Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

"Ash's Charizard is unwilling to battle! Ritchie is the winner!"

Crestfallen, Ash clenched his fists before pulling his hat down to cover his eyes and looking down at his feet. A small grunt from Charizard pulled him from his thoughts. Ash looked up slowly, eyeing his Charizard. Reaching a decision, he pulled Charizard's pokeball from his belt and manually pried it open. The Cheering and confusion from the match petered down to a low murmur as people caught Ash's actions.

"That's it huh? Damien stomps on your dreams so you stomp on mine?"

Charizard sat there, smug at his trainer's defeat, until he heard two words that would haunt him; "Wish granted."

The crowd gasped when the hinge of the pokeball broke and inverted, now lying uselessly on the ground. Nobody made a move as Ash picked up his Pikachu and left the stadium, though the microphone did pick up a small "Good luck Ritchie." Brock, Misty, Ritchie, and Charizard all were too stunned to react.

When Ash reached the exit, Charizard finally broke out of his inaction, making a pitiful growl deep in his chest as he looked at Ash's back getting further away from him. His family and friends leaving him. Picking up the broken pokeball, one last soft grunt left his mouth as he flew out of the stadium. Even he wasn't sure where he was going, yet.

After two nights in the wild thinking and mourning, Charizard finally decided on an action. He would go back to the beginning, where he was understood. Sabrina and Haunter were there early on in his partnership and Sabrina had the means to understand him. They both terrified him, but what he just went through was worse than anything they could do to him. He caused this.

Ash decided he needed to figure things out with his Pokemon before anything else so he headed to the Poke ranch to gather up his Pokemon. He left a note for both Brock and Misty that he needed to see to something, and if they still wanted to travel with him, he would meet up with them later. They could call in a couple weeks to Professor Oak’s lab.

After the mandatory greetings and reassuring them that he missed them all he addressed Pikachu, "Pikachu, will you tell them what happened? It might sound better that way." And it still really hurt to even think about.

Pikachu nodded, "Pi pika, pika..." When Pikachu finished they all sat there. Bulbasaur, Pidgeotto, and Squirtle looked a bit betrayed, but Ash wasn't sure if that was because of him or Charizard.

Ash took over, "Charizard... made his choice. I cannot fully understand you so I will be asking questions very clearly. Any of you who wish to be released..." He couldn't even finish, but gestured to an empty area nearby. When none of them moved, he finally smiled. The crossed arms on the Pokemon that had them only emphasized their response. "Next question:" He drew lines in the dirt and pointed as he listed the options, "Who wants to fight in battles, be a companion, or just stay here?"

All but one Tauros went to 'stay here', the one remaining going to 'battle' along with all the other pokemon. Bulbasaur, Kingler, and Muk were all making noise before Pikachu took charge. Bulbasaur brought out his vines and pointed to the three of them, before pointing to both the companion and battle lines.

"You three prefer to be companions but are willing to battle?" The pleased tones and nods made him glad that he was able to understand them well enough. That it was only Charizard that chose not to be clear. "Next question: do you prefer in the Pokeball, out, or some of both?" Pidgeotto, Pikachu, Squirtle, and Tauros all went to staying out. Kingler wanted to stay in, while Bulbasaur and Muk were in the middle.

"Hmmm. Last question: is there anything you want? Specific training, an item, different food..." Thankfully, he had learned how to make the food they already enjoyed, though Brock’s was better. Muk, of course, got his hug immediately.

Afterwards Pidgeotto and Squirtle approached together and squared off. "You want to practice with each other or against each other?" After a brief moment, they both nodded twice. 'Huh, that will be interesting.'

All his Tauros quickly charged him as they decided it was their turn. They barely tapped him each time, bumping him into one another. A herd hug. His laughter made all the Pokemon feel like he was going to be fine afterall, after Charizard's betrayal.

Then came the biggest surprise of all. Pikachu came up to Ash with a rock in his paws, and as he was handing it to Ash, overlayed his tail with it and gave a soft 'Chu'.

"Pikachu!? Does this mean what I think it means?" At the nod, Ash clarified, "You want me to find a thunder stone so that you can evolve into Raichu?" Ash, Bulbasaur, and Squirtle were all baffled. Ever since Surge, Pikachu was very clear that he wanted to prove himself as a Pikachu. "This isn't because of Charizard is it?"

Pikachu shook his head and made an 'x' with his arms, "Chu pikapi." Bulbasaur and Squirtle exchanged a glance, maybe evolving was an interesting idea.

“You remember what we learned from fighting Surge right? If you want to make sure that doesn't happen to us, you are going to have to train hard on speed.”

Pikachu stomped and his cheeks sparked, “Pika!”

“May as well start now right? Pidgeotto! Get Squirtle into the air with you.” They struggled for a few minutes, trying to latch onto the shell somehow. In the end, Squirtle had to ride on top, which was quite difficult. He was larger, heavier, and a more rigid shape than Pikachu was. “Guess we'll figure that one out later. For now, you two work on dodging drills.”

A couple hours later, Ash was finally feeling back to his old self. His Pokemon all understood him and he understood them. He could not let himself get out of touch again. With that in mind, he went to visit the Professor. “Hey Professor!”

“Oh, hey Ash. You aren't here to tell me Muk is staying behind again are you?”

“I hope not. I won't let another one of my Pokemon get distant enough to do whatever Charizard did. I was actually wondering if there was a way to have more than six Pokemon with me at a time.”

“Well, usually it is only done in extenuating circumstances​… but I am willing to figure something out for you. There will be rules and restrictions of course. One of which is that you must have Muk with you at all times. Another is that you keep it a secret, known only to your traveling companions. And most importantly​, you will check in with me whenever possible. I need to be able to assure others that your Pokemon are being well taken care of. That will mean sending a few of them back on occasion. I'll have to trust you on Pikachu since he is so opposed to his ball.”

“That would be amazing! Don't worry, all but one of the Tauros want to stay here, though I'm sure the one I'm taking will want to visit them at times.”

“You do have a way with Pokemon, Ash. I'll be glad to look after any new ones you send my way.”

“Don't worry Professor, I won't be catching any more Muks. Do you know somewhere nearby, where I could get a thunder stone?”

Oak chuckled, “Funny you should ask! The gym leader Surge sent one for ‘da baby’.” He realized something and became much more serious. “Why do you ask?”

The embarrassment at how Surge talked to him, hit him unexpectedly. “Pikachu is ready to evolve.” Ash spoke it quite forcefully.

Oak remembered some things that were said, by Brock, Misty, Surge, and Ash, concerning Pikachu. How hard they fought and that he never wanted to evolve. “Are you sure Ash? He may resent you for doing that to him.” They had just talked about being more responsible with his Pokemon, yet it seemed he was forcing evolution because he lost.

Ash ignored the stern expression, glancing out to where his Pokemon were still gathered. “It hurt Professor. A lot. This was my dream. And Charizard… chose a loss for me. I spent every day since wondering what else I could have done. I made sure, when I got here, that it would not happen again. I asked my Pokemon, directly, what they wanted. Pikachu wanted the stone…” He trailed off, not knowing what else to say, finally looking back at the Professor.

He still looked concerned, but the reason behind it changed. “Very well. I trust you Ash. I just hope Pikachu knows what he's doing, it is quite permanent.”

“Why don't you come present it to him? You were there when I got him.”

Oak smiled, it had been a while since he's seen an evolution. He took the stone and led Ash out to the gathering. “Pikachu? I heard you wished to use a stone?” Pikachu ran forward happily. “Surge sent it for ‘da baby’, just in case.”

Pikachu crossed his arms and turned his head away, cheeks sparking madly, “Pi ka!”

Oak chuckled, still a bit worried he would get shocked again. He gently placed the stone on the ground and backed up several steps. The Pokemon all gathered around, watching their oldest family member evolve.

Pikachu slowly approached the stone, gaining determination as he got closer. His cheeks toned down from anger, but still sparkling with anticipation. An inch away, he took a deep breath. He called down a lightning bolt upon himself as he crushed the stone to himself in a hug. “Pika!!” Slowly, he morphed into the larger form of Raichu, the glow fading. His paws now sparked, before he stuttered, “Pikachu.”

Ash looked over to the stunned Oak, “Uhh.”

“I have never even heard of such a thing… Quick, check with your Pokedex!”

The Pokedex confirmed, he was now a Raichu. The ever increasingly firm utterance of ‘Pikachu’ was the only anomaly. Seemingly, it was becoming easier to say, as if he had to force it to begin with.

Ash interrupted his mantra, “Do you still want to be called ‘Pikachu’?” Without pausing, Pikachu nodded.

Oak spoke again, “This is most fascinating behavior. Thank you for suggesting I take part in this. That may be the most stubborn attitude I've ever heard of… the rest of the Professors will be so jealous!” Anything more he would have said was cut off by an aggressive spark from Pikachu. He coughed, checked his watch, then fled back to his lab.

Part of Ash began to wonder, was it because Pikachu was that stubborn? Or because he remembered Surge and didn't want to be like them? Or worse, Charmander changed when he evolved, even worse the second time. But, besides stumbling over his new name, he seemed happy with the transformation.

The rest of the Pokemon all gathered around close, talking and cheering now that everything settled. Ash just watched with a fond smile on his lips, happiness in his heart. Charizard may have left them, but the rest of his family was even closer as a result.

Chapter Text

It was a week later, Ash was just finishing breakfast, when Oak called him on the phone, “Ash, there's someone at my lab to see you.”

“Really? I'll be right over. Thanks Professor!” Brock would call him before showing up. Misty might not, depending on her mood. Nobody else really came to mind.

Five minutes later, he was completely shocked to see who his visitor was. “Hi Ash, good to see you.”

He stumbled over his words, “Sabrina! Hi. Uh, what's going on?”

She giggled at his being flustered, “I heard you were here and got my dad to take over the gym for a while.”

“He still scared of you?”

Her grin was wide as she nodded, enjoying the fact that she still had it. While she was no longer as she was before, messing with people was still fun.

A poke in his leg reminded him to reintroduce his buddy. “Sabrina, you remember my Raichu, Pikachu?”

She initially let out a another small laugh, before she heard him speak. Then she tilted her head and her eyes glowed. This was indeed the Ash and Pikachu she met before. And yet, he was also a Raichu. “Good to see you again too Pikachu.”

Ash grinned, “Haunter still keeping you company?”

The other half of her return to sanity. “He is. He has been very good company. I brought him with me, he was quite interested in returning to you.” With that, she tossed him Haunter's ball.

Haunter emerged from the ball, making faces. His gaze settled on Pikachu and Ash before he began laughing loudly.

“Hey buddy. Long time no see! She got you to finally go into a pokeball huh?” Haunter was happily chittering away. Ash suddenly remembered his new way of doing things needed to be a constant, not just a single time. He began drawing in the dirt, much to Haunter and Sabrina’s confusion. Haunter's expression dimmed when Pikachu gave him a quick summary.

Ash cleared his throat, “So, question one: did you want to stay with me, Sabrina, someone else, or be released?” Sabrina was shocked, even with the information she got from Charizard. It must have affected him more than either of them expected, plans would have to change. Haunter, on the other hand, knew exactly what he wanted. Sabrina was healed and he did like Ash, so with Ash he will stay.

The questions continued and Sabrina began to see just how deeply Charizard hurt him. Haunter wanted to be a mix of companion and fighter, and a mix of outside and inside his ball, adding in a sketch of a moon. The sun irked him so. For any special request, he actually approached Sabrina, handing her Kadabra’s ball. Once he was out, Ash remembered a question he had as a kid that never made sense to him. How does trading a Pokemon evolve it?

“What do you say Sabrina? Do you want an Alakazam?”

The pair’s eyes glowed for a conversation. Finally, she turned back to Ash, “We would like to evolve.” Though it was said as a matter of fact, he could hear some excitement in her voice.

Together, they headed back into the lab. Oak was more than glad to facilitate two more evolutions. Especially considering he felt that most Pokemon liked being evolved.

And then, there was Alakazam and Gengar. Grinning and cheering at one another like it had been planned for years.

Ash moved next to Sabrina, still watching them celebrating. “You sticking around for a few days, or heading right back to the gym?”

She turned to make sure she could gauge his reaction. “I was rather hoping to join you for a while. I don't have many Pokemon and my dad is taking over for a while.”

“Me!? But-” Pure surprise. No anger or annoyance in sight.

“I've heard stories, you know. Stories about your adventures, your Pokemon. And with what happened at my gym, I believe them. So, believe me when I say, there is nobody else I would rather travel with, especially on a Pokemon journey.”

Ash rubbed his neck. It was both flattering and put him in a pickle. He didn't know where he was going, and not sure if his two other companions would be joining him. “Heh, I don't have any idea where I'm heading to next.”

“I'm not picky.” Ash was sure to prove interesting regardless, not that she didn't have ulterior motives. There was her lack of Pokemon, easy. There was dealing with Charizard, potentially problematic. And there was her personal interest, hard.

The celebration was interrupted by a video call that the professor notified them of.

Brock and Misty called in from Cerulean. “Hey Ash! Are you… what did you do to Pikachu!? How dare you force him to evolve!?”

Ash chuckled weakly, “What are you talking about Misty? Pikachu is right here.”

“Pi Pikachu!” He waved his new tail at them.

Misty and Brock looked at each other, attempting to figure out if they were seeing things.

“Ash Ketchum, you tell me what is going on right now!” Brock tried to hide as Misty got into her yelling.

“Uhmmm. Surprise?” Her scowl worsened as he continued. “Pikachu asked for this… Charizard hurt all of us. I asked each one of my Pokemon what they wanted. This is what he wanted.”

Misty, still angry, quieted down but did not speak. Brock took that opportunity to talk about the other interesting things in the background. “Is that Sabrina? And Haunter and her Kadabra?”

Ash looked over at her and she came in closer, responding on her own. “It is. They wanted to evolve and travel with Ash.”

“Then who are you going to use to battle at your gym?”

She hid a grin behind her hand, “Nobody. I wanted to travel too.”

That brought Misty’s attention back. “What!?”

Ash responded, “Heh, I don't know where to go next, but I've got at least one companion. What about you two? You up for another adventure?”

They hesitated, Sabrina scared them. In lieu of answering, Misty glared at Ash. “I'm not leaving until I have a new bike!” Everybody knew the reasoning was weak, but nobody called her on it.

Brock looked between the two opposing women, wondering if being mediator with Ash was worth it. Misty was rash and outspoken, Sabrina was calm and collected. And crazy. And scary. There was bound to be conflict often. It was either that or go home to his siblings doing the same thing. “Somebody has to keep you from starving.” He made sure to nod for emphasis that it was him.

“Then I guess we only need a destination and a time to leave.”

They ended up deciding to meet up at the professor's lab in Pallet in two weeks time, all thinking about a destination and reasoning behind the choice.

That gave Sabrina two weeks (nearly) alone with Ash. Which thing to start on was the question. They both would make the other one easier to deal with. She had an inkling that Misty could prove problematic on the relationship front, so that would have to take priority, ‘Sorry Charizard’.

“Hey Ash, will you help me look over some psychic types to see what I should be looking for?”

“Sure! Good thing the Professor upgraded my Pokedex. So, what exactly are you looking for? And do they all have to be psychic?”

“Gym leader rules are fairly specific, though I suppose if I got one or two as companions instead of for the gym, that would be okay. As for what I'm looking for… strength and covering for many types.”

They spent many hours looking through the Pokedex and Oak’s database side by side to find what she should be on the lookout for. Ash noted several that he would be interested in as well. Sabrina took this time to subtly nudge him with her shoulder and point things out while resting her arm on his. It was as much a test of her reaction as it was his.

Since she had never really been close with someone before, it was exhilarating. That Ash didn't seem to react could be good or bad. Either it was comfortable, or he didn't recognize it. Further testing was required. Perhaps getting the Pokemon themselves in on it was a good idea. Haunter had gotten them to be friendly in the first place.

One thing was confirmed for her. This is exactly where she wanted to be. Haunter brought her back to herself, but now that she knew who she was, she wanted to share it with someone. And who better than the one who facilitated it?

Shaking her head to clear her thoughts, Sabrina began brainstorming. Ash seemed quite oblivious, focused on Pokemon, and for all his aggression, passive. She could speak of it outright, ask subtle questions, set up a date without him knowing, or tackle him under the guise of saving him. Perhaps a combination.

As she was thinking, she saw him putting something together before setting it out in front of some of his Pokemon. “What was that you made?”

Ash glanced at her, smiling, “I've been paying more attention lately to how Brock prepared food for the Pokemon. With having all this time and the professor's resources, I started making food on my own. Never know when we are going to no longer travel together.”

“That's a great idea! Will you show me next time?”

“Of course! Maybe some of the professor's research will help for that too. Get a head start on bonding with the ones you planned on picking up “

It seemed like anything that was related to Pokemon gave him interesting ideas. ‘Definitely getting the Pokemon to help.’

Chapter Text

Naturally, Sabrina went to the de facto leader of Ash’s Pokemon, Pikachu. He, at first, struggled with the idea of helping. Not only was Misty one of his favorite people, but Sabrina made an awful first impression. But her sincerity and their compatibility eventually won him over. He was also going to get a rematch out of it.

The next day, after Ash helped her make some food of her own, she made a suggestion. “Ash, how about we let Pikachu and Alakazam have a rematch?”

“Hah! You bet! Wait, not us?”

“I don't particularly enjoy battling, though I will have to do it for any gym challengers. Perhaps you can convince me on occasion… with the right incentives.” His brief look of disbelief almost made her regret answering.

“Hmmm, I'll figure something out! For now though, a rematch sounds interesting.”

Soon, lightning bolts were flying around, controlled by both Pikachu and Alakazam. A seemingly stray one made its way toward the two of them. As Sabrina took that as her cue, she was suddenly launched off her feet. Ash had tackled her to the ground before she could do it to him. Amazing reaction time considering she had planned to do it.

“You saved me.”

Ash sat up and rubbed the back of his head, “It was nothing. Guess with them both having just evolved, they need a little practice aiming.”

“Aren't you supposed to kiss me now?”

Ash flinched back and made to leap away from her when Alakazam held him in place. “What!?”

“You saved me from getting hit with an attack, risking yourself in the process…” She sighed, eyes glowing to release him from the psychic. This did not go well at all. He got up and tentatively pulled her to her feet. She looked to the Pokemon to see them both saddened by their failure. The rest of the afternoon was quiet and awkward.

As she watched Ash leave for the day, the professor approached her. “You'll have to forgive him. I don't think he knew what to do. He's never had a good relationship to look at, and from the stories, his traveling companion only made things worse.”

“How so?”

“Even here in Pallet, I hear about the exploits of Brock. His attempts at wooing nearly any girl on their journey has become something of a joke. Not a serious one mind you, he is still a gym leader. Anyway, Ash has been seeing rejection after rejection from someone who is clearly overbearing. His behavior may shift due to that, to become far more passive, to show little to no interest.”

That made far too much sense. “How did you even know I was interested?”

“Pokemon are not too dissimilar from humans when it comes to pairing up. I noticed your attention on him yesterday when you were researching.”

“Do you have any advice?”

“I could not, in good conscience, help you do anything he might be uncomfortable with. So, I will leave you with this: He wouldn't know subtle if it was a legendary Pokemon. You'll likely have to spell it out for him.”

After that, he left her to her thoughts. Which only got broken by a tug at her leg. “Ka chu, chuu…” Pikachu sounded like he understood, having watched Brock himself. Then, he perked up. An idea made its way to him. He patted her leg consolingly, before heading home himself.

The next day started slow for Ash. He didn't know what to do. Yesterday was weird, and he didn't want to have that continue the entire time he was traveling with someone. They would just have to figure something out within the next week. Pikachu ran slightly ahead of him as they made their way to the ranch. The sight triggered something for him, both Pokemon should have been aiming fine. They stopped and stared, even going so far as to keep him where he was. Something to keep in mind.

When Ash made it, Pikachu was already sitting, waiting. He had drawn several lines in the dirt, similar to how Ash had been getting his answers from his Pokemon. “Pikachu?” Ash gave him a flat look before sighing. “No, I do not want to be in a Pokeball, and the fights that I have had against Pokemon have been quite painful.” Noting the now sparking cheeks, Ash ended his thought there.

“Fine. Is this related to the fake fight yesterday?” Pikachu’s face fell and he nodded. “Is there something I need to be worried about?” A head shake. “Hmmm. Whose idea was it?” His pointing got the idea across. “And did Sabrina have a good reason?” Pikachu nodded again.

Ash had to think on the possibilities. Sabrina arranged the fight. Both Pokemon helped. After saving her from being hit, she asked, requested, demanded, offered, or rewarded him a kiss. So either she actually wanted him to kiss her, or… the plan messed up and she had to improvise. He shook his head to clear it. “How about you go get everybody started on some drills and I'll talk to Sabrina?”

Pikachu nodded and scampered off, glad that his new form was on the small side of Raichus.

He met up with her shortly, “Hey Sabrina.”

“Ash. I'm sorry.”

That brought him up short, “Uh, okay. For what?”

“I manipulated events yesterday and made you feel uncomfortable.”

Ash sighed, “True. Though I can't figure out what exactly you were trying to accomplish.”

She took a deep breath. There was still a chance. She may as well, things can't get much more awkward. “I was planning on tackling you out of the way, when you did it instead. The purpose… was to create a situation where a kiss would be natural.” His expression showed she would have to continue. It was disappointing that professor Oak was right. “I am interested in a relationship with you.”

“Oh… why me?”

“Some of it was saving me from myself, some of it is your passion for Pokemon, and the rest you will just have to find out.” Her tone was playful, but she worried about his reaction.

Ash began to really look at Sabrina. She was pretty, of course, she knew how to laugh, not that he's been around her enough to know what she likes. She likes Pokemon, yet doesn't like battling, even though it seems like she is planning on being a gym leader still. She liked him enough to set up what happened yesterday, and convinced Pikachu not only to take part, but try again this morning. As he was thinking, Sabrina shifted her stance. The sight reminded him of when they were researching Pokemon in the lab, and of all the small touches they shared. In fact, he really enjoyed that.

Ash nodded to himself, before smiling at her. “Yeah. Let's find out.” Sabrina felt her heart pounding in her ears as she released a deep breath. While she had not thought through things, that definitely wasn't what she expected. Suddenly, he was right next to her holding out his hand. “You coming?” She smiled and grabbed hold as he led her back to the ranch. Now she just had to figure out how to bring up Charizard…

They arrived to some of the Pokemon doing drills with each other, but nearly every single one was looking their way. “We've got a week and a half before we go off on our next adventure! Let's make the time here count.”

Most of the Pokemon were doing either speed drills or endurance. Some were teaching each other moves to use, like how Pikachu was teaching Gengar thunder punch. Sabrina just watched with a smile, her Alakazam joining in with his new friends.

Then, it was time for lunch. Their first real activity as a blooming couple was to have Ash teach her, hands on, how to make Pokemon food.

It was a day later, and after Ash left, Sabrina sought out the professor again. “Professor, I was hoping you would be willing to give me more advice.”

“Of course! I'm glad you did so well with what I gave you last time. Hopefully, this will be just as helpful.”

“So, say a Pokemon came to me and asked for my help getting back to its human. But, the Pokemon purposefully lost him a shot at his dream. How should I go about it?”

Oak grimaced, having noted all the fallout from Charizard. Ash’s plea to take all his Pokemon to keep from another incident. “You bring up rather difficult topics. I suppose the best I can do, is suggest that you are direct and honest. Especially given our last conversation. If Ash decides he doesn't want Charizard back, I can take him and figure out a place for him to belong. I do recommend sooner rather than later, or he might see it as keeping secrets.”

Sabrina nodded, “Thank you professor, we both appreciate it.”

Chapter Text

The next day, after they set their Pokemon up with lunch and had some themselves, Sabrina pulled Ash away for a walk. “Ash, I have something to tell you, and I know it will upset you.”

“Planning on turning Brock and Misty into dolls again”

She chuckled. Their fear bothered her a little, but it was justified. “No, but it might be amusing to see how long the threat of that affects their behavior…” Even Ash had noticed their hesitation to journey with him because of that. “Anyways, I have Charizard.” She noticed him shut down immediately.

He struggled to speak. “Why?” His passion was gone, all that was left was negativity.

Sabrina moved in and cradled his head gently, hugging him to herself. He just stood there limply. “Ash, I need you to listen to me. I want what is best for you, which is why I'm here after all!” That earned her a weak chuckle and his participation in the hug. “I will do what you want, it is your decision. All I ask is that you hear me out first. Did you want to discuss it now, or put it off for later?”

‘Now, or later? Now would get it over with. Later would have Brock and Misty nearby. But, was that even a good thing? Misty often overreacted, and Brock would try to mediate.’ He let out a deep breath, “Now.”

Sabrina nodded, this was the way she preferred too. “I know he hurt you and I'm not taking his side on anything, please understand that.” She felt his slight nod. “He showed up at my gym, heartbroken. His friends and family had just abandoned him, again. And he knew it was all his fault. We talked through it and came to the conclusion that because of his previous partner, he wanted to prove his strength. But, the cost was too steep. He was frustrated that you wanted him to lose certain battles, to not fight at his best, to keep him from his potential.”

She continued after a short pause. “He sees his strength as the reason for affection, that if he wasn't strong, he wasn't wanted. So when he felt the thrill of a good fight, he ignored you. If he thought you weren't using him to his highest potential, he lashed out. If you pitted him against his first form, it was too high of an insult, too low of a challenge. He didn't even stop to think of what it meant to you or how you felt. He only understood his frustration and that this might get you to pay attention to his wants.”

Ash was crying at this point, for both himself and Charizard. A wasted opportunity because he loved his Pokemon so much that he didn't think less of them if they weren't as strong. Charizard should have known better with how many didn't evolve on his team. But also, Damien. Damien was still hurting him after all this time. Shamefully, he remembered bringing him up before the release.

A flash of insight hit Ash. Their paths were parallel. Both felt inadequate and often struggled with measuring up. Was it his fault? He wasn't sure. He definitely needed more time to think about it though. “Can we stay like this for a while?”

“Of course. As long as you need.”

As a side effect of their discussion, Ash now felt closer to Sabrina. The comfort and affection she showed, drew him in and caused him to feel calmer in her presence. Like she made everything better. Maybe being a psychic meant that she knew just what to do. Sabrina herself enjoyed being the one to help this time.

After two days of struggling to come to terms with the Charizard situation, Ash called all of his Pokemon together. “Sabrina brought Charizard with her.” Their exclamations were many. Slowly, he calmed them down. “She told me that he was struggling and lashing out. And I really don't know what to do. He hurt me, but he was hurting too. I'd like to know how you all feel about it.”

Ash stepped back and watched chaos descend. So many Pokemon all talking to each other and with so much emotion.

It was nearly time for Ash to head home for dinner when they came to a verdict. Pikachu did the translating as usual, being the one he understood the most. “You want to talk to Charizard yourselves?” Pikachu crossed his arms and nodded. “Okay, I'll ask Sabrina to set it up for first thing tomorrow.”

Sabrina didn't even wait for Ash, knowing he would show up late, if at all that day. She went close to the gathering of Pokemon and enlarged the ball. “Okay, Charizard. The Pokemon want to talk to you. Ash isn't here. Good luck!” With that, she released him from the ball and left.

Charizard felt shame seeing them all again. He forgot that it wasn't just Ash he let down. Seeing Pikachu as a Raichu made it even worse, he knew how much Pikachu didn't want to evolve.

“Did you know, the first thing Ash did when we got back from the tournament, was to gather us all and offer to release us?” Squirtle was the one who spoke.

Pikachu remembered his own rebellion and wanted to stay out of it for the most part. But, he knew he would have to say something about evolving. “Your attitude made me reconsider the things I was doing out of pride. I wanted to prove I didn't need to evolve to be strong. I saw what it did to you and Surge’s Raichu. Doing that would always limit my strength, and now I feel more amazing than ever.”

“I'm sorry. I let everybody down.” Charizard's eyes were downcast. He paused and was about to continue when he was cut off.

“You let yourself down too. All that training, all those tests of strength. Not only did you show that you were unwilling to fight, but you kept yourself from advancing. In a tournament that would only have stronger and stronger opponents.” Bulbasaur wanted to drive it home.

Charizard fell down, laying down in his defeat. He had felt justified at first, but now… he wasn't sure exactly what to feel.

Pidgeotto chimed in next. “I heard about Magmar. How excited that match made you. But, you listened to Ash, and won. We heard you rant about Paras for weeks. But that is just who Ash is. It wasn't to insult you, it was to help a friend and a Pokemon. Neither Pikachu nor Squirtle held that against him.”

Charizard remembered that day, too well. One of the insults he held onto the strongest. Something not worth his time. But, after that, he could tell that Ash did not trust him as much as before.

Gengar finally spoke up, “Your strength does not define your worth. He let us choose not to evolve. He even chose not to catch me because I didn't want to be caught.”

Seeing Charizard in a world of his own, the rest of the Pokemon went about their business. Gengar decided he wanted to go cheer Ash up now that they had finished with Charizard.

Ash turned almost as soon as Gengar got close. The small smile made being out during the day worth it. He hoped Sabrina and Ash made it. They were definitely his two favorite people, and if they were together, then all that much better. Plus, he had gotten used to the company of Alakazam.

The next day, Ash apprehensively approached the ranch. He knew that putting this off would only hurt everybody more. Charizard had not moved, he stayed curled up with his old pokeball. Sabrina gave him a fortifying hug as he got there, something he was starting to appreciate.

As Ash finally approached, Charizard let out a pitiful growl, staring at the ground in front of him. Before Ash even said anything, Pikachu and Gengar showed up by his side, daring him to send them away. Ash just accepted, knowing how hard this would be. He then began drawing the now familiar lines in the dirt.

Ash cleared his throat, “Since I can't understand you, I will be presenting you options to choose from. Here are the choices: did you want to be my Pokemon, Sabrina’s, released to the wild, or something else.” Charizard scrambled up as fast as he could to show he wanted to be with Ash again.

“Next question,”

Charizard’s mood dropped immediately. No wonder the reaction he got was so strong, they probably had to do this too, because of him.

“Do you want to battle, be a companion, or both?”

Charizard again looked away. Everyone knew he liked to battle. But, was he trusted enough to be used in one? He shakily made his way to the both area.

“Would you prefer to be in your pokeball or out?”

All that flying or running would be tiring, so he chose pokeball.

“And last, is there anything you want in particular? Training, item, things like that.”

Charizard presented his prized pokeball without any hesitation.

Ash looked pained, “I'm not ready for that yet. We need to build trust again. Is there something else?”

What else did Charizard want? Strong opponents were a given, and probably a bad idea to even reference. Nothing really came to mind. He shook his head slowly but deliberately.

“Sabrina and I are planning on convincing Brock and Misty to go to a place that we don't even know if it has gyms. To catch specific Pokemon and train, maybe relax a bit. There probably won't be any strong opponents.”

Charizard huffed, but stomped and crossed his arms. It didn't sound like a fun time, but maybe it was needed anyway. He emphasized his choice with a sharp nod.

Only a few days later, Brock and Misty showed up, and decisions had to be made.

Chapter Text

If Ash thought Misty was angry earlier, there was no comparison to her setting her eyes on Pikachu. Pikachu who was saved by her bike. Pikachu who didn't fight her in a gym battle. Pikachu, who wanted to remain as himself, pointedly avoiding becoming a Raichu like Surge's.

And then there was Charizard. Charizard who caused Ash to leave her and Brock at the tournament. Who made him totally unsociable. Who brought Sabrina back into her life. Misty grimaced, unsure if this topped seeing her sisters not even care about the gym. “Ash. You have a lot of explaining to do!”

Brock, having realized Misty was on a warpath, did nothing but watch. He was still concerned about Sabrina too. But with such a volatile situation, he had no desire to mediate. Sabrina merely watched Ash’s prediction come to life. She promised herself if it went long enough, she would scare Misty into submission.

Ash rolled his eyes. He thought his explanations so far were enough. Sure there was little detail, but he thought it was enough. “What do you want me to say Misty? Pikachu asked for this. His growth has been amazing, but he's been able to maintain his speed. Do you want to undo it? Cause I was told there's no going back.”

Misty glanced away, toward Brock for support. He shrugged, she was getting no help there. “I know both of you better than that! I want you to tell me what you did to make him think he had to.”

As much fun as Pikachu was having, he decided to finally step in. He really liked the changes, even if he was glad he waited. Well, except that he could no longer fly or hop on Ash’s shoulder. Pidgeotto would have to evolve first. He again grabbed a rock and transposed his tail onto it. He then crossed his arms firmly and nodded “Pika!”

“I'm so sorry he made you do that!” Misty was about to continue into insults when she noticed Pikachu's tail was whipping ever closer to her and he was sparking. Obviously, for her safety, she should stop. For now. She nervously cleared her throat, “Ah, so… shall we make plans on where we are headed?”

Ash led them to the lab where they had the map set up. “Sure! Sabrina and I were thinking we hit the Orange Islands on the way to Alola. We did a lot of research on the Pokemon available there and the professor asked if we were heading that way to do something about some new pokeball.”

Misty glared at him, pointedly not being aggressive with Sabrina. Something Sabrina found quite funny. “I don't suppose you actually thought of Pokemon that the two of us might want to catch, did you?”

“Well… our idea was to visit islands. Which are rocks. Surrounded by water.” Ash thought it was reasonable logic, but the look on Misty’s face said otherwise. He rolled his eyes, “Yes, we looked at all of the Pokemon that there was data for. There are plenty of interest for everyone. Even found a water bug, so I'm curious to see if you catch it. You say all water Pokemon are cute after all!”

The idea horrified Misty, and her face showed it. Brock chided her, “You should at least see it first. Who knows? You might actually like it.” Knowing how they were, Brock didn't even bother researching Pokemon areas. He just continued gathering data for when he could become a breeder.

Misty glared at her feet and clenched her jaw. “Fine. Your plan sounds good for once. I'm convinced.”

“You too Brock?”

“Yeah, sounds like fun. I suppose we should set off in the morning.”

While Misty and Brock headed to the lab to escape Sabrina's presence, she spoke up, “You know, I'm kinda regretting having them along. It would have been nice to be just the two of us.”

Ash felt that a bit too, but left it unvoiced. Not only had he traveled with them a good while, but they taught him quite a bit. He also ran out on them and felt he owed them. Misty constantly shouting, he could do without.

The next morning, they headed off to the Orange Islands to see about a pokeball.

When they arrived, Brock immediately fell in love, again. He saw how things were at the lab and thought that he could provide the exact things that were missing. The lovely company certainly helped too.

Ash only shook his head, mystified. Sure, he was just starting to understand the appeal of girls, but the way Brock reacted was something he was sure he would never understand. He was so set on joining the journey too, only to stop at the first place they visited. Sabrina merely chuckled to herself and stared menacingly at Misty’s back, ‘One down, one to go!’ Misty felt shivers down her spine. Brock left her with Sabrina!

Their quick trip to Alola was interrupted by Team Rocket and Sabrina's first introduction to Jigglypuff. Sabrina was unamused.

Upon awakening, she released Charizard, “Find out where we are.” He quickly glanced at Ash, before taking off. Sabrina was tickled by the idea that Charizard had as he took off. He was going to look for a Pokemon that Ash might want.

They heard some shouting and a high pitched mournful wail. The three of them took off with Pikachu leading the charge.

All of them were irked by what they found. “Hey! You get away from that Lapras!”

“Or what?”

“Staryu, Starmie. Blast these fools away with your water gun!” Misty was ready to go all out on them.

Ash got closer to his Pokemon, “Pikachu, make sure they don't get up for a while.” He nodded and took off to the dizzy bullies.

He turned back to see Misty approaching the scared Lapras. “Hey, it's okay.”

Sabrina sighed, unsure if she would regret this choice later. “He is scared because you too were shouting earlier. Something I've noticed you do quite often.”

Misty flushed with embarrassment and bit her lip to avoid scaring the Pokemon further. “Ash, can you bring me a potion, I don't care whose.” Ash quickly pulled down his bag and got out a super potion. It was easier to find the stuff he put in places, than find her stuff. “Thank you. Here, it's going to heal you right up.”

Lapras was just starting to relax when Pikachu tensed.

Tracy, sensing danger, leapt out from the bushes with his hands up, full as they were. “I'm not a danger! I'm just sketching your Pokemon. My name's Tracy.”

“I'm Ash, that's Sabrina, and that's Misty. And this is Pikachu.”

Tracy was excited by the friendly response, but the last word really messed with him. Tracy knelt down and inspected Pikachu. He knew he was right and Ash was wrong, there's no way it was a Pikachu. “Pikachu!” On second thought, he was now beyond confused.

Tracy turned to the only one that he hadn't heard speak, “Am I going crazy, or…?”

Sabrina didn't bother responding, sending him a mischievous grin instead. Ash just sighed, not even the Rockets believed him. “This is Pikachu, my Raichu. I'm starting to wonder if I should just pretend like I don't know why people are confused.” Surprisingly, Pikachu was nodding at that. He was completely okay with pretending he was still a Pikachu, just with a bit of an upgrade.

“Ah, well. That kinda makes sense, I guess. Are you traveling around the Orange Islands then?”

“Not really. Only running an errand here before we head to Alola.”

“That's too bad. I'd love to get some more natural sketches of your Pokemon. Do you have more?”

“Yup! I've got a bunch more!” Ash then remembered what Oak had said, “A full team of six.”

Ash entertained Tracy while Sabrina helped Misty heal and bond with Lapras. It was late afternoon and they were about to pick a spot to set up camp when they heard a roar.

Charizard had returned!

Tracy immediately began sketching, only slightly pausing at the odd sizing he was seeing. Sabrina was watching Ash’s reaction. And Misty was reassuring Lapras that he was friendly, mostly.

Ash was about to ask Sabrina why Charizard had a Pokemon with him, when Charizard put it in front of him and gestured. The Pokemon was for him? The Farfetch’d shook its head and pulled its leek to a ready position.

Ash pulled out his Pokedex with a raised eyebrow. “Farfetch’d, variant. This Pokemon is native to Galar and is a fighting type. Its larger weapon is the distinguishing feature from the normal flying type. The fighting variant also has an evolved form.”

“Whoa! That's awesome!” Ash then took in the scene before him. The Farfetch'd clearly wanted a fight, but it wasn't going after Charizard. A Charizard who set the Pokemon in front of him, like a display or a challenge. “I see. Pikachu, you up for convincing a new teammate?”

“Pi Pika, Chu!”

Farfetch'd charged. “Alright Pikachu, let's show some speed!” Pikachu dashed to the side. It was his first real fight since his evolution. “Get behind him and show your new punch!” Farfetch'd tried warding Pikachu off with his leek, but the speed was too much. He was struck in the back with a quick attack, followed closely by a thunder punch. The leek swung around and was mostly dodged, the force merely pushing Pikachu away. “Same thing, but add a thunder!” It took Pikachu longer to get behind him this time, Farfetch'd constantly learning, and reacting faster. His defeat was inevitable, so he left an opening to get a hit on Pikachu. He was barely standing after those hits, but he had confirmed what he had wanted to and was ready to be captured.

Charizard nodded decisively and turned to Sabrina, ready to be returned.

The next day was much of the same, except Charizard returned empty handed. When Tracy heard that they were doing an errand for The Professor Oak, he was all for helping. Their discussions on what paths would be the best ended when Sabrina came up with an idea. “Why doesn't my Alakazam just use teleport to take Tracy and the ball to the professor? That way, Tracy gets what he wants, the professor gets what he wants, and we get to continue our journey?”