"Then Professor I am sending you back: Glaceon, Espeon, Sylveon, and Meganium. In return, I want Mightyena, Houndoom, Noctowl, and Polteageist." Ash told Professor Oak, as he put the Poke Balls in the device.
Ever since his talk with Lance he has been able to calm down. If him confessing about Lucario had taken a weight, or ten, off his back, Lance's explanation has settled him.
He, no, we, finally know what was going on with him. Not only his emotions have been able to settle and find some harmony. Our worries have calmed down as well. Not only his pokemon's but his friends and his family's worry as well.
"Betting on type advantage once more," Professor Oak commented with a smile, as he proceeded with the transfer. "By the way, congratulations on your pokemon passing the Pokemon Nurse Certification process."
"Highest marks and all!" Ash beamed, as my heart warmed with pride at my sister's accomplishment. "But you should tell her that. It's all on her... and you Professor. You should have told me much earlier that you were training her to be the healer of the family."
"Sorry my boy, I forgot." The Professor chuckled sheepishly, as he rubbed the back of his head awkwardly.
"Ah," Ash sighed, chuckling amusedly.
I still could not believe that this old man had once been the Indigo League Champion... and that we had defeated him! Even if he only lowered tier Elite Four now. I can't believe how much we improved during these last few months.
"So... aren't you betting a little too much on type advantage? It's not really your style." The Professor commented.
"No, it isn't," Ash replied. "Until now it was mostly a coincidence. I had promised Bulbasaur the first gym, which he ended up having a type of advantage against. As for Frogadier, he needed that last push to evolve. As I already had two with advantage, I decided to make it three by adding Honedge. For Gardenia I've decided to go with the newest members, that all of them has a type of advantage or were of equal standing against grass was a coincidence as well."
"However, not this time." Professor Oak thought out loud.
"No..." Ash sighed. "I don't know how to handle ghosts Professor. I need every advantage I can get and Polteageist there so I can get advice on how to train them from Fantina. I can do make with Honedge as I feel that she is mostly more steel than a ghost... but a pure ghost. I talked to Lance, who talked with Cynthia, who promised me to make sure Fantina would be there for the established date for both gym battle and ghost training lesson."
"Good for you. Most complaints that come from trainers on the Sinnoh circuit is that Fantina is all the time traveling and it's hard to find her at the gym." Professor Oak chuckled. "Good use of your contacts."
"Moo, Professor." Ash moaned embarrassed, making Jolteon, Pupitar, and I laugh. "By the way, I've already sent you the information collected from our visit at the Amber Castle."
"Yes, thank you! What a great discovery!" Professor Oak exclaimed, eyes shining with childlike excitement. "The mythical Amber Castle truly exists! Who would have thought that all you needed to find it was a Mothim?!"
"Yeah, yeah, great Professor. Thank you for sending me my pokemon... and would you look at that. Someone is calling me. Sorry I have to go, bye-bye." Ash said rapidly, making sure to end up the call before Professor Oak would start one of his infamous rants. Or worse, start reciting pokemon poetry. I shuddered at the possibility. "I'm with you Pikachu," Ash said, as he shuddered as well.
Another proof of how close our bond is. We can know what's going on in the other's head most of the time.
I tilted my head towards the door of the Pokemon Center, as I picked out Dawn's approaching steps. But she was not on her own... Zoey was with her!
"Oh, Arceus! What happened with you girls?!" Ash exclaimed as both entered the Pokemon Center looking horrible.
Their clothes were dirty and soaked, their hair a mess and they had bruises all over. Just like Ash had said: What in Arceus' name had happened?!
"We did it!" Zoey exclaimed, taking us by surprise. The normally cool and laidback girl, just crumbled on the floor and rose her arms in the air, as he shouted in victory.
"Take that you arceusdamn Buizel! It might have taken us seven pokemon to beat and catch you, but we got you!" The Dawn that always takes care of her appearance and how she acts in front of others just followed Zoey's lead, and crumbled on the floor, as she shouted at the Poke Ball. Before she grinned at Ash and extended said ball towards him. "Just as I promised, a battle-hungry pokemon at your orders."
Ash simply blinked at the tired and bruised, but satisfied girls. Before sighing and taking the Poke Ball from her hand and helping them both up. Not that Ash had any right to judge them, not a few months ago he would have been acting like them.
"Give me your Poke Balls, I'll give them to Nurse Joy for healing. Both of you go and take a shower and change, I'll treat your wounds afterward. Zoey, you can stay in our room with us if you would like." He told them.
"Thank you, Ash!" Both replied, still grinning from ear to ear.
"Girls," Ash sighed and did as he said he would.
He had also asked Nurse Joy to put Buizel's Poke Ball under his name, finishing the transfer process by the time the girls were back. He then proceeded to ask for a first aid kit from one of the nurses and treat the girls' injuries.
"You know what we better teach Gloom Aromatherapy when she evolves into Vileplume. If you want, you can send her to Professor Oak's ranch to learn from Meganium. She can also learn Pollen Puff, though Meganium won't be much help with that." Ash advised her.
"That would be great!" Dawn exclaimed happily. "It would be sad to part ways for a while, but more than needed. Having a pokemon with the ability to heal would be amazing!"
"Oh, you've already decided on Vileplume?" Zoey asked surprised.
"We've decided on that since day one. Oddish had always wanted to become a Vileplume." Dawn explained to her friend.
"But that doesn't matter now, can you girls tell me what happened?!" Ash cut into the conversation.
"Well, I wanted to give you a battle-hungry pokemon in return for Aipom and when I heard about a powerful Buizel training by the river, I just knew I had to catch him!" Dawn explained, beaming at Ash. "Then I met Zoey and she then helped me catch Buizel!"
"Ash, I know that you are an Ace Ranger and all, and most likely don't need me saying this, but be careful with that pokemon," Zoey warned my trainer. "He took out all of our pokemon, not even Pachirisu's electricity was enough to stop him. Aipom only barely won against him."
Now color me impress, he was able to take out a pokemon trained by Ash? That's not something any wild pokemon can boast about.
"Now I'm intrigued!" Ash exclaimed. "Don't worry about it, I'll just have to prove myself to him. Show him that together we can become stronger."
Talking about pokemon, Nurse Joy had just arrived with the trail filled with the girls' Poke Balls and Buizel's. We approached the front desk and took them, after thanking the nurse and Chansey for their help.
"We are starving, will you join us to grab a bite?" Dawn asked Ash.
"Mm," he hummed thoughtfully. "I'll join you, girls, later. I have a chat with this new friend of ours first." He said, pointing at Buizel's Poke Ball.
"Got it, see you later," Zoey replied, dragging Dawn to the cafeteria.
Ash, himself, left the building and went towards the training grounds behind it. Luckily, for us, they were empty. What Ash did first was to release Turtwig, Chimchar, Staravia, Mightyena, Houndoom, Noctowl, and Polteageist.
They greeted him with big smiles and happy exclamations. At least, most of them, Mightyena and Houndoom jumped him on and attacked him with puppy kisses. Thankfully, I already saw it coming and jumped off his shoulder before he was tackled down. They always do the same.
Of course, Ash would get the two dark-types pokemon that act more like starved attention puppies than ferocious pokemon. I thought, shaking my head amusedly.
"What are we doing out?" Turtwig asked, calmly, it must be a characteristic all grass-type possess. "Are we training?" Thought the fire in his eyes and hunger for battle... that's all Turtwig. Even Sceptile is more composed when it comes to battling.
"No, Dawn caught us a new pokemon. We are out to greet him." I corrected. "If only someone would let go of our trainer," I said loudly on purpose.
Mightyena and Houndoom whined, but gave one last lick to Ash, before getting off him. Though, they did stay close by, flanking him and guarding his sides.
"Now that I'm free, let's greet our new friend." Ash chuckled, throwing a sole Poke Ball in the air to release the water-type pokemon.
Of course, the first thing he did was attack Ash with a Water Gun. I didn't even try to go and defend him; he had the best guard dogs a trainer could wish for.
Because while Mightyena and Houndoom might be like Lillipups with Ash, whenever our trainer's safety is in concern, they show their true Dark-type nature and bare their fangs to whoever was foolish enough to try and attack Ash.
So, no, I did not race to defend Ash, when the Water Gun was easily deflected by a Protect from Houndoom and Mightyena pounced on Buizel, thunder snapping at her fangs as she loomed threateningly over Buizel's fallen body. Even from where I was, I could see the slight tremors running through the water-type pokemon's body. Not that I blamed him, they can be quite scary when they want to.
"Mightyena, off," Ash commanded; he was Ace Ranger Ash Ketchum right now.
He would normally ask politely and with a chuckle, but he, like I, knew that when treating with dark types, no matter how friendly they normally are, one should be firm and commanding.
Mightyena did as ordered at once, but not before growling one last time at Buizel and giving him a Scary Face for good measure. She rapidly returned to Ash and flanked his other side.
Both, her and Houndoom, were sneering threateningly at the water-type, who could barely stand on. But still did, afraid as he was. I could see it in Ash's face, he was as impressed as I.
"Will you attack again?" Ash asked him calmly, as Mightyena and Houndoom growled for good measure. When Buizel shook his head, the Ash we all love and know returned. He beamed at Buizel, as Mightyena and Houndoom calmed down, and approached the water-type. He then kneeled and patted his head. "Welcome to the family Buizel! I've heard from Dawn that you've been training on your own by the river. Here, we train together and rely on our friends to have our backs. We grow strong as a family." He smiled at Buizel, who I can see was affected by Ash's words but tried not to show it. Will he be another Sceptile? Too cool for words but still desiring a family. "Now, go and get to meet your new friends."
As expected, Jolteon was the first one to approach Buizel. She practically skipped all the way to him and beamed excitedly.
"Hi! I'm Jolteon and this is my brother Pupitar. Over there, is our dad Pikachu, he is Ash-oniichan's starter and the strongest pokemon in our family... if you don't count Uncle Charizard. I think both are of equal power." She presented us, practically jumping in excitement.
His eyes settled wondered on each team member, pausing at Noctowl, before settling on me. Eh, he has good eyes. To be able to assess someone's strength like that. But we must teach him not to rely that much on it, as there are pokemon that can hide their strength from others.
"You are the leader?" He asked me.
"I am, after Ash, of course." I smiled, but I knew I was emanating a dark aura. "However, my daughter just presented herself. So, be polite and reply."
He turned to Jolteon and spoke: "Buizel. Nice to meet you." He then turned to me. "Can I become as strong as you?" He asked me.
"You can, but it will take time. I've been traveling with Ash for four years." I warned him. "But the rest of the ones here now, except for Noctowl, had been with Ash for around four months. Some even less."
He rapidly turned towards, what we usually call them, the guard dogs. Who was whining happily as they received pats from Ash. Yes, the two dark types were acting as overgrown Lillipups, ignoring everyone but their master. They usually like interacting with the members of our family, they are the favorite playmates to our younglings. But whenever Ash is around no one else exists. All they care about is him, flanking him at every moment. This is why we call them to guard dogs.
They might act very similar at moments, but they also have their unique characteristics. Mightyena is far more reckless than Houndoom. She also knows to protect, but her first instinct is to pounce on an enemy (for her) of unknown strength. While Houndoom is a proud dark-type, that cannot shut up about his arceusdamn hellfire. The guard from the Distortion World, they call him. Ja! Guard puppy maybe, but he still has a long way to go before guarding the Distortion World.
Right now, Mightyena was cackling, surely retelling her feats to earn some praises, even though she knows Ash doesn't understand her. While Houndoom is standing tall and proud… though the image is broken by him panting and having his tongue outside.
"Don't worry about them," I sighed. "That's how they always act whenever Ash is around. But yes, they've been with our family for around four months now."
"They became so strong that fast?" Buizel thought out loud, clearly not believing what he was hearing.
"Yes. You can too. As long as you know that family is the most important thing for us." I explained, but by the hope I saw in his eyes, there was no need for it. "Well, come! Let's meet the rest of your new family!"