Chapter Seven

"Houndour, the dark Pokemon– dark and fire type. Houndours hunt in highly coordinated packs, resulting in them being highly responsive to human training. The bony structures on its head and body heat up to protect it from attacks," The Pokedex whirled.

"Awesome," Ash said, looking up from the device and at the newest member of his team. Houndour was sitting contently, looking up at Ash as he scanned her with the Pokedex. She seemed to be a completely different Pokemon from yesterday– ears perked up curiously and tail wagging.

Pichu, on the other hand, was the same. He had scurried as far away from Ash the moment he had been released from his Pokeball, cheeks sparking aggressively. Ash hadn't let himself be daunted though, scooping up the Pokemon and placing it in his jacket pocket. He had been hit with a small Thunder Shock in retaliation, but the electric type had curled up in it afterwards, burrowing deeper into his pocket.

"This Houndour knows the moves Ember, Howl, Smog, and Fire Spin," The Pokedex reported as he pressed another button. "It is a female and its ability is Flash Fire."

"Are you just going to look at that thing all day, or are we actually going to get moving?" Misty asked impatiently.

"One second!" Ash called, finally turning the Pokedex towards the cowering Pichu in his pocket, pressing several buttons.

"This Pichu knows the moves Thunder Shock, Charm, Volt Tackle, and Wish," The Pokedex continued. "It is a male and its ability is Static."

Pichu hissed up at him.

"Ash– please! I don't want to be in this forest any longer than I have to!" Misty cried. With a sigh Ash tucked his Pokedex away into his pocket, and patted his knee. Houndour gave a happy bark, and followed him along the path to where Misty was waiting. "Thank you."

"I don't see what the hurry is," Ash said as they entered the Viridian Forest. "I mean, sure, Beedrill are dangerous in swarms, but other than that it's just a forest."

"The sooner we're out of here the better," Misty muttered, leading the way of their small group. There was a quick pace in her steps, glancing back every few steps to make sure he was following.

They traveled in silence for sometime, neither not sure of what to say to the other. Misty seemed to be more snappy than yesterday, but seeing how she had come to Houndour's defense Ash knew she was a good person. Her Pokemon had seemed pretty strong as well, showing that she was no beginning trainer. But she seemed to be around his age as well, so she couldn't have been a trainer for long...

"Arf!" Houndour barked, trotting ahead of Ash. She was still favoring her front leg, but seemed willing to put a bit more pressure on it than yesterday. She didn't wander far from their group, always looping right back to Ash's side the moment she realized there was distance between them.

"Looks like it's going to be nearly a two day trip," Misty said at last, looking at a digital map. "Great, just great..."

"It's a big forest," Ash said. "But perfect for doing some training."

"I thought you weren't doing gym battles."

"I still have to train though," Ash said defensively. "In fact I'd say there's more training to contest than gym battles– because you have to train for both battling and to master your routines. What about you– are you doing gym battles?"

"...Yeah. I've fought in gym battles..." She said, just slowly enough to cause Ash to pause.

"You don't sound too sure about that."

"Oh– it's none of your business!"

"Sheesh, sorry for asking," Ash muttered. She was the one that wanted to travel through this place together, but heaven forbid he carry on a conversation. "Hey Houndour, next time you see a large boulder I want you to use Ember on it– okay?"

"Hound!" She barked, tilting her head slightly. She seemed confused at this, but willing to do it. Her amber eyes looked about, trying to keep an eye out for the next rock. She seemed to consider their small band her new pack– and she didn't want to do anything that could get her kicked out.

The moment a large enough boulder came into view she was running forward, releasing a small ball of fire from the back of her throat. The Ember sizzled against the rock, leaving a small scorch behind. She turned to look at Ash hopefully, who patted her on the top of her head. Ignited with vigor she took to the front of their group, keeping an eye out for more rocks.

"What about you?" Ash asked the Pichu in his pocket. "Do you want to come out too?"

"Chu..." A low growl replied, and Ash sighed.

"What's up with him?" Misty asked.

"He's a... rescue," He replied after a moment. "He doesn't really trust humans that much."

"And he was your first Pokemon?"

"Is there a problem with that?"

"Well how on earth were you planning to get through Viridian Forest if you hadn't caught Houndour? If he won't listen to you then how would you battle off the b-bugs!"

Misty's voice suddenly rose to a scream, jumping back as if she had just been shocked. With a yelp she scrambled behind Ash, causing both him and Houndour to look at her in alarm. She was pointing to where she had been standing seconds ago.

"Bug! Bug!" She screamed. "Burn it! Burn it!"

Ash looked down to see a little Caterpie looking up at them.

"It's a Caterpie," Ash said. "Not a Beedrill– it doesn't even evolve into one."

"It's a bug!" She cried. "Houndour– get it! Please!"

Houndour trotted up to the green Pokemon, looking down at it. The Caterpie's eyes widened, before bolting towards Ash and Misty. The small Pokemon looped around, huddling near Misty's ankles. She let out another screech, bolting away once more, and Ash plucked the Caterpie up before it could follow her.

"...Are you scared of a Caterpie?" He asked, letting the bug scurry over his hands.

"None of your business!" She shouted.

He let the Caterpie go on a tree trunk, watching as it hurried up towards the branches. "Here I thought it was the Beedrills you were worried about, but if you're scared of this little guy too..."

"I don't like bug types– okay!" She said, eyes locked on the trunk until the Caterpie was out of sight. She was still inching back a bit, and yelped when Houndour pressed up against her side. "Er... let's just keep moving– okay?"

"You know there's probably hundreds of Caterpies alone in this forest, right...?"

"I'm not listening!"

Ash chuckled.

It took quite a bit of convincing from Ash to get Misty to stop at the trainer stop they found along the path, the girl wanting to make as much headway into the forest they could before dark. But with this being one of the best places to camp in the forest Ash wasn't about to pass it up. Misty had glared at him when he had refused to go another step, but in the end she had relented, muttering something about safety in numbers and evil bugs.

Trainer stops weren't that fancy of places, when it came to resting a Pokemon Center was always the best option, but this was better than the wild. There was a bathroom and a pump with running water, and several fire pits scattered around the area to accommodate traveling trainers. According to Professor Oak there were dozens of these scattered across the main routes between towns, providing a place for trainers to get fresh water and rest, but if you went off of those paths you were basically on your own.

They claimed one of the campfires, which Houndour was more than willing to start, while Misty and Ash set up their sleeping bags on the opposite sides of it. She hadn't said a word to him after he had made them stop, and seemed to have no plans on changing that. He sighed, he had secretly been hoping that having a traveling companion through the forest would result more in the companionship he saw with people like Gary and Damian– minus the attitude, of course– but he and Misty didn't have much to talk about.

"So I'm guessing you didn't want to go alone because of bug types, right? Not just Beedrill?" He asked as they prepared their dinner, earning a flinch from the orange-haired girl.

"...Like I said, I don't like... bugs!"

Ash jumped as she let out a shriek, her plate flying and she threw it away from her, food and a green shape tumbling across the ground. Misty was on her feet in moments, bolting away from the small Caterpie as he shook bits of food off of himself, large yellow eyes blinking. The Caterpie glanced around, before spotting a quivering Misty in the distance, and his eyes lit up.

Houndour stepped in front of Misty, letting out a low growl as the caterpillar began to make his way towards the girl. The two Pokemon stared at each other, but the canine wasn't about to let him near her clearly afraid pack member. Ash rose to his feet, reaching out and plucking up the bug type.

"I think this is the same guy from before," he said, eyeing the Caterpie's markings as it crawled across his arms. "I think he likes you, Mist, no need to be scared of him."

"I'm not scared, and don't call me Mist!" Misty cried. "Just get that thing out of our campsite!"

"This forest is his home, he has every right to be here," Ash said, letting the Pokemon crawl across his arms. He was tempted to catch it, it would be so easy to just throw a Pokeball with it right in front of him, but he resisted the urge. He was new to being a trainer, and he already had two Pokemon to look after– and both who needed extra attention. "There you go little guy, I think you'd be safer away from the fire."

He set the Pokemon down, who glanced at him, before crawling away. The little Caterpie was moving slowly, and Ash swore that he saw a few glances being thrown at Misty as he made his way back towards the trees. Misty didn't move from her defensive spot behind Houndour until the bug type slunk around a tree trunk, and she let out a huge sigh of relief.

"Stupid bug," She muttered. "Now I have to make me some more dinner."

"Come on, Houndour," Ash said, patting the ground next to him. "Let's change your bandage, then get you guys something to eat."

The small figure curled up in his pocket shifted at the mention of food, but didn't crawl out. Houndour let out an excited yip, bounding over to Ash and holding out her paw. She didn't seem pained with putting any weight on it like she had earlier, and as he pulled the bandaged away he saw that the bite marks were fading away nicely– Pokemon healed much more quickly than humans. He worked in silence, watching as Misty began making herself dinner once more. The sun was just beginning to set, but Ash was so exhausted that he was more than willing to go to sleep right now.

There wasn't much else to be expected from spending the entire day hiking, and he was sure he would be used to exerting himself like this with time. Houndour sniffed at her new bandage curiously, but soon her entire focus came onto the two bowls of food Ash was filling up. He was still just using basic Pokemon food, since he didn't have much money to spend at the moment– but he hoped that would change soon.

"Come on out, Pichu," Ash said, looking down at his shirt pocket. "I have some food for you."

A small pair of ears flicked up, but the Pichu didn't move. Ash waited for a moment, not wanting to push him, but when it was clear that he wasn't coming out he reached into his pocket to scoop him up. The Pokemon tensed, and he could feel the static building up around his hand, but without hesitation he pulled the Pichu out of his pocket and placed him on the ground in front of him. Just a few feet away Houndour was wolfing down her food, and Ash gestured to the dish in front of Pichu.

He hesitated for a moment, before slinking towards the bowl. He sniffed the food, shoving it into his mouth. Next to him Houndour tensed as she ate, and with a snarl she stood over her food dish, letting out a low growl at Pichu, fur raised. The mouse's eyes widened with fear, sparks crackling from his cheeks, and Houndour began to eat more swiftly. Pichu stuffed his face full with food– before bolting away from his dish and hiding behind a tree. Ash grabbed his Pokeball in case he was about to run, but instead he began eating what food he had managed to snag.

"What was that for?" Ash asked, as Houndour had been nothing but sweet all day. Ash paused when she growled at him as well, her food dish nearly empty despite having only just gotten it. Startled, he took a step back, and she resumed eating.

"Food is valuable in the wild," Misty said, not looking at all startled. "And considering she was alone, she probably had to fight hard to defend her meals. You'll have to train the food aggression out of her."

"I'm not going to take your food, Houndour," Ash said, and the canine eyed him as she began licking her now empty dish. She then glanced at Pichu's bowl, which Ash scooped up before she could make a move towards it. She flicked an ear, and then moved away from her food dish and began to eat the food Misty had spilled earlier.

Ash headed towards where Pichu was hiding, pausing away from the mouse and setting the food dish down. Coppery eyes watched him as he pushed the bowl towards him, offering a small smile.

"Here you go," Ash said.

"Chu..." Pichu growled, ears going back. With a sigh Ash stepped away from the food dish and headed back towards the crackling campfire sitting on top of his sleeping bag. It was quickly becoming their only source of light, the stars having yet to come out. As it came darker Misty started glancing about warily.

"You never know where a bug could be lurking."

"It's night, I don't think there's any nocturnal bug types here in Viridian," Ash offered. "Something would really have to really rile them up to get them up. Besides, Beedrills stand out easily, we'll see them miles before they reach us."

"What do you mean?"

"Look at Pichu," Ash said, nodding to the mouse's small form. "He's yellow just like a Beedrill, and he's easy to see even with it getting dark."

"You can see color?" Misty asked, surprised. "You have a soulmate?"

"Yeah," Ash said, shifting with a shrug, realizing he probably shouldn't have assumed that Misty could see color as well.

"Huh," Misty said. "Met them before your journey... you must be pretty lucky. I have my fingers crossed that I'll run into mine sometime soon."

Ash sighed. "I don't know about 'lucky'– I haven't seen her in nearly a decade."

For the first time that day Misty's expression seemed to soften, and she sat up slightly. "You've been apart from your soulmate that long?"

Ash gave a dry smile. "We had the wonderful 'luck' of meeting as kids at a summer camp. We're not even from the same region. Ran into each other in the forest, and suddenly everything changed... and it was all so wonderful and beautiful." He ran his fingers along the ground. "Colors really are, I'm glad I got to see them so young, but since we were just kids no one believed us."

"Really? I mean, you couldn't prove it?"

"They just thought we were repeating things we had already heard. 'Sky is blue', 'grass is green', stuff like that. They thought me and Serena were just playing a game. I guess it's not surprising, I mean I remember countless kids playing 'soulmates' at school and stuff. It actually took several months until my mom believed me, but she could never get in contact with Serena's mom. She tried really hard too."

"Oh Mew," Misty muttered. "That's rough... I mean, I've never met my soulmate, but I heard it's hard being away from them."

Ash touched his chest. "Yeah, it just feels like there's this hole in your heart. I guess I got used to it over the years, but lately..." He smiled. "It hasn't been as bad. I'm pretty sure me and her are getting closer."

"Well, I hope you can find her," Misty said.

"Thanks, Mist."

"...Don't call me that."

Ash grinned. "Whatever you say, Mist." She glowered at him, and he laughed. "I'm going to turn in for the night."

"Suit yourself," Misty said. "I'm not turning it until it's completely dark– I don't want any bugs sneaking up on me while I sleep."

"Arf!"

Ash jumped as he heard the loud sound echoing in his ear, flinching as he was jolted from his sleep. One hand clamped over his ringing ear, the other turning over to try to get more comfortable. But as he attempted to settle back down another loud bark sounded next to him, something batting at him before he could drift off. With a half yawn Ash sat up, stretching, glancing at the whimpering Houndour.

"What's up, girl?" He asked softly, it taking his mind a moment to realize just where he was. He glanced around the campsite, the sky lit with a gray dawn, the campsite covered with the early morning shadows. He stretched a bit, glancing about, finding that Misty was fast asleep on the other side of the burnt-out campfire.

"Hound!" Houndour barked, her voice making Misty shift. She whimpered, turning in circles urgently, but whatever she was trying to convey was lost to Ash. He looked around for any sign of something that could be wrong. "Arf!"

Ash's eyes widened. "Houndour– where's Pichu?"

He had forgotten to put the mouse away into his Pokeball last night, and he quickly rose to his feet and hurried over to the tree where he had last seen him. An empty food dish greeted Ash, and no sign of any living creature there. Ash paled, realizing his mistake– the mouse didn't like him, so there was no reason for him to stay. But the Pokemon was just a baby, and Ash was positive that he had no instinct to help him in the wild– he needed to find him.

Ash grabbed the bowl and headed back to the campsite and began to roll up his sleeping bag. Houndour was whimpering and whining, the fur on her back raised fearfully. Ash glanced at her, surprised at how concerned she was about Pichu, the two hadn't exactly had any chance to interact. He wasn't trying to be loud, but he wasn't trying to be quiet either, and as he stuffed everything into his bag Misty woke up.

"What time is it...?" She grumbled, still half asleep as she sat up. Ash looked at her, eyes widening a bit as he noticed a small green shape curled up on top of her sleeping bag, but he didn't say a word about it.

"Pichu's gone," He said, throwing his bag over his shoulder. "I'm going to go look for him, you don't have to come with me though, you can keep sleeping if you want and I'll be back soon."

It took a moment for her to process his words, and she let out a loud groan. She climbed out of her sleeping bag, knocking the Caterpie that had been sleeping on her to the ground, and began to roll up her bag as well. "I won't be falling back to sleep," She muttered, voice a growl. "I might as well help you or something..."

She stiffened a yawn, and Ash waited for her as she packed up, shuffling his feet nervously. Every second here was a second Pichu was out there alone, but he wasn't about to just leave Misty behind either. Houndour let out a yelp of a bark, making both of them jump– and then suddenly she let out a long, wavering howl.

"Doooouuurrrr!" She cried, head held high as she let out a howl. She then threw herself at Ash, headbutting his knees, pleading eyes telling him to move. He blinked at her, and then as Misty rose to his feet Ash heard something that made him stiffen.

A loud hum of insect wings.

Ash looked up, listening to the buzzing as it slowly got louder, and Misty froze up as she heard it as well. Houndour whimpered once more, and with a jolt Ash realized her urgency hadn't been about Pichu at all– she had been trying to warn them. He looked out at the trees as the buzzing grew louder, watching as dozens of yellow shapes flew into the clearing. Several Beedrills was enough to make anyone freeze up, but with the many that hovered above him made Ash sway in place.

And running from the mass of Beedrills was a familiar yellow figure, tears flowing from Pichu's eyes as he ran.

The mouse bolted straight for Ash, racing up his leg and climbing into his shirt pocket without even a word. Ash peered down at the electric type as he trembled in his pocket, the Pokemon's mouth and paws covered in a sticky substance. Ash recognized the smell of honey right off, and immediately knew why the Beedrills had followed Pichu all the way here.

"If you were hungry you could have just asked me for food," Ash muttered quietly, while at his side Misty was shaking. "I think now would be a good time to run."

"Bzzzt!" The Beedrills cried out– and suddenly three of them charged forward, their needle-like arms glowing with a Twineedle attack.

"Houndour, Ember!" Ash shouted, and with a bound forward Houndour released a spray of cinders from her mouth. The burst of flames sizzled as they hit the bugs' bodies, and they swiftly retreated back into the swarm. The third one kept flying forward, however, stingers pointed right towards the humans as it dove.

A burst of light filled the clearing, a small shape leaping up– taking the hit from the Beedrill before the attack could reach them. The Caterpie let out a cry of pain as he was hit, falling back as a bright glow surrounded him. He crashed into the ground at their feet, clear marks on his body from where he had been hit.

The light of evolution danced about the bug type, the blinding white light momentarily blinding everyone as his body began to grow. Ash knew this was their moment to bolt, grabbing Misty's wrist so they could flee.

They made it halfway across the trainer's stop, Houndour at their side when Misty suddenly pulled away– bolting right back towards the recovering swarm.

She dove down at the newly evolved Metapod, grabbing the bug type as the Beedrill swooped at them. She let out a cry of fear that was nearly lost in the hum of the swarm, rolling back to her feet and rushing back towards them, the Beedrill in hot pursuit. Houndour let out another burst of Ember attacks right above Misty, buying her a few precious seconds to catch up, and then together they rushed into the treeline, forcing the Beedrill to weave between the branches and trees.

"Here! Take the bug!" Misty cried, shoving the Metapod into his arms. He fumbled for the Pokemon, before tucking it under one arm as they ran through the forest. They didn't bother sticking to the main path, as weaving through the trees was much more effective for trying to lose the Beedrill. "Why bugs, why do they have to be so many bugs, why...?"

"Because somebody wanted a midnight snack," Ash grumbled, and he could feel Pichu shifting in his pocket. "Houndour can't hold off all the Beedrills– release one of your Pokemon!"

"R-right!" Misty said, fumbling for a Pokeball, and her Staryu was released with a burst of light. She held the Pokemon in her arms since it wasn't as mobile as they were. "Scald any bugs that get too near!"

Fire seemed to be the most effective, but boiling water could do the trick as well. Ash looked down at the Metapod in his arms, surprised that Misty had gone back for it. Not that he thought she'd abandon a Pokemon, but her fear of bugs was strong– but her heart was stronger. Not only had she rescued one, but she had run towards a swarm of Beedrills to do so.

Speaking of Beedrills, said swarm was right behind them, quickly gaining ground.

"Hou?" Houndour whimpered, eyes flickering back towards Ash fearfully. He felt horrible, having promised the Pokemon that they'd be safe, yet their first night out on a journey they were being attacked and chased.

"Oh!" Ash cried in realization. "Houndour– Fire Spin!"

The canine spun about, opening her maw up as she released a thin spray of fire. The flames spun furiously as they rushed towards the approaching Beedrill, trapping three within its coils as it circled about them. Those Beedrillls froze up, hovering in place, as moving forward would mean being burned by the flames.

A Scald from Staryu knocked several more away, but unfortunately they were just too greatly outnumbered. "No, no, no, no–"

Misty's frightened murmurs pulled Ash from the Beedrills for a moment, looking out at the darkened path ahead. His gut tightened at what he saw, and while it wasn't a cliff, it might as well be. The hill up ahead was at such a decline that if they were to try to climb down at the Beedrill would overtake them in moments, and the forest was so thick on either side that veering off path would be useless.

As they reached the top of the hill they turned to face the incoming swarm, as there was nowhere left to run. Hourdour lowered herself into a charging position, ears back fearfully. Staryu hovered emotionlessly next to her, Pichu cowered in Ash's pocket, while Metapod sat in Ash's arms.

"Ember!"

"Swift!"

The Pokemon launched their attacks at the incoming Beedrill, but each that were knocked away were only replaced by more within the swarm. Misty looked like she was about to faint, but shakily pulled another Pokeball, releasing the Pokemon with a burst of red light. The Goldeen flopped on the ground, before glowing as it used an Aqua Ring to surround itself with water as it was on land.

"Scald!" Misty called, and both of her Pokemon released a blast of water out at the Beedrill. Houndour eyed the water types uncertainly, before firing off another Ember. Ash gritted his teeth, before looking down into his pocket.

"You caused this," Ash muttered at Pichu. "Want to get out there and use Thundershock or something?"

"Chu!" Pichu protested, burrowing further into his pocket.

"Meta..." Metapod said, tucked under Ash's arm. He shifted slightly, but could do no more in his current form.

Misty let out a yelp as the Beedrill began breaking through their barriers, A Twineedle connecting with her Staryu, knocking the Pokemon back. Her arms covered her head, Houndour letting out another spray of Embers in hopes of overwhelming the bugs, but the Beedrills just kept pressing forward, stingers and arms raised, a loud buzzing filling the air.

"...Pod!" A loud voice cried, and a bright glow filled the clearing.

Ash held the Metapod out in front of him, closing his eyes to shield himself from the evolutionary light. His hands felt the heat of the glow, but yet it didn't hurt as the Metapod began to change. Wings sprouted out from its back, legs growing, antennae flicking up. As the light faded a Butterfree was sitting in Ash's outstretched hands, new wings flapping as it took to the air.

"Free!" The Butterfree cried, flying up higher into the air, releasing a blue powder from his wings as he flew overhead. The Beedrill looked up, pausing as the spores landed across the swarm. Ash and Misty held their breath as the wing flaps of the Beedrills slowed. The loud buzz in the air slowly calmed down to a hum, the Beedrill slowly drifting to the ground, eyes closing as one by one they began to fall asleep.

"Sleep Powder," Ash breathed, before letting out a nervous laugh. "Heh, he knows Sleep Powder now..."

"Free!" Butterfly called, zipping over the sleeping Beedrill, coming to a stop in front of them. He hovered there proudly, while the rest of them slowly came to the realization that they were safe. Houndour collapsed onto the ground, panting. Staryu drifted so they were on the ground, and Goldeen turned back to look at their trainer, who had fallen to her knees.

"It's over!" Misty gasped. "We're alive!"

"How about we get out of here before they wake up," Ash said, glancing at the sleeping bugs. "Sleep Powder won't last for too long."

No one needed to be told twice. Misty's Pokemon were recalled to their Pokeballs, the small group carefully stepping around the Beedrill as they tried to get away from the downed swarm. Butterfree flew above them, letting out excited chirrs as they went. Once they were back in the safety of the forest and out of sit of the Beedrill they paused again, panting as they tried to calm their pounding hearts. Butterfly flew down, hovering in front of Misty hopefully. She looked up at the bug, and for once she didn't pull back.

"Thank you," she said, still panting. "If you hadn't evolved... twice..." Misty let out a laugh. "You saved us even after I treated you horribly."

Butterfree landed on her head, flapping his wings happily.

"You saved him too," Ash reminded her. "Don't forget about that." He smiled. "You don't seem scared of him anymore."

"I don't mind butterfly Pokemon," Misty said softly, looking up at the Butterfree. "I... I just have a hard time with the more... creepy-crawly and stinging bugs. I know it's not their fault, but it's still hard..."

"Free! Butterfree free!" Butterfree said excitedly. He swooped down in front of her, waving his arms excitedly.

"I think he wants you to catch him," Ash said with a smile. "I think he wanted you to catch him the whole time, actually."

Misty frowned slightly. "Um... I'm kind of a water type trainer..." She began, and the Butterfree's face fell, antennae drooping. A look of worry crossed Misty's face at this, and she took a step forward. "But a bug and flying type would be a perfect way to counter grass type Pokemon, which is something my team is pretty weak too."

Butterfree perked up, and Misty pulled out a Pokeball. "Free?"

"You can come with me if you'd like," she said softly. "If you don't mind battling and water types–"

Misty didn't get to finish her sentence, the Butterfree flying forward, bumping his head against the Pokeball as he was drawn inside. She blinked, the Pokeball not even shaking as the Pokemon was caught. Misty looked at it for a moment, before giving a smile.

"Looks like I caught a Butterfree," she muttered, shaking her head. "I never thought I'd be training a bug type..."

"So..." Ash said, looking out at the horizon, which was starting to turn gray at the approaching dawn. "Do you want to try to get some more sleep, or...?"

Misty snorted. "I'm wide awake– there's no way I'd get back to sleep now. Besides, the sooner I'm out of this forest the better."

"Pewter City, here we come," Ash agreed, kneeling down to return an exhausted Houndour to her Pokeball.

Butterfree shall be going with Misty. Ash won't be having any of his canon Kanto team in this AU except for Pikachu, but I didn't want to just have his canon team poof out of existence. Pidgeotto/Pidgeot will be staying wild, but will follow the same path she did after leaving Ash's team in canon: becoming a protector of a Pidgey flock from the Fearow flock.