Part 14

Route 5

Ash stood on top of a hill beneath the shade of a tree, admiring the beauty of Route 5 with Pikachu, Espeon and Growlithe. They had been traveling for a few hours, and Ash had discovered a few things about Anabel that only reinforced the fact that she was a brand new trainer.

Glancing down the hill, Ash found that Anabel was finally approaching the top, gasping for air.

"Is it…almost time for a, break?" Anabel asked between gasps as she slowly approached Ash who chuckled.

"Yeah, I suppose we can take a break for a bit." Ash replied, watching as Anabel immediately threw herself down onto the grass with a sigh of relief.

Anabel lacked physical conditioning.

Her stamina was worthless and she wasn't very strong. Not only that, but Ash wasn't even moving at his usual pace. He had set a casual pace for them to move at, but this pace left Anabel exhausted, and that left him kind of worried. If they continued to move at this pace, they would surely run out of supplies as they traveled to Cerulean City. Hopefully they would be able to increase this pace soon.

"Hey Anabel." Ash called out as he looked down at the girl who was resting on her back, snapping her out of her daydream. "There's still one more thing we have to do today."

"What would that be?"

"We have to determine your skill level as a trainer. So I want to battle you." Ash explained as he motioned for her to rise up.

Anabel took her time to return to her feet while Ash traveled down to the bottom of the hill where he released the remaining five Pokemon he had contained in their Pokeballs. Anabel sluggishly moved down the hill, following her two Pokemon that had rushed down to converse with Ash's Pokemon.

"Since this will be your first battle with a professional trainer, I'll let you pick your opponent." Ash explained once she joined the group, motioning to the six Pokemon that he had brought with him. His Pikachu, Wartortle, Ivysaur, Charizard, Tauros and Primeape all looked toward her, anxiously waiting to see who she would pick. "Actually, you can battle any of them except for Ivysaur."

"Saur, Ivysaur!" Ivysaur protested as it gave Ash and incredulous look.

"Ivysaur, I know you have had some time to rest, but you're still recovering from the damage during the Indigo Conference." Ash pointed out, much to Anabel's surprise.

'Can he understand Pokemon as well?' She asked herself.

"Ivysaur-saur!" It continued.

"No means no Ivysaur." Ash stated as he kneeled down beside the Pokemon who turned away with clear frustration written all over its face. "Look Ivysaur, I know I've been saying this for ages, but we have to build you back into shape. We have to take things slowly to make sure you don't re-injure yourself."

"Ivysaur." It muttered in reply.

"I know, I know. I've been saying that we'll start working on you for a few days now. So I'll make an oath right now." Ash said, earning Ivysaur's full interest now. "From this day forward I promise to work with you in order to make sure we get you back into a healthy, battle ready condition."

Anabel felt a smile form on her face as she watched Ash and Ivysaur shake hands to solidify their agreement. He was so comfortable and honest with his Pokemon. Hopefully she would be able to do the same with her own Pokemon.

"Can you understand what they're saying to you Ash?" Anabel asked, receiving a rather confused expression from Ash.

"What do you mean?" Ash asked in return.

"Can you understand your Pokemon when they talk to you?"

"Nope."

"But just now you were speaking with Ivysaur as though you understood what it told you." Anabel said as she motioned to Ivysaur, earning a snicker from Ash.

"That doesn't mean I can understand them. I've known these guys for so long that I can sort of guess what they're saying based on their expressions." Ash replied, much to Anabel's dismay.

'So he isn't like me…' She said to herself as Ash rose to his feet.

"So Anabel, have you made your choice?" He asked, still waiting for an answer from her.

"Umm…"Anabel took a moment to observe each of the members of Ash's team. Tauros, Primeape and Charizard all looked at her hungrily with fiery auras that sent chills down Anabel's back. Pikachu and Wartortle's was a bright orange as they patiently waited for Anabel's decisions. At the very least they didn't come across as intimidating as Charizard, Tauros and Primeape, prompting Anabel to pick from these two. "Can I battle Pikachu?"

"Sure." Ash said as Pikachu stepped forward, donning a serious expression.

Ash scratched the back of his head as he quietly observed Anabel as she gingerly scooped her Espeon up from the ground to avoid any further harm.

"Sorry about that Anabel." He apologized along with Pikachu as he approached the girl with a Potion in hand.

If Silph Co planned to make Anabel into a trainer, Ash had his work cut out for him. Their battle didn't last very long, but it was enough for Ash to see that Anabel lacked a few things as a trainer.

"Is she going to be okay?" Anabel asked as Ash gave Espeon a Potion bath.

"Yes. She'll be fine in a few minutes." Ash explained as he motioned to the ground. "Just let her rest for a bit."

"Alright." Anabel replied as she kneeled down to place Espeon on the ground beside her where Growlithe was waiting. Growlithe gave a small whimper when it realized that Espeon was still unconscious before taking a seat next to feline to wait for it to awaken.

"Anabel, we have a few things to talk about." Ash said he took a seat on the grass across from her, causing his entire team to form a circle around them.

"What are they doing?" Anabel asked as they all sat down.

"At the end of every day we discuss what each of us can work on like this." Ash responded before motioning to Anabel. "But today our focus will be on you. There's a lot we have to talk about."

Anabel felt her chest tighten a bit at the thought. They were going to critique her.

"I'll start." Ash began. "I know you're still a rookie trainer, but there's a lot of a stuff you things you need to know and work on right out of the gate. Physically speaking, you're far from decent."

"What do you mean?" Anabel asked.

"Well I know you're a new trainer, but your stamina is very small and it's leading to us moving very slowly along Route 5." Ash explained. "I know it was your first day so I decided to move at about half of my normal speed, but even this seems to be too much for you."

'Half his normal speed!' Anabel exclaimed. She felt as though she was going to faint earlier and now Ash reveals that they weren't even moving at a normal pace!

"Not only that, but when your battling, your reactions are also very slow and your decision making could use a lot of work." Ash continued. "In fact, when we were battling it felt as though you were kind of…hmm, what's the word?"

"Pika?" Pikachu interjected.

"Passive." Anabel translated for Ash.

"Passive! That's it." Ash exclaimed before motioning to Anabel. "You were too passive during the battle, which is unacceptable as a trainer."

"Rah…" Charizard added.

'I have to be more aggressive…?' Anabel asked herself as she thought about Charizard's words. Ash's Pokemon soon added their own opinions as well.

Anabel gave a heavy sigh as she looked down. She was weak, a poor decision maker, a passive battler and lacking experience. She was so flawed. Maybe she wasn't cut out to be a Pokemon trainer.

"Don't feel discouraged Anabel, everyone starts out with a number of weaknesses. In fact, when I first started my journey I remember I caught a cold after spending a night in the water on Route 20. I had to send my Pidgeotto to get help from Cinnibar Island." Ash explained with a bit of a chuckle, although it appeared as though Anabel didn't get the message he was trying to send. "What I'm trying to say is that at first I used to make stupid decisions, but I learned from my mistakes. So it takes time to develop as a trainer, and turn your weaknesses into strengths. It's all part of a process."

Anabel remained silent as she rose up from the grass. She then left the group without a word, much to Ash's dismay.

Growlithe gave a bark as it looked at Anabel, taking a few steps to pursue its trainer before remembering that Espeon was in need of company. Looking between its trainer and Espeon, Growlithe struggled to choose between the two.

"Don't worry Growlithe, you can stay with Espeon." Ash said as he rose up from the grass to pursue Anabel. "I'll handle this."

Growlithe gave him a bark in reply before immediately assuming its position besides Espeon as Ash left the group.

Anabel found herself briskly walking between the trees, recalling everything that Ash and his Pokemon had just shared with her.

"Physically speaking, you're far from decent."

Anabel couldn't even keep up with a slow traveling pace. How would she able to travel over long distances without running out of supplies?

"You were too passive during the battle, which is unacceptable as a trainer."

Anabel knew she wasn't much of a battler, but it seemed as though Anabel was incredibly far from becoming a decent trainer.

"You have to be more aggressive." Charizard stated.

"You can't take that much time to think during a battle." Wartortle added.

"You need to practice more." Ivysaur said.

Anabel came a stop as let their suggestions sink in. Maybe she was expecting too much from herself. She was raw as trainer, and she had a lot of work to put in. But in order to fulfill her new goal, she would have to practice.

"I have to become stronger." Anabel said to herself as she closed her hands into fists.

Ash smiled a bit as he watched Anabel from a distance. While she lacked many things, Anabel had a few strengths that not even she knew about.

She had a strong drive. Despite the struggles she was facing right off the bat, it was clear that she was going to continue regardless. With something like this, she would definitely improve as trainer over time.

Watching her progress was going to be fun.

June 4th

Route 5

"Alright Anabel, it took me about half of the night to put this together for you, but I designed a schedule for you." Ash explained as he, Anabel, Pikachu, Ivysaur and Espeon walked along a trail.

"A schedule?" Anabel repeated as she looked toward him.

"Yeah. You need a schedule when you're training. This way you and your Pokemon can consistently practice in certain areas where you need to work. And then you can create time to work individually." Ash explained. "With a schedule you'll be on the fast track to becoming stronger."

"I see, so what do you have in mind?"

"Well I noticed yesterday during our battle that not only are you lacking some basic conditioning, but Espeon and Growlithe are too." Ash explained. "So every morning the three of you are going to go for a morning run. Half a mile up the Route, and then you guys come back."

Anabel paled at the thought. This was going to be brutal.

"Then when you guys come back, you'll get a half an hour to rest, then we'll have a little battle practice. We have to start sharpening your skills in a Pokemon battle." Ash went on. "After some practice we'll spend a few hours actually covering some distance on Route 5 till dusk. Then we'll set up camp for the night."

"So when do I start?" Anabel asked.

"Right now."

Anabel's knees buckled as she leaned against the closest tree trunk, unable to stand any longer. She could hardly breathe as Growlithe and Espeon flopped down beside her after completing their mile long run. Her legs had gone numb halfway through, but she somehow made it through.

"Here you go." Ash said, causing Anabel to look up. Ash held a water bottle out in front of her, shaking it a bit as encouragement for her to accept it. "You made it."

"Th-thank you." She muttered as she quickly took the water and opened it up.

"Don't drink it too fast." Ash said, receiving a nod from Anabel before she began sipping the water. Ash then turned away from her, returning to Ivysaur and Wartortle who were currently sparing to bring Ivysaur up to speed.

Ivysaur was still experiencing a little stiffness, but it was in much better condition now that it had been when they were Hoenn.

"Wartortle!" The water type Pokemon shouted as it lowered its head before charging at Ivysaur.

"Saur!" Ivysaur said return as a pair of vines extended from its back rather slowly, but just in time to intercept Wartortle before it could land a hard hit. Trapping Wartortle in its vines, Ivysaur attempted to lift up its opponent, but a jolt of pain through its torso put this strategy to rest.

Wartortle then opened up its mouth and fired off a jet of water at Ivysaur which sent it stumbling backward from the hit. Ivysaur released its hold on Wartortle, leaving it to fall on its feet where it immediately lowered its head for another Skull Bash attack. This time Ivysaur failed to protect itself in time, taking a hit to its side from Wartortle that knocked it across the clearing before it came rolling to a stop.

Ivysaur grunted upon its landing, feeling a sharp pain throughout its body as it remained resting on his stomach.

"War! Wartortle!" It exclaimed as it rushed over to Ivysaur, offering it a hand to help it return to its feet. "Tortle?"

"Ivysaur!" It snapped at Wartortle who immediately took a step back. Ivysaur then forced itself back up on its feet, taking several deep breaths once it was standing again.

'The damage from getting crushed by Pinsir is still lingering.' Ash said to himself as he studied Ivysaur's movements which had become noticeably stiffer after taking a hit. This was going to be a challenging time for Ivysaur.

Anabel perked up a bit as she watched Ash approach his injured Pokemon. His emerald green aura had done something that she had never witnessed before.

It took on the form of a pair of wings that protruded from his back. They were folded, but the sheer size of the wings left Anabel astounded.

'Wings?' Anabel noted curiously as she watched Ash kneel down beside Ivysaur to offer it some encouragement. 'What could this mean?'

Ash wiped the sweat off his forehead as he exhaled before glancing over his shoulder at the group that followed him. Pikachu, Ivysaur, Growlithe and Espeon were all keeping pace together, chatting quietly while Tauros brought up the rear with Anabel resting on its back. It had been a long day for the purple haired girl even though it was still pretty early in the afternoon, but she was completely spent. She couldn't take another step after walking for an hour, so Ash placed her on the back of his Tauros to make sure that they continued to move along Route 5.

Making eye contact with Anabel, Ash gave her a wave before slowing down to walk alongside Tauros.

"How are you feeling?" Ash asked as he matched the pace Tauros was moving at.

"Terrible." Anabel shot back almost immediately as though she had been waiting to say that.

"Don't worry, pretty soon you'll get used to all the walking."

An awkward silence set in for a moment as Anabel decided to observe Ash out of the corner of her eyes. Despite the fact that he had been working from the moment he awakened this morning, he didn't seem to be affected at all by fatigue.

"Ash, do you ever get tired while your training?" Anabel asked, getting a bit of a smile from Ash as he thought about his answer.

"Yeah…I mean, I'm not a robot so I do get tired." Ash replied.

"But doesn't that start to wear you down after a while?"

"I suppose. But I'm just having too much fun for it to really bother like it might to some other people." Ash said with a grin as he thumbed his nose. "A lot of trainer might tell you that the training is hard, but to see it all pay off with a victory, it makes it all worthwhile."

Anabel watched as Ash's aura became gold as he began to walk with a bit more of a bounce in his step.

"After all, the path to becoming a Pokemon Master is far from easy." Ash continued, bringing up a subject that Anabel had been curious about for a number of years.

"Hey Ash, how do you become a Pokemon Master?" Anabel asked. She had numerous discussions about this title while she was in the Battle Frontier, but she had never heard of an official way to gain this title.

"I don't really know actually." Ash replied honestly, leaving Anabel a bit dumbfounded. "There's never been a Pokemon Master before, so I have no idea."

"But how do you plan to become one then?"

"Well when I think of becoming a Pokemon Master, it's like…chasing perfection." Ash stated, exerting a strong force that garnered the attention of the four Pokemon walking in front of them. "Just to stay in the professional circuit, you have to constantly sharpen your skills as a trainer. You have to reexamine both yourself and your Pokemon every day to make sure that everyone is in tip top shape."

"Kind of like a carpenter's house?" Anabel pointed out.

"Exactly. They're never finished working, always making repairs and improvements. And it's the same for us; changes can always be made to our battling style. Our Pokemon can also improve one aspect of how they battle. We constantly have to think of new strategies. Our training is never done." Ash continued. "And then to become a Pokemon Master, you have to go above and beyond the ridiculous standards of the professional circuit, and make a name for yourself as if you were the greatest trainer on the planet."

Anabel remained silent once Ash was finished as a new realization donned upon her. There was quite a long distance between herself and Ash, however the distance between Ash and the top was still great. The Pokemon world was truly vast in size if a trainer of Ash's caliber was still dreaming about the top.

"What about you Anabel? What do you want do?" Ash asked, causing his golden aura wavered out of existence as he shifted his focus to Anabel. She didn't reply for a few moments even though she knew exactly what she wanted.

"Strength." Anabel stated. "I want to get stronger."

The sun had set on the second day of Anabel's journey as she rested on top of a blanket within a small clearing. Even though she was physically exhausted, she just couldn't go to sleep. She was far too excited as she thought about the possibilities. They were just as numerous as the stars above.

Just a few days ago she was in the Battle Frontier having one of her daily discussions with Spenser concerning her future and now she was in Kanto starting her very own Pokemon journey.

Anabel had been incredibly nervous from the moment Mindy had revealed that she would be going on journey at Ash's party. But all of the nerves she had been experiencing since them had melted away as Ash began to point out that there was nothing to fear in the new world she was entering.

"Can't sleep either Anabel?" Ash asked suddenly, causing Anabel to jump. She had thought that he was sleeping the entire time, but then again this wasn't the first time he had surprised her by catching her off guard.

"Yeah." She replied rather softly as she turned a bit to look at Ash. He was resting on a blanket not to far from her with his Ivysaur and Pikachu sleeping beside him.

"Excited?" Ash went on.

"Mhmm."

"Thought so. I couldn't sleep during the first couple of nights of my journey. All I could think about was what I would do the next day." Ash said quietly as he recalled the first few sleepless nights that he had experienced during his journey.

"I can't wait to see what going to happen tomorrow." Anabel said with a nod of agreement.

"Perhaps some bonding with your Pokemon." Ash suggested, causing Anabel to look down at Growlithe and Espeon who were sleeping on the blanket beside her. She was still far from comfortable with Growlithe, and she could tell that even though it was so outgoing, it was still adjusting to its new lifestyle. But how could she speed up the bonding process between herself and Growlithe?

She immediately became friends with Espeon, but Growlithe was completely different from Espeon.

"Ash?" Anabel called out.

"Yeah?"

"Were you always close friends with all your Pokemon?" Anabel asked, receiving a laugh from Ash.

"My life would've been so much easier if we were friends from the beginning." Ash replied. "Like, take Pikachu for example. Even though we're best friends right now, when I first got Pikachu we used to feud with each other all the time."

"Really?" Anabel exclaimed. She had always thought that trainers and their Pokemon got along from the very beginning.

"Yup. In fact I doubt we would've become friends if not for an accident on Route 1." Ash went on.

"What happened?"

"Well Professor Oak sent me to Viridian City to pick up a parcel for him. On the way we had a run in with a flock of Spearow." Ash explained. "I did my best to protect Pikachu, and I think we bonded as we were attacked. Now I'm not saying that you have to get attacked to bond with your Pokemon, but relationship develops differently so you have to give it some time."

Anabel remained silent, struggling to hold back a giggle at the thought of Ash and Pikachu getting chased by a flock of Spearow. It appeared as though growing closer to her team might take a few unorthodox measures.

"Would you say you're close to Espeon?" Ash asked, snapping Anabel out her thoughts.

"What?" She asked, blushing a bit although this went unseen in the darkness.

"Are you close with your Espeon?"

"Of course. From the moment I got her."

"How did the two of you meet?"

"She was a present from my mother as an Eevee." Anabel said as she recalled the gift she had received when she turned ten under some rather odd circumstances.

"Why do I have to leave mama?!" A six year old Anabel wailed as her mother led her by the hand through the large corridors of the grand palace they lived in.

"I'm sorry Annie, but you have to leave. It's not safe for you here anymore." Her mother replied as she occasionally looked behind them to make sure they weren't being followed. "A friend of mine from the Battle Frontier has agreed to look after you for a while. It'll be safer for you there."

"How long will I be there?" Anabel asked, struggling to keep up with the pace her mother had set

"For a few years."

"Years!? Why do I have to go?"

"I want to be safe Annie, and living in this palace with me is the most dangerous place you can be right now." Her mother said as they reached the main entrance of the palace that led out onto the courtyard.

"But I want to stay with you and Lawrence! I like it here-!" She began to choke on her words as a lump formed in her throat. "I don't want to go. I don't want to be myself."

Anabel's mother came to a stop as Anabel had gone quiet, turning to face her daughter who was tears.

"I know you'll feel lonely there Annie. But I want you to be strong." Her mother said as she kneeled down, brushing away her tears with her thumbs. Then her mother pulled out a Pokeball and placed it in Anabel's hands. "Become a trainer Annie. Become friends with Pokemon. If you go on your own journey, you'll learn how to become strong."

Her mother placed a soft kiss on her forehead.

"I know you can do it."

Anabel's mother than straightened up again and pulled out a second Pokeball which she then tossed into the air. A Pidgeot was released from the small device, gracefully landing beside Anabel.

"Pidgeot, do you remember where to take here?" Her mother asked the bird who gave her a nod in reply. "Good."

Before Anabel could get a word out, she found herself on the back of Pidgeot who spread its wings before ascending into the skies.

"Mama!" Anabel screamed as she extended one hand toward her mother who waved to her. Within a few moments Pidgeot had placed so much distance between them and the palace that Anabel's mother looked like nothing more than a speck in the courtyard.

"Pidgeot!" The bird yelled out as it quickened its pace. Anabel lowered her hand as the airborne Flying Palace that she had been raised in shrunk away in the distance.

Once she was in the Battle Frontier, Anabel found with no one to talk to but Eevee. After speaking with Eevee for some time, Anabel discovered that it was feeling just as lonely as she was. Eevee was part of a litter of six that it had grown up with, but the group of six was separated once they were old enough to be given to trainers.

"We promised that we would always be there for each other."

"That's good." Ash replied. "Promises like that can lead to immediate trust being built between the two of you."

"But how do I do something like that with Growlithe?" Anabel asked.

"All I can say right now is to take some time and learn about Growlithe before making a move. You need to understand your Pokemon first."

'Understand my Pokemon…' Anabel repeated the phrase a few times.

June 12th

Eight days. Nine battles. Zero wins.

Anabel let out a heavy sigh as she looked down at Espeon's Pokeball for what felt like the millionth time today. She and Espeon had been beaten again.

After yesterday's training session, Ash decided that it would best for Anabel to experience a real Pokemon battle. Ash was constantly holding himself back while battling against Anabel for the sake of her self esteem, but this wouldn't yield any results for her. She needed to experience a real battle where she would have to counter attacks with little time to think, feel her heart race and learn from her mistakes.

So he began to arrange for a battle between Anabel and any trainer they met in passing. Every single one of them accepted happily with the clear intention of trying to demonstrate their skill to the current Indigo Conference Champion.

Each and every battle ended in defeat for Anabel with no signs of improvement at the moment. She had only battled with Espeon so far, and each time they lost, Anabel had panicked at some point which led directly to Espeon taking a hit that ended the battle. But she was learning with each passing battle.

"Don't feel bad Anabel, everyone has a rough start." Ash said as he placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. "But if you persevere and get over the initial hump, that's where things get really exciting."

"Right." Anabel said with a nod.

The past eight days had felt like torture for Anabel. From her morning runs to her afternoon training sessions with Ash and all the walking, she was just exhausted. Her body ached all the time although that was probably because she had refused to ride on Ash's Tauros any longer. If she was going to become stronger, she couldn't weasel out of anything that would help her improve. Then again, she had also been sleeping on the ground every night which was nothing compared to an actual bed.

But on the bright side, she had learned so much over the past couple days beyond what she had learned in school. Not only that, but she felt as though she was growing closer not only to her own Pokemon, but Ash and his collection of Pokemon as well.

"Perfect, another challenger." Ash exclaimed as he spotted a figure approaching them in the distance.

"Hey there!" Ash shouted as he waved his arms to gain the attention of the trainer who recognize Ash almost immediately.

"No way, it's Ash Ketchum in the flesh!" He exclaimed as he neared Ash, giving him a dap greeting which Ash went along with-without question. "Name's Robbie."

"Nice to meet ya Robbie." Ash replied.

"So what's the Indigo Conference Champion out here?" He asked.

"Training of course. I have to ready for the next Conference I enter."

"I here ya. So what can I do for you?"

"A battle." Ash stated, causing Robbie's eyes to widen at the offer.

"Na-h man. I'll get wrecked if I battle you." Robbie responded, receiving a chuckle from Ash.

"Not me. My friend." Ash said as he motioned to Anabel. "She's new and I'm showing her the ropes. Would mind battling her?"

"You got it." Robbie said as he sized Anabel. 'She doesn't look that tough, but if she's with Ash Ketchum she must be strong.'

"How does a one on one battle sound?"

"Sound's good to me." Robbie replied as he looked toward Anabel who gave him a nod.

Anabel could feel her heart racing before the battle even started because of what Ash had told her as they found a clearing for the battle.

'Use Growlithe in this battle.'

She had never used Growlithe in a real battle so far, and she was becoming incredibly nervous as she thought about the number of things that could go wrong during this battle.

"Don't focus on what could go wrong during a battle. Focusing on the bad will only make it harder to see the good."

Recalling Ash's reminder that he had stressed after each of her losses, Anabel drew in a deep breath as she held Growlithe's Pokeball.

"Growlithe, let's go." Anabel said as she released her Pokemon into the clearing.

"Get ready for Riolu!" Robbie yelled as he released his own choice as well.

"Whoa, a Riolu!" Ash exclaimed as he approached the Pokemon to examine it up close. "Are you from Sinnoh or Unova?"

"Unova. I got this little guy right outside of Floccesy Town." Robbie replied as his Riolu gave him a nod.

"Then what are you doing out here in Kanto?" Ash asked as he looked toward Robbie, but a bark from Growlithe gained his attention. It was poised and ready to attack, anxiously waiting for the battle to begin. "Nevermind, we'll talk after the battle. So are you guys ready?"

The two opponents gave each other a mutual nod that became the cue to begin.

"Go!" Ash said as he raised both his arms into the air.

"Get ready Growlithe." Anabel said, giving Robbie the first move.

"Riolu, let's start off with Force Palm!" Robbie ordered.

"Riolu!" It shouted as it clapped its hands together, causing an electrical field to form around its hands before dashed toward Growlithe.

'I have to counter this.' Anabel said as she recalled Growlithe's move set. "Growlithe, use Fire Spin!"

Growlithe gave a bark before releasing a stream of flames that traveled toward Riolu in the shape of a cyclone. Realizing that all of its escape routes were cut off by the size of the fire cyclone, Riolu put its hands out in front of itself to take a majority of the damage. Riolu cried out in pain as its hands were scorched from the attack, leaving it open for a follow up attack.

'Hmm, not bad.' Ash said as he slowly nodded his head. Even though Growlithe was lacking in battle experience, it was no pushover in terms of attack power. 'Let's see what you do next.'

"Riolu, chill out!" Robbie said, trying to calm his Pokemon as Anabel thought about the possibilities she had the moment.

'We could get it with another Fire Spin. Or maybe we should try using Bite. But Flame Wheel could work too.' Anabel said to herself, becoming so caught up in her thoughts that she failed to capitalize on this opening now that Riolu had calmed down.

"Well if she's not going to attack, we will. Riolu, give them a taste of your Quick Attack!"

"Growlithe, counter with Flame Wheel." Anabel said in response. Both Pokemon went rushing forward at each other, although Robbie couldn't stop a smirk from forming on his face since he had a trick up his sleeve.

"Quick Riolu, use Counter!" Robbie called out suddenly as the two Pokemon neared each other.

Riolu came skidding to a halt on its heels as Growlithe pounced at it, but just before Growlithe could initiate contact between the two, Riolu leaned back while raising one left to land a devastating kick to Growlithe's chin. The unexpected hit broke Growlithe's Flame Wheel as it was sent tumbling away.

"Growlithe!" Anabel exclaimed as it came rolling back to her feet with a groan. "Are you okay?"

As Anabel kneeled down to check on her Pokemon, it growled at her as a warning for her to stay away. This battle wasn't over yet.

"You still want to continue?" Anabel asked as Growlithe forced itself back up onto its feet, giving her a confident nod.

"I'll give your Growlithe some credit. It's tough, and I like a tough Pokemon." Robbie said, causing a smile to form on Growlithe's face as it accepted the compliment. "But this is where the battle ends."

"Show him what you got Anabel!" Ash cheered along with Pikachu.

"Right. Growlithe, use Fire Spin again!" Anabel ordered.

"Riolu, use Copycat!"

Ash raised an eyebrow at this as both Pokemon fired a cyclone of flames. Using Copycat would effectively neutralize most attacks, which is exactly what happened. But what did Robbie hope to accomplish by doing this?

"Now follow up with Force Palm, but use Quick Attack as a speed boost!" Robbie added. Riolu was quick to follow his command, rushing at Growlithe with enhanced speed that clearly caught it off guard. Sliding underneath Growlithe, Riolu landed a swift kick to its stomach that sent it up into the air. Riolu then pursued it into the air where it landed an overwhelming combo on Growlithe that ended with a dual Force Palm that sent it spiraling back to the ground.

"Growlithe!" Anabel shouted as she rushed over to her Pokemon, kneeling over to examine it.

"And that should do it." Robbie said as he clapped his hands. It was certainly a lot easier than he thought it would be, but Growlithe showed a lot of heart.

A bark ripped him away from his thoughts as he found Growlithe weakly standing on all fours, calling for the battle to continue. Robbie could only raise his eyebrows at this, impressed with Growlithe's determination.

Anabel, on the other hand, was nervously trying to consider what could happen if she allowed this battle to continue. She was more than happy to see Growlithe battling so hard for her and she wanted to let it continue with the blind hope that they would be able to taste victory. But deep in the pit of her stomach, Anabel knew that there was no way they were going to win this battle. And if Growlithe were got get injured in this battle, she wouldn't be able to forgive herself.

"Enough." Anabel stated firmly, getting everyone's attention. "This battle is over."

"Hmm…" Ash said as he studied Anabel's expression. There wasn't a hint of doubt in her voice or on her face.

While Robbie and Riolu had no issues with Anabel's decision, Growlithe had quite a few which it voiced without any hesitation.

"No Growlithe, I'm not allowing this battle to continue." Anabel stated as Ash's Ivysaur came to mind. "I know we haven't know each other for that long, but I don't want to see you get hurt."

Growlithe became quiet at this, sensing the sincerity in Anabel's voice. Growlithe went up on its hind legs in order to rub its cheek against Anabel's, surprising the girl with the display of affection. Anabel felt a smile creep on her face as placed her arms around Growlithe.

The journey of a Pokemon trainer would be long, but with more friends, she could have all the fun in the world as she traveled.

"Hey Robbie, how close are we to Cerulean City?" Ash asked as he approached the young man as he called back his Riolu.

"Well, you could get there tonight if you really hustle." Robbie replied.

"Perfect." Ash said before raising a hand toward Robbie. "It was nice meeting you Robbie."

"Likewise man. Hope I get to see you guys again some time." He said as the two of them shook hands. Robbie then approached Anabel and shook hands with her while praising Growlithe for its determination during the battle.

"Cerulean City is close by Anabel, if we can get there before it gets too dark, you'll get to sleep on a bed tonight." Ash said. The thought of a bed was enticing. Very enticing.

"Let's go!" Anabel declared.

Cerulean City

The sun had already fallen below the horizon, leaving indigo skies hanging over the city. Most of the residents of the city had already turned in for the night, creating an odd silence that felt eerie to walk through. Although this didn't seem to bother Ash and Anabel as they moved toward their destination. The Pokemon Center.

"Well, we made it Anabel." Ash said as he glanced back at the girl who was trailing behind him. She looked like a ghost as she wobbled behind him, exhausted from overexerting herself to make it to Cerulean City by the end of the day. Offering her his arm to hold on to, Anabel gladly accepted as he led her to the Pokemon Center, passing by a familiar sight on the way.

The Cerulean City Gym.

'I wonder how Misty's doing?' Ash asked himself as he looked at the building. The last time he had heard from Misty, she mentioned that she had been training to become the Cerulean City Gym Leader. Perhaps tomorrow would be a good time to check up on her.

Arriving at the Pokemon Center, the double doors opened up to the cool refreshing, air conditioned building that was like a breath of fresh air to the duo. Nurse Joy, who was seated behind her desk greeted them kindly, pulling out a pair of room keys for the two of them since there was no other reason for a pair of trainers to be showing up at this late at night.

"Have a good night." She said as she waved to the two of them as they left the lobby in search of their rooms.

"Ah, here we are Anabel." Ash said as they arrived at her room. Opening up the door with her key, Ash led Anabel into the small room where he bed was waiting for her at the center of the room.

Setting her down on her bed, Anabel felt as though she was floating on a cloud as she was embraced by the mattress. Sleeping on a bed was truly the greatest thing ever.

"Good night Anabel. You've made a lot of progress over the past couple of days so rest up. You've earned it." Ash said as he stood at the exit to her room, closing the door as quietly as he could once he was finished speaking.

Anabel felt sunk further into the mattress as she allowed her body to relax for the first time over a week. To let all the aches and pains fade away. To let her brain finally cool off. To let the exhaustion flow out of her as her eye shut.

The Pokemon world was truly amazing.

A/N

And that wraps up this chapter. I think I'm starting to get a better handle on how to portray Anabel although I still think I need a lot of work. This chapter was pretty much devoted to giving Anabel some further development, and I dropped a few hints as to where this story is headed if any of you noticed them.

Some of you guys have already asked if Anabel is going to be a love interest...and I'm sorry to say that my lips are sealed. I don't want to spoil anything for you guys, not to mention Misty will be making an appearance in the next chapter, so you never know what could happen.

Not to much else for me to say this time but to thank all of you who review. I did my best to get this chapter together faster than the last one, so here it is. Enjoy guys.