"Valiant, hold Tyrunt in place with Confusion. Tyrunt, try to break free."
Valiant's eyes flashed blue as an aura of the same color outlined Tyrunt's body, the baby dinosaur tensing up and straining himself as he struggled against the psychic hold. Valiant was not seizing him with all of his mental might, holding back enough to give his infant friend a chance at fighting back and pushing himself, but he nevertheless wasn't going too easy on the Royal Heir Pokemon, challenging Tyrunt to overcome his limits as the baby lifted his feet to advance forward towards the Emotion Pokemon.
Tyrunt's body felt incredibly heavy as he marched his way forward, each step he took seemingly taking years to complete. Sweat was covering his face as he fought against his friend's hold, desperately struggling against the psychic powers.
Finally, within range of his friend, he raised an arm to reach out to his training partner. After a few more seconds of struggling, a claw was placed on Valiant's front, Tyrunt successfully tagging him.
Valiant immediately released the hold as Ash and Pikachu clapped on the sidelines.
It had been a couple of days since the group had left Bill's place and moved on to Saffron City. Ash's bike had carried them across the road with great speed during traveling time, passing by Cerulean City (which Bill's place was north of) in about a day and now continuing to carry them forward to their next milestone. Saffron City couldn't be more than an additional day of traveling away, even with the stops that they took for training and battling.
That training was spent with Ash spending most of his hands-on time with Tyrunt, while giving the other members of the team their own instructions to work with and checking up on them periodically. Pikachu and Nebula were mostly going through the motions, further honing what they already had and working on further perfecting Double Team. Eevee would spend her time mostly with Pikachu, continuing to work on her speed and iron Tail, but Ash would also occasionally have her spar with Tyrunt in order to further help him work on Dragon Tail (which still mutually benefited Eevee). Most of Valiant's time was spent with Tyrunt, acting as the baby's main sparring partner. Tyrunt was making great strides in his progress, his usage of Rock Blast becoming progressively more feasible for a real battle and his Dragon Tail becoming increasingly potent. Although Ash wasn't sure if he was fully ready to fight yet, Tyrunt was inevitably seeing the most obvious improvements among their training.
Then there was Tempest, their newest member of the team. And truth be told, Ash was still trying to figure out how to approach training the eager Krabby.
Tempest was fully fixated on almost nothing but fighting, and it was very clear to Ash (and the others, especially Valiant) that the violent Krabby was really just along for the ride on their journey. He had no true commitment to anybody on the team, including Ash himself, and was simply seizing the opportunity for more battles to further push himself with. The Krabby had eagerly gnashed his pincers together when Ash had informed him about the Gym Leaders, the leaders of each of Indigo's respective territories with reputations to live up to such a title. The young Krabby's favorite pastime (apart from finding something to punch) was easily listening to Ash telling him about the Gym Leaders and their known qualities (albeit limited only to what Ash knew for himself). The bulky water type was beyond eager to test himself against the likes of LT. Surge, Koga, and Giovanni. The excitement in his eyes was almost fanatical.
And of course, Tempest had learned of Ash's end goal, the Indigo Conference. The greatest tournament in all of Indigo, where the very best trainers of the Season competed for the top.
Learning of Ash's objectives for the year and beyond was quite literally mouth-watering for the young Krabby. Tempest didn't regret his choice to join forces with Ash and the others. If anything, he grew happier with such a decision by the second. He was on a constant road trip filled with new battles and opponents along the way, each milestone on the journey represented an unrivaled challenge to test his strength, and he had the opportunity to continue to train and hone himself in between bouts. As far as he was concerned, Ash Ketchum's roster was the place to be for a Krabby like him.
For the moment, Ash was mostly just having Tempest hone his already known moves, with the young Krabby already having quite a decent arsenal at his disposal. The rookie had also administered the Scald TM to his latest ally, the action flashing his mind back to his battle with Daisy. The blonde beauty had given the young rookie incredible trouble with her usage of the TM, and with his latest team member capable of making use of the move, Ash was eager to be on the other, far more beneficial side of the powerful technique. Tempest had gladly accepted the new move, seeing it as just yet another way to do battle.
Tempest cared little for camaraderie or friendship. He was just here to participate in the trials ahead. Not to help, but to have fun, and satisfy his battle-obsessed ego. In his mind, Ash was a benefactor that provided him with what he wanted. And he did not consider the rest of the team as anything but separate entities that he just so happened to see everyday. Certainly not anybody that he had any sort of affection for. The Krabby was only in it for himself, and such a thing was perfectly reflected by his actions and behavior.
Unfortunately, business with the Krabby was not as positive as Ash had hoped, even if it was what he was ultimately expecting. The violent water type wasn't the least bit interested in making friends, and Ash sadly hadn't seen any positive interactions between Tempest and the rest of the team. The collective dynamic ranged from neutral to tense, and wasn't showing any signs of getting better.
Tempest paid very little mind to the majority of the team, and when he did, it was arguably much worse, often seeming as though he was on the verge of picking a fight with one of them. A cautious and suspicious Valiant would often keep Tyrunt close during downtime, watching the bulky Krabby with endless scrutiny more often than Ash could truthfully say that he was comfortable with. Eevee would often remain close to Valiant (and occasionally Pikachu) as well, often giving the Krabby the stink eye while huddling close to her psychic friend.
The one member of the team that Tempest did seem to begrudgingly respect was Pikachu, likely because the young mouse had been the one to beat him in a fight. Although the Krabby occasionally seemed to be itching for a rematch, he wasn't nearly as dismissive or condescending towards the electric rodent, which could have been what contributed to Eevee sometimes sticking close by the mouse. Tempest was also fairly amicable with Ash himself, and although not overly friendly, would willingly follow whatever training instructions given to him without issue. But there was little affection to be had between Pokemon and trainer. Ash and Pikachu had merely earned Tempest's respect and acknowledgement, with very little else to speak of. And Ash himself would still often have to be the one to reign the water type in whenever Tempest went off rushing in the direction of whatever wild Pokemon was aimlessly passing by.
It was over the past couple of days that Ash had realized, with some dismay, that his team's days of inarguable unity were now over. The temporary, one-sided tension between Nebula and Eevee had been replaced with something far worse. And while Pikachu and Nebula remained the tightly-woven duo that they'd been since the first week or so of Ash's career, and Valiant's developing bonds with Eevee and Tyrunt continued to flourish (even acting as a bit of a bridge between the quadruped and baby dinosaur), the sixth addition to the roster had simply been a rough, out of place wedge, that had landed within the established dynamic of the group, with nowhere to fit in, and no desire to change such a thing.
It was going to happen at some point, that Ash most certainly realized. The larger a trainer's team grew, the less unified that they would be. The days of Pikachu, Nebula, and Valiant being a peaceful trio with no problematic elements or even slight issues amongst each other while they prepared for the upcoming battle with Brock were most certainly nostalgic, but would not always be that way. Sooner or later, Ash was going to be forced to face the challenge of a team with social complexity. One that wasn't just a group of friends with solely aligned goals. Sooner or later, Ash would have to be a leader. And he accepted that.
He just wished that he could have lived in that happy fantasy for just a little while longer.
And unfortunately, as Ash watched Valiant lightly pat and rub the top of Tyrunt's head, the infant Royal Heir Pokemon closing his eyes into the Emotion Pokemon's touch, the young rookie trainer was beginning to realize that Tempest wasn't the only problem.
Aya had warned him, hadn't she?
A Tyrunt's temper was dangerous and in need of being kept in check before it had the chance to begin. The fact that Ash was raising Tyrunt from an egg was a golden opportunity to correct a problem that was normally far more difficult to fix. He and his friends all had a chance to limit the baby's hot-blooded instincts before they had a chance to develop too far. Ash and Valiant had done what they could, nurturing the baby Pokemon with notable hospitality in hopes of ensuring a peaceful mindset, not to mention to make sure that the training for battle didn't bring out Tyrunt's instincts too much.
But nurture or no nurture, nature was always a thing, and it was indeed in Tyrunt's nature to develop these problematic personality traits. They were developing at their own pace, and as Tyrunt, though still an infant, continued to grow and develop his first signs of maturity (however minor), Ash and Valiant (and, to an extent, Eevee) were beginning to notice the first signs, and it made Ash wonder if they really had started Tyrunt's training too early.
Tyrunt's excitement for battle was developing too quickly. Ash was hesitant to let him in on the action so soon, but Tyrunt already wanted to get involved right now. The dinosaur would have a minor hint of jealousy whenever one of Ash's teammates did battle with another trainer, and would occasionally even try to escalate his training sessions with Valiant and Eevee. Ash inwardly winced in memory of an incident from the previous day, where, during a sparring match between Eevee and Tyrunt, the former working on Iron Tail and the latter working on Dragon Tail, Tyrunt had attempted to transform a parrying contest into an outright brawl. Eevee had been caught off guard by Tyrunt's abruptly more aggressive movements halfway through the sparring session, as Tyrunt aggressively growled in an attempt to challenge her to a battle. It had almost reminded Ash of Eevee's own outburst against Pikachu, except with a much different cause and circumstance.
And in the end, Eevee's own fighting instincts had gotten the better of her, the far less experienced Tyrunt getting struck in the face with a full-powered Iron Tail as Eevee easily outmaneuvered him. The scene had caused quite a bit of commotion among the group, and as Ash had raced over to tend to Tyrunt, Eevee had raced off to a nearby area, initially not heeding her trainer's calls. And when she had come back, she couldn't look anybody in the eye, especially Ash, Valiant, or Tyrunt. Valiant had thankfully consoled her that evening, pulling her into a forced hug and rubbing the top of her head while she whimpered into his chest.
Tyrunt was moving too fast, trying to progress things more than he was ready. At least, that was how Ash felt about it. Even with his inexperience, Tyrunt's draconic qualities and powerful jaws would likely make him ready for certain battles already. He was certainly strong for an infant. Ash had a feeling that he could get away with involving Tyrunt in a match or two. But… something about him was feeling hesitant about it. He wasn't overly sure why, maybe he was jus being paranoid. Either way, it didn't mesh very well with Tyrunt's eagerness.
Which, in turn, hadn't meshed very well with Eevee's own impulses. Tyrunt's species may have had the problematic instincts, but it was Eevee who was always the most prone to losing her cool. And that had backfired twice now, and in such a short span of time.
As Ash approached Valiant and Tyrunt, he could see Tyrunt, although with a smile on his face, gazing at the young Kirlia with a look that conveyed just a bit too much excitement. A quiet rumble escaped from the dinosaur's throat, Valiant offering his friend a somewhat uncomfortable look at the verbal challenge.
"No, Tyrunt." Ash stated firmly.
Upon hearing the denial, the young dinosaur growled much more loudly, obvious displeasure in his voice as he instinctively snapped his jaws together a couple of times in frustration. Tyrunt flinched, however, when Valiant was forced to hastily pull his hands away, for fear of getting them chomped off by the abrupt outburst. The baby dinosaur frowned and whimpered upon the realization, lowering his head as he gazed at his approaching trainer.
Looking his youngest team member in the eyes, Ash spoke soothingly as he crouched down. Slowly but surely, he raised a hand to place upon the dinosaur's head.
"Listen, Tyrunt…" Ash spoke softly. "I know you want to battle. I want to see you battle too. But… Please, don't rush it. You'll get your time eventually, but…" Now it was Ash's turn to dip his head, mind flashing back to a metal coated tail nearly busting the infant's face open. "What if… it's too soon…?"
There was disappointment and acceptance in Tyrunt's eyes, but also clear frustration. He wasn't trying to be antagonistic. Not on purpose, anyway.
But his loyalty and affection for the team was in constant conflict with his instincts, which had merged with his excitement towards the idea of battling.
The dinosaur wanted to be given orders by Ash on the battlefield. Just like Valiant, and everybody else. He wanted to be a part of the exciting battles that he had witnessed from the sidelines. Like against Daisy, and Misty, and A.J. He wanted to rack up his own accomplishments, as an official member of the team.
With Valiant looking on with some guilt, Ash frowned sympathetically at the young dinosaur.
'What can I do for Tyrunt?'
/
The moon and stars were high overhead, the skyscrapers of Saffron illuminated by the beautiful city lights in the near distance away from the group's set up camp. Come morning, an hour long bike ride at most would be all that was needed to finally reach the city.
The team had drifted off with much optimism that night, knowing that their next stop was just a short trip ahead. Ash had wanted to reach the city by tonight, but found his legs too tired to continue. Thankfully, most of the team didn't seem to mind (although Ash could tell that Eevee wouldn't have minded spending the night on a soft cushion in one of the Pokemon Center's hotel rooms rather than the ground outside).
It must have been around midnight when the boy was awoken by an ear-piercing cry.
Ash's eyes shot open as he rocketed into a sitting position, heart-hammering from being startled awake as he looked around frantically.
His team had been alerted by the abrupt scream as well, except…
Ash blinked momentarily as he took in the sight of his teammates.
Pikachu, Nebula, Valiant, Eevee…
If Ash wasn't awake before, he was wide awake now, his face an almost sickly pale as he realized…
Tyrunt and Tempest are missing.
Another loud scream filled the air. In his panic, Ash couldn't tell where it was coming from as the boy sprang to his feet. A frantic barking from Eevee drew his attention, the Evolution Pokemon urgently saying something to Valiant as the young Kirlia attempted to take deep breaths, eyes closed with his body tense.
Realizing what Valiant was doing, Ash raced over to Eevee and placed a hand on her, trying to ignore the hammering of his heart as he attempted to settle her down.
"I know you're encouraging him, Eevee, but he needs to concentrate."
A moment or so later, Valiant's eyes shot open, the young Kirlia pointing eastward, prompting Ash to race for the nearby hill without warning. The rest of his team scrambled to catch up with him, Pikachu and Eevee managing while Valiant lagged behind. Nebula flew overhead, her eyes widening as she reached the top of the hill and called out to the others.
Making it to the top, Ash gasped as he saw what was on the other side of the hill.
Tyrunt was rising up to his feet, his body bruised in a few areas while blood leaked from a couple of them. His skin was covered in dirt as he locked angry eyes with Tempest. A dangerous growl emitted from his throat as the two Pokemon stared each other down.
The young Krabby was notably unscathed, clicking his pincers open and shut as he visually scrutinized the baby dinosaur, before both pincers opened and allowed a barrage of glowing bubbles to escape.
Tyrunt let out a somewhat fearful yelp, but his tone of voice still maintained some of its previous ferocity as he attempted to dodge out of the way. The barrage barely grazed him as he clenched his teeth in pain, before responding in kind with a barrage of rocks fired from his mouth.
Although Tyrunt's usage of Rock Blast had notably improved since his first attempt at using the move a few days ago, all Tempest had to do was cross his pincers in front of his face as the rocks collided harmlessly against the exterior. As the stone projectiles shattered upon collision, Tyrunt's feet were already carrying him forward, the baby stamping across the ground as his jaws opened up with a purple glow.
In hopes of sinking his Poison Fang into Tempest's outer armor, Tyrunt took a leap as he approached the Krabby, only for his target's pincer to swing for his face and send him rolling across the dirt.
As Tyrunt came to a stop on his stomach, Tempest turned to face his opponent before opening his pincers and taking aim as the first signs of Water Pulse began to form in them.
"STOP!" Ash's voice brought Tempest's attention to the boy as the trainer came dashing from the top of the hill, before a flash of light in front of the Krabby suddenly caught his interest, Valiant appearing halfway between him and Tyrunt.
The Kirlia immediately encased himself in Light Screen, likely to intercept the Water Pulse in case Tempest had managed to fire them at Tyrunt. The Krabby leered in the young psychic's direction as Valiant dropped the golden cube-shaped barrier, eying the Krabby with a steel gaze in return.
As briefly ran past Tempest before stopping between him and Valiant, arms outstretched as he glowered at the Water Type. "Tempest!" his voice was enraged, yet laced with fear. "What the hell are you doing?! Stop this-"
A loud shriek from behind caught Ash's attention as he and Valiant turned their heads to the source. Tyrunt's jaw was leaking blood as the infant dinosaur rushed over in Tempest's direction, murder in his eyes as his legs carried him faster than anyone on the team had ever witnessed up to that point.
There was no innocence in the baby's expression. Ash and Valiant's spines shivered madly, as though caught out in a blizzard, as the look in Tyrunt's eyes, and the tone of his voice both reflected nothing but a desire to kill.
Ash hesitated out of shock at the state that his youngest teammate was in, but Valiant's hesitation thankfully only lasted for a split second as the young Kirlia's eyes flashed, the aura of an unrestrained Confusion outlining Tyrunt's body and freezing him in place.
Valiant's eyes carried a somewhat pained expression as he forcefully held his friend back, but he did not allow those emotions to decrease the amount of strength put into the technique.
Ash's panic allowed itself to settle down very slightly as Tyrunt was barely able to even struggle against Valiant's psychic hold. Gulping a bit, with sweat running down his face, Ash nodded to the focused Kirlia as the look in his eyes turned somewhat less fearful.
"Right, Valiant. Hold him back and-"
An aggressive cry from Tempest brought Ash and Valiant's attention back to the Krabby as the bulky water type rushed forward, attempting to move past Ash and towards Tyrunt. With Valiant's concentration broken, the psychic hold on Tyrunt was released, the baby dinosaur, still trying to struggle against the hold, falling face first into the dirt, the sudden momentum costing him his balance.
As Tempest approached Ash, sights set on Tyrunt, the boy took a step back before calling out to the Kirlia.
"Valiant! Thunderbolt!" After Ash had ensured that he was out of the line of fire, Valiant cupped his hands, the area around him lighting up as electricity began to crackle in between them. The flash of lightning brightened a good bit of the area as Valiant fired the electrical blast towards Tempest, who halted his approach and crossed his pincers in front of his face. Both pincers, now encased in metal, intercepted the electrical offense, Tempest pushing against the attack as Valiant's Thunderbolt forced him backwards by over half a feet before fizzling out.
A Shadow Ball exploded against Tempest's back as Eevee came running from behind, her unexpected attack sending him stumbling forward as the krabby attempted to right himself, only for a shriek from Nebula to bring his attention upwards.
Cloaked in the blood-red aura of Reckless, Nebula dive bombed from the air and smashed a glowing wing into Tempest's front, eliciting a pained shout from the water type as the force of the blow sent him flying back a few feet. As the Krabby landed on his back and slid a few inches across the dirt before stopping himself, and Pikachu positioned himself in front of the water type on all fours as Tempest began to pick himself up, Ash and Valiant turned their attention back to Tyrunt, who was already preparing to charge forward once more, albeit with a bit less of a violent gaze this time.
"Tyrunt, stop."
Tyrunt hesitated at the disapproving demand in Ash's voice and halted for a moment, but the expression in his eyes was still noticeably fierce as he gazed up at his trainer. Ash momentarily flinched upon locking eyes with the baby, but attempted to steel himself immediately afterwards, keeping his own gaze harsh and authoritative.
A small drop of sweat rolled down Tyrunt's face at the sight of his trainer's expression, before the baby dinosaur's own expression tightened, the Royal Heir Pokemon letting out a frustrated shout.
"I said enough!" Ash raised his voice a bit more, and he felt a twinge of guilt as he saw Tyrunt flinch at the tone, before the dinosaur went back to glaring at him, albeit with the aggression continuously evaporating. Nevertheless, it did not show any signs of completely going away, and Valiant frowned as another growl escaped from the dinosaur's throat. Ignoring the slight chill in his spine, Ash shook his head and continued to stare Tyrunt down.
After a second or too, Ash turned to Valiant and spoke.
"Valiant, hit him with a weak hypnosis." Nodding, Valiant got in between Ash and Tyrunt, facing the Royal Heir Pokemon as he rested his hands on his startled friend.
As Valiant's eyes glowed extremely faintly, the aggressive look in Tyrunt's own eyes suddenly died down, the ferocity subsiding as a wave of minor fatigue overtook the dinosaur's body.
As Tyrunt began to lightly lean forward, head tilting towards a slight, downward angle, Ash cautiously approached the duo, before crouching down in front of them.
"Tyrunt…" the boy allowed a somewhat soft tone of voice to escape his throat as he spoke to the dinosaur, but still did his best to keep the authoritative tone in spite of that. "You're okay, alright?"
Tyrunt looked up to meet gazes with his trainer. The dinosaur's expression was somewhat saddened now, and, with a whimper, a few tears began to leak from his eyes as Valiant wrapped his arms around him.
/
Ash, Pikachu, and Eevee locked their eyes on Tempest as the bulky water type leaned against a nearby rock, the Krabby's body somewhat battered, with notable bruises lining his exterior. His body was wrought with fatigue, and his expression was somewhat pained, but he managed to at least keep it somewhat neutral as the trio faced him.
Ash stood in between Pikachu and Eevee, neither him nor his Pokemon allowing their gazes to leave the Krabby as Ash glared down at their newest member.
While Ash and Valiant had tried to calm Tyrunt down, Pikachu, Nebula, and Eevee had subdued Tempest together. Despite the water type's tenacity, their strength in numbers had left him with little options, Nebula's Reckless giving her the means to overwhelm him despite his defensive cushion, and Pikachu utilizing his electricity to immobilize him while Eevee pelted him with rapid-fire attacks. In spite of his aggression, and the fact that nobody on the team could easily handle him in a one on one occasion, Tempest had found himself forced to submit rather quickly.
Now, Nebula and Valiant were keeping an eye on Tyrunt while Ash confronted the violent water type, Pikachu and Eevee sticking by him together. The dinosaur had not come out of the battle in good shape, most notably with a fractured jaw. Once the adrenaline had died down, Ash had immediately acted upon noticing the pain take hold, applying potions to the baby as quickly as he could. Although he wanted to place Tyrunt in a Poke Ball, something that he had never done as of yet, he decided against it in hopes of the baby being kept company by the rest of the team, in order to ease the Royal Heir Pokemon's mind a little bit further.
Now, with Tyriunt's side of the incident mostly dealt with, Ash had been forced to focus his attention on the other part of the problem. He couldn't understand Pokemon language, and therefore he couldn't fully understand Tyrunt's side of the story, nor Valiant's attempts at relaying it to him, but he had come to a logical conclusion all the same.
Tyrunt's eagerness to get into a fight hadn't gone unnoticed by Tempest, who had picked up on the Royal Heir Pokemon's budding aggression over the course of their travels. Itching for a clash with someone, Tempest had woke Tyrunt up in the middle of the night and provoked him into attacking him, instigating a battle between the two. Ash inwardly snarled at the thought. He had already known for certain that Tempest would do just about anything for a chance at fighting somebody, but to take advantage of Tyrunt's budding instincts like that…
"Tempest…" Ash tried to show restraint when speaking to the Krabby, but his patience was struggling, and he was still trying to sound authoritative. As he spoke, Pikachu and Eevee's eyes began to narrow, gazing at their newest teammate with expressions of uncompromised distrust. "I thought I had made myself clear when you forced joined. What gave you the right to start this?!"
Tempest's eyes held a frustrated gaze to them, but the Krabby did not act, simply locking eyes with his new trainer while Pikachu and Eevee's bodies began to grow tense. The water type had known exactly what he had done, although Ash could not say for sure if the River Crab Pokemon felt any level of guilt about it.
"Tyrunt's a baby…" Ash trailed off. Was that really relevant? For an infant, Tyrunt was most certainly strong, nevertheless…
The boy began to rapidly shake his head for a second or two, before locking his gaze back onto Tempest once more. His expression was somewhat faltered this time, but he did his best to maintain it. He needed to be as commanding as possible for this.
"The point is, he's not ready for an opponent like you yet! Maybe soon, but definitely not tonight! And you knew that! He's not even strong enough to hold his own against you yet, and there's no way he would back down once he got going! You could have killed him if the worst happened!"
Tempest's eyes somewhat narrowed at that, but Ash, Pikachu, and Eevee still could not properly gauge his emotions. Ash couldn't be sure how the bulky Krabby was reacting to this, but determined that he still could not relent.
"You remember, don't you?" Ash's tone was a bit bitter, some animosity leaking into his voice, although he attempted to hold it back. As furious as he was, he didn't want to convey any emotions that could be interpreted as hateful. He just needed to be authoritative. Ensure that his tone of voice was final. But it was a difficult balance to strike, especially with the overwhelming combination of frustration and panic that was currently flowing through him. "I told you to cooperate. To treat everybody with respect. You've done none of that tonight." At Tempest's neutral expression, Ash pressed forward. "Don't you realize that the others are supposed to be your teammates?!" his arms stretched outwards towards Pikachu and Eevee. "Nobody's forcing you to be friends with them, but they're not gift wrapped punching bags! Whether you like it or not, you and your teammates are equal, and you are to treat them as such from now on!"
Taking a pause, Ash allowed himself to sigh a bit before taking a couple of steps forward. There was still some distance between him and Tempest, Pikachu and Eevee somewhat following close behind, but the boy got a closer look at the Krabby's eyes as he continued. "You were really excited when I told you about what we'd all be doing on this adventure. You can still have all of that. I can give special training, so that you don't have to keep doing it yourself in the wild. You can see places you'd never even imagined while living back at Cerulean's coast, and yes, you can fight an endless lineup of strong opponents to get your adrenaline rushing. But you have your own end of the bargain to uphold, and that's only your responsibility, not anybody else's. And it's your fault alone if you refuse to follow through. You have to be a team player. Even if that doesn't mean actually getting along with everybody, you have to do your own part and coexist. I'm asking the bare minimum of you, and somehow, you're still not delivering."
Ash's heart was hammering, the sweat on his face contrasting with his hardened expression (or, at the very least, his attempt at one). Nevertheless, he deepened his gaze as he and Tempest continued to stare each other down.
"If anything like this ever happens again, I'm releasing you. The Professor could probably find a better suited place for you, which means we'll be going our own separate ways. But if you don't want that, and want to keep traveling across Indigo with me and the others, so that we can do all the things I've told you about, then you have to meet all of us halfway. It's your job just as much as anyone else's. The only thing I'm asking of you is to be cooperative. You have to at least do that much for us, and never, ever, allow this tonight to occur ever again. AM I CLEAR?"
The silent air felt somewhat thick as Tempest took in Ash's words. It was probably only about a dozen seconds or so, but it felt like two minutes had passed when the Krabby finally nodded.
After a few additional moments, Ash moved to the side, signaling for Pikachu and Eevee to do the same as he gestured towards the Krabby.
"Go back to the camp. Pick a spot to rest for the night and don't speak with anyone. I'll be there with a potion for your injuries in a little bit."
Ash watched the Krabby slowly walk past him before calling out to him one last time.
"I want you on this team, Tempest." he spoke honestly, dropping the hostile tone as Tempest stopped walking to listen to him, albeit not turning to face him. "I might be the only one here who feels that way at this point, but it's the truth. I just wanted you to know that. I don't want to give up on you. I want you to be there with me in a giant stadium, waiting for whoever our next opponent is. Please don't make me change my mind."
As Tempest resumed his walk, Ash's frown deepened as he stared at the Krabby's retreating back, before backing up to get a better look at Pikachu and Eevee. Both Pokemon had very doubtful expressions on their faces as they observed the retreating Krabby, before briefly exchanging worried glances with one another. Ash bit his lip at the sight. Looking back in the direction of the camp, he felt a minor gulp in his throat.
Tyrunt wasn't faultless, of course. Aya had warned him loud and clear. And who knew how much tension this newfound unease would cause, even between the rest of the team.
The future remained uncertain, but until everything settled down, it was up to him to ensure that the repercussions were nothing severe.
/
Saffron City was one of the greatest cities in Indigo, and the world, both in terms of size and population. The sprawling metropolis could be spotted from a distance with ease, the towering skyscrapers extending into the sky as a signal for all those who were headed for it, making for an especially magnificent sight when lit up at nighttime.
It was one of the busiest cities you could find. Although Celadon was the most upper-class of Kanto's territories, Saffron was the Region's central business district. And the large presence that enterprise had within the territory was, in great part, due to the city being the home of Silph Co. A corporate giant of a company, with its main headquarters stationed in the center of the city.
The largest, most widespread, and profitable company in all of Indigo, Silph Co. proudly stood at the center stage of the great empire's technological world. Being the primary manufacturers of various devices in Indigo such as Poke Balls and TMs, they had practically integrated into the League itself due to how essential they were to various Pokemon professions, and even beyond. Their presence could be found anywhere in the empire no matter where travelers were to go, with the Poke Marts in each town and city being under their banner in addition to the League's own.
And the centerpiece of the company's presence was the Silph Co. Head Office, located in the heart of the city. Dwarfing even all of the other skyscrapers in both size and grandeur, it sometimes felt as though the company's primary base of operations could be seen by anybody in the city who dared to look up. To those on the ground, the building's upper levels were practically a part of the sky. And when lit up at night, it was like a beacon of power and greatness. All of the other buildings surrounding it from any direction were constantly at the risk of being reduced to a mere backdrop for the main event. In the center of the city, where all could see, the Silph Co. Head Office stood taller, shined brighter, and captured all eyes far greater than any other place located in Saffron.
But as great as Silph Co. was, they weren't the only thing providing Saffron with such a supreme reputation. The city was also the home of the Fighting Dojo, a former Gym repurposed into a martial arts school, with classes that both taught different forms of self-defense to humans, and that mentored trainers (and even those who weren't trainers yet) in how to train and raise fighting type Pokemon. From what Ash knew of the school it was a prestigious academy that had produced many skilled martial artists and fighting type specialists. Sometimes both.
But the gym's shift to academic focus had left a vacuum in the city, a void that had immediately been filled by Saffron's current Gym, led by the famous psychic Sabrina. A wise specialist in the psychic typing, and gifted psychic herself, Sabrina was among the most respected trainers in Indigo, in contrast to the sensation of fear promoted by LT. Surge and Giovanni, or the combination of the two that Koga and Clair had been given.
Saffron's Gym was also a school of sorts, with Sabrina not completely dedicated to the academic side and nothing else (as it was still a Gym first and foremost), but still consistently having the most Gym Trainers out of any Gym Leader in Indigo. She also had a few personal pupils that she mentored in, not Pokemon training, but psychic abilities, which, even outside of her specialization in psychic type Pokemon, she was a nearly unrivaled expert in. The Gym Trainer program of Saffron City's Gym saw consistent success with each and every Season, and a big part of why Sabrina was so respected by the masses was because she was often labeled as the most academically gifted of Indigo's Gym Leaders, being an exceptional teacher who, herself, had also started out her career as a Gym Trainer, and the top student of the Gym that she had attended for mentorship.
And if Saffron's Gym wasn't a popular place to receive tutelage before, it certainly was after the previous Season. The winner of last Season's Indigo Conference, which had wrapped up not too long ago prior to the start of the current Season, and was still fairly fresh in everybody's memory, was a psychic specialist named Will, who had got his start by studying at Saffron's Gym. The trainer had dazzled Indigo with his vast arsenal of techniques and incredible synergy with his team, and had even put on a fairly decent showing against Lorelei, defeating four of her Pokemon and inflicting some minor wounds on the remaining two. Just as impressively, his opponent in the finals was a popular trainer who went by the name of Tanner, and had been favored to win the whole Conference, only for Will to just barely pull off an upset.
Due to the prominent status of both, the Gym trainer program of Saffron City's Gym, and the Fighting Dojo were occasionally considered to be rival schools within the cities. Disputes between the two institutions have been heavily rumored for years, but Ash had no knowledge as to whether or not they were true, or if the extent of the conflict was being subject to hyperbole.
Saffron also had the honor of being the city that linked Kanto and Johto together, alongside Goldenrod City. This was thanks to the Magnet Train, which offered transportation between the two cities. Since trainers in Indigo could qualify for the Conference with any combination of eight badges from the Gyms of the Regions under the League's banner, it wasn't uncommon for trainers to use the Magnet Train to travel between Kanto and Johto, and acquire badges from a few Gyms in both of the Regions. For that reason alone, Saffron was a prominent location for just about any Indigo trainer.
But that wasn't the only reason. Because even within Kanto itself, Saffron was something of a hub, where trainers were forced to plan out what direction their journey would take next. With Lavender Town to the east, Celadon to the west, Cerulean to the north, and Vermillion to the south, any trainer who arrived at the city in hopes of acquiring Sabrina's Marsh Badge would immediately be faced with a decision afterwards, regardless of which direction they had arrived at Saffron from. Of course, for those who were interested in going to Johto, the Magnet Train only increased the number of options, and those coming from Goldenrod were immediately given four potential directions to choose from.
From its sheer spectacle, numerous prominent organizations, plethora of options for traveling trainers to take afterwards, and overall presence within both Kanto and Indigo at large, Saffron was incontestably one of the most prominent territories in Indigo's entirety, a reputation that it has proudly held onto for years.
At this point, Ash had been to a total of three cities throughout his travels. And although Viridian, Pewter, and Cerulean had all been an indescribably step up from the quiet comfort of Pallet Town, they still hadn't been quite enough to prepare him for the next stop on his adventure.
Gray rain clouds were beginning to cover the sky as Ash made his way to the city gates. Beside him were Pikachu, Valiant, and Tyrunt, all of whom shared Ash's expression as he gawked at the sight in front of the group.
Even now, the Silph Co. Head Office could be seen, towering above all of the other skyscrapers surrounding it from the center of the city. The fact that it wasn't the only building towering into the sky just added to the intimidation, however, and just the simple act of lifting his head upwards made Ash feel hopelessly tiny.
Already massive cities in their own right, Viridian, Pewter, and Cerulean were nothing compared to this.
As Ash led his team through the gates and into the streets of the sprawling metropolis, the mood within the group was a somber one, which was only heightened by the gray clouds above, and the growing scent of the soon to be incoming rain.
After the events of last night, nobody in the group was happy during breakfast. Everybody ate in near absolute silence, even the normally chatty Tyrunt. And above all else, nobody had so much as any welcoming vibes for Tempest.
Valiant was easily the most notable, having aggressively watched the violent Krabby from a distance the entire time before it was finally time for the water type to return to his Poke Ball. The incident with Tyrunt last night had severed whatever little good will that Valiant may have had for the River Crab Pokemon, and the Emotion Pokemon did almost nothing but never let the little dinosaur out of his sight, his distrust and animosity for Tempest strengthening his overprotectiveness towards Tyrunt (who he was also keeping a close eye on, after the dinosaur's role in the previous night's events). Eevee had attempted to console the young Kirlia during breakfast, while simultaneously shooting Tempest dirty looks of her own.
On Tempest's own end, he didn't seem to be overly bothered by the silent hostility that he was receiving from the rest of the team, simply focusing on his food, but thankfully not trying to instigate any further trouble amongst the others.
Pikachu and Nebula ate together, and although the two of them were as close as ever, there was an air of awkwardness between them both. Ash had learned later that night that Nebula had accidentally struck Pikachu immediately following the brief fight with Tempest, her Reckless Ability having made her instincts more violent and overall hyperactive like it always did, at the cost of her self control. Pikachu's attempt to check up on her immediately following the fight had earned him a sudden wing to the face, which had nearly resulted in a quick skirmish between Nebula and Eevee before Pikachu sprang back up to get between the two of them while Nebula came to her senses. The two of them had made up rather quickly, so Ash doubted that the dynamic between the mouse and the bird would have any real consequential issues in the long term, but for now, the memory was still fresh.
The noises of the city streets filled Ash's ears as he dared to look up to the sky once more, greeted by the sight of the skyscrapers towering overhead, seemingly piercing into the gray clouds above them from the current angle.
The clouds were gathering at a notably fast rate. It will be raining soon.
As Ash's gaze returned to what was in front of him, he observed the passerby for a few seconds, standing still alongside his teammates as the group took in the sight of Saffron, and the overwhelming scope of the city.
From the pressure of last night to the surging atmosphere of Saffron, the boy had never felt so small.
But he knew he couldn't remain still forever. Otherwise, they would soon be drenched by the rainfall that would soon pelt the city.
Ash's eyes made their way downwards as he looked between his three teammates. Pikachu and Valiant had picked up on the incoming weather, and had most likely informed Tyrunt already.
"We need to find the Pokemon Center quickly." Ash announced. "It could start drizzling in a matter of minutes, and by then it will only be a matter of time before we're hit with a downpour." he looked over to Valiant. "I'm going to be getting the bicycle out for extra speed. If it's alright with you, I'll return you to your Poke Ball until we get there." When Valiant nodded in agreement, Ash returned his trusted friend before spawning the bike from one of his additional Poke Balls. With Tyrunt in the basket and Pikachu climbing into his backpack (to Ash's amusement), the rookie trainer took off down the sidewalk at a decent pace.
They were already behind schedule, due to the events of last night. The original plan was to start out the morning by quickly making it into the city, and having breakfast at the Pokemon Center's cafeteria. But with the late night that everybody had, they had all risen much later than normal, so Ash had opted to just eat breakfast at camp. It was already quite close to noon by the time the team had arrived near the gates of the city, and would probably be past noon by the time that they reached the Center.
Ash followed the signs as the bike carried him, Pikachu, and Tyrunt across the city, also paying attention to which signs were pointing to the Gym. He certainly wouldn't be planning to take on Sabrina today, but once they were settled in, they would need to begin making preparations.
As he passed by cars and other people walking along the sidewalk, the boy began to feel the first signs of rain landing on him, with Tyrunt letting out a brief, commenting squeal in reaction to the newfound drizzle. They likely still had at least a few minutes before the drizzle turned to rain, and the rain turned to downpour, but Ash couldn't be sure whether or not a few minutes was the only thing that they had, and quickened his pace as a result. He only sped up a little bit, however, for fear of slipping on the sidewalk, which would become drenched sooner or later.
The boy made a turn in the direction of the Pokemon Center just as the drizzle began to transition into rain, and Ash's eyes widened, Tyrunt letting out a squeal in awe, as the building came into view.
It was easily the biggest Pokemon Center that they had seen thus far. All of the urban Pokemon Center's were massive, but Ash could already tell that this one surpassed them. Maybe not by far, but by enough to be noticeable. And with the clouds darkening the sky, the lights were all on, and although not the completely magnificent sight that it would have been in the darkness of nighttime, it still left an impression.
Ash parked underneath the outside roof leading into the Center, taking shelter from the increasing rain as he dismounted the bicycle. Lifting Tyrunt out of the basket and returning the bike to the Poke Ball, Ash let Valiant out once more, the group making their way to the large, automatic doors as Pikachu climbed out of his backpack.
The rainfall had brought a sudden chill, but it was replaced with the familiar, more comforting air conditioning of the Pokemon Center as the doors opened and the group stepped through.
It was certainly the biggest lobby that they had ever been in. Given how busy a city that Saffron was, it seemed as if everything about this Center was increased in size in order to compensate. The overhead lights shined above as Ash made his way to the counter, flanked by his teammates as he stopped at the end of the (thankfully short) line in front of them. Although the lobby had no shortage of people, many trainers chatting amongst themselves across the surrounding area, whether it be standing up or sitting on a couch together, the line itself was mercifully smaller than Ash had expected it to be.
It took only a few minutes for Ash's turn to come, Nurse Joy smiling her usual beautiful grin at the boy as he found himself in front of the counter. Ash found that he never got tired of seeing her face, not because of her gorgeous appearance (although he imagined that many trainers enjoyed her company for such a reason), but because the aura that her smile gave off was immediately soothing. She, and her behavior as well, was symbolic of the Pokemon Center itself: A place of comfort and rejuvenation for all trainers.
After everything that had happened last night, the intimidation of entering the city, and nearly getting caught in the rainstorm, it was just what Ash needed. He could already feel his nerves easing up as she spoke to him.
"Welcome to the Pokemon Center." Nurse Joy addressed the boy, her voice professional, yet friendly and reassuring as usual. The perfect combination as always. "Will you be in today?"
"Yes." Ash nodded gratefully, handing his Pokedex to the woman, who placed it in the nearby slot while typing rapidly on the computer.
"Ash Ketchum, Pallet Town, correct?" she looked up from the monitor as she verified his information. At his nod, she continued to type (Ash was just now realizing just how fast she was typing) before returning her eyes to him as she handed back the Pokedex. As Ash pocketed the device in one of his backpack's pouches, the pink-haired woman slid a card across the counter, the room key, which he quickly reached to take. "Third floor, room 3-26. Does your team need a checkup?"
Nodding, Ash lifted Tyrunt onto the counter. Just as he prepared to return Pikachu and Valiant, Nurse Joy, still typing rapidly, spoke up again.
"By the way, I have to inform all newly arriving trainers of this: Saffron's gym won't be accepting challengers for the time being."
Ash felt a small pit in his stomach as his face fell at the news, Tyrunt innocently tilting his head while Pikachu and Valiant perked up at the announcement. Their expressions were a mix of curiosity and disappointment, which matched Ash's own reaction.
"Did… something happen?" the boy asked politely, wondering if the explanation was open to the public or not. It wasn't unheard of for a Gym to be closed for a short period of time, but it still happened rarely. Pokemon Gyms (in any Region where they operated) were often open for the entirety of the Season, always available on most days until the Conference, where they were closed to challengers prior to the break period between Seasons. Usually something very specific needed to happen for them to even have one day off outside of normal schedules. Gym Leaders weren't available at every waking hour, having no shortage of duties, but the Gyms would always be open for a set amount of time. At minimum, a couple to a few hours each day. Normally, they would only close down for a day or two, if work outside of taking on challengers became too hectic (occasionally, the top Gym Trainers might be put in charge of the Gym on these days, although not every Gym did this) , and all Gym Leaders took a scheduled day off every week or two. But an extensive absence was something that a good few Gyms could go entire Seasons without.
"At the moment, Sabrina is Hoenn." Nurse Joy explained. After a brief pause, she finished up her typing, giving Ash her full attention. "Normally, she would consider having her top students fight challengers in her stead, but she's actually taken her best students with her this time. It's to give them some business experience. The trip is mostly a standard political affair."
Ash nodded. That made sense. "So… Do you know when she's planning to be back?"
A nod. "Two weeks from now. She just left yesterday morning."
Ash inwardly frowned at that. Had it been a week or less, he probably would have waited for her, but…
If it was two weeks, then it might be for the best if they just left after stocking up on supplies. Ash knew that there was no need to rush, but the time that he spent waiting for Sabrina to come back could just as easily be spent heading to a different city to challenge a Gym. He could stick around to train, but he could still do that on the road as well.
The boy nodded. "Okay, thanks for telling me."
A sympathetic grin formed on the woman's face. "Sorry… for the bad news."
Ash quickly held his hands in front of him. "No, no, it's not your fault! I know you can't help it…" he wondered what it must have been like, delivering disappointing news like that to every trainer coming in. It couldn't have been fun.
After returning Pikachu and Valiant, Ash handed over his Poke Balls as Nurse Joy took Tyrunt in her arms. The baby dinosaur let out a pleased squeal as she flashed him a bright grin, before the pink-haired woman nodded back at Ash. "Have a nice day, Mr. Ketchum. You'll be notified when your team is ready."
Nodding gratefully, Ash waved at Nurse Joy and Tyrunt as he took his leave. "Okay, thanks again. Make sure you behave, Tyrunt." The Royal Heir Pokemon waved back with a friendly chirp.
/
Ash had spent the next hour unwinding in his room, watching a talk show on the flatscreen as the rain fell outside. By the time he had made his way up to the room, the rain had already turned into a downpour, and some rumbles of thunder could be heard as well.
The window provided a great view of the city, and he took some time to look out into the neverending series of buildings as the rain rolled down the glass. He enjoyed taking in the scenery, with or without the rain, the wet weather providing a different sort of feel to it.
More than anything, the combination of the talk show playing, and the generous view of the city provided the rookie trainer with a strong sense of relaxation. A reminder that he was back in the welcoming comfort and luxury of civilization. It was a feeling of relief that he received every time he arrived in a city, following the time spent in the outside wilderness.
By the time his team was ready to be picked up, Ash found that he was already feeling fairly rejuvenated, although a good deal of that was likely psychological. The general atmosphere that the Pokemon Center's hospitality provided him with was a refreshment in its own right. Although the thunder could be heard on occasion, it was low enough to not interfere with the mood too much.
Although Pikachu, Valiant, and Tyrunt already knew that Sabrina currently wasn't in the city, Ash relayed the news to the rest of the team, regretfully informing them that they would not be challenging Saffron's Gym. Tempest's disappointment was the most blatantly noticeable, although he didn't put up much of a fuss. No doubt he knew what position he was in with the rest of the team. Although Nebula and Eevee were both taken aback by the news, neither of them responded negatively. Perhaps they took note of Ash's optimistic presentation of the news.
After all, the boy had made it very clear that they would be back on the road for a different Gym in just a few days at most. Although Ash didn't yet know where their next destination would be, his plan was to think it over as soon as he could. Sabrina's absence was a setback at worst.
The rookie was also planning to browse for TMs the following day, once they were settled in. He and his team had accumulated a great deal of prize money between Cerulean and Saffron, putting them in a far better financial position than he had ever been in before. He didn't have enough to load up on TMs (especially since their prices varied from move to move), but he should be able to purchase a few, while still stocking up on the necessities that they were in need of (he'd be ensuring that they had enough food and potions first).
But that would come tomorrow. Today was about settling in and unwinding, and he was going to be planning their next move tonight.
/
The day went by at a quicker pace than Ash had anticipated. He had expected the day to be a slow-moving one, due to them not having any coherent plans after checking in, even if they had reached the Center a lot later than originally planned. However, the boy ended up being blindsided by the speed of the clock, almost as if time itself had taken off into a sprint.
Before he had known it, the evening had already come, and the group was dining in the cafeteria. Afterwards, they had withdrawn to their room for the night, Pikachu, Eevee, and Tyrunt already making themselves comfortable as Ash sat on his bed, quietly watching the flatscreen.
A news anchor was currently speaking, a brunette woman who looked to be in her late twenties, and a Breaking News headline appeared as Ash's improving mood suddenly dropped.
On the screen was a picture of a very familiar person.
"We have received word of an attack committed by a recently confirmed recruit of Team Rocket: The Iron-Masked Marauder." The woman's voice and facial expressions were very even and professional, completely neutral to the news that she was about to share.
Sitting beside Ash, Valiant's face fell into a frown as the image of the (unfortunately) familiar man appeared into view beside the woman. The Marauder's face held a neutral expression in the picture, a default picture in contrast to the fury or arrogance that he had displayed back in the caverns of Mt. Moon. Just seeing that face brought memories rushing back: Of running for their lives with the grunts in hot pursuit, of the swarm of Zubat and other Pokemon that the terrorists had attempted to overwhelm them with, Gabite attempting to obliterate Eevee with a violent blast, Scizor dropping the team like stones, the roar of Tyranitar, rocks falling from the ceiling as-
Ash's eyes squeezed shut for a moment as it all overwhelmed him, and the feeling of Valiant's hand on his encouraged him to open them again as the news anchor continued.
"Just last night, on the shore past the Rock Tunnel located beyond Cerulean, four League agents were found dead with traces of a fight left behind in the area. All Pokemon the agents had on them that were accounted for following the battle, turned up dead on the same site. The final report filed by the League agents just that afternoon, as well as the autopsy report, point evidence towards a new member of Team Rocket, the Iron-Masked Marauder being the culprit, his confirmed Team Members deemed capable of inflicting the fatal, specific injuries that were seen. A few Pokemon held by the League agents were not found by the investigation team on the site, nor are their Poke Balls, and are believed to have been looted from the bodies by the culprit of the attack."
Reactions in the room were fairly similar among most present, Valiant's face pale while sitting next to Ash, and the rest of the team mostly wearing uneasy expressions as they took in the news anchor's words. Tyrunt, despite having never met the Marauder, quickly picked up on the uncomfortable mood of the room, prompting him to dip his head with an unsure frown. Tempest, also with no prior experience with the Pokemon Hunter, didn't react as strongly, but watched the rest of the broadcast with a notably scrunched up face.
Ash found himself gulping a bit as he stared at the screen, processing the report.
The Rock Tunnel was a large cave located in Kanto's northeast, beyond Cerulean as the news anchor had said. It wasn't in the same area of the Region as Saffron was, but what areas were covered by the news varied from station to station (and each Region had a station that covered the entire Region, along with one that covered all of Indigo in general). The particular channel that they were on likely covered both Cerulean and Saffron, due to them being neighboring territories, which was why the story was being broadcast here.
The reported incident wasn't too far from Saffron, but it also wasn't particularly close, so Ash thankfully felt secure as he continued to listen to the report, even if the news anchor's words left him constantly forcing down the memories.
Ash could feel Valiant squeezing his hand in distress beside him. He allowed it.
"The Iron-Masked Marauder is a professional Pokemon Hunter wanted by various different governments throughout the world." the woman continued, her neutral tone not changing. "He was recently confirmed to have joined forces with Team Rocket, leading a large squadron of their soldiers in an attack on Mt. Moon, where he was discovered by League forces led by Elite Four Karen. He is armed and dangerous at all times, and he and his team are known for their bloodlust and callousness. Everybody is to keep their distance from him, and report all sightings to the nearest authority without delay."
/
Somewhere outside of Cerulean territory, in a hidden base occupied by Team Rocket soldiers, the Iron-Masked Marauder sat on a couch in a dimly lit room, holding a small bottle in hand. Beside him, a Weavile stood on a nearby coffee table, sharpening its claws as the Hunter observed the flatscreen on the wall.
"Listen to this generic nonsense. 'Armed and dangerous.' You can tell she's reading off of a script."
Reports like these were yet another example of how tame the world had become.
/
The news report left Ash feeling rattled for the next hour or so, just the mention of the Marauder enough to bring his mind to places that he wished he didn't remember. In an effort to keep his mind off of it, he had switched the channel when the news report was over, finding a cooking show that promoted a lot more comfort than news regarding Team Rocket.
Eventually, his team turned in for the night. Pikachu rested at the foot of his bed as usual, while Nebula had taken up her signature position at the windowsill, the rain still falling outside, only slightly less intensely than before. Valiant, Eevee, and Tyrunt were grouped close together at cushions near the bed, Valiant the only member of the team still awake, silently observing Ash as the boy sat at the table. The Kirlia seemed a bit fatigued, but not enough to the point where he didn't want to stay awake.
And then there was Tempest, who had simply found a spot at the far end of the room, snoozing silently on a cushion, a good distance away from everyone else. He wasn't the only one sleeping alone, but unlike everybody else, he hadn't exchanged "good nights" with anyone, or even shared any sort of conversation. He was… secluded. Isolated from the rest of the group.
Ash found it regrettable that the moment where the team finally consisted of a full six Pokemon was also the moment where the sense of unity had come to an end. Unlike everybody else present within the group, Tempest had nobody to partner up with. No connections or bonds with any of his new teammates. And worst of all, that didn't seem to be changing any time soon. Even prior to the events of last night, nobody wanted anything to do with the violent Krabby, and even if they had, the only business that he would have asked for was a fight.
But the boy tried not to focus on that. For now.
Tempest wasn't any more interested in befriending the others as they were in befriending him. For the moment, he had to accept that, and work on allowing the newfound tension in the group to die down. If he tried to force everybody together…
Ash shook his head for a moment, before refocusing his attention on the map of Kanto that he had spread out on the table. With the lights off, he had turned on the lamp to give himself lighting to focus on what he was looking at. His cap was currently resting beside the map, his hair exposed as a result.
The territory of Saffron was located in the eastern half of the Region, albeit not the parts of it that had garnered a reputation for being less rookie-friendly. That would change if they continued going east, however, with the area leading to Lavender Town, the entirety of Fuschia territory, and the eastern side of Vermillion territory being home to much tougher trials for trainers, whether it be in the form of terrain, wildlife, or the other trainers that had set up shop to train. Fuschia, of course, being the most infamous for this in Kanto, perhaps alongside the mountainous surroundings of the Indigo Plateau.
Ash's eyes were locked on Saffron's City's logo on the map. They had come from the north in Cerulean, leaving them with three potential areas to select for their next stop: Vermillion City, Celadon City, and Lavender Town being the surrounding targets.
From this point onward, their journey would take a very different direction, depending on where they chose to go. Celadon City was to the west, and would theoretically be the shortest trip to take. It was just past the center of the Region, not overly far from the eastern portion of Viridian Forest. From Celadon, they could east back to Saffron, or southeast to Vermillion.
Vermillion City was to the south, and would be a slightly longer trip than Celadon, but still wouldn't be likely to take up much time. From there, they could head south towards Fuschia, north back to Saffron, or northwest to Celadon.
Finally, there was the longest potential trip: Lavender Town to the east. The town didn't have a Gym, and given that it was located all the way near the Region's eastern coast, it would actually take them further away from any of the Gyms in Kanto, including Vermillion and Fuschia. But if they were going to go eastward, it would be best to head there first, ensuring that they could stock up on supplies, before heading down to Fuschia, located near Kanto's southeastern coast. For a shorter trip (which would still take longer than the other options), they could head southwest for Vermillion. Going to Lavender and heading to Fuschia from there would be the longest potential trip to make by far, and would ensure that they would go a great deal of time without any additional badges, or even a chance to acquire one. It wasn't without merit, however, as more time on the road meant more time to train, without having to stay in one place. There was certainly nothing wrong with taking a break from traveling and focusing on training, and Ash certainly thought that it would be the most comfortable option (they could progress with their training while still enjoying the Pokemon Center's hospitality), but although a good deal of trainers preferred it, Ash was reluctantly willing to go along with the more difficult option, and remain on the move. As much as he disliked admitting it, the constant travel had its own merits, mostly if you wanted to acquire your badges quickly, but also to take advantage of the ever changing terrain for your training.
Neither option was inherently superior to the other, but Ash found himself favoring the frequent travel from a tactical standpoint, even if he vehemently preferred constant civilization on a personal level. And many trainers (just as many as those who took traveling more slowly) also favored the constant traveling, to the point where a good few of them actually enjoyed the wilderness.
Ash stared at the map, his gaze lingering on Lavender Town as a timid frown formed on his face.
Fuschia would certainly be an excellent place to train, more so than any of the other territories they could shoot for from here. But were they ready for it?
There was also a matter of the Gyms that they would be challenging. Erika of Celadon, LT. Surge of Vermillion, Koga of Fuschia. In that regard, Celadon was the most obvious choice, being the Region's most beginner friendly Gym alongside Pewter and Cerulean. It was one of the Gyms that was considered suitable for a trainer to start out with, whereas other Gyms, Fuschia and Vermillion included, weren't as flexible. Especially with the reputations that LT. Surge and Koga had both respectably garnered. Tales of their ruthlessness were practically horror stories among Indigo's trainer community, particularly the rookies.
And yet, he and his team were beginning to reach that threshold. They now had two badges to their names, going for their third. Soon, all of the Gyms would become less lenient, regardless of who they challenged. So did they go for Erika, while her efforts would hopefully still be at their most manageable? Or did they try for a more difficult, less beginner-friendly Gym to get the experience, and gauge what it would be like moving forward? They could have done that already if Sabrina was still here, but now, Surge was their closest option.
And of course, there was also the matter of the Magnet Train. It wasn't part of his plan, but theoretically, if they chose to take it, that would take them to Goldenrod City in the Johto Region. They could challenge the Gym there, and then either head back to Saffron, or completely change their plans by traveling in Johto instead. Doing so would completely shake up their journey, and they certainly wouldn't be the only ones in Indigo to do such a thing.
Although going to Johto certainly had its own merit, Ash had already chosen to hold off on that option for now. There was nothing stopping him from doing it, and it wouldn't necessarily make things any more difficult or less convenient, but for the moment, he opted to save what Johto had to offer for later. Of course, that didn't mean that the option didn't exist, and despite his plans not to take it yet, the fact that the possibility even existed at all was still yet another addition to the already overwhelming list.
Continuing to stare at the map, Ash found that he wasn't making any progress in making his decision. It was just a reminder of how many choices that they had. And the more Ash ran the possibilities through his mind, the more he found that it didn't make it any easier.
It almost felt absurd that he was finding this so difficult. If all of the options had merit, even if it was in different ways, then why not pick at random?
Ash ran his hands through his hair. Saffron, he realized, was a blessing and a curse. He should be thrilled by all of the possibilities. Excited.
But what good were options if he wasn't proactive enough to make up his mind?!
"Ash…"
The sound of the voice jolted him upright. Had he imagined that? With the flatscreen off, the room had been completely quiet apart from the rainfall outside, which he had grown accustomed to, now at a point where he practically took it for granted. But suddenly...
Turning around, his eyes combed through the room, but found nothing he wasn't already expecting. Pikachu was sleeping on the bed, Valiant was sitting upright on his cushion, in between Eevee and Tyrunt, both of whom slept on their own. At the end of the room, Nebula was at the windowsill, and Tempest was on his own.
And they were the only ones. Why wouldn't they be? They weren't traveling with anybody. They were the only ones in the room.
A troubled look adorned Ash's face as he turned his gaze back to the map. He couldn't understand why he would have imagined the sudden new voice, but what else could it be? Nobody was here to speak to him-
"A-...Ash…?"
There it was again, the boy only slightly less startled this time.
The voice sounded… young. Seemingly, that of a young boy. But as he looked around the room (now rising from his chair), he couldn't understand why he was hearing it. Nobody else was here, and he couldn't place what direction it was coming from… not tha tit made sense that he was even hearing it at all.
How could he be imagining it? He had never imagined something like this before-
A tug on his leg brought his attention to the floor. In his confused state, Ash was briefly startled, letting out a quick yelp before he relaxed a bit, seeing that it was just Valiant.
"Hey, buddy. Need something-?" Ash paused upon seeing what the young Kirlia was doing. His arm still on Ash's leg, Valiant seemed to be pointing to… himself?
"Ash… It's… m-me…"
The voice was sounding somewhat strained, yet still clear as day.
...Wait…
Startled again, Ash took a step back, placing his hands on the table behind him as he stared down at his psychic friend.
"Valiant…" it almost sounded absurd to ask. "...Are you…"
The young Kirlia was nodding, a small smile forming on his face, an expression that seemingly conveyed relief.
"Sorry I s-startled you. I w-wasn't sure how… to start…" The voice was trailing off, but Ash kept taking it in.
Young, relatively high-pitched with a typical, childlike tone, and male. It matched Valiant's age, Ash presumed… so…
Ash fell back down to his chair, which he turned to face Valiant's direction. "Are you… speaking to me telepathically?" It sounded absurd to ask, and yet… it checked out.
Psychic Pokemon were capable of communicating in a manner like this. In a way, Ash almost thought it was silly that he hadn't considered it, yet he had never thought of the possibility for some reason.
A psychic Pokemon could develop such an ability at just about any age or experience, but how effective that they were at it still depended on the age and experience. Those who acquired the means after having already honed their abilities via a great deal of training, would be fairly skilled at the practice right out of the gate. But that usually wasn't unless they had only gained the ability at such an experienced level. And even then, there would be obvious room for improvement. Most psychic types, even really skilled ones, would have difficulty communicating with more than one individual at once without practice first.
In comparison, younger, beginner psychics who developed the ability would not be good at it for quite some time. It would be much more mentally strenuous, tiring out the user considerably. Not to mention, it would be difficult to concentrate the ability enough to have a full conversation. With the combination of these two aspects, beginner psychics who developed such an ability wouldn't use it very often at first, and it would be quite some time before they could do so consistently. For a good long while, they would only utilize it in short bursts (and even then, the frequency would vary). It wasn't until their overall psychic abilities had been greatly developed and matured (usually not until they were at an exceptionally high level) that they would be both effective and consistent with the telepathic speech. And even then, it wouldn't always develop at the same rate. Some psychics found it more difficult to improve the mental speech than general battling abilities, and very few found it easier. There were even theories in the research field that developing telepathic speech at an early age would actually mean that it would take longer for the psychic to master it in the long run, as it would mean that the ability had less time to develop on its own prior to being used. These theories were even supported by Sabrina and Professor Oak themselves. Although, those same studies thankfully confirmed that this would not hinder any other areas of growth.
Either way, it seemed like Valiant had fallen under the latter category.
Judging by how he talked, he seemed to be having difficulty forming full sentences, which was consistent with his young age. Valiant may be on a fairly good level compared to most at his experience level, but he was still inexperienced. And a child, more importantly than anything else.
Looking up to meet his trainer's gaze, Valiant nodded, his grin friendly and serene as responded.
"I've been… trying."
Ash eyed his friend in concern. "You're sounding a bit strained." Telepathic speech was already mentally taxing for those who hadn't mastered it, and Valiant was making the attempt in the middle of the night.
"It's okay…" Ash helped Valiant up as the Kirlia made his way on top of the table, taking a seat next to the map to look at Ash from a better angle. "I want to talk to you."
Ash felt his heart flutter at the statement, although concern adorned his features as he observed Valiant's tired eyes. Whether the Kirlia liked it or not, he would not be able to speak to his trainer extensively, and it was going to take a long time for that to change.
It wasn't the same thing as simply learning a new move, most of which a Pokemon could at least get a handle on in between towns and cities (even if mastery and eventually modification of the move would often be an additional process). This would require long term improvement, the benefits of which wouldn't manifest until much, much later in their travels.
And given the exhaustion Valiant would be putting himself through to push the ability past where he was comfortably capable of (which most certainly amounted to speaking in short bursts on occasion), Ash didn't want the young Kirlia to drain himself by continuing for too much longer.
But Valiant was still willing to continue, so…
"Okay…" said the boy, his face easing up into a light grin as he placed a hand on Valiant's head, the Emotion Pokemon closing his eyes and subtly leaning into the contact. "But let's not make a habit out of this, okay? Otherwise you'll be tired every waking hour."
Beaming at the compromise, Valiant spoke again.
"I've been trying to do this for a bit. Like… a few days ago." The voice was a bit more steady. Valiant was getting a temporary grasp on it, even if it wouldn't make it any less tiring. For all Ash knew, it might make it worse. But he tried not to think about it for now. When Valiant wasn't able to continue anymore, he'll stop.
"A few days ago…" Ash mumbled under his breath, trying to pinpoint when that could be.
"Tempest…" Valiant's tone suggested he was trying to elaborate.
Ash perked up. "Hmm?"
"I tried to help you… but you had the same idea I did…"
Ash's eyes widened for a second, realization adorning his face. "Now I remember! I think I heard a voice that repeated the same order I was giving Pikachu… to aim Thunder Wave inside of the pincers. You got that idea too? You were watching the fight." at Valiant's nod, Ash found himself blushing. "Sorry I didn't notice earlier…"
He really was feeling embarrassed now. It was so easy to tell in hindsight, that a trainer with a psychic Pokemon should verify with said Pokemon in the event that they what a voice in their head… and yet here he was, completely blindsided by it.
Valiant's gaze wandered across the room, stopping at the far corner where the problematic Krabby silently slept.
"Are you sure about him?" his voice wasn't accusatory, but Valiant didn't hide the disagreement he was feeling.
Ash felt a pit in his stomach at the inquiry. Valiant didn't approve of Tempest's recruitment, and he had a feeling that opinion was representative of what everyone else felt. Perhaps the psychic wasn't outright stating it, but he clearly despised the River Crab Pokemon, with little incentive to change his stance.
Frowning at Valiant, Ash found he couldn't ignore the concern in those eyes of his. The Kirlia wore his heart on his sleeve. All of a sudden, Ash felt a surge of guilt as the rookie made eye contact with his partner.
"I don't know yet…" the rookie confessed with honesty. His eyes found their way to wear Valiant had been looking, resting on the sleeping Krabby in the corner. "If he keeps being a problem, I'll ask Professor Oak to find a place for him in the wild. I imagine he wouldn't send him back to Cerulean where he was picking on all of those Pokemon at Bill's place, but an expert like him will find a suitable habitat for sure. He returned his gaze to Valiant. "But… that's only the worst case scenario. I know we've never been in this situation before… but it's common. We shouldn't run away from it. Other trainers have managed worse…"
Tempest was different from Eevee. Although the Evolution Pokemon had started off hating Nebula for the role that she played in her capture, and hadn't been very trusting towards everybody right out of the gate, mos tof her hostility was still limited to only the Staravia. Not to mention, it hadn't taken her long to come around to everyone else (especially Valiant, who had shielded her from what would have otherwise been a life-ending attack), and it had only taken a little bit longer for her to get over her grudge towards Nebula.
Tempest, on the other hand, was hostile towards everybody. Much more so than Eevee had treated Nebula. And his actions could have proven fatal for Tyrunt (who himself still needed taming) if the rest of the group hadn't stepped in.
But… Tempest's situation was hardly an outlier, right? Maybe for them, but most trainers had at least a few teammates that started out as problematic. To say nothing for the fact that some Pokemon were inherently more dangerous in behavior than others. Karen had tamed a Hydreigon of all Pokemon. Compared to their problems with Tempest, that was…
A concerned frown adorned Valiant as he nodded in response. "I trust you."
Valiant trusted him… But not Tempest. That really was how it was going right now, wasn't it? Neither Valiant nor the rest of the team, weren't openly opposing Ash's judgment, but they still weren't comfortable with it.
Ash didn't blame them. It was his job to find a way to make everything work out. This was his commitment. He couldn't let them down by betraying that trust.
Shifting in his sitting position, Valiant glanced down at the map of Kanto that Ash had sprawled out on the table. With curiosity, the Kirlia's eyes traveled along the various landmarks and logos signaling the many different territories and locations found in the Region.
"Big, isn't it?" Ash chuckled. "And this is just one part of Indigo." a sad smile. "I still haven't figured out where I want to go yet."
Valiant's eyes traced the map before finally arriving on Saffron. As if analyzing the split paths branching out of the city, he leaned in a little closer. Ash watched him in silence for a few moments before speaking up.
"We have a little bit of time to figure it out." the boy commented. "I'm thinking we could stay here for at least a couple days to recuperate and restock." his finger pressed against the Saffron label on the map, Valiant following it with his gaze. "But I'd prefer to make the decision as soon as possible. Not planning ahead comes back to bite a trainer no matter how strong they are."
He imagined Misty and Gary were planning thoroughly. He wondered if they'd have any difficulty making up their minds in a situation like this.
Deciding not to dwell on it, Ash slid his finger across the map, reaching Celadon. "It would be nice to come here. Easiest trip. And it's the most beginner-friendly Gym out of our options. It seems like the obvious choice."
Valiant nodded in understanding. "So… why not just go there?"
Ash rubbed the back of his head. "Vermillion City would be a lot more risky, but… it wouldn't hurt to try, right? The worst that could happen is that we lose and go somewhere else afterwards. But then we'd go longer without another badge…"
Valiant's gaze lingered on Celadon, his face falling into a frown as he stared at the label. Eventually, his eyes lingered just a bit to the east, widening as they fixed themselves on Viridian Forest.
Ash followed his gaze. "Viridian Forest isn't far from Celadon. Not directly connected ot it like it is with Pewter or Viridian City, but they are neighbors."
Valiant's voice was suddenly laced with concern. "We… aren't going back there… are we?"
Ash shook his head. "Not for the foreseeable future. Why?"
Valiant's face lit up with relief at that. Giving Ash a somewhat sad smile, he elaborated. "I… don't like that... place…" the Kirlia rubbed his eyes, letting out a yawn as Ash observed him in concern.
"Valiant, if you're tired you can-"
The Kirlia raised a hand to reassure them. "I'm fine right now…" his gaze left Viridian Forest. "In that forest, I… felt something…"
"What do you mean?"
"A presence… everywhere…" the Kirlia's body caught a chill.
A presence…? Looking back, Ash had remembered the disturbing feeling that they were being watched. And with Valiant's species, he could sense emotions. He must have felt it more than Ash or the rest of them did.
The rookie wanted to know more, but didn't ask Valiant to elaborate. He was already taxiing himself more than Ash was comfortable with.
Either way, he certainly didn't miss the forest anymore than Valiant did. They would not be returning there anytime soon. And thankfully, there wasn't a need. For the foreseeable future, Celadon was the last business that they had outside of eastern Kanto.
Returning to the map, Ash saw Valiant staring at Celadon City, a more neutral frown adorning his features with a pondering expression. He almost seemed sad.
Something was on his mind… Did it have to do with the city?
Speaking of which… Ash's gaze momentarily found its way to his backpack. They still had Elacia's business card. And the Breeder had also given them her friend Suzie's card as well.
Both resided in Celadon. Elacia had asked the boy to visit her whenever he reached the city, and to go to Suzie if she wasn't there.
He didn't want to keep her waiting, but she hadn't been rushing him either.
Looking back to the map, Ash examined his eastern option… Fuschia. Take the longer trip to Lavender Town, followed by the even longer trip to Koga's domain.
He frowned. It was a possibility, but fairly extreme.
"Thinking about it… Fuschia is probably the least appealing option right now." the boy spoke up, earning Valiant's attention. "We'll be going the longest without any attempts at a badge, let alone victories. And Koga would be a lot more of a risky opponent than Erika." he nodded to himself. "And although the journey would make for a great journey, what with Fuschia's reputation and all… that doesn't mean we'll be ready for it. I don't think we should venture any further into eastern Kanto just yet."
Valiant took in Ash's words, and Ash took note of how much the Kirlia seemed to be paying attention to what he said.
'He's really invested…' the boy thought to himself. It almost felt like Valiant was as dedicated to the adventure as he was. It was touching. He wished he could ask the Kirlia where his motivation came from, but with Valiant's gaze growing more drowsy, he decided to hold off on it.
Either way, seeing the Emotion Pokemon's commitment was a morale boost of its own.
As Valiant rubbed his eyes, letting out a louder yawn, Ash reached out to him, placing a hand on his friend before Valiant raised an arm in reassurance again. Ash decided he'd only let the Kirlia continue for a little while longer. He had to put his foot down at some point.
Perhaps he was being a bit too soft, but the Kirlia was likely just happy about trying out his new capability. Ash could sympathize with that, which was likely why he allowed this to continue for as long as it had. But as he saw Valiant struggle to keep his eyes open, he reaffirmed to himself that this would be the last time he let Valiant take it this far. At least for a very long time, that is.
His eyes returning to the map, Ash's gaze traveled across Kanto. Not just the next potential targets for their journey, but Kanto. He observed it all. Not just the visuals provided for the cities, such as Vermillion's harbor, but the outside world surrounding and connecting all of the cities and towns. From the vast Viridian Forest. The mountainous wilderness of Fuschia. The plains connecting Vermillion with the wilds leading into Fuschia. The southern sea attached to Vermillion and Fuschia's respective coasts, along with the shore near Pallet, Cinnabar Island and the Seafoam Islands both found on those waters. The massive bridge connecting Fuschia's shoreline to the southwestern coast near Pallet, almost like a glorified link. The towering Mt. Moon. The mountain range beyond Pewter, leading into and somewhat surrounding the Indigo Plateau, the symbol of their journey's conclusion.
Sparing a glance at Valiant, Ash could tell that the young Kirlia was entranced despite his fatigue. And so was Ash.
The map was so visually detailed. It captured the essence of the Kanto Region as much as an illustration of its type possibly could, and did so beautifully. Ash couldn't imagine how fantastical an entire map of Indigo of the same scope and ambition would look. To see how the famed Mt. Silver fit into all of this, or how Goldenrod's incredible scope meshed in with the rest. Not to mention the vast ocean connecting Kanto and Johto to the Orange Islands and Sevii Islands.
But even with just Kanto alone, it made for an intimidating picture. It was a daunting land spread out before them. But it was ultimately one that they would conquer. As a team.
Ash glared to himself. But if they were to do that, he needed to stop being so indecisive. Valiant was committed enough to take a look at the map with him. But it wasn't just the Kirlia. Pikachu had placed his trust in him, even after their horrible start all the way back on Opening Day. Nebula and Eevee had both warmed up to the group, and befriended their teammates along the way. Tyrunt was getting involved now, and no longer wanted to be just a spectator. And Tempest, friend or not, had joined the party, eager for whatever intense battles they would find during the travels ahead.
Everyone had shown their own dedication. He couldn't let something as silly as a branching path get in the way of that.
He needed to choose. Now.
He had already chosen to hold off on Fuschia. Which meant they wouldn't be going to Lavender Town until later. One day, they would venture beyond mid-eastern Kanto and into the eastern portion of the Region. But today was not that day.
And given his reasoning for avoiding Fuschia…
Ash's voice alerted Valiant, who returned his attention from the map to him.
"Vermillion might give us the best of both worlds." the rookie pointed out. At Valiant's curious expression, he elaborated. "Or at least a taste of them both. It's a faster trip than Lavender Town, like Celadon, but it would also give us a chance to up the difficulty, like Fuschia. And thankfully, the road to Vermillion won't be nearly as dangerous as the areas we'd have to go to in order to approach Fuschia territory. We'd be more equipped for this trip, and can still try to tackle one of the more infamous Gyms. There's no rush, otherwise I'd want to go to Celadon right away, but… we get a small bit of both benefits this way. "
Valiant perked up at Ash's explanation. "We're not going to Celadon yet?" The Kirlia suddenly flinched. His tone of voice almost sounded… relieved? And the Emotion Pokemon's reaction to his own eagerness almost made it seem like he wanted to hide it.
But just like always, Valiant wore his heart on his sleeve.
Ash frowned curiously. "You don't want to go there?" Was it because Celadon was somewhat close to Viridian Forest? Ash could understand the young Kirlia's reasoning, but it hadn't stopped the psychic from being fairly comfortable in Pewter, which was far closer to the forest than Celadon was.
Valiant shook his head. "No… it's just…" Despite paying attention to the Kirlia, Ash didn't quite notice the young psychic's eyes subtly shift in the direction of his backpack. "Like you said. There's… no rush."
His expression was easy to read. He was conflicted about something. But as he let out yet another yawn, Ash chose not to press.
'Maybe he had the same line of thinking that I just did?' Ash wondered to himself. Judging by the battle with Tempest, it apparently wouldn't be the first time that he and the Kirlia were like-minded.
Ash leaned in a bit closer to the psychic. He looked like he was going to pass out at any minute. He needed to be able to support Valiant just in case he did.
"To be perfectly honest, I don't know for sure if we're ready to be LT. Surge yet." Ash admitted to his friend, deciding to be transparent. "But it should be a good experience to try. We might get a really big victory out of it, so we won't know unless we take the leap."
Yes, taking the leap. It was good to be cautious, but not afraid. This was a compromise. Not yet tackling the unforgiving wilds of eastern Kanto, but not shying away from the more brutal, less forgiving Gym Leaders that they would have to face at one point or another anyway.
He had never been the most bold kid in town. That honor had always gone to Gary, and Misty's bravado was also far beyond him. But he wasn't in Pallet anymore. He had the courage to step out of the safety bubble that he had grown up in throughout all his life, so now, he had to commit to that.
Win or lose, the Thunder Badge would be their next goal.
"Even if we don't win," Ash pointed out. "We can always try again later. Just so we'd know. We can always head back here to Saffron, or go northwest from Vermillion to Celadon. It would mean we'd still go longer without another badge, but we'd at least be making the attempt, and either succeed or figure out how far we still have to improve."
Tired but beaming, Valiant nodded. "Right! We can… do… this…" his eyes grew heavy, and he tilted backwards.
"Valiant!" Rising out of his seat, Ash caught Valiant in his arms just before the young Kirlia fell onto his back. He wouldn't have fallen off the table, but Ash had chosen to react regardless. Looking down at his exhausted partner, Ash shot him a frown. "You okay?"
Valiant's eyes fluttered open slowly, but did not quite open completely.
"Let's… give it our… all…" his expression was coated in fondness as he looked Ash in the eyes, smiling tiredly. "We'll get… eight… badges…" he drifted off.
Ash returned Valiant's affectionate expression. "We will."
Cradling the young psychic in his arms, Ash carried Valiant back to his cushion, laying him down gently. His gaze lingered on the young Emotion Pokemon.
"It was great talking to you, Valiant." The young boy spoke softly, so as not to wake anyone. "But for your own good, we shouldn't do this again for a while."
Standing upright, Ash's head turned between Valiant's cushion, Eevee's, and Tyrunt's. The young Kirlia's devotion hadn't just affected the rookie trainer. He had played a part in Eevee warming up to the group, and was definitely a motivator for Tyrunt to improve and catch up to everybody else on the battlefield.
The boy's gaze lingered on the baby dinosaur for a moment.
Speaking of taking the leap…
/
The team woke at a more decent hour than they had the previous morning. No disturbances in the middle of the night to interrupt their rest, and Ash hoped that that would be the norm moving forward.
The clear hostility between Tempest and the rest of the team was too clear to easily overlook, but no instances took place, even if Tempest would receive a distrusting, suspicious glare from any teammate he ended up in close vicinity to, which he returned with a sneer.
After taking a shower, Ash took the time to call Delia on the way to the cafeteria, although he chose to omit the troubles that had been surrounding the group's latest team member. That was something that he wanted to save for Professor Oak if it ever became a problem again.
So instead, he kept it simple, stating that Tyrunt had begun training now and that they had made a new capture after leaving Cerulean. He also gave her a heads up that he wouldn't be in Saffron for long, due to Sabrina's absence. Delia seemed disappointed that she wouldn't have much time to talk to her son before he was on the road again, but didn't complain.
After breakfast, Ash returned Nebula, Eevee, and Tempest, with Pikachu and Valiant choosing to remain out. The two conversed with Tyrunt as Ash began cleaning up their area.
The rookie wasn't sure what TMs he'd be picking up at the Poke Mart just yet, but figured he'd get ideas once he saw the selection. Nevertheless, he found himself brainstorming some of the things that his team would benefit from as he returned their dishes, walking past a few groups of trainers talking amongst themselves. One girl was complaining to another girl (who's facial expression implied she was only half-listening) about how Sabrina had left before she could get her "revenge" on her.
While placing the dirty dishes on the cart, Ash found himself mentally going through the current move pools of his team.
'...Valiant has some pretty good range, but nothing suitable for close quarters. And it might encourage him to work on his agility so he doesn't always have to spend energy on Teleport or Shadow Sneak to close distances. Tyrunt could probably use at least one more biting move to take advantage of his ability. But what to do with the others?'
Ash was in the middle of trying to think things over as he made his way back to his table, only to perk up when he saw a figure who wasn't there before.
It was a boy who looked about his age. Short, dark green hair with a bright orange shirt and shorts. His outfit almost looked like it was on fire with its color.
The boy was sitting at their table, keeping a bit of distance away from the three Pokemon, who hadn't seemed to have noticed his presence while chatting away casually.
The boy perked up when he spotted Ash stopping near the trio, a surprised, apologetic look on his face.
"Oh! Are you their trainer? Sorry for staring!" Comically, he put his hands together and bowed, as if begging for mercy.
Flushing a bit in surprise as Pikachu, Valiant, and Tyrunt finally took notice of the onlooker, Ash shook his head. "I-It's fine!" he lightly stammered, not expecting the other kid to be so apologetic. "I'm not offended."
The green haired kid breathed a deep sigh of relief before rising from the table and making his way to the group. He grinned sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck as he stopped in front of Ash. Pikachu and the others exchanged quizzical looks at his behavior.
"Heh heh. Just wasn't expecting to find a Kirlia here. And I don't even know what that dinosaur thing is." The look on Tyrunt's face suggested that the Royal Heir Pokemon didn't realize that the boy was talking about him.
"He's a Tyrunt." Ash explained, as the little dinosaur recoiled in shock, now realizing that he was the subject of conversation. "Here…" Taking out his Pokedex, he toggled through the "recent entries" section and held the device in front of the newcomer for him to see.
"Whoa…" the boy stared in intrigue as he took in the information listed in the device. "How'd you get one of those?"
"A… Breeder." Ash answered simply., once again choosing not to mention Elacia's name.
Looking up from the device, the boy grinned at Ash as the young rookie tucked the Pokedex away. "Well, that's pretty cool! Didn't think I'd run into a Pokemon I'd never heard of this early on!"
Ash could empathize with that. He had also been rather shocked when Tyrunt had first hatched, as had Misty. He supposed it was something he had to get used to, however. He'd surely be running into trainers from exotic Regions at one point, especially during the Conference (although foreign trainers only made up a fraction of the populace, they were still in great numbers).
"The name's Nick. Nice to meet ya." the boy, Nick, extended his hand towards Ash, who accepted it.
"Ash." he responded with a grin.
"So, how many badges do you have?" Nick asked curiously as the two separated. "I just got my first from Goldenrod. Was planning to hit Celadon next."
"Two." Ash answered as Pikachu made his way to his shoulder, prompting him to lightly scratch the rodent under the chin. "Pewter and Cerulean."
Nick's eyes lit up. "Whoa! You've traveled a lot farther than I have! Unless you count the Magnet Train, of course." he pointed his thumb to his chest. "Say… if you're not busy, do you wanna have a quick battle? I was already looking for an opponent, but got sidetracked when I saw your team. I'm going for my second badge now, so if you already have two, I'd like to test ,yself."
Ash nodded, his grin widening. He had been planning to leave the Center right away, but no harm could be done from taking a quick detour to battle someone. For one thing, it would be a lot of fun.
Suddenly his eyes lit up.
'Right! What I was thinking last night…' his eyes briefly darted in Tyrunt's direction, although only Valiant seemed to pick up on it.
Nick pumped a fist. "Alright! The battlefield is pretty close to here. Meet you there?" At Ash's nod, the boy took off.
'He's an energetic one.' thought Ash, although the rookie wasn't complaining.
Looking down at Tyrunt and Valiant, Ash leaned down to lock eyes with the young dinosaur.
He almost hesitated, but quickly shook that concern off.
'Take the leap.' he thought to himself.
"Hey Tyrunt… are you ready to have your first real battle?"
The dinosaur's reaction was one to remember.
/
Thankfully, the battlefield hadn't been occupied when they got there, meaning that they could get started right away. Tyrunt had practically raced over to his spot in the arena while Ash, Pikachu, and Valiant watched in amusement, the little dinosaur stamping on the ground with a wide grin splitting his face as Nick took up his position on the other side.
The air was moist from last night's previous rainfall, but the weather itself was dry, although much of the sky was still covered in gray clouds. The forecast had called for more rain in the afternoon, so they thankfully had time.
As Ash stopped in front of Tyrunt, Nick called out to him. "So… how's two on two sound?"
"That should be good!" Ash responded as the orange haired boy took out a Poke Ball. "Tyrunt will be going first."
"Got it! And I'll start with…"
A Sandshrew appeared in front of the boy. Upon exiting the flash of light, the Ground Type raised his claws into the air, letting out a high-pitched shriek towards the heavens. He sounded almost as excited as Tyrunt, who's eyes lit up in fire upon seeing his first ever opponent arrive.
"He's one of my eager pals!'" Nick announced, grinning fondly at the mouse, who was currently tapping his claws together in anticipation. "That's your opponent, Sandshrew!" he pointed to Tyrunt as he announced.
As the Ground Type mouse sunk into a stance, holding his claws out in front of his sides as he locked eyes with Tyrunt, Ash felt a small drop of sweat rolling down his cheek.
This was it. This was Tyrunt's first time in a real battle. But he shook off that anxiety. They'd make it count.
As Pikachu and Valiant both let out encouraging cries to Tyrunt (Pikachu still on Ash's shoulder while Valiant stood by the trainer's side), the dinosaur seemed to be growing more excited by the second, until Ash finally shouted out an order.
The first order that Tyrunt would ever follow on the battlefield.
"Charge him, but don't completely close the distance yet! Use Rock Blast!"
Tyrunt's overflowing excitement was channeled into the effort he put in as the dinosaur's legs carried him across the arena. His speed still wasn't up to par with the likes of Pikachu or Eevee, and even when they weren't boosting it with Quick Attack they could easily run circles around him. But he moved fairly quickly all the same.
As Tyrunt began to close the distance, a barrage of small rocks escaped from his open mouth, Nick responding with an order of his own.
"Sandshrew! Defense Curl to block, then Rollout!"
A faint, pale glow covered Sandshrew's exterior as the mouse folded up into a spherical form, the rocks shattering harmlessly against his body as Tyrunt came to a stop a few feet away from him.
The young dinosaur was a bit closer than Ash would have liked. Nevertheless, there was just enough distance between the two combatants to give Ash enough time to issue a counter order, just before Sandshrew rushed forward.
"Use Roar!"
Just as Sandshrew's now spherically shaped body began to advance towards Tyrunt, the baby opened his mouth, letting out the loudest cry he could manage as the shockwaves that erupted from his throat pushed against the charging Ground Type.
Ash grinned in triumph as Sandshrew's advance was halted. The mouse was only barely pushed back, but his attack had failed, thanks to Roar deflecting it.
"Now, Tackle!" Ash called out just as Sandshrew was somewhat forced out of his spherical form, sitting in an upright position as Tyrunt thrust himself forward.
The baby dinosaur drove himself headfirst into his opponent's stomach, Sandshrew wheezing in surprise and pain as he was pushed back further.
"Metal Claw!"
Catching himself on his hands before he could completely fall backwards, Sandshrew sprang himself forward, his legs carrying him towards Tyrunt as his raised claw became coated in metal.
"Catch it with Bite!"
As Sandshrew took a swing at Tyrunt, the Royal Heir Pokemon took a step back, the metallic claw just barely missing him, before snapping his jaws down on the claw.
The metal coating of the claw struggled under the pressure of Tyrunt's powerful chomp, Sandshrew gritting his teeth with an increasingly painful wince as Tyrunt gnawed down on the protective layer.
Ash nodded in approval while Valiant, a stern expression on his face, held his fists in front of him in excitement. Strong Jaw was doing its work. Normally that metal coating would act as the perfect cushion for Sandshrew, but thanks to the strength of Tyrunt's chomp, that defensive layer was compromised.
"Dragon Tail!"
Jerking his head backwards, Tyrunt pulled Sandshrew forward, sending him staggering towards the eager baby while clutching his bitten claw as the dinosaur's tail glowed a bright purple.
The aura was noticeably brighter than it had been when he had first started using the move. Swerving around, Tyrunt drove his tail directly into Sandshrew's gut, leaving the mouse sputtering in pain as he was nearly knocked on his bottom.
As Sandshrew held his stomach, staggering backwards while Tyrunt turned to face him once more, Nick called out.
"Good reactions! Let's see how you handle rapid-fire tactics. Fury Swipes!"
Righting himself, Sandshrew raised his claws over his sides. The claws began to glow white just before he took off running for Tyrunt, a barrage of slashes being let loose just as he started closing in.
"Roar!" Ash hurriedly called out.
The shockwaves that escaped from Tyrunt's throat slammed into Sandshrew and knocked him off balance, leaving him open for Ash's next order.
"Poison Fang!"
Nick's eyes widened in surprise as Tyrunt's jaws began to glow a dark purple, and as the dinosaur rushed forward to sink his teeth into Sandshrew, the green haired rookie's voice grew desperate. "Brick Break!"
Regaining his footing just in time to take a small hop backwards and avoid Tyrunt's jaws (the dinosaur let out a frustrated grunt as his teeth bit down together with nothing in between), Sandshrew reared his arm back. With his fist glowing a bright orange, the mouse lunged forward and drove it into Tyrunt's face. A loud smacking noise echoed across the battlefield as the baby dinosaur painfully wailed out loud, falling down onto his side as Sandshrew loomed over him, the other arm raised with a metallic claw.
"Roll out of the way!" At Ash's orders, Tyrunt rolled to the side just as Sandshrew's claw travelled downwards, stabbing into the pavement just after the Royal Heir Pokemon left his reach. Sandshrew stood upright as Tyrunt picked himself up, whimpering a bit at his now bleeding jaw before shaking his head and turning back in Sandshrew's direction to fix his opponent with a glare.
"Get back, use Swords Dance, then Metal Claw!"
True to Nick's orders, Sandshrew ran backwards for a few seconds before raising his claws out in front of him. A silver aura began to coat over his body as he spun around on one foot, before dissipating as he charged forward, both of his claws still bathed in the silver light and now encased in metal.
Ash frowned. Not only would Swords Dance greatly strengthen the attack, but it was likely a precaution to make his claws less susceptible to Tyrunt's jaws.
"Use Roar!" he decided.
"Block!" Nick responded.
Despite the pain in his jaw, Tyrunt clamped his mouth shut, his determined eyes beginning to grow wild as his opponent charged forward.
Sandshrew crossed his claws in front of his face just as the loud shockwave escaped from Tyrunt's throat. Although he staggered a bit, he did not falter, and continued his advance, closing in on his target just as the young dinosaur had finished catching his breath.
"Duck and use Rock Blast!"
As one of Sandshrew's claws (the one that hadn't been bitten down on yet, cleverly) swung for Tyrunt's face, the dinosaur lowered his head, feeling a brief rush of air as the attack just barely passed over, before unloading a barrage of small rocks into the ground type mouse's gut.
Sandshrew cried out as the onslaught of pebbles pelted his stomach, the glow in his claws beginning to flicker as Nick cupped his hands.
"Don't give in, Sandshrew! Strike him with everything you've got!"
Hearing his trainer's encouragement, Sandshrew's eyes widened in determination as he swiped away the last of the rocky barrage with his other claw, the silver glow returning in full, before lashing out at Tyrunt. Yelping, the dinosaur attempted to swerve to the side, but the claw still skimmed his face. Tyrunt howled in displeasure as the powered up Metal Claw cleaved through his flesh. Even with such an indirect hit, blood sprayed from the side of Tyrunt's face, and Ash's eyes widened (Pikachu holding his teeth in concern) as a deep cut was formed across.
Sensing victory, Nick pushed on, pumping his fist forward. "Brick Break! Right to the head!"
Watching Sandshrew rearing back, an orange aura forming around his fist, Ash called out as quickly as he could as Tyrunt's gasped from the pain of the previous attack.
"Tackle! Then point-blank Roar!"
Tyrunt's eyes widened, and Ash's spine chilled as a familiar, bloodlusted howl escaped from the dinosaur's throat, all the while the infant launched himself into Sandshrew's gut, just as the ground type had begun lunging forward to take a swing.
Whether it be because of anger, or becoming immersed into the battle, the hatchling's eyes blazed with bloodlust as he charged into his opponent.
Valiant's eyes remained locked onto Tyrunt as his young friend pushed his opponent back, Sandshrew gasping for air as the dinosaur drove his head as deeply into his stomach as possible. The aura surrounding the mouse's fist dissipated, one final push from Tyrunt sending the ground type barely staggering backwards, only for the hatchling to close the distance yet again. The approaching dinosaur was just inches away from his target as the shockwave that escaped from his throat slammed into Sandshrew's gut.
Already off balance, Sandshrew was not prepared for the additional attack, which sent him flying a few feet back before landing on his bottom, bouncing upon impact before landing on his stomach, arms outstretched as Tyrunt continued to advance forward.
Now Ash was the one sensing victory. "Poison Fang!"
"Get up Sandshrew!" Nick was frantic now, his eyes lighting up with panic from the whiplash of going from the verge of success to being about to lose. "Defense Curl!"
Sandshrew rose to his feet just as Tyrunt began to close the distance between them. His body once again became coated in a faint, pale aura just as Tyrunt's jaws became armored with a dark, purple light.
Sandshrew was still in the midst of folding into a ball when Tyrunt was already upon him, performing a small hop before latching down onto the ground type's back, teeth grinding against the protective aura of Defense Curl.
Ash and Nick both shouted out words of encouragement at their respective partners, Tyrunt clenched his teeth as hard as his body was able against Sandshrew's stubborn exterior, while the mouse Pokemon attempted to shake the hatchling off.
Sandshrew's efforts didn't last long, however, as the coating of Defense Curl began to give out a few moments later, the ground type letting out a pained squeal as Tyrunt's teeth began to dig in. Due to the naturally rough hide of his target, and the Defense Curl not being completely dissipated, the young dragon was not able to fully bite through. However, he managed to do so just enough to inject the toxins of Poison Fang into his target's bloodstream, Sandshrew's face slowly becoming sickly as the effects took hold.
After a few more moments of Tyrunt violently clinging to his target, Ash gave the final order.
"Hit him in the face with Dragon Tail!"
Releasing his opponent and landing on his feet. Tyrunt spun around and smacked his purple, glowing tail into Sandshrew's face, the ground type letting out a final, pained cry before collapsing onto his back in a heap.
After a few moments of his partner struggling to get up, Nick recalled Sandshrew.
A few moments of silence passed as everybody processed what had just occurred. Tyrunt stood where Sandshrew had been, panting and gasping for air as the exertion of the battle finally made itself known in full. The expression in his eyes was a contemplating one, still taking in the events of the battle." Ash, Pikachu, and Tyrunt looked on as they observed the baby.
Then… joy.
Ash's face was glowing as his grin split across. "Tyrunt… buddy, you did it!"
It was as though his trainer's words were the final push that Tyrunt needed to realize his victory.
His first battle… what he had been waiting for since before training had even started… and he had won.
Ignoring the pain, exhaustion, and stress of the previous bout, Tyrunt turned around and shrieked in joy, sprinting across the arena and into Ash's arms as the young rookie crouched down to catch him.
The contact nearly knocked Ash over, and the boy briefly winced in pain as Tyrunt's rough exterior bowled into him, but he ignored whatever scrapes and bruises he may have received from the impact as he welcomingly pulled the hatchling into the embrace.
"You did it! You actually did it! I'm so proud of you!" Ash hadn't been overly sure what their chances were, but Tyrunt's existing moveset had been utilized carefully, nullifying the inexperience as best as they could, and his immensely powerful jaws had come through in the end. At this rate, it was only a matter of time before he caught up with everyone else, or at least in terms of how they would perform in certain, specific situations.
But for the moment, none of that mattered. All that mattered was this milestone. Tyrunt had won his first ever battle.
Pikachu leapt off of Ash's shoulder, excited chitters escaping his mouth as he waved his arms. As Ash released Tyrunt and stood up, he watched with a fond expression as Tyrunt soaked up the congratulations offered by the electric mouse and Valiant. As the three celebrated, he looked out over to Nick, who had just finished coaxing his Sandshrew, and was now rummaging for another Poke Ball.
"Your Sandshrew was pretty good!" Ash called out, hoping the compliment would ease the disappointment of losing. Nick's Sandshrew had certainly been decent, and likely would have won if they had made a single major slip up. Even with how the battle had gone, Tyrunt certainly hadn't come out of the bout unscathed, and his naturally powerful jaws were likely the only tool he had that could combat Defense Curl.
It had been a solid matchup, and Tyrunt had needed to rely on his own, very specific attributes in order to win. Sandshrew's showing hadn't been a bad one.
Thankfully, Nick didn't seem to have any hard feelings. "Thanks! I'm sure he enjoyed it, he never gets upset about battling, even that one time where the pretty girl with the flashy bow completely humiliated us!" Ash didn't have context for that memory, but nodded along nonetheless.
Finally, Nick found the Poke Ball that he was looking for, and enlarged it as he held it out front. "Your Tyrunt's great! I should've warned Sandshrew to watch out for those teeth, but congrats!" As Ash nodded his thanks, the green haired rookie added. "Anyway, I'll use my trump card for this one. May the best trainer win!"
A bright flash of light escaped from the Poke Ball, and was soon replaced by a Machop. Ash raised a brow as the Fighting Type smacked it's fists together on repeat, Nick chuckling at the display.
"Don't mind him, just a ritual. He's been doing it since I caught him."
Nodding in understanding, Ash spared the widely grinning Machop a few more seconds of attention before crouching down to face Tyrunt, who had just finished up with pikachu and Valiant.
Observing the hatchling, Ash frowned at the long cut stretched out across the side of his face, and the bloody bruise on his jaw. Tyrunt was smiling, but it was a pained expression, and his breathing was heavy. Quickly taking a cloth out of his backpack to wipe the blood that was leaking from the dinosaur's cut, Ash placed a hand on his youngest friend's head while offering him a soft smile.
"You were amazing out there, Tyrunt. But you deserve a break. Sit back for this next one, okay?"
Tyrunt's responding expression was fairly mixed. Ash could see the disappointment in his eyes, but his smile didn't fade, and the hatchling simply nodded while offering up an understanding chirp.
For as much as Tyrunt had enjoyed the fight, he seemed to grasp his body's limits.
Behind Tyrunt, Valiant placed a hand on his friend's back, giving him a kind smile, which Tyrunt returned while turning his head to look at the Kirlia.
Standing upright (and handing the cloth to Valiant) Ash observed the infant for just a few seconds longer before turning back to Nick.
Tyrunt had a bright future ahead of him, but for now, they had a battle to win.
As he observed the Machop (who had now ceased his hyperactive behavior and simply stood still with a neutral grin and crossed arms), he ran his mind through the possibilities.
Nebula and Valiant would probably have an excellent chance at winning, but Ash didn't want to risk putting Nick at such a huge disadvantage like that. This was a friendly battle, and even if there was money on the line as usual, he did not want to treat it like a "winner takes all" situation. Nick was obviously taking it seriously, and Ash wasn't planning to go easy on him, but he didn't want to risk a victory just being because of a type matchup.
Ash's hand ran across the Poke Balls on his belt, while also looking down at Pikachu, who stood next to Tyrunt.
That left Pikachu, Eevee, and…
Ash's gaze turned thoughtful as Valiant (who was currently reaching forward to wipe Tyrunt's cut) observed him.
His fingers wrapped around one of the Poke Balls, and remained there for a few moments as he stared at Machop.
Closing his eyes for a moment, Ash wracked his brain before removing the orb from his belt.
Enlarging the Poke Ball, and holding it out in front of him, Ash's face turned neutral as Tempest appeared in a flash of light.
Instinctively, Pikachu, Valiant, and Tyrunt took a step back as the vicious Krabby looked around to take in where he was. Once his gaze landed on Machop, however, his face became coated with hunger, pincers clicking as fast as Pikachu could run.
"Tempest!" Ash called out to the River Crab Pokemon as Machop sank into a battle stance, the Fighting Type's expression hardening.
The water type turned his body just enough for Ash to enter his line of vision, but kept his pincers outstretched in his opponent's direction as Ash approached him.
Crouching down, Ash fixed his newest teammate with a neutral expression.
"This is a competition, it's okay for you to let loose now." Ash stated evenly, trying to sound authoritative as Tempest responded with a vigorous nod. The boy's face hardened. "But remember what I said. We need you to cooperate. I want to trust you, and I want them to trust you too." he subtly gestured back towards the others, who were watching the exchange in silence. Looking back at Tempest, he gave a light nod to the Krabby. "So if you want to prove that we can, listen to me in this battle. Show us that you can be a team player, and not just think only for yourself."
Tempest's gaze remained hungry, but a hint of understanding appeared in his eyes as he nodded back at his trainer.
Standing up and backing away, Ash added. "Remember that I'm giving you a chance. And good luck!"
And with that, Tempest turned to face Machop in full, the two combatants locking eyes.
A hint of nervousness passed over Nick's features as he observed the Krabby's behavior, Tempest slowly clicking away with his pincers while sinking into a fighting stance, almost as if ready to pounce.
"Heh. This one looks dangerous. I better end this quickly." his voice raised in volume as he called out to his partner. "Machop! Conductive Strike!"
Nodding in obedience, Machop's fists became coated in metal, which suddenly erupted in electricity. Ash spoke up quickly.
"Defend with Metal Claw!"
Tempest crossed his pincers just as Machop shot forward. The speed of his offense took Ash aback as he observed the exchange.
The electricity obviously came from Thunder Punch, but the metal… maybe Bullet Punch? That would explain the speed.
Machop crashed fist-first into Tempest's metal-coated pincers, the impact produced by the momentum forcing the water type backwards, although the River Crab Pokemon remained unharmed as he went on the counteroffensive.
A stream of glowing bubbles slammed into Machop's torso as the Fighting Type attempted to press his advantage.
Ash nodded in approval. "Good, now catch him with Vise Grip!"
With eagerness, Tempest was making his way towards Machop even before the Bubble Beam had stopped firing, his left pincer wide open and ready to chomp down on his target.
Nick sensed the danger immediately. "Protect yourself with Bullet Punch!"
One of Machop's fists became coated with metal once more, the Fighting Type purposely holding it out in the pincer's path. Nick's partner squeezed his eyes shut for a moment as Tempest's powerful grip clenched firmly against the protective metal coating, the exterior shielding Machop's fist struggling against the painful pressure.
Much like Tyrunt's jaw, Tempest's pincers had a powerful grip to them. That was paying off now.
Acting quickly, Ash called out. "Water Pulse, with the other pincer!" With Machop trapped in Tempest's hold, this was their chance to score a hit point-blank.
Machop's eyes widened fearfully as Tempest held his other pincer in front of the Fighting Type's face, the claw opening up to reveal a growing orb of aquatic aura. It was like he had his opponent at gunpoint.
However, Ash mentally kicked himself upon hearing Nick's panicked response.
"Thunder Punch! With the fist he grabbed!"
'Damnit!' thought Ash. How had he not seen this coming?! It was literally the strategy that they had used to beat Tempest in the first place!
One moment, the fist that Tempest's pincer was mercilessly clenching down on erupted with electricity. The next instant, Tempest's eyes bulged in agony as the lightning filled his pincer's interior.
As the Krabby screamed, his grip on Machop was immediately lost, the fighting type ignoring the pain in his fist and coating the other in electricity, thrusting a Thunder Punch into Tempest's stomach.
The blow certainly hurt, but thankfully didn't do much more than push Tempest back a few feet, the River Crab pokemon nearly falling backwards before regaining his balance and returning his attention to his opponent.
Tempest had the durability of a steel type Pokemon, thanks to his Shell Armor ability.
Nevertheless, the expression in his eyes was still somewhat pained, the pincer still aching from the shock that Machop had pulsed through its insides. Thankfully, it wasn't a paralyzing Thunder Wave, but it was much more painful.
Ash made a mental note not to use Vise Grip again in this fight. It had been a mistake that should have been avoided, and wouldn't be repeated.
Thankfully, Machop hadn't come out of the exchange unscathed, either, clutching the sore fist that had been snatched by his opponent's Vise Grip. Both Pokemon had pain in their gazes as they locked eyes with one another, although Tempest's expression was still more aggressive as usual.
Machop snapped out of it at the sound of Nick's next order. "Bulk Up!"
Ignoring the aching in his fist, Machop straightened his posture, before raising his arms as his body began to glow in an orange aura. His muscles began to bulge outward, fluctuating several times before settling into a firm position, the orange aura remaining around his body in a more faint glow.
Machop fixed Tempest with a steady glare, and Ash wondered if Nick had picked up on Tempest's strong defenses from that last attack.
Either way, they needed to be the aggressors here.
"Tempest, Flail!"
Stretching his pincers outward, Tempest rushed forward towards his target, moving at speeds unexpected for his species as his body began to rotate. Just as Machop attempted to react, a clenched pincer was embedded into his gut. The powerful muscles of Bulk Up cushioned the blow, but the fighting type still found himself keeling over somewhat, staggering backwards.
"Water Gun!"
"Injection!"
Ash perked up in bewilderment at the name of the technique, but as he watched Machop swerve to the side and avoid the jets of water that sprayed from Tempest's now open pincers, his eyes widened at Machop's response: Lifting a metal-coated fist, which quickly became engulfed in a purple aura.
A combination of the blazing fast Bullet Punch and the toxins of Poison Jab.
"Scald, hurry!" Ash's voice was somewhat desperate as Machop began to advance forward, just about to spring for Tempest and drive the poisonous fist into his gut.
Until streams of boiling hot water escaped from the River Crab's pincers, and Machop's attack halted as a screech of pain echoed across the arena.
Tempest had just learned Scald recently, without much time to practice, so the force behind the streams was limited, but they had still disrupted Machop's movements just enough for the fighting type's move to fizzle out, as Nick's eyes widened in surprise.
They had been on the receiving end of the potent water type move more than once, but now, it was on their side.
"Water Pulse!" Ash pressed the advantage.
Machop was bowled over by the impact of the two aquatic orbs that struck him point-blank, launching a few feet backwards before landing on his back, quickly picking himself up as Tempest prepared to advance.
But Ash called out to Tempest. "Keep him at bay with Bubble Beam!"
Tempest was a bit frustrated about not charging in for the finish right away, but complied with an irritated grunt, a barrage of bubbles escaping from his pincers and threatening to pelt Machop.
The fighting type's head was minimally bruised from the impact from the Water Pulses, but he was forced to ignore the pain and react as quickly as possible, coating his fists in metal and crossing them defensively to intercept the bubble barrage. The force of the bubbles threatened to push him back, slowly making him wobble, but he remained steadfast in face of the onslaught. A few moments later, the fists began to crackle with lightning, the bubbles exploding against the electricity before they could make full contact with their target.
Ash didn't waver. "Close the distance, while using Mud Shot. Then Metal Claw!"
Eyes briefly flashing with joy at finally being able to rush in, Tempest gleefully charged forward, the barrage of bubbles ceasing, only to be replaced by two balls of mud just a few moments later.
Machop remained mostly unfazed by the attack, even as some of the mud splashed onto his torso and face, but the lightning coating his fists was absorbed by the impact as the Mud Shot crashed into him.
With the threat of the electricity now removed, Tempest, now right in front of the fighting type, raised his pincer, coating it in metal in preparation for the decisive strike.
"Low Kick, then Brick Break!" Tempest was startled as Machop's foot suddenly shot out, the growing metallic coating on his pincer threatening to fade as the River Crab stumbled back.
Bending his knees, Machop prepared to rush forward, raising an orange glowing fist and leaning in to strike-
Tempest's other pincer became coated in metal mere moments after the counterattack had sent him staggering away. Just as Machop lunged in and drove his fist forward, he was struck in the face by the Metal Claw, his head pounding with pain from the feeling of solid, metal coating slamming into his face, and crying out briefly as the force violently pushed him away. Knocked cleanly off of his feet, the fighting type landed on his back, briefly attempting to raise his head and shoulders before collapsing backwards again. A large gash was left on his face from the attack, which Ash was briefly able to see from his attempt to pick himself up.
For the moments of silence that followed, Machop remained motionless as Tempest loomed over his fallen opponent, pincers raised and clicking as if daring his adversary to get up.
Then Nick's partner disappeared in a flash of crimson light.
The River Crab's eyes blinked a few times, before they filled with triumph. Pincers were raised towards the sky as a victorious battle cry was sent echoing across the arena.
Ash's eyes lit up, pumping an arm down as his face burst into a grin. "Congrats, Tempest, you won!" He wasn't sure if the water type could hear him, however, and watched with some bewilderment as the crab-like creature seemingly danced across the arena, occasionally letting jets of water loose into the air. As Tempest relished in his success, Ash's attention turned behind him, to Pikachu, Valiant, and Tyrunt.
Their expressions were fairly neutral, and although they seemed pleased that their side had won, Ash had taken note that there hadn't been any cheering or encouragement during this portion of the battle.
Nick's face was dumbfounded for a moment, but eventually returned to its usual grin as he made his way towards Ash's group (going along the perimeter of the arena in hopes of staying out of Tempest's way).
His voice caught Ash's attention as he approached. "Whoa, that was something else! It was like we didn't even stand a chance!" he shuffled his feet in embarrassment as he stopped in front of the other trainer. "Heh, maybe I wasn't ready to challenge you. That Krabby of yours was crazy."
Ash's face formed into an uneasy grin. "Ha, thanks… he wasn't an easy capture, I can say that."
"Well, that makes me feel better!" The green haired rookie responded, face and tone surprisingly chipper for somebody who had just lost (although Ash appreciated the good sportsmanship). Taking out a Pokedex with a fiery orange aesthetic that perfectly matched his outfit, he began scrolling through the touchscreen. "Welp, I owe you some winnings, right?"
Nodding, Ash took out his own Pokedex and accepted the payment with thanks. As the two tucked the devices away, Nick's arm extended out in front of Ash, who accepted the handshake. As the two separated, he offered Ash a friendly wave. "Anyway, I gotta drop my buddies off at the counter. See ya around!" Before Ash could get another in, he was left somewhat bewildered as the energetic boy dashed for the door, returning inside with what was practically a flash.
'He seems to take everything in stride.' Ash thought to himself, rubbing the back of his neck with a sheepish grin. He wasn't sure if he could keep up with Nick's behavior if they had interacted long-term, but the other boy had made decent company in the moment.
Now alone with his team, the boy's eyes briefly returned to Tempest, who was still celebrating his victory, before looking back at the others. A somewhat unsure expression adorned his features as he watched Pikachu and Valiant observe the Krabby, both of them (especially Valiant) appearing notably doubtful. Tyrunt's attention was on the door that Nick had gone through, and the smile on the hatchling's face brightened Ash's mood a bit, as the Royal Heir Pokemon reminisced about the battle with Sandshrew that he had just won. Looking back at Tempest, Ash inwardly sighed to himself.
There was no miracle cure, as he was well aware. But as long as he could prevent any further incidents, it shouldn't be a problem.
But Ash shook those thoughts away for now, instead making his way towards his youngest team member, crouching down to meet Tyrunt's eyes as the hatchling noticed his presence.
"Great job out there again, buddy." Tyrunt hummed with pleasure as Ash's hand rubbed the top of his head. "I guess we're not just practicing anymore with you, huh?" the boy chuckled. At Tyrunt's eager, responding chatter, the rookie nodded affirmatively.
Tyrunt was still young, but he wouldn't be a hatchling forever. And he had proved himself today. They had taken the leap, and landed perfectly.
And looking at Pikachu and Valiant, Ash could tell that they agreed.
Memories of the egg that Elacia had given him flashed into his mind. He owed her more than ever after this.
Taking out a Poke Ball, Ash held the orb out in front of his youngest friend with an approving thumbs-up.
"Well, since it's all official now, welcome to the team, Tyrunt."
Tyrunt offered a nod with a happy grunt as he pushed his head against the button. An instant later, a bright flash of white light carried him in.
Standing upright, Ash smiled fondly at the orb for a few seconds, images of the eager hatchling training at Bill's place rolling through his mind. With a satisfied grin, he nodded to himself before returning the Poke Ball to his belt.
Ash glanced at Pikachu and Valiant before returning his attention to Tempest, who was still practically in his own world as he continued to revel in glory. With a light chuckle, Ash commented. "I suppose we can let him indulge for a few more minutes…" he returned his focus back to Pikachu and Valiant, nodding at them. "But after that, we'll have to leave him and Tyrunt with Nurse Joy, and then go over to the Poke Mart like we planned. You two want to stay out?
Pikachu's response was to dash up to Ash's shoulders, offering him a friendly "Pika!" and a grin.
Valiant nodded back with a smile of his own. "Lead the way."
A very brief comment. It would be a long time before the Emotion Pokemon could offer much more than that, but for now, as long as he kept it short and sweet, it wouldn't be a problem.
Ash smiled at his companions, Pikachu leaning into his touch as the rookie gently scratched underneath the mouse's chin. The boy's gaze lingered on the door that led back inside to the Pokemon Center.
Saffron was a place of many options for all who set foot in it, and for some, the lack of linearity could be overwhelming.
But it was also an opportunity. One that encouraged far more preplanning from nearly any trainer who set foot in the famous metropolis. And in the group's first visit, Ash had made more than just one decision.
But just as always, the groundwork that had been laid out for the road ahead, no matter how potent, could only be approached with one step at a time. Starting with Vermillion City.
Pokemon Profiles: Tyrunt
Trainer: Ash Ketchum
Hatched At: Foot of Mt. Moon (Cerulean side)
Best Friends: Ash, Valiant
Loyalty To Trainer: Near-Perfect
Hobbies: Practicing for battle
Likes: Action, Playing (especially with a ball), eating (especially certain types of meat)
Dislikes: Feeling left out
Ash's Pokemon:
Pikachu (Male)
Nebula-Staravia (Female)
Valiant-Kirlia (Male)
Eevee (Female)
Tyrunt (Male)
Tempest-Krabby (Male)
