Chapter Text
The forest had caught fire because of that Salamence's Flamethrower, because of that damned woman Ash had quickly grown to hate with all his heart.
Now she, Hunter J, towered over him, Pikachu, Buizel, and that poor Riolu.
"I warned you not to intervene," J said, harsh and furious. "But apparently, brats like you never learn. Salamence, Flamethrower!"
The Pokémon vomited yet another trail of fire, right where Ash and the Pokémon were standing. Rolling onto his side, the trainer dodged the attack point-blank, clutching the Riolu to his chest. Then he urgently ordered Buizel: "Quick, use Water Gun to create an opening! Pikachu, use Thunderbolt on Salamence!"
He didn't have much time to think about how Thunderbolt would also damage the hunter, so he dashed toward the small space between the flames—keeping Riolu safe all the while.
"Brat!" Hunter J shouted, temporarily losing his balance. "Salamence, Hyper Beam!"
Another wave of crackling heat exploded behind him, charring a circle of ground. Riolu struggled, flustered, and yelped something Ash couldn't quite make out in the heat of the moment. "Sorry, Riolu," he said through gritted teeth, "I'll let you go once we're out of here."
The Pokémon didn't seem happy about this and pointed behind him. Then, he heard the familiar crackle of J's gun. He stepped aside, Pikachu unleashed another Thunderbolt, and Buizel fired another Water Gun. Riolu leaped from its protective embrace and summoned a Sphere of Power, earning a sneer from J.
"Drapion, Cross Poison on the boy!" he ordered, charging his cannon once more. "You're not getting away from me this time," he muttered through gritted teeth, aiming it at Riolu.
The Pokémon prepared another Aura Sphere, but the attack fizzled when it saw Drapion charging at Ash. It squealed in concern and struck the scorpion in the face with its Metal Claw, but it wasn't fast enough, and the trainer groaned. Pikachu and Buizel also stopped, distressed, but it was fatal: Hunter J fired the shot.
Time seemed to stand still. Ash, still confused and in pain from the Cross Poison he'd received in the chest, stared at Riolu. The desperation — or was it exasperation? — he felt brought to mind the Tree of Beginning.
And Lucario.
He'd never really recovered from what had happened.
And it was happening again.
Before his eyes, someone innocent was at risk.
Why was this happening again?
He raised an arm, in a futile and desperate attempt to stop that damned, petrifying jet, and something blue illuminated the burning area.
Hunter J was fed up with it.
The brat, the stupid, idiotic, nosy brat kept interfering in her most important affairs. Every time she received a high bid for any Pokémon, that little bastard was there. With his idiotic hero complex, he would hop around and foil her every move. And news like that, of a fourteen-year-old stopping a hunter as skilled as she was… spread quickly. And the customers dwindled. And the controls tightened.
He was, despite how painful it was to admit it, a threat.
She had tried to eliminate him, killing him, but fate and luck had always been on the boy's side.
She focused on her target, the Riolu. And then she looked at the brat, wallowing for a second in his suffering. How much he deserved it.
The Aura Pokémon barked something in fear, trying to ward off its Drapion with a Metal Claw… apparently the Aura Sphere Riolu had grown fond of the boy. Or maybe it was just survival instinct that classified him as a temporary ally.
Grinning creepily, she fired at the small Pokémon.
The insignificant boy raised his arm.
The shot never landed; a blue screen cancelled it out.
Hunter J growled in frustration, convinced the Riolu had protected itself at the last second, but then surprise struck.
Ash, or whatever his name was, held an arm outstretched, palm open. The Pokémon stopped, the hunter stopped; everyone was speechless. The blue screen glowed faintly, crackling, then shattered — small particles vanished into thin air.
What the hell just happened?
«Drapion, hit the brat with Poison Sting!» she ordered, pushing aside the confusion. The Pokémon made to attack again, but Riolu and Pikachu quickly stepped in, blocking both of their claws; Buizel fired another Water Gun at Salamence.
Then it happened again.
The brat, still catatonic from the powerful Cross Poison, stared straight at her, somehow conscious. He was glaring angrily — if that twitching grimace could be considered irritation.
Then Riolu barked something, and the idiot — no, his body — seemed to react to what the Pokémon babbled, emitting another blue wave. Pikachu and Buizel stared at their Trainer in astonishment, and even his Drapion was stunned for a few seconds. Only Riolu seemed to have any idea what was happening, and he seemed both mildly surprised and pleased.
Salamence flew higher, avoiding the wave's advance, and J fired another shot at the distracted Riolu. But the jet, contacting whatever the boy had apparently summoned, bounced off the screen and hit a tree; a pale blue dome had formed around the Pokémon and the boy, protecting them from the flames, the smoke, and Hunter J. Not wanting to unload her precious gun needlessly, the woman looked for a possible opening when she noticed an almost comical oversight; the brat had also included Drapion inside the dome. Had he forgotten that it had poisoned him with Cross Poison? What a pathetic mistake.
«Drapion! Grab the Riolu and get out of there!» The scorpion nodded and quickly grabbed the Riolu, running outward, easily ignoring all its thumps and cries. The wall shattered, almost as if the surprise had interrupted that particular spell.
The brat, ever confident in his recklessness, leaped at Drapion and pulled out an appendage, giving the Aura Pokémon the space it needed to escape.
Ash recalled Buizel and summoned Chimchar. «Get Riolu to safety, Chimchar!» The Pokémon nodded quickly, grasping the danger of the situation. It ran away, taking Riolu with it, and hid underground with the help of Dig.
Hunter J adjusted his thermal goggles, scanning the ground for the two Pokémon. It would have been easy if it weren't for one small detail: around Ash was a strange crackling of blue energy, almost blinding, obstructing the vision of every other living organism. J snapped, annoyed: «You damn brat!»
Ash looked like he was about to say something, but a wave of poison hit him, and he strangled his insult with a desperate gurgle. Pikachu jumped onto his back, concerned, then unleashed another Thunderbolt at the scorpion.
«You're poisoned... what a shame, it looks like you're going down much faster than usual,» J commented contemptuously. «This stupid hero complex of yours has to end. And I'll get it into your head one way or another.»
Riolu broke free from Chimchar's grip, but it was too late, and they were far from the forest fire.
«Why!?» the Pokémon exclaimed, shocked and annoyed, protesting. «We have to help him!»
«You're in danger!» the Chimchar retorted, trying to calm Riolu. «We have to get you to Kellyn and the others!»
«Not while Ash is in danger!» Riolu looked tensely at the spot where he could see the smoke rising. «We have to hurry!»
He started to run toward the human he trusted, but Chimchar stopped him again. The monkey Pokémon shook his head, warning, «I'm sure Ash will be fine! He's always been in worse situations!»
«It can't get worse than this!» Riolu stated. «We have to help your Trainer! We have to do it for him! He helped me, and I just want to return the favor!»
Chimchar, hearing those words, seemed torn. He remembered the tag team competition in Hearthome City, where his old Trainer, Paul, had abandoned him as if he knew no mercy. And Ash had welcomed him, because Ash was like that and had a heart purer than any other. But a small doubt still lingered in his head, but he didn't allow himself to address it: they had little time. Ash would surely forgive him. And so he said, «All right.»
Riolu rejoiced at those words. «We have to go toward the smoke!»
«Let's go back to the tunnel I dug,» Chimchar pointed to the hole they had emerged from, «or the flames will burn you! I'm a Fire-type, you're not!»
The two Pokémon, now with a common plan, returned to the tunnel. They trudged quickly, one fearing for his Trainer, the other eager to show his gratitude.
«That woman is evil,» Riolu began, regardless of fatigue or pain. «I hate her with all my heart.»
Chimchar didn't answer immediately. «This is the first time I've met her,» he panted, «but Turtwig mentioned her to me briefly. She scares me.»
Riolu remained silent, thinking of the Pokémon who hadn't been as lucky as him. He didn't dare imagine how many there were because, deep down, he didn't want to lose the perspective — perhaps a little childish — that there were many people like Ash in the world. The reality was much harsher, and Luck must have opened her eyes and personally chosen someone so he could meet someone as kind and gentle as that human.
«What if she separates me from Ash? What if we're late?» Chimchar, leading the duo, quickened his pace. «It would be my fault!»
«Don't lie,» Riolu scolded. «From what I've seen, Ash is like that. He always puts himself second.»
Chimchar thought back to three particular Legendary Pokémon, linked to the Creator of All, and weighed the Aura Pokémon's words accordingly. Ash, in those situations that would have nearly killed him, hadn't shown a shred of hesitation. So, faced with this threat — minuscule compared to nearly uncontrollable titans like Dialga or Palkia — he wouldn't hesitate, right?
Everything would be fine this time, too.