Chapter 12
"WHAT!?"
The officer quivered under Proton's gaze, his face twisted into a furious expression that could make any Rocket Grunt fear for their life. He gulped and continued the report. "W-we saw her walk into a Pokemon Center. Our orders were to locate Articuno, we were never told to-"
"I. DON'T. CARE." the teal-haired man hissed through clenched teeth. "That girl is a threat to Team Rocket and should have been killed on sight. If she survived, then that means the other two brats are probably alive somewhere else."
The officer nodded, not wanting to upset his superior anymore. Everyone knew the Rocket executive had a grudge on a few kids that had torn up his operation and were the reason for increased attacks from the League on their bases. It seemed as though every week, a new base was sniffed out by the ACE Trainers and promptly destroyed. Just a few days ago, a teenager with a humongous Arcanine stormed one of their hidden labs by the Cerulean coast, costing thousands in equipment.
However, they hadn't taken any action on establishing new hideouts elsewhere. Giovanni had specifically told the admins to keep working on their separate projects. However, since Proton had been relieved of his position overseeing operations in Mt. Moon, he was tasked with something else.
"A-apologies sir." the officer stammered. "It won't happen again."
Proton merely huffed. "You'd better make sure of that, or else you'll be kissing your new promotion goodbye." he snarled. He attached four PokeBalls to his belt and grinned dangerously.
"Now alert the rest of my team." he ordered the officer. "We have a bird to catch."
*BEEP* *BEEP* *BEEP* *BEEP*
Ash groaned and slammed his fist on the alarm clock next to his queen-sized bed. He rubbed his eyes tiredly and lumbered over to the bathroom. His hair was a complete mess, and he was sweaty and sticky from the day before. He hadn't bothered to take a shower and had instead stayed up late watching cheesy soap operas. His mother seemed to like those.
He took off his clothes and stepped into the shower and ran his hands through his jet-black hair, and sighed. He missed having two other roommates. He could almost hear Nate teasing him about his unkempt hair.
Ash gazed at the different soaps and shampoos on the shelves. One of them was a body wash made out of Beedrill honey and Butterfree dust. Another was a shampoo made out of ground-up Slowpoke tail. Wasn't this stuff supposed to smell good? Blaine sure had a weird taste in soap.
After cleaning himself and stepping out of the shower, Ash changed into his Trainer's outfit and opened the bathroom door.
Kit was sleeping soundly at the foot of his bed. The Flareon radiated a small amount of heat from her fur, which explained why he was more sweaty than usual. She was much bigger than when she was an Eevee, but could still fit on the bed.
Petal, who had awoken while he was taking his shower, was wandering around the room. His eyes looked over at Ash, and he smiled, running up to his Trainer. Ash patted him on the head and placed him by the window where he could look outside.
Slowpoke slept in a shady corner of the room, and Ash could hear light snores coming from him. He always woke up last out of all of them.
And then there was Dexter, who was sleeping by the foot of his bed. Humming sounds were coming from its body as it slept. Ash knew he'd probably have to come back to Cinnabar in a few months to pick up the new upgrade Dr. Akihabara talked about.
He sat on his bed and took out his notepad and Pokedex. He had initially planned on focusing more time developing new strategies for Kit, like the Iron Tail and Swift combo, but with her sudden evolution, he realized that he'd need to focus on other things as well. Mainly moves that had to do with fire. Ember was a good start, and Smog could be helpful. For now, though, Kit just had to get used to using her new body so that some basic exercises could help with that.
Petal had almost gotten Toxic down, so Ash wanted to expand him offensively a little. Moonblast and Razor Leaf were good options that Petal could make use of. Petal's draining moves lacked power, and so learning something like Razor Leaf would help in the long run.
He didn't have any plans for Slowpoke as of now. The psychic would help, as it was a more decisive Confusion attack, but besides that, he just wanted to increase Slowpoke's offense some more to ensure it could have the power to back up its bulk.
For Dexter, he wanted Recover to be learned. From Blaine's battle, he had learned that just because he had ways to avoid potential hits, it didn't mean he could prevent all of them. Recover allowed him to account for any mistakes he made during the battle, so having it was necessary.
Ash shut his notebook and placed it into his backpack. He put on his socks and shoes and placed Petal on his head. Ash was getting hungry and wanted to get one last meal in before he left. He trusted his Pokemon to behave themselves if they woke up before he got back.
He tiptoed towards the door and exited the room with a sound. He walked the Big Riddle Inn halls and made it to the front desk, where he saw Blaine in his disguise standing.
"Nice to see you awake, Ash." he greeted him. "By the way, I have something to give you." He reached from behind the desk and pulled out a shiny orange disc.
"It's the TM for Flamethrower." the man explained. "Normally I give challengers the TM for Fire Blast, but since you only have four badges, I doubt your Pokemon are experienced enough for a move of that caliber. Your Flareon can learn it, and so can your Slowpoke. Use it well."
Ash grinned and accepted the disc. "Thanks," he said. "Kit will love this."
"I'd still recommend teaching your Flareon the basics of using fire moves before teaching the TM to her. It's better to start small." Blaine explained. His gaze became distant.
"I heard about the attack on the S.S. Anne that brought you here." he continued. "Surge was devastated. He felt as though it was his fault that some of the Trainers he battled died. Like he doomed them. Surprising, coming from a soldier who fought in the Great War."
Ash nodded. He supposed being a Gym Leader had some perks regarding news around town. It was no surprise Blaine figured out the circumstances of his arrival.
The Great War was an all-out battle between Kanto, Johto, and Orre. Each region received devastating losses to their overall population, devastating enough that the minimum age to become a Trainer was lowered from fourteen to eleven in Kanto. Only Pallet Town gave kids younger than eleven the opportunity to become fully-fledged Trainers.
He knew the casualties from the S.S. Anne were minuscule compared to the deaths of the Great War. He guessed Surge had just broken down after hearing the news. It was his job to protect his people, and he failed them. He'd always been known as a cautious leader, despite his booming personality.
"A kid shouldn't have to go through what you went through." Blaine continued. "It's sickening what Team Rocket does. I can only hope that we can find their leader and burn their organization to the ground."
"...I had a run in with Team Rocket before," Ash said. "In Mt. Moon. My friends and I busted their operation. The executive was furious, and he went after us specifically. I can't help but wonder if it was maybe… my fault for going on that ship. I was the one who led my friends into this mess anyways."
Blaine shook his head. "You did the right thing," he responded. "I imagine that they weren't only there for you. Such a large-scale attack must have been for another reason. Possibly to test the limits of their abilities and spread chaos."
Ash nodded, although he wished to not talk about the subject any longer. Luckily, the Cinnabar Gym Leader decided to change it. "So… you're taking the Gym Challenge huh?" Blaine said in a cheerier tone. "Where do you plan on going next?"
Where would he go next? He knew he'd be going back to Vermillion City later that day, but besides that, he didn't really have an idea of what was past Vermillion City in the first place.
He shrugged. "I'm not sure." he finally said. "Have any recommendations?"
Blaine pursed his lips. "Well, Saffron City and Cerulean City are the closest to Vermillion City. It might be a good idea to go after their respective badges."
"I already have the Cascade Badge." Ash responded. "What does the Gym Leader specialize in at Saffron City?"
"Psychic types." Blaine answered. "Tricky opponents, they always teleport or put your Pokemon to sleep. It might be a good idea to stop at Lavender Town to catch a Ghost-type. The place is practically crawling with them."
Ash nodded. He couldn't disagree that psychic-types were very hard to deal with, and a Gym Leader with them would definitely be a pain. Before he could strategize however, he felt his stomach starting to rumble. Blaine smiled and let him go to the cafeteria, and the boy ran toward it, intent on filling his stomach with his heart's desire.
A few hours later, Ash left the inn and bid goodbye to Blaine, promising to come back another time for a rematch. Despite being pretty reclusive, he was very friendly.
He made his way to the port overlooking the sea. Just looking at the ocean made him nauseous. Still, it was the only way for him to get off the island. Slowpoke wasn't big enough to carry him across the water, and he doubted he would even put in the effort.
He scanned his options. Some of the boats were small, and some were positively massive. He didn't want to spend a lot of cash, so he opted for taking a small boat. Ash's eyes settled on a small white boat, with an older man standing next to it.
As he approached the man, he took notice and waved at Ash.
"Hello there, lad!" the old man said. "How can I help you?"
"Could you take me to Vermillion City?" he asked. He wanted to get back to the port city as soon as possible to continue his journey. The detour to Cinnabar Island had been eventful, but he wanted to continue his journey in mainland Kanto.
"Of course!" he said. "With luck we'll be there by the afternoon. That'll be seven hundred Pokedollars please."
Ash leafed through his wallet and handed him a few bills. For a ship ride that would take a couple of hours, it was surprisingly cheap. He assumed the man just liked to sail for fun anyways. His mom always told him that you never work a day in your life if you do what you love.
The man smiled at him as he forked over the cash. "By the way, the names Mr. Briney. Glad to meet you, lad."
"My name's Ash." the boy responded. Mr. Briney stuck two fingers in his mouth and whistled loudly, catching the attention of a few passersby.
"Peeko!" he called. "We're going sailing!" Suddenly a tiny Pokemon swooped from above him and landed on Mr. Briney's shoulder. Ash squinted at it. It had a yellow and black beak, with long, thin wings and small black eyes. He took his Pokedex out and scanned it.
"Wingull. The Seagull Pokemon." the Pokedex recited. "Wingull rides updrafts rising from the sea by extending its long and narrow wings to glide. It folds its wings to rest. This Pokémon's long beak is useful for catching prey."
"Peeko's been my partner for years." Mr. Briney explained. "She loves riding the winds while we sail. I hope you don't mind her coming."
Ash shook his head. "It's not a problem." he informed him. Peeko cawed in thanks and took her place on her perch on top of the boat.
Ash walked onto the ship and went to the front, and stared out toward the open sea. He was a little afraid of continuing his journey. He'd run into Team Rocket twice and almost died, and he didn't know how many times he'd run into them again. He was frankly surprised his mother didn't ask him to come home.
He just wanted a break from all the crazy stuff that was happening. That was it.
Ash could feel the cool sea air on his face as he stood at the front of the boat, looking out across the ocean. He could smell the salty breeze that all sailors longed for. It was cloudy and windy, so he zipped up his jacket. He would have let out Kit to keep himself warm, but he doubted she would take kindly to being in the middle of the ocean. He didn't like it either, but wanted to at least try to get used to it. It was a long ride after all.
Soon he'd be back at mainland Kanto, and he could continue his journey again. He wanted to stop at Lavender Town, visit the Pokemon Tower, and then head to Saffron City.
He had initially planned on staying inside the ship to research new combos on his Pokedex and write them down, but he couldn't focus and had stepped outside to get some fresh air.
He heard a loud caw to his left and saw Peeko flying with the ship, barely flapping her wings as she rode the winds. She looked like she was having fun.
He felt a hand on his shoulder and turned around. Mr. Briney was behind him, giving him a gentle smile.
"In all of my travels, I've met many people and Pokemon," he said. "But you're one of the most troubled people I've met in a long time. Tell me lad, what's wrong."
Ash sighed. He'd instead not tell a random stranger the thoughts and worries on his mind, although he supposed it was better than nothing. "It's just… I've been a Trainer for a few months now and I've been in a lot of dangerous situations already. I'm starting to think it might not be worth it."
The man frowned. "Lad, lemme tell you something." he said. "I've been a sailor for almost forty-five years, and I've been in sticky situations of my own. You wouldn't believe how many times my boat got smashed in half by a raging Gyarados or got chunks of it bitten off by packs of Sharpedo.
But I never gave up, and kept sailing through it all. I can't tell you that I'll understand what you're going through, but if you truly love what you do, then you shouldn't let anything stop you."
Ash thought over the man's words. No one said becoming a Pokemon Master was easy. It took countless hours of work and dedication. You didn't just become a Champion overnight, he knew that, and he knew the risk involved of becoming a Trainer as well. Getting lost, coming across aggressive wild Pokemon, criminals, it was in a Trainer's best interest to be prepared for anything.
He knew he could brave any challenge, given the work. He trusted his Pokemon to be there for him, no matter what. Ash knew he wanted to become the strongest, and if that meant fighting criminal gangs and falling off of ships, then so be it.
"You're right." Ash finally said, a warm feeling entering his chest. "Thank you." The older man smiled.
"Glad I could help, lad." he replied. "Why don't you come inside? I have some spare tea to help with the cold."
Ash gratefully accepted, and he followed Briney inside his ship to wait out the longship ride ahead.
They arrived at Viridian City by mid-afternoon. Ash had learned quite a few things about the captain during their time on the ship. He was apparently from Hoenn and had come to Kanto for one last voyage. He'd traveled around the world when he was younger and owned two ships, one of which was back at his seaside home in Hoenn.
When he asked why he had built a home away from a town or city, the old man just stared off into space and said, "When you're older, it's always nice to be away from the hustle and bustle. I've experienced many things when I was in my prime, but the one thing I haven't experienced was relaxation."
Ash didn't know what he would do when he was old and wrinkly like Mr. Briney. He was still young, after all.
He waved goodbye to Mr. Briney and exited the port to book a room at the Pokemon Center. However, before leaving, something caught his eye, a section of the port closed off for public use.
A sign stood off to the side, and Ash squinted his eyes to read it. "Closed off until further notice." it read. But why?
His eyes shifted over to some commotion about ten yards away, where he could see some workers hammering away at something. He cupped his hands over his mouth and yelled.
"Excuse me?" he shouted. "Why's the port closed off?"
One of the workers turned toward him, a middle-aged man with a beard, and replied. "We're building a memorial for the people that died in the attack on the S.S. Anne. Lt. Surge ordered it to be built right away, and closed off this side of the port. Said something' about not wanting to risk anymore attacks."
Ash received the information and lowered his head, looking crestfallen. He thanked the worker and left the port. He felt as though an empty hole had formed in his stomach and hadn't bothered eating much for dinner.
Guilty. Dejected. Angry. All of these were emotions he was feeling at that moment, swirling around inside him like clothes in a washing machine. The stunning reality of the attack hadn't hit him until he'd gotten back to Vermillion. It had been easy to distract himself from it by training for his gym battle with Blaine, but the truth of the attack was clear to see.
Team Rocket was more dangerous than he thought.
They had the resources to pull off a large-scale attack on the S.S. Anne, endangering the lives of hundreds of people and sinking an entire cruise ship. The storm during the invasion couldn't have been a coincidence either. A simple Rain Dance wouldn't have been enough to make a large thunderstorm like that.
Ash retreated to the room he had booked and tried to get some sleep, his thoughts swirling around in his head.
"Finish it with Confusion."
Slowpoke closed its eyes and focused its mind on its target, a large Machoke whose owner was a red-haired kid around the same age as Ash. It had been exhausted by the amount of Water Pulses and Zen Headbutts it had taken and couldn't find the energy in it to counterattack. The Dopey Pokemon slammed its opponent into a tree, taking it out.
Ash's opponent scoffed and dropped a crumpled stack of bills into his hands before walking away silently. He just watched as he took a bite out of his protein bar and recalled Slowpoke. He wasn't feeling hungry, so he'd picked it up from the cafeteria and checked out of the Pokemon Center early.
He could see some familiar Pokemon on the route, including Rattata and Pidgey, as well as the occasional Pidgeotto or Raticate. He kept his hands near his PokeBalls in case one was bold enough to attack him, although that rarely happened as long as you didn't bother them.
After some more walking and battling, he decided to set up camp for the night. He found a spot not too far from the path and gathered some sticks to start a fire.
Ash pressed the release button on Kit's PokeBall, and the Flareon materialized in front of him. She cocked her head, raised her ears for an order.
"Kit, I think it's time you start learning how to use Fire-type moves." Ash said. "So I need you to help me start this fire. Try using Ember."
He pulled up a video of a Magby using the technique and showed it to her. After replaying the video a few times, Kit turned her head towards the piles of sticks, inhaled, and exhaled, hoping for a result. What came out, however, was smoke, and the Flareon started to have a coughing fit.
Ash quickly patted her back to stop the coughing, and Kit narrowed her eyes and the sticks and pouted as if they were the reason she failed.
"Just… try again," he said with a sigh. He wasn't in the best of moods after yesterday. Kit nodded and tried the technique again but was met with the same result, and she gasped when more smoke came out of her mouth.
"Again," he sighed. "We need to get the technique down before we get to Celadon City."
However, Ash's frustration started to grow as Kit failed time and time again to create a simple flicker of flame from her mouth. How hard was it to master this one simple trick!? She was a Fire-type, for Arceus's sake!
After yet another failure, something in Ash snapped. "THAT'S IT!" he yelled. "This shouldn't be that hard to master, Kit! I don't know why you can't get one simple trick down! At this rate, we'll never be able to learn a single Fire-type move!"
For a few seconds, there was only silence.
Kit's eyes widened at her Trainer's sudden outburst. It was so unlike him to get mad or frustrated from a failure. Her eyes started to water, and her expression was one of pain.
Ash immediately realized what he had just said and tried to apoligize her, but it was too late. He could see the hurt in Kit's eyes, and her ears drooped. The Flareon turned her head away and sprinted far from her Trainer into the underbrush, deep into the forest.
"Wait! Kit!" he yelled after her, but she was out of earshot. He sighed and kicked the dirt in frustration, inwardly berating himself for what he'd just done. He yelled at his Pokemon, a member of his family! The pang of guilt in his chest caused a few tears to slide down his cheeks, and he wiped them away. She couldn't have gone far, but he had still lost sight of her. Hopefully, she'd return soon.
Without a sound, he released the rest of his Pokemon. He took out their food bowls from his backpack and their Pokemon food, which came in small bags. He filled their bowls with small brown pellets and sat by the fire in silence. He considered keeping Kit's food bowl inside his backpack, but he thought better of it. He didn't want her to starve just in case she came back.
He took out his rations and ate in silence with the rest of his Pokemon. The others seemed to take notice of Kit's absence but didn't seem to question it. The only sounds he could hear were the sounds of Slowpoke's eating, and the cries of Pidgey and Spearow had long since quieted down, giving the atmosphere an eerie air to it.
Ash wrapped himself in his sleeping bag and looked toward the dark forest one last time, a silent plea for Kit to come back. Once he realized Kit would probably stay there for the remainder of the night, he sighed and gave up. His eyes started to close, and he drifted off as well.
He didn't know what had caused him to wake up so suddenly. Maybe it was the sunlight creeping through the branches of the forest. Or the calls of the Pidgey and Spearow that called Route 11 their home.
Or maybe it was because of the tall yellow creature that loomed over him the moment he woke up.
Ash had jumped back the moment he saw the creature, scurrying away from it as fast as possible. It was humanoid, with cat-like ears, large hands, and a sleek, white mane. It held a pendulum in its hands and didn't seem fazed by the fact that Ash had woken up and seemed more amused, if anything.
A Hypno - evolved form of Drowzee. Ash had heard old tales of Hypno carrying off children in their sleep, and they were often classified as dangerous Pokemon, especially if they were hungry for dreams, their only source of food.
The Hypno stepped closer, and Ash's eyes widened. Suddenly, a pinkish orb formed in its left hand and blasted toward him. He only had a split second to react before he dodged the Psybeam and landed on the ground with a thud.
Ash turned toward his Pokemon, hoping that one of them would wake up. However, his stomach dropped when he saw that all of them were fast asleep, a mysterious pink aura surrounding them.
So he did the only thing he could.
"SOMEBODY HELP!" Ash screamed out desperately, the Hypno coming closer and closer, waving its pendulum. He shielded his eyes from the Hypnosis but could see the Psychic-type already charging up another Psybeam. He shut his eyes tightly, waiting for his inevitable demise.
But it never came.
He opened his eyes and saw a furious Kit standing between him and the Hypno, flames gathering in her maw. She reared her head back and shot multiple fireballs at the Psychic-type, who recoiled from the intense heat. Ash grinned wider than a Meowth. She'd finally gotten the hang of Ember!
But he couldn't just stand there and watch. From what he could tell, Hypno was powerful if it could simultaneously keep three of his Pokemon asleep and focus on fending off Kit. The only reason Kit wasn't affected was because she'd run off after he yelled at her.
Ash crushed his feelings of guilt. Kit needed him to direct her in battle. He couldn't be an innocent bystander right now. Hypno was easily fending off her Embers with multiple Light Screens, and he knew that Double Team wouldn't work since the Hypnosis Pokemon would easily be able to lock onto Kit's mind and find the real Flareon. He needed to rush Hypno and not give it any room to use its powers.
"Use Quick Tail!" he shouted. His Flareon looked back at him, hurt still evident in her eyes. Ash smiled at her, showing that he wasn't mad, and she eased up before turning her attention back to her opponent, rushing forward and delivering a decisive blow to its arm with her tail.
The Hypno clutched its arm, and using its other one, swung the pendulum in hopes of being able to control the Fire-type.
"Close your eyes!" he yelled. "Don't let it hypnotize you!"
Kit shut her eyes tightly, not daring to open her eyes one bit. However, the Hypno took advantage of this and nailed her in the side with another Psybeam.
Ash gritted his teeth. "If you can't use your eyes, use your nose and ears!" he called. Kit nodded, her eyes still shut, and her long, furry ears started to twitch. Hypno launched yet another Psybeam in Kit's direction, and Ash inwardly prayed she'd be able to dodge.
Kit's ears picked up on the attack only a second before it hit, and she jumped into the air, avoiding the attack.
"Iron Tail! Now!" he shouted. Kit's ears picked up on the command and swung her tail in the general direction of Hypno's set using her nose. She grinned when her seat made contact with something, and she jumped back.
Hypno stumbled back from the blow, releasing its connection with Ash's other Pokemon and funneling more of its energy to keep itself conscious. The boy noticed his other Pokemon waking up, and after they saw what was happening, ran by his side (except for Slowpoke, who remained asleep).
"All of you attack! Now!" Ash commanded. A barrage of fire, lightning, and poison was the only thing that followed as the numerous attacks battered the already exhausted Hypno, blasting it back thirty feet away and sending it sprawling into a tree, unconscious.
Ash let out a sigh of relief. The encounter with the Psychic-type had been a scary one, that's for sure. But not everything had been resolved.
He walked over to Kit, knelt until he was face to face with her, and took a deep breath. He did feel wrong about what he said, and feeling angry at himself for Eric's death was no excuse to take it out on Kit.
"Kit…" Ash said softly. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have snapped at you. I was just really frustrated. So much has happened during my journey… I'm not sure if I can protect you guys, or my friends, or my mom… I just want to get stronger so we aren't endangered anymore. I guess I let that get the best of me. Can you forgive me?"
His apology was met with a rough tongue licking his face, and he started to laugh. Kit smiled at him, a silent forgiving gesture.
Ash turned his gaze to the still unconscious Hypno. He didn't want to stay here any longer and risk it waking up, and after packing up his sleeping bag and recalling his Pokemon, he went on his way,
Ash crossed Route 12 in a few hours, which was mainly a series of wooden planks formed into paths to cross a bay and reach Lavender Town. Trainers were prone to be jumped by the occasional Poliwag or Poliwhirl on the bridge, so Ash had Dexter stay by his side and shock any Pokemon that got close to him.
After exiting the bridge, he arrived at a hillside overlooking Lavender Town half an hour later. As he scanned the horizon, he noticed how old and dilapidated the buildings were. The town seemed so empty, from the homes people lived in, to the Pokemon Center in the far left.
A thin layer of fog covered the town, and the only thing sticking out from the mist was Pokemon Tower, a seven-story tower that contained hundreds upon hundreds of graves for Pokemon. Ash shivered at the thought of walking over the corpses of Pokemon, some of which fought and died bravely in the Great War.
He carefully descended the hill and made his way into the town. Barely anyone was outside, and it seemed as though they were lifeless puppets wandering to their destination. It might've been a mistake coming here
He felt a few drops of rain and quickened his pace, holding his jacket above his head to protect himself from the raindrops. This town was getting more and more dreary by the minute.
Finally, Ash made it to the Pokemon Center, a familiar setting welcoming in the gloominess and lifelessness that emanated from the town. The Nurse Joy there greeted him with a cheery smile, and Ash gave a tired smile back. He handed her his PokeBalls and sat in a chair at the lobby, letting out a tired sigh in the process. He could see a few Trainers hanging out at the lobby, and they were all here for the same reason as he.
To catch a ghost.
Thousands of Gastly and Haunter swarmed Pokemon Tower like a plague. Ghosts, in general, were helpful allies to befriend, making use of their odd structure to confound opponents in battle. Many of the ghosts that had taken up residence in Lavender Town were the spirits of Pokemon that rested inside Pokemon Tower. For them to just leave the tower in favor of the nearby town was strange.
However, Ash decided to put off visiting the tower for a while. He didn't want to think about getting another Pokemon until he did some more training. Kit still needed to practice using fire, and he had a few more strategies in mind for his other team members.
After he was called over and came to pick up his now healthy Pokemon, he obtained a room key and walked up the stairs to drop off his stuff. However, as he walked through the walls, he couldn't shake the feeling that he was being watched. When he turned around, however, no one was there.
He inserted the key into the keyhole and turned it, opening the door and walking into the room. He walked over to the window and stared outside, listening to the pitter-patter of the rain on the roof.
As he scanned the streets below, his eyes caught onto something black. His heart skipped a beat, but when he looked again, there was nothing there. He could've sworn there was a Rocket grunt…
Ash shivered. His mind was playing tricks on him. He did feel pretty exhausted after that trek through Route 11 and 12. Maybe he just needed a nap.
A nice, relaxing nap.
Sleeping here was a mistake.
When Ash opened his eyes, he was greeted by the sight of a purple mass of gas sticking its tongue out and juggling its eyeballs like some sort of freakish cartoon. Ash screamed and shielded his face with his pillow with one hand, reaching for his PokeBalls on the bedside table with the other.
When he finally got ahold of them, however, the apparition was gone. Ash let out a sigh, his heart still pounding madly.
A Haunter. One of the many that had taken up residence in Lavender Town. He was beginning to regret coming here. The prankster ghosts, gloomy weather, and the constant feeling of being watched didn't exactly help his mood. Still, he wanted to do something productive, at least while he was here.
He checked the clock on his bedside table. 6:38. There were still a couple more hours of daylight for him to get some training done. He hopped out of bed, attaching his PokeBalls to his waist, and ran out of the Pokemon Center, anxious to get outside.
Ash walked out to the training area, looking at his Pokedex the entire way. Now that Kit could get Ember down; he wanted to expand her movepool a bit more. However, all the moves available looked a bit complicated and would probably take quite a while for her to master.
So he decided to settle for something more accessible, a Poison-type move called Smog. He thought back to the times Nate had constantly used Smokescreen as cover for Charmeleon's attacks. While both movements weren't the same, they were similar in nature, and Ash was confident she could get it down.
He released all of his Pokemon onto the battlefield. Kit looked up at her Trainer with a (metaphorical) fire in her eyes. Slowpoke was dead asleep, and Petal shook him to try and wake him up from his deep slumber. Dexter simply looked at its Trainer with the same emotionless gaze.
Ash clasped his hands together. "Okay everyone." he said. "To make sure we're prepared for the gyms ahead, I've designed a training regimen for all of you."
After explaining his plan to the four of them, he split his Pokemon off into two groups. He wanted Petal to start working on its offensive power to help it end battles quicker. He knew he couldn't rely on Giga Drain to stay in the fight, and so ending it as fast as possible was more likely a better option.
He also wanted Petal to start working on Razor Leaf sometime soon, which would help his control for later Grass-type moves if he could pull it off. He had shown the Gloom a video earlier of a Bulbasaur using the same attack. He'd seen Angelina's Ivysaur use it quite a few times too, and he hoped Petal could learn it as well.
His sparring partner was Dexter, who was merely ordered to take hits, which would boost its endurance. However, he also wanted the Virtual Pokemon to practice Recover. If it could pull it off, he could think of many situations in which it would be helpful.
Recover was similar to Slack Off; however, instead of using up stored energy, it called upon the user's regenerative powers instead. Out of all the battles Dexter had been through, it had never been seriously hurt in any way because of its passive regeneration. If it could call upon that power in large amounts in a battle, it would enable Dexter to stay in for considerably longer.
He knew it wouldn't be easy, and at the very least, he wanted both of them to get a good idea of what they were working with.
Kit's training regimen mainly consisted of producing smoke from her mouth so that an intense coughing fit wouldn't follow. Ash needed her to build it in large amounts for it to be helpful in battle. The flame bag located inside Kit's body was mainly used for fire attacks. However, not enough oxygen would turn the fire into smoke, meaning she had to take short, quick breaths while breathing out enough smoke to obscure an opponent's vision.
However, that would come later. With Kit becoming bigger and bulkier due to her evolution, he wanted her to do some movement exercises to ensure she still kept her speed from when she was an Eevee.
He decided it would be best to do some one-on-one with Slowpoke. It was undoubtedly a vital team member, but it had started to lag with everyone else already evolved. Ash wanted to focus more on its psychic abilities since Slowpoke already had Water Pulse and Surf, two powerful attacks that had been useful against Blaine's Growlithe.
Which was why he was kneeling by the half-asleep Water-Psychic, pulling up a video of a Venomoth using Psychic on his Pokedex. He could see the Venomoth radiating bright pink energy from its body before releasing it. A few seconds later, its opponent, a large Machamp, was assaulted by a powerful pink shockwave detonated from around its head like a bomb.
Not to be confused with the typing name, Psychic involved the user unleashing a powerful telekinetic blast. The main point of impact was the opponent's mind and could be devastating in the right hands.
One of the essential steps for mastering the technique was establishing a mental link with the target's mind. It would allow the user to focus their power on that area and make sure the attack hit. He did not doubt that Slowpoke would be able to master it, given some time.
Since all of his other Pokemon were off training independently, Ash supposed he had to help Slowpoke practice by using himself as a target, just like in Viridian City. He mainly wanted to work on the psychic connection first, which meant establishing a mental link with the Dopey Pokemon.
"Okay Slowpoke." Ash explained to the Water-Psychic. "I want you to link your mind with me, so we can practice using it for when you learn Psychic. Think you can do that?"
A few seconds later, Slowpoke processed the command and closed his eyes. Waves of pinkish energy emanated from his head, and Ash felt his senses go numb. He could barely process what was happening as everything around him disappeared.
He felt relaxed. This must have been how Slowpoke lived every day, blissfully oblivious to everything around him. He could still think, but he felt as though his brain had turned into jelly.
The psychic connection suddenly stopped, and Ash blinked, getting used to returning to his normal state of mind. He turned to his other Pokemon, who was still preoccupied with their training.
"Great job, Slowpoke." Ash said to him, giving him a thumbs-up. "How about you do some training with Kit? You could use some target practice."
Kit perked up at the mention of her name, and she took her place ten feet in front of Slowpoke, prepared to dodge any and every attack thrown at her. She knew Slowpoke wouldn't bother moving towards her, so she moved in front of the Dopey Pokemon and took a battle stance, jumping out of the way a few seconds later to dodge an incoming Water Pulse.
The rest of the night was spent with Ash going to each of his Pokemon and helping them train. He wanted to be as prepared as possible to face Sabrina, so they were outside for a few hours. After he was satisfied, they all went inside and soon fell asleep.
The next day, Ash stood in front of Pokemon Tower. A slight breeze rustled his hair, and he stared upwards, trying to see the top.
The fog still hadn't let up, and being inside did him no good, so Ash decided to visit Pokemon Tower in hopes of finding a ghost willing to travel with him. But when he approached the lonely building, a sinking feeling in his gut told him not to enter.
He ignored it and stepped inside.
The interior of the building was even more depressing and foreboding than the outside. Gravestones were lined orderly on the tiled floors, with writing etched on each of them.
"In memory of Des, the best partner anyone could ask for."
"Plume. May your soul find its way to the Hall of Origin."
"We all miss you so much, Sobek."
He shivered and kept moving. Only thirty seconds in, and this place was already giving him the creeps.
Ash could hear faint whispering as he slowly crept through the room. His hands slowly moved to the PokeBalls attached to his belt, ready to press Kit's release button at a moment's notice. After seeing the full extent of her fury on the S.S. Anne, he knew some ghosts wouldn't scare her.
There was nothing on the next few floors, besides more gravestones with faded-out writing on them. He began to notice a distinct lack of ghosts while he crept through the tower, but didn't let it deter him. Ghosts only appear when they want to be seen after all.
However, as he ascended to the fourth floor, he started to hear shouting and cries coming from above. Suddenly an explosion shook the building, throwing Ash off balance and almost causing him to fall down the dusty set of stairs. Although he managed to grab the handrail at the last second, Ash's heart was beating madly.
He approached the third floor, and his eyes widened. The last thing he wanted to see today.
Rockets.
He ducked behind a stray gravestone and listened to what they were saying. There were only three of them, but he wanted the element of surprise. "... that's taken care of, let's take that skull and bring it to Archer." a man just a few yards away from him said.
Ash listened intently and frowned. Exploits? What kind of exploits? And what skull was the grunt talking about?
Suddenly the wailing increased in volume, and Ash could see the Rocket grunts looking down at a particular area around twenty feet away from them in annoyance and disgust. One of the grunts unlatched a PokeBall from his belt and threw it, unleashing a large Arbok.
"Arbok, silence its cries." he said, pointing to the source of the sobbing. The giant poison snake slithered toward its prey, extending itself to bite down on the defenseless creature's neck...
Before it was slammed into a wall by a Confusion. The grunt looked on in shock as the cobra crumpled to the floor and looked for the assailant. Ash stepped out of his hiding place, clutching a PokeBall in his hand.
"What's a kid doing here!?" one of the grunts exclaimed, gritting his teeth. "Hondour, kill him!"
A black canine with an orange snout, a skull pattern on its forehead, and cuffs on its feet appeared and growled menacingly at Ash, its teeth laced with Dark-type energy as it charged in for a Crunch attack.
"Water Pulse!" Ash commanded. Slowpoke appeared from behind the boy and shot a blue sphere at the approaching Houndour, hitting in the chest and exploding in its face, blasting it back.
Before the grunts could react, Ash ordered Slowpoke to use Surf, causing a wave to rise seemingly from out of nowhere and crash into the three men, slamming them into the wall of the room.
He pressed the release button of Petal's PokeBall, causing the Gloom to materialize. "Immobilize them with a Stun Spore," he ordered. Reading the situation quickly, Petal nodded and sprayed yellow spores onto the collapsed grunts, preventing them from moving a single muscle.
One of the grunts however, started to silently laugh, before looking at Ash, a crooked smile on his face. "Look at this little rat, trying to play the hero." he snickered. "Archer's gonna beat you into the ground easily."
Ash ignored the grunt's jeers. It wasn't like he was even in a position to make those comments in the first place, with him being paralyzed. However, the last part caught his attention. Who was Archer?
He then turned toward the wailing, which still hadn't stopped. His eyes shifted to a small, brown, reptilian Pokemon crouching over something. It shifted its stubby little fingers and placed a bloodied skull on its head, before turning and looking at Ash, tears still flowing from its eyes.
Ash froze. It was a Cubone. A Pokemon known for wearing the skulls of its deceased mother. He peered at what the Ground-type was crouching over and his eyes widened.
Blood. So much blood.
Suddenly, the room started to shake, startling Ash and the grunts. A rumbling sound was heard, and a deep voice hissed two words in a venomous tone.
"GET. OUT."
The ghostly form of a brown, reptilian Pokemon with a skull-like head rose out of the ground, letting loose a deafening screech, causing Ash to cover his ears. He looked at Petal, who looked too scared to even move. Even Slowpoke seemed unnerved by the presence of the ghost. The grunts didn't look any better, all three of them clearly terrified of their unexpected guest.
Suddenly it lunged toward Ash, preparing to bludgeon him. He yelped and dove out of the way, before it slammed into the floor, leaving a large mark. Within a split second, he recalled Petal and Slowpoke, and stumbled upstairs, leaving the Rocket grunts below. Within a few seconds, the ghost had turned its attention away from Ash, and he could hear screams and shouts coming from below. He panted, his heart beating a million miles an hour.
Great. Now he was trapped, with no way to escape and contact the authorities. Why was there a ghost heret? Team Rocket definitely had something to do with angering it, but what? He gritted his teeth. There were definitely more Rockets here, judging from their earlier comments about someone named Archer. But what business did they have at Pokemon Tower?
Questions swirling around his head, Ash crept carefully to the next floor, careful to not make a sound. When he reached the next floor, he immediately spotted the Rocket grunts guarding the next staircase, and put his hand on Dexter's PokeBall. However, before he could attack the Rocket grunts and free the hostage, his feet were immediately swept from under him, and he fell to the floor with a crash.
Suddenly, a large hand clamped around his throat, hauling him off the ground. He was face-to-face with a burly Rocket grunt, who was starting to crush his throat with his beefy hand. Six other grunts started to surround him, all of them sporting cocky grins. "Heh. Look at what I've caught here boys." the man holding Ash said. "A little castaway."
Light snickering came from the other men, and the boy tried to dig his fingernails into his assailant's hand, with no avail. He started to feel dizzy, and was losing air fast. He reached for his PokeBalls, but the burly man immediately grabbed them from his belt and out of his reach, holding them in front of his face teasingly.
Just a second later however, all four PokeBalls started to vibrate in the man's hand, and a bright flash of light appeared. Suddenly, Ash's throat was freed from the burly man's grip, and he dropped to the floor and face planted on the ground. In pain, but still alive. He looked up, gasping for air, and saw that Dexter had slammed his attacker with a Tackle attack, causing him to fall over and release the boy.
The other grunts looked on in shock as Kit, Petal, and Slowpoke surrounded their Trainer protectively. They immediately recovered from their stupor and followed suit, sending out a couple of Houndours, a large Ariados, five Rattata, and a few Zubats. The burly man, who was currently cornered by a very angry Porygon2, sent out his own Pokemon, a Muk.
"All of you, attack!" Ash shouted to his companions. All of them were able to read the situation quickly and readied themselves for an onslaught of attacks. He trusted all of them to battle for themselves, without him having to order them.
Chaos ensued, the group of Rocket grunts ordering around their Pokemon to take care of the threat. Kit took the initiative first, spitting out a barrage of hot fireballs to batter the Ariados, causing it to hiss in pain. It retaliated by launching a Poison Thread, but Kit was able to dodge easily thanks to her speed training.
Slowpoke merely laid on the ground, slamming a Zubat into a nearby wall with Confusion, knocking it out. It then proceeded to use Zen Headbutt on the other two, who had made the mistake of taking Slowpoke head on.
Petal, while at a major disadvantage on all fronts, still tried to help his teammates. The Houndour launched a coordinated attack on Slowpoke, but before they could get close, the Gloom sprayed them with a close up Acid, causing them to yelp. However, they weren't deterred easily, and switched their focus onto the Gloom, launching double Flamethrowers at the poor Grass-type, who managed to manifest a Protect just in time.
On the other side, Dexter was locked in a fierce battle with the opposing Muk, who had lunged toward the Porygon2 in an attempt to smother it with its liquid-like body. Dexter served out of the way and took the opportunity to use Conversion, its body glowing a faint pink.
Suddenly it let loose a powerful Psybeam on Muk's face, which exploded right in front of it. It roared in pain, losing control of its gooey form and turning into a purple puddle. The Rocket grunt withdrew his fallen Pokemon, and reached for another PokeBall, but Dexter immediately froze the grunt with an Ice Beam, its eyes narrowed. The grunt's face was stuck in a state of shock, processing what had just happened.
By the time Dexter had finished disposing of its opponent, its other three teammates had finished picking off the weaker Pokemon, leaving the grunts completely defenseless.
"Petal, use-" Ash started, but was cut off when an Ice Beam sailed over his head and froze the other five grunts before they could turn around and escape.
Ash looked on in surprise as the glow of the Ice Beam faded from Dexter's beak, and it cocked its head at its Trainer. He shrugged and moved on, recalling his Pokemon and walking up to the final floor.
When he reached the top of the stairs, the first thing he noticed was the altar at the back of the room, probably for an especially important guest. However, the next thing that caught his eye was the body of an old man, tied up, gagged, and laid by the altar.
Ash ran over to the man, along with his Pokemon, to inspect him. Luckily, he seemed to be okay and conscious.
"Petal, melt these ropes." Ash ordered, releasing the Gloom. He untied the gag and allowed the old man to speak. However, the man's eyes were filled with fear as he spoke.
"It's a trap!" he yelled.
Suddenly Petal was knocked to the ground by a large canine Pokemon, larger than the Houndour he'd seen before, although its appearance was similar. It snarled at Petal, who was trapped in its claws, fire gathering in its maw.
"Ah, ah, ah." a voice said. A teal-haired man stepped out of the shadows, wagging his finger. "It would be unwise for you to do that, little boy. I must say though, I would've thought you'd be taller. Proton did say a lot about you and your little friends."
The man snapped his fingers, causing the dog-like Pokemon to back off from the shivering Petal, its eyes still staring directly at Ash. The boy glared at the owner of the Houndoom, his hands instinctively reaching for his belt in the event he needed to defend himself.
"Who are you?" Ash asked the man, a hint of venom in his voice. His aggressor simply looked at him in amusement.
"If you must know, my name is Archer." he answered. "It pains me to see such talent go to waste, especially from a child. Why, if you were to join Team Rocket right now, you could be an executive in no time!"
Ash gritted his teeth. "You sickos tried to kill me and my friends!" he almost shouted.
Archer placed his hand on his heart, feigning hurt. "That's no way to treat your employer!" he said. His mouth twisted into a smirk. "Well, I can't let a child like you go and spill our secrets can I? Sorry little boy, but your adventure ends here."
He tossed another PokeBall, which released a large Electrode. Houndoom stood by its Trainer's side, awaiting orders. Ash immediately returned Petal and released Dexter and Slowpoke, both Pokemon sensing the immediate danger and moving in front of Ash to protect him from harm.
The executive only grinned. "What fine Pokemon you have." he sneered. "They'll make an excellent addition to my collection."
Ash's eyes narrowed. "Dexter, use Conversion! Slowpoke, use Surf!" he commanded. A towering wave rose out of the ground in front of them, while Dexter's body glowed with arrays of colors, before shining a neon pink.
"Electrode, Sonic Boom. Houndoom, Shadow Ball." Archer ordered. Electrode slammed its body on the ground, creating a shock wave that dissipated the wave instantly. This allowed Houndoom to fire its now charged-up Shadow Ball at Slowpoke, creating an explosion and causing it to grunt in pain.
"Dexter, Psybeam on Electrode! Slowpoke, use Slack Off!" Ash yelled.
"Wrong choice, little boy. Electrode, defend yourself with Thunderbolt. Houndoom, use Crunch." Archer simply said, a small smile on his face. The poor boy's attempt at defending himself was pitiful to say the least. He was surprised the boy even made it past his grunts.
A sparkling bolt of electricity was fired from Electrode, clashing with Dexter's pinkish ray of psychic power. Houndoom growled, fangs bared, as it unleashed a beam of dark energy at Slowpoke, battering it. However, the Slack Off seemed to negate most of the damage dealt, and the Dopey Pokemon still stood (or rather, sat) strong.
Dexter however, managed to overpower its opponent's Thunderbolt, and blasted Electrode with its Psychic attack, sending it spinning. Ash took the initiative and ordered another attack.
"Slowpoke, use Water Pulse on Houndoom! Dexter, Psybeam again!" he called.
"Electrode, take that Slowpoke out with Thunderbolt. Houndoom, block that Psybeam." Archer said. Electrode let loose another lance of electricity, cutting through the Water Pulse like a knife and shocking Slowpoke, causing it to close its eyes in pain. Houndoom stood in front of the Psybeam, which merely dissipated as it made contact with its fur.
Ash gritted his teeth. Slowpoke was at a major disadvantage, seeing as his opponents could hit it for massive damage and break through its defenses. He needed to switch him out.
"Slowpoke, return!" he called. Slowpoke's PokeBall sent out a red light to retrieve it, however Archer immediately noticed this and switched his focus.
"Houndoom, use Pursuit." Archer commanded. The Dark Pokemon barked and within the blink of an eye, swung a claw at Slowpoke, sending it flying. It landed on its back, fainted, before it was immediately pulled back into its ball.
"Tut, tut, little boy." Archer said with a smirk. "This is a losing battle for you. You might as well give up now."
"Never!" Ash yelled, unlatching another PokeBall. "Petal, we need you!"
The Gloom popped out of its PokeBall, still a little shaken from Houndoom's assault, but still willing to assist his Trainer.
"Spore Gas on Houndoom!" he ordered. Petal showered the surrounding area in multi-colored gas, spraying Houndoom in the process. Its senses were numbed and it grunted in discomfort as the paralysis took effect.
"My, what a peculiar strategy." Archer mused. "If you were stronger I'd be a little worried. Too bad you're just a child. Houndoom, scorch that flower with Flamethrower. Electrode, finish the bird off with Rollout."
Houndoom reared back its head and unleashed a torrent of flame, threatening to engulf the Gloom in a painful inferno. Meanwhile, Electrode started to spin wildly toward Dexter.
"Both of you, protect! Then counterattack!" Ash shouted. The attacks bounced harmlessly off the shields thankfully, and both Pokemon retaliated with their own attacks. Petal spat a glob of Acid at Houndoom's face, causing it to howl madly in pain. Dexter fired an Ice Beam, freezing part of Electrode's body and knocking it back.
"Enough. Houndoom, use Smog. Electrode, end this with Thunderbolt."
"Dexter, dodge with Agility." Ash called. A purple cloud obscured Archer's Pokemon as the Porygon2 swerved out of the way of the electric attack. However, a spinning red and white ball crashed into Dexter, slamming it into a nearby wall. Houndoom jumped out of the cloud not a second later, clamping its jaws onto Peta's head with a Fire Fang, before throwing it toward the back wall.
The smoke cleared, and Archer's Pokemon were closing in on his own, bruised and battered, but still standing strong. Ash needed to do something drastic.
"Dexter, Hyper Beam on Houndoom!" he called desperately. "Petal, use Protect to guard them!" Petal immediately manifested a shield, blocking the immediate Dark Pulse and Thunderbolt that got sent toward Dexter. A white orb started to grow in size on its beak, and a few seconds later, the Porygon2 fired.
Houndoom was blasted back by an intense beam of white light, power radiating off of it. It grunted, gritting its teeth and trying to stand its ground, before it couldn't take it any more and was slammed into a wall, debris and dust flying everywhere. Ash sighed in relief. Houndoom had already taken a lot of damage. A Hyper Beam like that would have definitely taken it out.
Archer growled and he took out a remote. He turned to Ash, a sinister look on his face. "You think I'm defeated, little boy?" he sneered. "You've barely scratched the surface of what Team Rocket is truly capable of."
And that's when Ash saw it. As the dust cleared, he spotted a small metal collar attached to the fallen Houndoom. Archer pressed a button, and immediately electrical shocks started to course through the Dark Pokemon, causing it to howl in pain. Its breath was ragged, but that didn't stop it from rearing back its head and releasing a powerful Flamethrower, scorching Dexter instantly.
When the flames cleared, Dexter was on the ground, swirls in its eyes, numerous scorch marks on its body. Without uttering a word, Ash called it back into its PokeBall.
"I won't ask you again." Archer said. "Give up. You're only delaying the inevitable."
"I'm going to keep fighting no matter what!" Ash declared defiantly, clutching his last PokeBall. "Kit, I choose you!"
The Flareon appeared in a flash of light, growling at its opponents. However, Houndoom growled louder and Electrode whirred, both sides unwilling to back down. Ash gulped. This wasn't going to be easy.
"Kit, use Ember on Electrode!" Ash ordered. "Petal, you use Acid on Houndoom!"
"Houndoom, take that Ember and use Flamethrower on the Gloom." Archer commanded. "Electrode, use Rollout on the Flareon."
The Dark Pokemon jumped in front of the Ember attack, the fireballs seemingly dissipating when they made contact with its fur. Suddenly it howled, flames dancing off of its body and radiating an obscene amount of heat, before it spat yet another Flamethrower at its target, burning through Petal's Acid attack.
"P-protect!" Ash sputtered. Petal barely managed to put up a shield in time to block the torrent of flames, and Ash could see it was losing energy fast. Kit followed suit as well, blocking Electrode's Rollout.
He cursed inwardly. Now that Houndoom's Flash Fire was activated, one good hit would easily take out Petal, leaving Kit to deal with both of the admin's Pokemon.
"Petal, use Giga Drain on Electrode!" he ordered. "Kit, you use Double Team to distract Houndoom!"
Kit bounded forward, immediately making five copies of herself to encircle Houndoom. Petal sapped away Electrode's energy, causing it to shiver and healing the bite marks on its skin.
"Houndoom, clear out the copies with Dark Pulse." Archer ordered.
"Kit, hit with Iron Tail first!"
All of the copies of Kit jumped in the air, avoiding the beam of black energy, before they dissipated on their own, leaving only the original Flareon. Before Houndoom had time to react, its head was bashed by a steel-encased tail.
"Yes!" Ash cheered. However his excitement was short-lived.
Houndoom was still standing.
Even after taking an Acid, a Hyper Beam, a Spore Gas, and an Iron Tail to the face, it was still standing. He was surprised that the paralysis from Spore Gas had barely even made a difference in the battle.
"Enough games. Houndoom, finish that Gloom off with Fire Blast!" Archer called. Houndoom reared back its head yet again, preparing to unleash a devastating attack. However, before it could do so, sparks danced around its body, and it growled in pain.
Ash blinked. He had an opening.
"Kit, Quick Attack now!" he yelled. Kit yipped and slammed her whole body into the badly beaten and paralyzed Houndoom, sending it sailing toward a wall. A yelp escaped its mouth as it slammed into the cold, hard surface, before it succumbed to the pain and fainted.
Archer growled, recalling the Dark Pokemon back into its PokeBall. He turned toward Ash, a scowl on his face.
"It's over, Archer." Ash said. "It's over. You're outmatched. It looks like you're the one who's gonna surrender, not me."
Archer smirked. "It seems you have bested me, you little brat." he spat. "But unlike you, surrender isn't my only option. Electrode, use Explosion."
Ash's eyes widened. "PROTECT! BOTH OF YOU!" he screamed, motioning for them to stand in front of him and the tied-up old man. Electrode's body started to heat up, bright light radiating from inside it, before a massive explosion ripped through the air, assaulting Ash's ears and eyes with a loud bang and a blinding light.
Kit and Petal immediately set up barriers to protect their Trainer, debris smashing into their shields. Ash put up his hands in front of his face to shield himself from the dust flying everywhere.
When the smoke cleared, Archer was gone. All that was left was a gaping whole in the wall and the charred body of an Electrode, cracks on its surface. Ash looked at it with a look of pity. Archer had left it behind to sacrifice its health so he could get away. Now it had no Trainer.
"It was a mistake for me to come here." a voice said. Ash turned to the old man, who was still on the ground, tied up. "I came to Pokemon Tower to tend to it and make sure nothing was disturbing the resting spirits here. I found the Rockets capturing Cubone and stealing their skulls. I tried to tell them what they were doing was wrong, but they barely seemed to care and tied me up and left me here. That Archer is just an example of the people who run Team Rocket. Cold and heartless. It's nice to know young 'uns like you are the opposite. What's your name, lad?"
"I'm Ash from Pallet Town." the boy responded. The man gave him a smile, his grin old and wisened.
"My name is Mr. Fuji." he introduced himself. "I run the Lavender Volunteer House. Now if you don't mind, could you untie these ropes please?"
Ash rubbed his head sheepishly, momentarily forgetting that the man was still tied-up. "Petal, could you corrode these ropes please?" he asked the Gloom. He nodded happily and spat a penny-sized glob of goo onto the ropes, eating through them and untying Mr. Fuji.
Suddenly a rumble shook him off balance, and a familiar voice spoke, striking fear into Ash's very being. "YOU…" it rumbled.
"Oh no…" Mr. Fuji said, standing up. "A restless spirit. What grudge would they have with a child such as yourself?"
"I don't know!" Ash said frantically. Suddenly, the familiar form of the purple apparition phased through the floor, appearing in front of the boy.
"YOU. WILL. DIE!" it roared, swinging its bone club toward Ash. He screamed, fearing for his life. Suddenly a screech echoed through the room, and the ghost stopped its assault. Standing in front of Ash was a Cubone, holding its arms out in a protective position. It whimpered at the ghost as Ash stood in shock.
"You… trust these humans?" the ghost said. Cubone nodded, continuing to articulate with the Marowak.
Ash stared at the ghost, too afraid to move a muscle. It gazed at Ash for a moment, before giving him a slight nod and fading away into nothingness. His heart was pounding out his chest, and he took deep breaths to calm himself.
"Strange." Mr. Fuji said absentmindedly. "Why did this Cubone rush to your aid? They're usually pretty timid and shy creatures."
Ash shook his head, unable to give an answer. His eyes locked onto Cubone's skull, which was covered in dried blood. His mind flashed back to earlier, when he saved that Cubone from those Rocket Grunts. This had to be the same one.
Which meant the Marowak was probably his mother.
He crouched down in front of Cubone, a small smile on his face. "Thank you for doing that, Cubone." he said. "I'm sorry about your mother. The people who attacked her are selfish, and I'm going to try to stop them, no matter what it takes."
The Ground-type nodded, tears in its eyes, waddling over to Ash and hugging his leg. Ash then realized the grim reality of its situation. Its mother was dead. It had no one to take care of it, and it looked too small to survive on its own. Marowak usually tended to have children around the end of their lifespan, and by the time they passed on, their child would have a firm grasp on how to survive. However, this Cubone didn't even look to be older than six months, as its mother's time was cut short.
So he took out a PokeBall and held it out to Cubone. "You can come with me," he offered. "I can take care of you and help you get stronger. We'll battle together and you'll become a big, strong Marowak like your mother when you're older. What do you say?"
The Cubone smiled from under its skull, tears in its eyes. Without hesitation, it nodded and bumped its head on the PokeBall. It was sucked in, and Ash noticed it shaking wildly inside its ball, presumably a little terrified of being transported in so quickly.
*Shake shake shake*
*Shake shake*
*Shake*
*Shake*
*Click*
He grinned, picking up the PokeBall. Kit and Petal both looked at the capsule happily, excited at the prospect of having a new team member. Mr. Fuji smiled as well, happy that Cubone would find a home with a Trainer he trusted.
"I trust that you'll take good care of this Cubone, Ash." the old man said with a smile. "It needs a parental figure, and you need to be the one to fill that role."
Ash nodded. "I'll try my best," he replied. Suddenly he heard a siren, and he ran over to the gaping hole in the wall and looked down below. At least ten police cars surrounded the tower, and police officers were starting to enter the building.
Ash gulped. He had a lot of explaining to do.
"So let me get this straight. You went into Pokemon Tower looking for a ghost, found Team Rocket and the executive leading them, and he escaped?"
"That's right, ma'am. He had a Houndoom and an Electrode, and the Electrode blew a hole in the wall. And then he just… disappeared."
"Well that's all the questions I have for you, Ketchum." Officer Jenny said. "Be safe, kid. I don't want to think about what would have happened if you hadn't had such loyal Pokemon with you."
"Yes ma'am." Ash said. He peered over her shoulder and saw the Rocket grunts being led out of the tower in handcuffs. They made eye contact with him and scowled. He merely smirked at them. It felt good to stop them, although it didn't make up for what the organization had done in the past.
He heard footsteps coming from behind him, and he saw a wheezing Harvey running toward him, before he stopped next to him, panting as if he'd just run a marathon.
"Aw man…" he groaned to himself. "Late again? This is the third time this week!" He saw Ash standing next to him and gave him a friendly wave. "Ash! It's great to see you again! What are you doing here?"
Ash rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "I kinda stopped Team Rocket, so the police showed up to arrest them."
Harvey's eyes traveled back and forth from the police cars surrounding the building, to the Rocket grunts being loaded into squad cars, to the gaping hole at the top floor of Pokemon Tower. "You… caused all of this?" he croaked.
"Yep! Well… most of it anyway."
"Man… you're one crazy kid." Harvey said. "I should probably go help out. I'll see you around, Ash!" With that, he zipped up his hoodie and ran into the crowd.
Ash then saw Mr. Fuji coming toward him and waved to him. The old man smiled at him, and Ash noticed that he was holding something.
"I never got to properly thank you for saving me back at Pokemon Tower, young man." Mr. Fuji said. "So I want to give you this." He placed a rod-like item in Ash's hands, and the boy realized it was a flute.
"That is a Poke-Flute." the old man stated. "It helps wake up sleeping Pokemon. I thought it would be useful to a traveling Trainer like you. Thank you, lad. Your contributions to this town won't be forgotten, at least by me."
"Thanks!" Ash said, beaming. "I'll cherish this."
It was around nine o'clock by the time Ash got back to the Pokemon Center, exhausted, both mentally and physically. He had to stick around to answer a few more questions, and was finally let go.
After he made it to his room and healed his Pokemon, he let out Dexter, Petal, Slowpoke, and Kit. All of them were as exhausted as he was, but Ash still wanted to get a few things done before going to sleep.
He saw at the foot of his bed and took out Cubone's PokeBall. He pressed the release button, allowing the Ground-type to appear in a flash of light.
Immediately everyone else crowded around it, apart from Slowpoke, who decided to watch from a distance. Cubone however, looked a little uncomfortable with all the attention. "Guys, stop crowding Cubone." Ash told them. "Give it some space."
Eventually they backed off, giving Cubone some much needed space. Ash decided to pull out his Pokedex and scan it. He probably needed to buy some food for it soon, but some berries would probably suffice for now.
"Cubone. The Lonely Pokemon." the Pokedex recited. "Cubone pines for the mother it will never see again. Seeing a likeness of its mother in the full moon, it cries. The stains on the skull the Pokémon wears are made by the tears it sheds. Sometimes Cubone's dreams make it cry, but each tear Cubone sheds makes it stronger."
Suddenly Ash felt a pang of pity for the poor creature. He was Cubone's only hope for it to hopefully grow strong. He needed to act as its parental figure as Mr. Fuji said.
"This Cubone is male and knows Growl, Tail Whip, Bone Club, Headbutt, Focus Energy, Leer, and Bonemerang. Its ability is Rock Head, which prevents damage and fatigue from reckless moves."
Ash started to think. It didn't really have much in the way of range, and it didn't seem like it was as fast as Kit. This would definitely be a challenge for him.
For the rest of the night, the team spent some time resting and socializing, happy and relieved that their adventure in Pokemon Tower was over. Cubone seemed disconnected from the group, but Ash encouraged him to try to fit in.
After about forty-five minutes, Ash shut the lights off, and they all settled down to try to get some sleep. However, Cubone started to whimper. It was terrified without its mother. Where was everyone? Why is it so dark?
Ash noticed this and lifted it off the ground, putting it on the bed next to him. Immediately Cubone started to quiet down, and he smiled. "Sweet dreams." Ash whispered, before he too soon drifted off and fell asleep.
Author's Note: Hey guys! Thank you guys so much for 100 favorites! The support really means a lot!
So yeah, a lot of heavy stuff in this chapter. I apologize for the delay as well, I was feeling pretty burned out from how often I was pumping out chapters. As a result, I may have to adjust my schedule to make chapters less often than I used to.
By the way, a huge shout out to the people in the Traveler Discord for helping me out with this chapter and last chapter.
I've also been getting some questions about what Ash's ace will be. I do have something in mind for his ace, or at the very least a powerhouse, which will come later in the story. I'll give you a hint though, it got an evolution at a later generation after it was introduced.
Now let's get to those reviews!
Reader: Like the idea with Misty! And no, Ash will not catch an ice type in the Seafoam Islands. In fact, he won't even get an Ice-type in Kanto entirely. What will the Ice-type be you ask? Well, you'll just have to wait and see!
Ashpool: Yes, he will battle Janine in Koga's absence. Glad you liked the battle!
Werewolf36: I'm really glad you liked the chapter, and thanks for the encouragement!
Guest: Okay I'm just going to respond to these in English now, because my Spanish is terrible. Ash gave the two Eevee to Angelina and Nate because he's a good person and they're his friends. Besides, if he hadn't taken them, Bill probably would have dumped one of them on the next random Trainer anyways. Seeing as Ash was resourceful enough to get him back to his old body, Bill was totally fine with letting him take all three.