Chapter 2
Hey guys! How's it goin'? I hope you all liked my last chapter! I thought it was a good way to start things off. Here's the second chapter, which is up a lot sooner than I had imagined. Just an FYI, I will post these chapters as quickly as possible. I like to write when I have inspiration and this Pokemon story hit me like a ton of bricks. So be prepared for several more updates in the next month.
After that, however, things might slow down. I have two other fics I'm writing, and I don't plan on giving those up. I also go to school and work full time. Just giving up a heads up.
I would like the thank my beta, Chibiusa!
Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon.
Light filtered through the curtains that hung from Ash's bedroom window. A soft groan emitted from underneath the light blue comforter. The groan got louder as an alarm echoed through the bedroom. Ash sat up in his bed, looking bleary-eyed. His hair was sticking up in many different directions.
He looked at his alarm, seeing it was already 7:31. Ash turned off his alarm, and stretched. He got out of bed and got dressed in a set of clothes his mother bought for him. He put on his brown jeans, and a black t-shirt. He grabbed a blue jacket hanging in his closet and put it on. He reached over by his bed-side table and put on his official League hat and smirked.
'I'm ready.' He thought confidently.
He walked downstairs and saw his mother in the kitchen. "Morning, Mom." He greeted warmly.
"Good Morning, Sweetheart. You excited to get your first Pokemon?" She asked, flipping some pancakes.
"Yup! I'm hoping I'll be able to get Charmander, but I'll be happy with whatever Pokemon I'll get." He smiled, grabbing himself a glass of orange juice.
Delia smiled and placed his breakfast on the table. "I'm proud of you, Ash. Now...eat up. Then you can go get your first Pokemon."
Ash smiled and sat down. He ate his breakfast, which consisted of eggs, bacon, pancakes, and his orange juice. He and his mother discussed where he was planning on heading first.
"Well...Viridian is only a half-a-day's walk from here. If I don't dawdle on Route 1, I should make it there by the afternoon." Ash smiled, taking on last swig of his juice. He sighed in content and smiled at him mom. "Alright, Mom. I'm going to head to Professor Oak's now. I'll stop by with my new Pokemon to say goodbye and pick up my pack."
Delia nodded, getting a little choked up. "A-Alright, Sweetie. I'll see you soon."
Ash smiled and hugged his mother. Once he pulled away, he put on his sneakers and left the house. He took a deep breath, and slowly let it out. He smiled and made his way towards the lab.
As he walked, he noticed Leaf leaving her house. He smiled and jogged up to her. "Hey, Leaf." He greeted.
Leaf turned to Ash and smiled. Leaf was dressed in a lavender tunic, dark wash jeans, and pink sneakers. She decided to forgo the hat she typically wore. "Hey, Ash! You excited?"
"You bet! What about you?" He asked, putting his hands in his jacket pocket.
Leaf nodded. "Yeah, but...I don't think I want to compete in the Kanto League..." Leaf said softly.
Ash raised an eyebrow, confused by her statement. "Really? You've always enjoyed watching Pokemon battles."
"Oh, I love battles. And I'm sure I will love battling when I get my Pokemon. But...I don't feel like it's what I should focus on. You and Gary always excelled when we had to do mock battles at the summer camps. But...I want to travel. I want to see and study Pokemon." She said brightly.
Ash nodded in understanding. "Do you think you'll be a researcher?"
"The thought's crossed my mind. I don't know what the focus of my study would be, though. That's why I want to travel and see Pokemon from all over the world." Leaf said with a nod.
Ash could tell she was passionate about her objective, and smiled at his friend. "I think that's awesome, Leaf. Do what you want to do. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise."
Leaf blushed and nodded. "Thanks Ash."
The two walked in comfortable silence up to Oak's lab. When they arrived, Ash knocked on the door, and they were greeted by Alena.
"Hey Alena!" Ash and Leaf greeted.
Alena smiled at the two teens. "Hello Leaf. Ash. You excited for today?" Alena hadn't changed much in the four years since Ash started studying at the lab. The only difference about her was the rather beautiful, diamond ring on her left hand.
"Looks like Jacob finally popped the question, huh?" Leaf said with a waggle of her eyebrows.
Alena giggled as she let the two teens inside. "Yeah. He was so nervous when he asked me, I thought he was going to faint."
The three laughed together, as Alena lead them towards the back of the lab where the Professor was. Alena smiled and opened the door to the research room. "Here you go. Good luck."
The teens thanked the woman, walking inside. Once inside the room, they noticed Gary was already there, which didn't surprise them much. But what surprised them was another boy in the room.
"Ritchie?" Ash blinked.
The boy turned around and smiled. Richard Harrison, or Ritchie as he liked to be called, met Ash, Leaf, and Gary at Professor Oak's Summer Camp two years prior.
"Hey Ash! Hey Leaf! How's it goin'?" He greeted warmly. Ritchie was a 14 year-old with long red-auburn hair pulled back into a small ponytail, fringes of hair framing his face. He had on a button up coat-hoodie combo, with black jeans, and brown boots. He looked just as excited as Ash and Leaf felt.
"It's goin' good, Ritchie. I honestly wasn't expecting you to be here." Lead said, shocked by the boy's presence. "I thought you'd get your Pokemon in Saffron City."
Ritchie shook his head. "Nah. I always enjoyed the summer camps here, so I promised myself I'd start my journey from Pallet Town." He chuckled.
"Oh, shut up." Gary spat, annoyed with the trio's conversation. "Pallet Town's nothing special. Just a insignificant town with insignificant people."
Everyone stared at Gary, baffled he would say something so heartless.
His attitude over the past four years hadn't improved in the slightest, but his appearance did. He had shot up in height, and was slightly taller than Ash. He no longer wore a purple long-sleeve shirt and black pants. He changed to a black t-shirt, a light blue zip-up hoodie, light brown pants, and dark brown boots. His brown hair was still spiky, but it was slightly shorter and more manageable. His light brown eyes were cold and calculating, not playful and full of life like they used to.
"Gary...why would you say something like that?" Leaf asked quietly, concerned for her old friend.
"Why do you care?" He said with a shrug.
"Because we're your friends!" Ash yelled. "And your grandfather lives here! He loves you!"
Gary scoffed. "Sure. Whatever. I just want him to give me my Pokemon so I can leave this place." He said in a low voice, turning his back to the other three.
The three teens stared at Gary with anger and pity.
They all stood in awkward silence, waiting for Professor Oak to arrive. Five, long, tense minutes passed and the older Professor finally arrived carrying a tray of three Pokemon.
"Good morning, everyone." He greeted warmly.
"Good morning Professor." Ash, Leaf, and Ritchie greeted.
"Ritchie? I wasn't expecting you to be here today." He said with astonishment. He looked down at the Pokeballs and chuckled nervously. "Eheheh...it seems I only have three Pokemon with me right now."
"So...what does that mean?" Gary frowned.
"Well...I can round up and extra Pokemon from the corral. It won't be one of the typical starters." Oak said, rubbing his his chin thoughtfully.
"That sounds cool." Ash smiled. "I'll stay behind, Professor."
Oak smiled brightly. "Why thank you, Ash. How mature of you." He praised.
Gary scowled, narrowing his eyes at his rival.
Samuel turned to Gary, frowning at him. "Yes well...before I let you choose your Pokemon, I would like to give you all your Pokedexes."
Oak pulled out 4 pocket-sized encyclopedia. "It's a good thing I always have extra of these." He chuckled. "These are state-of-the-art Pokedexes. As you know, new Pokemon have been discovered from regions around the world. These Pokedexes are updated with information on Pokemon from Kanto, Johto, Hoenn, Sinnoh, Unova, and Kalos. I hope you put your Pokedex to good use." He said, handing each teen a Pokedex. Each one, even Gary, thanked the Pokemon Professor.
"Now, I believe we should get to choosing your Pokemon. Leaf...ladies first." Oak said, holding out the tray containing the Pokeballs.
Leaf smiled brightly and stepped forward. She reached out and took the Pokeball with an engraved green leaf on the front. She opened the Pokeball and a bright white light erupted from the small sphere.
"Bulba?" The green saurian looked around, taking in it's surroundings. It looked up, seeing Leaf kneeling before him.
"Hello there, Bulbasaur. My name's Leaf. I'm your new trainer." She greeted.
Bulbasaur smiled and took a step forward, nuzzling the girl's knee.
Leaf giggled, stroking the saurian's head. She stood up and took a few steps back, Bulbasaur sitting by her side.
Oak nodded and turned to Ritchie. "Alright Ritchie. You may choose next."
Gary scoffed and shook his head with disgust. "Of course..." He whispered with animosity.
Ritchie and Samuel ignored the young Oak boy, and turned their attention on the two Pokeball on the tray. Ritchie stepped forward and took the Pokeball with an orange flame engraved into it. He did the same as Leaf, and released his new Pokemon.
"Char!" The fire lizard cried.
"Heheh! Hey Charmander! My name's Ritchie and I'm a Pokemon trainer. You ready to take on the Pokemon League?" He said kneeling down, holding out his hand to the fire lizard.
The Charmander nodded and gave Ritchie a bright smile, shaking hands with his new trainer.
"Awesome! I'm gonna call you Zippo!" Ritchie said, picking up his new Pokemon.
"Char!" The small Charmander cried happily.
"Gary." Samuel said, turning to his grandson. "That leaves Squirtle to you." He said with a soft smile.
Gary stepped forward and took the Pokeball. "Thanks." He said callously. He clipped the Pokeball onto his belt and turned to leave.
"Gary?" Oak blinked. "You're not going to introduce yourself to your Pokemon?" He asked quietly.
Gary looked back out of the corner of his eyes and rolled his eyes. "Feh. I'll introduce myself to Squirtle when I'm away from this place." He said, walking out of the laboratory.
Samuel sighed, watching the boy leave in sadness. "That boy..."
Ash stepped forward, watching the Professor with concern. "You okay, Professor?"
"Yes, I'm okay. I just worry about him." The Professor said with a shake of his head. He took a deep breath and looked back at Ash. "Alright Ash, my boy. Now...I can't give you a typical starter."
"I know, Professor. What do you have that you can give me?" Ash asked, adjusting his hat on his head.
"Well...we do have several Nidoran on the ranch." Oak suggested.
Ash shook his head. "Nah. Nidoran are cool, but I don't really wanna start with one. I'll probably catch one on my journey."
Oak nodded. "Well...there is a few Machop that had hatched a couple months ago. Maybe one of them?"
Ash thought for a moment, before shaking his head. "No thanks. I don't think a Machop would suit me." He shrugged.
Oak hummed, rubbing his chin in thought. "Wait...I have the perfect Pokemon." He said, quickly rushing towards a bookshelf with Pokeballs lining the shelves. After a few moments, Oak returned holding a Pokeball. "Here you are, Ash."
Ash blinked, looking at the Pokeball. He pressed the small button on the ball, opening it. A white light erupted from the ball, forming into a small, rodent-like shape. When the light died, the Pokemon looked up at Ash with a passive expression.
"Woah...it's a Pikachu." He awed, kneeling in front of the electric rodent. "Where'd you get one, Professor?" He asked, still looking at the Pikachu.
"I found him chewing on some wiring a couple of days ago. I caught him, and he wasn't too happy about it." Oak chuckled nervously.
Pikachu frowned at the older man, still sour about his recent capture.
Ash chuckled, slowly putting his hand out. "Hey there, Pikachu. My name's Ash. I'm going to be traveling around the Kanto region, and I would love to have you as my starter."
Pikachu turned back to Ash, his ears twitching at Ash's declaration.
"My dream is to become a Pokemon Master. I would like for you to help me fulfill that dream." The raven-haired boy smiled.
Pikachu blinked. The boy seemed genuine, and the thought of traveling appealed to the small Pokemon. Pikachu slowly stepped forward, sniffing Ash's palm. After several moments of inspecting the boy, Pikachu slowly rested his head in the boy's palm.
Ash smiled and gently stroked Pikachu's cheeks, making sure to keep the pressure gentle. "Great to have you on board, Pikachu." Ash stood up and went to return Pikachu, but the mouse shook his head vehemently.
"It appears Pikachu doesn't like his Pokeball." Oak chuckled.
Ash nodded and shrunk the Pokeball, clipping it to his belt. "Alright, then." Ash knelt back down, holding his hand out again. "Climb on up, Pikachu."
Pikachu stared at Ash in bewilderment. He wasn't going to force him back in the Pokeball? Pikachu ran onto of Ash's arm, resting on the boy's shoulder. He sighed in content, happy with his new trainer.
Oak smiled at the three before him. "Alright children. You are now officially trainers. Don't forget to register yourselves at the first Pokemon Center you reach."
"We won't Professor." Leaf nodded. "Thank you very much!"
The boys thanked the Professor as well, and the trio left the lab.
"Well guys," Ritchie said, moving ahead of Ash and Leaf. "I'm gonna go. Hopefully I'll see you guys again."
"For sure, Ritchie." Ash said, holding out his hand. Ritchie took it, and the boys shook hands. Leaf did the same thing, and bid Ritchie farewell.
"So Ash...where are you going first?" Leaf asked softly.
"Well...I'm gonna say goodbye to my Mom, and introduce her to Pikachu. Then I'll go through Route 1 into Viridian. If I make good time, there'll be enough daylight left to do some exploring on Route 22." He said thoughtfully, gently scratching behind Pikachu's ears.
"That sounds like a good idea. I want to make it all the way to Viridian Forest." Leaf nodded. "I want to get a good jump on you." She teased.
Ash smirked. "Yeah. You're gonna need it." He teased back. He reached over and pulled Leaf into a hug. "Take care of yourself, Leaf."
Leaf blushed, hugging Ash back. After a few moments, the two pulled away and Leaf walked with her Bulbasaur towards Route 1.
Ash watched Leaf leave for a few moments, then sighed.
"Pika?" Pikachu blinked, staring at his trainer.
"Hm? Oh...it's okay, Pikachu. It's just kinda sad to see friends leave." He said, stroking the top of Pikachu's head. He sighed again and headed home. "You'll love my mom, Pikachu. She's awesome." He said proudly.
"Pi?"
"Well...she's been taking care of my all my life. My dad left to go on a journey when I was two, so it's just been me and my mom. She used to be a Pokemon trainer too, you know. She'll love you. She loves all cute Pokemon." He laughed.
"Pikachu!" Pikachu smiled.
"Yes, she'll think you're cute. She's also an awesome cook. I wouldn't be surprised if she packed us a lunch." He laughed. He walked up to his house, stepping inside of the white picket fence. He opened the door, softly closing it behind him.
"Mom? I back!" He called out.
Delia came downstairs, a red backpack in her hands. "Welcome back, Sweetie. Everything's ready to go." She said with a small sniffle. "Oh! A Pikachu!" She gushed. "What a darling Pokemon."
Pikachu blushed, rubbing the back of his head.
"Now Pikachu," Delia started, gently petting Pikachu's head. "Please watch over my Ash. Make sure he eats healthy, and changes his underwear everyday, and-"
"Mom!" Ash cried, his face turning a bright shade of red. "You don't have to worry, Mom. I'll be safe. I'll call you when I get to Viridian." He promised.
"Oh!" Delia exclaimed. "I almost forgot." She rushed over towards the kitchen, rustling through one of the drawers.
Ash and Pikachu looked at each other with raised eyebrows. Delia came back and handed Ash a small box with a bow on top.
"Mom...you didn't have to get me anything." He sighed, but smiled at his mother.
"I know, but...I think this will come in handy." She said with a tearful smile.
Ash took the bow off of the package, playfully putting on Pikachu's head. He laughed as Pikachu tried to take it off. He opened the box and gasped. "Woah...Mom. This...This is too much. I can't accept this." He said looking up at his mother with shock.
"Oh Sweetheart, don't say that." Delia commented, waving her son off.
Ash chuckled softly. He pulled out a red and silver device; it was the latest model of the Pokegear. He opened it, seeing it was already programmed with the house's number, the cafe's number, and Professor Oak's number. "Thanks Mom." He said, hugging the woman.
Delia smiled, hugging her son back. "I'll miss you." She cried.
"I'll miss you too, Mom. Hey...I'll catch you a couple of Pokemon to keep you company, okay? Maybe a few can help you around the cafe." He said, trying not to let a couple of tears fall.
Delia laughed. "Sounds wonderful, Sweetie. Take care of yourself, Ash."
Ash chuckled. "I will, Mom." He kissed his mom's cheek and took his pack. "I'll talk to you later."
"Bye, Ash." She cried.
Ash smiled at his mother, and left the house. Once outside, he took a deep breath and slowly let it out. He stepped out of his mother's yard and onto the dirt path that lead to Route 1.
"You ready, Pikachu?" He said, looking at his new companion.
"Pikachu!" The electric-type cheered, pumping his fist for emphasis.
Ash chuckled. "Me too." The teen set out on the dirt road towards Route 1.
.
.
Route 1 was a rather boring excursion. Pikachu received some battling experience, taking on any rogue Pidgey or Rattata that came across their path. They reached Viridian City by the early afternoon, and decided to stop by the Pokemon Center.
It took Ash roughly 10 minutes to reach the large building. He walked in and saw the pink-haired nurse behind the front desk, working on something on her computer. Ash walked up with a smile. "Excuse me."
The woman turned from her computer and smiled. "Hello, and welcome to the Viridian City Pokemon Center. My name is Nurse Joy. How can I help you?"
"I was wondering if you could give Pikachu a check up. We had a couple of battles, and I just want to make sure he didn't take any serious damage." Ash explained, gently picking Pikachu off his shoulder, and placing him on the counter.
Joy smiled brightly. "Of course. If you could please return your Pikachu-" Joy stopped when she saw Pikachu shakes his head.
Ash chuckled nervously, rubbing the back of his head. "Sorry, Nurse Joy. Pikachu doesn't like his Pokeball very much. Is there any way to do a check up without him being in his Pokeball?"
Joy chuckled, scratching behind Pikachu's ears. "Of course. Is there anything else I can help you with?"
"Well, I was wondering if I could get a room for the night?" Ash asked, adjusting his backpack.
"Of course." Nurse Joy ducked underneath the counter and handed Ash a room key. "Here you go. I'm going to take Pikachu to the back. It should only take a few minutes." She said, lifting Pikachu into her arms.
Ash nodded, and gave a little wave to his Pokemon. Ash tucked the room key into his pants pocket, and sat down on one of the lobby's couches. He looked up at the television that was mounted on the wall near the couches. The weather report was on, but Ash didn't pay much head to it. Deciding to call his mom, he walked over to the video phones. They were more convenient than his Pokegear. He dialed the house number, waiting for his mother to answer. When there was no answer, he decided to call the cafe.
/Thank you for calling Pallet Cafe. How can I help you?/
"Hey, Mom." Ash greeted.
/Ash! Are you in Viridian already?/
"Yup. Route 1 was pretty uneventful, so we got here pretty fast." Ash shrugged. "Pikachu's with Nurse Joy right now. So when he's done, we're probably going to head to Route 22." He smiled.
/Be careful, Sweetheart. There's supposed to be a storm rolling in tonight./ Delia warned.
"I will. Thanks, Mom."
/No problem, Sweetheart. I better get back to work. Call me when you can, okay?/
"Of course, Mom. Love you."
/I love you too, Ash. Bye./
"Bye, Mom." He smiled and hung up. He stood up and heard a some sort of 'ding' echo through the lobby.
"Ash Ketchum. Your Pokemon are ready for pick up. Please report to the front desk."
Ash recognized Nurse Joy's voice, and walked to the front desk, where he saw Pikachu waiting for him.
"Hey, Pikachu. How do you feel, buddy?" Ash asked.
Pikachu smiled and leapt onto Ash's shoulder. "Pika!"
"Awesome." He chuckled, scratching under Pikachu's chin. He smiled when he heard Pikachu hum in appreciation. "Hey Nurse Joy. One more thing. Can you register me for the Pokemon League?"
"Of course. I just need your Pokedex." She explained.
Ash nodded and handed the woman his Pokedex. She put it in a slot in her computer, and started typing away. After a few moments, she pulled out the Pokedex and handed it back to Ash. "Here you go, Mr. Ketchum."
"Thanks, Nurse Joy." He smiled. He put the Pokedex back into his back pocket and left the Pokemon Center.
"Alright, Pikachu." He said, looking at his companion when they stepped outside. "We're going to do some training."
"Pikachu!" He cried with determination.
Ash decided to take a quick detour to the PokeMart, where he bought some Pokeballs and a few potions. After paying for the items, clipping the free balls onto his belt, and putting the potions away, he started his trek to Route 22. Along the way, Ash decided to scan Pikachu with his Pokedex.
"Pikachu: The Mouse Pokemon. When several of these Pokemon gather, their electricity can build and cause lightning storms. Gender: Male. Ability: Lightning Rod. Move Set: Thundershock, Tail Whip, Growl. This Pikachu has the Egg Moves Charge and Volt Tackle. These moves require extensive training before being attempted in battle."
Ash heard his Pokedex, or Dexter, read out the information on his companion and smirked. "Well Pikachu...I think I know what we're going to work on." He smirked.
"Pikachu!" Pikachu nodded and with confident smile.
The duo walked for another thirty minutes, finally making it to Route 22. Once Ash deduced that the surroundings were safe, Ash gently set Pikachu down on the ground.
"Okay, Pikachu. You ready to do some training?" Pikachu nodded and smirked, making Ash smirk. "Okay. So, Dexter said you have an egg move called Charge. I have an idea of how we're going to do that."
Pikachu stood at attention, wondering how Ash was going to train it.
"Start by using Thundershock on yourself." He nodded.
Pikachu stared at his trainer. Maybe he was crazy...
"Don't give me that look." He laughed. "Charge is a build up of an electric type's power. Afterward, your electrical attacks will be much stronger." He directed.
Pikachu nodded, understanding. Pikachu stood on all fours, looking up at his trainer,
waiting for orders.
"Okay, Pikachu. Use Thundershock on yourself." Ash ordered.
"Pika...chu!" The mouse cried as he released the electricity into his body.
"Hold it! Try and keep the electricity from escaping from your body." Ash exclaimed.
Pikachu cringed, trying to keep hold of the electricity. After a few moments of holding in the attack, the electricity shot off Pikachu and rocketed towards Ash.
Ash gasped and jumped down on the ground, the attack shooting over him.
"Pika Pi!" Pikachu cried, rushing over to his trainer.
"I'm okay, Pikachu." He looked behind him and saw a scorch mark on the ground several feet away. "That was a good first try. Let's try again." Ash said, standing up.
Pikachu nodded and performed the same attack on himself, focusing on holding the electricity.
"That's it. Keep holding it!" Ash commanded, watching his partner try and control the electricity.
Once again, Pikachu couldn't contain the amount of electricity and it rocketed off of him. The duo kept at the training for about an hour, before Ash called for a break.
"Here." Ash said, filling up a small bowl of Poke Chow.
Pikachu blinked, picking up one of the pellets. He put it into his mouth and hummed happily. He ate the food with vigor, not wanting to leave a single piece untouched.
Ash chuckled. "Glad you like it, Pikachu." He reached into his backpack, pulling out a small, brown bag. He reached in and pulled out a peanut butter sandwich, an apple, and a bottle of water. Ash took a bite of his sandwich, and pulled out his Pokedex.
"Pika Pika Chu?" Pikachu asked, shoving more food into his mouth.
"I'm checking to see what Pokemon I can find on this route. The first gym leader uses rock types and you are at a disadvantage." He said nonchalantly.
"Pika..." Pikachu grumbled.
"Don't give me that. The only way we'd stand a chance is if we caught a Mankey here. But it looks like it's Mankey's migratory season." Ash grumbled. "Mankey flock here in the spring, but moved towards central Kanto in the summer." He sighed. "So we're out of luck there." He sighed, taking another bite of his sandwich.
"Pikachu Pi?" Pikachu asked, pushing his empty bowl away.
"Well...Psyduck, Poliwag, and Slowpoke have been seen around here. I figured if we couldn't get a Mankey, that'd I try to get one of them." He explained, closing his Pokedex. "They can all be pretty good Pokemon, it's just getting lucky enough to find one."
Ash finished his lunch, and stood up, brushing himself off. "There's a pond, not too far from here. That's where we're likely to find them." He said, picking up Pikachu's bowl and putting it away in his pack. "Let's go, Pikachu."
"Pikachu!" The mouse cried, hopping back up onto Ash's shoulder.
The duo took the short walk from their picnic site to the pond, which looked calm and quiet. "Well...there doesn't seem to be any activity right now. What do you say we liven things up a bit?" He smirked at his Pikachu.
Pikachu smirked as well, jumping off the boy's shoulders.
"Alright Pikachu, use tail whip on the water. Cause as much of a commotion on the surface as you can." Ash directed.
Pikachu nodded, jogging over to the surface. Pikachu turned around, and began to slap the flat side of his tail against the water. Waves of ripples flowed across the surface.
"Keep at it, Pikachu." Ash said as he moved closer to the surface. "If one's curious enough, they'll come check out the disturbance." He explained.
Pikachu nodded and continued to slap his tail across the water.
Ash stood there, watching his Pikachu repeatedly slap the water, waiting for any sign of a Pokemon. After a solid ten minutes, Ash stopped his Pikachu.
"Alright Pikachu, that's enough." He sighed, scratching his head with annoyance. "If a Pokemon were curious, it'd have shown up by now." He grumbled.
Pikachu nodded, walking back over to his trainer. He looked back at his tail, which was drooping.
"Sorry bud. I'm sure your tail's sore. But...think of it as some special training. You're building up the strength in your tail. That'll make for a stronger tail whip, and eventually it'll help if you decide to learn Iron Tail."
Pikachu nodded, happy to have a little rest.
"Poli?"
Ash and Pikachu turned their attention towards the pond. Poking out of the water was a blue, spherical dome with wide black eyes.
Ash sucked in his breath, not wanting to startle the aquatic Pokemon. Ash slowly pulled out his Pokedex, pointing it at the Poliwag.
"Poliwag, the tadpole Pokemon. Poliwag has no arms, but its tail makes it a powerful swimmer."
"Alright, Pikachu. We gotta get Poliwag out of the water." Ash instructed. "Try and catch it's attention. This might sound kind of strange, but use Tail Whip as cutely and playfully as you can. Try and get it to come to you."
Pikachu nodded and began to shake his tail. Pikachu gave the Poliwag a playful expression, wanting the Poliwag to come play with him.
"Poli!" The tadpole Pokemon cried, swimming towards Pikachu. Once at the water's edge, the Poliwag hopped onto land, waddling towards the electric mouse.
"Pikachu! Use Growl now!" Ash commanded.
Pikachu turned and emitted a shrill cry. The Poliwag whined, trying to shake away the loud noise.
"Now, use Thundershock!"
"Pika...chu!" The mouse cried, releasing the electricity from it's body. The electric current flew towards the Poliwag, enveloping the tadpole. Ash watched as the Poliwag, cried out in pain. After Pikachu's attack, the Poliwag glared at him and Pikachu.
"Poli! Poli!" It jumped up and down a few times, looking rather angry at the duo. Once it stopped jumping, it fired off a water gun.
"Dodge, Pikachu! Then use Growl again!" Ash commanded.
Pikachu jumped out of the way, and opened his mouth again; the piercing cry echoing through the area. The Poliwag cringed again, crouching down in pain.
"Pikachu! Use Thundershock one more time!" Ash cried out.
Pikachu nodded and cried out as it released the electricity directly at the water type. The Poliwag cried out in pain, falling backwards in defeat.
Ash smirked. He grabbed one of the empty Pokeballs from his belt and threw it at the downed Poliwag. The Pokeball hit the blue tadpole and sucked it in with a red light. The ball landed on the ground with a soft thud and began to wiggle. Ash watched the Pokeball sway back and forth, the button of the Pokeball flashing red. After a few moments, the ball stopped moving, and gave a soft 'ding.'
Ash walked over and picked up the ball with a smile. "Awesome job, Pikachu! We caught Poliwag." He said, happily.
"Pi Pikachu!" The mouse cried, giving his trainer the victory sign.
Ash flinched slightly, hearing a booming off in the distance.
"Come on. We should head back to the Pokemon Center before we get caught in that storm." He said firmly.
Pikachu nodded, jumping up onto Ash's shoulder, tired after its battle with the Poliwag. Before Ash could take a step forward, he heard a loud cry behind him.
He turned and quickly ducked; a Spearow flying away from him. Ash turned back around, seeing the Spearow coming back towards him.
"Crap. I was hoping this wouldn't happen." Ash grumbled. Spearow were rather feisty Pokemon. If they felt threatened, whether by humans or Pokemon, they would attack without hesitation. Ash figured he must have stumbled into a Spearow's territory.
"Our battle with Poliwag must've disturbed it. Pikachu, use Growl!" He commanded.
Pikachu, while tired, leapt off of Ash's shoulder and let out the piercing noise. The Spearow faltered in the air, but continued on its path towards Ash and Pikachu.
"Shoot." Ash whispered. "Pikachu! Thundershock!"
Pikachu cried out, sending its electricity at the flying type. The Spearow cried out in pain, falling to the ground in a heap.
Ash threw a Pokeball at the weakened Spearow, wanting to catch it before it could call it's flock for help.
The Pokeball wiggled on the ground, and gave a soft 'ding,' signaling Ash caught the angry Spearow.
The boy sighed and picked up the ball, clipping it to his belt. "Well...that was unexpected." He sighed. He heard another rumble in the distance and frowned. "Come on, Pikachu. We've got to go."
Pikachu nodded, jumping up on Ash's shoulder.
The boy quickly headed back towards Viridian City. But shortly after he started his trek, the storm was above him, rain pouring down. Ash started running, trying to find shelter from the storm. He came across a small alcove along the cliff side. He sat in the small indentation gasping for breath, glad to be out of the rain.
Pikachu jumped off his shoulder, shaking the water from it's fur, splashing his trainer in the process.
Ash tried to defend himself from the onslaught of water, but it wasn't very effective. "Thanks a lot, Pikachu." He grumbled.
Pikachu chuckled nervously, rubbing the back of his head. He climbed on top of Ash's lap, looking up at him with concern.
"I'm okay, buddy." He smiled, petting Pikachu's head. "I wasn't expecting the storm to hit for another couple of hours. I guess I lost track of time." He sighed.
Pikachu smiled and gently pat Ash's hand. Pikachu yelped when a loud boom echoed above.
Ash smiled, and put his arms around Pikachu. "Don't worry, buddy. It's just a little thunder." He looked out and saw that the rain was coming down hard, with no sign of letting up. "Looks like we'll be here a while."
.
.
The storm continued the rest of the day, even into the night. Ash and Pikachu spent the night curled up in Ash's sleeping bag in the safety of the alcove, not wanting to venture out into the storm. The storm finally stopped as the sun started to peek over the horizon. The morning sun woke up the teenage boy, giving him a sense of relief.
"Hey Pikachu." Ash said softly, gently shaking his sleeping partner. "Come on. Let's head to the Pokemon Center."
"Pika..." The small mouse groaned, slowly pushing himself off of Ash's lap.
"I know. The sooner we get back to Viridian, the soon Nurse Joy can check you out." He chuckled, lifting up his partner and standing himself. Once he was packed and out of the alcove, he was greeted by a beautiful sight. A large, vibrant rainbow was above them, the morning light filling the small valley.
"Wow. Would you look at that..." He said in awe.
"Pika..." Pikachu gasped, his eyes sparkling at the magnificent sight.
The two were brought out of their thoughts as a loud, but soothing cry rang out through the valley. The two looked up, shocked at the sight. A large, majestic Pokemon flew over them, crying out again. It's cry almost sounded like bells ringing.
"N-No way..."
"Pikachu..."
Ash quickly pulled out his Pokedex, pointing it at the majestic bird.
"Ho-Oh: The Rainbow Pokemon. Legends claim this Pokemon flies the world's skies continuously on its magnificent seven-colored wings. It is said that those who see Ho-Oh are promised an eternal happiness."
Ash slowly lowered his Pokedex, watching in awe at the legendary Pokemon flew over the rainbow. He looked at Pikachu who had the same expression hon his face. Once Ho-Oh was out of sight, Ash fell onto his backside, staring up at the rainbow in fascination.
After several quiet moments, Ash could only smile. "'Eternal happiness,' huh? Wait until I tell Professor Oak about this."
~End Chapter
So? What'd you guys think? Just to let you guys know, I have all of Ash's Pokemon planned out. I'm still thinking of adding a few more, but that's still up in the air.
If you want to see Ash catch a specific Pokemon, let me know in a review!
Thanks guys!
~Lu Lu-Chan25