A Bitter Medicine of Strategy
Chapter 1
Ash, Pikachu, Iris, Axew, Cilan and Pansage had been walking for a while, so they decided to have a lunch on the meadow that was located next to the forest.
"Let's see," Cilan thought aloud. "I would make sandwiches for lunch and something good from berries for dessert."
"Sounds good," Ash said with smile and Pikachu nodded for confirmation.
"I can go search berries with Axew," Iris offered.
"Alright. Take Pansage with you, so you can return sooner," Cilan said.
"Sure! Let's go, Axew and Pansage," Iris said to two pokemons who followed girl into the forest.
They walked for a while in the forest as they searched berries until Iris decided that they should disperse.
"Me and Axew will go that direction to search berries. Would you go that direction, Pansage?" Iris asked from grass monkey pokemon as she pointed the direction with her index finger.
Pansage glanced at the direction where Iris was pointing and nodded. "Pansage!"
"Good. We'll see you here soon," Iris said and walked in one direction with Axew as Pansage left in another direction.
Pansage climbed in trees, studied the forest and sniffed the air. After roaming for a while Pansage became happy when it noticed a Mago berry tree and climbed to the tree to pick some berries.
"I think that these berries are enough for dessert," Iris said to Axew as both of them were carrying an armful of berries.
"Axew!" Axew nodded happily.
Iris looked around and stated: "I don't see Pansage here yet. Maybe it has gone little bit farther."
Just when Iris had said it aloud, they heard Pansage's cry from some distance away and they noticed a stream of fire that rose above trees!
Iris's eyes widened in shock. "Oh no! Is that Flamethrower...?"
Ash, Pikachu and Cilan too had heard Pansage's cry and seen stream of fire rising above trees.
"Pansage!" Cilan exclaimed with worried look and ran with Ash and Pikachu into the forest.
Soon boys found Iris and Axew in the forest.
"Iris! Wasn't Pansage with you?" Cilan asked.
"Yes, it was earlier but we dispersed in order to find berries," Iris explained.
Suddenly Pikachu pricked up its ears and turned to look. Just when Ash was going to ask from Pikachu what it had heard, Pansage leaped from nearby bushes and rushed to Cilan's arms.
"Pansage! What happened? Are you alright?" Cilan asked with worried look as he held his pokemon in his arms and petted its head in calming manner.
"Excuse me..." a woman's voice was heard.
A young woman appeared from bushes. She had long, teal colored hairs and she was wearing mint green t-shirt, light brown shorts, knee-lenght white socks and black sneakers. She also had a light yellow shoulder bag. Soon after the woman had appeared, Vulpix leaped from bushes and positioned itself next to woman.
"Is that Pansage your pokemon?" woman asked from Cilan.
"Yes, it is," Cilan answered.
"Was it you who was chasing Pansage?" Iris asked sternly from woman.
"Yes," woman answered with apologizing look. "I'm sorry. I thought that it's wild."
When the woman had appeared, Ash had had feeling that woman and her Vulpix seemed somehow familiar. After thinking for a moment with Pikachu, Ash suddenly remembered who this woman was.
"It's you! Suzie!" Ash exclaimed with smile.
When woman turned her attention to Ash, her expression became delighted.
"Ash and Pikachu! Long time no see!" Suzie said.
"So, you two know each others?" Cilan asked from Ash and Suzie.
They had returned back to their camp and were now sitting at the camping table.
"Yeah. We met when I had just started my journey as pokemon trainer in the Kanto region." Ash explained. "Suzie is Pokemon Breeder and Brock's idol. She even gave Vulpix temporarily to Brock."
"Speaking of Brock, how is he? I heard that he had decided to study as a pokemon doctor," Suzie asked from Ash.
"Unfortunately I haven't talked with Brock after I came to Unova region." Ash admitted but then he said with certain tone: "But knowing Brock, he surely will do his best with his studies. But by the way, what are you doing in the Unova region, Suzie?"
"And why did you told Vulpix to attack Cilan's Pansage?" Iris asked.
"Well, just like Ash told, I'm Pokemon Breeder but I also have a salon for pokemons. I focus on pokemons's inner beauty and health." Suzie explained. "One day I met my senior colleague who offered me a bottle of oil that should had positive effect on pokemons's health. I followed my colleague's advice and tried the oil."
"Did it have desired effect?" Cilan asked.
"Yes. It was very useful." Suzie nodded and continued: "I met my colleague later and thanked him for the oil. I asked about origin of the oil and he introduced me to lady who has specialized in handmade medicines. I asked her to teach me how to make the oil, so I would use it in my work. But the oil has a quite rare ingredient that isn't available in the Kanto region."
"What this ingredient is?" Iris asked curiously.
"The oil is extracted from Pansage's leaves," Suzie answered.
Ash, Pikachu, Iris and Axew turned to look Cilan's Pansage who was sitting in arms of its trainer.
"It's true that leaves on Pansage's head relieve stress and tiredness. That's why we sometimes use them in our restaurant's tea." Cilan told as he petted Pansage's head but then he added with more serious tone: "But it isn't good idea use them too much because growth of leaves will take time and overuse of leaves isn't good for Pansage's health."
"Lady who made the oil said the same." Suzie confirmed and continued: "So that I could make oil for my work, I came in Unova region to capture Pansage."
Then Suzie rose from table, walked to Cilan and bowed her head: "I'm sorry that I told Vulpix attack your Pansage. I misuderstood badly. Will you forgive me and Vulpix?"
Cilan and Pansage glanced at each others and then Cilan answered with friendly smile: "Of course we will forgive you. It was an understandable mistake."
"Pansage!" Pansage nodded.
"Thank you for understanding," Suzie thanked them with relief.
"Hey, Suzie. Since you are going to capture Pansage, we will help you!" Ash offered suddenly.
"Really?" Suzie asked.
"Of course!" Ash confirmed. "This isn't first time when we help another trainer to capture pokemon. We once helped trainer named Bianca capture Minccino."
"Actually Minccino was accidentally captured by itself when it started to clean a dirty Poke Ball," Iris corrected.
"But I wore it out by battling with it!" Ash noted with little bit annoyed look.
"Thank you very much!" Suzie said with smile. "Vulpix and I would really appreciate your help."
Four trainer with their pokemons were walking in the forest while looking around in case of if they notice the certain pokemon.
"Keep your eyes at the trees." Cilan told others. "Pansages are usually climbing in trees."
Others nodded as a sign of understanding.
They walked little bit longer until trainers and pokemons arrived to a clearing where was a large pond and Cheri berry trees. Just then Axew cried and pointed at branches of one of trees. Everybody turned their attention towards branches and noticed a wild Pansage sitting there as it ate berries. However, this Pansage was a little bit different: it had three leaves on it's tail.
"There it is. Alright, Vulpix. Are you ready?" Suzie asked from her fox pokemon.
"Vulpix!" Vulpix answered.
Suzie and Vulpix approached the tree where wild Pansage was sitting and then Suzie said with audible voice: "Pansage! Battle with my Vulpix, please!"
When it heard Suzie's voice, Pansage turned and noticed trainers and their pokemons. Pansage studied Suzie and Vulpix with its gaze for a moment and then it smirked. It decided accept the challenge and it leaped from tree to short distance away from Vulpix.
"Vulpix! Use Flamethrower!" Suzie ordered.
Vulpix shot fire from it's mouth and directed it towards the wild Pansage but Pansage dodged the attack.
"Wow! That Pansage is quick!" Ash noted.
"Speed is one of Pansage's strenghts," Cilan explained knowingly.
The wild Pansage formed Energy Ball between its hands and threw it towards Vulpix. Vulpix got hit but attack wasn't very effective, thanks to Vulpix's type.
"Vulpix! Is everything alright?" Suzie asked.
Vulpix barked to Suzie in the affirmative manner and growled to wild Pansage who didn't seem to be afraid at all.
"Use now Fire Spin!" Suzie ordered.
Vulpix shot a spiral of fire from its mouth and directed it towards the wild pokemon but Pansage dodged again.
"Use Fire Spin again!" Suzie said.
Vulpix did just like Suzie had told. But when wild Pansage dodged the attack again, Vulpix suddenly changed attack's direction so it hitted Pansage! Pansage cried when it got hit and rubbed its chest where Fire Spin had hit.
"Great, Vulpix!" Suzie exclaimed excitedly. "Continue with Flamethrower!"
But before Vulpix managed continue to attack, the wild Pansage decided to act. It spread its arms and cried as white aura surrounded it.
"What? Is Pansage evolving?" Ash asked with surprised look.
"No, that's totally different light!" Iris said.
Suzie noticed that the same white aura flashed around Vulpix as well.
"Vulpix! Are you alright?" Suzie asked worriedly.
Vulpix shook its head with confused look but then it turned to face it's trainer and barked as a sign that it was alright.
After the white aura had disappeared around Pansage, it dropped itself on four paws and twisted a tip of it's tail.
"Hey, Cilan. What was that move that Pansage did?" Ash asked.
"That move... Could it had been...?" Cilan wondered aloud with serious look.
"Vulpix! If you can continue, then use Flamethrower!" Suzie said.
Vulpix attacked but to their surprise the wild Pansage didn't dodge the attack this time.
Vulpix used Flamethrower for some time until Suzie shouted: "That's enough, Vulpix!"
When Vulpix ended its attack, trainers and their pokemons noticed that the wild Pansage was unharmed! When it noticed surprised look on their faces, the wild Pansage smirked.
"How did Pansage manage to withstand Fire-type attack? It's Grass-type pokemon and Pansage didn't use any defensive moves!" Iris wondered.
"So I was right!" Cilan exclaimed.
"What do you mean?" Ash asked.
Cilan didn't answer yet to Ash's question but instead he asked from Suzie: "Suzie, is Vulpix's ability Flash Fire?"
"Yes, it is," Suzie answered with slightly confused look.
"Just like I thought." Cilan said with serious look and started to explain: "The move that Pansage made was Role Play. It's a move that allows the user copy it's opponent's ability! Now when Pansage's ability has changed to Vulpix's Flash Fire-ability, Pansage is now immune to Fire-type attacks!"
"What?" Ash and Iris exclaimed in unision.
Suddenly the wild Pansage ran away and leaped on the rock in the middle of the pond. When Pansage rose its arms, a huge mass of water was formed and then Hydro Pump was shot from between of Pansage's hands. The attack hitted Vulpix and pushed the fox pokemon against the one of trees!
"Vulpix, no!" Suzie shouted and ran to her pokemon to check that Vulpix was alright.
Ash, Iris, Cilan and their pokemons turned to look the wild Pansage.
"Can Pansage use Water-type moves?" Ash asked with confused look.
"Pika?" Pikachu asked as confused looking as its trainer.
The wild Pansage smirked, took a chunk from its head's plant and started to play music with it. Cilan's eyes widened when he regocnized the move.
"That's Grass Whistle..." Cilan managed to say before Grass Whistle started to affect to trainers and their pokemons and soon all of them were asleep.
The wild Pansage stopped playing and when it saw that challengers had fell asleep, it smirked, leaped back to the dry land and disappeared into the forest.
To be continue...