Hi Everyone, it has been a long time. I know a lot of you may have thought I had abandoned this, and I'm sorry, but be reassured that I haven't. Like everyone, last year was a pretty harsh year for me, and I've been working tirelessly to reignite my passion for writing, which I lost for most of the year.

Enjoy!

Chapter 15 – Birthday Wishes

Misty could not believe it; it was like a dream had come true. Not only was it her birthday, but she also got to spend it with her idol, Lorelei. Having won the tournament, Misty got to spend the whole day with Lorelei, and she was not going to waste it. She used the valuable time she had to glean every bit of information she could from the elemental master.

She asked Lorelei about training habits, including the best way to teach her Pokémon ice-type moves. She also wanted to know what was wrong with Seel, asking Lorelei about the best way to train the troubled Pokémon.

"So, your Seel is struggling to use special attacks?" Lorelei mused.

"Yeah," Misty embarrassingly admitted. She hated showing any form of weakness, especially in front of her idol.

"Hey, that's nothing to worry about. It's not your fault," Lorelei comforted. "A lot of Pokémon struggle with special moves. I suggest that you train Seel in its ideal environment."

"Ideal environment?"

"Haven't you ever heard of environmental training?" Lorelei questioned, before continuing. "Some Pokémon thrive in the environment of their habitat. I would suggest you take Seel to a colder climate where the environment can help boost its moves until it's strong enough to use them on its own."

"That's great advice." Misty contemplated Lorelei's suggestion as they made their way back to the table. "I'll have to look at doing it sometime. But for now, I am travelling with my friends, and I don't think they plan on leaving these islands anytime soon."

"Just remember to do what you need to do, don't always do what everyone else wants to; it's your journey as well."

"I'll take that to mind," Misty replied.

It was early afternoon when Lorelei and Misty joined up with Ash and Tracey, who had just finished setting up a table for lunch. They had gone all out, the table stacked with food from one end to the other; there was barely any room for their plates.

Misty gushed at the food, her eyes drifting from one platter to the next, but her attention quickly turned towards an assortment of desserts at one end of the table. "Oh my, you guys didn't need to!" But her statement was quickly ignored when she stuffed her mouth with a cupcake.

Tracey could have sworn he heard a muffled squeal when the delicious treat hit her tongue; Misty sure liked her treats. "Honestly, it was no problem at all," Tracey replied. "There's a lovely cake shop in the heart of town."

Before continuing to stuff her face, Misty made a mental note to visit the shop before they left the island.

Eventually, Misty begrudgingly stopped scoffing down the sweets and joined Ash, Tracey, and Lorelei at the other end of the table. The lunch they had was quick and sweet, despite a large amount of food that remained.

They quickly packed up everything, storing the food in containers for later. "That was a lovely lunch." Lorelei thanked the boys for the meal.

"It was nothing," Ash sheepishly replied.

"Yeah, it was nothing," Tracey disgruntledly agreed. "Because you did nothing!"

"Hey! I help set up the table!" Ash argued.

"Yeah, only after I allowed you to have that treat before lunch!"

"Boys! Boys!" Lorelei tried to calm them down. "It doesn't matter who did what. What matters is that we got to enjoy this lovely meal. Why ruin it with a petty squabble?"

"Sorry," they both muttered softly.

"Now." Lorelei sighed; relieved to have avoided a fight. She did not have the drive to deal with such a situation, especially from some kids. "Today is Misty's birthday, and I assume you both got her gifts?"

"Oh no, you really-" Misty tried to interrupt but was stopped when Ash spoke up first.

"Yes! We did!" he said, reaching for the gift inside his backpack.

"You guys really didn't need to…" She paused when she noticed the Poké Ball in Ash's hand. There was nothing special about the red and white ball, except for the faint symbol of a water droplet near the button. Misty knew what it meant; it was not just a standard water-type; it was a starter Pokémon.

"Here," Ash hurriedly, nervously, spoke, shoving the Poké Ball into her hands. "It's not just from me. It's from all of us; Brock, Tracey, and myself. We pooled together what we could, and after watching your recent battles, we thought it would be the perfect gift."

Misty curiously rolled the Poké Ball in her hand, dragging her thumb gently over the symbol. Excitedly, she pressed the button and threw the ball into the air. The energy released from the ball quickly took shape on the table.

Two arms and legs quickly formed, but its most striking figure was its oval-shaped head and large eyes that struck out from the top of its head. Misty gasped. She could tell which Pokémon it was, having faced the same Pokémon recently.

As the light faded revealing the Pokémon's light blue skin, the Pokémon stared up at Misty curiously, tilting its large oval-shaped head in confusion. Misty could not pull her gaze away from the creature's eyes, which she felt were staring straight back into hers.

"You… You got me a Froakie?" She questioned, stunned.

"Uhh… Yeah." Ash didn't know how to respond. He'd expected her to be jumping for joy, but instead, she'd barely moved a muscle. "I noticed that you lacked some Pokémon that didn't require water to battle. I spoke to Brock about it and mentioned that a Pokémon like this would be perfect. It just so happened that one became available and we managed to get it."

"Thanks, Tracey!" Misty suddenly jumped at Tracey, smothering him in a firm hug.

"I paid for it too," Ash silently grumbled from the side, watching the whole thing unfold. Misty pulled back before turning towards her other friend. Whether Misty heard him or not, Ash wasn't sure, but if she had, she didn't show it as she quickly pulled him into a hug.

"Thanks, Ash," she said. Currently, they were on better terms than they had been in recent weeks. Whatever Brock had said to Ash had managed to weave it way into his brain. Since then, he had tried to patch things up. And while Misty still hadn't fully forgiven him for his outburst, they were at least on speaking terms.

After lunch, Lorelei asked if Tracey or Ash had any questions they'd like to ask her. While she'd been exclusively training with Misty in the morning, she was more open to helping the others now that they had joined up with them.

"I mean if you don't mind?" Ash asked Misty for permission; he was trying to be more open about her feelings. "It was your prize, after all."

"Go ahead," Misty approved with a wave of her hand. "I've asked what I've wanted to. You can discuss the issues you're having."

"Well, Ash, what would you like to ask?" Lorelei questioned, turning her attention towards the young trainer.

"Well, you see, I've got quite a few problems," Ash explained. "Firstly, I have a Pokémon that is deaf but loves to battle. I have a Pokémon that prefers to show off its moves in a stylish way instead of focus on the battle…"

Lorelei realised how much of a loaded question she'd asked as Ash continued to rabble on about all the issues he was having. She tried to listen to everything he was explaining, but quickly realised most would require more than a day of help. "Why don't you tell me about the two biggest issues you're having, and we'll start from there?" Lorelei cut Ash off, her tone coming out as more of a command than a suggestion.

"Oh, okay." Ash paused, mulling over all his issues. "I guess Wartortle and Rhydon would have to be my biggest worries."

"Great, why don't you explain what the problem is with them?"

"There was an incident during my Gym Battle against Blaine, and Wartortle was nearly killed," Ash explained. "Since then, he's been afraid to battle; I can't even get him to train with another Pokémon."

"And Rhydon?"

"She's a bit more of a mystery," Ash continued. "Ever since I captured Rhydon, she has refused to battle for me, and I don't know what's causing it."

"Okay." Lorelei nodded her head up and down, considering everything Ash had explained. "Why don't you release them for me?"

"Are you sure?"

"Very. I can't fully understand what's wrong with your Pokémon until I see them," Lorelei explained.

Ash grabbed the two Poké Balls from his belt, releasing the two Pokémon in question. While Wartortle looked around quizzically, almost cautiously, Rhydon looked somewhat disinterested at having been summoned.

Lorelei studied the two Pokémon; walking around them slowly. Wartortle and Rhydon reacted differently to Lorelei's pacing, with Wartortle sceptically eyeing the Ice-type Master, while Rhydon quickly grew more agitated.

After several minutes of pacing back and forth as she studied the Pokémon, Lorelei spoke. "I have an idea." She stopped in front of Ash. "If you don't mind, could you let Misty borrow Wartortle for a while?"

"What do you mean?" Ash questioned.

"Looking at the two Pokémon, I can already tell what's wrong with Rhydon; she doesn't respect you."

"What?"

Lorelei ignored Ash's outburst, continuing to explain her findings. "I think the problem with Wartortle is more than just a fear of battling. The way he was cautiously glancing at you while I walked around him tells me he has trust issues."

"Trust issues?"

"I've dealt with a lot of Pokémon in my time, and it's not uncommon for a Pokémon to lose trust in their trainer, especially if said trainer caused a traumatic event," Lorelei explained. "Whatever you did that caused the incident against Blaine has caused Wartortle to lose trust in you."

"Well, how do I gain it back?" Ash asked. He was now more concerned than ever. He trusted his Pokémon with his life, and for one of them to not feel the same hurt him deeply.

"First, you need to get him to fall back in love with battling, but you won't be able to do that if he doesn't trust you. Your best chance is to get someone close to you to train him for a while; even let them use him in battles against other opponents, which is why I'm suggesting you give Wartortle to Misty."

"And what do you suggest I do with Rhydon?" Ash had already decided to lend Wartortle to Misty without a second thought, his attention turning to his other Pokémon.

"Rhydon's harder to explain," Lorelei said. "But I've seen that same look your Pokémon has before."

"When?"

"When I faced your father for the first time," she explained, earning a stunning expression from Ash. "Your father was using a rather powerful Arcanine against me, but it wouldn't listen to him either."

Ash remembered the video he'd seen of his father's first battle against Lorelei, and how pitiful it had been, but he'd never expected Lorelei to remember such a battle. "Yeah, I knew about that."

"It's not common knowledge," Lorelei clarified. "The league likes to paint a picture of perfection for all its high-ranking trainers, but we all didn't reach the top of the mountain without some mishaps along the way… But," Lorelei continued after a short pause. "Your father returned not long after with Arcanine as loyal as ever. Whatever he'd done in that time had turned his entire team around."

"What do you suggest I do then?" Ash questioned. He wanted to make things right with all his Pokémon.

"It's simple," Lorelei shrugged. "All you need to do is figure out why Rhydon doesn't respect you and rectify it."

The day went by faster than any of them had realised, and before long, the sun was setting on the horizon. Ash had handed over Wartortle's Poké Ball to Misty in the hope that they could work together to help both Pokémon and trainer.

They were just about to bid farewell to Lorelei when she suddenly remembered one last thing. "Oh, before you go, I need to give you this, Misty." She pulled out a pair of envelopes from her jacket, handing them to the young girl.

"What's this?" Misty questioned, studying the sealed envelopes with curiosity.

"They're the last prize for winning the tournament," Lorelei explained. "They're two tickets for entry to a doubles tournament I'm hosting on Kumquat Island. It's in a few weeks, and I hope to see you there."

Lorelei was about to turn and leave when they were suddenly interrupted by a pesky silver metallic-like Pokémon barrelled into Ash. "Beldum! What're you doing here? You're supposed to be at the Pokémon Centre!" Ash grasped the Pokémon so he wouldn't fall from the force Beldum had hit him.

"What's this?" Lorelei questioned; her attention drawn from Misty to Ash. "I never knew you had such a rare Pokémon."

"It's technically not mine yet," Ash explained. "I haven't decided if I want to keep it or not."

"Haven't decided?" Lorelei looked shocked, almost annoyed. "It looks like Beldum has certainly taken a liking to you, what could be the problem?"

"It's not that I don't like Beldum, it's that I don't want the stigma to continue," Ash cryptically explained.

"What do you mean?"

Ash sighed. "Ever since I've started my journey, I've always been told that my Pokémon are only strong or rare because of my father," he clarified. "Beldum had been a gift from Julien Reeves for saving one of his larger breeding centres from on attack. But I know everyone will question where I got such a Pokémon once they see it, they'll say my father gave it to me; that I wouldn't have had such a rare Pokémon if I wasn't his son."

"Ugh," Lorelei groaned, grabbing the bridge of her nose in frustration. "Who cares what others think! Do you think your father cared about what others thought about his Pokémon!"

"Well, no…"

"Let me explain something to you!" Lorelei cut Ash off, her voice rising in anger. "When your father first became the Champion of Kanto, he did so using a powerful Pokémon he'd traded for with a Gym Leader; all under the guise of helping it learn certain moves! And then, when he faced the last Pokémon Master for his title, he used his Charizard, which was his best friends first Pokémon; not his! Not all his Pokémon were ones he caught single-handedly; some were gifts as well!"

Lorelei took a breath to calm herself before she continued her rant, earning worried stares from the three people in front of her. "Don't be worried about where your Pokémon came from; it doesn't matter if they're gifts from Arceus himself, all that matters is how you train them and battle with them. A weak trainer with a strong Pokémon will always lose to a strong trainer with a weak Pokémon; especially if they know everything about their Pokémon."

Lorelei's rant had ended, but the words rang heavily for the three trainers in front of her. They knew she was right, but they couldn't believe they hadn't thought about it before. Little did they know, her words would be the turning point in their journey.

The Collector stood triumphantly in front of the stone tablet he'd received from his client after successfully stealing-what he had learned was a fake-Vortex Stone. The tablet told a story of the three legendary birds and the 'Beast of the Sea.'

Turning towards the command console of his 'floating fortress,' he calmly read his new instructions. Internally, he was excited, but he didn't show it. He was excited about his next goal; disrupt the balance of fire, ice, and lightning.

But he had a better idea; he would capture the three legendary birds and tame the 'Beast of the Sea.'

A long time ago...

Red sat silently in the Pokémon Centre connected to the Indigo Plateau's battle arena, staring at the Poke Ball in his hand quizzically. He had just faced the Elite Four for the first time, or rather, he had faced Lorelei for the first time; failing to get past the Ice-Type Pokémon trainer.

He couldn't understand why, but the Elite Four didn't feel as daunting as he'd first thought, but instead, it was the disobedience of his Fire-Type Pokémon, Arcanine-who should have been his trump card-that ultimately led to his downfall.

Facing the Elite Four one after the other, like running the gauntlet, sounded like a daunting task, but with a sound strategy and the right Pokémon, Red knew it wasn't impossible. Recently, he'd watched several trainers enter the doors to the first battle arena, with some managing to make it all the way to Lance before failing.

He knew he had the right strategy, the right Pokémon, but for some unknown reason Arcanine wasn't listening to him, and he would need to figure out why before he rechallenged the Elite Four.

While Red pondered the problem he now faced, the doors to the Pokémon Centre opened. The wind blew in from outside, warming the airconditioned floor for a few seconds as the two new patrons entered the building.

Red overlooked Eline, seated in her wheelchair, paying them no attention, as she was slowly pushed through the building by the second newcomer. They headed towards the elevator for the staff and executives of the Pokémon League. Stopping, Eline peered around the building as they waited for the elevator.

She studied all the young trainers there that day, sensing their hope that they would have a chance at claiming the title of Pokémon Champion; the excitement and nervousness in their movements, but she paused when her eyes landed on Red.

The elevator dinged, the doors opening shortly after. The man pushing Eline's wheelchair was about the push her through the doors when she signalled for him to stop.

"Mam?" the man questioned, studying the frail old woman. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," Eline replied. "I simply wish to observe the trainers waiting for their chance to face the Elite Four."

"We don't have time, mam." The man replied. "Mr Goodshow is incredibly busy; we're lucky to have any of his time as it is."

"Nonsense!" Eline replied. "Until that man is President of the League, he can wait for me! Now, take me over to the boy in the red jacket."

"Yes, mam." The man sighed, knowing he wouldn't be able to change Eline's mind once a decision was made. Reluctantly, he pushed the wheelchair towards Red, wondering why Eline had taken an interest in this seemingly random boy.

"Hello, Red." Eline waved as they approached, drawing Red's attention from the ball. "My name is Eline. You might not remember me, but we met quite some time ago when I was visiting my family in Cerulean City."

"How would I forget such a prominent figure?" Red replied, placing the Poke Ball in his lap as he raised his head towards the new arrivals. "It's not every day that you get to meet a former Pokémon Master. It's nice to meet you again, Eline." He extended out his hand in greeting.

"My, what a well-mannered boy," Eline commented, accepting his hand. "If you don't mind me asking; you were staring at the Poke Ball rather intently. What's troubling you?"

"Well…" Red sighed. "It's rather hard to explain. Up until recently, Arcanine had been one of my most loyal Pokémon, but ever since he evolved, he hasn't been listening to my commands."

"Interesting." Eline pondered the information she'd received. "And you have no idea why?" Red's reaction was all she needed to know she was right. Watching the young boy, she decided she would impart a small piece of information few trainers seemed to know. "There are a lot of reasons as to why a Pokémon won't listen to its trainer, but the most common ones are respect, trust, and fear."

"Respect, trust, and fear," Red reiterated.

"If a Pokémon doesn't respect its trainer, it won't follow his or her commands because it believes it can fight better on its own," Eline explained. "If a Pokémon doesn't trust its trainer, it may feel more compelled to follow its instincts. And if a Pokémon fears either the battle or its trainer it may feel more compelled to flee than fight."

"But how do you tell which reason it is?" Red asked, almost pleadingly.

"The only way is to observe your Pokémon," Eline clarified. "Not during a battle, but rather how it interacts with you and your Pokémon during the day. If it's respect, your Pokémon will ignore you constantly. But if it is trust or fear, your Pokémon will probably be more comfortable around you when you're not battling."

"Makes sense." Red agreed. "All I need to do is observe my Pokémon, and I might be able to figure out what's wrong." Red quickly rose to his feet, realising he wouldn't be able to figure out what was wrong with his Pokémon by merely sitting there and staring at the Poke Ball.

"Well, it's not that easy," Eline replied. "But I'm sure you'll be able to figure it out." She bid her farewell to the boy and watched as he raced out of the Pokémon Centre, a small smile on her face.

"Excuse me, mam, but what was that all about," the man questioned, pushing her back towards the elevator.

"I don't know, but there's something about him that reminded me of an old friend I lost during the war." Eline shrugged. "He had the same look in his eyes as that boy. I just felt compelled to help him."

"Well, we better get going," the man said, pushing the wheelchair into the elevator. "We can't keep Mr. Goodshow waiting any longer."

How will Ash go in his next Gym Match? What will happen with Wartortle? And how will Red go in his rematch? Find Out Next Time!

The next chapter will be upload on the 6th of February, when I plan to begin uploading more regularly. I'm already several chapters ahead and I hope to be more so by the time I upload my next chapter. I had originally planned to begin uploading last week after I wrote the last chapter of this Arc, but the number of chapters tied to the movie went from 2 to 5, I also had to split up a couple of other chapters, and it is taking forever. I want to make a decent buffer, so I don't feel pressured to write, which is what killed my enthusiasm last time.

Any questions, Pokémon suggestions, ideas for the story, or OC's you have that you would like to see in the story, just PM me or send it in a review! All are welcome!

Ash's Pokémon:

On Hand:

Pikachu (Electric) (Male)
Lapras (Water/Ice) (Female)
Ivysaur (Grass/Poison) (Male)
Charizard (Fire/Flying) (Male)
Wartortle (Water) (Male)
Rhydon (Ground/Rock) (Female)
Riolu (Fighting) (Male)
Snorlax (Normal) (Male)
Ralts (Psychic/Fairy) (Male) (Shiny)
Grubbin (Bug) (Female) (Shiny)

At Oak's Ranch:

Pidgeot (Normal/Flying) (Male)
Arcanine (Fire) (Male)
Nidorino (Poison) (Male) (Shiny)
Umbreon (Dark) (Male) (Shiny)
Raticate (Normal) (Female)
Butterfree (Bug/Flying) (Male)
Kingler (Water) (Female)
Absol (Dark) (Male)
Gengar (Ghost/Poison) (Male)
Primeape (Fighting) (Female)
Muk (Poison) (Male)
Tauros (Normal) (Male) (x23)
Sandslash (Ground) (Male)
Gyarados (Water/Flying) (Male)
Dragonair (Dragon) (Female)
Beldum (Steel/Psychic) (Shiny)

Departed:

Mew

Misty's Pokémon:

On Hand:

Starmie (Water/Psychic)
Seel (Water) (Male)
Feebas (Water) (Female)
Vaporeon (Water) (Female)
Psyduck (Water) (Male)
Togepi (Fairy) (Male)
Egg

At Oak's Ranch:

Kabutops (Rock/Water) (Male) (Shiny)
Seaking (Water) (Female)
Staryu (Water/Psychic)
Tentacruel (Water/Poison) (Male)
Pelipper (Water/Flying) (Female)
Seadra (Water) (Female)
Froakie (Water) (Female)

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Until Next Time, AshleyH30 Out!