Shadows and Ash Chapter 4: Route One, a pokémon fanfic

Chapter 4, everybody! Where Ash catches his very first Pokémon, Darkrai quotes Phil from Hercules, and we discover that a raindrop in the eye is very uncomfortable.

Jakeroo123, thanks for the review! To be fair, Pikachu's current experience with Pokéballs isn't all that hot—Professor Oak might have had something to keep the Pokéball locked so Pikachu couldn't just run off (we may never know…). I am lifting a bit from the games, which is why levels are mentioned—it's my theory that Pokémon can tell how strong another Pokémon is, and all the number-crunching stuff is something humans came up with because they can't tell. Darkrai just used a term he knew a human would get quickly. This is true—and this is also true; expect Pikachu to be a bit caustic and distrusting for a while.

Pokeevee57, thanks for the review! Yes indeed—and wow, glad I made you laugh! This is true. Eh…to be fair, I'm not fond of 'bashing' a character, and we've just nixed the main reason Misty gets mad at Ash (stealing and then frying her bike), so it might not be so bad. I did! That's why we have Google. :D I've read the Inheritance Cycle—I have a writer friend who loves it, and I have some fond memories of discussing it with him and watching him geek out. :D Thank you—and I'll try to take a peek at one of your stories when I get a chance. :D

Dragonkeeper10, thanks for the review! Thank you, I'm glad you like it, and I hope to continue to please!

Thor94, thanks for the review! Yeah…don't worry; they get better.

Bladetri, thanks for the review! I'm glad you like it! :D

Whatwasthatnoise, thanks for the review! Wow…glad I'm writing it then. I hope to continue to please!

CnadlitNights, thanks for the review! I did too—I still remember seeing it in theaters, and all the hype around it (got a lot of kids meals trying to get all the promotional material). I'm working on it….Yes, it is a little hard to switch back and forth—and then I'm working on a Ph.D., so I have to have a professional writing voice too (Don't Starve fanfiction helps with that, oddly enough). Thank you, glad you like it! I'll keep an eye on that narrator. Glad you like that, too—I don't want him to go too far, but it's hard to rein in a Legendary. Yes, he can't let it get around what a nice guy he really is. I know! But from what I watched of the early episodes, Pikachu wasn't all that affectionate to begin with—he'll get better. And no worries—I love reviews of all sizes. :D

Pokémon © Game Freak; Nintendo

And now, for something completely different:

The Pokémon League would like to remind you to not feed wild bird Pokémon. Not only does this neutralize the Pokémon's natural foraging instincts, but it also results in mobbing, and possible mutilation, of people caught in the open. Please, do not feed wild Pokémon.

"Okay," Ash said, consulting his guide book. "Route One is supposed to be full of Pidgey, Spearow, and Rattata." He looked around carefully, not wanting to dislodge a now-rope-free Pikachu from his new perch on Ash's head. "I don't see any, though."

Darkrai started humming, something he normally did when he was about to be caught doing something he shouldn't.

"I take it I'm not going to be catching any Pokémon on this route," Ash observed.

"Not really," Darkrai admitted, tapping his claws together. "You were taking too long—I got bored."

"Pi pika pi," Pikachu noised.

"What'd he say?" Ash asked.

"He wants to know why I'm following you around if I don't belong to you."

"Darkrai's my friend," Ash explained.

"I wouldn't go that far."

"Come on, we've known each other for years!"

"That doesn't mean that I like you."

"Ouch."

"Pika pika," Pikachu noised.

"Quality entertainment," Darkrai said.

"What?" Ash asked.

"He asked me why I tolerate you then."

Ash gestured to the surrounding area—they were about to enter the forest on Route One. "You scared off any opposition—we're halfway through Route One and nothing's happened yet; how do you figure this is quality entertainment?"

"The fact that my tastes are more refined than yours."

"He likes me," Ash told Pikachu as they walked into the forest. "He doesn't want to admit it, but he does. Right, Da—"

Darkrai was gone.

"Oi," Ash noised. Oi and then some, as Darkrai said.

Laughter alerted him as to why Darkrai left.

"What's so funny?" Ash asked, upon spotting the source: a red-headed girl sitting at a stream, fishing.

"Nothing," she said, still snickering. "It's just—you're from Pallet Town, right?"

"Uh, yeah…."

"Just started?"

"How do you know?"

"A lot of trainers start off from Pallet."

"You still didn't say what was so funny."

"Well…not many trainers starting out are so friendly with their Pokémon, or have them out and about—and then here you are with a Pikachu on your head and talking away like you're best friends."

"See a lot of newbie trainers?"

A brief moment of hesitation. "More than you would think."

Pikachu dropped down to Ash's shoulder and pointed at the girl. The message was clear: introduce yourself, you idiot.

"My name's Ash Ketchum," Ash said. "And this is Pikachu." Something occurred to him.

"Wait—do you want a nickname?" Ash asked Pikachu. Pikachu stuck his tongue out in response.

"Don't feel too bummed—some Pokémon don't like having nicknames," the girl said.

"Yeah, Da—I have a friend who said that Pokémon have their own names and they don't want human names muddling them up."

"Huh," the girl said. "Oh—my name's Misty, by the way."

"Hi," Ash said, glad to finally have a name to put to her face. "So what are you fishing for?"

"Whatever's biting," Misty said. "But right now all I'm catching are Magikarp—I'm getting ready to go find somewhere else to fish, actually."

Ah, idea! Maybe he could get a Pokémon on Route One after all! "Hey, if you catch another one, can I have it?"

Misty gave him an odd look. "Seriously?" she asked. "You actually want a Magikarp?"

"For a while now, actually—don't Magikarp evolve into Gyarados? And besides, I'll need a water or grass type for the Pewter City Gym."

"You do know that Magikarp are universally famed for being useless, right?"

"I want to change that perception."

"All right," Misty sighed.

Darkrai, meanwhile, watched from afar as they chatted. The girl finally caught another Magikarp, which Ash captured excitedly. Oi, the kid would get worked up for anything.

Speaking of which, he'd have to remember to rib him later for this. Granted, the kid still thought girls had cooties, but that would make the ribbing that much better.

The Pikachu's question from earlier came back to him—why was he following the kid around? He wanted to leave Pallet because it was starting to attract attention, yes, but why bother with following Ash?

To be honest, he didn't really know.

Quality entertainment. He'd stick with that for now.

Ash chatted with Misty as she walked her red bike to Viridian City.

"I still don't understand why you're carrying that Magikarp instead of leaving it in its Pokéball," Misty said. "I mean, I get Pikachu, but Magikarp is a fish. It needs water."

Ash looked at the Magikarp—it was remarkably calm, content, and not gasping or struggling at all; he wondered how many water Pokémon with gills breathed air. "This'll get us acquainted better," Ash countered, shifting the Magikarp around so he could try to check it on his Pokedex. Professor Oak had told him that it performed a lot of functions, and right now he was trying to check his party Pokémon. Ah, here it was.

"Okay, so this is a male Magikarp," Ash read. "He has the special ability Swift Swim and knows Splash." He continued reading. "Okay, that's just mean."

Misty leaned over and read the Pokedex's entry. "I told you Magikarp were known for being useless."

"Yeah, but I thought this thing was supposed to be professional." He looked at the Magikarp. "Do you want a nickname? I promise it won't be anything mean."

The Magikarp just looked at him.

"Don't name him Carp or Magic," Misty said. "Those have been taken. Too many times to count, actually."

"How about a name that starts with an 'L'?" Ash asked. "He looks like his name should start with L. Larry? Leroy? Lenny?"

"Karp," the Magikarp said.

"Lenny? You like that one?"

"Karp!"

"Okay—hey, cool! The Pokedex recorded that!"

"'Lenny'?" Misty asked in disbelief.

"He likes it," Ash said simply as they left the forest and crested a hill.

"All right, I guess I can't argue with—wow! Look at that!"

"Woah," Ash breathed, following Misty's pointing finger.

It was a big gold and orange bird, flying lazily through the overcast sky, trailing a rainbow behind it.

"What is that?" Ash asked, holding his Pokedex up to examine it.

The Pokedex came up empty, to Ash's surprise. Didn't Professor Oak say this thing had all the info on Pokémon that he would need?

They watched as it flew into the clouds and was gone.

"That was pretty," Misty said.

"That was cool," Ash said.

"Karp," Lenny added.

"Pika," Pikachu noised. Then, more urgent: "Pika!"

Ash looked up in time to have a raindrop hit him in the eye. "Ack!"

"We're supposed to be getting showers today," Misty observed. "Come on!" she said, running her bike down the hill. "If we hurry, we can get to the Pokémon Center before the weather breaks!"

Ash waited a moment before looking around for Darkrai. "Darkrai? Where are you? What was that?"

He glimpsed a blue eye in the woods behind him. "Try not to be too obvious when talking to me," Darkrai groused. "And for the record—you travelling with her makes me talking to you very problematic."

"Maybe you should introduce yourself?"

"Oh, that would go over well. And furthermore—" here Darkrai emerged from the shadows so his pointing claw was obvious. "Don't lose your head because of a big pair of pretty blue eyes!"

Pikachu started snickering.

"Huh?" Ash noised, lost.

"Never mind. Now hurry up—before she realizes you're not tagging along and comes back."