Previously on Nature Does Not Knock: Under the cover of darkness, Ash slipped from his home of ten years, out the back door and off to adventure.

Chapter 2: The Demon Drill

Daylight struck a pair of eyes as ten year old Ash Ketchum awoke from under a tree along the open fields of Route 1. His hand came up to block the sun, but the deed was already done. Blinking away the lingering sleep, Ash crawled out of his sleeping bag and stretched awake with a groan. Unused to sleeping outside, his body ached with a pain that often accompanies the uninitiated camper. Feeling oddly hungry, he reached into his bag, grabbed an apple, and brought the rat to his face. Wait...

Ash blinked nonsensically as he stared at the Rattata held in his hand. His tired brain caught up to the situation, and he dropped the Pokémon with a yelp. True to form, there at his feet sat a pack of Rattata rooting through his stuff. One wore a pair of his underwear on its head, while another two fought over a small block of cheese. The dropped rat shook its head and hissed at the boy, who instinctively grabbed his pack and shook it at them, sending them running.

Collecting his scattered items, Ash swiped the fallen cheese from the ground. With a frown set upon his face, he laid back against his tree, and said to himself, "Well, this day started out with a bang." After eating the ruined cheese and an apple from his bag, he smacked both of his cheeks for a jolt, and stood up from his camping spot.

Ash spoke up, shouting to nobody in particular, "Okay! Time to catch myself a Pokémon!" He slung his backpack onto his shoulders, and set to skulk through the fields. It wasn't long until he spotted a Pidgey out for its morning hunt. He almost jumped right to catching it, before remembering that Pokémon had to be battled first. Ash frowned to himself, and idled over his problem. The Pidgey had long flown off, with another having taken its place, before Ash decided on how to make his approach. "I've got an idea!"

The idea, which consisted of trapping the bird in his pajamas, inevitably failed. After being blown back by a particularly rough Gust attack, Ash stood up and shook his pockets free of the Pidgey's sand. He was all too glad that nobody he knew from Pallet was around to see his poor showing. Spotting another group of Pidgey, he ran forward to confront them blindly, only for the birds to fly off.

Ash's shoulders slumped, thoroughly discouraged. He didn't think that it would be this impossible. He had always assumed that wild Pokémon would at least stick around long enough to be captured, but these Pokémon just acted like he was a nuisance that would eventually go away if ignored long enough.

Compelled now by a need to prove to himself that he can do this, he grabbed a rock. He prepared himself for a fight, ready to throw at the first sign of movement. Somewhere in the back of his mind, Ash remembered that flying types are weak against rock moves, so he therefore considered this plan a good idea.

Away in the distance, another tiny bird sat eating. This Pokémon was NOT a Pidgey. Unfortunately for Ash, he didn't get close enough to find that out. His eyes locked on the Pokémon. He tossed and caught the rock in a small show of dexterity as he got ready to take the Pidgey down. "I'll get you this time."

The rock soared high into the air, far from the fist from which it was thrown. It curved in a perfect arc to land square on the Pokémon's head, causing a large bump to form. Ash let out a whoop of excitement at his successful throw, catching the attention of the now disturbed bird.

Ash realized his mistake only too late, and was only able to identify the Pokémon because of the furious call of "Spearow!" made as he flew directly at Ash's head. Unlike Pidgey, Spearow were not known for running away from confrontations.

Ash narrowly dodged the Spearow as he made a desperate dive to safety, landing on top of his bag. He hurried to his feet, bringing said bag up as a makeshift shield. Spearow arced gracefully through the sky to bring himself around for another attack at the fool who dared ambush him. Ash knew that, like his battles with the Pidgey, he would have to finish this fight himself. He set himself in a batting stance, backpack ready to swing.

"Come and get it, Spearow!" he yelled to the skies, a determined scowl set on his face.

The Spearow, having realized that the boy was attempting to fight back, flapped his wings to push himself away from the swing in time. He curved upwards, wind coating his form as he shot into the sky. Ash watched as the flying type looped back in his direction and braced to intercept the attack.

At the last moment however, the Spearow disappeared in a flash of speed and rammed into Ash's back with enough momentum to send him tumbling head first into the ground. A more experienced trainer would have recognized the move as an Aerial Ace, but all that Ash realized was that this Pokémon could hurt. "I can't take one of those again," Ash said to himself, while rubbing his soon-to-be bruised back.

Getting back to his feet, weapon at the ready, he prepared himself to face the wild. Spearow, sensing a round two, flew around again to hover directly in front of Ash. Again he began his deadly offensive, beak striking out furiously at the human in a flurry of blows. Ash blocked as best as he could with his bag, and reached out with his other hand to grasp recklessly at his foe. The exchange was short but costly. Through some miracle of luck, Ash managed to close his flailing hand around his opponent.

If Ash had one advantage here, it was his size. Before either fighter quite realized what had happened, Ash had brought the Spearow down to the ground, and pinned him under his knee. The tiny bird struggled valiantly for freedom, but despite his efforts, the boy's weight was too great for him to maneuver out of.

"I've got you now!" Ash said to the downed Pokémon. Victorious, he swung his pack onto his back and reached to his belt to finish the capture.

The Spearow, not one to be defeated, let out a great cry and lit up in a powerful light. It was then that Ash witnessed his first evolution. It couldn't have come at a more inopportune time. Ash both felt and watched as the bird's body shifted under him. The flying type's wings, where before they were built for quickly dashing short distances, became long and powerful, designed more with stamina in mind. The rock-induced bump on his head became covered by a red comb-shaped crest. His neck stretched out, giving him a much greater range of attack. Finally, and perhaps mostly importantly, the bird's beak grew three sizes that day. The scrappy Spearow had become the mighty Fearow, and Ash was sitting on top of him.

Fearow's form bucked from underneath Ash and, as unprepared as he was, even all of his weight couldn't prevent him from being sent flying off. The great bird stretched his new frame, and slowly turned towards the now much smaller prey. With a tremendous caw, the Beak Pokémon swooped in far too fast for Ash to maneuver away from. In a sharp burst of pain, Fearow's drill bit into Ash, and his vision faded away.

Ash awoke for the second time that morning, this time to small pecks along his legs. Half asleep, he kicked out his right leg, prompting the bird nipping there to let out a squawk. A retaliatory snap on his eyelid woke him fully. He sat up abruptly, sending the baby Spearow scurrying. After reassuring himself that he still had his pack and hat, he rose to his feet.

"Where am I?" Ash wondered aloud. Glancing around, he found himself in a tall tree, surrounded by Spearow. A few of the smaller ones circled him in curiosity, while the larger ones slept higher up in the tree's branches. The tree in question was so thick, Ash couldn't see the ground from where he stood, with branches solid enough to hold his form.

He started looking around to find a path safely down before the babies started to attack him again, or worse, that Fearow returned to finish him off. Time was something he didn't have, as one of the Spearow, unnoticed before now, cawed angrily at him from another branch that hung near his head. It was at this point that Ash realized he was beginning to draw attention to himself, as several pairs of eyes were drawn in his direction. Ash flinched backwards, overwhelmed as he was by the situation he placed himself into. If he didn't act fast, he'd end up bird food!

That's when Ash spotted it. Less than a meter from where he lay, a lone branch hung from an offshoot of the tree, broken off by the previous night's storm. Rising to his feet, Ash, mindful of his footing, carefully rushed to free the branch from its capture, so that he may escape from his. Wielding it like a club, he swung his weapon at the approaching Spearow to ward them off.

As unused to the unwieldy weight of it he was, his swing was clumsy, and the Spearow lazily flew around it. One in particular took advantage of his sluggishness, and dove at him, beak lighting up for a Peck attack. The boy did his best to avoid the attack, but his inelegant dodge caused his foot to slide off to the branch's left. Ash managed to keep his grip on the tree, but not the stick, and it tumble out of sight to be caught on some unseen limb down below.

"Uh oh!" Looking up into the eyes of the Spearow above him, he foolishly asked, "A little help?" In response, the bird began pecking his arms, nearly forcing him to plummet. He couldn't hold back his yelp of pain, but his grip on the tree held strong. "Ow! Quit it!" The Spearow ceased its attack, letting Ash struggle up the branch. He never noticed the hush that fell upon the entire flock.

Ash ignored the shot of back pain from the Fearow's earlier attack as he climbed to his feet and leered at his attackers. "What's the big idea? You better let me go, or else I'll-"

The Spearow never learned what Ash planned on doing to them. Truthfully, they weren't even listening. All eyes were keenly focused on a spot far below him. Ash barely heard the snap of a branch before a new player emerged. Two purple Ekans and a menacingly large Arbok lunged past Ash's head, jaws attempting to snatch a snack out of the sky.

The next few minutes of Ash's life flew by in a blur of danger, as chaos erupted within the tree around him. The Spearow flew around his head in a flurry, fighting for their life not to be caught in the maws of their snake adversaries. Ash watched a sharp set of fangs clamp down on the back of a particularly slow bird. The snake immediately wrapped around its prize to feed.

Ash was thrown by this new terror before him. Pokémon battles were one thing, but this horrifying ambush was far from his view of how this world worked. It wasn't until much later that Ash realized that this was only to be his first look into the brutality that life had to offer.

It occurred to him then that with the Ekans and Spearow distracting one another, his escape back to Route 1 was all but guaranteed. He moved to do so, but caught a sight that filled him with dread. One of the Ekans, taking advantage of the chaos his brethren were causing, was slithering towards an unprotected nest of what could only be Spearow eggs.

"Leave them alone!" Without thinking of his actions, Ash scuttled up the tree branches towards the reptile, pulling the strap of his bag off of his shoulder and into his hands. No matter what, he couldn't let Ekans get away with killing these babies. Truth be told, Ash always had a soft spot for the eggs the Professor kept, and the potential each one held within. The egg thief, noticing the human who would dare stop its hunt, coiled itself into a spiral, and faced him directly. It let out a hiss of warning. Ash, despite being intimidated, stood firm. This was something he could prevent.

With a mighty swing, his backpack collided with the head of the Ekans, stunning it. This gave Ash enough time for a second swing, which sent the Ekans sliding off of the arm of the tree, tumbling through the air and out of sight. With his opponent defeated and the eggs safe, it was time to get out of there.

He took a single step towards the trunk and his best bet down. In that moment, one of the predators stopped short mid chase. Ash watched in dread as the Arbok's eyes trailed down to rest on him. Its slow slither forward unnerved Ash in a way he had never felt before. Ash glanced down at the captivating patterns upon its belly, and knew that they spelled danger. Surely, that forked tongue could taste his fear. All that Ash knew was that, as long as Arbok had eyes only for him, he was in serious danger. There was no goal but to escape.

He backed up a step, again forgetting about the importance of the branch below him. The Arbok slipped out of sight as Ash fell. For the second time that day, his grip on the tree became his only saving grace.

So silent was its movement, Ash didn't see or hear his pursuer until it sat above him on the branch. Its black eyes locked on Ash's flailing frame, legs dangling. Opening its mouth, it ejected a wave of air, causing an eerie hiss to ring harshly in Ash's ears. Knowing that he couldn't stay there hanging, Ash took a blind leap of faith, and released his grip.

From his side erupted a harsh burst of pain, his body having spun slightly in midair. From his spot face down on the tree branch, he could make out a small sliver of the grass below. He raised his sight to the limb above, where Arbok still sat, as though it were unperturbed by the attempted escape. Its tongue tasted the air in seeming anticipation. In an instant, it struck.

Or at least, it would have. From out of the foliage Fearow appeared, piercing the snake midair with a devastating Peck attack. Arbok managed to recover admirably, despite being caught unaware by the attack. With its lower body, it wrapped itself around a branch down on Ash's level, and raised itself back up into a proper attacking position. Even the yellow eyes upon its belly seemed to gleam in anticipation as it sized up its new target.

With Fearow distracting the snakes, Ash was able to comfortably settle into a crook in the tree until the action died down a bit. Despite his feelings and the situation at hand, Ash knew that he owed a debt to Fearow for saving him just now. He just knew that Arbok would have gotten him if it wasn't for that timely intervention.

In order to know what was going on around him, Ash stuck his head out out from his crook just in time to see a group of Spearow toss an Ekans, which was now too fat to move, out of the tree from a dangerous height. Rather than colliding with the ground, however, it wrapped itself on a branch farther down below. Without the support of Arbok, it just stayed where it was, eyes tracking the battle above.

Fearow and the Arbok were locked in a standstill on opposite sides of the tree, standing as though it were an official battlefield. Even the slightest vibration would be immediately picked up by Arbok's sensitive body. Likewise, a shift in weight would be spotted by Fearow's sharp eyes. Of course, both Pokémon were battlers, and had no intention of running.

Arbok struck first.

The snake flew across the tree, mouth open to take a bite out of Fearow. It wasn't nearly fast enough, letting Fearow fly away from the attack. Ash recognized the aerial loop that Fearow spun into as the attack he was hit with earlier, but Arbok only pulled back to strike again, unaware of the quality of this particular attack. Sure enough, right before Fearow reached Arbok in a head on collision, the bird blurred out of sight and slammed into it from the side.

Arbok's body was blown backward, slamming harshly into the tree trunk. So mighty was the blow, bark and leaves rained down on Ash from the shock that ran through the area. Fearow steadied himself in the air, hovering low to avoid the branches above. Arbok proved its resilience, barely pausing in pain before opening its maw and firing a mass of poison through the air.

A dip of the wing was all that was needed to swerve out of the way of the Acid attack. Ash could tell from the way the acid ate through the branches that, if it had landed, it would have taken a serious toll on Fearow. Not missing a beat in this battle, Fearow charged forward again with a Peck attack, determined to defend the Spearow above.

In a vicious response, Arbok raised itself on high and stuck out its chest, drawing notice to the pattern of its belly. The face within seemed to glare directly at Fearow. So mesmerizing and terrifying was this vision, Fearow was unwittingly halted in its charge, Peck attack powering down into nothingness. Seeing its chance, Arbok lunged forward, teeth poised to sink into Fearow's flesh. Ash screamed out a warning, but it was all too late. The bite landed, and as to make matters even worse, erupted into a burst of lightning. Bolts of electricity sparked off of Arbok's fangs, shooting deep into Fearow's screeching frame.

Without pause, Ash climbed out of his crook, and rushed to Fearow's aid. Despite their rocky start, Ash's debt to the bird wouldn't go unpaid. Now, it was his turn to help. He threw his full weight into a tackle, knocking Arbok off and away from the bird. Fearow, sensing a temporary alliance, struggled to take advantage of the aid provided, and flew at the snake with a fearsome screech, talons poised to tear its eyes out.

Arbok clenched its eyelids shut in pain, a courtesy not afforded many to other snake-like Pokémon. It tore its head to the side, avoiding most of the damage, but couldn't prevent itself from being knocked out of the tree, just like the Ekans before him were. After a rough impact with the ground, Arbok opened its eyes to find itself lying alongside its other fallen brethren. The three slithered away, defeated, letting out a hiss of vengeance, promising to return to finish what they started.

Now that the battle was done, the Spearow, not wanting to stay around where the snakes could just attack again, took to the air. A few of the older Spearow, no doubt the parents, grabbed hold of the Pokémon eggs in their talons and flew off as well. From what Ash could tell, they were heading due west. With the others gone, Ash and Fearow found themselves alone as the only two left remaining. Ash turned to Fearow, apprehension creeping up his spine. He only received a tempered look from the bird, who let out a cry of his name, and promptly flew off after his flock. A wave of relief washed over the boy all too suddenly.

From his branch, Ash watched the Fearow fly off into the distance. The limb that Ash sat upon was one of the few on his level of the tree that escaped from the scuffle relatively unscathed. All around him, branches were either snapped in half or stripped clean of their foliage. Acid marks were scattered across the trunk, and a particularly large scar was left on the branch that Fearow just stood. No bird Pokémon would be able to use this tree as their home for a long time.

The adrenaline still making its way through his system made him want to run about, but he stayed leaning against the trunk, eyes locked on the Fearow flying away, and breathed deeply. It was then that he saw another shot of electricity arc across Fearow's form, faltering him in his flight. Ash could only watch in morbid fascination as his unexpected savior tumbled into the forest below.

It took Ash longer than necessary to reach the forest floor from his perch. He had been trying not to stretch the areas of his torso that were injured over the past few hours, causing the climb down to become a slow endeavor.

He wasn't sure how long it had been since he'd been dragged into that tree, but a glance at the sun in the sky told him that it was barely past noon. How odd that time should move so slow when this morning felt like a lifetime ago. Ash idly wondered if all battles would be this draining.

Still, he had work to do. He stared off in the direction Fearow had landed. In his condition, Fearow would be an open target for any passing Pokémon. Ash knew that he couldn't leave him to that fate. Not now that he knew how dangerous this route could become. Perhaps there was something to the idea that people shouldn't roam around without any Pokémon.

After wandering around, Ash eventually found Fearow in a clearing not too far from the road. He was trying and failing to scramble to his feet, desperate in his attempt to return to his fleeing family. Ash watched as he took to the air again, only to fall to the forest floor a second time. Ash could tell that if Fearow continued on before being healed, he was only going to hurt himself further.

Ash pushed himself forward, ignoring his own injuries in favor of Fearow's. He cried out, "Wait! Stop!" to the bird, hoping to give it pause. Only then could he find a way to help to struggling Pokémon in front of him.

Fearow saw the boy running towards him, and took the meaning of it differently. Not wanting to be attacked in his weakened state, he pushed off with his wing yet again, taking to the skies, only for Ash to tackle Fearow around the back, sending the two tumbling to the ground. Fearow struck out blindly, furiously attacking Ash with its beak. Into that attack, Fearow pushed all of his desperation and hope of survival.

"Wait - Ack! - Fearow, I'm - Ow! - I'm trying to help! Will. You. Quit it!" Ash tried his best to subdue the monster throwing attacks down upon him. As misguided as his choice to hold the Fearow down was, he was going to see it through. "STOP!"

Perhaps it was stunned by his yell, or just the electricity, but miraculously, Fearow stopped. Ash exhaled a sigh at the respite, and climbed off of the bird after assuring himself that Fearow wasn't going to fly off and get himself even further hurt. Locking eyes with the great beast, he spoke in his most commanding tone. "My name is Ash. You're hurt, and won't be flying anywhere in the condition you're in. Let me help you."

Fearow's eyes widened at the words, clearly unbelieving. Of all the things he expected of this human, an offer to help was among the last. What he expected to be captured or killed. It was all that could be hoped for when living in the the wild. Still, a glance down at the bite marks on his chest told him that the boy spoke true. He wouldn't be flying anywhere. He'd let his wounds be treated. And just maybe...

Ash saw the fight leave Fearow, and nodded in satisfaction. Stepping forward, Ash set to work using the little knowledge and supplies he had. Removing the only potion kept in his bag, Ash sprayed the Pokémon's wounds with a healthy dose. Almost immediately, the scratches and wounds from the fight and flight closed up. Such was the power of modern medicine. They weren't gone altogether, but enough so that the damage would be able to undo itself naturally.

Healed of his wounds, Fearow rose to his feet. Somehow, a miracle had occurred. The pain throughout his body was gone, and this boy, who minutes earlier was a mere annoyance, was the one responsible. He made to stretch out his wings, but another spark of electricity caused him to stumble.

"Fearow?! You're still hurt!" Ash exclaimed, and rushed to help support his weight. Fearow flinched away from his touch, so the boy backed off, not wanting to withstand another Fury Attack. He couldn't figure out what was wrong. It had to be something Arbok did. Was it that electric attack?

A wave of inspiration came to Ash in a flash. He exclaimed, "I know!" Dropping his bag onto the ground, he rifled through its contents under the curious gaze of Fearow, and quickly found the book that he was looking for. "I'll bet Professor Oak left something in here to help figure this one out!"

Fearow watched the child who came to his aid through squinted eyes. Despite the earlier attack on this Ash, he defended their flock from the Ekans who had long hunted them. Together, they found victory. And now, here he sat hovering over something that he said would help. A thought nagged in the back of Fearow's mind: Why is he helping me in the first place?

Ash fumbled with the pages of the Official Pokémon Handbook, looking for any clue as to how to go about treating an injured Pokémon. In his ignorance, he skipped over the index entirely. His fingers slipped as he handled a random page a bit too forcefully, tearing a small line across a particularly fine drawing of a Poliwag.

"Oops." Ash looked at the ruined drawing in guilt for a moment, before continuing his search. He'd have time for regret later.

Through sheer luck, he found the page that introduced the steps to treating a Pokémon yourself. Ash leaned over the book and read the section with an uncharacteristic focus, intent on determining the ailment.

In order to treat a Pokémon, you must first ascertain the problem. With an understanding of the Pokémon's injury and proper treatment, your partner will be back to battling in no time.

But first, find out a little about the Pokémon. Is it a boy? Or is it a girl?

He quickly ignored what was written in the introductory paragraphs, and instead flipped deeper into the book. From what he could gather, he eventually came to the conclusion that a status condition, that being where a Pokémon is crippled but not injured, seemed to best fit Fearow's condition. He could only hope. Finding the right section, he continued on.

Status ailments affect a Pokémon's ability to battle. There are three kinds of-

Ketchum turned the page to find the one that actually mentioned what the various types of status were. He didn't need to know about every status, only the one Fearow was suffering from now! His eyes skimmed the pages, looking for any mention of electric attacks.

It wasn't long before he found the one he was looking for: Paralysis. Based on what he read, a paralyzed Pokémon's speed is severely reduced, with them often not even able to move. Fortune was on their side; paralysis didn't seem to be fatal. Ash breathed out a deep sigh of relief at that. The treatment was simple, if found. Ash read through the entry of one of the cures, committing the text to memory.

Cheri Berry, also known as the Paralysis-Curing Berry.

This small, bright red berry is very spicy and has a provocative flavor. It blooms with delicate, pretty flowers.

Next to this was a picture of the berries being referenced. Admittedly, Ash didn't know what provocative meant, but he was pretty sure he could find one with this description regardless. He closed the book with a snap, and set out to find the right tree.

"I'll be right back, Fearow," he called to his companion. Fearow let out a soft squawk, which Ash took as understanding, and ran off to find their cure.

A batch of Cheri Berries were located just off of the main road of Route 1, which took less than half an hour for Ash to find and collect. When he returned with the small red berries in his hat, Fearow remained roosting in the same spot Ash had left him.

It took a little convincing before Fearow would eat the mysterious berries placed before him, but after Ash showed him they were safe by testing one himself, Fearow obliged. In less than a minute, his tightened muscles had relaxed. Once he felt completely recovered, he threw open his wings with a mighty cry of "Fearow!" Up close, his wingspan seemed greater than ever.

Ash grinned at the Pokémon's successful recovery. Despite the two's rough start, he was growing fond of the creature. He might actually miss him. "That's great, Fearow!" Fearow locked eyes with the boy, but Ash failed to notice. Pointing to the west, where he knew the Spearow flock to have flown, Ash directed Fearow home. "Your friends went that way. You should be able to catch them if you hurry."

Fearow's eyes left Ash's to trail off towards the west, where the sun would set in just a few hours. Fearow were mighty flyers. They were known for their great stamina, able to fly for hours on end without resting. And yet, Fearow did not move from its perch.

Ash's confusion grew at that. "Aren't you going to follow them?" His voice drew Fearow's attention back to him, where the two locked eyes again, much fiercer this time. Fearow seemed keen on conveying his feelings to the boy, no matter how long as it took.

A small hope built up in Ash's chest. One that he knew he shouldn't bet on, but it lingered nonetheless. Regardless of the ridiculousness of the notion, Ash did need a Pokémon, and this wasn't exactly an opportunity Ash should let pass by. Obliging his curiosity, he asked, "Do you... wanna come with me, Fearow?"

The bird bent his head low, and replied, "Row." His eyes shined with an unidentifiable emotion, but Ash's face was a different story.

Despite how hard he tried to suppress his reaction, Ash couldn't contain it. For a few moments, his lips quivered with emotion, and eventually, an immensely large smile broke out across his face. With an enthusiasm exclusive to preteen boys, he leapt at the predator with unconstrained joy.

"Yes! Thank you Fearow! Just you wait, we're gonna be awesome! No one will stop us, not Gary, not Yellow, not even Lance! Ahahahahaha!" Ash danced from foot to foot, arms locked firmly around the neck of his first Pokémon, laughing uncontrollably.

Fearow was not amused.

After a mild calm came over the kid, he had enough sense to officially finish the capture. "Okay Fearow! Welcome to the team!" Ash reached to his belt to do so, but there was something missing. Something critical. Ash's face went slack with bewilderment. It took him a few seconds to realize his blunder.

"Gah! I don't have any Poké Balls!" The memory came to him as all forgotten memories do, far too late. The image of Professor Oak handing Yellow six Poké Balls alongside the Pokédex passed through his mind. Without those Poké Balls, he had no hope of catching anything.

Ash's head fell to his chest with a moan. "I didn't think this through, did I?"

In reply, his Pokémon just let out what could only be a sigh of derision. What a trainer he chose. Still, he knew that this silly human had something different about him. He fought battles that he shouldn't, ones that he couldn't hope to win, and still came out on top. Yes, Fearow could respect Ash, however foolish he may seem.

Ash, ever determined, wasn't going to let his short-sightedness stand in his way. Not now. Grabbing the rim of his hat, he gave it a twist so that he donned it backwards. An edge of steel came to his eyes. Finally letting go of Fearow's neck, much to the bird's relief, Ash pointed north.

"Let's go Fearow. To Viridian City!"

Author Notes: My thanks go out to all of you who have reviewed or favorited so far. Regarding the choice of starters, while Fearow may seem like an odd choice, I've spent so much time planning this fic, writing Ash and Fearow feels as natural as any two characters can be. Needless to say, the two will grow close. I find the dynamic much more interesting than this fandom's more common partners. Fearow is positively feral when compared to Pikachu or Lucario, who, character-wise, are practically human. As always, your thoughts on Ash's first adventure will be appreciated. By all means, tell me if I could've done anything better. Keep an eye out for my next update, which should be within a week or two.