So this is Chapter 12.
Thank you all so much for the reviews. They pushed me into writing the last chapter and this one. I'm so grateful.
Thank you to everyone who added this (and me) to their favorites/following. And a special thanks for reviewing to OhSoParanormal, rain, random bug, stars90, KaliAnn, and Adrienne Dark.
Word is messing with my spelling. Seriously, I added the words into the dictionary, and it's like "Well, it's still wrong, and you can't add it again" and sticking out it's tongue at me (I know it doesn't have a tongue, but if it did, that's what it would be doing). Almost a forth of every page was red, especially the Pokémon names, so sorry for any mistakes.
We will be finishing up at Mount. Moon and preparing to head to Cerulean City. Misty and Brock get a huge hint, and we learn more about the moonstone. Maybe. :P
Disclaimer: I don't own Pokémon. *goes back to searching for more Pokémon plushies on internet*
I think this is my longest chapter yet. Enjoy!
Brock shot him a panicked look, but Ash was already returning his Pokémon to their Pokéball and running in the direction Pikachu and Clefairy had gone.
Brock returned his Zubat and headed after him. "Ash, wait up!"
"Oh no!" Ash heard Misty cry out, echoing in the deep cave, and urgently tried to increase his pace. "Clefairy's running away!"
"Go after him!" Ash knew she couldn't hear him.
"Ash! Slow down." Brock panted from behind him. But Ash couldn't slow down. Clefairy was in trouble. And Pikachu was with him.
"Where are you going?" Pikachu called as Clefairy began hopping up a hill of boulders.
"There's a back way to get to the caves." Clefairy explained as he headed up. "Thanks for your help."
"Clefairy, come back!" Seymour cried out as he and Misty began to climb the boulders. Pikachu rolled his eyes at them, knowing that Clefairy was fine. But then he saw a white tail flicker on the mossy bridge Clefairy was headed toward.
"Clefairy, look out!" he screamed.
"What?" Clefairy called, looking back at Pikachu as he bounced along.
"Meowth's got you now." Meowth giggled as he jumped in front of Clefairy.
Clefairy backed away and fell off of the side of the narrow bridge. "Help!"
Misty gasped as Clefairy fell. She reached out for Clefairy. Her fingers skimmed the Pokémon, and she nearly fell down herself.
"Oof!" she heard from below. She glanced down to see Clefairy resting on Ash's chest, wrapped tightly in his arms. Ash had made a desperate lunge and only just managed to catch Clefairy enough to break his fall.
Pikachu raced over to Ash and Clefairy, splashing around in the water to reach them. "Are you both all right?" He asked anxiously.
Ash groaned faintly and forced his arms to relax as he fought to control his breathing. Clefairy stepped off of his chest and peered at him with concern.
Misty and Seymour clambered back down the boulders, making it to the bottom just as Meowth jumped down from the bridge, claws extended.
"All right. Give Meowth that moonstone." He demanded.
Seymour held up his hands. "Meowth, I'm sure we can be reasonable about this."
"No. We can't." Meowth snickered as he threw himself forward.
"Not so fast Meowth!" Misty said, standing up and throwing a Pokéball. "Staryu, swift attack!" she ordered as the star-shaped Pokémon appeared. Staryu shot golden stars at Meowth, disorienting Meowth and causing him to cover his eyes and moved away.
"Water gun." Misty told it next. Staryu soaked up water from the stream and shot it at Meowth, blowing him up into the sky. She didn't stop until Meowth could no longer be seen over the trees.
Misty waved. "Bye Meowth. Have a nice drip!" She glanced down at Staryu. "Staryu, return."
As Staryu disappeared back into the Pokéball, Brock came running up to them. "Hey! What happened? Where's Meowth?"
"We won't be bothered by Meowth anymore thanks to Misty the Mighty." She held up her hand and posed, grinning.
Brock eyed Seymour, who was still seated in the water, and Ash, who was slowly sitting up. Pikachu was chattering away, one paw on Ash's arm.
"Pika, Pikachu pika."
"Is everyone all right?" Brock asked.
"Ash, are you okay? Are you hurt?" Pikachu demanded of Ash. Ash shot him a wan smile and got to his feet.
"Thanks. I'm lucky I met you." Clefairy said gratefully.
"Clefairy, maybe you should stay with us for a little while. Just to make sure it's safe." Pikachu offered.
Clefairy nodded in agreement.
Ash eyed the setting sun. "We need to find somewhere to stop for a while, maybe make camp."
Misty, Brock, and Seymour agreed. They climbed out of the stream bank and onto a flat outcropping of rock just outside the trees.
Ash watched with interest as Brock's Zubat landed on his shoulder, and he held out a brownish ball. The Zubat nibbled it delicately.
"What's that?"
"This is Pokémon food, made from my own secret recipe." Brock said proudly. "I'll make a batch for Pikachu."
"How's it taste?" Ash asked.
Seymour took a ball and bit into it. "Hm. Not bad."
"Let me taste." Ash picked up his own and took a bite. He choked.
"Well you may not like it, but the Pokémon sure do." Brock laughed.
"No, it's not that." Ash said, swallowing. "There's too much seasoning."
"Really?" Brock asked, intrigued. "What do you mean?"
"It's just overpowering. Caught me by surprise. It's still good though." Ash looked over to Pikachu and Clefairy, both of whom were discussing, well, Ash, and Team Rocket.
"Pikachu makes friends really easily." Misty commented. Ash hummed in agreement.
"I wonder what they're talking about." Seymour mused.
"Ash." Pikachu called.
"What's up Pikachu?" Ash smiled at his friend.
"I need to go to the cave." Clefairy explained, bouncing away.
"Come on." Pikachu urged.
Ash turned to the others. "I guess we follow them." He said, shouldering his backpack and heading out.
It grew dark quickly as they followed Clefairy through the woods. The moon shone bright overhead. Misty was complaining that she needed a flashlight, but Ash couldn't understand why. The moon was definitely bright enough to see by.
"I can't see anything." She grumbled again, tripping over a tree root.
Ash took her by the arm and carefully maneuvered her around a short bush. "Here. Let me help."
Misty was about to argue that she could do it herself, but the earnest look in Ash's eyes stopped her. She considered it. It meant admitting weakness and accepting his help, but it also meant not being introduced to the ground every ten seconds. She sighed and let him guide her, Brock and Seymour stumbling around behind them.
Clefairy had started singing again, calling out that he had the moonstone and was coming. Pikachu kept trying to shush him.
"You'll tell everyone where you are." He scolded.
"Pikachu, where are you taking us?" Brock called out to the mouse Pokémon.
Pikachu and Clefairy stopped just in front of a cliff, where the opening of a cave welcomed them in.
"It's another cave." Seymour said in shock.
"Well yeah, where else would Clefairy be taking us?" Ash rolled his eyes and followed Clefairy and Pikachu into the entrance of the cave. The rest quickly followed.
Ash couldn't stop the grin that lit up his face. He stared at the giant hunk of moonstone that reached the open top of the cavern.
Everyone else oohed and ahhed.
"It's the core of the moonstone." Seymour's voice was reverent.
"This feels like a dream." Misty sighed.
"So the moonstone legend is true." Brock said, shocked.
Ash was about to ask why that had ever been in question with Clefairy carrying around a piece of it, when Clefairy himself caught his eye. "Hey, what's Clefairy doing?"
Clefairy skipped past them and placed his moonstone fragment in an open space at the bottom of the moonstone, then skipped back to join them once more. Other moonstone fragments surrounded the giant hunk of meteor.
The fragments began to glow with a blue light, followed by the larger boulder. Dozens of Clefairy came out of the tunnels leading farther into the caves.
"There's so many of them." Misty said.
One Clefairy approached them and bowed slightly. "Welcome."
"I think it's saying hello." Brock pointed out. Ash nodded absently, still in awe of the moonstone.
"What are they doing?" Misty asked as the Clefairy began leaping around the moonstone. It looked like some kind of dance.
The Clefairy were all speaking over one another and at odd intervals, and it was giving Ash a headache trying to listen to them.
"Moonstone, moonstone, grant us your gift. Give us worthy ones your power, we pray." They chanted.
"Amazing. These Clefairy formed their own society."
"Do you really pray to the moonstone?" Pikachu asked the Clefairy that had been traveling with them.
Clefairy waved his arms in excitement. "Yes. Of course we do. Just like those before us did."
"Why?" Pikachu asked, genuinely curious.
Ash stepped closer, wanting to hear the answer, but the other Clefairy got louder and blocked Clefairy's response.
"Pikachu, what's Clefairy saying?" he asked.
"They pray to the moonstone." Pikachu answered eagerly.
"You understand that?" Seymour asked.
Ash blanched, and he looked everywhere but at the humans in the cave. "I, um, no. Of course not." He tried to smile, but it was more of a grimace. "But, uh, I'm good at guessing?" It sounded more like a question, but he became more confident with this excuse. "Yeah. Because Pikachu and I are so close."
Brock furrowed his brow. Why was Ash so startled by this? It was a simple question with an obvious answer. He shot a look at Misty, who was frowning as well.
But it was impossible. Humans couldn't understand Pokémon.
Right?
Right. Ash was just a good guesser, like he said.
But Brock couldn't shake the thought that there was more to this than he was seeing.
He resolved to keep a closer eye on Ash.
Misty was unknowingly mirroring his thoughts.
"Ash, stop looking so guilty. You're going to give away your secret." Pikachu chided his friend.
Ash snapped out of it, and his smile became warmer, less forced. Pikachu was looking out for him, even though he thought the whole secret thing was stupid.
"Well obviously, the Clefairy collect all of these rocks." Ash said, trying to stall and think of something to say. He hated lying to his knew friends, but how could he tell them what was happening and not give himself away?
"And they dance. They," he watched Pikachu jump up and down, and then Pikachu picked up Clefairy with his tiny arms.
"The Clefairy pick up?" Brock questioned. "A pick-up truck?"
"Close."
"Raising?" Misty asked. Pikachu nodded. "Sounds like raising."
Pikachu rolled his eyes. "Sorry Ash." He said before leaping up and ripping a hair out of Ash's head. Ash yelped.
"Come on, you're close."
"What rhymes with hair?" Misty pondered.
"I know. Prayer." Brock suggested.
"The Clefairy pray to the moonstone." Ash interjected quickly, glad that they could now move on with the conversation, and he didn't have to stand there awkwardly.
"Is it because the moonstone fell from the heavens?" Seymour asked.
"The moonstone reminds us of those we have lost, and we remember them by praying for the moonstone to bless us." Clefairy replied. "We're not actually sure where it came from."
"Maybe the legends are true." Misty offered up. "Maybe the moonstone did come from space."
"Of course! Pokémon and humans will ride the moonstone into outer space. First to the moon, then to mars, then together the stars!"
Pikachu scoffed, and Ash bit his lip to keep from laughing.
"Stars? That's our cue!" a voice said from behind them. They turned to see Jesse, James, and Meowth. Meowth had been the one to speak.
Ash sighed in exasperation. "Why are you still here? Don't you know when to quit?"
"You keep away from the moonstone or else!" Seymour yelled at Team Rocket.
"Oh no." Clefairy cried.
"Them again." Pikachu growled.
"Or else?" James scoffed.
"I think we've been threatened." Jesse agreed.
"You shouldn't have to be threatened. It's common decency." Ash snapped. "This moonstone is the Clefairys'."
"Yeah. L-l-leave this cave at once!" Seymour ordered. The stuttering ruined the effect of the words.
"His knees are shaking. What a wimp." Jesse sneered.
"I'll show you!" Seymour charged.
"No, wait." Ash tried to warn him, but it was too late. Meowth stepped to the side and stuck his foot out, tripping Seymour. The poor scientist lost his balance and fell hard to the ground.
"Did you have a nice trip?" Meowth laughed.
"Where are my glasses?" Seymour began patting the ground in front of him. "I can't see anything."
"Oh, Seymour." Misty sounded upset.
Ash glared at Team Rocket. How dare they cause all of this trouble and hurt both the Pokémon and the people who were trying to protect them. Sure, Seymour was annoying, but he had a good heart.
Jesse pulled out a Pokéball and threw it.
James pulled out his own. "Enough talk."
"I agree. Let's go Pikachu!" Ash called.
"My pleasure."
"Onix let's go." Brock called, throwing a Pokéball to the cave floor.
"You're going down!" Koffing snapped and Ekans hissed in agreement.
Pikachu jumped onto the ridge just under Onix's head. "We can take them!" he shouted, glaring down at Ekans and Koffing.
"Let's show them that size doesn't matter." Jesse declared. "Ekans, underground."
"Koffing, smokescreen." James ordered.
Ekans burrowed his way underground and Koffing began spewing acrid black smoke from large openings around his face.
"Oh not again." Pikachu grumbled, sparking, as he and Onix were engulfed in the thick smoke.
Ash began coughing. He tried to search out Pikachu and Team Rocket, but he couldn't see anything. He fumbled down at his waist and his fingers met a Pokéball. He unhooked it and tossed it into the smoke. "Pidgeotto, help." He gasped out.
Pidgeotto was released with a bright white light. He took one look and began flapping his wings, not needing to be told what to do. He beat his wings hard and soon the cavern was clear.
Ash gulped in the clean air and glanced around. "Where's Team Rocket? And the moonstone?"
"They stole it." Misty said in shock.
"The match was just a trick." Brock was fuming.
Ash felt cold. He was angry. The Clefairy were crying out to each other, wringing their paws and looking hopelessly around the empty space where their prize used to sit. They were trying to comfort each other, some patting others on the back.
How dare Team Rocket. How dare they even think that this was okay? To take something so precious to another…
"Ash?" Pikachu asked, concerned. He rushed over to Ash and tugged on his pants. "Ash…"
"Is he all right?" Pidgeotto swooped closer to get a better look.
Ash looked down at Pikachu. "We have to get it back. Come on." His voice was quiet, but cold.
"Ash?" Misty called. Brock turned at the sound of her voice.
"That Moonstone is precious to the Clefairy. We have to get it back." Ash walked out of the cave, the crying Clefairy playing over and over in his ears.
"Onix, follow them underground." Brock told his Pokémon. Onix quickly dug his way into the rock and disappeared. Misty and Brock turned to follow Ash out of the cave.
Outside, Ash turned to Pidgeotto. "Fly high up and tell me if you see Team Rocket please." Pidgeotto took to the sky immediately.
Pikachu scooted closer to Ash. "Ash? What's the matter?"
Ash leaned down at lifted Pikachu into his arms. "These Clefairy use the moonstone to remember those they care about, and now they lost it. They're really upset." He sighed. "I can't bare that they're so sad, and I know what it's like to lose what you care about. But at least we can help them get it back."
He looked at Pikachu, eyes full of hurt. "Why do humans do things like this?" he asked despairingly.
Pikachu nuzzled his head against Ash's chin. "I don't know." He answered quietly.
Misty and Brock ran out of the cave. "Ash, why are you just standing here? We need to find the moonstone." Misty demanded.
"I sent Pidgeotto to look for Team Rocket. I figured it would be faster than trying to find them on foot in the woods." Ash explained, stroking Pikachu's soft yellow fur with his hand. Pikachu purred.
The rumbling eased something tense inside Ash, and he smiled faintly. "We will get it back." He mumbled to himself.
Pikachu licked his chin. "Of course we will."
"I sent Onix to follow them underground as well." Brock told Ash. Ash nodded.
There came shouts of panic and a shriek of laughter and Pidgeotto swooped down. "Onix came out in front of them and they crashed. This way!"
"Come on." Ash called as he followed Pidgeotto. Misty and Brock shrugged and hurried after him.
"There they are." Misty announced unnecessarily as the three humans and two Pokémon approached the downed group.
"Onix, bind them." Brock commanded.
Onix roared his agreement and began to wrap around, but James ordered Koffing, "Counter attack."
Koffing threw himself and Onix. They collided, and both Pokémon went down for the count.
"Onix." Brock despaired.
"Hey look." Ash pointed to the hole Onix had created in the ground. Seymour's head was popping out of it.
Suddenly, dozens of Clefairy hopped out.
One of them, the one Ash, Pikachu, and the others had helped, turned to him. "The human with circles was right. Thank you for your help, but we will take it from here."
Ash watched with avid interest as the Clefairy all grouped up in front of Team Rocket.
"What's going on?" Meowth asked, backing up to stand with Jesse and James.
"They're moving their fingers." James said, beginning to sway in place.
"This way and that way. This way and that way." Meowth said, and now the entire team was swaying.
Ash felt himself start to sway as well. He'd never seen this attack before. The chanting of "Calm-safe, calm-safe" in soothing tones and the swaying of the Clefairy was lulling him into a deep state of relaxation.
"This is an attack the Clefairy use call the metronome. I've never seen the Clefairy use the metronome before. Who knows what will happen."
The Clefairy stopped speaking at the same time, and there was a massive explosion of red light, throwing everyone to the ground. Ash jerked around as he fell and shielded Pikachu with his body.
Jesse, James, Meowth, and their Pokémon were thrown into the air and carried far away, screaming about the attack.
Ash got to his hands and knees and peered down at Pikachu, brown eyes meeting brown eyes. "Are you okay?" Ash whispered. Pikachu nodded, and Ash looked behind him at a soft white light.
The Clefairy were evolving. Ash was stunned and thrilled, and he began racking his brain for what the evolved form was called.
He pulled out his Pokédex and aimed it carefully at the evolved Clefairy, expecting it to show him the information he needed.
A picture appeared. "Clafable." The Pokedex announced. Ash jumped. "An advanced form of Clefairy. These unique creatures are among the rarest Pokémon in the world."
Ash closed the Pokédex and shoved it back into his pocket. He hated computers. He only put up with them because he had to, and they were useful. Sometimes.
"The power of the moonstone did this." Seymour breathed in wonder.
Ash, Seymour, Misty, and Brock rigged a sled and lugged the precious moonstone back to the original cave. When it was settled there, they panted for breath, watching.
The Clefairy started dancing around the moonstone again. But this time, they were chanting a thank you to the moonstone for the blessings on those who had evolved.
Ash was entranced.
"I've decided to live here with the Clefairy." Seymour announced suddenly.
"Huh?" Ash blinked up at Seymour. The man appeared to be serious.
"It's been my life's dream to find the moonstone." Seymour explained eagerly. "Someday I'll travel to the stars with the Clefairy."
"Wow." Misty sounded in proper awe.
"When you do, remember to send us a postcard." Brock said, trying not to laugh.
"Moron." Pikachu sighed, shaking his head in surrender.
They spent the night in the cave with the Clefairy and Clefable. The next morning, they waved goodbye as they left the cave and walked back into the forest.
"Goodbye Seymour, Clefairy, Clefable." Ash called as they got farther away.
"So long Ash! Goodbye Pikachu! And thank you all." Seymour yelled back.
Brock waited until they were far enough away to mutter, "Do you think Pokémon really did come from space?"
Misty smiled brightly. "It's fun to imagine they did." She winked.
Ash snorted.
They walked in companionable silence until the came across a wooden sign labeled "Cerulean City". Misty's face fell when she read it.
"This road leads to Cerulean City. I guess we're heading the right way." Brock considered the sign. "Hey, there's something else scribbled here."
"Yeah, they say that some kids like to leave notes on these signs." Ash said, looking closer. "What's it say? 'Gary was here. Ash is a loser.'"
His shoulders slumped. Good mood gone, he turned away from the sign and trudged in the direction of Cerulean City.
Brock and Misty exchanged worried looks and hurried after him. "Ash, wait up." Misty called.
Pikachu was worried. Ash had said that he hadn't had any human friends before Misty, but Pikachu hadn't thought much of it. Now he wondered exactly what that entailed. If the other hatchlings didn't play with Ash, how did they treat him?
"Up." He demanded.
Ash obediently scooped him into his arms, and if his grip was tighter than usual, Pikachu didn't complain. It was obvious he needed the comfort. Pikachu cooed sadly, a wordless noise that soothed Ash with the warmth and care in the sounds.
"What do you think that was about?" Brock whispered to Misty, concern showing in his eyes as he studied Ash's hunched shoulders and slow gait.
"I don't know." Misty fretted, momentarily forgetting that they were heading toward Cerulean City and focusing on her friend's pain. "Let's ask him tonight. It's obviously bothered him a lot, but I think Pikachu's helping right now."
Brock agreed, and they struck up a forced conversation to try passing the time and seem normal.
Ash didn't seem to notice, too lost in his memories and Pikachu's soft trills.
So yeah, I hope you like it. This is sort of a cliffhanger, but I'm not sure how much. *Sheepishly rubs back of neck* Sorry.
Ha! And Ash kind of liked Brock's Pokéfood. Who saw that coming? Readers mutter, "Everyone". *sweatdrops*
So, more suspicion, and next chapter, a little taste of what Ash's childhood was like.
Suggestions and ideas are good, reviews are amazing. Even one-word reviews are appreciated. Constructive criticism is good. Flames will be used to fuel Team Rocket's balloon (thank you salman21).
P.S. I need more ideas for what to do with flames. I'm having trouble thinking them up! Leave your ideas in a review. You will be credited.
See you next chapter!