A/N: Well, it seems most of you want Brock to join only for a little while. That is perfectly doable. However, I will need some ideas on where to drop him, so you may either send me a PM with an idea or leave one in a review. I will be using the idea I like the best, or I may just make another poll for the ideas. We'll see.
I also apologize for the lack of this chapter on Sunday (when I typed it). My internet was shut down for a couple of days.
Chapter 7
"Alright you two, time for a picture! Butterfree, hold the badge. Just like that, good! Dratini, curl most of your body in front of Butterfree, then go up underneath and rest your head on Butterfree's head. Perfect! Now, take the tip of your tail and hold the badge from underneath. OK, now... One... Two... Three!"
CLICK
"You can drop the pose now you two. The both of you made me proud of the way you battled today. Oh, thanks Butterfree!"
Butterfree had flown over to Ash and handed him back the Boulder Badge it was holding. He clipped it to the inside of his jacket and returned both of his Pokemon after giving them a treat and headed back to the Pokemon Center.
Ash had decided to break in that digital camera he bought back in Viridian City. After every gym battle, he was going to have the Pokemon he battled with pose with the badge in front of the gym for a picture. This way he could document his accomplishments during his journey.
As he was walking along the road that would take him to the Pokemon Center, Ash spotted the Pewter City Museum and it caught his attention immediately. Hmmmm, I'll come back after I pick up Pikachu. I'm sure the little guy wouldn't want to miss out on seeing a museum. With that thought, the trainer walked on, only stopping to stock up on supplies in the PokeMart (and also buying some fishing gear that he couldn't resist).
Ash walked into the Pokemon Center and handed off Butterfree and Dratini to Nurse Joy to be healed before heading to his room to pick up the electric rodent.
Unlocking the door, the trainer heard the distinct sounds of the television going. Groaning, Ash walked in and saw Pikachu sitting at the end of the bed watching some romance movie. He walked over to the TV and turned it off.
"Pika! Pikachu Pi Pi ka chu Pika, Pika Pi!"
Pikachu was quite ticked off about its movie being shut off.
"I don't care if you were watching that. I came to to pick you up so we could go visit the museum I passed by. I thought you might like to see it. But... If you'd rather sit in here on your butt all day watching TV, be my guest."
Ash stuck his hands in the pockets of his jeans and started slowly walking out the door, whistling. Three... Two... One...
"Pika Pi!"
He suddenly felt a weight on his right shoulder and turned his head to look at Pikachu. The mouse had a pleading look on its face. He laughed and pet it on the head.
"Thought you would change your mind. Alright, lets go!"
One of the things Ash learned about Pikachu during one of their night time chats in the forest was that the yellow mouse loved to visit human recreational places. That included museums. It loved them so much that the rodent often snuck into some of the buildings just to look at the exhibits. This was months before Professor Oak captured it.
Walking into the museum, Ash paid for his ticket then sat Pikachu on the floor and telling it to have some fun looking around. Giving an excited "Pika!", it tore off for the ancient artifacts exhibit first. Shaking his head at his Pokemon's antics, Ash walked off in the opposite direction toward the museum's fossil collection. The trainer had always been fascinated by fossils.
He looked at many of the fossils of current species of Pokemon before stumbling upon the extinct Pokemon fossils. There was quite the collection of Omanyte, Omastar, Kabuto, Kabutops, and Aerodactyl fossils. They all ranged from egg fossils to elderly adults who had died from old age. Ash had taken out his camera and taken several pictures of them.
"Man, what I wouldn't give to have a Kabutops or an Aerodactyl!"
"I may be able to help you out there young man."
Ash was so startled by the deep voice that he nearly dropped his camera on the stone floor. He quickly put it away away in one of the side pockets of his backpack and turned around to see who spoke to him.
It was an older man who was bald, probably in his late 60s Ash figured, with a white beard and mustache. His facial hair was stubby however. The guy stood at around 5' 9". He stood looking at Ash with an amused look on his face and with his hands clapsed behind his back.
"You startled me mister!"
The guy raised one eyebrow and smiled.
"I noticed."
Ash huffed and crossed his arms and glared at the older man. The guy laughed outright at the trainer's indignant face. He calmed down quickly and repeated what he said earlier.
"Like I said earlier, I may be able to help you out."
"How? And not to be rude, but who are you exactly?"
"Ah, pardon my manners young one," Ash glared at the "young one" comment, "my name is Ronald Frank, Dr. Ronald Frank. You may call me Dr. Frank. I am the curator of this museum."
Ash looked sheepish when Dr. Frank mentioned he was the curator.
"To answer your first question, follow me into my office. I have a couple of items I wish to give you."
Dr. Frank turned on his heel and started walking away. Making a split second decision, Ash ran and caught up with him, following behind him. A few minutes of walking and they were in front of Dr. Frank's office. He pulled out a key and unlocked the door then turned on the lights.
"Well, go on in and have a seat while I go and get those items for you."
He let Ash pass him and the trainer took a seat in the chair in front Dr. Frank's desk. The older man walked over to a side door and went out of it, leaving Ash alone. He took this time to look around the office. Behind Dr. Frank's chair was a large bookshelf containing books and a few artifacts. The rest of the office was that - artifacts. They were everywhere! Most of them were contained in a glass showcase while the rest were sitting on shelves.
Five minutes later, Dr. Frank walked back in from the side door with three items in his hand. Three? I thought he said he was going to get two items? The man sat down in his chair and put the three items on the desk in front of him in a horizontal line.
"Sorry I took so long, I was debating on whether to give you this other fossil."
"Fossil?"
"Yes, fossil, well, more like fossils. This one is the one I debated on." He pointed to the fossil with a spiral shape. "This is the Helix Fossil. It used to be an Omanyte. A young one in fact. This one here," This time he pointed to the dome shaped fossil, "is the Dome Fossil. This one was also a young Pokemon, but a Kabuto." He pushed the two of them toward Ash, who picked them hesitantly and studied them. The fossils were no larger than his hand. Dr. Frank finally pointed to the last item.
"This one is amber, Old Amber, and it contains the DNA of an Aerodactyl. We're unsure of the age of the Pokemon, but we're guessing it was a young adult."
Ash was dumbfounded at being given these fossils, but he was confused as to why he was.
"Um, not that I'm not grateful at being given these, but what use would I have out of them?"
Dr. Frank looked delighted at the question.
"Ah, I was waiting on you to ask that! There's a research facility on Cinnebar Island that is south of Pallet Town, that I would like you to visit. I have a feeling you will be visiting the island to get a badge in the future, so I have no fear of you not getting there. I would like you to visit the research lab and have them look at the fossils. The lab has been working on a resurrection machine to bring back extinct Pokemon. If they are successful with these fossils, you may keep the Pokemon as your own. I, however, would like to have a look at them if they are resurrected, so I ask you to come back to Pewter City afterwards. Are you up for it? I myself would go, but I have to look after the museum."
Ash, at this point, had his mouth dropped open staring at Dr. Frank. He brought himself back to reality at the question he was asked.
"Heck yeah I am up for it! You can count on me sir! Oh and thanks a lot for letting me keeping the Pokemon if the machine works. I'll be sure to stop back here afterwards."
The young trainer carefully packed the fossils in a compartment inside his backpack. He stood up, shook Dr. Frank's hand vigorously and turned around to leave but was stopped by a question.
"By the way young man, I never got your name."
Ash turned back around giving a cocky smile (he was, after all, excited).
"The name's Ash, Ash Ketchum. Pokemon Master in training!"
Dr. Frank gave a hearty laugh as Ash left the office.
After a few more hours of looking around, Ash collected Pikachu (who was on the second floor looking around in the space exhibit) and left to head back to the Pokemon Center. By this time the sun was starting to set. Checking back in, he headed back to the room and took a shower. Afterward, he settled on the bed and turned on the TV to watch a movie with Pikachu. The both of them fell asleep in the middle of it.
Ash woke to the sounds of the news playing on the TV. Blindly, he felt around for the remote and accidentally knocked it off the night stand he put it on last night. Cursing under his breath, he sat up and blearily opened his eyes before leaning over the bed and picked it back up. He shut the TV off and flopped back on to his pillow. Fifteen minutes of tossing and turning made Ash realize he wasn't getting back to sleep any time soon. Growling, he got up and stumbled his way to the bathroom for a shower.
One shower later and the trainer was feeling more awake. He walked back into the room and woke Pikachu, allowed it to jump on his shoulder, and walked out into the lobby of the Pokemon Center. He handed over the key to his room to Nurse Joy, said his thanks and goodbyes, then left.
Ash stepped out on the route that would lead to him to Mount Moon and stretched.
"Well Pikachu, let's head to Cerulean City for our second badge!"
"Piiiiiiika!"
He was walking for at least fifteen minutes when he saw a Pokemon on the side of the road rooting around in the grass looking for food. He identified it quickly when he saw the brick-like pattern along its back. He whispered to Pikachu.
"Hey look, a Sandshrew! Let's catch it! We'll need a Ground type for later."
Pikachu nodded and Ash sent out Pidgeotto.
"Go, Pidgeotto!"
The bird came out with a cry of "Pidgeo".
"Pidgeotto, use Quick Attack on that Sandshrew!"
Pidgeotto was a blur in the air as it streaked toward the Sandshrew. It hit its target and sent the Pokemon in the air and it cried out in pain.
"Alright, now use Wing Attack! Hit it toward the ground!"
The Sandshrew had no time to fight back, especially in the air, as Pidgeotto flew at it from above with glowing wings. It was hit in the middle of the stomach and was sent hurdling at the ground at a high speed. A loud BOOM was heard and the sound sent flocks of startled Pidgey flying from the surrounding trees. Ooooooo, that had to hurt! Dust was also flying everywhere from the landing.
After the dust settled, Ash could see that Sandshrew laying in a shallow crater. It wasn't moving at all.
"PokeBall, go!"
He threw the PokeBall at the knocked out Pokemon and it was sucked in. The ball only shook once before the "Ping" was heard.
Ash walked over to the PokeBall and picked it up. He jumped a bit when the ball suddenly shrunk on its own and the button glowed red.
"Huh, must be because I have six Pokemon already. Time to break in the ATDS!"
Opening up the PokeDex, he started up the ATDS. He took off Beedrill's PokeBall from his belt and placed it on the black dot below the screen. A green light surrounded the ball before it disappeared. Pulling out Sandshrew's PokeBall, he saw the glow on the button fade, but the ball remained in its shrunken state.
"So that's how it works huh. I guess I would have to send another Pokemon before retrieving one from the ATDS. That or I could get one back, but the ball would be locked. Ah, I will figure it out later."
He put away his PokeDex and placed Sandshrew's ball on his belt. He looked down and saw Pidgeotto looking up at him.
"Oh yeah I forgot. Great job Pidgeotto!"
He got out a treat and handed it to Pidgeotto, who ate it without hesitation. After returning the bird to its PokeBall, he and Pikachu continued the trek towards Mount Moon.
By the time they got to the entrance of Mount Moon, it was late in the afternoon. Ash collapsed against the front wall of the small Pokemon Center that was outside of the entrance to catch his breath. Suddenly, several screeching bats flew out of the cave. Probably heading out for the night. Hey wait a minute, those are Zubat!
"Pikachu, use Thunderbolt on one of those Zubat!"
Pikachu jumped off of Ash's lap and zapped one of the bats on the edge of the group. It fell down down to the ground with a screech of pain and Ash wasted no time in catching it. As with Sandshrew, the ball locked up and he decided to send Pidgeotto over this time. Clipping Zubat to his belt, he turned to walk into the Pokemon Center. I'll have to put stickers on Sandshrew's and Zubat's PokeBalls tonight. He was suddenly stopped by a voice calling out to him.
"H-hey Ash, wait up!"
End of Chapter 7
So there you have it, chapter 7! Hope you enjoyed it!
By the way, the stickers Ash puts on the PokeBalls shrink and grow with the ball. Oh and the camera idea came from Trip of Pokemon Black and White except that Ash doesn't photograph every little bit of his journey, just after important battles.
