Chapter 4
Hey guys! How's it goin? Sorry about the late chapter. Life has kicked my ass, lately. But, hopefully, I can get my ass in gear and start producing more chapters. Anyways, here's the fourth chapter.
Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon
Special thanks to my Beta, Chibiusa.
Ash's journey through the Viridian Forest neared it's end as he noticed the trees beginning to thin out. He had recalled his newly evolved Metapod back to his Pokeball, letting his friend get some well deserved rest. After finally clearing the forest, Ash walked into an open field with the sun setting behind it.
Ash took a deep breath, slowly letting it out. "It's kinda nice being back out in the open, huh Pikachu?"
"Pikachu." The mouse nodded, happy to be out of the claustrophobic forest.
Ash pulled out his Pokegear, pulling up the "Map" app. After putting in his location, he watched the map enlarge until it zoomed in on his location.
"Well...according to the map, it looks like we're still several miles away from Pewter City." He said to his companion. "We could keep going, but we wouldn't make it to the Pokemon Center until late tonight. Or we can camp out one more night." He suggested.
Pikachu frowned at his trainer.
"Alright, alright. Pewter City it is." He chuckled.
"Uh-uh...excuse me..." A boy said quietly, wringing the bottom hem of his shirt.
Ash turned and looked at the nervous boy. "Can I help you?"
"Uh...uh I was uhm...wondering...i-if y-you'd have a battle with me." The young boy grabbed a Pokeball off his belt, his hands shaking.
Ash raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure you're fit to battle? You look nervous. If you're nervous it'll make your Pokemon nervous."
The boy flinched slightly, slowly lowering his gaze. "I-I'm s-sorry..."
Ash chuckled. "It's no problem."
The took a deep breath and stared at Ash. "My name is Josh. I ch-challenge you to a battle." He said a bit more confidently.
Ash nodded, facing the boy as he drew a Pokeball.
"Fine by me. How about a 1-on-1?" Ash suggested.
The boy nodded, tentatively throwing his Pokeball in the air. After the light faded, a yellow and black Pokemon buzzed at Ash.
"A Beedrill...not bad." Ash smirked, pulling out his Pokedex.
"Beedrill: The Poison Bee Pokemon. Beedrill fly quickly and attack using poison stingers on their forelegs and tail."
Ash smiled, putting Dexter away. "Very impressive, having a Beedrill."
Josh blushed, giving him a hesitant smile. "My Dad gave him to me as a Weedle. He's been my best friend for a long time."
The bee Pokemon buzzed over to his trainer, nuzzling the boy's cheek, then returned to his battle position. One wouldn't expect such an aggressive, territorial Pokemon to be so affectionate; it was actually quite adorable to see.
Ash chuckled, smiling at his younger opponent. He threw his own Pokeball, Metapod appearing before their opponents.
"Ready when you are." Ash nodded.
"Beedrill, use Fury Attack." Josh commanded quietly.
The Beedrill dove at Metapod, using its arm stingers to attack the other bug.
"Metapod! Use Harden!" Ash commanded.
Metapod's body shined, it's cocoon body becoming rock hard. The Beedrill's stingers hit Metapod's body, though it looked like it didn't do much.
"Metapod, use tackle!"
Metapod jumped up, ramming it's body into the Beedrill, causing it to bumble backwards.
"B-Beedrill! Are you okay?" Josh asked, concerned for it's friend. When Beedrill nodded, the boy sighed in relief. "Okay, use Poison Sting!"
Beedrill buzzed, flying down at the Metapod. It moved it's body so its tail stinger was pointed at its fellow bug.
"Metapod! Dodge it!" Ash called out.
Metapod tried to dodge, jumping out the way, but the Beedrill was too fast, and its tail stinger punctured it.
Metapod cried out in pain, falling to its side.
Both Ash and his opponent saw the hole in Metapod's hide, causing their eyes to widen considerably.
"M-Metapod...?" Ash called out hesitantly.
A bright, silvery light erupted from the hole in Metapod's body, causing the trainers to shield their eyes. After a few moments, Ash heard a cry he hadn't heard before. He looked back towards where Metapod was, seeing that he was, in fact, no longer a Metapod. Ash stared in awe as he stared at the butterfly-like Pokemon fluttering before him.
"B-Butterfree..." Ash choked out. "Yeah! You evolved, Butterfree! I'm so proud!"
Butterfree fluttered happily in front of Ash, cooing in joy. He turned around, narrowing his eyes at the Beedrill.
"Right, we're still battling. Get ready, Butterfree."
Josh felt relief knowing that he hadn't seriously hurt his opponent's Pokemon. It was also an amazing sight to see the newly evolved Butterfree.
"Beedrill, use tackle!"
The bee Pokemon rushed its opponent, missing its target as the Butterfree dodged the attack.
Butterfree's red eyes glowed a light blue, sending a beam of a similar color at the Beedrill.
Beedrill cried out in pain, feeling the full force of the attack.
"Oh no, Beedrill!"
Ash could only stare in awe. 'That was Confusion...' Ash thought, watching the battle.
"Butterfree, use tackle!" Ash commanded, seeing the Beedrill was weakened.
Butterfree rushed the other bug, ramming its head into the bee Pokemon. The Beedrill flew back into a tree, slowly sliding down the trunk.
"Beedrill!" Josh cried. He ran over to his friend, seeing that his poor Pokemon was down for the count. He sighed, giving his fainted Pokemon a soft smile. "You did amazing, Beedrill. Take a good rest." He said, recalling his fallen Pokemon.
"I can't believe it, Butterfree!" Ash cheered, gently holding his newly evolved Pokemon. "I'm so proud of you!"
"Pi Pikachu!" Pikachu cheered, giving his friend a victory pose.
Butterfree blushed, feeling really happy about Ash's statement.
Josh came up to Ash, holding his hand out to his opponent. "Thank you for the battle. It helped me a lot."
Ash smiled, taking the boy's hand. "No problem. Honestly, I wouldn't have won if Butterfree hadn't evolved. You and your Beedrill are really awesome."
Josh blushed again, rubbing the back of his head with a chuckle. "Thanks. It's kind of funny. Beedrill and I battled this girl the other day, and her Beedrill wiped the floor with us."
Ash blinked, raising an eyebrow. "A girl with a Beedrill? What was her name?"
"She said her name was Leaf. She was really strong." He said, the blush growing in his cheeks. He kicked a nonexistent rock in front of him.
Ash stared at the boy with a raised eyebrow. "Leaf, huh? Looks like she's ahead of me." He chuckled. "Good ol' Leaf."
"Thank you for the battle, Ash. I better get to Pewter City as soon as I can. Beedrill needs to get looked at." Josh smiled. He ran ahead, waving goodbye to Ash.
Ash chuckled, waving back. Pikachu and Butterfree waved as well. "Well...I was going to suggest going together, but it looks like it's only us." He smiled. He recalled Butterfree, thanking him for his effort in battle.
Ash clipped Butterfree's ball back to his belt, had Pikachu reclaim his spot on his shoulder, and continued through the northern part of Route 2 towards Pewter City. It was well past dark when Ash made it to the Pokemon Center. Reading the time on his Pokegear, made him almost flinch.
"Sorry we're here so late, Pikachu." Ash apologized.
Pikachu gently pat Ash's cheek, yawning in response.
"Don't worry. I'll get us a room soon." He walked up to the front desk, ringing a bell that was conveniently placed there.
"Hello?" He called out.
Nurse Joy poked her head out of her office, looking half awake. "Hello, and wel-" She was cut off from her introduction with a yawn, before continuing. "Welcome to the Pokemon Center. How can I help you?"
"Sorry for coming in so late, Nurse Joy. Do you have any rooms available?" He asked wearily.
Joy nodded, reaching into a drawer and pulling out a key. "Here you go. If you need anything, let me or one of the other Nurse's know, okay?"
Ash was going to nod, but froze. "They're other Nurse Joy's here?"
Joy chuckled, nodding her head. "I'm one of the night shift Joys. I'm Kathy Joy. My second cousin Carol, younger sister Shannon, and first cousin Evelyn work during the day."
Ash nodded. "Oh, okay. I always figured it was one Joy per Pokemon Center."
Nurse Joy nodded, smiling. "In some of the more rural areas there is only one Joy. They don't have funding like some of the bigger cities to have more than one nurse."
Ash nodded, trying and failing to hold back a yawn.
Joy laughed at the boy in front of her. "I think I've talked enough. Why don't you go to bed?"
Ash nodded, smiling. "Thanks, Nurse Joy." Ash walked to the lodging quarters, where he found his room and quickly went inside.
Once inside the room, Pikachu jumped off Ash's shoulder, and nestled himself on the bed. Ash rolled his eyes, chuckling at his partner's antics. He decided to have a quick shower before going to bed. Once clean, he changed into his pajamas, and climbed into bed, where Pikachu was already sound asleep.
.
.
The next morning, Ash woke up feeling well rested. He sat up, stretching the stiffness out of his system. He turned and looked by his pillow, seeing that Pikachu was still sleeping. He gently shook his partner, waking the yellow mouse.
"Come on Pikachu, it's time to get up."
Pikachu grumbled a little and opened his eyes. He let out a yawn, greeting his trainer.
Ash chuckled, petting the top of Pikachu's head. "Come on, buddy. I need to have Nurse Joy take a look at everyone, then we can get breakfast."
Pikachu nodded, stretching out the last bit of sleep.
Ash changed into a clean set of clothes, putting his dirty ones into the small washing machine in the bathroom. Grabbing his pack, Pikachu jumped onto his shoulder, and he left the room. Ash walked to the front desk, seeing Nurse Joy talking with someone. As he got closer, he recognized the person at the counter.
"Leaf?"
Leaf turned around, seeing Ash behind her. She smiled brightly, giving him a small wave. "Hey, Ash! I'm glad to see you."
Ash smiled, walking up to the girl. "I know. How's your journey goin'?"
"So far, so good!" Leaf beamed. "I just came back from Route 3. I caught a Jigglypuff!" She gushed.
"Nice! Have you caught any other Pokemon?" Ash asked, leaning on the counter.
"Yup! They're being checked out by Nurse Joy right now, though. Jigglypuff put most of my Pokemon to sleep." She grumbled with a pout.
Ash smiled. "I actually have to get my Pokemon checked out. My Pokemon have been battling a lot lately, and I caught a new Pokemon in Viridian Forest, and it needs some attention." The boy nodded.
With fantastic timing, Nurse Joy cut in. "You need Pokemon healed up?" She asked.
Ash nodded, unclipping his Pokeballs from his belt, and handing her his Pokeballs. Pikachu stayed in Ash's shoulder, feeling good enough not to need her services. "Thanks, Nurse Joy."
Nurse Joy nodded, putting the Pokeballs on a tray. "Alright, you two. I'll call your names when your Pokemon are ready." She said with a bow of her head and walking to the back.
Leaf and Ash walked to the Cafeteria to grab breakfast and catch up. Once they got their food and a table, they sat down to eat.
"So, Ash. Tell me about your journey so far." Leaf said, taking a bite of her veggie omelette.
"Well...the start of my journey was pretty eventful." He chuckled, putting ketchup on his hash-browns. He put a tiny dollop on Pikachu's nose as a joke.
Pikachu pouted, licking up the red substance. Unseen by the two teens, big hearts formed in Pikachu's eyes from the taste of ketchup.
"On the first day of my journey, I caught a Poliwag and a Spearow." He said, taking a bite of his fried egg. "I also got caught up in that storm."
Leaf's eyes widened, swallowing her food. "Seriously, Ash? Did you learn nothing from Professor Oak?" She scolded.
"I was fine." he said waving her off. "The next morning, Pikachu and I saw this Pokemon flying over the rainbow, and it was really beautiful." Ash chuckled. "Anyways, then Gary challenged me to a battle and apparently he's got this...stupid rare Spearow." he said shaking his head.
"A rare Spearow? Is it shiny?!" Leaf gasped.
"No, it's not. Apparently it has the King's Nature, which means it's a lot bigger than it usually is." Ash explained, taking a bite of his hash-browns.
Leaf's eyes widened, staring at Ash in shock. "How did he find it?"
"No idea. But it's strong, I'll tell you that much. Anyways, after that and some training, I went into Viridian Forest. I caught a Caterpie that evolved into a Butterfree and a Pidgeotto. I also met this girl named Misty. She was really cool. A little rough around the edges, though." He laughed. He ate his eggs, not noticing Leaf stiffening up.
Leaf cleared her throat, giving Ash a slightly forced smile. "Oh, really? Why do say that?" She said, giving her omelette a rough stab.
Ash blinked at Leaf's food, raising an eyebrow at her. "Uuuh...well..." He said clearing his throat. "My Butterfree, who was a Caterpie, had jumped out of a tree and onto her face." He laughed. Ash told Leaf the rest of the story. After he finished the story, Leaf was visibly more relaxed.
"I see what you mean." Leaf laughed. She looked at Ash's Pokemon partner and swallowed hard. "Uh...Ash?" She said pointing to the small yellow mouse.
Ash looked at his partner and gasped. "Pikachu!" Ash gasped.
Pikachu's face was covered in the red, tomato paste as he tried to lick up more of the delectable substance.
Ash frowned and snatched the ketchup from his partner. "Pikachu! You can't eat ketchup!"
Pikachu's eyes widened, and he tried to take his delicious treat back, but Ash continued to keep it away.
"Pikachu!" Ash scolded. "This isn't good for you. You might think it tastes good, but it could make you sick!" He reprimanded, keeping the ketchup out of reach.
Pikachu tried to give Ash the cutest puppy growlithe eyes he could muster, but Ash remained firm. Pikachu sighed, apologizing for his behavior.
Ash sighed, giving his partner a soft smile. He took a napkin and wiped away the mess on the mouse's fur. "It's okay, Pikachu. Just...try and stay away from it okay? Human food isn't always good for Pokemon." He said, taking off the last bit of ketchup on Pikachu's cheek.
"Pika!" He cried, giving his trainer the affirmative.
"Will Ash Ketchum and Leaf Green please report to the front desk. Your Pokemon are ready for pick up."
Ash and Leaf finished their lunch, walking back to the Pokemon Center's front desk.
"Hey, Nurse Joy." Ash smiled. "Ash Ketchum and Leaf Green here to pick up our Pokemon."
Joy nodded and smiled, reaching under her desk. Joy pulled out two trays filled with Pokeballs with Ash's and Leaf's name on it. "Here you go. Your Pokemon are good to go."
Ash and Leaf took their Pokemon, smiling. Thanks, Nurse Joy." Leaf said.
"Yeah, thanks Nurse Joy." Ash reiterated. He turned to Leaf, smiling. "Come on. I need to introduce myself to my new Pokemon." He smiled.
The two teens ran outside to the battlefield, happy that no one was there. Ash took Pidgeotto's Pokeball, opening it.
The larger avian appeared in a flash of light, standing before its trainer. Pidgeotto took in it's surroundings, noticing a girl standing beside the boy. It looked up at Ash, tilting it's head to the side.
"Hi, Pidgeotto. I'm Ash, and I'm your new trainer. My dream is to be a Pokemon Master, but first I'm trying to make it through the Indigo League. Will you help me with that goal?" Ash asked, kneeling in front of the bird.
Pidgeotto's eyes widened. Bird Pokemon were rather proud specimens; only allying themselves with the strongest possible partners. It knew Ash wasn't strong yet, but it could trust Ash to not only grow stronger, but help it grow stronger as well. Pidgeotto nodded, giving the boy a delighted chirp.
Ash smiled. "Awesome!" He beamed. "This is Leaf, a friend of mine. And this is Pikachu, my very first Pokemon." He said, pointing to each individual.
"Pikachu!" He greeted, waving to the larger avian.
Pidgeotto greeted each one with a nod of its head. It tilted its head to the side, seeing Ash pull out a device, pointing it at it.
"Pidgeotto: the Bird Pokemon, and the evolved form of Pidgey. It is armed with sharp claws and dives from the sky to capture its prey. Gender: Male. Ability: Big Pecks. Moveset: Tackle, Sand Attack, Gust, Quick Attack, Steel Wing."
Ash smiled, putting Dexter away. "Welcome to the team, Pidgeotto. I want to introduce you to the rest of my team, okay?" Seeing his new Pokemon nod, he three other Pokeballs into the air. They popped open, revealing Ash's other Pokemon.
The three Pokemon looked up at Ash, smiling. Ash smiled back, motioning to Pidgeotto. "Guys, this is Pidgeotto. He's going to be joining us on our journey. Go ahead and introduce yourselves."
Poliwag walked up, bouncing up and down on his little feet. He gave Pidgeotto a very bubbly welcome. Butterfree, nodded his head, giving him a more subdued, but still friendly introduction. Spearow, on the other hand, looked away from Pidgeotto, glaring up at Ash.
"Oh, don't be that way, Spearow." He frowned. "Pidgeotto is a part of this team, so you'll just have to like it. I'm not going to let your pride get in the way of this." Ash scolded.
Spearow pouted, her cheeks puffing slightly. She turned to to Pidgeotto, grumbling her introduction.
Ash sighed, looking back at Pidgeotto. "Sorry about her. She's a pretty particular Pokemon." He chuckled. Ash smiled, looking at Leaf. "Leaf, meet my Pokemon."
All of Ash's Pokemon, including Spearow greeted the girl. Leaf chuckled, smiling at Ash's Pokemon.
"Nice to meet you all." She said with a bow of her head. She smiled, pulling out her Pokeballs. "Now let me introduce you to my Pokemon." She said, throwing the Pokeballs in the air.
The four ball opened up, revealing Leaf's team. Leaf smiled, kneeling down next to them. "Everyone, meet Bulbasaur, Beedrill, Pikachu, and Jigglypuff!" She beamed.
Ash's eyes widened slightly. "Woah...you caught a Pikachu?"
Leaf giggled. "Yeah. She kind of found me, honestly. I was in the forest when that storm hit, and Pikachu just ran out and started playing in the rain." She smiled, stroking the top of Pikachu's head. Bulbasaur and I battled her, and she became the third member of my team. Beedrill was my first; I caught him as a Weedle." She said, motioning to the bee Pokemon. "Jigglypuff is my newest addition. She's a real sweetheart." She said, picking up the round, pink Pokemon, giving it a gentle hug.
Jigglypuff cried out with joy, waving it's nubby arms happily.
Ash chuckled. "Well, it's nice to meet all of you." The boy smiled. He knelt down, petting the top of Bulbasaur's head, who was rather happy for the attention. "Nice to see you again, Bulbasaur. Are you keeping Leaf out of trouble?"
"Bulba Saur!" He cried, smiling up at the boy.
Leaf pouted, giving Jigglypuff a little squeeze."I haven't gotten into any trouble..." She mumbled. "Anyways Ash, you here to challenge the gym leader?"
Ash nodded, a confident smirk plastered on his face. "Yup. Me and my Pokemon need to do some serious training. I wanted to take him on tomorrow." He nodded again.
Leaf nodded. "I understand. Who are you going to use?"
"Poliwag, for sure. He's got a type advantage, so that will help me big time." Ash nodded, looking at his Pokemon. All his Pokemon were raring to go, he knew. But he needed to go into this with a level head. "I'm thinking Butterfree and Pidgeotto..."
He flinched when he heard Spearow squawk her opinion. Obviously, she wasn't too happy about it. Ash sighed, kneeling down. "It's not that I don't want to use you, Spearow. You've been training really hard, and I'm really proud of you...but you're at a disadvantage. Actually, all but Poliwag are at a disadvantage."
"Spear Spearow Spearow!" She squawked more, puffing out her feathers in a pout.
Ash chuckled, gently petting Spearow's breast. "You see, Butterfree's status moves could be really useful; so could his confusion, come to think of it. And Pidgeotto has Steel Wing, which is super effective against rock types. It's not you, Spearow. I promise." He chuckled.
Spearow's feathers flattened, accepting the answer; though she was still unhappy about it. Ash chuckled, standing upright. He looked at his Pokemon, smiling. "Alright, so it's Poliwag, Butterfree and Pidgeotto."
"Hey Ash, wait a second..." Leaf said softly, breaking him from his thoughts. "Don't forget, Gym Leaders use a different assortment of Pokemon depending on the level of trainer." She reminded.
Ash nodded, gentling gripping his chin with his thumb and forefinger; thinking. 'That's right. It's up to the Leader's digression on what Pokemon they use and how many.' He turned, looking at his female friend. "Leaf, is there any way to look up and see Brock's team?"
Leaf smiled. "Yup! Follow me." She said, recalling all her Pokemon. Ash did the same, following the girl back into the Pokemon Center.
Leaf walked up to one of the computers that Pokemon Center's had for trainers. She went to the trainer website, typing in Brock's name. The website Leaf was using was an information page for all registered trainers. Clicking on the trainer's picture would tell you their status as a trainer, what rank they are how many Pokemon they've caught, what their current team was, videos of important battles, rival claims, and other general information.
Ash watched as she scrolled down his trainer page. Gym Leader's information pages were a little different. They had their general trainer information, and their Gym Leader information.
"Okay...it says here that Gym Leaders have to use their League registered team if a trainer has three or fewer badges. Leaders are able to use their personal teams if an opponent has four or more badges..." She rattled off, looking for Brock's League registered team. "Ah, here we go. Brock's League registered team is Geodude, Onix, and Rhyhorn." Leaf smiled. "Well, there you go, Ash."
Ash smiled, nodding at his friend. "Thanks a lot, Leaf. Think I can use that for a minute?"
Leaf nodded, moving away from the computer. Ash sat down, logging in with his Trainer ID number. He looked up one specific trainer, clicking on his image.
Ash stared at the information, studying the words written on the screen.
"Why'd you look up Gary's profile?" Leaf asked, looking over Ash's shoulder.
"I wanted to see how far Gary's gotten so far. He's already gotten his first badge, and captured...holy crap! He's captured twenty Pokemon so far! How's that possible?" Ash said holding his head in his hands.
Leaf placed a hand on Ash's shoulder, giving him a comforting smile. "Don't worry, Ash. Gary's always been kind of a go-getter. Don't let it get you down."
"Yeah." He smiled. "I'm more of a quality over quantity type of guy, anyways." Ash scrolled up to the top of Gary's trainer page, clicking the rival request button. He began typing in a message, clicking send.
"You sent a formal rival request?" Leaf asked.
"Yeah. Gary and I have been "rivals" since birth. Or at least, that's how everyone panned us out to be. Even when we were friends, we were always paired against each other. I think this will just solidify it. Besides, Gary seems to enjoy in being my rival, constantly trying to one-up me. Why not make it official?"
Ash stood up from the computer, logging out of his trainer page, walking back outside. He released his Pokemon once again, smirking down at them. "Alright guys, today we need to train with everything we got, okay?"
His Pokemon gave a collective cry, ready to give it their all.
Ash nodded. "Alright, here's what we're gunna do. Poliwag, I want you to do a mock battle with Spearow. Work on your aim with bubble and water gun, as well as improving your hypnosis. Spearow, I don't want you to take it easy on Poliwag, but don't hurt him too badly."
The two Pokemon nodded, running off to start their training.
"Butterfree, I want you to work on your Confusion and status powders. I know that your powders are produced with the scales on your wings. I want to make sure they're as potent as they can be." He instructed. "You're going to need to sit and work with the chemical compounds within your wings for that."
Butterfree nodded, going to work on it's Confusion first.
Ash turned to Pikachu. "We're going to work on your speed, Pikachu. We're going to get you working on Quick Attack. I want you to run around the battlefield ten times as fast as you can, okay?"
Pikachu nodded, staring his running.
Ash smirked, turning towards his newest addition. "Alright Pidgeotto, we're going to work on Steel Wing. I'm using you, or Butterfree for my upcoming gym battle, and I just want to make sure you're up to par with the rest of my Pokemon."
Pidgeotto nodded, flying off to practice the move.
Ash smirked, watching his Pokemon. He decided to join Pikachu in his run, wanting to be trained up just as much as his Pokemon.
Leaf smiled, watching her friend train with his Pokemon. She remembered fondly how Ash used to be: rash, immature, and very headstrong. Seeing him grow into the person he was today...she turned away from the boy, a pink hue burning her cheeks.
"Saur?" Bulbasaur tilted his head, confused.
"Don't worry about it. Come on, let's do some of our own training." Leaf smiled, shaking away any thoughts of Ash.
.
.
Ash woke up the next morning raring to go to battle the gym. After waking Pikachu up, showering, changing, and eating, he met Leaf at the front of the Pokemon Center.
"You excited for your gym battle, Ash?" Leaf asked, looking a little tired.
"You bet." He smirked, pumping his fist in the air. He lowered his fist, smiling at his tired friend. "Come on, Leaf. Let's go!"
Leaf chuckled, walking alongside Ash. "Can we grab a coffee, first? I need my energy if I'm going to cheer for you."
Ash laughed at his friend, conceding to her request. The quick detour for coffee and the walk to the gym took around twenty minutes. Despite Pewter City being one of the smaller major cities in Kanto, it still took some time to get from place to place.
Ash entered the gym, seeing a boy sitting at the front desk in the lobby.
"Hello, and welcome to the Pewter City Pokemon Gym. I'm Forrest, What business do you have with the gym?" He asked, standing up out of his chair. The boy looked roughly twelve years old, had brown hair, tan skin, and really squinty eyes.
"I'm Ash Ketchum, from Pallet Town. I'm here to challenge the Pewter City Gym Leader." He stated confidently.
Forrest nodded, turning to Leaf. "Are you here to challenge Brock, too?"
Leaf shook her head. "Nope. Just here to show Ash some support."
Accepting the answers, Forrest lead Leaf and Ash into the gym's battle field. "Brock!" The boy called. "You have a challenger!" He called out.
A man came down from a scaffolding above the field, smirking at the duo. "Welcome to the Pewter City Gym. My name is Brock, and I'm the leader of this gym. Who will be challenging me today?"
Ash stepped forward, smiling to the man. He gave the Gym Leader a small bow. "Hello. My name is Ash, and I'm taking on the Indigo League."
Brock nodded, crossing his arms over his chest. "I see. How many gym badges do you have, Ash?"
"You'll be my first one." He smirked.
Brock moved towards the back wall of the gym. He pushed a button and six pokeballs emerged from a slot in the wall. He picked up two, turning and smirking at Ash.
"Are you ready?"
Ash nodded. "You bet." He turned to Leaf, smiling. "Cheer for me?"
Leaf laughed. "Sure, though I don't think you need it." She teased, gently punching his shoulder. "Come on, Pikachu. We'll cheer for Ash." Leaf smiled, catching Pikachu as he leaped into her arms. She walked over towards the stand, where she sat, waiting for the match to start.
Brock nodded. "Forrest, I want you to judge the match." Seeing his younger brother nod, he turned back to Ash with a determined grin.
"This match is between Ash of Pallet Town, and the Gym Leader: Brock Slate. This will be a two on two match, where only the challenger can make substitutions. Also, Brock will be using his League regulated team. Are both trainers ready?" Forrest asked. Seeing both trainers nod, he raised his hand.
"Begin!" Forrest yelled, lowering his hand.
"Rhyhorn! Go!" Brock called, throwing the pokeball.
The ball opened, and a gray, quadruped Pokemon appeared. Its body was covered in gray, rocky plates, with a spiky ridges on it's back. It had beady red eyes, and a horn on the tip of its snout.
"Rhy!" It roared. Rhyhorn snorted, stomping its foot.
Ash pulled his Pokedex from his back pocket, pointing it at the rock type.
"Rhyhorn: the Spikes Pokemon. Rhyhorn is known for its physical power, and its considerable offensive and defensive skills."
Ash nodded, throwing his Pokeball. Butterfree appeared, giving its best battle cry.
"A Butterfree?" Brock shook his head. "Heh...shows how inexperienced you are. Butterfree is really weak to rock types." He educated.
Ash chuckled confidently. "I know, but I believe in Butterfree." He smirked. "Butterfree! Use Sleep Powder!"
Brock frowned, not thinking of the bug's status powders. "Rhyhorn! Get out of the way and use Rock Tomb!" He called out.
Rhyhorn roared and stomped his front feet. Four rocks flew up from the ground, trying to capture the butterfree.
"Butterfree! Fly up!" Ash cried. He watched his trusted Pokemon flew up towards the ceiling, escaping the rock attack. "Way to go, Butterfree! Now, use Poison Powder!"
Butterfree dove towards the Rhyhorn, beating its wings above the rock type. A sparkly, purple powder rained down on the rhinoceros Pokemon.
"Rhyhorn! Don't breathe in those toxins!" Brock cried out.
Rhyhorn did its best to try and shake off the poisonous dust, and not breathe it in, but Rhyhorn ended up succumbing to the toxins. Its rocky plates turned slightly purple, indicating its poisoned status.
"Way to go, Butterfree! Now, Confusion!" Ash yelled.
Butterfree's eyes glowed a light blue, sending a blast of blue light at the Rhyhorn. Rhyhorn looked up at the blast with wide eyes.
Rhyhorn cried out as the psychic attack made contact.
"Rhyhorn!" Brock gasped. "Rhyhorn, shake it off and use horn attack!"
Rhyhorn cringed, feeling the effects of the poison. It looked up and charged at Butterfree, ramming its horn into the small bug.
Butterfree cried out, flying backwards, though regaining its balance in the air.
"You okay, Butterfree?" Ash asked, nervous for his partner.
Butterfree trilled in confidence, fluttering happily in the air.
"Awesome! Use confusion again!" Ask yelled, pointing at the opposing Rhyhorn. Ash smirked as he watched Butterfree's attack hit its opponent.
Rhyhorn crumpled on the ground, its eyes swirly in defeat.
"Rhyhorn is unable to battle! Butterfree is the winner!" Forrest declared, raising his hand towards Ash's direction.
"Yeah! Way to go, Ash! You did awesome!" Leaf cried. She had been nervous, seeing Ash choose Butterfree. She'd hoped he'd open up with Poliwag, but it seemed he made the right decision.
"Pi Pikachu!" His partner cried from the stands.
Ash smiled, waving to his small cheering squad.
Brock recalled his fallen Pokemon, smiling at Ash. "I have to say, I'm impressed. I wasn't expecting a Butterfree to best one of my rock Pokemon." He said, putting Rhyhorn's pokeball in his pocket. He pulled out a second one, extending the ball to full size. "It's obvious you're training it well."
"Heh heh, thanks. Most of my Pokemon, including Butterfree, are weak to rock types. With Butterfree's status powders, I figured I could have a chance if I managed to poison your Pokemon, or put them to sleep." Ash said, adjusting his hat on his head. "I also figured that Confusion would work better against your Pokemon, compared to Gust or Bug Bite." The young boy explained.
Brock nodded, listening to the boy. "Well done, Ash. Most rookie trainers don't take the time to think about type advantages and disadvantages. They're so confident in themselves that they challenge me without a plan. It's good to see you aren't like that."
Ash blushed slightly at the compliment, rubbing the back of his neck. "Uh...thanks." Ash smiled, feeling Butterfree land on his head. "You okay for another round, Butterfree?"
"Freeeeee!" It cried, nodding its head.
Brock frowned, his grip on his Pokeball tightening. "Your Butterfree might have defeated my Rhyhorn, but it won't defeat my next Pokemon. Go, Onix!" Brock threw his ball, and erupting in a white light, a large rock snake appeared. The large Pokemon gave a fierce roar, causing Ash and Leaf to shudder at the noise.
Ash, before continuing the battle, again pulled out Dexter to get Onix's general information.
"Onix: the Rock Snake Pokemon. By twisting its large and powerful body, Onix can quickly bore through the ground at fifty miles per hour."
Ash put his Pokedex away, focusing on the large rock Pokemon before him. "Okay, Butterfree! You got this! Use Confusion!"
Butterfree's eyes shot the blue beam at the rock snake, hitting it's mark.
"Yeah! Great job!" Ash cheered.
"Onix, Tackle!" Brock commanded.
Onix roared, slithering its large, rock body at the fluttering bug type. It rammed its large head into the small Pokemon, sending it flying backwards.
"Ah! Butterfree!" Ash yelled, turning towards his hurt friend. "Are you able to keep going?" the young boy asked, concerned.
Butterfree fluttered back onto the battlefield, giving Onix a fearless and determined look.
"Oh...it seems your Butterfree isn't as frail as I anticipated." Brock complimented. "However, it's still not strong enough to defeat my Onix. Now, Onix! Use Rock Throw!" The Leader commanded.
"Butterfree! Dodge and use Stun Spore!" Ash shouted, desperate for Butterfree move out of hte way.
Onix slammed its tail on the ground, kicking up several decent sized boulders. It picked up the boulders with its tail, launching them at Butterfree. The small bug type dodged the oncoming rocks, but wasn't able to keep the dodging up for long. Whenever it avoided one rock, another was hurled at it.
Butterfree was hit with one of the rocks, sending it crashing into the ground.
"F-Freee..." Butterfree mumbled as it lay defeated on the field.
"Oh no!" Ash gasped. He sighed, pulling out his companion's Pokeball, recalling it. "You did a great job, Butterfree. Thank you." He minimized the ball, clipping it onto his belt. He grabbed his next Pokeball, throwing it up in the air.
When the ball opened, Poliwag materialized, hopping up and down with joy.
Brock smirked, crossing his arms over his chest. "I see...going for the type advantage this time?"
Ash nodded, smirking at the leader. "Poliwag! Use Bubble!"
The small, blue Pokemon took a deep breath, releasing a barrage of bubbles from its tiny, pink mouth.
"Onix, dodge! Use Rock Throw!" Brock called out.
The Rock Snake Pokemon roared, moving away from the onslaught of bubbles. It picked up a loose boulder on the ground, hurling it towards Poliwag.
"Poliwag! You have to get out of there!" Ash cried. He watched his Poliwag roll out of the way of the oncoming rock. He sighed in relief. "Okay! Now use Water Gun!"
Poliwag rolled onto his feet, shoot the pressured stream of water at his opponent.
Onix roared in pain as it tried to slither away from the attack. But everywhere it went, Poliwag's Water Gun followed.
"That's great, Poliwag! Now, use Bubble!" Ash shouted, exhilarated by the battle.
While Onix was preoccupied trying to shake off the remnants of water on its body, it was assaulted with an onslaught of bubbles. Onix roared in pain, feeling the bubbles pop on its rocky exterior.
"Onix! Get out of there!" Brock pleaded. 'Onix won't last much longer if this keeps up!' "Hurry and use Rock Throw!"
"Use Hypnosis!" Ash commanded.
Before Poliwag could comply with his trainer's command, a large rock crashed into him. Ash gasped, staring at his injured friend. "Poliwag! Can you get up?"
"P-Poli..." He groaned, rolling onto his feet. He stood up straight, glaring at the large rock type.
"Use Water Gun!"
Poliwag jumped into the air, firing the stream of water at Onix. The large rock snake attempted to dodge the attack, but couldn't escape the pressurized jet of water.
Onix roared, writhing in pain as the water soaked its solid exterior. It roared again, falling backwards, crashing into the arena floor.
After the dust settled, Onix lay on the ground motionless, its eyes spiraling with defeat.
"Onix is unable to battle. The winner is Poliwag, which means the match goes to Ash Ketchum!" Forrest declared, pointing to Ash.
Ash stared at the downed Pokemon in front of him, shock etched into his face. "I...I won?" Ash watched as Brock recalled his fallen Pokemon. Poliwag was bouncing up and down, cheering in victory. "We won!" He yelled, running up to Poliwag. He scooped up the little blue ball, hugging it's smooth, yet slimy body.
"I'm so proud of you, Poliwag! You did awesome!" Ash praised. He gasped, feeling Pikachu run up his shoulder, nuzzling his cheek.
"Pi Pikachu!" He cried, pulling away from Ash.
"Congratulations, Ash!" Leaf cheered, running up to her black-haired friend.
Ash smiled, turning to the girl and giving her a high-five. "Thanks, Leaf! I was honestly kind of expecting to lose this and have to try again." He chuckled, rubbing the back of his head.
"Congratulations, Ash." Brock said, walking up to the younger boy. "You've shown great potential as a new trainer. It is my pleasure to award you the Boulder Badge." He smiled, holding out his hand to Ash, a gray badge in the palm of the Leader's hand.
Ash smiled, picking up the badge, clipping it to the inside of his badge case. "Thank you very much, Brock."
"Follow me to the lobby. I have something else for you." The Gym Leader said, walking towards the front room of the gym.
Ash and Leaf followed, seeing Brock rummage through something at the front desk. He pulled out a small, disk case and handed it to Ash. "Here. This is TM 39. You'll be able to teach Pokemon the move Rock Tomb." He smiled.
Ash took the disk case and opened it, revealing the gray disk. He smiled, closing the case again. "Thank you, Brock." He shook the man's hand and placed the disk in his backpack. If he was going to receive TM's from the gym leaders, he would need to purchase a TM case.
Brock nodded. "I wish you luck on your journey. I look forward to seeing your accomplishments."
Ash blushed slightly, scratching the tip of his nose. "Heheh...thanks, Brock." He turned around to face Leaf, smiling. "Ready?"
Leaf nodded. The duo left the gym, feeling pretty unstoppable.
"So...what are you doing to do now, Ash?" Leaf asked, leaning forward, looking at the tanned boy.
Ash thought a moment, scratching under Pikachu's chin. "Hmmm, well...I was planning on heading to Mt. Moon. I wanted to do some training there before I take on the Cerulean Gym Leader." He nodded, clenching his fist with determination.
Pikachu cooed at the attention, cheering when he heard about another gym battle.
"What about you, Leaf? You headed to Cerulean, too?"
Leaf nodded. "Yup. I want to go to Mt. Moon to see if I can do some research on Clefairy." Leaf smiled. She quickly looked away from Ash, her face turning slightly pink. "Can I ask you something, Ash?"
Ash raised an eyebrow, thinking Leaf's behavior was a little strange. "Sure. You can ask me anything, you know that." He chuckled.
Leaf nodded, swallowing before he spoke. "Can I travel with you?" Her voice was so soft, it was almost like a whisper. Ash had to strain to clearly hear her.
Ash blinked, looking at the girl in shock. Leaf had always talked about how she wanted to travel alone with only her Pokemon. He blushed slightly, scratching the tip of his nose again. "Sure...I don't mind. But, how come? I thought you always wanted to travel with just your Pokemon."
"I thought so, until I finally did. I've only been traveling a really short time, but I don't like being alone. I mean...I'm not alone; I have my Pokemon. But I think...I think I'll be really lonely. So...can I travel with you?"
Ash chuckled, ruffling Leaf's hair. "Of course, Leaf. I'd like that a lot." He smiled warmly.
Leaf smiled back, happy to be traveling with her friend. The two walked back to the Pokemon Center to get ready to start traveling again.
~End Chapter
So? What did you guys think? I hoped you liked it. Please comment and review below to let me know if you have any suggestions. Also, the Pokemon have been chosen for Ash and Leaf. I will also need OC characters. I've created one of my own, but I'll need more. I will be doing a St. Anne tournament. NO LEGENDARIES. Don't make you trainer be stupid OP, and limit yourself on the shinies, mkay? For now So please IN A PM, send me the following if you want an OC in my fic:
Name:
Gender:
Age:
Pokemon:
Rank:
Backstory: (not needed, but you're more than welcome to give one)
Personality:
Thank you! Again, PM me if you want an OC in my fic.
~Lu Lu-Chan25