"Guys, wait up! I'm not as fast as you six!" Ash said chasing after his Pokemon.
"Neither am I!" Cassie added, trying to keep up with Ash. "Do we even know if they know where they're going?"
"No, but that hasn't stopped us so far." Ash commented, vaulting over a log. "Whoa." Ash said, reaching the beach.
"Yo little amigos!" A man with blue hair said, running up. "You're just in time for the Evolution Cruise Line!"
"Cruise, but I don't have a ticket, or a lot of money." Ash admitted.
"Don't worry little man." The guy said. "The Evolution Cruise is a free experience to a trainer such as yourself, in fact you'll come out richer."
"I will?" Ash asked.
"Yeah, let me explain, see you have three very special Pokémon, a Pikachu, a Gloom, and a Jigglypuff. Do you know what they all have in common?" The man asked as he led Ash onto the boat, his Pokemon and Cassie quickly following behind.
"Outside of me, I'm not sure." Ash said.
"They all evolve with the help of stones." The man said.
"Rainer, maybe explain it a bit more than just that." A guy with yellow hair said, walking up. "The name is Sparky."
"I'm Ash, from Pallet Town." Ash replied. "So what exactly is this?"
"It's a giant evolution party!" Rainer exclaimed.
"Pokemon like Eevee are our specialty, and that's what this is all about." Sparky said, leading Ash to a long table. "Okay you've got a Pikachu, a Gloom, and a Jigglypuff. Glad we added these this year." Sparky said, handing Ash a yellow stone, a green stone, and a white stone."
"Wait, I'm still confused what are these?" Ash asked.
"They're evolution stones, you touch it to your Pokémon, and boom, instant power up!" Rainer added.
"What if I don't want to evolve them?" Ash asked. In truth he hadn't brought up the idea of evolving any of his Pokémon, Oddish was the only one who did, and he seemed happy to do so.
"That's what I keep trying to tell you two, let the trainer decide, or they'll end up like Mikey." A woman's voice scolded. "Sorry about my brothers, my names Pyra, you said you were from Pallet Town, right?"
"Uhh, yeah." Ash said.
"I thought Professor Oak gave out Charmander, Bulbasaur, or Squirtle, are you just training others right now?" Pyra asked.
"No, I started off with Pikachu." Ash said.
"A guy with good tastes." Sparky said. "How about we test your Thunder so to speak."
"One on one?" Ash asked.
"Your Pikachu against my Jolteon." Sparky said.
"Bring it on." Ash said.
At an open area on the yacht.
"Alright Jolteon let the sparks fly!"
"Pikachu let's go!"
"Use Quick Attack!" Both trainers exclaimed.
Pikachu and Jolteon zoomed towards the center of the makeshift arena, barely grazing each other before spinning out of control. Jolteon managed to land on its feet as Pikachu tumbled a fair bit.
"Jolteon use Double Kick!"
"Pikachu dodge it!"
Pikachu rolled out of the way as Jolteon leapt at him.
"Jolteon use Pin Missile!"
"Pikachu use Mimic!"
Jolteon fired a barrage of spikes at Pikachu, while Pikachu waved his tail sending a series of lightning bolt shaped spikes back at Jolteon, both Pokemon being knocked back from the damage.
"Pikachu use Thunderbolt!"
"Jolteon use Thunder!"
Pikachu's bolt of electricity shot through the storm, and struck Jolteon down.
"Pikachu use Quick Attack!"
"Jolteon use Pin Missile!"
A barrage of spikes flew from Jolteon towards the closing in Pikachu. Pikachu ran through the missiles before slamming into Jolteon, knocking the other electric type out.
"Now you got me going. My turn!" Rainer said. "My partner is Vaporeon, let's fight that Seel of yours."
"Seel?" Ash asked.
"Yeah, I did see a Seel, right?" Rainer asked.
"I mean you did." Ash said.
"Seel just hasn't had any battles yet." Cassie added.
"Come on, you can't bail on me now!" Rainer said.
"You're right, and I don't back down from a challenge. Seel, come on out!" Ash said.
"Alright Vaporeon let's do this!"
"Seel use Headbutt!"
"Vaporeon use Quick Attack!"
Seel slid forward, his horn pointing towards Vaporeon, only for the faster water type to send Seel spinning back to Ash.
"Seel!" Seel cried out in tears.
"Hey, hey it's okay." Ash reassured.
"Seel?" Seel asked, tears still running down his face.
"Just have fun, we can work on making you stronger another time." Ash said with a smile.
"Seel!" Seel exclaimed.
"Alright then Seel, use Headbutt!"
"Vaporeon use Acid Armor!"
Vaporeon melted into a puddle, causing Seel to slide right over it and into a wall.
"Seel!" Ash exclaimed.
"Maybe it wasn't a good idea fighting the Seel?" Rainer said, looking at the already knocked out water type.
"Is Seel okay?" Pyra asked.
"I think so, I just haven't had much time to work with him yet." Ash said, returning Seel to his Pokeball.
"Well come on, if you're up for it, you still have one more match." Pyra said.
"I do?" Ash asked.
"What did you think I'd let you boys have all the fun." Pyra said. "My specialty is fire, see if you can handle the heat. Flareon let's go!"
"Fire huh, alright then Ponyta I choose you!"
"Flareon use Quick Attack!"
"Ponyta use Agility!"
Flareon sped forward as Ponyta began picking up a galloping pace, easily avoiding the smaller Pokemon.
"Flareon use Fire Spin!"
"Ponyta use your own Fire Spin to counter it!"
The spinning flames shot towards each other snuffing one another out.
"Flareon use Flamethrower!"
"Ponyta dodge it with Agility!"
Ponyta sped forward, becoming engulfed in the flames. What started as a light gallop soon picked up pace becoming faster, and then louder, and then even heavier, as something far larger burst through the flames elegantly.
"Ponyta?" Ash asked.
"Not anymore." Cassie commented.
"Rapidash use Stomp!"
"Flareon use Quick Attack!"
Flareon quickly began moving to get away from the fire horse, only for Rapidash to be eighth where Flareon was going, slamming one of its hooves down on the smaller Pokemon.
"Flareon return." Pyra said. "Guys, we need to make a different stop."
"Wait, you're kicking me off!" Ash exclaimed.
"Not quite, a trainer like you is going for badges if I had to guess, right?" Pyra asked.
"Yeah, that's right." Ash said.
"Well I know of a gym that just opened nearby, I think you should go there, rather than continue with us, the owner is a bit of a role model for me." Pyra said.
"I have been looking for another gym." Ash admitted.
"Alright then, change course for the Star Belt Archipelago." Pyra said confidently.
Characters of the day: The Eevee Bros
Not just brothers in this reality. In the anime they were four brothers, Sparky, Rainer, Pyro, and Mikey. The first major change is obviously that Pyro is now Pyra their sister, and the other is a more direct event of Ash not starting at his normal time. Mikey tried to leave his Eevee alone so he wouldn't have to evolve it, but thanks to Ash and friends his brothers eventually accepted him as the Eevee member of the Eevee Bros. Without the gang there, Mikey was still pressured and ran away with Eevee to get out of the pressuring.
Ash's team and their moves
Pikachu: Thunderbolt - Quick Attack - Mimic - Thunder
Gloom: Mega Drain - Solar Beam - Toxic - Acid
Jigglypuff: Sing - Pound - Disable - Body Slam
Rapidash: Ember - Stomp - Agility - Fire Spin
Dratini: Wrap - Leer - Dragon Rage - Hyper Beam
Seel: Headbutt