Chapter 4

"Why did it always have to be a rustling bush?" moaned Dawn.

Just then, a huge green creature rushed out of the bush. Everyone instinctively dodged away. However, Dawn, being a Piplup, has webbed and short feet, which was good for swimming quickly in the water, but disastrous for waddling on the ground. She tripped and fell down right on her face. Panic set in and she started struggling on the ground. The creature saw her and tried to stop, before its momentum brought it to crash with Dawn.

It took a while for Ash, Sena and Brock to regain their calm. Ash saw Dawn struggling and hastily pulled Dawn away. He instantly realized that the creature was actually a Bulbasaur. Ash quickly beckoned Sena and Brock to go there silently by waving his hand at them. Brock, being a blind Zubat, did not see the sign and simply continue to stay away warily. Sena quickly pulled Brock by his tail and rushed towards Ash.

The creature slowly regained its senses. It sat up and shook its head. Ash and Sena curiously stared at him. Dawn was slowly getting up while Brock was fluttering above. It raised an eyebrow.

"Cover me while I sense its Aura," whispered Ash to Sena.

"You could do that?" said Sena incredulously.

"One of the perks of being an Auraer," explains Brock, "is that they get to check the Aura of someone. Actually, Dawn is more adapt at this. Ash could only see if it's good-willed or bad."

Sena stepped in front of Ash as Ash stretched his hands outwards and shut his eyes. The Bulbasaur's face seemed unreadable. In fact, it seemed to be hiding a laugh. Sena bent his knees a little, in case it decided to attack.

"It's blue," confirmed Ash, after a minute.

Dawn walked up to the Bulbasaur. It smiled.

"Hi," said Dawn. The Bulbasaur turned its back on her. Muffled laughter could be heard.

"Hey!" Ash and Co. walked to her side. She frowned. It was not long before a full blown laughter could be heard.

"That's it, I give up," said Dawn.

"Who are you?" asked Sena to the Bulbasaur. It slowly turned around. Its face was twisted as it tried to control its laughter.

"And who are you, huh?" asked the Bulbasaur.

"We are um…travelers, from another place," explained Ash as he continued to introduce himself, Dawn, Brock and Sena.

"Well, I'm Greenie, a Bulbasaur, from Daiytu Town. What business have you all in the forests of Danfet?" replied Greenie.

"The Forests of Danfet? That's where we are?" asked Ash.

"Is there a town nearby?" asked Sena. Greenie nodded.

"Well, Mom might like some visitors," thought Greenie aloud.

"Come on, follow me. Let's go to my house!"

--

Ash and Co. followed Greenie and walked into a village. However, the one thing that piqued their interested was that this village was populated by Pokemon, instead of humans. There were no steel-cement skyscrapers but there were houses made of mud bricks. Greenie had told them that his house was the one near the river.

On the way, they saw shops, banks and even a post office. Greenie introduced each of the buildings as they went past them.

"This is ol' Kecleon's shop. Their families are a old business group. Most of the shops are either opened or monopolized by them. And this is…." Greenie did not manage to finish the sentence. They stopped right in front of a Squirtle, Slugma, and a Aron. All of them were sneering at Greenie. The Squirtle scanned through the team.

"So, this is your rescue team members, eh, Teeny-weeny?" said the Squirtle. Ash frowned. Rescue team members?

"Um…well, um…." Stuttered Greenie. The Slugma and Aron chortled loudly.

Ash immediately stepped up front to defend their new friend. The Squirtle reminded him of Paul, and he did not really like the other two cronies as well.

"Yeah, we are his 'team members'. How's about that?" Ash purposely emphasized the 'his'.

"Oh? Then I guess you'd better jump the ship. The very small and useless ship," The three of them laughed loudly. Greenie gritted his teeth and said nothing. He used one of his vines to poke Ash, who was about to fight back, and get his attention. Ash squinted at the laughing trio before they left them.

They continued walking in silence. They didn't need to be Auraers to sense that Greenie was in a very bad mood. Finally, Ash spoke up.

"Who were they, Greenie?" asked Ash. Sena nudged and glared at him. He simply shrugged. Dawn rolled her eyes.

"Rivals. Blue, Magmy and Steely," grunted Greenie. Every syllable was dripping with hatred. The four of them looked at each other.

"How come you hate them so much?" Ash pressed on. This time, he earned a stepping on his foot by Dawn. Brock sighed. Fourteen years of experience and he still had not learn to keep his mouth shut.

Greenie did not get to answer Ash as a woman's cut through their conversation.

"Greenie! You brought friends!" A woman shouted from the house near the river. Everyone looked at her.

"Yes, mom," replied Greenie.

A/N: Starting of a rivalry. Greenie, eh?