N/A: While the "1:1" anime scenes are done; I still need to establish some things so this is still longer than I would like.
Chapter 4: An Electrifying Fight
The sun was beginning to dip behind the tall buildings as Arcanine raced through the streets of Viridian City. People yelped in surprise as Arcanine bounded past them, his massive paws striking the cement street. The people quickly moved out of the way as Arcanine shot down the street. Ash's vision was blurring as he felt his body fight to stay awake. Helioptile was a sodden lump in his arms, and he was shivering like a leaf in a storm. Gritting his teeth, Ash pulled him closer as Arcanine waved through a horde of people.
Arcanine was sprinting towards a large building in the center of the city. It was a giant dome-shaped building with a giant red ball that was partially covered by the glass dome. Ash had never seen anything quite that big in his entire life, but he guessed it had to be huge since a lot of people lived here. Arcanine was closing in on the building and instead of slowing down, he sped up. His legs sprung forward with purpose, and he lowered his head to keep the wind from stopping him.
"Pika..." Pikachu groaned as he recoiled from the wind since Ritchie was up front. Ritchie held onto his Pokémon tighter and lowered himself to protect it.
"H-hey Arcanine, if you don't slow down, you'll crash!" Ash called out.
"Arcanine!" Arcanine howled as he made the final bound into the Pokémon Center as the doors automatically skated open. The Fire Pokémon skid to a stop in front of the counter, turning to his side so that Ash and the nurse could see each other. The nurse seemed surprised, and her Chansey took a step back. "Arcaa arcanine."
There was a moment of silence as the nurse surveyed the scene. When she finally did, her eyes narrowed in disgust as she raised her voice. "How could you let your Pokémon get so injured? Look at poor Pikachu and Helioptile! They're barely hanging on by a thread... Why did you let them battle until they got into such a state? You'll never be a good Pokémon Trainer if–"
Arcanine whipped his head around and snarled directly in the lady's face. Ash, who was passively taking the scolding, was surprised by his sudden vigor. Arcanine was running on fumes, and yet, he still had enough energy to defend Ash. A sense of gratitude rose in Ash as he felt a newfound respect for the Pokémon. Ritchie decided to speak up, seemingly distraught over the new situation. His Pikachu was barely breathing, and he was in dire need of medical attention. The same was true for Helioptile.
"Nurse Joy, please, you got help these Pokémon. A group of Spearow attacked us, and the Pokémon aren't in good shape. Pikachu, Arcanine, and Helioptile did everything they could to protect us. They got hurt, but we honestly did try to protect them with our lives! So please, even if you have to take them away from us forever, please save their lives!" Ritchie cried, tears beginning to well up in his eyes. Ash felt a sharp jab in his heart. He felt the same way. No matter what happened, he wanted the Pokémon healed.
Even though Ash was prepared for another scolding, Nurse Joy's eyes softened as she dragged her thin fingers through Ritchie's soft hair.
"There, there, I'm sorry for accusing you boys of being bad trainers. I can tell your Pokémon love you very much. Why else would your Arcanine defend you from my accusations? I'm just so used to newbie trainers coming in after forcing their Pokémon to battle to complete exhaustion. All of that's in the past, so let's get your Pokémon healed up. Chansey, get the double stretcher." Nurse Joy nodded to her companion. The oval-shaped Pokémon saluted her and ran off to the backroom behind the counter. Ash let out a sigh of relief. Helioptile was in good hands now. Rubbing his Pokémon's side, Ash noticed that his hands were tingly. Even though Helioptile had just let out a massive attack, he was still exuding a bunch of electricity.
"Um, Nurse Joy, my Helioptile is sparking," Ash pointed out, placing his Pokémon to sit upon the orange counter.
"Pikachu too," Ritchie said as he placed Pikachu on the counter as well. Nurse Joy looked at the Pokémon closer, her face creasing as she rubbed her hand along Helioptile's spine. Helioptile's breath was rather shallow, and Ash felt his breath catch in his throat. He could only hope that Helioptile was okay.
"Hm, let's see… Did something happen that might have given them an overcharge of electricity? Like, say, a stronger electric Pokémon hitting it with their strongest attack."
Ash nodded and told Nurse Joy the whole story of how they ran away from the Spearow. He guiltily added that he angered the Spearow by throwing a rock at it when he was trying to catch it. Nurse Joy listened to the whole story with a serious face, although she did crack a smile when he told her about the rock.
"I keep telling the Safari Warden to put a 'Don't try this at home' statement before the beginning of those livestreams to prevent that exact thing from happening. You would not believe how many times I've had to treat injured Pokémon because that livestream never properly explains why it's only okay to throw rocks in the Safari Zone. But it seems like the lightning strike caused the Pokémon to store up too much power. Normally, they would draw lightning in to become more powerful, but these Pokémon are not experienced enough to retain that much power. But don't worry, they'll be just fine. Once I get to work on them, they'll be good as new," Nurse Joy reassured as Chansey ran back pushing a two-tiered stretcher. Nurse Joy quickly put Pikachu and Helioptile on the stretcher, and Chansey rushed both into the back room. "Oh, what about your Arcanine? Shouldn't you put it back in its ball?"
Ash and Ritchie exchanged a look. How were they going to get him healed? Even though Arcanine seemed to find, Ash could feel that his breaths were shallowed, and he was completely tired. The reason he probably hadn't collapsed yet was because the two boys were still on his back. It was Ritchie who broke the silence.
"Actually, he's not our Pokémon. A trainer from Pokémon Tech sent him after us to rescue us. We don't have his Poké Ball."
"Not a problem. Arcanine, you can go down the hall to the left to use the onsen to recover. His injuries aren't that bad, so some rest in our famous healing hot springs should allow you to recover your health. If you wouldn't mind, can you two wait in the waiting room?" Nurse Joy inquired before she rushed after Chansey. Ash didn't even have time to respond before she disappeared behind two swinging doors. As she did, a small ding sounded throughout the Pokémon Center. Above the double doors was a small boxy sign with a syringe image. It was glowing a brilliant red.
Does that represent surgery…? Ash wondered as a pit form in his stomach. He would never forgive himself if Helioptile died because of him. If Helioptile had stayed with Gary, none of this would have ever happened. Ash clenched his fist tightly and he was shaking with dread. He knew Gary would have probably been a better trainer at this point. After all, he wouldn't have bothered that Spearow.
Shaking his head, Ash refocused his thoughts somewhere else. If he continued down that road, doubt would eat him up. Determined to use his energy on something else besides moping, Ash finally noticed the note that was tied around Arcanine's neck.
During his haste in trying to escape the Spearow, he must have been too busy to even register that Arcanine even had a note. Biting back a flurry of self-deception thoughts, Ash retrieved the plastic container and unfurled its contents. It didn't take him long to recognize the handwriting of the letter, and when he did, he felt an air of warmth emanate from it.
"Who's it from?" Ritchie asked wearily. The danger had passed now, and Ritchie seemed tired and depressed.
"Professor Oak. He's asking us to call him. Arcanine, I don't think we can thank you enough. Without you... well, I don't know where we'd be, so thank you. Go rest up in the onsen, and we'll come to get you when it's time for bed," Ash encouraged as he scratched Arcanine's head. Arcanine let out a soft series of chirps before giving Ash one more lick on his pale cheek. With a flick of his tail, Arcanine padded down the hall Nurse Joy had gestured to.
Ritchie let out a big sigh as he glanced at the doors where Nurse Joy was working tirelessly to save their Pokémon. Ash shared the sentiment. The air in the building felt thick with despair, but he didn't want to let it get to him. If he broke down now, he didn't know how he would pick himself and Ritchie back up. Instead, he decided to try and cheer Ritchie up.
"Ritchie let's talk to Professor Oak," Ash cheered, putting on a fake smile. "Perhaps we can discuss the feathers we found."
Ritchie just gave him a blank look and nodded quietly. Ash felt his heart drop. Ritchie was so nice to him when he lost Helioptile. He had wanted to return the favor by cheering him up, but the toll of their frantic escape from the Spearow and the Pokémon hanging onto life by a thread was adding up. Even he felt as if their futures were hopeless right now. But, he had to be brave so that his best friend could make it through this difficult time.
Ash walked over to the videophone and dialed Professor Oak. The phone rang for a few seconds before the video feed came on. But much to Ash's surprise, Professor Oak wasn't the person who greeted them. No. It was Giselle and as soon as she saw them, her eyes narrowed in revulsion.
"You two look awful! Did you two climb through thornbushes or something?" Giselle scoffed. Ash knew it was true; their hair was full of mud and twigs, and their clothes were caked in a layer of mud and slime. Even so, Ash felt a twinge of annoyance at her comment. They had just fought for their lives! Of course, they looked awful. But, he decided it was better not to act on his anger. She didn't know what they just went through.
Unfortunately, it seemed like Ritchie was at his breaking point as he practically snarled at her.
"We're sorry we're not as clean as usual," Ritchie snapped. "We just got chased by Spearow and our Pokémon are currently fighting for their lives! Excuse us if it seems we were messing around!"
Giselle's hostile gaze soon transformed into one of sympathy. "I'm sorry. I thought that Arcanine would make it there in time and protect you two. Sometimes, I think my Pokémon are an extension of me and I think they work harder than they actually do."
Before Ritchie could unleash another ire-induced speech, Ash stepped in with a reassuring smile. "Arcanine did save our lives, Giselle. Without him, I probably would have drowned. If anything, you should be proud of how well he did today."
Ash could hear Ritchie mutter about how unhealthy it was to view Pokémon as an extension of yourself, but he decided not to let Giselle know. After all, her Arcanine, and by extension, her, had saved both their lives. If she hadn't sent him out to save them, Ash was sure that almost no one would be standing here today.
A confident smile graced Giselle's face as she seemed to forget the scolding Ritchie had just given her. "Then he has earned his nickname! I only like to give my Pokémon nicknames when they do something extraordinary or when I feel that it helps me become closer to them." As she spoke, the egg she was holding the egg began to let off a pulsating silver glow. "It's hatching!" Excitement showed in Giselle's eyes as she placed the egg on a red cushion in front of her.
The joy on her face was palpable, and Ash couldn't help but wonder if this was the first time she was seeing an egg hatch. A loud crack resounded through the room, and Ash couldn't help but be memorized by the experience. Even Ritchie dropped his sour attitude and was watching with intense rapture. A spindly crack appeared on the surface of the smooth egg, catching Ash's attention.
The crack began to spread like a web, and an ethereal glow shined through the open rift. Time seemed to stretch on as Ash waited for it to hatch. Finally, there was one last argent glow from the egg before it slowly morphed into a tiny Pokémon.
The Pokémon was an earthy brown color and held onto a white bone with its delicate, mitten-shaped hands. Along its back was two spines, and it had a short tail that curled around its single clawed feet. Its head was covered by an elongated skull that had two horn-like protrusions at the rear of the skull. Its eyes were closed as it took its first full breaths.
"What's that Pokémon?" Ash asked, taking out his Pokédex. Even though the device was drenched, it seemed to be functioning fine as it turned on.
Cubone, the Lonely Pokémon. The skull wears on its head is that of its dead mother. According to some, it will evolve when it comes to terms with the pain of her death. 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. Because it never removes its skull helmet, no one has ever seen this Pokémon's real face. This Cubone is male and its ability is Lightning Rod, which draws in all Electric-type moves and raises Cubone's Special Attack. It knows the moves Growl, Mud-Slap, Curse, Chip Away, Iron Head, Double Kick, Skull Bash, and Belly Drum. Its recommended move set is Mud-Slap, Growl, Double Kick, and Skull Bash. This Cubone is registered to Giselle.
"Oh wow, a Cubone! But… I don't understand why it has a skull on its head as soon as it hatched. Didn't the Pokédex just say the skull was supposed to belong to its dead mother?" Ash asked. The Cubone slowly opened his eyes, wilting as he did. He was sniffling and he looked a little downcast, which took Ash aback. Cubone had just hatched. Why was he so sad?
"It's just a legend. The Pokédex takes information from all sorts of research papers and legends and compiles them into a neat and tidy database. That old wives-tales is probably before the time that humans knew how to breed Pokémon," Giselle reassured. "Hey, Cubone, that's Ash and Ritchie. We're going to go see them tomorrow."
"Bone?" Cubone chimed, his face and expression brightening. "Bone! Cubone bone bone!"
The new Pokémon was waving his arms around as he tried to bounce up, only to stumble onto his tail. The baby Pokémon seemed to blink in confusion, beginning to sniffle. Ash felt a protective instinct overcome him as he watched the Cubone whine over.
"Oh, you can't stand yet. It'll take a few minutes before you're able to," Giselle cooed, petting her whinging Cubone. After he stopped whining, Giselle went back to focusing on Ash and Ritchie. "Ash, Ritchie, Professor Oak says I can use his Dragonite to fly to Viridian City. I'll be able to meet you two early in the morning to pick up my Arcanine."
Ash smiled. "Oh, that's great! It'll be nice to thank you in person. So, after you get Arcanine, what will you be doing?"
"I haven't decided. I guess I'll just travel back to Pokémon Tech. Hey, what about this? If you can beat me in a battle, I'll travel with you," Giselle offered with a charming wink. Ash noticed that Ritchie had gone back to sulking. He was leaning against the phone booth with a displeased look on his face. Ash shot him a sympathetic smile. He knew that Ritchie was not Giselle's biggest fan right now, but she meant no harm.
"That sounds great Giselle," Ash lied. If he was being truthful to himself, Ash would rather she not come along. He liked her, but he was unsure of what he wanted to do. Giselle was a bright, shining star who wasn't understanding. Ash feared that if she saw him so unsure of himself, she'd turn away in disgust. Giselle puffed her chest out, proud of herself for such a great idea.
"I'm glad you agree! You'll be great practice for the most talented, most beautiful, most amazing Giselle! No newbie can stand up to my charm, grace, and power! I almost feel sorry for you," Giselle bragged. Ash could see out of the corner of his eye that Ritchie was rolling his eyes and he reached over to the phone.
"Alright, this conversation is over. Bye, Giselle!" Ritchie exclaimed as he abruptly hung up. Let out a huge groan, he leaned against the wall. "Ash, please lose for the sake of my sanity. I don't think I can travel with Giselle!"
Ash let out a soft chuckle of amusement. "Come on Ritchie, she's not that bad. She's just confident in her abilities."
"There's a difference between being secure in your knowledge and being a jerk about it. You can have a lot of knowledge and still be a kind person. Even if Giselle is as good as she says she is, she doesn't need to be so obnoxious with her knowledge. If she never admits of flaws, she'll never grow to be a good Pokémon Trainer," Ritchie pointed out. Before Ash could disagree, he heard the soft whirl of the front doors.
Turning around, he saw two humans and a Mewoth that was walking on two legs. One of the humans, the female of the group, was wearing the standard Nurse Joy outfit. She had long red hair that ended in a curl and blue eyes. The male human was wearing a pink short-sleeved shirt with pink pants. He had blue hair and green eyes. The Meowth was walking on its hind legs, an unusual sight for Kantonian Meowth. Most Meowth from Kanto walked on all fours, while Meowth outside of Kanto tended to walk on two legs.
Ritchie seemed to have recovered from his bout of grumpiness. His eyes were bright with curiosity now.
"Those are Nurse Joy's assistance. Sometimes it gets busy here, and she can't possibly attend to all the critically injured Pokémon. They have basic medical training, so they can usually keep injured Pokémon's health from deteriorating," Ritchie explained as he watched them disappear through the same doors as Nurse Joy.
Ash nodded along. He had already deduced that, but Ritchie was just trying to be helpful. As Ash was thinking of what to talk about while he waited, he suddenly remembered his mom would also be worried sick about them. They were supposed to be back by now.
"Let's call my mom now. She'll probably be worried sick," Ash said as he dialed in the number for his mom. The phone wasn't ringing for too long before his mom's bright and sunny face was in full view of the camera. She wore a cheerful smile as she sat down in her bathrobe.
Ash's heart swelled with happiness and a longing pain. He hadn't realized it until now, but he did miss his mom. "H-hi, mom. I'm in Viridian City with Ritchie. We got caught up in the storm, but we made it okay."
Ash didn't have the heart to tell her that he just had to fight for his life. He knew his mom, and he knew that she might have a heart attack on the spot if she ever found that out. Even though he tried to hide it, she saw right through him and her tone of voice changed to a probing one.
"I'm glad that you did, but you do know you can tell me if anything happened. You're so much like your father in that regard. He always keeps me out of the loop on things because he feels it's for my safety. I just wish you two were more–" Ash's mom paused, her eyes widened as she looked past him. Ash was about to ask what happened when Ritchie nudged him. Glancing behind him, Ash spotted a middle-aged man in a black trench coat and hat. A beautiful Persian was wrapped around his legs, its bright red eyes shining with glee. Delia recovered and put on the best smile that she could muster. "Giovanni, it's so nice to see you again."
Ash could tell his mother was being polite, but there was something in her voice that made the interaction seem off. The man, apparently called Giovanni, nodded and sauntered over. Ritchie shivered slightly and backed away. Ash stepped back as well. There was something that felt off about him. His whole presence made Ash's skin crawl, but he wasn't sure why. Ash couldn't help but glare at him, but the man didn't seem to notice or chose not to pay attention.
"Buena notte, signora. And hello to you too Ash. Do you remember me? We met when you were just 4 years old," Giovanni reminded him as he glanced down at Ash to acknowledge him. Ash blinked up at him, his hostility replaced with confusion. His voice was soft, and it had an intonation that befuddled Ash. There was a hint of deep familiarity towards his mom, not just a passing friendship. Giovanni continued, taking the silence as agreement. "You probably don't even remember me. Your mom had just returned from a trip to Kanto, and I came to pick her up from the airport."
"Right," his mom said quickly. "Giovanni is an old friend of mine and someone who you can look forward to battling. He's the Viridian City Gym Leader, but knowing him, he's going away on some important expedition. By the time he gets back, he might be your very last Gym Battle."
Giovanni let out a good-natured chuckle. "You can say that. My famiglia has me working to the bone, even though I have Gym Leader duties. Your mom knows me so well."
Ash let his suspicions dissolve as listened to Giovanni. It was obvious he knew his mom, and she wasn't in the habit of keeping bad company. Instead, he replaced with excitement. If he was a Gym Leader, there was a good chance Ash would have to face him!
"Giovanni, sir, I would love to battle you!" Ash exclaimed, the last of his tiredness burning away. Giovanni dipped his head in acknowledgment.
"I look forward to that day. In honor of your determination, I'll have Nurse Joy sign you up for the Pokémon League." Giovanni's eyes glistened with amusement, causing Ash to pout. He obviously didn't take him seriously. "Delia, I hope I can see you more. You never did tell me who Ash's father was."
There was a stark silence, and Ash wondered why. It shouldn't have been too difficult for his mom to tell Giovanni his dad was Meyer, father of the Gym Leader who ran the Lumiose City Gym. Finally, Ash's mom spoke up.
"A mother doesn't need to tell," Delia muttered evasively, casing her eyes to the floor. "I raised him mostly by myself, Giovanni. Does it seem like his father is involved in how Ash grows up?"
They exchanged a look for a heartbeat before Giovanni broke it off. He took his hat off and waved goodbye with it. "Alright, Delia, I don't mean to intrude. Anyways, it was good to see you again. Ash, keep battling until you become strong enough to face me. By then, I'll give you the fight of your life."
Ash watched Giovanni leave, his Persian trailing beside him. He disappeared behind the closed double doors, and Ash couldn't help but wonder what he meant by the last part. Delia let out a breath of relief after a moment, before returning to her normal, bubbly self. "Ash, make sure you clean up. You look awfully dirty. And Ritchie, please make sure Ash doesn't drag you into anything dangerous. He can sometimes be extremely lucky and unlucky, and sometimes he has both luck at the same time. Anyways, I love you honey, and I know you'll do well on your journey. Bye, dear."
The screen flickered black as she hung up. Ash felt renewed after the conversation, and the world felt a little bit lighter. He now had a goal to work towards, and he feeling a little less self-conscious. Even if Helioptile decided he didn't want to travel with him anymore, he would still find a way to be a Pokémon Trainer.
XOXOXOX
Giovanni walked down the hall with his Persian by his side, his footsteps echoing as he did. The passage was empty, as usual. As he passed by a giant glass window, he spotted Nurse Joy prepping a Pikachu and Helioptile to be returned on a stretcher. As she exited the room, a look of shock crossed her face before she quickly replaced it with a professional smile.
"Good evening, Mr. Giovanni. You're out late. Is there anything I can do for you?" she asked, tilting her head.
Giovanni gave a gentle smile. "No, I just wanted to talk to my employees from the gym. But do you mind waiting for a second? I need to talk to my employees for a moment and have them help you sign a child up for the Pokémon League."
Giovanni could tell that Nurse Joy was giving him a skeptical look, but she masterfully hid it underneath a questioning smile. This Nurse Joy had never bought into his routine that he used to disarm others. She knew he was a Team Rocket Boss, and because of that, she was naturally very wary of him.
"Alright, Mr. Giovanni," she said slowly, pushing the stretcher further along down the hallway. The Pokémon on the stretcher were staring up at him with palpable fear as they pressed themselves against the soft bedding. "But don't make it too long. You have five minutes. If you're not done in that time, I'm just going to it by myself. Oh, and only one of them can come."
The edge of Giovanni's smile twitched. Persian even flicked his ear in irritation. The nurse was trying to keep him from using her establishment to cause trouble. Not that he blamed her, but he disliked working with people who made his life harder. And because she was a Nurse Joy, it was in the Team Rocket code of honor that she couldn't be touched.
"Okay, Nurse Joy," he agreed meekly. It wasn't like he couldn't do what he wanted without abiding by her rules. "I just want to talk to my employee about a son of hers who got burned last week."
Nurse Joy didn't even bother to hide her suspicious gaze this time as she pushed the stretcher away and into another room. Feeling his blood boil with frustration, Giovanni turned away and walked down the hall loudly. Persian seemed to get the message and hesitantly followed him from a distance. Turning into the storage room to where the trio usually was, he spotted the three diligently packing away supply boxes.
"Jessie, James, Meowth!" Giovanni called sharply. Nearly dropping the boxes, they were holding, the bumbling trio quickly turned to bow to Giovanni. "I don't have long to talk since the Nurse Joy was courteous enough to give me five minutes." Giovanni didn't even bother to hide the venom in his voice. He knew the whole Pokémon Center had wiretaps, so he couldn't be careless in his orders, even if he was annoyed. Instead, he needed to focus on relaying his orders in ways the trio would get, but wouldn't be too obvious. Thankfully, Team Rocket had memorized keywords for these situations.
Persian wandered closer to Giovanni and gave one of his forepaws a slow, long lick. This was the signal for any Team Rocket grunt to know that Giovanni would be talking in code. The trio stared at Persian for a moment before silently nodding to let Giovanni know they had received the message. Since everyone on the same page, Giovanni switched into his acting mode.
"Jessie, I heard your son got burned the other week. It is a sorrowful reminder that this world we live in is never safe, but we can always choose how we respond to adversity. As for how I'll respond to the cruelties of the world, I'll give you a compensation gift. These are hard and trying times that you are going through," Giovanni mused, mimicking the tone he would use when grieving. Jessie's face morphed into one of sorrow and pain. If Giovanni didn't know she was faking, he might have bought it. Walking closer to her, he placed a Poké Ball in her hand, but he didn't whisper anything. It would look too suspicious. Instead, he took a step back and continued. "I think you three need a break to see Kanto. Your lives should be full of excitement, not reduced to working in a stuffy Pokémon Center. Talking to the people and listening to their stories. In fact, I want you to reap the rewards of those conversations. I want you to follow in that kid's footsteps, maybe even trace them, and explore all of Kanto. Be like a lily's seeds and grow into beautiful flowers before you burn out."
The was stunned silence. Jessie and James seemed troubled for a moment before their eyes hardened with cruelty. Glancing at his comrades, Meowth flicked his ear to let Giovanni know they agreed to their new mission. Raising his eyebrow, Giovanni silently asked if they knew what their mission was. Meowth unsheathed his right claw, which meant that Giovanni wanted someone taken out. Nodding, Giovanni motioned towards the door.
"Meowth, Nurse Joy needs your help. I'm sure you can give her some assistance?" Giovanni prodded. Meowth gave an exaggerated gulp and a nervous smile. But, with a flick of his long tail, Meowth agreed. "I'll walk you there. You two get ready for your journey."
"Roger that!" Jessie and James announced in unison before turning away to finish packing the boxes.
With that, Giovanni walked Meowth to where Nurse Joy was waiting. Persian padded on the other side of Giovanni, his tail dangling just above Meowth. With a hiss, the smaller Pokémon made a desperate swipe at it, only for Persian to move it out of the way at the last second. Giovanni resisted rolling his eyes. Those two would never get along.
XOXOXOX
Ash and Ritchie waited eagerly at the counter. The red surgery light had just turned off a few minutes ago, and they were expecting their Pokémon to arrive any minute. Soon, the doors swung open, and Nurse Joy was wheeling their Pokémon over to them. Helioptile bright blue eyes were burning with health, but Pikachu seemed to be grumpy about something. Upon closer inspection, Ash noticed that the fur on his head had spiked up slightly.
Ash stifled a laugh, figuring that the new hairdo was due to the lightning messing up his body's natural static charge. As Nurse Joy wheeled the stretcher over, the two Pokémon hopped onto the counter with a bright and cheerful expression. Ash felt as if he might collapse with joy. He was just so happy to see Helioptile again! As Ash stared at Helioptile, on the verge of tears, he heard familiar footsteps. Looking up, he spotted Giovanni exiting from behind the counter, with Meowth walking towards Nurse Joy.
"'Notte," Giovanni said quietly as he left the Pokémon Center with his Persian. Meowth clambered onto the counter, letting out a soft purr as he sat down next to the computer.
"So, you want to sign up for the Pokémon League?" Nurse Joy asked as she sat down at the computer.
"Chuuu!" Pikachu squealed, hopping onto Ritchie's shoulder and nuzzling him. Ritchie let out a giddy chuckle while scratching Pikachy behind the ear.
"Yes, please. I would like to sign up for both the tournaments and Gym battles. Ash, what about you?" Ritchie beamed, a light of joy back in his eye now that Pikachu was okay.
Helioptile let out a soft coo as he hopped onto Ash's shoulder. Ash was taken by surprise by the sudden weight, but he was just too happy to say anything now that Helioptile was back to full strength. Helioptile clambered onto his neck, wrapping his scaly tail around his neck.
Ash paused for a moment, a flurry of conflicting emotions consuming his thoughts. On one hand, he wanted to journey with Helioptile. But, on the other hand, he also didn't want to force him. After all, he might be wary of traveling anymore. Swallowing back his anxiety, Ash decided to ask Helioptile.
"Helioptile, do you want to continue battling?" Ash asked apprehensively. If Helioptile said no, Ash wasn't going to push the issue. He was just going to return it to Professor Oak and somehow get another Pokémon to travel with. But the question seemed to trigger Helioptile instead as he let out an intense Thunder Shock.
"AHHHHHHHHH!" Ash screamed as the lightning course through his body. Ritchie and Nurse Joy moved away slightly as his clothes became charred and the biting pain of the electricity spread throughout his body. Once Helioptile was finished, he neatly hopped onto the counter and arched his back in anger. He was spitting like a territorial Purrloin "I'll take that as a yes…."
Helioptile gave a sharp nod as Ash fell forward onto the counter. Pain coursed through his body, but he knew it was only temporary. Pokémon attacks were rarely life-threatening, and any lasting injury they caused usually went away in a day or two. Recovering enough to speak some semblance of coherency, Ash turned to Ritchie to answer his question.
"Why are you joining both tournaments and Gym battles? Why not just pick one?" Ash pushed himself into a standing position, flinching as he felt the residual electricity.
"Oh, well, there are four ways to get into the Pokémon League: Gym Battles, a test, a specialized school, and tournaments. Each one has its pros and cons. Gym battles help you grow as a trainer and introduces you to how the formant of the Champion League. You need to gather eight Gym Badges to qualify. Tournaments allow you to fight against your peers and are a way for homebound people and people with disabilities to get battle training. You need to win five tournaments. Specialized schools are for people who learn the best in a structured setting. People from specialized schools usually win the Pokémon League Conference. And finally, the admissions test allows for people who know a lot about Pokémon to enter the Pokémon League quickly. For example, those who have already gone on a journey and need to requalify quickly. It's also good for people whose style doesn't mesh well with traveling all around Kanto or who have disabilities. I picked Gym Battles and tournaments because it gives me the experience I need to win the Conference and the people who do this path are on equal footing with people from specialized schools," Ritchie explained.
Ash grinned. If that was the case, then he wanted to do both Gyms and tournaments! "Great! I'll do the same thing! I was just going to do tournaments, but hey, Gym Battles seem like a good way to push myself if it makes me more likely to win!"
"Alright, I just need your Pokédex and Meowth, can you prepare the badge cases?" Nurse Joy asked. The Meowth nodded and hopped off the counter and scurried under the desk.
Ash and Ritchie handed them their Pokédex, which she quickly hooked up to the computer. Typing in a few things in rapid succession, she soon turned back to them with a polite smile. "Everything is all set. The last part is the new Trainer care package. That includes six hold item containers and a special starter item. Ritchie, you'll get the Light Ball, and Ash, you'll get the Magnet."
Nurse Joy presented both with a small green treasure chest and placed them on the counter. Helioptile pressed his body weight against Ash's head as he opened the container. Inside were six adjustable necklaces with a clear locket attached to them sitting on a plush blue pillow. In Ash's, there was a horseshoe magnet next to the pendents. Ritchie's chest had a glowing yellow orb with a lightning bolt that seemed to be frozen in the middle of it.
"Meowth, can you present them with their badge cases?" Nurse Joy asked. Meowth pounced onto the counter two badge cases in his paws. One was a silver thin case, and the other was a blue case. Meowth presented Ash with the silver one, which he graciously took, and Ritchie took the other one.
"Congratulations, you two, you're all set! Now, why don't you two get some rest? You can stay in one of the rooms," Nurse Joy said.
"Ptile!" Helioptile chimed.
"Chuuu!" Pikachu cooed, nuzzling Ritchie.
"Yeah, that would be great. We can use a bath as well," Ritchie said. Nurse Joy handed the boys the card key to the room, and they went to the onsen to get Arcanine. Once that was over, they headed upstairs to get ready for the next day.
XOXOXOX
The sun was just beginning to rise
, casting its pale yellow glow on the early morning sky, as Ritchie and Ash exited the Pokémon Center with their Pokémon and Arcanine. The sweet scent of dewdrops perforated in the air as the fresh morning air cooled their skin. Helioptile yawned, wrapping himself around Ash's neck like a boa. His small chest was rising as he tried to catch the last bit of sleep he would be getting for the day.
Giselle had asked Nurse Joy to give them an early morning courtesy call to wake them up because she was heading over. Stretching his tired muscles, Ash glanced at the horizon. Since it was a clear day, Ash could make out the shape of a Pokémon as it flew below the cloudlines. Ash guessed Giselle might be close since he could already see the Pokémon that was carrying her.
Ritchie was still miserable about the prospects of Giselle meeting up with them, but he held his tongue for now. Pikachu was hanging out on Ritchie's shoulder, wrapping his lightning bolt-shaped tail around his neck. His cheeks were sparking, and his eyes were drooping since he was woken up early.
No one was really in the mood for an early morning meeting. Even Arcanine was not even bothering to hide how tired he was. He gave a gigantic yawn where he showed off his impressive canines. But thankfully, they didn't need to wait so long. The bulky Dragonite landed in front of Ash, amazing him as its tiny wings stirred up a whirlwind of dirt. It looked at Ash with a soft gaze and licked his cheek. Giselle, who was relaxing on its back, let out a soft chuckle.
"It seems like she likes you!" Giselle teased, sliding off the Dragon-type's back.
Ash blushed as he ducked his head. He hoped that Giselle didn't notice that he had a crush on her. If she did, she would probably never stop teasing him. Seeing that its job was done, Dragonite let out a soft cry of goodbye before taking off and flying off. Giselle hummed and walked over to her Arcanine, scratching underneath his chin.
"You were such a good boy! Thanks for helping these boys out. You did remarkably well yesterday. So well in fact that I want to give you a nickname," Giselle cooed lovingly. She closed her eyes and thought for a moment. Once she was done, she opened them and gave a brilliant smirk. "Hmmm, how about… Dromi? It's a name reminiscent of chains that once bound a might Lyconroc."
Just as Arcanine puffed his chest out with pride, Ritchie snorted in contempt. "No, those chains broke. Gleipnir was the names of the chains that finally bounded the Lyconroc you're talking about."
"Dromi sounds cooler," Giselle rebutted. "Besides, I like the name better. Dromi just has a special ring to it."
Arcanine let out a bark as he agreed with Giselle, licking her cheek. She chuckled and rubbed his head. "See, he likes it."
Ritchie rolled his eyes, which made Ash chuckle. For all their complaining, it seemed they were finally connecting. "Come on Giselle, let's battle! Helioptile and I want to get to Viridian Forest before the afternoon!"
"Helioptile!" Helioptile nodded and made a little fist.
"Wait, shouldn't you nickname him first? Nicknaming a Pokémon is the highest form of respect," Giselle said, nodding along to herself as if she had just said the most profound thing in the world.
Ash stared at her with a blank look for a moment. He hadn't even thought of giving Helioptile a nickname. Caught off guard, Ash decided to give him the first name that came to his mind.
"Yeah, sure! Helioptile, do you like the name Dazai?" Ash asked. The name was from the last name of a famous writer. Ash didn't know too much about his writing, but he knew that his mom would spend time talking about his book to one of her friends from Kalos. Helioptile simply nodded, not seeming to care what his name was.
"As for you Pikachu, how does the name Sparky sound?" Ritchie ventured. Pikachu nodded before yawning again. "Sparky it is, pal."
"Great, now that that's clear, let's get to battling," Giselle cheered as she walked towards the Pokémon Center. Ash snickered at her enthusiasm this early in the morning. Everyone else was half asleep, but she was more than wide awake. Ash and Ritchie followed her through the empty halls of the Pokémon Center. Their footsteps echoed across the linoleum tile as they made their way to the back of the Pokémon Center. At the back of the Pokémon Center was an expansive array of battlefields. Ash gasped in amazement at just how many there were and how big they were.
"This is so cool!" Ash exclaimed as he forgot his tiredness and bolted to one side of the nearest battlefield. Giselle calmly strolled to the other side, her Arcanine following her. Ritchie chose to sit down on a nearby bench.
"Oh, has the baby never seen a battlefield before?" Giselle taunted. Ash blinked in surprise. Why was Giselle suddenly calling him a baby? Even Dazai seemed confused as he tilted his head. "Come on! You don't even have a single Gym Badge. Do you really expect me to treat you as my equal? Besides, your starter is more of a pet for little girls than a starter of any real value. But I wouldn't expect someone as inexperienced as you to know that. Come on Dromi, show him what an experienced Pokémon can do!"
Arcanine let out an ear-piercing howl before he bounded into the middle of the battlefield, his fur bristling. Ash felt as if he could bristle with rage as well. He wasn't about to let Giselle make fun of him or Helioptile. Crush, or no crush, no one disrespected Dazai and got away with it. And it seemed like Dazai felt the same way as he hopped off of Ash's shoulder and squared off against Arcanine. His back was arched and gave a loud hiss.
"Hey, it seems like Helioptile is finally strong enough to stand up to Dromi without quaking like a little hatchling to Dromi's Intimidate. Because I'm so nice, you can have the first move. Not like it matters. I'll show you why it pays to study!" Giselle boasted.
Ash gritted his teeth but did respond. "Alright, Dazai, use Thunder Shock!"
Dazai nodded and wrapped himself in a dazzling away of electricity, aiming a powerful bolt of lightning at Dromi. Giselle just gave a confident smirk as she watched the electricity miss its mark and hit the ground beside Dromi, singeing it black. Ash and Helioptile were stunned by how off the attack was.
"Just as I expect. Your aim is off. Dromi, let's finish this with two attacks. Sunny Day," Giselle ordered. Dromi let out another howl as a golden pillar of light surrounded him. Ash grunted as he felt intense heat from above. The sun had somehow gotten brighter and was now scorching the ground. Dazai flinched as he began to let off orange electricity. He looked like he was in pain, but he gritted his teeth and tightened his fists, pushing through the pain.
"This is the con of Dry Skin. Dry Skin hurts Pokémon in harsh sunlight, which is what Sunny Day forces! Not to mention, that any Pokémon with Dry Skin takes more damage from Fire-type moves, and Fire-type moves are powered up in the sun! All this to say that your Helioptile is done!" Giselle explained as she pointed her index at Dazai.
That's not true because Dazai has Solar Power. But I can't let her know that. If she does, I'm through, Ash decided as he carefully planned out his next move.
"Dazai, Scale Shot!" Ash ordered, his heart beating wildly out of control. He had never used this move, and it wasn't one of the recommended moves. Dazai didn't seem to care as he hopped into the air, the scales on his back glowing a bright green. Leaping forward, five green scales shot out from his back and launched themselves straight at Arcanine.
"Dodge it Dromi!" Giselle ordered. Dromi was able to leap out of the way of the first one, but the next one hit him in the back of the neck, causing him to recoil in pain. The other three hit their mark, sending Dromi sprawling as Dazai landed on the ground.
"Dazai, Mud-Slap!" Ash continued, not holding back. Dazai let out a shot of liquid mud from his mouth, but Dromi was able to rise to his paws and leap out of the way at the last second. His teeth were bared in as he narrowed his deep, gray eyes.
"Dromi, finish with a Flamethrower!" Dromi opened his mouth and spat out a torrent of fire. Dazai gasped and froze for a moment.
"Thunder Shock!" Ash watched as Dazai wrapped himself in a veil of electricity and shot it at the fire. It barely made a dent as a cascade of flames covered Dazai. "Dazai!"
Dazai was knocked away, his scales badly burned, but he managed to land on his feet. Even though he was still dazed, and orange electricity was still present on his body, he wasn't giving up so easily. Ash could hear his huffing and puffing, and panic seized him. What if Dazai was suffering? Ash's mind went blank as he stared at his Pokémon, fear keeping him from acting.
"Dromi, actually finish this with a Flamethrower!" Giselle yelled.
"D-Dazai, use Rising Voltage!" Ash sputtered, trying to get this battle under control. Dazai gave a firm nod and hopped away from the Flamethrower. As he landed on the ground, he spread his ears and sank his claws into the ground. The ground began to ripple with electricity and Dromi's mouth gaped open, his ear raked against his head.
"Dromi, dodge!" Giselle ordered breathlessly but was too late. A bright flash of white filled the field and exploded upwards, catching Dromi in the light show. It let off a painful howl as he was mercilessly shocked by the devastating electricity. Ash winched, remembering how painful it was when he got shocked by Helioptile's electricity. As the electricity began to clear and the dust settled, Dromi slunk forward, his eyes closed in defeat.
"Dromi is unable to battle, which means Ash won! Hooray!" Ritchie cheered and leaped out of his seat before he stopped mid cheer and went to a more miserable look. "Wait, this means she's following us. Why am I happy?"
Giselle flipped her hair. "That is true. And I'm glad to be traveling with you two! I'm actually surprised Ash already trained Helioptile to resist fire moves. I always assumed that no novice could do that."
Ash blushed and gave a hearty laugh. "Oh, Giselle, you're making me feel embarrassed! But I think you've got the wrong idea. You see, Helioptile has Solar Power, not Dry Skin."
As he spoke, Giselle's face became red, and she quickly turned away from Ash. "A-ah, I-I knew that! It was just a desperate gamble of course! Y-you're more than a novice to have won such a battle! Using your enemies' wits against them."
Dromi huffed as he got his paws, chuffing at Giselle and giving her a disapproving stare. Even Ritchie joined in, giving her a disbelieving look.
"You could have won if you didn't try that plan of attack, couldn't you? You lost because you were showing off?" Ritchie asked bluntly as he rose from his seat. Giselle gave a gentle cough before turning around slowly, to show off her charm.
"No, I lost because the great and fabulous Giselle was testing the poor novice who hadn't had a real battle. I mean, it would have been unfair to use Double Kick to take advantage of Helioptile's Normal typing. Isn't that right, Dromi?" Giselle inquired as she nodded her head. Ash chuckled as he watched both Ritchie and Dromi were beginning to walk away. They weren't even bothering to pay attention to Giselle as she tried to explain herself. Ash strolled closer to her.
"You fought well, Giselle. There was a moment where I thought I would lose and where my fear of Helioptile almost immobilized me. But you never backed down, so I was forced to fight through my doubts. Don't let Ritchie and Dromi get to you; you're a great trainer." Ash gave her a friendly smile. Even though some fear from before still lingered, this battle wasn't as bad as Gary's. He wasn't as lost as that battle, and even though this was only his second time battling, he felt he was getting the hang of keeping track of what his Pokémon could do.
Giselle returned the smile. "Don't mention it. I'm beginning to think you're a little more than a novice anyway, but you still have a way to go before I admit you're doing well! Come, let's heal up our Pokémon and we'll go to Viridian Forest. I'll join you all the way to Pokémon Tech and then decide what I'll do after I get there."
With that, Ash allowed Dazai to clamber up onto his shoulder and walked into the Pokémon Center with Giselle.
After everyone was rested and healed up, the group walked to Viridian Forest. The sun was now high in the sky, and the scent of trees wafted in the breeze. Pidgey sang as they scrounged around the edge of the forest, looking for food. Occasionally, some Pidgeotto would fly overhead, and scourer the ground for a battle. But nothing happened until they got to Viridian Forest.
It didn't take long for Ash to become memorized by all the Pokémon in it. All the Bug-types in Kanto naturally lived in the forest, making it the perfect place to come if one was looking for them. Ash had always wanted a cool Pokémon like a Scyther or Pinsir ever since he saw them battle on TV!
But, right now, it seemed like Pidgey and Rattata were the dominant Pokémon out right now. Ash could hear the soft hum of Scyther's wings, but he couldn't see any. Even the Pokémon climbing the trees were Pikachu who would stare at the group as they walked by. Pikachu were fine and all, but they weren't exciting to him. Unlike Sparky, who seemed to be memorized by every Pikachu he saw.
On one occasion, Sparky tried to impress one of the female Pikachu with an electric display of shapes. He would make different Pokémon shapes of his Thunder Shock, wowing the nearby Pikachu.
Dazai, who was getting jealous at Sparky's mastery of control, tried to do the same. Unfortunately for him, it only caused every nearby tree nearby to be burned by his poor electricity control.
Ash consoled him as they continued to walk, but the display made Ash realize something. Dazai might never feel at home as Sparky had. Sparky lives in Kanto, and as such, can see Pokémon of his own kind all the time. Dazai was a Helioptile, and Helioptile weren't as common in Kanto. They were scattered about due to people releasing them, but they didn't have a home sort to speak.
Ash wasn't sure of how Dazai would react if he saw another member of his species, since he probably wasn't socialized around them. But, for now, Dazi seemed perfectly fine trying to get a chance at impressing the Pikachu that was in the forest. As they made their way through the forest, Ritchie let out a sharp gasp.
"Finally, a Bug-type!" he exclaimed as pointed towards the base of the tree. Curled up in a nest of leaves was a Caterpie. Giselle let out an exasperated sigh while Ash felt his body tingle with excitement.
"Oh boy, a Caterpie! That one looked super cool!" Ash took out his Pokédex to check out the little critter.
Caterpie, the Worm Pokémon. Its short feet are tipped with suction pads that enable it to tirelessly climb slopes and walls. Its voracious appetite compels it to devour leaves bigger than itself without hesitation. It releases a terribly strong odor from its antennae. This Caterpie is female and its ability is Shield Dust, which prevents moves from having a secondary effect; this means moves like Thunder Shock can't paralyze Caterpie. It knows the moves Tackle, String Shot, Bug Bite, and Electoweb. Its recommended moveset Tackle and String Shot. This Caterpie has no trainer yet.
"Perfect! Sparky, let's go!" Ritchie ordered.
"Pika!" Sparky called as he bounded forward, his cheeks sparking. Caterpie looked up in surprise but soon narrowed her eyes. Without warning, it let loose a powerful String shot. "Dodge Sparky and retaliate with a Thunder Shock!"
Sparky leaped into the air, dodging the shimmering silk as it hit the ground behind him. Caterpie let out high-pitched angry squeaks as it charged forward, retracting and relaxing its streamlined body to move. With a flick of his tail, Sparky let loose a powerful Thunder Shock, knocking her back to the ground. The Caterpie was heavily injured as she tried to roll back onto her feet. But Ritchie was quicker to draw his Poké Ball and he chucked it at the Caterpie.
Smacking the poor creature on her head, the ball withdrew the Caterpie into its confines. The device shook a few times before it stopped, clicking close with a hollow sound echoing through the forest.
"I did it! I caught a Pokémon!" Ritchie picked up his Poké Ball and held it up.
"Pi Pikachu!" Sparky cried.
Ash clapped for Ritchie and his new Pokémon. "Congratulations! I'll catch the next Pokémon!"
"Who cares? All that's around here are a bunch of useless Bug-types," Giselle grumbled dismissively.
Dromi shouldered her and let out a soft, scolding bark. Ash gave him a wry look before he heard the sharp sound of a rustling bush. Dazai already bounded to where it came from, his whole body sparking. Ash held his breath as he watched the bush shake. What could be behind it and would he be able to capture it?
A/N: Well, this is finally done. Here are some more outlines for chapters:
Chapter 8/9: Ash and Ritchie beat Brock and continue their journey
Chapter 9/10: A gentleman thief is looking to steal an artifact from the Pewter Museum of Science
Chapter 10/11: The group takes a detour to Rota and Ash meets a talking Lucario
Chapter 11/12: Ash learns he has the power of Aura, and he gains a new Aura partner to train with
Chapter 12/13: The group goes through Mt. Moon
Yes, Ash will eventually learn about aura. Mainly just so he can be a little bit better at battling, so the planned ending can be more believable. He won't really be using it as attack and it won't make him the best trainer in the fan fiction automatically, but it will help him cover his deficiencies quicker.