Creation began on 06-17-16
Creation ended on 06-26-16
Neon Genesis Evangelion
Enter Asuka, the Fiery Tormented
Looking at his map of the Kanto Region, Shinji, sitting on a small boulder on the route leading from Saffron City to Celadon City, trying to make sure he was going on the right path and not get lost. It had been another two days now, making it an official three months since he started his journey as a Pokemon Trainer, and he had spent those two days in Saffron City after winning his fourth badge to catch more Pokemon that he discovered could often be found in urban areas. So far, he had sent to Prof. Oak's lab a trio of Voltorb (which, despite other trainers' beliefs, looked like larger versions of the standard Poke Ball to him), a quartet of Magnemite and a strange Pokemon called Elekid, which disturbed him a little because it looked like a large plug with arms and legs.
They would've likely been Kenji's type of company, he thought, putting the map away and confirming that he was on the right path. I guess Electric-Type Pokemon are among the common Pokemon you'll find in cities.
"Eee," he heard Misato, who had been eating a rice ball, and turned to another boulder where she was sitting. "Eee."
It turns out she had already finished her rice ball…and was still hungry, so he reached into his pack and pulled out another rice ball for her while helping himself to another.
"Meleon…" He then heard something that sounded close by.
"Huh?" He reacted, and turned around, seeing something red approaching them.
It looked like a large, red dinosaur with a flame spurting from the tip of its tail. What made it stand out more than the flame was the expression of rage on its face.
"Oh!" He gasped, grabbed Misato, and jumped out of the way before the creature swung its right claw at the boulders they were on, smashing them to pieces.
"Charmeleon!" It snarled, turning to face Shinji and Misato.
"What are you?" Shinji questioned, taking out his Pokedex and identifying the creature.
"Charmeleon, the Flame Pokemon, and the evolved form of Charmander," it revealed. "Unlike its pre-evolved form, Charmeleon possesses a vicious temperament, causing it to lash out and even seek out strong opponents to improve its own abilities. Its claws are razor-sharp, enabling it to shatter boulders."
"Vicious temperament is right," Shinji expressed, but then noticed something on the back of Charmeleon's head that he hadn't noticed before; it looked like a pink bow or ribbon had been tied to it, suggesting that this Pokemon was a female.
-x-
"…So last night, an experimental video feed showed Shinji in a battle with a woman with these strange creatures in the world he's in?" Asuka questioned Misato in the NERV cafeteria, making sure she understood right.
"Yeah, and he defeated her with the ones he used against hers, which were large insects," Misato told her. "She revealed to him a way he could get back to this dimension, which required that he catch as many of these strange creatures as possible."
"Catch those things? That sounds easier said than done. Some of the other footage we've seen shows him being older, so it's likely he might not catch enough to get back here. How many does he need to catch, anyway? One-hundred? One-thousand?"
"We don't know, and it's just as likely that he doesn't know, either. It won't stop him from trying, though. The point is that we're not the only ones trying to find a way back for him. He's looking for way back, too."
"To think that he would have to do something like that is easier said than attempted. What are his chances of even catching just one-hundred of these animals?"
Misato wanted to counter that she had faith in Shinji's abilities in this foreign world he was in, but held her tongue because of the footage of Shinji being older. She wasn't sure what his chances were of catching even two-hundred, even though she found out from the footage of Shinji from last night that there were more than one-hundred-fifty known types of these…Pokemon he had encountered, but to catch as many as he could, it did seem easier said than attempted.
"At least he's trying, Asuka," she told her instead.
-x-
He never ran as hard as he did in his life, but Shinji had outrun the Charmeleon that had attacked him and Misato, and reached his required destination. They had made it to Celadon City, which was bright-colored and full of smells from many flowers.
"You got assaulted and chased by a Charmeleon, as well?" A man watering some flowers asked him.
"Huh? Oh, yeah," he answered him.
"You're the eighteenth person so far to be harassed by that Charmeleon."
"I thought most Pokemon were…friendly out in the wild. What was up with that Charmeleon…besides a vicious temperament?"
"One of the trainers that came by about a month ago claims that it was abandoned by some other trainer that didn't think it was strong enough to battle even the weakest opponent it had a type advantage against. Apparently, it didn't appreciate its misfortune and took it out on any trainers passing by. He didn't make it to the semi-finals of last year's Pokemon League competition, but if he's the type to abandon his Pokemon because they don't live up to his standards, he's not likely to reach the semi-finals this upcoming year, either."
Shinji looked down at Misato, who had managed to escape from the Charmeleon's Flamethrower, all save her left leg on the back, which had a bad burn, and asked the man where the nearest Pokemon Center was.
"It's just down the street," he answered him. "You can't miss it."
"Thank you," he praised, and then walked down the street to the center.
He thought of Kensuke, who had also been abandoned by his previous trainer, and wondered why certain trainers would just abandon their Pokemon for selfish reasons, such as either not living up to one's expectations or because they won't take the time to improve their abilities. His Pidgeotto was strong in his mind and heart, and was now stronger than ever as he faced stronger adversaries. Even if Pokemon had a disadvantage against other Pokemon, by either their type or experience, if the trainer puts in the effort to bring out the best in their abilities, then such limitations became meaningless.
-x-
It was a strange feeling she had, but Asuka felt like something had been set ablaze. She was thinking about Shinji's current status in that strange dimension, and wondered if he was in any danger at the moment. Or if trying to catch these strange animals invited any danger similar to the danger that came with facing the Angels.
And what would he do with such animals after he's used them to return to this world? She wondered as she entered the school grounds for the day.
"Hey, Asuka," she heard Hikrari as she entered the classroom.
"Hey, Hikari," she responded as she sat at her desk.
-x-
"…So, once my Eevee's been treated for her burns, we'll head over to the Celadon City Department Store and pick up the item you requested," Shinji informed Prof. Oak over the video phone at the Pokemon Center. "But the other reason I'm calling is that I need to send over my Chikorita for the time being."
"What for?" Oak asked him.
"I'm going to attempt to capture an abandoned Charmeleon that's been harassing others between here and Saffron City. It attacked Misato and I without so much as a excusable reason…and if it's not going to stop because its previous trainer decided to cast it aside, I have to do something about it."
"Very well, then. You know what to do."
Shinji put Sakura's Poke Ball in the exchange system and sent her to Prof. Oak's lab.
"Good luck catching the Charmeleon," Oak told him.
"Thank you," he responded, and ended the transmission.
He heard the beeping noise that signaled his Pokemon had been fully mended, and rushed over to get Misato and head out into the city again to do what he set out to do.
Misato, with a minor bandage on her leg, looked as well as could be.
"She'll need to wear the bandage for at least three days, but she'll be able to walk," Nurse Joy informed him. "Have a safe journey."
"Thank you, Nurse Joy," he responded, picking his Eevee and stepping out the Pokemon Center. "As soon as we hit the department store, Misato, we're going after that Charmeleon."
"Eevo," she expressed.
-x-
"The footage from last night was obtained through videotaping equipment that was still in the experimental stage," Antonio Giovanni told Misato when she showed up in the cargo bay to get a better look of the creature the GC had in their possession. "Were you able to ascertain anything that we weren't able to understand?"
"Only that if my ward wanted to return to this dimension, he would have to capture as many of these animals as he could," she explained. "And that he seems to nickname some of the ones he's caught after certain people he's met."
"That's nothing new. Many name their pets after people they knew. But if he has to catch as many of these strange creatures in order to return to this world, he could be looking at several years, give or take, depending on just how many of those things are out there."
"Over one-hundred-fifty known species."
"No kidding. I hope he's able to do it."
"Same here."
In front of them was the creature known as Palkia, still heavily sedated in its containment system. Its very presence made Misato want to wet her legs right now.
"You're sure that this…this creature is perfectly secure?" She asked Antonio, just as several workers were operating the various machines that were monitoring it.
"Yes, it's perfectly secure," he assured her, and one of the scientists holding regular filming equipment was recording the creature's actions within the tank cage.
-x-
"Thank you," praised Shinji as he obtained Prof. Oak's Poke Ball parcel and purchased some Great Balls for himself; during his traveling across the region, he had amassed a considerable sum from battling other trainers and Gym Leaders and the Cerulean City Badge Guardian, so he was able to buy more than just standard Poke Balls and Potions.
Now, because he had found several fruit-bearing trees along the way, he could obtain other items, such as Super Potions and Antidotes in case he was too far from a Pokemon Center and his friends were poisoned, paralyzed or burned. He had also purchased several other items for his Pokemon to individuate them from other Pokemon.
"Okay, Misato," he told his Eevee, "let's go get that Charmeleon."
"Eee!" She agreed.
-x-
"…So far, filming the creature from these specific angles and positions gets the distorted footage that comes from the other dimension," Antonio told Misato, showing her new footage collected from an hour ago. "The footage, however, is still not in sync with the time. Your ward is shown as being slightly older than he shouldn't be."
On the monitor in front of them, Shinji, looking well into his twenties, facing a pair of large creatures that looked like large sea serpents with wings for ears or fins.
"I guess I could catch some more Dragonair," they heard him say, and he threw a ball that unleashed a large bird that was as blue as the sky, with a long tail.
"We're about to begin the same experiment that got us the live feed," Antonio informed Misato.
-x-
It was bold move, but Shinji and Misato stood out in the open field, on the lookout for the abandoned Charmeleon. He had Toji out because he needed a Pokemon that was resistant to Fire-Type Pokemon techniques. This meant his Rock/Ground Pokemon was the best bet.
"Eee!" Misato went.
"Tar!" Toji added in.
Shinji turned to face where they were facing…and saw what they saw.
It was the Charmeleon, slowly approaching them. It looked slightly bruised and covered in a layer of dirt, but not a pushover at all. Within a moment, it stopped several feet in front of them.
"Char…" It went, snarling at the three.
"As much as I want to believe that you'll stop, I can't believe it," Shinji told the Flame Pokemon. "I don't believe that you'll stop unless you're stopped…and we're going to stop you."
"Me… Char…"
"I am truly sorry for what happened to you with your previous trainer, but you can't take out your suffering on others that have done you no wrong."
"Meleon!"
Shinji held out a Great Ball and prepared to catch this fiery fiend.
-x-
"…The feed's stabilizing," a female scientist announced, as the larger cameras present around Palkia were filming the creature. "The system's at one-hundred percent capacity."
"And we're getting spatial distortion," added a male scientist, watching a monitor. "We're getting imagery of the other dimension."
On the video monitor in front of Antonio and Misato, the static cleared up and showed Shinji on a desert-like terrain, with the small fox and a small, dinosaur-like creature facing a large, red, dinosaur-like creature with a flame protruding from the tip of its tail.
"Wow," went Antonio.
"I think he's going to try and catch this creature," said Misato.
"Okay, Toji, you're up," they heard Shinji say, and the small dinosaur stepped up.
"Does he know anyone around here by that name?" Antonio asked Misato.
"One of his classmates," she answered.
"Leer!" Shinji commanded, and the creature he nicknamed after Toji Suzuhara performed a rather-intimidating facial expression.
-x-
The Charmeleon glared in response to the Leer used by Toji, and spat out a stream of fire at him, intending to cause harm.
If that's not Flamethrower, it's Ember, Shinji thought, watching as Toji was hit by the flames, but barely injured by the attack. But Toji's got the traits of Rock Pokemon. He can take the heat.
When the Charmeleon stopped spitting fire, Shinji ordered, "Okay, now use Bite, Toji!"
Toji opened his mouth and propelled himself towards the Flame Pokemon, landing his jaws on the beast's tail.
"Char!" It shrieked, whipping its tail around, trying to get the Larvitar off, but the Rock Skin Pokemon held on tightly. "Meleon! Charmeleon!"
"Misato, use Take Down," Shinji told his Eevee.
"Eevo!" Misato responded and charged towards Charmeleon while it was distracted by Toji.
Bash! She slammed into its waist and knocked the wind out of it, sending it falling down.
"Me… Char…"
Shinji thought to use one of his Great Balls, but felt that it was premature. His past experience with other Pokemon that seemed weaken enough to capture being a good example. Some weakened Pokemon still had enough strength to resist capture.
Charmeleon growled as it got back up, proving Shinji that it did have some strength left to battle. The bow on its horn-like protrusion fell off as it raised its claws up.
"Get back, Misato!" He shouted.
SLASH! Charmeleon had almost slashed her on her back, but Misato managed to dodge the surprise attack and get away.
Toji saw this, and suddenly caused several pieces of rocks to levitate and struck Charmeleon from all sides, knocking it back down.
Deciding not to take any chances, Shinji threw the Great Ball and watched as Charmeleon's body turned to light and was transferred into the ball. He then went over to Misato and picked her up.
"Are you okay?" He asked her, and she nodded that she was fine.
The Great Ball continued to shake on the ground as the Charmeleon continued to persist.
Ping! It stopped shaking and the red point on it became white.
Shinji picked up the ball and looked at Toji with a small smile. It seemed as though his Larvitar had learned a new technique in the heat of the moment.
"Thank you, Toji," he praised him. "We caught ourselves a Charmeleon. Our first Fire-Type."
"Tar," Toji responded.
-x-
"That was a close one," Misato expressed, seeing Shinji seemed relieved to have captured the creature he called a Charmeleon. "That animal could've killed the small fox."
The monitor cut to static as the last thing she and Antonio saw was Shinji recall the smaller creature he called Toji into another ball while he picked up the small fox that was nicknamed after his guardian as he walked away from the battlefield.
"It would seem that capturing some of these animals brings the potential for danger," Antonio suggested.,"and if not him, then to the animals he has with him."
"If many of these animals are violent and some of the ones he's caught are in fact more tranquil to get near," she countered.
Antonio sighed and agreed with her. Then, he looked over at the secured cage of Palkia, a creature he could only surmise was anything but a tranquil one.
But as long as we can keep it contained, it can't harm anyone, he thought, and needed to have the filming systems rechecked before they could proceed to try and get another glimpse into the other dimension that was focused on the present and not the past or future.
-x-
As his Eevee, Larvitar, Pidgeotto and Pikachu ate their dinner on the floor beside his table at the Pokemon Center, Shinji, having barely touched his own dinner, sighed as he looked out the window at the skyscrapers that reached into the air. He had found out from Nurse Joy when he returned with the abandoned Charmeleon that he caught was more injured than he had initially suspected when he caught it and was suffering from malnutrition due to not eating much. Even though much of this could've been blamed on the trainer that abandoned it, the harsh reality of it was that there were always going to be that would cast away whatever Pokemon they felt was weak or didn't give them some type of edge against other trainers during battles. But Shinji refused to be like those trainers. He would bring out the best of whatever Pokemon he had with him, regardless of what other trainers thought of them.
"Mister Ikari?" He heard Nurse Joy call him from three feet away, and he turned to face her in the cafeteria with a solemn expression.
"Yes?" He responded.
"Charmeleon's recovering, but there's still a slight problem," she explained.
"It's the vicious temperament, isn't it?" He asked her.
"Yes…and no," she answered. "Come with me."
She led him down to the recovery room where the Flame Pokemon was placed, and Shinji saw through the window how the creature was strapped to the bed and being spoon-fed a bowl of a porridge by two Chansey in an attempt to feed it to restore its strength. Unfortunately, Charmeleon just spat out every spoonful of it.
"Charmeleon seems to want nothing to do with anyone and attacks them whenever an opportunity to do arises, which is why the restraints are there." Nurse Joy explained, and they saw the Chansey continue to put with Charmeleon spitting up the porridge.
"Um, there was something I needed to ask about it," Shinji responded. "Earlier today when I saw it and later when I caught it, it had a bow or a ribbon on its head. But I wasn't sure if it was a female. Were you able to find out what it was?"
"You caught a hot-tempered female."
"Then her issues must stem from a bad relationship with her previous trainer."
"Which is why I'm suggesting that an attempt to start a new relationship with a new trainer is the best solution at a time like this."
Shinji looked at her and shuddered at what she meant.
"But you're the medical expert," he reminded her; her experience with countless Pokemon would likely make her understand that there could be limits to what anyone could do in situations like this.
"And you're the new trainer," she countered kindly. "It could be what she needs right now, a bond with someone that won't hurt her by casting her aside."
He sighed and accepted defeat and stepped into the room.
-x-
"…Asuka, Pen-Pen, I'm home," went Misato as she entered the apartment.
The warm-water penguin ran out of the hall and bumped into her legs.
"Squawk!" He rambled, pointing to Shinji's room, which had the door opened.
Misato went towards the room and saw Asuka standing in front of a small TV. There was static, but the image was as clear as it could've been. Somehow, the TV was showing Shinji from a ceiling view in a room with three creatures, one of which was the red, dinosaur-like animal that Shinji had caught earlier.
"How long has this been on?" She asked Asuka.
"Almost twenty minutes," the redhead answered. "It looks like he's in some sort of animal hospital for these creatures."
Shinji was sitting beside the bed that had the red creature with the flame on its tail, holding a bowl of porridge with a spoon.
"Can't hear anything," Misato stated.
"The volume doesn't work on this," Asuka explained, pressing one of the volume buttons, but the sound didn't go up.
-x-
Shinji did fear the Charmeleon's fire-breathing abilities, but Nurse Joy assured him that because of her malnourished condition and the fact that he battled her before catching her, she wasn't going to be performing any Fire-Type attacks until she had recovered. So, as he sat beside the bed and held the bowl of porridge he asked the Chansey to give to him so that he could attempt to bond with her.
"I won't pretend to know what you went through," he told her, taking a spoonful of porridge and holding it in front of her. "I have a friend that was in the same boat as you, though. Kensuke had also been abandoned by his previous trainer when I met him, but he adjusted and is now stronger. I want to introduce you to everyone when you recover."
"Char…" She sighed, turning her head away. "Char…"
"If you think I will cast you aside, you're mistaken," he told her, still holding the spoonful of porridge in front of her. "I caught you to stop you from hurting others, but I also caught you because I wanted to help you. You don't seem weak like your previous trainer believed. You showed me how strong you are when you attacked Misato and I earlier today, even though you were weakened from not eating enough. You're a powerhouse…and you'll only get better."
"Me… Char…"
Shinji managed to get her to eat at least five spoonfuls of porridge. Then, an idea hit him.
"Wait a minute," he told them, handing the bowl back to one of the Chansey and ran out of the room.
It was about a minute, but Shinji had returned, accompanied by Kensuke; he figured that, since he had also been abandoned by a previous trainer, his Pidgeotto would be able to help her adjust since he would be keeping her in his roster of traveling companions.
"Meet Kensuke," he introduced them.
"Pidgeo," Kensuke greeted her.
"Char…"
"Pidgeo, pidgo, pidgo, go ("I was strong when I met this trainer, and being with him made me stronger."). Pidgo, pidgeo, go ("I was abandoned by my previous trainer because they thought I was weak, too."). Pidgeo, go ("But being with him changed everything.")."
"Char, char, char ("A man with a tie cast me aside."). Charmeleon, char ("I swore to never trust people again."). "Charmeleon, meleon ("Why trust him?")?"
"Pidgeo, go, go ("Because he's an honest person."). "Pidgo, pidgeo, go ("He could've cast me aside, but he didn't.). Pidgeo ("I'm grateful.")."
Shinji didn't know what they were talking about, but he was hoping that Charmeleon would accept that he wouldn't cast her aside.
-x-
The next day, as they stepped out of the Pokemon Center, Shinji, hearing that a Badge Guardian helped around the Celadon City Gym by battling trainers in place of the Gym Leader, Erika, who would perform her duties as the Gym Leader from time to time, wanted to get there and earn another badge before moving on.
"Eee," went Misato, looking up at her trainer, just as Kensuke flew out of the building and perched atop Shinji's head. "Eee?"
"Pidgeo?" Kensuke uttered, looking behind them as Shinji turned to face the person stepping out behind them.
"Char," the female Charmeleon, now sporting a series of bandages wrapped around her waist and wrists, stepped out and decided to try and trust this new trainer and see what he was capable of.
"Are you feeling up to the new day? Asuka?" Shinji asked her; because of her fiery disposition and unwillingness to bow down, he decided to nickname her after the only redhead he knew to have a violent streak.
"Char," she responded.
Shinji wasn't entirely convinced that he should have Asuka fight in battles just yet, but decided to go to the department store again to get something new from the accessories aisle.
To be continued…
A/N: What do you think? Now he has a Fire-Type nicknamed after the redhead with an attitude.