The Original One is in all things. The Original One is nowhere at all.
Despite Akari's warning, Ash was still itching to go fight that "Alpha" Pokémon.
He couldn't help himself, he kept thinking about it the rest of the night, wondering how strong it really was, and how his team compared to it!
At Akari's insistence, they had reported the wild Pokémon to Captain Cyllene and she said she'd pass the information along to the Security Corps, and that for their safety they had best avoid the area.
He resolved to figure out a way to fight it, but his resolve soon cracked for a multitude of reasons.
Firstly, how would he get past Akari?
"Maybe I could get up early?" He mused out loud while prepping for bed. "That way she wouldn't know I was gone until it's too late to stop us!"
Cyndaquil started snickering at him and he glared at her. "Hey! I can get up early!" She just laughed harder.
"Pikachu tell her I can get up early!" He turned to his most trusted companion and found only disappointment.
"Pika…" The electric-type trailed off, rubbing the back of his head.
"Come on guys!" Ash couldn't believe the depths of this betrayal. "Noctowl is always awake! He could make sure I get up righ-" He immediately cut off and leaped into action when he saw what Notctowl was doing.
Or rather, what Noctowl and Starly were doing.
The two had been glaring at each other since they had returned and Ash had kept a worried eye on them, in case it became anything more than glaring. They had taken advantage of his momentary distraction to do exactly that.
In a morbid way, it was impressive they had kept as quiet as they had while fighting but as soon as they realized Ash had noticed them, they started screeching.
Ash probably shouldn't have been too surprised, Starly seemed to have quite the attitude, and Noctowl was fairly proud. But he had hoped they wouldn't come to blows.
"Knock it off!" Ash grabbed his normal shirt from where it lay and used it to smother Starly. "Bayleef Vine Whip! Tie up Notcowl!"
"Bay!" Her vines didn't lash so much as snake around her teammate, locking down his wings and dragging him away from Ash and Starly. Thankfully he went slack and accepted the fight for dominance was over. For now at least.
Starly did no such thing.
Later Ash would realize he had done something like this on the first day of his journey. Back then it had been a Pidgey, but he probably should have learned his lesson about wrestling flying-types with his shirt.
Unfortunately, he'd have a much better reason to learn it this time.
Starly's beak tore through his shirt and stabbed into his arm. Given the shining effect, Starly was probably using Peck. Ash shrieked in pain and let go, clutching at his arm. The scarred flying-type tried to continue the fight, but Phanpy came to the rescue, rolling into Starly and knocking the Pokémon to the ground.
Pikachu rushed to Ash's side, but he was forced to let go of his hurt arm, scrambling for Starly's Poké Ball. "Return!" He pointed it at Starly out of habit before realizing that wouldn't work, and threw it at his latest catch instead.
Starly vanished into the ball and Ash heaved a sigh of relief. As he let himself relax a little, the pain from his arm hit him harder and he hissed, looking at his hurt limb.
"Pika pi!" Pikachu looked at Ash's injured as the boy collapsed into a sitting position. "Pikachu!"
"Yeah, that could have gone better." He admitted, glaring at the cut. Starly's beak had broken the skin and tore a bit, easily the worst cut Ash ever had, covering about half his lower arm. "Shoot, what do we do?"
Noctowl looked away, Ash caught a hint of shame in his expression, but he'd deal with the two flying-types after he figured out what to do about his arm. "Guys look around, there's got to be some bandages around here!"
Brock had carried most of their medical supplies, Ash only had a small box of bandaids and anti-biotic cream, and he doubted he had enough bandaids for this. As most of the team went through the cabinets and supplies the shed had been used for Pikachu pushed Ash over to the sink and Totodile made room, draining his pool and letting Ash wash the cut with clean water.
Rowlet hooted from one of the shelves and pushed a box off, it hit the ground and Phanpy dug through it with his trunk, producing a roll of linen bandages.
After doing their best to dry and wrap Ash's arm he sighed and sat down again, leaning against the wall. "I think I get why Mom used to say we needed to "calm down" for bed." He laughed a little, trying to ignore the pain.
Pikachu shook his head at him. "Pi…"
"Yeah, alright, Noctowl? Don't pick a fight with Starly. I didn't see who started that, but it doesn't matter. If he tries to start anything again get the others to help hold him down." Ash reprimanded the oddly colored owl.
"Nooo." There was something funny about Noctowl saying "no" while nodding in agreement.
"Bay bay bayleef!" Bayleef used a vine to grab Starly's ball and glare at it. "Bay!"
"Hey! None of that!" Ash protested taking the ball from her. "Look, I know he's trouble, but that's why he's here. Imagine if he had tried starting a fight with the Pokémon at the corral? It's better to keep an eye on him and help him direct that stuff. Besides, Charizard used to be more trouble…"
He trailed off remembering the fire-type, once again feeling a weird grief at the loss despite him not even being born. Ash shook it off, determined not to dwell on it, they would get home and he'd see him again.
"Pika pichu!" Pikachu told him and pointed at Ash's arm. Then he held up his paws in a "fierce" pose and growled ominously.
Ash took his meaning and grimaced. "Yeah, alright, we'll leave the Alpha to those security guys for now." It was one thing to get cut in the safety of the village, but if it happened in the middle of a battle? That was a way bigger problem.
Not to say he liked it.
"I wish I could just visit a Pokémon Center like you guys," Ash complained, dragging himself to his feet and walking to the futon. "Just pop in, and bang! All better! Most of the time anyway."
The boy almost stumbled and turned a horrified look to Pikachu and the others, a few mirroring him, picking up on what he realized. "There are no Pokémon Centers." He almost whispered.
That… that was bad.
Sure, there were berries, herbs, and potions, and obviously, there was some sort of medical facility in Jubilife Village, but there was no way it would be as advanced or effective as Nurse Joy's technology.
Suddenly Ash's plan to fight the Alpha disintegrated. It was one thing if he got scraped up a little, it was something else if his friends got seriously hurt and they had no way to get help. What if this Luxio managed to hurt Pikachu as badly as Surge's Raichu had?
The only reason Pikachu had been able to recover from that was because of Nurse Joy and the Pokémon Center, even then it had been one of the worst times he'd been hurt. If something like that happened now…
Ash didn't want to think about it.
"We're not fighting the Alpha." Ash declared, lying on the bed and glaring at the ceiling. "And we need to ask about what kind of medicine they have here. I still think we could win but if you guys got badly hurt and I couldn't help you I wouldn't forgive myself."
Cyndaquil and Bayleef shot pointed looks at Ash's arm but he ignored them. They fought way more than he did, and usually because he asked. It was true they wanted to fight but it was Ash's responsibility to look after them!
He closed his eyes and then gasped as the air was knocked out of him. Bayleef and Phanpy had draped themselves over his torso. Pikachu snuggled under the blanket next to them and Cyndaquil curled up nearby, close enough to keep them warm but far enough away not to burn them.
Drifting off was harder than usual with the pain from his arm. But it gave him a bit more time to think. Hisui felt more dangerous than his time. Maybe it was just the lack of modern technology, but still. They would have to be careful.
Which wasn't Ash's strong suit. But he'd do his best to keep his friends safe. Maybe a training session was in order, even if there were no gyms, if the Pokémon themselves were more aggressive and dangerous then they'd need to be ready for them.
"I can't believe you."
Ash grumbled under his breath but didn't meet Akari's judgmental gaze. Ironically, he had woken up early, but that was because his bandages were soaked, and his arm was killing him.
With some help from Pikachu and Bayleef, he'd managed to get to Galaxy Hall and the Medical Corps office. The nurse on duty took one look at his injury and called one of the doctors.
He was told he was immensely lucky, not that he felt it. Supposedly, Starly had missed something called an artery which was filled with blood. That didn't make much sense since the rest of Ash was also filled with blood.
Regardless, they took his old wrappings and cleaned the injury, then got to work stitching him up. They were nearly done when Akari found him.
"I told you taking that Starly with you was a bad idea!" She scolded him and now Ash looked at her with a glare of his own.
"It would have been worse to send him with the others! What if he had started attacking other Pokémon last night?" Ash demanded.
"Then at least it wouldn't have been you!"
He couldn't accept that. "Better me than some poor Wurmple or Bidoof! At least my team can help protect me."
"You're infuriating!" Akari threw her hands up. "I knew you weren't being careful enough!"
"I know!" Ash snapped back and Akari seemed surprised at his agreement. "I… I realized something last night. I'll be more careful, okay? I'm not sorry for taking Starly, I think he'll be something great someday but I am sorry for not being more careful."
"I…" Akari obviously hadn't expected to make any headway. "Well, I'm glad you realized that." She tried sounding more authoritative, but it came off a built stilted. "Professor Laventon wants to see us of course, he has some updated Research Tasks, but…"
"I'm fine." Ash insisted as the doctor moved to wrapping his arm with fresh bandages.
"Theoretically." The doctor admitted. "But you probably shouldn't put too much strain on that arm. In fact, I recommend not using it at all for at least a week."
"…" Ash gave the medical expert an incredulous look. "You're joking right?"
"Do I look like I'm joking?" No.
"Great, one day in and you're down a throwing arm." Akari pinched the bridge of her nose. "So much for making headway on the Pokédex."
"I can throw with my left arm," Ash said, stretching it a little and looking at his hand. He might have been right-handed but as soon as he'd decided to be a Pokémon Trainer he'd practiced throwing Poké Balls with both arms. It had been a while though…
"I might need to make a few practice throws, but it's nothing to worry about really!" Ash tried to put Akari's worries to rest. Besides, if it was really a problem, he could use his right arm anyway. Sure, it might hurt but if he needed to complete the Pokédex then he could put up with it.
His fellow Survey Corps member frowned as he put his uniform on, her brow furrowing with thought. "Practicing? We might have something for that. Let's meet with Professor Laventon and tell him what's going on."
"Can we avoid Captain Cyllene?" Ash asked as they scooted out of the medical wing. He'd rather not have to explain what happened.
"Probably for the best." Akari agreed and they quickly darted to the Professor's lab.
Laventon was concerned about Ash's injury but Akari told him to get the balloons and he perked up. "Good idea my girl! Let me get them together!"
As he dug through supplies Ash turned a curious eye to Akari. "We have some special balloons we used for practicing throwing Poké Balls. We didn't think we'd need them with you but if you need to practice with your left arm?"
That worked out. Although it did make Ash feel a little more self-conscious. "Oh, speaking of practice! Is there a place where I could train with my Pokémon?"
"Training?" Akari asked as Laventon found the box he was looking for. "The Security Corps have a training field, but you need permission to use it, not to mention a rank higher than No Star."
Ash and Pikachu wore identical annoyed looks, but it made some sense. "Guess we'll need to figure something else out."
"I might have a solution for you." Laventon smiled brightly. "You remember the beach? That's where we're going! We don't want any bystanders to get clocked by a stray Poké Ball after all! But since it's fairly remote it should be a perfect place for you to do some training without disrupting the Security Corps exercises!"
The group left Galaxy Hall and Beauregard waved them off, his new Wurmple by his side. Ash smiled and waved at the pair, happy they'd been able to bring them together.
No one stopped them on their way across the village but Ash did spot a few odd-looking villagers he hadn't seen before. "Who are they?" He asked, pointing at a pair of people wearing what looked like blue sweatshirts.
"Hm?" Laventon looked. "Ah! I suppose no one has told you about them yet. Those two are members of the Diamond Clan, one of Hisui's local cultures."
"People were living here before the Galaxy Expedition Team?" Ash asked, he didn't remember anyone telling him that.
"Oh yes! For thousands of years in fact!" Laventon continued his explanation as they left the village gates. Akari was content to let him talk, obviously used to the Professor's exuberant personality. "Although there's more to it than that. Currently, there is the Diamond Clan and the Pearl Clan, and we've done our best to work with them since making contact. We're not here to take Hisui from them, just learn about it."
"But they have outposts and villages in just about every province." Laventon elaborated, "Many of them seem to be built either near or around ancient ruins. While the Clans are the only people living in Hisui now, there seems to have been a much older civilization that they're descended from."
"That's actually something else we're looking into." Akari finally spoke up. "We don't know what happened to the original Hisui Civilization and the clans don't have written records, but their oral tradition implies there was some sort of cataclysm. The ancients collapsed and their descendants either endured through their faith in Almighty Sinnoh, or fled, seeking sanctuary far away."
"Sinnoh?" That sounded familiar to Ash, that was a region, wasn't it? "Like the Sinnoh Region?"
Akari and Laventon shared a glance. "Ash, as far I know there's no place called the Sinnoh Region."
Ash frowned; he was sure that was the name. The more he thought the more he remembered about Sinnoh. Lance had competed in their league when he was only a little older than Ash! The champion was called Cynthia, it had been a big deal since was the youngest female grand champion in the league's history!
But if they had never heard of it…
Pikachu shot him a worried look and he took his meaning. Like with Pokémon Chow, they needed to be careful what they talked about. Who knew how it could affect the future? "Sorry, I must have been thinking of something else."
"I understand, that happens to me all the time, it can be quite a pickle during meetings though, let me tell you…" Laventon laughed off but Akari looked skeptical. Thankfully she didn't press the issue because Ash wasn't sure what to say, or rather what not to say. Did the Sinnoh Region not exist yet? Or had it not been discovered?
Or was it just not called Sinnoh yet?
The boy looked around as Laventon prattled on, taking in his surroundings with a new light. Had he hit the nail on the head? Was Hisui going to be called Sinnoh one day after the deity the locals worshipped?
It was probably best not to think about it. He hurried to catch up with the other two.
Ash found himself in a familiar spot, the location Laventon had chosen for their little practice session was the same place Ash had caught the three runaway Pokémon on his first day.
While the Professor worked to set up the balloons, Ash looked at Akari. "Hey, do you and Shinx want to train with us?"
"Training? Already?" Akari seemed a little nervous. "I just met Shinx, and you're still hurt, is now really a good time to train?"
He smirked a little at her. "Sounds like somebody's scared."
Akari huffed and glared at him. "Maybe you should be more scared! Did you forget what just happened?"
"Nope! Which is why we're training!" Ash would rather not get his arm sliced up again. What better way for Starly to get out his energy and aggression than a training session? Although it was a good idea not to let him or Noctowl near each other, that was part of why he'd left the other flying type behind.
It should be fine, Phanpy was watching him.
"Besides," Ash added as he started taking off his backpack. "How else are you and Shinx going to learn to work as a team? Better to figure it out now than with a swarm of Beedrill attacking you!"
"Why did that sound like you're speaking from experience?"
"Not important!" He owed Butterfree for deciding to stick with him anyway. "Hey Rowlet, you up for some training?"
"Wait Rowlet is in there?" Akari looked over his shoulder and covered her mouth. "Oh, that's adorable."
There had been a bit of a scramble to get Ash some help this morning. Pikachu and Bayleef had refused to let Rowlet ride Ash's head, but he found a happy alternative. He'd dumped the rest of his backpack and let the grass-type snuggle in. She certainly seemed to enjoy it.
His new teammate yawned and stretched, blinking awake and looking up at him. "Rooo?" She tilted her head.
"Yeah, they took care of my arm, they said I need to be careful with it though so I'm gonna practice with my left arm. But I think it's time we started training!" He explained to her, letting her out of the bag.
Ash got to releasing the rest of his team as Akari tentatively released Shinx. "Alright gang, I know things are a bit different now, We're not training for the gym or the league anymore, but that doesn't mean we're going to stop practicing!"
"Aside from getting you some exercise, Hisui is pretty dangerous! There are Alpha Pokémon like that Luxio Pikachu and I told you about, and there aren't any Pokémon Centers around!"
"We're not going to let that stop us! The Arc Phone and Galaxy Team gave us a mission and we're going to complete it! So what if there are no Pokémon Centers? That just means we need to be stronger, faster, and smarter than we ever were before! Now let's get started!"
He got most of the team to work, setting them on the exercises they'd been working on before their surprise time travel. However, there were two Pokémon who needed a bit more special attention.
First came Rowlet.
"Usually, I could use my Pokédex to check what moves you could learn." Ash claimed, pulling out the strange white and yellow device he'd been "gifted." "Except it doesn't recognize you. But if the Arc Phone can identify Pokémon…"
He poked the Magnifying Glass button and the screen once again showed what was behind it. A circle appeared around Rowlet as he pointed it at her, and he tapped it. Like with Bidoof it displayed basic information about her.
He tapped a few more spots on the screen now that Rowlet's information filled it. It took a few tries but he got a list of all the moves Rowlet could potentially learn.
"That's handy." Akari and Shinx clearly weren't sure how to get started, instead watching how Ash went about training his team.
"It's weird." He claimed, "This is so different from my Pokédex but it almost feels like an upgraded version? At least this one doesn't have a battery life."
With a few pointers he was able to get Rowlet started on Peck, he had experience with that one, more so since last night. He ignored Akari and Shinx snickering at him as he mimicked the movements of the attack as best he could without a beak.
Once she was sorted, he had one last Pokémon to work with. He'd kept him in his ball so far but it looked like Laventon was almost ready now. "Come on out Starly!"
"What are you doing?!" Akari demanded and grabbed Ash by the shoulders yanking him back and away from Starly. "Did you forget what he did to your arm?"
"Of course not!" Ash jerked out of grip and glared at her. "Which is why we need to do this!"
He looked at Starly and crossed his arms. The flying-type held his head high, remaining prideful even after last night's incident. "I don't know what your issue with Noctowl is, I don't know if it's just a pride thing or territory or whatever. But I don't care."
"You have a lot of potential Starly, you're really strong, but you're too aggressive! You need to focus more! I know you weren't trying to attack me last night, but you did." He pulled down his sleeve and held his arm out, showing the bandages wrapping it.
Starly remained nonplussed but did narrow his eyes at Ash's injured arm. "I've been hit by a lot of attacks before, but most of them don't hurt me like that, which is why we need to train! If you didn't lash out randomly think of how strong you could be!"
Ash crouched to get on Starly's level. "I'm not going to hold you attacking me against me, but if we're going to be a team I need you to work with me. I gave you the choice of coming with me yesterday and you chose to. Now's the time to prove you mean it. Are you ready?"
The flying-type looked away from Ash for a moment, staring at the rest of the team. Particularly how skilled some of them were. Totodile's shockingly graceful movements, Bayleef's almost surgical use of Vine Whip, Cyndaquil mixing speed and flames for devastating damage, not to mention Pikachu's mastery over electricity.
The Pokémon's head turned back to Ash and with a determined glare, he nodded.
Akari gaped at them while Ash grinned. "Then let's get started!"
Even after Ash had become used to throwing with his left arm, they didn't set out for the Obsidian Fieldlands again. Instead, the focus turned to training their Pokémon.
Akari appreciated some of the points Ash made. He said her way of directing positions was interesting but it lacked some refinement, and she needed to specify what attacks she wanted her partner to use, otherwise, they might not understand her intent.
As much as she appreciated the insight, all it did was deepen the enigma that was Ash Ketchum.
When she first met the kid, she had no idea what to make of him. He'd seemed goofy and not exactly the smartest. That opinion had mostly survived the next three days. But he had depths that continued to surprise her. It seemed like he understood Pokémon better than anyone else Akari had met, even the Professor.
Oh sure, he couldn't tell you the exact dietary habits of a Magikarp, but he knew how to catch them. How to interact with them. How to… befriend them.
Watching him not just talk to Starly but work with him was baffling. That was not a friendly Pokémon like most of his teammates seemed to be, that was a dangerous creature that had attacked and injured him.
But he didn't care. He hadn't even been scared.
What the heck was this kid?
Akari had been certain he just didn't know how dangerous Pokémon could be. Maybe that was true but it didn't seem to mean much to him. "Oh, one of my Pokémon attacked me and I can't use my arm? Time to train with them and learn to throw left-handed!"
It stung a little he scored better with his left hand than she had with her dominant hand.
She liked him well enough, he seemed to genuinely be a good kid and wanted to help them, but his eccentricities continued to leave her gaping.
Seriously, he was from the future. How did that even happen and why did it not even phase him?!
Akari stopped at Professor Laventon's office first this morning, half expecting Ash to be back in the medical wing. Thankfully he wasn't, which either meant he hadn't hurt himself or had gotten himself killed.
She hoped it was the former but the latter seemed more likely.
Laventon was surprised that she didn't have Ash with her but was mollified when she said she was going to get him and head out after. As he prepared their Research Tasks for the day (including extra since they hadn't done any yesterday) he asked, "What do you think of our newest member?"
Her mouth twisted and she nibbled the inside of her cheek as she thought about how to answer. "I think he's a weirdo."
"Quite the endorsement my girl." Laventon chuckled. "I've received such a compliment many times!"
Now she felt a little bad. "I don't hate him or anything. I actually kind of like him, I just don't understand him. Is he really from the future? How is he so good with Pokémon? And why doesn't he react…" she struggled for a second, "normally to things?"
"What is normal really?" Laventon raised a brow and handed her a pair of Pokédex packets.
"Normal is running from a Pokémon that nearly tore your arm off." She deadpanned.
Laventon hummed and drummed his fingers together. "Well, by that definition no, I suppose he's not normal. But perhaps that's just what we need. Maybe we all should be a little less normal."
His frilly hat bobbed as he nodded and Akari barely restrained a smirk. "You're already doing great Professor, we'll be back later."
She didn't see Ash on her way out but heard noises inside his quarters. The teenager knocked on the door. "Ash, are you still alive? I have our tasks for today!"
"Hi, Akari!" She heard his muffled voice. "Uh… could you give me some help?"
A little concerned she opened the door and looked upon the madhouse that was Ash's quarters. There was a big hole right next to the entry, a bunch of boxes were on the floor and there were at least three nests on his shelves. Water was splashed all around next to the water basin and there was a trail of red stains leading from a torn shirt to that basin.
"This place is a Tepig-sty!" She exclaimed in horror, then saw Ash himself and tensed, reaching for Shinx's Poké Ball.
His Bayleef had his right arm wrapped in vines and pulled to the side. He seemed to be struggling to free it with his left hand but when he saw Akari (justifiably) reacting to him being attacked he waved his good hand at her.
"No! Wait don't do anything! Bayleef isn't hurting me!" He glared at the grass-type. "She's trying to do the opposite actually! Even though it's not helping!"
"Bay!" The Pokémon snapped at him.
"I'm not straining it! I'm just trying to put my gear on!" He gestured at himself. Akari took stock of the situation, he had the under armor on but his socks weren't on, his pant legs weren't buckled and his kimono wasn't tied.
Ash's Phanpy trumpeted at Bayleef and the boy looked smug. "See! Even Phanpy says it's fine! Stop being such a worry wart!"
"Bayleef bay." She didn't budge and Ash glared.
"I said knock it off Bayleef!" Still nothing and he groaned, turning back to Akari. "Can you help me with this stuff?"
Her mouth worked and she felt her eye twitched before she snapped her jaw shut. "I'm not your mother, you can dress yourself. I already visited Professor Laventon, meet me at the gate in fifteen minutes or I'm leaving without you."
She closed the door and heard Ash go back to arguing with his Bayleef. She covered her face and groaned. Seriously?! He needed her to help him get dressed?! It would be one thing if his actual injury had prevented it but no, just his Bayleef being stubborn!
Although, the fifteen-minute thing was a bit of a bluff. She needed his help, and she knew it. But it was probably for the best if she gave him a time limit otherwise, he'd never figure it out.
…and if he didn't she would come back and help him get dressed.
To say the next several days were smooth sailing would be a lie. But it would also be inaccurate to call them an absolute nightmare.
The unhappy medium was born of complications as Ash learned to suffer without modern commodities.
He was used to roughing it, he had spent most of the last year and a half traveling after all. But he may have underestimated how useful certain things were.
It was one thing to have a Pokémon Center to look forward to, with washing machines, running water, air conditioning, all the comforts of the indoors. Now? He had to do his own laundry by hand. Bathing was another piece of trouble, if he wanted warm water, he would need to boil it himself.
Just little things that made more work. It certainly left him with less free time than he would have liked.
That being said, Ash was having the time of his life.
Sure, Hisui was a little more dangerous than Kanto, Johto, or even the Orange Islands. There weren't many hallmarks of civilization. There were few well-trodden roads either made by the Galaxy Team or the Clans, most of the land was wild and untamed.
But that was what made it so amazing.
There was no guidebook or perfect plan, there were maps but the edges were blank and the details were waiting to be filled out. It was Ash's job to learn about this region, and most importantly the Pokémon who lived there.
Aspiration Hill was just the start, if they took the path they could get to the bottom in a little more than an hour. Of course, that was only if they made a point of ignoring the Pokémon along the way. And as interesting as they were, there were a lot more Pokémon out there waiting to be discovered.
The Horseshoe Plains northeast of the hill had Ponyta running wild! As cool as it was meeting all sorts of new Pokémon, it was nice to see some Pokémon he was familiar with. West of course had the Wurmple and other bug-types, including their evolutions. Ash was surprised to find out Wurmple had two different evolutions, kind of like Eevee just with less variety.
Speaking of which, there were Eevee here! He had only spotted a few and they proved just as skittish as the Starly could be. Akari told him they hadn't managed to catch any yet so they'd probably be searching for them a lot.
As they explored together Ash learned a bit more about Akari. Some things he had already figured out, she was generally friendly but also had a bite to her when she got annoyed. He was excited to see her starting to grow less nervous around Pokémon, especially her Shinx.
But there was more to her than that. She loved exploring just as much as Ash did, if not more. She was more cautious about it, but she would crawl through overgrowth if she thought there was something hidden behind it. This had paid off a few times, sometimes in the form of berries or other useful plants, other times in the form of tumblestone deposits.
Tumblestones were a material Ash had never heard of before. But they were essential for making Poké Balls, or at the very least making these old-fashioned ones used by the Galaxy Team.
He still had a few of his own "Future" Balls as Akari nicknamed them. But he was saving those for an emergency. One thing he noticed was that these wooden and stone Poké Balls were more likely to fail or break than the ones he was used to.
Which was kind of impressive in a funny way.
Other than just her wanderlust, Ash found out Akari liked drawing, or "sketching" as she called it. In fact, a lot of the drawings he'd seen for the Pokédex had been done by her. When she found out he didn't have much drawing talent, she sat him down near a Bidoof and forced him to start sketching.
"I told you to draw Bidoof, not Pikachu." She scolded him when he showed her his first attempt.
He scowled at her. "What are you talking about? This is Bidoof! See, there are the teeth!"
"This won't work, try again! Look at the shape at Bidoof and put it on the page, don't just draw what you think it looks like, replicate it!"
Ash grumbled but tried again.
And again.
And again.
Needless to say, they were there for a while.
The only real downside to this new adventure was the notetaking. Research Tasks weren't just as simple as checking off a box when they saw something. If a Pokemon used a move they needed to describe how. If a Pokemon battled them, they needed to note down the strategies.
Ash had started doing this mentally at some point during his journey, not even realizing he was doing it until later on. But being forced to write it down on paper made it so much less fun, it felt like homework!
A few days after Starly had Pecked a hole into Ash's arm, he had his first camping experience in Hisui.
In an almost ridiculous way, it felt a little nostalgic. Camping hadn't changed too much between this time and his, so it felt familiar. This was when he learned something else about Akari.
She couldn't cook. This canceled out the nostalgia and left him missing his friends. Particularly Brock.
Akari seemed content to survive on rations, but Ash was desperate to reignite the feeling he had when they lit the campfire and decided to try cooking something himself. Except he had no idea where to even start.
But like every other task he'd been faced with since arriving in Hisui, he threw himself into it until he got it right.
With the peanut gallery spectating he started boiling some water. So far so good. Now he needed to put something into it right? They had some herbs and berries, he could use those to make a soup or something.
"Ash, that smells worse than Beni's compost heap." Akari wrinkled her nose at his concoction.
He didn't like the smell either but he also refused to let her so blatantly insult his cooking. "it's fine! Really! Watch I'll eat some!"
He poured some of the squishy goop into a bowl and slurped it down. For a split second, it tasted fine. The berries were sweet and while they had turned to mush they still held their flavor.
Then the herbs hit and he started gagging, spilling his bowl and clutching his throat.
Akari laughed at him and started coughing on her dried bread.
This led to the Pokémon laughing at the pair of goofy humans, both struggling with their chosen food. Preserved Pokémon food wasn't good either but at least they could be mature about it.
Ash recovered and glared at the pot. "My Mom runs a diner and one of my best friends can make anything taste good. I should know how to cook."
"Yes. You should." Akari sipped her water to put some moisture back in her mouth. "But once again you manage to achieve the unlikely."
He glared at her and crunched on his own rations. How did they make it look so easy?
Their two-day trip into the fieldlands proved to be their most successful expedition yet. They had managed to complete all the research tasks for Bidoof, Starly, and Shinx. Then they had started progressing with other Pokémon, catching some more Wurmple for study and a few Ponyta.
They had even seen a new Pokemon Ash didn't recognize before they made camp, Akari called it a Drifloon. Ash managed to catch one but as soon as the ball sucked it in the others vanished into shadows.
The next morning the pair split up, not too far, they made an effort to stay within shouting distance but they were beginning to learn they made too much noise thumping around together.
Just after sunhigh Ash almost managed to catch an Eevee. He'd spotted one tentatively poking its nose out of the tall grass. He'd gone to the ground, lying flat against it and slowly pulling himself along, watching for sticks or anything else that could give him away.
Eevee even looked right at him at one point but didn't run. He wasn't sure if the normal-type hadn't seen him or if it just hadn't cared about it.
He'd make Eevee care, he took care to aim, despite practicing throwing with his left hand didn't feel as natural. Eevee flinched when the ball struck and was sucked in, Ash scrambled to his feet and watched it shake.
Sadly, the catch didn't last. Eevee burst out and kicked up a cloud of dirt with Sand Attack. Ash covered his face and coughed, releasing Noctowl to clear the air. By the time he could see again, Eevee was long gone.
The failure to catch Eevee put him down a bit, but the rest of their successes helped him perk right back up. Akari had even managed to capture both of Wurmple's potential evolutions, Cascoon and Silcoon.
"No luck with Eevee?" Akari guessed when she saw his dirt-covered expression.
"Almost," Ash grumbled, kicking at the ground. "I even got it in the ball but…"
"I hate when that happens." Akari winced, "happened with the first Cascoon I tried to catch. Do Poké Balls get better in the future?"
Ash's mouth drew back, almost forming a grimace as he debated how much to tell her. He glanced at Pikachu. His partner nodded at him, leaving the decision to him. "Sort of." He finally said. "They don't break as easily when a Pokémon escapes, and they normally work. But the Pokémon can still break free if they really want to."
"You'd think they'd have fixed that," Akari muttered shaking her head and Ash frowned.
"I mean, I guess it's kind of a good thing. What if the Pokémon really doesn't want to go with a trainer? Sure battling them can weaken them, maybe impress them. But if a Pokémon doesn't want to go we probably shouldn't force them."
…ignoring some times early in his journey he'd done just that.
"Pika. Pika chu." Pikachu gave him a lidded gaze, likely remembering a certain incident with a clothesline.
"I said I was sorry." Ash had just enough grace to be apologetic. "It was kind of mean for me to do that. But I won't apologize for the rubber gloves!"
"What's rubber?" Akari asked.
Ash turned back to her with a silent scream. "I don't think I should tell you that."
"Why not?" She crossed her arms and tapped her foot. "Is it some sort of future invention?"
"Yes?" Ash didn't exactly know how rubber worked, only that it was stretchy and might be plastic.
Wait did plastic exist yet? Shoot.
"Do you know how it's made?" She pressed and he frowned.
"No."
"So what's the issue telling me what it is?"
"Because I don't know how it was made or who made it!" Ash exclaimed, not enjoying the interrogation. "What if I accidentally name it before it's supposed to be named!?"
"What if they got the name from you?" She suggested and Ash froze.
"That's a good point." He admitted. Maybe it was okay to talk about the future after all? As long as he didn't do any inventing it should be fine. "Rubber is this stretchy stuff that resists electricity."
"Stretchy stuff?"
"It makes good bouncy balls."
She still didn't quite understand the concept of rubber, but that was probably for the best. With numerous research tasks complete and some new Pokémon to study, they followed the river back to the road up Aspiration Hill.
There was an encounter or two with Buizel along the way, a water-type that Akari claimed were just as aggressive as Shinx.
Ash wasn't so sure about that. A few did pick a fight with them, but Pikachu easily sent them running (or caught by Akari in one's case.) But the others seemed content to watch from a distance.
In the most amusing case, one crawled out the water in front of them, looked at them, then shook off the water and lay down for a nap.
There wasn't any more excitement on the way back to Jubilife, they saw some Starly and Bidoof but their bags were full of catches and they didn't have many Poké Balls left. One Bidoof did walk up and greet them, Akari was confused by it but Ash figured it out.
"Hey, Bidoof!" He grinned and knelt down, giving her a scratch on the head. Her stubby tail twitched in a rhythm and she closed her eyes, enjoying the feeling. "Chewed your way out of the pen?"
"Bi!" She squeaked looking at Ash's bag. He smiled and fished out a berry, doing his best not to disturb Rowlet.
"Here ya go, did you come just to say hi or for the berry?"
"Doof!" She chowed down on her meal, made a thankful honk, and brushed by his leg on her way back to the bushes.
"What was that?" Akari was a bit confused.
"You didn't recognize her?" Ash asked her. "That was the Bidoof I caught during the trial!"
The older girl blinked at him as they started up the hill again. "I thought you just sent it to the pasture with the others?"
"I did! But remember how that one guy… what was his name?" Ash frowned, feeling a bit bad he couldn't think of it. "The one who wanted to see a Shinx? I decided to check to see if the Pokémon I caught were still there. Shinx and Starly didn't seem to care much but Bidoof recognized me and she was pretty friendly!"
"That doesn't explain why it came to see you now." Akari pointed out.
"Well." Ash scratched at his cheek. "It's like I said, either she wanted to say hi, or she wanted a berry."
"Pikachu." His partner commented and he chuckled.
"Probably a bit of both."
Akari was a bit hung up on it but for a different reason. "The Pokémon who leave the corral… I hadn't thought of what might happen if they came looking for you again."
"What's the problem?" They passed the Fieldlands camp, waving to the guard as they passed. "For the most part, we're not catching Pokémon to join us. Which is different than what I'm used to, but it doesn't mean we can't make friends with them! That way when we meet again, it's a nice surprise!"
For some reason, Akari didn't have anything else to say as they made their way home.
"I am quite pleased to see you proving your merits." Captain Cyllene claimed as she reviewed Ash's work on the Pokédex. "It's a testament to your skill and drive that you've accomplished this in so short a time."
Akari had offered to stop by the Wallflower Cantina while Ash dropped off their tasks with Captain Cyllene. Forced to pick between Beni and Cyllene, he chose the one that at least seemed to like him a little. Or at least the one who wouldn't openly insult him.
"I mean, it's not too complicated." Ash shrugged. "And it's not like I'm working by myself."
"True, you have Akari's assistance," Cyllene admitted and Ash frowned a little. Sure Akari was part of it but he had also been talking about his team. No way would he have managed to catch so many Pokémon without them.
Seriously, he'd caught more in the past week than he ever had before! Even including the Tauros!
…were there Tauros in Hisui? He kind of hoped there weren't. He had enough Tauros.
"But regardless, you've both done well to keep track of your own accomplishments. I can officially congratulate you. I am promoting you to One Star rank."
"Oh wow, already?" Ash perked up but Cyllene didn't share his enthusiasm.
"You've proven yourself capable beyond the minimum. It's a start certainly and if your attitude stays the same you may soon find yourself reaching higher ranks soon enough." She espoused, keeping her expression useful. "I must admit, I began reconsidering my opinion of you after the incident with Starly."
"You heard about that?" Ash winced, rubbing at his healing arm.
She narrowed his eyes at him and pointed a finger at the door opposite Laventon's lab. "The Medical Office is right there."
Oops. "It was fine."
"Indeed, the fact you did not allow such an injury to hamper your abilities without overdoing it set my worries to rest. However, I would suggest you attempt to avoid further incidents, especially in the field."
"I'll do my best!" Ash saluted with a lopsided grin. He was doing great so far! None of his Pokémon had accidentally hit him with anything and he'd managed to dodge a charging Buizel at one point!
"Now that you are One Star rank you will be allowed more duties beyond simple Survey Tasks." She elaborated a bit, "With the rank comes more responsibilities, and more expectations, however, there are benefits as well. You will receive better compensation as well as more liberal access to certain parts of Jubilife, such as the training field used by the Security Corps."
Ash felt Pikachu perk up at that and felt a thrill of his own. The Security Corps were the ones who trained and knew how to battle. He wanted to see what they were capable of! Not to mention maybe pick up a few tricks!
People in the past had all sorts of secret techniques right?
With dismissal from Cyllene, Ash went to tell Akari the good news. He found her sitting with Laventon as they waited for their food to arrive. By the time he had finished explaining Beni had brought their meals.
"Two meals for the Survey Corps best and brightest." Beni placed plates in front of Akari and Laventon. "And the scraps for the Survey Corps subhuman trash." He dropped the last plate in front of Ash. Despite his words, it looked just as good as the others.
The time-displaced trainer still glared at him as he departed.
"Don't mind him, Beni gets stuck in his ways. Besides, congratulations are in order, my boy!" Laventon smiled and raised a cup to him.
"I figured we'd done enough for you to earn it." Akari smiled a little. "Wasn't sure though, took me a bit longer to get it."
"Guess I'm just good at this!" Ash grinned, leaning back a little. A thought struck him and he looked at Akari. "What rank are you actually? And uh… what were you doing to earn it?"
"You mean since there's barely anything done on the Pokédex?" Akari deadpanned. "Well, I wasn't able to get much done lying in bed, which is part of why the research tasks haven't been done. Although I wasn't having much luck before that."
"Not to say you weren't doing your part." Laventon comforted her a bit and she nodded.
"I've explored a bit more than just the Fieldlands actually, but my mission wasn't catching Pokémon, it was figuring out what Pokémon there were." She explained. "Bringing back information about what Pokémon might be found where in Hisui."
"And sketching pictures of them." Ash nodded. "But when you had enough to start filling out details…"
"I got zapped." She confirmed, sipping her drink. "Doesn't help we lost a few people during the initial surveys…"
Ash winced, the reminder people had died exploring Hisui, most likely due to the Alpha Pokémon appearing, was an uncomfortable thought. It felt wrong to him on some level, even if he understood how it could happen.
"Speaking of dangerous tasks." Akari snapped and looked at Ash. "Before you joined us the Professor was telling me about a request, specifically one from Mai of the Diamond Clan."
"She asked for you specifically." Laventon reminded Akari. "You must have made a good impression."
"All I did was help her find that Munchlax who follows her around." Akari brushed it off. "But alright, I'll think about it a bit more, I guess I'll explain tomorrow Ash."
He wanted to ask about it now but what she said about Munchlax caught his attention. "Munchlax? That sounds familiar…"
"Maybe you've heard of Snorlax?" Laventon asked him. "They have a bit more of a reputation than Munchlax, but they're part of the same evolutionary family."
"Oh yeah, I know Snorlax!" Ash laughed a little, Pikachu adding his own snickering. "I have one back home!"
"You caught a Snorlax?!" Akari gaped at him. "How do you feed it!?"
A memory of running across an island in a fruit costume came to Ash. "...it's complicated."
Before they could press him for details, he pressed them for some. "You said a Munchlax follows this Mai around? Like Pikachu and Rowlet do for me?"
"Yes actually." Laventon nodded. "The Diamond and Pearl Clans seem to have a different sort of relationship with their Pokémon than we're used to. Although they rarely bring them when visiting Jubilife."
He fixed Ash with a stare. "Truth be told, between your odd clothes and the way you interacted with your Pikachu, I wouldn't have been surprised if you claimed to be part of one. The only reason I didn't assume was, well…" His pom-pom bobbed as he scratched his chin stubble.
"I fell out of the sky?" Ash guessed, yeah that might be reason to doubt he was local.
"Yes, and in case it wasn't obvious I'm glad you did." Laventon chuckled a little. "Getting back on track, you have been a great help, Ash, I'm not sure how you were sent here, or why you need to seek out all Pokémon, but I'm glad you're here."
The boy blushed a little, not used to being so blatantly complemented, sure people might congratulate him after a battle, but this felt a little more sincere. "Uh, thanks, Professor. I'm doing my best!"
"Yes, you are…" Akari muttered and Ash glanced at her, nearly jumping when he saw the intense stare fixed on him.
"Is there something on my face?!" He demanded, the intensity passing but she remained focused on him.
"You're good at battling right Ash?" She checked and he felt a bit of pride swell up.
"Yeah, we are!" Speaking for both himself and his team.
"I… I need to do something." She decided. "I'll meet you at your quarters tomorrow, don't go off without me."
She gobbled up what was left of her food, momentarily forgetting her manners, and took off running, leaving Ash with his Pokémon and the Professor.
Laventon hummed, watching where Akari was going. "Well my boy, I suppose I should head off too! I look forward to reviewing the information you two documented!"
"I hope it's helpful." Ash leaned on the table, kicking his feet a bit. "It's fun to meet all these new Pokémon, but writing down all that boring stuff is annoying!"
"I'd have thought you'd be interested in some of that," Laventon claimed, looking a little sad. "Especially how they use certain moves!"
"It is interesting!" Ash claimed. "It's just boring to sit there and write it down!"
The man chuckled at Ash's response and patted his shoulder as he passed. "Such is the way of things I'm afraid, my boy! Boring as you may find it, thank you for being diligent! I shall see you tomorrow!"
Ash finished up his food as Beni approached, purposely letting out a burp as he began collecting plates. The man glared at him and swiped a dirt plate over his head. "You lousy brat, your father didn't beat you enough!"
"He was never around enough!" Ash laughed, darting away with Pikachu.
"I'd throw this plate at your head if it weren't a waste of a plate!" The annoying chef shouted after him. "I'd spit in your food if you eating it didn't insult it enough!"
Perhaps it wasn't the best idea to keep antagonizing the village's main chef but his reactions were funny and Ash still didn't like him.
The team had settled into their quarters fairly nicely. After Akari had seen inside she had hounded him about keeping it clean, or at the very least cleaner. Just to make sure he kept up with it she had taken to poking her head inside before they went on survey.
She didn't help him but his Pokémon did. With Totodile's help, they were able to clean up the stains from his injury. After that, he surrounded the water basin with towels to help keep the floor dry.
Some rocks helped mark Phanpy's makeshift den so people wouldn't trip into it, the boxes the birds had knocked down got stacked against the wall, and his Poké Ball crafting materials were organized into a trunk.
Just so long as he kept up with his laundry his house stayed nice and tidy. Presuming any teammates left behind didn't make a mess while he was gone. A part of him was still a little giddy at having a house of his own.
"I missed you guys too!" Ash told Cyndaquil and Totodile as they greeted him. "I can't wait to tell you about some of the Pokémon we met!"
"Cynda-quuuil!" The fire-type chanted, her flame briefly bursting to life.
"No other Cyndaquil yet, just you and Professor Laventon's," Ash told her. "We did see some Ponyta though!"
They settled in for the night, Ash switching into his pajamas. He was told there was sleepwear available from the Supply Corps but he was content with his own set. No one was around to tell him he looked weird!
Well except his team, but they were mostly used to it.
He settled down on his futon, talking to his Pokémon and just enjoying the company of his friends. It was nice having humans to talk to, but he felt like he could open up more with his Pokémon.
Most of them had settled in nicely. Totodile was a bit upset at how unfriendly the humans of Jubilife were though. He had tried greeting them several times but many of them panicked when he rushed toward them. There was a reason Ash had left him behind this time.
Noctowl preferred to avoid the locals, remaining out of sight or even using the illusions he'd used to trick Ash when they met to keep them from noticing him. He did the same with the native Pokémon but he'd also seemingly become more protective of Ash. The trainer hoped he didn't blame himself for Starly hurting him.
Speaking of Starly, the flying-type had stopped causing trouble, but still seemed a bit abrasive. He wasn't particularly close to the rest of the team and that worried Ash a little. Even now he stood a bit apart from the others. They'd have to work on that next.
In contrast, Rowlet fit right in with the rest of the team. In contrast to Noctowl's insomnia, she spent almost all hours of the day sleeping. Only waking up for training, battling, and eating. When she was awake she was able to get along with all the others.
Cyndaquil had taken a different approach from Totodile, rather than rushing the humans in order to say hello, she would keep her distance and do her best to remain non-threatening. She'd seen more progress that way, once a child had even come over to her until their mother pulled him away in a panic.
Phanpy was content to do his own thing, it had actually gotten him in trouble one of the times Ash had left him behind. He'd decided to visit a Shinx he met while on a survey with Ash and broke into the Jubilife Pasture. No one had been hurt and other than a few Starly fleeing there had been no lasting harm.
But while many of his teammates seemed perfectly content to entertain themselves and focus on their own pursuits, Bayleef had stuck to Ash like glue, even refusing to stay behind. She had always been a little clingy but she seemed to have developed an overprotective streak. Part of him wanted to break her out of that, the other was glad to have someone with vines to pull him back to his feet.
Of course, Pikachu had stuck by his side the entire time. His best friend seemed to be enjoying the adventure just as much as he was. A few times he had even helped out with scouting for Pokémon they were looking for to complete research tasks!
As Ash wrapped up the story of their two-day trek through the wilds of Hisui he felt the high leave him a little bit. Rowlet noticed and hooted at him.
"Sorry, just… I'm glad you guys are here with me. I really am. But a part of me wishes Brock and Misty were here too." he admitted and most of his Pokémon made sounds of agreement. "They haven't even been born yet, but I still miss them."
He sighed, leaning forward and resting his head on his hands. "I miss Brock's cooking, his jokes, his advice, his encouragement… it's weird traveling without him."
"And Misty…" An odd lump formed in his throat. "It's… it's kind of funny. When she first started following me I just wanted to get rid of her. Now that she's not here I feel like I've lost an arm!"
He noticed Pikachu's eyes shoot to his bandaged arm and back but was grateful his friend didn't make fun of his word choice. "I miss talking to her, even the bad stuff. She made me want to try harder and I trusted her to help us out. She was with us, me and Pikachu at least, from day one!"
"I like exploring Hisui, I like meeting new Pokémon, I don't know how we got here but there are worse places to be for sure." He finally lay back on his futon. "I just wish I knew for sure that we'll see them again."
"Pika-pi." Pikachu nuzzled Ash's face a bit and the boy smiled, ruffling the electric-type's head, a few light sparks of static tickling his fingers.
"After we find all the Pokémon in Hisui whoever sent us here better let us go home too. If not? We'll go to Johto and find Celebi. And if that doesn't work? We'll look for Lugia and see if he might know…" He yawned and closed his eyes.
"No Unown though… I want our friends, not copies…" Ash drifted off, ideas of how he would see his friends again running through his dreams.
As Ash and his team fell to sleep, the Arc Phone's ping went unheard but the message would wait for them to awake.
"Thy plea is heard. Thy journey shall lead thou to what thee seek."
Hey ya'll!
So it's been awhile.
I am sorry about that, it really was not my intention to let this go so long without an update. There's a few reasons, from other stories taking my focus, to real life stuff, to just plain old writer's block. A few weeks ago I'd told myself I'd get to this after I covered Mewtwo in ZT, and then I wrote another chapter because brain but no more distractions!
And I'm gonna make it up to you! Here's a chapter! Then I'll be posting another one this weekend!
Probably Sunday cause I have plans Saturday.
ANYWAY, let's talk about the chapter a bit!
Like I said last time I upped the rating from K+ to T, the first half of his chapter, specifically the part where Starly hurt Ash is one of the reasons why. But this isn't just mindless character torture.
I wanted to try and set the proper tone for this story. Ash is in Hisui, and Hisui is dangerous, people can get hurt and die. Despite this, Ash is still Ash.
Unlike most kids, he's not gonna cry and break down over an injury, he's gonna say, ow, that hurt, let's figure out how you can make it hurt more!
Ash actually takes a lot of hits in the anime, but he always gets right back up. So Starly hurting him was a message, you can get seriously hurt here and you don't have modern tech to help fix you. Ash is going to internalize that as he needs to be a bit more careful and a lot stronger.
Obviously, no one has figured out how to deal with this deranged Pokémon child who fell out of the sky yet.
But yeah, we're starting into the plot now, I was originally going to lead right into the Wyrdeer stuff here but since chapter five is coming this weekend I figured I could let it end naturally.
Also yes Ash, good job protecting the timeline. Accidentally naming stuff that doesn't exist yet? Disastrous. Giving a piece of digital equipment to the local scientist? Perfectly fine!
He's trying his best.
Adding on, I also wanted to give Ash's Pokémon some focus and characterization. It's not as easy in story format when they can't talk. Since I don't want to "cheat" and let him learn how to understand them when it wouldn't make sense for him to, I decided to try something else.
And we finally got another POV this chapter, from Akari! Not much but I plan to do more with her next chapter and going forward, she's part of this mess now.
There's more I could talk about, mostly how I'm trying to develop Hisui beyond what the games gave us. That's not to say I'm going to throw away what they did, but I am going to fill in the corners of the map. Hisui is a place, with people and Pokémon, not just a setting.
But we'll develop that more after we get past the fieldlands, which hopefully should only take 2 or 3 more chapters. We'll see, I might end up meandering a bit more but I'll try to keep things focused.
Reviews!
LEGOBRICK13: Honestly one of the reasons I didn't go as far as I intended is because the clans meeting Ash is going to be a lot to cover. I'm looking forward to it. Akari is still processing and you're probably right about Adaman being down for it. "SEE! ALMIGHTY SINNOH DOES CONTROL TIME!" And yeah, there's a lot I want to do with the Pokémon and I did some of it this chapter. But Hisui is a big place so there's a lot more to come!
fangs of death: Thanks!
talesfanjmf: Yeah, a bit more focus on convincing Ash that there are stakes this chapter. His realization about there being no Pokémon Centers really helped sell that point. He cares for his Pokémon so if they get seriously hurt he'd blame himself.
butterflypus: Thank you!
Pecan Crisp: You are correct! I misremembered how it worked and checked with both Bulbapedia and my discord. I'm sorry for the confusion. For some reason I remembered trading someone for a "Pikachu from Alola" in game that evolves into Alolan Raichu no matter where you are. I'm sorry for getting it wrong but I know better now!
Pokémonever1994: It made them aggressive because it chased them from their homes. They're not angry they're scared. And yeah, Ash isn't gonna be really good at things from the start, making Poké Balls out of things that are roughly round already is one thing, sketching and cooking is another. He's working on them though. And yes he could have taken that Luxio on, the thing stopping him is what if it hurt one of his friends really badly and he couldn't get them help?
Aerodactyl999: I'll do my best!
That's all for now folks, see you guys this weekend!
Discord: discord gg kESdTfhAwG
~FriTik
R&R