POKEMON HEART SOUL ADVENTURES
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Chapter 53 - Miltank Farm
Paul had never been one to be scared or shocked easily. Sure, many people would probably dislike his way of acting towards other people, or disapprove of his abusive training methods... but even thosepeople could not deny that Paul was skilled and had guts. And even then, as he was surrounded by several sinister looking people wearing gas masks on their faces, along with two people that seemed to be their leaders, Paul was not showing any sign of being intimidated. Indeed, he actually seemed annoyed that those people kept getting in his way, even though he had made it clear that he wanted nothing to do with them.
"You again? I thought I had been clear." he affirmed, glaring at the leader of the Team Vicious grunts - a rather anonymous-looking guy with scruffy light brown hair and an arrogant smirk that Paul would have gladly wiped off his face. "I already said, I'm not interested in your cowardly little tricks, and I will not join your little group. I do not need your help to become the Sinnoh Champion."
Cezar chuckled as he toyed with his Pokeball, glaring at the violet-haired young man, while Jakov stood to the side munching on some chips, his faithful Noctowl perched on his shoulder. "Hehehee... but we are the ones who need you, my dear Paul! You see, there is a certain thorn in my side that we'd like to take out. And you well know that thorn has a name: Ash Ketchum. Having a trainer as skilled as you on our side would surely help even the odds. We would become much stronger, and we'd be able to take out that nuisance. And surely that's what you want as well, right?"
"Your own grudge on Ash Ketchum is not my problem." Paul answered in icy calm. "And I don't care what you want to do with him. I already told you that I don't need you to defeat him. I have done it before, and I can do it again. I lost to him at the Sinnoh Championship because I dropped my guard. But now that I've gotten better and my team is stronger than ever, I will not be defeated again."
Jakov grunted in annoyance, shoving a large handful of chips in his mouth. "Hmph... yeah, I've seen many people like you. This foolish pride will be your bane someday, you know?" he answered, his black beady eyes affixed on the purple-haired young man.
Paul shrugged. "Whatever it is, it's none of your business." he cut the conversation short. "My answer is still the same. Now, move aside and let me pass, or I will have to shove you aside."
Giggling nastily, Cezar stepped forward and grabbed one of his Pokeballs. "My dear boy, I see you still don't get it, do you? This is not a request, it's an order! You're far too skilled a trainer for us to give you up, so now you will aid her whether you want it or not! And if you have any doubt abut our intentions... let me make things clear! Come out, Huntail! Someone needs a nice wake up call here!"
Cezar's Pokeball opened up... and with a raucous call, a rather vicious-looking Pokemon jumped out of it: it was a light-blue aquatic Pokémon with a serpentine body. Orange, semi-circular fins ran the length of its spine, and there were two additional fins on the underside of its lower jaw. A large, fan-like fin projected from the top of its head, while its body and face were dotted with white spots, bordered with orange rings. There were more orange rings surrounding its eyes, and it had a large mouth filled with sharp teeth. The tip of its tail was shaped similarly to a fish with a single dorsal and pectoral fin and glowing eyespots.
Paul did not react visibly: indeed, that wasn't a Pokemon he was unfamiliar with. It was an Huntail, one of Clampearl's possible evolutions, and a Pokemon that was not seen very often, as it mostly lived in the deeper depths of the sea. Still, it wasn't a Pokemon that worried him too much, and he had faced worse.
Jakov decided it was time to join his companion, despite his own reservations a bout the whole deal... and he sent out a new Pokemon, this one looking like some sort of purple pixie with overlong arms and crystalline white eyes, as well as a red gemstone placed on its chest, and a large mouth filled with needle-like teeth! Paul immediately recognized a Sableye, a Ghost/Dark Pokemon native of Hoenn, notorious for having no known type weakness thanks to its rare combination of types. But once again, it was nothing that could shake the young trainer's resolve, and neither could the fact that other Team Vicious grunts were sending out their Pokemon.
"So, my dear boy, how about it?" Cezar reiterated his demand. "Will you join us and help us defeat Ash Ketchum once and for all... or do we have to be more persuasive?"
Paul didn't answer right away. With an uncaring gesture, the purple-haired boy grabbed two of his Pokeballs and threw them up in the air. If there was a moment for his Pokemon to show how powerful they had gotten, this was it.
"Drapion, Froslass! Stand ready for battle!" he exclaimed. The gigantic Ogre Scorpion Pokemon appeared in front of his trainer with an infernal ticking sound and the terrible grinding sound of claws... and a moment later, the graceful Ghost/Ice Pokemon appeared as well, ready to face whoever was threatening his trainer. Tension was rising... and the fact that Paul had answered to Team Vicious' threats with a challenge of his own wasn't exactly making things easier!
"Hmph..." Cezar grunted, his haughty expression turning to annoyance and disappointment. "Then, you've decided to annoy us to the last, huh? As you wish. We were hoping to gain your cooperation, but if you want to do it the hard way... Go, Huntail! Use your Crunch attack!"
"Sableye! Use Power Gem!" Jakov ordered, pulling out another bag of chips from somewhere unknown, and beginning to munch on them!
Grinning in victory, the abyssal fish dashed towards Froslass and tried to catch her in his jaws, while Sableye concentrated and created a pair of energy spheres from the gemstones he had in place of eyes, before throwing them at Drapion. But neither of Paul's new Pokemon did not look worried in the least, and they just waited for the attack to come...
And when Huntail snapped his jaws shut, all that was caught between them was thin air! With a speed that left the abyssal fish in shock, the snow spirit had disappeared and, using Double Team in a creative manner, had shifted to the other side and was starting to create a Shadow Ball attack in her hands. Drapion used his claws to block Sableye's Power Gem attack, which left him practically unharmed aside from a few bruises.
"I know, Drapion might look like a Bug-type pokemon. But Drapion loses this type when he evolves, and he becomes a Dark/Poison type." Paul explained, almost annoyed at the fact that Jakov didn't know that. "Therefore, Rock-type attacks are not super effective against him any more. Now, Drapion... use Night Slash!"
The giant scorpion obeyed and scuttled towards Sableye, waving his claws... but the Ghost/Dark type was ready to counter, and used Protect to create an invisible shield in front of himself. Drapion's claw was surrounded with a black aura and fell towards its target... but it bounced on the energy shield, and Drapion staggered back, raising both his claws and his vicious-looking tail, showing the two barbed stingers placed upon it. Huntail used a Waterfall attack to surround himself in a whirling mass of water and launch himself at Froslass. The Shadow Ball dissipated on impact, but it still had the effect of slowing down the Waterfall attack just enough so that Froslass was able to dodge it with a sideways dash.
"Well, it seems you are not quite incompetent." Paul commented. "That suits me. This will be good training for my Pokemon."
"Is that so? I wouldn't be so sure of that, boy! You still don't know who you're up against!" Jakov exclaimed in anger, as his Sableye raised his claws and prepared to attack again...
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The fresh morning air carried the scent of the forest and of freshly bloomed flowers, as the small team made up from Ash, Pikachu, Misty, Brock, Tracey and Ursula walked along a twisting path that, starting from the outskirts of Olivine City, went deep into the countryside and among the surrounding prairie, surrounded by magnificent sceneries of the countryside. It was like going back in time a few decades, back to a time where most commodities of science and technology were unknown, and everything came from the hard work of man. There was a certain joy to the setting...
"Alright, I can appreciate walking through the countryside, and I'll admit that travelling with you isn't half bad. But do you have any idea where we can take a break?" Ursula asked, reminding the team that, in fact, they hadn't even spoken of where to stop and what paths they should have taken. "I wouldn't want to be walking through darkness because you hadn't thought about the path to take..."
"No problem, Ursula. We know how long we can walk, and where we can get to." Brock calmly answered, even in the face of the peach-haired girl's somewhat haughty countenance. Once again, Misty was thankful that their friend was there to take care of certain problems she had no patience for...
"Alright. According to our maps, there should be a farm a few hours away from here. If that doesn't bother the owners, we'll stop there for some rest, and then we'll continue our journey." Brock continued, taking a good look at the map. "Fine... at this rate, we should get to Ecruteak City soon enough. Just in time for Ash to do his check-up!"
The young trainer looked with relief at his casted arm. "And we'll finally see if I can take this thing off. Man, I sure don't envy Dawn... she's going to be stuck in a wheelchair for quite a bit longer." he answered. "Oh well, no use complaining. Though there is another thing I'd love to do, when we get to Ecruteak..."
"Pikapi?" Pikachu asked with a bright smile.
Misty rubbed her chin, sending her friend a cunning glance. "I think I know, Ash... you're going to challenge Morty to a Pokemon battle, in order to see how far the both of you have come! Did I get this right?" she asked. Ash blinked in surprise that Misty had seen right through him.
"Well... yeah, you nailed it, Misty..." he affirmed. "How did you do it, without me even speaking a word?"
"Hehehee... you know, Ash, you're not exactly unpredictable in this regard." Tracey joked. "We know that you like pitting yourself against other trainers, and if they are strong, better yet! And then, well, it's said that a person becomes almost telepathic when he or she... well..."
"T-Tracey!" Misty exclaimed, her face taking on a funny scarlet hue! Ash himself turne away in embarassment, trying not to show his own blushing, and once again asking himself what that strange yet pleasant feeling he had started to feel wenever he and Misty were close or their relationship was being talked about. Pikachu, who seemed to be more perceptive than his own trainer about certain things, shrugged his shoulders with a knowing smile, aware that he'd need to wait a little bit lomger before Ash was able to sustain a discussion on that particular issue.
Ursula sighed and turned to Brock. "Say, Brock... do they always act this way, or it's justwhen someone points out that they look like lovebirds?" she asked, though she was careful to keep her voice low so that only Brock could hear her.
The young man with perpetually squinted eyes cleared his voice. "Well, I have been travelling with Ash and Misty for quite a long time. And even though it's been a while since I last saw her, I remember that there were some arguments like this one from time to time!" he answered. "Though, it's been happening more often ever since Misty rejoined our team. Are you pondering what I'm pondering?"
"You mean...?" Ursula asked, her eyes widening just a little. "Eh, not that it's my business anyway. As long as they are okay with it... though I think Ash needs to get smarter about such things, if you ask me!"
"Pikachu!" the electric mouse squeaked, for once in agreement with the haughty coordinator! Sinking further into embarassment, Ash and Misty glanced at each other and then turnedaway, hoping that Ursula would let things lie.
Still, Ash made a mental note to speak with Misty, and only with her, as soon as he had the chance to, and try to clarify things... He hadn't paid too much attention to that, at first, but now he realized that the feeling he had when travelling with Misty was different than when he was with May or Dawn...
Speaking of May, where was she right now? Hopefully she was doing well...
The team continued on their way, in their attempt to cover as much road as they could before lunchtime... but only a few moments after, Tracey's attention was drawn to a strange sound coming from afar, sounding like a chorus of singing birds. The young artist turned in the direction of the sound... and much to his, and his friends', surprise, he saw a large flock of Flying-type Pokemon taking flight from a forest on the horizon, and flying in the same direction towards which the group was going, towards Ecruteak City. Ash and his companions stopped for a moment, looking in surprise and anxiety at the huge flock that made its way through the clear skies of Johto, like some sort of black cloud driven by its own malignant will, as the noise of the chirping birds got louder and louder! It truly was a huge flock... and by taking a more attentive look, all of them could see that it was made up of numerous common Flying types! Most of them were Pidgey, Spearow, Taillow and Starly, but a few of their evolved forms were present as well, along with a few Hoothoot, Skarmory, Farfetch'd and even a couple of Chatot! It was an eterogeneous but impressive - even threatening - mass of Pokemon, and the youngsters were afraid that some of them were going to detach themselves from the flock and attack them!
"Whoa, what is that?" Ash exclaimed. "I've never seen that many Flying-types all at once! I hope they're not hostile..."
"I'm not taking any chances! Plusle, Minun!" Ursula exclaimed, letting out her two Electric-type Pokemon, who materialized and quickly raised their guard, ready for any Flying-type Pokemon that would dare attack. Pikachu approved and charged a Thunderbolt attack on his cheeks, while Misty, Brock and Tracey stood ready to counter any attack.
The light of the sun dimmed as the army of birdlike Pokemon swarmed over their heads with a deafening crescendo of yells! Hearing all those voices smothering each other and echoing all around felt like anyone would have gone crazy if they paid too much attention... but despite the rising tension, Ash and his friends were not attacked... and indeed, the Flying-type Pokemon did not even seem to take notice of them, and continued on their way, as if nothing happened. Ash, Pikachu and theirfriends stood where they were as the cloud of birdlike Pokemon passed over them, and sunlight was able to reach the ground once again. Everything had happened so quickly that Ash would have been disappointed, had he not been glad not to have to face that army!
"What, they do all this showing, and then, nothing?" Misty asked, though she was happy about that anticlimatic closure as well. "Where are all those Pokemon going? Might that have something to do with all those appearences from Legendary Pokemon?"
"I don't know, but it seems logical enough..." Brock answered. Nor that the flock was gone, there was no more need to shout in order to get heard. "And since they were going in the direction of Ecruteak City... well, I think we'd better pay attention to the next days' news. I have somr suspicions, and I'd like to get confirmations."
Tracey nodded, remembering the time when he, along with Ash and Misty, had witnessed the great migrations that were the prelude to the reawakening of Lugia...
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Luckily, the rest of the morning went without any hitch... and soon enough, the team reached what looked like a farm, with several small cottages orderly placed among the fields, with Pokemon like Miltank and Mareep grazing the grass. It looked like a quiet place, and seemed to have been untouched by the enormous swarm of Flying-type Pokemon that had showed up previously. It was the perfect place to rest for a couple hours... and after leaving their backpacks under the shade of a large olive tree, Ash, Pikachu and their friends got close to the fence that delimited the farmland, in order to take a good look at it.
"Well, this place does bring back memories, huh?" Brock asked, his memory once again going to the Johto journey. "It was in a farm just like this one that Ash faced his second battle with Whitney, remember?"
"Yeah... her Miltank sure was a tough one!" Ash answered, fanning himself with his hat. Tracey had already taken his drawing notebook, and was already doing a sketch of the grazing Pokemon. Yes, the place looked safe and peaceful...
Still, as he took a good look at the scenery, Brock couldn't help but think there was something off about that. He couldn't exactly put his finger on it, and it certainly wasn't something that could be noticed with a casual glance... yet, for some reason, the Pokemon breeder in training saw that the farm lacked the lively atmosphere he would have expected from such a place. The Pokemon and the common farm animals were calm, sure... but somehow, he thought they were too calm! After all, it was in the nature of pretty much all Pokemon to want for play and entertainment, and the farm dwellers didn't seem to have that drive.
Misty first took notice of her friend's pensive attitude. "Hm? Is anything the matter, Brock?" she asked him. "It kinda looks like you've seen something odd in this farm..."
"Nothing to really worry about..." Brock answered, pointing to the Miltank and Mareep closest to them. "It's just an odd thing I noticed. Have you seen just how calm these Pokemon are?"
"Yeah, we see that." Ursula answered, somewhat boredly. "So what? It's a good think they're so quiet, isn't it?"
"Not necessarily...at least, I don't think it's a good thing that Pokemon lack enthusiasm." Brock answered, trying to explain what he had considered strange about the Pokemon's behaviour. However, he was stopped by a loud voice from behind him, a voice belonging to someone who clearly wasn't that young anymore.
"Oh, I see you've noticed that too!" the newcomer exclaimed. "I've been trying to get in contact with a Pokemon Center for days now, hoping they would send a Nurse Joy to take a look at my best Miltank, but they are always too busy to take care of it! Darn it, I would like to see if they'd still be so chill if they had to sell MooMoo Milk to make a living!"
"Huh?" Ash was the first one to turn in that direction, and he saw that theone to talk was a robust, if not very tall, man in his late forties, dressed in a pair of worn-out trousers with a pair of suspenders holding them up, as well as a grass-stained shirt with a red and white squares pattern. He was also wearing a large cowboy hat, and his face, which sported a short beard, was tanned and a little scarred from years working in the fields. "Ah... good morning, sir. I guess you're the owner of this farm, right?"
"Yes, I am. And I guess you're travelling trainers." the man answered, taking a good look at each of the five. Ursula stepped back a little when the man glared at her with some severity. "Hmm... you sure look like you know your stuff. I've never seen a team as numerous as yours, though. Why all the company?"
"We aren't travelling together just to train our Pokemon." Misty answered. "Or at least, that's not our main objective. You've heard of professor Oak, I suppose."
The unknown man put a hand on his side and roared with laughter. "HAHAHAHAA! And who, pray tell, has never heard of the world's greatest Pokemon researcher? I never miss his appearences on tv! In fact, they're pretty much the only thing I watch on tv, since farmwork never leaves you much in the way of spare time! By the way, I apologize for not introducing myself... my name is Jones, and as you aleady know, I'm the owner of this cute little farm! Pleased to see ya, kids... anyway, you were saying about your journey in Johto?"
"Pleased to meet ya, Mr. Jones... my name is Ash Ketchum, and this is my best friend, Pikachu!" Ash answered with a nod, with Pikachu waving one of his hands. "Yeah, we arrived in Olivine City with Prof. Oak, and now, we're going to Ecruteak City to get to know more about some strange events that have been going on."
Ursula shrugged. "As far as I'm concerned, I'm here because I owe Ash and his pals big time, and because I'm training for my next Pokemon competition." she explained, not wanting to give away too many details. "Anyway, I'm trying to help, that's about it."
"Oh, so you're a coordinator, huh?" Jones answered, giving the girl a friendly pat on the shoulder, but still causing her to flinch slightly from the force of the blow! "I'm not a fan of those things, but competitions are becoming popular in Johto too, and I believe there will be a few events in the works!"
"Thanks for telling me, sir... I'll be keeping an eye out for those..." Ursula answered, somewhat hesitatingly. That friendly pat had almost cut her breath short for a moment... "I will try to partecipate as soon as I can find an interesting event. But... you were saying something about your Pokemon and one of your Miltanks?"
Jones nodded, growing more serious. "Yeah, that's about it, kid. My family and I work the fields and sell MooMoo Milk for a living... but recently, our best Miltank fell ill, and she can't produce milk any more. We're in trouble without her, and we'd need some rather rare Berries to cure her.
"Is that so? Maybe we can help out with that, Mr. Jones..." Brock stated. "See, I'm studying to become a Pokemon breeder, and I know a thing or two about Pokemon diseases as well. I might try to ease your Miltank's condition, so as to buy time as we look for the actual cure."
"Is that so?" Jones exclaimed, feeling quite relieved. "Well... if that's what you really want, I really won't look at a gift Rapidash in the mouth. Alright, kids, come with me. I'll take you to see my Miltank."
One by one, the young trainers followed Jones to the stables, a large and somewhat run-down building from which came the mooing of the bovine Pokemon that were housed inside of it. The farmer opened the large metal entrance door, allowing Ash and his friends inside the building to get an idea of the situation. Inside of it, a Miltank that must have once been robust and healthy, but that was now a pale shadow of what she once was, was lying on some hay, being tended to by a red-haired girl wearing her hair in a pair of long side pigtails, dressed in a manner similar to Jones'. A large and bulky Tauros was standing near the Miltank, looking her over in worry.
"Man, this Miltank has surely seen better days…" Brock stated as e tried to approach the cow-like Pokemon, who slightly raised her eyes in an hopeful expression. However, the young man was forced to stop when the Tauros got in his wayy, bellowing threateningly as if ordering him to stay away from his beloved Miltank. Brock stepped back, seeing the bull Pokemon's cruelly sharpened horns, and Pikachu hopped off of Ash's shoulder and flared his cheeks up, trying to get the large bovine to stand down.
"Stop, Pikachu!" Ash exclaimed, not wanting there to be a struggle. "We've come to help this Miltank, not to get into a fight…"
"Pikachu pika!" the electric mouse protested. Clearly, he was upset at the fact that Tauros had made an offensive move first. "Pika pika pikachu!"
Ash still tried to be diplomatic. "I know, Pikachu… I know you're just trying to defend us. But still, it wouldn't be a good idea to get in a battle with Tauros now. After all, he is just worried for Miltank, right?"
The red-haired girl who was with the Miltank approached the large bull and gently stroke him on the head to soothe him, showing great calm despite the beast's size. "It's okay, Tauros… Ash, Brock and their friends are here to help us treat Miltank! Don't be afraid of them…" she stated. Showing surprise, the bull-like Pokemon looked at the girl, then back at the team while mooing in suspicios, still not completely convinced…
"Yes, your friend is right, Tauros!" the dark-skinned older boy answered. "I can at least help your Miltank, at least until we have the right medicine to treat her. But... I need you to trust us and allow us to take a look at your Miltank, otherwise we won't be able to do much. It's just a small favor we ask of you."
The bull-like Pokemon grunted, glaring at the waiting, hopeful expressions of all of Ash's companions; even the haughty Ursula, much to the surprise of the girl herself, looked at Tauros as if pleading him to stand aside and let them get to work... and after a few seconds, Tauros relented and stepped aside, letting Brock and his friends get closer, but still watching them as if to warn them - had anything happened to his Miltank, they would answer to him.
"Don't worry, Tauros... your Miltank will be better than she's ever felt!" Tracey reassured him, while the team and Jones approached the sick Miltank and the girl tending to her.
"So, Alicia... has anything changed while I was away?" Jones asked, making it rather clear that the girl was probably his daughter. Which was confirmed a second later when Alicia answered by shaking her head.
"No, Dad... she's still the same, and I don't know what might happen unless we find the right medicine soon enough..." she answered, before taking a look at the team of trainers. "These guys... they're all Pokemon trainers, right?"
"More or less, yeah, we are." Misty answered, introducing her companions. "Ash and I are triner through and through, while Tracey is a drawer, Brock is studying to become a breeder, and Ursula is a coordinator. Anyway, yes, we've come because we wanted to help you with your Miltank."
"That's very considerate of you... unfortunately, the Berries we need for this sort of disease don't grow in many places here in Johto, and we can't exactly leave the farm. We'd end up leaving all the Pokemon and the animals to their fate." Alicia said.
"I know what you mean..." Brock said. He had just let Happiny out of her Pokeball, and now both he and Happiny were taking a good look at Miltank's conditions. Her tongue has taken on a decidedly unhealthy blue color. "Hmm... I'm afraid this Miltank's condition is rather worrying indeed. I know of this disease, it's typical of Miltanks, and it's very debilitating. It's not life-threatening, but unless treated right, it can become chronic, and leave the Pokemon contagious for the rest of her life."
Alicia put her hand in front of her mouth, while Jones grit his teeth, understanding that it was indeed a serious situation. "Darn... that means she wouldn't be able to produce any more milk, and she wouldn't be able to stay with her companions any more... to us, it would be a loss both as her trainers and as milk producers... and I reckon the cure to this disease are Oran Berries, right?"
"Exactly." Brock answered, while Happiny was checking the cow Pokemon's temperature. "Unfortunately, I have no idea where we can find any here in Johto..."
"Well, maybe there is something we can do for now." Ursula intervened, looking throw her bag and taking out a small plastic box containing a few wrapped-up Poffins. Ursula checked them and took the paper wrapping off of two of them. "These Poffins have been prepared with several kinds of wild Berries, and these two, in particular, were made with Oran Berries. They won't be a definitive solution, but it's better than nothing, right?"
The haughty Sinnoh coordinator gave the two Poffins to Alicia, whose expression had grown cautiously hopeful, and the farm girl wasted no time placing the two sweets close to Miltank's face. The cow-like Pokemon seemed to be somewhat heartened by the smell of the sweets and grabbed one in her mouth, chewing carefully before swallowing it. Only a couple minutes later, Miltank lifted her head and let out a weak mooing sound, her eyes now showing a little more vitality!
"Alright, it worked!" Ash exclaimed. "Thank you so much, Ursula. I kinda didn't expect that from you."
"Hmph. You don't know me well at all, do you?" she answered, wrinkling her nose. "I simply thought that I would be pretty upset if anything like that happened to one of my Pokemon. Let's just say, I did this to feel better about myself."
"Dawn would probably say that you aren't as mean as you like to act." Tracey answered with a smirk, causing the rich heiress to frown in annoyance.
"Ugh... do you always have to remind me of that frump?" Ursula muttered. "I can never get away from her, one way or another..."
As Miltank chewed on the other Poffin in relief, and Tauros aproached her to lick her in an affectionate way, Brock reminded everyone that it was only a temporary measure. "Well, those Oran Berry poffins certainly helped, but they won't be enough by themselves. We need to find a few more Oran Berries, or try to have a medicine sent to us as soon as possible. And frankly, the sooner we treat Miltank, the better. Both for her and for the other Pokemon here..."
"Pika pika chu!" Pikachu stepped forward and raised his ears, with his trainer piping up a moment later.
"Well, in this case, we better hurry up." Ash affirmed. "Isn't there a forest, or someplace near here, where the Oran Berries might grow? Pikachu and I will volunteer to look for them!"
"I knew they would do that... and I'll be joining him anyway!" Misty stated. "After all, six eyes are better than four, right?"
"And ten are better than six, I'd say!" Tracey said calmly, pushing the stupefied Ursula in front of himself. "So... is that okay? Brock, you and Happiny stay here and tend to Miltank, while we go looking for those Berries."
"Happy " the cute pink Pokemon, trying to give a thumbs-up before realizing to her annoyance that she didn't have thumbs! Ursula, for her part, wasn't exactly enthusiastic about this arrangement...
"Hey! Hey, hold on a sec!" the Sinnoh girl protested. "I already did my part, and I didn't even volunteer myself for... ugh, fine, I get the picture! Count me in... more or less..." This quick change of mind was brought on by taking a look at Alicia, Miltank and Tauros, which had pushed the young coordinator's right buttons. Or wrong ones, in her point of view...
"Alright... you'll have to look everyone, guys. If there are indeed Oran Berries nearby, they probably grow in places that cannot be reached easily... Mr. Jones, do you have any idea where my friend can go look for them?"
Jones scratched his cheek as he thought of an answer to that. "Hmm... I have no idea, my friends, I'm afraid you're catching me unprepared on that..." he said, before remembering something. "However, there are some woods nearby here, where almost nobody ever goes. If there are indeed Oran Berries around here, that's where they can be found."
"Alright, then that's where we're going." Ash answered. Please, Mr. Jones, tell us how to reach these woods, and we'll take care of the rest."
Jones seemed to be somewhat surprised for a moment. He didn't remember having ever met someone who was ready, almost enthusiastic, to trouble himself so much just to help a Pokemon he didn't even know. However, the surprise faded quickly, and the farmer cleared his voice to answer.
"Alright, kids. Just try to be careful, though." he said, taking a look at his daughter and his prize Miltank. "Good luck with that, Alicia and I are counting on you!"
"No problem, mister! We'll be back as soon as we can!" Tracey concluded.
oooooooooo
A few moments later...
"Well... for such small woods, they're rather intricate." Misty commented, taking a few looks around in order to find a few points to orient herself. The treetops were very thick, and the ground was littered in bushes that grew in an haphzard manner among the roots and the stones. It definitely looked rather tough to search for Oran Berries in that tangle of wild plants. "So, guys, do you have any idea where we should start looking?"
"Hmm... well, I think we should split: Ash, you and Misty should go in that direction," Tracey said, pointing to a clear-looking path that went deeper into the small forest. "while Ursula and I will take a look on the other side. We'll meet again here in a couple hours, ok?"
"Yes, that's fine by us..." Misty answered, after taking a look at Ash, Pikachu and Ursula, receiving a few affirmative nods. "Two hours, then. Good luck... and you, don't push yourself with that arm of yours, okay, Ash?"
"Yeah... we have our hands full with one sick Pokemon already..." Ursula commented.
Ash sweatdropped, trying to cover his casted arm. "Er... okay, I'll try not to! Then... Tracey, Ursula, good luck! See you later!"
"Pikachu!" Pikachu said, waving at the artist and the coordinator.
"Later, guys!" Tracey answered, before Ash, Pikachu and Misty started on their way up the path they had been shown. Ursula waved at them, then cast a knowing, somewhat malicious glance at Tracey. "Say... you sent them away together on purpouse, right?" she asked, playing with one of her spiralling pigtails.
Tracey's answer was an embarassed chuckle. "Was it that obvious?" he asked.
"Hey, it's not like it makes any difference for me." she answered. "From what I've seen of them, I'm surprised they haven't fessed up already. Now, let's get to it. The sooner we find those Berries, the sooner that Miltank heals, right?"
"Of course. Let's go then." Tracey answered, motioning for Ursula to follow him in the opposite direction than Ash and Misty. Ursula complied, not before muttering something about her precious skirt getting ripped as she untangled herself from a briar...
oooooooooo
"Ugh... you're right, Misty, this might be a small forest, but it's worse than a freaking maze!" Ash stated, slowly making his way through some bushes that had grown wildly on the sides of the path. It was rather tough to do that with a single usable arm. "Pikachu, I'm afraid I forgot something in my haste... once we've found these Berries, do you know how we can get back to the point we started at to meet with Tracey and Ursula?"
"Pikachu, pika pi " Pikachu answered with a nod, causing Ash to chuckle to himself at the pointless question he had asked...
"Yeah, I kinda forgot that you Pokemon have better senses than us humans..." he stated. "Alright, one less thing to worry about. Let's see if we can find a patch of Oran Berries..."
"Darn, I'm afraid we should have gotten a better description..." Misty sighed in slight frustration. "I've never been to Sinnoh or Hoenn... I have no idea what this kind of Berry is like."
"Well... you just look for a berry similar to a miniature orange, but blue in color, and you're golden!" Ash explained. "Though, this place is dark enough that I'm afraid it won't be easy to see."
"Okay." Misty answered. "I'm afraid I don't see a single shade of blue around here, though..."
"Pika pikachu..." Pikachu murmured, hoping Tracey and Ursula were going to have better luck. He and Ash kept looking, and for several minutes, the trio continued on their way along the muddy path, their eyes peeled and on the lookout for anything resembling an Oran Berry. Silence had fallen among them... at least, until Misty heard Ash sigh and then chuckle in amusement, as if he had just heard a funny joke! With a mixture of curiosity and annoyance - what was Ash thinking, laughing like an idiot in such an inappropriate moment? - the redhead turned to him for an explanation.
"Well? What's the matter, Ash, are you laughing to yourself?" she asked, causing him to turn.
"Oh! Sorry, Misty, I didn't mean to look weird to you..." Ash answered after clearing his voice. He was somewhat surprised when he saw Misty smile cunningly...
"Now you worry about that, Ash? I've known you were an odd guy ever since I fished you out of that river!" she answered.
Ash laughed out loud at that. "Okay, you got me there! Heheee..." he said, as he, Pikachu and Misty laughed a little about that. "Anyway... I was thinking that, in the end, things haven't really changed that much: we travel through the regions, find someone in need of help, and set out to help him or her! It's been that way even when I was travelling with May and Dawn. I guess it's a part of our lives we've gotten used to, right, Pikachu?"
"Pika!" the yellow mouse nodded in assent.
Ash smiled and continued. "See what I mean, Misty? Every day we meet someone new, so every day is an exciting adventure for us. What sort of person will we meet today? What sort of experience will we go through? What new and exciting thing will show up today? I guess that's another reason why I love travelling... sure it's to train my Pokemon and become more and more skilled along with them, so we will be able to reach for our dreams. But still... heh, sorry, Misty! I guess I went off on a tangent, huh?"
Misty couldn't hide a little surprise as she listened to her best friend. She was not used to him being thoughtful about certain things, and she had to admit, those two years in which she hadn't seen him had done quite a bit for his maturity. Plus, that spiel about meeting new people and seeing new places was something she could definitely get behind. "You know, Ash, I can understand what you mean." she continued. "And don't worry about going on a tangent, I understand what you're saying."
"Pikachu pi?" Pikachu asked.
Misty gently scratched the electric mouse behind one ear. "You know, Pikachu... I did start to follow Ash because I wanted him to pay for the bike he had wrecked. But it was also because it was a great occasion to train my Water Pokemon and get my chance at becoming the best Water-type trainer ever! And I didn't have much of a chance for that in Cerulean City. I have to admit, I'm grateful to my sisters for giving me this chance to continue travelling with you."
"Pikachu pi, pika pika chu!" Pikachu nodded happily. Ash smiled at that himself, before Misty turned her eyes to a nearby hilltop... and widened them in surprise!
"Hey, Ash! Look there, isn't that...?" the redhead asked. Ash and Pikachu turned in the direction of the small hill, and the plant that was growing on top of it: a short bush with wide leaves, upon which several bright blue berries could be seen!
"Hold on a sec... yes, I think we found them, Misty!" the young aspirant Pokemon Master answered. His hopes were confirmed when Pikachu turned to the berries as well, emitting a victorious squeak!
"Pikachu!" he exclaimed, but his enthusiasm was put a damper on when he realized that the small hill upon which the Oran berries had grown was, in fact, a veritable tangle of briars, thorns and nettles, and it would have been hard to climb to the top of it without hurting oneself. "Pikachu pika, pika pi?"
"Don't worry, Pikachu... I think I have the right Pokemon for the job! Gliscor, I choose you!" the young boy exclaimed. A Pokeball popped open, and the flying bat/scorpion hybrid Ash had met in Sinnoh burst out of it with a victorious screech, before hugging Ash's face!
"GLISCORRRR!" the quirky Ground/Flying type exclaimed, wagging his barbed tail like some sort of affectionate puppy! Misty shivered a little as a small sweatdrop poured down the back of her head. It wasn't a Bug-type Pokemon, but it was too close to it for her tastes...
Ash tried to murmur something, but it was kind of hard to do so when the overaffectionate Pokemon was right in his face! Only when Gliscor finally let go, was Ash able to catch his breath and say what he needed to! "Phew... wow... I'm glad to see you too, Gliscor! But... well, before we continue, you wouldn't mind lending us a hand, right?"
"Gliscor!" the happy-go-lucky Pokemon answered, clapping his claws energetically.
"Thank you very much, Gliscor!" Ash answered, petting the odd flying arthropod. "See that Oran Berry plant up there?"
He had barely finished asking the question, before Gliscor had grinned in assent and had taken flight towards the thorn-covered hilltop, using the speed his species was known for. Unaffected by the noxious plants surrounded the height, Gliscor reached the Oran Berry bush and used his claws to cut off a pair of branches filled with the Berries he and his trainer needed. Then, just as quickly, he descended and presented the berries to Ash, who sweatdropped in surprise!
"Wow!" Misty affirmed, impressed by Gliscor's speed and efficiency. "Your Gliscor is not one who gets things told him twice, is he?"
"Well... he's always been this way, ever since I knew him. Thanks, Gliscor, you did an excellent job!" Ash answered, receiving the Berries from his Pokemon... who answered by somersaulting in the air and hugging Ash's face in joy once again!
"GLISCORRRRR!"
oooooooooo
"So that's why you decided to become a Pokemon coordinator." Tracey was saying to Ursula, as the two were walking along a narrow path along with Tracey's Venomoth, taking care to avoid any thorny bush and natural obstacle on the way. The two had started some conversation, even just for the fact that staying in silence would have been awkward. Talking a little while they searched for the Berries would surely help create a more relaxed atmosphere.
Ursula nodded. "Yes... Mom was quite the coordinator back in the day, and my parents have always supported me in my objective. I don't wanna disappoint them, that's why I took part in this year's Grand Festival. I was hoping I would win... instead, I had to settle for a mere quarter finals!" she answered, growing more bitter at the end.
Tracey looked a little perplexed. "Why do you say, a 'mere' quarter finals? I don't think it's a placement to be ashamed of at all."
"Well, I'm the kind of person who will not settle for a second place!" Ursula answered. "And I couldn't stand losing to Dee-Dee... until our last confrontation in the Grand Festival, I've always seen her as a petulant brat with more luck than skill. Now, I will admit that she isn't bad at all... but I haven't given up on defeating her yet! I will show my parents, and everyone else, that I am the better coordinator!"
Tracey stood in silence for a moment, getting the impression that Ursula wanted, more than everything else, to prove her own skills to herself. "Well... I think your parents will still be prou of what you've managed to accomplish. To get to the Grand Festival during your first year of travelling and training... that's no mean feat at all."
"That's easy for you to say!" Ursula grumbled, folding her arms as she closed her eyes with a funny annoyed expression on her face and an anime vein on her forehead. "I'd like to see you in my... KYAH!"
"Veno?" an alarmed Venomoth exclaimed right as Ursula seemed to sink in the ground!
Tracey stopped himself just in time when Ursula tripped on something she hadn't seen and tumbled down a small slope, smearing mud and grass all over her dress, and inelegantly hitting her rear end on the muddy terrain! The girl held back an angered profanity and sat up, somehow trying to tidy her dress, and only managing to do worse!
"AAAAAAUGH! WHAT THE HECK IS THIS? What is this stupid muddy slope doing in such a place? My beautiful dress is ruined! I'm an indecent mess! WHAT HAVE I DONE TO DESERVE THIS?"
"Hey, Ursula!" Tracey called for her, looking down from his position. "Are you okay? You didn't get hurt, did you?"
The vein on Ursula's head grew larger, and the girl sat there for a moment, seething in comical rage, before a red flame burst around her! "GRRRRRRR... YOU ARE ASKING ME IF I'M OKAY *NOW*?" she yelled at the top of her lungs. "This was my best dress I had on! I'm covered in mud, my butt is bruised, and my hair has gone to the dogs! HOW COULD I BE OKAY? AAAAAAAARGH!"
"Venomoth..." the giant moth commented with a sigh. Yeah, she was okay, all things considered.
"I agree, Venomoth. The only thing that got hurt was her pride!" Tracey joked, before descending down the slope to help Ursula up. "Well, look on the bright side, Ursula... you didn't get hurt, did you?"
"Ugh... yeah, for all the good it does..." the girl grumbled, standing up by herself. "Fine, hold on as I try to look at least half-decent... hm? What's that?"
"Look, Ursula, isn't that..." Tracey asked. Both of them had noticed a bush only a few paces away from the place Ursula had landed in... and as luck would have it, it was filled with strange blue berries about the size of a man's fingernail! Ursula wasn't sure whether she should be relieved for having found them, or embarassed for the way she had found them... "Of course! Those are Oran Berries, right, Venomoth?"
The giant moth gently landed on the bush and sniffed the berries... then plucked one into her mouth and swallowed with a satisfied smile! "Venomoth!" she confirmed.
"Alright! We got them sooner than I thought!" Tracey exclaimed in satisfaction. "See, Ursula? There's a silver lining to any cloud!"
"I'm relieved to hear that..." Ursula muttered sarcastically as she glared at the mud and grass smeared all over her dress...
oooooooooo
"Well... what can we say, kids, you were a huge help!" Jones affirmed as Brock and Happiny carefully fed Miltank one Oran Berry at the time, and the cow-like Pokemon scooped them up with her tongue. The effects were fast, and the Pokemon would soon recover completely.
"It was a pleasure for us." Brock said, nodding to Chansey's pre-evolved form, who answered with a wink and looked to Ash, Misty, Pikachu and Tracey. Ursula and Alicia were not present, as the farmer's daughter had insisted to lend Ursula a change of clothes. "In fact, I'm glad that Happiny and I could help. As a future Pokemon breeder, it was my duty as well."
"Happy!" Happiny answered, pointing to Miltank. The Normal-type Pokemon was getting back on her feet, with her Tauros licking her in an affectionate manner. Then, the bull-like Pokemon turned to Brock and lowered his head, both in thanks, and in apology for his previous aggressive behaviour.
"You have nothing to feel sorry for, Tauros." Brock answered, gently scratching Tauros' head. "You were worried for Miltank and wanted to protect her. It's alright now."
Jones sighed in relief as he checked his prize Miltank. "Anyway, kids, I don't know how I can thank you! I hope you'll allow me to thank you somehow..." he answered.
"Well, we aren't asking for much at all." Misty answered, smiling in satisfaction as she exchanged a knowing glance with Tracey. "Getting Ursula some spare clothes was more than enough!"
"No! I won't be caught dead wearing these things!"
"C'mon, Ursula, don't make things harder than they are! You know you look awesome like this!"
"You're joking, right? I'd rather dress up as a Snorlax!"
"You can't bail out now, girl! C'mon, show yourself to your friends!"
The door to the stables opened... and Ursula staggered inside, thanks to Alicia giving her a friendly shove and revealing her new outfit!
Ash and Pikachu stood there in surprise: they were used to seeing Ursula in elaborate, high-class dresses, and even her swimsuits were like that, as they had seen on the boat to Johto. But now, she was wearing a worn-out, short-sleeved yellow shirt and a pair of dirty jeans held by a pair of suspenders, as well as a pair of heavy brown workshoes! Even the spiralling pigtails Ursula was so proud of were gone, and now the girl's hair was loose on her back, reaching her mid-back. To top it off, or rather to mercy kill Ursula's already dying pride, a large straw hat was placed on Ursula's head!
"Here she is, guys! Your friend is as good as new!" Alicia cheerfully said. "So, how's she looking?"
As a beet-red Ursula raised her glance, she heard a few guffaws coming from her travelling partners... but their efforts to hold themselves failed, and they all burst into a roaring round of laughter, to the point where they had to hold themselves not to begin rolling on the floor! A comical aura of rage surrounded Ursula's body, and the girl balled her hands into fists, growling a simple sentence.
"Not. One. Word."
Ash managed to hold his laughter and breathe normally again, and patted Pikachu on the back as the Electric-type Pokemon composed himself. "Heheheee... alright, alright!" he wheezed. "I won't... comment on that..."
"Hehehee... c'mon, girl, you're looking great!" Jones reassured her, to which Ursula gave up and and stepped forward. "Anyway... I really hope you'll stop for the night! After all, it's getting quite chilly nowadays at night, ever since the weather has started to go crazy and the Pokemon have started migrating."
"Pika?" Pikachu asked, glancing at his trainer as he remembered the large mass of Flying-type Pokemon they had seen before- "Pika pi, pikachu pika pika pika?"
Ash nodded, getting more serious as he looked back to his best friend. "Yes, Pikachu... I'm convinced that flock we saw earlier on was connected to it... By the way, Mr. Jones..." the boy asked, after taking a good look at his companions and seeing that they all had the same question in mind. "Did you happen to see a flock of Flying type Pokemon passing through here? And where were they going?"
The farmer and his daughter stood in silence for a moment, then Jones nodded and looked out of the window, towards the darkening sky. "Well... yeah, I did see where those fliers were going." he answered. "They were all headed towards Ecruteak Town, north-east of here."
"Ecruteak City, huh?" Misty repeated. "I kinda expected that..."
oooooooooo
TO BE CONTINUED...
Author's note: Well, I guess it was about time I updated this, and I hope this chapter was good enough! As you can see, it's inspired by the Miltank side quest in HeartGold / SoulSilver... and it was another chance to pull Ursula's leg a little! Don't worry, fellow Ursula fans, our favorite haughty coordinator will get her moment of glory too!
I don't think there is much I should say, other than... I hope to be able to update soon! See you soon, everyone... and please review!