Thank you for your reviews. I'm still undecided on what to have as Ash's last partner. Five have already been decided however I'm still undecided on if the fifth one I originally chose will fit his team in this FanFic.
I originally wanted the punishment to be longer, but Charmeleon has a key storyline coming up so its not as harsh as it first was.
Trigger warning for the end. Involves branding.
Chapter 23
Ash called out Ivysaur and Wartortle around the campsite. Making them food to distract himself the other three quietly sat and ate. After they had finished Ash sighed heavily.
"Ok, to start with how are you feeling Wartortle?" Ash asked.
"I'm feeling ok. Still twinging a bit though." Wartortle said moving heavily into a more comfortable position.
"I'm going to attach a full restore to your pokeball tonight" Ash said wincing "Hopefully by morning you'll feel much better but we're just outside of Fuchsia, so I'll give you to Nurse Joy as soon as possible."
"Thanks Ash" Wartortle asked looking around at the others. Pikachu looked grim and angry, Ivysaur looked as confused as him and Ash looked resigned. He also noticed Charmeleons dish full but no Charmeleon eating "Ok, I'll ask. Why isn't Charmeleon out here?"
Sighing Ash told them what happened in the battle "It was bad guys" Ash finished.
"It was worse than that Ash" Pikachu interrupted "If it wasn't for your quick thinking and if you couldn't heal with your aura that Venomoth may never have woken up, never mind battled again. What the hell was he thinking disobeying your command in battle to use a move he's never used in practice before?"
"Ah but he has" Wartortle said wryly "we've all noticed him sneaking off, we all noticed fire springing up from where he snuck off too. Clearly, he was planning on using that move, whatever it was."
"It was the beginning stage of Blast Burn" Ash said looking away from them "it's the most potent and powerful fire type attack there is. Whatever it hits it incinerates until nothing in the blast radius survives. If it hits you Ivysaur you'd be instantly killed and there would be no remains to bury. It's the very reason I've never let Charmeleon use any fire attacks on you in training. You are mortally weak to fire. So was Venomoth and he knows this. Any unsanctioned trainer caught using the move faces heavy penalties, the potential loss of his or her licence and the Pokémon in question is evaluated and if need be, destroyed. The league doesn't mess around with this move."
"So, what are we going to do?" Ivysaur asked "are you going to punish him?"
"He needs some form of punishment" Pikachu said angrily "Ash called you two out to come to a decision together on what it should be before we call him out and get his side. If I had my way i'd pummel him until he becomes unconscious for what he almost cost us all."
"I don't know Ash" Wartortle said wincing as he shrugged "I'm not great at coming up with ideas."
"When you lead the Squirtle Squad how did you deal with situations?" Ivysaur asked.
"I wasn't really the leader, just the one they chose to come to as I was the biggest" Wartortle said "There was only one instance of what could be classed as insubordination, but I stamped that out straight away by beating them in a battle. Sorry Ash, I don't have any ideas."
"I have one" Ash said, "but I'm reluctant to go through with it."
"Go on" Pikachu said.
Ash outlined his plan for Charmeleon after explaining why he felt it was necessary. Nodding the other three agreed it was likely the best option available. "You'll need to get permission first though Ash, it's pointless saying this until that plan is approved."
"You're correct" Ash said as he took out his pokegear and rang Professor Oak.
"Hi Ash" Sam said still looking very ill "what's up, it's quite late you know."
"I know professor and I'm sorry but it's urgent" Ash said "Something happened at the gym today while fighting Koga. Charmeleon used Blast Burn on Koga's Venomoth."
"Who taught him that Ash?" Sam said looking serious "you know the penalty for using that move without having the league sanction."
"I'm aware" Ash said nodding "he's been secretly teaching himself it seems over the last few weeks. He's been going off during training, we just thought he wanted to train in private for a bit. But during the battle I ordered him to use Flamethrower and instead he used Blast Burn, or the beginnings of it at least. It still did significant damage to Venomoth, so much so that if I didn't have a full restore and my aura healing abilities Venomoth would now be dead and Charmeleon would be scheduled for destruction."
"I'm glad you realise the seriousness of the situation Ash" Sam said, "what did Koga say?"
"Koga forgave me because he knew what I ordered and that Charmeleon acted of his own accord" Ash replied "Healing Venomoth myself went a long way to earning that forgiveness too."
"You are aware that I will now officially have to place a mark on yours and Charmeleons record as having access to that move, however primitive it is?" Sam asked.
"I am, it's why I told you professor" Ash replied "And after discussing it with the others we've come to a decision. Charmeleon needs to be punished for what he did. Now if Pikachu had his way, he'd break Charmeleons legs for what he almost cost us. The rest of us however struggled to come up with anything. I had an idea though and wanted to run it by you." Seeing Sam nod Ash told Sam of his idea and what he thought.
"I don't really think that will be a problem" Sam said chuckling "you know how much he adores you. And putting him in his place will only serve to endear you to him further. When do you reach Fuchsia?"
"Tomorrow afternoon. We're about two miles away now." Ash said.
"Very well" Sam replied, "I'll set it up and I'll send you a message when it's set up." With that Sam hung up leaving a very quiet campsite. Sighing Ash pulled out Charmeleons pokeball "we better get this over with. Come on out Charmeleon."
Charmeleon came out of his pokeball and stretched. Noticing his food, he started to dig in. It was only when he was nearly finished that he noticed he was the only one eating. The rest were all staring at him, Pikachu looked livid, Ivysaur worried, Wartortle resigned, and Ash concerned. Putting his dish down he looked at them all wondering what was going on.
"Er, is everything ok?" he asked. It was the wrong thing to say as Pikachu exploded forwards. It was only the quick reflexes of Ivysaur who already had his vines out to grab the irate Pikachu that stopped the brawl that was about to happen. It didn't stop Pikachu's mouth though from talking.
"Are you seriously asking us that question? After the stunt you pulled in Koga's gym? Do you have the slightest clue what you could have cost us? Ivysaur let me down, I'm going to kick the shit out of him."
"No, you will not" Ash said grabbing hold of Pikachu as Ivysaur retracted his vines. "Now I'm going to ask you this once, and if I don't get the truth, I'll let Pikachu go".
Pikachu was very eager it seemed as he started sparking threateningly "Who taught you Blast Burn?"
"Blast Burn?" Charmeleon asked "I've never heard of the move."
"The move you used against Venomoth, moron" Pikachu said getting ready to launch himself forwards "who taught you that move?"
"Oh, is that what it's called?" Charmeleon said confused "No one did, I've been teaching myself for the last few weeks. I've never been able to pull it off before though. Did it work? Did we win?"
"Did it work?" Ash asked incredulously "Are you so utterly clueless?"
"Clearly he is Ash" Ivysaur said looking sad "looking at him you know he doesn't feel as though he's done anything wrong."
"We were in a battle" Charmeleon said defiantly "I used a move that I'd been training on, and it worked. I fail to understand what I did wrong here."
"You disobeyed Ash" Pikachu said shaking his head "that's one, you also used a move that is incredibly dangerous without proper training, that's two. Not only that but it's one of a handful of moves that is extremely regulated and needs league sanctioning before you can use it."
"Well, I didn't know that did I?" Charmeleon said belligerently.
"You nearly killed the Venomoth!" Ash said "If it wasn't for my quick thinking, I would now have my Pokémon licence taken away and facing financial sanctions, our family would be broken up and you would be set for destruction! There's a reason I haven't begun to teach you that move yet."
"Well, I didn't know did I?" Charmeleon said shaking his head "I'm sorry, ok?"
"No, it's not ok" Ash said sadly "I've had to tell Professor Oak about it. He's had to place a mark on our profiles. Until we win a league, we will always have that mark. You could have cost us everything Charmeleon."
"I've already said I didn't know" he said angrily.
"Well ignorance is not an excuse" Ash said firmly "so we're going to discuss your punishment."
"Punishment?" he asked baffled "for using a move?"
"No, you moron" Wartortle said standing up wincing "your punishment is because you disobeyed a command in a battle and nearly cost us everything. It's clear he doesn't understand the severity of what he did Ash. I'm fully behind the punishment."
"I rang Sam" Ash said interrupting any form of response "when we reach Fuchsia City tomorrow you will be transferred to him for the next week where you will shadow him, and you will do everything he says as well as helping out around the ranch. Any belligerence on your part will be dealt with by his Charizard and believe me you do not want to cross Charizard. You will not get into any battles, but you will keep up your usual training. Hopefully by the time you are back with us you've learned the error of what you have done."
"You're abandoning me?" Charmeleon said standing up looking livid "after everything I've done for you."
"You do not get to even start being angry" Pikachu said sparking causing Charmeleon to take a step back "this is lenient compared to what I wanted to do. Hopefully learning with Sam and Charizard humbles you. You have utterly disappointed this family with your actions."
"Hopefully you will learn a valuable lesson, I was considering leaving you with Sam until we next reached Pallet Town" Ash said standing up "the week will soon pass. Hopefully you'll use this time to better your attitude. Come on guys, time for bed." Everyone stood up and walked into the tent not even looking back leaving a shocked Charmeleon to slump down beside the campfire and replay what had just happened in his mind.
Ash woke up the next morning to find Charmeleon had come into the tent and retreated back into his pokeball sometime in the night. Going through their usual morning routine the gang were solemnly quiet and very efficient. It seemed one of them stepping out of line and putting the rest at risk had given them a single-minded purpose this morning as they all helped each other out with moves more than they usually did.
"Ash" Ivysaur said quietly as they finished packing up "what if he genuinely didn't know what the move did as he says he didn't?"
"That's not the issue Ivysaur" Pikachu said before Ash could answer "the fact is we're all a family, and decisions like the one he took affect us all. If he was having trouble with a move he should have asked for help, that way Ash could have dissuaded him from learning that attack and given him the reason why. Using an untrained move, in a battle situation against a Pokémon he knows is mortally weak against said move is not the place to do so."
"He needs to learn Ivysaur" Ash said "that his actions have consequences. He could have killed Venomoth. The move I ordered, Flamethrower would have done the job I asked for and beaten the Venomoth but it would only have knocked it out. His ego and pride overcame him, and the result was bad. I just hope he learns from it with Sam and Charizard because believe me Oaks Charizard is still a force of nature in itself. He won't tolerate arrogance. Plus, Charmeleon needs to learn this lesson from a fellow fire type. Charizard knows Blast Burn and has only ever used it twice. Both times were to save a Pokémon's life. That's why I suggested the punishment I did, I wanted it to be until we next reached Pallet Town but that could be six weeks from now. He will hopefully learn and grow from this."
"Ah" Ivysaur said nodding "I understand better now. Its not so much a punishment as helping Charmeleon learn a life lesson?"
"Exactly" Ash said shouldering his backpack "let's go. We should make Fuchsia by mid-day."
The rest of the journey was done in silence. Ash had recalled Ivysaur and Wartortle as the road was getting busier with the people coming and going into the city. Just after noon Ash arrived at the Pokémon Centre and handed his Pokémon over to Nurse Joy while he went up to his room and showered. It was underrated Ash thought, being clean by actual hot water. People underestimated how nice a hot shower can be. Going downstairs Ash took his Pokémon back and called Sam to transfer Charmeleon over. Giving the pokeball a head shake he placed it onto the transporter and watched it disappear. Thanking Sam, he hung up, walked back to his room and rang his mum. He had a lot to talk about with her. The conversation lasted many hours as they talked about what Ash had been up to, the wedding of Lance and Melanie, Gringy City and the deaths of the workers, the wedding, Koga and Charmeleons actions and finally more about the wedding. Before he hung up, he asked his mum for Eevee while they were planning on staying at Fuchsia for the next week or so.
"Ah" Delia said smiling "well Eevee isn't here anymore Ash."
"What do you mean?" Ash asked concerned "is she ok? Has she left you?"
"No, no" Delia said, "but she's no longer an Eevee."
"Oh" Ash said relaxing before excitement overtook him "so were we right in what she'd be?"
"You'll get to ask her yourself when I send her over." Delia said "I'll head over to Sam's now and transport it to Fuchsia. I was heading over there anyway with soup. The poor man is not in any condition to be working just yet."
"I know" Ash said "and I apologised for ringing him the last few days. I'm glad he was able to help and I'm glad you're there to help him mum."
"We owe Sam a lot Ash" Delia said sadly "more than we could ever repay." Hanging up Ash was on edge for the next hour as he waited downstairs with his Pokémon all discussing what Eevee had changed into.
"Can Pokémon trainer Ash Ketchum come to the counter please?" Nurse Joys voice rang out over the tannoy.
Sprinting over Ash took possession of the pokeball that was handed to him. Going up to his room he and the rest waited with anticipation to see their friend. Wartortle had become impatient just seeing Ash clutch her pokeball and shouted "Ash! Release her!"
"Ok, ok calm down" Ash said laughing before pressing the button. From what once came a little brown fox was now a beautiful pink and white Pokémon, standing around three feet tall, covered with pale cream-colored fur with pink feet, ears, and tail. There were two bows on her body: one at the base of her left ear and one at her neck. Each bow was a pale cream with a pink center that became a pair of ribbon-like feelers. The feelers were pale cream with pink tips.
"Slyveon, Pokedex number 700, the Intertwining Pokemon and the evolved form of Eevee. This Pokémon is female. It sends a soothing aura from its ribbonlike feelers to calm fights. Sylveon wraps its ribbonlike feelers around its Trainer's arm because this touch enables it to read its Trainer's feelings."
"Yes!" Wartortle said "I knew it! You all owe me."
"Wartortle" Ivysaur said "we all knew she'd be a Sylveon you cretin."
"I called it first" came the obstinate reply making them all laugh as he bounded over to her and hugged her, her feelers instantly latched onto him as she hugged him back.
The rest stopped laughing and all looked at each other with wonder. Wartortle never showed affection like that to any of them, they knew of course that he trusted Eevee, now Sylveon more than anyone else but to openly hug her? That was a new one.
"Look at how beautiful you've become!" Wartortle said further surprising them as he stepped back and took her in "I told you you'd look great, didn't I?"
"You certainly did" Sylveon replied wrapping a feeler around his arm.
"Erm" Ivysaur said quietly "is there something we're missing here?"
"It seems you, Pikachu and I are in the same boat here." Ash said looking questioningly at the two Pokémon who were chatting quickly and happily to each other. "I'm as clueless as you guys."
Finally, the two stopped talking and realised they weren't alone. Clearing his throat awkwardly Wartortle said "Guys, this is Sylveon."
"We know who she is Wartortle" Ash said walking forward bewildered "after all we did help raise her. The question is what that was all about."
Looking confused Ash elaborated "You show no affection to anyone but us, and even that is familial. What was that?"
"Sylveon and I decided to be each other's confidants a while back after the Porta Vista incident" Wartortle said sighing "We build each other up and we know that the other will always tell the truth regardless of how painful it might be. Believe it or not she was worried about how much she'd change when she evolved. She was worried that her entire nature would change. It's perfectly evident that's false."
"Wartortle is correct" Sylveon said "while I know in my head that you guys are my family, in my heart he truly is. He's the best older brother I could ask for."
"Fair enough" Ash said smiling "by the way, we were all right in what we knew you'd become. And now your big heart is plain for all to see as its on your body in several places."
"Thanks Ash" Sylveon said "I can't help but notice someone is missing though. Where's Charmeleon?"
"He's serving his punishment with Professor Oak" Wartortle said seriously "I'll let you know what happened later."
Confused Sylveon nodded and decided to go along with Wartortle. Ash meanwhile was rooting through his bag. Pulling out a smaller bag he laced his wallet and pokegear inside and put it over one shoulder. "I have a need to go shopping guys, come on."
The next few hours were happily spent exploring the city. Ash was amazed to see how beautiful and green the place was, he remembered the pictures Sam had shown him of how polluted and grey the old city was. Popping into the mart Ash had a look through the selection and pulled three items from the shelves. Paying for them and a box to put them in Ash made his way to the Pidgeot Post, wrote a letter and posted it. Walking back to the centre Ash told them who the package was for, and they all nodded.
"That was a good idea Ash" Pikachu said.
"Yeah, I think he'll appreciate the gesture." Wartortle said. Entering their room they had a fun night just chatting to Sylveon about their recent exploits. The gym episode was talked about in great detail and even she agreed he had crossed the line. Ash went to bed that night feeling better than he did when he woke up.
Elsewhere
Koga was sitting meditating when a loud noise disturbed him. It sounded like a bird landing outside. Standing he carefully made his way to the door that led to the battlefield and was astounded to see a Pidgeot there holding a package in its claw. Thanking it he went back inside and sat the package down on the table as it had both his and Janines name on the label. Half an hour later his daughter came into the room and noticed her father staring at the box.
"Who's the package off father?" Janine asked.
"I have no idea" he replied "but as it has both of our names on it, I thought it best to wait until you'd finished your training for the day to open it. Shall we have a look?"
Receiving a nod Koga carefully unwrapped the package. Taking the lid off he noticed an envelope on top covering whatever was inside. Picking it up he glanced at the writing on the front, it wasn't someone he knew then given how he knew their styles of writing. Opening the envelope and taking the letter out he gave it a read before reading it aloud for Janine.
Ninja Mater Koga and Trainee Ninja Janine
I am writing this letter for a few reasons. The first is I wish to thank you for the leniency you showed me during our battle. Not everyone would have done so, you certainly did not need to do so yet you did. For that you have my gratitude. Secondly, I wish to inform you of the punishment Charmeleon will receive for pulling such a stunt. None of us condone what he did. I informed my sponsor immediately about what happened, he put the Mark on our record as is law. Charmeleon has been sent away to work alongside Professor Oaks Charizard where hopefully he will learn to be humble and atone for his deed. Believe me when I say Charizard will not put up with arrogance, I have been told he was furious about what Charmeleon did as every fire type starter and trainer must follow that law.
I felt it the honourable thing to do informing you that I'm aware of the seriousness of the situation and I'm aware of what the consequences could have been. To that end the gift I sent is for various reasons, the main reason is my apology and I hope you receive the gift in the manner it was intended. If you should ever need my aid, do not hesitate to ask.
I remain yours respectfully.
Ash Satoshi Ketchum
P.S I did not feel comfortable receiving money for winning the battle, so I have sent you a cheque with my winnings on it.
P.P.S Be careful when handling them.
"Interesting" Koga said setting down the letter, looking in the envelope where there indeed was a cheque. Placing it down he pulled the gift towards him. He pulled out three items, mindful of what they were.
"What are those father?" Janine asked, "I don't believe I have ever seen them before."
"I have no doubt you wouldn't have Janine" Koga said placing them on the table "they are three items that trainers can use in battle to aid their Pokémon. This is a Sticky Barb, it boosts your poison type attacks by up to 25% when held and is likely for my Dragalge, the next is for Muk and is Black Sludge. When Muk incorporates it into his body he will naturally heal himself in battle and physical moves against him injure and poison the opposition Pokémon. The last I believe is for you and Venonat, it is a bag of Brightpowder, when held by your Pokémon it creates a shimmering light across its body lowering your opponent's accuracy and improving your evasiveness. They are not cheap either."
"And he did this why?" Janine asked curious.
"Because he is a man of honour" Koga said, "informing his sponsor and then us of the situation goes a long way in justifying that belief." Seeing her confused face, he continued "the move Charmeleon used was the beginning stages of one of the most powerful and destructive moves a fire type can learn. When it hits, it incinerates everything in a blast radius leaving nothing but ashes remaining and is therefore heavily regulated. Until he wins a league, he will always have that black mark on his record and will be treated with caution and often mistrust when battling people officially. If I had done so Ash would have had his licence revoked, his Pokémon taken away and Charmeleon would be set for destruction. I should have informed the league myself of what happened, but I trusted Ash to do so in my stead. That trust was well placed. The gifts further that trust. Come, let us go see what benefits these items have shall we?"
Ash
The next day Ash decided to visit the area of the city where nothing could be caught. It wasn't technically part of the city as it was just outside its boundaries. Ash had read up on the place. It was full of free-roaming Pokémon, kind of like a big zoo where you could actually interact with the animals. Walking to the crossroads he had come to yesterday he followed the signs for the Ranch and headed out across the open fields. The next few hours were greatly enjoyable to Ash and his family. Ivysaur however was in dreamland. The entire place as far as the eye could see were filed with lush fields and the occasional Pokémon running past. His brain was working overtime on how the fields stayed in such great condition. Ash filled many pages up of his Pokedex just having a picnic around mid-day.
"I wonder how they keep the fields in such great condition" Ivysaur asked after they had eaten.
"I'm not sure who keeps it in great condition. I assume the people who own the ranch maintain it" Ash said looking out over the fields seeing Butterfree in pairs scattering pollen over the fields. "Maybe it's the Pokémon too."
"It's both" a voice said from behind them. Turning around they noticed a young woman walking towards them with a Ponyta at her side "the wild Pokémon here not only keep this place immaculate but they also police themselves, in return we do what we can to help protect the boundaries from poachers. You are aware this is a no catch zone, right?" she said questioningly. Receiving nods, she continued "We have herds of Tauros and Kangaskhan who do checks every few weeks on the various fields and its inhabitants. My family own the ranch this is built on, so technically we own everything you can see but we work in conjunction with the Pokémon to help make everything safe."
"It seems like a utopia" Ash said looking around "its absolutely beautiful. I'm Ash by the way."
"Lara" the young lady said shaking his hand "what brings you here Ash?"
"I have commissioned a house to be made in the next few years just outside of the town I live in" Ash said "I'll hear back off my family lawyers in the next few weeks about what needs to be done to conserve the surrounding area. I'm here to get more ideas about what I can do with the land I'm buying. I've seen a few things in my travels that have given me ideas but only one has been outside of a town or city setting. I have to say though that it beats this, only just though."
"Truly?" Lara said sceptically "where?"
"Actually, it's not a great distance from here" Ash said pulling out his pokegear and showing her the pictures.
"Oh Diglett Valley?" she said smiling "yes, that place is incredible, it's only around twenty km away from here you know? The Diglett and Dugtrio help out here from time to time too, they're the ones who re-routed a bit of the river to help irrigate these lands. They're amazing Pokémon, aren't they?
"They are" Ash said, "I'm glad I helped put a stop to the dam that would have destroyed their valley."
"Bloody contractors" Lara said "absolutely no morals at all. All they know is destruction."
"Indeed" Ash said nodding "but as I said I was looking for ideas to help preserve the natural habitat around my future house. The Pokémon there will be allowed to be free, and I read about this place. It's interesting to know it's the Pokémon themselves that maintain this."
"Here" Lara said handing over a card "if you need advice just email me. I'm always happy to help another conservationist."
Thanking her Ash carried on walking through the fields. It was early evening when he was on his way back that he picked up something on his aural radar. "Guys, we're being followed again. Sylveon can you track them discreetly?"
Twenty minutes of walking later Sylveon had tracked them to the forest on their left. "For some reason they're being sheltered by the forest. It's the same two from Celadon."
"So, our criminals are following us again, are they?" Ash said quietly, "well as we can't find them without them knowing we know let's head back and come up with a plan, shall we?"
The rest of the journey was done in silence and as Ash returned back onto the original path that their signature disappeared. "I think they must have access to a psychic type for them to keep instantly disappearing. The raid in Celadon hit Team Rocket hard too, I read over forty operatives were caught and put away so they must be getting desperate."
"Do you think they'll try the Safari Zone again?" Pikachu asked, "It's still the quickest way for him to gain new members for their army."
"Possibly" Ash responded "but we're not staying here for the rest of our lives to police it. We have no control over what others do Pi."
The next few days were made of Ash and his training his Pokémon and exploring Fuchsia City. Three days after arriving Ash decided to visit the little beach that was just south of the city. Spending the day just relaxing was something underrated. Watching Sylveon and Wartortle interact with each other by the sea was a joy for Ash. They were playing with a frisbee Ash had bought. Sylveon was using her ribbons to toss it into the ocean as far as she could while Wartortle tried to not let it hit the water. His speed was becoming phenomenal in water. Pikachu and Ivysaur were making sandcastles and occasionally joining in with the frisbee. Ash however used this time to write up the final comments on his Aura book. He was still two weeks under his deadline, but he wanted it out as soon as he could. It was due to be published later in the month, hopefully he could take Sam and his mum out to thank them for their help with various bits. Pressing send was one of the best moments of his life quickly followed by the little envelope moving across the screen to his Silph publicist. The relief he had when it had sent could not be described. He had officially published his first book, that he was aware of to start with.
The day after Ash decided it was time to visit the main attraction of this place. The Safari Zone. He planned on spending quite some time in there, so he stocked up his backpack and made his way to the north of the city. Passing through the many exhibits of Pokémon enclosures along the way he read the descriptions of them, none of them grabbed his attention though, even the rarer ones. Walking into the entrance he paid for his ticket and read up on the various Pokémon that were plastered all over the walls. Only a few caught his attention.
"Dratini huh?" Ash said, "I wonder how many fools have gone chasing that pipedream, Pi?"
"It's no pipe dream" a gruff voice said "she's very real. The names Kaiser and if you know what's good for you, you leave Dratini alone. Now rules, you cannot use your Pokémon to battle any of the wild Pokémon available. You must use the balls that we provide, not your own. We will also provide you with bait. You have until 6pm to make your way back here or you'll be escorted off site and permanently banned. Is that all understood?"
"Perfectly" Ash said "Come on Pi. Let's go hunt that Dratini."
"What did I just say?" the man roared taking out a gun and pointing it at Ash "Dratini is off limits."
Before he could react, Ash had twisted the man's arm breaking it, made him drop the gun and kicked his legs out from under him causing him to fall onto the floor and yell in pain. "If you ever point a gun at my face again, I will hurt you even more. Make no mistake you will be reported for this. I had no intention of hunting for a Dratini but if I find it and it wants to join me then I will catch it. It's in the Safari Zone, that makes it fair game. Now I suggest you go to the hospital and get that looked at." With that Ash stepped over the man and the gun and walked into the Safari Zone proper.
"Are you looking for the Dratini?" Pikachu asked.
"No" Ash replied simply "I wouldn't mind a dragon type, but it's obviously been in here a while and still not been caught which means it's very elusive. And given our time constraints it will be a pointless endeavour given the other Pokémon we can look for. Here" he said pulling out a small list of four Pokémon names "these are who we are looking for. Not all are for me by the way."
"Interesting" Pikachu said reading them. He couldn't disagree that they'd be excellent partners when trained up. The day passed by at a steady rate for Ash and Pikachu. They had been wandering around now for a few hours and stopped by a lake with a waterfall running into it and had lunch. "Come on out everyone" Ash said releasing Wartortle and Sylveon sitting down and feeding them. Out of the corner of his eye he noticed something very strange. Underneath the waterfall was a Pokémon that was seemingly meditating with the water falling down on it. From this distance it looked humanoid but had extremely bulging muscles. Pointing it out to the group they carried on eating and chatting aimlessly. After twenty minutes Ash noticed the Pokémon stand up and walk into the back of the waterfall where there was a concealed cave. As interested as he was, he knew not to enter a Pokémon's home or den.
Almost half an hour later Ash had the feeling he was being watched. Pulsing out his aura confirmed it. "Guys, the rocket people are here" Ash said quietly "they're at our nine. Pi and Wartortle, when I say I want you to attack. Sylveon watch our backs" louder though Ash made a show of packing up. Just as he was nearly done he shouted "Now guys!". The world around them lit up in a series of lights as different attacks focused on a single area. The yells from inside the bushes told Ash he had been successful. Calling a halt Ash waited for whomever it was to appear and sure enough the two that had been following him for months now made their way out of the bushes clearly angry but also very battered.
"I don't know who you think you are Twerp" the man shouted, "but you will pay for that." Releasing a Kadabra and a Weezing and pulling out a baton.
"We will put an end to you for what you've done" the blonde woman said releasing a Raticate and an Arbok. Reaching into her pocket she called a number "we have him trapped, do your jobs."
"That's doesn't sound good Pi" Ash said "all of you, destroy them" with that the next few minutes was a haze of destruction and mayhem. Ash had decided to abandon all pretence and charged forwards to the clearly shocked Rocket Duo leaving his Pokémon to deal with theirs. Fighting two people who were both armed with weapons wasn't new to Ash, what was new was that these two clearly had more than a little training and was used to attacking in sync. Ash was having to use all his knowledge and training to keep focused, the trouble was that as soon as he gained the upper hand on one the other would attack from behind refocusing his target. His Pokémon were making quick work of their opponents though. They had decided that rather than go one on one they would attack one at a time with two defending them. In less than five minutes they had the Raticate and the Weezing knocked out.
They were not without their own casualties though as Sylveon had taken a head on Sludge attack, one she was severely weak to and been knocked out of the battle next to the water. This though spurred the rest on and within ten minutes all their Pokémon except the Kadabra were knocked out as it kept teleporting away and attacking from afar. Just as they were about to join Ash though a herd of Tauros came stampeding into the area heading straight for Ash and the rocket agents. Butch seeing this recalled his Weezing and instructed his Kadabra to teleport them all out of there just as Ash knocked out Cassidy. Doing so it left Ash to turn around and face head on a herd of angry Tauros when from nowhere a blue missile came hurtling from the water scattering them and from Ash's side a Pokémon came and started fighting hand to hand with several of the remaining Tauros. Slipping back into fight mode Ash aided the Machoke in defeating the six remaining bulls occasionally giving the Machoke instructions.
"Step Back with your left leg and sweep with your right."
"Defend with your left arm and chop with your right."
"Jump and grab its horn and toss it."
"Forward and don't let up."
After around ten minutes with his other Pokémon aiding them, they made the rest of the Tauros retreat. Falling down to one knee Ash panted. He hadn't been in such a battle since Porta Vista. Focusing on his breathing he quickly got it under control and stood up ready to thank the Machoke when out of the corner of his eye he saw what the blue blur had been. Hovering over a weak Sylveon was a Dragonair emitting a strange light from the gem on its head. Slowly walking over he took in the Dragon Pokémon. It was magnificent Ash thought. This was quickly followed by concern for Sylveon. Racing over to his bag he grabbed a Full Restore and called Sylveon back to her ball and applied the medicine. Hopefully she should be ok, at least until they reached the Pokémon centre. Standing up he took in his other battered and bruised Pokémon.
"I want to thank you all for your help today. Our training has clearly paid off, you made short work of many foes." Turning to Dragonair he took out is Pokedex and Dexter beeped.
"Dragonair, Pokedex Number 148, The mythical dragon Pokémon. This Pokémon is female. A mystical Pokémon that exudes a gentle aura. Has the ability to change climate conditions."
Ash bowed his head and thanked her. "I thank you for your help Dragonair. Without it I doubt I would have survived a horde of rampaging Tauros."
"You're welcome" a sweet melodic voice said back "those Tauros are forever ruining our peace. I was glad to put them in their place."
"It was much appreciated" Ash said turning to Machoke who was watching him warily. This Machoke was different from the ones he'd seen before Ash thought. It exuded confidence, and it was a clear foot taller than normal at around five feet tall "my gratitude to you as well Machoke" he said bowing. Strangely the Machoke bowed back and walked up to Ash staring him eye to eye "you're different. Train me."
Shocked by the demand Ash was ready to say no when Pikachu asked "why?"
"He knows how to fight, I watched from the cave" Machoke said still looking at Ash "meditation can only take me so far. He can take me further. Train me."
"If you come with us then it will not be easy" Ash said turning around and picking up his backpack. Recalling his team, he turned to Machoke and said "The training will be harsh, sometimes brutal but the results are effective non-the-less. If you want to be the best, then I will train you. If you plan to skate by then tell us now and save us the bother."
Taking a step forwards, he bent on one knee and simply said "train me." Nodding Ash took out a Safari Ball and touched it to Machoke's head where it didn't even rock. "well Pi, we have another member of the family."
Scanning him with Dexter he beeped.
"Machoke, Pokedex Number 67, the Superpower Pokémon and the evolved form of Machop. This Pokémon is male and has the ability Guts and is of the Impish nature. Its muscular body is so powerful, it must wear a power save belt to be able to regulate its motions. Current moves known are Karate Chop, Brick Break, Submission, Focus Energy, Leer and Foresight."
"Hmmm" Ash muttered "he needs a lot of work, but we always did like a challenge." Turning to Dragonair he said "I wish you all the best Dragonair, should you ever fancy a change then come to Pallet Town. My mother would adore you."
"I will keep it in mind" Dragonair said "however I have responsibilities here" she finished turning to the water where a head popped out of the water revealing a Dratini. Laughing Ash nodded "you're both welcome. If I never see you again then thank you for your assistance." Standing up Ash walked away keen to leave the area. It was on his way back to the entrance when he was walking past a pond and he was splashed from behind. Quickly turning around, he noticed a Poliwag laughing from the middle of the water. Before it could react, he threw a Safari Ball at it catching it unawares. It began to shake violently on top of the water as the Poliwag was clearly fighting the capture. Finally, though it dinged silent, and the ball returned to Ash's hand. "Well, that's one of the four we were after Pi. At least my mum has a new addition as well as us." Scanning it with Dexter he beeped.
"Poliwag, Pokedex number 60, the tadpole Pokémon. This Pokémon is female and has a naughty nature. Its newly grown legs prevent it from running. It appears to prefer swimming than trying to stand. It knows the moves Bubble, Hypnosis, Water Gun, Rain Dance and Doubleslap."
"Naughty nature indeed" Pikachu said chuckling "not a bad move set either."
Nodding Ash hitched his backpack and carried on walking. Reaching the entrance he noticed that there were several police officers around. Seeing him one made a beeline for him. "There you are, Ash. I'm afraid we need to talk."
Confused Ash followed her back inside into a room where there was another Jenny with a pad. "We received a complaint this morning from Mr Kaizer. He claims you broke his arm without provocation."
Laughing Ash shook his head "no that's false. What he conveniently missed out was that he pulled a gun out on me when I mentioned the Dratini that was said to live here."
"Do you have any proof?" Jenny asked concerned.
"Why don't you check the cameras in the lobby. I arrived here at 9:30am, bought my ticket which also has a timestamp on it" he said pulling it out and giving the Jenny the ticket. "And less than twenty minutes later I entered the Zone proper. That's should narrow your searching down considerably. Now if there's nothing else, I need to be going. I was almost run over by a herd of Tauros and I was attacked by two nutters wearing Team Rocket outfits."
"What do you mean?" the writing Jenny asked alarmed "we heard tell of a failed operation about six weeks ago. Are you telling us they're back?"
"I believe so" Ash said, "If you have access to the cameras in area four next to the waterfall, then you'll see for yourself."
"Damn" Jenny said looking through her notes "that's the only section of the Zone that is unmonitored. Kaizer refused to have cameras placed there, we have yet to discover why."
"We'll be in touch Mr Ketchum" Jenny said standing up and leaving with her companion. Ash decided to follow, made his way to the Pokémon centre where he handed everyone over. Despite the near miss with his life, one he would not be telling his mother about it had been overall a very successful day.
Elsewhere
Cries of pain rang out as a whip came flashing down from above striking a woman with blonde hair who was chained up to a wall. Beside her a man with green hair was virtually unconscious after receiving the same treatment not long before.
"You two incompetents have disappointed the boss for the last time." Domino said walking forward and squeezing Cassidy's face forcing her to look at her "do you have anything to say?"
"It wasn't our fault" came the whispered reply "he must have been tipped off." Evidently it wasn't the right thing to say as the whip came cracking down again from a man at Dominos side who never even flinched. Before she could respond though the door opened, and a man walked in dressed immaculately in a three-piece suit.
Walking directly to the chained twosome he whispered in a menacing voice "you two have cost us severely with your stunt today. Not only did you reveal yourself to your mark, but you also called in personnel to aid you without permission. Because of this the Safari Zone project will have to be pushed back yet again until the heat dies down. I have lost thousands in contracts because of this. While that is a travesty, my word now means nothing to those we need."
Sighing the boss walked to the other side of the room and picked up a branding iron that had been in a fire. Walking back to the chained grunts he nodded at the man with the whip who put it down and held Butch's face up. Before anyone could react, it was plunged into Butch's left eye. The screams and the smell caused even Domino to nearly wretch. Nodding again he did the same to Cassidy before calmly handing Domino the iron. "You two are lucky that I still need you in some capacity. You are off the Ketchum case. From now on you will work alongside the new recruits. Hopefully retraining will improve your abysmal record with Team Rocket. Domino, put Jessie and James on Ketchum. Warn them what happens to those who fail me. I shall see you in my office at 9 for further instructions" Turning around he marched out leaving a sadistically ginning Domino, an unaffected Torturer and a pair of sobbing members of Team Rocket.
