First of all I would like to profusely apologize to everyone for the three week delay. My end sem exams finished just a week ago and I devoted my entire time on this fic. At first I had thought that I could write alongside keeping up with my studies. Turns out that exams tend to throw you on your ass, demanding all your attention. However, now that they are over, finally, I can turn my attention back on my fics. I have spent a lot of last week in writing this chapter down and the next week will be spent on my Naruto fic.
Now, back to the story, I have only one word to say to all of you. WOW! I never expected the fic to gain such attention. The reviews, favorites and followings have doubled in the last three weeks and I cannot thank you all enough for that.
Review Shoutouts:
MidnightFenrir: Happy to find that you like the pace. I intend to keep it the same. I neither want to rush into anything, nor take it too slow and make a monstrous 400k fic or so, although I haven't decided how many chapters I will have. As for The Talk, read and find out.
Radurai: Good guess. I won't say if it is true or not. Read and find out.
berryboychris: Extra slots is sort of implied when I told that Gary had them. As for more Legendries, I intend to give him at most two more. Any more and it starts tending to be an overpowered Ash fic, something that I don't intend to do. I want to show him a good, almost prodigal level trainer, but giving him too many Legendries makes him an instant Elite Four Level trainer, if not Champion level.
Oblivion Caller: Seeing that Working Sinnoh with Skill is back, I sincerely hope 0Joirdinio0 goes on to finish it. Thanks for the input. Hope you like the future chapters as well.
Yanoakc: Happy to see excitement regarding this story, and once again sorry for the late update.
Chermayne: Thanks.
LeoPK: Thanks for the support. As I have said earlier, there are very few good Pokemon fics, and to find someone that says mine as good is a great motivator.
.Dawn: Thanks.
RikudoNaruto1: Hope that you find the future updates as good as the beginning.
TS24: Read on to find the answer to your question. As for Ash keeping Suicune, I have already said that Ash will keep his promise to release Suicune once she is completely healed.
animecollector: Ritchie. A good guess.
NinjaFang1331: Hope you enjoy the future updates as well.
Aoi Hyoudou: I am also a huge Ash/Cynthia fan, and therefore the lack of good, completed stories on this pairing is the reason I decided to write it. It is for this reason that I can assure you that I will not drop this story unless I have taken it to its completion.
A Simple Reader: Don't worry. My muse most certainly won't peter out. I find Ho-Oh to be a source of inspiration and new start for Ash, and therefore decided to go with it.
Mark Andrew: Haunter will be a bit difficult because Ash never caught him. Haunter simply decided to go along with Ash. I might get him different Ghost Type though. Haven't thought out that far. Lapras will be even more difficult. She is supposed to travel with her pod, and for her path to collide with Ash, it will have to be near divine intervention. The book, you will see in the end. Aura may or may not pay that huge a role in this fic. As for Cynthia's age, it will be clear even before Ash head out to Sinnoh.
Guest: According to Merriam Webster, biweekly has two meanings. First, an incident happening every two weeks. And Second, something happening twice a week. I have already notified in my Naruto fic that I will update my fics once every two weeks.
storyreader21: About the person being famous, I highly doubt it. Read on to find out.
Reichi: Guessing might be good, but I won't answer so easily. Read it to find out.
Random Guy: As I have stated repeatedly, there is no way in hell that I will abandon this story.
Guest: Sorry to tell you, but getting Haunter back is too troublesome. I might get him other Ghost Types instead.
The Quotable Patella: The next two chapters will contain most of the training, with the latter one containing flashbacks of significant moments. The moves and strategies, though I intend to keep a secret until he uses them. Since I am a new writer, writing battle scenes and lemons will be the most challenging thing for me. Lemons, if I write them, will be way into the future and I hope that by then I will have gained enough experience to write them properly.
WhenWindWhirls: Thanks for the support. Seeing that so many are asking for Haunter, I will see what I can do. I promise to keep Cynthia as true to her character as possible. I might have to see those episodes for that though. However, it will take some time for Cynthia to appear.
Anonymous: Good deduction skills. The answer to your question lies in this chapter.
T-Biggz: No, I did not forget Haunter.
XXXpossessedforlifeXXX: OOPS!
James1996: Answer lies in this chapter.
Samster687: Thanks for the support.
Roguasashin: Don't worry. All chapters won't end like this.
spidersage: Thanks.
Tushar: Sorry.
Silent snIper05: Again, thank you.
Disclaimer: ...Checked. and Pokemon still does not belong to me.
Enjoy the latest chapter.
Chapter 3
A Friend Returns
When Ash had first heard the foreign, cold voice, the first thought that ran through his mind was that he was screwed. He looked towards Suicune, who had turned towards the voice immediately, the surprise on her face catching him off guard for a moment. He turned towards the source of the voice, dread filled to his core, already thinking of ways to dissuade the speaker from making the news about Suicune public.
He came up with none.
As he was turning around, he had expected to find maybe a seedy looking guy, or perhaps some ruthless Pokémon hunter. What, or rather, who he saw belied his imagination. He stood there, eyes widened in surprise, looking intently at large bipedal feline-esque Pokémon, and he was sure that it was a Pokémon, as no human could look like that. It had a lavender colored body, pronounced purple tail and stomach, a feline head and a cable connecting the center of its back to its head behind its neck.
It stood there, floating a few feet above the ground, its purple eyes screaming of the power that it held within itself, the kind of power Ash had rarely seen. Whoever it was, it was far more powerful than any of his Pokémon. There was something though, something that told him that maybe he had seen it before, something gnawing at the back of his mind, trying to recognize it.
"It is of no use Ash Ketchum," the Pokémon spoke, although Ash was surprised to see that its mouth didn't move a bit, meaning that he talked using telepathy, something he had experienced before.
"What is of no use?" Ash asked, before continuing, "And who are you? And what are you doing here?"
Beside him, Ash saw Suicune narrowing her eyes at the intruder, her actions emboldening the others to stand beside their trainer, ready to protect him at a moment's notice. An action that wasn't missed by the floating Pokémon, if the smile on his face was any evidence.
"You truly are incredible Ash Ketchum," the voice commented. "Garnering such affection and loyalty from not only your own Pokémon but also from a Legend. You truly have not changed from the last time we met."
"What are you talking about?" Ash demanded, confused at the last statement. "I have never met you before. I would certainly remember you!"
"Ah!" the being seemed amused at this, "You wouldn't remember about that encounter. In fact I'm sure no one remembers about that particular incident."
"What are you talking about?" Ash growled, his anger increasing. "What incident?"
"It would be good for your future if you learn to control the anger that you have," the Pokémon spoke as it slowly set its foot on the ground, putting everyone on guard. "As for what incident I was talking about, it would be prudent if I simply gave you those memories back." He did not say anything as its eyes glowed in an eerie bluish glow.
Ash barely had any time to ask what the hell he was talking about, when suddenly he clutched his head, a headache of epic proportions bringing him down to his knees.
All of his Pokémon shouted their respective names, as they surrounded him, protecting him from the being that had harmed him. Their eyes glared bloody murder at it, as several of them moved to attack.
Only for each one of them to stop in their tracks as a bluish glow surrounded their bodies. The rest of them looked shocked at the sudden turn of events. Pikachu, who was focused on his friend, turned his attention towards the lone Pokémon.
"Pi Pika Pi Pikachu Pika pi Pika!" he shouted.
"Sui Suicune Cune Suicune," the Legendary spoke for the first time, her gritted teeth showing her anger. She had recognized this Pokémon, the various Legendries having talked about him the first time he had fought one of them. At that time, they had simply let him go, deciding not to intercept him because he was not a threat to the world. But now, now she didn't know what she could do. She didn't know if he was a threat or not. And if he was, there wasn't much she could do in her weakened state.
"Your worries are a trivial matter Pikachu, Suicune," he spoke, turning towards each of them. "Right now, what you think as pain is the backlash that Ash is feeling as a result of repressed memories being brought forth. It shall be over in a few seconds. Now, I neither wish to harm your trainer nor you all. So, once I let you go, I expect you to calm down and wait for a few moments."
Through gritted teeth, all of Ash's Pokémon gave a somewhat forceful nod, now knowing what the extent of this beast's power was. Their love for their trainer being the driving force in this case.
The Pokémon brought his arms back, his webbed fingers interlacing as he crossed his arms on his chest. Instantly, the blue force surrounding the Pokémon vanished making them fall to the ground with a loud thud. They turned towards the lone Pokémon, ready to attack once again in defiance, an act that gained a metaphorical raised eyebrow from him.
They stopped instantly when they heard a groan from behind them. All of the Pokémon turned their attention back towards Ash, watching with concern as he stood up gingerly, holding his now lightly throbbing head.
"Ow," he groaned, as he rubbed his forehead trying to will the remnant of the migraine away. Once he felt it had diminished enough, he opened his eyes and was surprised, yet not so surprised, to find all of his Pokémon surrounding him, a concerned expression on their faces.
"Don't worry guys," he consoled them, as he started petting Donphan's head. "It was a minor headache, nothing else." He lied through his teeth. The headache, at one point, felt like it was going to split his head, not that he would make his Pokémon more worried. Not when he had learned so much about the day he had lost, about the way he had 'died'. He gulped at the last part, not wanting to feel that again.
He turned towards the Pokémon, his own Pokémon splitting apart giving him a straight view of perhaps one of the strongest Pokémon across the regions.
"It's good to see you again…" he began in a terse voice. "Mewtwo."
The now recognized Mewtwo did not speak for a moment, before he nodded. "It's good to see you as well, Ash."
All of his Pokémon turned his attention towards him, their shock marred face making them look somewhat hilarious.
"Pika chu Pika Pikachu?" his trusted starter was the first to ask.
"Um…" Ash mused, "How do I tell you guys about that?" An idea clicked in his mind, as he turned back towards Mewtwo, "Mewtwo-"
"It will be done Ash," the Pokémon showed the prowess at his abilities as his eyes already gave off the eerie blue glow. All of his Pokémon blinked as foreign memories of a certain day entered their mind. Several seconds later, all of them turned towards Ash, their eyes brimming in tears as they saw the image of their trainer taking the hit in trying to stop the two titans from fighting further. Of how he got turned to stone and how the love from the Pokémon present there brought him back to life. All of them glared bloody daggers at Mewtwo, one of the two responsible for his state.
"Everyone…" he began once again becoming the center of their attention. "It wasn't Mewtwo's fault," he spoke, getting incredulous looks from almost everyone.
He continued nevertheless, "Mewtwo had been nothing more than an experiment to Team Rocket, who created him to simply be the strongest Pokémon. They must have treated him abhorrently to behave that way, and although that did not justify his actions, it still was a good enough reason. You saw how he changed in the end, how he took care of the cloned Pokémon."
All the Pokémon bowed their heads in shame as the words of their trainer hit home. Ash sighed. "You don't need to be ashamed," he spoke consolingly, "you all don't know how much it means to me that you are ready to stand up to a Pokémon of his caliber."
As his Pokémon perked up hearing that, he turned back towards the genetically created Pokémon, "So, how are you doing Mewtwo? And how are the cloned Pokémon?"
He sat down on the ground, followed by the rest of his Pokémon the larger ones sitting behind him, while the smaller ones all sat in front of him, Pikachu taking his customary place on his left shoulder, Aipom taking his right while Cyndaquil sat on his lap, something that caught Bayleef's ire, if her puffed cheeks were any indication.
Mewtwo raised his non-existent eyebrows at such interaction, before an unbidden smile came on his face. He too decided to get a little comfortable and sat down, cross-legged in front of the assemblage.
"I have been fine Ash," he began. "The cloned Pokémon have been kept at a sanctuary where they are free to grow at their own pace. In the past near five years, quite a few of them have set up families with the local Pokémon in the area and are living peacefully. Many of their children have gone on to get a trainer for themselves, wanting to explore the world."
"It's good to hear that," Ash nodded with a genuine smile.
"I would like to talk to you about the reason for my visit," Mewtwo said, as Ash tilted his head, confusion marring his face.
"Reason?"
"Did you think that I came all the way here just to give you back those memories?" Mewtwo asked rhetorically. Ash smiled sheepishly, rubbing his cheek in response, making the others facefault at his presumption. Had Mewtwo shown the disposition to, he himself would have sweatdropped.
He continued, "Even since my 'inception'," the word spoken somewhat tersely, "I have had limited amount of interaction with the outside world, the New Island incident being the only good one I had with humans. Ever since then I wanted to find my purpose, something that I have been missing. And that is where I need your help."
"My help?" Ash asked, still confused with the entire conversation. "How can I help you?"
"I would like you to be my trainer."
Ash reeled back in shock, trying to see if he had actually heard it. "Ca-can you repeat that?" he asked, his eyes wide with shock. "Did I just hear you say that you wanted me to be your trainer? As in actually capture you? And keep you in a Pokéball, something which I remember you abhor."
"Yes, that is what I meant," Mewtwo gave a short reply.
The rest of his Pokémon were equally stunned by this sudden proclamation. While he had already caught Suicune, it was more of a temporary situation. What Mewtwo was suggesting was more of a permanent situation. Sure, Ash would release him should he ask for it, but seeing the seriousness in his eyes, they could already feel that it would happen way down the line.
Meanwhile, Ash himself was having an internal meltdown. Just yesterday, he was a trainer who had been defeated and taught a lesson. And now he had caught a Legendary, with an even more powerful one wanting to become his Pokémon. There was a question that was running, sprinting in his mind.
"Why?" he whispered. "Why would you want me to be your trainer? I am nothing but an ordinary trainer that has his own dream."
Almost everyone present scoffed at the notion.
"Why not?" Mewtwo spoke, "Currently you are the only human that knows of my existence, and being with you I know will be more beneficial to me than say the Elite level trainers. Being with them will cause me to be a center of attraction, something I would not prefer to be until I am okay with it. Whereas, with you I know I will be able to be freer."
"But, but…" Ash stammered, looking for some reason to dissuade the Pokémon. "You will have to be inside a Pokéball, and eventually battle other Pokémon."
"I don't have any problems with any of that," Mewtwo replied, breaking down all of Ash's reasons. "If fighting another Pokémon will help me in finding my purpose, then I will do so. For the matter of residing in a Pokéball, I am willing to stay for a while if you let me travel whenever I want."
Ash slumped as all of his hastily placed reasons were thrown out of the window. "Do you really want this Mewtwo? I want to know if you really want it."
Mewtwo nodded, "Yes, this is what I wish for."
"If this is what you want," Ash sighed, before an earlier statement struck his mind. "You said that I am the only human that knows about you. What did you mean by that?"
"After the New Island, I erased the memory of my existence from every human and Pokémon that I had encountered, except for the cloned ones. This includes each and every member of Team Rocket."
"So, won't your sudden appearance into the Pokémon circuit…I don't know, break some of those bindings?" Ash asked, trepidation clear in his voice.
"While it might have been possible had I been a normal Psychic Type, my bindings are special in the sense that only a few beings are capable of breaking them," Mewtwo replied, not that much concerned about those bindings.
"And that brings us to another thing," Ash continued. "I don't think you are a registered Pokémon. And there is no way that the officials are going to let me use you in a battle unless you are registered."
"And what will I have to do to be registered?"
"To tell you the truth, I don't know," Ash spoke sheepishly. "Professor Oak may know though."
"Professor Oak?"
"Yup," Ash nodded. "He is the regional professor for Kanto, responsible for providing Pokémon to new trainers. He is also the biggest authority for Pokémon knowledge across the regions. If anyone knows how to do it, it will be him."
"Very well," Mewtwo replied, before standing up once again, an action that Ash and his Pokémon imitated. "I hope you do not disappoint me as a trainer Ash Ketchum."
"I'll try to be a good friend to you Mewtwo," Ash replied, conviction burning in his eyes. He took out a Pokéball, the red and white colored ball shining as sunlight fell on it. "I'll ask you one more time Mewtwo, are you sure about this?" he asked as he enlarged the Pokéball.
"I am confident in my decision Ash."
"Alright then," Ash took a deep breath. "Go Pokéball."
The ball sailed through the air before hitting the Pokémon on the head. It immediately sucked the Psychic Type in a red beam of light, the ball snapping shut even before it fell to the ground. The ball did not even shake a bit, before a ding sounded, signifying a successful capture.
Ash stood there, stunned speechless as the Pokéball just sat there, not so much as twitching. He still was unable to comprehend what had happened. The fact that he had right now caught a Pokémon that wasn't on any known databases wasn't lost on him.
He went towards the Pokéball, gingerly picking it up as though it would break any moment, and looked at it intensely. Finally, he seemed to come to terms with the fact that he had actually caught a Pokémon capable of fighting Mew on equal terms. A familiar feeling crept within his body, the feeling wanting the boy to shout out in joy with his arms stretched as he informed the world how he had caught Mewtwo.
He nimbly squashed it down, knowing that if he was to mature, he would have to get rid of such childish tendencies. He turned towards his friends, and extending the hand containing the Pokéball, gave them a huge smile.
"I guess I caught Mewtwo!" he exclaimed happily.
What followed was a pileup, as all of his Pokémon ran at him. He barely had time when Bayleef jumped at him with a Body Slam, followed by the rest of his Pokémon. As he lay there, beneath his Pokémon, he was simply grateful that the larger ones had not decided to join in.
He didn't think he could survive getting squashed by Snorlax, or Tauros. Although, there was something gnawing at his mind, as though he was forgetting something pretty important.
"ASH KETCHUM!"
And that made him realize what he had forgotten. He extricated himself from the pileup, an extremely difficult task in his opinion, and brushing off the dust, started moving towards the Lab. Only to jump back in surprise when he suddenly found Oak standing in front of him, panic mixed with excitement evident from his expressions.
He did not get time to say anything when he was suddenly grabbed by the shoulders and shaken vigorously, soon causing stars to appear within his sight.
"What Pokémon did you catch?" Oak almost demanded from the trainer. "How could you catch a Pokémon from within the Corral? You haven't even left since the morning. And now, I suddenly get the notification that you have caught another Pokémon. And not only that, it is a Pokémon that I haven't seen. Ever. Nor is it available in any known databases. So tell me boy who is this Pokémon?"
Ash would have replied, he really would have. But currently, he was trying to gather his wits and tell the Professor to stop shaking him. Even his Pokémon were stunned, as they saw the Pokémon Professor act so bizarrely. However, one recently caught Pokémon seemed to have taken ill to the fact that its trainer was being manhandled and decided to take action.
Professor Oak was surprised when he suddenly found himself floating mid-air, a bluish aura surrounding him. His surprise turned to panic when he looked downwards, only to find the mysterious Pokémon, whose picture he had seen just a few moments ago, staring at him, its eyes showing unbridled fury.
"You will keep your hands off of Ash human, if you know what is best for you," Mewtwo warned the Professor. Oh he already knew who this person was, and while he seemed to have Ash's trust, Mewtwo was still wary of the humans he didn't know about.
As the stars around his head started receding, bringing coherence back to the trainer, he looked around and was surprised to see Mewtwo standing in front of him as though guarding him. He followed his gaze and was once again surprised to find the resident Pokémon Professor, floating mid-air and flailing his arms about trying to free himself from the Psychic constraints.
"Mewtwo, let him go," he shouted in panic, not wanting the Professor to get hurt from falling.
"He was harming you," Mewtwo justified his action, still not letting go of the aforementioned Professor.
"No, he wasn't," Ash sighed. "He was just astonished at finding out that I had caught you and in his surprise didn't control himself. It happens to humans and is a part of their interactions. Now that you get to travel with me, you will understand these things. There will be time when friends hit each other, but that does not mean that they are fighting, it is just the way friends act around each other."
"These human interactions elude me."
"Well…" Ash shrugged. "It's the way we are, I guess. Now could you please let the Professor go? He is the one I told you about. And you can be damn sure that he will not try to harm me."
"Very well," Mewtwo acquiesced, as the Professor was gently brought closer to the ground, right before the Psychic shield vanished when he was a few feet above it making the Professor fall to the ground with a dull thud.
Ash ran towards Oak, giving his hand in helping the Professor get up. Oak meanwhile was cataloging whatever he had seen just a few moments ago, and there was only one word which he could sum everything up.
"Fascinating!" he intoned, his gaze never having left the new Pokémon, something which irked said Pokémon. The Researcher within him had already made several observations in the short period of time that he had seen him, and now he couldn't wait to know more about him.
"Um Professor…" Ash spoke, getting Oak's attention. "Could you please not look at him like that? He doesn't like it."
"Ah! Sorry my boy," Oak replied sheepishly. "It's just that the researcher in me couldn't help but be fascinated by a new Pokémon. Opportunities such as this are rather rare in today's world."
He straightened himself, "Now could you please tell me about your newest friend?"
Ash looked towards Mewtwo, not wanting to give away his secrets. "Only because you find him trustworthy," said Pokémon replied, somewhat hesitantly.
Ash nodded in gratitude, happy that the reclusive Pokémon was showing so much faith in him already. He turned towards Oak.
"Professor," he began, "it is kind of a long story. Would you like to hear it here or do you think we should go inside?"
"Oh! I have no problem staying outside my boy," Oak replied jovially. "In fact I would prefer listening to the tale outside."
"Okay," Ash took a deep breath, recollecting the memories of the day. He sat down, Oak following him as well as most of his Pokémon. Mewtwo floated to a nearby tree and sat down in its shade, his attention shifting to Sceptile whose eyes were focused on him in a challenging tone.
"It happened after I had won my Earth Badge and was on my way home…"
XXXXXXXXXX
Forty minutes.
It took Ash, along with the occasional comments from Mewtwo, to narrate the entire incident to the Pokémon Professor. Oak, meanwhile, had a stoic look on his face as he heard about the entire incident.
He stood up, pacing back and forth, much to the confusion of everyone present. Even Mewtwo didn't know what he was thinking, having asked by Ash to not look in other people's minds on the grounds that it was the invasion of their privacy.
Oak took a deep breath, before turning towards the group. "As far as registering Mewtwo is concerned, you don't need to worry about that. I will do everything that is necessary. I will only need to record his general information, and a small sample of the blood. And even that is not mandatory." He added the last part hastily, when he saw Mewtwo's eyes flash blue for a moment.
"We'll see about that Professor," Ash replied, having himself seen the slight anger the Pokémon showed. "What else do we need to do?"
"The discovery of a new Pokémon will create havoc among the media, so I was thinking about doing it after you left Kanto," Oak spoke thoughtfully. "Wouldn't want any media personnel snooping around the Corral when you will be training. Besides, it's not like I will reveal how I found about Mewtwo. "
"Thanks Professor," Ash spoke, sounding genuinely grateful.
"No problems my boy," Oak waved off the thanks. "But there is one thing that I will have to do." Seeing the curious expression on Ash's face, he elaborated. "I will have to tell Charles about the fact that Team Rocket were able to clone a Pokémon. It doesn't matter that Mewtwo destroyed their lab along with their research. The fact remains that they accomplished something of this level. It also means that they are capable of doing something like that again."
Ash looked thoughtful, while Oak continued, "It's not as if everyone will be knowing about this. I only want the League to be prepared should they accomplish it once again."
"And you think these people at the League are trustworthy?" Mewtwo asked.
"Oh yeah!" Ash interjected. "The League trainers are some of the strongest trainers in the world, some of them, like the Champions, are so strong that there are rarely any trainers who challenge them to a battle. More than that, the Champions are responsible for keeping their regions safe. I know a few of them personally, and I can guarantee you that they will keep this knowledge about the cloning of Pokémon a secret."
Mewtwo seemed to contemplate this for a moment. "If you feel they are trustworthy, I will keep faith in your choice," he spoke before turning towards the Professor. "But the fact that I am Ash's Pokémon must remain a secret."
Oak nodded vigorously, the grave tone scaring the hell out of him. "Don't worry about that. Charles may be somewhat more persistent in finding out about your trainer, but I can handle him." He cleared his throat, trying to cough away the nervousness he was feeling. "Anyways," he spoke once again, "I think it is time we went back to my Lab. I will have to take Mewtwo's general measurement so that I can prepare his Pokédex entry."
Mewtwo looked towards Ash, who gave a simple shrug before getting up to follow the Pokémon Professor, Pikachu still sitting on his shoulders. He stopped abruptly before turning back to his Pokémon.
"You guys be prepared," he began. "Once I make sure everything goes smoothly with Mewtwo, I am going to come back and begin our training. You ready for that?"
All of his Pokémon roared their names out in excitement, ready to prove to their trainer how strong they were. Ash smiled, their excitement making him all the more anxious. He then looked at Suicune, who was looking at the rest of the Pokémon with curiosity.
"Hey Suicune," he called her out. "You want to stay outside or would you like to come inside and rest?"
Suicune seemed to contemplate this for a while before she shook her head.
"Suicune."
Not waiting for acknowledgement, she walked towards the lake behind them and sat on its edge, before closing her eyes though not before she gave one more look to the group of Pokémon behind her.
"It seems she wants to rest outside," Ash commented, before shrugging. He turned towards the Professor, only to find him almost at the entrance of the Lab. He turned when he felt a presence to his right, and wasn't surprised to find Mewtwo standing beside him.
"Shall we go on and get this over with?" Mewtwo asked.
"Don't worry Mewtwo," Ash spoke, "Professor Oak might not look like it, but he is a very intelligent man, and a good person to boot. He won't cause you any harm."
As he started moving towards the Lab, Mewtwo hovering to his side, he remembered of the other person present in the Lab. "Hey Mewtwo, there is another person in the Lab that you must know about."
"I have already registered the presence of another human in this Laboratory. I was going to use my powers to 'suggest' him to take a walk outside when we entered the facility."
Ash winced at that, not wanting his friend to be mentally tampered with. "Um, could you not do that?" he asked nervously. "Tracy is kind of a good friend and he knows about almost everything that happens in the facility. So hiding your existence from him will be more difficult, given that I am going to spend the next four months in Pallet Town and train my Pokémon in the Corral."
Mewtwo did not reply immediately, a fact that scared the trainer somewhat. Finally, he received the most subtle of nods from the Pokémon, one that he would have missed had he not been paying attention.
"Very well, I will give a chance to this other human as well," he spoke getting a sigh of relief from the young trainer as well as the Pokémon resting on his shoulders. "But should he even think about breaking this trust of yours, I will wipe any memories he shall have about me."
Ash sweatdropped at the threat, an action that was imitated by Pikachu. Knowing that he couldn't change the Pokémon's mind, he simply shook his head and entered the Lab. Had he been looking at the Pokémon, he would have seen as his eyes flashed with a bluish color, before it vanished.
"Ash," Mewtwo spoke, as the small group made their way to the examination room. "I think it would be prudent for you to make a call to the Pokémon Rangers in Mount Silver in the next hour."
Ash and Pikachu abruptly turned towards the Psychic Type, the last statement taking them by surprise.
"Pikachu?" the rodent asked.
"Yeah, what do you mean by that?" the trainer asked the same question.
"I'm afraid I cannot give the answer to that," Mewtwo commented, as they finally reached the room where they saw the Oak setting up various machines in order to record the data he would record from Mewtwo.
Mewtwo stopped for a moment, the Lab bringing the memories that he had spent in the Team Rocket Lab, the way the scientists had treated him as though he was nothing more than an experiment.
Ash, surprised to see Mewtwo just standing there on the doorway, moved closer to him.
"You alright Mewtwo?" he asked, his concern finally overcoming his trepidation as he placed a hand on the larger Pokémon's shoulder as an act of comfort.
The sudden touch startled Mewtwo, who shook his head trying to get rid of the errant thoughts. "Yes, I'm fine," he replied as he started moving forward.
"Are you sure?" Ash pushed on, "you spaced out for a while there."
"The Lab simply brought back some memories of my genesis," Mewtwo spoke, without turning towards his trainer.
Ash's eyes softened, sympathizing with the things that the Pokémon must have gone through under 'care' of Team Rocket. He went forward and placed a comforting hand on the Pokémon's shoulder.
"Don't worry Mewtwo," he spoke. "This will be nothing like what you had to suffer under Team Rocket. Besides, Pikachu and I will be there for you. Won't we bud?"
"Pikachu!" the mouse Pokémon nodded.
Mewtwo stood there silently for a few moments, before he gave a curt nod and moved towards the room. Ash looked towards his starter who shrugged, before following the Pokémon into the room. As they entered the room, they were not surprised to find that the cloned Pokémon was standing several feet away from the Pokémon Professor, not a stitch of any kind of emotion on his face. And while he knew that the Pokémon was still wary of Oak, he wasn't going to call out to him. Mewtwo would slowly, yet steadily, give his trust to those who he felt would be worthy. He had accepted him after all. Although he did wince internally when he thought about his supposed 'death' that had gained him that that trust.
As soon as Ash and Pikachu went to stand beside Mewtwo, Oak began recording the data for the cloned Pokémon that would eventually be used to register the Pokémon in the Pokémon database. Ash and Pikachu were extremely excited, having never seen how a new Pokémon was registered.
Half an hour later, that excitement was not ebbed away, as the final recordings were done. They had seen how the Professor had noted down Mewtwo's weight and height and were surprised to find that the Pokémon was deceptively on the heavier spectrum.
Ash had taken the opportunity to measure his own height, having not done so in quite a few years, and was relatively surprised to find himself standing at 5'8", a good height as far as the almost-sixteen year old was concerned. He was even more delighted to find out, courtesy of the Professor, that by the time he reached his twenties he could easily reach 6'.
The rest of the process was routine, though it helped that Mewtwo was able to communicate via telepathy. Most of the questions that Oak asked were truthfully answered by the Pokémon. One small hitch came when Oak had wanted to take a blood sample of the Pokémon. Mewtwo had lashed onto him, using his Psychic powers to levitate the Professor mid-air. He had to eventually let him go when Oak reasoned as to how that would act as a proof about his existence. Mewtwo had begrudgingly allowed the man to take his blood, with a warning, and released him.
Ash was sure he had seen a smirk on the Pokémon's face when Oak had crashed onto the ground. It was then followed by the simple questions of what attacks he knew and what he was capable of learning.
All of the residents were stumped when he had answered that question. His own arsenal, while limited, contained attacks that were considered among the strongest. The most powerful of them being Psystrike, which Oak informed was capable of causing physical damage and was automatically enhanced due to Mewtwo's Psychic Typing. A few other were Psychic, Aura Sphere, Psyshock, Giga Impact and Thunder.
Although what had the entire room was stumped was the small comment that he had added in the end. He had informed them as to he had overheard the Team Rocket scientists saying that since he was made from Mew's cells, he was capable of learning almost the known Pokémon moves.
He further pointed out how he had learned each of his moves with comparative ease, further taking the people and only other Pokémon in the room by further surprise. Although he did point out that he had tried and failed to learn any Dragon Type moves, justifying that he did not feel any kind of Draconic powers that he could use within him to learn them. That gave them some sort of relief.
A Pokémon capable of learning every possible move could have some very serious implications in the Pokémon world. Ash and Oak, in consultation with Mewtwo, had decided that they would check this claim in the training period. Ash, and even Mewtwo seemed excited at this. Ash because he knew what he was going to do with Mewtwo, and Mewtwo because he was getting the chance to learn his true potential.
As the final measurements were being taken, Mewtwo turned towards Ash.
"Did you not have a phone call to make?"
Ash stood there with Pikachu sitting on his shoulder, both perplexed by the Psychic Type Pokémon's words. Something clicked in the back of his mind, something which Mewtwo had told him to do. Sheepishly, he turned towards Oak, who was entering all the data into his computer.
"Professor, do you think I could use your phone to make another call?"
Oak, not diverting his attention from the computer, waved him off. "Sure, sure my boy. Go on ahead." He immediately went back to his current work.
Ash shrugged, before turning towards Mewtwo. "Will you be alright in here?"
"I shall be fine Ash." Mewtwo 'spoke'. "Now go and make the call."
Seeing the urgency behind this command, he quickly left the room and made his way towards the main Lab, which held the videophone. He took out his Pokédex, which contained the various numbers that he had stored during his travels, and searched for a particular one. Finding it, he dialed the number and waited for a few seconds as it rang, before being finally answered by a pretty, green haired, green eyed woman, who was wearing a familiar orange colored jacket with a black undershirt.
"Hello, this is the Pokémon Ranger Station in Mount Silver. This is Elizabeth. Who may I know is calling?"
Ash could hear, and see, the slight huddling of the Rangers behind Elizabeth, before he turned his attention back to the Ranger in front of him. A slight tingling went through his body, his face gaining a slight tinge of red on it as he gazed at the pretty Ranger. He didn't understand why this was happening, so he immediately shook his head, concentrating on the person.
"Ah…sorry. My name is Ash Ketchum and I was hoping I could talk to Ranger Mason," he spoke trying, and failing, at keeping his blush down. He didn't know how, but the woman was making him feel slightly warm from the inside.
The Ranger smiled, deciding not to pay attention to the blush he had on his face. "Sure, let me get her. Could you wait for a few moments?"
"Sure!" Ash exclaimed, getting a round of giggles as the Ranger disappeared from the screen. He turned towards Pikachu, wiping the bead of sweat that had formed on his forehead. "Hey bud, do you know what happened to me when I saw that Ranger? I was suddenly feeling warm from the inside."
Pikachu gave Ash an incredulous look. 'Of course he wouldn't understand what was happening to him. I swear I have the densest trainer in the world.'
Ash didn't get to say any further as a familiar red headed Ranger in a similar orange colored sleeveless jacket came in front of the screen. Though he could feel that she had come from some kind of conflict.
"Hey Ash, long time no see. You too Pikachu. How are you both?" Pokémon Ranger Mason asked.
"Good to see you too Ranger Mason. I'm fine here, what about you? You seem a little bedraggled." Ash asked, a small amount of concern making way to his face.
"Pi Pikachu!" the rodent Pokémon nodded as well from Ash's shoulder.
"It's nothing Ash," Mason waved him off. "Just a local Larvitar causing some problems. Don't worry-"
She was interrupted mid-speech when a loud shout of "LARVITAR!" came from behind her. She jumped back in surprise, before the deceptively heavy Pokémon jumped on her. Reflexes coming into action, she swept the Pokémon into her lap with a grunt before turning back towards the screen, giving Ash the glimpse of the Pokémon she held in her arms.
It was a small, green reptilian Pokémon with what seemed to be a rocky skin. It had a blunt spike on top of its head, a short, rounded snout, and triangular, black markings below and on the upper corners of its red eyes. Red scales covered its diamond-shaped belly, and there were several small holes in its body. Its short arms were lacking any fingers, while its feet had a single toenail each. It has a tail with a conical center surrounded by a ring of plate-like scales.
Ash winced in sympathy for the elder Pokémon Ranger as he recognized the Pokémon, having taken care of one for a short while in his Johto journey and knowing how the small Pokémon was deceptively heavy. The Larvitar in front of the screen locked eyes with for a brief second, before a wide smile made way to his face and it started waving at Ash, all the while waving his arms frantically.
Ash and Pikachu were both stumped, not knowing why the Pokémon was reacting to them in such a manner, before realization struck them.
"Larvitar!" Ash exclaimed. "Is that you bud?"
"Lar Larvitar!" Larvitar chanted its name frantically, the already wide smile widening even further, something that neither Ash nor Pikachu thought was possible. Seeing the smile on the Pokémon's face, they couldn't help but smile as well.
"It's so good to see you Larvitar!" Ash exclaimed.
"Pikachu!" Pikachu nodded in consent.
"Lar Larvitar Vitar Larvitar!" Larvitar continued, gesturing back and forth between them.
Ash gained a slow inkling as to what he was trying to say, and if the large grin on Pikachu's face was any evidence, even he was coming to the same conclusion. He didn't get to vocalize his thoughts, as Ranger Mason interrupted them both.
"Now hold it right there Ash!" she spoke, "what is going on over here? How do you know this Larvitar?"
"Don't you remember Ranger?" Ash asked incredulously, a look that was mimicked by Pikachu. "He is the Larvitar that I brought with me to unite with his mother. Although I still cannot believe that he remembers me."
"Lar Larvitar!" the young Pokémon shouted, indignant that he would forget Ash.
"I wasn't implying that you would forget me bud," Ash soothed the Pokémon. "I just thought that you would be focused with your mother."
"Oh!" Ranger Mason exclaimed sheepishly. "Sorry about that. This young one has been troubling us for a while. He just comes here every day and starts talking. We take him back to the Reserve, but he comes back and basically starts shouting at us. I just don't know what to do with this guy."
She groaned as she finished telling her problem. Ash, who already was having a suspicion, couldn't control himself any further and looked at Larvitar.
"Larvitar, do you want to join me in my journey?"
The Ranger's groaning came to an abrupt stop, and she turned towards Ash, her eyes narrowed. She was about to chastise him and tell him how Pokémon at Mount Silver were protected species and how trainers were forbidden from catching them, unless given express permission from the League. However, the reaction from the Pokémon sitting on her lap immediately dissuaded her from taking the course of action.
"LARVITAR!" the small Pokémon shouted out loud, before he started jumping up and down in joy, gaining several grunts of pain from the afore mentioned Ranger.
Mason quickly got hold of the Pokémon, not wanting her legs to be squashed under his weight, and placed him on the table in front of the phone. Taking a deep breath, she tried to think of any way to try and dissuade the Pokémon from going to the trainer, and unfortunately found none. She took note of the happiness that the Pokémon exuded as the duo in the screen had joined in showing their joy at finding a new member for their team. She couldn't help but smile as she saw the various promises Ash made to the small Pokémon. She realized that if there was someone who truly deserved the Pokémon, then it was this guy. A trainer who had travelled so far just to unite a mother and child, where others would have simply kept said Pokémon for their own use.
"Ash," she began, getting all of their attention. "You know that Mount Silver is a reserve where it is illegal to catch Pokémon, due to them being a protected species." She raised her hands to prevent him from speaking up. "However, the fact that it is Larvitar that wants to go with you which binds us. We cannot prevent that. Therefore, I shall allow you to have Larvitar."
She did not have time to say any further as both Ash and Pikachu started thanking her profusely, repeatedly saying that he would take extreme care of Larvitar and how happy they were due to her decision. She did have the time to prevent the Pokémon sitting in front of her from leaping at her. She did now want to have bruises from the collision.
"There are a few conditions though," she spoke. Seeing that they had stopped speaking and were looking at her intently, she continued, "I will need regular updates from you regarding his condition. Moreover, I will need updates from Professor Oak to act as a proof that you are treating him carefully. I know that you are a good trainer and would never harm Larvitar, it is a necessary formality for any trainer that gets Pokémon from the Reserve."
"It's all right Ranger Mason," Ash nodded. "I will inform Professor about this. Besides, I am staying in Pallet for the next four months. I hope that long will be enough to clear everything?"
"It might be…" the Pokémon Ranger mused, tapping her chin. "It will take a couple of months more than that, but if you treat Larvitar nicely, it will be a mere formality."
Ash's face brightened as he heard the news. "That's great, Ranger Mason. I promise that I will treat Larvitar nicely. Anyways, how do you intend to send Larvitar?"
"There are Pokéballs over here Ash," Mason commented dryly. "I will capture him using one and send him to you via the PC. Now hold on, I am fetching the ball."
Not waiting for a reply, Mason got up and went away, causing Ash to refocus on Larvitar.
"Hey bud, he began. "I cannot wait for you to come here. There are so many things that I am dying to show you."
"Lar Larvitar!" the small Pokémon bobbed its head up and down, his enthusiasm evident on his face.
Several seconds later, Ranger Mason reappeared in front of the screen, a standard Pokéball in her hand. She looked at Larvitar once again. "I am asking you one more time Larvitar, are you sure about this?"
"Larvitar!" the Pokémon nodded resolutely.
Sighing, Mason tapped the center of the ball on Larvitar's head, the Pokémon sucked into the Pokéball in a red beam of light. Not a second later, the ball dinged showing a successful capture. She turned her attention to the screen, back towards Ash.
"Alright Ash," she began. "Is your phone connected to the transfer system?"
"Yep," Ash replied, barely holding his excitement back.
"Then be ready, I am sending Larvitar to you," she continued. Behind the phone, she placed the ball on the transfer machine and watched as it disappeared in a white stream of electricity.
Back on the phone, Ash turned his attention towards the transfer machine, waiting for the newest member of his team. He wasn't disappointed when a Pokéball appeared in a white flash of electricity. He gingerly picked it up, and was about to release Larvitar when Mason interrupted him.
"Ash, the ball that I used is one used only by Rangers." She spoke, catching the trainer's attention. "Once you call Larvitar, the ball will destroy itself. You will then have to re-capture him so that he is registered as your Pokémon."
"It's all right Ranger Mason," Ash commented, before he called Larvitar out. The Rock Skin Pokémon appeared in a white flash, the Pokéball disintegrating not a second later. He stood there, confused for a few moments, before his eyes landed on Ash and Pikachu.
"LARVITAR!" Squealing in delight, Larvitar jumped on Ash. Knowing how heavy he could be, Ash braced for impact and was not surprised when Larvitar barreled into him, though the force of the impact did. He did not remember Larvitar being this heavy.
He gently patted the Pokémon on his head, before turning towards the phone. "I got him Mason. And don't worry about him. I promise to take good care of him. He is after all one of my Pokémons."
"I am placing my faith in you Ash," Mason spoke. "Don't make me come to regret it."
"You won't," Ash spoke resolutely. "Anyways, thank you for your help. I'll be in regular contact with you and keep you updated about Larvitar."
"See that you do, Ash. Anyways, I'll talk to you soon. Goodbye."
"Goodbye, Ranger Mason."
"Pi Pika Chu!"
"Larvitar!"
The trio waved her off as the screen blinked as the connection was broken. Ash turned his attention back towards Larvitar, who himself had a grin on his face.
"So Larvitar, ready to become my Pokémon?" Ash asked rhetorically.
"LARVITAR!" the Pokémon nodded, not wanting to wait any further.
"Then here goes," Ash took out one of his unused Pokéballs, and enlarging it tapped it on the Pokémon's head, once again sucking him in a red beam of light.
The ball immediately dinged, showing a successful capture.
Ash gazed at the Pokéball before giving it a small peck. "Welcome to the family Larvitar."
"It seems you have gained a new Pokémon," a familiar voice came from behind them, startling those in the room. Ash turned in the direction of the voice and was surprised to find Mewtwo standing in front of the door.
"Yeah," Ash spoke, rubbing the back of his head. "Larvitar is actually an old friend. I helped him reunite with his mother when he was separated as an egg." He blinked a few times as he realized something. "You made me call them for that reason, didn't you?"
The smirk that Mewtwo had on his face was all the answer that he needed. Shaking his head, Ash continued his questioning, "How did you know that Larvitar wanted to come to me?"
"You seem to forget that I was made as an impression of Mew, and it is supposed to have Psychic powers that transcend any known Pokémon. So, it wasn't unfeasible that I could hear Larvitar call out your name repeatedly." Mewtwo explained to a wide-eyed Ash.
"Wow!" Ash breathed in awe. Quickly recomposing himself, he spoke again. "Thank you Mewtwo. You don't know how much this means to me."
"Your thank you is unnecessary Ash." Mewtwo spoke. "You are my trainer and it is my duty to see that anyone who wants to be with you does so."
"You need to lighten up Mewtwo," Ash sighed. Seeing the confusion on his face, Ash elaborated, "While it is true that you are my Pokémon, it doesn't mean that you need to act subservient to me. All my Pokémon are my friend and they are treated as such. This includes you as well."
Nodding in reply, the trio slowly made their way out of the room, and were eventually joined by Professor Oak, who looked like he had struck a goldmine. When asking the reason for his expression, he simply replied that he had completed the Pokédex entry for Mewtwo and that he couldn't wait to tell the world about Mewtwo.
As they made their way into the Corral, there was a question that was nagging Ash. He therefore decided to ask the Professor about it.
"Hey Professor?" he asked, getting Oak's attention. "Is there any way that I can check what moves my Pokémon know? Tracy hinted that they had learned new attacks, but I don't want to simply ask them to demonstrate in case it is a dangerous one."
Oak blinked in surprise, before he spoke. "You mean you don't scan your Pokémon for the moves that they know?"
"Huh?" Ash replied eloquently.
"Ash," Oak asked. Slowly. "You know that the Pokédex allows you to scan for your Pokémon's moves, don't you?"
"Um…no?" Ash replied, scratching his cheek with his index finger, as his face burned crimson due to embarrassment.
Oak sighed. 'I have a lot to teach this kid' he thought.
"Give me your Dex," Oak spoke, extending his right arm. Ash took out his Pokédex and placed it on the Professor's outstretched hand. Eventually, they reached near the lakeside where all of Ash's Pokémon were resting. Seeing their trainer come, all of them jumped to their feet, although a few of them were still unnerved by Mewtwo.
Opening the touchscreen display, he pointed it towards Kingler.
"Kingler, the Pincer Pokémon. Kingler has an enormous, oversized claw. It waves this huge claw in the air to communicate with others. However, because the claw is so heavy, the Pokémon quickly tires. This Kingler is male and has the abilities Hyper Cutter and Sheer Force. This Kingler knows the moves Bubble Beam, Metal Claw, Iron Defense, Protect, Guillotine, Crabhammer, Hyper Beam and Rain Dance."
Ash stood there, transfixed, at what had happened. He was ready to bet his entire earnings from the Battle Frontier that Dexter had never given this elaborate information about the Pokémon. The next thing that had him in a bind was the attacks that Kingler knew. The last time he checked, Kingler did not know these attacks. And what the hell were the abilities?
Seeing his scrunched up face, Oak decided to intervene. "Your Pokédex had the facility that it allows you to scan a Pokémon you have captured to find out whatever moves it knows. However, it seems that somehow yours was disabled to simply show the basic data. As you can see I have enabled it. So, now whenever you catch a Pokémon and scan it, it will show all the data."
"Um…Professor," Ash spoke, as he made his way towards Kingler in order to congratulate him. The fact that he had learned those moves by himself was commendable and he wanted to show it to the Pokémon. "Dexter pointed out something about abilities." Ash continued, as he reached out to pet Kingler. "I don't understand what it meant." Now he realized how much he depended on Brock and his trove of knowledge.
As the Pokémon went to surround Ash, Oak elaborated. "Each Pokémon has an ability inherent to its species, the ability granting it some advantage. For example, your Kingler has the ability Hyper Cutter. This makes it impossible for your opponents to lower the strength behind his attack."
"But what about his second ability then?" Ash interrupted. "You said that each Pokémon has an ability. But Kingler has two. How can that happen?"
Oak did not seem affected by the interruption, and continued, "The second ability is something that we professors are calling the hidden ability. This ability, as the name suggests, is hidden within the Pokémon. Only when a certain criteria is met, does this ability manifest itself and becomes a normal ability. What the criteria is and how it is met is still a mystery, one that several Professors across the regions are trying to figure out."
"It is quite rare to find Pokémon who have unlocked their hidden ability, truth be told," Oak continued, he also seemed surprised that Kingler had his hidden ability unlocked. "Kingler's hidden ability Sheer Force means that any attack that has a secondary effect gains more power but loses its effect."
"Wow" Ash intoned, before turning towards Kingler, who was busy producing bubbles from his mouth. "You are a powerful Pokémon Kingler. And the moves that you know…I cannot say how proud I am of you."
"Koki Ko Koki!" Kingler gargled.
"Anyways Ash," Oak interrupted, "is there anything else that you need me for?"
"Not right now Professor." Ash spoke. "I am going to spend the rest of the day seeing what my Pokémon know and start their training. Though I might need your help later."
"In that case I will be in my lab," Oak commented before he started moving back towards his lab. "Feel free to call for me if you need anything."
"Thanks Professor," Ash waved him off before turning towards his Pokémon, all of whom seemed excited at the prospect of training.
"Now that everything is sorted out, I think we should begin our training. What do you all think?" he asked, already knowing the answer. Therefore, he wasn't surprised when all of them shouted in affirmative.
"Good. Now, for the rest of the day I am going to some mock-battles so that I can understand your skill levels, and then I can set up a training schedule for you all. You all ready?"
The collective shouts was all the affirmation he needed. He subconsciously ran his hand over the Pokédex, as he saw Mewtwo and Suicune stand off somewhat away from everyone. He then saw the challenging glint that Sceptile threw at Pidgeot, a look that was reciprocated.
He pondered who he should start the proceedings with, before finally coming to a decision.
"The first battle will be between Kingler and Totodile," he began, getting some groans from the rest of the Pokémon. "Don't be like that guys and girls," the last part added hastily, "I told you that will fight everyone, didn't I? Besides we have the rest of the day for that."
All of them acquiesced to his reasoning and parted away, emptying a large enough area to create a makeshift arena for battle. Everyone seemed pumped to see a battle, even Suicune and Mewtwo, although their interest was nicely guarded.
Ash turned his attention towards the duo who were standing in front of him, ready for his orders. "I am going to use Kingler in the fight," he pointed out to the Water-Type, who clicked his pincers in happiness. "Totodile, I want you to fight on your own. I want to see how you can handle yourself. Okay?"
"Toto Totodile," the Big Jaw Pokémon replied, right before it started his customary dance.
Ash shook his head at his Pokémon's antics. Previously, he would have been embarrassed at this, but now he understood how Totodile showed his happiness. And there was no way in hell that he would prevent this from happening. He then pointed his Pokédex towards him, wanting to know what new things the Water-Type had learned.
"Totodile, the Big Jaw Pokémon. Despite the smallness of its body, Totodile's jaws are very powerful. While the Pokémon may think it is just playfully nipping, its bite has enough power to cause serious injury. This Totodile is male and has the ability Torrent. Totodile knows the moves Crunch, Ice Fang, Slash, Water Gun, Headbutt, Scary Face and Dragon Dance. Note: Dragon Dance is an egg move."
Ash really felt that he was going to faint on the spot. Not only had Totodile enhanced his previous moves, but had gone on to learn moves like Dragon Dance and Ice Fang, the previous one of which really stumped the trainer. Although, when he thought about it, the 'dance' that Totodile usually did could act as a precursor for the move. He refocused his attention back on the Pokémon.
"You really outdid anything I had thought of you Totodile," Ash commented, getting another jig from the Pokémon. "Now, let's see how well you can do by yourself. You ready?"
"Totodile!" the Pokémon nodded. Right before it started dancing, gaining sweatdrops from almost everyone.
Ash made his way to one end of the clearing, Kingler standing in front of him, while Totodile went to stand across them, on the other end. Seeing that they were lacking a referee, Pikachu went to stand in the middle of the sidelines. He raised both his arms up, before turning towards each of the competitor, both of whom nodded.
Pikachu had barely brought his hands down before Totodile moved, the speed of the Pokémon taking Ash completely by surprise. His surprise did not last long as he saw the Pokémon's claws lengthen with a white glow on them.
"Kingler, Iron Defense!"
Ash himself winced as he heard his voice. 'Damn I have to take care of that as well,' he thought, before focusing his attention on the field.
Kingler's body shined brightly, before the light died down. Not a second later, his elongated claws cut across the Pincer Pokémon, gaining a wince of pain from the attack. As Totodile jumped back, Ash decided to go on the offensive.
"Attack with Crabhammer Kingler!" Kingler moved forward, his pincers glowing white as energy was stored in them. He was about to hit the water type, when Totodile danced his way out of the attack. The surprise on Ash's face increased when Totodile was suddenly encased in a turquoise aura. He cursed as he suddenly realized that the small Pokémon had used Dragon Dance to boost his speed, and most probably attack.
"Kingler, Guillotine!" he shouted out loud, knowing he had to finish the match quickly. Kingler responded instantly, moving forward to grab the Water Type in his pincers. In another surprise, Totodile dodged the attack, by using Water Gun on the ground.
"Kingler, Hyper Beam!" the sudden attack caught Totodile by surprise, and he could do nothing as the yellow-orange beam collided with him. Totodile cried out in pain, before crashing on the ground, creating a dust of cloud. Ash waited for the cloud to dissipate, worrying that maybe he had gone too far.
He was proved wrong when Totodile jumped out of the cloud, albeit with severe burns on his body, and charged headfirst into Kingler. Unable to do anything due to the effect of Hyper Beam, Kingler cried out in pain as the Headbutt hit him, sending him back several paces. Totodile did not wait another moment and charged once again, his teeth glowing with an icy aura.
"Kingler, use Protect!" Ash shouted out loud, as he realized the Ice Fang. Totodile had almost reached Kingler when he was surrounded by a vibrant green dome, protecting him from the Ice Type attack. Ash was happy to see though that the force of the attack was pushing Kingler back, and he could see Kingler panting from the effort to keep the shield up.
"Kingler, finish it up with Hyper Beam!" Letting go of the Protect, Kingler fired another Hyper Beam, the attack hitting Totodile point blank.
"Dile!" the Water Type cried out in pain, as he was blasted towards the ground. Ash stood there, worry evident on his face for his Johto Starter. He was about to move towards him when the dust cloud dissipated to reveal a heavily injured, yet still standing Totodile.
"Totodile, I think I have gauged Kingler's and your skill level," Ash spoke out loud, getting the Pokémon's attention. "Why don't you and Kingler rest for a while. You two did great."
Totodile, forgetting his state of exhaustion, started doing his usual dance, gaining laughs from several of the Pokémon available.
"Great job Kingler," Ash commented as he petted the Pincer Pokémon, "I can't wait to train more with you and make you even stronger."
"Koki Koki!" Kingler clicked his pincers, before moving off to the side. Ash smiled before turning towards Totodile. He gasped as he saw the scene before him, the reaction copied by almost all the Pokémon.
Totodile was suddenly enveloped in a mesmerizing white light. His body began to grow, with the body gaining a bit of girth. His long snout gained a more rounded shape, while spiky protrusions grew on his head. His tail grew a little longer, with the triangular spike on its end gaining a diamond-like shape.
As the light finally died down, Ash couldn't help but smile at the Pokémon that had taken Totodile's place.
"Cro Croconaw!" Croconaw squealed, before it started his usual dancing.
"You evolved into Croconaw!" Ash shouted in utter joy. All of his Pokémon joined in congratulating the newly evolved Croconaw, as Ash took out his Pokédex.
"Croconaw, the Big Jaw Pokémon. Croconaw is the evolved form of Totodile. Once Croconaw has clamped its jaws on its foe, it will absolutely not let go. Because the tips of its fangs are forked back like barbed fishhooks, they become impossible to remove when they have sunk in. Note: this recently evolved Croconaw has the ability to use the move Water Pulse."
"Well, damn..." Ash commented. "Did you hear that Croconaw? Water Pulse. That is a damn good move."
"Croco Croconaw!" Croconaw exclaimed, regaining his usual dance.
"All right everyone," Ash called out, "Now the next battle is going to be between…"
XXXXXXXXX
Ash made his way towards his home, the entire day having sapped him of his energy. He couldn't believe how much his old Pokémon had grown in his absence. The number of moves they had learned, while limited were extremely powerful. And the growth in their skills was beyond what he had imagined. There were still a few things that he needed to sort out, but he thought that the next four months would be enough for that.
He thought about the few hours that Oak had spent, teaching about the various facets regarding Pokémon. He couldn't believe how less knowledge he truly had about Pokémon. The professor had to teach him from the basics, although given the fact that he was so accustomed to Pokémon, he was easily grasping the concepts, a fact that Oak seemed rather happy about.
He remembered how he had decided to let Pikachu and Mewtwo stay in the Corral to allow him to bond with the rest of his Pokémon, while Pikachu just wanted to stay with the rest of them. As his home came into view, Ash couldn't help but quicken his pace, remembering about the cooking that he had to do with his mother.
"I'm home," he shouted as he entered his home.
"In here Ash," Delia's voice came from the kitchen, and without giving another thought Ash made his way towards said room.
As he entered, he saw his mother sitting on a chair, reading a book. Her attention immediately turned towards him, a smile making way on her face. The smile immediately waned a bit when she saw his disheveled state.
"How was your day honey?" she asked, as she placed the magazine away.
"It was great!" Ash exclaimed. "I cannot believe how much the rest of my Pokémon have improved in my absence. Makes me feel bad that I neglected them for so long. But still, that was in the past and I have already started to rectify that…"
The conversation soon turned out a bit long as Ash narrated his entire day, including his encounter with Mewtwo, although he did keep out the fact that he had died. He did not want to face his mother's wrath for that particular incident. Delia was stumped to hear about Mewtwo and how he had decided to join Ash. That made two Legendries in two days.
She then shooed him away, wanting him clean for the cooking lesson. After a quick bath, Ash was back in the kitchen, learning skills from his mother. He could easily say that it was one of the highlights of his day. As a young child, like any other child, he was embarrassed whenever his mother showed him love in public. But now that he was mature, or so he thought, he appreciated the time he spent with her. From the way she taught him the methodical way to create food, to the creativity involved in it. The banter that they did was also appreciated. For the first time, he saw her more as a friend than as a mother and felt that he could easily share his thoughts with her.
The lesson went on till the actual food was prepared, and they spent dinner eating in a comfortable silence. As the dishes were being taken away, courtesy of Mr. Mime, Delia called Ash into the living room.
As he sat down, he failed to notice the Psychic pressure applied on him by Mr. Mime. He also failed to notice the mischievous smile that Delia had on her face as she picked a book from the book shelf. It was only when the book was placed on the table in front of him that he paid attention to it.
The orange colored book, with the picture of a boy running after a girl and with the title 'Make out Paradise', made him want to run away from the room for unknown reasons. His instincts blared for him to run away when Delia gave a creepy giggle.
"Um…what is it mom?" he asked, as sweat began to cover his face. He tried to get up, but suddenly realized that he couldn't stand up.
"Ash…" Delia began, "this is a conversation that I think has been withheld too long."
The beads of sweat turned to rivulets on Ash's face as he suddenly started feeling warm from within for some unknown reason.
"I think it's time we had The Talk."
XXXXXXXXXX
Two hours later, a completely embarrassed, red-faced and mortified Ash Ketchum lay on his bed, with only one thought on his mind.
'I just hope Mewtwo can erase this memory.'
Phew. Writing this in one week was hectic. Anyways, now that I have seen the benefit of it, I have decided to concentrate on just one story at a time. It doesn't mean that I am abandoning any one of my fics. It just means that I will write one story at a time and publish it. It also means that since I am currently writing two fics, I will still update once every two weeks, so nothing different for you all.
The next update in two weeks.
Ja Ne!