"Caterpie, you're mine! Pokeball, go!" Ash calls out as he throws a Pokéball, it hits its target, the Caterpie within struggles to break out, but it ends up getting captured without much trouble.

"Yes, I did it! Ha ha! I did it! I got Caterpie! I did it all by myself! I caught myself another Pokémon!" Ash cried out joyfully as Pikachu cried out as well and Snivy shrugged apathetically, though she did smile. "This is the first step on my way to becoming the number one Pokémon master in the whole world. Look out, Pokémon! Nothing's gonna stop me now!"

"That's good, Ash. I just need to find myself a Pokemon to catch now," Dawn smiled, though she also looked a bit sad at not having a Pokemon other than Piplup. Piplup noticed the sadness in his Trainer's eyes and hugged her leg.

"Thanks, Dawn! Hopefully you'll find some Pokemon in the forest. We're going to be here for a few days, anyway," Ash reminded as he tried to contain his excitement.

"I just hope we get out of here fast. The last thing I need is to rough it out here for days on end," Dawn said.

"Seriously? You plan on becoming a Trainer yet you aren't willing to rough it? Weak," Misty said in annoyance.

"Hey! I can handle it out here for a couple of days! I'd just prefer not to!" Dawn hotly protested.

Ash interrupted by saying, "I understand your annoyance Misty. I had similar conversations with Dawn over the last few months."

"Hey!" Dawn yelled in annoyance.

"Still, I've grown to understand thanks to my mom and Professor Oak that not everyone will love nature like me and not be bothered by it. Dawn can find some beauty in nature and Pokemon, but she still prefers to sleep in a real bed, for example," Ash said as his excitement returned. "Look! Inside this ball is one of the very first Pokémon I ever caught in my whole entire life."

"Well, someone sure is excited still…," Dawn noted.

"Hey! I'm just happy to have a new friend and family member join our crew. Remember, the bigger the team, the easier it will be to become a Pokemon Master someday!" Ash pointed out.

"When you put it like that, it makes sense to be excited, if a bit childish," Dawn said as Ash looked annoyed, but was quick to shake it off.

"So, Misty, what do you make of my brand new Caterpie?" Ash asked as he held the Pokeball near Misty.

"Great. Just keep it away from me. Will you?" Misty demanded in fear and annoyance.

"Seriously? You're not afraid of an itty bitty Caterpie in a Pokéball, are you? He's probably a sweetheart and a tough battler!" Ash argued.

"That's good for you. But that doesn't mean I have to like him. Bugs get me all bugged out! Even when they're in a Pokéball. Just keep them away!" Misty yelled out.

"Well, Piplup, it seems as though Misty is afraid of Bug Pokemon," Dawn whispered, even though Ash hears.

"Really? Looks like we know what to avoid around her…I guess. Still won't stop me from loving Caterpie as much as I love Pikachu and Snivy. I mean, unlike Misty here, I like bugs, even when not in Pokéballs. It must be great for Caterpie inside the Pokéball, all cute and comfortable inside there. I love my new little Pokémon," Ash gushed.

"I guess it takes a worm to love a worm," Misty snarked as Ash looked annoyed.

"You do know Ash can love any Pokemon he pleases, right?" Dawn reminded Misty.

"He can. Doesn't mean I have to," Misty said the last part to herself.

"Hey, Pikachu and Snivy, we've got a new friend," Ash cheered as he held Caterpie's Pokeball in the air as Pikachu joined in the cheer with a pose and everything. Snivy unenthusiastically held up an arm with a small smile. "Oh, you guys. I'm glad you like it. And from now on we'll catch a whole bunch of new friends. Caterpie, you're sticking with us."

"Does that mean …," Misty dreaded what was about to happen.

"I'm afraid so. Better brace yourself," Dawn said as Piplup and Snivy nodded.

"Caterpie, come out!" Ash cries out as the Pokéball opens, Misty screams and runs for her life as Caterpie materializes.

"Look, Misty, Caterpie won't be getting near you, so there's nothing to be scared of for either of you," Ash said gently.

"Haha! Very funny," Misty grumbled.

"Come on Caterpie. Climb up on my shoulder," Ash quietly and gently called for his new Pokemon. Caterpie is about to do so, but he spots Misty and runs towards her.

"Hey, Caterpie, come back," Ash said as Pikachu shook his head and Snivy sighed. Upon reaching her, Caterpie starts rubbing against Misty's leg.

"Well, that seems like bad luck. Caterpie likes Misty even though she's afraid of him," Dawn pointed out.

"On, the bright side, maybe Misty will change her mind on him. Isn't that cute?" Ash asked.

"I'm afraid not, Ash! Get this disgusting bug away from me. Please don't come any closer to me!" Misty freaked out.

"What? You still think Caterpie is disgusting? Why aren't you becoming friends?" Ash wondered sadly.

"To be fair, not everyone will become friends as easily as in some cartoons. I mean, do you see those Team Rocket thugs being friends with us?" Dawn reminded.

"Point taken," Ash understood.

"Hey, I know! You be friends with that creepy bug and I'll be friends with Pikachu," Misty decided.

"Hate to say that won't be easy Misty. At the moment, Pikachu only likes me and zaps anybody else who tries to..," However, Ash is surprised when Pikachu likes the attention Misty is giving him, even cooing as she pets him. "Pikachu!"

"Well, looks like he's grown more trusting already, huh?" Dawn teased.

Misty's happiness was short-lived, however, as she was quickly reminded of Caterpie as he rubbed on her leg again. "It's so gross. Ash, put that slimy thing back in the Pokéball! Bugs are one of the three most disgusting things in the world!" Misty complained.

"Aside from your attitude, what are the other disgusting things?" Ash snarked.

"Very funny. Carrots, peppers, and bugs. Everybody has something they don't like and I don't like bugs!" Misty answered bluntly.

"I get that you don't like bugs, and you're more than okay to feel that way, but you should be thankful Caterpie doesn't see you as a threat. Because I just checked the dex entry and according to the Pokédex…," Dawn said as she had Dexter play his message.

Caterpie, the Worm Pokémon. Using the suction cups on its feet, Caterpie can climb trees in order to camouflage itself from predators. It also releases a stench from its bright red antenna to drive off predators.

"So you see? At least Caterpie likes you and is being sweet and harmless right now. If Caterpie didn't like you, you'd be smelling its repelling odor right about now, and that wouldn't be fun," Dawn said as Piplup looked at Caterpie a little bit worried as Caterpie nodded to confirm what Dawn said.

"That still doesn't change the fact that bugs are as disgusting as carrots and peppers!" Misty protested.

"Yeah? Well, I like carrots, and peppers, and bugs. What I don't like, is the way you're hurting Caterpie's feelings with your silly fear of bugs. I don't think you're ugly or disgusting at all Caterpie. Come on. Climb up on my shoulder," Ash gently said as he held out an arm to lift him up. Pikachu gave a cry to explain what Ash wanted to Caterpie. Snivy nodded to confirm this when Caterpie looked at her. In a few seconds, Caterpie does so.

"Well, Caterpie, you don't need to deal with that negative attitude any longer. In fact, you're not gonna scare Misty anymore," Ash said.

"What do you mean he won't scare me?" Misty demanded in anger.

"Um, Ash…?" Dawn asked.

"We'll go on without her. If she wants us to pay her back, she can wait in Cerulean," Ash decided as he walked away fast.

"Oh, yeah? I'll show you!" Misty yelled as Dawn reluctantly picked up Piplup and followed Ash and his Pokemon.

"Uh, Ash? Are you sure that we should have just left Misty like that? I know she was being difficult, but that was mostly due to her phobia," Dawn pointed out.

"It's not just that. She was actively treating Caterpie like crap for trying to be nice to her. She couldn't even appreciate his kindness or at least try to!" Ash yelled.

"Okay? But remember, she only has a Goldeen on her right now. She'll get into trouble if she runs into a dangerous wild Pokemon or more of those Team Rocket crooks," Dawn reminded.

"Yeah…but those crooks won't care for a Goldeen that could easily be caught anywhere and as long as you stay on the path you don't have to worry about wild Pokemon, at least according to the guidebook, right?" Ash reasoned.

"I guess so…," Dawn mumbled.

Suddenly, the duo was stopped by the bushes shaking nearby with a big purple mass sticking out of them, catching both teen's attention. "Do you think it's a Pokemon, Ash?" Dawn wondered.

"It could be. Let's check the Pokedex," Ash said more quietly, in order to avoid getting the mass's attention, as he scanned the mass.

Axew, the Tusk Pokémon. Axew marks its territory by making scratch marks on trees with its tusks, which regrow if they fall out.

"Wait a second. That mass looks nothing like an Axew," Ash noted as Pikachu nodded in agreement.

"I know. Do you think the Axew is living in that mass?" Dawn wondered.

"Could be. You said that some Pokemon live on a Torterra's back, right? Maybe this is another one of those situations," Ash suggested.

"Apparently, according to the Pokedex, Axew is another Unova Pokemon. Strange to see one stuck in Kanto, right?" Dawn asked.

"All I know is that it's cool to see yet another cool Pokemon to become our friend. You can have this one, Dawn," Ash offered. "I'll try if you fail." At this, Pikachu, Piplup, and Snivy fell comically as Piplup protested.

"Um, thanks Ash," Dawn awkwardly accepted the offer. "Since the mass isn't attacking, the Pokemon must not have seen us yet. I'll try to avoid a battle right now by throwing a Pokeball. Pokeball, go."

And so, Dawn threw her Pokeball at the mass. However, instead of opening and sucking in the mass or the Axew, the Pokeball bounced off the mass as it yelled, "Ouch!"

"Wait…Ouch?!" Dawn started to realize that she and Ash had made a mistake.

"Okay what was that for?!" The mass, revealed to be a girl with large purple hair and dressed in cream and pink clothes, called out in rage, not happy to have been bopped on the head.

"Sorry about that, miss! We didn't mean to hurt you or interfere with whatever you were doing!" Dawn apologized.

"Yeah, we really didn't. You see… Dawn here was just trying to catch a Pokemon." Ash awkwardly responded.

"So what you're really saying is that I look like a Pokemon?" the girl responded in suppressed rage, "Your Pokedex, tell me, is this cute face in there? Tell me, is it?!" She suddenly shrieked out.

"No, uh… sorry?" Ash asked in fear of this girl.

"Fine. I accept your apology. But still, you have a long way to go as trainers if you make a mistake like that. Right, Axew?" The girl lifted the berry in her hand up to her hair. As she did so, the Axew from the Pokedex entry popped out of her hair and took a bite out of the berry.

"So, we were right. The Axew was in your hair," Ash said, amazed…before remembering the insult directed at him and Dawn. "Hey! You know, we did just start off as Trainers! We still have room to grow!"

"Agreed!" Dawn nodded. "Maybe we can understand each other better with a battle. I'm sure Ash would be happy to give you one."

"Yeah! I haven't been able to have a real battle yet. It would be great to see how I'd manage myself against a real Trainer. Let's go!" Ash agreed to the challenge.

Suddenly, the girl looked very nervous. "Uh…, You know what, why not do so another time? I mean, I'm a pretty tough customer and can beat rookies like you two very easily."

"Hey! We're not rookies!" Ash protested…only to simmer down and admit, "Actually, we did just get our first Pokemon yesterday, so yeah… I'd still like to battle soon, right Pikachu?"
In an instant, the girl went from nervous to ecstatic in seconds. "Wait. Is that a Pikachu?!" The girl cried out as she picked him up and hugged him tightly, rubbing his face against hers. "You have got to be the sweetest thing ever. So cute! And these cheeks," The girl proceeded to flick Pikachu's red cheeks. "You can't find anything this jiggly in Unova! I've been in this forest for a few days looking at all the Pokemon this forest has in store, but I've never seen a Pikachu before, even though this forest should have some. You're so lucky to have one! So, you got a name? I'm Iris and this is Axew," The girl introduced herself and holding out her free hand. Meanwhile, Pikachu uncomfortably struggled to get free from Iris's grip.

"I'm Dawn. It's nice to meet you," Dawn greeted as she looked at Pikachu and saw his negative mood. "Um, Ash?"

"Oh, right," Ash began to understand. "I'm Ash, and maybe you should let Pikachu go before he-," Before Ash could finish, Iris got zapped by Pikachu, causing Iris to fall to the ground with Axew avoiding the fall thanks to Iris using her free arm to hold Axew up. Piplup and Axew worriedly shook Iris and tried to get her back up. Snivy, meanwhile, shook her head before trying to get her back up with Vine Whip. In a few seconds, the teen girl was back on her feet.

"Uh…sorry about that, Iris," Dawn apologized with a bow.

"Yeah. We didn't mean for you to get hurt. Pikachu still isn't exactly in love with everyone yet," Ash agreed.

"You know what? It's fine," Iris accepted the apology quickly. "To be honest, I am pretty curious what you two are doing wandering the forest alone. You planning on going to a Gym? Looking for Pokemon? On a date?" Iris asked the last one jokingly, but both Ash and Dawn blushed in embarrassment.

"N-Nothing like that, Iris!" Dawn answered nervously.

"Well…not the date part. You see, I'm planning on entering and winning the Indigo Plateau Conference that is coming up in the next several months. It's been my dream to enter that Conference and become a Pokemon Master someday. As for Dawn, she's just following me because we're friends and so that I can support her in Contests eventually. Regardless, we're both looking for Pokemon to help us with our goals," Ash answered.

"Oh, interesting. I guess that you two aren't lovebirds, but it's nice to see I got the other two reasons correct at least," Iris said.

"So, what about you, Iris? What are you doing out here?" Dawn wondered.

"Uh…," Iris suddenly became a lot more nervous upon being asked this question, which Axew noticed and tried to wave his claw in front of her so that she would regather her thoughts.

"You know, if you were planning to head over to Pewter City, you can come with us. I'm always open for more friends to travel with," Ash suggested.

"A-Actually, I agree with Ash here. I can go along with you two to Pewter City. I mean, I kinda have some doubts that you two could survive the forest without my help. Forests are practically made for people like me. I'm an expert on finding berries and Pokemon that are likely to make for good catches. Right Axew?" Iris asked her dragon partner, who nodded and said his name a few times. "Looks like you agree with me again. But what do ya mean I should be less rude?"

"Uh…Iris?" Dawn asked, confused.

"What?" Iris asked bluntly.

"You see-," Dawn began.

"Did you just talk to Axew just now?" Ash asked.

"Ash! Don't be rude!" Dawn scolded.

"But I was just asking!" Ash countered as Snivy shook her head.

"Don't worry! I've been asked this before. Yes, I did just talk to Axew," Iris sadly admitted.

"You did? But how? Only Pokemon can understand Pokemon," Ash asked as Snivy and Dawn sighed in frustration for failing to read the room.

"Ash? Let's not intrude or be blunt here!" Dawn warned.

"It's okay, Dawn. I guess… I don't know why, but ever since I was a little kid, I was able to understand what Pokemon can say. Not just Dragon-types, but all Pokemon. Even so, Dragon-types have always gotten more than just words that I can understand. I can understand their feelings and thoughts at times as well. Someday…," Iris was about to continue until she realized she was about to get too personal and stopped talking.

"Uh, someday what?" Ash asked as he and Pikachu were both on the edge of their seats.

"Uh…maybe some other time. Sorry to unload all that understanding Pokemon stuff on you. You probably think I'm some insane weirdo, right?" Iris asked with a red face, trying to hide how self-conscious she was feeling right now.

"Actually, that sounds pretty cool! I wish I could understand Pokemon any time like you can!" Ash admitted.

"Yeah! What you have is a gift. I'm surprised more people aren't happy to have it," Dawn agreed.

"R-Really? You think so?" Iris asked as she smiled big with a tear in her eye. "Thanks so much! You're the first people other than Drayden to think so." Before Iris could say anything else, she felt Axew be confused at something behind her. Upon turning around, she saw that Ash's Snivy had turned around. "Uh, excuse me, but I think your Snivy is trying to say something," Iris pointed to the Unova Grass starter who had just turned around as she heard something. Suddenly, Pikachu turned around as well.

"So, what is Pikachu saying? What's the problem?" Ash asked.

Pikachu and Snivy both talked at once, but they were saying the same thing. "Apparently, some teen girl named Misty is following us currently. I'm just not sure why. You think she needs help traveling through Viridian Forest?" Iris wondered.

"Maybe? But right now, she's being more of a pest. She talked bad about my Caterpie a little bit ago. So, what are you following us for?" Ash asked.

"Don't forget about my bike! I'm holding you responsible for my bike. You still need to pay for it, and I don't plan on waiting!" Misty explained angrily.

"When are you gonna get over that dumb old bike? Remember, it was an accident it got destroyed and Pikachu and I were in peril when I took it!" Ash shot back.

"For your information, Mr. Pokémon Master, you're the dumb one because if you haven't destroyed it in the first place, I could have ridden out of here by now and not be 'bugging you' right now!" Misty countered.

"So, I'm confused. Are they crushing on each other mad or mad mad?" Iris asked.

"Mad mad," Dawn answered. "These two are just incredibly stubborn to an annoying degree."

"You want me to break up their fight?" Iris suggested.

"If it goes on for much longer, I'd say yes," Dawn admitted.

"Hey, I told you I'd make good on your bike one day, and if I'm so dumb, how come you're still following me?" Ash asked.

"I'm not following you. This happens to be the fastest way through the woods," Misty answered.

"Um, Iris? Is this really…?" Dawn asked only to be interrupted.

"Yes, yes it is. It's a bit childish to think I'd have to be asked something this simple," Iris answered, with her latter comment annoying Ash and Dawn.

"Gee, thanks," Dawn grumbled.

"Fine then, Misty. If you wanna follow us and get paid back, you can do that. Do whatever you want so long as you don't get in the way," Ash finished.

"That's exactly what I'm doing," Misty shook her head as she decided to just stop the argument for now.

Later, our heroes have stopped for the night.

"So, Dawn, what are we going to have for dinner?" Ash asked curiously.

"Uh…," Dawn nervously looked in her bag to see that nothing was in it. "I forgot to fill our bags, Ash. Looks like we're gonna have to skip out on dinner tonight. Great! First I have to rough it out here for a few days and now we have no food!"

"Well then, it looks like you two are just gonna have to wait a few days to eat. Where's the annoyance in me now?" Misty said a bit smugly.

"What? And you have food?" Ash retorted.

"As a matter of fact, Mr. Master, I d-," Misty looked in her bag only to see that she also forgot to fill her bag back at the Pokemon Center.

"Looks like you all forgot to gather some food back in Viridian then? Looks like I really am dealing with little kids. Don't worry. A little bit earlier when we stopped for a break, Axew and I gathered a bunch of berries for us all to eat. Dig in!" Iris said as Axew nodded and opened Iris's bag filled with berries for the group to eat. The group all drooled greedily upon seeing the many different types of healthy berries that they could have for dinner.

A little bit later, after the group had finished their delicious berry meal…

"So, wait. Pikachu here was willing to risk everything to save you even though he spent the whole day hating him beforehand?" Iris asked for confirmation.

"Uh, huh! He saw how much I was willing to risk for him and he began to see me in a different light," Ash admitted.

"That must have taken a lot of courage to do something so risky, though," Iris said shyly.

"No, it didn't. Well, maybe a little bit. I just did what needed to be done," Ash said.

"Really? Cool," Iris said as she thought, "Maybe someday I could do something similar to help out Axew or Excadrill."

"Oh, Ash! Tell him that last part. You know, before we ended up going to the Pokemon Center!" Dawn said.

"Oh, right! Before we left, and after I caught Snivy, we all saw a Ho-oh in the sky, just like that!" Ash said gleefully.

"You did?! But…seeing one in your life is supposed to almost never happen!" Iris was amazed.

"Well, Dawn and I were lucky enough to be among those rare few," Ash said.

"Maybe if you see it again, you'll be humbled a bit, Mr. Master," Misty grumbled.

"Uh, excuse me! What did I do wrong?! I was just retelling something awesome that happened to us yesterday and you intervened like some debbie downer!" Ash yelled.

"Well, for someone who wants to become a Pokemon Master, you have a very poor understanding about the world at large!" Misty yelled.

"What is there to understand that I don't already know? I can understand the basics of battling and how to buy stuff and save up money!" Ash said.

"Yeah, sounds so smart," Misty sarcastically bit back.

"Oh yeah?!" Ash began to bite back before Dawn interrupted.

"You know what? I think we've done enough talking for tonight. We'd better get some sleep you guys. Tomorrow's gonna be a big day," Dawn suggested.

"You have a point, Dawn. It would be easier to sleep if Ash and Misty here weren't arguing like little kids," Iris said, which got the two blushing angrily.

"Well, we'd all get some sleep if you'd shut your big mouth, Ash Ketchum!" Misty yelled.

"Don't let the bed bugs bite," Ash bitterly muttered as he tried to get some sleep.

Later that night…

Ash woke up in the middle of the night after dreaming of winning his first Gym Badge in a clean sweep. When he did, he saw that Pikachu and Caterpie were in the middle of having what appeared to be a talk as Caterpie looked in awe at the moon in the sky.

"If only I knew what they were saying. It would be nice to understand Pokemon like Iris," Ash admitted, not wanting to wake the girl up.

"Ask, and you shall receive," Ash heard a voice, which belonged to Iris, say as the teen in question approached the boy.

"Iris! What are you doing up so late? I thought you went to sleep with Axew!" Ash said, confused.

"Well, sometimes Axew needs to go to the bathroom at night, so I've trained myself to be a light sleeper just in case. So, what do you need me to translate?" Iris asked curiously.

"You see, Pikachu and Caterpie are talking about something and Caterpie is looking at the moon…," Ash explained.

"Well, let's see…," Iris listened in for a bit before answering, "Pikachu is wondering why Caterpie is looking at the moon and Caterpie responded that he is remembering first seeing Pokemon fly in the sky and that he one day wishes to be able to soar through the sky like those Pokemon can," Iris answered.

"I see..that's amazing, Iris! Thanks! I never knew that Pokemon could think about stuff that deep!" Ash said.

"Well, Pokemon have been said to be as complex as people are in many cases. It's a bit childish to assume they don't," Iris noted.

"Right," Ash said as he shook off his annoyance, sharing this quiet moment with his new friend before eventually going back to sleep.

I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. By the way, if anyone wants to give me advice in the Comments on what I can do better, I'd really appreciate it and thanks in advance.