Mark Andrew: All will be answered within due time.
UltimateCCC: You sure?
Disclaimer: I don't own Pokémon and most probably never will. Sad music please.
Xxx
Separate Ways!
"I can explain mom." Cynthia mumbled in a small voice. Sophie's silvery eyes were full of barely restrained anger.
"Explain what?!" She shouted. "About how you were going to die? Oh hi mom, today I almost died. But who cares? I'm alive, barely, but I'm alive." She growled sarcastically.
"…" Cynthia didn't meet her gaze, hiding her face with her hair like she did when she was embarrassed.
"How are you though?" She questioned in concern. Cynthia simply raised her bandaged right hand. "And?" Cynthia stared back innocently but wilted when she saw her anger.
"His Sableye dealt some internal damage." She responded in a small voice. "Nurse Joy healed it up without any side effects though." She quickly added which was a lie.
"Ok." She responded, face void of any emotion. "Bye." The call was cut off. Cynthia sagged in her seat, breathing heavily. A hand touched her shoulder consolingly.
"How was it?" Ash questioned.
"Horrible." Cynthia responded. She looked up and saw Ash looking away from her. His eyes were full of shame, guilt, and sadness. "What happened Ash?" She asked.
"They had a chat." He replied slowly. "Mom said that we should travel alone now."
"What?!" Cynthia exclaimed. She quickly composed herself when she saw people were staring. "Why?"
"You see…"
Flashback…
"I know you love Pokémon and all but that doesn't mean you'll willingly sacrifice yourself for them!" Delia scolded.
"I couldn't let him take our Pokémon!" Ash protested.
"You could've called the police first though!" Delia growled.
"…That never crossed my mind." Ash face palmed.
"And she had to suffer!" Delia snarled. Ash stared at her in shock. "Do you know what Cynthia would've gone through if that older girl hadn't called the police?"
"But she's…" Ash weakly protested.
"Yeah right. You didn't think about her at all." Delia rolled her eyes. "Do you know what Sophie is going through right now? She cannot stop crying at the moment. Hasn't she gone through enough and now you go endangering her only daughter. Real smooth Ash real smooth." She clapped sarcastically.
Ash didn't say anything. He didn't utter anything. "You and Cynthia will travel separately now. That's final." She declared. "If you do otherwise, then…" She trailed off.
"I'll call your dad. And revoke your Pokémon license. Bye!" The call ended.
Flashback end…
"Oh." Cynthia mumbled. "Now?" She asked.
"We're going separate." Ash answered.
Xxx
"How are you guys?" Melanie questioned. Ash shrugged.
"We're fine more or less." Ash answered. Both were ready to leave after one week and half of rest. There Pokémon had recovered pretty quickly though and had trained lightly.
"I'm really sorry you had to go through so much due to me." Melanie apologized in a small voice. Her eyes were enough evidence that she really was sorry.
"It wasn't your fault." Cynthia answered softly. "Besides, we're fine now."
"I know just how fine you are." Melanie snapped. "He's still recovering and has to keep travelling and training under limits. You," She pointed to Cynthia. "Have a recently healed hand and suffer from PTSD and nightmares due to that Sableye."
Seeing none of them saying anything, Melanie sighed. "I'm really sorry you're so hurt because of me." Melanie straightened herself. "Anyway, I have a few things to give to you two."
"The eggs?" Cynthia asked. Melanie nodded. The brunette reached into her bag and pulled out two eggs. One was a bright orange egg and the other was dull blue.
"Isn't that a Charmander egg?" Ash asked a bit excitedly. Melanie nodded.
"I don't know about this one though. Bulbasaur found the two alone a little while back and brought them to me." Melanie explained. "I wanted them to see the real world and who better to take care of them than you?"
"I doubt that statement." Ash muttered under his breath.
"I'll take the unknown one." Cynthia spoke up. "One, because I'm curious what it'll hatch into. Two, Ash wanted a Charmander since his childhood." She smirked at him. "I still remember how you cried for one-" Ash clamped his hand on her mouth to quiet her.
"Thanks for the eggs Melanie." Ash said after quieting Cynthia down. The two took the eggs, covered by an incubator, and adjusted them in their arms.
"Guess something good finally came out of it." Cynthia joked.
"That's not all." Melanie said suddenly. The two stared at her. She pulled the two pokéball from her bag and called them out. Squirtle and Bulbasaur materialized from them.
Melanie knelt before them and hugged the two tightly. "They want to go with you." She explained. "The League will be taking custody of the Hidden Village from now on. So I thought it would be best if they travelled with you two and saw the world."
"Wait." Cynthia interrupted. "Why is the League taking over the Hidden Village?"
"That's partly my wish." Melanie began. "We barely fought off the last poacher. What if another one attacks again? I don't want to risk anyone's life. Besides, the League can take more care of them than me alone."
"That sounds about right." Cynthia nodded. She saw Squirtle walking near to her while Bulbasaur moved over to Ash. "I think they already made their choice eh?"
"I guess so." Ash knelt down to Bulbasaur. "Want to come with us Bulbasaur?" He nodded with determination. Ash took his pokéball from Melanie. "I'll call you back out later. Ok?" The Palletian returned his new addition and saw Cynthia doing the same.
"You're going to Saffron or the Rock Tunnel?" The blonde asked the raven-haired boy.
"Rock Tunnel. I need to train a bit more before tackling Surge or Erika." He responded. "You?"
"Saffron. From there I'll go to Celadon." The blonde answered. "Let's head out now."
"It was nice meeting you two." Melanie smiled. "If you want to ever meet me, I'll be in Cerulean City." Goodbye done, Melanie walked away leaving the two alone.
"See you around blondie." Ash joked. Cynthia gave him a playful push.
"Sure. Ashy boy." Ash grunted at the nickname.
"Now you're starting to act like Gary." He complained. Cynthia pulled him in a tight hug at that.
"I'll miss you." She mumbled.
"Me too." Ash mumbled back. "Wait." He said, breaking the hug. Cynthia gave him a questioning look. "You're taller than me!" He exclaimed.
Cynthia gave him a teasing grin. "Oh, you shouldn't have mentioned that. Gary would love to hear that. The mighty Ash disturbed by my height." Ash glared at her in response. The two locked eyes before breaking into laughter.
"Until next time then Cynth." Ash said, a small smile tugging at his lips.
"Don't be so sad!" Cynthia chided. "We can meet periodically. Kanto isn't that big." She winked. "And we can chat on our pokedex anyway. You have my ID, right?"
"Yup." Ash checked the clock. "Anyways, it's getting late. See you later blondie." He smirked and walked off. Cynthia gave his retreating form her own smirk and left on her own path.
Xxx
The first thing Ash did after entering Route 9 was releasing his starter. Eevee came out, yipping in confusion when she noticed they weren't at the Pokémon Center anymore.
"We're at Route 9." Ash explained. "Cynthia and I have gone our separate ways as you know." Eevee nodded. They had broken the news to their Pokémon the day after the calls.
The two walked in silence for a while, a silence so uncomfortable and so foreign to them. Eevee yipped to get his attention finally. Ash looked down at her and found her looking at him in concern.
"What's up girl?" Ash questioned, crouching next to her. Eevee climbed into his arms, nuzzling against him. Ash got up, letting her settle on his shoulder. "Hey Eevee." Eevee yipped and looked at him confusedly. "Do you think what happened in the Hidden Village was because of me?"
She immediately protested. What was Ash on about?! The only reason they survived was because of them! Ash scratched behind her ear to calm her frantic yips down.
"I know, I know." Ash chuckled lightly. Any further conversation was halted as a trainer decided to challenge him. "You're up Eevee." Ash said.
Xxx
Cynthia silently strolled alongside the green route leading to Saffron, a nice change to the blend of rocky cliffs and greenery of Route 9. Besides her was Roselia, whom she had summoned to bond with, and Nidorino, who was way more protective of her at the moment.
She didn't blame him. What had happened about a week ago was something she wouldn't be able to forget for a long time. Cynthia subconsciously tensed at the flashback.
'Don't hurt me…' Cynthia shook her head to block that thought. He was away, looked up and in prison. Away from her, he cannot hurt her. Cynthia breathed deeply and exhaled to clear her thoughts. She felt someone touch her and glanced at Roselia.
Roselia was looking at her with a concerned look. "Don't worry Roselia. I'm fine. Just a bad thought." Cynthia smiled softly at her. Nidorino growled but was placated by a pat from Cynthia.
"Just missing Ash, you know." She added after a moment. "After shifting to Pallet Town, he was the first friend I had there. From the moment we met, we became fast friends."
Nidorino growled in agreement. All of them were aware of just how close Ash and Cynthia were. "And now, we're both alone. He's at Route 9 while I'm heading towards Saffron. Just because of something we had no power over."
Cynthia clutched Braixen's pokéball tightly in her palm. "But we're gonna train hard, right guys?" She questioned Nidorino and Roselia. "We'll never let anything like this happen ever again."
They cheered in response. "I was thinking of ways to train you two, you know." Cynthia told them idly. "We'll work on them later on, okay? Be ready." They nodded.
And then the trainers of Route 5 began. And Cynthia had a nice day of battles.
Xxx
"Thunderbolt!" Ash ordered. Zeus dodged the Wing Attack from the opponent and unleashed his powerful charge. The poor Pidgey didn't have a chance before his unforgiving lightning scorched him.
"Pidgey!" The trainer yelled in concern. Seeing his bird was unconscious, he returned him. "Fine! You win." He reached into his wallet and handed over the prize money. Ash pocketed it and walked on, Zeus on his shoulder. "Nice job Zeus." Ash said, scratching behind his ear.
Zeus squealed in pleasure, nuzzling Ash's cheek. Ash chuckled a bit at the stray arcs of electricity gave a weak jolt to him. The two walked in comfortable silence, enjoying the nature.
After about fifteen minutes, Ash noticed another trainer eyeing him peculiarly. His eyes lit up a bit seeing Zeus and approached him.
"Battle?" Ash questioned. He nodded. The trainer had lavender hair and wore baggy clothing. His black eyes betrayed any emotion he was feeling.
"Three-on-three." Ash raised an eyebrow at the request. Trainers on routes like this preferred short one-on-one battles or two-on-two for a few rare occasions. The few who actually did Three-on-three were mostly trainers who were about to return back to civilization.
"Any problem?" He asked. Ash couldn't help but notice his accent matched Cynthia's a bit. There was that foreign taste in it.
"You're from Sinnoh?" Ash asked curiously. The trainer's eyes did perk a bit up in surprise.
"How do you know that?" He questioned.
"Got a friend from there. Your accent matched hers." Ash shrugged.
"I see." He mumbled. "Wanna battle now?" Ash nodded and the two separated a few paces.
"Skylar I choose you!" Ash's Skylar came out, shrieking at him intimidatingly. Paul called his own Pokémon out, a grey-brown avian. Ash looked at the foreign Pokémon with interest.
"Staravia, Quick Attack." His opponent issued his first command. His avian, now identified as Staravia, raced forwards at high speeds. Skylar skipped into her own Quick Attack, dodging her opponent's attack.
"Quick Attack. Test her." Skylar let Staravia catch up to her and dove down, letting her pass above her. She then burst forward and hit her back.
"Straighten up and Gust." Staravia quickly gained control and spun around, flapping her wings to create gales.
"Quick Attack into Double Team." Ash smirked. Skylar split into various copies of herself, all moving with Quick Attack's speed. His opponent's interest did peak at the skillful switch.
"Aerial Ace." Staravia abandoned her Gust and flew forwards, a silvery trail behind her. She evaded the Double Team copies easily and then slammed into the real Skylar.
Both of them reeled back from the impact, momentum lost. Locking eyes for just a moment both burst away, preparing for another strike. "Quick Attack Skylar!" Skylar shrieked in response and zoomed towards Staravia.
"Quick Attack into Wing Attack." Staravia raced forwards to meet the Pidgeotto, wings glowing bright. Ash whistled and Skylar dipped just before collision.
She then spun and slammed a Steel Wing into Staravia's belly, knocking the breath out of her. "Gr." The trainer growled. Skylar finished her off with an Aerial Ace, landing near Ash with a triumphant look.
Staravia landed before the trainer, knocked out. He returned his avian, nodding to himself, and selected another one. "Nice tactic there." He praised. "Go Electabuzz!" Ash's interest peaked a bit at the Electric Type.
"Return for now Skylar." Ash mumbled, calling back his Flying Type. "Snivy I choose you!" Ash's Grass Snake came out, analyzing the Electric Type with a calculating eye.
"Where did you get a Snivy?" The trainer questioned.
"Long story." Ash responded. "What's your name though?"
"Paul." He answered. "Wanna continue the fight now?" Ash nodded. "Bulk Up Electabuzz."
"Swords Dance Snivy." Ash countered. Both quickly boosted up, awaiting the other's move.
"Quick Attack." Electabuzz blurred forwards towards Snivy who tensed, waiting for Ash's command.
"Vine Whip! Trip him." Snivy extended two vines towards the incoming Electric Type, aiming for his feet. To her surprise, Electabuzz jumped over them, rearing his fist back.
"Thunder Punch!" Electabuzz swung his fist at the Grass Snake who quickly back flipped out of the way. She landed, only to be tackled back from his Quick Attack.
"Leaf Blade now." Ash ordered. Snivy quickly balanced herself and swung her tail at Electabuzz. He retaliated with Thunder Punch, resulting in a stalemate. "Swords Dance!"
"Protect." Paul ordered. As Snivy's Leaf Blade increased in power, Electabuzz cancelled his Thunder Punch and instead formed a barrier between them. Snivy's boosted Leaf Blade slammed against it uselessly. "Now Thunderbolt!"
"Gr." Ash gritted his teeth as Snivy was bombarded with a powerful discharge. The Grass Snake withstood the strike, landing on her feet.
"Quick Attack into Thunder Punch!" Electabuzz rushed forwards, swinging his fist at Snivy. Snivy dodged to the side, jumping back to create some distance.
Electabuzz was relentless, however, and kept on closing in. "Leaf Storm!" Snivy unleashed her storm towards the Electric Type who was unable to dodge it and had no option but to bear it. "Now Leaf Blade!"
Snivy closed the distance, swinging her blade at him. "Protect!" Electabuzz grinned, blocking the attack yet again. Snivy's frustrated look turned into a pained expression as Electabuzz delivered a strong Thunder Punch to her.
"Snivy!" Ash yelled out in concern. Snivy skidded to a stop in front of him, breathing a bit heavily. "That Electabuzz is something else." Ash muttered.
"You don't have much experience with her do you?" Paul called out. Ash looked at him in surprise. "Your styles differ so much. No wonder you're having such difficulty."
Ash looked at his Grass Snake who was glaring at Electabuzz. 'Everyone has a different style of battling Ash.' May's words rang. 'A good trainer knows and understands this fact.'
"Thunderbolt now." Electabuzz unleashed his Thunderbolt again towards Snivy who jumped out of the way. Electabuzz took the moment to close in with Quick Attack and use Thunder Punch.
"Snivy!" Ash called out. Snivy, who was busy dodging Electabuzz's strikes, spared him a glance. That turned out to be a mistake as Electabuzz punched her into the ground. Snivy hit the ground hard, trying to get up when electricity coursed through her.
"Amateur." Paul taunted. Ash stared at Snivy with despair as she was punched with another Thunder Punch.
"I forfeit Snivy!" Ash called out. Electabuzz stopped his assault and stepped back. Ash called back his battered Grass Snake, sighing sadly. "You were epic out there girl. Take a rest." He muttered to the pokéball.
"That was hardly a fair fight." Paul taunted, returning his Electric Type. "You need more experience with her." Ash decided not to rise against the bait.
"Eevee, I choose you!" Ash called out his starter. Eevee came out, growling at the trainer in front of her. Paul gave Ash a surprised look.
"Just how many rare Pokémon do you have anyway?" He questioned.
"Enough." Ash responded tone a bit strained. "Ready Eevee?" She nodded. Paul clenched another pokéball and threw it, revealing a green quadruple Pokémon. "Huh?" Ash exclaimed in surprise.
"He's a Turtwig." Paul informed him. "One of Sinnoh's starter." The Pokémon, Turtwig, barked at Eevee.
"Thanks." Ash readied himself. "Eevee, Swift!"
And the battle continued.
Xxx
Cynthia sat down in a tree's shade, deciding to give her tired feet a break. She scratched Nidorino's chin as he decided to rest besides her. "I'm exhausted." She told him. Nidorino growled agreement.
She rested her head against the trunk, closing her eyes for a brief respite. After a brief rest, she stretched and unzipped her backpack. "Hey Nidorino." She called out, shaking her Poison Type.
Nidorino opened one eye, looking at her lazily. "Here." She said, offering an apple to the grassland type. Nidorino opened his mouth, crunching down the treat in one mind.
Cynthia got up then, unzipping her backpack and shouldering it. "Do you want to rest?" She asked. Nidorino shook his head, getting up. "You'll get tired Nidorino. I'll need you for battles." She chided.
Nidorino growled in response. Cynthia sighed, knowing she couldn't convince him otherwise no matter how hard she tried. "Your wish Nidorino, your wish." She began her trek, wondering just how long it'll take her to reach Saffron.
'Saffron has one of the strongest gyms of Kanto. Better leave her for later.' Cynthia thought to herself. 'I can go to Celadon from there and challenge Erika. The departmental store there has some stuff I can use too.'
The stuff she was actually looking forward to was TMs. TM's were short for Technical Machines. The blonde wondered about the moves she could teach her team and go further into versatility.
'Erika can help me to train Roselia further too.' Cynthia planned. 'I really need to find ways to train my Pokémon.' She added a moment later. Any further thoughts were halted as Nidorino grunted in warning.
Cynthia saw a trainer approaching her. Putting her thoughts on the back burner, she clenched Braixen's pokéball.
And the battle commenced.
Xxx
Eevee swung her tail towards the Sinnoh starter, unleashing a myriad of explosive stars. "Razor Leaf." Turtwig growled and retaliated with sharp leaves. The two met in midair and exploded against each other.
"Quick Attack now!" Ash decided to go on the offensive. Paul tried to keep track of the brown blur but it was pretty hard.
"Endure it." Turtwig growled as Eevee slammed into his side, but held his ground. Ash called out for another Quick Attack. Turtwig withstood another strike, growling a bit at the impact.
"Razor Leaf." Turtwig growled and swung sharp leaves around him. Eevee jumped over a few, coming to tackle him from the side. "To the side! Then Head butt."
To Ash's surprise, Turtwig managed to move to the side in time, evading Eevee, and tried to ram into her side. Eevee, however, was quick on her feet and dodged.
"Sand Attack!" Ash grinned. Eevee dug her paws into the ground, digging up a paw-full of dirt, and threw it at Turtwig's face.
"Head butt straight forward." Turtwig ran straight into the dirt, moving through and hitting Eevee. The Evolution Pokémon was pushed back from the impact. "Bite!"
"Bite Back!" Ash ordered. Eevee yowled in pain as the Grass Type bit into her collar and then bit back. The two began to furiously bite into the other.
Ash noted Paul's cleverness. He knew Turtwig was a sitting duck when blinded by Sand Attack and so, decided to put his Pokémon as close to Eevee as possible.
"Shadow Ball into Dig!" Eevee opened her mouth and blasted Turtwig at point-blank. Turtwig was sent reeling back a bit and his opponent escaped into the ground.
"Clever." Paul admitted. Turtwig opened his eyes, cleared from the sand by now. "Run around Turtwig. Don't let them find you." Turtwig took off in a dash, zooming right and left to avoid Eevee.
"Shadow Ball!" Eevee burst besides Turtwig, launching the ghostly sphere. Turtwig was unable to dodge the accurate attack, getting hit and sent skidding. "Quick Attack into Iron Tail!"
"Razor Leaf now!" Paul commanded. Eevee burst towards Turtwig, tail steeled, as her opponent unleashed wave upon wave of sharp leaves. Eevee jumped above them, spinning to deliver her attack with a higher momentum.
She didn't expect Turtwig to move to the side at the last second and then Head butt her. "Bite!" Turtwig jumped forward, opening his mouth. Eevee gasped in pain as he bit into her, preparing a Shadow Ball.
Turtwig let go and rammed his head into her belly, knocking the wind out of her. Eevee's Shadow Ball dispersed, leaving her open for more damage.
"Bite back!" Ash growled. Paul was pretty skilled in battling, using his Pokémon's abilities to their best. Eevee bit Turtwig back, engaging him in a furious battle of bites.
"Mega Drain." Paul ordered with a grin. The color from Ash's mouth drained as Turtwig began to suck Eevee's energy. Eevee's yowled in pain, trying to get away. Unfortunately, Turtwig had bit down on her neck, keeping her down with his body weight.
"Shadow Ball!" Ash ordered. Eevee tried to form the orb but Turtwig rammed his head into her face, sending her back down dizzy. Ash gritted his teeth at the predicament his starter was in.
"Give it up." Paul told him from his side. "Eevee is too tired to continue battling now." It was true. Eevee's struggles were growing sluggish by the second.
'There has to be a way!' Ash thought furiously. 'Wait a second.' Ash thought, an idea in his head. "Iron Tail now!" Eevee's tail was free from Turtwig's hold.
Eevee steeled her tail, slamming it on Turtwig's rear and misbalancing him. She took the opportunity to push him off her, firing a Shadow Ball and dashing away with Quick Attack.
"Clever." Paul grunted. Turtwig got up, looking refreshed and free of any damage sans the Shadow Ball. Eevee, on the other hand, looked at the end of her rope.
"You okay girl?" Ash questioned. Eevee yipped an affirmative. Her heavy, labored breathing and slumped form sang another story though. Ash thought of a way that could turn the battle around.
'None of Eevee's moves are strong enough to dent that Turtwig's defenses.' Ash thought, having a rough measure of his opponent's starter. 'That Mega Drain healed him up perfectly while Eevee can faint with a few hits. Eevee doesn't have enough stamina to outrun him too.'
"You should just give up Ash." Paul told him. "Eevee cannot fight much longer against Turtwig." Ash considered it. Eevee snarled in retaliation. Hell if she'll quit!
"I'm not giving up that easily." Ash responded. "Ready Eevee?" Eevee nodded, getting ready. "Dig now!" Eevee disappeared into the ground quickly, using her adept skills to maneuver underground.
"That again?" Paul questioned. "On the move Turtwig." His starter zoomed around the battlefield again. Ash kept a calculated eye on the Grass Type, and smirked.
"Double Team!" Eevee burst under Turtwig, landing a clean hit this time, and split into a dozen copies. Turtwig landed on his back, quickly shifting to his feet, and saw a dozen copies circling him.
"Razor Leaf them-" Paul was interrupted as one of the copies struck a powerful Iron Tail into his side. He looked in surprise as all the copies moved at a fast pace, tails steeled.
"Double Tail!" Ash grinned. Eevee yipped and Turtwig was bombarded with Iron Tails from all sides. Ash grinned at Paul's look. "What up? Surprised?"
"A bit." He admitted. Turtwig growled in pain as a particularly strong hit struck his jaw, whipping it to the side. "Endure it Turtwig!" Paul ordered. Turtwig gritted his teeth, trying to ignore the pain.
Ash knew what Paul was aiming for. He knew the onslaught couldn't last forever and was trying to outlast it. "Shadow Ball!" Eevee yipped and appeared in front of Turtwig.
Paul's starter blinked.
And was promptly blasted to his trainer's side, battered. Eevee was left panting, laden with sweat. In front of her, Turtwig struggled to his feet, barking a challenge.
"Head butt now!" Turtwig charged Eevee, the Evolution Pokémon glaring at his approaching form.
"Quick Attack into Iron Tail." Eevee sluggishly ran forwards, swinging her tail against Turtwig's head. The Grass Starter was sent skidding back from the hit, growling.
"Razor Leaf." Eevee gasped as sharp leaves cut into her body, staggering back. Turtwig charged forwards, aiming to land another Head butt.
"Double Team!" Eevee created six copies, one of them vanishing against the Head butt.
"Razor Leaf all around the field! She cannot dodge any longer!" Turtwig swung sharp leaves all around the field, hitting her copies and cutting through them. To Paul's surprise, no copy remained.
"Iron Tail." Eevee burst from under Turtwig, slamming her Iron Tail into his belly hard. Turtwig gasped from the hit, sent flying. He hit the ground hard, staggering to get up. "Swift!" Eevee swung her tail, sending explosive stars towards him.
Paul didn't order any commands, letting Turtwig get damaged from the hits. His gaze was at Eevee, the Evolution Pokémon fighting through sheer will.
At last, the Swift stopped. Eevee nearly collapsed, breathing heavily. She looked ready to collapse any second. Turtwig got up, in rough shape but still better than the Evolution Pokémon.
"That's all?" Paul questioned. "All this for nothing?" Turtwig barked challengingly at Eevee who stared back silently. "Razor Leaf into Head butt!"
'Eevee cannot dodge all of these leaves now.' Ash thought alarmingly. 'It's all or nothing now.' He looked at his starter. "Eevee. Quick Attack into Detect."
Eevee burst forwards, eyes closed, struggling to find the energy within her. The Razor Leaves closed in, about to hit her. Her eyes opened, a reddish tint in the chocolate brown, and she moved through the sharp leaves without any damage.
However, what Ash or his starter didn't expect was for Turtwig to emerge from the leaves, and slam into Eevee. He bit into her again, using Mega Drain.
Eevee was slammed into the ground heavily, gasping as Turtwig's heavy form slammed on her body, and laid down, stunned, as he Head butted her into the face.
Ash stared on in horror as his starter was sucked dry from Paul's starter. Eevee let out one last cry before fainting. Turtwig barked victoriously, yelling his victory.
"Good job Turtwig." Ash fell to his knees in shock, eyes wide and brain struggling to calculate the loss. Turtwig stumbled back to his trainer, grinning in victory. Paul returned his starter, seeing the downed Eevee and Ash.
"A valiant effort." He commented. Ash walked over to his starter, cradling her limp form in his arms. Paul approached Ash, staring into his defeated eyes with a neutral look.
Ash stared back. After a little while, Paul extended a hand. "You've got potential." Ash stared at the hand. "But you need to work hard. The battle with Snivy proved that."
Ash moved his own hand, clasping his. "I will." Ash responded. Paul nodded, pocketing his prize money.
"I'm off now. You heading to Rock Tunnel?" Paul questioned. Ash nodded. The purple haired trainer smirked. "Go train. You'll need it the next time we meet."
"We'll see soon enough." Ash responded. His latest rival walked away leaving Ash alone with his defeated starter. Ash knelt down, unzipping his backpack.
'He was very strong man.' Ash thought while pulling out potions and berries. 'I need to up my game. First that poacher and now…' Ash shook his head to get rid of that hideous face.
A weak cry from Eevee was enough to gain his attention. Ash decided to tend to her first and then think. Snivy was pretty battered too.
Xxx
"Nice job Squirtle!" Cynthia cheered. Her latest capture was being taught Scald from Buizel. Originally taught from the TM Ash had earned from Misty, he was practicing and teaching.
Since they were no longer together, Squirtle didn't have the liberty to learn Scald. So, she was teaching him the old-fashioned way. Cynthia wondered just what Ash was doing at this time. Sun was about to set, and she had decided to setup camp early.
Nidorino was, to no one's surprise, besides her protectively. He was tired from trudging through the forest all day. Braixen was in her pokéball, tired after a rather brutal battle. Roselia was off practicing her moves against a tree.
"You got the basic idea down." She informed her latest capture. Squirtle looked at her. "Now, try to expand the water you shed and turn it hotter. Keep practicing, but focus on those two factors. Okay?" Squirtle nodded, turning to the tree in front of him. Buizel nodded at Cynthia, dedicating his attention to his trainee of the night.
Cynthia walked over to her place, sitting down. She idly scratched Nidorino's head, earning a pleased growl. Digging into her bag, she pulled out the egg Melanie had given her.
It was far from hatching, she knew that much. She had taken a few breeding classes when learning under Professor Oak and knew a bit about eggs.
For one, they wobbled a bit more when nearing hatching. Two, eggs normally required heat to hatch faster. Cynthia still didn't know what this egg would hatch into though.
"Who are you huh?" Cynthia muttered to the egg, pulling it out of the incubator. "Who species do you belong to?" She mumbled, rubbing it delicately. Nidorino opened one eye to look at the egg, closing it back down after a moment.
Cynthia closed her eyes, pulling the egg close to her chest. She laid her head back against the tree trunk, thinking about her journey. "You know, I'm really missing Ash." Cynthia mumbled to the egg. "He was there for me all this time. Now, we're away."
"All because of that darn idiot." She snarled. "Why did he take all the blame? That wasn't his plan to begin with. It was mine!" Cynthia remembered her chat with her mother.
"It's because of that damned kid Ash that you're in this condition isn't it?" Sophie questioned. Cynthia looked at her with wide eyes. "Why did you have to follow him so stupidly?" She snarled.
"Mom, it isn't his fault!" Cynthia protested.
"Shut up!" Sophie roared. "I know full well whose fault it is! No need to take the blame of that stupid kid on yourself. You have suffered enough as it is!"
"No seriously, it isn't his-" She winced at the pure murderously look on Sophie's face.
"I have read the official police report Cynthia Carolina. I know full well whose fault it is!" Cynthia shut up at that. Ash had taken the blame in front of Officer Jenny too.
"That idiot." Cynthia mumbled. "Always taking the hit for others." She opened her eyes, full of tears. Before she knew it, a tear escaped her eye, splattering against the egg.
Something stirred inside the egg. Cynthia broke her façade, breaking down into sobs. Tears raced down her cheeks as she clenched the egg tightly.
Nidorino growled in concern besides her but didn't intervene. He knew Cynthia needed to vent her emotions. He settled on looking at her instead.
"First, my parents divorced." Cynthia sobbed. "Mom left dad and moved to Kanto. Then some shady figure nearly killed Ash." Cynthia winced at the flashback of the memory.
"Ash!" A young Cynthia wailed at the paling form of her friend. "Don't leave me Ash! I-"
Cynthia caught her thoughts. "Then, this stupid incident." She said, managing to control herself. "He stupidly took the blame, just like before."
"He's a dork." Cynthia admitted. "A dork, albeit an adorable one." She chuckled a bit. "That's why I like him so much." Cynthia sighed, resting her chin on the egg. "But enough about these dark thoughts, tell me about yourself. Who're you?"
Cynthia knew she would get no response, but decided to pursue nevertheless. "Why so quiet?" She cooed. "You know, I was shy too, before meeting Ash." She smiled a bit. "You'll open up eventually too." The blonde kept talking to the egg, dozing off bit by bit.
Before she knew it, she was asleep, the egg tightly in her arms, protected from the cold by her body heat, protected by Nidorino. Cynthia didn't know it, but the egg wobbled a bit in her arms.
Her Pokémon all returned from their training to see Cynthia asleep. One look from Nidorino was enough for them to not disturb her. They all walked over to her, sleeping near her. Squirtle simply withdrew into his shell, while Roselia and Buizel laid down, a bit tired from training.
Xxx
Waking up from a nightmare never felt good, but it was kind of deluded by the way her Pokémon slept near her. Cynthia opened her eyes, looking around her.
"Huh?" She mumbled, and then realized the egg in her arms. "Oh hey, little one." She smiled, giving it a kiss, and then placed it in the incubator.
As she half expected, Nidorino was awake. He growled a greeting to her which she returned with a pet. Cynthia got up, waking her Pokémon for the day.
"Saffron City is still far away guys." She chided them. "I know you're tired and so am I but once we reach there, I treat you. Okay?" That was enough of a bribe for them and they got up.
Weakened but not finished, will our heroes bounce back stronger than ever? Find out in the next update!
Xxx
List of Pokémon:
Eevee: Quick Attack, Sand Attack, Shadow Ball. Dig. Iron Tail. Double Team, Swift, Bite. (Detect)
Zeus: Thunder Bolt, Nasty Plot, Thunder Wave, Iron Tail, Dig, Double Team, Feint, Nuzzle, Charge. (Volt Tackle)
Skylar: Tackle, Quick Attack, Gust, Sand Attack, Aerial Ace, Steel Wing, and Double Team. (Sky Attack)
Oceanus: Water Gun, Water Pulse, Tackle, Smokescreen, Agility, Bubble Beam, Whirlpool, Twister.
Snivy: Vine Whip, Leer, Leaf Storm, Slam, Swords Dance, and Leaf Blade. (Grassy Terrain)
Bulbasaur: Tackle, Poison Powder, Vine Whip, Razor Leaf, Energy Ball, Mega Drain, Protect.
Cynthia Pokémon:
Braixen: Scratch, Hypnosis, Ember, Flame Burst, Quick Attack, Flame Charge, Howl, Bite. (Heat Wave).
Nidorino: Tackle, Poison Sting, Confusion, Double Kick, Fury Attack, Peck, Focus Energy.
Roselia: Mega Drain, Growth, Poison Sting, Magical Leaf, Leech Seed, Synthesis, Energy Ball.
Buizel: Water Gun, Sonic Boom, Ice Punch, Ice Beam, Vacuum Wave, Aqua Jet, Ice Fang, Scald.
Squirtle: Water Gun, Water Pulse, Withdraw, Rapid Spin, Headbutt, Protect.