Chapter 4: Adventures at the Expo!
"To what do I owe the pleasure, Mr. Toomes?" Norman Osborn, AKA the Green Goblin, asked the old man who had come to his office. "I'm a busy man, so let's make this meeting a quick one, alright?"
"You know full well why I'm here, Osborn!" the old man angrily snapped at the suave businessman, who looked at him with a small smirk. This yelling obviously earned some glares from the bodyguards, but it seemed that the old man named Adrian Toomes didn't care. "I showed you my flying technology in hopes that you and I could work together, but you rejected that proposal! Then, just four months after I showed it to you, Oscorp announced their Tech-Flight program! You STOLE my work!"
"Me? STEAL?" Norman Osborn asked, feigning shock at Adrian's words. "I would NEVER do such a thing! Where did you get those ideas from?"
Adrian slammed his hands onto Norman's desk angrily, almost causing the security guards to jump into action. However, Norman simply raised a hand at them, basically telling them to stay in their places. He wanted to hear the old man continue.
"Don't play dumb! That was my life's work, and you illegally stole it! I DEMAND that you publicly apologize!" Adrian barked. "If you don't, I'll-"
"You'll what, huh?" Norman asked as he stood up, startling Adrian for a split-second. The orange-haired businessman then leaned in and whispered into the older man's ear, a malicious grin forming on his face. "Face it, you geezer. You've been trying to perfect your technology for years, but to no avail. Even if you did try to 'expose' me, nobody would believe you. How could an old man accomplish something that he couldn't do in his youth? Just accept that and go home. Oh, and I'm going to show off OSCORP'S brand new tech-flight project at the World Science Expo in a few hours, and there's nothing you can do about it."
Norman sat down back onto his chair, his dignified and respectful demeanor reappearing.
Adrian was shocked by the businessman's words, to say the least. His jaw was dropped, and his eyes were wide. However, his face slowly contorted to one full of anger and rage.
"How DARE you?! I am going to-" the old man started, but was cut off by Norman Osborn, who snapped his fingers.
"Security, I grow weary of Mr. Toomes' meaningless accusations," Norman stated, a small smirk forming on his face. "Please show him out immediately."
"Wait, what?!" Adrian exclaimed as the two security guards each grabbed one of his arms and began dragging him towards the door. His face was filled with rage. "You'll pay for this, Osborn! You will pay! YOU WILL PAY! YOU WILL-"
The doors slammed shut, and Norman Osborn, The Green Goblin, was once again left alone in his room, a smirk present on his face.
"Now, I think it's time I showcase MY flight-tech at the Science Expo..." he smiled to himself as he pushed his chair back and stood up. "And hopefully the boss won't be TOO mad about my failure at the Pokemon Center..."
"Let go of me you brutes!" Adrian exclaimed as the security guards took him to the front-door of the building, holding on to his arms tightly so that he couldn't escape from their grasp. "I said let GO!"
"Alright, you're the boss," the security guards stated in unison before throwing him out the front-door. They then proceeded to slam it.
Adrian fell onto the ground, his extremely formal suit all muddy and dirty because of the disrespectful action that was taken by the security guards.
"Damn that Norman Osborn..." Adrian muttered as he stood up and dusted himself off. "I'll show him...Stealing MY work..."
The old man put his hands in his pockets and walked angrily down the sidewalk, cursing Norman Osborn, the man who stole his work, under his breath. His life's work had been stolen from him! Of course he was mad.
"How can I get my revenge on him?..." Adrian muttered to himself. "I can't sue him. The bastard's so rich he'd probably BRIBE any lawyer I hire..."
However, as Adrian thought to himself, a grin slowly formed onto his face.
"Wait a minute, he's going to appear at the World Science Expo, right?" the old man thought to himself, finally having made a plan to get revenge on his enemy. "Fine then. If he likes my work so much that he'd STEAL it, then I guess I'll use that very same work to get my revenge on him! After all, he doesn't know that my extremely old prototype, which was so old that I didn't even show it to him, actually increases one's strength! Oh I can't wait to get my revenge on him! HAHAHAHAHA!"
"Look at all of the inventions!" Peter exclaimed as he zoomed from booth to booth, quickly examining all of the inventions and projects that were being showcased at the World Science Expo. "And these are just the smaller ones! The big companies are going to show off THEIR inventions and projects any minute now! I can't wait!"
Ash yawned and put his arms behind the back of his head, with Scorbunny trotting alongside him, a bored expression on its face as well.
There were many, MANY booths run by many different people and Pokemon, who were all trying to show off different inventions. There was also loud party music playing in the background. The trio had made it to the World Science Expo, and although all three of them had attended in hopes that it would be a fun time for each of them, it seemed that only one of them was actually enjoying the event...
"This is boring..." Ash yawned, earning a similar reaction from Scorbunny. "We should head over to the next city, and get some training in on the way there...I wanna fight some of the other gyms before returning to Viridian so I can challenge its gym as well..."
"How can you be bored?!" Peter quickly asked Ash as he picked up a glove from a booth and put it onto his hand. "This glove is literally powered by a renewable energy source, and you can use it to pick up dropped silverware! It'll teleport those dropped forks and spoons directly to your hand! Of course, it's pretty much useless for anything else, but still!"
"Dropped...Silverware?" Ash asked, raising an eyebrow. "That's weirdly specific..."
"Scorbunny..." Ash's partner muttered, having a similar reaction to its trainer.
"Okay, fine, maybe that was a bad example," Peter truthfully stated as he placed the glove back onto the stand. What a dumb invention. He looked around and grinned, rushing over to another booth. "Well how about THIS one?"
Ash and Scorbunny walked over to Peter.
"See? Look at this!" Peter exclaimed. He was holding some sort of Pokemon collar in his hands. "This collar was developed by a company called Lysandre Labs, and it can translate Pokemon speech to English!"
This particular invention caught Ash's attention. "Really?! That sounds cool! We should test it out!"
Both of the boys looked at Scorbunny with grins adorning their faces. The fire-type blinked twice, staring back at them, before he suddenly realized...
…That they wanted to try it out on him!
"Scor...Scorbunny!"
Before the fire-type Pokemon knew it, Peter quickly slipped the collar onto its neck. The device was quite itchy, and it was quite clear that Scorbunny did NOT like wearing it.
"Scor Scor..." the fire-type muttered bitterly.
"Oh come on, Scorbunny! You look fine!" Ash exclaimed. "Now how do we turn this on?..."
Peter pressed a button on the device, and it began speaking, even though Scorbunny didn't even open its mouth at all.
"BUY PRODUCTS THAT WERE DEVELOPED BY LYSANDRE LABS. THEY'RE PRETTY GREAT," the device buzzed, causing Ash to stare at Peter disappointedly. The brown-haired boy in turn stared at the man who was running the booth, who shrugged in response.
"Uh...I guess your Pokemon REALLY wants to buy our products?" the owner of the booth suggested sheepishly.
It was obviously a scam.
Peter dropped the collar onto the booth and shook his head. "Alright, fine. That was a bad example too, but there are some pretty great inventions here that could change the world, and all of our lives!"
"Yeah, for the worse maybe..." Ash muttered, though it was clear that Peter didn't really hear him over the loud music and intensive chattering.
Peter put a hand to his chin and looked around in an attempt to look for a good product. "Hm...Let's see...We could check out that booth where they're making chocolate Pokeballs that actually work...Or perhaps we could visit the one where they show us how to create our very own Porygons from scratch...Though we'd need a billion Poke-Dollars for them to teach us, and I don't if we have that kind of money..."
While Peter was thinking to himself out loud, Ash glanced at Scorbunny and whispered to it. "It looks like everything here is lame...Wanna go and get some training in, Scorbunny?"
The fire-type grinned and nodded at its trainer, eager to get some training in. "Scor!"
So, while Peter was distracted, Ash and Scorbunny ran off to the exit of the building so that they could train against some wild Pokemon...
…However, in a comedic turn of events, the building where the Expo was being held was so large that the pair couldn't find the exit, and they ended up getting lost!
Everywhere the pair looked, all they could see was a bunch of booths that they didn't recognize! And on top of that, Peter was nowhere to be found!
"Oh man, Scorbunny, we messed up..." Ash told his partner Pokemon as he looked from left to right, trying to figure out where they were in the extremely large building that the Expo was taking place in. "They should've given us a map or something to look at..."
"Scor Scor..." the fire-type responded, attempting to assist its trainer.
The duo began to walk, this time actually paying attention to their surroundings. They walked past many different booths, and as usual, the owners were trying to show off their inventions. Also, as usual, Ash and Scorbunny didn't really care.
After a bit of unsuccessful searching, the raven-haired boy's stomach began to growl.
"Man, Scorbunny, I'm so hungry..." Ash told his partner as he patted his stomach. "If only one of these inventions gave out free food...That would be great..."
Scorbunny blinked twice, unaware that its trainer could get so hungry after such little amounts of work. "Scor..."
Suddenly, out of nowhere, some sort of strange Pokemon dashed in front of the two of them, leaving behind a trail of purple dust. It then proceeded to look back at the trainer-Pokemon duo and smile innocently, before it proceeded to walk into a dark area in between two random booths.
"Pew!" the Pokemon exclaimed happily.
"Huh? What kind of Pokemon is that? I've never seen it before..." Ash muttered to himself as he took out his Rotom-Phone and raised it at the Pokemon to scan it. "Let's see if Rotom knows what it is..."
"Scorbunny!" Ash's fire-type exclaimed, eager to see what species this strange Pokemon was as well, since it had also never seen it before in its whole entire life.
"Bzzt! Bzzt! Scanning!... Bzzt! Bzzt! Scanning!..." the Rotom-Phone exclaimed as a circle appeared on the screen, signifying that the device was attempting to figure out what kind of species this Pokemon was. However, much to Ash and Scorbunny's surprise, the Rotom-Phone said...
"Bzzt! Bzzt! I do not have any data on this Pokemon! It must be a new species. Bzzt! Bzzt!"
Ash and Scorbunny blinked twice, not knowing what to say.
"O-Oh. I see..." Ash muttered to himself, not really realizing how big of a deal discovering a new Pokemon was.
"Scor Bun Bun."
…
Suddenly, the realization hit the duo like a truck as the realization dawned on them!
"W-Wait a minute! A new species?!" Ash exclaimed in disbelief. "That's crazy!"
"Sc-Scorbunny!"
Now that they were aware that this could be a brand new Pokemon, the duo paid much more attention to it, inspecting it very closely.
The Pokemon was pretty small and had a gaseous body similar to a nebula. The gases that made up its body ranged in color from violet to light blue, and the very center of its body was black both in front and back. The black space on the front contained what appeared to be its face, which consisted of beady yellow eyes, circular blue cheeks, and a small mouth that was constantly smiling. The space on the back only had a single blue dot. There was also a golden half-circlet on both the top and bottom half of its body, which divided it exactly in half. Two wispy extensions containing starry specks served as its arms. The Pokemon seemed to be in a very good mood.
"Pew!" it once again stated happily. It seemed that was all it could say.
"Well, if I want to be a Pokemon Master, then I'm going to have to catch every Pokemon, and that includes ones that haven't been discovered yet!" Ash exclaimed as he took out a Pokeball and aimed the spherical device at the unknown Pokemon. "Pokeball...GO!"
The raven-haired boy tossed the Pokemon-capturing device at the unknown Pokemon, however, it disappeared into thin air, dodging the device, before reappearing just a little bit to the right, an innocent grin on its face.
"Pew! Pew!" the Pokemon giggled happily.
"Grr! It thinks I'm playing a game! And it can also disappear into thin air!" Ash exclaimed before looking down at his partner Scorbunny, who looked up at him with a determined look. "Well, Scorbunny, I guess we just have to weaken it before catching it!"
"Scor! Scorbunny!" the fire-type exclaimed with a nod before hopping in front of its trainer, ready to battle the strange, undiscovered, Pokemon.
"Pew?" the gaseous creature asked, tilting its head to the side in confusion. Did it not know how to battle?
"Alright, Scorbunny!" Ash began. "Use-"
However, he was cut off by the shout of a girl.
"W-Wait! Please don't attack it!"
"Ash! Scorbunny! Where are you guys?" Peter called out as he attempted to search for his friend and his Pokemon. However, since the building was so large, it was almost impossible for Peter to find the raven-haired boy. Confusedly, Peter scratched his cheek. "Huh. I wonder where those two have gone?... Who in their right mind would run away from science?..."
Peter decided that he was going to search a bit more. He was a good person. Of course he was going to search for his friend, and-
Peter's train of thought was cut off when he heard an extremely loud sound. The boy who was secretly Spider-Man turned around and watched in awe as an enormous stage came out of the ground, accompanied by smoke and extremely loud music playing in the background. The lights in the area also dimmed just for this specific stage.
The stage was green and black in color and had the word 'OSCORP' written in big, bold letters on it. It had an extremely futuristic aesthetic, and there were many flying-type Pokemon like Pidgey and its evolutions flying around it. On the stage, there were plenty of gizmos and gadgets that looked like jetpacks with wings. There were also a multitude of bodyguards, and they were all protecting the man himself: Norman Osborn.
Peter grinned from ear to ear as he saw this. Ash and Scorbunny could wait! Oscorp, one of the biggest tech companies in the world, was about to present its inventions! And not only that, his idol, Norman Osborn, was there!
"Ladies and gentlemen! Boys and girls!" Norman shouted, his voice being magnified by some speakers that were next to him on the ground. "The main attraction of the World Science Expo is about to begin!"
Peter dashed towards the stage but, comedically, a large group of people practically slid in front of him, eagerly waiting for the great Norman Osborn to present his work, much to the brown-haired boy's dismay.
"Aw man! I can't see! There are too many people!" Peter exclaimed as he jumped up and down in an attempt to see the stage. However, he couldn't because his view was pretty much being blocked by the massive group of Norman's other fans. "This is dumb..."
"Now, before we begin, I just wanted to say thank you," Norman Osborn told the people who had gathered in front of him, immediately shushing them so he could speak. "It's because of people like YOU that Oscorp is the technological giant that it is today."
The fans immediately started cheering as Norman completed his sentence, and quieted down when they saw he was going to speak again.
For a man that was secretly an admin of Team Rocket, Norman Osborn seemed like a pretty chill guy with a lot of fans.
"Now, to start off this presentation I just wanted to say that every single year for the past few years or so, Oscorp has been the biggest company with the biggest reveals, and I'm happy to say that this year will be no different!" Norman exclaimed, gesturing towards the devices behind him. "Introducing Oscorp's Tech-Flight Program! You'll be able to soar into the skies using these devices created by Oscorp's greatest scientists!"
The audience, including Peter, began to cheer. What an amazing invention!
"These devices are not only completely safe, but they're also incredibly helpful!" the businessman continued. "Pokemon Trainers, think about it. How many times has a flying-type Pokemon gotten away from you because you couldn't chase after it because it flew into the sky? With our brand new Tech-Flight Program, you'll be able to chase after these Pokemon, capture them, add them to your team, and create a brand new friend that you might not have made if our program did not exist!"
The audience began cheering louder, and Peter could only grin to himself. He was a big fan of Norman Osborn's work, and he absolutely loved it when Oscorp introduced a new invention. But to actually BE there at the unveiling of Norman Osborn's newest invention? That was a pretty great feeling!
"The Tech-Flight Program is also completely safe for the environment, and it also-" Norman Osborn was about to say, but he was cut off by a loud screeching noise that came up from above.
Everyone looked up at the sky worriedly, wondering what the strange sound was.
Ash and Scorbunny both looked back in confusion, while the gaseous Pokemon looked at the owner of the voice with a grin.
"Pew! Pew!"
"That Pokemon is with me..." the girl panted as she ran over to where the commotion was taking place. None of the booth-owners noticed the situation, or really cared for that matter, because they were busy trying to show off their inventions.
The girl seemed to be around Ash's age. She had green eyes and platinum blond hair, with two braids at each side of her face. She was wearing a large white hat, with a blue ribbon around it. She was also wearing a white dress with transparent outlines, a pair of long socks, and a pair of white shoes resembling ballet flats. She was also carrying a round bag with a Pokeball design on both sides.
"Huh? This...Is your Pokemon?" Ash asked confusedly as he did a double-take, looking back at the happy-faced gaseous Pokemon before looking at the blonde-haired girl again. "But...My Rotom-Phone didn't recognize it! How can you own a new species of Pokemon and not give data to the Pokedex?..."
"Well, I haven't actually caught it because I'm not a trainer, you see," the girl told Ash as she walked over to the Pokemon and crouched down to look at it. "I've just been...Taking care of it for a while now..."
"Pew!" the Pokemon happily exclaimed as the girl rubbed its cheek, tickling it a little.
"O-Oh, I see..." Ash sighed as put away his Pokeball dejectedly. "And here I wanted to catch it..."
"Nebby, please get into the bag! You could've gotten seriously hurt!" the girl told the Pokemon as she opened her bag and pointed at it, ignoring Ash's little complaint. "Next time I might not get there in time to help you!"
The gaseous Pokemon frowned, which was a bit weird to Ash and Scorbunny since the Pokemon was smiling so much that they seriously thought that it was impossible for the little creature to make a sad face.
"Pew..." the Pokemon that the girl had called 'Nebby' sighed as it reluctantly entered the bag.
The girl then stood up and zipped her bag up. She had a concerned look on her face as she looked at Ash and Scorbunny. "Oh, how awfully rude of me... My name is Lillie, and I'm sure you've already met little Nebby here. We're from a faraway Region called Alola!"
Ash grinned in response and jabbed a thumb at his chest. "My name's Ash Ketchum, from Pallet Town! And this is my partner Scorbunny! We just started our journey earlier today, and are aiming to be Pokemon Masters!"
"Scorbunny!"
"Oh, really?" Lillie asked, raising an eyebrow. "The two of you seem to have such a great bond already...I wish Nebby and I had a bond like that...Maybe then it would listen to me and stay in the bag..."
This caused Ash to raise an eyebrow. "Uh, but why do you want to keep Nebby in that bag? Wouldn't it be better to let it roam free like it wants to?"
"W-Well, Nebby's real name is Cosmog, and some really bad people wanted to use it for...Some really bad things," Lillie explained to Ash, who listened attentively. "Nebby saved my life some time ago, and now I've been trying to help it get back home. since, believe it or not, Nebby is not actually from our world! I want Nebby to stay in my bag so that people don't see it, but it has a very playful personality and always manages to get out when I'm not looking..."
Ash nodded in response, before a smile formed on his face. "Wow! You're protecting Nebby from bad guys even though you're not even a trainer?! That's pretty cool!"
Lillie blushed in embarrassment and scratched the back of her head. "O-Oh...It's not that big of a deal...I hardly did anything but run away...Nebby saved me, to be honest...I just avoid confrontations a lot..."
"Oh...But I still think that's pretty cool!" Ash exclaimed with a grin. "Anyways, what are you doing at the World Science Expo?"
"W-Well, I'm not really sure..." Lillie truthfully replied. "Nebby saved me three months ago by teleporting us all the way here to the Kanto Region...And since then its powers have weakened. Now it can only teleport short distances. For the past three months, all we've really done is walk around aimlessly...I came here thinking that I'd be able to find an invention that could help me in my main goal: Helping Nebby get home."
"I see..." Ash muttered before putting his hands behind his head. "Well, I doubt you'll find anything here! Almost everything here is either completely useless or a scam..."
Lillie giggled in response. "Yes, I suppose so..."
Suddenly, the pair heard a huge screeching sound and looked up at the sky.
"What was that?!" Ash and Lillie exclaimed in unison.
Scorbunny also looked up in surprise, wondering what the odd and frightening sound was.
Hovering high in the sky, above the Oscorp Stage...
…Was none other then Adrian Toomes!
He was wearing a dark-green bodysuit, and had a white fur neck-wrap around his neck. Under his arms were a pair of enormous light-green wings that resembled a bird's, which he was flapping so that he could stay in the air. There were also a pair of metal claws on his feet. He was glaring angrily at Norman Osborn. A single vein popped out of his forehead, which made him look even scarier then he already was.
"That's MY technology, Osborn!" Adrian Toomes shouted at the top of his lungs. "I tried doing this the easy way, with simple and peaceful conversation, but you didn't listen to me! So now...YOU MUST FACE MY WRATH!"
"W-What is the meaning of this?!" Norman exclaimed as he involuntarily took a step back, shocked by the sudden arrival of the man he had stolen technology from. "Why are you here, Toomes?!"
"To get my revenge, moron!" the old man shouted as he swooped in towards Norman Osborn, frightening many people and causing them to run away. He zoomed towards the businessman with such speed that not even the security guards were able to defend him! He grabbed Norman by the shoulders using his metal claws! "And it's not 'Toomes' anymore, Osborn! From now on... YOU SHOULD CALL ME THE VULTURE!"
Adrian Toomes, now known as 'The Vulture' zoomed up into the sky, cackling. "HAHAHAHA! I wouldn't be surprised if your other inventions were also stolen, Osborn!"
"Put me down! I swear to you I will call my lawyeeeer!..." Norman shouted as the Vulture began flying at higher speeds, zipping him around the place.
People began screaming and running in random directions. Two supervillain attacks in one day! What terrible misfortune!
Peter, on the other hand, took advantage of the situation and ran in between the area between two empty booths. "I guess I'll use this situation to change into my Spider-Man costume!..."
"What is THAT?" Lillie exclaimed in disbelief as she and Peter watched as The Vulture flew across the sky, taunting Norman Osborn and telling him that he could drop him at any second. The businessman was clearly in distress!
"I'm not sure!" Ash exclaimed. "Could it be another supervillain, like that Green Goblin guy?..."
"Let go of me, you moronic geezer!" Norman shouted at the top of his lungs.
"I could literally let go of you at any second, yet instead of apologizing you decide to call me a moronic geezer?!" Vulture questioned angrily.
"I'm an Osborn. I never apologize!"
While the businessman was ranting, the old man who was holding him took notice of the two Pokemon trainers who hadn't evacuated from the area, and locked eyes with Ash. "Hm, I'm already in control of the situation here, might as well have a little fun!"
"What is that guy planning?..." Ash thought to himself out loud.
Suddenly, the Vulture swooped in towards Lillie and Ash, surprising both of them!
"Agh! Scorbunny, watch out!" Ash exclaimed as he and Lillie ducked. Scorbunny did so as well.
"Hahahaha! I thought I'd just take Norman Osborn and get outta here, but scaring you dumb-dumbs is a lot of fun too!" the supervillain known as The Vulture cackled. "Man, I could get used to this!"
Ash and Scorbunny glared up at The Vulture with determined looks, while Lillie looked on with a fearful expression.
"Man, the wonderful world of Pokemon isn't just filled with Pokemon!..." Ash thought to himself. "It's also filled with supervillains like this one!"
"Well, you better get used to prison, 'cause that's where you're headed!" a familiar voice shouted.
Ash, Lillie, Scorbunny, Norman Osborn, and The Vulture all looked to the right to see none other then the Amazing Spider-Man! The hero was standing on top of an abandoned booth.
"Hey, it's that Spider-Boy guy from a few hours ago!" Ash exclaimed with excitement. "Did he follow us or something, though? Pretty weird how he just shows up in the places we go to..."
"First of all, it's Spider-MAN. Get it right," the wallcrawler told the raven-haired boy. "And second of all..."
THWIP!
The superhero shot a web at The Vulture's chest, causing the villain to raise an eyebrow in confusion. He then pulled the web, which shocked his opponent who wasn't expecting it, pulling the villain towards himself!
Once he had pulled the villain close enough, Spider-Man delivered a devastating uppercut at the villain, causing him to fly further up into the air! This attack also caused the green-wearing villain to drop the suave businessman known as Norman Osborn, however, who proceeded to plummet towards the ground!
"Ahhh!" Norman exclaimed as he was just centimeters away from certain doom. However, just in time, Spidey was able to shoot a web at the businessman, holding him in place.
"I've got you, Mr. Osborn!" the wallcrawler exclaimed before glancing at Ash, Lillie, and Scorbunny, who were still standing there. "Hey, uh, listen, you three. Can you guys help me out here? Grab Mr. Osborn for me!"
"Alright, sure, Spider-Guy!" Ash exclaimed before looking down at Scorbunny. "Come on, buddy! Let's go help that hero!"
"Scor Bun!" the Pokemon exclaimed, nodding in agreement.
As the duo rushed over to help the businessman, Lillie could only watch on in awe.
"Wow...First Ash and Scorbunny...And now this Spider-Man person..." Lillie muttered under her breath. "There are so many people that would be much better suited to help Nebby get home...I should just give Nebby to one of them..."
"Pew!" Lillie's gaseous friend exclaimed from within her bag, causing Lillie to look down at it. It seemed as if the Pokemon did not agree with what Lillie was saying at all.
"N-Nebby..." Lillie said, taken aback by the Pokemon's behavior. "You know it's true...I could hardly stop Ash from attacking you, and I'm terrible at talking with people too...What if I need to defend you?..."
"Pew Pew!" Nebby angrily exclaimed, showcasing its angry face for the first time since Ash had met it.
"Nebby..." Lillie muttered, almost as if she could understand the rare little Pokemon's speech. After a bit of thinking, she grinned. "You're right! I'm gonna help you get back to your home!"
"Hey, Lillie! A little help here?" Ash called out to the blonde-haired girl as he and Scorbunny attempted to safely bring Norman Osborn back onto the ground.
"Oh, right. Coming!"
Lillie grinned and nodded before rushing towards the duo, helping them get Norman Osborn down safely.
Seeing that the man that the supervillain wanted to attack was safe, Spider-Man shifted his focus from the businessman and the trainers to the supervillain that had crashed into some nearby booths.
Shaking his head, The Vulture flapped his wings which allowed him to fly back up into the air. He was furious.
"How dare you get into the way of my revenge?!" the supervillain screamed at the superhero. "I'm simply having fun while ridding the Earth of its greatest filth! Is that so wrong?!"
"Listen man, I get wanting to have fun with new powers. I had a LOT of fun when I first got mine!" Spider-Man exclaimed in a humorous tone. However, his face quickly became more serious. "But when you bring harm to innocent people like the great Norman Osborn of Oscorp, and those young trainers over there, that's when it becomes a problem. Get what I'm saying?"
However, The Vulture wasn't listening to what Spider-Man had to say. "Did you just call Norman Osborn...Great?"
Spidey blinked twice before nodding, unaware of the resentment that the villain had for the businessman. "Uh, yeah? Why? He's a great man who's made a lot of inventions and-"
"NO! HE STOLE INVENTIONS! STOLE! HE'S A THIEF!" Vulture screamed at the top of his lungs as he flapped his wings at Spider-Man, creating large gusts of wind that were aimed at the hero. These gusts of wind, however, weren't the only effect caused by the flapping of the supervillain's humongous wings. He was also shooting out green blades at his opponent! "How do you like my TALONS?!"
"Woah!" Spidey exclaimed as he ducked under the attacks. Once the blades that Vulture had called his 'Talons' were gone, he got back up to his normal standing position. "Listen man, that wasn't really-"
Spider-Man didn't have enough time to finish his little quip as The Vulture immediately delivered a punch at the hero's face before landing onto the roof of the booth. The wallcrawler staggered back a bit, genuinely shocked by how much strength that the old man had!
"W-Wow!..." Spidey exclaimed in disbelief. "You, uh, have got a lot of strength for an old guy..."
"And you need to learn to respect your elders!" the man formerly known as Adrian Toomes exclaimed as he delivered another clean punch at Spider-Man's face. "Don't you know that kids like you shouldn't be messing with the business of adults?! Norman Osborn is a menace!"
Peter flew and crashed into the wall of a nearby booth. Or, he would have, but thankfully he managed to stick onto the wall just in time before he crashed into it. "Man! Two supervillains in one night?! And here I thought this would be a peaceful trip around the Kanto Region..."
THWIP!
Just in time, the wallcrawler shot a web at a nearby booth and swung towards it, dodging a powerful attack from Vulture, who managed to shatter the booth that Spider-Man was previously clinging on to with one punch. "I'm guessing that the device that he's wearing is somehow powering him up on TOP of allowing him to fly! So if I can destroy it, I should be able to win and send this guy packing!"
"W-Wow!..." Lillie exclaimed in disbelief as she watched the battle between the hero and the villain in awe. "That...That guy in the red and blue outfit is fighting with the guy in the green outfit! I thought only Pokemon did battles..."
"Isn't it cool?!" Ash excitedly asked the blonde girl. "Me and Scorbunny saw him just a few hours ago fighting against some weirdos named Team Rocket! One of the weirdos was even dressed as an elf! He called himself the Green Goblin for some reason, though!"
"Really?! That sounds hilarious!" Lillie laughed out loud for the first time since her appearance. "Spiders I get. Vultures I get too. But an elf?! Hahahaha! That's silly!"
Norman Osborn had to do his best to not strangle the giggling children right then and there, since he was actually The Green Goblin and they were pretty much making fun of him. "Hmph. Moronic children. Goblins and elves are pretty easy to differentiate between!"
Spider-Man ran up the wall of the sleek, white booth that he was clinging on to, dodging The Vulture's green talon-blades in the process. He then did a backflip, surprising the villain by landing on his back.
"Wow! You've got some pretty fancy tech for an old guy!" the wallcrawler exclaimed as he inspected the device on the villain's back. "My Aunt May back at home doesn't even know how to use her cellphone..."
"GET OFF OF ME!" Vulture screamed as he spun around, causing Spider-Man to get flung away. The hero crashed onto the stage that Norman Osborn was holding his presentation on.
"Damn it! The Vulture's pretty strong!...There's no way I could get on to him and dismantle that device he's using without him throwing me off!..." Peter mentally exclaimed. However, a grin formed underneath his mask as he grabbed one of the Pokeballs on his waist. "Luckily, I'm not the only spider that likes to fight against villains here..."
Quietly, the hero sent Joltik out of its Pokeball.
"Listen, buddy, I want you to get onto Vulture's back and zap the tech he's got on him!" Peter instructed his partner. "Think you can do that for me?"
"Joltik!" the spider-like Pokemon happily exclaimed in the affirmative before scurrying away.
"So, what did you say your name was?" Vulture asked as he landed onto the stage and walked towards the hero, who was leaning against a futuristic box with the Oscorp logo on it. "Spider-Man? I personally think that its quite a coincidence that the two of us would use species-based names!"
"Yeah...Vulture, like the 'Bone Vulture' Pokemon Mandibuzz..." Spider-Man started as he got up to his feet, showing no fear as The Vulture menacingly walked towards him. He glanced at Joltik, who was scurrying towards the villain. "And Galvantula, the 'EleSpider' Pokemon!"
"Hah, you sure know your stuff!" Vulture cackled. "Hearing those Pokemon names reminds me of my days back in Unova, where I was raised. They were some pretty popular Pokemon!"
Spider-Man smirked under his mask as he noticed his little Pokemon, Joltik, was getting closer to The Vulture's leg. "Guess that makes two of us. I'm Unovan too!"
"Ah, that's nice... Such a shame that I have to kill you right here and now. It hurts to hurt a fellow Unovan, you know?" Vulture asked, unaware that Joltik was now crawling up his leg. "Why do you bother defending Norman Osborn, anyways? He's a terrible person!"
"Says the guy who attacked some random 13 year-olds," Spider-Man replied confidently.
"Hmph. You've got a big mouth. Too bad you can't say anything good with it!" Vulture grinned maliciously. "Well, its time to die!"
Vulture rushed at Spider-Man at high speeds that the hero didn't expect, and raised his arm, ready to deal the finishing blow.
Peter shut his eyes and braced himself. "Joltik, now's a good time to do what I instructed you to do!..."
The Vulture's arm grew closer and closer, however...
…Right before the scary supervillain could deal the finishing blow to his opponent...
…He froze in place!
"W-What's going on?!" The Vulture angrily asked as he struggled to lower his arm and slice Spidey in half. "Why can't I move?!"
Slowly but surely, the bits and pieces that made up the supervillain's outfit began falling down onto the floor, crashing onto the ground and making loud 'CLANG' noises since they were made up of metal. Eventually, once all the metal, along with his wings, fell onto the ground, the villain found he could move again...
…However, he was wearing nothing but his green skinsuit and fur neck wrap! He honestly looked really silly.
"W-What?!" The Vulture exclaimed in shock, looking at his body and noticing how his wings had fallen to the floor. "But...But how did you?..."
"It's simple, really," Spider-Man replied as he got onto one knee and extended his finger, confusing the villain. He then stood up and pointed at said finger, and the supervillain's jaw dropped. A teeny-tiny Joltik was responsible for his defeat! "This little guy did all the work! I was only there as a distraction, to be honest!"
The Vulture was completely silent...
…And then he roared with anger!
"HOW DARE YOU! I DON'T CARE IF YOU'VE BEATEN ME! I'LL GET MY REVENGE ON NORMAN OSBORN ANOTHER WAY, AND THEN I WILL DESTROY YOU, SPIDER-MAN! I SWEAR TO YOU THAT I-" The Vulture exclaimed, but was suddenly cut off when Peter simply shot a web at his mouth, shutting him up. He then kicked the old man down and shot a few webs at his arms and legs, securing him to the ground.
"People and Pokemon need each other," Peter told the villain as he gently stroked Joltik's fur with his other hand, though due to Joltik's small size he could only really use one finger. "I couldn't have defeated you without Joltik's help, and Joltik couldn't have destroyed your flying technology if I didn't distract you! That's why this little guy will always be my partner! I help him and he helps me!"
"Jol! Jol! Tik!" the superhero's Pokemon happily cried.
"Alright buddy, return," Peter told his Pokemon as he returned it to its Pokeball.
Spider-Man then walked towards the fallen pieces of machinery, closely inspecting it. "Wow, Vulture! Your device looks a lot like the one that was being unveiled at the Oscorp Presentation today... You know, before you attacked the place..."
Vulture, or should I say Adrian Toomes since he was pretty much just an old guy in a skinsuit now, managed to smile under the webs covering his mouth. The superhero was noticing the similarities between his equipment and Osborn's 'Invention'! Maybe this superhero could bring Norman Osborn to justice! Maybe Spider-Man could-
"...Don't you know it's wrong to steal people's work? Haha!" Spiderman laughed. This statement was quite ironic, considering it was NORMAN who stole ADRIAN'S work!
"Mmm!" Adrian exclaimed under the webbing, rage filling his body to the brim. His work was stolen, and the thief was going to go unpunished! This was so wrong to the old man!
Soon, the authorities showed up and took Adrian Toomes into custody. The old man was practically screaming in tears as the officers roughly put him in to handcuffs.
"You've got the wrong guy! I'm telling you the truth! Norman stole my work! I only pulled that stunt to try and get it back! Please!" Adrian begged to the officers. However, they were completely convinced that he was a liar.
"Save it for the judge, pal," one of the officers stated before shoving the old man into his police car and driving away. This did not resonate well with Adrian.
"No...No...NOOOO!...I WILL HAVE MY REVEEEEEENGE!" Adrian shouted within the car so loudly that it could be heard outside. However, as the car grew farther and farther away, so did the old man's voice...
Ash, Scorbunny, Lillie, Norman Osborn, and Spiderman were now all outside of the Expo-Center, where the Expo was being held. Unfortunately, the World Science Expo had to be cancelled since many booths and inventions were destroyed during the battle between The Vulture and The Amazing Spiderman. Well, at least the people and Pokemon were safe, so there was that.
Officer Jenny was also there, and she was staring at Spiderman suspiciously. "Hm! What a coincidence that you showed up out of nowhere and managed to defeat two supervillains in one day! How should we know that you weren't in on this attack, hm? And what about the attack by Team Rocket earlier at the Pokemon Center? You were there too!"
Spiderman scratched the back of his sheepishly. "W-Well, all I can say is that I fight crime, alright? It's what I do, and what I've been doing fir a few months now! All I'm saying is that I used to work in Unova, and now I'm here to save the day! See ya!"
The police-woman wanted to ask the superhero more questions but, unfortunately, he swung away. Of course, it was only unfortunate for her. For him it was an absolute miracle that he got away so easily!
A sigh escaped Jenny's lips as she watched the hero swing away. "Damn superheroes! I know they mean well, but it would be better for everyone if they could at least tell the authorities their secret identities...That way I wouldn't have to worry so much about one of them turning bad or something..."
The police-woman then shook her head...
…Before immediately turning towards Norman Osborn, completely forgetting to ask the literal minors, Ash and Lillie, if they were okay!
"Are you alright, Mr. Osborn?!" the officer quickly asked. "You're not hurt, are you? It would be an absolute shame if one of Kanto's best businessmen was harmed in any way!"
"I'm fine, officer. Thank you for asking," Norman replied as he secretly glanced at the superhero that was swinging away. "But...That damned Spiderman! First he messes up my heist at the Pokemon Center, and now he single-handedly defeats that Adrian Toomes fellow! Just who is he under that mask?...And why did he show up so randomly?..."
"Um, Miss. Officer?" Lillie asked, catching the attention of Officer Jenny. "You haven't asked if we're alright..."
The officer blinked twice before waving her hand in dismissal. "You're young, you're strong. I'm sure you're fine! We need to make sure Mr. Osborn is okay, though..."
"Jeez...This lady's got her priorities mixed up!" Ash mentally told himself. "Man, am I hungry though..."
Spider-Man had made it to an area that he deemed faraway enough from the building that the World Science Expo was being held at. In an alleyway between two buildings in the busy part of Viridian, he immediately changed out of his superhero costume and into his civilian attire.
"Come on, Peter, come on! This is your chance to meet your idol!" the brown-haired teenager told himself as he dashed through the Viridian streets and towards the Expo-Building, running past many different people and Pokemon.
He eventually made it there, but he was almost too late! Almost.
Officer Jenny was gone, and a black limo had pulled up. A black limo that Norman Osborn, the man that Peter desperately wanted to meet, was entering into so that he could leave!
"W-Wait!" Peter shouted, catching the attention of the orange-haired man. "Mr. Osborn!"
"Oh? Are you yet another one of my fans?" Norman asked, stopping himself from entering the car. "I'm not giving out autographs, you know."
"I know, I know..." Peter panted.
"Peter! There you are!" Ash exclaimed, causing Lillie and Norman to look at him in confusion. "Where were you?"
"You know this guy?" they asked in unison.
Before Ash could explain, however, Peter began talking to Norman Osborn in a very quick manner. "M-My name is Peter Parker, sir! I'm 15 years-old, and was born and raised in the Unova Region! I recently came here to work as Professor Oak's assistant, sir! I'm an extremely big fan! Your reveal of the Dusk Ball changed my life a few years ago, and..."
Peter then began to ramble on and on about how he was so happy to finally meet his idol, but Norman Osborn didn't really care about that. Something else that Peter said had caught his attention.
"Boy, did you say that you were the assistant of Professor Oak?" Norman asked, cutting Peter off. "As in, the greatest Pokemon Professor of our time?"
Peter blinked twice before nodding slowly. "U-Um, uh, yes sir. I am."
The businessman simply smirked at these words. "I'm genuinely impressed. I have a son your age, but he shows no interest in science whatsoever. To think a boy your age already has such a remarkable status...I think you have a bright future."
"W-WAIT, REALLY?!" Peter asked in disbelief, but Norman simply chuckled in response.
"I'll catch you later, hopefully," the businessman stated, ignoring Peter's exclamation of disbelief.
Norman proceeded to enter his limo and drive off, leaving Ash, Lillie, and a very shocked Peter at the remains of the Expo-Building.
"Well...That was an adventure!" Lillie happily exclaimed. "I thought I was a goner...But then that Spider-Man came in and saved the day! If I could survive that, I can survive anything! It's a really nice feeling!..."
Ash grinned and nodded in agreement. "Yeah! Me and Scorbunny enjoyed it too! It's like the start of a really great adventure! Right, buddy?"
"Scor Bun Bun!" the fire-type happily exclaimed.
"Pew!" Nebby exclaimed happily, poking its head out of Lillie's bag.
"Nebby!" Lillie scolded. "Get in the bag! People will see you!"
Ash laughed at the little interaction between Lillie and Nebby before looking at Peter. "Well, Peter, I think we should get going. We've had enough fun at Viridian for one day, I think! What do you say?"
However, Peter didn't respond. He was practically in a daze! "Mr. Osborn...Said I have a bright future..."
"Uh, Peter?" Ash asked, snapping his fingers in front of his friend's face, but to no avail. "He's completely out of it..."
"I mean, Norman Osborn is a very great man," Lillie explained. "Earning a compliment from him is no easy feat..."
"Scor...Bunny..." Ash's partner angrily breathed with its arms crossed while tapping one foot on the ground, comedically leaving a little bit of fire on the floor. The Pokemon was growing a bit restless as it REALLY wanted to have a battle!
Like, right now!
And so, Scorbunny did what any normal person or Pokemon would have done.
It proceeded to kick Peter in the face using its fiery foot, causing the teenager who was secretly Spiderman to comedically fall over, with his face completely charred!
"Ow! Scorbunny, what was that for?!" Peter angrily asked Ash's partner, who simply rubbed its nose in response.
"Haha, I guess Scorbunny really wants to get some training in!" Ash exclaimed with a laugh.
Although Peter was a bit angry at what Scorbunny had done, he ended up just laughing. He was just way too happy about the fact that Norman Osborn, his idol, said that he had a bright future!
"Anyways, like I was saying, I think we should head to the next city," Ash told Peter. "I need to get some training in, as well as catch a Pokemon and get my first Gym Badge! I bet Gary and Red have already moved on to the next cities!..."
"Alright, alright, I get, I get it," Peter replied as he wiped the char that had formed on his face away. "Let's go!"
Ash, Scorbunny, and Peter all turned to leave, with Ash grinning and waving at the girl he had met at the World Science Expo. "See ya later, Lillie! I hope you can help Nebby find its way back home!"
"Y-Yeah, thanks..." Lillie muttered in response, waving and watching as the trio walked farther and farther away. "If they're going on a journey, they're probably going to see a lot of people and Pokemon...And go to a lot of different places..."
…
Suddenly, Lillie's eyes widened as a thought dawned over her. If she went with them, she would be going with people who actually knew what they were doing! People who actually knew where they were going! And not only that, but on a journey, they'd have the opportunity to go to many different places!...
…Places that Nebby could possibly hail from!
The girl gave an uncertain look at the Pokemon in her bag.
"Nebby, should I?..." Lillie started, but was cut off by an excited Nebby.
"Pew! Pew! Pew!"
She smiled and nodded at her Pokemon friend. "You're right. It'll be fun!"
Lillie turned her head to look at Peter and Ash, who had thankfully not made it that far.
"Peter! Ash! Scorbunny! Just a moment, please!" Lillie shouted as she ran towards the trio, who stopped to look at her.
"Oh, hey Lillie!" Ash exclaimed. "Did ya need something?"
"W-Well, um..." Lillie stuttered, proving once again that she definitely wasn't the best at talking to people. However, Nebby began making 'Pew!' noises in her bag and she ended up simply sighing. "I...I hope you don't mind, but... Can I please accompany you guys on your journey? I'd like to explore the Kanto Region for myself without getting lost everywhere, and maybe find out where Nebby is truly from..."
The blonde girl gulped, hoping that Ash and Peter would allow it.
"Oh, well... It's fine with me!" Ash happily responded, glad to have another travelling companion. He liked having more friends, whether they were human or Pokemon. The raven-haired boy then looked at Peter and asked "What do you think, Peter?"
"Well, it's like my Aunt May always says: The more the merrier! I'm okay with it!" Peter exclaimed, giving out a hearty laugh. "But...What or who is 'Nebby'?..."
Lillie smiled at Peter. "O-Oh, well, you see, Nebby is actually a Pokemon that I-"
Nebby burst out of Lillie's bag and hovered in front of the girl's face, grinning at Peter.
"Pew Pew Pew!" the Pokemon laughed.
"Uh, what is that?..." Peter asked confusedly.
"Nebby! Get in the bag, you troublemaker!" Lillie exclaimed as she grabbed her partner and stuffed it in her bag. "Please! We can't let any other people see you anymore!"
The blonde-haired girl then looked at Ash and Peter. "That goes to you too, guys. Can you please keep Nebby a secret from everyone?"
Ash and Peter exchanged confused glances before looking back at Lillie with grins.
"Sure, why not?"
The trio then burst out into laughter.
This truly was going to be a fantastic adventure!
I wrote most of this chapter in one day, for some reason, so I apologize if it feels rushed.
Vulture's design is based off of his classic first appearance in the comics. I considered using the MCU version of his outfit, but I honestly just really like his classic costume the best.
Also, I decided to include Lillie because she's one of my favorite Pokemon characters, and I feel like she'd be pretty fun to write!
That's all I have to say for now, though. So...
Until next time!