Important: After end note has info on the future of posting this story on this particular site.
Note: This chapter is inspired by episode 59!
37: Ash vs. Blaine
The message had come by telegram, then relayed to his mother by the person who had first read it. Blaine peeked up at the finely dressed man at the door, but tried to show he was more involved in his studies than eavesdropping on their conversation, though it seemed important. When his mother came back and interrupted him after insisting he concentrate on his studies, it became obvious the message had been serious. Blaine sat up and listened to it intently.
His father had died. His mother, though shaken up, told him without tears. Blaine himself accepted the news stone-faced. It had years since he'd actually seen his father. He supposed he remembered the man, but the image was muddled in his mind. The singular black-and-white photograph of his father in military attire ensured his face was recalled, but the voice and mannerisms faded. He hadn't talked too much, had he? Blaine recalled being excited to see him, only to get scolded for being loud. It seemed that would remain Blaine's strongest memory of him.
Would they have gotten along now that Blaine was older, and knew better than to shout to get attention? Would his father be happy to see his son hard at work helping his mother, attending school, and keeping up with his studies? Who knew. The man was gone, another soldier dead in a war that supposedly had gripped the entire world into two sides, bringing constant death of civilians and soldiers both. Though he was far too young to join the military now, was that Blaine's future as well?
The thought crept forward into the evening, and then the next day. As Blaine trudged to his lessons, he kept thinking about it, the idea distracting him from mostly anything else, including how critical he'd been told his schooling was. Eventually, Blaine decided not to cut out on his obligations, instead heading toward the path that led to Cinnabar Island's volcano.
It was an active volcano, so most people stayed away. A setting with others unlikely to be found was preferable at the moment for the young boy who didn't want to be scolded. The lava flow was slow, and could be dangerous, but the whole world seemed dangerous at the moment. As Blaine approached the magma, he realized he probably shouldn't be there, and would certainly be scolded anyway. Even so, he stayed, observing the dangerous material curiously. It might not be bad to get too close. Grabbing a stick, Blaine went to poke it.
Before he could, a rush of movement distracted him. Blaine stepped back, almost falling in his surprise as he saw the fire moving toward him. His eyes focused as the movement stopped, a tall, strange creature holding out arms tipped in claws. "Magmar!" it called warningly.
As it finished its call, Blaine stood frozen, realizing the thing's head and tail were on fire. Was it in pain? No, it stood tall without concern for its state as it stared back at Blaine, also not moving toward the boy. As Blaine stood dumb, it eventually closed its claws around the stick. As Blaine dropped the object, the creature took it, tossing it to the side.
As the tall beast turned away, Blaine realized what it was. Of course, there were said to a collective of the monsters that Kanto was becoming known for up here. Blaine had seen a few at a distance in the past, before being ushered to stay away from them. But this monster seemed different than just a wild animal. Was it concerned for him? He probably shouldn't be messing with fresh spill over from the volcano. The creature seemed to understand the danger Blaine had been in better than Blaine himself, and seemingly tried to stop him.
As it walked away, Blaine followed. Monsters were something that interested him greatly, though he'd been told to just avoid them if he saw any. From what he'd heard and read, the monsters of Kanto didn't much care for the war either. The military had thought to use them as weapons of a sort. The creatures were tougher than humans or even other beasts, and could even take a few bullets. However, they were reported to not follow orders to attack enemy troops, and could eventually be killed by human weapons, so the idea was abandoned. Even such tough creatures wanted to be left out of such conflicts. How relatable, Blaine thought as he followed the large creature.
"Vul!" A loud call caught the attention of both Blaine and the monster that had helped him. A multi-tailed red animal jumped in front of the monster. Except it wasn't an animal - it spit fire at the first monster, indicating they were both a sort of kin. The first monster called out as well, knocking the flame away as it appeared. Blaine stepped back, but not too far, still watching with fascination. Both of them called out, spitting fire back and forth at each other. Eventually they stopped, continuing to call out at each other in a seemingly friendly manner now that they'd finished the fight. The smaller monster eventually dashed away, full of energy despite how they'd just seemed to be trying to burn each other to death.
The larger monster noticed Blaine as it turned around. "Magmar! Magmar!" it called, waving its claws in the air. Blaine stepped back, before grinning as he realized the creature wasn't really threatening him. He stepped forward, and the monster called out again, stomping his foot. Blaine finally took the message that he should leave, and went back home.
But he'd be back. The consequences from his teachers and mother weren't enough to quell his curiosity. Blaine searched everywhere he could for information on the monsters he'd seen. The next time he could get away without someone chasing him down, and every time after, Blaine climbed up by the volcano, going to find and observe them. There seemed to be more than one that looked nearly exactly the same. The fox-like ones were called vulpix, the ones alight with flames magmar, their specific monster species names likely not coincidently nearly identical to the sound of their vocal calls. They often fought amongst themselves, spitting fire back and forth. It seemed like it might hurt in the moment, sometimes more than a little, as the monsters hit the ground, seeming out cold, but just as Blaine mustered the courage to check on their status, they bounced back up, scurrying away from him.
They tolerated him, but didn't seem to want to interact with him, or so Blaine thought at first. He eventually started noticing that the 'winner' of any of the monster fights would look back toward him and call with what seemed like happiness, perhaps wanting the only human present to notice and praise them. Blaine eventually began shouting out praise of both monsters for their efforts, which seemed to please them, though they eventually went on their way.
A particularly interesting observation to him was that size didn't appear to make that much a difference when it came to a 'winner'. The magmar, twice the size of the other species, may have won slightly more often, but the vulpix won plenty of times from what Blaine saw. In fact, he noticed a specific magmar which seemed to often be concerned about Blaine's safety, lost quite often against vulpix and other magmar alike. After hooting praise for a vulpix one day, Blaine decided to comment on it. "Hey, Magmar, you can't win much, can you? Tough luck!"
"Magmar!" the magmar called as it picked itself up, seeming to glare at Blaine. It huffed, a bit of flame emanating from its mouth before turning it back and trudging away, sitting by the lava flow. "Magmar!" it called as it realized Blaine was walking closer, standing up to shoo him away.
Blaine stopped. The pokemon had dragged him away by his shirt before, ripping it and earning him additional scoldings, and he'd like to avoid that. Even so, he felt like talking more, even if it was to a beast that wouldn't understand. "You could win!" Blaine encouraged. "You're made of fire, looks like. Why not punch with some fiery fists! And I bet you can spit fire more than that other one spit up. Try spitting it out like a storm!" Blaine looked to where two vulpix were fighting, one of them breathing out a steady stream of fire. "Yeah, that! Like you can't do that."
"Magmar..." Magmar called as it stood up. It walked away from the lava flow, at first slowly, then storming toward the next pokemon it saw, which happened to be another magmar. Magmar's chosen opponent bristled and extended its claws toward its challenger, accepting the battle. Magmar raised its fist as it seemed to light on fire, quite similar to what Blaine had suggested, hitting its opponent. The other magmar did one of those fire spit ups, before its challenger followed Blaine's second suggestion, imitating the vulpix they'd seen with a steady stream of fire. The other magmar fell to the ground.
Blaine hollered out in celebration of his friend's victory. "Not bad," he said. It had been exactly what Blaine had said might be done. Had Magmar understood him? Blaine shook his head. "You're a tough one, I knew it," he added before turning to leave. It was time to go home. Even though he'd put it off, knowing how he'd be rebuked again for cutting out on various responsibilities, the sun was just starting to set.
As Blaine reached the main path, he stopped before stepping onto it, noticing the footsteps of the pokemon hadn't stopped. Sure enough, the victorious magmar had been following him. "What you doing there? Huh?" Blaine shouted out, trying to be obnoxious enough to ward the pokemon away.
"Magmar!" Magmar called, bringing its arms in before spreading them out. It stepped even closer to the human that had been interacting with it.
"You wanna come home with me or something?" Blaine said.
"Magmar." The monster gave a brief nod as it stepped even closer to Blaine.
Blaine jumped back, pursing his lips. He'd meant the question as a ridiculous suggestion. However, the large monster seemed to not only understand, but agree that joining Blaine and his mother in their small dwelling was what it wanted. "You won't fit! And my mom'll yell!" Blaine shouted back at it.
"Magmar..." Magmar huffed, a single spark escaping from its beak before it turned and started to slowly go back where it had come from.
Blaine stared as it left. Magmar turned back once before continuing on its way. Again and again, this monster, and even others, really seemed to understand what Blaine said. Cats and dogs really didn't, and wild animals just ran from him. Meanwhile, these monsters not only tolerated him, but seemed to want his attention. How strange.
As Blaine continued on the path back home, he considered it more, thinking of all the times the monsters seemed to respond to him, in ways that seemed very human. How could he test more to see if they really did? How about if vulpix really could be as tough, or even tougher than the magmar? These and other questions went through his mind. The only thing that broke his good mood was seeing his mother's cold expression as he came in the door.
He'd been expecting a lecture, but she just forcefully exhaled. "Go to sleep," she said. "Tomorrow, you'll come with me."
Go where? The next day, Blaine found out. She took him to meet with some extended relatives, each of them taking turns to lecture him. They told Blaine he was shaping up to be no good, disappointing his mother, disappointing all of them. He'd grow up to a bum if he wasn't careful. He needed to work harder, study harder, live up to the pride of his nation. As he was, he was shaming the memory of his father.
The memory of his father? Blaine could only remember a man who had groused at him before going off to die in a war. Was that what he should do? There were plenty that seemed willing to, but Blaine's thoughts on the matter were more consistent with Kanto's monsters. It was all useless, and despite any disgrace he'd bring to his family and country, he wanted to opt out. "Sorry Mother, Grandfather, Auntie," Blaine named off the rest of the relatives that were there. "I'll be a shame to him all my life. I'm done with all of this."
With that, Blaine tried to leave. He was trapped and shouted at some more. Eventually, though he found his way away, going to the volcanic area where the monsters weren't at all surprised to see him. There he stayed, even as the sun set. He found a spot that seemed okay to lay down, regretting just a moment that it wasn't nearly as comfortable or warm as his futon at home. He'd sleep out in the wilderness that night and as many nights as it took.
Doing so was harder than it looked. Blaine stayed on alert, maybe briefly falling asleep before getting on alert for some sound or another, or maybe the feeling of a twig scratching against his skin. He ended up jumping in a start as a louder stomp sounded nearby. He sat up, then realized it was just a magmar. The monster's flames lit up his head, showing the creature was staring down at Blaine. Knowing that these monsters wouldn't hurt him, Blaine lay back down. But instead of going on by, the magmar came and sat by him. So close, Blaine recognized it as the one he'd given advice. It had wanted to come home with Blaine, but instead, Blaine had ended up joining Magmar in its own home. Feeling safer with it nearby, Blaine eventually drifted off to sleep.
The next days were filled with fun. Blaine got to watch his monster friends all day. Magmar offered him foraged food, though Blaine eventually learned to forage for himself, and ended up making his own offering to his friend. He bathed there, not caring as his clothing grew more and more tattered. He instructed his closest magmar friend in battles, but also other monsters along the way. He met up with a man that had befriended a vulpix, and they had the two monsters battle each other, which they seemed more than eager to do. The man didn't bother to tell Blaine to go home until after the end of the battle.
The man had just seemed frustrated by Vulpix's loss, but Blaine really had wanted to see his family. Going back into civilization, he was greeted by jeers and harsh shouts. Deciding not to be bothered, he made his way to his mother's home, who informed him that she'd disowned him. He said he didn't mind, and she asked if he'd been doing well. They discussed some other things of little importance before she invited him to visit again.
He made a habit of it, though of course most of his time was spent with his monster friends in the wilderness. That was where a disgraced child like him belonged, and he'd chosen it. Eventually, his mother remarried and moved off the island. The new husband didn't want anything to do with the bizarre child of the first marriage, but that just made Blaine even freer.
A year after the war ended, the culture seemed to be changing. Blaine wasn't the only human up visiting with the monsters, though he was the only misfit that lived with them. Blaine found himself giving tours, happy to socialize with his fellow humans along with the monsters, as long as they had mutual interests, which it seemed they did. Seeing other people absorbed with their love of monsters, Blaine couldn't help but feel even happier. Given his friend, his friendships, and the fact wartime was over, how could things be better?
One day, a man approached him. Blaine had been running around with Magmar all day, and was taking a brief respite, leaning against a tree. "Hey, you," the man said.
Blaine stood up straighter, taking off his sunglasses as the newcomer approached. Coming closer revealed he had some kind of badge, with an stylized 'L'. "Good morning," Blaine greeted.
The well-dressed man pursed his lips, perhaps miffed Blaine hadn't been more formal to his senior, but still asked his question. "Do you happen to know where I can find the feral child who lives with monsters?"
"The what?" Blaine laughed out loud, knowing the ridiculous description was almost certainly of him. Sure, he lived with monsters, but he was hardly 'feral'. Was that how others saw him? Hilarious.
"If you don't know..." The man straightened his jacket, getting ready to walk on.
"That's me, most likely," Blaine said to the man's back.
He turned back, grinning. "You're abrasive, but not as wild as rumored," he said.
"That right?" Blaine said. He was mildly interested in why he'd been sought in the first place. "What d'you want?"
"If you'd indulge me in a battle."
"Pft." Blaine laughed again. "I'm no soldier, certainly no general."
"Are you not?" The man's smile fell. "I'd heard you commanded some of these fire types here."
A brown creature at his feet walked forward, calling out, "Eevee!"
"Oh." Blaine quickly realized what he was talking about. "You wanna see if your monster pal can beat mine."
"Exactly," the man said.
Blaine paced forward, curtly nodding repeatedly. "Well, maybe if you can answer my quiz," he said.
"Your-"
"How many different species of monsters can be found on this island?" Blaine asked.
"Well, of course I know," the man said, taking a book out of his pocket.
"What's that? A guide? You looking for the answer?" Blaine said.
He slammed it shut upon Blaine's accusation. "Outside the ocean, only counting those on land, there's two that seem native," he said. "Both fire type. Magmar and vulpix."
"Wrong!" Blaine said, causing the man to clench his jaw. "Well, I was teasing you," he admitted. "I knew you wouldn't know about the one my vulpix pal turned into."
"A vulpix... Evolved?" The man said, his eyes going wide. "What kind of monster is it now?"
"A kitsune," Blaine teased again, then laughed at his guest's continued exaggerated reaction. "Na, don't be scared. It's just a run-of-the-mill monster, my pal Ninetales!"
Hearing its name, Ninetales jumped into the open, calling out loudly as it purposefully extended its tails. "Now, Eevee!" the man said, clutching his head as he pointed forward, tension evident. "Tackle that monster!"
"Eevee!" the other monster called, running forward and pummeling into Ninetales.
"Why don't you try that blowing fire thing?" Blaine suggested. His friend spit forth a stream of fire in response. The eevee called out, tucking its head down before it fell to the ground. "Aw, nah, looks like it wasn't tough at all." How disappointing. "It okay?" Blaine asked, leaning down with the man and observing the poor thing.
"Y-Yes," the man's hands trembled as he covered the creature with something he had in a bottle. "We've developed medicine for monsters, it speeds up their already speedy recovery process."
Indeed, the eevee soon picked its head up, wandering over to Ninetales. They called back and forth at each other in what seemed to imitate a conversation. Blaine had never known Ninetales to be too chatty, but he supposed there was more to talk about with a monster from far away. Even though others might laugh, it really did seem like they were having a friendly chat right then.
"You've raised a powerful monster here."
Blaine looked away from the monsters and back at his human guest, shrugging. "We're just pals," he said. "They helped me enough too."
"Did they raise you?" the man asked.
Blaine again tittered at the idea of himself as a 'feral child'. "No, I'm a runaway," he informed. "I'm from... Wait, never mind. I don't want to embarrass the family that's disowned me."
"I'll adopt you."
The man whose name Blaine hadn't even learned didn't seem the type to joke, and showed no sign of doing so now as Blaine turned back and looked his way. He continued speaking as Blaine remained in silence. "I've heard a lot about you. Blaine, right? I'm also a monster enthusiast. I'd like to act as your guide."
"Thanks, uncle," Blaine said. "But I can't accept. I'll share whatever with you, let's play again sometime. But I'm not gonna leave my friends here and get tied down again somewhere."
"You don't want to learn more about these monsters? You could study at a university in order to do so. You seem like the type to be recommended to one. You could learn about all the known species, about evolution, the proper names for the techniques they use, and more than that, from what I've heard you've said to others... You could have plenty to share yourself."
Blaine looked back at the conversing monsters. "Magmar!" his other close friend called out as he approached. The man that was waiting for an answer again tensed up with eyes wide, but relaxed as Blaine patted Magmar's shoulder.
"I do wanna learn," he admitted. All of what the man offered was more than appealing. "But I won't leave my pals here."
"What if you could take them with you?"
This time, it was Blaine's turn to be surprised at the offer. He discussed it more with his visitor as they sat and chatted, eventually sharing long stories from Cinnabar, hearing others in exchange from various other places throughout Kanto. Blaine got to hear long descriptions of the various monster enthusiasts who liked to see the monsters battle and scientists who conducted serious studies. Both were interesting. A few weeks later, Blaine set off away from his tiny island home, much to his surprise, with Magmar and Ninetales both on the boat with him.
Ash walked along the ascending path, Pikachu on his shoulder, Brock and Misty following. This morning, hopefully he'd finally be able to challenge Blaine. That day would be the fifth day of trying. The first day after he'd visited Akihabara's, Blaine had said he'd had a book to finish. The second, the gym leader had insisted his own pokemon were out wandering somewhere, he wasn't sure where. The third, observing the wild diglett that had apparently recently showed up on island had just been so interesting, and the old man insisted Ash and his friends do so with him. Afterward, Blaine hadn't felt in the mood for a battle. Then the fourth day, Blaine hadn't even been found, though Ash had tried until late into the afternoon.
This day, Blaine was on his way down the path as Ash's group made their way up. "Morning!" Blaine greeted energetically as he saw them.
"Good morning," Misty and Brock both greeted in succession.
"Pikachu!" Pikachu called out from the ground.
Ash ran ahead of them until he was right in front of Blaine. "I'm challenging you, to a gym battle!" he declared.
"A gym battle... It's a little early in the morning for that kind of energy, isn't it?" Blaine said.
"Wha... Are you ever going to want to battle?!" Ash demanded.
"Of course! One of my life's joys is helping my monster pals in a battle. It's just, if I battle now, it'll tire us out for the rest of the day. Why don't you come back after lunch?" Ash scowled in response to Blaine's suggestion, but the man kept talking, not seeming to notice much. "Have you been to the hot springs?"
"No," Misty replied.
"I've heard they're really nice. Maybe we should check them out before we leave the island," Brock said.
"I'll show you the best after-" Blaine began.
"Are you ever going to battle?!" Ash interrupted.
Blaine sniffed, turning his attention to Ash, who looked up, sharing his irritable expression. "Aw, you've got an official league cap," Blaine eventually commented, as if noticing Ash's headwear for the first time.
"Yeah," Ash confirmed. "I won it, a limited edition."
"People take it so seriously these days," Blaine said, tutting and shaking his head. "Back in the first league, it was just eight teams battling for fun. They'd proven themselves by getting the four badges, but no one expected the winner of a monster fighting match to have any kind of prestige. Look at us now, kid after kid like you wanting to enter and win, thousands of spectators - more counting anyone watching on TV, detailed logs kept of pokemon and techniques used, as if any of it matters."
"It matters... It does matter!" Ash insisted, all the more flustered at Blaine's ramblings. "This year, I'll be the fiftieth league champion. But first I need to get the badges. So stop stalling and let's battle!"
"What's your rush?" Blaine shot back. "The league's not until June, and you said you had five badges already, right?"
"Six," Ash corrected.
"All the better! You've got months to get the last two. Relax and enjoy yourself some, huh? And how about this little one?" Blaine leaned down to Pikachu.
"Pikachu?" Pikachu called back at the man.
"Monsters - Pokemon want to enjoy life beyond battles as well. Pikachu, huh? A sure example of how monsters can be cute. This species might enjoy the hot springs as well!" Blaine suggested.
"Pikachu!" Pikachu called with excitement.
"But..." Ash began, his head sinking down. "I still haven't battled."
"We'll have our gym match soon," Blaine said, continuing on his way before turning back to the group. "Oh, that's right! We have a fall festival this evening."
"I'd heard about it," Misty said.
"I almost forgot. Glad I didn't, it's fun. I'd better go see if they need help preparing this afternoon! I'll suppose I'll see you there," Blaine said.
"This afternoon?" Ash repeated, his face falling.
"I guess no gym battle today either," Misty said with a smirk.
"Why is he even a gym leader if he never battles in his gym?" Ash folded his arms, kicking a rock down the path it was now useless to ascend.
"It seems like he has a lot more going on. Good for him if he doesn't have to hustle, honestly," Brock said.
"Yeah, I guess he's kind of like Erika, though Erika at least has a schedule." Misty giggled as she turned and hopped the other way.
"Ash," Brock began, speaking as the young boy turned his way. "Blaine is right that it's good to learn to just enjoy the moment. I really think you'll get the badges you need to enter the league, so just slow down, okay? Stop to smell the roses, you know?"
With that, Brock followed Misty. After Pikachu sprinted off, Ash sighed before he continued on his way himself.
The festival was indeed fun, full of food and games. Pokemon were also welcome to participate, many of them outside their pokeballs. Pikachu went and interacted with any it saw. Though feeling down at first, Ash eventually brought out the rest of his pokemon as he saw more and more people with theirs. Butterfree flew nearby the group most of the time. Pidgeotto flew above the whole festival, taking everything in from afar. Squirtle had the most fun, interacting with the other pokemon along with Pikachu before jumping in the tank full of goldfish to try and catch some with its hands. Misty decided the tank might be big enough for her own water types to have a little fun, and allowed them to swim, which annoyed the man running the stand before he realized the presence of pokemon attracted more customers.
Bulbasaur cautiously observed things, plodding carefully through the festival by Ash, occasionally interacting with other pokemon as it saw them. Geodude and Zubat stayed near them. Brock was hesitant to let Onix out, before Ash released Charizard into a large clearing. Seeing the kids running to see, Brock noticed there was plenty of room for Onix as well. The appearance of the largest pokemon species got an even more dramatic response, many commenting they hadn't even seen one before. Charizard just snorted and lay down in response to the ruckus.
Though they stayed out relatively late, Ash still woke up early the next day. He put on his outfit quickly, nearly ready just as Brock awoke himself. "Hey Ash, didn't Blaine say he didn't like battling too early?" he said.
"I'm gonna make sure my pokemon are ready!" Ash said, exiting to the hall before running down it to the outside.
At noon, Ash led the way to get another absent near the volcanic area. "It's been almost a week of this, huh?" Misty commented with amusement.
"Yeah," Ash responded with annoyance. "Today I'm finally gonna get the badge," he added.
"Don't get ahead of yourself," Misty said.
"You don't think we can win?" Ash said, scowling back at her.
"Hey, I never said that," Misty waved her hands dismissively. "You've actually gotten pretty good at winning badges. I just don't think it's impossible that Blaine's cozying up somewhere else and blowing off any battles! No wonder I never heard of people coming to Cinnabar Gym before."
"Yeah," Brock agreed, shaking his head as he grinned. "Besides the fact it's out of the way... I think a lot of trainers might have left by now."
But Ash kept rushing ahead of his friends. As they reached the cabin they'd met Blaine, he ran, knocking at the door. "Come in!" Blaine's voice invited. "I was just having lunch, I'm glad for company," he continued as the group opened the door. "You all hungry as well? Can I make you something?" Blaine offered after Ash entered, followed by his friends.
"We're good," Brock said. He'd convinced Ash not to leave until at least after lunch, so they'd eaten something just before.
They chatted about the festival as Blaine finished his own meal. As he finally did, he stood and stretched. "I saw my battle partner Magmar this morning! It seems in a mood for a battle, so it's good to have a challenger."
"Yeah!" Ash exclaimed, clenching his fist. "I'm ready! Let's battle right now!"
"We'll go to the arena first, of course," Blaine said, raising an eyebrow as he looked down at Pikachu. "Just the one still? I had been hoping for a two on two battle. Old Ninetales would probably enjoy showing off today as well."
"Um, I have all my pokemon," Ash said.
"Oh." Blaine's eyes focused back on his challenger. He put on his sunglasses and hat as he headed for the door. "With Pikachu out like this, and the other pokemon you had running around yesterday, I'd thought you were a more traditional trainer," he said.
"What do you mean?" The question came from Misty.
Blaine turned back from the open door. "Just because pokeballs were invented - I mean, trainers these days, they don't know why pokeballs were invented in the first place! It's so we can get our fire types out of the rain! Maybe the water types or dual ice types out of the dry heat! And then travel with them on a boat or plane without having to worry about having room, walk down the path without worrying about the little ones getting lost or the big ones destroying anything. Monsters were never meant to be kept in them all the time, to the point where we now think of them as pocket monsters and call them pokemon."
"Oh." Misty gripped the bag that contained her own pokeballs. "I never thought of that before. I mean, my pokemon are used to it. A lot of places won't even allow trainers without pokemon in pokeballs. But I guess it used to be different."
"Right, right." Blaine turned back to the door, walking out as Ash and the others followed as he led them to a less beaten path. "I know things've changed. Monsters in tiny capsules is normal and expected now. Technology changes society, and not even the creators of that technology can control the outcome." Blaine paused, shaking his head. "I wonder if I would have been as enthusiastic about working on the pokeball project back then if I'd know about now."
"Wait, you invented pokeballs?" Brock asked, stepping carefully over various volcanic as he tried to catch up with Blaine.
"That's giving me far too much credit. I was part of a team, and not even one of the smart ones. But I did help! Magmar and Ninetales were two of the first pokeball contained monsters. Might be commonplace now, but back then it was exciting new technology!" Blaine stopped, looking around the barren area they'd arrived. "Don't think I'm against technology, far from it. And even if I think trainers should keep their companions out more often, I see the benefits of pokeballs. More people have been willing to take a chance to befriend monsters since then. Knowing you can shrink 'em down makes them less intimidating, eh? Even though exiting a pokeball is possible without the trainer initiating it, makes some people feel safer. And my own battle partners have been able to see plenty of places they wouldn't otherwise thanks to it!" Blaine sighed. "Speaking of my pals, I see one now."
"I see it!" Ash exclaimed as the firey head of the creature came into view.
"Pikachu!" Pikachu called as the creature's head, arms, and fire-tipped tail came into view.
It eventually ran forward, joining them. "Magmar!" it called as it stood in front of Blaine.
"Yep, you can tell what's going on, can't you, Magmar?" Blaine said. "Let's get going!" Blaine turned to Ash. "Ninetales should join us soon too. If you're ready for two on two, that is."
"I am!" Ash declared.
"Pika!" Pikachu agreed. It hadn't had the best experience with the magmar species before, but could tell this one was friendly, and wouldn't mind a battle.
"Then why don't you get out your buddies, too? Don't you think they'll appreciate being shown the place they're battling instead of just being thrown into it?" Blaine suggested.
"Pikachu!" Pikachu called, its eyes going wider. This older human certainly had a unique outlook. The man was pretty agreeable.
"Yeah, why not?" Ash said. He took out his pokeballs, throwing them out one at a time. As all six of his pokemon were out, Ash leaned down to speak to them. "Hey guys, it's time for a gym battle! I don't know who I'm gonna use yet, but it'll be fun for you all to see what's out here, huh?"
Ash's pokemon all called out in agreement, also expressing their excitement. "He really doesn't know yet?" Misty commented in a low voice to Brock, who smirked and shook his head.
They all walked together on the path, Butterfree flying next to Ash while Pidgeotto and Charizard circled above. Squirtle hopped around any obstacles with Pikachu. "Bulbasaur!" Bulbasaur eventually cried out. Everyone turned to see it trailing behind the group, moving its leg and calling again at the rock on the ground. "Bulbasaur!"
"This isn't what Bulbasaur's used to walking on," Ash realized, reaching in his pocket.
"You'll return it, then?" Misty asked. As Ash did so, she sighed. "Right, not like you were going to have poor little Bulbasaur battle against Blaine's giant fire types."
"Also, this kind of transport is why pokeballs were invented. Better than having to have the poor things wait for you somewhere," Blaine said.
"A world without pokeballs must have been really challenging for trainers," Brock mused. "I can't imagine I'd be able to take Onix anywhere."
"Oh, was that your Onix yesterday?" Blaine asked as they reached a ladder.
"Sure was," Brock confirmed.
"I'd been wondering who brought it!" Blaine exclaimed. "I know myself and Magmar would sure enjoy a challenge against one. It's been a while. Why don't we battle today instead? I'll go against the Pallet kid another time."
"Uh..." Brock gave a stilted laugh as he glanced to an annoyed Ash before back at Blaine. "Yeah, probably not today," he said.
"Another time, perhaps," Blaine said, climbing the ladder.
Everyone else followed. At the top were some stone stairs. The group ascended, only to see a descent. Ash was the first to shout out as he caught his balance. Below them was a lava field, a battle platform built around and above it. "This is your gym's battle arena?" Misty demanded. "That's crazy!"
Blaine laughed heartily. "Come now! You can't tell me neither of you have specialized battle fields for your types."
"I guess this isn't that much different than what we do," Brock said.
"Of course it's different!" Misty exclaimed. An active lava field was much more dramatic, and dangerous, than Cerulean Gym's pool or Pewter Gym's piles of rocks. As she and Brock walked to the modest spectator's area, which was gated off by a chain link fence, she sighed. "I guess it's alright if he's been here for fifty years."
"Ha! There's a first time for everything, but no one's fallen into the lava yet. We've moved around over the years, though I had this arena built some time ago. It's my favorite. This battlefield's the most spectacular of any gym out there, ain't it?" Blaine asked, starting to walk across the battle field to the gym leader's area. "You're still up for it, aren't you?" He turned back to Ash.
"I've been waiting!" Ash declared as he ran to the challenger's area.
"Free, free," Butterfree called, its eyes drooping as it floated lower.
"I guess this isn't good for you either," Ash said.
"Free," Butterfree agreed.
"We'll battle another time. Butterfree, return!" As Ash brought Butterfree back into its pokeball, Charizard and Pidgeotto landed behind him, Pikachu and Squirtle already next to him.
"Having your pals around will help teach you who's best for the current battle, eh?" Blaine suggested as he turned, in position as the gym leader.
Ash nodded before turning his cap backward. "Go, Pidgeotto! Get ready for battle!" he said, pointing forward at the battlefield.
"Go, Ninetales! You're up first," Blaine directed.
"Pidgeotto, sand attack!"
"Ninetales, flamethrower!"
Pidgeotto acted first, flapping its wings and kicking up a variety of particles, the air on the battlefield getting hazy easily. Ninetales's stream of fire missed, not able to see where Pidgeotto had gone before it rose above the arena. "Alright!" Ash cheered. "Now, Pidgeotto! Gust!"
"Ninetales, ember! Act quickly," Blaine advised. Ninetales did so, spitting the fast paced attack at Pidgeotto before the other pokemon flapped its wings again, hitting Ninetales in return with a barrage of wind.
"Was that the best move?" Misty wondered. "I can see the sandy air getting blown away, that was an advantage."
"Gust is a move that Pidgeotto is good at, but maybe it wasn't the best idea," Brock commented.
"Looks like this one'll be a challenge!" Blaine shouted onto the field. "Let's kick it up! Ninetails, fire spin!"
"Pidgeotto, gust!" Ash directed his pokemon to repeat the last move. As it did so, Ninetales spat a swirling flame all around, surrounding the flying type pokemon before the flame continued on the ground. Pidgeotto started the gust move, but found itself unable to complete it.
"All that heat isn't good for a flying type. Poor Pidgeotto." Misty frowned, wringing her hands.
"You think that'll stop it?!" Ash shouted, grinning in the opposite reaction to his friend. "No way! Pidgeotto, this is the time to try your quick attack!"
"Ninetales, flamethrower!" Blaine directed. Pidgeotto called out as it completed the speedy attack. Ninetales flinched as it was hit, again having difficulty aiming its attack for the first portion of it, eventually hitting Pidgeotto near the end. The two pokemon faced each other for their next moves.
"Yes, it's working! Pidgeotto, keep trying quick attack," Ash ordered.
"If they're quick, we'll have to be quick as well. Ninetales, ember!"
The two pokemon repeated the attacks in a speedy succession, continuing to fight before Ninetales eventually lowered its head. "Ninetales, return!" Blaine called as he held out a pokeball, Ash and the spectators cheering out for Pidgeotto. "And here's another good use for these pokeballs," he muttered, glancing down at it. "I'll take care of you later, Ninetales. Good battling. This one's tougher than I thought. We'll have to give it everything to win. Magmar, you're up!"
"Magmar!" Magmar called as it ran onto the field. The still present though quickly fading remnants of the fire spin attack seemed to fuel it. "Magmar!" it called out again, raising its arms in anticipation.
"Pidgeotto, gust attack!" Ash ordered as he saw the flames of the fire spin completely die down.
"Magmar, fire blast," Blaine ordered. Magmar spit a large flame in front of its mouth, which took the shape of the character for 'big' before the arranged flames flew at Pidgeotto, seeming fueled by the gust attack.
"Pidgeotto!" Ash shouted as his pokemon was hit. The flying type folded its wings in, falling toward the ground, its feathers singed. Ash returned it to its pokeball before it made impact.
Misty raised her eyebrows. "That magmar is tough... Really tough."
"Oh yeah," Brock agreed. "Of course, Ash is getting better now too," he added.
"Yeah. He can still win. But which pokemon is he going to use?" Misty wondered.
Ash himself was pausing at the question. Pikachu was always tough, Squirtle had a type advantage. Charizard didn't seem the wisest choice as it hadn't been listening. But before Ash could choose one of the others, Charizard stomped forth, roaring into the air with a flame as it stared at Magmar.
"I think your charizard sees a worthy challenge!" Brock shouted onto the field.
"Indeed!" Blaine agreed.
"You want to battle, Charizard?" Ash asked. The pokemon stared back at him poignantly, snorting. Ash grinned, seeing it as an affirmation.
"Here's a quiz before we continue," Blaine began. "How tall are charizard?"
"Um... It's pretty tall," Ash said with a frown, hesitating to order Charizard out.
"They're usually only about 1.7 meters. But this one looks even taller than that. A prime specimen for sure!" Blaine said.
"Pikachu?" Pikachu questioned. Was Charizard also special for its species, like was often said about Pikachu itself? "Pikachu!" Pikachu thought it was powerful enough, and could definitely win. "Pika, pika!" it cheered.
"Squirtle, squirtle!" Squirtle echoed.
Deciding that was all the gym leader might have to say, Ash pointed forward. "Go, Charizard!" he ordered. "Try flamethrower."
"Magmar, fire blast!"
Brock and Misty stepped back, feeling the heat of both attacks from behind their open-air barrier. "Squirtle!" Squirtle called, going into its shell. Magmar's attack grazed Charizard, and Charizard's did the same in unison before their flames dissipated. Charizard called out loudly in the air, while Magmar did the same on the ground.
"Charizard, try rage!" Ash shouted the name of the technique that Charizard had practiced as a charmander, though it hadn't used it since. "Maybe fire won't work," he added.
"Magmar, give him a taste of your own flamethrower," Blaine suggested. As Magmar began to spit fire, Charizard did as well, the two streams canceling each other out before Charizard stalled out, being briefly hit by Magmar's flame. Blaine laughed at the sight. "Ha, fire against fire sure is interesting, eh?" he said, straightening his sunglasses.
"Come on, Charizard!" Ash shouted with irritation. "Listen to me, try rage! You can't win with just fire!"
A noise escaped Charizard's throat as its feet touched the ground. As Blaine ordered Magmar to try another fire blast, Ash's largest pokemon roared into the air. Charizard approached Magmar, swiping at it. When hit by Magmar's underdeveloped fire blast, the flame on Charizard's tail started to grow. "Oh? Interesting," Blaine said, again laughing to himself. "Give it your best, Magmar. Fire punch!"
"You can do it, Charizard!" Ash only encouraged his pokemon as the battle continued. Charizard swiped at Magmar again before being hit with the other pokemon's firey fist. Its flame increased further before it bit Magmar. The gym pokemon called out, again hitting Charizard with fire punch per Blaine's instruction. Charizard punched it again, this time pushing it forward. Magmar muttered a call before hunching forward.
As Blaine returned the pokemon to its pokeball, Ash shouted out in victory. Charizard roared, spitting flame into the air before it stepped forward and again called out loudly several times. Extending its arms, it spat flame in front of it in a circle. "Ash!" Brock shouted, shaking the chain link barrier to get his attention. "Charizard's having trouble now. Better call it back!"
Ash pursed his lips as he took out Charizard's pokeball, quickly bringing the pokemon back into its pokeball. He stared at it in the silence, looking up only as Blaine approached. "You did well, kid! I imagine you learned a little from this battle as well."
"Um." Ash paused, looking at the offered badge. He took it, but couldn't shake the unpleasant feeling. "Charizard won this badge too," he muttered. "And it can't even celebrate now."
"Pika?" Pikachu questioned.
"Squirtle?" Squirtle added, fanning itself.
As Ash returned the seemingly overheated water type, his two human friends walked onto the battlefield. "That was the first time I've been scared of a pokemon," Misty said.
Blaine shrugged. "Don't be too scared. Pokemon avoid harming humans, even if they're in that state."
"I don't think Charizard would hurt anyone on purpose," Misty insisted. "It was actually a really cute charmander before," she added with a grin before looking down again. "But just now, it really seemed out of control. By accident, it might-"
"It was blowing off steam," Blaine interrupted. He fanned himself, flattening his expression. "Sorry if I get too serious about it, miss. I know you're familiar with the surprisingly mild nature of monsters as well. It's just, I've had to deal with humans saying my monster friends should be destroyed over the years."
"When you were a kid, people understood pokemon even less, huh," Brock said.
Blaine nodded. "And of course, accidents do happen. They get blown out of proportion. There was an interesting recent peer reviewed study, showed that monsters are less likely to kill humans than other humans are!"
"Really? Someone thought about that enough to write about it?" Misty asked, her eyes widening.
Blaine nodded. "Of course, the pokemon sample group was all trainer-led monsters. But I've never heard of a wild one killing a human at all. There was a case that got people riled up, but it turned out it was only a man trying to frame the monsters and avoid punishment for himself! Hah!" Blaine laughed, then cleared his throat. "In any case... Charizard was having a moment with its rage, but I trust it was still well in control. If you'd like to celebrate with it now, I'd assume it's fine after being in its pokeball. Helping monsters calm down and regain their senses is another use for those things! Now that I think about it, there was a lot more trouble before we had them around..."
Ash stared at Charizard's pokeball only a moment before throwing it behind Blaine. Charizard was released, the pokeball bouncing back. As Ash caught it, Charizard roared before turning away and snorting. Misty breathed a sigh of relief as Pikachu scurried across the field, letting out various calls of congratulations and kudos for its teammate. Though it still peered away from both human and pokemon, Charizard seemed quite content, and definitely calm.
Ash approached his pokemon next, holding up the badge. "Thanks, Charizard. You did great. That's the second badge you helped win." Ash pinned it inside his vest next to the others. "And now, there's only one left!"
"Huh? Oh, that's right." Blaine stifled his surprise as he recalled their previous conversations on the topic. "Seems strange to have a kid as young as you this close to the league."
"I'm already ten," Ash protested.
"I know, I know. There's been others like you. Good luck, Ash!" After hearing Blaine's best wishes, the group made their way away from the large volcano, ready to go to back to town and plan their next destination.
Meowth was the first to enter the dilapidated, burned out structure. Jessie and James both made faces behind it as they observed the piles of ash and dust around lit up by the charred and rotting remnants of the walls. "What could be here?" Jessie asked.
"I'd think anything that remained was long ago looted," James mused.
"How you gonna know if you don't look?" Meowth demanded, hopping forward. The two humans turned on flashlights as their pokemon friend led them down the hall. "The guy that lived here... He was involved in some interesting stuff. To the boss at least. Then he died here, and the boss wasn't able to shake him down to chat about it anymore."
"So you want us to be the ones to shake down his corpse?" Jessie suggested.
"Or maybe he's a ghost type pokemon we can catch?" James offered his own idea.
"Pft. I doubt we'd have more success than last time if so." Jessie turned back toward the entrance.
"How about you two just stop joking around and start looking!" Meowth said as it tried to push open the nearest door. With the help of the humans, it eventually did. "Take a look around! Don't miss anything!"
As James opened a closet, Jessie approached what looked like might have been a desk. Removing some debris, it seemed that was what it was. She opened one drawer, then another, sighing. "There's just some papers and books," she informed.
"Let me see 'em!" Meowth jumped on the ruined desk, motioning a claw in front of it. It looked through them, ordering Jessie and James to keep looking around for anything else. They did so before becoming distracted as Meowth shouted out in glee.
"What is it?" Jessie asked.
"Did you find something?" James asked.
"This is something that'll definitely make the boss happy!" Meowth declared, using its claw to carefully go to the next page.
"Are you sure? I don't want to piss him off by throwing literal trash in front of him," Jessie said.
"I'm positive!" Meowth declared, staring up at its teammates. "Anything with any mention of Mew, the boss'll want to see."
"Mew?" Jessie repeated.
"Some say it's an illusory pokemon," James informed.
"Of course I know all about Mew!" Jessie declared. "Yeah, I guess the boss would still want a pokemon that rare, and supposedly powerful. But will he really care so much about mere mention of it?"
"Yup." Meowth grinned. "You don't understand, he really wants it. So you two, keep looking. Also look for something to transport this stuff in. With this and that porygon thing, we've got a variety of prizes for the boss! He'll surely be happy to see us this time!"
"We're finally going back to base?" James asked.
"Yeah, so hurry up and keep looking!" Meowth ordered. With that, the group kept going through the ruined building with a little more energy, carefully looking at everything they found, Meowth diligently inspecting anything of note. Finally, their luck was changing.
End notes: Yep, Ash is going home.
Next chapter: James vs. Gentleman Thomas
Extra note: Due to fanfictionnet's extremely poor decision to suddenly disable email alerts for all accounts who didn't know about their 'opt-in' thing, even for accounts that already had said alerts enabled, I'm reconsidering if I want to continue posting here. For now I obviously just updated, but depending on several factors, I very well may discontinue updates here. I will definitely continue updates on archiveofourown/AO3 (Account name: "VoyagerWisp" without spaces) and I recommend subbing to me or my stories there since your alerts will not be suddenly disabled. If you don't have an account, you'll have to request an invite which could take a few days. I have extra invites for any existing subscribers of mine. If you feel it's best to continue posting here or otherwise want to talk with me further about this, feel free to PM me, but please keep any reviews on the topic of the story.