Titania glanced pleadingly at Ash as Misty screamed yet again for what must have been the eighth time in as many minutes. Taking pity on her friends, Ash returned her and Oberon, and silently hoped Pikachu would rethink his opinion on Pokeballs if only for the sake of his ears. The little Electric type was nothing if not stubborn, though, and resorted to holding his ears down as he crouched low on Ash's shoulder.
Misty was… Ash didn't want to be mean, but Misty was annoying. And yeah, okay, some attitude was expected after Ash accidentally ruined the other girl's bike trying to get to the Pokemon Center, but this was far beyond what was tolerable. The redhead screamed at every noise and was cruel to even the friendly little Caterpie that tried to say hello.
At least now Pikachu and I are friends, and I have those pictures of Ho-oh, Ash consoled herself. After the Spearow attack that resulted in Pikachu defending her, the beautiful Legendary had flown above them. Orange plumage blended seamlessly into white, gold, and green, a tail of gold trailing behind Ho-oh as it soared. Light glinted of its golden crest and silver claws, and Ash was stunned by the sheer beauty of the sight. Somehow, through her awe, she'd managed to swing up her PokeDex and snap a handful of pictures of the bird she recognized from the mythology books she'd collected before she received her first two partners.
Not only that, but a single, shimmering feather had drifted down into her reach, and she'd eagerly snatched it out of the air. It's pearly surface seemed to generate it's own light, and the feather was the softest thing she'd ever touched. The tip was a shade of green that reminded her of everything spring, fading into pure white and then yellow-gold at its base. She'd felt a wave of peace and vigor as soon as it touched her skin, and as if in a trance she'd tucked it beneath her shirt, above her heart.
The feather stuck to her without any assistance, and later, in the privacy of the room she'd rented at the Pokemon Center, she'd tested its hold. The feather would not come off unless she herself pulled it away from her chest. Not even her Pokemon could move it.
Absently brushing her fingers over her shirt where it was covered, Ash forced herself to relax. She just had to keep training her team and battle enough to earn the money to replace Misty's bike. Then she'd be free. Of course, that didn't stop her from wanting to ditch the aspiring Water type Master. Misty had been whining and screaming ever since they set foot in Viridian Forest, and Ash wasn't a people person to begin with.
Fortunately, this would be their last day in the forest. After two weeks of chaos, they were at it's outer edge and just a few hours out from Pewter City, and Ash couldn't wait to take a real shower. Her Pokemon needed some thorough grooming and baths, too…
"... You don't really talk much, do you?" Misty mused, catching Ash's attention now that the other girl had finally calmed down.
"I don't have much to say," Ash shrugged. There wasn't much point in making small talk with humans. The Oaks were really the exception to that rule, but they were the only ones aside from Serena, and as far as the young trainer was concerned, they would stay the only ones. Relationships with humans were too risky.
Misty frowned at her, although more out of thought than response, and left the younger girl alone－sort of. She still followed her, and while she seemed uncomfortable with the silence, Ash felt nothing but relief.
Pikachu sent a baleful glower Misty's way when the redhead wasn't looking, sitting up to rest his paws on the top of Ash's hat. He'd taken to perching there rather than walking along beside his trainer, although Ash didn't mind. He'd been showing amazing progress whenever she set her team to training; he was so close to mastering Agility, and he already had a good grasp on Iron Tail. He just needed to perfect it, and then she could start him on Thunderbolt and then Electro Ball. She had a plan for him to become an unstoppable force by the time she entered the League Conference, and it was highly dependant on him learning absolute control over his electricity, combined with a move she'd discovered on a Unova-centered online forum called 'Magnet Rise'. She couldn't wait for him to reach that level.
Her two Eeveelutions were also improving rapidly. Oberon, despite his habit of causing mischief and mayhem for his personal entertainment, had mastered all the moves he knew (Quick Attack, Swift, and Confusion), so she was currently working with him on both Psychic and Teleport. She was planning on having the Espeon work on Protect once he mastered the new moves, and she was excited since it looked like that would be soon. She was considering Shadow Ball, Toxic, Hypnosis and Dream Eater for him after that. He had a lot of power to work with and while his control wasn't where it needed to be yet, he was a heavy hitter and he was fast.
And Titania… Ash was awed by her regal Fairy type, who took to mastering her move set like a Pidgey to the air. Already she knew Quick Attack, Swift, Baby-Doll Eyes, Fairy Wind, Moonblast, and Disarming Voice, and only the last two still needed a little more work. The Sylveon's precision with her abilities was unparalleled by her other two teammates, and Ash already planned on having her learn Protect, Draining Kiss, Facade, Hidden Power, and Shadow Ball to give Titania the incredible flexibility she was already showing aptitude for. Thanks to Professor Oak's research on Fairy Types, Ash knew Titania was capable of learning a vast number of moves, and despite most of them being Fairy type the sheer number of them would hopefully grant Titania the firepower she needed.
Ash was proud of her three Pokemon; while she knew Gary would probably have caught far more than that already, the small number had allowed her to focus on building up her team's strengths and tearing apart their weaknesses to the degree that any other new trainer would never be able to keep up with.
She was still on the lookout for a Pokemon she would want to add to her team, though. Ash was very much alert as they trekked towards Pewter, sharp eyes finding movements in the trees and behind bushes. None of the Bug types had stood out to her in the forest, and the only Pidgey she had seen had been too small and young for her to feel comfortable trying to catch it.
"Swa!" A sharp trill caused her to whirl, sienna eyes locking onto a small Pokemon a few dozen yards off to the side. It was flying in circles, trying to shake off what looked like a large Scyther.
"Be back in a minute," was all the warning she gave Misty before she was darting off the path and into the trees. The silhouette of the Pokemon wasn't very familiar, and the potential rarity made her heart race. "We're gonna catch whatever that is. Pikachu, I'll be counting on you for this one."
"Pika," her starter nodded, cheeks sparking in anticipation.
Ash grinned, and kept her eyes on the prize. While she wouldn't mind grabbing the Scyther too, her main goal was the blue and white bird Pokemon that was now just a few yards away. It's round body and cloud-shaped wings made for a goofy looking appearance, but Ash wasn't fooled. Now that she could see it clearly, she knew it; she'd studied foreign Pokemon enough to recognize the Swablu for what it was. Swablu were dual Normal/Flying type, but their evolution gained them the Dragon typing, and Ash would rather eat her own shoes than willingly let the chance to have a rare dragon slip between her fingers! She wasn't sure why it was in Kanto, but it's ragged appearance was evidence it was wild, or perhaps released. And there had been several storms that that passed through multiple regions in the last year or so, the high wind speed would have been enough to drag an unsuspecting Flying type into them and carry it quite a ways.
"Quick Attack into Thundershock on the Scyther! Make sure Swablu doesn't fly away, cage it in with weaker Thundershocks," She instructed, still awed by the way her starter seemed to vanish from her shoulder, aided by a sustained Agility on his own decision.
The Scyther was fast, but Pikachu was faster.
A flash of yellow light was swiftly followed by the smell of ozone and a hissing screech from the massive bug. Scyther fell to the ground, twitching, and was no match for the next three Thundershocks that Pikachu sent its way in between keeping Swablu close to the forest floor.
Ash was quick to realize that Scyther had to be dealt with first, so she primed a Pokeball and tossed it right after another shock of electricity was slammed into its green body. Luckily, Scyther was still reeling from being electrocuted, and too frazzled to fight it. Now able to focus on her real goal, she studied the Swablu's slowing flight pattern. Pikachu's continued attacks were wearing it down quickly.
"Use the trees and hit it with Quick Attack!" She called out.
Pikachu cackled with almost manic glee as he ricocheted off the surrounding tree trunks to slam into the small Flying type, who protested the blow with an indignant squawk. But it seemed like it had had enough, dropping to the earth and panting hard. The two little plumes of feathers on its head trembled as it sank to the ground in exhaustion. Ash primed a second Pokeball and threw it without delay, bouncing on her feet happily when it clicked instantly.
"Great work, Pikachu! That was incredible!" She crowed, scooping up both Pokeballs and clipping them to her belt. She'd get them to Pewter first and have them healed up before meeting them properly. Giggling as Pikachu blurred back onto her shoulder and nuzzled her face, she scratched his long ears and lavished him with well-earned praises. He'd just taken on two Pokemon without letting either so much as graze him, which was no small feat, and wasn't even winded!
Proud of him, she decided he'd earned a treat when they got to Pewter. Travel back at the forefront of her mind, Ash jogged back to the path, unable to stop smiling as she fell back into step with a baffled-looking Misty.
"What the heck was that about?" Misty demanded, aqua eyes wide.
"I caught two new Pokemon," Ash beamed, reaching up again to rub the short bridge of Pikachu's muzzle. "Pikachu got them both down in record time, they didn't stand a chance."
Misty looked impressed, despite her irritation at the younger girl running off. "That's not something you see every day. What Pokemon? I thought I saw a Flying type but it was too far away for me to see what it was, and the other was too fast for me to get a good look."
"A Scyther and a Swablu," Ash crooned as she tapped the Pokeballs, still riding the high of finding and catching two rare Pokemon. "I don't know how a Swablu found its way to Kanto of all places, but I'm so happy! I've been wanting a Dragon type ever since I saw Lance's Conference battles!"
Ah, yes, the new Champion of Indigo, Dragon Master Lance Blackthorn. He was just a few years older than Ash and he was already so powerful! Not only that, but dragons were some of the rarest of Pokemon aside from Fairy types and Legendaries, and that wasn't even getting into how hard most were to train. Swablu were some of the easiest Dragon types to train because they gained the typing after evolution, which gave them remarkably gentle and calm natures. The only dragons easier to handle were from the Goodra line, although they required much more patience since they started off as the weakest Dragon types.
Lance was one of the most skilled trainers in the world, having raised three powerful Dragonite on top of the most terrifyingly strong Charizard she'd ever seen. And he even had an Aerodactyl, a Fossil Pokemon! And his Gyarados… And those were just the Pokemon on his League registered team, he had a Garchomp, a Salamence, and a Goodra too. Ash was a fan of his skill, and admired how hard the Dragon Master had clearly worked to earn his title.
"What's a Swablu?" Misty asked, and Ash found herself appreciating the redhead's eagerness to learn about Pokemon. Maybe some humans had their good points. "I figured it's a foreign Pokemon, but what region is it from?"
"They're normally found in Hoenn, Sinnoh, Unova, and Kalos," Ash recalled, making a mental note to research her newest teammate once they got to the Pokemon Center. "And as Swablu they're dual Normal/Flying types, but when they evolve into Altaria their Normal typing gets replaced with Dragon. In their native regions they're known for their beautiful singing! I can't wait to work with Swablu, I'm sure it'll be amazing!""
"Swablu sound awesome," Misty smiled, although Ash got the feeling that the older girl had neglected to mention Scyther on purpose. "So you're a fan of Lance's?"
"He's just so cool!" Ash nodded, tugging sheepishly on her hat as they finally left the cover of trees. "He's only three years older than me and he's worked hard enough to become the Champion, of course I'm a fan! Anyone who can train a full team of dragons is worthy of respect, in my eyes, especially Dragonite. And he has three. I want to be a Pokemon Master someday, so seeing somebody become a Master so young… it's like, I actually do have a chance, you know? I don't think I could do it so quickly, but it just gives me a lot of courage to work hard."
"I totally get it, since I'm aiming to become a Water type Master!" Misty chirped, a familiar glint in her eyes. "He really is impressive."
From there, Ash found herself actually enjoying the other girl's company. They discussed their dream teams in great detail, and Ash shared what she knew of other regions' Water types. It turned out that Misty wasn't all that bad a traveling companion as long as there were no bugs around, and there was nothing irritating her, which was sort of a high trade off but Ash could work with it temporarily. She also had a lot of fun explaining Fairy types to Misty, who had been fascinated by Titania. She didn't mention that she'd been the one to tell Professor Oak about their existence, however; she knew how that would turn out.
They made it to Pewter City by midday, and both sighed upon entering the Pokemon Center, the air conditioning providing instant relief from the hot sun. Ash turned her Pokemon over to Nurse Joy for healing and checkups, grabbing a room for her and Misty before finding a seat in the corner of the cafeteria while Misty went up to their room for a shower. Pulling a notebook and her PokeDex out, Ash set to combing through the data she had.
Professor Oak had given her a PokeDex that already had multi-regional data accessible. She made a mental note to call him once she got her team back to thank him and show off Swablu. Since it was registered to her trainer account, her PokeDex already had its data available under her profile. She lowered the volume of the device before opening the file.
"Swablu, the cotton bird Pokemon. Swablu has light and fluffy wings that are like cottony clouds. This Pokemon is not frightened of people. It lands on the heads of people and sits there like a cotton-fluff hat.If it spots something dirty, it will wipe and polish it with its cottony wings. If its wings become dirty, this Pokemon finds a stream and showers itself.
This Swablu is female and has the Natural Cure ability. It knows the moves Sing, Peck, Take Down, Fly, and Mirror Move."
Ash sucked in a breath, tapping the end of her pen against her lip. Swablu had a really good move set, well balanced, and five moves in a wild Pokemon was uncommon. She had to wonder about her new teammate's past, but eventually decided it didn't matter. She'd been able to catch it, and she wasn't going to waste her luck.
After going through all the moves Swablu was capable of learning, Ash decided that after she was sure the little Flying type had mastered the ones she knew, she would teach her Perish Song and Steel Wing. Since Swablu already knew Sing, Perish Song should come easily, and a good Steel type move would give her the offensive power to finish rounding out her current move set.
As for Scyther… Ash looked over its stats and paled. It's attack and special attack were jaw-droppingly high, with an unreal speed; huge red flags for what could only be a highly aggressive nature. Its moves were some of the most powerful possible for Bug types, and it had Pokerus to boot.
Pokerus was a rare virus that was actually beneficial to a Pokemon's growth, causing them to gain strength rapidly while infected. But for a Pokemon already so high level?
Ash had no way of controlling something that powerful. She just didn't have the experience or skill, and Scyther were notorious for their stubbornness and difficulty to gain their respect. And since she'd only caught it by pure luck and because it's brain had been rattled by electricity, as well as it having abysmal defensive stats, there was no way it would listen to her. Now Ash was by no means a quitter, but she couldn't risk accidents involving out-of-control Pokemon registered to her.
She bit her lip, mind scrambling for a solution. She could release it, although that seemed like a waste. There was also trading… if she found a strong trainer willing to trade for Scyther－which wouldn't be that hard, trainers would pay out the nose for the chance to have a Pokemon with Pokerus－she might be able to get an equally rare Pokemon that wouldn't have the danger factor.
"You look troubled," a voice startled her from her half-formed plans, and she jerked her head up. A boy around her age with lavender hair and dark eyes gazed down at her, partway between concerned and amused. Ash recognized him instantly, even without the Hive Badge pinned to his collar.
"You're Bugsy!" She squeaked, and she silently wondered if Ho-oh's feather was granting her incredible luck. "By Lugia am I glad to see you!"
He raised an eyebrow and sat down across from her. "I see I'm known even outside Johto. While I'm flattered, I hope you don't mind explaining why you're so happy to see me," he said dryly. He didn't seem annoyed, though, and Ash slid her PokeDex across the table.
"I'm a new trainer who caught this beast of a Pokemon by pure luck, and have just realized how over my head I am with it. You wouldn't happen to be interested in taking Scyther, would you? I don't have the experience to handle it," she sighed.
Bugsy's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets when he glanced at the screen, and he snatched up the PokeDex, scrolling through Scyther's information. With every line he read his eyes brightened further, a wild grin splitting his face in half. After a long moment, he looked up at her, delighted.
"Miss, this is the exact Pokemon I came to Kanto for. When I heard the rumors of an incredible Scyther in Viridian Forest I had to come. Tell you what, I actually brought a recently hatched Pokemon from Johto to offer as a trade just in case someone caught Scyther before I could. I believe your effort in catching Scyther should not go to waste, especially since you're a new trainer. Are you familiar with the Houndoom line?"
Ash beamed. A dual Dark/Fire type would be perfect for her team! And a young Pokemon would be much easier to handle than an already powerful one.
"I am, and I'd be more than happy to trade with you. I'd actually much rather a Gym Leader have Scyther than just release it, to be honest. A lot of new trainers go through Viridian Forest and leaving Scyther there is a disaster waiting to happen."
Bugsy nodded seriously at her point, but he was pleased with the situation. When Ash informed him that Scyther was with Nurse Joy at the moment, the two passed the time with discussing the Pokemon they had on hand. The young Gym Leader was shocked to learn that she was Ash Ketchum, and trainer of the only known Sylveon across all regions. And Ash was excited to learn that Sabrina, the Leader of the Saffron Gym, actually had the second known Espeon; she wanted to know how Oberon would measure up to a psychic Gym Leader's Pokemon. They chatted until Nurse Joy called her name on the speaker system, and Bugsy followed Ash to the counter.
"Here are your Pokemon," Joy said with a cheerful smile.
"Thank you, Nurse Joy," Ash bowed slightly as she took them back, greeting Pikachu with a scratch behind his ears. "Ne, does this Pokemon Center have a trading machine?"
"No, but I can manually trade Pokemon right here at my computer," the nurse offered. "It will take a little longer, but the result is the same."
Sharing a glance with Bugsy, both trainers nodded and chorused, "We'd like to do a trade, please."
"Alright, may I see your trainer IDs and the Pokemon to be traded?"
Ash handed over Scyther's Pokeball and her PokeDex, while Bugsy gave up a Cherish Ball and his Gym Badge. Gym Badges all had codes that could be scanned to ensure their authenticity. They could also serve as IDs for Gym Leaders, if registered for it.
While it wasn't instantaneous, the process of manually swapping the registered trainers for the Pokemon only took around ten minutes. Soon enough, Ash was the happy trainer of a young Houndour, and Bugsy had a beast of a Scyther to focus on. They both thanked Nurse Joy, and then turned to each other.
"Thank you very much," Bugsy dipped his head at her with a smile, holding Scyther's Pokeball with care. "It's not often a new trainer will freely admit to not being suitable trainer for a strong Pokemon, and it was very responsible of you to seek to find it an experienced trainer. It leaves me certain that Houndour will be well cared for in your hands."
"I really should be thanking you," Ash insisted, holding the Cherish Ball close. Maybe it was just her imagination, but it even felt warm. "It's a big relief that you were here to take Scyther, and I'm grateful you were willing to trade when I could have just given it to you. I'll take good care of Houndour, I promise!"
The boy merely smiled. "I'm sure you will. If you ever decide to challenge the Johto Gyms, I'd be more than happy to battle you."
The very thought had Ash shivering in anticipation, eager to take him up on the offer. Maybe he'd even use that Scyther! Battling it for real once it had been trained up would be a huge challenge, and that's not even considering that Bugsy might evolve it before she could get to Johto.
"Well, I've got to do the Kanto circuit first," she laughed. "But definitely."
"I look forwards to it. Now, as I promised the higher-ups I'd return as soon as I found Scyther, I should be off. Take care, Ash, I'll be looking for you at the Conference!"
Beaming, Ash waved as the young Gym Leader left the Pokemon Center, and turned away. She had two new Pokemon to meet, and a team to train.