Shadows and Ash Chapter 5: Viridian City, a pokémon fanfic

Chapter 5, everybody! In which the writer finds the Moana soundtrack on YouTube and plays "We Know the Way" on infinite loop….And I probably will whenever I get Sun/Moon too….

Pokeevee57, thanks for the review! Ah, good, I was unexpected. :D Of course! We need the Magikarp to show Gary up (fun fact: I tended to name my Magikarp Gary in years past ^^;). Possibly—we shall see….It was nice—it's one of those series I like to read during the winter while sitting next to a window full of snow (I don't know why). Glad you like! We shall see…and wow, thank you! And same to you. :)

Hunter Redflame, thanks for the review! Wow, thank you, I'm glad you like it! The reason I started this was because I couldn't find a Pokémon fanfiction that really satisfied me, and when I did, they didn't update for months…I'm glad you're liking this so far. :) For the switch from understanding Pokémon to needing Darkrai to translate comes from switching perspectives between Ash and Darkrai—I need to work on that being clearer, I think. And AAAA! Spelling and grammar errors? Where? I'm usually really good about those….Anyway, I hope to continue to please! :D

Vismur, thanks for the review! Aw, thank you, I'm glad you think it's cute! :D And thanks for those—I thought it'd be a funny addition (and let me put in some exposition for this version of the Pokémon world without interrupting narrative), so I'm glad you like them and the ride so far! :D Possibly….

Thanks for the reviews, guest! Yes, at least he caught a Magikarp, although I'm not sure what to make of the rest of that comment. Yes, Darkrai is a little jealous…or protective. Yes….Let's see—ribbing is American slang for teasing someone; it started in the 1920s, according to one online dictionary, and referenced jabbing or tickling someone in the ribs….I didn't know all that, wow...glad it's not Friday….

C.a enchanted sword, thanks for the review! Hopefully this fits the bill! :D

Pokémon © Game Freak; Nintendo

And now, for something completely different:

The Pokémon League regrets to report that Electric-type powered generators are no longer approved by the Multi-Regional Management. As more and more reports are coming in of overloading generators, the League has been forced to order a recall. In other news, please do not use your Electric-types to power your house in the event of a blackout—the League has been receiving more reports of electrical fires started this way.

"Hey, wait!"

"What took you so long?" Misty asked, sounding a little irritated. "I made it to the sign before I realized you weren't following me!"

"Sorry," Ash said, figuring that was the best course of action. He adjusted Lenny in his arms before following Misty into Viridian City.

"Wow," he noised upon passing the gate.

Viridian City was the first city Ash had officially clapped eyes on, and while not the biggest city in Kanto, it was still bigger than Pallet Town. While not horrendously tall like the city buildings he had seen on the TV, the average height for Viridian seemed to be five stories, with gray being the primary color.

The mountains surrounding them reminded Ash that while these were tall buildings in his estimation, there were definitely bigger things out there in the world.

"Halt!"

Ash stopped his gawking to see an Officer Jenny standing in front of him and Misty.

"Can I see some identification?" she asked.

"Uh, yeah! Hold on," Ash said, fumbling for his Pokedex again—Professor Oak had said something about it being used for ID. "Here," he said, handing it over.

Misty handed over a card.

"Names and current occupation?" Officer Jenny asked, checking the Pokedex and card.

"Ash Ketchum, uh, beginning trainer?" he guessed. "I just started today."

"Misty Waterflower, Cerulean Gym Leader," Misty said.

Ash was back to gawking. "You're a gym leader?"

Ash knew as soon as he said it what Darkrai would say to that: Open mouth, insert foot.

Understandably, Misty was miffed at his question. "Don't sound so surprised," she said.

"Sorry," Ash said, backpedaling. "It's just—I always thought gym leaders stayed in their gyms."

"I do have a life," Misty pointed out.

"Okay, these check out," Officer Jenny said, handing the card and Pokedex back to them. "Sorry about that, but we've been having a rash of robberies lately, and we can't be too careful."

"No worries," Ash said, taking his Pokedex back. "Hey, where's the Pokémon Center from here?"

"Straight that way," Officer Jenny said, pointing down the street. "You two be careful, all right?"

They waved as she buzzed off on her motorcycle.

"So when can I challenge you for the Cerulean City Gym Badge?" Ash asked.

"When we get to Cerulean City—and don't think having a Pikachu is going to give you an edge," Misty said, walking off primly.

"That went well," he heard Darkrai hiss.

"Shut it," Ash muttered, trotting after her.

The Pokémon Center was nice and clean and smelled vaguely like Professor Oak's lab. Ash figured it was the smell of cleaning products.

"Hello, and welcome to the Pokémon Center," the lady behind the counter said. "My name is Nurse Joy; how can I help you today?"

"Can you give my Pokémon a checkup?" Ash asked.

"And can we get a couple of rooms for the night?" Misty added, putting her Pokéballs on the counter.

"Huh?" Ash noised.

"We won't get through Viridian Forest before dark today," Misty explained. "And I am not running around the woods in the rain."

"That'd be wise," Nurse Joy said, accepting a pair of keys from a round pink Pokémon—Ash's Pokedex said it was called Chansey. "You'll want to stop by the Pokemart too, then, and stock up on some Antidotes—there are a lot of Poison-type Pokémon in Viridian Forest. Could you return your Pokémon to their Pokéballs, please?" she asked Ash.

"Um," Ash noised, looking down at Lenny, who looked unbothered by the news. "I could Lenny, but Pikachu doesn't like being in a Pokéball."

"Understandable," Nurse Joy said, accepting Lenny's Pokéball. "Some Pokémon don't like being in enclosed spaces. At least you respect that. Could you come with me please, Pikachu?"

Pikachu slid a glance at Ash, who nodded, before hopping into Nurse Joy's arms. "This shouldn't take too long," Nurse Joy said, putting Pikachu on a gurney along with the Pokéballs. "Your Pokémon look like they're in very good shape. You can check your rooms in the meantime."

"Sure. I'll see you in a bit!" Ash added, waving to Pikachu. "Be nice to Nurse Joy!"

"Pikachu!" Pikachu shot back.

"Cool," Ash noised upon entering his room.

It was small—understandable, considering it was only supposed to house a trainer for a brief amount of time. There was a bed, a small dresser, a bathroom, and a window that offered a great view of the brick wall across the alley.

Or it would have, if it had not been occupied.

"Are you going to let me in?" Darkrai asked. "Or do you want to see if I shrink in the rain?"

Ash deposited his backpack and climbed onto the bed, fumbling with the unfamiliar locks before managing to get the sticky window open.

Darkrai squeezed in. "Could they spare it?"

"I don't think I'm supposed to be spending a lot of time in here," Ash said, sitting on his pillow to give Darkrai some room to drift about. He fished in his pockets for his old field guide, pulled out his Pokedex instead, and put it on the dresser. "Listen, I'm sorry about Misty—I didn't think—"

"You do have that habit," Darkrai observed, picking up the Pokedex and tapping it with a black claw. "By the way, how is your girlfriend?"

"Ew," Ash noised, tugging his backpack over. Ah, there it was. "Misty and I aren't even friends—we're sorta acquaintances. And on the plus side, there's some benefits to traveling with her—she's a gym leader, and she's promised me a match once we get to Cerulean City."

"Oh yes—and by that time she'll know all your tricks and you'll know none of hers. I thought that was what this was for," Darkrai added, tapping the Pokedex as Ash flipped through the field guide.

"Yeah, but I took notes in this," Ash said, flipping through the pages. "And besides, that thing insulted Lenny when I looked up his information."

"I'm sorry—'Lenny'?"

"He's my new Magikarp."

"And you named it Lenny."

"He seemed to like it," Ash said. "Oh yeah, I forgot—'Pokémon have their own names; they don't need humans muddling things up!'"

"Oh, so you do listen to me; I was beginning to wonder."

"Okay, next up is Viridian Forest," Ash read, laying on his back and propping his feet up on the headboard. "Wow, there's a lot of Poison and Bug types—Nurse Joy wasn't kidding." He flipped ahead to the section about Gyms. "Let's see…Viridian Gym specializes in Ground types, while Pewter City specializes in Rock types." Ash rested the book on his chest and stared at the ceiling. "So….Ground, Water, Grass, and…Fighting types, right?"

"You forgot Ice and Steel types," Darkrai pointed out. "But considering how rare they are outside of mountainous areas, that doesn't surprise me."

"I don't think I'll be seeing any Ice types for a while," Ash agreed. "Hey, what moves do Magikarp learn?"

Darkrai tapped on the Pokédex, eyes narrow and ponderous. "According to this, Tackle, Flail, and if you're lucky, Bounce."

"Bounce?"

"It's like Fly, except you can't go anywhere with it. Wow, you weren't kidding about the 'dex entry."

"So when do Magikarp evolve into Gyarados?"

"Level Twenty, although this thing doesn't make mention of it. And for the record, Gyarados don't learn that many water moves anyway."

"So I need another Pokémon in my party," Ash observed, staring at the ceiling.

"You need another Pokémon in your party. I wonder if this thing has 'Fix-It Ferroseed' on it."

Ash watched as the first drops of rain devolved into sheets pouring down. "I guess Misty's right about running around in the woods in the rain."

"Although you could use the shower."

"That reminds me—I told Mom I'd call her once I got to Viridian City," Ash said, sitting up. "And I ought to call Professor Oak, too—and see if the Pokémon Center has any umbrellas I could borrow. I don't want today to be a total waste."

"I can already guess what the one conversation is going to sound like: 'make sure you take a bath as often as you can! And don't forget to wear clean underwear!'" Darkrai said, in the shrill voice he adopted when imitating somebody.

Ash nabbed the first non-lethal thing he could find—his pillow—and threw it at Darkrai. Darkrai caught it with ease. "Oh goody, I was hoping for one of these."

"I'm going to need that tonight," Ash pointed out.

"Tough."

Ash flopped back on his back in irritation, glancing out the window so he didn't have to look at Darkrai. He was going to have to shut the window soon….

"Are you sulking now, or did you space out?" Darkrai asked.

"I'm finally doing it," Ash said, the events of that morning finally sinking in. "I've finally started on my journey." He sat up. "I'm going to be a Pokémon master, and finally show Gary up."

"Good to see that finally sunk in. Oh by the way, good luck with that last bit."

"I could beat Gary."

"Please, you couldn't even hit him."

"I mean in a Pokémon battle!"

"What is it with humans and solving their problems through having someone else fight?" Darkrai asked, claws in the air. "It's about as inane as solving their problems through card games!"

"That's a thing people do?"

"It's catching on."

Ash jumped off the bed. "Well, not that this hasn't been fun, but I'm off to make some calls and pick the guys up."

"Because your attempt at picking Misty up went over so well."

"Shut up!"