REVIEW and hope you all enjoy
Chapter 9: Mt. Moon Pt. 2
As Ash approached the red cheeked rodent, it was easily noticeable just how scared the Pokemon was. It cowered in the corner with its tail tucked between its own legs. Ash frowned, feeling bad for the cute Electric type.
"Pika." Pikachu cried softly, looking at Ash and Charmander with weary eyes.
'What the hell is a Pikachu doing down here?' Ash thought, crouching down as he stopped a few feet in front of Pikachu. Any trainer would be able to tell you that you weren't likely to find a Pikachu in a cave. The Pokemon thrived in forests and were commonly spotted in gardens and near power plants.
The only hypothesis Ash could come up with was that Pikachu had entered the cave out of curiosity, before getting lost somehow.
"Hey, Pikachu. My name is Ash Ketchum. I'm not here to hurt you. I promise." Ash extended his hand for Pikachu to approach. The small Pokemon didn't budge, though, opting to remain against the wall.
"Did you get lost as well?" Ash asked softly. Pikachu didn't respond, still distancing itself from Ash and his starter.
Ash sighed, realizing he wouldn't get to Pikachu this way. He couldn't leave the Pokemon in the cave, but he also didn't want to spook it away by approaching him any more.
After a few more seconds, Ash's face perked up as he came across an idea. Taking his backoff off, the boy opened it up and grabbed a can of premade Pokemon food.
Unscrewing the lid, Ash grabbed a small brown square. Holding it in his hand, Ash extended it towards Pikachu. This got Pikachu's attention, as its ear's spiked up considerably. Pikachu leaned just a tad closer, sniffing the air from the scent of the food.
Not wanting to scare Pikachu, Ash moved extremely slowly as he dropped the small square between him and Pikachu. After a few seconds, Pikachu removed himself from the wall. The Electric type gradually approached, making sure to not let Ash leave his sight while moving. Pikachu ate the small piece in one bite, maintaining eye contact with the smiling trainer.
Wanting to make Pikachu more comfortable with him, Ash poured several pieces of the Pokemon food in his hand once again.
"It's ok, Pikachu. It's good, right?"
Pikachu proceeded, crawling on all fours towards him. Ash remained completely still, letting Pikachu smell his hand once he arrived in front of him. Surprisingly, Pikachu became relatively comfortable being near him, as he no longer stared up at Ash's eyes in worry.
"Woah, take it easy. I have plenty!" Ash laughed, attempting to keep his hand straight since Pikachu had pressed his face against it to consume whatever he could. Charmander still stood beside Ash quite comfortably, not showing any signs of fear or nervousness.
It was a growing development with Charmander, as he had become much more comfortable around smaller Pokemon. Even if they were wild or other trainers' Pokemon he hadn't seen before, Charmander didn't cower like he previously did when first departing from Pallet Town. However, this couldn't be said for more intimidating Pokemon like Brock's Onix.
In little time, Pikachu had finished the handful of edible squares on Ash's palm. After removing his face from his hand, Pikachu tilted his head to the side as he stared at Ash yet again. Realizing he was still very hungry, Ash placed the can of Pokemon food on the ground.
Before he was even able to pour it into a bowl, Pikachu somehow managed to fit his head into the small cylinder. Ash would have laughed again, though his stomach dropped slightly at just how hungry Pikachu was. He had no idea just how long the small rodent had been lost inside of Mt. Moon.
Ash waited patiently, scratching Charmander's neck to the approval of the Fire type. In less than thirty seconds, the can that was supposed to feed multiple Pokemon in one sitting was completely cleaned out. Pikachu fell backwards, sighing in satisfaction with his eyes closed.
"It's good stuff, huh." Ash remarked, reaching out and scratching behind Pikachu's ear.
"Chaaa." Pikachu sighed, leaning his head towards the trainer's touch. Pikachu no longer seemed fearful of him, allowing himself to be touched at such a close proximity. For Ash and clearly Pikachu, food was just another way to someone's heart.
Ash patted Piakchu's furry head softly, before standing up from his crouched position. Groaning as he leaned backwards to stretch his back, Ash put on his backpack. Pikachu tilted his head once again in confusion. Charmander remained close, standing next to Ash's right leg.
"Charmander and I are getting out of this cave, Pikachu. I'm sure you didn't mean to get lost like us as well. How about you come with us?" Ash asked, giving the Pokemon a choice. Though, regardless of what Pikachu would say, it was unlikely Ash could leave the rodent alone anyways. It was nearly impossible for a Pokemon like him to survive all by himself in Mt. Moon.
Rather than giving a verbal response, Pikachu swiftly climbed up the trainer's clothes. Ash almost stumbled in surprise, though he was careful to not move around too much to knock Pikachu off. After circling his small frame around for a few seconds, Pikachu eventually sat perched on Ash's right shoulder.
"Alright, that works too." Ash laughed, crouching slightly to offer Charmander the opportunity to be carried in his arms. Before seeing Pikachu, Charmander had been alternating between walking alongside Ash, as well as being carried when he got tired. It was the least Ash could do, considering he needed Charmander out of his Pokeball to navigate the cave system.
Charmander took up Ash's offer, laying down as Ash used both his arms to hold Charmander against his chest. With his starter and the wild Pokemon now beside him, Ash could continue his task of getting out this damn cave.
It didn't take long for Leaf and Brock to find their way back onto the main tunnel in Mt. Moon. Although Brock had led them the opposite way they had run from, he was somehow able to locate their way back to where Mt. Moon had visible directions like before.
Brock and Leaf had been chatting for the majority of their journey, though it had been quiet for a while now. Brock was a great conversationalist, but there was only so much you could talk about while attempting to maintain a positive mood in a dark and frightening cave. They were also getting extremely tired, having not taken a break since escaping the aggressive Steelix.
It was Brock who broke the half hour of utter silence between the two.
"Obviously, I'm aware that you and Ash want to win all eight Gym Badges here in Kanto. Are you planning to compete in the Pokemon League Tournament like Ash?"
It was a good question, as the prospect of competing with her Pokemon put her in a bright mood. Any other topic and Brock would have to worry about the girl's frequent death stare usually directed towards Ash.
"Absolutely! And I'm going to win it all!" Leaf shouted confidently. Brock winced slightly, hearing her high pitched voice echo through the tunnel.
"Which brings me to my other question." Leaf brushed a few strands of hair from her eyes, looking at Brock confusingly. "Have you or Ash thought about what happens if you two have to face each other in the tournament?"
Leaf didn't react at his words, making it difficult for Brock to tell if she had or hadn't. Seeing the brunette remain silent, Brock continued nervously.
"I mean, I don't want to get ahead as well. You both have to win all your Gym Battles as well, not to mention pass the routine entry exam prior to competing. I think-"
"You think I'm not going to win all my Gym Battles?! Are you insane?!" Leaf screamed animatedly. It was apparent that Brock's panicked words angered the younger girl.
"No, no of course not." Brock put his hands up, defusing the conversation. Leaf narrowed her eyes at Brock, folding her arms underneath her chest. After Brock didn't say anything more, Leaf sighed and mumbled an apology softly at her outburst. Brock waved it off, with the duo continuing to walk.
Just as Brock was about to forget the proposed question, Leaf broke the silence. "We actually never have. I think the prospect of traveling together has always excited us so much that we never thought about that possibility. It was just… I don't know… Overshadowed?"
Brock listened attentively, maintaining eye contact to show he was paying attention.
"Leaf, that's completely normal. I didn't mean for it to stress you out, by the way. It was just a curious question. Have you two always wanted to compete in the Indigo Plateau Conference?"
"Yes, but not so directly. Ash has wanted to because he wants to be a Pokemon Master. Whenever I ask him what that means, he himself isn't even too sure. I've always imagined he just wants to be the strongest trainer, which is why winning the Conference would be a step in that direction."
"And for you?"
"I've always wanted to be a Pokemon trainer. It was my sister who inspired me to, as she left on her own journey four years ago."
"Wait, you have a sister? She's a trainer as well?" Brock interrupted, mentally noting the slightly downcast look Leaf had when bringing up her sibling.
"Yeah, her name is Amber. She didn't leave to become a trainer though. Just wanted to travel the world, I think. Always said that Pallet Town was too much of a bore for her." Leaf scoffed, shaking her head slightly.
"Before she left, the way she talked about experiencing the region first hand was pretty magical. It lit its own fire in me, even though I don't know if she was trying to do it on purpose. Maybe it just shows how much she loved the idea herself. It'd make sense, considering she hasn't been back home since leaving."
Brock's eyebrows rose significantly, hearing that she hadn't seen her own sister in well over three years.
"You haven't seen or spoken with her in that long?"
"Kind of?" Leaf stated out loud, though it sounded like she was just as uncertain as Brock. "Not in person anyways. I had seen and spoken with her through a video call two years ago."
"Still. That's a long time." Brock stated out loud. The Gym Leader had nine siblings himself, and there hadn't been a day in recent years when he hadn't seen one of them. He was extremely close to his siblings, unlike the parents who selfishly abandoned him. The topic hit too close to home for him.
Though, he couldn't say much since he didn't know what the exact circumstances were regarding Leaf and Amber. From the way Leaf spoke about it, she wasn't even too sure why they were so distant once Amber had left for her journey. Mustering up the courage, Brock asked yet another personal question.
"Why have you not seen Amber face to face since she left?"
Leaf bit her lower lip anxiously, contemplating the answer for a moment. Not long after, her face hardened in anger, likely due to attempting to block out some of her feelings.
"Because she hasn't visited my parents and I since then. Clearly, she values traveling the world for her own selfish reasons that visit the family who has done nothing but love her." Brock placed a hand on her shoulder in an attempt to comfort the girl. Leaf wiped a stray tear from her eye, turning away slightly to hide her face.
"Maybe it's something deeper than that." Brock suggested, not wanting Leaf to have such a bleak outlook on the topic.
"Yeah… Maybe." Leaf muttered, though it was evident to Brock that she didn't believe the idea much. Before the conversation could get any more emotional, the duo stopped in their tracks at a small Pokemon in front of them.
A yellow, armored rodent had its back turned to the two as it stood on all fours in the middle of the tunnel. Its small tail swung side to side barely, as it continued to claw at the ground below it. Leaf took out her Pokedex, turning it on as she pointed it at the Mouse Pokemon.
"Sandshrew, Ground Type Pokemon. Burrows deep underground in arid locations far from water. It only emerges to hunt for food." The Pokedex rang out. Surprisingly, Sandshrew didn't turn around at the audible robotic voice.
"You should catch it." Brock suggested with a smile, appreciating the distraction. Leaf grinned, grabbing a Pokeball from her belt confidently.
"Bulbasaur, use Razor Leaf." Bulbasaur emerged in between Leaf and Sandhrew, before firing off a stream of leaves at an impressive speed. Sandshrew turned around finally, widening its eyes at the strangers. It didn't have time to react as the barrage of leaves struck against its body.
"Good job, Bulbasaur!" Leaf praised, watching Sandrew attempt to recover from the super effective attack.
"San Sandshrew!" Sandshrew squeaked out irritatedly.
"Bulba." Bulbasaur growled, awaiting Leaf's recovering in just a few seconds, Sandshrew tucked itself into a ball, before using Rollout.
"Why do I keep seeing this move so much?" Leaf sighed, appearing unfazed at Sandshrew's Rollout. "Stop it with Vine Whip!"
Sandshrew was easily stopped a couple of feet in front of Bulbasaur. Bulbasaur didn't struggle much, holding Sandshrew up with a vine on each side. However, Bulbasaur made an audible sound in surprise, as Sandshrew spun its body around rapidly.
"Wait, what?" Leaf stated in surprise, watching Bulbasaur lose his grip on Sandshrew. Sandshrew landed back on the ground, still spinning before approaching Bulbasaur at a remarkable speed. Bulbasaur cried out in pain, sliding a few feet from the attack.
"That move was Rapid Spin, Leaf!" Brock shouted from the side, attempting to help his friend in any way possible. Leaf bit the bottom of her lip in concentration while noting Sandshrew's physical attacks thus far.
Sandshrew tucked itself into a ball again, using Rollout. Leaf waited, letting Sandshrew get closer as Bulbasaur awaited his command.
"Use Vine Whip to dodge." Leaf advised her starter Pokemon. Bulbasaur calmly extended his Vines, pushing off the ground to raise its own body. Bulbasaur levitate a couple feet off the ground, making Sandshrew easily pass Bulbasaur. Having expected a collision, Sandshrew stumbled and crashed into the wall.
"Now, use Razor Leaf into Tackle." Sandshrew didn't have time to dodge the Razor Leaf again, crying out as it was helpless. Just as the barrage ended, Sandshrew was struck head on by Bulbasaur's tackle. Bulbasaur's head dug straight into Sandshrew's stomach, making Sandshrew collapse onto the ground.
"You're mine, Sandshrew!" Leaf exclaimed, throwing one of her Pokeballs towards the small Ground type. It hit the downed opponent, releasing a red light and sucking in Sandshrew.
Leaf and Brock watched anxiously, as the Pokeball shook once. It remained still for a few seconds, before clicking audibly.
"Haha, alright!" Leaf celebrated, picking up Bulbasaur while Brock simply smiled and congratulated her. As Leaf picked up the Pokeball of her newly acquired Pokemon, Brock's eyes lit up.
"Hey, Leaf. Would it be alright if I treat Sandshrew's minor injuries? It would be beneficial for my training and I'm sure Sandshrew would feel a lot better, since we're a ways from a Pokemon Center."
"Of course, Brock!" Leaf smiled gratefully. "I would really appreciate it." Brock nodded in response, crouching down as Leaf released Sandshrew.
"Sandshrew." Sandshrew stated its name, looking up at its trainer with slight admiration. Leaf smiled, lowering herself to rub the Pokemon's back. Sandshrew leaned into the touch, already more than happy under Leaf's command and attention. During this time, Brock got out a couple of supplies such as potions and other antibiotics to treat Sandshrew with.
"Hey, Sandshrew. I'm Brock. Is it alright if I treat some of your injuries? You will feel a lot better, I promise." Brock assured Leaf's Pokemon. Sandshrew appeared skeptical at first, though nodded after looking at Leaf's encouraging expression.
"It will sting for a second, alright?" Sandshrew nodded, wincing for just a second as Brock sprayed a purple potion onto his side. Brock rubbed the small bruise with a cloth, before placing it into his bag. Leaf watched on curiously, closely following Brock's actions in case she would need to use it one day.
"Hey, what's that you're rubbing on his back? Leaf asked. Brock remained silent as he rubbed the yellow paste onto Sandshrew, who sighed in relief. Once he finished, Brock answered helpfully.
"It's an anti-inflammatory cream. A pretty large portion of Pokemon Doctors use them for recovery after a Pokemon exhausts itself in battle. Sandshrew also scraped against the ground pretty good, so this should help with that."
"Ahhh." Leaf stated aloud, drawing a short laugh from Brock. It didn't take long for Brock to finish, while Leaf used her Pokedex to view Sandshrew's moves.
Rollout
Rapid Spin
Sand Attack
Metal Claw
'Woah. Sandshrew knows Metal Claw. That's gotta be pretty rare.' Leaf thought, staring at the screen. It wasn't a move Sandshew had the ability to learn. Instead, it was an egg move that some Sandshrews and quite a few other Pokemon were born with. Pocketing the Pokedex, the brunette turned her attention to the Mouse Pokemon.
"I'm your new trainer, Leaf. Are you feeling alright, Sandshrew?" Leaf asked softly. Sandshrew nodded enthusiastically, flashing its small claws up. Leaf giggled, patting Sandshrew once more.
"I'm going to put you back inside the Pokeball, but once we're out and settled we'll talk more. Sounds good?" Sandshrew verbally agreed, before being returned. If Brock didn't know where they were going, they could likely use Sandshrew for directions. Fortunately, this wasn't the case so Sandshrew could get the rest he needed.
"Great job, Leaf. You've already got three Pokemon." Brock praised the younger girl.
"Thanks, Brock! I'm excited, but what matters right now is getting out and making sure Ash is alright." Leaf and Brock's moods both dropped considerably, remembering the dire situation they were in. Hopefully, Ash was holding in there by himself.
Ash lay against the wall of the cave, sweating profusely. He groaned loudly, using the sleeve of jacket to wipe the sweat off his forehead. Hours inside Mt. Moon had the trainer feeling way too hot for comfort. It wasn't at a level where he risked injury, but it was certainly uncomfortable. Charmander remained asleep in his lap, having been past out for the past two hours.
Attempting to locate Pikachu, he finally stopped the Electric type scratching the floor a couple feet from him. After eating, Pikachu had a complete 180 in regards to his mood. The long journey didn't seem to faze him, as he was just bundled up with all the energy in the world. Though, that could also be due to the fact that he was perched on Ash's shoulder for the majority of the walk.
"Be careful, dude. You're going to hurt your paws." Ash stated worriedly, watching Pikachu aggressively dig into the tough ground. Although he was a rodent, Pikachu was definitely not as good of a digger as a Rock or Ground type Pokemon. Piakchu ignored Ash, still pressing his paws sharply onto the rocks.
Ash rolled his eyes, focusing his attention on the sleeping golden Charmander. He really was lucky he had such a cool Pokemon. Charmander wasn't a pushover by any means in their journey, and he had tons of heart too. The teen would do whatever it took to make Charmander feel as comfortable and welcome with him and any Pokemon that walked the Earth.
A small nudge brought Ash back to reality. Looking to where he was poked, Ash raised his eyebrow at Pikachu by his side. Though, his confusion grew even more as he noticed an item in Pikachu's mouth.
Between his small, sharp teeth, Pikachu held a dark green stone. It was resemblant to a shard, but it wasn't sharp enough to be considered one. Ash remained hesitant, despite Pikachu pressed his forehead against Ash's leg as he continued to hold the stone.
"Is this for me?" Ash pointed at himself. Pikachu nodded, opening his mouth barely to reveal more of the stone. Ash lightly grabbed the stone, gently taking it from Pikachu's grasp. Once he released it, Pikachu simply sat backwards and watched Ash.
Ash examined the stone, attempting to break down what exactly it was. It should have come easy already, considering it was just last year that Ash had studied Pokemon stones in the Kanto region thoroughly. Hell, he even had memorized which stones were exclusive to certain areas, Mt. Moon included.
Just as Ash was about to give up, his mouth opened in surprise. How could he forget? The stone he held in his palm was a Moon Stone. They were rare and exclusive to Mt. Moon in the Kanto region. Looking at Pikachu in shock, all he was met with was a neutral and slightly oblivious stare. It was pretty likely Pikachu didn't even know exactly what he gave the stranger.
Moon Stones are used to evolve multiple Pokemon. However, a key Pokemon included in that list was Nidoran. Ash let his head fall back onto the wall, laughing at his luck. Apparently, helping random Pikachus' would grant you rare stones to evolved one of your team members.
"Thanks, Pikachu. This means a lot." Ash thanked Pikachu, rubbing his head to the Electric type's delight. Carefully storing it in his jacket, Ash picked up Charmander and let Pikachu climb onto his shoulder to continue.
For the past thirty minutes, the air felt much cooler and fresher, so it was likely they were nearing the entrance. He hoped Leaf and Brock were okay, but wasn't too concerned considering how capable they were.
'Just a little more.' Ash motivated himself, pushing on.
REVIEW as it helps motivate me to update quicker! Curious to hear what you all think about Leaf's new addition to her team, as well as her having a sister. Is she simply focusing on herself and her journey for selfish reasons, or for another? Amber will have a larger role in the story, but not for a long long while! Also, will Pikachu join Ash in his adventure? Let me know what you think. Hope you all enjoyed and I'll see you all next time!