Chapter 3: Pink Hair, Red Eyes

As the ferry approached land, Ash and Pikachu had no words for the sight before them. The very landscape seemed to glow with an beautifully eerie light. In the distance, just beyond what looked like a mountain region, a crystalline edifice looked down on them.

"Wow, what is that?" Ash asked a young blonde man.

The blonde in his apron looked up at the tower that Ash was pointing to. "Oh that's the Crystal Palace. We can only see that tower from here but up close it's enormous."

"And am I going crazy or is the whole region glowing?" he asked.

The man laughed. "That's what all the tourists say. I guess it sort of does, but we don't really notice too much. Oh, I'm Andrew by the way. My sister and I run the restaurant on the ferry."

"Ash Ketchum, from the Kanto Region," Ash offered his hand. "Gym Leader of the Pallet Town Gym. And this is Pikachu," he pointed at the yellow rat on his shoulder.

Andrew shook the proffered hand. "So what brings you to Crystal, Ash?"

"My good friend, Professor Oak, sent me to help him and his friend, the scientist here, with a new project," Ash tried to refrain from giving too much away just in case they didn't want him to say anything.

"Professor Tomoe? Oh, then you must have heard about the mysterious new pokemon," Andrew said leaning over the side of the boat.

"Yeah, you know about it?" Ash asked. "Have you seen it?"

"No, no one has. We've only heard it really," Andrew said. "There's a huge forest just a few miles outside of town and it's very strange. Most of us think it lives there."

Ash pondered. "So you think if I just head in that direction I might meet it?"

"It's possible, you'll hear it at least. Like I said, none of us have ever seen it," Andrew stated. "Oh we're here, and there's Professor Tomoe." Andrew pointed at a man with white hair and lab jacket.

Ash nodded. "Thanks Andrew. Come on Pikachu."

Pikachu jumped off his shoulder with a "pika" and the two of them took off down the gangplank. They came to a stop in front of the scientist.

"You're Ash, right?" the man asked. "Professor Oak said you would be arriving today. Come we have much to discuss."

Ash didn't even have a chance to introduce himself as Tomoe led the way back to his lab. A young man who looked only a year or two younger than he, with silvery hair stood over a playpen of baby pokemon, a clipboard in hand.

"Helios, how are the new charges today?" Tomoe asked.

"Very well Professor," the young man answered. "Baby Nidoran seems to have a little colic though. I gave him a mint berry to help."

Pikachu ran over to the playpen. "Pika-Pika," he chirped at the babies in the pen. They eagerly turned towards him and began chirping back at him.

Helios laughed and looked over to Ash. "Are you the one from Kanto?"

"Yes, he is," Tomoe said sitting down at his desk typing at a computer. "Ash, this is Helios, he is my assistant. He is also one of the top breeders in the region."

Helios shrugged modestly. "I wouldn't say that, but breeding is a passion of mine. Breeding and Pokemon Genetics is what this lab focuses on. I breed Pokemon and then release them into the wild when they're big enough and able to fend for themselves."

Ash listened and nodded. "So, what about this new pokemon?"

"Oh that," Helios began. "Well, I first started noticing signs when I took a previous batch of new pokemon into the forest to be released. There's a small stream leading to the pond with a beautiful waterfall. I like to let them go there, it's so peaceful." Tomoe gave him a look that said to proceed. "Ah yes, well anyway, I was releasing some new pokemon into the wild and I got that feeling of being watched, really bad. I tried to pass it off until I heard some movement in the trees, branches crackling and falling. The sounds came then from the bushes and I tried to catch it, but all I could find was this." He held up a few strands of pink.

Ash took the strands and looked them over. "Is that the only place you've heard it?"

Helios shook his head. "No, but it's the best place."

Ash looked at Pikachu. "Hey Pikachu, what do you think?" He showed Pikachu the hairs.

"Pika-pi," Pikachu replied.

"Exactly what I thought," Ash looked at Helios. "Can you show us this waterfall?"

Helios looked at Tomoe. "Can you spare me for the afternoon?"

"Just show them to the path. Oak told me this kid is special. He'll have the best luck alone," Tomoe pointed out.

Helios shrugged. "Come on."

He led Ash to a forked path. "Okay you want this path to the right. It leads straight to the waterfall. Will you be okay?"

"Yep," Ash fixed his backpack and his hat. "Come on Pikachu, just like old times huh? We'll be back tonight. Hopefully with this new pokemon." He gave his trademark "peace" sign and went on his way, Pikachu walking beside him.


All along the way, Ash kept his eyes and ears open as did Pikachu. He hadn't said so, but he could swear those hairs looked human. He knew it made no sense that a human would be hiding out here though. It had to be a pokemon, right?

"Pikachu, what do you think? Do you think it's really a pokemon we're looking for?" Ash asked his best friend.

Pikachu didn't answer as he was too focused on his surroundings, specifically the trees. If Ash had followed Pikachu's gaze just a second earlier he would have seen a pair of red eyes peering down at them in curiosity. As it was, by time he did follow said gaze, they were gone. Pikachu wanted to alert Ash but knew it would do no good.

A crackle in the trees finally alerted Ash that they were not alone. He looked up at the trees quickly, but the crackling sound had silenced. He determined that he would just continue to the spring and pay no attention to any noises. He would give them absolutely no outward acknowledgment. Years of pokemon training had taught him well.

Finally arriving at the spring, he and Pikachu sat down quietly to admire the beauty of the waterfall and the area surrounding them.

"Wow, it's amazing, isn't it Pikachu?" he asked.

"Pika…" Pikachu concurred.

Patiently, the two waited and it wasn't long before Ash heard some rustling in the trees just above.

"Hey Pikachu," Ash said, bending down so just Pikachu could hear. "How about you go into the trees, see if you can talk to whoever's there." Pikachu nodded and discreetly made its way into the bushes.

Up in the treetops, a small figure with long pink hair looked down on the strange boy. She wondered what his game was exactly. He wasn't like the others in the human place. He clearly heard her, she knew he did, and yet did nothing. She liked playing hide and seek from the humans, but this human obviously didn't know how to play.

She was so focused on studying this new human that she didn't hear his pikachu coming behind her.

"Pikachu…" the Pikachu chirped at the figure.

Unprepared for the greeting the figure shrieked and tried to run away but only managed to fall completely from the tree and onto the ground behind the human.

AN: HA HA, Cliffhanger anyone. You'll have to check out the next chapter to find out how this plays out.