This chapter has been updated on 12/29/2022 - if you've read it before this date, read it again.


Pokémon speech in Pokémon language = "Italicized"

Human Speech = "Regular"

Thoughts/highlighted text = 'thoughts/highlighted text'

Chapter 002 – A Reunion & a Mallet

As Ash made his way to the professor's lab, he noticed a crowd form outside the lab, though smaller than he remembered it being from the old timeline and mostly made up of cheerleaders.

And just like in the old time, his first rival was waiting by the steps, a fluffy Eevee lazily lounging about by his feet.

"Well, well, Ashy-boy. What took you so long – I've been waiting here for at least ten minutes! What were you doing – applying makeup?"

Gary Oak. Being nice, yet in a sarcastic way. What the heck!

Ash wasn't sure, but he definitely remembered Gary was a world class jerk until they faced off at the Silver Conference in the old timeline. Though thinking about Gary brough up memories that definitely didn't exist in said timeline – namely him and Gary remaining close friends throughout their childhood, all without the mess that was them becoming badly hated rivals for some senseless reason. And apparently on top of that, both of their parents were close friends, which was how they first met.

Not knowing how to deal with this new Gary, he'd treat him like the Gary that he knew from Sinnoh, who was overall a decent bloke, though just as sarcastic as this one.

"Har, har. You're not gonna die from waiting a few minutes. So, let's go in already" replied Ash.

It was at this moment that Pichu pulled a Psyduck, unable to make sense of this new version of Gary. This time travel business was going to be the death of him. Oh well…

X - - - X - - - X - - - X - - - X

The two teens and their Pokémon entered the lab to find the Professor jolting down something on a clipboard. Upon noticing them he looked up. "Ah, Ash, Gary, come in. And Meowth…if only I could study you" he muttered the last part under his breath.

"As I said before, if you can catch me, you can study me" replied said Pokémon, having clearly heard the Professor's murmurs.

"No…" the Professor sighed.

"Um, what's going on between you and the Professor, Meowth?"

"He saw me having a discussion with a local Poliwag. Well, after fangirling…"

"I did not" huffed the Professor. "I was simply astonished at a sight of a Pokémon speaking fluently in English."

"After he went fangirling, he asked if he could run a few tests to see if it was possible to replicate. I told him he could if he could capture me".

"I came close one time…"

"He pretended to be a Caterpie and failed at it – rather miserably."

Gary snickered, imagining his grandfather attempting to crawl around like a Caterpie.

Before the professor could counter Mewtwo's response to insulting his attempts on imitating a Caterpie, Ash intervened, wanting to get on the road ASAP. "Now this is great and all, but Gary and I came to get our starter Pokémon."

"Yeah Gramps! I ain't gonna win the Indigo league without my starter!"

"Yes, yes, calm down Gary. And as I mentioned before, you two were the only ones to earn the right to one of the three elite Kanto starter Pokémon this year, or to be more precise in the last eight, along with access to the Pokédex and the services of my ranch to keep any Pokémon you catch beyond the six-Pokémon limit."

"Now you three have a choice between Bulbasaur, Charmander, and Squirtle."

Saying this, he opened three Pokéballs sitting on a counter, releasing the three famous Kanto starters.

The Bulbasaur that was released promptly squatting down and started taking a nap, uncaring of what was going on. Squirtle, upon seeing Gary, was attempting to pull off some sort of manly look, all in an attempt to look badass, though how effective it was could be considered questionable.

The Charmander on the other hand…

"…Charla, I know you're eager for squirts of you own, but even an alpha Chad like me needs a break after eight days of constant sex-" spoke the Charmander in a sleepy tone, looking around only to blink with an expression of shock.

"If this is one of Marvelo's pranks I'm so going to rip his lower jaw off-Ash? Is it just me or did you suddenly get bigger?"

"Charizard. You're now a Charmander. It's not a prank. For the moment, just play along and we'll fill you in on what heck is actually going on. And what in the name of all that is holy is you sex life?"

Internally agreeing with his partner on the first part while trying to ignore the second, Ash spoke to the Professor.

"I'll take Charmander as my starter."

Fortunately, Gary still had his preference for Blastoise and immediately followed with his choice of Squirtle.

"Excellent choice! Now here are your respective starter's Pokéballs, along with 5 complimentary Pokéballs and your Pokédex, which will also function as your trainer ID, alongside a host of other useful features. I believe that both of you have mentioned several times over the past few years that you will be taking the Gym Challenge."

"Yes Professor" replied both teens.

"So, which of the eighteen do you plan on doing – I know back when I was a trainer there were only eight…"

"There are more than eight?" asked Ash.

"I presume you were thinking of the original eight – the Pewter, Cerulean, Vermillion, Celadon, Fuchsia, Saffron, Cinnabar, and Viridian Gyms."

"Yes Professor. I was planning on challenging those eight gyms."

"Well, you have a hard road ahead of you. The League only requires you to have completed at minimum, one of the original eight alongside seven other gym badges from the other lesser gyms to participate in the Indigo League. By taking on all of the original eight, you will have a much harder time as you will be facing near elite level 4 vs 4 or 5 vs 5 battles. However, if you do succeed, it will be a great achievement as very few trainers actually challenge more than one of the original eight, maybe two, and fewer still earn all eight badges, with all other trainers taking on the lesser gyms to fulfill their eight-badge requirement for the League. Either way, I will be cheering both of you on, and wish you good luck."

"Thanks Gramps. Hey Ash, I hope you remember our challenge, coz I'm definitely going to win. Now smell ya later!" And with that parting statement, Gary was off, most likely riding shotgun with several pretty college cheerleaders, the thought of which Pichu hoped would give his trainer a nosebleed. Unfortunately, that thought clearly failed, seeing as Ash was showing no reaction to that. Hmm…

And after thanking the Professor, Ash and the three Pokémon left the lab and made their way back to the Ketchum residence. Meanwhile, Pichu and Meowth filled in Charizard, or now Charmander on what had happened so far, resulting in Charmander bemoaning...

"So, right now I'm stuck as a Charmander and have to train myself back to being a Charizard. And that's not even the worst part!"

"What could be worse than losing years of training and skills Charizard?" asked Ash.

"I'm now forced to be celibate for the next three years. Is this the infamous Ketchum luck that has me going from having a post No-Nut-November sex marathon to a forced three-year celibacy. THREE YEARS WITHOUT SEX!" Charmander yelled, distraught over the fact that he wouldn't be able to see his beloved Charla.

"You're not the only one. I've been forced to live off naughty dreams of Sylveon, Glaceon, and Buneary for the past year, and now have to wait for at least three more before I can meet up with any of them. You're lucky – three years is better than four!"

That statement left Ash blushing, trying not to think about the sex lives of his Pokémon. That in turn made him think of his own sex life, or lack thereof, and images of Misty's toned legs, May's generous bosom, Dawn's bubbly ass, Serena's lovely rump…wait what! Where did those thoughts come from?

Though before he could comprehend why he was having less than innocent thoughts about his female friends, a rather familiar rumble reminded him of the fact that he hadn't had breakfast yet…

X - - - X - - - X - - - X - - - X

As Delia Ketchum petted Pichu as she washed the dishes, she sighed. She knew that Ash would be fine on his journey, but worried for her only child. It felt like it was just yesterday that the longest Ash spent away from home was that three-week summer camp that Professor Oak hosted all those years ago, and now he was going on his very own journey.

Oh, how badly she wished Richard could be here for this moment, but alas, she prayed that he would watch over and guide their son from the afterlife.

As if Meowth could sense her worries, he commented "Missing him already Mrs. Ketchum."

"Sadly yes. As a mother, a part of me wants him to never grow up, to always be a sweet little boy to whom I read bedtime stories at night, but at the same time, I am proud that he's now all grown up, ready to explore the world out there."

"All mothers feel that when their children grow up, both human and Pokémon. It's only natural. But do not fret, for we will be with him throughout his journey."

"Don't worry Mama Ketchum, we'll be back before the Indigo League and keep Ash out of trouble," translated Meowth for Pichu.

That cheered her up. "Yes, you're right, both of you. It'll just be a bit odd with the house empty while I'm at the restaurant."

A few minutes later, Ash came down, freshened up after breakfast, along with being fully packed. "I guess we better get going."

"Do you have everything you need? Clothes?"

"Enough for a week."

"Money?"

"My allowance saved from the last five years."

"Other essentials?"

"Toiletries, camping gear, and even that Pikachu plushie you thought I'd like."

Delia Ketchum, seeing her only child all grown up, teared up slightly as she held her son close, and for a moment, mother and son took solace in each other's embrace.

"Ok dearie, stay safe. And call regularly."

"I will Mom. Come on guys. Bye Mom."

"Bye sweetheart. And good luck" sighed Delia, watching her son leave.

X - - - X - - - X - - - X - - - X

As Ash, Pichu, Charmander and Meowth left Pallet town for Viridian City, Ash reflected on what he'd be doing differently this time around. Right now, his first objective would be to run into Misty again, or to be more precise, get reeled in by Misty.

They were pretty close to the river that he fell into the first time around. And this time, he wouldn't jump in because he threw a pebble at a Spearow like a moron and got chased by an angry flock that wanted him dead.

As if sensing his thoughts, Pichu said "you realize that you don't need to jump into the river this time to meet Misty. Just follow the path downstream and we should run into her."

"How do you know what I was thinking?"

"I've known you for nearly a decade, or two if you count the new timeline – well enough to pick up your thoughts from just looking at you. And…you were looking at the river for no apparent reason."

"So what are we waiting for!" exclaimed Ash, promptly running down the trail as fast as he could.

"Ash, before you run off, I would like to ask you something."

"What is it Meowth?"

"I would ask that you catch me."

"I just remembered that I don't have a Poké ball in this timeline yet, and as much as I hate them, you need to catch me, ASAP!"

"No problem Pichu, But why Mewtwo? Didn't you decide that you didn't want to ever be caught by humans after everything that happened with Team Rocket."

"Yes, but I feel that if I were to be caught by any human, I would be honored to be at your side. And plus, I wouldn't have to worry about getting caught for being a talking shiny and I could also battle for you.

Oh, and by the way, use a luxury ball I bought this morning. Only the best for a being such as myself."

"Har-har. Ok then. Go Poké ball."

Ping…ping…ping…ding ding.

"Come on out Meowth."

"That felt…unusual."

"There's a reason I never go in my own Poké ball."

Ash then repeated the process with a regular Poké ball on Pichu.

"Ugg…now you can leave it at the bottom of your bag till the end of time."

"Now what are we waiting for! I've gotta find Misty!" Saying this, Ash ran as fast as he could, leaving the three Pokémon in the dust.

"Is it just me or is Ash more than just excited to see Misty? Coz I miss Misty an all, but it seems to be more than just 'I miss my best friend and want to see her ASAP'. But if it is what I think it is… "

"There might actually be hope for him. The bidding might actually start! Now let's catch up with him."

Saying this, Charmander ran behind Ash, attempting to catch up while Pichu and Meowth trailed behind them.

X - - - X - - - X - - - X - - - X

Ash, meanwhile, really wondered as to whether Misty remembered him. While Pikachu, or Pichu did, and so did Charizard, or now Charmander, he hadn't seen proof of any of his human companions remembering him so far. Though a guy could hope.

There, there was Misty, and she was just…wow. Her hair and outfit were nearly the same as he last remembered them, except she was now wearing tight denim pants instead of her shorts that were now outlining her lean and fit physique, even if it was under said blue material. This was proof that Misty was definitely a woman. Wait? Why wouldn't she be a woman? Grrr…he was starting to go crazy.

While he knew what happened when a girl went from being a kid to a woman – his mother did give him the Talk, he hadn't really comprehended what that actually meant beyond the basics at a biological level.

X - - - X - - - X - - - X - - - X

Misty Waterflower. Youngest of the four Sensational Sisters.

While she enjoyed performing alongside her sisters from time to time, her real passions were water type Pokémon and battling, just like her oldest sister Daisy. Though unknown to her, her life would soon change.

She was currently fishing by the river near Pallet town but had yet to catch anything. But just as she was packing up for the day, she heard someone call for her.

"MISTY!"

As she turned to look at the voice, she saw the face of a young trainer, who looked to be about fifteen years old. Though before she could ask him how he knew her name, he tripped on a rock and knocked her on her bum, with him landing on top of her, or more precisely, with his face between her breasts.

Suddenly, several years' worth of memories flooded her mind and the first thought she had was…

"ASH KETCHUM!"

And from nowhere, a mallet came and struck said trainer smack down on the head.

As the familiar pain of Misty's mallet striking home kicked in, he looked up to Misty's face from her chest, and took in the details of her face, her smooth tanned skin glistening in the sunlight, her hair tied back in her familiar bun, and her strikingly beautiful viridian-green eyes. Yep, he was definitely going crazy.

X - - - X - - - X - - - X - - - X

Just moments ago, she was enjoying a nice hot soak after a stressful day of Gym related paperwork. Yet somehow, she was now by the river between Pallet town and Viridian City, exactly where she met Ash nearly a decade ago. And now with her ass on the ground, on top of her and pressed into her cleavage, was said trainer, clearly looking much older than a ten-year-old…but wasn't he ten last she checked? What the hell was going on? Did Lily spike her tea with alcohol again (her sisters were obsessed over getting her a love life…)?

And with that question, alongside the reasoning that this was some sort of hallucination, she whipped out her mallet and struck home, knocking the hallucination-Ash face first into the ground.

"Uhh…that hurts. Missing me isn't a reason to whack me with your mallet ya know. And if it's any consolation, I miss you too Misty." replied the hallucination-Ash, who she now had a gut feeling wasn't a hallucination. Oops.

"Eeep! Sorry Ash – I thought that this was some sort of weird dream or hallucination – just moments ago I was at the Gym and now I'm just outside Pallet town, which doesn't make any sense."

"I have a feeling that a lot of things aren't gonna make sense soon" said Pichu.

"Same here mate" continued Charmander.

Whether it was being proactive or using future sight – Mewtwo was a psychic type, said Pokémon was using his psychic abilities to allow any humans in proximity to understand Pokémon-speech, more specifically, allowing Misty to understand the Pokémon present.

"Wait just a second – did I just understand what those two said? And where's Pikachu?"

"MISTY! I'm Pikachu! Though maybe not physically…"

"And I'm Charizard, now as an itsy bitsy Charmander."

"Wow! Now can somebody explain what's going on before I get an aneurysm?"

One long time-travel explanation later…

"I know we've dealt with some crazy shit throughout our adventures, but this just tops it. So…what now?"

"Well…if you're interested, there's a spot available for a travelling companion, that is if you want to travel with me again?" asked Ash, feeling hopeful that Misty would want to continue to travel with him, alongside feeling inexplicably depressed at the thought of Misty not wanting to travel with him.

"Heck yeah! I haven't left Cerulean in ages, and I do miss all the whacky stuff we encounter" smiled Misty.

"Woohoo!" leaped Ash in joy, twirling Misty around, with said action making both the Cerulean city gym leader and the Champion (former Champion? Ex-Champion?) of Alola feel all warm and fuzzy inside.

And after that touching moment, the duo started skipping away towards Viridian, unaware of their behavior. The trio of Pokémon trailed behind them, both Pichu and Charmander simultaneously weeping anime tears and facepalming at the same time.

Two morons, oblivious to the fact that they were clearly in love with each other. Why did their trainer have to be an idiot regarding the fairer sex? Charmander blamed Brock – a person who had yet to find his mate after proposing his undying love for hundreds of women over a span of nearly seven years would not be an ideal example to follow by. Why couldn't their trainer be like him, a mighty male specimen who had proven his worth to Charla and claimed her as his mate.

X - - - X - - - X - - - X - - - X

After they reached Viridian City early into the evening, the group made their way to the Pokémon Center. As they entered the building, Misty proceeded to get them a room for the night, while Ash went to call his Mom to let her know that he had reached Viridian.

But just as he finished assuring his Mom that he had safely reached Viridian, Nurse Joy informed him that he had a call from Professor Oak.

Walking up to a video phone terminal, he called the professor's lab, and was promptly treated to the sight of the back of the professor's coat.

"Umm… Professor, behind you."

"Ahh, Ash. Where are you currently."

"I'm at the Viridian City Pokémon center."

"That was surprising fast. It usually takes trainers at least until nightfall to get to Viridian by foot. No matter, the reason I called you was two-fold. Firstly, I was wondering if you knew what happened to Meowth. Your mother told me that he left with you and …"

"Professor, I caught him."

"Wait what…" saying this, the professor fell off his seat laughing.

"Are you alright Professor?"

"Yes, yes, I'm fine. It's just that Gary bet that you wouldn't catch a single Pokémon within the first week of your journey. That fact that you caught a shiny Pokémon, let alone one that can talk wins me a week's worth of free dinner at your mother's restaurant."

"Ha, take that Gary! But was there something else professor?"

"Nothing else really, I just merely wanted to check up on you – I had a chat with Gary when he reached Cerulean with Daisy's friends on his progress and though to do the same."

"Thanks Professor. And have a good night."

"You too young man. And stay out of trouble or your mother will have my hide!"

"Har-har."

Meanwhile, Misty had decided to cuddle Pichu like a baby and made cute little cooeing noises that were starting to embarrass the electric type.

"I knew that you're so cuddly as a Pikachu, but now as a Pichu he's now the second cutest Pokémon on the planet!"

"Too true ole chap. I'm still a dashing young lad as a Charmander instead of an imposing being of power, but at least I'm not a six-year old's stuffed cuddle toy in terms of cuteness.

"You are correct in that regards friend Charizard" replied Meowth.

"STOP IT! I AM NOT A BABY! Ash! Save me from Misty's death by cuddles and embarrassment!"

"Sorry buddy, until you evolve, you'll have to deal with the cuddling. And I thought you were used to it – you are rather cuddly as a Pikachu, going by how you love it when anyone cuddles you. But don't worry about being stuck as a baby Pokémon. According to the Pokédex, Pichu usually evolve once their abilities over the electric type are mature."

"So all I need to do is battle until I evolve. Could we use our mega Z-move even with me being a Pichu?" spoke the tiny mouse Pokémon, hoping to distract everyone from the thought of him being ultra-cute and cuddly. He was handsome and good looking. Not cute. Period.

"I don't know. And we can't test it because I don't have my Z-Power Ring.

"Dang it."

"I have an idea. Since you and Charmander need training, we could go out to the training field out back and work on trying to get you guys back to full strength. Misty, you're in?"

"Sure. I haven't had a good battle in ages."

X - - - X - - - X - - - X - - - X

Outside on the battlefield, Misty brought out her Staryu, the only Pokémon she had on hand. A welcome surprise was that said water type clearly remembered everything, though this did leave Misty internally panicking at the uncertainty of where exactly most of her other Pokémon were.

Fortunately, the thought of a battle was enough to distract her from said morse thoughts.

"Pikachu, or Pichu…it's really confusing, and I'll just stick to what I know you guys are right now – you need to work on getting your old moves back to full power – thunderbolt, iron tail, volt tackle, electro ball, electro web…

"Yeah, yeah, I get it. Right now, I can't even use quick attack, though I feel like I should know a move I didn't know before. Use the Pokédex."

"Scan me as well!"

"Sure. Let's see what the Pokédex has on you."

Pichu, the tiny mouse Pokémon. This Pokémon remains unable to properly control its electric discharges, but when it masters this ability and experiences a great emotional change, it evolves. This Pichu is male and has the ability Static. It currently knows the following moves:

- Tackle

- Thunder shock

- Agility (Error)

- Iron Head (egg move: currently locked)

- Electro Ball (Error)

- Electro Web (Error)

- Iron Tail (Error)

- Quick Attack (Error)

- Thunder (Error)

- Thunderbolt (Error)

- Volt Tackle (Error)

(Error) indicates that Pokédex is unable to recognize why or how a Pokémon is unable to perform a move, though data available suggests that a move has or had been properly executed at some point. Contact Professor Samuel Oak for more information.

Egg moves are unlocked when a Pokémon either reaches a certain evolutionary stage or is sufficiently both physically and mentally strong enough to use a move, though the latter only applies to certain types.

Charmander, the fire lizard Pokémon. The tail flame on this Pokémon indicates its strength and relative health. If it goes out, the Charmander may die. This Charmander is male and has the ability Blaze. It currently knows the following moves:

- Ember

- Scratch

- Dragon Claw (egg move: unlocked)

- Blast Burn (Primal Charizard form) (Error)

- Dragon Breath (Error)

- Dragon Rage (Error)

- Dragon Rush (Error)

- Dragon Tail (Error)

- Fire Spin (Error)

- Fire Blast (Error)

- Flamethrower (Error)

- Mega Punch (Error)

- Overheat (Error)

- Seismic Toss (Error)

- Slash (Error)

- Steel Wing (Error)

- Wing Attack (Error)

(Error) indicates that the Pokédex is unable to recognize how or why a Pokémon is unable to perform a move, though data available suggests that a move has or had been properly executed at some point. Contact Professor Samuel Oak for more information.

Egg moves are unlocked when a Pokémon either reaches a certain evolutionary stage or is sufficiently both physically and mentally strong enough to use a move, though the latter only applies to certain types.

"This is odd. For some reason, the Pokédex flags a lot of moves with the error tag, and all of them appear to be the ones you guys knew before the timeline got reset. Though I don't know how Pichu got iron head as an egg move, and did you learn blast burn at the Charicific Valley Charmander?"

"I don't know how I got iron head as an egg move – before I was a wild Pikachu, but now, I was sired by your father's Pikachu – she must've known it. But I don't remember you ever mentioning your father in the previous timeline."

"I didn't know anything about him – all I knew before was that he left before I was born, which sucked. But in this timeline, he was a successful Pokémon trainer and served as a Pokémon ranger for the League before he died on duty when I was around three. Mom told me stories about his adventures and how they met up as bedtime stories. I even have a picture of my parents' wedding in my room now. No matter – at least I have a nice dad this time that I know exists – even if he isn't alive anymore. But what about you Charmander – how do you know blast burn?"

"You mean the move that Alain's Mega-Charizard used against Greninja?" commented Pichu.

"Can I presume that you encountered another Charizard you faced at some point that could use blast burn. Let me guess – it was either a blast of fire type energy that struck from the ground or an overpowered fire blast" asked Charmander.

"Yeah, you're right. But can you use that move?"

"No, I can't – and it's not just because I'm now a Charmander. The move blast burn was derived from Victini's V-Create and in the simplest of terms could be considered a somewhat watered-down version. The version that this Alain fella's Charizard uses is no stronger than a powered-up eruption and can be learned by any fully evolved fire type that's sufficiently strong enough. The True or Primal version of blast burn can only be learned by the Charizard line and is taught from one Charizard to another only at the Charicific Valley. It requires years of meditation to tap into the full power of your inner fire, along with a mastery of control over your emotions, because a rampaging Charizard using blast burn is a recipe for disaster. But if a Charizard can achieve this, then they can work on tapping into that power and learning to use blast burn, which is for all intents and purposes a miniature nuke, equivalent in destructive power tested out by the Orre's in the seventies.

"Wow…that's a lot of fire power. Basically, the fire type version of ten-million-volt thunderbolt. Imagine that power behind a Firium Z." remarked Pichu.

"So I'm guessing that until you get back to becoming a Charizard you won't be able to use most of your moves – including blast burn. Though you now have dragon claw as an unlocked egg move!"

"That would help me work on my dragon type moves – my pa was a Salamence so I won't struggle too much."

"That's good. Hey Misty – how about that battle?"

"Sure Ash – one vs one?"

"Yep!"

"Well ok! Staryu – you're up!"

"Go Pichu!"

"Use tackle!"

"You too Pichu!"

Both Pokémon collided, though Pichu was sent flying – Staryu had a larger body mass and Pichu lacked both the speed and mass needed to build up enough momentum to land effective physical attacks.

"Pichu! – try thunder shock!"

Unfortunately, thunder shock barely affected Starmie and suddenly, Pichu collapsed from using said move.

"Pichu!"

"Ash! What's wrong with Pichu?" asked Misty, concerned for the little mouse Pokémon.

"Don't worry – I think he's suffering from exhaustion. Most Pokémon do during their first few battles in life" replied Charmander, recognizing something similar that happened to overeager hatchlings back at the Charicific Valley.

"I'm an idiot! In this timeline, Pichu has never battled before."

"Let's get him to Nurse Joy, she'll know what to do."

The duo made their way inside the Pokémon center and brought Pichu to Nurse Joy. After explaining what had happened to Pichu, she reassured them that Pichu would be just fine with a good night's rest.

"So does it mean that Pichu won't be able to battle for a while?"

"Not necessarily. You can still train him to work on his electric type attacks but just out of curiosity, how long have you had Pichu?" asked Nurse Joy.

"I've had him since the day he hatched, and that was nearly ten years ago."

"And I assume that he has never trained or had a proper battle before."

"Yes mam."

"That would explain. Usually, Pichu in the wild evolve within two years from their birth, both from a survival standpoint and due to generous use of their electric type abilities against other Pichu or Pikachu. Since Pichu here has never done so before, he needs to regularly train his electric type abilities and work on mastering at least one electric type move – ideally thunder shock. With Pichu's age, his body is mature enough but the electric sacks in his cheeks are not fully developed due to infrequent use. For that he will need a strict training regime for at least a month, maybe two so that he can ideally evolve into a Pikachu, a necessity at his current age. For now, I'll get a prescription diet for Pichu in the morning, which he should follow until he evolves, as he needs a high nutrient diet that will supplement a sudden surge in metabolism for which a regular diet won't suffice."

"Thank you, Nurse Joy."

X - - - X - - - X - - - X - - - X

"Poor Pichu. He'd be feeling horrible when he wakes up."

"Why Misty?"

"Because he went from being able to take down my Mega Gyarados to struggling to use even a thunder shock."

"I know it sounds bad but do not fret. Just like Charmander and your other Pokémon, he has the mental capabilities of a Pikachu that can take down legendaries. So instead of having to train his mind and body to use his moves, he just needs to train his body – which is relatively easy for someone who already knows the motions for each move. And I believe that as soon as he evolves, he should be able to use all his moves – even if they would be nowhere near as strong as they were once before.

I also recall you mentioning possessing a Z-ring. If we can get our hands on it, we could greatly speed up his growth. A regular influx of electric Z-power could theoretically speed up his growth rate at his current developmental stage" explained Meowth.

"You're right Meowth. But it's all the way in Alola, and I'd need to take the trials before I could get a new one."

"Unfortunate. Though a month is not a long time. Soon he will be a Pikachu in no time."

"Yeah. But I miss him being a Pikachu."

"That understandable Ash. You've known him as a Pikachu since you met him in the original timeline. It makes sense that you feel incomplete with him in his current form" chimed in Misty.

The somber atmosphere over Pichu's condition left everyone no longer in the mood for some training, and with that, the two teens and their Pokémon packed up for a good night's rest. However, even asleep, there was trouble yet to come.

X - - - X - - - X - - - X - - - X

Snivy would freely admit to not being a fan of computers. Sure, she could use the internet to order a tub from the local Baskin-Robbins but hacking into an encrypted Poké ball transport system was well beyond her capabilities. Fortunately, Oshawott had a plan…

"Hacking?" asked Tepig.

"Yes Tepig, we need to hack the transport system so that we can teleport to the Oak ranch where we'll hopefully find Ash." answered Snivy.

"I can! I can!" squealed Oshawott in glee at knowing something that Snivy somehow didn't.

"Wait. You can hack computers?"

"Yeah! Just get me up on the table so I can reach up there."

"Ooo…ok" replied Snivy, hesitantly using her vines to lift said Pokémon onto the computer terminal.

And without hesitation and to the shock of Snivy, the Unovan water-starter immediately whipped out his scallop and used razor shell on the server rack, slashing it to bits.

"See! I'm hacking!"

"You dumbass mother***ker! That's not hacking!"

"Yeah, it is! Just like you hack off a piece of wood, I hacked off parts of the computer! Like seriously, I thought you were smarter than me!"

Snivy facepalmed, seriously contemplating as to whether Ash would terribly mind if she murdered Oshawott.

X - - - X - - - X - - - X - - - X

After having escaped from the confines of Prof. Juniper's lab, the trio made their way to the nearest city, that being Striaton city. Because one, Clian would be there at the gym and two, they did not want to deal with the whole 'three starters went missing' fiasco that was soon to be underway the following morning at the lab.

Unfortunately, it had been nearly three years since she travelled with Ash and she had forgotten how long it took them to get from one place to the next, seeing as they pretty much walking across the easter half of Unova over a period of seventeen months for their Unovan adventures.

Yay for three weeks of walking to Striaton city, maybe two if they ran. And that was only if they were going in the right direction…

X - - - X - - - X - - - X - - - X

In a small cottage home just outside of Konikoni City on Akala Island, a Rockruff found himself nuzzling into the form of an older Pokémon. Hunger, a need that all life felt made its presence known for the young puppy Pokémon, and smelling a source of food nearby, it promptly latched onto something warm and soft, suckling the teat of its mother and gaining the nourishment a Pokémon merely a few weeks old needed.

The mother, a Midday Lycanroc, was pleased at the sight of her only cub drinking her strong milk, for her cub was too young to begin hunting alongside her. She somehow knew that one day, her little one would grow stronger than her and make her proud. Until then, she would teach the young one how to become a warrior just like her, and maybe he would find a worthy comrade like her shield-sister Olivia.

But first, her cub needed his afternoon meal and had to return to nap time.

X - - - X - - - Chapter End - - - X - - - X


Note: The Daisy that Prof. Oak refers to is Daisy Oak, Gary's older sister.