Chapter 2
Ash frantically ran around his room searching for a small kecleon doll.
" The last time I saw my dad was when I was 6. He had just returned from a trip to Hoenn and brought me this plush from the Lilycove department store. That was over four years ago now." Ash briefly reminisced about his time with his father. Candy could here the heartbreak in his voice. That kind sadness comes from a child deep in denial. One who refuses to admit he'd lost someone. It's an emotion she knew quite well. Her anger dissipated and turned to sympathy for the boy. He was, after all, only 10. That still doesn't mean he can be a class A jerk. Despite this she couldn't find it in her to stay mad at the boy.
" Candy?"
She snapped out of her thought and realized she'd been staring at the pokédoll.
" Clef! Clefairy! Cleffa!" She barked defensively.
" Alright Candy. S'pose it's about time we get going huh?"
" Clef."
He looked down at his watch. It was 11:00 on the dot. So much for leaving early.
They said goodbye to Ash's mother and transversed the town one final time until they reached the start of route 1. He made a note of her very pointed request to call her as soon as he made it to Viridian City. Ash took a deep breathe, standing right at the border between his past and his future. He'd walked route one many times before with his parents as well as by himself. One of the first places he ever walked on his own was to Viridian City to meet his father. He knew the route like the back of his hand and yet suddenly it felt fresh. Like an entirely new place; a new world of potential. Perhaps it was because it was his first time there as a pokemon trainer, but it felt as if he were traveling not down a dirt road but down a faraway route through a distant region such as Kalos or Unova. He exhaled, and once again he was back on route 1. One day. One day i'll be travelling through Hoenn or Sinnoh; Somewhere fresh and faraway. One day. He chuckled looking down at his clefairy. You know what? So what if you are a weak little pixie? I'll just have to be twice as strong. A sudden rustle in the grass allerted him to their company. A tan blur shot out of the grass, sending dust flying through the grass. A pidgey.
" All right Candy! Let's catch that pidgey!"
Why so you can trade me out for it? Candy thought, her bad attitude having had returned from earlier. But she didn't want to be that pokémon and at least maybe if her sent her home, she could go stay with Delia's. Blatant disobedience however would likely end with her release. She widened her stance for stability and prepared for a command. Wait a minute. Does he even know my moveset?
" Candy Go! I choose you!"
Obviously not.
" C'mon Candy! You just gotta weaken it a bit so I can catch it."
I am a pokémon! You think I don't know how this works. Whatever if he isn't going to call anything out I guess I'll just improvise.
"Clefair"
She jumped up into the air, matching the height of the pidgey on the branch. She started charging a beam of pale pink energy in her mouth. The pidgey looked towards the pink pokémon wide-eyed, before stretching its wings out to take off.
"RY!" A series of a dozen rings fired towards the pidgey, getting more distorted the further the came from the source. The sudden blast resulted in clipping its wings as it tried to take off and causing it to plummet towards the ground. It hit with a light "thud" and spraying yet another cloud of dust. Ash was frozen in shock, staring at the injured pidgey, whom was trying to regain it's balance. Is he just going to stand there? Throw the ball you nitwit!
" CLEF!" She barked, snapping him out of his trance.
" R-right! Pokéball! Thanks Candy." He pulled a pokeball out the top of his backpack. He'd kept it unzipped on the very top to make the process as quick as possible. By now the pidgey had stopped wobbling around and was preparing to take off again.
"Pokéball…. GO!" They ball glistened in the late morning sun as it flew through the air. Hitting the pidgey right as it began its take off. The button on the pokeball glowed once as the ball began to shake. Than twice. A brilliant flash of light gave way to the silhouette of a bird before fading into the pidgey.
"What! How'd it get out! Pidgeys are supposed to be super easy to catch too."
However, the damage to it's wing had already been done. It took to a very wobbly flight before crashing back to the ground and giving Ash another chance. Finally accepting it wouldn't be able to fly, the pidgey switched into offessive mode. It's wings began to glow and it sprayed Ash and Candy with sand.
" Aw no! Sand Attack! I can't see anything!" Wined the young trainer.
Out of the cloud of filth came a pidgey and tackled a surprised clefairy from the side, knocking her right into Ash. The dust was begging to settle and pidgey would surely use another Sand Attack. Pidgeys last attack was Tackle. If it keeps obscuring my vision I'll be pummeled. It can hit me and I can't do a thing to it! But what if I use Encore on the Tackle? It may seem silly to Encore an attack, but if I can see, I can dodge. Furthermore, If I can see, I can strike. Candy's body began to glow and Ash though she was being returned to her pokéball. Figures that a fairy would go down after one hit. So why do I feel like so much of a failure? Than suddenly the glow shifted to the fully recovered pidgey who was circling above them, preparing to dive bomb the clefairy. Candy stopped glowing and the pidgey dived at her, using the boost in speed to increase to power of it's tackle. Candy skidded across the ground and into the tree. The pidgey landed and attempted to summon another sand attack, but nothing happened. No glowing and no clouds of sand. Candy hopped back onto her feet and, with a glowing fist charged at the idgey, Using her own speed she jumped and used pound on the pidgey from a above. In a final attempt, the pidgey tried to tackled Candy and cancel her pound. The falling momentum however was too great and she overpowered the tiny bird pokémon. She jumped out of the way, allowing Ash as second shot. Once again he flung the pokéball as fast as he could. It bounced off the pidgey and he was once again absorbed into the round capsule. One glow. Two glows. Three glows. Suddenly the ball stopped shaking. Anticipating pidgey breaking out Ash grabbed for another pokéball from the depths of his backpack. Then the button and black ring flashed a gold color. Ash's eyes lit up with ecstasy. I did it. I actually caught a pokemon! Take that Gary Oak!
" I did it Candy."
" Cleffa."
" Sorry. We did it Clefairy! We caught a pidgey!"
He released the pidgey from the ball. Blue light poured out and formed the flying-type's silhouette before revealing the pidgey itself. Still not strong enough to fly it stood on the ground at Ash's feet. Staring at his new trainer with a look of pure respect. It let out a soft "coo" as Ash pet the pecan colored feathers adorning his head.
" Pecan. I think I'll name you Pecan."
Pecan chirped in agreement as it's trainer pulled out a potion to heal him up with.
" Welcome to the crew Pecan."