.—.—.
The instant Ash entered the preserve, he made an effort to take in the environment.
The immediate feel of the area was wild, of that there was very little doubt, but there was something else. A certain mystique seemed to settle around him as he marched forward.
Despite the Safari Zone being undoubtedly created by the hands of humans, the area felt more isolating than anything Ash had ever experienced. Everything except the mining tunnel, that is. Some strange conviction made him sure of that.
The welcoming center was located in a central point of the preserve. A strategic location that allowed for a trainer to travel to a specific sector of the reserve without using up too much of their time limit. Ash was thankful the jaunt to the jungle was a rather short one. His legs had become accustomed to weeks of nonstop travel; a short jog was nothing to him now. Still, he had never enjoyed walking on end for the sake of walking.
The thick canopy of the trees reminded Ash of the Viridian Forest in some ways. Spotting pokemon wasn't a particularly difficult task. Immediately he spotted multiple species. Pidgeys roosted in the branches, some wurmple inched their way along, and a couple zigzagoon ran through the brush. Nothing particularly interesting or anything Ash couldn't find elsewhere with minimal effort. He'd passed the plains sector on his way and found that area prowled by pokemon he found more interest in. A Nidoran herd led by a few nidorino and nidorina tempted him. A nidoqueen would be a formidable fighter to add to his roster. As would a nidoking, though it shared the problem of being on Oak's team in his glory days with arcanine. Nico's poisonous horn formed in Ash's mind, intimidating and dripping.
Tauros roamed in herds that grazed and a mob of the ever endangered kangaskhan could be seen in the distance. The skies were surprisingly empty. A small tauros calf or kangaskhan joey would be a fine meal for the bigger flying-types that Ash knew swooped around the wilds. A far off dot of what Ash thought might have been an approaching flying-type made him move his march along.
The last thing he needed was getting in between a protective mother pokemon and her offspring if something attacked.
Ash prowled the jungle area for an hour. Nothing flapped above that he thought to catch and nothing scurried below he wanted. If he wanted a pidgey or rattata, he'd have caught one his first week. He eventually moved from the sector and began a trek to the mountainous area. The mountains would give him a chance to look for a fire-type or flier both.
However, separating the jungle and mountains was the swamp section, because that was Ash's luck. More mud and gunk to bog him down.
Ash could definitely tell when he reached the swamp. He could tell when he was approaching it from one factor. The place reeked. He couldn't tell if it was the gasses or potential submerged corpses that caused the stench. Both, probably. He'd have to keep an eye out for muk and grimer. Koffing too if any gasses were around.
A buzzing of wings caught his attention. Ash immediately ducked by instinct. A beedrill swarm would be the opposite of what he wanted right now. After a moment of the buzzing not escalating in intensity, the Pallet rookie slowly crept his way to the origin of the noise. After a minute he identified the progenitor of the sound. A yanma. Ash gave the dragonfly pokemon an appraising look as he examined it from behind a fallen tree trunk. Yanma as a species were fast, incredibly so. Their wings and compound vision let them travel at speeds that could match a crobat.
The problem that presented was that there was no conceivable way Ash was hitting a yanma with a pokeball. Not unless it was injured or paralyzed. It would speed off well before it was captured, or before he even threw the ball. If he had his pokemon to slow it down or weaken it he could, but that wasn't an option unless he wanted the Rangers on his back.
Still, no reason not to try.
Ash grabbed two Safari Balls and, with as much speed and force as he could put behind it, threw the capture devices at the bug. He then threw the second one above it in case it went up. As he expected, it was futile. The clear winged pokemon sped forward at a speed that Ash had no hope of catching up to.
The teen sighed as the dragonfly pokemon zoomed from his sight. Yanma would have been a great catch, but no reason to cry over a single missed capture. Ash was about to retrieve his missed Safari Balls when they were beamed away. The teen grumbled slightly. Apparently even missed throws were counted against him.
Nevertheless, he kept moving forward.
.—.—.
The mountains were nothing compared to Evolution Mountain. Rocky cliffs and high peaks held outcroppings which jutted out and likely held nests of dozens of flying-types. Shallow caves and rough trails showed beaten paths that other pokemon had used to ascend the cliffs. Ash hummed as he contemplated his next step. He wasn't stupid enough to think he could scale the cliffs and, even if he could, he'd be knocked off halfway up by whatever flying-type's nest he disturbed. The trails weren't a terrible idea, but the idea of being surrounded by high rock faces that could stop him short abruptly and offer shadowed caves with occupant he knew not…suffice to say that ambush predators would have a field day with half as preferable conditions.
He might be young and a little reckless, but Ash wasn't an idiot. Or suicidal.
Ash decided to walk around the base of the mountains. The girl at the desk had said that eggs might fall to the base. However, after an hour's trek he found himself in the same position, empty-handed. He sighed and tried a different strategy. He found a berry tree not terribly far away and camped near it. A wurmple and caterpie gave him a halted stare from the branches before continuing their munching of the leaves when they saw he had no intention of disturbing them. If something was going to swoop down and make a snack of the berries, or bug-types, he'd see it. It also offered an open view to the start of the ascending trails. If a pokemon was passing through the mountains through that path, he'd see them.
Ash leaned his back against the tree as he waited and watched for something to come his way. He saw shifting wings in the far off sky, but nothing flew its way down. Ash sat patiently as the bug-types above him continued their leafy feast, entirely unperturbed by his presence. His eyes drooped slightly as he muffled a yawn. A wave of exhaustion washed over him suddenly.
A nap might do him some good. He yawned again and his head bobbed. Yes, a good rest in the wilds was a great idea. His eyes slowly made their way closed as he felt himself drift off.
He was jostled awake roughly. Ash went rigid. Taking a nap in the middle of the Safari Zone? He knew better than that.
Ash whipped his head around as yellow fur grabbed his attention. A drowzee was staring at him, dumbfounded. The trainer locked eyes with the psychic-type for a moment before the tapir scurried off. He briefly considered chasing after it. He didn't care to add it to his roster, but if he was just teaching it a lesson…
Ash rubbed his eyes as he looked around once again.
Drowzee were harmless for the most part. They feasted on the dreams of people they came across, though they rarely resulted in more than a dreamless night. Hypno had been known to hypnotize trainers to hand over their belongings or lead them astray, but that was a rare occurrence.
Ash was far more curious on what had done him the favor of jostling him awake. No person was nearby, and no pokemon seemed to brush against him. In fact, there seemed to be no pokemon around at all. Not even the bug-types from earlier.
His hat chirped.
Or maybe not.
Ash quickly shook his head from the sudden weight that landed on it. His hat came loose and fell from his head to the grass as another chirp sounded off. If Ash had to describe it, he'd say it sounded indignant. Ash was now free of the weight and, as yet another chirp came from his hat, he inspected his seemingly sentient headwear with a cautious eye. It stood up by itself and Ash almost laughed as he lifted it.
Sure enough, a small bird was standing there under his hat. Its eyes focused on him at the affront. It was almost similar to a natu with its round body and small wings. Its feathers were blue in contrast to a natu's green and Ash doubted it was a psychic-type by appearance alone.
"Uh..sorry?" He said hesitantly. Ash palmed a Safari Ball as the bird flapped its small wings in a challenge. It wasn't a pokemon he recognized off the bat, though that was becoming an everyday occurrence at this point.
He wondered if that was bad.
The teen sized up the flying-type. The bird chirped again and looked at the pokeball intently. Did…it want to be caught? It squawked as it was sucked in with a flash of crimson as the contraption tapped its wing. A second later the ball fell to the ground as Ash caught it. It rumbled slightly before falling still in his hands. It hadn't put up much of a fight, but it certainly had a personality to it.
Ash watched as the device was teleported away in an instant. The staff would return it when his time was complete. Then he'd be able to identify whatever pokemon he had captured. He at least considered his flying-type marked off his capture list.
Ash was still left with a question. What had shoved him earlier? The flying-type hadn't been nearly big enough to be the culprit. He scanned the area as a black figure ducked behind a tree. A form he had gotten used to over the weeks since the mining tunnel.
Ah. Ash understood. A psychic brush on his mind to make him think he'd been physically shoved. That'd definitely wake him up just as well.
"Thank you!" Ash called out to the stalker. Drowzee feasting on a trainer's dream was usually nothing to be concerned about, but it could still have a little backlash. Migraines and night terrors if the dream eaters were immature or rough on their target's psyche. He wasn't sure it had heard him until he heard a response echo.
You're welcome
Ash felt the alien presence in his mind clearly. Surprise was conveyed through the connection. Compared to their first contact outside of the mining tunnel, this was far easier for his brain to comprehend. "Would you like to join me?" Ash tried to communicate his feelings over the bond. Friendship, peace, appreciation.
For a moment, nothing happened.
Slowly, the black figure emerged into his field of view. It was as he'd expected, all solid black with a single white eye. This was his first unobscured view of the creature. He squinted slightly as it approached hesitantly. Something tingled in his mind.
"Hello." Ash greeted it properly. "You've been following me for a while now."
It gave a buzz that was more of a hum. Ash took that for a confirmation.
"Can I ask why?"
Disruption. Guide
Ash was having trouble putting together what it meant. The battle with Graveler had disrupted it and it had followed Ash out? That was the best he could piece together from the mental images he was getting flashes of. It had sounded almost clearer when at a distance. He remembered it sounding far clearer when it spoke to him on Evolution Mountain. "Are you able to communicate better when we're apart?"
Distortion.
Ash nodded in understanding. Nut's evolution was to blame. Dark-types were intrinsically linked to strange Distortional energies. Some scientists say they draw from a mirrored dimension that leaked the diluted energies into what was known as dark-type energy. Others say they leached from the Legendary Giratina. Either way, Distortion disrupts psychics without fail and dark-types had plenty of it.
"Are you uncomfortable?"
Manageable. Bond?
He thought that was a question, but quickly realized it was an offer. "You want to deepen our connection?" A portion of his mind lit up with confirmation. "Okay, but don't force out the remnants of my nuzleaf. He'd take it poorly."
Ash could only imagine the ruckus Nut would cause in that scenario. His pokemon had gotten a bit…possessive after his evolution.
The stalker hummed as it floated closer to him. Its eye glowed a dull azure as Ash felt a minor headache setting in. Pins prickled behind his eyes. Thoughts jumbled themselves, random memories of long forgotten grammar and speech lessons coming to the forefront of his recollection. A tension seemed to lift itself from his shoulders. The negative thoughts and emotions he had been bogged down with seemed to lessen considerably.
He hadn't even noticed how much his head had been filled with dark images and concepts. He felt far calmer now, less like he was liable to blow his top at a minor inconvenience. Since when had he started acting like that? After Stone Town and Nut's evolution?
Was…Nut affecting him? That would explain his short temper lately. The sheer wrath at the Gym's clerk. The possessiveness he'd experienced when Cove had tried to take the magikarp. The awful thought he'd had about chasing after the drowzee.
He needed to talk to Professor Oak. Dark-types were known to have that effect with long exposure to unprepared individuals. Ash had thought he'd spent enough time with Nut and Greed that he'd have picked up a natural resistance to them. Apparently not. The stalker seemed to add a counter balance to him. It made him feel lighter, more like himself.
Better grasp. Lexicon.
Mew, that was a strange sensation. Gratitude was conveyed over the bond, giving Ash a better feeling of just how deep it ran now that it had been strengthened. It felt more…intrinsic to himself. For a small moment, Ash forgot what it felt like before the bond had deepened. "No problem." He massaged his temples. "So, what are you if you don't mind?"
An Arm of the One.
Ash thought hard as he tried to think of why that sounded so familiar. He squinted as he looked at the creature again. It almost looked like an 'h'. It clicked.
"An unown." Ash nearly gaped as the stalker buzzed a tone that was neither agreement or disagreement, simply acknowledgement. "Is that why you were down in that…tomb?"
Time passed. Memories fade.
"I'm sorry." Ash said sympathetically. For a psychic-type to be stuck so long that its memory faded…it would've had to have been stuck down there for centuries. Assurance and comfort were sent along their bond. The unown hummed in appreciation as they sat in silence for a few moments.
Ash checked the time and found he still had an hour or two until he had to leave the Safari Zone. He considered going after more pokemon, but decided against it. He already had Cove and the newest addition to train. Anymore was asking to get overwhelmed.
"I think I'll head back in a bit. Would you like to come with me?" Ash asked with a small smile. "You won't need to stalk me anymore."
The unown buzzed. Ash felt as though it was considering something. After a long moment of acute tension the psychic bumped Ash's hat with a happy hum. After a moment, the unown levitated away into the forest. Ash nearly followed before a feeling of patience was conveyed to him.
Ash grinned as he leaned back against the tree again. Unown would be back, he was sure of it. With another member of his team solidified with the flying-type, he was content to relax for the rest of his time in the Safari Zone. If Unown wanted to follow him a little more then he couldn't find any harm in that.
.—.—.
Nurse Joy laughed lightly. Ash was reminded of the way his mom would laugh when he used to jump around and babble about whatever he and Gary had done that day. A motherly laugh. Ash wondered if Joy had any children, she was probably around that age. Though, he wasn't sure whether Nurse Joy or his mother was older.
Ash shivered slightly. He knew better than to ask that particular question.
"Regardless of how you captured it, your newest capture is healthy." Joy said with a smile. "Your flying-type is interesting, she isn't the first galarian pokemon captured from the Safari Zone but she might be the proudest. Some advice? Don't ruffle her feathers, and I mean that literally."
Ash nodded. Glide had been a little like that, preening her feathers whenever possible. "Thanks, I'll keep that in mind. Do you know what species she is?"
"A mono flying-type from galar, rookidee." She supplied. "I hear they are pretty popular pokemon in Galar, both for battling and domestic outlooks."
Ash hummed. He hadn't heard of that pokemon. Though, he would be more surprised if he had. At the rate he was going he might as well start studying the national dex in case he ran into any more pokemon.
Prior to the Safari Zone, Ash had four pokeballs resting in slots on his bandolier. He looked down at the five now attached. He had his hands full, that was for sure. Cove was still new to the team, let alone the newest capture in Rookidee. Introductions, for perhaps the last time for a good while, were in order before the end of the day.
Ash really hoped he wasn't overwhelming himself.
The fields of the center were barren of other trainers. Ash was grateful for that. He released Greed and Nut into the field followed by Graveler and Cove. "Hey, guys, we have a new member." Ash had already told his team his plans for the day and made sure they were expecting to welcome another pokemon.
Ash palmed the pokeball for the flying-type. He didn't think Rookidee was liable to try to peck his eyes out. Like most of his other pokemon, with the very notable exception of Graveler, she hadn't seemed to mind getting captured over much. Though, when he thought about it, Graveler and Cove were the only pokemon he captured in the proper sense.
Ash released her with a small flick of the wrist. The red light faded away to reveal the same small bird that had worn his hat earlier. Ash smiled at the mental image. "Hey there Rookidee, good to see you again."
The bird chirped before flapping its small wings. After a moment of a funny looking takeoff, the pokemon took flight and found a perch on Ash's shoulder. She tweeted a small note before taking a nip of his ear. He winced lightly before the pokemon lifted a wing and began poking at her chest feathers.
Proud indeed.
"Welcome to the team, Rookidee." Ash said fondly. "Think of us as your flock from now on."
The flying-type took a small pause in her grooming to evaluate the team. She chirped after a moment and shook herself. A flap of the wings saw her effortlessly glide towards the team. She slowed her descent and lightly landed on Graveler's back. The grump gave a grunt of annoyance but seemed otherwise unperturbed.
Ash watched as each member of his team gave their own welcomes. Greed gave a rumble, Nut flicked his leaf, Cove bubbled up a watery gurgle, and Graveler gave another grunt that sounded like two stones colliding. Rookidee gave each of them their time before she returned to her perch–Ash's shoulder–and turned her gaze to her trainer.
"So, Rookidee, everyone else has a proper name except Graveler. Would you like one?" She chirped and puffed out her feathers. Ash took that to mean she did. He figured she was the last pokemon to turn down something that made her unique. Individualism was not a curtesy afforded to most wild pokemon. "That's good. How about Sky?"
Rookidee glared. He chuckled. She clearly wanted something less common. "Okay, sorry, how about…Fawkes? I think that's an important name somewhere in Johto." Another firm rejection. "Picky." She nipped his ear.
He rattled off a few more suggestions before he paused. He considered Rookidee's idea of a worthy name. It absolutely couldn't be common, for that was surely below her, and it had to have a certain regalness to it. A certain regalness…he smiled. "Regal."
Rookidee–Regal, he corrected himself–chirped in agreement. She measured him carefully before coming to a decision he wasn't privy to. The bird began to lightly preen the hair sticking out from his hat. Ash smiled.
He mentally prepared himself for Janine. With the Safari Zone behind him, his Gym battle was the only thing keeping him in Fuchsia.
Poison was something Ash knew he needed more experience with. He had his venomous battle with Erika under his belt, as well as some battles with other trainers that had used poison-types, but that experience paled in comparison to the lethality that Koga or Janine could wield. Poison was one of the types that had a low skill floor but a ridiculously high ceiling. It was still very possible to use and be successful with a poison-type in battle without being a specialist. Ash remembered Erika's consistent use of poison in their battle. It was the biggest factor in their battle that Ash felt made her a real threat.
Ash reminded himself that Erika and Janine were considered the two easiest Gym Leaders in Kanto. Often they were called the weakest of the Big Eight. If he couldn't beat them for his first two badges then what kind of trainer was he? Ash reminded himself that they were the weakest, yes, but that did not make them weak. Even a weak tyranitar was still a force to be reckoned with.
Ash considered capturing a poison-type in the future. There were some that one could find in Indigo that could be formidable. He quickly turned from the idea. Cove and Regal were going to stretch him thin as it was. Not to mention Unown. He'd not seen the psychic-type since the Safari Zone, but he had no doubt that he would see it again.
A distant hum in his mind agreed with him. Nut looked at him skeptically and flicked his leaf around the area like it would point him in the direction of the intrusion. The nuzleaf had felt it too. Ash looked at the sun in the sky. Sunlight meant time to train. Good, he had quite a lot of work to do with his team.
First, though…
The Dex beeped as it scanned Regal.
Rookidee, the flying-type pokemon native to the Galar skies. They are some of the only mono flying-types in the world. As the first stage in a line of three, rookidee are similar to other flying-types in that they often evolve young. Their second stage, corvisquire, is the stage where they spend most of their lives. Their final stage, corviknight, is dual flying/steel-type. Corviknight are often considered the Galarian Monarchs for their domination of the skies in Galar. The Galarian Air Taxi is a popular method of transportation where a person may pay for a corviknight to fly them to their destination. For the average Galarian, it is far more affordable than Teleports.
Scientists often speculate that corviknight and skarmory share a distant ancestor that migrated between regions, but evidence has yet to show as such.
The rookidee-line are associated heavily with their size and ferocity when fully evolved. Even untrained corviknight can be mighty foes. Just as valuable is a corviknight's defense, as they resist or are immune to ten typings. Rookidee and its evolutions are praised for their intelligence, though it is widely recognized that they hold a penchant for shiny objects which they will gather and return to their nests. It is a admirable sight for a pokemon of the rookidee-line to gift a trainer one of their trinkets as it signals a great trust and respect between the two.
This specimen can perform the moves Peck and Hone Claws. It has an egg move; Tailwind. Its ability is Keen Eye.
Ash looked at Regal. She was young, a freshly hatched chick in comparison to his other teammates. Still, her potential was something not even Gary would scoff at. "You are way cooler than a pidgey, girl."
The rookidee puffed her feathers up and Ash lightly tapped her beak with a smile.
Leaf was gonna be very envious.
.—.—.
The Fuchsia Gym was accepting challengers again. Janine had returned from wherever the League had sent her. The news heralded by Nurse Joy meant Ash was getting a battle today. He did his usual morning training regiment with his team before finally calling them all together.
"Today is the day, guys. And girl." Ash amended the last part when Regal nipped his ear. "Janine will be tough. Poison isn't something we have a lot of experience with. But that means we'll have proved ourselves even more when we get the badge."
Regal chirped curiously at the last bit. Cove similarly looked lost. Ash blinked. "The Soul Badge from Janine." He elaborated and was met with the same looks. The trainer was equally confused.
He'd taken the time to explain what a Gym battle was to his newest members, hadn't he? Ash frowned when he realized he hadn't. They knew this battle with Janine was important but Ash had failed to convey just why. That was a failure on his part he needed to rectify.
"Sorry, Cove, Regal, I guess I never told you what a Gym battle or Gym Badge was." Ash apologized. "Today we're going to challenge one of the thirteen strongest trainers in Kanto. The thirteen are the Champion, Elite Four, and Gym Leaders in descending order. Now, Janine won't be at her using her strongest pokemon, but she also won't take it easy on us. If–when–we beat her, she'll give us the Soul Badge. You with me?"
Regal tilted her head but chirped an affirmative. Cove seemed to need a little more explanation.
"When we challenge one of the Gym Leaders and win, they give us proof that we've beaten them." Ash said slowly. He took a moment to retrieve his Rainbow Badge and show it to them. "This badge, the Rainbow Badge, is evidence that we demonstrated our strength in battle. Greed and Nut earned this badge in Celadon against the grass-type leader, Erika. Do you know why we need these?"
Regal's eye seemed to measure up the badge as it caught the sun and gleamed. She hopped forward and gave it an experimental peck. Ash carried on. "When we get all eight badges from the best Gym Leaders in Kanto, called the Big Eight, we can join the Indigo Conference. It's at the Indigo Conference where we show the entire League what we're capable of. The winner of the tournament is granted the honor of challenging the Elite Four and, if they beat all of the Elites, the Champion too. That usually doesn't happen though. Elites tend to serve for life unless they retire."
The rookie looked at his pokemon when he was finished to judge their reactions. Thankfully, they seemed to understand now. If possible, the two seemed more excited for the Gym battle. Ash winced. He should have led with telling them they wouldn't be fighting in this battle. He wanted them to get more experience before he threw them against someone on the caliber of Gym Leader.
Ash was confident he could use any combination of Greed, Nut and Graveler to win the Soul Badge. He could see himself allowing Cove to participate if Janine opted for a three-on-three format, but a second badge challenge was nearly always two-on-two. In any other battle, Ash would love for Cove to fight. Experience was a teacher beyond compare. Gym challenges, though, always carried some small risk with them. More than just losing the challenging fee and the badge, but the risk of a pokemon becoming injured was greater when it battled on a lower level than its opponents.
Ash shivered when he compared Regal at her current level to any Gym Leaders' pokemon. Surge would fry her in Vermillion, Blaine would melt her in Cinnabar, and Giovani…it would be an understatement to say that Regal would be smothered in Viridian. The Earthshaker had plenty of weapons against flying-types. He imagined being at that pinnacle of power Giovanni was only below the Elites in power. Even that, depending on the person, was debatable. Many trainers argued that Giovanni would overwhelm the lower two Elites, Koga and Lorelei, with at least. Ash had always somewhat wondered why it was that Giovanni remained stagnant in Viridian. Did something lure him there? Maybe a proximity to something?
Ash decided quickly that it didn't matter too much. Giovanni was the strongest Gym Leader in Kanto. If he truly wanted to advance to the Elites, Ash knew he would do so.
Still, he wondered. What would it be like to be so overwhelmingly powerful that people around the world expected him to ascend to the Elites? Maybe even further. Power, power, power…
He wanted it.
Ash flinched slightly as a faraway musical tone resounded in his head. A dark veil lifted from him. He sighed. The Distortion was affecting him again. Luckily, it was rarer that it would overwhelm him. It hadn't happened since his encounter with Unown and the psychic's semi-frequent reminder. He likened it to a rubber band that would snap at his wrist when his mind wandered a little too far into it. Nut had been initially peeved at the prospect of boundaries in his mind, but Ash had worked him through it. He was still new to the dark-type energies, almost as new as Ash was.
Unown hummed another crescendo as Ash saw a blur of black.
.—.—.
The Fuchsia Gym stood as tall as Ash remembered. That was to say not very tall. A single floor unless there was some architectural trickery he couldn't see. All was possible when dealing with ninjas. It was subtle. He'd overlooked it the first time he'd found it. Even Sparky's Gym, which Ash was still unconvinced was not a mansion of a Silph Co. rich heir, was many times the size of Fuchsia's.
Nonetheless, it was a Gym that held his next badge. Ash walked through the doors.
The lobby was empty of people with the exception of the receptionist. Ash put his name in for a battle and paid the hefty fee it required. Fortunately it wouldn't be long. He was the first name on the docket. After a few minutes of foot-tapping and mumbled thoughts Ash heard his name. The receptionist simply opened the double doors Ash had been eyeing since he walked in.
Ash smiled as he saw the courtyard. An outdoor battle was much preferable when working with poison-types. One whiff of a muk and the Celadon Gym would take second place to its stench. Ash came prepared though. Two nose plugs sat neatly in his pocket.
"Trainer Ketchum." Ash jumped. A tall woman clad in dark navy bid him forward. He hadn't seen or heard her at all. Ash didn't know the proper term for what she wore. It looked like robes, but he didn't think that was correct.
"Yes, that's me. Ash Ketchum." He introduced.
She nodded silently as she took the opposing trainer box from him. "Challenging for your second badge, I hear. Two-on-two would usually suffice but let us try three-on-three. Have you prepared yourself?"
He thought that was a strange thing to say, but nodded anyway. "I'm ready."
Ash was surprised by the rule change-up, but he never backed down from a challenge. Janine didn't move but a red beam appeared on the field. Ash watched as it came together to form a levitating koffing. Purple with white markings on its front that resembled crossbones. Ash smiled in time with Nut appearing on the field.
Janine, according to any forum he could find, usually used an ekans or koffing as her opener for trainers with lesser badges. It made sense, when Ash thought of the poison-type it was muk, koffing, and ekans that came to the forefront of his mind as staples of the typing. If ekans had appeared, Ash would have Greed out instead of Nut. The annoying habit of a koffing to use Explosion when pressed made Ash wary of putting his starter against it. Nut had more ranged options than the pancham did, not to mention Defog as a hidden weapon against a pokemon that emitted noxious gasses as easily as Ash breathed. Easier, even.
Janine gestured to a man on the sideline that Ash had similarly not noticed. He took the spot of the referee and put his arm straight into the air. "Nuzleaf vs. Koffing." He slashed his hand down. "Begin!"
"Leech Seed." Ash ordered.
Nut reared back as a dozen life-sucking seeds gathered. A moment later they exploded forward towards the levitating koffing, searching for purchase in its hard shell. Koffing wordlessly dodged to the side without input from Janine.
"Smokescreen."
It was barely a whisper from where Ash stood across the field, but Koffing didn't hesitate. Dark smoke billowed from the purple pokemon immediately. It retreated into the smoke as Nut shot another Leech Seed without any effect. The smoke slowly encroached into Nut's side of the field.
"Careful, watch for surprise attacks. Use Leech Seed to find it, Air Cutter when you do." Ash said calmly despite the frown on his face. This tactic reminded him a bit too much of Erika. He couldn't see Janine through the smokescreen, let alone hear if the shinobi said anything.
Nut was careful to shoot a few seeds into the smoke systematically. A Leech Seed was shot to Nut's left. Ash barely caught the slight ripple of the smoke to the nuzleaf's right in time to warn his pokemon. "To your right! Air Cutter!"
Koffing surged from the smoke and was met head-on by Nut's Air Cutter. The poison-type continued forward despite the hit it took. Nut tried to dodge it, but was just too slow. The grass-type was sent sprawling from the Body Slam but sent another Air Cutter that sent Koffing retreating into the smoke again.
Ash furrowed his brow as Nut coughed when he inhaled. Koffing had not been billowing out smoke when it attacked, but it had been leaking something. Poison Gas, he guessed. It was a good strategy. It forced the opponent's pokemon to choose between going into the smoke, where Janine was sure to have a field day with a blind opponent, or stay put and inhale more poison.
Luckily, Ash could choose option three. "Prepare a Solar Beam."
Defog was his best trick in this battle. He'd only get the one chance to surprise Janine. Nut formed a circle with his fists near his chest. Slowly, a luminescent bundle of light gathered. Ash watched carefully as it was prepared. "Defog! Hit it when you see it!"
Nut flicked his leaf. In an instant, the Poison Gas and Smokescreen was cleared from the field. Ash could finally see Janine across the field and he took pleasure in the surprise she showed, though she schooled it quickly. Koffing was similarly surprised as his concealment was blown away. Nut locked his eyes on the gaseous pokemon.
"Assurance." Janine gave the order at the same moment Solar Beam was released and hurled forward. The powerful grass-type move struck true and Koffing was sent reeling back. Before the dust had settled, Koffing had already returned fire with Assurance. Ash winced as Nut was struck with the move.
Assurance was a move that scaled its effects to the damage its user had taken. When a pokemon returned fire after taking a particularly hard-hitting move it would help to even the odds. The caveat being that, since the move scaled to the damage received, it was fairly weak when not used in response to an attack of a high caliber, attacks such as Solar Beam. That was not to mention that the user still had to take the damage themselves and not be defeated.
Assurance was similar to the move Destiny Bond in its bare basics–damage that affected the user would also affect their attacker–which made it a steppingstone for any trainer looking to delve into the insanely difficult to master ghost-type move. Ash was fairly certain that the koffing-line could learn Destiny Bond with dedicated and exhaustive training. It made him shudder to think what Janine could do with that move.
Hopefully the moves would get tournament banned before he ever had to worry about them. The winner of the Conference three years ago had used Destiny Bond, Perish Song, Curse, and Confuse Ray so many times that Ash's head spun just thinking of it. He thought she was a dark-type specialist, though he couldn't remember her name.
When Nut got to his legs he was unsteady and glared as Koffing reoriented itself. Assurance had done more damage than Ash had expected. "Razor Leaf, then Energy Ball. Defog if you see any smoke."
The wind whipped violently as sharp foliage was thrown around the field. Koffing tried to produce more smoke and gas but it was Defogged quicker than it could be produced. Janine was suspiciously silent as Koffing was batted around. Nut flicked his head leaf as he launched his Energy Ball.
"Maneuver F," Janine commanded sternly.
Koffing launched into action. The poison-type levitated forward and met the Energy Ball head on. Ash blinked in disbelief as the attack struck the pokemon directly. He watched Koffing shrug the attack off as best it could as it continued its one-track path toward Nut. The rookie would have commended his opponent's constitution if it wasn't currently launching Sludge Bomb at his nuzleaf.
"Dodge, Mega Drain." Nut ducked the shot easily as the sludge went wide and struck the field harmlessly. More Sludge Bombs followed that Nut also easily avoided as he sucked the vitality from his opponent. Koffing, though, was closing the distance faster than Ash liked.
The teen watched as another Sludge Bomb was shot carelessly past Nut to join the rest. It landed unceremoniously and joined the rest of the sludge on the field. Ash nearly dismissed it as yet another failed attack, but caught sight of a sharp protrusion. In fact, it was several sharp protrusions that lingered even as the sludge was spreading out. He watched as Nut sent an Air Cutter at his target.
It wasn't until Koffing started to glow a dull silver that Ash recognized the trap he'd walked into. The remnants of Sludge Bomb on each side of Nut would not have hindered his escape normally. However, Ash realized far too late that they were no normal Sludge Bombs. Toxic Spikes littered the spots that Koffing had struck, forming a wall between Nut and any avenue to flee. Koffing did what its species was best known for.
Explosion rocked the psychic barriers. The referee winced from the sideline, a sentiment that Ash agreed with thoroughly. The barrier lessened and Ash immediately saw the unconscious body of Nut. He returned his pokemon to his pokeball as Janine did the same with Koffing.
Ash cursed. Explosion was a staple of the koffing-line. The poison-types were one of the only species, along with the electrode-line, that could use the potentially lethal move without any long-term damage. He knew that and he still let it get close enough that Nut's leaf looked scorched. He shook his head as he palmed Nut's pokeball. "Good work, buddy. You did great. I'll be better." He replaced the grass-type's pokeball for another from his bandolier.
Ash released Graveler from his ultraball. The rock-type landed with a thud that shook the field. His pokemon's eyes caught sight of his opponent and gave a rare grin. Janine was silent as she watched him. She withdrew a pokeball from her robes and released her pokemon. Ash frowned at the Venomoth that flapped its wings as it emerged.
She gestured to the referee who fumbled to announce the commencement of the next round. "Graveler vs. Venomoth. Begin!"
Ash was not a fan of the matchup. Venomoth were quick and didn't tend to land when in battle. If he wasn't careful, it could become a skeet shoot on his end. He couldn't forget the dusty wings of the moth either. Graveler's physical defense was something to be admired but that didn't correlate to his special defense.
"Smack Down, then Rock Blast." He ordered.
Janine watched Graveler with an expression Ash couldn't read. "Poison Powder."
Graveler grunted as he followed Ash's commands. The boulders flung at Venomoth were slipped by with speed that made Ash frown. The powder being flung every time it flapped its wings was also concerning. If he didn't disable it soon, the battle would be over. Graveler's defenses were wasted on poison. This fight was shaping up to be his antithesis.
"Use Rock Tomb to trap it, then Smack Down."
The rock-type stomped forward as Venomoth sent a flurry of Gusts around the field. The flying-type move kicked the Poison Powder around viciously. Graveler pounded harshly on the ground as a myriad of earthen walls jutted upwards in the moth's flight path. Luckily for them, venomoth could not fly to heights of any significance. The height of a tree was about the limit to their aerial endeavors.
"Graveler, use–"
"Bug Buzz."
Ash was cut off harshly as Venomoth let out an ear splitting buzzing sound. Even Graveler seemed to wince at the sound as it struck him. The rookie grimaced. The buzzing completely drowned out anything he said. The poison moth pokemon shifted its path as it barely avoided a Smack Down from Graveler.
Gradually, the buzzing lost its intensity and Ash thought he might be able to get a word in.
"Bug Buzz. Confusion." Janine ordered casually. Ash barely caught the words over the buzz. He swore lightly, not that anyone would have heard him anyway as the overwhelming shriek returned.
Venomoth did an about-face suddenly. Its eyes gave a teal glow as Graveler stopped throwing attacks momentarily. Ash watched as his pokemon gave a twitch before whipping his head around. A random spot on the field exploded from a Rock Blast.
The rookie tried to shout, tried to get his pokemon to return to his actual fight, but Graveler couldn't hear him over the buzz. Confusion was a move that could be shrugged off fairly easily if a trainer could prompt their pokemon. However, Ash was unable to do so given the circumstances. Compounded with the fact it was likely Graveler's first experience with the attack, he was more vulnerable than the average pokemon.
Ash watched as Venomoth flew forward to attack. Zen Headbutt, if he guessed correctly, with Poison Powder still trailing behind.
Closing the distance was the moth's mistake, one Ash realized immediately but was unable to properly capitalize on. The rookie realized it didn't matter. Graveler was still not in complete control of himself when he lept upwards and, with all the immense weight and power Ash knew he possessed, crashed to the earth with a violent surge. Earthquake shook the ground and tore the field apart. Ash had a front seat to the damage it caused.
The previous walls constructed by Rock Tomb crumpled from the quake. The terrain ruptured upwards with jagged edges and flat bases meshed together. Venomoth was struck by a plate of earth that sent it reeling to the ground with a tumble of dust and powder. When it crashed, the buzzing finally ceased.
"Graveler, buddy, snap out of it!" Ash yelled.
The living boulder shook himself when he heard him. Finally, the confusion wore off of his pokemon enough for him to reorient himself. Graveler seemed particularly angry.
"Smack Down, then Rollout!"
Graveler was already in motion. Ash heard Janine say something but was too enthralled to process what it was. Venomoth struggled to take off but was grounded completely thanks to Smack Down. When it flailed its wings and released a cloud of powder, Ash frowned. The rock-type wasn't getting out of this without getting poisoned one way or another. Graveler struck the moth with a violent crashing noise. He shifted his path to strike the downed opponent thrice more.
Venomoth gave one last sputter of powder and buzzed as it finally fell unconscious under Graveler's heavy shell. Graveler gave a heavy groan as he stopped rolling and uncurled his four arms. Ash frowned when he saw the dust and powder covering his pokemon's face. Not even his pokemon's sturdy defense could stop him from breathing in the poisonous powders it seemed.
A time limit then. Ash could deal with that. Graveler would just end their last foe quickly.
Janine watched Graveler sputter before releasing her last pokemon. Graveler gave their last opponent a sneering grunt despite his injuries. The rock-type was unimpressed with the pile of purple and black grime that appeared with a wet slap.
Ash pinched his nose as he retrieved his nose plugs. Muk were known for their stench after all. Janine's muk was wider than Ash was tall and let out a terrible bubbling that made Ash uneasy. The referee was able to swallow her own obvious disgust as she slashed her arm down. "Graveler vs. Muk. Begin!"
"You're on a time limit. Rock Throw, test it." Ash said as he eyed the violet goo. Special moves wouldn't do much to Muk, so physical attacks would be the focus. Speed wasn't a trait that muk excelled in, but he'd be a fool to underestimate a Gym Leader.
Graveler wrenched a section of the already ruined field upwards and hurled it. The poison-type let out a gurgle as it slid away from the attacks. It left a black and violet slime trail as it slithered away from the attack.
"Acid Armor, Harden."
Ash almost thought he had misheard what Janine had said. Acid Armor and Harden were both defense bolstering techniques but ones that had the exact opposite effect. Harden did as it said and hardened the body of the pokemon, while Acid Armor did the opposite as it liquified the slimy body of its user to allow blows to have less of an impact. He would have thought the two moves would clash, but he knew there was a reason behind it. He just needed to find it.
Ash decided he couldn't let the battle be on her terms. Graveler was already poisoned and was only gonna get worse if he dragged it out. "Graveler, Harden and Defense Curl. Then, Bulldoze and Rollout."
Graveler tucked in his four arms to his shell as he produced a dull glow from Harden. The rock-type stomped the ground and rumbled forward. The ground below the rock-type granulated as he charged forward. Muk's gelatinous body slicked to the side as Graveler thundered ahead. Or it tried to, but Bulldoze made the ground hard to navigate for the slimy pokemon as the ground itself began to hinder its movement.
"Venoshock. Mud Shot."
Muk scooped up the granulated ground. The sand-like substance coalesced as it mixed in with the liquid-like grime that made up a muk's body. It launched the mixture forward as it simultaneously spewed a vile black spout of potent poisonous liquid.
Graveler was already too close to dodge. The attacks hit his shell as he rolled forward and Ash watched in horror as it leaked into his pokemon's face. Most of the poison attack was rolled away as Graveler built up speed, but Ash knew Venoshock would only exacerbate the poison in his pokemon's system.
Finally, Graveler struck Muk with Rollout. Instead of the splatter of violet gunk that Ash expected, a loud crack was heard as Muk was thrown backward. The place that the muk had been stationed at was suspiciously dark and held sharp protrusions in the slime that Ash spotted immediately.
"Toxic Spikes, don't go through its slime trail!" Ash warned. The same trick Koffing had employed with its Sludge Bombs. He wouldn't make that mistake twice. "Use Rock Tomb to make a ramp!"
Janine's eyes rose slightly as Graveler rumbled forward. A slab of dusty earth jetted forward in his path and rose above the poisonous trap she had laid. Ash smirked as Graveler got closer. "Hit it hard!"
The rock-type needed no further instructions as Rollout rumbled closer to its intended target. The boulder rampaged forward and left deep grooves in the field as he did so. Muk gurgled in pain as it was hit with the hard body of the living boulder. Ash frowned as again the attack sent the muk reeling backward instead of into splintering piles of goo trying to piece itself back together.
Rollout combined with Defense Curl and Harden should have been more than enough to finish off the poison-type. So, what was the answer? Ash watched Muk land with another sickening splat and the ooze that spread out across the spot it landed.
Ash leaned forward as Muk spread out when it landed. Was it wider than before? He watched as it came together more and it rose to its full height. Did the landing do that much damage? It had good force behind it but it shouldn't have been so…
Ash grinned. He understood now. "Graveler, get in close!" The boulder huffed and groaned as he lurched forward again. Ash saw how much the poison was working on his pokemon. He looked close to falling over on the spot. "When you're close, gently force your arms into its body and use Magnitude!"
"Harden, Sludge Wave." Janine ordered quickly.
Graveler was faster. Muk was still trying to get itself together as the rock pokemon jetted all four of its arms forwards. With a surprisingly light touch that Ash wasn't aware the pokemon possessed, Graveler sank into the muk. The poison-type shot a Sludge Bomb into the face of its attack, but Graveler was stalwart in his resolve.
Graveler's roar sounded as if two tectonic plates had clashed. Magnitude shook the ground and Muk let out a bellow of pain as it was shaken to its core. The sludge pokemon lost its form and liquefied before it was violently split apart and torn.
Ash would have been horrified if it had been any other pokemon. Muk would simply find its form again when it recovered. He would admit that the trick with Acid Armor and Harden was crafty and hard to spot at first. When Muk was struck hard, its body would act like a solid and be more resistant. However, when it was struck more gently it acted more as a liquid.
It reminded him of an experiment he and Gary had done together as children by mixing starch and water. This time he had the privilege of not receiving a scolding from his mother for making a mess of the kitchen. It was a great defensive technique against something like Graveler. If Ash hadn't seen through it, Graveler would have simply been wasting time until he finally went unconscious from the poison.
The referee called the match in Ash's favor and he smiled widely. Janine returned the incapacitated poison-type with a flick of her wrist. Muk vanished in a flash of crimson light. He returned Graveler even as the ground-type basked in the glow of his victory. The Gym Leader dismissed the referee as she walked across the battle-torn field. Ash was impressed as she maneuvered the craters and poison left over without effort. She stopped a few feet from him and measured him with her gaze.
"You fought well." She stated as she brushed past him. Ash stood still before she motioned for him to follow.
"Thank you, my team has worked hard." He said. "Muk was a hard fight. That's the first time I've ever seen Acid Body used like that."
The shinobi nodded. "Muk is often the barrier between those who receive my badge and those who do not. You did well to spot the flaw in the technique, many others do not and it costs them. Can you tell me what the other option would have been?"
"If I had a water-type, they could have used a move like Water Gun with lower output to water down the technique." At least, whenever he and Gary had added too much water to their little project it had always failed. It was probably the same principle.
"A good deduction."
Ash accepted the praise with a smile before frowning. "Muk will be okay, right? I know Graveler's Magnitude first hand and it can be pretty rough."
Janine quirked a brow upwards but nodded nonetheless. "She shall recover unimpeded. Even if she had split permanently, which I can assure you she did not, then the grimer left would have combined and evolved rather quickly."
That made him feel a little better. They reached the lobby of the Gym and Janine approached the desk. A few words with the secretary and Ash was holding a Soul Badge. Ash knew he looked like a child with a new toy. He didn't care. The Soul Badge was carefully tucked away and joined his Rainbow Badge in his pack.
"Thank you."
"Do not thank me. Thank yourself and your team, you have earned it." Janine said softly. "Sparky's words seemed to be true."
Ash's eyebrows shot up. "Sparky talked to you about me?"
"He did. He mentioned you showed promise as an upcoming trainer. He also mentioned that your graveler was vigorous." Janine told him with a certain fondness for something Ash knew not. "He requested that I be a little harder on you than I would normally be on a trainer challenging for their second badge."
That was why the battle had been three-on-three as opposed to the basic two-on-two. He had also thought Muk was tougher than it should have been which meant it probably was more oriented to a trainer with more badges under their belt. Still, he loved a good challenge. He'd have to thank Sparky in the future. "Thank you."
Janine gave him a look that Ash thought made her seem older than she was. "I would not thank me so soon. Sparky mentioned some things to look for when you battle. You still have much to improve on."
Ash agreed. He was not as arrogant as Gary. He was a rookie that had, for all intents and purposes, just started his journey. Though he was now three months in and had earned his first two badges. That at least gave him some credit, he thought.
"Do you have any advice for me?" Advice from a Gym Leader was never something to disregard lightly.
Janine smiled as she led him to the doors of the Gym. "Let us talk on your way to the Center. Your teammates will need some treatment. Nurse Joy keeps plenty of anti-poison treatments on hand."
Ash followed like an excited lillipup. The last time he'd gotten to talk to a Gym Leader one-on-one had been Giovanni back in Viridian. He would admit that Erika had soured his impression of Leaders since he had left Celadon. Thankfully, the grass-type Gym Leader seemed to be the exception and not the rule. Janine and Giovanni were both leagues ahead of her.
Ash mentally apologized for any negative thing he may have called her in the past.
"Firstly," Janine began. "I believe Sparky battled you in Stone Town, correct?"
Ash nodded and she continued. "Sparky may not be in the Big Eight, but he's a Gym Leader. I commend your victory over him. Rainer is also a particularly challenging opponent, yet his expertise differs from his brothers. Do you know what their preferred styles are?"
Ash frowned. "Rainer is calculating and methodical. He used complicated techniques and weather-altering moves that gave him a huge advantage. I didn't have a good answer to most of what he threw at me. His poliwrath was able to redirect an Energy Ball back at my nuzleaf, seedot back then."
Janine smiled. "Yes, that sounds like him. Do you know how he did it?"
Ash almost shrugged but thought that might be rude. "I'm not sure. I tried replicating it on my own. Nut, my nuzleaf, would use Energy Ball and my pancham would attempt to redirect it with Circle Throw and a light Fire Punch to reign it in. It never worked though."
"An interesting strategy," Janine noted. "Circle Throw is a factor of it. Psychic is the other factor you were missing. It's a precise technique that Rainer used against my father."
Ash nearly slapped himself. Of course, it was Psychic, it made so much more sense. He then sighed in disappointment. "Then my pancham can't use it."
A shame. That would have been an incredibly beneficial technique.
"Not the same way Rainer does it, no, but you might be able to substitute it. Instead of Psychic, lean into what your pancham can do that a poliwrath cannot."
Ash thought hard for a moment before his eyes widened. "Distortion. If he could manipulate Distortion on a small scale, he could pull off the same effect."
Janine nodded. "It would also have an advantage over using Psychic. Do you know how?"
"Poliwrath wouldn't be able to redirect a move like Dark Pulse." Ash reasoned. "It would disrupt the Psychic."
"True, very good." Janine gave him an approving nod. "Enough about Rainer. What about Pyro and Sparky?"
Ash hummed. "I never fought Pyro and only met him briefly. Sparky though, his luxio was really strong. It fought Graveler so I didn't get to see its electric attacks, but it was a physical powerhouse. It even threw back Graveler."
"A shame you did not see Sparky wield electric-type attacks. Sparky's control is his greatest asset. He mentored under Lt. Surge for a time. Rather than Surge's aggressive style that relies primarily on power and speed, Sparky focuses on control. It is something to be admired."
"And what about Pyro?"
"Pyro is the one that focuses on power. His magmar and flareon have incredible firepower. He likes to set the field alight and let his pokemon do as they please."
Ash smiled lightly. "Three brothers. Smarts, Precision, and Power. The trifecta of pokemon training."
"Indeed." Janine agreed, amused. "Now, I do believe I agreed to give you some actual advice before we depart." Ash hadn't realized that they'd already gotten so close to the Pokemon Center.
"Firstly, Sparky brought to my attention the way in which you issue commands to your pokemon. I was not sure what he was referring to at first, but I believe I understand." Janine said not unkindly. "You command your team too much."
Ash frowned slightly. "Too much?"
"Sparky said he and Rainer matched your style of commands when they battled you. They both agreed it was inefficient. You walk your pokemon through the motions, as they said."
"I give them too much at once?" Ash tried to clarify. Wasn't the way he commanded during battle fairly normal?
"Yes." She agreed. "Your devotion as a trainer is to train your pokemon before they battle, not during. A trainer's role during the battle is to coach and advise. It is important that you understand that you are not the one battling."
He frowned. "So, I should order them less?"
"Not necessarily less, but you must trust them to know what to do. For example, your nuzleaf knew Koffing was setting up a trap before you did. If you had given it a little more reign, it likely could have avoided the worst of it."
Ash's gaze fell. He needed to apologize to Nut. The nuzleaf deserved a better showing. "I understand."
Janine laid a hand on his shoulder. "It is a difficult habit to break once you find yourself in it. It is often very late in a trainer's career that they understand the significance of what I am saying. If you are able to capitalize on making the change early, then you will be a better trainer for it. It may be beneficial to watch the recent recreational match between Elite Four Bruno and Gym Leader Pryce to understand what I mean. Conciseness is a virtue."
Ash nodded as they reached the entrance of the Center. He hadn't even known that such a battle had taken place. "Thank you. I wouldn't have made that connection otherwise."
The shinobi was silent as a beep came from her robes. She withdrew a small device that sounded off again before she clicked it. "I must go now; another challenger has come for their badge. I wish you the best of luck in your future battles, Ash Ketchum, and I invite you to battle me again when you complete the Gym Circuit."
Ash turned to open the doors and, when he turned back around to say goodbye, Janine was gone.
"Ninjas." He muttered as he went to heal his pokemon.
.—.—.
Ash laughed at the screen in front of him. The camera flickered back to Gary's face with almost purposeful comedic timing. Delta's face mimicked his trainer's in shock. The two were in the shadow of their massive opponent.
The League allowed trainers to view footage of other challengers to the Gym. Ash always circled the box that allowed for his own battle footage to be viewed publicly and he knew Gary did the same. His mother was adamant on watching all of his Gym battles and he was happy to oblige her. Professor Oak similarly watched his and Gary's battles when he had a free moment.
Ash sighed as he shoved a handful of chips into his mouth before he washed it down with a sip of his drink. He wasn't usually one for eating in bed but he thought he deserved a reward. He had earned his Soul Badge, his second major triumph in the Gym Circuit. Greed rumbled as he watched from his position in front of Ash's bed. His starter was munching down on the assortment of berries Ash had given him as they both enjoyed the moment of respite.
He sighed in contentment as Gary snapped out a series of orders on the screen. The footage was of his friend's battle in Pewter City. Gym Leader Flint had sent out a rhyhorn as his first pokemon. Gary, naturally, sent out Delta. The round was over quickly with Delta only taking one Horn Attack to the shell. Flint's second pokemon was what Ash was gleefully watching his friend flail against.
Onix was a towering rock serpent that Gary had not expected. That was fair, at least. Onix as a general rule of thumb were not pokemon a newly minted rookie was prepared to take on. Their sheer size and strength were immense. One good Slam could end the battle. This onix seemed at least half the size of a mature adult. A youngling, if Ash had to guess. It was the only way he could see Flint allowing it to battle a rookie without a single badge.
Gary, to his credit, recouped quickly. Delta was already on the move and spitting out Water Guns one after the other. For the rest of the night, Ash had a great time picking apart his best friend's battle from the warm comfort of his bed.
.—.—.
And there it is, chapter seven. I struggled with this chapter a bit which is part of the reason why it took so damn long to get out. The other reasons are work and college. A special thank you to BJJPanda for making sure I couldn't forget to get this chapter out, lol. Hopefully it won't take as long for the next one.
A good deal happened in this chapter. A new addition with Regal, let me know what you think of her. Next chapter we're going to get a lot more interaction with the newer members and I can confidently say that Ash won't be getting any more pokemon for a bit. And the stalkers finally revealed! Unown indeed, we shall see where it goes from here.
As always, reviews are much appreciated and make me write faster. Replies below:
BJJPanda: Who doesn't love a good fall from grace? Won't say what Ethan's story is looking like, that's too much of a spoiler, but I hope you'll like where it goes.
HDK315: Yeah, Ethan was fun to write as it gave a new perspective. Petrol's appearance at the end is my favorite part of writing that chapter, I'm not going to lie lol.
Dman09: Ash definitely does need some coverage against Fairy-types in the future, something I hopefully helped start with by introducing Regal. Also, Samurai Jack is badass.
Darthwolf: Galar indeed. Galarian Zigzagoon is a funny little pokemon.
Malanaha: Thank you! Glad you liked it, the fishing bit was pretty fun to write.