I hope you find this story/chapter interesting as it contains a lot of action! And I hope you find my choice of Pokemon understandable. I'll also make the sentences shorter and clearer vocab for easier reading. Also, the underground which connects Cerulean and Vermillion doesn't exist in this story, cause that would make things simpler. I hope you readers are okay with this chapter since it will span over many days and I'm kinda new to writing over many days. Some days will be left out, but that is so this story can get moving. Therefore, I'm only including significant events on certain days since it's pointless to contain information that doesn't carry the story's plot.
I also want to thank those who read the story. (: You guys are awesome! Please check out my new poll as well! (:
Day 1 (6th day overall in journey)
Ash looked at his clock and saw that it was already 8:54 in the morning. He smiled when he saw that his four member of his team were sleeping while Riolu was doing exercises. He stretched his limbs and yawned so loudly it woke up the others, causing them to jump from surprise.
"Scy!" said the mantis.
"Fairy!" said the pink fairy.
"Whoa!" said Dratini through telepathy.
"Sorry, guys, I guess we overslept. Not that there is a reason to get up," said a disappointed Ash.
"Why do you say that?" asked Dratini as she rubbed her head against his hand for him to pet. "There isn't anything you can do about what happened yesterday."
"Yeah, I know, but it feels almost personal to me," explained Ash. "Considering my dad died in a car accident before my birth." He inhaled deeply and gave out a big sigh as he thought of the families this incident was affecting. "I have an idea. I'm gonna teach you bubblebeam, Dratini."
Dratinti showed her approval with a nod when suddenly a knock sounded at the door and Ash turned his head towards it. "Hello?" he called out.
"Ash? It's me, Erika. Are you okay? You've been asleep for quite some time and I wanted to check up on you."
"I'm fine! I'll need a few minutes to get ready!" said Ash in a cheerful matter. He told the Pokemon that he needed to get ready and returned them. As soon as he finished cleaning his foot and put on a fresh pair of socks, his jeans and shirt, and his shoes, he was good to go. He placed the Pokéballs on his waist after recalling the five of them. He took out the aqua-blue TM box that Misty had given him yesterday day and taught Dratini bubblebeam. After he put the stuff in the proper places, he unlocked the door of the bedroom and opened it to see Erika.
"Ash! I trust that you have gotten a good night's rest?" said Erika as she propped the door open for him for easier access.
"Yes, I did. Surprisingly I did not have any bad dreams," he stated.
"Oh, that is good to know," she said with a small nod. "I figured that during breakfast we can discuss our next move. Since Saffron City isn't accessible at this moment, we have to find an alternative route if we wish to get to Vermillion City."
Ash looked at her and just slowly nodded without saying anything. Erika could tell that Ash was taking the tragedy to a very personal level, and Erika wanted to know why.
"Ash, are you okay?" she politely questioned him. "Ever since last night, you've been taking this pretty badly."
"I know that we've known each other for only about five days, but can I confide something with you?" he asked. She responded with a small nod. "My father died before I was born in a car accident, and…" He could not finish as his voice was starting to break and he began to hold back tears.
"This reminded you a lot of him, didn't it?" added Erika. Ash confirmed it with a simple nod and actually let a tear fall to the ground. "I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have badgered you to tell me if it was something this personal." Erika looked away from Ash and gave him a few moments of privacy to lessen the tension that was rising between the two of them. Ash finally pulled himself together after a few minutes of grief and wiped his face while still supporting himself with his crutches.
"It's okay; there is no way you could've known," he merely said as he took a seat on a nearby couch. "I'll make sure that Team Rocket pays!"
A person nearby turned the television on and the news was currently on. "Saffron still remains on lock-down on further notice and we have updates on the damage that the explosion has caused." Ash turned towards the T.V when he heard this. "We have found so far the bodies of 82-year-old Korean War veteran Arnold Jackson and his 79-year-old wife, Gertrude. Both of them were trapped in their car and drowned. Ironically, Saffron Police confirmed that they also found the body of a 47-year-old convict, Satoshi Takei, that was wanted for 32 counts of larceny of over ¥15,000,000 worth of goods. These are the only bodies that we have found so far, but we have reports of 53 hospitalizations, ranging from minor bruises to fractured ribs. Please keep these people in your prayers and hope that they will make a safe recovery in this tragic incident. I'm Mary Smith with the news."
Ash sighed as he finished hearing this. It wasn't as bad as he thought, but it was still a misfortune that three people had to die, but these were the ones that they had confirmed so far. He shook his head and gathered his thoughts and turned towards Erika.
"If I stand here and do nothing, I'll only feel worse. Let's go have a hearty breakfast and come up with a plan to get to Vermillion City."
"Right. After all, breakfast is the most important meal of the day, and getting the essential nutrients will lift your mood," she agreed as she went with him towards the lift. Once they got down to the cafeteria, they saw, unsurprisingly again, that it was full of trainers; none of them looked familiar and they were engaging in indistinct chatter among themselves and their Pokémon. Once they reached the desk, a waitress pointed them to a vacant spot and Ash looked at the menu. He ordered a glass of Miltank milk and an omelet while Erika got orange juice and some crêpes. Ash took out his PokéGear and examined the map of Kanto thoroughly before speaking.
"I'm currently searching for a different route to Vermillion City that is the shortest possible way by foot." He continued to press buttons and observed the small screen as it made some calculations and processed data. "What's cool about this PokéGear is that it can measure the distance between two points in the area, or more specifically between two Pokémon centers."
"So what is the closest Pokemon center from our location?" asked Erika as she ate some of her crêpes.
He pressed a few buttons and looked down at the item before speaking. "It's at the end of Route 9 by a location called…Rock Tunnel," he said, "and it's…Oh, boy."
"What? What's the problem?" said Erika.
"It's 18 miles from here," sighed Ash in disappointment.
"18—Wow, that is quite a lot of land to cover, especially in one day," said Erika as she finished her breakfast and drank the rest of her beverage.
"Yes, considering I do have to rest every now and then," replied Ash. "This sounds like an opportunity to go camping, something I've never done."
"Really? Oddly enough, I've never been camping, either. Like they say, there's always a time to try something new," said Erika. "There's a shop that sells supplies for outdoors across the street. Let's go there once we finish."
Ash simply acknowledged her suggestion by nodding. He took his five Pokéballs and let out his allies so that they could get their breakfast. Erika did the same and they got a huge assortment of berries to put in their knapsacks. (They are allowed a limit that comes with buffet fee) Once that was done, they made their way out of the Pokémon center and headed to the nearby outdoorsman shop where a clerk greeted them with a polite smile.
"May I help you two?" he asked the two trainers.
"Yes, we'd like a two-person tent that has a divider," said Erika.
"No problem. Please follow me." The man lead them to a large variation of tents that fit their description. "We have a large variation whose prices vary based on the materials to protect from environmental factors such as insects, rain, and ultraviolet light to name a few."
"They all seem nice, but how much are the least expensive ones?" inquired Erika with a polite yet honest tone.
"Well, all of our merchandise is higher quality than most commercial places like the supermarket Seiyu, but the cheapest one here is made of low-quality canvas, and it costs ¥9300," said the salesman.
"Does it include pegs and rope?" asked Ash.
"No, but there is a separate kit which costs ¥700," explained the man.
"That sounds a bit pricey," stated Erika, "Plus, we would also need blankets and sleeping bags since it would be impractical to sleep on the bare ground."
Ash moved to a different section of the store and looked at a wide selection of sleeping bags. Most of them were flannel or were designed for cold weather, but since it was late August, they wouldn't need them just yet.
"How about these?" he stated as he pointed at one with his crutch. "It says they are designed for 40-60 degree weather and they are affordably priced."
"Yes, I agree with you; this would be a good purchase," commented Erika as she took two and followed the man to the cash register. The price for both of them combined was ¥6800, which Erika paid, and Ash got two canteens that added an additional ¥900 that he paid for. Ash was able to fit both canteens into his knapsack and was able to tie one sleeping bag to his while Erika simply carried her with the strap around her arm. The two of them left the shop and headed east towards the outer limits of Cerulean City and Ash found a bench to catch his breath after having walked for about an hour and a half.
"Wow, I find it hard to believe that it's already 12:15," commented Ash, reading his PokéGear's watch as he wiped his sweaty head off with a napkin. "Seems like it's been longer than that."
"Same here; when you are using a lot of energy in hot weather, it makes it seem time goes faster when it doesn't," explained Erika as she wiped out her head, too.
"But at least it isn't mid July where it would be hotter," stated Ash as he finally got up along with Erika. "Look over there; that sign says 'Route 9'; we gotta go through its long winding road before we get to the Pokémon center…"
"Ash, just keep in mind that it's never easy to become a Pokémon master, let alone a trainer," stated Erika, "since they need to endure plenty of obstacles such as the weather and plenty of walking great distances."
Ash took a sip from his canteen and got up. "With that in mind, let's keep going, shall we?"
The two of them got up and resumed walking for a while until a man with a heavy-looking knapsack on his back approached the two of them; he appeared to be a hiker and had a smile that spanned across his entire face. He walked closer to Ash until they were about 10 feet from one another and the man spoke.
"Heheh, I just got a rare Pokemon from a different region. Would you be willing to battle, kid?"
"I'm willing to try out Dratini's new move bubblebeam out, so why not?" thought Ash. "Okay, I accept your challenge!"
"Great! Here we go….Pupitar!" shouted the man as he let out his Pokémon that Ash had never seen before. The Pokémon looked like a rock cocoon with black holes in his face with small beady eyes.
"Okay, give it your best…Dratini!" said Ash as he let out his starter Pokémon.
"A dragon type, huh?" commented the hiker with a smile. "This should be interesting. Start things off with sandstorm at maximum power!" The mineral cocoon Pokémon's eyes began to glow a whitish hue and a huge and a large blast of sand expelled from his body! The sand began to pummel Dratini, the two humans, and the surrounding area, covering them with thousands upon thousands of grains of course mineral deposit.
"Ugh…" groaned Ash as he did his best to block the oncoming sand from getting in his eyes. "Dratini…try to use twister to blow the sand away." Dratini closed her eyes and began to spin around as fast as she could as she endured the sandstorm and successfully conjured a twister that entered the sandstorm. The sand storm collided with the tornado and the opposite forces of them managed to cancel each other out, giving Ash a chance to strike back.
"Use bubblebeam!" commanded Ash. Dratini inhaled with all her might and blew out a barrage of bubbles towards Pupitar, hitting him straight in his gut. Due to the four-times weakness that the opponent had against water-type moves, he was running out of steam, and fast.
"I was not expecting that at all!" shouted the hiker as he went over to Pupitar's side. The rock/ground-type Pokémon managed to roll back up to his side and looked at Dratini wth fiery eyes. "Try to use thrash!"
"Dratini! Try to stop its thrash with slam attack!" commanded Ash as he was getting desperate not to lose his composure. The two attacks connected, but luckily Dratini's was enough to knock out her opponent due to the fact that Pupitar no longer moved and had swirls in his eyes.
"Ugh, beaten by a little kid," groaned the hiker as he returned his rock/ground-type Pokémon to his ball. "You sure proved me wrong about judging opponents by their age."
"Heh, I'm pretty new to battling myself," stated Ash with a weak smile as he returned Dratini to her ball. "Can you tell me if we are going in the right direction to Rock Tunnel?"
"Yes, you are going the right way, but you are still about 14 miles from the Pokémon center," said the man as he pointed the direction for them down the road.
"Thank you so much, and good luck raising your Pokemon!" said Ash as he and Erika headed towards the east as instructed.
Day 2
Oddly enough, the road was a lot longer than they had anticipated. Not that they planned to get to the Pokemon center in that one day, but they still had quite a lot of ground to cover. It was already 2:18 in the afternoon and the sun was at its full strength. Ash had let out all his Pokemon to take a rest as they lay near an adjacent stream and Erika had done the same to her three companions. Ash took off his left shoe and sock and let it rest in the cool water while keeping the other one dry.
"It sure was a good idea to take a breather near this stream," commented Ash as he ate a bite of a sandwich made with bluk berries. Ash looked into the stream and saw a Shellder swimming around casually with no cares in its mind. A Kingler, one of its predators, came swimming at top speed and grabbed Shellder with its smaller pincer, but then...
"Shellder!" said the bivalve Pokemon as its body was engulfed with a bright light. Kingler launched its crabhammer attack, but to no effect; Shellder completely vanished into thin air. Ash and Erika both gasped at this.
"A Shellder...it must have been owned by a trainer once," said Erika.
"Why do you say that?" asked Ash as he scratched his head in confusion.
"A Shellder is capable of teleporting only through means of human resources, or a TM," she said. (It's true; oddly, Shellder could learn teleport via TM30 in Gen 1)
"Hmm. Maybe I should catch a water-type while I'm out here," he suggested as he kept his foot submerged in the water. Erika giggled and agreed with what he had just said when suddenly, a scream escaped Ash's lungs!
"What happened?" asked Erika in concern as she went over to check to see if Ash was okay.
"I think...something just touched my foot," he said as lifted it out of the water and sure enough, a fish Pokemon was attached to it! "What is that thing?!" He screamed in almost a panicky tone as he pulled out his PokeDex while keeping his sight on the fish with the tan body and hideous spots covering it. Ash flailed his foot and the Pokemon landed in the water and gave Ash the best of an intimidating glance with its unattractive eyes. Dratini, Riolu, Clefairy, Zorua, and Scyther all went to the shore of the stream and looked at the unattractive Pokemon, causing it to sweat drop since it would result in a five-to-one battle if Ash told them so.
"Feebas: Gender, female. The fish Pokemon. These Pokemon are known to inhabit only specific locations in the world despite the fact they can live in even polluted waters. Due to their shoddy appearances and weak power, these Pokemon are largely ignored. Most trainers pursue its evolved form of Milotic since it is one of the most beautiful and powerful non-legendary water Pokemon."
"She seems to be a rare Pokemon if her location is limited and if they state the power of her evolved form is one of the most powerful for a non-legendary," commented Ash as he placed it back in his and reached a vacant Pokemon which was also the only one he had left. "I don't want to hurt it, but I hear that sleeping Pokemon have the highest rate of capture. Clefairy, use sing!"
The normal-type fairy nodded and began to sing a pleasant lullaby in the direction of the fish Pokemon. The fish instantly fell asleep and Ash tossed the ball at her, transforming her into energy to be held in the Pokeball. It fell to the ground and shook a few times before finally sealing shut with a click. Riolu went to pick up the ball and handed it to his master which he graciously accepted.
"I just caught a Feebas!" said Ash, making a peace sign towards his Pokemon and Erika, getting a smile from all of them. Ash clipped it onto his belt and recalled his other five as he resumed walking towards the east on his crutches.
(A.N.: I am going to do a time skip and progress the story to Lavender Town as the details of the Rock Tunnel do not have major contribution to the story.)
Notice: This "chapter" will contain some moderate graphic violence and profanity, but it is imperative to the plot. Parts of this "chapter" deserve the "M" rating.
Day 6
Ash and Erika had finally reached the outer limits of Lavender Town and saw the skyline piercing the many clouds that lingered in the background.
"Can you believe it? We finally reached Lavender Town!" said Ash joyfully as he started walking down a hill into the city's limits. Erika promptly followed after him to ensure that he did not fall over and damage something else. The two of them continued walking until they reached the inside of the Pokemon Center and Ash noticed the almost grimly atmosphere that lingered throughout the city. He handed Nurse Joy his injured allies and turned towards Erika.
"Is it just me, or do you feel something strange in the air?" he asked her with a bit of a puzzled look.
"I've heard that a lot of people say that," said Erika, "because here they have erected the Pokemon Tower which holds the graves of deceased Pokemon."
"Rumors go around that ghost-type Pokemon originate from the spirits of dead Pokemon and that they roam this city but are invisible to the naked eye," said Nurse Joy as she handed Ash back the Pokeballs. "They say that if you feel a random chill on a hot day, a Gengar is in your presence and hidden from view. But, they say that the wise, old Mr. Fuji, a well-known resident who has lived here for some 40 years, helps calm the spirits of the departed in the upper floors of the Pokemon Tower. He does not fear the ghosts and even helps trainers tame them before capturing them."
"Sounds like a pretty interesting guy," said Ash. "It'd be cool to have a ghost on my team since they have complete immunity to normal and fighting-type moves. Where can I meet him?"
"He resides at the Pokemon Volunteer House; it's the traditional Japanese pagoda that is about a block south of here," explained Nurse Joy.
"Sounds like a good idea," said Ash with a small grin.
"But can we get a room to put our stuff in? It's kinda annoying to carry all of this equipment around," said Erika.
"Sure, I'll need I.D.," said the nurse. The two trainers both flashed their proof to her and handed them two keys and directed them to the location of their rooms. Afterwards, Ash and Erika both went to get some lunch and fed the Pokemon and were finally out of the center again. They followed the way that Nurse Joy had told them and reached a fairly large one-story pagoda where they were greeted by some young folks about Ash's age. They let Ash in and he saw various Pokemon walking around such as Nidorino, Psyduck, Vulpix. A boy of about 13 years old went up to the two trainers and said,
"Welcome to the Pokemon Volunteer House where we care for all abandoned Pokemon unconditionally," said the male. "My name is Allen. May I help you?"
"Yes, I was wondering if Mr. Fuji was around, as I wanted to see about maybe getting a ghost Pokemon," stated Ash.
Allen shook his head slowly before saying, "Mr. Fuji left about an hour ago to sort out some sort of 'misunderstanding'," stated Allen. "He is at the Pokemon Tower, but if you want, you can go visit see what he is doing there. Just be real careful about the ghosts; they are some rare ones that happened to be real strong, I hear."
"Hopefully not too strong for Mr. Fuji. Right?" asked Ash.
Allen merely shook his head with a dubious look. "Hopefully not. But there is also a Cubone and his mother Marowak that Mr. Fuji frequently takes care of."
"A ground type. Electric Pokemon's only weakness.
"All right, thank you for telling me where he is," said Ash as both he and Erika left the Volunteer House. After following directions that they asked for, they finally managed to reach the outside of the Pokemon Tower, an ominously grey building that seemed to exude misery from the trainers who were mourning and paying respects to their fallen beloved Pokemon and those of others. Ash and Erika entered the building and saw a front desk behind which a woman stood. "Is Mr. Fuji around here?" he asked.
"Yes, he's on the fourth floor, but a group of strange-looking folks in black with a red R arrived and demanded that Mr. Fuji relinquish something called the Silph Scope which lets him see hidden ghosts," responded the woman. "Although their whispers were a bit indistinct, I could have sworn I heard them mention something about Cubone. I'd be careful if I were you."
"Team Rocket!" said Erika and Ash simultaneously.
"He's in trouble for sure then," commented Erika. "And so are Cubone and Marowak."
A male who was probably about 18 years old approached the two trainers. He was wearing a white kimono and had a gohei (the wand with streamers) and said, "It is dangerous to be in the presence of the ghosts and spirits without said Silph Scope or a person who can not control them."
Ash and Erika looked at each other a bit puzzled then Ash spoke. "Who are you?"
"My name is Hiroki and I am a channeler; I ward off spirits, including Pokemon, via means of my ancestors' traditional methods," he explained. "A lot of it involves ancient Japanese text and other complex procedures. But said methods are if all else fails, as I have ghost Pokemon myself."
"Very convenient," replied Erika with a gracious nod and smile.
"I don't care if they scare me or give me nightmares," said Ash. "We need to hurry and make our way upstairs to get to him and the Pokemon!" He turned back around to the woman at the desk. "It may be a good idea to call the local police cause things could get messy!"
"If that's the case, you should just stay down here and wait for help; it may be too dangerous!" said the woman.
"Both Ash and I have dealt with them ourselves; if nobody doesn't do anything, Mr. Fuji could be facing serious damger," explained Erika. "Let's go!"
The three of them headed towards the stairs and assisted Ash climb to the second story. Hiroki took three PokeBalls off his waist and enlarged them.
"Gastly, Haunter, and Misdreavus, keep away the bad spirits from us!" he said as he released all three of the ghost types. The three of them levitated around their master and further awaited orders. "Tell the others that we are here to ward off the intruders and only wish to bring peace to this area!" The three ghosts flew separate ways and the three humans continued to traverse the second floor. The air was thin and a light layer of fog lingered about. The area was covered with tombstones that had flowers and epitaphs which depicted the sorrow of the trainers who lamented their lost.
"Such misery..." said Erika with a low voice. A few people were on their knees in front of different graves and bawled uncontrollably. Every additional second that Ash remained there made his body go bleak and cold; the sadness was contagious, but he knew that if he backed down, three innocent beings could be killed...
"I don't feel any spirits haunting us," stated Ash to Hiroki, "but I feel like I'm overly depressed."
Hiroki nodded slowly and said, "You must be new to this area; most people here normally do not let the unsettling aura that this tower emits affect them. It is, as oddly as it sounds, something you get used to. My family has been trying to mitigate the spirits' anger so that they would not seek revenge for any untimely deaths."
Ash gulped and the three of them kept quiet as the relatively "peaceful" trip was shortly coming to its end. They had climbed their way up to the third floor and were now standing by the staircase that led to the fourth floor. Ash's heart kept pounding as if he were taking the final exam that would determine if he passed a next-to-impossible course. With the assistance of the other two humans, he managed to get to the next floor.
"Stop wasting our damn time and tell us where you've kept the Silph Scope, you decrepit piece of shit!" said a male voice. A blow landed and Ash winched in the somewhat mutual pain that he could feel. Before all three of them were on the floor, they looked through the railings of the balcony to remain out of site. Ash, Erika, and Hiroki all gasped as they watched what was happening. Mr. Fuji's arms were held behind his back by a Rocket grunt to prevent resistance while two others held telescopic batons next to his throat. Mr. Fuji had a badly bleeding nose and a few scrapes in his button-up white shirt, indicating that he had suffered some cruel attacks from the fiends. Marowak stood defensively in front of her son while using her bone to fend off the attacks that a female Rocket was dishing at her with a baton. None of the Rockets looked familiar to Ash, but he knew not to let his guard down for a microsecond.
Ash was trembling with fear and quietly whispered, "What should we do? Hopefully that woman called the police, but we can't just stand here and let them keep beating him!" Ash looked around the area and tried to think of an idea of how to flank the Rockets and get Mr. Fuji, Marowak, and Cubone out of there alive. A direct assault and confrontation could result in the deaths of all three of the innocent beings (Mr. Fuji, Cubone, and Marowak), so the three of them began to whisper quietly among themselves as they devised a strategy.
Another attack connected and Mr. Fuji gasped. It wasn't he who got hit. It was Marowak and she was kicked in the gut and fell over. "Marowak…" she said slowly to her son as he began crying. The woman raised the baton to hit the mother Pokemon on the back and Cubone began running towards the stairs but the female grabbed him and threw him against the breathing, though badly injured, Marowak.
"Heh-heh-heh," she cackled evilly. "This will all be over soon and I'll rid the two of you of your miserable lives." She raised the baton and was about to impact it to the quivering Pokemon, but Mr. Fuji spoke up and stopped her.
"How can such vicious people like you live with yourselves by inflicting harm on Pokemon?"
"A senile old man like you wouldn't understand the complexity of our evil doings," said the female as she approached him. "Hand over the Silph Scope and we'll leave you alone!"
"I wouldn't dare let you crooks get that item," said Mr. Fuji, "since there is no telling what you would do with ghost Pokemon!"
The Rocket who was holding Mr. Fuji's arms began talking about plans when Ash turned to Erika and then to Hiroki.
"You guys ready for the plan?" he asked. The two of them nodded and Hiroki whispered to Misdreavus. The female ghost nodded at what her trainer told her and turned invisible as she went into her position of the opposite side of the room from the Rockets and in said position started wailing like a distraught child. It was so loud that it easily overpowered the crying of Cubone.
"What was that?" said the female grunt as she turned her head.
"Let's go find out," said a male grunt who moved away from Mr. Fuji. The two Rockets went over to the corner of the room and saw Misdreavus lying there as if she were about to faint. Two grunts, whose back was turned away from Ash and company, were standing directly in front of Mr. Fuji and were completely oblivious to their presence. As the male and female were occupied with Misdreavous, Ash and company began to crawl through rows of tombstones ranging from about three to five feet tall, completely hidding from view the heroes as they began to sneak up on the two grunts that were assaulting Mr. Fuji. The room was huge; it easily measured about 50' x 100'.
"Get that thing to shut up!" said the female grunt to her associate as he cluelessly shrugged his shoulder. The distraction was working perfectly. Unfortunately, the stealth attack that the three trainers were trying to maneuver did not execute as planned; Ash's crutch accidentally knocked over a small potted plant on one of the tombstones and made a loud crack!
"What was that noise?" said a grunt who let go of Mr. Fuji. The remaining one pushed Mr. Fuji against the wall and took out a length of chain that was in his pocket and bound the elderly man's hands together behind his back. He also took out a large knife and put it to his throat.
"Don't you dare move a muscle," he said, "or I might "accidentally" let my knife slip."
Mr. Fuji did as he was told and stayed motionless as he helplessly watched Marowak and Cubone; despite the fact that they easily could've made a run for it, it more than likely would seal their fate if the Rockets caught up to them.
The two grunts appeared to the lining of tombstones and looked over and saw the three trainers!
"Hah!" said one of them. "I knew something seemed weird in here." He reached out his hand and grabbed Erika and she gasped.
"Gastly, Haunter, use hypnosis on the two of them!" ordered Hiroki. The ghost types' eyes glowed a sinister black and a wave of energy engulfed the two criminals and put them to sleep. "Great work, you two-" started the teenager, but the bodies of the two ghosts was enveloped by a pinkish-blue energy, causing them both to shout their names before falling to the ground. All three of them gasped and saw that the woman with a Hypno.
"Nice psybeam, Hypno," she said with no emotions. She looked down at the two male comrades who were fast asleep. "Worthless men. So, it looks like some people want to play hero and save this old man." She pointed at Mr. Fuji and cackled and flipped her blond hair.
"W-who are you?" trembled Ash as the woman began digging into her pockets.
"Well, there really is no point in telling someone who is about to die," she said as she pulled out a small .357 magnum revolver.
"Can't we please work around this?" begged Hiroki.
"No, because you three are witnesses and we aren't letting you off the hook," said the male.
"Don't kill us; we'd do anything if you spare us," said Erika.
The blonde-haired female scratched her head in thought and said, "This little boy is harboring rare Pokemon. Don't deny it; we heard it from Eddie, Alice, Jessie, and James. With such strength, you could do wonders for Team Rocket. Join us; we'll make it worth your wild."
"I...I have no interest in joining you crooks!" he spat on her boot. She growled and pointed the gun at him again.
"Do it if you know what's good for you," she said again.
Ash whimpered lowly and did not hesitate as he unclipped the balls from his belt. He extended his arms out and handed them to the members. "H-here. I'm cooperating, like you said."
"Ash, don't!" pleaded Erika. "Think of what you're doing!"
"And if I don't do this, you'll get killed!" countered Ash. Erika froze at the bravery that Ash was displaying; he truly did care about her, but apparently more so than his Pokemon. She could feel a tear run down her cheek as she suffered the predicament they were in.
"Good boy," said the blonde as she took the balls. Just as she and the other man were about to leave, a projectile came and hit her on the back of the head and knocked her over! It was Cubone!
"Cubone!" he said angrily as he started using bone club on the female Rocket, yelling as she used her hands to cover her head from the blows. Marowak then walked up to the man and with a quick sweep of her bone knocked him down, although her attacks were not as strong due to the fact that she had taken some heavy damage herself. The two ground types continued to assault the Rockets until a foreign voice spoke up.
"Well, I never..." Ash looked over and saw that the police had arrived; eight of them and all of them held batons and pistols at the ready. The officers were left completely speechless as they watched the Marowak and her son carry on their payback on the fallen Rockets. They continued for a few seconds until Marowak and Cubone both collapsed! Ash, Erika, Hiroki, and the eight police officers gasped and several policeman slapped handcuffs on all the Rockets. An officer, who more than likely was the lieutenant since he was dressed differently, went over to the blood-spattered ground around Marowak and her son who was weakly breathing. He shook his head in disbelief and went over to Mr. Fuji and freed him from his bindings. Ash got up and made his way slowly to the two ground types and extended his hand and said,
"Please, do not be afraid. Let us get you to the Pokemon Center now. We won't separate you from one another. I promise." Marowak nodded slowly and struggled to get up but failed. Tears were forming in Ash's eyes and said to Erika, "Help Cubone; I'll ask one of those officers for help."
Erika picked up the frightened Cubone and reassured him that he was going to be okay. He was crying and his body had bruises all over it and he was pretty sure that he had a few broken bones, but he was more worried about his mother. He started to struggle in her arms but Erika gently shushed him and told him she would be right behind him. Ash convinced the lieutenant to help carry the 45 kg Marowak down the three flights of stairs and they finally got to the Pokemon Center. Mr. Fuji was behind them the whole time and assured the officers who were escorting him that he was a tough old man and that he could take care of himself, but they insinuated that he visit a hospital to be sure.
Ash and Erika rode in the back of a squadron car and were escorted to the Pokemon Center. As soon as the vehicle stopped, Ash immediately burst out and used his crutches with the most strength he could muster and he, Erika, and the lieutenant arrived to the counter and Nurse Joy gasped. People in the background also gasped and began to murmur at the spectacle they were witnessing.
"What happened?" said Nurse Joy with a shcoked tone.
"Team Rocket at the Pokemon Tower," explained the lieutenant. "These two kids filled me in on the way over here that they were trying to acquire the Silph Scope that Mr. Fuji uses to see ghost-type Pokemon, so they held him hostage and these two innocent Pokemon are collateral damage."
"Such sick people," the pink-haired Nurse murmured as she picked up a phone and her voice echoed across the P.A. system. "We need two stretchers prepped for operation immediately!"
A few minutes later, two Chanseys were pushing two separate gurneys and gently placed the two ground types on each one. They went through a narrow hallway and moved the injured Pokemon into the operating room and a light with a syringe on it glowed to signify that it was occupied. There were benches and couches outside of the room and Ash sat down on one and Erika across from him.
"I hope that they will make it through," said Ash with a low voice as he looked down at the floor.
"Ash, there is something that I want to ask you," said Erika.
"Hmm?"
"Were you really going to sacrifice your Pokemon so that I would I live?"
"I-" he began before a loud beeping came from the operating room. He looked inside the small windows and saw that the mother and son ground types were being monitored on a heart monitor. Although he did not know how to read it, he could probably guess that the low peaks were not a good sign. He sighed and sat back down. He looked back at the door and the small windows were covered up by curtains from the inside. Ash resumed his sulking and remained silent for about another 20 minutes until Erika broke it.
"Ash, we should get some food and water; ignoring our needs won't improve or worsen theirs."
Ash just nodded and wiped a tear off his eyes. The two of them remained silent and had a dinner with a few murmurs in between bites of food and made their separate ways to their rooms. Ash took his pants and shirt off and got in the bed and released his Pokemon (except Feebas, of course). With their natural powers, Riolu and Dratini immediately picked up the emotions that Ash was feeling and jumped on the bed.
"What's going on, Ash?" asked Dratini through telepathy as her ears lowered. Riolu's tiny ears lowered as well and he gently patted both of their heads. Zorua jumped up next to the three and poked Ash with his cold nose.
"Team Rocket..." murmured Ash. "They badly hurt Cubone and Marowak and I fear that they may not make it through."
"We just have to stay strong no matter what happens," said Riolu.
"Yeah, you're right..." he said as he turned off the light. Marowak...Cubone...please pull through...
September 1st, 2013 Day 12
Despite the situation of the two ground types and the countless thoughts going through his mind, Ash slept surprisingly well without any disturbing dreams. He woke up and saw Dratini, Clefairy, and Zorua were still sound asleep while Riolu, as usual, was doing his morning exercises while a bored Scyther watched him. The human immediately began to dress himself without even bothering to say good morning to his Pokemon. They knew what was on his mind and did not object to this; to him, it felt like it was going to be the longest day of his life since in a matter of moments he would find out if those two innocent Pokemon were alive or not.
"Sorry for ignoring you, guys, but I'd feel better, hopefully, once I hear about them," explained Ash.
Dratini gently nudged his leg and transmitted to his mind, "You can't help it if your heart's in the right place. I'm glad that you are my trainer and you care very deeply for Pokemon. That is one of the reasons I decided to go with you."
Ash briefly sat down on the bed and hugged Dratini's cool body. "Thanks, girl. I needed to hear those words." The other four Pokemon approached Ash and hugged him as well and a tear ran down the boy's cheek. "Thank you. All of you. I'm going to find out now and I will tell you guys when we get breakfast."
Ash left his room and saw Erika sitting in a chair.
"Are Cubone and Marowak..." he started slowly.
"Why don't you go take a look for yourself?" she said calmly. Ash walked towards Nurse Joy and asked where they were. She lead him towards a room and she pushed it open for him and Ash saw that both Cubone and Marowak were positioned upright in bed and wagged their tails! A big smile formed on Ash's face. He was given permission to enter the room and he went to the space in between their two beds and showed him his hand as a sign of peace. Cubone wagged his tail again and allowed Ash to rub his smooth skull. He did the same for Marowak and she closed her eyes as she received the affection from the trainer.
"I was outside here for a while last night, hoping and praying that the two of you would be okay," said Ash as finished rubbing Marowak's head. He heard footsteps approach him and saw that it was Mr. Fuji. The old man was wearing a sling over his arm and a few bandages as well and had a small bag in his other hand.
"I remember seeing you yesterday, trying to fend off the Rockets," he said with an appreciative nod. "I am also very glad that I managed to find you here, as well. You are a remarkably brave young man and show the compassion that will someday transform you into a Pokemon master. I am also relieved that Marowak and Cubone are okay, considering that they took quite a beating."
"Thank you, Mr. Fuji," said Ash. "My name is Ash and I came all the way from Pallet Town and I strive to become a Pokemon master."
"Your journey will take you many places, but sometimes you may not be able to reach them due to unforeseen circumstances," said Mr. Fuji. He reached into the bag and pulled out what looked like a flute; it had a Pokeball near the end where you play it.
"What is that?" inquired Ash.
"A PokeFlute," explained Mr. Fuji. "Its melody will awaken any Pokemon. I hope that you have use for it." He handed it to Ash and he then sat down on the bench in order it to put it in his knapsack.
"Thank you, Mr. Fuji," said Ash.
"You're welcome," responded the old man. Just as he finished, Nurse Joy came and Ash got her attention.
"How are Marowak and Cubone?"
"Marowak has some broken bones and the bleeding has stopped," said Nurse Joy. "It was quite a lot of blood and heart actually did stop once, but, as you can clearly see, we revived her. Cubone got some bad bruises and a few cuts, but nothing too serious. The injuries looked a lot worse than they actually were."
"That's so good to hear," said Ash. He turned to Mr. Fuji and said, "Would you like to join us for breakfast?"
"That's a nice offer, but I need to return to my house and help the volunteers," he explained as he went over to the two ground Pokemon and gently rubbed their heads. "You two take care and I will see you soon."
Ash waved goodbye to him and he left the operating room and met Erika. "I feel like a big weight was lifted off my shoulder," he said as he sat down for a moment. "Let's go get some breakfast now, okay?" She agreed and they went down to the basement and got breakfast. As soon as Ash stepped out of the elevator, he gasped at what he saw. It was Cubone!
"Cubone-bone!" said the little Pokemon. Nurse Joy walked up behind him and looked at Ash.
"Cubone!" said a surprised Ash. "What are you doing? You should be back in bed."
"My thoughts exactly," said Erika. "He is bound to be quite fragile at this point. I wonder what's up."
"As soon as you left, Ash, Cubone started talking with his mother for a few minutes and he then got off the bed. Of course, I don't understand Pokemon, but based on the situation of now, it seems that Cubone wants to join you!"
Ash was a bit flabbergasted that this Pokemon that barely knew him would leave his mother's side to join him! "I...I don't know what to say...except yes! It would be an honor to have you on my team."
Ash then had to make the decision of depositing one Pokemon into the PC in order to get Cubone. He called Professor Oak and asked for his advice and the Professor seemed relatively astonished that Ash was able to get a hold of such rare Pokemon. He suggested that he send over Feebas since said species was limited to only very few habitats and would be great for his research. Erika gave Ash a spare Pokeball since he had run out and Cubone did not resist at all as he was sucked into the technological sphere. Ash and Erika got their camping equipment and headed south to Route 12 where they would then need to eventually go west along Route 11 to get to Vermillion City.
I'll be sure to give a warning when necessary, but most of it is due to Team Rocket whom I've made a lot of devious and cunning. Also, thanks for reading, and I would appreciate the feedback of what you thought of the chapter's format. it helps me get more motivated and I've taken reviews into consideration of making it less detailed for non-significant events. And if you may ask yourself why didn't that Rocket just dragged Mr. Fuji over to inspect the tombstones with the other grunt, it's because he isn't very smart. I hope no one is disappointed after having waited so long and I am dreadfully sorry if someone is. I just feel that Cubone needs love! (: Feel free to offer any suggestions for future chapters; I even plan to write a sequel someday. Big stress on someday. Have a good day!
Sneak peek: Ash and Erika finally arrive at Vermillion City and challenge the gym leader. How will he fare against the electric-type American army veteran?
Also, I plan to work on "The Mentalists" fairly soon. (: