~That was a nice nap!~ Nala yawned as she and the others began to wake up, a more docile Jigglypuff sitting nearby.

~Glad you enjoyed yourselves,~ the Pokémon smiled brightly.

"It was really nice of you," Alex spoke as she stretched herself. "Hey, would you like to join our team?"

~I'd love to, but I'm not much of a battler,~ the balloon Pokémon admitted nervously.

"It's okay, you don't have to fight. You really like helping people and Pokémon calm down with your song. You can stay home to help my mom out or even the professor. I'm sure they'd love someone like you helping them."

~Are you sure?~

"Yeah, just because you join doesn't mean you have to fight."

~I'd be honored then.~

"Welcome to the team, Max," the girl smiled as she tossed a pokéball, catching him, watching as it disappeared into data particles.

~What happened to his pokéball?~ Ken asked, not expecting that to happen.

"There's a device that's inside pokéballs that allow extras be sent to a computer system. Before I left, my mom let me set it up so they can be sent home onto hers"

~But why though?~ Hana asked as she flitted down to sit.

"It's a law that was made to ensure trainers battle fairly with each other. The only trainers allowed to have more than six are often due to a profession like police and doctors. The extra Pokémon would be sent home or a ranch, however, it's set up."

~What happens with the extras though? Are they stuck in the pokéballs?~

"I doubt it, my mom will likely let him wander the house and yard like most of her other Pokémon. I probably should call her later to let her know about him."

~What if something happens and you needed him? How would you get to your house to get him?~

"I can call my mom to send him to me, I don't have to go all the way back home to get Max or anyone else we get," Alex giggled. "And if by chance they're on the PC, I can check my account to know whether I can withdraw them out or not."

~But if you can only have six though…~

"One of you would have to be swapped, but I wouldn't pick someone without talking with you guys first."

~He said he wasn't really a battler though. How would you make it work with him?~ Ansen asked, a little annoyed that they caught essentially a pacifist.

"If he's really adamant about not battling, I won't force him. There are plenty of jobs out there that could work for him he'd be happy with. But if he's willing to try, we'll help train him up," Alex explained.

~He's lucky to have you, as a trainer. All of us are,~ Nala beamed.

"Thank you."

~Alex, could I talk to you?~ Ansen requested, flying over away from the others.

"Okay? We'll be back," she said, following him.

~I thought we had an agreement about what to catch?~

"I haven't forgotten. Max came up to us asking if we wanted to listen to one of his songs and we agreed. I asked since he approached us so nicely."

~Fine, just make sure you don't forget,~ he said, flying off to train.

"First a stubborn Pidgey, now a demanding Pidgeotto," Alex laughed quietly to herself as she returned to the others. "Okay, when we're ready, we'll keep training."

~Okay!~ they cheered excitedly.

Once everyone was ready, they resumed training, Nala watching how everyone fought, amazed how fast and strong they were.

The routine they made went on for several days, going into a week before the fish started to get the idea, mimicking or trying to mimic some moves on her own.

Believing she may have gotten it down, she took notice of a Spearow landing nearby, an idea crossing her mind as she swam over to it.

~Excuse me?~

~Yeah?~

~Could we battle? I'd like to try and fight, is that okay?~

~You're not going to have your trainer catch me, are you?~ the bird asked, taking notice of the girl.

~Oh no, we already got a friend. Were you interested?~

~Naw, I like living in the wild.~

~That's okay,~ Nala giggled, ~so is it okay if we battle?~

~Sure, why not,~ the bird shrugged.

~Thank you very much, let me get my trainer really quick… Alex!~ the fish called, grabbing her trainer's attention as did others. ~I asked this nice Spearow if we could battle and he said yes.~

"That's really nice of you," the trainer smiled before turning her attention to her Pokémon. "So you think you have an idea how to battle?"

~I think so.~

"Alright then."

With that, they started the fight, Alex guiding her Pokémon, watching as the two sparred, noticing how Nala managed to mimic Tackle the others are able to do.

"You're doing great!"

After a bit more of fighting, they finished, the bird forfeiting, saying it was fun before flying off, the others saying their farewell.

~I'm getting stronger!~ Nala squealed happily, leaping out of the water in joy.

~You really are, you should be proud of yourself,~ Ken laughed.

~Least we know you're not a mistake,~ Ansen clucked softly, the others shooting him a look. ~What? At least the kid's pulling her weight.~

~Of course she isn't a mistake, what would've been is Alex not buying her," Sienna scolded with a huff, crossing her arms.

As the two began to argue, Alex attempting to break it up, Nala noticed a Pidgey, her eagerness to prove herself, she swam after it when it was close enough.

"Nala?"

~I wanna battle that Pidgey, is that okay?~

"Sure, just be careful okay? Not all Pokémon are friendly like that Spearow."

~I'll be careful.~

~Tch… This is where I find it troublesome for bred like Nala, they rather treat battles like a game than taking it more seriously.~

~Oh and what does that make me?~

~You actually know the risks.~

~I didn't know how dangerous things could be until Lance nearly died. No one's perfect, and it's okay to have fun battling,~ Sienna snapped, getting fed up.

~You almost sound jealous, Ansen,~ Hana lightly teased, seeing the feathers bristle.

~Why would I be jealous?~ he huffed angrily.

He was about to say something before a shrill scream rang through the air followed by an electrical discharge.

"Nala!" Alex shouted.

They ran to where they heard the scream, finding Nala had gone further downstream. Ken was also missing…

Seeing smoke, they followed it, everyone hoping nothing serious had happened.

Arriving at the scene, they stared in horror at what appeared to be the remains of a Pidgey, yet it was almost unrecognizable. The feathers were singed and burning, the visible flesh charred, the entire body itself completely still.

Managing to find the electric mouse huddled almost in a ball; they spotted Nala crying behind a rock as Alex hopped in to comfort her.

~Wh…what happened?~ the fire type asked as she placed a wary claw on the rodent.

~He…he wouldn't stop attacking Nala, even when she asked him. I told him to stop, but he turned his attention to me. He was nice when she asked for a battle, but changed so quickly…~ Ken cried, tears falling as he shook, glancing at the body. ~I think I'm going to be sick…~

~It's okay, just take deep breaths,~ Sienna comforted, gently petting the fur. ~You didn't do anything wrong. You were protecting Nala.~

~But I killed that Pidgey…~

~I know, I know… I've had to kill some Pokémon too. So have Ansen and Lance. It happens. We don't like it, but it happens.~

Sniffling, he let himself be picked up while Alex continued to calm the frightened fish down some more before asking if she wanted to be in her ball for a bit to rest.

Second, she agreed, the trainer had her back inside, clipping the ball to her belt, giving the others a concerned look.

"Let's get to the Pokémon Center to have Nala's injuries looked at. You too, Ken," she spoke gently as she climbed out of the water.

~A-Alex? Are you mad at me?~

"No, I could never be mad at you. It was out of your control. I'm just relieved to know you and Nala are safe," she comforted as she took the mouse into her arms, stroking his fur. "I should be the one to apologize. I should've kept a better eye on you two, Nala especially."

Almost expecting some comment from the Ansen, he surprisingly enough kept his beak shut, flying overhead to ensure they didn't get any surprise attacks.

The rest of the walk was silent, arriving at the Pokémon Center, the nurse taking notice right away that their cheerful mood was gone.

"What happened?"

"We…we had a bad fight against a Pidgey. It tried to kill Nala I think. But Ken…he used a Thunder Shock that was a bit too strong…"

"Oh, it's the first time he killed, isn't it?"

"Yes…"

"Poor thing, I'll take him and Nala along with anyone else for treatment."

"Thank you," she whispered. She unclipped Nala's ball, handing it to the nurse after passing Ken and his ball to her.

Finding a bench, she slumped in it, drawing her knees up as her Pokémon sat nearby, Lance hopping up next to her to try and rest his head on her lap.

The gentleman who had been staying at the Pokémon Center, the same one who had been complaining about Team Rocket noticed her depressed state.

Getting up from where he had been sitting previously, he walked over to her, "Do you mind if I take a seat, Miss?"

"It's fine," she answered, moving over a bit.

This gave her Nidorino the chance to flop his head on her lap before she could curl back up again.

Seeing she couldn't do that, she opted to scratch behind his ear, knowing how much he likes it, somehow having a calming effect not only on him but her too.

"I overheard what you and Nurse Joy said about your Pikachu. Are you worried about how his state of mind maybe?"

"Yeah, I mean, it's not the first time one of my Pokémon killed to protect me or each other, but it was a first for him. My Magikarp never saw anyone die either, she was hiding when he killed that Pidgey."

"It never is easy for a trainer or their Pokémon to take another's life. Doesn't matter if it's wild or trained if they deserved to die or not. Simply thinking about it is hard enough."

"Did you have a Pokémon who had to kill?"

"Many years ago. Ironically a Pikachu as well. She was extremely loyal, having raised her since she was young. I remember the first time she inadvertently killed a Pokémon, how scared she looked. I held her as tight as I could, telling her it was alright despite how I hard I was crying," the man explained with a sad smile. "Somehow we worked through it and became even closer than ever, knowing we had each other."

"What happened to her?"

"It had been a foolish stunt I had done as a lad. I thought we could handle fighting a Gyarados being that they're part water and part flying. But it proved to be far stronger than I anticipated. I didn't have any other Pokémon that could fight it except Pikachu. She stood her ground, refusing to let me get hurt. She gave her life to save mine just as I was beginning to believe we'd both die."

"I…I'm really sorry about your Pikachu, but at least she's in a better place. She'll be watching over you at least."

"I like to believe that as well."

"Thank you for talking to me, it means a lot," Alex thanked as she got up when hearing her name called, her Pokémon hopping down. "I'm Alex by the way."

Holding her hand out to the man, he accepted it, the two shaking with smiles, the younger trainer looking much better.

"It was a pleasure talking with you, Miss Alex," he smiled, "my name is Nathan. Also, while I can tell you're traveling if you ever need someone to talk to and you happen to be in the area, just come visit. I'm here quite often as you may have noticed."

"I have, and thank you, I'll keep it in mind," she answered as she left to fetch her Pokémon from the nurse.

Taking them back, she decided to retire early to her room. When she walked in, she was happy to see a water-filled tank was set up as she requested.

Calling everyone out so they could relax, putting Nala in the tank, the trainer flopped on the bed, gazing at the ceiling.

Feeling a familiar weight crawl on her stomach, she put a gentle hand on soft fur, feeling the body trembling lightly.

"Hey Ken, how you doing?" she asked softly, slowly sitting up to get a better look at him.

~I'm doing a little better,~ he answered softly as he turned to Sienna. ~I thought about what you said and you're right. I didn't like it, but there wasn't really a choice, was there? It was either the Pidgey or Nala, and Nala's my friend, so of course, I'd choose her.~

~I always hope we don't have to kill someone, but if I have to I will if it means protecting my friends,~ Lance added.

"Same, there have been times I've even thrown myself in danger," Alex said, seeing some of her Pokémon stare at her in surprise.

~You put yourself in danger? Why?~

"I don't know really, but I did. I was willing to let myself get hurt to keep Sienna safe, Lance even. And I would do the same for everyone else."

~She's also crazy enough to try tackling a Pokémon,~ Ansen chimed in.

"That was just with you and you were attacking me anyway!" the trainer pouted.

The other Pokémon started laughing hearing this, Sienna confirming it much to her trainer's embarrassment.

~Alex?~ the Pikachu started, drawing her attention.

"Yeah, Ken?" she asked, picking up so they could look at each other.

~I know I freaked out earlier, but I do want to continue traveling with everyone. I still want to continue battling all sorts of Pokémon if I can. That is if that's okay…~

"Of course it's okay. I know it was really terrifying, but so long as we're together, we can help each other not just with battles, but any problems we have," Alex reassured, hugging her Pokémon, feeling his small paws hug her back.

~I promise I'll be more careful from now on,~ Nala added timidly. ~I just got so excited that I could actually fight.~

"And I'll do a better job keeping an eye on all of you," the trainer smiled.

Alex suddenly lets out a startled yelp when her other Pokémon save for Nala and Ansen all tackled her in bed. They nuzzled and licked her, causing her to break out laughing, Ken managing to avoid getting crushed as he let loose gentle jolts to show his joy.

Feeling more confident, feeling her team was more confident, she decided that would head out tomorrow and try to get through Mt. Moon as much as possible.

They may end up camping a night or two in there, but they would at least be a step closer to Cerulean City, a step closer to their next badge.


Alex - Pokémon 7 - Badges 1 - Deaths 0

Team:

Sienna - Charmander - Charmeleon

Ansen - Pidgey - Pidgeotto

Lance - Nidoran M. - Nidorino

Hana - Caterpie - Metapod - Butterfree

Ken - Pikachu

Nala - Magikarp


Home:

Maxwell - Jigglypuff


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