After a night of rest and relaxation, the group was headed out of Vermillion City and northward. Celadon City was their aim. The big, vibrant city's description had jogged Dawn's memory as they all walked along the forest-lined road that sunny spring day.
"And, well, you know how people are. It apparently doesn't matter if it clashes; they're going to judge it on intention, not color schemes," Dawn said almost nastily, remembering how one of the critics had viewed Piplup and Buneary's outfits during their brief modeling performance in Hoenn. "Of course, that woman thinks all orange seals are a good statement piece for any Pokéball," she continued, rattling on. "Paris was with me. We knew that just wasn't true!"
"Uh… Yeah! Right!" Ash struggled to keep up with her rambling about fashion and colors, occasionally exchanging sympathetic glances with Pikachu. They respected her and her work, they really did, but talk of fashion quite frankly bored them to tears. It was nearly enough to put them to sleep! Speaking of sleep…
"Is that a microphone?" Dawn stopped her fashion frenzy and came to a halt upon spotting a small, seemingly innocuous device in the hands of a small Pokémon.
Her companions, however, weren't so unassuming. Ash had similarly stopped in his tracks, but for an entirely different reason. Eyes went wide at the sight of a round, pink puffball with giant green orbs. An expression as innocent-looking as one could be, and a tiny curved smile on its features.
"Ahh! Jigglypuff!"Ash yelped, accompanied by a similar horrified shout from Pikachu.
"Piiiikachu…!"
Jumping at his yelp, Dawn looked for danger… before looking down. "Are you two serious right now?!" she snapped. She'd thought it was Team Rocket or something! Heck, even an Ursaring—were they even native to Kanto? "It's just a Jigglypuff!"
The two had gone stiff in an uncharacteristically frightened posture, each turning blue in the face. It was still walking around Kanto, then! And, if it still had that microphone, it still liked to sing! "That's… Not just a microphone, Dawn!"
Before Ash could utter a warning and explain himself, there came a distant shout.
"A Jigglypuff?!"
The Jigglypuff, who had momentarily been registering her audience - the boy she knew, but where were the red haired girl and the taller boy? - returned to attention at the shout. "Puff!" She shouted, puffing her cheeks up to inflate. She rushed forward, using Ash's head as leverage to get herself higher and escape her pursuer.
The bouncy puffball had trounced Ash, sending himself and Pikachu ruthlessly to the ground. He and Pikachu let out a groan of pain, soon pulling themselves together. "What… What the heck was that? I know I heard someone else just now!"
"Phfft," Dawn momentarily giggled at the duo before she was bowled over by Jigglypuff's follower.
"Jigglypuff!" he shouted, knocking Dawn over and into Empoleon's waiting wings. "Get back here!"
"Hey!...What in the world?!" Dawn snapped, watching as the duo - the Pokémon, and an unidentified kid - dashed.
"Lemme tell ya, though, that's no ordinary Jigglypuff!" Ash continued, finally.
"Piiikaaa." The mouse uttered in agreement, dusting himself off after climbing to his feet. The last thing he wanted was to end up falling asleep in the middle of the road again, or possibly something worse. You never knew with that thing around.
"If you say so," Dawn muttered.
"I wonder who Jigglypuff's running from… Let's follow 'em!" Just like that, Ash had his energy back, already taking off in the direction Jigglypuff had taken off towards. Who the heck was looking to capture that Jigglypuff? It was all too likely they didn't know what they were getting into yet.
With that, Dawn started jogging after the quickly escaping duo. "… oh, right." Empoleon would be at a disadvantage. "Sorry, buddy!" she lamented before returning the big water type. He'd only gotten less mobile on land with size.
Meanwhile, as the adventurers caught up, Jigglypuff managed to jump directly on top of her would-be captor, sending him butt first into the dirt.
"Hey, kid! You might wanna be careful dealing with… That… Oh." Ash trailed off as he approached, witnessing the younger trainer being painfully outsmarted and outmuscled by the puff. His warning had come a bit late.
"Jiggly!" Jigglypuff hopped off of the boy who'd been chasing her down. Just who did he think he was? If he wasn't going to listen to her singing, he might as well beat it. Especially if he was doing such a poor job keeping up.
"I've got it!" the kid snapped. He stood up, sniffing a bit at the impact. "Gr… Zubat! I need your help!" Tossing a Pokéball out, the child prepared to battle the fairy type.
"Why's he so intent this one Pokémon…?" Dawn wondered. Not that she needed to talk, particularly considering her history with Buneary.
There was a pause before the child whirled around. "My name's Terry! And, my motto's never giving up! If we try hard, we can achieve anything! Right, Zubat?!"
"Bat!"
"So, Zubat, use Supersonic on that Jigglypuff!"
"…Well, he's got spunk," Dawn confessed.
Well, Jigglypuff wasn't going to take this sitting down! Leaping up from its standing position, it was quick to take the initiative by smacking Zubat with a brutal Pound attack! Upon landing the blow, it hopped clean out of the bat's range.
"Here we go again." Ash uttered dryly, already feeling sorry for the kid. He knew for a fact that Jigglypuff was one tough customer. Have you ever seen a single Pokéemon beat up a whole squad of Clefairy? Ash and Pikachu had.
With his Zubat grounded and seemingly down for the count, Terry panicked. "Oh no! Aw, sorry, buddy! But, don't worry! We'll continue in your honor! Return!" Fishing through his backpack, the kid got out another Pokéball. "Alright, Rattata, we've got this!"
The purple mouse looked around, saw their audience, and sheepishly grinned. He was gonna battle in public…?
"Should we do anything?" Dawn asked, nudging Ash.
"It is his battle." Frowning, Ash surprisingly decided to leave it to the kid to continue. He understood what an issue of pride that would be. "If things get rough, then we can step in and help him out!" Yes, that was his plan.
Meanwhile, Terry was on the offense again. "Rattata, use Hyper Bite! … I mean Super Bite! Er, Hyper Fang—no, no, not Hyper Fang, Super Fang! There!" Why were all of Rattata's moves so similar?! The only really different one was Quick Attack.
"Rattata!" The mouse cried out before leaping at Jigglypuff.
Of course, things only got worse from there. Rattata proved to be a bit faster than Zubat, managing to sink its fangs into the very unhappy Jigglypuff. A high-pitched cry of pain was uttered, round emerald orbs leering upon the rodent.
Its cheeks puffed out, its entire body inflating into a surprisingly intimidating balloon. "Jiggly… PUFF!" The angry Pokémon retaliated with a brutal Doubleslap attack, pummeling the poor rodent with several relentless slaps.
The Rattata was made of tougher stuff than the Zubat, if only slightly. While the Doubleslap knocked him heavily to the ground, the mouse refused to stay down.
"Attaboy! Now, try for Quick Attack!" Terry ordered.
"He seems to be really desperate for just a capture… Maybe he should try for a Pokémon that won't be so incompatible with him?" Dawn muttered, not willing to interfere either. "… I wasn't like that with Buneary, was I?" She felt a little bit of second hand embarrassment, really.
"Seems like he really wants that one… You're probably right." It wasn't exactly your run of the mill pushover. "…Kinda, but I was pretty strong on catching it, too!" Come to think of it, he'd almost forgotten he originally planned on catching Buneary. "And, I'm pretty sure even you did better than this."
The Quick Attack landed, causing Jigglypuff to bounce, bounce and roll! It soon came to a stop, righting itself with fury in its big, round eyes. It wasn't about to take this sitting down! "Jigglyyyy… Puff!" It closed in on Rattata, aiming to slap it silly with a final Pound attack!
Rattata let out a final groan of pain as he was flung back. "Rattata!"
"Yeah, it was cute that you thought you were gonna catch her, though," Dawn teased.
"I was totally gonna catch her!" Ash turned his attention to Dawn, his pride challenged by her words. Okay, maybe it was a little bit petty… But the child's complaints finally caught his attention.
"Can you two cut it with the nostal… nostall… the oldie crap!" Terry snapped, on the verge of tears as he held his Rattata. "I need that Jigglypuff! Now, either help me or get lost!"
"…Nostalgia." Now was not the time, Dawn.
"WHATEVER."
"Alright, alright! I've got it covered." Reaching for his belt, Ash grabbed a single Pokéball, ready to toss. "Alright, Haunter! Help us out…!" When he was about to toss the ball, though, a familiar sound dominated the air. One that made Ash and Pikachu freeze in horror.
"Jigglypuff… Jiggle-yy… Jigglypuff~!" Feeling triumphant, the puffball had begun to sing, If these three couldn't keep up with it, then they could at least listen to its song!
"Ah! That's… That's the song…! Dawn, cover… Your… Ears…!" The teen struggled to spout, eyelids already becoming heavy. The ghost was never released. His knees began to feel weak, a loud yawn escaping him as the song started to claim his consciousness.
"It's just si… singing," Dawn mumbled through a yawn, not realizing what was happening until she'd landed on her butt. "Oh…" This was why he freaked out earlier.
Terry, being younger and arguably more hyped up than the older duo, stood on for a moment more, failing to properly toss not one but three Pokéballs. His poor muscles just weren't coordinated enough right now. "No no no… no… nahzZZ." Well, kiddo was down for the count, too.
Pikachu was the last to succumb. The little electric relaxed into a cuddle-loaf at Ash's side.
All of their slumber was peaceful and undisturbed… For the most part.
Dark hues once again revealed themselves to the world as the teen pulled himself into a sitting position. "Man… I can't believe it got us again." His arms stretched over his head, a rather loud yawn escaping him.
His face was marked with a number of silly designs, including a twirly mustache, a villainous goatee, and duplicates of the z marks on his cheeks. He wasn't alone, however. Pikachu had a pair of angry eyebrows drawn on. It seemed that old habit still hadn't been ditched.
Terry awoke with a start. He looked over, saw Ash, Pikachu, and Dawn's faces, and at once furiously frowned. He could only guess what his own looked like. Truth be known, what suspiciously looked like the word "FOOL" was written across his forehead, along with a monocle around an eye and big tear marks on his cheeks. He stood, wobbly from sleepiness. "You're both so useless!" the boy snapped, directing his anger and shame at the duo, rather than his own failure.
As Dawn began to stir at his yell, Terry ran off.
Sitting up and rubbing her eyes - a shame, she had the most well done Zigzagoon eyes - she blinked dumbly. "… Ash, why are we in the middle of the road?" After a second, it clicked. She cackled, pointing at his and Pikachu's faces, unaware of the whiskers drawn on her own face or the target on her forehead. "What in the world happened to you two?! Hahahaha!"
"Jigglypuff. That's why!" He'd hardly been conscious enough to respond to Terry, rubbing his eye before starting to gain a bearing on his surroundings. Judging by Dawn's laughter, he didn't need to even ask what had happened next. Glancing up at the bluenette, he could barely suppress his own laughter. "Forget mine… You oughta get a look at your face, Dawn! You look like a Zigzagoon!" Ash lost his self-control at this point, laughing rather loudly at the sight before him. "Man, and look at Pikachu! Ahah, you guys should see yourselves!"
"Pikachu…" The mouse muttered, woken as well by the boy's shout. That Sing attack was really annoying, and he was sure he looked ridiculous right about now.
"…My face?" Oh no. Dawn scrambled, getting out her compact. For a full moment, there was absolute silence. "Is… Is this permanent?! We can't go into town like this! We have to camp out here. I can't be seen like this, I'll be a laughing stock! What if Ember hears about this?!" Beautifully handled. When someone else got their face drawn on, it was all giggles. When she got her face drawn on, however...
Ash'd damn near fallen on his rear at the outburst, his heart likely skipping a beat at Dawn's panicked fussing. He hadn't seen her this upset in quite some time! "H-hey! Take it easy..! We've wiped it off before!" He held his hands out in front of him, doing his best to soothe the vexed coordinator. "No one's gonna see you… Looking like… That… Pffthahaha!" Ash burst into laughter once more, practically clutching his stomach. The marks looked funny enough, but with her livid expression, well she just looked hilarious!
"Pika…" Pikachu did his best to keep his amusement to himself, already hiding behind his trainer to avoid the worst of this. He'd almost forgotten about Dawn's temper.
"I wouldn't be laughing if I were you! You… look… phfft. No, this is… this is stupid." Her anguish subsided with the equally marked up duo's attempts to end her rage. They all did look hilarious.
With a defeated sigh, she reached into her backpack. "Empoleon, I—" She paused before she released him. "…No, no, I… might not want a Bubblebeam to the face from an Empoleon…" She settled for digging around until she found her make-up kit and some removal wipes. "Want one?"
"Sure, thanks." Ash took one, scrubbing the marker off of his face. Pikachu took one as well, doing the same. In the process, a thought struck the trainer that admittedly came rather late. "Hey, what happened to Terry? I don't see Jigglypuff anywhere." It usually didn't stick around long, so that was no surprise. Didn't everyone usually wake up from Sing at roughly the same time, though?
Fresh faced, Dawn shrugged. "He was probably embarrassed." She knew she would be. "…I thought I heard yelling, though?" So, if it wasn't Ash, it had to be that kid.
"Well, I guess we head on now, huh?" She questioned, standing up… only to realize how awful her legs felt. "Okay, so, naps on the road are awful. Right."
"Sounds good!" Ash gave a chipper nod, lightly rubbing his leg as he stood. Dawn was definitely right about that. "Ain't that the truth… Alright, let's go, guys!"
After a long day of traveling the path to Celadon City, Ash and Dawn camped out for the night, still regrettably short of their destination. The following day began bright and early, the duo setting off on their journey! As it just so happened, though, they were about to find themselves involved in quite an uproar!
"This sign says we're close to a place called Cream Town! I don't remember ever running into that place before." Ash gazed down at a crude wooden sign, marginally more professional looking than one of the posts naming a route. A small collection of buildings and homes stood over the next hill, parallel to a river running alongside the dirt road they'd managed to find.
"How long's it been since you were in Kanto, again?" Dawn teased, nudging his ribs with her elbow playfully. "We could be lost…" Oddly, she didn't sound too bothered. "If there's a river, Empoleon could just jet us around 'til we found a Pokémon Center, right?"
"If I had a badge for every time I got lost around here…" Well, he'd be able to enter the league ten times over, probably. Dawn's idea did cause him to perk up a bit, however, breaking his slump before it truly began. "Hey, that's a great idea!"
The Empoleon chirped in agreement. He was definitely strong enough for that! "Empooooooleon!" he cheered.
"Great! Let's go then." Dawn seemed full of vigor this morning. She started up the path, her loyal starter following her at a slower pace.
Ash sped up beside her, the spring in his step returning, despair fading away.
The water type couldn't help but toss his head to and fro. Some of these trees looked suspect. The dents and dings in them weren't natural at all. "Empo," the water type called out to Pikachu, catching the electric type's attention.
Pikachu had mostly been paying attention to Ash and Dawn until now, but prompted by Empoleon's observation, he turned left and right to take in the scenery. A couple of them did looked damaged… Some caved in at the side in a way that few wild battles would be likely to bring on. "Pika…" Now, he was suspicious, too.
Empoleon kept his eyes on Dawn as she jogged up the hill. His doubts about the safety of the area were proven correct when the coordinator tried to clear a little crag in the ground and misstepped, getting ready to fall back down the hill.
"Poleon!" he squawked, catching his often unfortunate trainer.
"Whoops!" she apologized, grinning up at the water type. "Sorry, I won't fall again."
Well that was sudden. "Close call," Ash remarked.
Clearly, the Empoleon was getting agitated. He didn't know what was going on. Absol would be useful right about now.
Just about then, the duo was closing in on the town. All the racket must have garnered some attention, because they came near, they were approached by an elderly couple.
"Hey! You trainers! Do you have any badges?" an elder man, a resident of the town, inquired.
Being flighty as usual, Ash rushed over to the elderly man questioning him. "I sure do!" He grasped one side of his jacket, pulling back the red fabric to reveal eight badges pinned to the inside. He was going to need them when the league came around, so it made sense to have them on hand, right?
Coming down the hill at a slower pace to avoid repeats, Dawn also fished out her ribbon case, displaying her two Kanto ribbons proudly. "Well, they're not badges, but I've got some ribbons."
The old man nodded eagerly upon seeing badges. "Eh… I dunno much about ribbons. They're Hoennian things, ain't they?" Yelling over his shoulder, the old man inquired more. "Muriel! Whatcha know 'bout ribbons!"
"Ivan, whatcha askin' about ribbons fer when we're tryna find a - " an old woman asked before spotting the duo. "Oh my, is that an electric type? Hm, kinda small… But, they've got badges and ribbons? Yes, they might do…"
"Heheh," the old man cackled, laugh coming out like a wheeze. "Tell us, whippersnappers, ya got any big ole electric types? Somethin' like an Electabuzz or a Luxray?"
"I don't," Dawn confessed. "What do you need them for, anyway?"
"Nope. Just Pikachu!" Ash clarified. "He may be small, but he's totally tough!"
"Ya see, this town's had a doozy of a problem, lately! The last couple o' days, our town's been terrorized by a Gyarados! The darn thing lurks in the river, causing a ruckus whenever it shows up! Whatever that thing's problem is, nobody's been tough enough to stop it! We were hoping a couple o' strong trainers could show up 'n take care of it!"
"Aye, it's been a real shame. Land's damaged, some houses got hit. Even the wild Pokémon are scared to show up around here!" The elderly women added in, crestfallen. "Surely, one of you two could do something about it?"
Empoleon pointedly look at Dawn. Only she would manage to find bad luck before they got to the actual problem. It figured all that was just the first bump in the road. He knew those trees weren't right.
Ignoring her starter's silent sass for a second, Dawn nodded, raising a fist in determination. "Absolutely! You're looking at two grade A problem solvers right here! This guy just beat Lt. Surge, actually! And, I'm a pretty good battler, myself! Between the two of us, this Gyarados won't be much of a problem!"
"Well, you two'll have to keep on your toes. The thing's randomest thing I've ever done seen! It'll come in like the weather and leave just as quick!" the old woman warned.
"I've got an Absol," Dawn mused. "Ash, Pikachu should be quicker than even a fast Gyarados if he has a bit of a warning, right?" she checked as she released the dark type, who at once tensed, getting a feel for the area.
"I'm still not sure 'bout that little mouse o'yours," Ivan continued. "But, if you think it'll take care of it and ya took on the old veteran himself, I suppose…"
A little insulted that they were still doubted him and Pikachu, Ash couldn't help but brag. "Quick thinking's what I'm all about!" Well… At least when it came to battles. While quick wit and reactive planning was his style, Dawn's suggestion would probably come in handy, too! "Hey, that's a great idea! Alright, let's get movin'!"
Before the excited duo could set off, an earth-shaking roar assaulted their ear drums, earning the attention of trainers and their Pokémon alike. The sound of an explosion rang through the air to boot, a faint smell of smoke and ashes drifting past the group.
Absol's hackles bristled, her tension proven correct.
"Oh dear… There 'tis again! We're counting on ya, kids! Be careful!" Ivan called.
"You've got it! Let's go, Dawn!" The teen sprinted off without a second thought, leaving the old couple behind in a race to the river nearby.
"Right! Empoleon, Absol, we're gonna make sure it doesn't run away, alright?!" Dawn commanded as they took off after Ash and Pikachu.
"Leon!" "Sol!"
They hardly had to move far at all, though, a towering serpent standing tall among the trees. Another angry cry forced the dwarfed trainer to cover his ears before a gigantic jet of water fired towards a nearby tree, caving the trunk in.
"There it is…! Man, they weren't kidding! That thing's steamed!" Ash blurted out.
"What's its problem?!" Dawn blabbed, eyes wide at the creature's sudden assault.
The Gyarados seemed to have noticed them, its fins bristling and maw hanging open as if it were processing what it saw. Having used a Dragon Rage but a moment ago, it decided a Bite attack might serve it best.
Its aim? Over the teeth and past the gums, look out stomach, here some trainers come!
Noting the positioning, the Absol ushered Dawn back. If this wasn't their battle, she wouldn't risk her trainer being harmed. Empoleon followed.
"That Gyarados is gonna make us its lunch!" Ash and Pikachu alike couldn't help but scream, each of their faces going pale as the gigantic jaws closed in on their soon-to-be snack. Wits striking him just in the nick of time, Ash threw a hand to the air, bold determination returning to his gaze. "Pikachu, Thunderbolt!"
He refused to become pika-chow. Leaping off of Ash's shoulder, the stubborn mouse let out an unholy shriek. A blinding flash of electricity discharged from his body, looking to strike and stop the ravenous Gyarados in its tracks.
Well, a little mortal terror usually brought out the best of someone's fighting spirit. Dawn looked away, the burst of light too intense for her. As the scent of ozone and singed scales entered the air, she looked back up. "Huh?!"
The Gyarados looked… pretty bad off, actually.
All the same, the Absol guided her and the Empoleon further from the battle as Gyarados threw himself towards Pikachu in a reckless Tackle attack.
"Something isn't adding up…" Getting out her Pokédex, Dawn scanned the Gyarados. Aside from realizing he was caught - who was this neglectful?! - she also realized the thing was actually pretty low leveled. "Hey! Ash! It's all bluff! That thing's way below Pikachu's power level!"
"Seriously!?" The trainer's head turned toward the coordinator, wide eyes gawking over the reveal. "Pikachu musta hurt it bad, then… We're gonna have to try something else!"
Pikachu, meanwhile, dodged Gyarados' lunge handily, using his superior speed to get well out of the Atrocious Pokémon's range. Ears raised and alert, the mouse waited for Ash's next command before acting further. That Thunderbolt had done a lot more than he'd thought it would!
"We can't hurt it like it is… I'll have to stop it myself!" Copper seeping into his focused hues, the teen reached for the brim of his cap before turning it backwards, charging toward the leviathan. "Here I come, Gyarados!"
"Something else?" Dawn asked, a bad feeling in her stomach telling her she already had an idea of what he meant. "Ash, no!"
In a seemingly inhuman feat, Ash had managed to clear the water and land atop Gyarados' scaly hide. He'd only been able to cling to the lower half of its body, however, and it was doubtful the beast would hear him properly. Ash did the only thing he could think of - he began to scale the serpent, shouting to it all the while. "Gyarados! I don't know what's got you so upset, but you've gotta stop attacking Cream Town! People are gonna get hurt!"
No good. He was on top of the squirming, writhing beast as it vainly attempted to nip at himself and thus the trainer traversing over his hide.
"C'mon… Calm down, would ya?! I can't help you out if ya turn me into an Ash-kebab!" The unusually athletic teen clung to the sprawling body for dear life, stubborn hands pulling him higher up the sea beast's body whenever he found the chance. Otherwise, he was busy avoiding losing his hands and legs.
Dawn shook her head. "Think, think, what kinda problem could a low… leveled... It just evolved. That has to be it. It has to be confused and scared!" she muttered. "Ash! Can you hear me?! It's tired! I think it needs to rest! Maybe a Pokéball?!" Where was its trainer?! They wouldn't be able to catch it themselves, right…?
Soon, though, over the angry serpent's roars and cries, he was able to hear Dawn's warning. "Tired, huh? It's sure… Wah! …Not acting like it!" Taking her advice without another word, Ash reached for his belt, pulling a spare Pokéball free.
One click on the center button expanded the sphere to its normal size, readying it to be tossed toward Gyarados. "After that Thunderbolt, it should be weak enough to catch by now… Go, Pokéball!" It was tossed upward, metallic jaws parting to absorb its target in a red flash of light. Just as soon as it was basked in the rays, however, Gyarados' body dispelled the capture mechanism.
"The Pokéball didn't work…! That means someone else already caught it! Maybe they should… Wah! … Get over here and calm it down, already!"
Dawn felt a little guilty that she'd gotten so excited. She'd hoped beyond hope that if the Pokémon was abandoned it could be caught by someone else. Aside from helping out this village, that Gyarados might shape up to be a good Pokémon for Ash. Maybe not ready for the league like the rest of his team, but perhaps in the future. But, that idea was quickly thrown away.
"We don't even know where the trainer is!" Dawn yelled back. This wasn't good. "Ash, get down! We're just going to have to make it faint!"
"Yeah…! Sure thing…!" Ash answered, trying to think of a way to get down.
She was about to ask Absol to see if she could jump over and provide Ash with a means of escape - but she realized the Absol had disappeared. "Where'd she go?! Aw, Empoleon, can you help me -… Ash, look out!"
He hardly had the time to escape, though, a particularly brutal thrash of Gyarados' tail throwing Ash soaring into the air! The grass was the first thing he saw after the fall, his head bringing him back to speed with a dull ache. "Agh… So much for that…!" The trainer gently massaged his sore head.
"Ash!" Dawn ran over as well, fretting. It was just then, too, that a light pink orb was bouncing towards the scene.
"Oh, great..." Spotting Jigglypuff headed their way, Dawn supposed anything that could go wrong would go wrong. Her only surprise was seeing the scrawny form of Terry, of all people, following after the Jigglypuff.
"GYARADOOOOOOS!" The kid called.
"Jigglypuff!? And, Terry, too!?" Ash yelled only to regret it, his head throbbing. This was just getting more and more chaotic… Pikachu had rushed to his side, uttering his usual worried cry of Ash's nickname as the latter climbed to his feet. "I'm fine, Pikachu…" It had taken him a moment, but the child's cry for the rampaging Pokémon finally clicked in his head. "Terry, what do you know about Gyarados!?"
Terry looked over his shoulder, brows furrowed in determination. "That's my Gyarados! I'm gonna help him, no matter what!" Continuing his pursuit, he yelled. "Now, Sing, you stupid pink powder puff!"
"Will Gyarados even hear it over its roaring?" Turning back to her traveling partner, Dawn knit her brows. "You need to hang back… I don't even know if Terry needs to get close right now."
"I'm… I'm fine..!" Ash protested, finally shaking the ache free for the time being. "I never woulda guessed that was his Gyarados!" He seemed to be a beginner, but to have such a big and ferocious Pokémon… Then again, Ash wouldn't be one to talk. "It sounds like he wants to put it to sleep!"
Of course, the diva wasn't going to let this opportunity slide! Holding up its microphone, the puffball dove into its smooth, soothing tune. "~Jigg-ly-puff… Jiggly~"
"Looks like Gyarados is about to get an ear-full… And, so are we…!" The teen shuddered, bracing for what would soon be a long, graffiti-filled slumber. At this point, it was all but inevitable!
"Oh, that's why he was after Jigglypuff! So, Gyarados could get some rest." Dawn deduced. The touching moment was ruined by Ash's outburst, however. "What?! Not again!" she whined, clinging to Ash as if he could somehow block the sound waves.
At any rate, the first to go down was Terry. Slipping mid-step due to drowsiness, the boy slipped on the muddy bank and fell chest first into the sun warmed, shallow slough just by the river. "Alright… thanks," he managed to say to the Jigglypuff. If his Gyarados would sleep, so could he.
Next was Dawn, still clinging to Ash, beet red as she'd realized only on the verge of sleep how close she was to her companion. Empoleon gracelessly fell next.
"Yeah… 'Fraid so…" Ash let out a yawn, quickly becoming drowsy, thoughts scattering and his head beginning to feel light. Though, he couldn't help but smile at what he saw. "Hey… Look't that…! Gyarados must be gettin' tired, too!" With their main worry quelled, Ash finally slipped into slumber, falling beside Dawn. Pikachu had nodded off as well, curled up in a bolt-tailed ball.
Last of all would be the raging Gyarados, not unlike a cranky toddler he would continue to fight his nap until it was simply overwhelming. In a huff, he'd fall upon his side, quite near his trainer, before finally resting.
"…Jiggly?" Finished with her ballad, the puff would open her eyes to find a very familiar, unwelcome sight. Everyone had dozed off to sleep! Even Gyarados had collapsed. "Puff…!" Jigglypuff inflated like a balloon, a sour pout on its features. The cap of its 'microphone' was removed, revealing its trusty marker. Not before long, everyone present was marked with a series of crude drawings!
Not long after, guess who would return? Ditchy McAbandonpants - Absol. She trotted ahead of Ivan and Muriel, pausing ever so often to bark to assure she was being followed. By the time she returned, however, Jigglypuff was long gone, leaving only the sleeping party.
"Say, there's them trainers! And, they got the Gyarados to be at peace!" Ivan cried happily.
"And, there's little Terrence! I thought he was off on his journey," Muriel added.
Sometimes people have things they don't like to the point that they'll wake out of a dead sleep to rebel against it. "Terry," the boy half-snored, snuggling closer to his Gyarados.
The Absol finally loped over to her trainer and her trainer's companion, nudging the girl awake.
"Huh…?" Dawn looked around, seeing Ash's face not far from hers. Mild confusion took over her. Why were they wet and slightly chilly? Wait, ew, what was under them…? This wasn't a bed?! Realizing the squiggles on his face, she bolted up right, letting out an agitated growl. "Again?!"
Seeing the couple, Dawn let out a resigned sigh. "Ash, please wake up, I'm ready to find somewhere with a shower." Between the dirt and the swirls drawn on her face, she was completely through with this whole misadventure.
"Huh… Wha?" The bluenette's voice roused the sleepy teenager, one hand raised to rub his drowsy eyes. Once they were open, though, a smirk cracked onto his lips. "Looks like you've got a new style, Dawn! It suits ya!"
"Are you serious right now?!" Dawn snapped. He was lucky there were more pressing matters other than her currently shattered pride.
"Ahah…! Hey, I was only kidding!" Departing from his joke before he got scolded for it, he scanned the scene before spotting the boy and his Gyarados, both out-cold. "Looks like they're doing just fine… I wonder what was wrong with Gyarados in the first place?" Better yet, how did Terry lose track of it like that, even? His muddy condition hadn't crossed his mind yet, nor Dawn's or Pikachu's.
Terry, who was up and for the most part indifferent to how his face looked—he had almost gotten used to it—more so focused on his still sleeping partner. "He… he wasn't like this when he was a Magikarp," he admitted. The kid frowned, petting his big fish. "I don't know what to do. He got so angry, I didn't know what to do." Looking over his shoulder, he frowned. "It didn't help that there weren't any trainers to give me advice." He looked back down at his Gyarados, not ready to return him to his Pokéball without some kind of proper closure. "I just wanna be a good trainer. He's my starter! We promised we'd take on Forrest at the Pewter Gym together!"
Frowning, Ash nodded along to the young trainer's story. It sounded all too familiar to him, really.
The two elders exchanged looks, then looked at Ash. Dawn also looked up, waiting patiently.
"Didn't you have some disobedient Pokémon? Maybe it's a respect thing—maybe he just needed to adjust," Dawn suggested, her blue orbs turning toward Ash. "I'd tell him… but it may mean more from someone with more experience, you know?"
"I sure did! You should've seen my Charizard back in the day. Wouldn't listen to a word I said, and was even more wild than Gyarados!" Ash practically boasted. He was sure he still had a few burn marks left over from those terrible Flamethrowers.
With that shudder-worthy detail in mind, Ash turned to the boy. "I'm not sure how you'll do it… But you've gotta earn Gyarados' respect! Let him know that you'll be able to take care of him and train him properly. With Charizard, he nearly lost his tail flame in a battle, so I stayed up all night taking care of him. After that, he started listening to me! With Gyarados, I guess you'll just have to earn his trust, too!" Following his monologue, he looked to Dawn.
"Dawn said that he seemed tired and confused. Maybe he's having a hard time adjusting to evolving! Going from a Magikarp to a Gyarados is a pretty big change!" It beckoned to memories of his Bayleef adjusting to its increased size, way back in the day. "I guess you'll have to let it know that you'll be there for it, and help it get used to all of the new challenges it's gonna face!"
"Hm…" Terry kept his eyes on his partner, hand still clutching the Pokéball. "So, I've got to let him know nothing's changed, huh? That it's still the same as when he was a Magikarp…?"
"You got it!" Ash affirmed, flashing a thumbs-up.
The young trainer nodded. He put his Pokéball back on his belt and moved to try and pick up Gyarados's huge head. Struggling and knees knocking under the weight, he looked on the verge of collapsing.
"That… Might not be such a good idea!" Ash warned, a bead of sweat forming on his forehead.
The Atrocious Pokémon finally started to rouse. Eyeing its surroundings, the Gyarados slowly gained recollection of the events leading up to its slumber. He lifted his head some, giving the child a great deal of relief.
The gesture didn't go unnoticed, though. A smile spread on the Pokémon's large, normally scowling lips.
"Aw, Ash, look at that! Gyarados is smiling!" Dawn beamed, her hands clasped together. "I guess Terry used to carry him when he was a Magikarp…"
Ash couldn't help but mimic Gyarados, a smile spreading from cheek to cheek. There might've even been a nostalgic tear in his eye… No, he was tougher than that! "Yeah, I see it, alright! Looks like things turned out alright, after all!"
Terry looked to the two more experienced trainers before grinning. "Well, I'm gonna take him back to camp and use some potions on him! Thank you guys! I'll try to give you a real battle if we meet again!" He promised.
"Sounds like a plan! I'll look forward to it, Terry!" Ash agreed with a grin.
"Well, that's settled," Ivan concluded, flooded with relief.
"Speaking of settled…" Dawn interjected. "Do one of you two have a spare shower?"
"Well, I s'pose we're the reason yer all muddied up in the first place. We'd be happy to let the lot of ya clean up before you're off on yer way!" Muriel chimed in, happy to help the group that had restored peace to the small riverside town.
"Alright, great!" Grabbing the muddy hand of her travel buddy, Dawn pointed towards the village. "We're super grateful!"
With that, as the elderly couple began their trek back to the village, Dawn more or less dragged Ash with her.
"H-hey, wait up!" Ash struggled at first before running along with her. Once he'd managed to catch up, he couldn't help but chuckle. Some things never changed.
