A/N:
Judging from the reviews of the last chapter, I have somewhat failed at portraying the story in the way that I wanted. I'm going to try to clear a bit of that up, but it doesn't necessarily matter too much.
First up, being an Elite Trainer doesn't automatically make you the most powerful trainer or anything like that. Of course, that is true in most cases but doesn't necessarily have to be true. Ash was granted his status due to his unevolved Pokémon in part, but mostly because of his aid in the cataclysmic events of the anime.
On top of that, I don't count you as a rookie, totally, after your first region. The three-league rule was more of a device to actually have a legitimate reason to ramp up Ash's gym battles, without trashing his journeys and gym battles through Johto and Hoenn. The early parts at least, as both of those regions were some of the ones I truly enjoyed.
I now have a few reviews I'd like to address, though I want to say I am grateful they took the time to review despite my disagreeing with some of them.
Shadowoel: It isn't meant to say anything about the power of the individual Pokémon, it's meant to showcase the difference in attitude between Ash and Paul. In addition, they have entirely different battle styles and capture methods, that is what's meant to be showcased.
Sonic Sound: As previously stated above, and somewhat last chapter, Paul isn't what I classify as a rookie. It's his third year competing, meaning he has already been to two League Conferences. Ash being an Elite Trainer is more due to his contribution in the legendary events than battle strength, though he has his fair share there too.
Snoozing Lurker: Thank you! That is part of what I was trying to display. When it comes to the rest of the review I agree, though to be perfectly honest I had actually forgotten that Noctowl has access to that move…
Xerzo LotCN: It matters because Hunter J has already proven that she will simply attack Ash personally, as that is her best chance of escape. If they then found that to incapacitate Ash Brock would be unable to stop them. And there were too many of them either way. I believe I also actually addressed why Ash didn't battle Cynthia yet. The changing around of Pokémon is a fair point, and some more of that might occur. When it comes to the Paul battle, how would the story be interesting if the MC steamrolls everything? I wouldn't even read a story like that, so why would I write it?
Those are really the only reviews I felt the need to address, but I thank all others for the support as well. Most of them were only to encourage, so thank you.
As always: I do not own Pokémon or anything associated, and I make no profit writing this.
Now then, onwards to the chapter!
Old Friends, New Issues!
Despite Ash's maturity in handling his defeat at the hand of Paul, it took him a few days to properly bounce back. As they traveled Ash had been a bit unfocused, and despondent, but finally managed to overcome it and revert to his usual self. As Ash gazed onto the horizon in front of him, alone at the very break of dawn, a chill wind blew over him, and with it, the forest's noise and scents washed over him. Closing his eyes, he took a deep breath and simply listened to the chirping birds and softly rustling leaves, his Pokémon resting quietly after a slight workout.
It didn't take very long for Dawn and Brock to start to get up themselves, finding Ash sitting on a large boulder in the middle of the meadow they had set up camp in, staring over the cliffside about fifty meters over. "Good morning," he greeted them as they stepped closer to him. He turned toward them and smiled genuinely, before jumping from the boulder to stand up.
"Finally, back to yourself then?" Brock asked teasingly, grinning widely. Ash blushed a bit, rubbing the back of his head slightly. He knew that the reason Brock was teasing him was that he hadn't quite managed to stick to what he said. Before he could answer though his stomach growled, and all present laughed heartily.
It didn't take long at all for Brock to cook something up for breakfast, the delightful aromas permeating the air of the campsite. The trio and all their Pokémon ate together in bliss, appreciating the food to the fullest. Their newest additions, who Ash had collected from Oak during the last two days, immediately crashed together in a friendly, if rough, wrestling match after their food had disappeared. Kingler and Crawdaunt fell to the side slightly, creating a bit of distance between their match and the rest of the Pokémon.
The two large crustaceans brawled merrily until Kingler finally forced Crawdaunt down and into submission. Even upon losing Crawdaunt's spirit was immaculate, laughing along with Kingler in joy. Ash just shook his head lightly, "You two, knock it off alright? We're getting ready to keep moving." His voice carried easily, and all the Pokémon gave light cries of approval. Brock's Crobat suddenly seemed to hear something that none of the others could and started trying to get the group to follow in a hurry.
"Crobat, what's wrong? Hey, where are you going!?" Brock yelled after Crobat, as the Bat Pokémon sped away. As the campsite, food utensils, and all had just barely been packed away Brock tossed his backpack on and started sprinting after his faithful friend, yelling back to Ash and Dawn. "Crobat's found some trouble, come on!" Even as confused as the two others were, they hurried after Brock with a single glance shared between them. Pikachu and Piplup were the only Pokémon still out, rushing alongside their partners.
The sounds of shifting gravel and branches breaking followed, as the trainers rushed to follow Crobat through a small forest patch. All three trainers were caught by surprise as the ground beneath them suddenly dropped into a sheer cliff, the trio just barely managing to stop in time to not fall over the edge. The view was awe-inspiring, the horizon in front of them was framed by snow-tipped mountain ridges. The valley beneath them sported a river bending in something akin to an S-bend through a large part of it, with only the riverbanks visible beside it. The rest of the valley was covered in a lush, vibrant, forest, though at the very edges of this forest they could see two pieces of a desert-like climate separated by a patch of trees spanning a few kilometers.
All of that view and the idyllic environment fell like a stone from their thoughts as they finally heard what Crobat had heard earlier, the scared cry of a Pokémon. Not seeing the Pokémon at the top of the cliff, Ash carefully made his way over to the side and gazed down. About five meters down a small quadrupedal brown and yellow Pokémon with a rather large jaw stood trapped on a small cropping, though the cropping seemed to be slowly falling apart under the Pokémon's weight. "Brock, there's a Pokémon down here! We have to get it up," he immediately called out to the older teen.
Brock carefully approached the edge to gaze down upon the Pokémon, before retreating a bit from the edge and rubbing his chin in thought. "That Pokémon is too heavy for any of our Flying-types to carry, but I'm…" he trailed off, gazing down on one of his Pokéballs. Pulling it from his belt, and taking a deep breath, he muttered quietly, "I hope this works." With that he released Steelix on the cliffside, the large Iron Snake Pokémon carefully coiled and gazing over the edge. "Steelix, can you lower me down to help that Pokémon down there?" Brock asked, pointing down toward the small, brown shape down the cliff. Steelix gazed over the edge before it rumbled in consent and raised its tail to allow Brock to sit on it.
The Iron Snake Pokémon lowered its tail slowly, careful to allow Brock to keep his balance. Ash and Dawn watched from the top, somewhat stressed about their friend dangling almost a hundred meters above the ground. Though they both knew that the likelihood of saving the unknown Pokémon would drop if they waited too long, which of course they wouldn't allow. It took a bit of trying, but Brock finally managed to lure the Pokémon into his arms and allowed Steelix to pull them both up.
"What Pokémon is this?" Ash wondered, the small yellow and brown Pokémon had started playing with the group's other Pokémon. The sight was quite heartwarming, and more than a little amusing, as the heavy Pokémon wasn't the steadiest on its feet and more than once stumbled. Though that didn't stop the playing, as even the new arrival simply laughed and got back up. Ash carefully pulled out his Pokédex to scan their newest friend, the small device whirring to life.
"Hippopotas the Hippo Pokémon. These Pokémon live in arid environments, and generally dislike getting wet. To protect themselves from germs they enshroud themselves in sand, spending the cold desert nights within small burrows to conserve heat. While traveling through sand they keep their mouths open but completely shuts their nostrils. To get rid of excess sand they spout it from their noses. These are social Pokémon, usually forming colonies of several Hippopotas and their evolution Hippowdon. Hippopotas are pure Ground-types, and are usually found not far from desert areas," the metallic voice of the Pokédex spewed the information in a steady stream, its monotone voice clearly enunciating every word.
The Hippo Pokémon had by now heard the Pokédex and was sitting beneath Brock and Steelix listening to what the Pokédex was stating. It let out a mournful cry when the information about its usual colonies was mentioned, curling together slightly. Brock noticed the shift in attitude and bent down to gently pat Hippopotas on the snout. "Don't worry, little guy. We'll get you back to your colony, just you wait," Brock calmly tried to reassure the Hippo Pokémon. The trio was shocked when the Pokémon gave another mournful cry and shook its head, almost as if it was saying that wasn't possible. "Did… did something happen to your family?" Brock asked cautiously, sitting down fully and pulling Hippopotas into his lap to continued patting the distraught Pokémon.
Hippopotas nodded slightly, tears in its eyes as it seemed to take comfort from Brock's touch. Ash grimaced, having a very good idea what might have happened to Hippopotas' colony. Among the many Hunters wanted by the Sinnoh League, and the PLCC, was a Hunter specializing in arid areas, which was the preferred environment for Hippopotas and its evolved form. Michael Manuel the 'Poison Pin' was incredibly dangerous when cornered, but he rarely stayed in any location long enough to be pinned down. And while Ash didn't doubt that he was behind what happened to Hippopotas' family, he also knew that the 'Poison Pin' would be long gone already.
He met Brock's eyes and sadly shook his head, there was no point in trying to find the Hunter. Brock grit his teeth slightly but didn't argue. "What do you say to coming along with us then, Hippopotas?" he asked the small Hippo Pokémon, keeping his voice steady and comforting. Hippopotas looked up at him, a hopeful look in its eyes, and snuggled closer while softly crying its approval of that idea. Brock smiled gently and lightly tapped a Pokéball to Hippopotas' head, sucking the Hippo Pokémon in with a red flash. The ding signifying a successful capture following it just a moment later, causing smiles to flick across the faces of the gathered trainers and Pokémon.
Looking up from the Pokéball Brock asked the other two, "How about we get back on the road, eh? We are technically on a deadline considering Dawn's contest in Hearthome is supposed to start in a little less than a week." Dawn's mouth twitched, her smile taking on a more nervous nuance than it had previously. A soft wind blew across the edge of the cliff, ruffling all of their clothes and hair. The very same wind brought a slight scent of wild mountain flowers with them, as they caused a calming rustling sound to emit from the leafy branches around them.
Ash was the one who answered Brock, a slight bit of hesitant amusement in his voice as he did, "How exactly are we supposed to get back on the road? My X-Transceiver map isn't that accurate, and we did run a bit off the beaten track. I don't know where the road even is at the moment, but if you have an idea, I'm all ears." Brock and Dawn blinked slightly, not even having considered that they wouldn't know how to get back to the road again.
Before either of the boys could make any other comments, Dawn pointed a bit behind Ash and stated, "Well there is a path over there at least, we could try to follow that and end up on some road?" Her question was asked in a bit timid voice, uncertain whether it had been a good idea to even speak up, and she kind of cowered a bit waiting for a potentially irritated reaction. What she got was the total opposite, to her great relief.
"Why are you cowering, you should never be hesitant to come with an idea around us Dawn. Why would you…?" Ash asked her, thoroughly confused until it seemingly dawned on him. "Are you nervous because of what happened with the Dragon Wardens? Dawn, that was a very rare case, and you never have to be nervous to come with an idea for us. To be honest, I should probably have handled that better myself, I never want you to be nervous to speak your mind to us," he explained, and reassured, realizing that the previous incident might have made Dawn wary of standing her ground and coming with ideas.
Ash's reassuring words and comforting tone relaxed Dawn, and most of the tension seemed to seep out of her. She smiled a beautiful smile, hugged Ash tightly, and almost skipped over to where she had seen the path down the mountainside to show them her proposed route. She brushed a rather large lush bush filled with vibrant emerald leaves, bundles of amber berries hanging from the otherwise spotless bush of green. Sure enough, right behind the bush was a path, it was rough and overgrown probably from a few years of going unused, but it was still very much traversable. Ash smiled at Dawn and nodded his head, silently agreeing to the path she had suggested.
The path down was narrow and in some cases slightly dangerous due to its overgrown nature, so it took the trio quite some time to make their way down to the bottom. The first thing they noticed at the bottom was that they had descended straight into a flower-filled meadow, explaining where the flower scents from earlier had been carried from. In front of them was a veritable sea of flowers in every color of the rainbow, and several of their different shades as well. Running through the meadow was several happily playing Grass-type Pokémon, with a few Bug-types mixed in. Ash even noticed a Heracross that seemed to be sucking honey from a large yellowed tree, several Combee buzzing happily around the same tree.
"Wow," he heard Dawn breathe quietly beside him, enthralled by the beautiful spectacle in front of her. Ash had to admit that the sight ranked pretty high on his list of natural habitats, and he smiled widely upon seeing all the different types of Pokémon running around. Of course, there were not only Grass- or Bug-types around, though they were the majority, a small Houndour pack could be seen lying by a small watering hole and in some of the trees, Flying-types were gently roosting in the warm glow of the midday sun.
The trio leisurely made their way forward, in no rush to waste the beautiful day due to rushing forward without due cause. As they walked, they were cracking jokes back and forth, causing them all to occasionally break into chuckles and giggles about the silliness of the whole thing. Ash's back had in large part stopped paining him, the medical procedure he had undergone back at the Pokécenter before his battle with Paul allowing him to recover extremely quickly. Even so, he was still somewhat careful about his back as they moved forward, though it didn't stop him from being active.
Occasionally he would go silent for brief periods, usually because he was trying to plan which Pokémon he wanted to use for his battle at the Hearthome gym when they arrived. So far, he had decided on Crawdaunt, but aside from that, he didn't quite know. He knew he wanted to use one of his newer Pokémon, but exactly which one of them he hadn't decided. Though he would consider it in more depth when he got to Hearthome and could get some more information on what exactly the challenge there entailed, he couldn't make proper plans without knowing the details.
"Yo, Ashy-boy!" a well-known, and completely unexpected, voice suddenly shouted out from rather nearby. Ash, Brock, and Dawn all whirled around to gaze at the source of the voice, seeing Gary leaning against a large apple tree not far from them. "I knew you were going to manage to happen upon my research," he laughed heartily, clasping Ash's hand in greeting. Before quickly doing the same with Brock, though when he noticed Dawn he seemed stumped for a moment. He quickly recovered though, "And this must be your newest companion. A pleasure to meet such a pretty girl, I am Gary Oak." As he introduced himself to Dawn, he took her hand gently and brushed his lips against her knuckles, similar to an older gentlemanly greeting a woman.
A flash of annoyance crossed Ash's face; his eyes narrowed into a glare directed at Gary. Gary seemingly noticed, because his eyes widened and a frown appeared on his brow. He had apparently figured Ash was annoyed at him, but couldn't place why exactly. Dawn for her part blushed prettily before she registered just who he was. "Gary… Oak? Are you a relative of Professor Oak?" she asked shyly, her blush still evident on her face. Gary for his part grinned widely, though the grin faded quickly upon seeing the stormy expression on Ash's face.
"Yes, he's my grandfather. He's also my inspiration for being a Pokémon researcher, and helped me get a job as a field researcher for Professor Rowan," Gary answered, smiling at Dawn. Ash noticed that Dawn's blush wasn't fading in the slightest, and knowing that most girls found Gary to be a good-looking bloke did nothing to help him contain his jealousy. He was trying his hardest to control himself, but he was having difficulties and he knew it. Luckily, Brock also recognized Ash's struggle and quickly interjected into the conversation.
"Of course, we should introduce our newest companion. Gary, this is Dawn. She's been traveling with Ash since Sandgem Town and is currently his girlfriend. Dawn, this is, as he said, Gary Oak. He's Ash's oldest rival and one of his best friends growing up," Brock quickly stated, hoping that Gary could take the hint quick enough that he could settle Ash down. Thankfully, Gary's job would be impossible if he was stupid so he did catch the hint. Unfortunately, Gary also had the habit of teasing Ash mercilessly whenever he could, and this was a perfect chance.
"So that's why Ashy-boy is trying to incinerate me with his eyes? Scared I'll steal your girlfriend Ash?" he spoke, trying to tease his old friend. However, Gary had misread the situation somewhat and what was meant to be teasing became the red flag to the bull. Ash's temper broke, and before anyone could stop him, he had sent Gary to the ground. He was breathing heavily, obviously trying to calm himself down as he glared down at Gary. Gary himself was staring incredulously up at Ash, not having been prepared at all for the punch. Dawn gasped, looking admonishingly at Ash, but she didn't make any other move. She wasn't scared that Ash would turn his temper on her, some part of her was even flattered that he got jealous, but she was not pleased that he had reacted with violence.
Ash had a twitch in his left eye, his glare still going full force at Gary who finally understood that he might have somewhat messed up. "Right, maybe not the perfect timing to tease when Ash was already aggravated," Gary conceded as Brock helped him up to his feet again. Brock only shrugged in response, as all three of them watch Ash take a few steps off to the side and breathe deeply, struggling to get himself under control once more. When he seemingly managed, he returned to the other three, a crooked, apologetic smile playing on his lips.
"Sorry about that Gary, seems I get somewhat… protective," he stated, rubbing a hand through his hair. Pikachu was sitting on a rock not far away and was gently sniggering at the interaction. The sniggering turned into full-blown laughter as Ash apologized for the incident before Pikachu leaped from the rock and landed in his usual position on Ash's shoulder. The other three people in the clearing rose eyebrows and chuckled gently at Ash's comment, prompting an uneasy smile to slowly appear on his face, again.
"Protective isn't the word I'd use, but it's fine either way. I was out of line there, though I only meant to tease," Gary answered, a carefree shrug of his shoulders accompanying the statement. He brushed a bit of dirt off of his pants and shirt, small clouds of dust particles visible as he did. He turned around and motioned for them to follow him, "Well, you're here now, as I thought might happen and I do want to show you what I've been working on lately. It's just through here, just be gentle alright?" With that Gary carefully made his way forward, and slowly the trio made their way after the Pokémon Researcher.
It took no more than ten minutes to get to another clearing, though this one was far more sheltered and almost inaccessible from any other paths than the one they had followed themselves. Ash noticed a few Rangers in the trees on either side of the path and quickly discerned that whatever it was that Gary was studying it was well protected. When they finally entered this new clearing properly, Ash understood just why that was. A small colony, only about five individuals really, of Shieldon, a presumed extinct Pokémon, was lounging around the clearing, obviously claiming it as their territory.
As the ancient Pokémon were, at least presumedly, Sinnoh native even Dawn recognized them, though she took a few minutes more than Ash and Brock did. Brock recognized it early due to a fossil experimental team that had moved into Pewter a while ago, which he helped out whenever he was back home. Ash mostly because he had studied some of the more prominent Sinnoh Gym leaders, one of which was Byron whose ace Pokémon happened to be Shieldon's evolved form, Bastiodon. As the one who knew Gary best, Ash spoke up before any of the others, "Well, now I realize why there are Rangers all over the place. What exactly are you studying with the Shieldon?"
The observation about the Rangers threw Dawn and Brock for a loop, as they hadn't noticed them at all. Though Ash was proven correct when more than a few of the Rangers stepped out into plain view, with curious expressions and a bit of apprehension. Ash's facial expression didn't change from curiosity as he gazed at his childhood friend, with occasional glances toward the Shieldon as he heard them make small sounds now and then.
Gary smiled slightly before he started to explain. "Well, as you probably figured the Shieldon are reanimated from fossils, so we're trying to see if they can get reintroduced into the wild of Sinnoh. Though obviously, we are doing so under supervision, just in case something was to go wrong. Including Hunters, which is why there are so many Rangers about." Gary went more in-depth as well, describing how their diets and activity levels, as well as habitats, so far seemed to prove that the Shieldon would be able to adapt to life in the wild of modern Sinnoh.
By the time Gary had finished explaining, the midday had passed and it was closer to one in the afternoon. Ash, Brock, and Dawn had all paid close attention to the explanation and were smiling at Gary's exuberance about his newest project. Of course, Ash knew immediately that it truly would be an issue if any Hunters got news of this, as they would all try to force their way through to steal the Shieldon. With that in mind, Ash cleared his throat noisily, drawing everyone's attention to himself as he did.
"I'm impressed with what you've been able to do, and I really hope that your study gives the results you want. I do feel that I should warn you that there is a fair chance that the 'Poison Pin' operated near this area, we found a Hippopotas just earlier today that had fled from the desert and got stuck. When we stated we could help it get back to its colony, we understood that the colony was gone. The only Hunter I know who operates in arid areas exclusively is him."
His words seemed to drain the blood from the Rangers and Gary, as they all turned pale and looked at one another. Two of the more experienced Rangers, judging by the accolades on their jackets, stood up and immediately started planning additional patrols and security increases. A sharp wind whistled over the area as it happened, and Ash looked grimly at Gary, who seemed distraught. "Thank you for the warning Ash. I'm glad we can up our security with a good reason, though I of course hope we don't need it," he stated, gazing at Ash with a thankful smile in place. Ash simply shrugged, and waved it off, silently agreeing with his old friend that he truly hoped nothing would come of it.
Tense as they all were, everyone jumped up and got ready for action as a branch broke in the bushes. Mingling with the scent of the flowers was the distinct musk of poisonous sludge, and it stung somewhat at their nostrils. Gazing at the green bushes and leaves around them, waiting for an attack. The people present were all shocked when a small shadowed figure slowly trudged out of the bush, and straight up to Brock.
"Croa," the small figure let out a slow, tired croak. Before it lifted its arms and deposited a recently washed food bowl into Brock's hands, its three fingers lightly brushing Brock's as it withdrew them. A rather tired-looking Croagunk sat down in front of them, letting out occasional low croaks of greeting. As it sat down Brock was inspecting the bowl before he finally looked up again. "This is one of my food bowls…" the comment seemed to surprise Gary, Ash, and Dawn before all three of them burst out laughing. Before Ash finally managed to ask through the laughter, how exactly a Croagunk had his bowl.
"I did feed that Croagunk when we sought refuge in a cave outside Jubilife… Wait, are you the same Croagunk? You've been following us since Jubilife, just to return this food bowl!?" Brock exclaimed, floored by the Croagunk's tenacity in delivering the bowl back to its rightful owner. The Toxic Mouth Pokémon nodded tiredly, before pointing first at one of Brock's Pokéballs and then at itself. The monotone expression on Croagunk's face made it look somewhat dim, but none there doubted that its intelligence after having followed the trio for so long.
"You want to travel with us, as my Pokémon?" Brock asked just to clarify what the Pokémon was asking. Before shrugging and pulling out a Pokéball, when the Toxic Mouth Pokémon slowly nodded again, though made no other effort to move. Brock gently tapped the Pokéball against Croagunk's head, which sucked the Pokémon in and caught it without effort. The people present gazed at the Pokéball and then at each other before all of them burst out laughing again.
The lead Ranger stated, with more than a bit mirth in his voice, "While we should still be on guard, perhaps we'd benefit from not being entirely so tense that a wild Pokémon can make us all jump to that degree, eh?" Which only served to make everyone guffaw with laughter again, as the group calmed considerably down. They'd all just have to see what came to them and handle it when it happened.
A/N:
Alright, the new chapter is done. So I don't really have that much to say in this end A/N, most of it got said in the start one. I did realize mid-chapter this time that I had actually forgotten to have Brock catch Croagunk when I had planned, so the scene I had planned as the end scene got replaced by this one. All in all, I like it. And I think it makes for one of the few chapters I have written, and liked, that does, in fact, not contain a battle.
Next chapter I believe I will have the trio in Jubilife, skipping over a few of the less important filler chapters. I'd really like to get things moving a bit, so if I didn't especially enjoy the chapter, I might skip it if it isn't important from now on.
Hope you'll continue reading.
Till next time!