~What were you thinking? You could have killed us!~ a distorted voice scolded angrily towards another.

"Ugh…" Alex groaned softly. The speakers seemed to not take notice of her slowly waking up as they continued.

She kept her eyes squeezed shut, her head pounding in absolute agony, her body tingling still from the electric shock. Who knew a Pikachu could be so strong?

~I-I'm sorry; I didn't mean to use that much strength! I didn't want that Meowth to hurt her. I really do like her, I swear! I didn't mean to hurt her or any of you guys!~ another cried pitifully based on his sobbing.

~Hey!~ another called out. ~She's coming to!~

~Thank the gods,~ the first one sighed with relief.

"What happened?" Alex wondered, finally forcing her eyes open. She could see that she was in a white room, not a forest. "Where am I?"

~Take it easy, you were out of it for a while,~ the first voice tried to reason, claws resting on her shoulder.

"Sienna?"

~I'm here,~ the voice reassured, the Pokémon coming into view. ~We were so worried when you wouldn't wake up. If Azure hadn't come back with doctors, who knows what could've happened.~

"I must be dreaming. There's no way you can talk. It's impossible…" the girl muttered softly as she fell back onto the bed.

~Wait… You can…you can understand me? Understand us?~ the fire type asked with a shocked expression. ~But how…unless it was from Ken's Thunder Shock! It must have done something to make it possible for you to understand us.~

"That or I'm hallucinating," Alex commented softly.

~You should still rest. Hallucination or not, it's better for you,~ the fire type spoke, the girl willing to agree.

~We're just glad that you're okay,~ a young male stated. She looked over to see Lance on his hind legs to peer over with a relieved expression.

"Thanks…" she smiled as she felt herself starting to doze off, feeling something furry hop in bed with her. "Ken?"

~Here… I'm so sorry for shocking you, shocking everyone. I panicked…~

"It's okay; you were protecting me from that Meowth. You were scared, I was too."

~You're not mad?~

"No, I'm not mad," she smiled, pulling the mouse close, hugging him. "How did I get here though? You said something about Azure?"

~He ran back to get help. Doctors came and brought you here. We weren't sure how you were doing until you were stable. We were put into our pokéballs for almost the whole time until Azure finally let us out a little while ago.~ Sienna explained.

"Where is he?"

~Not sure, he stepped out. Probably to see how Spearow's doing.~

"Is it okay?"

~I can't be for certain, but I don't think so,~ the fire type sighed as she gave the girl a soft look, seeing how tired her trainer was. ~Please rest, Alex. You went through a lot.~

Right on cue, the girl fell asleep, not waking up again until much later, seeing the clock on the wall, reading it was near dinner.

Sitting up, feeling more rested, she looked around, seeing her Pokémon spread out, Azure even here, slumped in a chair.

"Azure?"

"Hn…" he grumbled in his sleep.

Getting up, she walked over, gently nudging him awake, the boy slowly opening his eyes, snapping them open completely when seeing her.

"Alex, you're okay!' he cried out, as he shot to his feet, hugging her tightly. "You don't know how worried I was, your Pokémon even!"

"I'm glad I'm okay too," she laughed as she returned the gesture. "What about your Spearow? How is it?"

"Not too good…"

"What happened?"

"There was severe nerve damage, so I can't battle with him anymore. I sent him home so Dad can look after him. Maybe he could find a way to fix him so he could at least fly again. It isn't fair he's grounded like this."

"What about that guy?"

"He took off, if I ever see him again, I'll make him pay for hurting Spearow. For threatening to hurt you even…"

"Azure…"

She's never seen him like this and part of it worried her, not that she could blame him for hating someone so much. He probably had a lot of plans for Spearow, if not as a battler, for other things it could've done to make it happy.

"I'm sorry, I'm just glad that you're okay," the boy whispered. "How are you feeling? If you don't think you can walk, I can get something if you're hungry."

"I am a bit hungry," she laughed nervously, placing her hands on his stomach.

"Then let's get something to eat, you can walk, right?"

"I should be okay," she reassured as she paused when looking at her outfit. "I should change first though."

"S-sure, I'll wait outside, give you privacy," Azure stuttered as he stepped out.

Unable to suppress a smile, she quickly went to the bathroom, taking a quick shower to freshen up, throwing clean clothes on, opting to skip her hoodie for the time being.

When she stepped out, meeting with the boy, they began to walk to the eating area, both chatting away.

Once they were seated with food on their plates, their Pokémon out and given food, the girl hearing them talk the entire time, understanding them perfectly.

It unnerved her a little, unsure if she was still hallucinating or what.

"Azure?"

"Yeah?"

"Did anything strange happen after we got shocked?"

"What do you mean?"

"I don't know, maybe I'm still out of it, but I swear I can hear my Pokémon talking. I mean actually talking, as you and I are now."

"I heard stories of the Viridian Forest having a weird power or something, why don't we give my dad a call? He may know more about it or know someone who does."

"You don't think I'm crazy?"

"You could be, but you're not. I know you too well," Azure reassured, flashing a toothy grin at her, making her start laughing. "What?"

"You have a piece of celery sticking out of your teeth."

"Seriously?" he cried out, taking the napkin dispenser to see his reflection.

~Strange kid, always worried about his looks,~ a voice muttered, the girl glancing over, seeing her friend's Pidgey and Squirtle talking together.

~Come on, he's not that bad,~ Squirtle laughed nervously, trying to defend the boy.

"Alex?"

"Oh, sorry."

"Did my Pokémon say something?"

"I think your Pidgey insulted you, he said something about you always worrying about your appearance."

"Pompous bird, he's almost always grooming himself!" Azure growled as he glared at the bird, seeing it give him a surprised look that their conversation was heard.

~I told you she can understand us,~ Hana laughed, seeing the bird get flustered.

~Shut up before I make a meal out of you!~ he threatened, puffing himself up to get as big as possible.

~Wh-what?~

~Harm her, and you deal with me,~ a stern voice growled, revealing to be Ansen.

~Tch… Whatever,~ Pidgey clucked as he flitted off a bit, obviously moping.

~Thank you, Ansen.~

~Whatever.~

"How is it we get two cranky Pidgey?"

"Huh?"

"Yours has an attitude as well as mine," Alex explained when seeing the standoff, hearing every word spoken.

"Wow, you think they're related?" Azure asked, giving a surprised look when both birds started snapping at him for the comment.

"I doubt it," she laughed nervously, hearing all sorts of profanity shot at the boy.

Managing to settle them down, they finished eating before going to one of the available phones, calling the professor.

"It's such a relief to see you're okay, Alex. You had us all worried when Azure called," Oak nearly rambled.

"I'm glad to be okay too," the girl smiled.

"Azure also told me you found a shiny Pokémon, very lucky for you."

"Thanks, I'm really glad to have found Ken."

"Hey, Dad," the boy spoke up, catching his father's attention. "There's something we wanted to ask you if that's okay."

"What is it?"

"Well, is it possible for people to understand Pokémon?" the boy blurted out, the girl surprised he'd ask so fast, let alone ask for her.

Guess he does know her pretty well, knowing she'd probably beat around the bush, probably too scared to outright and ask.

"You may need to elaborate a little more than that. Do you mean actually understanding what they're saying?"

"Yes."

"Did something happen to you two?"

"It started when I woke up. I don't know if I'm going crazy, but I swear I can hear my Pokémon talk, hearing other Pokémon talking. Azure said something about Viridian Forest having strange powers."

"I might've heard about something like it a long time ago, but I can't be certain it's the exact cause. You were electrocuted by your Pikachu, correct?"

"Yes."

"As you're both aware of, people like us as well as Pokémon, or any organic matter, have some sort of natural electrical current right down to the tiniest atom. We are able to use those currents for studies from magnetism to patterns in a living brain."

"So you're saying that the shock might've done something to my brain then? In the language section that is?"

"I believe so; I have more faith in that happening than given special powers. Not to say magic doesn't exist, but it is better to look at all possibilities before jumping to conclusions. If you'd like, I could swing by tomorrow morning to check on you. I would rather not risk either of you walking back to Pallet Town, you especially, Alex."

"I understand, Professor."

"Same here."

"I know a lot of has happened, but know that things like this sadly can happen. I've told you this before."

"I know, but still…"

"Steven said that too," Alex inquired, getting looks from the other two. "Sorry, he's a trainer a met shortly after I arrived here, getting the Pokédex that is."

"I see, he sounds like a wise man."

"He is, he even suggested I try catching a Caterpie, leading me to get Hana," she explained as she picked up the cocoon.

"Lucky you got advice for that," Azure teased as she put her Pokémon back down.

"I don't know why, but that name sounds familiar…"

"Maybe you heard about him? He told me he got as far as six badges before getting bored and stuck to wandering."

"I think that might be the very same one I heard about back when I was still a trainer, just before I decided to aim at becoming a professor."

"Wow, he got six badges? That's so cool, and he was here and helped you out!"

"Yeah, he's really nice, and he's got a really cool Jolteon."

"Jolteon?"

"Jolteon?"

"Yeah, he named it Henry, lets him travel outside his ball too."

"Did he have a Bulbasaur with him or any of its evolutions?"

"No, he said he started with one, but when he told me what he had, he didn't mention it now that I think about it. Maybe it's back home with his family?"

"Maybe or there's more to what he said about becoming bored battling. Something could've happened to Bulbasaur that turned him away from competitive battling."

"That might explain it, that and all the scars he and Henry had."

"Scars? Creepy…"

"I see… He likely did suffer a rather painful loss. It would explain why he never finished collecting the badges, even disappearing from the media for so many years."

"Was he that popular?"

"He was considered a prodigy, able to catch normally hard to control Pokémon, coming up with unique strategies to win against tough battles. From what I recall, he actually beat the Vermilion Gym with only a Staryu."

"Wow, can't blame him getting famous if newsmen saw that or even heard of it."

"And if he lost his Bulbasaur, that and with the media on him, it might've driven him to seclusion, so he could be forgotten. Kinda sad when you think about it."

"It is, but we really don't know. As you said, Alex, his Bulbasaur could be fine and is simply staying home, either retired or not interested in battling. It can happen and often does. I've also raised Pokémon that stopped wanting to battle for any reason and I would send them home or find them a new home if they were happy."

"I hope so…"

"So Dad, are you actually going to come by to check on Alex?" Azure asked, trying to change the topic when seeing how sad she looked.

"Only if Alex feels it would be beneficial."

"I guess it couldn't hurt. It would at least confirm that I'm not hurt where the other doctors might've not seen right away."

"Alright then, I'll get things packed and head on over tomorrow morning. Try to get some rest, you two."

"We will," both replied as they hung up.

"You okay, Alex?"

"I'm fine, guess that talk about Steven just got to me. I mean, yeah, I thought his scars were pretty strange, you rarely see them on trainers."

"But the fact he got them and if he's considered a prodigy in battling, he probably got them protecting his Pokémon. So they're like badges in their own right," Azure tried to reassure.

"I guess you're right."

"Come on, why don't we hit the sack? Dad will be here and he'll want you rested."

Nodding, the two went to one of the rooms to get some rest, their Pokémon following closely behind.

When morning came, the children woke to a terrified scream, causing them to fall out of their beds. They looked around before eyes settled on a panicking Pikachu.

~Hana's broken!~ Ken wailed as he ran back and forth, clearly not knowing what to do.

"Ken. Ken calm down!" Alex cried out, managing to grab her Pokémon, keeping him still long enough. "What's going on? What's wrong with Hana?"

"What the heck's going on?" Azure groaned as he rubbed the sleep out of his eyes. "What's wrong with your Pikachu?"

"Something's wrong with Hana," she answered quickly, scouting for her Pokémon, finding cracks along the husk. "H-Hana?"

~She was like that, I didn't do anything, I swear!~ Ken cried, burying his face into his trainer's shirt.

"Easy, Ken, it's okay," she comforted before a gruffer voice spoke up.

~She's evolving you, idiot,~ Ansen grumbled, not fully awake, but fully pissed.

~Ansen!~ Sienna snapped as a glow came from the cocoon's body.

Before long, a body emerged from the remains, wings unfolding themselves, a fully evolved Butterfree flitting about.

~I evolved! I finally evolved!~ Hana cheered happily.

"Oh wow, you look amazing!" Alex laughed as she pried the Pikachu from her. "See, Ken, she's okay. She was evolving; I completely forgot she was due."

"That's so cool, I never got to see a Butterfree evolve before," Azure spoke up.

"Me neither, this is really awesome."

"I bet she's hungry after evolving."

~I sure am!~ Hana laughed, fluttering over to the boy, landing on his shoulder, chattering happily as she tickled his face with her antenna.

"Okay, I may not be able to understand what she said, but I think I get the gist," he laughed as he managed to make her stop.

Laughing as well, the pair took turns in the bathroom to clean up and change, heading to the eating area, piling their plates for themselves and their Pokémon.

"Wonder when the professor will be here?"

"I'm sure he'll be here soon, he knows the same shortcuts as your mom, and if not that, if he's in that much of a hurry, he'll use Dragonite to fly here."

"That's true."

Shortly after they ate, the man in question showed up, dressing more casual than his normal lab coat, likely to avoid someone bugging him right away.

"Alex, Azure," he greeted, the kids going to him.

As they talked a bit, they paused as he spoke with Nurse Joy, asking to use one of her empty examination rooms to do look over on Alex. He wanted to be certain she was okay as well as do a check over his son just to be safe.

Afterward, both were given a thorough physical, the girl mostly, the professor finding nothing out of the ordinary. He told them this as they headed back to the main lobby to sit and chat than taking up one of the examination rooms.

"That's a relief, but I still wonder what made me understand Pokémon. Was it Ken's Thunder Shock, the forest having powers, or something else or a combination?"

"So will Alex have to keep doing tests?"

"Not unless she wants to or she starts feeling off, like dizziness or any other of the known symptoms related to getting electrocuted," Oak said, writing them down. "You don't have to micromanage how you're doing, but if it's obvious or seems really unusual, get to the nearest Pokémon Center or hospital. Other than that, you seem to be in perfect health."

"That's a relief," Alex sighed as she accepted the paper. "I'll admit, I was kind of hoping there would be something to explain how I can understand Pokémon."

"Sadly our technology isn't there just yet, but if there's a chance it's a result of something supernatural, I know a few trustworthy friends who specialize in the area. I'll talk to them and learn more about the forest. Maybe even look to see if there were any cases similar to yours."

"You think there are others?"

"I wouldn't be surprised, I doubt Alex is the first and probably won't be the last. But if there are others, I can't say if I would be able to talk with them or not. It would depend on what I find."

"Maybe Nicholas could help? From how he made Johto sound, there seem to be some religious sects."

"There were a few when I traveled there years ago, but it can't hurt to ask."

"I'm sure you'll find something, even if it's just theories, it'd be better than nothing," Azure reassured as they sat at an isolated booth together.

"Alex, I know that this is all new, maybe frightening even, but what's it like being able to understand Pokémon? To understand yours especially?"

"Well, it's still really strange, confusing even trying to determine if it's a Pokémon talking or a person. And in the beginning, I thought I might've been going insane. But at the same time, it's really cool. Since I can understand them, I'll be able to know what they want better than trying to guess what they want."

"I'll admit, I am a bit jealous, but I'm sure you'll use your gift wisely."

"Maybe understanding Pokémon will help me better as a trainer? Not just knowing what they want, but any future Pokémon I encounter. I can just talk to them, get to know them before catching them or have them point me to one who would like to be captured," Alex theorized, the professor agreeing.

"That kind of skill will probably help you win a lot of battles!" Azure laughed.

"Maybe, I'll just have to try and get used to telling the voices apart so I don't accidentally throw a pokéball in someone's face," Alex laughed, the others laughing as well.

"That could be problematic," Oak chuckled.

"Yeah, it really hurts," she groaned softly as she rubbed her nose lightly, recalling when she captured Ansen.

"I should get back soon."

"Expecting something?"

"Yeah, some inspectors from the Pokémon League are coming by. They'll want to see the new land for the ranch to get an estimate of how much they're willing to help pay. Between renovating the house out, building stables, to actually reconstructing parts of the land to make it more balanced for various species of Pokémon, it's going to be costly."

"That's true, but the fact that the Pokémon League will help pay for it is good."

"Very true, though even if I find I'm still short, I can always call up some friends who owe me favors or would simply want to help."

"I wouldn't be surprised if Nicholas helped too."

"Same here," Oak smiled as he hugged the pair, "be careful you two. If anything happens, don't hesitate to call me, okay? I don't care if it's late at night or early in the morning. I want to make sure you two are safe."

"We'll be sure to be careful," Azure reassured as he hugged his father.

"If anything happens, we'll be sure to call you, hopefully on good news than something bad," Alex spoke, the last part mostly in a whisper.

Like that, Oak left, the pair left to their own devices, Alex deciding to try and get used to her newfound ability. She'll need to tell the difference between a Pokémon and human talking; she wouldn't want to make a mistake.

Azure helped her out for a few days before they decided to part ways, letting him go ahead in training, the girl not wanting to hold him back from pursuing his goals.

Between all this, Alex got to know her Pokémon better, even helping Azure learn more about his Pokémon. Even came up with ideas to help understanding one another easier when she isn't around to act as translator.

After a few more days passed, Alex decided she was okay enough to try training, not feeling as tired nor getting lightheaded as before.

She wouldn't go too far out but wanted to help her Pokémon train, knowing Azure was likely gearing up if not already making his way through Viridian Forest. She doesn't even know if he had caught any Pokémon there or not. Part of her hope she gets something really cool or gets a Caterpie like she had so he'll have a Butterfree for any future battles.

Despite that, she used her time and energy to work on Hana and Ken so that they could catch up before working on Ansen.

She knew she was probably neglecting him somewhat, but she also wanted to use the time they spent training to learn more about her ornery bird.

While she did let him out to train of his own free will, she knew that she still had to keep an eye on him regardless.

Therefore, when her newest catches were mostly caught up, she figured it would be best to work on her very first catch.

Hopefully, she'll be successful getting him to talk, knowing he didn't answer much other than basic questions sent his way. Despite how much of a pain in the ass he is, she does love him and wants them to be friends, maybe a family even.

"Hey, Ansen…" Alex started as she watched the bird train hard.

~What?~ he huffed after beating a Caterpie, or more like, devouring it whole.

Alex couldn't help but feel grateful Hana wasn't here to freak out, knowing she was a sweet girl and would've been easily upset.

That also meant she would have to be either stricter with him not to eat bug types owned by trainers or not have him out at all.

Seeing he was waiting for an answer, she took a deep breath to start.

"I know you listen to my commands whenever we battle against other Pokémon. But why don't you listen when I tell you not to attack or when I try to catch a Pokémon? What about back at the Pokémon Center when you blew all that food around? What was up with that?"

He turned away, not appearing interested, upsetting her as he flew to battle some random Pidgey bragging about being king of the area.

"Ansen, I'm serious, I need to know what's wrong so we can work it out. You can't keep disobeying me like this. Not every place will be as lenient as Nurse Joy was when you pulled that stunt. I don't want to risk getting in trouble or risk having you taken away if they felt you were considered a danger."

The bird stopped as he heard this, turning to her, allowing the bragging bird to fly away in fear.

~Then what's the problem? You can always get another Pidgey if I'm that much of a problem or others see me that problematic.~

"No, I can't. There's a law right now that prevents trainers from catching lots of Pokémon, especially more than one of the same species. And even if that law wasn't in effect, I wouldn't want to lose you. Pain in the ass or not, I do really care about you."

~A law? So that explains why I hadn't seen dozens of kids like you running around catching numerous Pokémon.~

"Yeah, it's to help with the poaching problem that's been going on," Alex explained, the Pidgey listening intently.

~I see…~

"Ansen, is there something wrong? Did I do something wrong?"

~Not necessarily, most of it I guess is rather childish as your kind would say,~ he answered, his feathers fluffing a little in embarrassment. ~I've been rather peeved that you were able to catch me. I still am for the most part.~

"If you're mad about being caught, why do you stay?"

~I want to get stronger,~ he commented, eyeing a Rattata stalking through the grass.

He immediately dove at it, surprising his trainer with how close he shot past her. Within minutes, the rodent was sent flying with a gust of wind, landing with a hard thud before getting up and fleeing.

"Is there any reason why?"

~Nosey, aren't you?~

"I just want us to be friends. If there's a reason you want to get stronger, I'd like to try and help you achieve it."

~I just enjoy battling, there's nothing special about it. I enjoy the rush I get when facing opponents, strong ones especially,~ Ansen explained. ~I want to keep fighting and getting stronger. While I'm not exactly happy about getting captured, especially in such a humiliating fashion for both of us…~ Alex gave a nervous laugh. ~I am enjoying the results being with you.~

"So that's why you stayed? To get stronger with me? With us?"

~Yes, I want to keep fighting strong opponents for as long as I possibly can,~ he nodded, giving her a sharp look. ~So don't ever replace me without my permission, do you understand?~

"I wasn't planning to replace you unless it was serious," Alex reassured, seeing him look a bit relieved to hear that.

~Also, if you don't mind, I'd like to address a few rules.~

"Rules? What kind of rules?"

She didn't like how it sounded, especially with what looked like a mischievous glint in his eyes.

~You said that there has been a poaching problem, correct?~

"Yeah, there had been some species that were nearly wiped out because of it. So they addressed a capture limit for each area for the populations to grow again. And like I said earlier, aside only getting one per area, we can't get duplicate Pokémon. The only way to do that is if someone was training a particular type or species of Pokémon, so they would need to get a special license to do so."

~Interesting,~ he mused, ~then we'll add to it for ourselves.~

"Add to it?"

Ansen nodded as he flew over to her, landing on her shoulder.

~You heard me. From here on out, any new area we come across, you get only one shot to catch a Pokémon we find for you. If you fail to convince it to join, then too bad.~

"So you're adding more limitations?" Alex asked, a little surprised by the request.

~You said you're new. While I'm not an old wise Pokémon, I can assure you I've seen trainers make mistakes in the past by gathering too many Pokémon and not knowing what to do with them.~

"But if I limit myself by not going back to certain areas, it'll make things harder," Alex said with some concern.

~Everything has risks,~ Ansen shrugged. ~But if you allow yourself a chance to backtrack or spend endless hours finding a Pokémon, you won't get anywhere. By limiting your chances to get more, you'll have to think more wisely.~

"I suppose you're right, it actually makes sense. I never thought about something like that happening," the girl whispered. "Alright then, anything past Viridian Forest will be a one shot instead of how we were doing before. But if I find something or a Pokémon asks to join and I hadn't caught anything, then they can join, okay?"

Ansen's eyes lit up that she agreed, though soured slightly at her add in, but relented since it was still roughly the same.

~Good, I feel that it'll work out in our favor this way. Now that we got this out of the way, may I resume training?~ he asked sarcastically.

"Sure, but if we're going to do this, we'll need to tell the others."

~It would be dumb not too.~

"Good," she giggled as he flew off. "Glad we're on the same team."

The bird said nothing as he dove into some bushes, tackling several of his kind.

The moment they were defeated, his body began to glow brightly, signaling his evolution as his form grew larger and fiercer.

~About damn time,~ he stated happily, stretching his larger wings.

"That's great, you look so much stronger!" Alex beamed as he flew up to test his strength on some branches. She watched as they snapped in his talons due to his newfound strength.

~Yeah, yeah…~ he muttered as he gave her a mischievous glint, the girl realizing what is about to happen.

Like that, she took off, running for the Pokémon Center, the bird chasing and attacking her the entire way.

"Ansen! Will you ever grow up?"


Alex - Pokémon 5 - Badges 0 - Deaths 0

Team:

Sienna - Charmander - Charmeleon

Ansen - Pidgey - Pidgeotto

Lance - Nidoran M. - Nidorino

Hana - Caterpie - Metapod - Butterfree

Ken - Pikachu


I wanted to make how the Pokémon talk around Alex unique to show the difference. If you think it's too confusing, I'll fix it to something better.

This goes for other kinds of speech that are used for things like thoughts, memories, media devices, or phone/video conversations.

How Alex can understand Pokémon is more or less left up to the reader. As of now, I haven't actually decided how she comes to understand them. That's why there are theories. However, if the more scientific one is entirely wrong or not possible in any way, I'd be more than happy to change it so long as you tell me how and what source you learned it from.

If you enjoyed this, please leave a review and any helpful critique that may better improve the writing.