While the two trainers had agreed to their bout, there was something far more sinister taking place in their midst, deeper into the forest. Only a short distance away was a band of familiar misfits - A woman with outrageous crimson hair, a man with parted violet locks, and a Meowth standing on its hind legs. None of them were digging a pit trap, like they were known for.

Oh, no. Jessie was typing away at keys on a keyboard, responding to a multitude of flashing numbers and commands on the screen. James and Meowth were tightening bolts and otherwise fixing up a rather bizarre looking device - a large machine topped off with a radio dish, and screens that looked akin to solar panels, all able to be carried around on treads below the device.

"As soon as you can, start up the device and do your best to harness the energy the machine gathers. I'll analyze it from the mobile lab. I don't want any blunders, do I make myself clear?" A voice spoke to the trio through a laptop, garnering a curt nod from Jessie.

"Of course, Dr. Zager. You have nothing to worry about."

"Good. I'll be counting on you three." The scientist ended with that, disappearing from the screen. The three Rockets chuckled simultaneously. There was no one to get in there way this time.

"Of course, out in the middle of Viridian Forest, who's going to stop us?" James chimed in with his usual dramatic flair, just finishing the adjustments to their wicked device.

"He's probably still up on that mountain, training with his precious Pokemon. As strong as he is, he's no threat to us, now." Jessie concluded, a smirk creeping its way onto her cherry red lips.

"Ya gotta wonda if da twoip's gettin' lonely up there. Or if he's become an 'Ash-sicle!'" Meowth joked, hopping off of the machine.

"In any case, that's not our problem to worry about now. If the legends about the power of this forest are true, Team Rocket will have access to yet another goldmine of energy! Nothing will be able to stop our ascent to the stars above." Jessie threw her hand to the air, the line drawing a side-eyed glance from James.

"Hey, that's my line!"

Ignoring his complaint, the redhead pressed a large red button on the remote, triggering the machine. The treads began to turn, carrying the device around the small clearing as radio waves scanned the area. A multitude of numbers and fluctuating lines appeared on the screen, drawing the attention of the trio. "Seems the stories weren't just stories after all. There's definitely something here."

A devious grin befell the three… Only for their attention to be turned to a rather bizarre phenomenon. The ground below them began to glow, violet rays of energy appearing seemingly out of nowhere! Pidgey and Pidgeotto began to disperse from nearby trees, flying frantically away from the area. Jessie raised a brow, eyes turning away from their developments for just a moment. "Now that's strange. I wonder what could've gotten into them?"

A nasally shriek caught her attention next. "AAAH! Turn dat thing off! It's givin' me a killa headache!" Meowth whined, clutching onto his oddly shaped head. Something wasn't right about their energy excavation, and he could feel it. Quite acutely in fact.

"Don't be silly, Meowth. It won't be much longer before we've harvested this unique energy! Just hold on a little longer." James replied, seemingly in no sort of similar pain. There… Was an annoying buzzing, however. "What is that buzzing, though? It almost reminds me of Jessie when she's mad-"

"What was that!?" The red-haired villain shrieked, already in her cohort's face.

"Uhm… Nothing! I said nothing!"

Meowth held his head, oblivious to their quarrel. "Easy for yous two to say! Just hurry it up already!"


The entire forest was buzzing terribly. It was like fear given a terrible texture; like rattling down to their bones, iron on steel. But, that was how it was for the humans and they could function despite their discomfort.

Dawn struggled for words, looking to Samurai and Ash. "They're terrified! I thought you said this is where beginning trainers go? What are they running from?!" It had to be something impossibly strong to even affect the humans like this. She hugged Piplup tighter to her.

While the humans were on edge but able to continue, the pokemon were truly suffering.

"She's right," Samurai added. "This definitely isn't normal. Beedrill are prone to attacking intruders, but fleeing is definitely not part of their behavior. Something's very wrong here." He pocketed his pokeball, turning towards where the pokemon had fled from - the source, he assumed. "I've never seen this before."

"Ash, we have to see what's going on!" Dawn urged as she took a cue from Samurai and returned Piplup. Maybe it would ease his suffering. The coordinator then looked to her Absol, who had thus far remained stoic. Dawn returned white furred pokemon, assuming she was hurting even if her strange sense of pride would not allow her to show it.

Pikachu was clutching his head, too, though at this distance it was still bearable to be out of his pokeball. "Yeah, let's go! Hang in there, Pikachu!" Ash said to the mouse, who nodded back. Pikachu didn't like this, but if they could make things better for the rest of the forest, he'd endure. With that, Ash began running towards the source, ducking under the occasional fleeing pokemon.

Samurai followed, hand at his waist in case he needed to draw his sword. "Ash, Dawn! I don't think our pokemon are going to be able to help us here! We're going to have to fix this on our own!" If Pikachu's condition was any indication, proper battles were out of the question.

"I think you're right," Dawn called back, barely dodging a startled Hoothoot. Her blue eyes flickered over to Pikachu; the little guy really was incredibly tough.

The closer they drew, the fewer pokemon there were, and the running got easier for it. Looking up, the coordinator swore she could see the shape of a dish, as if someone were trying to receive or send a signal. "I think we're almost to whatever that is."

"Yeah, I think I see something!" Ash called out in affirmation, soon spotting the device himself. "There, it has to be that thing! Now, who the heck would go and put something like that - … Oh. Great," Ash deadpanned, eyes narrowing as the entire group entered the little clearing. Three very recognizable figures were in the middle of it with the machine: Jessie, James, and Meowth. "Team Rocket! So, you're the ones causing all this trouble." He grit his teeth and shot a glare. "Whatever you're up to, you're scaring off all the pokemon!"

Of course they were behind this, he mentally noted; of course.

"Would you listen to that? The twerps are here," Jessie began.

James and everyone else knew where this was going. "It stands to reason that those pests would be near."

"To protect the world from devastation!"

"To unite all peoples within our nation!"

"To denounce the evils of truth and love!"

"To extend our reach to the stars above!"

"Jessie!"

"James!"

"Team Rocket, blasting off at the speed of light!"

"Surrender now, or prepare to fight!"

"Meowth, that's riiiAIIE, CAN YA TURN THAT STINKIN' THING OFF!"

For once, Dawn was in agreement with Meowth. "How can you do your motto at a time like this?!" However, her real focus was on the fact Meowth asked to have the machine turned off; if she could figure out what it was, it might help them in turning it off instead of waiting for Jessie and James to do it! So, she concluded, it must be hard to turn off if he was asking for help turning it off instead of doing it himself. Also, since all the pokemon were all scared off, the machine wasn't really meant for them. The machine was at least a little automatic since neither Jessie nor James was currently controlling it.

That left a lot of questions, but with all those things considered, unless Team Rocket had backup nearby, she, Ash, and Samurai had the advantage. "What on earth are you doing?!" she pried. Maybe they'd drop a tidbit of information; they'd always done so in the past.

"What we're doing is none of your concern, twerpette." Jessie taunted. But, in true Team Rocket fashion, continued on anyway. "But, since this device seems to have such an effect on Pokemon, I can't see you stopping us this time, so we'll tell you."

"You see," James started, "There have been plenty of stories about strange things coming from Viridian Forest. People with unusual powers. Of course, Team Rocket is more than interested in finding the source for ourselves! With a power like that in our grasp, we'll be unstoppable!" he gloated, still holding a red rose between his fingers.

"…You're crazy!" the coordinator shouted.

"…Hold on!" Meowth interjected, still clutching his skull. "Where's da tall twoip?" It had just occurred to him that Ash and Dawn were on their own, pardon the strange character dressed in scrap metal.

Jessie threw James a look. "Well, well, well, it's just those two, the twerp and the twerpette."

James locked fingers with the redhead, the two of them mockingly making kissy-faces towards the two. "Well, Jessie, I think we've discovered a couple of love-pidoves!" Flamboyant laughter left them both at their own little joke. The last time they had done this was when Misty was around, and it had garnered quite amusing results. What reason wasn't there to try it again?

Widened eyes turned briefly towards Dawn before shooting back to the trio. "You guys really oughta mind your own business!" Ash barked back, cheeks blazing red. Where in the world had they gotten that idea!? "Just shut up and turn off that stupid machine already, or else!"

"Sorry, twerp. But as absolute experts on the subject of love, it's simply our job to know the scoop on your exploits!" Jessie threw her hands in the air, once more inflating herself into something she clearly wasn't.

"Oh please! You guys couldn't hook up a pair of Luvdisc!" Ash shot back, not quite even sure if his retort made sense. He was simply too embarrassed to think that one through. Since when had him and Dawn had any 'exploits' going on, anyway?

"You're the master of something, alright," Dawn muttered. This was just like the incident with Lyra back in Sinnoh; best ignore it, she supposed. "Ash is right, though! Turn it off, or we'll do it!" barked the shortest, scrawniest of the trio of heroes.

"Well, you're not really in the position to tell us what to do!" Needless to say, if they couldn't use their pokemon… Well, what could they do? "So why don't you all run along while Team Rocket does what it came here for?"

Jessie crouched down, reaching for what looked like a metal suitcase. "I suggest you take James' advice and get out of here now, while you losers still have the chance!"

Ash found this weird. Since when did Team Rocket give a warning, rather than simply gloating and opening fire? Something was fishy here…

Holding her tongue her tongue despite feeling thoroughly insulted, her eyes widened. Nosy as ever, she didn't miss much. "We can't go anywhere until this place is safe for the pokemon," she said simply, looking to Samurai out of the corner of her eye. If he was anywhere near as good as his title, he'd be on alert, as well.

Indeed, the warrior had noted the strange action too, narrowed eyes turning to Dawn and Ash. Seeing that he wasn't the only one who was suspicious, he gave a nod to the bluenette. "We're going to have to break that thing ourselves." His hands drew ever closer to his blade, ready to react at just about any moment.

Jessie opened the case, reaching in before pulling out some sort of handheld weapon similar to a pistol! The barrel was far too wide to contain any bullets and it looked far too high-tech to simply be a handgun. Regardless, it was enough to scare the wits out of each of the twerps alike, Ash, Samurai, and Dawn freezing in place.

"Now, just to make sure you're out of our hair for the remainder of this operation…" Blue eyes narrowed, a nefarious smirk crossing her lips. Her language hinted away from the device being anything lethal, but it wasn't worth any sort of risk. That much would probably be agreed upon.

She fired the weapon towards the group, letting loose a flashing red laser that was closing in way too quickly for them to be able to dodge.

"GUYS, LOOK OUT!"

In the span of mere moments, Ash threw a hand forward, shouting in warning to his companions as a teal flash of light left his palm, coming up just in time to shield against the projectile. The adolescent grit his teeth together, supporting his wrist with his opposite hand to support a small barrier that held up in front of the group. Sweat dripped down his brow as he attempted to hold his own, slowly losing ground before his hand was thrown up in the air. The laser was thrown up with it, deflected harmlessly into the skies above.

In all of her life, Dawn had never, ever had a gun pulled on her; laser, stun, or otherwise. As such, she simply… froze. She was out of her element, watching with eyes glassy and huge.

Meanwhile, Jessie, James, and to a lesser degree, Meowth all stared on in absolute awe. "Hold on… Since when did the twerp have pokemon powers? Did I miss something here?" Jessie questioned shakily holding the weapon in her hand. What on Earth had they missed?

"I'm… not quite sure." James managed, pausing momentarily before heading for the case as well. "But it's not going to make a difference here!"

"I dun even care if da twerp is Awceus himself right now! Can we just be done with dis ting already!" Meowth slumped over, obviously effectively useless in this engagement.

Oh, god, she couldn't breathe, she—No! I'm going to calm down. Dawn focused in on the fact that only Jessie had retrieved a weapon. Was there only one?! What was the reload time; it obviously wasn't rapid fire, clearly—did it have a cool down time? What did it do? Focusing on what she had to figure out, she spoke out.

"Even if they have two—" she couldn't bring herself to call it what it was "—weapons, there's three of us and it isn't rapid fire." She rattled off her conclusions, hoping to give her two companions and edge against the enemy. "It's hard to hit a moving target, too," she mumbled; that she knew merely from battling. Yeah… yeah… they could do this.

Samurai, who had been just about ready before dodge before Ash stepped in, turned his gaze toward Dawn. "For someone who looks like they're about to have a break down, you think awfully fast." And, she was sharp, to boot. "That sounds about right. We'll have to act fast!"

"I won't be beaten," was her simple reply to Samurai. She determined within herself that whatever had just happened would NOT happen again.

As they talked amongst themselves, though, Ash was the one to spot James reaching for another weapon. Drawing a hand back, Ash tensed his muscles, focusing the unusual energy that flowed through his body. A basketball-sized sphere of energy formed in his palm, quickly being lobbed towards James. "No, you don't!"

The blast came within inches of the rocket's head, forcing him to shriek an incredibly girly shriek, ducking to the ground out of the way of the blast. "Nice try, but you missed me, twerp!"

"Dawn, Samurai! I'll hold 'em off! Go break that machine and get this over with!" He shouted out, frowning as Pikachu whined and clung to his shoulder. A gloved hand reached to pet the back of his head, hues trembling in sympathy. "Hang in there, Pikachu… We'll be done with this soon!"

"On it!" she shouted in response. Dawn shared a look with Samurai; if they ran up together, it would narrow the space that Ash had to provide cover for. Furthermore, it would allow them to provide support to one another while trying to take over control of the mysterious machine.

Breaking into a quick run with Samurai at her side before James could recover or Jessie could fire again and ruin their head start, Dawn focused in on the area behind them. What looked like buttons, what looked vital—that would be their primary target.

"Oh no, you don't!" Jessie pointed her weapon directly towards the duo, ready to stop them in their tracks. What she didn't account for, though, was another attack from Ash.

The fear was there, again, but she didn't freeze. Blocking her eyes from the explosion, the running duo quickly entered the control area as Ash covered for them.

"Hey, Team Rocket! Think fast!" Ash shouted, catching the trio's attention. The villainous team turned their heads upward, staring blankly at the brilliant orb that seemingly hovered above.

"That thing's still there?" James gawked, eyes widening as it seemed to grow larger and larger.

"It looks like it's…" Jessie trailed off, sweat dripping down her cheek.

"...Comin' right at us!" Meowth finished, already panicking. It was definitely falling their way!

A collective shriek left Jessie, James, and Meowth as they dove out of the way of the blast, just barely dodging an explosion. Their weapons were sent skidding across the ground towards the teen, right out of their reach. Ash put his foot down on the one closest to them, holding it securely beneath his foot. "Guys, we've got 'em! Try and shut that thing off, quick!"

"There!" Samurai pointed to the control panel, stepping aside to allow Dawn to get a closer look. "I don't know a thing about it - think you could get a read on how to turn it off?" He was hardly acquainted with technology, and there was a better chance that she would at least have some sort of clue. He reached for the sheath of his blade, gripping it tightly. "If you can do that, I'll scrap this thing for good!"

When Samurai stepped aside, Dawn automatically began assessing it. The dials were all in one area, and the majority of the buttons were actually switches—optional things. "I-I think so," she admitted, aware of her limitations, but not about to back down from a challenge.

Finally, she spotted it. There was a warm-up button, clearly labelled—if that was the warm-up button, then— "There's no kill switch!" Of course there wouldn't be. Panicking, she found another solution. They had frequency and speed controls that went all the way down to zero. She turned those down, leaving the machine essentially idle.

There was no longer any harassment of the pokemon. "Off, off, off—" her eyes widened. There was only the stupid start button, but she had to try and… Her luck paid off. The machine gave a final screeching hum before it stilled. The button which started it also ended it.

By the time that Dawn had managed all of this, both rockets had managed to grab Ash by the collar, doing their best to shake the weapon free from under his shoe. Still, he remained defiant as long as he could, trying to shake off the two older and stronger criminals. Pikachu attempted occasional bites at the two, through his pain, but was hardly effective in this scenario.

"Now, to make sure this doesn't happen again…!" Samurai hoisted his blade over his head, placing one foot atop the control panel before jamming the steel weapon into the controls.

Suddenly, though, Pikachu seemed to stop trembling, which quickly caught Ash's eye. That could only mean one thing.

"…Pikachu! Thunderbolt!" That simple command was enough to strike fear into the hearts of the duo. But they could do nothing but watch as Ash braced himself, waiting for the inevitable high-pitched shriek. "Chuuuu!"

Pikachu unleashed his most potent Thunderbolt, every bit of it repayment for the discomfort he'd endured today - and for trying to seriously hurt his friends. Many volts of electricity coursed through all four of them, leaving Jessie and James to fall to the ground in a heap. Ash was covered in marks and soot, but he had long grown used to Pikachu's electric attacks.

…One could only wonder why the same hadn't happened for them.

"Alright, guys! You did it!" Ash cheered, relief washing over the adolescent. Now, the Pokemon could stop suffering, and now they could offer a fair fight!

Sparks and flashes began to flare up, signaling that it was time for both Samurai and Dawn to get away from the machine. "Dawn, let's move!" Samurai shouted, hopping onto solid ground.

"Right!" All too happy to get away from the machine, knowing very well the over-complicated hate machine was probably about to explode. "Let's just get out of here!" With Jessie and James down for the count and Meowth barely coming to, the trio of humans could make their escape. Dawn would just have to go without her own bit of payback. She reached for Ash's wrist to encourage him to make a quick escape with her and Samurai while throwing Team Rocket a dirty look.

The sparks from the device continued to grow more intense, crackling and booming before finally exploding in a combination of fire and debris. Dawn had pulled Ash and Pikachu along just in time. The trainer didn't hesitate in running alongside her and Samurai. He didn't even want to look back. Maybe it was just him, but that seemed like a new low for them - not one that he wanted to think about.

They ran and ran until the trio would be out of sight, finally coming to a halt. "Man…" Ash let out a sigh. "Not the kind of reunion I had in mind. Thanks, both of you." He offered a grateful smile to Dawn and Samurai alike. Both had gotten him out of deep trouble in the past - it figured that it was something that wouldn't change. "You really got us out of a big mess back there!"

"Ha… y-yeah…" Letting go of Ash's wrist, Dawn put her hands on her shaking knees, doubling over her. Now that it was over, the adrenaline waned and her body gave in to the overwhelming situation they'd just been in. Voice trembling, she tried to express her gratitude. "T-Thanks, Samurai…" Crap, she felt like she was going numb. Everything felt unreal, she couldn't even appreciate the fact that had gone off with only Ash getting shocked and covered in soot. The fear was fading, but her body still had to ride out the shock.

At least the forest was alive with the cautious sounds of pokemon activity again.

"Dawn!" Ash rushed to her side, crouching down to place a hand on her shoulder. She looked positively drained. "Are you alright?" Samurai was just about to question her condition as well, but her companion had beaten him to it. Pikachu hung over Ash's shoulder as well, eyes wide with concern. "Pika-ka!"

"No need to thank me," he replied, leaving Ash to check on her condition. "You handled yourself rather well, Dawn. You did as well, Ash." It impressed him, really. The trainer had been rather immature when they'd first met, but he handled a dangerous situation with surprising dexterity and maintained a cool head. Clearly, he had an eye for good companions, too.

"No need to worry." she knit her brows together and gave what passed for a smile up to Ash and Pikachu. She didn't want to see like the weak link, nor very needy. As bad as it sounded even to her, it was partially a matter of pride. Everyone else—from Samurai to Pikachu to Ash—had handled that better than her, she decided, unable to accept Samurai's compliment.

"Let's just get somewhere safe. We've burned a lot of daylight - and energy." Straightening up while touching Ash's hand gratefully with one of her own, she gave him a slightly more sincere smile before letting out Quilava. She would have let out Piplup like she intended to earlier, but she didn't have the energy to carry him even if she was in sore need for some pokemon brand comfort. Quilava's cries and chirps were usually soothing enough.

"You know that's when I worry the most." He uttered the predictable reply, but accepted her words. It was still difficult not to be concerned, but he respected her pride enough to let it be.

"Good idea. I have a cabin nearby. You two can stay the night." The warrior offered, beginning to make his way through the woods towards their destination.

Ash gave her a genuine smile when she placed her hand on his. She'd be okay. Ash quickly turned to follow Samurai. "Right. Thanks, Samurai!"

"Oh, thank goodness." Her nerves were a bit frayed. Falling into step behind the boys, Dawn focused on making it to the cabin and doting on her fire type pokemon. The Quilava could smell the sweat and stress on everyone, and made her disapproval of their current state clear with her adamant chirps and squeaks, occasionally speaking to Pikachu as if he should have kept the humans in line.

"Pikachu, what'd they do?! What happened?! Why didn't you all call for back-up?!" she demanded in her childish voice, though it was only a barrage of "quil-quil lav'" to human ears.

A sweat drop ran down the back of Pikachu's head. Though, he couldn't exactly blame Quilava for her fretting. "Trust me, you wouldn't wanna be out. Team Rocket was using some kind of machine that was gave us Pokemon a killer headache. Ash, Dawn, and this friend of Ash's had to fight them and destroy the thing themselves! It really wasn't pretty." Though he had to hand it to the three for doing such an amazing job, no matter what Dawn would have to say about it. "Don't worry - once they did, I got them good with a Thunderbolt!"

Satisfied with Pikachu's answer, the pleasantly plump little Quilava wiggled ahead, trotting to keep up with Ash as she looked up at Pikachu. "Aaaah, okay then! And, good job, Pikachu!" Letting her fire burn a bit lower to emphasize her good mood, she snorted black smoke. "I can always trust you to keep everyone safe and pay back debts where damage is done!"

'Hah, thanks!' Pikachu rubbed the back of his head sheepishly, mostly out of habit. "I feel like it's part of my job. To look out for Ash, and everyone else!" He smiled at her enthusiasm, sticking to his comfortable perch as she waddled ahead.


"Is that it?" For a cabin in the woods, it was considerably less creepy and homier than the coordinator would have imagined. The walk had calmed her a good deal; she felt nearly back to normal.

"That's it, alright!" Ash chimed. He had been there once before, so he felt fit to affirm her suspicions. There was a certain sense of nostalgia he felt for it - that was the night before his Metapod had evolved into Butterfree.

Surveying the open area before the cabin, Dawn remembered Ash and Samurai's original goal. "I guess you guys can have your battle in the morning here - or tonight after dinner, maybe?"

"I think the morning would be best. That way our nerves are clear and we'll be well-rested for our battle. We wouldn't want a repeat of our last match, would we?" Samurai shot a smirk towards Ash, recalling Metapod vs Metapod. Surely Ash was smarter than that, now. But with tension this high, who really knew?

He opened the front door, gesturing for Ash and Dawn to enter first.

"Hm. Suits you." Making herself at home, Dawn took a seat at the table, bag sliding off her back and onto the floor. She crossed her arms on the table and put her head down, only to realize she was sweaty and stinky. No way was that going to fly. Already back in the mood of roughing it, she turned her head towards their host. "Does your cabin have indoor plumbing or am I going to have to try my luck at a river?"

While Quilava didn't know every human word even in the common language, she knew the words for water. Chirping in disgust, she waddled off to go sniffing around the rest of Samurai's cabin.

"It does. I've been here too long to not have those kinds of accommodations." Bathing in the forest where bug and water types run amok wasn't the most pleasant, so he'd made the decision of investing in his personal cabin.

The blue haired girl glanced Ash's way; he earned his name today, that was for sure. "You could use a bath, too, you know."

Ash chuckled at Quilava's response before turning to Dawn, rubbing the back of his head with a sheepish grin. "Hah, I guess you're right! I'm gonna guess you're gonna want to go before me though, right?" While Ash didn't feel like going to bed sooty, he knew good and well which one of the two cared more about cleanliness.

"You know me!" Taking that as her cue, Dawn followed the hall she supposed the bathroom had to be down with her bag in hand, happy to discover this was so.

Meanwhile, her Quilava made herself right at home, plopping down with what looked to be a bit of Samurai's firewood, gnawing on it with glee.

With Dawn gone, Samurai turned to Ash, speaking up to fill the silence. Pardoning the sound of pokemon chatter, that was. "So, Ash. Who is this Dawn girl, anyway? She seems like a pretty nice partner to travel with." If he was going to ask about her, it might as well be one-on-one if he was going to take any cues from Team Rocket's prodding.

"She is! She's a friend of mine that I met in Sinnoh a lil' over a year ago. She's a pokemon coordinator, so we ended up traveling together while we chased badges and ribbons. So now she's trying out the Kanto circuit."

"A coordinator. That's got to be an interesting career." He hadn't seen much of them himself; not only did he prefer regular battles, but Samurai was simply a bit of a loner. "Sounds like it takes quite a bit of talent. And dedication."

"Oh, you bet! She had a bit of a shaky start, but she's really shone through with it! Her appeals are really cool." He was hoping to see just what sort of new combinations she'd come up with it when they arrived at her first contest. Surely it'd be amazing! "She made runner-up in her first Grand Festival!"

"That is very impressive. Sounds like an enriching experience for the two of you." To travel together, that was. "You sure seem to talk highly of her." The teasing once again came to mind, but the samurai considered it a bit personal to pry on. What he'd said was just about enough.

"Well… Yeah! We're really good friends." That was his automatic response. They were rather close… That was normal for friends though, right? Still, after the terror and adrenaline had faded, it was a bit hard to ignore Team Rocket's nosy claims. "…Friends, yeah."

"Hmph." Samurai put on a smile, not speaking past a small belly-laugh. Nothing really needed to be said. It was something Ash would have to figure out for himself.

When she heard the bathroom door open, the Quilava waddled to greet Dawn, chirping excitedly and leaving her meal on the rug. Petting the wriggly fire-type, Dawn made her way to the table again, now in her pajamas.

She set her bag down again, grinning at Ash. "It's all yours!" Pulling her fat baby of a Quilava into her lap, she soaked up the fire type's warmth. "Thanks, Samurai! That did wonders." All was quiet for a few seconds, and then: "… Quilava, did you gnaw half of that log?"

"Lav!"

Ash chuckled at Quilava's enthusiasm, giving Dawn a nod. "Awesome!" Slinging his backpack over his shoulder, Ash made his way to the shower to wash off. He couldn't blame Dawn for being so eager; getting clean after that would surely be a relief.

"It's no problem, Dawn." He quickly responded, offering a smile before turning to the firewood, eyes widening at the sight. "…Huh. I hadn't even noticed! I guess I should have expected that, but I'm not too familiar with Pokemon from Johto. Not to mention, I was busy talking to Ash." So much for being ever watchful and observant.

"Sorry; should have mentioned her dietary quirks."

Said troublemaker flicked her tongue out at Samurai, as if trying to make friends after eating his firewood. "Quil."

Suddenly realizing that Samurai had to have been out here by himself for a while, Dawn inquired about him. "How long have you been out here? Is this a family place?"

"That's quite alright." He dismissed the occurrence, smiling back at Quilava in return. It was quite amusing and the firewood left should be enough for one night. "Well, I've had this place since I began my journey as a Pokemon Trainer. I'd found this cabin when I was young and no one seemed to hang around it, so I made it my own. I figured that before I pursued a league, I would test myself against trainers coming through the forest. That was around when I first ran into Ash."

"Wait, wait, so you fixed it up by yourself?" Well, that was impressive. "If you ever decide training's no longer for you, you could definitely go into the home renovation market." But, as the subject turned to the first time Ash came through, Dawn put her chin on the heel of her palm, idly rubbing Quilava's back. "He mentioned your battle. Can you tell me about that?"

"I sure did." He hadn't exactly been in a rush, so the only real issue was a bit of effort and ingenuity. "I suppose I could," he chuckled at the remark of home renovation as an alternate career. She may have had a point. "Oh, yeah. Ash was… Quite the character when we met. I first saw him coming through the forest with that girl he traveled with, trying to catch a Weedle. I challenged him to a battle and the Weedle ended up getting away. He got pretty upset about it." In hindsight, that had partially been his fault.

"We ended up battling when I found out he was from Pallet Town. He held his own, but we ended up with a Metapod each. I'm sure you can imagine how that turned out. Both of us refused to give up!" He let out a chuckle, thinking back fondly on the ridiculous event. Of course, that was only half of the story.

"Phfft. I dunno… holding a battle? With Metapod? That… doesn't sound like the Ash I know." A few years could make a big difference in attitude, though, so Dawn backed off the subject. "I guess you both grew up a lot, though." She continued to listen. A part of her felt like it was probably a good thing Ash hadn't gotten the Weedle. Somehow, a Beedrill didn't suit him. The species seemed needlessly ornery; he wasn't a pushover or anything, but… well, there was a difference between being hostile and hot-blooded.

"You'd be surprised what a Metapod's tough hide could do against a pokemon trying to use Vicegrip on it." It was a rather surprising occurrence, sure, but Ash had pulled it off. "But, I'm sure Ash has improved a lot since then. I would certainly hope so."

He continued on. "Our battle was interrupted by a ton of Beedrill. Ash, unfortunately, forgot to grab his Metapod when we ran back to the cabin. At first, he blamed me for the whole deal. He had a bit of growing up to do." He didn't want to paint a bad image of Ash, of course- particularly not to someone who he may deem an interest. "But, he ended up beating himself up for it. Enough to run into the dwelling place of a whole bunch of Kakuna and Beedrill and retrieve his pokemon. It was touched enough by his act to evolve into a Butterfree. Ash's bravery saved the day, along with Butterfree's Sleep Powder. I've never seen a guy so happy." A smile crossed the warrior's face, the image from years ago clear as day in his mind. Ash certainly loved his partners, if nothing else.

"Now, that sounds like Ash." With a soft, considerate look on her face, she tried to imagine it. Yeah, the guy could be hardheaded - not that she was entirely excluded from that - but the moment things got tough, there was no one else she'd rather have in her corner.

"I'm happy to hear that's the sort of trait he's known for." So, Ash had grown out of his stubborn, childish ways, Samurai would assume. Judging by Dawn's reply and expression, it wasn't too hard to tell that he was admired.

"Oh yeah! I guess everyone's gonna be hungry soon. Mind if I make myself at home in your kitchen, Samurai?" she asked. She didn't know if their host was a jack of all trades or not, but she'd picked up enough from Brock and her mom as of late to have some confidence in her own skills.

"Oh, feel free to." While he could likely stir something up for them, if Dawn had offered to cook to begin with, she was likely better at it than him.

"Watch what happens once I get this smelling good." As she got started on the meal, she began counting down the minutes until the raven haired teen's shower would come to a screeching halt. If Samurai hadn't seen what a big eater Ash was, he was about to be treated to that revelation.

Meanwhile, Dawn's Quilava made herself at home on the rug again, gnawing on the log.

Completely unaware of the conversation he'd been missing out on, Ash had lost track of time in the shower, hanging around a bit longer than he'd planned to. Hey, it was the only decent one he'd get before they made it to Pewter City. The warm water and steam was refreshing after a stressful day, prompting him to bask in that peace just a bit longer than usual.

However, a certain scent that had wandered down the hall quickly caught his attention, indeed bringing him to turn the knob down to zero immediately. "Man, whatever that is smells good! I better get out there!" He spoke aloud to himself, hopping out of the shower to get dressed.

Soon enough, the teen made his way back to Dawn and company, wearing a t-shirt and shorts. "Is someone cooking? 'Cause I could smell it from all the way over there!" There was a gleam in his eyes - one that would prove Dawn's point quite nicely.

"Told you. It's dinner, yeah. Give me about fifteen more minutes and it'll be ready."

"Awesome! Sounds great!" Ash chimed, sitting down at the small kitchen table. Pikachu scurried back to his trainer when he arrived, hopping atop the wooden furniture piece.

Hm. On the note of dinner, Dawn looked from her traveling partner to their host. "Sorry to see kind of needy, Samurai, but what's the sleeping situation going to be like?" While she obviously brought her sleeping bag, if there was a bed, she was going to be all over that.

So, Ash thought with his stomach. Duly noted. "Sorry, but I only have one bed in here. The last time Ash and his friend stayed over, we used sleeping bags." He could assume she would definitely prefer a bed, but sadly the place wasn't accommodated for more than one to stay for long. "If you want a bed, though, there's sure to be some open in Pewter City once you make it through the forest. If that is where you're going."

"It is! And, that's fine! Couldn't resist asking, though." Win some, lose some. With dinner almost ready, Dawn quickly got out the plates for everyone. "Alright, we're good to go. Thanks for letting me have command of the kitchen, again." Getting her own meal, Dawn sat down with a happy sigh. Yep. After this, it was definitely lights out. She was exhausted.

Ash sat up in his seat, eyes glimmering in anticipation for the meal that would follow. Pikachu cooed, the scent of the meal drifting pleasantly through the cabin. Needless to say, it didn't escape his senses. Ash immediately dug into the dish that had been set before him, positively glowing after his mouthful. "Man, Dawn, this is great! You never told me you could cook like this!" He began to devour the dish just as ravenously as usual, while Pikachu slurped up the occasional noodle from Ash's dish.

"It's no problem, Dawn. I should thank you for preparing this for us." Samurai sat down as well, having already abandoned his armory for a sleeveless t-shirt and shorts, similar to Ash's nightwear. Samurai began to down the meal in a more composed manner, though he seemed just as enamored. "I'll have to agree with Ash. You did a pretty great job on such short notice!"

"Thanks!"

"Oh," Ash stopped after devouring roughly half of his meal. "I was wanting to ask ya, Samurai. What'd ya end up doing after I left the forest? You couldn't've been here all this time, could you?"

"Well, shortly after battling you, I decided to set out on my own journey. I battled the gyms of the Indigo League and managed to acquire eight badges." After getting this far in his explanation, his smile faded, dark eyes averting from the two.

As Samurai went on his spiel, Dawn listened intently. When he averted their eyes, Dawn raised a brow, looking to Ash as if he knew what the problem was somehow.

"…I challenged the Indigo League at the end of the year. I'd lost in the first round. I had seen that you went quite a bit further in the rounds and I found myself discouraged. Rather than continue, I returned here to train, only traveling occasionally to learn more as a pokemon trainer. I haven't entered since." It felt like a shameful story to tell - a warrior like him quitting. Working so hard though, only to fall so soon… It had discouraged him greatly. Maybe he wasn't meant for the big leagues. Maybe training in the lonesome forest was the life he was supposed to lead.

There was a pause. Dawn carefully chose her words; oh boy, if there was one thing she knew, it was being discouraged. Her first circuit was, well, it was something. She had been thrown from everything she knew and accepted and tossed straight into the big leagues. Like trainers, coordinators spent years perfecting their art. There was no mercy or holding back; the sweat of their toiling and training pushed everyone to relentlessly try their best, to spare no challenger when victory was on the line…

Which was why it was all the more bitter tasting when victory wasn't achieved.

"Samurai, how long did you train for that?" she asked quietly, carefully gauging his reaction.

"For a few months, following my collection of the badges." He replied. Now that it came out of his mouth… It did sound a little silly.

"Yet, after one defeat at the gathering of the region's best trainers—a challenge you qualified for—you lost. You lost in your first go at the region's harshest challenge, and you're… quitting because of that?" Sticking her fork in her noodles, she pouted. "Samurai, I don't wanna sound harsh, but that's harsh on yourself, and your pokemon." She jerked a thumb at Ash. "Let me tell you something I had to learn—you can't use Ash as a measuring stick." Her voice began tenderer here, but she meant it. "Also, you mentioned that you stayed here going against trainers traveling through here? That's not going to help you with the tournaments."

Sipping her water, the bluenette let another pause come through. "That's like battling Bidoofs when you're getting ready to take on a…. Kangaskhan! You'll get the experience, but it's not right for the situation." And, boy howdy, did Dawn know all about working the situation in her favor.

Realizing she had just given a lecture - Mew, she was turning into her mother - she quickly grabbed her drink again, blushing. Finished with her meal, she picked up her plate to make a sheepish escape. "I mean. If… you wanted my two cents."

Not once did she insult him, but only reasoned why he had failed, and why he shouldn't take it to heart. The more she spoke, the more embarrassed he felt. Not in their presence - but with himself. How could he have missed something so obvious? Or rather, ignored it in face of his own bruised ego? He was a warrior - a samurai. It flew in the face of everything he stood for.

"…No. You're right, Dawn. One hundred percent. I'm embarrassed to only see it now, but I let my own disappointment get the better of me. Thank you for your honesty and insight." The warrior, or would-be warrior nodded his head in respect, a smile showing on his lips for the first time since the conversation began. "Perhaps you're right. Maybe I'll still have another chance. I'll just have to try harder."

"That's the spirit!" Ash finally chimed in, raising a fist opposite of the one which he was using to stuff his face. After swallowing another bite, he continued. "You can take it from Dawn; she hit a rough patch too, but she came out runner-up in her first Grand Festival! If she can turn it around, then I know you can, too!"

"Oh, gosh, yeah… at least you didn't cry about it, huh?" With all the dishes save what the boys were eating on put away, Dawn grabbed her bag again. "Well, I think it's a certain coordinator's turning in time! Night, guys." She made her way into the living room and the minute she got settled down Quilava - who had eaten the entire log by now - felt it appropriate to wiggle her fat bottom over and lay on her trainer, letting out content little chattering noises.

She was met with a smile from both as she walked to head to bed. "G'night, Dawn!" Ash chimed, and Samurai replied as well.

"Good night." He turned to Ash, who was already setting aside his empty plate. "You're lucky to have a friend like that, you know." One could only imagine the trials and rough spots Ash had been through - someone who could give a pep talk like that was definitely a wonderful asset.

Brows were raised at the warrior's statement, the look of confusion soon fading into a smile. "Yeah, I know." Ash affirmed, grabbing his own bag before setting the sleeping bag out on the floor. "C'mon, Pikachu. Let's get some rest so we can get to Pewter City tomorrow!" He soon made himself cozy, the electric mouse fitting in snugly between the sleeping bag and Ash's chest.

While he set himself up and began to drift into slumber, he couldn't help but dwell on the conversation that had just gone by. It was true that he'd hit some pretty rough points himself, namely his loss to Paul at Lake Verity. Dawn had been there to whip him back into shape, too, hadn't she? Regardless of what Jessie had said earlier, he knew Dawn was someone he could count on, at the very least. Those thoughts had been last as he drifted off into slumber, letting fatigue wisp him away until the next day came.


Sleep was sweet that night. Between the quietness of the cabin and the tranquil midnight melodies of the forest pokemon, the lull which lasted until just before the first hints of lighter blue on the horizon was the kind of pleasant reward that only the adventurous soul could truly savor. Away from the bustle of civilization, there was an echoing back to a simpler time.

And, Ash answered the pale light of this primordial hour. He carefully sat up, wiggling to get out from in between Rosa - whom he'd let out during the night upon remembering she was still in her pokeball - and Pikachu. With that, he grabbed his back and headed to the bathroom. Ah, yes. At this hour, the call of nature could surely be heard by the adventurous young hero.

However, his warmth was missed in the sleeping bag and Rosa soon finally awoke herself. ~Papa?~ Getting no response, she assumed he was outside of her immediate vicinity, but the fact Pikachu was still here told her he couldn't be far. Still, she didn't feel quite safe wandering around the house. More importantly, she was hungry! Pikachu couldn't cook, but maybe Ash's friend could?

Getting out of the sleeping bag, the little Riolu tip toed over to Dawn's sleeping bag. The coordinator was barely waking, sunshine lightly splashing across her face.

~Dawn?~ Rosemary called. ~Can you make me some food? I'm hungry.~

"Huh? Yeah, let me get up," the coordinator agreed, rubbing her eyes. She turned, trying to figure out who was talking to her. She looked around and saw no other people in the room, only a snoozing Pikachu, Quilava's fat behind still on her, and Ash's Riolu looking up at her shyly. "... I guess I dreamed it," Dawn concluded.

~Dreamed what?~

Dawn looked down. "W-Was that… you?!"

~... Oh! Sorry, um, I thought you were awake. Sorry, I just wanted some food.~ Covering up her little face in her paws, the Riolu felt a little like crying. She didn't know what to do. Would Dawn be angry? But, if Ash trusted her, she had to be a good person! And, a good person would take care of her, right?

Realizing that the Riolu was about to cry, Dawn gently reached forward, patting her on the head very softly. "Hey, hey, no need to worry! I just didn't know you could talk. I'll make you some breakfast!" And, ask Ash what was up with this when he got out here. Weren't Riolu fighting types?! Speaking of weird stuff, she never got a reason for his tricks yesterday.

With that, Dawn got up and headed into the kitchen. She set Rosa on the table, letting her watch as the coordinator walked around the kitchen, soon aided by Pikachu when he awoke, and Piplup, once Dawn released him. Quilava was the last to join the cooking party, mostly keeping Rosa entertained by telling jokes in the language of pokemon.

Finally, both boys wandered into the kitchen. In short order, everyone was sitting down to breakfast.

"So, Ash," Dawn began politely, pushing Rosa's plate a little closer to her as the Riolu continued to sit on the table, this time between her beloved trainer and her new friend Dawn. "Why, exactly, can Rosa talk to me? She isn't a psychic type, is she?"

"Oh! I meant to ask what that move was you used the other day. It's… rather mystical, honestly," Samurai also chirped in.

Swallowing thickly around his breakfast, the teen chuckled. "So, uh. You guys ever heard of aura?"

"Yeah," Dawn agreed, recalling a certain adventure on Iron Island.

Samurai nodded. "It's a fabled type of fighting energy. Why?"

"Well, me and her can both use it, and it helps her as a pokemon with some telepathic stuff."

Recalling what she knew of Riley and his Lucario - unknowing how accurate her connection was - the coordinator accepted this. She could ask more later, she supposed. "Okay. Yeah, it's real, Samurai. I just didn't know Ash could use it."

Ash chuckled. "Sorry. It's new."

"I'd imagine," Samurai deadpanned.

With that, breakfast continued smoothly. At the end of it, Dawn reminded Ash and Samurai of their promise to battle each other so there won't be any regrets… before running off to get ready for the day, leaving both boys to handle the dishes.

"...Aw, seriously!?" Ash sulked upon noticing. That was not cool.


Once indoor chores had been accounted for, the trio and their pokemon moved outside of the small cabin, stepping into a clearing that was a satisfactory size for a decent battle. The morning dew still glistened on the grass, a gentle breeze welcomed the gang to a new day, and the sun shone brightly upon those stepping into its midst. Pretty good conditions for a battle, really.

"Looks like we've got a battlefield! How's three on three sound?" the trainer asked the warrior.

"Oh, this is gonna be good," Dawn chimed, with only Piplup out of his pokeball to spectate.

"You bet it is! Alright, let's go, Samurai!" Ash called. Looking to his side, though, he made his first decision of the battle. "...Hey, Rosa! What do you say about having your first trainer battle? Good a time to start as any, right?" He beamed upon the small fighting type, hoping to instill confidence.

~A-a trainer battle?~ That did make her heart jump a few paces… But, this guy did seem nice. They stayed in his house, after all! ~O-okay! I'll battle!~ She hopped forward in front of Ash, lightly hopping from one foot to the other. If her practice battles were any indication, maybe this could be fun!

"I can't say I've ever battled a pokemon like you before. This should be quite the interesting battle!" A gleam appeared in the warrior's eye before he tossed his first pokeball. "Pinsir! Assume battle mode!"

The Stag Beetle pokemon appeared in a flash of light, towering over Rosa. Its pincers clicked together, putting on quite the intimidating show. Indiscriminate as always in its fights, it awaited the first call.

Noticing his own companion trembling, Ash continued. "I know your opponent looks tough, Rosa, but you'll be fine! Just trust me!" Flashing a thumbs up, he continued. "Now, let's try an Aura Sphere attack!"

Nodding, the Emanation pokemon turned to her side, conjuring a brilliant orb of power between her paws. Still new to her honing of the move, she elected to hold onto it closely before throwing her paws forward, unleashing the supernatural force upon her opponent.

'That's the same technique that Ash used...' Samurai noted. "Dodge it, Pinsir!"

Using notable leg strength, the bug type sprung a good height above the battlefield, ready and eager to unleash an assault upon the other pokemon. With the attack well out of its reach, it was free to attack.

Or, at least it assumed.

"Pinsir! Defend yourself!"

Samurai's call was too little too late. The Aura Sphere had followed, clouding Pinsir in an explosion.

"Alright! Good job!" Ash pumped a fist in the air. Her first real battle, and she'd landed a hit!

Two clawed feet landed upon the grass, however. Pinsir had emerged, barely a scratch on him. Chilling, horizontal rows of teeth chattered together in a grotesque taunt towards the younger pokemon.

"Pinsir, use Double Hit!"

The larger pokemon charged its opponent, ducking its head to ready its retaliation.

"Rosa, stay cool! Use Detect to dodge it!"

Normally ruby colored orbs took on a bright blue shine, the pokemon's basic fighting instincts taking over. Reading Pinsir's intentions, the fighting type managed to duck under the first strike of one of Pinsir's horns, despite being far slower than the latter. A second strike followed, which she managed to jump over, landing a decent distance away from her attacker.

"Good job!" Ash praised. "Now, use Force Palm!"

She remembered Ash mentioning that timing was important in a battle. Lurching forward, little Rosemary did her best to capitalize upon the moment of opportunity that Ash seemed to see. Closing the distance, she placed her paw upon Pinsir's chest. With a yelp, she fired a burst of energy unto it.

The force sent Pinsir skidding back a few feet, prompting it to scratch its chest. That'd been uncomfortable.

Time to press the offensive! "Now, keep using Force Palm! Put some pressure on 'em!"

The Riolu barked, leaping forward once more in an attempt to push it with aura. This time, though, the bug type began to dodge. Leaping and pushing a paw forward after each avoided strike, the small fighter did her best to keep Pinsir on the ropes.

"Fight back, Pinsir! Use Brick Break!"

Good. It was tired of holding back. It threw a glowing fist forward, slamming it into Rosa's gut.

Big round eyes nearly bulged out of the pokemon's head, a voiceless gasp for breath following as the small pokemon was thrown back across the field. She landed with a small cloud of dust, coughing.

"Rosa!" Ash shouted in worry, visibly cringing at the hit. That had to hurt. "Hey, can you still fight?"

Her paws began to push the pokemon to her feet. ~Y-yeah…~ She coughed, righting herself. This was just like the endurance training back home. She just had to keep fighting!

"Good! Now, use Reversal! Give it all you've got!"

All of that pain was channeled into strength. With a yelp, she launched forward, nailing Pinsir with a roundhouse kick to the face. Suffering from the damage it'd dealt out itself, Pinsir was sent reeling.

"Impressive! Most impressive," Samurai commended. "Now, Pinsir! Finish it! Vicegrip!"

Hurting, but still comfortable to fight, the bug launched back again, snagging the Emanation pokemon within its iron Grip. Drawing a yelp from the pokemon, Pinsir swung its head, tossing Rosa back to Ash.

Swirls in her eyes indicated a loss.

Nonetheless, the trainer couldn't help but smile. Kneeling down, he scooped the tyke into his arm. "Hey, are you alright? You put up a great fight out there."

Lids began to quiver before parting. Still dizzy, the pokemon sulked. ~Sorry…~

"Hey, don't worry about it! That was really good for your first trainer battle… Now, let me handle this, alright?" Reaching for the brim of his cap, he turned it backwards with a gleam in his eye.

"Now, Samurai, I want you to meet some of my older friends! Bulbasaur, I choose you!"

The next pokeball let the Seed pokemon free, leaving it standing opposite of Pinsir. "Bulba!"

"Alright, Bulbasaur! Use Razor Leaf!"

The grass type attacked at once, launching a flurry of sharp leaves towards Pinsir.

The bug type did its best to guard from the onslaught, crossing its skinny arms over its body.

"Counter it, Pinsir! Use X-Scissor to charge through!"

It lowered its head, each of its two pincers gaining a brilliant glow that formed an 'x.' Charging forward, it slammed into Bulbasaur's body, sending the smaller pokemon reeling with remarkable power.

"You can take it, Bulbasaur! Start charging up a Solarbeam!"

Tiny solar particles teeming with life, thanks to the clear blue skies, began to enter Bulbasaur's bulb.

"Pinsir! Use Vicegrip! Render that Solarbeam useless!" Samurai called.

The Stag Beetle charged forward once more, squeezing Bulbasaur's body between its tough horns. It righted itself, holding the grass type helplessly above. Its bulb pointing away from any possible target, it was sure to miss with its potent grass type attack.

"Not on my watch! Bulbasaur, use Power Whip! Open those horns up, quick!"

Glowing vines shot out of its back, each of them ensnaring Pinsir's spiky horns. Remarkable strength began to pull them apart, no matter how much power the bug type offered in keeping Bulbasaur in place. With a bit of wiggle room made, Bulbasaur pointed its bulb downward.

Pinsir could only watch in horror as the glow intensified, finally unleashing in a brilliant explosion of solar energy. Bright lights and smoke consumed both pokemon, forcing each trainer to cover their eyes.

Soon, Ash found himself able to look upon the scene, as did Samurai. Bulbasaur had leaped from the other pokemon's grip, landing safely on all fours. Pinsir, however, lay on the ground, out cold.

"Return, Pinsir!" Samurai recalled his pokemon in a flash of light, hardly surprised with the result. He was impressed, however. "That was a smart move, Ash. I can see you've come a long way from the last time we battled. But, this match is far from over! Butterfree! It's your turn to fight!"

The floating insect appeared in another flash, humming its usual cry as it fluttered above.

Eyeing the pokemon, Ash couldn't help but feel nostalgic. Resisting the urge to choke up, he tried to keep his cool. Now wasn't the time to start thinking about his old Butterfree… They had a battle to win!

"Now, Butterfree, Silver Wind!"

The butterfly began to furiously flap its wings, kicking up a powerful wind, punishing Bulbasaur with an unusual, bug type power. Eager to succeed, the Butterfree continued its assault, showing no mercy.

"You can take it, Bulbasaur! Use Power Whip to slam it down!"

Wincing from the bug type onslaught, Bulbasaur shot its vines outward, wrapping them securely around Butterfree. Before the other pokemon could react, a whiplash of the vines slammed it roughly into the ground below. A cry of pain gave Ash a good measure of the move's success.

Samurai frowned. This was bad; Bulbasaur was even stronger than he'd thought. "Use Sleep Powder!"

Batting its wings to free itself, Butterfree began to sprinkle down a soothing spore.

"That's bad…!" Sweat dripped down Ash's forehead. "...Bulbasaur, use Leech Seed, and fast!"

The loyal grass type did as told, launching a seed from the center of its bulb. Butterfree was ensnared as the former pokemon began to fall to the lulling powder, eyes struggling to stay open. He collapsed.

"Clever, Ash! I'm guessing you're trying to secure energy for Bulbasaur while it's asleep… But, we won't allow you that chance! Butterfree, Tackle attack!"

The surprisingly hardy little bug crashed into Bulbasaur's sleeping form, sending the grass type rolling but not at all stirred. The slumber was deep. Luckily for Butterfree, Tackle had no recoil and it merely retreated a bit out of wariness, awaiting Samurai's next order.

"Bulbasaur! Come on, I know you felt that!" Ash called, hoping to wake up the little grass type.

Samurai decided to take full advantage of the situation. While Leech Seed might be slowly stealing energy, they had a bit of an advantage right now. "Butterfree, use Silver Wind!"

With ample time, Butterfree paused, stirring up a larger than usual Silver Wind, bright scales slashing down upon a summoned zephyr at Bulbasaur.

Between the chill of the wind, the pain of the attack, and Ash's continued prompts for awaking, Bulbasaur did finally return to wakefulness. "Bulba!" he cried, bracing against the fading attack.

"Alright! Bulbasaur, use Power Whip!"

Butterfree tried to flee in vain. Bulbasaur's vines slapped the Butterfree, first sending it off course and spinning in the air, and then the second time into the ground. Once it hit, there was no more movement. The bug type was knocked smoothly out by the grass type's overwhelming power.

"I see," Samurai murmured. "Well, thank you, Butterfree; return. Beedrill, it's time to battle!"

The wasp-like pokemon flexed, massive stringers gleaming intimidatingly. "Drill!"

"Oh, boy," Ash breathed. "Bulbasaur, retu - "

"Pursuit!" Samurai called out.

"Bulbasaur, cover using Razor Leaf!"

As Beedrill dived, a spiraling tunnel of leaves surrounded it, obscuring its vision. By the time it cleared, all it managed to jab with its stingers was empty air. Bulbasaur had been successfully returned.

"Right. That thing's fast… Wartortle, I choose you!" Ash tossed the water type's pokeball out. The second stage pokemon grinned upon seeing the Beedrill. Having a nice hard shell could instill some confidence in yourself pretty quickly, after all. "Let's start off with Hydro Pump!"

"Beedrill, dodge with Agility!" As swiftly as Samurai ordered it, the temperamental bug type obeyed, jerking to the side of the Hydro Pump with an angry buzz. "Now, use Toxic Spikes!" Swinging its arms wildly, numerous poisonous hazards were scattered across the ground, headed for Wartortle's path!

"That's bad…!" Ash deadpanned. That move had caused him quite a bit of trouble in the past, and more than he'd like. Thankfully, an idea quickly sprung to mind. "Use Rapid Spin, and fast! Knock away those Toxic Spikes!" Ash called out, fingers metaphorically crossed.

"Wartortle!" The turtle quickly returned to his shell, spinning above amongst the falling arrows of toxins. The turning shell deflected the first, sending the water type ricocheting into the next, and so on and so forth. Spinning about wildly, Wartortle dispelled the last of the toxins before heading for Beedrill, smashing into its segmented form.

"Alright! Awesome job, Wartortle!" Ash cheered. Thank Arceus that was over.

"Don't let it get away, Beedrill, Twinneedle attack!"

Righting itself from the last assault, Beedrill launched itself at the still airborne turtle, jabbing it repeatedly with its poison-tipped stingers. Having finally appeared from its shell, Wartortle found itself vulnerable to the assault.

"With any luck, your Wartortle will soon be poisoned! It's only a matter of time; if you feel you have the right to your pokemon's trust, I suggest you act on it soon, Ash!" Samurai warned, confident as ever.

"Don't you worry about my pokemon! Wartortle! Iron Defense!"

The tortoise quickly retreated to his shell once more, the outer carapace taking on a glimmering, silver layer of metal that soon rendered Beedrill's jabs pointless. Nonetheless, it continued its assault.

"Your Wartortle can't hide in its shell forever, Ash! Defending oneself can only so far!"

"That's fine, because I've always thought the best defense is a good offense! Wartortle, Hydro Pump!"

Still curled inside his shell, Wartortle took on a mischievous grin, even if one couldn't see it. Powerful jets of water were spewed from each of the holes in its shell, launching the hard outer surface right towards Beedrill. Lucky enough, the attack hit its mark, sending the ornery insect reeling.

"Good job, Wartortle! Now finish it, with Skull Bash!"

"War!" Still airborne, the water type popped his head out, then ducking it to prepare for the incoming blow. His body launched towards Beedrill, rocking the bug with a powerful strike from his head.

Beedrill was quick to fall, overwhelmed by the powerful series of attacks.

Dawn clapped. "That was great! It's been a while since I've seen an intense match." She cast a quick grin at Ash. He knew he won, so there was no reason to rub it in with Samurai right there. It would soon be time to go… "Thanks for having us, Samurai. And, for the good time. Hate our visit started out the way it did, though."

He cast a grin back before turning to Samurai, approaching the trainer with a hand held out. "It really was intense. That was a lot of fun, Samurai! I guess we've both gotten stronger, huh?"

"Return, Beedrill!" The other trainer withdrew his final Pokemon, turning his attention to Ash before holding out his own hand, shaking Ash's. After a short pause, a smile crossed his face as well. "Indeed. You're quite the adversary, just as ever, Ash! I'm hardly upset that I lost. Oh, it was my pleasure, Dawn. As unfortunate as that was, it said a lot about all of us. I'm happy to have met the both of you… In fact, I've been inspired. This year, I'm going to retry the Indigo League! It's been decided."

"Hey, awesome! That's where we're headed when it comes around! I guess we'll see each other then, huh?" Ash's eyes lit once more with that childish glow. He would be more than happy to potentially face his friend again - and even better that he had his confidence back!

"Yep! We'll see you then! Oh, speaking of which, we'd better get going! I've still got that contest to practice for." With the rest of the forest between them and Pewter, as long as they made good time, it should be a pleasant journey. "Bye, Samurai! See you around!" Dawn chimed.

"Indeed. Farewell, Ash and Dawn! Until we meet again." The warrior bore a smile before turning to return to his cabin, ready to begin his pursuits anew.

"See ya soon!" Ash shouted out, waving before turning to head down the beaten path, carrying the tired fighting type in his arms, accompanied by the turtle at his side, who'd once more donned his valued sunglasses. "From what I remember, if we're coming from his place, Pewter City should be pretty close! We'll finally find another place to stay, and we'll get to see Brock!" That thought was quite exciting enough to the trainer. He hadn't met up with him since he'd left for Pallet Town quite a while ago.

"Oh, and the contest! What do ya say once we get settled in, we train for that? I'm sure we could help you sharpen your appeals! Heck, maybe we could come up with something new!"

"Oh, man, it's been a while—that'll be nice." She wondered how his schooling was going; becoming a doctor, especially one for pokemon seeing how varied they could be, was probably one of the more difficult life paths. Yet, the former-gym leader showed talent and there was plenty of motivation—he'd be swamped by a bevy of Nurse Joys if he succeeded. "And sure! We can train together again, just like old times!" The blue-haired girl beamed. What had begun as a rocky start to a new journey ended with a pleasant reunion, renewed dreams, and a long-awaited promise fulfilled! Surely things would only get more exciting as Ash and Dawn moved on towards their next adventure.