Challenges of all kinds
Sometimes it's hard to know,
Which way you're supposed to go.
But deep inside, you know you're strong.
If you follow your heart, you can't be wrong.
Sometimes it's hard to see,
Just what's your destiny.
But when you find the path that's true,
You'll know that's the one for you.
Stand up!
(Stand up!)
For what is right.
Be brave!
(Be brave!)
Get ready to fight!
Hold on!
(Hold on!)
We're friends for life.
And if we come, together as one,
Complete the quest, that we've begun,
We will win the battle!
Pokémon!
Battle Cry (Stand up), Galactic Battle opening theme
As promised by Silver, the group headed to Fuchsia City. Since night was falling, they headed for an Asian-looking house to get some shelter. Even though he didn't mind sleeping outside, Ash certainly wasn't against some indoor rest when he could get one. So they headed to the house.
"Hello. Is anyone here?" Ash asked as they entered.
They got no answer. Silver closed his eyes.
"There are people deeper inside … and Pokémon. The walls make it hard for my Aura Senses."
"Let's look for them." Misty offered.
She leaned on a wall … which suddenly shifted and made her fall before closing. This went unnoticed to Ash and Brock, but not Silver. He looked at the wall.
"A secret passage. Looks like a night in this place won't be for free."
He pushed the wall and they found Misty waiting for them.
"You're alright?"
"Yeah ..."
A Venonat hoped before them. Ash frowned.
"What's a Venonat doing here?"
"Must belong to one of the inhabitants. Mind leading us to your Trainer, little one?"
The little venomous bug hoped away, quickly followed by the group. As they walked through a corridor, something shocked Ash. Silver turned and froze.
"Voltorb! What are they doing here?"
"Let's avoid them." Brock suggested.
The poké-ball-looking creatures were hidden in a hole of the floor. The group jumped above it and kept on following Venonat. Silver had taken the lead to protect the three kids from any harm that may come from before. This is why he was the one to bump in an invisible wall. He growled.
"Who the heck set that thing here?"
They tried to turn back, only to be blocked by a second wall. Ash's eyes widened.
"We're trapped!"
"Not for long!"
Silver closed his eyes and cold Aura appeared in his hand. He shaped it from a whirling sphere to a spinning cone and launched the Aura scud to the wall, effectively breaking it. He was answered by a volley of ninja stars that were all stuck on the Ice Shield the man created. Misty sighed.
"Having an Aura Guardian with us sure is useful."
A girl fell from the ceiling, visibly in a bad mood. She was wearing revealing red clothes, causing Brock to have a nosebleed. Misty sighed while Ash growled.
"Don't you know it's impolite to attack people like that? What has gotten into you?"
Pikachu jumped at his side, his cheek sparking. The woman frowned.
"I am Aya the ninja. And you intruders are going out unless you, kid, defeat me in a duel."
"If that's the price for a night here, let's do it."
The woman took them in an arena in the building. Brock acted as the referee.
(Play Enemy Attack, from Final Fantasy X)
"This will be a one vs. one between Ash and Aya. Begin!"
Aya raised a hand.
"Here you go, Venonat!"
The purple insect jumped before his mistress. Ash grinned.
"Alright. Let's do it, Poochyena! Time for your first battle!"
The little girl jumped from her poké-ball and bared her teeth. The two Pokémon faced each other before their Trainers started the hostilities.
"Venonat, Stun Spore!"
"Poochyena, dodge!"
The purple bug launched a cloud of paralyzing spores but Poochyena nimbly evaded it using her speed.
"Use Tackle!"
The girl ran straight to her opponent. Having to dodge Pikachu's lightning bolts had greatly boosted her speed, which was already great due to her having a Naive nature. She hit the Poison-type head on and chained with a strong Iron Tail. Venonat staggered before retaliating with Psybeam. Poochyena jumped once more, a Shadow Ball charging. Silver watched the fight.
"Poochyena's level is good, but as a newcomer, she's still quite behind Ash's other Pokémon when it comes to experience and power. Ash was wise to use her for an unofficial battle like this one."
"And let's not forget she has problems with her aim." Misty reminded.
Indeed, while all others of Ash's Pokémon would have finished this battle in no time, Poochyena was struggling. Venonat was fast too and since she couldn't get him with Shadow Ball, she was forced to use more close-ranged attacks. Aya had noticed it and was doing her best to keep her distance. One of her Shadow Ball finally homed, much to everyone's surprise. The girl then rushed at Venonat full speed and used a strong Bite that rendered the bugger KO. Ash sighed.
"Tight fight. Well done, Poochyena."
(End music)
The girl returned to her Trainer and whined, her head down. She knew very well she was seriously lacking in power compared to her other team mates. Ash knelt to her level and rubbed her head.
"Don't worry. You're weak because you just recently joined us. But overtime and with a good training, you'll become a powerhouse as dangerous as Clefairy."
Poochyena yelped and licked the boy's face. No matter what was happening, Ash always had kind words to give to his friends. It was something the naive and insecure little girl greatly appreciated. A Voltorb suddenly rolled in the middle of the room and exploded in a cloud of smoke. Silver instantly jumped before the group, ready to attack. From the smoke appeared a man clad in traditional ninja outfit.
"You still have much to learn, Aya."
Aya knelt to the man.
"Forgive me, Brother. I failed."
Ash smiled.
"Don't worry. I'm grateful we had this fight."
Aya was surprised. Ash explained.
"Poochyena joined me very recently. I didn't get to train her much in battle, so that's why it was nice we had this fight. This way, I know what she can do in a real battle. And even though she doesn't have the level of most of my Pokémon, this battle told me she can become a great fighter."
Poochyena couldn't help but blush at the compliment. Ash said she could become great one day. Young and eager as she was, she would do her best to fulfill her Trainer's expectations … not knowing most of Ash's Pokémon thought the exact same toward him. The elder ninja raised a brow.
"Unusual words … from an unusual Trainer. I challenge you, here and now. You can only leave if one of you defeat me in a battle."
"Who are you?" Ash asked.
The man had a half-smile.
"My name is Koga. I am the Gym Leader of Fuchsia City."
Silver grinned.
"Time to add a new badge to your collection, kiddo."
Ash nodded.
"Poochyena, stay on the sides and watch, okay?"
The canine Pokémon nodded. Koga's eyes stopped on Silver and narrowed.
"Silver Nor Shadow … one of the most famous adventurers of this world. I heard about you."
"So did I, Koga-san. You are known as the Poisonous Ninja Master of Fuchsia City, expert of Poison Pokémon and one of the greatest shinobis of this world. I heard rumors that you were offered a place among the Elite Four ..."
"While I heard that you once single-handedly disbanded an evil syndicate, Team Dark Moon, only to save a child. Is it part of your duty as an adventurer?"
"I retired over five years ago. But yes, I did indeed disband this syndicate. Those bastards had kidnapped a young boy and killed his mother doing so. That's something I could hardly let go of so I showed them what happens when you mess with the wrong guys. In exchange, I gained a good friend since the kid's father swore an eternal debt toward me."
Koga's eyes narrowed.
"We both say disbanded … but we know it isn't exactly true. The rightest term would be more 'eliminated'."
Silver froze and glanced at the three kids, who were surprised by Koga's words. He turned to the man.
"Let's drop the subject. I do admit some of my actions were borderland illegal but there's a thing about me. Anything I do, it's always for a good cause, no matter how illegal or whatever else it seems."
"The facts are still here: you killed these men. Everyone of them."
Silver's voice went cold.
"What are you trying to achieve, Koga? Provoking me or discrediting me to the eyes of those three? There's a reason I try to avoid some parts of my past. I'll be honest, there are things I've done I'm not proud of at all. But I didn't have a choice. At times, one must kill ten to save thousands. I killed the members of Team Dark Moon, so what? They were criminals who had kidnapped a child and killed his mother. They deserved to die and, as far as I know, the world is better without them."
Ash and his friends froze. Silver just openly admitted that he had murdered people and did other criminal actions. The boy looked at his mentor who answered with sad eyes. He made a few gestures.
(I'm sorry, kid. You weren't mean to learn about this.)
He turned to Koga.
"You and Ash will battle for the Soul badge. After that, you and I will have a battle … and it won't be a Pokémon one."
Koga nodded. Aya served as the referee for the match.
(Play Tension Rising, from Kingdom Hearts II)
"This will be a two vs. two. No switching. Begin!"
Ash frowned. His emotions were conflicted and his Pokémon felt it. On one side, he cared greatly for Silver who was his father by heart. On another side, he was shocked that the man he saw as his mentor had a criminal record. Koga used Venonat and the boy went for Pidgeotto. The bird Pokémon immediately felt his Trainer's turmoil and looked at him.
"Pi … Pidgeotto-got?" (Hey … Are you alright?)
Ash nodded.
"Yeah, I'm alright … I think."
The bird knew it was a lie. His Trainer didn't have this voice when he was alright, especially during a fight. He sighed. Looks like he'd have to do without him if he wanted to win. Yep, even though Ash's Pokémon were loyal to a fault, they had also developed a certain independence toward him. Not everyone is infallible, especially a kid like their Trainer. So, when they had to, the creatures could very well act on their own. Like when their Trainer was confused …
The fight started with Venonat evolving into Venomoth and unleashing Stun Spore. Pidgeotto growled. Before Ash could give an order, he used Whirlwind to push the attack back. To his surprise, he barely made it. Misty was surprised.
"What is Pidgeotto doing? Ash didn't give an order that he already reacted!"
"That's something I noticed with Ash's Pokémon." Silver explained. "When needed, they can fight without having their Trainer to order them around. Problem is, there's something neither Trainer nor Pokémon noticed."
Venomoth has tried a Sleep Powder attack that had been countered by Air Slash. Such an attack would have caused damages to the bug Pokémon. It barely scratched his wings. Pidgeotto chirped in anger. What the hell was happening? He knew he wasn't that weak! He dodged a Poison Fang attack and retaliated with Steel Wings. Silver called Ash.
"Wake up, kid! Pidgeotto is strong, but he can't win this fight alone! Snap out!"
Ash shivered, as if waking from a long sleep. He saw Pidgeotto fighting and instantly pulled himself back together. Silver sighed.
"Lost in thoughts, were you? Come on, you have a badge to win."
"Yeah ..."
His eyes narrowed.
"Pidgeotto, Aerial Ace!"
Pidgeotto felt relieved to hear his Trainer's voice. About damn time! He flew away, became engulfed in light and dived to Venomoth at the speed of sound. Even Stun Spore couldn't get him, being deviated by the air passage the attack was causing around Pidgeotto. The hit was enough to send Venomoth crashing to the ground. Koga raised a brow. Ash recalled his friend.
"Return, Pidgeotto. And sorry I let you fight on your own."
He looked at Koga.
"Why did you force Silver to talk about his past when he clearly didn't want to? Was it for me to get confused or was it to provoke him? Because if that was to drive me confused, it almost worked. Almost." His eyes narrowed. "Silver is like a father to me. You hurt him, and me through him. He and I will talk about it once the fight is over, don't worry. But right now, you're the one I'm facing, and it's to get a badge!"
Silver sighed but Brock frowned.
"Ash is in a bad mood."
"It's going to hurt." Misty shivered.
Ash took a poké-ball.
"Go, Charmander!"
Charmander jumped out and looked at the man, teeth bared. Koga called for Crobat.
"Crobat, Wing Attack."
"Charmander, Flamethrower!"
The Flamethrower was strong enough to badly scorch Crobat. Koga frowned.
"Crobat, Supersonic!"
"Charmander, block your ears!"
The orange Pokémon nodded and blocked his ears and his eyes. When he opened them, Crobat was diving to him, another Wing Attack ready. The little salamander jumped in-extremist and homed an Iron Tail while he was at it. Ash gave his final order.
"Fire Spin!"
The attack was enough to finish Crobat who fell on the ground. Koga nodded.
(End music)
"A nice fight. Here."
He gave him a pink heart-shaped jewel Ash placed in his badge case. Usually, he would have been happy to win it. Not this time. Silver stepped before the boy.
"Now is time for our fight."
Koga nodded.
"You have a great reputation, Silver Nor Shadow. And I don't simply talk about your adventurer record. You are a jack-of-all-trades … which includes activities that are straight against the law. You are well known among us ninja for your assassination methods which are fairly similar to ours. They also say you're an excellent thief."
Silver's eyes turned cold.
"Koga, Ash is already mad at me because of this little criminality affair. Why don't we get straight to the fight?"
Misty gulped.
"Silver is an assassin?"
"No." Silver turned to her. "I did kill a few guys during my many adventures. But it was never for no reasons."
He stepped to Koga and drew his silver blades.
"There are several things you must know about me. One, I am a retired adventurer. I quit after taking little Ashling under my care. Second, I admit I did commit thievery and murder. But, and this is the third point, it was never for evil causes. I am an Aura Guardian, but I am also what people call a Shadow, Darkness born from the Light. Two things make Shadows different from Ninja and Shinobi. The first is that Shadows are all Aura Guardians. If someone wants to be a Shadow and doesn't have Aura, he will only be a ninja. The second thing is that, while ninja work for good and evil alike, Shadows are always good. This is what I mean by Darkness born from the Light. We Shadows do evil things for the sake of others. We steal dangerous items that can destroy whole cities and control people's minds and murder those who plan on using it or commit crimes. So yes, seen like that, I'm a criminal. A good one. Happy?"
Ash looked at his mentor and his expression slowly changed from anger to something that could barely be defined. He was conflicted anew. Misty and Brock looked at one another. So this was Silver's dark side. A man doing evil things for the sake of others. Koga took a handful of ninja stars.
(Play Struggle in the Library, from POP Warrior Within)
"I see. So that's what you are. A Shadow."
"Yes. I am known by several names but the two I like the most are the Ice Shadow … and the Silver-Bladed Shadow. How 'bout you get a taste of them?"
He rushed at the ninja who jumped and threw his shurikens. Silver effortlessly parried them. When they fell to the ground, they were all cut in two. Silver launched a fencing strike to Koga who deviated it with a kunai. He aimed a kick at the arm but Silver span on himself so he was back to back with his enemy. Dropping a sword, he grabbed Koga's wrist and span so his fist collided with the man's nose.
"That's for bringing my past out." He coldly said.
He jumped away as a kunai bit the leather of his armor. Ice appeared in his hands he shaped into frost discs. Koga's fast reflexes and kunais were the only things protecting him from the bouncing Aura weapons that were dextrously caught by their caster. The two fought like this in close-ranged fight, ice discs against kunais. Koga suddenly opened a pouch containing a toxic powder. Silver shook his head and his eyes shone. A breeze appeared that cleared the cloud to the window. He then dismissed the ice discs for two daggers he hid in his boots. The kids gulped. Silver's reflexes were lightning-fast, as if he could foresee Koga's moves. What resulted was a succession of silver flashes sparkling against dark ones. Silver was fast at gaining the advantage, his body moving like that of a dancer, graceful and deadly. Finally, he sneaked under Koga's guard and gave an Aura-powered punch that cut the man's breath.
"I win."
(End music)
Koga weakly nodded.
"Indeed you are. I heard of the Shadows before. It seems the rumor is true, that says no ninja can defeat a Shadow."
"Especially the strongest of them. Let's be off."
Silver and the group left the place without a word. Once more, they would sleep outside. Except that Ash had troubles falling asleep. So he crept to his elder's side.
"Silver … what are you?"
Silver opened an eye and gave him his most honest and kindest smile.
"Someone who cares for you and loves you as his own son. That's all. All the rest are things I was." He smiled. "The past is gone, the future is uncertain, only the present remains. Better enjoy it."
Ash nodded and snuggled at his side. Silver pulled his cape so it was also covering him. Thought the bond remained between the two, something was broken.
The next Gym was located at Cinnabar Island. To go there, one had to first reach the Safari Zone. This is why the group headed here, but also because Silver offered the group to enjoy the place, which was something to experience. Earth suddenly shook, causing the group to jump. Brock turned to a cloud of dust coming their way.
"A Tauros stampede!"
"Don't stay here!" Silver screamed.
They quickly jumped out of the way. Pikachu growled at the herd and charged lightning. Damn things … Before he could launch his attack, a Growlithe tackled him.
"What the heck is that?" Ash growled.
Pikachu was angry. First a bunch of Tauros almost trampled them, then he was tackled for no reasons by a Growlithe! He jumped away from the canine Pokémon and sent a burst of lightning to teach him some manners. Growlithe retaliated with a burst of fire but Pikachu was, let's be honest, over-trained. His bolt went through the attack and zapped the dog creature just enough to cause some pain. He jumped away, whining.
"What do you think you're doing?"
A woman on a Ponyta jumped before the group. Ash came to Pikachu's side.
"I could ask you the same. Why did that Growlithe attack us? We were doing nothing wrong!"
The woman had dark hairs held by a bandana and riding clothes. She frowned.
"Really? Forgive me, then. I am Lara Laramie, one of the owners of the Laramie Ranch. Growlithe thought you were attacking the Tauros and acted to protect them."
"So we're at the ranch." Sivler smiled. "This means the Safari Zone is very close by."
Brock looked at the woman.
"I know about you! Your clan is said to breed Pokémon of superior quality!"
Lara nodded.
"We do our best in that way. Come on, I'll show you around."
The Ranch was a large set of green hills where men and women were caring for Pokémon. There were Tauros, Raticate, Nidorino and Nidorina, Dodrio and a whole lot of others. Ash looked at Ponyta.
"Do the flames burn?"
"Not the slightest. Ponyta would never burn someone she trust."
Ash chuckled.
"She's beautiful."
He came to the creature and caressed her muzzle.
"Her fur is soft."
"And her hoofs diamond-hard." Silver reminded. "Be careful, kid."
Ash took some spicy sweeties Brock had made for Fire Pokémon such as Charmander. Ponyta gladly ate them and whined. Lara grinned.
"She's starting to like you."
Silver had a kind smile.
"It's because Ash is working his 'little magic trick' on her."
The others raised a brow. Silver waited 'til Ash was all taken to what he was doing before speaking.
"Ash has a gift. Somehow, he seems to be able to bond with any Pokémon he encounters. This power is so that he can easily tame any Pokémon he meets and calm it down. On a closer level, he can develop a kind of empathic link that causes the Pokémon he's close to to be extremely loyal to him, to the point they will take decisions on their own just to protect him and help him. It's usually a gift reserved to Trainers that belong to the Healer category. Ash is one such Trainer, a Healer that cannot heal with his hand but bond with Pokémon. And that's what he's doing with Ponyta, he's connecting their hearts."
Lara was impressed.
"It took me a lot of time to gain Ponyta's trust. I'm surprised he managed to do it in such a short amount of time!"
Indeed, when Ash passed his hand in Ponyta's fiery mane, he wasn't burned. Lara turned to the group.
"We're organizing a huge party tonight. How about you join me? You'll be my guest."
Silvr grinned.
"I wasn't thinking about this kind of entertainment when we headed here, but this will do just fine."
Ash jumped.
"Oh yeah!"
"And if you stay for the night, tomorrow, you'll assist to the great Pokémon race that will happen."
"Let's stay!" Ash immediately said.
Silver nodded. The ground shook again. Misty shivered.
"The Tauros are back!"
"Not the Tauros." Lara corrected. "The Dodrio."
The three-headed birds passed in a rush. A man came to the group, mounting one of the creatures.
"Hey, Lara!"
"Dario."
The man had an arrogant face that reminded Ash of Gary. It seemed he wasn't far from the truth.
"I'm going to win the race, tomorrow. Be ready to lose."
"We'll see about it."
Silver frowned and focused his eyes so Dario would suddenly feel cold. A small revenge for his harsh words. Lara rolled her eyes.
"Dario is the Trainer of those Dodrio. They are fast but speed isn't everything in this race. He'll need more than that if he want to win."
Night finally fell and the group went in town to enjoy the party. They were having their fun time when Dario came to the group.
"Lara, your Tauros have gone mad at the ranch!"
Lara froze.
"No ways! Ponyta, let's go back!"
The group rushed back to the ranch. The Tauros were indeed causing a ruckus. Lara reacted.
"Growlithe, calm them!"
The fire dog jumped in the pen and circled the creatures while barking. The Tauros finally calmed down. Lara frowned.
"What could have caused this trouble?"
Something shiny suddenly jumped before Ponyta, scaring the creature. She reared, throwing Lara to the ground. A sharp pain shot through her arm while Ash went to Ponyta and grabbed the reins.
"Ponyta, Ponyta, calm down! Ponyta! Here, calm down, it's gone."
The boy's voice seemed to magically appease the creature who did as ordered. Brock checked Lara's arm.
"Broken."
Lara sighed.
"Great. Now I'm unable to enter the race. What a shame for Clan Laramie ..."
Silver turned to Ash.
"Not everything is lost."
The group turned to him.
"What do you mean?"
"I mean that Ash has become fast friends with Ponyta, to the point he can touch her without getting burned."
"But he doesn't know how to ride and the race is tomorrow!"
"Wrong, he does."
He called Blitz out. Ponyta came closer to the zebra Pokémon.
"Riding is one of the first things I taught to Ash. Blitz can agree with me since it's on his back that he learned."
Blitz nodded. Silver came on his back. Ash turned to Ponyta.
"Do you mind if I compete on your back in Lara's stead tomorrow?"
The fiery horse nodded. Ash nimbly got on her back. Soon, the two were off. Lara looked at them. Ash was indeed standing on Ponyta's back without the help of a saddle and Silver was riding at his side. The man created a sphere of ice he threw to the boy. Ash grinned and caught it. They played ball like this for half an hour, Ash getting accustomed to Ponyta's back. Finally, Silver made the things serious by ordering Lya to shot fireballs to the boy and his steed. Ash had troubles dodging them but managed to avoid them all. This is how he discovered Ponyta's commands. More than simply rein movements and heels in the flanks, it was a game played between the bodies of both the rider and the mount. Leaning before while raising his feet meant Faster, leaning to one side or another meant going this way, straightening meant Slower and so on. If someone practiced for a long time, such moves would become unconscious until the man and his ride were in perfect harmony.
Ash finally brought Ponyta back to the house. He was panting.
"She's really fast! That was fun."
Lara nodded.
"I have hardly seen someone ride so naturally. You two make a great pair."
Silver went away and gave Lya his orders. The Ninetales started shooting fireballs to the sky. Still on Blitz, Silver took his bow and shot every sphere one after the other, and this while riding the Zebstrika full speed. The group was amazed.
"No wonder Ash is so good at riding." Misty said.
"If his teacher is a riding marksman, it's indeed not surprising." Lara commented.
Brock nodded.
"He doesn't miss a shot."
(Play Run Free, from Spirit, Stallion of the Cimarron)
Morning came, and with it the so-awaited race. The whole group had entered, from Silver to Brock. Ash was on Ponyta. At his side, Pikachu was riding Lya, Misty was on Starmie and Brock on Onix. The race started and Dario quickly took the lead thanks to Dodrio's speed. But Silver and Ash weren't far behind. The first obstacle was a steep path going over a hill. Something suddenly hit the Tauros who was competing. Bewildered, the creature slammed in a Nidorina who retaliated by a Poison Jab. The two Pokémon fought, totally forgetting the race. Subsequently, they were disqualified.
After the climb went the fall. A boy who was riding a Voltorb lost control of his mount and crashed in a rock on the edge of the path. Voltorb's voltage caused it to self-destruct, taking both Raticate and Sandslash. Ash dodged the blow in-extremist. The next challenge was a large river to cross through a stony path. Rhyhorn stepped on it … and drowned instantly. Seeing this, Onix stopped dead in his track and refused to move. Brock sighed. Right, Onix was dead-scared of water. It was a huge phobia of his. The race was over for him. Dario, Ash, Silver and Misty weren't stopped, however. Starmie was water-born, Dario's Dodrio nimbly jumped on the stones and was quickly followed by Blitz, Ponyta and Lya. The next challenge was a stop where Pokémon would rest to eat something.
This is where riding a Dodrio became a bad idea. The three heads started bickering to eat first, giving time to Ash and the others to catch up. Dario, seeing this, turned to a place.
"Hey, Team Rocket, do something!"
Silver raised a brow.
"Team Rocket?"
Sure as hell, the evil trio that was opposing the group since they started to journey appeared. Ash sighed.
"Not them again ..."
The trio started reciting their motto but were cut by Lya's Flamethrower.
"Knock it off, you two. And get out of there before I aim righter."
Ash noticed the glint the sun made on Meowth's golden ornament.
"Hey, you're the ones who caused Lara to break her arm!"
"Really?" Jessie raised a brow. "Aw, we're so sorry for that poor girl … just kidding."
"You won't be kidding once I'm done with you!" The Ninetales snarled. "Silver, Ash, you keep on racing! Misty and I take care of those three!"
Indeed, while the race started again, a huge explosion could be heard away, followed by a shooting star. Team Rocket was blasting off again. Dario kept having the lead but Ash and Silver were close behind. Ash growled.
"Come on, Ponyta! Faster! We have to do it for Lara!"
Ponyta knew that with her current speed, she would have no chances to win. She still ran faster. And as her body was reaching her limits, her heart reached out to Ash's and taped in the boy's feelings. It was an overflow, like a filled dam finally opening. The flood of emotions rushed in Ponyta's heart and caused a miracle. In a flash of light, she evolved. Silver's eyes widened.
"Rapidash ..."
Rapidash was much faster than Ponyta. In the blink of an eye, she reached Dario and overtook him at the finish. Dario ended second and Silver third. Lara ran at them.
"That's incredible! Ponyta evolved into a wonderful Rapidash!"
"It was all thanks to Ash's link with her. Ponyta reached for Ash's feelings and they caused her to evolve. You can be proud."
Dario came to them.
"What the heck happened here? You completely cheated on that one!"
"Not as far as I know." Silver retorted. "However, you cheated by having Team Rocket set traps to take off the other contestants."
Dario snarled.
"Damn it! Dodrio, Drill Peck!"
Before the bird could reach, Rapidash answered with a strong Fire Spin. Silver grinned.
"Go join your underlings! Blitz, Lightning Blast!"
Blitz charged lightning in his horn and sent a strong electric beam that sent Dario and his Dodrio flying. Ash cheered.
"He got what he deserved."
"And thanks to you, the Laramie Clan won the race. You can be proud, kiddo."
(End music)
The festivities were huge. Everyone praised Lara for her training of Ponyta and Ash for his mastery of the fiery horse. The group finally left for the Safari Zone, who they reached one day later. However, when they tried to enter, the Keeper of the Zone was unpleasant with them and threatened them with a gun! Needless to say Silver didn't really like it. Before them man could even react, the adventurer had jumped and tackled him to the ground.
"What in Arceus's name is your problem? It's not with that kind of attitude that you'll lure clients here. And I don't talk about pointing a weapon toward a group of kids ..."
That's the thing with Silver. Threaten people he holds dear and meet your doom. The keeper gulped and dropped his weapon. He led the group inside and handed them Safari Balls and a fishing rod.
"The rules are simple. You can only use Safari Balls and this fishing rod to catch Pokémon. Do otherwise and you'll be fired."
Misty noticed a picture. It was that of the man, Kaiser, and a Dratini.
"There's a Dratini here? I heard about it. It's so cute ..."
"Dratini and their evolutionary line are pseudo-legendary Pokémon." Silver explained. "They aren't Legendaries, but their rarity makes them almost so. There are other pseudo-legendary Pokémon like that. Most are Dragon-types."
"Can you give us some names?" Brock asked.
"Sure. Along Dragonite, Dratini's final form, there is Metagross, Salamence, Tyranitar, Garchomp and Hydreigon. Some people also count Pokémon like Unown, Absol, Rotom or Phione, who is the offspring of the Legendary Pokémon Manaphy."
Kaiser was surprised.
"You know a lot."
"Hence the reason I'm with them. I'm Ash's mentor and father by heart. That apart, I traveled a lot so I know quite a number of things."
"Then … maybe you've heard about the story of this place."
Siler closed his eyes.
"I think I did. It's about this Dratini, right?"
Kaiser lowered his head.
"Thirty years ago, I discovered a Dratini living here. People heard of it and all came to the Safari Zone to hunt it. The Zone was ravaged and a lot of Pokémon were captured. Ever since, the place has been a preserve with rules that only Safari Balls can be used. Dratini was, luckily, never found."
Ash took a poké-ball.
"I wonder if I can use the place to train Poochyena."
"No."
"Damn."
The group entered the area and looked around.
"Alright, let's see if there are any interesting Pokémon to get ..."
Ash looked at his poké-balls.
"Honestly … I don't really know. I have more than enough Pokémon to make a team. I'm afraid that, if I catch too much of them, I won't be able to give them the attention their need."
Silver smiled.
"Then catch them not for yourself but for others. Delia must be pretty lonely with you away and Oak is always boasting how Gary always has more Pokémon than you."
"Yep, but they receive less love while I threat all my Pokémon equally. You taught me at the very least that."
So they roamed the area looking for Pokémon. Ash caught a Venomoth and a couple of Nidoran for his mother, as well as a Chancey to help Professor Oak in caring for the Pokémon at his corral. Misty remained by the waterside and caught three Magikarp, a Slowpoke she released, several Goldeen for her sisters, a Krabby and a Poliwag. She kept none and sent them to Cerulean City. Brock went looking for some Rock or Ground Pokémon to send to Pewter City and was happy to catch some Rhyhorn and two Cubone. Finally, as a joke against the ever-complaining professor, Ash used his remaining Safari Balls to catch a herd of Tauros and several Kangaskhan he sent to the lab. As they were passing by the waterside, Misty noticed something. It was a little blue draconic head.
"Well, if my eyes aren't mistaken, it's a Dratini." Silver smiled.
The group immediately gathered to see the little snake-like dragon who was looking at them with curiosity. Kaiser soon joined them.
"Dratini? Is that you?"
A blue head slowly rose from the water. Silver's eyes widened.
"I don't think so ..."
The head belonged to a graceful Dragonair. Ash's eyes were wide.
"Is that … Dratini's parent?"
"Yep, and Kaiser's missing Dratini. Looks like it evolved and had a little family in the Zone."
Kaiser was so shaken that tears were running from his eyes. In a second, he and Dragonair were hugging, happy to be finally reunited.
"To think the Safari Zone is the home of a Dragonair family … you should do something that people won't bother them. Dragonair are almost as rare as Legendaries."
Kaiser nodded.
"I will, believe me. Dragonair is my friend. I'll do anything in my power to protect it and its child. I promise!"
"As long as it doesn't involve a gun ..."
Later on, the group was transferring their Pokémon to their respective place. Misty's sisters were happy to have some new Pokémon to perform with while Brock's siblings were happy to have the two Cubone to play with. Delia was grateful that her son has thought about her. The two Nidoran were great pets while Venomoth helped her at home. Finally came the time to transfer the other Pokémon Ash caught.
"You said you used all your Safari Balls in catching them? Ash, my boy, you're growing in my esteem."
"Sure. Here's Chansey. I thought you'd like some help at the lab."
"Indeed. Thanks for thinking about me."
Ash's grin turned evil.
"And here are the others."
Oak raised a brow as a sound was heard. He turned … and jumped in fear as a horde of Tauros and Kangaskhan rushed through the lab, trampling everything in their path. The Professor weakly rose.
"That … was … uncalled for."
"Hey, you're always complaining that I don't catch enough Pokémon. I thought you'd like these ones."
Oak sighed. Alright, Ash got his revenge. It seemed Silver rubbed more and more on the boy. The group was laughing wholeheartedly while Silver caressed Ash's head.
"Well done, kid."
And ... take that, Professor. Sweet revenge is sweet, isn't it? And Silver turns out to be not so holier-than-thou all of a sudden ... Never judge a book by his cover. And for those who pull two and two together, what do you think of it? I feel like there's going to be a lot of people with round eyes around ...
Eeveelution name pool still open. It will be over in two chapters.
- Stallion6 of Deviantart: yep. But who is the silver soul?
- ultima-owner: you have no ideas.
- Swagnilla-Ice-1985, Lightdarkprincess, t0mbr1d, StrikeFreedom101, Masamune24: thank you!
- ultima-owner & J. F. C: they have simply gone improving the local gene pool. There's going to be unusual Pokémon in this area of Kanto ...
"Yes, Professor! I'm sure I saw a Flygon in the Safari Zone! And I also saw a Gardevoir near Fuschia City. No, I'm not kidding! Where do you think I caught my Nuzleaf?"
- Swagnilla-Ice-1985: sorry, no can do. But it will only be after Sinnoh and during Unova. And Latias won't be Ash's only partner. I have AdvanceShipping in Hoenn, a serious PearlShipping in Sinnoh, a RiverShipping planned (yes, I like Misty and Suicune together), EmanationShipping, HeatTagShipping for after Sinnoh, HoennShipping, a GaryxOC (and it won't be a crybaby girl, believe it!) and finally BiancaxEmboar (couldn't find the shipping name). I don't know if I'll make a WishfulShipping yet. And I don't count the pairings between Ash's Pokémon!
- noshadowone: you clearly haven't read the story to that point. Besides, a lot of people like it so I'm going to keep writting it. As for Silver, don't like, don't read.
Well, finding musics for that chapter wasn't easy ... Anyway, it's done. See you soon!