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Chapter Text

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Five years ago...

It's afternoon, and two children are lying on the grass, looking up at the sky. One of them is a boy with raven black hair, with zigzag lines on his cheeks.

The other was a girl with brown hair, they watched the clouds while playing with which Pokémon the cloud shape corresponded to.

"Oh! That one is a Rattata!" The boy exclaimed, pointing at a cloud.

"That one is a Jigglypuff." The girl said pointing to another one.

They giggled, the boy looked thoughtful for a moment.

"Hey, Evie?"

The girl hummed.

"Do you... Do you think once we get our licensed to be trainer and start our journey, that we could travel together?"

Evelyn smiled. "Of course, Ash! It will be alot more fun to travel with a friend then travelling alone."

"Awesome!" Ash jumped to his feet in excitement. "We'll catches lots of Pokémon and I will win the league championship!"

Evelyn smirked. "Well... you'll have to beat me first in order to win it."

"Oh, you're on!" Ash declared.

"Ash! Evelyn! Dinner is ready!" Ash's mom called out.

"Coming!" Ash yelled back, before turning to Evelyn. "Hey, how about a race?"

"Alright." Evelyn start running towards the house. "The last one is a Slowpoke!"

Ash took off running after her. "Hey, that's cheating!"

They laugh as they run towards the house.

Timeskip, present day...

"And Nidorino begins with a Horn Attack... Oh! But, Gengar bounce right back!" The commentator announced, the crowd was cheering the two battling Pokémon, as the Indigo League was happening.

Gengar then use Hypnosis and put Nidorino to sleep.

"And there is it! The Hypnosis power of Gengar! This could be the end of Nidorino!" The commentator said, Nidorino's trainer recall him. "But, wait! The trainer recalls Nidorino! Which Pokémon will he use now?"

The trainer pulls out and throws a green Pokéball. Gengar jumps back as the Pokéball lands and an Onix comes out.

"Oh! It's Onix!" The commentator announced. Onix roared at Gengar before it lunged at it, but Gengar managed to get away. "And the giant Pokémon is on the attack! Oh ho! And gengar jumps aside"

The battle was being seen on TV as well. As the battle on the TV went wild, a familiar boy, put on his green fingerless gloves.

"Yes! I am Ash! And now that I'm 13, I can finally get my Pokémon license." Ash said to himself, as he tied his sneakers on, looking ready to head out. Ash looked much older now. "I will journey to gain the wisdom of Pokémon training." He picks up a Voltorb-like clock. "And I hereby declare to the Pokémon of the world... I will be a Pokémon Master! Pokémon Master... That's what I'll be!" He declared to himself.

As he finished, he heard a giggle behind him. Ash blinked, and turned to see Evelyn sitting on his bed giggling.

"Not bad of a speech, Ash." Evelyn giggled.

Which made him rub the back of his head sheepishly.

"Evelyn, your mother is here!" They hear Ash's mother calling from downstairs.

Evelyn gets up, glances at her watch and sees that it's 8pm. "Time flies, it's time for me to go. I'll see you tomorrow when we will get our starter."

"Yeah! See you tomorrow." Ash smiled.

Evelyn leaves the room and heads downstairs. She sees her mother and Delia talking.

"Ah, there you are. Are you ready to go home?" Her mom asked.

"Just a moment." Evelyn said as she puts on her shoes. She and her mother begin to leave the Ketchum house. "Bye Mrs Ketchum!" She waved at Delia, which she waved back.

It didn't take them long to get home, as they lived close to the Ketchum. Once inside, Evelyn's mother turns to her.

"Get ready for bed and sleep, you don't want to wake up late tomorrow."

"Alright mom!"

Evelyn takes off her shoes and goes upstairs to her room, where she prepares for bed. Once this is done, she lies down on her bed and snuggles under her blanket.

"Tomorrow is the day, I'm finally getting my starter and go on a journey." She thought before falling asleep.

The next morning...

Evelyn woke up to her alarm, yawned as she sat on her bed and stretched.

She gets out of bed and heads for the bathroom to take a good shower and get ready for her journey. After a nice shower, she emerged from the bathroom wearing a black and red hoodie with a pink Pokéball on the front, a skirt and, last but not least, a rose red cap with her ponytail flowing through the back.

She then returned to her room to collect her backpack, but not before checking that she had everything needed for her journey. After that, she went downstairs for breakfast. She walked into the kitchen, breakfast already on the table, and saw her mother and father sitting at the table eating.

"Good morning, mom and dad." She greeted them as she walked toward the table.

"Good morning." They greeted back, as Evelyn start to eat, enjoying her mom cooking.

"Since this will be our last meal together, I've decided to make your favorite." Alice told her daughter.

Evelyn looked at the table and, as she'd said, there were all her favorites, which made her smile and take a seat next to her father.

"Thanks, mom! This smell amazing!" Evelyn said, and start to eat.

"Your welcome, honey."

A few minutes later...

Once she'd eaten her breakfast, she prepared to go to Professor Oak's lab to finally get her very first Pokémon along with her trainer license.

"Alright, I'm heading out now!" Evelyn yelled, as she open the front door.

"We will see you there before you set off for Route 1." Her father called out before she close the door behind.

Once outside, she headed for Professor Oak's laboratory. As she walked, she considered once more which of the three starters she would choose, before deciding to go for her first choice.

When arriving at the lab, she was surprising seeing that a crowd was already starting to form near the stairs leading to the lab. As she heads for the laboratory, the small crowd cheers, making her blush slightly. She finally arrives at the laboratory and goes inside, where she sees Professor Oak waiting for her.

"Morning, Professor!" Evelyn greeted him.

"Ah, Evelyn, you're quite early." Professor Oak said.

Evelyn smiled sheepishly. "I wanted to be one of the first to arrive."

"I see..." Professor Oak chuckled, before clearing his throat. "So, are you ready to get your first Pokémon?"

"Yes!" Evelyn exclaimed, excitedly.

The professor smiles, then walks over to a table with a capsule on it. The capsule opened as she approached the table before stopping in front of it, while Professor Oak stood behind.

"Very well, since you are the first to arrive, you have the privilege of choosing between the three starting Pokémon." Professor Oak explained, before continuing. "The Grass-type Pokémon, Bulbasaur. The Fire-type Pokémon, Charmander. And finally, the Water-type Pokémon, Squirtle. But think carefully before choosing." He said.

Evelyn shakes her head as she step forward. "No need, I already know which one I want." She said as she picked one of the three pokéballs.

"Come out!"

She tossed the Pokéball into the air, releasing her first Pokémon.

"Bulbasaur!"

Bulbasaur looked around before spotting her new trainer, Evelyn bent down to Bulbasaur's level and smiled.

"Hi, Bulbasaur, my name's Evelyn, it's nice to meet you."

"Bulba!"

Evelyn smiled and start rubbing her new partner Pokémon head, Bulbasaur closed her eyes and smiled, enjoying Evelyn petting.

"Saaaauuuur..."

Which make Evelyn giggled, Professor Oak smiled at the interaction.

"Ah, Bulbasaur an excellent choice." Professor Oak said. "Now, before you can leave, you're gonna need a few more items."

He then turned to another table and picked something up off the top. He returned to Evelyn with a red Pokédex in one hand and Pokéballs in the other.

"Here are your Pokédex and Pokéballs." He said as he hands her the Pokédex and Pokéballs. "Your Pokédex will give you information on all known Pokémon in Kanto and Johto, should you encounter one. It will also serve as your identity card if you ever need it. And remember you can only carry six Pokémon with you, the rest will be automatically transferred here." Professor Oak explained.

"Thank you, Professor! Well, I think it's time for Bulbasaur and me to go." Evelyn said, before looking down at her Pokémon. "Would you prefer to walk by my side for now, instead of returning to your Pokéball, so we can get to know each other?"

"Bulbasaur."

"I'll take that as a yes."

Evelyn and Bulbasaur then start to leave the room, but before they can leave, Professor Oak calls out to her.

"Bye, Evelyn! Don't forget to call me from time to time to let me know how your journey is going!"

"I will! Bye, Professor!" She called back, they leave the room and start back downstairs. On the way, they pass Gary and one of the other children who have come to collect their starter, who are walking up the stairs past her, but, unfortunately for Evelyn, Gary make a snarky remark towards her.

With that, they leave Professor Oak's laboratory, where she sees her parents outside, smiling.

"Hi, mom-"

Evelyn was interrupted, as she was immediately engulfed in her mother's arms. After a few minutes, her mother let her go, but it was her father who hugged her next. As they hug, her mother notices Bulbasaur at her feet.

"Oh, so you decide to pick Bulbasaur as your starter." Alice smiled, bending down to Bulbasaur and petting her. "Keep our daughter safe, okay?"

"Bulba." Bulbasaur nodded.

Alice turns back to her daughter, just as father and daughter have finished saying goodbye.

"You have packed everything you need?"

"Yes, I double-check before I go. Don't worry, Mom, I can take care of myself. And I won't be alone, I'll be traveling with Ash." Evelyn said, her mother sighed and kissed her forehead.

"Alright, just be safe out there." Alice said.

"I will."

"And don't forget to call home from time to time, okay?" Her father said, she nodded. "We look forward to seeing you at the Indigo League."

They both looked at their daughter with pride on their faces, seeing how much she had grown.

Evelyn looks down at Bulbasaur with a smiled. "Alright, Bulbasaur, time to start our journey!"

"Bulbasaur!"

They then took off running towards Route 1, as her parents watches their daughter running off.

5 minutes later, they were walking past a house when suddenly the front door burst open and a teenager ran out in his pyjamas.

"Oh man! I'm so late!" He tells himself as he was running away.

Evelyn and Bulbasaur blinked in surprised.

"Wasn't that Ash?" Evelyn said, as Delia walked through the front door, shaking her head.

"That boy..." Delia said, before spotting Evelyn. "Oh, good morning, Evelyn. I see you've got your first Pokémon."

"Yes, I did." Evelyn smiled, before frowning as she looks in the direction Ash has fled. "Did he just woke up?"

"Yes, he did. I told him yesterday he should have gone to bed earlier so he wouldn't be late." Delia sighed.

"Oh well... can you let Ash know I will be waiting for him in Viridian City."

"I will and good luck on your journey!" Delia said.

"Thank you, bye Mrs. Ketchum!" Evelyn and Bulbasaur waved Delia goodbye, with Bulbasaur using her vine, as she waved them back.

Evelyn's teams:

Bulbasaur (F) Overgrow -Tackle, Vine Whip, Growl-

Pokémon at Prof. Oak:

-None Currently-

Chapter Text

Enjoy the chapter!

This isn't Evelyn's first time on Route 1; she's taken it several times before to go shopping in Viridian City with her mother. But unfortunately, these trips were usually by car. While she was preparing for her trip, her father had mentioned that it would take at least half a day to get there on foot, so it was doable if she doesn't wander and explore to much, then she should arrive at the Viridian City Pokémon Center before tonight.

As she walked, she focused on spotting any Pokémon that might interest her, but she was also careful not to go too fast for Bulbasaur to keep up, as her little legs weren't made for walking long distances, and she knew that at some point she'd have to call Bulbasaur back, but for now, this will help strengthen Bulbasaur's leg muscles and endurance.

A cawing was heard, and Evelyn stopped and looked up to see a lone Spearow flying towards a nearby tree, which made her wince. She knows that Spearow always tend to travel in large groups, so there must be others nearby. What's more, they are very aggressive towards those who enter their territory, so she decides to leave the Spearow alone and walks away.

They continued along the road, admiring the wild Pokémon all around them. A pair of Pidgey hovered in the sky and a group of Mankey watched them from high up in the tree branches, nibbling fruit. Ratatta and Sentret run through the fields, it was quiet peaceful. Shortly afterwards, a nearby bushes began to rustle, attracting their attention.

"Stay on your guard, Bulbasaur, we don't know what's going to come out of the bushes." Evelyn said.

"Bulba..." Bulbasaur nodded and stepped in front of Evelyn.

They didn't have long to wait, as a small quadruped Pokémon appeared from the bushes. It has large, prickly ears, oversized front teeth, red eyes and whiskers on each cheek. It is light blue with several darker blue spots. Its back is covered with small spines and it has a small frontal horn. The little Pokémon looked around, and once it had spotted them, it took up a fighting stance.

"Woah! A Nidoran!" Evelyn said, before taking her Pokédex out.

"Nidoran (f), the Poison Pin Pokémon. Although not very combative, it will torment its foes with poison spikes if it is threatened in any way."

"Hmm... we'll have to watch out for these spikes." She muttered to herself. "All right, Bulbasaur uses Tackle!"

Bulbasaur lunges at Nidoran and lands a hit that knocks her back, but Nidoran isn't out of it yet as she goes on the attack and claws Bulbasaur in the face, causing her to shake her head in pain.

"Oh, no..." She said, and noticed Nidoran charging at Bulbasaur with her horn glowing purple. "Quick, use Growl!"

Bulbasaur sends a roar at Nidoran, which works as Nidoran stops her attack and winces at the sound. Evelyn gave Nidoran no time to recover and ordered Bulbasaur to use Tackle again, and once more Bulbasaur struck Nidoran while she was still recovering from the Growl, knocking her against a nearby tree.

Nidoran tries to get up, but struggles, which Evelyn took the opportunity to tossed one of her Pokéball, landing a direct hit on the Nidoran's forehead, capturing her. Evelyn and Bulbasaur watches with anticipation as it shook once, then twice, then three times before coming to a halt. There was a loud ding and a moment of silence, during which a big smile appeared on Evelyn's face.

"Yes, we did it!" Evelyn cheered, as she goes to retrieved her newly caught Pokémon. Bulbasaur cheered along with her trainer, happy to gain a new friend. But she then collapsed on the floor, exhausted.

"Oh, no Bulbasaur!" She run towards her down starter. "Are you okay?"

"Bulba..."

Evelyn gently rubbed Bulbasaur's head. "You must be exhausted from walking and battling, huh?"

Bulbasaur grunts softly, Evelyn sighs, she knows they still have a good way to go before reaching Viridian City and taking a little break wouldn't hurt. So she puts down her backpack, opens it and takes out two bowls, some Pokémon food and a potion.

"We'll take a short break, regain our energy, and I'll heal you both, which should be enough until we get to the Pokémon Center." Evelyn said.

Bulbasaur nods and uses her vines to take the bowls from Evelyn's hands and place them on the floor while Evelyn releases Nidoran. Little Nidoran looked around, confused, before spotting Evelyn crouching down to her's level.

"Hi, Nidoran." Evelyn said softly, holding out her free hand for Nidoran to smell. Nidoran hesitated at first before starting to sniff her hand a little and let out a squeak as she began to nuzzle her hand, careful not to prick her new trainer with her horn. Which made Evelyn giggle. "Okay, now I need to take a good look at you."

Nidoran stays put and lets Evelyn inspect her. During the inspection, she notices a mark on Nidoran's back, probably where she crashed into the tree. "Okay, it may sting a little." She warns and starts spraying the potion on Nidoran's back, which made her wince, a minute later, she was done. "And done, you should feel better now."

Nidoran let out a squeak and nuzzled Evelyn's leg to show her appreciation. Evelyn then turns to Bulbasaur and beckons her to come closer, which she does.

"Okay, now it's your turn.." She told Bulbasaur. "You will have to close your eyes until I tell you otherwise, okay?"

Bulbasaur grunts before closing her eyes, and Evelyn immediately starts spraying the potion, as Nidoran had done before, Bulbasaur winces too. A minute later, she had finished. "Done, you can open your eyes now." She said, and as she puts the potion back in her backpack, Bulbasaur and Nidoran begin to get acquainted.

Evelyn takes the Pokémon food and starts putting a little into each bowl. Once done, she call them over, Bulbasaur and Nidoran immediately stop playing and approach their bowls, and start eating. They cried out in delight as they enjoyed the food.

"I'm glad you're enjoying the food." Evelyn said as she wasn't sure they would have liked the food she had prepared with her mother. She returned to her backpack to get a sandwich that her mother had prepared this morning.

While enjoying her sandwich, she decided to take out her Pokédex to scan Nidoran and find out more about her. She learn that Nidoran knows the move Scratch, Poison Sting and Growl, nothing special but what surprises her was Nidoran's ability, which was not the usual one, since it was Hustle. Which would explain why Bulbasaur took more damage from the Scratch attack, she thought, and began to take note of the training she could do with Nidoran to better prepare for the first Gym.

5 minutes later, they had finished eating and Evelyn was tidying up. Once this was done, she called them both back, deciding to continue on her own, wanting to let them rest. She continued her journey without incident, a few Pokémon appearing here and there and looking curiously in her direction, but nothing caused her any trouble.

As she walked, she suddenly heard many angry cawing sounds heading in her direction, She looked up and paled as she saw a huge flock of Spearows heading towards her. She immediately ducked behind a tree to avoid being targeted. She peeks out and sees the Spearow continuing on their way, as if in pursuit of something or someone...

Once she'd determined that the coast was clear, she stepped out from behind the tree. Unfortunately, her relief was short-lived, as a cawing sound was heard behind her. She turned and cursed as she saw the lone Spearow hovering.

"Spearow!" It suddenly lunges at Evelyn, startling her, but she manages to dodge the attack. Evelyn clicks her tongue in annoyance, knowing she can't leave without a fight.

"Bulbasaur, I choose you!" Evelyn called, sending out her Pokémon.

Bulbasaur grunts as she looked at her opponent.

"It's going to be a tough battle, but I know-" Spearow didn't let Evelyn finish as it was already on the offensive. "Quick, dodge!"

Bulbasaur manages to dodge Spearow's fury attack.

"Alright, now, use Tackle!"

Bulbasaur charges Spearow and manages to hit him before he can dodge, knocking Spearow to the ground. Unfortunately, Spearow recovers and a gleam appears in his eyes, causing Bulbasaur to take a step back.

"Snap out of it!" Evelyn called out.

Bulbasaur shakes her head, snapping out from Spearow Leer attack. While Bulbasaur was recovering, Spearow was back on the attack and advancing rapidly towards Bulbasaur, Evelyn quickly ordered to dodge the attack, but unfortunately it was too late as Spearow managed to hit Bulbasaur with a peck attack.

"Oh no!" Evelyn gasped. "Bulbasaur are you okay?"

Bulbasaur stood up slowly and nodded to her trainer.

"Alright! Now use your vines and wrap them around Spearow!"

"Bulb?!" Bulbasaur was startled by the order.

"You have to trust me." She said as Bulbasaur hesitates a little, before complying.

She launches her vines at Spearow, who dodges them, but doesn't give in and continues her relentless assault. After a while, she finally manages to capture Spearow in her vines, while Spearow begins to struggle, trying to free itself.

"Now, throw Spearow at the tree!" Evelyn called out.

Bulbasaur complied and threw Spearow at the tree with all her might. Spearow didn't have time to recover as he was hurled through the air, and it was immediately knocked once it had struck the tree. Evelyn took one of her Pokéballs and threw it at Spearow, capturing it. Unlike Nidoran, they didn't have to wait, as the Pokéball dinged almost instantly.

"Alright! We caught a Spearow!" Evelyn cheered and immediately retrieves her Pokéball. She then turns to Bulbasaur, thanking her and recalling her, before continuing on her way.

20 minutes later, she was running in the rain, trying to use the trees as cover. As she ran, she suddenly saw a flash of lightning in the direction she was running, and then, immediately afterwards, a huge thunderclap that lit up everything in the vicinity. This sparks her curiosity and she wonders what could have caused it.

By the time she arrived on the scene, the rain had stopped and the cloud had dissipated. She looks around and sees two figures in the middle of the road, and a charred bicycle on the side. She jogged towards the figures and gasped when she saw who it was.

She gets down on her knees and shakes the teen. "Ash? Ash?"

Ash begins to regain consciousness and open his eyes. "Evie?"

"Are you okay? What happened?" Evelyn asked, concerned.

"I'm fine..." Ash said as he began to sit up. But, Evelyn doesn't seems to be convinced. "Pikachu? Where's Pikachu?" He asked, worried.

"He's right here." Evelyn said, with concern in her voice, pointing to his right. "But he doesn't look well. He'll need immediate care."

Ash carefully took Pikachu in his arm. "Don't worry, we'll get you to a Pokémon Center in no time." He tells Pikachu, who cries out faintly. Evelyn smiled, softly, before catching a glimpse of something in the sky.

"Huh? What's that?" Evelyn wondered, as Ash and Pikachu looked up to see the unknown Pokémon Evelyn had spotted. They watch in awe as the Pokémon disappears into the clouds.

Shortly afterwards, they carried on and finally arrived in Viridan City...

That's it for now. I welcome any suggestions for Pokémon you'd like Evelyn to capture, but I wanted to let you know that I already have an idea of some of the Pokémon she'll be capturing in the future.

Bulbasaur (F) Overgrow -Tackle, Vine Whip, Growl-

Nidoran (F) Hustle -Scratch, Poison Sting, Growl-

Spearow (M) Keen Eye -Peck, Fury Attack, Leer-

Pokémon at Prof. Oak:

-None Currently-

Chapter Text

Enjoy the chapter!

Evelyn and Ash rushed through the streets of Viridian City, trying to get to the Pokémon Center as quickly as possible. Luckily for them, the streets weren't too busy at this hour.

"We should soon arrive at the Pokémon Center." Evelyn said.

"Hold on, Pikachu, we're almost there..." Ash reassured his Pokémon, who sadly couldn't responded.

"Stop right there you two!"

A voice startled them as they felt something grabbing onto the back of their jacket or hoodie in Evelyn's case. They turned to see the person who had grabbed them, who turned out to be a police officer.

"Oh... Hello, Officer Jenny, is there any-"

"Where do you think you two are going with that Pokémon?" Officer Jenny asked.

"It's my Pokémon and he's hurt! We gotta get it to the Pokémon Center right away!" Ash said, Officer Jenny's face softened as she noticed the injured Pikachu.

"Oh, I'm sorry! I thought you two were stealing that Pikachu. Now, just show me your IDs, and you may go."

"ID? Ugh... We don't have any. You see-" Ash said, but was interrupted by Evelyn.

"Of course, we do! Didn't Professor Oak told you that our Pokédex can act as an ID?" Evelyn asked, Ash was surprised at this before shaking his head negatively, which made Evelyn frown and wonder why Professor Oak hadn't told him. The mention of Professor Oak and the Pokédex caught Officer Jenny's attention...

"Ah ha! A Pokédex! Now that makes things easier." Officer Jenny smiled, "Hand over your Pokédex so I can verify your identity."

Evelyn quickly reached into her bag and pulled out her Pokédex, handing it to Officer Jenny. The officer took the Pokédex and pressed a few buttons, until it spoke.

"I'm Dexter. A Pokédex programmed by Professor Oak for Pokémon Trainer Evelyn White of the town of Pallet. My function is to provide Evelyn with information and advice regarding Pokémon and their training. If lost or stolen, I cannot be replaced."

Ash then took his and handed it to the officer, and proceeded to do what she had done with Evelyn's Pokédex, smiling once their identities had been verified.

"Well, everything is in order, you may go." Officer Jenny said, as a thoughtful look appeared on her face. "You know, you two are the third and fourth person I've seen today from Pallet Town."

"Third and fourth... That means Gary has already been here." Ash muttered, annoyed.

"Ash! Focus, we need to get Pikachu to the Pokémon Center immediately." Evelyn said.

"Don't worry, I'll get the two of you there in no time at all." Officer Jenny assured them, much to their confusion.

They got their answer once she took them into the garage, where stood a motorcycle, with a sidecar on the right. They took their seats, Evelyn having to sit on Ash's lap as the sidecar was made for one, which made them both blush.

"Alright, kids. Sit back, hold on, and don't yell." Officer Jenny said. With that, the garage door then opened and she quickly exited the garage, causing them to yelp at the sudden movement.

They were glad that Officer Jenny had offered them a lift, as it would get them to their destination much more quickly than if they'd gone on foot. But what they didn't know was that they had left behind a girl who had just arrived and was holding a charred bicycle...

The sun was slowly setting as they approached the Pokémon Center. The breeze brushed Evelyn's face as she held Pikachu gently against her, with Ash clinging to her waist.

"There it is!" Officer Jenny said, they look up and see the red building in front of them with a symbol that looks like a Pokéball.

"Woah! The Pokémon Center is gigantic!" Ash said.

As they approached, Evelyn noticed they weren't slowing down.

"Um... Officer Jenny, shouldn't we slow down?" Evelyn asked.

"You wanted to get there quickly." Officer Jenny said. "This is going to be tricky... So, hold on!"

They were confused by what she meant, but then their eyes widened as she picked up speed. They both yelped in surprise as they suddenly found themselves in the air, before skidding past the entrance and coming to a halt near the reception desk.

"We have a driveway, you know!" They heard a voice scolding Officer Jenny, they looked up and saw Nurse Joy glaring at Officer Jenny.

"My friend Pikachu needs immediate care." Evelyn explained why Jenny had ignored the driveway, Nurse Joy's expression softens as she look at them and noticed Pikachu.

"A Pikachu... We'll do what we can. I need a stretcher for a small electric Pokémon, stat!" Nurse Joy called, tapping on the computer as her assistant came out with a stretcher, she placed Pikachu on the stretcher before turning to them. "Are there any other Pokémon in need of intensive care?"

"No, but my Pokémon will need some treatment." Evelyn said, taking out her Pokéball and handing them to Nurse Joy, who nods. Nurse Joy then turns to Chansey, while placing the Pokéballs on a small tray.

"Rush this Pikachu to the critical care unit. As for these Pokémon, to the medical room, a check-up will do." Nurse Joy orders, putting on pink gloves as another Chansey arrives with a tray containing medical tools. "We'll begin treatment right away!"

"Uh..." Ash was about to say something but was interrupted by Nurse Joy.

"Who are you?"

"Their names are Evelyn and Ash. They're both from Pallet Town. He's Pikachu trainer as well." Officer Jenny answered.

"You have to be more responsible, young man." Nurse Joy scolded Ash. "You don't let your Pokémon battle till he's in this condition."

"But I didn't. We were chased by a flock of Spearow from the outskirts of Pallet Town."

"Well, thank you for telling me, but what's past is past. Now we have to heal your Pikachu." Nurse Joy said softly.

"What can we do?" Ash asked.

"Just leave everything to me." Nurse Joy said, Ash bow slightly.

"It's in your hands. I know you'll give them excellent care." Officer Jenny said, earning a smile back from the nurse.

"You got him here just in time."

"That's my job." Officer Jenny said, before realizing she parked her motorcycle at the reception. "Oh my goodness. I left my motorcycle parked at the front desk!"

"Next time use the driveway." Nurse Joy said, the Officer laughs nervously before she leaves the Pokémon Center. She then turns to Evelyn and Ash. "Ash. Evelyn. You'll have to wait in the waiting room."

"Can't I...? Ash tried to asked but the emergency room door closed. He slumps into a nearby chair, while Evelyn sits next to him and place a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"I really messed up... didn't it I?" Ash asked.

Evelyn sighed. "Yes, you did. But at least you recognize that what you did was wrong, and can learn from it and be more mindful in the future."

"Yeah, I know..." Ash sighed, before standing up. "I'm going to call home."

Evelyn looked at him with concern, and wondered if she'd waited for him instead of going off on her own, if what had happened would have happened. She sighs before heading for one of the phone booths to call home.

The phone rang for a few moments until someone answered.

"Hello, this is the White residence."

"Hello, mom." Evelyn said.

When her mother heard her voice, she squealed with delight and the screen changed to show Alice with her glasses on, meaning she was probably grading her students.

"Hi, honey, is everything okay? Where are you?" Alice asked.

"I've just arrived at the Viridian City Pokémon Center with Ash." Evelyn replied.

"Oh, Ash managed to catch up with you?" Evelyn nodded. "And you've already arrived in Viridian City? You know, it took me two days to get there when I had gone on my own journey. Your father will be so proud to hear how you're doing." Alice said, with a smile.

"Speaking of, where is he?"

"Oh! He's not home at the moment, since he got a call from his sister earlier asking for help back at the reserve."

"What happened? Are the Charizard okay?" Evelyn asked, concerned.

"Everything's okay, it's just that the mating season has started and Liza's going to need some help, which is why she called your father." Alice answered.

"Oh, I'm glad... Anyway, I'll talk to you later, I'm going to go and check on Ash." Evelyn said.

"All right, good night and I love you!"

"Love you too!" Evelyn said, ending the call and walked towards Ash. She heard the end of their conversation.

"And are you changing your underwear every day?"

"Mom..."

Evelyn giggles. "We are still the same day, Mrs Ketchum, but I will remind him tomorrow morning." Ash buries his face in his hand, embarrassed.

"Oh, right.. Well then, I'm leaving him to you, Evelyn. Good night you two. Love you, Ash!" Delia said.

"Me too, good night, mom."

"Night Mrs. Ketchum."

Ash ended the call, and the room fell silent for a moment, until he noticed something.

"Hey, Evie, look over there!" Ash called out, making her look at what he was pointing at. It was a large portrait of four Pokémon, one of them she recognized as Arcanine while two of them since to be the legendary birds she had read about, but what caught her attention was the last one.

"Doesn't that one look like the Pokémon we saw earlier?" Ash asked.

"Yes it does..." Evelyn nodded. "But I think it's just Articuno since the other two legendary birds are there."

"Yeah..." Ash nodded in agreement. Suddenly, they hear a ringing tone from the computer.

Ring-Ring-Ring! Ring-Ring-Ring! Phone Call! Phone Call! Ring-Ring-Ring! Phone Call!

They looked at each other, wondering who could be calling at such an hour. Ash went behind the desk and answered the call.

"This is Ash and Evelyn. Who's calling?" Ash asked.

"Here! I'm over here!"

A familiar voice caught their attention and turn around to see the portrait moves to reveal a that show them the back of a familiar head.

"It's Professor Oak. Don't you two recognize me?" He asked, much to their confusion.

"No, I don't think anyone would recognize you from the back of your head." Ash said.

"Eh!?" He turned around and realized his mistake. "Oops! Wrong camera!" The screen then changes, allowing them to see the professor face-to-face. "There. I just spoke with both of your mother and they told me you both have made it to the Pokémon Center in Viridian City. Is that correct?"

"How else could you talk to us right now? You dialed the number for the Viridian City Pokémon Center, right?" Evelyn asked.

"Ah... yes... you're right. I've contacted this number, haven't I?" Professor Oak laughed nervously before clearing his throat. "As I was going to say, the other new Pokémon trainers made it there with no problem. And I'm pleasantly surprised that you managed to get there so quickly, too. I must admit at first I had doubts that you could handle your Pikachu." Which Evelyn understood his doubts, with what Ash had told her about the way Pikachu behaved with him. "But when my grandson, Gary, said that you wouldn't have a single new Pokémon by the time you got to Viridian City. I bet him a million dollars that he'd be wrong."

Evelyn was flabbergasted. "This is a joke right?" She blurted out.

Professor Oak laughed nervously. "Ahem... Of course it was..."

"Hum, Professor? That's not all that happened. We both saw a flying Pokémon just like that one!" Ash pointed at the picture. "It flew right over the rainbow!"

"Don't talk such nonsense. You couldn't have seen this Pokémon! Trainers have search their whole lives and never seen it." Professor Oak said in disbelief.

"But Professor he's not lying." Evelyn said. "I saw it too, it was a bird in rainbow colors. The Pokédex couldn't even identify what kind of Pokémon it was."

"That can't be..." Professor Oak frowned, when they suddenly hear a doorbell ringing from his side. "Ah! That must be my Pizza! Coming!" Professor Oak left the screen before returning for a moment. "It was very nice talking to you, Ash and Evelyn. And good luck to you both." He once again left and they can hear him sigh. "Mmm... Anchovy, spinach and pineapple pizza..."

Evelyn grimaced. "The professor has very strange tastes in pizza..."

But before Ash could say anything, a voice from behind them startled them.

"NOW I'VE GOT YOU!"

They turned to see a tomboyish girl with orange hair glaring at Ash as she was carrying on her back a very burnt bike.

"I knew I'd find you here!" The girl snarled, still glaring at Ash... Evelyn was confused, while Ash, on the other hand, doesn't seem to remember what happened as he gasped at the sighed of the bike.

"Ash... What did do you do?" Evelyn asked, wondering what he'd left out.

"You want to know what happened!?" The girl asked, angrily. "I will tell you what happened, that little loser stole my bike to save his Pokémon! And this is the result! Now, I- AH!"

Just before she could finish her sentence, she fell over due to the weight of the bike. They rushed over to check up on her, as Ash tried to help her.

"Let me help you." Ash said, only to have his hand slapped away by her.

"I don't your help and you're gonna pay for what you did to my bike."

Ash steps back, looking remorseful. "I'll make up for it. I promise I will, really. But I can't do anything about your bike until..."

"I don't want any of your lame excuses, kid! I just want a new bike right now!" She yelled angrily, clenching her fist.

"Okay, that's enough." Evelyn interrupts.

"Stay out of this, it's got nothing to do with you!"

"Oh, I know it has nothing to do with me. But that doesn't give you the right to threaten him over something replaceable. And this is neither the time nor the place for that, especially as his Pikachu is in critical condition." Evelyn said.

This seems to have halted her, as her face softens under the news.

"Is it very serious?" She asked, causing Ash to sigh sadly.

"I think so... and there's nothing we can do to help now..."

Suddenly, the light from the operating room goes out, and Nurse Joy emerges from the room with Ash's pikachu on a trolleys, along with tree Pokéballs on a tray. They quickly made their way towards her.

"Pikachu? Are you alright?" Ash asked.

"Your Pikachu's resting. It's a good thing you got him here so fast, the procedure went well and he should be fine." Nurse Joy informs Ash, before turning to Evelyn and handing over her Pokémon. "As for your Bulbasaur and Nidoran, they suffered no serious injury, so they're fine. Unfortunately, your Spearow had a broken wing, which I was able to treat, but he'll have to recuperate for the next two weeks, which unfortunately means he won't be able to train nor battle."

"Thank you for letting me know." Evelyn said, taking the Pokéballs from the nurse's hand.

"Yes, thank you very much." Ash nods to the nurse.

"Now, your Pikachu needs a good rest in the recovery room. It would be best if you went with him, Ash." Nurse joy said.

"Thanks." Ash nods, and turns to the girl. "Listen, I'm sorry about your bike but I'm gonna need some time to make things right."

The girl glared. "No way! I fell for that last time. You take care of your Pikachu and we'll settle this later."

But just as they are about to take Pikachu to the recovery room, an alarm sounds, drawing their attention as they hear Officer Jenny make an announcement.

"Your attention, please! Our Viridian City radar systems have detected an aircraft belonging to a gang of Pokémon thieves. If you have a Pokémon in your possession, exercise extreme caution."

Shortly after the announcement, they heard glass shattering and a thud as two Pokémon appeared. One of them was a spherical purple Pokémon that released a huge amount of gas from its body, making everyone cough, while the second was a purple snake.

"What the... Who are they?" Ash asked.

Suddenly, they hear voices emerging from the smoke.

"Don't be frightened, little boy." A woman's voice can be heard chuckling.

"Allow us to introduced ourselves." This time, a man's voice is heard.

"Prepare for trouble!"

"Make it double!"

"To protect the world from devastation!"

"To unite all peoples within our nation!"

"To denounce the evils of truth and love!"

"To extend our reach to the stars above!"

"Jessie!"

"James!"

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

"Surrender now, or prepare to fight!"

"Meowth! That's right!"

Evelyn stared in disbelief at Meowth. "D-Did that Meowth just talk?"

"What do you want?" Ash demanded, after recovering from his coughing fit.

"What a stupid question." James sneered. "What we want is Pokémon."

"You're not getting Pikachu!" Ash said, earning a scoff from Jessie.

"Pikachu? We're not interested in your precious electric rat!"

"We seek only rare and valuable Pokémon."

Nurse Joy tried to dissuade them by pointing out this was a hospital for injured Pokémon, they shrugged her off, saying there might be a few gems among the junk.

Ash clenched his fists. "You two are really starting to bug me."

"Isn't that cute." Jessie smirked.

"The boy's bugged." James chuckled.

"Meowth, then let's squash him."

"Koffing attack," "Ekans go!" The pair instantly commanded.

At that Koffing moved in to attack spraying more of its smoke as it did so. Nurse Joy, Misty, Evelyn and Ash made a run for it pushing Pikachu's trolley with them as they ran for it from the Attacking Pokémon. Evelyn narrowly dodges, as Ekans lunges over her head.

Fortunately, they manage to escape their sight and make their way into a storage room, filled with numerous Pokéballs. As they catch their breath, the lights begin to flicker before going out.

"Hey, the lights!" The girl gasped.

"They must've cut the power..." Evelyn frowned.

"What are we gonna do now?" Ash asked.

"No need to worry. We've got our own Pika power source." Nurse Joy said, smiling in reassurance. Much to their surprise, they turned to see a group of Pikachu running together on a treadmill.

"Look at all the Pikachu." The girl said, amazed, as the lights come back on. A computer came on and Nurse Joy went to it.

"A crisis situation has arisen. Initiating Emergency Pokéball Transport sequence." The computer buzzed.

"We have to save those Pokéballs." Nurse Joy said. As the machine began to do its job, picking out Pokéballs. as it was doing that, she began to talk, trying to contact someone. "This is the Viridian City Pokémon Center! We have an emergency situation. Transporting Pokéballs."

"This is Pewter City Pokémon Center. Out-loader activated, ready to receive Pokéballs."

Transport continues, albeit at a slow pace... Suddenly, Koffing bursts through the doors and crashes into the shelves, Pokéballs all falling to the floor.

"Get those Pokéballs!" Nurse Joy called, they started to pick them up, but they struggled. Ash looked hesitant, as he picked up a Pokéball.

"Don't just hold them, throw them!" The girl said.

"Right..." Ash threw the Pokéball he'd picked up, revealing a Pidgey. But the moment it was called, it got frightened by Ekans' intimidation, causing it to shriek and fly away in fear.

"What!?"

Evelyn stepped in front of them, two Pokéballs in each hand. "I'll take care of them, and while you continue gathering the Pokéballs..." She told them. "Bulbasaur, Nidoran, I choose you!"

She sent out her Pokémon... the pair stood in front of Koffing and Ekans, ready for battle. Just as she was getting ready to called her attack, the three stooges came bursting in.

"Well... what do we have here." Jessie smirked eyeing Bulbasaur and Nidoran.

"Hand over those Pokémon brat, that's just the kind we're looking for." James demanded.

"Not going to happened, you have better chance at catching your own then getting my Pokémon from me." Evelyn said, glaring at them.

"Don't be so sure..." Meowth said.

"Go get those Pokémon, Ekans." "You too, Koffing."

"Bulbasaur, Tackle" "Nidoran, Scratch!" Evelyn called out.

They obeyed, Bulbasaur lunged at Ekans and landed a blow that sent it flying backwards, while Nidoran ran towards Koffing before jumping up and clawing his face. Ekans and Koffing both land on Jessie and James, knocking them to the ground.

"Go, get your Pikachu out of here." Evelyn told Ash, while the stooges where distracted.

Ash nodded his head and began to push Pikachu's trolley out of the room, Team Rocket took noticed...

"Ekans, after that brat!" "You as well Koffing." They ordered, as they pursue Ash.

"Hey, get back here!" Evelyn exclaimed, running after them with her Pokémon.

They reached the door to the center's entrance hall just in time to see Ash's Pikachu standing atop a pile of Pikachu... While Team Rocket groaned, motionless.

"Why do I have to do everything? That mouse is cat food, Meowth! Just wait, Pikachu. You are mine." Meowth said, walking towards Ash and Pikachu, as Ash took a step back.

"Pika Pika Pi Pika."

"Pika Pika?" Ash asked, Pikachu nodded. "Pika Pika power?" Pikachu nodded his head once more. "So you want... You want more power!"

Ash looked around and spotted the burnt bike, and without hesitation he quickly climbed onto the girl's burnt bike and started pedaling as fast as he could.

"Eh? What's this?" Meowth asked, as his eyes widened at the sight.

"Well, let's just say that Pikachu and I are gonna generate a little excitement for you, Meowth." Ash said, as the light on the bike starts to flicker on.

"Uh?"

"Uh oh..."

"Meowth?" The trio gulped as the light began to shine even brighter. Once it did, Pikachu climbed onto the bike's light, allowing him to take energy from the light as he began to prepare for an electric attack.

"Pika... Pika... Pika... Pikachu!"

A huge Thunder Shock attack was launched at them, zapping them hard... Until the smoke from Koffing's body caused an explosion, sending the trio and their Pokémon flying through the air. Evelyn had just enough time to take cover with her Pokémon before the blast from the explosion consumed the lobby.

Time skip...

It was the following morning and, fortunately, the not so small explosion had only destroyed the main entrance and lobby, but not the rooms beyond. As a result, Evelyn, Ash and the girl each had their own room to sleep in.

Evelyn had woken early and rolled out of bed, stretching and letting out a yawn, then taken a quick shower before putting on her clothes and grabbing her backpack, then left her room to go to the cafeteria for breakfast. She walks past the entrance, where she can see dozens of men and women picking through the rubble, alongside them where Pokémon of the Machop line lifting heavy stones.

Arriving at the cafeteria, she picked up her breakfast, and some food for her Pokémon at the same time. Once at a table, Evelyn sat down and put her bag to one side before starting to divide the food for her Pokémon into separate bowls. Once this was done, she called out her Bulbasaur, Nidoran and Spearow for breakfast.

As she ate, she was soon joined by Ash and the girl from yesterday, whose name they learned was Misty. Shortly afterwards, Ash and Evelyn began preparing to leave, to continue their journey together as they had promised each other years ago.

Ash and Evelyn left the Pokémon Center, with Misty following, and headed for the Viridian forest, as this was the quickest way to their next destination, Pewter City, where they would try to earn their first badge.

Going forward, I will be skipping Team Rocket motto.

Evelyn's teams:

Bulbasaur (F) Overgrow -Tackle, Vine Whip, Growl-

Nidoran (F) Hustle -Scratch, Poison Sting, Growl-

Spearow (M) Keen Eye -Peck, Fury Attack, Leer-

Pokémon at Prof. Oak:

-None Currently-

Chapter Text

Enjoy the chapter!

Deep inside Viridian forest, all is peaceful: Pidgeys soar through the sky, Hoothoot sleeping in the trees, Weedles, Cartepies and Spinarak eating fruit. The forest was silent, or it would be if a certain redhead didn't panic every time she spotted a bug type Pokémon... But Evelyn and Ash ignore her and carry on with their conversation, that is until Misty suddenly screams and hides behind Evelyn.

Evelyn groaned. "Ugh... What is it this time?"

"Look over there!" Misty said, pointing to their left. Ash and Evelyn looked to their left and saw a small green worm-like Pokémon.

"Aww, it's just a Caterpie." Evelyn said.

"A Caterpie, huh?" Ash muttered.

"Don't just stand there! Do something!" Misty exclaimed, Evelyn sighs, exasperated.

"Alright, stand back. I'm gonna catch that Caterpie." Ash said, as he took out one of his Pokéball. "You are mine, Caterpie!" He exclaimed as he threw his Pokéball at Caterpie, hitting it on the head and capturing Caterpie inside. The Pokéball shake once before a ding was heard...

A grin appears on Ash's face as he begins to cheers. "Yes! I did it!" He ran to his Pokéball and picked it up as he continued cheering. "I did it! I caught Caterpie!" Evelyn smiled seeing him so excited. He then suddenly locked arms with Misty and started running in a circle, dragging her along with him. "Woah! Hey!" She cried out as Pikachu get dizzy watching them and fell to the ground, while Evelyn shook her head.

"I'm getting dizzy! Ash, you're gonna get me sick. Quit it!" Misty yelled.

But Ash pays her no mind. "Look out, Pokémon! Nothing is gonna stop me now!" He declared loudly.

After finally freeing herself from Ash's grip, she gave him an annoyed look. "Ash, you're acting like a-" Misty was cut off by Ash shoving the Pokéball right to her face.

"Look! Inside this Pokéball is the very first Pokémon I ever caught!" Ash exclaimed, still excited from his first catch, while Misty frowned in disgust.

"Great! Just keep it away from me, will ya." Misty pleaded.

"You're not afraid of a little Caterpie in a Poké Ball, are you?" Ash teased her.

"Bugs get me all bugged out! Even when they're in a Pokéball. just keep it away!"

Ash and Evelyn exchange a look for a moment before he walks over to Pikachu, who is still on the ground.

"Hey, Pikachu!" Ash called out, causing Pikachu to stand up and turn to see Ash coming over to him. "Look! We've got a new friend." He said, as Pikachu sniffed the Pokéball before letting out a cry of joy, showing that he was happy to have a new friend. "I'm glad you like it." He said before standing up. "From now on we'll catch a whole bunch of new friends."

Evelyn smiled. "That's right, any new Pokémon we capture are going to be our friend."

Ash smiled before he looked at his Pokéball. "Caterpie, you're sticking with us."

Misty tensed and turned around. "W-What do you mean?"

"Caterpie, come out!"

Ash let out his Caterpie from his Pokéball, and as soon as he did, Misty let out a shriek of horror and fled, hiding behind a tree in the distance. Caterpie tilted his head as Ash knelt down to his level.

"Come on, Caterpie, climb up on my shoulder." Ash said.

Caterpie nodded and, just as he was about to climb, he saw something in the distance. He let out an excited shriek and took off immediately, dashing past Ash, Evelyn and Pikachu.

"Hey, Caterpie, come back!" Ash called, as a scream of terror was heard, they turned towards it and saw Caterpie rubbing his head against Misty's leg. "Hey, Misty! Seems Caterpie really like you, isn't that cute?"

"Get this disgusting bug away from me!"

Caterpie doesn't seem to care as he gets closer to her, prompting her to back away from him.

"P-Please don't come any closer to me." Misty pleaded, backing herself against a tree.

"What? You think Caterpie is disgusting?" Ash asked, sounding offended. Evelyn frowned when she noticed the sad look on Caterpie's face, which prompted her and Pikachu to approach him. Pikachu gave him pat on the back to provide some comfort, while Evelyn gently rubbed his head.

"Hey, don't listen to her. You're not disgusting and I know one day you will become a beautiful Butterfree." Evelyn said, it made Caterpie feel better, and he began to rub his head against Evelyn's hand, causing her to giggle.

Ash approached them, while Misty yelled. "Get that bug inside its Pokéball!"

Ash frowned. "No." Before kneeling down beside Evelyn. "Come on, Caterpie, climb up on my shoulder." Caterpie climbs onto his shoulder and they stand up. "You're not gonna scare Misty anymore."

"What do you mean, he won't scare me?" Misty asked, a bit confused.

"We'll go on without her!" Ash said, before grabbing Evelyn's hand. "Come on, Evie!" He dragged Evelyn along with him with Caterpie on his shoulder and Pikachu following close behind.

10 minutes later, as they walked, Evelyn felt like they were being followed. She looked behind her and spotted Misty following them, she was the only one as even Pikachu notice her.

"Pika, Pika Pi!"

"What's it?" Ash asked, as they stopped. Pikachu pointed behind them.

"Pika, Pikachu."

They look behind them and see Misty, attempting to hide behind a tree upon being caught, but it's too late...

"Why are you following us?" Ash demanded.

"My bike! I'm holding you responsible for my bike!" Misty answered.

Evelyn groaned. 'Oh god, not again...' she thought.

"And I've already told you that I'll pay you back whenever I can!"

The arguing between them intensified, which began to give Evelyn a headache. She sighs before walking away, Pikachu looks at them then at Evelyn before deciding to follow her, Ash stops arguing once he notices them walking away.

"Hey, were are you going!?" Ash asked, Evelyn stopped and turned around.

"Well, I'm not going to stand by and watch you two argue, or we'll never get out of Viridian Forest."

Ash and Misty looked at each other, before turning away with a 'hmph'...

Later on...

It was getting late and by then, Evelyn, Ash and Misty had managed to make quite a bit of distance once they'd stopped arguing. Evelyn stopped when they reached a clearing near a lake, deciding this was a good place to spend the night.

"Ash, can you help Misty set up the tents while I make dinner?" Evelyn asked, Ash grumbled a little before going to help Misty set up the tents. She lit a small fire before taking out a pot and some ingredients to prepare a soup.

15 minutes later, they have finished setting up the tents just in time, as they can smell the soup that Evelyn is cooking.

"This smells amazing." Misty said.

Evelyn thanked her, before taking out three bowls and began to split the portions, as there was more than enough for them, she even gave a small portion to Pikachu. They ate their dinner and were even able to have a conversation without Ash or Misty starting another argument, which allowed Evelyn to learn about Misty. She learned that she was an aspiring Water Pokémon master and that she currently had three Water Pokémon on her, but she was more hesitant when asked where she was from, and tried to change the subject.

It wasn't long before they finished dinner, and Misty decided to go to bed early, leaving Ash and Evelyn to do the dishes. Once this was done, they decided to get some sleep, as tomorrow would be a long day, as they still had a long way to go before reaching Pewter City.

"Good night guys." Evelyn said as she entered her tent.

"Night." Ash replied.

"Pika!"

The next morning...

Evelyn awoke early in the morning, getting ready as best she could before stepping out of her tent, and noticed that she was the first to wake up. Before starting a training session to get ready for the first gym, she decided to have some breakfast first.

5 minutes later, she was standing in front of her Pokémon, ready for their training session, only to sigh when she saw Spearow messing with his bandage.

"Hey, stop messing with your bandage, I told you have to keep it on for a better recovery." Evelyn said.

"Spear." Spearow turns his head away.

Evelyn sighed, before clearing her throat. "Alright, guys, today we are going to start preparing for our very first Gym battle." Which got her some excited cried. "I'll be focusing mainly on Bulbasaur and Nidoran, but Nidoran in particular, as I'd like you to learn a move that will be beneficial for the battle. Unfortunately, Spearow will have to stay on the sidelines as you're still recovering and can't fight or train."

Spearow looked down in disappointment as Bulbasaur used her vine to pat him on the back.

"Okay, first off, Bulbasaur I would like for you to lift those rock using your vines." She said, pointing to some nearby rocks. "With this exercise, you'll not only be able to lift Pokémon and heavier objects in the long term, but your vines will also be more powerful. But don't strain yourself too much if you start having trouble, take a break, okay? I wouldn't want you to hurt yourself."

"Bulb!" Bulbasaur nods, walks toward the rock and immediately begins her exercise.

Evelyn smiled and turned to Nidoran. "The move I'd like you to learn is called Double Kick, and it's a Fighting-type move." She explained. "I'm not going to lie, it's going to be tough and it's going to hurt."

Nidoran nodded in understanding, but her resolve to learn this new move remained unshaken.

"First of all, we're going to start with a tree, and what I want you to do is kick it with your legs, while alternating between right and left. Do you think you can do that?" Evelyn asked.

"Nido." Nidoran nodded, before running to a nearby tree and kicking it one time but failed the second kick.

"Well done on your first attempt! If you persevere, you'll learn it in no time." She praised Nidoran, she then picks up Spearow, puts him on her shoulder and begins to supervise their training, but unbeknownst to them, something is watching them from the lake...

30 minutes later, Nidoran and Bulbasaur had made good progress, Nidoran now being able to kick twice without failing. As they continue their exercises, they are suddenly interrupted by Ash, who was walking towards them with Misty trailing him with an unreadable look.

"Hey, Evie! What are you doing?" Ash asked.

"I'm training in preparation for the first Gym." Evelyn answered. "Speaking of, what are you gonna do?"

"Huh? What do you mean?"

"I mean, do you have a plan on how you're going to tackle the gym?" Evelyn asked.

"No, but I know that Pikachu and I are going to win it!" Ash smiled, Misty looked at him like he was an idiot while Evelyn sighed, she should have known he was going to go in headfirst without any planning

"Ash, you know that the first gym is a Rock type gym, which means that with the Pokémon you currently have, you don't have much chance of winning."

"Oh man... Is there anything I could do?" Ash asked.

Evelyn thought for a second before something occurred to her. "There's a move Pikachu can learn that could give you an edge for the gym."

"Wait! Really? What is it?"

"It's a Steel-type move called Iron Tail." Evelyn answered. "In which a Pokémon builds up enough energy in its tail to transform it into steel."

"And how will Pikachu learn this move?"

"Well, the first thing to do is to strengthen Pikachu's tail." Evelyn said, then went on to explain an exercise that can help.

Moments later, Pikachu was lifting a rock with his tail, while Ash was doing push-ups behind him, encouraging him. This makes Evelyn giggle, but as they continue their exercises, they're interrupted by the sound of splashing from the lake. They turned just in time to see something jumping out of the water, the Pokémon spun on its back before leaping into the air and landing on the ground, arm crossed.

"Woah! Who's that Pokémon?" Ash asked, while Evelyn took out her Pokédex.

"Marill, the Aqua Mouse Pokémon. The end of its tail serves as a buoy that keeps it from drowning, even in a vicious current."

"Aww, it's so cute! I want to catch it!" Misty gushed at Marill.

"Marill, Ma, Marill!" Marill crosses its arm several times in an X-shape.

"I don't think it want you to catch it." Ash said, as Misty hung her head, dejected by the refusal.

"I wonder what does it want?" Evelyn said, Marill turns to her and smiles, which confuses her.

"Marill, Marill, Ma, Marill." Marill pointed at Evelyn, then started punching the air rapidly and finished with a beckoning gesture.

Evelyn smiled. "Well, I'm not one to back down from a challenge." She said, stepping forward. "And it'll be a good opportunity for Nidoran."

"Nido!" Nidoran ran in front of her trainer ready for battle.

But before Evelyn could announce a move, Marill was already on the move, sending a jet of water at Nidoran.

"Dodge!" Evelyn called. "Then use Scratch!"

Nidoran dodges the Water Gun attack and runs towards Marill, but before she can attack, Marill curls up, blocking the Scratch attack. But Marill wasn't done yet, as she spun and rolled towards Nidoran, taking her by surprise and knocking her backwards with the sheer force of the attack.

Evelyn frowns when she sees Rollout, which will make the battle more difficult. Then she saw Marill continue the assault, advancing rapidly towards Nidoran.

"Nidoran, Dodge! Then use Double Kick!"

Nidoran leaps into the air, dodging the roll, then kicks Marill before spinning around and kicking Marill a second time, throwing it into a tree. Evelyn is delighted to see Nidoran successfully land a Double Kick attack.

"All right, let's finish off with a Scratch attack!" Evelyn called out, Nidoran rushes at Marill, but before she can attack, Marill sends a jet of water at Nidoran, knocking her backwards. Evelyn clicked her tongue, she should have known it wouldn't be easy. "Nidoran, Poison Sting!"

Nidoran recovers from Marill's attack and immediately goes on the offensive. As she runs, her horn begins to glow purple, and she manages to land a blow before Marill can counterattack. And the attack seems to have been effective, as Marill was struggling to get up, Evelyn took the opportunity to throw one of her Pokéballs, which hit Marill in the head.

The Pokéball shakes as everyone holds their breath and, after a few moments, it stops and a "ding" is heard. Evelyn smiled as she began to cheers, before fetching her Pokéball. Ash smiles, happy for his best friend, while Pikachu joins in the cheering with Evelyn and Misty is bummed she couldn't catch Marill.

Ash was about to congratulate Evelyn, but had to bend down when something descended from above and landed in the grassy field. They turned to see a bird-like Pokémon with a red crest on its head.

"Woah! A Pidgeotto!" Ash said, taking out his Pokédex.

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

"Alright, Pidgeotto. I'll show you who's the dangerous one around here." Ash said, pulling out one of his pokéballs.

"Wait, Ash!" Evelyn exclaimed, but it was too late as Ash threw the Pokéball, only for Pidgeotto to slap it away. "You can't just throw a Pokéball to capture a Pokémon, you need to weaken it first." She explained.

"The only reason you caught Caterpie was because it was already a weak Pokémon." Misty added.

"I know what I'm doing and you better quit picking on Caterpie, ok!?" Ash snapped back at Misty. "And now, if you'd kindly keep your big mouth shut, you'll see how it's done." He said, as he picked up Caterpie's Pokéball. "Caterpie, go!"

He sent out his Caterpie to battle, at hearing Caterpie's name, Evelyn and Misty eyes widened in shock and disbelief.

"What!?"

"Ash! You better called Caterpie back!" Evelyn yelled.

"Huh? Did I do something wrong?"

But before Evelyn could answered a shriek caught their attention as they all turned to see Pidgeotto chasing after Caterpie.

"Ah! Caterpie!" Ash gasped.

"This is exactly why I told you to call him back, any Bug types like Caterpie are essentially food for an evolved bird Pokémon like this Pidgeotto." Evelyn said, as Pidgeotto dove down from above to catch Caterpie, only for her to miss barely. But Pidgeotto doesn't gave up as she continued to chase Caterpie.

"Caterpie, counterattack!" Ash said desperately. Caterpie tried to stand up for himself, only for it to be futile as Pidgeotto bashed him away. The attack knocked Caterpie straight into a nearby tree, causing him to groan in pain. At seeing her prey cornered, Pidgeotto dove for Caterpie, while Ash looked on in distraught.

"Ash! Don't just stand there! Call him back!" Evelyn yelled, Ash shakes his head and he immediately took out Caterpie's pokéball.

"Caterpie, return!" Ash said quickly, the red beam of the Pokéball sucked Caterpie inside just in time, causing Pidgeotto to hit her beak on the tree. While she struggled to get free, Ash turned to his Pikachu. "Pikachu, go!"

Pikachu rushed into the battle, at which point Pidgeotto managed to free herself and fly into the air. This gave Ash the perfect opportunity to strike back.

"Pikachu, use Thundershock!" Ash called out, Pikachu follows the order and throws a lightning bolt at Pidgeotto, stunning it long enough for Ash to throw another Pokéball. "Pokéball, go!"

He throws the Pokéball at Pidgeotto, and they watch as it sucks Pidgeotto inside. Once inside, the Pokéball begins to shake, shaking several times before stopping.

"Yes! We caught Pidgeotto!" Ash cheered as he made a peace sign with Pikachu imitating him, which made Evelyn giggle at Pikachu silliness.

"I'm the greatest-" Ash start to brag only for Misty to cut him off.

"No, you're not! You have no idea what you're doing! It'll be a long time before you become a Pokémon Master!" Misty snapped.

"I'm trying to-"

You should try to learn more about Pokémon first!" She cut him off again. "With Pokémon you got to use strategy! Pidgeotto is a bird! Caterpie is a worm! Birds eat worms, Mr. Pokémon Master!"

"She's right, you know." Evelyn said softly. "I know we just started, and it's okay to make mistakes. But you've got to be more careful, for your Pokémon's sake and for your own."

Ash sighed. "I understand."

Suddenly, a cackling laugh is heard, catching their attention.

"So... We meet again." A familiar voice was heard.

"That voice..." Ash muttered, as the wind blows, showing three familiar figures standing in front of the group.

"To protect the world from devastation!"

"To unite all people within our nation!"

"Ugh... not this again." Ash groaned, while Evelyn and Misty rolled their eyes.

"Meowth! That's right!"

"Thank god, it's over." Evelyn muttered.

"We're kind of busy right now, so if you could-" Ash said, only for Jessie to cut him off.

"Quiet, little boy! We're not here to listen to you. We're here to get you Pokémon."

"Hand them over!" James said.

"Hey! That's my Pikachu! Go out and find your own!" Ash complained.

"The only Pikachu we want is that one!" Jessie pointed at Pikachu.

"We're only looking for the rarest, most valuable Pokémon in the world, kid." James said as Jessie followed it up.

"And that special Pikachu is just the kind of Pokémon we need." Jessie finished, only to have Meowth angrily scratch their faces with his Fury Swipes.

"You idiots! Stop giving away all our secrets!" Meowth snapped, continuing to slash at his teammates' faces, making them shriek in pain.

Evelyn sweat dropped as she watched the scene, while Ash's eyes widened at what they said about Pikachu.

"Is my Pikachu really that special?" Ash asked.

"Your Pikachu's power has impressed even me. I really got the charge out of its incredible attack the last time we met. It's powers exceeds it's evolutionary level. Your Pikachu-" Meowth explains, but is interrupted by Jessie and James who begin to kick him several times on the floor.

"Now you're the one that's giving away all our secrets!" Jessie snapped.

"Shut up before you tell them everything!"

"I'm in charge! Cut it out!" Meowth snapped, causing them to stop as they turned back to the gang.

Jessie sneered. "Make things easier and over your Pokémon."

"You can forget about it!" Evelyn shouted.

"Then you leave us no choice." James said, as he and Jessie threw out their Pokémon, revealing once again Ekans and Koffing.

"Hey! Two against one! That's cheating!" Ash complained.

"It's not, as we'll be taking them together." Evelyn said she get ready for battle.

Jessie sneered as she flicked her hair. "Well, as we say, all's fair in love, war and Pokémon battle."

"I say that saying's rotten, and so are you."

James sneered. "Of course we are! We're the bad guys." He then gave Koffing an ordered. "Koffing, Sludge attack, now."

Koffing spat a black sludge at Pikachu, which landed right on Pikachu's face, blinding him. Taking Ash and Evelyn by surprised, he picked up Pikachu and walk over to Misty.

Evelyn clicked her tongue at the dirty play they had just done. "Bulbasaur use Vine Whip!"

"Ekans, use Bite!" Jessie immediately counterattack.

Ekans lunges at Bulbasaur with open mouth, but she dodges it by jumping over, then throws her vines at Ekans, trapping it.

"Alright! Now throw it at Koffing!"

"Bulba!" Bulbasaur cried out as she effortlessly throws Ekans at Koffing, who starts to panic, but it can't do anything as it collides with Koffing and sends them both to the ground.

Once Ash has given Pikachu to Misty so she can keep him safe, he turns to Team Rocket and Evelyn. 'I have to help Evelyn, but I can't send Caterpie since he's still weak from the last battle, which leaves me...' He thought as he took other a Pokéball.

"Pidgeotto, go!" He throws the Pokéball, releasing Pidgeotto, who flies up into the sky.

"Let's deal with those clown together." Evelyn smiled.

Ash smiled back and nodded. "Right."

"Koffing, it's grim time!" James said as Koffing begins to float in the air towards Pidgeotto. She flew around Koffing, dodging as best she could.

"Ekans! Go get your dinner!" Jessie said, at the order Ekans hissed at Pidgeotto.

"Oh no, you don't! Bulbasaur, use Tackle!" Evelyn called out, Bulbasaur charged at Ekans, catching it by surprise, knocking it back.

Seeing Ekans distracted, Ash saw his chance to strike. "Pidgeotto, use Quick Attack!" Ash called out.

Pidgeotto dive down at high speed towards Ekans. Seeing the attack coming, Jessie called another order.

"Ekans! Go underground!"

"And koffing! Use Tackle on Bulbasaur!"

Koffing dove towards Bulbasaur, but Evelyn was quicky to countered.

"Dodge! Then use your own Tackle!"

Bulbasaur dodged Koffing's attack, then hit him head-on.

"No way!" James gasped, while Ekans successfully dug under ground. This startled Pidgeotto, who stopped her attack and looked around to see where the enemy was. But at that moment, Koffing recovered from Bulbasaur's attack and floated right behind her.

"Pidgeotto! Behind you!" Ash yelled, alarming her as Koffing blows a little smoke at her. But Pidgeotto simply pushed the smoke away with her wings, and Koffing then launched a sludge attack, which she dodged.

"Bulbasaur, help Pidgeotto with a Vine Whip!" Evelyn ordered, Bulbasaur nods and prepares to launch her vines at Koffing, only for Ekans to come out from under the ground and smash her away! While Pidgeotto was beginning to have trouble dodging Koffing's attacks.

Seeing that the battle was turning in their favor, Team Rocket began to cheer. "We're gonna get a Pokémon! We're gonna get a Pokémon!" They sang out loud.

"Gust counterattack, now!" Ash yelled, Pidgeotto starts to flap her wings rapidly, sending a gust of wind at Koffing, but the latter dodges and counterattacks from behind with a tackle, but it's not over as Ekans also hits Pidgeotto, beating her. "Pigeotto, return." He returned his Pidgeotto to her Pokéball.

Bulbasaur stood up slowly, ready to battle, as Evelyn frowned. It's going to be difficult, as Bulbasaur won't be able to defeat them alone...

"Ekans, use Bite!" Jessie ordered, Ekans follows the order and launches itself at Bulbasaur.

"Bulbasaur use your vines to dodge!"

Bulbasaur leapt over Ekans with her vines, but it was a trap as Koffing attacked Bulbasaur from behind. She groaned in pain as she was knocked to the ground. Evelyn gasped and immediately returned Bulbasaur back into her Pokéball.

"Well, guess you have no choice, now! Give us your Pikachu and your Pokémon and watch Team Rocket win!" Jessie demanded.

Evelyn gritted her teeth, not knowing what to do as Spearow was in no shape to battle and Nidoran and Marill were both weakened by their battle. As Pikachu begins to squirm out of Misty's grip, wanting to help.

"No, Pikachu. You can't battle in this condition." Misty told him, as Ash looked down at his Pokéball, frowning, which Misty noticed and tried to ask. "Ash, what are you-"

But she was interrupted by Ash. "I know that you're weakened by that battle with Pidgeotto... But now, Caterpie, you're our only hope. Just give it your best shot! Caterpie, go!" Ash yelled, sending his Caterpie out, as it panted from his last fight.

At the sight of it, Jessie, James and Meowth all sweat dropped at seeing Caterpie.

"What's that?" James asked.

"It's a bug! A measly little bug!" Meowth said, then they suddenly began to laugh at Caterpie.

"Let's get a bug spray!" Jessie laughed.

Ekans and Koffing lunged at Caterpie, who shrieked in frightened and ducked his head down. Pikachu heard Caterpie shrieking and cried out loud. "Pika!"

"Hang in there..." Misty muttered as Koffing and Ekans started to get closer to Caterpie.

"Caterpie! String Shot, now!" Ash yelled.

Caterpie raised his head and fired a mass of string at Koffing first, trapping it as it fell to the ground. He then continued firing at Ekans, this time wrapping the snake's head in a cocoon. Caterpie then quickly charges the downed Koffing, hitting him with a Tackle, which sends Koffing flying towards Ekans, sending them both flying. Much to Jessie and James' surprise.

"What!?" Jessie gasped.

"Beaten by a Caterpie!?" James said in disbelief.

"That really bugs me." Jessie growled.

Meowth smirked as he stepped up. "Now, watch a real Pokémon in action." He bragged, pulling out his claws.

But Caterpie didn't care and immediately fired another String Shot, completely enveloping Meowth inside. Jessie and James immediately run towards Meowth and picked him up.

"It's time Team Rocket blasted off!" Jessie said as the two ran off, holding their wrapped up Meowth in their hands.

"You may have won this round, but we'll be back!" James shouted as they were soon out of sight.

"Come back anytime! We'll be glad to beat you!" Misty called out.

"We did it." Ash said grinning. "We did it!" We won our first Pokémon battle! Yeah!" He cheered, before picking up his Caterpie. "Caterpie, I'm very proud of you. You really did your best and we won because of you."

"It was tough, but we did it."Evelyn said, before smiling at Caterpie. "And good job, Caterpie."

"You're stronger then you look." Misty said, Caterpie looks pleased with their praise.

Ash smirked as he turned to Misty. "Well, Misty... I guess you feel different about Caterpie now."

"Well, I..." Misty stuttered.

"Why don't you two make up? Just pet him once and thank him for the effort he's made." Evelyn said.

"Yeah! You owe him an apology, don't you?" Ash added.

"Y-Yeah... you're right..." Misty agreed as she gulped before turning back to Caterpie. She slowly and hesitantly reached her hand out to Caterpie, but was suddenly interrupted as Caterpie shot string in the air, shocking Misty as she jumped back.

"Caterpie?" Ash put him down on the ground.

"Caterpie is evolving!" Evelyn gasped.

"Caterpie, this is so great!" Ash said as Caterpie's body suddenly changed into a green hard-shell.

"That's Metapod." Evelyn said, as Ash took out his Pokédex.

"Metapod, the Cocoon Pokémon and the evolved form of Caterpie. The shell covering this Pokémon's body is as hard as an iron slab. Metapod does not move very much. It stays still because it is preparing its soft innards for evolution inside the hard shell."

Ash grinned. "Hey, maybe that means you can keep on changing and go onto the next stage right away."

"Pi Pika Pi!"

Ash takes Metapod in his hand and greets him with a smile. "Nice to meet you, Metapod!" Metapod only responded by blinking his eyes, causing Ash to chuckled. "Not in the mood to talk?" Pikachu laughed at the joked.

Evelyn smiled softly as she watched the scene, when they were suddenly interrupted by Misty's scream as a Beedrill flew overhead.

"Please... let's just get out of this forest!" Misty begged.

"No way!" Ash said as he returned Metapod back into his Pokéball. "There's plenty more Pokémon in this forest!" He grabs Evelyn by the wrist and starts running down the path, while Pikachu and Misty quickly follow.

Regarding training session, they will mostly happened before Gyms and the League, but I might write some here and there during the journey. As you can see I'm not restricting myself to just Generation 1 but I don't think I will have a Pokémon from Generation 3 and above make an appearance as they are extremely rare in Kanto, unlike Johto since it's a neighboring region.

Evelyn's teams:

Bulbasaur (F) Overgrow -Tackle, Vine Whip, Growl-

Nidoran (F) Hustle -Scratch, Poison Sting, Double Kick, Growl-

Spearow (M) Keen Eye -Peck, Fury Attack, Leer-

Marill (M) Huge Power -Water Gun, Rollout, Defense Curl-

Pokémon at Prof. Oak:

-None Currently-

Chapter Text

Enjoy the chapter!

Misty's scream was so loud that it could be heard throughout the Viridian Forest, even causing a few birds to fly away. Evelyn and Ash sighed as they turned and saw Misty hanging from a tree branch.

"What's wrong now?" Ash asked.

"She must have seen another bug..." Evelyn said.

"YES! I think I saw one! Gross!" Misty shrieked out loud, Ash and Evelyn shared a look before turning back to her.

"We're in a forest, so of course you're going to see bugs, they're practically everywhere!"

"Yeah! Are you going to keep whining every time you encounter one?" Ash asked.

"Yes!" Misty exclaims as she climbs down from the tree and immediately hides behind Ash and Evelyn, she then pointed in a direction. "And that bug is right there!"

Ash and Evelyn follow her direction and see a worm crawling on the ground.

"Ah, Weedle!" Ash said, taking out his Pokédex.

"Weedle, The Hairy Bug Pokémon. The stinger on this Pokémon's head guarantees that any attacker will get the point right where it hurts."

"Stinger huh? Now there's a challenge." Ash said.

"Why are you so excited about a bug with a stinger? Make it go away!" Misty shrieked.

"You've got to be kidding! You can't possibly expect a great Pokémon trainer like me to let a Weedle escape. I'm gonna catch it." Ash said as he reaches for one of his Pokéballs, but stops when he remembers something. "Oh! I almost forget... I have to weaken it first before catching it..."

"I don't think you'll need to do that." Evelyn told him.

Ash turns toward her. "You think so?"

Evelyn nodded. "Yeah, Weedle should be as weak as Caterpie was, so you shouldn't have any trouble capturing it." Ash smiled as he reaches for one of his Pokéballs.

"Hmm... guys?" Misty tried to get their attention, but was ignored as they thought she had seen another bug. "GUYS!" She yelled, getting their attention.

"What?" They asked her, Misty pointed to their left, they followed the direction and saw a guy approaching them, dressed as a samurai.

"Greetings. Are one of you from the town of pallet?" The samurai asked.

Ash and Evelyn exchange a glance before turning to the samurai.

"Both of us, are." Ash answered, pointing to himself, then to Evelyn.

"I found you at last." The samurai said, they were confused when he suddenly pulled out a sword and pointed it an inch from Ash and Evelyn's faces.

"Woah!" They both stumble backwards.

"Are you crazy!?" Evelyn yelled.

"Yeah! What's your deal!?"

"My apologies... You see, I like to intimidate other trainers by pointing my sword at them, and by challenging them to a Pokémon battle." Samurai explained.

"What's wrong with you? Don't you realize how dangerous this is? You could poke someone eye with that sword or worse..." Evelyn scolded him, making him grimaced.

"So you're saying..." Ash started to say but was interrupted by Samurai.

"It exactly what you are thinking. I wish for a Pokémon Battle!" Samurai exclaimed, picking up one of his Pokéballs and pointing it at them. Ash smiles, excited by the challenge, but suddenly his eyes widen as he remembers something, he turns and sees Weedle getting away!

"I forgot about Weedle! I still have a chance... Pokéball, go!" Ash threw his Pokéball at Weedle, but unfortunately for him, he was too late and the Pokéball hit the tree just as Weedle managed to get away. He then turned around and glared at Samurai. "This is your fault!"

"My fault?" Samurai asked, confused.

"Yeah! That Weedle got away because you distracted me!"

"Don't blame your failure on me! Your Pokémon handling is dimwitted and clumsy." Samurai said, annoying Ash.

"What do you know about Pokémon!?" Ash snapped. "I bet I can beat you in a Pokémon match blindfolded!"

"We shall see, but I would rather challenge your friend first." Samurai said.

"What? But I challenge you first!"

Evelyn stepped forward and put a hand on Ash's shoulder, causing him to look at her.

"Don't worry, you'll have the chance to battle him."

Ash sighed. "Yeah... good luck."

"Alright! Marill, I choose you!" Evelyn exclaimed, throwing her Pokéball into the air, Marill emerges and twirls his body before landing on the ground with his arm crossed.

"A Marill, eh? Spinarak, come out and fight!" Samurai said as he summons a small green spider, causing Misty to shriek once more, while Ash's eyes widen in amazement at the sight of Spinarak. Evelyn frowns as she pulls out her Pokédex.

"Spinarak, The String Spit Pokémon. It lies still in the same pose for days in its web, waiting for its unsuspecting prey to wander close."

Samurai: Spinarak Vs Evelyn: Marill

"Marill, starts this off with a Defense Curl, then quickly follows up with a Rollout!" Evelyn yelled as Marill curls in on himself, before spinning around and then start rolling towards Spinarak.

"Spinarak, jump and use String shot to slow it down!" Samurai called out as Spinarak leaps over Marill, narrowly dodging the attack, and starts spitting silk at Marill, which begins to slow him down until he stops completely and begins to try to remove the silk from himself. "Alright! Now, use Poison Sting!"

"Marill, counter it with Water Gun!"

Both Pokémon open their mouths and spit out their attacks, the two clash and cancel each other out.

"Now, use Absorb!"

"Shit!" Evelyn curses as she watches Spinarak and Marill glow for a moment, as Spinarak begins to siphon energy from Marill, who recoils in pain. "Use Water Gun once more!"

"Counter with Sucker Punch!"

Before Marill can spit out his attack, Spinarak suddenly disappears and appears right in front of him, startling Marill who receives a blow from Spinarak that sends him reeling backwards.

"Uh!? What was that? How did Spinarak move so fast?" Ash asked.

"It's because of Sucker Punch, an attack that allows the user to attack first, but fails if the opponent wasn't readying an attack." Misty explained.

"Now! Finish it off with Poison Sting!" Samurai ordered.

"Dodge!" Evelyn desperately yelled out.

Spinarak immediately spits multiple small needles at Marill, who tries to dodge but ends up tripping over a string he hadn't managed to remove earlier, the attack hit Marill causing him to cry out in pain. Moments later, swirl appears in Marill's eyes.

Winner: Samurai

"Oh no!" Evelyn gasped as she quickly run over her down Pokémon. "Are you okay?"

"ma..."

Evelyn smiled softly as she gently caressed Marill's head. "It's okay, you did your best." She said before recalling him.

"Are you gonna called your next Pokémon?" Samurai suddenly asked.

Evelyn shakes her head. "I can't, my other Pokémon are in no condition to fight right now. You won." Samurai smiles and nods in understanding.

"Alright! It's my turn now!" Ash declared. "Pidgeotto, do your stuff!" He sends his Pokémon out, which collapses on the ground, panting.

"Ash, don't you know that you have to let your Pokémon rest once in a while?" Misty asked as Evelyn sighed.

"Well, I-"

"Only a novice goes with an exhaust Pokémon. Your blunder will cost you dearly. Pinsir, assume battle mode!" Samurai said as he sent out his Pokémon. It was bipedal with a wide, dull brown body along with large pair of gray spiky pincers on top of its head.

"Woah! He got a Pinsir." Ash gasped as he took his Pokédex out.

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

"That Pinsir looks though... but Pidgeotto can beat it." Ash said, confidently.

"Geotto!" Pidgeotto chirped, as she get up and ready to fight.

Samurai: Pinsir+1 vs Ash: Pidgeotto+1

"Pidgeotto, Sand Attack!" Ash ordered, Pidgeotto flapped her wings and blew a gust of sand towards Pinsir, who didn't seem shaken by the attack. Samurai scoffed.

"Ha! That's child play, Pinsir, Tackle it!" He ordered, Pinsir slammed Pidgeotto away with a strong hit, knocking her unconscious as she groaned in pain. "Hahahaha! Your Pokémon is beaten." Samurai said, as Ash gasped.

"Oh no... Pidgeotto, return." Ash said, recalling his defeated Pokémon back to her Pokéball.

Ash: 1 Pokémon

"Novice, are you ready to surrender?" Samurai taunted, Ash glared at him.

"No way! I'm just warming up! Metapod, I choose you now!" Ash exclaimed, as he send out his next Pokémon.

"Watch and weep as my Pinsir crushes your Metapod in half." Samurai said.

"Oh no..." Ash gasps as he begins to imagine how Metapod might perish by the claws. "Those claws..."

"Ash! Call off Metapod! Not even a bug deserve this." Misty told him.

"I don't think it's necessary, as Metapod should be able to resist Pinsir's claw with its shell and harden." Evelyn said.

"This match is already over." Samurai said as Pinsir lunges at Metapod to deliver the finishing blow.

"Metapod, Harden! Now!" Ash called out, Metapod glowed for a moment as Pinsir caught it in his claws, but his claw broke as soon as he tried to break the shell.

"It worked!" Misty said, as Evelyn smiled.

"So? Who's the novice now?" Ash asked, smirking.

Samurai: 1 Pokémon

"Pinsir, return." Samurai said as he recalled his wounded Pokémon back. "Clever. Quite clever. Metapod, go!" He sent out his own Metapod, causing Evelyn to sigh.

"Oh god..." Evelyn muttered.

"Metapod! Harden like his!" Samurai ordered, his Metapod glow like Ash's Metapod did before.

"Maximum hardness, Metapod." Ash said, as the defense battle began.

It was a complete stalemate as they continued...

An hour passed as the others were bored, causing them to relax in their own ways. Misty and Pikachu began to sunbathe, while Evelyn was eating some snacks along with her Pokémon.

"More... power... Metapod. Samurai is weakening." Ash grunted as he struggled to focus on the battle.

"Harder. You're the stronger one, Metapod." Samurai grunted as the heat started to get to them as time went by. The battle was in complete stalemate by the time they had stop relaxing.

"Argh... little more." "Ngh... Metapod... full power."

"You two are more hard-headed than your Metapods!" Misty snapped in frustration. When, suddenly a buzzing noise was heard, as Pikachu looked around. "Uh? What's that noise?"

"A Beedrill swarm approaches, our match must end. Metapod, return." Samurai told them, as he recalled his Pokémon back to his Pokéball.

They turned and saw that Samurai was saying the truth, as a swarm of Beedrill were closing in on them.

"Beedrill swarm?" Ash took out his Pokédex.

"Beedrill, The Poison Bee Pokémon and the evolved form of Kakuna. Its sting are highly poisonous."

"The Weedle that got away from you has informed the rest of its kind. Good day." Samurai said as he run away. Then a Beedrill swooped down and snatched Metapod from the ground.

"Metapod, return now." Ash said desperately as he aimed the red beam of his Pokéball at his Pokémon, but each shot missed, and when he aimed again, the Beedrill carried off its Metapod and disappeared into the forest.

"Oh no... it got away." Ash gasped.

Suddenly, another Beedrill swooped down towards him, but before he could get close, Pikachu jumped up and used Thunder Shock on it, but since he was close, he too was shocked.

"Don't just stand there, and run!" Evelyn exclaimed as she dragged Ash away, as they tried to get away from the swarm.

"But... Metapod..."

"There's nothing we can do about him right now!"

The Beedrill were starting to catching up to them causing Misty to shrieked. "Ah! They're gaining on us!"

They were running behind Samurai when he suddenly jumped into the bushes, which they quickly followed suit, managing at last to lose the swarm. But as they catch their breath, their eyes widen at what they see, right in front of them was a tree with Pokémon hanging onto the tree branches.

"A whole hive of Kakunas." Samurai whispered out loud, Misty starts to shriek but Evelyn covers her mouth, while Ash took out his Pokédex.

"Kakuna, The Cocoon Pokémon. Is a transitional stage between Weedle and Beedrill. Kakuna remain inactive until they hatch into deadly Beedrills."

Ash then spotted something at the base of the tree. "Hey, over there! It's Metapod." He yelled until Evelyn covers his mouth.

"Keep your voice down." Evelyn whispered.

But it was too late, as the Kakuna had noticed their presence and then their shells begin to crack as they begin to evolve into Beedrills. They all gasped in horror at what was happening, and it wasn't long before all Kakuna had evolved into Beedrills.

"Beedrills, they've evolved." Misty said.

The Beedrill flew towards them, causing them to immediately took off running as the Beedrill chased them. Shortly afterwards, they come across a cabin.

"My cabin, I think we can make it." Samurai yelled.

The group ran faster and entered the cabin, closing the door behind them. Two of the Beedrills' stingers planted themselves in the door, piercing it and leaving holes behind once they had removed their stingers. They can hear the swarm buzzing around the cabin.

"Phew... That was close." Ash sighed.

"Eh, I hope you have learned your lesson, novice." Samurai said. "You letting that Weedle escape almost costed our lives."

"Take back that Novice crack."

"I do take it back, because not even a novice would abandon his own Pokémon as you did." Samurai said, Ash turns his head away, ashamed, while Evelyn looks annoyed.

"As I recall, it was you who not only interrupted but also distracted Ash from catching the Weedle, so if there's anyone to blame for this mess, it's you." She then glared at him shutting him up before he could try to argue. "And don't you dare deny it, yes, Ash did messed up by not returning Metapod when he could and yelling in the Kakanu's nest. Not only that but Misty and I are at fault too."

"What!?" Misty exclaimed, stirring up the Beedrills outside.

This earned her a glare from everyone, making her shrink back as Evelyn continued. "We should have stopped the battle sooner when you two knuckleheads kept on battling when it was clearly a draw..."

"I did tried to save Metapod... I tried, but..." Ash said.

"You did," Evelyn agreed. "but you seriously screwed up at the hive, you had the best chance to save Metapod."

"I know..."

"Your Metapod will pay for its trainer's inexperience. The other trainers from Pallet would never have been so irresponsible." Samurai said.

"Other trainers from Pallet? Have you fought against Gary and the other?" Ash asked.

"Ah, there were two spectacular matches. Each more difficult than the last, those two trainers really know how to raise Pokémon. Even though I was defeated each time I was inspired to redouble my own training. I have been eagerly preparing for that day when finally I would beat the next Pokémon trainer from Palett." Samurai said.

"So that's why you've been waiting for Ash and Evelyn to show up." Misty said, standing up.

"Indeed. Compared to these two, your friend did well despite her disadvantage, while novice here is a joke." Samurai said, causing Ash to look away as Evelyn sighs.

It wasn't long before night fell, and everyone had fallen asleep except Ash, who was still awake, his train of thought going back to Metapod.

"Metapod..."

The next morning...

Everyone woke up early in the morning and was surprised to see that Ash had disappeared.

"Where's Ash?" Misty asked.

"He might have woken up early to go and rescue Metapod. We should leave quickly, as he may need our help." Evelyn said, as she quickly packs her sleeping bag, Misty and Samurai agree and prepare to leave.

Shortly afterwards, they leave the cabin and run to the hive, where Ash should be, wearing an anti-insect net for safety. They soon found Ash in a clearing surrounded by Beeedrills. They gasped in horror when they saw a Beedrill diving towards him, needles at the ready.

"Ash!" Evelyn and Misty yelled.

"Watch out for the Twineedle attack!" Samurai warned him.

"Pikachu!"

Evelyn was ready to send in one of her Pokémon, but as Beedrill closed in, Metapod stepped in between Ash and Beedrill, blocking Beedrill's attack and breaking one of Beedrill's needle arms. Everyone is shocked by what has happened, and Ash catches Metapod in his arms before he falls to the ground.

"Metapod." Ash said, noticing a cut in Metapod's shell as the Beedrill takes off. "Are you hurt? Are you okay, Metapod?" He asked as Evelyn, Misty, Samurai and Pikachu walk over to him. Suddenly, a light emerges from Metapod's shell, catching everyone by surprise.

Soon after, a butterfly-like Pokémon emerged from the shell, emitting a cute chirping noise as he flew around, calling out to his trainer, who was speechless at what had just happened.

"Butterfree." Ash murmured.

"He's so beautiful." Evelyn said, while Misty watches in amazement.

"Pika." Pikachu smiled to see his friend's dream come true.

Ash took out his Pokédex and scanned his newly evolved Pokémon.

"Butterfree, The Butterfly Pokémon, and the evolved form of Metapod. It loves the honey of flowers and can locate flower patches that have even tiny amounts of pollen."

Unfortunately, before the celebration can continue, it is interrupted by a swarm of Beedrills emerging from the forest.

"Here comes the other Beedrills." Misty gasped, as Butterfree approached Ash and chirped at him.

"Butterfree?" Ash asked, as Butterfree continues to chirp at him. He then realizes what his Butterfree wants him to do. "Okay, Butterfree, knock them out with your Sleep Powder!"

Butterfree flies high into the air and starts spreading powder from his wings. One by one, all the Beedrills fall to the ground, asleep. And it didn't stop there as the Sleep Powder even hits the nearby Weedles that were eating a cardboard tank along with Team Rocket.

"Yay! You put all of them to sleep. Butterfree, you're the best! Ho-ho-hooray." Ash cheered, jumping up and down.

"You were able to handle your Butterfree so well just after it evolved, most impressive." Samurai said, as they watch Ash continue to celebrate.

Later, after leaving the clearing before the Beedrills and Team Rocket had time to wake up, they were led out of the forest by Samurai.

"This path will lea you to Pewter City." Samurai told them, they thanked him and before they left, Ash had something to tell him.

"That's great, but before we leave you, Samurai we still have to finish our match." Ash said.

"Compared with you, my friend, I am the novice. But I will keep perfecting my technique. And one day we will meet again." Samurai replied, Ash smiled and nodded.

"I am sure it will be a most spectacular match."

"That is guaranteed."

"Just please promise not to match Metapod vs Metapod again." Misty told them.

"Pika." Pikachu nodded in agreement.

"I don't think that's possible now, unless Ash catches another Metapod or Kakuna." Evelyn laughed.

"Until the, Samurai." Ash said as he waves goodbye.

"See ya!" Misty said.

"Take care!" Evelyn waves goodbye.

"Pikachu!"

"Farewell..." Was the only word Samurai uttered as he watched his new friends walking away...

This may not be the last time we see Samurai...

Evelyn's teams:

Bulbasaur (F) Overgrow -Tackle, Vine Whip, Growl-

Nidoran (F) Hustle -Scratch, Poison Sting, Double Kick, Growl-

Spearow (M) Keen Eye -Peck, Fury Attack, Leer-

Marill (M) Huge Power -Water Gun, Rollout, Defense Curl-

Pokémon at Prof. Oak:

-None Currently-

Chapter Text

Enjoy the chapter!

The forest was soon out of the way as Ash, Evelyn, and Misty where now walking down a rocky road. It wasn't long before Ash spotted something in the distance.

"Hey, guys! Look over there!" Ash said.

Evelyn and Misty interrupted their conversation to look at where Ash was pointing, and smiled when they saw Pewter City.

"Yay, Pewter City!" Misty exclaimed.

"Phew... For a while there, I thought I was gonna be in Viridian Forest for the rest of my life." Ash sighed, setting down a rock.

"I wouldn't say exactly my whole life, but I thought we'd be in there for a while. Fortunately, Samurai show us the way out." Evelyn said.

Suddenly heard a nearby voice. "Pewter City is gray, the color of stone. This town has always been famous for stone."

The group spot below them, a bearded man wearing a red hat.

"What the...? Who's this old guy?" Ash asked.

"Never met him." Misty shrugged.

"He must be a local resident." Evelyn said.

"You're right kid, the name's Flint. And your friend is sitting on one of my merchandises." Flint said.

"Huh?" Ash blinked, before scrambling on his feet. "Oh! I'm sorry... You mean you sell rocks?"

"They're Pewter City souvenirs. Do you want to buy some?"

"No thanks, we're not interested." Evelyn said.

"My friend and I are traveling to become Pokémon trainers." Ash said, as Pikachu sighed in exhaustion.

"Well, you're Pokémon sure looks worn out." Flint said, looking at Pikachu. "How about I show you the way to the Pokémon Center?"

"That will be greatly appreciated." Evelyn smiled.

"And by the way..." Flint said, looking at Ash. "That'll be two dollar for resting on my rocks."

Ash, Evelyn and Misty fall over in disbelief at what he was demanding...

Timeskip...

Half an hour later, Flint, as he had promised, led the group to the Pokémon Center, where Ash and Evelyn handed over their Pokémon for recovery.

"Please, revitalize my Pokémon." Ash plead.

"Me too, and can you check the condition of my Spearow wing? It got broken and Nurse Joy nursed it back in Viridian City, so I'd like to know how well it's healing." Evelyn said.

"Of course, put your Pokémon on the tray and I'll take care of them right away." Nurse Joy said, as Ash and Evelyn put their Pokémon on the tray. But at the sight of Nurse Joy Ash blinked in confusion.

"Huh, Nurse Joy?" Ash said, confused.

"Yes, I'm Nurse Joy."

"But why are you here? Aren't you supposed to be in Viridian City?" Ash asked.

Nurse joy chuckled. "I can understand the confusion, the Joy in Viridian City is my little sister. I heard nice things about the two of you from her."

"Huh, thank you."

"By the way have you two seen that poster?" Nurse joy asked them, before walking away with the two trays with the help of her Chansey. Ash and Evelyn both turned to the left and saw the poster Misty was looking at.

"Wow, Pokémon League Regional Championship! All right!" Ash exclaimed, excitedly.

"Wait, Ash, before you get excited, we have yet to register for the League so we'll need to do that before we challenge Brock for our first badge." Evelyn said.

Suddenly, laughter interrupts them and they look back at Flint.

"Don't tell me you two are planning to challenged Brock?"

"That's what we are planning to do once our Pokémon are healed." Evelyn replied.

"Yeah! We'll beat him and get our first badge!" Ash said, which prompt Flint to laugh once more.

"You'll both beat him?" Flint laughed as he walk away leaving the group behind. Evelyn frowned as she watched the man walk away, at how easily he dismissed them.

10 minutes later, the group is in the food court having a small lunch.

"Ooh... That Flint is trying to make a foul out of me..." Ash said, irritated.

Evelyn puts a hand on Ash's shoulder. "Calm down, he's just trying to rile us up."

"You are not both seriously thinking you can win? Gym Leaders are different then your everyday Pokémon Trainers. They're much, much tougher." Misty said.

"Of course, I think I have a chance to win, that's why I have been preparing for it." Evelyn replied.

Misty nodded before turning to Ash. "What about you?"

"Bah, I'm sure there's nothing that we can't handle." Ash said.

"Tell you what, Ash. If you ask nicely, I'll help you too."

"Mmph... I don't need your help." Ash said, before continuing to eat, which annoys Misty.

"Fine then! There's no way that you'll be able to beat Brock!" Misty yelled, before walking away.

"Oh yeah!? We'll see about that!" Ash yells back, before looking at the table and seeing the bill. "Hey! You can't leave us with the bill! Get back here!"

"It's okay, Ash, I'll help you pay the bill." Evelyn said.

Ash smiled, as they both take out money and put it on the check when suddenly a voice in the intercom was heard.

"Ash and Evelyn! Your Pokémon have made a full recovery! I repeat, Ash and Evelyn!"

They immediately head for the front desk.

"Here you go, no more waiting. Your Pokémon are all back to normal." Nurse Joy said as she handed over their Pokémon. "Oh, and Evelyn your Spearow wing is recovering nicely, so you should be able to start training him slowly."

"Alright." Ash smiles as he picks up his Pokéball while Pikachu climbs onto his shoulder.

"Thank you, Nurse Joy. I'm sure Spearow will be happy to heard that." Evelyn said as she picks up her Pokéball.

Shortly afterwards, they registered for the League, and left the Pokémon Center and headed for the gym. It didn't take them long to arrive, as the gym was close to the Pokémon Center. The gym was a stone building with the name of the gym carved into the stone.

"So, this is Pewter City Gym?" Ash asked.

Evelyn nodded. "Yeah, it even say so on the building."

"Alright! Let's go in!" Ash exclaimed, excitedly.

They open the doors and head inside. Once inside, it's pitch-dark and so they walk cautiously.

"HELLOOO!?" Ash called out.

Silence settles in when, suddenly, a light shines on a person at the end of the room.

"Who goes there?"

This catches them by surprised, they turned around and notice the young man at the end of the room. He was sitting with his leg crossed.

"You must be Brock. I'm Ash from Pallet Town and I'm here to challenge you!" Ash declared.

Brock look at him for a moment before turning to Evelyn.

"And you?"

"My name is Evelyn, and like my friend, I'm from Pallet Town, and I'm also here to challenge you." Evelyn replied.

"I see..." Brock said. "Is this your first Gym battle?"

"Yes." Evelyn answered.

"You know, gym battles are different from other battles? There are some special rule." Brock said.

"What kind of rule?" Evelyn asked.

"We'll be using two Pokémon each." Brock explained. "Now, who's going to be the first to battle me?"

"That would be me, I challenge you first." Ash replied.

Brock nods, before looking at Pikachu standing next to Ash.

"How long have you been with that Pikachu?" Brock asked him.

"Hmm... About two week, I guess..." Ash answered.

"I see... Your Pikachu's still in its cutest stage... He can't win." Brock bluntly said, causing Pikachu to fall over in shocked. Brock then turn towards Evelyn. "And what about you? How long have you had your Pokémon?"

"About two weeks as well." Evelyn answered.

Brock nodded, but Ash was getting impatient and interrupted them.

"Hey! We'll worry about our Pokémon and you worry about yours, got it!?" Ash exclaimed.

"Hmmph... Suit yourself. As the Gym Leader, I have to accept every challenge... So let's get this over with." Brock said, snapping his fingers, causing the light to flicker on. The walls on either side of the room open as boulders begin to emerge and advance towards Ash and Evelyn.

When they noticed the rocks getting closer, they quickly ran and stopped at the challenger's box just as the rocks connected to create the battlefield. Brock then jumps on the gym leader's box and pulls out his Pokéball.

"Let the match begin!" Brock declared.

Evelyn takes a step back and sits down on a nearby bench.

"Good luck Ash." She told him.

"Thank you." Ash smiled, before looking down at Pikachu. "Alright, Pikachu. I choose you, buddy!"

Pikachu ran onto the battlefield.

"Onix, go!" Brock said, as he throw his Pokéball. The Pokéball released a giant rock snake onto the battlefield, which roared when it emerged.

Evelyn frowned at the sight of Onix. "He's definitely not fooling around if he sends it first..."

At the sight of Onix towering over him, Pikachu grew scared and ran off towards Ash. Who yelped in surprised as Pikachu climbed up to his waist and tap one of his Pokéball.

"Hey! This is your battle, Pikachu. Not Pidgeotto, now go." Ash said as he pushes Pikachu back onto the battlefield.

Pikachu tries to find the courage to face Onix despite his fear.

"Onix, Tackle attack!" Brock ordered.

At the order, Onix roared and lunged at Pikachu, who let out a shriek and darted out of the way of the attack. Pikachu kept running to escape Onix's attack, only for it to grab Pikachu with it's tail.

"Onix, Bind him now!" Brock ordered once more.

Onix immediately started squeezing Pikachu tightly, causing Ash and Evelyn to gasped in horror.

"Pikachu, Thundershock!" Ash yelled, desperately.

Having heard Ash, Pikachu tried to shock Onix, only for his attempts to be futile as his small and weak attack weren't doing anything to Onix.

"That's not good... Electric attack from Pikachu won't do a single damage to Onix..." Evelyn muttered, worried for Ash.

"You haven't raised Pikachu very well. Such weak electric attack can't hurt Onix." Brock said as his Onix continues to squeeze Pikachu.

"Pikachu, return!" Ash said, as he attempts to return Pikachu to his Pokéball. But each red beams were being blocked by Onix's rock body... "He's being blocked. I can't bring him back."

"Ash, you have to forfeit!" Evelyn yelled, as she watches Pikachu being squeeze harder. "Before its too late!"

Ash gritted his teeth. "CUT IT OUT!"

"Do you surrender?" Brock asked.

"I... I do..." Ash replied.

The bell made a clang, signaling Ash's forfeit, ending the Gym battle. Ash picks up his Pikachu and walks out the door, just as Evelyn was about to follow her friend, Brock called out to her.

"Do you still want to battle?" Brock asked her.

"I'd rather not, my friend needs me more." Evelyn said.

Brock nodded in understanding. "Very well, then. I do have a slot available later this evening if you'd like to postpone."

Evelyn nodded and quickly went out to join Ash. Ash carried his Pikachu while Evelyn walked beside him.

"How's Pikachu?" Evelyn asked, looking at Pikachu with worried.

"He's not looking too good." Ash replied. "I... I couldn't do anything against him..."

"Of course, there's nothing you could do, Onix is a rock and ground type which means electric attacks are ineffective against him. Even your other Pokémon couldn't have done anything... Well, Butterfree might stand a chance with its Confusion attack and its Powder attack but even so... That's why I suggest you teach Pikachu Iron Tail, so that you can have an effective attack against him." Evelyn said.

"So my best bet would be Pikachu perfecting Iron Tail and Butterfree?" Ash asked.

Evelyn nodded as they continued on walking, when they suddenly encounter Flint. Ash blinked in surprise, while Evelyn raised an eyebrow, wondering why was he standing in front of them.

"Come with me, you two." Flint said, motioning for them to follow him.

"Huh?"

"We should follow him to see what he want." Evelyn said.

Ash nodded as they followed Flint to a small cabin where he made Pikachu a small bed for him to recover and he then made some tea for himself and his guests.

"Have you fought Brock yet?" Flint asked Evelyn.

"No." Evelyn shakes her head. "Our match has been postponed later this evening since I wanted to stay with Ash after his lost."

"I see..." Flint nodded before turning towards Ash, who looks down. He then set the tray with the tea down on the floor. "Everyone loses sometimes. You can't let that get you down." He told him.

"I know... But I didn't just lose... I stunk." Ash said gloomily, Evelyn looks at him worriedly, not knowing how to cheer him up. "Brock's way better than me... I could never enter the League if I can't beat him."

Flint sips his tea. "Brock is very good, his own talents could take him much further than simply being a local gym leader."

"If he's as good as you say he is. Then why doesn't he take some time off and try to enter the league?" Evelyn asked.

"He has his reason." Flint said.

"Huh?"

In front of the confused looks of both, Flint led them outside, not before Evelyn had let her Bulbasaur out so she could take care of Pikachu, who was still recovering. He led them back to the gym, but this time they went behind the gym to a house. The three sneak up to the back porch and hid behind the bushes to see children playing in the living room. There were ten young children and a familiar person in the back washing dishes. One of the girls ran up to the man and showed him her torn skirt.

"I tore my skirt." The girl said, upset.

Brock sighed. "Alright, alright, I'll sew it for you."

Ash and Evelyn watch the scene, shocked. While Brock begins to sew up the skirt.

"Is it done yet?" The girl asked, impatiently.

"Just a minute." Brock answered.

Evelyn watches with a smile the way Brock behaves with his siblings. Shortly afterwards, they're off, strolling through the city as the sun sets.

"Wow. I sure never thought of Brock like that..." Ash said, Evelyn nodded in agreement.

"Brock has ten little brothers and sisters to take care of. So he could never leave town for the Regional championships." Flint said.

"Doesn't he have any parents?" Evelyn said.

"His good-for-nothing father left the family to become a Pokémon trainer and they never heard from him again. Brock's heartbroken mother tried her best to hold things together, but, sadly she left as well. Brock's the only one his little brothers and sisters have left." Flint explained.

"I better not listen to anymore sad stuff. Next time I have a match against Brock, I might not have the heart to beat him." Ash said, surprising Flint.

"But you said that... you said you could never win a match against Brock." Flint said, bewildered.

"Yeah, well I changed my mind. If I can power up Pikachu, I'll beat him." Ash said with determination.

"Hm... I may know a way you can super-charge Pikachu." Flint said.

"Huh!? You do?" Ash asked.

"I do." Flint nodded, he then turns to Evelyn. "And I do believe you have your match with Brock soon."

"Huh?" Evelyn looked at her watch and it was indeed getting close. "I better get going if I don't want to be late." She said, then she turned to Ash, who was smiling at her.

"I wish you the best of luck."

Evelyn smiled. "Thank you and good luck with your training."

Evelyn left immediately, but before going to the gym, she had to return to Flint's cabin to retrieve Bulbasaur. Once that was done, she headed for the gym and was soon there.

Evelyn now stands in front of the gym door, breathing deeply to try and calm her nerves, as she doesn't want her nervousness to affect her or her Pokémon during the battle.

'Okay... You can do it, you prepared for this moment this past week..' Evelyn thought, and took one last deep breath before opening the door and step inside...

As Evelyn stepped in the room she noticed Brock sitting in the same spot he was sitting earlier, clearly waiting for her.

"So you actually showed up. I thought you wouldn't after watching your friend losing badly." Brock said.

"Of course, I would. I prepared for this match over this past week, so I won't get discouraged so easily." Evelyn replied.

"I see... Well, as the gym leader here, I will accept your challenge. The same rules as before will apply, two Pokémon each." Brock declared as they both prepared for their match. "So, Evelyn. Are you ready?"

"Yes! Let's do it!" Evelyn smirked.

The bell sounds the start of the battle.

"I'll start things off with Geodude! Go!" Brock declared as he sent out his first Pokémon. Evelyn took out her Pokédex to scan the Pokémon.

"Geodude, the Rock Pokémon. Found in fields and mountains. Mistaking them for boulders, people often step or trip on them." Evelyn's Pokédex buzzed.

"He must be saving Onix for last..." Evelyn muttered as she put her Pokédex away and pick one of her Pokéball. "Nidoran, I choose you!"

She send out her Nidoran onto the battlefield, Nidoran looked around until she spotted Geodude standing in front of her.

"Alright, Nidoran this is our first official gym battle, we have been training for this moment this past week. So, follow my lead and we will win this." Evelyn said, Nidoran nodded. "We will start this off with a Poison Sting attack!" She declared.

Nidoran charged at Geodude as her horn glow purple, but sadly he managed to get out of the way, causing the attack to miss.

"Don't let her rest, Geodude. Use Tackle!" Brock ordered, Geodude obey and slammed into Nidoran sending her towards a nearby rock.

"Nidoran uses the rock to regain your balance! And then use Double Kick!" Evelyn called out.

Nidoran uses her back legs and bounces off the rock towards Geodude, she kicks and spins around to hit him a second time, sending him to the ground.

Brock narrowed his eyes. "It's going to take alot more to take my Geodude out. Seismic Toss, now!"

Geodude lunged at Nidoran and grabbed her in his arms, causing her to shriek in surprise as she tried to free herself from his grasp. Evelyn gasped, but before she could declare a counterattack, Nidoran had already been thrown to the ground by Geodude, she collided hard with the ground and slowly began to rise.

"Oh no! Nidoran, are you okay?" Evelyn asked, worriedly. Nidoran answered with a nod. "Can you continued?" She asked, and Nidoran nodded once more. "Alright then! Use Double Kick!"

"Counter it with a Tackle, Geodude!" Brock counterattack.

Both Pokémon launched themselves at each other, closing the distance between them, when suddenly Evelyn called out.

"Dodge now! And use Double Kick!"

Just as Geodude was about to strike her with Tackle, Nidoran managed to dodge and delivered a kick, then a second, sending him flying towards a nearby rock, against which he collided hard. Geodude struggled to get up, and after a moment he lay on the floor with swirls in his eyes.

Brock looked surprised to see his Geodude beaten, then turned neutral again as he returned his Geodude to its Pokéball. "Return." Brock said, he then look at Evelyn. "Did well, but sadly it won't be enough to beat my next Pokémon. Go, Onix!" Brock told her as he threw his next Pokéball, releasing the giant snake onto the battlefield.

Once on the battlefield Onix roared, making Nidoran to take a step back. Evelyn, having noticed that her Nidoran was out of breath after fighting Geodude, decided to call her back. "Nidoran, return! You deserve a rest after a well-fought battle."

Brock watches Evelyn pull out another of her Pokéballs and wonders what she's planning.

"Bulbasaur, I choose you!" Evelyn called out, sending out her starter onto the battlefield.

"Sending out your starter, huh? Let's see what you can do... Onix, use Tackle!" Brock declared the first attack.

"Bulbasaur counter it with a Vine Whip!" Evelyn counterattack.

Onix lunges at Bulbasaur, but just as he's about to hit her, she delivers an uppercut with her vine, knocking him back.

"Alright!"

"I wouldn't cheered so soon. Onix, use Bind!" Brock said.

"Oh no... Bulbasaur uses your Vine to dodge and don't let it trap you!" Evelyn quickly declared.

Bulbasaur shoots one of her vines at a nearby rock and wraps it around the rock, then uses it as she swings towards the rock, narrowly dodging Onix's tail.

"Don't let her rest! Use Tackle!" Brock ordered.

"Dodge, once more!"

Onix lunges at Bulbasaur at high speed, but unfortunately this time Bulbasaur is unable to dodge and is knocked back by Onix. Bulbasaur stood up slowly while Evelyn bit her lower lip, pondering ways to win, when she suddenly heard a beep from her Pokédex. She quickly took it out and checked the notification. A smile formed on her face at the sight of the notification...

"Bulbasaur, use Razor Leaf!" Evelyn declared.

"Dodge!" Brock counter.

Unfortunately, Onix was too close to Bulbasaur to dodge properly, and Bulbasaur launched a wave of leaves at Onix, who recoiled in pain under the effect of the super-effective attack.

"Dig, go underground!" Brock ordered, Onix recovered from the attack and dove into the ground.

Bulbasaur looks around frantically, wondering where Onix will come out, Evelyn frowns, wondering what she could do, until she looks at the hole dug by Onix and an idea pops into her head.

"Bulbasaur use Razor Leaf into that hole!" Evelyn declared.

Brock's eyes widen as he shouts for Onix to escape, but it's too late as Bulbasaur leaps into the air and fires leaf after leaf into the hole, a second later Onix emerges in pain before collapsing, motionless.

"We did it, Bulbasaur! We did it!" Evelyn shouted happily as she ran across the field to her starter and immediately scooped her up in her arms.

"Saur!"

Brock sighs as he recalls his Onix, then approaches Evelyn.

"I must say, you've surprised me, Evelyn. You've raised your Pokémon very well." Brock told her, making her smiled. He then takes something out of his pocket and presents it to her. "Here, this is proof of your victory today... The Boulder Badge." He handed her the badge.

"Thanks, Brock." Evelyn smiled as she took the badge and showed it to Bulbasaur. "This is it! Our very first badge!" Bulbasaur smiled and cheered.

"I take it you're going to wait for your friend to challenge me again before continuing your journey?" Brock asked, earning a nod from her.

"Yes." Evelyn nodded. "And before I go I want to say don't underestimated him... He might surprised you."

"I see... I'll keep that in mind." Brock said.

They bid each other farewell as Evelyn leaves the gym.

Timeskip.

Evelyn was back at the Pokémon center, sitting in the waiting room as her Pokémon were getting healed up after the match with Brock. She deep in thought when suddenly a voice was heard.

"Hey, Evelyn!"

She looks up and sees Misty approach her and sit down opposite her.

"Hi, Misty."

"So... How did your battle with Brock go? Did you lose?" Misty asked, teasingly.

Evelyn rolled her eyes. "Quite the opposite." She pulls out her badge case and shows Misty her Boulder badge.

Misty eyes widened. "No way! You won!"

Evelyn raised an eyebrow. "Where you hoping I lose so you could prove your point?"

Misty sweat dropped and quickly changed the subject. "Anyway! I've just seen Ash training his Pikachu to power up its electric attack. I tried to offer my help, but he insists on going ahead with his crazy plan."

"Ash, can be quite stubborn."

Just then, they hear Evelyn's name on the intercom; she gets up and goes to collect her Pokémon, after which she goes to her room to get ready for the night. She would have liked to check on Ash, unfortunately it was getting late, but she hoped his training had gone well.

The next day...

Evelyn ran through the streets of Pewter City, trying to get to the gym as quickly as possible. "Oh no... I can't believe I over slept... I hope I'm not too late." She muttered as she arrived at the gym.

She immediately went inside, just in time to see Ash's Butterfree standing on the floor, panting, while Brock recalled his Geodude.

"Return, Geodude." Brock said, and as he was about to send out his next Pokémon, he remembered what Evelyn had told him the night before. 'Don't underestimated him... He might surprised you.' Which made him smiled a little.

"It looks like you prepared for this match. But, sadly, he won't be enough. Onix! Go!" Brock called, releasing his next Pokémon onto the battlefield.

Ash noticed that Butterfree was tired, so he recalled him and chose Pikachu as his next Pokémon. Pikachu ran onto the Battlefield ready for battle.

"Alright, Pikachu! Let's start this off with Iron Tail!" Ash declared, which took Brock by surprise, as Evelyn raised an eyebrow, wondering if he'd finally mastered it.

Pikachu ran towards Onix as his tail began to glow and jumped, but just as he was about to attack, his tail stopped glowing. Ash gasped in shocked to see that Iron Tail has failed.

Brock narrowed his eyes. "You shouldn't use an imperfect move in a gym battle." He told him. "Now, Onix! Tackle!"

Onix lunges at Pikachu, who panics after his attack fails and because he's still in the air.

"Bounce off him!" Ash yelled, Pikachu managed to land on Onix's head and bounce away from him. "Alright! Now use Thunderbolt!"

Pikachu unleashed his electric attack, but unfortunately he couldn't control it, and the attack spread everywhere. Onix received a few blows from the uncontrolled attack, and even a few rocks around the battlefield were hit. One of them almost hit Ash, causing him to yelp.

"Hey, Pikachu! Watch where you're aiming!" Ash snapped, but this turned out to be a mistake as Pikachu stopped attacking, giving Onix the opportunity to catch Pikachu in his tail.

Evelyn gasped. "Oh no! It's like yesterday, if it goes on like this, Ash is going to lose..."

Ash finally noticed Evelyn, and smiled, happy to see her here, then turned his attention back to the match.

"Pikachu, Thunderbolt once more!" Ash yelled.

Pikachu obeyed and unleashed his electric attack once more, striking Onix several times. It seems to work slightly, but Onix continues to bind Pikachu more tightly.

"Hang in there, Pikachu! It's working!" Ash said.

"Onix, bind it!" Brock yelled.

Everyone on the sidelines watches in shock as the match continues. Unfortunately, Pikachu begins to tire, as his Thunderbolt attack start to fade. Evelyn watches in horror as Pikachu was about to suffer the same fate as his before, she glance at Ash, who seems ready to call it off. When suddenly...

"Onix! Stop it!" Brock yelled, causing Onix to release Pikachu from the bind.

"No, Brock! I want to continued this match to the very end!" Ash declared.

"There's no point. I really don't want to hurt your Pokémon." Brock said, catching Evelyn by surprise.

Ash gritted his teeth, frustrated at having failed yet again. Suddenly, the sprinklers went off. It seems that the Thunderbolt from earlier had caused a small fire on the hoses, which triggered the sprinklers.

This was bad for Onix as it roared in pain, Evelyn and Ash were surprise.

"Ash! Rock Pokémon are weakened by water!" Misty called out to Ash.

"Pikachu!" Ash called out, Pikachu unleashes a Thunderbolt that greatly affects Onix due to the fact that he was soaked as he dropped to the ground.

"Onix!?" Brock said, in disbelief.

"Pikachu! Finish it off-" Ash started to say but he was stopped. Evelyn and Misty looked at him only to see kids climbing onto Ash, stopping him. "My conscious is holding me back. I can't... bring myself to beat Brock. I'm imagining that his brothers and sisters are stopping me from beating the one they love." Ash.

"Hmm... Ash, you might want to open your eyes." Evelyn said.

Ash blinked and finally noticed the little siblings of Brock holding onto his body to stop him from moving.

"You leave Onix alone! My brother worked hard on raising it, big bully!"

"Believe me, I'm no bully..." Ash said.

"Stop it! Get off, all you!" This is an official match, we're going to finish it, no matter what." Brock said.

"But Brock! We know that you love your Pokémon so much."

"That's why we can't watch Onix suffer from another attack just like when it suffered to the Bulbasaur!"

Evelyn eyes widened at that. 'They must've saw our match yesterday.'

Ash bite his lips. "Pikachu, return!" Pikachu blinked before running back to Ash, much to everyone's surprise, Evelyn blinked at seeing Ash forfeiting again.

"What do you think you're doing? This match isn't over yet, Ash." Brock said, as Ash managed to get the little siblings off of him.

"Those sprinklers going off was just an accident. Winning the match because of that wouldn't be fair. The next time we meet, I will beat you fair and square." Ash said as he began to take his leave, Evelyn quickly follow after him.

"Maybe." Brock muttered as he watches them go.

Timeskip...

Ash and Evelyn were walking down a road together as Ash looked at Pikachu.

"I'm sorry if I was too tough on you, Pikachu." Ash told him. But you really did a great job."

"Pika."

"Guess you feel the same way." Ash smiled.

"You know, Ash. You made the right decision back at the gym." Evelyn said.

Ash shrugged. "As I said, the sprinklers going off was an accident. If I were to win, I'd want it to be fair and square."

As they continued walking, they suddenly heard a voice behind them, causing them to stop.

"Hey! Ash! Evelyn! Wait up, you two!" Brock called.

They turn and see Brock running towards them until he stops in front of them, panting from all the running he's done.

"Brock?"

"Ash, you forgot this." Brock said as he revealed the Boulder badge much to their surprise.

"A badge, for defeating a gym leader? I can't accept that. I didn't beat you, I gave up..."

"Nah, I lost to you. You beat me in battle and in being kind to all Pokémon." Brock said as Ash eyes widened in surprise.

"But..."

"To tell you all the truth, I get more pleasure from raising Pokémon then from making them battle. I don't care about being a great Pokémon trainer, I wanna become the world's best breeder." Brock explained.

"That's an admirable dream." Evelyn said.

Brock nodded. "Ash, I want you to take this and fulfill my dream... Will you do that for me?" Brock asked, Ash nodded and accept the Boulder badge.

"I will! And I will do my best to deserve this, too." Ash said, when suddenly they heard a familiar voice.

"Brock. You go follow your own dreams."

"Huh!? Flint!" Evelyn and Ash blinked as Flint takes off his disguise, shocking them by seeing how much he resembles Brock.

"My father..." Brock said.

Ash yelped in surprised. "Huh!? You mean, you're the good-for-nothing father who left home and never came back!?"

"That's right... It was me. I couldn't become the great Pokémon trainer I wanted to, and because I was such a failure... I was too embarrassed and ashamed to go back to my family." Flint explained.

"But... Why did you help me instead of Brock?" Ash asked.

"You remind me of myself. You didn't seem to have a chance." Flint answered, causing Ash to grumbled. "It's time I started taking care of my family. You go fulfill your dreams and mine."

Brock nodded. "First.. There are some things I need to tell you."

"After all these years I understand how you must feel about me so I want you to get everything off your chest." Flint said.

"Here." Brock said as he took out something from his best and handed it to his father which was revealed to be a sewing string and needle? Which confused them.

"Susie always rips her dresses, so you better learn how to sew, and Timmy only eats cold spaghetti for breakfast, Tommy likes cornflakes for dinner..."

"Slow down! Slow down, I can't write that fast!"

"Cindy sleepwalks so you have to tie a bell on her wrist, and the twins never want to take a bath, so you have to..."

That night...

After handing his father the to-do list, Brock packs up and hits the road with Ash and Evelyn.

"Hey, Ash, Evelyn, are you sure it's okay if I go with you on your journey?" Brock asked.

"We don't mind." Evelyn said.

"Yeah! The more the merrier." Ash added.

"What about that girl over there?"

Turned around to see Misty following behind them.

"Don't forget about my bike, Ash Ketchum! I'm gonna follow you until you pay me back!" Misty exclaimed.

"I know. I know! Pikachu, let's try to lose her." Ash said, as he and Pikachu begin to run ahead.

"Hey!" Evelyn yelled as she run after Ash.

"Wait up, guys!" Brock said as he runs after them.

"Hey! You won't get away!" Misty yelled as she ran after them as the chase was on.

The four trainers run together, towards their next destination, and the next step towards their dreams...

I've decided to increase the number of moves a Pokémon can learn to 6 for the time being, as the Brock battle made me realize that 4 moves was too restrictive.

Evelyn's teams:

Bulbasaur (F) Overgrow -Tackle, Vine Whip, Growl, Razor Leaf-

Nidoran (F) Hustle -Scratch, Poison Sting, Double Kick, Growl-

Spearow (M) Keen Eye -Peck, Fury Attack, Leer-

Marill (M) Huge Power -Water Gun, Rollout, Defense Curl-

Pokémon at Prof. Oak:

-None Currently-

Chapter Text

Enjoy the chapter!

Ash, Evelyn, Misty and their new companion Brock approached a large mountain, while Pikachu slept comfortably on Ash's backpack.

"Mt. Moon. Doesn't that sound romantic?" Misty asked, having noticed the sign they'd just passed.

"People say that a huge meteor crashed into the mountain back in prehistoric times." Brock informed them.

"Wow... a meteor." Ash said in amazement.

"Is it really true?" Evelyn asked.

"Believe or not, Evelyn, they called the meteor from the story the Moon Stone."

"Now that's romantic." Misty sighed.

Suddenly, they are startled by the sound of a man screaming ahead of them.

"What was that?" Ash asked.

"Let's check it out, someone could be in trouble" Evelyn said, they nodded in agreement.

They ran ahead and soon came across a man being attacked by a flock of Zubat.

"Those are Zubat." Brock said.

"And they are attacking that man." Evelyn said. "We got to do something."

Ash pulled out his Pokédex and scan the Zubat.

"Zubat, The Bat Pokémon. They lived in caves and hate to fly outside in daylight."

"Not these Zubat." Ash said.

"This is no time for jokes, Ash, this guy needs our help." Evelyn said.

"Right... Pikachu, Thundershock!" Ash ordered, Pikachu leaps from his backpack and launches his attack on the Zubat flock, zapping them all. The Zubats all retreated into Mt. Mountain, while the group runs towards the man.

"Are you okay?" Ash asked.

The man stood up smiling. "Wow! You two are the greatest!" He then hugged Ash tightly, with Pikachu between them.

"Really! It was nothing."

"I'm talking super fantabulistic! I mean, two thumbs up! Way up! The best rescue I've ever had!" The man exclaimed, excitedly.

"Hmm... I think you should let Ash go." Evelyn said, nervously, noticing sparks coming from Pikachu's cheeks.

But she's too late, as Pikachu unleashes another Thundershock that zaps both Ash and the man. The man fell to the ground, but quickly recovered and was back on his feet.

"They say that a man's best friend is a Pokémon, and with you two, I believe it!"

"Oh... That's nice." Ash said, unsure.

"I'm so moved. Such friendship I thought I'd never see when the Zubat began attacking me. I thought I was done for, but who should arrive? Some heroes, thanks to whom, I'm alive! Thank you so much! Thank you!"

"He certainly doesn't look like the poetic type." Misty said.

"Did I mention how grateful I am?" The man asked.

"Hmm... Why were the Zubat attacking you mister?" Evelyn asked.

"Never call me Mister! My name's Seymour... Seymour the Scientist! Knowledge, research, I'm Seymour the Scientist!" Seymour said, the group looked at him puzzled. He then leads the group inside the cave, wanting to show them something. As he leads them through Mt. Moon, he begins to explain what's going on.

"As you see, the cave is all lit up inside. Somebody has strung these lights through the whole cave. But the Pokémon in this cave need the dark, and these lights are upsetting them and making them confused." Seymour explained.

"Which explained why the Zubat left the cave and attacked you." Evelyn said.

Seymour nodded. "And look here, these Paras are planting their mushroom everywhere. And the hot lights are drying up these Sandshrew." They saw Paras planting their mushroom on the ground then saw an exhausting Sandshrew on ground.

"Those poor Pokémon..." Evelyn said, concerned.

"That's why I'm here. On patrol to protect the mountain from troublemakers that attack against these cave." Seymour explained.

"Troublemakers? Why attack a cave?" Misty asked.

"I'm afraid it's because of the Moon Stone." Seymour answered.

"The Moon Stone?" Ash asked.

"It's probably because it's a precious stone, which has the ability to help many Pokémon to evolve." Evelyn said.

"Exactly. The Moon Stone is an awesome boulder. A million years old or even older. Deep in these caves, the meteor hides. Though no explorer has found the place of the legendary rock from space. We've study these fragments for many hours, and discovered it increases a Pokémon's power. And that is why the attackers are here, they come to take the Moon Stone or so I fear." Seymour said.

"Take the Moon Stone?" Ash repeated.

"Ever since I was a little boy, I've believed Pokémon came to Earth from outer space."

"From outer space?" The group repeated.

Seymour nodded. Yes, and where, you ask, it the spacecraft that brought them here? In this cave. It's the Moon Stone."

"It sure is an original theory." Misty said.

"But don't you see?" Seymour asked. "It means the Moon Stone belongs to the Pokémon. We humans must not take it from them!" Suddenly, he turns to Ash, leaps towards him and grabs him by the hands. "You agree with me, don't you?"

"Huh huh..." Ash nodded.

Suddenly a pink Pokémon bounced happily past them, holding a small piece of a shiny rock in its chubby little paws. "Clefairy! Clefairy!" It sang happily as it almost seems to float through the air.

"Hey, it's a Clefairy." Evelyn said.

"It's so cute!" Misty smiled, as Ash pulled out his Pokédex.

"Clefairy, The Fairy Pokémon. Adored for their cute looks and playfulness. They are thought to be rare, as they are found only in certain areas."

Ash pulled out one of his Pokéball in excitement. "I gotta catch it!"

Seymour quickly grabbed Ash's arm, stopping him. "You can't."

The Clefairy bounced happily out of sight. Ash looked sadly to where it had gone before turning back to Seymour.

"Sorry, but it's best if you let it stay here. I hope you understand."

"Sure, Seymour. I understand." Ash replied.

Suddenly, they heard Clefairy's cry of distress, which drew their attention and quickly rushed to where it had headed.

"Don't be scared of Meowth." As they drew closer, they heard a voice.

When they arrived, they saw the Clefairy cornered by Meowth.

"Meowth?!" Evelyn exclaimed.

"Meowth!? What are you all doing here?" Meowth panicked.

"Looking for troublemakers like you." Ash said, as Pikachu ran to Clefairy to keep an eye on her and calm her down.

"So, Team Rocket was causing all the trouble around, what a surprise." Evelyn said, sarcastically.

"We've got to stop them before they start any more trouble." Brock said.

"Trouble?" They heard a new voice.

"Make that double."

They watched as Jessie and James stood on either side of Meowth. Evelyn zoned out as they recited their motto, only catching the end.

"Meowth, that's right!"

"They sure are show-offs." Seymour said.

"Don't you guys ever get tired of saying the same things over and over?" Ash asked.

"You're just jealous, boy." Jessie said.

"Because we won't let you join us." James added.

"I'd never join up with you!" Ash yelled.

"You are the one that put the lights in this cave," Evelyn realized. "It's your fault the Pokémon who live here are so confused!"

"What a shame." Jessie said, clearly not caring.

"How are we ever going to forgive ourselves?" James said, not caring either.

"We wanna get out hands on the Moon Stone so we can power up our Pokémon with it!" Meowth said, Evelyn raised an eyebrow as she noted the flaw in their plan, knowing that Moon Stone can only evolve certain Pokémon.

"With the Moon Stone in our hands, nothing will stop us!" Jessie declared arrogantly.

"We won't let you get away with it." Evelyn said.

"You want a rock? Take one of these, then get lost." Brock told them.

"Get lost?" Jessie repeated. "How rude."

"Let's teach him manners." James said.

Ash, Evelyn and Brock pulled out their Pokéballs, as Ash looked at Misty. "You keep an eye on Seymour and Clefairy. Make a run for it when you get the chance."

"Right." Misty nodded.

"Ready or not." Jessie and James pulled out their Pokéballs and threw them, releasing their Ekans and Koffing.

"Butterfree, I choose you."

"Let's go, Nidoran!"

"Here we go!"

As Butterfree and Nidoran took up their positions, another Pokémon appeared. Much to Ash and Evelyn's surprise, it was a Zubat.

"A Zubat!?" Ash said surprisingly.

"I captured it just before we got in the cave." Brock explained, much to Ash's chagrin.

"Aw... I should've caught one..." Ash groaned.

"Worry about it later, Ash." Evelyn said.

"Right." Ash nodded.

"Koffing, Poison Gas!"

Koffing obey and start to covered the area with Poisonous gases until Ash and Brock countered it.

"Butterfree! Whirlwind, now!" "Zubat, Double Team, now!"

On cue, both Pokémon flap their wings in the direction of the gas, blowing the smoke right back at them.

"What...!? What's this!?" James coughed.

"Not bad!" Ash smiled.

"Quick! Now's our chance!" Misty said as she pushed Seymour away.

Jessie orders a Bite, as Ekans lunges at Butterfree, which is noticed by Evelyn.

"Nidoran protect Butterfree with Scratch!" Evelyn ordered.

Nidoran ran towards Ekans and managed to scratch him just before he used his bite, pushing Ekans back in the process, causing him to hit Koffing at the same time. Causing both Jessie and James to gasped.

"Thanks for the save." Ash smiled.

Evelyn nodded. "Alright, Nidoran keep the pressure! Use Poison Sting."

"Nid!" Nidoran cried out as she ran towards her opponents, only to suddenly be covered by a brilliant white light. Catching everyone by surprised.

"Huh!?"

Evelyn gasped. "Nidoran's evolving!"

Nidoran continues to grow until the light fades and a new Pokémon emerges. Everyone was amazed to witness an evolution, as Evelyn quickly took out her Pokédex to scan her newly evolved Pokémon.

"Nidorina, The Poison Pin Pokémon and the evolved form of Nidoran. When it is with its friends or family, its barbs are tucked away to prevent injury. It appears to become nervous if separated from the others."

Nidorina continues to run towards her opponents and bites into Ekans then shakes him off which sends him flying towards the wall, then knocks back Koffing with a Double Kick, as he was trying to attack her from behind.

"Brock, now is your chance." Evelyn called as Brock nodded.

"Go! Supersonic!" Brock yelled.

Zubat screeches in the direction of Ekans and Koffing, and he's not the only one as Nidorina unleashes her own Supersonic, hitting them both. Causing them to attack each other.

"Ah! Oh no!" James gasped as he and Jessie watches as their Pokémon fight against each other.

"Ekans! Koffing!" Jessie and James tried to snapped them out of it, but to no avail.

"What's the matter with you weaklings!?" James snapped.

"Ekans and Koffing are confused." Evelyn said.

"Butterfree! Whirlwind now! Blow them all the way out of the cave!" Ash ordered.

Butterfree flapped his wings as fast as he could, the wind began to pick up and Jessie and James tried to resist. Unfortunately for them, their two confused Pokémon were propelled through the air and crashed into them. Thus they were all sent flying.

"It's time Team Rocket blasted off!" James wailed.

"You may have won this round, but we'll be back!" Jessie screamed, as she and James along with their Pokémon disappeared into the darkness of the cave.

Once the coast was clear, Evelyn rushed to her Nidorina and took her in her arms. Nidorina had tucked away her spike so as not to injure her trainer while she was in her arms. Evelyn began to praise her evolution and her fight, while Nidorina affectionately nuzzled her belly.

"We did it! Yeah!" Ash cheered, as he and Brock fist bump in celebration.

Evelyn, after congratulating her Pokémon, returned her to her Pokéball as she realized something... "Guys? Aren't we forgetting something?" She asked.

Ash and Brock started to ponder what she meant, until they both realized it. " Ah! Where's Meowth!?" The two exclaimed.

Evelyn clicks her tongue in annoyance. "He must've went after Misty and Seymour."

Evelyn ran to get out of the cave where Misty and Seymour had gone.

"Evelyn, wait!" Ash called out as he ran after her, with Brock following.

Moment later...

Evelyn, Ash and Brock arrived at the spot where Misty, Pikachu, Clefairy and Seymour were standing, just in time to see some kind of giant Meowth balloon, which flew backwards as water spewed from its mouth.

"Bye Meowth, have a nice drip!" Misty called as she waved her hand.

"Hey! Is everyone alright!?" Ash called out as he, Evelyn, and Brock ran to meet up with them.

Misty smiled. "We won't be bothered by Meowth anymore thanks to Misty the mighty!"

Later that day, as the sun begins to set, the group have set up a little camp beside the river. Evelyn and Ash released their Pokémon so that they could relax and stretch their limbs. Evelyn's Pokémon were of course shocked when they first saw Nidorina, but after she explained what had happened, their shock turned into determination to grow stronger and not let themselves be outdone.

Marill and Bulbasaur played together, while Pidgeotto and Spearow were perched on a branch and Nidorina stood by Evelyn, nibbling on some food she'd given her.

"Are these Pokémon foods your own recipe?" Evelyn asked Brock, having noticed him giving his Zubat some.

"Yeah, is it. I've been working on it for years, always trying to improve the recipe."

"You'll have to share it with me, as I'd love to improve mine." Evelyn said.

"If you do the same." Brock smiled, he then hands her and Ash some of his food so they can give their Pokémon a taste. Once they bit into it, they all cried out happily and quickly finished their portion.

"Looks like they like it." Ash said.

"I will try some too." Seymour said, as he grab one and ate it. "Mhmm... Not bad."

"Really?" Ash asked. "Let me taste."

"Wait! Don't-" Evelyn was cut off once Ash eat it and right after that he went into a stroke-like convulsions.

Brock chuckled. "You might not like it, but the Pokémon sure do."

Evelyn shakes her head and hands Ash a bottle of water, which he quickly drinks. On a nearby rock Pikachu and Clefairy were having a conversation.

"Pikachu make friends so easily, I wonder what they are talking about." Ash said, Pikachu turn around and start gesturing. "What's up Pikachu?"

Clefairy hopped off the rock and bounces away as Pikachu follow after her. Ash and Evelyn called their Pokémon back and they all ran after them.

"Pikachu, where on Earth are you taking us?" Ash asked.

They are led to the top of a hill where they see a cave.

"Another cave..." Evelyn said.

They all walked inside and found themselves in a circular cave with no roof, letting the moon shine down on a large glittering rock surrounded by an almost unbroken ring of Moon Stone fragments.

"Wow!"

"It's the core of the Moon Stone." Seymour said.

"This feels like a dream." Misty said.

"So the Moon Stone legend is true." Brock said.

"Hey, look! Clefairy's doing something." Evelyn said.

They watch as the Clefairy places her Moon Stone fragment in one of the remaining gaps. Almost instantly, the fragments begin to glow, then the whole rock as more and more Clefairy enter the cave.

"There's so many of them." Misty said, as one of the Clefairy approached and bowed.

"I think it's saying 'Hello.'" Ash said.

"Yeah."

Misty smiled. "Look at them."

All of the Clefairy begin to dance and lightly bounced around the rock.

"Amazing! These Clefairy have formed their own society. This is an incredible sight." Seymour said.

Clefairy and Pikachu were talking with each other as Ash approached them.

"Hey, Pikachu? What has Clefairy been saying to you anyway?" Ash asked, both Pokémon turned towards as Pikachu start speaking while making gesture.

"You understand that?" Seymour asked.

"Of course I do. It's my Pokémon. The Clefairy collect all these rocks and... do the Macarena." Ash said, Pikachu fell down due to Ash getting it wrong and start making cross sign to show it.

"I think you guess it wrong." Evelyn said.

Pikachu pulled Clefairy over, and tried again. Pikachu points at Clefairy and lifts it up.

"The Clefairy... pick up?" Ash said, confusingly.

"A pickup truck?" Brock tried to guess.

"Raising?" Evelyn tried herself, Pikachu nods his head and give her a thumbs up. He then beings to make more gesture.

"The Clefairy like raisins?" Ash said, annoying Pikachu as he shook his head.

Pikachu jumps on Ash and pulls out a hair, causing him a slight pain. He then shows them the hair.

"What rhymes with hair?" Misty asked.

Evelyn scratch her hair in thought. "Maybe... prayer?" Causing Pikachu to cheered. "Prayer is the answer!"

"The Clefairy pray to the Moon Stone." Ash said.

Seymour looked up, in thought. "Is it because the Moon Stone fell from the heavens?"

"Maybe the legends are true." Misty said.

"Maybe the Moon Stone did came from space." Evelyn added.

"Of course! It all makes sense now!" Seymour cried out, startling everyone.

"What does?" Ash asked.

"Outer space Pokémon and humans will ride the Moon Stone into space! First to the Moon! Then to Mars! Then together to the stars!" Seymour exclaims enthusiastically, but before anyone can respond, a familiar voice is heard.

"Stars?" An annoying familiar voice asked. "That's our cue!"

They all turned around and see Team Rocket at the entrance of the cave.

"You guys don't know when to quit, huh." Evelyn frowned.

Seymour stepped in front of them, glaring at Team Rocket. "You keep away from the Moon Stone or else."

"Or else?" James asked.

"I think we've been threatened." Jessie said.

Seymour's knees start shaking. "The Moon Stone belongs to the Clefairy, not to you troublemakers, l-leave this cave at once."

"What's that unusual sound?" James asked.

"His knees are shaking." Jessie said.

"Sounds like a wimp." Meowth said, as Seymour ran toward them.

"I'll show you!"

"Seymour, wait!" Evelyn called.

Seymour ran toward Team Rocket but fell when Meowth stepped aside and trip Seymour. "Ha! Did you have a nice trip?"

Seymour sat up on the ground without his glasses. "My glasses... I can't see a thing."

"Oh, Seymour." Misty said.

"That wasn't fair!" Ash glared.

Jessie held out her Pokéball. "All's fair in a Pokémon match, boy."

James held up his Pokéball. "Enough talk."

"I agree, let's go Pikachu."

"Onix, let's go!"

"Let's do it, Spearow!"

As the two Poison types appeared out of their Pokéballs, Onix roared at them as Pikachu ran up to his rocky head while Spearow fly close by him.

"Let's show them that size doesn't matter! Ekans, underground!" Jessie ordered.

"Koffing! Smokescreen!" James yelled.

Ekans obey, while Koffing joyfully spits smoke that completely covers the cave.

Ash coughed. "I can't see a thing."

"Spearow, Whirlwind the smoke!" Evelyn ordered, as she coughed too.

Spearow begins to flap his wings rapidly, clearing the smoke, but once the smoke clears, they notice that not only has the Moon Stone disappeared, but so has Team Rocket...

"The Moon Stone's gone!" Ash exclaimed.

"Team Rocket stole it!" Misty said, angrily.

"The battle was just a distraction so they could steal it right under our noses." Evelyn clicked her tongue, as Spearow squawk angrily at being denied a battle.

"Alright, Onix! Follow them underground!" Brock ordered.

Which Onix promptly did, as he dug underground. And while Onix was doing this, the group ran out of the cave with their Pokémon in tow.

"They couldn't have gone too far. Let's go!" Evelyn said.

Later...

As the group ran, they suddenly heard a loud roar from ahead. This pushes them to pick up the pace and reach the place where Onix and Team Rocket are.

"Nice work, Onix, grab them now." Brock said.

Onix lunges towards them, but that was until James order a counterattack.

"Koffing! Counter it!" James yelled.

Koffing collided with Onix's head, causing them to knock each other out, Koffing getting buried while Onix crashed to the ground.

"Onix..." Brock said, shocked.

"Hey, look." Ash said, as they saw Seymour emerging out of Onix's hole.

"It's Seymour." Misty said.

Surprisingly, All the Clefairy were with him. And they leaped out of the hole and swarm up in front of Team Rocket, they lift their little paws up and start rocking them back and forth in a hypnotic beat.

"Meowth! What's going on?" Meowth shrieked as he keep watching the Clefairy.

"What... are they doing?" Jessie asked.

"Waving their fingers..." James slowly said.

"This way and that... This way and that way..." Meowth waved his head back and forth.

"I'm getting dizzy..." Misty said.

"This an attack the Clefairy use called the Metronome." Seymour said. "I've never seen Clefairy use the Metronome before. Who knows what will happen?"

At that moment, the Clefairy stopped and began to glow, as the ground on which Team Rocket stood began to crack, until an explosion occurred. Which caused Team Rocket members and their Pokémon to be blown off into the air, disappearing into the distance. The smoke cleared, showing the massive crater where the Moon Stone had been. Suddenly small shards drifted down like snow, lending on a few of the Clefairy, causing them to glow brightly.

Evelyn gasped. "They are evolving!" Which she immediately pulled out her Pokédex.

"Clefable, The Fairy Pokémon and the evolved form of Clefairy. A timid fairy Pokémon that is rarely seen, they live quietly in packs deep in the mountains."

Seymour looked amazed. "The power of the Moon Stone did this..."

Moments later, they were all back inside the cave, while the Clefairy and the Clefable began to dance around, continuing their prayers. As the group watches, Seymour turns to them.

"I've decided to live here with the Clefairy." Seymour declared, catching the group off guard.

"Why?" Evelyn asked.

"It's been my life's dream to find the Moon Stone, someday I will travel to the stars with the Clefairy." Seymour explained.

"Wow."

"When you do get to outer space, I hope you'll remember to send us a postcard." Brock said.

Suddenly, one of the Clefable approaches Evelyn and tugs at her pants, drawing her attention.

"Huh? Is there something you want?" Evelyn asked.

Clefable nods, stretching her paws towards her. "Fable." Evelyn looked at her and notice a Moon Stone in her paws.

"I think Clefable wants to give you this Moon Stone to thank you for saving her and the Moon Stone from Team Rocket." Seymour told her.

"Are you sure?" Evelyn asked, Clefable.

Clefable nodded. "Clefable!"

Evelyn picks up the Moon Stone and smiled at Clefable. "Thank you, I'm sure it will be useful in the future."

The next morning...

After spending the night in Mt. Moon, the group was ready to set off on their journey.

"Goodbye!" Evelyn waved.

"So long, Seymour!" Ash yelled.

"Goodbye, guys, and thank you all!" Seymour called as he waved them goodbye.

Later...

They come to a fork in the road and see a sign on the side of the road pointing in a direction.

"This road leads to Cerulean City." Brock read. "Well, I guess we're heading the right way."

"What's that?" Evelyn asked, having notice some scribble on the sign.

Ash and Brock took a closer look, causing Ash to widened his eyes.

"'Gary was here'... Loser!? Argh! That Gary! I'll SHOW YOU!" Ash yelled, as he dashes ahead leaving them behind. Causing Evelyn to sighed before running after him.

"Hey, you two! What's the hurry?" Misty asked, as she and Brock quickly follow after them.

Evelyn's teams:

Bulbasaur (F) Overgrow -Tackle, Vine Whip, Growl, Razor Leaf-

Nidorina (F) Hustle -Scratch, Poison Sting, Double Kick, Bite, Growl, Supersonic-

Spearow (M) Keen Eye -Peck, Fury Attack, Leer, Whirlwind-

Marill (M) Huge Power -Water Gun, Rollout, Defense Curl-

Pokémon at Prof. Oak:

-None Currently-

Chapter Text

Enjoy the chapter!

It was a cool, sunny day, puffy white clouds floating lazily in the sky, the sun and gentle breeze feeling good on the skin of the gang. As she walked, Evelyn reflected on the small training session she had carried out with her Pokémon since leaving Mount Moon.

Spearow was quickly catching up with his team-mate, his speed gradually increasing and he even learn a new move. Marill had managed to learn Slam with Evelyn's help and was now working on his own to learn Play Rough, which Nidorina was more than happy to help with if he needed it.

Unfortunately, she wasn't working much with Bulbasaur and Nidorina, as she was planning to use Spearow and Marill for her next gym match, so she was devoting most of her attention to them, but that didn't mean she was neglecting their training. As whenever Marill and Spearow took a break, she turned her attention to them. She was suddenly drawn out of her thoughts by Ash.

"Ah..." Ash sighed out loud in content as he stretched his arms out. "It's a great day to just enjoy the sunshine."

"Weren't you angry about the scribble Gary had written on the sign not too long ago?" Evelyn said.

"I guess I got carried away..." Ash replied sheepishly.

"While you're enjoying the sunshine, Gary catches more Pokémon." Brock told him, causing Ash to freeze in his tracks. "But I guess a trainer can capture Pokémon and enjoy the sun."

"Hey! Wait a minute!" Misty called out, gasping for breath as she caught up with them.

Evelyn turned around and blinked. "Misty? Where have you been? I thought you were right behind us?"

"Never mind that. Where do you think your going?" Misty asked.

Evelyn raised an eyebrow. "You should already know that we're going to Cerulean City."

"Ah! Cerulean City! What are you and Ash going there for!?" Misty yelped, as Evelyn frowned.

"Cerulean City is where the next Gym is, right? So it's only logical that this should be our next destination. Why, is there a problem with us going there?" Evelyn asked, stopping Misty in her track.

"Um... You two don't want Pokémon or face the Gym Leader there. Trust me." Misty said, nervously, which cause them to be a little suspicious.

"Why not?" Ash asked, sternly.

"Because they're all..." Misty started to say as Evelyn interrupted her.

"They're all what, Misty?" Evelyn asked.

"Very scary ghost type Pokémon that looks like this. Like a monster." Misty said as she made a monstrous face to try and scare her friends. Which didn't work, Pikachu tilt his head confused as Brock sweat drop while Ash laughed.

Evelyn frowned. "That doesn't make sense, since I heard that the Gym leader is a Water type specialist." Misty tensed up. "So... why would someone that want to be a Water Pokémon master be opposed to go there?"

Misty starts to fidget, looking nervous, when suddenly she changes the subject. "Hey, what about Vermillion City? It's right on the water, and there's a lot of neat Pokémon. And you can watch all the giants yachts pulling into the harbor. And, there's a little way up on a hill where you can sit and watch the sunset. It's so romantic." Misty sighed. Evelyn looked at her suspiciously, something was definitely off with Misty right now... "It's much nicer than that old Cerulean City. So, let's get going!"

Ash frowns slightly before smiling. "Okay! Let's go."

Misty looked at him hopefully. "Really?"

"Nope!" Evelyn said, crushing her hopes. "We're still going to Cerulean City, Vermillion City is currently too far for us." She told her as she walked ahead. Causing Misty to fall over, as she realized her plan didn't work...

Ash and Brock follow Evelyn, while Misty watches them go.

"I never wanted to wind up back here..." She muttered.

Timeskip...

After having to camp for the night, it was the next morning and Ash, Brock and Evelyn were continuing their journey towards Cerulean City as they drew closer. They soon arrived in Cerulean city.

"So this is Cerulean City, huh?" Ash said.

Brock nodded as he looked around. "Pretty nice place, isn't it?"

"I'll say." Evelyn smiled as she looked around and notice something. "Hey guys, Misty's not following us anymore."

"She really didn't want to come to Cerulean City, did she." Brock commented.

"I wonder why she hate this place so much." Ash said.

"Something must have happened in her past for her not to want to come back here." Evelyn said, Ash and Brock nodded in agreement.

They continue walking through the city when they suddenly come across a crowd of people around a store, as well as a police officer.

"The police? Wonder what happened?" Ash said, frowning.

"It must be a robbery." Evelyn said, as they ran to the scene as they see the police trying to get the people to back away. Evelyn turned to a man besides her and asked. "Excuse me, do you know what happened here?"

The man sighed. "Some burglars broke into that store last night."

"Burglars, huh?" Evelyn repeated, until a familiar voice called out to them.

"What do you know about burglars?"

They turned around to see Officer Jenny standing right in front of them with a suspicious look on her face. "The three of you look very suspicious to me."

"Oh, hello-" Evelyn was about to greet Officer Jenny, but was interrupted by Ash.

"Hey, you're that motorcycle officer from Viridian!" Ash exclaimed, catching Jenny by surprised.

"Huh? Ah, you must've met my sister-in-law." She said as she narrowed eyes. "If you know my sister-in-law, that means you probably had some dealings with the police in Viridian."

"What do you mean, Officer?"

"What I mean, is that maybe you all stopped to ask her for directions, or maybe you found a wallet on the street and returned it, or maybe you're all a gang of criminals who broke out of jail!" Jenny exclaimed as she took out a pair of handcuffs, shocking the group.

"We've never been in jail!" Ash and Evelyn said, in horror.

"Neither have I ma'am." Brock said.

"That's what they all say!" Jenny claimed.

"We just got into town and saw the crowd." Brock tried to explained. "So, we came over to see what was going on."

Jenny smiled. "The criminal always returns to the scene of the crime."

Evelyn pulled out her Pokédex and offered it to Officer Jenny. "Here, maybe this will clear things up."

"I'm Dexter. A Pokédex programmed by Professor Oak for Pokémon Trainer Evelyn White of the town of Pallet."

Ash pulled out his and Brock pulled out one of his Boulder badges.

"Yeah, and I was the Gym leader of the Pewter City gym." Brock said.

"Well, that's evidence enough for me." Officer Jenny said. "I'm sorry I was suspicious. Now I'm suspicious of my sister-in-law, she sure has weird taste in friends."

"Um, Miss. I was wondering. Since I'm new in town, maybe we can get together tonight. And you could show me around." Brock said, with a smile on his face. Ash and Evelyn look at him, confused, why is he suddenly acting this way?

"Well, I'm not off duty until past your bedtime, and I may even have to work around the clock to catch these burglars." Jenny said bluntly, crushing Brock's hope.

"What did they steal?" Evelyn asked.

"That's the strange thing about it. They didn't take any money... just a massive vacuum and a giant hose." Jenny replied, which confused Evelyn.

"Why would the burglars want something like that? When they could have just take the money?" Evelyn frowned as the officer sighed.

"I'm sure I don't know, young lady, but I do know that I don't have time to play guessing games with you, because I've got a job to do, and it's time for you three to move along." Jenny said, as she pushed the three trainers away from the scene of crime. "Alright, everybody! The show's over! Nothing to see here! Break it up! Break it up!" She called out.

With that said, the three friends find themselves in a park where they sit on a bench. Ash sits at one end of the bench, Brock at the other, while Evelyn sits in the middle with Pikachu on her lap.

"Good thing the two of us had Dexter, and you had your badge." Ash said, as Brock and Evelyn nodded in agreement.

"Shouldn't you two be going to the Cerulean gym?" Brock asked Ash and Evelyn, making them blink.

"You're right, we should get going." Evelyn said, as she stand up with Pikachu in her arms.

"Hey, Brock! You got any inside info on the Gym leader?" Ash asked.

"Apart from what Evelyn said about them being water specialists, there's not much else to say, why?"

"I just wanna find out as much as I can about them before we have our match. Know yourself, know your adversary, and you hold the key to victory." Ash replied, Evelyn looked at him confused, where did he hear that?

"Those are very wise words." Brock said.

"I learned it from Dexter, now, is there anything you could tell us?" Ash asked, once more.

"Unfortunately, I can't out of respect. You understand?" Brock said, Evelyn nodded.

Ash sighed. "I guess you're right..."

Brock rose from the bench, drawing Ash and Evelyn's attention as he turned to them.

"Well, I have some stuff I need to check out." Brock told them.

"What kind of stuff?" Evelyn asked.

"Just stuff. See you guys later." Brock waved as he walked away from them.

"See ya." Evelyn waved back.

"Bye. Well, let's get going, guys." Ash got up and started to walk away while Evelyn tried to catch up to him.

"Hey, Ash!" Evelyn called out, getting his attention. "I think we should go to the Pokémon Center first before going to the gym."

Ash pauses for a moment before nodding. "You're right, we should."

With that, they quickly left the park and headed for the Pokémon Center. It took them a while to reach their destination, as they had to ask for directions. Once they arrived, they immediately went to Nurse Joy to hand over their Pokémon to her for recovery.

In the meantime, they decided to call home. Their parents were delighted to learn that they had already arrived in Cerulean City and were already preparing to challenge the Gym. They chatted a little longer until they were called to collect their Pokémon. Ash and Evelyn said goodbye to their parents, promising to call them back soon, but not before their parents had wished them good luck.

Once they've collected their Pokémon, they leave the center and make their way to the gym. As they walked, Ash looked at a map he'd picked up at the Pokémon Center. "Cerulean City gym... Cerulean City gym... It should be right around here." He said.

As they were walking, Evelyn spotted a building up ahead. "We found it." She said, catching Ash attention. "Look, there's a sign. It says Cerulean Gym." Ash turned to where she was pointing and smiled when he saw the building.

"Alright, we found it!" Ash cheered, and they immediately made their way to the gym.

When they entered, the two trainers were surprised to find a large crowd of people sitting in the bleachers, overlooking the pool below. As they watch, they suddenly hear an announcer.

"Ladies and gentleman! Please welcome the star of our show: The Sensational Cerulean City Synchronized Swimming Sisters!" The announcer declared as the crowd cheered loudly. Evelyn's eyes widened when she heard the announcer.

As they were watching, the light suddenly shone on the three sisters as they waved to the crowd.

"Lily! Daisy! Violet!" The crowd cheered loudly as they watched the sisters dive into the pool below and begin their choreography.

Ash frowns, perplexed by what's happening. "But I thought this was the Pokémon gym..."

"It is." Evelyn said. "We just came at the wrong time."

Ash nodded and he turned his attention back to the shows, frowning. "I can't understand it..." He muttered.

At the end of the show, Ash and Evelyn found themselves in a hallway with an aquarium on either side.

"Wow, they have so many different water Pokémon." Evelyn said in amazement, looking at the aquarium where Goldeen, Poliwag and a few Shellders are swimming.

"Yeah... But how can this be a gym?" Ash asked, Evelyn looked at him and just as she was about to answer, they heard voices approaching them.

"The crowd was totally awesome!"

"I know... That was so great! Daisy, the dive you did was super!" The purple-haired girl said.

Daisy smiled. "The practice really paid off."

The pink-haired girl agreed. "Totally."

They laughed until Ash and Evelyn approached.

"Excuse me, do you-" Evelyn began to say until the sisters noticed them.

"I'm sorry, but if you want an interview, you have to like, call our manager." The pink-haired girl interrupted her, frowning.

"No, it's not that..." Ash began to say, but was interrupted in turn.

"We don't do autographs."

"No, you've got it wrong, we're not here for interviews or autographs." Evelyn said.

"Yeah, we are here to challenge the gym leader." Ash added.

"In that case, you're looking at them."

"Huh?" Ash and Evelyn blinked in surprised, they didn't thought that all three of them where going to the gym leader...

"The three of us are the gym leader here." Daisy said, smiling.

"We're the Sensational Sisters!"

"We're world famous!"

"But then, what's all the swimming about?" Ash asked.

"It's like our hobby. And our fans like to watch us perform." The pink-haired girl answered.

"We pool our talent to make a big splash." The purple-haired girl said.

The three sister began to laughed together causing Ash and Pikachu to fall over. Shortly afterwards, the five head to the pool where the battle between the two challengers and the three gym leaders will take place. The purple-haired girl introduces herself as Violet, while the pink-haired girl introduces herself as Lily.

"Come on! The two of us challenge all three of you!" Ash declared, as Pikachu's cheeks sparked with excitement. But to his surprise, alongside Evelyn, the sisters didn't appear very enthusiastic about being challenged as they nervously glanced at each other.

"We don't feel much like battling anymore." Daisy admitted.

"Why's that?" Evelyn asked.

"We've just been beaten four times in a row, twice by kids from this nowhere place called Pallet Town." Violet explains, to which Evelyn blinks as Ash slumps, annoyed.

"Not again..." Ash grumbled.

"It was just one defeat after another... My eyes were spinning from all the loses." Violet continues with a sigh.

"We had to, like, practically rush all our Pokémon to the Pokémon Center." Daisy confesses as Lily pulls out a Pokéball.

"This is our last one." Lily said, releasing it as a Goldeen emerges from it and begins to flail around on the floor.

"You mean, all you have left is that Goldeen!?" Ash exclaimed in disbelief, as Violet smiled nervously, while Lily returned Goldeen back.

"If it would evolve into a Seaking, we could use it. But all it can do now is its Horn Attack." Violet explained.

"So, there's like no point in battling." Daisy said.

"Now, instead of having matches, we have time to make ourselves look more beautiful than ever!" Lily said, ecstatically.

"That's disappointing..." Evelyn muttered.

As Ash was about to speak, Daisy smiled at them. "I know what you want." She said as she clapped her hands several times. "Seel!" A seal-like Pokémon emerged from the pool and stuck out its tongue to reveal two badges.

"The Cascade Badges. That's what you both want, isn't it? Take it." Daisy said, as she offered the Badge freely.

"Thanks... but I'd rather earn my badges." Ash said, hesitantly as Daisy smiled at him.

"Take it. A badge is a badge." Daisy said.

"As Ash said, we'd rather earn our badge than have it handed to us." Evelyn said. "If you wish, we can reschedule the match once all your Pokémon have recovered."

The sisters look at each other before turning back to them, and just as Daisy is about to answer, a voice suddenly interrupts them.

"Hold it right there!"

Drawing everyone's attention, they turned to the bleachers and saw Misty standing there. Ash and Evelyn both widened their eyes, surprised to see her here.

"Misty!?"

"Hiyah!" Misty yelled as she leaps off the bleachers and landed near them as she glared at Daisy.

"Alright, Daisy! If you don't want to battle them, I will!" Misty exclaimed.

"What's going on here?" Ash asked, as Evelyn crossed her arms frowning.

"Sorry I didn't tell you sooner... I'm also one of the gym leaders for the Cerulean City gym." Misty confesses. "I am the fourth Sensational Sister!"

"There's only three Sensational Sisters and one runt." Lily said, causing Misty to growls in anger.

"So, little sister... It's a surprise to see you back so soon." Daisy said, as Violet smirked.

"That little girl with a loud mouth who said she wouldn't come back until she was a great Pokémon trainer. Wasn't that you?" Violet asked, teasingly, causing Misty to blink before turning away embarrassed.

"I... guess I did say something like that when I left..." Misty said, nervously.

"I guess we finally know why she was against coming here..." Ash whispered to Evelyn.

"Misty, you left here, pretending you wanted to become a Pokémon trainer because you couldn't compare with us. Because we're obviously more talented and beautiful than you are." Lily said, irritating Misty even more .

"Uh oh..." Ash muttered.

"That wasn't the reason!" Misty snapped as Daisy sighed.

"Well then, I guess like, you came back because you couldn't make it as a Pokémon trainer." Daisy said, bluntly.

"It wasn't my idea to come back here! The only reason I'm here is because those two wanted to come!" Misty said, as she pointed at Ash and Evelyn. Ash glared at her while Evelyn rolled her eyes.

"Well, he's totally not someone I'd choose for a boyfriend but you're no prize yourself." Daisy giggled, causing Ash to fall over.

'What did she just say?' Evelyn though as she glared at her, which she took notice and smirked.

"My boyfriend!? If I battle them, that'll prove I'm not a quitter and that I'm just as good a trainer as you three!" Misty snapped.

"Well... You are the only one of us with a Pokémon that can actually battle." Daisy said.

"Alright, you two! Are you ready to rumble?!" Misty asked them.

Timeskip...

The match is about to begin as Evelyn and Misty face off in the pool on floating platforms. Ash and Pikachu watches from the sidelines with Misty's sisters.

"I should've went first..." Ash grumbled.

"Okay, Evelyn. If you want that Cascade Badge, you'll have to battle me first." Misty declared.

"I wouldn't have it any other way. So, how should we do this?" Evelyn asked.

"It's going to be a two on two."

"Fine with me." Evelyn smiled as she pulled out one of her Pokéballs and threw it. "Marill, I choose you!"

Marill emerges from the Pokéball and lands on one of the floating platforms. Evelyn sweatdrop when she sees Marill strike a pose, while Misty's sisters squeal loudly at the sight of the aquatic Pokémon.

"Aww, he's so cute!" Lily gushed.

"You're going with Marill, huh? Misty calls Staryu!" Misty said, throwing her own Pokéball.

A Pokémon resembling a starfish with a red gem on the center of its body emerges from the Pokéball and lands on a platform facing Marill. Ash blinked as he took out his Pokédex.

"Staryu, the Star Shape Pokémon. It gathers with others in the night and makes its red core glow on and off with the twinkling stars. It can regenerate limbs if they are severed from its body."

"Wow... leave it to a girl to show off her jewelry." Ash said.

"Hey! I heard that!" Misty snapped, causing Ash to flinch as Evelyn shakes her head. She then her attention back to Evelyn. "You ready, Evelyn? Because I'm ready when you are. you can make the first move!"

"You think Misty could win?" Violet asked.

"Like, in her dreams, maybe." Lily shrugged.

"Alright! Let's start this off with a Rollout!" Evelyn called out, as Marill spun and rolled towards Staryu, leaping from platform to platform.

"Staryu, counter it with Water Gun!" Misty called back.

Marill jumps the last platform only to be hit by Staryu's water attack, which pushes him backwards a little until he starts spinning faster as water starts spraying all around him.

"Keep up the attack, Staryu!"

Staryu began to increase the power of their attack, but unfortunately it was to no avail as Marill kept going until he shredded through the attack and hit Staryu with his own, knocking them back into the water.

"Alright! Let's go Evelyn!" Ash cheered.

"Pika Pi!" Pikachu cheered as well, waving a small flag.

"Staryu uses Swift to get back at him!" Misty declared, as Staryu emerges from the water and launches multiple stars at Marill.

"Counter it with Water Gun!" Evelyn called back.

Marill immediately starts spitting water, he managed to destroy a few stars but unfortunately he wasn't quick enough as he missed some of them and got hit by them.

"Don't let him rest! Use Rapid Spin!"

Staryu spins around and lunges towards Marill, who had just destroyed the last star.

"Block it with Defense Curl!" Evelyn quickly called out.

Marill curls in on himself just as Staryu is about to hit him, but is unfortunately knocked backwards by Staryu's attack and lands in the pool. Marill recovers quickly and jumps back onto a platform.

"Do it, once more!" Misty exclaimed.

As Marill gets back on the platform, he is hit in the back by Staryu, they kept spinning until they landed on another platform.

"Marill, use Slam, now!" Evelyn declared.

Marill takes his tail in his paw and starts spinning it before rushing towards Staryu. He leaps from platform to platform until he's close enough to Staryu and swings his tail at them. Staryu was knocked backwards onto another platform.

"I guess Misty got rusty over her travels." Violet commented.

"Totally." Lily nodded.

Misty ignores their comment and remains focused on the match, as she prepares her next move. "Staryu, get up, and use Swift!"

"Marill dive in the Water!" Evelyn yelled out.

Staryu launches multiple stars at Marill, who dives underwater as the stars splash into the water.

"Now, get in the water and use Tackle." Misty said, as Evelyn eyes widened as she bit her lower lips.

Staryu jumps into the water and swims towards Marill, who panics a little. He is struck by Staryu's attack, who turns back to strike again.

"Marill, Defense Curl! Then jumped out of the water!"

Marill curls in on himself just before being hit by Staryu, he's pushed forward then jumps out of the water onto a platform, panting a little.

"Keep going Staryu! Use, Rapid Spin!" Misty commanded, as Staryu emerges from the water, spinning around as they darts towards Marill.

"Counter it with Rollout!" Evelyn quickly called out.

Marill curls in on himself and rolls towards Staryu, both spinning attacks collide with each other and begin to fight for dominance. After a minute, Marill managed to gain the upper hand and knock Staryu back onto the platform. Staryu tries to stand up but falls back as its core turns dark red and blinks slowly. While Marill lands on another, panting.

"Staryu!" Misty gasped, as she took out a Pokéball and recalled Staryu back allowing them to rest. "Thanks, Staryu... you deserve a good rest."

"Alright! Evie took down one of Misty's Pokémon!" Ash cheered, along with Pikachu.

Misty turned her attention back to Evelyn. "Well, Evelyn. I have to admit, you're not so bad. But now you'll face my last Pokémon. Misty calls Starmie!" She declared as she threw another Pokéball and a purple starfish like Pokémon emerges.

"Wow... another Pokémon related to jewelry..." Ash rolls his eyes, while the sisters frown at his comment.

"A Starmie, huh...?" Evelyn muttered as she took out Pokédex.

"Starmie, the Mysterious Pokémon and the evolved form of Staryu. People in ancient times imagined that Starmie were transformed from the reflections of stars that twinkled on gentle waves at night."

"Alright, Mirall, return! You deserve a rest after a well-fought battle." Evelyn said, but just as she's about to call Marill back, he suddenly starts making gestures. "Huh? What's wrong?" Marill cried out his name while punching the air. "I know you'd like to keep going, but you're exhausted and now it's his turn to shine, since you know how excited he is to be taking part in this match." Marill sighs and reluctantly nods, as Evelyn returned him to his Pokéball before taking out another. "Spearow, I choose you!" She threw her Pokéball and Spearow came out, soaring through the air.

"Alright then! Let's the second match begin!" Misty declared.

"Spearow, start this off with Peck!" Evelyn yelled, which Spearow quickly obey, as he flapped his wings and took off at high speed towards Starmie.

"Starmie, dive into the water!" Misty ordered.

Starmie jumped into the water just as Spearow was about to hit them, kept going and did a U-turn just as he was about to hit the wall. He hovered above the pool, looking for Starmie.

"Starmie, use Water Gun!" Misty called out.

"Dodge!" Evelyn exclaimed.

Starmie emerges from the water and spits a jet of water at Spearow, who dodges it. He flew all around while evading the onslaught of Starmie's attacks. One of them manages to hit him, but he recovers quickly and continues to dodge the attacks.

"Come on, Evie! You can do it!" Ash yelled.

"Pika pi!"

"Keep dodging, once you see an opportunity use Aerial Ace!" Evelyn said.

Spearow continued to dodge, and after a moment, he found an opportunity and immediately dived towards Starmie at high speed, while a white outline enveloped his body. Evading Starmie's attack as he kept going.

"Dodge!" Misty exclaimed.

Unfortunately, it was too late, as Spearow hit Starmie before they could do anything. But Spearow isn't done, as he does a U-turn in the air and hits Starmie once more, knocking it underwater. Starmie recovered from the attack and resurfaced, facing Spearow, who looked at them with narrowed eyes.

"It's gonna take alot more than that to take us down." Misty said. "BubbleBeam, now!"

"Whirlwind the bubbles away! And then use Fury Attack!" Evelyn called out, as Starmie spits out multiple bubbles in the direction of Spearow, who begins to flap his wings, blowing them all away before flying towards Starmie.

"Dive!" Misty called out, as Starmie dives into the water, dodging Spearow's attack, who stops and looks around carefully. "Now, Starmie! Use Tackle!"

Starmie resurfaces behind Spearow, while Evelyn's eyes widen. "Watch out!" She yelled, unfortunately, it was too late as Starmie slammed into Spearow, knocking him onto a platform. "Spearow, are you okay?" She asked, worried. Spearow stood up slowly and flapped his wings, answering her question. "Alright, let's continue! Use leer then Peck, now!" She declared, as Spearow glares at Starmie as a glint appears in his eyes making Starmie shivered before taking off flying.

"Counter it with Tackle, Starmie!" Misty called back.

The two Pokémon rush towards each other, then just as they're about to collide... "Dodge, then use Fury Attack!" Evelyn yelled, as Spearow ducks quickly, before hitting Starmie multiple times and sending them into the pool. Starmie resurfaces once again, which makes Misty smirk.

"It's not over yet, Water gun, now!"

"Spearow, finish it off with Aerial Ace!"

The two shout at the same time, as Starmie starts spitting jets of water at Spearow, who dodges it as he dives towards Starmie. Spearow ducks one more time before hitting Starmie head-on. Misty and Evelyn anxiously wait for Starmie to resurface. After a moment, Starmie reappears with its core now dark red, blinking slowly.

"Yes! The win is ours!" Evelyn smiled, as Spearow flew back at her and landed on her shoulder. "You did great, Spearow." Spearow affectionately plays with her hair making her giggles.

"Yeah! Evie did it, she won!" Ash exclaimed, as Pikachu cheers for her and her Pokémon's victory.

"You did great. Thanks for fighting so hard." Misty said as she called her Starmie back into their Pokéball before glancing at her sisters. They didn't seem bothered by her loss. Which made her sigh, as she hoped that by battling Evelyn and Ash, she could prove to them that she can handle herself.

As she left the room to tend to her Pokémon, she failed to notice Daisy looking at her...

Timeskip...

Misty had returned, and she was now facing Ash in the pool on floating platforms.

"I wasn't planning on challenging you till you paid me back for my bike, but this is as good a time as any. If you want that Cascade Badge, like Evelyn did, you're gonna have to be beat me." Misty declared.

Ash smirked, feeling confident. "It'll be my pleasure. Pikachu, this one is gonna be a piece of cake. So, how many Pokémon?"

"We'll use the same rules as I use against Evelyn. Two versus two." Mistry replied.

"You got it! Alright then, Pikachu! I choose you!" Ash declared as Pikachu jumped onto another platform. Misty frowned, knowing it will be difficult...

"Ash, should have this one..." Evelyn muttered.

"Well, in that case. Misty calls Staryu!" Misty exclaimed, as she threw her Pokéball and Staryu emerges onto the battlefield for the second time.

"I've said it before and I'll say it again... Leave it to a girl to show off her jewelry." Ash grumbled, which irritated Misty as she flail her arms around.

"Quit stalling and let's get this show on the road!" Misty snapped.

"Pikachu, use Iron Tail!" Ash declared, the first attack.

"Staryu, counter it with Tackle!" Misty called out.

The two Pokémon launch themselves at each other, while Pikachu's tail lights up with a silvery glow. Once they meet in the middle, each attack collides with the other, fighting for dominance. After a moment, both Pokémon are knocked back onto a platform.

"Pikachu, use Thundershock!" Ash called out.

"Dive into the water!"

Pikachu's cheeks sparked before launching his attack towards Staryu, who jumped into the water just as the attack was about to hit them. Pikachu looked around in search of his opponents.

"Now, use Rapid Spin!" Misty ordered as Staryu emerges from the water behind Pikachu spinning around rapidly.

"Watch out!" Ash yelled.

Unfortunately, it was too late, for just as Pikachu turned around, he was hit by Staryu. Staryu isn't done yet, as they storm back and hit Pikachu once more.

"Come on, Ash. I know you can do it." Evelyn muttered.

"Use Thundershock!" Ash ordered.

"Dive under and use Water gun!" Misty commanded.

Pikachu launches another electric attack at Staryu, who dives underwater, dodging it before resurfacing and spitting a jet of water at Pikachu, hitting him and knocking him into the water.

Ash frowns as he watches Pikachu flounder in the water, until something occurs to him. "Pikachu, use Thunderbolt!" He yelled.

Misty's eyes widened in horror."Get out of there!" She yelled.

But it's too late as Pikachu unleashes his electric attack in the water, hitting Staryu full force. After a minute, Staryu resurfaces, his gem now dark red, and slowly blinks. Misty sighed as she recalled her Staryu back into their Pokéball.

"Yes! He did it!" Evelyn cheered. "Pikachu, you did fantastic!" She yelled, as Pikachu turned to her and gave her a smile and a peace sign before making his way back to Ash.

So far, the sisters have been impressed with the way Misty has handled herself. She may have lost three rounds in a row, but she has fared better than they expected.

"Wow, Misty's actually did pretty well against Pikachu." Daisy commented.

"Well, we three got the good looks in the family, so I guess she had to get something." Lily said, making Evelyn frowned. As for Seel, he seems to be enjoying himself as he flaps his fins, which has caught the sisters' attention.

"Which side are you clapping for?" Violet asked.

"Alright! We won! You did great, Pikachu." Ash said, praising his Pokémon as Pikachu rejoined him on his platform. "Think you can keep going?"

Pikachu respond with a sighed. "Chaaa..."

"How about you get some rest and-" Ash said, only for him to get interrupted.

"Hurry up, Ash! We don't have all day!" Misty yelled impatiently, having already sent out her Starmie.

"Fine..." Ash rolled his eyes and took out one of his Pokéball. "Pidgeotto, I choose you!" He throws his Pokéball as Pidgeotto emerges and soars through the air. "Let's start this off, with Whirldwind!"

Pidgeotto lets out a battle cry and starts flapping her wings, blowing a strong gust of wind towards Starmie to try and knock them off the platform.

"Dive underwater! Then come back up with Tackle!" Misty yelled out.

Starmie jumped into the water before emerging shortly afterwards, spinning towards Pidgeotto and hitting her head on, much to her surprise as she let out a startled chirp.

"Strike back with Wing Attack!" Ash yelled.

Pidgeotto quickly flies towards Starmie and strikes them with her wing. But although they were hit, it wasn't enough, as Starmie hit her back.

"Pidgeotto, use Gust! Blow it away!" Ash ordered.

On this command, Pidgeotto flaps her wings and blows a strong gust of wind towards Starmie, which hits them, sending them flying and crashing into a wall.

Misty gasped. "Starmie!? Oh no... Starmie's energy is about to run out." She said, watching Starmie's gem glow on and off several times.

"He might just win the match if he keeps up the momentum." Evelyn said.

"Alright, Pidgeotto! Let's get that Cascade Badge." Ash said, confidently.

But before he could declare his next move, the entire gym began to shake, taking everyone by surprise. Before anyone could react, a massive vehicle burst through the wall. Misty and Ash ran out of the pool and stood next to Evelyn and Misty's sisters.

"Check out that hair." Violet said.

"Like, who invited the party crashers?" Daisy asked.

"Sorry to burst in ladies." A familiar voice said as two figure rise from a platform.

"Allow us to introduce ourselves." James said as he and Jessie proceed with their motto.

"Surrender now, or prepare to fight!"

"Meowth, that's right!"

"Tch... the morons are back, again..." Evelyn groaned, as Ash and Pikachu glared at them.

"The water Pokémon have the advantage..." James commented.

"But if we steal that away..." Jessie continued.

"The Pokémon are ours for the taking." James finished.

"And Meowth knows just how to do it." Meowth said as he uses a controller to control a vacuum and place it in the water.

"What are they trying to prove?" Violet asked as suddenly the giant hose began to suck up all of the water inside the pool.

Evelyn eyes widened. "You three were the ones that broke into that store!" She exclaimed, in realization.

"Our swimming pool!" Daisy gasped.

"That's our water!" Lily exclaimed.

"Right, I can give it back." Meowth sneer as he pulled a lever, causing the hose to gush out the water. Washing everyone away.

"We got to protect the Pokémon." Misty said as she struggled to stay afloat on the water.

"Like, what about my hair?!" Violet complained.

"Alright, now to suck them up." Meowth said as he pulls the lever once more, and the hose starts sucking in water again. Seel wailed as he was dragged away by the current.

"No, Seel! Come back!" Violet gasped as Seel was sucked in.

Evelyn and Ash recovered, but unfortunately for Pikachu, he was caught in the current of water that was sucked in as they both gasped.

"Pikachu... Hey, wait a second. Water conducts electricity... Pikachu! Thunderbolt!" Ash yelled, loud enough for Pikachu to hear, and unleashed his electrical attack, shocking the hose and vacuum. This also included Team Rocket... And once the attack was over, they were burnt to a crisp.

"It's time like these that makes me want to go straight..." James groaned, before he, Jessie and Meowth fall into the water, which they too get sucked into by their own machines.

"Ugh... Now I know how it feels to be all washed up..."

"We'll never come clean!" Jessie could only say as the three screamed as they were sucked in and sent hurtling through the air. Seel, who has managed to stay safe, claps as he sees them fly away.

"Team Rocket's blasting off again!"

But with no one in control of the machine, the vacuum continued to suck up all the water, while Pikachu tried to fight the current as he cried out for help.

"Oh no!" "Pikachu!" Daisy and Misty both cried out.

"Bulbasaur!" Evelyn exclaimed as she threw her Pokéball. "Help Pikachu with your vines!" She ordered, as Bulbasaur emerges from the Pokéball, she immediately followed the command and sent her vines towards Pikachu, catching him in them as she now struggled against the current. But because the ground was now slippery due to the water, she was slowly being dragged towards the pool. Which Evelyn took notice and comes to her help, unfortunately it didn't help much as she too was being dragged.

"Ash! You need to stop the machine!" Evelyn yelled out.

"Right..." Ash nodded as he ran to the machine, and jumped on before lowering the lever in time. With the hose having released the water, Bulbasaur managed to retrieve Pikachu and hand him over to Evelyn, as everyone sighed with relief.

Later...

Once the incident is over, and despite the mess the sisters will have to clean up, everyone can relax as they stand together.

"Hey, we never got to finish our match." Misty said, causing Ash to sigh.

"Yeah... and I was just about to win it, too." Ash said, catching Misty's attention.

"What...?" Misty could only say.

"He isn't wrong, you know." Evelyn said, as Misty looked at her with a frowned. "He had the momentum, and if Team Rocket hadn't interrupted the match, he'd have won." This didn't help Misty's mood, as she was still upset that she hadn't won any matches. As for Ash, he was disappointed not to have been able to finish his match and to have lost his chance of getting the badge.

"I wanted to win..." Misty whined.

"I guess I'm not gonna get that Cascade Badge..." Ash sighed, until Daisy stepped up to him.

"Wrong, we're giving this Badge to you and your friend." Daisy said as she hold up two badges in her hand.

"How come he gets a Badge? He didn't win the match like Evelyn did!" Misty complained.

"But he won the first round, and his Pikachu was the one to deal with the thieves."

"Oh man..." Misty pouted as Ash and Evelyn accepted their Badges from Daisy with a thanks.

Ash then showed it to Pikachu, who smiled happily before he let out a happy 'Cha' for their second achievement. Evelyn did the same with Bulbasaur, who was thrilled to learn that her friends had managed to win.

Later that evening...

With the sun setting, the three trainers were leaving the Gym as Misty began to say her parting words to her sisters.

"Misty, you just go right on ahead to try to become a Pokémon trainer." Lily said. "You might as well be good at something, because you'll never be stars like us." Which make Misty irritated.

"You keep that up, and you'll be seeing stars!" Misty snapped.

"Chill out." Violet giggled.

"Misty... Be careful. You know that we love you." Daisy said softly, causing Misty to smile softly, before nodding back.

"Yeah..." Was all Misty needed to say as Evelyn and Ash watches.

"Hey, you guys!" Brock cried out, catching everyone's attention.

"Yo, Brocko!" Ash greeted with a grin.

"How'd it go?" Brock as he stopped beside them.

"See for yourself." Evelyn as she and Ash hold up their Cascade Badge.

"Cool, let's go." Brock said, as they started walking down the road.

"You're not leaving without me!" Misty yelled as she quickly caught up with them.

"Of course, we are not." Evelyn said, as she linked arms with Misty, making her smile. As the group continued down the road to their next destination.

I know I shouldn't, but I'm sorry it took me longer than I anticipated to do this chapter. I kept going back and forth between ideas on how I wanted Misty's matches to go, which really didn't help me.

Evelyn's teams:

Bulbasaur (F) Overgrow -Tackle, Vine Whip, Growl, Razor Leaf-

Nidorina (F) Hustle -Scratch, Poison Sting, Double Kick, Bite, Growl, Supersonic-

Spearow (M) Keen Eye -Peck, Fury Attack, Leer, Whirlwind, Aerial Ace-

Marill (M) Huge Power -Water Gun, Rollout, Defense Curl, Slam-

Pokémon at Prof. Oak:

-None Currently-

Chapter Text

Enjoy the chapter!

The gang is back on the road, having left Cerulean City several days ago. As they walk, Ash suddenly turns around and puts his hands behind his head.

"So... Where are we going again?" Ash asked.

Evelyn sighed. "As we've already told you, we're on our way to Vermillion City to earn our third badge."

"There's even a huge luxury cruise ship, which I've been dying to see." Misty added.

"Nevermind that, we aren't going there to sightseeing!" Ash frowned.

"Ash, calm down, you don't have to worry about us sightseeing as we'll have plenty of time to challenge The Gym." Evelyn said, before turning to Misty. "Unfortunately, I don't think we'll get there in time before it departs.." Misty sighed, knowing she was right.

"All right!" Ash cheered. "Let's get there right away!" He exclaims as he rushes off, leaving the others behind.

"Hold on, Ash!" Misty yelled. "There are a lot of strong trainers on the road ahead."

"Aw', bring 'em on! I bet none of them even have a badge!"

"He's quite energetic, isn't he?" Misty said.

"That's just the way Ash is." Evelyn chuckles and runs after Ash, closely followed by Brock and Misty.

Timeskip...

On the way, Ash and Evelyn are stopped by trainers who challenge them to a Pokémon battle. This is their tenth battle, but as the battle went on, the tide quickly turned in Ash and Evelyn's favor.

"Pidgeotto, finish it with Quick Attack!"

"Let's wrap this up, Spearow, Aerial Ace now!"

Pidgeotto knocked back the first trainer's Rattata with a swift Quick attack, while Spearow slam into the second trainer's Murkrow with a powerful Aerial Ace.

"Ah! Rattata!"

"Murkrow, no!"

"And I win! That's number 10!" Ash declared, cheering at yet another victory.

Spearow flies back to Evelyn and lands on her shoulder.

"Good job, Spearow. You fought very well." Evelyn smiled as she rubbed Spearow's head.

A few minutes later, after the two trainers have returned their defeated Pokémon, they approach Ash and Evelyn to congratulate them.

"You two are really great trainers." The boy said.

"Yeah, we hardly stood a chance." The girl added.

Evelyn smiled as she shakes hand with the girl. "I must say, your Murkrow gave us quite the challenge, as you almost had us with your Faint Attack." The girl smiled at the praise.

"Well... I guess I was pretty good there." Ash said, as he showed off his badges.

"Wow! You've got badges!" The boys exclaimed, shocked.

"Do you have some too?" The girl asked Evelyn.

"I do." Evelyn nods, showing them her badges too.

"No wonder you two were so good." The girl said.

"Hey... I bet one of you could beat AJ."

"Who's AJ?" Evelyn asked.

"He lives down the road." The boy said, pointing in the opposite direction. "People says AJ trains savages Pokémon. And not only that, but he built his own Gym while racking up one victory after another, without even losing once."

"Without even losing once? That's hard to believe." Evelyn folds her arms.

"Whether we believe it or not, he hasn't fought someone like me." Ash said, bragging, causing Misty and Brock to frowned.

"He's getting a big head..." Misty grumbled.

"Yeah, but his brain's still the same size." Brock said.

Later...

After parting ways with the two trainers, the group made their way to AJ gym. After an uneventful hour-long trip, they finally came to a halt in front of the gym's gates. Above their heads, a sign indicated that they were at the right place.

A.J.'S GYM

UNDEFEATED

W - 97 L - 0

NOTE: GYM NOT SANCTIONED BY THE POKÉMON LEAGUE

"Undefeated." Ash scoffed. "Big deal. I bet I can beat him."

"I don't know, 97 wins in a row is pretty impressive." Evelyn said.

Misty glanced at Ash with a smirk. "You may have won 10 in a row, but he's won almost ten times as many matches as you have."

"I go for quality! Not quantity!" Ash retorted.

But before Evelyn could calm Ash, a voice interrupted them as they heard footstep coming towards them. "Are you my next victim?" The voiced asked. They turned and saw a green-haired boy walking towards them, holding his backpack.

"You must be the wild trainer we heard about." Ash said.

"Yeah, that's me, and beating up chumps like you is my hobby. So... are you ready to lose?"

'He's quite confident...' Evelyn thought, as she glanced at the sign. 'But I would be too if I had such a winning streak...'

The gates swing open as they walk into AJ's compound. Evelyn glances around the compound, noticing a doom-roofed tent towards the back. To the side, she can see a small garden tended by a Sunflora, an Oddish and a Bellsprout.

"It's a really nice place." Evelyn commented. "Did you build this by yourself?"

"Sure did." AJ replied with pride in his voice as a Butterfree came out of the tent and took his backpack away.

"What was in that backpack?"

"The wild Pokémon I just caught. There's a bunch more in the tent." AJ answered.

"Hey! Can I see them after our match?" Ash asked, excitedly.

"If you want..." AJ shrugged. "So, which Pokémon are you gonna choose for my 98th win?" He asked as they arrived at the battlefield, which was a league standard half-field. AJ walked up to the battlefield and took up position.

"98!?" Ash repeated, angrily, before glaring at him as he walked to AJ's other side, while Evelyn, Pikachu, Misty and Brock stood behind Ash. "I'm afraid you're gonna have to change your sign after this match. You'll be formerly undefeated!" He declared, confidently.

AJ smirked as he pulled out a whip. "You may think you're hot stuff, kid but you're not playing in the Pokémon little league anymore." He whacks the ground, startling everyone. Evelyn crossed her arms and frowned, as she hoped the whip was just for show.

"After I win 100 matches in a row, I'll start competing for badges." AJ declared, which brought Evelyn out of her thoughts as she raised an eyebrow, surprised that he has yet to start participating in the gym's challenges.

"That means he's only three wins away..." Brock commented.

"Ninety-seven wins, and you still don't have a badge? That's though luck, AJ." Ash said, opening his jacket to show his badges. "I have ten wins, and I've won two Pokémon badges!" He bragged.

AJ scoffed at seeing the badges. "Did you buy those badges or steal them? Either that or you competed in some loser gyms. Where were they? Failure City or Wimps Ville?" He asked, which made Misty and Brock quite furious as they glared at him.

"What do you mean loser gyms?"

"Evelyn, if Ash doesn't win, pulverize this guy."

Evelyn nodded, as she and Pikachu held each other nervously.

"I'm not going to lose!" Ash yelled.

"Hey, eyes on the field!" AJ snapped as he took out one of his Pokéball. "Sandshrew, go!" He threw his Pokéball releasing his Pokémon on the battlefield.

"A Sandshrew, huh? This should be interesting." Ash grin.

"Remember, Ash, Sandshrew is a ground type, so he will be immune to electric attacks." Evelyn warned him.

"I know exactly what I'm doing! Pidgeotto, I choose you!" Ash declared, as he threw his own Pokéball releasing his Pokémon as Pidgeotto soar through the air.

"Sandshrew, go!" AJ ordered, as Sandshrew took off running towards Pidgeotto.

"Pidgeotto! Dive at it and used Wing Attack!"

Pidgeotto flaps her wings as she dives towards Sandshrew and her wings suddenly shine white.

"Ash's lucky, Pidgeotto should have the advantage here." Brock said.

"True..." Evelyn nodded. "but he may have something up his sleeve to counter flying Pokémon."

Suddenly, they hear another crack of the whip as Sandshrew dodges Pidgeotto's attack and immediately scratches Pidgeotto in return, causing her to flinch as she flies higher.

"Too bad Sandshrew can't fly." Ash said.

"I wouldn't be so sure..." AJ smirked as he cracked his whip once more.

Sandshrew curls up into a ball and starts to spin towards Pidgeotto, when he suddenly leaps into the air. Which startles Pidgeotto, who gets hit by Sandshrew, sending her crashing to the ground.

"That was Rollout!" Evelyn gasped.

"Ah! Pidgeotto!" Ash exclaimed, as they watches Pidgeotto struggling to stands up while Sandshrews seems ready to attack once more.

"Finish it!" AJ declared as he crack his whip.

Sandshrew immediately ran to Pidgeotto, which cause Ash to panic and pulled out his Pokéball to call his Pokémon back. Pidgeotto returns into her Pokéball just in time as Sandshrew has just stopped where she was before, then Ash pulls out another Pokéball.

"Butterfree! I choose you!" Ash declared as he threw his Pokéball releasing his next Pokémon. "You can do it! Go Stun Spore!"

Butterfree begins to release its spores as it flies towards Sandshrew, but another crack is heard as Sandshrew dives underground, dodging Butterfree's attack. He stops his attack and looks around, confused, wondering where his opponents have gone.

"This Sandshrew is well trained." Brock commented.

"And It's quite impressive that he can command his Pokémon with a simple whip." Evelyn added.

AJ cracked his whip once more as Sandshrew emerged from the ground and leapt towards Butterfree, knocking him to the ground as he stood over him.

"Butterfree!" Ash gasped.

"He's not so free anymore." AJ sneered, which frustrated Ash, who turned around and did something that made Evelyn yell.

"Ash, what are you doing!?"

Ash ignored her as he continued pulling Pikachu by the tail. "Come on, Pikachu, you gotta help your friends!"

"Ash! Stop it!"

"Pika. Pi-Pi-ka..."

Unfortunately, Ash continues to ignore them as he keeps pulling, when suddenly Pikachu unleashes a thundershock, causing Evelyn's eyes to widen as she watches her friend being electrocuted... Ash groaned as he fell to the ground.

Evelyn glanced at her friend before shaking her head, she did warn him.

"And that makes victory number 98!" AJ declared, as Sandshrew wiggles his tail in happiness.

Ash immediately got to his feet and went over to AJ, grabbing him by the arm. "It's not fair! I'm the ones with badges!" He complained. "How about a two out of three?"

"Stop whining!" AJ snapped as he released himself from Ash's grips.

"Hey, there's something fishy here! I didn't have any problems winning until I battled in your battlefield! How do I know this whole match wasn't rigged?" Ash retorted.

Evelyn frowned. "What? The battlefield looks perfectly normal, he hasn't rigged anything."

"Then he must have cheated!"

AJ gets angry after being accused of cheating and as he's about to speak, he's interrupted by Evelyn.

"No, he didn't!" Evelyn exclaimed, placing a finger on Ash's chest. "You lost because you were overconfident, thinking you could easily win, without even thinking once that he might have a way of countering your tactics." She then sighed. "You know, Ash, you can't win every match, you'll lose some, all you can do is learn from them."

Ash sighed reluctantly before asking weakly. "One more chance...?"

"Not a chance, if I battle again, I'd battle little miss here." AJ replied.

"Me?" Evelyn asked, getting a nods from AJ. "Well... I wouldn't mind having a one on one."

AJ smiles enthusiastically at the chance to get closer to his goal, and returns to his spot while Evelyn takes Ash's, who leaves the battlefield with a grunt and joins Misty and Brock.

"It's not fair..." Ash muttered.

"Alright! Bulbasaur, I choose you!" Evelyn exclaimed, throws her Pokéball as Bulbasaur emerges on the ground in front of her.

"Bulbasaur, eh? In that case... I choose you!" AJ said as he summons a bipedal Pokémon that resembles a weasel.

"Huh? Who's that pokémon?" Ash wondered as he took out his Pokédex.

"Sneasel, the Sharp Claw Pokémon. A smart and sneaky Pokémon, it makes its opponents flinch by suddenly showing the claws hidden in its paws."

Evelyn clicks her tongue, knowing this is going to be a hard matchup. "Let's start this off with Razor Leaf!"

Bulbasaur launches a wave of leaves towards Sneasel as a whip crack is heard, Sneasel suddenly disappears from view, startling Bulbasaur as he reappears on her left side before delivering a punch that knocks her over.

"Get up and use Tackle!"

She leaps to her feet and charges at Sneasel, AJ cracks his whip once more as Sneasel dodges Bulbasaur with incredible speed.

"Ice Punch!" AJ declares with another whip, Sneasel obeys his command and his claws glow a pale blue as he runs towards Bulbasaur.

"Dodged!" Evelyn declared.

Bulbasaur dodges the attack causing Sneasel to punches the ground where she was standing, causing frost to form where he struck.

"She's doing well so far." Misty said.

Brock nodded. "But if she wants to win, she'll have to be more aggressive."

"Keep up the pressure!" AJ said, as he crack his whip.

Sneasel lunges at Bulbasaur, trying to hit her, only for her to continue dodging his attacks. As Sneasel continued to attack relentlessly, Evelyn noticed something, Bulbasaur wasn't fast enough and was sometimes caressed by his attack...

"Vine Whip, Bulbasaur, knocked him back!" Evelyn ordered.

Unfortunately, she was too late as Sneasel managed to hit Bulbasaur, but then Bulbasaur return the favor with an uppercut from her vines, knocking Sneasel into the air and to the ground. He stands up and shakes his head as Bulbasaur recoils from the attacks, as ice forms where she was hit.

Aj smirked at how close he was to another victory as he cracked his whip once more. Sneasel runs towards Bulbasaur, claws ready to strike.

"Used Growl now!" Evelyn exclaimed, as Bulbasaur roared at Sneasel, who stopped in his tracks and winced at the noise. "Now, Tackle!" As Sneasel shakes his head, trying to regain his composure, Bulbasaur runs towards him, much more slowly than before, and slams into him knocking him backwards.

"Get up!" AJ said as Sneasel began to get back to his feet.

"Don't let him recover, used Razor Leaf!"

"Finish her off!" AJ retorted, cracking his whip one last time.

Bulbasaur launched her attack, and just like how the battle began, Sneasel blured out and appeared to Bulbasaur's right, delivering a punch that sent her reeling backwards. Bulbasaur lands on the ground and struggles to get up before collapsing on the ground.

"Bulbasaur!" Evelyn gasped as she run towards her down Pokémon. "Are you okay?" Bulbasaur opened her eyes and gave a low growl as Evelyn gently stroked her head. "You did well." She said, as she reached into her backpack and pulled out a container. She opened it and took out two berries, which she offered to Bulbasaur, who happily began to munch on them. As Bulbasaur munches on the berries, she takes the time to gently remove the frost from her side.

At the same time, AJ begins to celebrate his victory.

"And that's number ninety-nine which brings us one win away from our goal!" AJ declared, as Sandshrew wags his tails in happiness and Sneasel crosses his arms with a smirk.

Once Evelyn had finished looking after Bulbasaur, she returned her to her Pokéball to rest before approaching AJ. She shakes his hand and congratulates him on his victory, AJ smiles as he returns the handshake, then keeps his promise and shows them his other Pokémon training inside the tent.

They see a Beedrill engage in aerial battle with the Butterfree from earlier. Sentret and Rattata were doing their exercise, Sneasel joined them while Sandshrew donned a harness before heading to the pool's jump platform. AJ notices Sandshrew in position and cracked his whip, which causes Sandshrew to jump into the pool, taking the gang by surprise, and the next moment he jumps out and shakes himself.

"Get back in the water!" AJ ordered.

"Stop!" Ash yelled, grabbing AJ's arm before he could crack his whip. "You're hurting Sandshrew!"

Evelyn furrows her brows as she looks at Sandshrew, who seems to be doing just fine.

"Mind your business, I don't need an amateur telling how to train my Pokémon." AJ glared at Ash.

"You call that training? And what are they wearing?" Ash asked. "It looks like a straitjacket!"

"It's not a straitjacket, but rather it seems to be a training harness." Evelyn said, looking at the harness with curiosity. "Where did you get them?" She asked.

"I made them myself." AJ answered, proudly, before turning back to Sandshrew. "Now, get back in the pool!"

"Stop it!" Ash interrupts him once more. "Didn't you hear what I said? You're hurting Sandshrew by sending him into the water!"

"Ash, enough!" Evelyn exclaimed. "he's not hurting Sandshrew, if you'd looked at him, you'd have noticed that the water didn't even bother him." Ash was taken aback, as he thought she'd be on his side.

"She's right. And if you don't believe me, see for yourself. Sandshrew, dive!" AJ reassured, everyone watches as Sandshrew dive down into the pool perfectly.

"Nice dive..." Misty commented, as Sandshrew leapt out of the pool and before spinning his curled body around to shakes off all the water.

"What!? But how?" Ash asked, bewildered.

"You have to understand, Ash, that even though ground types are weak against water-type attacks, that doesn't mean that they can't come in contact with any source of water." Brock explained.

"Yeah, remember Prof. Oak's Nidoking?" Evelyn asked Ash, who nodded. "Even though he's part ground, it never stopped him from joining us to play in the lake when we were younger."

AJ ignored them and praised his Sandshrew before giving him another order. "Pick up the pace!" Nodding with a grunt, Sandshrew curls into a ball before rolling over the Rattata, who begin to pass him to a second, who then passes him to Sentret, who passes him back to the first Rattata, a passing game begins.

"Wait! I thought you said pacing, not passing." Ash jokingly said, causing Misty and Brock to fall.

"That was horrible..." Evelyn shakes her head.

Ash then turns his attention back to AJ. "Why are you so tough with Sandshrew?" He asked him.

"I have to be tough, but I ask no more of Sandshrew than I do of myself the very best!" AJ answered.

"Could it be that-?" Evelyn tried to ask, but AJ interrupted her.

AJ nodded. "That's right... Sandshrew is my very first Pokémon that I've caught. I will never forget that moment..." He said, as he recalled his past with Sandshrew. "We promised to do whatever it took to become the greatest Pokémon and trainer of all time! Nothing would stop us from reaching our dream, no matter how difficult our path! Enduring fierce storms and raging winds. We've sacrificed everything to achieve our dream and it was worth it. We are an unbeatable team!"

"It's an admirable dream, but I must say that the whip is a tad too much..." Evelyn commented.

"Ah, you don't have to worry, I've never whipped any of my Pokémon, I've only used it to motivate them."

"I must say, your Pokémon are all in great shape. What kind of Pokémon food do you give them?" Brock asked, with interest.

"My own recipe. Come on, I'll show ya." AJ answered as he led the group to where his Pokémon food is storage. "To get the results I want, I have to carefully monitor the Pokémon's diets." He said as he showed them selves filled with jars of Pokémon food. "And of course, the recipe's a secret."

Brock nodded. "Of course, I understand. You know, Evelyn and I mix our own food too. Sandshrew..." He continued to chat with AJ as Misty and Evelyn stood by his side as they conversed about Pokémon food.

While, Ash is deep in thought, reflecting on what had happened so far while watching Pikachu working out with Sandshrew. Suddenly, they hear a bell ringing.

"Okay, you wimps! You get a 15 minutes break!" AJ called out, as every training Pokémon falls to the ground, exhausted.

"They're all worn out..." Evelyn frowned with concerned.

"You better believe it, in this gym we follow the "no pain, no gain" philosophy."

"But still... I think you should give them a longer break, you don't want to over-exhaust them as this could harm their growth."

AJ hums in thought. "You're right... All right everyone! 30 minutes break!" He declared as Ash seems surprised that Evelyn has managed to convince AJ.

During the break, Brock pulled out some sandwiches he'd made earlier in the morning and passed them around. While they ate sandwiches, everyone chatted among themselves, AJ and Evelyn talking about training methods, with the exception of Ash who ate his sandwich in silence as Evelyn frowned worriedly at him, wondering what was bothering him. It wasn't long before the bell rang again, signaling the end of the break.

"All right everyone, break's over!" AJ called out, as his Pokémon returned where they had left off in their training. He looks around and notices something alarming... "Hey, where's Sandshrew!?" He yelled, looking around frantically, when he spots Pikachu curled up in a ball. "That's weird..."

"Pikachu!" Ash gasped as he run over to Pikachu and immediately tries to remove the harness. "Ugh... It's no use."

"Let me see it." Evelyn said as she crouched down, took Pikachu from Ash's hands and started looking at the harness. She tries for a minute until... a click is heard, Pikachu uncurls himself and begins to stretch. "Are you okay?" Pikachu nodded and gives her a thumbs up.

"Pikachu have you seen Sandshrew around?" AJ asked.

"Pika. Pi-Pika. Chu..."

"The last time you saw him, he was with you..." AJ frowned as he began calling for his Pokémon again. "Sandshrew! Where are you!?" He yelled.

"He could have gone for a stroll." Evelyn suggested.

AJ shakes his head. "No, he would have told me if that was the case."

Ash remains silent as he watches AJ fret over Sandshrew's disappearance... 'He really cares about his Pokémon...' He thought, before clearing his throat. "What can we do to help?"

Evelyn smiled, happy that he had decide to put aside his difference.

AJ stared at him and nodded. "We should split up to cover more ground, as he shouldn't have gone too far."

Everyone nodded, and they all set off in opposite directions in search of Sandshrew, while Evelyn and Ash sent out their flying Pokémon to help in the search. They searched the area for a good twenty minutes before regrouping.

"Does anyone have find him yet?" AJ asked, but before anyone could respond, something burst from below and struck Ash, knocking him to the ground. They all looked and saw it was Sandshrew!

"Sandshrew!" He exclaims, happily embracing him with all his Pokémon, who are delighted that their friend is back.

"AJ and all his Pokémon are sure happy that Sandshrew is back." Misty said.

Brock nodded. "AJ might be tough in his training, but as you can see he cares deeply for his Pokémon."

"You're right..." Ash muttered as he watches the reunion.

Evelyn smiled at the reunion before looking down and notices Pikachu poking at something with a stick. "What's that Pikachu?"

"Pika!" Pikachu points at an unconscious Meowth.

"Wait! Is that-"

"Meowth!" Ash exclaimed.

"This means that Team Rocket is behind Sandshrew's disappearance." Brock said, crossing his arms.

Ash approaches Meowth and grabs him by the tail. "Wake up!" He yelled, startling Meowth, who began scratching his face. Ash flinched as he fell to the ground, while Meowth jumped back, looking around in confusion.

"Hey! Where am I? What's going on here?"

Meowth then freezes as he notices everyone surrounding him. He looked around, trying to find a way out... Suddenly, voices can be heard at the entrance to the tent.

"Prepare for trouble!"

"Make it double!"

Everyone turns and sees two figures standing in the entrance.

"Ugh... Team Rocket!" Ash groaned.

"Use the old motto!" Meowth called out as Team Rocket proceeded to recite their motto.

"Surrender now, or prepare to fight!"

"Meowth, that's right!"

Once they had finished their motto, Jessie and James began crying happily.

AJ glared at them. "So these are the creeps who kidnapped my Sandshrew!?".

"Mm..." Jessie wag her finger. "That was an unfortunate mix-up."

"We have no interest in your second-rate Sandshrew." James added, only to tick AJ off as he glared at them fiercely.

"Second-rate!?" AJ growled in annoyance.

Team Rocket ignored at they turned to were Pikachu stood.

"The only Pokémon we want is Pikachu." Jessie declared.

"You can keep all those wimps."

"Wimps, are they!?" AJ hissed. "No one insults my Pokémon and gets away with it. Let's step outside!"

Everyone left the tent as AJ and Team Rocket entered the battlefield, while Ash, Evelyn and their friends stood by and watched. AJ took out his whip and cracked it on the ground.

"Team Rocket has insulted our Gym! We'll answer them with our 100th win!" AJ declared.

"One hundred?" Ash asked.

"That's right. As Sandshrew and I vowed."

Ash smiled. "Good luck!" AJ nodded in response.

Jessie and James smirked confidently as they brought out their Pokéballs.

"Your small talk will cost you big time! Ekans, go!" Jessie said.

"Your turn, Koffing!" James exclaimed

The two poison types emerged from their Pokéballs and entered the battlefield. Despite being outnumbered, it doesn't faze AJ as he prepares for battle.

"Sandshrew, go!" AJ declared, as Sandshrew dashed forward, dodging Ekans' and Koffing's blows. He leapt into the air and curled into a ball.

"Ekans! Bind it now!" Jessie ordered.

Ekans obeys and wraps himself around Sandshrew, but unfortunately he easily breaks free, causing Ekans to tie himself in a knot, much to his displeasure. Sandshrew then slams onto Ekans, much to everyone's amazement.

"He's so strong!" Ash said.

"Good work." Evelyn praised as Pikachu cheered him on with his folding hand fan.

"Koffing, Sludge attack!" James ordered.

Koffing spits sludge at Sandshrew, but the latter curls up into a ball again and begins to spin, repelling the attack.

"Meowth! Don't just stand there!" James snapped.

Meowth smiles before chasing the rolling Sandshrew, which further annoys his teammates, while Evelyn giggles at him acting like a cat.

"Stop pussyfooting around!" Jessie growled.

"Just biting my time!" Meowth said before trying to bite Sandshrew's shell, causing his teeth to break. "AAH! THE MOMENT OF TOOTH!" He shrieked as he held his mouth.

"Finish it! Sandshrew! Fissure strike!" AJ ordered out loud.

Wasting no time, Sandshrew uncoiled himself before he began to dive towards the ground, with his sturdy little fist aimed at the ground. As he dives, he begins to spin, his speed increasing as he descends.

"Go, Sandshrew! Drill it to the ground until it splits!" AJ shouted.

Sandshrew slammed his fist into the ground, and nothing seemed to happen... until the ground began to crack. And seconds later, the ground began to split! Everyone gasped in surprise as Meowth, Ekans and Koffing screamed as they fell into the crevice. Fortunately, Meowth managed to hang on and drag himself and the other two Pokémon out of the crevice.

"THAT'S IT! I FORFEIT THE MATCH!" Meowth yelled as he ran away from the unofficial gym with Ekans and Koffing quickly following behind him.

"Come back here!" Jessie shouted as she ran after them.

"Meowth!? Where are you going!?" James called out as Team Rocket ran off and disappeared from sight.

Once they were gone, both AJ and Sandshrew began to celebrate their victory.

"We did it, Sandshrew! We finally reached victory number 100!" AJ declared proudly as the scoreboard now indicated 100 wins and 0 lost. Tears began to flow from their eyes like waterfalls. "Today, all our sacrifices and hard work finally paid off! Now we can start winning our badges!" The two embrace, while the other looks on, happy to see that they've been able to fulfill their wish.

Later...

The gang stands in front of the unofficial Gymnasium, saying a final goodbye before going their separate ways.

"When I return here, I'm gonna be... the number one Pokémon Master!" AJ declared boldly.

"Why don't you come along with us?" Ash asked.

"Thanks, but Sandshrew and I... have our own path that we must follow." AJ replied, as the gang nodded in understanding. He then shakes hands with Evelyn before turning to Ash and extending his hand, to which Ash smiled and shakes his hand.

"Someday, we'll meet again at the big Pokémon League competition." Ash said.

"And the next time we meet, we'll win." Evelyn added.

AJ smirked. "I look forward to it." He told her before turning back to Ash. "And you'd better be in top form, 'cause I only wanna beat experts trainers."

"That's a deal." Ash nodded.

"So long!" AJ waved as he walked away alongside Sandshrew.

"He's though but pretty cool." Misty said.

"Yeah! Looks like you two have found a new rival."

"AJ, I'm not gonna lose next time!" Ash called out. "I'll train hard to Pokémon the greatest Pokémon Master in the world, following my own path!" He declared.

"Yeah... but you'll have to defeat me first." Evelyn teased him, before blowing him a raspberry as she ran away laughing.

"Hey! Get back here!"

Ash and Pikachu chase after her, as Brock and Misty look at each other in amusement before following suit as they continued their journey.

I hope you liked the changes I made as I really didn't like the way Ash was in this episode. The next chapter will be the Bulbasaur episode, since I've decided to skip the school episode.

AJ's Sneasel move used: Feint, Ice Punch, Agility, Fury Swipes

Evelyn's teams:

Bulbasaur (F) Overgrow -Tackle, Vine Whip, Growl, Razor Leaf-

Nidorina (F) Hustle -Scratch, Poison Sting, Double Kick, Bite, Growl, Supersonic-

Spearow (M) Keen Eye -Peck, Fury Attack, Leer, Whirlwind, Aerial Ace-

Marill (M) Huge Power -Water Gun, Rollout, Defense Curl, Slam-

Pokémon at Prof. Oak:

-None Currently-

Chapter Text

Enjoy the chapter!

A few days after leaving AJ, they encounter a student named Joe who goes to Pokémon Tech, a boarding school. There they meet Giselle, a top student who belittles Joe, which doesn't sit well with Evelyn, who immediately challenges her to a Pokémon battle, in which her Marill suffers defeat at the hands of Giselle's Graveler. After the battle, Giselle taunted her and started lecturing Joe, which offended Ash, who started arguing with her angrily, prompting him to challenge her with Pikachu. Ash eventually wins the battle, and Team Rocket takes the opportunity to raid the school, but unfortunately for them, they're blown away by the gang. After that, Giselle apologized and reconciled with Joe, who decided to leave the school and go on a journey to earn badges for the Pokémon League, at which point they parted ways.

That was a week ago. Currently, the gang is walking through the tall grass of a forest, as Evelyn consults a map.

Evelyn sighed. "Just as I thought... we're lost."

Ash looked over his shoulder at Evelyn as Pikachu rest on his backpack. "Don't worry! I'm positive that this will lead us back to the path."

"Positive, huh?" Brock said.

"That's what you said an hour ago! I'm tired..." Misty sighed as the gang stop walking. "Phew... I told you to stick to the main road but nooo... You had to take a shortcut!"

"I took a shortcut? It was you who said to go this way!" Ash snaps back at her.

"Ha! If I was leading we wouldn't have got lost like this." Misty retorts, while Brock and Evelyn exchange a look.

"Who said we're lost!?" Ash replied.

"Listen, genius, if you don't know where you are or where you're going, that means you're lost."

"Okay, that's enough!" Evelyn exclaims, stepping in between them. "Instead of fighting and arguing, we should find a way out."

"Evelyn's right, if you keep fighting, we won't get anywhere." Brock said, crossing his arms.

Misty and Ash sighed. "Fine..."

Once calmed down, they resume their hike.

Timeskip...

20 minutes later, they arrived at a clearing and headed for some rocks.

"Let's rest for a bit." Evelyn said, as they all sat down.

It wasn't long after they sat down that they began to hear noises behind them. They look behind them and see an Oddish drinking from a small pond.

"Wow, that's an Oddish." Evelyn said, while Ash pulled out his Pokédex.

"Oddish, the Weed Pokémon. If exposed to moonlight, it starts to move. It roams far and wide at night to scatter its seeds."

"I'll catch it." Ash declared with a smile.

"Hold it!" Misty interrupts him as she steps into the way of Ash.

"What for?" Ash asked.

"Because I'm going to catch that Pokémon."

"Ah, no way, Misty, I saw it first!" Ash argued.

"Technically, it was Evelyn who saw it first. Besides we found it near water and water is my specialty." Misty said.

Evelyn raises an eyebrow. "You do know that Oddish is a grass and poison type, and not a water type?"

Misty stammers out that she knows and that it doesn't matter 'cause she still wants it. As they talk, Oddish takes the opportunity to run away, which Misty notices, sending her Starmie to stop her. Starmie materializes in front of Oddish, prompting her to run in the opposite direction.

"Water Gun, now!" Misty declared.

Starmie sends a jet of water at Oddish, which knocks her high into the air.

"Now that's the way to spray. Tackle it Starmie."

Starmie stops its attack and charges at the helpless Oddish. It hits its target, knocking out Oddish, who groans under the effect of the assault she has suffered.

"That weakened it, gotta to catch it now. Go... Pokéball!" Misty says, throwing her Pokéball at the defenseless Oddish. Unfortunately, just as it was about to hit Oddish, the Pokéball was hit by two attacks...

"Woah! What was that?" Ash asked.

They looked and saw a Bulbasaur and a snarling black dog standing protectively in front of Oddish.

"Wow! I can't believe it! A Bulbasaur!" Ash exclaims, with stars in his eyes.

"Wait! Isn't that..." Evelyn muttered, as she and Ash pulled out their Pokédex to scan the new arrival.

"Bulbasaur, the Seed Pokémon. It carries a seed on its back right from birth. As it grows older, the seed also grows larger."

"Houndour, the Dark Pokémon. Houndour hunt as a coordinated pack. They communicate with each other using a variety of cries to corner their prey. This Pokémon's remarkable teamwork is unparalleled."

Bulbasaur immediately charged Starmie, knocking it back into Misty's arms, while Houndour stood in front of Oddish snarling at the gang. Evelyn and Brock immediately throw up their hands to show they mean no harm, while Houndour narrow his eyes at them.

"Now it's my turn to try." Ash said as he stepped forward.

"Ash, wait!" Evelyn calls out to him, but he ignores her and sends his Butterfree out.

"Butterfree, Sleep Powder!" Ash ordered.

Butterfree began to release his sleep powder in the direction of Bulbasaur, who unexpectedly blew the powder away with a deep breath. The powder then spread over Butterfree, who fell asleep as he dropped to the ground.

"Ah! Come on, hang in there, Butterfree." Ash said, as Butterfree tries to shake off the effect of his own attack, but unfortunately he's too late as Bulbasaur charges at him and knocks him backwards. "Oh, no..."

Oddish, Bulbasaur and Houndour took advantage of the situation to flee into the bushes and disappear.

"Bulbasaur... It's not fair! I want it!" Ash whined.

Evelyn sighs as she approaches Ash and places a hand on his shoulder. "Calm down, this isn't the end, there'll always be a next time."

Ash bounce back with a smile. "Yeah, you're right." he said, grabbing Evelyn by the wrist. "Maybe we can find another one, come on!" He dragged her away, as Misty, Pikachu and Brock quickly followed after them.

Later...

With Oddish, Bulbasaur and Houndour having escaped them, the gang continue on their way, Ash wanting to find more wild Bulbasaur so that he could catch one this time around. But before they can continue, they have to cross a wooden bridge.

"I bet there's many Bulbasaur in this forest." Ash said happily.

Misty gulped nervously at how high above the raging river below they were. "But, where is this place?" She asked.

"I can't find this bridge on the map..." Evelyn said, looking at her map.

A sudden gust of wind shakes the bridge, causing it to sway back and forth, sending everyone into a panic. As the wind pushed the bridge, the rope snapped and the bridge disappeared beneath their feet. They all screamed as the bridge tipped to one side. Before Evelyn falls into the river, a hand grabs her wrist and she looks up to see that it's Ash who's grabbing her while holding on tight to the side of the bridge with his other hand. Pikachu holds on tightly to Ash's backpack, Brock clings to the other side next to her and Ash, while Misty holds on tightly to a rope.

"Hold on, everyone!" Ash shouted.

Evelyn's eyes widened as she felt her hand begin to slip from his grasp. "I'm slipping!" She yells, Ash tries to hold her tighter but unfortunately he couldn't, as her wrist slips out of his grasp and she falls down towards the river below.

"Evie!" Ash shouted.

"Pi-Pika-Pi!"

"Evelyn!" Misty and Brock shouted.

Evelyn fell into the water, which pulled her under and away from them. She tries to swim to shore, but struggles against the current. Suddenly, she hears barking followed by a splash and a voice, and feels something grab her by the hoodie as well as a hand grabbing her hand. She was pulled ashore, while the rescuer fought against the current. Once on shore, she inhales deeply, trying to catch her breath.

"Are you okay?" A concerned voice asks.

Evelyn looks up and notices a girl in front of her, looking at her with concern, as a Houndour sits next to her.

"Hmmm... Yes, I'm okay. Thank you for saving me."

"Thank goodness." The girl sighed in relief as Houndour bark. "If you'd like, you can come to my cabin, I have towels you can use to dry yourself."

"That would be much appreciated." Evelyn said, as she rose and introduced herself. "I'm Evelyn."

"Pleased to meet you Evelyn. My name is Melanie." Melanie smiled, as they begin to make their way towards Melanie's cabin.

It was a 5-minute walk, but once there, Evelyn's eyes widened at the sight of so many different Pokémon in the same place.

"Woah! Are they all your Pokémon?" Evelyn asked, as she saw the Pokémon watching her with a certain curiosity and apprehension.

"Oh, no, no" Melanie shakes her head. "I simply look after all these abandoned or injured Pokémon until they're feeling better and ready to leave."

"That's an admirable thing to do." Evelyn said, as they entered Melanie's cabin.

Once inside, Melanie opens one of her cupboards and takes out a towel, which she hands to Evelyn. She dries her hair, then returns the towel and asks if there's somewhere she could change, to which Melanie responds by pointing to the bathroom. Evelyn nodded, she opened her backpack and grabbed a change of clothes, and as she left for the bathroom, Houndour's nose twitched as he sniffed a delicious scent from her backpack. After two minutes, she came out of the bathroom and raised an eyebrow as she saw Melanie trying to get Houndour's head out of her backpack.

"What's going on?" Evelyn asked, as she approaches her backpack.

"Ah! I'm sorry I couldn't stop Houndour from messing with your backpack." Melanie bowed.

Evelyn shakes her head with a smile. "It's okay, it's my fault, I left it open and he probably smelled my Pokémon food." She squats down and starts stroking Houndour's head, who tenses up at first before relaxing as his tail wags happily. She gently takes back her backpack and pulls out a can of Pokémon food. She puts some in her free hand and holds it out to Houndour, who sniffs her hand and, after a few seconds, immediately starts eating it.

She giggles as she feels Houndour's rough tongue on her hand. "You really like my food, huh?" Houndour soon finishes eating and looks expectantly at Evelyn. "Sorry, but that's enough for now, maybe later, okay?" Houndour bark in respond as Evelyn looks at Melanie. "I'll have to go looking for my friends, who are probably worried sick about me."

"If you go, you'll need to be careful, as there are traps around." Melanie informed Evelyn.

"I'll be careful."

"And If you return with your friends, please, make sure they won't try to catch any of the Pokémon." Melanie said.

"I will." Evelyn replied as she walk away from the cabin. After a few minutes of walking, she hears familiar voices and smiles as she heads towards them. Once there, she saw her friends hanging in a net.

"Hey, guy!" Evelyn called out, getting their attention as they looked down towards her.

"Evelyn!" Evie!" "Pika-Pi!"

Evelyn sends her Bulbasaur out to cut her friends free. Bulbasaur uses a low-powered Razor Leaf, cutting the net as Ash, Misty, Pikachu and Brock fall to the ground. Then Pikachu jumped into Evelyn's arm and nuzzling his head against her chest.

"Evelyn, you're okay." Ash said as he stood up, relieved.

"Yes, I am. I'm sorry I worried you guys." Evelyn said, blushing as she rubs Pikachu's head.

"We've been looking all over for you." Misty said.

"We all saw you fall into the river, so what happened?" Brock asked.

"I was being swept away by the rapids... when suddenly I was saved by a girl named Melanie and Houndour." Evelyn explained.

"A Houndour, huh? Was it the one we saw earlier?" Misty asked, which Evelyn nodded in respond.

"That's better than what I originally thought." Ash said.

"And what did you thought?" Evelyn asked, curious.

"Pirates!" Ash blurted out, they looked at him bewildered as Evelyn burst out laughing.

"S-Seriously! P-Pirates? That's ridiculous..." Evelyn continued laughing causing Ash to rub the back of his head sheepishly. After a moment, she calmed down. "Come on, let's go see Melanie."

Later...

With Evelyn leading the way, she tells them her promise to Melanie, which they agreed with, as they soon arrived at Melanie's cabin. As they approach, Ash, Misty and Brock spotted a young woman tending a Pokémon. Hearing the footsteps behind her, she turns and smiles to see Evelyn returning with her friends.

"Hey, Melanie!" Evelyn waved.

"Evelyn, you're back."

"I would like you to meet my friends. This is Ash, Misty and Brock." Evelyn said, introducing her friends.

"Hello." Ash and Misty said.

Brock was in a trance as he stared at Melanie. He was suddenly brought out of his reverie by a elbow from Misty. "H-Hello."

"So you're Evelyn's friends, I'm glad she was able to found you." Melanie smiled.

Misty looked around the area in amazement. "Are all those Pokémon yours?" She asked.

"Oh no, this is a place where Pokémon can rest and relax in peace." Melanie replied.

"Like a summer camp?" Ash said.

"You see, when a Pokémon is abandoned or injured, they come here and Melanie takes care of them until they feel better, then they leave." Evelyn explained.

"Oh! So this is like a Pokémon Center and Melanie is a Pokémon doctor." Misty said.

"Oh no, I'm not qualified to be a doctor." Melanie replied. "It's more like a Pokémon spa. Here, Pokémon don't fight each other. They just relax and enjoy themselves until they recover."

Ash, Misty, Pikachu and Brock look around them, observing the Pokémon enjoying themselves, some even playing with each other.

"Amazing..."

"You know, Brock, you and Melanie have a few things in common. Like me, you both like to take care of Pokémon." Evelyn said, Melanie smiled which make Brock blushed.

Misty smirked. "Looks to me that there's something else Brock loves." She said teasingly, which caused Brock to put a hand on her mouth.

"Be quiet, She may hear you!" Brock whispers as they struggle with one another. Evelyn watches with a sweatdrop while Ash was confused...

5 minutes later, they've calmed down and Brock is talking with Melanie, Misty is at the pond watching the water Pokémon while Evelyn watches her Bulbasaur interact with other Pokémon.

Ash is deep in thought, rubbing his chin. "You know, I wondered who set up the net trap..."

Misty looked up from the pond. "It must be the same person who dug the hole I fell into."

Melanie upon hearing their conversation spoke up. "I'm sorry, I was the one who set those traps."

"But why?" Misty asked.

"There's so many injured Pokémon here, I have to protect them against poacher." Melanie explained.

"So then... That bridge was a trap, too!" Ash exclaimed.

"Bridge?" Melanie asked, looking confused.

"The bridge we were walking on collapsed beneath our feet, and that's how I got swept away by the river." Evelyn explained.

"Oh... then no, I didn't do anything to the bridge, I just set up some net traps and holes." Melanie replied.

"But are those traps enough to keep the poacher away?" Ash asked. "I mean, you'd have to be pretty stupid to fell into one of those holes."

"Hey!" Misty snapped, glaring at Ash.

Evelyn laughed. "You do know, you're calling yourself and Brock stupid too, since you did get caught in a trap..."

Ash is stuttering as everyone laughs while Misty continues to glare at him.

Later...

After deciding to help Melanie, the gang takes care of the injured Pokémon. Ash and Brock tend to a Staryu, Brock pours water on the Staryu to make him feel better, prompting the Staryu to shake his body of the water.

"Are you feeling better, Staryu?" Ash asked, earning a cry of affirmation from Staryu.

Misty encountered the Oddish she'd tried to catch, and apologized for what had happened, wanting to repent. While Misty talks and looks after Oddish, Evelyn looks after Houndour by brushing his fur, while Bulbasaur tries her best to look after a Hoppip.

While continuing to brush Houndour, Evelyn looks up at Melanie. "Melanie, I was wondering... What happened to Houndour that led him here?" At this question, Houndour's expression saddened and his ears fell flat on his head, which concerned Evelyn.

Melanie sighed. "He was released by his trainer, who felt he was too small and weak and that it would be pointless to continue training him." She explained.

"What!?" Evelyn exclaimed, startling Houndour. "That's absurd! Any trainer worth his salt knows that any Pokémon, no matter their stature, can become powerful with the right training. How can he call himself a Pokémon trainer if he easily gives up on his Pokémon?" She said heatedly as Houndour looked up at her, when suddenly he starts licking her face. "Ah! Houndour, stop it! Hahaha..."

Melanie smiles, even giggles as she watches their interaction. Suddenly, they heard Misty and Ash arguing, which made Evelyn sigh. But just as she's about to approach them, Misty is attacked from behind, causing her to fall to the ground. They turn to see who has attacked them and discover that it's Bulbasaur! Evelyn's Bulbasaur rushes over to Misty and helps her up with her vines, before turning to the other Bulbasaur and growling at him.

"Bulb!" Bulbasaur scoffed at her.

"Hey! What was that for?" Misty snapped, but Bulbasaur just kept glaring.

"I know, you're just mad because I was going to beat you, but you chicken out and ran off." Ash glaring back at Bulbasaur.

"That must be it." Misty agreed.

"Then let's see how though you really are!" Ash said.

"Please wait!" Melanie exclaimed as she rushes over stepping between Bulbasaur and Ash. "Please... Bulbasaur was only trying to protect Oddish. You see, Bulbasaur and Houndour volunteered to guard our village. He and Houndour protect all injured Pokémon from any one who tries to attack them. They are the bravest and most loyal Pokémon I know."

Everyone looked at Bulbasaur and Houndour with a newfound respect.

"Your ex-trainer was really stupid to release a Pokémon as remarkable as you." Evelyn crouched down and stroked Houndour's head, making his tail wag.

"So that's why he attacked me, he must have thought I was going take Oddish from the village." Misty said, crossing her arms.

Ash's about to speak when he feels something bump his leg, looks down and sees Bulbasaur pushing his head against his leg. Everyone noticed his annoyed expression.

"Now what?" Ash asked.

"Bulbasaur doesn't like Pokémon trainer, he wants you to leave." Melanie said.

"Bulbasaur, calm down. We're not trying to capture any injured Pokémon. We just want to help." Evelyn said as her own Bulbasaur steps forward and starts talking to the other Bulbasaur, trying to make him understand that they are here to help and not to cause harm. He just scoffed at her once more, not believing her.

"It's true, Bulbasaur, these are our friends." Melanie said, as Houndour bark in agreement.

"So Bulbasaur was worried about the other Pokémon and he decided to become the village bodyguard. Now that's what I call bravery. He would be a great Pokémon to have." Ash said.

Suddenly, a large shadow loomed over them, prompting them to look up and catch a glimpse of a floating stadium before it landed near the village. They saw three familiar silhouettes emerge.

"Team Rocket..." Evelyn groaned.

"Here we go again..." Ash sighed, annoyed.

"Today only at Jessie's stadium, it's the Team Rocket challenge!" Jessie announced.

James glare at her. "The flying stadium was my idea." He corrected her, causing her to rub her back sheepishly, as the stadium revealed a gigantic vacuum. It then began to sucked in everything that was in its way...

"All Pokémon are invited to enter the stadium!" Jessie declared.

"Step right up!" James added mockingly.

The wind from the hose blew Evelyn's hair as she returned her Bulbasaur to her Pokéball and picked up Houndour in her arms. The Staryu in front of her struggled to stay on the ground, and just as it was about to be caught by the hose, Ash grabbed it.

"Argh! They never run out of idea, do they?" Ash said, annoyed.

"Hurry! Everybody get in the cabin!" Brock called out as he opened the door. Melanie, Evelyn and the rest of the wild Pokémon managed to get inside just in time. Unfortunately, just as Misty is about to make it, she loses her grip on Oddish.

"No, Oddish!" Misty yelled as she tried to catch Oddish again, but she was too slow. Suddenly, a vine springs up and catches her before she can enter the hose, thanks to Bulbasaur. "Bulbasaur..." She sighed in relief.

"Take Staryu." Ash said, handing her Staryu, and rushed to Bulbasaur's aid. "Keep going, Bulbasaur." He told him as he pushed his back, he looked at Ash curiously before continuing forward, it wasn't long before they managed to get inside the cabin as Brock closed the door behind them.

"Those rottens little pests! They're always ruining our flawless plans!" Jessie complains, annoyed that they're once again interfering in their business.

"Not this time. They've gathered them all in one places for us." James pointed out.

"Our super vacuum will sucked 'em up!" Meowth said as the vacuum is moved closer to the cabin and tries to suck it in. Believing in victory, the trio burst into cheers. But their moment of happiness didn't last long, as Bulbasaur leapt onto the cabin roof and unleashed his vines. The Vine Whip attack struck the vacuum and knocked it away from the cabin.

Taking the opportunity, Ash and Evelyn emerge from the cabin. Ash immediately sends his Pidgeotto, while Evelyn sends her Spearow.

"Pidgeotto, Gust attack!"

"Spearow, Whirlwind!"

Pidgeotto and Spearow flap their wings and create a powerful gust to counter the vacuum wind, which eventually forms a tornado. Team Rocket panic as the tornado approaches them. They are sucked in with their stadium, which begins to float in the tornado wind. Everyone emerges from the cabin and watches them disappear into the distance.

"LOOKS LIKE TEAM ROCKET'S BLASTING OFF AGAIN!"

Once they were out of sight, Ash and Evelyn called back their Pidgeotto and Spearow, but not before thanking them.

Then Melanie looks at everyone and asks. "Is everyone feeling okay?"

"Yeah, we're good." Evelyn said, as every Pokémon cried out in agreement.

"This village is very well protected with Bulbasaur here." Ash said.

"Ash, don't you agree that Bulbasaur would be an excellent addition to your team?" Melanie asked.

"Oh, yeah! Would he ever." Ash replied.

"I think he should go with you." Melanie said, catching everyone by surprise. She picks up Bulbasaur in her arms and continued. "Bulbasaur has stayed here to protect the weaker Pokémon, but this village is too small. The bulb on his back can't grow. He needs to go out into the world now," She explained. "and I know you'll take good care of him." she assured softly, as she turned towards him. "Please do me this favor. Please take Bulbasaur with you on your journey. He'll be a good companion."

Everyone looks between Melanie and Ash, wondering what his answer will be, when suddenly they hear a bark. They turn and see Houndour standing in front of Evelyn, looking at her expectantly.

"What's the matter?" Evelyn asked.

Melanie smiled as she saw that her intuition was correct. "I think he'd like to join you." Which took Evelyn by surprised as Melanie giggles. "Don't be surprised, he has become quite attached to you."

"Really? Is that what you really want?" Evelyn asked Houndour, who barked and jumped on her, knocking her to the ground and enthusiastically licks her face. "Hahaha! Stop it... hahahaha..."

Everyone smiles at the scene, and a minute later, Evelyn has managed to stop Houndour, whom she is now holding in her arms.

"But if Bulbasaur and Houndour leaves, who will protect this village?" Misty asked.

"It's true that they've done a great job of protecting this place. But, you see... these Pokémon shouldn't stay in this village forever." Melanie said, closing her eyes before reopening them. "After they've recovered, they are supposed to leave. But it's too safe here, and none of them want to leave. They don't want to go back to the outside world." She continued to explained. "But I think it's important that they all return to the wild. That's where Pokémon belong, and I hope one day they'll find good trainers like all of you."

Everyone listens to her and nods in agreement.

"Of course, taking care of sick Pokémon will always be my mission. But I know my job isn't done until they're back where they came from, so it's the day a Pokémon leaves that's most rewarding for me." Melanie said.

Brock seems to want to say something, he spoke up. "Melanie, I-"

Unfortunately, she interrupts him by approaching Ash and Evelyn.

"So, you see... It's time for them to leave here. Please take them with you, they won't be burden, I promise." Melanie assured, causing Ash to think as Evelyn looks down at Houndour. "They still have a lot of growing to do, I want them to be in a place where I'm sure they can grow up strong and happy. And I'm sure that place is with you two."

"Well, if you really want me to." Ash said.

Bulbasaur looks back at Melanie and spoke to her, which made her chuckled softly.

"What did he say?" Ash asked.

"Bulbasaur will join you, on one condition, he wants to battle you in a Pokémon match, right Bulbasaur?"

"Ha! If you want a match, you'll get one!" Ash declared.

Meanwhile, Evelyn glanced at Houndour. "Do you want a match too?" She asked, Houndour respond by licking her cheek. "All right, I got it." She smiled as she pulled out one of her empty Pokéballs and pressed it gently against Houndour's head, he was sucked in and the Pokéball shook once before a ding was heard. Everyone smiled, happy for them, as Evelyn then let Houndour out.

"All right, now it's time for our match." Ash said, excitedly, but before he can get into position, Misty interrupts him.

"Wait! Please, let me battle Bulbasaur, please, pretty please." Misty begged, which caused Ash and Evelyn to frowned.

"No way!" Ash answered, bluntly, and he and Pikachu ran to the end of the cabin. While Bulbasaur leapt from Melanie's arms and positioned himself opposite of Ash. Everyone else stood on the sidelines as the match was about to begin.

"Pikachu, go!" Ash declared.

Pikachu ran towards Bulbasaur, who used his vines to counter-attack, trying to wipe Pikachu with them, but Pikachu kept dodging them. Bulbasaur then changed his plan and ran towards Pikachu, headbutting him backwards. Bulbasaur then charges at the downed Pikachu.

"Pikachu, look out!"

Unfortunately, he's too late, as Bulbasaur head-butts Pikachu again, knocking him into the air. But Pikachu recovers and lunges at Bulbasaur again, tackling him and knocking him backwards. Bulbasaur growls at Pikachu and uses his vines to wrap them around Pikachu and begins to slam him to the ground repeatedly. This shocked Ash, causing him to paused.

"Ash, now's your chance, Bulbasaur is vulnerable!" Evelyn called.

"Huh? Oh! Pikachu, use Thunderbolt!" Ash ordered.

Without wasting any time, Pikachu unleashes his electric attack, shocking the life out of Bulbasaur, who yelps in pain. Paralyzed by the attack, Bulbasaur groans before falling on his side.

"All right! Pokéball, go!" Ash said, as he threw his Pokéball towards Bulbasaur. Everyone watched as Bulbasaur was sucked inside, the Pokéball fell to the ground and shook a little. It shook again, before a ding was heard... "We did it! We got Bulbasaur!" He exclaimed in joy, as he made a peace sign with Pikachu.

"Bulbasaur... Houndour... I'll miss the two of you." Melanie muttered softly.

Later...

It was time for the group to leave, as they were ready to get back on the road and continue their journey to Vermillion City.

"Have a safe trip." Melanie told them.

"I promise to take good care of Bulbasaur." Ash assured, with Evelyn doing the same for Houndour.

Melanie smiles and nods, kneeling down and patting Bulbasaur and Houndour on the head. "Thank you for watching over us."

Brock approaches Melanie as she stood up. "Huh, Melanie, I've been thinking now."

"Yes?"

"Well, since Bulbasaur and Houndour are leaving, I wouldn't mind staying and helping you out." Brock said.

"It's very kind of you, but we'll be okay, I wouldn't want to keep you from all of your wonderful adventures." Melanie replied with a smile.

"Oh..." Brock trailed off. "I guess you're right."

"Oh, Evelyn, before I forget." Melanie said before handing her a map. "I've marked all the traps I've set to make sure you won't get caught. And I've mapped out the route back to the main road."

"Thank you."

Once everything was settled, the group began to leave the village, waving goodbye to Melanie and all the wild Pokémon.

"Goodbye, Melanie!"

"Take good care of each other! Bye bye!" Melanie called back as the wild Pokémon cried out their goodbyes to their two friends as well.

Bulbasaur and Houndour looked back, looking rather hesitant to say their goodbye.

"Don't worry, you'll both see your friends again. As soon as the Pokémon are feeling better, they'll be leaving this village too. So don't frown, okay?" Evelyn reassured, this earned a satisfied smile from Bulbasaur as Houndour bark.

As they walk away, Brock sighs as he receives a teasing smile from Misty.

"I think someone like Melanie." Misty said, teasingly, only for Brock to cover her mouth.

"Shut up! Okay, she's cute and all-"

Ash, Evelyn, Pikachu, Bulbasaur and Houndour watch them bickering.

"Did I miss something? What's going on?" Ash asked, causing Evelyn laughed. "What? What is it? Tell me, come on, Evie." He said as Evelyn shooks her head.

Bulbasaur and Houndour tilt their heads to the side, unamused, while continuing to watch Brock and Misty's antics.

I know Evelyn and Ash's Bulbasaur is going to be confusing, but thankfully her Bulbasaur will evolve soon, which I'm eager to write it, so it won't be a problem in the future.

Evelyn's teams:

Bulbasaur (F) Overgrow -Tackle, Vine Whip, Growl, Razor Leaf-

Nidorina (F) Hustle -Scratch, Poison Sting, Double Kick, Bite, Growl, Supersonic-

Spearow (M) Keen Eye -Peck, Fury Attack, Leer, Whirlwind, Aerial Ace-

Marill (M) Huge Power -Water Gun, Rollout, Defense Curl, Slam-

Houndour (M) Flash Fire -Flamethrower, Bite, Howl, Fire Fang, Roar-

Pokémon at Prof. Oak:

-None Currently-

Chapter Text

Enjoy the chapter!

Two and a half weeks have passed since they said goodbye to Melanie and the Pokémon from the village. They were still on their way to Vermilion City, but, to their misfortune, they were once again lost in the woods. At the moment, Evelyn and Brock are examining a map, while Misty sits on the ground pouting, as for Ash, he's looking for Pokémon with a pair of binoculars.

"There's nothing but Spearow and Rattata around here!"  He groaned.

"Well, that's the least of our worries, isn't it?" Misty glared at him as he looked back at her.

"Just because we're a little lost, doesn't mean I have to stop catching all the Pokémon I can, does it?" Ash retorted back, as Pikachu lets out a "Chu" in agreement.

"Of course not, enjoy yourself." Misty grumbled, letting out a sigh of annoyance. "I just can't take another step forward. We've been looking for Vermillion City for over ten days!"

Brock handed Evelyn the map and walked over to her after spotting something. "Uh...there's a bug right on your—" he started to say, but was interrupted by a shriek.

"AAAHHHHH! Get it away!" Misty screamed, jumping away and hides behind Ash.

They looked at Brock, who picked up something and started chuckling as he revealed a piece of grass. "Ha! It was just a piece of grass."

Misty gave him a dirty look, but he continued to chuckle. Then, she slapped him in the face, making him fall to the ground and groan in pain, as Evelyn shook her head. And then...

"I'M GOING CRAZY! WHERE ARE WE!?" Misty finally snapped, as everyone winced at her outburst.

Evelyn cleared her throat, grabbing their attention. "According to the map, we're in the middle of nowhere. But it looks like Route 24 can lead us right to Vermilion City."

This catches Misty attention as she immediately appeared in front of Evelyn. "Does this trail lead to Route 24?" Misty asked hopefully, as Evelyn looked over the map one more time.

"It looks like it. If we keep going down this path, we'll reach it." Evelyn said, much to Misty's delight as she picked up her bag.

"All right! Then let's get this show on the road!" Misty exclaimed as she began to walk away in the right direction. But before she could go any further, she came across a giant shadow. She looked up and saw something big on top of a rock. Her eyes widened as she called out to the others. "Hey, guys! Come take a look at this."

Evelyn, Ash, and Brock immediately joined her, they looked up to where she was pointing, and to their surprise, they saw a...

"Huh? A Charmander?" Evelyn asked in surprise, as the lizard Pokémon took notice of them.

"Char..." Charmander whined softly, causing Ash, Misty and Brock to fell over as Pikachu fell onto Ash's stomach.

As for Evelyn, she stared at the little fire type, and a frown appeared on her face when she noticed how it was breathing heavily and how weak it looked.

Once he had recovered, Ash took out his Pokédex and scanned the Charmander. "Charmander, the Lizard Pokémon. From the time it is born, a flame burns at the tip of its tail. Its life would end if the flame were to go out."

"When I went to get my first Pokémon from Professor Oak, I was disappointed, 'cause I couldn't get a Charmander. Now I can catch my own." Ash said, as a smile appeared on his face.

"I don't know... it looks like it's in bad shape." Misty pointed out.

"Yeah... I noticed it, too." Evelyn said, as she turned to Ash. "You should catch it so we can take it to the Pokémon Center for help." She told him.

He didn't need to be told twice, as he took out one of his empty Pokéballs. "Go, Poké Ball!" He called out, throwing the ball toward the lizard Pokémon. But just as it looks like Charmander was about to get caught, it quickly knocks the Poké ball back at Ash.

"He looks pretty healthy to me." Ash said. 

Evelyn shook her head. "No, it's not. Look at how small his flame is. Not only that, but notice how labored his breathing is after it knocked your Pokéball away." Ash, Misty, and Brock took a proper look at Charmander, which caused them to frown.

"Evelyn's right. Charmander must not have much strength left." Brock said, he then looked at Ash. "Try another Poké Ball one more time."

Ash nodded and tossed another Poké Ball. It struck Charmander, pulling it inside, as the ball wiggled on the ground. Just as Ash grinned, Charmander burst free, and the Poké Ball flew back at Ash and hit him on the head.

"It sure has alot of spunk." Brock said.

"A little too much, if you ask me." Ash added.

It was at that moment that Pikachu decided to do something, he climbed up the rock. The group watched as Pikachu started having a conversation with the Charmander. Once they were done, Pikachu returned to the group.

"What's the story, Pikachu?" Ash asked.

Pikachu started making gestures, the group blinked, trying to decipher what Pikachu was trying to say.

"Necktie?" Misty tried to guess.

"Hmmm... Could it be a man?" Ash tried to guess, causing Pikachu to cried out in affirmation, as if he was saying that Ash was correct.

Pikachu once more start making another gesture, everyone frowned

"I'm not sure I follow." Misty said, scratching her head in confusion.

"Ash, why don't you talk to Pikachu? You should understand him better than we do." Brock told Ash. 

Ash nodded and knelt down in front of Pikachu. Pikachu started talking to Ash while making a lot of gestures. Ash listened and nodded. After a moment, he blinked and realized what Pikachu was trying to tell them.

"Okay, I think I got it." Ash said as he stood up and turned to the rest of the group. "Pikachu is saying that Charmander is waiting on that rock for someone to come get it."

"So Charmander belongs to someone?" Evelyn asked.

"Yeah." Ash nodded.

"Well, if it's waiting for someone, we should probably leave it alone. It's probably best if its Trainer takes care of it." Brock told them, earning a nod from everyone. Ash glanced back at Charmander.

"I hope its trainer comes back soon." Ash said as they began to take their leave.

As they walked away from Charmander, Evelyn frowned and glanced back at it, not liking the idea of leaving it behind in its condition. Suddenly, a thought occurred to her. 'If Charmander already has a trainer, then why did it get sucked in Ash's Poké Ball?' She wondered, feeling uneasy.

Later...

As the gang continued on their way to Route 24, Misty suddenly spotted something in the distance.

"Hey, guys! Look over there! There's a Pokémon Center!" Misty pointed out.

"Just like the one that's on the map, we might be getting closer to Route 24, then." Evelyn said, smiling.

But just as the gang was feeling relieved, they suddenly felt something drop on their heads. Blinking, they looked up to see dark clouds gathering in the sky, as it suddenly began to rain...

"Run!" Ash called out as the group began running toward the Pokémon Center, using their bags to protect themselves from the rain.

Small timeskip...

Upon arriving at the Pokémon Center and securing rooms for the night, Evelyn, Ash, and Brock found themselves seated at tables near the fire pit, where Misty approached them with a tray.

"Here's some nice, hot soup." Misty said as she placed the bowls on the table. Ash, Evelyn, and Brock thanked her and picked up their bowls.

While they were eating, they noticed that Evelyn had barely touched her soup and was staring outside the window, deep in thought.

"Evelyn, what's wrong?" Ash asked.

Evelyn sighed and looked at them. "It's just... Charmander," she said. "I'm worried that it's still waiting on that rock in this weather."

"I'm sure its trainer has picked it up by now." Brock reassured her. "Now, eat while it's still hot. It should make you feel better."

"I hope so..." Evelyn murmured as she picked up her spoon.

Just as she was about to eat, they heard laughter nearby. They turned around and saw a group of trainers gathered around a table covered with Poké Balls.

"Just look at 'em. It's a pretty cool collection." A trainer with blue hair smirked, looking rather cocky and confident.

"Heh-heh, way cool."

"You're the man, Damian."

"Yo, I thought you had a Charmander too." One of the trainers asked, catching the gang's attention.

Damian opened one eye and answered. "Yeah, I had one, but that puny thing was so weak, it couldn't even beat the weakest opponent."

"I don't like his attitude." Misty commented, frowning.

"Charmanders may be weak against Water-type Pokémon, but if their trainers work hard, they can be strong." Brock said, frowning too.

Evelyn and Ash didn't say anything as they continued listening to their conversation.

"So, what did you do with the Charmander?"

"Ah, I left him on some rock in the woods." Damian answered. The gang widened their eyes in shock. "That thing is so stupid. No matter what I do to him, he keeps on following me. I finally got rid of him by promising I'd come back for him. He fell for it, he's still probably still there waiting for me."  Damian said, and he and his friends laughed.

Upon hearing Damian's cold-hearted tone and laughter, Evelyn's face grew dark, and her hands clenched into fists beneath the table.

 "He's the one who abandoned that Charmander." Ash said, his jaw tightening and his fists clenching on the table.

"Yeah, and he's still waiting for him on that rock." Misty added.

Evelyn abruptly stood up, her palms slamming against the table, her chair scraping loudly against the floor.

"Evie?" Ash asked, but she ignored him and stormed over to Damian and his gang.

They were still laughing when Evelyn suddenly grabbed Damian by his collar, startling him.

"Hey, who you—"

"You worthless excuse of a trainer..." she snapped. "Go get that Charmander back. Now." Her glare made him flinch.

"W-Why should I?" Damian stammered.

"You lied to your Pokémon and said you’d be back. Now he’s waiting out there in the rain for you!" Evelyn’s voice trembled with fury, tears of anger welling in her eyes. "If his flame goes out… he’ll die!"

"What I do is none of your business." Damian said, yanking himself from her grip.

"Do what she says!" Ash declared, glaring at him.

"What did you say, nerd?" Damian snapped back at him.

"You heard what I said." 

"You’re disgusting." Misty added coldly.

"Pika Pika."

Damian picks up one of his Poké Ball and glared at the group. "You wanna fight me?"

"You better not mess with Damian."

Evelyn sneered. "It's us that you guys shouldn't mess with."

"If it's a battle you want, then let's go!" Ash declared as he took out one of his Poké Balls.

The two groups faced off, but before anything could happen, clapping was heard as Nurse Joy stepped up between them.

"Let's break it up! You know the rules. Pokémon should never be used in personal fights. It's disrespectful to the Pokémon and their trainers!" Nurse Joy scolded them.

Damian scoffed. "Yeah? Well, tell them! They're the ones who started it!" He said as he and his friends quickly left.

Once they were out of sight, Nurse Joy then turned to the group. "You'd be better off not getting mixed up with them. They have a very bad reputation." She told them.

"Thanks." Evelyn replied, Nurse Joy smiled and walked away.

"She sure is pretty. I've never seen anyone as pretty as her." Brock said in a daze.

Evelyn rolled her eyes, walked back to the table, and took her raincoat out of her backpack.

"Evelyn, where are you going?" Misty asked.

"If that bastard of a trainer won't go get Charmander, then I will!" Evelyn answered, putting on her raincoat.

"Not without us." Ash said, smiling.

"Pika pi!" 

"Yeah, let's go!" Brock declared.

They hurried out of the Pokémon Center for Charmander as soon as they put on their raincoats. They pushed through the heavy rain, which pelted them in cold sheets and turned the dirt path to mud. Lightning flashed in the distance.

As they got closer to the location of the Charmander, they heard squawking up ahead.

"Oh no! Charmander must be in trouble!" Evelyn gasped, afraid for the poor Pokémon.

"We'd better hurry!" Ash said as they ran faster.

They soon arrived at Charmander Rock, where they gasped when they saw a small flock of Spearow attacking the poor lizard.

"Knock it off!" Ash yelled at the Spearows and threw a rock at them, but unfortunately it didn't do anything except making them angrier

Evelyn didn't hesitate as she sends out her Bulbasaur from her Poké Ball right away.

"Bulbasaur, use Razor Leaf to get those Spearows away from Charmander!" Evelyn declared.

"Bulb!" Bulbasaur unleashed her Razor Leaf at the Spearows, and even Pikachu joined in with a low-power Thundershock, which the combined attack managed to scare them away.

Once the Spearows were gone, the group rushed toward Charmander. He looked up slowly with tired eyes as his tail flame sputtered dangerously low.

Evelyn dropped to her knees beside him and took off her raincoat. She held it above the little lizard to shield him from the rain. Which Brock and Ash promptly do the same.

"It’s okay, We've got you," Evelyn said softly, her voice breaking. 

She gently scooped Charmander into her arms, being careful not to touch the flame. "We need to get him to a Pokémon Center fast."

"Right." Misty and Brock nodded. 

"Hold on, little guy. You're going to be okay." Evelyn whispered, as Ash ran alongside her, holding his raincoat over Charmander's tail, as they made their way back to the Pokémon Center. It wasn't long before they arrived at the Pokémon Center, bursting through the front door.

"Nurse Joy, you have to help us!" Evelyn yelled out.

Nurse Joy immediately ran up to them, wondering what the commotion was about. "What is it?" she asked.

"This Charmander is in bad shape." Evelyn said as she removed her raincoat to show her Charmander. 

"The flame on its tail..." Ash added, showing her Charmander's tail.

This caused Nurse Joy to gasp. "There's not much time!" She declared, and immediately took Charmander to the ER.

The gang stood nearby the bed with worried expressions while Nurse Joy examined Charmander with a stethoscope.

"Will he survive?" Brock asked.

"Charmander is very weak," Nurse Joy stated as she turns towards them. "How could you let him get into this condition?"

"It's not our fault, Damian's the one who abandoned him." Evelyn replied.

"What?" Nurse Joy asked, horrified.

"Well... Damian promised Charmander that he will come back for him. Charmander's loyal to Damian, so he believed him." Ash explained.

"Poor Charmander, and Damian just left with the rest of them." Nurse Joy said, sadly.

"Nurse Joy, please save him. Charmander have to get better." Evelyn begs.

Nurse Joy nodded. "I'll do whatever I can."

She then urged them out of the emergency room. Now, all they could do was wait. They sat outside while Evelyn paced back and forth, deep in thought.

'Come on, Charmander... You've got to hold on. Please, keep your flame burning...'

She's suddenly brought out of her thoughts by Ash. "What do you think is going to happen to Charmander after this?" Ash asked, his brow furrowed with concern.

"I don't know."

There's a moment of silence, Ash looked back at the emergency door before speaking up again. 

"Do you think your aunt would take him in?" 

Brock and Misty glanced at each other, confused.

"I’ll have to call her, but yeah... she’d take him." Evelyn answered.

"Why your aunt?" Misty asked.

"She owns a reserve in Johto," Evelyn explained. "One that specializes in Charizards."

"Oh, yeah!" Brock said, snapping his fingers. "I think I read about that place in a magazine."

A small smile appeared on Evelyn face as she continued. “I spent most of my summers there when I was younger. I basically grew up around the Charizard line. Some of them even hatched the same summer I visited. There was even this old Charizard who would play with me, and he even let me ride on his back. He was so gentle, even though he looked like he could tear down a mountain." She chuckled.

"Is that why this has been affecting you so much?" Misty asked.

Evelyn didn’t answer at first as she stared at the door, but then she nodded. "Yeah. I've got a lot of good memories tied to them. Seeing a Charmander like this, left out in the rain, abandoned as if he meant nothing... it makes my blood boil." Her voice trembled a little. "Damian didn’t just neglect him, he left him to die..." She glared at the floor, her fists clenched in anger. “Charmander deserves better.” She said, her voice almost a whisper.

But before anyone could say anything, the ER sign above the door blinked off, catching everyone's attention. Nurse Joy then stepped out of the emergency room. She looked at the group for a moment before making a peace sign at them. That brought a relief and joy to the group as they all smiled before peeking in the room to see Charmander resting, looking like he was sleeping peacefully.

"Charmander is recovering," Nurse Joy said. "He should be fine by morning."

Evelyn smiled softly. 'That's the spirit, Charmander.'

With the knowledge that Charmander is doing well, the group went to sleep for the night.

Timeskip...

The next morning, Evelyn wokes up before anyone and decided to gave her Pokémon their breakfast before checking on Charmander.

She walked up to her Pokémon with a plate holding all of their bowls, she then placed the food in front of each of them. "There you go, guys! Dig in!" Evelyn said. "I'll be right back. I'm going to check on a new friend." Her Pokémon nodded before going back to their food.

On her way to Charmander room, Evelyn met Nurse Joy. "Good morning, Nurse Joy." She greeted her.

"Good morning, Evelyn." Nurse Joy replied with a smile. "I see you're going to check on Charmander."

Evelyn nodded. "I just want to check on him."

"Well, come with me." Nurse Joy said.

They walked into the room together, opened the door, and were met with a shocking sight... Charmander was gone!

"Oh my..." Nurse Joy gasped.

Evelyn ran out the door and rushed back to her friends.

"Wake up, everyone!" Evelyn yelled out, causing Ash to yelp and fall onto Brock. Misty rubbed her eyes and looked up at Evelyn. As soon as Ash and Brock recovered, they glanced at her.

"What's going on?" Misty asked, annoyed at being woken up like that.

"Charmander disappeared!" Evelyn exclaimed, causing them to widen their eyes in shock.

"What did you say!?" Ash replied in disbelief.

They rushed back to the room where Charmander had been only to find Nurse Joy standing by an open window, a frown on her face.

"I bet he went back to that rock to wait for Damian." Ash said, his voice filled with concern.

"We have to go back." Evelyn insisted.

"But that's no use," Misty said, sighing as her shoulders slumped. “We can’t force Charmander to come with us. If he wants to wait for Damian, even though he's a lying creep..."

“She’s right,” Nurse Joy said, gently. “There’s nothing you can do until Charmander realizes the truth on his own.”

Evelyn looked down and sighed. Then, she felt a gentle hand on her shoulder. She looked up to meet Ash's eyes, and he gave her a reassuring smile.

Afterward, they sat down for a quiet breakfast at the Pokémon Center, the mood somber. After saying goodbye to Nurse Joy, they left to continue their journey. Evelyn walked a few steps behind, her thoughts lingering on the small, orange lizard.

Ash glanced back and slowed his pace until he was walking beside her. "Hey," he said softly. “Still thinking about him?”

Evelyn nodded. "I—I just thought Charmander knew we cared about him."

"Evie, he did know," Ash said. "But he still couldn't let go of Damian. He's loyal, that's why he went back."

Evelyn nodded slowly as Misty suddenly linked arms with her and offered a warm smile.

"Now, come on! Route 24 is just up ahead," Misty said, giving her a playful tug. "Once we get to Vermilion City, there'll be tons of Pokémon."

They continued down the road, and Evelyn glanced back one last time. As they were walking, Pikachu was walking ahead of them when suddenly they slowed down.

"Woah! Did you feel something?" Ash asked.

"I did." Brock replied.

"Feel what?" Misty and Evelyn asked.

Suddenly, the ground beneath their feet gave way, and they tumbled down a hidden hole. Pikachu stopped when he heard the commotion. He walked over to the hole and looked down at them.

Suddenly, a nearby bush rustled as a familiar trio stepped out.

"I can't believe they fell  for it." Meowth snickered.

"Our invention worked. We're geniuses." Jessie added.

"Come with us, Pikachu. You belong to us now!" James declared, as Pikachu backed away.

Then, he unleashed a Thundershock, but they just laughed at his attempt.

"Rubber won't conduct electricity." James taunted him. 

"Just another example of our incredible genius at work." Jessie chuckled.

"You have to be a rocket scientist to out-smart us. The Team Rocket scientists!" 

"We call these our anti-Pikachu suits, we made them ourselves. I must admit I don't think this is really my color at all but-" Jessie said, but she gets interrupted by Meowth.

"Enought talk... let's just grab Pikachu and get outta of here!" 

Pikachu gasped and tried to run away, but James pulled out a bazooka.

"We’ll use our anti-Pikachu rubber balloon bazooka." James said, taking aim at Pikachu.

"Ready, aim, fire!" Jessie shouted as James fired.

A balloon floated out, following Pikachu as he dodged, until it finally caught up and trapped him inside. Pikachu unleashed another Thundershock, trying to break free, but it was no use. Team Rocket laughed, as they taunted and gloated at Pikachu, who let out a cry for help.

"Pikachu!" Ash yelled as he ran to the wall and tried to climb out of the hole, but to no avail.  "Come on, you guys, get up! We’ve got to do something!"

"We'd love to, Ash, but you're standing on top of us." Evelyn grunted, causing him to gasp.

Suddenly, they heard laughter and looked up to see Team Rocket looking down at them as James was holding Pikachu.

"Hello down there! Thanks so much for dropping in." Jessie taunted.

"Don’t worry. Pikachu is safe with us. We won’t lose him like you did."

"Pikachu!" Ash gasped.

"Let’s get outta here." Meowth said as they turned to leave, but they were stopped when they saw something blocking their way.

“Charmander!” 

"What is that thing?" Jessie asked.

"Char Char Charmander!" The little fire Pokémon demanded, pointing straight at them.

"He's saying you better give Pikachu back to those guys right now." Meowth translated.

"He's got to be kidding," Jessie said, frowning.

"Now step aside, you insolent little firebug," James said. “We don’t have time to play.”

"Team Rocket plays rough, so get movin'." Meowth added, clenching his paws.

Charmander narrowed his eyes, took a deep breath, and unleashed a Flamethrower that engulfed the trio in flames. When the fire died down, they stood frozen for a moment and then...

"AAAAAAHHHH!" Team Rocket shrieked and bolted in the opposite direction as they dropped Pikachu on the ground.

"See? I told you we needed fireproof uniforms!" James yelled.

"Shut up and run!" Jessie snapped.

"Some geniuses we are!" Meowth growled as they fled.

"Looks like Team Rocket's blasting off again!" They screamed, disappearing over the hill.

From a distance, a trainer had seen the whole thing. His eyes widened. "Did Charmander beat them?"

Moments later, the gang climbed out of the pit and freed Pikachu from his trap. Evelyn knelt beside Charmander, smiling.

"Thanks, Charmander." She said softly.

"Yeah, great work." Ash added, as Charmander blushed and rubbed the back of his head.

"You see, Evelyn?" Misty said. "Charmander knew we cared. That’s why he’s here.”

Ash turned to Charmander. "Hey, Charmander, would you like to join us?" He paused and glanced down. "I don't think your old trainer is coming back."

Charmander looked thoughtful as he gazed around at the smiling faces surrounding him. Just as he was about to answer, a voice caught their attention.

"Hey, Charmander! Been looking all over for you."

The gang turned around and saw Damian walking toward them.

"What do you want, Damian?" Evelyn asked coldly, her glare sharp.

"I came back for Charmander. Just like I promised." Damian said. Everyone looked surprised, except Evelyn.

'No way he's sincere...' She thought.

"So, let's go." Damian told Charmander.

Charmander hesitated, glancing back at the others.

"Careful," Evelyn warned. "He already abandoned you once."

"Charmander's mine," Damian shot back. “I’m the one who caught him, remember?”

“You were the one who bragged about abandoning him!” Ash snapped.

"Good thing I did. It toughened him up."

"He could've died!" Evelyn shouted, clenching her fists.

Damian shrugged. "That just proves he was a weak Pokémon." The group gasped in horror. "I wasn't going to come back. But now that I’ve seen what he can do, I’m glad I ran into you. The best part is that I didn’t even have to raise him myself.”

"That's terrible!" Misty gasped.

"Raising a Pokémon is the best part of being a trainer." Brock said firmly.

"You wish. It's the most boring part." Damian replied.

Evelyn stepped between him and Charmander. "How dare you call yourself a trainer? You make me sick." She turned to Charmander. "See? He doesn't care about you. He just wants to use you."

Damian held up a Poké Ball. "Charmander, return!"

He tossed it, but before it could hit Charmander, he spun and slapped it away with his tail. The Poké Ball bounced back and hit Damian in the face.

“That does it!” Damian yelled, pulling out all his Poké Balls. "I'll crush you with every Pokémon I've got!"

But Charmander was ready. He blasted Damian with a powerful flamethrower, and Pikachu joined in with a burst of thundershock. Smoke curled up from the scorched ground as a dazed and singed Damian stood.

"Mommy!" He whimpered, running off with his arms flailing.

"Great work, Charmander." Evelyn said, smiling.

"Yeah, good job!" Ash added, grinning.

Charmander blushed again and turned toward the group.

"Go ahead, Ash, catch  Charmander." Evelyn said with a smile.

Ash blinked. "But Evie, you cared the most. You should be the one to—"

She shook her head. "You were the one who kept the flame on his tail alive. I know you’ll raise him right. That’s all that matters."

Ash looked at her gratefully, then turned to Charmander. "Come on, Charmander! Welcome to the team!"

Ash tossed the Poké Ball, and Charmander jumped into it willingly. The ball clicked shut, and Ash caught it mid-air grinning.

"You got a new Pokémon and a new friend." Misty said warmly.

Ash nodded. "Yeah."

The group continued their journey toward Vermilion City, with a new friend by their side.

I apologize for not updating my story. Since February, I've had a lot of trouble getting motivated to do anything. However, I've slowly been regaining my motivation, so I will try to update more often. For the time being, I will aim to update at least once or twice a month.

Evelyn's teams:

Bulbasaur (F)Overgrow-Tackle, Vine Whip, Growl, Razor Leaf-

Nidorina (F)Hustle-Scratch, Poison Sting, Double Kick, Bite, Growl, Supersonic-

Spearow (M)Keen Eye-Peck, Fury Attack, Leer, Whirlwind, Aerial Ace-

Marill (M)Huge Power-Water Gun, Rollout, Defense Curl, Slam-

Houndour (M)Flash Fire -Flamethrower, Bite, Howl, Fire Fang, Roar-

Pokémon at Prof. Oak:

-None Currently-

Chapter Text

Enjoy the chapter!

A day has passed since Charmander joined Ash's team, now they're walking down a road, as Ash is skipping happily in front of the group, humming a little tune.

'Ash is certainly happy right now.' Evelyn thought as she looked at his back. 'Well, I would be too after capturing a Bulbasaur and a Charmander. Not only that, but he now has a team of five, just like me.'

When, suddenly, Ash abruptly stop as he felt his foot go through something soft and get stuck. The others looked confused as they approaches him.

"Ash, what's wrong?" Evelyn asked.

Before he could answer, the ground beneath them gave way and they fell into a hole, groaning in pain.

"Not another hole..." Misty complained, shaking her head.

"Ow!" Brock winced, having hit his head.

"It must be a prank," Evelyn said, rubbing her sore left arm.

"Who would play such a rotten trick?" Ash asked.

"Maybe it's Team Rocket." Misty suggested.

"I don't think so. They would have started gloating by now." Evelyn replied.

Suddenly, five heads popped up over the edge of the hole, laughing.

"Squirtle..." the gang glared at them as they kept laughing.

"What's so funny!?" Misty snapped.

"We could have been hurt!" Evelyn added, frowning.

The Squirtles keep laughing, the gang frowned and quickly climbed out of the hole causing the Squirtles to moved away from it.

"Dangerous practical jokes are nothing to laughed about." Ash snapped at them.

"Pikachu." Pikachu nodded in agreement.

The Squirtles didn't care as they continued laughing while the gang stood in front of them frowning. Ash took his Pokédex out and point it at Squirtle.

Squirtle, The Tiny Turtle Pokémon. This Pokémon draws its long neck into its shell to launch incredible water attacks with amazing range and accuracy. The blasts can be quite powerful.

Ash smirked as he put his Pokédex back into his pocket. "With my very own Squirtle, Gary will never beat me. Go, Pikachu!"

Pikachu ran forward and unleashed a Thunderbolt at the Squirtle wearing pointy sunglasses. However, another Squirtle jumped in front of it and was hit by the electric attack instead. Squirtle collapsed onto the ground, its body twitching. The Squirtle with pointy glasses looked at his fallen comrade on the ground, then glared at Pikachu.

They all stared at Pikachu and Squirtle, who were glaring at each other, when suddenly they heard sirens approaching their direction. Squirtle stops glaring at Pikachu and looks back at his gang. "Squirtle, Squirtle."  He said, pointing to the fallen Squirtle. They immediately picked up their injured comrade and ran away from the scene.

"That was sure weird." Ash said, scratching his head.

Officer Jenny pulled up on her motorcycle near the gang and looked at them worriedly.

"Are you guys alright?" She asked. "Has anyone been hurt here?"

"Officer Jenny!" Ash said with a smile.

Officer Jenny looked at them in confusion. "Huh? Have we met before? Your faces don't look familiar."

"We met back in Viridian City," Ash replied. "Remember?"

Evelyn sighed and shook her head. "Ash, you've got it all mixed up.  She's not the one we met there." Ash tilted his head as Evelyn elaborated. "It's just like what happened with Nurse Joy in Pewter City. This Officer Jenny is probably related to the one from Viridian City."

"She's right," Officer Jenny said. "The person you're talking about is my cousin."

"Huh? She's your cousin, really?" Ash asked.

Officer Jenny nodded. "All of my cousins are police officers. We all look identical, and we're all named Jenny." She explained as she pulled something out of her pocket and showed them a picture of several Officer Jennys together, the only difference being the symbol on their hats. "See?"

"Talk about family resemblance." Ash commented.

Evelyn tilted her head. "I don't think I could tell the difference between them all."

After the gang introduced themselves, Officer Jenny took them back to the police station.

Timeskip; Police Station

After arriving at the station, the gang sat on the couch while Officer Jenny sat down at her computer. As she typed, she told them about the Squirtles they had just encountered.

"That Pokémon gang calls itself the Squirtle Squad." 

"The Squirtle Squad?" Ash repeated, puzzled.

"I’ve never heard of Pokémon forming their own gang." Evelyn added.

"They're all Squirtles who were deserted by their trainer," said Officer Jenny said, sadly. The gang's expressions fell.

"Deserted?" Ash muttered sadly.

"Yes, they don't have a trainer. They just run wild and cause chaos around town." Officer Jenny explained, as her gaze grow distant as she thought back to the countless pranks the Squirtle Squad had pulled. "It's really a shame. If someone had taken care of them, they might not have turned out this way."

The room fell quiet for a moment, the weight of her words hanging in the air.

After their conversation with Officer Jenny, she escorted them out and said goodbye. As they stepped out of the station, the gang decided to take a brief detour to explore the small town before continuing their journey.

As they strolled down the street, Misty spotted a clothing store and practically yanked Evelyn to the front window. They peered through the windows, eyeing the cute outfits on display.

"Ooh, look at that one!" Misty exclaimed, pointing excitedly at a dress on a mannequin.

"It's cute, but I don't think it's really my style." Evelyn said as she tilted her head.

Behind them, Brock was scanning the street, window-shopping with mild interest, while Ash, obviously getting impatient, shot an annoyed glare at the girls.

"Argh..." Ash groaned, arms crossed. "Can we go eat? I'm starving."

Evelyn turned to him with a grin. "Not a bad idea. I’m getting pretty hungry, too.”

"There's a restaurant nearby. How about we grab a bite there?" Brock chimed in, pointing at the restaurant down the street.

Ash's eyes lit up immediately. “What are we waiting for? Let's go!" He exclaimed as he and Brock walked over to the restaurant.

Evelyn followed suit but paused just a few steps in. She looked back and called out. "Come on, Misty!"

Misty hesitated as she gave a longing look at the store. "B-But I want to check the clothes." 

"We can always check them out later." Evelyn said as she grabs Misty by the arm and drag her as Misty protest.

Once they were done eating, they stop by a river to relax. Ash, Brock, and Evelyn were lying on the grass while Misty sat nearby fishing.

Misty sighed when she suddenly felt a tug on her fishing rod. "I caught something!" She said. This prompted Evelyn and the boys to stand up and look at the water. They saw a Squirtle with round glasses pop his head out of the water. He immediately unleashed a water gun at them, soaking the gang.

"I'm soaked..."

 "Me too..."

Pikachu shakes his body to dry off before unleashing a Thundershock at Squirtle, electrocuting the gang in the process as they scream.

"P-Pi-Ka-Chu!"

Hearing their cries causes Pikachu to stop. The gang falls to the ground as Pikachu looks at them.

"Wet clothes conduct electricity." Evelyn said, painfully.

From the river, Squirtle laughed at them. Then he jumped out of the river onto the road. This caused the gang to stand back up and glared at him.

"I've enough of your pranks, Squirtle." Ash said, frowning. "Pikachu, it's out of the water now!"

Pikachu ran toward Squirtle, but the tiny turtle Pokémon ducked into its shell and used Skull Bash on Pikachu. The blow sent Pikachu flying into the river.

"Pikachu!"

All of a sudden, a Pokémon jumped out of the water. "It's a Goldeen!" Evelyn exclaimed.

"Watch out for its horn!" Misty called out.

The Goldeen disappeared back underwater and swam toward Pikachu, who looked around for it.

"Pikachu, swim to the shore!" Ash yelled, sounding worried.

"Hurry up!" Evelyn chimed in.

Pikachu began swimming as fast as possible towards the shore as Goldeen approached quickly.

"Faster! Faster!"

Just as Pikachu was getting closer to the shore, he was suddenly thrown into the air. The gang gasped as they watched Goldeen unleash its Horn Attack on Pikachu. Pikachu landed harshly on the shore.

"Pikachu!" Ash called out in concern and ran toward him. Suddenly, ropes were thrown at them and tied them up.

"What the...?" Evelyn trailed off, stupefy.

The gang looks behind them and saw the rest of the Squirtle Squad standing there. They ran around the gang and tied them together. Suddenly, a laugh was heard from behind a tree, and a familiar figure stepped out.

"You're not gonna Squirtle out of this one."

"It's Meowth!"

..... Timeskip .....

After being captured by Meowth and the Squirtle Squad, the gang was brought to a cave. They were tied to a large rock while Ash’s Pikachu was locked in a nearby cage.

“I’m the Pokémon in charge here! Just wait 'til my human pets get back." Meowth boasted, his tail flicking right in Ash’s face. "Nay-nay-nay-nay!"

Ash, fed up, bit down hard on Meowth's tail, the cat Pokémon screeched in pain and leaped back. The gang looked toward the Squirtles as Ash spoke up.

“Don’t listen to him, Squirtles! Meowth’s lying. Those humans aren’t his pets." Ash insisted.

"Ash is right, Team Rocket is just trying to trick you into doing their dirty work." Evelyn added.

"Squirtle?" The leader Squirtle tilted his head, clearly confused.

"Quiet, humans!" Meowth snapped, launching himself at Ash and Evelyn. He scratched their faces with his claws before turning his attention to the Squirtles. "So, who are you going to believe? This human or a fellow Pokémon?"

The Squirtles looked at each other and nodded, seemingly convinced by Meowth.

Brock looked at Pikachu with concern, who still showed no signs of improvement. "Ash, Pikachu’s in bad shape." He said. Ash, Evelyn, and Misty turned around and saw Pikachu lying in his cage, breathing heavily and clearly in pain.

"We need to do something." Misty said urgently.

"We have to heal him with a Super Potion before it’s too late." Evelyn added, her voice fill with concern.

"But we don’t have any Super Potions left." Ash said, looking helpless.

"There’s a shop in town that sells them." Brock said.

"In town?" Ash echoed, glancing at the Squirtle Squad. "Squirtle Squad, please! You’ve gotta let me go into town. If I don’t get that medicine, Pikachu’s in trouble."

"Squirtle, Squirtle." The leader shook his head.

"They know you humans are just trying to run away." Meowth sneered.

"Trust me, I won’t run." Ash insisted. "As soon as I get the medicine, I’ll come right back. I promise!"

"Squirtle." The leader responded.

"Squirtle says promises are cheap." Meowth translated.

Ash’s eyes filled with tears. "I’m begging you. Please, just trust me." He pleaded, a few tears spilled down his cheeks.

The Squirtle leader looked at Ash, then at Pikachu. After a long moment.... "Squirtle, Squirtle, Squirtle." He said, signaling one of his teammates to untie Ash.

The leader then pointed at Evelyn, his expression serious. "Squirtle, Squirtle, Squirtle, Squirtle."

"If you’re not back by noon tomorrow, Squirtle says the brown haired girl's gets her hair dyed pink!" Meowth translated

"PINK?!" Evelyn screeched. "You little flea trap! Once I get out of here, I’ll...."

"Evelyn, don't worry. I’ll be back, okay?" Ash interrupted and offered her a reassuring smile. "Just trust me."

With that, he dashed out of the cave. "So long! I’ll be back in a flash!"

"Good luck..." Evelyn muttered under her breath.

Even if that kid makes it back, we'll be long gone by then. Meowth thought, chuckling quietly to himself.

....... Timeskip .......

A couple of hours had passed since Ash left to get medicine for Pikachu, and he still hadn’t returned. Evelyn shifted her gaze from Pikachu to Brock and Misty. "What’s taking him so long? He should be back by now." Her voice was tinged with worry. She couldn’t shake the feeling that something had happened to Ash.

"I don’t know." Misty sighed, looking just as concerned.

"He’s on his way. I’m sure of it." Brock reassured them.

"I hope so..." Evelyn muttered as she turned her attention back to Pikachu. "Stay strong, Pikachu. Ash is going to be back soon."

....... Timeskip .......

After a restless night, the first light of dawn began to filter into the cave. Evelyn stirred and woke up to find no sign of Ash’s return. Her worry for him and Pikachu grew. Just then, the leader of the Squirtles approached her and stared at her for a moment.

"Squirtle!" the leader called out. Just then, another Squirtle began to untie the gang, catching them off guard.

“Hey! What do you think you’re doing!?” Meowth demanded, clearly annoyed. He and the Squirtle soon have a heatedly conversation, but Evelyn paid them no mind. Her focus was entirely on Pikachu. She quickly moved to his cage, opened it, and gently cradled him in her arms.

"Pikachu..." Evelyn whispered softly as she stroked his head gently.

"He's looking worse." Misty said, sadly.

"We should go outside, and give him some sunlight." Evelyn said as she's turn towards the leader with a pleading look. "Please."

The leader glanced from Evelyn to the group and then down at Pikachu in her arms. After a brief pause, he nodded. "Squirtle."

The group stepped outside the cave, with the Squirtle Squad and Meowth standing nearby, watching them closely. Soon after, they heard a familiar voice calling from inside the cave.

"Evelyn?!"

"We're outside, Ash!" Evelyn called back.

Ash rushed out of the cave and sighed with relief when he saw that nothing had happened to his friend.

"Did you get the potion?" Brock asked.

Ash quickly dug into his pocket, pulled out the Super Potion, and handed it to Brock. "Here."

Brock took it, then turned to Pikachu in Evelyn's arms. He gently sprayed the potion on Pikachu. After a few minutes, Brock stepped back and smiled. "He'll be better in no time."

"That's a relief." Ash said, letting out a sigh of relief.

Suddenly, an explosion echoed nearby, causing them all to jump in shock.

"What the-?" Evelyn exclaimed, startled.

"That blast, it's Team Rocket!" Ash yelled, glaring up at the sky.

The others quickly followed his gaze and spotted Team Rocket's familiar hot air balloon floating above them.

"To protect the world from devastation."

"To unite all people's within our nation."

"To denounce the evils of truth and love. To extended our reach to the stars above!"

"Jessie."

"James."

"Squirtle's Squad, it's payback time for insulting Team Rocket!" Jessie declared.

"Bombs away!" Jessie and James yelled as they threw bombs at the mountain side, creating multiple explosion.

"Meowth! Carry Pikachu up the ladder!" Jessie yelled out, as a ladder was thrown out of the balloon.

"And the rest of you are in for a real blast, get it?" James said.

Meanwhile, Meowth took advantage of the explosion to snatch Pikachu from Evelyn's arms. He climbed up the rope and onto the balloon in an instant.

"Pikachu!" Ash gasped.

But there was nothing they could do when another explosion rocked the area, this one much closer than before.

"Quick run for cover! Head for the cave" Ash yelled.

"Hurry!" Evelyn urged, as they ran toward the cave. Just as Ash was about to reach the entrance, however, a distressed cry echoed through the air.

"Squirtle! Squirtle."

Ash turned around and saw the leader of Squirtle's Squad lying on its back, unable to move. Suddenly, Team Rocket launched two more bombs. Without thinking, Ash dove toward Squirtle and shielded it with his body as the bombs exploded.

"Ash!" Evelyn shouted.

The smoke cleared to reveal Ash and Squirtle unharmed.

"Hey, Squirtle! You okay?” Ash asked.

Suddenly, Team Rocket launched two more bombs, which Misty and Evelyn quickly noticed.

"Here comes two more!" Misty called out.

"Get out of there!" Evelyn yelled.

"Save yourself Squirtle. Run for it." Ash told the leader.

Squirtle stared at Ash and suddenly lifted him over its head, startling him.

"Woah!" 

Squirtle charged toward the cave with Ash hoisted over its head, dodging incoming bombs. An explosion erupted nearby, and the force of the blast sent them both flying toward the cave entrance.

"Look out!" Evelyn cried out as Ash and Squirtle tackled them into the cave.

Once everyone had recovered, Evelyn rushed over to Ash and slapped the back of his head.

"Ow! What was that for?" Ash exclaimed, rubbing his head.

"You idiot! That was so reckless!" Evelyn's voice trembled with emotion. "You could’ve died!" She pulled him into a tight hug. "Thank goodness you're both unharmed."

Misty clears her throat. "I hate to ruin the moment, but Team Rocket still has Pikachu."

Ash pulls away from Evelyn. "All right, let's take care of that." He turned to Squirtle. "Hey, Squirtle. You up for helping us out?"

The turtle Pokémon smirked and nodded in agreement.

Meanwhile, outside the cave, Team Rocket's bomb sparked a nearby forest fire. Their hot air balloon floated above, moving slowly as they looked for any sign of the Squirtle Squad or the gang.

"No more Squirtle Squad. The town's gonna give us medals and we'll be heroes." Jessie declared, grinning widely.

"Not so fast." A voice was heard.

"Huh? Who said that?" 

The trio turned to find Ash and Squirtle standing on a nearby cliff.

"Didn't they...."

"How did they..."

"Squirtle, Water gun attack now!" Ash ordered.

Squirtle shot a powerful stream of water that pierced the hot air balloon. The balloon wobbled violently, causing James to lose his grip on Pikachu.

"Pikachu!" Ash shouted, spotting his partner falling. Without hesitating, Ash leaped off the cliff, caught Pikachu in midair, and landed on one knee, cradling the electric mouse in his arms.

"Looks like Team Rocket's blasting off again!"

A fire raged nearby in the forest. Just then, the rest of the gang and the Squirtle Squad arrived, rushing to Ash and Squirtle’s side.

"The blasts must've ignited this fire!" Evelyn exclaimed, her eyes wide. Just then, Officer Jenny skidded to a stop on her motorcycle.

"If this fire keeps spreading, the whole town could go up in smoke!" Officer Jenny said urgently.

"Don’t worry, Jenny. I’ve got an idea." Ash said, as he turned to the Squirtle Squad. "Listen up, Squirtles. If you work together, you can combine your water guns to put out the fire."

The Squirtle Squad nodded in unison, eager to help. They immediately sprang into action, moving swiftly through the forest and firing their Water Guns at the flames. Slowly but surely, they began to extinguish the raging fire.

....... Timeskip .......

The townspeople and the gang gathered outside the police station. They watched eagerly as Officer Jenny prepared to reward the Squirtle Squad for their heroic efforts.

"And so, with great appreciation, we award this certificate to the Squirtle Squad." Jenny announced, holding up the framed certificate. The crowd cheered as she handed it to them. "Thank you for saving our town from the fire. Because of your skill and bravery, we proudly appoint you as the town’s firefighters."

The Squirtle Squad stood proudly in front of the crowd, each wearing their new uniform. The leader crossed his arms in front of his squad.

"Squirtle!" Squirtle declared, drawing cheers from the onlookers.

....... Timeskip .......

After saying their goodbyes, the gang hit the road again, heading toward their next destination. Feeling much better, Pikachu walked happily beside Ash, humming a little tune. Suddenly, Misty looked behind them and spotted something.

"Hey, Ash." Misty said, pointing behind. "That Squirtle is following us."

The gang stopped as they heard Squirtle's familiar cry.

"Squirtle, Squirtle."

Ash turned around and asked with a smile. "Would you like to come along with us, Squirtle?"

"Squirtle!" The tiny turtle Pokémon took off his sunglasses and flashed a big, happy smile.

Ash knelt down and opened his arms. Squirtle ran toward him and leaped into his embrace.

"Welcome to the team, Squirtle!" Ash chuckled as Evelyn, Misty, and Brock smiled.

"Squirtle!" the little Pokémon cheered, clearly delighted.

"Looks like I’ve caught a new Pokémon!" Ash grinned.

"Pi-Pika-Chu!" Pikachu agreed with a cheerful smile.

Misty smile faded away. "Caught? What do you mean caught?"

"Oh, what's the difference? It's on our side now."

Evelyn and Brock exchanged a knowing look as Ash and Misty started bickering.

I'm truly sorry for not updating more often. I've been struggling with anxiety a lot these past few months.

Evelyn's teams:

Bulbasaur (F) Overgrow -Tackle, Vine Whip, Growl, Razor Leaf-

Nidorina (F) Hustle -Scratch, Poison Sting, Double Kick, Bite, Growl, Supersonic-

Spearow (M) Keen Eye -Peck, Fury Attack, Leer, Whirlwind, Aerial Ace-

Marill (M) Huge Power -Water Gun, Rollout, Defense Curl, Slam-

Houndour (M) Flash Fire -Flamethrower, Bite, Howl, Fire Fang, Roar-

Pokémon at Prof. Oak:

-None Currently-