"So it'll only be a few days until you get to Pallet Town then?"
"Yep," Ash said with a grin. "Felt like that ship took forever, but apparently Vermilion's not too far, thank Arceus. If you need help moving in, Mom, I can always take Honchkrow and-"
"No!" Ash started backwards, staring at his mother in surprise. It was rare for her to raise her voice nowadays, and even more so for her to look as flustered as she did.
"Sorry, Ash," she said, fidgeting with her fingers, "but please, take the time to enjoy Kanto. It really is a beautiful region. Plus," she teased, "it is where you were born, after all."
"If you're sure…" he said, trailing off.
On screen his mother smiled, eyes softening. "I'll be fine, Ash. Besides, Professor Oak and his pokemon have been so nice with helping me move in; I wouldn't be surprised if we were finished by the time you got here!"
"That's great!" A thought occurred to him and he sat up in his seat, growing excited. "Have you seen any of my pokemon yet?"
"I have," she laughed, "and it was nice to finally meet some of them. Abomasnow and Breloom helped me put some of the furniture in. Professor Oak's taking good care of them, and they seemed especially happy to hear that they'd be seeing you soon!"
He beamed at that, thoughts drifting to the friends he had waiting for him. "I'm glad to hear it!"
His mother frowned abruptly. "Oh, but where's Corsola? I know she stayed on the ship with you…"
"She's relaxing in the water by the docks," Ash explained. "The sailors were pretty good about letting the Flying types roam free, but we weren't allowed to let any Pokemon out of the boat; too much of a security risk, apparently."
"Well, you tell her I said hi."
"Will do, Mom. Now that you mention it, though, I should probably go check on her. Corsola aren't too common in Kanto, apparently."
She startled at that, blushing. "Of course, Ash! I'll be seeing you soon enough. Make sure to be careful!" He agreed readily, and watched the screen fade to black.
The sun blinded him for an instant outside the Pokemon Center, light flashing up from the water of the harbor to hit his eyes. Thankfully, the walk to the docks was a short one, a small crowd gathered to watch an approaching ship his only obstacle. He found Corsola as he'd left her, bathing in the shallows.
She jumped to shore when she saw Ash, shaking off the faint glow that meant she'd been regenerating her spikes for some time. He couldn't blame her; she'd cracked a few fighting against other passengers' Pokemon, and without saltwater, growing over them was near impossible.
"Mom said hi," he told her. He tipped his head back to squint at the faint tree-line in the distance, Corsola chirping happily in his ears. "Honchkrow'll probably be heading back soon."
He leaned over to pick her up, perching her on his shoulder. "I was thinking we could start on Route 6 tonight," he said. "I don't know about you, but I've missed sleeping under the stars."
Corsola hummed in agreement. The sailors they passed were too preoccupied to notice them, hustling this way and that around the throng of people blocking the landing. The ship was only just making land, and from where he was standing Ash could barely read the name printed in simple letters along its side: S.S. Aqua.
"Wonder why so many of them have lab coats on," he wondered aloud. Corsola tugged at his ear, leading him on. "Got it, got it," he said, grinning.
One short stop to the shopping mart later and they're ready to go, enough food to last several days tucked away in Ash's bag. Sunset fell just as they approached Route 6, orange light setting the warm tones of the town ablaze.
Honchkrow announced himself with a loud cry, circling overhead once, twice, three times before landing daintily on Ash's other shoulder. He greeted Corsola with a happy whistle, noticeably more relaxed after his long flight.
"We're probably going to camp out around here tonight," Ash told the bird, twisting slightly to scratch at his crest. "Make sure to get some sleep, okay? We're gonna be travelling tomorrow, and it looks like we'll have to pass through a couple of cities." Honchkrow cawwed contentedly and returned to the air, talons scratching heavily across the leather of Ash's shoulder pads.
They set base on a small strip of grass next to a pond, the gate to Saffron City faintly visible on the horizon. The field was just overgrown enough to be soft, and when Ash laid on his back the constellations stretched across the sky. Corsola rested nearby, still water just barely reaching her legs.
A sharp breeze ruffled his hair and he tucked his blanket in closer. The cold here was almost warm next to the temperatures he'd experienced on Mt. Coronet; but then he'd been dressed for the weather, and tonight Ash had abandoned his jacket, settling down in just a t-shirt and jeans.
For a moment he regretted rejecting Professor Oak's offer to send over the rest of his team. Stantler had been a constant source of heat in Sinnoh, frequently shielding him and the others from wind and snow without complaint. Their journey would go much faster as well with her accompanying them.
There was no point in thinking about it. It would be just a few days until Ash could see them along with the rest of his Pokemon, and for now, he looked forward to it.
Briefly he tried to compare the stars here to the ones he'd watched just weeks ago, but all too quickly he lost himself among them and fell asleep to Honchkrow's distant calls.
He woke to the first hints of dawn, Corsola butting at his side. A soft snoring revealed Honchkrow, head under wing, perched on a small, mossy log. Ash let him sleep for a bit while he and Corsola packed up and portioned out the food.
Corsola delighted in waking the Flying type once they were done, spitting water in Honchkrow's face and fleeing quickly to the pond when he squawked in indignation. The bird puffed up his crest and looked away, refusing to acknowledge Ash's attempts to apologize.
It took the offer of food and a long grooming session to soothe his ego; and by the time everyone was fed and ready to leave, the sun had long since burned away any lingering cold.
Saffron reminded him almost eerily of Hearthome, streets already bustling with life despite the hour. Small birds (Spearow, his Pokedex said) pecked lazily at the cobblestones lining the street, scattering and reforming when children chased after them. A snack vendor called out to Ash as he passed; by the time he'd reached the next block, at least ten more had done the same.
Corsola watched curiously from under Ash's arm, tucked securely against his side. If he craned his head back far enough, he could see a lone, dark figure wheeling through the sky.
A large map showed that they were only a few streets away from the East Gate; from there, Ash planned to continue to Celadon, and then onto Route 16. With luck, the forest nearby would be thin enough to pass through to Viridian, which his map said was just north of Pallet.
"We'll have to check out that Training Dojo with Heracross later," he mused, then grinned. "Hey, that's right! We can bring Breloom as well-training's going to be awesome with everyone together." Corsola trilled in agreement.
"Cor!"
They left Saffron with little fanfare, but entering Celadon proved more difficult. Several guards loitered about, looking bored, and they spent a ridiculous amount of time scanning Ash's ID and then Corsola's pokeball. He'd almost made it through when an officer glanced out the window consideringly and frowned at Ash.
"That big-ass bird up there yours?"
That started a whole new round of fuss, first over Honchkrow flying free and then over his recorded height and weight. A large rule-book was dredged up and the guards bickered while Honchkrow, called down, looked on disdainfully.
Ultimately, they decided, it came down to Honchkrow staying in his pokeball for the duration of their stay in Celadon.
"Too big," one told Ash, mustache bristling. "Just much too big to be allowed flying about." They also offered to send his pokeball to the opposite Gate, where the Flying type could wait freely for Ash on Route 16.
He declined; and returning Honchkrow to his pokeball, resolved to move quickly through the city.
Security aside, the sheer amount of greenery in Celadon impressed him. The city fairly gleamed with life, trees and flowering plants twisting up and around blocky buildings, undeterred.
Probably a Grass gym, he thought. Perhaps most distinctive was the Department Store that towered over the surrounding area, size only emphasized by the monstrous oak tree curled against it.
Ash would have liked to look around a bit more, maybe even go to the Department Store. But his team was still waiting for him in Pallet Town, another day's travel away; so he jogged through, stopping only to pick up lunch for the three of them and moving on.
The guards to Route 16 waved him through, eying Corsola curiously. He released Honchkrow and they ate as they walked, the bird plucking the food from his hand from his place on Ash's shoulder.
All too soon they came to the forest separating them from Viridian, looming and dark. Corsola trilled in distress. "Yeesh," Ash muttered.
"Think you could check how large it is from the air, buddy?" Ash asked Honchkrow. He wheezed in agreementand set off, light flashing off dark feathers as he ascended over the grove.
Closer inspection by Ash and Corsola proved their suspicions right; the underbrush was near impassable but for a few Pokemon trails, winding dirt paths only a few feet wide at their largest.
To his relief Honchkrow returned quickly, shrieking his affirmative and landing.
"Alright," he told them, "go through or fly above?" Neither responded, Honchkrow turning away to groom his tail and Corsola looking doubtfully at the thicket
"Guess it's up to me, then," Ash muttered. He regarded the forest thoughtfully, and grinned. "We've handled worse."
They had, but it didn't make navigating the trails any easier. The light from above often dimmed or winked out completely, leaves above rattling ominously. Every so often he had to send Honchkrow up to make sure they were going the right way, and Corsola frequently had to knock away obstacles with her Water Gun. Compared to the jungles that spanned Hoenn, though, this was nothing.
They hit their stride eventually, sweeping through flora with ease. They'd encountered more than a few bug Pokemon; each had fled too quickly for him to fight or scan, seemingly unused to humans.
An idea occurred to him as they navigated between trees, watching Honchkrow glide lazily through the air. "Hey, try working on your agility with the tree trunks!" he called.
Thankfully, he seemed to understand easily. Honchkrow cawwed and sped up, ducking briefly before slipping off, wings glowing in a tell-tale Quick Attack.
His line was never bred for speed, early breeders favoring bulk and attack for the intimidating dark type. He'd heard of some trainers who'd never evolved their Murkrow just for that reason, the smaller form better suited for fast maneuvers and surprise attacks. Compared to Swellow, Honchkrow positively lumbered through the air.
It showed in moments like these, the large bird nearly clipping his wings when he turned around a tree. Even a little improvement could be the difference between a victory and a loss, though, so Ash kept Honchkrow at it while he and Corsola walked.
They rested at a small creek about an hour later, taking the chance to wash up a bit after they ate. Honchkrow in particular had grown filthy, fluffy plumage picking up bark and twigs like velvet.
Ash carefully helped him clean his feathers with a comb, quickly growing soaked by the bird's thrashing whenever he hit a tangle. Corsola watched from under the water's surface and sneaked steadily towards them.
"Don't even think about it," he told her. Ash tugged at a small stick and Honchkrow shrieked, twisting around to peck viciously at his hand.
"Hey!" He sprang back and checked his hand. His knuckle stung, but luckily it hadn't drawn blood. Ash frowned at Honchkrow, who lowered his head and glared away sullenly. "Watch the beak!"
Honchkrow returned to grooming, turning his back on Ash. He sighed; there was no point in talking to him now that his pride was stung. He waded back to the bank instead, tucking away the comb in his bag and sitting at the water's edge.
He tipped his head back and listened to Corsola, now chiding Honchkrow in a stern voice. The light here was so sparse dusk had crept up on them without his noticing. If they were close enough to Viridian, pushing through might be worth it.
Something slimy bumped his hand and he started. A round Pokemon, smaller than his palm, blinked up at Ash curiously. His shoulders relaxed and he dipped his fingers into the water, smiling when it nibbled at his skin.
Poliwag, he remembered. He'd fought several of their evolved forms in Sinnoh; from what he'd heard they grew quickly, so this one must be quite young.
"Hey there, little guy," he whispered.
He leaned back slowly and fumbled with his bag, finally pulling out the container of food he'd bought for Corsola. The tadpole ate happily from his hand, tail squirming behind it.
Corsola approached them slowly, Honchkrow still preoccupied with his wings. She bubbled at the small Pokemon and it tucked itself against Ash's fingers, watching the stronger Pokemon nervously.
Below the water, Corsola said something; and, hesitatingly, the Poliwag spoke back, foam rising from its mouth to tickle Ash's knuckles. Gaining courage it darted forward, nosing at the spikes that jutted from Corsola's back.
An idea occurred to Ash and he moved forward, kneeling gently in the water. "If you'd like, you could travel with us," he said, the Pokemon's bulging eyes fixed on him.
He hoped it could hear him at this distance; Corsola hummed encouragingly, and the Pokemon bobbed and nodded.
His face broke into a broad grin, left hand snagging a Pokeball from the belt draped across his hip. The button clicked, and Poliwag disappeared; the ball twitched once, twice, and fell still.
"Welcome to the team," Ash said, and it warmed in his hand just briefly.
He moved back onto land and shivered regretfully, wind catching his damp clothes and plastering them to his skin. He was hauling his jacket on when a pair of gleaming eyes caught his, winking out into the cloying darkness of the forest and sending ice licking up Ash's spine.
He whistled and shuddered in relief when Honchkrow came, landing on his shoulder. He crooned and nipped at Ash's ear, temper apparently having softened. The bird agreed readily to flying him and Corsola the rest of the way to Viridian, a privilege Honchkrow rarely offered him.
Ash banished the thought of the lurking Pokemon(not a ghost not a ghost not a ghost) from his mind as they rose, Corsola curled tightly between his chest and Honchkrow's back. She'd accepted the change of plans without complaint, loud yawn rattling its way out on an exhale.
His throat knotted when her eyes fluttered, pressing herself closer to him as her limbs relaxed. He should have realized how tired she was, first accompanying him through the cities and then fighting her way through underbrush. I should have flown to start with, not tried to push myself and the others through the woods.
Ash scratched gently at her side, where he could feel the rough edges of regrown spikes overlap.
The bright lights of Viridian drew closer and closer, the forest below thinning before disappearing completely. Moonlight washed its way across the landscape, curving hills and low-lying trees around the city glowing blue under the moon and stars.
The land here laid flat enough the he could see for miles around and the sky above seemed to stretch almost to its breaking point, only barely stopping at the edges of the horizon.
Mom grew up here, he thought absentmindedly, eyes catching on the faint expanse of trees that could only be the Viridian Forest. Tropius would probably like it there; they'd have to explore the area later, when Ash had the time.
They landed at the edge of the city, Honchkrow holding uncharacteristically patient as they climbed off his back.
"You did a good job today, buddy," Ash told him, "take a good long rest." Honchkrow wheezed in assent, returning to his pokeball without fuss.
Corsola was a dead weight in his arms, sound asleep by the sound of her snores. Ash could have cried when the red roof of the Pokemon Center came into view; he felt dead on his feet himself.
"I'm truly sorry," Nurse Joy said, "but I'm afraid we're out of rooms. Usually we have plenty to spare, but recently there's been an influx of visitors. It's the oddest thing, really; but please, feel free to use the lounge."
She also offered to look over his Pokemon. He scrounged up Poliwag's pokeball, numb fingers almost slipping past the slick surface.
"I just caught this one," he said, and she nodded in understanding, handing it off to a waiting Chansey.
"We'll make sure there's nothing you need to worry about."
Ash collapsed on one of the couches, just barely dragging a folded blanket over him and Corsola. She sighed happily under her breath, and he drifted into sleep as warmth worked its way through his limbs.
Canon divergences/backstory will be explained later, I promise. I'm also on ao3 as OrangeMel; reviews are always appreciated!