Type: Ground
Shipping: DonphanpyShipping

One-Shot 11: And Phanpy Makes 5

Ash, Misty, Brock and their Pokémon friends were still touring the Johto Region when they returned to Cherrygrove City. They saw a market where food, clothes and works of art were displayed on booths. They came to a booth where they viewed some jewelry made of a special mineral. "Check this out!" awed Misty as she picked up a necklace. "I can see the Amberite in this!" Ash and Brock came to the booth where they saw the necklace. Through squinted eyes, Brock saw the glisten of the Amberite.

"There is!" he agreed.

"You'll have to thank Rochelle for the Amberite," the jeweler praised. "She and her Donphan really found some top quality Amberite. Just the glisten tells you how much it's worth." Ash picked up some earrings with an interesting look.

"I'm having a funny and hard time wondering which is better," he laughed. "The Amberite or the Corsola horns to make jewelry." Misty giggled to Ash's curiosity.

"Right?" she agreed. "It's always beautiful when using natural material rather than gimmicky stuff." The jeweler had something to say.

"Actually, there have been jewelry that consists of both Amberite and Corsola horns," he corrected. The trainers looked a bit surprised.

"Both?" repeated Brock.

("Can you show us?") asked Pikachu. The jeweler brought out a pink brooch with an oval Amberite crafted onto it. The trainers and Pokémon awed the brooch.

"That's gorgeous!" admired Misty.

("So pretty!") agreed Togepi.

"And there's more where that comes from," a young woman voiced. Everyone turned around, finding Rochelle and her herd of Donphan.

"ROCHELLE!" cried Brock as he reached the Donphan trainer, his shtick in full effect. "Only one who finds the Amberite is worthy enough of digging my heart from the depths of loneliness!" Handing Togepi to Ash, Misty nearly ripped Brock's ear off with a pull. It did release his grip on Rochelle's hands.

"You're digging yourself an early grave!" she scowled as she dragged him away. Rochelle dusted her hands before crossing her arms.

"He's… a bit too pushy," she mulled.

"I wanna say that he means well," Ash tried to reason. "So, is it true that some of the materials are brought from Yellow Rock Isle?" Rochelle picked up on the point of Ash's questioning.

"Oh, you mean the Corsola horns!" she realized. "Yes, they're delivered from Yellow Rock Isle when there's an excessive amount but don't want to waste. I take it you had gone there, recently?"

"Yeah, and Misty caught herself a Corsola," Ash briefed. Seeing her Donphan herd, Ash knelt down to view them who came to reunite with a friend. "And you guys look like you've been getting stronger." The Donphan trumpeted in delight from the compliment.

"The new Donphan that Team Rocket kidnapped and you rescued has been getting stronger by the day in his sense of smell," Rochelle mentioned. Ash stood back up with a surprise of his own.

"I just happen to have Donphan's pre-evolved form," he bragged as he unhooked a Pokéball. "Phanpy, I choose you!" He tossed the ball upward where it opened and Phanpy appeared. Rochelle and the Donphan were shocked to see Phanpy appearing.

"Oh, where did you pick up this little guy!?" she cooed as she knelt to pet Phanpy.

"I won him at the Extreme Pokémon Race in Eggseter." The petting made Phanpy feel welcomed. The small Donphan shook trunks with Phanpy.

"I heard about the race and how it was down to two trainers from Pallet Town. So, Ash got you as an egg and here you are." The briefing made Phanpy giggle.

"Gary was tough with his Arcanine. I had faith in Bayleef." The small Donphan allowed Phanpy to chase. Togepi watched in awe as Donphan and Phanpy did Rollout attacks as a racing method. He hopped out of Ash's arms before curling up. He tried to roll like Donphan and Phanpy, but it failed. He did one roll. Ash rescooped the Spike Ball Pokémon. "You've spent too much time in Misty's arms to Rollout of her sight." Rochelle giggled to Ash's words.

"Your Pokémon are some of the funniest around." As she recovered, they watched the Donphan and Phanpy go into the nearby wooded area. Ash and Rochelle gasped to the sight. "Donphan!"

"Phanpy!" They ran out to get their Ground-Type Pokémon back. Ash was a step ahead of Rochelle.

"No fair, you have sneakers on! I have boots!" Her Donphan galloped beside Ash and Rochelle following one of their own and its pre-evolved form. Before long, everyone reached a cavern. Donphan rammed the cavern's entrance. Ash and Rochelle were wondering about the reason for their behavior. Rochelle's other Donphan flanked the rear as they entered the cavern. "Okay, what are Phanpy and Donphan detecting?"

"It could be more Amberite."

"I don't know… none of the other Donphan are picking it up if it is." Finally, Donphan stopped at the ledge before Phanpy. When Ash, Rochelle and the Pokémon arrived, their eyes were about to bulge out of their eyes. It looked like a skateboarder's theme park made of ramps, half-pipes, rails, quarter-pipes, tunnels, transfer walls…

"Look at this!"

"Oh… my! It's an underground park!" Intrigued, Phanpy used Rollout down a ramp onto the course with Donphan following. They spun off ramps, transferring to another using the wall in the back and rolling around the tunnel. Ash's Long Nose and Rochelle's Armor Pokémon looked to have a lot of fun rolling around the park.

"This is so much like before I became a trainer."

"I can see it." The rolling Pokémon gave Togepi the interest to try again with rolling. Seeing Togepi near the edge, Pikachu gasped and dashed to catch the Spike Ball Pokémon before he rolled away. Ash's prized Pokémon reached for Togepi, but he saw something glisten and trailed after that while Pikachu spilled onto the ramp and tumbled. Reaching the bottom of the ramp, Pikachu straightened out but fell flat. Rochelle picked up Togepi and watch while Donphan and Phanpy sped off a jump and straightened their bodies like they became flying squirrels. They held it for a second before resuming their Rollout.

"Those two are having the time of their lives." The rolling Pokémon were nearing an end as the course reached a ramp that scaled high up the wall. It resembled a strength game where a person would whack a mallet onto a launchpad that would reach a bell if the person was strong enough. Rochelle spotted it and realized the ordeal.

"Of course! This obstacle course is a test of strength and durability of a Pokémon's Rollout ability!"

"Oh, so that bell on top tells if the Rollout is super strong?"

"Most likely. My Donphan is ahead so let's watch." Donphan was first to the ramp where it climbed the wall. Higher and higher and higher to a bell. It almost reached before it fell to the ground. It did one more Rollout before stopping. With all of its spinning, Donphan was dizzy and had a hard time standing still. "That was a nice effort, Donphan." Phanpy had a turn and his climb looked promising. He climbed higher and higher.

"Can Phanpy do it?" The bell closed in for Phanpy. He reached the bell where he stomped on it. The bell rang on impact and echoed through the tunnel and out to the opening. Hearing the bell from outside the market, Misty and Brock, looking for Ash and Togepi, realized that it wasn't from nearby.

"What was that!?" gawked Brock.

"I don't know…" stuttered Misty. "But it came from that way!" She raced ahead before Brock joined. Back in the tunnel, Ash praised Phanpy for accomplishing the goal.

"I knew your Rollout was strong, Phanpy," he awed. Phanpy felt at ease as Rochelle examined a small compartment. There was a pair of rings made of Amberite. Quickly, she returned with the Amberite rings.

"Check this out, Ash!" she cheered. The Pokémon were interested as Rochelle presented the rings. "Amberite rings! Those who are able to Rollout the bell are rewarded with these!" Ash picked up a ring and viewed it.

"This looks a lot like the ring my mom has." The tidbit seemed to startle Rochelle.

"Like an engagement ring?" The ring in Ash's hand was flicked up and caught in his hand.

"Engagement? Not a wedding ring?"

"Oh, it is a wedding ring?" All Ash did was scratch his head while Rochelle picked Togepi back up.

"I don't know. Is there a difference?"

"Oh, good point. What I mean is that an engagement is telling someone that they're engaged to be married." Hearing Ash and Rochelle, Misty and Brock walked into the tunnel. Rochelle was on one knee. "I'm more for the traditional proposal with the proposing to be on one knee like this when asking the proposed to marry the proposing. Give me your hand once, Ash."

"Uh… okay…" He offered a hand to Rochelle who slipped it on his finger.

"When the proposed accepts, they're engaged… and one of the first things they do is…" Rather than finish, Rochelle lunged and kissed Ash on the lips just as Misty and Brock found the missing Pokémon who watched in delight. Rochelle held on for several seconds, long enough for Misty to become angry and Brock to whine in defeat.

"What the heck are you two doing!?" snapped Misty. Ash and Rochelle broke from their kiss and faced an upset Misty and downset Brock.

"Oh, you… found us?" teased Rochelle. "I was just teaching Ash about proposals since he won these Amberite rings."

"Yeah, she wasn't serious about it," Ash tried to brief.

"Uh huh," Misty didn't believe. "You two were locked tightly together when you know Ash isn't looking for love, right?"

"And… you are?" grinned Rochelle. Misty felt a tremble about Rochelle's smirk.

"We- Well… I mean that, uh…" she stuttered. Unable to find the words, Ash and Rochelle helped the Donphan back up and out of the tunnel with Ash and Rochelle last. Even though there was no boat and no moat, Ash and Rochelle had their moment to roll through… the "Tunnel of Love."

END of GROUND
Last up: FLYING

(Thank you so much for the votes to make this all possible. Next year is a good chance to have a 12th Volume, which can set up for the AshMas All-Stars in 2023.)