Chapter 1: Beginning
"Professor Oak, I've finished my field work for today! I've written up the report and returned your Pikachu to the corral." The professor looked up at his student with a small smile as the teen hanged him a notebook.
"Good work, Lily. I want to sit so we can discuss your new assignment." Lily sat in the armchair, staring at the professor skeptically.
She was used to odd assignments from her teacher, like flying over to Pewter City on his Pidgeot to give a package to the gym leader Brock which one of his assistants could have done. It had been a month ago but Lily is still bothered by the older teens.
"New Assignment?" She crossed her arms and leaned backed. She was nervous and excited for this assignment. Most of her time was spent on field work, studying pokemon in the area around pallet in tall grass and the water. Lily loved visiting other cities and towns, her favorite was Cinnabar Island researching fossil pokemon.
"As you know, I will be giving out pokemon to new trainers. Ash and Gary are the only two I've found to have these pokemon, but I want you to take one and travel Kanto as well."
"Really? Are you serious?" Lily grinned at her teacher, who nodded at her. "Awesome!"
"This year's Indigo plateau conference has ended and I was hoping you would be entering the next one."
"OK, anything else professor?" He nodded as he reached into his coat pocket.
"I'm letting you go on this journey but you are still my student. I want you to be able to update me on your progress at any time." He handed her a green compact device.
"What is this?" She looked the device over in her hands. She flipped the top to reveal a small monitor with a list of options, like the Kanto map.
"This is a Pokemon Navigator, or Pokenav for short. It was made by the Devon Corp in the Hoenn region, but they modified it to fit any region. This can act like an ID just like the pokedex and it functions as a phone." Lily grinned as she scrolled though the options. Some seemed straight forward and others she couldn't open.
"It has options like 'conditions' and 'Ribbons' that I can't select. What are they for?" She stared at the bright screen curiously.
"Those are a performers best friend to check the performing condition of your pokemon and the ribbons they earned." Lily nodded with understanding, flipping the pokenav closed and pocketing it.
"I'll be going now then and I'll be here early tomorrow for my pokemon." She smiled at the thought of her own pokemon. Lily always wanted her own but Oak always told her she wasn't ready for one.
"Can you make sure Ash gets here on time? You know he likes to stay up late and sleep in."
"Will do, Professor." She gave him a parting wave on her way out. She left the research lab for her house, which was close by.
She used to live with the professor but he decided to set up a home for her in a little house close to the corral. He had pokemon who would keep her company or help her research. It was quiet and helped her think after a long day of studying. Most nights Ms. Ketchum would bring her dinner but she learned to make simple things to eat.
Lily strolled along the fence while some small pokemon ran along it. She smiled at the pokemon as she reached her home. She loved this little house and the pokemon that visited, but most of all she just liked seeing all the pokemon playing from her window.
"Hey, Lily!" Her hand stopped at the doorknob. She wasn't social with most of the residents of Pallet Town, preferring the company of Pokemon over people. Lily used to hang out with Gary and Daisy until she had moved into her own home but now it didn't important to her.
She turned to see who had called her and finds Ash standing a few paces away. She didn't know him well since whenever she was playing with Gary and him he rarely talk to her. She knew that they weren't even friends anymore and their rivalry kind of annoyed her. She would rather avoid getting in the middle of that.
"What do you want, Ash?" The words sounded harsher than she intended, but he seemed to brush it off. He was a decent kid, nicer than most of Pallet but not the smartest in the world. He had made some dumb mistakes in the past, ones that even got Lily in trouble.
"I wanted to ask you something if your not too busy." He rubbed his neck as he grinned. She held a deadpan expression on her face. She wasn't exactly good with people or conversation and she wanted to avoid them.
"I have things I have to finish before tomorrow. Can't it wait?" He seemed to deflate slightly before crossing his arms defiantly. Lily had expected that from Ash, he was stubborn.
"No! If you have things to do maybe I can come in and we can talk while you do it." Lily sighed, crossing her arms as well. She almost glared at the boy, but tried to stay civil with him.
"Fine, but I warn you it's boring." She opened the door to the house and quickly entered. She let Ash enter the house before snapping it shut.
"This is a nice house." Ash sits in an armchair behind her, trying to make small talk. She scoffs slightly as she leans back and opens a drawer.
"I doubt that was what you wanted to talk about." She pulled out a notebook and a red pokedex, placing them on the device.
"Yeah, well I heard you were going to be going on a journey. Do you know what pokemon you're gonna pick." She opened the pokedex, clicking on the screen several times before opening the notebook.
"Well I've put thought into it, Ash." She quickly read through the notes on the paper and device "I thought about it before. The three starters Charmander, Squirtle, and Bulbasaur."
"So what do you think?" He watched as she quickly jotted down more notes from the Pokedex . He gets up to look at the screen seeing that she was writing down multiple thing on the paper from the pokemon entries.
"I think they're all amazing in their own way. I'll have to look over what I know already." She tapped the pen on the table several times before going back to her notes. She did think all of the starters were good, since all pokemon have their good and bad points.
"I was wondering. Since it's only three of us going on a journey maybe you and I could travel together if your OK with that." Lily puts the pen and notebook away, closing the pokedex and pocketing it. She turns in the chair to look at Ash, who was leaning forward in his seat.
"Why would you want to travel with me anyway. You know what people say about me right. I'm just a loner and everyone knows it." She narrowed her eyes at the 10 year old, who frowned at her words. Most of the older residents around Pallet didn't like her for some reason. Lily only knew that she was an orphan who was left on professor Oak's door step. He took care of her and she loved him like he was actually her father.
"Yeah but you'll be strong and prove them wrong. You're really smart and you can blow everyone away at the conference." Lily almost smiled at the indignant tone. She did like the idea of proving her worth, especially in front of the elite four.
"Alright then... I guess traveling with you won't hurt, but just know it won't be forever." She shrugged and acted indifferent, but Ash cheered and hugged her. "Hey! Off now, you idiot!"
"Thanks for the chat, Lily! I'll see you tomorrow." He bolted out of the house, slamming the door on the way out. She let her glare soften, chuckling softly. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad with Ash.
"Time for bed for sure..." Lily yawned as she stretched.
She opened the single window in the cottage, letting some of the hoothoots gather. They sharply turned their heads at her and screeched their greeting to her. "Good to see you, too. Be sure to wake me early. I have some packing to do."
/
When Lily awoke to the sound of the hoothoots' screeches, she felt well rested and ready to go. She shooed the birds from the window to close it up.
"Alright, need to get changed and pack some extra clothes as well. I need my pokedex, pokenav, pokeballs, potions..." She quickly changed into the sweatshirt and jeans on the dresser before packing away two extra outfits fit for the road. She laced up her sneakers before picking up the pack on the bed.
She clipped the pokenav to her belt and put her pokedex in the pack. She let her eyes linger on the room for a moment before leaving the house.
"OK, it's a little early but Ash's house isn't that close and I promised Oak I'd make sure he was there." Lily felt kind of stupid talking to herself even though it was quiet at this time in Pallet Town every morning. It didn't take her too long to reach Ash's house. She checked her watch to see it was only quarter past six.
"Well then... might as well do it now. Ms. Ketchum is usually up at this time anyway." Lily knocked on the door, waiting patiently for Delia to open. The door was opened slowly, but she was greeted warmly by the woman.
"Lily this is unexpected. What can I do for you?" She let her into the house, closing the door gently.
"Sorry Ms. Ketchum. I'm here a bit earlier than I expected. Professor Oak asked me to make sure Ash doesn't oversleep." She rubbed her scarred cheek absentmindedly.
"Of course! He stayed up late watching TV so it's a good thing you came. I've been preparing food for the road, enough to get you to Viridian City." She smiled at Lily who smiled weakly back.
"Yeah, thank you. I'm not much for preparing meals, so maybe it was a good thing I agreed to travel with Ash." She chuckled as she started up the stairs.
When she reached the top she knocked on the door to receive no response. She huffed, opening the door and turning the light on. Ash was tangled up in the sheets, snoring softly. Lily sighed in annoyance, pressing her thumb to her temple. She shook him a little before yanking him out of the bed. Ash yelped, flailing to get the sheets off. Lily chuckled at the reaction, making Ash glare at her.
"What are you doing here? What time is it?" He picked himself, throwing the sheets carelessly onto the mattress. She checked her watch again.
"It's 6:26. I came to make sure you woke up and bring you to Oak's lab."
"Why so early though?" His shoulders slumped as he sighed. Lily scoffed as she turned back to the door.
"Most trainers have to get up early on the road unless they're where they need to be. Do you want Gary to get first pick?" Lily smirked, knowing that would get Ash moving. Nothing motivated Ash more than a chance to one up his rival and Lily knew that.
"No, of course not! I'm gonna pick the strongest." She looked back at him with a deadpan expression. She wanted to get to the lab fast and Ash wasn't making it easy for her to do so.
"Then get packed and get changed." She left the room, closing the door behind her and going back to the living area. Delia was sitting in the kitchen with a small bag, probably with the food she had prepared.
"I'll be going now, Ms. Ketchum. Make sure Ash gets to the lab right away." Lily let herself out of the house, walking quickly towards the lab.
Lily hurried to the lab while it was still pretty early. She hoped Ash had been sincere and would be on time. If she had to she would drag him over to the lab.
She knew Professor Oak would wait for all three of them to show up before letting them pick. Lily entered the lab as quietly as possible. She was well acquainted with the lab and its rules. Some of Oak's researchers stay up all night and hate being distracted.
The lab was relatively empty except the Professor, Gary, and a few stray workers. Of course Gary would be here first since he's Oak's grandson.
"Morning, Professor." She says as cheerfully as possible. Lily didn't hate Gary but he was a real brat sometimes and it had gotten worse as he grew up. Professor Oak nodded and smiled, motioning for her to sit on the couch and wait. As she sat down next to Gary he crossed his arms and leaned back casually.
"I'm glad you arrived. I assume Ash will be here shortly." Lily nodded and Gary snorted. She glared at him for a moment but soon the doors to the lab opened quickly and Ash sprinted in.
"What took you so long, Ashy-boy? Even Scars here got here faster than you." Lily's eye twitch at Gary's last comment. She hated that nickname and she wanted to punch him every time he called her that. He had been calling her that ever since she had that accident in the corral and he knows she hates it.
"Gary, be quiet. Now it's time for you three to chose your pokemon." Oak looked down at his grandson, who huffed and stuck up his nose.
"So who picks first, Professor?" Ash was panting slightly as he stood. Lily stared at the table that held three pokeballs. They were neatly lined up with an over head light shining brightly above the table.
"Well, I was hoping Lily would choose first as she is my student," She nodded in acknowledgment, walking over to the table. "Do you remember what I told you last week, Lily?"
"Yes, some pokemon have abilities that are unobtainable in normal circumstances. Hidden Abilities they're called. "She rubbed the side of her neck as she thought. "Do these pokemon have Hidden Abilities?"
"Well done! They have abilities unlike others of their species. Chlorophyll, Solar Power, Rain Dish respectively."
"I know who I'll choose now." She says decisively, picking up the pokeballs on the left. Lily released the pokemon from its pokeball. It looked at her with curiosity with wide red eyes, "Hi, Bulbasaur. I chose you as my partner, so I hope we can be friends!"
"My turn now!" Gary pushed her aside and picked up the pokemon on the right, releasing it right away. "Squirtle's my choice. We'll be really powerful."
"So I guess this one's mine." Ash picked up Charmander's pokeballs and released it. It seemed to grin at him as it flicked the flamed tail around. "We're partners so let's aim for the top."
"No point in hanging around losers anymore than I have to." Gary made to leave but stopped at the door. "If you want a battle Ashy-boy meet me by the gates."
"No patience at all... Ash I have something you need for your journey. Lily and Gary already have their own but you need one too." He handed him a red pokedex, which he opened automatically. A robotic male voice came from the device.
'I'm Dexter, a Pokedex programmed by Professor Oak for Pokemon Trainer Ash Ketchum of the town of Pallet. My function is to provide Ash with information and advice regarding Pokemon and their training. If lost or stolen, I cannot be replaced.'
"I still don't know what it is exactly?" Ash says sheepishly, staring at the bright screen which displayed multiple options.
"I'll explain when we are out of town, but let me show you it's primary function." Lily pointed her own Pokedex at Bulbasaur, quickly scanning it with the device.
'Bulbasaur, the Seed Pokemon. A young Bulbasaur uses the nutrients from its seed for the energy it needs to grow.
This Bulbasaur knows the moves: Tackle, growl, Leech Seed, and Vine Whip. Its ability is Chlorophyll, which increases its speed in sunlight.'
"Oh, I get it." He scans his Charmander looking through the moves and it's ability. He smiled at the "Let's get going Lily."
They walked out of the lab together with their pokemon strolling behind them. Bulbasaur seemed to stare at the flame on Charmander's tail, staying on the other side of lily to avoid getting close. Lily noticed the Bulbasaur's unease around the fire type. She stopped and crouched, smiling reassuringly at the grass type.
"Don't worry, Bulbasaur, Charmander won't hurt you." Lily pet her pokemon behind the ears. She seemed to smile as continued on the path to the gates. Lily looked down at her new partner "I haven't asked yet, Bulbasaur. Do you want a name?"
The Bulbasaur tilted its head in thought and nodding slowly as they made their way down the wide road. After a few moment she decided on the name Willow, which Bulbasaur agreed to.
"Alright, I see the gates ahead!" Ash was practically bounce in excitement, which made Lily shake her head. She would have to get used to Ash and his antics.
"I would be careful with Gary. He has the advantage with Squirtle." He nodded at Lily's advice, taking it seriously. Ash knows Lily has a lot of experience in strategy, though she lacked any real battle experience. Gary was leaning against the wall as they neared the gate. He was smirking, making Lily's eye twitch in her annoyance. Charmander, seeing Squirtle next to Gary, blew smoke out of its snout.
"So Ashy-boy you really think you can take me on?" His Squirtle leaped to attention in front of him, ready to battle. Ash glared at the boy as his Charmander eagerly goes into the battle.
"Of course I do! My Charmander is strong." The fire type snorted smoke lazily at the Squirtle. The turtle growled at the pokemon, swiping at the thin smoke
"Fine then. Squirtle tackle that runt." Squirtle obeyed, charging at Charmander quickly. He was faster than he looked as he ran at the lizard pokemon.
"Dodge and use Smokescreen." Charmander was obviously faster than the turtle pokemon, jumping away from the attack. It turned and spewed black smoke from its snout in the Squirtle's face. It frantically rubbed its face and eyes, crying out in frustration.
"Don't just stand there! Use Water Gun." Squirtle release quick jets of water from its mouth without aiming properly. Charmander easily dodged the water attacks.
"Scratch, follow it with Ember." It nodded and followed through the commands, raking his sharp claw across the Squirtle's faces. It jumped back and whipped the flames on it tail at the defenseless pokemon.
The Squirtle was panting wildly from panic and the heat from Ember, but still conscious. It seemed like most of the effects of the sticky smoke had faded mostly, leaving black smudges on the water type's face.
"Alright enough. Water Gun." The attack was more precise than before but it had only grazed Charmander before it reared up to attack again.
"Smokescreen, then scratch." The sticky smoke spewed out of Charmander's snout again, covering the Squirtle's eyes and entering its mouth. It gagged and choked, giving Charmander a chance to attack. It knocked the Squirtle into the wall, where it fell unconscious.
"Fine you win, but I'll beat you next time." He returned Squirtle and ran off, leaving Ash and Lily alone at the gate. Charmander and Willow were cheering, apparently having enjoyed the battle.
"Ready to go, Ash? I'm sure now is better than later." He nodded, grinning at his victory as the two pokemon at their feet cheered in celebration.
/
"So are you going to explain this pokedex now?" They had been walking for a few hours without a break. Lily checked her watch to see it was around noon.
"I guess so. I can do so over some lunch, then we can train." Lily set down her pack and rolled her stiff shoulders.
"Why train?" Lily rolled her eyes at the dumb question. She would have to get used to that now that she was traveling.
"We need to make sure they can battle well, keep them conditioned and ready to battle." Lily grinned, sitting down on the grass. Ash did the same and took out two sandwiches from his pack.
"My mom packed plenty of fruit, but these are for today. We can get better food or supplies for cooking meals in town. Now please explain." He took a bite of the sandwich but paid close attention as she began her explanation.
"Basically, a Pokedex contains all vital data about Kanto, Pokemon, and it acts as an ID for trainers. It has legends and myths of Kanto plus information on major cities and towns. It has basic summaries of any pokemon you scan but for further info you need to catch it." Lily took a moment to catches her breath while Ash processed what she said.
"It does all of that?' Lily nodded, taking a bite out of her sandwich. Willow sits by her side content as Lily reached out to pet her absently, enjoying the small meal they had.
"Okay now I want to ask a favor of you and Charmander." Both Ash and Charmander stared at her as she continued, "I want to practice with Willow's Vine Whip and Charmander is a fast target. If she can hit him we can move to training Charmander."
Ash nodded, giving Charmander the remainder of his sandwich. Willow was excited to train, the vines released from her bulb. Charmander readied itself as well, staring at the grass-type. His tail flame flared as he prepared his launch, but he knew this was flight not fight training session.
When Willow's vines lashed out, Charmander quickly dodged the attack. She continued the assault, her strikes gaining speed a he ran and leaped away from the attacks. Willow managed to land a direct hit on Charmander's side making him trip up.
"Good job, Willow! Oh and if you want to beat Brock, you need to start teaching him Metal Claw since that will be his only advantage." Ash nodded once in acknowledgment of the advice. Willow gave a pleased rumble in response to the light praise from her trainer.
"Yeah, I'm sure I can find a way to teach him the move. We can start moving now and find somewhere else to sleep for the night." Lily picked up her pack and they continued down the path, their pokemon close by their feet.
/
They encountered a few trainers along the way and they all wanted to battle Ash. It irritated Lily and she wanted to challenge the next trainer she sees. As they continued to walk, Lily looked everywhere for a trainer.
"What are you looking for? You seem on edge." He stopped walking and looked at her. She crossed her arms, looking away from the younger boy. She didn't want to have to explain herself to Ash, but decided she would have to get over it.
"All of the trainers we've seen wanted to battle you. I want to battle too!" Lily sighed, sitting on the ground next to her pokemon. Willow wrapped one of her vines around Lily's arm and she pet Willow on the head.
"If you want to battle, I could battle you." Charmander gave a affirmative cry and swished his tail, flame blazing brightly. Willow backed off slightly at the flames movement, tightening the vine wrapped around her trainer's forearm. Lily shook her head at the offer.
"Charmander has way more battle experience than Willow." She scanned around the darkening forest surrounding the path. It was quiet as night started settling around the area. "We're settling here for the night. I'm going to find a battle, you set up and start teaching him Metal Claw."
Lily swept off into the forest surrounding them. Willow found it hard to keep up with Lily's pace and decided to use her vines to swing from tree to tree to compensate for her speed. After going around the wooded area she couldn't find any trainers but she did find a lone Rattata a short distance away.
"Something is better than nothing, right?" She muttered not wanting to scare off the pokemon before a battle. Thankfully Willow had keen hearing and the pokemon was busy gnawing on a tree trunk "We'll do some damage but we can't knock it out, Okay?"
Willow nodded quietly in understanding. She prepared for any commands from her trainer. Lily readied a pokeball from her pack. If she couldn't battle a trainer she would make use of this alone time to catch a new pokemon for her team.
"Alright, Use leech seed." Willow obeyed immediately, a seed sprouting from her bulb. She shoots it at the unassuming Rattata and it wrapped the little pokemon with leafy vines that glow red. The Rattata cried out at the attack which sucked the energy out of it. It snapped in every direction in a desperate attempt to escape.
"Alright, good job! Let me try a pokeball." She threw the ball at the weakened pokemon.
The ball hit its one of its exposed sides and the Rattata turned into red energy and went into the pokeballs before it snapped close. Lily watched the pokeball twitch several times before it clicked confirming the capture.
"Good job, Willow. Let's introduce our new partner." She picked up the pokeballs, and released the pokemon from inside. The Rattata looked extremely tired but its red eyes still held a dangerous look. It snapped its fangs at the air in anger.
"Hey, Rattata." She started slowly, the pokemon looking at her with cold eyes, "I'm sure your scared but we won't hurt you. We want to be your friend and we can get strong together."
Willow nodded, her wide red eyes shining with kindness. It looked interested now, but it was still sluggish in its movement. Lily took a moment to scan Rattata with the Pokedex.
'Rattata, the Mouse Pokemon. Bites anything when it attacks. Small and very quick, it is a common sight in many places.
This Rattata knows the moves: Quick Attack, Tackle, Focus Energy, Tail Whip, and Bite. It's ability is Guts which increases Attack if suffering a status infliction.'
"You'll be a great addition to the team, I'm sure. Do you want to go back in your ball?" He shook his head, hopping up onto her shoulder and passing out. Lily chuckled motioning for Willow to follow her back to the camp.
/
"Well that was quick. Did you find someone to battle?" Ash was reclined next to a small fire with Charmander curled up next to him. His hat covered his eyes with his arms behind his head.
"Found something better. I had a chance to try out Leech Seed but I got a new partner too!" She grinned as she sat down careful not to disturb the sleeping Rattata. Ash looked up at her with a small grin of his own.
"You caught a pokemon! What did you catch?" Lily carefully picked up the Rattata from her shoulder, not wanting to upset the sleeping rodent.
"This Rattata. He was the only thing I saw in the forest and Raticate can be a great asset." Rattata growled having its rest disrupted. Lily placed him close to the fire for warmth where he fell asleep again.
"Oh wow! Maybe I'll find a pokemon to catch tomorrow." He closes his eyes, "We should rest now. We have a long day tomorrow. Put out the fire before you settle down." She agreed, throwing dirt to smother the low fire. Lily laid back shuffling her pack under her head to a comfortable position.
/
Lily groaned as she felt a light weight on her chest. It wasn't the most uncomfortable thing but she didn't want to sleep with that weight pressing down on her. She opened her eyes and looked at her chest to see a purple ball of fur. Lily smiled and gently dislodged the sleeping rodent from its sleep.
"Hey, Rattata you feeling better?" The small pokemon nodded vigorously, hopping off of her and running to prove it. Lily sat up to watch him move, chuckling "Okay, I'm glad your fine. I want to know if you want a name now that you've rested."
Rattata skidded to a halt and looked back at her. His eyes were sharper than last night, but they held less anger. He nodded and jumped into her lap, gently digging his dull claws into her legs. It peered over her legs with twitching whiskers and ears. It was extremely amusing to watch Rattata's erratic behavior.
After a few tries to come up with a name for Rattata, He decided on Miles. He leaped out of her lap and charged at a nearby tree, gnawing it it. Lily knew it was normal behavior so she let him opting to check her watch. It was pretty early but late enough for her to be ready to leave the campsite. She turned to Willow, who had woke up sometime while she was talking to Miles, and pet her on the head.
"Why don't you wake those two while I get something for use to eat out of Ash's pack." Willow nodded her understanding, walking towards the other trainer and his pokemon.
Lily took a moment to rummage through the pack, taking two large apples and generic Pokemon food. She there were three plates in the pack as well, so she dished out enough food for all three pokemon.
As soon as all three dishes were filled she hear a yelp and a hiss. Willow had her vines extended and both Ash and Charmander looked angry at the grass type. Lily whistled to get their attention, getting them to notice the food.
Charmander dashed to one of the plates as well as Miles and Willow. Lily handed an Apple to Ash as she took a bite of her own.
"Heh, thanks. Your Rattata sure is energetic today." They watched him quickly scarf down the food. Lily chuckled, Rattatas have really large appetites for being so small.
"His name is Miles. He just needed some rest. Willow didn't inflict any wounds on him." She smiled at her newest friend. Lily was sure he would be a great battler.
They took some time to finish their meal. Willow didn't have as much food as the other two since she could gain nutrients from her bulb, but she finished well after Charmander and Miles.
They packed up after they finished, heading down the wooded path. They stopped to fill up on water at a small pond. While they filled up Miles went to gnaw on a few trees.
"Okay... Let's move on." Lily turned around to look for Miles. She had decided to return Willow since she was slower than them and Lily didn't want her tired. Ash had also returned Charmander to his pokeball for some rest. "Miles?"
"Maybe he just went further into the forest." Ash tried to reassure her it was okay. Lily scowled, calling out Rattata's name. She started running off into the forest to search for the pokemon. He chased after her, not wanting to lose her so early in their journey.
Lily breathing was ragged as she continued to shout Rattata's name, dodging trees. She stopped running, her heart racing and breath coming in short gasps. She gulped down water from her bottle, Ash coming up from behind her. His breaths were quick but not as heavy as Lily's.
There was a rustling from the brush making Lily's hand went to her belt for Willow ready to fight. It was sudden as a tiny purple body collided with her chest and fell to the ground panting.
"Miles-" Her words were interrupted by a boy jumping from the bush. He was young, wearing a simple blue tee shirt and shorts. The boy had a pokeball in his hand and one on his belt.
"I'll catch you now! I won't let you get away." Lily glared at the boy as she scoped up her exhausted Rattata, hugging him close. "Hey, what are you doing? I found it first!"
"No this is my Rattata! My friend and partner." She growled, the boy was ignorant of the look in her eyes. Lily suddenly had an idea and she crossed her arms "Do you have pokemon, kid?"
"Of course I do! I'm the top student in my class and I was about to catch that Rattata." He stuck out his tongue. Lily smirked at the arrogant boy in front of her.
"Than let's battle." She handed Miles to Ash, who backed away from the two trainers to sit with his friend's Rattata. Ash knew she wouldn't go easy on the boy after he was chasing her second friend.
"OK. I'll beat you for sure." He took a pokeball out of his jacket, releasing the pokemon within. It was a Pidgey and it looked uninterested.
"Okay, let's do this." She released Willow who looked around the area, seeing Rattata's tired form and glared at the bird thinking it did it.
"Quick Attack!" The Pidgey was slow to pick up the command but it flew up into the air and dived at Willow like a blur. Willow was unfazed by the pidgey's strike as she stood her ground.
"Vine Whip, keep it down." Willow's vines quickly snapped around the bird, squeezing it harder than needed. "Now Leech Seed." Willow shot the seed at Pidgey, the glowing red vines weaving around Willow's vines and the Pidgey.
It screech as the vines drained it, Willow's vines continuing to squeeze it. The Pidgey slumped in the vines constricting it. The red vines wilted and Willow withdrew her own vines still glaring at the pokemon. The boy returned his Pidgey, staring in disbelief at Lily.
"Don't worry it should wake up soon. Leech Seed doesn't do any real harm to a pokemon and you can have it drink this if it is injured." She handed him a potion. He muttered a thanks and ran away from the trainers.
"That was kinda cool. Rattata will be fine Lily, just return him to his pokeball." Lily nodded, returning Miles and clipping his pokeball to her belt. She loved her pokemon and would do anything to keep them safe, but Lily hoped she and her friends would be strong to fight together instead of for each other.
"Let's go. I know we didn't backtrack so we can't be too far off from a trail. Its still too early to retire for the night." She decided to return Willow as well, seeing no point in tiring her out. She didn't want to stop and think, maybe she could have a battle with some other trainers
Ash hopped to his feet and went through his pack. He handed her an Apple, which she accepted gratefully as they set of to find a path.
/
"Hey Lily, this seems like a good place to rest tonight." He pulled off his pack and sits, leaning against a tree. They had been walking on the path for at least an hour and a half.
"OK, but it's still early enough for us to train." Lily stretched, removing her pack and sitting next to him leaning forward "I want to teach Poison Powder and Sleep Powder to Willow. you still have to teach Metal Claw to Charmander."
"Yeah, then we can eat and rest up for tomorrow. Let's go a bit further apart from each other so we aren't in the way" Lily agreed and went to a further away from Ash and their packs.
She released her two partners from their pokeballs. Willow calmly looked around as Miles chattered and jumped to sit on her shoulder. Lily just chuckled and pet him before turning to Willow. "Alright we need to learn some moves. Let's try using Poison Powder first..."
/
"Alright, that's enough." Willow nodded, they had been working for a while and She had managed to get a small cloud of poisonous dust that was already dispersing. "We'll start Sleep Powder tomorrow."
When Lily returned to Ash and Charmander. There were three plates of Pokemon food ready, and Charmander was already eating.
"Good, we're done for the night. We'll eat and then rest right away." Ash handed her a peach and a water bottle. "He almost had it but he should be able to get it tomorrow."
"We'll, Willow can use Poison Powder but it's very feint right now." She took a bite of the peach and uncapped the bottle "We should have a day or two of traveling before we reach Viridian City."
Ash nodded, dozing off against the tree. Miles finished eating quickly as usual and was staring at Lily's peach intently. Lily stared back at the smaller pokemon, challenging him to try something.
Miles seemed to get the message as he charged her. It didn't take much to stop him, she picked him up around the middle. He was much larger than her hand but he didn't have as much strength to break out of her hold.
"I'll start training you tomorrow too." She finished the peach quickly and laid back. She placing Rattata next to her, petting him as she fell asleep.
/
"Use Quick Attack." Miles' whiskers twitch as he he follows the command, rushing with amazing speed and slamming into his opponent. The other trainer's Rattata was sent flying to the ground still conscious.
"Rattata, Tackle." The trainer shouted, the Rattata got to its feet and went for the attack. Miles automatically dodged the slower attack from the rodent.
"Bite." Miles quickly turning to his opponent and sinking his large teeth into the other Rattata. It was return soon enough.
Lily was happy Miles was getting more experience along with Willow as they battled more. She silently excepted her prize from the older teen, who didn't seem too disheartened from the loss.
"Come on, Lily. We're almost there I can feel it!" Ash cheered as they continued on their way. She shook her head, amused at his excitement. Viridian wasn't exactly the city to be excited about.
"Yeah we must be close. We can have our pokemon healed up and I want to get cleaned up." Ash completely agreed, more for getting their pokemon healed up. Charmander had taken some really bad hits so he wasn't in any condition to battle. He let Lily take up more of the battles so her pokemon could be caught up.
They continued on the trail until they heard some screeching above them. They looked up to see two birds fighting heavily. One was bigger than the other and it soon over powered the smaller sending it falling to the ground. The bird pokemon lost interest and flew off leaving the other to fall.
"I got it!" Ash caught the pokemon in his outstretched arms, almost tripping in the process. The pokemon was a Pidgey and it was shallowly breathing, staring up at Ash blearily "Lets get to Viridian quick."
"It would be easier if you caught it first." lily suggested handing him a pokeball from her pack. He accepted it touching the ball to the Pidgey. It turned into red energy and the pokeball closed. It shook wildly as the Pidgey was obviously panicked, but it wasn't strong enough to break out as the ball clicked.
They started running, Lily returned Rattata to his pokeball as they sprinted. They were definitely close but it would take some time to get through the city and to the pokemon center.
/
"Nurse Joy!" Lily shouted as they entered the Pokemon Center. The pink haired nurse emerged from the back.
"What can I do for you?" She took the pokeball away from Ash, looking at him for an answer. Her eyes were gentle but serious
"It was in a fight with another flying type pokemon. It's been injured bad." He did well to keep himself from panic. He had never seen a fights between wild pokemon, they were more brutal than trained pokemon battles.
"It'll be fine. Is it your Pidgey?" Ash nodded as Nurse Joy released the Pidgey onto the stretcher that Blissey brought out.
"It is now, but I need to make sure it understands I'm its trainer." The nurse nodded, Blissey following with the stretcher holding the injured Pidgey. Ash went to follow as well but Lily held him back.
"You heard Nurse Joy, Ash. Pidgey will be fine. Why don't we get a room here for as long as we need and look around the city?" She headed over to the counter where a young brunette was leaning. "Can we get a room?"
"Room 4 is available. Go right up the stairs." Lily thanked her and practically dragged Ash up to the room. She unlocked the door and let Ash enter before entering herself. It was a small room but it was big enough for both of them and all three of their pokemon.
"We'll I'm gonna take a nap, what are you gonna do?" Ash lounged on one of the beds, closing his eyes. He had put his pack and Charmander's pokeball off to the side. She rolled her eyes and dropped her pack off her shoulders, holding it in her arm.
"I'm going to get cleaned up and changed." She took her pack with her to the bathroom, leaving Miles and Willow's pokeballs on the bed.
/
"Much better!" Lily sighed in relief as she exited the shower. She pulled a t-shirt and shorts out of her pack, putting the dirty clothes in the pack in their place. She would find someway to clean them later.
After putting the clothes on She looked at the mirror over the sink, staring at herself. The large scars that ran over her left cheek were more prominent than ever. She swept her short dark hair to cover it but it flopped back to its original position. Lily pulled her hair back into a short ponytail, leaving the bathroom with her pack.
"Ash, come on. We can leave our pokemon with Nurse Joy and go look around." All she got in return was a snore. Her eye twitched and she shook her head annoyed. She rolled her eyes and took Charmander's pokeball from the bedside table. She wanted to make sure Willow and Charmander were in good health. Miles didn't actually need to be healed at the moment so she would be keeping him with her.
She left the room to talk to Nurse Joy. At least if Ash woke up he should go to Nurse Joy first. The lobby of the pokemon center was busy as usual, mostly at the phones or lounging around. She would probably take a moment to call Professor Oak on the pokenav.
"Hello, How can I help you?" She asked in a friendly but professional manner. She wasn't
"I wanted to drop off these pokemon and maybe check in on Pidgey." She handed the two pokemon to Joy, who smiled at her.
"The Pidgey is doing just fine we had to restrain it but it healed. We'll take care of these two. Are they both yours?" She placed them in a transporting case.
"One of them is my … friend's. He fell asleep so I'm going to go around the city myself. If he talks to you just explain I'll be back later." Lily smiled warmly at the nurse before leaving the pokemon center.
Without her pack it was comfortable to walk around. She released Miles, who started sprinting around before jumping up to her shoulder. Lily pet it behind the ears as it squeaked in her ear. He didn't like his pokeball as much as he like sitting on her shoulder but he would eventually get too big as a Raticate to do so.
Viridian City was smaller than any other city she had been to but she knew it had a gym. It was know for being one of the more brutal gyms in Kanto. No trainer beginning their journey would even go into that gym. Lily decided to go and look at it, just to see if anyone was there.
When she got to the gym, she looked around the building. No one was around and it made her uneasy, the gym seemed empty. Lily touched the door for a moment but soon her arm was yanked back by a rough hand. She tried pulling her arm back, but the grip was firm.
"What are you doing here? This is no place for a child." The man let her arm go, She turned and glared at the man. He was an older man, but was still young enough to be someone's dad. She could hear a growl coming from Miles next to her ear.
"I was just looking! I wanted to see if there was anyone here." She picked up Miles and held him to stop the rodent from doing something reckless. The man glanced at Miles and back up at her face. He reached into his pocket, pulling out a yellow device Lily didn't recognize.
"I assume your a trainer, right?" She nodded, still wary of the man in front of her, "Then you'll need this. It's a TM case and you'll need it to teach pokemon TMs. Take it as an apology for the scare."
He handed her the device and she put it next to the poknav on her belt. She thanked him and moved away from the gym. Lily did wonder why he freaked out when she was about to enter the building. She decided to shrug it off for the mean time as she headed back to the pokemon center.
The city was comforting for her. Most of the residents either ignored her or just greeted her like she was just another visited. It was different compared to Pallet where they stared at her. Lily's only comfort there was the corral.
The pokemon center was fairly empty when she returned. Some people where enjoying themselves with their own conversations. She walked up to the counter to be greeted by the kind nurse.
"I need to pick up my Bulbasaur." Nurse Joy turned away without a word before handing her a normal pokeball and nodding to her. She smiled at the nurse and walked away from the nurse with Miles at her feet. She released Willow and walked out of the pokemon center.
She was able to find Ash fairly quick. He was still working on Metal Claw with Charmander. The fire type was staring intently at his claws, focusing on it while Ash watched over him. The tips of his claws glowed dully and he slashed at a large smooth rock he was targeting. His claws left shallow gouges on the rock and hi claw's glowing tips faded.
"Good job, Charmander!" He cheered, picking up the pokemon. The Charmander looked pleased with himself, the tail flame growing hotter. Ash hugged Charmander before placing him on the ground. Charmander was the first to notice Lily, Willow, and Miles. He ran up to the duo and cheered. Willow joined him and Miles just chattered happily.
"Well everyone seems happy." Lily grinned at the pokemon, "How about a battle? We need some excitement in this town."
"Yeah, a battle sounds awesome." He nodded, backing away to give some room for the battle. "How about Charmander against Bulbasaur. I want to see how she does in a really serious battle."
Lily agreed, putting miles on the boulder so he wouldn't be in the way. She wanted to have him watch the battle without keeping him cooped up in his ball. The two starters put some distance between themselves. Willow prepared herself, tensing up and letting her vines loose. She stared at the Charmander's tail cautiously.
"Let's go! Smokescreen." Charmander sprayed the thick sticky smoke at Willow, who quickly dodged it. It was sunny, so it triggered both of their abilities. Willow was faster and Charmander's ember would be stronger than ever.
"Poison Powder then use Tackle and Vine Whip." A seed emerged from Willow's bulb and she launched it at Charmander's feet. The poisonous cloud was thick and the fire type was already whipping his fire at the noxious powder. Willow sprinted at the distracted pokemon and hit it hard. Charmander skidded keeping his balance with his claws.
The poison wasn't potent enough to deeply effect him yet but he started moving away from the grass type it was working through his system to make him slow down.
"Use ember to keep the vines away." Willow tried lashing at the pokemon but withdrew when he whipped flames at her. She tried once more only to meet the embers again "Now get close and use Metal Claw."
Charmander started rushing at the Bulbasaur dodging the vines. His claws glowing deeply as he grew closer to Willow. He slashed at grass type with his glowing claws throwing her to her side.
"Willow, wrap him up. Keep his tail down and use Leech Seed." She pulled herself up with her vines, before wrapping him in the vines tightly. He cried out thrashing in the confines of willow's vines his tail flame burning hotter in his frustration. The seed that sprouted from her bulb is shot at the fire type. The glowing red vines wrapped around him and started slowing draining him along with the poison which pumped faster with his struggling.
"Ember! Burn the vines away." Charmander opened his jaw and spit out the fire balls. Willow had to retract her vines before it hit but couldn't avoid the ember as it hit her in the face and chest. She hissed at the burning sensation and whipped her vines out angrily.
"Tackle now." Willow growled fiercely before charging at the Charmander. She hit him hard sending him flying out of the vines constricting it. He landed heavily on the ground unconscious. Ash returned his Charmander with some disappointed but was grinning. Apparently their battle had gathered a crowd, they were cheering now that the battle was over.
There were small excited murmurs running through the crowded street as they dispersed. Ash and Lily walked back to the Pokemon Center. They planned on healing up their pokemon and then checking on the Pidgey. Ash wanted to have the Pidgey on his team soon so they wouldn't have to stay in Viridian too long.
A/N: This took a while to finish. I'm not sure how long I'll continue this, but I will if people enjoy it. I would love if I could get some reveiws so i can start working on a new chapter.