Brand New Day
"Welcome home, Ash!" Immediately upon arrival in Pallet Town, Ash found himself surrounded by what appeared to be the entire population of Pallet Town. The residents all offered Ash praise and congratulated him upon his victory at the Indigo League as they closed in on him and his friends. Gary and Leaf were currently with the group as they were all going back to the same place, the rest had gone their separate ways. Giovanni was off on a call for Silph Co, Todd and Rita departed for the Orange Islands to seek out the crystal Onix, Flash went back to Vermillion City with plans to travel abroad and find new Electric types before the Silver League started and Giselle had gone with him, Janine disappeared without saying goodbye at some point while Misty and Sabrina returned to their respective cities to get prepped for the next Indigo League season. Delia and Oak drove home so they beat the group by a decent amount of time.
"You won your very first Pokemon League!"
"Your father would be so proud!"
"I can't believe Pallet Town has another celebrity living among us!"
"Ash, Ash, Ash!"
Ash sweated at the heavy praise, you'd think that he just dethroned Rex with all the praise he was getting. Chloe noticed her boyfriend looking a bit nerved and clenched her fists before shouting out as she and Brock began pushing people back. "Okay that's enough, Ash is tired and worn out. He barely had enough time to relax at the League and it was a long walk home so would you all mind backing up and giving him space? You can see him again tomorrow after he rests up!"
Gary's eyes narrowed while jealousy flared within his eyes from all the attention that his best friend and rival was getting. Leaf noticed and frowned as she reached out to take his hand in an effort to help calm him down. "You'll get the next one, Gary."
"You bet I will, I'm going to train non-stop and further expand my team before the Silver League begins. They'll see-Hold up, that's it? You're not trying to upstage me and say that you'll win it? What's going on...?" Gary's expression turned to that of concern as Leaf shifted her eyes to the side, avoiding his gaze as she looked unsure of herself.
"I-I don't know, lately I've been thinking that perhaps this isn't the path I'm meant to go on. I mean I made it to the semi-finals on my first attempt, I should feel happy about it and proud of myself for all the hard work I put into it but instead I feel so empty... I'm not sad that I lost either, it's so confusing." Leaf sighed out.
Chloe heard Leaf and gave her a sympathetic look before turning back towards Ash. "I'll see you tomorrow, Ash. I should get back to my folks and Yamper and check in on them, it's already pretty late!" Brock had decided to accompany Ash and Chloe to the Orange Islands so he was staying at Ash's place for the night as the trio intended on leaving the next morning. Of course there would be a farewell party beforehand, Delia was quite insistent on the matter as she wanted to make sure that Ash was well fed before he set off on another adventure. Chloe leaned forward and kissed her boyfriend's cheek.
"Oh hey, Chloe and Ash are dating!"
"You didn't know? It was fairly obvious she liked him, the two were practically inseparable since the day her family moved here!"
'Man I was blind!' Ash thought to himself as it appeared the entire town knew that Chloe had been in love with him. He sweated lightly before kissing her cheek as he bid her farewell for the evening. "Alright, good night Chloe. And good luck," He wasn't stupid, he could tell she had some ulterior motive for suddenly parting ways but he wasn't sure what the reason was.
Chloe smiled and nodded in response before grabbing hold of Leaf's hand as she turned towards her friend. "Leaf, can we talk? Alone?" She asked while giving Gary a look.
Gary sweated lightly. "You're going to talk about girl stuff aren't you? I can take a hint, I'll back off no problem. I'll text you later, Leaf! As for you, Ashy boy... smell ya later!" Gary let out a light laugh before making his way towards Professor Oak's laboratory.
Chloe glanced towards the crowd before motioning towards her place. "Why don't we go someplace quieter?"
"Yeah sure..." Though Leaf gave her friend a questionable look as she followed Chloe down the road. As soon as they entered the home, Chloe found herself assaulted by Yamper who leaped at her with an excitable yap.
"Yamp yamp!" Yamper barked before affectionately licking her cheek as she held him in her arms. Chloe let out a laugh and gave his head a quick pat while giving him a tight hug.
"It's good to see you too Yamper, I missed you!"
"Yamp yamp!" Yamper's tail wagged as he barked out. Although Yamper would love to travel with her, he was more of a family pet and helped look after the house and the currently pregnant Talia while Cerise was away at work.
Leaf couldn't help but smile at the excitable corgi as she reached out to scratch him behind the ear. "I've always wanted a Yamper to call my own... shame you can't find any around here."
"Yamp!"
Chloe smiled for a brief moment before speaking up. The two were alone now so it was the perfect time to talk. "You're unsure about your path in life aren't you?"
"Hm?" Leaf turned towards Chloe and raised an eyebrow as a confused expression crossed her face. "What are you talking about?"
"Your goal, sorry but I couldn't help but overhear your conversation with Gary. If it makes you feel better, I was the same way a few weeks ago. I had lost a Pokemon Contest and felt empty inside for quite awhile but then I met this girl from Kalos, Aria-"
"Arceus... you met Aria?!" Leaf gasped out with a star struck expression. "You're so luc-Wait a moment, that explains where your Fennekin came from!" Leaf was quick to deduce. They fed their Pokemon around the same time during their stay at the Indigo Plateau so Leaf had gotten a good view of Chloe's team, she didn't think to ask where Fennekin had come from.
Chloe nodded lightly while offering her a light smile. "Yep, she gifted me one after the Grand Festival. She knows that I'm searching for my true calling in life, whatever that'll be. I know that I'll eventually settle down with Ash somewhere but I want to do so much more than that and I'm sure that in time, I'll find my new calling. I'm pretty sure that you've found yours though."
"Being a Pokemon trainer? N-No, I'm not sure that's going to work. I mean I used to dream about becoming a powerful trainer but as I grew older, I kind of grew out of it unlike Ash and Gary who always seemed to dream about 'becoming the very best like no one ever was'." Leaf shook her head as she looked towards the ground with a defeated expression. "Maybe I'll just travel with Gary from now on and keep him company..."
"Nono, not that. You're a smart and extremely talented girl, Leaf. You and Gary always had a knack for researching Pokemon and studying hard, traits that you appear to have in common with certain professors." Chloe hinted while offering her friend a warm smile as she placed her hand atop Leaf's shoulder.
Leaf's eyes began to widen as she realized that Chloe was onto something. Leaf most certainly loved her Pokemon and enjoyed the time she shared with them, not regretting any bit of it but that was something nearly anyone that owned Pokemon could agree on. And while Ash and Gary may have enjoyed battling, she admittingly never shared the same level of excitement as them. While both of them dreamed big she merely wanted to make something of herself. Her mother Green, who was strangely named Green despite their last name being Green, had been a trainer during the same timeframe as Red, Blue, Rex and Giovanni but she never really took off and ended as famous as them. Though Green as never really bothered by that as she retired from her adventures and eventually settled down with her husband to run Pallet Town's general store.
That life may satisfy her mother but Leaf had always wanted to make something for herself so that people would remember her, Leaf had gotten a bit of popularity from her League performance but it just didn't feel right to her. Some of her fondest memories were reading up on and studying the Pokemon of both the Kanto and Johto regions alongside Gary. "So you're saying that I should study to become a Pokemon Professor...?" Leaf asked aloud. The thought did sound rather appealing but she still wasn't completely sure on the matter, becoming a Pokemon Professor wasn't an easy feat. One had to enroll in additional courses to ensure that they could look after and care for Pokemon they were entrusted with along with other essential courses. "I-I do like the idea but I'd like to be a lab assistant for a bit just to ensure myself that I'm making the right decision here, I don't want to waste time and money going back to school only to wind up dropping out. Perhaps I could ask Professor Oak-"
"Or you could ask me." Professor Cerise offered as he stood in the kitchen's doorframe, a smile present across his face as he gestured towards some cardboard boxes that sat to the side of the living room. "We'll be moving to Vermillion City as soon as Parker is born, I've already made some preparations to get the lab up and running but I'm always on the lookout for new assistances. You could come work for me and if it becomes too much for you, you can leave at anytime no drama."
Leaf thought for a moment as she thought the offer over. She had to admit that working at Oak's might be a bit overwhelming for her considering the sheer number of Pokemon that Ash and Gary owned which would only continue to grow as the two ventured to Johto. Naturally her own Pokemon would travel to Vermillion City with her but the lab there would be empty at least until trainers started their Indigo League adventure at the start of the next season but a good amount of trainers never captured more than six so it'd be quite some time before the lab there filled up.
"Y-Yeah, I'd like to try that. T-Thank you, Chloe's dad." Leaf offered him a bow of respect.
"Please, call me Professor Cerise." Cerise laughed it off with a wave of his hand. "I am a Professor now... and being called 'Chloe's dad' makes me feel old." He sweated.
"Is that Leaf? Ask her if she'd like to join us for supper!" Talia called out from the kitchen.
Cerise chuckled lightly before offering Leaf a light smile. "Care to join us for supper, Leaf?"
"I'd love to!" Leaf beamed at the idea. "Just let me call my folks real quick so that they know where I am."
Chloe couldn't help but smile. She loved traveling with Ash and Brock but it was always nice getting to hang out with another girl, even if it was just for the evening or a few hours.
"Sneasel!" The black furred weasel Pokemon hungrily eyed a nest filled with venomous purple colored eggs. Sneasel licked his lips and shot a quick look around to double check for the parents before quickly darting out to scoop an egg into his hands. "Snease!" The weasel happily cried out, he pulled the egg close to his chest before racing off. Although he desired to feast upon the egg he didn't dare do so until he was a safe distance from the nest.
After gaining a considerable distance, Sneasel stopped in his tracks and raised the egg towards his mouth as he prepared to bite down on it.
"SKAR!" A metallic bird swooped from the sky and began pecking at Sneasel causing the weasel to cry out from pain.
"S-Snease!" The Sneasel tried fighting back but his claws couldn't pierce Skarmory's metallic feathers. Sneasel sweated before dropping the egg, surrendering it to Skarmory before quickly proceeding to dart off for the safety of a nearby bush. Skarmory flashed a satisfactory smirk as he scooped the egg into his talons, the metallic bird uttered out a victory screech before taking off into the air. Though his screech merely served as a beacon for another rivaling Pokemon, a large black metallic raven swooped towards Skarmory and began viciously pecking at his sides!
"Skar!" Skarmory let out a pained cry before slashing Corviknight's side with his wing. Corviknight slashed back and Skarmory viciously pecked at his neck, the two rivaling birds continued viciously pecking at one another as they soared through the air. The Galar region soon fell behind them as they lost sense of direction on account of their heated battle.
"Skar!"
"Corvi!" Eventually their battle took them to the skies above Kanto, thunderclouds boomed and roared nearby but the birds were so engulfed by their hatred for one another that they barely paid it any attention.
"Corvi!"
"Skar!" The two viciously pecked at one another as they soared directly into the thundercloud before coming face to face with a Zapdos! The legendary bird stared at the two incoming birds and screeched out a warning cry as they blindly flew towards him but the two didn't hear and continued viciously pecking at one another until they approached Zapdos, dragging him into their fight as the two accidentally pecked at him upon crashing into him! The birds soon realized their mistake and began nervously sweating as Zapdos' eyes filled with rage.
"ZAP!" Electricity crackled around him before shooting out in a powerful electrical bolt that struck both Pokemon and the egg along with them!
"Skar!"
"Corvi!" The two birds screeched out as the electricity surged through them before soon falling towards the ground as they lost consciousness.
"Skar..." The egg slipped out of Skarmory's grasp as he lost consciousness and began falling towards the ground below.
"Mime, Mr. Mime..." Mimey awoke bright and early to get a head start on his chores, the Psychic type was currently sweeping the porch as he couldn't do much else on account of the rain and the sleeping residents inside his home. "Mime, mime... MR. MIME!" Mimey let out an alarmed shout as he caught sight of the falling egg, his eyes turned a bright blue color as he thrusted out his arms, stopping the egg right before it could splatter across the ground. Mimey wiped his brow and uttered a sigh of relief as the egg was carefully placed upon the ground though he'd soon leap up with a startled cry as Ash and Brock came racing out of the house, Brock was armed with a frying pan while Pikachu's cheeks sparked in a threatening manner.
Ash, Brock and Pikachu all shot quick looks around as they wondered what upset Mimey, the egg was currently obscured by Mimey's body so they weren't able to see it. The three then proceeded to turn towards Mimey with annoyed and sleep deprived expressions.
"Mimey, it's five in the morning..." Ash groaned out.
"Pika..."
Mimey was rather quiet as he scooped the egg into his arms. "Mime, Mr. Mime!" Mimey turned around before holding the egg out towards Ash and Brock. Ash and Brock's eyes widened at the sight of the egg and they shot a quick look around before giving Mimey questionable looks.
"Mimey, where did that come from?" Ash questioned.
"You didn't... steal it did you?" Brock couldn't help but ask, to be fair he didn't know Mimey well enough.
"Mime!" Mimey's eyes widened and sweat poured down his forehead at the sudden accusation. "Mime, Mr. Mime! Mime mime, Mr. Mime!" Mimey hastily shook his head before pointing up towards the sky.
Ash, Brock and Pikachu turned their gaze towards the sky above before tilting their heads as they made eye contact with him once more. "What?"
"Pika?" They didn't seem to understand so Mimey facepalmed before delivering a telepathic relay of the events to their brains.
"Mime!" He exclaimed.
"So it just fell... from the sky?" Ash looked up once more as if he expected to see a Pokemon coming towards them. "You think a bird accidentally dropped this?"
"I'm not so sure," Brock spoke while motioning towards a small singular white electric bolt that sat at the egg's center. "See that electric bolt? It looks like the egg belongs to an Electric type and I can only think of one Electric type with wings and this egg sure isn't yellow."
"Huh... well maybe a bird stole the egg? I recall something about that in school."
"Possibly." Brock shrugged before taking another quick look around. "Though whatever it was probably got scared off by the storm."
"So who'll look after the egg?"
"Well why not you? You raised Larvitar from an egg and helped him become the powerful Tyranitar that he is today, I think you're more than ready for the responsibility of raising another baby. I'd volunteer but I already have my hands full with Cubone and Vulpix." Brock stated with a light laugh.
"Mime, Mr. Mime!" Mimey eagerly nodded in agreement as he thrusted the egg towards Ash before forcing it into his arms, it seemed as if Mimey had no interest in having a baby Pokemon around the house.
Ash stared at the purple egg for a moment before cracking a smile. "Yeah, I think I will-"
"SKAR!" A vicious screech filled the night air as Skarmory swooped down from the sky, the metallic bird was glaring at Ash as he swooped towards him. His wings were a bright silver color as he prepared to strike!
"PIKA!" Pikachu didn't bother waiting for an order, electricity crackled out of his cheeks shortly before a powerful electrical bolt shot from his body. The electrical bolt grew even more powerful as it drew powerful from the raging thunderstorm above causing Skarmory to let out a rather loud screech that could be heard throughout the small town as evident by all the lights flicking on across town.
"SKAAAR!"
"SHUT UP!"
"Turn down the damn television, some of us work tomorrow!"
Electricity continued surging through Skarmory's veins before he fell in an unconscious heap, his beak landed on the tip of Ash's sneakers as swirls filled his eyes. "Skar..."
"Well it appears we've found the culprit." Brock spoke up.
"Mime..." Mimey sweated.
"Pika pi?" Pikachu motioned towards Ash's belt, seeming to suggest that he capture it.
"That's a good idea, I do need more Flying types." Ash gave his partner a quick nod while reaching for an empty Pokeball. He wasn't aware of the rules regarding Sky Battles but it sure sounded like Flying types were involved and the only ones currently within his possession were Pidgeot and Charizard. "Alright, let's welcome it to our team then!" A bright red beam engulfed Skarmory's body as the empty ball landed on top of his unconscious body before sucking him into it, the ball rolled onto the ground and began shaking back and forth before eventually chiming out to signal the capture.
"Skarmory the Armor Bird Pokemon, Skarmory's steel wings become tattered and bashed in from repeated battles. Once a year, the battered wings grow back completely, restoring the cutting edges to their pristine state!"
"Skarmory, so that's what you are." Ash smiled before holding the ball above his head as he performed his signature pose. "Alright, we just caught a Skarmory!"
"Pi Pikachu!"
Gary adjusted his jacket as he snuck out of Leaf's window, the sun began to rise and Gary was prepared to head off on his new adventure already. Although the Silver League was still two months away, he wasn't going to waste any time and planned on heading straight to Mt. Silver to train his team. He wasn't leaving his loved ones without saying goodbye, he already explained to Oak that he'd be leaving bright and early before proceeding to sneak off to Leaf's to give her a proper farewell as they wouldn't be seeing each other for a few months. Gary approved of Leaf's decision to become Cerise's lab assistant, it wasn't going to harm their relationship as the two regions were directly next to each other and they could simply take the Magnet Train to pay each other a visit whenever the opportunity should arise. Leaf similarly approved of Gary's choice on heading to Mt. Silver but begged him to be careful on account of the powerful Pokemon said to be residing there.
Gary soon departed Pallet Town and headed towards Viridian City as that was the quickest way to Mt. Silver, and he wasn't far out of the town when his eyes landed upon the unconscious form of Corviknight. Gary's eyes widened at the sight of the large metallic raven and he shot a quick look around to see if it belonged to somebody, nobody else was around and upon closer examination it appeared his injuries had been present for several hours. Gary smirked lightly upon realizing this was a wild Pokemon, withdrawing an Ultra Ball before giving the unconscious bird a quick tap. "Welcome to the team, Corviknight!"
"You got another egg?!" Chloe exclaimed the following morning as the trio walked up the steps to Professor Oak's laboratory.
"Yep and this one fell right out of the sky." Ash sweated before giving the egg another look. "I wonder what's inside it..."
"Perhaps a Johto Pokemon? Skarmory do reside within the mountain regions of Johto." Brock noted.
"The only purple Johto Pokemon I can think of is Smoochum." Chloe tilted her head as she looked the egg over. "The pre-evolved form of Jynx... but it doesn't look like a Smoochum's egg."
"Well whatever it is, I can't wait to meet it!" Ash formed an excitable look as he gazed down towards the egg. "Hopefully it hatches soon."
The three were going to head off for the Orange Islands later that day but first Ash was going to explain his plan to his Pokemon while also attending the party that Delia insisted he attend as most of Pallet Town would be there. And it turned out that Delia was right as some residents including Leaf's father could be seen helping Professor Oak and Delia get things set up while the Pokemon were all in the usual spot in the corral.
"MOOOO!" Tauros let out an excitable cry as he caught sight of Ash causing the remainder of his Pokemon to rush towards the fence and cry out for their trainer as they were all happy to see him again. Nidoking, Butterfree, Beedrill, Sceptile, Kabutops, Charizard, Tyranitar, Gengar, Kingler, Primeape, Pidgeot, Muk, Sandslash and Steelix were all present. Skarmory was the only one not present but not for long as Ash soon let him out of the Pokeball. Skarmory stretched his wings and screeched out before turning his attention towards Ash, his tongue ran across his beak as his eyes flickered towards the egg.
"Promise to behave?"
"Skar..." Skarmory hesitated for a moment before eventually nodding in agreement. "Skar!"
"Alright then, go join the others!" The other Pokemon let out a welcoming cry as Skarmory hopped towards them. A smile crossed Skarmory's beak as he flew over the barrier before landing beside his new teammates.
"Skar!"
"It's good to see you all again!" Ash smiled while looking over his small horde of Pokemon. "Our Indigo League adventure has come to an end but it's a brand new day and the start of a new adventure. I'll be heading off for the Orange Islands and partaking in the Gym Challenge there while we wait for the Silver League to begin, I won't be able to use all of you as I'm not sure what the rules are just yet but rest assured you'll all continue getting to train alongside me and get another chance to shine once the Silver League starts up, I promise!"
"Mooooo!"
"Muk!"
"Steel!"
"Slash!"
"Freee!"
"Bzzzz!"
"Char!"
"Tyra!"
"Gengar!"
"King!"
"Cookie!"
"Sceptile!" The Pokemon all eagerly cried out in anticipation of the upcoming challenges that laid ahead.
"Ash, can I speak to you for a moment?" Professor Oak asked as he came up from behind the group.
"Yeah sure, Professor. What is it, my Pokemon didn't break anything of yours did they?"
"Mooo!" Tauros frantically cried out as he tried to explain that it was an accident.
"Oh don't worry Tauros, it's not about that." Oak chuckled.
"Mooo..." Tauros sighed from relief.
"I have a favor to ask of you, Gary informed me that you were heading for the Orange Islands and I've got a friend there with quite the unusual discovery. She found an unusual golden colored Pokeball with quite the age to it, though that's not the weird part... the ball won't open no matter what she tries nor can you transfer it via the usual methods, we've tried but it simply stays put. I know it's a lot to ask but seeing how you'll be in the area, do you think you could pick it up for me? I'd go myself but I'm quite caught up in research at the moment." Oak sweated.
"Yeah sure thing, Professor!" Ash didn't even hesitate, he too was intrigued on the mystery surrounding the ball and he was interested in seeing it through. Who knows what sort of Pokemon resided within the ball, sure it could simply be a Magikarp hiding inside of it but the unusual circumstances regarding the ball suggested that there was something to it. "I'd be happy to, it's the least I could do." The man did look after his Pokemon after all.
Professor Oak clasped his hands together as an excitable grin crossed his face. "That's great, she'll be on Valencia Island which shouldn't be too far off from one of the Gyms from what I hear. And no need to rush back with it, you can simply pass it off to me when you return at the end of your adventure there! Now how about we join the guests? From the smell of things, I think the party's about to get started!"
"Bye Ash!"
"Good luck on your new adventure!"
"Be sure to send me a postcard when you get there!" Leaf called out as she waved alongside the other Pallet Town residents.
"We will, see you Leaf and good luck!" Ash called out while he and his companions waved back at the residents before eventually turning around to hit the road.
"And don't forget to change your you-know-what's!" Delia suddenly called out causing Ash's cheeks to burn bright red while Pikachu covered his mouth to hide a light snicker. Chloe couldn't help but giggle out while Brock uttered out a light chuckle.
"MOM!" Ash shouted.
"Sorry sweetie but with Brock handling the cooking and Pikachu watching over you, that's all I have to worry about!" Delia giggled before giving him a quick hug and a kiss. "Now good luck on your adventure and be safe, I can't wait to hear all about it when you get back."
"Bye mom..." Ash sweated while giving her a goodbye hug.
Chloe, Brock, Eevee and Pikachu all forced straight faces as Ash turned back towards them. "Alright, now let's get to Vermillion City. The Orange Islands await!"
"How did their boat leave before ours?" Flash couldn't help but frown as he stood on the dock alongside Giselle.
"Well the Orange Islands are a lot closer than the Galar region." Giselle reminded him. "Don't worry, I'm sure that someday our boat will leave before his does."
"I sure hope so..." Flash muttered out while crossing his arms.
Ash, Brock and Chloe stood atop the boat's deck as it pulled out of the Vermillion City harbor, the three waved back at their friends until they disappeared from view while the purple egg sat nestled safely within Ash's arm. Several hours later, the three returned to the ship's deck as the Orange Islands slowly came into view.
"Attention passengers, we'll be arriving at Tangelo Island shortly. Please prepare to disembark and be sure to enjoy your stay, and thank you for choosing the Squirtle cruise line!"
"Well that's it, we've got enough money for a trip back home but we'll have to avoid spending money on boat rides. It'll be too costly traveling this way every time we want to visit a new island..." Chloe sweated.
"And none of us have Water types capable of ferrying us across the ocean." Brock added on.
"And Charizard hates flying over water." Ash finished while turning his gaze towards the ocean. "Well then, I suppose that we'll have to find an alternate way of traversing the islands before-"
Crack! A cracking noise could be heard causing the three to jump as they thought something happened to the boat but upon noticing the other passengers passing by without a care they realized that wasn't it.
"Pika pi!"
"Eevoi!" Pikachu and Eevee pointed excitedly towards the purple egg as it continued to crack before a bright white light engulfed the entirety of it.
"The egg-" Brock started.
"It's-" Chloe continued.
"Hatching!" Ash finished.
"Pika!" Pikachu and Ash's eyes glowed as they locked onto the egg, not pulling their attention away from it as their new partner slowly came into view. Purple scales were the first thing they saw as the Pokemon punched through the egg shell, a lizard head then popped into view. The singular white lightning bolt was now present upon his forehead as he gazed towards Ash with a fond expression as he imprinted on him.
"Tox..."
"Whoa, what Pokemon is that?" Brock gasped. He hadn't seen anything like it before.
"I-I'm not sure, it's definitely not from our region or Johto." Chloe noted while tilting her head before eventually pulling out her Rotom Phone as Ash's hands were full.
"Toxel the Baby Pokemon, it stores poison in an internal poison sac and secretes that poison through its skin. If you touch this Pokemon, a tingling sensation follows." Now that the Rotom Phone mentioned it, Ash did feel a rather strange tingling sensation flowing through him.
"So you're a Toxel... well Toxel, it's great to meet you. I'm Ash Ketchum and this is my good buddy, Pikachu!"
"Pika!" Pikachu smiled and offered his new partner a friendly wave. Toxel smiled and began making his way up Ash's body before resting directly next to Pikachu. Pikachu smiled and gave his baby brother a light pat. "Pika... PI!" Pikachu gasped out as Toxel suddenly pushed him off. "Pika!" Pikachu hit against the boat floor with a light thud while Toxel giggled out.
"Tox..."
"Pika pi!" Pikachu snapped while electricity crackled from his cheeks.
"Calm down Pikachu, you can rest on my other shoulder!" Ash spoke out.
"Pi!" Pikachu leaped up onto Ash's shoulder only for Toxel to reach out and give him a push, knocking Pikachu off Ash's body once more.
Ash sweated before shaking his head lightly as Chloe leaned forward to offer Pikachu a place on her shoulder. "You're welcome to sit up here, Pikachu." She offered with a warm smile. "I'm sure that Toxel will warm up to sharing in time."
"Pi..." Pikachu's ears lowered. He didn't have anything against Chloe but he much preferred sitting on Ash's shoulder. Though he did offer her an appreciative nuzzle as he leaped onto her shoulder.
Ash reached for his belt and pulled out an empty Pokeball before giving Toxel a light tap. "Welcome to the team, Toxel!"
"Tox!" Toxel excitedly cried out as his body was engulfed by the bright red light. The ball shook once before promptly chiming out to mark the capture as a success!
"Well this will certainly make things interesting," Although Gengar knew Thunderbolt, Ash never officially owned a second Electric type until now. He hoped that in time, Toxel would learn to share with Pikachu.
"Pika!" Pikachu leaped back onto Ash's shoulder and gave him an affectionate nuzzle upon Toxel's disappearance which didn't last long as the lizard helped himself out much like a certain blue blob did.
"Tox!" The lizard reached out and gave Pikachu another swat causing the electrical mouse to fly off of the ship before landing in the water.
"Pikachu!" Ash quickly leaned over the side of the ship before uttering out a sigh of relief as he saw Pikachu looking back up at him from atop his miniature surfboard, tapping his foot as he glared up towards Toxel.
"Pika..."
"Toxel tox tox!" Toxel giggled out.
Ash is a bit more well off than he used to be after winning the Indigo League but that doesn't mean he can blow it all on boat trips, besides it'd be over in like five chapters if I had him do that haha. How would he encounter Butch/Cassidy, catch Pokemon, see crystal Onix, and save the world if he simply went from point A to point B?
Toxel is meant to fulfill the team baby role that Togepi had for the foreseeable future, you won't see him 'grow up' until mid-Johto. Hint hint ;)
I really like the idea of Ash having a Toxtricity, sadly it never happened and upon writing it in Legends Reborn I grew even fonder of the idea and just had to bring him in as he can fill in the void that Togepi left upon evolution and allow for certain plot threads to still occur. Ash won't be traveling to Galar so no issue there!
Brock and Chloe will be getting some focus too further on, up next... you can probably guess.