Chapter 4: Fear

Ash and Red were in their room and had just gotten up.

"So she was that girl you went to camp with and talked about when you got back?"

"The same, geez what are the odds."

"I know, it's awesome. You know, in the back of my head I never really forgot about her and hoped we could meet again one day. Now that's a reality."

"Well I'm happy for you, not to mention the fact that you're a Zyuranger, you know instead of just being an alternate." Red said as he rubbed Charmander's head.

"Red."

"It's fine Ash. Come on let's get to class." Red said.

Pikachu climbed onto Ash's shoulder before they left the room and saw Gary back out of his room before a pillow hit his head.

"Ha ha! I win again!" Hau shouted as he came out.

"Dodgeball with pillows is not a real game Hau." Gary said sounding irritated.

"With that attitude it's no wonder you've never won." Hau said as he came out.

"Having fun with your roommate?" Ash asked.

"Hau is way to energetic and happy. He's driving me crazy, every night he and Rowlet play a game of hide and go seek. He's sixteen years old, he needs to grow up."

"Easy there Gary. Would you rather have a doom and gloom roommate?" Red said.

"If he would let me sleep."

They joined the others in the eating area, Ash sitting down next to Serena.

"So that was really you out there Ash?" Kiawe asked.

He nodded.

"I guess we owe our freedom to you." Lana said.

"What was it like in the armor?" Moon asked.

"Well." Ash started before he and Red noticed Lillie sitting alone at the other table looking very tired and drinking coffee.

"Is she drinking coffee?" Red asked.

"Yeah I made her some." Mallow said.

"Why is she so tired?" Red asked.

Serena looked a little concerned.

"After what happened with the monster, I let Vulpix sleep beside me. Lillie slept under her bed in fear."

"Under her bed?" Red said sounding very concerned.

"Yeah, I'm starting to get worried about her." Serena said.

Red got up and went over to the table, sitting beside her.

"Hey Lillie are you ok?"

"Huh?! Oh yeah, just on my third cup of coffee to try and stay awake for class. Didn't get any sleep last night cause I was afraid my roommate's Vulpix would get me."

"Lillie , are you afraid of pokemon?"

Lillie gave a nervous look as she turned back to her coffee.

"No."

Charmander finished his food and went back over to Red and jumped up onto his lap.

"Charmander!" he said before Lillie saw him and spit out her coffee.

Lillie gave a terrified look as she tried to get out of her chair but wen too fast and slammed into the ground.

Red and Charmander sweat dropped.

Later that morning they were all in the classroom with Kukui and Samson.

"Here in Alola certain breeds of pokemon become different from their mainstream species after living here for so long. Such as Meowth." Kukui said as he and Samson took out two pokeballs, letting out a a meowth with tan fur and more dark blue fur.

"Ash, Red, Serena, Gary, you probably all recognize this Meowth from outside Alola." Kukui said.

"This is an Alola version, as you can see they have become different than their non Alolan relatives."

Hau raised his hand.

"Yes Hau?" Kukui asked.

"Why do some Alola pokemon look different when their mainland counterparts but others don't?"

"There's the great mystery Hau, to this day many of us have our theories about what causes some pokemon to have this phenomenon." Samson said.

"Could everyone come up here and get a closer look at them."

The students came up in groups of two, Moon and Mallow, Kiawe and Gary, Sophocles and Lana came up, then Ash and Serena.

Hau and Red had gone up when Red noticed Lillie shaking in her seat.

"Lillie, you need to come up." Kukui said.

"Do, do I have to?"

Red came over to her.

"Why don't I go up with you."

He took Lillie's hand and felt her shake as they slowly walked up to the front desk and saw the two Meowths.

They both began purring as Lillie's face turned white and crestfallen.

Red petted them both as he turned and saw Lillie's expression.

"Lillie." He started before the Alolan Meowth tried to jump into Red's arms and very close to Lillie.

Lillie fell over.

"Did she just faint?" Lana asked.

Red knelt down in front of her.

"Lillie?"

Red's charmander also put his head over her face, Lillie's eyes slowly opening.

"Char?"

"Ahh!"

Kukui and Samson gave very concerned looks.

"I'm really getting worried about her Samson."

Later that day Samson was doing his usual training with Ash and the others five.

Samson was going hard with Red.

Red taking several hard hits before being knocked down.

"Up!" Samson shouted as Red got up and tried more of the fighting style he was teaching him and Ash.

Likewise Charmander was beside him going at Samson's Primeape.

"Growl , then use Ember and Scratch!" Red shouted as he unleashed a furry of last continuous strikes like Samson had taught him.

Samson used the style he was teaching Serena to avoid each strike before unleashing a strike from his core and hands to knock Red back.

Likewise Primeape leapt over Charmander's attacks and punched him into the ground.

"H'mm, you seem to be understanding the techniques I'm teaching you Red, but your mind is not focused. If your head isn't int he fight then you're not giving a hundred percent."

Red sighed.

"I'm sorry, I'm just really worried about Lillie. Her fear of pokemon is only getting worse."

Samson's expression changed as he put his hand on his chin and nodded.

"You have a point, she's been here over a year and she's no less afraid of pokemon than the day she came. Kukui and I have tried to help her, but we can't seem to get through to her. We've tried bringing in dozens of different pokemon to see if there's any she's not afraid of, but we've had no luck. Quite frankly I don't even know what she's doing here."

"If she could just find one pokemon she's not afraid of, maybe it could open her up to not being afraid of pokemon."

"As I said, we've tried time and time again to no avail."

"Maybe I could try." Red said.

"I suppose it would help you get your head back in training. Alright , but you have to catch up with me later tonight."

"Fine, come on Charmander."

"Char!"

Red and Charmander left as Samson turned turned to see Ash and Gary sparring hard with their martial arts and pokemon beside them.

"Gary you're up, come at me." Samson said as Gary looked terrified.

Kukui was with the other class as they were practicing speed drills with their pokemon.

"Come on Togedemaru!" Sophocles shouted as his pokemon sprinted across the ground with Bounsweet and Turtonator behind him.

Lana's Popplio was in the water swimming fast as Lillie waited away from the others.

"Come on, I want to see some speed." Kukui said before he saw Red and Charmander.

"Alola Red, shouldn't you be doing your , special training with Samson."

"He gave me permission to try and help Lillie."

Red explained the situation to Kukui who nodded.

"Lillie!" Kukui shouted as she came over.

"Yes."

"I have a new assignment for you, today you're catching a pokemon."

"What!?"

"It's time , you've been here over a year and you need to catch one."

"Professor please, I."

Kukui put his hand on her shoulder.

"Lillie, you need to get over this fear. You're catching a pokemon today."

Lillie gave another crestfallen look and was about to fall over when Red caught her.

"No, none of that." Kukui said.

"Bbbbut."

"I'm going with you." Red said.

Lillie tried to faint again.

They went back to Lillie's room as she tried to get ready.

As Red looked around the room he looked at the nightstand and saw two pictures , one was clearly Serena's as professor Oak was in it with a bunch of children , one Red recognized as Ash and standing beside him was little Serena.

That was when Red noticed another picture on Lillie's side.

The picture seemed to be of a younger Lillie in front of a house. Behind her was an older boy who looked like her, and a grown woman who also looked like her. But most peculiar there was a Lillipup in her arms.

Red saw Lillie looked very happy in the picture.

"Alright I'm ready." Lillie said as Red saw her come out wearing what looked like a Spaceman's suit and a duffle bag in her arms.

Red and Charmander sweat dropped.

"What, I have to keep myself safe." She said.

"Charmander." Charmander said as Lillie looked afraid in her suit.

The three were moving through the tropical rainforest near the school.

Lillie was staying very close to Red with Charmander in front of Red.

"I'm sure there's lots of pokemon here you might want to catch." Red said as he looked around.

Red saw a pair of Pikipek on a branch with a Trumbeak between them.

"How about a Pikipek, they're small and harmless." Red said as He held his hand out with some bit of bait on it.

"Charmander!" Charmander called out to the birds.

One of the Pikipek heard Charmander and looked down before smiling the bait.

"Pick!" he chirped before flying down and into Red's hand, nibbling at the bait.

Lillie was shaking inside her suit as Red moved the small bird close to Charmander.

"Char." Charmander said sounding friendly.

"Pik!" Pikipek chirped back.

"See, he's friendly, and isn't he cute." Red said as he slowly brought the little bird over to Lillie.

Lillie was shaking inside her suit as she saw Pikipek in front of her mask.

"Pick!" Pikipek said as he tapped the glass with his little beak.

"Ahhhhhh!" Lillie screamed as she backed up.

Red and Charmander sweat dropped.

They continued looking through the rainforest until they came across a group of Fomantis eating from a pecha berry bush.

"Formantis, you remember them from class. You remember how friendly Professor Kukui said they are." Red said as he knelt down and called to them.

A few came over to him but looked a little afraid of Charmander.

"It's ok Charmander won't hurt you."

"Char." Charmander said as two of the Formantis came into his arms.

Red showed them to Lillie.

"See, sweet little grass pokemon. They won't."

"Ahhhh!" Lillie screamed as she rushed away.

Red, Charmander, and Formantis all sweat dropped.

"Ok maybe I've been going at this the wrong way. Charmander, what do you think would be the most unthreatening/harmless pokemon you can think of."

Charmander had to think for a minute before an idea came to his head.

"Char charmander!"

He lead the way looking around through the rainforest when Charmander saw them, three Lillipups laying around.

"Ohh brilliant." Red said as Charmander looked proud of himself, his arms crossed his eyes shut and his head nodding.

"Char."

Red carefully went forward and picked one up without waking him and brought him over to Lillie.

"How about him, he's so small , soft, cute, he even has the same name as you." Red started before Lillie screamed again, the Lillipup waking, freaking out and jumping out of Red's arms while running past Charmander and knocking him down.

Red and Charmander sweat dropped again.

"This is pointless!" Lillie shouted.

"Come on Lillie there has to be one pokemon you're not afraid of." Red said as Lillie noticed her helmet was getting fogged up. She opened the back of her suit to let the air out before she noticed the suit got heavier.

"Huh?" She said before Red and Charmander noticed something moving inside the suit.

Their eyes widened.

"Oh no."

Lillie's face turned white as she saw a black and grey lizard climb up the front of her suit and stick its head inside her helmet in front of her face.

"Lit."

Lillie screamed so loud it almost broke the glass helmet.

Lillie looked like she was having a seizure as she flailed around like she was on fire.

Red and Charmander came over and tried to help her.

"Easy there Lillie, hold still."

As she flailed around she accidentally smacked Red and Charmander across their faces.

Red had , had enough and tightened his fist.

"Alright that's it!" He screamed as he and Charmander ripped the space suit apart and Red grabbed Salandit by the tail and held him up as the poison lizard tried to snap his teeth at Red.

Red tossed him aside before Charmander leapt forward and slashed him with his claws then smacked him with his tail, making the small lizard scurry away.

"Alright he's gone." Lillie said before she saw Charmander near her.

"Ahhh! Get him away" She started before Red grabbed her shoulders.

"Enough! Stop freaking being afraid Lillie! What the hell are you even doing at the school if you're afraid of the most harmless pokemon!" Red screamed angrily having had enough of her fears.

Lillie's expression changed from afraid to slightly hurt.

She started to tear up and ran off.

Red's expression also changed.

"Lillie wait I! Oh stupid , stupid!" Red said hitting himself.

Charmander sweat dropped.

Lillie kept going until she reached an upper area of the rainforest and sat down beside a tree crying.

"Lillie" She heard and saw Red coming over.

She turned her head away.

"Lillie, I'm sorry. I , I didn't mean that I was just frustrated."

"I don't like it."

"Don't like what?"

"I don't like being afraid of pokemon!" She shouted sounding frustrated.

"If you want to know why I'm at the school, it's because I love learning about pokemon."

"You, you do?"

Lillie nodded.

"I've read just about every book there is on pokemon, classroom time is great too. I just can't get close to them." She said with her head down.

Red knelt down by Lillie.

"Lillie, I didn't mean what I said."

Her head was still down.

"Lillie I didn't mean it." Red said putting his hand on her chin and helping her look at his face.

"Lillie, you aren't a coward, and maybe you are a little afraid. But you can get better, I want to help you love pokemon as much as you possibly can. You're right, I've seen you read pokemon books every day since I got to this school. You've aced every written and oral assignment we've had. You do care about pokemon Lillie."

Charmander came up beside Red as Lillie looked a little afraid.

"Lillie , I need to ask, why are you afraid of being near pokemon?"

Lillie looked very sad.

"I can't say Red."

"Lillie I need to know if we're going to help you."

"I can't say Red!" She shouted.

Red took a deep breath.

"Alright, maybe this will help, I'll explain to you why there may be some dangerous pokemon out there, I'll never be afraid of pokemon in general." Red said as he petted Charmander's head.

"When I was five years old my family was vacationing in the Seafoam islands. My mom and dad were on the beach and I asked Ash if he wanted to play hide and go seek. He said we shouldn't but I egged him on and on. He finally agreed and I thought the rainforest not he island would be the perfect place to hide. Unfortunately I went too far in and got lost. I spent what felt like forever trying to get out. Screaming , crying of my mommy and daddy. Then I found some people."

"What happened?"

"I thought I was saved, there were three men wearing black uniforms with red R's on the chest and some Zubat. I asked them to take me home, but they tied me up and gagged me, talking about throwing me in the ocean. I don;t think I was ever more scared in my entire life."

"Oh my God."

Red nodded.

"How, what happened?"

"I heard something, something big. A massive Charizard flew into their camp and fought them off, all of the men and their pokemon. Then he found me, all curled up and scared, he freed me from my bondage and even comforted me, like he was a parent."

Lillie's expression changed as Red held Charmander in his arms.

"To this day I still don't know if the Charizard was a wild Charizard or a trainer's, but he saved me from those people, he carried me in his arms and flew me out of the rain forest and back to my family. After that day I knew I could never hate pokemon no matter what. I spend as much time as I could at Oak's lab , being around as many pokemon as I could."

He put Charmander down then put his hands on Lillie's.

"We're going to find you a pokemon Lillie, one you're not afraid of. They'll do for you what that Charizard did for me."

He helped Lillie get up as she gave a less frightened look.

The two and Charmander kept looking through the rainforest for pokemon.

Over an hour had passed and Lillie's feet had gotten sore.

She was leaning against a tree as Red handed her the bottle of water.

"Alright we can't give up, we will find a pokemon." Red said as Lillie lowered the bottle of water.

Out of the conner of her eye, Lillie saw what looked like a very small pokemon floating around the air.

"Neb!" The pokemon said as it floated around with a smile on its face.

Lillie looked closer and saw the pokemon had sort of a nebula like body with two wisp like extensions that served as arms and an ellipse going down its body.

She was amazed, having never seen a pokemon like this or read anything about it in any of her books.

"Red, look at this."

He and Charmander came over and saw the pokemon playfully moving around.

"What, what is it?"

"I don't know."

Lillie had stars in her eyes as she saw the small pokemon.

The pokemon kept moving around unaware of its surroundings until he was directly in front of Lillie's face.

They both yelped and moved back before carefully moving closer.

Red and Charmander backed up to allow them space.

Lillie was shaking , but came closer, the pokemon shaking as well.

"Uh, hi, I'm Lillie."

"Neb." It said.

Moments later the small pokemon was hit by a small blast of poison and knocked down.

Lillie saw three Salandit growling at the small pokemon and coming closer.

"Oh boy." Red said as he and Charmander ran over and between them.

Two of the Salandit came forward unleashing ember.

"Charmander use your tail flame and Scratch."

Charmander used his tail to absorb the fire before smashing his claws into two of their heads.

The two got back up growling as Charmander growled back.

They both tried to come forward and scratch him.

"Growl, Ember on the ground, and scratch!"

"Char!" Charmander growled, lowering his opponent's attacks before basting the ground with fire, causing dirt and rocks to get into their faces.

Charmander then scratched them both into the ground before focusing on one.

The other tried to come up behind him, but Red grabbed him by the tail and tossed him aside.

The third Saladin kept coming at the small pokemon as Lillie watched shaking.

She saw the pokemon shaking in fear and saw herself in it.

"No!" She screamed as she came over and covered the pokemon with her body as the Salandit hit her back, scratching and biting her.

Lillie grunted in pain as the Salandit continued, Lillie tried to run with the pokemon in her arms but the Salandit bit her leg making her fall over.

Lillie shook as the Salandit moved closer.

The pokemon's expression changed as he saw blood come out of Lillie's leg.

"Neb!" he shouted as he came up and enveloped the Salandit in a white light. Moments later it was gone.

"Huh?" Lillie said as she saw the pokemon smiling at her and floating over her bleeding leg.

"Neb." He said softly as a white light came around Lillie's leg healing it.

Lillie got up as the pokemon rubbed up against her.

Red and Charmander saw this, Lillie not shaking anymore.

They watched with particular interest as Lillie touched the pokemon without fear.

"Lillie, she's not afraid."

"Char!"

Lillie smiled.

"I know we just met, but would you want to come with me?"

"Neb!" It said happily rubbing up against her.

"I think I'll call you, Nebby."

Lillie took out a pokeball but then looked at the pokemon again.

"Maybe some day, but not today. How about for now." She said opening her duffle bag.

"Why don't you get in the bag Nebby."

The small pokemon went inside and stuck its head out.

"Well, we did it." Red said as he came over before Lillie hugged him tightly.

"Thank you." She said not noticing Red blush.

Later that night Lillie was in her room with Nebby floating around her head as she looked at a book.

"Looks like you and Red finally found a pokemon for you. I hope it was worth is, Samson is making him stay out late for all the time he lost, and training got hard." Serena said as she laid down with Vulpix beside her.

Lillie rubbed Nebby's head.

"What kind of pokemon is that anyway?"

"I don't know Serena, I've never ready about a pokemon like this before. Maybe Kukui and Samson will know."

Moments later Lillie saw Vulpix leaning against her bed with her head near her.

"Vulpix."

Lillie looked a little freaked out, but didn't scream.

She took a deep breath and carefully moved her hand closer, rubbing the side of Vulpix's head, feeling her soft fur.

Lillie's expression changed, she gave a slight smile.

Serena also looked excited seeing this.

"Look at that, Red did it."

Author's note

I worked hard to get this ready for you guys,

Merry christmas