Looking up to the sky, Ash noticed that the sun was barley over the horizon, "Not even dawn yet..." he thought to himself, wiping the sweat from his forehead: The young boy had just finished his daily early morning jog, and was now waiting for his three unexpected guests to wake up. Stretching his arms up and behind his head, Ash yawned and walked over to the pond, kneeling down and splashing his face with the water.
Sighing as the cold water hit his sweating face, Ash gathered some of the water in his hands, running it though his hair before standing up and turning around to face his still sleeping companion's: Richie was completely flat out with one arm behind his head and the other placed gently on top of his Pikachu, Sparky. A.J was in a similar state of being flat out, but seemed to be completely tangled up in his own sleeping bag, which made Ash roll his eyes lightly with a smile, "Reminds me of how I use to sleep..."
Finally, the girl, "Maddison..." Ash spoke quietly, remembering the name he had faintly heard the night before, turning his attention from the duo of sleeping boys to the young girl: at some time in the night she must have released one of her pokemon - being that stood next to the sleeping girls frame was a Servine that was glaring at Ash.
Deciding to leave the trio to sleep, Ash whistled lowly and crossed his arms, looking up at the trees patiently: soon a low rustle could be heard as a the blurred outline of Sceptile jumped through a few of the tree's before jumping down, landing in front of Ash on his knees. Nodding at Sceptile as he stood up, Ash handed him a twig, which Sceptile took quickly, placing it inside his mouth and smirking at Ash - who smirked back, "Lets go for a walk buddy" Sceptile nodded, following Ash as he walked through the tree's, quickly falling into step with his trainer.
After walking silently for a few seconds, Ash stopped and turned to Sceptile with a smile, "I knew you would up, your an early riser, I was thinking we could get some training done whilst the other's are asleep" Ash told his Hoenn-starter, who nodded in understand, uncrossing his arms and waiting for Ash's direction.
Looking around the area, Ash walked a few feat away, bending down to pick up some rocks, "Lets start with your accuracy and control, when I throw these rocks in the air, I want you to use a single Bullet Seed to hit it okay?" Ash instructed, making Sceptile raise an eyebrow at the boys command, "this has no practicality in battle Sceptile, but that's not the goal, I know your accuracy is top-notch with a full attack, id like to see how you handle restricted attack usage, so if the circumstance comes when you ARE restricted, we will be ready...understand?" Ash explained, to which the calm grass pokemon contemplated it for a second before nodding.
With a smile Ash threw three rocks horizontally through the air, keeping his eyes on Sceptile: Grinding his teeth, Sceptile powered up the seeds in his mouth, but was struggling to keep the attack from all shooting out at once. Moving his hands to hold his cheeks, Sceptile fired a total of three seeds, all three shots missing the targets.
With a smile, Ash walked back over to Sceptile who was looking down with a glare, growling softly to himself in annoyance, "Remember Sceptile, that was your first time, considering you managed to some-what control how many seeds you fired is impressive," Ash praised the grumbling pokemon, who crossed his arms in reply, still not happy with his results, "First lets work on controlling how many seeds you shot at any one time first, without using your hands, then later we can work on accuracy alright? Sceptile growled one more, but nod solemnly at his trainers reasoning, watching as Ash picked up the three once again and turned to him, "First close your eyes and try and count the amount of seeds that are ready to be fired when you charge up Bullet Seed..."
- 30 minutes later -
Ash and Sceptile out of the trees and back into the clearing, smiles on both of there faces, "You really progressed well with that Sceptile!" Ash praised, making Sceptile beam with pride: It had only taken him a couple times for him to focus on the amount of seeds in his mouth with-out the use of his hands to control them - He didn't have it fully mastered yet, but he was firing less and less seeds each time, getting down to 2 per shot.
Ash looked at Sceptile and motioned with his head to the tree's, "could you go gather some berries please? Its almost breakfast..." With a nod, Sceptile jumped and disappeared into the trees once again.
Looking back to the clearing, Ash was greeted with Pikachu shouting, "Pikapii!" As he ran up to Ash, jumping onto his shoulder and nuzzling his cheek happily, "Good to see your awake pal, are the others up yet?" Ash asked the yellow mouse, who nodded and pointed to the other side of the small pond, where his pokemon were all starting to wake, yawnhing and stretching their limbs.
Nodding in the pokemon's direction, Ash walked over to the pond and snapped his fingers, making his pokemon all turn and line up on the otherside, waiting for Ash's instructions, "As we all remember, we had some unexpected visitors yesterday, just so you know, the two boys are named Richie and A.J. They are two trainers I met along time ago, but they have reassured me that they aren't on the traitors side - and so far have given me no reason to believe otherwise, so be nice okay?" Ash explained, his pokemon frowning at the possibility of other people being around their trainer unsettling them, "Also, whilst you lot were asleep we had another visitor...This girl I don't know, I have never met her before, so I am wary, but I am warning you guys - be nice. She looks young and a little inexperienced, plus I get the feeling she is shy around other's so I'm willing to give her a chance" Ash continued, surprising himself and his pokemon at his words: Chances were something Ash was very reluctant to give.
Quickly changing the subject Ash looked at each pokemon, "I know I said we would be training, but for now I actually want you guys to maybe relax or have some fun...I-its been a long time since I've been with other people, I want to work on my social skills alright?" Ash finished, making his pokemon look at each for a few seconds, before turning to Ash and nodding understandingly: they all understood how Ash struggled with large groups of people, maybe these three humans would be a good start.
Watching as his pokemon dispersed, Ash raised a brow when he noticed Umbreon walk over to him, as well as Pikachu staying on his shoulder, "Let me guess...you guys want to stay with me whilst I try and socialise with the three right?" when the two pokemon nodded in reply, Ash smiled, rubbing both their heads gently, "Thanks guys, I guess I could use the support"
Turning away from the pond, Ash watched as both Ritchie and A.J began waking up: each sitting up and stretching - Sparky following suit, plus a yawn came from the tuffed hair Pikachu. Maddison seemed to have woke up during Ash's training, evident by the fact she was sat up in his sleeping bag, his jumper hanging off her smaller frame as the storkaed her Servines head gently.
Nodding to Maddison, who blushed and ducked her head, letting her hair cover her face, Ash looked to A.J and Richie, "So you guys are finally awake? 'bout time" Ash playful told them, making them each groan: A.J ducked his head into his sleeping bag whilst Richie raised an arm to shield his eyes from the sun, "What time Is it?" Richie asked sleepily, watching as Ash pulled out his pokedex to check the time, "8:35"
"WHAT?! Urgg, its basically still midnight!" A.J complained, moving his back out of the bag, throwing his hands over his eyes in annoyance - to which Ash just chuckled, "I've been up for over an hour, I let you guys sleep in because you all looked tired last night" Richie and A.J both blinked in surprise at the information Ash gave them, looking at the boy in wonder: Just what else had changed about the lazy-yet-always-cheerful boy they once knew?
If Ash had noticed the looks he was shooting them, then he chose to ignore them, smiling when Sceptile appeared from the tree's carrying a bundle of berries, "Thank you Sceptile, now, I told the others to go relx but I know you, so if you want, keep practicing what we were doing earlier, okay?" Sceptile nodded, disappearing into the tree's once more.
Looking to the berry pile Sceptile had left, Ash knelt down and sorted through them, "Hmmm...nothing amazing, couple Oran Berries, a few Pecha and Rawst berries...common stuff" Ash spoke to himself, oblivious to the curious stares the others were giving him. Standing up and plucking 6 leaves from the surrounding tree's, Ash grabbed a mix of each of the berries and placed them in the leaves after he curved them to resemble bowels.
"Pikachu, Use a weak Thundershock to relight the fire, Umbreon, see if you can find me 6 twigs with rounded ends" With a nod, Umbreon walked around the clearing, searching for the twigs his master had requested whilst Pikachu aimed his attack at the dead fire, letting lose his electricity and sparking the fire back to life. Umbreon returned not long after, the 6 twigs in his mouth which he dropped in front of Ash, "Great Job guys, here, take these and fill them with water from the pond" Ash instructed, handing the two pokemon 6 larger leaves he had already taken from the tree's earlier.
Watching as the two ran to get the water, Ash placed each of the berry filled leaves on the rounded ends of the twigs, handing one to Richie and A.J, who shot Ash a confused look, "Its your breakfast. hover the twigs over the fire slightly, not for to long though otherwise they will burn" Ash explained, demonstrating with his own berries, before taking the three and repeating.
Shrugging to each other, A.J and Richie got out their sleeping bags and shuffled over to the fire, repeating what Ash had shown them. Nodding at the two boys, Ash gently opened the four leaves and showed the cooked berries to the two, whose stomachs growled and mouths watered when the smell of the berries hit their noses, "Be careful, they can be quiet hot, so try breaking them apart first to cool down" Ash finished, pulling a small switch army knife from his bag and slicing through each berry.
"Pikapii! Umbreon!" Turning at the cries of his pokemon, Ash smiled and took the water filled leaves from the two pokemon, placing two in front of them before passing one each to A.J and Ritchie, "The water here is clean enough, I had Bayleef and Sceptile purify it earlier, its not a lot, but take it or leave it..." Ash shrugged, placing two of leaves containing the now cut up berries in front of Pikachu and Umbreon, before standing up and walking towards Madison, who had been watching silently the entire time.
Stopping suddenly, Ash smiled and set the two leaves down and took a step back whilst looking at Servine, "I've gathered your friend is shy, and that your protective, so ill take a small bite to show you they are harmless then you can give them to Maddison, okay?" Ash told the Unova-Grass pokemon, picking up one of the cooked berries and taking a small bite, keeping eye contact with Servine in order to show that he meant no harm to either of them.
Swallowing the berry and licking his lips, Ash watched as Servine released its vines, picking up the offered leaves and handing them to Maddison, who smiled at Servine and nodded at Ash, a quiet, "Thank you" Escaping her lips as she slowly began to eat the berries.
"I'll talk to her later..." Ash thought to himself, leaving the duo alone to enjoy the meal. Walking back over to the other's Ash raised a brow when A.J and Richie were both lying on the floor, drool hanging from the mouths and stars in their eyes, "Such...tasty...food..." A.J said dreamily, making Ash roll his eyes but smile nonetheless, picking the used leaves up and staking them in a neat pile besides him, finally picking up his own berries and taking a small bite, "Glad to see you guys like them..."
- After Breakfast -
Richie and A.J were all to keen to check out the different pokemon Ash had on him, so he invited them to go around the area and talk to them, warning them both to be careful.
Watching as the two ran off to search for his pokemon, Ash looked back towards Maddison, who was now out of the sleeping bag, stood a few feat away from him shuffling her feet awkwardly. Noticing that Servine was still stood close to its trainer, Ash though for a second before moving over and sitting on a log before looking up at Maddison and patting the spot next to him.
Servine growled, holding a hand out in front of Maddison. Holding his hands up, Ash shrugged and spoke to them calmly, "I'm not going to hurt you guys, I just though we could get better equated if we sat on something more comfortable than a boulder or the floor..."
Still growling, Servine went to disagree, but was stopped when Maddison placed a hand on the pokemon's head gently, "Its okay..." She said gently, picking the grass snake up and walking over to the log, sitting down as far away from Ash as she could whilst still staying sitting on the log. After a few minutes passed with no words, Ash decided to break the silence, "So you told me your name, but I didn't tell you mine, Its Ash Ketchum," Looking up at Ash, Maddison was offered a hand for her to shake with she took shakily whispering back, "Maddison..."
"I know...you told me last night remember?" Ash chuckled, watching as Maddison blushed and hid behind her hair in embarrassment, making Servine growl again, "Sorry...didn't mean to upset you or anything" Ash apologised quickly, thinking he had upset her from her reaction and the growls from Servine. Smiling from under her hair, Maddison glanced at Ash whilst placing a gentle hand on Servine's head, calming it down instantly, "Y-You didn't...I-I...I-I'm just a little shy..." Her voice was so soft that Ash barley made it out, but smiled and nodded gently in understanding:
"I get that...sometimes I find it hard around other people to...its not always easy talking to new people..." His words made Maddison look at him in slight disbelief, "B-b-but your t-talking to me...?. She replied in confusion making Ash smile once more, "I know, and your talking to me...sometimes those who can't talk to everyone can talk to each other..."
Nodding at his own words, Ash leant back on the log, looking to the sky with a half smile, "I don't know what it is...but you seem like someone who just needs someone to listen, instead of telling you what to do..." Ash mused out loud, making Servine and Maddison look at Ash in surprise: "H-How does he know that?!"
BOOM!
Just as Maddison was about to reply, the conversation was cut off from a small explosion ripping through the clearing's air: Both Maddison and Ash blinked in shock and turned their heads, only to see Ritchie and A.J fall anime style, the bodies covered in soot, "Looks like they met Charizard..."Ash chuckled, standing up and walking over to the two, "You guys go to close to Charizard and he used Flamethrower, right?"
Taking the two groans as a "yes",, Ash laughed at the two, hiding a smile when he heard Maddison let out a small chuckle, "I warned you guys"