Pokémon: Like No One Ever Was
Chapter 1: The Journey of a Thousand Miles
Ash Ketchum awoke to sunlight blinding him in the face, which meant that it was well past 8 o'clock in the morning, the time he was supposed to be at Professor Oak's Research Lab to choose his starting Pokémon. He looked at his Voltorb clock and saw that he'd never set the alarm. In a panic, Ash leapt out of bed, ran downstairs and out the door. He made it 20 feet before he realized he was still in his pajamas. Deciding it was better to be dressed than more late, he grudgingly went back inside, changed attire, grabbed his bag, and took a nutrient bar to snack on while he ran back to Professor Oak's Lab.
When he was almost at the Lab he noticed a crowd of people and some Pokémon gathered around the entrance. It seemed like half the town had shown up, though he didn't know why. Making his way through the crowd, he noticed that most of the noise had come from a cheerleading team who were chanting "Gary". Gary was Professor Oak's second grandson, and to Ash, had always seemed a bit of a snob. Most of the town was hoping that he would be their next claim to fame.
Gary was standing alongside the cheerleading team with a wide grin on his face, clearly reveling in his expanding fame. Upon noticing Ash he spoke aloud, "Well, look who finally showed up". Now eyes were focused on Ash; and he was getting more attention than he'd ever received in his life.
"You got your first Pokémon? Which one did you choose" Ash asked excited. "As someone who showed up on time, I got to pick the best Pokémon, one of the perks of having a Professor as a grandfather. And unlike you, Ash, I'm going to be a Pokémon Master." Angered, Ash responded, "I'm going to be a Pokémon Master, Gary! I'll be even better than you!" "Not a chance, Ash. Pokémon Masters show up on time. And I'll be well on my way before you get your Pokémon", Gary retorted smugly. His cheerleading team began their chant again, bringing the crowd into a roar of support.
A flock of Hoothoots suddenly emerged from the nearby trees and began using Gust and Peck on the crowd. They'd obviously been awoken and angered by the noise and wanted retribution. The crowd dispersed quickly, and Ash bolted to the doors of the Lab to avoid becoming one of their targets. "What's all the commotion out there?" came the familiar voice of Professor Oak as Ash closed the door behind him. "Some Hoothoots were upset by Gary's enthusiastic posse." Professor Oak sighed in annoyance. "Honestly, that boy…"
"Um, Professor, I'm ready to get my first Pokémon." Oak looked at Ash. "Pokémon trainers show up on time, Ash," he spoke, unknowingly mimicking Gary. The two of them walked up to the starter podium, which opened at their presence. "I've given it a lot of thought, and decided that Squirtle will be my Pokémon!" Ash picked up the Pokeball for Squirtle, but when it opened it was empty. He put the ball back. "That Pokémon went to a trainer who was here at the correct time." Not put off his stride, Ash picked up the next Pokeball. "Then I'll choose Bulbasaur!" The Pokeball opened, but was empty as well. He put it back. "Same story, Ash." "No matter, my Pokémon will be Charmander!" The Pokeball opened, but it too was empty. "All the Pokémon went to trainers who weren't late," Oak scolded. Ash put Charmander's ball back, standing dejected.
Oak only had the three Pokémon, and trainers couldn't start their journey without one. Gary's taunt was suddenly more insulting. Ash thought of asking Red for a starting Pokémon, but that was risky. All of Red's Pokémon were well-trained, and exceptionally powerful. League Regulations state that a trainers' first Pokémon had to be untrained so the two could learn together. Novice trainers with strong Pokémon could get expelled from the League, something Ash was unwilling to risk.
Oak interrupted Ash's musings with a cough. I do have another Pokémon you could use, but it has a problem. "I'll take it!" Ash interjected, ecstatic that he still had a chance. A fourth Pokeball rose from the center of the podium, which Oak took and handed to Ash. "I'm warning you, it has…an electric personality."
Ash opened the Pokeball…and a yellow mouse appeared on the podium. "Its name is Pikachu, and," Oak started, but Ash picked up Pikachu and hugged it. "Pikachu?! Hi. My name is Ash, and I'm your trainer!" Pikachu emitted a large electric current into Ash until he let go and fell onto the floor. "Shocking behavior, wouldn't you agree?" "No puns…please," Ash managed to squeak out.
"As I was saying, Pikachu here is not like typical starter Pokémon. It has no training and no interest in following a trainer. I found it alone in the grass outside the ranch, which is odd because they typically stay in groups. But considering its stubborn nature, it makes sense." Ash got up off the floor. Pikachu looked around the Lab with silent curiosity. "Do you have your belt with you?" Oak prompted. "Yeah, I have it in my bag." Ash withdrew the Pokebelt, one of the better additions to updated League rules.
A Pokebelt was the normal means of holding onto trainers' Pokeballs, but variations existed for being worn on the chest, legs, and even arms. The belt had six holders as the standard model and twelve for the updated model. The extra holders came as a response to the desire for regional and global Pokémon battles. Kanto, Johto, Hoenn, Sinnoh, Unova, and Kalos were all separate regions of the same continent. An archipelago, Alola, had been accepted into the Pokémon League last year. Each region had Pokémon that never migrated, which had brought trainers a new problem when competing in another region.
When trainers traveled to a new region to compete in the local Pokémon League, they were required to start their journey with new Pokémon, specific to that region. As you can imagine, the change up was problematic, as trainers would challenge each other at the transport stations, only to end up having experienced Pokémon battling the new, inexperienced ones. The update fixed this problem. Trainers had to face local trainers, gym leaders, and the local League with regional Pokémon. But, they could face other experienced travelers with an entirely separate lineup if they desired.
Gym leaders were veteran battlers who granted badges to signify a trainers' skill. Upon collecting eight badges, a trainer was able to enter that regions' Pokémon League Conference. The Leagues had changed their Conferences to have a Junior Competition, 10-13, Middle Competition, 14-16, and Adult Competition, 17 and up. This is where they would battle other veteran trainers, an Elite group, and a Champion. However, should a Champion be defeated in the League, the new Champion would have to defend that title every year at the League against all other challengers. This prevented a Champion from maintaining their title by never returning to that League.
Ash put on his belt, a standard, and added Pikachu's Pokeball to it. Oak then picked up a strange tablet. "This is a Pokedex, an invention of mine. It records all the information about the Pokémon it scans, and serves as a useful tool to help new trainers learn about Pokémon." Oak placed the Pokedex in a nearby machine and started typing information. "This machine will register you as a new trainer. Stand there, Ash," Oak said, directing Ash to a spot next to the machine. The machine took a picture of Ash and placed the photo next to the information Oak had typed in.
"Registering new trainer: Ash Ketchum. Home: Pallet Town, Kanto. Age: Ten years old. Starting Pokémon: Pikachu," the machine spoke aloud. Ash could see additional information about Pokémon caught, battling records, conferences entered, badges earned, last known appearance, and a few others he didn't catch before the machine switched off. "Congratulations Ash. You're now an official Pokémon trainer. And to help you on your new journey, here are five Pokeballs." Oak gave Ash the Pokedex and Pokeballs; the new trainers' enthusiasm couldn't be concealed.
"All right! I, Ash Ketchum, will now start my journey to become a Pokémon Master! Are you ready Pikachu?!...Where's Pikachu?" Ash heard a rustling sound at his feet. Looking down, he saw his new Pokémon eating one of the nutrient bars he'd put in his bag. "Hey, that's mine!" Ash tried to grab it but Pikachu shocked him again. "Fine, you can have that one."
Ash walked outside carrying Pikachu to find the Hoothoots gone and a small group of people gathered in front, including his mom. Looking around, he recognized them as family friends and regular customers of his mom's restaurant. He didn't see Red anywhere. "So Ash, you've finally become a trainer, but, who's this Pokémon?" Delia asked happy but confused.
"I'm a trainer mom! And this is my Pokémon, Pikachu." Ash looked at Pikachu to find he was not paying attention to him. "I thought starter Pokémon were Bulbasaur, Charmander, or Squirtle?" she queried. "He was late, so those were already chosen," Oak offered. "Well, even if it's not the normal starter, I'm sure the two of you will be great together. By the way Ash, I brought some things for you on your journey" Delia responded. She gave him a Hiker's backpack which was practically overflowing. Ash put the items he wasn't taking, despite his mothers' insistence, into the backpack he brought to Oak's lab and gave that to her.
Curious again, she asked, "Shouldn't Pikachu be in a Pokeball?" "Oh yeah." Ash pulled out Pikachu's Pokeball. "Okay Pikachu, in you go." Ash tossed the ball at Pikachu but it smacked it back to him with its tail. Again and again Ash tried to get Pikachu in the ball but it simply refused to go. "Ash, some Pokémon are simply unwilling to travel in a Pokeball," Oak stated. "Cute but stubborn, huh? Well Ash, it looks like you've already got your first challenge as a trainer," Delia said. Pikachu did not appreciate the meaning behind her statement, so he shocked the entire group.
When they recovered, they all wished Ash luck on his journey and left one by one until it was just Ash and Delia. "Red never showed up, did he mom?" "No, I haven't seen him," she replied sadly. As they stood in silence, an Arcanine leapt over the fence of Oak's Ranch, came up to Ash and dropped an envelope from its mouth. Recognizing it as Red's Arcanine, Red Rover, Ash picked up the envelope, opened it, and read the letter inside.
"Ash, if you can make it to Viridian City with one new Pokémon, we can talk about me accompanying you on your journey. Red." Red Rover went back into the Ranch.
"Well, it's a start," Delia said. "You could learn a lot from him, Ash." Looking to Pikachu, who was currently sniffing around the fence posts of the Ranch, Ash replied, "Yeah, like how to get a Pokémon to listen to you. Pikachu, come here. It's time for us to go." Pikachu ignored Ash. "Some Pokémon take time to trust their trainer. Be that as it may, I hope you stay safe and have a wonderful adventure, Ash." Delia hugged Ash and he hugged her back. Looking back at Pikachu, Ash said, "Mom, give me that clothesline. I have an idea."
In Viridian City, Red was lounging by the Indigo Plateau entrance, waiting for Ash and another trainer he knew would come by. Ash could probably get a Pokémon and get to Viridian within a day. It was whether Red felt like sharing his training methods that was bothering him.
As Red was thinking about how he might need to change up his routine if Ash succeeded and Red decided to join him, the other trainer he was waiting for came walking along the path from the Indigo Plateau.
Red went up to meet her.
Ash had been dragging Pikachu on the clothesline for about a mile before he stopped. It resisted every step of the way, trying to shock Ash, but he was wearing rubber gloves to nullify the shocks. He turned back to Pikachu and knelt down in front of it. "Pikachu, are you going to be like this the whole time? I'm supposed to be your friend, your trainer. Why don't you act the way other Pokemon do?"
Pikachu turned away from him. "I'm okay with you not wanting to travel in the Pokeball from time to time, but you should listen to me. I'm not your enemy." Pikachu turned his head and gave Ash a one-eyed stare as if he didn't believe him.
'Some Pokemon take time to trust their trainer,' Delia's words came back to him. Thinking on it for a moment, Ash removed the clothesline and gloves. Pikachu turned to face him, an ear raised, clearly confused by this action. "I think we started off badly, so I want to try again."
"My name is Ash Ketchum. I'm a brand new Pokemon trainer, and my dream is to one day compete in the Pokemon League and become a Pokemon Master!" Pikachu regarded him quizzically. "As my first Pokemon, you should help me to reach that goal, by teaching me as much as I teach you. So, can you help me to do that?" Pikachu looked doubtful about Ash's intentions, even though it seemed to understand him perfectly.
A sudden rustling sound from the bushes near the two had them both looking at the sound. A Pidgey appeared and started scratching at the dirt in front of them. "I guess I'll just have to show you with the other Pokemon I catch without your help." Ash picked up a rock and took one of the Pokeballs out from his belt.
He threw the rock at the Pidgey and hit it squarely on its beak. Upset, the Pidgey screeched at Ash. Quickly he threw the Pokeball at it, hitting the left wing. It was digitized and trapped in the ball. The Pokeball fell to the ground and shook. Once…twice…thrice, Ash's tension mounted. The Pokeball emitted a click, signifying that it had successfully captured the Pokemon. Ash leapt with joy.
"I did it! I did it! I caught my first Pokemon! Did you see that Pikachu?" Ash turned back to see a very angry Pikachu. Pikachu used a Thundershock on Ash, much stronger than the shocks it had given him in Pallet town. Ash fell onto the dirt. "Why?" he groaned.
Pikachu was emitting sparks from its cheeks but didn't shock Ash again, however, it stayed angry. Ash picked up Pidgey's ball and turned to face Pikachu. "What was that for?!" Pikachu pointed at a nearby rock. "Because I used a rock? It makes Pokemon easier to catch, and you didn't want to help." Pikachu wasn't satisfied with the answer. "I didn't inflict harm on Pidgey that wouldn't subside quickly. I'm not cruel."
"Here, I'll show you." Ash opened Pidgey's ball. Pidgey came out, squawking its name. "Hello there, Pidgey. I'm Ash, your trainer." Pidgey turned to face Ash. "I hope we can become good friends, and grow stronger together on our journey." "Pidgey," it seemed reluctant to trust him as well. "Oh, I know what might help." Ash reached into his bag and pulled out some Pokemon food, a gift from his mom. He gave some to Pidgey and Pikachu, who enjoyed and grudgingly accepted, respectively.
Having eaten, Pidgey seemed friendlier to Ash and allowed him to stroke his feathers and examine it in more detail. Ash took the opportunity to use the Pokedex on his new friend. Pikachu watched closely, still uncertain if Ash could really be trusted. "Are you ready to go?" Ash asked Pidgey and Pikachu. Pidgey agreed, Pikachu was hesitant. "Still not enough, huh?"
Ash returned Pidgey to its Pokeball and walked, slowly, in front of Pikachu. Not knowing what else to try, Ash talked out loud to Pikachu. He spoke of his dream of being a Pokemon Master ever since he was a kid, how he loved his family and looked up to his brother. He wanted to show up Gary and everyone who thought he couldn't be a Pokemon Master. He talked of how he one day wanted to record every Pokemon in the Pokedex and make lasting friendships with people across the world. Finally he shared that his greatest wish was that regardless of how his adventure went, he hoped he could make some amazing memories with his friends, Pokemon and people alike.
Ash had been looking back regularly to make sure that Pikachu was still there, but this time he wasn't. He quickly realized that Pikachu was actually walking beside Ash. He wasn't too near, but near enough to listen better. Ash took it as a sign that Pikachu might be relaxing a little more, which might mean that it was closer to trusting him.
Ash was smiling down at Pikachu as he walked under a tree, only to be smacked in the face by something squishy. "What in the world?" Ash came back to reality to realize that he had walked into something green…and small…and moving…and alive, a Pokemon! Ash pulled out his Pokedex and discovered he had walked into a Caterpie. "Nice, a second Pokemon already!"
Caterpie had been unhappy that something had collided with it, but had quickly gone back to munching on the leaves of the tree it was on. Ash was going to surprise Red with two Pokemon when he showed up in Viridian City. "How about now, Pikachu? Are you willing to battle this time?" Pikachu gave Ash a blank stare. "Okay, I'll use Pidgey, come on out!" Ash threw Pidgey's Pokeball into the air after pressing the release button. Pidgey emerged, crying its name. Caterpie turned to face Pidgey.
"Pidgey, use Peck!" Pidgey flew up to the Caterpie and started pecking at it, but only some of the attacks connected because Caterpie was moving up, down, and around the branches. When Pidgey disengaged, a stream of white silk shot out of the tree and stuck to Pidgey's left wing. "String shot? Okay, while you work to free yourself, use Gust on the tree!" Pidgey cried its name and flapped its right wing furiously to generate a flow of wind strong enough to shake the tree. Caterpie fell out onto the ground, dazed. "Now use Quick Attack!" Pidgey moved quickly across the ground around and collided beak first with Caterpie. Caterpie was knocked back a few feet, and struggled to right itself. "Now you're mine!" Ash threw a Pokeball at Caterpie. Caterpie was digitized. The ball shook once…twice…thrice…it clicked.
"Yes! I caught my second Pokemon! Great job Pidgey!" Ash went up and hugged Pidgey, a huge smile on his face. Pidgey had managed to free itself and embraced the hug, smiling as well. Ash turned and looked at Pikachu, who seemed not only impressed but quite at ease. Ash returned Pidgey to its ball and then the belt. He grabbed Caterpies' ball and held it in his hand. He grinned, knowing that he was a step closer to becoming a Pokemon Master.
"Ok, onwards to Viridian City." Ash started down the path again, Pikachu by his side, nearer than before. While he walked with a smile on his face, Pikachu would occasionally look up at Ash, as if wondering again whether he could be trustworthy. They continued without incident for some time, and Ash hummed merrily to himself.
Red went up and greeted the trainer he was waiting for with a hug, and she was genuinely surprised and happy to see him. "How are you, Serena?" "I'm great, Red. What are you doing here?" she asked, smiling. "I learned from one of my League friends that you were coming by, so I figured I might as well come see you…and offer you that rematch you wanted."
Serena was a seventeen year old young woman whom Red had met 6 years earlier as he traveled the continent. A skilled trainer, she and Red had battled several times on their journeys, but she'd always lost by a slim margin. The two of them had discovered unknown Pokemon, seen wondrous places, and endured a few chaotic moments together, but they were not in a romantic relationship.
Serena knew that Red had improved, he always did. But she had spent most of the last few months training with her sister. She knew the gap between her and Red had closed, if she hadn't overtaken him entirely. "I accept your offer," Serena replied with confidence.
"However, rather than a normal battle, let's up the ante," Red stated with a mischievous look on his face. Serena was wary of that look, as in the past, that look had always brought…unique events (normally trouble) into their lives. "What are we playing for?" "If you win you can have one of these." Red pulled out his Pokedex and showed her the prize. She stood speechless, until finally she whispered, "You have Legendaries?" "Yes." "What could I possibly offer as an equal prize to this?" "I need you to perform one task for me."
Serena looked at him. "A task? I don't believe you." I wrote it on this piece of paper," Red pulled out a piece of paper, placed it on the ground, then put his backpack on top of the piece of paper. "So what's the task?" "You only find out if you lose. It could be as simple as picking a nice flower, or telling me a one of your secrets, maybe it's finding me a Moon Stone, who knows? But if you do this, it's done upon your honor as a trainer." Now Serena knew that whatever he wanted, he was serious about it.
'Upon your honor as a trainer' was an old fashioned rule that few trainers ever tried to invoke. It was created to confirm that the involved parties would settle their matter honestly, fairly, and without embracing technicalities. The reason it was rarely used is because in the modern age, the punishment for failing to follow through on the task resulted in the immediate revocation of their Trainers' License.
Serena was skeptical of this unknown task but she knew he despised lies and half-truths, so he was being completely honest with her. And having traveled with him, she believed him to be a good and honorable man. She didn't think he was going to make her do anything extraordinarily ridiculous, illegal, or immoral.
Common sense told her to not take the challenge; Desire, however, had made the reward too powerful to resist for any aspiring Pokemon Master.
"Upon my honor as a Pokemon Trainer, I accept your challenge," Serena proclaimed proudly. "Upon my honor as a Pokemon Trainer, I expect a battle in return for the prizes we've agreed upon" Red replied n a measured voice. A small crowd had gathered, but it was growing larger every second now that word had spread of the Honor rule being used.
"Six Pokemon each," Serena started, grabbing her first Pokeball and looking Red straight in the eyes. "With nothing held back," Red ended, grabbing his first Pokeball and returning the stare.
With one word, the two trainers tossed their balls and the crowd roared into life.
"BEGIN!"
Ash and Pikachu could see Viridian City far off in the distance. Ash was still trying to think of ways to get Pikachu to accept him, but nothing was coming to mind. However, he had yet to meet his Caterpie, so he released it from its ball. Caterpie appeared on the ground, and didn't appear to be hurting too much from its recent battle.
Ash knelt down and spoke to it. "Hi Caterpie. My name is Ash Ketchum, and I'm your trainer now." Ash presented some Pokémon food to Caterpie. Caterpie inspected the food before eating it, seemingly content with its flavor. Ash picked up Caterpie and placed it on his left shoulder and then resumed his journey to Viridian City. As with Pidgey and Pikachu, Ash told Caterpie of his life and dreams and how he hoped Caterpie would help him on his adventure.
Caterpie had moved from shoulder to shoulder and on top of his head while Ash talked, until Ash realized that Caterpie was tense having this piggyback ride. "I know what might help you relax," Ash said to Caterpie as he picked him off his head and placed him along the length of his forearm. He then began the equivalent of a deep-muscle massage on Caterpie, who quickly loosened up until it almost fell out of Ash's hands. "I learned that from my brother Red. Pretty nice, isn't it Cat…?" But Caterpie had fallen asleep from the massage. Ash returned Caterpie to its Pokeball, smiling.
Serena's first Pokémon was a Rapidash; Red's was a Venusaur. Serena smirked at the type advantage but noticed Red was entirely nonchalant about it. "Rapidash, use Flame Charge!" "Giga Green, Double Team." Venusaur moved quickly, despite its size, to create illusory copies of itself. Rapidash's attack never found its mark. "Rapidash, Agility." 'Let's counter your evasion with more speed,' Serena thought. "Giga, Stun Spore." Rapidash ran quickly around the area with Venusaur in the middle of its circle. Venusaur released hundreds of spores from its flower into the air, which Rapidash cantered into. The spores took root and paralyzed Rapidash, bringing it crashing into the ground. "Rapidash!" "Giga Green, Earthquake." Venusaur raised itself on its two left legs almost until it fell over, then crashed its right legs into the ground, creating a large crack in the earth next to Rapidash. It quickly repeated this three times and then switched to front and back legs. The ground Rapidash was in was caving. Finally, Venusaur jumped up and smashed into the earth with enough force to knock everyone over, except Red. This upended the dirt around Rapidash and dumped it upon the paralyzed Pokemon. Still paralyzed, Rapidash cried out in pain as the flames on its body were almost smothered out completely.
"Giga, Leech Seed." Venusaur shot a dozen small seeds into the dirt on Rapidash, which quickly grew into roots that started leeching out the remainder of Rapidash's strength. Rapidash struggled a few moments more before laying still, having been knocked out. Serena returned Rapidash to its ball and grabbed her second, Red mimicked the action. "Go Murkrow!" "Stream Lord, rise and shine!"
Ash and Pikachu were only a few miles from Viridian City now. Along the way Ash had spotted more Pidgeys and a few Caterpies, but no new Pokémon, until now. Another bird Pokémon crossed Ash's path but it wasn't a Pidgey. This Pokémon had red wings and a black spine. Pulling out his Pokedex, Ash learned that this was a Spearow, and therefore, another Pokémon to catch. Ash turned to look at Pikachu, who looked back at him. The implied message of, "Will you help me this time?" went unanswered by Pikachu, who was still hesitant to trust this trainer.
Ash turned back to the Spearow and pulled out Pidgey's Pokeball, knowing that Caterpie was still too hurt to help and would be at a type disadvantage here. "Ok Pidgey, let's go!" He threw the Pokeball and Pidgey appeared on the ground, crying its name. The Spearow turned to face the trainer and its Pokémon, annoyed. "Let's start with a Gust attack!" Pidgey flapped his wings hard to create a proper Gust attack which was launched at the Spearow. Now upset at being attacked, the Spearow charged at Pidgey, pecking furiously, striking Pidgey many times. "Use Quick Attack!" Pidgey charged fast at Spearow, weaving back and forth before tackling it. When Spearow got up again, it was clearly infuriated. It cried its name loudly, prompting a flock of Spearows to emerge from nearby trees, which all came flying at Ash, Pikachu, and Pidgey.
A rainstorm started that Ash hadn't even noticed coming until now. Ash quickly returned Pidgey to its Pokeball, knowing that this was one of the occasions when it was better to run from Pokémon. He picked up a frightened Pikachu and ran as quick as he could towards Viridian City. The Spearows were not giving up that easily, however, and they flew at and into the trainer and Pokémon, enraged. After several attacks found Pikachu through Ash's protective hold, the electric Pokémon unleashed a large lightning strike into the surrounding area, his trainer included. Ash tripped in surprise and pain at this sudden attack. He rose back to his feet to find the flock of Spearows lying on the ground beside him.
"Wow, that's impressive," Ash spoke aloud to Pikachu as he surveyed the scene. The Spearow were recovering quickly, loudly crying their name. A shadow fell over Ash and Pikachu; they looked up to see a giant bird Pokémon descending towards them. Not bothering to wait and find out what it was, Ash grabbed Pikachu once more and ran down the road again. Ash glanced back in time to see a Fearow diving at him, so Ash dove for the ground as well…only to discover there was no ground in front of him and he was falling off a cliff towards a river below.
Murkrow popped out of its Pokeball to meet a Quagsire. "Murkrow, Wing Attack!" "Rain Dance around it." Murkrow took to the skies and then flew at Quagsire with its wing outstretched. Quagsire was dancing in his spot, bringing a sudden downpour on the area. When Murkrow would come in for its attack, Quagsire simply bent away, still dancing. "Hail, Stream Lord." "Fly, Murkrow!" Quagsire turned the existing rain into hail, which damaged Murkrow as it flew up. As it came down, it was pelted until it could barely see. "Stream Lord, Mud Bomb." Right as Murkrow came at Quagsire, Quagsire hit it square in the body with a Mud Bomb. Murkrow missed its attack and crashed into the ground as well. It struggled to get upright.
"One more attack, Sucker Punch!" Murkrow charged at Quagsire drawing its left wing back. "Counter." As Murkrow was connecting with Quagsire's body, Quagsire turned its body to smash its tail straight down onto Murkrow's head. Murkrow was knocked out immediately. The two trainers recalled their Pokemon. 'He's far better than the last time I battled him, maybe as good as my sister.' "Let's turn this around Medicham!" "Hard Shell, pop to it!"
Ash awoke to find a girl his age staring down at his face. "Are you ok?" she asked. "Where's Pikachu?" Ash managed to squeak out. "Your Pokémon is still in your arms, but it looks as bad as you do." Ash sat up to find that he was indeed holding onto Pikachu, somehow. He couldn't really feel his arms at the moment. Ash inspected Pikachu and was relieved to find it breathing normally. "Thanks for your help, but who are you?" Ash asked the girl. "My name's Misty, but you should get your Pokémon to a Center and get yourself checked out by a doctor. You both look horrible."
Ash finally looked around to find that he was sitting by the edge of a riverbank, with a fishing hook in his vest. Remembering the Fearow and his dive off the cliff, Ash counted himself lucky to be relatively uninjured from the fall. "Was I fished out of the water?" he asked out loud. "Yes! Now get to a Pokémon Center!" Misty shouted at him, upset that he wasn't trying to help Pikachu. Said Pokémon stirred in Ash's arms. Trainer and Pokémon smiled at each other, but their bonding moment was interrupted by a Pokémon cry. "FEAROW!" The Pokémon in question was flying fast towards the group, having finally found its prey once more.
Ash spotted a nearby bike and hopped on, holding Pikachu in one hand and the handles in the other. Taking off on the only dirt path towards the city he saw in the distance, he recognized it as Viridian City, and it was only a few miles away. "Hey, that's my bike!" Ash heard from behind him. He didn't care about that. His only focus was getting Pikachu and himself away from the pursuing Fearow.
Serena's Medicham appeared in a defensive fighting pose across from a…Shuckle. A curious choice to the crowd, most had never seen one before. "Medicham, High Jump Kick!" "Hard Shell, Power Split." Medicham leapt into the air and came down kicking at Shuckle. At the moment of impact Shuckle averaged out the Attack and Special Attack stats of the two Pokemon. Medicham's kick sent Shuckle flying, but it rolled right back into the battle area seemingly unfazed and without a bruise anywhere. "Use Confusion!" "Safeguard." Shuckle put up a shimmering barrier just as Medicham projected a psychic wave at it. "Let's follow up with Focus Blast!" "Shell, use Bide." Shuckle withdrew inside its shell. Medicham brought its hands together to create a light blue ball of energy, which, when its power had built up, it launched at Shuckle. The blast hit Shuckle and sent it bouncing away but it rolled itself back to its opponent.
"Calm Mind!" Medicham turned its focus inward, raising its Special Attack and Special Defense. Serena knew bide would do serious damage, so she needed Medicham ready. Shuckle was shivering with stored energy. "Detect, Medicham!" Medicham's eyes glowed green and dodged the Bide energy that Shuckle released. "Shell, Power Trick." Shuckle emitted a multi-colored glow as it switched its Attack and Defense stats. "Force Palm!" Medicham ran up to Shuckle and thrust its right hand palm into Shuckle with great power. Shuckle went bouncing away but rolled back to the battle area again, apparently undamaged. "Shell, Bug Bite." "Endure!" Medicham braced itself for the attack. Shuckle rolled up to Medicham and leaped onto its back, fangs coming out of its mouth. It bit into Medicham's neck, bringing both Pokemon straight to the ground. Medicham could barely move. "Wrap." Shuckle twisted its limbs around Medicham's midsection, and it fainted immediately.
With half her Pokemon already knocked out and Red's barely taking any damage, Serena wasn't sure she could win this fight at all. The trainers recalled their Pokemon. Despite her Pokémon's' type advantages and high mobility, Red's Pokémon seemed beyond anything she'd ever seen. This battling style clearly demonstrated how he was able to capture legendary Pokemon. She should have listened to her instincts and not taken the wager.
Knowing that she had to turn this around now, Serena grabbed her sixth Pokeball instead of her fourth. She hoped the best in her lineup could save her from more embarrassment. "Froslass, make this count!" Realizing Serena was betting everything on this last Pokemon, Red replied in kind. "Gallant Warrior, finish this with pride!" Froslass came out facing a Gallade, which bowed to Froslass.
"Froslass, Captivate!" "Aerial Ace." Froslass released pink hearts from its body which hit Gallade, lowering his Special Attack. Gallade jumped high into the air positioning the sun at its back, its body surrounded by white streaks. Froslass was unable to dodge Gallade's tackle when it impacted the ground. "Leaf Blade." Gallade's arms became surrounded by a wavy light green aura which it slashed at Froslass, dealing critical damage. "Shadow Ball!" Froslass recovered quickly and shot a shadowy blob at Gallade who was now to close to dodge. It knocked him back several feet and lowered his Special Defense. "Icy Wind!" Froslass blew a beam of wind with sparkling blue snow in it from its mouth at Gallade. The attack lowered Gallade's speed. "Psycho Cut." Gallade releases a pink crescent-like blade of energy from its head at Froslass. Froslass was knocked over, having been dealt critical damage yet again. "Use Astonish!" "Quick Guard!" Gallade brought its arms together to create a red barrier just before Froslass appeared in front of Gallade making a scary face.
Serena was doing better this round and wanted to capitalize on her momentum. "Ominous Wind!" Froslass blasted Gallade with a gust of repulsive purple wind from its mouth. This raised all of Froslass's stats. "Confusion!" Gallade's eyes glowed pink and it released a psychic beam of energy at Froslass. Froslass hit the ground hard and fought to get back up. "Draining Kiss!" "Protect" Froslass moved towards Gallade but Gallade put up a circular blue energy shield that Froslass bounced off of. "Night Slash, now!" Gallade's arms turned a whitish purple, it lunged quickly at the rebounding Froslass and slashed it in midair, inflicting critical damage once again. Froslass impacted into the dirt hard, stirred once, and then lay still, having fainted. Gallade landed back in front of Red and faced Serena in a ready stance, apparently unexhausted by this more intense battle but eager for the next. Serena recalled Froslass.
Serena accepted that she couldn't beat Red's Pokémon. She raised her hand and spoke aloud, "I yield; this match is yours." The crowd roared in approval of the match, considering it as great as the ones they'd watched on TV. They talked energetically amongst themselves about their favorite parts. Red smiled at her and returned Gallade to its Pokeball. He picked up his bag and the piece of paper and walked over to Serena. He held the paper loosely in his hand, and Serena took it from him. "Don't read that here, too many prying eyes," Red commented in a low voice, referring to the crowd who wanted to know what the reward was for this extraordinary bout. Serena put the paper in her pocket and picked up her bag.
Ash was almost at Viridian city, only a mile away now. He was winded from pedaling so hard but it was the only thing that had kept the Fearow from catching him. Realizing that its prey was going to escape soon, Fearow flew ahead of Ash. Ash thought that maybe Fearow was giving up when it suddenly turned and headed straight at him. Unable to dodge in time, Fearow's right wing caught Ash's torso and knocked him clear off the bicycle. Pikachu fell out of his hands onto the ground. Fearow hovered in the air next to the two of them. The Pokémon watched its trainer struggle to stand up, placing itself between the Fearow and Pikachu. The rain stopped, as the storm passed by.
"FEAROW!" It cried out, showing its rage at having its flock attacked. Barely able to keep himself on his feet, Ash turned his head back to Pikachu. "Run, Pikachu," Ash managed to croak out. He stepped closer to the Fearow, hoping that it would choose to harm the Pokémon trainer first, given the opportunity. Fearow flapped itself higher into the air, seemingly intent on crashing itself on top of the human. Ash watched Fearow gain altitude, and stood his ground waiting for the attack, when a yellow object jumped off his head into the air above him.
"PIIIIKAACHUUUUU!" it screamed, bringing forth a powerful lightning strike from its body. Ash covered his eyes instinctively as a blinding light poured into his vision. The ensuing thunder blasted him onto his back, and something landed on his chest. Ash watched the Fearow crash into the ground in front of him, his gaze meeting a weakened Pikachu's, the something on his chest. He smiled. "I'm glad you're okay." Pikachu smiled back at him.
A sudden boom of thunder washed over the area. Everyone was looking around for the source when Red noticed a large bird falling from the sky way off in the distance. He pulled off his fourth Pokeball and released its occupant. A Salamence appeared before him, to the surprise of many people. "Vehement, go find out what's happening off in the distance," Red pointed towards the area where he saw the bird fall. Vehement turned its head to look in the direction Red was indicating. It nodded its head in acknowledgement, flew up into the sky and headed off to that spot. Red turned back to Serena. "My apologies. Now, after we get your Pokémon to the Center, would you care to join me for lunch?" "Might as well," Serena replied, curious at how calm Red had been since she'd met him today.
It takes too long to write all this out, I do have other things to focus on. So this was a demonstration of my writing style which I hope you enjoy. From now on ill just write, "follows anime", and put in my alterations as it goes along. Otherwise well never get to the good parts. I know there are going to be parts that don't match up remotely to the anime or games, deal with it.
If you don't know what happens in the anime, follow this link to watch Pokémon online for free: pokemon-indigo-league_episodes
Enjoy!
