"Human language"
"Pokéspeech"
Telepathy
Pokémon Attacks(ordered)
06 - Forest Scuffle
Ash was exhausted in the morning, waking up with slightly aching paws. Even though he was a rather active pokémon, running after Delia and Oak most of the day, he wasn't quite adapted back into the forest life. Plus he hadn't trained so hard since Gary's passionate foray in his first month with Ash as a temporary partner. He still woke up before Misty though, and found Caterpie drinking from a puddle nearby, nervously eyeing Quill.
She had apparently decided to release herself from her pokéball just to stare longingly at the pokémon which might normally be her food.
"She won't eat you." He said to Caterpie, knowing the bird wouldn't now that she had a trainer to feed her, and a new flock. Quill probably just felt like teasing the poor caterpillar.
There was a rustling from behind them as Misty emerged from her tent with a much-too-happy Pikachu cuddling in her arms. He must've switched to the tent sometime during the night. Ash sighed. It seemed they really hadn't made much progress after all. Misty yawned.
"Are you heading for Pewter already? It's too early." Ash pretended that her friendly demeanor didn't bother him. He wasn't much for people really, maybe do to his past, maybe do to the fact that he'd only ever had to interact with Delia, Oak, and Gary, and only whenever it was his choice. Misty was more like an irritable nat.
"Yez, it would be better to earn as much money az possible, as fast az possible." The redhead surprised him by not nosing into that statement, maybe she could tell he was feeling quite grumpy already, and ready to start on his journey for real.
She went to scrounge up some kind of human-ish breakfast, and Ash did the same, this time locating a collection of walnuts which Quill seemed to especially enjoy. When they were done eating, Ash led the way through the forest.
They skirted around several hives of Beedrill, and a sinkhole made by Diglett with nasty personalities, before coming to a stop in a small grassy clearing. Where there sat a young man. He wore dark blue armor with red accents and sat in the center of the field with a calm expression on his face. Ash figured his selence and positioning meant he was meditating.
When Misty, Ash, Quill, Pikachu, and Caterpie were just a hair's breadth away, his eyes snapped open and he drew his sword in a swift flash.
"You're the trainer Ash, from pallet." Said the boy, aiming his blade directly over Misty's nose, so that it could've sliced her in half if he'd put just a bit more strength into it. Misty huffed angrily, swatting the weapon away. Ash wondered how she was fine with having a sword in her face, but couldn't walk with six feet of Caterpie.
"Don't go waving that around! What if you hurt somebody?!" The boy grinned sheepishly, sheathing his weapon, but not looking at all guilty.
"You are Ash?" The boy asked once more. Misty snarled, red with anger.
"No, I'm not! But that doesn't matter–" She was cut off as the strange boy began to stand up, features turning sour.
"Then I have no business with you, good day." He bowed slightly and went to leave. Realizing he'd have to do something, otherwise Misty would annoy him about it all the way to Pewter, Ash barked.
"I'm Ash from Pallet. What do you want?" Seemingly startled, the boy pivoted back around, staring wide-eyed at the Zorua.
"Y-you're Ash...but...he didn't say–" Ash decided politeness wasn't necessary.
"Who didn't say? What do you want with me? You should know it's illegal for you to try capturing me." Misty looked at Ash sharply, as if he should've told her that earlier. Maybe she had been hoping to capture him herself. Ash felt suddenly like hacking up a furball, determining not to tell the redheaded girl about the exception to that rule, not that he'd ever agree to being trained by anyone.
"G-Gary Oak, he said there was another trainer from Pallet...I wish to battle you" Ah, so the Professor must've told him. Ash cringed, Gary might actually hate him for refusing the partnership now...Ash would have to make sure the boy knew he was only doing it to fund his dream of owning a Reserve. He resolved to do so when he next ran into his former trainer.
"Not really a trainer...but I'll take you on I guess." Misty glared at him again, and Ash hoped she wouldn't strangle him in his sleep. Really, did she expect him to have told her everything about himself after only meeting her yesterday? Humans were baffling.
"Alright, how about a two on two, no substitutions?" They nodded at each other, walking to stand equal length apart with Misty as their referee. He temporarily returned Quill and Caterpie, so he could call them out at the right times, waiting for Misty to start the match.
"First round, begin!" She shouted, and the boy let out a Pinsir. Thinking briefly, Ash chose Quill, who trilled happily at the selection, immediately eyeing Pinsir like a fresh slab of marbled steak.
"Use Headbutt!" Demanded the boy, and the bug Pokemon complied, rushing in a half-jump toward Quill. The Pidgey dodged with a sloppy Agility she hadn't quite perfected, soaring down as Ash yipped
"Gust!" Having accidently switched over to Pokéspeech while saying it, which made it impossible for his opponent to understand. Frantically, the boy shouted.
"Pinsir dodge! Then use Crunch!" Unfortunately, the wind and dust produced by Quill's wings wasn't really something Pinsir was able to doge, meaning the hit landed, and the bug couldn't follow through with the second order.
"Try Steel Wing!" Said Ash, changing back to human language. Quill dived obediantly for her rival, wings flickering with a wavering light. It went out before hitting Pinsir, failing. Ash cursed under his breath, regretting it and at the same time thinking that it would've been better if he went with a Quick Attack - Peck combo.
"Bug Bite!" Ordered the boy, and Quill took her first bit of damage. Flying away, she prepped for the next attack. Ash realized the battle was too close. He needed an advantage.
"Sand Attack!" Again, using Pokéspeech, though this time on purpose. Quill quickly turned the battlefield into a shrouded mystery.
"Pinsir get ready to dodge." Said the boy, warily, trying desperately to see something.
"Quick Attack and Peck!" Said Ash, excitedly, watching as Pinsir tried moving too late, and Quill's attack landed.
"Pinsir is unable to battle, first match goes to Ash." Declared Misty, seeming far too smug about it. Ash grinned rather weirdl around his canines, watching as Quill made joyous loopty-loops through the air.
The mystery boy called out his second pokémon, a Metapod. Right away, he shouted confidently.
"Use Harden!" Ash wondered if the boy knew that the defensive skill only worked to prevent some damage, not all. Metapod was only really good for a stall strategy, unless one knew how to use its String Shot correctly.
"Quill, use Whirlwind!" There, an attack that did lots of damage, while also keeping Quill safe in the air. The wind battered against the Metapod, seeming to deflect harmlessly off, but Ash knew otherwise. After all, as a pokémon, he knew how it felt to take that attack. If it hurt even at his level, then it would certainly hurt Metapod.
"Harden!" He repeated, after the wind had quelled. Ash smirked. One more...
"Whirlwind again!" Just as he thought, it seemed Metapod didn't know any other attacks. The boy would lose.
"Harden!" It was as Ash had assumed, the boy didn't know that Harden still left his pokémon vulnerable.
"Now, use Quick Attack and Tackle!" Quill trilled again, knowing the battle was won, as she dove for Metapod, knocking it out.
"Metapod is unable to battle, Ash is the winner!" Cheered Misty. Ash rolled his eyes the best a pokémon could, padding over to congratulate Quill, when she started to glow. Her form morphed with light, lengthening her legs and beak, sleekening her feathers, and changing the hue on her head crest and tail into a multitude of yellows and oranges. Quill had evolved into a Pidgeotto.
"Good job, Quill!" The bird preened happily, eyeing her new feathers with pride and no doubt thinking about how much faster this would make her.
"Thank you." The mysterious boy, who belatedly introduced himself as Samurai, thanked Ash for the battle and declared a future rivalry, leaving after warning them about the resident Beedrill. Then, Ash finally broke free from the Viridian forest, closing in on his Pewter Gym match.
An: I've gotten so much love for this, and I appreciate it! I'm hoping it will be a satisfying story. Not sure where it will end though, all I know is that there will be a large number of changes regarding Ash's journey after the conclusion of the Indigo League.
Ash's Pokemon:
On Hand: Pikachu(M), Pidgeotto"Quill"(F), Caterpie(M)
Pokemon Seen: 12
Pokemon Captured: 3
Misty's Pokemon:
On Hand: Staryu(M), Starmie(F), Goldeen(M)