Crossroads Chapter 5: That Special Someone
Previously on Crossroads, Gary told Ash he knew Scott from the Battle Frontier and that he should become a Frontier Brain. Ash agreed and called Scott, who accepted him, and now he is headed to the Battle Frontier Headquarters in Vermillion City.
Professor Oak's Laboratory – Kanto Region
The next day started the same as yesterday, except this time around, Ash would be leaving early to get to Vermillion City on time.
After Ash was all packed up, Delia wished him luck on his new adventure. She knew that this could be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for Ash.
Ash then headed to Professor Oak's Lab as he needed to pick out which Pokémon he would take with him for the trip.
Ash knocked on the door and was greeted by the Professor.
He said, "Hello, Ash! I assume you're here to pick up the Pokémon you will be taking with you to Vermillion City?"
"Yup, you got it," said Ash with a smile. The two then proceeded to the backyard to see Gary currently training his Blastoise for his next Battle Frontier challenge.
"Blastoise, use Hydro Pump against that rock!" Called Gary. Blastoise then used its powerful hydro cannons to shoot a torrent of water toward the boulder right in front of it. The impact of the attack wrecked the boulder.
"Nice work, Blastoise," said Gary. He turned to face Ash and Professor Oak.
Gary went over and asked, "You ready to start your new journey, Ashy-boy?"
"Well, I wouldn't exactly call it a journey, but regardless you know that I'm going to do everything I can to become a Frontier Brain!" Said Ash confidently.
"That's good to hear, Ash, because you know that once you become a Frontier Brain, that means I'm going to come and challenge your Battle Facility and win your symbol!"
It was like a light turned on in Ash's head as he exclaimed, "So, that's what you meant about us battling again sooner than I thought. Well, too bad, Gary, there is no way I'll let you win my Symbol without a fight!"
"Good. I plan on you being the new toughest Frontier Brain because after I beat the secret leader, I'm coming after you!"
"Alright, alright, you two, settle down. Besides, don't you have to select which Pokémon you are taking with you, Ash?" Said Professor Oak, trying to get Ash back on task.
"Hmm… well, obviously, I'm taking Pikachu. That's a no-brainer," said Ash, with Pikachu saying "Pika!" while punching its small fist in the air.
Ash continued assessing most of his Pokémon, now circled around the three. "I think I'll also take some of my Pokémon I haven't traveled with in a while. So why don't we go with Quilava, Donphan, Heracross, Kingler, and…."
Ash was about to name his last Pokémon before one walked forward and said, "Bulba, Bulbasaur," obviously asking if he could come along.
Ash looked down at Bulbasaur and said, "Wow, why didn't I think of that?! Of course, you can come with us, Bulbasaur!"
"Bulba, Bulba!" Bulbasaur exclaimed happily.
"Alright, it looks like we're all ready to go," said Ash looking at both Professor Oak and Gary, but they both had something in mind about Ash's choices.
"What's wrong? Am I not choosing the right Pokémon or something?"
"Well, Ash, it's not about the Pokémon choices because they are all fine, but how do you expect to get to Vermillion City in, oh what is it now, 8 hours? You do know it takes at least three days walking, right?" Said Gary.
Ash's face was classic as he had wide eyes and a now red face as he knew there was no way he could get to Vermillion City in time.
"Oh, jeez, what am I going to do?! There is no way that I'll make it to Vermillion City on time! Staraptor, Swellow, and Noctowl are all too small to carry me on their backs, and I don't have Charizard to take me since he's in Charicific Valley," said Ash, now getting into full-blown panic mode.
"Ash, I want you to think! Is there any other Pokémon that you have in your possession that has the power to get you to Vermillion City?" Asked Gary trying to get Ash to calm down.
Ash went through every Pokémon he had in his mind, and suddenly he had a stroke of brilliance - which doesn't happen very often and said, "I got it! Technically he isn't in my possession anymore, but the only Pokémon that was able to fly me places was Pidgeot!"
"Ash, that's a great idea! Here, I'll check if I still have Pidgeot's old Pokeball while I get the others for your other Pokémon. However, you have to tell me which Pokémon you aren't taking with you since you can only have six at a time," said Professor Oak.
"Yeah, your right," said Ash with a frown. He then went over and said, "You don't mind staying, do you, Donphan? I want to take some of the Pokémon I haven't traveled with in a while. I promise you will be my first choice the next time I battle with somebody!"
Donphan looked sad but somewhat understood Ash's situation.
"Ok, Professor, I'll be going with this five-plus Pidgeot whenever I find him!"
Professor Oak nodded and returned to the lab to get Ash's Pokeballs. The Professor returned five minutes later and gave Ash all his Pokeballs. Once he did, he said, "Here you are, Ash! I found Pidgeot's old Pokeball in my desk, so you should be all set!"
"Thanks a lot, Professor! It will be really nice to see Pidgeot again after all this time. I hope he still remembers me!"
"I'm sure he will, Ash. Now let me and Gary walk you out; you can't be late for your big meeting," said Professor Oak with a smile. The trio then left the backyard after Ash put all his Pokémon in their respective Pokeballs.
Once they were at the front of the lab, Professor Oak and Gary said their goodbyes; "Ash, I wish you the best of luck in becoming a Frontier Brain! I know you can overcome every challenge they present to you!"
Ash nodded his thanks to Professor Oak and turned to Gary next, who said, "Ash, you know that I think the same way, but know by the time you become a Frontier Brain, I'll already have my seven symbols. I want to ensure your first official challenger in the Battle Frontier is none other than me!"
"You bet, Gary! I'll do everything I can to become a Frontier Brain, no matter what it takes! I'm going to become stronger, and the next time you see me in a competition, I'll be the one lifting that trophy!"
With that, the pair shook hands, and Ash began to walk along the road toward Viridian forest to search for his only way to Vermillion City.
Viridian Forest – Kanto Region
It took Ash a little over an hour to reach Viridian Forest as Ash knew he needed to find Pidgeot to make it to Vermillion City on time.
"Man, I don't see anything! Pikachu, do you see anything?"
"Pika Pi…" said Pikachu softly, which meant that he was as clueless as Ash was.
The pair kept walking for another five minutes before Pikachu spotted a black dot and yelled out, "Pika!" While pointing towards the sky.
Ash looked up immediately upon hearing Pikachu and saw the black dot in the sky. Ash then proceeded to yell, "Hey, Pidgeot! Is that you?!"
The black dot moved closer upon hearing Ash's voice; the closer it got, the quicker the duo began to realize the black dot wasn't a Pidgeot.
Ash began to shake and said shakily, "Umm… Pikachu... I think we better start running…."
"Pika…" said Pikachu while putting its arms over its head.
"FEA-ROW!" screeched the wild Fearow. As Fearow got closer, it opened its beak and fired a colorful triangle-like blast from its mouth toward Ash.
Ash quickly responded, yelling, "Pikachu, block it with Thunderbolt!"
Pikachu sprang off Ash's shoulder and shot a bolt of electricity towards the Tri-Attack, which caused an explosion upon impact. Fearow then shot through the smoke with its beak spinning like a drill and connected with Pikachu, sending it hurtling into the ground.
"Pika…" said Pikachu while slowly getting up with its cheeks crackling with electricity.
"Damn it! We don't have time right now to fight this Fearow. I have to get back to finding Pidgeot so we can get to Vermillion City!"
Fearow began to charge once again with another Drill Peck. But, as Fearow was about to hit Pikachu, a flash of light seemed to come out of nowhere at blinding speed which hit Fearow, sending it crashing into a tree.
The Pokémon flew around in a circle before landing in front of Ash, whose mouth was wide open at the sight. He couldn't believe his eyes.
"Pidgeot! I can't believe you're here! We've been looking for you!"
"Pidgeotooo!" Roared Pidgeot while extending its wings wide, getting ready to fight the rogue Fearow.
However, the Fearow didn't share the same enthusiasm after being smashed against the tree. Instead of attacking, Fearow flew away, knowing the task it would have been up against had it decided to fight the powerful flying type.
Once the rouge Fearow was out of sight, Pidgeot turned to Ash as Ash said, "Wow, Pidgeot, thanks for the save! That was one tough Fearow; you must be very respected in this forest for other Pokémon to fly away from fighting you. Anyway, I know it's been a long time, but I was wondering if you wanted to join back up with me?"
Pidgeot thought for a second before expanding its wings and screeching, "Pidgeotooo!" Meaning he would be happy to rejoin Ash once again!
"Really?! Thanks a lot, Pidgeot, but what about the rest of the Pidgey and Pidgeotto?"
Pidgeot looked up, causing Ash to glance up as well. His mouth dropped again as an enormous flock of Pidgey, Pidgeotto, and even a couple of Pidgeot mixed in emerged above them.
"Wow… So that's what you mean. You think your tribe is strong enough to survive on its own!"
Ash then took Pidgeot's Pokeball off his belt and asked, "Are you sure about this Pidgeot?"
Pidgeot put its beak forward and nudged it against Ash's Pokeball. It then opened and engulfed Pidgeot in a white glow before being sucked into the ball. The Pokeball then dropped out of Ash's hand and wiggled around a couple of times while the center of the ball blinked red. The Pokeball stopped shaking when a dull sound came from it, meaning Pidgeot had been caught again!
Ash picked up the Pokeball and said, "It's good to have you back, Pidgeot!"
Ash then threw the Pokeball into the air, releasing Pidgeot and landing it in front of Ash. Ash then briefly explained the situation, and Pidgeot responded eagerly by expanding its wings and motioning for Ash to get on its back.
"Wow, thanks, Pidgeot! You're a lifesaver," said Ash. With that, the trio of Ash, Pikachu, and Pidgeot lifted off the ground and began flying toward Vermillion City.
Vermillion City – Kanto Region
The years Pidgeot had been away from Ash turned out to be much better than expected. Pidgeot could fly at incredible speeds as Ash made it to the Battle Frontier Headquarters with just enough time to spare, five minutes, to be exact.
Pidgeot landed in front of the Battle Frontier Headquarters. Ash leaped off Pidgeot and said, "Thanks a lot, Pidgeot! You deserve a good long rest for that effort!" Ash then returned Pidgeot to his Pokeball and walked inside the vast building with the Battle Frontier Logo proudly shown on the front. It's a wonder he didn't notice the last time he was here back on his original Kanto journey.
Once inside, Ash immediately heard his name called as Salon Maiden Anabel said, "Ash, over here!" who was waiting for him near an elevator.
Ash looked over and was immediately taken aback by Anabel's appearance. She had grown out her lilac hair past her shoulders; she was dressed casually with a pleasant lavender top and pair of jeans. Ash's eyes wandered around her body to notice she certainly filled out a bit since they were last together. Usually, Ash wouldn't notice aspects like that, but hey, gotta grow up eventually, right?
Ash made his way over to her, and Anabel hugged him, saying, "Ash, it's so good to see you again. How's everything been?" With a slight blush on her face from the hug.
Ash, who also had a slight blush on his face, although he didn't get why replied, "Everything has been going great! It's great to see you again. How has Battle Tower been going?"
"It's as busy as usual! The organization's notoriety has improved dramatically since you beat the Battle Frontier. It seems like every day now, I'm getting a new challenger, which is something you will learn about once you get a Battle Facility of your own!"
"Yeah, your right. I wonder what I'm going to call it… hmm, I have no idea, but hey, I got a lot of time to figure that out. Anyway, is everyone here yet?"
Anabel smiled, "Yup, right this way, Ash; they sent me down to get you when you arrived! Let's get on the elevator; The meeting's about to start!"
Ash and Anabel briefly caught up as the elevator climbed up the large building, with Ash nervously rubbing the back of his neck in anticipation of the festivities.
Once the elevator door opened, Anabel led Ash down the hall, with large pictures of each Frontier Brain hanging on the wall. The pair soon reached a door with the Battle Frontier Logo on it. Once Anabel knocked twice, the door opened down the middle to reveal a large boardroom with a long table in the center, which could probably fit around twenty people.
Inside the room were the six Frontier Brains; The leader of the Frontier Brains, Brandon, Greta, Spenser, Tucker, Lucy, and Noland, as well as the Head of the Battle Frontier, Scott.
Brandon stepped forward and extended his hand, saying, "It's good to see you again, Ash. I hope you're ready for the challenge of becoming one of us."
Ash accepted the handshake, "It's great to see you too, Brandon! I'm definitely ready to start this challenge!"
"That's good to hear, Ash," said Brandon warmly.
Ash then proceeded to meet and greet the other Frontier Brains, which was a different experience each time. Greta punched him in the arm, and Tucker was as dazzling as ever in his greetings. Lucy seemed as quiet as ever as she gave a simple hello and a handshake, and Noland gave Ash a pat on the back while telling him he watched his battle with Paul in the Sinnoh League while recounting how awesome it was. Spenser also gave Ash a handshake while telling him that somehow nature was a part of telling Ash that now was the time to become a Frontier Brain. It only solidified Ash's thought that maybe it was time for Spenser to retire.
After all the greetings were over, Scott began to address everyone; "Well, thank you, everyone, for being here on time as I appreciate it. Now, we have all gathered here because Ash has decided to accept my offer to become a Frontier Brain!"
Everyone in the room clapped at that announcement, and Scott continued, "Now, as we're all aware, there's a certain task Ash all perform to become a Frontier Brain."
"What do you mean, Scott? What do I have to do?" Asked Ash as he was seemingly ready for anything.
"Well, Ash, it's pretty simple. To become a full-fledged Frontier Brain, you must spend four months with any Frontier Brain of your choice, acting as their 'servant.' During those four months, you will learn how to conduct yourself and know everything about being a Frontier Brain. Once the four months are up, your state-of-the-art Battle Facility will be ready, and you will become a full-fledged member of the Battle Frontier!"
Ash's mouth hit the floor as he wasn't expecting servitude to be a requirement leading up to this decision. Ash regained his composure and said, "Alright, I'll do it. Do I have to pick now, or can I think about it for a little while?"
"Of course, you can think about it for a while! We all want to make sure you make the best decision for yourself," said Scott.
With that said, Scott and the Frontier Brains made their way out of the room, but not before six of the seven Frontier Brains made sure Ash knew to pick them as it was an honor for a Frontier Brain to train another. Although as they left, Ash and Anabel's eyes locked as Anabel quickly looked away with a blush on their faces as she skirted out the door, leaving Ash and Pikachu to themselves.
Ash first thought about Tucker, but the idea of spending two months with him creeped Ash out. Plus, Tucker was always doing shows and events, so when would he have time to teach him how to be a Frontier Brain? So Tucker was off the list.
Next up was Spenser. Sure, spending time on a remote island would be pretty cool, but when Ash began to think about the kind of lessons Spenser would teach him, he realized their styles and methods might not jell the best. Besides, Ash wasn't exactly the naturalistic type to begin with.
Then came Greta. Ash mentally winced in pain, thinking of the strenuous torture Greta would most likely put him through as much pleasure as it would probably give her. That thought alone crossed Greta off the list.
Lucy might be a good choice, but the more Ash thought about spending two months with Lucy, the more a bad taste came to his mouth as it seemed like Lucy had a serious side that wouldn't make the two months very enjoyable. So Lucy was a no-go.
Noland seemed like another logical choice too, but with him being an engineer and a battler, it would probably confuse Ash and teach him more about machines and flying rather than teaching him how to be a Frontier Brain.
Ash shook at the thought of being a servant under Brandon. Knowing how difficult it was to defeat Brandon, Ash figured all Brandon would do would work him to the bone, and Ash didn't want to learn in that demanding environment.
When Ash thought of Anabel, his thought of being her 'servant' for four months didn't sound half bad. He knew that Anabel was really nice and would make it a pleasant learning environment, and Ash knew Anabel also had a lot of experience even though she was the youngest member of the Battle Frontier.
As Ash started to think deeper about Anabel, he began to wonder if she was that "special someone" Brock was talking about yesterday. Surly, Brock didn't know about the four months of servitude, although Ash couldn't help but think Anabel was the person he was insinuating. Anabel was different then Misty, May, and Dawn. Misty was too hot-headed and always went with violence to prove a point. May perhaps could have been the one, but she obviously has a thing going with Drew with all the roses he gives her, and besides, he always thought of May as more of a student anyway. Dawn was just simply too young for Ash; she was 12! Besides, Ash thought Kenny might have something going with her, so Dawn was out of the question.
Anabel, however, was the same age as him; they shared the same passion for battling, the way they raised Pokemon, and damn, she was hot!
With a smirk at the thought, Ash turned his head to look at Pikachu, who had been taking a nap in a lounge chair next to him, and decided he had made up his mind.
After another five minutes of waiting, Scott and the rest of the Frontier Brains re-entered the room to hear who Ash had selected.
Scott went up to Ash and asked, already knowing the answer, "So Ash, who have you decided to spend four months with?"
As all of the Frontier Brains waited anxiously for Ash's answer, the raven-haired boy stood up and said, "I have thought very hard about this, something I don't normally do, but I think I'm going to go with…."
Scott and all of the Frontier Brains leaned in slightly.
"Anabel!"
Author's Note:
As always, review, favorite/follow the story as this story is just getting bigger and bigger, so keep it up, everyone!
I hope you all enjoyed the chapter, and here's the next one!
Crossroads Chapter 6: Settling In
Cyclone20
