The Journey Continues

Hey everybody.

Before we continue, I would like to start things off by apologizing for being MIA. The past spring semester was hectic and due to the ongoing pandemic, spring break was canceled, but I finished classes a week early than originally planned. Most of the time students would go out of town for the break, but despite the vaccines, I'm assuming the colleges just don't want to take that risk of students potentially spreading the disease. So, "The Journey Continues" had been on a hiatus for the time being. While I was away, I've been working on the next four chapters. Three of them have already been complete and ready for publishing while the fourth chapter is halfway complete.

This chapter will contain slight concept from the "Pokémon Movie: I Choose You" and there will be a flashback scene. Other than that, enjoy the chapter.

8

After he felt something tapping on his nose, Pikachu pointed his head to the sky. He noticed the sky was slowly changing colors by the minute. It was going to be a long night for the group if they didn't find shelter. "We've got to get out of this rain before we get drenched," Serena screamed.

"We won't find a Pokémon Center in the woods. The nearest Center is all the way in Cerulean City," Brock responded. "Which means I won't see sweet Nurse Joy."

Ash pulled out the two handles from both sides of his backpack. With one press of a button, the device extended upward until its panels opened and just like that, he and Pikachu were no longer in the rain. "Good thing I packed these for cases like this," he tossed the other one over to Brock. "Serena, you can share the same umbrella with me."

A blue light flashed in the sky for a quick second following a large explosion sound cracked out of nowhere. Serena stumbled forward and she landed head first on top of Ash's chest. She was thankful Ash caught her, but giving the scenario of the situation she was in, her face was burning redder than Braixen's Flamethrower. As for Ash, his cheeks also were turning as red as Pikachu's cheeks at the little view he was absorbing before his eyes. "Are you okay?" He asked Serena while shaking any weird thoughts from his head.

"Huh? Oh yeah. That thunder was so loud it startled me for a bit."

"Hold on, Serena. That didn't sound like thunder," Brock suggested.

"What else could make that huge popping sound?"

"I'm not sure, but we're close to it."

The three friends scanned through the trees and bushes that were drenched in water for any signs of what could had been the culprit. Pikachu's ears twitched after something tapped his eardrums. "What is it, buddy?" Pikachu pointed to something small and brown that appeared from one of the bushes. "It's an Eevee. I wonder what's it doing out by itself."

Serena suggested maybe it was having trouble finding shelter to get out of the rain. But something seemed off to Brock and he couldn't figure out what. His suspicions were proven to be correct when a large Pokémon hopped out the bushes with its hand glowing purple. Eevee attempted to jump out of the way, but it was grabbed by its little neck and slammed onto the wet ground. Ash, Serena, Brock, and even Pikachu's mouth was wide open, but no words were coming out at the moment.

The red and black striped Pokémon had the muscular build of ten wrestlers. Its bright green eyes were locked on the wounded Eevee. Seeing the Pokémon struggling to get back on its feet, the beast's sharp white claws were prepared to strike again. Pikachu had a few bolts of electricity sticking out of his cheeks while he was biting his lower lip. "It's going to attack Eevee again!" Serena screamed.

Pikachu was not about to let that happen. "Wait, Pikachu!"

The Mouse Pokémon dashed forward as he left a light blue trail behind him and slammed right on Incineroar's chest. Incineroar stumbled back a few feet, but that was all the damage Pikachu could accomplish. In response, Incineroar snarled and slammed its purple-covered arm at the Electric-Type. Pikachu went flying on a wood service before landing face first into some mud. "No, Pikachu!"

"Ash!" Brock yelled to his friend. Incineroar positioned himself over Pikachu while its flame belt was glowing a dangerous reddish-orange color.

"Ash, where are you going?"

Ash ignored Serena's question and rushed over to the scene. "Lucario, I choose you. Use Protect."

Incineroar released a red and orange stream of fire from its belt that headed straight for Pikachu. It wasn't until Lucario jumped in front and pulled up a turquoise energy shield. "Serena, call out Pancham," Brock suggested.

"How come?"

"Think about it: Incineroar is part Dark-type."

"Pancham is a Fighting-type, so Pancham has the advantage." With that being said, Serena took out her Pokémon's Poke ball and called him out. "Use Drain Punch."

"Lucario, Power-Up Punch," Ash commanded. Once the flames died down, Lucario and Pancham dashed forward to Incineroar. One fist was surrounded in an orange aura while the other was engulfed by a green orb of energy. Incineroar founded its head falling backwards after both attacks connected to his chin. After falling on its knees, the Fire/Dark-type Pokémon found itself surrounded by Pokémon.

Lucario and Pancham were still eager to fight. There was just no way Incineroar was going to continue in the condition it was in. With that being said, Incineroar disappeared into the bushes, never to be seen again. "Pikachu! Are you alright, buddy?"

Pikachu nodded and shot a smile at his trainer. Everyone's attention was turned to Eevee as the Evolution Pokémon was hyperventilating. That was before Eevee collapsed onto the floor and became unresponsive. "Incineroar did some damage. We need to get Eevee some medical care and quick," Brock pointed out.

Ash wrapped Eevee around using his own jacket and held the Pokémon tightly in his arms. "Right. Let's move." For a moment, Pikachu thought he heard somebody from a distance. He was expecting that Incineroar to appear with a score to settle. Pikachu became wary once after seeing wrestling coming from the bushes. However, it turned out to be a simple Caterpie. "Pikachu!" Ash called out to his friend. "Come on, buddy. We got to go."

Eevee's fur were rolled up into tiny hairballs all over its body. Brock's main focus was the bruises on its lower leg. Feeling his hand touching his leg, Eevee grinded its teeth as a sizzling noise escaped its mouth. "It doesn't seem like Eevee's leg is broken, so that's a good thing," Brock announced.

"Can you do something?"

"That is my intention," Brock chuckled at Serena's question while he was handed a jar by his Pokémon. "Thanks, Chansey." He started by cutting up some herbs together into an empty jar as Serena placed a small towel on Eevee's head. "Ash, do me a favor and stir everything in the jar until it turns into mush and changes to green."

"Got it."

In the meantime, Brock pulled out a small purple bottle with a spray syringe attached on top. "It might sting a little, but this potion is going to heal your injuries." Eevee's eyebrows sprung open like a pair of blinds. It was like dozens of knifes were stabbing repeatedly on its leg. The last thing Brock did was wrapped some bandages around it wounds. "There."

"Hey, Brock. I think I finished mixing the medicine," Ash called.

"Excellent. Just right too. Nice job, Ash." One whiff of the medicine and Pikachu thought his nose was going to slide off his face. Placing both hands over his nose, his trainer reminded Pikachu that the medicine was not for him. Eevee took the spoonful in its mouth and almost immediately, its face was about to turn inside out. But eventually, the medicine was all gone. "That should stabilize it."

"Isn't it wonderful, Eevee? You'll be feeling better in no time," Ash stated before carrying Eevee in his arms. "Don't worry. I'll keep you nice and warm." Ash and Pikachu's faces were the last thing Eevee saw before closing its eyes and burying its face into Ash's tank top.

"All Eevee needs now is a good night's sleep. It'll be fine by the morning."

"And it's all because of you, Brock," Ash praised his friend.

"Wow, Brock. You're like Nurse Joy from the Pokémon Center," Serena complemented while she finished wiping down the lenses. After which, she handed Pancham his glasses back. "It's no wonder you want to become a Pokémon Doctor."

"Thanks, but I'm still a few classes short from graduating."

"With your knowledge about Pokémon and skills, you'll graduate." Whatever medicine Brock gave the Eevee appeared to be working. The Evolution Pokémon was knocked out like a Snorlax after eating a 1-year serving of food. "But I wonder why Incineroar attacked Eevee like that."

The top of Serena's shoulders was only half an inch away from her face. "Maybe they were fighting over shelter? It is raining like crazy out there."

One of Brock's eyebrows reached the pick of his spiky hair as the Pokémon Doctor-In-Training was voicing his doubts. "Maybe, but finding a wild Incineroar in Kanto is pretty rare. See, Incineroar is the final evolve form of Litten."

"You mean the same Litten that new trainers can choose from in Alola?" Serena asked.

While they were talking, Ash made sure Eevee kept warm right next to the fire. "Are you saying Incineroar already has a trainer?"

"I'm not 100%, but that's what I'm speculating."

Using the Rotom App on her PokePhone, Serena scanned the Eevee sleeping on Ash's lap. It took a moment, but a page featuring a trainer with spiky orange hair appeared on Serena's screen. "Hey, guys. According to my Rotom App, this Eevee does have a trainer."

"Really? Who's the trainer?" Ash asked.

"A trainer named Cross," the female trainer explained. "It also says that his other Pokémon include an Incineroar and a Lycanroc."

"Cross? Didn't Forrest recently battled a trainer named Cross the other day, Brock?" Ash wondered.

"That is the same trainer," Brock confirmed. "Let's take Eevee to the Pokémon Center tomorrow. Maybe Nurse Joy could help." The conversation was erupted by a small gust of wind brushed pass them. Serena felt goosebumps running down her arms and legs. Her hands grabbed the opposite arm while a shiver ran through her lips. The wind wasn't strong enough to knock over her, Ash, or Brock's clothes from the clothes rack, but strong enough to blow out the campfire. "It's so cold," she quivered. "For a moment, I forgot we were in a cave."

"And the fire went out."

An expulsion of air came from Ash's nostrils and mouth. The weather just wasn't affecting Serena. The worst part was the fire went out, so Eevee couldn't get warm. Thankfully, Serena had Braixen create another fire using her Flamethrower. Pikachu ran over to his trainer and saw how Ash was getting sick. To prevent that from happening, Pikachu rubbed his fur against Ash. "Trying to warm me up, buddy?" Pikachu replied to Ash's question with an obvious yes, but he wasn't the only Pokémon. Braixen wrapped her fluffy tail around Serena's body and pulled her head into her fur.

"You're keeping me warm, Braixen?" Pancham jumped into Serena's arms, wanting to keep his trainer warm from the cold as well. "And Pancham too."

Brock felt something warm and soft draping over his shoulders. "Thank you, Chansey."

"Hey, Brock. This reminds me the time we lost on our way to Cinnabar Island."

"I remember now. That's when we got caught in that snowstorm."

"I nearly froze to death with Pikachu and the rest of my Pokémon at the time." A flashback appeared at the top of Ash's head like he was premiering a movie. It was during his first Kanto journey and Ash was trying to get Pikachu in his Poke ball so he wouldn't freeze to death. Even going as far as ordering him to. However, Pikachu still refused to do what he said and decided to weather the storm with him. Him and the rest of his Pokémon. At the time, his Pokémon consisted of Pidgeotto, Bulbasaur, Charmander, and Squirtle. Neither Pokémon liked the cold, but they weren't about to let their loyal trainer faced the cold by himself.

It was one of the most touching moments Ash ever had in his journey. Thankfully, they weren't frozen solid by the next morning. "This reminds me of the time I spent a night in the cave," Serena proclaimed. "Back when I was a little girl, I went on a vacation with my parents in Hoenn. That's when my dad and I went on a journey to catch a rare Absol."

– Flashback –

"I already spoke to mommy where we were. Wouldn't want her to worry like last time." Serena was handed a paper plate filled with food. Her father maybe comfortable with their situation, but she was having trouble just picking up her spoon. Whether it was the loud booming sound coming from outside or the cold air brushing in her dress. But there was one other thing that was troubling the young kid's mind. "Serena, what's the matter? You're not eating."

"I'm just worried about that Absol. What if it comes out and attack us again?"

Serena's father joined the daughter and sat next to her. "Well, Absol is known to live in the mountains and far away from civilization. And the fact we're in a cave, I wouldn't be surprised if we do run into it."

That wasn't good news Serena wanted to hear. Her hands lost the grip of her plate as her eyes shot open. "But you heard what the people said about Absol. It's evil and caused all kinds of trouble when you see it. So, why do you want a Pokémon around us like that?"

"Those people don't know what they're talking about, Serena. Absol is not evil." Serena's father informed her that Absol was known as the Disaster Pokémon because its ability to detect a nearby disaster. Absol only lived in mountains, but it will appear in front of people to warn them when a disaster approached. "Absol knew there would be a storm tonight, but the people just didn't want to listen."

"Is that why Absol attacked us? That was just its way to tell us to turn around?"

The father responded with a simple nod. "Absol is a very resourceful Pokémon."

"I never knew a Pokémon was that powerful."

"When you become a trainer one day, Serena, you'll meet all kinds of Pokémon and their different abilities. That's why your mother and I wanted you to go to Professor Oak's summer camp. Don't put off something without at least trying it. Like how you're not trying your soup and its on the verge of getting cold." Serena giggled at that remark. Talking to her father was making her feel a bit at ease. "Speaking of summer camp, how was it?"

The first thing on Serena's mind when her father mentioned Professor Oak's summer camp was her first memory meeting Ash. Her small cheeks had tiny pink marks on them. "Oh…it was good. I had fun than I thought I did."

"I heard you made a friend."

Serena's cheeks turned bright red after that. "I was lost in the forest and he came out of nowhere. He just helped me back to camp. He also taught me something I'll never forget."

"What's that?"

"To never give up until it's over."

"This kid is having an influence on you. I'll have to keep an eye on him." After their conversation, Serena had already finished eating her food. "We're gonna be here all night, so I made plenty of soup in case you want seconds."

Later that night, Serena's hand gripped firmly on her father's shirt. Her blanket flew over her head as the little girl's entire body was shaking viciously. No matter how many times she closed her eyes, Serena just couldn't put her mind at ease. She didn't know if it was the flashing blue color coming from the dark skies or the cold air blowing through her and her father. Perhaps it was the sound of footsteps that were growing louder by the second. Water was forming from her eyes when she peaked her head out.

As Serena suspected, it was a Pokémon making all that noise. To make matters worst, it was the same Absol that attacked them earlier. Serena remembered the white fur, the red face, red tail, red claws, and red horn. But it wasn't offensive unlike the first time Serena and her dad encountered with it. It was walking around their little campsite and turned to the leftover soup burning above the fire. "Maybe it's hungry," Serena whispered to herself.

Absol suddenly shot his head toward the obvious bruised on its back left leg. It must had gotten injured from their encounter. It was hurting the little girl to see the Pokémon in pain. "Excuse me, but are you hurt?"

Serena slowly approached the injured Absol, but the Pokémon instantly went into the offense again. Its red eyes were locked on the tiny human, ready to attack if needed. Serena stopped for the moment as her face froze. Serena knew her father wanted to catch it, but maybe Absol didn't want to get caught. Perhaps it wanted to stay out in the wilds by itself. But then Serena remembered something that one piece of advice given to her: don't give up until it's over.

Ash and her dad were both right. She couldn't give up without at least seeing the outcome would be. Shaking her head from all the negative thinking, Serena slowly approached the Disaster Pokémon again for the second time. "You have nothing to worry about. I noticed you're hurt and I want to help," Serena explained to the Disaster Pokémon. When she reached for something in her pocket, she didn't leave Absol's eyesight. Absol was ready for any potential danger the human girl might throw its way. "I was hurt not too long ago myself, but someone helped me using this." Serena pulled out a small turquoise handkerchief with a blue ending and a Poke ball design on the corner. Serena proceeded to wrapping the handkerchief around Absol's bruised leg like a bandage. "There. That will make things a lot better."

Serena asked if the Absol was hungry, then proceeded in fixing a bowl of steaming, warm soup with some Pokémon food to the side. "Here. My daddy made this soup. It's still a bit hot, so be careful, okay? And this is special Pokémon food my mommy made. Her Pokémon back home love it and so does daddy's Talonflame."

Absol sniffed the food in front of him and took another glimpse at the little girl. Serena just smiled and nodded her head in approval. It was like all of Absol's doubts about her went out the window. It took one taste and Absol was gobbling the meal down like it was he hadn't eaten in forever. Thankful for the meal, Absol licked Serena's cheeks. "That tickles," Serena giggled.

Another brush of the coldness blew into the cave. Serena's hands were rubbing her arms in an attempt to keep her warm. However, she was pushed on top of Absol's fur by a claw. All the cold air roaming through her body disappeared into the warmth. Serena's eyelids were starting to close on her. Last thing on her mind was how her dad was right all along.

– FLASHBACK ENDS –

"What happened after that?"

"Absol kept me warm the entire night and my dad happened to saw us the next morning." After the encounter, Serena's dad resume his plans of wanting to catch Absol, but seeing the way the Pokémon and his daughter got along, he suggested catching Absol to be her partner. "But since I was a little girl at the time, Absol remained my dad's Pokémon for the time being."

"Wow, Serena. You never mentioned Absol before. How's Absol doing?"

Serena couldn't answer right away. The truth was she had a reason for not mentioning her father's Absol. Whenever she brought up the topic, her head dropped to the ground and she avoided eye contact with the people around her. "I wouldn't know since my dad abandoned us." Serena's response was quiet, but Ash and Brock were still able to hear every word.

"Your father left you guys? Does that mean he abandoned his own Pokémon as well?"

Serena knew she was saying too much, but her silence was more than enough to answer Ash's question. "I'm so sorry, Serena," Brock said.

"I'm sorry too. Maybe I shouldn't ask in the first place."

Rubbing her face from the water running down her face, Serena shook her head. "That's okay, you guys. I still got my mom back home and my Pokémon. So, I'm never going to be alone."

"I think the same way with Pikachu. As long as my buddy stays by my side, I'll never feel alone." Pikachu rubbed his head against Ash again. That was until the Mouse Pokémon yawned. He felt his eyelids getting heavy and he was having a hard time keeping them from closing. "Tired, buddy?"

"It's already dark," Brock stated. "We'll be leaving first thing in the morning, so let's get some sleep."

Again, I'm truly sorry to all my readers for the heavy delayed. It took so long with the updates because I had to go back and make some changes. I have to thank the fellow writers XDiamondX90, AmourshippingCanon, and Potat Lasaro for the advice they'd been giving me on Twitter. They've been reading the next four chapters I'd been working on and their advice really helped. I've been reading their fanfics too and they have been a big help as well. I highly recommend checking out some of their fanfics too because they are really good. So, I certainly hope this and the other three chapters stood out and were worth the long delayed.

We're close to reaching the halfway mark and I got big plans for "The Journey Continues," but I'm going to hold off on sharing them for a later period. I'll see you this Friday with the ninth chapter already on deck.

Stay safe stay tuned