Both Pokemon and trainer were utterly dumbfounded. Hadn't Golbat just been pancaked by Sobek's Stone Edge? It didn't even look like it had been bitten.

Ash stared across the field to where Koga stood, and saw that the ninja was stoic as ever. "Observe."

He gestured to the wall where Golbat had been crushed just moments before and Ash blinked when he saw the figure of the bat dissolve into nothing. Whatever this was, it was new to him—he'd never seen anything like it before.

"Substitute," Koga explained. "Golbat created it when he was concealed in Haze and kept his true body out of sight until you let your guard down. Substitutes are more delicate than actual Pokemon are. Your concern is unnecessary."

Ash didn't even know that a move like that existed in the first place, but he knew now. He chewed his lip nervously. How many of those fakes could Golbat create? The copies were capable of doing actual damage, that was for sure, even if they were relatively weak as defenses were concerned. Golbat looked tired, though. Maybe creating a Substitute took a lot of energy?

He frowned. This threw a wrench into his plans.

Another complication was thrown in when he saw Sobek shivering and realized that Golbat's surprise attack had poisoned him. The Krokorok was angry, but the longer this went on, the faster his energy would drain. Ash mentally smacked himself. He needed to get his act together and fast.

"Sobek, we're on a time limit," he called to the ground-type. At Sobek's growl of confirmation, Ash got back into the battle. "Thunder Fang!"

Sobek lunged immediately, trying to use a burst of speed to close the distance to his opponent. Koga's response in the face of a super effective attack was casual. "Charge Dispersal."

To Ash's surprise, Golbat landed and its wings glowed metallic silver. He thought for a second that it intended to counterattack, but all the poison-type did was jab the end of one wing into the ground and raise the other one like a shield.

Sobek buried his electrified fangs into Golbat's wing, crunching down as hard as he could. He saw it wince in pain from the great pressure of the bite, yet the electricity just faded from the spot where Thunder Fang had struck. Ash was sure Golbat could feel it, but it didn't seem to be hurting it much at all. It clicked when he saw the metallic wing embedded in the field—Golbat had used one Steel Wing as a lightning rod and the other to disperse the electrical charge harmlessly into the ground.

However simple it was, it was brilliant.

Koga acted a moment later. "Screech."

Ash threw his hands over his ears to protect his own eardrums against the horrible sound. Koga liked using that move way too much in his opinion. Despite the agonizing shriek, Sobek didn't let go, even as his eyes bulged in pain and fury. He was way too pissed and stubborn to just let go like Koga and Golbat wanted, and Ash took full advantage of that as he yelled at the top of his lungs.

"Fire Fang!"

The electricity vanished in an instant and was replaced with wreathing flames, causing Golbat's Screech to rise in pitch at the pain for a moment before it stopped making that sound altogether. It hissed furiously at Sobek, but the Krokorok only further gnashed his teeth into the wing. He had a grip and he was not letting go. Electricity wouldn't work on the Steel Wing guard, but flames melted steel—that sort of defense was useless against Fire Fang.

Koga arched an eyebrow. "Your Krokorok has heart. But it has little regard for its own defense. Wing Blade!"

Ash had no idea what a Wing Blade was, but Golbat whipped the left wing that was buried in the ground out in an instant, coiling energy around it for a second before it slashed at Sobek. The blow was too fast for him to avoid and sliced straight into his right flank. Sobek let go with a shriek of pain, but Ash saw an opportunity in that moment. "Use Stone Edge!"

Golbat might have just scored an attack, but the fact was that its right wing had taken a lot of damage and it was already tired from using Substitute. It was also on the ground right now and it was the best shot that they had so far to take it out.

Sobek's fist slammed into the ground not a second after getting slashed with Wing Blade, then a spire of jagged stone erupted from the field right below Golbat and barreled into its body. The bat shrieked in pain as the spire was pushed up further and further, then stopped just short of the wall on Koga's side of the field. As it was, the raw force and momentum threw Golbat into the wall with a dull thud, then the poison-type fell straight down and did not get up.

"Golbat is unable to battle! Krokorok wins!" Jasmine announced.

Koga recalled his first Pokemon without a word and considered Sobek carefully. The ground-type was breathing heavily and still looked completely furious, though he was wincing from all the damage he'd taken—not to mention the poison Golbat had delivered. Sobek probably didn't have another round in him, but his eyes glowed red as a Moxie boost rushed through his veins and the Krokorok snarled challengingly.

Ash bit his lip. He really didn't want to let Sobek keep battling in his current condition, (never mind that Moxie made him dangerous and terribly strong in combat) but if Koga's first Pokemon had put up that much of a fight, he had a feeling that every little bit would count. He resolved to let Sobek continue.

Koga hurled his second Poke Ball out and Ash blinked when the Pokemon that came out was something he'd never seen before.

It was bipedal, with short, strong legs and long arms. Its skin was blue in color, with bands of black on its arms, feet, and face. A single horn protruded from its head and pale yellow eyes gazed back at him with an unreadable expression. The Pokemon had a large, red throat sac and a red claws on each of its knuckles. With every breath it took, a low croaking sound reverberated through the room.

"I see you are unfamiliar with my partner," Koga said. "This is Toxicroak. His kind is native to the Sinnoh region's swamplands."

Ash considered Toxicroak for a few moments. It wasn't very large, though it had a presence which made him wary—like he was looking at an ambush predator. The knuckle blades on its hands were obvious weapons, but he really had no idea how this thing was going to fight.

Sobek shuddered again as another round of poison coursed through his veins and Ash mentally smacked himself. He didn't have the luxury of taking his time to analyze Toxicroak while Sobek was in pain. "Ant Pit."

Sobek dug underground at his command and several moments later, the ground beneath Toxicroak began to fall away into a Sand Tomb. Ash saw Sobek's jaws break the sand as he prepared to bite Toxicroak, but Koga wasn't that gullible.

"Sucker Punch."

Toxicroak's legs pushed it forward with incredible power, launching the poison-type at Sobek. It lashed out with a lightning-fast strike and caught Sobek in his lower jaw, forcing his mouth to snap shut, then used the force behind its own strike to flip back and land on the field clear of the Sand Tomb. Ash saw rage in his Pokemon's eyes and Sobek roared, hurling himself out of the sand in order to savage his opponent, but it was at that point that Koga decided enough was enough. "Venoshock."

All Ash saw was Toxicroak rapidly spitting a glob of green liquid, the the sound of that liquid splattered onto Sobek and glowed, brightly and eerily. Sobek's eyes flew open in shock and his jaws parted, but no sound came out. His silent roar of pain lasted just a second before he toppled into a heap on the ground.

"Krokorok is unable to continue! Toxicroak wins!"

Ash recalled Sobek shakily, staring at Toxicroak with a worried expression. He remembered Paul had tried to use that same move in their battle at Celadon City, but he had avoided it then. So that was what happened when it made contact.

He would remember the danger of Venoshock from now on.

He sent out Douse next. The Poliwhirl beat his round body with a fist at the sight of Toxicroak, though the poison-type didn't even react. It was very similar to Koga in that way—Toxicroak's behavior was stoic and powerful, and its presence demanded respect.

Ash wouldn't get close to Toxicroak immediately this time. He would test it from afar to find a weakness. "Ice Beam!"

Douse reared his body back and unleashed the arcs of icy energy at Toxicroak. His aim was spot-on, and this time Toxicroak simply crossed its arms in front of it and took the attack. Ice Beam pushed it back several feet, but when Douse stopped the assault, Toxicroak casually broke the ice that had formed on its arms. It had probably done that just to get a feel for Douse's strength.

It kind of annoyed him that Toxicroak had withstood the attack so easily and Ash bit out another command. "Mud Shot!"

When Douse spat the burst of mud, Koga decided to counter. "Sludge Bomb."

The two attacks collided and exploded in the middle of the field, creating a small smokescreen. That immediately had Ash feeling wary because the last time Koga had been given cover, it had ended disastrously for his Pokemon. He wasn't going to let him pull another trick like that again.

"Use Mud Shot repeatedly," Ash commanded. "Don't stop until it reappears."

Douse followed his orders faithfully, unleashed blasts of mud at Koga's side of the field. Ash watched tensely the attacks simply vanished into the smoke, but he felt a jolt of satisfaction when he heard a loud smacking sound and then a surprised croak. Whether it was a lucky shot or that Toxicroak had actually been caught off-guard, he had no idea, but Douse immediately focused on the area where he had struck the poison-type.

Toxicroak erupted from the fading smoke to avoid the Mud Shots, a flicker of irritation in its eyes. Obviously, it hadn't been able to pull anything behind the brief cover it had while Douse was assaulting its hiding place.

"X-Scissor!" Koga ordered. Toxicroak's knuckle blades glowed briefly as it lunged at Douse with a powerful burst of speed, slashing at him in an X-formation. Douse bounced away and evaded the initial strike, presenting him with an opening to fire another Mud Shot. This time the hit was clean and at close range, causing Toxicroak to be hurled in the opposite direction.

The poison-type skidded to a stop and leered at Douse, finally showing actual emotion. It was getting annoyed that its opponent was able to hit it. When Douse fired yet another Mud Shot at Toxicroak, this time it responded with brute force.

Neither Ash nor Douse anticipated the stream of dark rings as it blew the Mud Shot apart and went on to slam right into the Poliwhirl. Douse was lifted off his feet and thrown violently into the wall, and Ash saw the psychic barrier flickered stressfully in response to the negative energy of the Dark Pulse.

Ash's partner slid to the ground with a gurgle of pain, but shakily got to his feet and glared at the poison-type across the field. As he considered the best way to get back into the battle, Toxicroak lunged at Douse with its knuckle claw glowing an ominous purple.

"Bubble Beam!" Ash shouted. Douse reared his head back and unleashed a stream of explosive bubbles, which slammed into Toxicroak and forced it away from its opponent. His lips curled up in a grin, certain that Koga's Pokemon was hurting by now.

He was quickly disappointed. The vapor from Bubble Beam faded away to reveal Toxicroak, and the poison-type was just fine. In fact, as Ash watched, the wounds that Douse had inflicted earlier seemed to be disappearing. He stared in confusion—it should have been on its last legs, but Toxicroak looked better than ever.

It was healing from the Bubble Beam. How? Ash scowled to himself—he didn't know enough about this foreign species to fight it well.

Koga took the initiative this time. "Poison Jab."

Toxicroak lunged at Douse while its knuckle blades glowed that deadly violet shade. Douse spat a Mud Shot at the poison-type, but it sidestepped with ease and closed in quickly to slash and stab at its opponent. Ash started to shout a counterattack to Douse, but Toxicroak was just too fast and struck the Poliwhirl twice with Poison Jab. Douse gurgled in pain and Ash clenched his fist when he saw the unmistakeable effects of poison appear on his partner. Great.

"Finish it," Koga commanded. "Thunder Leap!"

Toxicroak suddenly bent its knees, then jumped straight up with incredible lower body strength. It twisted in the air and ended up touching the ceiling with its feet, then pushed off and launched itself like a rocket at Douse. Halfway down, its fist crackled with electricity.

Ash yelled as Toxicroak grew near. "Mega Punch!"

Douse waited until Toxicroak was feet away, then he sidestepped and his right fist glowed white. Toxicroak's eyes flashed over towards the water-type just in time for the Mega Punch to slam into its chin in a vicious uppercut. The poison-type let out a deep, echoing croak that was more akin to a roar, and Ash assumed it was angry from being hit. Toxicroak used the force to flip back and land upright just a few paces away from Douse, still ready to fight.

"Ice Beam!"

"Dark Pulse!"

Rays of freezing energy collided with the stream of dark rings, generating an explosion between the two battling Pokemon and a cloud of debris erupted in the center of the field. Ash was desperate to turn the battle around and shouted. "Mega Punch!"

Douse lunged into the smoke with his fists at the ready, but he had only disappeared for a moment before Ash heard a thud and then silence. He watched the smoke clear and his heart sank when Toxicroak appeared, one foot on Douse's unconscious form while his partner's body glowed with the green effect of Venoshock. Ash sighed and recalled Douse as Janine announced his second defeat against Toxicroak.

The poison-type retreated back to Koga's side of the field and waited with its arms crossed, mirroring its trainer. Ash bit his lip as he considered his opponent. Pyro was his last Pokemon, but Koga still had Toxicroak and another one in reserve. Not to mention, Toxicroak had been mostly healed after Douse hit it with Bubble Beam. He was fighting an uphill battle.

Pyro appeared with a roar and a brandish of his flaming tail, locking eyes with Toxicroak immediately. He was ready to fight until he dropped, regardless of who the opponent was. Ash was certain that his starter could defeat their enemy—the Charmeleon was as stubborn as he was and hated to lose just as much.

Ash mirrored Pyro's glare at Toxicroak and readied himself for a tough battle. "Alright buddy, we've got to turn this around if we're going to win. Dragon Rush!"

Onyx pupils narrowed into slits as Pyro lunged at Toxicroak, bolting across the field with all the speed he could muster. Toxicroak had casually been keeping eye contact with its new opponent, but that proved to be a mistake as the intensity of the attack made it freeze in place momentarily. Pyro slammed headfirst into Toxicroak's stomach, knocking the wind out of the poison-type and roughly launched it several feet away.

For once, Koga seemed a little surprised. "An unusual move to see from a Charmeleon, though it obviously is not yet complete. Poison Jab."

As Toxicroak's knuckle blades glowed purple again, Ash quickly ordered a defense. "Block it with Metal Claw!"

Pyro's talons shimmered metallic silver as they slashed at Toxicroak, meeting each of the Poison Jab attacks with loud, sharp impacts. Toxicroak was fast and it was clear that Pyro was struggling to keep up with its speed, but he managed to block all of the Poison Jabs that it threw his way. Ash waited for a few seconds until Pyro seemed to have adapted to his opponents pace and then snapped. "Grab it!"

The collisions stopped as Pyro's taloned hands clenched and locked onto Toxicroak's fists, preventing it from using Poison Jab for the time being. The poison-type blinked in surprise and its trainer seemed faintly impressed.

"Using a steel type move to disarm a poison type attack is clever, but strategy like that has its limits. What will you do when Toxicroak uses Sludge Bomb?"

The red pouch on Toxicroak's throat swelled as he said that, but Ash already knew about that move and he was ready. "Flamethrower!"

Flames rippled from Pyro's maw just as Toxicroak spat the Sludge Bomb, creating an explosive force between the two Pokemon as their attacks collided. They were torn apart and hurled in separate directions, but recovered quickly and faced off again in seconds. Ash blinked as Toxicroak unexpectedly winced, and glanced over the poison-type to see if it was injured somewhere. His eyes stopped at a mild burn on its left arm which didn't look too bad, but was obviously causing Toxicroak some discomfort. The wound had probably been caused during the explosion.

Something clicked when he saw how much pain such a small burn was causing their opponent, and the gears turned in Ash's head for a few moments until he came up with an idea. But first, he had to test it out.

Koga's eyebrow quirked up for a second. "You seem to have discovered something, boy."

Ash didn't reply to him directly. "Flamethrower!"

Pyro roared as he unleashed a tongue of fire and directed it at Toxicroak, intent on roasting their enemy to a crisp. The poison-type immediately leapt away and bolted in an effort to escape the flames, especially when Pyro redirected them. The reaction was different than it had been when Toxicroak had tried to avoid Douse's Mud Shots, and those had been super-effective. Whereas Toxicroak had been eager to avoid those attacks, its behavior this time around wasn't the same. If it didn't have such a stoic personality, Ash would dare to say it was afraid of the fire.

It only added to his theory when Koga himself grew a bit more tense, like he wanted the battle to end as quickly as possible. "Dark Pulse."

Black rings slammed into the Flamethrower and generated another explosion as well as a new cloud of smoke, which the ninja immediately took advantage of. "Thunder Leap!"

This time, Toxicroak didn't jump straight to the ceiling, but pushed off with that same incredible force from its lower legs and lunged at Pyro. It erupted through the black smoke as its fist crackled with the lightning of Thunder Punch, ready to deliver serious damage.

It was still a new concept to him, but Ash decided to use one of Koga's own tricks against him. "Bury a Metal Claw in the ground and catch Toxicroak with the other!"

Pyro did as he was told just a second before Toxicroak hit him. His metallic claws left deep furrows in the ground when the impact pushed him backwards, but Ash grinned wildly as Thunder Punch dissipated where it met the steel-type move. Pyro grinned as well, sharp fangs gleaming while Toxicroak stared in surprise at its own fist caught in the enemy's talons.

Ash saw an opportunity to confirm his theory and he took it. "Fire Fang!"

Toxicroak howled as Pyro's sharp, burning teeth gnashed into its right arm, the same arm that was caught in Metal Claw's grip. The Charmeleon spun on its feet then and used the momentum to lift the poison-type off its feet and hurl it away back to Koga's side of the field, where it landed with a harsh thud. Pyro let out a roar, daring Toxicroak to get back up and continue the battle.

It did just that, though. Toxicroak stood back up despite its heavily damaged arm and glared at Pyro with evident rage in its eyes. Pyro merely sneered. All that mattered to him was the knowledge that this opponent could be burned. His flames caused it great pain, and he would deliver that pain again and again until it could no longer fight on.

Ash, meanwhile, was still grinning. Toxicroak might've had some kind of immunity to water-type moves, but it clearly held a distinct weakness to fire. Whatever ability it possessed was likely some kind of double-edged sword, one he was eager to take advantage of.

That knowledge now in-hand, he continued their assault. "Flamethrower!"

Koga's eyes flashed. "Sucker Punch! Pin it."

Pyro had just inhaled a deep breath to launch his attack when Toxicroak darted forward and delivered a fierce uppercut to the Charmeleon's jaw. The blow forced his mouth shut and caused the Flamethrower to sputter out into a bunch of weak embers. Pyro snarled and slashed at Toxicroak in retaliation, but the poison-type caught the blow with its free hand. Then before either Ash or his partner could respond, Toxicroak spun so that it was behind Pyro with his arm twisted at his back.

Toxicroak kicked out one of Pyro's legs then and shoved the fire-type into the dirt face-first. Pyro spat and snarled furiously, but the poison-type jammed its knee into his back and kept him pinned on the ground, one arm still twisted behind him to prevent the Charmeleon from striking.

"Drain Punch."

Pyro let out a furious roar as Toxicroak punched him in the back, pressing its glowing fist into the red scales. The Charmeleon thrashed to escape, but Toxicroak's grip was firm and there was no escape.

Ash felt his teeth grind together as he watched his starter struggle helplessly against the opponent that they should have had a huge advantage against. Toxicroak had been burned and wounded just moments ago, and now all their hard work was going to waste. There had to be a way out of this! He searched furiously for an escape Pyro could use, but he was coming up with nothing.

"You probably came here under the assumption that my expertise was poison, didn't you?" Koga asked from across the field. "My specialty is poison-type Pokemon, and it is true that afflicting enemies with poison is a part of my strategy. However, merely poisoning an opponent does not win a battle. Poison acts slowly. It takes time and patience for its effects to bring a Pokemon down. It isn't realistic to think that an enemy will simply sit and wait for poison to knock out their team. That certainly isn't enough to become a decent trainer or Gym Leader, let alone reach the level of the Elite Four.

"What makes my partners so feared isn't their ability to inflict poison upon enemy Pokemon, but their skill at enhancement and attrition," the ninja explained, ignoring Pyro's furious roars while Toxicroak drained his energy dry. "They can inflict a status condition unto an enemy and then build on that damage as effectively as possible. Venoshock is but one of thes tools they utilize to do this. And should they be injured during combat, I ensure that they have ways of healing their wounds. The more time it takes for our foes to bring us down, the more likely it is that our poison will bring them down first.

"The brute force attacks and simple strategies you fight with are not bad, but you have not used any method to bolster their power or help them recover. Your Pokemon are well trained, yet in the face of an opponent of their own skill level that can heal and deliver damage quickly and efficiently, they are no match at all."

Ash clenched his fist angrily, but he grudgingly respected Koga for developing such an effective battle style. Thinking about it now, it didn't make sense that someone could be a respected and powerful trainer by relying on poison alone. Of course, he didn't expect that to be the only card Koga played, but the depth and well-roundedness of the ninja's team had him completely outmatched.

By now, Pyro's thrashing had nearly ended as Toxicroak drained the last reserves of energy he possessed, and Ash reached for his Poke Ball with a sinking heart. They would have to train harder, figure out ways to counter Koga's battle style, then return at some point to challenge him again. He had just enlarged the red and white sphere when Pyro's tail flame flared.

It wasn't just a flicker of hotter colors—it was as though someone had poured gasoline all over the flames, causing them to roar into life and expand. The flames grew to consume nearly half of Pyro's tail and roasted Toxicroak's back, causing the poison-type to screech and leap off of its opponent.

Pyro stood up shakily, but he steadied as his tail flame flared yet again and changed into a bright blue, raging with heat. The Charmeleon glared at Toxicroak and let out a bellow of fury, baring all of his sharp teeth, claws, and the blue flames that reflected both his wrath and unyielding will.

It had to be Blaze. Ash had never seen Pyro use it before, but it was an adrenaline rush for fire-types; a last-ditch power boost to give them a chance at winning a tough battle. He could feel the heat from where he stood, several meters away from his starter. The bright blue fire at Pyro's tail radiated power and anger.

Pyro wasn't ready to give up. He was going to fight until he took his enemy down.

Ash set the Poke Ball back at his belt and steeled his nerve. This was their last shot. Pyro's Blaze was their final trump card for this fight.

"Mega Punch!"

Pyro lunged at Toxicroak, clenching his fist until it glowed bright white. The poison-type hadn't retreated that far, so he reached his target in seconds and struck as hard as he could. Toxicroak lifted its arms to defend, and even then the impact sent it skidding backwards.

Koga was back in the fight in a flash. "Poison Jab!"

"Metal Claw!" Ash countered.

The two Pokemon charged and began slashing at each other, attacking and defending in an effort to gain the upper hand. After several seconds of intense blows, Toxicroak leapt straight up and flipped so that it landed behind Pyro, aiming to hit him with Poison Jab from the back. But the Charmeleon was ready and immediately pivoted on his foot so that the raging flame at his tail crashed into the poison-type the moment it landed.

Toxicroak howled as its sensitive skin was torched and the force of the tail sweep shoved it back. Pyro continued to spin until he was facing Toxicroak, ready to strike again.

"Flamethrower!"

Ash heard Koga call for a Dark Pulse at the edge of his hearing, but all he could focus on was the jet of blue fire that erupted from Pyro's jaws. The Flamethrower, far beyond any that he had ever seen Pyro use before, slammed into Toxicroak's Dark Pulse and consumed the dark rings, then crashed ruthlessly into the poison-type. Koga's Pokemon shrieked as the flames exploded violently upon reaching it.

Smoke blasted over the field from the point of the explosion and Pyro immediately bolted in to pursue Toxicroak. Ash heard a loud impact and then Toxicroak was airborne, having been on the receiving end of another Mega Punch. It flipped and managed to land on its feet just as Pyro came roaring out of the smoke, ready to end the fight.

Toxicroak put its hands up to ready another Dark Pulse, but it was still reeling from Flamethrower and the latest Mega Punch that Pyro had delivered. Had it not drained nearly all of the Charmeleon's energy earlier, it would have already been knocked unconscious. As it was, the pain from the rapid succession of attacks overwhelmed Toxicroak for a crucial instant.

Koga was barking an order to Toxicroak and Ash was borderline screaming for his partner to finish their opponent off when Pyro's tail flame flared again to consume his entire body, bathing his scales in writhing blue. He let out an unearthly roar as he rushed his enemy, closed the distance, then made impact—

—An explosion ripped through the field with such force that Ash yelped and threw up an arm to defend himself. A wave of hot air made his skin tingle and hurt his eyes for a few seconds, then faded away. Ash let his arm fall back to his side as he stared at the devastation.

Black scorch marks scarred the pulverized ground around the two Pokemon that lay there, neither of them capable of fighting on. The flame on Pyro's tail had dwindled back to normal size, having used up his last reserves of energy in the fight. He had probably been knocked out by the concussive force of his own attack, but Toxicroak looked terrible. It was covered in burns and Ash was pretty sure it was for the best that the poison-type was unconscious. Those had to hurt. But even though Toxicroak had lost, it had won the battle for Koga.

Ash took the Poke Ball from his belt and recalled Pyro, smiling at the device once his starter was safely contained. "You were amazing. Get some rest. I'm proud of you."

Janine called the match a victory for Koga as her father returned Toxicroak to its Poke Ball and approached the boy. He looked somewhat impressed.

"That was quite a performance at the end. Your Charmeleon's strength is to be admired."

"Thank you," Ash managed. He was a little shocked by the sheer power Pyro had displayed once Blaze had been activated. "I'm sorry if Toxicroak got hurt. I didn't know Pyro could make his flames explode like that."

Koga waved his hand. "Do not concern yourself—Toxicroak will recover. My interest lays in the attack your partner just demonstrated. I believe it was Flare Blitz, albeit one that had no way of directing the explosive force."

"Flare Blitz," Ash repeated to himself.

"It's a powerful move, though I implore you to train intensely with it before using it in combat again," Koga warned. "For all its strength, Flare Blitz causes great damage to the user of the attack. Careless use of it will do more harm than good."

The ninja scratched his chin for a moment. "You are not ready to defeat me. Your Pokemon are strong, but power alone is not enough to reach the top. The strongest trainers in the Indigo League will sweep you aside if you rely on such tactics. Train harder and delve more into your strategies, then return and challenge me again."

Ash dipped his head. "Yes, sir. Thank you."

Koga cracked a faint smile. "You have talent, boy. Shape it wisely and you'll be a great trainer one day."

That caused the corners of his mouth to twitch up into a grin, even if he had lost the fight. "I will."

"I'll have your Pokemon ready in no time, Ash," Nurse Joy assured him as she took the tray of Poke Balls and carefully passed them to her Chansey.

Ash nodded and retreated to a seat in the cafe to have a drink while his team was healed. It was sinking in that he'd lost. He had lost for the first time against a Gym Leader. If Pyro hadn't come out of the blue with Blaze and the unexpected Flare Blitz, he would have lost spectacularly. Golbat had been difficult enough to take out and Toxicroak had been ridiculously tricky. He had found out about its weakness to fire too late. If Pyro had been released earlier…

He sighed to himself. No. Even if Pyro had been released before Douse, Toxicroak had a whole array of techniques that it could have used to bring him down. There was no point thinking 'what if' anyways now. Ash took a sip of the lemonade he'd gotten and began to rap his fingers on the table as he considered what he would do next. He had a little over a month before it was time to go to Vermillion City and board the St. Anne, and he intended to use all of that time training his team and working on new strategies. After that, he had told Professor Oak he would come back Pallet Town to see his mother and spend some time at home.

Once he got back on the road, Ash decided, he would return to Fuchsia City and challenge Koga. And next time he would win, regardless of the challenges the ninja presented to him.

Chapter Text

Chapter Twelve: The Veteran

Ash was still sitting at the table in the Pokemon Center's cafe when Leaf returned with Misty from the Fuchsia Gym. He frowned at her crestfallen expression as she approached him. "You lost too?"

"Yeah. Koga's team was just too much for me," Leaf admitted ruefully as she took a seat.

Misty nudged the obviously disheartened girl with her elbow, but Leaf only shook her head. The Gym Leader shrugged and shot an apologetic smile at Ash. "I'm sorry your battle didn't go well. I thought you had him for a bit there, but that Toxicroak was really difficult to beat, wasn't it?"

Ash sighed. "Toxicroak knocked out Sobek and Douse, and it was the reason Pyro ended up losing. I was too careless trying to beat Koga with only power moves. We didn't even make it to his third Pokemon."

"Neither did I. He didn't use Toxicroak in my battle with him," Leaf told Ash. "Another ninja showed up and took Toxicroak and Golbat away to heal. I had to fight Venomoth and Muk."

"So, what are your plans now?" Misty asked the two younger trainers. "Koga's going off again to do work for the League. Janine and I are going to stay here for a couple of weeks so I can help her learn about being a Gym Leader."

"I'm going to stay here for a little while longer," Leaf answered. "I like the idea of training with you and Janine for a bit before I head off to Vermillion City for the St. Anne voyage. Ash?"

Ash had already made up his mind about his next move—he wanted to get back on the road and start training again ASAP. His team needed to get stronger and he wanted to start working on new strategies and techniques for them to incorporate in battle. The last couple of Gym challenges he'd made had resulted in the leaders saying the same things to him; he relied too much on brute force. It was about time he began to fight more intelligently.

"I'm hitting Route Fifteen and making my way north to Vermillion City," he said. "I want to do some extra training before the St. Anne gets there."

The fact of the matter was that he still had a little more than a month before the St. Anne was ready to depart, but Ash wanted to get to Vermillion early because he desperately wanted to see if Lt. Surge had made any progress with Pikachu. He hadn't even been able to say goodbye to his second partner in Celadon because Pikachu had been unconscious and in an intensive care unit. Surely the electric-type was able to see him now…

"Ash?"

He was chased out of his thoughts by a concerned Misty, who seemed to have caught on to his troubled thoughts. Ash quickly put a smile on his face to reassure her. "Sorry, I got carried away thinking about some stuff."

She didn't look convinced by his facade, but accepted that he wasn't going to talk about whatever was on his mind. Instead, she propped her elbows on the table and set her chin on her hands. "So, Charmeleon learned Flare Blitz in the battle, right? He sure has gotten strong."

Ash's smile became genuine. "Yeah, he really has. I think he might evolve soon. Maybe then we'll finally get Dragon Rush down."

"It's a lot better than it was the last time I saw it," Misty told him. "Remember our gym battle? Back then, it wasn't much more than a Tackle attack, but I saw real improvement in your fight against Koga. You'll figure it out. Maybe Pyro just needs more power to use it perfectly. Evolving might give him that boost."

"I hope so."

Leaf leaned forward across the table with a grin. "You, me, and Gary will have to compare starters after they're all fully evolved. I'm not expecting his turtle to be much trouble for Saur, but maybe your hothead lizard will give us a challenge?"

"You know Pyro beat Saur the last time they fought."

"That was then," Leaf retorted cheerily. "He's a lot stronger now. I think we can take you two down."

"Don't count on it."

They continued their conversation for hours until it was late afternoon, talking about training, their Pokemon, and their goals before the Indigo League came around. But finally, the three young trainers were simply too tired to keep up the chat and called it a night.

"I'm probably going to leave first thing in the morning," Ash told them. "If you guys plan on sleeping in, I'll probably be gone before you wake up."

Leaf nodded. "That's fine. We can just say goodbye here!"

"Make sure you stop by Cerulean City after the cruise ends," Misty told him. "I'd like to battle you again. I'll use my strong team against you this time! You won't find an easy victory against them."

Ash grinned. "For sure. I'll still beat you!"

"And I guess I'll see you in Vermillion in a month, right?" Leaf asked. "Better get your team ready. I'm not slowing down anytime soon. We'll leave you in the dust if you don't keep up."

"Keep telling yourself that," he smirked. "If you see Gary before then, you know what to do."

"Wipe the floor with his face?"

"Exactly."

"Will do," she giggled. "Goodbye, Ash. I'll see you soon!"

Ash nodded again, gave both of the girls a high-five, then retreated to his room to get some shut eye. He had to be well-rested for the road ahead and the training that came with it.

Despite his exhaustion, Ash ended up just lying in bed later that night, replaying the battle with Koga in his mind for hours while combing through the Pokedex for information. His lack of knowledge about Toxicroak had proved to be his undoing. Had he known better, Douse may have been able to defeat it before sending out Pyro became necessary.

It turned out that Toxicroak's ability was Dry Skin, a trait its species had adapted to take advantage of the water in their swampy habitats. They didn't have actual dry skin—it was just the name for the trait.

The way it worked was more complicated than Ash had imagined. Dry Skin was an adaptation that caused Toxicroak to have a very thin, hydrophobic layer of skin coating its entire body. If a water-type move came into contact with it, the hydrophobic properties would simply repel the water, though force still played a role. Ash had seen that first-hand when Douse's Bubble Beam stopped Toxicroak's rush and pushed it back several feet. But it didn't provide much more protection than that because it was so thin and easy to damage.

The key lay in a secondary layer of skin directly beneath the first. That secondary layer had properties the total opposite of the top one—it was extremely hydrophilic, meaning that it absorbed water. If Toxicroak was injured, the hydrophobic layer of skin would take damage and give way to the hydrophilic layer. If it was hit by a water-type move then, the liquid would immediately be absorbed and used to accelerate the natural healing factor Toxicroak possessed. The wounds healed and the thin, hydrophobic layer of skin would be swiftly regenerated, allowing it to shrug off any unneeded water.

It was a brilliant trait, though fragile given how sensitive Toxicroak's skin was as a result of it. The thinness of it made Toxicroak very vulnerable to burns and even intense sunlight, which was why fire-type moves did more damage than they normally would. Since Toxicroak wasn't a particularly durable Pokemon to begin with, it made sense that Koga had capitalized on speed and power whilst relying on the healing factors of Dry Skin and moves like Drain Punch. If the poison-type took a big hit without the ability to recover, it would have been knocked out of the battle much more quickly.

Ash had played right into Koga's most efficient method of eliminating challengers. Douse had allowed Toxicroak to recover halfway through and then the poison-type had healed itself again by pinning Pyro down with Drain Punch. He was only able to finally defeat the thing because Blaze kicked in and allowed him to capitalize on the weakness of Toxicroak's ability.

He knew better now and next time, it wouldn't be so easy for Koga to sweep his team. Ash briefly wondered however what effect Douse's Scald would have on Toxicroak. The outer layer of Dry Skin may have been hydrophobic, but could it really stand up to the extreme heat it was so vulnerable to? He might have to experiment with that later on. But if he was going to prevent a similar scenario from playing out against future opponents, Ash would have to read more about all of the species the Pokedex had information on.

For now, he planned his next move. Going east was a given at this point since it was the quickest and most direct route back to Vermillion City. But with over a month before the St. Anne's arrival, Ash didn't want to squander his time away in a city. He wanted to take advantage of the wilderness for as long as he could to train. Maybe he would stick close to the coast for a while and help his team become better at fighting water-types. Two of his strongest Pokemon were extremely weak to water-type moves and it would be useful if they came up with countermeasures against them on the road.

He told his plan to Professor Oak the next morning before he left Fuchsia.

"Yes, that would be wise," the Professor said. "Water-types are some of the most numerous of all Pokemon species. You'll find no shortage of them in future battles, so finding ways to counter them is vital. Just don't overdo things. Resistance training is beneficial, but doing so too much can cause more harm than good."

"I'll do my best," Ash replied. He didn't actually want Oak to tell him how to go about doing just that. One of the fundamentals of training was figuring things out for yourself. In Ash's way of thinking, it took all the fun and creativity out of training if you were told exactly how to do something right from the get-go. The reason he asked for Oak's opinion was to make sure he wasn't going to make any bonehead mistakes that could get his team injured or worse.

Oak offered a smile. "I am sorry your battle with Koga didn't go as you planned, Ash. But this will not be your last defeat. There exist many trainers as talented as Koga—some are even more so. If you want to climb to the top, learn all you can from this loss and use it to better your team and yourself."

He nodded slightly. "I know. I just wasn't expecting Toxicroak to come out of nowhere and steamroll my team."

A chuckle then. "Koga is well-known for utilizing the element of surprise to great effect. You are not the first challenger to fall prey to him and you certainly shall not be the last. But Toxicroak does have weaknesses—as do all his Pokemon. The trick is learning how to spot them and then exploiting them in battle. You managed to do that in your battle, did you not?"

He had. It had taken him so long that by the time he'd figured it out, the battle had been lost, but he had identified Toxicroak's weakness and took advantage of it to great effect.

"You are learning. That is the key. Learn and grow with your Pokemon. That will bring you one step closer to your dreams."

Ash smiled wryly. "Y'know, Gary won't be happy if he finds out you tell me all this stuff."

"On the contrary, he'd be disappointed if I didn't," Oak snorted. "I tell him much the same, as well as Leaf. He'd complain about unfair advantages if I didn't keep all three of you in the loop. Honestly, that child drives me up the wall sometimes, but his heart is in the right place."

"Are you sure you're still talking about Gary?" He grinned. "That sounds like all of us."

Oak burst into laughter then. "The three of you are a bunch of troublesome misfits, aren't you?"

"Just a bit."

"Is that my little misfit I hear?"

Ash's grin widened when his mother appeared in the screen beside Professor Oak. She looked a little tired, but was as full of life and cheer as ever. No doubt she'd been hard at work in Oak's lab, working with the breeding pairs of Pokemon.

"Hey, mom!"

"Hi there, sweetie!" Delia exclaimed. Professor Oak headed out of view to give them some privacy (that or he was as busy as ever and had work to do). "How are you?"

"Great. I'm about to leave Fuchsia City. I'm going to go east along the coast for a bit before I go back to Vermillion."

"You've already made it all the way to Fuchsia…wow. I'm so proud of you, Ashy," she said. "How are your Pokemon doing? Is little Pyro being good?"

Ash smirked. "He's doing just fine, but he's not so little anymore."

"I was there at his hatching. He'll always be little to me! Just like you!"

"I'll make sure to tell him that."

Delia smiled. "You know I can't wait to meet the rest of your Pokemon, right? I've gotten to see a few of them from the video chat, but it's not the same. I need to thank them for watching out for my baby boy."

He colored slightly. "I'm not a baby anymore."

"Of course not, 'O great Pokemon Master," she laughed teasingly. Delia was quiet for a few moments before letting out a small sigh. "I do miss you, sweetheart."

"I know," he replied. "I miss you, too."

"Be careful on the road, and let me know when you reach Vermillion City. I expect a phone call the very day you get there!"

"Yes, ma'am."

Delia smiled at her son. "Okay. Do your best, Ash! I'm rooting for you!"

Ash grinned back. "I will."

The video call ended then. Ash left the phone booth and headed for the front desk of the Pokemon Center, where Nurse Joy was waiting as usual. She had kept both his and Leaf's Pokemon overnight to ensure that they healed properly from the battle against Koga's venomous team, but as expected, she delivered them with no problems left unresolved.

"Your Pokemon have been fully healed, Ash," Joy told him as she handed the boy his three Poke Balls. "Good as new and ready to work hard again!"

"Thank you," he told her gratefully. "I'll make sure we're ready for Koga next time."

"Do your best. We hope to see you again!"

Ash nodded and returned the room key he had rented out while staying in Fuchsia, then made his way to the front entrance. There was no point wasting time.

Route Fifteen was pretty straightforward and didn't have much in the way of obstacles. It was mostly forest with patches of plain and the seaside not far off to the south. The wild Pokemon were docile enough, but since the area was rich in food, it wasn't all that surprising.

He let most of his team out to walk with him while they travelled. Eevee was a regular for this, but Ash had been thinking about how much time he got to spend with the rest of his Pokemon. Aside from battles, training, meal time, and sleeping, they hadn't been able to just be together very much lately. He wanted to correct that immediately. Spending all that time with Eevee in Fuchsia had opened his eyes a little bit.

Pyro was at his side, looking stern and mature, but Ash could see his tail twitching now and again with excitement. The normally aggressive fire-type enjoyed being outside with his trainer even if they weren't fighting something. He was constantly sniffing the air, checking for scents, listening for sounds, and scanning every inch of the area with sharp eyes. Ash doubted that anything would be able to sneak up on them while his starter was in curiosity mode.

Slightly behind him was Douse, who simply did his best to keep pace with the rest of them on his shorter, stubbier legs. Ash was pleased he was able to keep up and figured that walking at his usual pace would be good exercise for the water-type. It certainly wouldn't cause any harm for his health.

Eevee, as usual, was padding alongside Ash opposite Pyro, though she didn't appear to be nearly as interested in their surroundings as her flaming teammate. Her ears would twitch now and again from sounds in the woods, but Ash was pretty sure she was simply annoyed by them. If something actually tried to attack them, he was pretty sure they would find themselves face-to-face with an irritated Eevee and an equally nasty Shadow Ball.

Jasmine had opted not to travel outside for now. She was still rather skittish and got too nervous after the first twenty minutes of traveling. Plus Ash was pretty sure that her currently soft scales didn't mesh well with the rough terrain and so recalled her when she expressed discomfort, assuring the dragon-type that he would release her again when it was time for lunch.

Most amusing of the group were Sobek and Spectre, whom were playing a rather one-sided game of cat and mouse.

Spectre had been feeling especially ornery today and got to pranking immediately after they were released by stealing Ash's hat and placing the item on Sobek's face so that his eyes were covered. That had been just the beginning of the mischief once they actually started to travel again.

The first prank was followed soon after by an effective scare when the ghost popped out of a large stone that Sobek had taken a moment to inspect on the road. Sobek had been so startled that he fell back and smacked his head on the ground. While Spectre cackled with delight, his Krokorok teammate lunged and tried to bite him, but only succeeded in biting the stone into pieces when Spectre easily floated away.

The mischief continued until at last, Sobek had had enough and took to chasing Spectre around in an effort to claim vengeance upon the gleeful Duskull.

Ash just smirked as Sobek jumped into the air and tried to bite Spectre again, only for the ghost to simply float up a little more and easily evade him. Spectre cackled again and Sobek snarled, tail thrashing while his fangs were bared. He looked pretty mad, but Ash knew him well enough to tell that he was more annoyed than anything. The Krokorok's true rage was far more intimidating. This was mere irritation rather than full-blown anger.

It was also quite entertaining for Ash, his team, and any nearby wild Pokemon to observe.

Sobek snarled something again as Spectre floated down quickly to tap his snout, causing Eevee's ears to twitch and her eyes to roll. Ash grinned. He was pretty sure that whatever Sobek had said wasn't appropriate, but it was still funny even if he didn't understand exactly what it meant.

"They seem to be having fun," he commented.

Eevee jerked her head up to give him a dry look and Ash could only laugh. No doubt she was silently warning him not to encourage the two rambunctious Pokemon. It would probably give her a headache if he did. Not to mention she would find a way to get back at Ash for doing such a thing.

Pyro merely snorted a small jet of flame, amused by the pair. He was trying to act like a proper leader for the rest of the team, (he was Ash's first Pokemon after all) but it was hard to focus on doing that while the rest of his friends were having fun. If Sobek couldn't catch Spectre on his own, maybe he needed some help? Thinking about it a little more, he was pretty sure the croc would only be further infuriated if he attempted to help capture the unruly ghost-type. Sobek was prideful like that.

Besides, he was starting to get hungry.

Lunch was a relatively simple affair, as usual. Ash released Jasmine again now that they were settled down and the small dragon immediately found her place beside Eevee in the shade of a tree. The two females got along swimmingly with their more mature personalities, as opposed to the males of the group.

Ash could only roll his eyes and smile as Pyro and Sobek got into a wrestling match, the prize of which he assumed was who got their lunch first. It was funny to watch as the pair of reptiles squabbled with each other in a writhing mass of whipping tails and flailing limbs. The pair strained against each other, fangs bared and muscles bulging with the effort, but the match was decided quickly when Pyro slammed Sobek against the ground with a roar of triumph. Sobek hissed with annoyance and gave in, retreating a bit to nurse his pride.

He felt a bit of sympathy for the ground-type; Sobek didn't have any attacks that specifically relied on his limbs, but Pyro had several techniques that utilized his arms and claws. The muscles were a bit more developed than Sobek's as a result.

Ash felt like he might have been wasting Sobek's potential by not teaching him any new moves to capitalize on his upper limbs. He may as well have been a Sandile again since he rarely used them in combat. The boy made a mental note to change that and look up some new attacks for Sobek in the Pokedex.

"Alright you guys, lunch is ready!"

His team made a small cacophony of noise to signal their eagerness and lined up for their meal. Ash gave each of them the usual bag of Pokemon food (it wasn't like he could make much else on the road) and added a couple of Oran berries he had found nearby. They were a nutritious and tasty treat that most Pokemon enjoyed, so he got them whenever he could to add a little variation to their diet.

As they ate, he took the chance to go through his Pokedex again and run through what he wanted to teach his team while they were on the road. There was a lot to do, especially if he wanted to have any chance of winning against his rivals in the battles on the St. Anne next month. First and foremost, he went over all of the moves that his team knew, which was easy to recite since he kept a list of them all on his PokeNav. He had most of them memorized by heart, but there was always a chance he might accidentally forget about one of them.

Pyro knew Flamethrower, Metal Claw, Fire Fang, Dragon Rush, Slash, Smokescreen, Dragon Dance, Dragon Claw, Mega Punch, and the recently learned Flare Blitz. He would, as usual, continue working on Dragon Dance, but it wasn't a huge priority at the moment.

Ash wanted to add a bit more variation to his starter's move set. He had yet to master Fire Spin since they started practicing for it on Route Sixteen, so that was something to work on. He also wanted to give the fire-type Brick Break as soon as possible.

Sobek's move set consisted of Crunch, Dig, Sand Tomb, Fire Fang, Thunder Fang, Assurance, Foul Play, Stone Edge, Incinerate, and Earthquake (the last of which was still a work in progress). Ash smacked himself for not realizing sooner that every single one of Sobek's moves was solely for attacking purposes.

He had no means of boosting his strength (with the exception of Moxie, but that was not something Ash wanted to rely on unless he had to) or defending himself. He scratched off his plans for trying to teach Sobek another offensive move and latched onto the concept of enhancement and defense. Hone Claws would be a good start.

Eevee knew Quick Attack, Shadow Ball, Swift, Bite, Refresh, Helping Hand, and Iron Tail. Her move set was one of the smallest in Ash's team and they really needed to expand on it, but the trouble was that until she evolved, the range of moves she could learn was limited.

He decided that her focus for now would be increasing her battle strength and experience, as well as opting for some evasion moves to give her an edge. Eevee wasn't his most durable fighter, but she could pack a punch when she needed to. If making her a little harder to hit could present her with an opening to attack, Ash was more than happy to practice those tactics with her.

Douse's moves were Bubble Beam, Hypnosis, Mega Punch, Wake-Up Slap, Mud Shot, Scald, Ice Beam, and Body Slam. His problem was much the same as Sobek's—with the exception of Hypnosis, he didn't have any moves to defend himself or boost his power. They were still at a dead end as far as learning Hydro Pump went, though Ash was certain Douse could pull it off with enough training.

He figured that for now, Douse could work with Eevee on evasion and practice defensive moves with Pyro and Sobek. There weren't any specific techniques he could find that were really necessary for Douse to learn right now, at least not while he was trying to master Hydro Pump. He'd eventually learn Brick Break like Pyro, but that could wait.

Spectre's move set was the opposite of his team's majority—he was limited in techniques, but only half of them were actually attacking moves. He knew Protect, Confuse Ray, Shadow Sneak, Astonish, Disable, and Shadow Ball. He was the only defensive fighter Ash had on his team right now and one that relied almost solely on battles of attrition. The ghost needed more techniques to cause damage against his opponents as well as improving his power.

However, Ash wasn't blind to the fact that Spectre's greatest strength was his incredible defense and stamina. He knew better than to not capitalize on that, so he decided to split Spectre's training between offensive and defensive moves. They would try learning Will-O-Wisp to start, then Ash wanted to teach Spectre how to use the deadly Hex. He had no idea where to start, but they would find a way.

Last but certainly not least was Jasmine, with whom Ash needed to work the most. Her moves were the same as when he had first scanned her in Fuchsia; Wrap, Thunder Wave, Slam, Dragon Rage, Agility, Safeguard, Aqua Tail, and Dragon Tail. She was well-balanced despite having never trained before, but Ash felt like she needed some more long-range moves in case her opponent was more physically adept than she was.

He had no idea how powerful Jasmine was in the first place, something that he needed to investigate as soon as her scales hardened. For now though, he would try to teach her ranged attacks. Flamethrower and Ice Beam were both possibilities that he discovered in the Pokedex, especially if he had Pyro and Douse teach her. That would give them a chance to bond with each other as well.

Ash also made an effort to do a little extra digging into Pikachu's moves. Although he knew that the electric mouse was nowhere near done with his rehabilitation, he wanted to make sure that he had a plan for Pikachu's training when he got back so that they could get him back into shape as soon as possible. His friend was down for now, but he certainly wasn't out of Ash's mind.

Pikachu knew Thunderbolt, Volt Tackle, Quick Attack, Iron Tail, Nuzzle, Thunder Wave and Electro Ball. He definitely needed more evasion and defensive techniques, so Ash made a note in his PokeNav's training logs to teach the electric type how to use techniques like Double Team, Agility, and Light Screen. Of course, they would need more offensive moves as well. He considered a few in the Pokedex for a bit before deciding on Discharge and Dig to start off with. There would be time to learn other moves if they managed to get all of those mastered before the Indigo League.

That was the dream, anyways. Ash could only hope for now that it would one day become a reality.

"Watch carefully, Jasmine," Ash instructed the Dratini as she coiled up beside him to watch Pyro glare at a stone that Sobek had casually driven from the ground when they started their training. The small dragon trilled and stared at her fire-type teammate intently.

His team was busy with their first round of training since leaving Fuchsia City. Ash had Sobek working on evading Spectre's attacks (ironic, he realized with a smirk, seeing as Spectre had been evading Sobek all morning after pulling his pranks) while the ghost tried to speed up his moves and improve his accuracy on a moving target.

Eevee was working with Douse to boost their raw power, focusing on other techniques seeing as Shadow Ball was a calling card of hers. The goal was to make the rest of her attacks have the same impact as her specialty move. Douse was simply blasting inordinate volumes of water as he tried to master Hydro Pump, although the only thing he really managed to do with all of that liquid was make the nearby plants very happy.

Ash and Jasmine watched Pyro suck in a deep breath, then exhale a jet of flame from his jaws in the form of a perfect Flamethrower. The blast of fire smote its target cleanly, turning the stone cherry red for a few seconds until it cooled with a hiss of heat. Pyro snorted, obviously pleased with himself, and turned to Jasmine to growl a few bits of information to her. She listened attentively to his every word and seemed to be impressed with Pyro's power.

He hadn't seen Jasmine's other moves yet simply because her scales were still soft from her recent shed prior to joining them. A lot of her current moves relied on physical power, and Ash didn't want to risk Jasmine hurting herself while her body was so vulnerable. He was sure that there were ways to avoid doing that and still see her attacks, but he only had to wait a little while longer before her scales toughened again and she could fight for real. He could be patient—besides, it was easier to wait if he had her training to use moves that wouldn't risk damaging her body.

Jasmine slithered forward to Pyro's side and eyed the target rock for a few moments. She reared her head back and sucked in a breath, then exhaled in an imitation of her team mate. The result was a small gout of flame which shot from her mouth and fizzled out about halfway to the stone.

The Dratini pouted at her failure and Ash had to make an effort to keep himself from cracking a huge smile. Never in his life did he think he would see a dragon pout like a child because she couldn't breathe fire.

Pyro seemed amused as well, but he was more focused on the training and grunted a few things before stepping up again to repeat the technique, blasting their target once more with his intense flame. Jasmine watched him with narrowed, determined eyes. It seemed she was eager to redeem herself and get the move down.

The way Pyro was instructing her made Ash realize something; his Charmeleon's teaching was very similar to Cynthia's Garchomp. Demonstrate, explain, correct, and repeat until the move was perfected to his satisfaction. Only in this instance, Pyro was the master and Jasmine was the student. Ash kind of hoped that Pyro hadn't inherited his short-term teacher's ruthless training style, but considering how stubborn his first partner was…

Well, at least Jasmine would get into shape faster.

He watched as the Dratini's next attempt at Flamethrower was a little bit better and smiled. Ash always liked to see progress physically manifest before his eyes.

Three days after leaving Fuchsia City, Ash's training session with his team was interrupted as Jasmine slithered over and prodded his arm with her large, white nose. He blinked at the small dragon curiously. "What's up, girl?"

She nudged him again urgently, so Ash raised his hand and set it on her head. His eyes widened as he realized that her scales no longer felt like smooth silk, but tougher and firmer. Her body had finally returned back to normal after shedding a few days prior.

He grinned. "Are you ready for a real battle?"

Jasmine trilled enthusiastically as the tip of her tail twitched. Ash liked how eager she was to jump into training now that she wasn't at risk of being badly injured. He glanced around at his other team members and called them all in. "Everyone, stop what you're doing for a bit! We're going to have a training battle."

His call got the attention of every single one of his Pokemon instantly. They glanced from Ash to Jasmine and put two and two together quickly, then rushed on over to their trainer. Ash waited until they were all settled around him before facing Sobek. "Okay buddy, we're going to do some target practice first to see what Jasmine can do. Do you mind?"

Sobek bared his fangs eagerly and then slammed his fist into the ground, causing a spire of rock to erupt upwards. Ash wanted to see what Jasmine was capable of before he decided which member of his team to pit her against. The Dratini slithered forward once she had a target and faced the stone with confidence glowing in her eyes.

"Jasmine, give it everything you've got," Ash felt his blood pump as he prepared himself to see what she was capable of. "Let's start off with Flamethrower."

She had been practicing with Pyro religiously to learn this move. It still wasn't perfect, but Jasmine was a quick learner and as expected, a blast of flame from her mouth smote the rock cleanly, leaving a scorch mark. Ash figured it was a good way to get her warmed up by starting with a move that she'd been practicing for the last few days. Plus it gave him a moment to mentally recall all of her other attacks.

"Dragon Rage."

Jasmine reared back and produced a sphere of intense blue energy in her mouth, then fired the Dragon Rage at the target with impressive accuracy. Ash was surprised when it exploded rather violently upon hitting the stone, taking a large chunk out of it. Dragon Rage wasn't considered to be an especially powerful dragon-type attack, but he was pretty sure nothing would like to be hit by that.

"Good girl!" He praised, causing the Dratini to trill proudly. The rest of his team was watching Jasmine with great interest, particularly Eevee and Sobek. Ash assumed Eevee was impressed by the strength of her closest friend, but the only reason he could think of for Sobek's interest was because the dark-type wanted to fight Jasmine after this.

He was actually considering that after seeing Jasmine's power. But there was still more attacks to test out. "Slam!"

Jasmine's tail coiled beneath her, then she lunged upwards into the air using her bunched-up muscles like a spring. She went into a swift forward flip and smashed her tail into the target, delivering a fierce blow upon the rock which cracked it down to the base. Her landing was a bit messy, but she recovered pretty quickly and was ready when Ash gave another order. "Aqua Tail!"

This time, she took a little bit longer than he would have liked. Jasmine tensed up and it took her a few seconds to generate the right amount of liquid water around her tail before she attacked again by swiping sideways at the stone. It was evident to him that Aqua Tail was a new move for her like Flamethrower, but at least she could perform it correctly. He had confidence that she could master it without much trouble.

The next move was one Ash had been eagerly waiting to see ever since he found out she could use it. "Dragon Tail!"

Jasmine's long tail glowed a sharp, lustrous emerald color, forming much more quickly than her Aqua Tail. She darted forward and swiped at the target in another sideways motion, but this time the blow was powerful enough to smash the damaged rock clean in half. An explosion of rubble flew into the air and scattered across their training ground, much to Ash and Jasmine's delight.

"That was great, Jasmine!" Ash exclaimed. Eevee made a happy chitter for her friend while the rest of their team made impressed sounds. Now that they knew what she was capable of, his other Pokemon seemed more accepting and understanding of Jasmine.

The Dratini basked in her pride for a few moments, pleased that her trainer and teammates approved of her strength. It was a brief respite though, because Sobek let out a challenging growl a few moments later.

Ash knew that Sobek really wanted to have a fight with her now. His eyes were gleaming eagerly after witnessing Jasmine's power. He wanted to be the one to face her in the mock battle. And now that Ash had seen Jasmine's strength, he was willing to let Sobek take that role.

"Jasmine, Sobek, you're up. You two are going to battle now."

Sobek hissed with barely restrained delight as he practically skipped forward to face the dragon-type. Jasmine's tail lashed in response and she coiled herself up, ready to do battle against her teammate. Ash wasn't sure what to expect here. Sobek had more raw power than Jasmine, but the Dratini seemed to be the cautious type. If she could evade his massive attacks and get in a few of those clean, powerful blows, then she might be capable of beating him.

There was only one way to find out.

"Begin!"

Sobek instantly smashed his fist into the ground, launching a line of pointed stone blades at his opponent. Jasmine quickly darted around the Stone Edge and exhaled a Flamethrower to retaliate, which Sobek met with Incinerate. The two fire-type moves collided and exploded in a burst of black smoke, covering the field for a few moments.

Ash glanced at Douse for a moment. "If they light anything on fire, can you put it out?"

The Poliwhirl beat a fist against his round body in affirmation, then returned his focus to the battle. Sobek had lunged through the cloud of smoke with his jaws wide open, ready to snap into Jasmine's body. She was waiting for him to approach, her serpentine form coiled up and ready to spring.

Once Sobek was close enough, she lunged to the side and evaded his snapping jaws, then spun quickly and crashed her tail into the back of his head with a Slam attack. Sobek snarled and responded by digging underground. Ash's eyebrow lifted slightly at that. He didn't really want Sobek to use Ant Pit if he could help it. The move was a trap for anything that could fly or jump out of the pit, and it would kind of defeat the purpose of seeing what Jasmine was capable of in a straight fight without tricky moves.

But Sobek apparently felt the same way, because instead of creating a sand pit, he darted out of the ground and slashed at Jasmine with his claws. She managed to narrowly avoid a direct hit by quickly rearing back, but Sobek still scored a glancing blow to her snout. Jasmine quickly retreated a few meters and then coiled up, her eyes narrowed while Sobek prepared to lunge again. Ash blinked as a faint, pale aura began to emanate off of Jasmine's scales.

Once again, she didn't move until Sobek was almost right on top of her with his mouth agape, but there was no dodging this time. In a blur of speed that Ash almost missed, Jasmine's tail glowed bright green and then slammed into Sobek's jaw, lifting him into the air and hurling him in the opposite direction. The Krokorok hit the ground roughly with a roar of surprise.

Ash realized that Jasmine had used Agility to speed her Dragon Tail up. The pale energy he'd seen glowing off her scales had to be that—she'd stayed put to trick Sobek into getting close again, then delivered a nasty surprise that he'd had no chance of anticipating. He was impressed she had the insight to pull that off, because he certainly hadn't taught her that one.

Sobek got back to his feet with a snarl and glared at Jasmine, who merely watched him with care. She was a different kind of opponent than he was used to facing, Ash reflected. Sobek was used to fighting enemies who were just as eager to throw down as he was and would immediately launch into a direct attack. Jasmine was not that kind of Pokemon—she was patient, calculating, and a natural tactician. She knew Sobek had more raw power than her in close quarters, so she kept away from him and used his aggressive combat style against him.

She would not be goaded into an up-close fight that she was bound to lose.

But that didn't mean Sobek was going to make it easy for her.

It was true that he wasn't used to fighting an opponent like Jasmine and that his talent lied in close combat, but Sobek had ways of being crafty when his preferred method of fighting wasn't cutting it. He didn't want to use Ant Pit because that was his trump card—there was no point in using it in a sparring match. That would take the fun out of the battle. He was fighting to see what Jasmine was capable of, so if she wanted to fight tricky, then he would give her tricky right back.

Sobek smashed his fist into the ground and generated another line of Stone Edge, which Jasmine easily avoided once again. She launched a Dragon Rage at him this time, but Sobek forced a rock up in between them to shield himself from the blast. As Jasmine darted around the barrier to hit him with another long range move, the Krokorok dove underground again, forcing her to watch the terrain warily.

The onlookers jumped as a blade of stone punched out of the ground and sent Jasmine flying with a pained cry of surprise. Sobek had launched the attack from beneath the field.

Jasmine hit the ground hard and winced visibly from the impact, but there was no time to rest. Sobek immediately lunged out of the earth near the spot where she'd landed and rushed her with fangs and claws at the ready. The Dratini's body glowed with the pale light of Agility and she darted around her opponent's charge quickly. Her tail shone bright emerald as Jasmine aimed a Dragon Tail at the back of Sobek's head, but the croc spun around while his claws turned jet black and Ash suddenly knew what was going to happen.

Dragon Tail met Foul Play and was immediately redirected back to Jasmine, who was battered with the force of her own attack. The blow left her momentarily stunned, but it was enough time for Sobek to deliver a fierce Assurance on the weakened Dratini.

She collapsed from the damage and tried to lift her head back up, but Sobek pinned her down with his claws and growled, daring her to continue. Ash thought for a moment that she might try to go on, but Jasmine conceded by letting her head fall back down again with a low trill.

Sobek let her up and grinned toothily, pleased by his victory, but also impressed with Jasmine's cleverness. She had made him play for keeps, and there was no shame in that. He looked up at Ash and was happy to see his trainer's approval.

"Great work, both of you," Ash called as he approached his two Pokemon. Jasmine looked a disappointed until Eevee padded over and chittered something to her, which made the small dragon feel a little better. Ash scratched Jasmine's scales behind her ears and smiled at her. "You did really well, girl. Sobek is one of the strongest Pokemon on the team. It's not easy to beat him, but you pushed him to his limit."

Sobek grunted agreement and Jasmine's dampened spirits rose again. She had been beaten, but her trainer and her team were still proud of her for doing so well. Now she could work on improving herself until she could defeat Sobek and the others. Jasmine had no doubt that the rest of her new team were just as powerful as the ground-type.

Ash offered her and Sobek an Oran berry as a reward and then patted the Krokorok's head. "I'm proud that you kept yourself under control. Thanks for not taking things too far, buddy."

Sobek nodded. He really had been trying to prevent a repeat of the incident with Leaf's Pokemon by controlling his anger and this was the first time he'd kept himself completely under control. Mind you, he hadn't had the chance to activate Moxie because he didn't knock Jasmine out, but he felt proud that he could keep a level head without fighting under Ash's direct guidance. If he could manage that with Moxie in the future…

"Okay everyone," Ash got their attention once more. "Twenty more minutes of training, then we're calling it a night."

Ash stared out of the forest and at the sea once he reached the tree line.

Only a few hours after they'd set out from camp, they'd been able to hear the distant lapping of waves rhythmically beating against the shore, so Ash and his team made a beeline for the sound. Pyro and Sobek didn't seem overly thrilled by the sight of all that water, but they didn't complain.

They'd found a small cove surrounded by cliffs and the forest on one side (the latter of which obviously being the point they'd emerged from). All things considered, it was a pretty sight, but it wasn't what gave Ash pause before advancing any further.

The place showed signs of battle—scars on the cliff faces and trees that had been reduced to splinters made him wary. Whatever had fought here possessed some serious firepower.

He was wary of running into something with power like that, but he was also curious. Maybe the culprit had moved on, but there was a chance it had stuck around; the damage looked fairly recent.

With his team close at his side, they ventured onto the beach. The moment they did, the water close to them suddenly boiled to life, and then a jet of water was being blasted in their direction.

Spectre rushed up and used Protect to guard Ash while Douse took the shot head-on, absorbing the water with little effort. They locked onto the attacker immediately—a Sharpedo. Ash had no idea what it was doing so close to the shore, nor why it had bothered to attack them, but he wouldn't deny the aggressive water-type the fight it wanted.

Nor would his team. Eevee spat a Shadow Ball at the shark, who darted beneath the waves in a blur of speed and raced to the side before popping up and spitting another Hydro Pump at them. Douse took it again, pounding his fist against his belly in defiance.

Sharpedo let out a guttural noise and snapped its fearsome jaws together, but it was restricted to the water—

Ash yelped as Sharpedo lunged out of the ocean with an Aqua Jet, surrounding its body in liquid to essentially fly a short distance.

Douse found himself with a face-full of angry Sharpedo and would have been bitten by the gaping mouth had Pyro not lunged into the Aqua Jet with Dragon Rush. Incomplete as it was, the collision dealt more damage to Pyro—especially since Sharpedo's notoriously rough hide undoubtedly hurt him—but he snarled and muffled the impact enough for Sobek to drive a Stone Edge into Sharpedo's belly.

The shark was launched back into the sea and floated for a few moments, stunned. Sharpedo were savage ambush predators, but they were built to dish out damage, not take it. Their light bodies did not respond well to heavy hits.

Jasmine hastily spat a Dragon Rage at the shark, who only started to jet away as the blast of draconic energy impacted the ocean. The shockwave sent Sharpedo reeling away in a tumble beneath the waves, but it recovered and twisted towards them to keep up the fight.

Then the air shook as an incredible roar deafened them.

Ash and his team froze as an absolutely huge shape arced up out of the water, looming over all of the fighters. Even the aggressive Sharpedo turned to the newcomer and backed off a little, jaws flexing hesitantly.

The Gyarados that leered down at them rumbled from deep within its throat as it took in the scene. Its normally-gaping maw was closed, but that didn't make it any less intimidating. At its peak, the beast was twenty feet high, with more of its body still hidden underwater. He spotted the tail come out of the water for a moment, splashing down and making a small wave.

It was difficult to tell exactly how big it really was. Forty feet? Forty-five? Bigger than the average Gyarados, that was certain.

His team couldn't fight this.

But Gyarados didn't attack. It took its time to study them with a stern glare. When its eyes locked on Ash, he felt very small indeed. He licked his lips nervously and dropped his hand near his team's Poke Balls. If worst came to worst, they'd slow the beast down so he could recall them and make a run for it.

Gyarados eventually rounded over to Sharpedo and growled again. The shark made a strange sound, between a hiss and a gurgle, and chomped its jaws on the water to make a splash. Gyarados' stern eyes narrowed and it slapped its tail on the surface again, snarling something in response. Sharpedo closed its jaws almost fully—keeping them open enough to allow water to keep flowing through its gills—and lowered itself in submission.

The leviathan snorted, satisfied, and looked back at Ash and his team.

Ash…wasn't exactly sure how to handle this situation. Gyarados were generally avoided by all but the strongest of trainers because of how easily their rage was provoked. Once they flew into a fury, their devastating attacks could wipe out entire teams.

This one was surprisingly calm, all things considered. He'd thought perhaps the creature had been disturbed by his battle against Sharpedo, but it seemed only mildly annoyed at best.

As his nerves calmed a bit, he suddenly realized why that was.

Gyarados' scales, once the deep blue of its youth, had paled into a dark silver. The fins had tears and patches missing, and one of the long whiskers flanking its mouth was almost completely gone. The resplendent crest was much duller now, showing a Gyarados well past its prime.

It clicked. Gyarados was old.

How old, he had no idea. Gyarados rarely lived past their first decade in the wild. They lived short, vicious lives, and often were killed by stronger members of their own kind. If they didn't meet their end at the teeth of one of their own, they were sometimes killed when they picked a fight with an enemy they couldn't defeat. Kingdra and the rare, gigantic Tentacruel were known to do that if a Gyarados pushed them too far.

This one had lived well past that first decade. The fire in its belly had mellowed and it had calmed that terrible rage its species was known for.

Ash held his hands to his sides in a gesture of peace. "I'm sorry. Did we disturb you?"

Gyarados snorted and nodded, just once. The human response surprised him a little—perhaps this Gyarados had had a trainer at some point in its long life?

"I'm sorry. We didn't know you were here."

The beast's lively eyes glittered in amusement. It cocked its enormous head for a few moments before moving closer to shore. Ash and his team took a few slow steps back as the leviathan slithered onto the beach, which now looked positively tiny as Gyarados' full body coiled up on the sand.

Looking at it on the beach in its full splendor, Ash had no doubt in his mind the creature was easily forty-five feet long. Maybe even fifty. It was mind-bogglingly large, unlike any other Pokemon he'd ever seen.

The old Gyarados lifted its head and suddenly roared, shaking the air with the force of its power. Ash spotted movement in the water and watched as a number of smaller Pokemon suddenly popped up from beneath the surface. Golduck, Poliwhirl, Krabby, Kingler, Seadra…there were quite a few different species joining the lone Sharpedo. There was even a Feraligatr, which snapped its jaws loudly.

Gyarados looked down on Ash and his team and growled once, causing them to stiffen. It wasn't a demand to leave or a sound of anger.

It was a challenge.

His team looked back at him, but Ash continued to stare at Gyarados. Gauging the look in its eyes. The old wisdom and curiosity—to see if his team had the nerve to fight a beast as enormous and powerful as itself.

They wouldn't win. But did that matter?

He felt his lips curve up in a fierce grin. Gyarados' eyes glittered in response. It bared its fangs.

"Alright," Ash answered. "Remember, you asked for it!"

His team didn't need anything else. Didn't wonder on the (probably questionable) sanity of their trainer for sending them against this leviathan. This was a rare chance to battle against a foe well-beyond any of them.

Gyarados met their resolve and bellowed again, signaling the start of the fight. Pyro roared, Sobek followed, and his team jumped into action.

Ash backpedaled to put some distance between himself and the battle. Movement to the side had him jumping a little as the huge Feraligatr that had shown up climbed out of the water and planted itself in front of him.

He opened his mouth to start commanding his team, but Feraligatr growled to silence him. The huge water-type offered a lazy glare, a clear order not to interfere before it looked back to the fight with interest.

Well. His team was on their own, he supposed. He kept his hands near their Poke Balls in case they needed to be recalled.

Gyarados didn't do anything at first, just watched as Ash's team spread out and began to launch a series of long-range attacks. It was bombarded by Flamethrowers, Shadow Balls, Ice Beams, and Dragon Rages, but shrugged them all off. A Stone Edge jutted up into its belly, but failed to pierce the scales. Gyarados growled, annoyed by the spire pointing uncomfortably into its body, and rolled its weight to crush the rock into pebbles.

Pyro roared and charged, flying into a Dragon Rush to strike Gyarados' exposed underside. Gyarados took the impact and lowered its head enough to smack the Chameleon aside with a headbutt. Pyro hit the ground hard and was briefly stunned, but he scrambled to his feet quickly and spat a Flamethrower at Gyarados' face in retaliation.

Sobek dug underground and disappeared from the fight for the time being. Gyarados took note of his disappearance, but focused on the rest of the team for now. Eevee was running around its flanks, unleashing a stream of Swifts and Shadow Balls. Spectre was jumping between shadows and trying to find a weak point, launching his own Shadow Balls from time to time. They burst on the scales, but did little actual damage.

Jasmine was a blur, slipping into Agility and launching a stream of Dragon Rages at the goliath. Gyardos' eyes pulsed with interest as it tracked the little dragon with ease, but it was obvious it barely felt the attacks.

Douse gave up trying to coat Gyarados' enormous body in ice and leapt forward, driving a Mega Punch into its belly. Gyarados snorted and finally moved.

The enormous tail rose, shimmering with the iridescent green of Dragon Tail. It swept the appendage—practically a tree trunk for its sheer size and girth—casually and sent Douse skipping across the sand like a stone. The attack carried on and very nearly struck Eevee, who scrambled to get out of the way.

A huge swath of the beach had been scarred by the attack, with sand piled up in a dune from the force. Douse managed to get back to his feet, but he was shaky and obviously barely able to keep going. Gyarados observed the Poliwhirl with something like approval.

And then it began to sink.

Gyarados' eyes shot downwards and it rumbled in surprise as an enormous Sand Tomb began to envelop the entirety of its body. Instead of panicking, however, the creature observed the trap with interest.

It suddenly stiffened and roared.

Ash froze as Gyarados slithered in a circle, showing that Sobek had attacked from behind and clamped onto one of its fins with Thunder Fang. The electrical discharge probably wasn't enough to really damage Gyarados for the sheer size and thickness of its scales, but it had obviously hurt more than anything else had.

Gyarados snarled and lifted the section of its body Sobek was stubbornly clinging onto. Leviathan and crocodilian glared at each other for a few seconds, electricity sparking from one to the other, and then Gyarados spat.

The short, focused Hydro Pump ripped Sobek—and several of his teeth—from Gyarados' hide and shot him into the sand with crushing force. Ash recalled him immediately.

Gyarados shook itself, probably annoyed by the jolting aftereffects of Thunder Fang, only to screech as Jasmine lanced a Thunder Wave at its face.

The beast snapped its gaze towards her and was met with another Thunder Wave. Green flames licked at its jaws and then it breathed out a veritable river of Dragon Breath, strafing until it caught Jasmine in the assault. She squealed in pain and was launched backwards, stunned and shaking, but Ash caught the glow of Safeguard on her body. She was down, but she wasn't out.

Pyro had taken the chance to climb up Gyarados' body and launched himself in a Flare Blitz at the beast's jaw, snapping it shut. Gyarados' eye flickered down at the fire-type and it twisted in the air, pushing Pyro away as the fire in its mouth turned from green to red.

The Fire Blast it spat consumed Pyro and sent him barreling into the sand, but he rolled away and got back to his feet, spitting embers and snarling in rage.

All that time, Eevee and Spectre had been bombarding Gyarados. They hadn't done much damage, but the leviathan finally decided to focus on them for a change. It locked onto Eevee and spat a few Hydro Pumps at her, which she barely dodged. As it was, she gave up attacking altogether in favor of running for dear life from the massive jets of water being blasted at her.

Pyro howled at Gyarados and launched another Flamethrower at the creature. The beast shook the flames off and glared at the Charmeleon as Douse came up beside his ally. Ignoring another Shadow Ball from Spectre, Gyarados roared and lowered its head to charge them. The crest atop its head glowed white with power as the Skull Bash was unleashed.

Pyro and Douse met it with a Flare Blitz and Mega Punch. The three attacks collided, pushed against each other for a moment, and then the smaller fighters were overwhelmed. Gyarados flicked the pair away with casual ease and Ash recalled both of them.

A third Thunder Wave slammed into its head from close range and Gyarados snarled, jerking its eyes towards the shaking Dratini responsible for the sneak attack. Jasmine started charging up another burst of electricity, but the leviathan opened its mouth and breathed out a stream of terribly cold air. It wasn't a full Blizzard—maybe Gyarados knew Jasmine wouldn't need much to go down—but it sent the Dratini into unconsciousness immediately. She was returned before the ice finished forming on the sand.

Eevee spat a particularly vicious Shadow Ball into Gyarados' face for that offense. The beast's eyes glimmered with interest as she gave up running in favor of charging up a single, huge Shadow Ball. Ash watched with wide eyes as Eevee generated all her fury until the sphere was bigger than she was, condensed it, and then unleashed the attack.

Gyarados took it head-on, perhaps curious to see how strong she was, and it visibly recoiled at the blast consumed its face. The leviathan shook itself, growling, but not badly hurt.

Eevee snarled at the creature, but she'd used up all of her strength with that last attack and flopped over onto the sand. Ash recalled her, as well.

Only Spectre was left.

Despite the fall of his companions, the ghost hadn't given up. He was the weakest of them by far—he was totally outmatched by this foe, but he continued nonetheless. Spectre gave up hiding and floated in front of Gyarados, who finally set eyes on the elusive little foe that had been plaguing it throughout the fight.

Spectre's red eye glowed brightly and Ash stared as Gyarados froze in the confines of Disable. His little body trembled with the effort, but he kept Gyarados trapped as long as he could.

The leviathan finally broke free, snapping its body out of the prison and observing the exhausted little ghost for a moment with a brief, impressed look. Then it opened its jaws, lunged forward, and engulfed Spectre in its maw.

Ash's heart leapt into his throat, but Gyarados slithered down the beach and lowered its huge head in front of him. The leviathan opened its jaws and there lay Spectre on the huge, pink tongue. He was trembling and tired, but unharmed. Ash recalled his friend shakily.

Gyarados lifted itself back up, not quite as high as before, but it towered over Ash nonetheless. It considered the trainer for a few moments.

The beast turned to the Pokemon still watching in the water and rumbled again. Ash watched as they broke off and…began to spar?

He blinked a little dumbly as the Sharpedo that had started the fight fled the snapping claw of a Kingler, which spat a stream of bubbles after its chosen foe. Many of the other wild Pokemon began to demonstrate similar activities, though the Feraligatr closest to Ash did not yet move.

Gyarados growled to regain his attention. Its gaze flickered to the sparring Pokemon, then back to Ash, a question in its eyes.

He needed a minute to understand, but then it made sense.

"You're training them," he realized aloud.

The leviathan nodded. Ash was convinced by now that Gyarados had spent a portion of its life with a trainer. It would explain the creature's ability to use moves like Blizzard and Fire Blast, as well as the behavior to spar and train that was certainly not natural amongst wild Gyarados.

His already great interest in the enormous creature increased. He had no delusions that he could hope to defeat or capture this Gyarados—this Veteran, but it was satisfied with his team. He had earned the right to stay and train with the creature, if he so desired.

"I'll need to heal them up," he answered slowly. "But I'd like to stick around for a bit, if you'll have us."

Gyarados' eyes glimmered with amusement and it grunted before turning to slide back into the water. Ash watched, bemused, as it began to swim between the fighters, watching them critically. Feraligatr grumbled and followed the Veteran, snapping at a Seadra that tried to attack it.

Ash gave them a bit of space as he retreated further up the beach, took off his bag, and set about treating his team.

Training with Gyarados and its eager students—who seemed to practically revere the Veteran—was an interesting experience. Some of them came and went throughout the day, to eat or sleep or return to their homes, which he suspected were nearby. As a result, Ash came to realize that Gyarados' menagerie of learners were even more extensive and varied than he'd thought.

They also didn't have organized spars like Ash's team was used to. It wasn't uncommon that one or two would break off from their current foe and just attack one of Ash's team. The first time it happened, Pyro got drenched by Sharpedo's Hydro Pump and spent half an hour turning the water into steam as he tried to incinerate the absurdly fast shark. Another time, the Seadra tried to blast Jasmine with a Dragon Pulse, but she had dodged and given chase until she threw the rampant water-type out of the sea and knocked it out with Dragon Rage.

She was a great swimmer. Not that he was surprised, since the Dratini had probably spent most of her life in the lagoon at the Safari Zone.

Some of the others gave them a bit more warning. A pair of Poliwhirl often came up to Douse and issued a challenge. Sometimes they would fight on the land, but most of the time they'd take Douse into the water to battle beneath the waves. It was good experience for him—not that he wasn't used to fighting underwater, but it had been a little while and he seemed somewhat rusty. He shook it off quick.

Then there was Feraligatr.

The huge reptile had met Sobek face-to-face for only a few seconds before both of them decided they did not like each other. They'd gotten up close, hissing and snarling before snapping into each other in a rolling frenzy of teeth and claws and flailing tails. With its greater mass and type advantage, Feraligatr won every fight, but Sobek made sure it paid for those victories with jolting limbs from Thunder Fang and several broken teeth embedded in the thick hide.

When it became clear that Feraligatr was just too much for Sobek to handle alone, it dragged Pyro into their fights. Greater numbers against greater strength.

The spars seemed to be an initiation of sorts for the training water-types learning under Gyarados. Once they knew where Ash's team stood, they eased into things a bit more.

Gyarados itself was a boon. The Veteran was an experienced combatant and a surprisingly skilled teacher. It had watched Ash's team practicing some of their new moves and where it could help, it almost always had something to make their training a bit smoother.

When it had seen Jasmine still trying to master Flamethrower, the Veteran had swum over close to the shore and rumbled to gain her attention. It proceeded to glass over a section of sand with its own Flamethrower, then growled afterwards to explain something. Jasmine had listened raptly and after a few tries, her skill with the new move was already looking better.

Of course, Gyarados wasn't skilled with all of them. It had next to no advice for Spectre or Eevee, but it helped where it could. Ash was grateful for whatever it could do to help, and he watched how Gyarados worked with a sharp eye to pick up what he could. It was a rare chance to learn from an experienced fighter who had seen decades of battle and knew the art of combat as an extension of its very being.

He'd have been a fool to not pay attention.

Three days after they stumbled onto the Veteran's home, Ash and his team were lying around a fire on the beach. He'd taken Sobek into the woods after another spar with Feraligatr and picked up some berries and firewood for the team—and whoever else wanted some. Most of the wild Pokemon seemed content to eat what they found beneath the waves, but a few accepted the berries eagerly.

Ash leaned back against the cliff face with Jasmine curled up beside him while Spectre rested in his shadow. Eevee was in his lap, but she was chittering with a Vaporeon—one of the Pokemon who hadn't been present during their battle with Gyarados. The water-type had been shy at first, but upon realizing Eevee was present, it quickly took a shine to their team.

Douse was sitting a little ways away from the flames with a huge Poliwrath and the other two Poliwhirl, who had become regulars when he trained. Poliwrath had joined them shortly after their spar with the Veteran and immediately set its sights on Douse to see if he'd be worth training.

A spar pitting Douse against the two wild Poliwhirl satisfied Poliwrath. Since then, Douse was always with his evolved form, who often took those under its wing to a freshwater pond a short distance from the beach. There was also a large group of Poliwag that followed their leaders wherever they went, bouncing in circles around them with clear adoration.

At the moment, Pyro was humoring a Seel pup as it crawled up the beach to sniff at him. He watched in amusement as the water-type flopped around clumsily, clearly unused to being on land, but the interaction was closely watched by its Dewgong mother.

Sobek and Feraligatr were basking by the fire, jaws open to expel heat and probably attempt to intimidate the other. Not that it worked, of course. Feraligatr knew it was stronger than Sobek and the Krokorok refused to be cowed despite his sting of losses to the vicious water-type.

Ash admired the similarities in their anatomy for a few minutes. They had a similar body plan, but both had obvious differences. Sobek's jaws were longer and had sharper teeth. His body was more lithe to move faster on land, and his scales were rough to protect the skin beneath from the desert sun and sand.

In comparison, Feraligatr was heavy-set. Its bulky shape was clumsier on land, but it could move quickly in bursts and cut through the water like a knife. The immense jaws were shorter, with blunter teeth to crush rather than cut. The hide wasn't as rough as Sobek's, but it was thick and strong.

Both had obscenely powerful jaws, but Ash would've bet even if Sobek was a Krookodile that Feraligatr's bite strength was probably greater. Its jaws were specifically designed to crush. While Sobek could easily do the same, his longer set spread the force of his bite out more. He could afford to have those longer jaws to catch his prey and haul it close so his claws could tear it apart.

Feraligatr was a grappler, one who used the long limbs of its body to bring its enemy in and then deliver a bone-crushing bite to finish them off.

Similar, but different. Ash wondered how closely related they were. Sure, Feraligatr were primarily native to Johto and Krokorok to Unova, but their body types were so alike. Perhaps they shared a distant ancestor that split off long, long ago.

Ash's gaze flickered away from the pair of crocodilians over to the water, where he could just make out the top of Gyarados' crest. It seemed to sleep coiled up on the bottom of the lagoon, but kept its head floating near the surface—probably to get above the waves faster if it needed to. It was clearly protective of its students.

He understood.

Sobek's claws glistened black as he activated Hone Claws. It had only taken a matter of hours to learn the technique—it was an easy move for him to pick up.

Ash was satisfied with the newfound skill and nodded his approval. "Good job, buddy. Now we have to give you something to use those claws with."

Sobek grinned toothily in agreement and lunged at Feraligatr, slashing at the beast's tough hide while it swung at him with Slashes and Dragon Claws. It was clumsier on land than Sobek, but that didn't usually matter much. Ash smirked as Sobek tried to mimic the Dragon Claw attack and wound up getting smacked in the face by an Aqua Tail for his trouble.

The boy turned away from that particular spar and watched as Pyro trained with Jasmine and Gyarados. The Veteran was giving them a lesson on draconic energy—a huge bonus in Ash's opinion.

Jasmine was trying to learn Dragon Breath and had already made a little progress, though more often than not she only produced small jets of draconic flame. Pyro, meanwhile, was on the cusp of mastering Dragon Rush. The stubborn move had been their goal for months now, and it was finally within sight.

Gyarados had taken to instructing them with an unconventional method that essentially killed two birds with one stone: by teaching them Dragon Dance.

Pyro knew the technique innately and Jasmine was able to learn it as well, but neither of them were remotely proficient with it. But Dragon Dance required something both of them needed to master—fine-tune control of dragon-type energy. Training in this way furthered their proficiency with the stubbornly elusive power and also avoided unnecessary explosions, which Jasmine was grateful for.

Jasmine was born with natural skill for dragon-type techniques, so she picked it up more quickly than Pyro, but her Charmeleon companion had been working at this goal for ages now. He'd mastered Dragon Claw and was well on his way to claiming Dragon Rush in-turn. Thus, they were both progressing at roughly the same rate.

Still, it made Ash grin when he watched them mimic Gyarados' Dragon Dance, concentrating the power and spreading it through their bodies to accelerate their physical strength. Jasmine wasn't as fast with Dragon Dance as she was with Agility, but she hit like a whip with that tail of hers. Pyro was tearing through stones like paper.

A snarl behind him had Ash turning back to the spar and he sighed a little when Feraligatr shoved Sobek's face into the dirt, sneering at the smaller croc.

"Let him up," Ash ordered. Feraligatr leered at him for a few moments, probably wondering where Ash kept the audacity to give it commands, but the boy didn't flinch under the reptile's gaze and he suspected he'd earned some degree of grudging respect for that. Feraligatr growled and released Sobek, who scrambled to his feet and snapped his teeth in annoyance at his loss.

Their fights were getting longer. In a way, it was a good thing Sobek was spending so much time fighting an enemy clearly stronger than he was—he was learning to dodge more often instead of try to grapple for dominance all the time. Feraligatr had only needed to beat that lesson into him for a day or two before the message was received.

"Sobek, take a break," Ash told the ground-type. "Then go pick a fight with…Kingler."

The croc leered at the huge crab, who was snapping its gigantic pincer menacingly at anything that got too close while it took a rest of its own on the beach. Kingler was a bit easier to fight since it was slower than Feraligatr and less mobile, but if it clobbered Sobek with a Crabhammer, he was doomed.

All the more reason to stay away from the thing.

Ash yelped as Eevee darted past him and underneath Feraligatr's huge body. The enormous water-type hissed in surprise as Vaporeon leapt onto its shoulder and then jumped after Eevee in pursuit, chasing its pre-evolution with a yowl and an Ice Beam. Feraligatr, clearly exasperated, dropped to all fours and clawed its way off the beach and into the water, slapping its tail to create a wave that expressed its irritation.

Vaporeon wasn't as fast as Eevee, but that hardly mattered when it was spitting Water Guns and Ice Beams in pursuit of the smaller Pokemon. She sometimes shot a Shadow Ball or Swift back at it when she had a moment, but Vaporeon easily overwhelmed most of her attacks with its greater strength.

Still, these runs weren't solely meant to teach Eevee how to hit enemies on the move.

Ash grinned as Eevee, without seeing Vaporeon as it attacked, dove to the side and evaded the oncoming Ice Beam.

Detect. Tricky to learn, but Vaporeon had already known the move and eagerly took to teaching Eevee. She was still a learner, made obvious when Vaporeon clipped Eevee with a Water Gun, but she was picking the technique up fast.

Spectre had been spending most of his time with Ash, and was still floating close by under Ash's watchful gaze as he tried to figure out Will-O-Wisp. When he wasn't doing that, he sometimes joined in the chases between Eevee and Vaporeon, popping up with Shadow Sneak or Shadow Ball to make things really tricky for Eevee.

Seeing as the ghost was in the middle of a chase at the moment, Ash decided he'd spend time working with Spectre a little later. For now, he headed away from the beach and into the woods a ways in search of Douse.

Poliwrath was sparring with Douse and the two other Poliwhirl when Ash found them.

The two wild Poliwhirl were clearly weaker than Douse—they were slower and when they struck Poliwrath, their blows usually bounced off of the fighting-type before they were swatted aside by its huge hands. In comparison, Douse was quick and ducked under the attacks to hit Poliwrath with powerful Mega Punches and Wake-Up Slaps. It was hard to damage the incredibly bulky body of his evolved form, but he made more progress than his fellow students.

Ash snorted quietly when Poliwrath stopped the pair of wild Poliwhirl with one hand each, smashed them together, and tossed them into the pond carelessly. Douse took the chance to charge in and drive a Mega Punch into its gut, but the fighting-type only grunted and grabbed at him. Douse bounced away, putting some distance between them.

To be caught in Poliwrath's grip would end any fight between them. They were natural grapplers with a low center of gravity and immense strength. Their short stature made them difficult for taller enemies to fight—all Poliwrath had to do was go for the legs and unbalance them with an effortless flex of its huge muscles. If they couldn't get up close, shooting high-volume blasts of water at speed would usually do the trick.

Poliwrath went after Douse, lunging with surprising speed. Douse retaliated by blasting it with Hydro Pump—it wasn't complete, but it was getting better—and propelling himself away from the fighter. He dove to the side and launched Ice Beams at Poliwrath's legs to slow it down, but his evolved form just beat the ice away and kept up the chase.

Ash had no illusions as to who would win this. Poliwrath was bigger, stronger, faster, and more durable. On top of that, it was more experienced than Douse. It met an Ice Beam with its fist, strengthening an Ice Punch as it lunged again and drove a freezing gauntlet into Douse's belly.

The Poliwhirl was sent flying and skipped over the ground, but he recovered his footing and managed to stop himself. He glared at Poliwrath, who rolled one of its densely-muscles shoulders and grunted a question. Douse responded by charging with a Mega Punch, and Poliwrath's eyes gleamed with satisfaction.

He suspected the reason Poliwrath had taken to Douse so quickly was because the Poliwhirl just didn't quit. He would fight and fight and fight until he was beaten into unconsciousness and not a moment before.

Ash also imagined that was why their spars lasted a good long while most of the time. Poliwrath wasn't exactly going easy on Douse, but it didn't take every opportunity it had to deliver a punishing knockout blow. It would hit hard, but he was pretty sure it was trying to make sure Douse fought as long as he could before it ended a spar.

Poliwrath was certainly capable of delivering a battle-ending impact whenever it wanted.

Satisfied that the water-type would be busy for some time yet, Ash quietly left the area and returned to the beach. Hopefully Sobek hadn't gotten caught by Kingler.

Another day came and went.

Ash cupped water in his hands and splashed his face, chasing away the remnants of sleep from his body. He dried himself with one of the towels from his bag and looked up along the pond.

It had become something of a ritual for his team to come here in the morning, following Douse to the pond for fresh water to drink (and swim, if Jasmine felt like it). Ash watched as Pyro and Sobek lowered their heads beside Eevee and drank from the pool while Jasmine dove deeper to playfully chase the Poliwag.

Spectre, who Ash had never seen drink, was content to remain in his shadow.

Pyro finished first and shook himself, letting out a satisfied growl. He eyed Poliwrath—who was leaning against the opposite bank as it watched Jasmine chase the Poliwag with amusement—and narrowed his eyes. The flame at the end of his tail flickered blue.

Ash had been seeing the blue sparks more and more often these days. He knew Pyro was getting close to evolution, and training with the Veteran and the Pokemon in its care had only accelerated that process.

It didn't surprise him; Pyro thrived in battle. The past few days had been great for the growth of his team. Maybe he should stay in one place and train for days on end more often—the results from this excursion were certainly promising.

Sobek was getting close, as well. His sandy scales had darkened noticeably until they were almost russet, taking on just the slightest hints of red.

Douse had made leaps and bounds thanks to the spars with Poliwrath, but he'd already been mature by the time Ash captured him. He guessed that the Poliwhirl was ready to evolve as soon as he got his hands on either of the evolutionary items needed to promote him to his final stage.

It was harder to tell with Spectre and Eevee. Spectre was improving, but his growth was different from the others and Ash would have to ask Professor Oak about signs for his impending evolution, because nothing obvious stood out to him. Eevee was similarly vexing; with her species' penchant for evolving into multiple forms, there was no way to tell when she'd be ready to evolve.

Well, knowing her, she'd evolve when she was ready and not a moment before.

Jasmine was bursting at the seams. Ash had no idea if it was because she was training for the first time in her life instead of playing in her lake back at the Safari Zone, but her growth was explosive once she began to train in earnest. She grew stronger every day and picked up on new moves faster than he had hoped for.

She'd learned Dragon Breath and Dragon Dance incredibly fast, even if they were still rough. Ash was pretty sure he'd seen her trying to chase Sharpedo with Aqua Jet, too (though she never caught the shark). He had no idea what else she might pick up by the time they moved on from this place.

Thinking about it had him grinning. Ash stood up and set his cap atop his head, getting the attention of his team. He whistled sharply, drawing Jasmine up from below the water, and the Dratini trilled a question at him.

Ash tilted his head in the direction of the beach. "C'mon. We've got work to do."

A week had passed since they arrived at the Veteran's home.

The midday sun pounded down on them and the head was intense, but Ash didn't take his eyes away from the upcoming battle. Most of his team was focused on the contest—even Douse, who had come back to the beach with Poliwrath to spar elsewhere.

Pyro roared at Feraligatr, flames trailing from his mouth as he flexed his claws. The huge water-type snarled back and slammed its heavy tail against the ground. Its powerful jaws snapped together loudly in a threat display.

Neither was deterred. Although Pyro had spent most of his time here training with the Veteran, he was under no illusions that he could best the titanic specimen of a Gyarados.

But Feraligatr was reachable. As the second most powerful Pokemon in the area, it was the strongest foe Pyro had a chance at defeating. After a week of training under the Veteran's watchful eye and fighting day after day, the Charmeleon looked ready to try his luck and see how far he'd come.

Pyro breathed a huge Flamethrower into the air. Feraligatr dropped to all fours and bellowed, crouching in preparation to charge. It was immense compared to Pyro, but the fire-type couldn't have cared less.

Ash felt his blood rushing, but didn't stand to take command of his starter. This was Pyro's fight.

The flame at his tail sparked with blue and he charged. Feraligatr roared again and began to rush him, long limbs carrying the beast across the sand at surprising speed.

Pyro's talons flashed with the green of Dragon Claw as he dove past Feraligatr's snapping jaws and ripped through the scales of its flank. Feraligatr growled and swung at Pyro with an Aqua Tail, but he ducked under it. The Charmeleon blasted his opponent with a Flamethrower as it turned around to face him again.

Feraligatr took the blast head-on for a moment before positively drowning the fire with a massive Hydro Pump. Pyro took the brunt of it and roared, body steaming as he was bowled over. He picked himself up and shook his head while snapping fiery teeth at Feraligatr.

The beast's own fangs became encrusted in ice, then it was charging again. This time, Pyro roared until it was right on top of him, then jumped upwards.

Feraligatr snapped up at Pyro's tail, but missed as the Charmeleon came down on his back. Dragon Claws hooked into its dorsal spines and then Pyro was bathing Feraligatr in fire. The water-type snarled and tried to shake him off, but Pyro clung on tight. Feraligatr turned and bit at him, only for Pyro to let go with his right arm and swing a Mega Punch into its face.

Clearly sick of the foe holding onto its back, Feraligatr sprinted for the ocean, ignoring the flames. Pyro jumped off before the water-type charged into the sea, creating a steaming trail as the fire at its back was extinguished. He backed off from the waves, watching for his enemy warily.

It was quiet for just a few moments.

Feraligatr exploded from the ocean with a Giga Impact, propelling itself with the incredible launching speed it possessed in the water. Pyro howled and met the charge with Dragon Rush.

The violent collision immediately became lopsided. Feraligatr bowled Pyro over and sent him flying with its greater mass and power. The Charmeleon skipped across the sand twice before he rolled onto all fours and dug his claws in to slow himself down. He shook himself and roared again. He was hurt, but not beaten.

Feraligatr glared at the smaller, stubborn reptile and reared up onto two legs. Ash watched in awe as its eyes flashed red and then it howled.

He'd seen this move more times than he could remember on TV. Lance's dragons used it sometimes to overwhelm particularly tough enemies into submission.

Outrage. Pyro hadn't hurt Feraligatr too badly yet, but it was mad.

Draconic energy surged along its body as Feraligatr lunged at Pyro with much greater speed than before. It snapped like a feral beast after the Charmeleon, who dove out of the way and gave chase. The massive, heavy tail swung to meet him with speed such a bulky creature had no right to possess and drove its full force into Pyro's gut.

Even with the wind knocked out of him, Pyro clung to the tail and waited as it dragged itself back before letting it go. As Feraligatr spun to bite at him, Pyro grabbed its head with Dragon Claw and crushed it into the dirt, then slammed a Mega Punch into its chin when the beast shot back up.

Feraligatr roared in fury and snapped its maddened gaze on Pyro, swinging its huge arms at the Charmeleon. Outrage would drive the beast on until it exhausted itself or was beaten into unconsciousness.

Pyro ducked under a swing and shot forward into Feraligatr's throat with Dragon Rush. As the beast toppled over onto its back, he slashed at it, rending scales and the flesh beneath. Feraligatr reared up and smashed its heavy skull into Pyro's, sending him sprawling onto the beach. The infuriated water-type quickly scrambled back to all fours and pounced, but Pyro leapt out of the way and backpedaled to regain his balance—only for a Hydro Pump to crush him into the cliffside a short distance away.

Feraligatr ceased the blast only long enough to charge up a Hyper Beam. Pyro met the full-force beam with Flamethrower. The attacks met and although Flamethrower was overwhelmed, they still exploded before the Hyper Beam reached Pyro. The shockwave still flattened him against the cliff, though.

Feraligatr stopped a moment to take in air, sucking in greedy gulps as it began to stalk towards Pyro on all fours. The Charmeleon managed to extricate himself from the cliff and shook his body. He was wounded, but his tail burned brighter than ever.

Pyro roared—and light surged over his body.

Even the maddened Feraligatr paused as its opponent's form surged with evolutionary energy, dramatically transitioning the fire-type's body to his final stage.

Muscle and bone expanded and grew tougher to accommodate a much large body. The lonely horn on the back of his head split into two and lengthened. The tail grew thicker and longer, the flame roared as it was fed the energy to keep it bigger than ever.

Pyro's snout, once short and blunt, stretched out and became a pair of long, snapping jaws. His arms and fingers grew, became more dextrous, and the claws were thicker and sharper than before. At his back, two huge wings burst forth and spread to their full, immense span.

The light was ripped away as Pyro reared to his full height and roared, spitting flame ten meters into the sky.

The Charizard that stood where his Charmeleon had once been made Ash smile from ear-to-ear until his face hurt. Pyro was even bigger than Feraligatr now, if not as bulky. But his wings were enormous, twenty feet from one wingtip to the other to get his massive body off the ground. His claws flexed as he felt his new form.

Pyro glared at Feraligatr, who was still in the throes of Outrage and growling viciously, and roared a challenge. The water-type howled back, slammed its tail into the ground, and dove into a Giga Impact. Pyro's horns glowed fierce bluish-green as he crouched and charged.

It was Dragon Rush perfected. The energy consumed Pyro in his entirety as his wings pounded downwards to launch him forward. When he met Feraligatr head-on, neither gave way.

The impact was immense, sending a shockwave in every direction as the pair of reptiles struggled against each other. Even after evolving, Pyro couldn't overwhelm Feraligatr for its sheer mass and power—especially while it was using Outrage—but he wasn't drunk on his fury. He grabbed the beast and threw himself around it, causing Feraligatr to stumble forwards into the sand.

Feraligatr turned and snarled as Pyro jumped onto its back again. It was more awkward because of how much bigger he was now, but his greater weight briefly drove Feraligatr to the ground. Pyro blasted it with a Flamethrower that consumed the beast completely.

Feraligatr howled in pain and charged for the water, stumbling frequently as the Charizard dug his claws in and flared his wings out. The huge appendages flapped madly to slow the water-type's rush, and all the while Pyro kept bathing Feraligatr in his fire.

It managed to make it to the shoreline, and then Feraligatr's claws grasped at air.

Ash watched, eyes wide, as Pyro managed to carry Feraligatr several meters into the air even as it flailed and spat Hyper Beams and Hydro Pumps to escape. Outrage was exhausting it, but he couldn't hold the heavy beast up for long.

Pyro half-threw, half-dropped Feraligatr back first onto the beach and dove at it. He was in such a rush, he almost crashed into the sand himself, but he landed on the water-type's chest and savaged his foe.

Dragon Claws ripped into Feraligatr's chest, tearing apart its hide as the beast scrambled to get away from Pyro's onslaught. It snapped its jaws at Pyro and found its mouth clamped shut as the Charizard caught its snout with Fire Fang. Feraligatr shook its head madly and managed to wrench its head free, but Pyro rose up and slammed his heavy foot into its belly.

He lunged down with a Mega Punch, only for Feraligatr to shift its head out of the way. One of the huge arms came up and drove an Ice Punch into Pyro's face.

Pyro was briefly lifted off of his foe and roared at the sky, spitting blood and fire into the air. Feraligatr tried to escape, but Pyro's foot was crushing its belly again before it could get away. It opened its mouth—probably to spit a Hyper Beam or Hydro Pump—only to find its throat squeezed shut as Pyro lunged down and clamped the beast's windpipe between his claws.

The Charizard leaned in and roared at Feraligatr's face at the top of his lungs, demanding submission. Still enraged, Feraligatr squeezed whatever oxygen it could get through its throat and bellowed back until the noise of their fury was deafening.

Feraligatr snapped its jaws at Pyro, shoving itself up with its strong arms, but Pyro leaned away from the bite. Feraligatr managed to sit up long enough to see the Dragon Claw coming—from Pyro's huge foot claws.

The improvised Dragon Claw crushed Feraligatr's head into the sand, packing the full weight of the Charizard's body behind it. The huge water-type's body jerked once from the impact and then slackened.

Pyro stepped off of Feraligatr and glared down at his foe, who had been freed of Outrage's influence when unconsciousness claimed it. He threw his head skyward and roared his victory, spitting fire in glory.

His bellow broke the silence of the onlookers, who exploded in a cacophony of howls and cheers. Pyro stopped and shook himself, panting, but victorious as his team rushed over to inspect his new body.

Ash shouldered his bag, walked over, and prepared to heal his starter and Feraligatr, unable to stop smiling.

Pyro spotted him and watched as Ash approached. He waited patiently as his trainer inspected his new form, ignoring the others.

In the end, Ash looked up at Pyro and smirked. "You're taller than me now."

Pyro chuffed in laughter and leaned forward to press his snout to his trainer's hat, rumbling joyfully when Ash scratched the underside of his chin.

Chapter Text

Chapter Thirteen: Vermillion Thunder

Ash had all of his stuff packed up the next morning so they could hit the road again. There was still some time before the St. Anne got into port and it would take him about a week or so to get to Vermillion. Once he was there, the plan was to train that last week until it was time to depart. His team had gotten a fitful night's sleep and were already looking restless; he'd been woken up by the sounds of Pyro and Sobek snapping at each other in challenge.

He couldn't help but sigh, though it was to be expected. Pyro's evolution and subsequent display of power had Sobek absolutely starving for a fight. The two of them were his main powerhouses and competition was fierce—no doubt Sobek wanted to find out where they stood now in terms of strength. There was bound to be a fight sooner or later.

Neither Pyro or Sobek were known for being especially patient.

Gyarados only looked amused by the prospect. The Veteran looked down as Ash approached it at the water's edge, lowering its skull to see him better.

"We really can't thank you enough," Ash told the huge water-type, smiling. "You've helped us out so much. We really appreciate it."

Gyarados rumbled, blinking slowly in acknowledgement. Ash set his hand on the enormous, worn crest. "I think it's time we leave, though. We've got more battles waiting for us. If it's alright with you, maybe we'll drop by again sometime? I'd like to show you how far we've come."

The leviathan's eyes glittered at the prospect and it growled eagerly, sending a shiver through Ash's whole body that made him grin. Gyarados pulled back slowly and turned away for a second, looking towards Poliwrath. With an unspoken cue, the bulky fighter approached Ash—and Douse, who hurried to meet his temporary master—and stopped before them.

It looked at Douse and grunted once, then held one of its huge, glove-like hands out with the palm opened upwards. Ash's breath caught.

In Poliwrath's hand was a Water Stone, reflecting the morning light in a way that appeared liquescent thanks to the bubble-like spheres of blue contained in the gem. The varying shades made it impossible to settle on any one variant, but it brought to mind every kind of blue he could imagine—from the clear sky, to the dark depths of the sea, and the cool, warm color of the shallows.

Douse looked startled and awe-struck, immediately drawn to the gem. Poliwrath grunted again, jerking him out of his reverie, and the Poliwhirl hesitated before looking to Ash.

Looking for permission.

"It's your choice," he said, gesturing to the stone. "You've worked so hard to get where you are now. If you think you're ready, I trust you."

Douse considered that and looked back to Poliwrath with a gurgling question. His temporary master didn't hesitate to nod.

It was the push he needed. He took the Water Stone in his hands reverently.

There was a pause. And then—

The Water Stone gleamed as it triggered the dormant genetic codes in Douse's body, causing energy to surge throughout him until his form was suffused in a powerful white glow. Ash and Poliwrath stepped away as Douse's shape bulked up and roiled, becoming stocky and broad. The glove-like hands split into three distinct fingers as the arms bulged with muscle.

The light burst away from Douse as he emerged from the evolutionary cocoon, rolling heavy shoulders and clenching his new, huge hands. He shook himself and grunted deeply.

It was a quick evolution, Ash reflected. The biggest anatomical changes were undoubtedly the hands and increased bulk, but the shift from Poliwhirl into Poliwrath was less dramatic than many other evolutions he knew of.

Douse was nearly double his previous size—almost as tall as Ash was—but he was still short and stocky. The low center of gravity a Poliwrath possessed made them exceptional grapplers. For an opponent to be caught in their iron grip could very well decide a match.

The onlookers watched him curiously. Ash was the first to approach his friend, who faced him once he'd given his new body a good look.

"Does everything feel alright?"

Douse grunted. His voice was deeper than before, unsurprisingly. He clenched and unclenched his new fingers, getting a feel for the new appendages. Ash couldn't help but grin. "You look great."

That seemed to please Douse, whose eyes turned up to his equivalent of a smile.

The older Poliwrath—his short-term master—made a sound to regain his pupil's attention. Douse turned towards him and made a response. Ash glanced between them back and forth for a moment before making a decision.

"Poliwrath, could you help him for a little while longer?" Ash requested. The pair of water-types looked over at him. "I'd just like to make sure he gets used to his new body as soon as possible."

Poliwrath glanced at Douse, who dipped his head in agreement. Although they were now equals in terms of maturity, there was still respect from the younger water-type, who knew he was less experienced than the master.

Poliwrath waved one of his arms to guide Douse away. The Poliwhirl and Poliwag bounced after them eagerly, fawning over Douse's new form.

Ash cracked a smile as he watched his friend go, then looked at the rest of his team. Their attention had also been on Douse, but now they looked to their trainer.

"Well, let's give them a few hours together," Ash told them. "We can get in a workout while Douse gets used to everything."

He was about to start giving them instructions when the Veteran rumbled to get their attention. Everyone watched as the leviathan of a Gyarados left the lagoon and slithered onto the beach, coiled up as he had been when they first met. Rearing his head up, he let out a low growl of challenge that had Ash's team stiffening.

Ash grinned at the obvious provocation.

"Is everyone else up for a rematch?" He prompted.

Pyro snarled, flaring his wings and thrashing his tail as the rest of his team made their own cries of agreement. Ash backed off as his Pokemon charged towards the Veteran, who bellowed in response.

One last bout before they hit the road.

Halfway through the day, they stopped as usual for lunch. Naturally, this included some light training.

Pyro and Douse had been studying each other with curiosity and anticipation all day. Ash wasn't surprised. Even if Gyarados had once more mopped the floor with most of the team earlier that day, they hadn't gotten to see where they stood against one another. None of them had really seen Douse in action, at all.

Ash whistled sharply, getting their attention before Pyro picked a fight when he wasn't looking (Douse was much too polite to display such behavior, even if he wanted to fight). "We can do a spar, you two. But just one—I want you to have enough energy to practice and improve some new moves afterwards with the rest of the team. Understood?"

Of course, there were no arguments. The Pokemon whom Ash had spoken to were already moving away so they had room to rumble. The rest of the team stood with their trainer on the sidelines.

He made sure he had their attention, then barked. "Go!"

Pyro's wings thrust downward to propel his body towards Douse, who waited patiently for his foe to approach. The Poliwrath lifted his fists into a simple fighting stance and his eyes narrowed in concentration.

Pyro roared and slashed at him with a Dragon Claw, but Douse ducked underneath it and proceeded to smash a Mega Punch into the Charizard's thick belly. Even from a distance, Ash heard the breath wheezing out of Pyro's lungs and winced.

The fire-type's eyes bulged and his jaws parted wide to try and suck in air, but sheer fury kept him going. He made a gasping snarl and twisted, slamming his tail into Douse's powerful body. The Poliwrath grunted and took the blow in his muscular shoulder, but seemed wholly unaffected by the impact otherwise.

Ash wasn't surprised. Douse had been strong as a Poliwhirl, but as a Poliwrath, his physical might was leaps and bounds more significant. They had ridiculously powerful muscles even amongst the strongest of fighting-types, although even a Poliwrath couldn't match the unrivaled power of a Machoke or Machamp. But to be fair, few Pokemon in the world could claim such a thing.

Still, Poliwrath had a low center of gravity and such compact, dense muscle that they could match larger Pokemon like Hariyama and Heracross with little trouble. Few Pokemon would care to be on the receiving end of their blows.

Pyro quickly decided he was one of those Pokemon. He managed to fill his lungs with oxygen again and thrashed his tail, glaring balefully at Douse. Unperturbed, Douse chose to fire a Hydro Pump at the Charizard, who launched himself into the air.

His flight was still rough and certainly that of a beginner, but Douse had little experience fighting aerial opponents, so it was good enough to avoid the Hydro Pump. Pyro retaliated by bathing the Poliwrath with a Flamethrower. A well-timed Bubble Beam gave Douse the chance to dive to the side and get away.

Pyro landed, clearly unused to flight, and roared again before charging Douse with a Dragon Rush. Douse kept moving, shifting backwards and spitting Mud Shots and quick bursts of Hydro Pump to slow the Charizard down. Most were dodged, but a few hit—enough that when Pyro reached him, he'd slowed enough for Douse to leap upwards.

Douse rammed his shoulder into Pyro's back as he came down, crushing the Charizard into the dirt with the Body Slam. He reared his fist back for another Mega Punch, but Pyro chose that moment to ignite his whole body and blast absolutely everything around them with a Smokescreen. Douse grunted and was quick to leap away, retreating to a safe distance while the Charizard got back to his feet and faced his foe.

"Enough!" Ash ordered.

Both Pokemon immediately calmed and turned to him, the battle settled. Though neither of them had actually won, it was clear to Ash what the outcome would have been. Never mind the type advantage, Pyro had far more catching up to do to get used to his new body. Douse undoubtedly needed practice to get used to his enhanced musculature, but he hadn't grown a pair of wings.

"That'll do for now," he decided. "Both of you need to work on mastering yourselves. We'll spar more on our way to Vermillion, but this is enough fighting for today."

Douse bowed in acknowledgement. Pyro seemed a little annoyed if the short plume of fire he snorted said anything, but he too accepted Ash's decision and waited for his trainer to dictate their next training exercise.

Ash was already on that and had an idea he wanted to think on while the team got to work. "I want all of you to split into pairs and start training. Focus on improving the moves you've been learning recently and I'll come by to check on you as we go."

His team obeyed him quickly. Pyro was quickly distracted by Spectre, who floated over with a hollow query. Probably asking if the Charizard could help with Will-O-Wisp. Pyro nodded, leading the Duskull away from the others. While the others paired off, Ash considered how to go about spars with his fully-evolved Pokemon.

He could pit Pyro or Douse against multiple opponents at once; it would even the odds a bit and would allow his other Pokemon to practice their teamwork. That was valuable experience for later group battles. Moreover, fighting a variety of opponents at once would hopefully get them used to their new forms a little faster.

Douse wouldn't have nearly as much trouble adjusting, especially after Poliwrath had spent a few hours to help him figure out the mechanics of his new body. His anatomical changes were fairly minimal, although he'd need time to learn how to fully control his newfound strength and adjust to the increase in his muscle mass. Clearly, he'd already made a little progress on that front.

Pyro, on the other hand, was a completely different matter. His wings were a new part of his body that needed to be worked on. From what Ash could tell, he was acting purely on instinct. Pyro had only performed the most basic of aerial maneuvers so far. He'd really only won against Feraligatr through a combination of his newfound power and sheer surprise.

Against Douse, he'd used his wings simply as a means of propulsion to charge along the ground, never mind the air, and the Poliwrath had taken advantage of that by maneuvering around the Charizard with his shorter body. He needed to practice flying if he was going to take full advantage of them in battle.

He nodded to himself once he finished thinking that through and made a few notes in his PokeNav for future reference. Once that was done, he began to do his rounds with the team, eager to get them back into training.

"Brick Break!" Ash commanded.

Fist glowing, Douse charged the stone target Sobek had created and pulverized it with a single blow, reducing it to pebbles.

He nodded, satisfied with the effect. Ash had given the Poliwrath his Brick Break TM as soon as they started training. Douse's only other fighting-type move was Wake-Up Slap and he really needed to expand his repertoire to take advantage of his newfound typing.

Brick Break was a solid start. Not the most powerful of fighting-type techniques, but it was simple and effective where it needed to be. A good foundation to help build on other moves in the future.

Several more Stone Edges burst out of the ground close by and Ash glanced at Sobek. The ground-type had obviously noticed that Douse was done with his previous group of targets and needed a few new ones.

He was busy with his own training at the moment. Hone Claws was more or less already mastered—it was a simple enhancing move to expand Sobek's arsenal beyond solely attacking skills—and now they were getting started on the much trickier Sandstorm.

The simple version created what was little more than a dust devil around Sobek's position, but it wasn't good for much more than annoying an opponent. Ash wanted to make it into something better than that. Moreover, Sandstorm needed a fair bit of stamina to keep it going, so it was good endurance training for Sobek.

It wasn't lost on him that Sobek's scales were steadily darkening as the days went on. Ash thought it fairly likely from what he'd researched in the Pokedex that his friend might also evolve in the coming weeks as they approached the date to board the St. Anne.

Satisfied with the progress Douse and Sobek were making, Ash moved on to the rest of his team.

He made his way to Eevee and Jasmine next, who were working on enhancing their power. Both of them were strong in their own right, but they didn't really match up to the big guns of Ash's team right now. Jasmine was probably about where Douse had been before he evolved thanks to her versatility and great speed. Eevee had similar speed, but not as much versatility or power, although no one could deny that her Shadow Balls hurt.

The pair were currently blasting stone targets Sobek had erected for them with everything they had. Eevee was firing off Swift attacks almost nonstop and Jasmine had been trying to melt her target with Flamethrowers and Dragon Breaths. The two of them were giving it their all and pushing each other up whenever one or the other faltered.

He couldn't help but grin as Eevee's Swift finally destroyed her target, prompting a congratulatory trill from Jasmine before the dragon returned to blasting her stone with renewed vigor.

Eevee was panting, but she looked pleased with her success and yowled a second later at Sobek. The Krokorok took a moment from his endurance training to roar furiously, then spun around and smashed his fist into the earth beneath him. Another, bigger stone erupted in front of Eevee, presenting her with a new object to attack while Sobek got a chance to take some of his frustrations out by demolishing what was left of her first target.

Ash's eyes trailed next to where Pyro and Spectre were training on the edge of the group. His starter was growling something to the small ghost, who was hovering close to the fire-type's head and listening silently. They were trying Will-O-Wisp again, which had been presenting some challenges. All of the fire-type moves his team could use generated flames from some part of their body. Manifesting fire into thin air was a slightly different process that would take a bit more work.

But he did have an idea of how they could pull it off.

"Hey, you two," Ash got the pair's attention as he walked over to them. "Trying Will-O-Wisp?"

Pyro grunted with an irritated expression. He was clearly having difficulty trying to teach a move that was fundamentally different than anything else he knew. The only thing Pyro could really do was help Spectre to harness fire-type energy.

Will-O-Wisp was most often used as a way to burn opponents. The flames it produced usually didn't do a lot of damage to those that came into contact with them, but they were incredibly hot and would usually leave a Pokemon with a painful burn. The variant most commonly used by ghosts was particularly severe; cursed fire was a terrifying weapon.

There was potential to use them as a direct attack, however—Ash had read in the Pokedex that advanced users of Will-O-Wisp could increase the size of the technique and cause the fireballs to explode upon contact. It wouldn't match something of the same caliber as Pyro's Flamethrower, but it certainly would hurt for it to have some extra juice.

Most Masters wouldn't settle for conventional expertise of a move, anyway. The best trainers took what was there and improved upon it.

"I know it's a bit different from our usual fire-type moves, so maybe we should approach it differently as well," he began. At the curious looks his Pokemon were giving him, Ash glanced at Spectre. "Form up a Shadow Ball."

Spectre blinked his single red eye, but did as instructed. Ash felt a spark of pride at how quickly the Shadow Ball was created—it had taken lots of hard work for Spectre to really get that down. Now he was almost as good at making them as Eevee was, though he still wasn't quite equal to her level of power.

"Good. Now try to mass together some fire-type energy the same way," Ash explained. "The Pokedex information I read makes the way Will-O-Wisp is formed sound like a fire-type version of Shadow Ball. So maybe if you try making one just like you make a Shadow Ball, it won't give you as much trouble."

Their eyes lit up at that and Spectre made an eager sound. He made a hollow noise in Pyro's direction and the Charizard responded by breathing out a small tongue of flame onto the Shadow Ball. Spectre's eye narrowed as he tried to feel and maintain the fire-type energy around his ghost-type move. The flame wavered for a few seconds before going out.

Ash still felt like it was progress. The change in thinking could be what they needed for Spectre to learn Will-O-Wisp. That brought him one step closer to being a real threat against future opponents, and Ash hoped that if they made more progress like this, that the Duskull might be ready to face off against Sabrina's psychic-types when the time came.

Training with the Veteran and his myriad of students had pushed Spectre hard and carried him far, but he still wasn't ready to take on the mighty Pokemon commanded by Saffron's Gym Leader.

But that was still a long ways off. For now, they had to work hard to win the upcoming St. Anne tournament.

He chewed his lip nervously as he stared across the large clearing. Ash wasn't sure how he felt about this.

Pyro needed to learn how to fly on more than just instinct. He needed to get into the air and figure out how to maneuver swiftly and accurately. If he couldn't manage that, his massive wings wouldn't be much of an asset.

They'd made a pit stop in order to give him a chance to practice. Depending on how he fared, Ash was going to put him up against three members of the team so that he could further get used to his new body.

They'd been on the road for a couple of days since leaving the Veteran's sanctuary behind. Training had been going well, with progression moving slower or faster for different members of the team. But it was high time that Ash got Pyro on the right track.

The Charizard glanced at him and Ash nodded. "Alright, you're up. I'm not sure what you should do, just try to keep your altitude low and don't get crazy in the air until you get a better feel for it."

Pyro nodded back, then took a few steps into the clearing until he had a fair amount of space between him and the surrounding trees. Eevee was standing back with Ash, watching as their friend began treading into unknown territory for all of them.

Pyro's wings spread wide and he gave a few experimental flaps to stretch them out. Once he was satisfied, the Charizard got into a slight run before flapping down to push himself up. With a few rough, fast surges of the enormous wings, he was in the air. Ash saw the fire-type glide for a short distance before pushing himself up higher, but he cringed when Pyro's claws brushed the top of a tree.

The boy and his Eevee watched as Pyro banked slightly to turn, wobbling a fair bit to stay balanced. Ash's eyes followed the Charizard while he experienced his first flight, messy though it was. The shakiness, balancing problems, and rough flaps made it obvious that Pyro was struggling to find his natural rhythm. This was definitely going to take time and practice. There would be no mass battles yet.

"Pyro!" Ash called up to him. The Charizard jerked his head towards the trainer, who continued. "Come down!"

Ash's heart lurched as Pyro attempted to do so far more quickly than was safe and practically dropped out of the air about fifteen feet up. He slammed feet-first into the ground and staggered, tripped, then face planted into the dirt with a surprised yelp. The boy ran over to his starter as the fire-type pushed himself back onto his feet.

"Are you okay?" Ash demanded.

Pyro did a slow spin in place as he carefully looked himself over to make sure nothing was out of place. He flexed the claws on his toes to make sure nothing was broken and nodded at last. Ash was relieved until he saw a trickle of blood running down the Charizard's mouth.

He lifted his hand up and set it on the scaly lower jaw. "Open up."

Doing as instructed, Pyro opened his maw wide and Ash winced at the broken fang on the upper left side. The missing half in question was tucked under the fire-type's tongue and he removed it. Ash eyed the remnants of the broken fang and sighed. Pyro's natural lining of fresh teeth would soon replace it, but that had to come out before it caused him too much pain.

"I gotta pull this tooth, buddy," he told the Charizard. "It's going to hurt for a second, but it'll hurt a lot worse later if I don't get it out now."

Pyro let out a low groan, but he complied without question. Ash reached into the Charizard's mouth with his right hand, gripped the tooth firmly, and yanked down as hard as he could. The broken fang came out cleanly, but the sting made Pyro flinch and jerk away as it came out. His jaw smacked into Ash's hand the wrong way and the splintered fang pierced through the boy's glove and into his hand.

Ash yelled in pain and grabbed his wrist with his left hand, falling to a crouch and hissing as his eyes watered. The broken tooth was embedded in his right palm and it hurt terribly. Eevee darted over with a low cry as Pyro shook the pain from his jaw and realized that his partner was injured. The two Pokemon hovered over Ash as he grit his teeth and let out a pained moan.

"Pyro," he forced out through his teeth. "Bag. Left pocket. Bandages. Now."

The Charizard looked incredibly guilt-ridden as he shifted behind Ash and tried to open said pocket. Problem was, his big claws weren't suited to the task of delicately pulling on a zipper, so it only made Ash's body shift and send fresh waves of pain through him. "Stop, stop! Eevee, you try it. Just use your teeth and don't move it that much."

Pyro backed off as Eevee stepped in and pulled the pocket's zipper down with her teeth to open it up. She carefully stuck her head inside and bit down on the first wrap of bandages she found, pulling it out slowly so that she didn't move Ash more than was necessary. Once she had them, she moved around to the front of the boy and laid them down on the ground.

Ash gave her a brief nod as thanks because the broken tooth jammed in his palm was killing him. He took a deep breath and shakily gripped the fang as firmly as he could. His eyes squeezed shut and he made a mental count of three before rapidly pulling it out.

Fresh pain lanced up his arm and he swore over and over again, repeating words that would have caused his mother to ground him for months. He managed to get his glove off with a quick yank and another groan, then grabbed the bandages and tried to messily wrap his bleeding hand. But he was shaking too much and he couldn't see clearly through his watering eyes.

"Guys, help," he managed to gasp. "Just wrap it up. It doesn't have to be perfect."

Pyro leaned down and gently gripped his trainer's wrist, using one of his clawed fingers to hold down the tip of the bandages while Eevee used her teeth to delicately wrap the wound. It hurt every time she set a new layer over it, but he was gradually able to get himself under control by breathing slowly.

Finally, it had been wrapped enough and most of the initial pain was gone, so Ash tied it off with one last wince. He sighed and slowly fell back into the grass, hand held gingerly against his chest. "That sucked."

He glanced to the side and saw the offending bit of tooth that had caused them so much trouble gleaming in the sunlight. Pyro and Eevee hovered over him with concerned expressions. Ash looked up at them. "I'll be ok, guys."

Eevee chittered softly at her trainer. Pyro looked away and made a small sound to apologize for causing Ash pain, looking more guilty than he could ever remember. The Charizard glanced back at Ash as the boy lifted his good hand up to touch the corner of his jaw and wipe away the fading trail of blood.

Ash grinned. "We gotta work on your landings, buddy."

Pyro couldn't help but snort and growled agreement, relieved that Ash wasn't upset with him. It had been an accident that they'd both suffered from. He'd make sure that it wouldn't happen again.

Eevee just rolled her eyes and shook her head.

Ash couldn't help but sigh in relief when he reached Vermillion City. It had been a long week getting to his destination and at last he'd made it. Now he had one more week to rest up and train his team before the St. Anne got into port and was ready to be boarded.

"Pyro!" Ash called towards the sky. He waited a few moments before there was a whoosh of air, and then the Charizard was descending close by, slowly lowering himself until he was just a few feet off the ground. He touched down with only a slight fumble and a mild grunt of annoyance, but otherwise his landing was decent.

It was a significant improvement over the first one.

Pyro had been flying overhead while Ash travelled on foot. It gave him a chance to stretch his wings and work on his aerodynamics, which were slowly improving. They'd had a few crash landings, but thankfully none were quite as disastrous as the first.

They'd quickly realized that his wings needed a lot of conditioning to catch up with the rest of his trained limbs—Pyro had only been able to fly that first day for half an hour before he was exhausted. The time he could fly was gradually getting longer, but he was still restricted to just under an hour of powered flight.

The Charizard was breathing pretty heavily after making the last stretch to Vermillion, but he made a proud roar as Ash smiled at him. The boy then recalled his starter and made straight for the Pokemon Center. Ash's team had been training hard on the road and they needed to get a check up before he started grilling them again.

His palm also needed to get checked out by an actual doctor. He didn't think it had gotten infected over the last week or so, but it hurt enough that he'd swapped hands when it came to releasing and recalling his Pokemon.

That had made for some very inaccurate throws and a lot of embarrassment and fumbling on his part. He would need to get a new pair of gloves seeing as his right one had a fairly large slice right through the middle of the palm. Not to mention that he still had to meet with Lt. Surge and find out how Pikachu was doing.

There was a lot to do.

"Hmm…" Nurse Joy frowned as she looked over his sliced palm. It had scabbed over in the last few days and he'd replaced the bandages a few times, but even Ash had to wince at the angry red coloring surrounding the wound. It looked jagged and certainly hurt enough so that he could barely close his hand into a fist.

"Well, there's a mild infection," she finally said. "I can't tell how deep it is, but I would have recommended stitches if you hadn't been out in the wilderness when it happened. How did this happen?"

"My Charizard broke a tooth in a rough landing and I had to pull out what was left of it by hand," he told her. "But he got startled when it came out and accidentally jerked the wrong way."

Joy pinched the bridge of her nose and took a deep breath. "Since it was a necessary precaution, I won't call you a complete fool. But don't make a habit of it. People aren't nearly as durable as Pokemon, and if your Charizard had taken a bite instead, you would be missing at least a finger or two."

He nodded. "I wasn't planning on it. He only recently evolved and we've been trying to ease him into flying. He just had trouble sticking the landing at first."

"It's not uncommon for them to crash frequently when they first get their wings," Joy admitted. "I'm glad he wasn't hurt worse. But remember that Charizard will eventually grow his lost teeth back. Even if he has to go through some pain for a few days, it's better than you getting your hand bitten off. Ditto cells can regenerate lost limbs, but that's still something which should be avoided."

Ash winced at that. Pyro would never have lived it down if something that bad had happened to Ash on his account. He'd be too guilt-ridden to look his trainer in the eye ever again.

"I'll disinfect this for you and get a fresh bandage on it. You're lucky it wasn't any deeper or there might have been nerve damage," she remarked. "As it stands, it's going to leave quite a scar."

He was fine with that. A scar was okay as long as he didn't have permanent damage to his hand. Although that didn't make his injury sting any less when Nurse Joy applied rubbing alcohol to the deep cut.

Once he was cleared by Nurse Joy and his Pokemon were finished with their check-up, Ash made his way to the local Pokemon Mart and got himself a new pair of black, fingerless gloves as well as a big fireproof blanket for Pyro's tail flame. The small one he had now was just barely enough to keep the flame from burning anything and it certainly wouldn't help if Pyro shifted at some point in the night. This larger one would hopefully fix that problem.

With those necessary tasks completed, the boy made straight for the Vermillion City gym. He needed to meet with Lt. Surge and catch up on Pikachu's rehabilitation.

And just catch up with Pikachu in general.

The gym itself had a line of trainers going out the door, all clamoring to battle. Ash would've bet his bottom dollar that each and every one of them was trying to get last-minute tickets for the St. Anne now that the word had spread about Surge handing them out to victorious challengers. Fortunately, he wasn't here for a gym battle—or at least, that was the idea.

Ash made to walk past the line and towards the entrance when one of the waiting trainers yelled at him. "Hey! No cutting in line, you stupid kid!"

He glared at the guy with an annoyed expression. "I'm not here for a fight. Besides, I already defeated Surge and got my ticket."

"Sure you did, little boy," the rude trainer sneered. "Then what are you doing here if you don't want to battle?"

"There he is!"

Ash glanced towards the gym entrance when the massive frame of Lt. Surge walked outside, grinning at him widely as he strolled over. "Sup, kid! Was wondering when you were gonna get here!"

The sight of the electric Gym Leader had the line of trainers clamoring even more intensely. They were yelling and demanding battles to the point that Surge gave them all the evil eye and roared at the top of his lungs. "SHUT UP!"

His commanding tone, honed from years of military work immediately quieted the frantic crowd. Surge grunted with annoyance. "You brats go train or something for a while. I've got an important meeting to attend with my client, and then I'm getting lunch. I won't be back for an hour at least."

The responding groans and obnoxiously loud protests only served to irritate Surge further. He glared at the dozens of trainers and growled a low, but crystal clear order. "Listen to me very carefully. I'm going to count to ten and if any of you are still here, I am going to make you run laps until your legs turn to jelly."

That made a lot of them hesitate. The smartest ones wisely left. The trainer that had initially snapped at Ash was dumb enough to arch an eyebrow cockily and smirk. "Really?"

A vein bulged prominently upon Surge's forehead.

"ONE!"

The arrogant trainer jumped straight into the air and took off running before he could respond, leading the crowd of scrambling, terrified trainers far away from the menace that was Lieutenant Surge. In five seconds flat, the gym entrance was quiet again.

Ash just shook his head and sighed.

Surge huffed in exasperation. "Stupid punks don't know when to quit. You'd think after all the trainers I send crying out of my gym that they'd stop coming in droves, but no! I barely have a moment of quiet to myself these days. Shitty brats."

Ash was smart enough to hide the little smile that appeared on his face at the sight of the irritated Gym Leader. The man in question then looked at him and grinned conspiratorially. "Thanks for volunteering to be my escape from the mob. Now, hows about we grab your mouse and get something to eat?"

"Sounds good to me."

They went into the gym and Ash felt no surprise upon seeing Surge's Raichu and a couple of other electric-types being fed by the Gym Leader's underlings. He didn't see Pikachu immediately though, because his attention was taken by the hulking behemoth in the middle of the battlefield currently fixing him with a curious stare.

The Pokemon was bipedal and had an impressive, muscular build. Yellow fur covered its entire body, with thick bands of black on its arms, legs, torso, and head. A pair of horns shaped like lightning rods rested atop its head and twin black tails with red tips swished slowly behind it.

Surge grinned upon seeing Ash mesmerized. "Thought you might like him. That's Storm. My Electivire."

"Electivire," Ash repeated, taking in the mighty electric-type. Rare even in the upper echelons of training, powerful, and outright menacing in the right hands. He watched as Storm casually smashed his fists together and generated a shock wave that spread through the room, setting his hairs on end. The Electivire had a dangerous grin on his face that matched his trainer's and Ash could tell immediately that he held an enormous amount of power. Storm was probably Surge's ace Pokemon, like Giovanni's Rhyperior or Sabrina's fabled Alakazam.

He did wonder how his team would match up to this powerhouse…

"You're no match for him as you are now," Surge told the boy, as if reading his mind. "Storm is the one I call in when the other Gym Leaders feel like throwing down for real. Or when a baby shows up to my gym with some actual teeth. He's strong enough to give some Elite Four Pokemon a run for their money."

Ash believed him. Surge was fond of boasting, but he was not the type to exaggerate a Pokemon's strengths. Whether they were weak or strong, he would say it outright, but he wouldn't embellish any further than was necessary. Ash didn't doubt for a second that Storm lived up to the praise.

"There's your mouse," Surge told him, and Ash's attention immediately left the Electivire to seek out someone far more important to him.

Two Pikachu were bounding towards them, and Ash immediately knew which one was his—not because his Pikachu's tail shape was different than the female's beside him, or because of the jagged scar marring his belly, but because that mischievous gleam in his eyes was still the same.

Pikachu was already snickering as he leapt for his trainer. Ash caught him and laughed, feeling his hairs stand up again as the errant electrical charge from Pikachu's body spread over him.

"Missed you, buddy," he told him. Pikachu chittered, rubbing his cheeks against Ash's shoulder that made his muscles jolt slightly.

"He's doing well," Surge admitted. Ash heard footsteps and glanced over briefly to see Storm walk over to stand by his trainer—Raichu was on the Electivire's shoulder, positively tiny by comparison. "Bailey did a good job patching him up while he was in the ICU at Celadon. His electrical organs have retained their charge and we've been improving his output again. He should recover fully within a month, maybe two depending on his progress. I'm an expert at rehabilitating electric-types. I've done this too many times to count."

Ash frowned. "Is it that common?"

"Not really, but we're not at war anymore, kid," Surge reminded him. "During the Cipher Wars, I had to do rehab with a whole range of electric-types that suffered injuries like his. The success rate back then for a full recovery was barely thirty percent because we usually didn't have the tech or medical equipment in the field to handle catastrophic damage to their electrical organs. I myself have a Pokemon from those days that never fully recovered her electric abilities."

"I'm sorry," he said sincerely.

The Gym Leader shrugged. "She's fine. She had her fair share of fighting in the Cipher Wars. Now she can kick back, relax, and watch the rest of us whoop ass. And I trained her to fight without electricity, of course, so she's not helpless if she has to battle.

"But back to your mouse. Since I'm not worried about being called to the front lines of a war anytime soon, I've been able to focus on his rehab. At this point, he's good to go. His electrical charge is still a bit less than it was before he got injured, but he'll regain his old firepower with practice and patience."

Ash nodded to himself a couple of times as he processed that. Pikachu still had a ways to go, but at least his recovery so far had been smooth sailing. That he could return to Ash's care was more a relief than he'd ever imagined it would be.

"Visquez!" Surge suddenly barked. One of the gym trainers—a young, dark-skinned woman—immediately glanced over to them. He tossed her a worn Poke Ball. "You're taking over for a bit. Keep Storm. Let him do what he wants if a challenger gives you any trouble. You know the drill."

"Yes, sir!" She snapped out a quick salute, then moved to get the battlefield organized again with the other gym trainers and their Pokemon. A Raichu (smaller than Surge's) and an Electrode remained at her side as she took Surge's place in the arena. She recalled Storm—undoubtedly to surprise and horrify any challenger who managed to get past her own Pokemon.

Surge jerked his head towards the back of the gym. "C'mon. We'll eat in the lounge. I'll fill you in on the details."

Ash nodded and followed him.

About twenty minutes later, they'd eaten their fill. Ash and Surge sat across from each other at a dark, square table big enough to host the half-dozen or so gym trainers and their Leader.

Nearby was enough space for the Pokemon to relax and eat as they wished. Ash had set loose most of his team when Surge gave him the ok. They were happy to see Pikachu again, and Jasmine—who had never met him before—was interested in making a new friend.

If she only knew what he was capable of, Ash thought with some amusement.

Surge had a grin on his face as he studied Ash's team. "Not bad, not bad. They're still young and rough around the edges, but you're getting them into pretty good shape from what I can tell. Where the hell did you get a Dratini?"

"The Safari Zone," Ash answered, smiling as Jasmine trilled to Pikachu and Sparks, the latter of whom was being introduced to the team. "Eevee found her while I was trying to find a Scyther and they hit it off."

"Nice. She'll be a powerhouse once she evolves."

Ash only nodded in agreement.

Surge took a drink and let out a satisfied sigh. "Right. I'll be frank—your mouse is good to go, like I said before. He's recovered nicely from that hit he took. I'd recommend working on fully regaining his electric capabilities before you commit him to any serious battles, but he can handle the average rookie by now. Give him a month, maybe two, and then he'll be back at full strength."

That was great to hear. "Are there any exercises in particular he should do?"

The question won him an approving grin. "Standard electrical output training is done by having a pair of electric-types throw bolts at each other back and forth until the discharge gets to be too much for one or the other. It'll serve the same purpose for his recovery."

Ash pursed his lips. "I might send him back to Professor Oak's lab for a bit, then. He's got a few electric-types there that could help out. I've already got six Pokemon on me at the moment—"

"Let him stay here for a while," Surge suggested, cutting him off. Ash blinked and the big man shrugged. "Your rodent hit it off with Sparks while he was recovering. It'd probably be good for him to stick around while he finishes healing."

"Sparks?" Ash echoed. Surge jerked his head towards his team and Ash's gaze followed to the female Pikachu he'd seen earlier. She was being introduced by his own Pikachu to the rest of the team. Now that he was looking for it, he could see that the two of them were standing close enough that their fur brushed against one another.

Ah.

"The Raichu line are fairly prolific," chuckled the Gym Leader. "Once they evolve into Pikachu, they're technically adults. You see family groups led by Pikachu in most of Kanto. Raichu are only really common in the fields east of Cerulean, where we get most of our lightning storms, and by the artificial Power Plant the League set up for wild electric-types."

"Fair enough," Ash couldn't help but smirk. Unexpected, but not unwelcome. Clearly Pikachu hadn't been deprived of affection while under Surge's care.

"Go ahead and train with him while you're here. I've got a smaller training field out back," Surge jerked his thumb in a direction Ash assumed was towards said field. "You guys can spend as long as you want out there. It's fenced off, so you won't have any nosy punks trying to muscle in on it. I can sic Visquez and the others on ya if you like. You could all learn something from each other, I reckon."

Ash smiled at the thought. "I think we'd like that."

"Good," Surge grinned, standing up. "C'mon then. I still need to whip some wannabe tough kids before the day is up."

"Flash Cannon!" Visquez barked.

Her Magneton clicked and sparked, generating a sphere of silver energy between its focused magnets. Ash's eyes narrowed at the sight.

"Dragon Rage!"

Jasmine spat a blast of draconic energy in retaliation and the two moves collided violently. Though they met in a stalemate, the Dratini's body glowed with the effects of Agility as she blurred across the field with her tail flashing green. Magneton sparked, but it wasn't fast enough to counter the Dragon Tail that smashed into its steel hide.

The electric-type hit the ground hard and managed to levitate back up, but Jasmine loosed a gout of fire that consumed it until Visquez recalled the creature in surrender.

"We'll have to work on that," she decided, mouth set in a line. "Strobe has too much trouble with fast Pokemon."

She looked up at Ash. "Your Dratini is stronger than I expected."

"She's good at what she does," Ash called back, smiling as Jasmine slithered over to him. He lifted a hand to scratch the scales beneath her chin, causing her to trill happily. "Good girl. Take a break with Eevee, ok?"

Jasmine nodded and left him to join Eevee on the sidelines, meeting her friend with a cheerful sound. While the two of them reunited, Ash looked up as Visquez set her Raichu—Amelie—loose.

He considered his options. Pyro and Sobek had already been in a fair few spars, and Jasmine was obviously out for now. Pikachu was busy tossing bolts back and forth with Surge's Magnezone (another addition Ash was interested in battling sometime). Douse's efforts were better suited to practicing his new fighting-type moves. He wasn't ready to take on a Raichu trained under Surge's watchful eye.

So Eevee or Spectre…

His eyes trailed over to the rest of his team. "Spectre, you're up."

The Duskull floated over as Amelie bounded onto the field, cheeks sparking at the ready. Both trainers exchanged smirks as Jack called the start of the match.

"Begin!"

"Bolt Run," Visquez ordered. She sounded far more comfortable and assured when commanding her Raichu. He wondered if Magneton had been a recent addition to her team. "Shut it in. Cut off its mobility."

"Shadow Sneak," Ash answered simply.

Spectre dove into the floor as Amelie rushed over the field. She was using Spark and Agility as far as Ash could tell, maybe Quick Attack, too. It wasn't quite Volt Tackle. He wondered if her Raichu could use it at all.

It was certainly on the table, given that Surge was teaching her.

Amelie came to a quick stop and lifted her tail, which suddenly surged with electrical energy. Ash stilled as a large Electroweb burst from the bolt-shaped organ at the end, covering the area around Amelie like a huge umbrella.

"Astonish."

Spectre emerged underneath Amelie, ready to slam into her, but the Raichu's reflexes were incredibly quick. She must've still been channeling Agility and Quick Attack. She leapt away, twisting in the air so the Electroweb wound around her tail.

Ash's eyes widened with interest as the web was spun together and made into what was essentially a huge extension of Amelie's tail.

Fascinating. He made a mental note to teach that to Pikachu.

"Back off," he decided. Spectre quickly dove back into the shadows on the field and retreated.

"Cover its escape."

Quick as a whip, Amelie landed, rotated in the opposite direction as before, and flung the now-unfurled Electroweb all over Ash's side of the battlefield. As Spectre emerged, he got a face-full of lightning and made a hollow grunt.

Ash scowled. Amelie was more skilled than Visquez's Magneton by leaps and bounds. That kind of control over a technique like Electroweb took a significant amount of time and training to pull off.

Spectre wasn't ensnared for long. His red eye gleamed and he blasted the net with a vengeful Will-O-Wisp. Though he still had yet to master it, at nearly point-blank range the Electroweb was consumed in otherworldly, purple-blue flames. Spectre freed himself and floated out of the trap only to grunt when he was met with a Thunderbolt courtesy of Amelie.

Even so, it was easy to forget that despite Spectre's small size, he was incredibly tough. He shook the Thunderbolt off after a moment and generated a Shadow Ball much more quickly than Visquez and her teammate anticipated.

Another Thunderbolt intercepted it, but it gave Spectre the time he needed to retreat back into the shadows. Amelie started to run across the field, but before she could get into another Bolt Run, Spectre smashed into her from behind with Astonish. She squealed, then lashed out with an Iron Tail that Spectre barely ducked under.

He formed another Will-O-Wisp as she regained her balance and spun around to face the ghost, firing it from barely two meters away even as Amelie responded with a Thunderbolt.

Ash froze in surprise when flames and shadows burst out of the resulting explosion. Amelie was tagged with some of the eerie flames and let out a squeal of pain. She must've been burnt.

Spectre had come out worse for wear, though. Tough as he was, Amelie was stronger than him, and the blast had been closer to the Duskull.

He didn't go down, but he wouldn't win this. Burn or no burn, Amelie was barely hurt.

Ash decided to call it. "We give up! You take this one."

Spectre groaned and floated over to Ash as Amelie limped to Visquez. He held his hands up so Spectre could hover directly in front of him, even resting his light body on Ash's palms. It was an odd feeling—touching the ghost's wispy form wasn't like his mask. It was a bit like touching solid mist, and it sent a strange chill through him. Not unpleasant, just odd.

"You did good. I wasn't expecting that combo you made at the end," he praised. Spectre's red eye pulsed with satisfaction. "I think we'll have to come up with a name for that one, buddy."

The ghost merely grunted, clearly too tired to worry about names at the moment. Ash recalled him once he was assured Spectre wasn't hurt too badly and looked up as Visquez switched places with Jack, who let out a vicious-looking Electrike.

Ash smirked and called for Eevee, who narrowed her eyes when she saw the green-furred canine. She stalked onto the field, already fluffed up and ready for a fight.

Visquez called for the match to start. "Begin!"

"You've done damn well for yourself," Surge told him.

Ash was kneeling beside Eevee, feeding her an Oran berry as the giant of a man approached them. It seemed he was done whipping challengers for the day. Raichu clung to her trainer's shoulder, though she leapt down as they reached Ash's team. She chittered to Pikachu and Sparks (who had swiftly taken to the rest of the team) before addressing the others.

"Thanks," Ash replied as he stood up. "You probably would've sent me packing by now if I hadn't."

"Probably," Surge admitted unabashedly. "But I mean that—you've got what, four badges? Your team is already solid enough that I'd have mistaken you for having six. You'd probably have at least that by now if you hit up the minor gyms."

"But there's no challenge in that," Ash objected.

Surge's grin widened. "Keep that attitude."

The boy snorted.

"I heard a rumor you took a shot fighting Koga?"

A scowl crossed over Ash's face. He wondered if Koga had told Surge about their fight, or if the electric-type Gym Leader had looked it up himself. "We did. I lost. I made some stupid choices."

"Koga's the best there is at picking apart weaknesses. His team isn't the most durable, but they'll exploit every little mistake and punish you for them judiciously. Agatha fights a lot like him, too. What got you in the end?"

"Toxicroak. I wasn't expecting Dry Skin. Douse just made it stronger and Pyro had to take it down with him."

Surge nodded. "Classic Koga. Are you gonna have another go at him?"

"Of course!"

"Good man!" He scratched his chin for a moment. "Say, I'm in a pretty decent mood. What would you say to another battle?"

Ash raised an eyebrow. The rest of his team perked up, already challenging Surge with fiery glares. "We're always ready for a good fight. Rules?"

"I'm thinking three against three," Surge decided with a vicious grin. "But I'll be using some of my stronger soldiers this time."

A little flash of excitement filled him. "Storm?"

"Not unless you want this fight to be boring!" Surge laughed. "I told you kid, he's too much for you right now. Show up with eight gym badges, then we'll humor you. But I won't baby you with barely-trained Pokemon for this one. Deal?"

"Deal," Ash agreed.

"Visquez! You're acting ref."

"Yes, sir!" Visquez saluted, peeling away from the other Gym Trainers. They'd been healing up their teams after some of the latest battles. Ash had already gone about healing his Pokemon, recalling them as he made his way to one side of the practice field.

Surge already had a Poke Ball in-hand, tossing it up and down casually. "You've seen a couple of exotics, kid, I'll grant you that. But I think you need to see a few more. You never know when someone is gonna bust a surprise on you."

Ash tilted his head, interested. What kind of Pokemon would Surge be using against him?

He got his answer a moment later as Surge threw the ball over the field. Ash blinked.

It was a washing machine. A bright red washing machine.

He was spectacularly confused for two full seconds before the machine shook wildly and a grinning face emerged at the top. Blue, phantom energy surrounded the device and it spun, ethereal hands forming at the sides. The creature cackled, giggling madly as it faced Ash and waved with a hose attached to the washing machine.

"Never seen a Rotom?" Surge chuckled.

"That's a Rotom?" Ash's brow rose high. He'd been looking in on more exotic species recently to avoid being surprised again, but he distinctly remembered Rotom looked nothing like this.

"That's a Rotom," the Gym Leader echoed, still amused. "Little bastards love to take control of electrical appliances. Some egghead in R&D for the League went and made specific devices for them to battle in; this is one of those models."

Rotom opened and closed the washing machine door, giggling again. Water spewed out of the hose and Ash blinked. Could it use water-type moves in tandem with its natural electric and ghost techniques?

He was interested.

Pyro was out of the question for this fight, of course. If Rotom was capable of using water-type attacks in tandem with its electric moves, he'd be in a lot of trouble. Douse, too, was ill-suited. Sobek might have a chance, but he wasn't sure. It would depend on the extent of Rotom's water capabilities.

What to do…

In the end, he sent out Jasmine. She was versatile enough to work around Rotom's strange typing and resistant to water and electric-type attacks. The Dratini trilled and cocked her head curiously at the odd ghost, who just giggled and waved with its hose.

"Begin!" Visquez declared.

"Agility. Dragon Breath," Ash ordered. "Find out how it fights. Be careful."

Jasmine obeyed in an instant, blurring into motion and spitting draconic fire at the ghost. Rotom giggled and responded by unleashing a blast of water from its hose. It fired in rapid bursts, just twisting in the air to meet Jasmine's Dragon Breaths. Rotom's reflexes were quick, he'd give it that. It kept up with the Dratini easily, even with Agility.

Ash decided to switch things up a bit. "Dragon Tail."

She darted in close to Rotom, tail shimmering green as she swung at the ghost. Rotom cackled and quickly floated away, but it yelped when Jasmine, unperturbed by her miss, lashed out again and caught her target. The machine spun in the air like a top, but swiftly regained control of itself.

The grin was still present and Rotom fired another blast of water at her, but Jasmine avoided most of it. What actually hit her simply washed off her scales.

"Hydro Shock," Surge ordered.

Ash did not like the sound of that. "Dodge. Safeguard."

The second command was just a precaution, but he was grateful he'd made it when Rotom chose the next moment to unleash a frankly disgusting amount of water from the belly of the machine and loose a Discharge in tandem. The blast swept towards Jasmine, who darted away. Safeguard limited the damage she took from the charge, which was mostly distributed through the Hydro Pump, anyways.

It hurt, but it wasn't disastrous.

She retaliated by spitting a Dragon Rage into Rotom, which the ghost avoided before the Dratini lunged in close and smashed it with Slam.

Surge barked another command. "Confuse Ray!"

Rotom's whole body flashed black and red, and Jasmine recoiled as Ash desperately shouted. "Safeguard!"

Jasmine squealed and channeled the protective move as quickly as she could, but some of the Confuse Ray must've still gotten through, because she squirmed as she retreated, writhing and flailing at some unseen nightmare. Rotom struck her with a Discharge and Safeguard faded entirely.

"Hex!"

Absolutely not. Ash recalled Jasmine before Rotom could pull it off. "We give up!"

Rotom snickered and Ash scowled at the thing. He really should've expected as much from a ghost, but the tide had turned on them faster than he'd anticipated. It had looked fairly even for a bit there.

He murmured comforting words to Jasmine's Pokeball as she settled into stasis and the effects of Confuse Ray wore off.

"Smart move," Surge called over.

Ash scowled and just set Sobek loose. The Krokorok sneered at Rotom, unsure what to make of the strange ghost.

"Be careful," he warned. "It can use water-type moves and levitates everywhere. It's tricky."

Sobek growled agreement and readied himself.

"Begin!"

"Hydro Pump," Surge started this time. "Stagger."

"Stone Edge."

Sobek was quick to summon a line of thick, sharp stones from below the battlefield. He'd understood what Ash wanted; a blockade to temporarily halt Rotom's assault. It wouldn't hold for long, but it didn't need to. "Hone Claws. Dig."

His claws glowed black as Sobek dove underground. A moment later, Rotom blasted through the last Stone Edge, uncaring that it's foe was now gone. It could easily have just floated around to hit Sobek, but maybe it enjoyed pulverizing the barrier.

"Flood it out," Surge drawled.

Rotom unleashed the same water blast from before, opening the washing machine door to flood the field with an indiscriminate Hydro Pump. Unfortunately for it, Sobek wasn't stupid enough to stay underground for long. He knew the best way to deal with tricky adversaries was to catch them before they could cause a problem.

He exploded from underground close to Rotom's position—since it levitated, he had no way to sense it's position with dig—and lunged at it with snapping jaws. Rotom spun towards him, firing water blasts from its hose, but Sobek ducked under one, bit through another, and finally reached his target.

His jaws clamped on the side of the hose and crushed it shut, then the Krokorok swung madly, thrashing Rotom into the dirt even as it loosed another huge flood of water from the belly of the machine. But that was too unfocused to do more than annoy Sobek.

He grabbed Rotom with his still-black claws and pinned it down. It flashed red and black with Confuse Ray and Ash shouted a warning, but Sobek was having absolutely none of it.

He released the hose, lunged down, and took Rotom's "face" in his jaws.

Ash winced as he heard metal screeching and twisting beneath the force of Sobek's Crunch. He didn't know if that actually hurt Rotom, but it didn't sound good. The ghost's hose flailed in a panic, spraying water everywhere before Surge recalled it and Sobek's jaws clamped shut on nothing.

Surge squinted at the Krokorok. "You're a mean little shit, you know that?"

Sobek snapped his jaws in response and the huge man grinned. "Not bad, though. Gonna have to send the washing machine in for repairs after that."

Ash let out a soft breath. At least that was one headache he wouldn't have to deal with again. Sobek's eyes glowed with Moxie, but the Krokorok merely rumbled.

He'd been steadily getting better at controlling his ability. Granted, more than two boosts would still send him into a rampage, but he was a bit more controlled with limited exposure to Moxie. He wouldn't lose control in this fight.

Surge pondered the Krokorok before Raichu took matters into her own hands and leapt from her trainer's side. The Gym Leader accepted this.

"Begin!"

"Ant Pit."

"Go after it."

Ash raised an eyebrow as Raichu dug its own tunnel right after Sobek disappeared. Bold. There was no way Sobek would overwhelmed in his own element. Raichu's electric shocks were completely useless and it was nowhere near as sensitive to changes underground.

But Surge wasn't an idiot. He was aiming for something and Ash simply refused to be exposed to it after the grief Rotom had caused him. Deliberately, he tapped his foot against the ground twice.

A few moments later, the field shook and he heard Raichu yowl. Ash smirked as the rodent was catapulted out by the underground Earthquake. Sobek lunged out a moment later, jaws ignited with fire as he sought the electric-type out.

Surge's face was priceless.

Raichu was stunned, but she was far from beaten. The mouse scowled as Sobek snapped at her with Fire Fang and twisted, smashing an Iron Tail across the Krokorok's face. But his reflexes were quick and he managed to sink his teeth into her tail before she could pull it away.

Sobek hurled Raichu away and dove underground again, triggering another Earthquake. Raichu yelped as the shockwave rumbled through her. A moment later, she began to levitate—an expert display of Magnet Rise.

Sobek peered out from a hole he'd dug when her weight disappeared from his sensory input. He leered at the hovering Raichu, who threw a Focus Blast at him the moment she caught sight of the Krokorok, and dove underground again.

Ash was tempted to let Sobek take charge, but he also wanted to try a few more strategies out. He tapped his foot on the ground again—three times, pause, then two.

This command method was new to them, but they'd been practicing it ever since Koga's battle. Ash wanted to be able to send signals to his team without words, if it was possible. Doing so could make predicting their next move more difficult.

The vibrations Sobek picked up from his trainer meant that moments later, Stone Edge blades erupted all over the field. Raichu yelped as one blade popped up just inches away and forced her to leap onto the stones, abandoning Magnet Rise for the time being. Unfortunately, once Stone Edge was done, Sobek sent another Earthquake through the field and pulverized absolutely everything.

Raichu scrambled to right herself amidst the ruins of the field, scowling and shaken. It wasn't a lot of direct damage, but it was enough to keep her on the defensive. She was getting tired; ground-type moves tended to really mess with an electric-type's ability to discharge electricity effectively, or the shockwaves could cause their electrical organs to fail and sputter.

It didn't mean she was out of options, but Sobek was going to be a jerk about this fight and limit those options mercilessly because he and Ash knew Raichu would win if they played by Surge's rules.

They had not forgotten her strength. Raichu was one of Surge's main team, overwhelmingly strong despite her inability to take really heavy blows. She was a glass cannon that would annihilate whatever she touched if she wasn't beaten first.

If this were a battle with the badge on the line, or a match in the Indigo League, Ash would stick to the plan and safely remove Raichu from the battle.

A grin stretched across his face. But where was the fun in that? Where was the challenge?

"Up!"

Sobek emerged from underground and shook himself, growling at the sight of the strained Raichu. He was tired as well—Moxie or not, multiple Earthquakes still took a lot of effort. It was still a move they needed work on.

Raichu was scowling and readied itself for the end of the fight. Neither of them were going to last very long.

Surge certainly agreed. "Flurry! Race!"

Raichu put her hands together and generated well over a dozen Focus Blast bullets. Ash's eyes widened. "Dodge!"

Sobek didn't need further prompting. As soon as Raichu launched the bullets he dove out of the way, only for the electric-type to dart up close faster than either Sobek or Ash could believe. It was an enhancing technique beyond any of their own, clearly meant to maximize Raichu's speed.

"Crush it!"

"Back off! Stone Edge!"

Sobek leapt backwards, snarling, and Raichu swept its leg out with a disgustingly powerful Mega Kick. Though it was meant to catch the ground-type in his ribs, it ended up smashing into the croc's right leg.

There was a low crack and Sobek howled.

"Sobek!" Ash cried. The Krokorok crumpled, leaning heavily on his uninjured leg and his tail to keep himself standing. Raichu hesitated, lowering herself onto all fours and backing off, but she never took her eyes off of the ground-type. Surge was frowning.

Sobek's eyes were wide and his jaws parted as he breathed rapidly. Ash lifted the Pokeball, ready to call it off—

Sobek roared.

Blinding light seared his eyes and Ash recoiled briefly, squinting his eyes against the harsh glare. But he couldn't look away as his friend's form began to shift.

The Krokorok bulked up and his body stretched. He put on almost two feet for height and his tail almost doubled in length. The claws grew thicker, longer. The jaws stretched and became more muscular. His head, once large, became massive with muscle and bone. Two short crests rose above his eyes.

The light of evolution burst away and Ash took in his friend's new form.

As a Krokorok, Sobek had been just a bit shorter than Ash. Now he was very nearly six feet tall—as tall as Pyro and longer for his massive tail. His jaws alone were almost three feet long and absolutely loaded with muscles that could crush everything from stone to steel and dragon scales. His fingers were longer, the claws deadlier than ever and at the end of long, thin arms. Sobek's once-brown scales were now a deep red, with black bands and a white belly.

The Krookodile tested the weight on his injured leg and found it satisfactory. It was still tender—Ash could tell it was still hurting for how lightly Sobek held himself, but it seemed evolution had healed it to some extent.

Still, he hesitated. "Sobek, this is your call. Do you want to—"

Sobek bellowed at Raichu and Surge, cutting Ash off before he could finish the question. Raichu bristled, fur fluffed up and tail held upright as she took in the new threat.

Surge studied the Krookodile with something like approval. "Huh. Mean little bastard got big."

Sobek sneered, flexing his new claws as if he were ready to tear Raichu apart. Ash decided to trust his friend. "Earthquake!"

Raichu didn't even hesitate to use Magnet Rise as Sobek slammed his muscular tail on the ground and generated a shock wave that put his previous quakes to shame. The whole field shook and shifted, some parts collapsing as the tunnels dug below caved in. Sobek spat a fireball—Incinerate—at Raichu for avoiding his attack and the mouse dropped, giving up on levitation to run away from the—

Sobek's tail smashed the field again and the second quake caught Raichu. The mouse yelped and stumbled, crashing to the ground as Sobek lunged with his terrible jaws agape—

Surge recalled Raichu.

Sobek snarled, tail thrashing aggressively as he was denied his victory, but Surge didn't seem to care for his rage. Even so, the Krookodile limped back to Ash.

Ash waved to Visquez to pause the match and approached his friend. As delighted as he was to see Sobek fully evolved and stronger than ever, he was concerned about the break. Raichu's blows were nothing to scoff at.

"How's the leg?" Ash demanded.

Sobek shook himself and glanced down, testing his weight and grimacing. It seemed to still pain him despite his evolution. Maybe it wasn't fractured anymore—accelerated metamorphosis had a way of healing the body with such rapid replication of cells—but the fact that it still hurt worried him.

Ash bit his lip. Sobek could probably keep going, but he didn't want to risk permanent complications, even if it was a minor break. Best to let Nurse Joy take a look before he got into another scrap.

"I'm recalling you for now," Ash decided. Sobek just blinked and he grinned at his friend. "We'll celebrate tonight, ok?"

The Krookodile's teeth gleamed back in a mockery of a smile and he nodded. Ash recalled him in a flash of red light.

"Wanna keep going?" Surge called.

"Yeah," Ash confirmed, setting Sobek's ball on his belt. He reached for Pyro's. "Let's finish this."

Surge grinned and threw his last ball onto the field.

What emerged was a bird unlike any Ash had seen before. It was quite large—nearly as big as a Pidgeot, (though he doubted a giant like Surge could ride it) but leaner and with long, thin wings. Its feathers were mostly black, but the underside of its wings and its throat were a bright yellow. As he watched, its throat swelled into a pouch and it squawked at him, a deeper sound than he'd expected.

It was also wholly unfamiliar to him.

"New to Kilowattrel, too?" Surge prompted. Ash shook his head and the giant shrugged. "Not surprising. You mostly find them in Paldea. I got in touch with a breeder a while back."

Kilowattrel. Ash considered it curiously. It was undoubtedly an electric-type, probably with flying-type traits as well. There weren't a lot of Pokemon with that particular typing, he had to admit. He was curious to see how it fought.

Pyro emerged. Maybe he wasn't suited greatly to this matchup, but Ash's other options weren't any better. Douse would never catch Kilowattrel, and neither Eevee or Spectre had the power to knock it out even if they did catch it.

His starter eyed the bird measuredly, not quite sure what to make of the unfamiliar creature, but he roared a challenge nonetheless. Kilowattrel squawked again, displaying an impressive wingspan as it took to the air.

"Begin!"

"Flamethrower. Test it," Ash muttered.

Pyro opened his jaws and an inferno roared forth, scorching the air. Kilowattrel shot out of the way with incredible speed. It was almost as fast as Raichu!

A blade of wind slammed into Pyro, but he shrugged it off, thrashing his tail and spitting more flames after the bird—little more than a black and gold blur at this point. Kilowattrel fired a couple more Air Slashes at the Charizard before it deemed them more trouble than they were worth.

Surge suddenly barked. "Lightning Storm!"

Ash did not like the sound of that. "Metal Claw into the ground!"

Pyro mirrored the same technique he'd used to block Toxicroak's Thunder Punch during their battle with Koga. Just in time, too—Kilowattrel shrieked and blasted the whole field with a Hurricane that became laced with Discharge. Bolts fired around indiscriminately, testing the psychic barriers set up around the practice field. Several of them lanced into Pyro, but the lightning rod effect of Metal Claw grounding him kept them from doing any serious damage.

Still, the howling wind was a force to be reckoned with. Pyro tried to keep his wings folded, but they were yanked opened by the gale and he was eventually torn away from the ground. Two bolts struck him and the Charizard roared in rage.

He glared balefully at Kilowattrel as the bird ceased to use Lightning Storm. Pyro finally launched himself into the air and Ash bit his lip.

Pyro had little experience against flying-types and even less actually fighting in the air. Kilowattrel held the advantages here. It was faster and more skilled, though he wasn't certain it actually had more firepower than Pyro—though it was certainly powerful.

The bird squawked in response to Pyro's challenge. Within a moment, it's body sparked with electricity and it blurred away, slamming into the Charizard's belly. Pyro roared again and slipped into Dragon Rush, darting after Kilowattrel as blue-green energy crackled around him. He spewed fire all over in his attempts to catch his foe, but the electric-type avoided the inferno with little trouble, occasionally firing back Air Slashes while it emitted a near-constant stream of Discharge.

Ash sighed. Despite the insanity of the elemental display above them, it was effectively a stalemate. If Kilowattrel got too close, Pyro would destroy it. Of course, Pyro couldn't catch Kilowattrel even at his best—he was too inexperienced a flier and nowhere near as quick.

Clearly the direct approach wouldn't cut it. Subterfuge it was, then.

"Smokescreen!"

Pyro shifted gears in an instant and spewed greasy black smoke all over the field. Kilowattrel sneered at the attempt to obscure its sharp vision and responding by twisting mid-flight to blow away the smoke with a Hurricane.

The Charizard lunged out of the smoke; far from hiding, he charged Kilowattrel as fast as he could, headlong into the Hurricane as it began to lance with electricity. Pyro snapped at it with fiery jaws and Kilowattrel squawked, blasting him with lightning as it hurried to flee the enraged dragon.

Pyro spat a Flamethrower into the Discharge, heedless of the damage he took, and managed to score a glancing blow. Kilowattrel's eyes narrowed as it screeched. Its throat pouch swelled—

The bird screamed out a blast of electricity which could only be Thunder, which lanced into Pyro even as he kept barreling forward. Ash watched his starter's limbs jolt and spasm, but Pyro managed to get the slowing Kilowattrel in his claws.

Unfortunately, that was as far as he got. They both fell to earth with a thud, though Kilowattrel was clearly better off. It shook itself free of Pyro's claws and hopped away, one wing held limp at its side as it squawked angrily.

Pyro made a half-hearted swipe at it with his claws, but his limbs wouldn't obey him after such a massive electric shock. He spat a fireball, tail curling and slapping the ground weakly.

Ash sighed and recalled his starter. He'd done well against a much more experienced flier, and that was all he could ask. Kilowattrel was fast and powerful, and they'd nearly had it, but it was clear they needed to practice a lot more on Pyro's flight.

"We surrender," he announced.

Surge nodded and recalled his last Pokemon. "Not a bad show. Charizard needs to work on his flight."

"He only evolved recently. We're working on it, but he still needs work," Ash admitted.

"You'll get there," Surge grunted as he walked around the ruined battlefield. He studied the wreckage with a satisfied expression. "We made a pretty big mess!"

Ash couldn't help but smirk. "Mmhm."

"Visquez, set the League Golem to work repairing the field," Surge ordered. "The runt and I are gonna hit the Pokemon Center. Teams need a check-up."

"Yes, sir!"

Surge inclined his head towards the exit. "C'mon, best get them looked at sooner than later. More time for training afterwards."

Ash grinned and followed him.

Chapter Text

Chapter Fourteen: Battle Voyage

After dropping their teams off and getting something to eat, Ash and Surge spoke for a while in the Pokemon Center—mostly discussing some of Ash's training plans, but the electric Gym Leader gave up some information about his foreign Pokemon.

"Rotom are fairly common in Sinnoh," Surge admitted. "But you can find them in most major cities once they start propagating. Little brats love to jump into electrical appliances. The League tries to make sure the damage they cause is minimal by giving them something to do. There's even some experimental tech a Professor in Alola is working on, I hear."

"Like the washing machine?" Ash queried.

"Not battle tech. More everyday appliances," Surge iterated. "I don't know too much, but he's apparently working on a Pokedex of sorts for them to animate. Phones too, I think."

Ash raised an eyebrow at the idea. It was good to give unruly Pokemon something to do to keep them from raising too much havoc, but it was hard to imagine Rotom's literally living in every-day devices like that. Still, stranger things had happened.

"Where'd you get Kilowattrel?"

"Like I said earlier, a breeder in Paldea. Usually, it's the only way to get exotics for us Gym Leaders since we're tied to our home range for so long. Anyway, Kilowattrel are pretty common out there, but you won't see them anywhere near Indigo, Hoenn, or Sinnoh. They prefer to live along the coast of Paldea. I think they wander north towards Kalos now and again, though."

Surge took a bite of his lunch and jabbed his fork in Ash's direction. "But you've seen firsthand how strong they can be. Kilowattrel ain't fully grown yet, but he packs a punch and he's damned fast. Gives everyone not expecting a flier at my gym a run for their money."

"He'll be one of your main team one day?"

"One day. He doesn't quite have the endurance or the juice to match the main team, but he's getting there."

Ash snorted. That was an understatement; Kilowattrel's Thunder had brought Pyro down faster than most other Pokemon had managed in the past. A few more months of training and it would be horrifying to fight for anyone not prepared to deal with a flier in Surge's gym.

"Can he help Pyro with flying practice?"

Surge considered the question. "He can help with the basics, I reckon. Charizard have a lot more mass and a different bone structure. They've got more in common with dragons if you haven't picked that up yet. But sure, why not? He might even teach your lizard a technique or two if he behaves himself."

That got a grin from the boy. No doubt Pyro would be chomping at the bit to get some form of revenge on the bird, but perhaps Ash could convince him to try and play nice for the sake of improving his move pool.

Revenge didn't necessarily have to come immediately, after all.

"Tickets, please! Make sure you have your tickets ready at the boarding point!"

Ash winced at noise of the megaphone, but he didn't stop smiling.

The boarding process for the St. Anne was actually relatively quick, there were just lots of people that were getting on. Fortunately, he'd gotten up a little earlier than normal to make it here ahead of the crowd. He'd made sure to drop by Vermillion Gym one last time to say goodbye to Surge, then rushed for the docks to get at the front of the line.

He'd spent the last week almost entirely at said Gym training with Surge and his underlings (though he did take some time to leave Vermillion and train on the outskirts now and again). It had been a great experience for his team—they'd picked up quite a few new tricks.

Pyro had managed to rein in his distaste for Kilowattrel long enough to get some actual flying experience. He still needed more practice to improve his stamina and combat skills in the air, but he was already doing better. Steadily, the Charizard was getting used to his new form.

The same could be said for Sobek and Douse. Their anatomical changes had been fairly minimal in comparison to the fire-type—the biggest differences were height, weight, and adjustments to their musculatures. Both had more or less adapted entirely by now. Fighting Surge's team and the Gym Trainers had only accelerated that process.

That wasn't to say that the only improvements were found in the main powerhouses of Ash's team. Those three had spent most of their training time adapting to their new bodies instead of learning new moves (though that wasn't to say it was all they did). He intended to start teaching Sobek how to use Dragon Tail soon and for Pyro to learn Wing Attack.

The others had grown in different ways; Eevee especially had thrown herself into training with surprising intensity (which may or may not have been influenced by her meeting Surge's Jolteon) and of the whole team, Ash thought she'd gained the most. She'd picked up Hyper Voice from Jolteon—and was in the process of learning Double Team—and increased her overall strength in leaps and bounds. Her stamina had improved noticeably, and mostly everything in Surge's Gym now had a terrible fear of her Shadow Balls.

He was more proud of her than words could express.

Spectre had finally gotten Will-O-Wisp down, in addition to the surprising combination of Will-O-Wisp and Shadow Ball he'd improvised during their first battle with Visquez and her Raichu. Ash had decided to dub that particular technique Ghost Flare. He had plans to teach the ghost Hex next, as well as improve his control of Confuse Ray—it was still inefficient.

Since Spectre currently lacked the same fighting power as his main powerhouses, he'd opted to give him more of a "knife in the dark" approach. Status ailments and tricks, which coupled with the deadly Hex would leave unsuspecting foes in quite a predicament.

Jasmine just about had Flamethrower down and had started to pick up Thunderbolt while they trained with Surge. Ash knew that until she evolved, she'd be reliant on her versatility. Once she had Thunderbolt down, he planned to try and teach her an ice-type move or perhaps a long-range water-type technique. Ice Beam and Water Pulse came to mind first (Douse could instruct her with both, after all), but he wondered if he might add Chilling Water to the mix.

As the name suggested, it entailed the user attacking with a spray of freezing cold water. Not quite an ice-type move, but certainly cold enough that it would leave most foes shivering and decidedly unhappy. He already had plans to teach that one to Douse now that he was used to his evolved form—granted, the Poliwrath would soon be working much more on close-range attacks, but it would be foolish to forego more long-range moves.

Of course, he'd also spent a lot of time with Pikachu, catching up and deciding how to progress with the electric-type now that he was back on the team. Surge had been a big help on that front, naturally. The man was an expert on the Raichu line and had several suggestions Ash planned to work on (and several more Surge had begun while Pikachu was recovering).

Pikachu had more or less perfected the moves he'd already known, including Volt Tackle, under Surge's tutelage. He lacked the firepower of Raichu, of course, but he had much less waste and more focus. In addition, he'd picked up Charge Beam, Electroweb, and started working on Detect—Ash suspected he and Eevee would be working on Detect together.

Of course, since he'd been recovering, he'd not been able to improve his overall strength that much. Thunder was still too energy-expensive for Pikachu to utilize, and Discharge too widespread to be effective. But he'd get there.

"Ticket, please," one of the crewmen snapped Ash out of his thoughts as he reached the front of the line. He handed his ticket over and the sailor scanned it. "You're in First Class-016. Starboard side of the ship near the front, third floor from the main deck. Enjoy your stay."

"Thank you," he said politely, then walked past the crewman and onto the St. Anne.

Ash wasn't sure what he'd been expecting, but the degree of luxury on the ship was a little overbearing at first. Fine, rich carpet made up the floors, there were beautiful paintings almost on every inch of the walls, and unusual art pieces lay on display in glass boxes by the entrances to various parts of the ship. The people on board were mixed between trainers like himself and wealthy citizens, but they all looked excited to be there.

The St. Anne itself was utterly massive- one of the biggest ships in the world. The vessel measured a colossal 1,100 feet from one end to the other and had the potential to hold 4,000 guests at double capacity plus their Pokemon and the nearly 2,000 crew members that ran it. In addition, the St. Anne was also a relatively new ship, as its maiden voyage had only gone underway just over a year earlier. It was ranked as one of the safest, most high-quality vessels in the ocean and considered a pinnacle of luxury.

He wanted to set Eevee loose, but decided it would be best to do so in his room with the rest of the team, so he could explain the cruise to them. Ash found a map of the ship before too long (which thankfully was easy enough to understand) and figured out how to get to his room. He also grabbed a pamphlet that had a list of guest services and things to do on the ship. After all, it wasn't like he'd be doing nothing but fighting while he was here.

This was supposed to be a vacation.

He found his room without much trouble, but he had to take a second to make sure that it was actually the right one. It was just way more than he expected.

The place was lavish and looked more fit for a celebrity than a traveling Pokemon trainer—it was bigger than pretty much every room in his house. The king-sized bed was huge and had wonderfully fluffy pillows laid over soft, white sheets. The floor was a comfortable beige carpet and along the back wall on either side of the bed were two massive cushions meant for his Pokemon. He was pretty sure Pyro and Sobek would claim those for themselves, which was fine since Eevee preferred bunking with him. Spectre didn't really sleep much and when he did, he also tended to rest close to Ash.

He didn't doubt for a second where Douse would be. Ash looked at the left side of the room by the bathroom and saw a small hot tub. There was a shower as well, but the pool would be nice for Douse to relax in and thankfully both had tile around them to make cleaning any splashes easy. Along the right wall was a small desk with a list of guest services, a mini fridge, and a television. There was also a closet, but he didn't plan on using it.

Ash placed his backpack on the floor by the foot of the bed and stretched his arms over his head. He really did need this. They all did.

He set his whole team loose and they took a few moments to examine their surroundings. This was, after all, a lot different from their typical campsites.

Most of them looked like they'd been placed on a different planet. Sobek, Pyro, and Eevee looked around quizzically for quite some time. Douse immediately made for the small pool. Spectre floated over to the closet (Ash was pretty sure he'd spend most of his time in there, waiting to scare the life out of the employees who came to clean the place).

Pikachu leapt onto the bed and sniffed at it before settling down, already comfortable. Eevee tilted her head at him, clearly wondering where Jasmine had gone.

"I sent Jasmine to Professor Oak, Eevee," Ash explained, to which she frowned. "We think she might be getting close to another shed soon. And I didn't think she'd like all the people. I talked to her about it yesterday."

The signs of her upcoming shed had been a surprise. Oak hadn't been sure exactly how old Jasmine was, but given her size, he'd guessed she was close to evolving. The fact that her skin was starting to pale already was a good sign that she would evolve sooner than later.

And it wasn't like she'd have nothing to do at the Oak Corral—the good Professor had a Dragonite whom Ash was sure would like nothing more than to spend time with Jasmine. The Dratini would learn a lot from him, he was certain.

Eevee looked a little put-out by Jasmine's absence, but she accepted this fact and leapt onto the bed. The normal-type made her way to one of the absurdly fluffy pillows and curled up, making herself comfortable while she began to groom herself.

"You all know what's going on," Ash said, getting the attention of the whole team. "We're on the St. Anne. I know I told you all about the tournament, but that's only part of the cruise. The rest of the time, we can relax. You've all been working really hard lately; take this chance to unwind for a bit. Have some fun."

Pikachu snickered and Ash had no doubt he'd be getting up to no good as soon as possible. Eevee's ears twitched at that, but she remained focused on grooming herself. Douse simply began to float in the tub and Spectre, as expected, had already settled himself in the dark closet and all Ash heard of him was a low, hollow cackle.

It would not be a surprised to find one of the crew members passed out in here later.

Pyro and Sobek seemed unsure what to do, but Ash smiled at them. He had a feeling they'd be a little more lost than the others, but he made sure that the rest of the team heard him as well. "Why don't we go outside for a bit and take a look around? I'm sure there's plenty of space for sunbathing."

That did the trick. Even Eevee looked interested in getting out and about. While he was sure Spectre would remain in the room (the little ghost preferred the dark, after all) and Douse as well since the Poliwrath was thoroughly relaxed in the tub of water, the rest of his team looked enthusiastic enough about exploring.

Ash got them all gathered by him and glanced at Douse, who was still floating belly-up. "Douse, make sure you and Spectre stay here until I get back. It's a big ship and it's easy to get lost, alright?"

Douse acknowledged him with a thumbs-up before letting his arm drop into the water. Ash smirked at his friend. He really was in his happy place.

He looked at the closet next. "Spectre, same to you! Don't go floating through walls and scaring people, either!"

Ash was pretty sure he heard a noise of disappointment, but knew that Spectre would heed him. The little ghost would get plenty of chances to scare people when they knew the ship a little better.

Pyro, Sobek, Eevee, and Pikachu were eager to go, so he led the way out of their room. The electric-type leapt onto his shoulder, just like he used to, and Ash couldn't help but grin.

They ran into Gary on the main deck.

"There he is!" Ash blinked as he heard the familiar voice and half-turned to see his friend swaggering towards them. A Machoke walked closely behind him and dipped its reptilian head in quiet acknowledgement.

Ash smiled and clapped his hand against Gary's. "I was wondering when I'd find you."

"Same here. This place is huge! For a while, I thought I'd have to just wait until the tournament before I tracked you down," Gary shook his head in disbelief. His eyes scanned the four members of Ash's team and he whistled. "Your midgets are getting big, Ashy-boy!"

Pyro rumbled at that and Sobek snapped his jaws, clearly displeased by the assessment, but Ash knew them well enough to know they weren't that offended. "Big enough to beat your team into the dirt."

"Ha! We'll see. Where are the others?"

"Douse—my Poliwrath—he's back in my room. Relaxing in the tub," he explained further. "Spectre, too."

"The Duskull, right?" Gary grunted when Ash nodded. "Gramps told me you got a Dratini, too?"

"I sent her to the Corral for the time being. She's getting close to another shed. She might evolve soon."

"Not bad, not bad," his rival muttered, then looked at Pikachu. His smirk returned. "Back at it, is he?"

"Fully recovered," Ash confirmed happily. Pikachu snickered and Machoke scowled—clearly, the fighting-type remembered its loss to Pikachu.

"We'll see if he measures up!"

"Sure," Ash rolled his eyes and stared at the other boy expectantly. "So, your team?"

Gary set the rest of his Pokemon loose then, and Ash's eyes widened in surprise at more than one of them. In addition to Machoke, the first Gary released Blastoise, who looked as powerful and confident as ever. Reaching his final evolution had clearly done leaps and bounds for him.

Next was an enormous Pidgeot that stood almost as tall as Pyro. The long crest marking it as a male was still mostly red with streams of yellow that were becoming more bold—it must have just recently evolved—but it would be a few weeks yet until Pidgeot's colors fully came in. He was a magnificent bird, though he met Pyro's gaze with an arrogant glare.

Kadabra appeared after Pidgeot. His short fur was well-groomed and the spoon he held was shiny, brimming with a faint blue glow from his telekinetic powers. The psychic's eyes flashed in recognition upon seeing Ash and he nodded at the boy, to which Ash nodded back.

The fifth was a Nidoqueen—Gary had been busy—smaller than Giovanni's, but still clearly powerful. She stood close to five feet all, with a sturdy build and powerful arms and legs. Her tail, however short, was muscular and the pair of horns atop her head appeared strong and sharp. They weren't the mighty spears of a Nidoking, but they had more potent venoms.

Nidoqueen blinked at him and his team calmly, though her eyes glinted just slightly upon seeing Pyro. Ash recalled that Pyro had been one of the first opponents to defeat Nidoqueen before either of them had evolved. Evidently, she was eager to set the record straight now that they had both reached their adult stages.

Gary's final Pokemon was completely unexpected—an Eevee. Ash stared at the little creature as it sat next to Gary's feet obediently. It was about the same size as his own Eevee and although it seemed much more relaxed, there was no denying the healthy coat and lithe form of the normal-type.

"Where did you—"

"—the Game Corner, remember?" Gary interrupted. He knelt down to pet his Eevee and the little creature yipped happily, leaning into the affection. "He was the Pokemon I won from the slots. I got worried since the Rockets had put him up for a prize, but Gramps checked him out and he's fine."

Ash nodded and swallowed a little at the mention of the Rockets—and Professor Oak. "Did you tell him about Celadon?"

"Hell no!" He said immediately. "He'd have my hide if he knew what we pulled! I just got that cast off my wrist, you know? You didn't say anything either, did you?"

Ash shook his head. "I figured you'd say something. I didn't really know what to tell him or my mom. It just…I couldn't think of anything to say."

Gary looked more sympathetic and sighed. "We'll tell them eventually, I'm sure. It's not like we can totally pull the wool over their eyes, especially Gramps. He'll figure it out one way or another; he's too deep in the League to not hear about stuff like that. I bet he probably already knows and is just waiting to lecture us in-person."

That was a possibility that neither boy was looking forward to.

"Anyways," Gary continued. "Enough of that. How've you been? Leaf messaged me a while back, said you'd challenged Koga?"

Ash—as well as Pyro and Sobek—scowled at the mention of their recent loss, to which Gary grinned. "Let's find a place to sit first. There's a lot to talk about."

"Alright."

The outside deck of the St. Anne had three floors and was, frankly, gigantic. Hundreds of pool chairs were present on the wooden deck, congregating around a series of massive pools in the center. There was a large water slide which looped over the pools from the top deck floor, and an open area nearby for people and Pokemon to sunbathe in. Speaker systems were set up all around, playing upbeat, party-themed music that complimented the atmosphere.

Pyro and Pidgeot were quick to take to the air, reveling in the sea breeze and the heat of the sun. Ash smiled up after them, shifting his hat a bit to keep the light out of his eyes. He was sure that was where they would be spending most of their time. A few other flying-types were hovering over the ship, some belonging to trainers, but most of them were Wingull and Pelipper looking for free bits of food. The sea birds squawked indignantly as the larger fliers invaded their airspace, but wisely did not attempt to aggravate them.

Gary grinned at the pair of huge flying-types. "Hopefully they'll get some good exercise flying around like that. Pidgeot needs to stretch his wings more."

"Pyro, too," Ash admitted as he adjusted an umbrella above the pair of pool chairs they'd chosen to settle at. "He's had a lot of trouble flying. He crashed and busted a tooth the first time. I had to pull it out and he accidentally jammed it in my hand."

His rival winced. "Ouch! I was wondering why you had a bandage on that."

"It sucked," the boy agreed. "Nurse Joy chewed me out for it."

"Well, at least you've still got all your fingers, right?"

Ash nodded, watching as Pyro casually flapped his wings in the warm winds. He'd be up there for a while, the boy reckoned. It wasn't as relaxing as sunbathing, but the heat and wind made the conditions great for his starter to enjoy some casual flight.

Sobek snorted and walked over to a sunny spot at the foot of the pool chair Ash had chosen. Without ceremony, he turned in a circle and lay upon his belly. The Krookodile opened his massive jaws to expel heat—more likely he was just showing off—and settled on the deck to nap.

Gary smirked. "That'll get some attention."

"He'll sleep right through it," Ash agreed.

Pikachu snickered, still on Ash's shoulder. Eevee leapt onto the chair and curled up on a folded towel, content to doze in the warm air. Gary's Pokemon took it in-turn to settle, as well. Blastoise trudged towards the pool and was quick to slide in, floating on the surface of the water. Nidoqueen seemed content to lay down near Sobek—though she wisely did not attempt to touch him—and take a nap. Kadabra and Machoke sat in the shade of the umbrella and began what Ash assumed was some kind of meditation. He'd have to ask about that; it was interesting.

Gary's Eevee jumped into his trainer's lap as soon as the boy sat on his chair, to which Gary chuckled and began to pet the normal-type. Ash's Eevee spared the male a glance before she flicked her ear in dismissal. Perhaps she'd warm to him in time.

It wasn't like their teams were the only Pokemon wandering about; many of the passengers—trainers or otherwise—were walking around ship with their own partners. Ash saw several Pokemon he was familiar with and almost as many that were alien to him. The St. Anne didn't just attract locals, after all. Many people from different regions would be sailing with them and bringing their exotic species along for the ride.

Several of the Pokemon were ones Ash recognized from the hours he spent poring over the Pokedex. He saw an elderly gentleman with a Noctowl on his shoulder, though the bird seemed rather irritated with the sunlight. There was a boy perhaps a little older than him sitting with a Luxray while a Skarmory preened its metallic feathers just behind him.

There were some he didn't recognize immediately, as well. A teenage girl with waist-length black hair was walking from one end of the deck to the other with a large feline beside her. It was vaguely reminiscent of a Persian, but its fur was deep violet with yellow rings, and the tail was longer. There was also a small black and blue reptile trailing behind the girl that seemed to be blind, as it kept bumping into things and she would pause infrequently to call to the little creature.

Ash was astounded by the number of Pokemon and the range of species before them. He wondered if this was what the Indigo League would look like in a year and a half. It was a taste of what was to come.

"Hey Gary! Ash!"

Both boys were jerked out of their observations by a familiar call. They turned to the right as Leaf came running over with a wide smile on her face and Teddiursa in hot pursuit.

Gary grinned at her. "Better late than never!"

"I'm not late, you goof," she scoffed as she reached them. "The ship won't set sail for another few hours at least!"

Teddiursa waved at the small group of Pokemon, though he seemed confused trying to figure out which Eevee was which. Gary's Eevee and Pikachu sent their own greetings back, as did a few of the other Pokemon.

"Are all your Pokemon already out?" Leaf asked as she inspected them.

"Pidgeot and Charizard are flying," Gary gestured vaguely towards the sky. "Blastoise is already in the pool. Ashy-boy's got a couple others in his room."

"Poliwrath and Duskull," Ash nodded.

"Nice!" The girl grinned as she reached for her own pokeballs. "My turn, then!"

Her team was set loose quickly; Ash was unsurprised to see the huge Venusaur that emerged first. Saur had been strong before they'd gone their separate ways in Fuchsia City. Of their three starters, Ash thought the huge grass-type might've had the most mass, though Blastoise was probably close thanks to the weight of his enormous shell.

Her Fearow, Talon, was next. The bird shrieked at them before looking upwards and catching sight of Pyro and Pidgeot. He was smaller than the other flying-types, but it didn't stop him from launching himself skyward and announcing himself loudly to the others. Ash thought he saw Pyro snap at the other bird with mild annoyance, but they didn't start anything.

He was startled to see a Ninetales emerge next. Ash remembered Rose as a Vulpix well enough, but he had no idea how Leaf had gotten her hands on a Fire Stone in the time between their last encounter. The fire-type's tails waved gracefully as she yipped at them, and her red eyes gleamed in the light.

Seadra, of course, was set loose directly into the pool. The water-type hadn't gotten much bigger, but he puffed out his chest just as proudly as Ash remembered and snorted at them.

He thought she might still have Onix with her, but quickly realized that wasn't the case when Leaf pulled out one more pokeball and set its inhabitant loose.

A Primeape glared at them, nostrils flaring. Ash studied it curiously; he'd not really gotten to see a Primeape up-close before. He'd battled them once or twice, and they were always a little hard to keep track of when they went berserk.

Leaf's Primeape snorted and cracked its knuckles when it set eyes upon Machoke. The other fighting-type's mediation seemed to be put on pause so he could regard this new adversary with a calm glare.

"Behave," Leaf ordered in a no-nonsense tone, and Primeape broke its staring contest with Machoke. To his credit, Machoke settled back into mediation with Kadabra swiftly. Leaf sighed as her fighter clenched and unclenched its fists. "Sorry. Pulver's great once you get to know her. She's just eager to fight."

"She's a Primeape, of course she's eager to fight," Gary grinned. Pulver glared at him. "We'll give her one soon enough."

Pulver snorted and looked at Leaf, gesturing to her pokeball. The girl nodded and returned the fighting-type, who clearly had no patience for relaxing. Understandable; Primeape were known for being downright furious throughout much of their lives. If they weren't eating or sleeping, they existed in a state of nigh-constant rage.

"Did you guys just get out here?" Leaf asked. When the boys nodded, she beamed. "Great! I was hoping to get some sun before it gets really crowded out here."

Ash gestured to the next pool chair beside him. "Go for it. We were just catching up."

Eevee twitched her ears in a quick acknowledgement of the conversation as she continued to lick her fur. It was hot outside and she felt like all the grooming in the world wouldn't be enough to keep herself clean.

Ash quickly noticed the normal-type's problem and got her attention. "Do you want to head back to the room until it cools off?"

She nodded. Eevee liked being outside, but the air on the deck was stiflingly hot even with the sea breeze. She'd come back out to enjoy herself when dusk came around and things were cooler.

He looked up at Leaf and Gary. "I'm going to take Eevee back to the room. It's too hot outside for her like this. I'll be back."

His friends both nodded before Ash set off with Eevee in his arms. Once they were back inside with the air conditioning, she let out a sigh of relief. Ash smiled at her. "It's pretty hot outside, isn't it, girl?"

Eevee just mumbled at the understatement and her trainer chuckled.

They made it back to the room and the sound of the door opening got the attention of the residents inside. Douse was still floating in the hot tub and greeted the duo with a lazy wave of his arm. Ash assumed Spectre was still in the closet.

As long as he wasn't floating around the halls scaring the life out of people.

Eevee leapt onto the bed and made herself comfortable quickly, continuing to groom herself. Ash smiled at the normal-type. "Do you want a bath later, Eevee?"

Eevee looked up at him to nod almost immediately. She hadn't forgotten the wonderful bath in Fuchsia and frankly the idea of another was delightful. Ash mentally set aside at least twenty minutes to pamper her later before he turned to the water-type still floating in the tub.

"Douse, how about you come with me to the deck? There's a huge pool out there. Gary's Blastoise and Leaf's Seadra are already swimming."

The Poliwrath didn't need to be asked twice. He got out of the tub and followed Ash, ignoring the dripping trail he made. Ash had a feeling there'd be plenty more of that and ignored it. He looked at Eevee one more time and smiled. "I'll be back in a little while, okay girl?"

She acknowledged him quickly and so left Ash to glance at Spectre's suspiciously quiet closet. A bit of red was visible through the cracked doors as he heard the ghost snigger. "Just don't cause trouble, okay?"

Spectre slipped out of his hiding place just long enough to snatch Ash's hat, then he fled back to the closet gleefully. For all his pranking, he wouldn't actually cause any problems for them—Ash trusted his friend.

"Now then, let's go," Ash—now sans his hat—opened the door to lead Douse to the pool outside.

They were almost to the elevator when Ash turned a corner and bumped into someone familiar. He quickly backed up and made to apologize to the girl before realizing who she was.

"Rui?" Ash said.

"Oh, it's you!" Rui flashed him a grin. "Fancy seeing you here!"

If she was here, then that meant—

Sure enough, Ash saw an Umbreon dart over, and the roguish scowl of Wes appear just behind Rui a moment later. "What's the—wait, I remember you."

"You got tickets, too?"

"Yup!" Rui cheered. Her enthusiasm made it impossible not to smile. "Wes won a ticket from Surge and we bought another one online. It's his first vacation!"

"It is not my first vacation," Wes scowled. "I've been to Phenac City."

"That was not a vacation," she said pointedly. The man only shrugged. Meanwhile, Umbreon yipped at Douse and the Poliwrath waved at the dark-type, grunting in response. They seemed to remember each other, because both appeared pleased by the encounter.

Ash blinked at this new development and suspicion suddenly rose up in his gut. "You're going to be in the tournament, aren't you?"

The smirk Wes cast his way was downright evil. "No shit."

"Wes!" Rui scowled. "He's still just a kid!"

"So?"

She shook her head and sighed, turning back to Ash. "I'm sorry about him. I swear, I can't take him anywhere!"

"And yet here you are, still dragging me around," he snickered. Umbreon yipped again, tongue lolling from his mouth. Rui rolled her eyes.

Well, that was all fine and good, but now Ash had to figure out exactly how to win the tournament with this monster competing. He scowled at the idea. Sure, his team was a lot stronger than the last time they'd met Wes, but he doubted they could beat something as powerful as a Legendary Beast.

The Orrean seemed to pick up on his line of thought and laughed. "Oh, relax. I'm not gonna bust Raikou on you. He and Entei aren't with us right now, anyways. They don't like really crowded places like this. You'll have to deal with some of my other Pokemon."

Ash didn't necessarily feel more comfortable with that thought. After all, some of those Pokemon were clearly strong enough to defeat the aforementioned Beasts.

Well, shit.

"We won't make it easy for you," Ash promised with a dangerous grin. Despite his uncertainty about matching Wes' team, he fully intended to make them work for any sort of victory if they got matched up.

"Good. I'd hate for this to be boring," Wes replied mockingly.

"Guys," Rui whined, but her eyes glimmered with mirth. "Come on! Relax first, battle later! You've got months before the Indigo Conference to battle more!"

"Yeah, yeah," Wes acknowledged as she took his hand and started to drag him away. "See you around, toddler."

"My name is Ash," he retorted.

"Same difference."

"See you later, Ash!" Rui said as she pulled Wes away. "Sorry about him!"

Ash snorted as Umbreon yipped one last time and followed the pair. They were interesting, if nothing else. More importantly, it meant he probably should warn Gary and Leaf that they had an obscenely powerful opponent to contend with…

He picked up his pace and Douse followed close behind.

They ended up hanging out on the deck for hours, enjoying the warmth, sunshine, and water as much as they could. By mid-afternoon, they were getting tired and decided to take a break when the captain of the ship announced that they would be departing.

The group hurried to the starboard side of the vessel to watch the ship leave port. The St. Anne slowly separated itself from the docks and made a wide turn in Vermillion Bay towards the open sea. Once it was pointed in the right direction, the vessel began to move at a steady pace which grew faster once they were clear of the bay.

The moment the St. Anne was able to go at full speed, there was another announcement. "This is Captain Briney speaking. We have now left Vermillion Bay and will be making for Cinnabar Island. The voyage should take us about…five days. The forecast looks good for the entirety of the voyage and we'll be sure to reach our destination in a timely manner. To our passengers, I ask only that you enjoy yourselves to the fullest of what we can offer. Welcome aboard the St. Anne!"

Loud cheers and whistles rose in a clamor on the ship, then music started to play from the speakers again and everyone went about their business.

"Whew, now we're finally getting somewhere!" Gary exclaimed cheerily while stretching his arms over his head.

Ash was nudged on the shoulder by Sobek and turned to find the Krookodile scratching at his belly urgently. Douse, too, seemed to have worked up an appetite swimming for so long. The boy grinned at his friends. "I think we could use something to eat."

"Sounds good to me," Leaf sighed, taking her hat off for a moment to wipe some of the sweat off of her forehead. "I really need a shower, though. I guess we'll meet up in the dining hall?"

Ash nodded. "That sounds good. I've got to give Eevee a bath, anyways."

"I'll get cleaned up quick and grab a table for us," Gary offered.

Leaf smiled at him brightly. "Sounds like a plan. I'll see you in a little while!"

She took off with Teddiursa and Rose on her heels. Gary also said a quick goodbye before he walked away with Machoke just behind him. Ash recalled his team save for Pikachu and made for his own residence.

Once they reached the room, Ash set the others loose again and told them to rest until they left for dinner. While they settled in, he walked to the bed and got Eevee's attention. "Ready for that bath?"

Eevee sat bolt-upright, face filled with anticipation as she leapt into his arms. Ash caught her with a laugh and turned on his heel to carry her off. "Come on, girl. I'll get you cleaned up."

Ash ended up bathing Eevee for nearly half an hour. She again insisted that he clean himself first so that he wouldn't get any of the sweat and grime on his body into her fur. Once that was taken care of, he grabbed the shampoo for Pokemon and started to work it through her coat, sending the little normal-type into a state of bliss.

He massaged her with the cleansing liquid until she looked like a walking bubble bath and then rinsed her off with warm water. A towel was used to dry her gently, then he bundled her up with an even fluffier one before carrying her back to the room—he was pretty sure she had passed out.

He wiped off some of the perspiration that had built up on his forehead and smiled at the sleepy Pokemon. She was definitely a little spoiled. Ash glanced at the rest of his team, who had awoken when he returned from the bathroom with their recently-cleaned companion. "Anyone else want a bath?"

Unsurprisingly, Pyro immediately shook his head. His version of a bath was actually rather destructive—to keep his scales clean, he quite literally bathed himself in his own flames, breathing Flamethrower until the dirt and any dead scales were incinerated. Frankly, Ash had only ever seen him do that a few times, but it wasn't safe to be near Pyro when he decided he needed to be cleaned up.

After all, he left a huge circle of blackened earth in his wake.

Spectre passed on the offer (though his red eye glinted with suspicious glee) and Douse simply waved his hand to tell Ash that he was fine. He'd been swimming all day and felt plenty clean the way he was. Ash was pretty sure he just didn't want to move.

Surprisingly, Sobek seemed to be considering it. The Krookodile kept himself groomed pretty well and he didn't exactly like water, but maybe if the water was warm enough…

Ash offered his friend an encouraging smile. "Do you want to try it out, Sobek?"

Sobek thought about it for a few more moments before nodding slowly. Ash tilted his head towards the bathroom and the Krookodile followed, albeit a little hesitantly. There was steam coming out of the shower and frankly, it looked like a sauna. But Ash encouraged him and Sobek trusted his trainer.

Ash considered how they could go about this. Sobek was probably too big to fit into the bath and he kind of doubted that he'd want to soak in hot water. Instead, he had the Krookodile sit down on a towel by the tub and, after filling it with warm water, dipped the same, small towel he'd scrubbed Eevee with into the liquid and began to clean Sobek with it.

Initially, the Krookodile stiffened upon feeling the water touch him, but he relaxed after the first few seconds. It was warm and didn't shock his body—he was cold blooded, after all. If Ash had tried to clean him with cold water, his body would not have taken that particularly well.

Fortunately, warm water was a lot more tolerable and it seemed to feel pretty good. Sobek let out a rumble of enjoyment as Ash scrubbed the scales on his shoulders and the back of his neck, working through any stiffness that built up as a result of training. Ash found that there were a lot of sore spots at the base of Sobek's head and neck because the Krookodile's muscles were incredibly tight.

He frowned at that. "Sobek, has your neck been bothering you?"

The Krookodile thought about it and growled an affirmative. Ash continued to scrub him, but considered the soreness of his friend as he did so. It was possible that his recent evolution made it hard for his muscles to hold up his weight. Sobek's head was enormous—it always had been. But the difference in size between his time as a Krokorok and now as a Krookodile was drastic. His skull had put on nearly another foot for length and probably another fifty pounds worth of weight in sheer muscle.

Ash paused in his cleaning as he looked at Sobek's massive head. Maybe his muscles really weren't used to the new weight of his skull and it was putting pressure on his neck. Sobek had been more irritable lately, but he'd put it up to the surge of hormones that always followed evolution. Maybe there was a more physical reason for his short temper. Had his neck hurt like this when he first evolved from Sandile?

"Sobek, if your neck hurts like that again, let me know," Ash told him. "I don't want you to damage anything by accident, okay?"

Sobek nodded again and winced slightly at the motion. Ash's frown deepened at his friend's obvious pain and continued to scrub the Krookodile's scales, which put him back at ease.

After a fairly long bath (Sobek was quite large, after all) Ash was satisfied that the ground-type had been sufficiently cleaned and dried him off with one of the few clean towels that remained. Sobek shook himself after Ash got all the water off and hissed gratefully to his trainer.

He smiled and patted the Krookodile's shoulder. "That wasn't so bad, was it?"

Sobek shook his head with evidently less pain this time and Ash opened the bathroom door. "Alright bud, go rest up a bit before dinner comes around. We'll be leaving pretty soon."

Sobek only grunted and returned to the enormous cushion beside Pyro. Ash walked over to where his PokeNav was placed on the desk and made a note to ask Professor Oak about the stress that had built up in Sobek's neck.

He would rather be safe than sorry.

Dinner was incredible and for Ash, completely alien.

Oh, his mother was a phenomenal cook, but the lavishness of the massive dining hall coupled with the rather formal attire worn by most of the guests and crew made him feel out of place. He was wearing his cleanest jeans and a plain black t-shirt, a far cry from the numerous suits and dresses he saw around him.

Fortunately, he wasn't alone. It wasn't like all of the people were in formal attire, just a fair few of them. His little group, which consisted of himself, Gary and Leaf, all wore fairly casual clothing and took a small table for themselves. Ash found out that they could order meals for their Pokemon as well. Naturally, they had to behave themselves.

His team was starving and he thought they had decent manners. Ash decided to go for it. With the exception of Spectre, (who had chosen to remain in his closet for the time being) the whole team was present to eat.

A lot of people were eating with their Pokemon, including his friends. Leaf of course refrained from releasing Talon, Pulver, or Seadra (no doubt she would feed them seperately), but she set loose Teddiursa, Rose, and Saur to eat with them.

Gary set loose every member of his team save for Pidgeot, after informing them that the bird had eaten earlier and held no interest whatsoever for a large dinner like this. Ash didn't doubt it—most bird Pokemon didn't like such confined spaces, after all. They were most comfortable under the open sky. Talon, Leaf told them, was the same way.

They chatted over dinner for nearly an hour when the clear sound of a glass being tapped upon broke up the conversation. Everyone in the dining hall looked over to the main podium in the center of the room, where an older man in a blue suit and a navy hat stood with other members of the crew behind him. He spoke into a microphone to be heard across the room.

"Hello, ladies and gentlemen. I hope you're all enjoying yourselves this evening. I'm the Captain of the St. Anne, Joshua Briney. It's a pleasure to see all of you here tonight. Is everyone enjoying their meal?"

A chorus of agreement responded to him, prompting the Captain to chuckle. "Good! Good! Now, I understand that many of you are likely curious about the main source of entertainment for this voyage—the Pokemon Tournament, yes?"

He had the full attention of the room in an instant. Briney smiled at the eager expressions as he glanced around the room and continued his speech. "The tournament itself will begin tomorrow at twelve noon. Anyone who is interested in participating, please report to the battlefield at the stern—the back—of the ship by ten A.M tomorrow morning. The tournament will run for three of our five travel days, starting tomorrow with preliminaries to leave us with eight trainers. The day after that will consist of quarter-finals and semi-finals, and our fourth traveling day will host the finals."

The Captain paused so that everyone could absorb that information. "In regards to the prizes, only the top four competitors will win something. Fourth place will win a TM Voucher, which can only be used here in our Technical Machine Market aboard the St. Anne, and five Great Balls. Third place will also win a TM Voucher in addition to five Ultra Balls. Keep in mind that third and fourth place will be decided by a battle between the two competitors who are defeated in the semi-finals."

"Second place will win two TM Vouchers and an evolutionary item of their choice. And finally, our Tournament Champion will win a hundred-thousand in cash, three TM Vouchers, and a rare Pokemon egg."

That caught the entire dining hall's attention with several gasps and excited murmurs echoing around the room. Ash himself raised an eyebrow at the news. A rare Pokemon egg? The chance of getting free TMs was not one to be missed, but that plus a rare Pokemon for his team was priceless. He glanced at Leaf and Gary, who both looked anxious and excited for the battles ahead.

Ash silently apologized to them. They were great friends, but he was going to win this. He would not hold back. Even Wes wouldn't stop him from winning this.

"I'm sure you're all wondering what kind of Pokemon it is, but I'll be keeping its identity a secret until the end of the tournament," Briney announced. "A friend of mine granted me the egg during our stop in Unova a few months ago. I'm not that familiar with the species, but he assured me that once it reaches its prime, it will be quite a fighter."

He was sold with that particular statement. Ash didn't know much about the Pokemon from Unova (Aside from the Sandile line, of course), but he knew it was Sobek's home region—anything that could potentially match the Krookodile for strength was something he wanted on his team.

"Now, I'll let you all return to your meals," the Captain bowed to the watching people. "Please enjoy your stay aboard the St. Anne."

Cheers and the clapping of hands followed his speech, then Briney turned and left—probably to go back to the wheelhouse. Ash was sure the Captain got a break now and again, but he was in charge of the enormous vessel, after all. He likely spent almost all of his time up there.

His attention was drawn back to the table. Gary was cracking his knuckles with a wide smirk upon his face. "Oh, I'm gonna win this! Sorry you guys, but I'm steamrolling both of you!"

"Good luck," Leaf scoffed. "I'll stop you in your tracks. That egg is mine."

Ash just smiled a little. He quietly decided to visit one of the training rooms aboard the ship—fine-tune his team before the main event. And maybe he needed to drop by the Technical Machine Market, as well. Just because they were giving out vouchers for free TMs as prizes didn't mean he couldn't go grab a new move or two for his team to give them an edge.

They would do him proud, he was sure.

They went straight to the sign up point after leaving dinner and entered the tournament. None of them wanted to risk missing out on this chance.

Ash quickly said goodbye to Gary and Leaf after they'd all signed up. He gathered his team together and made for the trainer service areas aboard the ship.

He was grateful that many of the vendors were open even at such a late hour. It was almost nine-thirty, but the Technical Machine Market was still open, though he had only thirty more minutes before it would close for the night.

Ash was impressed by the vast selection of moves. It was absolutely loaded with TMs from the floor to the ceiling along an entire wall, reminding him of the Celadon Department store. He took a few minutes to retrieve his Pokedex and scan through the list of moves his team could learn.

He did have a couple of permanent TMs; Brick Break and Iron Tail. Ash already knew he wanted to give Sobek Brick Break; it would give him some added versatility in a close-quarters fight. He toyed with the idea of giving Pyro one of those moves, as well, but decided against it for the time being. His starter almost had Wing Attack down, and he'd need it if he got into an aerial battle during the tournament. Best to focus on that, he decided.

When he won the tournament (when, not if, he told himself) then he'd have three TM Vouchers to get his team more techniques for free. There was no need to spend more money than was necessary. He was on a budget, after all.

Spectre couldn't learn either Iron Tail or Brick Break and he desperately needed a wider range of attacking moves, so Ash looked hard for something to give him an edge. It was tricky because Spectre was a defensive fighter right now. He needed something that would keep the opponent at a distance, thus allowing the Duskull to wear his foes down.

In the end, Ash decided to take a risk and bought the permanent TM for Psychic. He really hoped it wouldn't be as difficult to learn as Pyro's dragon-type moves had been. If it turned out that Spectre couldn't wield psychic energy efficiently, then this wasn't going to help him at all in the tournament. But Psychic was nonetheless a useful and powerful move, which he hoped the Duskull would master given time and effort.

He winced at the amount of cash he dished out for it, but hopefully it would be worth the funds. Psychic was a particularly expensive TM due to its power and popularity, even more so since he had to pay an extra $1000 to make its use permanent. At least he hadn't burned through as much as he had back in Celadon.

Once he'd bought the TM, Ash went to the second floor from the top of the St. Anne to go to the private training area. It was open 24/7 and allowed trainers to reserve a small room to train their Pokemon while on the ship. There were limitations—one could not train in the use of Earthquake, for example—none of them applied to the moves that Ash had in mind for training this evening.

He reserved one of the rooms for $500, which was a steep price, but worth it if he could give the other trainers in the tournament a nasty surprise. Ash took the card key he received from the manager of the training rooms and inserted it into the reader on the door lock, granting him access. He let himself in, squinting as the lights automatically turned on, and closed the door behind him. In addition to the lights automatically coming on, the windows tinted, keeping any unwanted observers from seeing what he was up to.

Ash took out the TM Case and inserted the new Psychic TM first. Once that was done, he pulled out the pokeballs for those who would get their new moves. Spectre got Psychic and Sobek received Brick Break, just as planned.

With that done, he released the whole team.

"Right, we've got some work to do," Ash announced. They paid rapt attention as he spoke. "Spectre, Sobek, we're going to practice some new moves tonight. They don't have to be perfect, but I'd like you to have a good grasp on them before the tournament tomorrow."

Sobek flexed his claws eagerly. Spectre's single red eye flickered with blue for just an instant as he tested the psychic powers Ash had gifted to him. Good.

Ash turned to the other four. "Light training for tonight. Eevee, help Pikachu with Detect. Pyro, you're practicing Wing Attack—I want it mastered before we have to fight Pidgeot or Talon. Douse, see if you can get some progress on Ice Punch. We'll practice Chilling Water later."

His team responded as one and each went about performing their individual tasks. Pyro couldn't fly in the confines of the room, but he flexed his wings and started to gather the energy necessary for Wing Attack—that wouldn't give him too much trouble, Ash was sure. Douse as well, took a stance near his fire-type companion and began to focus with his fists clenched.

Eevee chittered at Pikachu and began to chase him with Quick Attack. The mouse had to predict her lunges with Detect, or risk her slamming into him. Pikachu seemed keen to tease her, but that came to an end when Eevee blurred and bowled him over with a loud squeak.

He behaved himself after that.

Ash turned to Sobek and Spectre. "You two start working on your new moves. Sobek, make some targets to practice on. Be safe about it."

The pair grunted and with a swipe, Sobek yanked up a pair of Stone Edge pillars for training. Ash watched as the Krookodile casually stalked over and slammed his glowing fist into one of the targets. It didn't shatter, but it certainly cracked. Spectre floated not to his target, but to the pebbles scattering the floor as Sobek beat at the stone, and tried to make them float with Psychic.

Satisfied, Ash began to walk amongst his team, doing his rounds to encourage and instruct.

The air grew chilly as Douse's fist came forward, cloaked in icy energy. Ash wasn't surprised at his success; after mastering Ice Beam, the Poliwrath had needed to put in little work to get the rough concept of Ice Punch down. Now it was just a matter of perfecting it.

"Good job," Ash praised him. Douse grunted, equally pleased with his progress, and continued his work.

Ash took the chance to glance at Sobek and Spectre, who were still working on their new moves. Sobek had beaten two targets into rubble by now. He lacked Douse's expertise and sheer power when using Brick Break, but his efforts had thus far been promising.

Spectre was rather enjoying his new toy—Ash watched with a little amusement as the ghost used Psychic to levitate small stones in the air around him and make them float in a circle. He casually shot a few of the small rocks towards Pikachu, but frequently they lost momentum or flew off-course. Spectre's little training game gave Ash a few ideas, but none that could be worked on for the time being.

If nothing else, the rocks made Pikachu work harder on Detect, even though he suspected the electric-type would invoke retribution on his ghostly companion sooner than later. Pikachu shot Spectre narrow-eyed glares every time a pebble almost hit him.

Then Eevee would yowl or tackle him with Quick Attack, and Pikachu would have to focus on his actual opponent before she beat him senseless for not paying attention. Ash snorted as he realized the little electric-type might have to get used to that new dynamic; Eevee had warmed to them while he'd been in rehab, but she was still stern and would tolerate exactly none of his mischief.

Pyro was also doing well. Ash nodded his head as the Charizard shifted his stance and swatted at an invisible foe with one of his massive wings. On the ground, it wouldn't do a ton of damage to anything but weak enemies. But in the air? With enough momentum behind him, he'd knock most other fliers clear out of the sky.

He checked the time on his PokeNav and blinked. Wow, was it that late, already?

"Guys!" Ash called and his team stopped in their tracks immediately. "It's getting late. We're calling it for now."

Pikachu slumped with an exaggerated yowl, appearing to be exhausted after spending the last hour being chased by Eevee. The normal-type eyed him disdainfully and simply sat down to lick at her fur.

Ash smirked and recalled his team. He was sure they'd be back tomorrow, but now it was time to rest.

He yawned for a solid ten seconds before wiping reflexive tears from his eyes. Ash squinted in the morning light. He'd slept like the dead, but evidently not enough for all the activity he'd gotten into yesterday.

He made a mental note to sleep more tonight. They'd need to be at their best to win this.

Everyone was waiting outside the tournament battlefield at the stern of the ship. It was a simple dirt field surrounded by bleachers on either side and with trainer boxes on each end. It certainly looked professional. Ash wondered if this was what it would be like to battle in the Indigo League.

While they waited for the tournament to start, Ash went over his plan for the initial battles. He wanted to save Pyro and Sobek for the later matches, to keep their power and moves secret from the other trainers. To do that, he'd be relying on Pikachu, Eevee, Douse, and Spectre.

Ideally, he planned on using Pikachu, Eevee, and Spectre for the preliminaries. It was a bit risky—he didn't doubt their power, but none of them yet possessed the monstrous strength of his biggest hitters. If one of the other trainers used a Pokemon as strong as Pyro, for example, they'd have a difficult time coming out of it victorious. But they'd worked hard and he had full confidence that they could win these battles.

He yawned again and rubbed his eyes. He really needed to get more sleep to make up for what he'd lost the night before.

There was suddenly a commotion in the stands and Ash jerked to attention, watching as a female sailor marched to the center of the field and smiled brightly at the crowd. She had an earpiece attached to the side of her head and when she tapped it, he heard the sound reverberate through the speakers around the ship.

"Testing, testing…" she repeated. When there appeared to be no problems, the young woman began to speak. "Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the St. Anne Pokemon Tournament! My name is Angela, and I'll be your announcer! It's a beautiful day to start the preliminary rounds, isn't it? Can I hear some encouragement for all of the trainers participating?!"

The crowd practically screamed. Ash felt his face flush with nervousness. It wasn't like they were cheering just for him, but it still made him feel a little self-conscious.

"Now then, shall we get started?" She exclaimed. "The names of the trainers will be drawn at random! We have thirty-two trainers participating, meaning that there will be five rounds of battles! Today we will hold the preliminary rounds, followed by the quarter-finals and semi-finals tomorrow, and the finals the day after that! All of the battles will be broadcast across the ship and you can replay them on the televisions back in your cabins!"

"The rules for today are simple! The first round of preliminaries will consist of one-on-one battles! If you win and move on to the second round, you'll be fighting double battle style in a two-on-two match!"

Angela went over to a box being held by another member of the crew and reached inside. "The first two trainers are…"

She drew a pair of small paper slips out and read the names off on them to the crowd. "Ash and Lock!"

Ash jerked in surprise. He was fighting right off the bat?

"Both trainers please proceed to the battlefield! Ash will be in the red corner and Lock in the blue corner!"

He swallowed nervously. This was it.

Ash felt someone slap him on the back and yelped, only to find that it was Gary who delivered the strike. His rival was grinning. "Wake up, lazybones! Get your butt out there and win!"

Leaf offered Ash an encouraging smile. "Good luck!"

Ash nodded back, took a deep breath, and made for the corner that Angela had designated as his. He felt all eyes draw to him as he reached the red corner and hoped that he didn't look too nervous. On the other side of the field, another boy maybe a little older than he was faced him with an equally rattled face. Lock nodded to Ash and he returned the gesture.

Angela, who was acting as the referee, made her way to the halfway point of the field and glanced from one trainer to the other. "Coin toss has determined that Lock has the first move! Release your Pokemon!"

Lock sent out a Psyduck, which looked just as clueless as the rest of its species. Ash had never fought one before, but he already knew which Pokemon he was going to choose.

Pikachu appeared in a flash of light and eyed the dopey water-type with mischievous glee. Sniggering, he rubbed his paws together in preparation for what was sure to be a good time.

"Are we ready to rumble?!" Angela demanded of the crowd. Ash and Lock both tensed as the crowd screamed, then Angela slashed her hand down. "Begin!"

"Water Gun!" Lock shouted immediately.

Psyduck tilted its head in confusion for a moment, then opened its beak and spat a jet of water. Pikachu blurred away from the attack, easily evading the first shot. Psyduck fired off a few more Water Guns before pausing again to frown, as if it was wondering why it was attacking.

Ash jumped on the chance. "Quick Stun!"

Pikachu darted in close and tagged Psyduck with Nuzzle before it could register what was happened. The duck squawked in distress as electricity flooded its body, and Pikachu shot back to Ash's side before it could retaliate.

"And a quick counter from Ash's Pikachu!" Angela exclaimed. "Psyduck is in a bad spot!"

Lock seemed annoyed by the successful hit. "Psyduck, Water Pulse!"

Psyduck did as instructed—albeit, more slowly. The paralysis from Nuzzle was causing spasms to run through its body. It formed a sphere of water between its stubby hands and launched the Water Pulse at Pikachu with admirable speed, but he still easily evaded it.

Pikachu smashed into Psyduck with another Quick Stun, shocking it even more, and it made an indignant quack as it hit the ground. The electric-type was just toying with his foe, but Ash seized the opportunity immediately.

"Thunderbolt!"

Lock shouted in desperation. "Protect!"

A sphere of green energy encompassed Psyduck's body, causing the Thunderbolt to fizzle out harmlessly. Undeterred, Pikachu sniggered as Psyduck spat more Water Guns and easily evaded them. Lock was starting to look frustrated, but he still kept mostly calm.

Ash gauged Psyduck carefully for a few moments. Their kind were known for unleashing massive bursts of psychic energy from time to time despite not being psychic-types at all. The power surges were thought to be related to unstable brain waves which took on the common symptoms of a building migraine. The stress from paralysis might add to that sooner than later…

"Thunderbolt," he ordered. "Don't let it rest."

Pikachu's body positively exploded with electricity and this time, Psyduck couldn't form up a Protect quick enough to block it. The bird let out a screech as it was consumed with by bolt, leaving it trembling and nearly unconscious.

Lock clenched one of his fists, but smiled nervously when Psyduck got back up. Ash's eyes widened when the dopey creature gained a blue aura around its body.

Not good.

"Thunderbolt!" He exclaimed. "Knock it out!"

"Psychic!" Lock yelled urgently.

Pikachu loosed another blast at Psyduck, but before the bolt could reach it, the duck's eyes glowed a menacing blue. A wave of energy exploded outwards, nullifying the Thunderbolt and sending Pikachu airborne with a startled squeak.

"Turnaround!" Angela shouted. "Pikachu's the one in trouble now! Psyduck's got it trapped in a Psychic attack!"

Lock was grinning widely now. "Slam it down!"

Psyduck quacked loudly and swiped one of its stubby hands in a downward motion. Pikachu was launched towards the field at a frightening speed, but it seemed the paralysis caused Psyduck to lose control and it ceased to use Psychic. Ash capitalized on it.

"Agility!"

Pikachu managed to right himself and landed nimbly on all fours, albeit a bit more heavily than Ash would have preferred. Still, he used the momentum to launch himself into a Quick Attack and blurred towards his recovering foe.

Angela's announcements continued as the battle went on, exciting the watching spectators further. "And Pikachu has escaped! It's got the edge again!"

Psyduck stared at Pikachu dumbly for a second, as though it didn't recognize him at all. It's brief migraine had come and gone, but Ash was wary of the strange Pokemon now and he wanted it out of the picture as quickly as possible.

"Volt Tackle!"

Lightning blazed over Pikachu's body as he closed in on Psyduck. Ash grinned at the sight; no longer was energy wasted with the move. Pikachu was an electrified missile as he crashed into Psyduck's belly and knocked it out cold.

"That's it!" Angela declared. "Psyduck is unable to continue! Ash and his Pikachu win!"

The crowd cheered loudly and Ash inwardly sighed in relief. That had been a little too close. Had Psyduck successfully slammed PIkachu into the ground with Psychic, it would have still had a chance despite the paralysis. Ash's team hadn't gone up against many psychics in the past and he hadn't really figured out how to deal with them.

He made a mental note to remind Pikachu not to play around with their opponents quite so much—at least not in a tournament.

Lock recalled Psyduck with a sigh, but he smiled at Ash and waved at him. Ash waved back and did his best to return the smile. The cheering of the crowd would take getting used to.

Pikachu leapt onto his shoulder and snickered, pleased with himself. Ash gave him a genuine grin and ruffled the fur between the electric-type's ears. "It feels great to fight with you again, buddy. I'm proud of you."

He recalled Pikachu and returned to the rest of the trainers as Angela made her next announcement. "That's the first match, folks! Ash will proceed to the second round of preliminaries! Now, on to the second match! The next two trainers will be…"

Ash hadn't realized just how long a bunch of one-on-one battles could take. There were sixteen matches to be held between thirty-two trainers, and although they were all relatively short fights, the sheer number of trainers meant that the battles drew out until mid afternoon. He left to go grab lunch at one point, but returned quickly. He didn't want to miss out on any of the action.

Gary and Leaf had both made it through the first round with ease—Gary's Kadabra had taken down a rather impressive looking Hitmonchan in a matter of minutes. Leaf's fight had been a bit closer because she'd sent in Rose against a Flareon, but her Ninetales managed to win that battle in the end.

Wes' fight was something to see.

Ash and the whole ship watched, wide-eyed, as the Orrean set loose a massive Hariyama, which proceeded to crush his foe's Rhydon with next to no effort. All it had taken was for the bulky fighting-type to simply stop the initial charge with one hand, and then it beat Rhydon into unconsciousness with a brutal combination of Ice Punch and Bullet Punch.

"This is that guy you told us about yesterday, right?" Leaf muttered to Ash as Wes swaggered off the field with a smirk on his face.

"That's him," Ash confirmed.

Gary grimaced. "Ugh. He's going to be a gigantic pain in the ass if all of his Pokemon are as strong as that Hariyama."

Ash did not disagree. Honestly, he thought Wes was probably the strongest trainer on the ship.

He would be a problem.

Finally, the last one-on-one match was completed, leaving the tournament with sixteen trainers still competing. Angela took a gulp of water from a canteen and sighed as she prepared to announce for the next round of the tournament.

"Whew, it's been quite a day, hasn't it?" She remarked. The crowd evidently agreed, but they were eager for more—they were always eager for great battles between talented trainers. "We've got sixteen trainers remaining! Now we'll get started on the second round of the preliminaries—the double battles!

"Again, the rules are simple. Each trainer will use two Pokemon in a double battle format and the battle will be concluded when both Pokemon on either side are unable to continue. Once more, the battle pairs will be decided by luck of the draw."

She dipped her hand into the box of names and pulled two of them out. With a quick glance, she announced the names of the next pair of fighters. "Round one for the double battles will be…Gary and Simon!"

Said boy grinned at Ash and Leaf. "Watch and learn!"

Leaf rolled her eyes. "What are we supposed to be learning? How to lose?"

Gary sneered at her, but it wasn't unkind so much as it was playful. "Something tells me you can learn about that yourself!"

Ash smirked as Leaf glared at him to snap back a retort, but he shoved Gary's shoulder lightly. "Get out there, already. I want to fight again too."

"Yeah, yeah," he drawled. "I'll be quick."

He left then to join his opponent on the field. Simon was an elderly gentleman, wearing shorts and a vacation-themed shirt. Ash recognized him as the same man with the Noctowl that he'd seen when they first boarded the St. Anne.

Simon was given the first move and released a Dodrio and an Electabuzz, which smashed its fists together to generate an arc of electricity. Gary assessed the pair quickly and smirked before setting loose Blastoise and Nidoqueen.

Ash arched an eyebrow at Gary's chosen pair. Nidoqueen made sense—Electabuzz's electric moves might tickle her and Dodrio probably had only a few ways to actually hurt her, but Blastoise would be very vulnerable to electric-type attacks. Ash supposed that Gary could have been gunning for a type advantage over Dodrio since Blastoise knew Ice Beam, but he wondered if that was worth the risk.

Angela slashed her hand down. "Begin!"

"Dodrio, use Tri-Attack on Nidoqueen," Simon ordered easily. "Electabuzz, Thunderbolt the Blastoise."

His Pokemon faithfully did as he commanded, launching their long-range moves at Gary's team. Dodrio's three heads each fired a burst of energy in the forms of a fireball, an icy ray, and a small bolt of electricity. Beside it, Electabuzz windmilled its arms and casually fired a large electric shock. Ash assumed that Simon was trying to divide up Blastoise and Nidoqueen, and so make it tougher for Gary to counter him effectively. But his rival wasn't that gullible and Ash knew it.

Gary responded contemptuously. "Protect, both of you."

Blastoise and Nidoqueen held up their arms and generated emerald shields, which caused Tri-Attack and Thunderbolt to wash off around their bodies harmlessly. Not missing a beat, Gary followed up with his own attacks. "Blastoise, Defense Clone! Nidoqueen, Sludge Bomb!"

Nidoqueen bellowed and then began to spit globs of toxic sludge at the pair of enemies. Dodrio and Electabuzz dodged the attacks easily even as Nidoqueen swung her head from side to side in an effort to hit her targets. It would have been a lost cause if Blastoise wasn't busy taking advantage of her distraction with enhancing moves.

The turtle's body flashed briefly, then over a dozen illusory copies of himself appeared across the field. Dodrio let out a startled shriek as one of the clones appeared in front of it, but had no idea how to react when the clone immediately tucked into its shell.

Ash raised an eyebrow as all of the Blastoise copies retreated into their shells and then glowed silver. Iron Defense. Gary was using Nidoqueen as a distraction while Blastoise created further confusion and took the chance to buff its defenses. Smart.

"What is this?" Angela exclaimed with interest clear in her voice. "Blastoise seems to be doing something interesting!"

Simon frowned. "Dodrio, Fury Attack. Electabuzz, target Nidoqueen with Ice Punch."

Dodrio's three heads all let out loud shrieks before it began to frenzy around the field, pecking ruthlessly at Blastoise's Double Team in an effort to pry out the real one. Nidoqueen turned to attack the bird only for Electabuzz to charge at her with its fist encased in icy energy. She growled threateningly at the electric-type, but it was undeterred.

Gary waited for Electabuzz to get close before he snapped. "Protect!"

Electabuzz slammed its fist full-force into the emerald shield erected by Nidoqueen, snarling with surprise and brief pain from the sudden jolt it received for hammering the impenetrable barrier. While it was momentarily stunned, Gary gave Nidoqueen a follow-up command. "Crunch! Give it a toss!"

Nidoqueen's powerful jaws clamped down tightly onto Electabuzz's arm and it screeched in pain. Though it tried to pry her off, the smaller Pokemon was helpless as she gave a quick turn and hurled it roughly back to Simon's side of the field. For good measure, she spat a Sludge Bomb after it, causing Electabuzz to shriek once again.

"Uh-oh! Electabuzz is in a tight spot!" Angela gasped. "Is it already over for Simon's team?!"

Meanwhile, Dodrio stabbed its beaks into the last clone Blastoise had created, leaving only the original on the field. Simon was too focused on trying to get Electabuzz away from Nidoqueen's relentless assault and couldn't tell Dodrio to stop when it jabbed all of its beaks into Blastoise's armored shell.

Dodrio let out a scream of fury as the ends of all of its beaks blunted slightly upon stabbing at the steel-like carapace. It recoiled while shaking its heads, causing them to collide with each other. The triple bird started to fight with its own heads while Simon frantically ordered them to calm down—he was losing control of the battle quickly. Electabuzz was still on the defensive and now Dodrio was fighting amongst itself.

Ash kind of felt bad for him. Gary was picking his team apart.

Gary knew it, too. The smirk on his face was telling of a trainer that knew he was doing a good job of destroying his opponent's concentration. Simon was completely out of sync with his Pokemon and Gary was about to gun for the finishing move.

"Blastoise, Water Pulse!"

Blastoise popped out of his shell and immediately focused a sphere of liquid water between his claws, then launched the attack at the triple bird. Dodrio was still fighting with its other heads, so it didn't even see the move coming until it slammed into its body.

It shrieked and glared at the amused turtle with utter fury in its eyes. Dodrio suddenly generated spiraling currents of air around its beaks and lunged at Blastoise, intent on driving the Drill Peck attack into its enemy.

"Rapid Spin!" Gary ordered.

Blastoise retreated back into his shell and began to spin, then shot forward just as Dodrio closed in. The bird overshot when Blastoise moved towards it and tripped on the spinning Pokemon that smacked into its ankles. Dodrio shrieked again as it fell, scrambling to regain its footing.

"Pin it! Ice Beam!"

Blastoise emerged in an instant and bowled Dodrio over, trapping it beneath his massive weight. His mouth opened as the bird tried to flee, and arcs of icy energy consumed it. Within moments, Dodrio was half-frozen and utterly devoid of its senses. Its trainer was forced to recall it.

Simon definitely looked worried now. "Thunder! Get Blastoise!"

Electabuzz windmilled its arms and with a furious howl, launched a tremendous bolt of lighting at Blastoise. The massive turtle sneered while his trainer gave him a casual command. "Protect!"

Blastoise's emerald shield easily withstood the massive shock, but Gary wasn't the type to get carried away while he had the upper hand. "Nidoqueen, throw Electabuzz!"

Nidoqueen charged at the electric-type and was on top of it before Simon could counter. Electabuzz launched a massive shock at her on reflex, but she just snorted and shrugged it off before grabbing her foe by the arm. Nidoqueen then spun around and hurled the electric-type towards her teammate.

Gary snapped his fingers. "Skull Bash!"

Even Angela winced at the crushing impact produced by Blastoise's thick skull colliding with Electabuzz's body. The electric-type was sent flying back at Simon and was probably unconscious before it even slammed into the ground, which prompted Simon to recall his last Pokemon with a sigh and dip his head to admit defeat. Blastoise bellowed his victory while Nidoqueen merely snorted, but she looked pleased with herself.

"That's it! Electabuzz is down, meaning that the winner is Gary!"

Leaf sighed. "He's gonna be a problem."

"Yeah," Ash agreed. He had to admit, Gary had been training his team well. Blastoise and Nidoqueen would be a nightmare to deal with, to say nothing of the rest of his team. If they got matched up, it would be a close fight.

Ash ended up having to wait until the second round was about halfway over before his name was called again—and about time, too. It was so hot outside that he just wanted to retreat to his cabin and cool off for a while. But he also didn't want to miss any of the battles or not be present when the time came for his second match.

Wes had battled again, and again won his match quickly. His Hariyama was released with a Typhlosion that gleefully ruined the day of his opponent's Jinx and Exeggutor.

Fortunately, Gary had been generous enough to bring both Ash and Leaf a drink while they waited. He looked very proud of himself and was letting Blastoise parade around with him. Of course, the massive turtle swaggered about, equally pleased.

Ash shook his head, amused. Like trainer, like Pokemon.

"It's time for the fifth battle!" Angela announced. "This will pit Ash against Rick! Trainers, to the battlefield!"

Ash walked to his corner of the field quickly. He wanted to get this fight over with and go cool off. Oh, he was looking forward to it, but the promise of air conditioning was almost as good as the prospect of victory right now.

Ash recalled seeing his opponent when he first boarded the St. Anne—he'd been the trainer with the Luxray and Skarmory. Rick had cleared his first match easily with Luxray's strength. It would be unwise to underestimate him.

Rick dipped his head to Ash, appearing rather calm even amidst the cheering of the crowd. Ash nodded back and mentally ran through his plan. Rick was probably one of the higher level trainers in the tournament. He wasn't quite as strong as Gary or Leaf—definitely not as strong as Wes—but he was still a force to be reckoned with, especially his Luxray. The massive feline seemed to rely on stunning opponents with debilitating flashes of light before it blasted them with electrical discharges.

Ash was wary of Luxray. Two of his strongest Pokemon—Pyro and Douse—were weak to electric attacks and although he didn't plan on using either of them in this fight, he wanted to make sure he had a way of dealing with that issue.

Sure enough, when Rick released his two Pokemon, Luxray was one of them. The massive feline was sitting down and stared at Ash with regal, gleaming eyes, but he was undeterred.

Rick's second Pokemon was a Nidorina, and although it wasn't nearly as intimidating as his first, Ash didn't doubt for a moment that it was well-trained. The poison-type was a bit smaller than Gary's Nidorina had been, but that didn't mean it wasn't strong.

Ash set loose Sobek and Spectre for this fight. He had wanted to keep Sobek's power unknown to the other trainers early on in the tournament, but faced with Luxray, it wasn't worth the possibility of losing.

Sobek snarled upon seeing Luxray and the electric-type's black fur bristled as its muzzle curled up to reveal white fangs. Spectre merely blinked at the pair of opponents even as Nidorina's spines began to secrete venom—but Ash knew he was ready for a fight. Across the field, Rick gauged his opponent's Pokemon with careful eyes. He didn't seem even the slightest bit bothered.

"Here it goes!" Angela lifted her hand up. "Ash versus Rick! Begin!"

Rick didn't miss a beat. "Electric Terrain!"

Luxray's fur practically exploded outwards as it jumped to its paws and roared. Electricity blasted from its body and surged out to engulf the ground until the whole battlefield was covered in dancing sparks. The dirt field took on a yellowed, almost golden hue as it was charged up with electrical energy and Luxray began to pace. Its hunt had begun.

Ash stared at the electrified field for just a moment. He'd seen Surge use this a few times that past week. Electric Terrain required a lot of juice to pull off successfully, but it gave quite the boost to any electric attacks and caused problems for any Pokemon vulnerable to the type. None of the sparks would actually hurt Spectre and Sobek was immune, but it only emphasized the need to get Luxray off the field as soon as possible.

"Luxray, Swift on Krookodile!" Rick commanded, jarring Ash back into focus. "Nidorina, Thunderbolt the Duskull!"

Luxray growled, its star-shaped tail tip glowing as it leapt into the air and lashed out with its tail. Dozens of energy stars flew towards Sobek, who sneered. Nidorina, meanwhile, fired a surge of lightning that was by far one of the strongest Thunderbolts Ash had ever seen from a non-electric-type.

"Incinerate!" Ash countered quickly. "Protect!"

Sobek spat a gout of flame to meet the Swift attack and destroyed it. Spectre hurriedly brought up a shield to absorb the massive Thunderbolt, which actually held enough force to push Spectre back even with the barrier up. Ash frowned at that. It looked like Nidorina was stronger than he'd thought

Rick went on the offensive again, undeterred by his initial failure. "Iron Tail!"

Luxray, still in the air, flipped forward then while its long tail glowed silver. With a roar, it made to smash the steel-type move into Sobek's skull, who roared a challenge. But Rick had made a mistake.

"Thunder Fang!" Ash shouted.

Sobek's maw crackled with lightning the likes of which Ash had never seen before. Rick's eyes widened in surprise as the Krookodile's electrified fangs crunched down on Luxray's Iron Tail. Luxray screeched as Sobek spun and hurled it clear across the field, where it smashed the ground once before regaining its footing and coming to a stop.

The Thunder Fang itself wouldn't have done much, but Sobek's powerful jaws left Luxray's tail limp and weak. The feline snarled, clearly hurt.

Rick frowned just the slightest and Ash grinned. That had to be a nasty surprise for him.

He took the initiative now. "Sobek, Stone Edge on Luxray! Spectre, Shadow Sneak on Nidorina!"

Sobek roared and slammed his fist into the ground. A line of jagged stones erupted towards his intended target. Luxray snarled and managed to evade it, but Nidorina wasn't even faced with an attack—as Spectre tried to dive into the shadows on the ground, he was repelled by the electrical sparks. Ash scowled.

"Fine," the boy clenched his fist. "Shadow Ball!"

Spectre generated a sphere of pitch black even as Sobek tried to assault Luxray again. Rick had pulled himself together in the meantime and was ready when Spectre fired the ghost-type move at Nidorina.

"Thunderbolt!"

Nidorina's electric attack blasted into the Shadow Ball and blew it apart, then continued to surge on and crashed into Spectre's small body. The little ghost made a hollow sound of pain, but he was still able to go on. Ash frowned. Even with Spectre's impressive defenses, he couldn't take more than a few of those bolts. They were really overpowered while Electric Terrain was in effect.

"Luxray, Flash!" Rick suddenly ordered.

Ash had to throw his arm over his eyes to guard against the blinding flare of light that was accompanied by Luxray's furious roar. It was such a cheap tactic, but he couldn't deny its effectiveness. He heard Sobek bellow in rage and painfully blinked the remaining spots away to find that Luxray had the Krookodile pinned to the ground. Luxray's fangs were digging into Sobek's throat while the dark-type flailed and roared.

Nidorina had charged Spectre and was also trying to Bite him, but the little ghost had managed to evade the initial attack and was now dancing away. He was too slow, though—Nidorina would catch him sooner or later. Ash decided to go for a risk. "Psychic!"

Spectre's single eye flashed bright blue and then Nidorina was suspended in a cocoon of energy. It winced in pain due to its natural weakness to the psychic-type move, but Ash knew Spectre couldn't hold the attack for long, so he quickly followed up. "Throw her at Luxray!"

Spectre used his wispy limbs to guide the Psychic attack and hurled Nidorina at her own partner. Luxray released Sobek's throat with a yelp of surprise as Nidorina's spiky body crashed into its flank. The pair rolled across the field in a manner that was almost comical, but Ash didn't waste a second. "Stone Edge!"

The Krookodile immediately rolled onto his side and slammed his fist into the ground, roaring as a blade of stone punched upwards into both Luxray and Nidorina to claim his revenge. He staggered to his feet and Ash winced at the thin trails of blood running down his throat. Luxray's fangs hadn't dealt a lot of damage against Sobek's tough scales, but that had to hurt.

Luxray and Nidorina hit the ground hard and got back to their feet, glaring at their enemies. Sobek and Spectre also took the chance to regroup and leered right back. Both sides were hurt and the fight was much closer than either Ash or Rick wanted it to be.

"Sobek, use Dig!" Ash ordered. "Spectre, Confuse Ray!"

"Luxray, counter with Flash!" Rick commanded.

Sobek dove underground just as Spectre's eye glowed bright red, but Luxray's body flared with light as it roared and blew Confuse Ray into harmless light waves. Spectre was forced to cover his eye again and Rick took advantage of it. "Nidorina, use Thunderbolt!"

Nidorina had just started to charge its body with electricity when the ground beneath its feet exploded upwards. The poison-type let out a squeal as Sobek gnashed his massive fangs into its body, then began to shake his head back and forth ruthlessly. He let out guttural snarls as he shook Nidorina like a rag doll into submission and then threw her harshly against the ground, where she lay dazed and unresponsive.

Luxray let out a howl of rage and lunged at Sobek with murder in its eyes even while the Krookodile snarled back. Baleful red flashed in his gaze as Moxie took effect. But before either of them could make contact with the other, a sphere of blue fire came sailing from Ash's side of the field and crashed into Luxray's flank with an explosion of black and blue energy.

Spectre's Ghost Flare had been perfectly timed—it didn't do a huge amount of damage, but it stunned Luxray and judging from its singed fur, Ash was willing to bet it had gotten a nasty burn from the blue flames. While it was knocked off-balance, Sobek made his move.

With a shriek of victory, Sobek clamped his jaws down onto Luxray's shoulders and used his claws to grip it firmly. The electric-type howled in pain and fury, but its reflexive bolts did nothing against Sobek's hide. It was still a large Pokemon though, and Sobek couldn't shake it the same way as he had with Nidorina.

Luxray continued to roar and flail in Sobek's deadly grip, but it couldn't get free from the Krookodile's powerful jaws. They were in a stalemate and Ash didn't want to chance Luxray escaping, so he ordered Spectre to finish it. "Shadow Ball."

The black sphere of ghostly energy exploded in Luxray's face and startled Sobek into releasing the electric-type, but despite losing his grip, the battle was over. Luxray slumped to the ground with a snarl still plastered on its face, but its eyes were closed and its body was limp. Sobek cast a mildly irritated glare at Spectre for finishing his prey, but Ash calmed the massive dark-type with a proud smile.

"Luxray has fallen!" Angela declared. "That makes Krookodile and Duskull the winners! Ash proceeds to the quarter-finals!"

The crowd cheered wildly. It had been an intense battle and Ash sighed in relief now that it was over. He'd thought that Rick had bested him there a couple of times—Luxray had been a menace even with a type disadvantage.

Rick recalled his two unconscious Pokemon and murmured something to the devices which contained them. He then looked up at Ash and smiled, nodding in respect. Ash smiled back and returned the gesture. Rick had pushed him farther than anyone since Surge. IT had been a great battle.

After recalling Sobek and Spectre, he made his way back to the spot where Leaf and Gary were waiting and received a slap on the back for a job well done. Ash didn't even wince this time and smiled to himself as he awaited the next trainer battle.

He was going to keep winning. He had every intention of leaving the St. Anne a winner.

Chapter Text

Chapter Fifteen: The Tournament

"What are you guys planning to do if you go up against Wes?" Gary asked.

They were sequestered away in Ash's room for the time being. Following the end of the tournament for the day, all three of the Rookies saw fit to retreat somewhere cooler for a while and give themselves—not to mention their Pokemon—a break from the heat.

Well, most of them. Ash knew Pyro was flying above the ship somewhere, as was Pidgeot and Talon. Blastoise, Douse, and Seadra were also on the deck, swimming in the huge pools.

But Ash had Eevee in his lap and was brushing her fur as she dozed, while Pikachu half-heartedly chased Leaf's Teddiursa around the room (Teddiursa, of course, was having entirely too much fun, he thought with amusement). Sobek was napping after getting a potion from the ship's Pokemon Center to treat the bites he'd received from Luxray.

Spectre was currently in Ash's shadow—the only sign of him being a little red light that occasionally blinked. It seemed he was recharging from his battle, as he often preferred the comfort of his trainer's shadow following a tough fight. Ash had read that such behavior was common for ghost-types, who existed in that odd limbo between reality and distortion.

Leaf shrugged and stroked Rose's fur lovingly. The Ninetales was stretched across Ash's bed with her head in her trainer's lap, pleased by the attention. "All we can do is our best. He obviously has a ton of experience and his Pokemon are well-trained. If we lose, we lose."

"Better for us to fight him now, even if we wind up losing," Ash pointed out. "He's going to enter the Indigo Conference. This'll give us a chance to see how he battles. It'll help us prepare for later."

Gary scowled. "Still annoying."

"You haven't lost yet," Leaf pointed out with a smirk.

"And I don't plan on losing, either," he retorted. "I just wasn't expecting to fight some big shot on my vacation. I want that egg."

Gary's Eevee—who had been watching Pikachu and Teddiursa and chattering at them—leapt into his trainer's arm and began to lick his face, tail wagging. The other boy sighed and ruffled the normal-type's fur fondly. "What Pokemon does this guy have again? Besides the Legendary Beasts you told us about?"

"Hariyama and Typhlosion," Ash replied, ignoring Gary's comment of "No shit" as he thought a bit more. "The only other one I've seen is Umbreon, but I think he's also got a Tyranitar. I can't see him using it here, though. Apparently, it's got a nasty attitude."

"You just described every Tyranitar ever."

Ash cracked a grin. "Suppose so."

Gary sighed and flopped onto his back, still petting Eevee. "Pidgeot might be able to do some damage to Hariyama, but it's so damned bulky I have no idea if he can actually knock it out. I think Kadabra is my best bet. We'll just Teleport whenever it gets too close and blast it with psychic attacks until it drops. Blastoise can probably take Typhlosion. If he uses Umbreon, then Machoke."

Ash nodded. Honestly, Gary probably had the best chance of the three of them with his greater variety of Pokemon. He knew Wes undoubtedly had more several more, but their limited knowledge of his team made predicting him difficult. As it was, if one of them fought Wes in the finals, at least half of his team would probably be completely unknown.

"What about you guys?" Gary asked.

"Talon to deal with Hariyama, I think," Leaf decided. "Saur is stronger, but I think he'd be overwhelmed against an enemy like that. I'm not sure if Talon can actually beat Hariyama, but maybe he can wear it down so Saur can finish it off. Pulver against Umbreon. Typhlosion, I have no idea. Seadra can't fight on land and there's no way I can bring Onix onto this ship. Teddiursa is just too young. Rose…Rose is probably my best shot. Really, I don't know. I think he's just too experienced for us right now."

"He's had a lot more time to train his team," Ash agreed. "I think I'll use Spectre against Hariyama."

Gary raised an eyebrow. "Not Charizard?"

"Pyro doesn't know any flying-type moves besides Wing Attack yet," Ash admitted. "And Hariyama's ability is Thick Fat. It'll probably shrug off his flames for ages before they start to make a difference, assuming it just sits there and takes it in the first place. And Pyro's still learning to fight in the air—it would exhaust him."

"He is a lot heavier than Pidgeot or Fearow," Leaf agreed. She looked at the little red eye in Ash's shadow curiously. "Do you like, feel him in your shadow, or…?"

"Sort of?" Ash shrugged. "It's not a physical thing, but I can sense that he's there. It's kind of like having an invisible tether attached to me."

"Huh," she looked fascinated. Spectre blinked at her.

"He'll probably be my best chance against Hariyama," Ash reiterated. "Thick Fat is tough to deal with, but I think we can whittle away at it with Will-O-Wisp and Psychic. We haven't mastered Hex yet. But even without Hex, I'm not sure what Hariyama could do to Spectre. We won't be fighting fairly against it, that's for sure.

"Ideally, I'd use Douse against Typhlosion," he went on. "Or Pyro. Typhlosion's pretty fast, so either way, it won't be easy. Against Umbreon, I'd like to use Sobek. I'm not sure what it could do against Ant Pit."

"You don't want to use him against Typhlosion?"

"Sobek won't like it when Typhlosion sets everything on fire," Ash sighed, glancing at the Krookodile fondly. "He's tough, but even he can only take so much heat before it gets to be too much. If Douse or Pyro weaken Typhlosion, I think he could bring it down."

Sobek made a growl in his sleep, nostrils flaring at something unseen.

Their chances of actually beating Wes were low, but at least the experience would be valuable. It wasn't every day they had a chance to fight someone like the Orrean; a highly-skilled trainer with years of experience under his belt, to say nothing of all he'd achieved in his homeland against Cipher.

Win or lose, Ash was looking forward to it.

"Welcome to day two of the St. Anne Pokemon Tournament!" Angela exclaimed, looking just as peppy as she had the day before. The crowd cheered and the young woman continued doing what she did best. "Today marks the battles of the quarter-finals and semi-finals! By the end of today's event, only two trainers will remain for tomorrow's final round!"

Ash leaned against the wall of the trainer waiting area while Angela talked. It was overcast today, so at least there would be some shade. He doubted it would actually rain, though. The forecast had suggested there would be good weather all the way to Cinnabar Island.

He shook those thoughts from his head and focused. These battles would determine who would fight who in the final round. Their performance today would dictate if he had a chance at winning the tournament and the Pokemon egg. He needed to concentrate.

The quarter-finals consisted of more double battles. The semi-finals would be three-on-three, and the final was a six-on-six. He'd planned as best he could for every possibility. Against any of them, (save for Wes of course, who was still a powerful wild card) he had a strategy to win.

Speak of the devil, Wes fought in the first match. Ash blinked as he set loose Hariyama—the fighting-type seemed to be a favorite of his—and a nervous-looking Granbull. That was no mean for the breed, which usually relied on intimidating foes before they moved in to overwhelm them.

Clearly, this Granbull lacked that confidence. The bipedal canine kept glancing back at its trainer for reassurance, which Wes readily supplied. Ash was briefly surprised at how gentle and encouraging the older trainer was, but then again, he'd spent years rehabilitating Shadow Pokemon. Maybe Granbull had been one of them and was getting used to fighting again?

Despite its nervousness, it still put up a hell of a fight. Hariyama mostly sat back and supported the fairy-type while Granbull did the majority of the fighting. Their opponent's Slowbro and Golbat were beaten down with powerful bites and a surprising variety of moves.

It seemed Granbull liked to throw out Thunderbolts, Flamethrowers, and Shadow Balls at a distance before it got up close to end the battle as quickly as possible. As soon as Slowbro was knocked out by a frenzy of Thunder Fangs and Crunches, Granbull rushed back to Wes to get away from Golbat. That was the only noteworthy time Hariyama intervened, as it blasted the poison-type with a massive Whirlwind.

Ash frowned. Hariyama clearly had strategies in place to deal with flying-types. As if fighting it wasn't going to be difficult enough already. Granbull didn't seem nearly as powerful, but it was still a force to be reckoned with. Hmm.

He'd have to think about that. Maybe Wes was trying to give some of his weaker Pokemon a little battle experience. Ash could work with that.

"The next match pits Ash against Katherine!" Angela declared, snapping him out of his thoughts. "Both trainers, please come to the battlefield!"

He clenched Pyro's pokeball in his hand as he made his way onto the field to meet his next opponent. Katherine was a teenager a few years older than him. She looked soft, but he knew better than to underestimate her.

She had made it this far, after all.

Ash was set to release his team first. He enlarged both Pyro's pokeball and Eevee's, setting them loose as one. Eevee sat primly, focused and silent while her Charizard companion lashed his tail and roared a challenge.

Katherine offered Pyro a wary stare, but she steeled herself quickly and set her own two Pokemon loose—a Persian and an Absol. Ash recognized the latter by its telltale scythe, which sat like a horn on the right side of its skull. The weapon was razor-sharp and although Ash knew little of Absol outside of its Pokedex entry, he knew enough to stay clear of the scythe.

Persian eyed them lazily as it lifted a paw to lick and then rubbed its whiskers. Absol was standing at attention with its short ears perked and eyes sharp. It seemed particularly wary of Pyro, especially as the Charizard roared, but showed no fear.

Angela slashed her hand down. "Begin!"

"Flamethrower," Ash commanded. "Eevee, Swift. Look for an opening.

Pyro reared his head back and loosed a blistering torrent of flames. Ash watched as the attack nearly reached his opponent's Pokemon, but the head of the Flamethrower exploded violently before it could make contact. Eevee began to move, walking closer to the edge of the field with her ears pricked.

A plume of black smoke streamed out from where the attack had blown up, but it cleared as a blade of violet energy was launched towards Ash's Pokemon. He reacted quickly. "Metal Claw!"

Pyro's claws flashed metallic silver and he lunged forward to meet the blade, which exploded upon contacting the Charizard's own attack. Ash's eyes widened as Absol suddenly darted through the smoke, its scythe glowing the same color as the energy blade Pyro had just destroyed. It jerked its head and the scythe fired another one of the blades at Pyro point-blank.

The Psycho Cut took Pyro in his chest and forced him back several feet, but he only snarled and charged again to drive Metal Claw into Absol's face. The dark-type recoiled from the blow and growled, retreating with a quick leap to join Persian on its own side of the field. Unfortunately for Absol, Eevee punished it with a Swift that bowled it over in midair with a yelp. It regained its footing, but leered at the normal-type while she stared back indifferently.

Persian seemingly hadn't done anything, but Ash wondered if it had been responsible stopping the initial Flamethrower attack. It certainly looked rather smug.

Katherine's face matched her Pokemon's as she gave her own orders. "Persian, Power Gem on the Charizard. Absol, Swords Dance."

Persian lazily got up and the gem on its head sparkled for an instant before a red energy beam was fired at Pyro. Meanwhile, Absol took a position behind its teammate and closed its eyes, focusing power along the scythe on its head. If it was allowed to use Swords Dance, its power would increase a fair bit.

Ash wasn't about to willingly let that happen. He spoke quietly enough that only his Pokemon would hear him. "Dodge. Flamethrower the field. Distract Persian. Eevee, flank them and get Absol."

Pyro launched himself into the air above the Power Gem, which fizzled out against the psychic barriers protecting the crowd. Immediately, he blasted the field with Flamethrower. Persian leapt away, annoyed as it shot another Power Gem at the Charizard to no avail.

In its annoyance, Persian missed Eevee racing past it with a burst of speed to reach Absol. The dark-type's eyes were still closed as Eevee lunged, tail flashing silver. Katherine's frantic warning wasn't fast enough.

Absol yowled as Eevee slammed her Iron Tail into the side of its head, jarring it out of Swords Dance and momentarily stunning it. Eevee seized the opportunity and blasted it with a Shadow Ball for good measure.

Katherine scowled. "Persian, Night Slash! Get Eevee!"

Persian lunged with incredible speed for such a lazy creature, its claws flashing black as it slashed at Eevee. She leapt over the first swipe, but was too close to the feline to avoid the second. Persian batted her across the field, back to Ash's side. Eevee hit the ground and managed to regain her footing, but one of her front legs seemed to be hurt. She favored her weight heavily on the other.

He clenched his fist. "Dragon Rush!"

Pyro roared as he blitzed Persian, blue-green draconic energy surging around him. The cat wasn't intimidated and instead snarled back, hackles raised. "Thunderbolt!"

Persian's gem suddenly exploded with electricity just as its enemy drew in close. The bolt slammed into Pyro and he bellowed in pain, but nonetheless didn't stop. He bowled Persian over and the feline yelped, suddenly pinned by two hundred pounds of furious Charizard.

Fortunately for Persian, Absol had by now gotten its act together and fired another blade of energy from its scythe to blow the Charizard back before he could maul the normal-type. Pyro snarled at the disruption, but then a red beam shot through the smoke like a bullet and struck his chest harshly. Persian had scored a clean hit with another Power Gem.

The Charizard roared with fury and pain as he fell to one knee. Ash felt a pang of worry- his friend was strong, but getting hit by Thunderbolt and Power Gem one after another had to hurt. He needed to get his team back into gear or else Katherine would win.

"Harass them," he ordered. "Get Pyro back on his feet."

Eevee darted back into the fight with Quick Attack—slower for her injured leg, but still fast—and proceeded to bombard their opponents with judicious use of Shadow Ball and Swift. Absol was quick to retreat, wary of Eevee's strength after taking a few hits from her, but Persian seemed less concerned and swatted at the attacks with Night Slashes.

Pyro forced himself back to his feet, a growl rippling in his throat. Katherine scowled as the fire-type recovered. "Hyper Beam! Swords Dance!"

Absolutely not.

"Hyper Voice!"

Persian and Absol had both begun to prepare their moves when Eevee let out a shriek, a high-pitched caterwaul that made even Pyro shake his head. He wasn't nearly as bothered since he wasn't in the line of fire, but it was still annoying at the very least.

Their opponents, however, had been directly exposed to Hyper Voice and their hearing was far more sensitive than the Charizard's. Persian looked like it might vomit before it could spit a Hyper Beam and Absol was just stunned, head between its paws at it scrabbled at its ears.

He mentally thanked Surge and Jolteon for that nasty little trick before getting back to work.

"Eevee, Helping Hand. Pyro, Flamethrower. Put them down."

Eevee leapt onto Pyro's shoulder and her little body trembled as she channeled her strength directly into the Charizard, who seemed to swell with power.

Helping Hand wasn't quite as simple as it sounded; Ash rarely used it since they weren't in a lot of double or triple battles to begin with, but more than that, it was usually energy-expensive. It involved one Pokemon transferring its strength over to its partner. In theory, it was easy enough to understand, but it drained the "helper" quite a bit and if they weren't in direct, physical contact with their partner, much of that energy was wasted in the transfer process. Using it left an after-effect not dissimilar to Hyper Beam, as the "helper" had to recover their strength.

But since Persian and Absol were trying to recover from Eevee's Hyper Voice, Ash decided to give it a go. It would be good for Eevee to practice with, anyways.

Righteous fury blazed in his eyes as Pyro loosed an empowered Flamethrower that put all those before it to shame. Persian and Absol were swallowed by the inferno, and Ash smirked as he heard the thin screeches of their opponents exposed to very unfriendly elements.

When the flames dissipated, he was satisfied by what he saw. Persian was unconscious, its fur scorched and eyes unseeing. Absol was swaying on its feet, dazed and barely able to stand. It managed a glare, but it was clear Pyro's Flamethrower had done its work.

Ash narrowed his eyes as Persian was recalled, but Absol hadn't quite gone down. Eevee leapt down from Pyro's shoulder, landing unsteadily, and hissed at the dark-type, who could only snarl back. Absol's willpower was impressive, he'd give it that. "Flamethrower."

Pyro set another gout of flame loose, but Katherine recalled Absol before it could reach the dark-type.

Ash sighed in relief. He looked across the field to offer a smile at Katherine, but she looked furious and after recalling Absol, stormed away. Well, not everyone could be made happy by a good fight, he supposed.

He recalled Pyro and Eevee immediately and left the field to make for the healing station on the ship. As much as he wanted to stay and watch Gary and Leaf's battles, he also wanted to make sure that his Pokemon healed properly.

That was, of course, assuming that Ash made it through the semi-finals.

Pyro and Eevee would be fine, he was assured. His starter was ready to go before Gary even finished his match—unsurprising, since Pyro hadn't taken any serious damage.

Eevee's paw had been bruised by Persian's attack, but the nurse assured him she'd be fully recovered by the next day. She had a small wrapping around it where the potion had been applied, but aside from that, she was just tired. Ash would happily pamper her again once the battles for the day were behind them.

While the nurse and the resident Blissey did their work, Ash watched Gary's quarter-final match on the television set up in the lobby. Gary's Kadabra and Eevee were tearing their opponents—a Grimer and Weezing—apart. It seemed their foe was a poison-type specialist.

Gary's Eevee was, like in Ash's battle, mostly present for harassment of their opponents while Kadabra did the heavy lifting. He privately thought that his own Eevee had pulled more of her weight than Gary's. The normal-type was fast, but it lacked the damage-dealing power of Ash's Eevee. It spat a near-constant stream of Swift attacks, but never got close enough to do much more.

Kadabra was the real star of the show. Its skill with psychic attacks was impressive to say the least—though it was no Alakazam, Ash had to admit it picked apart its foes masterfully. Grimer was casually levitated in the air so Eevee could bombard it with Swift. While this was done—seemingly as an afterthought on Kadabra's behalf—the psychic proceeded to blast Weezing with judicious use of Psybeam and Psyshock.

Needless to say, the battle was a little one-sided. Their poor opponent was frantically issuing commands, but Grimer was helpless almost from the get-go and Weezing just wasn't enough on its own to deal with Kadabra.

By the time Ash's Pokemon were healed and back at his side, Gary's match was over. He rushed back to the waiting area to see Leaf's.

"And just like that, Leaf claims victory!"

He blinked in surprise as he got back to the battlefield. In the ten minutes or so that it had taken for him to get back, Leaf had already finished her battle. She looked awfully confident, smiling fiercely as Talon shrieked his victory and Rose's golden tails swayed lazily. Leaf's opponent recalled a Butterfree and a Pelipper, looking a little mortified. Apparently, he hadn't expected to lose quite as easily as it seemed.

Talon and Rose looked as if they hadn't gotten a scratch.

He felt a hand clap on his shoulder and turned to see Gary grinning. "She cleaned house! I almost feel bad for the guy! Ninetales practically knocked out Butterfree in one hit and then Pelipper hit Fearow with a Water Gun. He was so pissed off, you should've seen it."

Ash winced in sympathy for the bird. He was sure Pelipper would still be feeling the aftereffects of Talon's fury tomorrow. Leaf's battling style was brutal.

"I saw your match on the TV at the center."

"Oh yeah?" Gary shrugged. "It wasn't all that special. Kadabra's great and Eevee needed a workout. How's your team?"

"They'll be fine," he assured. "Pyro can probably go again today, but Eevee's out until tomorrow."

Gary smirked. "Assuming you make it to tomorrow."

"I've still got Sobek and the others," Ash challenged.

"And I've got Blastoise," his rival countered.

"And I've got a can of shut-your-mouth if you boys don't put a lid on it," Leaf snapped as she joined them. She set her hand against her hip and sighed, but she had a teasing glimmer in her eye. "Honestly…you two are like a couple of kids fighting over a toy."

Ash smirked and Gary rolled his eyes, but before they could get into another round of banter, Angela was making announcements again. "We will now begin the semi-finals!"

It got their attention immediately. Four trainers were left—himself, Gary, Leaf, and Wes. One way or another, he'd already won a prize. But Ash was going for the gold and he'd defeat them all if he had to.

Angela took a quick drink of water and began to announce again. "These matches will consist of three-on-three single battles and will conclude when all of one side's Pokemon are unable to continue! Here's the first matchup!"

She held up a tablet of some kind and pressed a button on the screen. After a few seconds, she looked up to announce the first pair of trainers.

"Gary and Wes!"

"Shit!" Gary scowled, glancing at the Orrean as he swaggered onto the field.

Leaf had the courtesy to wince. "Good luck."

He muttered something under his breath and followed Wes onto the battlefield. Truthfully, Ash would've felt bad for anyone fighting the Orrean, but there was nothing to be done for it now. All they could do was their best.

"The first move goes to Gary! Release your Pokemon!"

Gary released Pidgeot instantly. The flying-type shrieked as Wes met its eyes, flaring its massive wings in a threat display at the perceived challenge. He smirked back, unbothered by the aggression, and lazily reached for a pokeball on his belt.

Ash blinked in surprise when what emerged was a Pokemon he'd never seen before.

At first glance, it looked like a Dunsparce, but it was more than double the size of the average and the body was segmented. It had a massive drill on the end of its tail that spun slowly, the blue tip glowing somewhat.

He frowned. Ash knew little of Dunsparce and though he was aware it could evolve, he knew even less about the evolution. Dunsparce were rare, only found in the deepest, darkest caves, and they weren't known for being particularly strong. It meant they didn't have much of a presence in major battling circles. As such, few trainers every actually fought them.

Even Gary was frowning, his confident sneer replaced by abject confusion. Clearly, he'd been expecting Hariyama or Typhlosion. Even Granbull's timid demeanor would have been more expected than this.

Ash couldn't even remember what it was called. The large normal-type didn't so much as look at Pidgeot—or if it did, it couldn't see the bird. Living in caves as they did, Dunsparce and its evolution had little use for eyesight.

The start of the match was announced and Pidgeot launched himself into the air. Wes snorted. "Trap."

A hole opened up beneath the normal-type and it fell in, closing the gap above it with scarcely any sign of effort. Ash blinked. Naturally, the Pokemon in the tournament couldn't dig very far—it wouldn't do if they dug through the floor of the battlefield and wound up damaging the ship—but the bigger issue here was the fact that neither opponent could hit the other.

Pidgeot remained up in the air, keen eyes pricked for any sign of its opponent. Gary scowled and did the same.

Their foe made its presence known soon enough. A number of holes popped up all over the battlefield until it looked like it was made of cheese.

The bizarre Pokemon suddenly poked its head out of a hole and Pidgeot dove for it on Gary's command. It waited a moment and then opened its mouth—

A burst erupted from its jaws. A howling gale of wind that repelled Pidgeot and sent him hurtling back into the air with a surprised shriek. It didn't seem to hurt him that much, but he was clearly rattled.

Wes smirked. "Dudunsparce, Tunnel. Range."

It dove back underground and popped back up to fire a Thunderbolt at Pidgeot. Unfortunately, the bird had already recovered and lunged away before retaliating with an Air Slash. Dudunsparce retreated again and popped up a fair distance away before it shot a Flamethrower next.

The battle went on for quite some time. Pidgeot was too quick for Dudunsparce to hit and the normal-type (Ash assumed it was a normal-type given its vast range of elemental attacks and the fact that it barely looked any different to a Dunsparce) would dive back into its tunnels before its opponent could retaliate.

Wes looked entirely at easy, but Gary was clearly getting frustrated. He was on the defense and with no way for Pidgeot to get Dudunsparce out of the tunnels, there was nothing he could do besides wait for a lucky hit.

But despite his frustration, Gary wasn't stupid. At one point, he decided he'd had enough of the meaningless back and forth. "Watch for it. Don't retaliate."

Pidgeot did as was ordered and simply began to dodge rather than strike back. Ash bet Gary was hoping for Dudunsparce to tire itself or slip up.

It seemed to work. Another minute went by of Pidgeot dodging Dudunsparce's attacks with ease, and then the strange Pokemon just crawled out of a tunnel and into the light. Of course, it still had plenty of escape routes and it seemed to flaunt that fact in front of its opponents. Daring them to try and catch it.

Gary sneered at the creature as it waved its blue-green tipped tail. Pidgeot shrieked at it indignantly. Dudunsparce turned just slightly to better face Pidgeot, its neck craned upwards. Ash wondered if it was using echolocation or something similar to detect the flying-type. Its vision seemed to be far too poor for it to actually see Pidgeot.

It opened its mouth and spat another Hurricane, but Pidgeot simply flared his wings and caught the upwards draft, minimally affected by the wind—

—and then Dudunsparce spat a thin, focused Hyper Beam that caught Pidgeot in the chest.

The bird screeched as the explosion consumed it, sending Pidgeot plummeting towards the ground. Dudunsparce's tail waved, seemingly pleased with itself—

—suddenly Pidgeot recovered about twenty feet from the field, right as Gary was lifting his pokeball to recall it, and the flying-type blitzed Dudunsparce with an enraged scream. The normal-type attempted to dive back into its tunnels, but screeched when Pidgeot caught the tail in his claws and yanked it back out.

Filled with righteous fury, the bird proceeded to brutalize Dudunsparce at point-blank range, hammering it with its beak, steel-hard wings, and blades of wind. For a few moments, Ash thought Pidgeot might actually knock it out.

But Dudunsparce quickly regained control of itself and twisted violently, freeing itself from Pidgeot's claws. The bird staggered back, still weakened by the Hyper Beam, and Dudunsparce blasted it with a Thunderbolt to finish it off.

Gary recalled Pidgeot, grinning despite the loss. Wes looked truly surprised for the first time Ash could remember, studying Dudunsparce with a careful eye. The normal-type was definitely worse for wear, having been beaten nearly senseless before it had knocked Pidgeot out.

He set Blastoise loose next. The massive water-type regarded its foe with narrowed eyes, but its cannons flexed as it prepared itself.

"Begin!"

Dudunsparce tried to fire a Thunderbolt immediately and retreat underground, but Blastoise intercepted with an expertly-timed Ice Beam and avoided damage altogether. As Dudunsparce's tail disappeared underground, Gary gave his next command.

"Water Pulse. Flood the tunnels."

Wes' eyebrows twitched as Blastoise did just that, but didn't look too bothered. If Ash had to guess, he'd imagine Dudunsparce could probably swim well enough—given that caves were often filled with water, it needed to be—but this probably limited its maneuverability to some degree.

Gary wasn't done. "Freeze it."

Wes finally scowled. "Hyper Drill."

Dudunsparce suddenly launched itself out of a hole near Blastoise, tail drill spinning violently, and stabbed at the huge water-type. It managed to actually pierce the thick carapace for a moment before Blastoise howled and fired the Ice Beam directly into Dudunsparce's body. The normal-type recoiled and tried to attack again, but a quick Hydro Pump finally put it down.

Blastoise winced, lifting a hand to its wound. The crack wasn't bad, but Ash couldn't believe how quickly Dudunsparce had managed to pierce the thick shell. Blastoise were notorious for their nigh-impenetrable armor.

Gary too was shocked, his face pale. He seemed to debate recalling Blastoise for a moment before deciding against it. Despite the crack, the water-type could still fight.

Wes recalled Dudunsparce and set loose a strange fighting-type Ash recognized as a Medicham. It put its hands together and bowed to Gary and Blastoise.

He knew a fair bit more about Medicham. They weren't as physically mighty as most fighting-types, but they coupled their great skill with psychic abilities and were especially talented with precognition. A well-trained Medicham could see glimpses of the future and use that insight to avoid incoming attacks or pick at openings.

Gary scowled upon seeing it. Medicham was a new one for them. It seemed Wes had decided to really switch up the variety of his team—perhaps he'd considered Hariyama and Typhlosion to be predictable. That or he just wanted to use other Pokemon.

Ash again wondered if he was using Pokemon that had less battle experience than his main team. Dudunsparce had been strong, but it wasn't nearly as powerful or durable as Typhlosion and Hariyama. Granbull had been the same.

The battle began.

"Defense Clone," Gary ordered immediately. Ash bet he wanted to shore up the strength of Blastoise's shell now that it had a clear vulnerability.

Blastoise quickly set about using the combination, covering his side of the field with Double Team. Medicham watched, unperturbed, as did Wes. "Pressure Point, A-S."

The psychic quickly jabbed at several spots on its own body with glowing fingers. It seemed to breathe deep for a moment and closed its eyes in concentration. A strategy to empower itself, if Ash had to guess. He was pretty sure it had used Acupressure, but to what extent, he couldn't be sure.

Blastoise completed his Iron Defense and fired Hydro Pumps in short bursts at Medicham, who simply twisted and bent around them. Ash didn't see the light of Detect in its eyes—this was just its natural skill with precognition. It could be interrupted or twisted with ghost, dark, or bug-type moves, or even overwhelmed by a more potent psychic, but Blastoise possessed none of the weapons required to block that kind of foresight.

Gary knew it, too. He scowled and tried something else. "Ice Beam. Freeze the field."

"Thunder-Bullet," Wes ordered.

The next moment, Medicham moved.

It rushed Blastoise with graceful steps, dancing around the Ice Beams that swiftly turned into Hydro Pumps as Medicham closed the distance. Its hands glowed a hard silver as they were clenched into fists, then sparked with lightning.

Gary realized it would continue to dodge and shifted his strategy. "Steel Spin!"

Blastoise's whole body glowed with Iron Defense as he retreated into his shell and spun, charging Medicham. He wasn't very fast, but if he could bowl the fighting-type over, there was a chance Blastoise could overwhelm it.

Unfortunately, Medicham's precognition one more proved itself a powerful skill. Ash watched in disbelief as it deftly leapt onto the spinning shell, keeping its balance with impeccable footwork as it regarded the water-type beneath it. Medicham focused, dove, and struck one of the ridges of Blastoise's cannons.

The impact knocked Blastoise just off-kilter enough for him to spin out of control and crash. Medicham landed with graceful ease, one leg slightly off the ground in a fighting stance.

Blastoise emerged from his shell dazed, but angry. Iron Defense had protected it from the worst of the damage, and the electric shock hadn't pierced its thick shell. The weak point Dudunsparce had pierced was at his belly.

Medicham rushed into action as soon as Blastoise exposed himself again, ducking under another Hydro Pump before smashing the weak spot with another electrified Bullet Punch. Blastoise howled and snapped his powerful jaws at the fighter, but Medicham backed up, took the sides of Blastoise's head in its hands, and smashed its knee into the water-type's chin.

Blastoise dropped.

Ash could only stare in disbelief with the rest of the crowd as Gary recalled his starter, scowling. Medicham walked back to Wes' side of the field and sat down in a meditative stance, awaiting its next foe.

He'd figured Medicham was strong, (and of course, it had empowered itself at the start of the fight) but he'd never expected it to be capable of bringing down Blastoise so effortlessly.

Well. Maybe not effortlessly. As Ash studied the fighter, he realized Medicham was breathing much more heavily, and it seemed to tremble now and again. Maybe it had used up more of its strength than he'd though to overwhelm Blastoise. Anything less might not have been enough to finish the fight without Medicham taking serious damage. It wasn't nearly as powerfully-built as Hariyama, after all.

Gary set Blastoise's pokeball back at his belt and frowned, considering the strange fighter before he made a decision. Kadabra emerged.

The psychic's mustache twitched as it regarded Medicham, who slowly rose back up and bowed to it. Two pairs of eyes flashed with psychic power before battle was joined.

"Shadow Ball. It can predict your moves," Gary ordered. "You won't get many chances."

Kadabra nodded and held up its spoon, focusing intently.

Wes muttered something to Medicham and the fighter set off. It blurred after Kadabra with another electrified Bullet Punch, but the psychic simply teleported and began to hurl intentionally weak Shadow Balls at it. More energy-efficient, he thought. Medicham dodged, though it frowned. The ghostly energy was obviously going to be a problem.

Ash made a mental note of that—Spectre would probably be his best chance against Medicham if they had to fight it.

The next minute of the battle was much the same. Medicham would try to close the distance, occasionally hurling a Shadow Ball of its own or firing a Psybeam, but Kadabra kept its safe space and simply refused to be exposed to Medicham's range.

Finally, Medicham slipped up. It was tired, just as Ash thought, and a Shadow Ball clipped its arm as it tried to dodge. It staggered, the exhaustion multiplying as its psychic abilities failed it, and Kadabra seized the opportunity.

First a Psyshock put it off-balance, and its attempt to dodge caused Medicham to leap into a far more powerful Shadow Ball than the annoyances Kadabra had utilized until now. The blast wracked its thin frame and the fighter collapsed, recalled into its pokeball before it even hit the ground.

Wes seemed to be pleased by its performance given the smile on his face. But the smile quickly became an evil smirk as he set Umbreon loose.

Gary scowled and Ash immediately knew the fight was over. Kadabra had no chance whatsoever against the dark-type.

That was only emphasized when the fight began and Umbreon howled, unleashing a wave of twisted sound across the battlefield. Snarl wasn't very powerful, but it was great for messing with psychics and ghosts who were especially vulnerable to dark-type moves. Kadabra already looked distinctly uncomfortable and its eyes widened fearfully when Umbreon spat a Dark Pulse at it.

Gary didn't even let the move make contact. He recalled Kadabra in an instant and forfeited.

Umbreon wagged its tail, tongue lolling happily. Though it hadn't exerted itself much, at least it seemed to have enjoyed itself. It padded over to Wes, who pet the dark-type fondly.

Gary stalked off the field—probably going straight for the healing station—and Ash sighed. It wasn't shocking Wes had won, but Gary had managed to knock out two of his Pokemon, even if both of them had been headaches to deal with.

Dudunsparce had ultimately been what sealed his fate. Gary could have compensated for Pidgeot's defeat if Dudunsparce hadn't managed to pierce Blastoise's shell with that ridiculously powerful drill. Weakening Blastoise in such a way had meant they had no chance to simply outlast Medicham. Machoke might have even stood a fighting chance against Umbreon.

Well, there was no use in dwelling on it now. Ash could watch the fight again later. It was his turn to fight.

He walked onto the field as his battle was announced and looked up to see Leaf on the other side. She was grinning, excited despite—or perhaps because of—the last fight. He couldn't help but match her. He was eager, too.

Angela announced the rules to the crowd, but Ash barely paid her any attention. He was learning to tune out the announcers and focus mostly on the battle. He was set to release first.

With Eevee out of commission for the rest of the day, he set Pikachu loose first. Given that Onix was out of the question, he was a safe option against Leaf's team. She seemed to consider the electric-type for a moment before reaching for a pokeball.

The furious shape of Pulver emerged, nostrils already flaring as she glared balefully at Pikachu. Ash couldn't help but smirk dangerously. Oh, this was going to go very badly for someone. Either Pikachu would annoy the Primeape until it made a stupid mistake, or Pulver would beat him into the dirt for having the audacity to stand against her.

Well. It would be interesting, at the very least.

"Ash vs Leaf! Begin!"

"Keep away from her," Ash muttered quietly. Pikachu's sensitive ears twitched in response. "If she hits you, you're done. Thunder Wave and Electroweb. Slow her down."

Pikachu snickered and immediately blurred into a Quick Attack, firing off arcs of lightning at the fighting-type. Pulver snorted and leapt towards him, trying to close the distance, but Pikachu was too fast.

That wasn't the say the Primeape was slow—she was incredibly acrobatic, a trait prized by Pokemon that lived in forests and mountains, and she was utterly relentless. Pulver chased Pikachu madly, snorting and screeching as she tried to catch the mouse.

Pikachu managed to hit her with Thunder Wave early on. As she jumped again and missed, he caught her with a jolt before she could hit the ground. Pulver staggered, but her eyes screwed up with fury and she only screamed before continuing the chase. She started hurling Focus Blasts at Pikachu, although most failed before she even tossed them due to her jolting limbs.

The electric-type continued to torment Pulver; he threw Electrowebs at the Primape's feet whenever she jumped, and she was already so mad she didn't even consider the consequences of continuing to jump. But despite the advantage being in Pikachu's favor, his successes only seemed to drive Pulver to new heights of fury.

Ash's gaze flitted over to Leaf, frowning. She seemed mostly unbothered by Pulver's disadvantage, although she was tapping her fingers against her elbow restlessly. If she had a plan, she was keeping quiet about it.

Pikachu kept running, panting as he continued to evade and electrocute the furious Primeape. Pulver took a Thunderbolt to the face and finally snapped.

She screamed and stamped her feet in place, causing the tunnels Dudunsparce had created in the last battle to simply collapse. Ash's eyes widened as the whole field shifted a few inches. It wouldn't affect the stability of the ship—the underside of the field was surrounded by a containment box to prevent such things—but enough dirt had been displaced to make a sinkhole of sorts.

Pikachu yelped as he lost his footing, scrambling to flee as Pulver lunged at him again. Despite her limbs still jolting, her eyes blazed red with the reckless intensity of Close Combat—a move Ash had not yet encountered, but knew to fear.

Close Combat was risky. A Pokemon would throw away all of their defensive instincts and focus exclusively on the urge to attack. It left them vulnerable, but the damage they could do in that state was horrifying.

For a berserker like Primeape, it was perfect. She didn't care about defense to begin with, as far as Ash could tell. She slipped into the comfortable rage and began to beat everything in her path as she chased Pikachu.

The mouse channeled Agility now as well as Quick Attack, desperate to stay away from the furious beast. Ash couldn't believe how much mobility she'd maintained despite the paralysis; he wondered if Leaf had been training Pulver to better tolerate status conditions. He didn't think Primeape were usually this good at circumventing the effects.

Pikachu hit Pulver with another Thunderbolt, which she charged through without care for the damage. But Ash knew despite it seeming to be ineffective, every hit that landed while she was in Close Combat hurt that much more. What they needed was a move that would sever her consciousness.

He waited, tense for a few more seconds as Pulver jumped into another Electroweb and tripped. Ash seized the chance.

"Volt Tackle!"

It was risky, but Pikachu wasn't hurting Pulver enough to actually knock her out and Ash wasn't sure if they could outlast the fighting-type. Her berserker fury might not dry up until she was simply too beat to remain awake.

Pikachu spun on his feet and lunged at the Primeape, cloaking himself in lightning. Pulver pulled herself onto her feet just as he leapt and smashed headfirst into her skull. She screamed in fury, staggering from the impact. She was actually blown out of Close Combat as her eyes lost the red tint, but it wasn't enough.

Pikachu was momentarily stunned, the price of Volt Tackle's reckless intensity, and the Primeape caught him.

Ash scowled as Pulver grabbed and threw the mouse to her feet, ignoring the weak electric shocks, and smashed him with a vicious Brick Break. She swung again and hit only dirt as Ash recalled Pikachu.

Pulver leered at him, peeved by the escape of her victim, and screamed at the boy.

She wanted a fight?

Ash set Douse loose. The Poliwrath's eyes narrowed as he found a raging Primeape in his path. Angela barely announced the fight before Pulver charged again. She was slower, but still furious.

"Knock her out," he said flatly.

Douse caught the first punch, clenched his fist, and crushed her.

The air left Pulver's lungs in a whoosh as Douse drove a savage Mega Punch into her gut. She dropped like a sack of potatoes and did not get up.

Leaf was visibly shocked by the swift defeat. Maybe she'd expected Pulver to have more strength after battling Pikachu, or perhaps she'd simply never seen the Primeape put down so quickly.

Well, either way, the berserker was out and that was fine with Ash. It had been a good fight for Pikachu; he needed experience against foes he couldn't just toy with and overwhelm. It kept his arrogance in check, but more than that Ash was pleased with how well he'd done. Pulver was the kind of foe Pikachu hated to deal with—a ruthless, infighting veteran who could knock him out with one or two good shots if she got close enough.

It opened up more avenues for Ash to consider as they continued to train. Pikachu would probably have a lot of trouble against those sorts of fighters until he evolved, but it was something they could start working on.

He made a mental note to explore Pikachu's training in that direction as Leaf recalled Pulver and released Saur.

Ash was utterly unsurprised to see the Venusaur. He was Leaf's best option against Douse now that Pulver was out of the picture. Seadra couldn't fight outside of the water until she evolved. Ninetales couldn't deal with the water-type moves, and though Fearow was a good choice as well, he was best-suited to getting up close and overwhelming his opponents—something Douse was simply better at.

No, Venusaur was the best chance Leaf had to deal with the Poliwrath.

He'd never fought a Venusaur before, but he knew to be wary of them. They had a low center of gravity and were nearly immoveable once they decided to plant themselves somewhere. Though they weren't fast, they didn't really need to be; they spread spores around them to make any approach nearly impossible, could crush most foes with their weight if they did manage to get too close, and were adept at firing solar blasts.

All-in-all, they were tricky to fight if you weren't prepared. Ash sighed. This wouldn't be easy. Pyro would have been his go-to; spores were notoriously flammable and Venusaur had few options against a heavy, powerful flier like a Charizard. They certainly weren't helpless, but they found such opponents difficult to deal with.

"Be careful," he ordered. "It'll probably cover the field in spores. Clear them with Bubble Beam or Water Gun. Hypnosis if you can. You'll have to get up close to take it out."

Douse nodded to him and turned back to face Saur.

"Begin!"

Sure enough, Saur rumbled and shook his massive flower, spreading a potent cocktail of spores all over his immediate vicinity. Douse spat a stream of bubbles into the cloud in retaliation, but they only cleared up the spores for a brief moment.

It was enough for Ash to glimpse Saur tucking himself close to the ground. He frowned. Clearly, Leaf was using the opportunity to shore up the Venusaur's defenses. Defense Curl or something similar, he thought.

On the bright side, it meant the grass-type was going to be fairly immobile.

"Ice Beam."

Saur bellowed as a cold ray of energy slammed into him. He shook himself, squinting in annoyance as Douse attempted to fire another one. Ash saw something yellow glitter through the thick cloud of spores and frowned again. Douse mirrored him and fired another Ice Beam. Saur grumbled, but seemed unbothered.

He hated that he couldn't see what the Venusaur was up to. Light Screen? Something similar? He had no idea what Leaf had been teaching her starter since the last time they'd met.

Douse used Bubble Beam to try and clear the spores again when Leaf's plan was revealed.

Several vines suddenly erupted from the ground around Douse and swiftly bound him in their grip. He grunted in surprise, freezing his hands with ice as the vines tore free of the loose dirt and yanked him back to Saur.

"Hydro Pump!" Ash shouted desperately.

Douse drenched Leaf's side of the field with an unfocused blast of water, trying to remove the spores, but he must've still breathed some in by the sound of his distressed gurgle. Ash scowled as Saur proceeded to wrap the Poliwrath up despite the frantic blasts of Ice Beam—he saw a glowing shield around the Venusaur that confirmed its use of Light Screen—and slammed him into the ground repeatedly, all the while sapping him with what was probably Mega Drain or Giga Drain.

Ash recalled the water-type before the abuse got any worse, scowling. That had gone significantly more poorly than he'd expected. He'd known Douse would be at a disadvantage, but he'd sorely underestimated how powerful Saur was.

He'd failed Douse. Such a mistake would not be made again.

He set Pyro free upon the field.

"Get in the air and drown him with Flamethrower," he ordered. "Do not let him grab you. He beat Douse."

Pyro's wings flexed as he leered at the Venusaur, who now seemed much more wary. The best chance Leaf had now was for Saur to grab Pyro and crush him.

"Begin!"

He wasted no time. Pyro shot into the air faster than Ash had ever seen, evading the grabbing vines that chased after him. Leaf scowled as the Charizard blasted the field with fire, igniting the spores around Saur.

The Venusaur howled as he was consumed in the conflagration. Light Screen would help block much of the actual damage, but it wouldn't circumvent the miserable heat pouring into him.

Pyro was merciless. He bathed Saur in fire, flying away from the blindly-grasping vines, globs of venom, and a desperate Solar Beam, and he did not stop until Leaf recalled her starter. Only then did the fire cease and Pyro returned to Ash's side of the field to land, still glaring at their opponent.

It was a brutal way to win, but Ash wasn't going to play games against Leaf's starter.

Leaf's final Pokemon was Rose. The Ninetales emerged, tails waving as she faced them with stern elegance. Pyro roared and her lips curled back into a snarl.

"Begin!"

"Fire won't work against her," Ash warned his starter. "You'll have to get up close and overwhelm her. She might use Confuse Ray, so block it out with Smokescreen."

Pyro growled and thrashed his tail before he lunged, flapping his wings to pick up speed and get him airborne. Rose's eyes immediately glowed with the light of Confuse Ray and the dragon retaliated by belching a cloud of thick, oily smoke to block out the waves of distortional energy.

He dove into the smoke and for a moment, everything was quiet. Ash tapped his leg nervously.

Pyro roared and Rose snarled, and his heart lurched when his starter was hurled out of the smoke, surrounded by a cocoon of psychic energy. The Ninetales blitzed out of the cloud, looking furious as she spat a Shadow Ball into his chest.

He snarled and snapped his body violently, freeing himself of the psychic prison. Pyro slashed at her with Dragon Claw. Rose leapt back and drove nine, steel-silver tails into the side of his face. He spat blood, fury blazing in his eyes, and lunged at her in a blue-green cloak of energy.

The Dragon Rush smashed into Rose and sent her flying backwards, but she was still focused enough to blast him with another Shadow Ball. Pyro snarled again.

"Don't let her get away! Dragon Claw!"

"Agility! Don't let him catch you!"

Rose blurred into motion as Pyro gave chase, flying up again and roaring as he pursued her. She continued to fire Shadow Balls and tried to trap him again with Imprison, but Pyro knew to expect it now and broke free even faster than before.

The shoe was on the other foot now. At the start of the battle, Ash had been retreating and Leaf advancing. Now the coin had flipped.

But Pyro was more intelligent than the berserker Primeape that had blindly chased Pikachu. He constantly belched Smokescreen to obscure Rose's vision and only then would he attack, disrupting her line of sight and leaving her with no idea as to where he would come from.

Still, it was intense. Pyro took two more Shadow Balls and was thrown by a psychic wave Ash thought might've been Extrasensory, but he couldn't be certain. He was dishing out damage, but he was paying for it every time he tried to attack.

Their opponent was hurt. Whenever Ash caught a glimpse of Rose through the smoke, the Ninetales was heavily favoring one of her back legs and had a gash in her shoulder from what he assumed were Pyro's claws.

Finally, Pyro lunged into the smoke cloud one last time and the sounds of battle came to an end. Ash stopped tapping his leg and frowned, nervous. He reached for his starter's pokeball just in case.

The haze cleared and he sagged in relief.

Pyro was still on his feet, gasping for breath, bloodied, and beaten worse than Ash had seen in a long time, but he was still conscious. Rose lay on her side, a snarl etched onto her face despite being out cold.

She'd made him pay dearly for his victory; Pyro had a savage bite wound in his neck and one of his wings was just hanging limply beside him. Ninetales had lost, but they would not forget her fury anytime soon.

Leaf seemed disappointed, but when she recalled Rose, it was with a proud smile. Ash did the same for Pyro, murmuring praise to the exhausted fire-type, and left the field to meet up with his friend.

The finals were in sight. Win or lose, he was going for it.

Chapter Text

Chapter Sixteen: The Orrean

Ash grinned as Eevee accepted a treat from her place on his lap, savoring the poffin he'd bought for her. He stroked the normal-type's fur as she made a pleased whine.

Lunch was fairly quiet, all things considered. He was eating with Leaf a little later than most everyone else on the St. Anne, so the café they'd chosen wasn't so full of people. Both of the young trainers had released a few members of their team—those who weren't recovering at the healing station, of course—and tucked into their meals.

He heard their names being called and looked up to see Gary approaching. They'd had a seat ready for him, of course, so he took his spot quickly.

Leaf swallowed a bite and peered at him. "How's Blastoise?"

"He'll be fine," Gary answered. "Nurse said the crack's not too bad. It'll take a bit to regenerate and he's gotta take it easy, but it's nothing to write home about. He was more annoyed by it than anything. It's the first time something's managed to pierce his shell since he evolved."

"I couldn't believe it," Ash admitted. "We looked it up while we were waiting for food—"

"Hyper Drill punches through pretty much any defense, yeah," Gary grumbled, sounding thoroughly irritated. "I went through the Dex trying to figure it out while I was waiting on the nurse. Had no idea Dunsparce of all things had a move like that."

"That's probably why it worked as well as it did," Leaf pointed out. "Nobody expects to fight them."

Gary shrugged. "Yeah, well. Now I know to watch for it if he uses that freakin' worm in the Conference. What's your plan for it, Ashy-boy?"

"Probably to set Sobek on it. All that tunneling won't mean a thing if he catches it underground."

"I'd love to see that," the other boy grinned viciously. They took a short pause as the waiter came over to take Gary's order and refill Ash and Leaf's drinks.

The quiet was a welcome break. Ash gave Eevee another poffin—she'd quickly decided she loved the sweet snacks and he was more than happy to give her plenty of them for her hard work.

The rest of his team were also enjoying a few snacks in addition to their actual meals, although Pyro was more interested in resting and had asked to be returned after he'd eaten. Ash didn't blame him—his starter had fought in two battles back-to-back and taken quite a beating from Leaf's Ninetales in the last one. He needed his rest if he was going to fight Wes tomorrow.

Douse had recovered quickly from his beating by Leaf's Venusaur and his appetite showed. Pikachu was the same, although he was more tender given that he wasn't quite so durable as the Poliwrath. Sobek was curled up in a big scaly pile with Pyro, as they often liked to do, and Spectre of course was in Ash's shadow.

Most of Leaf's team was out with them—save for Fearow, who was out flying again, and Seadra who was swimming. But Venusaur, Ninetales, and Teddiursa were all present. Naturally, Primeape had held no interest in socializing after she'd eaten.

Gary set loose most of his team upon his meal arriving, getting them set up with their own food. Blastoise emerged and Ash could see the crack had already started to heal, though the turtle growled and scratched at it despite Gary's warning not to do so.

Eevee emerged and leapt to Gary's lap, happy to beg for food despite his own being set down close by. Ash snorted in amusement at that. Pidgeot, Nidoqueen, and Machoke settled in to eat, but Kadabra didn't seem too interested in food at the moment. It sat down and began to meditate, as he often saw it doing.

"So what's your plan?" Gary asked after stabbing at his food with a fork.

Ah, Wes. That wonderful conundrum.

"I don't think we're going to win," Ash said bluntly. "He used Umbreon against you; at this point I'm pretty sure he's letting a few of his weaker Pokemon get some battling experience and keeping his big guns in the back to mop us up afterward."

Gary scowled. "If we'd just taken down that freakin' worm before it…ugh. So what, you're gonna surrender early?"

"Of course not!" Ash retorted. "I have a few ideas to handle him. It'll be a really hard fight, but maybe we can catch him off-guard. Surprise might give us a chance."

"So? Don't leave us hanging!"

Ash crossed his arms, frowning. "I'm not sure what his team's going to be. It's a six-on-six. I figure he'll still use Medicham and Dudunsparce, for sure. Maybe Granbull. Those three at least I know we can handle. They're about as strong as some of our Pokemon, but they aren't very durable. Medicham exhausted itself pretty quickly and Dudunsparce doesn't take hits well. Granbull seems like it might have a hard time being aggressive without Hariyama or another Pokemon to back it up."

"Krookodile is probably a good bet against Dudunsparce," Leaf agreed. "If you can catch it, I think it'll go down pretty quickly."

"I was thinking the same thing. Sobek might be able to ruin its tunnels with Sand Tomb, too," Ash said thoughtfully. "Pyro is probably my safest bet against Medicham. All he has to do is fly up and drown it in fire. But I think I'll need his firepower for Wes' other Pokemon. Spectre might be a better choice since he can disrupt Medicham's precognition and psychic abilities."

"Didn't you say he'd be your best shot against Hariyama?" Gary reminded him.

"Yeah, but that's the problem," Ash frowned. "We can handle some of his Pokemon, but the really big hitters like Hariyama and Umbreon? I think I'll end up sacrificing one or two of my fighters to knock them out. He'll just outlast us. They're stronger and more experienced."

"Just do the best you can," Leaf encouraged. "I get that it's frustrating, but we still have months before the Indigo Conference. At least this way you'll learn more about how he fights."

Ash inclined his head, but it was still an irritant. He didn't like the fact that the odds were stacked so heavily against him. He was eager for the fight, but that didn't mean he was eager to lose.

Ugh. He took another bite of his lunch and tried to focus on his plans.

"Ah! There you are!"

He glanced over his shoulder and blinked.

Speak of the devil.

Rui was walking up to them with Wes just behind and Umbreon beside him. The man was scowling lazily, like he'd rather be elsewhere, but his companion paid him no mind.

"Hey," Ash greeted them. His team stirred and watched the newcomers cautiously. "What's going on?"

"Just wanted to check up on you guys," Rui answered. "Your Pokemon fought really hard! Are they doing well?"

"They've had worse," Gary shrugged, glaring at Wes. Blastoise rumbled and mirrored his trainer. The Orrean sneered back, but not meanly.

Rui twisted and shot her partner a meaningful look. Wes sighed and crossed his arms, glancing away from the other trainers. She turned back to them and clasped her hands in front of her. "I'm glad they're alright. So listen, Wes wants—"

"—I do not—"

"—to invite you guys to train with him later," Rui continued on regardless of Wes' grumbling. "He has some tips and stuff, if you're interested."

Leaf raised an eyebrow and stared at the roguish man. "Really."

"This was not my idea," Wes shot a half-hearted glare at Rui.

She only turned to him and a teasing smile found its way upon her lips. Umbreon snickered and rubbed its head against the trainer's leg.

Ash was vaguely amused when Wes finally caved. "Fine, yes, you're invited to train with my team."

"Why?" Gary asked suspiciously.

"Because you su—" Rui spun on her heel in a practiced move and covered his mouth with one finger. Umbreon snickered again. Leaf pursed her lips like she was trying not to laugh and Gary outright snorted. Ash tried not to smile, but it was hard. Wes colored.

"Try again," Rui instructed patiently as she removed her finger.

Wes took a breath and did just that. "Because you're not bad, but you could be better and I'd like a challenge or two at the Indigo Conference. This tourney wasn't really fair."

Ash's eyes narrowed. "You haven't even won this tournament yet. I'm fighting you tomorrow."

"I stand by what I said."

Granted, Ash knew for a fact Wes was stronger and more experienced, but that didn't change the fact that he was now more determined than ever to make the Orrean's team sweat and bleed for their victory.

Pyro sneered at them and Sobek let out a low hiss. Umbreon paid them no mind, but the dark-type yipped at Eevee, who pricked her ears and chittered back. Gary's Eevee did the same and Umbreon's tail started wagging as it realized there were two Eevee present.

Well. Ash wouldn't give Wes any hints for how best to fight him, but he'd be stupid to refuse tips from a more experienced trainer.

"Alright," Ash said at last. "The training rooms?"

"Five o' clock!" Rui confirmed, beaming. "We'll be waiting!"

With that, she quickly turned and led Wes away before the antisocial man could botch his attempts at being considerate any further. Clearly, it didn't come naturally to him.

Given what Ash knew of Orre in general, he didn't really blame him.

"Well," Leaf sipped from her drink. "That happened."

"Are you really gonna meet with them?" Gary sounded skeptical.

"Why not?" Ash shrugged. "Umbreon would be good for Eevee. Maybe Pyro can pick up a trick from Typhlosion or something. At the least, I'll get to see his team working some more. Maybe I can spot a weakness."

"I'm going," Leaf agreed. "I might not get another chance to see him fight until the Conference. For how strong he is, he'll probably at least make it to the Semi-Finals."

Personally, Ash bet Wes would make it to the Finals with little trouble. He wouldn't be holding back then—he'd use his strongest Pokemon to claim victory. Any bit of information he could gather to prepare for that battle would be a boon.

"Fine," Gary muttered. "Whatever gives me the best shot at revenge against that prick."

They met with Wes and Rui only a couple of hours later.

Ash already knew he wasn't going to dedicate his team to any actual spars. Not with their battle tomorrow. Pyro still needed to get plenty of rest, but anything he could pick up would be valuable for later.

Wes still looked annoyed, but he seemed more comfortable in the training room once he released his team. Umbreon was already out, sitting beside its master as the other Pokemon were released.

Typhlosion appeared and let out a huge yawn, embers sparking around the collar of its neck. Hariyama dipped its head respectfully.

Ash stilled as the rest of Wes' team was revealed.

A massive Feraligatr appeared next, jaws clapping together with enough force to crunch through steel. After it came a Mismagius that twirled in the air and floated closer to Rui, who greeted the ghost with a friendly grin.

Two more emerged. A serene Flygon that only offered them a slight nod and a hulking Metagross.

Medicham, Dudunsparce, and Granbull were not present, but Ash already realized Wes had more than six Pokemon on-hand. It wasn't really a surprise; trainers could eventually get a license to carry all of their Pokemon with them if they desired to, and official employees of the League were also permitted to do so.

Given what Ash knew about Wes' status in relation to the Pokemon League, it made sense he'd be allowed to have more than six Pokemon with him. In fact, he'd probably needed those restraints removed back when he was working with Shadow Pokemon.

"Well, go on," Wes drawled. "Stop gawking and release your teams."

Rui sighed and offered an apologetic look to the younger trainers. Ash didn't take Wes' abrasive personality badly, though Gary looked like he'd rather sock the Orrean in the face.

That wouldn't end well.

"No Tyranitar?" Ash asked, more out of curiosity than anything.

Wes snorted. "Not unless you want your teams to get torn apart."

Pyro sneered at him. Rui clapped her hands together. "Anyways! Wes?"

The Orrean scanned their teams and finally grunted. "Umbreon, take the Eevees…and the Teddiursa too, I guess. Typhlosion, you're with the Charizard and Ninetales. Poliwrath, Machoke, and Primeape will go with Hariyama.

He considered the remaining Pokemon and thought for a moment more. "Flygon will take the birds and the Krookodile. Blastoise will be with Feraligatr. Duskull can train with Mismagius, and Metagross will take the rest."

Leaf made herself known. "I have a Seadra, too. She can't really train here, though."

Wes glanced at his team. "Feraligatr, Metagross."

Feraligatr proceeded to spit a huge amount of water, which Metagross collected with its psychic abilities and gathered into a floating sphere. Wes jerked his thumb at it. "Let Seadra loose in there."

Leaf did so. Seadra seemed bemused by her bubble, but did not question it as Metagross levitated her close to Feraligatr with seemingly no effort. In fact, the steel behemoth hadn't so much as twitched since its release. Its eyes glowed a faint blue to show its use of psychic powers, but that was all.

"Drill them," Wes ordered his team. "Light work. They have catching up to do."

It was a good thing the room was so large. Even then, all the Pokemon took up a fair amount of space once they separated a bit.

"And what are we doing?" Gary queried.

"I guess if you've got questions, I've got some answers?" Wes didn't seem sure himself. It was clear this sort of arrangement was new for him. "What are you working on with your teams right now?"

"Everything," Ash answered bluntly.

"Specifics," the Orrean scowled.

He considered the question and finally decided on a move for Spectre. "Hex. Spectre and I haven't made much progress on it."

"A lot of ghost moves are a pain if you're just getting started with them," Wes admitted. "Mismagius can teach Duskull pretty easily. Hex just uses Distortional energy to aggravate a wound. At its most basic form, it only amplifies the pain of an injury. Mastery of it is more versatile. Burns become worse. Paralysis numbs and jolts more. Frostbite spreads…"

He went into explanations for a few more techniques the younger trainers had been working on, or at least those they'd been struggling with. It seemed to become easier for him to talk as they got further into the discussion. Training was comfortable ground for all of them.

Eventually, they started wandering around the room to spend time with individual Pokemon. Gary headed over to Hariyama, who seemed to be teaching a technique to the other fighting-types. Leaf followed Rui to Feraligatr (Ash suspected she wanted as much help with Seadra as she could get since the water-type had trouble fighting outside of her element).

He was dragged by Wes over to Umbreon, the two Eevee, and Teddiursa. They didn't interrupt whatever Umbreon was teaching them, but the dark-type offered them a brief nod as they watched.

"Umbreon has this," Wes told him. "He's good at teaching. Better than me."

"I never would've guessed," Ash said dryly.

"Shut up," the older trainer grumbled. "Anyway, has Eevee decided what it wants to evolve into, yet?"

"Not that I know of. She does things as she likes."

"She's in pretty good shape. If you were going to evolve her with a stone, she'd be about ready for it."

"I'll let her decide."

"Fair enough. I've got a deal for you, though," Wes glanced at him. "When we start that battle tomorrow, set Eevee loose and she can have a go against Umbreon. We'll take it easy on her, but the experience will probably do her good. I'll even return Umbreon when they're done. Then we'll have the rest of the fight."

Ash raised an eyebrow. It was a tempting offer. Eevee was going to have trouble beating most of Wes' Pokemon in a straight fight, and if it meant Umbreon would be out for the rest of the battle afterwards…

Well. Ash still had no illusions as to who would be winning that match. And Wes had a point; fighting one of her evolutionary forms would teach Eevee a lot.

"Alright," he agreed.

Wes nodded, watching as Umbreon continued to teach its young students. He had to admit, the dark-type was good at it—Gary's Eevee and Teddiursa were trying what he thought was Work Up.

Umbreon seemed to have something else in mind for Eevee. She had her ears pricked and watched carefully as the dark-type spat a glob of purple venom a safe distance away. Toxic, maybe? That could be very useful if she picked it up.

"So this is your main team?" Ash asked.

"Some of them," Wes shrugged, glancing around. "A few others are back in Orre, guarding Agate Village. Most of my Pokemon are there, actually."

"How many do you have? Cipher had a lot of Shadow Pokemon."

"Understatement of the fuckin' year," he scowled. "I've got my fair share. A good number of them aren't actually fighters, though. They've retired at Agate Village. Rui's grandparents look after a few of them, too. I've got a couple more that stay at Mt. Battle. Some others wanted to be set free."

That made sense. Life with a trainer wasn't for all Pokemon. Ash imagined that the vast majority of Shadow Pokemon hadn't been willing recruits in the first place.

"What are they like?" Ash asked. Wes raised an eyebrow for clarification. "Shadow Pokemon?"

The man grimaced. "Vicious. Unrelenting. Merciless. I don't know exactly what Cipher did to them, but even the most peaceful Pokemon becomes a fighting machine once they're changed into a Shadow. They don't stop. They just become…cold. Efficient. And Purifying them is even more dangerous sometimes. Sometimes the machine cracks and emotion pours out—anger like you couldn't even imagine. They'll attack anything at that point. All you can do is fight it out of their system."

Wes crossed his arms. "Besides Umbreon, every one of my Pokemon here was a Shadow at one point. You'd never know it now—they've recovered in leaps and bounds since undergoing Purification. But each and every one of them has tried to kill me before."

It sounded intense. Ash couldn't really relate, but…

"Eevee is probably the closest I have to that," he admitted quietly. Wes frowned at him. "Before I got her, the police took her from an illegal Pokemon Mill. She was…not doing very well. The first thing she did was try to blast me with Shadow Ball."

Wes shuddered. "Try to avoid getting hit with ghost-type moves. It sucks. Mismagius Hexed me once before she evolved—when she was still a Shadow. I couldn't get out of bed for a week and she didn't even try all that hard."

The older man glanced at Eevee again, curious. "It's good she's recovered. I'd never know she had a background like that looking at her now. You've done a good job with her."

He felt a brief swell of pride for that.

"Well, you won't beat me tomorrow," Wes smirked all of a sudden and Ash scowled back. "But I admit, I'm curious. You've come pretty far for a rookie with only four badges. Not that that's really saying much. Don't make me bored."

"Careful what you wish for," he retorted.

Wes snickered and Ash couldn't wait to wipe the smug grin off his face.

"Welcome to the final day of the St. Anne Pokemon Tournament!"

Ash stood at one end of the battlefield and stared down Wes, tuning out Angela's announcements to the watching crowd. Eevee sat at his side and across from them, Umbreon waited beside its trainer.

He had plans to deal with Wes' team—or at least, the ones he knew he could beat. If he chose to use Medicham, Dudunsparce, or Granbull, Ash had strategies ready to defeat them. The same could be said for the Orrean's more powerful Pokemon, but most of those plans would likely require Ash sacrificing at least one member of his team to defeat them.

It was going to be a hard fight.

The order came to release their Pokemon and Ash glanced down to nod at Eevee. He'd already talked about this with her, prepared her as best he could. She leapt forward and readied herself as Umbreon mirrored her. The dark-type looked happy, but was focused enough to not take the battle as a joke.

Frankly, Umbreon was more powerful than any of Ash's team. If it wanted to, it could end the fight in an instant. This battle was a lesson more so than anything—a way for Eevee to get combat experience with her evolved form.

Ash waited, tense, until Angela shouted. "BEGIN!"

"Remember the plan," he said quietly. "Flank it. Press the attack, but be careful."

Eevee slipped into Quick Attack and immediately fired off energy stars as she began to circle Umbreon, who absorbed the Swift with Light Screen. It watched her carefully, ready for anything.

With a fierce cry, Eevee lunged at it with an Iron Tail at the ready. Umbreon danced backwards on nimble paws and quickly darted in to snatch Eevee up by the scruff. With a twirl, it tossed her back to Ash's side of the field.

She spat a Shadow Ball before she even hit the ground and landed, unperturbed by the throw. Eevee immediately went back on the offensive and screeched out a Hyper Voice to follow her initial attack.

Umbreon leapt out of the Shadow Ball's path and blocked the Hyper Voice with another Light Screen, which mitigated the most harmful effects of the sound blast. Eevee darted forward and managed to slam into it with Quick Attack, but it seemed like Umbreon had allowed the attack to land this time.

It didn't brace its paws and instead allowed the force of Eevee's attack to push them both backwards. Airborne, it spun and swatted her away with its tail.

She yelped, but didn't hit the ground that hard and was quick to roll back to her feet. She charged again as Umbreon landed deftly and waited again for her approach.

"Double Team!" Ash shouted.

Eevee split into two, four, then eight copies as she closed the distance. Umbreon's eyes flashed blue and a wave of psychic force eradicated the clones before lifting Eevee up into the air. She snarled, furious, and immediately formed the biggest Shadow Ball she could. The Distortion sapped at the psychic grip and Umbreon simply tossed her back before it lost all control of the normal-type.

She landed, still nimble and ready to keep up the fight. Umbreon intercepted her Shadow Ball with one of its own (and only maybe half the size) and she hissed.

The dark-type stepped forward and began its own attack.

It split into three clones, indistinguishable in every way. Whereas Eevee's clones flickered and weren't consistent, Umbreon's were masterful illusions with no tell to identify the real one, even when they separated.

Eevee spat a Shadow Ball at one that jumped and leapt away from another that swatted at her with a paw. The third's eyes flashed and Ash shouted a frantic warning before Eevee was again swept up in Psychic and thrown aside.

Eevee snarled as the psychic force smacked her into the battlefield and scrambled to her feet as Umbreon stalked in a semi-circle. Her fur was fluffed up so she was nearly twice her size and even though she hadn't taken a serious hit, she was mad for how easily the dark-type was handling her.

"Focus," Ash murmured. Her ears pricked and he knew she'd heard him. "Close in."

She blurred into another Quick Attack and Umbreon started to up the pace just a little—

"Last Resort!" Ash shouted.

Wes' eyes widened and Umbreon yelped in surprise as Eevee's body flashed with energy. It stopped, bracing itself and formed a Protect to guard against the incoming burst—

Eevee darted right past Umbreon, the glow of Refresh fading, and lunged again as Protect faded. She twisted and slammed an Iron Tail into it's flank.

Umbreon took the hit without resisting, allowing the impact to push it back. But even then, it didn't hesitate to snag her in a psychic grip and toss her back to Ash's side of the field. The dark-type's eyes gleamed, intrigued and maybe a little amused by their ploy. Wes snorted, lips twitching into a grin.

Eevee managed to land on her feet and regained her balance. She readied herself, snarling, and yowled a challenge—

Ash yelped as her tiny shape suddenly blazed white, gleaming like a little star that cast everything around her in shadows. He heard gasps from the crowd around them, but had eyes only for the metamorphosis on the field.

He watched as her body grew in size, tripling in height until she was almost as tall as Umbreon. The bushy fur coat covering her thinned and shortened, though her tail grew several times longer. Towards the tip, it split into two ends. Her head and muzzle remained short, but the features sharpened somewhat and her ears developed a pair of furry tufts beneath them. Her legs became longer, yet remained lithe like the rest of her body.

As the evolutionary light burst away, he caught a glimpse of a red jewel that had formed upon her head. Her eyes, no longer chocolatey brown, gleamed purple with silver-white pupils. The fur was a light shade of lavender.

The howl she loosed at Umbreon sounded faintly musical. The dark-type's ears pricked while it studied Eev—Espeon with interest.

Ash wanted to sweep her up and hold her right then and there, but she immediately lunged at Umbreon and he snapped back into focus.

"Swift!"

Espeon spat a stream of the energy stars at her foe, far more potent than they'd been as an Eevee. Umbreon absorbed them with a Light Screen, narrowed its eyes, and then enhanced the shield as Espeon closed the gap.

She bolted in with speed that exceeded the entirety of Ash's team, tail gleaming silver as she cracked it against Umbreon with a sound like a whip. Umbreon yelped, but managed to avoid the worst of the damage by leaping back.

Evolution made her relentless. Ash watched in delight as Espeon pressed the assault, refusing to give Umbreon a moment to breathe as she blasted it with Swifts, Shadow Balls, and Hyper Voices that made her attacks as an Eevee pale in comparison.

Although Umbreon had been caught by surprise, it regained itself quickly enough and adjusted masterfully to the increase in power. Its barriers became stronger, its movements far quicker as it avoided the blasts of energy until it was practically a blur dancing across the field. Espeon picked up the pace and gave chase, snarling and spitting in her attempts to dominate it.

Umbreon suddenly howled and she recoiled, far more susceptible to Snarl with her new sensitivity to dark-type moves. Espeon finally retreated, reeling from the sudden weakness in her body.

Ash could see her legs shaking. For all that evolution empowered, it was an exhausting process. She wouldn't last much longer.

"A little more!" He encouraged. Her ears pricked in response. "Shadow Ball!"

Espeon braced herself and began to form the attack, generating a sphere of crackling Distortion that grew and grew and grew until it was almost as large as she was. Umbreon watched cautiously, no longer quite so playful.

At its peak, Espeon compressed the Shadow Ball until it was a quarter of its massive size and then spat it with everything she had. Umbreon didn't hesitate to answer with a Dark Pulse.

The field burst with shadows, crackling Distortion and Dark striking everything like bolts of lightning. Umbreon and Espeon both were struck by the rebound. Though Umbreon weathered it, Espeon stumbled back and moaned in pain. Her legs quivered, gave way—

Ash recalled her into the Luxury Ball before she could fully collapse. He held the black sphere close and whispered joyful praise to her. "Amazing! I'm so proud of you."

The Luxury Ball shook in his hand as he shrank it down and set it back on his belt. Ash looked up to see the panting Umbreon trot back to Wes' side, where it sat down and began to groom itself.

The Orrean glanced at the surprised referee. "Umbreon's done."

Angela nodded and announced the trainer's decision. Wes quickly focused back on Ash and grinned fiercely. He seemed pleased by the battle. Ash felt giddy.

It was his turn to release. Pikachu appeared on the field, tail waving and grinning mischievously.

Wes answered with Medicham. The fighter placed its hands flat against each other and bowed to its foes. Ash nodded back while Pikachu snickered.

"Begin!"

"High Speed. Paralyze it as soon as you can," Ash said. "Medicham can predict your moves. Be careful if you get close."

Pikachu's ears twitched and he shot off in a blur, slipping into a combination of Agility and Quick Attack to force Medicham on the defensive. Electricity sparked at his cheek pouches.

Wes took a much more active role from the start—it made sense since Medicham wasn't as experienced as Umbreon. "Pressure Point S. Stay on defense. Wait for an opening."

Medicham jabbed at its legs with Acupressure in an instant and danced away from a Thunderbolt. Pikachu threw an Electroweb at it, but the fighter again evaded him.

Ash watched tensely as the fight continued. Pikachu had the speed advantage even with Medicham's precise use of Acupressure, but its precognition made actually hitting it an incredible challenge. The few times Pikachu tried to hit it physically—with Quick Stun and Iron Tail—it deflected the moves with expert use of that Thunder Punch-Bullet Punch combination he'd seen it use on Blastoise.

Neither of the combatants were particularly durable. It would come down to who could strike the other first.

Ash could see the moment when Pikachu started to take the fight more seriously—not that he'd been playing around in the first place, but the smirk on his face faded and his eyes narrowed intensely as it became clear that Medicham was experienced enough to be a real challenge. The snickers stopped entirely and Surge's lessons kicked in.

"Bait it!" He whispered. Pikachu's sharp ears pricked in response.

The electric-type let out an angry hiss and he lunged in close, giving the impression that frustration was getting the better of him. Medicham remained focused, waiting as Pikachu leapt up with an Iron Tail that was just a little slower than before—

"Brick Break!" Wes snapped.

Ash watched as one of Medicham's hands deflected the Iron Tail and its other rose, preparing to chop into Pikachu's body. As it came down, the fighter's demeanor changed from calm certainty to surprise.

Pikachu twisted in the air, eyes gleaming with the light of Detect, and managed to wrap a small Electroweb around Medicham's fist. Now attached to his foe, his cheeks sparked—

Medicham's heavily-muscled knee came up and slammed into him, knocking the breath from Pikachu and tearing the Electroweb apart as he was flung skyward. Even then, he didn't lose control and unleashed a furious Thunderbolt.

The fighter flipped backwards and jumped. Pikachu frantically tried to fire another electric blast at Medicham, but it was too quick for him this time.

"Brace!" Ash shouted desperately.

Pikachu gave up on the Thunderbolt and tucked his body up as Medicham's heel slammed into him. His yellow shape was sent rocketing into the battlefield with a serious impact and Ash winced.

Medicham righted itself in the air as it came down, but it's eyes widened in surprise as the dust kicked up from Pikachu's crash was blown aside by a savage Charge Beam. The fighter managed to get its arms up to defend itself, but even then it was blown backwards and barely landed on its feet.

Pikachu shot out of the dust, slower than before but more furious than ever and blazed into a Volt Tackle. He yowled and leapt forward in an attempt to punish Medicham for the damage he'd taken.

The fighter moved in with a Bullet Punch and Pikachu twisted again with Detect. Volt Tackle sputtered out—more bait—and his cheeks sparked as he managed to latch onto Medicham's arm and exploded with lightning.

Medicham's eyes glowed and flung Pikachu away with a burst of psychic power, but it had still been exposed to the Thunderbolt. Ash grinned as it winced, but immediately leapt forward and smashed Pikachu into the dirt with another Brick Break. The electric-type didn't have the focus for Detect to save him this time.

Pikachu bounced across the field and slid to a stop. Ash watched him struggle to rise, fall, and struggle again, but he wasn't built to take so many heavy blows. He finally collapsed and did not rise again.

He recalled the electric mouse and praised him. "You did great. Medicham won't forget that anytime soon."

Ash considered the fighter as he set Pikachu's pokeball back on his belt. It was definitely tired out; Acupressure was a draining technique if held for a prolonged period of time, and Pikachu had managed to land several hits despite Medicham's skill with precognition. Detect had proved to be a handy—if not entirely foolproof—tool to counteract that skill.

Medicham had assumed its resting stance, hands pressed together as it breathed heavily and recovered what stamina it could. It was ready to fall.

Spectre emerged and offered Ash a wave from his wispy arm. He grinned at the little spirit. "It's hurt, but it's not finished. Watch out for its precognition. You'll have to get it with ghost attacks."

The Duskull made a hollow grunt and turned back to face its foe, who offered him a weary dip of its head.

"Begin!"

"Shadow Sneak," Ash ordered. "Keep it guessing. Confuse Ray when you get a chance."

Spectre immediately dove into the shadows on the field. It was easier to track him thanks to the sun overhead, but he was much faster in the darkness. He shot towards Medicham, a black blur on the dirt of the field.

Wes' eyes narrowed. He was clearly aware this wasn't a good situation for the exhausted psychic. "Evasion. Anti-ghost."

Medicham's brow furrowed as it concentrated. It trained on the darting shadow and it ensured Spectre was always within its line of sight. The fighter leapt away as the Duskull grew closer, but he simply chased after it.

There were moments when he briefly popped out of Shadow Sneak, but he always returned to it without fully emerging. Remaining in that little pocket of Distortion would muddle Medicham's precognition, which depended heavily on its psychic abilities. Ash knew from researching the species that there were some Medicham who could circumvent the effects and keep their foresight intact, but they were typically Master-level.

For all its strength, this Medicham was not on the same level as those elites.

And it showed as Medicham threw a Shadow Ball too hastily at Spectre the next time he emerged. He simply ducked beneath it, rose again, and his red eye gleamed with Confuse Ray.

Medicham staggered; clutching at its head. Spectre hadn't developed complete mastery of Confuse Ray like the terrifying ghosts belonging to trainers like Agatha of the Elite Four, but he was good enough to give anything a nasty headache and—in Medicham's case—make sensitive psychic's absolutely miserable.

As soon as Medicham flinched, he seized the initiative. "Shadow Ball!"

The fighter's thin frame was wracked by the ghostly energy as Spectre's attack hit home, striking Medicham's chest and sending it into unconsciousness. Wes was quick to return it.

"Good job!" Ash praised. Spectre floated back over to him and tapped his forehead, pleased with his victory.

Wes didn't seem surprised by Medicham's defeat. To be fair, it had taken several blows from Pikachu and appeared to be especially vulnerable to ghost moves. Ash figured it was something they were still working on.

Dudunsparce appeared and Ash sighed. This was going to be annoying. Spectre's ghost-type moves would have little to no effect on the normal-type and he wasn't skilled enough with Psychic to completely rely on it.

"Trap," Wes ordered. "Anti-ghost."

"Follow it," Ash muttered as Spectre floated to face his opponent. "Will-O-Wisp."

Dudunsparce quickly tunneled underground and disappeared. Spectre dove into the shadows and chased after it, diving into a hole as the normal-type set about creating more until the field was littered with them.

The arena became quiet. Ash crossed his arms and waited, finger tapping nervously.

One.

Two.

Three.

Four.

Five.

Si—

What he could only describe as a wind cannon blasted out of one of the holes and Ash scowled as Spectre's wispy shape was launched skyward with a hollow cry. But his scowl shifted to a grin when Dudunsparce emerged, tail covered in ghostly fire and badly burnt.

Now it spat a Hurricane and laced it with Flamethrower, creating a massive conflagration that consumed its foe. Spectre formed a protective barrier and hurried to return to ground level, but Dudunsparce kept spitting wind blasts that left him helpless so high up. Ash had to admire its fortitude; spectral flames were not easy to ignore for how much they burned.

It was aggravating, but he realized quickly that Spectre was trapped. He had no way around the wind blasts Dudunsparce unleashed to keep him suspended in the sky and eventually, he'd just be overwhelmed.

Spectre had done his job well. Ash recalled him.

The normal-type made a low groan, clearly hurting. Wes considered its condition with a frown. Clearly, he'd thought Dudunsparce would be able to handle Spectre underground with little trouble.

It was too bad the dark was Spectre's domain as much as Dudunsparce's. Ash surveyed the tunnels with a smile and knew his next choice.

Sobek emerged with a roar, leering at Dudunsparce as his fangs bared.

"It'll tunnel to harass you," he murmured. Sobek's tail thrashed at the thought. "Collapse them. You know what to do."

Angela signaled for the battle to begin. Dudunsparce was quick to dive underground as Sobek spat an Incinerate to get it moving. Clearly, it did not want to be touched by any more fire.

It was everything the Krookodile wanted. He scurried into the nearest tunnel and disappeared.

Wes raised an eyebrow, but said nothing. He only frowned when the center of the field dropped several inches and turned dirt into sand. Ash grinned viciously.

Dudunsparce would find no sanctuary underground. It was easy to see where the tunnels had collapsed as a result of Sobek's Sand Tomb. Pockets of collapse earth littered the field, the remnants of now-useless hiding places.

His eyes picked up on a mound of sand rushing away, then a second pursuing the first. Ash wasn't sure which was which, but he could safely guess given their personalities.

He deliberately tapped his foot three times against the ground.

The second pursuer stopped, sank deeper into the sand like he'd expected. A moment later, Stone Edge blades erupted all over the field. Dudunsparce frantically twisted around the blades as they appeared before it finally emerged, leaping from the sand.

But it wasn't fleeing. Ash's eyes widened as it spat an orb of silvery energy at the rocks littering the field and gathered them all together.

He'd only seen Ancient Power in videos, but he knew how deadly it could be.

Dudunsparce hurled the massive stone at Sobek's perceived location even as Ash frantically twisted his heel and tapped the ground once—get lower and avoid. But he wasn't sure if Sobek could get much deeper to begin with, not on this limited, artificial battlefield.

It was like watching a meteor slam into the field, kicking up a massive spray of sand as it sank deep. Ash held his breath, hoping beyond hope Sobek had been deep enough to avoid the massive impact.

As Dudunsparce hit the sand, he got his answer.

Sobek exploded from underground with an enraged scream, eyes blazing red. Ash hissed as he realized the lower third of the Krookodile's tail was badly swollen—he must've been clipped by the huge Ancient Power as he tried to evade it.

Dudunsparce squealed as savage jaws clamped onto its midsection and shook violently. Before it could even try to twist away, the Krookodile's hooked claws stabbed into its neck at the base of its tail to pin it down. Flames erupted from his jaws and the normal-type screeched in agony as the Fire Fang only exacerbated its already bad burns.

Sobek's jaws snapped shut with a loud clap as Wes recalled Dudunsparce, scowling. He roared in fury as his prey escaped, but returned to Ash's side of the field. Halfway there, he sank back into the sand until only his head was visible and "swam" to his trainer.

Ash knelt, frowning with concern. "Are you good for another round? Your tail…"

Sobek only snarled, more furious than anything as his eyes gleamed red. Moxie wasn't helping his mood. Ash had no doubt he was in a lot of pain, (there was no way he didn't have at least a few broken bones in his tail) but his friend was capable of continuing the fight.

He nodded, accepting Sobek's decision, and the Krookodile turned back as Wes released their next foe from a Great Ball.

It was a bizarre fighting-type Ash had seen very little of; a rare evolution of Tyrogue that was a sort of middle ground between Hitmonchan and Hitmonlee. Whereas the former was a talented defensive fighter and the latter offensive, Hitmontop served as a jack of all trades, capable of easily adapting to either fighting style with its unique combat techniques.

That wasn't to say Tyrogue's other evolutions were specialists. Any trainer worth their salt would teach fighting-types how to attack and defend in equal measure to prepare for any situation. Elite Four Bruno's team was the ultimate example of such talent honed to masterful levels.

But at their rawest state, Hitmontop was the in-between, comfortable at adapting to any situation in a close-range fight.

Ash frowned. He'd been expecting Granbull, but maybe Hitmontop was another fighter Wes was training up. The way it glared at him and Sobek, it certainly possessed more aggression than the nervous fairy-type.

It threw a wrench in his plans, but he would adapt.

"Stone Edge and Incinerate," Ash ordered. "Test it."

Sobek hissed and ducked back underground as Angela announced the start of the match.

"Begin!"

Hitmontop immediately flipped and landed on the sharp horn atop its head, easily balancing even in the shifting sands. Ash imagined it had plenty of practice doing that given that Wes was from Orre; he'd probably trained it to balance on any sort of uneven ground.

A Stone Edge blade erupted from the earth to punch Hitmontop's belly, but the fighter spun with blazing sped and kicked it apart in an instant. It's reflexes were impressive.

Sobek popped out and spat a fireball at his enemy. Hitmontop scowled and kicked up a whirlwind of sand to intercept.

Not a conventional use of Sandstorm, but clever. Ash took note of it.

Hitmontop suddenly leapt back to its feet and rocketed forward, spinning into a violent drill. Sobek dove underneath it, but Ash saw the fighter's eyes gleam as the Krookodile evaded its Drill Run. In an instant, it twisted, hit the ground with its club-like tail, and shot forward to drive a Mach Punch into Sobek's back.

Before the Krookodile could even recover, it leapt back onto its horn so it was flanking him and spun, delivering two kicks to his torso and chest. The tail came up to finish the Triple Kick, but Sobek's jaws opened wide and he caught the finishing blow.

Hitmontop grunted angrily, but it was thrown away while Sobek's maw sparked with lightning. The Krookodile's eyes blazed with Moxie's fury as he howled and gave chase.

To its credit, Hitmontop landed easily on its feet and it quickly flipped to spin on its head again. As Sobek rushed in, it pushed off with its hands and drove a foot coated in ice into his lower jaw. The club-like tail struck the side of his head, sending him staggering back.

As a Krokorok, that would've been enough to put him down. As a Krookodile, his denser bone structure made such blows painful, but tolerable.

Sobek snarled and twisted with the second impact so he could smash his thick tail into Hitmontop's round body. The fighter was crushed into the psychic barriers and wheezed as the wind was blown out of its lungs.

Sobek's fangs were grit tight and his eyes squeezed shut with agony; his tail was not in any state to deliver such a blow. In fact, that was probably the only reason he'd managed to strike Hitmontop with it at all. Wes and the fighting-type hadn't expected him capable of an attack like that.

But the pain drove him to new heights of rage. Hitmontop recovered and glared back, launching itself at Sobek with a Giga Impact.

"Foul Play!" Ash barked.

Sobek's eyes flashed with reason through his battle-lust and his claws glowed black. He met the Giga Impact with the countering move, but Hitmontop was so fast he could barely hold it back. It was already pushing him rapidly across the field.

The Krookodile's tail thrashed and he slammed it against the field with a pained shriek. A Stone Edge erupted from below them and punched into Hitmontop's body, causing the energy of Giga Impact to burst away.

Hitmontop flailed in the air, utterly stunned by the blow, and Sobek seized his chance.

Hit fangs ripped into tough brown skin as his jaws clamped around the fighter's head and burned. The Fire Fang scorched at Hitmontop's face and neck and it punched savagely at Sobek's head in an effort to escape. Sobek shook it like a rag doll amidst the frantic shouts from Ash and Wes.

Hitmontop smashed his jaw with a brutal punch once more.

Twice.

Thrice—

Sobek grabbed its fists in his claws with the third impact and lightning burst from his mouth now. The Krookodile was obviously dizzy as he sank to all fours, eyes rolling, but he refused to let go. Hitmontop convulsed from the Thunder Fang and its resistance grew more feeble.

Wes finally scowled and recalled the fighter. Sobek let out a ragged gasp and panted, staggering as he attempted to rise. His mouth was bloody—several of his fangs had been broken by Hitmontop's brutal punches and kicks, and Ash could see a huge bruise forming on his face. Even the second dose of Moxie rushing through his blood didn't appear to revitalize him that much.

Ash bit his lip. Sobek was still on his feet, but for how much longer?

The Krookodile managed to turn to look at him and shook his head. Ash frowned, but Sobek growled.

He wanted to keep fighting. He was bloody and beaten worse than Ash had ever seen, but he wasn't broken. Never broken.

The boy finally nodded reluctantly, but kept his hand on Sobek's Pokeball. His friend couldn't take another serious hit or he'd be out for more than just a day or two.

Wes' eyes had narrowed as he studied the bloody Krookodile, who faced him and bellowed a challenge. He was quiet for a moment.

"Alright," he said at last. "No more games, Ash."

Ash felt his stomach drop. He clenched Sobek's Pokeball tightly.

The Ultra Ball that was thrown onto the field set Flygon loose.

Ash mentally swore. Wes was done giving his less experienced Pokemon a chance to battle. For the first time, he was on the losing side of the fight and he wanted it to be over.

Umbreon's battle had been a courtesy. Flygon was here to finish things beyond a shadow of doubt.

The dragon flared its wings and studied Sobek calmly, blinking behind the red "bubbles" that shielded its eyes from the desert storms of its home.

If Ash remembered the Pokedex entries right, it wasn't uncommon in Unova and other far-off regions for Flygon and Krookodile to hunt together as a team. Wherever the two could be found in the same environment, they had a neat symbiotic relationship.

Not here.

"Flygon, this fight is yours," Wes said. He set a hand on his hip, eyes stern.

The dragon glanced back at him, nodded, and prepared.

"Begin!"

Sobek knew he was too hurt to fight for long. He smashed his claws into the ground and a Stone Edge burst forth. Flygon's wings twitched and it shot into the air at speeds Ash couldn't believe. The dragon was in Sobek's space in an instant and let out a shriek at close range. The sound burst had Ash's teeth rattling.

Sobek's body was wracked by the Boomburst and he collapsed instantly. Ash recalled him. An ugly grimace formed on his mouth.

He had no good counters for Flygon and Wes knew it, the bastard. He'd been outplayed.

Douse emerged as the dragon landed serenely on its side of the field. He dipped his head respectfully and Flygon mirrored him. At least it didn't share its trainer's abrasive personality.

"Begin!"

"Ice Beam," Ash ordered. "If it gets close, use Ice Punch. It's strong. You'll probably only get one chance to do any damage."

If Flygon was as well trained as Ash assumed, it would be more than a match for Wes' Entei. It might even be as powerful as Cynthia's Garchomp. Unless they got a lucky hit in, this fight was going to be over quickly.

Douse immediately fired an Ice Beam and Flygon twitched out of the way with another example of that frankly disgusting speed. Most dragons were known for their incredible acceleration, but it was one thing to know something and another to see it up close.

Flygon carefully studied Douse as it avoided his Ice Beams with little effort. It spat a Dragonbreath at him and he dodged rather than try to counter it. The dragon seemed curious.

"Hydro Pump," Ash bit his lip, trying to feel out his options.

Douse shot a blast of pressurized water at the dragon. Flygon rose a little higher in the air with the sun at its back—

Ash gasped as a beam of focused solar energy punched through Douse's Hydro Pump and nailed him in the belly with impeccable aim. The Solar Beam exploded as soon as it made contact and the Poliwrath was hurled into the sand beneath him.

Flygon flew a little lower, head cocked as it observed the results of its attack. Douse was stunned, badly hurt, and barely conscious. His hands grabbed feebly at the sand and he tried to rise up, but he seemed to have lost all control of himself.

Ash returned him, feeling numb. He'd never seen Douse laid so low by a single move. The dragon landed lightly on the sand, wings still flared as it waited patiently for its next opponent.

Could they even touch it?

Pyro emerged with a furious roar, tail flame blazing as he met their opponent's eyes. Flygon's tail waved as its head cocked, interested.

"You're the last, buddy," Ash warned him. "It's fast and stronger than anything we've fought before. Take the fight to Flygon, but be careful."

Pyro snarled and took to the air as soon as Angela gave the signal. Flygon matched him.

"Dragon Dance!"

Pyro tensed and focused as much draconic energy as he could muster to enhance his body. Flygon watched curiously, but didn't intervene.

Seconds passed and the Charizard lunged, roaring at the top of his lungs. Flygon's wings twitched and it fled as a torrent of fire left Pyro's mouth.

Ash growled as Flygon evaded the Flamethrower with casual ease. There was even a point where it twisted mid-flight to meet the flames with a Dragonbreath, as if testing Pyro's strength, and then continued flying away.

Wes watched the battle in silence.

"Dragon Rush!" Ash shouted.

Pyro's horns glowed as blue-green energy enveloped him and he charge Flygon with everything he had, howling a challenge. The dragon's eyes pulsed with interest and it flew higher, above the Charizard.

Flygon spat a Dragonbreath that Pyro just belted through without slowing down. A low, musical cry left the dragon. It tipped its body down to face him, flapped—

—the next instant, Pyro was being slammed into the field as Flygon shot down, grabbed him in its claws, and crushed the Charizard beneath it.

The impact knocked Pyro out instantly.

Ash's jaw dropped.

The audience was dead quiet. Flygon straightened, releasing Pryo, and with a gentle flap of its wings returned to stand by its trainer. Wes glanced at the referee with an arched eyebrow and Angela stammered.

"The match is over! Wes defeats Ash 6-4 in a shocking finish! We have our tournament champion!"

The crowd finally came back to life, screaming and applauding the match. Ash recalled Pyro and looked over at the Orrean as he walked to Flygon and pat the dragon's shoulder. He offered Ash a nod and it was all the boy could do to return it before he twisted and left the field.

He'd lost before, but never like that. Up until Flygon emerged, it felt like he'd had a chance.

Sighing, Ash pushed the ugly feeling in his belly down. His team needed to be healed and he needed to think.

He sat in the lobby of the healing station in silence, waiting for the nurse to finish working on his team. Pikachu, Spectre, and Espeon (he smiled at that) were mostly fine. They'd heal quickly enough. Pyro and Douse had been brought low by Flygon's attacks, but fortunately they were in much the same boat. Flygon was strong, but it hadn't been aiming to seriously hurt them.

Ash had no doubt if it had really wanted to, Flygon could have left them much worse off. It hadn't exactly been playing with them, but it hadn't exerted more of its strength than was necessary. No, Pyro and Douse would be fine after a good rest.

Sobek was in bad shape, though. Dudunsparce and Hitmontop especially had left him with several fractures and broken teeth. He'd be unable to fight for at least a week.

It meant Ash would probably extend his stay at Cinnabar Island, if only to give the Krookodile and his team more time to recover from the tournament. They'd be arriving at Cinnabar tomorrow or the day after, and he'd planned to take a ferry to Pallet Town when they arrived, but he thought he might delay that given how much rest his team needed.

So much for a vacation.

"Hey!"

He looked up and blinked as Rui appeared with Wes close behind. Ash had mostly gotten over the unpleasant feeling in his gut by now, enough anyway that he felt he could be civilized.

"Hey," he grunted.

"How's your team?" Rui asked, looking anxious.

"Most of them will be fine," he shrugged. "Sobek—my Krookodile—he'll be out for a while though."

"He's brutal," Wes admitted, frowning. "I haven't seen Hitmontop get handled like that in a long time."

Hitmontop had broken part of Sobek's jaw and several of his teeth. Ash wasn't sure if "handled" was the right word for how that fight had gone.

"I've gotta be honest, I didn't like how our fight ended," Wes looked away, sheepishly rubbing the back of his head. "I was hoping to use Granbull and Honchkrow, but your team put up more of a fight than I expected. Especially that Krookodile. He's a mean bastard."

"Wes," Rui scowled.

The Orrean shrugged. He looked rather awkward. "My point is, the match was closer than I expected and I wanted to win. Flygon wasn't a fair fight, but I wasn't going to take it easy on you, either."

Ash didn't know if he was apologizing or explaining himself, but it didn't matter. "I wouldn't have wanted you to take it easy on us. I've just never been outclassed like that before."

"It sucks," Wes agreed, scowling. "It happens, but it's never fun. You learn a lot, though."

He'd concede that. Ash had picked up on a few things he planned to try in the future. It wasn't like the battle had been totally bad, either.

"Eevee evolved. That's a win in my book."

Rui lit up. "It was so exciting! She must really care about you!"

Ash smiled. "Mmhm. She's special."

"I've got a few tricks you can teach her, if you want," Wes offered and Ash raised an eyebrow. "I have an Espeon too. She's back in Orre—she got tired of fighting, but she was one of my first Pokemon along with Umbreon."

He was interested. "What do you have in mind?"

Rui beamed as Wes started talking and Ash felt the sting of defeat slowly melt away.

When all was said and done, Ash, Gary, and Leaf were given their rewards for placing high in the tournament by Captain Briney, who made a brief showing at dinner to present the trainers with their prizes. Naturally, Wes was given the Arcanine's share of attention for his victory and was presented with the Pokemon Egg to the applause of the entire ship.

Gary and Leaf had settled the third and fourth place spot in a match right after Ash fought Wes—a 1v1 that saw Leaf's Venusaur narrowly defeat Gary's Nidoqueen so she could claim third place. He hadn't seen it, but Gary seemed particularly annoyed because Blastoise had still been healing and thus couldn't fight.

The reward ceremony was quick and before long, the trio made their way to the ship's Technical Machine Market.

For getting fourth place, Gary had received a TM Voucher and five Great Balls. For third, Leaf also got a Voucher and five Ultra Balls.

For being the runner-up, Ash won two TM Vouchers and had been able to choose one of several evolutionary items from a frankly startling variety of options. The ship had provided him with possibilities he'd not even considered.

Ash had struggled to decide between the Reaper's Cloth for Spectre and the Thunder Stone for Pikachu, but in the end, he'd gone with the Thunder Stone. Pikachu was much closer to evolving anyways, and Spectre needed to become a Dusclops before he could even begin training to reach his final stage.

Satisfied with his choice, he and his friends were now looking to exchange their TM Vouchers for useful, permanent moves to add to the arsenals of their teams.

Leaf almost immediately grabbed an Ice Beam TM to exchange, almost certainly for Seadra. The water-type was limited in her battles for now, but when she evolved into a Kingdra, it would be a boon against fliers and other dragons.

Ash was tempted to get a move for Espeon, but Wes had offered a fair amount of advice on how to train her and he thought he might work on those ideas for the time being. She needed to get used to her newfound psychic powers before expanding her abilities further, anyway.

He decided to exchange one Voucher for a permanent copy of Dark Pulse, which he could teach to Spectre. The little ghost needed more options, and Ash could give Sobek Dark Pulse as well to give him some extra attacks at range.

Ash wanted to get a defensive move, too. His latest string of battles had only further exposed that glaring weakness.

What to do…

He was torn for a time before eventually settling on Light Screen. It was useful and could be taught to several of his Pokemon immediately. He could pick up Reflect later if he wanted to, but Light Screen was more practical to block ranged attacks.

Gary, meanwhile, found Hyper Beam and promptly exchanged his voucher for it. When his friends gave him a look, he shrugged. "What? It's useful when you need some extra kick. Pidgeot needs something with more force behind it."

He wasn't wrong, but Ash had seen other trainers use Hyper Beam numerous times on his journey—they relied on it like a crutch and it almost always failed them if it didn't hit. Sometimes, it failed them anyway.

Not that Gary was typical of most trainers, but the point remained.

With their vouchers exchanged, they headed back to Ash's room for the time being. Teddiursa and Gary's Eevee followed them, playfully chasing one another.

"So…are you going to evolve Pikachu soon?" Leaf asked.

Ash frowned. "I'm not sure. I think he needs some more training before he's ready to evolve. I'll tell him I have the Thunder Stone, though. It'll motivate him to train harder."

"He recovered from Celadon, didn't he?" Gary queried.

"He did, but he's fallen behind a bit. Not a lot—Surge was great with him. But I think he's got some catching up to do."

The other boy hummed. "Nothing wrong with that. He's an annoying little shit as it is."

Ash smirked. "Afraid he'll be a hundred times worse when he evolves?"

"I'd like to see him try to annoy Graveler or Nidoqueen," Gary snorted mockingly. "Watching Medicham beat his ass was cathartic."

Ash rolled his eyes, amused by the barb.

"Where are you guys going after we land in Cinnabar?" Leaf shifted the conversation before they could get too carried away. "Are you going to try and challenge Blaine?"

"Blaine's as mean as Sabrina or Koga. I can probably beat a couple of his Pokemon, but I'm not comfortable relying only on Blastoise and Graveler for that," Gary frowned. "No, I'll head to Pallet afterwards and get some training in. What about you guys?"

"Probably the same," Leaf agreed. "Blaine's a little out of my comfort zone. For now, anyway. Ash?"

He pursed his lips. "Sobek needs some time to heal after that fight. I think I'll stay on Cinnabar for a little while…Actually, I might send him to the Corral to rest and bring Jasmine—my Dratini—back for a bit. The Seafoam Caverns aren't far from Cinnabar and I don't have an ice-type yet."

"That's a good point," Leaf tilted her head back thoughtfully. "It might be a good place to train Seadra, with all the water…Hmm."

"Let me know what you decide," Gary told them. "But you guys are welcome to go and freeze your asses off. I'll settle for teaching Blastoise and Nidoqueen ice-type moves over that nonsense, thank you very much."

Leaf scoffed and fired a retort back, and Ash could only grin as they started arguing again. Teddiursa squealed by their feet as Eevee yipped and ran away from it.

Maybe he hadn't won the tournament, but it was still a good day.

Chapter Text

Chapter Seventeen: The Assault

"Focus," Wes instructed. Umbreon chittered beside him, but the hulking shape of Metagross remained still. "Psychic abilities are heavily reliant on control. Especially if you're a beginner."

Espeon's eyes were shut as she gathered energy into the gem on her forehead. Ash stood close to her for support, smiling warmly.

Wes had dragged him to the training rooms only an hour before they closed. Ash was tired, but given that they only had so much time left on the St. Anne, he wanted to capitalize on the Orrean's experience with Espeon's breed. He had provided Ash with a ton of notes that were safely recorded on his PokeNav, but insisted that practical training was more effective.

Currently, they were working on Psychic. Ash could've just used the TM to teach her, but Wes assured him it wasn't necessary. Espeon had the capacity to use the powerful technique, she just needed to grasp it. Umbreon and Metagross were more than enough to teach her.

He watched, bemused, as Metagross' massive frame was encased in a blue light and slowly wobbled from the floor. The steel-type allowed the clumsy manipulation of psychic energy to lift it—no doubt it could have shattered Espeon's grip with little effort.

Espeon was trembling, but she kept up the Psychic for several seconds before she was forced to lower Metagross to the ground. The behemoth touched the floor with a quiet click of its huge claws, and gave little sign of reaction besides a slow blink.

"Good job," Wes praised. Espeon's eyes opened and she sat back on her haunches, panting slightly. This was her seventh attempt and she'd gotten steadier with each try. "She's got plenty of capacity. It'll just take practice at this point. Psychic won't take her long to master, and most moves after that are easy. I'd go for Psybeam next; it's faster and more focused. A bit more range."

"Right," Ash knelt and stroked his partner's thin fur. She leaned into the touch with a musical hum, pleased by the attention.

"Work on her psychic capacity for a while," Wes suggested. "Developing that will improve her strength and control in spades. When those abilities are mastered, she'll be able to branch out a lot more easily. I'd suggest Dazzling Gleam once you get the moves I told you about down—it'll gives her something to use against dark-types and make dragons more leery about getting too close."

Umbreon snickered at that, as if remembering some fond memory. Wes shot his partner a grin and carried on. "Power Gem is good, too. Espeon may have evolved to specialize with psychic techniques, but they're actually a lot more varied than that. Most psychics are, to be fair. Your average trainer won't expect her to hit them with a rock or electric-type move."

"I'll put it on the list," Ash agreed and stood up once Espeon had recovered. She tilted her head as Metagross' eyes flashed and her own glazed over with blue. He wondered if they were communicating. "What else?"

Wes crossed his arms. "Barriers if you can, but realistically she won't be able to take too many hits if something gets up close to her. Iron Tail and Psychic Fangs are good if she gets dragged into a brawl. Zen Headbutt, too. That's pretty much it for physical options. Espeon are at their best fighting a mid-range battle. They're not specialized illusionists or teleporters like Alakazam or Hypno. Espeon fight much more like Metagross—they manipulate physical psychic force. That's their strongest point."

He paid rapt attention to the older trainer's advice. Ash's experience with psychic moves was limited to Spectre's clumsy use of Psychic. He hadn't even challenged Sabrina yet, and any advice that could improve Espeon's skill in battle was greatly appreciated.

Espeon made a low cry and he glanced down as she stood back up. Her eyes gleamed and Metagross again began to levitate. Ash smiled as she trained.

He was so proud of her.

"What's next for you?" Wes asked curiously. "After the St. Anne?"

"I might make another run through the Gym circuit," he admitted. "I know we don't have all the badges we need yet, but it be good for my team to get more experience fighting all the Gym Leaders at full strength. Well, close to it, anyway. We had a good match against Surge before the St. Anne left port."

Wes cracked a grin. "Surge is a tough bastard. That Electivire gave Raikou a run for his money for a minute there."

Ash wished he'd seen that fight. "I think we'll challenge Sabrina for my next badge. Then Koga, Blaine, and Giovanni."

The Orrean whistled. "Aiming high for a rookie."

"We won't grow if we don't push ourselves," he pointed out.

"True."

A knock on the door to the training room had them turning, only to yelp when Espeon's concentration was broken and Metagross dropped to the floor with a thud. The steel-type didn't look bothered at all, but Espeon shot the employee who had distracted her a dirty look.

The man shrugged sheepishly. "Time's up, fellas. Training station's closed."

"Got it," Wes recalled Metagross, but left Umbreon out. Ash kept Espeon out as well as they left the training room.

The dark-type yipped and bounced on its paws, trying to encourage Espeon to chase it. She watched with bemusement, but was content to remain by Ash. Instead, she casually sent a Double Team to pursue Umbreon, who rushed away.

Wes snorted fondly.

There wasn't much else said while they continued to walk together, but it was a comfortable kind of silence. The trainers were content to watch their Pokemon as Espeon lazily continued to chase Umbreon with illusions that were far steadier than when she was an Eevee. Double Team wasn't as masterful as Umbreon's, but it was leaps and bounds better than before.

They separated soon enough, as Wes was on a higher floor than Ash. They muttered casual goodbyes (Umbreon yipped and Espeon only flicked her ears) and promised to talk the next day before Wes hit the stairs and started to climb. Ash and Espeon made their way to the cabin.

"I know I've already said it, but I'm so proud of you," he murmured softly. Espeon's tail twitched as she looked up at him. "Really. You've come so far and I'm so happy that you're happy."

She let out a croon and rubbed up against his knee. Ash laughed; she was so much taller than she'd been as Eevee.

"We'll get some more quiet time when we get to Pallet Town," he promised. "I know this was a vacation, but it's been a little noisy. It'll be nice to be away from all the people, you know?"

She hummed an agreement, but didn't seem to be irritated. Though Espeon had never been a big fan of lots of people, she'd lost much of her disdain for them. Now she was mostly indifferent to crowds.

Ash yawned as he fumbled for the card key to his room. As he slid it into the lock, Espeon's ears pricked and she twisted her head down the hall from where they'd come. He wasn't sure what she'd heard at first, but after a moment the fur on her back stood up and a low growl built in her throat.

"What? What is it?" Ash frowned and looked down the hall. Espeon was tense, as if ready to spring into battle.

He got his answer a second later.

A Koffing, two Ekans, and a Golbat came into view, and following them was—

Ash felt his blood freeze and all traces of sleep left him at the sight of terrifyingly familiar black uniforms. The red "R" on the shirts gave their identities away immediately.

Rockets. There were Rockets on the St. Anne.

"Oh, a volunteer!" One of the grunts snickered. "Let's get him, first! Then it's door to door, like Executive Proton or—!"

Espeon let out a ferocious screech that roared down the hall. The Hyper Voice had the Rockets and their Pokemon recoiling and Ash snapped out of his horror. Hot fury replaced the icy rush in his veins.

Spectre, Pikachu, and Douse were set loose in an instant. Pyro couldn't fight in the hallway without setting everything on fire and Sobek was still healing.

The Duskull's red eye narrowed as he dove into Ash's shadow to protect his trainer. Pikachu's fur fluffed up and he sparked violently. Douse cracked his knuckles, his kind eyes growing dark.

Ash snarled. "Get them."

Espeon and Pikachu blurred into motion and engaged the enemy fighters in an instant. They were still stunned by the Hyper Voice, so it was no contest at all. Pikachu leapt onto the Golbat and electrocuted it into unconsciousness. Espeon simply blasted the other poison-types with a surge of psychic force.

Ash scowled. "Douse, subdue the grunts. I'm getting my things."

The Poliwrath grunted and raced down the hall to help his comrades. Ash bolted into his room with Spectre still guarding his shadow. He was grateful he always kept his bag organized; he didn't have much of anything strewn around the room, and he had everything inside of a minute.

He didn't know how the Rockets were here, but he was sure of one thing: if there were a few grunts here, there were more around the ship.

Ash threw his bag over his shoulder and ran back into the hall. Several other guests were poking their heads out, undoubtedly startled awake by the fight. An older man scowled at him, looking cranky.

"What do you think you're doing out here at this hour?!"

Ash ran past him. "There are Rockets on the ship!"

"Rockets? Are you out of you—"

He found his friends pinning the grunts and enemy Pokemon down—more than he remembered. Some backup must've come, but they clearly hadn't stopped his team. Most of them were unconscious, but Espeon had a grunt upright in a psychic lock while Douse hypnotized him. The other guests froze at the sight of them.

Ash stopped in front of the hypnotized grunt. "How many of you are there?"

"Dunno," he slurred. "Few hundred."

"Where is Proton?"

"Wheelhouse. Blocking communications."

"Are there other Admins here?"

"Uh-huh."

"Who?"

"Petrel, Cliff, Sierra," the grunt mumbled. "And that weird dude with the crazy-strong Pokemon."

Ash frowned. He had no idea who that could be for how vague the description was, but he didn't have time to get more answers. Footsteps hurried nearby and his gaze snapped up to see more Rockets running down the stairs with their Pokemon.

They looked surprised, but quickly got over their defeated comrades. "Attack!"

Ash scowled as Douse was forced to drop the Hypnosis. Espeon casually tossed the grunt aside and snarled a challenge. He glanced down at the stunned passengers. "Get out of here! It's not safe!"

That sent them running scared. People were already yelling and screaming as Ash's team engaged the two-dozen or so Rockets that had come down. Unfortunately for them, Douse blasted the group with a Hydro Pump and knocked several of them unconscious in an instant.

Still, enough Pokemon emerged to distract them. Pikachu leapt backwards as an Arbok snapped its teeth at him, but he managed to stun it with a Thunder Wave. Douse leapt over and crushed it with a Mega Punch, only to be distracted by a buzzing Magnemite.

Espeon loosed another burst of psychic force, followed by a Hyper Voice just to stun the group again. It was a good tactic; there were a lot of them, but as with any group of Rocket grunts, none were particularly powerful.

Douse punched a Koffing so hard it was embedded into the nearby wall and leapt on the opportunity Espeon presented to drench the Rocket Pokemon with a Hydro Pump. A Houndour yelped and then convulsed as Pikachu shocked it.

Ash glimpsed a hint of shadow and spun to his left when a Haunter emerged from the floor, grinning widely as its detached hands reached for him. It's cackle turned into a screech as Spectre popped out of Ash's shadow and smashed his mask into its face. Espeon lunged in defense of her trainer and blew the ghost apart with a vicious Shadow Ball.

Haunter burst into fragments of Distortion, but it would reform eventually, Ash knew. Espeon's attack had destabilized its physical form, but ghosts were much harder to actually kill than that.

Spectre dove back into his trainer's shadow as Ash thanked him. Pikachu unleashed a savage Thunderbolt that finished off the group.

"We need to get to the wheelhouse," he told them. "If Proton's blocking communications, the ship won't get a mayday out. We need help."

They nodded. Pikachu and Espeon led their trainer up the stairs while Douse hung back by Ash's side.

He became aware of a din, which he could only describe as a thing of chaos, filling the ship. Looking down over the railing, he could see dozens of Rocket Grunts harassing passengers. A few trainers were putting up a fight, but there were so many enemies…

They needed to cut the head off the snake. Besides Proton, there were at least three other Admins present—two of which he'd never met and another powerful trainer accompanying them.

They encountered two more groups of Rocket grunts and both times managed to incapacitate them before they could get more than a few Pokemon out. Normally, Ash would've recalled their Pokemon and stuffed them into his bag, but there were too many and time was of the essence.

He reached the deck nearest to the prow of the ship and found it full of Rockets. Dozens of helicopters hovered overhead, with even more Zubat and Golbat. Ash scowled. He'd wondered how this many Rockets had gotten on board. Maybe they even had a few ships nearby, as well.

His attention was dragged down to a large pack of grunts with a Weezing, Arbok, and Houndoom leading them, along with numerous other Pokemon. The apparent leader smiled cruelly at him. "Thinking of putting up a fight, little boy? Best give up now, or there'll be consequences."

Ash looked up at the open sky and returned a sneer that promised pain. "I don't think so."

He tapped on the release of his starter's Pokeball.

Pyro emerged, blinked, and howled. The Charizard's tail flame blazed as his wings flared and white teeth flashed.

They all remembered the last time they'd encountered Rockets. It might've been months ago, but Celadon was fresh in their minds once more. The encounter that almost saw their family reduced by one.

"Get the helicopters," Ash told his partner icily. "We'll handle—"

Pyro didn't have a chance to fly up as a stream of emerald dragonfire seared through four, five, six helicopters in an instant and generated a series of violent explosions. A Boomburst knocked the Zubat and Golbat out of the air. Ash and the grunts froze in surprise as a musical cry filled the air, and Flygon's shape flew past them.

Somewhere, Wes was a step ahead of them.

He seized his chance. "Attack!"

The grunts jerked back to attention, but it was too late. Pyro lunged into their ranks, barreling through them as he grabbed the Houndoom in his claws and smashed it into the hull of the ship with a furious roar. The grunts were sent sprawling and Pikachu zapped them with a Thunder Wave.

Douse leapt forward and the Arbok came to meet him, only to find a Shadow Ball courtesy of Espeon detonating in its face. The Poliwrath leapt over its falling body to grab the Weezing. It coughed up smoke in a frantic attempt to stop him, but Douse slammed it into the floor with enough force to shatter the wood beneath them.

It stopped smoking after that.

Weak, Ash sneered. His eyes flit up to the wheelhouse a few flights above them.

"Ash!"

He gaze was torn from the ship as Flygon descended and he realized Rui was on the dragon's back.

"Where's Wes?" He demanded.

"Dealing with the grunts on the main deck," she answered. "There's a bunch of Admins there! I think Leaf and Gary are there, too. We need to back them up!"

"We can't yet! One of the Admins is in the wheelhouse! We need to get a mayday signal out!"

"How'd you—"

"My Poliwrath hypnotized one of the grunts. I questioned him before we got attacked again."

He'd never pegged the girl as a fighter, but her blue eyes were harder than steel. "Then we'll deal with that guy first. Flygon and I will distract them. You sneak in and take them out."

"Pyro will go with you."

The dragon nodded and took off again. Pyro launched himself after Flygon and Ash spun towards the steps leading to the wheelhouse. What was normally blocked off was now an open path.

He set Sobek loose. Although the Krookodile was hurt, he was still capable of fighting to some degree.

The ground-type looked confused at first, but the confusion gave way to a furious hiss when he set eyes on the downed Rockets. Ash brought him out of it with a snap of his fingers.

"We have to be quiet," Ash told his team. "Proton's in the wheelhouse; put him and the other Rockets down before their Pokemon if you can. We'll only get one chance at this."

They nodded and together, slipped up the stairs. When they reached the door four flights up, Ash was about to order Spectre to scout the room out when he saw a blur shoot by. Then Flygon was blasting a Dragon Breath across the hull and shattering the glass. He heard shouts and a familiar, furious voice screaming orders.

Proton. Ash felt fury in his blood and his team rushed inside.

It was chaos in the room; Flygon hadn't done any damage beyond shattering the glass, but the dragon had gotten their attention. Ash glimpsed Pyro flying by and spitting a gout of flame that didn't reach the Rockets thanks to a burst of darkness courtesy of a familiar shape—a Weavile.

Ash saw red, but they had yet to notice his team. "Now!"

Before the Rockets could even spin towards him—too distracted as Flygon came in for another pass—Pikachu shot forward and stunned the trainers with a Thunder Wave. Sobek spat an Incinerate at Weavile, which almost caused it to jump backwards into open air. It scrabbled to regain its footing and Ash snarled as it crouched to attack.

And then Pyro swept by from behind it, locked it in his claws to carry it off, and bathed it in fire. Ash heard Weavile's screams and felt only catharsis. His starter cast the (probably unconscious) dark-type away onto the shadowy deck and Ash hoped to never see it again.

Pikachu sneered after it, but focused on the other Rocket Pokemon.

A Gengar shot out of the shadows, laughing and tongue lolling as it scratched at Douse with venom-laced claws. The Poliwrath spat a Hydro Pump and it disappeared with a cackle. A white blur lunged at them with huge claws—Ash thought it might be a Zangoose—and slashed wildly, howling.

Proton's Rhydon wasn't here, Ash realized with some relief. Maybe it had been too big to fit in the wheelhouse.

Pikachu shocked the Zangoose, getting its attention, and led the normal-type on a merry chase straight to Douse. Espeon spat a Shadow Ball at the Gengar, but it flipped around and stuck its tongue out—

Zangoose ripped into Gengar with frenzied claws of darkness. The ghost shrieked.

Ash—and everyone else, frankly—froze in surprise as Zangoose screeched, ripping the spectral creature to pieces before it even registered what was happening. Spitting, it whipped its head up towards the others with baleful red eyes.

Douse grunted a challenge and it locked onto him. He beat his fist against his belly and settled into a fighting stance. Zangoose howled and charged.

Ash caught a brief glimpse of Sobek and Espeon teaming up against a large Muk before Douse swung downward to drive his fist into Zangoose's skull. It's claws barely scratched him before it was smashed face-first into the floor of the wheelhouse. Douse's Brick Break stunned it, buying him enough time to leap up and smash his heavy shoulder into the normal-type's back.

A wheeze left Zangoose's lungs as the wind was driven from it, and the crazed Pokemon slipped into unconsciousness. Ash had no idea why Zangoose had attacked Gengar; maybe it was too insane with drugs to register friend from foe. Maybe it didn't care or was disobedient.

Whatever the case, it had done them a favor, but he wasn't going to leave it around to wake up and come after his team again.

He made an effort this time to relieve all the Rockets of their Pokemon this time, stuffing the balls into his bag. As their Pokemon were defeated, he recalled them—through trial and error—until all of them were out of the picture. Muk was the last, having endured a brutal thrashing by Sobek, Espeon, and Pikachu before it was finally beaten into unconsciousness.

Gengar's scattered remnants were sucked up into a pokeball owned by Proton. Muk and Zangoose, too, appeared to belong to the Admin.

Flygon whisked by the door and a few moments later, Rui ran into the room. She appraised the carnage with a practiced eye. "Not bad, Ash."

"Thanks," he muttered. Douse was hoisting the unconscious Rockets and piling them up in a corner, where Sobek and Pikachu were guarding them. Espeon and Spectre remained with Ash.

The crew of the St. Anne and its captain were unconscious as well, to Ash's frustration. "Can you try and wake them up? I don't know how to activate the mayday signal."

Rui nodded and knelt by Captain Briney, who was bleeding a little from the head, but other than that seemed well enough. While she was busy with him, Ash focused on Proton's unconscious shape.

He'd been relieved of his Pokeballs and was…not harmless, but not as capable of killing them as before. Ash scowled at the sight of the teal-haired man.

He wanted to hypnotize him, wanted to get all the answers he could out of the Admin, but there wasn't any time for a thorough questioning. That would have to wait for the police.

Briney finally stirred and groaned, clutching his head. He blinked in confusion before horrified realization set in. "The Rockets! They're—"

"They're down, but we need you to activate a distress signal!" Rui urged. "We need to let the League know we're in danger!"

"Yes—yes!" The old man stumbled to his feet with Rui's help—Ash hurried over and provided his own assistance—and flipped on a distress beacon as soon as he reached the controls of the ship. Ash looked outside, but it seemed like Flygon and Pyro were keeping the attention of any remaining grunts. Most of them were already unconscious, courtesy of the two furious dragons.

"Mayday, mayday! This is Cruise Liner Vessel S.S Anne, requesting immediate assistance! Our ship is being attacked in an organized assault by Team Rocket! Our passengers and crew are in danger! I repeat—"

Briney repeated the message and they got a response inside of a minute. It felt like ages to Ash.

"S.S Anne, this is Cinnabar Island Harbormaster! We hear your distress signal! Report current coordinates for League backup!"

Ash felt relief fill him as Briney got the coordinates through. The League knew they were in trouble. Help was coming.

Flygon flew by and he looked up. The dragon met their eyes and Ash jumped as a mechanical voice filled his head.

"Be calm. I am the one you know as Metagross. Master Wes wishes to know if you have gotten the distress signal out."

"Yes! I mean—we did!" Ash stammered. He wondered how Metagross was reaching them. Did it have a connection to Flygon?

"We require aerial assistance," Metagross told them. Its voice was flat and emotionless, reminding him a little of a computer. "The Admins have released a Hydreigon and Honchkrow on our position. They are troublesome."

"Pyro and I will come."

"Insufficient. The Charizard is not experienced enough to carry you into battle. You will ride the Singer. Rui is to remain with the rest of your team in the Wheelhouse."

"Now wait just a—!"

"Master has ordered it. Remain with the egg. It will be endangered in this battle."

Rui's face took on an uncharacteristic fury, but she stood down and carefully shifted the bag at her back. "Tell him we'll have words after this."

If Metagross responded, it was only for her. Ash glanced at his team and gave them the orders. They weren't thrilled, but they obeyed. Spectre remained in Ash's shadow as he mounted Flygon by the stairs and took off with Pyro just behind them.

The dragon's flight was smooth; a bubble of air formed around them to keep Ash from being blown off from turbulence. Tailwind, he thought. Advanced control of Tailwind, as well. Not that he was surprised, given how powerful Flygon was.

No wonder it was so fast. Pyro struggled to catch up to the older dragon, but it was only a few seconds before they found the center of battle. They'd gone past the pools to a deck filled with now-wrecked bars. Ash hadn't spent any time there, but it was out in the open.

He took in the savage conflict below—nothing less than pure chaos.

Wes was there in the center, with Leaf and Gary kept close beside him. Metagross stood with them, a metallic guard against anything that got too close as its eyes glowed with psychic power. Venusaur was also guarding them, and currently had something wrapped in his vines—was that an Omastar?—while sucking it dry of energy.

While those two repelled attacks against their trainers, the others engaged the Rocket Pokemon. Ash caught a glimpse of Umbreon snarling as it tangled with a Houndoom. Feraligatr—who Ash had initially assumed was the strong, silent type—roared as Blastoise split open the armor of a Rhyperior with a pressurized water blast and savaged the rock-type's softer hide below.

Mismagius was chasing another Gengar around, ducking in and out of the shadows and screeching curses after the other ghost. A Pinsir lunged at her as she got close, but Typhlosion barreled into it with a furious screech and almost cooked the bug alive. The fire-type was forced to retreat, however, as a Honchkrow fired off a Dark Pulse at it.

There were more. Hariyama was fighting two Rhydon at once and Ash spotted Ninetales, Primeape, and Nidoqueen fighting a Machamp. Leaf recalled one of her Pokemon, but Ash couldn't see which one. The Rockets had two Alakazam with them.

It didn't matter. The reason they'd been called over was because of the three-headed nightmare overhead.

Ash had heard of a Hydreigon, but he'd never seen one before. They were from far-off Unova, with the same reputation as Tyranitar from what he knew. Some of the most brutal fighters out there, they were savage dragons that carried dark-type attributes. Nothing would stop them once they flew into a rage, not until the object of their ire was reduced to cinders.

This one was more than a match for that reputation. Each of the three heads spat Hyper Beams, Dragon Pulses, and Dark Pulses all over the deck. It had his friends pinned down simply because they couldn't focus enough on it with all the other Pokemon they were fighting. And it was huge! Almost double Pyro's size for sheer mass, and kept aloft by six long, thin wings.

Not anymore.

Ash patted Flygon's scales and the dragon flew at their enemy in a blur, firing a pinpoint Dragon Pulse into Hydreigon's flank.

The beast howled in fury and whipped all three of its heads up at them. Flygon spat a Dragon Breath to keep its attention and Hydreigon bellowed before lunging after them. Ash thought he heard Wes shout, but couldn't hear him.

He recognized Petrel on one of the upper decks, looking over the railing and shouting orders to his Pokemon. Two other Rockets were present close by—the other Admins, he assumed. One was a hulking man and the other a woman in a white uniform.

The last was the stranger Ash had identified from the hypnotized grunt. A man with long, blue hair, strange shades over his eyes, and a dark grey and blue uniform unlike the Rockets. An Electabuzz and one of the two Alakazam remained close by his side.

Ash didn't know who he was, but he stared at Flygon and gave a single, calm command. "Hydreigon, kill it."

The beast thrashed and gave chase at its trainer's command. Ash swore, but Flygon was already a blur as it danced around a triple Hyper Beam with the grace of a dancer. He heard a roar of fury and glanced backwards.

Ash felt his breath catch as Pyro barreled into Hydreigon's back with a Dragon Rush, almost driving the larger dragon into the deck below. For a moment, he feared for his friend, but the Charizard drove his claws deep into Hydreigon's scales and began to bathe it in fire.

Hydreigon snarled and shook itself, trying to throw Pyro off, but it was quickly distracted as Flygon darted in and slashed it across the face with a Dragon Claw. It spat after them, yet caught nothing. Pyro refused to let go of Hydreigon and continued to burn it for the terrible sin of attempting to murder his trainer.

Ash dared to glance at the battle below, which seemed to be turning in their favor now that Hydreigon was distracted. The stranger set a Snorlax loose and he heard the gigantic creature emit a terrifying howl, but Ash glimpsed Hariyama charging to meet it along with Gary's Machoke.

Then he yelped as a blast of dark rings ripped overhead, but Flygon easily evaded it. Ash saw Spectre's red eye in the shadows on his arm, peering out at the enemy dragon in case he needed to form a shield.

Hydreigon's main head and one of the smaller ones were dedicated to pursuing Flygon while the last kept trying to dislodge Pyro with bursts of dragonfire that probably hurt itself more than the stubborn Charizard. Once, it managed to twist itself enough in an attempt to bite Pyro, but all it got for its troubles was a vicious Dragon Claw.

Flygon remained the distraction, taunting Hydreigon with bursts of draconic energy to keep its attention. It remained furious and while its power was terrifying, it was slower by far and didn't seem to be particularly intelligent. Maybe this one was also too drugged to think clearly.

Ash's safety seemed to be a priority for Flygon, too. Whenever a blast came too close, Flygon formed a shield to absorb anything that might cause the boy harm. Spectre provided assistance as well, but that the dragon was so adept at this sort of combat told Ash this wasn't its first time battling in such a manner.

He wasn't surprised.

It must've been three minutes of abuse before Hydreigon finally couldn't ignore Pyro any longer. He'd probably burnt through the resistant scales at last and was mauling the dragon's hide, given how it began to shriek in pain and started snapping at the Charizard a few hundred feet above the battle on the deck. Flygon's eyes gleamed in the darkness and it wheeled around, loosing a cry.

Pyro snapped out of his fury and suddenly kicked off, blasting Hydreigon with another Flamethrower. The dragon growled and twisted upwards, ready to savage the Charizard, and then Flygon spat.

Ash let out a gasp as the dragon unleashed a focused Hyper Beam straight into Hydreigon's back. The three-headed beast screeched in agony as the explosion wracked its body. For a moment it struggled to remain airborne.

Pyro smashed into ruined back with a Dragon Rush. Flygon darted in and rammed a Steel Wing right into the main head's skull.

Hydreigon fell. Its trainer recalled it before it could hit the deck.

Ash descended on Flygon with Pyro close behind. The two dragons screeched out a challenge as they closed in on the fading Rockets.

A roar filled the air and for a moment, Ash feared another enemy was coming. His gaze jerked up and his breath caught.

Two Dragonite blitzed towards the battle, then a Dragonair, a Charizard that made Pyro look like a baby in comparison, and a stone beast Ash recognized as an Aerodactyl—

He caught sight of a shape with bright red hair on the larger of the two Dragonite and recognized the cape instantly.

Lance! The Indigo Champion was here!

Ash's gaze flew down to the Rockets, grinning madly, but his smile fell as they recalled the last of their Pokemon. Umbreon howled out a Snarl, but was too late as both Alakazam warped the Admins away.

"No!" Ash seethed.

"Be calm," Metagross' telepathic voice made him jump. "The worst is behind us. Even Team Rocket is not so bold as to continue fighting with the Champion present. But there is still much to do."

He knew he should be relieved, but it was infuriating that Petrel and the other Admins had escaped. The deck below was little more than wreckage in the aftermath of the furious battle.

Lance's team drove off or destroyed the last of the helicopters—Aerodactyl especially ripped into them with glee—as the Champion and the Dragonite he rode on descended to meet Wes. Flygon flew down to join them, and Pyro as well.

Ash would have been starstruck—he imagined Leaf and Gary would have been, as well—but adrenaline kept him from focusing on the fact that Lance was here, Lance the Dragon Master!

He would have time to admire the man later.

Lance was talking urgently with Wes, standing almost a full head taller than the Orrean. Wes wasn't short by any means, but the Dragon Master's presence dwarfed him.

"—organized like a military strike," Wes scowled. He had a few cuts, but seemed mostly unharmed. The same could be said for Ash's friends. "They've been planning this for a while. It wasn't random."

"How many grunts?" Lance demanded.

"A few hundred," Ash answered. The Champion glanced at him with dark eyes and the boy tried not to gulp. "My Poliwrath hypnotized one of the first ones we ran into. They had four Admins and a few hundred grunts to help with the raid. We took down Proton in the wheelhouse. He's still there. My team is keeping him down. I took his pokeballs."

Wes' eyes flashed with worry, but Lance shot him a glance and shook his head. "I'll handle it."

The Champion whistled sharply and the slender form of his Dragonair descended, crying out gently. He muttered something to the serpent, who licked its trainer before shooting off towards the wheelhouse.

Wes suddenly approached and clapped a hand on his shoulder. "You did good, getting the distress signal out."

"That was you?" Lance asked. Ash nodded and the Champion studied him curiously. "Good job. All of you did well, fighting off that many Admins. Besides Proton, who else was here?"

"Petrel was the only other one I recognized," Ash admitted, glancing at Gary. His friend nodded. Leaf was focusing on her team. They were beat, but not down.

"I thought you seemed familiar. You two were the trainers who attacked their base in Celadon, aren't you?" Lance looked thoughtful, then shook his head. "Time for that later. Agatha and Lorelei are en route. Bruno is waiting at Cinnabar with Blaine to receive the ship."

"There are still grunts—"

"Which I will deal with," Lance promised. "Wes, you're with me. You three—get to the wheelhouse and stay there. I'm truly impressed by your bravery, but you aren't trained for this sort of fighting. Attack only as a defense. Understand?"

"Yes, sir," Ash answered with his friends.

"Good. Dragonite will escort you. We'll talk later," the Champion promised. He and Wes set off in a rush.

The Champion's cornerstone gestured for them to follow it. Ash nodded, glanced at his friends as most of their teams were recalled—only Machoke and Ninetales remained outside—and followed Dragonite to safety.

They arrived at the wheelhouse to meet a worried Rui, but she was relieved to hear Wes was unharmed. Dragonite and Lance's Dragonair communicated briefly before the mighty Dragonite flew off to join its trainer in obliterating the remaining grunts. All of the helicopters and aerial Pokemon were gone by now save the Champion's—his team was brutally efficient at clearing them out.

Most of the St. Anne's crew who had been knocked unconscious were awake again, in various states of injury. Briney had been forced to sit down and let someone less injured take over control of the ship; he had grown too dizzy to focus.

They didn't have long to wait before an old woman appeared in a burst of darkness. Ash yelped and their teams were half-prepared to attack the snickering Gengar when he recognized the crone.

"Stop! She's a friend!" Ash shouted. Hesitantly, his team obeyed him and the others calmed with Gary and Leaf's commands.

"How perceptive," the crone stated dryly, leaning forward on her cane. Elite Four Agatha was shorter than Ash, but she was significantly more menacing even with the teasing smirk on her face.

Her black eyes cast over the defeated Rockets and she hummed. "Hm. Satisfying work."

She rapped her cane on the floor and a second Gengar broke off from her shadow to hover above their prisoners. Its huge tongue lolled as it cackled at their victims.

"You appear to be mostly unharmed," Agatha observed. "Lance made this sound worse than it actually is."

Rui walked up to the crone, unfazed by the grinning Gengar. "We'll be fine if you need to go help."

"Ha! Your offer is appreciated, but unnecessary," she dismissed. "Lance has demolished most of the Rockets by now with Wes. Several of my ghosts are also participating. There is little to do. Even a few hundred Rockets are meaningless."

"They're weak," Ash agreed. "The grunts are nothing without the Admins."

Agatha shot him an appraising look, but she was interrupted as Spectre suddenly emerged from Ash's shadow and floated over to her with a hollow grunt. The crone blinked in surprise at the Duskull.

"Spectre," Ash frowned.

Agatha held a hand up to silence him and Ash wisely obeyed. Spectre perched on her cane and they were silent for a time. Even her pale Gengar watched the Duskull curiously.

Eventually, she looked at Ash. "Hm. Very well. We will speak of this later."

Spectre nodded and returned to Ash, diving back into his shadow. He had no idea what had just happened and Agatha offered no explanation.

Well, there would be time to find out once this was over. Right now, Ash just wanted to get to Cinnabar as soon as possible.

Chapter Text

Chapter Eighteen: The Corral

When Cinnabar Island was finally in sight, Ash could barely wait to get off the ship.

League Ace Trainers patrolled the decks of the St. Anne, assisting the crew with traumatized passengers and rounding up the captured Rockets. They hurried around with their Pokemon, doing everything they could while a tall woman with red hair shouted orders and gave directions.

Ash was privately thrilled to get to see three of the Elite Four in one day—well, night (morning?)—but even the sight of Lorelei and the Jynx standing beside her was barely enough to take his eyes from the promise of sweet, sweet land.

Lorelei had arrived not long after Lance, though much of her team was apparently scattered across the ocean as they trapped Rocket boats in thick sheets of ice for retrieval later. She was in charge of organizing the Ace Trainers on deck while Lance and Wes were busy in the interior of the vessel; either hunting Rockets or searching for injured passengers, Ash couldn't be sure, but it was a massive operation.

The St. Anne had taken quite a beating during the assault, but fortunately the worst of the damage was contained to the deck bar where Wes had fought the Admins with Gary and Leaf. There had been a few fires, plenty of damaged property, but nothing structurally critical. Although the ship would need a lot of repairs, it remained seaworthy.

Agatha had remained with them in the wheelhouse, personally guarding Proton so as to ensure the Admin would not escape the League's grasp a second time.

Ash felt not even the slightest modicum of pity for the man.

Most of his team, at least, had survived the ordeal mostly unharmed. A few scratches here and there, but they'd heal quickly. Sobek was a little sore for straining his still-healing wounds, though thankfully he'd not been injured again. The others were much the same. They'd crushed what Rockets they'd encountered so quickly that the thugs scarcely had a chance to fight back.

Gary and Leaf's teams were in worse shape, but fortunately nothing as serious as Celadon. Leaf's Fearow had been knocked out of the sky by the Honchkrow and Primeape was beaten into unconsciousness by the Machamp. On Gary's end, Kadabra had tried to engage one of the Alakazam so Metagross would be able to reach Ash and Rui with its telepathy—needless to say, that had not ended well.

The psychic had been overwhelmed in the mental conflict and driven into an unconscious, coma-like state. It wasn't as serious as it sounded, as Agatha assured them. Such conflicts rarely left psychics terribly injured, but it exhausted them. Though Kadabra would need to rest for a while, it would recover.

Once the ship docked, they were quickly escorted out of the wheelhouse by an Ace Trainer and led to the Pokemon Center on Cinnabar, leaving Agatha to continue guarding Proton. Their teams were treated while Rui spoke to the trainer who had guided them and one of the Nurses.

She pulled them aside as the center's activity spiked, full of Pokemon and people that were hurt from the attack. "I've got to stay here for when Wes gets back, but there's a room set aside for you to share if you three need it. They can't spare more than that—things are going to get really crazy for the rest of the day."

Ash exchanged a glance with his friends. "Maybe we should get some sleep and sort out how to get back to Pallet later."

"I'll second that," Gary rubbed at this face exhaustedly. Leaf didn't even reply, she was so tired. None of them had slept in the chaos and they were all starting to crash now that the adrenaline had run its course.

Rui led them to the room she'd managed to obtain and it wasn't long before all three of the young trainers settled in with what Pokemon remained to them. Ash curled up in one of the two beds split down the middle by pillows (Gary's idea) with Espeon and Pikachu huddled up next to him. Spectre took his place in the shadows on a wall, his lonely red eye watching over them.

Sleep took him almost instantly.

When he woke up, it was still daytime (at least, from what he could tell through the cracks of the curtains). Ash felt no more inclined to get up despite that, though. The human body did not appreciate all-nighters. Much less all-nighters that involved fighting Rockets.

Leaf was gone, but her stuff was still where Ash remembered. Maybe she'd left to find something to eat. Gary was still out like a light.

He was tempted to fall asleep again, but was dissuaded from that notion when Pikachu tapped him with his tail. Ash blinked as he realized that was why he'd woken up in the first place.

"Hungry?" He mumbled sleepily. Pikachu chittered a quiet affirmative and Ash sighed for a moment before he forced himself to sit up. Espeon stirred as well, stretching her lean body.

He quietly went about preparing their meals with the Pokemon food he kept in his bag. He'd feed the rest of the team later. Spectre didn't appear to be interested at the moment, but his red eye swiveled from Ash's shadow towards the door.

Ash heard a knock and frowned. Did Leaf forget the key or something?

He walked over, still rubbing sleep from his eyes, and opened up.

The dark eyes of Agatha met him.

Ash was awake in an instant. The crone smirked as he tried to collect himself, her shadow flashing pointed teeth in a matching grin. "Good evening."

"Sorry, I—sorry."

She snorted and he stepped aside to let her in. Agatha's eyes flitted over to the slumbering shape of Gary and she snickered. "Oak's little grandson. I see he's kept his grandfather's bad habits. Then again, I suppose it's not actually his fault for being so weary. You've had quite an interesting night."

Ash didn't know how to respond. He knew the Professor and Agatha had a history together, that they'd been rivals before Oak turned away from battling and focused on his research, but he didn't know the details and didn't ask. It wasn't his business.

A chair by the lone desk in the room was pulled out by a grasping, shadowy hand, offering it to Agatha for her to sit. She did so, pointing with her cane to the foot of the bed for him to sit across from her.

Spectre didn't leave Ash's shadow, though his attention was fully on the old woman. Espeon and Pikachu as well, were watching her carefully—Espeon more so. Since evolving, she was far more susceptible to the Distortional powers of ghosts and had become more wary of their strange abilities.

Agatha set her hands on her cane. Ash spotted the glint of some odd jewel embedded in the wooden grip, but didn't look at it for long. He didn't want to be rude. "I must make this short. I still have quite a bit to do and my time is limited."

He nodded and let her go on. "I've arranged a Seagallop Ferry to take the three of you back to Pallet Town. It will leave in the morning—these are your tickets. Oak was rather frantic when I informed him you three were involved in the incident. And not for the first time with Rockets it seems, either."

Ash frowned as he took the offered tickets, but she only grinned. "I'm aware of the incidents. I hardly blame you. Celadon was a foolish choice on your part, but the others were no fault of yours. Cynthia made that quite clear. Team Rocket has grown bolder in recent months. This attack was the last straw; my brethren and I will be sent to hunt them soon."

Now he matched her dangerous smile. Oh, the Rockets were in for it now. The League had been cracking down on their activities already, but after this? They'd only sown the seeds of their own destruction. Agatha and the rest of the Elite Four would be brutal in their execution of the terrorist group.

"But that is for me to worry about, not children still wet behind the ears," she sneered. His grin faded, but before he could protest, she rapped her cane on the floor. "Spectre."

The Duskull rose from Ash's shadow, eagerly orbiting the two trainers. Agatha's own shadow shifted and he watched, fascinated, as her pale Gengar emerged to meet his ghost.

Ash knew what the strange coloration meant; age. Agatha's Gengar was a very old, powerful ghost, undoubtedly older than its trainer. How much older he couldn't say for sure, but Ash wouldn't be surprised to learn that Gengar was over a hundred.

Gengar and Spectre met each other with a friendly familiarity, wispy shapes floating around one another before they flew into the shadows and rushed off somewhere. Agatha shook her head, amused. "As thick as thieves, those two. They were old friends before I was born."

Ash blinked. "Spectre was?"

"Who else? He isn't as old as Weiss—my Gengar—but that Duskull has been a resident of Lavender for decades, boy. Do not take his decision to leave home for you lightly."

"I would never," he retorted. "He's my friend."

Her eyes remained sharp, but her voice softened some. "Your bond with him is still in its infancy, but you both seem to be doing well. Is he often in your shadow?"

"All the time."

"Good. Keep it that way; he'll grow faster," she held up a hand when he opened his mouth, seemingly expecting his questions. "I cannot tell you more now. The information you want is extensive and I'm short on time as it is. Instead, I want you to meet me in Lavender Town. Let's say…six weeks. This mess should be behind us then and I will have some time to spare."

"What for?"

"What for? Ha!" Agatha cackled. "One of the Elite Four invites you to meet with them and you ask 'what for?' You're audacious, I'll give you that."

Ash colored, but waited for an answer regardless. She seemed thoroughly amused. "Spectre is an old friend and I'd be doing him a disservice if I didn't point his trainer in the right direction on how to help him develop. He never desired to travel when I was a girl, but that he has changed his mind now is of no issue to me. I will assist regardless."

"Lavender Town, six weeks," Ash repeated, committing it to memory. "We'll be there. Thank you."

"Don't thank me yet. You don't know what you're getting into," she grinned dangerously. Agatha rapped her cane again and the pair of ghosts danced back to their trainers. Her Gengar returned to her and Spectre dove into Ash's shadow once more. He didn't miss the fond look she shot the lonely red eye, which beamed back at her.

The Elite stood up and made her way to the door. "Rest. Your ferry leaves early. Make sure your friends know."

Ash nodded and simply watched as Agatha left the room.

"She didn't say what you'd be doing?"

Ash shook his head at Leaf's question, eyes closed as he enjoyed the sea breeze whipping through his hair. The Seagallop Ferry was flying across the water, sailing north to Pallet Town.

They'd been on the ship for a few hours now, and it wouldn't be too much longer before they arrived home. All three of the trainers were still tired, but sleeping as much as they had the day before helped a lot.

Rui had said goodbye to them that morning and given each of them her PDA number. The device was outdated and uncommon these days, but it worked. Wes had still been busy working with the League, but he'd sent his well-wishes for his friend to convey. From the sound of things, he'd scarcely stopped to sleep.

Rui didn't seem pleased by that. Ash imagined she'd force him into a bed before he got too carried away. The young woman wasn't a trainer, but she wasn't going to take any nonsense on Wes' part.

He had to admit, he'd miss the Orreans. Even surly Wes had been good company.

It was odd to think he'd be home in just a few hours. Ash had left Pallet early in March, just five months ago. How things had changed since then.

He didn't let himself drift too long, opting to answer Leaf. "No, but there's no way I'm turning the offer down. Spectre's great and Agatha's probably the best ghost-type specialist in the world. I'd be an idiot to refuse."

"That's wild," Gary hummed. The other boy was leaning back against the railing of the ship, watching Pidgeot, Talon, and Pyro fly overhead. "She's what, the only Elite Four member left over from the Cipher Wars? All the others are retired or dead by now."

That was certainly true. Agatha was as old as Professor Oak, somewhere between her fifties and sixties. It wasn't a terribly great age, but given how many people had died in the Cipher Wars, it was up there for that generation.

If Ash remembered right, the old Champion, Silas, had retired four or five years ago, when Lance seized the mantle. Elite Four Lyonel had died during the Cipher Wars and his position had been in flux for a while after that, rotating through several people until Lorelei came along and cemented herself.

Blaine retired to Cinnabar immediately after the war and surrendered his position to Bruno. Agatha was the only trainer remaining from the Elites before Cipher rose up.

"She's taught a few trainers that might become members of the Elite Four, too," Leaf said, jerking Ash out of his thoughts. She elbowed him in a friendly way, grinning. "That Will guy who won the Conference a couple of years ago, right? And Karen Neill. Maybe you'll be next."

Ash smiled and glanced down to his shadow, where Spectre was watching him. The ghost had been in a cheerful mood after meeting with Agatha. He waved and laughed as his shadow grew wispy limbs that mirrored the motion.

Gary snorted and returned to watching their fliers. "So…what comes after Pallet for you guys? We've still got a little more than six months before the Conference."

"I'm going to run through the Gym Leader circuit again," Leaf replied. "Battle Brock, Misty, Surge, and Erika for real. Then I think I'll be ready to take on Sabrina and the others. What about you?"

"Might stay at the Corral for a bit," Gary shrugged. "I don't get to spend a lot of time with all of them since I have to constantly rotate them around. It'd be good to get some training done while I can work with the team all at once."

Leaf nodded and glanced at the last member of the trio. "Ash?"

He pondered the question for a few moments. Actually, he'd been unsure himself, but Ash had done little more than think and sleep for the day following the Rocket attack and he had a pretty good idea of what he wanted to do.

"I think I'm going to go through the Silver-Viridian Forest," he decided. "There are a lot of strong Pokemon there and I've been meaning to catch a bug-type for a while. Maybe I'll find a good one there."

The Silver-Viridian Forest was, as the name suggested, the woods between Mt. Silver and Viridian City. Most of Viridian Forest was actually the outskirts of a much more massive expanse that ranged for hundreds of miles. The section new trainers generally traveled through to reach Pewter City was safe, full of young or weak Pokemon that stayed on the edge of the forest for their own protection.

But the deep woods was something else, avoided by most trainers. Aside from being mostly uncharted, (save for the League's Ranger teams) the wild Pokemon were much stronger and more aggressive. Anything that lived so close to Mt. Silver had to be. They were forced to deal with the packs of Sneasel and Weavile that ventured into the woods to hunt, giant Ursaring hunting for Beedrill hives, and if they were really unlucky, rampaging wild Tyranitar.

Everything in the deep forest survived on a kill or be killed basis. The bugs were particularly savage. Part of the reason Beedrill hives close to Viridian City never got out of hand was because of their more vicious brethren. When a hive got too big for its boots and started encroaching on the deep forest to expand its territory, the Beedrill from Silver-Viridian would launch an all-out assault and annihilate the enemy hive.

That was rare since League Rangers did their best to prevent such territorial warfare, (and keep the monsters from getting too close to civilization) but it had happened before.

But of course, Ash was interested in the bug-types for very different reasons.

Finding the more powerful bug species in Kanto was usually only possible in the Safari Zone, where they were protected and content. Not having to worry about Ursaring or Tyranitar did wonders for your anxiety, funnily enough. The Scyther were more docile and could afford to simply retreat if they didn't want to encounter something. The Pinsir could compete amongst themselves without fear of an ambush.

Their natural home was in the depths of Silver-Viridian. Scyther, Ariados, Pinsir, Heracross, Parasect…there were many. That was to say nothing of the monstrous Victreebel and Venusaur he'd heard about.

It would be a good place to train his team. The wild Pokemon would be stronger than any he'd encountered thus far. If he wanted a bug-type, the best Kanto had to offer would be living there.

"Charizard will probably roast anything that causes you too much trouble," Gary admitted, looking thoughtful. "It's not a bad idea. Maybe I'll do that after I've trained the team up a bit. Might be fun. I could use a bug-type, too."

Ash hummed in agreement. If nothing else, it would be a challenge. But more than that, a part of him longed to get away from civilization for a while. He was a little tired of being around lots of people, and that far into the forest? There wouldn't be a hint of Team Rocket. He wouldn't have to think about them.

He closed his eyes and enjoyed the sea breeze a little while longer.

Pallet Town hadn't changed a bit.

Ash, Gary, and Leaf thanked the captain as they disembarked the ferry, all of them relieved to be on solid ground again. They hurried along the dock, a spring to their steps now that they were home.

Movement by the edge of the water got their attention and Ash beamed as a huge Blastoise surfaced, rumbling in a friendly way. That was Shelly, Professor Oak's old partner. The old water-type had probably been waiting for them.

Gary grinned and leapt down into the sand, raising a hand to pat the thick, blue scales. "Hey, girl. Been a while."

Shelly growled, pleased to see her trainer's grandchild. She offered Ash and Leaf a friendly nod. They'd spent a fair amount of time with Oak's team growing up. Most were sociable and happy to see them, though there were a few exceptions. The Professor's Charizard was a grumpy old thing that kept to himself most of the time, for instance.

Pidgeot landed on the beach and chirped at the huge turtle, who offered a greeting in return. Gary glanced back at them. "I'll see you guys later. Blastoise probably wants to see Shelly, too."

Ash nodded and turned away. He'd see Gary again soon. For now, he just wanted to get back to the house. He and Leaf hurried on.

They reached a fork in the road and went their separate ways—for now, of course. Ash watched Leaf take off running to her house with Talon flying close overhead.

Pyro came down and landing, breathing lightly. He was getting better at flying for long periods of time, though he still seemed a bit weary. Ash gave the fire-type a pat on his shoulder.

"Ready to get home?"

The Charizard growled and plodded along beside his trainer.

White fence. Red roof. Orange mailbox.

Ash just stared at the house for a while. He'd been a very different person when he left this place months ago. So much had changed. The oak tree by the porch was the same, though its leaves had filled out and turned a deep green in the summer warmth. The bushes lining the inside of the fence were full of various berries and flowers.

He walked up to the door with Pyro just behind him and knocked. He felt a little like a stranger.

Shuffling could be heard inside, and then the door opened up. Delia Ketchum stared down at him.

"Hey mo—"

Ash was swept up into a crushing hug, knocking the wind out of him until it felt like his ribs would crack. He returned it with as much force as he could. He'd missed her.

"I'm so glad you're ok," she sniffed. "When I heard about the ship—"

"I'm fine," he cut her off. The last thing he wanted right now was to talk about the St. Anne.

"I know," she pulled back and held him by the shoulders, looking him over. She seemed relieved that he was in one piece. Her eyes left her son as Pyro's tail swished behind him, watching quietly.

Delia smiled at last. "Welcome home, Pyro. You've gotten so big!"

The Charizard puffed his chest out, pleased by the praise. Ash grinned at the fire-type. Delia wiped at her eyes and most of her cheer returned to her. "I was just working on lunch. Come in!"

Ash stepped into the house (Pyro followed carefully) and things felt a little more familiar.

His team was quickly released. His mother knew of his Pokemon, but aside from Jasmine, (whom Ash was told was at the Corral at the moment) Pyro, and Pikachu, she'd never met them.

Pikachu was happy to see her again and greedily eyed the food. Delia was permitted to rub and tickle the electric-type's belly, though she paused briefly upon seeing the large scars from Weavile's claws. She didn't say anything, but Ash was sure they'd talk about it at some point.

There was a lot they needed to talk about.

She was a bit hesitant with Sobek at first, (Krookodile had a nasty reputation, after all) but Ash was quick to reassure her of the croc's temperament and Delia was soon scratching the ground-type's chin, eliciting a dull rumble not unlike a motor.

Espeon remained close to Ash when she was introduced. She was getting better with people, but he suspected she would always be wary about new individuals and only offered his mother a slight nod. She'd warm up to Delia in time. Ash stroked the thin fur of her ears gently to reassure her.

Douse, of course, was friendly and happy to meet Delia. Spectre was much the same, floating out of Ash's shadow to poke his mother's forehead. She mirrored the motion and the ghost made a hollow sound he interpreted as joy.

"Your team's grown so much!" Delia exclaimed, gushing over each and every one of them. She and Ash had just given his Pokemon lunch and watched as they all tucked in. "Hearing about them was one thing, but it's so different to meet them in person!"

"They're amazing," he agreed. He felt warm inside. "You've met Jasmine too, right?"

"Not officially," she admitted. "She's been pretty shy, but Samuel says it's because she's about to shed again. She spends all of her time with his Dragonite."

That didn't surprise him in the slightest. Dratini were communal creatures and Dragonite were very caring parents. That she'd latched onto the most familiar thing in the Corral (and that Dragonite had eagerly taken her in) wasn't any sort of shock. If anything, being around the older dragon would do wonders for her.

"I'll introduce you when we go to the Corral," Ash offered.

"I'd like that. So tell me about your adventures! You've been all over Kanto these past few months. What was it like?"

"It was great. The roads weren't too bad. We got to spend a lot of time in the wild. Beat most of the trainers we met, too."

That got a series of satisfied sounds from his team. Pyro and Sobek in particular growled delightedly at the mention of their victories. Delia laughed. "How many badges do you have?"

"Just four right now," he admitted. "We weren't ready for Koga when we got to Fuchsia, but we will be next time. I think we'll go after Sabrina next. Then it's on to Koga, Blaine, and Giovanni."

She frowned at the mention of the Viridian Gym Leader, but said nothing on the subject. She did cast her eyes towards his Krookodile, though. "You said he gave you Sobek?"

"Mmhm. He said he didn't have the time to raise a new Pokemon," Ash shrugged. "His loss. Sobek's great. He took down three of Lt. Surge's team all on his own."

Sobek clapped his massive jaws together, grinning dangerously. Delia beamed, unaffected by the display now that she knew he wasn't overly aggressive. "You've done a fantastic job with them, Ash. I was never a trainer myself, but it's clear they're all in great shape."

"Thanks, mom."

"Let's eat and we can go to the lab. I know Samuel wants to see you, too."

Nodding, Ash eagerly tucked into his lunch.

The Oak Corral made up a good chunk of Pallet Town's territory. Ash had spent much of his childhood here, playing with the Pokemon alongside Gary and Leaf.

He could already see the Professor's massive Arcanine running around while the pack of Growlithe struggled to keep up. The huge fire-type kept things in the Corral running smoothly along with a few of Oak's other Pokemon, Machamp and Dragonite chief among them. Oak's Venusaur tended to remain in the woods surrounding the Corral, ensuring wild Pokemon didn't cause any problems. Shelly—his Blastoise—did the same along the coastline. And Charizard was…somewhere.

Ash actually had no idea where the Professor's starter lived. He'd seen the beast a few times, but it wasn't the most social creature in the world and preferred its solitude.

Aside from that, Oak's Alakazam was often with its trainer in the lab and Exeggutor could be seen wandering around the Corral and laboratory wherever it was needed most, though the grass-type was by far the most carefree of the team.

Ash's team observed the Corral curiously. There were a lot of Pokemon around, belonging to various trainers that had been left in Oak's care, although a fair few of them were wild and just enjoyed being here. Only Pyro and Pikachu had been here before. The others had never see the place and Ash was sure it would take some getting used to.

Well, for some of them. Douse and Spectre didn't seem bothered in the least. Sobek and Espeon on the other hand were more wary. They weren't the most social of his friends.

He was confident they'd grow used to it. The Corral was a great home for more Pokemon than he cared to count.

Oak's Laboratory was the headquarters for all research on Pokemon done in Kanto. Johto had a similar lab that was run by one of Oak's old students, Professor Elm, although they worked in slightly different fields. Elm was much more focused on Pokemon breeding and life cycles than anything else. Oak had remained a generalist for the most part in his research, studying as many aspects of Pokemon as he possibly could.

Ash supposed the Professor's generalist training habits had followed him from battling to science. It had certainly worked out well for him.

The huge lab doors opened up and they stepped inside. Most of his team regarded their surroundings with interest, though Pyro and Pikachu only spared the lab a glance. They'd been in here before.

He felt a psychic prod against his mind and stilled, recognizing the light voice of Oak's Alakazam.

Ah, you're here. Good. Samuel is in the greenhouse with Emma and Gary. I believe they would be glad to see you.

"Thanks, Alakazam," Ash murmured. Sobek shot him an odd look and he realized the croc hadn't heard. Telepathy couldn't reach dark-types, after all. "The Professor has a psychic—Alakazam—who helps him run the lab. He just told us where the Professor is."

Sobek's eyes cleared and he nodded his massive head.

They made their way to the greenhouse in the back of the lab. It was a recent addition to the ever-growing building, meant to replicate specialized conditions that promoted the growth of rare berries and Pokemon. Probably for a new study, Ash figured.

The doors parted with the hissing of air and the group made their way inside. Ash spotted Gary with the Professor and his grandmother, Emma Oak.

Emma had been an Ace Trainer for the Indigo League up until Gary's older sister, Daisy, was born. These days, she ran a housing facility for the scientists working with her husband, but it was common to see her at the lab.

Ash knew Daisy was traveling abroad at the moment, (he was pretty sure she was somewhere in Kalos) and Gary's mom, Marigold Oak, was studying under Professor Rowan in Sinnoh. Both Mari and Delia had returned to their passion for research once Ash and Gary were old enough that they could spare the time.

The three Oaks turned when they arrived and were quick to greet them, though Gary just nodded at Ash. He seemed relaxed; it was easy to tell his friend was happy to be home.

"Ash!" Samuel greeted, beaming. "It's wonderful to see you again, my boy."

"You too, Professor," Ash grinned. Emma walked over and gave him a hug, which he happily returned. The Oaks were family as much as Ash's own mother.

Emma pulled back and had a look at him. Her playful eyes gleamed. "Are you taller? Goodness me, you and Gary are going to be looking down at me before the year is up!"

"You're not that short, grandma," Gary snickered.

Ash snorted. None of the Oaks were especially tall, but he imagined he probably still had a few years before he'd be taller than them. Gary at least seemed to be breaking that trend—he was almost taller than his sister if Ash remembered right, though Daisy had always been short.

"Oh hush," Emma scoffed. She pulled back to look over Ash's team. "Gary's already introduced us to his Pokemon. I imagine these are yours, right?"

"Most of them," he agreed, pointing to his friends one after another as he called their names. "Pyro, Pikachu, Sobek, Espeon, Douse, and Spectre."

The ghost popped out of his shadow when his name was called, but Emma didn't seem surprised. That was no shock; Ash knew she had a Mismagius from her time as an Ace Trainer, though the ghost tended to remain at their home.

"And I've already met your lovely Dratini. I haven't seen Dragonite so excited in years!"

"Jasmine," Ash confirmed, glancing at the Professor. "How is she?"

"She's nearing another shed. I took a good look at her and she's older than I thought. I'd say she's nearing evolution. Probably in a month or two, I expect."

He pursed his lips. That meant Jasmine would have to remain at the lab until then. From the Professor's own discussion with him and everything he'd read on Dratini in the Pokedex, Ash knew they didn't move a lot as they got close to evolving. They had to store up tremendous amounts of life energy in their bodies and shed so frequently that they were nearly blind.

In the wild, they were cared for and protected by Dragonair and Dragonite during that delicate phase of their life. Dragonite were excellent parents and nothing stupid enough to test their fury generally survived. And since they were also communal creatures, testing one Dragonite usually meant testing several of them.

The Oak Corral wasn't exactly the same thing, but the Professor's Dragonite was one of the strongest of its kind (probably second only to Lance's Cornerstone) and it sounded like it had taken Jasmine under its wing. No, she'd be perfectly safe here as she neared evolution.

"We'll have to celebrate you all coming home," Emma hummed. She looked over at her husband. "I'll make sure the tables are set up out back."

"Machamp will help," he nodded. Emma offered them a goodbye before she rushed off.

Delia sighed. "I'd best help before she gets too carried away. I'll see you boys later!"

"See you, Ms. Ketchum," Gary waved her off as she gave Ask a quick hug and chased after Emma.

Oak smiled fondly after the two women before he set his eyes on the pair of boys. "Well, they should be occupied for a short while. Why don't we go for a walk? We can go see your Dratini, Ash."

Ash nodded, but Gary had other plans. "I want to check on my other Pokemon, gramps. I'll catch up with you more later."

"Alright. We'll see you when dinner is ready, then. Alakazam will call you."

"Sounds like a plan."

"How are you doing?" Oak queried. "Gary told me most of what happened. You've been through a lot."

Ash watched as his team approached Jasmine, pleased to see she was doing well. They had walked down to the massive lake east of the lab. Most of the water Pokemon staying at the Corral preferred to reside here, but it was perfect for Dratini, as well.

Oak's huge Dragonite was curled up close by. Ash couldn't help but admire the creature that observed his team curiously, though it remained close to Jasmine and made low rumbles as it communicated with her.

The dragon was as big as Lance's Cornerstone, a massive pile of nigh-impenetrable golden scales and impossibly strong muscles. Its large eyes were warm and friendly, but that didn't take away from the fact that it was one of the most powerful Pokemon in Kanto.

Jasmine would be as magnificent as those legendary Dragonite one day. Even more so if Ash had anything to say about it.

"I'm doing alright," Ash replied to the Professor. He stuffed his hands into his pockets, smiling as Espeon greeted the nearly-blind Dratini. Jasmine sniffed at her and they communicated briefly before she realized her friend had evolved. The little dragon trilled joyfully and rubbed against Espeon, who returned the affection.

He looked away to Oak, who was watching him closely. "How much did Gary tell you?"

"Much of it was what I already knew from various reports," he frowned. "I know about Mt. Moon, Pokemon Tower, and Celadon. The St. Anne was another unwelcome surprise."

"Yeah," Ash had to agree. His smile slipped. "The Rockets have been really active lately. Agatha said the Elite Four are going to crack down on them now."

"She mentioned as much to me in our brief conversation. Most of those incidents I'll admit were no fault of your own. I don't blame you for doing what you had to do to survive. But Ash…Celadon—"

"Don't," he cut the man off. "Just…don't. I learned my lesson, alright? I don't want to talk about it anymore."

"Don't go after them again. Not like that."

"I won't. But if they come to me, I won't run and hide. They're weak," Ash sneered viciously.

Oak pursed his lips, sighing. "Just stay out of trouble if you can manage it. You're too young for this."

"I've crushed them before."

"But you shouldn't have to."

Ash looked away. "I won't go after them on my own again. I already know what can go wrong. I don't need to be reminded of that."

Oak's gaze flitted to Pikachu, who would probably bear the scars of Weavile's claws for the rest of his life. "Yes. I know. Ash, if you should ever need to talk about any of this, my door is always open. Alright?"

He suddenly felt very tired again. "Alright."

The man set his hand on Ash's shoulder and squeezed comfortingly. "How about we discuss your team? I know you wanted my opinion on them."

Ash nodded.

"Interesting," Oak hummed as he studied Sobek's teeth. Most of the broken fangs had grown back since the croc's battle with Wes' Hitmontop, and the huge bruise had faded quite a bit. "His teeth always grow back so quickly? I haven't had the chance to study Krookodile so closely, I'm afraid."

"Always," Ash confirmed. Sobek's jaws were open wide to display his huge teeth while the trainer rubbed at the back of his neck. They were sitting while the Krookodile lay flat on his belly, curled up by the lakeside.

"You feed him standard Pokemon food, correct?" Oak prompted. At Ash's nod, he glanced at the teeth again. "I'd advise providing him with additional calcium supplements and certain vitamins. I'll send you a recommendation that's worked well for Feraligatr—they share a similar trait. They'll improve the strength of his teeth overall and I suspect will assist in regeneration."

"That'd be great." Ash really appreciated the advice. He knew the Pokedex entries of his friends inside and out, but extra input from an expert was always invaluable.

"Now, what's this you were telling me about his neck hurting?"

Ash explained what he'd discovered on the St. Anne as he continued to stroke Sobek's tight muscles. The Krookodile's eyes drifted shut as he leaned into the attention.

Oak considered the information with a curious frown. "I've not studied overly much of Krookodile physiology, but I think I've read some similar reports from an old colleague of mine…I'll get in touch with him and see what I can learn.

"For now, massages to work and loosen the tight muscles should help—I'll show you a few techniques I've learned. I'd recommend buying a heating pad, as well. Krookodile have an impressive heat tolerance and that should help him relax. Perhaps these…aches are even a result of him not living in a desert environment. Temperatures are much less extreme in Kanto."

Oak tapped his finger on his leg in thought. "Something to investigate. I'll let you know when Juniper gets back with me on the subject."

"Thanks," Ash was already committing the information to memory. He'd make note of it in his PokeNav once he was done massaging Sobek's neck. His friend deserved it.

Oak looked over the rest of Ash's team. They'd already discussed Pyro and Douse. The Professor had advised certain exercises to improve the strength of Pyro's wings and his stamina, and Douse needed extra protein and iron in his diet. A lot of their conversation had involved how to best maintain his team now that most of them had evolved.

"For Duskull, I can only suggest techniques to teach," Oak admitted. "I'd wait until you speak with Agatha for any sort of detailed training plan. She knows more about ghosts than I ever will, I expect. Dratini, of course, must wait until she evolves. But as for Espeon and Pikachu—I have a few suggestions."

"I got a Thunder Stone," Ash told the Professor. "I won it during the St. Anne Tournament."

"Good, but I'd advise against evolving Pikachu just yet."

"I know. I was going to wait a little while. He needs to train a bit more before he's ready to evolve."

"Agreed. In fact, I have an idea for his evolution that might interest you. Care to hear it?"

Ash perked up. He most certainly did.

"One of my grad students has set up a research lab in Alola—Professor Kukui. Recently, he's sent me samples of certain berries and plants that are found on the islands. They're growing in my greenhouse. Now you might be aware, but there's a variant of Raichu found exclusively on the Alolan islands with psychic-type traits.

"The specifics of how and why they evolve into such a unique form is mostly unknown, but Kukui theorizes it's partially due to them consuming certain spices that seem to stimulate psychic abilities in the brain of a Pikachu. Spices that—coincidentally—are found only in Alola."

Ash felt like he knew where this was going.

"Now! I happen to have these spices growing in greenhouse as part of a separate experiment. What I propose is this: I'll give you some to add to Pikachu's diet. After a set amount of time—let's say, two months?—and when he is ready, you can use the Thunder Stone to trigger his evolution. Then we'll see if Kukui's hypothesis is correct."

He pondered the idea. Ash had done an extensive amount of study on Raichu since he first caught Pikachu, planning out ideas for training. He'd looked into the Alolan variant as well, but hadn't studied it quite so much since it didn't seem possible at the time for Pikachu to evolve into that form. Not a lot about it's evolutionary process was known for certain beyond the use of a Thunder Stone. There were hypotheses that it was influenced by the climate, the weather, or the food, (as the good Professor had suggested) but nothing concrete.

Adding psychic-type abilities to Pikachu's arsenal would open the doors to a lot of options he hadn't considered before. It was certainly something to consider, but he also wanted to do a bit more research before he committed.

It wasn't like Pikachu could switch forms after he evolved, after all.

Ash thought for a few more moments. "Let me ask Pikachu what he thinks and I'll sleep on it. I'll let you know tomorrow."

"Of course. How long do you plan on staying?"

"Not long. A couple of days, probably. I want to hit the road again. The St. Anne was supposed to be our vacation. We should be getting back into training as it is."

"You can get started in the Corral. Dragonite's already been teaching your Dratini to an extent. She can't train much in her current state, but she's learning. I think Machamp would enjoy the chance to teach your Poliwrath, as well."

Ash grinned at the mention of the hulking fighting-type. "I'd like that."

The three trainers were the center of the celebration at Oak's Corral that night. All three were tired, so it didn't get too wild, but they were all happy to see their family and friends again. Their teams were able to interact with people and Pokemon they'd get to know fairly well the longer they stayed. Most of their energy was spent gorging themselves on the berries and various Pokemon foods supplied by the good Professor.

Pallet Town was home for their trainers. It would be home for their teams, too.

Ash went to bed early, but by the next morning he was more energized. His team felt much the same.

Besides the tournament, the St. Anne had been a great way to relax. But they hadn't gotten much training done and they needed to move.

Pyro snarled and rushed headfirst into Oak's Arcanine with a focused Flare Blitz, mimicking the same technique he used for Dragon Rush. The massive canine braced its powerful paws and took the blow, letting the Charizard push him back.

Arcanine suddenly shoved back and Pyro recoiled, but kept his balance. The older fire-type barked rapidly for a few moments and Pyro listened intently, eyes narrowed, before trying again.

Arcanine wasn't as strict as Cynthia's Garchomp, but the canine was an excellent teacher in Ash's opinion. He expected Pyro's technique would look better before the day was up.

Nearby, he could see Douse, Sobek, and Pikachu all sparring with Oak's Machamp. The fighting-type had started by helping them with techniques where it could help before challenging the three all at once. It handled them expertly, dodging, blocking, and redirecting everything they threw at it.

If Machamp had been fighting for real, the match would've been over right now. The fighter was brutally powerful, with the musculature and raw strength that made its species feared the world over. Even dragons couldn't just shrug off a clean blow.

They were incredibly intelligent, too. The added neural capacity needed to operate their six limbs gave them processing power and a keen eye for detail few Pokemon could boast of. Anyone who called a Machamp a dumb brute was an idiot at best.

No, Machamp was giving Ash's team a chance to practice without beating them into oblivion. It didn't just take the punishment; it used moves like Rock Tomb and an assortment of elemental techniques to keep them guessing, but Machamp abstained from hitting them with its fists.

Ash was sure Sobek appreciated Machamp's courtesy the most. He hated getting hit and his teeth had just grown back in from the last fighting-type he'd battled.

Espeon and Spectre were at Oak's lab with Alakazam. The psychic didn't often leave the facility while the Professor was working, but he was willing to teach if he could stay at his post.

For now, Ash himself sat by the lake with Jasmine's head resting in his lap. He scratched behind the dragon's ears and she leaned into the contact, pleased by the attention. Dragonite was curled up close by, chuffing and growling to the Dratini all the while. It seemed Dragonite was explaining something to her, given that it was doing most of the talking while Jasmine listened.

He wanted to get back on the road, and they would soon. But for now, it was enough that he was spending time with Jasmine and watching his team train. He could step in whenever he needed to assist them.

He spotted someone coming in over the hill and realized it was his mom. Ash murmured quietly to Jasmine, carefully helping her shift off his lap and move closer to Dragonite. Certain that the nearly-blind dragon was in good hands, he stood up and walked over to meet with Delia.

"Hey, sweetie," she beamed upon seeing him. Ash moved in for a hug that she happily returned. "How are things going?"

"Pretty good," Ash admitted. "Espeon and Spectre are at the lab with Alakazam. Everyone else is here. It's good for them. We'll be back in shape before we hit the road."

"You're leaving tomorrow, right? You mentioned it yesterday."

"Yeah. I want to get back on the road. I miss traveling," he told her. "We spent weeks in Vermillion and then the St. Anne…I miss being in the wilderness. My team misses it, too."

"I understand," she sighed. "I wish you'd stay a bit longer, but I understand. Where are you going?"

"Viridian Forest. I want to find a bug-type. It might help a lot when we challenge Sabrina. We'll need every advantage we can get."

"In that case," Delia reached into the shoulder bag she carried around everywhere and pulled out an object Ash quickly identified as a TM. "This might help!"

"What is it?" Ash asked curiously, taking the disc and inspecting it.

"Call it an early birthday present. I know you won't be here in a month for your actual birthday," she sounded a little sad about that. So was he, to be honest. "The Professor suggested it. It's Zap Cannon. Pikachu will probably pick it up better when he evolves and has more power, but I think Espeon can learn it, too."

That was an interesting thought. Zap Cannon required a lot of power to utilize, but it was incredibly powerful. Maybe he could figure out a way to make it less energy-expensive…

"Thanks, mom. This is great."

"I do have something else for you," she admitted. "It's not quite ready yet, but I think you'll like it. Let's just say you might want to set aside a month or two before the Conference."

Ash raised an eyebrow. "I'll need to train as much as I can—"

"I know. This will help with that. I've already asked. I know how much the Conference means to you," Delia reassured him. "I'll let you know when your gift is ready, ok?"

He was definitely interested. His mom didn't seem like she would give out details anytime soon, but Ash had to wonder what she had in mind.

"Alright," he grinned. "I can't wait."

"Mmhm. So, what are you teaching your friends right now?"

Ash looked back to his team and told her everything.

Chapter Text

Chapter Nineteen: The Forest

"Great job, Pyro!" Ash cheered as the Charizard's jaws crushed through a boulder Sobek had created for training.

The fire-type spat out pebbles, though he seemed pleased by his success. It wasn't like Crunch was terribly hard to learn in the first place (Arcanine had taught him quickly). Still, it was a new weapon in Pyro's arsenal.

They'd been focusing on expanding his move pool. Ash had a lot of plans for his starter, not the least of which was preparing him for as many different scenarios as possible. A typical Charizard could dominate up close, but their preferred fighting style was to fly and drench whatever they were up against in fire. It was effective, but it had limits.

Ash meant to ensure Pyro was not so limited. Charizard could be extremely versatile if trained properly. The trainers that just relied on their potent fire-type moves tended to be unimaginative and never got very far. In the highest ranks of training, versatility could keep you from falling into traps.

That wasn't to say they were neglecting his fire attacks; of course they trained hard to master those. They were Pyro's greatest tools. But they wouldn't be caught unprepared.

Crunch was a useful tool against foes he couldn't burn easily. Other fire-types, rock, and water-types would resist the heat of Fire Fang, but they would not resist the crushing power of Crunch. Not to mention ghosts wouldn't be able to just vanish when the dark-type energy tore into them. Psychics wouldn't appreciate it either.

With Crunch done, Ash directed Pyro to return to Fire Blast. They'd finally gotten Fire Spin down thanks to instruction from Oak's Arcanine—the old canine had helped immensely with teaching Pyro better control—and now he wanted his starter to work on his overall firepower.

Pyro was strong. Most of his team was. But they lacked the overwhelming strength of the trainers they'd meet in the Conference. Wes had taught them that. Now he was the standard for the whole team.

They would be ready for him. Power, versatility, and technique. That was what they needed to defeat him, and they would get it.

Ash left his starter to keep working and made his way towards the lake. He'd had his team warming up this morning before they hit the road. Light training, but enough to kick them back into shape before they reached Viridian Forest later.

Once more, Douse was with Oak's Machamp (and Gary's Machoke, who had shown up yesterday to join training with the older fighter) practicing some new moves. Expanding his fighting-type reservoir was important—Douse was a physical monster, but he hadn't had the chance to really show that off since he evolved. Ash meant to give him more tools to take advantage of his ridiculous strength.

Poliwrath weren't as unbelievable powerful as the Machamp line, but they had a low center of gravity and immensely compact muscles that could inflict devastating blows. Add that to their nearly unending stamina—they were known to be capable of swimming for days without rest—and you had a fighter that could duke it out with the best of them if properly trained.

Fighting-types were more than just brute force though. Strength was easy. What made a fighter truly dangerous was its technique. Finesse was just as important as power; a Body Slam might crush a foe, but a well-placed Brick Break or Karate Chop could do the same job with less effort and far less risk.

Skill and penetrating power. A nightmarish combination, Ash thought happily. If Douse could pick up even a little bit of that from Machamp, it would help in leaps and bounds in future battles.

Ash found Sobek as he crested the hill overlooking the lake. The ground-type was with Jasmine and Dragonite, carefully moving his claws through the air with focused draconic energy.

Ash had asked Dragonite if it would be willing to help Sobek learn Dragon Claw. Pyro could teach him more on the road, but Oak's Cornerstone was far more experienced with draconic powers. It would give them a nudge in the right direction.

Dragon Claw was simple, but it would open the doors to more dragon-type moves in the future. Probably Dragon Pulse at some point (Ash wanted to give Sobek some more ranged techniques) and eventually Outrage. That particular move was a ways off, but the foundation would be there when they started on it.

Sobek spared Ash a nod before he returned to his training. He was focused. That was good. Dragonite waved its massive arms with its own Dragon Claw, growling something to the Krookodile, and student mirrored the teacher.

Ash called to Jasmine as he got closer and she lifted her head to trill a greeting. He knelt to stroke her scales and she happily leaned into the contact. He smiled.

"Hey, girl. Doing good?"

She trilled again, curling around her trainer affectionately. Ash was happy to give her attention until they had to leave. He'd miss her. Dragonite would care for and teach her in the meantime, but he'd still be short a member of the team.

Then again, he was only able to carry six Pokemon with him for the time being. All rookies started out with that cap—it was common for new trainers to be overeager and catch too many Pokemon at once. If you were just starting out, keeping up with a small army was more work than most were prepared for.

Most new trainers simply couldn't manage more than six. If you couldn't keep up with all their individual needs, some would start to feel neglected and that usually didn't end well. Not to mention simply feeding more than six was a challenge if you were short on cash. It wasn't like Pokemon food was terribly expensive, but your reserves drained a lot more quickly when you were feeding a dozen mouths of varying sizes. And if you lost more battles for prize money than you won…well, it was a slippery slope.

So six was the limit until rookies proved they were capable of handling more than that; more for the wellbeing of the Pokemon, but it gave the trainer an idea of their personal limits, too. A practical baseline.

Ash didn't really appreciate it since it split his team up, but he understood why the limit was there. And Jasmine couldn't travel right now. He wouldn't have endangered her even if he could carry more than six.

He pampered her while he could. He'd see her again soon enough.

Once Pyro and the others had finished their training for the morning, Ash recalled them and made his way to the Oak Lab. He'd sent Espeon and Spectre here to work more with Alakazam before they left, and Pikachu had joined them to see the Professor.

He'd done some research last night. Talked with Pikachu about the Professor's idea. The electric-type had been curious and ultimately they decided to give his experiment a shot. He'd sent the Professor a message on his PokeNav once Pikachu agreed.

Oak was currently gathering the Akalan Cinnamon from his greenhouse, along with some berries sent from Alola. They would be mixed into Pikachu's meals until he was ready to evolve, at which point they'd see if Kukui's hypothesis was accurate.

Ash wasn't putting all their eggs into this basket, though. The experiment was just that; an experiment. There wasn't exactly a lot of data for this sort of thing and he'd already planned out what they'd work on if Pikachu didn't evolve into an Alolan Raichu.

The Alolan variant had more focus on ranged moves than Kantonian Raichu, tending to lean towards using their psychic abilities in tandem with electric attacks. That wasn't to say they were weak physically; they just didn't need to get close most of the time. They were a bit more delicate.

Kantonian Raichu were less specialized, more generalists than the Alolan subspecies. They didn't possess the psychic capacity of Alolan Raichu, sure, but they were stockier and physically more impressive.

Whatever the results of the experiment, Ash had plans for either form. Pikachu wouldn't find him caught unprepared when it was time for him to evolve.

He found Professor Oak with Pikachu, Espeon, Spectre, and Alakazam in the lobby. Spectre immediately dove into the shadows and joined with Ash's. He grinned at the familiar sensation of the ghost linking itself to him in that strange, ethereal way.

Spectre had become such a constant presence in his shadow that it almost felt wrong for him to not be there. He was just so used to it by now.

Pikachu was quick to leap for his shoulder, chittering excitedly. Oak watched the mouse with amusement. "I already fed him the supplements with his breakfast. You have the instructions I sent you?"

"I saved them on my PokeNav," Ash confirmed. He reached up to stroke the electric-type's soft fur, which Pikachu eagerly accepted. His little foot kicked as Ash scratched a particularly sensitive spot.

"Good. It's fairly straightforward and I think he'll remind you even if you forget. He seems to love the cinnamon," Oak passed him a box filled with the spices and berries in question. It was large, but thankfully Ash's bag was designed with pokeball storage technology. Most trainer bags were made that way these days. Being able to carry far more than should be possible made traveling and training significantly easier.

While Ash moved the box of Alolan foods into his bag, Alakazam approached, tapping at his mind with a mental probe. He looked up to meet the psychic's eyes.

I have an offer for you.

He blinked. This was unexpected.

Your friend is reluctant to leave the Dratini at the Corral, Alakazam's eyes flitted to Espeon, who sat beside the older psychic-type. And though she possesses impressive power for her age, she lacks experience with her newfound abilities. She is clumsy. Inefficient.

Espeon shot Alakazam a dirty look, but didn't deny it. Ash wasn't altogether surprised. Eevee generally had a period of time after evolution where they struggled to master their new powers. That wasn't altogether uncommon for most Pokemon, but Eevee specialized far more dramatically than the average.

Going from a relatively simple normal-type to any of their many evolutionary possibilities left them flailing blindly for a while. They had to get used to manipulating energy they'd never so much as touched before for the most part. He'd seen as much on the St. Anne; the abilities Espeon was familiar with had improved exponentially, but her psychic control was almost nonexistent. Against the Rockets, she'd just blown them away with raw force. When training with Wes' Metagross, she'd been wasteful and had tired swiftly.

I offer a compromise, Alakazam pushed on, ignoring Espeon's irritation. I will continue her training in your stead until the Dratini has evolved and can travel again. Her power and control will improve. Her capacity is already enough that Telepathy will be possible before long. My experience will streamline this process.

Ash pursed his lips. He was already reluctant to leave Jasmine behind, (never mind that he had no other choice) but Espeon too? Sure, that would mean any Pokemon he caught in the Silver-Viridian forest could be trained immediately without having to wait until they returned to civilization, but…

He sighed. It wasn't entirely up to him, was it?

"Is this what you want?" Ash finally asked her. "I won't hold it against you. I know you missed Jasmine. Alakazam is a great teacher, too. He'll help you a lot."

Espeon did look torn. She glanced at Alakazam. The psychic's eyes flashed as they communicated.

She does not wish to be parted from you, but it does not sit well with her to leave the Dratini alone again, Alakazam told him. And she has expressed a desire to learn Telepathy so she may communicate with you directly.

Ash had to admit, he felt much the same in regards to Jasmine. He hated leaving her here alone, even if Dragonite would be watching over her. And for her to be learning from Oak's Alakazam during that time? It would teach her a lot. The psychic was older than Sabrina's Alakazam and almost certainly more powerful, if not quite as specialized.

Ultimately, he felt she was making the right choice. Maybe not the one they would prefer, but he'd feel guilty for leaving Jasmine behind either way and this would settle his conscience some.

"Alright," he said at last, kneeling down. Espeon padded forward and rubbed her cheek against him, almost knocking him over. He ran his hand down the short fur on her back and smiled as she arched her spine at the contact. "I'll miss you, girl."

She chittered and he knew she felt the same way. But it would do them all good in time.

Still, he pulled out her Luxury Ball and held it up. "Alakazam will teach you a lot, but I have a move for you to practice in your own time. It's Zap Cannon. I think it'll be useful once you master it."

She nodded and he recalled her before bringing out the Technical Machine storage and setting her Luxury Ball on the device. He'd thought about giving her Light Screen, but if Alakazam was going to fine-tune her psychic abilities, maybe it would be best to wait until she had a better grasp of them.

It was done in no time and he released Espeon again. She remained close to him as he approached Professor Oak and handed him the psychic-type's Luxury Ball. "Take good care of her."

"You know I will," Oak promised. And Ash knew he would. "Before you go—you said you were planning on flying to Viridian?"

"Yeah. It'd take too long to walk. I need to make good time in the forest if I'm going to meet Agatha in six weeks," he explained.

"In that case, I have an early birthday present for you," the Professor walked over to one of the many tables and Ash blinked at the sight of a saddle.

Flying on Pokemon was a quick way for trainers to get around, but it wasn't entirely safe if you weren't strapped in. Saddles had been used for centuries, since people and Pokemon first came together.

"I used this when I was a boy," Oak told him, fondly running his hand over the worn Arbok leather. The saddle was a faded violet due to its age, but it was still in great condition.

Hides, feathers, scales, etc. were gathered carefully and humanely by the League, usually by exchanging resources with groups of wild Pokemon. They were never hunted—that lesson had been learned long ago. Humanity's relationship with Pokemon was one of symbiosis and harmony, or they could very well destroy each other.

If the iron rule was broken, the consequences could be dire. A Pokemon went rogue and started hunting and killing people, would have to be tracked and put down. The same went for people, though they were typically thrown into a prison for life. They were much easier to control than a rogue Pokemon, after all.

"It's small enough to fit Charizard right now," Oak snapped him out of his thoughts. "He's still not fully grown, but this should fit him well. I used this when Cinder and Dragonite first evolved."

Ash grinned. He hadn't flown on Pyro yet. The fire-type was much better at it than when he first evolved and Ash had been ready to try it out, but the saddle would certainly help as far as safety went.

"Can you show me how to put it on him?"

Oak beamed. "Of course, my boy."

"That's it. The straps can be adjusted as he grows, but he's not terribly bulky yet," Oak advised as Ash adjusted the leather, brow furrowed in concentration. Pyro watched his trainer in bemusement. He was more curious about the saddle than anything, though he was eager to fly with his trainer.

"Gramps, any way I can get one of those?" Gary asked. He'd shown up with Leaf shortly after Ash had started learning how to get the saddle on and off of Pyro. They were all just outside the lab. His friends had wanted to say goodbye before they separated.

He'd already said goodbye to his mom. She'd popped in briefly before she had to return to work. Ash would miss her.

"I can have one ordered," Oak responded, though he didn't look away from Ash's progress. "My other saddles are too big for Pidgeot. They're not designed for bird Pokemon, anyways. Dragons and birds have fundamentally different physiques."

"Fine with me," the younger Oak muttered.

"How's that?" Ash stepped back to survey his work. Pyro shifted, flexing his wings. The saddle straps tied around his front, joining at his chest to wind under and around his arms and wings. When flying, Ash would be tucked neatly between the fire-type's shoulders and his legs would rest in straps behind the wings. Given time, he'd have more room, but Pyro was still young and had a lot of growing to do before he was fully mature.

The Professor inspected the straps and nodded, satisfied. "Well done. You'll get used to it with more practice. Flying is much faster than walking."

"Takes some of the fun out of traveling, though," Leaf pointed out.

"Are you jealous?" Gary snickered.

She rolled her eyes. "No. Talon's not big enough to fly with me, anyways. I can just buy a Teleport if I want to get somewhere fast. I'm not wanting for cash."

"None of us are. We've cleaned out most of the trainers on the road," Ash reminded them. Confident that he had a good grasp for getting Pyro's saddle adjusted, he turned to face them. "I guess this is it."

"I'll find you again before long. I didn't get to kick your ass on the St. Anne," Gary grinned nastily, ignoring his grandfather's stern remark on his language. "My team's itching for a rematch. Don't get too comfortable."

"Don't get too cocky," he shot back. "What's our record? 2-0?"

"Psh, who's counting?"

Ash smirked and faced Leaf. She hugged him, which he happily returned. "Don't do anything unusually reckless. You go looking for trouble too much."

"Trouble finds me!"

"Uh-huh," she didn't sound like she totally believed him, but she was still smiling when they separated. "See you on the road. Tell Koga I'm coming for him."

"Will do," Ash promised.

He knelt down as Espeon approached and stroked her fur. She leaned into the contact. "We'll miss you, girl. Be good."

She offered him an annoyed squint and he laughed. "I know. You're always good."

He stood and climbed into the saddle at the Professor's direction. It was a little awkward; Pyro had to crouch almost onto all fours for him to get into it. Ash adjusted the leg straps and held on tight as the fire-type straightened, wings flaring outwards.

He said one last goodbye to his friends. Then he turned to Pyro, who was watching him. Ash grinned.

"Go!"

Pyro roared and launched himself into the air with a flap of his massive wings. Ash gasped as they were propelled into the sky. It was a good thing he'd put his hat in his bag at Oak's suggestion; it would've been torn off by the turbulence.

They climbed fairly high before Pyro leveled out and settled into a familiar flying pattern. Ash leaned close over the warm body of his starter and let out a breathy laugh.

Viridian lay ahead of them.

An hour later, they landed just outside Viridian City. A trip that had taken them almost two days when they first started their journey, behind them faster than he could believe.

Flying was quick.

Pyro landed carefully, though the impact was still a bit jarring for Ash. It would get smoother in time, the Professor had reassured him. Experience would make it easier. They'd taken it easy for this first attempt, anyway. The distance wasn't too long and Pyro hadn't tried to go terribly fast, either.

Oak had suggested teaching Pyro Tailwind in the future. It would create a smooth bubble of air around them, enhancing acceleration in battle and making the ride calmer while traveling. Ash wouldn't arrive at their destinations quite as windswept as he was now.

It would help Pyro, too. The Charizard was breathing fairly lightly—his stamina had improved greatly since evolution, but flying with his trainer on his back was like adding weights to his usual exercises. It would be good for him. Ash planned for them to fly to Lavender Town after they left Silver-Viridian, after all.

Ash dismounted and removed the saddle from Pyro's body before he recalled the fire-type, putting the gear into a storage compartment in his bag (while also retrieving his hat). He was quick to enter the city proper. Trainers flying from place to place had to land just outside city limits for safety reasons.

It wasn't even noon as he hurried to the Pokemon Mart. Ash wanted to stock up on his supplies before they made their way into the woods. Viridian Forest was well-known for Pokemon that could poison and paralyze, after all. The deeper woods would be that much worse.

He would be an idiot to go in unprepared.

Ash didn't waste time. With the sun still rising, they could make good progress on their first day. He wanted to get moving as quickly as possible. The itch to travel and explore had him excited.

Once his bag was full of Antidotes, Awakenings, Paralyze Heals, and an assortment of other supplies, he was quick to leave Viridian City behind. A part of him was tempted to challenge Giovanni and see how far he'd come since his adventure began, but he dismissed the thought.

They weren't ready for Giovanni. Ash wanted to crush him when they fought for real. That was a ways off.

For now, he set his eyes on the impenetrable line of trees and grinned.

The outer reaches of Viridian Forest weren't too thick. Ash had gone through this route before and it was well-maintained by the League to make travel between Viridian and Pewter safe for new trainers.

As such, they made good time. Spectre was in his shadow as always, but he had Pikachu, Sobek, and Douse walking with him. Pyro's tail flame made traveling in the woods a bit too hazardous.

His belt felt a little empty without Espeon or Jasmine to occupy it. Ash tried not to focus on that too much.

As they walked the well-worn trail, Ash studied their planned travel route on his PokeNav.

The section of Viridian Forest between the two major cities was a band of green, but its full expanse lay further to the northwest. It stretched along Mt. Silver's eastern flank all the way past Pewter and up into the Hollow Mountains, where it stopped just south of the border with Rota.

It was largely uncharted territory, too wild and uncontrollable for humanity. Not to mention that the mountains closest to it were known habitats of Tyranitar, who did not appreciate the encroachment of civilization in the slightest.

Ash planned to avoid the mountains for the most part. He couldn't actually venture into Mt. Silver's territory without permission from the League. Not only did it house Indigo Plateau, the Headquarters of the Indigo League, but it was home to powerful wild Pokemon that most trainers would struggle against. Ash was confident in his team's strength, but he really didn't want to deal with a pack of territorial Sneasel and Weavile, the giant Ursaring, or the odd Tyranitar.

The PokeNav displayed the border on his map, which he had made note of. They'd stay clear of it while they traveled.

Instead, he planned to work his way north once they reached the western edge of the forest, winding their way around the mountains as they traveled deeper into the woods. Ash wanted to cover as much ground as he could manage; the more he explored, the greater the chance he'd find something worth catching.

He still had the Ultra Balls Bill had given him way back when. Maybe he'd put one or two of them to good use.

Silver-Viridian's deepest boughs weren't well-known, but the species recorded certainly were. A myriad of grass, bug, and poison-types resided there, much wilder than the Pokemon more accustomed to human civilization.

Herds of Bulbasaur and Ivysaur roamed around, led by their gigantic Venusaur leaders, and massive Vileplume had been documented. There were Parasect, Yanma, and Forretress, as well, but they were very unlike their more civilized kin. The usually peaceful creatures were much more aggressive and operated on a strike first, ask questions later basis. They had to with the neighbors they lived alongside.

In addition to the giant Beedril hives, there were Pinsir, Venomoth, Scyther, and Scizor on the prowl. Huge Victreebel and Ariados lay nightmarish traps.

He'd fight any that attacked them, but for the most part he planned to avoid the worst threats. He wasn't stupid enough to pick a fight with a Beedrill or Ariados nest, much less a herd led by Venusaur. Against the worst threats, he'd run or set Pyro out to discourage them.

No Pokemon in these woods appreciated fire. But this would be good for his team. If they wound up battling as much as he expected, they'd get plenty of experience. A challenge lay before them.

Ash intended to conquer it.

A day passed before they were truly in Silver-Viridian Forest. They were quick to make their way through the more familiar woods and once they reached the edge of that civilized territory, Ash pushed them into the mostly-uncharted wilderness.

It didn't take long before they found something looking for a fight.

Ash pushed aside a huge frond only to yelp as a Venomoth screeched at them from a nearby tree, its sleep disturbed. The bug was large, but not much bigger than the average as far as he could tell.

Still, it launched itself into the air and fired a Signal Beam at them. Douse was quick to intercept with an Ice Beam as Ash jumped out of the way. Spectre whirled in his shadow, peering at the enemy in case he needed to protect his trainer.

Having stopped the initial attack, Douse blasted it with a Hydro Pump and slammed the huge moth into another tree. It screeched in pain and spat a Psybeam. Douse ducked under the psychic-type move and retaliated with another Hydro Pump. This time, Venomoth was blown clean through the trunk and flung somewhere into the underbrush.

Ash was sort of tempted to look for it and catch it, but ultimately decided against it. They had barely stepped foot into Silver-Viridian. Chances were Venomoth was too weak to compete with the monsters deeper in, which was why it was living on the border of the deep woods.

No, he'd save his Pokeballs for later.

"Good job, Douse!" Ash praised. The Poliwrath grunted, pleased with his success. "Let's keep moving."

It was like that for most of the day. They ran into wild Pokemon several times each hour as they struggled through the thick forest. It was made clear Sobek and Douse could make short work of these opponents, so Ash pit Pikachu and Spectre against them instead. He imagined his stronger friends would see more use as they got deeper.

The aggressive Pokemon proved to be a good challenge for them. Pikachu and Spectre managed to bring down quite a few enemies before the day was up. Ash needed to use a few Antidotes on them, but they'd be fine with a good night's rest.

They cleared out a small area, removing enough vegetation to settle down comfortably. The forest would regrow quickly once they moved on. Plants had adapted to deal with Pokemon, after all. They could fill gaps made by battles with no effort.

Unfortunately, the night brought its own problems.

Ash jerked awake as he heard something squeal in pain. He looked up just in time to see Spectre hurling more Will-O-Wisps at an Ariados, his lonely red eye furious.

Sobek roared in fury and snatched another spider in his teeth (it had been almost on top of him) so he could shake it like a rag doll. The bug squelched before it was thrown into a tree.

He quickly realized there were several more Ariados, as did his team. Pyro rose, tail flame flaring as it was lifted from its fireproof blanket, and let out an enraged howl. Most of the arachnids hesitated at the fire-type's appearance and that was enough for his team to regain their bearings.

Douse blasted one with Scald. Sobek materialized jagged stones to pelt them with. Pikachu loosed a surge of electricity.

Another Ariados skittered towards Ash and Spectre created more Will-O-Wisps, promising pain. The spider hesitated and then fled, screeching as the ghostly flames were flung after it. Judging by its shriek, Spectre had not missed.

The last of the bug-types made a run for it. Pyro and Sobek let out more furious roars that silenced the forest, promising pain to anything that got close to them.

"Did they hit any of you?" He demanded, already fishing in his bag for Antidotes. His team shook their heads, though they all eyed the surrounding vegetation with suspicion.

Ash scowled. It seemed they'd need to be more alert. He'd thought the sight of Pyro's tail flame would dissuade anything that thought to approach them.

Apparently, he'd thought wrong. That or the Ariados had just been desperate. Either way, it meant they'd need to have someone stand guard each night and rotate shifts to make sure everyone got enough rest. Spectre didn't sleep much, but he couldn't keep guard all the time.

Ash sighed, exasperated. At least their attackers had been caught in the act this time.

"Go back to sleep," he ordered. "I'll stay awake with Spectre. We'll move in the morning."

He moved over to Pyro and leaned back against his starter with Spectre floating close by. His team curled up closer to one another, still eyeing the forest around them. It felt much less friendly.

Ash settled in with a scowl on his face, no sense of sleep left to him. He imagined his team would be much the same, despite his orders.

No, sleep had been ruined for them now.

They were cranky the next day and the day after that. No one got much sleep as they made their way through the thick forest, fighting it seemed for every scrap of ground they wanted to cover. They were attacked every night by the nocturnal denizens.

Sure enough, the deeper they went, the more powerful the Pokemon they encountered. They fought monstrous Victreebel and Parasect, much larger than the average, and were ambushed by groups of Forretress and Pineco hanging in the trees—twice. Ash had never thought the typically-docile bagworms would be aggressive, but he changed his mind when they started shooting Spikes and Toxic Spikes at his team.

Silver-Viridian wasn't a forest, he decided. It was a gauntlet.

But they weren't dissuaded. The foes were strong and there was little time to rest, but it was worth it. Ash could see his team getting stronger each and every day. With every foe they conquered, they grew.

Three days into their travels, they were starting to wind north around the mountains. Whenever they found rare gaps in the canopy, Ash could see the massive, stone spires far in the distance. He made sure to keep them away from the League border, but it was good to see them. It helped them from getting too disoriented.

His PokeNav and compass telling him they were headed to their destination amidst the impossibly thick foliage was one thing. Seeing a regular landmark was more reassuring.

It was slow going thanks to the thick underbrush. In the parts where it was too dense to travel through, Ash resorted to having Pyro burn through the forest while Douse quenched the flames behind them. It was the only way to make any sort of decent progress.

Ash and his team had just made a clearing to spend the night when they heard rustling. His team tensed, but their trainer held them off, frowning. Most of their enemies had ambushed them as quietly as possible so far. Few Pokemon out here deigned to make their presence known before attacking.

He blinked as a hulking shape carelessly pushed a tree out of the way and clicked at them. It was a huge beetle, with a heavy blue carapace and a gigantic horn that made it taller than any member of his team. A pair of thin antennae sat above two big, yellow eyes, and strong arms hung at its side. Short, stocky legs kept it standing upright.

Ash recognized it immediately; Heracross. Found mostly in Johto, but they were known to venture into Kanto. Silver-Viridian had a small population of them.

As bugs went, they were the strongest physically by far. Capable of lifting over a hundred times their own weight. Given that the average Heracross weighed anywhere between one and two hundred pounds, most of them could shift just about anything short of seven tons.

Their insane strength meant there were few creatures bold enough, desperate enough, or stupid enough to hunt them. Heracross for the most part had a calm temperament, preferring to avoid conflict and sip on nectar from trees than fight. They were strictly vegetarian, which was just as well because they could annihilate pretty much anything in their path.

Pyro growled, but Ash called his starter off. Heracross wasn't attacking them and he really didn't want to give the huge beetle a reason to do so. It surveyed his team, clicking again as its antennae quivered, but even then it didn't seem overly bothered with their presence.

It seemed more curious than anything.

"Hello," Ash greeted it with a friendly wave. Heracross cocked its head and mirrored the motion with one of its arms. "We were just settling down for the night."

It clicked again. Douse offered it a wave of his own. The beetle perked up and mirrored him before approaching the Poliwrath. Ash watched carefully, but he didn't feel threatened. Maybe it had sensed a kindred spirit in the other fighting-type?

Heracross and Douse quickly got into a conversation. The bug even sat down, clicking madly while they spoke. It wasn't long before Douse joined it. Ash wished he understood what they were talking about, but even Pyro and Sobek settled down before long. If they weren't threatened, he felt confident Heracross wasn't here to hurt them.

He put his sleeping bag out and started to prepare dinner for the team.

Heracross wound up staying with them that night. Ash even gave it some food, though it didn't eat much. Judging from the looks of things, it wasn't wanting for lack of sustenance. That it didn't even eat all he offered was more an indicator that it was extremely well-fed than anything else. Wild Pokemon would usually never turn down an offer like that.

Douse kept talking to it up until Ash fell asleep. For all he knew, they kept talking into the night.

That marked the first night they weren't attacked in the darkness. Ash woke up the next morning to learn from Spectre that while a few Pokemon had gotten close, they'd quickly left.

He dryly realized they feared Heracross more than Pyro. He just shook his head and started cleaning up the camp.

Douse and Heracross seemed to have struck a quick friendship. The Poliwrath was demonstrating Brick Break at the moment, something Heracross seemed to appreciate given how animatedly its antennae were twitching.

When they were ready to move, Douse looked at him and rumbled. The huge bug nodded in agreement and pointed deeper into the forest—in the general direction they were heading.

"You want to guide us?" Ash guessed. Heracross clicked and turned, casually shoving a tree aside as they watched it walk off, bemused. Well, the forest wouldn't be quite as destroyed this way. He shrugged at his team and they followed Heracross' trail of destruction.

Following Heracross meant they weren't attacked quite so often. Apparently, the Pokemon in the forest knew what it sounded like when one of the impossibly strong beetles was moving along. It may as well have been a bulldozer.

A few Pokemon showed up to investigate the added noises his team made, though. Several Pinsir appeared as they travelled and challenged them, but they were known to follow Heracross, who sought out tree sap Pinsir also liked to consume.

That made for a welcome challenge. These were nothing like the weak, freshly-hatched Pinsir the Samurai had used when Ash was a new trainer. These were battle-scarred monsters with thick carapaces and powerful claws.

One of the biggest managed to knock out Pikachu and Sobek before Douse beat it unconscious. A Victreebel that had been hanging from a tree Heracross pushed over poisoned Spectre and Pyro. Ash had to revive and heal at least one member of his team after nearly every fight. They were getting into territory held by the nastiest monsters in the forest.

Heracross paused its trail of destruction whenever they fought, but it never got involved. It just watched and waited until they were ready to move on.

The huge beetle did stop on its own now and again, carefully scratching at the thick bark of particular trees and sucking out sap for nearly an hour at a time. Ash usually took the chance to give his team a breather and let them all eat. When Heracross was ready to move again, they pushed on.

When night came, they stopped and made camp. Heracross remained.

On they went.

The process repeated itself for nearly a week. They'd wake, eat, follow Heracross' literal beaten path, fight, stop, eat, sleep, and repeat.

Ash kept watch on their location with his PokeNav, warning Heracross whenever they strayed too close to Mt. Silver's border. The deviations didn't seem to bother the largely carefree bug, who simply changed directions at the boy's request.

It seemed perfectly happy to lead them deeper into the forest. He'd asked about it when they settled into camp one evening, but it seemed Heracross just enjoyed the company.

He liked it and his team did, too. He had to ask, didn't he?

"Do you want to come with us? We'll be leaving the forest eventually. We're training to be the strongest in the world. You could join us."

Surprisingly, Heracross was quick to refuse.

Ash blinked as the bug gestured to the forest around them, waggling its antennae while it clicked, and pat its thick carapace. He understood easily enough. Heracross wasn't a complicated creature.

"You like your home?" Ash smiled. Heracross nodded, cheerfully scratching at its belly. He couldn't help but laugh; of course the huge insect didn't want to leave. It had everything it wanted—food, shelter, and probably a few more Heracross friends wandering about in the forest. And it didn't seem eager to fight like the rest of Ash's team. He'd seen Sobek challenge Heracross once, but the bug had simply shaken its head and returned to eating.

Sobek had been so perplexed it was almost funny. He couldn't seem to understand why such an obscenely powerful Pokemon wouldn't want to fight. But Ash got it. Heracross was content. And since few Pokemon in the forest would be stupid enough to bother it in the first place…well, why would it leave?

"Alright," he reached over to pat the bug-type's thick shoulder. "Well, we're happy to have you for as long as you want. Just let us know if you change your mind."

Heracross waggled its antennae and they settled down for the night.

Another week of traveling with Heracross passed them by. Even with the quicker pace, they were only just getting into the deepest parts of the Silver-Viridian Forest. Pewter lay to their east at this point.

The enemy Pokemon had gotten even stronger. Ash's team had fought monstrous bug-types that outclassed everything that came before them. They'd even seen a Scyther at one point, but it had taken a Stone Edge from Sobek and fled, wounded, before Ash could catch it. They'd tried to track it down to no avail.

The event irritated him; the bug-type had been huge! It was exactly what he'd wanted and he couldn't believe it had slipped away after two weeks of searching. All the other insects they'd encountered (save for Heracross, of course) hadn't really interested him so far. For all their strength, they just weren't what he was looking for.

But he'd been excited to see that Scyther. Ash poked at the campfire with a stick and scowled.

Heracross clicked at him. It was used to seeing his team tired and beat-up after a long day, but this was the first time Ash had been so irritated. He sighed in response.

"Sorry. I just wish we'd caught that Scyther," he muttered. "It was right there…"

Heracross blinked, but didn't respond otherwise. It seemed to understand. At least Ash was tired enough not to overthink the event and fell asleep quickly.

They were led eastward the next day. Heracross set off and they followed, trusting in the beetle's vast knowledge of its forest home.

There were more Pokemon that challenged them. Pinsir came and went, trying to see if Heracross would leave behind tree sap for them to take only for Ash's team to beat them into oblivion when they attacked.

Well, maybe that was stretching it. The Pinsir were still incredibly strong, no matter how good his team had gotten at defeating them. Each one of his Pokemon were defeated at least once throughout the day. Even Pyro was knocked out by an especially angry Forretress that chose to outright explode in the face of defeat. Ash had recalled his starter and retreated while the Pineco and other Forretress retrieved their equally unconscious ally with thick wrappings of silk.

Pyro did not get close to their nests ever again. Instead, he roasted them from a distance out of sheer spite, after which Douse drenched the burning vegetation to keep any fires from spreading.

Ash suspected the Charizard would carry an undying hatred of the bagworms for the rest of his life. Or at least for the duration of their stay in the forest.

Four more days. They'd been in the woods were three weeks now. Ash wasn't running low on supplies yet, but he eyed his remaining Antidotes and potions warily whenever he used another one. His team had gotten good at avoiding toxins these past few weeks, but it was a fact of life when you were moving through Silver-Viridian.

If they got too low, he'd have to mount Pyro and fly to Pewter. There was no sense in getting reckless.

They were starting to see slashed trees more frequently, which Ash knew were usually signs that Scyther were in the area. They would cut them down as a way to mark their territory, though that was no guarantee you'd find one in the immediate area. Scyther covered fair distances and the stronger specimens frequently killed and devoured the weaker ones. It was part of the reason their population never got out of control.

Few Pokemon were true cannibals, but bugs generally did it more than any other. They reproduced en masse and violent competition for territory kept their population from getting too large.

Heracross led them on and the wild Pokemon attacks steadily grew fewer until they were reduced to zero. Ash frowned at that. The forest was quieter here. That was usually a sign something strong was in the area. Something dangerous enough that no other Pokemon wanted to share space with it.

"Heracross," he stopped and the beetle mirrored him, glancing back. "Where are we going?"

It only pointed further ahead, antennae quivering. Ash felt a little anxious and set his hand on Pyro's Pokeball. Heracross seemed at ease, but even so…

Pikachu's ears were pricked as they kept following Heracross. Spectre sensed the trainer's anxiety and grew more wary.

Eventually, they reached a gap in the trees. Mountains lay ahead—a physical border between Silver-Viridian and Pewter City's territory, Ash knew. He glanced at the PokeNav to check their location again. They were a bit northeast of the city, close to the border with Rota. Closer than he'd thought, actually.

Heracross waved its arms, seemingly enjoying the more open space. But Ash paused.

The whole area was full of little more than tree stumps. Something had been cutting them down consistently enough that they hadn't regrown. Only shrubs and bushes grew, and event those seemed to be trimmed.

"Do you hear anything?" Ash muttered to Pikachu. The electric-type shook his head and leapt onto the trainer's shoulder, sniffing suspiciously.

He didn't like this. Anything strong enough to keep this much territory to itself was dangerous. The fact that other Pokemon weren't trying to muscle in on it meant they either knew better or had tried and failed. That probably hadn't ended well.

Heracross led them along the edge of the severed woods, following a trail along the edge of the mountains. The silence was unnerving. Ash kept his eyes peeled for any sign of life.

At one point, Heracross paused and glanced at something on the ground. It clicked and pointed for Ash to follow its gaze.

The object in question was a Scyther blade—just the blade. Ash blanched at the size. Whatever had cut it from the body of the Scyther in question must've been ferocious. Another Scyther, maybe. Was that what Heracross was looking for?

They found another scythe further on, a bit smaller, but still quite large. Ash's hand was constantly on the Pokeballs at his belt. Heracross was uncharacteristically quiet. It was trying to find something. Every now and then it would stop and its antennae would quiver before moving on.

He followed the huge beetle for an hour before it halted entirely and stared at a lonely grove of trees amidst the severed woods. Ash had the funnest feeling whatever was cutting the trees down probably lived there. It was a nest.

Heracross turned to him and crushed its claws together. The message was clear; this was a fight. He'd told Heracross before they were looking to catch a bug-type, but he hadn't thought it would actually lead them to something. Maybe it was just helping, but it was wary like he hadn't seen before.

It was just as likely whatever lived in that nest had become a problem for Heracross and the rest of the forest. It would be strong.

He set his team loose. Pyro, Sobek, and Douse all emerged to join Pikachu and Spectre. They caught onto their trainer's focus in an instant.

"Get ready," Ash told them quietly. "I don't know what's in there, but it'll put up a fight."

They prepared themselves. Ash glanced at Pyro and nodded.

The Charizard's roar shattered the silence of the forest. Ash tensed as something let out a furious screech in response. The copse of trees trembled and a shape exploded from within.

He inhaled sharply at the sight of massive pincers, a deep red carapace, and almost seven feet's worth of gleaming metal. Furious yellow eyes sought them out and locked onto the group.

The Scizor lunged in a crimson blur, pincers glowing fierce silver. Douse leapt forward and met the Metal Claw with Brick Break, only to gurgle in pain when it clamped one of its huge claws around his hand.

"Scald!" Ash shouted as Scizor made to slash at Douse's head. The Poliwrath blasted it with boiling water and the bug-type snarled, backing away in a blur of motion. Its small wings fluttered rapidly to cool its body.

Heat was dangerous to Scizor. Their armor was strong, but sensitive to increases in temperature and could cook them if they got too hot. The sole purpose of their small wings was to regulate the body temperature, and so prevent overheating. They were no good for flight.

Still, Ash didn't want to rely on that weakness. Pyro started to move in and he shot the fire-type a sharp glance. "No. One at a time. If it beats Douse, you'll go next."

Pyro nodded and stayed behind. Scizor was strong, but Ash wouldn't disrespect it by ganging up on the bug-type. It was focused on Douse, occasionally glancing at his team and Heracross, but it didn't attack them. Yet.

No, it would not stand for this encroachment of its territory. The proud insect would beat them down one by one until they were forced to flee from its superior might.

Ash felt his heart pounding. He reached for an Ultra Ball, a grin sliding onto his face.

Douse settled himself into a fighting stance and grunted a challenge. Scizor howled and lunged again.

Double Team flashed into existence as it closed the gap, blitzing the Poliwrath and slamming a steel-hard pincer into his body—Bullet Punch, Ash realized. Several blows were pummeled into Douse, but it leapt back when the Poliwrath snatched at it.

Scizor eyed Douse speculatively, assessing how much damage it had done. The Poliwrath's bulky shape had absorbed the steel-type move with relative ease. He was built to take blows like that. He pounded his fist against his belly in response.

The mantis seemed to take its failure to actually wound Douse as an insult if nothing else. It blurred again, slashing in a cross shape. Douse fired an Ice Beam that it danced around before driving the X-Scissor closer in. The Poliwrath wasn't going to take it, though.

He leapt above Scizor as it dove for him and the mantis shot past, spinning on its steel-hard foot claws. Ash's eyes widened as golden energy gathered between its pincers.

"Hydro Pump!" Ash shouted. Douse barely made it in time as the Hyper Beam was fired.

The two moves exploded upon colliding and Douse was launched backwards by the concussive force. Ash scowled as Scizor leapt away, watching carefully. So it knew not to rely too much on Hyper Beam—or at least, knew it had to put distance between itself and its foe after using the move.

Douse hit the ground, but swiftly recovered and cracked his knuckles, eyes narrowing. He set off in a run towards Scizor, gaining some impressive speed as he barreled towards the bug-type.

Scizor had enough time to recover and simply charged, claws snapping dangerously. Ash noted the faint glow around its body—it seemed to be constantly using Quick Attack.

Given how much heavier Scizor were than Scyther, that made sense. They were still fast, but enhancement techniques joined with their greater weight and steel carapace made their attacks that much deadlier.

It slashed at Douse, but the Poliwrath evaded it again by ducking past. They both wheeled around and Douse snatched at it, trying to grab the bug-type. Scizor danced away, then blurred forward and clamped a heavy steel claw into the water-type's shoulder, drawing blood in an instant. Douse gurgled in pain.

Scizor tried to rip back and exacerbate the wound, but something in Douse suddenly snapped. Eyes flashing red, he finally grabbed Scizor and jumped, spinning violently before they both slammed into the ground.

Ash winced at the use of Submission, but the more crucial detail was in the faint glow around Douse's body.

Oak's Machamp had started teaching Douse how to use Close Combat while they were at the Corral. It wasn't a move so much as a mindset; the Pokemon using it cleared their minds and gave up all thoughts of defense in favor of attack. It carried huge risks, but the results could be devastating if the fighter could make good use of the technique.

Douse grunted, still gripping Scizor's body with one of his powerful hands and reached out to snag its arm in the other. The bug's wings fluttered as it opened a wound across his spiral belly with two quick slices, and then Douse yanked.

Scizor let out a shriek as its arm was dislocated, pain bleeding into its furious cries. Douse didn't let go even as it slashed his belly with its only good claw, but he changed his grip. He snatched the useful pincer as Scizor struck again and pulled the bug-type closer to him.

Douse smashed a Brick Break into its steel carapace and Ash heard a cracking sound that made him flinch. Scizor howled and retaliated by slamming an Iron Head directly into the Poliwrath's skull. It desperately tried to pull away, but Douse would not let go of its only good arm. He pummeled it again and again, driving Brick Breaks and Drain Punches into its thorax and abdomen.

It tried Iron Head again and he threw a savage uppercut right into its chin. Scizor reeled back, eyes rolling. Douse took out a leg by smashing his fist into its knee. The mantis dropped with a gasp.

Douse pulled his fist back and threw one more, brutal punch right into its chest.

Scizor was lifted from the ground and hurled across the forest floor. It skidded a short distance before coming to a stop, wings barely fluttering as it tried to recover.

Ash primed the Ultra Ball and threw it.

Scizor was sucked into the device and they watched with bated breath as it fell to the ground and started to wriggle furiously.

Douse fell to one knee, too exhausted to keep up Close Combat any longer. If Scizor broke out now, Ash didn't think he could keep fighting. The Poliwrath was a bloody mess from wounds made by the bug's savage claws.

He prepped another Ultra Ball just in case. Ash wasn't sure how much fight Scizor had in it after getting beaten to a pulp like that, but he wouldn't deny that the bug-type was powerful. It had matched Douse blow for blow until its arm was yanked out of its socket.

The Ultra Ball kept wriggling. Ash swallowed. Pyro growled beside him. Scizor was putting up a fight.

The ball stilled. Click.

Ash immediately bolted to Douse, yanking his bag off in a rush and reaching for the Super Potions. His friend's belly was more red than white, but it wasn't life-threatening. He could see the slashes weren't too deep. Douse would be exhausted and he probably needed to get into a Pokemon Center sooner than later, but he'd recover from this.

He sprayed the Super Potion onto his friend's injuries. They were clotting agents primarily, with a few Ditto cells to speed up regeneration of damaged tissue. It would disinfect and seal his wounds, and that was the important thing right now.

"You did great," Ash praised him. Douse grunted, happy despite his exhaustion. "Scizor was strong."

The Poliwrath nodded. The only Pokemon to bring him this low since evolving had been Flygon. Scizor had been the first adversary he'd battled on such even terms, but he'd emerged victorious.

Ash heard a hollow grunt and looked up from treating Douse to see Spectre hovering next to him with the Ultra Ball floating in his psychic grip. The trainer grinned and took the device, clipping it onto his belt.

"Thanks buddy," he told the ghost. Spectre nodded and Ash looked at Heracross next. "And thanks for taking us here. I don't know if we could've found Scizor without you."

Heracross seemed pleased and clicked, antennae quivering. There was still daylight, but Ash knew they could all use a break. "Let's set up camp, ok? We'll have something to eat to celebrate."

His team responded eagerly as they made themselves comfortable. Ash started to get their food ready, feeling happier than he'd been since they first ventured into the forest.

Chapter Text

Chapter Twenty: The Mantis

They spent one more night in Silver-Viridian Forest with Heracross.

It was a much-needed rest for all of them. After three weeks spent fighting their way through some of the most difficult terrain in Kanto, his team was drained. Heracross didn't seem tired at all, but then it hadn't been fighting everything that attacked them.

Still, Ash appreciated the beetle for being their guide. He had no idea if they'd have made it this far without Heracross to lead them on. Scizor might very well have evaded them entirely.

He hadn't released the mantis yet. It needed attention at a Pokemon Center—his whole team did, frankly—before he officially introduced himself.

So Scizor remained contained in the Ultra Ball on his belt while Ash strapped the saddle to Pyro's body the next morning. Heracross spent that time with Douse and the rest of his team, speaking one last time before they took off.

Once Pyro was ready, Ash faced them and whistled to gain their attention. It was time.

"Thanks again, Heracross. We couldn't have done this without you," Ash told it gratefully. His team echoed the sentiment and the beetle clicked happily. "Sure you don't want to come with us?"

He wasn't surprised when it refused again. Heracross was content in Silver-Viridian. Ash offered it a grin. "Well, maybe we'll see you again sometime. Here—a little something from us."

He opened up his bag and pulled out a large handful of Sitrus Berries. Heracross perked up and accepted the gift with waggling antennae. It clicked to him, then did the same for his team. They watched as the beetle turned and wandered off back into the depths of the forest.

Ash smiled as it disappeared. Heracross would be fine.

He recalled his team, mounted Pyro, and directed his starter to fly in the direction of Pewter City.

It was a short flight, only a couple of hours. They just had to cross the mountains between Silver-Viridian and the Pewter territories. Ash watched the landscape pass beneath them, leaning close to Pyro's warm scales.

The wind whistling past them was relaxing after a while. The fire-type was a steady flier, with none of the roughness from when he first evolved. Just as well. Ash hadn't felt nauseous during flight and he really didn't want to change that.

He watched the stone pass below them, a myriad of browns, blacks, grays, and whites. The natural colors were quite beautiful. If he had more time, he wouldn't have minded hiking through them. His team needed to heal, though. Perhaps later in the year, if he chose to train in this area for the Conference. It was well-suited for such.

His attention caught onto a speck of green and he frowned. It wasn't one of the tough trees growing on the mountainside or a shrub of some sort. It was…not quite right.

Curious, Ash patted Pyro's shoulder and pointed when his starter looked back at him. They had enough time for a quick stop. Pewter City wasn't quite in sight yet, but they weren't too far.

Pyro glided a bit lower and they worked their way closer to the object that had caught Ash's attention. He frowned. It looked vaguely like a deformed tree—no, a rock formation? What was—

He blanched as it moved, looked at them, and he knew.

"Turn around!" Ash yelped as the Tyranitar's eyes locked onto them and it roared in fury. Pyro spun on a dime—he might've thrown Ash off by accident if he wasn't strapped in. The Charizard's wings pounded as he surged to get away, flying higher and farther.

Ash spun and saw it rearing its head back with a familiar sphere of golden energy forming in its maw. "Hyper Beam! Dive!"

Pyro tucked in his wings and plunged, almost skimming the tops of nearby trees as the energy beam slashed through the sky above them with a hiss. He heard the Tyranitar roar again—the noise was immense, enough to shake the air itself. Another Hyper Beam followed them, but sputtered out well before it could catch up.

He glanced over his shoulder just to be safe. Tyranitar was nothing but a speck in the distance now. Ash let out a shaky breath and pat Pyro's shoulder. "We're okay."

The Charizard looked back to their attacker and growled, clearly as relieved as Ash. He loved to battle, but after weeks in Silver-Viridian he was worn out and didn't want to pick a fight with an angry monster like that.

Ash let his forehead fall to Pyro's warm scales, trying to catch his breath. That had been far too close. It was a good thing they'd remained in the sky and kept their distance.

He made a mental note to check his PokeNav for any Ranger alerts when they got to Pewter. The League was usually good about patrols and informing trainers when something dangerous was in the area. This close to Pewter, there should've been a warning of some kind indicating to trainers to stay away, but he'd gotten nothing.

If he didn't find one, chances were the Tyranitar was freshly evolved and hadn't been documented yet. He'd report the encounter to Brock just to be safe. The Gym Leader would know what to do.

Ash scowled and reached for his PokeNav, marking the location. So much for an easy flight to Pewter.

A few hours later, he checked his team out of the Pokemon Center and took them to the field out back. Some trainers were lingering around, but it was mostly empty. No one was battling at the moment.

Ash set his team loose—minus Scizor—and checked in on them. Douse's cuts were already mostly healed. His skin was fairly thin, but the thick muscles and bones were what kept him from being badly hurt most of the time.

Once he was satisfied everyone had recovered from their ordeal though Silver-Viridian, he held the Ultra Ball up for them to see. Their attention was fixated on the black and yellow sphere.

"You all know why we're here," he told them. "It's time to meet Scizor officially. You know to behave yourselves. Don't attack unless it does and fight to subdue. Go easy with the fire if it comes to that; it's pretty vulnerable to heat."

His team accepted his decision as one and spread out around him. Ash waited until they were prepared and then tapped the release on Scizor's Ultra Ball.

The huge mantis seemed even bigger up close; a seven-foot frame of crimson steel, massive pincers, and tight muscles. It was taller than any other member of his team, even Pyro (though the Charizard still had growing to do, to be fair). Ash released it a few meters away. It was leery of getting too close until he knew the insect would listen to him.

Scizor's golden eyes narrowed as they fixed on him and its pincers clicked. Pyro's lip curled back to expose his fangs. The insect studied them in silence.

"Are you feeling better?" Ash prompted. Scizor cocked its head slightly and its pincer clicked again. He figured that was the best he was going to get. "Good. You know what happened, right? We captured you."

The statement appeared to displease the mantis, but it glanced at Douse and the anger in its eyes halted. Reluctantly, it nodded.

"My name is Ash," he introduced himself. "This is my team. Pyro."

The Charizard growled and Scizor studied him with narrowed eyes, clearly displeased by the sight of the fire-type. Ash suspected it would dislike anything that had a natural advantage over it, especially one as dramatic as this.

"Pikachu."

Pikachu chittered, grinning mischievously as his tail flicked. Scizor barely spared him a glance before it dismissed him entirely.

"Sobek."

The Krookodile snarled and thrashed his tail. Scizor's claws clicked. Ash frowned. "Enough. Behave, Sobek."

Sobek obeyed, but he never took his eyes from Scizor. The insect only shifted its gaze when Ash moved on.

"You've met Douse."

Scizor was more interested in the Poliwrath than any of the others. It even nodded at him when the water-type offered a greeting. Ash imagined the mantis might not dislike Douse; he'd beaten it on his own power and however proud Scizor was, it clearly respected strength.

"And Spectre."

The Duskull rose from Ash's shadow and groaned out a greeting. Like Pikachu, Scizor didn't deem the ghost to be of much interest. It looked back at the boy after barely a second.

"We have a few more teammates elsewhere," he told it. "But this is everyone with me at the moment. We're training to be the strongest in the world. If you want, you can join us. But if you really don't want to get stronger, I could find a different home for you."

He was leery about bringing it back to Silver-Viridian. Ash wasn't sure why Heracross had led him to Scizor, but it had clearly thought the mantis needed to leave the forest. Maybe it had seized so much territory that it was pressuring the other inhabitants of its home. It had certainly claimed quite a bit of space for itself.

That wasn't surprising. Scizor were powerful bug-types; strong enough to rival Heracross, far more aggressive, and difficult to injure thanks to their steel carapace. For a Scyther to evolve into Scizor in the wild, it had to survive for quite a while—which was already impressive since they killed each other so often—and spend years consuming minerals found in the mountains near their forest homes.

It wasn't unheard of, but it was uncommon. And as Scizor, they could simply outclass and outmuscle most of the other bug-types sharing their territories. Heracross could match them, but again, the beetles didn't like to fight when they didn't have to. They'd sooner just move elsewhere to avoid a Scizor entirely.

Poison attacks would wash off of the metallic exoskeleton, utterly ineffective unless they managed to get into the bloodstream somehow. Grass and bug moves would barely scratch them. They were stronger, more durable, and nasty to fight if you couldn't get past the armor. And if they caught something in their massive pincers…well, it wouldn't end well.

If Scizor really didn't want to train with him, he'd find someone in the League to re-home it. They would know a place where Scizor wouldn't unbalance the environment.

But that was only if Scizor rejected him.

The mantis watched him with narrowed eyes. It seemed to be debating his offer.

"Or we could do a trial run. See if you like it before you decide," Ash suggested. "We'll be fighting a lot of powerful Pokemon in the future. It'd be worth your while."

Scizor's pincer clicked again, though more quietly. It thought for a minute longer before slowly nodding.

"You accept?" Ash prompted. Scizor grunted. He smiled. "Good. Do you want a name? Most of the team chose one for themselves."

At this, Scizor scoffed and looked away. He shrugged. Clearly, it hadn't quite warmed to him yet. "You can change your mind whenever you want."

Ash pulled out his Pokedex next and held it up towards the insect. "This will tell me a little bit about your moves. Do you mind? You won't have to do anything."

Scizor considered it before it nodded, watching him carefully. Ash nodded back and let the Pokedex scan the huge mantis. The droning voice echoed the data.

Scizor, the Pincer Pokemon. It swings eye-patterned pincers up to intimidate foes. This makes it look like it has three heads. Though its body is slim, Scizor has tremendous strength. Even its muscles are made of steel.

This Scizor is female and knows the moves Iron Defense, Bullet Punch, Metal Claw, Iron Head, Double Team, Focus Energy, Quick Attack, Slash, Hyper Beam, Night Slash, Fury Cutter, and X-Scissor. Its ability is Technician, which helps Scizor make pinpoint attacks.

Ash whistled. "You're really strong, Scizor."

Scizor didn't seem impressed by his assessment. Of course not. It—she, he corrected—knew she was powerful. She had dominated a good chunk of Silver-Viridian up until Ash captured her.

He could tell she was still on the fence as far as training with him was concerned. An idea took hold in his mind and he grinned.

"I'll tell you what," he began casually. "I need to go meet with a strong trainer in a little while here. Why don't I see if he'd be interested in a battle? You'll get a taste of the opponents we'll battle in the future."

That piqued her interest. Scizor cocked her head and nodded. Ash beamed. "Great! Are you hungry?"

She nodded again. A Pokemon of few words, it seemed. "Then let's get you something to eat. You'll need your energy to face Brock."

Once his team had their lunch—Scizor had pointedly taken her food and shifted away from the team to eat in private—Ash recalled them and made his way to Pewter Gym. Only Spectre remained out, tucked away in his trainer's shadow.

He watched a trainer—a new one, by the look of his clean shoes and new bag—walk out of the Gym with a sullen look on his face. Ash's lips twitched. Clearly, Brock had beaten this latest challenger.

Ash hoped he was still in the mood for a fight.

He entered the Gym and quickly sent in a challenge at the front desk. He was ushered in soon after—there probably weren't any other trainers in at the moment.

Brock was standing on the other end of the battlefield, his frown clearing when he saw Ash. "I thought your name sounded familiar. You back for a rematch?"

"Yeah. And something else, actually," he added. The Gym Leader frowned again, curious. "Can we talk for a minute?"

Brock nodded and they met by the stands. Ash pulled out his PokeNav on the way there.

"What's going on?"

"I just got out of Silver-Viridian Forest a few hours ago. I went looking for a bug-type," he explained when the young man arched an eyebrow. "We ran into a Tyranitar on our way here."

Brock's tanned face visibly blanched, but he hardened in an instant. "Where?"

"I marked the location," Ash offered him the PokeNav to inspect the coordinates. "It's far enough away that it's not a problem right now, but I couldn't find a Ranger alert warning people about it. My guess is it's freshly evolved."

"How'd you get away?"

"I was on my Charizard. We never landed. Once I realized what it was, we flew away. It still shot a few Hyper Beams at us."

"I'm glad you escaped. Thanks for this," Brock pulled out a PokeNav of his own and copied the coordinates. "I'll have the Rangers take a look. It's not too close, but chances are I'll investigate it personally. If we can't push it deeper into the mountains, I might catch it myself. I don't like wild Tyranitar within a stone's throw of my city as a general rule."

"I don't blame you," Ash admitted. Tyranitar were a lot more manageable in modern times than they'd been in the feudal era, but they were still viciously territorial and didn't take intrusions lightly. Their horrid tempers meant the League did the best it could to ensure they were kept satisfied or far, far away from civilization.

There were many tales of Tyranitar coming down from the mountains in the old days and obliterating whole towns. The stories claimed that maps needed to be redrawn when their fury was spent.

"So," Brock put his PokeNav away. "A battle?"

"If you don't mind. I caught a Scizor in the forest," Ash grinned at the surprised expression on Brock's face. Scizor weren't unheard of, but they were uncommon. "She's a mean, wild fighter. I want to convince her she'll find plenty of strong foes if she travels with us."

Brock grinned back. "Is that so? Well, I might have someone up for entertaining her. Single battle, two versus two?"

Ash nodded. That was acceptable. He hadn't planned on staying in Pewter that long, anyways.

They made their way to the ends of the field and Ash unclipped Scizor's Ultra Ball. He hurled the device onto the field and she materialized in a flash of light, looking around warily. She glanced back at him.

Ash pointed to Brock. "Get ready."

Scizor looked at the Gym Leader and clicked her claws. Brock admired the insect for a moment.

"Not bad. I'm curious to see how much stronger you are. I've heard some things about you," Brock pulled out a Pokeball and enlarged it. "Let's see what you've got!"

He threw the Pokeball and a large Rhydon emerged, snorting and rolling its massive shoulders. Its drill spun as it studied Scizor.

A League Alakazam hovered in the referee's box. Ash guessed the boy who had refereed for them last time—Forrest?—was elsewhere at the moment. Maybe school? No, it was summertime. Ah, well.

The Alakazam touched their minds and its voice announced the start of the match. Begin.

"Quick Attack to get close. Hit it with Bullet Punch," Ash ordered. "Test its defense."

Scizor vanished in a red blur, lunging across the field as her pincers glowed silver with power. Rhydon growled and spat Rock Blast at Brock's command. The mantis dove past them, leaping to one of the rock spires as she closed the distance.

She was quite agile, jumping great distances with ease. Ash wasn't surprised; though Scizor lost the ability to fly after evolving, they were impressively acrobatic thanks to the steel muscle fibers that ran through their bodies.

She smashed a flurry of Bullet Punches into Rhydon's hide, causing it to grunt. It swiped at her with Hammer Arm and she leapt back, wings buzzing.

Rhydon had absorbed the blows well, but she'd left a few cracks behind. Ash grinned at the sight; those pincers were heavy and incredibly hard. Most rock-types wouldn't just shrug off clean hits like that. Rhydon certainly hadn't.

"Stone Edge V2!" Brock commanded. Rhydon's eyes glowed as it materialized rings of jagged rock in the air around it. Sobek had recently learned this variant.

The smaller rocks were more energy efficient and easier to aim, though they didn't quite do as much damage as the standard version of Stone Edge. Rhydon thrust its arm towards Scizor, guiding the stones to attack the mantis.

"Iron Defense."

Scizor raised her claws in a guarding motion and her whole body gleamed. Stone Edge pelted her, but she only took a few steps back and didn't seem overly bothered. Ash hummed, satisfied with her defense. She could certainly take a hit.

"Metal Claw!"

Scizor lunged again and snatched at Rhydon's arm with her huge pincers. Though she couldn't grasp fully around the massive limbs, she still clamped down on the tough, grey hide and crushed until Rhydon bellowed in pain.

Rhydon's trapped arm glowed and it shoved it towards her, trying to hurl Scizor away. She let go, only to dive back in and smash another round of Bullet Punches into its damaged armor. The cracks worsened.

"Earthquake!" Brock snapped. Rhydon roared and leapt up, coming down to unleash a ridiculous amount of force into the field. Scizor leapt back, grimacing as she landed and felt the shockwaves ripple through her. It wouldn't hurt her that badly, but Ash didn't want her to take too many hits. For all the strength of her armor, it wasn't impenetrable and she would tire quickly once she was hurt enough.

"Flamethrower! Keep it away!"

Ash scowled as Rhydon unleashed a torrent of fire from its maw. Brock had realized Scizor would overwhelm the rock-type in a direct battle. She was too fast and hit really, really hard. "Double Team!"

Scizor was quick to split into a dozen illusionary copies, concealing herself behind a boulder while Rhydon mowed the fakes down. She glared at Ash, displeased by the introduction of fire to the battle.

"Focus Energy," he told her quietly. "Double Team to confuse it, then Bullet Punch. Go for the weak spot."

She didn't do anything for a moment, but then nodded and stilled, concentrating. Focus Energy would help steady her body and mind. Once she had settled some, Scizor's eyes flashed open and she lunged out from her hiding place, splitting into more clones and lunging for Rhydon with all the speed she had.

It was clear she wanted to end this as soon as possible. Flamethrower was a very unwelcome addition to the battle.

Rhydon blasted the clones frantically with Flamethrower, but Scizor managed to flank it and drove a Bullet Punch into its temple, stunning the rock-type. Before it could recover, she smashed a dozen blows into its cracking armor. Rhydon howled.

Brock shouted frantically and the rock-type's maw flickered with fire. Ash reacted in an instant. "Metal Claw! Pin it down!"

Scizor understood the gist of what he wanted and snatched Rhydon's drill in one of her pincers. She leapt onto its back and shoved forward, unbalancing the rock-type enough that it crashed face-first into the field. Snarling, it tried to push back onto its forelimbs, but Scizor had had enough.

She placed two savage Bullet Punches into the back of its head and the giant dropped, unconscious. Scizor didn't get off of it, claws raised in case it rose again, but she was forced to shift when Brock recalled it with a sigh.

"I keep telling Rhydon not to tank everything," he muttered with a frown. "He's too cocky about his armor."

Ash's lips rose. "Maybe this'll teach him otherwise. Back to our side, Scizor."

The mantis stalked back, wings buzzing in an effort to cool her body. The flames hadn't struck her, but she was definitely exerted and heating up. She needed a moment to recover.

He smiled. "That was good. Think you can take one more?"

Scizor's pincers clicked. She didn't seem overjoyed, but she was interested. Rhydon had probably taken more effort to bring down than most foes she'd encountered in Silver-Viridian.

Brock pulled out another Pokeball, but it was stark white with red lining where a normal Pokeball was black. He considered Scizor for a moment.

"I think you're strong enough to handle one of my main team," Brock grinned dangerously. "I hope you're ready!"

The strange Pokeball was thrown onto the field and what emerged was something that caught Ash completely off-guard.

It looked vaguely like a Scyther with its long, scythe-shaped forelimbs, but it was more compact, with a brown, stony hide and a huge crescent-shaped head. A pair of dark, narrow eyes gazed out at them and Ash watched, fascinated, as it dragged its massive claws against each other. The motion produced a sound like grinding stone.

Kabutops. He'd seen them in the Pokedex, but never thought he'd see one in person. They were incredibly rare due to the cloning process needed to bring them back from extinction. Not to mention they were expensive and difficult to maintain, with specialized dietary and environmental needs to keep them thriving in this strange world.

Resurrected Fossil Pokemon were miracles of science, to say the least. The clones were as unfamiliar with civilization as their ancestors, and their temperaments varied from simply wild to savage. Even herbivorous species tended to be a lot more aggressive; their instincts remembered the violent world of the ancient past. It took time to get them used to modern life.

Scizor stared at the fossil, clearly unsure what to make of it. But she knew it was dangerous. Her pincers clicked and Kabutops rubbed its scythes together again. It was shorter than Scizor, just barely under five feet, but Ash had no doubt it was powerful to be a part of Brock's main team.

His eyes narrowed. This was a surprise, but he wasn't going to let Brock defeat them.

"Be careful," he told Scizor quietly. "Keep your distance at first. Give your body a chance to cool down."

She shifted at his words, but never took her eyes from Kabutops.

The League Alakazam's eyes flashed. Begin.

Scizor immediately used Double Team, darting behind a few boulders to prevent Kabutops from spotting her. The living fossil watched her copies, but didn't move much. It spat pinpoint Water Guns, destroying two of the illusions with impressive accuracy.

Scizor carefully observed her foe, wings fluttering as she cooled off. That was something they'd have to work on, Ash noted. She wasn't wanting for stamina, but she needed to improve her ability to fight for long periods of time. If she overheated, she'd deteriorate swiftly and leave herself vulnerable.

Brock quickly tired of their game. "Ancient Power."

Kabutops stabbed the tips of its scythes into the field and closed its eyes in concentration. Ash froze as the field trembled.

Each of the stone spires littering the field were lifted into the air, controlled by silver power. Scizor's hiding place simply floated away and she stared with wide eyes at the testament to Kabutops' strength.

If she hadn't taken the fossil seriously before, she was now.

"Quick Attack! Double Team!" Ash shouted. "Close the distance!"

Scizor lunged into motion just as Kabutops began to hurl the boulders at her. She leapt to and fro, jumping from the field to the floating stones and back again. Several of her clones were crushed by the thunderous impacts of Ancient Power.

Four of the boulders were kept aloft close to Kabutops itself. As Scizor got close, it threw all of them at her at once. Ash shouted a warning and she barely dove around them as the massive rocks pulverized the space she'd occupied a moment before.

Kabutops was ready for her, blades held up as Scizor righted herself and lunged in to engage it. Its body was enveloped in water as it shot forward, barreling into the mantis. The Aqua Jet almost bowled her over, but she managed to brace herself and kept her footing.

Scizor snarled and hammered her metallic pincers into its crescent-shaped head, driving Kabutops into the ground. Even then, it caught itself by driving its scythes into the field again and looked up to spit a pressurized Water Gun into her chest, pushing her back. In an instant, it was back on its feet.

Water enveloped the scythes as they glowed silver—some sort of combination he couldn't identify at a glance—and it started slicing at her in a flurry of blows Ash could scarcely keep track of. Scizor watched carefully and backpedaled, meeting the cuts with precise Bullet Punches to repel them. But every now and then, Kabutops would fire another pinpoint Water Gun at her to push her back, keeping Scizor on the defense.

The water kept her cool, but eventually that damage would add up. Ash waited, eyes narrowed, until it prepared to spit at her again. He barked, "Iron Defense!"

Scizor's body glowed and she managed to block the next Water Gun with one of her pincers just in time. She darted forward inside Kabutops' guard and drove another Bullet Punch into its massive head. The fossil recoiled and leapt back. Believing it was on the run, she charged after it.

Ash saw the trap for what it was too late. Small stones—fragments from Ancient Power—were scattered around the field. "Look out! Iron Defense!"

Scizor barely caught his command in time. She flashed silver as Kabutops directed the Stealth Rocks to fly up into its opponent. They pelted Scizor from every direction, striking at the joints of her arms and legs with incredible accuracy. Even with Iron Defense, Ash saw her stagger when she attempted to retreat.

He scowled. Going for a Scizor's joints was brilliant if you couldn't damage the exoskeleton effectively. Their great weight would leave them struggling to keep up.

Scizor's pincers already looked heavier. She'd held them aloft easily at the start of the battle, but Kabutops' masterful use of Stealth Rock had crippled her.

The fossil struck Scizor with a Hydro Pump now, leaving the Water Guns behind in favor of greater power. She was thrown across the field by the pressurized blast, but managed to keep her footing, albeit barely.

She screeched furiously at Kabutops and Ash protested as she heaved her pincers up to charge a Hyper Beam. Common sense was gone in her rage.

Kabutops watched, waited, and simply formed a Protect as the energy was unleashed. The blast was immense, but it didn't so much as scratch the fossil. Scizor sagged, even weaker now.

An Aqua Jet had Kabutops shooting towards her, scythe raised to cut her down. Her pincers were too heavy, she was too tired—

Ash recalled Scizor before the blow could land. Kabutops stopped immediately and shuffled back to Brock's side of the field, its battle fury gone. A clear display of the discipline its trainer had instilled into it.

He frowned at the Ultra Ball. She'd done well until she lost her cool. Taking serious damage seemed to make Scizor wild. He remembered how vicious she'd been fighting Douse.

Hm. They'd work on that. Regardless, she'd fought excellently up until the last few moments. Ash made a few mental notes he'd record in his PokeNav later for future reference.

"Freshly-caught, all right," Brock called to him. "Not bad for a new capture, though."

"She'll learn. I'll teach her to be better," Ash replied. He murmured honest praise and set Scizor's Ultra Ball back on his belt. "I think this was good for her."

"We'll see, won't we? Wanna keep going?"

He grinned and grabbed another Pokeball. "Of course!"

Pikachu emerged, cheeks sparking as he set eyes on Kabutops. The fossil watched him with the same calm as its trainer.

"Be careful. Kabutops is faster than it looks and it hits hard. It uses Ancient Power and Stealth Rock to manipulate the field," he murmured. "Keep your distance. Paralyze it if you can."

The electric-type nodded, readying himself. Pikachu had gotten stronger in Silver-Viridian, but this would be a true test to see if he was catching up to the rest of the team. Kabutops might be vulnerable to electricity, but there was no way Brock wouldn't have found ways around that.

Alakazam's voice reached them. Last bout. Begin.

"High Speed. Keep moving," Ash ordered. Pikachu darted into motion, a yellow blur as he rushed around the field. He fired a Thunderbolt, only for Kabutops to lower itself to the ground and drench mud absolutely all over itself. It wouldn't completely negate the effect of electric attacks, but it would make them more bearable.

Ash kept that little trick in mind. Douse could use it.

A few moves passed between them. Pikachu couldn't really electrocute Kabutops, (what it didn't dodge, the mud coating absorbed for the most part) but even after it used Rock Polish, it couldn't hit the mouse. No matter if Pikachu wasn't quite as strong as Ash's hardest hitters, one couldn't deny that he was ridiculously fast.

"Aqua Polish. Catch it," Brock gave the command when it was clear Kabutops wouldn't catch the mouse. Ash's eyes narrowed.

Kabutops' body glowed before it became enveloped in Aqua Jet, then it blitzed after Pikachu with blinding speed. It didn't manage to close the gap, but it was keeping up better than Ash expected. If it caught Pikachu, that would end the fight. He wasn't nearly durable enough to take a hit from a beast like this.

Still, there was an opportunity here. Ash waited until Pikachu dove to one side with his better agility and Kabutops spun, twisting after its opponent, before he shouted. "Electroweb!"

Pikachu wound up the lightning around his tail and threw it right into the charging Kabutops. That coating of mud was washing off with Aqua Jet's use. The trick was useful, but the acceleration technique had backfired on their defense strategy.

Kabutops groaned in pain as it crashed headfirst into the electrical net, spasming painfully for all the water soaking its body. It slashed itself free, but some damage had gotten through.

"Mud Shot!" Brock snapped, scowling as he realized he'd played himself trying to catch Pikachu.

Pikachu yelped as Kabutops almost struck it, mud splattering parts of his fur, but it didn't hurt the electric-type. Before Kabutops could aim again, he whirled towards it and unleashed a Thunder Wave.

The fossil used Ancient Power in a hurry, dragging a stone up to block the electricity. More energy-efficient than using Protect, but it wasn't enough. Pikachu lunged around it and slammed a Charge Beam into its back. Kabutops was thrown forward with an angry screech.

A Thunder Wave was immediately hurled into Kabutops and Brock's face tightened as the fossil's muscles clenched. The shock would cause awful cramps by conducting the impurities in the water—minerals and the like—and leave Kabutops in a state of terrible discomfort.

"Dig!"

"Thunderbolt!"

Ash frowned as Kabutops managed to dive underground faster than he would've expected. The ground practically opened up beneath it and the fossil fell into a pit, closing the space above so Pikachu couldn't electrocute it.

"Back," he ordered. Pikachu rushed to their side of the field, ears pricked and ready for anything. "Get ready."

They waited for a minute, wound tight as Kabutops prepared whatever trap it had in mind to finish them. Ash imagined part of the reason it took so long was because of the paralysis. Pikachu's shocks would bypass its armor and really leave it hurting.

The field shook again and Ash's frown deepened. Ancient Power. It was probably using a sensory system like Sobek's to figure out where Pikachu was. Vibrations and such.

New boulders rose and flung themselves at Pikachu, but the mouse was so fast that he could easily evade them. High Speed left him nearly impossible to catch for the injured fossil. The fact that it didn't try to use Stealth Rock again told him how badly off it was.

Pikachu jumped over a boulder and the ground beneath him suddenly exploded. Ash froze as huge claws rushed out, trying to catch the mouse in their deadly grip. He shouted a warning too late.

But Pikachu didn't need it. Instead of trying to escape, he angled himself between the bladed arms and latched onto Kabutops' chest, unleashing a disgusting amount of electricity before it could slash him. The fossil convulsed, unable to retaliate. It couldn't even crawl out of the pit in the ground as Pikachu leapt away from it, still wary.

Kabutops scratched at the ground, trying to push itself up. Ash glared at it. "Thunderbolt."

Pikachu fired. A Protect came up to block and Kabutops spat a mouthful of mud he easily evaded. A second Thunderbolt struck home.

It finally fell. Brock recalled it.

Ash grinned and whistled, calling his friend back to him. "Great job! I knew you could do it."

Pikachu snickered, pleased with his success. He leapt onto Ash's shoulder as they walked around the field to meet with Brock.

"Nicely done. Can't believe I screwed myself like that," he groaned. "I was getting flashbacks to Surge's rodent. Kabutops hates electric moves. They go right past her armor."

He grinned at the compliment. "Surge had Pikachu with him for a couple of months."

"That explains a lot," Brock grumbled. "Well, I don't have a badge for you, but you've got my respect. You handled Kabutops well. She's not easy to bring down."

"I didn't know you had a Fossil Pokemon."

"We've got an institute in the city doing research on them. I actually have a few more," he admitted. "They're also on my main team, but I only let them out against Pokemon I know can handle them. Omastar is merciless and Rampardos hits harder than most can handle. I have to be careful."

Ash believed him. He wasn't well-read on Fossil Pokemon, but he resolved to change that. He wouldn't be caught off-guard by an opponent like this again.

"It was a good battle," Ash held a hand out. "I appreciate it."

"Same. Thanks for warning me about Tyranitar. I'll get right on that," Brock shook his hand. Ash said his farewells and left the Pewter Gym behind.

Ash had Scizor and Pikachu healed up at the Pokemon Center (Pikachu really just needed to be cleaned) before they left Pewter behind. There wasn't much time in the day, so he mounted Pyro and simply resolved to cover what distance they could before night came.

They'd be heading to Celadon next. Ash still had a bit more than three weeks before he needed to be in Lavender Town to see Agatha, but he'd rather be early than late. For now, he planned on visiting the Department Store to buy some new TMs and maybe get a rematch out of Erika before they made their way to Lavender.

They stopped in the wilderness as the sun fell. Ash set up camp and released his team once dinner was ready.

Scizor came out last, tense until she realized the fight was behind them. The rest of the team was already eating as Ash offered her food. She accepted, eyes narrowed as she watched him.

"You did good," he told her as he sat down. She opted to remain standing and scoffed at his praise. "Really. You took down Rhydon pretty cleanly. You even took on Kabutops evenly for a while. But you got careless at the end."

Scizor's wings buzzed behind her. She didn't seem pleased by the mention of her loss. Ash shrugged. "Kabutops isn't even close to the strongest Pokemon we'll meet. Brock's good, but he's not as strong as some other Gym Leaders. There are trainers we'll face in the Conference who are better than them. Beyond them are the Elite Four and the Champion…There's a long way to go."

He took a bite of the sandwich he'd prepared for himself. "I have a few ideas for you. Ways to help keep you from overheating. If you can blitz an opponent, it's not so bad, but drawn-out fights are difficult, aren't they?"

Scizor regarded him with the faintest suggestion of curiosity. She allowed herself a slight nod. He gestured for her to sit across from him and after a few moments she acquiesced, eating slowly as she watched the boy. It was clear she still didn't quite trust him.

"We'll be stopping by Celadon City tomorrow," Ash told her. "I'll be able to get some TMs to teach you new moves. I think Flash Cannon will help a lot. You'll be able to attack at range…"

Ash was awoken by the unwelcome sound of angry roaring.

He jolted upwards in an instant and whirled around until he spotted Sobek and Scizor striking at each other. The rest of the team was awake in an instant and rose up. Given that Spectre hadn't warned him, Ash had to assume Scizor had attacked the Krookodile unawares.

Sobek was pissed. He snarled and sank his fangs into Scizor's pincer when it was swung at him, clamping down with enough force to elicit an audible crack. The mantis hissed and drove a Bullet Punch into his head in an attempt to make him let go, but he wasn't having it.

"ENOUGH!" Ash shouted. Sobek immediately released his grip, spitting and furious. Scizor's pincers clicked, ready to keep going regardless of her trainer's wishes. He whipped towards the mantis, eyes blazing. "I said stop!"

Scizor glanced at him, like she was considering whether it would be worth it to disobey him. Ash's hand lingered over her Ultra Ball, but fortunately it wasn't necessary.

Douse stepped in, the self-assigned mediator of the team, and grunted at Sobek to back off before he faced Scizor. The insect paid him more attention, listening to the gurgles of the Poliwrath before she responded with clicks and hisses. She gestured to Sobek with her wounded pincer—it had a crescent of puncture marks from his powerful teeth—and clicked again.

Douse seemed to consider her words before he looked at Ash, gesturing to Scizor before he lightly tapped his fists together. He understood that.

"You want to battle," Ash sighed. She nodded. "We can battle, but don't just jump the team. You'll have plenty of chances during training, ok?"

She clicked her pincers, dissatisfied, and looked at Douse again with a frown. The Poliwrath listened for a moment, then faced Ash again. He gestured to Sobek, grunting, and then to Pyro and the others one at a time.

"You want to fight all of them?" Scizor's pincers clicked. She pointed to Douse and hissed, then repeated his gesture to the others.

He figured it out after a moment. "You want to test them."

Now she nodded firmly. Ash tapped his hand against his leg in thought. It seemed she wanted to establish a clear pecking order (or at least know where she stood) amongst the team. Scyther and Scizor weren't incredibly social in the wild, but they did fight one another for territorial rights. There was an unspoken hierarchy, at least when they weren't killing each other.

Douse had already proven that he could take her on and win. The others hadn't. It was easy to see that didn't respect them the way she did the Poliwrath—she actually listened to him.

And it was clear she'd be agitated and unruly until she had established herself to a satisfactory degree. Ash glanced at Sobek. "Are you up for this?"

Sobek roared at Scizor, who snapped back to face him with her pincers clicking. She was taller than him, but seemed more wary after he'd proven he could bite through her carapace. Ash dryly imagined she'd never met something capable of that.

"Fine. Everyone clear some space. You spar until I say otherwise. Both of you, aim only to incapacitate. We don't want any serious injuries out here. There's still a ways to go before we reach Celadon. Sobek, no fire."

The Krookodile's long tail thrashed, content with his decision. The "no fire" rule was mostly in place because Ash wasn't sure the mantis would respect Sobek if he won by utilizing such a glaring weakness. Scizor said nothing, but she didn't protest either.

Ash felt ridiculous for doing this in his pajamas. Nonetheless, he crossed his arms and barked. "Go!"

Scizor immediately lunged, pincers glowing pale green with use of Fury Cutter. She started slashing in a blur of motion even as Sobek formed a ring of jagged rocks around him and hurled them at her.

She shattered most of them with her tough pincers, but a few tagged Scizor. They barely slowed her down as she reached Sobek and started swiping. He met the first couple of blows with Brick Break. One Fury Cutter slashed through the scales of his shoulder and the croc snarled angrily.

Scizor swung again and he clamped his jaws around her pincer as it came in. She winced, hissing, but was wrenched around as Sobek twisted and threw her aside. The mantis regained her balance with ease and dove back in with an X-Scissor.

Sobek slammed his claws into the ground and used the original variant of Stone Edge, triggering a line of huge stones to erupt from below. Scizor reacted quickly, opting to pulverize the oncoming boulders with Metal Claw instead. Shattered fragments of rock were thrown everywhere.

Spectre hovered in front of Ash and caught a few errant pebbles with Psychic, dropping them harmlessly to the ground. He murmured his thanks. The trainer watched the battle with sharp eyes.

Scizor beat past the last Stone Edge and attempted another X-Scissor, which Sobek met with Foul Play. Unfortunately, darkness did not clash well against bug-type energy, and his counter was overcome—enough for Scizor to slash his chest. It wasn't deep thanks to his scales, but it made him mad.

Considering his rude awakening, it put him in a truly foul mood. Sobek roared, shoving Scizor back and leaping up to trigger an Earthquake. They all staggered and a moment later the Krookodile had dug underground.

Scizor's eyes narrowed as she leered at the hole Sobek had left behind. Her pincers clicked and she howled; a challenge or an insult, Ash wasn't sure.

He sighed. Scizor hadn't known Sobek long enough to grasp how he fought. And she didn't know his temper like the rest of the team. The Krookodile was done playing fairly. He wanted to win and he would pull every dirty trick in and out of the book to do it.

Ash knew what the ground-type's plan was before the ground around Scizor's feet gave way into sand. The mantis looked down with a grunt, shifting uncomfortably on the uncertain terrain, and that was when Sobek erupted from behind her.

He snapped his jaws into her leg and yanked, pulling her feet out from under her. Scizor hit the sand face-first as Sobek roared, leaping onto her back and snapping at her with his terrible jaws. Ash winced as the croc bit into her thorax just behind the wings.

Scizor screeched and scrabbled to get up, but the sand slipping beneath her heavy body made it almost impossible for her to gain any sort of traction. Sobek snarled and lightning sparked from his fangs. Desperate, Scizor's pincer opened and golden energy formed within.

Spectre formed a Protect in front of Ash as the Hyper Beam exploded, sending both combatants flying away. Sobek landed on all fours, growling and hissing and Scizor staggered to her feet. She was hurt—the Hyper Beam had done more damage to her than to Sobek—but still willing to go on. Ash could see the dents in the steel carapace where he'd bitten her.

Scizor's exoskeleton was tough, but few defenses in the world could shrug off the obscene crushing power of a Krookodile's jaws.

Her wings buzzed to cool her overheating body, (they really needed to address that issue as soon as possible, he thought absently) but she twitched in pain from the lasting effects of the Thunder Fang. Her limbs looked heavier already.

Sobek didn't give her a moment to rest. He formed another ring of Stone Edge and hurled the rocks at her. Scizor brought her pincers up in a guard and used Iron Defense, but even though she blocked the Stone Edge, she was unprepared for Sobek to rush her in a frenzy of claws and snapping teeth.

He dove under her pincers, bit her leg, and yanked her off her feet once more. She almost crushed her wings under her own weight, but the sand was cushion enough to avoid that. Scizor weren't meant to fall on their backs.

Sobek jumped at her again, pinning her beneath him as he snapped electrified teeth at her. She tried to strike him with her pincers, but he grabbed the thinner arms and shoved them down. The position was awkward; her limbs were still jolting from Thunder Fang.

Sobek went to bite her face.

Ash drew the line. "That's enough!"

The Krookodile let go immediately, backing off with a sneer curling his lip. Scizor groaned, shifting on the sand for a few seconds before she managed to roll to her side without crushing her wings. She pushed herself up, only to stagger and sit instead.

She seemed dazed. If Ash had to guess, she wasn't used to taking such heavy blows. He'd noticed it first during her fight against Douse; Scizor hit incredibly hard and she could overwhelm just about anything she got her claws on, but if she took a big attack her stamina suffered for it. He imagined most Pokemon in Silver-Viridian Forest had been too weak to hurt her or weren't stupid enough to attack after she evolved.

It was the noticeable difference between wild Pokemon and their trained counterparts. A Pokemon fighting for survival only exercised as much energy as was necessary. Training hard wasn't practical for most of them unless resources were abundant and threats were minimal.

Battling Pokemon trained constantly and devoted all their will and energy into growing stronger. Scizor was powerful, but she didn't have the endurance or strategies in place to defeat enemies that could match or overwhelm her. Few wild Pokemon possessed those hard-earned skills when they were first captured.

Right now she was raw. Unrefined. They'd work on that.

Ash knelt by Scizor, though he kept a short distance away just to be safe. They didn't know each other well yet. She blinked at him, quickly regaining her bearings.

"That was good. One of Sobek's bites is usually enough to knock most Pokemon out. You powered through a few of them," Ash told her. She studied the puncture wounds on her once-unmarred armor and the faint trickles of dark goop—blood. The Krookodile had literally crushed any old illusions that her carapace was impregnable.

"He can do better," Ash glanced at his old friend with a grin. Sobek snorted, tail lashing. He still looked ready to go in spite of his wounds. It was mild; he'd heal quickly. Both of them would. The boy looked back at Scizor. "You can do better."

He meant that. Never mind the obvious fact that Scizor was powerful, she wasn't fighting effectively. She still relied heavily on her instincts and brute strength, and she didn't have any experience fighting Pokemon outside of the species native to Silver-Viridian. The only reason Sobek had overwhelmed her the way he had was by exploiting that weakness.

In time, she'd be able to take him on evenly. Ash knew she could.

She absorbed his words for a moment before nodding slowly. It would take time for her to integrate fully into the team, but this would help.

"Let's get you two fixed up and have breakfast," he said. "We've still got to reach Celadon today."

Chapter Text

Chapter Twenty-One: The Dojo

Ash furrowed his brow as he considered the TMs he'd gathered. He wanted all of them, but he'd have to set a few aside to purchase at a later day to ensure he didn't run too low on funds.

Celadon Department Store was as busy as ever, crammed full of trainers seeking to buff their teams in one way or another. Ash had arrived a few hours ago and after ensuring his team was healed up, he went out to get a few new toys for them.

He'd already stocked up on their food and the supplements he added to their meals, purchasing additional vitamins for Scizor. In addition to his own research, he'd sent a message to Professor Oak shortly after her capture for any advice.

Scizor typically ate much the same food as most bug-types, but they needed extra iron in their diet to keep their exoskeleton and steel-bonded muscle fibers strong. Ash took note of the Professor's suggestions and made the necessary purchases.

It wasn't like Pokemon food was particularly expensive, after all. Most of it was a blend of berries, fruits, and naturally-occurring vitamins they'd typically find in the wild. The supplements helped with the daily rigors of training and battle, bringing trained specimens to prime condition. Additional vitamins and minerals could be a bit expensive, but nothing bank-breaking.

Ash had had a fairly successful career as a trainer so far, anyway. He wasn't wanting for lack of cash, though he wasn't reckless in his spending. Hence his struggle to choose from the TMs he had at his fingertips.

He'd already decided to purchase two moves for Scizor. She needed to expand her ranged options outside of Hyper Beam and also desperately lacked a reliable way to cool her body in the thick of battle.

Flash Cannon would get her started on extra range. He'd teach her Bug Buzz before they challenged Sabrina, too (that would be an easy one).

In addition to Flash Cannon, he'd picked up Rain Dance. It was an odd choice for a Scizor, but Ash had heard about some interesting uses for the move outside of the norm.

Rain Dance and many of its counterparts—Sunny Day, Sandstorm, etc—were typically used to manipulate the weather on a small scale. It could be very energy-expensive if you tried to bring down a storm on a battlefield, as exhausting as something like Hyper Beam. Truly powerful Pokemon could pull them off with little effort, but they weren't usually practical for new trainers.

But he'd seen firsthand that manipulating weather wasn't all they were good for. Wes' Hitmontop had utilized a tiny Sandstorm to block Sobek's Incinerate during their battle. It wouldn't make an actual Sandstorm—Ash would bet the effort of doing so would exhaust the fighting-type—but that tiny variant was enough to serve as a buffer against certain attacks.

Rain Dance could be used in much the same way. Ash planned on Scizor learning how to form a sheen of dew over her armor. It would help keep her cool, sucking out some of the heat she produced in battle. If she could keep it up for a while, it would improve her stamina greatly.

It would be a project, he knew. Ash planned on getting her Sandstorm as well for additional defensive options, (and the sand could be used in much the same way to remove some of the excess heat) but decided that would be a purchase for another time. Best to work on Rain Dance and Flash Cannon for now—he didn't want to overwhelm her with too many new techniques to master.

He wanted to buy at least one or two more moves for his team. Ash decided against buying something for Espeon. In addition to whatever lessons Oak's Alakazam was putting her through, she'd only recently learned Zap Cannon and would need time to master it.

Jasmine he also decided against. He didn't want to commit to anything until she'd evolved and he could spend more time on her. He wasn't sure what all Dragonite was teaching her, either. No need to buy something she might already have available.

Ash debated getting something for Pikachu, but ultimately chose not to. He had the Light Screen TM from the St. Anne already. They'd work on mastering that.

Spectre was another temptation. Ash had recently taught him Dark Pulse with another TM he'd won on the St. Anne, but he looked at the Trick Room TM longingly. He had some ideas that could be outright disgusting if they mastered them.

But Trick Room was immensely complicated to master and energy-expensive. He didn't think Spectre would have the power necessary to pull it off until he was at least a Dusclops, maybe not even until he was a Dusknoir. Sighing, he put Trick Room aside.

At least Spectre would probably learn a number of equally nasty tricks from Agatha. Maybe he'd ask the Ghost Master for an opinion on his ideas…Sabrina would probably be able to provide some input, too. She would know about Trick Room's practicality better than just about anyone else.

Ash shelved his diabolical plans for the ghost's future opponents and focused on his remaining choices.

Sobek had also learned Dark Pulse in recent weeks via TM, in addition to Night Slash. Neither move was particularly difficult for him to master. Ash thought about buying Earth Power, but he was pretty sure he could teach it to Sobek (and Douse, actually) on his own. It wasn't a complicated technique, it simply required finer control to utilize than something like Earthquake.

He set Earth Power aside after another moment of internal debate. The only TM he'd chosen for sure beyond Flash Cannon and Rain Dance was Steel Wing; Pyro had mastered Wing Attack—not that that had taken him much effort in the first place—and could use a few more options. Metal Claw was useful, but Steel Wing would give him some more options. And when Jasmine eventually evolved into Dragonite, she could learn it, too.

One more TM, he decided. He wouldn't be crippling his funds if he got one more.

Ash was torn between Dragon Pulse and Poison Jab. On the one hand, Dragon Pulse could be used by several members of his team; Pyro, Sobek, and Jasmine once she evolved. Then again, he wasn't sure if he should buy it. Jasmine might very well be learning Dragon Pulse from Dragonite, and if she figured it out she could teach the others. The TM wouldn't be necessary in that case.

Poison Jab would be just another option for Douse, but beyond that Ash's team lacked any sort of poison-type moves. Well, Espeon was learning Toxic thanks to Wes, but he wasn't sure if she'd mastered it yet. Getting a better grasp for them could help when he had his rematch with Koga.

Douse had improved his move pool greatly since evolving. Drain Punch, Submission, Close Combat…his fighting-type repertoire was growing quickly. But variation was important, and admittedly he didn't have as many options typing-wise as Ash would like. Poison Jab would be a step in the right direction.

The same could be said for several members of his team, but if he could address them all at once, he would have.

In the end, he opted for a less-expensive, one-use copy of Poison Jab. No one else on the team could learn it, so he'd give it to Douse and focus on other techniques for Pyro and Sobek. Dragon Pulse could wait until Jasmine evolved.

His decision made, Ash took the TMs he wanted to the line at the counter. There was a little more than two weeks before he needed to be in Lavender Town to meet Agatha; plenty of time to get some work done with his team.

He let them have the night off before they started training the next morning. He'd be flying with Pyro during the day, but it would only be another day or two before he reached Lavender. Then they'd be training all the time on the outskirts of the town. While they traveled, they'd practice in the mornings and evenings.

Ash was tempted to have another go at Erika while he was in Celadon, but opted against it. He wanted his team to grow a bit more and if Scizor could master her new moves in the coming weeks, Erika's true team might be a decent challenge for her to test them.

He'd challenge her to a rematch before they went after Koga, Ash decided. By then, he'd have fought Sabrina (and defeated her, he hoped) and his team would enjoy an additional test of their strength.

He gave most of his team new TMs that morning. Pyro got Steel Wing, Douse Poison Jab, and Scizor Flash Cannon. He would give her Rain Dance after she'd mastered the steel-type move. Ash suspected it wouldn't take her very long. She had more than enough firepower to pull it off. After she figured it out to an acceptable degree, they'd work Rain Dance in—he didn't want to overwhelm her since she was so new at training with him.

Ash did give Pikachu Light Screen after some debate. The Alolan spices in his experimental diet probably wouldn't have much of an effect on his psychic capacity now, but it wouldn't hurt to stretch them a bit more beyond Agility. Maybe it would influence his evolution a little? If nothing else, Light Screen was a useful defense against energy-based attacks.

The rest of his team didn't get new TMs yet. Sobek would be working on Earth Power and Spectre would be improving Dark Pulse—he wasn't quite used to manipulating its energy effectively yet—and learning Night Shade on the side. A simple ghost-type move, but it would offer some extra options.

Once everything was ready, he explained his plans to the team and separated them into pairs. Sobek he pit against Pikachu, Pyro was with Spectre, and Douse was with Scizor.

Douse was the only one on good terms with the mantis at the moment. She seemed to have formed new respect for Sobek after their spar, but he wasn't sure the croc was feeling particularly friendly after she'd jumped him.

Well. He'd let go of his grudge with enough time. For now, best to ease their newest teammate in slowly.

He did catch Scizor eyeing Pyro speculatively. It seemed she wanted to test him next; he was the only one of Ash's major powerhouses (besides Espeon) she hadn't battled yet. Her pincers clicked as the fire-type swung his head around and caught her gaze.

Pyro snorted a plume of red-blue flame and the mantis paused briefly before turning away. Ash hid a smile. Maybe Scizor would avoid fighting Pyro for the foreseeable future. She hated fire.

He walked around the group of training Pokemon, slipping in commands, advice, and praise depending on what was needed. Most of his team knew the drill by now. Scizor would occasionally glance around to inspect the others, but much of her focus was on Douse.

The Poliwrath beat his spiral pattern with a hand and grunted something to the mantis, who listened intently before nodding. Ash watched as she lifted her pincer, charging silver energy within the gaping claw, and fired the Flash Cannon right into Douse's belly.

He took a step back, but reacted with little else. Douse grunted again and Scizor's eyes narrowed. She swung both pincers up this time and charged up a much larger Flash Cannon that almost knocked the water-type off his feet. Almost.

Douse was fairly resistant to steel-type moves thanks to his dense, but flexible body, so he shrugged them off without taking much damage. Ash wasn't too worried; the Poliwrath could take a beating before he was actually hurt. He'd proven that already to Scizor.

She seemed motivated given the lack of effect she was having on her sparring partner, especially when he fired a Hydro Pump at her to get her moving. Scizor dodged neatly before shooting another Flash Cannon at him. Ash's lips twitched upwards.

Trust Douse to work around Scizor's prickly personality.

The rest of his team was doing well. Sobek was working on Earth Power, generating the energy in a crack along the ground that Pikachu would block and endure with Light Screen. It was slower work; both moves required fine control to pull off successfully, but they'd get there.

Pyro was just using Steel Wing to block the Dark Pulses and Night Shades—well, that didn't take long for the Duskull to figure out—Spectre hurled at him. Steel Wing would be a useful defense as well as an offensive option in battle, he suspected. It could help Pyro shrug off weaker energy attacks. Anything that got close enough to physically strike him might be halted by it, but too much damage to his wings could cripple his mobility.

He passed the warning to his starter as he made his rounds and Pyro accepted his advice easily, opting to dodge more rather than just tank everything Spectre threw at him.

Satisfied, Ash checked his PokeNav. One hour, he'd decided, then they'd be flying again.

His eleventh birthday passed on the road. Ash blinked when he woke up one morning, checked the date, and realized exactly what day it was. He'd lost track of time in Silver-Viridian.

He received a mountain of messages that day and perused them while he was flying on Pyro, smiling at each one.

Happy Birthday, my little Pokemon Master! I can't believe you're eleven already! I feel so old! Espeon and Jasmine send you their love! Treat yourself to something nice if you're in a city and don't forget to change your—

Ash snorted and moved on, but he saved the message from his mother.

Happy Birthday or something, loser. Are you out of the forest yet? Or did you get eaten by a Caterpie? They're pretty dangerous, y'know. —Gary

He rolled his eyes and typed a reply to Gary. No doubt his rival would be crestfallen to hear he still lived.

Congrats on catching up with the rest of us. But don't get a big head about it. You're still the baby of the group! Stay out of trouble! —Leaf

That earned another fond eye roll. Despite his relief at being alone with his team again, Ash wouldn't deny that he missed his friends.

He checked the rest of his messages. Professor Oak had sent him well-wishes, too. There were a few more, but Ash paused when he realized there was one from Rui.

Wes and I are heading back to Orre.

He frowned deeply and kept reading.

I can't say too much because it's mostly just suspicions at the moment, but there's been some reports about shady figures being spotted in the dunes. Well, more so than normal. Do you remember that guy who was with the Rockets on the St. Anne? The trainer with the Hydreigon?

Ash scowled. He did, in fact, remember that guy. Remembered the strange way he'd dressed that separated him from the criminal organization he'd aligned with, and his nightmarishly powerful Pokemon.

We think he's been sighted in Orre before. Wes and the League want to investigate. The last thing we need is another group of criminals in Orre. We'll probably be back in time for the Indigo Conference, but I wanted to give you a heads up just in case we can't make it. Most places in Orre don't provide great cellular service and I'm not sure how long we'll be there.

Wes and I wish you good luck. I promise to tell you what the egg hatches into! —Rui Mirei.

Ash pondered the message for some time. It was understandable that Wes and the Indigo League—the whole of the National League, in fact—would want to keep another group of criminals from rising up in Orre. Everyone who remembered the Cipher Wars would immediately seek to destroy any chance of that bloodbath happening again.

Unfortunately, Orre was an ideal place for criminals; minimal law enforcement, barely any League presence to speak of, and inhospitable enough that most people wouldn't bother looking in the first place.

The Orreans working with the National League to bring some semblance of order to the wreck of a region were fighting a titanic uphill battle. Wes had brought some measure of control since the downfall of Cipher, but one man wasn't enough. He needed a League of his own to keep things from spiraling further.

He probably should've been relieved at the news that Wes might not make it back in time for the Indigo Conference, but a bigger part of him was disappointed. He really wanted a rematch against the Orrean.

Well, he'd see what happened. Ash typed a message back to Rui, wishing them well and telling them to be safe. Orre was a rough land, whether you grew up there or not.

He checked the rest of his messages. Nothing new, but he reread some others he'd received in recent weeks.

Heard about the St. Anne. I'm sure you're fine, but I'll ask anyway. What happened? —Paul Blackstone.

Ash had gotten that the day before he set off into Viridian Forest. He'd told Paul most of what had happened. The other boy had his own share of Rocket experiences, after all. The conversation had been fairly short, but Paul had been pleased to hear that Proton had been captured (again) and hopefully detained for good this time.

Pyro growled beneath him and Ash looked up. Saffron City was just ahead.

He'd debated just skipping the city entirely, but given what time it was, (just before midday, they'd started flying early in the morning) he figured his team could use a moment to eat. Pyro could get a break.

Ash patted Pyro's shoulder and pointed for the city. "Land just outside the boundary. We'll take a breather."

The Charizard rumbled and began his descent.

Ash quickly found his way to the Pokemon Center and got his team sorted out for lunch. All of them had quite the appetite; even Scizor tucked into her food with a little more gusto than before.

He was working on his second sandwich at the moment, watching the people come in and out of the Center. There were a lot of trainers today; he wasn't quite sure why. Sure, Saffron was huge, but most trainers passed it by fairly quickly. The only appeal was the Saffron Gym, and Sabrina was a terrifying opponent for most. They were just as likely to pop in and pop out, and skip her entirely in favor of a minor Gym.

But there were a lot more people than Ash was expecting. He wondered why.

Once he'd polished off his lunch, he took a detour to the front desk to see what the commotion was all about. When he queried to the flux of trainers, Nurse Joy beamed at him.

"Most of them have been at the Dojo in the northern part of the city. Elite Four Bruno is overseeing training exercises there for a week with the owner of the Dojo. There are still three days left for it. If you have a fighting-type, it would be worth checking out!"

Bruno.

That was certainly news to Ash. He'd had no idea Bruno was in the area, and if he was overseeing training classes…

Well, Ash would be an idiot to pass the opportunity up. He still had nearly two weeks left before he needed to be in Lavender to meet with Agatha.

Excited, he returned to his team and waited for them to finish eating before taking off for the Dojo.

Sabrina's Gym was closer to the center of Saffron City. The Dojo, once the major Gym of central Kanto, was on the outskirts. It had fallen from grace in the last decade following Sabrina's rise, though Ash was sure there was more to it than that. Gyms didn't just fall apart for no reason.

The building was smaller than Sabrina's Gym, but it seemed to be well-kept from the outside. Ash made his way inside and found the interior to be much the same. Plainly furnished with tatami floors and paper doors that slid to open and close. Very traditional.

He saw quite a few people approaching and then leaving the Dojo before going in, seemingly disappointed. Ash saw a sign and frowned; had it been cancelled?

Notice: Elite Four Bruno is NOT accepting challengers. Requests to battle him will result in an immediate expulsion from the Morimoto Dojo.

Was that really all these people were leaving for? What did it matter if you couldn't battle Bruno (it did disappoint him a little, admittedly) when you had the chance to train with a vaunted member of the Indigo Elite Four?

Ash went in anyway.

He was requested to remove his shoes by the entrance and then guided to the largest room. A man at the front desk addressed him once he was ready. "You may release two of your Pokemon while you attend our instruction. It is intended for fighting-types, but your instructors may have suggestions for other species."

Two, huh? Ash set Douse loose in an instant and debated on who else to release. Pikachu wouldn't get much from this, nor would Spectre. Sobek he suspected wouldn't take to it well.

In the end, he chose Scizor. Pyro was tempting, but he thought seeing one of the most powerful trainers in the world might be good for the bug-type. Besides, this could be a good chance to hone her Technician ability.

Technician was a boon, but it needed to be mastered to make the most of it. The ability gave a Pokemon a keen sense for targeting weak points in an enemy. But naturally, it could be improved on with time, training, and dedication.

Upon their release, Douse and Scizor observed their surroundings curiously before Ash regained their attention.

"We're taking a bit of a detour. Elite Four Bruno is here; he's holding training classes for a few days."

Douse's eyes gleamed with interest. Scizor cocked her head slightly, confused. Ash explained himself further to the perplexed mantis. "Bruno is a member of the Elite Four—the four most powerful trainers in Kanto and Johto. His Pokemon are some of the strongest in the world."

That cleared it up. Scizor's pincers clicked. Ash shrugged. "We won't be fighting him, but anything we can learn would be useful. He's not a Master for nothing."

She seemed intrigued, if disappointed that there wouldn't be a battle. But she nodded and followed Ash into the next room with Douse.

It was full, but not so packed that there wasn't room enough for everyone inside. The vast majority of the trainers seemed to be martial artists of varying skill, just by glancing at their belts and the Pokemon that joined them. There were a few typical trainers, but they were outnumbered by the fighting specialists.

Ash was quietly directed by an assistant to the back row and sat down. Douse and Scizor matched him with some shuffling, and he focused on the figures standing at the head of the room.

Bruno was there. A massive, mountain of a man well over six feet tall. He was shirtless at the moment, displaying an incredible physique honed from years of hard training. His black hair was long and bound behind his head. He wore classic martial-arts pants with a black-belt bound around his waist, and black bands were wrapped around his wrists and ankles. His eyes were sharp beneath thick, black eyebrows.

He did not scowl, but he had a strict expression that was classic for the man from what little Ash knew of him. Bruno was known for his discipline and mastery not just of the fighting-type, but also of himself. You didn't rise to the ranks of the Elite Four by being a dumb brute, after all.

Just behind Bruno stood a Machamp of nearly equal height to its master. Ash felt a thrill at the sight; there stood one of the most powerful Pokemon in Indigo, if not the entire world.

But Bruno stood somewhat off to the side. At the head of the instruction was a blonde girl in traditional martial-arts garb. Her hair was short and wrapped up in buns on either side of her head, and like Bruno, she too donned a black-belt. At her flanks stood a Medicham and a tall, feathered Pokemon Ash suspected to be a Blaziken.

He was curious of the girl; she looked vaguely familiar. One of Bruno's students, perhaps? Whatever the case, a few minutes passed before they actually began. A few more people made their way into the crowded room before the door was slid closed and the session truly started.

"Welcome to the Morimoto Dojo!" The girl announced. "I see most of you have stuck around throughout this week. And there seem to be some new faces, too. Good."

She was stern, a slant to her brows just shy of a frown as she regarded them. "My name is Greta Morimoto. Along with Elite Four Bruno, I shall be leading instruction today. If you wish to leave our instruction at any point, please do not make a fuss on your way out."

Greta cast her eyes over the group, a challenge in her gaze. Looking at her, Ash thought he remembered the girl now.

He was pretty sure she'd been a finalist in the Silver Conference a couple of years ago. She hadn't made any public appearances since then as far as he knew, but if he recalled correctly she had been a talented fighting-type specialist and received high praise for her performance. He frowned as he thought back to those finals. Who had she…

Ah, right. She'd battled Will in that Conference, which had led to him becoming an Elite Four Trainee. Despite being at a type disadvantage, she'd made him work for that victory.

She'd not competed in the year that followed and he'd not heard much of her since. He had to wonder what caused her to take up ownership (he assumed) of the Dojo.

"If you are new to our training, you will join me momentarily in one of the side rooms. If you have been present for at least three days, you will remain here and begin training with Master Bruno. Am I understood?"

"YES, MA'AM!"

The unexpectedly loud chorus almost made Ash jump. Scizor shifted beside him, clearly as fond of the sudden exclamation as he was.

Greta nodded, satisfied, and nodded her head to the right side of the room. "Newcomers, with me."

Ash stood up with his Pokemon and followed her, along with four others. Nearly every martial artist remained; they'd probably been chomping at the bit to train under Bruno well before he'd even heard of this event.

The side room was smaller than the main area, but more than large enough given how few people followed Greta and her Pokemon inside.

She waited by the door and guided them all to stand in different places throughout the room, such that each of them could see her with no issues. Ash was near the front farthest from the door.

Greta moved to the front of the room and crossed her arms behind her back. "We will begin with basic exercises for your Pokemon. Help them prepare; I will come by each of you to discuss what you will work on. New moves, techniques, or martial arts are all possible."

She started with the trainer closest to the door, (a young martial artist no older than Ash, he suspected) so Ash whipped out his Pokedex and turned to Douse and Scizor. "I have a few ideas, but we'll see what she says when she comes by. Douse, I'd like to see if they can help you learn Focus Blast; you could use some more ranged options. Scizor, I think we'll work on Technician, but maybe…maybe they can teach you Superpower."

Superpower was jumping the gun pretty excessively, way ahead of Ash's original plans for Scizor. But if the option was available he'd take it. It was available as a TM, however given how strenuous the technique could be, he suspected it would be better to learn it from a fighting-type specialist.

If they could get on top of it now, it might shortcut some other diabolical plans—ahem—ideas he'd had, though most would have to wait until Scizor had Rain Dance down to an acceptable degree.

For now, they treated it as they would any standard training session. No spars, but Ash had them doing simple exercises up until Greta came over with Blaziken behind her. He noticed Medicham had stayed with that first trainer, guiding them and their Machop through a series of punches.

Greta dipped her head as she approached him. "Welcome again. What's your name?"

"Ash."

"I am Greta. So, what were you hoping to learn from us? Or did you come for advice?"

"A bit of both," he admitted. Ash patted Douse's massive arm. "Douse evolved a few months ago. He's doing great—he's learned a lot of new fighting-type moves, but I think it would help to work on techniques with fighting specialists. I'd like to start teaching him Focus Blast, but any advice would be appreciated."

Greta studied the Poliwrath, circling him briefly. She seemed to approve, judging by the gleam in her eyes.

"He's in good physical condition. What fighting-type moves has he learned so far?"

"Wake-Up Slap, Brick Break, Drain Punch, Submission, Close Combat," Ash listed off. "We haven't quite mastered Submission or Close Combat, but he learned the basics from Professor Oak's Machamp."

Greta blinked in surprise. "Oak?"

"My home is in Pallet Town."

"Ah," she nodded in understanding. "Has he learned any specific martial art styles? Refined techniques?"

"No," he admitted. "I'm not a fighting specialist. Neither is Professor Oak. I don't know much about martial arts, and I haven't been able to look for a specialist to train him."

"Understandable. But since he recently evolved, I'd advise you work on that as soon as you can. Refinement of martial arts builds upon and enhances fighting-type moves. A Brick Break used with the proper technique is more penetrating. A Submission handled expertly will mitigate the damage to its user," Greta told him. Ash listened raptly. Every little bit of information he could pick up from a true fighting specialist was valuable.

"Poliwrath are best suited to punches and grappling. Kicks are usually wasted on them. We can work on a basic plan for your Poliwrath to study and practice while you train here; there are video lessons accessible on a Pokedex or other such device if you seek to continue these teachings on the road. I can advise you on which ones to show him later."

Greta reached for her belt and pulled out another Pokeball. From within emerged a stout, yellow Pokemon with small eyes he recognized as a Makuhita.

"Striker, assist Poliwrath with foundation basics."