The stars were out in force, illuminating a small camp on a cloudless night. The campfire had long died down and everyone was asleep. That is, everyone except a certain raven-haired young man. Ash Red Ketchum was in his sleeping bag, but he was still wide awake, staring at the stars. A lot had happened that day, especially at the end of the tournament, thought Ash. Thinking back on it, the memories were soon upon him...

Earlier that Day at the Tournament

Ash was completely captivated by what was happening to his starter Pokemon. Charmander was now enveloped in a bright white light. Then the changes started to happen. The Pokemon immediately grew another foot. Its tail also changed, nearly doubling in size. Finally, Charmander's face took on a more angular form. When the light at last faded, the Pokemon was now a deep shaded red, as opposed to orange, and the eyes were angled instead of round. Charmeleon was here.

The evolved fire type was surprised at his sudden transformation, turning his face and contorting his body to get a good look at everything. He was so involved in his new form, that he didn't notice the approaching footsteps, until his trainer fell down onto his knees before him.

"Charmander. No... Charmeleon. I know you are shocked with your evolution, believe me so am I," started Ash with a glimpse of a smile, before turning serious again. "But, I need you to focus. You put on a bit of a display with that fire show and even scared a few people. I'm a little scared too," Ash admitted, surprising Charmeleon.

"I'm not scared that you are going to lose control or hurt anyone, but I am afraid of something else. Remember what I asked you on that first day back in the lab when we met?" questioned Ash.

Charmeleon furrowed his brow and looked down as he thought back to that day. "It is my dream to be the world's greatest Pokemon Master... I need Pokemon who want to be strong... Will you be my friend?" Looking up, he saw his trainer with his arms open.

"Will you still be my friend Charmeleon?" Ash softly asked.

Charmeleon looked into his trainer's eyes. That inner fire promising strength was still there. Yes, they still had work to do. The Pokemon smiled and accepted his trainers embrace, much to everyone's relief.

After that, the tournament came to a close. Ash was announced as the champion and given the prize money of 100,000 Poke. He was also given an incubator with an egg that was caramel brown on the top and bottom. It was a creamy white in the middle. Ash was pretty sure he knew what Pokemon would be waiting for him within it, but he didn't want to make any judgements.

All the trainers soon cleared out of AJ's Gym, leaving Ash, Brock, Misty, and AJ alone in front of the locked gate of the Gym entrance.

"Ash, I want to thank you for that battle today. I was cocky and deserved a whupping to get my head on straight. I vow that we will work twice as hard in our training. We will meet again at the Pokemon League Ash. When we do, I hope I can give you an even better battle,'" smiled AJ.

"I'm looking forward to it," Ash responded. Then it was time to go.

AJ headed north to Cerulean City for his first Gym Battle. Ash and company continued their journey south towards Vermillion City.

Ash walked with a happy stride in his step. Brock and Misty assumed it was because of his tournament victory.

But, that wasn't it at all. Ash was just happy that his first pal was still by his side...

Back to the Present

Yup, a good day all in all, thought Ash. His egg was still in an incubator, resting near the fire. Looking at his sides, he had Pikachu clinging to him on his left, while Charmeleon did the same on his right. Ash was content for now, and soon he joined his best buddies in sleep.

Over the next week, the group followed a strict routine. Everyone would wake up early for the morning run, except Misty who was absolutely not a morning person, though she did take care of Ash's egg during this time. After that, the group would eat a quick breakfast and get some training in, which Misty did partake in with her own Pokemon.

Ash had Pikachu working on adding Double Team to his repertoire. You never knew when that would come in handy. Charmeleon's evolution allowed the Pokemon to now use Fire Spin, which he was now refining. Butterfree had heard Ash describe the Sleep Powder and Stun Spore that AJ's own Buterfree had used, and was now trying to replicate those attacks. Pidgeotto worked on building more speed, trying to get ready to learn Aerial Ace. Bulbasaur and Clefairy sparred. Bulbasaur saw Charmander's evolution and worked hard, wanting to catch up. Clefairy simply wanted to impress Pikachu...

Good progress was made by all, with each of Ash's Pokemon taking steps forward. After training, the group ate lunch and would travel the rest of the day, before settling in for dinner and a nap. Ash continued to take care of his egg, but it made no movements, meaning the hatching day was still far away.

At the end of the week, the group found themselves walking through a forest clearing in the late afternoon. Seeing the trees begin to open up, Ash sprinted ahead with his companions following close behind. The group soon emerged and found themselves facing a beautiful beach and a stunning sunset. They also noticed a nearby Lighthouse on a hill.

"The beach is gorgeous!" Misty said with stars in her eyes. "Lets stop for a while and let our Pokemon take a swim," pleaded the girl.

"I say we keep going. We are getting close to Vermillion City and i'm itching for my 3rd Gym Battle," Ash said with indifference to her request.

"THE WORLD DOESN'T REVOLVE AROUND YOU ASH RED KETCHUM! I SAW WE STAY!" yelled Misty with a terrifying expression on her face.

Ash wouldn't back down so easily though. "WHO CARES ABOUT A STUPID BEACH? YOU CAN PLAY IN ALL THE STUPID WATER YOU WANT WHEN WE GET TO VERMILLION CITY AND MY GYM BATTLE!"

"BEACH!"

"GYM BATTLE!"

"BEACH!"

"GYM BATTLE!"

"HOLD IT BOTH OF YOU AND CALM DOWN!" screamed Brock as he physically separated the two. "Now this is what is going to happen. Ash, we have been traveling and training nonstop this week. I think it's reasonable for Misty to want us to stop and relax for a while. We will stay at the beach and make camp, before setting off tomorrow," said Brock with authority.

"But Brock," Ash tried to counter.

"No buts Ash!" Brock responded with a tone of finality.

The raven-haired boy sighed and hung his head in resignation. "Fine."

"YAY!" celebrated Misty as she jumped for joy. In an instant, she was in her bathing suit. In the next instant, she was in the ocean with her Pokemon having a blast. Meanwhile, Brock had begun to set up camp and prepare the evening meal for the group and their Pokemon. Ash was busy himself throwing a massive pity party as he sat down on the beach with his arms crossed.

"Stupid Misty and her stupid Beach," grumbled the boy. To his utter disdain, even Pikachu was having a blast, playing with Misty and her Pokemon in the water. Traitor, thought Ash.

This went on for some time until Misty noticed the pity party for herself and felt a bit of guilt. Scrunching her face in concentration, she tried to think of a solution to the problem. Then it came to her. Misty sprinted out of the water and began to dig through her bag, to Ash and Brock's confusion. Eventually, she found what she was looking for and pulled something out and held it behind her back. She then turned around and walked towards Ash with purpose.

"Uh Misty... What are you doing?" asked the boy with a raised eyebrow.

"I noticed you aren't having a good time and decided to change that," easily responded Misty. "You don't have a Water Pokemon yet right Ash?"

"No net yet," Ash agreed, wondering where she was going with this.

"Well this is going to change that. TA-DA!" smiled Misty as she revealed a small think metal rod.

"How is a metal stick going to help me catch a Water Pokemon?" wondered Ash.

"IT'S NOT A STICK! IT'S A FISHING POOL YOU MORON! I mean... just watch Ash," sighed Misty. The emotive redhead stretched out the metal rod, revealing a nice fishing pole. She also pulled out a lure, that had a striking resemblance to herself, and attached it to the line.

"See? Fishing pole," said a smug Misty as she handed it over to Ash.

"I guess you were right," said the chastised boy. "Misty, thanks for brightening my day. I really appreciate it," Ash said with a dazzling smile. He then walked off towards the water, leaving a throughly flushed Misty behind him. Quickly recovering, Misty headed back into the water.

Not sure about this lure though to be honest, Ash thought with a sweat-drop. Beggars can't be choosers though, so Ash cast the line into the ocean and waited. A half hour had gone by and Ash had not felt a single tug on the line. He was starting to think the "Misty" lure might be scaring the Pokemon away when he finally felt something grab onto the line. Excited at the prospect of landing a Pokemon, Ash gave a might heave and yanked the pole upward!

A red crab with two pincers sprang from the ocean and flew onto the sandy beach. Ash immediately identified it as a Krabby. Wasting no time, Ash reached for a Pokeball. "Bulbasuar, I choose you!" The grass type emerged on the field ready for battle.

"Use Vine Whip and bring Krabby close," ordered Ash. Bulbasaur responded with a lightning speed Vine Whip. Still disoriented from getting dragged out of the water, Krabby could do nothing in the face of the attack and was immediately grabbed.

"Now reel it in Bulbasaur," said Ash with great focus. Slowly but surely, Bulbasaur dragged the water type closer, despite Krabby's resistance.

When Krabby was 5 feet from Bulbasaur, Ash ordered his finishing move. "LEECH SEED RIGHT ONTO KRABBY!" Bulbasuar fired and the seed hit true, sapping the water Pokemon of energy.

"Pokeball go!" yelled Ash, throwing an empty Pokeball at the secured and in pain Krabby. The ball made contact and Krabby was immediately sucked in, before the Pokeball fell to the ground.

Ash and Bulbasaur stayed on edge, watching as the ball moved back and forth. Their worries were soon remedied when the ball dinged, signifying Krabby's capture.

"YES!" Ash screamed in victory. "Excellent work Bulbasaur," Ash said as he smiled at his Pokemon. Walking over to his new Pokemon, Ash bent down to pick up the Pokeball. Right before he made contact though, it disappeared in a bright flash of light, much to his surprise.

"Krabby? KRABBY!" panicked the frantic boy as he began to dig around the sand, looking for the Pokeball.

Realizing what was going on, Brock sighed as he moved towards his young friend to calm him down. "Don't panic Ash! How many Pokemon did you have before you caught Krabby?"

"SIX! But what does that have to do with... Oh. Right. Krabby must be with Professor Oak since I already have 6 Pokemon on me. Guess I panicked for no reason," Ash chuckled to himself, as Brock sweat-dropped.

With the dramatics over, Brock called Misty in from the ocean for dinner. Trainer and Pokemon alike enjoyed another one of Brock's fantastic meals. While cleaning up, the group soon noticed storm clouds over the ocean, moving in fast.

"Looks pretty bad," observed Misty as she peered off into the distance.

"Agreed. The tents won't cut it. We need to find shelter fast," noted Brock.

Ash thought on the problem looking around, before the Lighthouse caught his eyes again. "Guys, I think the Lighthouse is gonna be our best bet."

Brock and Misty nodded and the Pokemon were soon returned to their Pokeballs as the gang packed up, before heading towards the tall structure. By the time they made it, Ash, Brock, and Misty were running through the rain, shielding themself from the harsh winds. Approaching the doors, the group noticed ornate carvings of powerful Pokemon, including the Legendary Birds of Kanto, were carved into them. They were still getting drenched by the rain and the winds were chilling their wet bodies to the bone, so they quickly got over any fascination they had. Brock noticed a doorbell and pressed the button attached to an intercom.

Loud ringing bells chimed through the rainstorm. Then, a voice sounded over the intercom. "Who's there?" asked a clear male voice.

"We're three weary travelers on a Pokemon journey, but got caught in a storm without shelter. Would you mind if we took safety in the Lighthouse?" asked Brock.

No response came over the intercom, but the doors immediately opened, and everybody rushed inside. After drying off for a few minutes, the gang took in their surroundings. Ash could make out some pillars, a door near the back of the room, and a video phone off to the side.

"Do you mind if I use your phone?" Ash called out in the darkness.

"Go ahead," responded the same voice from before.

Giving a quick shrug to Brock and Misty, Ash walked over to the phone and dialed Professor Oak.

The screen lit up, revealing the professor, eating a tofu dinner.

"Ash?" a confused Professor Oak said, upon seeing the young man.

"Yeah it's me professor. Where you expecting someone else?" wondered the boy,.

"No that's not it at all my boy. You just happened to call from the building of a well known associate of mine," explained the professor.

"Really? Who is it?" Ash asked, eager for the chance to learn something new about Pokemon from an expert.

Professor Oak chuckled at the boy's enthusiasm. "You've read plenty of his work Ash. Here is a hint. He is a young researcher that specializes in mythical and ancient Pokemon."

It only took Ash a few second to realize who Professor Oak was talking about. "Are you saying Bill lives in this Lighthouse Professor?" asked Ash in awe.

"That's right young man. Say Bill, can you hear me?" yelled the professor over the call.

"I can Professor Oak," called back Bill's seemingly distant voice.

"Do me a favor and give these youngsters a crash course in Pokemon," the professor cheekily requested, before hanging up, annoying Ash. I didn't even get to ask him about Krabby... Oh well. Guess I will do that in Vermillion City, thought the boy.

"Well there's no way I can ignore a request from the great Professor Oak," called out Bill one final time before the lights suddenly flickered on.

"AHHHHHHH! What's that?" worried Misty, pointing to what looked like a giant Kabuto that now stood in the doorway at the other side of the room. Ash and Brock jerked their heads to where she was pointing, taken back by the strange sight.

"Worry not my friends. I am Bill of the Lighthouse," said the giant Pokemon.

"What's with the get up Bill?" asked Ash.

"When I study Pokemon, I like to get into their skin to understand them better. Unfortunately, I've been stuck in this costume for three days now and the release button is on my back, which I cannot reach. May you please let me out?" Bill innocently asked.

The trio immediately face-faulted at this. Ash got up quick though and obliged Bill by pressing the release. A young adult with green hair in a red suit emerged.

"Thanks for that In any case, I believe I owe you three a lesson on Pokemon. Why don't we chat in the kitchen over some nice hot chocolate?" smiled Bill. Ash, Brock, and Misty were happy to go along with this and followed their host elsewhere.

Much later, Brock and Misty had hit the rack, but Ash was still enraptured with the discussion he was having with Bill.

"But how many Pokemon do you think are out there?" asked Ash.

"As you may know, Kanto only has 151 Pokemon species native to the region. However, there are currently almost 900 different unique species of Pokemon that have been discovered all over the world. There are also various regional variants of the same species that have adapted to different environments. As for how many remain, who knows?" said Bill. "It is my fervent belief though that we will continue to learn more about these marvelous creatures, even as far as 1,000 years from now."

"Woah," marveled Ash, taking in the gravity of what he heard.

"You know it's quite late Ash. I think you may want to head off to bed? I know I do," laughed Bill.

"Well, there is one more thing I've been meaning to ask you about," Ash said.

"Yes?" questioned Bill.

Ash grabbed his backpack and opened it up, pulling out his incubator with the Pokemon egg. "I recently won this in a tournament. The organizer said that this egg came from you. If I know my Pokemon, then I would say the brown markings mean that this is an Eevee egg. Am I right Bill?"

"Spot on Ash. Yes this looks like my work. One of my areas of interest is the study of Eevee and the many evolutions it possesses. Why does one Pokemon have so much potential for evolution when others do not? Are there any other undiscovered Eevee evolutions? What makes Eevee different? These are all questions I seek to answer. In pursuit of that research, I breed a wide variety of Eeevee, and often have more eggs than I know what to do with, which I end up donating. However, there is something extra special about this particular Eeevee egg," said Bill as he peered closely at it. "Yes I remember this one well. You will be in for quite the surpirse when this hatches Ash."

"What's special about this egg Bill?" Ash asked with anticipation.

"Now now. I wouldn't want to spoil the surprise," Bill said with a mischievous smile. "Off the bed with you now."

"All right then," muttered Ash, as he walked off to a room pointed out by his host.

Try as he might, Ash found himself having difficulties sleeping, much like the the night of the tournament. The mystery of the Eevee egg plagued Ash's thoughts for many hours, before sleep finally claimed him.

END CHAPTER

A jam-packed chapter with a few significant developments. Charmander evolved, but managed to avoid the attitude problem from the Anime. Ash also catches Krabby, though I did want to make a battle out of it, instead of Ash using a stick. Finally, we reveal that Ash has indeed won an Eevee egg. What is so special about it I wonder?

Next Time - The gang arrives in Vermillion City, hearing about the many victims of Lt. Surge's brutal battle style. Will Ash be victorious? Stay tuned.

DragonEmperor999 - Thanks for the review! Charmeleon appears on screen yes! As Ash's started, I wanted to move up the evolution. Also, not sure I will be including the episode from canon where he evolved anyway.

XxCaseyxX - Thanks for the review! Sorry to hear that you were disappointed with Bulbasaurs's initial reaction. I believe he recovers from his minor PTSD in the chapter after the one you reviewed though.

This week, I am recommending From One Side to Another by True-intha-Blue. This features an Ash Ketchum that seeks to join the Battle Frontier after losing to Tobias in Sinnoh.

Remember to review with your thoughts/critique :)

Smell ya later!