A/N: Here's the next chapter, everyone! Not a lot to say except please enjoy it!
Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon.
Chapter Twenty-Nine: Training Togepi
Togepi was staring at its opponent with an uncharacteristic, yet determined look on its face. The opponent Togepi was facing was Misty's Poliwag. The tadpole Pokemon was staring back at Togepi. Though it was going to go easy on Togepi, it was still going to fight a little bit to give Togepi a taste of what a real Pokemon battle was like.
Yes. Today was the day that Ash and Serena had finally decided to start training Togepi. The spike ball Pokemon had been eager to battle almost to the point of trying dangerous stunts. It definitely had inherited Ash and Pikachu's battle spirit. Now, it was going to test some of the things it had been practicing. Of course, it was starting off small which is why Misty's Poliwag was chosen.
Though it wasn't weak by any means, Misty's Poliwag was definitely among the gentlest and smallest of all the Pokemon the group owned. Pikachu could battle it and definitely go easy, but Ash and Serena were wary about Togepi being hit by electric shocks its first battle. Being sprayed by small Water Guns was a good first step.
Being more specialized in battles, it would be Ash who would be commanding Togepi for its very first match. He and Serena had checked their pokedexes to try to figure out which moves a young Togepi would have. Their options were limited, but they could work with a few things. Ash had a determined smile on his face as he watched Misty on the other side of the field. Brock and Serena were off to the side, and Brock would be acting as a judge. Brock looked back and forth between the two Pokemon and two people before he cleared his throat.
"Are you all ready?" he asked.
"I am," Ash replied.
"Me, too," Misty agreed.
"Priiiii!" Togepi even added. It would finally get to battle.
"Well, in that case, you guys can begin," Brock declared.
"Poliwag, start of the battle with you Water Gun attack," Misty told it.
Poliwag took a breath and shot a spray of water at Togepi, though it did hold back the power a little bit. The water headed straight for Togepi, and the spike ball Pokemon didn't look the least bit scared. It was ready to receive its first battle command from its daddy.
"Dodge it, Togepi, and use Sweet Kiss!" Ash ordered.
Togepi lumbered out of the way and easily dodged the slow Water Gun. It then looked at Poliwag and had several small pink hearts come from its mouth. Ash and Serena couldn't help but feel proud at seeing Togepi use an actual attack. Poliwag stood there as it prepared to take the attack. It had been told to let Togepi's attacks hit it only for this battle to which it accepted. Everyone knew Togepi wasn't going to hit that hard for its first battle anyway so nobody was worried about Poliwag getting too injured.
The hearts popped all over Misty's Poliwag, and it got a goofy look on its face and started stumbling around. Togepi cheered and made happy cries that its first attack connected. Now Poliwag was confused.
"Great job, Togepi. Now use Extrasensory!" Ash said.
Togepi closed its eyes as it focused on the confused Poliwag. The tadpole Pokemon was still stumbling around before it grimaced and was knocked to the ground. That was the strange thing about Extrasensory. The Pokemon was always attacked by some strange, unseeing power. Misty gasped as she decided it was time for Poliwag to recover from its confusion.
"Use Water Gun on yourself, Poliwag!" Misty said.
Poliwag looked up through its confusion and shot a Water Gun up in the air. The water fell all over Poliwag like rain, and the tadpole Pokemon shook its head as it regained its senses. Upon seeing this, Ash looked at Togepi.
"Hey, Togepi. Take note of how Misty cured her Poliwag's confusion. In case this ever happens to you, we'll need to figure out a counter to get you out of it," Ash told it.
"Toge!" Togepi nodded to show it heard him.
"Why don't you take a nice nap, Togepi?" Misty smiled before she ordered her next attack to Poliwag. "Use Hypnosis."
"Your Poliwag can join it," Ash smiled. "Use Yawn, Togepi."
Hypnotic waves came from Poliwag's eyes as Togepi opened its mouth and gave a huge, contagious yawn. The attacks connected, and both Pokemon got a sleepy look in their eyes. They tried to keep themselves awake, but it was rather fast. They had to end this match fast or else it would end in a draw since both Pokemon would be helpless when asleep.
"Use Water Gun, Poliwag!" Misty told it.
"No so fast, Use Encore, Togepi," Ash countered.
Though it was getting sleepy extremely fast, Togepi began clapping its hands very fast in an applauding manner. Poliwag gave a sleepy smile as it was affected by the attack. It then began to emit hypnotic waves at Togepi as it was now locked into the attack. Ash knew he had to give another attack fast.
"Okay, Togepi, dodge and use Extrasensory!" Ash commanded.
Togepi sleepily moved out of the way of the slow-moving Hypnosis and concentrated once more. Poliwag gave a flinching motion again as it was struck by the Extrasensory, but it still didn't deal enough damage. Togepi, meanwhile, couldn't stay awake any longer as it curled up into a ball and went to sleep. After another weak Hypnosis, Poliwag fell forward, fast asleep, as well. Now that both Pokemon were asleep, the match would end in a draw as both were unable to battle.
"This match is a draw!" Brock declared.
Ash nodded his head as he went to pick up Togepi. Serena came over to, and Ash picked up the spike ball Pokemon before he shook it gently to wake it up. Togepi gave a yawn before it sneezed lightly and opened its eyes. It then saw its mommy and daddy looking down at it and gave a happy cry.
"Hey, Togepi. You did great your first match," Ash said.
"That's right. We're very proud of you," Serena stated.
"Toge?" Togepi questioned in confusion. It didn't win so why were they proud?
"It didn't matter whether you won or lost," Serena told it. "What matters is that you used all of the attacks Ash told you to very well, and you were great at following his direction. You'll only get better as you get more experience."
"Serena and I can't wait to watch you get stronger with each battle. We have a lot of faith in you, Togepi," Ash smiled.
"Piiiiika!" Pikachu chimed in.
"Just make sure you keep practicing. Our Pokemon can't go easy on you forever," Serena warned.
Togepi looked at its parents and Pikachu and gave a happy cry. It wasn't naïve enough anymore to think it was the strongest Pokemon out there. It knew it still had a long way to go before it was good enough for any serious battles. Not to mention, it was probably even cute enough to participate in a few Pokemon showcases.
Misty, meanwhile, had gone over Poliwag and picked it up in her own arms. The tadpole Pokemon groggily opened its eyes and looked up at Misty. The redheaded girl then gave it a small smile.
"That was well done, Poliwag. You did great in helping Togepi with its first battle," Misty said.
"Poli!" Poliwag replied.
"Hold on just a second," Misty said as she set Poliwag down and reached into her backpack to pull out a Potion. She then poured a small amount of it into Poliwag's mouth to help it recover from the minor damage it received from Togepi's attacks. "Feel better?"
"Poliwag!" Poliwag cried in delight before something unexpected happened.
Poliwag began to glow a shining white. Misty's eyes lit up in surprise as she certainly wasn't expecting this, especially after a small practice battle with Togepi. Poliwag must've been ready to evolve for quite a while for this to be the case. Come to think of it, Misty was starting to wonder when her own Poliwag would evolve since Serena's evolved a while back.
The rest of the group came over to watch as Poliwag increased in size and grew arms, and its tail disappeared. When the glowing stopped, in Poliwag's place stood Poliwhirl. Despite her surprise, Misty seemed to get hearts in her eyes as she gave her newly evolved Poliwhirl a hug.
"Hooray! I just got a dreamy Poliwhirl! I'm so happy!" she cheered.
"Poliwhirl!" Poliwhirl nodded, glad that its trainer approved of its evolution.
The rest of the group smiled, too, now that Misty's Poliwag had finally evolved. With that, Ash and Serena looked down at Togepi who was staring in awe at the evolution that just took place before it. Seeing that always fascinated the spike ball Pokemon.
"See, Togepi? Poliwag's gotten a lot stronger now so your battles won't be easy forever. That's okay, though, because you'll get stronger right along with them," Ash stated.
"Toge! Toge!" Togepi cheered. It couldn't wait to have a real competitive first battle once it was good enough and maybe even evolve one day.
Togepi was beat that day. It had its first battle and worked extra hard at aiming to try to perfect its attacks the rest of day. However, Togepi's child mindset still won out, and it gave a huge yawn and curled into ball as the group prepared to go to sleep that night. Togepi gladly welcomed Serena who picked it up and rocked it slowly to make it fall asleep faster. Togepi then snuggled into Serena and gave a contented sigh.
"How much longer do you think until we'll be in Ecruteak City, Brock?" Serena asked as she rocked Togepi.
"We're almost there. I'd say we should get there in just a couple of days," Brock replied.
"I'll see Gary again," Ash muttered as he poked at the campfire.
"You aren't nervous, are you, Ash?" Serena asked him.
There was a slight pause before Ash gave his response. According to Professor Oak, Gary wanted to see him and was willing to wait for them to get there. That alone should be enough to reassure him. They would be able to sort things out for sure.
"Nah. I'm not nervous. I guess I just don't know what I'll say to him," Ash responded.
"You could start with 'hi'," Misty smiled.
"Heh. I know that. I meant afterward," Ash chuckled.
"Just start up a conversation. Everything that needs to be said will fall into place," Serena advised.
"Yeah. I guess so," Ash muttered again and gave a half smile. The last thing he wanted at the moment were for things to remain awkward between him and Gary. This was especially true since they had been on their way to becoming good friends since they started their journeys.
Serena then looked down and noticed the soft breathing coming from Togepi and realized it was asleep. She then looked at her Pokegear and saw it was ten-thirty at night. That was a good sign to show it was time for them to start getting ready for bed themselves.
"Well, I'll go tuck Togepi in and be back out in a second," Serena stated as she stood up from the log she was sitting on.
"I'll help, too. I have a feeling I won't be doing this for much longer, after all," Ash said as he stood up, too.
"Alright. Misty and I will put out the campfire and pack up for the night," Brock reassured them.
As Serena, Ash, and Pikachu disappeared into the tent, Misty turned to Brock and gave a small smile. It warmed her heart to see the two acting like real parents. Having Togepi want to battle and not be treated like a baby anymore reminded Misty of two parents who were sending their child to school for the first day.
"I think they raised Togepi quite well, Brock. They were good parents," Misty said.
"Yeah. Of course, they still received help from Uncle Brock and Aunt Misty," Brock grinned.
"Heehee. I always loved babysitting Togepi. I could sometimes even imagine it as my own child," Misty smiled.
"Heh. Maybe in some alternate reality, you are Togepi's parent," Brock joked.
"Oh, please," Misty said with a roll of her eyes.
Meanwhile, Ash and Serena were tucking Togepi into Serena's sleeping bag. The spike ball Pokemon was already fast asleep. It had a big day, after all. Tomorrow would be even more training for it. Pretty soon, it would be able to take on tougher opponents and be ready for a real battle. Togepi was growing up.
"Piiiiika," Pikachu cooed as it got beside Togepi and curled up, as well.
"Okay, Pikachu. You want to sleep in here with Togepi and Serena tonight?" Ash asked.
"Piiiika," Pikachu yawned, but nodded to show that was correct.
"Alright," Ash replied.
Serena put her arm around Ash and rested her head on his shoulder. It was sad whenever Cubone had to grow up and start battling on its own for sure. However, with Togepi, it felt a little different. Ash had hatched it from the egg he found, and they had been taking care of Togepi ever since it was born. It was almost as if Togepi was their actual child, and they were its super young parents. Ash and Serena, of course, weren't ready for a real human baby yet.
"I think Togepi will be just fine, Ash. It'll be great at whatever it does," Serena said.
"Yeah," Ash mumbled.
It was rather tranquil inside the tent right now. The only sounds were the light breathing of Togepi and Pikachu. Ash and Serena watched them as they slept with content smiles on their faces. Pretty soon, Ash and Serena would go to sleep themselves and have good dreams. It was so peaceful.
"WAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!"
…That was until their ears were assaulted by that inhumane, horrible scream. Ash and Serena almost jumped out of their skin in fright at the sudden outburst. As if that wasn't bad enough, both Pikachu and Togepi were awakened, and Pikachu actually sent off a few bolts of electricity in its surprise. The noise, combined with Pikachu sending out a small Thundershock, frightened Togepi, and it immediately began to cry. The peaceful, soothing moment in the tent had turned into utter chaos in only five seconds.
Serena hastily picked up Togepi in an effort to settle it down while Ash and Pikachu bolted out of the tent to see what on Earth had made that noise. Ash and Pikachu were alert and looked around hastily for anything out of the ordinary. Brock and Misty looked just as freaked out as Ash and Serena had and were staring in a direction of the forest where the noise apparently came from.
"What's going on?!" Ash cried.
"So you heard it, too, huh?" Misty questioned.
"Obviously," Ash retorted. "I'm sure Ecruteak City even heard it! What was that?!"
"Well, we don't know. Misty and I were just getting ready for bed and…," Brock started, but…
"WAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!"
The horrible noise happened once more. Ash, Misty, Brock, and Pikachu leaped in alarm once again, and they heard more crying from Togepi inside the tent. Okay. Clearly this was going to be a continuous noise. They needed to find out what it was right now, or they wouldn't be getting any sleep tonight.
The group tentatively looked towards the woods where the screaming was coming from. They exchanged glances with each other as if telling the other to go ahead of them, but neither of them were moving. Misty and Brock motioned for Ash to go on ahead of them.
"Go on, Ash. You have Pikachu. Our pokeballs are already in our tent. Besides, we'll be right behind you," Brock urged.
"Uhh….," Ash muttered a little apprehensively.
"Piiiii…," Pikachu groaned, as well.
Ash took a deep breath. Okay. It was just a little…no…a loud scream. That didn't mean it was anything dangerous, right? He'd been in scarier situations than this before. Heck, he'd even had an infamous criminal gang have their guns pointed at him before and survived an airship crashing into the ocean. He could deal with a little screaming from the dark forest during the night. Ash took a step and then…
"WAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!"
"Um…no thanks! I'm good!" Ash hurriedly said and stopped dead in his tracks once again.
"Ash, please go see what's going on. We'll never go to sleep if it keeps up," Serena pleaded from the tent. She was obviously trying to get Togepi to go back to sleep, but that was impossible with the offending racket.
Ash turned his hat backwards and put on a brave face. Okay. He could do this. He had to be courageous for Togepi. The spike ball Pokemon was just now getting out its shell…figuratively. He or Serena certainly didn't want it to be scared and become clingy to them again. Ash nodded to Pikachu who nodded back. Together, they began walking in the woods towards where the sound was coming from. Brock and Misty brought up the rear with Brock bringing a flashlight.
As they ventured towards the noise, they realized it wasn't dead quiet like they expected it to be between the screams. They could hear a faint sound, but it was muffled and hard to make out what kind of sound it was. The group exchanged confused glances with each other but continued on. As they got closer, they could hear the sound getting a little louder. It almost sounding like…crying…well…bawling.
"WAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!"
The group grew alarmed when that scream sounded again. It was clear now that whatever was crying was also the one doing the screaming. They ran forward through the trees as fast as they could. What on Earth could be producing such a loud wailing? Whatever it was, the crying was getting closer and closer. They broke through a small clearing, and the crying was now very clear. Whatever was producing that noise, it was right in front of them.
Brock shined his flashlight around the clearing as he tried to find the source of the noise. However, he couldn't find anything. Was it invisible or something? Was it a ghost Pokemon playing a prank? It wasn't likely. It didn't sound like one. Still, it had to be something. Brock pointed his flashlight down to the ground, and they finally saw what was causing the noise.
"Huh? This little guy?" Brock questioned in confusion.
It was a small Pokemon that resembled a short tree sapling. It had large eyes and stubby legs. It was on its behind and crying its eyes out. It didn't even appear to notice the group that was staring down at it.
"WAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!"
The group cringed as the terrible scream was emitted yet again. Still, they were rather impressed. Apparently, this Pokemon, whatever it was, had quite a set of lungs if it could produce a noise like that. So it had been the one who was practically scaring them half to death. Despite their confusion, they were a little relieved as well as a little annoyed that this was all that it was. Even so, why was it bawling in the first place?
"Let's see what Dexter says," Ash muttered as he took out his national dex as Brock kept his flashlight shined on the Pokemon so they could still see it.
"Bonsly, the bonsai Pokemon. It looks as if it's always crying, but it is actually adjusting its body fluid levels," the national dex informed.
"So is it really crying now?" Ash questioned.
"I can't tell," Misty responded. "So what now?"
"We can't just leave it here. It looks really lonely," Brock said as he went over to the small Pokemon and knelt down next to it. "It's okay, little guy. We won't hurt you."
The Bonsly finally quit its wailing, much to Ash, Misty, Brock, and Pikachu's relief, and looked up at Brock. The tanned Pokemon breeder gave Bonsly a warm and inviting smile. He wanted to reassure the little Pokemon that there was nothing to be afraid of. Everything was going to be okay. Brock could feel a connection with this Pokemon already.
That was until Bonsly leaped forward and tackled Brock to the ground. The bonsai Pokemon hit Brock squarely in the chest, and Brock toppled backwards on to his behind. The Bonsly then glared at Brock, and Brock glared right back at it.
"Hey! What's the big idea? I was trying to help you!" Brock cried.
At that, the Bonsly's eyes once more welled up with tears. It wasn't long before the tears turned into a wailing again. The group grimaced at the Bonsly. This was going to present some sort of a problem if they couldn't get it to calm down.
"No! Wait! I'm sorry! Please don't cry! I didn't mean to shout!" Brock hurriedly said so the Bonsly would be quiet again.
The Bonsly settled down once more and looked at Brock. It still had tears running down its face. Okay. So it was clear that this Pokemon was a bit of a crybaby, but what could they do? They couldn't help but wonder where its parents were, if it traveled with them, that is. Regardless, they couldn't just leave it here, right? It was apparently very scared and lonely.
"Hey. It's okay. Everything will be alright," Brock soothed as he reached out to touch the Bonsly.
This time, Bonsly, didn't try to attack Brock. It just simply watched him until the Pokemon Breeder rested his hand on Bonsly's head. He then began to rub it back and forth as Bonsly laughed at how good felt. Brock then picked it up and cradled it in his arms not too differently from how Serena used to cradle Togepi.
"See? I'm not so bad, am I? How's that feel, little guy?" Brock asked it, to which Bonsly laughed again.
"What's going on?" Serena asked as she entered the scene with Togepi in her arms. Upon not hearing any news for a while, she was worried and had decided to see if everything was alright. Togepi's face was still a little tear-stained, but it had stopped crying by now.
"We found the out what was making that screaming," Ash replied as he pointed in Brock and Bonsly's direction.
Serena's eyes widened once she saw Brock holding the Bonsly. Like the others before her, Serena found it hard to believe that such a small Pokemon was capable of being that loud. Not even Togepi would cry that loudly which was saying something.
"So what are we going to do with Bonsly?" Ash wondered.
"Well, as Brocks said, we just can't leave it, Ash," Misty told him. "We should make sure it's properly taken care of."
"I agree. Let's take it back to the camp, and I'll give it a bottle. You guys won't mind if I use one of Togepi's old bottles, right?" Brock requested to Ash and Serena.
"No. Not at all," Serena replied.
With that the group headed back to camp with Bonsly in tow. The bonsai Pokemon looked quite content in Brock's arms, but it was staring up at him curiously. As they walked, Ash leaned over to Serena and whispered in her ear.
"Hey, Serena. Is it just me, or do we always seem to have a baby Pokemon in our group?" he asked.
"No. It's not. Every time one of our Pokemon grows up, another one takes its place," Serena whispered back.
"Toge?" Togepi questioned.
"No. You're not a baby anymore, remember? You've grown up," Serena told it.
Togepi nodded its head. That was right. It was no longer a baby and would become a strong and dependable Pokemon!
Brock just finished heating a bottle of Pokemon formula and showed it to Bonsly who was now staring curiously at the bottle. Brock nodded his head to show it was okay. Apparently, this Bonsly had never been around any type of civilization and hadn't adapted to drink from a bottle. The tanned Pokemon breeder couldn't help but wonder what Bonsly had been eating before. It couldn't eat solid food even if it wanted to.
"You drink from it, Bonsly. You suck on it…like this," Brock said and did a demonstration where he sucked on the bottle himself and resisted the urge to make a nasty face. Pokemon formula was clearly not adapted for the taste buds of people.
Brock then tilted the bottle downward for Bonsly, and the bonsai Pokemon began to drink from the bottle. Brock smiled once he saw it drinking.
"I bet you were hungry, huh? Well, don't you worry because Brock's here now," Brock soothed.
Ash, Serena, and Misty resisted the urge to chuckle as they watched Brock. He was acting like more of a parent to Bonsly than Ash and Serena did to Togepi. He was baby-talking to it and everything. He grew up with almost a dozen younger brothers and sisters so he was used to dealing with anything young. After all, most of what Ash and Serena learned about being a parent, they learned from Brock.
Ash gave a huge yawn and checked his Pokegear. Man. This thing with Bonsly was really keeping them up late. It had been almost an hour since they first heard the noise, and it was now almost eleven-thirty. Ash should be in his sleeping bag by now and fast asleep. Pikachu and Togepi were already asleep in his and Serena's lap respectively, after all. Still, Ash, as well Serena and Misty, wanted to see what would play out in regards to Bonsly.
"There's a good Pokemon," Brock cooed as Bonsly finished off the bottle. "How does that feel?"
"Bonsly!" Bonsly cried happily before it switched moods and began crying.
"Ugh! What could be bothering you now?! I just fed you so you can't be hungry!" Brock exclaimed.
Bonsly then leaped out of Brock's arms and tackled him in the face. Brock fell over backwards off the log, and Bonsly continued tackling him. Brock was using his arms to block Bonsly's tackle and grimaced at the pain. This certainly wasn't turning out as he hoped. Talk about a moody Pokemon.
"Bonsly! Why are you…attacking…me?! I'm trying…to help…you!" Brock cried in between blocking.
Bonsly was relentless, however, with its assault. It cried out continuously each time it crashed into Brock. Ash figured it was time for him to intervene and shook Pikachu awake. He then pointed in Brock and Bonsly's direction to show the yellow rodent of what the problem was.
"Hey, Pikachu. Do you think you could send a small bolt over to Bonsly to help out Brock?" he asked.
"Pika," Pikachu nodded
Pikachu then charged up a little bit before it sent out a small, short, static bold over to Bonsly. The bonsai Pokemon saw the bolt coming and leaped out of the way just in time. Its eyes then watered up, and it began crying before it ran away in fear. The group gasped at the sudden departure of Bonsly and chased after it.
"Bonsly! Come back! We were just trying help Brock! We weren't trying to hurt you!" Ash called after it.
Brock frowned as he used his flashlight and searched some of the nearby bushes for any sign of the baby Pokemon. Did a small bolt from Pikachu really frighten Bonsly that much? It had a very timid nature and got scared quite easily. Brock wanted to find it so he could reassure it they could still be friends. He just wasn't keen on being constantly attacked for no reason. Why did Bonsly do that anyway? What was its deal?
"Any luck, Brock?" Misty asked as she watched Brock search through the last of the surrounding bushes.
"No," Brock sighed as he came over and slumped down on the log he was originally sitting on.
"Sorry, Brock. I didn't know Bonsly would take off like that," Ash apologized.
"Piiiii," Pikachu added. Maybe it tried to make its aim too accurate.
"It's okay, guys. I think all of us weren't expecting Bonsly to run away," Brock replied.
"I don't get it, though. Why would Bonsly just start attacking you like that after you helped it and was trying to figure out what was wrong?" Misty spoke up.
"Hmmm…," Brock mused as he folded his arms.
That Bonsly was certainly a strange one. Most Pokemon would act grateful after being fed a meal, but Bonsly did just the opposite and didn't seem satisfied at all. Well, Brock took that back. It looked happy for the briefest of seconds before it started crying and attacked him. Then it freaked out and ran away at the first sign of trouble.
"I hate to say it, but I think it would be best if we went to sleep," Ash yawned before he added. "If Bonsly wants to come back to us, it will. Besides we'll have better luck running into it in the daytime than at night."
"Right. I just wish I could figure out that Bonsly," Brock muttered before he looked over at Ash and Serena. "Hey. Your aura and ESP wouldn't happen to be working, would it?"
"No. Not right now. At least, not for me," Serena giggled but realized Brock had a point. It had been quite a while since she or Ash had used their abilities. Were they dormant right now?
"Well, you guys are right. I can't think when I'm tired like this," Brock said as he stood up. "Let's hit the sack. Hopefully we'll run into Bonsly again."
The group figured that was a good plan. If they wanted to be rested enough for travel tomorrow so they could reach Ecruteak City in time, they needed to go to sleep now. With that, they each headed to their respective tent to call it a night.
It was the next morning, and Togepi was about to have another small battle. This time, it was against Pikachu. Of course, since Pikachu didn't want to hurt Togepi with its shocks like before, it would mainly be using its more physical attacks. Any electric attacks it used, it would make sure to go really slow so Togepi could focus more on dodging. The yellow rodent was really good at restraining itself.
Since Ash would be the one commanding Pikachu and battled with Togepi yesterday, it would be Serena doing it this time. It almost took her back to the first time she had commanded Cubone in battle against the Chateau Chatelaines in Kanto. The lonely Pokemon had grown a lot since then, and Serena was sure Togepi would do the same. She couldn't wait to watch it become better at battling every day until it was able to keep up with the other Pokemon.
Brock would serve as the judge, and Misty would be sitting this one out. That didn't really bother her as she still got a dreamy Poliwhirl yesterday which she was still excited about. The stronger her water-types were, the closer she was to completing her dream of becoming a water Pokemon master.
Unbeknownst to the group, they had another spectator to the match. Bonsly was watching from the bushes nearby. It had noticed the little Togepi last night and how the spike ball Pokemon was very young just like it was. However, here it was, looking very ready to fight while Bonsly knew all it would do was cry and run away…just like it had last night. It was going to stay here quietly and secretly cheer for Togepi.
"How are you feeling, Togepi?" Serena asked it
"Prriiiii!" Togepi chirped to show it was ready.
With that, Brock raised his hands again. "This is going to be a practice battle with Togepi versus Pikachu. You may begin when ready," he said.
"Okay, Pikachu. Use Quick Attack!" Ash ordered.
"You hear that, Togepi? Pikachu is going to be using a really fast attack so try to dodge it," Serena told the spike ball Pokemon.
Pikachu dashed forward at a very quick speed and hit Togepi, but it pulled its strike back considerably so all Togepi got was a slight bump. Togepi stumbled backwards and blinked in surprise a few times because of how fast Pikachu was. How was it supposed to dodge that? It looked up to Serena as if asking for help, and the honey blonde-haired girl smiled sympathetically down at it.
"I know it's hard to dodge Pikachu like that, but you still have to try. You'll only get better with experience. Part of battling is knowing what angle your opponent is going to strike from," she explained.
"How about I tell you where Pikachu is going to strike from this time," Ash suggested to Togepi. "It's going to be coming in from the right so you dodge to the left."
Togepi nodded its head and got into a defensive stance. It could do this.
"Pikachu, use Quick Attack!" Ash yelled.
Pikachu shot forward once more towards Togepi. As Togepi watched it, it could indeed see that Pikachu was focusing more on the right just as its daddy said. Togepi curled into a ball and rolled out of the way. It was close, but Ash, Serena, and Pikachu were proud that Togepi did it.
"Good job, Togepi! Now attack back with Extrasensory!" Serena told it.
Togepi seemed to focus on its inner power, and Pikachu made a grimacing sound as it was attacked in surprise by the unseeing force. However, the yellow rodent quickly shook its head and brushed off the attack. Ash then looked over at Togepi on the other side of the field.
"Hey, Togepi. I'm not going to tell you which way Pikachu is coming from this time. You're going to have to decide for yourself," Ash told it.
"Priiii," Togepi nodded.
"Okay, Pikachu. Use Quick Attack!" Ash commanded again.
"Get ready, Togepi. Even if you can't dodge, try to find out some way to counter attack Pikachu," Serena said.
Pikachu crouched down and sprinted towards Togepi again. Togepi tried to follow Pikachu's movements, but it was just too quick. Knowing that it couldn't dodge, Togepi hid in its shell and curled into a ball. Pikachu struck Togepi with its shoulder, and Togepi went rolling backwards. Because it had hit inside its egg-like body, it received no damage. Togepi then decided to use its momentum to try something new.
Ash and Serena were about to praise Togepi until they saw Togepi turn back around while still curled up and roll towards Pikachu. It kept going until it slammed into Pikachu, and the yellow rodent was knocked backwards. The yellow rodent stared in surprise for a moment until a big smile spread across its face. It looked like Togepi had just learned a new move.
"That's great, Togepi! It looked like you just learned Rollout!" Serena smiled.
Togepi uncurled from its ball-like shape and smiled broadly. If this kept up with it learning new moves, it would do well in battle in no time. It knew they were never going to be this easy and would only get harder, but that's what these practices were for!
"Let's try a Metronome now, Togepi!" Serena suggested.
Togepi then began waving its tiny arms back and forth. Everyone, including Bonsly, looked on in interest as they watched Togepi. Metronome was a completely random move so it was always suspenseful as anything could happen. After a few seconds, Togepi's arms glowed blue before going back to their original color.
Everyone waited for something to happen, but nothing did. Togepi blinked a few times in confusion as the group watched it. Well, wasn't it going to do something? Why wasn't it doing some type of attack or look like it was improving one of its stats? Something did happen, right, or did Togepi's Metronome turn out to be a total dud?
Togepi frowned as it looked down in shame. It had been so sure it did Metronome correctly so why didn't anything happen? Great. How was it supposed to be a good battler if it couldn't even get one of its own attacks right? This battle with Pikachu was a lot harder than Misty's Poliwag. Serena and Ash both gave Togepi a sympathetic smile and went to comfort it.
"Hey, it's okay, Togepi. You can't let this get you down. So what if you didn't use a good Metronome attack? You still did great, and you learned Rollout, too!" Ash encouraged.
"That's right. Ash and I are really proud of you," Serena agreed.
"Don't forget about your big brother, Pikachu," Ash smiled as he gestured to the yellow rodent.
Togepi looked over at Pikachu, and Pikachu held up its two fingers in a V-shape. "Pika!" it said happily.
Togepi smiled back and went back to its normally chipper self. It shouldn't expect to be great right off the bat. This was just part of battles. It would have to accept that it would make mistakes, and that it wouldn't feel down. Togepi would remain strong and keep trying. Cyndaquil wasn't giving up lighting its flame properly, and it was actually getting pretty close, so Togepi would keep at it, too, until Metronome was perfected!
All of a sudden, it got rather quiet in the area, and a strong breeze blew through. The group looked around in confusion as the wind was fairly light today. The weather wasn't supposed to have gusts like this. Pikachu's ears perked up, and it turned around just in time to see a beam of light heading towards it. Due to its complete surprise, Pikachu didn't dodge in time and was struck by the light.
The group gasped as Pikachu flipped through the air and landed on its back. Ash, as well as the others, ran towards Pikachu to make sure it was okay. The yellow rodent sat up and appeared rather dizzy. What on Earth was that?
"Uh…I think Metronome worked, after all," Ash muttered.
"Yeah. It used Future Sight. No wonder we were fooled," Serena voiced as she and the others turned to look at Togepi.
The spike ball Pokemon laughed jubilantly that its attack worked. Togepi had nothing to fear about it using its attack incorrectly, after all. It did just fine, but there was a delay because it happened to be Future Sight, and it was powerful enough to make its big brother, Pikachu, pretty dizzy, too!
Deciding that was enough training with Togepi today, Pikachu fell on its back again and raised a hand in defeat. The group gave a slight chuckle before Brock made his decision.
"Pikachu has forfeited the match so the winner is Togepi!" he declared.
"See? You did just fine, Togepi! Congratulations!" Serena cheered as she picked up Togepi and gave it a hug.
"You alright there, buddy?" Ash asked Pikachu.
The yellow rodent hastily stood up and nodded its head. That Future Sight attack didn't necessarily hurt it. That was more of a surprise than anything and left it dazed. Pikachu was made out of tougher stuff than that. Upon learning Pikachu was fine, Ash went over to congratulate Togepi, as well as Misty and Brock.
Bonsly watched from the bushes and thought about what took place. Togepi was a young Pokemon just like it was, and yet it was not afraid to battle or get hurt at all. Sure, it knew everyone was going easy on it, but it still wasn't afraid. Bonsly knew it always ran away at the first sign of danger, however. The second it saw a bolt from that Pikachu, it turned and ran away.
Bonsly then felt ashamed of itself and began to cry. It hated itself for being such a weakling and a crybaby. It couldn't control its emotions, though. Bonsly then noticed that everyone, particularly the squinty-eyed boy had been alerted by the crying. As they made their way towards the bushes, Bonsly knew it had two options. It could stay here and be found by them looking pathetic, or it could run away again. Which to do?
Not wanting to appear weak, but not wanting to run away, either, Bonsly made its decision. It would be just as ready to battle as that Togepi was. It then leaped out of the bushes and tackled Brock in the chest.
Brock gasped in surprise as he fell over backwards on the ground. Bonsly landed on top of Brock and began bouncing up and down. See? It wasn't a weakling, after all. It was facing a human who was many times its size! It was brave! That was until Bonsly saw Brock glaring at it, and it shrunk back in fear.
"You have a bad habit of doing that, you know, Bonsly," Brock muttered.
"Bonsly?" Bonsly questioned.
"Really. Why do you keep attacking me? I try to help you, and you accept my help, but then you do something like this," Brock wondered.
"Bonsly," Bonsly said sadly as its eyes watered at being scolded.
"Were you watching our battle this whole time?" Ash asked it this time.
Bonsly looked up to Ash and nodded its head. If it could see other young Pokemon be tough, it could do the same thing. Bonsly began then bouncing up and down. It then began crying again.
"Why were you watching it? We thought you ran away from us last night," Serena said.
Bonsly looked towards the ground in shame. Yes. It had run away. However, it had these people who were here to keep it company. That's why it stayed near them. Now, upon seeing Togepi fight, Bonsly wanted to learn how to be tough, too.
"Bonsly, are you lonely?" Brock questioned. "That's why you crying last night when we found you, wasn't it?"
"Bonsly," Bonsly muttered as it looked down.
"You know, you don't have to be lonely if you come with me," Brock offered.
"Bonsly?" the bonzai Pokemon questioned in surprise.
"Really. It's okay. Just try to not tackle me so much. It hurts a little," Brock replied and laughed slightly.
The bonzai Pokemon got a huge grin on its face as it began bouncing up and down in happiness. The group smiled at Bonsly's enthusiasm until it stopped and seemed to think over something. Its face then grew serious and it leaped at Brock into his chest. This time it wasn't a tackle, but Bonsly was thrashing around. It wanted to fight just like that Togepi if Brock was going to capture it. Bonsly wanted to show it wasn't a weakling.
"I get it. Bonsly wants to learn how to be tough, and the first step is to have you battle it before you capture it," Ash stated.
"So you want to battle me, Bonsly?" Brock questioned.
"Bonsly!" Bonsly replied eagerly.
"You got it. I'll battle you for your capture then," Brock declared as he stood up and went a short distance away from Bonsly. The others stood back, as well.
Brock then took out Kabuto's pokeball and threw it forward. While the other of Brock's Pokemon were rather large, Kabuto was just the right size to take on Bonsly. The only other option was Pineco, and it still had its habit of exploding. It wasn't ideal for a match where Brock was trying to capture a Pokemon. Thus, Kabuto it was. That was fine, though, as Brock hadn't battled with it in a while.
Kabuto came out its pokeball, and upon appearing, clicked its pincers at Bonsly. The bonzai Pokemon shrank back a little at Kabuto trying to intimidate it, but it put on brave face. It would go through with this battle.
"Why don't you make the first move, Bonsly?" Brock suggested.
Bonsly nodded its head. Everyone was expecting Bonsly to rush forward at Kabuto, but it did quite the opposite. To everyone's surprise, it started crying. Brock titled his head in confusion, as did Kabuto, as they watched Bonsly cry. Okay. Was it not up to battle, after all?
"Bonsly, what's wrong now?" Brock wondered.
Bonsly then suddenly stopped crying and leaped forward and crashed into Kabuto. The fossil Pokemon flew backwards and landed on its dome-shaped back. It wiggled a few moments to find its balance before it hopped upright again. Brock got a look of understanding on his face. Ah. So those were fake tears to get them to drop their guard.
"So you think you're clever, don't you?" Brock smirked at Bonsly, who laughed in triumph. "Well, how to you like this, then? Kabuto, use Aqua Jet."
A boost of water appeared from behind Kabuto and propelled it forward. As soon as it did that, Bonsly began crying once again. Brock, however, knew better this time. He wasn't going to back down again.
"Those are fake tears, Kabuto! Don't hesitate to attack it!" Brock commanded.
Kabuto continued going forward and crashed into Bonsly. The super effective attack knocked Bonsly high into the air, but it wasn't out yet. It summoned rocks and began hurling them at Kabuto for a Rock Throw. Kabuto merely watched as the rocks struck it. Being part rock-type itself, it did very little damage. Bonsly looked on in confusion that it's attacks had little effect. Was it really weak, after all. Upon noticing his expression, Brock shook his head.
"That isn't it, Bonsly. You're using a rock-type attack against Kabuto. It's not very effective because Kabuto is part rock-type. It isn't because you're a weakling," Brock reassured.
Bonsly nodded its head as it would try something else now. It then ran towards Kabuto and began flailing around. Kabuto resisted the hits so it didn't hurt very much. However, it was still rather difficult to find an opening.
"Try Absorb, Kabuto!" Brock shouted.
Kabuto's eyes glowed, and Bonsly stopped in its tracks. It then got a strained look on its face as the energy was beginning to get sucked from it. Brock figured this was enough, and he readied his pokeball and threw it towards Bonsly.
"Go, pokeball!" he said.
Bonsly saw the pokeball coming towards it and shut its eyes. Would it be scary inside of the pokeball? Would it be relaxing? Bonsly wasn't sure. It did know this was going to be a new experience for it regardless. The ball connected with the bonzai Pokemon, and it was sucked inside. The pokeball then shook for a few moments and dinged to show Brock's new capture.
Brock smiled and went over Bonsly's pokeball and picked it up. He then rubbed Kabuto's shell on a job well done before he returned it. So he just got a new Pokemon in Bonsly. Now he could teach it how to be tough and end its loneliness.
"Welcome to our group, Bonsly," Brock said as he felt one of his pokeball's teleport away.
Brock knew it to be Stantler's. He figured now was a good time to have it away from him a while. It could meet all of its new friends at Professor Oak's lab and spend time with them there. When the time was right, Brock would again add it back to his team. This would be a good experience for the big horn Pokemon.
"Great job, Brock. I guess we've got another baby Pokemon in our group, after all," Ash said.
"Yeah. I'll release Bonsly from its pokeball in a little bit. I'm sure it hasn't had anything to eat today and would love a good bottle," Brock replied.
"I guess Togepi's baby items are going to Bonsly, now," Serena shrugged.
"Toge?" Togepi questioned as it looked up at Serena.
"That's right, Togepi. You haven't even used a bottle in a while and have been eating regular Pokemon food like the others. You don't need them anymore," Serena told it.
"Speaking of Togepi, what are you two going to do with who keeps it? Also, I hate to bring this up, but it sees you as its parents. Would you two really be okay with sending it back to Professor Oak's lab sometimes?" Misty asked.
Ash and Serena looked at each other. That was true. Unlike with Serena and Cubone, where Serena was simply its surrogate mother for a time, Togepi really did think of Ash and Serena as its parents. They supposed they could keep it in their party at all times like Pikachu. They would also feel weird about just putting it in a pokeball.
Then there was the thing about whose Pokemon Togepi would be. It belonged to each of them equally and would benefit from both trainers. It was going to be a really tough decision indeed. Togepi was ready to be trained so they had to come to a decision. Ash sighed before he gave his answer.
"Serena and I will talk about it tonight," Ash replied.
Ash and Serena were sitting in front of the campfire that night. Only Pikachu and Togepi were out with them right now. Brock was feeding Bonsly a bottle from inside his and Ash's tent while a small lantern was on in Misty and Serena's tent. The redhead was probably reading a book right now. They both gave Ash and Serena some privacy right now so they could talk over their decision on what to do with Togepi.
Ash sighed for what might've been the sixth time in a minute. Both he and Serena had already been out here for ten minutes and hadn't said anything. They were each too busy thinking of an idea on what to do with Togepi. Meanwhile, Togepi and Pikachu were staring back and Ash and Serena as they awaited them to say something. Even Togepi knew this was a serious discussion about it and didn't say anything.
"Man. I don't know," Ash finally groaned to break the silence, though it did nothing to remedy their problem.
"Oh, Ash. I know. Togepi means a lot to both of us. We both would love to have it as one of our Pokemon," Serena said.
"Yeah," Ash agreed.
Togepi was a unique Pokemon that would definitely add some creativeness to Ash's battles. Likewise, the same held true for Serena and her Pokemon showcases. Togepi could do so much, but they had to make a decision. Serena sighed herself before she leaned over and whispered in Ash's ear so Togepi wouldn't hear this.
"Ash, why don't you keep, Togepi? It was your egg, after all. Not to mention, I was the one who ended up keeping Cubone. It's only fair," she told him.
Ash frowned before he gave his response. "I appreciate what you're saying Serena, but Cubone was yours to begin with. Besides, you've helped raise Togepi just as much as I have. I'm not even sure if Togepi would work best to be raised on battles with me. I want to give this a little more thought than that."
Serena nodded her head at Ash's response. She wanted to have Togepi be her Pokemon just as much as Ash's, but he still found the egg first which is why she offered. However, with Ash being how he is, he wouldn't accept it. Should they battle over who gets to keep Togepi? Then again, that wouldn't be good, either. It would really confuse Togepi if it saw its parents battling for it. They didn't want to give Togepi the impression that they were fighting.
"Well, I guess even though one of us keeps Togepi as an official member of our team, we could still let the other use Togepi whenever needed," Ash spoke.
"What do we do about the pokeball situation, though," Serena pointed out. "I wouldn't feel comfortable putting Togepi in one since we've raised it since hatching from an egg."
"I…guess it can stay out of its pokeball then like Pikachu," Ash muttered before he added. "If I kept Togepi, I think I would be the only trainer in Johto to have two Pokemon outside of their pokeballs at all times."
"I still think you should keep Togepi," Serena sighed.
"I know, but even if I did keep Togepi, I would be keeping Pikachu and Togepi in my party at all times. That only leaves room for four other Pokemon with me," Ash replied.
The raven-haired boy looked down and grabbed his head in frustration. Man, this six Pokemon limit was really not doing him or Serena any favors here. If he had won the Pokemon League, he probably would've been awarded an extra Pokemon with him to have with him. However, he didn't, and both he and Serena were between a rock and a hard place.
Ash then felt something brush against leg, and he saw it was Togepi. The spike ball Pokemon was looking up at him in worry. It could tell its parents were troubled by something, and it was the cause of it. Togepi didn't want them to be sad on its account. It tried to squeak happily at Ash in an effort to get him to smile. The raven-haired boy did indeed do that, and he bent over and picked up Togepi.
"Don't you worry, Togepi. We'll figure something out that makes you, Serena, and me all happy. Everything will be just fine," Ash reassured it.
"Pikachu!" Pikachu added, as well.
"We'll be arriving in Ecruteak City sometime tomorrow. Do you think we should call Professor Oak and ask him for advice?" Serena wondered.
Professor Oak was genius at figuring out arrangements and just Pokemon in general. While Professor Oak wouldn't make the decision for Ash and Serena as it's theirs alone. He would at least be able to point them in the right direction.
"Okay," Ash nodded.
The group smiled at the city in front of them. They had finally arrived at the historical and mythological Ecruteak City. It looked like an old-fashioned, Japanese City, but there were two things in the city that really stood out. There were two very tall towers on each side of the city. They were even taller than the Radio Tower, or one was in any case. The other tower definitely looked like something had happened to it…like a fire.
"Those must be the Brass Tower and the Bell Tower, the oldest buildings in Johto," Brock mentioned.
"The what?" Ash questioned.
"They were built over a thousand years ago to celebrate the legendary Pokemon of the area, Lugia and Ho-oh. The Bell Tower is said to house the legendary Pokemon, Ho-oh, while the blackened building was the Brass Tower. Legend has it that Lugia once rested there until it burned a long time ago," Brock replied.
"Ho-oh and Lugia?" Ash and Serena questioned at the same time.
While Misty had seen Lugia with them, only Ash and Serena had seen Ho-oh, also. They still remembered that first day of their journey when they saw a Ho-oh fly over the rainbow. It was truly an incredible sight. So according to legend, Ecruteak City was home to Ho-oh. Wow. Ash and Serena weren't particular history buffs, but Ecruteak City must have some really cool legends that have been passed down that they would love to hear. It was probably going to be the most interesting city the group had visited yet.
This would also be home to Ash's fourth gym battle. There wasn't a Pokemon Showcase in this city for Serena, but that was okay, as their next stops, Olivine City and Cianwood City both would. Ecruteak City also had a dance theater which housed the mysterious kimono sisters. It also had a lot of nature trails and old sights to see. This place was also where the group would be meeting up with Gary and Leaf. If they kept their word, they should still be in this city somewhere.
First thing was first, though. They needed to go the Pokemon Center and get their Pokemon checked on, and Ash and Serena needed to make an important phone call to Professor Oak. Brock took out his guidebook and flipped through the pages until he found the map of Ecruteak City.
"Okay, guys. The Pokemon Center actually isn't too far from here. We should actually get there quite quickly," he said.
"Toge! Toge!" Togepi chirped.
"It's okay, Togepi. We'll get it sorted out," Serena reassured as the group set out on their way to the Pokemon Center.
They arrived about ten minutes later, and the group couldn't help but notice how out of place the Pokemon Center looked compared to the rest of the city. It was probably the only modern looking building in the entire city. Even a picture of the Ecruteak Gym in the guidebook appeared to be old-fashioned. Well, whatever. What would an old-fashioned Pokemon Center look like anyway?
The group walked inside the Pokemon Center and found it was relatively quiet. There were a few other trainers here, but it certainly wasn't crowded. It should be relatively easy to get a couple of rooms to sleep in while they were here. As usual, Nurse Joy was behind the desk, and the group walked over to her. The Nurse Joy smiled and bowed to greet them.
"Hello. Welcome to our Pokemon Center," she said.
"Yes, Nurse Joy. We'd like a room, please, as well as have all of our Pokemon checked up on," Brock requested.
"Of course. I'd be happy, too," Nurse Joy smiled.
"Thank you, Nurse Joy," Brock smiled back as he handed her his pokeballs.
He had just fed Bonsly a bottle so it would be fine for it to have its first checkup. Brock then turned back to rest of the group to see why they hadn't given their pokeballs to Nurse Joy yet. Instead, he found they were all gawking at him, even Pikachu and Togepi.
"What?" Brock questioned in confusion.
"Brock, are you feeling okay?" Serena questioned
"What do you mean?" Brock wondered.
"How…how did you just have a normal conversation with Nurse Joy?" Ash asked in amazement.
"I know. I already had my hand ready to pull you back by your ear," Misty said as she actually had her hand raised to do the deed.
"Oh…uh…I guess I can just restrain myself better. If I want Suzy to like me, I can't go flirting with every beautiful girl I see. Speaking of Suzy, I should probably call her today," Brock responded thoughtfully.
"So…is your obsession with Nurse Joy and Officer Jenny over?" Misty asked cautiously.
"Oh no. I still think they're all beautiful, and I can still tell the difference between them. If you look closely, you can see that the buns on this Nurse Joy's head are about half an inch shorter than the other Nurse Joys," Brock explained.
"Yep. Same old Brock. Only he can do that," Ash said, fully convinced.
"Ummm….," Nurse Joy started awkwardly, not having a clue what was going on.
"Don't worry about it, Nurse Joy. Just know that you were saved from something that would probably annoy you," Misty said.
"Oh. Okay," Nurse replied, still a little confused.
Ash, Serena, and Misty handed Nurse Joy their pokeballs. The only Pokemon they didn't give over was Togepi as it was involved with their next order of business. They made their way over to one of the vacant video phones. Ash would be instigating the call so he sat down while Serena stood beside him and set Togepi down on the table the video phone was on so it could be seen, too. Brock and Misty were behind both of them.
Ash dialed the number to Professor Oak's lab and heard it ring a few times. Sure enough, the phone was picked up, and the image of Professor Oak appeared on the screen. The elderly professor smiled when he saw the group.
"Ah, hello there! I take it you all made it to Ecruteak City safely then," Professor Oak concluded.
"Yeah. We did, Professor," Ash nodded.
"Togepriiii!" Togepi added.
"Why hello there to you, Togepi, and Pikachu, too," Professor Oak greeted.
"Togepi is actually the main reason we're calling you," Ash muttered.
"Oh?" Professor Oak asked in interest. "What's the problem?"
"Well, you know we've been taking care of Togepi just like it was our baby," Serena spoke this time. "Now, we've decided to train it. It no longer wants to be babied."
"Hmm…that's a good thing, isn't it, or you two don't want to see it grow up?" Professor Oak inquired.
"No. It's nothing like that. We're really proud of Togepi. Our problem is that we don't know which of us should keep Togepi," Ash explained.
"Why is that?" Professor Oak wondered.
"Well, if one of us were to keep Togepi, we would have it in our party at all times…just like Pikachu. It would feel weird to send a Pokemon that we see as our baby to you and swap it out like our other Pokemon," Ash said.
"I told Ash he should keep Togepi since it was his egg, but then he would have only four Pokemon to swap from at all times which keeps his options limited with use of his Pokemon. I don't know if I would feel right having Togepi, though," Serena frowned.
"Ah, I think you're being rather selfless, Serena, by wanting Ash to have Togepi, but that still leaves him with quite the dilemma," Professor Oak nodded.
"Exactly," Ash replied.
Professor Oak folded his arms as he appeared to concentrate. It appeared as though Togepi never got in the way of Ash or Serena's six pokeball limit because they never really 'captured' it. They merely hatched it from its egg. Now, if they were going to be using Togepi for battles or showcases or anything else, it would have its own pokeball, and thus, occupy a spot in their party. Professor Oak could certainly understand why they wouldn't want Togepi in a pokeball or swap it out. This made it rather difficult. Professor Oak wanted to help them out, but what could he do? They clearly were expecting some sort of solution from him.
"Professor?" Ash questioned.
Professor Oak did indeed come to a conclusion, and he got a knowing smile on his face. Of course. The answer was so obvious that Ash and Serena probably never thought of it. It technically didn't break the rules of the Pokemon League Federation, either, as long as they kept doing what they were doing.
"Did you think of something, Professor?" Ash asked hopefully upon seeing Professor Oak's face.
"Yes. Why don't you two keep caring for Togepi as your baby and not capture it in a pokeball?" Professor Oak questioned.
"We have to, though, if we're going to be training it. Right?" Ash asked in confusion.
"Well, Togepi is you and Serena's baby, correct? Why can't it still be your baby even if you're going to be using it?" Professor Oak inquired and gave the group a wink.
A look of understanding crossed Ash and Serena's face as they started to realize what Professor Oak was saying. What he was suggesting to them sounded almost too good to be true. As long as they never put Togepi in a pokeball, it would never count as one of their party Pokemon. However, if Togepi chose to stay with Ash and Serena and wanted to battle or perform in showcases with the two as it saw fit, they wouldn't be breaking any rules as that was Togepi's decision. It would still count as a Pokemon in battle so they certainly couldn't use it as well as six more Pokemon, but still, that was great.
"Seriously, Professor? You'd really let us do that?" Serena pleaded and clasped her hands.
"I see it as two parents who are still taking care of their baby. Nothing more, and nothing less," Professor Oak smiled. "As long as you never officially capture Togepi, and it chooses to stay with you, there isn't anything I can do to stop you from using it.
"Wow. Th-thank you so much, Professor! You're the best!" Ash said gratefully.
"You're welcome," Professor Oak replied.
"Right," Ash nodded.
"Did you hear that, Togepi? You want to stay with Ash and me, right?" Serena asked it.
"Togepriii!" Togepi chirped. As if it's mommy really had to ask it.
"Then it's settled!" Serena squealed as she picked up Togepi and gave it a huge hug. "Ash and I couldn't be happier, right now. You'll be an amazing Pokemon someday, Togepi!"
"Toge! Toge!" it laughed. Togepi could tell the issue had been resolved, after all, and with positive results, too. It wouldn't be causing trouble for its mommy and daddy, after all.
"You guys are going to have your hands full," Misty giggled.
"Of course, Misty and I are still here to help in any way," Brock added.
Yes. Everything was going to be just fine. Togepi was learning how to train little by little, and it looked like both Ash and Serena were going to keep it. The six Pokemon limit really had them at a disadvantage, but Professor Oak had shown them the solution. This was definitely great that they could continue with Togepi as if nothing had changed between them.
"Wait until I tell Leaf. She's going to be so excited!" Serena beamed.
"Yeah. We still have to find Leaf and Gary," Ash agreed.
"Actually, it looks like you don't have to," Professor Oak spoke up as he noticed someone had come up behind the group.
"What do you mean?" Ash wondered.
"Well, Ashy boy. You and Serena sure look happy about something," a familiar voice stated from behind them.
Ash's eyes widened as he slowly turned around. He immediately recognized the voice, and as Ash saw who it was, that only confirmed it. Standing behind them was none other than Gary Oak. The spiky-haired boy had his hands in his pockets and had a small smile on his face. For a while, Ash didn't say anything, having remembered their last meeting ended on a bad note. It had ended sour for Serena, too, whenever he called Ash out on forgetting their anniversary, but she had forgiven him since then. There was still salt between Gary and Ash, though.
"Hey, Gary," Ash muttered.
"Hey, Ash," Gary muttered back.
I think this answer with who keeps Togepi will satisfy everyone. It really makes sense once you think about it. Now I know Togepi's battles were less than spectacular, but what do expect? It will be having real battles in due time.
I chose to go ahead and introduce Brock's Bonsly early since you can get a Sudowoodo around this point in the game, and I've also said a few times that Brock won't be traveling with the group in Sinnoh. It kind of makes you wonder when I introduce his Croagunk then, and his Happiny. Don't worry. They're in this series, too, but won't come along until much later.
It's now time for Gary and Ash to meet and resolve their issues. The next chapter will out later in February. Have a good one and thanks for all the reviews and support!
Chapter Thirty: Gary's Promise
