Disclaimer: I Don't Own Pokémon.
Xxx
Friendship!
"Someone has attacked the Pokémon Center!" The little girl told Brock. No sooner she said that, ones of the walls exploded inward, throwing debris and rocks upon the occupants.
"Heads up!" Brock warned just in time. Eevee jumped and fired off a few Shadow Balls, the balls stopping the debris from hitting them and reducing them to mere dust.
"Nice one." Ash said, shielding himself from the small pebbles and dirt. Sure, they didn't hurt much but they still stung. Smoke began to drift inside the gym, alerting them. "Skylar blow them away!"
Ash's avian came out, flapping her wings quickly to blow the smoke away. However, a dark and sneaky figure dashed from inside, striking her and throwing her down.
"What the?!" Ash called out in alarm, having heard Skylar's cry of pain. The Pidgeotto staggered back, ice on a nice chunk of her wing. The smoke enveloped all of them and Eevee yipped in alarm.
Her ears, more sensitive than the humans, caught the figure rushing towards her and she countered with an Iron Tail. The figure used its sharp claws to block it, grabbing her tail and throwing her away, an orange glow around her.
Eevee hit the ground hard, trying her fastest to find footing, and yipped in pain as an Ice Beam struck her hind legs and froze them. The figure rushed forwards, its claws glowing in a Night Slash attack.
Eevee's eyes widened as the figure reached her at high speeds. Her frozen lower side didn't help either. She tried to form a Shadow Ball but the figure had reached her by then. The figure stabbed her claw towards her throat. Eevee awaited the feeling of those claws in her flesh-
-when the ground in front of her burst and May's Mightyena delivered a powerful Dig to it. The figure, caught by surprise, suffered a heavy blow, further continued by a Dark Pulse that flung it away.
Stony walls erupted from the ground around the trainers as a line of defense and a Steelix roared. "Sandstorm." Brock commanded. Steelix began to spin fast, stirring up sand and blowing the smoke away.
The figure was revealed to be a Sneasel, one who was growling and snarling at Mightyena. May and Brock stood in front of Ash and Cynthia, looking at the Sneasel with calculating eyes.
"What just happened?" Cynthia asked in alarm. Ash quickly pocketed his badge and found Eevee lying on the ground, breathing heavily and half frozen.
"Eevee!" Ash hollered. Skylar was already in her pokéball, having suffered a powerful hit in the form of an Ice Punch. Ash returned her as well, looking at the Sneasel with surprise. It took out both Skylar and Eevee all by himself?!
The Sneasel hissed before disappearing into his shadow, said non matter dashing away. Steelix roared and Mightyena howled tauntingly. May turned to Ash and Cynthia.
"Are you two ok?" She questioned. They nodded. "The Pokémon Center is being attacked as we speak." She said to Brock. "I'll head over to there and try to control the situation."
"We'll go with you-" Cynthia was interrupted by the brunette.
"You'll only get in the way." She stated. "Ash's Pokémon are all tired and so are yours. It'll be better if you stay hidden here."
"But-" Ash tried.
"She's right." Brock cut in. "I doubt-" He was again cut off as a Hyper Beam was deflected by Steelix's shining tail. Two Nidoking rushed inside, followed by a Rhydon.
"Damn." May cursed. Following them was a man in all black, a red 'R' insignia on the right side of his chest. Flanking him were more Nidoking and Rhydon.
Brock released more of his real team, a strange Pokémon with a blue head and a Golem. They stood around Steelix, in front of the trainers. The Nidoking all roared and began to rush them.
"Rock Slide." Brock muttered. "Earthquake. Neutral." Golem grabbed a rock and threw it in the Nidoking's path. The rock struck the ground and shook in a powerful quake. At the same time, the strange Pokémon released his own controlled Earthquake, neutralizing the Earthquake while large rocks fell on top of the Nidoking, crushing them under their weight.
"Impressive." The figure commented jawline fit into a smirk. "You're stronger than I thought Mr. Brock."
"Who are you?" Brock questioned. "And what are you doing at my gym?" The man chuckled.
"You're not in a position to ask me that at all Brock." Brock frowned in confusion. "Just look behind you." Ash and Cynthia looked back to see a shadow dart towards them.
The Sneasel from before jumped at them but May's Mightyena interrupted him mid lunge and the two began a feral brawl. The rocks from the Rock Slide shattered, spraying tiny pebbles around, and the Nidoking all stood back up.
"Oldest trick in the house." May commented. She grabbed her pokéball and threw them. Her entire team spammed out excluding the Pokémon who fought against Brock.
"Is that so?" The man questioned. "So the rumors are true. The powerful May Maple is in Kanto and with two starting trainers." His eyes trailed from May to Ash and Cynthia. "Are you hiring?"
"That's none of your problems." May growled. The man smirked.
"Okay then." He pulled out a remote with a red button. "This is maybe." He pressed the button and explosions rang all around them. Brock and May's team all reacted accordingly.
The roof caved in and the gym collapsed, burying everyone under them. The man give one last unnerving smirk to May and Brock before debris broke their eye contact.
Xxx
The former gym of Pewter, a beautiful and prestigious infrastructure, broke upon itself, burying its inhabitants and stuff inside it. At the same time, smoke covered every nook and cranny of the Pokémon Center, the invaders all vanishing within moments.
There was a shift in the debris before it was thrown away. A snake made from steel came out, roaring and fishing out the trainers inside. Ash lay limp on top of Cynthia, the blonde feeling scared and whimpering.
May got out of the debris, dirt and bruises evident on her, and quickly checked up on her tutees. She crouched down and quickly lifted Ash off Cynthia, helping Cynthia up.
"Are you okay?" May asked, holding Cynthia tight to her chest. Cynthia nodded, mind in too much frenzy to even form words. May hushed her, rubbing her back soothingly, and checked up on Ash.
The boy had a bump on his head, evident when he had jumped on top of the fear stricken Cynthia. His jacket was roughed up but other than that, he seemed fine.
"Everyone fine?" Brock asked, getting out from under his Steelix with his little sister and returning him. Good thing Steelix had managed to throw up a powerful Protect to block out any major damage to them before it broke.
"Ash is knocked out and Cynthia is scared." May told him. "And my right elbow seems to have been hurt." She said, wincing when she shook said appendage.
"Nurse Joy can tend to that easily." Brock told her. "Any minor injuries on them?" May shook her head. "That's a relief." May suddenly felt dizzy.
Her knees buckled and she almost fell down had Brock not caught her. She could hear Brock trying to wake her up but May couldn't formulate a single answer.
Darkness enveloped her vision and she joined Ash in slumber.
Xxx
One week after…
Ash, Cynthia, and May were now ready to leave the disaster of Pewter behind them. True to Brock's word, Nurse Joy had treated and patched them up as before.
Not that there were any dangerous injuries but still…
Ash and Cynthia were quieter now, not chatting much with anyone. May knew the incident before had affected her but the brunette wasn't going to let it affect someone that bad.
"So Cynthia," May began casually. "That was a nice strategy with Roselia. I didn't know you had one." Cynthia smile a little at that.
"That was a gift from my friend Ryan from Sinnoh." She said, a light blush creeping on her cheeks. "He said that it would help me against Brock."
"It did help a lot." Ash added. "Too bad you missed her battle." He said accusingly to May.
"Sorry about that. I had something to take care of." May apologized. "But hey! At least you trashed Brock completely didn't you?" Cynthia nodded.
"Your battle was epic as well May." Ash complimented. "You had him on his toes the entire time."
"He cornered me a lot as well." May replied. "It was too close for my comfort."
"At least ours was easy." Ash grinned.
"That won't last long." Cynthia told him. "They say the New Gym Leader of Cerulean doesn't pull any punches." May had a sudden thought.
"Hey." She interrupted. "What do you say? Should we train more after reaching Cerulean or before reaching it?" Ash and Cynthia exchanged glances.
"After reaching Cerulean would be much better." Ash added. "We won't run out of supplies too soon."
"Why? I'm all for travelling and avoiding a bit of battling." Cynthia added.
"Oh. Just a thought." May said, cutting off any further debate on the topic. She had a nagging suspicion the ones who attacked Pewter had set their base in Mt. Moon and by leading the duo with her into it, she was exposing them to danger.
The rest of the walk was continued in comfortable silence, unlike the awkward one before. The trio decided to take a break and have lunch so they made a comfortable camp.
Ash pulled out some sandwiches and handed them to May and Cynthia, the former trying to humbly reject them before being forced. May in turn handed them Energy Drinks to drink.
May released her Pokémon and gave all of them a stark nod. They all spread out. When the duo questioned her, she responded with "They wanted to stretch their legs a little" which was a partial lie.
"You should release your Pokémon as well." May added. "It'll help you bond." They nodded and released them, chatting away. May's sapphire eyes glanced at the towering figure of Mt Moon and she decided to check some way around it.
The brunette almost jumped when Cynthia tapped on her shoulder. "Are you okay?" The blonde questioned. May nodded. "You seemed really worried about something."
"It's nothing." May waved her off. She whistled and her Mightyena howled from somewhere. Within moments all of her team was with her. "We're ready to move?"
"Yup." Ash said who had packed up and let Eevee and Skylar stay out. Skylar scouted ahead to check for any danger and practice some maneuvers she and Ash had discussed.
"Your Zeus is very close to evolving Ash." May told the Kantonian. Ash glanced at her with interest. "His sparks are growing stronger day by day. Don't be surprised if he evolves into a Pikachu before even reaching Cerulean." Ash's face split into a smile then.
"I can't wait for it!" Ash celebrated. "Say. Do you think he'll evolve now if he has a good battle with someone?" May shrugged.
"Maybe." Ash turned to Cynthia.
"Want to have a friendly one on one?" Cynthia shrugged. She grabbed a pokéball. Ash called out his Zeus while Cynthia called out her Fenniken. May sat on one of the many rocks littering on the way.
"Don't get carried away though!" May called out. The two trainers called out commands and the fight began.
Xxx
In the end, Zeus didn't evolve but managed to force Fenniken to her last legs. The mouse was done for by then, and Fenniken would've ended him with an Ember had May not intervened.
The older brunette said that while Zeus did extremely well against Fenniken, he had a little problem controlling the outage of his electricity. The control he had, however, showed that his evolution was very near.
After healing Zeus and Fenniken, the two had gained some more ground, during which many trainers had fought against them. Ash seemed interested in the many Rock Types they were using but May had stopped him from trying to capture any of them.
"Try to focus on each of your Pokémon first and train them personally. Expanding too quickly will only result in problems." Ash took that in stride and spent more time with them during night.
Cynthia, however, had her suspicions. May seemed on edge ever since they had left Pewter. Whether that had to do with the attack or something else she didn't know for certain.
"This seems like a good place to setup camp." Ash said, looking at the clearing. May nodded. The trio quickly erected their tents and, having dinner quickly, sat down in comfortable silence.
"Any strategies for Cerulean?" May asked. Ash nodded.
"Once Zeus evolves, I'll begin to train him into focusing his electricity into powerful bursts and teach him Iron Tail as well. Thunderbolt and Iron Tail are my first options. Other moves he can learn are Discharge, Feint, Double Team, and Wild Charge. The last is difficult to learn though."
"You think that you can achieve all of that by the time we reach Cerulean?" May asked, surprised. Ash shook his head.
"Not at all. Discharge is a very powerful but energy consuming move. Zeus won't be able to do it anytime soon. Feint is comparatively easy and so is Double Team. Wild Charge is scheduled after Discharge since both require heavy energy."
"You think Zeus can learn Iron Tail and Double Team before we reach Cerulean?" May asked.
"Dig as well." Ash added. "All of them can be taught by Eevee. Besides, I'm in no hurry to challenge the Gym Leader. I'll take things by my own pace."
"So Zeus will be your heavy hitter?" May questioned. Ash nodded. "Any backup?"
"Skylar is a good option but Water Types can learn Ice Beam as well so that's just an idea. Eevee will be the best option next to Zeus. If it is a three on three, then all of them have to pull through."
May nodded appreciatively, impressed by his mindset. Ash had the guts in him to become a strong trainer. She hoped it wouldn't be hindered by the scenes in Pewter though…
"What about you?" May questioned the blonde. Cynthia perked up at that.
"Roselia." She answered automatically. "Fenniken is weak to water and her Psychic abilities are not that honed. Nidoran will be my second Pokémon. And if she falls, then Fenniken will be the finisher."
"You rely on Type Advantage a little too much Cynthia." May said. "It'll help in starting but later on it'll only hinder you." Cynthia considered that. "You can start with Fenniken to test the Gym Leader and then send in Roselia. Fenniken needs experience against Water Types anyway."
"Maybe." Cynthia murmured. She stretched, yawning. "Well. I'm all for sleep. Chat you two later." She walked to her tent, walking in and zipping it close.
Ash got up as well. "I'm going to take a nap too. Ok?" May nodded. "Night." Ash walked to his tent and, closing it, joined Cynthia in her slumber.
May sat there, looking at the shrouded figure of Mt. Moon with a weary glance. The attackers in Pewter would most probably be in there with a stronghold. If she went through it with her tutees, then…
May shook her head to clear any doubts. "They have to face the world sooner or later anyway." She spoke to herself. "Besides, they won't lay a hand on them, not while I'm with them."
Her mind flashed back to Pewter, when the man in black with an 'R' had easily attacked Pewter and got away intact. Ash and Cynthia were this close to being fatally harmed by that Sneasel. They barely came out unscathed.
What did they need in Pewter though? What was so important that they had to show such violence, blowing up the gym? May's hand idly played with her hair while she considered her options.
Eventually, her mind burned out its juice and she dropped asleep mid thoughts. Resting her head on the rocky ground, May curled up, the slightly chilly air making her shiver.
Xxx
May stirred, feeling tired despite her nap. The brunette felt movement around her and tensed. "May?" Someone shook the brunette. "May? Are you ok?"
"Lemme sleep." May mumbled in her sleep. The figure shook her again before sighing. A light jolt passed through her body and she woke up abruptly.
"Wha?" May gasped, getting up. She saw Cynthia looking at her with a concerned look, Zeus at her side. "Cynthia? What are you doing here?" May questioned, composing her hair.
"I should be asking that." Cynthia retorted, gesturing to the wide expanse around her. "What are you doing here?" May looked around and saw nothing but rocks.
"Oh." May said, sitting up straight. "I fell asleep while thinking." She muttered.
"What?" Cynthia said, having missed her murmurs.
"Nothing." May groaned and stood up, looking at the dark sky above her. "What time is it?"
"Four AM." Cynthia replied. May sighed, her mind bleary.
"What are you doing up this late?" The brunette questioned, trying to make heads or tails of her current predicament.
"Zeus woke me up." Cynthia answered calmly. "He feels like he's almost about to evolve now. The energy is keeping him all giddy."
"Oh." May scratched the mouse behind his ear. "Let's wake your trainer up, shall we?" Zeus nodded and May got up, groaning as her legs nearly gave away.
Cynthia was at her side, helping her up. "Are you okay May?"
"I'm as okay as someone who's woken at four." May replied grumpily. Cynthia flushed. "It's okay." She staggered towards Ash's tent, her mind hurting.
Waking Ash up as well, which was a bit harder than waking May let me tell you, the trio were seated around Zeus. "You look half dead." May commented to Ash.
"Better than your hair." Ash joked. May blushed at that. Her hair weren't in their best condition at the moment. Eevee and Zeus were fighting currently, trying to rile up Zeus's evolution.
At last, it happened. Zeus's entire form was enveloped in a bright white glow. His form shifted as the trainers watched in awe. When the glow died down, in place of a Pichu stood a Pikachu.
Zeus let out a blast of electricity in happiness, Eevee nuzzling him in joy. That, in turn, made her paralyzed due to Zeus's Nuzzle. "Congrats Zeus!" Ash smiled.
"Let's continue to Mt. Moon." May said suddenly. "Get prepared. We'll be leaving in an hour."
"In an hour?" Cynthia began. "Isn't that early?" May nodded.
"That's why we're leaving." May walked into her tent to get ready, leaving the duo to wonder.
"Something's up Ash." Cynthia told the raven haired boy. "She's too edgy ever since we left Pewter."
"I noticed it too." Ash replied. "Maybe she's feeling paranoid due to the scene in Pewter."
"Maybe." Cynthia sighed. "I have a theory on this Ash." This perked Ash's attention. "Do you remember she was late for my match? Maybe she found something about Mt. Moon during that."
"That may be it." Ash trailed. "But I think we're overlooking things. For all we know, she may be feeling the aftereffects of Pewter. Seeing as we-"
"You mean you." Cynthia interrupted an annoyed look on her face. While she did appreciate the fact Ash pushed her out of danger's way, he himself was injured due to that. Cynthia didn't like being saved. She wasn't some princess or damsel in distress!
"Yeah, I got hurt during it. Maybe she's feeling sorry." Ash suggested. Cynthia exhaled.
"Let's get ready Ash. We'll confront her later." He nodded. They went their separate ways, preparing themselves for the early travelling.
Xxx
"Here we are." Ash announced. The trio stared at the gate in front of Mt. Moon, where a guard stood with an Arcanine. "Mt. Moon." May cracked her neck to get rid of the cranks in it and straightened.
"Let's go." The trio walked to the guard and stopped in front of him.
"Identity." He said bored. The trio introduced themselves, and were handed forms. May had already told them about this. That was part of the reason she was a bit wary of passing Mt Moon.
They finished the forms and entered the mountain. In front of them lay a tunnel, lit up by various lights. "That sucks." Ash frowned.
"What sucks?" May questioned.
"That the League won't take responsibility if any trainer dies inside the mountain." Cynthia replied. "Sinnoh never does any of this… as far as I know."
"The Government may have changed rules for all we know." Ash retorted a little annoyed as he always was when Kanto and Sinnoh were compared. "The same could've occurred here."
"Actually," May interrupted. "The rule is in implement for a long time. So it's pretty well known that crossing Mt Moon means risking your life without any backup."
"Oh." Ash said, realizing the full brunt of damage and risk there. No even Viridian Forest was that frightening!
"Don't be worried though." May cut in. "I'll be there. Nothing wrong will happen." 'I really hope so.'
"Someone's confident." Cynthia joked. "C'mon. Let's go. I didn't wake up so soon to chit chat."
The trio began into the well-lit tunnel. "For someplace so scary, they sure made it easy." Cynthia commented.
"But this disrupts the Pokémon and their natural habitats." May scowled. "Zubat in particular hate light. That's the reason they're secluded to dark caves."
"Maybe the League has a reason for this." Ash suggested. May shrugged.
"They may have. They may not." She said. "We may never know." Ash let out Zeus, both for comfort purposes and for him to get used to his body more.
Sure, when Pokémon evolved, they felt it natural to move. However, to achieve extreme dexterity and the full use of their body, they needed practice.
Ash released Eevee as well to keep Zeus Company. "So May." Ash began. "You'll be departing after Cerulean?"
"Yeah." May agreed. "Our paths will most probably separate by then." That captured the attention of Cynthia.
"Where will you head from there anyway?" She questioned. May shrugged.
"I'm expected to meet a friend there. From then I wonder where we'll head." She answered.
"Would you leave your Kanto journey if you go to some other region?" Ash questioned. May pondered that. Would she?
"Probably not." May responded after a moment. "How will we battle in the Indigo League if I do so?"
"True." Ash admitted. "I'll hold that to you." May grinned.
"I'm sure you will." Cynthia stared at the walls of the tunnel. They seemed pretty solid. At least she wouldn't have to worry about the whole mountain collapsing.
'The same could've been said for the gym.' Her mind rang. Cynthia winced. Now she was feeling claustrophobic. She just hoped that they would get out of Mt. Moon soon.
She wasn't the only one feeling that. A certain brunette felt the need as well.
Xxx
"Thunderbolt!" Ash ordered. Zeus unleashed the blast towards Skylar who endured the hit. The Pidgeotto squawked as electricity coursed through her body but managed to endure it.
"Dig!" Eevee burst from under Zeus, hitting him in an uppercut. Zeus was sent flying back but recovered. May had told him that training his Pokémon against types they were weak against would increase their toughness.
"Nice one guys." Ash congratulated once they all recovered. "Zeus and Eevee. You two are sparring. Iron Tail and Quick Attack. Nothing else. Skylar, you'll be with me." Leaving the two to their own devices, Ash and the avian walked away.
"Hey Ash!" May called after him. "Where are you going?" She asked, hands on her hips.
"I'm going to go try to find a Drillbur." Ash responded. "My pokedex says they are rare around these parts but can be found."
"What did I tell you about expanding your team too quickly?" She questioned.
"It's just an opportunity I cannot let pass!" Ash protested. "Besides, I'm paying all of them equal attention aren't I?" May tried to think of a proper response to that statement but gave in.
"Ok. But I'll come with you." She declared. Her Pokémon were ready to move, looking up from their bowls, but she gestured them to continue and gave a slight nod towards Cynthia. They knew what to do.
Cynthia was busy reading a book she had taken from her home. It told her more about Fire Types and ways to train them. It would help her bond with Fenniken more.
"We'll be back in some time." May hollered to the blonde and they left. "You'll try to catch a Drillbur with Skylar only?" She asked.
"Yeah. Figured she'll more than enough for a Drillbur." Ash replied.
"Don't get too cocky." May warned. "Where could we find a Drillbur though?"
"They stay around here." Ash muttered. "But where is the question." Ash said.
"Drillbur are rare." May admitted. "We'll be lucky to even glance at one. They're mole Pokémon. They'll most probably be… underground." She said when she felt movement from under her.
"There it is!" Ash exclaimed, pointing at a mole like Pokémon. The Drillbur spotted him and quickly scurried away. "Oh no you don't!" Skylar shot from his shoulder towards the mole.
Drillbur spun like a drill and dug under the ground, escaping Skylar's talons easily. The Pidgeotto growled in anger before flying back to Ash. Ash consoled her with a scratch at her neck.
"Don't worry." Ash soothed. "We'll find more later."
It turned out wrong, however, as they wandered for about an hour, finding no Drillbur. That surprised Ash. The pokedex said they were rare but not that much so.
"Where are they?" Ash snarled in annoyance. "I can't find any!" May frowned.
"We should get back by now." She commented. "I-" She stopped when she heard a sound. Ash began to speak but May hushed him. "Hear that?"
Ash strained his ears, trying to find it. It was faint, almost inaudible, but it was present. "Is that…" The duo began to walk towards the song. The closer they went, the closer the voice of a rushing river rang in their ears.
"There it is!" Ash said, pointing to a powerful stream running through Mt Moon by his position atop a tall cliff. "Powerful, isn't it?" Ash commented. May nodded back.
"If we're here…" May mumbled. She pulled out her pokedex and zoomed in her pre downloaded map of Mt Moon. "Then we're at the heart of Mt Moon! This river leads directly to Cerulean."
"Really?" Ash stretched. "How did we reach here is the question." May frowned, a nagging suspicion rattling in her mind.
"Let's get back to camp." She commented. "Something doesn't feel right here." The two turned and prepared to leave when the ground under them exploded.
It blasted them off their feet, directly in the path of the rushing water. Skylar shrieked and grabbed Ash by his arm, digging her talons in his arm by accident.
"May!" Ash yelled as Skylar threw him at the banks of the river. The brunette hit the water, submerging with a splash. Ash reached for his pokéball when realizing he had none.
Skylar took off from his shoulder, opening her wings as she glided over the water. Using her Keen Eye ability, she spotted a strand of May's brown hair and leapt with the grace of a predator.
Clutching her claws tightly to May's arm, she began to drag her against the current. The brunette coughed up water, trying to breathe, but failed.
"A little more!" Ash yelled. Skylar screeched with effort and managed to reach near the edge. Ash took off his jacket and jumped in the water. The current immediately tried to wash him away but he grabbed May and fought against it, quickly reached the edge and climbing out of it.
Skylar panted with exhaustion, eyes drooping. Ash returned her back to her pokéball, thanking her for her effort. He shook May, helping her up.
The brunette coughed out water, wiping her eyes and brushing her wet bangs out of her face. She tried to speak before coughing again. "Easy." Ash consoled her.
"What happened?" May wheezed. "How did the land just… explode?"
"Maybe I can answer that." The two turned to look at the source and found a man with turquoise hair sneering at them. A Houndoom was next to him, flames licking his maw.
"Proton." May scowled, getting back up. "What are you doing here?"
"Chilling." He joked. "We meet again May Maple. I thought we would never see each other again."
"The feeling's mutual." May said, standing in front of Ash. She grabbed a pokéball on her waist. "I think Mightyena would like seeing you again!"
She threw the pokéball and her grey hyena came out, howling and snarling at the sight of Houndoom. "I thought as much." Proton chuckled.
"Ash. Get out of here." May whispered to him. "I'll handle him."
"But-" Ash was interrupted.
"Go." May fixed Proton with a stare. If that… that creep was here, than his entire team would be as well. "Get Cynthia and leave Mt Moon as soon as possible. I'll meet you at Cerulean."
Ash's eyes widened. May was ordering him to leave her alone in the face of that strange dude? He followed her order though, running away as fast as he could.
"Idiot." Proton mumbled. "Okay Houndoom. Use Flamethrower!" Houndoom unleashed the attack spontaneously towards Mightyena. The hyena countered with a Dark Pulse, the two exploding.
"Double Team into Feint Attack!" May ordered. Mightyena took the advantage of the smoke and rushed inside it, coming out in a dozen copies of himself.
"That won't work!" Houndoom quickly unleashed smog and sparked it with Flamethrower. The area around him exploded violently, throwing Mightyena away and poisoning him as well. "Crunch!"
"Façade!" May smirked. Mightyena righted himself and tackled into the approaching Houndoom with a silvery glow. Houndoom bit down on his neck as he passed him, flinging him back.
"Hyper Beam." Mightyena didn't have time to move when the violent beam exploded in his face, flinging him at May's feet.
"Mightyena!" She called out in concern. The hyena tried to get up when Houndoom unleashed a never ending stream of flames on him. May stumbled back at the searing heat, and could only look helplessly.
"Protect into Dig!" She formulated. A green barrier erected between Mightyena and Houndoom, and the former dug into the ground just before the Protect broke.
"Flamethrower!" Houndoom roared and unleashed the flames. The brunette's eyes widened when she realized the target wasn't' Mightyena.
It was May.
"Ah!" May shrieked as the flames enveloped her, forcing her down to her knees. Proton chuckled maniacally.
"Don't let up!" He smirked. "Let's see how that hyena battles now!" Predictably, Mightyena came out and hit Houndoom with a Dig powered Façade, jaws snapping around his neck.
Houndoom unleashed smog and used Fire Fang to light it up, his Flash Fire protecting him while Mightyena suffered the worst from it. Proton chuckled maniacally as both the trainer and Pokémon struggled against their injuries.
"Finish them Houndoom." He ordered. "Hyper Beam."
Xxx
Ash ran as fast as he could, ignoring the explosions behind him. His heart pumped at an alarming rate, adrenaline coursing through his body. He reached the campsite within fifteen minutes, collapsing when he reached there.
"Ash!" Cynthia hurried to his side. "Are you okay?" Ash took a moment to gather his breathe before speaking.
"May." He began. "She's in grave danger. Some guy named Proton attacked us!" Cynthia got to her feet immediately. May's Pokémon perked up at that.
Gardevoir extracted May's location from his mind and she, Jolteon, and Ninetails vanished in a burst of light. "They'll save May for sure." Cynthia sighed in relief. "I'm sure of it."
"I'm not." Ash responded. Cynthia looked at him in surprise. "His Houndoom looked very strong. And judging from the explosions behind me, he and May were evenly matched."
"May only had Mightyena with her though." Cynthia sighed. "And a Houndoom has a better performance against Mightyena because of his Fire Typing."
"I only hope they are enough to save May." Ash said. The duo waited for May's Pokémon to flash back, each second passing feeling like an hour.
"Please be careful May." Ash whispered.
Xxx
May's eyes snapped open as she saw the destructive beam of Hyper Beam raced towards her. She leapt to the side, narrowly missing the blast.
It struck the wall behind her, breaking it down. "You're better than I thought." Proton sneered. "Capable of walking even when suffering such burns."
"Bitch please." May panted. "You really thought I'll be that defenseless?" Proton snapped his fingers and Houndoom unleashed another Flamethrower.
"Well yeah." Proton said. "Your Mightyena is down and you're out of Pokémon." May chuckled despite her condition even as the Flamethrower raced towards her.
"Why did you think I send Ash away instead of fighting with him?" May questioned. Just as she said that, a thick barrier stretched in front of her, blocking the flames.
"Gr." Proton gritted his teeth as Gardevoir appeared besides her. A Thunderbolt struck Houndoom and forced him back. Jolteon appeared as a speedy blur and tackled Proton into the water.
Ninetails appeared above Houndoom and slammed her steeled nine tails into his face. Proton quickly grabbed something on his wrist and teleported out of the water, his Houndoom going along.
Gardevoir tried to intercept but May stopped her with a gesture. "Can you pinpoint his location?" Gardevoir nodded. "Then be ready. Ninetails and Jolteon. You ready to bang some crooks?"
They nodded. May returned Mightyena back to his Pokémon and nodded at the Embrace Pokémon. "Teleport us to his position. Everyone, unleash your attacks."
They nodded. With a flash of light, the trio of Pokémon and one trainer vanished.
Xxx
Blaziken perked up. He said something to Eevee before he and Dustox also disappeared in a flash of light. Ash and Cynthia stood up in alarm. Blaziken began gesturing and yipping something to Ash which he half understood.
"You mean May needed them?" Eevee nodded, pointing with her tail. "What do you mean by that?" She pulled Ash's pant leg and began to gesture their bags. "We should move on?" Eevee nodded.
"What do you say?" Ash asked Cynthia. The blonde frowned in thought.
"I say we should move." She quickly picked her bag and returned her Pokémon, leaving only Fenniken out. Ash nodded and did the same with his as well.
With only Pikachu and Fenniken out, the duo continued their traversing through the mountain. A bit paranoid due to the recent events and the lack of an experienced trainer with them, Ash and Cynthia were on edge.
"So…" Ash began conversationally, both to break the awkward silence and to kill the queasiness in his stomach. "What are your training plans?"
"Mine?" Cynthia asked back while glancing around.
"Obviously." Ash rolled his eyes.
"I'm thinking of training Roselia better in harnessing her power and teaching Fenniken some other type moves as well. I also want to train Nidoran better. Her ability to poison the opponent will come in handy in the upcoming battles." Cynthia informed him.
"Those are some nice plans." Ash complimented. "I thought of having Zeus practice Iron Tail on the various Rock Types around Mt Moon but that has to be put on the backburner for now."
"Zeus will learn them in no time." Cynthia assured him. "Eevee knows the attacks and will help him. The thing you should worry about is his usage of his electricity. Thunderbolt won't help if he runs out of juice too quickly."
"True." Ash said. "Let's have Roselia and Zeus fight against each other once we reach Cerulean. You'll learn Roselia's style better and Zeus will benefit from fighting against other Pokémon."
Cynthia made a checking motion in the air. "Anything else sir?" She joked.
"Yeah actually." Ash blinked. "I want your help."
"What do you want?"
"My mom's birthday is right around the corner. I want to buy her a souvenir from Cerulean." Ash confessed. "The problem is I don't know much about gifts. You always help me buy gifts for her. Can you help me now as well?"
"Sure." Cynthia smiled. "Good thing you reminded me about that. I want to buy something for her as well."
"Any ideas?" Ash asked. "That way we'll be more successful in the search."
"How about something crafted from a Water stone?" Cynthia suggested. "They make beautiful sculptures from those."
"Aren't they expensive?" Ash questioned.
"So? We can get some money from our win against the Cerulean Gym Leader and if we combine both of ours, I'm pretty sure we can get one." She paused. "That is, if you want to gift her something together."
"Nah." Ash said. "I'm okay with that." He grinned. "Nice thought Cynthia. Sometimes I wonder what I would do without you." He complimented.
Cynthia blushed. "You'll do something." She replied, chuckling. "Just not as good as with me."
The rest of the walk was spent peacefully. They chatted away, any fear or edginess disappearing as their years of friendship brought easy talk. Including this one…
"Hey Cynth." Ash began. "Remember the time when you refused to cut your birthday cake until I arrived?"
"Huh?" Cynthia frowned in concentration. "I honestly don't." She confessed.
"Maybe you'll remember this way." Ash said a mischievous look on his face. He began to mock her voice. "I won't eat or drink anything until I see Ash! He should be at my birthday before anyone else. If he doesn't arrive within five minutes, I won't cut my cake or talk to anyone."
Cynthia blushed a deep red, the memory accompanied by something else as well. She playfully pushed Ash, pouting in mock annoyance. "You hurt my feelings." She whined, pretending to clutch her heart.
"Oh Cynth." Ash said, spreading his arm around her shoulder and pulling her in a one sided hug. "Oh my God. That is so embarrassing." Ash continued in a high pitched female voice.
"I hate you." Cynthia muttered.
"I love you too." Ash chuckled. Cynthia punched him in the ribs making him bounce back. "Do you remember the-"
"-time Gary stole your clothes when you were bathing in our Summer Camp and had to walk around all day in just your underwear?" Cynthia reminded innocently. Ash had the grace to look embarrassed at that.
"At least I didn't throw a tantrum." Ash shot back. "Fuzz bucket." He joked. Cynthia raised an eyebrow.
"Ashy-boy." She retorted.
"Bookworm." Ash snickered.
"Slowpoke." Cynthia growled.
"Blondie." Ash chuckled. Cynthia lost it. She tackled Ash to the ground and began to mock strangle him. Zeus, who was laughing at their whole argument, jumped out just in time.
Cynthia began to tickle Ash making the Kantonian laugh. "St-sto-stop!" Ash said between laughs. Cynthia grinned mischievously.
"Apologize." She smirked. Ash shook his head wildly. Cynthia began to tickle him faster. "Just say 'sorry Mistress Cynthia. I won't say anything again. I'm a chicken.' And I'll let you breathe."
Ash hand reached near her shoulders and he began to tickle her there. It was the blonde's turn to laugh uncontrollably. Ash quickly pushed her to the ground, sitting on top of her and having his way with her.
"I-I q-qu-qui-t!" Cynthia said in short bursts. "You win!" Ash stopped tickling her and dropped to the ground next to her. The blonde, a little shaky due to the tickling, panted.
"Who's the winner now?" Ash questioned, chuckling. Cynthia puffed her cheeks.
"Shut up." She grumbled well naturedly. "How did you-"
"Know about your ticklish spot?" Ash interrupted. "We're friends from the age of five Cynthia. I know everything about you."
"Really?" Cynthia asked a bit surprised. "What's my favorite food?"
"Ice cream." Ash responded.
"My favorite book?" She inquired.
"How to Become a Successful Trainer." Ash responded.
"Favorite elder?" She questioned.
"My mom." Ash grinned.
"Favorite region?" Cynthia asked, leaning in.
"Sinnoh." Ash said truthfully.
"Most hated friend?" Cynthia said, smirking.
"Gary Oak." Ash smiled.
"Best friend?" The blonde ended.
"A-" Ash paused. "Leaf Verdant." Internally, he was rolling in laughter. This was one topic that pestered Cynthia endlessly.
"Wrong." Cynthia said face set in a scowl. "He's Ryan." Ash's amusement ended quickly at that.
"Oh." Ash said after a moment. He felt a strange emotion burst inside him at that guy's name. Ash's fist clenched involuntarily. The two stared at each other for a few seconds, during which Cynthia's scowl slowly broke into a smile.
"Jealous much?" She joked. Ash took a deep breathe. Cynthia knew just how jealous Ash got at the mention of Ryan. That wasn't to say Ryan wouldn't get jealous either. If those two met one day…
"That wasn't funny." Ash grumbled. Cynthia chuckled at the sour look on his face.
"True, but your reaction was." She smirked. Ash got up, dusting his clothes. Cynthia got up as well, dusting her clothes. She felt a little… well, annoyed, that her clothes were crinkled and dusty due to their fun.
"We're continuing?" Ash questioned. Cynthia gave him a cheeky smile.
"Sure…" She trailed off. She fixed her target and with one quick leap, snatched Ash's hat off his head. Ash came to realization at that.
"Gimme that!" Ash ordered. Cynthia waved the hat in front of him teasingly.
"Get it yourself." She began to run away making Ash give chase. Zeus and Fenniken gave each other exasperated looks before running after them.
"Come and get it!" Cynthia teased. Ash quickly reached her. There were two reasons for this. One was that Ash was faster than her. Second was that Cynthia… well,
She tripped.
Cynthia saw the ground rush to meet her face first and shut her eyes closed. Ash gave a wild grip and managed to grab her around the waist. Cynthia jerked before being pulled back to her feet.
"Gotcha!" Ash cheered, fixing his hat back on his head. Cynthia panted, their fun earlier having winded her. The blonde relaxed in Ash's grip, resting her head against his shoulder.
"Damn." She breathed, turning to face him. "You sure know how to give a run for someone's money. Literally."
"You're so heavy!" Ash commented, forcing Cynthia to stand on her feet. Cynthia puffed her cheeks out, used to Ash's jokes about her weight by now.
"Feeling tired?" The blonde asked. Ash nodded, wiping some sweat from his head. "Let's have some rest before we continue. Okay?" The Kantonian nodded and sat down. Cynthia sat down next to him.
Ash used his backpack as a makeshift pillow and rested his head on it. Cynthia curled up at his side, falling into a nap almost immediately. Ash chuckled at that. She was more tired than she let on.
Ash put a protective arm around her and joined her in slumber.
Xxx
After a week of travelling, our heroic duo was tired and a bit annoyed at the long journey. Their condition was similar to when they were traversing Viridian Forest. At least this time they expected it and were handling it a bit better.
Only a bit. Mind You.
"Oh man." Ash said, sitting down. He brought out a water bottle from his bag and opened it. He gulped some down, wiping sweat from his forehead.
"We still have two day's travel ahead of us." Cynthia informed him. Ash grumbled and put his bottle back in his bag. "C'mon, let's continue." She offered Ash a hand.
The raven-haired boy took it and the duo continued. After about two more hours of walk, both paused and decided to take a rest. Ash collapsed on the ground, taking off his jacket.
"Tired much?" Cynthia asked teasingly.
"Yeah." Ash grunted. "What about you?"
"I'm okay." She replied. "Other than my legs aching and being completely sweaty. Yeah." Ash sweat dropped.
"Two more days of walk?" Ash moaned, glancing at his pokedex. "Man." Cynthia agreed with that. Could they really manage two more days of travel? It wasn't the distance that annoyed them or burned them out of energy.
It was the terrain.
Being completely rocky, that meant it was uneven and jagged at times. Rocks were littered haphazardly across the ground, being as tiny as pebbles and as large as big boulders. They had to be careful with each step.
They had met their fair share of trainers who gave them easy fights. Eevee, Skylar, and Zeus easily picked off opponents while Cynthia showed grace with her Roselia, Nidoran, and Fenniken.
"Do you think we'll meet May?" Ash asked suddenly. Cynthia processed the question. They hadn't seen their brunette friend in quite a while. Was she already in Cerulean or was she…
"Miss me?" They two turned and gasped at what they say. May stood there, a grin on her face. Her clothes seemed damaged and her skin showed light burns, with the addition of a small cut mark on her right cheek.
"May!" The two exclaimed, running forwards and enveloping the older and taller trainer in a hug. May chuckled and hugged them back. "We can hug and catch up all we want once we reach Cerulean."
Gardevoir, who was at her side but the two trainers hadn't noticed her, touched May on her shoulder and they were teleported out of Mt Moon.
"Go take a break, eat something, and freshen up. We'll talk later. Ok?" May commanded. They nodded and, giving Nurse Joy their pokéballs and registering a room, walked inside.
'Thank good they're out of Mt Moon.' May thought. 'If only they knew…'
Xxx
Sorry for the abrupt ending but I had to finish it somewhere. Hope you liked the slightly light, full of dialogue chapter. We went deeper in Ash's and Cynthia's relationship as friends and a bit of May's foreshadowing.