"" - Human speech
'' - Pokémon speech (humans cannot understand it)
Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon and am not in any way affiliated with it.
They're finally going to Alola this chapter! Lol, well I hope you guys enjoy. If there are any problems with the story, feel free to let me know down below in the comments, and I'll try my best to fix them :).
Also, I promise there will be battles next chapter! And he will catch some Pokémon, of course. Let me know if you want me to follow the anime series, or make up my own team. If it's the latter, which ones?
Ash smiled in delight as the cool air from the AC blew a steady stream directly onto his face, causing his hair to stand up, and his clothes to fill out like a balloon. Pikachu hopped onto his shoulder, and sniffed the air.
'Pika Pika!' It exclaimed.
"What's that, Pikachu? Do you smell something?" Ash responded, rubbing the fur around his best friend's neck.
Serena looked up at the sight, smiling wistfully at the close bond the two shared, taking a moment before speaking.
"It looks like we're here. Pikachu must have sensed the flowers." She laughed.
The two friends were finally on a plane to the Alola. After a quick, but delicious, dinner the night before, and a good amount of sleep, Ash and Serena had woken up refreshed and excited. And with two hours to get ready and get to the airport.
But of course, knowing Ash, they arrived just as the gates were closing. Dashing towards the plane, they had practically thrown their tickets at the attendant in their mad rush to get seats.
Now, so close to the Alola region, the two could feel their excitement renewed at the prospect of not only exploring this new region, but spending time with one another. Even as they were thinking about what lay ahead, Serena blushed before turning away and scolding herself for it.
I'm sure he doesn't even think anything of me. She thought. Little did she know Ash had been voicing the exact same thing in his head.
At last, the plane landed, bouncing up once before finding ground once again as it hit the runway at 160 mph, speeding past buildings, cars, and people. Ash and Serena jumped up in their seats, then looked at each other uneasily.
Neither had ever been in a plane before, and it was a new, and frightening experience. Smiling reassuringly, Ash reached out and squeezed Serena's hand, unconsciously holding it for just a bit longer than what was needed.
After they determined their stomachs were in the right spot, and their pulse was steady and even, they reached up into the storage and grabbed their luggage. Ash had merely brought a sleeping bag stuffed with clothes and other items. But Serena, being the Kalos queen she was, had filled an entire suitcase, and now struggled to pull it down.
"Better leave that to the men." Ash joked, heaving the suitcase clear of the compartment and setting it down in the narrow aisle of the plane.
"Don't get used to it." Serena replied, but thanked him nevertheless.
Finally they were all set.
"You ready to go?" Ash asked, grinning from ear to ear.
"Ready when you are." Serena replied with a smile.
And just like that, they were off to Alola.
The three pokémon sat on a handmade wooden stage with white markings all around it. They flapped their wings, flicked their tails, and did tricks in the air. Serena immediately began walking around the three, interacting with them, testing them, and introducing Fennekin.
Ash looked on with a peculiar expression before copying her actions. At last he stepped back.
"Hmm…." Ash stroked his chin, and little wisps of hair were pulled down in the process.
To his right was a sea-blue seal with a light blue coral-like collar. It twirled in the air, and barked happily, wagging its tail up and down.
Ash then looked to the very left, where a small owl stood. It was everything you would expect, but interestingly, the pokémon wore a unique green bow tie for a nice touch. Rowlet was almost as energetic as Popplio, flapping its wings and soaring up into the air before landing again and jumping up and down.
In the center a grim kitten stood stock-still on all four legs, looking up as Ash walked over. It was pure black, except for the red stripes on its legs and the pattern on its forehead, along with the entire bottom of the face. Ash reached out to stroke Litten, but was met by a scorching jet of fire. He barely managed to jump out of the way.
"Woah! Calm down there. Reminds me a bit like you Pikachu, doesn't it?" Ash remarked.
'Pika Pika!' It said indignantly.
"You can't deny it." Ash grinned.
He looked back at the three Pokémon and opened up his Pokédex, comparing final evolutions, stats, and moves. It was a tough choice, but at last he made up his mind. Pikachu had helped of course, pointing to different things on the device, and nodding his head in agreement or disagreement. It wouldn't do to have his first two pokémon hate each other.
"Alright." Ash declared. "I have chosen."
He turned around, and pointed at Rowlet, who in return, jumped up in excitement, and into Ash's arms, nuzzling his chest. Ash laughed aloud in surprise and joy, holding Rowlet up for all to see. For special effect, he turned around in a circle, a grin lighting up his features as he viewed his new partner and knew he'd made the right choice.
"Well, it looks like you two have chosen each other." Hala said.
Hala was the island's kahuna, meaning Ash would have to battle him after completing each trial the captains thought up. If he beat Hala, Ash would be allowed to move on to the next island, and publicly recognized as a Pokémon trainer. After a brief introduction, Hala had led Ash and Serena to the main stage where battles took place, for Ash to choose his starter Pokémon.
"What do you mean?" Ash asked.
He had always regarded his pokémon as friends, even in his dreams, but also knew they were his. Ash had never thought a pokémon could choose it's master the way he had chosen Rowlet.
"Well, not only do you choose the pokémon, but the pokémon has to choose you. If you two don't work together from the very start, what hope is there for a future relationship? At least most of the time." He said quickly, looking at Pikachu. "Luckily, it looks like Rowlet has certainly taken to you quite well." Hala continued.
Ash smiled at his pokémon, then set it down on the ground.
"I'm sorry, but I have to put you in a pokéball now." He said.
Rowlet yipped in displeasure, but let Ash capture him without a problem.
Suddenly, unable to contain her excitement any longer, Serena ran towards Popplio. She had been waiting for Ash to make his choice first, but now that he had, it was time to make hers. In reply, the seal somersaulted onto her shoulder, nearly toppling Serena over from the unexpected weight. She laughed, and brought it up to eye-level, where it began an animated conversation with Fennekin, who was resting on her shoulder.
"It's perfect." She said, hugging her new partner.
Pulling out a pokéball, she quickly caught her new partner, before tucking it safely inside her bag.
Serena's gut had instantly told her to pick Popplio, but she had walked around Litten nevertheless. The owl had been quite adorable, but Ash had already chosen it. She wasn't too upset, because it stats weren't as high as she would have liked, and as long as he was happy, so was she. However it seemed a perfect first for Ash. With as much training as they did, it was sure to become immensely strong, and Serena smiled at the thought.
As for the fire cat, it just seemed so... grim. It was as if it never seemed to have fun. And it's final evolution was quite typical: the massive muscled beast that just knocks everything out cold. Serena had nothing against it, but already having chosen Fennekin, she felt it would balance her team out better if she tried a different approach.
Inside, Serena was quite happy. Not only did Popplio have the highest stats for its special attack and defense, but it was just generally beautiful. It's final evolution had just the right amount of finesse and beauty, and along with it came an air of importance and expectance. It had the ability of being able to make you do what it wanted without you even thinking about questioning its authority.
"Well done. I can see you'll have no problem on your journey." Hala said.
Ash and Serena jumped in surprise. They hadn't realized the kahuna was still there.
"Now, if you'll excuse me, I've got some business to attend to."
"Of course, thank you so much for all your help." Ash said gratefully, stepping in.
Hala nodded his head and headed back to where they had come from.
Now that they were all alone, Serena finally saw an opportunity to speak to Ash.
"It's adorable!" She squealed, looking directly at Rowlet.
Ash had taken his first Alolan pokémon out of his pokéball so it could have some fresh air right after capturing it. After all, he reasoned, there was no need for it to stay cooped up in there for the time being.
But now, Serena scooped Rowlet up in her arms, and rocked it gently from side to side. In response, the pokémon burrowed its head in her chest, parting her hair aside to make a mini nest.
Ash grinned at the sight.
"It looks like it likes you more than me." He said jokingly.
Serena went to give it back, but Ash stopped her, saying it deserved a nice rest.
She readily complied, glad to know she hadn't offended him. Rowlet stayed nestled in her arms all the way back to a small inn in which they had decided to stay. Lucky for them, it remained hidden, for only minutes after they had gone up to their rooms, did a stranger wearing pure black shorts and a tee with a white cross in front, come barging in.
He wore a white bandana with two black holes in the front, and below it was a mask of the same black color, with a white bridge pattern, resembling teeth. All together, the headset looked almost like a skull, with only the eyes and bits of hair peeking through the two parts.
Across the man's neck a silver S engraved on a black circle hung from a chain. He was fingering it with his right hand, showing off a black cuff around his arm, with white edges to it, further adding to the black and white skull theme. To finish it off, the man wore black socks and white sneakers, which now tracked mud all over the inn floor.
He approached the innkeeper, who was cowering behind the bar.
"Have you seen a small boy and girl about the same height pass through here?" He growled.
The innkeeper looked around nervously, asking for silent help. But none was to be found. All eyes in the room were downcast, not daring to look up.
"No-no. I haven't seen them. Sir." He finally managed.
The grunt snarled, showing off glistening sharp teeth. The innkeeper backed away further in fear.
"You wouldn't mind if I checked then, would you?"
The pokéball in his left hand ceased its previous endless cycle of up, down, up down, as the man tossed it towards the ceiling and back.
Without waiting for an answer, he barged up the stairs, his heavy sneakers thumping on the creaky wooden boards, threatening to break under the weight.
Reaching the end of the hall, he saw a light shining underneath the doorway, and his brows furrowed in anger. He glanced shortly back down at the entrance of the inn, making a mental note to give the innkeeper a piece of his mind.
The grunt then shoved the door open to reveal a startled boy and girl. Ash immediately went to grab his pokéballs, but realized too late he had left them in the adjoining room.
"Well, well, well. Look what we have here." the man sneered, his lips turning up and curling like a dog. "This is going to be fun."