I release bulbasaur and have him walk along side me and pancham, so we can all get to know and get used to each other. It seemed like he was really excited to join the team, and since I now have a Pokédex I decided I would scan him and pancham to see their moves.

[Pancham]

[Female]

[Ability- Iron Fist: Boosts the power of punching moves]

[Hidden Ability- Scrappy: Enables Normal and Fighting type moves to hit Ghost Pokémon]

[Known Moves- Taunt, Arm Thrust, Low Sweep, Slash]

[Bulbasaur]

[Male]

[Ability-Overgrow: Powers up Grass moves when HP is low]

[Known Moves- Tackle, Growl, Vine Whip]

Alright, nice move set and Bulbasaur's moves are to be expected. Pancham's Iron fist and Scrappy are gonna be so handy once I teach her the elemental punches.

As we're walking along the road I notice a lone spearow off to the side. Perfect, I definitely want to catch that spearow if I can. Bulbasaur is weak to flying types, but so is Pancham. Hmm Pancham has stronger moves so I'll use her and then I'll use Bulbasaur more later to help him get stronger.

"Pancham, use Taunt on Spearow and then use Slash" i rasp out

Immediately Pancham catches Spearow's attention with the taunt and powers up a slash. Spearow being annoyed by the taunt flares its wings, and takes off into the air readying to dive bomb Pancham with a peck attack.

"Pancham, keep holding that slash and right as Spearow is about to get to you, jump and use slash on the back of its head."

Pancham is too strong, or this Spearow is very weak. Maybe both? Just one slash knocked it out, slightly disappointed with my first battle I toss a pokeball and check Spearow on the Pokédex.

[Spearow]

[Male]

[Ability- Keen Eye: Prevents accuracy debuffs]

[Known Moves- Peck, Growl, Leer]

With Spearow caught, we're back on the road to Viridian. Having to stop every 10- 15 minutes so that I can rest. I also use this time to have Pancham and Bulbasaur practice their different moves. For Pancham it's working on the speed of her arm thrusts and then immediately chaining it into a low sweep after. While Bulbasaur strengthens his vine whip and trains its speed. I'm kind a hoping I can get Bulbasaur to launch his body with vine whip into a tackle on his opponents, but his vines aren't strong enough at the moment to get any significant lift.

I'm guessing Gary took another route to get to Viridian because I haven't seen him yet, but I have seen the other kid and apparently his name is Cam. He decided to stop and have a Pokémon battle to try and get some more experience with his charmander, and I figured this would be the perfect time to test Bulbasaur. Ya he has a type disadvantage, but charmander only knows ember at this stage, so it should be fairly even if I can keep those to minimum.

Let's just say Cam's not the brightest bulb i came to find out. Or my Bulbasaur is really super strong. All I did was have him use growl at the start, while Cam had charmander charge in close with tackle. The only problem is that his charmander seemed to be slower than my Bulbasaur or they just haven't practiced any tackles. I honestly don't know.

I told Bulbasaur to aim his vine whip at charmander's legs, which caused to trip and yelp. Then while it was down I told Bulbasaur to keep Vine whipping charmander from a distance and eventually it fainted. Cam was stunned, like he didn't think this would happen. Apparently he rushed to catch up to me thinking he could get an easy win just because he had a type advantage, and now he's running off again towards Viridian to heal his Charmander.

I really hope all trainers aren't as hopeless as that idiot, or this journey will have been pointless. What's the point of being the best of a bunch of idiots. That's when it happened. It had started to rain a couple minutes back, but I just pulled out an umbrella and kept walking after I put Bulbasaur back into his ball. Pancham seemed to welcome the rain after the hot day. Then we heard a bunch of squawks coming from behind us. What we saw, I will honestly never forget.

It had to be close to 100 hundred Spearows and they were all chasing and pecking at Ash who was on a bike with a Pikachu in the basket. He yelled to run as he sped past me, but I don't think he realized it was me and that I can't exactly run. At least not for any meaningful distance. Most kept going after Ash, but a good 30 to 40 stayed back and started circling me and Pancham.

This isn't good and Pancham wouldn't let me recall her, so doing the only other thing I bring out Bulbasaur to at least try to help keep the Spearow off Pancham. It was slightly working, but with 2 against close to 40 Spearow it was a losing battle. For every slash that hit a bird another 2 would hit her in the back or the side, even with Bulbasaur trying his best to whack them away with his vine whip, but even he was getting hit over and over. It was looking very grim.

Bulbasaur went down 3 hits later, he really did stay strong for getting hit by super effective attacks while being such a low level. I quickly returned him and focused my entire attention on my best friend Pancham. She really was trying her best but with the Spearow still in the upper 20s she was slowly getting tired and with her fighting typing causing her to take extra damage, she was on her last legs. Swapping between arm thrust and then slash, would truly be a beautiful display of skill if the situation wasn't so dire. And then, one more swooped down and pecked her in the back of the head and she fell down.

Before I even knew what I was doing I noticed I had rushed towards Pancham, picked her up and started running as hard as I could toward Viridian. I could see blood oozing from the various cuts that marred her body, and she was looking up at me weakly. The smart thing would be to put her back in her poke ball, but I would probably drop her if I tried that, so I just ran for all I was worth

Pain. All I could feel was pain, my muscles were screaming at me from the lack of exercise and then immediately being forced to work like this. My throat and lung were burning and I couldn't get a decent breath in. My inhales and exhales coming in and out and rasping gasps I hopes of air like I've been deprived of it. Heart racing, blood pumping, this scenario brought back to many memories. Clutching Pancham to my chest, running from something that's gonna harm us, not being able to catch a breath. Nothing to hear but the pounding of my heart and pulsing of the blood in my head.

Fire. I'm starting feel fire behind chasing me, just like it did all those years ago. I have to get away I can't let Pancham get hurt, I can't loser her like.. like...

I don't know when I started but I can feel tears running down my face, my breathing is too erratic, and I'm constantly stumbling in my steps

Fire

I can feel it licking at my back, my arms, my head, my legs. I feel something warm dripping off Pancham, it's similar the feeling I currently have dripping down my own body.

Fire

My vision has narrowed I can't really tell if I'm even running the right way anymore. My breathing is only harsh hacks and rasps in place of inhales and exhales. I can't feel my body anymore it's numb, the only thing I can feel is the slowly cooling warmth of Pancham and the ever increasing inferno at my back. I want to lay down and be done with it, I want to give up. I'm just so tired

trip*

I see the ground quickly approaching, so I tuck and land on my back before rolling to cover Pancham again. I look down to make sure she's alright, she seems to be awake but a pained expression crosses her face. Oh no I must have hurt her when I fell. I can't help but curse myself and my weak body for thinking I could go on a Pokémon journey, for being so arrogant to think I could take care of my Pokémon with this pitiful body.

I'm wracked with another series coughs that feels like glass is stuck in my throat with the blood coming out with each hack as if to tell me I'm not imagining the glass like scraping.

"Pan pan"

She mewls weakly at me reaching up to touch my tear stricken face.

"I'm s-sorry Pancham." I rasp out

"I should have known I wasn't ready, that I would have never been ready. And now I'm hurting you too with my weakness."

Pancham replied to me but I didn't get a chance to hear it as the Spearow renewed their cries dove toward us. The first few swooped down and I cocooned my body around Pancham as best I could, feeling more rivulets of blood flowing down my back, arms and legs. The another volley of pecks and I can feel Pancham getting more and more restless underneath, crying out at me to get off so she can help. I try to hold strong, but I can feel my consciousness fading with each short, painful breath that's getting lessening in depth but increasing in rate. I think I'm hyperventilating.

With an extended cry I hear from Pancham, I notice a bright light start to radiate off her, and that her body is growing underneath me. That's when I realize she's evolving. I short bout of happiness wells up in me to see my best friend evolve.I figured she might be close but I thought we would have to at least beat Brock first.

Her cry of "Pan" slowly morphs into a roar that ends in "goro!"

I look up from the muddy road that mixed with blood up to see a 7 foot Pangoro, she seems to be slightly taller than the average as soon as she evolves. I knew she was too good for me. I thought I was taking care of her all this time when really it was the other way around. Helping me when I walk, being patient with me when I needed to take a break, and sitting cooped up in a room with me whenever I was too sick that day to move. She was always taking care of me.

I bask in her presence as I'm fading in and out of consciousness. It looks like she learned Crunch from her evolution as I see black energy surrounding her jaws now, while I also see the familiar glow of both her paws for a slash. Look at you learning how to charge up 2 slashes at once along with a crunch. I must have dozed off at some point because it's no longer raining and I can feel myself being carried as I sway in some big furry arms with wind in my face.

Another bout of coughs go through me and I can feel the arms holding me tense up. Fade back out.

When I come to again I'm lying in a hospital bed with a tube going into my arm and bandages wrapping my body just like when I was burned.

Fire

No i can't think about that now, I need to find Panch- I mean Pangoro. I have to make sure she's okay. When I go to sit up that's when I feel my body greatly protest, with multiple locations all over my tightening and tugging, threatening to rip. I feel around my body where those pains came from and realize that it's a bunch of stitches, it's got to be close to hundred all in different locations around my body.

Looking around is when I finally notice Pangoro laying on the floor just a few feet away from the bed sleeping. She doesn't seem to be hurt anymore, but that could just be her thick fur covering it. She seems peaceful though, peaceful enough I almost don't want to wake her. Slightly behind her I notice a little green mound who can only be Bulbasaur. I don't know what I expected when I woke up m, but I was prepared to be alone and them having left me. Though it seems I worried for nothing.

I try to call out for Pangoro but that sends my coughing with a new set of blood coming out on to my hands. Damn it, of course it's back to like it was before. Like when I inhaled all that smoke and injured my throat. I notice Pangoro getting to me as quick as she can with a cup of water carefully cradled in her huge paws. A sad and pained expression firmly set on her face. Truly to good for me.

Gingerly grabbing the cool cup, and slowly drinking from it, it definitely wets my previously dry throat, but the coolness of it also stings like when you get Nomel berry juice in a small cut on yourself. Even still I continue to chug the water.

Something must have alerted Nurse Joy to my awakening because I see her entering the room with a clip board and a chansey following her.

"I see you're awake, how are you feeling?"

I go to speak again, but remember what happened last time, so I speak as soft as I can and even then it grates on my throat and I know it sounds horrible.

"Throat is the worst, everything else just aches."

Chansey holds out another glass of water for me, which I gratefully take another deep sip from.

With a somber expression across her face she begins

"If I hadn't heard from another trainer about a huge flock of Spearow I would have thought you were unfit to be a trainer."

"Paaaanggg" Pangoro growls when she heard that

"But" Nurse Joy begins again, "after what I heard from Ash, I'm truthfully glad that everyone made out for the most part okay. You should really thank your Pangoro, she carried you all the way here, ignoring officer Jenner and then passing out on the floor in the emergency room we took you in."

Looking over at Pangoro, with as much emotion as I can gather and steeling my throat for the coming words. Just barely above a whisper.

"Thank you Pangoro for saving, I'm sorry I let you down." At the end I'm sent through another series of coughs shooting pain through my throat once again.

"Pan pan goro!" She quickly exclaimed while shaking her head "Pangoro!"

Chansey looks quite shocked and so does Bulbasaur and then both look towards me with a face I honestly couldn't describe, so I can only assume Pangoro was talking about what happened. With tears I her eyes Pangoro kneels down at the side of my bed laying her big fluffy head across my legs.

I slowly run my fingers through her soft fur, scratching just behind the ear, the same spot she always loved when she was still a Pancham. With one last "Pan" she dozed off on my lap, as if she's still the same Pancham and not some 300 pound giant. Though I would never complain about it. I love her too much, and you should never say anything about a lady's weight, even a Pokémon. Maybe especially a Pokémon considering what they can do to you.

Nurse Joy taking in the scene turns to me and apologizes.

" I see now I may have spoken out of line, but it's terrible to see so many extremely hurt and exhausted Pokémon coming through in such a short period that I was sure you and Ash had to have done something. Judging by the reaction from your Pangoro, i truly don't know the whole story. I'll prepare a prescription of antibiotics that you'll have to start mixing with hot water, tea, or even honey in heated Nomel berry juice."

She then does a slight nod and exits the room. Bulbasaur hops up on the bed and curls up against my side, I absently rub my hand across his smooth and cool skin while still running my hand through Pangoro's fur and occasionally scratching behind the ear. Getting a content rumble from her that almost sounds like purring.

Who would have thought that just the first day would be this eventful. That's what I get for being disappointed that that first Spearow was so easy to catch. It's like the world heard me and decided to beat the arrogance and stupidity out of me. I beat one new trainer and thought I was already better than everyone and everything. Well I've been extremely humbled by the this experience. With warmth from Pangoro and the coolness from Bulbasaur I start to feel drowsy and slowly drift off to sleep.

Author's note

I honestly didn't expect to spend this whole chapter on this one stretch of road lol, but I started writing and more things just kept popping up to add on to it that I felt made it that much better. I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did writing it, and maybe I'm just a big softy but both times I wrote the scenes of him carrying Pancham I got a little teary eyed.

Also, I'm not the biggest brainiac when it comes to the different mechanics of Pokémon abilities and such, so

If I do something wrong I apologize, but I just played the games for fun and never payed attention to abilities and hidden abilities. Also I hope nobody will be to upset that I basically piggy backed Ash and Pikachu bonding from their fight with Jace and Pancham. I actually picked Pancham originally because it fit my goal of an abstract Pokémon that I still liked,(I actually used one for the majority of Pokémon sword) but also fit the criteria of Pokémon small enough to carry at first and then after it's evolution be able to carry Jace. And I felt the Spearow incident was the perfect choice for that emotional turmoil to help 1 grow our MC and 2 equally as important evolve Pancham into Pangoro.

You see Pangoro never forgot that Jace carried her out of the fire and knows he saw his dead parents and that's one of the reasons she stuck to him so loyally even with his worsened illness. And then with him once again carrying her and this running, when she knows that even walking is tiring for him. It made her truly respect Jace even more than she already did. If you want to put it to a number they went from 90 to 100 friendship. They were already super close but this incident maxed it out.

So I hope you can excuse me bypassing the "needing a dark type in your party to evolve to Pangoro" with the power of love between best friends, and wanting to protect and save the one who has now saved and or protected you twice now even while being weaker than the average person.

Also Nomel Berry is a real berry in Pokémon and is actually Lemon spelled backwards if you didn't know, so I used it like a real lemon.

And if you're hoping for more battling DON'T WORRY! Next chapter we're going to be leaving Viridian and heading to the dreaded Viridian Forest

(SPOILERS I don't plan on Jace catching any Pokémon in the forest because I just don't really want Pokémon from there, so I'll probably do a short training montage with battle where we see Bulbasaur evolve into an Ivysaur after a battle with with a rogue beedrill. END SPOILER)

With that we should finish Viridian Forest and the gym battle with Brock next chapter.

Thank you again for reading and I hope you enjoyed it! Actually enjoying writing a whole lot more than I thought I would so I'm going to try to stay as consistent as possible.

See ya next time! :)