I don't have much to say right now. I didn't mean for this chapter to take over a month to do, but I unfortunately suffer from procrastination. It's not an excuse, not even a medical condition, just a different word for lazy. This chapter will be different than most of the other ones.
Let's say a particular group has come in contact with Ash's. Enjoy the chapter!
The Very Best:
Chapter 21:
Very Unlikely Friends:
Opening (If you want to): Fly High! (From Haikyu!, performed by BURNOUT SYNDROMES)
The morning sun came out of the horizon, the light coating the forest in an orange-yellow color.
A few tents were hit with the light of the sun, its rays partially passing through the outside of it. In the middle of the circle of tents was Houndour. Brock's Pokémon calmly watched the sunrise, seeing it was high enough now. She stood on her four legs, running over to Brock's tent to wake the boy.
The young teenager was enjoying his dream when something suddenly began to lick his nose. He felt something wetting his nose as he opened his eyes, seeing his loyal Houndour right before his eyes. She gave a small smile at seeing him awake. "Hound do, Houndour. Houndou dou ound Houndour dour." She wished him a good morning, claiming she successfully watched the night.
Brock just looked at Houndour, resting his head against his sleeping bag. "You know you don't have to keep watch over us, right?" His gaze fell on her. "If something happens, you don't have to handle it alone."
Houndour shook her head. The Fire-type has been coming out at night and would stay up the whole night to keep watch over the group, almost like their personal guard. "Dour do our hou undour Houndour do our, dour ound." She explained that they always did it in her pack, which guaranteed their safety.
Brock sat up, petting his partner. "I'm grateful for your concern, but not when it's costing you your sleep." He stood up, popping his neck to get ready for the day. "Mind waking up Misty? Preferably, not in a biting manner?" Houndour nodded, running off to Misty's tent. Brock sorted his items, ready for another day of travel with his friends.
As he was replacing his shirt, barking rang out.
"Ahh!" Misty suddenly screamed, Brock rushing out of his tent quickly. When he got to Misty's tent, a very annoyed ten-year-old in her pajamas stepped out. She held Houndour in her arms, her grumpy look contracted with the Pokémon's cheeky smile. "Brock... did you ask Houndour to do that?" Misty's voice was surprisingly sweet.
"Um... I..." The boy was trying to choose his words carefully because Misty's wrath was something to fear. "I simply told Houndour to wake you up, but not in a biting manner."
Misty stared at the Dark-type, seeing Houndour be herself. She deflated. "You know what? It's too early to be in a bad mood." She decided, handing back Hondour to Brock. The girl wasn't trying to be as angry anymore. "Don't do this again." She told the Pokémon.
Misty went back to her tent to get ready for the day, leaving Brock to give a semi-harsh look at his Pokémon. "How about I be in charge of waking everyone up?" Houndour shook her head, still thinking her method was the way to go. "I promise to let you try again tomorrow, but simply lick them awake. You can nudge them if that doesn't work." Brock was being specific, and his Pokémon was okay with those rules.
Everyone would slowly get up, even though May would attempt to fall back asleep. The group would have a simple but still delicious breakfast. Brock's cooking skills were something to behold, and how he did so much with so little was incredibly impressive. "Anyone need some more water?" Ash asked everyone eating, Wartortle and Misty's Squirtle right beside him.
"No, thank you," May said respectfully, wanting to know what their plan was for today. "How much further until we reach Celadon City?"
"If we can get through the bridge, we have less than a week left," Brock answered for her, but a frown came to him. "If the bridge isn't open, then we'll have to take the long way. A whole extra week."
Ash quickly chewed down his food, hearing that news. "We can't afford that. Erika will be gone if we have arrived too late." Ash refused to lose his early chance at the fourth badge.
"The Gym Leader? Why would she not be there?" May was confused by that notion. Misty looked at her.
"You don't know? Every Gym Leader in Kanto won't be available in August due to the Pokémon League Conference, which will take over the whole month." Misty explained, May surprised by this new info. "They'll return in September, but we'll have to wait if we can't make it."
"Which we will," Ash said confidently, having no plans to wait a month to get a gym badge. "Me and Ryan are going to Rainbow Badge before Erika even gets to pack up. We can handle her!"
Misty smirked at hearing this. She believed in Ash, but she also knew Erika was a stronger Trainer to deal with. "You seem pretty confident. Your strategy just must be that good, huh?"
"It's not complete, but I have a plan. Chimchar and Pidgeotto will be the main attackers, while Nidorino could act as a good defensive for the team." Ash expressed, having made the plan on all his own.
Brock heard this, not disliking it. "Needs some work, but it's a good idea." Ash smiled at the compliment, picking off some food and feeding it to Dratini. The young Dragon-type was in his lap, this being their breakfast routine. The boy smiled at seeing the funny face she always made when she chewed.
Misty smiled down at the cute Pokémon. "She's adorable. She might be as cute as me." The girl remarked, giving a soft look to Dratini. The Dragon-type looked at Misty since the girl was one of the few she attached herself to.
"She's the perfect Dratini." Ryan gently tickled her head, the Dragon-type giving a small laugh. He gave a sudden frown. "If only she weren't so shy..." He suddenly felt something poke his shoulder and turned his head. He saw no one behind him. "Did someone tap my shoulder?"
Slight chuckling could be heard as Ash looked at his own shadow. Gengar came out, giving a big grin. "Geng? Gengar gen ga enga." Gengar tried to defend himself, remarking that this conversation was boring.
Ash gave an unimpressed look. "You're just going to keep doing this every morning, aren't you?" Gengar just gave a big nod. Ash said nothing as he shared some small pieces with Dratini, giving the half-eaten plate to Gengar. "All yours,"
Gengar smirked, his head popping out, and swallowed the entire plate. The Ghost-type suddenly burped, catching the empty plate in his hand. "Genga en ga!" He said, 'You're welcome,' placing the plate beside Ash.
While Ash was unbothered, everyone frowned at Gengar. "I don't know why you're trying so hard with him, Ash," Ryan commented, picking up the dirty plates. "That Gengar has no respect for any of us."
"He'll come around eventually. I can tell Gengar is going to be a great friend." He looked at his shadow. "Right, buddy?"
Gengar's arm came out of the shadow, flicking Ash on the nose. The boy grabbed his nose, feeling the discomfort on his face as Squirtle laughed. "Squir! Squir!" Her laughter was cut off by Wartortle hitting her leg. He wordlessly told her to cut it off, finishing up his food.
Surprisingly, Ash just smiled. "You didn't say 'no'!" His voice was filled with joy, still thinking Gengar would see him as a great friend. "All I have to do is win our game, and he'll be my official Pokémon."
Gengar rolled his from within Ash's shadow, finding it amusing how the boy still thought he could make the Ghost-type give up first. Their time together wasn't as fun as Gengar was hoping for. He thought Ash's naivety and determination would be a good combo for him to use, but the kid was too optimistic. He never got too upset with Gengar, and he would often laugh it off instead.
Still, the Ghost-type was going to win the bet they made. Gengar refused to lose.
Brock stood up, clasping his hands together to get everyone's attention. "Alrighty. Let's get this place cleaned up, and let's start our travel in less than an hour. The terrain should be more of the same."
The group listened to the directive, and Ryan and Ash agreed to take on the dishes together. "You both know how to undo a tent, right?" Misty questioned Squirtle and Wartortle, who stood by each other. Their nods were good enough for the ten-year-old. "Undo my tent, would you?"
Squirtle smirked as she got to work on the outside, but Wartortle stopped her. "War tort tl le ort artortl le." He explained there was still stuff in the tent, meaning they should get the items out first.
Instead of listening to this common sense, Squirtle just scoffed. "Squir rtle irt le quirt squi." She remarked that if Misty left it there, it didn't matter to the girl. Squirtle removed one of the stakes on the ground, only to be stopped by her evolution.
"War. Wartortle artortt tle ortle arto ort." Wartortle said that they should do it his way, a little force in his voice.
"Squir," Squirtle responded with some slight annoyance. "Squirtle squir ir quir, ir Squirtle squi tle tl irt." She said that he could get the stuff and just let her focus on the outside. Wartortle rolled his eyes, deciding not to argue about this anymore. The Water-type went in, neatly folding the clothes and sleeping bag Misty left behind. Brock was happy to teach the Water-type how to fold.
Wartortle was inside, looking up to see that the tent was starting to collapse on him. "War?" Wartortle peeked outside, seeing Squirtle removing the tent's support while he was inside. "Wartortle! War to ortle tle or?" He calmly asked if he could just get the stuff out first.
Squirtle just smiled, letting go of the support she was holding. "Squi," She mockingly said 'Opps.' The tent landed on Wartortle, and everything else was buried underneath.
Wartortle crawled underneath the tent he was under, coming out with a very displeased look. "Squirtle," He called her in an annoyed tone, Squirtle just smiling like she did nothing. "War tor tle ort?"
Squirtle acted innocently. "Squir irt le quir." She claimed to have no idea what he was talking about, Wartortle becoming impatient with her.
"Wart ort le ort-" Before Wartortle could get halfway through his speech, Squirtle rudely shot water at the Water-type. Wartortle glared at Squirtle. "WAR TORTLE?!" He demanded from her, his yelling causing everyone to stare at the two.
"What's going on here?" Misty and Ash walked over, seeing the situation that the two had made. Squirtle and Wartortle began to talk over each other, accusing the other of the problem, Squirtle even making stuff up. It was like watching two kids arguing about getting the last cookie.
Ash raised his hands. "Okay. Both of you, let's settle down." He tried to be friendly to the pair. Wartortle quickly listened while Squirtle did so with an eye roll. "Are you willing to tell us what happened without interrupting?" Wartortle and Squirtle looked at each other, then turned away with crossed arms.
Ash's smile faded at seeing how the two were. Misty stepped forward. "How about we just separate them?" Misty took out a Poke Ball. "Squirtle, mind returning for me?" Squirtle gladly went to the Poke Ball. Misty just sighed at the tent they had left behind. "I can do this, Wartortle. You can go with Ash."
Wartortle nodded, happy to be with his Trainer. Ash and Wartortle walked away from Misty, knowing that staying with her may cause some problems. Ash looked at his best friend with an unsure look. "Wartortle," Ash began to tell his partner. "Don't be afraid to say anything, alright?" Wartortle nodded, giving no verbal reply to Ash.
Wartortle wanted to make himself busy by helping out Ryan, even though the boy was already done with all of his stuff. Brock looked at Ash. "What exactly happened back there?" He asked, seeing that Ash was slightly uncomfortable with what his Pokémon did.
"I don't know why, but Wartortle and Squirtle just can't seem to get along with each other." Ash wished he could speak to his Pokémon; he hated how he couldn't find the root of the problem. "Wartortle gets along well with everyone, and I thought he would've been best friends with a female Squirtle."
"Don't let it bother you too much. You can't expect everyone to get along."
Ash knew the teenager was right. He certainly had experience with disliking people. "But this is different. We're a team." He remarked.
Brock tried to think of the right thing to say. "Sometimes, the closest friends start as enemies." He explained to him. "One of my sisters and brothers didn't like each other, but one day, they put aside their differences. They might as well be glued together now." Hearing that was reassuring, and Ash hoped that Wartortle and Squirtle could act the same.
If only they could handle a conversation together.
May gave a mighty stretch, dusting off her outfit for the bright day. "Is it alright if I go on a little walk?" She requested from Brock. Brock just gave a simple nod, the girl giving a smile.
"You going on your own?"
"Yeah. I want to clear my head." May expressed, enjoying these small walks on her own.
"Be careful. Don't walk-"
"Too far away," May finished for Ryan, having heard this from him multiple times. Ryan smiled at being cut short, May smiling at him as she began to walk.
May smiled as the sun hit her skin, a nice breeze passing. She always enjoyed these nature walks and was glad she could have one after so long. It always brought her some serenity.
"Come on!" A voice suddenly spoke out. "COME ON!"
May suddenly stopped as she heard that voice, hearing how it sounded like someone close to her age. She walked in the direction it came from, seeing a boy out there. She couldn't see his face, but he wore a yellow tank top with black pants. His boots were also black, and his brown hair looked all shaggy. The boy was trying to climb the tall tree, reaching for the berries.
One of his feet was on a thin branch, the boy's weight causing it to snap after a few seconds. "WAHH!" The boy would've fallen, but May quickly reacted to help him. She wrapped her arms around her leg, using her strength to keep him in place. The boy soon adjusted himself, making a safe landing on the ground. Be breathed a sigh of relief as he looked at May. "Wow. I didn't expect a girl to pop out of nowhere to save me. Thank you."
May offered him a friendly smile. "You're welcome," She looked at the tree, wondering why the boy was trying to reach the top. "You don't have to climb so far up. The berries on that branch look ready to eat."
"Maybe for me and you, but I'm doing this for someone else." He admitted. "Trust me; she's picky about where the berries on the tree come from." He looked up at the taller branches. "I can't allow my angel to starve..."
May felt a little pity for the boy, looking at the tree for a few seconds. "Can I give it a try?"
The boy shrugged, pointing to a particular branch. "I'm trying to get from there. Make sure it has no marking on the outside." May began her ascend up the tree, and the boy was surprised by how quickly she began to work her way up. She went from branch to branch with relative ease. "Not your first time climbing, is it?"
"I used to climb trees like this back home. They were far taller than this one." She reached the branch, grabbing a few berries that the boy requested. From below, the boy looked at the girl, a curious look in his eyes.
"Hmm?" He muttered loudly.
"What's up?" May asked the kid, seeing how deep in thought he was.
"You... seem familiar to me. I can't place it." He remarked, grabbing the four berries that May threw down for him. He suddenly shook his head. "I'm probably overthinking it, as usual."
May quickly climbed down but suddenly stopped to grab two big pieces of berries. She landed on the ground, offering one of the pieces to the kid. "For you. These looked the ripest to me."
The boy gratefully took the fruit. "I can't say how thankful I am."
May shook her head. "It's okay. I like to help out."
The boy seemed somewhat disappointed in himself. "I should learn how to climb trees because I know a helpful girl like you won't always be able to show up." He lamented, wishing he had a skill like that on hand. "Well, I have to get back to my group."
May decided to ask the boy about it. "You're group... how are they like?"
The boy stopped, looking at the girl. "My group? Well, we're on our way to..." He suddenly shook his head. "I shouldn't say anything. Just know that I have a group."
"Oh. Sorry," May realized that she pushed too far. "I'm just heading to Celadon, so I was wondering if we're going in the same direction."
The boy looked at her, deciding that there was no reason not to be slightly honest. "We're not going to Celadon, but in that direction."
May looked at the boy, an idea suddenly coming to her. "How about our groups travel together? At least for the day," She suggested, thinking that it was a decent idea to consider. "I know my group would be okay with it."
The boy didn't seem comfortable with this proposal. "Uh..." An idea suddenly came to him—a plan formed in his mind, one that he didn't want to go through with. "Sure," He shrugged.
May seemed happy about this, glad to spend the foreseeable day with this boy and friends. "Alright! Let's go tell our groups about this." She was about to return to her team until she realized something. She smacked her head in embarrassment. "I just realized we don't even know each other's name."
The boy also came to this revelation, becoming embarrassed. "Oops. I'll let you go first."
"May. That's my name," She correctly introduced herself.
"I'm Mondo," The boy answered, smiling at May.
When May told them the news, Brock and Misty weren't too happy with her sudden decision.
Ash and Ryan were entirely on board with the idea, and Wartortle, though having his doubts, decided that they should give it a try. Dratini would stick with her Trainer, no matter what, while Gengar was interested. He thought he might get some new faces to scare. With the vote against them, Brock and Misty agreed to this.
"Only for an hour," Brock decided to agree on. "If this group is friendly, I'll admit I was wrong."
May was grateful for this. "Thank you so much, Brock. You're the best." She hugged the taller boy, surprising Brock for a second.
He gave a smile, wrapping an arm around her. "The vote was kind of against us. We probably would've done this anyway." Misty said honestly. She wasn't against the idea, but she knew not simply to trust everyone you come across.
Ash gently petted Dratini, the Dragon-type feeling relaxed by the touch of her Trainer. "Is everyone ready to go?"
"Everything's packed up," Ryan said, stating the obvious. "Now, let's see the new crowd we'll be with." Ryan had a smile, being hopeful about this whole thing. He felt like this was going to turn out well.
Everyone began to walk to where May and Mondo agreed to meet up, at the tree where they first encountered each other. The group patiently waited around for them, minutes trickling by as Ash decided to have fun with Gengar. "Ready to throw, Gengar," Ash held up one of the berries as Gengar's face popped out. The Ghost-type gave a slight nod. "Catch!"
As the berry flew out of Ash's hand, it would land on the ground a small distance away. Ash's shadow extended itself to go after the berry, a hand coming out to reach it in midair. The shadow began to reform to normal, Gengar licking his prized fruit with his long tongue. "Gen gar en!" Gengar remarked how easy that was, gulping the food in one bite.
Ash smiled at the Ghost-type. "I can make it harder for you," Ash told him, Gengar smiling at the idea. Ash grabbed two other fruits, giving one to Wartortle. "Here you go, bud,"
"Warto," Wartortle gave his thanks, quickly eating it. Due to Gengar now being around, the Water-type had to devour his food to not have it be stolen from him. Ash gently gave a smaller berry to Dratini. The Dragon-type looked at the fruit curiously, not eating it.
"What's wrong? Not hungry?" He gently asked her. Dratini looked at her Trainer, the boy seeing that she did want the fruit. It's like something was preventing her from eating it.
Misty suddenly came over. "Ash, her mouth still isn't that developed yet. Even with that small berry you're giving her." Misty suddenly took the berry, crushing it in her hand to make it mushy. Despite the juice spilling out, it was now edible for Dratini. "There. She'll be able to eat normally soon."
"Thanks, Mist," Ash gave the crushed berry to Dratini, the Dragon-type happily eating it now. The three smiled at how cutely she chewed her food; even Gengar thought it was amusing. Dratini began to slither down Ash's arm when she finished, looking at Misty.
Misty brought her arm out for Dratini to jump on, the girl giggling as the Dragon-type slitherd up to her neck. "It still feels weird," Misty giggled, Dratini softly wrapping around her neck. Wrapping around someone's neck was how Dratini felt safe.
Ash smiled at the cute sight, happy that they were taking good care of the adorable dragon so far. Ryan stretched, giving a slight sigh. "So, where is the group? Do you think that they might be fashionably late?"
"They'll be here any minute... probably," Despite May's optimism, there was a chance they might not come at all. Brock looked at her, seeing how unsure May was.
"I'm sure about this idea, Mondo." A male voice suddenly called out. "I don't think this is what we need right now."
"Meowth. I agree," Another voice called, sounding familiar to everyone there. "What we need is a win. I'm sick of doing those dishes for everyone!"
Brock, Ash, Misty, Ryan, and Wartortle tensed up at hearing those two familiar voices. Voices that belonged to enemies they had encountered before. Ryan turned his head to see where the voices came from, his jaw nearly hitting the floor. "Oh no,"
A boy, girl, and Pokémon were approaching, with Mondo in the group. The girl was chewing on the fruit May had received for her, her red hair being incredibly recognizable. "If it weren't for this fruit, I wouldn't have agreed." She told Mondo, being very blunt about it.
Mondo kept an optimistic smile. "We four need to spend some time with new people. I want what's best for you, my ang-" He suddenly stopped, looking ahead to see the group staring at them.
Both groups were frozen in place, unable to move as they looked at each other. "...You've got to be kidding me..." Brock said in the most deadpan voice. Ash pointed at the other group, a slightly angry look in his eyes.
"TEAM ROCKET!"
It was Jessie, James, and Meowth standing in front of them. Mondo was in the front, a look of complete shock on his face. The three were in uniform, except for the white shirt with their iconic symbol. James and Mondo were now simply wearing long black shirts, while Jessie had a black crop top that had no sleeves. Their gloves were also missing.
Almost instantly, both sides became hostile.
"Team Rocket!" Brock instantly took out a Great Ball. Ryan and Misty quickly followed his example.
Jessie glared at them, taking out a Poke Ball of her own. "You brats, again? I thought this would be a group we could easily steal from." James quickly took out his Poke Ball.
Meowth brought out his claws. "Thes claws have been thirsty for some revenge!" Meowth looked at Ash, with Wartortle standing in front of his Trainer. The Water-type's face made it clear that he wasn't messing around. Mondo looked around nervously. Unlike everyone else, Mondo and May didn't look openly hostile. Concern was on their face.
Both sides glared at each other, ready to start this day battling each other. "Everyone, stop!" May suddenly yelled, Ash's side looking at her. Both she and Mondo had their hand high up, showing that they wouldn't fight.
"Why are we fighting each other? We're not in each other's way." Mondo told both sides, trying to show them that it didn't have to be like this. Jessie gave him an angry look.
"Hello? They are the ones that keep making us fail our mission?" She said it like it was the most obvious thing.
Ryan looked at May. "You know what these guys are capable of. What they've done, May." He told her, the girl needing no reminder about how scary her first encounter with them was.
May shook her head, looking at Mondo. "That kindness you showed earlier, was that just a trick?" Mondo, surprisingly, shook his head.
"Not at all. I had no idea that we met before, and it seems like you thought the same way." Mondo said with honesty. They didn't know each other and thought they were just simple travelers. May wasn't sure if he was being truthful.
James saw how Mondo and May seemed uncomfortable with all this. Despite his desire for revenge, he also realized that they didn't have to fight in this case. Neither side was doing something to get in each other's way. "If you think we're on a mission, you're incorrect. We're just simply trying to make it to a town nearby.
Misty scoffed. "Yeah. Like we'd believe that."
"No point in talking our way out, James," Jessie told him, the girl wanting to fight this group. "Their brains are just as scrambled as that girl's hair."
"Excuse me?" Misty took great offense to that.
However, Ash sensed that James was telling the truth. Suddenly, the boy's guard went down, confusing Wartortle. "Are you being serious? You aren't here to steal from us or anyone?"
"Not at all," Mondo declared, taking a step forward. "We had no idea that we would be facing you. I thought we would walk with another group of travelers, that's it."
Ash listened to this, hearing that there was no deception in his voice. The kid always could tell when he was being fed lies. In a surprising turn of events, Ash ultimately lowered his guard. "Warotrtle?" His Pokémon called out.
"Ash? What are you doing?" Misty questioned her best friend, seeing how he relaxed in this tense situation.
James and Mondo lowered their guards, seeing how Ash seemed to calm down after their words. "Uh? Mind explaining what you two numbskulls are doing?" Meowth asked them, thinking that the two were having a brain malfunction.
Ash looked at the people he had known since Viridian City. "I don't see you guys causing any trouble," Ash remarked, seeing that they weren't causing problems for anyone. "We don't have to fight if you don't want to."
"Huh?" Brock looked at Ash like he lost his mind. "Ash. What are you doing."
"I'm wondering the same thing. What are you spitting out, kid?" Jessie also demanded. She wanted to fight these brats so badly, but now, she had to show them mercy.
James suddenly stepped forward. "How about this? Let's walk away and pretend this never happened?" He gave them an ultimatum, one that mostly everyone didn't seem to be happy with. Mondo, May, Ash, and James appeared to be the only ones willing to do this. Wartortle, now seeing where his Trainer was coming from, decided to side with him.
"Tini?" Dratini was confused, a bit scared by how tense everything seemed.
Jessie and Meowth glared at Ryan, Brock, and Misty across from each other. Ryan kept an intense glare, suddenly giving a light scoff. "It's not worth it." Ryan dropped his battle stance, siding with his side's members.
Meowth furrowed his eyes, suddenly putting away his sharp claws. "Meowth. You're lucky I'm in a good mood today." He warned them.
"I could say the same, furball," Misty mocked the Pokémon, finally losing her fighting stance. Brock was shocked, but Misty stopped him before he could speak. "What's the point in fighting them? They haven't done anything yet worth attacking them over." She told the boy.
Brock furrowed his eyebrows, clearly not liking the direction this was going. He looked to see Jessie think the same way. They were the only ones seemingly ready to fight the other, as their team members had agreed to step out of it. Brock gave a frustrated sigh, losing his fighting stance. Jessie put her hand on her hip, upset that she couldn't get revenge now. "...Whatever,"
In Ash's shadow, Gengar sighed in disappointment. "Gen gar enga." He wanted to see some action.
Both sides looked at each other, the tensions still present. James decided to speak up for his side. "Let's simply just walk away from this. We'll pretend we never saw each other."
Misty was okay with those terms. "Agreed,"
Both sides started to slowly face away from each other, intending to separate from one another entirely. Misty and Ryan were the first ones to leave, wanting to get away as quickly as they could. Everyone began to leave this area, occasionally looking back in case one side tried to betray the other. Mondo and May were the last ones to leave, a slight frown on both of their faces.
May and Mondo glanced at one another, feeling responsible for letting this happen.
The groups were now separated, Gengar feeling robbed of a good show. "Next time, May," Brock called out to her, the girl looking at him. "Don't trust random people you find in the forest." He advised her.
May knew he was right, quickly accepting the advice. "I'll take that advice to heart, Brock. I'm sorry," She seemed down, mentally insulting herself for almost causing a fight. Ryan noticed how his friend was.
He tried to think of what to say. "We aren't mad at you, May." He assured her, May feeling grateful that Ryan could understand her. May tried to think about their group, knowing they had a long day ahead. "How close is the road we picked?" Ryan asked.
"We should only be a few minutes away from the road." Brock expressed, trying to ignore what had happened. "We got a big day of travel ahead of us."
"Yeah! We can't miss a single day." Ash expressed, pumped for the adventure. Misty slightly smirked at his energy, while Gengar gave an annoyed grumble. Ash petted his Dratini. "You want to stick with me today, girl?"
Dratini looked around, looking curiously at Ryan. Ash could tell that Dratini wanted to be with the boy for the day. "Yes!" Ryan said to himself, bringing his arm close for Dratini to slither up, the Dragon-type wrapping herself around his neck. "All aboard the Ryan Express!" He tried to make the sound of a train, but he ended up coughing in the middle of it.
Everyone began to chuckle at the cute encounter. "Tor! Tor!" Wartortle laughed, Ryan feeling slightly embarrassed now. Even Dratini was laughing, but that's only because everyone else was.
They walked for a few more minutes until they finally came across a dirt path for them to use. The path would lead to another path that would lead to Celadon, but they were days away from seeing it. There was supposed to be a fork in the road soon, with the other path leading to a town no one wanted to go to. It was an enjoyable day, with seemingly no obstacle in the way.
"Oh no,"
The group quickly turned, seeing that Team Rocket was also there. Jessie seemed annoyed by this encounter while Meowth looked at them with squinted eyes. "Meowth! Please tell me this is just the sun playing tricks with me."
"What are you doing? I thought we agreed to ignore each other." Ryan demanded, wondering if they had been followed the whole time.
"We aren't here for you. We need to go down this path." James said, a hint of anger creeping in his voice. "Is there a problem with that?"
Brock wanted to complain but realized that they didn't own the road. He couldn't simply force them not to use it. "Where are you even going?"
"Like we'll tell you," Was the answer he was swiftly given. Brock glared at Jessie, who happily responded with her glare. May could see the tension build-up.
"Brock, calm down," Ash told his friend. He looked at the people who were his enemy, seeing how they were also traveling. "We can both use the road. We don't have to fight over this."
Jessie scoffed. "Let's ignore how stupid that sounds; how will you ensure we don't betray you? Or worse, the other way around?"
Ash suddenly walked over, placing the tip of his foot deep in the ground. He drew out an even line to separate the two sides. "You get that side, and we get this one," Ash explained to them. "We stay side by side, and we all agree that we can't cross it."
Jessie looked at the line, then at the boy. Ash gave a compelling solution, but she wouldn't say it out loud. "That's fine by us," James agreed, Meowth deciding it would have to do.
Ash looked at Brock, the boy just looking down. "Sure. That works," He agreed, not wanting to fight over how they would do this. He pointed a serious finger at them. "I don't trust you,"
Jessie just smirked at this blunt statement. "Oh. I hope that's not how you greet everyone you meet." She smiled, trying to make Brock annoyed. The two glared at each other.
The two groups began to move down the line, having marked territory for each side. Both groups did not like this at all, and they weren't trying to hide it. Ash didn't send any mean looks, but he was still cautious about this whole thing. Dratini didn't know any better, thinking this group might be some new friends she could be with. Mondo and May were the only ones not openly being hostile, trying to get past the anger that their sides were excreting.
"Well, it looks like we get to go on a walk after all." He tried to whisper to May, trying to bring some light to this situation. The girl didn't respond, Mondo realizing now was not the best time.
This might be the longest day of their short lives.
No knife could cut through the tension in the air.
A few hours had passed, and both groups still didn't want to be anywhere near each other. Neither side could fully trust the other, Meowth constantly making sure that no one broke the line rule that they had set up. Brock and Jessie were the most antagonistic toward each other. The silence was so uncomfortable to get through.
"So, what do you guys like to do for fun?" Ash tried to be friendly, only to be met with no response. It was clear that no one wanted to talk to their other side. The only conversation they could have was reserved to their side, and their voices were merely whispers. Mondo and May were silent, afraid to try and communicate with each other.
Meowth looked at Ash's shadow, sensing something wrong with it. "Something is going on with that brat," Meowth whispered to James, pointing to Ash. James looked at Ash, not seeing anything wrong with him.
"You could just say you don't like him. I think the same thing."
Meowth rolled his eyes. "That's not what I mean. Meowth. Something is going on with his shadow." The two looked at his shadow closely, seeing how it seemed completely normal. Ash quickly glanced at the pair watching him.
Even though Gengar didn't partially materialize, the boy could still communicate with him. "Geng ar gar enga ar gar geng?" Gengar wanted to prank these guys so badly.
Ash gained a cheeky smile. "You can do it later when they least expect it." He whispered to him. "Although, try not to be too chaotic." Even though he couldn't see Gengar, he could hear the groan that came from the Ghost-type.
"Gar," The Pokémon just agreed.
Ryan faced ahead, seeing how the sky was becoming a darker shade of orange. The sunset was rather lovely today. "The sky's pretty today, huh?" In a bold move, he tried to strike up a conversation with the other side.
Jessie didn't even hear him, while Mondo wasn't paying attention. James could see what the boy was trying to do. "Um... yeah." He looked at the sky. "It looks fine."
The silence began to creep back up again until Misty started to grab her stomach. She walked up to Brock. "Brock, I'm starting to get hungry." She told him in a soft voice.
Brock also wanted to eat, but they had to make food since no leftovers were left. Jessie heard them from across the side. "Meh. I guess we can finally take a break." The girl told her group, Mondo being in particular happy with this.
Mondo dutifully came to Jessie. "I can make my potato and leek soup tonight, my angel." He told her with a tired smile, Jessie smiling at this offer.
"Meowth. Make my plate extra salty." Meowth told the boy before suddenly glaring at the other group. "As for you, don't forget about the line between us."
"You act like I want to be anywhere near you," Brock remarked, turning away from them. Tension was still high, with both sides making little area for themselves. "How much farther do we have to be stuck together?"
"Calm down. We'll be out of spikey hair by tomorrow." Meowth assured them, Brock not being too happy about the hair comment. He tried to distract himself with the cooking for the group, making a great meal for them all to feast on.
As Brock was busy cooking, Mondo tried to cook for his side but ran into an issue. "Come on," He muttered, trying to turn his lighter on. He needed to start a fire for his soup, and Jessie would not stand for something slightly cold. "Please, work,"
"It's not working again?" Jessie asked in annoyance. The girl sighed, suddenly seeing that Ash and May were looking at them. "Who said you could look at us?" She asked in anger.
May looked away in slight fear, but Ash didn't turn away. "I just heard that you might need-"
"We don't need help, especially from you." Jessie sounded very sure of herself, suddenly taking the lighter from Mondo's hand. "Let me try." Jessie tried to make a spark go off, but she grew increasingly frustrated at the lighter being unfunctional. It was sad to see Jessie be like this.
Mondo looked at May, seeing how the girl was merely staring at them. "May," Mondo tried to be polite to her. "Could we please have that lighter?"
"Don't you dare, Mondo!" Jessie pointed at him, her eyes glued to the lighter. "We don't need help, little girl." She said the last two words with spite, convinced that fire would suddenly come to them. May could see how Mondo, now with James, looked at her with slightly desperate eyes.
May went to Brock's bag, grabbed the most petite lighter she could find, and returned to the two. She ensured not to step over the line since Meowth wouldn't be too fond of that. "Catch!"
Mondo tried to get the lighter but accidentally fumbled with it in his hands. He eventually clamped down on it, looking gratefully at May. "Thank you so much," He gave a smile to her. He suddenly saw the glare that Jessie gave him, realizing he said the wrong thing. He needed to act like a Team Rocket member. "I mean, you sucker! Thanks for the free lighter!"
Brock looked at the situation, slowly shaking his head in disapproval. He wasn't too worried about the lighter, but the fact that May decided to help them out in the first place. It shouldn't be their problem that Team Rocket can't get their lighter to work. Brock just tried to distract himself, returning to the meal he had to make for everyone.
A great smell began to cover the area as Brock and Mondo got really into their cooking. "It smells great, Brock!" Misty complimented, which Brock took with a slight smirk. Mondo looked at Brock, smelling his food from where he was.
"Hey," Mondo suddenly called out, Brock seemingly ignoring him. "Can I ask what you're making?" Brock suddenly stopped at the simple question, wondering why it was being asked.
Mondo realized he was being dumb again, simply returning to his cooking. "It's a dry curry," Brock abruptly answered, the teenager not looking up. Mondo was surprised to get an actual answer.
"I was just curious. It smells pretty good,"
Brock wasn't sure how to take that, not expecting seemingly genuine praise from the boy. "Uh, yeah. Yours smells fine enough," He simply responded, briefly glancing to see that Mondo genuinely smiled. Brock quickly turned away.
The food was made, and everyone began to eat with their group. Some Pokémon came out on both sides, trying to enjoy their time with their Trainer. On Team Rocket's side, there was some small talk and even a few laughs. On Ash's side, conversations just took over. Everyone tried to have fun while enjoying the delicious meal that Brock had made for them. Both meals were great, and Brock was mildly curious about how skillful Mondo was in his culinary abilities.
For once, during this entire day, the setting could be called peaceful.
Brock grumbled to himself. "Oh, goodie. I love that our enemy is sleeping near us." He said in the most unenthusiastic way possible, Jessie having the same thought process as him.
Nighttime came, and mostly everyone was asleep.
Because neither side trusted each other, both groups had people watching them for the night. On the last shift, James was chosen for Team Rocket's side, while Ryan and Wartortle agreed to take over for their side. Dratini was also awake, wanting to spend this time with Ryan.
As everyone was off in dreamland, the awakened party members were sitting around. The tension was replaced with boredom, as both groups seemed disinterested in the other. James was messing with his card deck while Ryan lazily lay on the ground.
Ryan held up his flashlight, treating it like a laser for Dratini. "Pew! Pew!" He said quietly, turning the flashlight on and off as he did. The boy sighed tiredly, looking up at the sky with little stars. "How dull..." He thought, not being able to see any of his favorite constellations.
He suddenly heard a small gasp, turning his head to see James trying to pick up the cards he dropped on the ground. The Team Rocket member noticed him. "Don't look! I'm just in the middle of my practice!"
James quickly picked up all his cards. Ryan decided to be curious about James. "What are you even doing?"
"I'm trying to practice a card shuffle. I learned about it." He tried to make the card shuffle, but some of them began to come loose when he did it. James frowned. "Unfortunately, it's not working."
Ryan sat up, curiously looking at what James was doing. "I've always seen people shuffle cards in complex ways before, but I don't know how to do it." He remarked, sitting slightly closer than before.
"Trust me, this takes a lot of practice. I've been doing this for-" James suddenly stopped himself, realizing who he was talking to. "Forget I said anything."
Ryan slightly frowned at hearing that, seeing that James wasn't interested in conversation with him. He suddenly looked up at the sky. "The only real skill I know is knowing every constellation. Not exactly the most useful."
James stopped, looking at Ryan with slight intrigue. "You do?" The boy nodded, James giving a small grunt. "Not sure why. You can't use that knowledge for anything."
"That's a bit mean." Ryan expressed before looking up at the sky. "I learned it because I wanted to know more about what's up there. What each light in the sky represents."
James heard this answer, finding it fascinating. "Aren't' there constellations that tie to our birthdays?"
"A couple of them, but none are out this time." Ryan faced James. "When is your birthday? I could say it for you."
James didn't see why he couldn't say his out loud. "August seventeenth," He simply answered.
Ryan froze after hearing that, not believing what he heard. "You serious?" A confused James nodded, Ryan cracking a smile. "My birthday is on the same day. We're both Leo's!"
James was also surprised by this, the teenager giving his slight smile. "Small world..." He thought. His eyes went up to the sky, looking at the white dots sprinkled up there. "That's pretty neat,"
"You know, you're surprisingly easy to talk to."
James just smirked. "Well, of course. I can't just let Jessie and Meowth do all the talking for us."
"I think Jessie would yell rather than talk." This almost caused James to laugh, but he quickly held it in. James noticed how Ryan seemingly got closer to him, making sure to stay behind the line. Wartortle was now by his side. "I don't know how you can put up with her, but I'm impressed."
"She's not all bad when you get to know her," James said, looking at Jessie curled up in her sleeping bag. He sighed. "She's my best friend. We've known each other for a long time, and I can't imagine her not being around."
Ryan could hear the emotion in James's voice, seeing that he cared for his group. "Out of you four, you seem the most caring." He complimented him. "I saw how you treated your Pokémon, even when one was constantly attached to you."
"Yeah. Carnivine... has a unique way of showing love. The more painful kind." James looked at the young Dratini, seeing her young eyes looking at him. He offered a kind smile. "She looks young. It's the other boy's, right?"
"It is Ash's. Dratini used to be an egg, and Ash doesn't want to put her in a Poke Ball yet." The boy gently held her. "He wants her to have as much freedom as possible."
James realized that he would probably be the same in that scenario, hearing how Ash was. He looked at the Dragon-type. "Can I... please pet her?"
Wartortle heard this request, instantly thinking that James had been tricking them. "Wa!" Wartortle quickly stood up, getting in front of Dratini and Ryan.
James gave a slight frown. "Ugh. What an idiot thing to ask." He chastised himself. Dratini looked at him, suddenly climbing off of Ryan. Dratini went over to the border between them. Wartortle tried to tell her otherwise, but Dratini seemed determined about this.
Dratini looked at James, silently telling him that she trusted him. "Dratin," She said to him, James looking up at Ryan. The boy shrugged.
"If you try to betray us, we could just stop you."
James reached his fingers out, actually passing through the border that both sides had considered necessary this entire time. He gently touched her head with a light finger, rubbing her head. James was shocked.
James gained a slight smile. "She feels... silky." He remarked, realizing how soft Dratini was. "I've never touched a Dratini before. Are they this soft?"
"Couldn't tell you. I've only known Dratini for such a short time." James playfully bopped Dratini on the nose, the Dragon-type laughing lightly at the touch. Dratini let James pet her, eventually slithering back to Ryan.
"Thanks for letting me do that," James said gratefully, surprising Ryan and Wartortle. "For this conversation and all." Ryan looked at James, not seeing him as the threat he once was. Now, he wasn't sure what to think of James, and James was unsure what to think of Ryan. The sun was starting to appear, meaning they had to travel again.
Back to the silence they were always in.
The morning was relatively uneventful since both sides stuck to themselves. Both groups tried to keep to themselves, Jessie and Brock wanting this awful experience to end. Team Rocket's destination was only a few hours away, and the teenager would feel immense joy when all this would be over. The line was still there to separate them.
Brock was in charge of keeping Dratini, the Dragon-type helping to keep the boy in a calm state. To their side was a lake, its water in a good condition. Misty looked longingly at the water. "Do you think we could return here when these are gone?" She asked hopefully to Ash.
Ash gave her a blank look. "Sorry, Misty, we're on a time limit." He had to tell her, although that lake looked very tempting to swim. Misty just sighed, fully expecting that exact answer. Her condition only got worse when Gengar, emerging a hand from the shadow, almost tripped her.
"Gar! Gar!" Gengar quietly laughed to himself. Misty stopped completely to glare at Ash's shadow. Misty's glare caught Gengar off-guard.
All the anger she had for Gengar was finally released. "You are the most immature, unfunny, worst Pokémon I've had to put up with!" Her yelling made everyone stop to look at her, seeing how she pointed at Ash's shadow. "I cannot believe that Ash has to deal with this daily!"
Meowth whispered into Jessie's ear. "Is she yelling at a shadow?" Jessie was just as unsure since they couldn't see Gengar in the shadow.
In the lake, the water began to act strangely. No one noticed as Misty went on a tangent. "You have no respect for anyone! You're only allowed to do this because Ash followed your stupid challenge! I'd rather he beat you in a fight than this!"
"Misty, calm down," Ash tried to calm down the girl, but Misty wasn't listening. Something appeared to be emerging from the lake, being drawn in by the anger that Misty was releasing.
"No! I'm allowed to be angry! That Gengar is too cowardly actually to come out and face us, and I refuse to play by his awful rules for-"
All of a sudden, something large came out of the lake.
Everyone had their eyes wide as they looked at what suddenly emerged from the lake. A Pokémon over twenty feet tall loomed over them, creating a shadow that covered some of the group. "...Uh oh," Was all Ryan could mutter before he turned.
A Gyarados stood before them, her size already intimating for most Pokémon. Gyarados was a piscine, draconic Pokémon with a long serpentine body covered in slightly overlapping scales. Her body was primarily blue with a yellow underbelly, with a row of yellow spots down each side. Her mouth was huge and gaping, bearing four pointed teeth and yellow lips. There was one pair of white barbel and a small white fin on each side of her face. She had small, red eyes, a three-pointed, dark blue crest on her head, and four white, spiky dorsal fins.
"AAARRRAAA!" She roared at the ones that disturbed her sleep, her angry eyes staring down at them.
Everyone took a slight step back. "Wait to go, blabbermouth!" Jessie told Misty, her desire to belittle Misty overriding her fear. Ash pointed Dexter at Gyrados, sensing a fight was about to come.
"Gyarados, the atrocious Pokémon. Dex Number: 157. Pokémon Typing: Water, Flying. Rarely seen in the wild. Huge and vicious, it is capable of destroying entire cities in a rage. This specific Gyarados is female and at level 41. Pokémon Ability: Intimidate (Lowers the Attack of the enemy Pokémon). This Pokémon has the following moves: Dragon Dance, Aqua Tail, Crunch, Hydro Pump." Dexter told them, Ash looking up at their new enemy.
Dratini became scared, hiding in Brock's backpack at the sight. She thought a monster had found them. "This is bad," He muttered, looking at the Wate-type. "We don't have to fight! We can leave eac-"
"GYA!" Gyarados roared at him, making him shut up. Jessie took out a Poke Ball.
"She doesn't look interested in words." Everyone took out their Poke Ball, seeing that a fight would happen now. Jessie looked at Misty. "I'm blaming you for this!" She told Misty, the girl too concentrated on sending some sass back at Jessie.
Gyarados roared, going slightly back. The Water-type suddenly moved her body around in a mystic way, surprising everyone by the sudden movement. Mondo's eyes widened. "She's using Dragon Dance!" Mondo quickly threw his Poke Ball out, sending out a Pokémon the group hadn't met before.
"Exeggcutor..." Three voices said at once from the new Pokémon. Exeggutor was a tall, bipedal Pokémon that resembled a coconut tree. Her body and legs were light brown with thin black rings, and her legs were thick with two-toed feet. She had thin, green leaves sprouting from the top of her body. The most prominent feature was the three round, light yellow heads that resemble coconuts in the front, each of them having different facial expressions.
Ash's eyes immediately lit up. "An Exeggcutor!" He said in excitement, ready to take out Dexter right now to know everything about the Pokémon. Wartortle suddenly kicked him in the leg, his partner pointing at the Gyarados, who had finished her dance. "Er, after the battle." He put Dexter away.
"Wart," Wartortle faced Gyarados, running ahead to take her on. By his side were Brock's Zubat, Ryan's Oddish, Jessie's Dustox, Meowth, Exeggcutor and James's Koffing. May knew her Pokémon couldn't be that helpful, and so she was allowed to take care of Dratini. Gengar watched from the shadow, glad to finally get some entertainment today.
"Tini," Dratini had tears in her eyes, scared about what was happening. May hid behind a tree to help soothe the Dragon-type. She could only gently hold her close because her voice wasn't the most soothing thing ever.
"Zubat, use Supersonic!" Zubat released an odd pitch from his mouth while Exeggcutor went on the offensive with Psychic. Though Gyarados wasn't confused by Supersonic, she was hit by a strong telekinetic force. She took some damage, roaring as she opened her mouth wide to use Crunch on Exeggcutor.
"Get out of there!" Mondo told his Pokémon. Exeggcutor was not going to be fast enough to escape the move—the powerful Gyarados was about to land the super-effective move on her.
A barrier suddenly protected Exeggcutor from a dangerous attack, Gyarados looking surprised as she saw Wartortle use Protect. Gyarados quickly broke away from them, the barrier disappearing. "Exegg," two heads said thankfully, while one claimed they didn't need help.
"War tortle ar!" Wartortle said to thank him later, getting ready to use Ice Beam by Ash's command. Dustox immediately took to the skies, quick enough to dodge an Aqua Tail from Gyarados.
"Dustox, Poison Powder!" Dustox released purple dust from her wings, some landing on Gyarados's body. Gyarados began to feel ill in seconds, poison entering her body as she had to resist the urge to cough. Koffing also using Smokescreen to lower her accuracy didn't help her.
"Koffing!" The Poison-type proudly proclaimed, James showering his partner in praise.
As Wartortle went for Ice Beam and Exeggcutor missed a Giga Drain, Misty was rummaging through her bag. "Now your time to shine." She thought, finally finding what she was looking for. The Rare Candy from so long ago. "You guys better watch out!"
Everyone quickly turned, seeing Misty take out a Poke Ball in her other hand. "I already don't like this plan!" Jessie complained, glancing at the battle. "Dustox, dodge!" Misty brought out Magikarp, the Water-type flopping on the ground as he bore witness to everything around him.
"Magikarp," The Water-type slowly turned, eyes wide at the Rare Candy in his Trainer's hand. "You ready for this?"
"Karp!" Magikarp bounced excitedly, Misty smiling as she unwrapped the candy. She tossed into the air, Magikarp being able to gulp in down midair. As soon as he hit the ground, Misty pointed to the water.
"Let Magikarp enter the lake!" Everyone moved out of the way as Magikarp bounced into the water. Gyarados looked down in anger, wondering what plan the girl had created. The Water-type, deep below the surface, ate the candy whole. For a second, everything was normal.
"Karp ikarp," Magikarp remarked how sweet the Rare Candy was. All of a sudden, he began to glow under the water. The bright light can be seen above the surface, Gyarados being caught off-guard by this. Everyone looked on, seeing something big begin to grow inside the water.
"I was wondering when you were finally going to go through with this," Ryan told Misty, seeing how the girl had waited so long to do this finally.
Misty just shrugged. "Better late than never, right?" The light finally died down, and something big came out of the water. Gyarados glared at what had emerged, seeing that a new enemy had joined this fight. The new Pokémon looked exactly like she did, except the barbel were now a nice blue color.
"Gyara!" A Gyarados now stood, looking down and admiring the new body he had yearned for so long. He almost got blasted by Hydro Pump as a result.
"Alright, let's see what this new body can do, Gyarados." Misty had a big grin on her face. "Use Crunch!"
Gyarados opened his now huge jaw, biting at the female Gyarados. The female responded with her own Crunch, leading to them both biting each other on the body. Misty's Gyarados took severe damage, but he was able to blow past the pain of it. "Oh no!" Brock and even Mondo called out in worry.
"Exeggcutor, Bullet Seed!" Gyarados began to get pelted three times by hard seeds, forcing her to let go of Gyarados. As she was ready to attack Exeggcutor, a weird sound began to distort her vision, making her become confused. Zubat cheered at landing the Supersonic.
"Great work, Zubat!" Brock praised his Pokémon.
Jessie started to feel good about this battle, a small smile on her face. "We'll actually win this. Dustox," She called on her beautiful Bug-type. "Use Venoshock to clean this up!" Dustox nodded, gathering up some poison.
"DOS!" Gyarados suddenly yelled at the sky, anger filled her body. The Pokémon knew that she wouldn't win by playing fair anymore. She activated Aqua Tail and began slamming her tail all over the area, not caring what damage she did or even if she hit herself. Everyone gasped at the display of rage, and even the double-powered Venoshock from Dustox didn't seem to snap her out of it.
Ryan had his eyes wide. "Everyone, back away!" Brock commanded everyone, no one complaining. Even Misty's Gyarados knew to stay away at this moment, swimming off. As Dustox tried to fly off, she got hit out of the sky by the massive tail.
"Tox!" Dustox landed painfully on the ground, trying to crawl away despite her great pain. Jessie ran for her Pokémon, even carrying Dustox out of range.
James turned around, seeing Gyarados's tail about to descend on his partner. "JESSIE!" Jessie could only look up, seeing the tail coming at her with enough force to squash her against the ground. Her body froze at the looming threat coming to her.
"MOVE!"
Suddenly, Brock tackled Jessie out of the way, bringing them to the side. Dustox was surprised by the sudden safe, while Jessie needed a few seconds to process what had happened. Brock quickly stood up, picking up Jessie by her shirt to help get her safety. Brock had a serious look, finally easing up when they were a safe distance away.
"Dust," Dustox thanked him, grateful for not fainting during the fight. Jessie wide eyes were glued to the teenager that saved him.
"Brock," She muttered in a low tone that Dustox couldn't even hear. "Y-you..."
She couldn't focus on that as Gyarados finally stopped her frenzy attack. Gyarados had caused significant damage to the shore, still underneath the effect of confusion. Meowth looked at the situation, knowing that one move should finally bring her down. "Hey, big brat," Meowth called out to Ash. "I think I can finally make her faint."
"You need my help?" Ash asked instantly, ready to give his immediate support. Meowth gave a quick nod.
"I need to get close enough to her to use Slash. Think you can get me next to her?" Ash nodded, gently picking Meowth to throw him at Gyarados.
"Do you think this will work?"
"Meowth. Nope, but I have to trust you on this." Meowth gave a dangerous look to Ash. "If you mess up, I'll use my Slash on you. Meowth!"
Ash just nodded his head, getting Meowth prep to be thrown. He tried to figure out the best possible angle, ensuring he didn't miss completely. He was a great Poke Ball thrower, which would be tested now. Ash was giving his total concentration since he knew Meowth had trusted him enough to allow this. The safety for everyone was hinging on this one simple throw.
He refused to let everyone down!
As Ash blinked his eyes, his once brown pupils suddenly turned blue.
"AHHHH!" Ash threw Meowth with such power the Normal-type was impressed by how fast he managed to go through the air. Meowth focused on his target, getting his claws out to use Slash. Gyarados was able to break out of her confusion just in time to see the small Pokémon coming right for her head like a missile. An image that will always stick in her mind.
"EAT THIS, SUCKER!"
With one mighty slash with his claw, Meowth landed a critical hit on the Gyarados.
Gyarados gave a painful cry, that attack being far too much for her body to take. The Water-type began to become dizzy, losing her vision as she tried to attack the Trainers who did this to her. Meowth was now dragged down by gravity after his finishing move, but Misty's Gyarados quickly rescued him with his tail. Meowth shook his head, glad he wouldn't have to land on his feet after that.
"Thanks for the safe," Gyarados gave a soft growl. Everyone watched the Gyarados they had been fighting submerge under the water. The Flying-type cursed them one last time as she dropped below the surface, creating a big splash from her size. The water slowly calmed down. A few seconds passed without Gyarados, a light breeze cutting through.
"WART!" Wartortle suddenly declared victory, a massive smile on his face.
"We did it!" Misty said in pure joy. The newly evolved Gyarados gained a big smile, happily moving his long body around as a way to dance. Dustox gave a small, despite her injuries, as Jessie was still unsure how to feel.
Meowth was safely placed on the ground by Gyarados, the Normal-type sending a smirk to an Ash hugging his Wartortle. "That's a strong throwing arm you got. I'm actually impressed."
Ash just gave a smile. "It's nothing. Also, sorry for throwing you at Gyarados." Meowth shook his head, showing that he didn't mind what had happened. Wartortle was smiling, looking up at his Trainer in admiration. That's when he saw something.
Ash's eyes were now a blue color, nothing like the brown he had been used to for months. "Or?" He muttered, seeing Ash blink his eyes.
His eyes were now brown again.
Wartortle had his eyes slightly wide, confused by what he had just seen. Ryan suddenly began to come over with Oddish. "That was some great work out there!" Ryan complimented.
"Oddis ddi," Oddish agreed, though he seemed slightly down. "Ish odd is ddis dish h dis." She expressed how she could've done more for the team.
"Don't worry, Oddish. I think you did fine." Ash assured him, Oddish feeling joy at hearing something like that. Brock was trying to catch his breath, Zubat already in his Poke Ball.
Jessie came over to him, Dustox still gently in her hands. The teenager stood by Brock, her face seemingly conflicted. "What's happening with you?" Jessie didn't reply for a few seconds.
"Why did you... why did you save us?" She muttered, clearly confused by what Brock had done. They were still enemies.
Brock just snorted. "I don't like to see people get hurt." He stated. "You got a problem with that?" Jessie gave no reply, simply trying to process all of this.
"Jessie! I'm so glad you're safe!" James's words were very emotional, and even Mondo had a slight tear in his eye. "I was so worried about you and Dustox!" Both wanted to hug her for eternity, but that never went well for them.
Ryan, with a Super Potion in his hand, came over and handed the item to James. "Here. That Dustox took that hit like a champ." James and Mondo gave their thanks, but Jessie was still thinking to even attempt to be grateful. She probably wouldn't have thanked him either way.
Everyone was allowed to calm down fully; taking down a Gyarados wasn't the easiest thing. Everyone made it out okay, especially since Misty's potion stache fully healed Gyarados. The Water-type admired his body, getting used to how massive he now was. He felt stronger, faster, and could now do an attack that wasn't just Tackle.
"Ara," Gyarados muttered to himself, giggling as he liked his new reflection. Misty didn't mind her Pokémon's self-centered behavior right now.
"Guys, let's just give Gyarados these few minutes to enjoy himself. This guy has been wanting to evolve since I found him." Everyone just shrugged, being understanding to the Water-type.
Dratini was now with Ash again, the young Pokémon tightening around the boy's arms. Her grip was firmer than most people would think. "Tini at... ratini dra." Dratini told Ash, the boy soothing his Pokémon's fear. Gengar, still in Ash's shadow, had a big smile. The battle wasn't anything special, but it was a lot more entertaining than he would think. He hoped they would get an encore soon.
Wartortle stood by Ash, looking up at his Trainer. He thought about the eyes he saw, recalling how mystical they seemed to be. It was certainly not natural. "Wartortle," Meowth called out to him. "You're frozen like a statue. Meowth. Something wrong?"
Wartortle looked at Meowth, taking a glance back at Ash. "Wartortle... war tort le ortle arto rtor Wartortle?"
Meowth wasn't expecting that kind of question. "Eye color changing to blue? That sounds... very impossible." He deadpanned, thinking Wartortle just asked that question to make him feel stupid.
"...Wart," Wartortle simply agreed with, thinking that his mind was just playing tricks on him after all.
It was less than an hour later after the whole Gyarados situation, and everyone seemed okay. Misty's newly gained Gyarados wanted to spend almost ten minutes outside his Poke Ball, causing some damage due to his sheer size, but he eventually knew to calm down about his new look. Meowth, Wartortle, and Ash talked about how much fun the battle was, with the Normal-type bragging about getting the final attack in. But now, everything had changed.
Now before them was a split path. The one that Team Rocket wanted to take.
"This is where we split apart," Jessie told them, specifically Brock. "We're finally going to be out of each other's hair."
Brock nodded, glad that this experience was now going to come to an end. "Then this is goodbye. Unless you're just going to go back to stealing things again."
Jessie just scoffed. "Of course. Why would we do anything else?" Jessie's face suddenly softened, looking over at Brock. "I never did thank you for saving me back there, huh?" Brock shook his head, slightly curious about what she would say. "Well... thanks for the save, idiot!"
Jessie began to laugh, Brock now feeling dumb that he thought Jessie would try to be kind for even a second. Mondo and May waved each other goodbye, sharing a happy smile. "Good luck with that whole Pokémon Contest thing. I hope you do well."
"Thank you so much. Although, I'm worried I will need more than just luck." May admitted, looking up with a more optimistic view. "This time together was... unique."
"I agree. I hope we don't have to do this again." Mondo replied, ready to be back with his team. Back when everything was comfortable. "Good luck, everyone. Also, congrats on the Gyarados, Misty."
Misty was caught off-guard by the compliment. "Um... yeah. It is great to have a Gyarados." Meowth just rolled his eyes at the reply.
James and Ryan looked at each other, trying to know what to say. He suddenly gave an exhale. "Well, so long, kid," James simply told Ryan, ready to leave it at that. Ryan smiled at him, offering a fist bump to the teenager. James widened his eyes slightly. "You serious?"
Ryan just shrugged. "Might as well, right?" James gave his own smile, accepting Ryan's fist bump. The boy gave James a thumbs up. "You'll get that card trick down."
"Thanks. And uh... I'll consider giving that whole star-watching thing a go." James looked up at the sky. "I've always wondered what might be up there." Ryan gasped since no one in Ash's group had taken a particular interest in astrology. If only he and James weren't enemies.
Meowth looked at Wartortle. "Meowth. Well, guess time's up for us." He remarked, trying to think of what to say. "Wartortle," he called out the Water-type. "Good luck with that whole Squirtle thing. She'll... learn to grow up, eventually."
Wartortle nodded at the advice, sending a quick farewell to the Normal-type. The two groups made their final goodbyes, and Team Rocket ready to leave them behind finally. "Let's pretend this never happened. We'll beat you if you get in our way again." Jessie told them as she began to walk away with the rest of the group.
Brock just snorted. "What else did I expect from them?" He asked himself.
Suddenly, Jessie stopped walking ahead, taking a deep breath. "Brock," She suddenly called out, surprising the boy. Jessie hadn't called him by his name the whole time. She looked over her shoulder, a softer look in her eyes. "...Thanks," Was the only word she managed to tell him. Team Rocket would go down the path, leaving the group behind.
And just like that, they were now enemies again.
The three Trainers and Meowth would go down the path they picked, minutes going by. They weren't sure how to feel now. James and Mondo didn't entirely dislike Ash's group as before, Meowth was sort of split, and Jessie was adamant about not meeting them again. They were enemies, yet they had a time together that was a lot better than they might have ever expected.
No one would admit it, but perhaps a time like that again might not be so bad after all.
Meowth bit into his oran berry, enjoying the juicy fruit. "Meowth. You look a bit down." Meowth spoke to Mondo, noticing how the boy's body language was.
"Hmm? Nah. I'm all good." Suddenly, a phone began to ring from the boy's pocket. Everyone turned to him as he dug out the device from his pants.
James sighed. "Another random number from Hoenn again?" They had already received eight of those calls in just one week.
Mondo's eyes were as wide as dinner plates. "Elite Officer Domino! She's calling us!" Everyone gasped at this news, as they knew exactly what she would be telling them.
They have finally gained a new mission.
Deep within the secret regions of Kanto, Team Rocket's true base was present there. The location was somewhere no one could easily access, nor would they want to look in the stormy, bitterly cold mountains in the north. The land mass between Kanto and Sinnoh was hundreds of kilometers of mountain ranges, and any path made didn't take one very far.
Various members of Team Rocket worked outside in this cold. Even with no snow during the summer, it was still far colder than it ever got in mainland Kanto. People and Pokémon worked hard in this unbearable cold, completing the tasks given by those above them. Gazing from a window on one of the higher floors, the masked boy looked down at the workforce outside.
"...I hope next year will be less cold for them." Executive thought, feeling slight pity for the people so far below. He looked out the window from his private quarters. He suddenly turned to his wooden door. "You can come in," He said, sensing someone was about to walk into his room politely.
A knock came from his door as someone came in. His Elite Officer, Crystal. The girl smiled as she came in, a bowl in her hand. "It's no fun when I'm not allowed to knock." She remarked, knowing that the Executive used his power to simply sense her entering. The masked boy looked at her. "I apologize for barging in like this, Exec."
Executive shook his head. "It's quite alright." He looked at Crystal, seeing the person he was so close to. "What seems to be the issue, Crystal?"
"No issues today. I just wanted to see my favorite masked Executive and give him this." She showed him the bowl she was carrying. There was a very healthful and delicious pasta salad in the bowl, a fork and napkin also being given. "They were about to run out of this."
Executive took the bowl, looking at the food he was so kindly given. "Thank you," He simply said, putting it on his desk. He looked at Crystal. "I'm... glad you care so much."
Crystal just suddenly tapped him on the forehead of his mask. "Of course I care, dummy." She said it like it was the most obvious thing in the world. "I also care that you skipped your breakfast again."
"Skipping meals? I have done no such act." Executive answered quickly, almost a bit too quickly. Crystal didn't believe this.
"I know you're lying. I refuse to let my superior and friend suffer from hunger." Crystal said defiantly, Executive knowing that the girl took their friendship seriously. "You know he wouldn't be too happy if he heard about that."
Executive just gave a deflated sigh, knowing that she had a point. "If you want me to swear by it, I will." He remarked, sitting down in a wooden chair. "You can sit with me."
Crystal's eyes looked at the neatly folded bed. "Can I sit on your bed instead? It's just so comfy." Executive nodded as Crystal happily laid her back on it. The mattresses of his bed were so comfortable. "Oh. That feels nice."
"Do you have back pains again?"
"Nah. My bed has just been not very comfortable lately." She admitted, sitting up formally. "So, how was the meeting this morning? Was it delightfully dulling as usual?"
Executive thought back to the meeting they had. He never talked much, only saying stuff related to the topic they were discussing. "They aren't dull. You know how important they are for Team Rocket." Crystal just rolled her eyes, wishing that the meeting had personality to them. "As for today, it was alright."
"No breakthroughs with that evidence we obtained?" Executive shook his head, making Crystal annoyed. "We'll never be able to stop them if this is the rate we're going."
"Patience," Executive calmly told her, Crystal knowing she had to calm down. The boy looked through his mask, deciding to give information more attractive to her. "In the meeting, Proton agreed to steal the new item from Celadon."
Crystal perked up from hearing this. "Executive Proton agreed?" Crystal was surprised when her friend nodded. "I should've known he would want such an important mission."
"He's taking his Elite Officer, Domino, and a handful of Grunts. Even with the Gym Leader not present, Celadon will be a very well-defended location." Executive tried to think of what to say next. "He'll be leaving a week after the Gym Leaders have arrived at the Indigo Plateau."
Crystal noticed how Executive seemed to be. Even with a mask, she could see the emotion in him. "Hey," She gave him a warm smile. "It will be okay. You know he's not as careless as the other two."
Executive looked at her. "I worry that this attack is too direct and that we'll cause too much damage with this move." He simply faced away.
Crystal placed a gentle hand on him. "Don't worry," She assured him. "We just need to be more patient." Even though his mask hid it, Executive was grateful for how Crystal. She stood up. "I'll leave you to your food. I know you care about your privacy."
Executive looked at Crystal, seeing her walk out. "Be safe, Crystal,"
Crystal just winked at him. "I'll be fine. You know I always am,"
The doors closed, leaving the boy alone in his room. He looked at the food, seeing how tasty it looked. Pasta salad was one of his favorites, even if it was not always made very often. He took his hood off, removing the mask from his face. His door suddenly locked itself, and the window closed itself. He readjusted his hair, the boy taking a breath now free from his mask.
His long, crimson hair reached the middle of his back. He calmly pierced the fork into the bowl, enjoying the taste of the salad Crystal gave him.
END OF Chapter 21
This chapter isn't what you guys were most likely expecting, but I decided to take a more laid-back approach with this one. Having Team Rocket here was to give them more depth and to give our group more character development. Of course, they aren't friends now, and I doubt they will be by the end of the story. For now, they can at least speak to one another. Mondo is the only one the group can at least be friendly with.
I'm letting some of the other members evolve their Pokémon, and I know people have been waiting for that Gyarados to come for a long time now. Even though Ash is the strongest member of the five, I don't want to leave everyone else behind. People will have their Pokémon evolve in the future, including the next chapter. Speaking of the next chapter, there is a specific competition happening over in Gardenia Town. Looks like our little May will have her first time in the competition!
MAJOR ANNOUNCEMENT! STOP BEING HAPPY AND LISTEN UP!
So, I decided to add this story to AO3! I'm under the same username, and my story is under the exact same name as before. I decided to finally expand my story out a bit more, since no one else is going to do it but me. If you want to read the same story on a different looking web page, you know where to go. I'm known as TrulyHollow there! I do have a dream of maybe getting my own TV Tropes page for this silly little fanfic, but I can wait for that. Although, if any of you want to help out, I'm always available via PM. Goodbye!
Ash's Team: Wartortle (M), Pidgeotto (F), Nidorino (M), Bulbasaur (M), Chimchar (M)
Misty's Team: Starmie (N/G), Azumarill (M), Horsea (F), Gyarados (M), Jigglypuff (F), Squirtle (F)
Misty's Other Members: Seaking (F)
Ryan's Team: Pinsir (M), Butterfree (M), Jangmo-o (M), Oddish (M), Slowpoke (M), Ponyta (Galarian, F)
Brock's Team: Graveler (M), Onix (M), Zubat (M), Eevee (M), Houndour (F)
May's Team: Beldum (Shiny, N/G), Charmander (M), Noibat (M)