Chapter Two: Soak my effort in Fire


Route One was a long, long route.

Before the age of modern transportation and the widespread availability of both flying taxis and teleportation, it had been a prosperous trade route if for no other reason than it's connecting of the Cinnabar Islands and Viridian, with Pallet and it's farms as a nice side attraction. Because of this, it was one of Kanto's most famous and well-mapped routes by far, and even today there were still some smaller merchants who traveled back and forth from it to transport the goods from Pallet's farms to the bigger city of Viridian.

A series of hills, small forests and the long-running river of Hideaway were the most notable characteristics of the Route, which usually took the well-prepared traveler three to five days to travel if they stuck only to the main road, and up to a week and a half if they decided to feel adventurous. The poorly-prepared traveler, however, might find that Route 1 is not as friendly to beginners as its name suggests, reputation be damned. The Fearow and Spearow of Route 1 were notorious for their bloodthirsty tendencies and preying on travelers that strayed too far from the road itself, and they'd persisted despite many attempts having been made to disband them.

No matter how many times they were driven away, there would always be Spearow in Route 1. And, so long as there were Spearow, there was the chance one would evolve into a Fearow. If there was a Fearow, there was a flock. If there was a flock, there was violence. And then the Fearow would be defeated and things would settle… until the next Spearow evolved.

A brutal and endless cycle that everyone in Pallet had been warned to be very wary of, and Ash, who had only just departed on his journey after an extra week at home, was no different. The fact that Bulbasaur was weak to flying-types didn't particularly ease any of his worries either, though she had continuously assured both him as his overly concerned mother that everything was just fine.

Though they could be plenty fast when they wanted to, both Bulbasaur and Fennekin would struggle in a long, drawn-out day walking the road like the ones he had in the horizon. On the other hand, both had expressed distaste at the mention of going back into their Pokeballs for long periods of time, which was likely due to all the time they'd spent outside. This created something of a conundrum, which Delia had made worse by mentioning that Ash still wasn't fit for anything too intensive… nor effectively able to protect himself if anything popped up.

So he'd settled for taking the 'scenic route', so to speak. The two would travel by his side, but they'd make a point of camping for longer and traveling shorter increments of the road than he otherwise would have. Not ideal, but there were benefits. More importantly, it'd been Delia's condition to actually let him depart on his journey this soon, as opposed to waiting the extra two weeks afterwards until he was in tip-top shape.

The nastier part of Ash pointed out that she wouldn't be able to tell if he followed her instructions or not, so long as his timing didn't look too suspicious. But that felt nasty, and even if it hadn't, Bulbasaur was too much of a worrywart - too much like his mother, really - to actually let him follow through with anything of the sort.

Still, he was excited. The slower pacing let him stop to admire the beauty of the land he stood in for the first time, from the lush grass to the beautifully vibrant trees that surrounded them. The Pokemon population in Route 1 was also remarkably varied, if one knew where to look for it. The River in particular was somewhat famous for having a few Gyarados in it, and Gyarados were… an unpleasant surprise for the unaware beginner to stumble on.

Something to keep an eye out for, to be sure.

In the meanwhile, however, he had more to be concerned with. Such as…

"Alright, you two!" Ash joyfully exclaimed after they'd made a bit of progress, taking refuge beneath the large shadow cast by a larger tree. He'd taken the liberty to put his bag and camping supplies down and relished in the lack of weight crushing his poor back. He'd have to look into getting one of the fancy backpacks at some point, but he was content settling for the common one for now. "Would you mind standing over there?"

'Over there' was just a few feet away from Ash himself, still in the more comfortable area of the tree's shadow. The sun was particularly harsh today, and Ash made a mental note to follow his mother's advice and apply sunscreen generously before he ended up getting sunburnt. Fennekin hadn't seen bothered by the sun, being a fire-type, and Bulbasaur had actively relished in it as they walked. They still didn't mind a break from it from time to time, it seemed, as they practically sagged in relief after walking to the spot he'd indicated.

Ash couldn't suppress his smile at the sight, nor did he particularly want to. They were endearing in every right way. Still, there was work to be done.

After fiddling with his bag for a while and searching within its tech compartment, Ash finally found the PokeDex; unlike the PokeNav, which had more generalistic applications, he'd found that his need for the Dex wasn't usually common enough that he had to keep it on hand at all times. They were bound to see more Pokemon from here on out, though, so that may merit rethinking.

For now, he pointed it first at Bulbasaur, and watched with some contentment as the device beeped, thrummed and then spoke in an effeminate robotic voice.

"Bulbasaur. It bears the seed of a plant on its back from birth. The seed slowly develops. Researchers are unsure whether to classify Bulbasaur as a plant or animal. Bulbasaur are extremely tough and very difficult to capture in the wild. This Bulbasaur is female, has the Ability Overgrowth, and knows the moves Tackle, Growl, Growth and Vine Whip."

With an eyebrow raised, Ash let out a small whistle.

Objectively speaking, that was a fairly common moveset for a Bulbasaur. The only surprise was that she'd learned Growth by herself already, as Ash had presumed that he'd have to help her through it. Fortunately, though, the standard for the Bulbasaur line was set pretty high, especially when compared to the other starters. It was one of the things he'd considered on the many hours spent thinking about which starter to choose.

"Nice!" He complimented his friend on her abilities, much to her obvious pleasure. To her side, Fennekin let out an amused yip.

And it was. Growth in particular was one hell of a move, especially while Bulbasaur was still weak - if used properly, it would serve as something of an equalizer. There were a good many lines able to utilize the move, but the Bulbasaur line was one of the most genetically gifted in its usage, as the bulb that was so essential to their biology stored the energy they'd absorb into their muscles and organs particularly well. While the move was always tremendously useful, allowing Bulbasaur to buff itself if it could find the time to do so (and had the nutrients to spare and something to replace them with later), it was of particular use during days of harsh sunlight like this one, where it'd draw in energy from the very sun around them much like another move Bulbasaur was naturally gifted in utilising, Solar Beam.

He nodded to himself; Ash could definitely play with some interesting strategies by using Growth. If he could somehow get his hands on Sunny Day… Ah, but that was for later. For now, he turned his attention on Fennekin.

"How about you, Fenn?" He questioned with a smile, eliciting another yip from the fox. "You got anything for me?"

He turned the PokeDex toward Fennekin.

"This Pokemon is not native to the Kanto Region. Searching for an Internal Database… Data Found. Fennekin, the Fox Pokémon. Fennekin expels hot air that can reach nearly 400 degrees. As it walks, it munches on a twig in place of a snack. It intimidates opponents by puffing hot air out of its ears." It rattled off. "This Fennekin is male, has the ability Blaze, and knows the moves Scratch, Tail Whip, Ember and Hypnosis. Hypnosis is likely a bred move."

Oh. An Egg Move! Now that was unexpected.

Having looked into the Fennekin line on the internet, Ash was more than aware that Fennekin would eventually evolve into a mighty Delphox, which also happened to be a Psychic-type. It wasn't shocking that a Psychic may have preferred to breed with another of their type, as they often struggled to find matches amidst those that some saw as their intellectual lessers. There was a reason behind the disproportionate presence of Psychic-types in active roles in human society when compared to other types; they often found that they had more in common with humans than they had with their fellow Pokemon, especially in their late stages of evolution. Of course, this didn't mean many humans took to this well, but that was a matter Ash never delved into.

Hypnosis was… interesting. It's most common usage was to put enemies to sleep during battle, but unlike other quote-unquote Status Moves, it wasn't really limited to that. In theory, Hypnosis was nothing more than the non-damaging counterpart to Confusion in that it was little more than the direct application of a Pokemon's psychic energies to whatever end one may desire. The Hypno line were famous - perhaps feared is the better word - for their mastery over the move, which allowed them to alter memories, behaviors or even control someone's actions.

But the move had its downsides - mainly that it was notoriously flighty to use in combat, as direct application of Psychic power usually requires active guidance of the energy in all the right ways, a task made difficult when the enemy was both moving and trying to hit you. This resulted in the move missing more often than most would find acceptable unless wielded by a skilled psychic-type or against an immobilized or otherwise distracted opponent.

It was a trade he was willing to make, however. If he used it well, Hypnosis would be devastating.

Ash felt the smile grow wider and wider in his lips. He may have looked a little creepy, honestly.

"Alright," he said. "We've got something really nice going for us, guys."

His Pokemon exchanged concerned looks between themselves.

The moment was soon cut short, however, by the widening of Fennekin's eyes. The fox let out a frankly offended yip that surprised both Ash and Bulbasaur and, before either could so much as ask what was wrong, spat out a small glob of flickering flames with surprising vehemence. The Ember traveled through the air at alarming speeds and slammed violently into a Rattata that had, while they'd been distracted, rummaged through Ash's pack.

Now knocked down by Fennekin's attack and with its purple fur singed, the Rattata had the decency to look slightly regretful. That wouldn't save it, however.

Ash had gone from excited to excited. It was one thing to plan his battles, and another entirely to go through them. With a grin on his lips, he twisted his hat around (a motion Gary would have certainly laughed at him for, had he been there) to show he was serious and pumped his arm as Fennekin quickly jumped to the forefront, much to Bulbasaur's exasperation. This was it. His first battle. His first real step into the world of Pokemon Training.

All those years listening, dreaming, thinking and going through simulations… this is what they were meant for.

The Rattata struggled to get up. Though he'd been preparing for this for most of his life, Ash couldn't stop himself from hesitating for just a moment, catching the way the small mouse's knees both trembled as he rose slowly.

He banished those thoughts from his mind. Pokemon were really resilient, and healed quickly.

"Alright, Fennekin, let's do this!" He exclaimed, forcing a grin a mile wide on his lips. Fennekin mirrored it with his own excited expression. "Let's kick things off with a Scratch! Keep close to it!"

As soon as the word Scratch left his lips, Fennekin's small legs bent and the fox leaped, darting across the grass with a mixture of speed and finesse he wouldn't have expected form a creature its size. He supposed Fennekin were predators, in the end; they had to be able to outrun as well as outthink their prey. It kicked off the dirt to leap over the Rattata in an impressive maneuver and, while the small mouse turned to stare at it, delivered a scathing scratch that tore through the mouse's purple hide and drew splatters of blood.

The Rattata screeched in pain, jumping back as Ash was pretty sure he would have done himself if he were wounded in such a way. He didn't pity it, though; it had to have known what would happen if it were caught anyway, and it'd gone through with it at its own volition.

Fennekin didn't let up, though, following his words and darting into the Rattata once again to deliver another vicious scratch. This time, Ash did wince, as the fox's claws tore through the corner of the mouse's ear.

It was doing well, though. Time to finish this.

"Now! Before it escapes, hit it with an Ember!"

Fennekin grinned, and, from this angle, Ash was able to see the building flame behind the fox's teeth until it became a small but potent fireball, which the fire-type spat with vehemence straight into the Rattata's face point-blank. The impact was devastating; the mouse barely had the time to screech in terror before the force and the pain had both combined to knock it out.

It skidded across the grass and touched the tip of his shoes, knocked clean out. Morbidly impressed, Ash could do little but turn the Pokedex toward it.

"Rattata, the Forest Pokémon. It likes cheese, nuts, fruits, and berries. It also comes out into open fields to steal food from stupid travelers." A pause. The device made some mechanical noises, like gears grinding against one another. "This Rattata is female."

. . .

"...Who the hell wrote this?" Ash questioned.

Elsewhere in Kanto, Gary Oak snickered.


He'd been living with the two of them for a while now, but it was only after spending a few days on the road with them that Ash really understood the way his new friends worked. Pokemon had personalities too, after all - if he wasn't mistaken, Professor Oak was even currently researching the effect that a Pokemon's personality has on their natural abilities, a phenomenon he'd taken to calling Nature, capital N. Ash, however, was far too young to catch any of it.

What he did know was this: Bulbasaur and Fennekin had turned out to be very colorful traveling partners, much to his surprise.

Bulbasaur was friendly… to an extent. Both she and Fennekin seemed to enjoy being pet and other physical demonstrations of affection, but Bulbasaur was the only one who seemed to depend on them for validation. She also proved to be quite protective, absolutely wailing on a Rattata that had strayed too close to Ash himself while Fennekin battled it.

If he had to guess, he'd say it's because of all the time she spent with his Mom. Bulbasaur would have likely understood very quickly that Ash wasn't in the best state physically, and would thus need a little more protection than most Trainers would. She took to it well - perhaps a little too well, if you asked him. On the first day alone, she'd reminded him to stop and rest five or six times, and it was a habit she was unlikely to break.

As for Fennekin… He was the cuddliest of the two in that he actively pressed against Ash for comfort, but, unlike Bulbasaur, he didn't really need all that much validation. Something he'd come to understand fairly quickly was that Fennekin thrived in combat. He actively sought it out, having attacked two Pidgeys and a second Rattata on their first day alone, and many more after that. Fennekin prided himself in his skills and his ability to protect their little pack, and likely fancied himself their 'sword' like Bulbasaur played the 'shield'.

Ash dimly wondered what that made him - the knight or the damzel. He was fairly sure he wouldn't like the answer, so he refrained from asking.

By the time the sun set on their fourth day on the road, Ash was starting to feel a little weary. Fatigue was something he was slowly coming to feel very familiar with, a fact that didn't escape Bulbasaur's watchful eyes. He'd tried to persuade her of his well-being, but…

...At the memory, Ash rubbed at his nose. His knees had buckled and he'd tripped over a pebble, hurting his nose in the process. That had pretty much killed his chances of succeeding an attempt to convince anyone that he was just fine. And perhaps it was for the best; he had been pushing himself more than he likely should, keeping to his promise but as little as he could. And who could blame him? It was hard to get rid of the sensation that he was slowly being left behind.

After some deliberation, they'd collectively decided to set camp in a small clearing between some trees, where the river ran near but they had enough space to wander and place his tent and cooking supplies without wanting for extra room. Admittedly, and despite the preparation for his journey in the months leading up to it, Ash had some trouble setting up the tent - thankfully, Bulbasaur seemed quite well-educated, and quickly helped him through the process while Fennekin struggled to gather some twigs.

Unfortunately, he forgot that Fennekin also liked to eat twigs, presumably to feed his internal fire. So, when the fox returned with little but a guilty expression, Ash had absolutely no one to blame but himself.

Still, eventually, they managed to set everything up right. The campfire was easy to light up for obvious reasons, and Ash felt like some of his back pains were validated when he saw how handy the little cooking pot ended up being. With some rice his mom had packed into his bag and some Berries he'd asked Fennekin to gather (since, you know, he ate their firewood), Ash had managed to cook up a reasonably nice meal. They ate well after that.

Sitting around the fire was a really nice experience, honestly, and one of the more mundane parts of a journey that he'd really been dreaming of.

Ash was, after all, a country boy. Pallet was a very, very small town when compared to Saffron or even Viridian. Had Professor Oak not chosen to move there, it would've faded into obscurity like almost every other small settlement across Kanto, many of which weren't even usually on the maps, like Mulberry or O-Hina. Unlike the kids from the big cities he'd met, Ash was no stranger to sleeping under the stars or the sensation of being surrounded by nature.

But this was different. There was a world of difference between his nights out on Professor Oak's camp and this. Here, there were none of those safety measures, nor was he surrounded by familiar and strange faces alike. In the wild, it was only Ash and the two Pokemon whom he would one day be proud to call his family.

...Yeah.

The sensation of being left behind was really unpleasant, but there were upsides to following through with his journey at his own pace. He wanted to hurry up and catch up to Gary, but on the flipside, he'd be cutting off on training and bonding with his team if he tried to rush things. Having already experienced a few days on the road, Ash felt a little more certain of what he wanted to do.

He turned to look at Fennekin and Bulbasaur. Right now, they were chewing contently on a bunch of berries - Oran and Pecha, if he wasn't mistaken. To be fair, even Ash himself had grabbed one to eat as a snack.

"So, guys," he started from his spot on a small stone by the fireplace, drawing the gazes of both of his companions. "At this pace, we should make it to Viridian in… three more days, I think." He paused, turning an inquiring gaze toward the two of them. As far as he knew, Pokemon thought about time in different ways than humans did. They might understand his language, but he wasn't sure how they'd interpret this. Thankfully, both nodded at once, with Fennekin looking slightly miffed that he'd even worried about it.

He was starting to see a pattern there. But nevermind that.

"Well.. Professor Oak told me that the Viridian Gym doesn't take challenges from people without at least 6 badges. So even if we got there, he wouldn't fight us." There's the disappointment he'd expected. Bulbasaur let out a soft growl in slight irritation, though Ash had the feeling she was angrier at the thought of someone denying him a battle than at not getting to fight. Fennekin just looked pissed. "So… I was thinking. What if we stayed here for a day or two?"

Now that attracted their attention properly. Fennekin jumped to his feet in discontent curiosity, yipping at him with a furrowed brow and lowered ears. It was a question more than an accusation, but he got the gist of it; Fennekin didn't much like the idea.. In comparison, Bulbasaur seemed much too happy to oblige, and watched them both with keen eyes.

Ash was quick to try and calm the small canid. It wouldn't do to have the vulpine creature mad at him before he could explain himself. At this point, he'd more than understood that the fox enjoyed battling, so it made sense that he'd be eager to tangle with some trainers, especially Gym Leaders. Ash wondered if Fennekin knew that the Gym in Pewter was a Fire Gym, and the one in Cerulean a Water Gym…

"I- See, what I was thinking is -!" Nope, he lost his thought process. Clearing his throat, Ash awkwardly paused before saying his piece. "I think we could just stay around to train for a while and, ah, get used to camping? It'd be a good break from traveling, too, since, y'know…" And he let his words trail off there, confident that their meaning was clear. Now intrigued, Fennekin approached him in slow steps and stared at his eyes. He yipped once, examining him closely. Then, the small fox nodded, more to himself than to Ash, and jumped in the boy's lap.

Ash and Bulbasaur exchanged amused and incredulous looks.

Well, he thought. That answers that. But he was happy. Giving his body some time to rest was already nice, especially after going from no travel to hours walking per day out of nowhere. But the thought of partaking in his very first training session, like those Professor Oak had talked about once when describing his old Exeggutor… now that excited him.

Yeah, Ash decided. This was going to be super kickass.

Content with the silence as a proper answer, Ash turned his gaze to the skies above. The vast sea of black looked back down at him, with the flickers of stars like waving greetings.

. . . A faint noise caught his attention. Like a machine's whirring, it grinded softly against itself. Then, it was replaced by the low murmur of someone's voice, like the sound of the TV running from downstairs. Too quiet to make out words, but not quiet enough for you not to know it is there. It came from his tent.

Fennekin's head had snapped up, and the fox jumped off his lap and into battle position as soon as Ash himself pushed down on the dirt to get up. Bulbasaur, keener than the two of them, had already extended a vine in preparation for a well-placed vine whip. Looking at his tent, he could notice a faint light coming from within. Something had turned on his PokeNav.

He swallowed dryly and approached, Fennekin by his side and Bulbasaur in front of the two of them. Had the Rattata from earlier followed them to try and steal his stuff while they ate?

Bulbasaur pulled the tent's screen aside for them to enter. Nothing. The PokeNav's noises were more clearly audible, though, as the device was precisely where he'd last left it. What had turned the news channel on of all things?

"Man, is this thing malfunctioning?" He asked himself, a grimace on his face. He did not have the money to spare on fixing this thing quite yet. He gently took the PokeNav and looked into its screen, raising an eyebrow as he noticed it'd been set to the Viridian News Channel.

"-more news straight from the source tells us that Galar's own Champion, Leon, has successfully defended his title once more in what makes for his twentieth consecutive victory where not a single Pokemon is lost. I remind the viewer from home that Galar has been insistent on maintaining its isolation ever since the attack on the S.S. Elizabeth during the eve of the Silverburn War, when a fleet from Vermillion had mistakenly assumed it had been there to support Unova. Lance has continuously attempted to contact Galar to engage in diplomacy talks, but has been refused every time. In other news, Viridian continues to suffer through the odd -"

With a grimace, Ash tried to flick the power button off, only to realize it was already off. How weird. This thing really was broken, huh? Sighing, he settled for turning the volume down until it was muted and throwing the device aside once again, flashing his Pokemon an apologetic shrug.

"Don't look at me," he said. "I'unno how grown-ups listen to that all day either."

They settled into small talk after that, returning to the fireplace with the clear intent of ignoring the strange device's malfunction. Had they been more alert, perhaps they would have caught the silhouette of the shadow beneath their feet, which was cast as if a giant sphere floated upon them. Were they more experienced, they would've caught the giant red eyes that opened in such a shadow - and the cruel white grin that flashed before both vanished into normalcy.

But they were neither. Unaware of peril, they continued their exploration.


Their steps echoed aimlessly throughout those hallowed hallways.

Lenora was careful not to alert her young traveling companion, but the place was trapped to hell and back. It was almost impressive, really; you wouldn't think that ancient people like those of the Molantian Empire would be able to build such enduring traps, but their mechanisms were mostly preserved even if everything within a five-mile radius was covered in soot.

Now, she wasn't nearly dumb enough to believe Alder when he told her that she was sent to Kanto to participate in the mending of old wounds. He'd put her there to intimidate the Indigo League, plain and simple - Lenora had been made into a political pressure tool, and, to be perfectly honest, she was fine with that. They hadn't started the war, after all. Still, as she turned her gaze to Cheren, who skulked about with that cute notebook of his and a starstruck look on his eyes, she silently let herself regret that he'd been drawn into it.

Still, as an archaeologist, there was no way she would resist the desire to finally get the chance to visit one of the few existing ruins of Molantian origin, a settlement built by the people of Pokelantis around 3000 years before Unova was even populated. Her museum had quite a few artifacts from that general era, but nothing beat the real thing.

"You see these writings on the wall, Cheren?" She questioned, turning her flashlight toward them. They were picturesque in composition, depicting people doing all sorts of things. A king kneeling, two people warring, a ball of flames. A man with a cat's head fought the flames back with a fan, and an enemy king was slain by the previous king, who now stood triumphant. Between those pictures, symbols - the molantian alphabet she'd spent so long studying,

"Yes. I do have working eyes." Cheren retorted as he approached, ever the snarky little guy. She'd grown to appreciate his snark, especially since he was usually so mild. Cheren appreciated the rules a bit too much, if you asked her - what was an archaeologist without the desire to explore? What was a trainer without the will to challenge? But he'd grow out of his shell in time.

"Well, mister working eyes, if your sight is that good, why don't you tell me what they say?"

Now Cheren turned to her with a frown on his lips and furrowed eyebrows in frustration, crossing his arms over his chest.

"That was not what I said. And weren't you the one who told me that the language spoken by the Molantians had yet to be deciphered?"

"Correction," she interjected, wagging a finger in his face. She turned to examine the symbols once again, pulling a small notebook from her own waist and lighting them up with her flashlight for a few moments before turning it back to the wall. "I said it had yet to be deciphered by anyone here."

"...Yes. That's what I - Oh." A pause. His eyes were all wide now, and Lenora relished in the sight of Cheren acting his age for once. "Ooooh. You don't mean…"

"Yup!" She cheerfully confirmed. "And, if you were wondering, this here was a hall of history, where they recorded important events in their lives. Wanna guess what this one is about?"

"...War?" He guessed, eyes drawn to the picture depicting battle. Not a hard guess to get right, but she made a point of patting his shoulder in congratulations anyway.

"Aye aye!" Lenora said. "Seems like these people carved these during their war with the good folk from Pokemonopolis. They even recorded where the battles took place… plus some spooky stuff about a demon of shadows that resides there."

Cheren blinked. Examined the wall more closely, then peered up at her eyes with that look of enthralled fascination that she'd come to treasure from her student. Cheren was always dedicated, but it was only when he was fascinated that his genius was truly allowed to shine.

"Where?" He asked, an urgent need to his voice, and Lenora mentally cheered herself.

She was still the best mentor ever.

"Mount Hideaway. Seems like you'll get your wish to visit Professor Oak after all…"


As Ash and his two partners slept, the shadows watched, and they waited, and they bid their time. Deep within Mount Hideaway, five men tore through the walls of the natural caves with their Pokemon, with many Golem and the odd Sandslash desperately searching for something. The man who led them wore a grin on his lips and a blazing red R on his pitch-black uniform.