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Chapter Text

Outside Galar Mine #2, Galar Region, August 25, 09:15, Year 184 Post Unification (PO.U)

Satoshi Ketchum stood outside the entrance of the Mine before him. A week ago, he had been asked by Professor Oak to come to Galar and check on some rumors of some unusual pokemon. Thus Far, he hadn't seen anything unusual. Some Paldean Pokemon, courtesy of negligent trainers from that region, had abandoned them. "I am starting to think this has been a wild Swanna hunt." If he was being honest, Satoshi wished he was home in Pallet town. Just before he left for this trip, Delia told him she was pregnant. 

Satoshi had been overjoyed that a son or daughter was on the way. He couldn't wait to help them grow into a good man or woman. To watch them develop. More importantly, to help them develop, He and Delia had stayed up most of that night, talking about baby names. He had wanted to name the child Ash if it was a boy and Ashley if it was a girl. Delia had suggested Bob or Bobbie. It had been too early to commit to anything, but it had been a fun time. 

Satoshi was shaken out of his reminiscing by a cry, followed by a much angrier, louder cry. Walking past a large boulder, he saw a Gardevoir and a Gallade. In front of them was a Ralts, a newly hatched one from the looks of it. What made it unusual was the yellow skin, the dark umber coloration of its head, and its head fin that was a much darker shade of red and a fair bit sharper looking. This differed from the well-known and documented mutation, colloquially known as the shiny phenomenon. This was Something entirely new.  

As Satoshi continued to watch, he figured out what was happening. "They appear to be a family group with Gallade as the leader. It appears to be rejecting its offspring because of its mutation." This made Satoshi furious. Maybe it was because he was about to become a dad, but he couldn't imagine ever throwing away his child for anything as stupid as a genetic mutation. Still, all he could do was watch. The Gallade seemed aggressive, and he couldn't get a read on the Gardevoir outside of the expression on its face, seemingly radiating sadness. Unfortunately, he wasn't sure if the Pokemon he had with him could take out one, let alone two, of the powerful, fully evolved Pokemon. He watched as the adult pair started to walk away. 

The Ralts tried to follow, only for the Gallade to swing one of its arms as it released a wave of psychic energy that knocked the Ralts off its feet and nearly did the same for Satoshi. When he could focus again, Satoshi watched as the pair started walking away. This time the strangely colored Ralts did not try to follow. It only lay there and let out a mournful wail. When Satoshi was sure that the parents had disappeared, he reached into his backpack and pulled out a container filled with poffins. Getting on his hands and knees, he slowly went to the crying Ralts. When it finally took notice of Satoshi, it tried to crawl away, only to pause as it heard his voice.

"It's okay, little one. I promise I won't hurt you," he assured, showing the container of poffins. Satoshi continued, "Look, I have snacks." The young Ralts looked at him momentarily, and Satoshi felt something touch his mind. It was weak but very clumsy. Suddenly, the young Pokemon reached into the container Satoshi had presented to it and started nibbling at one of the poffins. After a few moments of experimental bites, it devoured them one after the other. "Poor thing, it must have been starving." 

After it had eaten its fill, Satoshi looked at the tiny Pokemon and said, "look, I don't think you will make it out here alone. Would you like to come with me? You would be asleep for a while, but when my kid is born and old enough to decide if they want to become a trainer, I would love for you to meet them." Once again, Satoshi felt the soft and clumsy feeling of Something touching his mind. Only now, it was accompanied by a more potent but subtle touch. Understanding that the weaker of the two was Ralts and the stronger one was likely one of its parents, Satoshi opened his mind to them and let them see what he wanted to do. Almost as quickly as it appeared, the more powerful of the two touchers disappeared. Satoshi released a breath that he hadn't realized he had been holding. 

"Ra Ra Ralts Ralts," the tiny Pokemon called out. Its voice was no longer mournful, but not exactly happy either.

Satoshi looked at Ralts for a second before he asked, "is that a yes?"

The Ralts looked at him for a moment before nodding with another call of "Ralts." 

Satoshi smiled, "good, just wanted to make sure." pulling out an unused pokeball, Satoshi expanded it and preceded the front against Ralts’ forehead. The device worked instantly, and ralts was now safe and comfy in its new home. Having done what he intended, Satoshi started the long walk back toward Motostoke and his hotel room. He would need to contact Professor Oak later that day. If he had looked back, he would have seen a Gardevoir watch him before it teleported away.

Three Days Later

As His Plane back to Kanto prepared to take off, Satoshi sat back and sighed. It had taken almost two days and a bit more money than Satoshi had wanted to spend, but Ralts was now safe and sound in the Pokemon Storage Bank. It would stay safe and secure until he or the Professor retrieved it. Professor Oak would be provided with all of the data about Ralts that the Bank could gather. He had already learned that Ralts was female and that rather than having the Psychic and Fairy typing, typical for the species, it had a Psychic and Steel typing. Who knew what else would be discovered in the years to come? As Satoshi's flight lifted off, the plane gave a worrying rumble, but he ignored it. After all, it wasn't the first time Something like this had happened and likely wouldn't be the last. Shortly after that, when the plane reached its cruising altitude of 26000 feet, Satoshi forgot about it.

Three hours into the six-hour flight, the plane started to rumble again. The pilot tried to tell people it was turbulence, but the rumbling only worsened. After nearly twenty minutes of turbulence, the rumbling became violent as the vibrations were sufficient to cause the overhead compartments to open, causing all of the luggage to fall to the floor. 

At 13:00 on August 28, Air Moltres flight 349 Fell into the Ocean. Three hundred lives, one hundred of them Pokemon, would be lost. Search and rescue teams would comb the area for four weeks, but all that would be found were a few surviving pokemon whose pokeballs managed to stay shut after the impact. Investigations would reveal that the cause was mechanical due to neglected maintenance. Air Moltres would spend a fortune paying off the results of the lawsuit brought against them by the families of the deceased, led in part by a furious and very pregnant Delia Ketchum and funded by a guilt-ridden Professor, Samuel Oak.

Oak Pokemon Academy, Pallet Town, Kanto Region, May 10, 15:25, 200 PO.U .

Ash Ketchum sat at his desk. He and the rest of his class of thirty were sitting their final exam. This was what the last 5 years of hard work had been about. All his time spent studying the previous month had been for this. This was all that stood between him and getting his trainer's license and the coveted recommendation from Professor Oak that was necessary to participate in the Pokemon League. With those, he could finally begin his dream of becoming a Pokemon master. It was all that Ash had wanted to be since he had been five years old and had watched Agatha Of the Elite Four battle against the then up-and coming Lance.  

Watching the old woman's ghostly trickery against the young man's dragonic force had entranced the young Ash, and he had begged his mom to get him a recording of the match. Delia, for her part, had gone above and beyond to get him the recording and an autograph from Agatha. The thumb drive containing the recording and the picture with the autograph was among his most prized possessions, alongside his limited edition hat.  

Ash took a moment to look around the room. Professor Oak's name had a lot of sway, and his recommendation would guarantee a person some success. In addition to the locals like himself, Gary Oak, and Leaf Green, He had classmates who were the family of gym leaders like May Maple and Marnie Granger. Or from wealthy families like Lillie Star and Cynthia Black. Or whose parents were well known in Pokemon-related circuits, like Dawn Berlitz and Serena Gabena's mothers.

Ash was shaken out of his thoughts by one of Professor Oaks' assistants shouting that there were 15 minutes left on the test. Causing Ash to swear to himself. " Shit, I still have the essay question to answer! Shit shit shit." With little else to do, Ash turned his eyes to the question.

Based on the in-class discussions of the last year, please explain in your own words the Great Unification and how it has caused the world we live in today.

Once again, Ash swore to himself. "Damn, he's not asking for much, is he?"

Ash thought about the question for a moment. While he was by and large not all that interested in history, the discussions that had been had in class regarding the Great Unification had been fascinating. Some of the tangents the conversation had gone to had been just as fascinating. Placing his hand on the keyboard in front of him, Ash began typing.

The cause for the Great Unification is often considered to be twofold. The first, more commonly accepted reason is the event known as the Ransei War. Four hundred years ago, Pokemon training as we know it did not exist. The various nation-states or regions as we know them today did what they could to hold back what to them were frightening magical creatures.

That all changed when the Ransei discovered the means to contain the Pokemon of their country and to make them obey. This event brought about an end to their own internal wars that had plagued their nation for years. No longer being distracted by internal strife, Ransei under the leadership of their grand Shogun Nobunaga, started looking outward, beginning with the nations of Kanto, Johto, Hoenn, and the largely unpopulated Hisui (latter known as Sinnoh).

Using Hisui as a base of operation, the Ranseian military struck against the other three nations. For a time, it looked like Nobunaga's forces would win. That changed when Nobunaga pulled back most of his troops in a fit of what could only be described as madness or perhaps arrogance. The common belief is that he thought a small contingent of his army would be sufficient to conquer the three nations as they had access to Pokemon, and the three nations did not. Regardless, this allowed the three nations time to regroup, and in 195 PR.U. Unify as one force. This new Alliance started beating back the invaders, eventually capturing several Ransei Pokemon Tamers and forcing them to reveal the secrets of Pokemon Taming.

Using this knowledge, the Alliance started taming their own Pokemon and soon beat back the Ranseian forces to Hisui. During this time, spies in the Ransei Military discovered that Nobunaga had begun an insane multi-front war. Attacking Galar and its Colony Unova, the small nation of Alola, Kalos, and its colony Paldea. Fiore, Orre, Almia, Oblivia and Ferrum. Like earlier, the Ransei's use of Pokemon allowed them a sizable advantage at first, even while fighting a multifront war. 

This started to change in 192 PR.U. when Alliance tamers made their way to these regions. Thanks to inroads made by the spies, they could teach taming methods to the attacked nations. With their own Pokemon, the nations started to fight back against the Ransei, and by 190 PR.U., they had driven the Ransei back to their own country.

Nobody could have known that during their occupation of Kalos, Ransei soldiers discovered the schematics for an ancient super weapon long forgotten, even by the Kalosians. 

The first successful test of this weapon was achieved in Orre. While the test was unable to bring out the full power of the weapon, it did devastate the environment of Orre for centuries. A devastation that Orre is only now starting to recover from. The use of the weapon caused the alliance forces (now comprised of all of the known counties save Ransei ) to stop from attacking the Nation

. 

Had that been the end of it, the Ransei Nation would still exist. However, according to records that survived, what happened by 189 PR.U. Nobunaga was quite insane. On July 9 of that year (according to the current calendar) he forced his soldiers to use the weapon again. Only this time, it was to strike everywhere but Ransei. What happened next is up for debate. Some say that the weapon simply overloaded. Some say the weapon was poorly built due to the Ranseian military not understanding what they were building. Some say it was a last act of vengeance by the unknown Pokemon being used to power it. Regardless of why the weapon backfired, the nation of Ransei ceased to exist instantly. An estimated fifteen million Ranseian men, women, children, and Pokemon died as Ransei became little more than a large crater. Even after over three hundred years and more than a few attempts by the various Governments, Ransei continues to show no signs of recovery. Today there are an estimated three thousand people of Ranseian descent. They are the descendants of the tamers taken as prisoners of war by the early Alliance. They have attempted to resettle the nation, but all failed.

After the war had ended, the Nations returned to their own homes, and while there was peace for a time, they eventually started war with each other. Some of these wars included Paldea and Unova fighting for their independence from Kalos and Galar. During this time period, the use of Pokemon was highly exploitative and several breeds of Pokemon were driven nearly to extinction. The Pollution caused by the rapid technological development of the nations led to the birth of some new pokemon, such as Grimer and Muk, Koffing and Weezing, and Trubbish and Garbodor. Had things continued as they were, it doesn't take a genius to think that the present would be dark if things had continued in that vein.

This brings us to the second cause of the Great Unification. The man only known as Lucas. According to reports, he appeared as a young man in 10 PR.U. Some legends say that he fell from the sky, but the truth is unknown even to this day. He was met by an expedition group who would later become the first long-term residents of the largely unpopulated region. At this point in history, Pokemon were largely viewed with suspicion by many and feared by the common man. Lucas is known to have helped the future Sinnohian people understand Pokemon and view them as friends and partners. As time wore on, he helped catalog the first pokedex. Through that and lessons, he taught about conservatism, preventing more than a few Pokemon from going extinct. He is also credited with pushing forward the development of the Pokeball as it is currently known. After a few years, his message spread to Kanto, Johto, and Hoenn. In January of 0 PR.U, the four nations joined, starting the Great Unification. 

Over the next century, other nations joined. At first, it was the smaller nations of Almia, Orre, Obliva, Fiore, and Ferum. By 25, PO.U/ Kalos and Galar had joined. Lucas would die in 50 PR.U, so he wouldn't see Unova join in 100 PO.U. Still, by the time he passed, he had taught people and Pokemon about the joys of competition and created the first Pokemon Leagues. Until the Unovians joined the global community, each nation or region had their own leagues and rules, as they were called at that point. This stayed in place until 115 PO.U. The Alolans would join in 125 PO.U, and they, too, would join the Global League. Many Native Alolans hold to their traditions, usually doing so on the Orange Islands that are located nearby. The Paldeans were the last to join in 175 P.O.U. Still, their inclusion has completed the promise the Alliance made so long ago. The Unification has led to low costs for goods. Relatively cheap and easy transport and a level of equality amongst mankind that our ancestors could not imagine  

"There we go," Ash thought as he looked at what he had written. It was awkward in places and a bit more flowery at the end than he would have liked, but he felt it would get the point across. After a moment, he pressed the submit button, not a moment too soon, as the assistant informed them that time was up. As the sounds of others clicking on the submit button, some groaning, filled the air, Ash wondered how he had done. His thoughts were interrupted by the door to the classroom, and in walked a grey-haired man, well into his autumn years, dressed in his trademark Khakis and a button-up shirt with a lab coat over it.

As the older man made his way to the front, Ash couldn't help but smile. Professor Oak had always been very good to his family. He had funded the lawsuit against the airline responsible for his father's death. He helped his grieving mom take care of all the arrangements while she was pregnant with him. After that, he helped Ash's mom manage the money so that there was always a money stream coming in, and she could focus on raising her son instead of having to work. In fact, right up until they had started at Professor Oaks' school, Professor Oaks' grandson Gary had always been one of his best friends. But Something had changed five years ago, and after so long, Ash had given up on trying to figure out what it was.

When the Professor made it to the front of the classroom, he cleared his throat and said. "Good afternoon, children. I see you have finished your final exams, and I wanted to say Something to you before I released you for the day.

When you started here, you all had such bright, fresh young minds five years ago, eager to learn about the wondrous creatures we call Pokemon. Your reason for being here might have varied, but you all acquitted yourselves well during your time here. As my Assistants and I go over your exams during the next couple of days, I genuinely hope and pray that you all pass and that I can recommend you all. When you go out into the world to begin your Pokemon journey, whatever it may be, you continue to acquit yourselves well. Now, for what is almost the last time, class Dismissed."

Ash waved goodbye to the older man as the class exited the room. He couldn't help but think about what had been said, particularly the bit about the recommendation. While gaining a trainer's license was an easy enough task, most pokemon-related fields, Like Breeders, Doctors, and Pro battlers, were gatekept by the need for a recommendation. Almost anybody of any actual standing with the global League could do it. As he had heard, the head of Macro Cosmos had sponsored a young person recently, and the current world champion had sponsored two trainers from his hometown. By getting his recommendation, Professor Oak was sponsoring all of them. Professor Oaks' school was far from the only one of its kind. Still, the Professor's reputation and goodwill meant that he could give his recommendation to large groups of students every year.

Putting those thoughts aside for the moment, Ash decided to head home. Dinner wouldn't be for a few hours. He could catch a few streamed Pokemon battles on the net.

 Two days later , 16:00, Bidoof Bistro

In a private room in the relatively small establishment, six teenage girls sat around a long table. At the head of the table sat Cynthia Black. To her left sat Lillie Star, May Maple, and Leaf Green. On her left were Dawn Berlitz and Serena Gabena, and Marnie Granger sat at the foot of the table. As five of the girls visited, with each other talking about what they had done in the last two days, Marnie just sat there enjoying the goings on. Cynthia meanwhile thought about what she was about to say. While she hadn't had much in the way of friends over the last five years, these five were the closest. If she could help it, she didn't want to break the group up now. But she knew that at least one part of what she would talk about was controversial.

 Saying a quick prayer to whoever was listening, she grabbed her glass and struck it with her fork three times. "Ladies, Thank you for joining me back here again." All of the girls smiled a little at how extra their friend could be at times' "Last time we met here, I told you that my parents had offered that if I did well on the final exam, they would foot the bill for my pokemon journey." All of the girls remembered. Leaf and Marnie, in particular, had thought it had been slightly braggy. "What I didn't say back then, since I didn't want to get your hopes up, was that my parents have agreed to fund all of our journeys."

There was a resounding cheer amongst the girls for a good minute before Marnie, the pragmatist of the group, asked, "So, is there a catch to all of this ?"

Cynthia winced. Trust Marnie to get to the heart of the matter. Taking a moment to collect her thoughts before she responded. "Yes, Marnie, there are two conditions to their support. First, their support will be slightly reduced due to the number of us on this trip. That means that while they will provide us with Top of the line camping gear for when we need it, they will not be paying for the luxury hotels they would have offered me if I was going by myself. That said, they will pay for our group's private rooms at the Pokemon centers."

The girls all groaned a little, but only for a moment. While they would miss the idea of taking their Pokemon journey in absolute luxury, Top of the line camping gear and not having to stay in the communal rooms of the pokemon centers was undoubtedly a plus that was not to be sneezed at."

May spoke up this time, "What is the second condition?"

Cynthia winced again. This was going to be where the possible issues would come up. "The second condition is that they would … like a male trainer to accompany us on our trip" There were annoyed, almost angry murmurs that echoed through most of the group. Leaf was the first to voice her displeasure.

"What do they think that we can't take care of ourselves!" The words were echoed by Dawn and May.

Cynthia looked unflappable as always when she responded, "Not at all. In fact, I have kept them appraised of your accomplishments and my own. Leaf, they loved watching your test battle against Gary and how you beat the Sunflora he was using with the Totodile you were provided with despite the type disadvantage. 

Dawn and May, they saw that video of contest maneuvers you were trying to teach Oak's Geodudes. They were impressed that you could teach rough-and-tumble Pokemon like them to be elegant. 

Serena, I didn't have any video to show them. Still, they loved hearing about the routines you were working on for the contests you want to participate in. 

Marnie, They were impressed by your goal of helping bring your Brothers Gym back to prominence in Galar, and when the time comes, they will throw their support behind you.

Lillie, They know you are still seeking what you want to do. They talked to your mom and knew that you want to forge your own path regardless of what you do. That impressed them, and they want to help you do that."  

With their egos stroked for the moment, the girls quieted down, allowing Cynthia to continue. "All of that is why they are giving us a choice instead of hinging their support on taking a chaperone along with us." This made the girls think. Having an adult chaperone around would feel restricting. None of them thought of going wild and crazy, but they still didn't want anybody around that might report to their parents. They wanted the freedom of the open road they had been dreaming about since they started school.

Lillie, often the quietest member of the group, spoke up. "uh-um, if we are going to choose one of our classmates, who do we pick?" 

That made the girls think. In the five years they had been at Oak's school, most of the boys in their class hadn't made much of an impression on them. Sure, they had on occasion worked on group projects with them, but when the girls tried to attach names to faces, they were coming up short.

After a minute of Thought, Leaf was the first to speak up. "How about Verde Blanco?" Instantly all six girls thought about the dark-skinned, dark-haired boy from Orre and what they knew about him. Cynthia was the first to speak up.

"I don't think that would work. I seem to recall Verde saying that after graduation, he plans to go into Pokemon Medicine before returning to Orre."

The room Lapsed into silence before Lillie Spoke up. "How about Ryuji?"

This time it was Marnie who spoke up. "I don't know. He seems nice enough, but he is so damn over-reactionary and confrontational. Do you remember when he nearly got expelled for decking Gary last year? 

The rest of the girls took a moment to think about it. After this long, none of them could remember the exact insult, but given how Gary tended to act, none of them thought that the punch was unjustified. But Shigeru Oak had raised holy hell with his father, and the Professor had been forced to suspend Ryuji for a month. And afterward, they had ensured they were never anywhere near each other.

Dawn spoke up next, "How about Kabuto Mushi?" The girls thought about the young man from Johto for a moment before Serena responded.

"Wait, isn't he the one who is REALLY into bug types?" The girls collectively shuddered as they thought about the guy who had gotten into long drawn out arguments with the other bug enthusiast in the class about things like power bug types like Heracross and Pinser were superior to the speed-focused bugs like Scyther and Scizor.

After a moment, Cynthia spoke up and said, "Okay, I know the likely response, but what about Gary Oak?

Silence filled the room before most of the gals burst out in laughter, before Marnie managed to utter through the noise, "Hell no. Do you really want to be seen in the same light as his little groupies?"

That silenced the laughter of the group. It was a well-known rumor that Gary had asked some local girls to travel with him as his cheerleading section. The rumors had reached a point where they had all heard some local girls talking about it. 

Cynthia had the good grace to offer a self-deprecating smile as she said, "Okay, okay, that was a dumb suggestion. Does anybody have any other ideas?"

Silence filled the room for a moment before Serena shyly said, "W-what about Ash Ketchum?"

The girls all smiled a bit. Serena's crush on Ash was an open secret. The only ones who didn't seem to know were Ash himself and Gary, who had hit on Serena several times since they had all started puberty. They had to be fair to Ash, though Serena hadn't gone out of her way to confess to the lad.

May was the first to respond, "Mhm, he has a little bit of a temper, but that's mostly where Gary is concerned. Has he ever been particularly perverted?"

Dawn responded, "Not really, I mean, I've caught him checking me out a few times, but I haven't seen him undress me or any of you with his eyes. Does anybody know if he has any other deal-killing character traits?"

Chyniha spoke up. "Well, I've noticed he tends to get arrogant when on a winning streak in battle practice. It's not as bad as with guys like Gary or Ryuji, but it is still there." She didn't feel the need to say that she had been the one to knock him off of his high Rapidash more than once.

Lillie spoke up next. "He can be a bit hard-headed but not as much as Ryuji is, and most of that seems to be regarding Gary." Lille was silent for a second before she continued. "I don't know if this helps, but I have never heard him participate in any of the guys talking about women. Not even when they talked about Gym leaders like Nessa or Elesa."

May spoke up next. "That's unusual. I wonder why?

With a wry smile, Marnie replied, "Well, we know he was raised by his mom, so she probably made sure he was fed a healthy dose of respect women juice. Or at least made sure he had enough sense to keep his thoughts to himself."

The girls were silent for a moment before Cynthia spoke up. "Okay, so there are no real negatives. What about positives?"

Serena was the first to give her opinion. "We-well, he is one of the best Battlers in class, and he has always been willing to help others, so that might be a plus for your parents." She smiled as if remembering something. Once again, the girls smiled. While what she said was true, they all knew that in any vote that might happen, Serena would vote for Ash to be invited.

Cynthia nodded her head as she replied. "That's true. He tends to rank in the top five and has always been willing to help the other kids in class." It was left unsaid that it was when everyone was using the Professor's trained Pokemon and that Cynthia had been first in class for the last two years. "Anything else?"

The room fell silent as the girls once again fell into thought. Most of the positives that could be said for Ash had already been covered during the discussion about his negative qualities. After a few seconds, Marnie offered her opinion. "This may seem generic, but he has always been helpful and friendly in class. He also stayed out of a lot of the class politics and antics." 

The girls all nodded at that statement. Ash had always been more focused on Pokemon and the things related to them. The only time any of them could remember that not being the case was concerning Gary and the classmates who kissed the boy's ass due to his family name.

Cynthia spoke up, "Okay, has anybody else to add to the discussion?" After a moment of silence and shaking of heads, she continued. "Okay then. Ash is the likely candidate, so let's take a vote. If we vote yes, I will talk to my parents and provided they say yes, we will speak with Ash when we receive the exam results next week.

At the sea of nods, Cynthia continued. "All in favor of Asking Ash Ketchum to travel with us, say yes."

Oak Pokemon Academy, Pallet Town, Kanto Region, May 17, 09:00, 200 PO.U .

The excitement in the room was palatable. Everybody present was chomping at the bit to find out how they had done. To find out if they would receive Oak's coveted recommendation. Ash sat there, nearly vibrating with anticipation. The outcome of the test would decide if he would be able to start his Pokemon journey or if he would be forced to find another way to get a recommendation. 

Regardless, Ash had faith that he had passed. But he decided to hedge his bets and prayed to whoever was listening. Looking around, he noticed that Cynthia Black was looking his way. When she saw that he had noticed, she looked away quickly. Ash mentally scratched his head. For the last couple of days, they had done the same thing every time he saw Cynthia or another member of her friend group. Truthfully he had seen Serena do that around him for years, but the others were new.

Ash's other thoughts were interrupted when Professor Oak walked into the classroom, flanked by two of his assistants. When the group had made it to the podium. Oak raised his hand to quiet the room with a smile. "Welcome back, everyone. Before my assistants hand out your results, I just want to say to all of you… CONGRATULATIONS! All of you passed!"

All around the room, cheers erupted. High fives were slapped, and hugs were given, and Ash was sure he heard someone shout, "BOOYAH MOTHERFUCKER!" Ash, for his part, did a happy dance.

After a few minutes, the Professor raised his hand again to call for order. After a few moments, the room quieted down. Once the room was silent, Oak spoke again. "Once again, congratulations to all of you. I am proud to be able to give you my recommendation. I have faith that all of you will be equal to what you have earned."

The door to the classroom opened again, revealing two more assistants. Each was carrying a large cardboard box. They were followed by two more assistants, each carrying a pair of tall stools. After a moment, the stools were set down, and the boxes laid upon them. When the boxes were opened, it was revealed to be Pokedexs. And not just any Pokedexes but Silphco Series 20s.A loud cheer filled the room. Even the most technologically inept of them knew that Silphco Pokedexes, in general, and the Series 20s in particular, were Top of the line.

Professor Oak gave them a couple minutes to be excited before he called for silence. "The good folks at Silphco have decided as a bit of a P.R. move to provide a number of their Pokedexes to graduates of several Academies. And I convinced them to make this school one of them." He pulled one of the devices out of the box and showed it to the class. In addition to the standard pokedex functions, There is the 12-megapixel camera. It has access to the global cellular network and can function as a digital wallet. New to these models is a G.P.S. function to help prevent trainers from getting lost while on the road. Finally, for those planning to take the gym challenges, your pokedex will be a registration method at any official pokemon league location.".

Oak momentarily looked thoughtful before adding, "for those worried about possibly breaking your Pokedexs, fear not. Like most models of pokedex, these are strong enough to survive almost anything you could do to them… obviously, I would request you not try to break them."

A chuckle passed through the room before the Professor continued, "One last thing while the casing for your Pokedexs comes in standard red most shops carry a line of casing in several colors and designs available for purchase. Come forward when I call your name, and I will hand you your Pokedex. After that, you are all free to go, and I will see you in two days for graduation and next week for the pokemon selection."

Another cheer rang through the room before things settled down. Soon each of the teenagers was walking to the front of the classroom as their name was called. When Oak said Ash Ketchum, the boy nearly fumbled over himself to get to the front of the room. When he was standing in front of Oak, the Professor put the device in one hand while shaking his hand with the other before he said softly. "Congratulations, my boy. I know that your father would be proud of you."

Ash struggled to fight back the tears that threatened to fall down his face before he responded with a happy smile. "Thank you, Professor Oak, that means a lot to me." He quickly moved to the side so the next student could be called. Five minutes later, all the students had been called, and a cheer went through the room as they started to file out.

A few minutes later, Ash was looking through his new device. He had already downloaded a few league news apps and an app that tracked what Pokemon notable trainers used. When Cynthia Black, flanked by Lille Star and Leaf Green, walked up to him. "Ketchum," she said with a smile on her face but with a cautious tone. "There is something we would like to talk to you about if you have a few minutes."

This caused Ash to raise an eyebrow. While he had never been on bad terms with Cynthia or any member of her friend group outside of some school projects, he had never spent too much time with them. Not even Serena Garbena, who he had known for a little bit before they had started school. Regardless, he nodded and followed the trio as they found a spot with a bit more privacy.

A few minutes later  

Ash stood stunned. Anybody looking at the scene would be forgiven for thinking he had been hit with a stun powder attack or a thunder wave. Cynthia had just finished detailing her offer, and he was speechless. A chance to have all of his financial needs for his Pokemon journey taken care of was huge. Sure, his mom still had a large part of the settlement from his dad's death, but that was far from infinite; all he needed to do was travel with a group of his female classmates. On its face, it was an obvious yes. All that had been offered and the bonus of being around girls who a not insignificant part of him would admit he had had some pleasant thoughts over the last couple of years. Still, there was a part of him that had his doubts. Maybe it was presumptive, but he worried they might use him as a pack Mudbray or some sort of Drillbur.

After a few more seconds, Ash answered Cynthia, "could I think about it a little before I answer?

The three girls looked surprised as if they hadn't considered that response. However, Cynthia quickly recovered and responded, "Of course. However, I would ask that you please let one of us know by graduation day so we can make other arrangements."

Ash nodded at the three girls before he turned and walked away. He had some serious thinking to do.

Several hours later, at the Ketchum Residence

Ash sat at the dining room table, deep in thought. All his musings regarding the offer that had been made. "What do I do?"

Delia Ketchum could only watch as her son sat unusually silent. She had just finished preparing the evening's dessert. Some jelly donuts. Ash had always loved the little black and white treats, and the night's dinner would be another 20 minutes, so she decided to see what was eating her son.

Wiping her hands on her long skirtDelia sat next to Ash, smiled, and said, "A coin for your thoughts, Ash?"

Ash looked up at his mom. He hadn't realized that he had zoned out like that. Still, his mom's interruption of his thoughts did give him an idea "I'm not having any luck trying to figure this out on my own, maybe Mom will know what to do."

Gathering his thoughts for a moment before responding. "Somebody made me an offer today, Mom, and I'm not sure what to do about it.

Delia froze for a moment as her mom's senses all flared. "Who and what kind of offer?." She said with a smile that didn't reach her eyes and a tone of forced sweetness. If some pervert was letching on her son... Well, she wouldn't say what she would do, not even in her own head, but Pallet town was a coastal town, and the sea hid all sins.

Ash, still caught up in his own thoughts, didn't notice his mom's change in tone but responded, "Cynthia Black and her friends asked me to travel with them" When his mom raised an eyebrow but motioned for him to continue, Ash spoke in detail about what had been offered and what he had thought about since the offer had been made.

When he had finished, Delia sat there for a minute, trying to figure out how to respond to what she had just been told. After collecting her thoughts, Delia responded. "That's quite a situation you have there, dear. The Black family is quite wealthy, and from what you have told me of Cynthia, I'm sure the offer is real, but I understand you don't want to end up as some sort of servant. So how about this: If you decide to accept, you tell them that if you feel something like that is happening, you will leave, and they will have to deal with the consequences." As Ash smiled at the idea, Delia continued. 

"As far as accepting the offer, I can only say two things. First, meeting your basic financial and residential needs is a serious bonus. I can help you a bit, but the Blacks can help you far more in that respect than I can. 

The second thing is that traveling with people can be fun if it's the right group. Your father traveled with a group when he began his Pokemon journey; from what he told me, it was one of the highlights of his life. "As she spoke of her lost husband, Delia started to sound wistful.

Ash stood up and replied, "Thanks, mom!" shaking her out of her thoughts.

Delia replied with a smile, "You are very welcome, dear." her smile turned a little devilish as she continued. "If you decide to travel with all those girls, don't have too much fun. I don't want to be a Grandmother before you hit 20."

It took Ash a moment to parse that sentence before he shouted, "MOM." in shock and embarrassment. He ran from the room, her laughter nipping at his heels. 

Later as he lay in his room thinking about what his mom had said, Ash decided. Thinking aloud, he said softly, "I'll do it." He would try to find Cynthia or one of her friends tomorrow and let them know of his decision. But for now, time to see if any matches were streaming.

Six Days Later, 23:00

Ash could barely contain his excitement. Tomorrow was the pokemon selection. It was where he would gain the partner that he would hopefully carry with him during his entire journey. But who to pick and what would be available when it was his turn. There were 27 pokemon available, and he knew that at least Lillie Star and Cynthia black were given Pokemon by their families. He thought he had heard about another classmate with that same deal but couldn't remember who. His middle-of-the-pack class ranking meant he was 14th in line for selection, and what would be available to him would depend on how strategic the other 13 were in their choices.

Instead, he tried to avoid thinking about any particular pokemon and focused on types. Water types like Squirtle tended to be defensive in nature. If you could tank a blow, you could return fire while your opponent's defenses were down.

Fire types, on the other hand, tended to be powerful attackers. An example of the old saying, the best defense was a good offense. If you could strike before your foe could raise their defense, you could obtain a distinct advantage.

Grass types tended to be more balanced than the other two choices. Which gave them a versatility the others lacked and whose personalities generally made them easier to raise than the other two, who usually came with their own brands of stubbornness.

Of course, there were exceptions to every rule. Froakie. Totodile, Tepig, and Sprigatito were all Pokemon who went against the tendencies of their types. He knew what he wanted, but he would have to wait to see what was available when he had his turn.

With his musings done, Ash's thoughts turned to a few days ago. He had contacted Cynthia the day after he had decided to accept her offer, and plans had been made to meet with her and the other girl's parents on graduation day. The meetings had been weird. Marine brother had been pretty laid back, and most of the fathers had, with a mostly joking tone, told him to mind his manners with their girls.   

Lilie's mother Lusamine Star had been intense one minute and goofy the next. She teased him about traveling with so many girls like his mother had one minute. She threatened to end him if he hurt her little girl. The next Ash wasn't sure what The Raft was, but the context in which it had been mentioned terrified him. Lillie had said she had a brother but that he had been unable to come to the graduation. Which made him wonder if this brother had inherited his mother's crazy nature that seemed to have skipped over Lillie.

Cynthia's parents, Claude and Gabrielle Black, had been the creepiest, considering that he had just met Lusamine Star. That was saying Something. On the surface, they had seemed relatively normal, Almost as laid back as Marine Granger's brother. But sometimes, there appeared to be a bit of steel in their voices, particularly Cynthia's mom.

"I'm so happy you accepted Cynthia's offer!" Gabrielle Black said with a bit of cheer. "It will be so reassuring to know that she will be protected from external threats by a nice young man like yourself."

Ash thought about what the woman had said for a moment before he replied, "Cynthea is a strong trainer." admitting if only to himself that she was better than he was.

Gabrielle, still with a good bit of cheer in her voice, replied. "Oh, we know, but she is an heiress to the Black family, and plenty of people would love to get their hands on her. Truthfully we would have preferred she had agreed to have an older guard travel with her. Still, we understand that young ladies like her and her friends want a bit of freedom from the watchful eyes of their parents. The same way most young men do."

Ash could only nod in agreement. He was happy to be able to start traveling and living his own life."

Gabrielle continued now with just a bit of edge in her voice, "That being said, we will be checking in on you all from time to time, and we would be very put out if we were to discover that Cynthia or any of the other girls were to fall into some sort of 'trouble.'

Ash gulped. It wasn't teasing like his mom or overtly threatening like Lillie's mom, but Ash understood the message. And responded in the only way he could. "Y=yes, Ma'am"

Claude responded with a short chuckle and a clap on Ash's shoulder. "Good man. Now, why don't we discuss some of the equipment we will be sending along with you all."

Ash had been impressed by what the group had been given. The camping gear was the latest model with miniaturization capability making carrying the usually bulky equipment a breeze. They were also provided with luggage with the same technology. Last but not least, they would all be given a small monthly allowance for necessities. It wasn't much, but 20,000 Pyen would help with Pokeballs. First aid equipment and, if necessary, lodging. 

Looking at his pokeball alarm clock for a moment, he saw that it was now 23:15. He needed to go to sleep but couldn't help but take one last look over his room. Most of his clothes were already packed away, as were a few personal items he didn't want to be without including a picture of his dad. A quick look into his backpack showed that everything was packed away. All that was left was the clothes he had prepared for tomorrow. In addition to his favorite hat was a black t-shirt, a pair of jeans, his short-sleeved jacket, a pair of green fingerless gloves, and a new pair of tennis shoes. He had other outfits, of course, but this was what he would start his journey wearing. 

The pokemon selection was at 08:00, so he set his alarm for 06:00. That would give him more than enough time to get ready and over to the Professor's place with time to spare. As he finished, he yawned. Climbing into bed, he closed his eyes and fell asleep. He never noticed that he had forgotten to confirm the alarm. An oversight that would profoundly affect his life in the long and short term.

08:45 Ketchum residence

Ash jolted away as he felt himself being shaken. As his ability to comprehend what was happening around him returned, he heard his mother cry out, "Ash! What are you doing here? You were supposed to be at the Professor's nearly an hour ago!"

Suddenly fully alert, Ash looked at his clock and saw the time. "Crap crap crap!" In a panic, Ash jumped out of bed and slipped into his shoes. Not bothering to grab a top, he ran out of the house wearing only his pajama bottoms running like a Zubat out of hell with a pack of Houndooms behind it.

Five minutes later, he made it to the Professor's lab. Standing at the gate, he saw Cynthia and the other girls waiting with irritated looks on their faces. Leaf noticed him and mimicked, pointing at a watch, and mouthed silently, "what the hell happened?"

Standing a few feet away from the group was Gary. When he noticed Ash. he gave a smirk of smug superiority. Ash would have loved to have wiped the look off his face, but he was already running late and didn't want to add assaulting the Professor's grandson to the list of sins committed today.

Pushing open the doors to the lab, Ash was greeted by the kindly but disappointed look on Professor Oak's face. "Nice of you to join us, Ash." He said with little of his customary cheer 

Ash histone full of contriteness, replied, "I'm sorry, Professor, I thought I set my alarm, but so-"

The Professor Interrupted, "Something happened, and your alarm didn't go off. I understand, my boy. Sometimes accidents happen ." His voice took on a sad tone as he continued. 

"Unfortunately, sometimes accidents have consequences. Our count of students who would be receiving Pokemon from other sources was off, and all of the ones we had on hand have been given away."

Ash felt his heart break his dreams of having one of the coveted starter pokemon by his side as he became a Pokemon master died before his journey could even start. A part of him wanted to cry, but he resisted the urge.

 He was shaken out of his thoughts by the Professor's words. "Now, that doesn't mean you can't start your journey. That just means that you will have to catch your first Pokemon on the." Suddenly he stopped mid-sentence, and he had a look on his face like he remembered Something long forgotten. After a moment, he started speaking again." My boy, I may have misspoken. There may be a pokemon for you. It is a bit unusual, though."

Ash, feeling his hopes start to rise, was quick to respond. "Professor, I don't care what it is. I'll be happy to take whatever you can give me."

The Professor gave Ash a look before he smiled. "I'll hold you to that, Ash. Now come with me." before he started walking away, causing Ash to follow along. After a short walk down a hallway, they came to a room filled with machinery. In the center of the room was a mechanical platform with four circular hatches. The Professor pressed a button on the platform, and the hatch in the middle of the three other hatches opened up, revealing a pokeball with a lightning bolt symbol. As Ash looked at it, wondering what was inside, it opened by itself. In a flash of light, Ash found himself looking at a small yellow rodent. "Pikachu?" he said questionably.

"Yes, Pikachu," answered Oak. "It is relatively uncommon in these parts but not particularly rare. This particular Pikachu is a new capture, and its ownership hasn't been registered yet, so if you want it, it's yours."

During all of this, Pikachu stood and listened as the two humans talked about it like it wasn't there. Slowly getting more agitated. Ash, not taking note of this, shouted happily, "Of course, I'll take him. He's perfect.! As Ash grabbed it and began to hug it. The only sign he had that Something bad was about to happen was the sound of electricity sparking and the word fragment "Pika" before he was lit up like a Christmas tree.

After a few moments, it stopped, and Oak started speaking. "Normally Pikachu are fairly docile pokemon but this one has a very electric personality."

Ash, still smoldering, replied sardonically, "No kidding."

The Professor, not missing a beat, said, "I'm sure you two will get along famously. Now, why don't we head outside and introduce your new Pokemon to your friends?

Ash suddenly excitedly shouted, "Hell Yeah," accidentally squeezing Pikachu a bit too hard as he did. Ash suddenly found himself lit up for the second time in just a few minutes. 

Outside

With an arrogant grin, Gary chucked, "You girls sure picked a real winner, didn't you? If you wanna change your mind, you can still come with me and the girls in the car though some of you might need to sit on my lap."

The grin on his face dropped, and a yelp of pain was uttered as an older feminine voice admonished him, "Gary Blue Oak! Don't be crass!" When the assembled group looked to see who had spoken and slapped, they saw the annoyed face of Gary's 20-year-old sister Daisy. Dressed in a simple green blouse and long blue denim skirt, she looked every bit the big sister she was. Her long brown hair shook as she spoke, "I know that Dad let you get away with a long, but I know I taught you better than to talk to girls like that!"

Gary, looking unrepentant, replied with a groan, "Daisy? I was just kidding. And what are you doing here?"

Daisy didn't look impressed as she put one open hand out and replied, "I am here to see my stupid brother off. Two. I am making omelets tonight, so I had to go pick up some ketchup." she held up her other hand to show the bag from the local grocer "and three I am absolutely sure you were kidding." 

Each time she had listed something, he had dropped a finger. When she had listed the third, you could have cut the sarcasm in her voice with a Solar Blade. "Now, apologize to the girls for being a pig."

The muttered "Sorry" that came from his mouth fooled absolutely nobody.

Anything anybody would say was interrupted by the gates opening and Ash and Professor Oak Stepping out. Ash and the girls noticed what the other was wearing for the first time that morning. 

The Girls couldn't help but notice Ash's bare chest. While he wasn't muscle-bound by any measure of the imagination, he had good definition. Serena's face was beet read, but all of the other girls Daisy included had a hint of pink in their cheeks.

Ash took in how the girls looked and what they were wearing. Serena had cut her long Honey blonde hair into a cute neck-length bob. On top of that was a small red hat with a pair of sunglasses on top of them. A light, black tank top was joined high at the waist with a red skirt that fell to the mid-thigh. Ash couldn't help but note that on each side were pieces of cloth attached to the waist, holding two large pockets. Beneath that was a pair of black single-leg thigh-high stockings that flowed into a pair of black sneakers. Next to her was a small black backpack.

Standing next to her on the right was Leaf, wearing a white hat with a red stripe that became a half pokeball symbol on the front covering the top of her mid-back-length brown hair. She was wearing a light blue tank top over a black undershirt. She wore a short red skirt that fell to her mid-thigh and a black wristband on each wrist. On her feet were a pair of light blue shin-length baggy socks that flowed into a pair of white sneakers with a red stripe on the top. She had a small yellow bag at her feet.

To the left of Serena stood May. She wore a red and white kerchief over her brown-haired shoulder-length Lopunny-eared haircut. She wore a short-sleeved red shirt with a navy blue circle around the neck over a white miniskirt. Beneath that was a pair of dark blue bike shorts. Around her waist was a mid-sized pack held by a built-in belt. She wore black ankle socks covered by red shoes with circular white and yellow stripes. Her outfit was completed by a set of white gloves with black fingers.

Near her stood Cynthia. Her neck-length blonde hair had a black bangle on each side. She was wearing a choker around her neck. She wore a black sleeveless top, a black uniform collar, and a white stripe attached with a tear-shaped tear-shaped jewel. Her top flowed into a thigh-length miniskirt with a slightly lighter black shade. On her hands were a pair of short white gloves with the black symbol of a pokeball on the back. Her legs were covered by a set of single-leg thigh-high black stockings. Those flowed into her black shoes with a white circular line. Next to her was a small black backpack that Ash assumed was hers.

Next to her was Dawn. She wore a white beanie with a pink pokeball print over her long blue hair. On each side of her head were gold hair clips. Around her neck was a long thin red scarf that rested on a black v-neck tank top with a serrated bottom with a white undershirt beneath it. This covered the top of a very short pink miniskirt that made Ash want to raise an eyebrow, but far be it from him to question another person's dress sense. Her mid-knee-length black socks were covered by pink boots with white bottoms. On her right wrist was a pink bracelet with two baubles. Near her feet was a large round pack. 

Near her stood Marnie. Her hair was in the twin-tailed style he had known her to wear as long as he had known her. Today she had red ribbons holding her hair up. She wore a black leather jacket with silver buttons and ornaments over a pink minidress that fell to the mid-thighs. Around her neck was a black leather choker with a spiked round silver ornament. Ash couldn't help but notice that he had painted her nails black today. As he couldn't see her socks, Ash assumed she was wearing ankle socks covered by her low-top black boots with silver ornaments and pink soles. Next to her was a crimson backpack with the city logo she was from. Spikemuth, as Ash recalled.

Finally, Ash looked at Lillie. She wore a white wide-brim hat over her long blonde hair, the front of which was tied into tails on each side of her head. She wore a relatively simple white sleeveless minidress that fell to mid-thigh. A translucent light material fell to her lower thigh at the hem. Once again, Ash had to fight the urge to raise an eyebrow at what one of the girls was wearing. But like before, he concluded that somebody else's dress sense wasn't his place to comment on. She wore a pair of knee-length lacy white socks that flowed into a simple pair of white low-top shoes. Next to her was a small white and blue backpack. Ash couldn't help but think that she looked like the thematic opposite of Cynthia regarding outfit coloring.

As he looked at the group, he couldn't help but blush. The moment was broken when May grinned and said with a coy voice. "Not a bad look Ash. Are you planning to make the whole journey topless? If so, it might make this trip far more interesting." 

Silence filled the air as everybody present tried to parse what she had said. The silence was broken when Marnie fell to the ground laughing "hahaha hahaha, HAHAHAHAHA!"

Dawn, Serena, and Leaf all sported triplet blushes as it suddenly dawned on them. What had been said.

Cynthia stood still for a moment before she awkwardly chuckled.

Lillie and Daisy's reactions were the loudest as they shouted, "MAY MAPLE!"

Ash just blushed deeper than before.

Gary, still a bit cowed by his sister, just chuckled.

The awkwardness of the moment was broken by a feminine shout, "ASH, ASH!" the assembled group looked to see Delia Ketchum come into view. Running with a black garbage bag and a green backpack in one hand. When she reached the gates, the woman bent over slightly and took several breaths. "Honey," She said between deep breaths, "You forgot your clothes and supplies."

Ash had the grace to look embarrassed as he said, "Thanks, mom. I'm sorry you had to run all this way.

Delia, still breathing hard, said It's okay, Honey. I wanted to be here to see you off on your journey." That brought a smile to the girl's faces. Most of their families had been forced to leave after graduation due to obligations, and Leaf's Mom had been called away at the last moment due to work. Nobody noticed Gary frown for a moment before schooling his features.

Pikachu, who had gone largely ignored for the last couple of minutes, chose to make itself known as its cheeks started to spark, and it uttered an annoyed "Pika."

Delia looked down at the small Rodent and cooed, "Oh, sweetie is that your Pokemon? It's adorable!

Ash briefly looked at Pikachu before looking at his mom "yeah, he's mine. Professor Oak just gave him to me."

Gary couldn't help himself as he said, "A Pikachu? And from the looks of it, a particularly unpleasant one at that. Have fun with that. 

Sam Oak frowned at his grandson as Daisy dope-slapped the boy again indignantly, saying, "Gary! Stop being such a jerk." Dropping to her knees and getting close to Pikachu, who had started sparking even more, she said, "I'm sorry my little brother is such a jerk, Pikachu. I'm sure you will be a good strong pokemon." Pulling a ketchup bottle out of her grocery bag, she opened it. She said, "My grandpa says that Pikachu like you like things that are high in electrolytes like sodium. Is that right?" opening up the bottle, she poured a little of it onto her open palm before offering it to Pikachu.

The small Rodent stood still momentarily before slowly reaching the young woman's hand. It took several sniffs of the red substance before taking a cursory lick. It gave a very excited "Pika!" before it started lapping up the rest causing Daisy to giggle as the tongue tickled her skin.

When Pikachu licked up every bit of the ketchup on Daisy's hand, it let out a happy cry. Daisy smiled at the Rodent before she said, "If you are a good boy for a little bit, I will let you have the whole bottle. How does that sound?

The thought of having all that delicious red substance all to himself made Pikachu stand stock still before with a rapid series of nods. It said, "Pikachu, Pikachu, Pika!"

With a chuckle, Daisy handed the bottle to Pikachu, who cried happily. As she stood up, she saw almost all the faces in the crowd look at her with amazement or pride, except for Gary, who just looked annoyed by the whole thing. 

Ash was the first to speak, "Daisy, that was amazing, thank you."

Daisy smiled at the praise before she replied, "your welcome, Ash. While I never became a pokemon trainer, I remember a lot of the things grandpa taught me growing up." grinning a bit, she said, "Now you should probably go get dressed unless you really do plan to make your journey shirtless."

Ash, suddenly remembering his state of dress, grabbed his backpack and the garbage bag from his mother before running back into the Professor's lab. The laughter of the assembled group nipped at his heels.

Five minutes later, he returned fully dressed, carrying his backpack in one arm. As he made his way to the, he saw a cherry red convertible with five girls seated inside. He recognized all of them as local girls. Three of them were the same age as he, Gary, and the girls. The other two were a few years older. He had heard Garry was trying to convince some girls to travel with him as his cheerleaders; apparently, that had been true. If he had to guess, the other two were there to act as chaperones. 

As he got close, Gary noticed him and said, "well, Ashy boy, it's time for me to go and for you to get used to seeing something you will be seeing your whole career… MY BACK!" Sensing what was about to happen, Gary deftly dodged his sister's third dope slap and leapt into the convertible. As the car started moving, he yelled, "Smell ya later!" 

Ash struggled to rein in his temper as Gary's car faded from view. As pissed off as he was, he knew it wouldn't do to say what he wanted in front of the Professor, his mother, and Daisy. Taking a few calming breaths, he turned to the group and said, "While Gary is a jerk, he does have a point we should get going soon." The seven girls all nodded. "But," Ash said with anticipation in his voice, "I really want to know what pokemon you picked!"

The seven girls grinned indulgently, and the adults chuckled at the boy's antics. Marnie was the first to step forward, grabbing a pokeball from her pocket and expanding it. With a light toss in the air and an utterance of "Come say hello, Morpeko!." In a flash of light, the group was graced with the presence of the electric hamster. Seeing another electric pokemon stopped licking at its ketchup bottle, Pikachu stared at the other Pokemon. The two eyed each other momentarily before a flurry of Pikas and Pekos filled the air. After a few moments, Pikachu offered his bottle to the other electric Pokemon. Nobody present could stop a smile from forming on their faces at the cute moment.

Marnie looked at the group and said My brother caught him for me a few years ago and has been helping me get it ready for battles.

Ash nodded. He had forgotten the classroom discussions where they had all discussed what Pokemon they wanted and how Marnie had mentioned that he would be using Morpeko. If he remembered correctly, two other girls would be using Pokemon not provided by the Professor.

In response to his thoughts, Cynthia grabbed a pokeball and tossed it forward as she said, "Gible, come out!" When the flash of light disappeared, everybody looked at a diminutive light blue dragon-type pokemon. Essentially just a head with some arms and legs attached, it stuck a strange profile.

"It looks strange, but it evolves into an extremely powerful pokemon," Ash thought as he looked at the creature and remembered what it could evolve into. He was so lost in his thoughts that he almost didn't hear what Cynthia had to say. I found her when she was an egg and cared for her until it hatched. My family has been helping me raise her until I could graduate and take her as my starter. Ash nodded. Cynthia had her work cut out for her. Dragon types were infamously slow growers in the wild. Sometimes taking decades to reach their fully evolved forms. Dragon types that belonged to trainers could do it in a fraction of the time, but their growth rate was still much slower than most other types. Mentally he wished the girl luck. Gible stood beside its trainer, dancing around a bit.

Lillie was next, a little shy at all the attention focused on her. From her bag, she pulled out a pokeball. It looked different from the standard pokeball, and Ash recognized the almost entirely white ball as a Premier Ball. He wondered why she used one of those instead of a regular pokeball. Still, he cast those thoughts aside as she said, "Say hi to everyone, Snowy!.

When the light had faded, there stood an Alolan Vulpix. Ash tried to remember what they had learned in class about the Alolan regional variant. "It's an ice type, right?" Asked Ash wanting to be sure of his assumptions.

Lillie nodded. "After I started to get over my fear of Pokemon, my brother caught her for me when I went back home to visit." the group nodded in response. When they first met Lillie, the girl had been terrified of Pokemon. It had taken a lot of work with Professor Oak and his aides to get her to the point where she didn't freeze up at the sight of a Pokemon. Even now, she froze when faced with something scary looking and unfamiliar. Ash knelt, rubbed his hand against the Pokemon's cheek, and felt its coolness as Vulpix nuzzled against his skin. After a moment, it made its way back to its master.

With a wide grin, Leaf bounced her pokeball on her hand for a few moments before grabbing it out of the air and tossing it up with an excited cry, "Go Bulbasaur! In a flash and a cry of "Saur," the half-plant, half reptile pokemon appeared. 

Ash looked at the Pokemon with a critical eye. Based on what he remembered from class, this particular Bulbasaur was quite healthy. " Of course, it's healthy!" Ash thought, "The professor isn't going to give trainers sick pokemon."

Ash looked at Leaf and asked, "So did you give it a nickname? It was a reasonable question. Many trainers nicknamed their Pokemon to differentiate their Pokemon from others of the same species. Only some people did it. The paperwork to register nicknames was a bit of a pain in the ass.

Leaf looked at Ash momentarily before she replied, "Nah, at least not right now. After Bulbasaur and I have gotten some time to get to know each other. 

Ash nodded at her response. It was a valid point of view. "What made you pick Bulbasaur?" He asked curiously.

Leaf had a sly grin across her face as she responded with a grin, "I like tentacles." 

The silence that followed was deafening as everybody present tried to make sense of that statement. This time, Lillie was the first to get what was being said as she turned beat red and shouted, "LEAF GREEN!" 

The blonde girl's reaction caused Marnie and Leaf to fall to the ground in laughter telling everybody else that she had been kidding about the tentacles. The adults let out a breath that they had not realized they had been holding. 

When the two girls recovered from their laughing fit, Lillie glared at the brunette, "Can you please not joke about stuff like that?"

Still, a little giggly, Leaf said, "I promise to try." Lillie could only sigh. She knew it was likely the best she would get from the other girl.  

"But seriously," Leaf continued, "I picked Bulbasaur because, at least here in Kanto, it is theoretically strong against three of the gyms, resistant to a fourth gym, and equal to a fifth gym.

Ash was about to nod his agreement with her assessment when Cynthia spoke up, "Just remember that type matchups aren't everything. Some gym leaders may have Pokemon who know attacks that your Bulbasaur is weak against, And that's not even factoring in dual-type Pokemon. Leaf and Ash nodded at the other girl's words while Professor Oak looked impressed. While all this was happening, Leaf's Bulbasaur found a nice bit of ground to rest upon and absorb some sunlight.

Serena stepped forward, expanded the pokeball she had in her hand, and tossed it into the air as she said, "Showtime, Fennekin!" When the light faded, the group looked at another vulpine pokemon. Almost immediately, Snowy took notice of the newcomer and scampered over to the orange and red Pokemon. The two sniffed at each other for a moment before they started to chase each other around, to everyone's amusement.

Deciding to answer a question she knew was coming, Serena explained, "I chose Fennekin because when she evolves, she will have a great deal of control over her flames. Since I plan to participate in a Pokemon contest that will prove useful for the showcase round." She left it unsaid that the more significant reason she had picked her was that she looked cute.

Dawn was next. With a cry of "Piplup, take the stage!" she tossed her pokeball into the air. When the light faded, a small blue aquatic avian pokemon stood proudly. "PIPLUP" it cried. 

Ash couldn't help but smile at the pompous act that the tiny Pokemon was putting on. It wasn't unlike some of the guys who had been in class preening and trying to show how great they were. He would only admit it to himself but had been guilty of that a bit over the years

.Deciding to answer why she had picked the Pokemon she had, Dawn started speaking. "I chose Piplup because I have always dreamed of having a cute water pokemon to conquer the contest circuit with" She decided not to mention that she had wanted to pick Popplio. Still, it had already been selected by the time it was her turn to pick a pokemon.

Ash smiled. "He looks like a good strong bird. I'm sure you do great offering the bluenette a thumbs up. Piplup moved to stand by its trainer.

Finally, May stepped forward, With a cry of "Go Torchic" In a flash of light, the small red and orange avian Pokemon appeared with a shout. After looking around at its surroundings for a few moments, it started running around the area before it began to chase Piplup, much to its obvious consternation. While watching, the goings on May spoke up about her choice.  

"I chose Torchi because I wanted a Pokemon from my home region. Mudkip had already been chosen by the time I made my pick and…" May blushed a bit in embarrassment at what she was about to say, "and Treecko just creeps me out. Torchic was just so adorable that I chose her.

Ash nodded. There were worse reasons for picking a pokemon. It wouldn't be what he would have based his choice on, but he could still respect it. "Are you going to use her in the contest?" Ash asked, curious as to how her choice affected her goals.

May looked at her Torchi and then at Ash before she responded. "I'm not sure yet." Rubbing her chin with one of her hands, she continued, "It depends on how She develops by the time we get to the first contest location in Saffron City. It is about eight weeks until then, so I have time to figure that out.

Ash nodded. He hoped they would be as far as Vermillion city by that point or at least Cerulean city. Saffron was just North of Vermillion and just south of Cerulean. It would depend on their pace and how much time they spent in each area. The Kanto leg of the tournament circuit had ended recently, so they had the better part of a year to travel the country, get the badges, and prepare for the Indigo tournament. 

Professor Oak interrupted his thoughts by coughing into his mouth and saying, "Shouldn't you kids be going. It's still morning, but Viridian City is quite a walk from here." The eight teenagers looked abashed as they pulled out their Pokeballs. In a chorus of "Return," the area outside the gate now contained eight teenagers, three adults, and one Pokemon.

Pikachu looked defiantly back at his trainer. Ash looked at his Pokemon and said, "Come on, Pikachu, it's time to go, Return." Pikachu moved to the right to avoid the red beam. It continued to dodge Ash's three other attempts before the boy dropped his head in shame. Looking at Professor Oak, Ash asked in an almost pleading tone, "Why won't Pikachu go into his ball?"

Samuel Oak looked at the boy and said, "Well, Ash, Some Pokemon are fiercely independent and remain so even after being captured. You could, of course, force the issue, but that might cause your relationship as a trainer and Pokemon to develop along a bad path. On the other hand, you could let it stay out of its pokeball and let it run around. The downside is that there may occasionally be confusion where people think Pikachu is a wild pokemon and attempt to catch him."

Ash thought about what the Professor had said for a moment. He had seen trainers in the streaming videos come onto the battlefield with at least one of their Pokemon out. Usually, it was the Pokemon widely considered to be their ace. Leon, the current world champ, was known for letting his Charizard out and about unless circumstances required otherwise. Lance was known to do the same with his Dragonites. Ash knelt down to a petulant-looking Pikachu with that thought in his head.

"Look, Pikachu," He said softly," I know you're not particularly happy about the situation. I'm sorry about that. But can you at least give us a try?"

Pikachu looked up at the young trainer and stared at him in the eyes as if looking into the boy's soul. Pikachu seemed to look deep inside him for what felt like hours before it let out a halfhearted "Pika" with a nod. 

Ash looked happy as he replied, "Thanks Pikachu, I won't let you down!" The electric Rodent's half-hearted "chu" told everyone present that it wasn't holding its breath. Nevertheless, it climbed up Ash's arms and sat on his shoulders.

Leaf smiled at the scene momentarily before she said with a grin, "This has all been very nice, but we should really make a tree and me." It was with a chorus of groans that the eight teenagers left Pallet Town

Kanto Route 1

Nearly an hour later, The group was walking in comfortable silence, watching as the local wildlife passed by them, whether it be the flocks of Pidgey and Taillow flying above or the hordes of Rattata and Bidoof running across the field. Occasionally when they looked at the river nearby, they would see a Goldeen or a Seeking jump with a splash. Cynthia's eyes widened as she saw what she was sure was a Feebas. "Hey guys," she barked out. "Does anybody want to try to capture some Pokemon?"

The group stopped as they considered the blonde girl's words. Leaf was the first to respond verbally, "That sounds like a good idea. We can strengthen our teams and let our Pokemon get their first taste of real battle.

May had opened her pokedex and was looking at what Pokemon were generally found in the area. There isn't anything that I want in this area. Dawn, who was looking over her shoulder, nodded in agreement. 

Serena looked unsure for a moment. Like May and Dawn, there wasn't anything she particularly wanted. After a second, she decided to give it a pass this time.

Lilly thought about it for a second. While she wasn't sure what she wanted to do with her life, she knew it would likely involve Pokemon, and having more than one would help. Nodding her head resolutely, she said, "I'm in."

Marnie thought about it. She had a theme she wanted for her team, and of all the Pokemon in this forest, only one fit what she was looking for, and it was rare. Still, it wouldn't hurt to try. So she said, "Sure, why not.

Ash considered his options. While nothing in the forest really appealed to him. More Pokemon meant more options in battle. This meant that even if he never got Pikachu to obey him properly, he wouldn't be without a pokemon to battle with. He had often thought about having a flying type. They were good in a fight and almost always had the high ground against anything that wasn't a flying type. With a grin, he said, "let's do it." 

Cynthia, glad to have convinced her friends to stop, smiled. Before she said, "Okay, so how about we take 45 minutes to hunt around. At that point, we will turn back and head on our way. How does that sound? Seeing only nods of yes, Cynthia pulled out her pack off her back. She fished around it till she pulled out a miniature fishing rod that instantly resized to a full-sized one. With a wave, she headed towards the river. May and Dawn moved to the side of the road to wait them out. While Ash, Marnie, Leaf, and Lillie each walked in separate directions.

Lillie

Lillie walked towards a treeline. As she looked around, she saw several Pokemon around her. Mankeys were hanging in the trees above her, looking at her wearily. A Weedle and a Caterpie stared at each other on the ground before the tree. In the sky above her, a Pidgey flew around looking for its next meal if her guess was correct. 

She was debating with herself about which Pokemon she wanted to try catching when she saw a flash of blue. white and red. When her eyes refocused, the two bug pokemon had scurried off, and the Taillow was munching on something. Pulling out her Pokedex, she pointed it at the feasting Pokemon.

"Taillow: The tiny Swallow Pokemon, a normal and flying type, Tallows have fierce personalities, never backing down, even from much stronger opponents."

Lillie frowned. The pokedex entry sounded like a tough little bird. " Okay, Lillie, how do I do this? I don't think Snowy can take it in a head-on fight. What was it that Gladion said that it knows again… oh yeah, Powdered Snow and Ice Beam. Maybe if I can immobilize it, I can capture it."

With the basics of a plan in her head, Lille quietly let Snowy out of her pokeball. "Okay, snowy, I need you to be quiet and listen to me. I want to capture that Taillow, and I need your help." The tiny vulpine Pokemon nodded.

 "Okay, when its back is turned, I want you to fire your ice beam at it." While her worst subjects during school were battle-related subjects, she understood ambush tactics and their place in Pokemon capturing. Taillow might not be happy with her when it thawed out, but she would make it up to it.

At that moment, the Taillow looked away from Lillie and Snowy, and the girl, seeing her chance, whispered, "Snowy Now!" In an instant, the beam covered the distance between the two Pokemon, striking the avian dead center, causing it to impact against a nearby tree. When Snowys attack stopped, Lille saw that the Taillow was frozen against the tree except for its head. 

As Lille approached, she pulled an empty pokeball from her bag and expanded it. With a bit of contriteness in her voice, she said, "I'm sorry that I had to capture you this way, but I promise I will make it up to you later." she lightly tossed the ball at the mostly frozen bird. When the ball impacted, the Taillow disappeared in a flash of red light, leaving behind a now hollow slab of ice. As the ball hit the ground, it shook once, twice, and three times as the Pokemon tried to escape from the ball. After another few seconds, the shaking stopped, and the telltale tone of the ball indicated the capture had been successful.

Lille bent over and took the ball in her hands. "I did it. I caught a pokemon!" Lille danced around for a moment with only Snowy to bear witness before she calmed herself, smiled, and started to make her way back to where they were supposed to meet.

Marnie

As Marnie made her way into a clearing, she looked around. Around her were the Pokemon you would expect to find in a forest like the one she was in. Marnie saw a lot of Kantoian Rattata, all manner of bug types, and a number of the more common flying types. But she was looking for something else. According to her Pokedex, the Pokemon she was looking for was rarely seen in this part of the country. It was far more common around urban cities like Saffron and Celedon. For 15 minutes, she looked around fruitlessly. She was about to give up and see if anything else caught her eye when she heard it, the telltale "dimp dimp dimp impi!"

Looking around towards where she had heard the sound coming from, her eyes widened when she saw what she was looking for. Unable to believe her eyes, she pulled out her Pokedex and pointed it at her target. 

"Impidimp: The Mischievous Pokemon, A dark and fairy type, these Pokemon absorb negative feelings regarding them through their large noses. This provides them with health and strength."

"Bloody hell," Marnie whispered in surprise. She had hoped to be able to and Impidimp on her journey. She knew they occasionally appeared here, but she had never thought she would find one this quickly. "Honestly, if I was reading about something like this in a book, I would think it was plot convenience."

Nevertheless, she pulled out Morpeko's pokeball and an empty one. The Impidimp in front of her appeared to be by itself, so if she could strike first, the odds were in her favor. Releasing Morpeko from its ball and looking down at her partner, she said, "In a moment, I want you to use Thunder Wave. And while it is immobilized, use Thundershock Morpeko looked at her for a moment before it bounced and gave a "Peko" of confirmation.

Marnie watched for a few minutes as the Impidimp walked about the clearing as if looking for something. When its back was finally turned away, Marnie whispered, "Now!" 

In an instant, a nearly invisible wave of electricity emanated from Morpeko's body. Before Impidimp knew what was happening, it was struck. It tried to move to hit back but was held in place by the paralyzing attack's effect. Before it could try again, Impidimp looked at Morpeko, its body cracking with electricity. With a mighty "MORPEKO!" Impidimp was floored. When it tried to get up, it found itself unable to move.

Marnie grinned. So far, this was going better than she had hoped. Expanding her empty ball, she took aim and tossed the pokeball at the struggling Pokemon. In a red flash, the Pokemon was trapped within the ball. For several seconds the ball shuddered as it worked to capture the struggling creature. After a few tense seconds, the ball's chime told her it had been successful. 

Marnie bounced on her feet, trying to contain her excitement. Trying to keep her characteristic cool demeanor…She failed. With a loud cry of "WOOOOOO," she raised her hands above her head and clapped. Morpeko could only smile at its trainer's antics. After Marnie had calmed down, she looked at her partner and said, "Thanks Morpeko." Lifting it up onto her shoulders, she let it take a seat before returning to the meeting spot.

Leaf

Leaf confidently walked into a nearby treeline. She knew exactly what she wanted and knew precisely where what she wanted was. Nearly four years ago, during a class trip, she had gotten separated and walked into a Pokemon nest. After she had rejoined the group, she had made sure to mark where the nest was on the map and had kept track of it ever since. As she got close, she started to hear buzzing. A few moments later, she found what she was looking for, the Combee hive.

Leaf looked around. The Vespiquen leader wasn't around. That was good. Trying to capture a hive member with it here would have been suicide. Stopping momentarily to catch her breath and think through her plan, she tried to remember her Bulbasaur's available moves. " Hmm, Razor Leaf, Vine Whip, Tackle, and…and oh yeah, sleep powder!" Now with the beginnings of a plan in her mind, she started looking for a female Combee. She wanted a Vespiquen eventually, and only the females evolved. She had learned over the years that while there were no physical differences between male and female Combee, there were distinct differences in how they carried themselves. At the end of the day, Male Combee were drones, so they always moved with almost robotic precision. Female Combee, Who would evolve into hive leaders, had higher consciousness, which showed in how they moved.

So Leaf watched. For nearly thirty minutes, she watched as drone after drone after drone moved around, ignoring her. When she saw it, she was about to give up and see if she could find something else. The way it moved and the way the males made way for it as it passed them. " Finally!" she screamed inside her head.

Leaf watched as the female moved away from the males and made its way to a tree near where she stood. Leaf quickly called out Bulbasaur and pointed to their target. Before she quickly whispered to her partner. "Okay, Bulbasaur, get ready in a few moments. I want you to use sleep powder on that Combee and then use your vines to pull it out of sight of the others."

Bulbasaur momentarily looked at its trainer and the Combee before giving a "Saur" of agreement. The pair watched Combee. When it got close to them and out of the line of sight5 of the Combee drones, Leaf whispered, "Now!"

The female Combee was hit with a cloud of purple dust, and before it knew what was happening, it was fast asleep. Moments later, a pair of vines lifted it and pulled it further out of sight. Grabbing a pokeball out of her bag. After expanding it, she lightly tossed the ball at the sleeping Pokemon. In an instant, it was trapped, and it was only one shake of the ball before the duo heard the sound of capture confirmation.

With a happy dance and an excited whisper, Leaf picked up the ball and said, "I caught a Combee! Believe It!

Bulbasaur looked at its trainer with an exasperated expression on its face and uttered a "saur."

Leaf calmed down and smiled at her Pokemon before saying, "We should probably run. They are sure to notice this one missing sooner or later. Recalling Bulbasaru into its ball, Leaf ran back toward the meeting spot.

Cynthia

Cynthia made her way to the river. Feebas were relatively rare, but from what she had read, they travel in schools, and where you found one, there would be several others. Releasing Gible from its ball, she said, "Gible, I am going to try capturing a Feebas, and I need your help."

Gible looked at its partner for a second before it moved its body in a way that Cynthia took as a nod and a cry of "Gible."

Cynthia smiled and said, "When I pull it out of the water, I want you to pin it down and keep it from returning to the water. Once again, Gible gave its acknowledgment of what she had said. Reaching into her bag, Cynthia pulled out a Metapod-shaped lure and attached it to her line. With a small prayer to whoever was listening, she cast her line into the water and sat on a nearby rock.

Twenty minutes later, she had met no success. She had snagged 5 Magikarp, 2 Goldeen, and a Psyduck and had either thrown back or forced them to retreat with the help of her Gible, but she had yet to find the Feebas she was looking for. She looked at Gible and mused, "Maybe we should try a new spot. They might have moved further downstre-'' Suddenly, she felt a sharp tug on her line. Grabbing it more firmly, she started to reel it in. For five minutes, she fought, and finally, with a mighty tug, she pulled out her catch. Hanging from her line was a Feebas.

With a herculean swing, Cynthia tossed the Feebas as far onto the shore as humanly possible. Gible moved to pin it down but was soon thrown off by the flailing Pokemon. In a flash, Gible was back on its feet and moved to pin it down. Cynthia quickly moved to help her partner. After a short while, Cynthia felt the Feebas slow down, and she got up and ran for her bag. Grabbing a Pokeball, she shouted, "Gible, get back!" As soon as her partner was out of the way, she tossed the ball. The pair watched the ball vibrate nearly half a dozen times before the capture confirmation toned. 

Cynthia let out a loud "BOOYAH" before her sense of decorum caught up with her. Gible could only watch its human with amusement. Humans could be so weird.

When Cynthia picked up the ball, she felt a spark go off in her head. " What the heck was that? " She wondered internally. She hadn't felt anything like that since she had been a young girl taking care of Gible's egg. At the time, she had told her parents, and they had taken her to be checked out, but nothing had been found, and after a while, she wondered if she had imagined the whole thing. But she was much older now. What she had just felt wasn't something she imagined, even if it did feel weaker than the last time. She filed it away as something to deal with when she had time. 

Calming down, Cynthia looked down at her partner and said, "Thank you, Gible. I couldn't have done this without you." Gible only smiled, or at least Cynthia thought it did. Cynthia looked at her pokedex to check the time and said, "We need to get back soon." She returned her rod to its travel size and cleaned the lure before putting them back in her bag. After she had finished her task, she turned to Gible and said, "Thanks again for all your help, no return." As she recalled Gible back to its pokeball. After taking a few moments to collect her thoughts, she returned to the others. She idly wondered how Ash was doing, particularly with that Pikachu of his.

Ash

The Last forty minutes had absolutely sucked. Every time Ash found an interesting pokemon to capture, it ran away before he could get too close. When it didn't, Pikachu was proving to be uncooperative. At one point, he tried to capture a Pidgey by using one of his shirts. That had ended with him being tossed into a tree due to its gust attack. Pikachu just laughed at him. Now he only had five minutes to go before he had to head back, and he didn't want to return empty-handed.

Looking around, Ash saw a familiar silhouette. It was another Pidgey! Ash turned to Pikachu, perched on a tree, watching and laughing. "Pikachu, if I get you a bunch of ketchup, will you help me capture that Pidgey?" InternallyAsh asked himself, "Is it always going to be this way, having to bribe my own pokemon to help me?"

As if to put a cap on the crappy day he had been having, Pikachu gave him a negative "chu."

Ash's temper finally broke. "You know what, fine! I'll capture that Pidgey on my own, and then I'll ship you right back to Professor Oak!" Ash looked at the ground and found several decent-sized rocks. It wouldn't be pretty, but they might work in a pinch to weaken the Pidgey enough for him to capture. Grabbing two of the stones and taking careful aim, he threw the rock at Pidgey's head.

Ash's aim was spot on, and he let out a cheer. His cheer was short-lived as the "Pidgey" stepped out of the shadow and showed itself as a Spearow. It had an angry welt on its head, and it looked pissed. With a loud cry of "SPEAROW!!'' It took flight and charged at him. Ash dodged to the right to avoid the Pokemon's razor-sharp beak and talons and dodged again to avoid a second attack. Above him, Ash could hear Pikachu giggling. This brought it to Spearow's attention. The Spearow instantly changed direction and flew talons open at the electric Rodent. Pikachu dodged by dropping from the branch he had been sitting on, leaving him hanging on for dear life.

The Spearow, seeing its target, was helpless, turned back around, and charged at its prey again. With no other options, Pikachu released a thundershock as it dropped into Ash's arms when He moved below him. The Spearow fell to the ground in a smoking heap. Ash was about to pull out a pokeball to capture it when suddenly, it hopped to its feet and let out an ear-splitting "SPEAROW!!!"

The pair stood there momentarily, trying to figure out what that was all about, when they heard a second Sperow cry in the distance, Followed by a third and fourth. Soon there were dozens of cries, So many that Ash couldn't tell them apart anymore.

Ash looked at Pikachu in his arms and said cautiously, "We should run." Pikachu looked at its trainer and replied with a "Pika" that Ash took to mean yeah. As Ash grabbed his bag, he looked back and saw a large flock of angry Spearow flying towards him and Pikachu. Not wasting any more time, Ash turned around and ran like hell.

Back at the gathering spot, the girls waited for the last of their group to arrive. May, tired of waiting, looked at her Pokedex to check the time and whined, "When is he going to get back? I wanna get to Viridian sometime in the near future. 

Serena was about to respond when Ash burst out of the tree line and ran past them. As he got close, he said very quickly, 

"LargeangryflockofSpearowRUN!!" Before they could process what he said, he had already run off.

With concern in her voice, Lillie asked, "Did he say a large angry flock of Spearow?"

Leaf was about to respond to Lillie's concern with a joke when they all heard the cry of a legion of Spearow. Followed by the Pokemon coming into view. Marnie took this all in and said, with no small amount of fear in her voice. "I'm going to say YES!" before she grabbed her bag and started running in the same direction Ash had gone. After a moment, the other girls followed suit and started running for their lives.

After a minute, they managed to catch up to Ash, who had stopped for a few seconds to catch his breath. Seeing his companions running at him and hearing the cry of the Spearow flock, Ash resumed running. When they caught up, Cynthia, through a gasp of breath, asked, "What the hell happened?"

Ash, his breath ragged from the extended effort, managed to respond, "tried to capture a Pidgey, pissed off a Spearow instead. Cynthia nodded. She had more questions, but now wasn't the time.

Cynthia quickly asked, "What do we do?"

Ash, tired from all his running, took a moment to try to come up with something. After a moment, he said, "I'm pretty sure they are after Pikachu and me. I think there is a dense clump of trees near here. When we get there. You girls should jump in, and I will try to lead them away and try to get away. We will meet back up in Viridian!

Cynthia wanted to protest to come up with another plan, but she couldn't come up with any other strategy. She quickly relayed it to the other girls, Serena looked like she wanted to argue, but despite her objections, when they reached the clump of trees, she jumped in with the rest.

Now it was just him, and Pikachu Ash picked up the pace. Despite that, the Spearow caught up with them, and soon the pair was scratched up. Bleeding from his cheeks and arms as the Spearow tried to get at Pikachu. Ash tried to find a way out. A look to his left revealed a fast-moving stream. " Maybe I could lose them by jumping in and letting the current carry me."

Not having any other idea, whispered to Pikachu, "Hold your breath Pikachu; we are going for a swim. He waited for the Rodent to comply for a second before he took his breath and jumped into the stream. In an instant, he felt himself being pulled by the current. As he opened his eyes to see where he was going, he saw all sorts of water pokemon. " Was that a Gyrados?" He thought as he saw a huge blue body pass him heading upstream. He didn't have much time to ponder that as he was rapidly running out of breath. If he didn't surface soon, it wouldn't matter if he got away from the Spearow if he drowned.

Carlos Fetch was taking a day off from work. His job at the Viridian Savings and Loan was soul-crushing sometimes. It was owned by the gym leader Giovanni. Sometimes, it felt like the man ran the place more like a mafia boss than a legitimate businessman. Still, the benefits were pretty good, and he had been able to use his PTO and take a nice bike ride out here to do some fishing. A few of his catches had been Pokemon, but he had caught a few fish. If he had his way, he would take them home to cook them up tonight. His quiet afternoon was interrupted when he felt a tug on his line. "Shit, it feels like I pulled a whopper!" He yelled as he pulled on the line. With a mighty tug, he pulled up, and out popped… a teenage boy? 

As the boy he noticed was carrying a Pikachu coughed up some water, Carlos shouted, "Kid, What Happened?"

The boy coughed several more times before he said between coughs, "Spearow flock … chasing us… tried to escape in water."

Carlos looked over at the boy and his Pikachu. They had scratches all over their bodies; it looked like they had fought with a lawn mower and had lost. After a moment, he said, "Well, it looks like you succeeded. Congratulations, I guess. 

Despite himself, Ash couldn't help but smile. It looked like things were looking u-. The air was suddenly filled with countless Spearow cries. It wasn't over yet. 

Carlos looked at the boy, who now looked like he was about to panic, and then at the absolutely massive flock of Spearow. After a second, he made a decision. "Kid, take my bike and get out of here." The boy looked like he wanted to argue, so Carlos shouted at the top of his lungs. "Kid, GO, get the hell out of here!" Ash put Pikachu in the bike basket without needing to be told thrice. 

As he started to head off, he said over his shoulder, "Thanks, mister. I'll return the bike to you someday!"

Pedaling as fast as he could down the road, Ash couldn't help but notice how much the weather had turned since he had started running. He didn't have the time to think about that as he entered a clearing. Looking down at the basket, he tried to comfort Pikachu. "Just hang on, Pikachu. We're almost there. Soon the rain started to fall, and to his dismay, Ash heard the Spearow cries. Before he knew it, some of the Pokemon caught up to him and started nipping at him, causing him to reflexively close his eyes. He didn't see the ground give way and badly leaped the ledge. 

When Ash landed, the front tire was askew, and He and Pikachu fell hard. As he lay on the ground groaning in pain, lightning started to flash, and thunder began to roar. Ash opened his eyes and saw Pikachu lying there, even more injured from the fall than before. Crawling over to the wounded Pokemon, he tried to comfort it with his touch and only got a small "chu" in response.

Filled with sadness, Ash said, "Pikachu… this can't happen… I'm sorry I wasn't a good trainer to you." As lightning flashed again, Ash heard the sound of flapping wings, something he was sick to death of hearing. Grabbing Pikachu's pokeball from his belt, he expanded it and put it next to Pikachu. When Pikachu responded with a faint "chu" of surprise, Ash begged.

"Pikachu, please I know you don't like your ball, but if you are inside it, maybe I can save you. Please listen to me, and after that… after that" Ash didn't know what to say next, so he said, "Please just trust me!" As Ash fought his way to his feet, he thought he heard Pikachu say something, but at this point, he couldn't be sure

Spreading his arms wide and raising his voice as much as possible short of shouting, Ash declared to the horde of Pokemon, "Spearow, I am Ash Ketchum, and I am going to be a Pokemon Master. But before that, I am going to defeat and capture every last one of you!" Ash prayed that Pikachu had entered his pokeball. As another bolt of lightning struck close. "Come and get me!"

It would be a long while before Ash could piece together what happened next, as several things happened simultaneously. Ash felt Pikachu leap on his shoulder before jumping into the air, the Spearow drew close, and a bolt of lightning fell from the sky. From what he could piece together, the bolt of lightning struck Pikachu as it used its Thunderbolt attack, supercharging the attack. Before the force of the blast wave knocked him out, Ash heard Pikachu roar, "PIKACHU!!!"

When Ash came to, he could see the sun shining. He wasn't sure how much time had passed, but the Spearows were gone, so he didn't care if it had been twenty-five years. Looking around, he saw Pikachu lying nearby, smiling weakly, and gave another weak "chu."

As Ash tried to get up, he heard flapping. Fearing Spearows were still around, Ash looked skyward and saw a massive flying pokemon covered in a golden aura. "What's that Pokemon?" He asked the open air 

Ash slowly made his way to his feet before he scooped the injured Pokemon into his arms. When he brought Pikachu up to his chest, he felt a spark go off in his head that almost made him stumble. Ash looked down at the Pikachu in his arms. He would have thought it was responsible for what had just happened if not for its injuries, and the shock he had gotten from it earlier that day felt completely different. He cast those thoughts aside as he had more important things to worry about, like getting Pikachu medical attention.

Ash looked around after a moment, and he found the bike he had tried to escape with. It was a little bit charred, and the chain was completely busted. But the wheels seemed to be okay. Lifting it upright with one hand, he put Pikachu in the basket and started pushing the bike along the path. As they moved, he kept telling Pikachu, "we're almost there. It will be okay" As they made it to the top of a hill, Ash saw Viridian City just a little bit more, and they would be there. 

As a journey comes to an end, a new one begins. One full of fun, adventure, and romance. A journey of staggering heights and devastating lows. A journey of discovery and a journey to discover what it means to be a Pokemon Master. Join us as "Pokemon: The Story Of Us" truly begins next time.

Professor Oak's Lab

After the storm ended, Samuel Oak started checking around his lab to ensure the more delicate instruments were still okay. So far, everything had turned out fine. The last thing to check was the Pokemon transport device. When he entered the room, he noticed a Pokeball on the receiving port. Curious about who had sent him something, Samuel turned on the device and looked through the transport records.

A few clicks revealed it had come from the Pokemon Storage Bank. " That sounds familiar." A few more clicks revealed that the Pokemon inside was a Ralts… a Galarian Ralts. Suddenly Samuel was bombarded by memories of a long-forgotten promise.

Feeling more than a little embarrassed by his faux pas, Samuel uttered, "Oh dear, I fear I have made a bit of a mistake… I'll have to remember to call the boy when he makes it to Viridian City."

~Fin

Chapter Text

Well folks, here we are at chapter two, this one is a little shorter than Ihad intended but I think this ended at a good place. Now on to a few notes. Due to a variety of issues I had to skip a step of my editing process so if this isn’t as polished as you have come to expect from me, my apologies. I will see if I can fix the issue before chapter three but I make no promises.

Finally the disclaimer.  Pokemon and all the characters therein are the property of Game Freak,  The Pokemon Company and a list of other companies and people  I am too lazy to look up.

Please support the official release..

Viridian City, Southern Guard Station, 19:00

Lieutenant Angela Jenny, who was working at the guard station today, stood outside after reading an announcement about a pair of suspicious people sighted around town with a Meowth. The effort to find them while dealing with the influx of new trainers fresh from Professor Oak's school had complicated matters. True, it was expected at this time of year, but it  was still a stress on police resources.

Officer Jenny’s mind refocused when she saw a boy, a teenager really who looked like he had been run through the wood chipper, ran up to the city gate while pushing a slightly scorched bike alongside him. In the bike's basket, Jenny spotted a pokemon. When the boy had gotten closer, she saw it was a Pikachu who looked to be in the same state as the boy. When the pair had gotten close, she ran out of the station and with a voice full of authority said, “STOP, what the heck happened to you two, kid?”

The boy, who Jenny noted had several cuts and scratches along his hands and face, said through gasping breaths, “Attacked by Spearow flock… Got split from group, Pikachu hurt.”

Jenny looked at the boy. Technically, she was supposed to ask him for some form of ID. If he was a trainer, it would be on his Pokedex, but the Pikachu on the bike looked to be extremely hurt. After a moment, she decided.

“Kid,bring that bike inside. I’ll get you to the Pokemon Center.” As the boy moved to obey, Jenny ran towards her desk and grabbed a first aid kit from the cabinet before turning on the station radio and calling dispatch. “Dispatch, this is Lieutenant Angela Jenny, Badge number 54545. I have an injured teen male, and a badly injured Pikachu. I am escorting them to the Pokemon Center. Please send relief to the south gate, over.

There were a few moments of radio static before a voice replied, “Officer Jenny, You are clear to go . Relief will arrive shortly. We will attempt to alert the Pokemon Center staff of your arrival. Over.”

Running back to the boy, she ordered, “Grab your pokemon and come with me.” before she led him to the station garage where her motorcycle and its sidecar sat. The boy, realizing what she wanted him to do, climbed into the sidecar as she swung her leg over her bike, not for the first time cursing the shortness of the uniform skirt she was required to wear. 

Jenny quickly tossed the boy the first aid kit she had grabbed before she hit a button on the bike, causing the garage door to open. After a moment, the bike's engine roared, and they were off like a shot. As they made their way through the city, Jenny saw the young rookie that was taking her place at the guard station. Once she made sure that the boy and his Pokemon arrived safely, she would return and let the young man return to the station. As they approached the stairs of the Pokemon Center, she yelled to the boy, “Hold on tight!” 

A few minutes ago,

Nurse Practitioner Bethany Joy sat at her desk. It had been a long, hard day, and it wasn’t over. She was running a double shift because of the increased number of trainers coming in today.. Besides the local trainers that frequented her Pokemon Center, Professor Oak’s school had unleashed a new set of graduates on the world. That had added nearly two dozen trainers to the list of things she and her staff had to deal with. Unlike those games the League put out every couple of years, injuries couldn’t be healed in a few seconds. In the real world, healing a Pokemon's injuries took lots of time and effort. It took supplies and funds. True, the government and local donations took care of most of that, but some months their finances were razor thin. 

This year's group of graduates were the same as usual. A group of kids that pushed their starter Pokemon way too hard, Bringing in Pokemon, they had captured that were beaten half to death, and they were proud of that. Joy had been a Nurse Practitioner for a long time now. She understood that for Pokemon trainers, injuries were part of what was to be expected. Minor cuts? No problem. a few burns? A walk in the park. Some bruising? That had been first week stuff back in nursing school. No, it was when they brought in Pokemon, who were injured to where crippling injuries were a distinct possibility. All of this was at the hands of kids who were getting their first taste of freedom. Most of them, now that they had the freedom to live as they wanted, they wasted that by acting entitled and treating her staff like shit. The girls had tried to use their new ‘adult’ status to hit on her male employees while the boys had done the same to her female staff, with the occasional boy or girl going after the staff member of their own gender.

The worst of the lot had shown up later on in the day. His name had been Gary Oak, the grandson of Professor Oak , and he had made sure that everyone in the Pokemon Center knew that. For the first time in a while she was happy that the Viridian City gym was often closed, because of its leader often being away so often.True it caused problems for the trainers who couldn’t afford a trip to Johto to take on one of their gyms to get a badge. And true, her cousin who worked for the Gym Inspection Agency had told her they were looking at getting the leader replaced. But in the short term, it meant that there was no reason for any of the entitled little brats to stick around. Most of them had headed towards Pewter City as soon as their pokemon were healed up. The rest had found other accommodations. Either way, they weren’t her problem anymore.

Bethany Joy's thoughts returned to the present as she heard the rumble of an engine making its way in her direction. “Is that a motorcycle?” she asked the empty air as it got closer. Suddenly, the automatic door opened and a motorcycle with a sidecar skidded to a halt in her lobby. Her first thought was what was so dire to require driving INTO the Pokemon Center. Her second thought was, “How much is this going to cost to clean?” 

Joy looked at the boy sitting in the sidecar. He had several cuts and scratches on the visible parts of his body. And his clothes had several cuts as well. In his arms. Was a Pikachu. The boy looked to be in a rough state and the Pikachu looked far worse. Besides the same cuts and scratches the boy had, it also had substantial electrical burn marks up and down its body. If she had to guess, it had overused its electoral attacks far too much and at a level it wasn’t ready to handle. She would have words with the boy later about letting his Pokemon get into this condition later. But for now, it was time to put on her professional face.

“We have a driveway, you know, Jenny. Now what's the problem?” Joy said with a huff.

Jenny excitedly spoke up, “It’s a Pokemon emergency!”

Joy wanted to mouth off but kept her demeanor professional.. Moving over to her computer, she pressed the button for the intercom and said, “We need a stretcher for a small electric Pokemon with severe electrical burns and electricity drain, stat!”

The cries of Chansey told Joy that her Pokemon assistants were on their way. When they arrived, she gently took the Pikachu from the boy's arms and gently laid it down on the stretcher.  She tried to comfort the boy and said, “It will be okay.” before she turned to the Chansey and ordered, “Rush this Pikachu to the Critical Care Unit.”

The Chansey moved to obey and Joy followed behind them, telling Jenny and Ash, “We will begin the treatment immediately.”

“Uh…” the boy spoke up, causing Joy to turn around to look at him. 

“Who are you?” she asked 

Jenny spoke up, “He is the Pokemons trainer.”

“I’m Ash Ketchum. If there’s anything I can do, please tell me.”

Joy looked at the boy in front of her. And she couldn’t help the frown that formed on her face. “You can be more responsible when you are battling. "

“Huh?” the boy asked dumbly.

Frustrated by how dense the boy seemed to be, she replied, “You don’t let your Pokemon battle till it’s in this condition. How long have you been a trainer?”

The boy thought about it for a moment before he replied, “about six hours.”

Joy wanted to face palm, but kept her professionalism, “From the looks of it your Pikachu evolved into its current state fairly recently. And from the looks of it, you made it channel an incredibly dangerous amount of power at a point in its development where its electricity generating abilities are still developing. What you did could seriously cripple your Pikachu’s ability to generate its own electricity.”

“But you don’t know what happened!” the boy said hotly.

Mentally Joy rolled her eyes. It was just another excuse from a newbie trainer who pushed their Pokemon too far. She didn’t have time for this. “I can’t think of any good reason for your Pikachu to be put into this state. Now if you’ll excuse me I need to go treat your Pokemon.

Turning to Jenny, she said, “Thank you for getting them here so quickly, but please, next time, use the driveway.”

Jenny had the grace to look embarrassed. “Yeah. sorry about that. I better get back to my post.” Before she went to retrieve her bike.

Joy was about to go join the Chanseys when she heard the boy speak.

“Please take care of Pikachu.” He said, sadness and regret dripped from every word.

Joy softened the look on her face. Despite his dumbass actions, the boy cared about his Pikachu. “Leave everything to me. Now you’ll need to go wait in the lobby until we’re done. Before she turned around and left the room.

—-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

As Ash made his way to the lobby and found a seat, He got lost in his thoughts. Nurse Joy’s words had hurt him more than he had thought possible. “She didn’t listen to a word I had to say. She just assumed that I made Pikachu fight until he was hurt like that.” That someone thought that he was the kind of trainer that would treat their Pokemon like that was something that offended Ash deeply. He would never do that to one of his Pokemon. Not intentionally, anyway.

Feeling himself beginning to get upset, Ash closed his eyes and took several deep breaths. Getting himself worked up wouldn’t help anything.. As his mind cleared. Ash thought, “I wonder where the girls are? I hope they got away from the Spearow without too much trouble.” Ash tried to comfort himself. There were seven of them and he knew that Marnie, Cynthia and Leaf were good at Pokemon battles. “But that had been a lot of Spearow.” As he sat there Ash had a sudden realization . 

“Wait, I can call them!” Ash yelled to an empty room.. Grabbing His Pokedex from his jacket, he quickly activated the phone function and pulled up the contacts. Before they had left, Ash had made sure to get the phone numbers for each of the girls, His mom and Professor Oak. Selecting Cynthia, he waitedfor the phone to connect.. What he saw was the words can not connect.. He tried May next only to get the same message. He moved down his contact list only for the same message to appear. “What the heck is going on.?” Looking at his screen, he noticed that his reception indicator showed no bars. How was that possible?

The sound of the automatic doors interrupted Ash's thoughts opening. When he looked up, he saw Cynthia and the other girls run in. Not quite believing his eyes he called out, “Cynthia?”

Cynthia and the other girls saw Ash. Cynthia was about to respond when she was pushed out of the way as Serena pushed past her and ran up to Ash, who quickly found his personal space invaded by the panicked young girl. “Are you okay? Are you hurt? Where's Pikachu?” This was asked so fast that it took Ash a second to understand it all.

Putting a little space between him and Serena, Ash replied. “I’m okay, a bit scraped up but I’ll live and Pikachu is in the middle of being treated by the Nurse Practitioner.” Ash thought about it for a moment before he asked, “So what happened after we split up?” 

Cynthia spoke up. After we separated and most of the flock chased after you, we mostly stayed in the trees. We had to deal with a few stragglers who chased after us, but Morpeko was able to scare them away. When the rain started, we waited in the tree line until it stopped.” Cynthia thought about it for a second before she continued. “We kind of regretted it once the lightning started,though. Once it let up, we made our way here. What about you?”

Ash recited what had happened to him. About jumping into the water and getting fished out. About borrowing the bike from the man who had fished him out. And about standing up to the attacking flock. He had his eyes closed and so he missed the tears that fell from Serena's and the other girls' eyes. When he described what had happened with Nurse Practitioner Joy He suddenly felt the temperature in the room drop.

With a face full of cold fury, Lillie spoke in a tone that none of them had ever heard her use. “Ash, are you telling me that the head Nurse of the Pokemon Center just automatically assumed that you were a negligent trainer? that she didn’t bother to even ask about the details of what happened?”

Ash, a bit intimidated by the change in his companion,  said “Y-yes”

Lillie closed her eyes and took a deep breath. After a moment, she said, “When Nurse Practitioner Joy has finished treating Pikachu, I want to have words with her”

None of the seven other people in the room doubted she would do as she said. After a moment, Ash asked a question. “Are any of you having trouble with your Pokedex’s phone? I tried to call you all a bit before you showed up and I couldn't reach any of you. It kept telling me it couldn't connect.”

The seven girls pulled out their devices and fiddled with them. One by one, they shook their heads as they each met with failure. Dawn was the one to voice what they all were thinking “Okay that's weird. I wonder what’s causing it?”

The sound of an electric bell interrupted the conversation and the light marking the treatment room turned off. The eight teenagers made their way to the door as it opened, revealing a resting Pikachu with a device on its head that was attached to a small battery. It was being pushed by Nurse Joy who was flanked by two Chansey. 

Ash looked at his Pokemon and with a voice full of concern asked, “Pikachu, are you alright?”

Nurse Joy looked at him with a tired but reassuring smile on her face and said, “The procedure went well. We were lucky and found no sign that Pikachu's electric generating abilities were damaged. It was a good thing that you got it here so quickly, though. Too much longer in the state you brought it in and I can't say that things would have turned out so well.”

Sadness and happiness warred within Ash. On one hand, Pikachu was going to be fine. On the other hand if he had been slower to get here, Pikachu might have been permanently injured. It was with tears in his eyes that he said, “T-thank you, Nurse Practitioner  Joy.”

Nurse Joy merely nodded before she replied, “You’re welcome, but please remember what we talked about earlier. Next time, you might not be as lucky as you were today.”

Ash looked down. Nurse Joy still believed that he had caused Pikachu’s injuries through his negligence. He almost missed Lillie walking up to Nurse Joy and with a sub zero tone in her voice say, “Nurse Practitioner Joy Do you make it a habit to ma-”

The sound of breaking glass from overhead silenced anything else Lillie was going to say.. Ash grabbed Leaf and Serena while Cynthia grabbed Dawn and May. as Marnie grabbed Lille pulling them from where the glass fell. Nurse Joy and the Chanseys had pulled back a bit into the treatment room they had come from.. Ash as soon as he had righted himself looked to where they had been and saw four Pokeballs. In a flash of light, all four balls opened revealing four Pokemon. Ash recognized the living ball of pollution and the purple python as Koffing and Ekans. Not far away he heard May say Cacnea and Seviper. There was a moment of silence as the two groups sized each other up.

The Pokemon made the first move. Before anybody could react the two snake pokemon started moving about the lobby, destroying anything and everything that they could get to. The Koffing released a dark cloud of smoke causing everybody to cough and the spikes on the Cacnea started to glow yellow. Leaf reacted first and threw out her Pokeball “Go Bulbasaur!” As Bulbasaur appeared the Cacnea released its attack filling the air with yellow projectiles.

Leaf yelled “Bulbasaur use Vine Whip to knock those pins out of the air” With a cry Bulbasaur moved to obey and deflected every pin missile that came in the group's direction.. 

Joy who Ash noted looked both concerned and exasperated looked at the group and with a tone that reflected her look said “All of you follow me,” as she pulled Pikachu’s stretcher back into the treatment room Ash wanting to stay near Pikachu was quick to obey and the rest of the group was just behind him with Leaf bringing up the rear as she recalled Bulbasaur. Once Leaf had cleared the door Joy ran up to the wall near the door and pressed a series of buttons that caused the door to lock with an audible click.. As Joy led them through the building Ash heard several crashes that he assumed was the Pokemon from earlier causing havoc.. After another minute of walking Joy opened a door and motioned for the group to enter. Once everybody was inside, she pressed a few buttons on another wall mounted console and the door locked. Ash looked at Cynthia Who looked back and together they found an empty desk and moved it in front of the door.

 It was at this point that they got a look at the room they were in. It was lined with shelves and each shelf was filled with Pokeballs of all types. It was Marnie that voiced what Ash was thinking. “What is this place?”

Joy moved over to a desk where a computer that was attached to a Pokemon transport device was located. As she typed into the computer she answered “This is a holding area for Pokemon who require longer term care. We hold on to them until their trainers return for them… If they return for them.” Ash could hear the hostility in the woman's voice when she said that last part.and he understood what she was saying. Some of these Pokemon had been abandoned. They would stay here possibly forever waiting for someone that would never come. Ash wanted to yell about the injustice but another crash brought him back to reality.

“What do you need us to do?” He asked, his voice deadly serious. He would be pissed about the abandoned Pokemon after the crisis. 

Nurse Joy looked at him for a long moment before she responded. “I need you all to keep those Pokemon at bay while I transport as many of the Pokemon here as I can to the Pokemon Center in Pewter City. Your Pikachu is still down so I am going to loan you one of mine.” Joy pulled from her apron  a Pokeball with a heart on it and said “Come out Blissey!” In a flash of light the pink and white nurse Pokemon appeared. “She knows several moves but the ones you need to concern yourself with right now are Pound, Protect, Take Down, Heal Pulse and Helping Hand.” Turning to her Pokemon she said “Blissey, for the time being I need you to listen to this boy's orders as if they were my own.” Looking back at Ash she said “Take care of her and Keep. These. Pokemon. Safe.” 

The last part of what Nurse Joy had said had so much quiet force behind it that Ash couldn’t help but gulp. Letting another trainer use your Pokemon was a big deal. It implied a level of trust that was often limited to friends and family. That she was letting him use her Blissey despite only knowing him for only a few minutes and despite her impression of him meant the situation was really serious. Ash could only nod his head and say “Yes Ma'am” 

Nobody said anything for several moments, leaving the sounds of destruction to fill the air. May was about to open her mouth when the lights went out and the screen Nurse Joy was in front of flickered for a second. Nurse Joy, knowing the question the group wanted to ask, said “We have several generators in case of emergency and the transport device has a backup battery as well so that if the power goes out mid transport, the Pokemon won’t be lost.”

For several minutes, the only sounds were Nurse Joy’s increasingly frustrated typing and the sounds of destruction. Finally, the pink-haired woman slammed her hands down on the desk and swore loudly “DAMNIT, Whoever is doing this thought this through. I’ve tried to connect to every Pokemon Center in the country and I can't reach any of them. I even tried Professor Oak’s Lab and nothing!

Ash heard several of the girls gasp and Marnie whisper “Bloody Hell.” Ash kept silent but took a hitched breath. He wasn’t into tech beyond knowing how to use his Pokedexs functions but even he knew that to take down those two bits of infrastructure even on a local level was big.

Ash was about to hand Blissey back to Nurse Joy when she apparently sensing his thoughts said “No, Hold on to her for right now. The plan has changed. If whoever is doing this gets through that door it is no longer about keeping them at bay while I transport the Pokemon away. It is now about driving them back.”

The eight teenagers understood the assignment. One by one the group called out their first pokemon and relayed their instructions. The Pokemon to the Mon accepted their orders without a fight and stood behind Blissey and waited. 

They didn’t have to wait long as with a resounding boom the door exploded letting in black smoke. As the group tried to make out who or what was in the smoke, Ash noticed a yellow glow and yelled out “Blissey use Protect!” With a cry Blissey spread its arms wide and a green energy shield spread out and covered the entire group before it was impacted by several spikes. The other Pokemon prepared to counterattack when they heard a haughty female voice come from the smoke..

“It seems like these kids are prepared for war, doesn’t it, James.”.

“Indeed, Jessie, but it won’t be enough to stop us,” Drawled an equally haughty male voice.

“But at the end of the day all they are is cat food.” opined a third much higher-pitched voice.

As the smoke cleared, three figures emerged. The first one that Ash noticed was a boy who looked a few years older than the girls and him.  He was a little taller and had lavender hair that fell down on his neck. He wore a somewhat short long sleeve white shirt with a large stylized red R over a skin tight black undershirt. On each hand was a long black glove. Beneath that he wore a white pair of slacks that flowed into shin length black boots.

Next to him stood a girl who was slightly shorter than her companion. She had long red hair that curled at the end and fell on her butt. She wore a similar outfit to her companion, but her shirt ended just under her breast, showing a great deal of stomach that went down to the very short white pencil skirt,that did nothing to hide her figure. Beneath that she wore a pair of thigh high black boots. Ash would admit to himself that if the situation wasn’t so dire, he would have found her sexy as hell. The girls didn’t seem to share his sentiment, and he heard Dawn mutter “Skank” under her breath.

The last figure to emerge from the smoke was a Meowth. And it was standing up on its hind legs. Ash couldn’t help but think that by itself was unusual. For the Kantoion variant anyway. He had seen the Alolan and Galarian variants do so, but those Pokemon were so different from their Kantoion cousins as to be almost different species. It noticed that he was looking at it when it stared at him and said “Why don’t youse take a picture? It will last longer.”

That caused the nine defenders to stall for a second. “That Pokemon can talk?!” was the only thing that ran through Ash’s head at that moment. However, Nurse Practitioner Joy was faster to recover and asked harshly “Who the hell are you?”

The redhead looked at Joy with a dark smile before she responded. “Who are we? Let us tell you.”

“To protect the world from devastation.”

The lavender haired boy spoke next, “To Unite all people within our nation.”

“To Denounce the evils of truth and love.”

“To extend our reach to the stars above.”

“Jessie!”

“James”

“Team Rocket Blasts off at the speed of Light.”

“Surrender now or prepare to fight.”

The Meowth hopped forward and said, 

“Meowth, that's right!”

The room remained silent as everybody tried to understand what had just happened. Before Nurse Joy spoke up. “It doesn’t matter who you are or what you call yourselves. You’re not getting these Pokemon!”

Ash, wanting to back up Nurse Joy added “I won’t let you have Pikachu!”

The two older teens looked at Ash for a moment before they started laughing. Ash felt his face redden as it continued. After a moment the one called James replied “What would we want with a ridiculously common pokemon like that?”

The one called Jessie spoke up next “Team Rocket wants only the rarest, powerful and unique Pokemon. Not something that little girls keep as pets.”

Behind him Ash heard Pikachu start to growl and spark with electricity . 

Meowth spoke up next “That there Alolan Vulpix on the other hand would be right up our alley.”

Lille gasped while Gible and Fennekin repositioned themselves in front of the white fox.

“Jessie looked at her partners in crime and asked “Well then James, Meowth, Shall we begin?”

James didn’t answer her question. All he said was “Koffing use Smokescreen, Cacnea use Pin Missile.”

As the two Pokemon moved to obey, Ash yelled out “Blissey use Protect” The barrier came up just before the pins made contact and the two snake Pokemon impacted against it as well. Cynthia looked at the attacking Pokemon and yelled to the others.

“If we just stay here we’re sitting Ducklets, We need to force them back.” None of the nine defenders disagreed with her. “We need to split them up. We may outnumber them but they have us pinned down. Serena , Dawn, Lillie I want you with me we will take on the girl. May, Marnie, Leaf I want you to take on the boy. Ash we are going to need you to float between the two groups as needed. Cynthia then looked at Blissey. “Can you expand your barrier to push them back?” The Pokemon looked at her for a moment before it nodded its head.”

Cynthia looked at everyone and Ash felt himself tense up . “Is everyone ready?” As everyone said yes, she looked at Ash who could only nod.

Ash roared, “Blissey! Expand your barrier! With a cry and a look of effort the barrier expanded, knocking the attackers off balance before it collapsed.

Dawn moved first “Piplup, Water Gun!” Piplup reared back and blasted the two serpentine Pokemon into the wall behind them. 

“Snowy! Use Powder Snow!” The two Pokemon were soon shivering as ice crept up their bodies. Soon their physiology caused them to slow down considerably.  

As Serena prepared to attack, Jessie regrouped and shouted “Seviper use Poison Tail! Ekans use Poison Sting! Take that little fire fox out of the fight. As both Pokemon and trainer froze in fear Gible stepped in front of Fennekin and took both the blows. 

Ash and Blissey ran up to Gible, Ash ordered “Blissey, use Heal Pulse.” As the healing waves of energy restored Gible, Serena and Fennekin gathered themselves and unleashed a flurry of Embers on Ekans causing it to retreat. 

Gible with its injuries healed charged towards Seviper and bit its tail. As the Pokemon screamed in pain Cynthia called out. “Thunder Fang!” Lighting the dark snake Pokemon up like a Christmas tree. Before Gible spun around and tossed it back to its red-haired trainer.

Ash let out a whoop before he turned to the rest. “Good job, I’m going to help May and the others with the guy.”

Cynthia nodded and said, “Good luck, we’ll keep after his partner.”

—-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Razor Leaf!” cried Leaf,

“Ember!” called May

James, Cacnea and Koffing found themselves being cut and burned by the flurry of fire and leaves.

James wiped some of his lavender hair out of his eyes before.he growled “Cacnea use Needle Arm to take out Morpeko, Koffing use Smokescreen to cover Cacnea’s attack!”

Leaf responded quickly “Bulbasaur, Vine Whip!” As quick as lightning a pair of vines started swatting the pins out of the air except for one that zoomed past the vines and made its way towards a surprised Morpeko.

Marnie shouted out, “Morpeko, dodge and use Thunder Wave!” Morpeko rolled to the side just barely avoiding the projectile. Before its expression changed and its fur changed color to black and purple and it released the wave from its body catching Cacnea and Koffing.

Meowth stepped forward with its claws out and said “I’m gonna mess yuh up yuh hamster!”

The words “Blissey, Use Pound!” and his vision being filled with pink and white halted his approach before Blissey’s blow connected, tossing Meowth back till a wall stopped him.

Ash looked at the girls, concerned in his tone and eyes “Are you three okay?”

The three girls looked at each other for a moment before Leaf spoke for the group, “we’re fine. What about the others?”

Ash took a moment to breathe before he responded “Their fine they have the redhead out of the room.

Marnie had an uncharacteristic gleam in her eyes as she said “Well we should catch up then.”

May smiled, “Yeah, we can’t get too far behind.”

Leaf had a manic grin on her face. “Let's get started. Bulbasaur use Vine Whip to toss these losers out of the room!” In an instant Meowth, Cacnea and Koffing were wrapped up and tossed into the Lavender haired boy, tossing him out of the room.

Ash grinned, Leafs energy was infectious, “Lets keep them moving Blissey, Use Take Down! As the evil quartet tried to gather themselves and regroup they suddenly found themselves being charged at by the pink and white Pokemon, knocking them further down the hall. As Ash and the girls moved to give chase. Ash turned back to Joy and said “We’ll take care of them, Please take care of Pikachu.

Joy looked at the boy and said “You can count on me! Now get going. Your friends need you.”

Ash nodded before he ran after his friends. 

—-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

As the boy ran after his friends Bethany Joy got to work, Looking at her Chanseys she said “I want you two to set up a double protection barrier. If those kids can’t keep those thugs away, we will need all the defense we can get.” As they moved to obey, Joy searched around the room until she found the removable panel. With a grunt of effort she lifted it up revealing the panel for one of the Pokemon Center’s many redundant generators. Under normal circumstances a power failure would cause all the generators to turn on in sequence. In reality, the center only needed two generators to function. But the league had required them to have four. Three of them would have the center running close to normal capacity. The fourth was for powering the Pokemon transport system The logic had been that any situation that required the use of the generators might require Pokemon to be transported elsewhere and the system required a great deal of power. The fourth generator was also a closely held secret. “Probably for situations like this.” 

After a few moments of fiddling with the touch screen, she had made her way to the settings menu. The Team Rocket members had interrupted the system. It was not needed in that capacity. So she redirected it to the building lights. They wouldn’t be at full power but it was better than nothing.

As the system re-initialized, she pulled her head up, and she saw Pikachu struggling to get up and move towards the door. She ran up to it and said with a firm but caring tone as she held it down. “Pikachu! No! I know you want to go help your trainer. But you’re still hurt, Your electrical sacks are dangerously drained. If you go out there now, you might cause yourself permanent damage!.“

Despite Joys warning Pikachu continued to fight against her grip. Joy felt a tingling sensation traveling through her body. Pikachu was trying to shock her into letting it go. “Pikachu! I am NOT going to let you go out there and permanently injure yourself. I’m sorry I had to do this.” Joy called one of the Chansey over to her and ordered “Chansey use Sing.” 

Pikachu attempted to fight the sleepiness that came but with each passing moment. After a few seconds, Joy felt the tingling in her arms come to a halt. Joy let out a heavy sigh. She hated having to do that. But Pikachu was a threat to itself. Pikachu would be pissed at her when it woke up but it would be alive and healthy to be pissed at her. As the tingling left her arms, the lights in the building turned back on telling her that the generator was back online. “Hopefully those kids can finish the job.” She said mostly to herself.

—-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“EMBER!” came the twin cries of May and Serena as their Pokemon moved to obey. Both groups had forced their opponents back to the lobby of the Pokemon Center and were in the midst of trying to push the invaders out of the building. Ash grinned, Now that they were no longer in a confined space the defenders could afford to let loose a bit. The eight of them had surrounded the criminals in every direction but the door they wanted to force them out of. The criminals for their part looked a lot worse for wear. Their clothes and skin and in the Meowths case fur was covered in cuts, burns both normal and electrical , they were more than a little soaked and had a series of nasty bruises. Ash had an idea, it was time to finish this.

Blissey! Use Helping Hand on everybody and then follow up with Take Down!”

As Blisseys hands started to glow green, the other Pokemon also started to glow. It didn’t take the girls more than a second to realize what Ash had in mind.

“Fennekin, Use Ember!”

“Torchic, Use  Ember!”

“Morpeko, Use Thundershock!”

“Snowy, Use Powder Snow!”

“Bulbasaur, Use Razor Leaf!”

“Piplup Use Water Gun!”

“Gible Use Take Down!”

The barrage of elemental attacks slammed Team Rocket against the door with significant force before the Takedown sent them flying through it. As Ash and the others chased after them, it was Dawn who took notice of something strange. 

Positioned in front of them was a travel balloon. That by itself would have been odd, but what the group was looking at was beyond that. “Is- is that a Meowth balloon?” Dawn asked with more than a little credulity.

James was the first of the attackers to stand up and he said, “What of it?” before he shrugged his shoulders and yelled, “Koffing, use smokescreen. It's time for us to take our leave.”

The living ball of gas floated up and released its noxious exhaust into the air. As the defenders covered their mouths and eyes to protect themselves from the smoke, they missed James tossing his companions into the balloon's bucket and causing a take off. By the time any of the defenders could see straight, the balloon was out of range.

Leaf cursed, “Damn it, they got away!”

Cynthia moved to her friend and put a calming hand on the angry girl’s shoulder. “Yes, but the Pokemon are safe and that's what matters.”

Dawn spoke up next with a cheer that nobody present was sure if she actually felt. “No need to worry. I’m sure things will work out.”

As if to punctuate her statement, the lights in the Pokemon Center started glowing at full power and Lieutenant Jenny, followed by what felt like every cop in the city, dashed up to the center.

Jenny marched up to Ash and, with more than a little concern, asked, “What the hell happened here?

Ash looked at the woman in front of him and then at the staggering amount of cops behind her and said with a sigh. “Does anybody have a recorder, because it’s a long story and I only want to tell it once..”

—-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

As it turned out, they did have a recorder. Several, in fact. For the next several hours, Ash and the girls gave their own points of view of what had happened. Joy had given her own testimony, which had corroborated all of theirs. Eventually, the officer in charge had told them they would need to stay close to the city for a week so that they could be questioned further if necessary.

The attack had damaged the residential areas of the Pokemon Center, so joy had offered them the use of the employee break room. It hadn’t been particularly  comfortable and for modesty's sake they had to wear the clothes they were wearing to sleep, but they made do.

—-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ash woke up to the sound of heavy machinery and grunting. As he looked around, he saw the girls had all woken up at some point and the only one still in the room was Marnie, who was sitting at a table in the break room sipping on something in a cup..

“Nice of you to join us, Ash.” she said with a wry smirk. As Ash tried to get his mind to ask what was going on, she expected his question and said, “Apparently, they are great about repairs in this city. There is a small army of Machoke, Machamp, and various technicians with a small convoy of construction equipment. Besides fixing what those tossers from last night wrecked, they are doing a bit of upgrading.”

As Ash stood up and stretched out to get the last of the sleep out of himself, Marnie continued.”The crews have got the main power up and running, but they said the residential areas won’t be fit for habitation for a while.” Ash looked a bit put out at that. If they couldn’t stay in the center's residential area, where were they going to stay? Ash didn’t want to stay here another night, and he was certain that the other girls didn’t either.

Marnie interrupted his musings, continuing. “Nurse Practitioner Joy told me to have you go see her in the recovery area when you woke up. Pikachu has woken up, and he is really not happy about having missed the fight last night. 

The last bit of sleepiness in Ash died a violent death as His eyes went wide and he started gathering himself to head out the door. But before he exited he asked quickly,  “Anything else?”

Marnie nodded “The phone system is back up. Professor Oak called the Pokemon Center and wants you to call him back as soon as possible.”

Ash gave Marnie a nod as he ran out the door, a faint sounding “Thanks” echoing through the room as Marnie was left to drink her beverage.

—-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

When Ash made it to the recovery room, he saw Pikachu angrily pacing up and down the small bed he had been given. When Ash got close, he almost felt Pikachu’s anger roll off him in waves. Ash looked at his first Pokemon and asked “Pikachu, are you okay, buddy?”

Pikachu visibly calmed down for a moment before it started yelling “Pi Pi Pikachu Pikapi Pi chu chu Pikachu Chu Pika Pikachu chu chu Pika!”

Although Ash hadn’t understood one bit of what Pikachu had said, he suddenly felt like he was getting the gist. It wasn’t in words, but it was almost like a picture in his head that told him what he needed to know.

Ash looked at his partner and said, “You’re angry that Nurse Practitioner Joy prevented you from joining the fight.right? When Pikachu, who was a little surprised at being understood so well, nodded, Ash continued. “Pikachu, I know you are really upset, but last night you were still really hurt. Those Spearow really did a number on you and from what Nurse Practitioner Joy told me, something caused your sacks to rapidly expand and then suddenly drain. If you had joined the fight, you might have hurt yourself even more. I know you hate being cooped up like this, but you need to wait and recover.”

Pikachu, who still looked a little belligerent, nodded slowly 

Bethany Joy who had been watching the byplay spoke up. “Pikachu, I am sorry that I had to make you pass out but I am not sorry that I did what was best for you. That said, I have looked at your electrical sacks and they have increased in capacity significantly. Normally I don't see this type of increase in capacity until your species evolves into Raichu. Given that you appear to be a freshly evolved Pikachu I can only guess on how your capacity will grow as you do.” Pikachu sat there looking shocked as Joy turned to Ash.

“Your blonde friend Lillie. spoke to me this morning and told me about what happened yesterday. About how you were attacked by a large flock of wild Spearow.” Ash nodded, waiting to see where the woman was going. “I owe you an apology. As Ash’s eyes widened, she continued. “Every year when the various academies send their graduates out into the world my Pokemon Center is filled with a lot of trainers who push their Pokemon way to hard or when they capture a Pokemon are so brutal about it that the Pokemon I end up treating are so badly hurt, sometimes there is nothing I can do to bring them back to full health. At least half of the Pokemon that you saved last night were left here because of that.”

Ash stood stock still, On one level he felt vindicated that the woman in front of him now understood what had happened. On the other hand, learning in more detail why some of the Pokemon that were stored here, were left here lit a fire in his belly. Ash silently prayed both that he would meet one of those “trainers' and that he never would. He didn’t know what he would do if he did. But with a great deal of mental effort, he forced his anger down. There was a more important question to be asked. What's going to happen to those Pokemon.?”

Nurse Practitioner Joy looked at Ash for a moment before she responded. “Well, in the short term, not much. As things are, they are safe and healthy in their Pokeballs. Long term, there are legislations being drafted by the League and the governments that would make abandoning Pokemon this way a crime. It would allow the League after a set period of time to confiscate the Pokemon in this situation. After that, depending on their health, the Pokemon will be released into the wild or allowed to live the rest of their lives on preserves. 

Ash took a deep breath. While he wasn’t happy that there was nothing  that could be done immediately. He was glad that there was something being done.

Taking a few breaths to calm himself down. Ash said “Thank you Ma’am both for the apology and for the explanation.” After a moment he asked, “How long before Pikachu can leave the Pokemon Center?”

The healer thought about it for a moment before she said with a smile, “Pikachu is free to leave now. Just avoid using him in battle for the next week while you are in town. I would like to see him before you leave to do one last checkup.”

Ash looked down at Pikachu, who still looked a little annoyed but nodded.” I think we can do that Nurse Practitioner Joy.”

Bethany Joy smiled for a moment before she said, “While you are here, just call me Nurse Joy. While I am glad you all have respected my title, it's a bit of a mouthful. Now, have you and your friends figured out your sleeping arrangements for the next week?”

Ash looked down. “Not yet, but I think we will talk about it later this morning.”

Joy looked at the young man and said, “If you can’t find anything, I can offer you the break room again, but I assume you want to avoid that.”

Ash chuckled, “Yeah, if we can.” Ash offered his hand to Pikachu, who used it to climb onto his shoulder. “Thanks again Nurse Joy, I’ve got to go make a call but I will make sure that we keep you apprised of what is going on.”

Nurse Joy nodded and said, “Have a good morning, Ash.”  

—-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A few minutes later, Ash stood in the lobby of the Pokemon Center. It was currently filled with center staff and workers and was a little noisy. He looked for a corner of the area that was relatively empty before he grabbed his Pokedex and dialed Professor Oak. The phone rang for a few moments before he heard the man's familiar voice.

“Good morning Ash, I’m happy to hear from you. How are you doing, my boy?”

Ash thought about what to say for a moment before he responded, “Not bad, given what happened.”

Ash could practically see the old man nod his head sagely when he said, “Indeed, a rampaging flock of Spearow, a heavily injured partner and an altercation with a group of Pokemon thieves. You’ve had quite the first day.”

Ash was surprised, “How did you-”

Oak interrupted Ash, “Marnie told me about what happened when I called earlier..”

Ash nodded. “That makes sense.”

The professor's voice interrupted his thoughts, “The reason I called you was that there was something I was supposed to give you before you left, I forgot about it until after you had left. I would transport it to you but the system in Viridian is still down and after talking with your mother. This is one of those things that really needs to be done in person.”

Ash, his curiosity piqued by the Professor’s cryptic words, asked “Professor, can’t you te-”

That was as far as Ash got before the old man said in a solemn tone. “I’m sorry, Ash, but your mother wants it to be this way. But don’t worry, your mother and I should arrive in Viridian late tomorrow morning. I promise you that all will be made clear then.”

Ash realized that he would get nothing out of the man then he already had dropped the matter.. “I understand Sir,. So how are things back in Pallet.”

The Professor's tone became happier. “Well, you haven’t been gone a full day yet so not much has changed, but let me tell you about-,”

The next 45 minutes were filled with idle chit chat before the professor had to go to deal with something. Ash considered calling his mom to see if she would say anything but decided that she would be just as tight-lipped.

—-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Outside the Pokemon Center, Viridian City, 11:30,

The eight teens sat outside enjoying lunch. After a series of delays, they were talking about where they were going to stay for the rest of the week. Cynthia spoke up first. “Has anybody talked to their parents about what happened?” A sea of head shakes met her.

Dawn frowned as she replied “I haven't been able to figure out how to tell her, I mean how do you tell your folks, Hey mom in the one day I’ve been on my own i have been attacked by a massive flock of Spearow and had to repel a group of Pokemon thieves.” Dawn took a moment to catch her breath before she continued. “I’m kind of afraid that she would drag me back to Twinleaf and lock me away until I was 25.”

The group smiled at the hyperbole while nodding their agreement. Lille was the one to voice her thoughts next. “If I told my mom I think she would send some guys after the thieves from last night.” There was a light chuckle from the group. Nobody who had met the woman would disagree that the occasionally frightening woman would do exactly that.

Ash looked at the others, “My mom and Professor Oak already know,” he glanced over at Marnie, who nodded slightly. “They are coming here tomorrow. Apparently there was something that the Professor forgot to give me yesterday.” At the Curious looks of the girls, Ash answered the unasked question. “I don’t know what it is they are bringing me.

May spoke up, "This is all fascinating, but where are we going to stay?”

That caused the group to go silent. 

Marnie responded, “Does everybody have the money Cynthia’s parents gave us?”

Almost as one, the eight teens reached into their bags, wallets and purses. After a minute, they all pulled out the Pyen notes. Marnie nodded and remained silent for a minute before she said, “If my math is right, we have 160000 Pyen. Does anybody know how much a room costs?”

The seven other teens grabbed their devices and started searching. After a moment Lillie said, “Well it depends on the hotel but for at least four rooms for six to seven days, and assuming we want to stay someplace that isn’t in the bad part of town. We are looking at about 200,000.” 

There was a collective hissing through the teeth as the group took in that information. Ash opened his mouth, “I can deal with staying at the Pokemon Center for a week hopefully that should lower the cost to something manageable..” He was about to open his mouth to make the offer when a black town car pulled up to the group and a woman who was roughly their height stepped out. She had purple hair in a neck length bob cut with severe black eyes covered by wire-rim glasses. She wore a purple suit coat over a black top and an equally purple knee length office skirt. The woman looked at the group for a moment before she spoke, her voice as severe as the look on her face.

“Good morning, I am Matori Asai, the Personal assistant to Giovanni Suzuoki, Gym leader of Viridian City.” The woman needn't have mentioned her boss's occupation, as all eight teens knew who the man was by reputation. He was one of the most powerful trainers in the region, if not the world. He specialized in ground types but punished harshly challengers who thought that they could just skate by on type advantage. More than one gym challenge  hopeful had seen their dreams crushed by the man. It was also well known that it was extremely hard to schedule a match with the man, and more than one trainer who had hoped to get their badge from the Gym had left in disappointment. 

Before any of them could think about it any further. The woman asked, " Are you Ash Ketchum, Cynthia Black, May Maple, Leaf Green, Lillie Star, Serena Gabena, Marnie Granger, and Dawn Berlitz?” When the group all nodded that they were, the woman continued. “Very good, I am here today because my employer, besides being the gym leader for Viridian City, is also the principal financial backer of the local Pokemon Center.”

“He has heard of what happened here last night and of the role you eight played in preventing the theft of Pokemon by the group calling themselves Team Rocket. Because of that, Mr. Suzuoki wishes to reward you for your bravery.”

That revelation made the group gasp a bit. They were all about to say that it wasn’t necessary when the woman who seemed to expect their refusal said, “My employer knows that you have to stay in town for the next week so he has arranged for you to have the Grand Suite at the Milotic Viridian for the next seven days.”

This caused the brains of the teens to short circuit, particularly Cynthia and Lillie, who had a good idea of the cost involved. Marnie, who had stayed at one of Milotics in Galor with her brother a few times because of Gym Leader conferences, could only croak out “T-t-t-the Grand Suite?”

The woman offered a hint of a smile. “Yes, Mr. Suzuoki feels it is the least he can do for the heroes who saved the Pokemon Center. So do you accept?”

Slightly pale, Ash asked for the group, “Can we have a minute to discuss it among ourselves?”

Matori nodded, “Of course, take the time you need.” 

Ash nodded, and the eight teens stepped a few feet away and moved close together. Ash started the conversation. “I think we should take it. It takes care of our housing needs,, and how many times are we going to get to stay in a place like that?”

May nodded, agreeing, “I’ve always wanted to stay at one of the Milotics, but my Dad wouldn’t let me come to the conferences with him when they held them in Hoenn. I want to try their world-famous spa.”

Cynthia nodded her agreement.”I’ve stayed in the Grand Suite before, and it’s an experience. I agree, we should take advantage of this offer.” Marnie nodded emphatically. “When my brother and I stayed at one of the Milotics, it was just one of the standard rooms, but they were fantastic.”

Dawn was the next to offer her opinion, “I’ve never stayed at one, but my mom told me about how they used to hold contests at the Milotics before they built the contest halls.”

Lillie looked sheepish as she said, “I’ve never stayed at one. My mom considered them to be a waste of money.” Serena gave the other girl a pat on the back as she said.

“Kalos doesn't have any Milotics, All the places they wanted to build one had too many restrictions regarding construction because of the historical buildings nearby.”

Leaf just looked at the group. “The farthest I have been from Pallet was Viridian, and that was just a day trip. Most of what I know about the hotel is what you all have told me just now.” Ash nodded. He had spent almost all his life in Pallet. According to his mom, they had stayed in Saffron City for a month when he was an infant, but that had been about it. His thoughts were stalled when Cynthia spoke.

“So what I am hearing is a yes from everyone.” The group responded with a series of nods, “Good then let's give Miss Asai her answer.” The group walked back to her and Cynthia spoke up. “Ma’am we have talked it over and we will accept your offer.”

Matori nodded, “Very good, I will inform my employer of your acceptance.” she said as she pulled a small device out of her pocket. After fiddling with it for nearly a minute she said, “The reservation has been made. A car will be here in  two hours to retrieve you and your luggage. If you have no other questions I will be on my way.” 

Cynthia looked at the group and said “We don’t have any questions right now Ma’am but please give Mr. Suzuoki our thanks.”

Matori nodded before she opened the car door and said “I will convey your gratitude.” before she got in and closed it.  Soon the car started moving leaving behind a group of slightly stunned teens.

—-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

As her vehicle sped away from the Pokemon Center, Matori pressed a button on her armrest, and a screen in front of her activated. The image of a powerfully built man in an orange suit was on the screen. Standing next to him with the man's right hand rubbing its head was a Persian. After a moment, the man spoke.

“Have you done as I asked?” His voice boomed through the car's speakers.

“Yes Sir, I extended the offer of the hotel and the group accepted it.”

“Good, It is important that I keep up the facade of being a benevolent businessman and Gym Leader. Particularly when I have to deal with bunglers like Agents Jessie, James and Meowth.”

Matori only nodded as her boss continued. “I want you to keep tabs on the group going forward. Particularly that Ketchum boy. There is something familiar about him, but I am not sure what.” Matori only nodded at her boss's instructions. “Finally, I want you to contact those fools and tell them to report to headquarters immediately.”

Matori nodded and said, “It will be done, Sir.”

The screen went dark leaving the woman alone with her thoughts.

Things are quickly getting more serious. What is in store for our heroes, and what will become of Team Rocket. Find out next time.

Chapter Text

AN: Greeting ladies and mentlegents and welcome to chapter three of Pokemon: The Story of Us Chapter 3. It has been a while and I apologize for that. Part of it has been the holidays and part of it has been…other issues. But needless to say I am back and happy to release this new chapter at long last. A big thanks to Crocatoc (for those of you who are on AO3) for his help with the editing of this chapter. Consider this a late Christmas present.

But as common for all of us older fanfic writers, On to the disclaimer. Pokemon and all of its characters and locations are the property of Nintendo, Game freak and The Pokémon Company. I own absolutely nothing beyond whatever OC and OL are found in this story. Please support the official release.  

G rand Suite, Milotic Hotel, Viridian City, 14:00 LT

Packed into the elevator like a can of baby Wishiwashi, the party was silent. The air buzzed and hummed with the sound of the lift, as if to replace what should have been the chattering excitement of eight teenagers ready to taste their first lick of freedom. Ash was excited. He had never been in a hotel suite before, let alone the Grand suite. No doubt some of the other girls were just as excited as he was. His eyes darted around, watching the tense faces of everyone else. Their concierge flashed a brief smile as they locked eyes. Only Cynthia seemed not so impressed by the entire situation. On a black, LCD screen, the floor indicator ticked up gradually.

Eight…

Nine…

Ten…

Eleven…

It paused. Ash held his breath, and the humming stopped with a ting that indicated this was the stop. Ash was going to have the eleventh floor all to… Not himself, but almost himself. The elevator doors slid open to reveal the common room. Though it was more than common. Ash’s eyes went wide as he realized that just this room might very well have been bigger than his entire house. The room was covered in a mimicry of the old Kalosian style of chateaus, the wood furniture all deep shades of cinnamon covered with shiny varnishes that perfectly reflected any who gazed into the wood.

On one side of the room, using an open floor plan, a sleek and modern kitchen contrasted with the common room. Brown granite lined the tops of the counters, and there was an island with a stovetop and oven to boot. A variety of other appliances, both electric and analogue, ensured that the group could manage some light kitchen work. It was no Café du Lumiose, but Ash had to admit to himself that from where he stood, one kitchen was as good as another..

The concierge led the party in, and the elevator doors shut behind them with a soft thud. The girls, sans Cynthia, marveled at their temporary abode with stupefied looks on their faces.

As the concierge opened the ornate wooden doors, seven of the eight teens could only stand there with their mouths open wide. The Grand Suite was on the top floor of the tower that made up the hotel and was every bit as spectacular as one would expect. The common room was massive. The suite was decorated in a classical Central Kalosian style and filled with wood carved furniture. In one corner was a kitchenette. It stood out against the rest of the suite, as it was of a modern style filled with sleek equipment. On each side of the common area was a door, just as ornate as the entrance.  

Ash was the first to recover and voice his opinion. “This place is amazing. I can’t believe this place is ours for the week.” On his shoulder, Pikachu could only nod.

Cynthia, wasting no time and setting down her handbag on the end table nearest the couch, turned to the concierge.. He was well-dressed but rather antiquated looking. Despite this, he carried a warmth about him that Ash couldn’t pin down as to why.

“Please convey our thanks to Mr Sakaki for the room,” Cynthia said.

The man nodded before replying., “Of course, Miss Black.The porters will bring your luggage up within the hour and should any of you require any laundry to be done, simply leave your clothes in the hampers supplied in each of your rooms. The maids will come between seven AM and two PM, and perform room-cleaning on your behalf.”

The man took a moment to catch his breath before he started on a practiced explanation. “. As typical of our guests, you have exclusive access to our Pokemon training facilities, which include indoor gyms, three four-hundred meter running tracks, five fifty-meter pools, and some smaller amenities. There are also multiple four-star restaurants on the grounds, and, courtesy of Mr. Sakaki, he has left. each. of you limited use charge cards in your rooms, but only available to use at the Milotic. He has a vested interest in the future of young trainers like yourself. Keeping them and their Pokemon is the least he could do, he says.”

The group could only nod as the man continued. “But that being said, I must ask that you keep your larger or more destructive Pokemon in their Pokeballs whenever possible. I understand some of you might have some more… rowdy pokemon.”

The concierge's looked hardened as he looked at the group of teens 

“But we are accommodating of all of our guests. So try not to worry too much about these things.”

” 

Goose-pimples crept up Ash’s arm as the concierge spoke . Something about his words was a little harsh, but it made sense that a hotel as fancy as this would want to keep their things in good shape. An Aggron or Tyranitar would do a number on the place regardless of temperament. It would be the same with a poorly trained pokemon regardless of size.

As if feeling awkward that no one had said or asked anything, Lillie’s hand shot up, and raised it for the concierge to see., “Um, excuse me ,sir, Is there anything else that we need to know?”

The man's smile returned at Lillie’s earnest question.. “Just one more thing, I suppose,” He said, giving her an honest answer, even if it was already implied by what he had said earlier. “Each room comes with an ensuite bathroom for your use. The maid staff will clean them daily, during which they will resupply any spent toiletries such as toilet paper, soaps, tissues, and condoms. And collect any used towels.”

The concierge’s frank comment about condoms sent the group into a collective state of embarrassment . Their skin reddened like a group of proud Throh,   “T-Thank you, sir,” Cynthia muttered, being the first to recover. “Can we offer you a tip?”

The man shook his head and said, “Concierges at the Milotic Hotel do not take tips. The porters, however, would appreciate it.” The man gave the group a look over  before speaking again. “If there are no other questions, I will be on my way.”

The group exchanged glances at each other for a moment before they shook their heads. “I think we are good, sir,” Ash said with a smile.

“Well then, have a good day. And please enjoy your stay at the Milotic.” The man finished with the rehearsed goodbye he no doubt gave to every guest before taking his leave through the elevator.

The doors slid shut, and the group waited until they could no longer hear the buzz of the elevator to begin their conversation. May spoke first.

“So, any plans for the rest of the day, anyone?" She asked, looking already ready to leave their suite.

Ash was about to open his mouth before he sniffed the air and made a face as if smelling something unpleasant. “I’m gonna wait ‘til our luggage arrives, and then take a bath or a shower or whatever these bathrooms have, and then take a nice long nap.”

The day was only half over, but the events of the last day and a half had Ash exhausted. And by the smell of it , he figured the others were in the same boat.. 

Leaf chuckled as she said: “Yeah, all I wanna do is get one of those 6000 Pyen burgers these kinds of places have and then pass out. Maybe I’ll fit in a shower like you, Ash.”

There were murmurs of agreement from the other six teenagers, as they all called it a day. Everyone settled on some combination of hygiene and food to satisfy themselves, and called it a day as they found ways  to keep their minds amused until the next day came.

Day One, Viridian City Pokemon Center, 10:30 LT

Ash, wearing a pair of blue cargo shorts and a white t-shirt, sat in the courtyard outside the Pokemon Center. Professor Oak had called him earlier in the morning and this was the agreed-upon spot.. Technically, they were not supposed to meet for another fifteen minutes, but Ash’s curiosity had driven him to leave the hotel with Pikachu nearly an hour ago. Since then, he had alternated between sitting and wearing a path into the ground. Oak had left much to the imagination as to what he wanted to talk about. As much as Ash loved the man, he could bear to be a bit less cryptic. 

Ash gave a long sigh as he plopped onto a nearby bench. “You’d think a scientist would know exactly what to say. Huh, Pikachu?” He said. Pikachu, lounging about high on a tree near the bench, nodded in agreement. “He sounded kind of worried, though. Maybe it's serious.”

Ash reached into his shorts and retrieved his Pokedex to check the time for the tenth time in the last couple of minutes. To his dismay, almost no time had passed. With little else to do, Ash opened up his news feed and began to scroll through the articles. A few high-ranking matches caught his eyes, but most of it was just notifications of streamers he followed having uploaded..

It was an article from Paldea that caught Ash’s eye. The Pokemon Schools of the region were working with the Pokemon League to create a junior gym challenge. The prospective trainers would make a series of trips to the region's gyms and could challenge the leaders, who would use teams geared for fighting against students. At the end, if a student beat all the gyms they could try fighting against Geeta, who was currently 9th in the Champion rankings. Geeta would, of course, be using a team tailored to fighting students.

Beating Geeta would upon the student graduation from school grant them entry into any official league tournament. Ash had to admit that it sounded interesting. He wondered if Kanto would ever do something similar. His musings were interrupted by a feminine voice shouting across the courtyard.  

“Ash!” it cried.

Ash looked up, and standing near the entrance to the Pokemon Center were two familiar figures.. With a big smile on Delia’s face, and a smaller one on Oak’s, the pair waved at Ash. The Professor wore his normal button-up shirt and slacks combo. While his mother was wearing a green sundress with a wide brim hat and a pair of walking shoes.

Like a shot with a cry of “Mom!” Ash was off his feet. He nearly took Delia to the ground, as his embrace was more similar to a tackle than a hug. Nonetheless, he squeezed her tight. A few days was already more than long enough to miss his mom.. 

“Woah there,” Delia said, returning the hug. “I’m happy to see you too, Ash. How has the last day been?”

By the teasing tone of her voice, Ash suspected that she already knew what had happened. How mom’s always knew remained a mystery to Ash, but he launched into the tale of the last two days from his perspective, anyway. The party took a seat on the bench as Ash recounted his tale... Delia nodded along, slight concern in her eyes as Ash told the more harrowing parts of his journey, but took a grim look when Ash mentioned that Giovanni Sakaki had paid for their suite. His lips moved to ask her what was wrong when she spoke before he could.: 

“I’m grateful that you and the girls are okay and that you have a nice roof over your heads for the week, but just be careful about who you trust,” she said. “Even if it is someone in authority…Especially if it is someone in authority.” 

She turned to Oak for reinforcement on her sermon, but the professor was apparently busy. Scratching Pikachu’s head, and getting face-to-face with the Pokemon, he paused as he felt two pairs of eyes set in on his back. Sheepishly, he turned around.

“Isn’t that right, Sam?” Delia asked, in a tone that brooked no argument.

Oak nodded deferentially in agreement. “Your mother is always right, Ash.”

Something told him that now wasn’t the time to ask what she meant. Delia then took a deep breath and started again. “Sorry. I just worry. But… I know that you’re curious about what Professor Oak was supposed to give you before you left, and why he wouldn’t say anything about it until we were here.”

Ash nodded. Everything that had happened afterwards had occupied his mind, but when he had finally had time to slow down after his bath, the question had bugged him.

“The reason we wanted to wait until we were here is because… It’s about your father.”

As’s breath hitched, He remembered the tears he brought to his mother’s eyes the time he asked about his father when he was younger. Hearing her be the one to bring him up was surprising. Ash gave his mom his full attention. 

“A bit before you were born, your father traveled to Galar to check out something for Professor Oak regarding rumors of some unusual Pokemon. What he found was a brand new variant of the Ralts line of Pokemon. According to what he told Professor Oak, the poor thing had been abandoned by its parents. Right after that, he helped it and captured it. With the Professor's help, he had it put in a Pokemon Storage Center where they studied its data for the last fifteen years.”

Ash noted that they left the Ralts in a Pokemon Storage Center. They were for long-term storage of Pokemon. They did this by using the same method as the Pokemon Transport system. The difference is that they stopped midway and kept the Pokemon in question as data. While in that state, no time would pass for the Pokemon. To the Ralts his dad had captured, almost no time would have passed. Ash was not looking forward to informing the young Pokemon that his dad had died. Ash couldn’t help but feel jealous of the Pokemon. It got to know his father for longer than he ever had. 

The pictures and videos of his father that Delia and his grandparents would show him as he had grown up couldn’t replace the man himself. They even told Ash just how much he looked like his dad, which only gave him a painful peak into what could have been whenever he would look into the mirror..  

Ash took a deep breath to gather his thoughts. After a moment, he spoke. “What can you tell me about this Ralts?” Best to get to business. He would deal with his emotions later.

Both the Professor and his mom moved to speak before the Professor gestured with a wave of his open palm, giving the floor to Delia. With a tone that reminded Ash that she had once been one of Professor Oak's research assistants, Delia spoke. 

“This particular Ralts is female. Despite its status as a relative newborn, it is taller and heavier than average for its species and evolutionary development at nineteen inches and sixteen pounds. This may be due in part to its typing, which, unlike its regular counterparts, who are both Psychic and Fairy types, is Psychic and Steel. Historical research shows that there may have been more of its kind over the centuries, but it is currently unknown in what frequency. It is currently theorized that what your dad encountered may have been normal and that other instances of Galarian Ralts may have been abandoned and eventually perished.”

Ash stared deeply at his brother as she spoke, listening intently., The idea that a parent would abandon their young like that formed a pit in his stomach. His mother clearly felt the same way, by the tone of disgust in her voice as she continued.

“I guess Pokemon aren't that much different from us.hey have their own biases and bigotries.”

Taking up the explanation from Delia, Oak pulled Ash out of his trance while Delia kept a furrowed brow and resentful look on her face. 

“Because of the lack of data on other instances of Galarian Ralts, we have little data as far as what she will learn,” the professor said. “But it is theorized that she will learn or be able to be taught a variety of steel type moves. It remains to be seen how her typing will affect her battle style.”

Ash nodded. Ralts and its evolutions Kirlia and Gardevoir tended towards special attacks such as ‘Confusion’ and ‘Psychic’ over more physical attacks like ‘Tackle’ and ‘Quick Attack’, but that wasn’t always the case with variants. For all Ash knew, the Ralts they were discussing could evolve into a Gallade despite being female.

After a moment of thinking, Ash asked, “Do you know what attacks she knows right now?”

Samuel Oak looked thoughtful for a moment as he tried to recall what he had read earlier, “If the data is correct, she knows the moves ‘Confusion’ and ‘Metal Sound’”

Ash nodded. It wasn’t a bad combination, an attack move and a move that made its target more vulnerable to that move. In the back of his head, Ash was trying to think of good ways to make use of that combination.

Looking at the Professor, Ash asked, “What type of ability does it have?” If he recalled, a normal Ralts would have the abilities Trace, Synchronize or Telepathy. All of which had their uses in a Pokemon battle. 

Ash’s mind refocused as the Profesor responded, “According to the data her ability is Justified.”

That made Ash pause as he tried to recall what Justified did, “I think, I think Justified raises the Pokemons attack if it is hit by a dark type attack” Ash considered that for a second, A Pokemon's ability sometimes indicated what type of fighting style it was best at, It wasn’t a hard and fast rule but many still swore by it. There were five Pokemon that were known to have the ability, but even among them it was fairly rare. There were people who thought that the group of Pokemon known as the Swords of Justice had the ability, but sightings of them were so rare that it had never been confirmed. But one thing that all of them had in common was that they were all known to be Pokemon with strong physical abilities.

Ash found himself a little worried about the fact that a Pokemon with the Psychic type needed to be hit by dark type moves for the ability to work, but Steel types generally had strong defenses, so maybe that would give it the ability to actually make use of its power.

But he could worry about that later. Ash wanted to meet his dad's last gift. With a tone of voice that radiated excitement, Ash asked, “Professor? Can I meet her?”

Samuel Oak smiled as he responded, “Of course, my boy, just remember that Ralts is a Psychic type, so it might try to read our minds. I would advise that you let it.” Reaching into the pockets of his slacks, Oak pulled out a miniaturized Pokeball that Ash recognized as a Love ball. It would have been a fairly new invention when his dad had captured Ralts. 

Ash recalled what he had been taught about that type of Pokeball. Like all Pokeballs, once occupied, it would generate a virtual landscape that would please the Pokemon kept within. What made it different from the standard Pokeball was that it would generate images of its trainer that was supposed to make the Pokemon inside like its trainer more. 

Ash didn’t like that type of Pokeball. It felt a bit too much like brainwashing for his taste. If he was going to get his Pokemon to like him, it would be through his own hard work. He would see about transferring the Ralts to another Pokeball if she decided she wanted to come with him. 

Putting his attention back on the Professor, Ash nodded and said, “Yes Professor.” 

With a click of the ball’s button, it expanded in Oak’s hand before he let it drop to the ground. In a flash of light, the diminutive Pokemon leapt from the ball in the form of red light as it materialized into its proper form. Ash was struck by how different it looked from the pictures of Ralts he had seen, Rather than the green or blue hair helmet that he had seen in pictures it wore one a shade of dark brown, Instead of the bright red fin that passed through its head, it had a  sharper, dark redfin that gave it a much more horn like appearance. And under that helmet and horn its skin was a shade of sickly black-yellow.

But before Ash could make a judgment on the little Pokemon, he felt something probing his mind. Like someone was sticking invisible rods that pushed against his brain matter. Instinctively, he rejected this intrusion, pushing the invader out as best he could, but he remembered the professor's words and he eased his mind. He relaxed the muscles on his face and thought of his father. He must have had his mind read by Ralts as well. As he looked around, he saw that his mom and Professor Oak looked like he felt, that likely meant she was reading their minds as well.

Ash dropped onto his stomach and looked at the young Pokemon. In as gentle a voice as he could manage, he said, “Hi there, my name is Ash. Satoshi Ketchem was my dad.”

At the mention of his father's name, the Pokemon tilted her head and stared at Ash. Ash felt the question, “Where?” flash into his mind.

 The tension in Ash’s face returned as he tried to come up with an answer. After a moment, he replied in a somber tone. “I’m sorry. My dad died a long time ago. He died before I was born.” Ash heard his mom and the professor tense up as he presumed it was reading their minds. Sadness emanated from the Pokemon as it heard his answer. Whether that was because of its psychic nature, or a grief so strong, Ash didn’t know. But he could sympathize.. 

After giving Ralts a moment of quiet, Ash spoke again.“I never got to meet him, but my mom and the Professor told me all about him while I was growing up and they made sure I knew his family.”

Suddenly, the trio of humans saw an image in their minds. Satoshi Ketchum, as he had been on the day Ralts met him, appeared in their heads.They could see the smile on his face as he looked down at them. As if brought forth by a time capsule and perfectly preserved, they could feel the warmth and concern he had for Ralts. It was more than an image. It was a reflection. When the feeling ceased, and Ash came to his senses, Delia had fallen to her knees. Unaware of where they had come from, Ash wiped tears from his eyes and saw that his mother had succumbed to the same emotion. Professor Oak, who had fallen into a nearby seat, held a wistful smile on his face as he locked eyes with Ash. The two kept their eyes on each other, as if to acknowledge the good deed Ralts had done, before Ash picked himself up off the ground, looking at Ralts. 

“Thank you,” he told Ralts.

Ash had to move over to one side as his mom stumbled towards the Ralts, her body trembling, and kissed her on the head. In a soft tone of voice that Ash could barely hear, she whispered, “Thank you for letting me see my husband again.”

The air was as tender as the moment itself. Oak hesitantly spoiled the atmosphere.. “Ralts,” He said. “Satoshi had intended for you to travel with Ash if or when he became a trainer. That hinged on whether you would want to go with him. If you choose not to join him, you are welcome to stay on my property and live with all the other Pokemon living there. Or if you prefer, you can be released.”

Again, Ash felt the Ralts' mental touch on his mind. He felt as if every choice and decision he made in his life was being examined.. The feeling disappeared and Ralts stared at Ash. She said nothing as she nodded her head and spoke for the first time since it had been let out of her Pokeball. “Ra ra ra ralts ral ralt ralts ra!”

Ash didn’t understand the words Ralts was saying, but he felt a wave of acceptance coming from the Pokemon. Ash extended a hand out, and Ralts returned one of hers for a handshake. 

“I’m happy to have you. Welcome to the team!”

Ash flashed a toothy grin, and almost as soon as he had finished saying that, Ash felt a familiar spark run through his body. He looked to see where Pikachu was and noticed that he had climbed down from his branch to greet his new teammate, but still the pokemon remained hiding behind his mother, clutching to her leg as he observed Ash and Ralts interact. But Ash was more concerned with that feeling.

A quick glance at Ralts told him she had felt it too. 

“Professor,” Ash said, looking Oak directly in the eyes. “For the second time in three days when I’ve touched a Pokemon I’ve felt a spark go through my body. The first time was with Pikachu right after the Spearow attack. I thought it might have Pikachu giving off sparks or something. But just now when I touched Ralts…”

 I felt the same spark, and Pikachu hadn’t done anything. Do you know what is going on?”

Samuel Oak brought a hand to his chin as he thought about what he had just been asked. He paced back and forth. After enough thinking, he stopped and looked at Ash. It looked like he was about to begin a lecture when he looked down at the ground and said in a defeated tone of voice, “I’ve got nothing.” It took effort on Ash’s part not to face palm.

After Ash regained control of himself, he looked at the Professor and almost pleadingly asked, “Really?”

Looking a little embarrassed, the Professor said, “I’m sorry my boy, but while what you described sounds vaguely familiar, it is not an area of study that I have much experience in. But I can get in touch with some contacts of mine. That might know more about the phenomenon you described.”

Ash nodded and said, “Thank you Professor, I’d like that.”

Delia, sounding concerned, said, “It doesn’t seem like it's hurting you, but just be careful, Ash.”

Ash looked at his mom and said, “Of course I will, mom.”

Delia smiled before she said, “Wonderful, Now me and the professor have a few hours before we head back to Pallet so why don’t you show us the hotel room you and the girls will be staying at for the rest of the week.”

Ash nodded, “Sure, but we need to make a quick stop over to the Pokemon center before we go.” He wanted to swap out Ralts Pokeballs and register himself as her trainer. Given that they were already there, it seemed like a good time. Putting his two Pokemon on his shoulders, the group made their way into the building.

Day Two, Viridian Bazaar, Viridian City 09:46 LT

Two steady and dense lines of both people and free Pokemon traveling in opposite directions lent Viridian Bazaar a nice flow of traffic. Cynthia appreciated a healthy crowd like this. The settlement known currently as Viridian City had long been settled before humans and Pokemon had even begun coexistence, as Cynthia recalled from her studies, but in the last century had undergone a revitalization program that had turned the settlement from a village barely on Kantonian maps to a regional economic powerhouse marked on any good map of the world.

As Cynthia passed by manned stalls, with vendors selling all different kinds of wares from clothes to food to items for Pokemon, she declined any who might call out to her to sell their wares, but held her head high and kept her stride with pride. 

. 

Today she had elected to dress simply and was wearing a blue sleeveless button-up shirt and a white pair of pants, with a white pair of tennis shoes completing the outfit. She noted a few stalls to return to in the coming days, but today she had a mission at the bazaar today. The Feebas she caught the other day remained confined to bodies of water. Needless to say, it was inconvenient, so yesterday, after the group had broken up for the evening, she had done some research. 

It had taken her a number of hours to track it down, but she had found what she was looking for: an Aqua Charm. It was a smooth, aqua-colored gem that, when held by a Water-type Pokemon, would generate a shell of water around the Pokemon in question. For the more land capable Pokemon, such an effect didn’t help.. But for water-bound Pokemon like her Feebas, it allowed them to move as freely through the air as they did in the water.

Items, until relatively recently, had been a bit of a controversial issue within the Pro trainer community. Some thought that it gave Pokemon an unfair advantage, while others believed it allowed Pokemon that might not be as competitive to stand a chance. There were entire websites dealing with the subject of what the ideal item was for a particular Pokemon. But, ten years ago, the regional heads of the league had met together and hammered out the issue of items. It had taken a month of meetings, but the group settled on a definitive list of items that would be allowed during competitions. And as new items were created or discovered, a ruling would be made on if it was included on the list. 

The Aqua Charm was relatively new, and a bit on the pricey side, but it was something that every serious Water-type trainer Cynthia had spoken to agreed was necessary for Pokemon that were typically water locked. 

All her research had led her to the stall she was standing in front of. A sign on the front exclaimed: Harrell's Rare and Exotic Finds'. Standing behind the counter was a tall, rotund, dark-skinned man that Cynthia assumed was Harrell. By stopping so near the stall, and locking eyes with the man, Cynthia initiated the sales-ritual that every merchant seemed to have ingrained into their DNA. He took a quick breath in, and started on his speech. 

“Greetings young lady,” He said. “. You look like a capable trainer, if I’m right. Are you looking for rare items? Because you’d be in luck, if you were.”

Cynthia had to stop herself from rolling her eyes at the man's clearly practiced performance. She might have considered this man something of an oaf, but these sorts of performances existed to weed out anyone with half of a brain. They’d get scared off or realize this man was full-of-it, and walk away, leaving only the less intelligent and gullible as potential customers. It saved a lot of time haggling and bargaining with people who probably would never purchase his wares at the price he wanted. . Such business tactics were not uncommon, as Cynthia learned from watching her father find merchants and firms to do business with.

Slipping into a mimicry of the persona one she had seen her father use during business meetings,, she gave the man a pleasant smile. 

“Good day sir,” She started, speaking loud enough to hear but not too loud as to draw attention to herself, “I am looking for an Aqua Charm. I’ve heard you have a knack for finding rare items, so I thought a smart man like yourself might have one in your possession?” Cynthia thought the  man might be  susceptible to flattery as a form of haggling. 

Harrell looked as if he took the compliment in good faith, but  schooled his face quickly when he realized her play. 

“You are very well informed, madam. I do have such an item in my possession. I am quite willing to sell it to you, but…”

Harrell paused and stared down the corridor of stalls and vendors in the bazaar.

 “Considering the difficulty in acquiring it and how difficult it will be to gain another, I couldn’t possibly let it go for less than forty thousand Pyen.” He finished, his crooked grin not quite reaching his eyes.

Silently, Cynthia cursed the man.  That was a bit more than she had on hand. She wondered if there was anything she had that she could offer in trade, but concluded that could come after they had a better agreement on the price.

“That sounds pricey. The best I can do is fifteen thousand Pyen.”

Cynthia’s price caused Harrell to scoff and shake his head, with a low chuckle. This might have been less an act, and more a genuine feeling of being offended. , 

“Young lady, that is far too low a price for a treasure such as this. Anything lower than thirty-five thousand Pyen and I might have to call VCPC and tell them I’ve been robbed.”

His price went down less than Cynthia had hoped for.  She’d probably only get one more chance to lower the price. If this didn’t work, she would have to back off and find an Aqua Charm somewhere else.. Maybe she could find one in Pewter City or Cerulean City. 

“My final offer is twenty thousand Pyen,” She said, standing resolute this would work. This had to work.

It didn't work. Harrell looked thoughtful for a minute before he shook his head. 

“I’m really sorry, Madam, but I really can’t go any lower than thirty-five thousand Pyen.”

His voice dripped wet with insincerity , as he slurred and held his words for just that little bit too long. Clearly, she had offended him.

Left with no other choice, Cynthia nodded and acquiesced to the mans unspoken request. 

“Then I believe we’re done here.”

 She turned on her heel and left the shopping center. Disappointed at her failure to achieve her goal. She was so upset that she didn’t notice a brunette woman in a green and white outfit following her as soon as she left the stall.

—-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Cynthia parked herself on a bench outside the bazaar.. She had just finished checking her inventory, checking to see if anything she had on hand could be sold. She had several things that fit the bill, like a handful of rarer held-items that might be beneficial to some Pokemon she could catch in the future or some of the more expensive restorative items like high-grade stamina or health recovery potions and cures. But this was all vital, either to travel or for training. 

She had considered calling Ash or one of the other girls, but he was cooped up in his room, bonding with the Pokemon the professor had given him. The opportunity to be a rare variant’s trainer was already rare enough, but to be the first? Cynthia couldn’t take that away from Ash. She respected that. As far as the other girls, it was an option, but buying the charm would take all of her money and likely a considerable portion of whatever girl she asked. 

“I could call my parents and ask for a loan.” But that thought was quashed almost as soon as it finished forming in her head. She needed to be on her own. With her friends.. What would be the point if she ran to her parents begging for money?

She was just going to have to woman up and wait until she had the money. “Until then, I will work with Feebas as best I can!”

Cynthia's thoughts were interrupted by a posh and feminine voice.“Pardon me, young lady, but I think I might be able to help you.” Cynthia looked up from her disheartened stupor, and standing in front of her was a fair skinned woman wearing a green sweater dress with holes on the shoulders and midsection that fell to her hips. This was over a pair of form fitting white jeans. The outfit was completed by a loose belt around her waist and a pair of green slip-on shoes. The woman had neck length brown hair and light blue eyes. By her dress and accent, she was clearly Galarian. Cynthia was secure enough in herself to admit that this woman was gorgeous. 

But despite that, she put her guard up and asked the woman, “What do you mean? And who are you?”

The woman smiled. “My apologies. My name is Honey Dijon. I overheard you trying to buy the Aqua Charm from that man. It's a good item, but I think I can save you some money. Though it may take up a fair bit of your time.” 

Curious about the woman’s words and what she was getting at, Cynthia remained silent and gestured for the woman to continue. 

The woman nodded. “You are hardly the first trainer to have a Water type that because of its physiology is very limited outside of a body of water. The Aqua Charm is a way of dealing with that problem, but as you just saw, they can be expensive and a little rare. But there is another way. It is what trainers used before the Aqua Gem, though even before that it had fallen into disuse because of the time and effort involved. These days most focus on more terrestrial Water type Pokemon.” 

Honey pulled out a Pokeball with a black top and a stylized U that showed that it was an ultra class Pokeball, “But anybody can say anything, why don’t I show you what I am talking about. Go Goldeen!” Honey tossed the ball into the air and in a flash the white and orange fish Pokemon appeared. As it fell to the ground Cynthia watched as it suddenly had a sheen to it that hadn’t been there before. Just before it hit the ground it pulled up and streaked past the two women, spinning and looping every few feet. Cynthia could only watch in awe as it moved around in the air just as easily as any flying type. Before it returned to its master’s side. 

Honey looked at the Fish Pokemon with a wide smile on her face and said “Thank you for that demonstration. Do you want to go back into your ball sweetie?” The Goldeen moved around in a way that Cynthia figured must have meant yes because in a flash of red light Honey recalled it.

Cynthia tried to find the right words, “Wha-what was that?”

Honey smiled, “That was the Float technique, It is a skill that allows the Pokemon who uses it to move through the air the same way they would in the water. Long ago it was used by Water type trainers to keep up with the other types, but as time moved on and more terrestrial water types were discovered, it fell out of use because of the time and effort involved in mastering the technique. When the Aqua Charm was discovered it fell even further out of use.”

Cynthia could only nod as she asked, “How does it work?”

Honey gave her answer a moment's thought before she said, “The idea behind the Float technique is tied to the understanding of Pokemon attacks. Are you familiar with the move ‘Liquidation’?” When Cynthia nodded slowly, unsure of where this was all going, Honey continued. “That is an attack that has a variety of forms based upon things such as the physiology of the Pokemon in question. Most commonly the Pokemon in question will surround their body with water and then attack, not all that different from ‘Aqua Jet’. but with training the Pokemon can change the move to fit their physiology.”

Honey reached into a pocket and pulled out a Pokedex and, after a moment of fiddling with it, showed Cynthia an image of a Golisopod holding a sword made of water. A swipe to the right and Cynthia was looking at a Grapploct, which had the ends of its tentacles surrounded by water. Another swipe revealed a video of an Inteleon, with its hands and feet surrounded by water, slugging it out with a Scyther.

Honey put the device away before she continued, “The reason ‘Liquidation’ and other attacks of nearly every type can be used in so many ways is because all Pokemon have an innate psychic ability that allows them to control their abilities.”

Cynthia blinked a few times before she asked “Do you mean in the same way Psychic types do?” 

Honey put a finger to her chin as she thought about how to answer. “Yes, but also no.” Honey either ignored or missed Cynthia's facepalm. “The long answer is that Psychic type moves express that power in its purest form, without the filter of the other types. It is this power that allows Pokemon moves like ‘Razor Leaf’ or ‘Leafage’ to do damage, while a random leaf falling off a tree onto your Pokemon would do nothing.”

Cynthia furrowed her brow as she tried to remember a bit of information she had read about some time ago. Slightly unsure of herself she asked. “Is this just another word for Aura?”

Honey shook her head “I get why you think that but no, Aura going by the lore that has been left to us and what science has taught us, is a more physical thing that can be affected and affect the mind while what I am talking about is mental but is acted on in the physical plain. There may be a way to mix them the way that show about the loud blonde kid my son watches talks about but there are so few pokemon that can actually make use of their aura that it wouldn’t change much and of all the people who have tried over the years none have succeeded. Personally, I think it is just in the realm of fantasy.” Honey blushed a little. “But I've gone off on a bit of a tangent.”

Honey closed her eyes as if to refocus her thoughts before she continued. “In any event, it was that understanding that led to the creation of the Float technique. People realized that if a pokemon could control the elements as they do, then why couldn’t water types use it to move freely. However, there are a few drawbacks to the technique.

The first is that the technique is not unlimited in use. It requires a lot of concentration and stamina, particularly when you are first learning to use it. And that is just moving about. Using ‘Float’ during a battle is much harder since you have to factor in the distractions of combat, and the splits in concentration needed to use their moves. Of course with training you can minimize the concentration needed and increase your Pokemon's stamina.

The second drawback is that if something disrupts the shell, it can be very difficult to put it back up in the heat of battle, particularly as a smart opponent will capitalize on that weakness.

Finally, ‘Float’ only really works with Pokemon who have a more aquatic physiology. Other Water types can create the shell but can’t use the floating aspect, nobody really understands why, though me and my husband have a theory. We think it might be because Pokemon that are more aquatic like my Goldeen and your Pokemon, have a built in sense of how to move in that type of 3d space that other more terrestrial water types  lack.”

Cynthia nodded, She could see why it had fallen out of use after Pokemon who had an easier time moving on land had started to hit the pro scene and even more so after an easier method had been found. But she had to admit that the chance to learn a new skill and the history behind it fascinated her. “It will be hard work but I’m sure me and Feebas can make it work!”

After a moment Cynthia looked at the woman in front of her and said with as much sincerity as she could muster. “Please teach me ‘Float’.  

Honey looked at the girl and smiled “Of course dear, all you needed to do was ask, now let's find a pond. It's easier to learn when you start with a body of water to draw the shell from. I will teach you the basics but it will be up to you to practice and master the skill.”

Cynthia nodded, and the two women went to find some place to practice. As they walked, she shot off a text to her friends to let them know she was off training and to contact her every hour to make sure that she was okay.

It would be a mentally and physically tired Cynthia and Feebas that returned to the hotel that night.

Day Three, Milotic Hotel, Spa Center Massage room, Viridian City, 10:00 LT

Besides the canned relaxation music that played in the background, the only sounds in the room were the occasional squeaks of May and Dawn and the grunts of the Machamp’s that were their masseuses. As her Machamp worked her over, May couldn’t help but think, “Damn! This Machamp is a pro.“

Turning her head to look at her friend, May asked the other girl, “What’s your take on the new rules regarding Pokemon costumes?” 

Dawn, who was also in the middle of being worked over, took a minute to focus her thoughts before she responded, “I like them, but I understand why the league is making them a part of a separate contest category from the normal contest.” 

May nodded, the Pokemon contest had four rankings. Rookie, Great, Ultra and Master, In theory a person could enter any rank of contest. However, at the higher rankings the competition was far fiercer and the trainers who took part particularly at the Master rank were masters of their craft. It was an accepted practice that beginner Contestants like Herself, Dawn and Serena would start at the Rookie level and learn the skills and experience to take part in the higher level Contest.  

Dawn's mom Johanna had been a Master ranked contestant before she had settled down to raise Dawn. Even sixteen years after she had retired the woman was still often talked about on forums and chat rooms dedicated to Contest. More than once she, Dawn and Serena had watched videos posted online of Johannas performances to figure out how they could use what she had done to make their own performances better.

Dawn of course had direct access to her mom and had picked her brain as she had grown up. If May were being honest with herself, she would admit that she was a bit jealous of her friend for having such a resource. Of course she was honest enough to admit to herself, if nobody else, that if she had been inclined towards the gym route, she would have done the same thing with her father.

Still Dawn had been very good about sharing what her mother had taught her about Pokemon Contest. Pokemon Contest featuring costumes had started at a small non official contest in Unova five years ago. One attendee had recorded the entire event and had posted the videos online. The video had quickly gone viral and soon thereafter the debate had started.

From what had been researched about these types of contests many of the participants would base their performances on what outfit their Pokemon was wearing. One of the Pokemon that had been on display had been a Scizor wearing armor that made it resemble a Ranseian Samurai, the moves it had used during its performance had been selected to capitalize on that.  

Not long afterwards other non official contests had sprung up all over the world. The debates had mostly been about if the league should implement costumes into official contests. That had led into a debate about fairness as some might consider costumes a distraction from the normal spectacle. And not everyone would have the time, skill or money to keep up with what would most likely be a rapidly changing battleground.

Ultimately, the League and the Contest Authority had created a separate category for costumes, Said category would have the same rankings as the original contest and any participant that wished could take part in both with no penalty. May had been debating with herself about taking part.

Pulling herself out of her thoughts, she responded to her friend. “I’m actually thinking about participating in the costumed category once we get to the first site in Saffron City.”

Dawn raised an eyebrow at that statement, “Do you think Torchic will be ready for Pokemon contest by that point?”

If she were capable of it, May would have shrugged. “It is a few months away, so maybe. But I also might have caught a more suitable Pokemon by that point.”

Dawn conceded the point with a nod before she changed the subject. “So what do you think of Ash’s Ralts?” 

May took a moment to consider the question. Ralts were a fairly common sight in Hoenn and a great deal of research had been done on them over the years. When she had been a little girl, she had dreamed of catching one of them and being an elegant pair like Diantha and her Gardevoir, eventually. 

Still, she had never heard of a Galarian variant of the species. She wondered what it would be like when it evolved. “It's cute, but I wonder what it is going to look like when it evolves.”

This time it was Dawn’s turn to avoid shrugging, “Who knows with regional variants. I mean take Pokemon like that Meowth from the other night. The type found here in Kanto are only a little different in appearance from the Meowth found in Alola, but the Meowth’s native to Galar might as well be a different species.” 

May conceded the point before she asked “What is Ash doing? He left with Pikachu and Ralts pretty early this morning.”

Silence filled the room before Dawn responded, “I think Cynthia said that they were headed back to Route 1 for some light training for Ralts.”

Conversation ceased as a soft buzzer went off indicating that their time was finished. The Machamps backed away, and a door opened revealing a young woman wearing a staff polo. “Did you ladies have a nice time?” she asked with a chipper tone in her voice. The two girls nodded before the women continued. “Fantastic. Please proceed to the changing room. We need to prepare the room for the next appointment. "

The two girls readjusted their towels as they stood up and made their way to the changing room. As they arrived, Dawn asked “So do you want to catch an early lunch.?”

Day Four, Route 22 west of Viridian City, 15:00 LT

Lille Star whistled as she made her way down the hilly pathway. She couldn't remember where the tune was from, or even when she had started whistling, but it was catchy, so she continued.

She had come all the way out here because the Hotel aviary had said that Taillow was causing fights with the other guest Pokemon. They had told her that while she was welcome to stay, she either had to get Taillow under control or keep it in its ball for the rest of her stay. Lillie was just glad that the owners of the other Pokemon weren’t coming after her.

Lillie was pretty sure she understood why Taillow was acting up. Taillow as a species were proud fighters, and she had captured him using what could be considered a cheap tactic. She had asked Nurse Joy about it and the woman, after taking a look at Taillow to see if there was something physiological that was causing him to act up, agreed that how she had caught him might have been part of the problem.

So she had come out here to deal with the issue. Lillie didn’t like it but she would give Taillow the fight he wanted. She just hoped that Snowy was up for a fight.

It had been a warm day, so Lille had worn a blue and white capris and camisole combo and a light pair of sneakers. She had to admit that the sun felt nice on her skin and wondered, “Maybe I could get a job working on a preserve.” 

What she wanted to do with her life had been an ever present thought for Lille for a while now. She knew that unlike Ash, Cynthia Leaf and Marnie, the Gym track wasn’t for her. Her scores in the battle test back in school had shown her that. But at the same time she didn’t really have the flair for Pokemon contests that May, Dawn and Serena did.

Of course, nothing said that she had to follow either of those paths. A teacher had once told her that with her gentle nature she might make a good Pokemon doctor or nurse. In fact, Nurse Joy had told Lillie to come back and see her at least one more time before the group left Viridian City. But Lille supposed she had only just graduated, and it wasn’t uncommon for a graduate to take a few years to find what it was they wanted to do.

Lillie’s mind returned to the present as she found a suitable spot for an impromptu battle. Reaching into her bag, she grabbed Snowy's and Taillow’s Pokeballs and tossed them into the air. Once released, Snowy dashed to Lillie’s legs while Taillow perched himself on a large rock and loudly squawked, “TAILLOW!” As it spread its wings.

Lillie schooled her face to look authoritative as she said, “Taillow, I get you want to fight. But you can’t keep attacking other Pokemon at the hotel. If you do, they might kick us out! Now I know you are upset that I caught you the way I did. I know you want to fight. So fine! We will have an actual battle!”

Lillie wondered how she was sounding to Taillow, because in her own head she sounded like a little girl trying to act tough. Like one of the guys, back in school trying to prove his manhood to the other boys in class. The words felt foreign and wrong as they came out of her mouth. 

Taillow either didn’t notice or didn’t care. It just looked at her for a second before it spread its wings aggressively and squawked “Taillow!”

Lillie sighed, “I guess we’re doing this.” She looked at Snowy and said “Do your best.” 

Lillie and Taillow looked at each other for a moment, daring each other to make the first move, to make the first mistake. Somewhere a branch snapped and Lillie ordered “Snowy! Use ‘Ice Beam!” the beam of frozen energy shot from the vulpine Pokemon like a shot making its way toward Taillow. The avian Pokemon leapt into the air and weaved around it before it became covered in a white aura and slammed into Snowy, throwing it back several feet.

Lillie gasped, “That's ‘Aerial Ace’!” She recognized the move from the battle classes back in school. Lillie tried to gather her wits and said “Snowy, keep an eye out for that ‘Aerial Ace’!” Snowy only nodded as she searched the air for Taillow trying to figure out where it had gone.  

The scream of “Taillow!” revealed that it was right above preparing to dive bomb Snowy, The vulpine creature barely had a moment to move out of the way before Taillow almost collided with the spot it had been at only a moment before. The aerial Pokemon pulled itself up at the last moment skimming along the ground as it did.

Lillie was worried, Taillow's ability to fly was letting it dominate the battle from the air and Snowy had little that could keep up with it. Suddenly she saw Taillow beginning another charge using the sun to mask its approach. Squinting to keep track of it Lillie yelled, “Snowy! Use ‘Ice Beam’! Aim at the sun!”

Snowy let loose its attack and, like before, Taillow tried to move out of the way. However, this time the beam hit its right wing, causing it to fall out of the sky, hitting the ground with a loud thud. 

As the dust settled, Lillie worried if she had gone too far. Her worries proved baseless as  with a cry, the remaining dust was pushed away, revealing a defiant Taillow, who now had a red aura around its body, with another cry it slammed its wing onto the ground breaking the ice that covered its wing.

Lillie grimaced, She couldn’t remember its name, but she knew that the red aura that was dissipating was bad news for her and Snowy. Taillow looked like it was about to attack when suddenly a massive crash filled the area. Trainer and Pokemon both looked toward the sound and saw one of the few large trees in the area fall to the ground before it made a second crash.

A few moments later a Pink haired girl wearing a uniform that Lillie recognized as that of a cadet Pokemon Ranger, On her shoulder was a male Nidoran, both of them had a panicked look on their face, Right behind them kicking up a cloud of dust was a simian Pokemon that Lillie recognized as a Mankey. Pulling out her Pokedex she quickly brought up its information on the species.

“Mankey: the Pig Monkey Pokemon, Fighting type, This species and its evolutions are known for their tremendous power and ill-tempered disposition. Rookie trainers are advised to use caution when dealing with or training them.”

Taillow, seeing an opportunity for an even better fight, was off like a shot, flying out of recall range before Lillie could pull its Pokeball out. Putting the ball away Lillie looked at Snowy and said “We need to help that girl.” Snowy nodded and ran over to her trainer and climbed into her arms when the girl leaned down. With a worried sigh from Lillie the duo made their way towards the girl.

—-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A few moments later Lillie watched as Taillow collided with Mankey. It was hard to tell from a distance but it looked like Taillow had hit Mankey with an ‘Aerial Ace’ driving it back. Lillie put that out of her mind for a moment, she had to help the girl. After another moment she intercepted the girl and pulled the girl away from the fight. Through hard breaths Lillie asked “What… happened?... What… is… going on?”

The cadet breathing even harder than Lille, bent over and holding a stitch in her side, responded, “Training … mission… separated from… group, couldn’t contain it…. Flew into rage.”

Lillie nodded and looked over at where the fight between the two Pokemon continued. Lillie watched as Taillow seemed to dominate the fight against Mankey the same way it had against Snowy. The difference being that Snowy at least had been able to use ranged attacks while Mankey had no way to fight back when Taillow moved away from it.

Suddenly everything changed, Taillow went for another pass with ‘Aerial Ace’ colliding with Mankey and throwing it into a boulder. Lillie thought that maybe the fight was over. But to her surprise she watched as the Mankey crawled to its hands and feet., Slamming its hands against the ground until it cracked the earth beneath it. “Man… Key, Man….. Key, MAN…kEY MANKEY!!!!!” 

What had begun as a whisper turned into a roar as a red aura surrounded Mankey causing Lillie to take several steps back. Taillow either didn’t notice or didn’t care as it came around for another attack. But when it got close Mankey started swiping wildly at the air in front of itself, Catching Taillow in its attack when it got close. Suddenly the tables had turned and Taillow was the victim of attack after attack before Mankey landed a devastating final blow.

Moving faster than she had thought possible Lillie roared, “Snowy! Use ‘Ice Beam’! Keep it distracted while I help Taillow!”

Snowy obeyed and soon the air was filled with beam after beam of cold energy causing the rampaging Mankey to keep having to step back. Lille made her way over to Taillow who was on its back and groaning. Quickly trying to remember the lesions that she had been taught about checking for injuries on avian Pokemon she felt along its wings for any broken bones and bleeding. She let out a small prayer of thanks when she found neither. A few potions should have it moving again. She reached into her bag to grab one, only to find that she didn’t have any. “Shit” she swore uncharacteristically. She looked deeper into the bag to see if there was anything that she could use but found nothing. She was about to pull out Taillow’s Pokeball to recall it when she felt a hand on her shoulder. Lille looked up to see the cadet, now much more calm than she had been. In her other hand was a potion, and from the coloration of the bottle she could tell that it was on the higher end.

The other girl looked at Lillie and said “Use this to help your Taillow, It will still need to go to a Pokemon Center after all of this is over but that Potion should deal with most of its surface injuries. Me and NinNin are going to go help your Vulpix!” before she dropped the medicine into Lilies hand and ran off with her Pokemon.

Lillie immediately set to work spraying the medicine over Taillow’s bruises and scrapes, watching as they started to diminish and fade. After a moment Taillow was back on its talons with a cry of “Taillow!”  

Taillow looked like he was getting ready to rejoin the battle when Lille cried out “Taillow wait!”

Taillow looked annoyed at being prevented from joining the battle but turned and chirped in annoyance as if to say “What!?”

Lillie took a moment to form her thoughts. “Look I get you want to fight, but if you go in there without a plan, you are going to get hurt again.” Almost pleadingly she whispered, “Please work with me.”

Taillow looked at its trainer for a long moment. In the background, the sounds of battle raged as it came to a decision. With a nod of its head it chirped “Taillow.”

If the situation wasn’t so serious Lille would have smiled, As it was she started speaking. “I think I know how to stop it but you’re really not going to like it.”

Taillow looked at his trainer quizzingly as she described her idea. She was right He didn’t like it but he honestly didn’t have a better plan.

—-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The fight was going as well as it could considering the situation. Snowy had been laying down suppressive fire with its ‘Ice Beam’ but it was getting tired. NinNin had been taking potshots when Mankey was distracted but due to it having been recently hatched and caught it wasn’t doing too much damage, even with ‘Peck’ which was giving it a type advantage against the Fighting type. Its own Ability ‘Rivalry’ was boosting it a bit, but the gap was still too wide to be effective.

Suddenly a blue and white streak moved past NinNin covered in a white aura that slammed into Mankey tossing the rampaging Pokemon into a nearby tree. When NinNin, Snowy and the ranger cadet looked around they saw Lillie standing there with a determined look on her face. Looking at the cadet she said “Please keep Mankey distracted for another few moments. “When the other girl nodded, Lille turned to Snowy who was looking more than a little tired. “Snowy I Know you’re pooped but I need one last ‘Ice Beam from you. Please, just get ready and wait for my signal. There was a moment of silence before the Vulpix nodded.

After a moment NinNin moved in, Its tiny horn glowing purple as it charged with its ‘Poison Sting’ Its blow missed and NinNin barely avoided the crushing blow that followed but it did its job and Mankey never noticed the shadow that came from behind it. Before Mankey could respond its arms were caught in Taillow’s talons and it was being lifted into the air. Despite its struggles between its wounds and how it was being held it couldn’t build up the strength to break free. Despite its anger clouded mind, Mankey could hear the yellow-haired human tell the Taillow to release it. For a moment Mankey knew weightlessness before it fell. And before it could right itself in the air for a landing, it heard the human girl tell the white Vulpix to use ‘Ice Beam’ before everything went white.

—-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

As the block of ice formerly known as Mankey fell to the ground with a resounding crash, Lillie quickly reached into her bag and grabbed a Pokeball and tossed it at the entrapped Pokemon. As the capture device rumbled the two girls and their Pokemon watched with bated breath. The ball took nearly a minute to stop vibrating before the capture chime filled the air, causing everyone to let out a breath that they didn’t realize they had been holding.

Lillie fell to her knees as the stress-based adrenaline of the situation faded. The other girl made her way to Lille and sat down beside her. With a weary smile she held out her hand and said, “Nice catch, I’m Shizue Mizutani.”

Lille looked at the girl before she took her hand and replied “Lille Star, Nice to meet you. Which Ranger Academy are you from?” 

Shizue, still tired from everything that had just happened, took a moment to reply.” Soaring Salamence Academy.”

Lillie nodded, If she remembered correctly that academy was located just midway between Saffron City and Vermillion City. “You said you got separated from your group, what are you going to do now?”

Shizue looked at NinNin before she looked back at Lillie, “Orders were if we got separated to return to the Pokemon Center in Viridian. And looking at NinNin that seems like a great idea.”

Lillie looked at the Nidoran that was laying next to its trainer gasping for air. She looked at Snowy who looked similarly haggard. Finally she looked at Taillow who despite the potion she had used earlier looked like it needed a lot of medical attention. She nodded and said “Okay, let's go.”

Quickly gathering their Pokemon the girls started making their way back towards Viridian. They hadn’t gotten far when Lillie stopped and said worryingly “Nurse Joy is going to flip.”

—-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Day Five Milotic Hotel, Grand Suite, Marnie's Room, 12:00 LT

Dressed in a comfortable pink and black tank top and house shorts combination, Marnie propped her Pokedex up so that the screen was facing her. She knew Piers liked to have a bit of a lie-in on his rare days off but she figured that by this point in the day he should be up and around. So she had decided to call and see how he was doing.

Her brother had been running the Spikemuth Gym ever since their parents had died when she was small. Their parents had run the gym as a married couple and had drawn the crowds to Spikemuth despite how far out of the way the town had been.  

Things had changed after they had died. Piers was a decent enough battler, but Pokemon battles weren’t his passion, and it showed in his performance. To make things harder around that time, Dynamaxing had, while always a part of Galarian battle culture for years, started to get much more popular. The problem was that Spikemuth wasn't located on one of the Power Spots from which Galar Particles flowed. The League had offered to help them relocate to another area with a Power Spot, but Piers had refused. Spikemuth was a small town compared to all the other Gym towns in Galar and the League was the only major employer. If the Gym left the area, the town would likely fall. So Piers had refused. 

These days Spikemuth saw little in the way of foot traffic, Most of the trainers that came were those without the means to travel to a nearby region and the town was in decline. That more than anything had influenced what Marnie wanted to do, She wanted to be a Gym Leader. So Piers had pulled some strings, and she had been enrolled in Profesor Oaks academy. Piers had said that she would keep the Gym running until she was ready to take up the mantle, eventually.

Marnie shook herself out of her thoughts. It was just about time to call Piers. 

—-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Day Six, Viridian City Park Pond,12:30 LT

Serena, Cynthia and Leaf all dressed in exercise clothes, watched as Feebas took on a blue glow across its body. Slowly but surely the water surrounding it crept up its body and soon the glow was replaced with a watery sheen. Feebas closed its eyes and slowly it started to rise from the water. For a few moments it floated there, before the water shell dispersed and it fell back into the water with a splash.

Cynthia smiled at her Pokemon “That was a good attempt Feebas, Take a few minutes break and then we’ll try again.”

Feebas cried out “Feebas” in acknowledgement before it took some time to rest. 

Serena looked at her friend and said with a smile “That was amazing, Cynthia Feebass is really improving!”  

Cynthia smiled at her traveling companion. “Thanks, I hope she will have it down by the time we get to Pewter City but I will keep my eye out for some Grass or Ground types in Viridian Forest.”

Serena and Leaf nodded, It was a well-known fact that Pewter City's Gym Leader used Pokemon of the Rock type. A Pokemon of those types, or a Pokemon who knew moves of those types would have a better chance at winning.

Leaf looked a bit pensive, “Right now I have Bulbasaur and Combee and I don’t think that Combee will have learned anything particularly useful by the time we get to Pewter City. At least nothing useful against Rock types.

Cynthia thought for a second before she replied, If your Combee is female maybe you can try to work on getting it to evolve. It is no guarantee but Vespiquuen can learn some Poison type moves that might help.”

Leaf looked proud, “Combee is most definitely female. After all the research I did, I am damn sure of that.”

Serena nodded but Cynthia frowned a moment before she asked. “What kind of research did you do?”

Leaf once again looked proud, “I studied Combee movement patterns. It's subtle but the females move differently than the males and with a bit of luck I found one while we were on route one.

Cynthia looked puzzled for a second before she pulled out her Pokedex and after a quick search turned the device around to show a picture of a Combee, “Does your Combee look like this?” she asked.

Not sure what her friend was getting at Leaf nodded

Cynthia looked at Serena and asked “Could you use your Pokedex to bring up a picture of a male Combee?”  

Serena said nothing but moved to obey the request. After a moment she turned her device around to show another Combee. Cynthia asked “Do you see the difference between these two?”

Leaf looked at the two for a moment, a look of dread forming on her face as with trepidation she responded. “The.. the bottom head of the female has an orange mark on it.” as she bowed her head in defeat embarrassed at the error she had made.

As she sat on the ground in a funk, Cynthia walked over to her friend and put a comforting hand on her shoulder. “It may have been unnecessary but from what you have told me, you did an impressive amount of research into the species. Maybe one day that can translate into becoming a Pokemon researcher, or a professor like Professor Oak.”

Leaf still looked and sounded despondent as she said “Some researcher, all that work and I missed the most obvious thing in the world.”

Cynthia looked at her friend and as soothingly as she could, said “Well then you learned a lesson about paying attention to details. It's good that you learned it now. When the stakes are low. And despite your slight error your research was good enough to help you find what you wanted.”

Leaf with a tired smile looked at her friend gratefully and said “Thanks.”

Serena, happy that the situation had been handled, asked “Speaking of training, does anybody know how Ash has been doing with his Ralts.”

Cynthia and Leaf looked at their friend with indulgent smiles on their faces. Both were glad for the change in subject even if it was to talk about the guy they knew their friend had a crush on. Leaf was the first to respond. “I think that Ash and Pikachu have been at the hotel's gym, helping her with her movement. It looked like they were playing tag.”

Serena had a quizzical look on her face as she asked, “How does tag help it with movement?”

Cynthia replied after a moment, "If I remember correctly During battle Ralts and its evolutions Kirila and Gardevoir use their psychic energy to mov-.”. Her face lit up with a sudden realization as a connection she hadn’t considered occurred to her.

Serena broke the silence first, “What?” 

Cynthia spoke slowly as the realization occurred to her, “The way Ralts and most of its evolutions… and other Psychic Pokemon that don’t have legs now that I think of it, move is identical to how the Float technique works. The only difference is that it's not filtered through water. “

Serena and Leaf caught on at the same time but it was Leaf who spoke first. “Do you think Ash knows? Something like this would be a huge step forward in his training with Ralts.”

Cynthia shook her head, “Ralts aren't particularly common in Kanto so outside of a stream match he wouldn’t have had the chance to see a Ralts, Kirila or Gardevoir in action. And even then he might not be aware of the connection between what he is trying to do and what I am trying to teach Feebas.”

Leaf was about to suggest that one of them contact Ash and tell him what they had figured out, but then she looked over at Serena who already had her Pokedex out, furiously typing into the digital keyboard. With a smile Leaf thought to herself, “I really should have seen that coming.”

—-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Milotic Hotel, Pokemon Training Center, Movement Training Center 15:47 LT

Ash would be happy to admit that the Milotic’s training facility was top-notch, All around the massive facility was the best in Pokemon training equipment, from a press machine to help the more physically inclined increase their strength to an obstacle course that could be customized to include many obstacles. Not too far from where Ash stood with Ralts was a machine that when activated would cause several weighted bags to fly about. Ash was pretty sure that it helped Pokemon with their agility and awareness. Ash wished they had more time for him to have Pikachu and Ralts run through it but today was their last night at the hotel. 

The Police had finished their investigation, and no longer required the group to be local. Miss Asai had called them soon after the Police had informed them they could leave the city and had told them they would need to see to their own lodgings. Ash had found her to be a bit blunt but from both of the times he had interacted with her, he assumed that bluntness was part of her personality. 

Standing near Ash was Marnie clad in workout clothes bearing the colors and logo of the Spikemuth Gym, she had Morpeko sitting on her shoulder, both of them were watching Ash as he trained Ralts in how to use its psychic power to move. Ash smiled, The information about how Pokemon like Ralts moved had been fantastic. Thanks to the insight Serena, Leaf and Cynthia had given him, Ash had made more progress with Ralts training in a few hours than he had been in the last three days. Using what Cynthia had told him about her training methods for Feebas as a guidepost, Ralts could now move around with relative ease, though she still had problems with sudden stops and direction changes, and she tired easily. 

Looking at Ralts, Ash asked “Are you ready?” Ralts only nodded before an almost imperceptible red aura covered her and she hovered ever so slightly off the ground. Ash smiled and looked at Pikachu, “we are going to start with Ralts on the defensive. I want you to chase her down and try to tag her,” Pikachu nodded as Ash turned back to Ralts, “I know this is going to be hard, but I want you to try to read what Pikachu is going to do and then act on that. 

Ash knew he was asking a lot of the young Pokemon but the training tips he had found regarding Ralts and their evolutions said the key to helping them achieve their potential was helping them learn to multitask early on. In the wild it would be something that their Parents would teach them. Depending on when a Ralts was captured they might already know how to do those things. But for Ralts that were captured early or bred it came down to their trainer. 

Ash held up his hand and said “On the count of three begin,” The two Pokemon nodded, “One, Two, Three!” In an instant Pikachu was off like a shot running towards Ralts who stood still for a moment before floating quickly to Pikachu’s left. Pikachu turned around and charged again only to hit nothing as the Psychic type dodged to the right.

Ash smiled, “That's a good start Ralts, we are going to ramp things up so get ready. Pikachu speed things up and start attacking from a variety of angles.” The two Pokemon nodded, and the pace picked up considerably. Ralts was having a considerably harder time dodging the other Pokemon's attacks as the splitting of its focus made it harder to move while trying to keep track of where Pikachu was going to come from. For nearly a minute Pikachu bounced around always just missing Ralts and increasing his speed before he grazed the Psychic type causing the pair to fall to the ground.

Ash moved over to his Pokemon and helped them off the ground. “That was amazing you two! You both did great!.” He looked at Pikachu, “Those speed exercises we found online are really working. Keep it up.” Pikachu cooed excitedly at the praise. 

Ash then turned to Ralts and said “You’ve gotten so much better at moving since we started, I’m proud of you!” Ralts bounced around excitedly.

Ash looked thoughtful for a moment before he said, “If you guys are up to it, I want you guys to go one more round, but I want Ralts to do the chasing.” Ash had another thought and looked over at Marnie. “Do you two want to get in on this?”

The Galarian girl looked at her partner for a moment before the pair nodded at each other before Marnie nodded at Ash, “Why not, What's the game?”

Ash smiled widely “Tag, and Ralts is it.”

—-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Viridian City Pokemon Center, Courtyard, 09:25, June 2  200 PO. U 

The Eight Teenagers stood outside the Pokemon center, each was checking their bags making sure that they were ready to head into the vast Viridian Forest. While a car or a Cyclizar could clear the forest in a matter of hours, on foot it would take four or five days to clear depending on the pace they set. Cynthia had been listing several supplies to make sure that at least one member of the group had the item listed, After five minutes she had reached the last item. “Water purifiers?” She was met with a chorus of yes’s from the other seven teens.

Cynthia smiled, “Does anybody have any last business in Viridian before we head out?” None of the group said a word. “Good, then let's get going. I want us to be a fair way into the forest before we set up camp for the night. The octet quickly grabbed their things and started walking out of Viridian. It would be many months and quite a few adventures before they would see it with their own eyes again.

—-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Team Rocket Headquarters, Location: None of your business, Time: Who wants to know? Date: You certainly ask a lot of questions.

Jessie, James and Meowth made their way through the halls of the massive building that was Team Rocket's primary base in the Kanto Region, All around them they saw the office drones working at their desks. Occasionally they would notice one of the office workers looking at them. Sometimes out of curiosity, sometimes out of disgust and in a few cases the office worker looked in their direction with a look of lust on their face. Soon enough they made their way past the drones and into the area reserved for executives and elite agents like themselves. The offices in this section of the building were much larger and more opulent. But Jessie noticed something, “I wonder where everyone is. “

James had a look of concern on his face but responded, “Maybe there is some big operation.”

Beneath them Meowth chimed in “I don’ts recall hearing anythings abouts something like that.”

They didn’t have time to discuss the matter any further as they approached their ultimate boss's door, an orate piece made of Oak with handles of brass shined so hard that they resembled gold. Standing in front of the door was Matori. She had her trademark stoic look on her face. When the group arrived, she addressed them with almost no affect in her voice. “The boss will see you now. As the trio made their way past her Jessie was certain she heard the other woman say “Good luck” in a smug tone of voice.

—-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

As the door closed behind them Giovanni’s booming voice echoed across the room. “Agents Jessie, James and Meowth, approach.” Recognizing the order for what it was, the group nearly ran to stand near the desk.

As the trio stood stock still for nearly a minute as Giovanni sat there silently. The only sounds in the room was that of his large hand rubbing against the head of his Persian and the feline Pokemon’s purrs, Meowth fought a desperate internal battle to keep his mouth shut.

After another minute Giovanni spoke, “I have been made aware of your Pokemon Center heist. It was quite ingenious and had it succeeded would have all but guaranteed you promotions to executive. However, I must ask you, What on Earth made you decide to use Viridian City, MY CITY AS YOUR TARGET?! NEED I REMIND YOU FOOLS OF MY ROLE AS A GYM LEADER AND A LEGITIMATE BUSINESSMAN IN THAT CITY! DO YOU IDIOTS HAVE ANY IDEA OF THE RISK OF HAVING TEAM ROCKET OPERATIONS OCCURRING ANYWHERE NEAR ME?!

AND TO MAKE MATTERS WORSE, YOU FAILED UTTERLY! YOU WERE BEATEN BY A GROUP OF ROOKIE TRAINERS, KIDS!”

Giovanni closed his eyes and with visible effort calmed himself down. “The only thing preventing me from doing something exceedingly unpleasant to the three of you is that up till your records have been exemplary. So I am going to give you one chance to redeem yourselves. “Giovanni pulled a remote out of his suit pocket and aimed it towards a screen. In an instant the screen came to life revealing a teenage boy that the trio recognized as the boy from the Pokemon Center heist .

“This boy has caught my interest. Your new assignment is to tail and observe this boy, and report back to me with any findings you may see. You are in no way to interact with the boy or with his traveling companions. If that should prove impossible then keep any interactions to a minimum. My sources in Viridian City indicate that he and his group will be leaving for Pewter City soon. You have until they arrive there to prepare for your mission. Agents Jessie and James you may requisition one tier two or below Pokemon each. But let me make one thing clear. This is your last chance. If you mess this mission up, the things I had planned for you will seem like the greatest of pleasures compared to what I will do to you. Now get the hell out of my sight.”

The trio fled the office like a pack of Houndoom’s were chasing after them.

Well, it seems like Team Rocket has found themselves in a whole heap of trouble. Will they get out of it and how will this affect our heroes? You will have to read the next chapter of Pokemon: The Story of Us.

AN2: Well then folks thats a wrap. For those of you who are reading my other stories, I am currently working on the next chapter of IT’S HERO SLIME!!.  Once that is release I am going to move on to either My Lyrical Academia or Kingdom Hearts: (Re) Destiny, followed by whichever one of those two I didn’t do first. After that i will write the next chapter of The Ki Hero Deku.  

That being said, there may be a 6th story… or not… It really depends on how happy I am with the finished product .

Well my friends, as a famous pig often says. That's All Folks.

Chapter Text

A/N 1: Well folks, Welcome to chapter four. This one took a while to figure out how to do correctly but I hope you are satisfied with the result. 

Now to address a few comments from the last chapter. I know that to some of you Ash seems weak, but this isn’t one of those stories where Ash is going to be so uber powerful as to make the story boring.  He is definitely going to be capturing Pokemon he didn’t in canon and capture some that he did capture, far sooner. But I am going to play those cards close to my chest. The same goes for all the other characters.

Second, any relationship drama found in this story will not in any way involve cheating or cuckoldry or anything like that. I don’t stand for that type of stuff and you will never see it in anything I write. 

Finally and this has nothing to do with any comments made on FFN OR AO3, Remember this is a slow burn. So if you are expecting one or all of the girls to jump Ash’s bone anytime soon. You may wish to look elsewhere.

Now onto the legal bullshit. Pokemon is the Property of Nintendo, GameFreak and The Pokemon Company. Please support the official release. 

Viridian Forest, 10:00, June 4  200 PO. U

As the octet traveled through the massive forest that separated Viridian City from Pewter City they tried to find ways to overcome the boredom that came from foot travel. Some of the time had been spent checking out the Pokemon native to the area, it had been fun Pokemon watching but none of the Pokemon they had seen had appealed to them enough to capture. 

They had talked about any topic that had passed through their minds. But after a day they had covered almost every subject that any of them felt comfortable talking about. 

They had even tried just enjoying the sounds of the forest. But even Cynthia and Marnie, the most introspective amongst them, had gotten tired of that after a while.

So now they were singing. They had gone through several songs already from various styles of music. 

The current song was something that had come out 27 years ago during the Indigo Plateau tourney of that year. Afterwards it had become fairly popular and many trainers considered it to be their personal anthem. 

As the song came to a close Ash sang his heart out. “Gotta catch 'em all!”

Standing behind him May, Dawn, Leaf and Serena finished off the chorus “Pokemon!”

There was a moment of silence while Cynthia, Marnie and Lillie, who had chosen to sit out the song, looked at their friends with amusement before the whole group cracked up in laughter. Sitting on their respective trainers’ shoulders, Pikachu and Morpeko just shook their heads at the humans’ antics. 

After a minute Cynthia spoke up.”Everyone, as fun as this all was, we really need to discuss the Pewter City gym.”

That made Ash, Leaf and Marnie wince. Marnie was the first to speak up. “The gym leader for Pewter City is Brock, Right?” There were a number of nods before Ash and Cynthia shook their heads.  

Ash was the first to speak, saying, “According to the news I read before we left Pallet Town, Brock is currently in Hoenn as part of the Pokemon League’s Gym Leader Exchange program. “ Ash had been fascinated by the concept when he had read about it. The stated goal was to help Gym Leaders expand their horizons by sending them to another region to learn different ways of doing things. The article had gone on to say that as part of the deal, the league was paying for caretakers for Brock's siblings while the family was in Hoenn. 

That caused Ash to frown. It had been a low key scandal when Brock had taken up the mantle of Gym Leader from his father Flint who, after the tragic loss of his wife, had run off. The articles of the time had commended Brock for his willingness to not only take up the role of Gym Leader but also to take care of his siblings, despite just barely being 18 at the time. Ash thought to himself, “Death of a loved one or not, what kind of man runs out on his kids like that?”

His mom had lost his dad over 15 years ago, but Delia Ketchum had never left Ash. She had taken care of him and made sure that Ash knew who his dad was. And despite never having met the man, Ash believed that if things had been reversed, Satoshi Ketchum would have done the same. 

Feeling himself start to get angry, Ash took a deep breath and calmed himself down. When he started paying attention again, he was just in time to hear May say, “If Brock is in Hoenn, does that mean that Roxanne is here in Kanto?”

Cynthia nodded and replied, “Yes, and that changes things a bit.”

Leaf raised an eyebrow at that remark. She said, “How so?”

Cynthia and Ash looked at each other for a moment before Ash replied,  “In two ways. The first is battle strategy. Brock is a more straightforward type of battler while Roxanne prefers to to be trickier in combat, which leads to the second way they are different: Pokemon selection.

While both of them use Rock types, Brock favors either pure Rock or Rock/Ground dual types. That gives him coverage against electric types, but it opens him up to a number of weaknesses, particularly against Water and Grass types. It also limits his options a bit if he sticks to his preferences.”

Ash took a deep breath before continuing with, “Roxanne on the other hand uses a variety of Rock dual types... Although she will almost almost always use a Nosepass or Probopass.”

Leaf raised her hand to say, “So, what can we expect?” 

Cynthia responded with, “I’ve watched a few of her matches against rookie trainers like us, and she will probably use a Nosepass and either a single stage or first stage Pokemon. Although, depending on her schedule and how many challengers she has beside the four of us, she may use a Geodude or a Roggenrola or something in that vein.”

Resting her chin on one hand, Marnie replied, “So basically, none of us -not even Cynthia and her Gible or Leaf and her Bulbasaur- have anything resembling a  guaranteed type advantage. Bugger. Maybe some of the stores in Pewter will have some TM's that might help.”

The four gym contenders nodded at that comment.

Ash was deep in thought. He said, “I wish Ralts knew some steel type attack moves.”

Leaf looked uncharacteristically apprehensive. She said, “What are you complaining about Ash? You have a Psychic type! At our level, I’m pretty sure there are no Rock/Dark type Pokemon, so she has no set counter for you and Ralts.”

Ash gave Leaf a mildly irritated look. He said, “Unless she uses Ground type moves or Pokemon with Ground typing. In which case, Ralts would be screwed.”

For a few moments, the only sounds were those of the forest before Dawn looked at Cynthia and asked, “How is your Feebas’ training going? Do you think it will be ready in time for a gym battle?”

Cynthia looked thoughtful before she responded with, “It's going well. Feebas can activate the Float technique quite quickly now and has become better at moving while using it. Unfortunately, she can only maintain it for a few minutes and we still need to work on using it while in battle conditions.”

Dawn looked to be in thought for a moment, before she said, “I could loan you guys Piplup if you want.” 

All the gym combatants looked touched. But Marnie shook her head and said, “Wouldn’t work more than once. The League requires that all Pokemon used in battle be registered to the participating trainer. Problem is that the paperwork is enough of a pain in the arse that the official transfer of ownership takes days! Besides, it would look suspicious if the exact same Piplup were used in four different matches, by four different trainers. It’s not technically against the rules, but it is frowned upon. My brother had some people try it a while ago. The circumstances were a little different, so they were able to actually do it, but their reputation within the league took a hit.”

The group looked a little downcast before Lillie perked up. She said, “Nothing says you guys have to challenge the Gym as soon as we get to Pewter. You four need to schedule your matches anyway, so set them up for a week or two after we arrive! Then, train your Pokemon so that no matter what she throws at you, they will be ready!” The uncharacteristic fire in their blonde friend’s eyes and voice reminded all present of said friend’s mother.

Caught up in the girl's excitement Ash called out, “Hear! Hear!” followed by the rest of the group.

Anything Ash was going to say was silenced when he looked at Cynthia and saw that she was looking past him with a look of extreme concern on her face. Turning around and following where she was looking, Ash saw a Weedle staring at them. 

That caused Ash to hitch a breath. A Weedle by itself wasn’t too much of a threat, however Weedle lived in hives made up of all of its evolutionary line... the most dangerous of which was Beedrill. A Beedrill by itself could be a fierce fighter, particularly in the hands of a skilled trainer, but what really made Beedrills dangerous was the fact that in the wild, they fought as a swarm. They were dangerous enough as a group that very few Pokemon who lived in the same general area would willingly enter their territory. Some of the exceptions being Scyther and its evolutions Scizor and Kleavor, Pinsir and Ursaring.

Unfortunately, neither he nor any of the girls had any of those Pokemon on hand. “Pikachu and Marnie's Morpeko might be able to zap them, and Serena’s Fennekin could burn them with Ember. Leaf's Bulbasaur might be able to put them to sleep and Lillie's Vulpix could freeze them while her Taillow hit them from the air, if it came down to it. If there is a big enough swarm though, then none of that would matter.” 

Very slowly reaching into his jacket Ash pulled out a Pokeball that he quickly expanded to its full size. the blue color top and the black lines revealed that it was a Net Ball. “I’m glad I bought a few of these while we were in Viridian.”

Breathing deeply through his nose Ash reared back. He knew he should weaken the Weedle before attempting to catch it. But if they made too much noise, they might attract the swarm. So with a small prayer to whoever was listening, Ash tossed the ball and watched as it flew through the air before impacting against Weedle’s head. 

Time seemed to stand still as Weedle was pulled into the ball. The Net Ball shook half a dozen times before Ash heard the telltale signaling a successful capture. Ash let out a breath that he hadn’t realized he was holding. And it sounded like all the girls were doing the same. Pulling out his Pokedex and grabbing the ball, Ash ran the device over it and read over the information it was feeding him.

“Weedle, the stinger on this Pokemon's head guarantees that any attacker will get the point right where it hurts”

Beneath that were a readout of information regarding his particular Weedle. It was female, had the ability Shield Dust which meant that it wouldn’t be affected by any secondary effects of attacks it was hit with,  and knew the moves Poison Sting, Bug Bite and String Shot. 

Turning back to the girls, he held the ball up with a smile on his face. He noted that while Cynthia and Leaf returned his smile, and Serena had a look on her face that he couldn’t identify, May Lillie and Dawn were cringing a bit. “I wonder if it is Weedle or bug types in general?”

Ash didn’t have much time to consider that before a voice rang out. “Stop hassling those young women, fiend!” Before Ash could figure out who had spoken he felt something cold and metallic against his cheek. Looking at the girls he saw that they were more than a little freaked out. Although Cynthia was more confused and annoyed than anything else.

Turning around very slowly Ash looked at the person holding the sword and he suddenly knew why Cynthia was annoyed and confused. The boy currently holding a sword to him was about their age. He was wearing what looked like part of a Ranseian foot soldier's armor over a pair of shorts and a muscle shirt. On his head was what looked like a samurai’s helmet. A pair of thong sandals completed the outfit. None of the items really went with the others. Taking a closer look at what he now saw was a Katana, Ash realized that while it was indeed metal, its cutting edge was dull. As if it had never been sharpened to begin with. Finding his courage, Ash glared at the young man in front of him and said in as calm a voice as he could manage given the situation, “What the hell, man?” A cry of “Pika” and the sounds of sparking electricity told Ash that Pikachu had woken up from the nap he had been taking, while the group had talked. 

The other boy didn’t look impressed. “I saw you using that Poor Weedle to hassle those girls,” he said, gesturing to Lillie, Dawn and May. “What kind of trainer? No, What kind of man does such a thing?”

Praying that he was right about the blade being dull, Ash grabbed the Katana and aimed it away from him. Before he glared at the oddly dressed boy. “My friends” gesturing to Lille Dawn and May. “Are more than likely scared because the Weedle I just caught, means that there is a very good chance that there is a Beedrill hive nearby.”

Gesturing to Cynthia, Marnie, Leaf and Serena, Ash continued. “You’ll notice that my other friends are just fine. But even if I was some kind of jerk harassing the girls, what gives you the right to point a sword at me? Even if it's a dull replica!” Nearby all seven girls nodded while Pikachu muttered angrily sparks continued to fly.

The boy looked shocked for a second before he regained his mental footing. “It is my duty as future master of Bug types and as a spiritual successor of the proud Ranseian Samurai to protect both Pokemon and women from those who would harm them.”

Ash heard Cynthia take a deep breath before she started speaking, the clipped tone telling him that she was more than a little pissed. “First off, what's your name?”

The boy smiled proudly, “I go by the name Samurai!”

Despite the situation, the rest of the girls giggled for a second before schooling their features. While Cynthia rubbed the bridge of her nose before she continued. “Okay. Samurai, You claim to be a spiritual successor to the samurai of Ransei, but your body armor is not only incomplete but is that of a foot soldier while your helmet, which is a decent enough replica, is from just before the Restoration. As opposed to the presentation of a Warring States era Samurai you seem to be putting on.”

Cynthia took another deep breath before she continued. “And I say presentation because that interpretation of the Warring States samurai was largely a byproduct of propaganda put out by the Ranseian Emperor to embolden the Ranseians to join the war effort. That version of the samurai if it existed at all existed over 600 years ago! The Ransei that popularized that interpretation for all intents and purposes self genocided itself 400 years ago,” By the time Cynthia was finished her face was flushed and she was breathing hard.

Samurai looked disheartened for a moment before a fierce look returned to his eyes. “Who told you these lies!” he snarled. 

Taking a deep breath to calm herself down Cynthia replied, “Lots of self study including essays from the descendants of Ransei who were out of the country when the Emperor's weapon went off.”

Samurai’s face hardened, “ Lies! Lies made up by those in power to make the Ransei look bad in the eyes of history!” Turning to Ash, Samurai continued. “But none of that is important right now. If you want to show me you are more than a scoundrel, you will prove yourself through battle!

Ash sighed, “I really want to battle this guy, but it is just going to encourage him.” Taking a deep breath Ash glared at Samurai and said, “Fine. but since you made the challenge, I’m setting the terms. Two Pokemon each, no substitutions allowed and a time limit of 5 minutes. Catching that Weedle hopefully will prevent her hive from coming after us. But I don’t want us to spend more time out here than we have to.”

Samurai nodded, “I accept your terms.”

Marnie stepped forward, “Since we are apparently doing this, I will referee, if I call the match that’s it. No being tosspots about it. Either of you.“ The look in her eyes brooked no argument.

Both boys nodded at the  Galarian girl, both lightly intimidated by her at the moment.

Marnie, smirked, “Good! Now, get to your sides of the field!”

The two boys separated, The clearing wasn’t large enough to simulate a regulation stadium battlefield but there was plenty of room for the Pokemon to move around in. Once Ash had reached his side of the field, he called out Ralts. Kneeling down, he looked at the unusual Psychic type and said “Ralts, We have a battle. Do you want to fight?” As much as he wanted her to fight, if she didn’t think she was ready, then he wouldn’t force the issue.

Ralts looked up at him and Ash felt the now familiar touch of her mind. After a moment Ralts replied with an affirmative “RA!” and a mental impression of the same. 

Ash smiled, “I'm happy you're ready to fight.”

Marnie's voice filled the air. “Hey Ash! Are you ready?”

Ash quickly responded “Yeah, just wanted to check with Ralts. But we are ready now.”

Marnie nodded and looked at Samurai who signaled that he was ready, before she raised an arm and after a few moments dropped it and said “BEGIN!”

Samurai acted first and with a cry of “Come Out! Pinsir!” and a flash of light summoned the fierce Stag Beetle-like Pokemon to the field. It let out a cry of “PINSIR” That Ash could feel from all the way across the clearing. 

As the insectoid Pokemon continued to flex, Ralts started to get scared, a feeling that came to Ash loud and clear over their mental bond. Speaking calmly Ash said “I know it looks scary but a big Pokemon like that can’t be anywhere near as fast as you are. I think I know how we can win, so just follow my lead.” 

Ash could tell that Ralts was still a bit nervous, but it had calmed down considerably. 

For a few moments nobody said a word or moved, then suddenly Ash cried out, “Ralts use ''Metal Sound''!”

Starting quietly but  increasing in volume with every passing second, Ralts released a cry that made, sounded like metal scraping against metal. As the sound wave passed over Pinsir, it took on a sickly dark blue aura.

Unfazed by what had just happened, Samurai yelled “Pinser! Rush forward and use ‘Vice Grip’!” The Pokemon charged forward with its pincers clicking with every step. 

When it got close Ash said “Dodge it and use 'Metal Sound' again!” rising into the air almost imperceptibly Ralts dodged Pinser’s attack and released another ‘Metal Sound’ that caused the blue aura to grow darker and more intense. 

The cycle happened twice more before ash noticed that after the third time, the blue aura that covered Pinser wasn’t getting any more intense. His thoughts were interrupted when Samurai  jeered, “Is your Ralts going to actually attack or is it going to run around screaming the whole match!” 

Ash growled at the other boy's words but kept his cool. “Ralts Get behind Pinsir and then use ‘Confusion’!

As Pinsir charged at Ralts again, Ralts zipped behind the larger Pokemon, Raising her hands a large ball of almost invisible force appeared above Ralts before she threw them forward causing the ball to fly forward throwing Pinser back several feet. 

As Pinser started to get up, and regain its bearings Ash noticed that it looked disoriented. Off to the side, he heard Leaf mentioned that it looked confused. That could work for him.

“Pinser shake it off and use Vice Grip” Ash heard Samurai call out. Pinser to its credit did appear to overcome its confusion and it charged at Ralts only to trip over its own two feet and hit the ground with an audible thud. 

Ash looked at Ralts and ordered “Use ‘Confusion one more time and knock it out!” The ball of nigh invisible energy flew and knocked the Pokemon that was trying to stand up, onto its back. Leaving it unconscious.

Marnie called out to the group “Pinser is unable to battle!” 

Samurai looked frustrated but said just loud enough for the group to hear. “Your Ralts battled well but is it prepared for this! Scyther! Come avenge your fallen teammate!” 

Scyther’s cry filled the air, but Ash could feel that Ralts was only a little scared and was fighting through it. “We’ve got this!”  

Samurai moved first and cried out “Scyther use ‘Double Team and surround that Ralts!” In an instant the battlefield was filled with copies of the mantis like Pokemon. 

Ash could sense Ralts fear and said “Don’t worry only one of them is real! Use Metal sound to find the real one!”  

Samurai laughed, “Not this time. Scyther use ‘Quick Attack!”

Ralts soon found itself dodging attacks from almost every direction. More than once one of the duplicates passed through it. Revealing that they were fake but telling both it and Ash that it could have well been a hit.

As both trainer and Pokemon tried to figure out where the real Scyther was, they heard Samurai call out. “Scyther, Use ‘Fury Cutter!”

Ash barely had time to register the order before Scyther appeared behind Ralts with one of its blades glowing green and slashed Ralts from behind. Ash groaned as he felt a sting in his back. But he cast that thought aside. 

“For a Psychic type, Your Ralts took that Bug type attack quite well, but between my Scyther’s ‘Technician’ ability and the power of ‘Fury Cutter’ even if it takes a thousand cuts Ralts will be defeated.”

As Ash refocused on the battlefield, Samurai's words rang true. Scyther was running circles around Ralts and every time Ralts tried to use ‘Metal Sound’ Scyther would hit her. And Ash  could tell that the blows were getting harder. Ash tried to come up with some sort of plan when he had a light bulb go off in his head. “Ralts use your powers on the ground, Kick up dirt!”

Ralts moved to obey, dropping to the ground as it refocused its powers. Soon the battlefield was filled with dust, blinding both trainer and Pokemon alike. Ash grinned, “Finally some breathing room .” Looking at where his senses told him Ralts was, he yelled “Ralts use ‘Metal Sound!”

Again the clearing was filled with the sound of metal against metal and as the dust settled Ash saw that Scyther had the same sickly blue glow that Pinser had had earlier.

Unfortunately, the dust had cleared enough for Samurai to see Ralts and he growled, “ Scyther use Fury Cutter one last time! End it!” As Ralts stood panting from its fatigue. She was defenseless as Scyther’s glowing green came down upon her.

As she fell to the ground, Marnie raised an arm and declared  “Ralts is unable to battle!”

Ash walked out onto the battlefield and scooped Ralts up in his arms, Looking down at her he said “You did great Ralts, now have a good rest Pikachu will finish things from here..” before he returned the Pokemon to her Pokeball.

Looking down at Pikachu whose cheeks were sparking. Ash asked, “You ready buddy?” 

Pikachu’s growl of “PIKA!” And the feeling that Ash was getting from Pikachu gave a solid yes to Ash’s question.

“Then Pikachu, I Choose You!” As Pikachu leapt into the battlefield, Ash ordered “Pikachu use Thundershock! Aim for the one Scyther with the blue aura! “

Slapping its own cheeks, Pikachu released a blast of electricity that narrowly missed the mantis like Pokemon. Before Ash could issue another command, he heard Samurai say, “ Scyther use ‘Double Team’ again!”

Suddenly the field was filled with more Scyther clones. Almost all of them had the same blue aura that the real Scyther did. Suddenly the Scyther charged and Pikachu found itself dodging attack after attack before he and Ash heard the dreaded words “Scyther use ‘Fury Cutter’!”

Before Pikachu could dodge he was struck by the glowing green blade of the larger Pokemon.

“Pikachu!” Ash yelled out. “You okay?” At Pikachu’s nod Ash started to think “We need to move master. Or nothing that we do will make a bit of difference.” 

Ash could feel that Pikachu felt the same. Suddenly Ash noticed that there as a thin almost silvery aura surrounding Pikachu. 

For a moment time stood still before one word appeared in Ash's mind… “Pikachu, Use ‘Agility!’ The silvery aura that had been surrounding Pikachu flared and Pikachu charged forward at Scyther.

Looking surprised at the sudden turn of events, Samurai recovered quickly and  ordered “Scyther use ‘Air Cutter’!” Scyther’s blades glinted in the sun before it started swinging, each swing generating a blade of air that Pikachu dodged.

Smiling, Samurai said “Use ‘Double Team’ and hide amongst your clones.”

As the clones formed Pikachu skidded to a stop confused as to where the real Scyther was hiding. Before Ash yelled “Use Thundershock on the field again!” As the electric attack emanated from Pikachu, it struck clone after clone destroying them. When the attack had finished only one Scyther remained. It was slightly singed but otherwise unharmed. “Dang it, we're just not doing enough damage.!” 

Suddenly two words shot through Ash’s brain “Pikachu, use ‘Quick Attack!” Almost quicker than anybody watching the battle could follow, Pikachu hit Scyther in its midsection causing the Bug type to fall back.  

As Scyther tried to regain its footing. Samurai called out. “Stand tall Scythe and use your ‘Quick Attack’! Teach Pikachu a real lesson in speed!”.

Ash grinned, Pikachu, keep up with Scyther and use ‘Quick Attack’!” In an instant the two Pokemon clashed, Soon they were moving up and down the field  Scyther due to its larger size often coming out better than Pikachu.

After a clash Scyther stood ramrod straight and Ash saw sparks of electricity arc all over its body. And Ash realized that Pikachu’s ability must be ‘Static’ 

Suddenly Ash had an idea. “Pikachu! Use ‘Agility’ and then follow it up with ‘Quick Attack’! Pikachu’s silvery aura flared again before it zoomed forward making a beeline for the larger Pokemon. As Pikachu drew close, Ash called out. “Now use ‘Thundershock’!”  

As Pikachu drew close he was covered in electricity “Pikapikapikapikapikapikapikapikapikapikapikapikapikapika” before it caught Scyther in the midsection and let loose. “PIKACHU!”

Scyther howled and  fell to the ground, clearly knocked out from the attack, Marnie raised her arm in Ash’s direction and said, “Scyther is unable to battle the winner is Ash!”

Ash scooped up Pikachu in his arms and cheered. “We did it buddy!” Doing a little dance before he caught himself.  

Samurai looked at Ash, his face a little crestfallen. After a moment he spoke. I-i may have been wrong about you.” Anything else Samurai might have said was interrupted by buzzing. When he spoke next the vocal affect he had put in his voice was gone. Replaced by worry. “Do you guys hear that?”

The group stopped what they were doing and listened, after a moment Dawn asked “Is it getting louder?”

After a moment Lillie pointed in the air and said with more than a little fear in her voice. “Look! It's Beedrill!”

Samurai spoke ,with a lot of fear in his voice. “We should run.”

Leaf responded, “OKay where?” Ash couldn’t tell if her tone was scared or sarcastic. “Probably both.”

Samurai replied hastily. “There is an abandoned cabin a bit away from here. I have been using it as a base. Now, follow me!”

Not needing to be told again the group followed Samurai. Unfortunately, the Beedrill were gaining on them and if not for Marnie calling out Morpeko and using ‘Thunder Wave’ on a group of Beedrill that had gotten close, Lille would have found herself on the business end of one of its stingers.

Soon they found the cabin and rushed in. Samurai had barely managed to close the door when one of Beedrills stingers penetrated the door wiggled a moment before it pulled out. 

Collapsing to the ground from fatigue and stress, Samurai spoke between deep breaths. “We… should be… okay here… for a while … until… the Beedrill… get bored and lose interest.” 

The group nodded in response and silence reigned for several moments before Samurai spoke up again. “I’m sorry, My insistence on a battle ended up in a ruckus that drew that hive to us.” 

May had an annoyed look on her face, but Ash spoke up before she could say anything. “I’m at fault too.” It was a bitter pill for Ash to swallow, but his mom had raised him to admit to his own faults. “There was nothing to be gained from our battle. I could have ignored your challenge and me and my friends could have gone on our way. And if you had kept it up, we could have reached out to  an Officer Jenny when we got to Pewter.”

As Samurai conceded the point, Leaf glared at Samurai “Okay so what was with the whole persona and the white samurai routine?”

Samurai's cheeks flushed as he tried to find the words to respond. “Ever since I was a young boy, my mom would read me stories about the Ranseian samurai. The things they did, the way they carried themselves fascinated me. When I got a bit older I started reading books about the culture before, during and after the warring states period and I decided I wanted to be like them. Fighting against evil, protecting the helpless, being a shining example to those around me.”

Cynthia's expression softened a little as she said  “But you clearly went overboard. In and of themselves none of those traits are a bad thing. But when you combine it with a fanciful interpretation of who and what the samurai were. It can create a recipe for disaster.”

Frowning as she took a breath, Cynthia continued. “I get that you meant well but you should have observed the situation before you chose to act. Make sure that the situation he saw was actually what was going on. What's more is that your persistence even after we tried to explain the situation felt more than a little sexist.”

Samurai tried to sputter out an apology but Cynthia raised her hand. “Like I said we know you meant well but don’t presume your interpretation of the facts are the correct one.”

As Samurai nodded slowly Cynthia continued. Now, if your affection for the Ranseian people is true. There may be a way for you to help them. At Samurai’s quizzical look, Cynthia pressed on. “According to the news, The Ransei Recolonization Organization is gearing up for another attempt at resettling Ransei. 

The region's ability to support complex life has increased a great deal since the last attempt 30 years ago. But they need lots of manpower to make it happen. If you want to help someone, help them. But before you do, make sure that you take the time to really learn about the people you admire so much. Find out what the Ranseians are all about after over 400 years.

Samurai gave a smile, A genuine smile that was shared by the group.

A few hours later

Eventually the Beedrill lost interest and returned to the hive to take care of the Weedle and Kakuna. Samurai helped guide the group to the Pewter City entrance to the forest. As the group marveled at the lights of the city in the distance, Samurai cleared his throat. When the group looked at him he said with a grin on his face. “I want to thank you guys, I’ve been acting like a fool for so long and I have a lot to make up for. 

Ash nodded, “We all make mistakes Samurai, the thing is to recognize and make up for them when we can.”

The young man nodded before he replied, “You're right, But please call me by my real name. Samuel.”

Serena favored Samuel with a smile, “Well then Samuel. I hope we see you again.”

Samuel replied with a wide grin, “Count on it.”

“Sometimes we find ourselves falling down rabbit holes that consume. When that happens we need to reach out to others to dig us out. Samur- I mean Samuel is one such person. But he hopefully has a bright future ahead of him. Join us next time on Pokemon: The Story of U…. Oh wait, Stories not finished yet?”

Back at the Beedrill hive

As the Hive of insectoid Pokemon lay immobile, a quartet of two Pokemon and two humans stood triumphant. The first human, a redheaded woman with long hair, looked at one of the Pokemon. “Good job Toadscool, your ‘Stun Spore' was super effective against this hive.” The pink and yellow Pokemon grinned with its eyes at the praise. 

The second human, a young man with lavender hair spoke up next. “So what do you think we should send this hive back to headquarters?” he pulled a black Pokeball with a large red R  emblazoned on the front.

The second Pokemon chuckled darkly. “Yeah, but leaves one for us. Meowth.

As I was saying, join us next time for the next chapter of Pokemon: The Story of Us.

A/N 2: Well that's all folks. Another chapter done. Next time the gym quartet take on Roxanne and receive a worthy reward for their efforts.  

Now if any of you felt called out by Samurai/Samuel… Well that wasn’t intentional but there is something to be learned. We have all been like him at some point in our lives. Where we make something our entire personality. Could be a band, could be parenthood or being childfree. Could be anime, manga and Japan. The important thing is that we learn from it and rise above. 

Will we see Samuel again? Maybe maybe not.

Special thanks to the usual parties on The Fanfiction Forum, The USS Itano and Espis Horde.

Next up is IT’S HERO SLIME!! (Though I will be working on a snippet compilation made up of things that I come up with that may or may not become their own stories (mostly not as I think 6 main stories is enough for the getting on with.)

Till next time.

Chapter Text

AN: Its not easy for me to say this, I never thought that I would find myself having to end one of my stories prematurely. But here we are. It is with great regret that I have to for all intents and purposes abandon Pokemon: The Story of Us.  I have been thinking a lot lately and I’ve realized that this was far too ambitious a project for me.  Most of the stories I have released have a defined end game A point where the story is going to end.  I don’t have that for this one. And if I am being honest, there is no real path for this story besides the anime with a developing polycule. With that being said I am not going to delete this story.  Even if the project folded I am proud of the work I put into this story. And who knows maybe in a weeks, months or years I will decide to pick this one back up. But as it is I have lost my passion for this story. The last week has been consumed by a new project that has seen more done for it in a few days then I have been able to get done with this one in a month. 

All that being said I am going to post what I have completed of this chapter in its unedited form and hope that you enjoy it. 

As always Pokemon belongs to gamefreak and nintendo please support the official release.

See you at the bottom.

“Tonight's tale begins with Ash, Cynthia, Marnie , Leaf, May, Dawn,Serena and Lillie enjoying a battle between the temporary Pewter city gym leader Roxanne and her opponent as the challenger tries for his 8th badge.

Pewter City Stadium, Pewter City,21:00 June 5 200 PO.U.

The air was filled with excitement and lots and lots of noise.  Cynthia had to admit that Roxanne was an absolute pro. Even when faced against Pokemon that her Pokemon were theoretically weak against, the woman had found ways to make use of the environment or her pokemons skills to counter those weaknesses. 

At the same time her opponent, a glasses wearing, skinny young man with his green hair tied in a topknot,wearing a t-shirt with a goldean on the front and cargo pants who in the pre battle videos that had been displayed, had an air of proud nerdiness. Had managed to keep pace with her the whole match.  And both were down to their last Pokemon.  Her thoughts were interrupted when the announcer's voice filled the air. “WELL LADIES AND GENTS, TONIGHT’S BATTLE HAS BEEN ONE HECK OF A MATCH. THE CHALLENGER SHOUTA FROM SUNNYTOWN HAS GIVEN OUR LOVELY ROXANNE A RUN FOR HER MONEY TONIGHT, BUT SHE HAS GIVEN JUST AS GOOD AS SHE GOTTEN. BOTH TRAINERS ARE DOWN TO THEIR LAST POKEMON. ROXANNE'S TYRANITAR VS SHOUTA’S GRENINJA WHICH OF THESE TITANS WILL CLAIM THE WIN!“

Cynthia considered the question.  On one hand, Greninja had the typing and the natural speed to run literal circles around Tyranitar and make every water type attack hurt. On the other hand Tyranitar were known for their defensive abilities and  with a lot of hard work a trainer could help their Pokemon minimize their weaknesses. It wasn’t particularly easy and it took a lot of time and effort, but in many cases, it could be done.  Getting an idea in her head, Cynthia made a note in her Pokedex  to work on boosting Gibles resistance to Water type attacks before they got to Cerulean City. “I should really start now if I’m being honest.”

Cynthia's thoughts were again interrupted as Shouta began his attack. “Greninja! Open up with ‘Double Team and follow up with ‘Water Shuriken!’”  Greninja charged forward without a croak and in an instant a horde of duplicates started to encircle Tyranitar who stood silently watching the amphibious Pokemon. Before all of them started to toss a barrage of water constructs.

A few made contact before Roxanne calmly called out ‘Thunder Wave.’” Tyranitar slammed its foot into the ground and roared before it was surrounded by  a ball of electrical energy that soon expanded, evaporating the shuriken and dispersing the duplicates before quickly catching Greninja stopping just short of the barrier that protected the audience from the effects of battle.  As the attack faded, Cynthia saw that Greninja was moving away but much slower then it had moments before..

Either not noticing it or not caring, Shouta called out “Greninja use ‘Mud Slap!’”  Running up close to Tyranitar Greninja took a breath causing its chest to swell before unleashing a torrent of mud from its mouth, hitting Tyranitar in the face and causing it to stop back.  When the attack ended it wiped the mud from its face but there was something wrong. 

Ash was the first to notice, “Crap, that mud is going to make it harder for Tyranitar to aim its attacks.”

Marnie nodded and offered her own thoughts. “But the effects of that ‘Thunder Wave’ are going to keep slowing Greninja down.”

Cynthia merely nodded at their words and continued to take notes as the battle continued.  “I need to make sure to download the footage of the fight later to catch anything I missed..”

As if reading her mind, Leaf smirked and said “Cynthia, you are going to be downloading this fight anyways. Put that thing away and enjoy the match.”

Cynthia nodded and put her Pokedex away. She, Lillie and Marnie had used their connections to get seats right next to the center of the battlefield.  And it would be a shame to miss a high level match like this. 

“Tyranitar! Use Thunder Punch!” Roxanne called out and Tyranitar’s fists became  covered in electrical energy, before it charged at Greninja,  who was trying to move away before it suddenly stood ramrod straight unable to move, allowing Tyranitar to connect. The force of the blow kicked up dust that obscured the two Pokemon from the audience's vision. 

Serena, with a bit of concern in her voice. Said “I think the battle is over.”

Cynthia shrugged “Maybe, but it depends on how Greninja was trained and what its abilities are.”

“What do you mean?” Dawn asked quizzically 

“If Greninja has been trained to resist Electric type attacks  then it might be able to withstand the blow. Alternatively depending on what it’s ability is. It might not have taken any damage at all.”

True to her prediction as the dust cleared revealing Greninja standing there with Tyranitars fists pressed against its cheek. The announcer's pronouncement confirmed it.”AMAZING! SHOUTAS GRENINJA MUST HAVE THE ABILTIY PROTEAN! FOR THOSE OF YOU NOT IN THE KNOW, THAT MEANS THAT GRENINJA CAN CHANGE IT’S TYPE DEPENDING ON THE LAST MOVE THAT IT USED. AND CONSIDERING  IT JUST USED ‘MUD SLAP IT IS CURRENTLY A GROUND TYPE. CLEARLY THE CHALLENGER SHOUTA KNOWS HIS STUFF. 

Cynthia could only nod before the battle resumed. “Greninja! Distract Tyranitar and hit it with ‘Hydro Pump!”  Greninja charged towards Tyranitar before disappearing, leaving  a horde of clones that started to dance around the massive Pokemon, dodging out of the way anytime it swiped at one of them.   Cynthia could see that it was clearly getting frustrated,  but suddenly it seemed to calm down as if it was listening for something before it slammed one of its feet down causing a gigantic column of rock to jut out of the ground behind it, just as a massive blast of water shot out. Slamming into it with a force that Cynthia swore she could feel even behind the barrier.  And indeed when the attack ended the column had many large cracks that hadn’t been there moments before. 

Roxanne and Tyranitar wasted no time  and with the order of ‘Dragon Claw’ Tyranitar charged forward and leveled Greninja with a blow that sent it flying across the battlefield.

Shouta looked concerned for Greninja for a moment before he grinned “Greninja use ‘Hydro Cannon’” Cynthia noted that the air became extremely dry for a moment before Greninja released a massive blast of water at its opponent. The roar of the water was so loud that she barely heard the word “Endure”  When things had settled down Cyntha was shocked to see that Tyranitar was still standing, if a bit drenched and breathing very hard..  And the battlefield was covered in water.  Roxanne, who was also a bit drenched, looked at the field before her eyes widened. 

Shouta grinned, and with his voice amplified by the microphone he wore said. “It appears the game is up. I would have been happy to have defeated you outright. But I’m also happy to bring my plan to fruition.” Turning to Greninja, Shouta ordered “Greninja use ‘Ice Punch’ on the ground, Freeze Tyranitar and end this match.” Nobody in the audience made a sound as Shouta gave the order. Though throughout the stands money started to change hands. As Greninja raised one of its pads and visible cold gathered.  It was about to strike the ground when suddenly it stood ramrod straight, as little bits of visible electricity started to arc over its body.

Ash quickly put together what had just happened. “It’s paralysis!”

Cynthia nodded, If Roxanne could take advantage of the opening, the battle would be over. 

Roxanne apparently realized the same thing as she called out “Tyranitar! Use Thunder Punch on the ground.” Its fist covered in electricity Tyranitar slammed its paw into the wet ground and the audience watched as electricity arced all over the field before hitting Greninja, lighting it up for several seconds before it fell to the ground, completely unconscious. 

Silence once again filled the stadium before the crowd went wild.  The announcer soon spoke up. “IT’S ALL OVER FOLK AND THE WINNER IS ROXANNE! THAT WAS ONE HECK OF MATCH! BUT LET'S CONGRATULATE SHOUTA FOR PUTTING UP A DYNAMITE FIGHT.BETTER LUCK NEXT TIME.”

Cynthia watched as Roxanne walked over to where Shouta stood looking a little upset, the microphones had been turned off by then so she didn’t hear what was said but Shouta seemed in better spirits afterwards.  

As the crowd started to file out of the stands the announcer spoke up again. “ROXANNE WILL BE TAKING A TWO WEEK BREAK IN ORDER TO REST AND TRAIN HER POKEMON. SO ALL GYM CHALLENGES WILL BE SUSPENDED UNTIL THAT TIME.  THOSE OF YOU WHO WISH TO CHALLENGE HER FOR THE BOULDER BADGE ARE ENCOURAGED TO APPLY AT THE POKEMON CENTER OR ANY OTHER LEAGUE AFFILIATED FACILITY. GET HOME SAFE EVERYBODY. 

—--------------------------------------------------------------

Later as the group made their way to their room at the Pokemon Center they were  discussing the match. Keyed up from the excitement Ash was bouncing on the balls of his feet. “That battle was awesome” he said excitedly to the nods of his 7 companions. “Sucks that we didn’t get to see her Tyranitar Mega Evolve into Mega Tyranitar though.”

Leaf looked at Ash for a moment before asking “Which one the one that looks largely the same but edgier or the robotic looking one with the Electric type.”

Ash grinned, Mega Tyranitar Y is awesome but Mega Tyranitar P is my favorite. This caused a lively debate  as the group made their way to their accommodations that had the group so preoccupied  that they didn’t notice the old man in a green windbreaker and a small black hat following behind them. Nodding to himself as he followed them while deep in thought. 

—----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Group Suite, Pewter City Pokemon Center, Pewter City, June 6, 08:00

As the sun started to shine through the window of their room, the octet started to get ready for the day. While the room was called a suite it was really just a slightly larger room then normal with a number of bunk beds.  Their first night had been a bit awkward but they had quickly fixed the issue of privacy. Ash would get changed in the bathroom and wait for the girls to give him the go ahead to leave.  Despite his moms teasing, And as pretty as the girls were, Ash had no desire to mess up the good thing he had going. Having his journey partially subsidized meant that he was in a far better place then he might otherwise be. 

Ashs thoughts were interrupted when he heard a knock at the door.  After taking a quick look to make sure that everyone was decent Ash opened the door revealing an old man wearing a green windbreaker and black hat.  For some reason the man looked familiar but Ash couldn’t figure out why. Can I help you?” Ash asked, hoping that he sounded more polite then he felt. 

The old man seemed to not have noticed any tone, as with a jovial tone in his voice he responded. “Indeed you can young Kectchum, I wish to speak to Misses Cynthia Black, Marnie Granger, Leaf Green and yourself.”

Drawn by the sound of their names the three girls walked over to the door to see what was going on. Marnie was the first to react as with shock and awe clear in her voice she almost yelled. “Bloody Hell, you’re Mustard!”

Ash saw looks of recognition appear in the girls faces, it mirrored his own.  The man before had at one point been the Champion of Champions. A title that alongside his partner Infernape, he had held for almost 20 years.  Ash had watched his old fights when they showed up online. And the way he battled was a thing of beauty. Unfortunately his partner had died and that seemed to have taken the wind out of his sails.  Things had come to a head almost 30 years ago when he had revealed the head of the Pokemon League at the time was trying to fix matches in his favor. It had been a huge scandal and during all of the chaos Mustard had quietly retired and had opened up a dojo on the Isle of 

Armor just off the  east coast of the Galarian mainland.

While the man's specialty had been in Fighting types, the dojo had been where many high ranked trainers had learned their craft. Including the current Champion of Champions Leon. The fact that he was standing there before them meant something. But Ash didn’t know what. 

Nevertheless, he was the first to recover. As he slowly asked, “What about?”

The Old man grinned, “I’m glad you asked. Not too long ago my wife met with Miss Black and told me about how she had helped the young lady learn the Float technique. As well as some of what had happened on your group's journey. Including your confrontation with that group of Pokemon thieves. And for a group of rookie trainers to have done so well in that situation. Well I found myself impressed. And I decided that I just had to meet you all.“

“Wait!” Cynthia said in confusion. “You’re married to Honey?”

The old man nodded “She’s the love of my life and the mother of my child. We’ve been married many years and we couldn’t be happier.”

Ash admitted if only to himself that he was a bit impressed.  Cynthia had described Honey as a young beautiful woman, and the man before him was at least Professor Oak's age if not older but he put that thought away as the conversation got back on track.

Mustard cocked his head to the side as he spoke up again. “ But back to why I am here today. Between what my wife has told me and what I have been able to discover by myself, I have seen something in the four of you. But I would like to see more. I assume that the four of you are here to challenge Roxanne. So I am going to present you with a challenge.  I want you to impress me during your battles with her. You don’t have to win, but I wanna see you at your best. If you can do that I promise you all a reward that I guarantee you’ll love.”

Turning to Lilie,Serena, Dawn and May,Mustard contritely said “My apologies ladies but unfortunately I have nothing to offer the four of you. I hope you’ll forgive an old man.”

During the conversation the four girls had looked a bit put out, but at the man's apologies their faces softened. It was Lille who spoke for the group.  “We understand. This is an opportunity for Ash, Cynthia, Leaf and Marnie. I’m sure that as time goes on   the four of us will get opportunities that they won’t.” the three other girls nodded in agreement.”

Mustard clapped his hands together cheerfully. “Wonderful!” before he turned to the gym battlers. “So what do you say?” 

Ash looked at the three girls for a moment as they nodded at each other and at him before he looked back at Mustard and said with as much confidence as he could muster. “We accept!”

Mustard’s eyes seemed to twinkle for a moment before he replied, “Fantastic! Me and my wife will be in town for the next couple of weeks so if you see us feel free to ask any questions you might have regarding your training.” Waving to the group as he started to walk away Mustard said cheerfully. “ Now if you will excuse me I have a copy of Dragonite Quest 11 I want to start playing.” before he turned on his heel and started to walk away.

DAY ONE

The Morning found Ash at the Pewter City’s Pokemart.  While it wasn't as robust as Viridian City’s Bazaar or Celadon City’s  shopping center  it still had quite the selection of most Pokemon products. Including Technical Machines.  While tech wasn’t Ash’s thing what little he understood of the technology behind T.M’s fascinated him.  By encapsulating an occupied Pokeball within the T.M. the Pokemon could learn how to use a move that it might not naturally learn. Of course not all Pokemon were capable of using all moves. Outside of certain rare circumstances you couldn’t teach a Fire type a water type move and vice versa  By that same measure you couldn’t teach a serpentine Pokemon like Ekans or Seviper a move that required some sort of fist or paw. And of course the Pokemon in question would need to practice the move to use it effectively 

This led to Ash’s current situation.  He knew that for a first badge challenge like the one he was  going to be taking part in it was common for both trainers to use two Pokemon and he had selected Ralts and Pikachu.  He had considered  Weedle but it was too new and he needed to work with it  a while before he considered using it in a gym battle.  So he had come to the ship to see what they had and he found that they had the T.M. for ‘Iron Tail’.  A quick look at his Pokedex had shown that it was a move that was effective against Rock types and it was something Pikachu could learn.  

The problem he had was that Pikachu was steadfastly refusing to go into his Pokeball to learn it.  “C’mon Pikachu, I know you hate your Pokeball but could you bear with it a few minutes to learn ‘Iron Tail.’”

“Pika” growled out Pikachu as it turned its head in defiance.”

Ash dropped his head in mild frustration. On one hand he knew he could force the issue.  But on the other hand if he did that, it might damage his relationship with Pikachu. And he could feel that this was a hill to die on for Pikachu.  Any more thoughts on the matter were quashed as he heard a chuckle behind him. When  he turned around Ash saw a  dark haired boy about his age wearing a backward yellow and black cap, a red and white long sleeved zip up hoodie and black short pants. “Not so keen on his Pokeball is he?” the boy said with a grin. It took Ash a moment to realize that the boy had a slight accent that told Ash the boy was from Johto. 

Ash dropped his head “No, and I don’t want to try to force him in it.”

The other boy grinned “I had the same problem with my Aipom.” As if summoned, a small monkey-like Pokemon with purple fur, beige skin and a tail with a large hand on it climbed on to the boy. With a wide grin on its face it yelled “Aipom” before settling down. After a moment the boy continued. “But we managed to figure things out.” The boy stopped for a moment before he continued. “My bad, I forgot to introduce myself, I’m Ethan Gold. I’m from New Bark Town.” as he put his hand out. 

Ash took Ethans hand and shook it. Before replying. “I’m Ash Ketchum from Pallet Town.”

Ethan smiled “I saw that you wanted to teach your Pikachu ‘Iron Tail’ I have a few hours before I need to leave so if you want I can show you how to learn it without a T.M. and If we have time I can show you another move.”

Ash excitedly responded “Thanks! But before we go I need to go register for my challenge.”

—-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Several hours later. 

As it turned out Ethan had been able to not only teach Ash and Pikachu the basics of ‘Iron Tail’ but also ‘Thunder Punch’. Ethan had demonstrated ‘Iron Tail by turning a boulder into pebbles while he had explained. “The secret to learning ‘Iron Tail ‘ is  that you need a developed tail and the ability to create Steel Type energy from within. The first is easy enough. There are any number of physical exercises to increase a Pokemon’s tail strength. But figuring out how to summon and use Steel type energy, particularly if your Pokemon isn’t a Steel type, evolves into a steel type or learns Steel type moves naturally can be a bit tricky.“

Ethan had followed that by teaching Ash some tricks for making the best use of ‘Iron Tail’ such as maximizing its striking power.  Ash had been happy to take notes. ‘Thunder Punch’  was a bit simpler as Pikachu was an electric type. So it was all about learning to channel its energy into its fist. The downside was to make it really effective Pikachu would need to work on developing the strength of its limbs as well as its tail.  

That led to what Ash and his team were doing right now.  Pikachu was doing push ups with weedle on its back and a small but hefty rock tied to its tail. Every time Pikachu lifted up he had to raise his tail as well.  Next to him Ash was doing his own push ups, now willing to make Pikachu do something if he wasn’t willing to do the same.  Nearby, Ralts was working on picking up and throwing multiple balls using ‘Confusion’.  He had watched a video by Will, one of the best Psychic type trainers in Johto, about how to use some Psychic type moves in a variety of ways. So Ash was helping Ralts with that. As it got better with object control  Ash would introduce larger and  heavier balls as well as smaller but more dense balls. Eventually they would move on to rocks and Ralts could work on target practice while Pikachu used its tail to bat them away while trying to use ‘Iron Tail’.

It was going to be a lot of hard work but Ash had faith in his Pokemon.

—---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Pewter City outskirts, just outside the Viridian Forest North Side, Mid day

“Gible!  Use ‘Iron Head’!” Cynthia roared. Gible’s head briefly took on a metallic sheen before he charged forward aiming for a tree stump.  When it impacted, Cyntiha could feel the vibrations run through her body.  A quick look at the Pokemon that she had raised from an egg when she was a child, showed that he was perfectly fine.  Gible had taken very well to the T.M. she had used on him yesterday and while there was the occasional delay between her command and his attack, she was confident that in two weeks time they could shrink down or eliminate that delay. Later on she would have Gible work on ‘Dig’. and ‘Thunder Fang’. The gym battle she had watched with the others had proven that Roxaanne was a wise foe who knew how to best use her Pokemon regardless of type disadvantage. Cynthia didn’t think for a single second that even if Roxanne was using Pokemon appropriate to a first badge challenge that she would hold back anything. 

Cynthia looked off to her side. Where Feebas was working on her control of the Float technique. Later on she would have it work on the T.M. move she had taught it. ‘Water Pulse’,  and when Feebas could use the move with a fair degree of power and accuracy; they would start work on resistance training. Helping Gible with Water resistance training  would be easy enough but for things like Electric and Grass type moves she would need to ask Ash. Leaf or Marnie. 

As she saw that Gible was ready to go again she considered moving over to Pewter's east side.  From there she could use the large rocks and boulders that dotted the road between the city and Mt. Moon as target for both of her Pokemon.  

Cynthia's mind briefly turned to her registration.  Most of the questions she had been asked had been simple but it had taken her time to answer the question of what her goal was… it had taken her nearly five minutes to figure out how to word her answer correctly for the video. She knew what the answer was. She had known it for years but to actually put that answer out there for everyone to see was something else. 

Shaking her head Cynthia returned to the task at hand. She could think about her answer and what it meant later.  Now was the time for training. Looking at Gible she yelled ‘Gible! Use ‘Iron Head’!”

—-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Leaf sat deep in thought, She had a problem.  At the moment she had two Pokemon.Combee and Bulbasaur. In theory Bulbasaur might be able to sweep Roxanne's team if she got lucky on the women's team composition was in her favor. On  the other hand, if Roxanne was using a Fire, Bug or Psychic type, then they would have a large advantage. Against her Bulbasaur. And if the Pokemon were part steel then it would be much harder. “Note to self go to the Pokemart tomorrow and see if they have any useful T.M.“   

In the meantime Leaf would do what she could.  At the moment she had  both of her Pokemon practicing.  Combee was working on  ‘Gust’ trying to improve the speed of her attack and the force in which it hit. Based on what she had seen from the match that they had all watched, the battle ground of Pewter City was a mixture of solid rock and dirt. If Combee could kick up enough dust then maybe it could chip away at the Rock Types until they fell.

Bulbasaur was working on ‘Sleep Powder’. Primarily focusing on spreading the cloud out as far as possible. As quickly as possible. A bit of research had shown that the move would be effective against steel types which gave the brunette girl hope.  Beyond that she had Bulbasaur working on using its vines to lift up heavy objects  and toss them to the ground. 

The way she figured most Rock types tended to be very heavy and Steel types even more so. If Bulbasaur could toss his opponents around it might be as effective as any technique.  If nothing else it would be a good setup for ‘Razor Leaf’.

—-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Across the city sitting on a bench was Marnie. Marnie was also deep in thought.  As she tried to think about how to fight against Roxanne. Off to one side Impidimp and Morpeko were playing a game of tag.  “If she doesn't use a Pokemon that has a partial Rock typing I could have Morpeko use ‘Thunder Wave’ as an opener. But on the other hand some of the more common Rock types are also ground types which might be a problem.  But even if it isn’t a ground type, Impidimp and Morpeko need an edge.”

Marnie opened up her Pokedex and started thumbing through the list of moves that both Pokemon could learn.  After a few minutes she came upon an idea. “Morpkeo can probably teach Impidimp ‘Thunder Wave’. If it can learn it in time then if the Pokemart has ‘Low Kick’  he can use it as a follow up.  There might be an issue with ‘Thunder Wave’ if her Pokemon is a Ground type. But hopefully ‘Low Kick’  would be an effective counter.”

Marines thoughts turned to Morpeko “Morpeko needs something offensive in case whatever Roxanne uses can tank Electric types. Something like a Grass type move.  But the only moves of that type that she can learn are ‘Bullet Seed’ and ‘Seed Bomb.  I hope the Pokemart has what I need.”

Standing up from the Bench and brushing off her dress Marnie looked at her Pokemon and with a grin said. “C’mon you lot, we have a trip to the shop to get to and after that is training time.” As she leaned down to let them onto her shoulder. The two Pokemon didn’t need to be told twice and soon the trio was on their way.

DAY FOUR

Pewter City Park Pewter City, 11:00

As the son approached its apex May stretched and enjoyed the heat of the day against her skin. She and Serena had decided to come to the park to watch people and Pokemon.  May would be the first to admit that it wasn’t necessarily her favorite thing to do. But she would admit if only to herself that  from time to time it could be very interesting. Just a few minutes ago she had seen a lavender-headed man and a red headed woman walk arm in arm with their pet Meowth. It reminded her a bit of how her parents acted sometimes.  

Ash, Cynthia Marnie and Leaf’s matches were only 10 days away and May had to admit that she was impressed by the work the four of them were putting in.  In the four days since Mustard had shown up at their door the four of them had been working extremely hard. Leaving the Pokemon Center fairly early and not coming back till the sun started to set. And each time their Pokemon looked happy. In a way it made her a little envious. In the few weeks that she had been a licensed trainer, she hadn’t done much. She still only had one Pokemon for Pete's sake!  The first Pokemon contest of the Kanto contest season was in Cerulian City and she hadn’t done anything to prepare for it. 

May knew that something had to change.  As she looked in Serena's eyes for a moment she saw that the other girl was thinking the same thing.   “At the very least I need to catch some Pokemon.”

A gasp  sudden look of shock in Serena's eyes told May that something was happening. Slowly turning around, May let out her own gasp.  Frolicking near some bushes in the park were a pair of Eevee. Ever so slowly she pulled her Pokedex out and pointed it towards the pair of Pokemon before turning the volume down.

Eevee: The Fennec Pokemon, Due to the unstable nature of its genetic makeup, Eevee is able to evolve in a variety of ways through a number of stimuli. 

May was flabbergasted. Eevee, while not ultra rare, were still fairly uncommon. Even with the various breeding programs both legal and otherwise. So to find not just one but two of the cute Pokemon  playing right  in front of them a quick look back at her Pokedex  revealed that neither of the two vulpine Pokemon were owned by a trainer which made them fair game. A quick look at Serena told May that the other girl was thinking the same thing she was.  

May was about to pull out Torchics Pokeball to have him fight one or both of the two Pokemon but Serena grabbed her hand and shook her head.  Before she stood up and slowly made her way to wear the Eevees were playing. May panicked for a moment fearing that the two Pokemon were going to run away but when they noticed the other girl they looked at her curiously. And when Serena knelt down to them and put out her hand, the pair gave it a few test licks before they started dancing around.

Emboldened by her friend's success, May approached, as well. The eevee were a little wary of her as she came close but as she dropped to her knees beside them and put her hand out the same way Serena had. The pair of Pokemon looked at May for a second before one of them moved over to her and started licking her hand, causing May to giggle at the sensation. May looked at her companion and cooed “They’re adorable.” keeping her voice low so as to not spook the wild Pokemon. 

Serena nodded and looked at the Eevee that was closest to her and asked . “Would you like to play?” The happy cry that she received back told May that the answer was yes. 

May looked at the Eevee near her and asked “Would you like to join them?” The near identical cry of happiness she received told May that yes, yes it did. 

Serena reached into her bag and pulled out a pair of balls one ruby red and one sapphire blue blue.  She tossed the red ball to may before lightly throwing her ball towards the Eevee she was playing with, who ran off like a shot. May followed suit and her Eevee raced after the ball like its tail was on fire.  This continued for some time and before either of the girls knew it the sun was starting to set and they realized how exhausted they were.  The Evvees for their part were panting hard. But they had clear tired smiles on their faces.  

Gathering herself Serena crouched down to the Eevee she had been playing with and in a gentile tone of voice asked. “Would you two like to come with me and my friend? We would love to have you with us. The two Pokemon seemed to have a conversation before they both cried out what was clearly a yes. 

The two girls pulled out a Pokeball and placed them on the ground in front of the Eevees who gave the balls a light headbutt before they disappeared in a flash of red light. And the Pokeballs chimed, signalling a successful capture.  

With a tired cheer of “We caught an Eevee!” The two very happy teens started to make their way toward the Pokemon center.

DAY FIVE

Eastern outskirts of Pewter City, 13:58

Yesterday, after May and Serena had come back to their room with a pair of Eevee in tow, Dawn had found herself feeling envious. Like them she hadn’t caught a Pokemon since they had started their journey and with the Cerulean City contest looming she was feeling quite undermanned. In the morning she and Piplup had gone to the park to see if there were any Pokemon she wanted to catch. But she hadn’t seen anything wild that felt right. And what felt right were Pokemon that already had trainers. So she had come here.  And for the last couple of hours she had hunted high and low. 

As Dawn looked at Piplup she noticed that he was starting to look a bit dry. “Why don’t we take a break Piplup.”  to the cheerful cries of her Pokemon.  Finding a reasonably sized boulder the pair sat down as Dawn pulled out a large jug of water and a few cups. Followed by some snack food.  After making sure that Piplup was happily drinking its water and picking at its snack, Dawn dived into her own. “Today has been a bust Piplup” Dawn moaned to her Pokemon. "Maybe we should just head back and try again another day.”

Next to her Piplup stopped eating long enough to give a cry of understanding. Before it returned to its food. 

Anything Dawn wanted to say next was stalled as she heard a cry of “Bun buneary” that sounded a bit off. When she looked around to see where the cry had come from she saw a Buneary come out from behind a rock. It looked like it had been on the wrong side of a fight. There were scratches and bruises all along its small body. And as it approached Dawn noticed that it looked malnourished. Like it hadn’t eaten in a few days. 

Almost instantly Dawn grabbed her bag and was kneeling in front of the injured Pokemon “Hold on Buneary, Let me help you.” she said as she pulled out a few Super Potions. A few liberal sprays later Buneary’s breathing started to slow down and become more even. And some of the bruises started to fade. Next to her, Piplup offered its snack to the injured Pokemon who took a few experimental sniffs before it started to nibble on the treat.

After another minute Buneary nodded off to sleep. Picking it up gently, Dawn allowed Piplup onto her shoulder before she started to run back to the city. “We need to get the Pokemon Center now!” she said firmly as she began to run at full speed. 

Twenty minutes later Dawn enjoyed the feeling of the Pokemon Center's air conditioning against her skin. Not even feeling the chill from her damp dress. She had made it to the center in time.  And after the medical staff had wheeled Buneary off for treatment, she had explained the situation to the Joy who ran the Pokemon Center. 

The Nurse Practitioner had been very patient with Dawn as she told her everything that had happened from her point of view. And had complimented her for keeping her head in an emergency, as well as being willing to put in such effort for a wild Pokemon. 

Dawn looked down at Piplup who was sitting beside her. “I hope Buneary is okay. She said with concern in her voice. Piplup just cooed softly as it nodded. 

Dawn wasn’t sure how much time had passed before a Chansey came up to her and indicated for her to follow. After a minute of walking through the center's medical area, Dawn found herself in a room where Buneary was laying on a tiny bed. Next to it N.P. Joy was observing with a smile on her face. “Nurse Pra—” Dawn had to stop herself here as the woman had told her that most Joys were fine being referred to as Nurse, as Nurse Practitioner was a mouthful. 

“Nurse Joy, How is Buneary doing?” 

The Pink haired woman smiled wider for a moment before she responded in a chipper tone. “Buneary is doing just fine.  Thankfully her injuries while painful weren’t life threatening and the malnutrition will be a relatively easy fix. When she woke up a little bit ago she indicated that she wanted to see you so I had Chansey retrieve you.”

Dawn moved over to where Buneary lay. “How are you?” She asked, She knew what Nurse Joy had said but she wanted to hear it from the bunny Pokemons mouth. “

Buneary looked at Dawn for a moment before she started to speak. Slowly at first but picking up speed and energy as time passed. “ “Bun Buneary Bun Bun Buneary. Eary Bun Bun Bun Buneary!”

Dawn didn’t quite understand what the Pokemon was saying but based upon tone she got the impression that it was doing just fine. She was surprised when Piplup jumped on to her bag  and pulled out an unused Pokeball. “Piplup! What are you -” Dawn was interrupted as Piplup leapt up onto the spot where Buneary's tiny bed was and placed it in front of her. Dawn was about to admonish Piplup when Buneary started to speak again.  “Bun Buy Bun Buneary Buneary Bun Eary Eary Bun Bun” Pointing at the Pokeball and nodding with every word.

It took Dawn a moment but she managed to figure out what Buneary was saying. And she gasped. “You want to come with me?” She asked, barely able to contain her hope.

Buneary simply looked up at her and with one resolute nod said “Bun”

Dawn felt a small tear fall from her eye as she said “Well then I would be happy for you to join my team!” 

The moment was interrupted by Nurse Joy who kindly said. “I’m happy for the both of you but Buneary needs a few days more rest before she is captured.”

The future duo could only nod in understanding.

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DAY 8

“Ralts! Use ‘Confusion’ to throw the stones at Pikachu! And Pikachu use ‘Iron Tail’ to beat them away!” All around the area on the eastern outskirts of Pewter that Dawn had told him about. Rocks, stones and pebbles of various sizes rose into the air covered in Ralts Psychic energy.  Inwardly was proud of the progress that Ralts had made in the last week. When they had started it couldn’t focus on more then one object at a time while using her powers to move.  Now it could use its powers on dozens of objects. Movement was still a bit of an issue when she did that. But he had an idea as to how to deal with it. 

But that would come later. The point of this exercise was for Pikachu to use ‘Iron Tail’ to destroy the stone and get in close.  If he managed to tag ralts then hen would be successful. Ralts success would be measured by if and for how long it could use the stones to keep Pikachu away.

“Pika Chu, Pika Chu Pika CHU!!” With each word Ash watched as Pikachu laid waste to a rock with the final chu accidentally launching the rock back at Ralts. Ash moved to try to intercept the rock but as it got close it stopped in its tracks as it was enveloped in Ralts power before it shot right back at Pikachu who had to dodge it. 

Wanting to make sure that both of his Pokemon were okay Ash called out. “ Okay that's enough for right now. Why don’t we take a break and have a snack? We can start up again in an hour.”

The two Pokemon were only too happy to take a break.  Later on Ash would have Pikachu work on using ‘Quick Attack’ to add some oomph to its moves but  for for now they would enjoy the respite.

DAY NINE

Cynthia looked over her Gible and Feebas with pride.  In the last week the two Pokemon had improved tremendously. Gible could now drive himself through large amounts of rocks and wood with ‘Iron Head' and he had even learned how to use it defensively during resistance training. The small Dragon type had done well with standing water. Getting over any instinctual fear that might be coded into its ground typing. It had been when they had moved on to Water and Grass type attacks (thanks in part to Leaf) that It had figured out how to use ‘Iron Head’ to block the water temporarily. She had been stress testing the move through the use of more powerful water attacks but if all went well they would move on to ‘Water Pulse during Feebas’s target practice later today.

Feebas for her part had taken to the Float technique like for lack of a better term  a fish to water. And she had started to figure out how to use it in ways beyond just allowing her to move outside of a body of water.  This included creating secondary barriers around itself to absorb attacks.  Including but not limited to Grass attacks courtesy of Leaf and Marnie via Bulbasaur and Morpeko and Electric attacks from Morpeko. It wasn’t perfect and sufficient force would collapse the barrier but it was still something that would hopefully be unexpected.

Cynthia looked up into the sky. There were 5 days left until her match. The others had talked about taking the last couple of days before the matches off to let their Pokemon recover. And while a part of her wanted to push things till the day of the match. She knew that that would just leave her Pokemon exhausted. She just hoped the next three days would be enough.

DAY TEN

“Morpeko use ‘Bullet Seed’!” As the tiny balls of energy rocketed toward the target that she had set up, Marnie couldn’t help but be happy with Morpeko's progress. There had been some issues at the start as while Morpeko had been compatible with the T.M. it seemed that the Pokemon was more of a visual learner.

She hadn’t been sure of what to do. But Ash had been helping her that day.  He had taken a bag of sunflower seed that he had been eating and shoved half the bag into his mouth before launching them at the target with a speed and force she would have found impressive if she wasn’t so disgusted.

Marnie had also been impressed by how Ash had handled their Pokemon. Making sure that Impidimp who was still a bit on the chaotic side didn’t hassle Morpecko and his Pokemon too much. But at the same time was willing to serve as a dummy while the impish Pokemon had practiced ‘Low Kick’ “He’d probably make a good husband and dad in a few years.” Marnie shook her head, where the heck had that come from? Sure he was cute but cute guys were a dime a dozen. Heck that guy from Team Rocket had been cute. Besides, anybody who had spent more than an hour with the girl, knew that Serena was crazy about Ash and she had no intention of getting in the middle of that. “Besides, even if that wasn’t an issue, we have only been traveling together a few weeks. Why mess with a good thing by complicating it.

Shaking her head to drive away the thoughts she looked for a distraction. After a moment she focused on Impidimp. “Okay Impidimp, enough ‘Low Kick’ practice, Lets move on to ‘Thunder Wave’ I want to see if we can cut down on the time it takes for you to generate the wave.“

DAY ELEVEN

“Bulbasaur! Use ‘Trailblaze’ and try to tag Combee!” Leaf cheered as Bulbasaur was covered in a green aura that had hints of silver, for a moment no living things in the clearing they were in moved. Then like a shot Bulbasaur charged forward. Combee, who had been Bulbasaur's training partner for the last 10 days, dodged easily and moved to the side.  Bulbasaur righted herself and activated ‘Trailblaze’ again this time it was a bit faster and Combee had to fly high to avoid the attack, before it lowered itself again. 

Leaf grinned, finding ‘Trailblaze at the Pokemart had been a godsend. The move not only was strong on a grass type like Bulbasaur but it granted a speed boost with each use. The trick was to get Bulbasaur used to the increased speed, since she and her evolution line were on the slower side. To make things even better Combee was able to practice dodging against a faster and faster opponent.  

Besides that practice had been going well.  ‘Sleep Powder’ could now cover a  fair distance from Bulbasaur, but it still required  her or her opponent to get in close. “I really need to get my hands on some distance moves before we get to Cerulian City. Or at least capture a Pokemon that has them.”

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Pewter City Stadium, Pewter City,19:00, June 19, 200 PO.U.

The quartette of Ash, Leaf , Cynthia and Marnie stood nervously as they watched the evening's headline battle of this evening's group of matches. The opponent was a girl a few years older than them from Saffron named Makaoto Queen. A fact that had made Cynthia wonder if her family had come from Unova at some point.  She had used a variety of powerful Pokemon including a Gardevoir named Titania and her last Pokemon a Lucario named Johanna. She wore her brown hair in a bob cut.  She wore a black halter vest over a white turtleneck and a pleated black and red plaid skirt.  And she seemed to exude confidence and if Cynthia had to admit it even if only to herself she felt a little envious of the older girl.

Cynthia turned away from the fight to lock down at herself.  For this match she had chosen to wear a long thin black coat over a white undershirt and black slacks. It was a little basic but at the same time it seemed appropriate for a televised Pokemon battle. Even if most would turn off the tv after the big match. There was no reason not to look nice on international T.V., even Ash, Marine and Leaf had made sure the clothes they had worn today were clean and presentable. 

A gigantic clash brought Cynthia out of her thoughts as Makoto raised an arm above her head and loudly proclaimed, “Johanna! Show the strength of our bond and Mega Evolve!” and it was at that moment that the bracelet she was wearing had a KeyStone.  Activating her Pokedex and looking at a picture of Johanna from before the match Cynthia saw that the Pokemon  was wearing a Mega Stone on a choker around her neck. In an instant the bipedal canines' top paws became red and grew a second spike, its foot paws grew two spikes and became red, while her cream colored fur became longer and its black fur changed shape, her head tendrils became longer with red tips and her eyes turned orange. It let out an ear piecing roar before Makoto commanded “Lucario use ‘Sphere!” 

Roxanne's Pokemon, a Kleavor, didn't know what hit it. Lucario vanished from sight for a moment and when it reappeared she was above the rocky bug.  And energy three times its usual size in one of her paws before it shot out like a bullet hitting the Pokemon before Roxanne could voice a command. The dust cloud that formed took a minute to clear up but when it had Cynthia saw that Kleavor was knocked out. 

Cynthia turned from the fight and ignored the announcer's proclamation of Makoto’s victory. There was going to be a short break between matches but Cynthia knew that the block of matches involving her and the others was about to start and that the four of them were up first. 

A few minutes later Cynthia heard her name called as her cue to head out onto the field. As she made her way out, she saw that on a giant holograph screen  her interview was playing. She largely ignored it except for the part where she had asked what her goal was. And the projection version of her said resolutely. “My name is Cynthia Black and I want to bring the Sinnohian champion title back to Sinnoh!”

As she continued her walk she heard the familiar voices of Dawn, Serena May and Lillie shouting at the top of their lungs. “Cynthia Cynthia, You can do it! C’mon put your back into it. Cynthia Cynthia, You can do it! C’mon put your back into it.” Causing the girl to smile at their antics. 

When she finally reached the battle field, Roxanne approached her and with a smile said “Welcome, I look forward to our battle and to seeing you work to accomplish your goal.” 

Cynthia smiled, before she could respond the referee riding a floating Aegislash platform floated by and proclaimed. “This will be a single battle.  Both trainers will use two Pokemon but only the challenger will be allowed to make substitutions. Furthermore the use of Mega Evolution or Z-moves are forbidden.”

Cynthia almost did a double take. Mega Evolution? Z-moves? This was a first badge battle.  The chance of someone having the means to use Z-moves at this point in her career was extremely unlikely. The chance of her having access to Mega Evolution was impossible. Still she told herself that this was likely a standard statement. 

Cynthia took a moment to look out on the crowd. While the lights prevented her from seeing details. She could tell that while the number of people who had come to watch Gym battles had shrunk. There was still a fairly large crowd.. But she decided to ignore that.  For now there was only her. Her Pokemon and the battle ahead. 

Watching as the ref floated to the edge  of field and came to a stop at the midpoint between her and Roxanne. Cynthia gripped her Pokeball tightly. When the ref shouted “BEGIN” Cynthia had to stop herself from tossing the ball out. And waited for her opponent to make the first move. 

With a call of “Come out Geodude” letting out the rock like Pokemon. 

Cynthia, seeing that it was a Kantoian Geodude mentally said a small thanks to whoever was listening and tossed her first Pokeball “Come out Feebas!”  As soon as Feebas finished materializing it brought up the shell of water with practiced speed. To the amazement of the announcer. 

“That's amazing! It's been years since I’ve seen the Float technique used and to think it would be used by a rookie trainer. It’s only been a few seconds and this match is full of surprises!”

Cynthia closed her eyes. The rules allowed her the first move. Advantage could be made or broken with the right or wrong move…. But then again at the moment she only had one valid move. Opening her eyes wide she shouted. “Feebas use ‘Water Pulse’!” 

With practiced ease a dense ball of water appeared in front of Feebas. In almost no time it was roughly the size of an Electrode. And Feebas flung it down to the ground. Upon contact water surged in all directions  with the greatest amount of it heading towards the rock like Pokemon. There was a gasp in the crowd as they started to think that the first part of the battle was over. 

Roxanne didn't appear fazed as she smiled and called out. “Geodude, use ‘Rock Tomb’!.”  The Pokemon’s fist glowed a dark brown before it brought them down on the ground of the gym and in an instant four pillars of rock surrounded it just before the water made contact.  

Cynthia frowned, using an attack as a defensive move was brilliant. “Thats why they call her the Rock Type Scholar.” 

Cynthia didn’t have any more time to be impressed as Roxanne called out  “Geodude! Use ‘Earth Power’!”  Soon the ground was shaking violently and it was all Cynthia could do to maintain her footing as all across the battlefield rocks jutted up at all angles.  And Feebas had to float out of the way of the rising rocks. 

When all was said and done the field was now a craggy hellscape that made trying to see where Geodude had gotten extremely hard. Cynthia didn’t have much time to come up with a plan as Roxanne called out ‘Rollout’  and before she could callout a counter Cynthia watched as a rolling ball of rock used one of the upturned rocks as a ramp and hit Feebas on her side and called the shell to falter for a moment before it recovered. Before it could completely right itself Geodude appeared from behind and managed to graze the fishy Pokemon. 

As Feebas recovered Cynthia tried to listen for where it might come from next. But the roar of the crowd made it hard. Suddenly she had an idea. “Feebas use ‘Water Pulse’ on the ground.”

Feebas floated up high before summoning the giant ball of condensed water and throwing it to the ground. As the water flowed through the field Cynthia listened.  After a moment she heard it. The sound of something moving fast though the water. It took a moment for her to figure out where it was coming from but she knew where Geodude was. When she stopped hearing the water she leapt into action. “Feebas! It's coming from 8 o clock! Dodge and counter with ‘Water Pulse’!”

Feebas moved to the side just narrowly avoiding the living cannonball before it righted itself and released the attack. Hitting Geodude as it readjusted itself after landing. The impact caused a large pillar of water to rise into the air.

When things had cleared it was obvious to all watching that Geodude was unconscious. The referee was quick to make their announcement “Geodude is unable to battle. Raising an arm in Cynthia's direction. Roxanne gave a small smile and a nod as she recalled Geodude, grabbed another Pokeball, and off to the side Cynthia could hear her friends cheering even louder. The announcer was quick to announce the win. “That was AMAZING. The Challenger Cynthia Black has knocked Roxanne's Geodude out. 

Cynthia smiled slightly, enjoying the roar of the crowd a bit. Before she focused back on her opponent. 

Roxanne, unfazed by what had just happened, tossed her Pokeball into the air shouting “Go Lileep!

It was all Cynthia could do to keep herself from gaping at the Pokemon before her on international television. 30 years ago, scientists had figured out how to revive Pokemon from fossils. It wasn’t a completely perfect process and all of the Pokemon that were revived via the process had a partial rock typing but it worked and soon there were breeding programs all across the world as the various regions worked on the fossils of the Pokemon that were native to their areas. There had also been a series of increasingly terrible movies about how such a thing could go wrong. But that wasn’t important right now. What was important was that its Rock typing might have made it vulnerable to Feebas ‘Water Pulse’. Its grass typing meant that at best the attack would do a normal amount of damage. 

What was more concerning was that she had no idea what its ability was. “If I remember correctly its two known abilities are ‘Suction Cup’ which prevents moves that would force it out of the battle like ‘Dragon Tail’ from succeeding.  And ‘Storm Drain which causes it to absorb Water type attacks and become faster.” That made Cynthia extremely concerned. If the Pokemon in front of her had ‘Storm Drain’ as its ability then ‘Water Pulse' was less then useless. And left her with ‘Tackle’ and ‘Flail’. And even they were suspect, as ‘Storm Drain’ might absorb the water the Feebas was using to move around leaving it flopping on the ground.

Taking a deep breath Cynthia threw caution to the wind. “Feebas! Use ‘Water Pulse’!” Feebas charged forward collecting the water in front of it as it moved toward the other Pokemon. When it was only a few yards away it released the attack before flying past the stationary Pokemon. For several moments the Gym was silent as the crowd waited with baited breath to see what had happened. When the water had cleared, Cynthia saw that while it hadn’t done much, the attack had done some damage. This would still be a hard fight but not impossible. Her relief was short-lived when Roxanne called out “‘Bullet Seed’!”

Suddenly Lileep’s two tone pink tendrils rose and a rapid fire burst of green energy fired at Feebas.  Cyntia quickly called out “Feebas, Get out of the way!” The crowd was witness to a display of aerial gymnastics as the Fish Pokemon dodged and weaved though the attack   narrowly avoiding being hit.  As it moved around the battlefield.  Unfortunately its luck ran out and as the barrage was winding down it caught a shot in its tail that broke the water shell for a moment before  Feebas restored it.  But it was slowed down enough that the rest of the shots caught it in the side as it righted itself in the air. 

When the attack finally stopped and Cynthia got a  good look at her Pokemon she saw that it was still floating but it looked a bit worse for wear. “ Feebas Are you okay?” she asked 

The Pokemon responded with a “Feebas!” but Cynthia could tell that it was a bit strained. So she made a decision.  Pulling out her Pokeball she called out, “Feebas Return!" As the red light struck the Pokemon Cynthia smiled and said “You did a good Job Feebas. Now take a rest.”

The announcer's voice overhead boomed “And the Challenger Cynthia Black has recalled her first Pokemon.  What will she use for her second and final Pokemon.”

Cynthia sighed.  Type match up wise Gible wasn’t any better then Feebas, But between ‘Iron Head’ that he had learned during  the last two weeks and ‘Dig’ that one her tutors had insisted it learn.  She might have a chance. 

Pulling out his Pokeball, Cynthia called out “Gible Go!” When the dragonic Pokemon appeared it let out a cry that would have been intimidating in its final form but the small Pokemon just looked cute and Cynthia could hear a number of people in the crowd coo at Gible's display. Choosing to ignore them she called out “Gibble! Use ‘Dig and get close!” Gibble dove into the ground like it was water, leaving a hole. For several moments nobody moved and nobody made a sound then suddenly Gible broke out of the ground right in front of Lileep.  

Before it could make contact Roxanne called out, “Lileep! Use ‘Wrap’ to bind it.” causing the small Pokemon to be tied up in its tendrils unable to move. 

Cynthia held her cool and called out “Gible! get your mouth free and use ‘Thunder Fang’.” Shaking violently Gible managed to get his giant mouth around some of the tendrils and with a mouth full of electrically charged teeth chopped down. The prehistoric plant Pokemon's body went rigid as electricity arced all over its body causing its grip to loosen. That let Gible get free. Lileep’s grass typing meant that the electric attack hadn’t done much damage. But the arcs of electricity that were arcing all over its body told her that luck had been on her side and  Lileep would at best be unable to move and at worst be slower. However, that didn’t prevent what happened next.

“Lileep! Use ‘Rock Tomb’!” In an instant Gible was surrounded by four pillars that kept it in place before they started to move in closer, squeezing it more with every second that passed.  

Cynthia took a calming breath before she responded with “Gible! Use ‘Iron Head’ Break free and strike Lileep!” there was a moment where nothing happened before the pillars shattered revealing Gible awash in the metallic sheen of Steel type energy. Nobody had time to say anything as Gible with a speed that belied its size charged forward and hit Lileep with such force that it threw the stationary Pokemon back several feet. 

The announcer shouted “That's amazing, With the Steel type move, ‘Iron Head’ Gible has landed a serious blow. But can he and his trainer keep that up and claim the match!

As Lileep recovered,Cynthia realized what was about to happen and shouted “Gible! Get underground Lileep is about to use ‘Bullet Seed’!” causing the small Pokemon to dive back underground. 

Roxanne seemed unbothered with the situation as she shouted “ Lileep! Use ‘Earth Power” Lileep glowed for a second before the arena started to shake. Cythia had to fight to keep her balance and Gible was jettisoned out of the ground. As things settled down Cynthia frowned. ‘Earth Power’ wouldn’t do much damage, but it would make using ‘Dig’ to get close hard. She really only had one choice if she wanted to end this quickly. 

“Gible! Charge forward and use ‘Dig’ and ‘Iron Head’!” and Gible moved to obey. In a flash it was underground again. Roxanne called for ‘Earth Power again

 But even as the field shook, Gible didn’t come up as it had before. Then suddenly Gible shot out of the ground right in front of Lileep. Roxanne called for ‘Bullet Seed but between the protective coating of ‘Iron Head’ and Gible’s Dragon typing the bullets just bounced off of its body before it slammed into its foe with significant force.  As Gible fell to the ground and recovered, Lileep stood there silently. Then in an instant it suddenly fell to the ground.  

Cynthia felt something swell up inside her “I did it! I won!”  

She waited until the referee said “Lileep is unable to battle the winner is Cynthia!” before she let out a whoop that was lost in the noise of the crowd going wild. The crowd continued for a minute by which point Roxanne had made her way to Cynthia. 

“Congraduations on your victory Miss Black.  That was a fantastic battle and if you keep it up I have no doubt that one day you will bring the Sinnohan Championship title back to Sinnoh.”

Cynthia found herself unable to speak and could only nod as she shook the woman's hand. And took the Boulder badge that a gym attendant brought up to them in an ornate box. 

As she walked stiffly back to the waiting area, where Ash and Leaf were doing a victory dance that defied good taste and Marnie was giving her a wry smile she heard the announcer over the speaker. “That was a fantastic battle and we have three more of those to go. Please allow us ten minutes to reset the field for the next match.”

As she made it back to the waiting area and Ash gave her a high five while leaf hugged her tightly Cynthia smiled to herself and thought ‘I’m on my way.”

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Leaf gave herself the once over as she waited to walk out onto the battlefield.  Unlike some of the competitors today, including Cynthia she hadn’t picked a particular outfit for this match. She had chosen to go with her standard blue top and red skirt combo, though she had made sure that it was nice and clean.  Pulling out the Pokeballs continuing Combee and Bulbasaur she looked at them contemplatively. She had been working with them  constantly over the last two weeks and now it was time to put all that training to the test. She was shaken from her thoughts when she felt a hand on her shoulder. And saw Cynthka standing there.  “Don’t psych yourself out before the match even starts, Leaf. I think you have this.” 

Leaf looked at her friend for a moment before she looked at Marnie who merely nodded and Ash who offered her a high-five that she returned. “You're right!” she responded with increasing volume and enthusiasm. “I’ve got this!”

Anything else that could be said was interrupted by the announcement for her to make her way to the battlefield. Giving her friends one final thumbs up, Leaf started to march out.  As she made her way she heard the recording of her interview, and her words from that day. “I’m Leaf Green and I want to be the Kanto Champion!”

The cheers did nothing to drown out the sounds of her friends in the stands yelling. “Float like a Butterfree, Sting Like a Beedrill! Come on Leaf, show Roxanne your intense will!” over and over. Causing the girl to smile widely. 

When Leaf made it to the battlefield Roxanne approached her and with a smile said “It sounds like you have some good friends.”

Leafs smile threatened to split her face in two. “Yeah seven of the best a girl could have.”

Roxanne nodded, “ Well then, let's make this battle a good one. Before she walked to the other side of the field. 

Leaf largely ignored the Ref as he went over the rules. It was the same rules that Cynthia had fought under just a little bit ago after all. She focused on what she planned to do.  Combee was always going to be a long shot. But if or when it fell she had Bulbasaur ready to go.  Hopefully everything they had worked on would prove useful. 

Leaf only barely heard the Referee yell  “BEGIN”  before Roxanne called out her first Pokemon “Go! Rockruff!”

As the Puppy Pokemon bounced around, many in the crowd cooed over how cute it was.  Leaf would have been right there with them if she weren't about to  battle. Taking a deep breath she pulled a Pokeball out of her skirt's pocket and tossed it. “Go! Combee!”

There was somewhat muted cheering as the audience tried to figure out the logic behind her choice. A point of view voice by the announcer. “And the challenger Leaf begins with a Combee. It’s an unusual choice, but let's see what strategy she has in mind.” 

Choosing to ignore the commentary. “I know that Rock type attacks are going to put the hurt on Combee and that ‘Gust’ won’t do much. But maybe I can whittle Rockruff down with ‘Struggle Bug’ and ‘Bug Bite’.”

After a moment of thought Leaf called out “Combee use ‘Gust’ on the battle field!”

Combee’s tiny wings started to beat even faster than usual and the air all around the battlefield started to circulate picking up loose rocks and debris soon filling the arena with a gigantic cloud of dust. Though the energy barrier and a robust air filtration system protected the crowd from choking on the dust.

Leaf could almost hear the smile in Roxanne's voice as the woman spoke. “Not a bad strategy, using the dust from ‘Gust’ to hide your Combee. But can you actually capitalize on the advantage?” Her voice changed in an instant as she said “Rockruff! use ‘Fire Fang’! Through the haze of dust, Leaf could see Combee’s silhouette  and near it a quadrupedal silhouette. 

“Combee! Get out of the way and use ‘Struggle Bug’ to counter! Through the haze Leaf saw Combee move around before she heard a canine yelp, which told her that the attack had connected. “One hit down, only Arceus knows how many more to go.

—-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Several minutes later, Leaf was wishing she started with Bulbasaur. Combee had done its best and Rockruff was on its last legs but it had been a long stressful battle to get to this point.  

Leaf called out “Bug Bite’! at the same time that Roxanne had called out ‘Rock Slide’ and she could only watch as Combee made contact with Rockruff at the same time that its rock covered paw swiped at her, causing both Pokemon to fall to the ground. 

For a moment neither Pokemon moved before the referee floated over and looked the two Pokemon over.  After a moment they raised both of their hands and said “Combee and Rockruff are unable to battle! To the roar of the crowd that had sat transfixed during the long battle.

The announcer could barely be heard over the noise the crowd made. “Amazing despite having a severe type disadvantage, Leaf and Combee managed to pull out a tie! I can’t wait to see what she and her second Pokemon do next!”

For a few seconds neither trainer made a move, as if measuring the other. Then suddenly Roxanne grabbed a Pokeball and called out. “Go Shieldon!” releasing the small yellow ceratopian Pokemon.

Leaf made a face, If she remembered correctly Shieldons were part Steel type. That meant that at best Bulbasaur's Grass type moves were going to do a normal amount of damage.  “Plan B it is.” Leaf thought before she Pointed at Shieldon and yelled. “Bulbasaur! ‘Razor Leaf’ barrage!” Filling the area between the two Pokemon with a slew of weaponized leaves. 

Roxanne remained as calm as ever as she called out “Shieldon, use ‘Protect’.” leading the small Pokemon to be surrounded by a sphere of translucent blue energy. Before she launched her counterattack. “Shieldon strike back with ‘Iron Head.”

Leaf was silent for only half a second before she countered, “Bulbasaur! Use ‘Trailblaze’. to counter!”  As the greenish glow surrounded the diminutive Grass type it changed forward meeting the tiny dino in the middle of the field with a resounding thump. 

As the two Pokemon struggled, Leaf made the next call. “Bulbasaur! Use ‘Vine Whip’ to pick up Shieldon and slam it back down!” Quicker then anybody thought possible Bulbsaur’s vines wrapped around its opponent and with noticeable strain lifted the heavy Pokemon into the air before slamming it down to the ground with enough force to leave a dent in the ground. Before its vines retracted.

The crowd was going wild but Leaf ignored them.  It seemed like the impact had stunned Shieldon a little so it was time to press her advantage. “Bulbasaur! Hit it with another ‘Trailblaze’!”  Moving even faster than before Bulbasaur hit Shieldon with enough force to drive it back a few feet. Leaf was about to call for another attack when Roxanne’s voice interrupted her. “Shieldon use ‘Rock Tomb’.” As the walls of rock surrounded Shieldon, Leaf ordered Bulbasour to hang back. And above the battle the announcer's voice boomed. “That was amazing! Leaf and her Bulbasaur opened with a powerful combo but Roxanne and Shieldon managed to break it. What's going to happen next?”

It was so subtle that Leaf almost missed it but she saw a telltale rise in the ground and shouted “Bulbasaur get back!” Unfortunately her warning came too late and Shieldon emerged from the ground coated in silver energy hitting bulbasaur with enough force to send her flying till it hit the ground in front of Leaf.

For a moment Bulbasaur lay there groaning from the hit she had just taken. The ref floated over and was about to make their ruling when suddenly Bulbasaur rose to its feet. Unsteady at first but with each passing moment it’s voice got firmer before it let out a loud “SAUR!!” 

Leaf looked at her Pokemon. “Are you okay? Do you want to keep going?” Bulbasaur looked at her trainer for a moment before it wordlessly nodded. Leaf smiled, well then I think I have an idea but it depends on how she responds to what we do next.”

“Holy crap! That Bulbasaur is one hell of a fighter, it took that ‘Heavy Slam like a tank and managed to pull though!”

Leaf smiled at the announcer's complement. It was time to end this. “Bulbasaur!! Use ‘Trailblaze' to get in close!” In an instant Bulbasaur had closed the distance and its vines were wrapping around Shieldon again. 

Roxanne looked disappointed, “This move again? It was a nice combo but it’s not going to work twi-” 

She was interrupted as Leaf yelled, “Bulbasaur! Use ‘Sleep Powder’!” As a dome of blue dust emerged the effect was almost instantaneous.  For several moments Shieldon tried to stay on its feet as its eyes started to close but all too soon it fell to the ground fast asleep.  And on the screens above a countdown started from one minute.  

The crowd went silent.  It was a well known rule amongst those who concerned themselves with Pokemon battles that if a Pokemon was put to sleep either by moves such as ‘Sleep Powder’, Hypnosis or Sleep. Or by abilities be it their own or their opponents, that Pokemon had one minute to wake up under their own power. If they couldn’t then the other trainer would be declared the winner of the matchup. And as a general bit of good etiquette those watching would remain quiet doing that minute.  For 55 agonizing seconds there were no natural sounds in the stadium. Until someone started to whisper “5, 4, 3, 2, 1”

The ref floated over to Sjoe;dpm amd pronounced “Shieldon is unable o battle the winner is Leaf Green!”

The crowd went wild at the pronouncement and Leaf barely kept herself from jumping around as she walked over to Bulbasaur and picked it up and said “You did good kid. Now have a nice break. “ Before she returned her to her Pokeball. It continued to take profound effort on Leafs part to not perform a dance that would offend good taste as Roxanne approached her. She would save that for when she got back to the waiting area.

“Congradualtions on your victory.” Roxanne said as she handed Leaf the badge. “You were counting on me to underestimate you and think you were repeating a move. Weren't you?”

Leaf smiled as she replied cheekily  “Maybe.”

Roxanne grinned “It was a good strategy and the kind of thinking that gets a trainer a high ranking. But be careful, do it too much and it will become what your opponents expect.”

Leaf nodded, She had been watching the league for years and trainers that came up with interesting strategies but never moved beyond them were a  dime a dozen as the rest of the trainer world got used to their strategies and developed counters or better versions. 

“Good luck on the rest of your journey towards becoming the Kanto champion.” Roxanne said with a slight bow before returning to her waiting area.

Leaf turned on her heel and did the same. 

—--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

While she waited for her match to be called Marnie gave herself the once over. She had spent a fair bit of time yesterday polishing her jacket and shoes to make sure that they looked their best for today. And her dress was freshly dry cleaned. She didn’t put much stock in appearances on a day to day basis but if she was going to appear on international TV she wanted to look the best she could.  After she had made sure everything was in place, she considered her game plan. 

Regardless of what Roxanne sent out first, she planned to lead with Impidimp, best case scenario they would be able to take down whatever Pokemon the gym leader used. Worst case, Impidimp would at least weaken it. So that Morpecko could finish the job.  

Soon enough Marnie heard the announcer call for her to make her way to the field.  As she walked she heard her friends cheer for her.  “Marnie Marnie, win this fight and let's go party! Marnie Marnie, win this fight and let’s go party. Which caused the girl to smirk.  It was clear that they were starting to run out of ideas but she appreciated the gesture regardless.   

On the screens above her she heard herself saying what her goal was. She had been honest and had said that she wanted to take over the Spikemuth gym from Piers one day.  As she saw it the best way to bring her hometown to prominence again wold be to become a highly ranked trainer. And the best way to do that was participating in the various league tournaments. 

As Marnie reached the field she was approached by Roxanne, who welcomed her before saying. “Your brother has an interesting battle style. Not to many people in Galar use Mega Evolution but he makes it work.” 

Marnie nodded, Piers did well enough but his heart was in his music and it showed. The few battles that were held in Spikemuth ended up more like concerts. She had seen the review for the gym and while those who actually showed up for battles praised the novelty of a Galarian gym leader using Mega Evolution  they criticized the impromptu concerts and the general rundown state of the town.  She wanted to fix that. If she became well known then people might want to visit Spikemuth. If they did that then more money would flow in.  If that happened then it could be used to fix the town, maybe even put in a proper stadium. 

Marnie took a deep breath, “don’t put the cart before the horse.” Before any of that could happen she had to win this battle. 

Soon enough the ref announced the start of the battle.  Marnie waited with baited breath to see what her opponent would call out first. 

She didn’t have to wait long. Roxanne called out “Go! Growlithe!” and in a flash of light the Sinnohian variant of the Pokemon bounced around before letting out a howl.

Marnie nodded to herself.  Growlithe wasn’t exactly what she had expected but it wasn’t completely out of left field. She looked at Impidimp’s Pokeball Pokeball for a second before she tossed it into the air with a call of “Go! Impidimp!” As it appeared in a flash of red light it danced a little jig before it yelled “Impidimp!” to the chuckles of the crowd. 

—-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

AN: So there we are. This project began with the idea of seeing if I could write a story with a massive cast and a lot of moving parts.  And sadly I have discovered that at this point this type of writing is beyond my skill. 

I had always told myself that if I ever had to do something like this I would tell you guys the ending so as to not leave you hanging but unfortunately as I said at the top there was no defined ending for this one.  Beyond Ash and the girls enjoying life  as an octuple.

All that said I am sorry to anybody disappointed by this news but i hope you will enjoy the story I am working on tht is much smaller in scale then this. 

Unfortunately this story might not be the last to be ended prematurely and I think about how and what I want to continue some of these projects.