The Adventurer

by Rockadoodle88

Ash Ketchum, talented rookie and one of the lucky few to leave Pallet Town as a new Trainer, has wanted a Squirtle by his side ever since he was little. However, when that dream is snatched out of his hands on his first day as a Trainer, he ends up with a certain robotic duck Pokemon instead. Cover image by Cortoony on Deviantart.

6. Swift as a Coursing River

Chapter 6

I do not own Pokémon. I only own my OCs.

Ash sat in a cushioned chair, fiddling with his thumbs. The hallway he was sitting in was white, and smelled like copious amounts of cleaning fluid. He saw doctors and nurses rush past him out of the corner of his eye, not paying him any mind. Angelina and Professor Oak were sitting on either side of him, both of them silent. He hated hospitals, or just medical facilities in general. Whenever you were there, you were usually uncomfortable, whether you were getting a shot or test, or waiting patiently as the doctors operated on one of your friends. In this case, it was the latter.

It had been over four days since the events of Mt. Moon took place. In such a short span of time, so much had happened. It had hurt Ash's head just to think about it.

Professor Oak had immediately rushed Nate into the hospital, and the nurses working there hastily put him on a stretcher. Ash still remembered seeing his limp body on the stretcher, fear pooling in his stomach. It was only until he remembered the condition their Pokemon were in that his thoughts were focused on something else, and Professor Oak had immediately teleported to the Pokemon Center right after.

Thankfully, a PokeBall could keep a Pokemon in stasis when their condition was critical. Needless to say, Nurse Joy was overwhelmed by the amount of Pokemon in such a bad state from all the Trainers captured, and League Pokemon doctors were appointed to the Cerulean City Pokemon Center to help out.

It had been almost midnight when they had gotten to their rooms, but Ash couldn't sleep. He was too busy worrying about Nate and all of his Pokemon, and had woken up the next morning tired and groggy.

Soon after, he had received word on his Pokemon's condition.

Petal had gotten the least amount of injuries out of all of their Pokemon, only suffering minor burns from Koffing's Flamethrower. Dexter on the other hand, wasn't so lucky, and its tail piece had received moderate damage from Raticate's fangs. Even though Petal had been healed rather quickly, he had wanted to stay behind until Dexter was recovered as well. Ash was going to let him, but the doctors wouldn't allow it.

Saur had taken major damage to his right leg, and if it wasn't for the lucky evolution, he might've never been able to battle again for a long time. Jigglypuff had also gotten a lot of poison injected into its bloodstream by Ariados's fangs, but it was nothing that Chansey's Heal Bell couldn't fix.

Understandably, Angelina was shaken up the entire thing, and had purchased an entire pack of poffins for her Pokemon. Ash knew she was going to spoil them rotten, although he couldn't blame her. He had already bought tons of Occa Berries for Petal to snack on. Dexter's present was still something he was working on.

Nate's Pikachu had received minor poison damage from a Drowzee's Poison Gas, but Charmeleon and Nidorino's ribs had been cracked by Exploud's Focus Punch. Medical technology had improved by leaps and bounds over the last few decades, but even so, Charmeleon and Nidorino's injuries were still too severe to be treated quickly.

Currently only Nidorino, Charmeleon, Saur, and Dexter were still being operated on, and Ash couldn't wait until he saw his starter again.

They had also been questioned by the police, and Ash had told them the story of what happened, from the initial capture, to the escape, to the all-out battle with the Rockets. The detective interviewing him was understanding of his situation and had sent him on his way soon enough.

For the next few days, Ash had done some light training with Petal. Despite the high-intensity situation, Petal had gotten quite a lot of practice with powder moves, and eventually Ash was satisfied enough with his progress to deem them battle-ready. However, Ash had mostly stayed inside the Pokemon Center, checking up on Dexter's condition every now and then. He didn't have the drive to train when his starter was still injured that badly. He just wanted to see Dexter again.

Ash was snapped out of his thoughts when he heard a door open, and a nurse peeked her head out. "Nate's ready to see you three." she said in a soft voice. All of them lifted their heads and followed her into the room where Nate was being kept.

The first thing the raven-haired boy saw was the hospital bed sitting on the opposite side of the room, where Nate was sitting. The brown-haired boy was wearing a hospital gown, and a monitor sat next to his bed, a beep ringing out every few seconds. Nate waved at all of them, and before Ash could wave back, Angelina ran over to him and hugged him as hard as possible.

"Nate!" she exclaimed. "You're okay!"

"Grrk!" Nate grunted. "Can't... breathe... let... go..."

"I'll leave you guys alone for now." the nurse said, walking out the room and slowly closing the door. Eventually Angelina released her grip on the boy, allowing him to breathe. Nate watched as the nurse left the room, and when the door was completely closed, he turned to Ash, Angelina, and Professor Oak, his eyes wide.

"Guys, you have to get me out of here!" Nate said frantically. "I've been trapped in this room for days! It's so boring here! I just wanna leave already!"

Professor Oak shook his head. "I'm afraid we can't do that, Nate." he said. "The doctors still need to run tests on you to make sure your recovery is going smoothly. You took a nasty hit from Proton's Crobat, and they need to make sure you didn't suffer any side effects."

Ash noticed Nate clench his fists and look down. He couldn't imagine what it must feel like to be stuck in a hospital bed after being attacked by such a dangerous Pokemon. He'd make that Crobat pay if he ever came across it again. Angelina seemed to have similar thoughts in her head, as she narrowed her eyes. They'd never be able to look at Zubat the same way ever again.

"Speaking of that slimy low life... did the League manage to arrest him?" Nate asked the professor. Angelina and Ash both looked up at the professor as well. eager for the answer. Ash was really hoping that madman was locked up in prison somewhere for good.

However, Professor Oak let out a sigh. "Unfortunately... no." he said, seemingly drained. "While I was helping you three out, Proton managed to escape the clutches of the League. His Crobat had used Haze to cover his tracks. Normally Sol, my Arcanine, would've been able to sniff him out, but he used the momentary cover to teleport out of Mt. Moon with another Pokemon. While I doubt he'll attack anyone out in the open, I suggest that you three be very careful over the next few days."

The professor's expression then hardened. "I also expect all of you to not mess with Team Rocket from now on." he said firmly. "Team Rocket is extremely dangerous, and it is not your job to try and stop them. I am not about to let one of you get killed because you weren't careful. They. Are. Not. A. Joke. Do I make myself clear?"

All three children nodded rapidly, knowing that the Professor was being dead serious at this point. The Professor relaxed his expression, and Ash, going through what happened in Mt. Moon once again, decided to speak up.

"What'll happen to all of the Pokemon that the Rockets used?" the raven-haired boy asked. The Professor rubbed the back of his neck upon hearing the question.

"It's hard to say, Ash." he responded. "Many of the Pokemon used don't know how to do anything apart from cause harm and destruction. If an experienced Trainer can take up the challenge, they can hopefully provide a home for some of these Pokemon and help them realize the error of their ways. Some of the Pokemon were under the influence of drugs, and will need to go through extensive care and therapy until the drugs make their way out of their system."

The Professor then looked down. "A few however... are beyond saving." he said solemnly. "If they've been part of Rocket for a long time, then chances are that they'll only cause problems for anyone taking care of them. Releasing them into the wild is out of the question as well. So, as unfortunate as it is, they may need to be put down."

Ash frowned. It was unrealistic to expect that these Pokemon could re-enter society so easily. While he would've liked to give one of the Rocket-owned Pokemon a place on his team, it would most likely only cause problems. Suddenly there was a knock at the door. The nurse peeked her head inside and whispered something to the professor. After an exchange of murmurs, Oak looked toward Nate.

"Nate, the police are here to see you." the professor told him. "They're just here to ask you some questions. Are you ready to let them in?"

The boy looked toward Ash and Angelina for a split second, and then nodded. "Sure."

Professor Oak gave the boy a small smile. "Well then, I think it's time we take our leave. I have to get back to Pallet Town to attend to important matters, and I'm sure Ash and Angelina are tired from the hospital visit." he said. "So I wish you a speedy and painless recovery, Nate."

Nate gave the older man a thumbs-up. "Thanks Professor." he said with a grin.

Ash and Angelina gave the boy a final wave, before leaving the room. As Ash walked through the doorway, he noticed Officer Jenny standing next to the entrance of the hospital room, tapping her foot impatiently. She noticed them come out of the room and gave them a polite smile for a split second, before going back to her serious demeanor and walking into the hospital room.

The three of them were silent as they left the hospital, before Oak finally spoke. "I suppose it's finally time for me to leave." the old man said. "Remember what I said, you two. Especially you, Ash. Your mother has been worried sick about you ever since I told her about the situation."

Ash gulped. Crap. He'd forgotten to call her throughout the entire ordeal. Professor Oak seemed to notice Ash's horrified expression and chuckled. "Don't worry, Ash." he added. "I already told you that you three had gotten to Cerulean City safe and sound. But she still expects a call from you sometime soon. Oh! And one more thing."

"I remember you asked me about your Porygon's evolution several days ago." the professor said. "I have some good news and bad news regarding that. The good news is that Dr. Akihabara said he'd be happy to produce another Up-Grade for you to use." Ash's eyes brightened at that, and the first genuine smile he'd made in days had suddenly appeared on his face.

"However, it's going to take almost a month to complete." Professor Oak continued. "Judging by the rate you're going at now, I'd say you'd get this item before your third badge, maybe even after. Computers are complex machines, and transferring data into a solid object that is compatible with a Pokemon and can cause it to evolve takes a long time. If you ever visit Cinnabar Island, be sure to stop by Dr. Akihabara's mansion. I think he'd appreciate the company."

Ash nodded, and with that, the professor unlatched a PokeBall from his belt and pressed the release button, releasing his giant Exeggutor, Bec. Now that Ash was so close to it, he was able to really see how large it was. The leaves on its head extended several feet outward, and if Ash had to guess, it was probably at least eight feet tall, and towered over him and Angelina. Its three heads seemed to have dopey expressions on their faces, but Ash knew better than to judge its power based on that. He'd seen how much destruction it could deal in official matches, and even though it was past its prime, he didn't doubt that it was still powerful.

"I'll see you kids soon. Stay safe you two." the Professor said. His Exeggutor glowed for a moment, and then both of them blinked out of existence.

Angelina and Ash stood there for a moment, choosing not to say anything to each other, the events of the last few days swirling around in their heads. Finally, the blonde finally broke the silence. "Guess we should get back to the Pokemon Center." she finally said. "I don't know about you, but I'm a little hungry."

Ash's stomach suddenly started to growl loudly, and he gave the girl a sheepish smile. "Heh. Me too."

---

"Use Fire Fang!"

Charmeleon growled, its jaws becoming cloaked in flames, as he rushed toward Dexter. The Porygon swerved out of the way, the telltale glow of Agility produced afterimages as the Normal-type moved. However, the fire lizard wasn't about to let Dexter rest, as it continued to advance on the Virtual Pokemon, swinging its claws wildly. It suddenly slammed its tail into Dexter's side, throwing it off balance.

"Thunderbolt!" Ash ordered, thrusting his arm out.

"Use Metal Claw!" Nate called.

The Fire-type's claws adopted a metallic sheen as he slammed them into the ground, just as the Thunderbolt shocked him. However, the electricity was immediately diverted into the ground and Charmeleon unburied his claws and let out a roar. Ash gritted his teeth. By the looks of it, this was going to be harder than he originally anticipated.

"Dragon Rage!"

"Psybeam!"

The two attacks met in a large explosion, covering most of the battlefield in smoke. Charmeleon rushed through, fangs aflame, as he clamped down onto Dexter's leg piece. The Porygon warbled and tried to shake the lizard off, but the Fire-type only dug its claws and fangs deeper into the Normal-type. Ash started to grow increasingly worried. Dexter still hadn't mastered Thunder Wave yet, and if Charmeleon continued to hang onto the Porygon, this battle would be over.

"Psybeam! Aim for the head!" he ordered. Dexter swerved his head toward the Fire-type currently causing it quite a lot of discomfort, and cocked its head like a blaster, before letting lose a pink laser that slammed into Charmeleon's skull, causing it to snarl in pain as it let go of the Virtual Pokemon. Dexter made sure to keep its distance from the lizard, and waited for another order.

However, Nate beat him to it. "Smokescreen!" he called.

Charmeleon let out a torrent of inky, black smoke, which covered a large area in front of Ash, engulfing his starter. The boy gritted his teeth. Dexter couldn't see, and neither could he. Which meant that Charmeleon could close to distance between him and Dexter quite easily and...

The Porygon was suddenly launched out of the smoke cloud, impacting with the ground quite hard. Ash ran over to his starter, whose leg pieces were bent at an unnatural angle and eyes were swirls. He knew that Dexter wasn't actually in immense pain, the damage to its blocky limbs was only superficial after all. Still, he couldn't help but be a little disappointed in himself that he lost. He heard a few people standing on sidelines clap and cheer, before moving on to do other things.

Ever since Nate and Angelina's starter Pokemon had evolved, Ash had found it much harder to battle either of them in training matches. Neither of his own Pokemon were evolved yet, and struggled to take out their Pokemon. Nate had the highest win count out of all of them when they faced each other, as he had a type advantage against both of Angelina's Pokemon as well as Petal, and was usually able to tire Dexter out unless it was a one-on-one battle.

Of course, evolution wasn't everything, and while rare, there were cases of Pokemon being able to beat their evolved counterparts. Not because they had a type advantage, but because their Trainers were able to execute strategies that would allow them to turn the tides of the battle. But since he had limited options at this time, Ash didn't have that luxury.

The raven-haired boy recalled Dexter and smiled at Nate from across the battlefield, the other boy giving him a wave. His eyes lingered on Nate for a moment, and he frowned. It felt like just yesterday that he'd been attacked by Proton's Crobat. The image of Nate's bloodied back still haunted him. Had Professor Oak not been there... had they not gotten to the hospital in time... had Proton gone for the neck...

Ash shuddered. The fact that Nate had almost been killed still occupied the thoughts of the boy, and he found himself thinking about how easily Proton had been able to swat away Randy and Julian's Pokemon. He and Angelina had been interrogated by the police, as well as the rest of the Trainers who were captured in Mt. Moon. The days that came after the attack had all felt like a blur to Ash.

He followed Nate into the Pokemon Center, and both of them handed Nurse Joy their Pokemon before taking a seat in the lobby. Some of the Trainers who they had met in Mt. Moon were still in Cerulean City, and Ash spotted Jet and Skylar sitting in a far corner in the lobby, talking between each other. He thought about saying hi, but it seemed like they didn't want to be bothered.

They'd been staying in Cerulean City for the past week and a half. Ash had spent most of that time training in preparation for his battle against the Sensational Sisters. They were the Gym Leaders of Cerulean City, but also hosted water shows in the Cerulean Gym that people could buy tickets to watch. Ash had never gone to one, since it seemed too girly, and he questioned why so many older males seemed to be interested in them anyways. All the show had was girls in swimsuits.

Both of them heard Nurse Joy call their names, and took their PokeBalls from the tray she laid out. Ash sighed. Maybe some training would help take his mind off what happened in Mt. Moon. He reached over to the side of the front desk and pulled a pamphlet out of a holder. Ash flipped through it, hoping to find somewhere he could battle some other Trainers. He noticed Nate get up from his seat and walk away from him, muttering something, but Ash couldn't hear what he said, and continued reading.

Aside from the obvious option of the Cerulean Gym, there was a path that led north of Cerulean City, where eventually one would reach the Nugget Bridge. It was a popular spot for Trainers to hone their skills, and led toward a small island where a lone lighthouse stood. Ash could definitely use the practice against other Trainers his level. Nate and Angelina were getting too strong for him...

He eventually decided on taking the two hour walk to Nugget Bridge. It was just after noon, so he'd hopefully be back from training in the evening. After reattaching his two PokeBalls to his belt, he walked out of the Pokemon Center. Ash inhaled the fresh seaside air, and started his trek.

---

Ash found himself being challenged to a battle every few minutes by the time he got to Nugget Bridge. Despite the name, it was in fact not made out of golden nuggets, nor chicken nuggets, but just solid steel, much to his disappointment. Trainers of varying skill level and age frequented around the bridge, and Ash had no trouble finding someone to battle with.

And speaking of which...

"Butterfree, use Air Slash!"

The purple insect chirped and released a flurry of white, blade-like projectiles from its wings, each one battering Dexter as it was pushed back. When the Butterfree finally relented, the Porygon retaliated with an attack of its own, sending a powerful Thunderbolt towards the Butterfly Pokemon, knocking it backwards. However it still managed to stay in the air, and its Trainer, a Bug Catcher, called out another command.

"Psybeam!" he ordered.

"Match it with your own!" Ash commanded.

The two Pokemon fired their respective pink beams as both of them clashed with each other, both sides trying desperately to overpower the other. Ash noticed Dexter's Psybeam pushing Butterfree's further and further away. The butterfly's eyes widened as the Porygon's attack exploded in its face, sending it careening toward the ground. Butterfree's body slammed into the ground, out cold, and was recalled back into its ball within a second of its defeat.

The bug catcher thrust a crumpled handful of bills into Ash's hand, stuffed his hands into his pockets, and left without a word. Ash watched the boy leave, before shrugging and putting the bills in his jacket pocket. A plus side of encountering so many Trainers was that you could make plenty of money. While Ash had still lost a few times against some of the more powerful Trainers, he'd still made a decent amount of money. If he were to ever encounter a place where he could buy TMs, he'd definitely set his sights on buying some of those.

By now he had already reached the end of Nugget Bridge, and sat himself down, pulling out his lunch. He'd managed to stash a few leftovers from the Pokemon Center cafeteria: some sausage and broccoli. Petal was an herbivore, so it didn't seem particularly bothered by the fact that Ash was eating plants. After Ash had finished mixing his pellets with some Oran berries, he started to eat his own lunch.

The moment of silence allowed him to do a little bit of thinking regarding his Gym battle. He knew that his battles would still be 2-on-2 matches, at least until he got his second badge. Petal and Dexter both carried super effective moves against Water-types, and once again, Petal would be his ace in this battle, thanks to his resistance to water attacks.

What was really bothering him however, was that he wasn't able to find out what kinds of Pokemon the Waterflower sisters used. They each had tons of different Pokemon, some of which they used in their performances. He'd probably have to make up a strategy on the spot if he was going to win. For now though, he'd just focus on making his partners stronger.

Before he could dwell more on the upcoming Gym battle however, he heard a slight rustling noise a few meters away from where he and his Pokemon were sitting. From a nearby bush popped out a Clefairy, who didn't seem to notice Ash and his Pokemon sitting near it. The boy raised an eyebrow. What was a Clefairy doing this far from Mt. Moon? The Fairy-types were already quite rare to find in their natural habitat, but finding one miles and miles away from its home was quite lucky.

Without making a sound, Ash reached into his backpack, pulled out a PokeBall, and chucked it at the Clefairy. The Fairy Pokemon noticed the sphere soaring towards it, and threw itself to the ground, the PokeBall soaring over its body. When it got up, it shook a fist at Ash, who just blinked in surprise. However, what came out of the Clefairy's mouth would only serve to flabbergast Ash ever further.

"Watch where you're throwing that thing, you hooligan!" the Clefairy yelled in a voice quite similar to a young man's. Ash's jaw dropped, and his Pokemon looked towards the talking Clefairy in surprise. First that talking Meowth and now this? Fortunately the Clefairy seemed to notice the raven-haired boy's confusion and shock, because it crouched down on its knees and clasped its tiny hands together as though it were pleading.

"Please, you've gotta help me!" the Clefairy wailed. "My name's Bill, and I'm a true blue Pokemaniac, through and through! I was doing some experiments with my Clefairy, and long story short, I'm stuck in her body!"

Ash raised an eyebrow. The Meowth he had met in Viridian wasn't actually a human, or at least he didn't think so. The Clefairy apparently named Bill noticed the boy's skeptical expression and crossed his arms and frowned.

"I'm being serious here, kid!" the human-turned Pokemon yelled, waving his arms about. "Please please please! I promise I'll make it worth your while! I've been stuck in this body for hours! Do you know how many Trainers have tried to catch me today!? Huh!? Twenty-six! And when I try to tell them I'm a human, they still try to stuff me into a PokeBall!"

Ash looked towards the sky, blocking out Bill's rant. The sun was slowly beginning its descent, but if he was quick, he could maybe make it back by dinner. Besides, he couldn't just leave this poor guy here all alone, stuck in a body that wasn't his. That was just wrong.

"Okay, I'll help you." he said with a smile. "I'm Ash. From Pallet Town." Bill's eyes lit up and he started jumping for joy. Luckily no Trainers were nearby, so Ash didn't have to worry about protecting Bill from anyone trying to catch him. He didn't know of any Trainers who would just pass up catching a creature as rare as Clefairy. Still, if he wanted to keep he from getting captured, Ash had to make it look like Bill was his Pokemon.

"But if you're a Clefairy, shouldn't you be able to just use your powers to get back to your body... or something?" Ash asked. Bill frowned.

"Kid, if I knew how to actually use moves, I wouldn't be asking you for help." Bill replied. "I'm practically a sitting Psyduck in this body. My Clefairy's consciousness is probably trapped somewhere in this body too. The faster I get home, the safer Clefairy and I will be."

Ash looked over at Dexter and Petal, who seemed just as confused about the situation as he was. "You guys don't mind that Bill travels with us for a bit, right?" he asked them. Both of his partners shook their heads, and Ash smiled, glad that his Pokemon were understanding of the situation. The Clefairy's eyes traveled toward Dexter, who he hadn't noticed until now, as its body was partially obscured by the bush is was sitting by. His eyes bulged out of sockets.

"I-is that a Porygon!?" Bill exclaimed, pointing at the blocky Normal-type. His eyes gleamed as though he was looking at the biggest diamond in the world.

"Yeah, it is." Ash said, eyebrows raising. "How do you know what a Porygon even is? No one I've met seems to recognize it."

Bill looked at Ash incredulously and put his hands on his hips. "I thought I told you already! I'm a true blue Pokemaniac!" he said. "I've researched Pokemon for most of my life! Ask me about any Pokemon, and I'll probably know it! If I don't, it's either a myth, hasn't been seen in decades, or you're just trying to trick me. And that Porygon right there, is one rare specimen." Suddenly Bill narrowed his eyes and squinted at the boy. "You didn't buy it off some smuggler... did you?"

Ash's jaw dropped. "Huh!? Of course not!" he yelled. "I got it from Professor Oak! Here, I even have the Pokedex he gave me!"

The boy pulled out the small red device and showed it to Bill, pressing the power button and showing him his Trainer ID. Within a few seconds, the look of suspicion on the human-turned Clefairy's face turned to one of surprise. "Woah! You're one of Professor Oak's Dexholders? As in, the Pokemon Professor?" he asked. "Wow! I really lucked out meeting you!"

Ash rubbed his head bashfully. "The professor gave me and some other kids permission to go on our journeys early." he explained. "Since he ran out of starter Pokemon, he decided to give me Dexter." He decided to omit the fact that Gary Oak snatched his Squirtle out of his hands. But he wasn't going to hold onto that resentment any longer. He liked having the Porygon around.

On cue, Dexter hovered over to the boy's side, not taking its eyes off the Clefairy. Ash couldn't tell if it was suspicious of the newcomer, or just interested. Then again, the last people who showed interest in Dexter were Team Rocket, so he supposed the Porygon had every right to be wary.

"Dexter, huh?" Bill mused. "Nice nickname!"

Ash suppressed the urge to roll his eyes.

"Anyways, since you happen to have such a rare specimen, do you mind if I take some time to study it and draw up some diagrams once we get to my home?" Bill asked. "I just can't pass up on the chance to study one of these Pokemon!"

Dexter cocked its head at the researcher's antics. Ash squinted at the much shorter being in front of him, thinking for a little, and shrugged. "If Dexter's fine with it, I am too." he said. Immediately after, the Porygon nodded its blocky head, and the Clefairy beamed.

"Well then what're we waiting for?" Bill said excitedly. "I'm not getting any younger here! Let's move!"

---

Bill waddled beside the boy awkwardly as they continued their quest to get him back to his original body. Ash had let Dexter hover beside him as he walked, and Petal was currently sitting on top of his head, ever so often being nudged back into place by Ash so he wouldn't fall. Bill had frequently glanced at Dexter as they walked, observing it with curious eyes. The Porygon didn't seem to mind, or it just didn't care.

"Fascinating..." the Clefairy muttered to himself as he continued to stare at the mechanical marvel. At first Ash thought it was weird, but he soon got used to Bill's constant muttering. Besides, it was nice that he was taking such an interest into his starter anyway.

Soon they rounded a path that led straight through some low-hanging trees. Ash ducked under the leaves and marveled at the sight before him, a pristine beach with a hill standing on its lonesome off to the side. The sun, which was now descending lower and lower into the sky, reflected off the water and the sand crystals, creating a marvelous scene. He tilted his head upward and noticed a faint glow coming from Petal's leaves.

Various Water-types hung around the shore, such as Psyduck and Krabby. While Ash was interested in possibly adding one of them to his team, he had more important matters to attend to.

"Beautiful, huh?" Bill commented, placing his hands on his hips. "That's the view I wake up to every morning. My home is over there by the way." He pointed a stubby finger at a giant lighthouse standing at the top of the hill, a large beacon shining across the horizon like a searchlight. Ash's eyebrows raised. It must've cost Bill a pretty penny to buy the lighthouse, or at the very least build it.

Soon enough, both of them had climbed the set of stairs leading toward the researcher's home. Ash had withdrawn Petal back into his ball, as he didn't want the extra weight bringing him down. He stood in front of the door to Bill's house and wiped some sweat from his brow, waiting for him to unlock it.

The Clefairy just stood there, doing nothing. Ash gave him an annoyed look.

"How do expect me to type in the passcode when I'm less than half your height?" Bill said, gesturing to the small screen attached next to the large wooden door of his home, complete with four rows of buttons. "I need you to pick me up so I can unlock the door."

Ash sighed, sucked in his gut, and lifted the human-turned Clefairy upwards, just enough so he could reach the control pad. With the reflexes of a Meowth, Bill punched in the code. A beep rang out from the speaker above the keypad, and a robotic voice spoke. "Welcome." it spoke, sounding very similar to Bill. "What. Is. The. Secret. Passcode?"

"Nye." Bill said. A few seconds passed, before a click was heard, and the wooden door to the lighthouse creaked open slightly. "Welcome. Back. Bill." the voice droned as the door was unlocked. Ash put down the human-turned Clefairy and walked into the house, with Bill and Dexter following. What lay before him was a large hallway, with doors to various different rooms leading into it. A huge metal chandelier hung by a chain on the ceiling, illuminating the area.

Bill let out a sigh of relief. "Ah. Home sweet home." he said. "Now come on! I have a body to get back to!"

The researcher ran toward a door on his left and pointed toward it, motioning for Ash to open it. Ash recalled Dexter and walked toward the door, turning the handle, causing the door to slowly open with a creak. Inside the room seemed to be some sort of lab area, with a small window pointed toward the ocean. Papers were strewn all over the floor, some of them blank, others with notes and diagrams scrawled on them. Empty coffee cups were also scattered across the floor, their insides void of any coffee.

Ash stepped over a large book in the middle of the floor and picked it up. It had a faded, dusty cover, and its title read "Myths and Legends of the Kanto Region: How Our World Was Created.". A picture of a pink, feline Pokemon was displayed on the front.

"Heh. Sorry about the mess." Bill said, shoving some papers into a messy pile. "I knocked over a lot of stuff in my panic, and I haven't had a chance to clean up for... obvious reasons. Anyways, come here Ash. I have something to show you."

The human-turned Clefairy led him toward a machine standing in the corner of the room, which consisted of two metal pods connected by a thick wire, with a computer screen hooked up to the middle. Ash stared at the odd contraption. So this thing must have turned Bill into a Clefairy, or rather, transported him into its body. The Clefairy walked up to one of the pods and tapped on it, causing it to open with a hiss.

"Behold, the Mind Link!" Bill exclaimed. "A machine that allows Pokemon and humans to become one! Mentally, of course. Not physically. That would be gross. But... I forgot to do a safety check before testing, and now here we are. So I need you to turn on the machine once I step into the pod, and pull that lever towards you. Once that's done, everything should be back to normal. Understand?"

Ash gave the researcher a nod and moved closer to the screen. Instead of there being a keyboard, there were buttons of varying shapes and sizes, as well as a lever attached to the side. There was a red power button next to the lever. Bill stepped inside the pod, and Ash heard the pod close with another hiss. He pressed the power button and the mission hummed to life and started to whirr. Ash stared at the odd contraption for a few moments before pulling the level toward him, placing two hands on it as he did so.

Suddenly the Mind Link started to whirr and hiss loudly, and lots of shaking came from the machine. Ash stepped backward, looking nervously at the machine. On one hand, he was very afraid of how dangerous this machine looked, but on the other hand, Bill was still inside there, and turning off the machine now could have consequences regarding returning back to his original body.

Just then, the machine stopped shaking and it let out one more hiss. The door to one of the pods opened and out stumbled a dazed Clefairy, who immediately flopped onto the ground. The other pod opened as well, and a man in his late-twenties stepped out, flexing his limbs experimentally and smiling in disbelief.

"Ah, it feels good to be a human again." he said. Bill suddenly noticed the Clefairy on the floor and ran over to the Fairy-type, placing her on a swivel chair in his office. He reached into a drawer and pulled out a small, pink, Persim Berry. The Clefairy started to chew, and began to brighten up as she continued eating.

Bill walked toward Ash and gave him a bright smile. "Thank you, Ash." he said. "I appreciate you taking you time to help me with my little predicament. In fact, why don't I show you something while you're here? I think you'll love it."

The brown-haired researcher rushed out of the room, leaving Ash standing there a little confused. The boy walked out of the room and saw Bill turn a corner. Ash followed the researcher, who was fumbling with a set of keys. In front of him was an ovaliish, clouded glass door. Bill gave the boy a wide smile before unlocking the door and stepping inside, Ash following behind.

The raven-haired boy gaped at the sight in front of him. He was standing inside a ginormous glass dome built into the lighthouse, jutting out towards the sea. The dome was on the opposite side of the front entrance, the setting sun making a beautiful blend of colors in the sky.

However, the poetic appearance of the sky was not was Ash was looking at. He was gaping at the artificial habitat inside the dome that they were in. Inside the room was an assortment of different species of Pokemon, the majority of which Ash had only seem diagrams of in textbooks. A small stream ran through the area, where Water-types were either swimming in or sitting by the edge. Lush ferns and shrubs populated the area, and a small dirt battlefield was laid out the corner.

"Welcome to the Oasis!" Bill said, thrusting his arms out. "A paradise for all of my Pokemon! Many of the Pokemon I've collected throughout my travels are rare, and so I thought a Pokedex holder like you would appreciate the additional research material to help you in battles."

However, Ash wasn't listening to Bill's explanation, as he was staring at a peculiar Pokemon sitting by the far right of the sanctuary.

"Is that a Lapras!?" he exclaimed. The boy's eyes widened at the sight of a creature with blue skin, kind eyes, flippers, and a large gray shell on its back. It sat by where the artificial river began, in which water was coming from a pipe and splashing on its back. The raven-haired boy noticed that there was a large gash on its neck and part of her front left flipper was missing, and frowned.

"Yep. Her name's Lola." Bill responded. "She was captured by poachers and confiscated by League officials. She was too beaten up to be taken back to the wild, so I volunteered to take her in and after months of paperwork and examinations, they let me keep her. She's a sweet girl, and she's been super useful in my research. Not much is known about the Lapras species, so the information I got out of studying her was super valuable."

Just then a creature covered in slender, blue vines with red, boot-like feet ran up to Bill's feet and looked up at him, its two large eyes staring at the man. The researcher smiled and patted the Tangela. "It's nice to see you too, Binder." he said. Bill turned to Ash. "Why don't you let your Oddish and Porygon out so they can play with the other Pokemon here?"

Ash nodded, and sent out Petal and Dexter. Petal noticed the Tangela, who started to run away, the Oddish chasing after it happily. Dexter just hovered there and stared out the window, unsure of what exactly it was supposed to do. Bill smiled.

"Not the sociable type, eh?" Bill asked. Ash shook his head, and Dexter stared at the researcher. The boy watched Petal interact with the other Pokemon, the stress of his adventures in Mt. Moon leaving his mind. This was just what he needed.

---

"Interesting..." Bill muttered to himself, scrawling furiously on a notepad. "Your Porygon's silicon coating doesn't have any sort of damage or decay, which suggests some form of regeneration." Dexter floated there and looked at the man crouched before him, blinking, before going back to staring at a random patch of grass. Bill held a Thunder Stone close to Dexter's body, and the inside of it started to shine ever so slightly.

"Hints of Electric-type energy..." Bill murmured, again writing in his notepad. Ash watched Bill observe his starter, before looking out of the dome window once more. His eyes widened as he realized that the sun was disappearing beyond the horizon, and the clock on his Pokedex read that it was almost 7 PM. How long had he actually been here?

Ash suddenly stood up, catching the attention of Bill and Dexter. "I'm sorry, but I've gotta go soon." he said. "I have to get back to Cerulean City. My friends and I are staying there, and I don't know when I'll get back to the Pokémon Center."

"No worries!" Bill said, waving his hand dismissively. "I've already collected more than enough data." The man seemed to realize something, and stood up as well. "Oh! I almost forgot to give you your reward for helping me!"

Ash blinked in surprise. He was about to reply, but Bill had already opened the door to the sanctuary and ran out. The raven-haired boy stood there confused for a moment, and Petal ran up to him, having finished playing a game of tag with Bill's Tangela.

Suddenly the researcher came back in and shut the door, holding a leather briefcase. As if Bill wasn't already in the room before, a Leafeon and Glaceon sitting in the corner of the sanctuary suddenly stood up and trotted over to the researcher. Ash had noticed them in the room before, but they mainly kept to themselves while the other Pokemon played.

"Oakley! Elsa!" Bill said. "This is the Trainer who will be taking care of your pups!" The Leafeon and Glaceon glanced at Ash for a moment, before deeming him worthy and turning their attention back to Bill. Ash looked at the researcher, who was already unlatching the briefcase.

"Wait... pups?" the boy questioned. Bill nodded gleefully, flipping open to cover to the briefcase, exposing three PokeBalls. Ash took one out of the bag and looked into it. Inside was a small, sleeping Eevee. The boy looked at Bill, confusion evident on his face, and the researcher hastened to explain.

"You see, my Leafeon and Glaceon had a litter of three pups more than a year ago." Bill said. "I discussed this matter with both of them, and they feel that the best way for their pups to grow is for them to see the world and explore. However, being bound to my research has its cons, and I can't provide that experience for them. Which is why, when I saw how much love you had for your Pokemon and the little hesitation you had to help me, I thought you'd be the perfect person to take care of these pups. And if Professor Oak trusts you enough to give you that Porygon, I know you'll do well with these Eevee."

Bill looked toward the Leafeon and Glaceon couple, who nodded their heads silently. Ash just stood there, at a loss for words. Bill was entrusting him with yet another rare Pokemon to add to his team. It was like some sort of godly, all-powerful figure was influencing his life so that he could do well. But even so... Ash knew he couldn't keep an entire litter of Eevee on his team. He wasn't a parent, and he didn't know if he could handle the responsibility of raising three Eevee pups all at once.

"I... can't." Ash said, and Bill's face fell. "I'm don't think I can provide a good home for all three of these Eevee yet. I can't just take one, can I?"

Bill shook his head. "They're a packaged deal, Ash. I can't just split three siblings up." he explained, his face falling. "But I understand. Maybe I can find something else to give you, like an evolutionary stone or a TM."

Ash watched the Leafeon and Glaceon lower their heads and nuzzle each other. He felt bad, he really did, but he just didn't have the resources at the moment to take on a challenge like this. He couldn't take care of three Eevee pups on his own!

...unless there were other people he knew that could.

"Wait, Bill!" Ash blurted out, catching his attention. "I can't take of the Eevee, but I'm traveling with two friends of mine right now. They're also Trainers who were endorsed by Professor Oak, so maybe I can give the other two Eevee to them!"

Bill paused for a moment, before he broke out into a smile. "Why Ash, that's a splendid idea!" he exclaimed. But then he looked Ash in the eye. "But I want to ask you something Ash. I have full confidence in Professor Oak that he trusts those talented Trainers enough to send them off on their own journeys. But my question is, do you trust them too?"

Ash paused for a moment. He'd traveled with Nate and Angelina for over a month now. He'd already seen how much they cared for their Pokemon as well. Sure they had their flaws, but everyone did. And they were willing to fight criminals alongside him to save their Pokemon. If anyone could take care of the Eevee, it was them.

"Yes." he said. Bill smiled and handed him the briefcase.

"Well alrighty then." he said. "It's settled. Oh, and don't worry about your journey back, Ash. I've got it completely covered." The researcher took out a PokeBall from his belt and sent out a levitating, cat-like Pokemon whose eyes were closed.

"Abra here will teleport you to where you need to go." Bill said. "You're staying at the Cerulean City Pokemon Center, correct?" Ash nodded, staring at the sleeping Psychic-type. Abra could evolve into the very powerful Alakazam given time, but in their current form, couldn't do much. Abra tended to sleep for the majority of their lives, at least until they evolved into Kadabra. However, despite being asleep, Abra could still listen to their Trainers commands and perform actions, all while conserving energy.

"Abra, mind teleporting this young man to the Cerulean City Pokemon Center?" Bill asked it. The Psychic-type said nothing, although it did start to glow. Bill waved goodbye to the boy, and before Ash could wave back, he was whisked away. Ash felt a strong pull and was blinded by the light that followed the teleportation. For a split second, the boy felt like he was going through some ultra-bright tunnel at supersonic speed. Within milliseconds, the sensation stopped, and Ash found himself in front of the Cerulean City Pokemon Center.

Abra blinked out of existence once they got to their location, and the raven-haired boy suddenly realized that he hadn't exactly planned what would happen if Nate and Angelina said no. He supposed he would just have to return the pups in the morning. It would be disappointing, but it would be something he'd have to do.

Ash walked into the Pokemon Center, clutching the briefcase closely. He muttered a hello to Nurse Joy before heading up the stairs to his room. He inserted the key into the keyhole and opened the door, where both Angelina and Nate were looking out of the window. They whipped their heads around once they saw him enter, and suddenly ran up to him.

"Where were you!?" Angelina exclaimed. "We thought you got captured by Rockets or something! Do you know how close I was to calling your mom!?"

"Yeah! What gives, Ash!?" Nate yelled, waving his hands around. "I'm not exactly agreeing with Ms. Worrywart over here, but you were gone for hours! What was so important that you had to stay out until..." the boy checked his watch. "9:05!?"

Ash recoiled from his friends' outbursts and held up the leather briefcase in an attempt to pacify them. "This is." he replied. His traveling companions looked toward the briefcase with mild interest, and Ash set it on the ground, unlatching it, the three PokeBalls rolling out. Nate looked toward Ash and raised an eyebrow.

"PokeBalls?" he asked.

"Nope." Ash said. "Press the release button."

Nate, Angelina, and Ash each took one PokeBall from the ground and pressed the button in the middle. A blinding light followed as a result of the combined flashes of the three PokeBalls, and Ash shielded his eyes with his arm. As soon as he lowered it, a smile grew on his face as three Eevee pups sat before him.

"Oh. My. Arceus." Angelina said breathlessly. "THEY'RE SO ADORABLE!" The blonde-haired suddenly scooped one of the Eevee up, who had been chasing his tail before being tightly hugged by Angelina. "From now on, your name will be Speedy!"

"Mwrh?" it let out. The girl only hugged him tighter. Gloria, who had been watching the spectacle from her position on the foot of the bed, pouted. The Jigglypuff seemingly hated not having constant attention.

On the other hand, Nate was currently engaged with a quiet and more reserved pup, who looked at him with a hint of interest. The boy grinned at the pup, and she slowly stepped toward him, eventually taking her position next to the boy. Compared to the rest of Nate's team, the Eevee was much more calm and collected. The bespectacled boy's smile didn't leave his face, and he looked at Ash.

"This is awesome, Ash!" Nate said. His expression then turned thoughtful as he raised one of his eyebrows. "But... why did you give these Eevee to us? You could've easily taken all three and made a super cool team!"

Ash rubbed the back of his head. "Well, I don't think I could handle taking on three new team members all at once." he explained. "But... I also wanted to thank you guys for helping me out against Team Rocket. It was really cool of you two help me, even if we did get captured."

Angelina smiled. "Well you didn't have to give us anything, Ash!" she said. "We're just happy we could help!"

Suddenly a growl cut into their conversation, and standing in front of Ash was the last of the Eevee pups that hadn't already been claimed. The Eevee, who seemed to be the middle sibling of the litter, had her eyes locked on Ash, a fierce determination in her eyes. Ash blinked for a moment, and a smile formed its way onto his face. It seemed that this one was a fighter.

Nate chuckled. "I think she wants to battle you, Ash." he said. The Eevee pup's eyes were focused on the two mildly scratched up PokeBalls on Ash's belt. It looked like she wanted to test Ash's strength in battle and make her decision based on that. Unlike the other two, this Eevee pup seemed to take her training and battle prowess very seriously.

His grin grew wider. If it was battle she wanted, it was a battle that she was going to get.

---

Despite the fact that the sun was going down, the last bit of daylight still illuminated the training area by the Pokemon Center, along with Cerulean City's streetlights. Ash looked at the clock on his Pokedex. They'd only have a few minutes before the training area was closed, so if he was going to prove his strength to this Eevee, he'd have to make it quick.

The Normal-type was currently in a battle stance on the opposite side of the training field, her eyes narrowed and focused. Nate and Angelina were watching off to the side, the blonde holding her own Eevee close to her chest. Ash adjusted his cap and unlatched Dexter's PokeBall from his belt. As soon as he threw it, the digital duck emerged, warbling upon release. The Eevee narrowed her eyes and made the first move.

The fox took off like a bullet, slamming her weight into the Porygon and throwing it off balance with the telltale glow of Quick Attack. As soon as she hit the ground, the Eevee burst upward, her legs glowing a faint orange as she began using her Double Kick.

"Agility and follow up with Thunderbolt!" Ash shouted.

Dexter swerved around the attack, creating afterimages as it moved. Before Eevee could recover from the momentum of the move, the Virtual Pokemon blasted her with a powerful electric shock, sending her flying to Ash's side of the field. In the blink of an eye however, the Eevee sprung forward once again.

"Tackle! Keep her off you!" Ash ordered. Dexter slammed its body into the trajectory of the Normal-type's Quick Attack, preventing damage and sending her flying. The Eevee landed on her feet this time, and narrowed her eyes, before jumping and flicking her tail, sending star-shaped projectiles toward Dexter.

"Psybeam!" the boy called. Dexter narrowed its eyes in concentration, neutralizing the Swift attack with its well-aimed psychic blasts. However, the ranged attack seemed to be cover for a much more threatening move, as the Porygon was suddenly launched backwards by a powerful Iron Tail.

The boy frowned as his starter skidded backwards, and squinted at the Eevee, who was bouncing from paw to paw. He had to get an advantage here somehow.

"Use Conversion!" he ordered. Dexter's body began glowing, but Ash had failed to recall the noticeable startup time that the technique had. Within seconds, the Eevee pup closed the distance between herself and the Porygon and landed a direct hit with her Double Kick.

Ash winced as the Virtual Pokemon rolled through the dirt as a result of the impact. The Eevee was aggressive, that was for sure. She relied on speed and powerful, up-close moves in battle, in contrast to Dexter's patience and ranged abilities. It would be quite a challenge to make sure she didn't get too close, especially since Dexter lacked any consistent option to keep opponents away from it.

"Signal Beam!" Ash commanded, hoping to get at least some damage off. A multi-colored beam was fired toward the Eevee, but missed its mark completely as Eevee's eyes shined and she dashed out of the way of the attack. Ash's eyes narrowed in frustration. She had Detect too!?

He didn't have time to mull it over however, as the Normal-type went in for yet another Double Kick. Without waiting for Ash to yell out an order, Dexter dodged the attack with another Agility. The Eevee hadn't learned from their previous interaction it seemed, as her eyes widened as she sailed past the opposing Normal-type, only to be struck by a powerful Ice Beam.

"Now! Psybeam towards the ground!" Ash shouted. The Porygon shot the pink laser into the dirt battlefield, causing an explosion that sprayed dust and dirt in all directions. The Eevee closed her eyes, shielding them from the scattered dust, providing Dexter some momentary cover.

"Switch to a Psychic-typing! Use Conversion one more time!" the boy called. Dexter's body glowed vibrantly as a pinkish aura outlined its body, giving itself psychic properties. By now, the dust cleared, and Eevee had a clear shot for a possible finishing Double Kick. She rushed forward and slammed two kicks into Dexter's body, sending it skidding back.

However, the Porygon barely seemed fazed by the attack, thanks to its new resistance to Fighting-type attacks. Before the Normal-type could react, she was blasted by an extra powerful Psybeam, sending her soaring and tumbling into the dirt. The Eevee began to rise once more, clearly struggling to get back up, before her legs gave out under her and she collapsed.

Ash sighed in relief and drooped his arms. That was a close one.

The boy returned Dexter back to its ball and clipped it back onto his belt. He could hear his friends clapping from the sides of the battlefield as he approached the fallen Normal-type, who lay there exhausted. Ash smiled at the Eevee.

"So what do you say, Eevee?" Ash asked the fox. "I'm traveling around the Kanto region with my partners to get stronger and become a Pokemon Master. If you come with me, I promise I'll help you become as strong as you can be. Who knows, maybe you'll surpass my starter one day."

"What do you think? Wanna be partners?" he asked her. After a few seconds, the Normal-type started to smile, and a fire in her eyes seemed to suddenly ignite. She rapidly nodded, and Ash's grin widened as he tried his best to contain his excitement. Within several weeks of starting his journey, his party count had already increased to three! He was halfway to having a full team of six already!

The raven-haired boy pulled out his Pokedex and kneeled down, scanning over his new team member to try and get more information about her. The Eevee looked at the device in interest, and Ash's eyes lit up as information about her was displayed on the Pokedex screen.

"Eevee. The Evolution Pokémon. A Normal-type." the device spoke. "Eevee possesses unstable genetic makeup that allows it to alter its DNA from a variety of causes, such as radiation from evolutionary stones. There are several known evolutions of this Pokémon, appropriately dubbed 'Eeveelutions' by many. This Eevee is female and knows the moves Baby-Doll Eyes, Quick Attack, Iron Tail, Swift, Sand Attack, Double Kick, Bite, and Detect. Its ability is Adaptability, which gives it proficiency in moves that share its typing."

Ash's eyebrows raised, and he looked toward Eevee, who smirked at the boy, fully aware of her awesomeness. The boy suddenly realized something, and smiled at his new partner. "Hey, how about I gave you a nickname?" he asked the Normal-type. "All of my other Pokemon have one, and if you want, you can have one too. It'll just help you stand out from other Eevee." The boy's grin widened. "Plus, it'll look cooler if you ever get your name put on a trophy."

The Eevee tilted her head, suddenly looking very interested.

Luckily for Ash, the nicknaming process didn't take much time at all, compared to when he was nicknaming Petal and Dexter. As he began rattling off possible nicknames, within the first few minutes, the Normal-type had already decided on a name fit for the fearless warrior she saw herself as. The first step that would allow her to take her place as Ash's third team member.

The boy's eyes seemed to brighten as an idea for a name struck him, and he smiled at his new partner. "How about Kit?" he suggested.

The newly-dubbed Kit gave Ash a toothy grin and a nod.

---

A couple of days after officially adding Kit to his team, Ash sat in the cafeteria, inhaling his lunch. As he took a bite of his corned beef and took a gulp of water, he recalled the hours he had spent pouring over a computer earlier that day in Cerulean's only library. If he was going to battle in the Cerulean Gym, he'd need to train, but more importantly do his research.

There was just one problem. Actually, a few problems.

For starters, the Cerulean Gym was operated by the three Sensational sisters: Lily, Violet, and Daisy. All three of them were famous performers, and people came from far and wide to see their spectacular water shows. However, aside from being performers, they were also the Gym Leaders of the Cerulean Gym, and Ash had no way of knowing which one he'd fight the day his battle came, which was in a couple of days. While he at the very least knew the types of Pokemon they used, preparing to battle all three sisters wasn't something he could do very easily.

Against newbies, they usually used a variety of unevolved Water-types, such as Staryu, Seel, and Goldeen. All of them could swim, whereas none of Ash's Pokemon could.

At the very least, Ash knew who he'd be bringing to the battle. Petal and Dexter had been with him the longest and packed moves with a type advantage over Water-types. Dexter packed some powerful offense, whereas Petal could disrupt the flow of the battle.

Kit, while she did show a lot of promise, wouldn't be a suitable candidate for this battle, mainly because he hadn't had much time to actually train with her. As his first battle with the Eevee had shown, she was too reckless. While the attitude had caught him and Dexter off guard the first time they battled, Ash had witnessed another battle between the Porygon and Eevee. This time, Dexter had won by a much larger margin.

From what he knew of Water-types however, Ash figured he'd definitely need to find ways to deal with an onslaught of both Water and Ice-type attacks. He'd already seen what the battlefield looked like, which consisted of a large pool with floating platforms for Pokemon to jump on. Dexter could float and didn't need to breathe, so lack of swimming prowess wasn't a concern for it. Petal had also done plenty of mobility training, but needed more resistance towards Ice-type attacks.

Having made up his mind, Ash put away his tray and walked outside toward the training area. Like always, there were a fair amount of other Trainers in the area, and as Ash looked around for a familiar face, he brightened when he saw Julian and Randy talking amiably with each other. He hadn't seen much of either of them since the Rocket incident, and he was eager to see if they could give him some tips.

Randy was the first to notice him. A smile grew on his face and he elbowed Julian.

"Now there's a face I haven't seen in a hot minute!" the older Trainer exclaimed. "How's it going, Axel?"

Ash blinked. "It's Ash." he said. "And I'm good. How about you guys?"

"Not too shabby, I'd say!" Randy replied. "Had to call my folks back in Johto and explain the situation. They were goin' on and on about my 'responsibility as a man' and 'obligation to keepin' myself safe' and whatnot." The boy sighed, although a smile began to form on his face. "Oh, but you should've seen how Julian's girl reacted when she saw the news. She was livid!"

Julian glowered towards the other boy as he continued to snicker. "I'm beginning to regret agreeing to travel with you." he remarked. "Normal people don't eavesdrop and other's phone calls."

Randy gave the blue-haired boy a lazy smile. "There's nothing 'normal' about how possessive your girlfriend is." he said.

"I don't need relationship advice from someone who is very clearly single, thank you very much." Julian retorted, his glare hardening. Ash cleared his throat. The two boys tore their attention away from their skirmish and looked towards the younger boy, staying silent, as though forgetting he was there in the first place. The raven-haired boy wasn't too bothered by it though. Nate and Angelina's fights drove him way crazier.

"Heh, sorry 'bout that." Randy said, rubbing the back of his head. "So what's up, kid? What do you need from us high and mighty Trainers?"

"Well... I was kind of wondering if you guys could help my train for my next Gym battle." Ash said, although he suddenly became a little insecure. He didn't want to seem like he was expecting their help. "If you guys want to that is."

"Sure thing!" Randy said. "I could use a change of pace!" He looked at Julian expectantly, and the boy sighed.

"Fine. I've got nothing better to do." he said. He turned to Ash. "Remind me of your Pokémon again?"

Ash clicked the release buttons of the three PokeBalls attached to his belt. Out came Dexter, Petal, and Kit, who blinked for a little to get adjusted to the sunlight. Petal and Dexter seemed to recognize the two older boys standing in front of them, while Kit tilted her head in curiosity. As soon as the older boys laid their eyes on her, their eyes widened and their jaws dropped at the sight of the Eevee.

"Hey, hey, hold the phone!" Randy exclaimed, pointing at Kit. "I don't remember you havin' an Eevee!"

Ash rubbed the back of his head. "She joined my team yesterday actually." he said. "This is Kit."

Julian ran one of his hands through his thick blue hair and squinted at the Normal-type. "Is there some sort of hidden population of Eevee nearby that I'm not aware of?" he muttered. He looked at the younger boy in surprise. "How did you get this?"

"I just... did a favor for a friend." Ash stated simply, careful not to reveal that his "friend" was actually Bill. He had a feeling Bill wouldn't appreciate a bunch of kids swarming his lighthouse begging for an Eevee. It would probably be worse if word got out that he had a Lapras too. Julian frowned, staring at the Eevee for a little while longer, before turning his gaze toward Ash.

"Battle me." Julian said.

Ash blinked, unsure if he had heard right. "What?"

"I said battle me." Julian repeated. "You asked us to train you, and this is what I'm giving you. All of your Pokemon against one of mine."

"B-but you'll wipe the floor with me!" Ash stammered. "I only have one badge! No way am I sending my Pokemon into a battle knowing that they'll lose that badly! That's cruel!"

"Relax. I'll go easy on you. I won't even be shouting orders to whoever I'm using, and my Pokemon are more than capable at controlling their strength." Julian explained. "All I'm gonna do is see how you fare against me, and then give you some pointers after the battle. If anything, commanding all of your Pokemon at once will improve your quick thinking abilities and coordination. Plus, if what you said is true, it'll give your Eevee a chance to battle alongside her teammates for the first time."

Ash sighed, knowing that what Julian said was probably true. He looked at his Pokemon, who were all looking back at him with different expression. Dexter, as per usual, seemed indifferent to his decision, and its small pupils gazed at Ash. Petal looked expectantly at the boy, patiently waiting for his verdict. Kit, however, seemed to be really excited at the prospect of battling a much stronger trainer. Her tail was waving back and forth in the air and determination burned brightly in her eyes.

He let out a breath. "Fine, I'll do it." he muttered.

Julian nodded, and Ash made his way toward one end of the dirt battlefield they were standing on, his Pokemon following after him. Julian calmly walked toward the other side, and Randy shrugged, moving towards one side to act as the referee. The blue-haired boy unlatched an Ultra Ball from his belt and threw it, sending out a large snail made almost entire out of lava, its expression blank. Ash recognized it as the Magcargo that Julian had used in Mt. Moon.

Magcargo tended to live deep inside caves and volcanoes to protect themselves from rain and harsh storms. Their skin is hot enough to inflict first-degree burns on contact, however Magcargo and Slugma also possess a long, bonelike structure inside their body that some scientists believe to be hotter than the sun. However, quite ironically, their shell was their weak point, as it was quite brittle.

"Alright you three!" Ash announced as Magcargo's gaze sharpened. "This'll be our toughest challenge yet! Everyone aim for the shell!"

"Go easy on them Magcargo!" Julian yelled towards the lava snail.

"The battle between Ash and Julian will now start! Ya'll better get ready!" Randy called. He then proceeded to slash down his hand. "Begin!"

Within an instant, all three of Ash's Pokemon darted towards the Magcargo, who remained stationary as they began to close in. Suddenly the ground beneath them exploded and burst open. Dexter and Kit were luckily able to dodge the Earth Power, but Petal was sent flying back to the other side of the field as his teammates began to close in.

Dexter's body radiated electricity as it fired a Thunderbolt at the Lava Pokémon, causing it to recoil from the attack. Kit used this opportunity to rush in and smash her Iron Tail into the shell. Ash pumped his fist in the air, ecstatic that he had landed a hit. However, his face fell when he saw that Magcargo's shell seemed to be unharmed.

"You'll have to do better than that to break through Magcargo's Iron Defense, Ash!" Julian called. The boy frowned. It seemed that Julian was already quite aware of Magcargo's weak spot. He began to wonder if it might be easier to just attack the lava snail directly instead.

Ash bit the inside of his cheek, but he didn't have time to dwell on it as Magcargo spat a Flame Burst that Dexter was barely able to dodge. The lava snail spat another fireball at Kit, who jumped over it and dashed toward Macargo for a counterattack.

"Wait, Kit! Don't-!" Ash started to say, but it was too late.

Kit smashed an Iron Tail into the side of Magcargo's face, but the damage didn't come without its drawbacks. The Eevee cried out as her tail was singed by Magcargo's body, and gritted her teeth, trying to brave through the pain the best she could. The raven=haired boy looked on helplessly at the Normal-type, as the effects of Magcargo's Flame Body began to take their tool on her.

The Lava Pokemon took this opportunity to fire another Flame Burst at Kit, but before it could do so, a Psybeam exploded in its face. Magcargo shrugged it off however, now focusing its attention on Dexter instead.

By now Petal had recovered from taking the Earth Power, and was catching up to his friends. Ash suddenly saw an opportunity, and went for it.

"Use Stun Spore!"

The lava snail was suddenly showered with tons of yellow spores, and it began to rumble and shake as the paralysis began to take effect. Dexter looked back at its Trainer, waiting for him to take advantage of the situation. Ash adjusted his cap and shouted a command.

"Thunderbolt!" he ordered. The blast of electricity hit Magcargo square in the face, and the large snail groaned as electricity coursed through its veins. Ash pumped up his fist at the direct hit. Maybe, just maybe, he could actually win this thing! Suddenly it seemed it had enough, as it started to rumble loudly and the ground started to shake, cracks appearing on the surface.

Torrents of flame burst from the ground as bright as beacons, throwing Kit and Petal off their feet. They landed on the ground in a heap as more fire burst upward. Dexter's eyes widened as it swerved just out of reach of a pillar of fire that erupted from beneath it. Ash's eyes widened and he struggled to keep his footing. Julian, realizing the situation, returned the lava snail back to its PokeBall.

Randy blinked. "Er... Julian forfeits?" he said, bewildered.

Julian ran a hand through his hair, which Ash noticed was common for him whenever he was surprised.

"I guess I do." he breathed. "Sorry, Ash. Magcargo tends to loose his temper at times, and I thought he'd have a little more self-control against a newbie. He's my best Pokemon against multiple opponents, seeing as he's stationary and quite bulky. Still, for someone with only one badge, you did pretty well. Granted, I was holding back a lot, but impressive nonetheless."

Ash frowned. As annoyed as he was that Julian hadn't warned him about Magcargo's temper and the possibility of his Pokemon getting injured by powerful burns, he was a little intrigued by the move that Magcargo had displayed. It definitely seemed quite powerful, although he wondered why Julian hadn't used it in the fight against Proton.

The blue-haired boy seemed to read his mind however. "What you just saw is a technique Magcargo and I are working on called Upsurge." Julian explained. "It's pretty destructive, and I didn't use it against Proton because it could have caused a cave-in. I wanted to beat Proton as much as you did Ash, but I'm not going to brutally injure others to do it. Besides, Randy and I were outmatched. Proton's lackeys were constantly coming in and weakening our Pokemon, and before we knew it, we were beaten."

Ash seemed much more interested now. "How did you learn it?" he asked the older boy. "It looks really strong. My friend Nate would probably kill for something like that."

"It's an expansion of Earth Power and Lava Plume." Julian explained. "But I don't think you're quite at the level to be able to learn techniques like this. Mind you, I'm no conference winner, I'm still two badges away from qualifying, but your Pokemon have to be strong enough to break the mold of what their abilities are generally used for. It takes practice, loads of it, to be able to get these things down. For now though, I'd suggest working on what you already have."

Ash nodded, ideas beginning to race through his head. He could only hope he'd get to the level of Julian and Randy soon enough. The possibilities were enticing, and with enough hard work, he'd be super strong in no time. Julian seemed to notice the younger boy's determined expression, and a small smile grew on his face.

---

Randy and Julian turned out to be a major help for Ash and his team. The red-haired boy's Cloyster was a great help in helping his team weather the many Water and Ice-type attacks he'd be facing when fighting the Sensational Sisters. Ash had Petal dodge numerous attacks from the Shellfish Pokemon. The Oddish would probably be his most powerful asset against the Cerulean Gym Leaders due to the amount of supportive options and Grass-type moves he had.

Dexter was also training with Randy's Voltorb in order to master Thunder Wave. Both Pokemon seemed to get along quite well, although Ash suspected this was due in part to the fact that both of them were artificially created by people. At any rate, the Porygon was showing great progress in mastering Thunder Wave, which would give it a solid close-ranged option.

He and Julian were currently working on training Kit, as the Eevee looked between them curiously. Out of all of them, Kit was the most enthusiastic about becoming stronger, and she was especially interested in the power being exuded by Julian's Magcargo.

"Well from the looks of it, your Eevee's quite a speedy fighter." Julian remarked. "If she gets burned or paralyzed like she did against Magcargo, you don't exactly have a lot of options. Maybe try looking on your little device there and try to find a move that might be useful for her."

The boy pointed toward the red tablet that was sticking out of Ash's pocket. The boy powered the Pokedex and started searching through the variety of moves that Kit could learn. Being an Eevee, Kit had a lot of different techniques to choose from, but it took a few minutes until Ash finally found one he liked.

"Refresh." he recited out loud. "A move that boosts the user's immune system and muscle strength to flush out any status ailments from the body, such as poison, paralysis, or burning."

Julian nodded. "That should work." he said. "If you ever end up fighting Liutenant Surge, that'll definitely come in handy. He loves to dish out paralysis as much as possible. Gave me a scare when he paralyzed my Weepinbell before he evolved. That wasn't fun."

Ash shuddered. He was all too familiar of the Vermillion City Gym Leader's reputation. Very few rookies were able to beat him on their first try, and he tended to be quite ruthless in battle. He would probably try to battle him anyway, but the thought of such a thing was quite daunting. At least if Kit were to learn Refresh now, she'd have enough time to master it by the time they reached Vermillion.

They spent a while going over the basics of the move, and Ash pulled up a video of a paralyzed Chansey using the move. In the video, the Normal-type seemed to glow blue for a few seconds, and the sparks dancing around its body disappeared. Eevee as a species had some semblance of psychic abilities, which were required to tap into their internal system and jumpstart it. Eventually Julian had his Drowzee help speed up the progress by teaching Kit how to harness these powers.

After a few hours, both of them had made decent progress on helping Kit with the move. Ash hoped Kit would master the move. It would certainly help not having to use an Antidote every time Kit happened to spar with Petal. The Oddish seemed to favor using his powder moves more than ever now.

Ash sat down with a sigh, giving his legs a chance to rest. He looked up just in time to see Petal practicing his Razor Leaf with Julian's Victreebel. A small grin formed its way onto his face. The Sensational Sisters wouldn't be so sensational once he walked out of that Gym.

"Ash! What're you doing out here!?" a voice called out to him. Ash turned around to see Nate and Angelina walking towards him, holding drinks in both of their hands. The raven-haired boy smiled as they approached him, and stood up.

"Training. What else?" he asked the two of them. Angelina rolled her eyes.

"Honestly, Ash. You really should be taking a break." she said. "When's the last time you actually had fun?"

"Fun comes later." Ash said. "Besides, I don't think you should be talking. Your reliance on 'fun' caused you to lose against Brock."

Nate chuckled. "He's got you there, Angelina." he said. The blonde shot him a glare as he took a sip of his drink. "You should've come with us Ash. There's this really good smoothie place down the block. They've got everything there."

"Hey! It's Ash's buddies!" Randy said with a cheeky grin. He elbowed Julian. "Don't you remember them? They gave us a hand in Mt. Moon."

Julian sighed. "I remember them just fine." he replied. He turned toward Nate. "Speaking of which, I saw you took a nasty beating from Proton's Crobat. Glad to see you made it out of the hospital fine."

Nate's expression darkened at the mention of the Rocket executive, but immediately brightened afterwards. As the two younger Trainers conversed with their elders, Ash smiled. It took a while, but things had finally returned to a state of normalcy. He and his Pokemon were safe, were stronger thanks to Randy and Julian, and he'd hopefully be getting his second badge soon. Everyone was relaxed and cheerful.

And he'd get even stronger to make sure it stayed that way.

---

Ash walked through the automatic doors of the Cerulean Gym and sighed as he was immediately cooled off by the AC. Today had been surprisingly hot, and Ash had chosen to take refuge from the heat as soon as possible inside the Gym. As he walked inside, he noticed that he was in a lobby area, just like the one in Pewter, although this one was larger and had a lot more people in it.

The outside of the Gym looked almost comical when Ash had come here to reserve his Gym battle. A giant Dewgong was attached to the front, and a pink and yellow domed roof sat on top of the building. It certainly didn't have the same foreboding atmosphere as the Pewter Gym. If anything, he was hoping the hardest part about today was pushing his way through hordes of people. He finally made it to the front desk, and frowned when the girl failed to notice he was there. After a moment, the receptionist met his gaze.

"Water shows are three hundred Pokedollars." she drawled.

Ash blinked. "What? I'm not here for a water show." he said. "My name's Ash Ketchum. I reserved a Gym battle here a few days ago."

The girl squinted at him. "A battle? You sure?" she asked. "Kids get a discount you know."

Ash narrowed his eyes and frowned. "I reserved my battle already." he replied. The receptionist sighed.

"Fine. Trainer's license?" Ash handed her his Pokedex after pulling up his Trainer ID. After typing in his information, the receptionist handed the device back to him.

"Come with me." she said. She led him through a set of front doors that stood next to the front desk, and Ash looked around in awe at the fish tanks inside of the walls of the hallway they walked through. Various fish Pokemon swam through the giant tank, and Ash could identify a few Kanto natives, but had some trouble figuring out the more exotic species that he saw, such as a strange heart-shaped fish Pokemon that was staring at him.

Both of them walked through another set of doors that led to a much larger room with a large swimming pool, with sets of raised bleachers on all sides. Floating platforms were stationed haphazardly in the pool, and Ash noticed three older girls talking amiably with each other. Each of them had different hair colors of gold, blue, and pink and were wearing one-piece swimsuits.

"Daisy, Violet, Lily, this is Ash." the receptionist said. "He said he wants a Gym battle." The three girls stopped what they were doing and looked at Ash, who quivered a little under their gaze. They almost looked annoyed to see him, which made him a little nervous. That along with the fact that they were quite pretty.

"A Gym battle?" Lily parroted, raising an eyebrow. "But like, our water show starts in thirty minutes!"

"Yeah! Like, we need time to practice and stuff!" Violet added.

"Besides, even if we were to battle you, there's no way we'd get to the Pokemon Center in time for us to heal our Pokemon and use them for the water show." Daisy said. "We need all of our Pokemon, even the ones we use to battle weak Trainers."

"I'm not weak!" Ash blurted. "Isn't there something you can do? I spent so much time preparing!"

Suddenly an orange-haired girl burst into the room, holding buckets full of cleaning supplies. She dropped them harshly onto the floor and gave the three girls a steely glare. The Sensational Sisters returned her glare with a glower of their own. Ash's head turned towards the source of the noise and his eyebrows raised. What was Misty doing back in Cerulean? Didn't she say she had something to take care of?

"I cleaned Dewgong's tank. Can I go now?" the orange-haired girl said flatly. Her gaze suddenly shifted over to Ash. "Hey, I remember you! You're that boy from Viridian Forest! The one whose friends with that rude brat!"

"Yeah, that's me." Ash said, his eyebrows lowering at her characterization of Nate. She didn't see him almost get killed. "What're you doing here?"

"Getting back to work." Daisy said, turning to Misty. "You still need to feed Golduck."

"You know Golduck doesn't like me!" Misty protested. "Last time I almost fell over trying to dodge a Water Gun!"

"Well you need to like, suck it up and go back. That's what you get for running away." Daisy said, crossing her arms. Ash looked at Misty, who seemed to be trying to avoid his gaze. It seemed as though Misty was still obligated to stay at home, unlike him. But why would she just run away like that? He had a sneaking suspicion it had a major part to do with her sisters, but he chose to keep his mouth shut.

"Kid, how about you just take a badge from one of the boxes in the back?" Lily asked him. "We don't even like battling that much, and we have other things to do, so if you don't want to come back later, you might as well just take the badge and leave."

"That's not fair!" Ash and Misty said at the same time. The Sensational Sisters were taken aback by their outburst, as was the receptionist, who clearly seemed to be out of the place in the confrontation. Misty looked at him, clearly surprised that he wasn't accepting the easiest badge he'd ever receive. Ash was getting more than a little irked. While he didn't want to be difficult and get in the way of their livelihoods, he reserved this battle in advance, and he didn't go through all of that preparation just to be turned away. And besides, who didn't like Pokemon battles?! That was just wrong.

"I'm just gonna... go." the receptionist said, slinking out of the room.

"He needs to earn his Cascade Badge fair and square, just like everyone else!" Misty yelled.

"And it's insulting to me and my Pokemon for you to just give up the badge like that!" Ash added on. "We trained hard! I want a fair battle!"

"Then how about this, since you both are being so difficult!" Daisy seethed, rolling her eyes. Lily and Violet were similarly giving Misty and Ash dirty looks for the commotion. "How many badges do you have, kid? And what's your name?"

"One. And my name is Ash Ketchum."

"Perfect." Daisy said as her smile grew. "Misty, you battle him. If Ash like, wins, he gets his badge, and if you win, we might think about having you be our backup Gym Leader. Maybe if we're lucky, this should only take like a few minutes."

A vein popped out of Misty's forehead. "Are you calling me weak!?"

"Yep. That's like, exactly what you are."

"Fine, I'll fight him! But then you're the referee!" Misty yelled. She turned to Ash, red in the face. "So are you going to battle me or not?"

Ash blinked. "I-well-sure." he stammered, taken off guard by her attitude.

He then frowned. All of his internet research had just gone straight out the window. Instead of battling the actual Sensational Sisters, he'd have to battle their less Sensational younger sister instead, which meant he didn't know what she'd be using. Hopefully the training he had done prior would help out, but it looked like he'd be making up a battle plan on the spot.

Nothing new, he supposed.

---

"The battle between my bratty sister and Mr. Whatshisface will start... yadda yadda... when all of your Pokemon are knocked out you lose... blah blah... this is like, so boring!" Daisy whined. "Can we just start the battle already!?"

Ash huffed at her complaining. He already knew the rules. Two Pokemon, just like last time, and Misty had to send out hers first. He stared at the orange-haired girl, who stood on the opposite side of the pool. It seemed she was a little nervous, as this was probably her first battle acting as Gym Leader. He assumed her story was the opposite of Brock's, instead of wanting to pass on duty as Gym Leader to her siblings, she wanted to rip it out of their hands.

He watched as a Slowbro slowly waddled beside the pool, its eyes glowing, began to set up psychic barriers around the battling area to block stray attacks. Ash gulped. It seemed like Misty wasn't messing around.

"Go, Goldeen!" Misty called, throwing a PokeBall. A vibrant-colored, orange and white fish with a small horn came out of the PokeBall and landed in the pool with a splash. Goldeen were mostly known for their solid swimming prowess and powerful horn, and could shatter even the thickest of glass with the pointed tip of the appendage. Males tended to have to larger horns, which was probably why Misty's had a horn larger than most.

Ash's eyes narrowed, and he unlatched Dexter's PokeBall and pressed the release button, sending the Porygon out. Misty's eyebrows raised at the sight of such a strange Pokemon, as well as her sister's, who looked a little less grumpy at the sight of something so strange.

"Your opponent's underwater." Ash called out to the Normal-type. "Keep your eyes open."

There was silence for a few moments as Dexter scanned the water's surface, and Daisy tapped her foot impatiently. Finally, Misty made the first move.

"Horn Attack!" she called. Goldeen burst out of the water, nailing Dexter with the point of its horn, before disappearing back into the water, out of sight. Ash frowned. He'd have to wait until it resurfaced to get a clean shot. Goldeen was small and frail. All he needed was one big hit. A powered-up Thunderbolt would easily do the trick.

As soon as he saw Goldeen leap out of the water, he made his move.

"Dodge with Agility and use Thunderbolt!" he called out. "Full power!" Dexter swerved around the third Horn Attack and blasted the Water-type in the forehead with electricity. A smile grew on Ash's face, but immediately faltered and was flabbergasted when he saw that Goldeen had absorbed the Thunderbolt with ease, and simply landed back into the pool.

What.

The raven-haired replayed the exchange in his head. Goldeen must've had Lightning Rod as its ability, effectively removing one of its only type weaknesses. Lightning Rod wasn't an ability often seen on Goldeen, but this complicated things immensely.

Ash winced as Dexter was knocked back by a Water Pulse from the Goldfish Pokemon. As long as Goldeen had the water as cover, Ash couldn't do much to it. Dexter had barely any close-ranged attacks and there was practically no way for Dexter to keep its distance from something that could simply swim towards it. The Porygon was practically a sitting, er, floating duck at this point.

Wait. Duck.

Goldeen burst out of the water, its horn glowing, and Ash prayed to Arceus that what he did next would work.

"Duck and use Tackle!" he ordered. Dexter retracted its head, ducking under Goldeen's sharp horn, and slammed its head into the fish's underside. The Water-type flew onto one of the floating platforms, and Ash grinned while Misty's eyes widened. Now Goldeen was the sitting duck, and he intended to take advantage of that. As the Goldfish Pokemon flopped around helplessly, he called out his next command.

"Signal Beam!" Ash yelled. A multi-colored beam crashed into the fish, sending it back into the water. His eyes brightened at the sight of the direct hit, until Goldeen suddenly resurfaced, bruised and battered, but not out. Now what was he going to do?

"Aqua Jet!" Misty cried.

"Dodge!" Ash commanded. Dexter just barely swerved around the attack with another short burst of Agility, and Ash furrowed his eyebrows. Misty wasn't falling for the same strategy he employed again, and was using faster and safer moves instead. He had to get Goldeen out of the water somehow, and he couldn't do that on his own.

An idea popped into the raven-haired boy's head. He couldn't do it unless... he made his own platforms. Goldeen jumped out of the pool, its body cloaked in water as it prepared to slam into Dexter.

"Take it and use Ice Beam on the pool!" Ash called. "Give it all you have!"

Dexter's head snapped back as the result of the Aqua Jet's impact, before freezing energy coalesced upon its beak and it fired the beam towards the surface of the pool, freezing the entire area over. Goldeen landed with a smack on the freezing cold ice, and began flopping around, fear in its eyes as it realized it had no place to go. Ash grinned and began to call out his next command until...

"Goldeen, return!" Misty yelled. A beam of energy sucked the Goldeen back into its PokeBall, and Misty put it back onto her belt. She looked toward her older sister, who had been inspecting her nails. Daisy sighed in annoyance.

"Misty's Goldeen is knocked out, so Ash and his bird thingy are the winners of this round." Daisy drawled. Misty's eyebrows lowered and she turned her attention back to Ash.

"That was pretty smart by the way." she said. "I've been training Goldeen a lot so that it can be super fast and powerful. I was sure I had you once I switched to using Aqua Jet. But once you froze the battlefield, I knew Goldeen didn't stand a chance."

Ash nodded and smiled. "Thanks, I appreciate it." he replied. In truth, he didn't know how he was going to pull through that fight if that didn't work. He didn't have any Water-types of his own or really anything that could fly and get an aerial advantage. Now that the arena was frozen over, Petal could have a much easier time battling, since he wouldn't have to jump between platforms.

The problem was, Dexter was exhausted. It had put a lot of power into its attacks trying to take out Goldeen as quick as possible, and had taken a lot of damage doing so. Still, Ash was confident that his starter could pull through. Now that the pool was frozen over, none of Misty's Pokemon could hide underwater. This would hopefully be a lot easier without the extra cover.

"Just because I'm behind doesn't mean this battle is over yet!" Misty proclaimed. "You still have to fight my ace! Go, Starmie!"

A violet starfish-like Pokemon with ten arms and a glowing red gem at the center of its body materialized from its PokeBall. Ash frowned. Starmie were fast and powerful fighters, capable of dishing out loads of elemental attacks and dodging big hits. Ash would have to play his cards carefully. Even without access to water, Starmie was quite a threatening presence on the battlefield, since it could actually stand.

"Can you go on, Dexter?" Ash asked his starter. The Porygon nodded slightly and turned back to its opponent, who stood there silently. This time it was Ash who made the first move.

"Thunderbolt!" Ash ordered. "Keep it moving!"

"Dodge and use Rapid Spin!" Misty yelled. Starmie jumped over the electric blast with ease before spinning its body toward Dexter and slamming into it, knocking it back a bit. Ash suddenly had an idea.

"Thunder Wave!" he commanded. A small electric charge was released from Dexter's body with just enough range to reach Starmie and paralyze it. Ash grinned. If he could hamper Starmie's speed, this battle would end much quicker. The Mysterious Pokemon jumped back, sparks dancing around its body as its muscles tensed. Now was the perfect time to go aggressive.

"Use Thunderbolt one more time!" Ash ordered. "Full power!"

"Minimize and use Power Gem!" Misty called.

Ash's eyes widened as Starmie's entire body shrunk down, causing the Thunderbolt to completely miss its intended target. Starmie's central core began firing bright beams that crashed into Dexter, sending it sprawling into the ice. Within a few seconds, Dexter got up once again, bruised and battered, but not out just yet. The raven-haired boy took a breath. If he thought Goldeen was hard to deal with... well Starmie was on another level.

The starfish returned to its original size, and the electric shocks around its entire body had seemingly disappeared, which Ash had realized was a result of Natural Cure, one of Starmie's possible abilities. All hope of a quick end to this fight drained out of the boy, allowing Misty to call out one more attack during his stupor.

"Finish it!" Misty yelled. "Brine!"

A strong blast of water slammed into Dexter, throwing it once more into the ice, this time down and out. Ash stood there for a few seconds, before returning Dexter back into its PokeBall and sighing. Maybe he should just come back another time. They'd probably be easier than their monster of a younger sister. Or maybe he should just take that free badge after all...

He looked toward said younger sister in question, who was squinting at him, waiting for him to send out his next Pokemon. His eyes narrowed and he bit his lip. No. He couldn't just back down from a challenge like that. He had to prove to himself that he could do this, that he could adapt and pull through. Pokemon Masters didn't shy away from challenges, they embraced them with open arms. And he was going to do just that.

"You're up, Petal!" he called. The Oddish burst out of his PokeBall and almost slipped on the icy field, before turning back to Ash, questioning the situation he was in.

"Sorry, buddy. I had to turn the water field into ice, so be careful not to slip." he explained. "That Starmie took out Dexter, so it's up to you to get us the win. I know you can do it."

Petal nodded happily and took a battle stance, facing his opponent. Misty raised an eyebrow, and chose to make the first move.

"Ice Beam!"

"Razor Leaf!"

The two attacks collided in a cold mist, and Ash took the opportunity to gain an advantage. If he couldn't hit Starmie in this position, he might as well make good use of this downtime.

"Use Growth!" he commanded. Petal's leaves began to glow, and his body increased in size slightly as the light turned his leaves glossy. The light caught the attention of Misty, who frowned, and called out a move of her own.

"Psybeam!" she ordered. A pink ray of higher power than even Dexter's slammed into the Oddish, sending him sprawling into the ice. Ash clenched his teeth. Of course. Starmie didn't have eyes and relied on psychic power to see, whether it be food, friend, of foe. Some mere smoke wouldn't stop it from hitting its mark. He had to play this carefully. Petal was a lot more fragile than Dexter and was vulnerable to Starmie's psychic moves.

Starmie didn't have a nose either, so Sweet Scent was out of the question too.

Misty decided to push forward. "Use Psybeam one more time! Give it all you've got!"

"Dodge and use Razor Leaf!" Ash ordered. Petal jumped over the psychic blast and shot its own projectiles toward the Mysterious Pokemon, who had put too much power into its own attack to dodge in time. The leaves sliced into Starmie's skin, pushing it backwards and preventing a counterattack. However, Misty only grinned as she called out her next command.

"Use Double Team!" she commanded. Within seconds, dozens of illusionary copies of the Mysterious Pokemon appeared on the battlefield, and Ash's eyes widened in shock for a split second before his expression hardened.

"Razor Leaf again!" he called. Petal's eyes narrowed in concentration as he began to summon more leaves that sliced through the copies. However, none of them managed to hit their mark, and he was blasted back by yet another Psybeam from Starmie. The poor Oddish was getting worn out more and more by the minute. He'd need a miracle to pull himself out of this one.

"Psybeam again!" Misty called out.

"Dodge!" Ash yelled frantically.

Petal jumped over the blast easily, soaring high into the air again. However, his eyes widened and he let out a cry of pain as he was punted into the ice battlefield painfully by Starmie's Rapid Spin. As the Oddish used his little legs to try and push himself up, a wave suddenly crashed into Petal, slamming it harshly into the psychic barriers. Ash watched helplessly as the Surf attack drenched Petal, leaving it weak and exhausted.

"Let's finish this! Ice Beam! Freeze it solid!" Misty commanded.

"NO!" Ash screamed.

The blast of ice hit Petal in the face as Ash stepped forward, helpless to watch his team member get pummeled by Misty's Starmie. Frost covered Petal's entire body, freezing it solid entirely in a block of ice as its expression of shock became lastered on its face.

He crumpled to his knees. He messed up big time. He'd made too many mistakes during the battle and now he was paying for it in the long run. He couldn't have predicted how good Misty was at battling. He couldn't have predicted any of this!

"Yeah! We did it Starmie!" Misty cheered. "Take THAT, Daisy!"

Daisy looked at her younger sister with an irked expression. "Quiet, you." she hissed, crossing her arms.

"...I'm sorry Petal." Ash muttered. He wasn't sure if the Oddish could actually hear him, but he was going to try anyway. "I didn't think this through. You're really hurt and beat up, and it's all my fault. Maybe we'll come back another time, but for now, she's just too strong for us."

Ash raised Petal's PokeBall, ready to return him, head hanging low, until a sound made him snap his head upward.

Crack.

The raven-haired boy looked around, wondering where the source of the sound could be coming from.

Crack.

Ash turned his head toward Petal, who was still frozen, and squinted at him. By now, Daisy, Lily, Violet, and Misty had all noticed the sound echo throughout the large room, and looked toward the source with confusion.

Crack.

"Wait, are those cracks in the ice block?" Ash thought to himself.

Crack.

"Why are Petal's leaves glowing?"

Crack.

"Wha-his whole body is glowing!:

BOOM!

The ice block suddenly exploded, and Ash shielded his eyes from the blinding light illuminating from Petal's entire body. He watched as two arms sprouted from the Oddish's sides, and his torso grew in size. His three green leaves transformed into a flower with circular petals, with long slender leaves coming from the top. the glow suddenly stopped, and standing in Petal's place was something entirely different.

Ash regarded the newly-evolved Gloom with awe. Petal looked back at him, toxic saliva coming from his mouth, and gave Ash a bright smile and a friendly wave. He evolved. Petal evolved! He finally had an evolved Pokemon on his team!

But more importantly, he wasn't out of this battle yet! Misty's eyes seemed to widen at the sudden development, and even her sisters seemed to look interested.

That is, until Daisy suddenly recoiled in disgust, staring at Ash's new Gloom. "Ugh! That thing like, totally smells!" she yelled, pinching her nose and moving away from the battlefield. Slowbro simply stood there, breathing in through its nose, thoroughly unfazed.

Misty turned her attention from her whining sister back to the battle. "Hmph. Looks like this'll take longer than I thought." she said, a little annoyed. "It doesn't matter! Use Surf and trap it!"

"Stand your ground and use Synthesis!" Ash commanded. Petal gave a slight nod to his Trainer and leaned into his backfoot, as he stood in front of the wave about to crash into him. The Surf attack flooded the battlefield, blocking Ash's vision, but when the water finally disappeared, Petal was standing exactly where he was before, having taken little damage. Petal's body began to glow as Synthesis healed some of the injuries he had sustained before, and he narrowed his eyes at his opponent.

He wasn't going down that easy.

"Get close and use Acid!" Ash ordered.

"Keep your distance and use Ice Beam!" Misty called.

Petal ran towards Starmie, doing his best to dodge the incoming attacks that the Mysterious Pokemon was launching towards him. An Ice Beam hit him square in the face, sending him skidding back and causing him to shudder, before he shook it off and continued advancing. He jumped into the air and reared his head back, preparing to spit a stream of poison onto his opponent quickly. However, Starmie was faster.

"Dodge and counterattack with Rapid Spin!" Misty commanded. Starmie spun through the air using its psychic abilities, dodging the Acid and knocking Petal back towards Ash's side of the of the field. Petal landed on the ice rather ungracefully, but managed to get up fairly quickly. Even with Petal's evolution, Starmie's Rapid Spin was still quite strong.

"Acid one more time!" Ash called. "Break its concentration!"

"Double Team!" Misty instructed. The stream of liquid went through one of the copies harmlessly, and Misty smirked. "Now! Ice Beam, full power!"

A freezing blast of energy pummeled the Gloom, sending him skidding straight into the psychic barriers with a slam. Ash blinked. No. He wasn't losing this. Not when Petal had worked so hard for this evolution.

"Razor Leaf!" Ash yelled.

"Ice Beam!"

The two attacks collided, creating tons of smoke, and the spinning body of Starmie rushed out of the smoke, threatening to hit Petal for even more damage with its Rapid Spin and possibly knock him out of the battle. For good. Time seemed to slow for Ash at that moment, and as the gears turned in his head, an idea popped up. It was now or never.

"Slide on the ice and use Razor Leaf!" Ash commanded. "Give it all you have!" Petal, watching his opponent soar closer and closer to him, suddenly dropped to the floor, out of the path of the attack, and with all of the force he could possibly muster, blasted Starmie with a flurry of leaves as sharp as knives. The impact was enough to send Starmie upwards, slamming it into the ceiling, causing its core to dim.

As it began falling back down, a flash of light engulfed it, saving it from taking more damage from the resulting fall. Misty sighed.

"Looks like you don't know when to give up, Ash." the orange-haired girl said with a small smile. "It's a good thing I do."

Ash blinked.

"Well, since my little sister like, lost the match, looks like you won, kid." Daisy said in a bored tone. "Can't believe we had to spend twenty whole minutes watching this..."

He won. After the many ups and downs of the battle, he'd finally managed to pull through and hold on tightly to victory. He felt a wave of joy, relief, and awe crash into him with the force of one of Starmie's Surf attacks. He looked at Petal, who had since turned around and ran toward his Trainer, waiting to be congratulated.

"You did amazing!" Ash said, patting the Gloom's head happily. "I'm so proud of you, Petal. I really did think we lost back there. Thanks for proving me wrong, buddy. Take a good rest. You've earned it."

The Gloom was returned back into the safety and comfort of his PokeBall, and Ash noticed Misty walking up to him, a forced smile on her face. "Congrats Ash." she said sincerely. She placed a shining metal badge in the shape of a water droplet into his palm "In my eyes, you certainly deserve that Cascade Badge." The girl sighed. "Just wish I could've actually been a Gym Leader for once. My sisters never let me have anything."

Ash rubbed the back of his head. "Hey, don't worry!" he reassured her. "You're a great Trainer! You'd be a fantastic Gym Leader someday!"

She gave him a genuine smile this time. "Thanks, Ash. That means a lot." The orange-haired girl suddenly seemed to realize something. "Oh! I have to give you one more thing! Just wait a sec!"

Misty ran over to the far corner of the room and started rummaging through some cardboard boxes that were placed there. She eventually found what she was looking for and held it up like a piece of treasure, before running back to Ash (almost falling onto the still frozen battlefield) and placing it in his hands. Ash observed the item closely. It was a TM, except it had a different color than the one Brock gave him, which was beige. This one was aquamarine.

"It's the TM for Water Pulse!" she explained. "I'm not sure if your bird thingy can learn it, but if you ever catch a Water-type Pokemon, you can teach it this right away! Oh, if you do catch one, show it to me. I'd be happy to give you some tips!"

"Alright, you two. You've had your fun." Daisy said as she approached them. Her hands were on her hips and she looked ready to be rid of the two younger kids that had used up her time. "Now leave. We have a show to do in ten minutes. Out. Now."

---

Proton was in a sour mood. His entire operation had been dismantled by some stupid brats because his grunts couldn't even do their jobs and subdue them like he ordered. He thought he had this in the bag. He'd make some money for Rocket, Giovanni would finally recognize his genius, and he'd be the Gym Leader's right hand man. But now that most of his grunts had been arrested and his scheme busted, he needed a new way to appeal to the Rocket leader.

He just hoped that he'd actually be alive by the time this meeting ended.

The blue-haired executive stood in front of the door to Giovanni's office, steeling his expression and stepping inside. The Rocket leader sat at his desk, regarding Proton as he walked into the office. The man also saw Petrel in the office as well, and scowled as the purple-haired man smirked at him.

Great. Things couldn't get any worse at this point.

"I trust you know why you're here, Proton." Giovanni spoke. He stood up, causing his Persian to jump off his lap and prowl around the room, glaring at Proton. The executive shivered. He hated that cat.

"Yes, sir." Proton spoke.

"Your performance in maintaining our operations in Mt. Moon was... disappointing." Giovanni continued. "I had high hopes that you would be able to support Rocket in a way that no one else here could." The executive narrowed his eyes at the statement. All the more reason why he'd strangle each and every one of those kids once he got his hands on them. Especially that little shit with the glasses that tried to attack him.

"I apologize, sir." he replied, trying to keep his voice as steady as possible. Petrel seemed to snicker at that, and Proton shot him an icy glare.

"However, I'm a good mood today, so I'll make you a deal you can't refuse." Giovanni said, his gaze boring into Proton. "The annual docking of the S.S. Anne is just over three weeks from now. You are to ally with Petrel and raid the ship, and steal any and every Pokemon you can find once it goes out to sea. If you fail, I won't be so generous next time. Do we have an accord?"

Proton gulped. "Yes, sir."

A small smile appeared on the Rocket leader's face as he sat back down in his chair. "Good. You may now leave."

The blue-haired man stood up and walked out of the office without saying another word, contemplating the opportunity placed before him. He had one more chance. One more chance to gain back Giovanni's respect. One more chance to show all these idiots who's boss. As the door closed behind him, his breathing returned to normal. This time he'd make sure his grunts didn't put him in this position again. Or else he'd tear them apart, limb by limb.

Petrel exited the office behind him. "You really have to work on your poker face, buddy." he spoke. "Even I noticed you were sweating bullets back there, and I was barely listening. Heh."

As the man walked away, Proton clenched his fists and gritted his teeth.

He wouldn't fail again.

---

Bam! Sixth chapter completed! Apologies for the wait, I was away from my laptop for a long time, so I couldn't finish updating the chapter. And I mean a LONG time. I appreciate people showing interest in my story despite the lack of chapters. I also appreciate you guys making your suggestions for Ash's team. Unfortunately, I already had his team planned out in advance. Solid ideas though!

Now, I'm really not sure why people are STILL reading the old version of this story, I recently looked through some of the later chapters and visibly cringed. C'mon guys, there's literally better content just a couple of clicks away. Anyways, some people are leaving reviews on that story, so... I guess I'll just answer them here?

Curious: Hey! Sorry, but that's not how my team structure is going to work. And not all of his Pokemon are going to be from Kanto AND be rare. That's just unrealistic and boring. At most I'm going to have maybe one or two other Pokemon on Ash's final team that would be considered "rare", and that's going to be much later into his journey anyways.

Pokemon-Fan: Interesting to hear your input. And I don't mind your criticisms of Nate and Angelina at all, that's why I made a rewrite!

Confused: So Gary was part of the batch of Trainers who got to go on a journey, since being the Professor's son meant that he could be taught the necessary skills by his grandfather easily, so he didn't need to take the test.

Reader: Glad you liked it! The characters I created may appear a few more times, but their roles are going to be quite minor compared to other characters like Nate or Angelina. And yes, I will be having Petal be used in quite a few Gym battles, but I'm still giving a lot of other Pokemon a chance to shine regardless.

Guest: Glad you enjoyed it! Funnily enough, I was considering both Arcanine and Steelix as possible choices, but decided against them in favor of some other Pokemon that'll appear later down the line that I think you'll like.

haziqsaffari2: You got it!

AngelFaux: Glad my chapters are showing growth!

HayakuHayaku: Dang, we've got two people rooting for a Jigglypuff catch. I do have another Fairy-type catch planned that you'll hopefully like however. Glad you liked the Rocket fight!

Iugulator: Thanks for reading!

CappageBoy: I've already planned out how Porygon will battle and it will be somewhat similar to what you suggested. Porygon by default, is already programmed with basic knowledge and is moderately smarter than your average wild Pokemon. Also side note, Analytic, being a hidden ability, will not change regardless of evolution.