S.R: As promised this chapter will make up for how short the last chapter was. It'll also introduce Cynthia.
M.R: Again I don't know why I let you bring her into the story so early.
S.R: Because it's going to be more creative than you think.
M.R: … She'll leave and come back won't she?
S.R: Yup. Oh before I forget since this is basically and Alternate Universe Ash doesn't have to challenge the gyms in the same order (and he won't). Because of that when talking about the badges Cynthia has earned the only badge they'll have in common at the moment is the Thunder Badge.
M.R: Should we move on to the story now?
S.R: Yeah, don't want rampaging readers thanks to an overly long authors note.
M.R: Read on then people. Read on…
ASH'S POV
Brock and I had been in Vermilion city for a few days now, since I decided to stretch it so Charmander could get a little bit of training. Though thanks to our stay I found out that Lt. Surge, the gym leader was an asshole. After evolving his Pikachu into a Raichu, it became so much stronger that he's now gone through fifteen challengers a day for the past week without a single loss and it was starting to go to his head. Once they heard this every Pokemon on my team started pushing themselves even harder, wanting to prove their strength and be the ones to end his win streak.
Unfortunately from my learning I discovered he prefers the battle to be one on one. This means that I have to choose just one Pokemon to battle him with, and they really weren't making it easy for me. No matter how confident I've become in my team I still don't know the extent of his Raichu's power so I ruled out Pigeotto and Squirtle since they had a type disadvantage. Charmander still isn't fully healed and wouldn't be for another few days still. That means on hand right now that I would feel comfortable battling Raichu with, all I have are Bulbasaur and Pikachu.
"Hey, Ash what's on your mind" Brock asked me as we sat down for lunch, planning to head over to the gym after eating. It seems Brock knows I still don't know how I want to deal with Lt. Surge and if I know my friend he's got some advice for me.
"Well… I'm not sure who to use in the battle. Pikachu is the same type, but has the disadvantage of being a lower evolution. Bulbasaur on the other hand doesn't have a weakness or advantage over Raichu. But Bulbasaur is not as strong as Pikachu." I explained my thoughts.
"What are their move-sets? Sure you might not have a natural type advantage available, but if either one of them knows a ground type move or two, you have an edge" Brock told me, which reminded me that Pikachu knows Dig. Smiling as I remembered that I created a simple strategy that should negate Raichu's evolutionary advantage.
"You're right Brock. Thanks for reminding me, Pikachu knows Dig. Now I'm fairy certain we can win." I responded nodding my head in thanks. With that we finished up our lunch and made our way over to the gym. I announced my intent to challenge the gym and the door keepers chuckled saying it was time to add another win to Surge's tally. I bit my check so as not to start a fight. After introducing myself to Lt. Surge, he called for a referee while stating it was time to beat down another "baby trainer". Thanks to our bond Pikachu knew how I felt about that statement and sent calming thoughts my way reminding me that with our strategy we should win. Eventually the referee arrived and announced the rules for the match. Lt. Surge sent out his Raichu and I nodded to Pikachu who hopped off my shoulder and onto the battlefield.
"Ha, you think that puny thing can beat my Raichu? It's time to show you babies how a real battle goes" Surge taunted.
Ignoring him I took a calming breath before telling Pikachu to use Agility, followed by Dig, having him pop up and dig back down creating multiple holes in the field.
"What the hell are you doing ya baby? Don't ya know your supposed to attack the opponent?" Surge taunted before telling Raichu to use Thunder Wave the next time Pikachu popped up. His order came just in time for Raichu to use it's attack on Pikachu who I mentally told to attack. Both attacks hit but Pikachu was able to shrug off the electric attack thanks to his ability Lightning Rod.
"Now while Raichu's still recovering use Iron Tail and push it into the closest hole!"
"Dodge it and retaliated with Thunderbolt"
"Double Team!" I ordered watching Pikachu dodge the attack.
"Focus on finding the real one keep using Thunderbolt!"
"Dig, Pikachu!" Pikachu dodged Raichu's attack and quickly dove into one of the holes. Making his way towards Raichu, Pikachu caught it mid Thunderbolt, halting the attack.
"Iron Tail!" Pikachu hit Raichu throwing it back. Unfortunately for us Raichu sprang back up ready to continue the fight.
"Raichu, Mega Punch!" Surge ordered and to my surprise Raichu moved fast enough to slam its fist into Pikachu before I could get my mouth open to yell for Pikachu to dodge.
"Let's end this and send the babies on their way. Mega Kick!"
"Pikachu, use Spark!" The shock from the attack stopped Raichu's attack long enough for Pikachu to get out of range.
"Body Slam, Raichu!"
"Dodge it and use Iron Tail"
"Mega Punch"
"Dig"
"Wait for it to come back up and use Mega Kick"
"Come up from a distance and use Electro Ball!"
"Shit, I wasn't expecting that plan." Surge said as Raichu was hit by the electric attack.
"Alright Pikachu let's go. Use Dig"
"Raichu jump up and use Mega Kick on the ground underneath you!" Unfortunately Pikachu was caught by the attack, crying out in pain.
"Pikachu you alright?" I called getting worried for my friend, hearing a weak cry in response as Pikachu moved to a battle stance again.
"I'll admit, you've done pretty damn good kid. You've proven that you've got potential, and earned a bit of respect. But I'm going to end this now. Raichu rush that Pikachu and use Body Slam!"
"Pikachu jump up and push that Raichu down into a hole with Iron Tail"
Raichu was pushing into the hole, crying out in pain from the hit. Deciding to play it safe Raichu followed the tunnels Pikachu had left and popped out of the hole closest to Lt. Surge.
"Raichu use Body Slam"
"Pikachu dodge and use Quick Attack" I ordered hoping that using Pikachu's speed it would deal enough damage to finish the fight. Raichu took the hit and was sent flying, but was still conscious. Raichu was struggling to stand back up though.
"Pikachu don't let it stand back up use an Agility powered Quick Attack" I called.
I watched as Pikachu sped off toward Raichu, and felt my jaw drop as I watched electricity started warping around Pikachu forming a barrier of sorts.
"That's a Volt Tackle!" I heard Brock shout in awe. Lt. Surge and Raichu we both just as surprised as I was, neither one able to think and react in time. Pikachu slammed into Raichu, knocking it out before straightening himself up and standing proud.
"Raichu is unable to battle. Pikachu Wins. The winner of this battle is the challenger Ash Ketchum of Pallet Town" The referee announced.
I quickly made my way to Pikachu's side and scooped him up in a hug praising him. After a few moments Lt. Surge overcame his shock at loosing and approached me and Pikachu, handing me the Thunder Badge.
"That was fucking impressive kid. I would not have expected a Pikachu to be able to beat Raichu. You earned that badge" Surge said after a moment. I just replied it was Pikachu who did all the work and that he was the one that deserved the praise. As I said this however Pikachu slowly went to sleep in my arms.
Noticing this I quickly excused myself from the gym to go get Pikachu looked after. I walked into the Pokemon Center turning Pikachu over to Nurse Joy, getting a sigh out of her with the off handed comment she was hoping we'd be able to get Surge to stop being so rough. It wasn't till she returned Pikachu that I pointed out the badge.
"Pikachu fell asleep on me while Lt. Surge was praising us for the battle" I explained to her, and couldn't help but smile when she congratulated us on what was the hardest battle Pikachu's ever had. I thanked her and made my way outside planning to catch up with Brock over at the Store. Once outside however an elderly man approached me.
"Hello there young one. I'm the president of the local Pokemon fan club. I heard our gym leader talking about how someone with a Pikachu managed to beat him. That wouldn't happen to be you would it?" The man asked. I nodded my head as a response.
"Well then I think I'll give you this," he said handing me a few ship tickets before continuing "I was given these tickets for the SS Anne, which is an international cruise ship that is special for hosting battles between trainers on board. I've gotten old and even just spending a few days on a ship is too much for me, so why don't you take them."
After a few seconds of shocked silence I recovered and profusely thanked the man for his gift, before rushing over to the store to find Brock. I told Brock about what happened and we rushed through gathering everything we felt we needed before heading down to the docks to find out more on the SS Anne. Apparently we made it just in time to board the ship, though in the registration we found out that our tickets were for a three person suite. The other person who had the room told the staff they didn't mind, and after a few moments of thought Brock and I were okay with it to. We thought it might give us a break from normality by giving us someone else to possibly talk to.
A few hours later
Brock and I had met the person we'd be sharing the three room suite with. Her name is Cynthia, and she is from Sinnoh. She began her journey as a Pokemon trainer 2 years ago now and was traveling both as a field researcher for professor Rowan, and as a Pokemon trainer challenging all the different Pokemon Leagues.
"What about you two?" She asked after giving us some of her story. Brock introduced himself as the former gym leader of Pewter city before explaining he left to become a Pokemon breeder, before falling to his knees and declaring his love for her. Thankfully Pikachu and I who were used to seeing Brock act like that every time he saw a pretty woman, were able to explain the situation to Cynthia when his Zubat came out of its Pokeball and used Poison Sting on him stunning Brock for the moment.
"Hehe, that's kinda funny, but what about you Ash?" she asked bringing her attention back to me, at which point Brock recovered and gave me a thumbs up for some reason. Shaking my head at Brock, I told Cynthia about my dream to be like my father, a world class Pokemon trainer and field researcher for professor Oak.
Cynthia smiled at my declaration saying she believed I could do it. After talking for a few more minutes we decided to go wonder around the ship and possible partake in some battles with the other trainers on board.
Two hours later
We had moved to the ball room after a few battles outside on the deck and Cynthia was just about to have another battle when an announcement speaker blared to life asking for all trainers to make their way to the ball room for the raffle. Everyone was excited since the raffle system picket out the ticket numbers everyone had. There were seven small prizes that were given out before they announced that they were gonna call the three big prize winners all in a row before telling us what those prizes are.
The third place prize went to a guy Cynthia had battled earlier named Steven, who is from Hoenn. I watched the battle between the two and was amazed at how even it they were. He even chatted with me for a few minutes after the battle and from what I could tell he was a nice guy so I applauded for him.
Second place was Brock, who I cheered for with a huge smile, but was stunned into silence a few moments later when they announced that I was the first place prize winner.
Slowly making my way over to stand with Brock and Steven I felt a slap on the back or two as both of them congratulated me. The room went silent for a few moments as the announcer prepared our prizes.
Steven had won a collection of evolution materials, sorting through it he was happy to say there was one of everything a Pokemon could use to evolve. Brock won a portable Pokemon healing station, shocking the entire room because of how rare and expensive they are. But it was so silent you could hear a pin drop when they announced what I had won.
I won a full collection of Pokeballs and a Pokemon egg. You might say they went overboard with my prize considering the full collection included 10 of every type of Pokeball except of course the Mater ball, Heal ball, Friend ball, Cherish ball, and Luxury ball which instead I received one of each. But I was surprised when they handed me the egg as from my time studying alongside professor Oak I could tell it was close to hatching.
After a few moments of just standing there I recovered from my shock and smiled as I thanked the event coordinator for the prizes and quickly left the room intending to find a quiet spot on the ship that I could hide in so as not to be swamped with people congratulating me. Thankfully I found that quiet spot which was the room I was sharing with Brock and Cynthia. I sat down on my bed studying the egg, and realizing it would hatch before the day was over. Knowing professor Oak would love to hear about this, I planned to record it for him. Upon thinking about that I realized I had forgotten to tell mom that I was given tickets for the SS Anne.
Deciding to call and tell mom about my day I quickly pulled out my Pokedex and dialed the phone at home. I told mom about everything that happened, getting praised for how well I was doing though she did chew me out a little about forgetting to tell her about being on the SS Anne until now. We talked for a bit longer before I hung up, decided to give the professor a heads up that I'd be sending him a video soon.
As I dialed him both Brock and Cynthia returned to our room. I smiled at the two of them who were accompanied by Steven, getting told he asked if he could come hide from the other trainers who would swamp him for his prize. I chuckled and nodded to him just before my call connected with professor Oak.
Call
"Hey professor I was just calling to warn you about a video I plan to send your way after I record it."
"Okay, why did you want to warn me about it?
"Well I was given a ticket for the SS Anne and just so happened to have won the first place raffle prize which included a Pokemon egg, that if my judgments are correct will be hatching within the next few hours. I figured I'd send you a video of it to help you with your research"
"Oh, well congrats on getting a Pokemon egg but do you mind showing me the egg so I can confirm if it'll hatch soon?"
"Not at all professor" turns Pokedex around to show off the egg
"Yup you're correct Ash. I'd estimate roughly 3 or 4 hours till it hatches"
"Alright, thanks professor. I'll probably call again after it hatches though just to make sure you get the video"
"Then I'll talk to you later Ash."
End Call
"You know professor Oak?" Steven asked sounding interested.
"Yeah, I grew up in Pallet town and actually worked as an assistant of his for a few years before starting my Pokemon journey this year." I mentioned. Steven nodded at that and said he was jealous that I got to work with the most renown professor of all time. I just laughed and told him I'd have to introduce him sometime. After that He, Brock, Cynthia and I passed the time sharing stories and just getting to know each other better.
If it wasn't for the egg starting to shine and shake in the incubator, we wouldn't have known how long we had been talking. But once it did Brock ushered Cynthia and Steven out of the room, with Pikachu in his arms saying one of the things he's learned since he started studying to be a Pokemon breeder is that a newly hatch Pokemon will get confused and scared if it sees too many people or Pokemon at once.
Nodding my head in thanks to Brock I quickly pulled the egg out of the incubator and sat it down in the middle of the bed I had claimed for myself earlier. I moved myself so that I was sitting agaisnt the head board and set my Pokedex on the video function before filming the egg. Surprisingly enough the egg started falling apart as the Pokemon inside broke free, before the glow dimmed down like it was supposed to. I watched with awe at the sight before me as the Pokemon finally freed enough of itself for me to be able to identify it as a Riolu.
Once I saw that it was a Riolu my eyes went wide, as I remembered that Riolu evolves into Lucario and Lucario can instinctively use aura. After remembering that I was even more ecstatic over this egg. Eventually Riolu managed to fully break out of the egg and look up at me. I couldn't help but fawn over how cute it looked, especially when it stood on wobbly legs and moved to me, nuzzling into my chest.
But I was shocked when I felt a small tug on my aura before feeling the connection with the little one. 'Hi daddy' Riolu said through our newly established aura bond. Chuckling at the title I now have I responded 'Hello there little one. My name's Ash.' Riolu looked up at my face and smiled cheering at meeting me.
'It's nice to meet you Riolu' I sent mentally, only to see Riolu shake it's head. 'My name is Conan' Riolu stated. I nodded my head, and corrected my statement. After a few minutes Conan fell asleep. I decided to scan him with the Pokedex before sending the recording over to professor Oak.
"Riolu, the emanation Pokemon. This Pokemon's body is little yet powerful. It can crest three mountains and cross two canyons in one night. This Riolu is male. It's ability is Inner Focus. It knows the moves Quick Attack, Endure, and Counter. Its egg move Detect hasn't been activated yet."
After a few moments of fiddling around with the Pokedex I finally managed to send the video to the professor. Before calling him however I decided to actually catch my Riolu. Gently shaking him awake I explained the process to him saying that as it was right now he could travel with me but if someone else threw a Pokeball at him, they could catch him and make him their Pokemon. He hated that idea and begged me to make him one of my Pokemon, so I nodded and grabbed one of my empty Pokeballs. I held it out for him and told him to tap the button on it.
Conan did as I said and the Pokeball dinged as it successfully caught him. I quickly let him out of the Pokeball only to be hugged again as he said he didn't want to be seperated from me if he didn't have to be. I gently hugged him back and then called the professor to make sure he got the video which he did. After ending the call Conan started yawning which led to me checking the time and deciding it was time for bed anyway. I let Conan drift off back to sleep and opened the door to let the others back into the room quietly telling them about Conan. Once they were all caught up on the situation I curled up in bed with Conan snuggled in my arms and Pikachu laying right below him pressed up against my stomach. Shortly after Pikachu and I got comfy I told everyone goodnight and let myself fall asleep.
S.R: Before moving on to the Pokémon list I would like to mention any Pokémon Ash finds as an egg or are given to him (which will happen later) will receive names.
M.R: The egg Pokémon will tell him their name like Riolu did, where as the ones that are given to him will not as the person giving Ash the Pokémon will tell him what they are called.
ON HAND:
1. Pikachu (m) 2. Bulbasaur (f) 3. Squirtle (f) 4. Charmander (m) 5. Pigeotto (f) 6. Riolu (m)
AT THE RANCH:
(f) 2. Beedrill (m) 3. Nidorino (m) 4. Zubat (m)