Hello everyone! I'm starting this in on the same day I released the last chapter. Hopefully it will be out before a week passes. I will say the next few chapters might be a bit boring compared to what they will be when Ash gets more Pokemon and becomes more powerful; that's always fun.
Also, I will point out that Ash, Gary, and the other trainers that got Kanto starters are all eleven.
Anyways, I cannot thank you all enough for all the love! I'm trying a different style of writing this time around, go ahead and tell me if you notice a difference and what way you prefer it.
Anyways, I want Ash to get mostly Pokemon he doesn't get in the Anime or that are almost never used in Ash fanfictions (excluding Eevee of course.) I also have a fondness for Gen 2 Pokemon, so Ash will for the most part catch Gen 1 or 2 Pokemon.
Ash also might be a bit ooc, so sorry ahead of time! I will probably post polls occasionally, but probably not too much. I must again thank my beta(s) for editing this for me.
The person who made the cover art is found here. (She didn't make it for me and all credit goes to her. Her name is Kazie's Art Blog *on Tumbler*)
That said, let's get to the story!
Ash sighed as he slumped in the shade of a tree, trademark hat off to the side. In his hand he held Volt's Pokeball, the sun being too much for the poor creature's coat. After all, Sinnoh was a much colder region compared to Kanto. Right now, Ash wished he could join Volt in the cool metal insides of the Pokeball and escape from the sweltering heat. Ash glared half-heartedly at the sun above, silently cursing it for being so hot on the most important day of this life. He had only been on the road for three hours before the heat started picking up, and it wasn't getting any easier.
Ash looked down at the Pokegear in his hands again, the metal hot from a combination of the heat and the constant use he had been putting it through. The map showed that Ash's icon, a red Pokeball, wasn't yet halfway through Route 1. It was just his luck that the day he set off was the hottest day of the summer, hotter even then it was in the Fire Type's area at Oak's Ranch.
Not to mention the fact Ash hadn't even had his first battle yet. Apparently, other Trainers heard about the heat and were staying indoors. Ash had yet to see a single trainer. It almost made him wish he had received Volt the same time Gary got his starter so they could battle. Sure, Ash could challenge wild Pokemon, but unless he wanted to catch it there was no reason to beat up some poor Pokemon and leave it to suffer. Wild Pokemon could challenge Trainers, but it didn't happen often on the rather docile Route 1.
Just as Ash was getting annoyed over the fact that he hadn't been able to battle anyone yet, he looked up at the faint sound of footsteps. In front of him was a dirt road just wide enough for two Rapidash to fit on, stretching on for miles all the way to Viridian City. Plains surrounded the road, with forest farther behind. It was light woods, nothing like Viridian Forest would be, mainly filled with a few flocks of flying types and a collection of bugs. Ash had tried to go there, to catch a new member for his team, but in the first seconds of him breaking past the border of trees, a Pidgey flock had fled from his presence and warned the rest of the Pokemon. Even though he spent half an hour just poking around the trees, he came up empty-handed.
A figure was making his way along the path. Ash squinted, sliding his hat back over his eyes to let him see better. As the figure got closer, he realized that by his side was an Arcanine, loping along gracefully, and he was wearing a belt with Pokeballs clipped to the sides. Ash couldn't help but grin like a maniac.
Forgetting about the heat, Ash pulled himself up and ran over to the trainer. "Hey! Hey!" He yelled, losing his composure in the excitement of finally finding a trainer. The trainer stopped and turned, staring at Ash. The Arcanine started growling softly, and Ash stepped back, frightened.
The trainer put a hand on the Arcanine's ruff. "Archie." The giant dog immediately stepped down, the face that had been second before growling now looked chasted. The trainer then turned his gaze to Ash. "You shouldn't run up like that to someone. Someone could get startled and hurt something." Ash could now see that the trainer looked about nineteen years old. He had cold, steely grey eyes and ash-blond hair. On his belt were seven Pokeballs; three Pokeballs, two Great Balls, and two Ultra Balls. If not for the fact that Ash had just been scolded, he would of been in awe of the Ultra Balls. They were known as one of the most powerful Pokeballs out there, and were very rare and expensive. They were only sold to trainers with five or more badges, and only sold in Silph Co. stores.
Ash ducked his head, ashamed. He felt the heat of a blush crawling up his cheeks but he forced it down, trying to keep his voice in check. "Sorry." Ash took a deep calming breath. "I just… I just wanted to ask you for a battle. I just got my starter a few hours ago, and you're the first trainer I've found. So, I challenge you to a battle!" Ash pulled out Volt's Pokeball and held it out.
All while Ash was giving his inspiring speech, the opposing trainer was staring at him, emotionless expression across his face. After Ash finished, he replied with a simple "No." before turning and walking away, the Arcanine following suit.
Ash blinked, startled at the quick rebuttal. "Please?" He asked again, and the mystery trainer turned around.
"Look, kid." Ash frowned at that. "I have seven badges; I would straight-up destroy you in a Pokemon fight. My weakest Pokemon is fully evolved, and you got your starter less than a day ago. You probably also only have one Pokemon. Have you ever tried your Pokemon's attacks out? Have you looked up your starters species info?" Ash blanched as the trainer continued, eyes still cold and uninterested. "You are rushing your journey, trying to battle opponents that are obviously advanced. You have no clue how to actually fight with your Pokemon. I refuse your challenge. Maybe one day when you are more powerful… but until then? No." The trainer turned his back to Ash and climbed easily onto the back of his Arcanine, grabbing onto the fire type's ruff. They took off, leaving Ash coughing in a cloud of dust and staring after the trainer dejectedly.
"Wait-" Ash called, but the words died on his tongue. Had he really put Volt in danger? He thought through his interactions with the trainers. The trainer was obviously advanced. His weakest pokemon was fully evolved? What would have happened?
Shouldering his bag and clipping Volt's Pokeball to his belt, he continued on the path, barely noticing any of the scenery or Pokemon as he passed, too focused on the trainers words. He vowed to one day battle that trainer… when he was more powerful.
Ash didn't stop walking until he looked up and realized that the sky was now tinted orange and pink from the setting sun. Thankfully, the heat had died down, so Ash thumbed Volt's Pokeball. He considered letting him out, but decided to wait a bit. The truth was, he felt guilty, and still didn't know how to apologize for what didn't happen. As he walked, he had been musing over the conversation he had had with the mystery trainer. Ash now realized that if he had battled with Volt without knowing much about him other than what moves he had, the Pokemon could have been seriously hurt. Ash was ashamed of himself. He should have known better! Several years of studying and the moment he got out he made a huge, rookie mistake. If the mystery trainer had agreed to battle with Ash, he would've definitely hurt Volt terribly, and with no Pokecenter nearby and with Ash having no Potions, Volt could have died.
Pokemon death was rare in captivity. In the wild, Pokemon died all the time after fighting; however, trainers had the tools to prevent this. Potions treated external injuries, and Pokecenters took care of the more serious injuries when needed. It was a simple procedure. But sometimes a Pokemon was so badly hurt that even when they were taken to the Pokemon Center, they died. There would be an investigation into the case, to see the cause. Usually no one got punished, because the shock of losing a Pokemon was bad enough, but they were prevented from battling trainers about a certain level for a period of time to stop anything like that happening again. Ash had heard of people who had quit being a trainer forever because they killed a Pokemon or one of theirs died, and Ash didn't blame them. It was horrible to think of losing a beloved partner, or causing someone else to lose their friend.
Ash sighed and pulled out Volt's Pokeball wordlessly. In a flash of light the Pokemon appeared. He yawned before realizing that the air was much cooler and a manageable temperature for his fur. He let out a happy yowl and started running around, rolling in the grass and letting out squeaks of happiness.
Ash couldn't help but smile as the kit romped around, batting at the taller blades of grass and pouncing on others. After a moment the Shinx noticed that something wasn't right with Ash. He stood up, the scent of crushed grass following him as the Pokemon approached Ash, letting out a questioning mew.
Ash smiled and knelt down. "Hey, buddy." He smiled again as he stroked the puff of fur on the Shinx's head. "I'm sorry, bud." At Volt's confused head tilt, he continued, "I was so eager for our first battle, I challenged someone way out of our league. You could have been badly hurt, and I don't have any healing supplies… You could have died! I could have killed you! I'm not sure if I deserve to be a Trainer, after that." Ash buried his head in his hands. His eyes burned and tears started to fall at the thought of what he could of done to his Pokemon, his friend.
After a moment, Ash felt a barbed tongue start to lap at his face. Ash looked up with what was definitely not a squeak to see Volt licking away his tears. "Volt!" Ash said, a bit of a laugh in his voice. "Do you really forgive me?" The Shinx let out a soft meow before continuing to lick Ash. "No!" he cried out, full-on laughing. "I'm ticklish!" Volt just licked harder, his tail lashing. Eventually Volt stopped and he and Ash just curled up together under the setting sun, and all Ash could think of was how happy he was that he chose to accept the Shinx back in Oak's lab.
"Do you think this is a good spot?" Ash asked the Pokemon by his side as he surveyed the small clearing. It was south of the main road and hidden by a few patches of brush, and under a thin patch of trees. There was a small stream running down the side with fresh, cool water. This wasn't Ash's first time camping (he and Gary used to camp just outside of Pallet before they grew apart) but this was the first time Ash had to make camp for himself in a few years, and the first time he had to actually provide and cook for himself and Volt. And Ash trusted Volt, a Pokemon who lived in the wild and would have a better natural sense of shelter, rather than his own knowledge for the occasion.
Volt sniffed the air for a moment before taking a lap from the stream. He let out a purr, and Ash sagged in relief. They had been searching for a good campsite for over half an hour. This was the fifth place they had checked out, and Ash was glad it was the last. Ash had dubbed the first two too small, and the third had no water nearby. When Volt took a sniff around the fourth place, he had started to snarl, and Ash took that as a cue to get out of there, and fast. Finally, after several minutes of walking, they found where they were now.
Ash groaned as he set the bag down. Although it weighed very little, his shoulder were still sore from walking all this way, and he wasn't exactly trained for this kind of thing. And he was hungry, too. Ash was forcibly reminded of this when his belly let out an annoyed growl. "Ow. Let's hurry and make camp so we can get to eating and training." Volt purred in agreement. "Okay then, can you help dig a small fire pit?" The Pokemon immediately ran to a spot that was a good distance from anything flammable and started to dig, unsheathing claws and ripping at the dirt. While he did that, Ash quickly grabbed sticks and kindling before pulling out the pocketknife from his pocket. It had actually been a gift from Leaf, and in typical Leaf fashion the handle was hot pink with hearts. Ash just hoped that no one would see him using it, or he would be embarrassed for life.
When Ash arrived, he saw Volt sitting in front of the small pit he had dug proudly and licking his paws. "Good job," Ash praised as he dropped the kindling in. He then reached into his bag, taking out the Equipment Compartment. He turned on the screen and selected the word that said matches, not sure what to do. A few seconds later, a small slot opened up and in a small flash of light, the matches appeared in Ash's hand.
Ash grinned. Silph Co. technology made everything so much easier. He quickly struck a match and lit the kindling ablaze. The leaves and wood shavings were quickly eaten up by the devouring fire, so Ash threw some larger branches into the flames, and the fire managed to catch before the kindling was completely burnt up.
"Volt, do you smell any berries nearby?" Ash asked his starter. Sure, they had food, but Ash wanted to save on resources and gather more at the same time. Volt sniffed the air again before nodding and walking farther into the woods. Ash followed, and they quickly found a small clearing with a few different types of berries of all shapes and sizes.
"Alright!" Ash called as he moved forward. It was getting late, so most Pokemon were probably back at their nests. Ash quickly grabbed a few berries he recognized as Oran berries, and a few strange berries that looked like Pecha but skinnier and paler.
When Ash returned to the clearing, he washed the berries in the stream, before storing them in the Berry Compartment by placing them on the screen and pushing a button. "Which one do you want for dinner, bud?" He asked Volt, who had followed dutifully - even if Ash was pretty sure he had gobbled a Oran berry when he wasn't looking.
The Pokemon licked his lips, jerking his head toward the left side of Ash's screen, and he laughed. "Oran berries it is." He quickly pulled a few berries out. "Should we eat them raw?" Volt answered that question by snatching the berry out of Ash's hand. "Raw it is then." Ash laughed again. He quickly pulled a Granola Bar out for him and began to eat.
As he ate, Ash searched up a bit about Shinx on his Pokedex. It turned out there were two sub-categories of Shinx. The thick-furred type, the species found in Sinnoh, and the thin-furred type who lived in Kalos. He read that Pokemon of the Shinx line that had migrated to Kalos had to shed their thick coat to live in the desert, and evolved thin skin that kept the heat out. Thus, it seemed they were more sensitive to Water and Ice attacks than normal, but handled Fire attacks better than normal. However, the thick-furred were the opposite. Their fur was thicker to adapt to the cold temperatures where they usually were, and even seemed to be slightly more waterproof. However, they could get hurt more easily by Fire attacks, as they had no real way to block out heat. From what Ash saw, he realized that Volt had to be a thick-furred variant.
Storing that information away for later, he finished his dinner before standing up and stretching. "Ready for some training?" He asked Volt. The Shinx immediately leapt into the air from where he had been dozing and started meowing pleadingly. Ash chuckled. "Okay, okay. Just give me a moment to look things up, and let you digest. Then we can go." Volt pouted at that (could Pokemon pout?) and sprawled out at Ash's feet. He smiled before turning to his Pokedex, and looking at some moves Shinx could learn and decided what he eventually wanted to teach Volt.
After about thirty minutes, Ash finished making a list of what moves he wanted Volt to learn, but he planned to mostly look at all of the Shinx's moves that night.
"Alright, bud." Ash stood, waking up Volt from his doze. He seemed confused for a moment before waking up fully and excitedly letting out chirping sounds.
Ash led his excited partner a bit away from the campsite, close enough that they could still see the fire, as it was growing darker. "Okay, Volt." Ash brought his Pokedex out and scrolled through the list of moves that Volt knew. "First I want to see your moves. Lets see Tackle first, on this." Ash pointed to a nearby upright branch, about as thick as a man and up to his waist.
Volt let a mewl and faced the stick. He put his head down and scratched the ground, before yowling and charging at the object. Ash heard a crunching noise and an alarmed shriek as dust filled his vision for the second time that day. He coughed and called out "Volt?"
When the dust cleared, Ash saw the branch had toppled over, falling to the ground a few feet away, but that wasn't what caught his attention. Among the snapped wood, Volt was facing off with a strange Pokemon.
The Pokemon was round and circular, with one big talon for a foot and two stubby wings. It hooted angrily at Volt, beak snapping in fury. Volt hissed back, hackles raised and teeth bared. It took Ash a moment to recognize the Pokemon as a Hoothoot. They were native to Johto, but the two regions were so close it was common to find native Pokemon nearly everywhere in both, especially flying types.. It must have been resting behind the branch when they attacked. Ash idly wondered how Volt hadn't smelled it.
The moment of surprise passed when the Hoothoot lunged at Volt with its beak glowing in a Peck attack. Ash felt a flash of worry for his partner and he quickly commanded Volt. "Dodge and Tackle!" Volt jumped out of the way and when the Hoothoot landed where he had just been Volt body-slammed into it, knocking it back a bit.
The Hoothoot let out an angry growl before its eyes started to glow and it stared at Volt. "Volt, Hypnosis! Close your eyes!" The Shinx obeyed, closing his eyes and turning away, but was sent reeling from a Tackle from the Hoothoot. "Volt!" Ash called. The Pokemon sat up and meowed to show he was okay. Ash grinned. "Okay then! Leer, Charge, then Spark!" It was at that moment he realized that the fear was burned away and replaced with excitement. Ash knew that he loved battling when he was younger and watching trainers battle on the television, but now he was a trainer, and Ash realized why so many others chose the same path. It was for the thrill, the excitement, and the bonds forged from battling alongside each other.
Volt yowled before glaring at the Hoothoot. It froze up for a moment, which gave Volt time to use Charge. He made a strange kneading motion with his front paws on the ground, sparks popping up on his pelt as he did so. Volt's tail started to glow, and just as the Hoothoot recovered, Volt became wreathed in a thin layer of electricity and charged at the Hoothoot. It had no time to dodge and with a shriek and the smell of burning feathers, it collapsed.
Ash grinned. "Good job, Volt!" He studied the Hoothoot for a moment. It was clearly exhausted from being hit by a super-effective attack. Ash decided he wanted the Hoothoot on his team. It had shown enough determination to challenge him after they had destroyed where it had been resting, unlike most of the other Pokemon which had decided to run away at the first sign of a human. And confusing Volt with Hypnosis in order to land a Tackle was a great strategy. Not to mention that its species, despite not being part Psychic, had great control over Psychic power. With his mind made up, Ash pulled a Pokeball and threw it. The Hoothoot didn't even have a chance to look up as the ball hit it. The Pokemon vanished in a flash of red and was sucked inside the Pokeball, laying flat against the ground. It rocked back and forth, making a beeping sound for several tense seconds. Ash held his breath, watching the ball flash red until it finally pinged and flashed green and went still. Ash let out a breath he didn't know he was holding and picked the ball up carefully.
Volt came up to Ash and mewled curiously, nosing the ball gently. "This Hoothoot is going to be our new teammate, okay?" The Shinx didn't look so sure, but nodded in agreement. Ash smiled. "Good. Well, I'll let them out tomorrow so they can rest up for a bit, then we can meet them. You have good control on all your moves, so let's start teaching you the move I want you to learn for a bit tonight." Ash got up and searched around in the fading light until he found a nice, thick branch. "Okay." Ash brough the branch over to the campfire and Volt, who cocked his head at it. "I want you to practice Bite, so we can get you to learn Crunch, Ice Fang, and Thunder Fang later more easily." Volt got more excited as each move was named, mewing softly, before he lunged at the branch and starting to chew at it.
Ash laughed. "Whoa, slow down!" Volt stopped gnawing on the branch and looked up curiously. "According to the Pokedex, you have to use Dark-Type energy to lengthen your teeth first," Ash pulled out his Pokedex and pulled up a clip of a Rattata using bite. "See?" Ash pointed out to the Pokemon's glowing fangs. He let Volt watch a few time before turning it off. "The Pokedex says you should start out by biting thick things. At some point, you'll tap into the energy needed." Volt tilted his head again before starting to bite the branch. It was strong and bulky, just as Ash had wanted. It was big enough so that it would take at least an hour to bite through, and would hopefully get Volt to start to show some times of bite before they headed to sleep.
While Volt worked on Bite, Ash started to prepare the camp. He had a tent, but he decided the weather was nice enough that that could sleep outside and set his sleeping bag up near the stream. After that, he played around on his Pokedex for a bit before he checked the time and realized it was time they went to sleep.
"Volt?" Ash called as he stood up. He found his Pokemon stubbornly gnawing on the branch, teeth marks cutting less than halfway through the branch. "It's time to rest, Volt," Ash said. Volt looked up from the branch and yowled sadly. Ash smiled. "It's okay if you can't get it yet," he told Volt, picking him up gently. "You'll get it, I swear." The Pokemon began to purr before falling asleep in Ash's arms. Sighing, Ash placed the sleeping Pokemon on the sleeping bag before taking off his belt and sliding in to join him.
Ash woke up to the sounds of gnashing. He opened his eyes and looked around for the source, yawning. The fire was dead, cold coals and lumps of black wood were the only things left behind, and the sun was in the sky. Ash followed the noise with his eyes to see Volt chewing on the log, clearly trying to practice Bite again.
"Hey." Ash walked over to Volt, who had a guilty look on his face as he heard Ash come up behind him. Ash sighed. "Look, I know you want to master Bite, but it's going to take time. Just calm down, and we can work on it again tonight, and you can fight against trainers today." Volt looked up hopefully, before letting out a cry of agreement. "But first, we need to meet our new teammate!"
Ash scrambled for his Pokemon Belt and put it on before walking a bit farther into the clearing and pulling out Hoothoot's Pokeball. "Alright! Come on out!" Ash called as he released the Hoothoot onto the ground nearby.
The owl Pokemon blinked its large eyes slowly as it solidified, drawing itself upright and glancing around. As soon as it spotted Ash and Volt, its eyes narrowed, and it got into a defensive stance. "Hello, Hoothoot," Ash greeted. The Pokemon just let out a hissing sound. Volt mimicked it from beside Ash.
"As you have likely figured out, I have caught you and I am now your trainer. May I scan you with my Pokedex?" Ash held it up.
The Hoothoot narrowed its eyes and rotated its face 160 degrees, but didn't protest other than that, so Ash took his Pokedex out and pressed the button.
Hoothoot, the Owl Pokemon. Hoothoot always stands one one foot, and can switch what foot it is standing on so fast the movement is rarely seen.
This Hoothoot is female and knows the moves Tackle, Foresight, Hypnosis, Peck, Confusion and one egg move, Agility, which is locked.
This Hoothoot has the ability Keen Eye.
Ash whistled softly. "Good movepool." He complimented the Hoothoot, who ignored him. And it was. The Hoothoot had four attacking moves and two status moves, though one was locked. She had already displayed a combo with Hypnosis and Peck, and Ash guessed the Hoothoot would be able to use many more combos once she evolved and got even more powerful moves.
"So, do you want a nickname like Volt here?" Ash asked. He was positive she would refuse, and he was correct when the Hoothoot hissed something that must have been insulting because Volt jumped forward, teeth snapping. The Hoothoot just screamed back, and Ash started to get a headache.
"Okay, okay! Stop!" Ash called out. Both Pokemon looked up, the Hoothoot looking aggressive and Volt looking mad. "Okay, Hoothoot. I'm going to make you a deal." The Hoothoot didn't react, but Ash felt that she was interested. "Me and Volt will challenge you again. If you win, I will release you. If I win, you will accept that you are part of my team, and obey me as your trainer. Deal?" Ash hated having to beat up Hoothoot again, but he needed her to respect him. If she didn't, the Pokemon would be mutinous and not obey him at all.
The Hoothoot hesitated for a moment before nodding. Ash grinned and turned to Volt. "Okay bud. Ready?" Volt merrowed, seeming eager to beat up the Hoothoot after whatever she had said. "Okay then! Use Charge!" Volt started to knead the ground, familiar sparks starting to pop up as his tail glowed. However, the Hoothoot obviously didn't want that. She flew at Volt and nailed him with a Peck. Volt let out a cry as he was flung backwards, and the Charge energy broke up. Volt had still got a small boost, but not as much as he would have gotten if the move had been completed.
The Hoothoot came back again and her eyes glowed pink. Ash was confused for a moment until a small blast of Psychic energy hit Volt and knocked him over. "Volt!" Ash called out in dismay. He quickly saw Volt stand up, looking no worse for the wear. The Confusion must have been a weak attack, or it could have possibly confused Volt.
"Okay Volt! Spark!" Volt yowled, and wreathed in electricity, charged at Hoothoot. Hoothoot wasn't able to avoid it and she got hit hard. She let out a screech, and hopped right back up. She dove at Volt in a Tackle attack, eyes gleaming with fury. Volt tried to dodge but was too slow and got hit in the shoulder. He let out a yelp of pain and fell on his side.
"Volt!" Ash called, excitement replaced by fear. The Hoothoot flew back again, a Peck attack charged up. Volt managed to pull himself onto his feet, but he was still weak from the direct hit. Ash watched the Hoothoot get closer and closer and-
All Ash heard was a yowl of fury, and Volt had jumped up in the air. Ash caught sight of a white glow from his mouth and felt a wave of excitement. It wasn't Bite, not yet, but Volt was on his way to learning the attack.
Volt bit onto the Hoothoot's talon and hung on, even against the shrieks and Peck attack that hit his head. Volt was standing on the ground, hanging onto the Hoothoot's leg as she desperately tried to escape.
Then Ash got a plan. "Use Spark until she drops!" he called. The Hoothoot looked horrified and doubled her efforts to escape, but it wasn't enough.
Volt became surrounded by an electric glow and shocked the Hoothoot nonstop. It was even more powerful because the power all went straight into her body. After about ten seconds of the treatment, the Hoothoot dropped, and Volt let go of her talon and backed off, turning towards Ash with his chest puffed proudly. Ash grinned and promised himself to give Volt more berries for breakfast before turning to the Hoothoot.
The Hoothoot was clearly defeated. Sparks still ran across her charred feathers, and she barely had the energy to look up as Ash came nearer. He sighed and pushed a Oran berry towards her. The Hoothoot looked at him cautiously before slowly eating the berry. After that, she had enough energy to lift herself up onto her feet.
"Do you submit?" Ash asked her. He needed to know, becausing fighting her would have been pointless if she didn't. After an intense staring contest, she lowered her head and nodded. Ash hadn't realized he had been holding his breath until he let it out in a puff. "So then," he asked, "Do you want a nickname?"
Ash still didn't expect her to agree, but after a moment she nodded slowly and he grinned. "That's great!" He began thinking up some names and offering them to her, like Momentum, Feather, Breeze, and Queenie. The Pokemon shook her head at all of them, but hesitated at Queenie before shaking her head, so Ash decided to continue down that line. "Okay then, how about Duchess?" After a moment of thought, the Hoothoot nodded and was thus dubbed Duchess. And the name fit. She was very prim and proper, like any good Duchess was, but she also had power.
"Okay then, Duchess." Ash held out her Pokeball. "Can I call you back in so you can rest a bit?" The Hoothoot looked hesitant for a moment but bowed her head, and dissolved into light. Ash hooked the Pokeball to his belt and turned to Volt.
"You did well, bud." Ash scratched the Pokemon's ears. "Now come on. It's time for breakfast and I think you deserve a Sitrus berry." At those final words, Volt's ears pricked and he started running closer to camp from where they had been, leaving Ash to follow, chuckling at what had just happened.
It wasn't until about midday they found their first trainer. The day was a good bit cooler than the day before, so Ash kept Volt out to walk alongside him. There were dark clouds on the horizon, but Ash pushed back any worries and just focused on spending the day with his partner.
Ash they walked, the tree's started thinning out until he only saw a few trees in a mile. Ash hoped more trainer would be out than yesterday. They were near a major city after all, and the weather was nice. So Ash was confident he would have his first battle soon.
And yet that didn't happen until noon. Ash was considering stopping for lunch for a bit when suddenly a voice cried out "Hey, you!" Ash turned around, startled, and Volt let out a surprised hiss.
Ash turned around to see a trainer burst out of a patch of shrubs nearby, bright-eyed and buck-toothed. "Hey! Hey!" It was a young Bug-catcher. He was carrying what looked like a brand new net, and had three Pokeballs on his waist. "Are you a trainer?" The bug boy asked.
Ash felt himself grin. "Sure am! Wanna battle?" From besides him Volt yowled, excited to battle a trainer for the first time.
The Bug Catcher grinned. "Sure! How many Pokemon do you have?" At Ash's answer, he picked two of his Pokeballs up. "Alright then! Come on out, Butterfree!" In a burst of white, a Butterfree appeared. It was obviously newly evolved, as it seemed uncertain in the air by the way it flapped its smaller-than-normal wings.
Ash gave Volt a pat on the head. "Showtime," he whispered and Volt jumped in, letting out a hiss as he stared at the Butterfree. The Pokemon responded by letting out some kind of shrieking call back.
"We'll start! Shinx, Charge!" Ash called. Charging now would be a good idea, as Butterfree were weak to electric attacks. Volt growled and kneaded the ground in the now-familiar manner.
"Stop him Butterfree! Tackle!" The Butterfree swooped down, chattering. Volt managed the Charge just in time and managed to dodge.
"Alright! Show the Butterfree your Spark!" Ash called out. Volt yowled and charged the Butterfree, covered in a yellow glow. The butterfly dodged and released a powerful Gust with its wings. The Gust rumpled Volt's fur, but didn't do much else.
"Okay Volt!" Ash called out. "Leer!" Volt glared into the wind, and the Butterfree faltered for a moment and the Gust died down, which Ash took full advantage of. "Now! Use Spark!" Volt yowled again and leapt into the air and charged at the Butterfree. This time it was too distracted to dodge, and the Spark hit it on a wing. With a cry the Butterfree fell to the ground, a hole in its wing and the smell of something burnt in the air.
The Bug Catcher sighed and returned his Pokemon. "Shoot. I panicked and forgot to command her. Sorry, girl." He then unclipped a new Pokeball. "Okay! Try and defeat this one! Meet my starter!" He threw the ball and in a flash a Paras appeared. Ash stared at the bug. He had never seen much in Bug-Pokemon in the first place, but he had resigned himself to the fate of seeing them as they were the most common Pokemon just about everywhere. But Paras, in his opinion was one of the ugliest ones out there. Its body was a gross orange-pink color, and there were two little mushrooms on its head. When the Pokemon evolves into Parasect, the mushroom on its head took over its body. It was scary, a Pokemon Ash didn't really want to meet in a dark cave.
"Volt! Come back!" Ash called out. His Pokemon seemed disappointed, but followed his commands and walked back over to Ash, laying down at his feet. "Go Duchess!" Ash released the Hoothoot into the air. She let out a calling sound, high pitched,, before landing on an exposed root nearby. Her eyes fell upon the Paras. With a squawk, she clacked her beak, feathers bristling upward. Ash sighed to himself in relief. He guessed that Duchess might not want to battle for them, as she still often ignored Ash any time he tried to speak to her. However, as Flying Types had a natural urge to fight Bug Types, he guessed that she would probably battle, and maybe even obey his instructions.
"It's my turn to start!" The Bug Catcher cried out. "Poison Powder, then Growth!" The Paras let out a cloud of purple spores from it's mushrooms and hid in the powder, and Ash could barely make out the bright glow of Growth from where he stood.
"Okay then! Duchess, Confusion to move the powder out of the way!" Duchess let out a coo and her eyes went pink. Suddenly, all the Poison Powder was brushed aside to reveal Paras, the green glow slowly fading from its body. Duchess swooped down in a Peck attack, beak glowing. Ash knew that she was attacking without his orders, but decided to let it go for now. Hopefully she would obey his orders when they mattered.
"No! Sleep Powder, Paras!" Paras made a clicking noise and puffed out a cloud of Sleep Powder right in Duchesses face.
"Duchess!" Ash called out, worried. Thankfully, she had managed to avoid most of the powder, and just seemed a bit doozy. "Alright! Show them your Hypnosis!" The Hoothoot's eyes glowed again, and it made eye contact with the Paras. The Paras stared back, eyes slowly closing, and ignoring its trainers calls. "Now Peck!" Duchess rushed in and started Pecking the Paris. Her first hit broke against the armor, and the second pierced it. Before the battle could go any further, Paras vanished into light as it was recalled.
"Good job, you two." Ash told his Pokemon. Duchess ignored him and motioned at his Pokeball, so he recalled her, and Volt rubbed against his leg happily.
"Good battle as well." The Bug Catcher called out, having moved to right next to Ash. He held his hand out and after a moment, Ash shook it. When Ash drew away, he had 500 Poke in his hands. "I'm Josh Ster."
"Thanks. I'm Ash Ketchum. Your strategy with your Paras was quite good." Ash praised the other trainer. He would have to look at doing that with his own Pokemon some time. "Any chance I'll see you in Indigo?"
"Probably." Josh glanced at his Pokeball. "I'm actually traveling to visit my Mom in Cinnabar. She'll probably give me a Pokemon as a gift, and then I'll be able to start my journey. After all, I can't just have Bug Types." Ash agreed with him. Though Bug Types evolved fast and were very common, they were quite weak compared to other types. After a bit of small talk, they exchanged numbers and separated, and Ash continued on with a spring in his step. He had made his first real friend on his journey already, and won his first battle. It seemed things were shaping up after all.
It was late when they first caught sight of Viridian City. It was darker than it should have been as well, dark clouds covering the sky. Occasionally flashes of lightning would be visible from within the clouds, and within any moment Ash was sure rain would start falling down.
Ash squinted at the blob at the edge of his vision. He could just make out buildings in the distance, and Ash realized he was close to his destination.
"We're almost there, guys!" Ash called out to his Pokemon. Volt was by his side, and Duchess was inside her Pokeball again. She had won the last battle Ash had fought against a trainer's Oddish. She was currently recovering from poison, and had wanted to stay in her Pokeball.
But Volt was out and by Ash's side. He had fought in several battles and won all of them, even managing to pull of a shaky Bite in one battle. Ash was proud of his starter.
The Shinx let out an excited mew, and Ash gently stroked the Pokemon's head. "I know. Let's hurry to the Pokecenter. As cool as my Pokegear is, I can't call Mom with it because she doesn't have one. Now, let's hurry, before it starts to rain."
Just as Ash finished speaking, a drop of water hit the top of his head. He looked up as water started pouring down from the sky like tears. Ash groaned as he was quickly soaked. Thankfully his bag was waterproof, so no expensive technology got broken.
"Hurry!" Ash urged Volt, before taking off in a run. Flashes of lightning lit up the darkness, but Ash was just focused on the town, still at least a mile away. Volt was running right by Ash, making small hissing sounds every time a raindrop touched him.
Suddenly, as they passed a small grove of trees, a bright flash blinded Ash as a bolt of lightning struck the tree's nearby. He let out a cry of surprise and fell to the ground, blinking spots out of his vision.
Ash managed to push himself up as he felt Volt nudge against him, crying out in worry. "It's okay, I'm okay." Ash panted. As he stood, a shriek filled the air. Ash was confused at first, until he saw a wave of furious Pokemon fly from the destroyed trees, shrieking at the air as they searched for a target to take their rage. Ash paled as he realized what Pokemon they were. The Spearows turned towards Ash, and he saw their dark eyes flash with anger.
Ash cursed and took off running as the flocks of Spearow shrieked and dove after him, angry that their shelter had been destroyed. Volt ran alongside Ash, ears folded back in the instinctual fear of Spearow that all Pokemon had. Ash desperately ran toward Viridan, the only place he knew he would be able to take shelter from the Spearow. However, with each step he took he was slowing down and the Spearow were getting closer.
Ash and Volt were running now in the muddy path, gunk clogging their legs and making them slower. Around them was no shelter, no place to hide, just the pouring rain and flashes of lightning. Ash looked up, panting, and noticed that they were almost close enough to the town that the Spearow would back off."We're almost there-" Ash was cut off as he tripped over a hole in the ground and landed with a cry of pain.
Volt almost immediately turned around, crying out in dismay as he ran over to Ash and nudged against him. "N-o." Ash coughed. "Run Volt. They won't go after you if I'm here." Ash pulled himself to his feet. He was tired of running, of being scared. This was his chance to save Volt from death, even if he died in the process.
The Spearow hovered in front of Ash, eyes gleaming. As tiny as they were, there wasn't a chance he could fight off as many as were in the flock.. Ash took a deep breath and spread his arms, hiding the Shinx behind him. "What's the matter, Spearows? Are you guys scaredy-meowths?" He taunted, trying to keep their focus on him. And it worked.
The Spearows' eyes gleamed with fury and they dove down, shrieking their war cries. Ash closed his eyes and turned his face away, prepared for the pain of tiny claws sinking into him. It was only then that the situation sunk in. He was going to die. Ash was never going to see his mother again, never get a chance to beat Gary's stupid face, and would never accomplish his dream. It was then he realized he didn't want to die.
Then Ash felt something scramble up on his shoulder. He turned to see Volt, who then jumped in front of him and faced the Spearow, yowling a challenge up to them. They stilled again and shrieked back, all as one, before diving again. Ash was frozen. Volt was going to die protecting him. He wanted to move, to save his partner from the onslaught of talons, but something was stopping him, keeping him in place. Ash let out a cry as the Sparrow's swooped down, beaks glowing-
Volt yowled again, tail flashing, and the sky roared an answer. A lightning bolt, so bright Ash couldn't see anything but white, fell out of the sky and crashed down towards the figures on the dirt road. Ash watched helplessly as the electricity engulfed the small Pokemon in a bright flash of light, crying out "Volt!". The Spearow screeched and backed off, but Ash knew they weren't done. Spearows never gave up until someone had paid the price.
Ash watched as the lightning finally faded, and what he saw shocked him. Volt was standing where he had been before the lightning engulfed him. His fur was practically glowing with electricity, probably more than Volt had ever used in his life. Volt's teeth were grit and he looked to be in immense pain from holding all of that energy, but otherwise fine. Ash was confused on how Volt wasn't knocked out by the lightning bolt. It had to contain far more energy than Volt would of been able to handle. Then Ash realized that because Volt was standing on the ground, the energy that hadn't been able to absorb had dispensed in the ground. Now, it was like Volt had been charged up by a very powerful Charge attack. And when Ash saw Volt's eyes narrow as he faced the Spearow, he had a good idea of what was going to happen next.
The Spearow didn't even have time to run. With a yowl, Volt released all of the electricity stored inside his body. Ash was forced to cover his eyes from the bright flash, and he heard shrieks of something in pain.
When he finally blinked the spots out of his eyes, Ash almost gasped. All the Spearow that had been chasing them were laying on the ground, charring and trembling. Ash couldn't even feel a spark of sympathy for the birds.
Instead, Ash ran to Volt's side. "Volt!" He called. The Shinx looked up, letting out a happy call before collapsing. "Volt!" Ash called again as he picked his partner up. Despite being tired, the Pokemon started purring. "You did good. Thank you so much."
Ash suddenly realized that it was getting lighter out and looked up. The clouds were clearing, and light was shining through. And flying through the air was a huge, strange Pokemon. Ash gasped, still holding Volt to his chest. The Pokemon was a huge bird, easily bigger than even a Pidgeot. Its feathers were rainbow, a mix of every color in the world. It had a curled crest on its head, and each time it flapped its wings, golden sparkles rained down. For a moment, Ash felt a great presence in his mind. He flinched, but the presence was warm, like sunbeams and he quickly calmed down. After a moment, Ash sensed approval, and then the presence was gone. Ash watched the great bird flap out of sight before suddenly feeling something brush against his knee.
Ash looked down to see a glimmering rainbow feather resting by his legs. With one hand Ash picked the feather up. It was the same color as the strange Pokemon, and felt like silk. Ash quickly tucked the feather into one of his pockets before looking at Volt. "Did you see that too?" The exhausted Pokemon nearly nodded in response, looking awed. "Woah. I'm gonna return you for a bit, okay?" Volt nodded, so Ash returned his partner back into his Pokeball before walking towards Viridian City, a slight limp in his step.
Ash was quite a sight as he stumbled into Viridian. Soaking wet, covered in mud and clutching onto Volt's Pokeball like his life depended on keeping it safe.
Thankfully, a Pokemon Center was close to where Ash was. After about half an hour of trudging through the city, he reached the red-roofed building. Ash quickly walked through the automatic glass doors into the Pokemon Center.
Inside was the lobby, quiet but welcoming. Against the walls were tables and couches, and a small drink stand onto the side. There were two hallways leading off from the room, where Ash assumed where the rooms and cafes were. In the middle of the lobby and against the back wall was a huge desk. Behind the desk stood who Ash assumed to be one of Nurse Joy's assistances. There were several people waiting around in the lobby, perhaps waiting for their Pokemon to be healed. They stared at Ash, taking in his muddy, roughed up clothing.
Ignoring the stares, Ash ran up to the front desk. Before the assistant could ask him anything, he called out "Please! My Shinx needs help. He absorbed a lightning bolt to protect me from Spearow, and I think he's hurt."
The assistant nodded and pressed a button on the desk. "Can I see your ID?" When he passed his Pokedex over she placed it into a scanner, then nodded."Don't worry, we'll get Nurse Joy out here in a moment for an emergency checkup. Do you have any other Pokemon who need healing?" The assistant asked as she passed the Pokedex back.
Ash nodded and pushed Duchess's Pokeball forward. "Okay then. Your room is number 34, here is the keycard." The assistant passed the card over to him. "If you lose it, you'll be fined." She warned, before grabbing the two Pokeballs and headed on back. "We'll call you when we have news." The assistant called before vanishing through a doorway in the back, leaving Ash all alone for the first time since he set out on his journey.
It took two hours before Ash got called up. He had gone to his room, showered, and changed clothing, throwing the dirty clothing in a pile by the door - making sure to remember to bring them to the laundry later.
Ash was lying in the single bed in the room when suddenly the speakers rang and called out "Ash Ketchum please come to the lobby. Ash Ketchum, please come to the lobby."
Ash sprung up as fast as possible and raced out of the room. He know he was being stared at, but he didn't care in his race to check on his Pokemon.
When Ash arrived at the lobby, he spotted Nurse Joy herself at the desk, with an expression Ash couldn't read. "Ash Ketchum?" she asked as he stopped in front of her. Ash wordlessly nodded.
"Your Hoothoot will be fine, and I can give her back to you now." The Nurse rolled a Pokeball over to Ash. He grabbed it and clipped it onto his belt, the familiar weight helping soothe him. "As for your Shinx… he emptied his electrical storage helping you. He shouldn't use electrical attacks for at least a week so it can build up again, but should be fine. I'll hold onto your Shinx for a day or two more, just in case anything happens."
Ash exhaled in relief. "Can I see him?" He felt that seeing his Pokemon might help.
"No." Nurse Joy responded. "Currently, he is resting. We also attached him to a machine to help him recharge his stores. He shouldn't be disturbed." Ash frowned but accepted it. After thanking Nurse Joy, he turned and walked back to his room, fingering Duchess's Pokeball.
Should he let her out and explain what had happened to Volt? Part of Ash was afraid that if Volt wasn't there, Duchess might attack Ash and run away. He knew she was an incredibly prideful and vain Pokemon, and being captured had made her angry.
On the other hand, Ash knew he couldn't just leave her in her Pokeball for so long. While physically the Hoothoot would be fine, Ash had heard horror stories about Pokemon whose mental health broke down when they were kept in a Pokeball for too long. Ash also needed to learn how to act without Volt by his side, as he already missed the presence of the Pokemon he had for little more than a day.
Decision made, Ash held up Duchess's Pokeball and clicked a button. In a flash of light the Owl Pokemon appeared on Ash's bed. It looked around for a moment until she spotted Ash. When she did, the Hoothoot froze and turned her head away.
"Duchess." Ash began. The Hoothoot didn't react. "Did you know Volt and I got attacked by Spearows today? He saved my life, and is now in the emergency wing being worked on." Silence. "I want to help you in your goal." The Hoothoot didn't move, but Ash could tell he'd caught her attention. "I know you want to look beautiful and majestic, so lets make a deal. Tomorrow, I'll go out and buy a brush for your feathers. Every night I'll brush you and care for your feathers. In return, you must participate in training. I know you enjoy battling from what I saw, so this will help you get better and make you stronger, until no one will dare mess with you." Now Duchess looked interested, but Ash wasn't done.
"Look…" Ash said. "I also need to trust you. I'll take care of you, feed you, and never mistreat you. Why do you want to go back to the wild so bad?" The Hoothoot seemed thoughtful. "I promise I will never abuse you, Duchess." Ash said softly. "Please, just give me a real chance." After a moment, Duchess nodded and Ash grinned tiredly.
"Thanks, girl." He reached out and gently stroked her head feathers. She froze, eyes narrowed, but didn't turn away. Ash smiled at the slight victory. He quickly went to bed afterward, deciding to skip dinner since he felt too tired to have to go be social. Ash quickly fell into a restless sleep, dreams full of screaming bird Pokemon and flashes of lightning, only to be soothed by a rainbow Pokemon flying overhead.
Hello everyone! So it's been more than a week, but to be fair this story is more than 27 pages. My beta(s?) for this story is(are?) EeviumZ with A Wordsmith adding more details , so go check them out!
Sorry for the end of the story, I personally think it's a bit weak. I'm also sorry for the way the last chapter looked, I may try and fix it sometime when I have the time.
So do you like the length of this story? If so, go ahead and tell me! Any underrated Pokemon you want me to give Ash?
I also need a suggestion on what Kanto Pokemon to give Ash. I already have two or three planned, but I need more. There are a lot of Pokemon from Kanto I can't give him because of how often they are used in other Ash stories. So please R and R with any suggestions or question! If you ask any, I'll answer them in the comments or in the next chapter.
I'm going to answer questions in my next chapter, so if you have any go ahead and comment them. If I don't get enough I'll just answer you privately.
-DragonFlame222