Surmount

by HDK315

Although they travel down a long, merciless road that has overwhelmed all but the very strongest to eventually throw in the towel, they do so with unrivaled resolve and convictions. This is the story of Ash Ketchum and his beloved family of Pokemon, and how they became the greatest of all time. Cover by Atenburgh.

41. Shadowblood Legacy

To start things off, there is something important that I wanted to address.

While this chapter was in the works, Akira Toriyama, the creator of the Dragon Ball franchise (whose fingerprints, involvement, and influence are all over media, Japan in particular) tragically passed away. The reason why I am talking about this here is because Dragon Ball is the reason I read and write fanfiction today.

I was not introduced to fanfiction through Dragon Ball, but it is what got me as invested as I am. My first favorite fic, that I followed enthusiastically and anticipated every update, was a DBZ story. The first story I wrote back in middle school was also DBZ. I could do a lot of nostalgic gushing about my Dragon Ball obsession, especially in middle school, and what the franchise has meant to me since 2010, but it is also the reason why fanfiction has been such a huge part of my life for over ten years.

It is not hyperbole to say that Akira Toriyama and his work is the reason that this story exists. I felt obligated to say something because of this. Rest in peace.

With all that said, I hope you enjoy the chapter.

The sky outside the window was a beautiful orange, although Delia only had it in the back of her mind as she checked on the food cooking in the oven. It had been a usual day for the Ketchum duo: she dropped her seven year old son off at school, went to work at Professor Oak's lab, got off and picked Ash up, brought him home, and a couple hours later she was starting dinner. Cooking was more work, but it didn't usually feel like that kind of work. It felt personal, and being her biggest hobby since she was a kid, she wondered if her mind had been conditioned against viewing it as "work".

Lately, Ash had looked forward to trying whatever food she was cooking, on evenings that she chose to cook something new that he had not had before. For all the humbling praise she received, the biggest fan of her culinary work was him. Ash's best smiles were often when he was eating her food.

His "best smiles". Perhaps that was part of the problem.

Ash wasn't always frowning, and his eyes weren't wet twenty four hours a day. That hardly changed anything. There was more to a person than the lips and eyes. And when she picked her son up from school this afternoon, Delia knew. It had been one of those days. They happened too often.

Why did they happen so often? Why did every parent teacher conference feel the same? Why had this been allowed to fester until it was no longer controllable? Why did she ask them the same questions?

Why is he still being bullied?

It was exhausting. As a parent, it was taxing. But what about Ash?

Sometimes he would tell her about the day right away. On the ride home, right after getting home, shortly after getting home. Other times, she had to coax it out of him. Preferably before dinner.

With that in mind, she made her way into the living room, where Ash sat back on the couch watching the television. He wasn't particularly focused on what was on; she could tell when he was and wasn't.

"Sweetie," she kept her voice gentle. Like a pillow, she often told herself. "Dinner will be ready in about ten minutes, so you should wash up soon."

The announcement got his attention, she could detect the change in her son when he said "Okay, mom." But it was hardly a magic button.

She stopped in front of the couch and sat next to her son. She glanced at the television for a moment or two, before looking back at her son. "Before we eat, Ash, I think you should tell me about school today."

It was a lot more readable this time. Ash hugged his chest, saying. "I don't want to talk about it."

He didn't always say things the moment she asked him too.

"But you're thinking about it, aren't you?" she pressed, as a soft reminder. He showed no resistance when her hand rested against his back. He had scooted a bit forward when she reached out, giving her room to rub it, like her hand was a feather. "I can tell. I can always tell, Ash. But I don't just want to look, I want to listen. You know I'm on your side, right?"

"I know…"

"And you know I'm here for you no matter what, right?"

"Yes…"

"Then please." she caressed his shoulder. "I'm not doing this to punish you, I want to help you. And to do that I need to understand. Won't you help your mother understand, sweetie?"

There was a pause, but he finally said "okay", and she pulled him in with one arm as he began to talk.

Today had been a "game day" at school, something she remembered a couple of the other parents talking about. In the computer lab, Ash had been grouped up with a few other kids, including a girl named Angelina, a name that Delia had definitely heard before. Apparently the group was playing a team based game with Angelina as the party leader assigning equipment and other attributes to the group. Delia was (unfortunately) not surprised to learn that this Angelina girl had apparently built her son's character to be a meatshield for the rest of the party, dooming Ash's avatar to constantly aggro enemies and encourage them to prioritize him while the rest of the group gets free hits in. Ash had spent the entire session dying and waiting to be revived, just so that the enemies could go back to throwing themselves at him.

When playing soccer, nobody passed to him, outside of a couple accidents. In dodgeball, Angelina was conveniently team captain of the team that Ash was only on because there were no other picks left, and Gary had the audacity to tease her for that right in front of Ash. Angelina had been frustrated with the Oak boy for "rubbing it in" (why was having her son on their team something to be rubbed in in the first place!?) and without the blue haired girl needing to do anything, Gary and his team had behaved much like the enemies in the computer game, swarming Ash and pelting him with balls while Angelina and the others just stood there. The game didn't formally start until Ash was eliminated, and whenever a teammate caught a ball, he was never picked to come back in. Once someone else on the team had been eliminated, he had heard Angelina say (okay, we can catch the ball now!).

The whole day, everyone had just gone along with it. It didn't matter what game was being played. The class always found a way to exclude Ash in all but name. Some "fun day off".

Delia's heart broke at the tears in Ash's eyes. In the short term, she knew she would regret getting him to talk about all of this, but it was necessary.

"Oh Ash," Delia pulled him tighter against her side. "I'm so sorry… don't worry, the teachers are going to hear about this."

"Will that work?"

She wished he hadn't asked that. If she said "I don't know", she wouldn't be reassuring him. If she said "yes", and it did not work, however…

In the end, she didn't answer him. Instead, she kissed him. The soft touch of her loving lips against his forehead eased him just a little bit, but it also caused the tears to flow as his voice broke up.

"Why does everyone hate me, mom? What did I do?"

"Shhh, shhh…" She wrapped her other arm around him, pulling her son in for a hug as he cried against her shirt. "You never did anything, sweetie. None of this is your fault. And not everyone hates you." She kissed both his cheeks, holding each kiss against his wet skin before releasing, and then resting her chin on his head. "It doesn't matter what any of the other kids say about you. Somebody is always going to love you, and that's me."

"I…" after a sniffle, Ash paused before talking into her shirt. "I love you, mom."

"I love you back. I always have and always will." Delia tightened her embrace around the most important person in the world.

And Ash buried his face deeper into the most important person in the world.

There was nothing better than having a parent who picked you up from school everyday. A person who would never stop showing you love, even if you didn't ask for it, but if you ever wanted a hug, all you would ever need to do is ask. The woman known as Delia Ketchum would drop everything if need be, and Ash would always feel like he was stepping into a separate world. One where Gary, Angelina, Sarah, Mark, or any of the others didn't exist.

Before he met Trucy, Ash Ketchum was not sure if he would ever have any friends.

But he knew that he would always have a mom.

/

Janine gripped the straps of her backpack, head tilting up to observe the tall surroundings of Viridian City. "Stay close to me, Bulbasaur." her partner nodded, remaining about as close to her legs as he reasonably could without getting accidentally kicked as the duo followed the signs to find the Pokemon Center.

Over the past couple of hours, the day had improved for them, and the purple-haired girl was grateful. At one of the city's sanctioned events, the two had surprisingly encountered a Zubat. The awkward air between them had gradually dispelled during the battle, and the two learned to work together before successfully capturing him. The invisible wall between the pair became rather feeble going forward, and to her delight their interactions were not drastically but still noticeably less distant.

Finally finding a trainer willing to battle them had been equally uplifting. Janine wasn't certain what had gone differently compared to the rejections she had received earlier, but after facing their first opponent (and winning), the last of her to-do list had been crossed out, and it was time to set off while they still had a fair amount of daylight.

Her initial plan had been to travel northwest. Going over the bridge would take her and her two teammates to the road leading to Celadon. Going too far north elsewhere would border on suicide, but the planned path would be not only be an ideal starting point, but also put her on course to one of the beginner friendly Gyms, typically recommended for a rookie seeking their first badge. Getting there on foot would certainly take time, maybe even a week, but all of that could be put to good use training and making preparations as they went.

Those plans had changed by the time she was ready to leave, however. A fair amount of Fuchsia trainers had taken to that option, and as she thought back to the veiled fear that she and Bulbasaur had been looked upon and spoken to throughout the first half of the day, she found her feet growing cold. Thankfully, it was not the only option, as Fuchsia was one of the cities that offered the League's special teleporting service on Opening Day only (the rookies headed northwest likely found it preferable to take the longer but affordable route to Celadon over spending money on teleportation). Teleporting straight towards Celadon City proper to skip over the crowd was the first idea to come to her mind, but she backed out of the thought. Although nothing would stop her and her teammates from training within and around the city itself, the girl wished for proper traveling experience prior to challenging her first Gym, and as a result, her laid out course was greatly altered: She had chosen to go to Viridian City instead.

That would make Pewter's Gym a logical first target, and the more Janine thought of it, the more appealing the idea became. Viridian Forest had a troublesome reputation, with rumors of the despicable Bug Catcher gang and horror stories of the forest itself being haunted and driving trainers mad, but it would provide her with the experience she sought out. Perhaps more tempting was Pewter being the historical landmark of Indigo's entirety. Visiting the city was always high on her list of things she wanted to do in her travels, and with some satisfaction, she realized that there was little incentive to wait.

Janine attempted to avoid childish marveling, but as she and Bulbasaur walked through Viridian on their way to the Center, she soon found she could suppress herself no further. Sure, she had known what this city would look like, but being in it? Everything was different from back home, the buildings looked so cool up close, and the scenery was nothing like any environment she'd been in before. Beside her, Bulbasaur's wide eyes looked as though they were soaking up every image like a sponge.

"Quite the scene, is it not, Bulbasaur?" Janine took a moment to pause when she saw the Center in the near distance. Looking down at her starter, she felt at ease when he met her gaze without any visible hesitation. "This may only be a hint of how traveling will feel. We can get a good start in the forest at the rate we are going, right after Zubat gets checked."

Although Bulbasaur wasn't smiling, he was fairly relaxed, certainly the most he had been so far. The girl was beyond relieved knowing that she would be setting off on the road with her and her first partner having found some ground together, and looking at him now tempted her. After a moment or two of thought, she crouched down, careful to make sure that her movement was not too sudden. Now at even level with him, she studied his expression, which had not changed or tensed, before slowly reaching her hand out. She felt a flood of warmth in her chest when he did not resist her, allowing her hand to pat his head.

Her lips stretched, and she could have sworn she saw the faintest of grins forming across Bulbasaur's mouth. Standing back up, she let out a content breath, and gave the grass/poison type a nod.

"Let's get going, Bulbasaur."

/

Zubat's condition required little more than a short rest in the healing machines before he would be ready. Since Janine and Bulbasaur had already eaten back at Fuchsia, she opted for the waiting room instead of the cafeteria. Walking in, the pair noticed two other kids: One was a girl with dark tan skin and flashy hair that mixed red, blue, and purple. Wrapped in a ponytail, her hair resembled a spiral of colors. The other was a boy with light blonde hair cut so short it barely covered the scalp. With the two kids was a Charmander and Chikorita, and they seemed to be chatting like it was the most casual thing in the world. As she looked at them, images of the apprehensive looks and mutterings from Fuchsia passed through Janine's mind, and she consciously sat at the other side of the room.

"It is supposed to rain later today, according to the report." Janine made herself comfortable in one of the cushioned chairs while pulling out one of the books she had packed. "We don't have an umbrella big enough for a tent." inwardly, she cursed herself for the oversight. Father would be ashamed of her if he knew. "But the storm is not supposed to be heavy for too long, so a standard umbrella could do fine until it dies down into a drizzle. Are you okay with that?"

Her starter nodded. Light rain was hardly a problem for him.

"Then I guess that means we can proceed as planned," she hummed. Opening the book, she peeked down at her partner. "Nurse Joy said Zubat will only need roughly a half hour, so we won't be long. In the meantime, I figured I could get some reading in." as she spoke the words, she realized something. "Wait, I never told you, did I?" as Bulbasaur tilted his head, she closed the book and held it out to show him the cover. "I mentioned I was a reader, but what I love reading the most is warrior stories. Especially ones with mystery or a bit of fantasy involved. This is supposed to be the second of a series. It's about a young ninja warrior who was disgraced and exiled from her rotten homeland after being framed. While fleeing, she becomes caught up in a century-long conspiracy spanning the whole continent. She seeks challenges from other warriors while traveling between the upper-class cities to investigate their criminal underworld. The first is my favorite book, I have that packed as well. This sequel came out a few days ago, do you want me to read it to you?"

Bulbasaur looked at the cover for a moment before shaking his head politely. Janine's cheeks turned red for a moment before opening the book again to read it silently. "Heh, sorry. I guess I got a bit carried away. Let's make ourselves comfortable for now." A moment or two later, Bulbasaur caught her attention, suddenly jumping onto the chair next to hers and perching himself. She blinked in surprise, but relaxed as her hand patted his head, this time with a bit less hesitance.

No more words were exchanged after that, but the two felt each other's company as they sat together. It was probably the most comfortable silence they had shared all day, but it was broken a few minutes later.

The Charmander and Chikorita in the room had begun playing, the former chasing the latter around the room with giggles while their trainers watched. Charmander would catch up to Chikorita, pouncing on him from behind and resuming the chase after the grass type pushed him off. There was no hostility between either Pokemon, but after the third time, the fire type grew a bit too excited and spat out a ball of flame. Chikorita dodged, and the sudden noise alerted Janine, and Bulbasaur yelped as the small fireball was accidentally sent near them. Neither were in danger of being hit, but on reflex he defensively shot out some leaves to intercept the "attack".

"Charmer!" The girl with multi-colored hair called as she and the blonde boy shot out of their seats. She rushed over to the fire type, who had an embarrassed look on his face as his trainer knelt down next to him. "No moves in the building, you could've hurt somebody!"

The Charmander, or "Charmer" scratched his head with a mild frown, which Janine soon found reflected on her own face. The multicolor-haired girl was obviously right to lightly scold her partner in this scenario, but she felt the sudden need to chime in herself, just as reassurance.

"We're fine over here," she raised her voice politely. "It's okay; you're alright, aren't you Bulbasaur?" Beside her, her starter seemed mildly spooked by what just happened, but nodded, already seemingly getting over it. It was just a split second incident that nobody in the room was likely to remember a few days from now.

Rubbing the fire type's head, the other girl turned her gaze to Janine and Bulbasaur, and Janine braced herself for the look of recognition, admiration, confusion, or fear. The same collection of expressions everyone her age wore in her presence.

Instead, the other girl rose to her feet and approached them with an apologetic smile. "That's good to hear, girl. Sorry about my little buddy over there. Charmer's a playful one who loves his energy."

Janine blinked. The feeling of "bracing herself" froze in her stomach, static and motionless, before a mild feeling of dread began to stir in its place. Any minute now, this girl would recognize her. Her eyes would widen, and she would either start stammering, back away, or look at her in awe.

It took her a couple of seconds longer than she wished to get her response out, and when she did, the delivery of her words almost felt choppy, and her thoughts only told her one thing. 'Father would be ashamed of you.'

"Well…" she shifted under the other girl's gaze. "He is a fire type after all."

"That he is!" the multicolored-haired girl chipperly affirmed. As if by accident, she peered at the book in Janine's hands. "Oh! Labyrinth in Labell, my friend's reading that. How is it?" She sounded curious.

"Oh, I… just started, actually."

"Hmmm," the girl nodded, offering a hand. "I'm Jazzy, from right here in Viridian. Nice to meet you."

The realization in the back of Janine's mind slowly came to the forefront. 'She doesn't know who I am.'

A bit slower than she would have liked, she accepted the handshake. "Likewise. I'm Janine, from Fuchsia." Now Jazzy would know, and the tone of the conversation would shift.

But Jazzy's expression remained the same. As she gently shook Janine's hand, the blonde boy approached them, raising a carefree hand. Behind him, Charmer and Chikorita were playing again, this time more lightly. "I'm Mitch, from Blackthorn. Chikorita's my partner."

As Janine shifted in her seat, she could see Jazzy frowning. Beside her, Bulbasaur's eyes were on her shuffling legs.

"Hey Janine," gentle consideration laced Jazzy's voice. "Are you doing okay? If Charmer startled you then you can say it. I promise I won't be offended or anything."

"N-no!" Janine quickly raised her hands in defense. "Sorry about that. I've just had an active day."

Now that she thought about it, the "looks" seemed to have abruptly stopped when they got to Viridian: She had no longer felt the eyes of passersby on her and Bulbasaur on the way to the Center, or after getting inside.

"I understand," Mitch crossed his arms, nodding at her with a smooth smile. "It's been busy for me too. But I've had a lot of fun so far."

"Double!" Jazzy exclaimed. "I haven't even hit the road yet and I'm psyched already. Who cares about some silly forest rumors? I'm going in there tonight!"

A small grin hesitantly formed on Janine's lips. "I see you're not short on enthusiasm, Jazzy." As she spoke, she felt Butterfree in her stomach when she and Jazzy locked eyes.

They did not know who she was…

… No one here knew who she was.

"You don't know the half of it," Mitch giggled. Charmer and Chikorita came up from behind him, and next to Janine, Bulbasaur's head tilted when their eyes landed on him. "I ran into her almost the moment I got to Viridian."

"Speaking of running into…" Jazzy looked over the Fuchsia duo. "Are you and Bulbasaur with anyone else?"

Janine shook her head. "Nope, just us and a Zubat. He's being treated right now, and we're leaving for the forest after."

"Hmm…" the lively girl hummed before gripping her palm. "Would you like to come with us?"

The Fuchsia girl froze. The Butterfree in her stomach were in her chest now, too. "Wait, are you… sure?"

"Why not?" Mitch shrugged. "We're all going the same way, and rumors or not that forest would be easier to get through in a group."

"We're actually going with another girl," Jazzy added. "She was really relieved to not have to go through there alone. She's getting a bite with her Bulbasaur while Mitch's Pidgey heals up."

Janine stared at the two for a moment, and likely two or three. Just hours ago, everybody had looked at her like she was standing on a roof high above them. Like she had existed above their heads, never at eye level. These two were walking right up to her and looking her in the eye, chatting away like she was just another peer.

Because in their eyes, that was what she was. She was not the daughter of Koga, she was a girl from Fuchsia. And there was no reason to fear or admire her for that.

"Bulbasaur, what do you think?" as she looked at her starter, she found herself hoping he would say yes. Of course, she made sure not to word her question in a way that would make him feel pressured to. After a moment or two, Bulbasaur shrugged and nodded. The Butterfree in her stomach surged, but she delivered her words perfectly when looking back to Jazzy and Mitch. "Then I'm in. Thank you for the invite." she lowered her head, but raised it a bit more quickly than normal.

Jazzy beamed. "That's awesome! We'll just wait for Pidgey and your Zubat to be cleared before heading out. I'll go let Sarah know and-" she paused as she turned around. "Oh, speaking of!" she waved her hand in the air. "Yo, Sarah! Over here!"

A blonde girl had entered the room, flanked by another Bulbasaur. Jazzy's call immediately summoned their attention, and the two newcomers made their way over.

"We're finished eating," the blonde girl, Sarah, said as her Bulbasaur joined Charmer and Chikorita. "Who's this?"

Curiously, Janine's eyes quickly scanned Sarah's Bulbasaur: She was about the same height as hers, but her skin was a lighter shade, and the darker patches were much less noticeable, although she could still see them. She looked up at Sarah when she realized she was addressing her.

"Janine from Fuchsia," Mitch said. "She's decided to come with us into the forest."

For a brief second, Janine inwardly panicked. Even if these two did not know who she was, what if Sarah did?

The thought was forgotten as quickly as it came. Sarah simply shrugged and offered her a handshake. "Oh, cool. I'm Sarah, from Pallet. Although I was born here."

'Pallet' Janine repeated in her mind as she finally rose from her seat, accepting the blonde's handshake. That was where Professor Oak lived. An odd combination of backwater and notable.

Glancing to the side, Janine saw her Bulbasaur hop down from his seat, starting to converse with the other three Pokemon. The sight warmed her.

"It's a pleasure."

/

"Honestly Angelina, could you believe the nerve?" On the other side of the screen, an irate Sarah fiddled with her hair, a habit that she had picked up whenever she was aggravated.

With a sympathetic frown, Angelina suppressed a sigh, well used to her friend's quirks. Next to her, a Flaaffy munched on her second berry, her wool slightly unraveled from a training exercise.

The blue-haired girl nearly reached up to tug on her ponytail, as though Sarah's behavior was contagious, but managed not to. "I ran into a guy who sounds kind of similar to him, actually. Dressed weird, acted weird, obsessed with stones and digging and other rare items. Probably the same person; I doubt Indigo's big enough for two of him to coincidentally just… well, you know, exist."

"Well, let's hope it's big enough for neither of us to run into him again." Sarah pouted. "The last thing I need is to familiarize myself with some obnoxious looney whose brain is made of fossils."

The word "fossils" scrunched Angelina's nose in realization. "Actually… Now that you mention it, I probably will see him again. He said he was planning on joining the Grampa Canyon expedition, so just my luck."

Sarah's eyes lit up like the diamonds the weirdo guy in question was obsessed with. "Wait a minute! You mean it's like, official now? They let you in?"

A grin split across the blue-haired girl's lips and her hand rested atop Flaaffy's wool. The electric type's face was a bit messy with berry juice, but she barely seemed to mind. "Yup! I heard back from them the other week. Could barely sleep! Just became a trainer, and I'm already doing it!"

The excitement was hard to contain; ever since she had first started learning about Pokemon, the prehistoric world had been what attracted her eye the most. But starting soon, she would not have to settle for simply reading about them or looking at pictures. She'd be assisting in an actual expedition to dig them up!

Of course, her enthusiasm was no secret to her friends, either. "Omigosh, congratulations!" Sarah's hands gripped her chin, discussion of the annoying man long forgotten. "I hope you have fun!"

"You already know I'm planning too." Angelina nodded fondly. A moment later, her nose wrinkled, although Sarah didn't seem to notice as Flaaffy watched her trainer shuffle her feet. "I really owe a big thank you to Professor Oak too, for vouching for me and sharing my essay with the organizers. I thanked Gary for asking him."

"Teehee, I'm sure they didn't even need to read some essay if the Professor himself was recommending you to them." Sarah insisted. "Oh yeah, that big expedition thing is happening near Fuchsia, right? Where are you now?"

"I came out of Celadon, the route near Viridian Forest." Angelina giggled as Flaaffy climbed onto her lap. "I'm actually calling you from the Pokemon Center right by the bridge. Northwest of Fuchsia, over the water. It's the only safe way to get there."

"You said it," Sarah's face scrunched like whenever blood was shown in a movie. "Going through Fuchsia's wilds is like asking to be skewered. Gary could probably do it, but he's an anomaly."

"Speaking of Gary…" Angelina frowned. "Have you heard from him recently?"

"Hmmm?" Sarah hummed. "No, not since he got his second badge in Cerulean. I was with him there for a bit. You said you talked to him the other week when they approved you?"

"I did, but…" Angelina's brow wrinkled. "He wasn't the same."

"Really?" There was mild concern and confusion on the blonde girl's face. "What makes you say that?"

"You had to be there," Angelina scratched her cheek. "Something about him was… I could just tell, you know? He didn't act like it, but it felt like he was forcing himself to… be himself, or something."

"Maybe…" Sarah trailed off for a moment as she tried to collect her thoughts, before shrugging. "I dunno, maybe something stressful happened a bit before you called him. Do you know what he was doing?"

"He was at Benver's Lodging, that's a place just at Fuchsia's border."

"Well, maybe he was just on edge being there. I'm sure he's fine, though. It's Gary."

"Yeah…" Angelina bit her lip. As Sarah said, if any of them could handle Fuchsia, it would be him. "I guess I was just a bit caught off guard, but I'm sure whatever he's going through will blow over. Nothing ever slows him down."

"Got that right," Sarah snapped her fingers. "So, about the fossil thing. When does it start?"

"About two weeks from now," Angelina was grateful for the subject change. "I've got the time I need to get there." a nervous chuckle involuntarily escaped her throat. "Things have been going a bit rough on my end, but this will be a nice break. After that it's back to badges."

"How many do you have?"

"Two, from Cerulean and Celadon in that order."

"Heh, I got the same, but in the opposite order. Went through Viridian Forest with a couple of others to get to Celadon. We were aiming for Pewter, but…" she was tugging on her hair again. "Gah, I HATE that place! Whoever designed that forest deserves to be sued! It's a labyrinth of vegetation and dirt! Ugh, and those low lifes running around with their nets!"

Angelina didn't bother reminding her friend that nobody "designed" Viridian Forest, instead raising a hand to reassure her. Sarah paused mid-rant, cheeks glowing.

"It's fine, Sarah, I get you. That's why I've been avoiding that place like the plague." Flaaffy looked up at her trainer as the blue-haired girl sighed dejectedly. "Still… thinking about Gary and what he's been up to, I started in Cerulean and have pretty much exclusively been in the mid to midwest. Gary started in Pallet, and it's like he's been all over the place. Four badges already…"

Sarah offered a somewhat sad, but reassuring smile. "Don't think like that, Angelina. Again, it's Gary. We'll get nowhere comparing ourselves to him all the time." her fingers tickled her chin, and her features twitched. "Just keep going at that pace of yours, I'm sure you'll be fine. I mean, you certainly don't wanna end up like Ash Ketchum, right?"

Angelina was smiling back at first, but as her face evened out, her hands clenched, and Flaaffy shuffled in her lap. "No…" she said. "I do not."

/

It was the first of eight days before Koga's deadline, and with some thought Ash had decided he wanted to take the Gym Leader up on his Safari Zone challenge first. With a set time limit, he could not afford to prolong training being his sole focus.

It meant an early start to the day: he had risen just in time to catch Janine wrapping up her breakfast, and his friend chose to stay and speak with him while he ate his own. The mysterious storm had squashed their plans for yesterday, but both were ready to start from scratch. Janine was initially planning to take him back out to the city and pick up where they left off, but although Ash was looking forward to that, something had changed after the previous night. Thinking back to the lower levels of the mansion, he asked if Janine could show him around Shadowblood Village first, before he left for the Safari Zone, and she gladly agreed.

With Pikachu, Valiant and Glaceon tagging along, the better part of Ash's morning was spent exploring the village top to bottom as Janine led the way, starting with the training grounds. Janine had described it as "state of the art", but he wasn't sure how to picture it and set his expectations going in.

Needless to say, he was floored by what he saw. He knew before arrival that Phenom and Tempest would be hungry to set foot here (and if he had brought them, they likely would have cut the tour short by diving straight in), but he quickly found himself sharing in the excitement that he knew they would soon feel.

In addition to the dojo and battlefield, there were facilities tailor made for both Pokemon and people. One standout was a large pool that, according to Janine, housed different mechanisms such as making the water surge like rough ocean waves, or summoning terrain and obstacles. Ash could immediately picture Tempest practicing Surf here, and the thought excited him. Evolving had inevitably strengthened his water control, and brought the crab one step closer to comfortably using the move, and a body of water specifically designed for training was the picture perfect chance to take practicing to the next level.

There was also an arena designed for flying Pokemon, with its own set of obstacles, hazards, and aerial targets. A rock climbing wall, an obstacle course with alternate settings, and as much space as was reasonably needed. Ash was grinning ear to ear by the time they left, and Janine just knew he was fantasizing about the next week's worth of training.

He was hardly the only one; Pikachu's breath had been taken away upon seeing the climbing wall and obstacle course, and for a brief moment, the mouse appeared as innocently infantile as Phenom as a hatchling when gasping at the sight. His face had turned crimson when he realized Glaceon was seeing him acting this way, but the ice type was more focused on the course herself, even if her fixation was a lot more calm and less giddy.

Briefly, they were shown the agricultural area where vegetables and fruits were grown, and where the Miltank and Tauros resided. The village had its own library and archive which Janine spoke of spending a lot of time in. Along the way, they were also quickly introduced to a few other clan members they had passed by.

The final stop was the museum. It had a very old fashioned-esque design, but not in a way that felt outdated or worn, and the inside of the building elicited a similar vibe. Pikachu climbed to his shoulder as the group stopped just past the entrance, surprised to see Akira, his signature black ponytail as present as ever.

Quickly, Janine pressed her hands together and lowered her head, an action that Valiant copied. "Forgive me if we are intruding, cousin."

"You're not," he reassured. "I was simply doing a routine check." Ash stiffened under the man's gaze, but found it only lasted for a moment, not lingering as he spoke. "Have you been enjoying yourself, Mr. Ketchum?"

"Yes," Ash nodded, being sure to make eye contact. "Janine's been showing us around the village, it's really nice here."

"And I already know what his favorite place is." he could feel his face warming as her eyes moved to look at him.

Akira must have understood, if his chuckle was anything to go by. "That is good to know. So, are you showing him just the museum, or its contents…"

"Hm…" Janine's lips pressed together, an odd uncertainty on her face as she turned her head to Ash.

"It would probably be best if you heard the story at the museum. The full story. There is… a lot."

He remembered what she had said to him yesterday, when telling him about her ancestor. Gwyniff Kyo…

"Are you talking about the history of your clan?" he looked back at Akira, who, despite his now crossed arms, hardly appeared standoffish, simply nodding in affirmation.

"It would not be a problem, of course." the black-haired man elaborated. "Our story is not a closely guarded secret; you'd find it in the history books just like any other."

Janine was studying Ash's face, and he thought back to the previous day. His conversation with Ruunia, and mentioning the Kanto Unification War, and the time he and Janine had spent in the lower levels of the mansion, looking at the painting of Gwyniff and the replica of her mask. Not to mention everything he had seen this morning…

'This is her ancestry.' he told himself, before nodding at her. "I'd like to hear about it."

She blinked for a moment, but nodded without contest. "Okay."

"Mind if I join you?" Akira asked, to which neither objected.

Janine took the lead next to her cousin as the pair led Ash and his team through the museum halls. One of the pictures on the walls he recognized: The bulky, oval-shaped tree with branches that resembled spikes. He and Janine had spotted it just before the chaos with the Scarfists had happened. Another picture clearly detailed a battle in a war.

The group stopped in a room about halfway across the museum, their attention on a new picture: It was of Gwyniff Kyo, but this time she was wearing Shadowblood's mask. Flanked by a black-clad man kneeling on either side, she carried a blade pointed against the ground, similar to the picture Janine had shown Ash the previous day. With her mask on, she looked like a human warrior with the face and head of a crowned serpent.

"To start from the beginning," Akira began, briefly turning to Ash and his team. "Do you know who this is?"

"Gwyniff Kyo," Ash nodded, briefly looking at Janine as though to refresh his memory of yesterday. "She was the first leader of your clan. She led during the Unification War, right?"

Akira nodded, looking back to the painting. Pikachu and Valiant moved closer, the former climbing to Janine's shoulder, while Glaceon stayed at Ash's side. "Gwyniff is the most important person in our family tree, alongside her granddaughter Maya, who we will speak of later. She was a major player throughout the entirety of the war, and one of the greatest warriors and minds in Indigo's history." His voice and expression were neutral, stating simple facts. "And her heart was made of black ice, assuming she even had one."

Ash's own heart nearly skipped a beat in surprise, with how readily Akira had said such a thing.

"She founded our clan as a tribe of assassins," Janine turned back to him, and her expression almost resembled a frown. "Shortly before the war. And they were personally at the service of Mutiny King Travash. After he usurped Fuchsia and began his Kanto-wide rampage, our clan, our family… they were his own personal assassins. Lurking in the shadows, and…"

"Striking," Akira continued for her after she paused. His arms were crossed now. "We were always at our best operating in the shadows. Assassinations, abductions, interrogation, execution, and a long list of war crimes. All were done in Travash's malevolent name, during the most chaotic and violent period of Kanto's history." he looked back at Ash as Janine wordlessly patted Pikachu's head. "You know of Albert Seiza, the young man who would later become the first Champion, I imagine?"

Ash nodded. He could feel a tingle in his spine. "He was a Fuchsia native in training to be a Church guard, and his mother served the priestess. He fled across the Region when Travash usurped Fuchsia and ended up in Pewter seeking refuge." As if by accident, his mind went back to what Janine had told him all the way back in Celadon's museum, briefly locking eyes with her as they turned their heads to one another in tandem. "He was just looking for shelter, but after planting a tree and giving them an agriculture breakthrough, they began looking up to him. And then he led them in the war. They pushed the Fuchsia forces back to their city and defeated them in a siege. After that, Mew came down and blessed him, and the entire Region united behind him as their Champion. That's how the Indigo League was formed, right?"

He remembered telling Pikachu a version of this story to pass the time back in Viridian Forest (although he perhaps hadn't done a very good job telling it back then), but giving the summary now made it feel like he was back in school, sharing with the class. He liked to think that it came out better than his classroom presentations, though.

"You at least know the bare basics then," Akira nodded in approval before turning back to the picture. "Albert Seiza and his lieutenant, the fabled to be borderline superhuman Pewter girl, Asawn Nobli led the Pewter army as you said. Every territory and standing army in Kanto was involved, the war was a catastrophe of violence and opportunism, but today the main conflict is recognized as Pewter vs Fuchsia. Gwyniff, our ancestor, was Travash's right hand, and the one who led the tribe of assassins at his behest."

He paused for a moment, before gesturing for the group to follow him. They stopped in front of a new picture: A large man with a blue mane and a yellow robe that exposed his muscular chest. In one hand on the left he held a bladed lance, while an ax rested next to his right side. A Gyarados with blazing red eyes loomed behind him. Ash wasn't surprised to see that the plaque read "Mutiny King Travash".

"Indigo was always chaotic before the League was founded," Akira explained. "There was no such thing as peace, no such thing as unity. And there damn sure was no such thing as order. There was always fighting. Meaningless bloodshed to satisfy the egos of whoever was in charge, trying to expand their territories, only to be met with either retaliation or another party entering the fray. There was no higher power, and thus everything went unchecked. Every territory and leader for themselves, and that's not even considering the infighting." Akira looked back to meet Ash's eyes, and Valiant briefly looked between the black-haired man and Janine. "Team Rocket's goal is to destroy the League and revert the land back to that time. They believe chaos is the true nature of human and Pokemon kind, and that the League is a hegemony that suppresses what the land was always meant to be. Not a necessary force to keep everything under control and prevent senseless violence and dispute."

"You're saying…" Ash moved aside to let Glaceon get closer to the picture. The ice type was gazing at it with great curiosity as the conversation continued. "They thought it was better back then…?"

"Who knows what they think?" Janine tried to suppress the bitterness in her tone. "It's a delusional ideology. Civilization has evolved; we're not primitive anymore. But the Rockets are anarchists, they defy Mew's will by trying to destroy the League founded with his blessing."

"But back to the subject," Akira gestured for them to follow him once again, with Valiant returning to Ash's side while Pikachu remained perched on Janine's shoulder. Glaceon walked next to her. "Travash's actions sparked our land's bloodiest period of all time, an era that represented every horrible thing that Kanto was before being united under the Indigo League. And under Gwyniff's leadership, our clan perpetuated it. We were the enemy of everything Indigo now represents." Feeling something cold near his chest, Ash looked at Janine. Her face was unreadable, and Akira continued. "That's the truth, Mr. Ketchum. Our bloodline is a legacy of sin. Everybody born into our family inherits Gwyniff's tainted name." His voice almost sounded heavier, but his words were spoken with the practice of a man who had been raised off of this knowledge.

Ash pressed his lips together, and the group stopped in front of another picture of Gwyniff. She still wore her mask, standing on a large Arbok at a ledge overlooking a group of charging shoulders with her sword thrust out. Above them was a Gengar, holding up a large ball of bluish-white flame by his fingertips.

"So, your ancestors were the bad guys." It was a thought that had crossed Ash's mind when talking with Ruunia - it was the only way it made sense, given Fuchsia's role in the war. Being told outright made it feel real, however.

Janine's downcast expression was like an injection of guilt for him, and what he had just said out loud. As Akira placed a hand on her free shoulder, Pikachu, still perched on the other shoulder, nuzzled Janine's cheek, earning a smile and a rub under his chin.

"No gentler way to say it," Akira confessed. "We are all raised with the knowledge of our bloodstained legacy, and are obligated to never take it lightly." he removed his hand. "But we will get to that. As for the war, the Kyo Clan - our clan, committed unspeakable acts in the name of Travash's rampage of conquest. Gwyniff's creativity was applied to drawing out battle plans, and she saw the front lines no shortage of times. She was a fantastic general, known not by her birth name, but as "Shadowblood". To every enemy on the battlefield, and indeed even many at her own command, her real face was unseen. The mask was her face. Any paintings of her true appearance were made after she died, post war."

"However," he continued. "The true depths of Shadowblood's creativity took form in cruelty. She was the mind behind many closely guarded techniques and secrets that, even among our family, remain selectively passed on today. Traps, mindgames, poisoning of water supply, invasion tactics, espionage, assassination and efficient methods to kill, torture, interrogation and execution tactics. You're too young to know the details, so I'll leave it at that." He took a breath. "All of this was put to use in the war effort, and it helped to make Fuchsia the bane of an entire Region before falling to Pewter."

"I can't imagine having that kind of ancestry." Valiant's voice projected into Ash's mind.

"A moment, Akira." Janine spoke up, and with her cousin's silent approval, turned back to Ash. Pikachu stayed on her shoulder, as comfortable as he always was on his own. She was equally content with the mouse's presence, but her face was back to being hard to read. "Do you still want to continue, Ash?"

"...If you're comfortable with that," he said after a moment. He had half expected looking at her to dissuade him. But oddly, it made him want to know more.

A flash of surprise passed over the girl's face. "You mean that…" Her expression settled, and almost abruptly, the girl appeared stoic and focused when she looked back to Akira. "Apologies, you can go on."

Nodding, he led the group back into the hallway. Wherever they were going, he did not wait to get there to continue talking. "The war was very eventful, but for this story, what mostly matters is how it ended. Pewter defeated Fuchsia in the final battle, taking the city in a siege. Travash went mad upon being cornered, setting his own turf ablaze, but Albert defeated him. As for Shadowblood, her husband Robell Sennfence fell to enemy swords in the battle. Rumors say this was the one time she showed vulnerability and anguish, or let her emotions get the better of her. If true, this is what cost her, and she would die to Asawn, who snapped her neck with her bare hands. And that was how her life ended: There was no last stand or blaze of glory, she merely dropped dead on the battlefield."

Ash tried to picture the image Akira was narrating, but decided he would rather not. The thought of humans fighting each other just as much as their own Pokemon was such an alien thought, and of all the ways to kill someone…

It was such a different time, and he was grateful to not have lived in it.

"After killing Shadowblood, Asawn removed her mask and became the first enemy combatant to see Gwyniff Kyo's face." Akira continued. "The illusion was broken, and died with her. Asawn and Albert would keep the mask at the Indigo Plateau, as a souvenir of war. But that brings us to the aftermath."

"Albert becoming Champion?" Ash asked.

"Yes," Akira answered. "After Pewter's great victory, Albert received a calling from the Guardian Mew himself, instructing him to take his allies and journey to the Indigo Plateau, beyond Pewter where they had come from. After reaching the Plateau, Mew descended upon the land in the flesh, and blessed Albert, naming him Champion. The crest of Mew, the glowing spiraling tail that would become the Indigo League's emblem, was forever tattooed to Albert's chest as proof."

"Mew's wish was to end the bloodshed," Janine looked back at Ash, expression more tranquill, but still stoic. "He's watched over our land since the beginning, but this was his ultimate act of protection. He freed Kanto of the chaos and war by decreeing a worthy power for all of the territories to unite behind. Like curing a disease."

"Almost everyone in Kanto worships Mew," Ash commented as they entered the room Akira had been leading them towards. "If they all knew Albert had been crowned by him to rule the Region, almost nobody would go against it, right?"

"Exactly," Akira nodded in approval. "To everyone in Kanto, from peasant to noble, Albert Seiza was not a powerful leader, he was a chosen one. To oppose his rule or Kanto's unification would be heresy. As word spread, everything stopped almost overnight. Pewter named the new order the Indigo League, and for the first time Kanto was united. Under the leadership of Albert and his eventual successor, the newly connected civilization would slowly transition into a meritocracy, where power was decided by competition, capability and moral integrity."

Akira's summary sounded to Ash like a more overall detailed form of what he had learned in school. And to think it was still only an abridged version.

"Kanto prospered, and the Region soon enjoyed peace alien to everything that had once been," Akira continued. Just like the war itself, it would require a whole different lecture to explain everything in necessary detail, so we will leave it at that. As for the Kyo Clan, however… what remained of us had gone into hiding. Gwyniff was not our only casualty; all powerful people in the clan had been killed in the war. We were forced to flee into the shadows, a prison to our own hiding place. It was not an undeserved fate, but our fate was not sealed either. Can you guess why, Mr. Ketchum?"

When Akira turned back to him, Ash once more felt like a kid in a classroom. One of the banes of his existence had been a teacher abruptly calling on him to answer a question he did not know, either because his attention had drifted or he simply could not figure it out.

'I'm not failing this pop quiz.' The deja vu lit an odd fire in him as he thought over the story so far. Gwyniff "Shadowblood" Kyo, Janine's ancestor and first leader of the clan, serving under Travash, the biggest villain in Indigo's history books. The clan was on the losing team, and forced to go into hiding after Fuchsia lost the war. But they have been thriving for generations up to today, so they obviously bounced back because…

"You said Gwyniff had a husband who died like her," he answered. "And Janine and Leader Koga are like their great great great grandchildren or something." however many "greats" covered four centuries. "So they must have already had a kid before they were killed."

"Correct, two kids," Akira answered. "One son and one daughter, and we're descended from the latter. They were only children when the war ended, and were raised in isolation by the surviving clan members. The daughter would go on to have two twins, Gwyniff's grandchildren, a son named Kirkell and a daughter named Maya, both with very conflicting views on how to save our struggling clan." he led them to a picture, and Ash's chest felt cold.

A young man was collapsed against the table he was sitting at. It looked like blood was leaking over his mouth. A young woman stood beside him, her periwinkle colored hair partially hidden by the hood she wore over her head. She seemed saddened, pressing her hands together as though to give a prayer.

"This picture," Akira briefly placed a hand on a stiff Janine's shoulder. "Depicts the final sin committed by our family. Maya Kyo was as reserved as her grandmother, but she did not share Gwyniff's nature otherwise. Being raised in isolation, by a woman who was also raised in isolation, within a struggling, dying clan paying for the atrocities of their predecessors, filled her heart with nothing but pain and remorse. But for as quiet and saddened as she was known to be, her demeanor veiled her determination, one that her older twin Kirkell Kyo fatally overlooked."

"She…" Ash paused for a second while returning his eyes to the disturbing painting. "...Killed him?"

"Not for the reason you think," Janine quickly chimed in. "Maya loved her brother as much as any person was capable of feeling, but…"

"Kirkell was equally affected by the circumstances of their dwindling clan," Akira took over. "But in the opposite way. The Kyo Clan were rightfully recognized by the League as an unforgivable evil. Hiding in obscurity, isolated from the outside world, was the only thing that could save them from being hunted down. But that merely delayed the inevitable. Every generation would be more impoverished than the next, until our family and the clan they lead would eventually become extinct. Maya knew of this, and she also knew that such a fate was karma not unearned. Karma for the crimes of the first generation, who countless had suffered and died at the hands of. She was saddened by the fate she and her people now suffered from in turn, remorseful for all of the evil those before them had committed, and equally determined to make everything right. She swore to seek atonement, which would be her life's work."

"But Kirkell…" Janine rubbed her arm, which Pikachu stared at from his position on her shoulder. "He was angry. Resentful. Bitter. He did not see the actions of Shadowblood's generation as wrongdoings that needed to be made up for, nor did he see… his generation's suffering as a cautionary tale about the consequences. In his mind, he and his people were suffering, and that was all there was to say. It was the Indigo League's fault that they were forced to live in solitude, with limited resources for food and medicine, succumbing to hunger and sickness in the shadows while the outside world thrived under the League's leadership, which had been formed over the dead bodies of their predecessors and their followers."

"Kirkell was a gifted young man, while Maya was a young woman of hidden potential." Akira picked up. "Had he been born in more fortunate times, he would have been an excellent leader who would have taken our clan to new heights still. Unfortunately, he did not have the insight of his twin. Though he had no shortage of love for his people, Maya had all of that along with empathy for those outside. Those who correctly saw them as monsters, were physically or mentally hurt, or even killed because of them. A person like that was what the Kyo Clan needed in this crisis, not Kirkell."

"The siblings had an immeasurable bond," he continued. "But opposite views on their current situation. Maya wished to seek redemption and clean the blood off of her family's name. Atone for their sins so that the people she loved could stop living in hiding, no longer suffer, and their victims could rest in peace. Kirkell resented the very concept of the thought. Why should his family seek peace with the people who had ruined them, and that they now had to hide from? He did not want the League's forgiveness, he wanted revenge on them. He wished for their clan to remain in hiding, for however many generations it took, until they were finally strong enough to strike back and deliver unto the League the destruction that they were being threatened with."

"But you said the Clan would deteriorate every generation if they stayed in hiding." Ash observed. "If they stayed isolated they would just keep starving and getting sick until they all died out." He realized where this was going.

"Exactly," though he did not show it, Akira was pleased that the boy had been paying attention. "Kirkell was blind. His vengeful desires were a delusion, not an ambition. And his commitment would bring more suffering and eventual extinction to his people. It was a misguided aim to bring justice to them that would only bring doom, and the sins of the past would remain unatoned. The Kyo clan would die out as a justly reviled entity of evil, that perished after many years on life support. Forever hated, forever extinct. That would be their fate, and Maya was determined to prevent it. Unfortunately, Kirkell remained blinded by the festering hatred in his heart. No matter how much the two twins loved each other, not even their bond could sway either from their beliefs. Maya did not stop opposing Kirkell's needless vendetta against the Indigo League, and Kirkell refused to listen to her never ending imploration."

Akira took a pause, as if building towards what he was going to say next. "His stubbornness forced his sister out of her shell."

Ash's back was cold again. "She assassinated him."

"As pictured." Akira gestured to the painting once more. Ash would rather not have looked at it again, but he did. "It was such a simple deed for something so heavy, because he never saw it coming."

"He collapsed onto the table," Janine felt as small as Pikachu gazing at the disturbing painting. "While she prayed for him. And that was the end."

"According to Maya's journal," Akira said. "She would spend the rest of her life praying for forgiveness for what she did to him. Every night. Regardless, the deed was not even the first step. She was just putting on her shoes to make that first step."

"So… how did she reach out to the League?" Ash asked as Valiant moved away from him to stand next to Glaceon. He could see Pikachu frowning; it was probably because of the picture, yet the mouse seemed insistent to keep looking at it.

"Behind you, my friend." Still perched on Janine's shoulder, Pikachu's locked gaze was forced away from the picture when she turned around. Ash turned around as well, and was greeted with another painting. This was of the same woman, with her hood now down, kneeling before a shorter woman flanked by two people on either side. Behind Maya were two guards holding swords against her throat, and her wrists were shackled behind her back. "That shorter woman in the middle is the Champion of the time, and the Elite Four."

"Maya Kyo turned herself in," Akira narrated. "She journeyed to the Indigo Plateau, announced who she was, and requested her own arrest. The only thing she asked in return for her cooperation was an audience with the Indigo High Council - that's what the Champion and Elite Four are collectively referred to as, not a term as commonly known or used in the modern day, but still recognized as the official term."

"Hmmm…" Ash hummed, crossing his arms as he studied the picture. It wasn't as upsetting to look at as the painting of Kirkell's death. "So… are you saying she swore fealty to the League?"

"Indeed she did, and it was her words that saved the Clan." Akira spoke. "The plaque reads: "For every one undeserving victim of my Clan's deeds, a thousand wicked will know the same.""

"The clan never stopped being a clan of warriors," Janine reminded, offering Pikachu a nuzzle that was quickly returned. "And Gwyniff's closely guarded secrets were still in possession of whoever sat at the head of the table. Maya, in this case. She promised all of this to the League."

"The Kyo Clan's service," Akira elaborated. "Every cruel method that was practiced by their people, and every fraction of talent and intelligence they were equipped with. It would all be used in service to the Indigo League, forevermore. To oppose evil, rather than commit evil, all in the name of the peace, prosperity and order that had been achieved in Kanto under Indigo's rule. Maya swore this on Mew's crest: The Kyo Clan would serve the League without compromise."

"Swearing on Mew's crest is a sacred oath," Janine continued, eyes on the plaque. "It's the greatest of all contracts. Break it, and you defy the Guardian of our land, whom the Indigo League had been formed to rule in the name of."

"Wow," Ash looked more closely at Maya's face, or at least tried too. Her head was down. It was all just an abridged story, shrunk down to the beats, and yet he already knew that this woman was among the most devoted individuals to ever walk Indigo's soil. And judging by where the Kyo Clan stood now, she had left an eternal mark on history.

"Decades later," Akira resumed talking. "Maya was on her deathbed. Hearing of her impending fate, the current Champion of the time visited the Kyo Clan to see her, and he came with a gift. More specifically, he came to return something. Can you guess what it was?"

Ash thought about it for a moment, reviewing the story, and doing his best to consider the details. "Oh! At the end of the Unification War, Elite Four Asawn confiscated Shadowblood's mask after killing Gwyniff, right?"

The tiniest of smiles appeared on Akira's face, brief enough that Ash missed it. "And it had been kept at the Indigo Plateau ever since. Property of the League. A trophy earned by slaying the enemy. But the Kyo Clan was not the enemy anymore. So the Champion returned the mask to the descendants of its owner. In bed, the now elderly Maya held it in her hands for the first and only time in her life, not even two days before passing on. She had dedicated her life to atoning for the sins of her grandmother and her followers, and now, at the end of her life, with her clan out of hiding, and working for the League as a branch of justice, she held the face of those sins. According to her journal, it was the clearest her conscience had ever been. Afterwards, she would die in peace."

"And the mask is an heirloom now, right?" Ash looked at Janine.

"A very sacred one," she confirmed. "Only the leader is allowed to touch it."

"Because Gwyniff herself allowed nobody else to handle it," Akira nodded. "Our family would go on to become the leaders of Fuchsia, with the current head of the family acting as Gym Leader. Overtime, the Johto Region, Orange Islands, and Sevii Islands would join Kanto under the Indigo League's banner. And to this day, under Koga's leadership, we continue Maya's mission: to atone for the first generation and transform Gwyniff's ways into a weapon we wield to protect Indigo's population and peace from evildoers." he looked back to Ash. "Like Team Rocket. And Scarfist Company."

Ash returned his gaze for a moment before his eyes fell on Janine, who spared him a glance before looking at the picture. He did as well, taking in Maya's form, and everything that had come of it.

'People like Team Rocket.' A hundred images that Ash wished not to see played in his memories. With people like that, could it be that people like Koga - whatever it was that they did in Indigo's name - really were necessary?

/

As the group exited the museum, they were met with an approaching Len and Toxicroak.

"Good morning, Len." Janine raised her hand to the older brown-haired boy, who nodded to her and returned the gesture before his gray eyes turned to Akira, and he and Toxicroak kneeled.

"Sensei, I was told to meet you here."

"You were," Akira affirmed. "And with Mr. Ketchum already here, that gives us one less thing to do."

"Huh?" Ash looked at the man curiously. "What do you mean?"

"You were planning to go to the Safari Zone today, correct?" Akira answered. "Len is going to be escorting you, for an assignment of his own that I have given him. You remember what you are to do, correct?" he asked, turning back to his student.

"Yes, sensei." Len and Toxicroak rose to full height, and his gaze landed on Ash. "Are you ready to go?"

"I will be soon," Ash nodded. "I was told I was only allowed to use one Pokemon while in the Safari Zone."

"So you need to decide first?" Janine asked.

But Ash shook his head. "No, we actually talked that over before bed last night.'" He looked to his currently present team members, and Pikachu, Valiant, and Glaceon all nodded back. "He's not here right now, though. I just need to go fetch him. The others agreed to stay here so they don't have to spend hours in their Poke Balls. What are your plans, by the way?"

"I'm going out in the city with aunt Aya for lunch," Janine looked the most relaxed she'd been all morning. "In fact, I'll need to get ready to leave myself."

Still on her shoulder, Pikachu raised a paw, saying something that Ash naturally didn't understand literally, but nonetheless understood.

"You want to go with her, Pikachu?" Ash took a look at Valiant, who was making a gesture of his own. "And you too?" the Kirlia nodded.

Janine smiled, earning a pleasant hum in her ear as she rubbed under Pikachu's chin. "I'll take care of them both while you're gone."

"I know you will," Ash smiled back.

With that sorted out, the purple-haired girl turned and got ready to make her leave. "I'll be heading back then, she should be ready soon. Come on, you guys." Valiant began to follow her, while Pikachu stayed perched on her shoulder. "Looking forward to meeting whoever you catch, Ash."

The fact she was so certain he'd catch something was enough encouragement for Ash on its own. "I'll get ready right away," he turned to Len and Toxicroak. Behind them, Akira also excused himself, heading to the Gym. "Just need to grab my chosen teammate and we'll be good to go."

Len nodded, his face neutral. "Understood, Mr. Ketchum."

With a blink, Ash felt the slightest shade of red on his cheeks. "You uh, you can call me Ash, if that's okay."

Len did not shrug, or change his expression. He simply said "Very well, Ash."

"Alright…" Ash nodded to his last remaining team member still present. "Come on Glaceon." The ice type trotted after her trainer while Len and Toxicroak followed from behind.

/

Koga was sitting in the Gym's conference room signing a paper when Akira walked in. Aya was sitting near her older brother while a couple of other Gym workers went about their business.

"Sir," Akira sat across from Aya after reaching the pair. "Len and Ketchum are on their way to the Safari Zone as we speak. As instructed, Len will be taking notes and observing him. And I will be grading Len's observations."

"Good." Koga set his pen down atop the paper he had just finished signing.

The Safari Zone was not only a popular attraction for trainers and civilians, but also played an important role in the protection and regulation of foreign Pokemon in the wild. Not unlike the Oak Corral (albeit existing for a very different purpose), it was a massive facility designed to emulate a variety of natural habitats, sometimes even down to the weather. Grasslands, wetlands, forests, rocky landscapes, and even snow. It was a protected, man-made environment that nonetheless gave Pokemon the life of the wild, blissfully shielded from plagues such as pollution and poaching. Although foreign and endangered species were hardly the only Pokemon kept in the facility, it was the perfect shield for them, and was taken advantage of as such.

People loved visiting the Safari Zone. It took special permission and approval to be allowed to enter the wilds of the zone and play the "Safari Game", but anybody paying could have free access to the variety of closed off sections that allowed them to observe the Pokemon from a distance, or even up close via use of the devices, without any of the Pokemon being the wiser, their peace undisturbed.

Of course, the Safari Game was a well coveted and popular attraction in its own right. With a limited supply of Safari Balls and only one team member for protection, trainers could go out into the zone itself and attempt to make catches. The true twist being that battling was only allowed as a last resort, for protection and nothing else. Captures were to be made unconventionally, and Safari Balls lacked the durability of regular Poke Balls: if a Pokemon forced its way out, the chances of the Safari Ball breaking were fairly high.

It was a very difficult task that promised attractive rewards for those who did well. Most importantly, it forced trainers to think differently, backed into a corner where their way of thinking was put to the test.

Len's report on Ash Ketchum's performance and behaviors in the Safari Game would prove very useful. Akira himself had proposed that Len be the one to evaluate the boy, as it was an assignment he had not yet undertaken. With Akira grading Len's ability to observe the actions, thought process and capabilities of a trainer, two birds would be killed with one stone today. Offering Ketchum the TM as a reward was simply a means to lure him to the Safari Zone, and as expected, the young rookie was none the wiser.

"Any additional accounts on the storm?" Akira asked.

"We've received more reports recently this morning," Aya answered. "The northeast side of the city received the worst of it, but the northwest also got hit harder than we initially believed." she bit her lip. "And on the ocean, the storm regained strength just in time to reach the Sevii Islands."

Akira's face lost some of its color. "And what happened there?"

"It thankfully was not a direct hit," Koga answered. "For the most part. Elite Four Lorelei is following the news with a microscope; had it not been for her prior commitment to the S.S. Anne event, she would be there now." even with that, she'd likely have canceled her role in the event entirely. Unfortunately, the new security measures currently being built prevented that from being an option for her. She was vital to overseeing them, after all. "I imagine she'll be taking an absence to the Sevii Islands the moment it is finished. As for the storm itself…" his brow wrinkled. "It is still a mystery, although more reports were promised to come in throughout the week. We know no more about it than we did last night, so unfortunately, nothing can be done for now…"

His sister didn't hide the bewilderment in her disturbed frown when looking back at him. There was a gnawing in his chest when their eyes met. A strong thunderstorm simply popping into thin air, with no logical or scientific explanations for it even existing. Many Pokemon could control the weather, but this was something different, as though the weather had just manifested.

"I see…" Akira trailed off for a moment before placing a folder in front of the Gym Leader. "Well, we thankfully have better news elsewhere. On my way here, I was given this report from Ecruteak Gym, and they have confirmed that Scarfist Company has been dealt with. Their hideout raided and cleansed without a trace."

Koga took the folder and quickly opened it. It was pleasing that Leader Morty had reacted as quickly as he had, and although the mysterious storm would not be leaving the back of his mind anytime soon, it certainly wouldn't hurt to have something else in the front. "That is indeed good news, and it's fortunate that they were able to strike before the rest of the gang grew suspicious over not hearing from Caesar or the others. Morty does not disappoint whenever a matter is urgent."

"Thinking of that…" Akira crossed his arms. "I suppose we can call it luck that the Scarfists set up there and not… well, in Cerulean."

Koga shook his head with a breath. "Cerulean being as tame as it is is the only reason the three sisters even have their positions." Erika's problem was that she lacked the emotional durability to properly carry out her duties in stressful times like the attack on Celadon, and the murder of Leader Wade by the Rocket Executive Silver had forced Whitney into a position that she needed more time to properly grow into. The sisters, on the other hand, had nothing but proficiency in battle to qualify for such a crucial and prestigious duty.

On the other side, his sister sighed. "Honestly, those three might be the worst Gym Leaders around."

But Koga shook his head again. "No, that's Blaine. His seniority is only the reason he gets away with his disgraceful conduct." if almost any other Gym Leader operated the way Blaine did, they would have deservingly been stripped ages ago. Koga himself was not above the old fire master's methods, but there was no purpose behind any of the things the Cinnabar Gym Leader did; he was simply a bitter man using his power and authority to lash out, wanting his challengers to be miserable. It was an insult to everything a Gym Leader was supposed to be. Not even the sisters were guilty of that.

Aya was about to say something else before checking her watch and perking up. "Oh! I need to get ready, Janine's going to wonder where I am." standing up she took one last look at her brother. "Keep me posted, okay?"

"You already know I will." Koga answered.

/

"With my special permission, you will be permitted entrance. If you can make one visit with no prior experience going in, come out with an additional Pokemon, and prevail in my Gym, I will give you a TM of great value to a trainer such as myself."

Instead of heading to the Safari Zone on foot, they were being transported in a shuttle. As Len said, Ash would have plenty of walking to do after entering the zone proper, so it was best to save his legs for then.

Ash sat across from Len and Toxicroak as the older boy finished reviewing the rules of the Safari Game.

"You'll be given a backpack separate from your own, that will also have storage technology, and a variety of bait and some tools that you can use whatever way you wish. Thirty Safari Balls will be your supplied arsenal; if you successfully catch a Pokemon that doesn't break out, once they're locked, you will not be able to open them to release the Pokemon. That process will be left to the staff, and the Pokemon will be transferred to a standard Poke Ball." the older boy summarized. "Once you are done, you will be given back your belongings, and will return anything left over from the game, no matter how big or small. No souvenirs. As a final reminder, the singular Pokemon you bring to accompany you is only for protection, and fighting is not permitted unless deemed a necessity for safety."

At that, Ash stole a glance at Tempest, who sat beside him. Shortly after boarding the shuttle, the large crab had been quick to lay his eyes on Len's Toxicroak, only for Ash to tap him on the back and silently mouth "not today".

"Do you need me to explain anything else?" Len asked, opening his backpack.

"No," Ash shook his head. "But thank you." he had already made sure to go over the rules the previous night when discussing things with his team, and Len's own explanation had provided the refresher he needed.

"Here," Len pulled out a package and tossed it to the younger boy. Catching it, Ash saw that it was a sandwich, but not the typical everyday sandwich he was used to having on the road. It was high quality bread, with cheese, lettuce and meat to go along with it. It was also roughly twice the size of he usually imagined. "You're going to be in there for hours, so have something to eat on the way. We will be returning to the mansion by dinner. I have food for your Kingler as well."

Ash thanked Len again, although he did not answer. Biting into the sandwich, it definitely wasn't road food; he was so used to sandwiches being "the easy lunch". For a few moments, he and Tempest ate in silence, the only noises being the sound of the shuttle traversing the road outside while Len and Toxicroak sat across from them. The brown-haired boy's head was slightly lowered, his eyes closed and his arms crossed. His position seemed rehearsed, as though he had sat in this exact same manner hundreds of times before. Next to him, Toxicroak emulated his trainer's sitting position right down to the letter, as though nobody else was even there.

Although he was enjoying the quick meal, Ash couldn't help the awkward air weighing down on him as he finished half his sandwich. Swallowing his most recent bite, he looked at the older boy sitting across from him and said. "So… you're Akira's student?"

"Yes," Len answered, his position and expression unchanging. "For a few years, since before becoming a trainer."

Ash thought that over for a moment. "Does that mean you're not part of the family?"

The older boy remained static, and the air around them did not go away. "Not by blood, no. I was accepted into the clan as a student of the dojo when I was seven. After turning nine, I was recognized for my ability, and sensei took me in as a personal pupil." he stopped talking after he finished, not making another noise until Ash asked something else.

"If you've been here the whole time… you haven't gone on a journey?"

"I chose to stay here, yes."

Once more, there was silence. Tempest finished his food shortly after Ash did (the Kingler had more of it), and Len remained in his position, making no effort to look at or away from them. He was simply still as a statue, and when he spoke, his voice - very much what one would expect from a twelve or thirteen year old boy - clashed with his delivery in a way Ash wasn't sure he'd even seen from Janine, or at least not every time he spoke to her.

'I've spoken to her a lot more, though.'

"So, uh…" gripping his tongue, Ash was beginning to find himself feeling more awkward rather than less. "What's the assignment Akira gave you?" The whole reason Len was escorting them was because there was something he had been ordered to do something at the Safari Zone today.

"I am not to disclose that." and then Len was silent again.

Once more, only the sound of the shuttle's wheels on the road filled Ash's ears. Next to Len, Toxicroak could have been mistaken for being asleep, but Ash knew he wasn't.

Progressively, the awkward air that Ash had felt around him was replaced with a creeping, sneaking feeling of dejection. 'He isn't interested in talking to me.'

That was his last attempt at starting a conversation.

/

The Safari Zone's lobby was massive in its own right, and Ash briefly forgot the purpose of this facility. There was activity everywhere. Booths and desks dedicated to different things, a path to what was apparently a wilderness themed play area for children, electronic kiosks that looked like they went over fun facts and trivia about the wild, and was that a sign for a water park!?

"You seem rather alarmed, Ash." he didn't realize that his mouth was open until Len made his comment, and his cheeks turned a bit red.

As Tempest walked beside him, Ash brushed off the split-second embarrassment. "Sorry, I guess I just wasn't expecting everything that would be here. It looks like there is so much more to the Safari Zone than just the zone itself."

"This facility has evolved over the years," with Toxicroak still at his side, Len's attitude remained as neutral and fixed as ever. "It used to be just what it's mainly known for, but by now it has become something beyond just that, albeit never losing sight of its purpose in the process. This is a place created and designed for housing Pokemon in a controlled, safe environment, emulating the outside world in a form free of its burdens. So as its already considerable popularity grew to the massive heights of today, it has been capitalized on, sticking to the theme of the wild to both entertain and educate visitors. What you see today is Fuchsia's masterpiece, as well as a premier trainer attraction, family attraction and dating spot."

As they neared the desk at the end, Ash turned to Tempest. "Remember big guy, I need you to be on your best behavior at all times. Understood?"

Tempest's expression was not one of displeasure, but of resigned affirmation as he gurgled in understanding. The large crab wasn't entirely sure if his trainer could detect his confusion - It wasn't that he was unhappy to be here outright, but of all the team members Ash could have taken to a place where they weren't allowed to pick fights, why was it him? Nebula likely couldn't go - her wing needed a bit more rest before she could protect Ash properly, and Phenom may prove himself a wild card - but why not Pikachu, Valiant, or Glaceon?

He had not voiced such a question yet, instead paying attention to his trainer and Len.

"Wouldn't it be really bad if Team Rocket or a big group of criminals attacked this place?" Ash asked, as if realizing on the fly.

A good point, Tempest thought.

"They have tried in the past," Len replied. "And were taught a gruesome lesson."

"For every one undeserving victim of my Clan's deeds, a thousand wicked will know the same."

All of a sudden, the words were in Ash's mind, and he felt his back tingle. The Safari Zone was such a safe haven, and Fuchsia City the same. Run by a man so respected yet so feared, but hearing Janine and Akira's story this morning…

"Anyway," he didn't have long to think as Len spoke again. "This is our stop."

They had reached the front desk at the end of the lobby, where a young man with long orange hair about eighteen or nineteen years old sat at a monitor.

"Hello, sir." Ash said as Len and Toxicroak stepped aside for him and Tempest. "I am here for the Safari Game."

"Just you?" the receptionist briefly glanced at Len.

"I'm seeing him off," the ninja boy elaborated. "After that…" he leaned forward and began whispering something in the receptionist's ear. The exchange must have been ten or fifteen seconds, and the receptionist nodded along with a look of understanding on his face before they pulled apart.

"Very well," the receptionist replied. "I can set that up, but you'll need to let them know too."

They were talking about whatever Len's assignment was, Ash immediately realized. Despite his curiosity, he tried not to ponder too much, and also found he did not have time, as the receptionist was addressing him once more.

"Do you have a pass, young man? I will need to see your Pokedex as well." Ash showed him the pass he had gotten from Koga the previous evening, and handed him his Pokedex, which was placed into a slot, uploading all of his information into the database. "To confirm, your name is Ash Ketchum, correct?"

"Yes, sir." he nodded.

"You are allowed one Pokemon to accompany you," the receptionist was typing now. "But will only battle in necessary self defense. Aside from your Pokedex and teammate's Poke Ball, all of your belongings will be left with us, in exchange for a fixed supply that includes clothing suitable for each biome, an umbrella, thirty Safari Balls, among other things that you are free to look through as you please. You will naturally keep any Pokemon that you captured within the allotted time, and they will be transferred to standard Poke Balls upon your return. Once you've returned the equipment we supplied you, you will get your stuff back. You are permitted to pick fruit and the like, and set traps, but to the best of your ability, excessive environmental damage is to be avoided at all times. Any further questions?" Ash shook his head. "Then we will set you up now."

Several minutes later, Len and Toxicroak led Ash and Tempest through a hallway. The younger boy was now carrying an orange backpack, roughly the same size of his own, but containing entirely different things. He couldn't help feeling oddly naked without his actual backpack, but did not focus on the thought.

Finally, they stepped inside of a large, metallic room, and Ash suddenly felt as though he was in a sci-fi movie. A large, rectangular vehicle sat atop a set of rails that stretched out through a white tunnel, as though leading into another world…

"The railing system travels all throughout the Safari Zone," Len explained. He and Ash turned to each other as they stopped in front of the vehicle. "For maximum effect, each separate biome is totally segregated, connected by the system. This shuttle will take you to whichever biome you wish to start at, and should you wish to leave and go to a different one, all you need to do is find a station. All you have to do is select your biome of choice on the screen, and choose which station you wish to be dropped off at."

Ash nodded. "Alright." All of a sudden, he could feel Butterfree in his stomach, and/or perhaps his chest. It was that sort of feeling that always rested in the back of one's mind, but was only brought to the forefront right when it was about to happen.

"A final reminder, Ash." Len crossed his arms, expression as neutral as usual. "Should you successfully capture at least one Pokemon during the game, and go on to defeat Leader Koga at the Gym, you will have completed his challenge, and your reward will be the TM of a move that holds great sentimental value to him. Should you leave empty handed today, you are free to return here and attempt the game again, but you will have already failed the Gym Leader's task. Are those terms understood?"

"They are," Ash kept eye contact with the ninja boy before briefly bowing his head. "Thank you for helping us get here."

"If you have no other questions," Len nodded. "Then Toxicroak and I will be making our leave. We have our own mission."

"Of course, I won't keep you from your work."

"I will see you this evening then, it will be dinner time when we return." his eyes moved to Ash's wrist. "You are wearing the bracelet they gave you, correct?" Ash held up his arm to show him.

As Len and Toxicroak headed off, Ash looked back at Tempest, who was watching the pair in neutral silence before his trainer got his attention. "Alright, there's no time to waste, I suppose. We have a new teammate waiting for us in there."

New teammate… Now that Tempest considered it, the thought had never truly crossed his mind. He was the most recent addition to the group, and by now, his capture was not remotely recent at all. He was the one member of the team who did not know what it was like to have a "new teammate".

"I'll admit," Ash continued, leading the large crab into the shuttle. "The TM is definitely tempting, too. No idea what move it would be, but I'm assuming it's something to do with poison. Either way, we'll only know if we get it right the first time."

The inside of the shuttle was very comfortable, Ash quickly realized. It was hardly a cheap, bare minimum form of transport, it had just enough interior space, the seats were cushioned, and the air was cozy. It almost felt like a luxury ride, but they weren't here to lounge.

At the front of the shuttle's interior was a large screen which Ash and Tempest quickly approached. "These are the biomes we have to choose from…" Tapping "Grasslands" enlarged a picture: Sure enough, there were pictures of sprawling plains with familiar field Pokemon playing about. There were also grassy cliffs overlooking a body of water. They were inside a massive facility, but looking at the pictures out of context, he would have thought they were a natural part of the outside world.

He checked the other choices: the Wetlands were a swampy landscape with land connected by bridges, along with a massive lake and a river leading into a waterfall that itself led to a large, rocky body of water. The Snowlands were a winter wonderland that would have lit his eyes up back at home: snowy plains and a forest with trees decorated with white that could have easily been mistaken for dessert frosting. Ash was told that a coat and pair of boots were provided in his backpack, and he'd definitely need it if they went there. The pictures even showed snow falling!

"Is this place producing its own weather too…?" Ash wondered allowed, clicking on the Jungle next. He was greeted with images of a massive forest, where it sometimes rained. His instinctive thoughts brought him back to Viridian Forest, but he suppressed the gag. If he could make it through Fuchsia's wilderness, Viridian Forest was only a memory.

The final section was the rocklands. It resembled a mountainous landscape, with rocks as far as the eye could see. Eventually it transitioned into a smaller desert section, and a decent amount seemed like a merge between the two.

"Who knows what we could find in there…" Ash swapped between the pictures. "But where to go first…" As he viewed the wetlands again, he briefly imagined Tempest surfing freely across the water. One day, such a thing would be possible, but most likely not now…

He turned back to the crab. "We won't get anywhere if we spend our whole time here being indecisive. Does the Jungle sound like a good place to start?" Tempest's motion seemed like a shrug, so Ash nodded and selected the biome, along with "Station B" before taking a seat. He could feel the shuttle moving, but it barely. It was incredibly smooth.

"The screen said it should only take us a few minutes to get there." as Ash looked at Tempest, he could tell that there was something off about the crab, and he was about to ask what was wrong, but found he didn't need too.

"Tempest…" though he didn't show it, Ash was pleased when the Kingler turned to look him in the eye. "You're wondering why I picked you for this, right? Given the rules?"

Tempest's eyes narrowed for a second or two, before nodding with a straight face.

Ash studied his partner for a moment before giving him a reassuring smile. In truth, he had wanted to see how the rest of the team would react when he picked Tempest. Just a month or so ago, picking the crab for something like this would have been met with protest. As it was, Valiant and Glaceon hadn't appeared totally comfortable with the idea, given that they wouldn't be allowed to fight, but even they…

"Hey, Tempest," he said. "When I picked you for this, nobody objected. There may have been some surprise, but there wasn't any true disapproval. Did you notice that?" With a thoughtful gaze, Tempest turned away from his trainer, but was nonetheless listening as he sat down and crossed his pincers, as if trying to imitate how humans looked when they crossed their arms. Ash couldn't help but chuckle at the sight, which seemed to annoy the water type a bit.

"I'm not making fun of you, don't worry. Just think about what I said. Now, are you ready?" thought Tempest's expression did not change, he still nodded, which satisfied Ash.

As the boy sat back in his seat and looked over the supplies in the backpack, his mind drifted away from Tempest and the rest of the team, and to the Safari Zone. He had no way of knowing how difficult this would be, but he imagined it was going to be harder than he registered. After all, they didn't typically teach you to catch Pokemon without battling.

As the shuttle came to a stop, Ash and Tempest both felt as though they were about to step onto an entirely new planet…

/

"Thank you very much, sir." Aya nodded to the waiter as he placed her and Janine's food and drinks on the table. Near their table, Ivysaur, Golbat, Pikachu, Valiant and Aya's Vileplume ate their own helpings of Pokemon food.

After meeting up in the village, the two had set off into the city for lunch, agreeing to visit one of their favorite spots, an outdoor restaurant that often had especially good specials at this time in the Season.

Janine felt the all too familiar sensation of onlookers as she chewed the first bite from her bowl. They had been targeted by glances on their way to the city as well, but as expected, they always grew more frequent once they had sat down and settled in.

"Anyone who's afraid of "Leader Koga's daughter" doesn't know what they're missing."

Her conversation with Ash the prior morning found its way into her head as she kept eating.

As Aya seasoned her plate, the Ace Trainer took note of the tiny smile on her niece's face - accompanied by a tension in her body language subtle to the untrained eye. Responsibility demanded for her not to glare at the other customers constantly stealing glances at them. She had gotten used to it long ago, but Janine was just shy of eleven.

"It's alright, Janine." the green-haired woman coaxed.

Janine took a breath before looking her aunt in the eye, attempting to ignore the on and off observers. "I'm really glad we could do this today. With Ash off doing his own thing it's the perfect time."

"I heard Len was the one going with him to the Safari Zone?" the Ace Trainer brought up.

"Yes," Janine nodded. "For an assignment Akira gave him. Ash and Tempest will be in good hands."

Janine remembered when Akira had first brought his new student in; she was only seven at the time. Len was two years older than her - quite the gap for children in the single digit ages - but he was still the closest to her age out of everyone in the clan, everyone else being either significantly older or younger. She recalled the first couple of weeks when, because of this fact, she would follow him around like a little sister leeching onto a big brother's shadow. Such childish attitude was thankfully corrected sooner than later.

"I see," Aya said. "And did Akira specify what the assignment was?" She wasn't surprised by the answer.

Janine shook her head. "Likely a 'need to know' situation." she paused just long enough to eat another bite of food. "To be honest, it has me thinking, with Ash about to get a new teammate, I'm also due for one. I might wait until after I have the badge, but I should play the Safari Game myself before leaving."

"It's definitely opportune," Aya approved. Her eyes turned to the Pokemon present, prompting Janine to follow her gaze.

Pikachu and Ivysaur were chatting with Vileplume, while Valiant ate near Golbat. The Kirlia had initially been sitting next to his electric teammate, but chose to give the mouse some space after detecting a weird, confusing feeling that the young psychic was still attempting to process. Valiant would occasionally steal glances at him, but nonetheless enjoyed talking to Golbat about their thoughts on the village and how everything in the city looked.

"Make sure you're prepared, though," the woman warned, looking back at the girl as she resumed eating.

"You mean for the limit, right?" Janine correctly guessed. Knowing that she had more to say, Aya gave her a moment to eat a bit more before continuing. "I'm going to have seven Pokemon after I make my next catch. Until I have eight badges, all I can carry at a time is six. It's disadvantageous in a sense, given that I'd have to divide my attention for the first time."

"You're still willing to go through with it, though." Aya observed. "You don't have too, you know. Obviously, having more than the bare minimum is ideal, but you could always wait until you're closer to your eighth badge before expanding your roster. Once you've qualified for the Conference, the limit will go up to nine, and you won't be dividing your attention anymore."

"You are correct as always," Janine nodded with a steady gaze. "But the longer I wait, the less likely anybody beyond my current six will be ready for the Conference. I can't count on my next catch being at their level, as possible as it is. For the sake of planning ahead I need to assume that they will be quite behind." Aya sipped her glass while continuing to listen. "Besides, I need the experience. Learning to balance my team is something I need to tackle sooner than later."

"Part of planning ahead, I presume?" Aya inquired, to which the girl nodded, earning a fond grin from the Ace Trainer. "Your foresight is the envy of your peers."

"Thanks…" shifting for a moment, Janine looked to the side, accidentally making eye contact with a boy who had stolen a glance at the pair. He quickly tore his gaze away from her the moment their eyes met.

Aya's expression fell. "Oh, I didn't mean-"

But Janine was quick to raise a hand. "Please, you've done nothing wrong, I promise." a few more moments of silent eating between the two ended with her continuing. "Honestly, home feels so different and alien from the rest of Kanto. I never got these looks after leaving."

"It was refreshing for you, I'd imagine." Aya sighed. "And I think it's something you needed. If only others in the clan had been closer to your age, but even that wouldn't quite be the same. You've always seemed different talking to me on the video phones during your travels."

A soft, split second giggle escaped Janine's lips. For a moment, she looked back at her Pokemon, before returning her attention to her aunt. "When I first got to Viridian City… I might have told you this, but it was almost like a shock. It took several moments for me to process that none of the kids I was talking to recognized me. I was just some girl named Janine. Can I have some of that seasoning?"

"Sure." Aya handed her niece the shaker so that she could sprinkle some of it into the bowl. After some stirring, she took a few more bites, and the Ace Trainer could see the purple haired girl's expression subtly light up.

"Delicious. I did slip up a bit a few times, and had to cover my tracks. When I first met Ash in Viridian I almost told him about father by accident, so I had to quickly backpedal and say that he was a League official. That happened less as time went on, though." her purple eyes shone with fondness as she stirred her bowl again. "Getting to be 'one of the rookies' almost made me forget at times. I was so busy playing around, not having to be myself."

Aya frowned, nose wrinkling. "Not being yourself? I don't think that's the best way to put it, Janine. You're almost eleven, you're still discovering yourself. Being yourself is an ongoing process. The past few months are a part of that."

Janine's tiny smile was back, but unlike before, it didn't reach her eyes. "I just… can't help but feel I pulled the wool over my own eyes. I wouldn't trade the experiences I've had for anything, but I feel like I was intoxicated by them. Forgetting to keep this new side of me regulated." herlips evened out, and her eyes remained the same. "I let my guard down."

"Make your bad memories an experience, and your nightmares a reminder. Turn your suffering into a lesson that will make you stronger and wiser."

Her father's words stayed in her head. They were there when she thought of the time she and Bulbasaur had spent roaming around, looking for an opponent with the courage to battle them. They were there when she thought of meeting Jazzy, Mitch, Sarah, and of course Ash at Viridian's Pokemon Center on Opening Day. They were there when she thought of all the time she spent blissfully chatting with people her age, slipping into a persona she wasn't used to.

They were there when she thought of all the memories she wished she could forget. Memories of the red haired Rocket with the silver mask, of his Feraligatr, of the attack on the museum, of Lavender Tower.

…

Aya studied her niece for several moments as Janine ate her food in silence. From the corner of her eye, she could see Valiant looking in the girl's direction, to Golbat's curiosity.

"Janine… What did your father say to you?"

Janine looked up at her, slightly surprised, and Valiant held his gaze more closely for a moment before diverting it.

"Father merely gave me advice, aunt Aya." She managed a smile. "I must figure things out, but I can't move forward without his badge, so please do not worry."

"Hmmm…" the Ace Trainer resigned. "Very well… speaking of the Soul Badge, do you have any strategies at the moment?"

The girl's face was a little bit lighter now. "I'm in the middle of crafting some. I was actually wondering if we could go over it today."

"My ears are all yours." Despite the thoughts in the back of her mind, Aya's smile was reassuring as always.

/

Ash had never been to a tropical place before, and stepping into the jungle biome with Tempest was an immediate demonstration on how real the Safari Zone was. As they exited the shuttle and entered the jungle, the warm, humid air instantly hit them. The vegetation surrounding them from every direction was as real as Viridian Forest, and water dripped from the leaves like recent rainfall.

He couldn't decide how comfortable he felt; the warm breeze felt energizing, yet the moisture in the air was heavy, not like the refreshing mist that he was used to after it rained back at home. Next to him, he knew Tempest was not likely facing the same conflict.

"Must feel good, huh?" He looked to the Kingler before they started walking. "Breathing in all this moisture must be like fuel for you."

Tempest allowed himself a genuine smile, with no sarcasm, derision, or sadism behind it. They likely wouldn't be spending all their time in this section, but for now, the water type couldn't say he was displeased with the arrangement. As a crab, "warm and moist" was the most luxurious environment he could ask for.

"Heh," Ash observed his partner for a bit before padding his backpack with his hand. "Well, the sooner we get started, the better. We only have thirty balls that are each likely to break from a single failed attempt, and we're discouraged from directly using moves on the Pokemon here, so unless we get creative we're throwing darts without a board." sighing, he thought of some of the things he found in the backpack. "I don't think I'd be very good at setting up a trap; Janine could probably do it. For now-"

A noise from Tempest cut him off, and he looked to where the Kingler's right pincer was pointing: An Ekans was slivering down a tree, paying them little mind. It would be easy enough to take a ball from his belt and toss it at the snake…

Ash eyed the poison type for a moment longer before looking back to Tempest. "Good eye, but I think we should look for something rarer. Ekans are easy to find in Fuchsia, so we could go outside if we won't to catch one, but this place has species we'd be lucky to find anywhere in Indigo." from the corner of his eye, he saw the Ekans slither out of sight, and a mild disappointment sparked in his chest. Despite his words, he knew he may have just allowed a new catch to get away.

'We only just got here.' he reminded himself. They couldn't dawdle, but they shouldn't rush. Not with seemingly infinite options and an established finite supply.

The two continued walking, following the loosely defined dirt path through the maze of trees. They passed by a few Pokemon over the next several minutes, and all of them went about their business as though the duo wasn't even there. It was somewhat surreal, seeing undisturbed wildlife up close.

"We are still indoors, aren't we Tempest?" Ash said aloud while watching an Oddish playfully chase after a slightly larger Oddish. "From what I know, there is supposed to be a high tech viewing deck surrounding us, with camera's to zoom in and watch the habitat up close." Tempest gurgled something, and the boy could only guess what his partner was trying to say. "You think we might actually be outside?" When the water type shrugged, he tried again. "Or do you just think that would make more sense?" this time Tempest nodded, and Ash stopped to think.

"Hmmm, I mean… it probably would be, but this place has a desert and a dedicated winter section. Something like that would need to be somewhere controlled, it couldn't coexist with the surrounding climate." he wasn't sure why he was chuckling. Was the confusion amusing? "You know this isn't the only place like this, right? Professor Oak's Corral is the same way." he looked back to Tempest. "Actually, you and the others will be able to see that place once we're done here. We'll be breaking the six Pokemon limit today, so I'll have to rotate you guys. I mentioned that before, but when you're not with me, you'll be in a place that's similar to this."

Tempest silently considered his trainer for a moment before looking around. Living here in the Safari Zone, or in this "Oak Corral", would probably be like being back in the wild again. Of course it would only be temporary, but the crab suddenly realized he hadn't really considered the wild for quite some time. He wondered if he saw the wild the same way Ash did these days: A road from point A to point B. He didn't particularly miss the Cerulean coast, or even think about it much for that matter. It was the only permanent home he ever had, now that he was nomadic.

After a few more minutes of walking, Ash was almost starting to wonder why they hadn't seen at least one rare Pokemon, when he suddenly spotted something. "Whoa, Tempest, look at that!"

The crab's eyes followed his trainer's finger, before narrowing.

It was a bird, perched atop a low-hanging branch. Its body was mostly black and white, but the startling eye catcher was its beak: It was enormous, and a mixture of yellow, transitioning to different shades of orange, and red, with a black tip. He couldn't help but sneer at the sight; with a beak like that, this sucker was begging for them to spot it! And it had to be rare, they'd never seen one before. He didn't even know what the hell it was.

Best of all, that giant beak looked like the perfect weapon for battle. Pecking must have been like swinging a sledgehammer. The water type's pincers clenched at the thought of clashing with this strange bird's giant beak with a mighty swing…

"Easy there, big guy," to Tempest's frustration, Ash held up a hand. "No direct attacking. That's the rules."

The large crab snorted in displeasure. Who the hell came up with that rule? Wasn't being limited to one Pokemon enough of a disadvantage? How do you even capture a Pokemon without beating them up first? He certainly wouldn't have let himself get caught if Ash and Pikachu had tried using traps and bait instead of smacks and lightning. Whoever they successfully caught in this place was a loser.

"Still…" Ash stared at the mysterious bird, hand wrapped around one of the Safari Balls on his belt. Should he…?

He already had a bird on his team, and although he had no idea what this new bird was, he wouldn't be surprised if it was the same type as Nebula. With that in mind, would it be worth it? ]

…

But it was also new. He'd never seen it before, and he wouldn't be surprised if it wasn't the only one. Maybe there was room on a team for two Pokemon of the same type.

He took the Safari Ball from his belt, but suddenly paused.

"We gotta do this right," Tempest." fishing through the backpack, he pulled out some bait. "If we can't injure that bird with your moves, we need to distract it, and then capture him while he's occupied." he tossed the bait, and was pleased with his aim: it landed right under the branch. It may not be in the bird's sight, but sooner or later, the scent…

The boy grinned as the big-beaked bird spread its wings and descended from the branch. Taking the bait in its large beak, it began munching. Ash didn't throw the ball right away; he waited a moment for the bird to grow comfortable, become fully fixated on its snack, and then he made his move.

The Safari Ball bounced off of the bird's head, opened up, and sucked it in. The spherical capsule landed in the dirt and began to shake as the bird resisted from inside.

As the ball had left his hand, Ash had abruptly found himself feeling increasingly unsure. All he had done was create a mild distraction for an opening; if this was that easy, then the Safari Game would be-

The ball burst open. What's more, it snapped in half, something Poke Balls did not usually do when a Pokemon broke free from a failed capture. By the time this bird with the large beak had struggled its way out, Ash didn't even groan. The inherent disappointment of watching a catch fail was certainly felt, but he had almost been expecting it by the time it had happened.

The bird didn't look too happy about being blindsided in the middle of eating, either, and Ash tensed as a pair of stern eyes fixed themselves on him and Tempest. The crab immediately positioned himself in front of his trainer. For a moment, it looked as though the bird may attack, and Tempest's eyes narrowed. Cold air seeped from his open pincers as his eyes dug into the foreign bird like lasers. His trainer had been nice enough to try and catch this thing without hurting it, and as far as Tempest was concerned, attacking Ash would earn the ungrateful featherbrain a sound beating.

The bird turned and flew off. Tempest's first instinct was to fire an Ice Beam in pursuit, but he knew he couldn't. No instigating, he reminded himself with a grumble.

Briefly, Ash wanted to give chase, but he knew that would be pointless. Whatever that strange yet fascinating looking bird was, he wouldn't be finding out today. Not unless he was lucky enough to run into another one, but what if that went the same.

"Damn…" he sighed with a mild shake of the head. "Guess that means we're down to twenty nine, now…"

The duo kept walking in the same direction the bird had flown off at. They ignored the local species that passed them by, but Ash made an exception for the large Scyther that they found sleeping against a tree. With some consideration, he chucked a ball at the snoring bug, and for a moment it didn't even shake.

Then it started to, and when it seemed as though the capture might stick, Scyther burst out and fled.

By this point, Ash did not know what to do. He had only made two attempts at catching. But what else was he supposed to do apart from throwing bait or catching them while they were snoozing? He didn't know how to build a trap or… but that was it, wasn't it?

"Koga proposed this as a challenge," Tempest looked to his trainer as the boy thought out loud. "He's famous for being a genius in strategy. He wants to test us, have us prove how smart we are. He sent us here because you have to be creative and think outside the box to make a catch. I haven't been doing that…"

No prior experience in the Safari Zone. That was the condition, any practice had to be in the moment. Ash found himself wishing that he had done more on the way here, but where else would he put skills like that to use except for here? All of a sudden he found himself clenching his fist. If he failed the test, so be it. He could always go out into the regular wild to get himself a new teammate, and although he'd be missing out on whatever TM Koga was promising, he would still do whatever it took to beat him and earn the badge.

…

But that thought wasn't a comfortable one. He was here now. He wanted to make at least one catch, but how…

Tempest could see his trainer's growing unease as they continued their walk, narrowing his eyes in concern as Ash took out the tablet they had been given by the receptionist. The tablet's purpose was to display a simple, vague map of each biome that detailed where each station was located, as well as their current location. There were three stations per biome, each labeled A, B, and C, and that was where trainers would use the shuttles to either arrive in each section or leave for a new one.

"I think we should try going somewhere else," Ash looked at him, shaking off the brief feeling of defeat. "We still have plenty of time, and maybe a change in scenery will help us come up with something."

Tempest hummed, not realizing he was until it happened. If they didn't know how to build traps, maybe Ash was trying to think of ways to use the environment? The water type was drawing a blank on how, though. Planning was Ash's job, and naturally, he was good enough at it for Tempest to be mostly content leaving that to him, but as he looked back at his trainer, he suddenly felt a mild guilt at the thought. He was the only member of the team here to help their trainer, but what exactly had he been doing apart from scaring away any potential attackers? Did it even matter, though? He was about as far from figuring this out as Ash himself was.

"Let's see," Ash enlarged the screen. "If we take a sharp right, station C won't be too far off. Once we get there we can decide where to go next…" raising his head, his eyes lit up. "Hey, look!"

Tempest looked where Ash was pointing… and blinked. There was nothing there…

Looking at the crab, Ash initially didn't understand why Tempest was so confused, until a sudden realization had him suppressing a face palm. "Oh, sorry, I wasn't pointing at a Pokemon, I was talking about the bananas. There's a bunch growing over there, see?"

Sure enough, there was a mountain's worth of bananas hanging off of a tree just a little bit off their intended path. Ash had never seen a banana tree up close before, just in pictures, and without thinking, he found himself jogging towards it, with a somewhat bewildered Tempest following from behind.

Up close, the bananas did not appear fully ripe, but were close enough to be tempting. Ash's mom had often reminded him that there was nothing wrong with eating them green, but to him they always tasted better yellow, and these bananas were getting to that point…

"The receptionist said we're allowed to pick fruit," he remembered aloud, before looking at Tempest with a simple shrug. "So… why not? Wouldn't hurt to have a snack ready if we get hungry in here. Your appetite is still adjusting to your evolution, so you need more food."

Tempest mirrored the shrug. Bananas were never on his personal list of potential snacks, but he didn't dislike them, and now that Ash mentioned it, his stomach was starting to get that food craving feeling. He watched his trainer pick some of the yellow fruit to put in the backpack, when a thought suddenly occurred to Ash, as if out of nowhere.

"You know, I'm surprised I didn't realize this before…" Ash bit his lip. "But the Safari Zone isn't just an attraction for trainers. There are people in the observation area right now, watching from above. Observing the wildlife as the Pokemon here go about their business…" he looked Tempest over for a moment. "So… if we're both in here right now, do you think that means…"

…Tempest hadn't considered that either. If visitors could observe the wild Pokemon freely, then that meant that trainers playing the Safari Game were also being watched.

/

Len sat in his chair next to Toxicroak in a private section of the observation area. In front of them, a monitor was propped up on a stand, showing Ash picking the bananas while Tempest watched.

Every trainer who entered the zone was given a bracelet for their own safety: in case of emergency, the rangers on standby could zero in on their location. It thankfully did not happen too often, but Fuchsia did not become one of the safest cities in Indigo because of a lack of caution by the authorities. Leader Koga would never stand for phoning it in.

What Ash did not know was that his bracelet was a special one: with a built in chip and microphone, the Safari Zone's cameras could not only track him, but exclusively transmit his footage directly onto the monitor he and Toxicroak were viewing from. His assignment was a direct on: Sensei Akira had instructed him to observe and evaluate Ash's entire time playing the Safari Game: How he behaved, what he was thinking in the moment, and how he approached making captures. His observations needed to be thorough and specific, and his sensei would give him a deserved poor grading if he cut corners. Leader Koga would be putting this information to use, after all.

"So far he's only shown the most basic of survival instincts," Len narrated aloud while writing in his notebook. "No creativity in the early stages. His Kingler shows clear signs of instinctual aggression, making him a questionable choice for the Safari Game, but so far he appears to have him under control. Casually converses with his Pokemon, who appears to be protectively loyal to him, and shows consideration for the Kingler's increased appetite." he stopped writing as Ash finished picking the bananas and continued leading Tempest to the nearest station.

"You agree with everything I said so far, Toxicroak?" Len's partner nodded, just as focused on the monitor as the ninja boy was. "He seems like he may be compassionate, although it's too soon to see. His early attempts at catching doesn't inspire much confidence, but we're going to be here for a while. It's important I keep the notes specific as things continue, comparing his first impressions to however he performs later on. Sensei would never approve of an evaluation that does not separate and take the early middle and late portions into equal consideration."

Even as he watched the duo on the screen, Len felt his blood rush for a moment, but calmed his nerves. He had never done something like this before, but it was a vital aspect of what he was being trained for. Not being able to judge a trainer's character or abilities was an unacceptable shortcoming. Not to mention, his observations and written report were a vital (and in fact, the most important) part of the trap Leader Koga had set for Ash Ketchum.

/

Although the pot of thoughts continued to boil in the back of Janine's mind, she felt refreshed when she and Aya returned to the mansion. Being with her aunt was like taking a vacation growing up, but today it felt like a refresher, like she had been given a large bottle of water at the end of a hike through the desert. So when her father had called her down to the mansion's underground dojo, she arrived with her head raised. After changing into her purple ki, she found Koga waiting for her. She wasn't sure what to expect from what was likely to be a short session, but it started the same way it usually did.

Wearing an all black gi, the Gym Leader sat in seiza, a position that she quickly mirrored, keeping her eyes closed while waiting to be addressed.

"Stand."

Without a word, she rose to her feat, turning to face the tall man towering over her. She felt her muscles tense at his looming gaze, but remained rigid and still, not backing away or moving forward.

Koga did not say anything else, instead he assumed a stance, and she followed, not losing eye contact. The positioning of his hands was like a secret code - it signaled that she was to strike first.

Janine hesitated a moment longer before advancing, aiming a kick for her father's midsection. To no surprise from her, Koga's hand blocked her foot. He could have taken her down right there, but did nothing else, waiting for her second attack, which came in the form of a chop aimed for her chest, her target's hand still extended downward. She realized too late that she shouldn't have gone after the spot that he had left open on purpose; the Gym Leader seized her forearm and chopped it from underneath. A sharp sting erupted where he struck, and she retreated backwards with a growl, holding the spot on her arm.

Her offense was over. Even when holding back, Koga still advanced like human lightning. She did something to try and defend, but did not have time to process before she was pinned onto her stomach, her face pressed against the mat. Something cold pressed against the back of her neck, and she shivered upon the contact. Without being able to look up, she knew that Koga had kept the small block of ice hidden somewhere.

"Where does a Beedrill store its strongest venom?" briefly, Koga pressed the ice more firmly into her neck. It was harder to to think now. She knew the point of this exercise, but could only barely remember it in the moment with her mind racing, or was it moving slower? She tried to wrestle herself from her prison, but it wasn't to be. It never was.

"Abd-Abdominal stinger…" Almost immediately, the pressure disappeared, and the small block of ice dropped on the mat in front of her face as Koga fluidly rose to his feet, as though he had never left. As quickly as she could, Janine took the block and stood back up, whirling around and throwing it at him with as much force as she was capable. His hand caught it with no difficulty before tossing it aside. He was no longer in a stance, but she did not drop hers all at once, only gradually. "You gave me an easy one this time."

"It's been a fair while," he replied casually. "The next one will be more standard."

Meaning that there would be a next one. The point of the exercise was to be able to think clearly even under great pressure, or when caught off guard. Sometimes, he would jump her while she was going about her daily business.

"How was your afternoon with your aunt?" Koga returned to his sitting position.

"We had a good time," Janine answered. "I'm glad she was here when I came."

"She had been away for a fair time until recently," he confirmed. "She won't be leaving again for a while, though, so you'll both have more time to catch up. For now, get changed. We'll be having dinner when Len and your friend get back."

"Yes, father." After bowing, Janine left the dojo.

Koga stayed in his position, easily relaxing as he shut his eyes. Janine's instincts had not gone away, but the subtle nuances lacked polish. Nothing he had not expected, but the recent developments had his mind on edge. The thought of his daughter having a run in with Team Rocket, on its own, wasn't as peculiar as he would delude himself into thinking, but nobody had anticipated the organization's activity tor aptly rise in both quantity and magnitude the way it had, and multiple areas were paying for it at that very moment. While she was still here, he may have to consider giving her the book earlier than he planned. Earlier than he had read it, at any rate…

It was the storm that disturbed him the most, however. The League was taking action and rebuilding their approach in response to the recent victories the Rockets had garnered, but there was no reasonable explanation for the storm to appear out of thin air the way that it had. Reasonable being the key word. He wasn't sure what he was expecting, but as the investigation would continue, he couldn't ignore the haunting feeling in the back of his mind, even if (or perhaps because) he didn't know where it was coming from…

"Brother?"

Koga's eyes opened. How long had he been lost in thought? As Aya stood a few feet in front of him, he was prepared to silently curse himself for not being more aware.

"My apologies, sister." he rose to his feet. "It appears I am more off balance than I realized."

"The storm was only last night, I don't blame you." Aya crossed her arms, regarding her old rival with a gentle, steady gaze. "Is that why you called Janine here?" though she was not looking at it right now, she had noticed the ice block.

"It's routine," Koga responded, turning to pick the block up and wrap it in a cloth. "But I'm plagued by prickling suspicions that I cannot fully identify. There are things that just don't add up, between what the Rockets have been doing, and now the storm." he couldn't place his finger on it, and he hoped it wasn't because he didn't want to.

"And her?" her brow furrowed, eyes momentarily trailing slightly downward before rising back up to meet his.

Koga returned her gaze, and for a moment it was all the communication the two siblings needed. "In all my most paranoid moments, I never would have suspected that she may be caught in the middle of two large scale attacks in her rookie year of all times. But I suppose that sums up the entire situation regarding the Rockets, the whole League is reeling from the shame of this past month as we speak."

"You talked to her about it," Aya said. "But…" she bit her lip after trailing off, and her voice turned serious. "Brother, what are you putting in that girl's head?"

"Nothing you've never heard before." Koga replied.

"She's ten."

"That doesn't change what happened." He shook his head. "The damage is done. It doesn't always wait for you to be ready."

"..." Aya's gaze drifted away from him. "You're thinking of giving it to her before she leaves, aren't you?"

"I haven't decided yet…" he admitted. "But we'll see." Any new developments in the current investigation would likely inform his decision. "For now, we still have our usual duties in the meantime." She watched him for a moment, only speaking when he began to walk away.

"Like how you tricked Ash into going to the Safari Zone," Aya viewed him critically.

""Tricked" implies I lied to him," her brother replied, coming to a stop to turn back to her. Crossing his arms, his face remained neutral and honest. "The terms I laid out were entirely truthful, I fully intend on giving him the TM if he succeeds."

"Misled, then." the green-haired woman said. "You did not give him that challenge because of the TM, that was just bait so you could lure him there, and have Akira send Len to study him and gather information."

"Perhaps," Koga admitted. "And he fell for it. But regardless of my intentions, Ketchum still has something to gain from it. If he is up to the task, there's no telling what Pokemon he could walk out of there with, or even how many. He has the chance to turn this into an opportunity, and I would never needlessly make challengers miserable without purpose. That's the difference between me and Blaine, as you know."

"I do…" with an uneasy gaze, she watched Koga begin to leave before speaking again. "Brother," he didn't respond, he simply stopped walking. "When we were growing up, I hated you, or at least it felt like that sometimes. And I know you weren't a fan of me either." she rubbed the back of her neck. "It was because grandfather pitted us against each other, having us compete to be the next leader, and Gym Leader. If…" crossing her arms again, her expression stiffened. "If Emica was still here, and you two had more children, would Janine and her younger siblings have felt the same way about each other as we used to?"

"Hmmm…" Koga paused for a few seconds, taking in Aya's question before turning back to her. There was no force in his gaze, but it was as unflinching as ever. "Dear sister, I'm afraid your memory is mistaken. It's true that grandfather had us competing for the position, he did so because that has been a custom ever since Maya Kyo first started it with her children. But pitting us against each other is all he did. He never told us to have any ill feelings toward one another, we did that on our own." he turned around. "Would Janine and her hypothetical siblings have allowed the same thing to happen? That's up to them." making his leave, he said, "I'll see you at dinner."

"Same," Aya responded, watching him exit the room. She stood there for a moment, now having the place to herself and her thoughts.

'You haven't changed, brother. You discovered yourself a long time ago. That's why you won.'

Moving to a spot on the mat, the Ace Trainer allowed herself a soothing breath before sitting down and closing her eyes, enjoying the silence.

/

After leaving the Wetlands, Ash and Tempest were down to half of their Safari Balls with nothing to show for it. Deciding to start simple, Ash had tried fishing for catches, and although he got bites, actually trying to finish the job with the capsules proved futile. Deciding he had nothing to lose, he had attempted to build a few traps using the equipment supplied to him, but wasn't surprised when they came out shoddy at best. After using up his fifteenth Safari Ball on a Whiscash that Tempest stepped in and drove off afterwards, he decided to move to the rocklands.

Stepping out of station B, he and Tempest were sandwiched between the desert and mountain regions of the section. The landscape was rocky, and became elevated towards the east, but the ground was sandy, and not very comfortable to step into. The wind carried the sand, and as it blew in his face the boy lowered his cap to protect his eyes.

"I'll have to clean out my shoes after we leave…" he told himself aloud before looking at Tempest. The Kingler had been surprisingly patient throughout their repeated failures, clearly frustrated but not complaining, and following all of the instructions he had been given to the best of his ability. Right now, his eyes were squinting at the sandy breeze as he waited for his trainer's next move. "You're doing great so far, big guy." he said reassuringly. "I'm glad to have you here."

Tempest looked at him for a moment or two, staring for a short period before looking away and nodding. He stretched his pincer out, pointing to the mountainous area that would (progressively) take them away from the desert.

"Yeah, good idea." Ash giggled. "More rocks and less sand sounds like a nice plan, let's go."

The uneven terrain wasn't as easy to traverse, but the pair managed sooner than later. When encountering a ledge to climb, Tempest would boost his trainer up before lifting himself a burst of Surf to latch onto the edge and pull himself up. Ash silently admitted to himself that trying to make some of the steeper climbs himself would have made him nervous, and even with Tempest's help, holding on wasn't the most comfortable, but he surprised himself by managing. His physical ability had never been all that remarkable for his age, but the past few months had seemingly shown improvement.

'I should exercise with the rest of the team more,' he told himself.

He was tempted by the herd of Rhyhorn he spotted a bit of a way off, but after examining them more closely with binoculars he decided against it.

"Too many of them…" he gave a light sigh while lowering the binoculars and looking back at his partner. "Don't want to cause a stampede… although I imagine you'd probably like that." The knowing smirk on Tempest's face in response was all he needed. "Geodude are known for disguising themselves as rocks, so we need to be careful where we step so we don't provoke them by accident. They might be discouraged seeing you, though, but I'd rather not chance it."

In truth, he had only just remembered that detail about Geodude in the moment, and began scoping the surrounding area before taking another step, almost as if trying to make sure none of the rocks looked like they had arms. Of course Geodude were also known to partially bury themselves while sleeping or observing travelers. He remembered that stepping on a buried Geodude while they were asleep wasn't likely to wake them up, but what if they were still awake?

He shook his head. Being paranoid wouldn't get him any closer to catching another Pokemon. He had Tempest with him, and that was enough to give him comfort.

As they began walking through the elevated area, Tempest wandered closer to the edge to see what the view was like. Their current location resembled a mountainside overlooking the desert. In the distance, he could spot figures that he couldn't quite make out - they had sort of similar features to the Totodile line, but you wouldn't find those in a desert. Speaking of which, everything was so dry around here, even more so than a normal road. He could almost literally feel the dryness, and suddenly hoped they wouldn't be here for too long.

"Tempest, over here!" hearing Ash's call, the Kingler hastily made his way back to his trainer, who had found a large opening in the side of the "mountain". A cave.

"We could probably find a bunch of stuff in here," Ash's thumb pointed to the cave. "I'll get the flashlight ready first." Tempest nodded in agreement, and watched his trainer remove his backpack and begin unzipping it.

Then they heard it.

A loud crash, and the a roar accompanying it suddenly came from nowhere, and Ash nearly jumped out of his skin. Tempest was already whirling around, and pincers raised and ready to fire at anything he spotted, or punch anything in striking range. But the two found they were alone, quickly realizing that whatever they had heard was coming from somewhere else.

Cautiously, Ash kneeled down to pick up the still open backpack, holding it in his arms as he tried to gauge where the noises had come from. "That almost sounds like some kind some kind of fight, but…"

A second crash startled him again, but this time he recovered more quickly without any shock, and it was coming from the direction they had been walking in before finding the cave.

Rezipping the backpack, Ash restrapped himself as he and his partner turned to each other. "Change of plans, we need to check that out." Tempest nodded obediently before Ash broke into a jog, and followed his trainer from behind.

/

Another noise sounded as Ash and Tempest raced to reach wherever it was coming from, but this one sounded more like a cry. Ash couldn't tell what it was - maybe it wasn't a Pokemon he had heard before, or maybe he just couldn't remember in the heat of the moment.

Finally, he and Tempest reached a small ledge overlooking a solid, rocky floor. There was a drop-off in the distance, likely a cliff leading to the ground, but he only took note of that briefly before his eyes focused squarely on the two Pokemon present.

"Tempest, behind here, quick." hoping not to be noticed, the duo positioned themselves behind a large boulder near the ledge, peaking out to view the scene.

Ash recognized the larger Pokemon immediately: It was a Hippowdon, a massive ground type native to the Sinnoh Region. Its jaws were wide open as it let out a thunderous bellow towards the smaller Pokemon, who backed away.

Tempest paid little attention to whatever the small one was. That big Pokemon was like a magnet for his eyes. It wasn't just the sheer size of the creature that had his eyes widening in excitement, it was the mouth. The bite of Phenom's powerful jaws must have been a pinch compared to what it must be like for this behemoth to chomp down on something. Why couldn't they find something like this outside of the Safari Zone!?

As Tempest's intrigue turned to frustration, Ash looked at him. "That's a Hippowdon, a really big ground type that shoots sand out of the holes in its body." Sure enough, sand began briefly pouring out of two of the holes on Hippowdon's back before it took a leap towards the smaller Pokemon, landing with a powerful thud.

Looking back to the smaller Pokemon, Ash frowned. "I don't think I recognize the smaller one…" as he took in its appearance a bit, more however, he could have sworn he saw sand running down the side of its body, and it sort of looked like a smaller, different-colored version of Hippowdon. "Wait a minute, is that a Hippopotas? That's supposed to be the pre-evolved form, but this one is the wrong color."

From what he knew, a Hippopotas was supposed to have a light tan hide with patches of brown, but this one was mostly brown and only partially tan, the biggest, impossible to ignore detail being that its massive snout was brown.

Hippowdon roared again, and Hippopatas scrambled as a series of rocks were tossed at it. Not very fast, it wasn't able to dodge all of them, and was sent rolling back while the far larger hippo stomped after it.

Tempest's eyes narrowed. A fight. But his eyes soon widened in surprise when his trainer spoke next.

"Are they training?" the boy wondered aloud, watching the scene curiously. The Hippowdon was likely either a parent or an older sibling, so he wouldn't be attacking the Hippopotas. Parents and siblings don't do that.

Tempest squinted at his trainer for a moment before looking back to the scene. He wasn't familiar with either species, but he could feel the aggression in the larger one, this "Hippowdon" as Ash called it. It was its voice - angry and loud, and even now the massive hippo looked like he might be growling. Why did Ash think this was a training session? It was clearly a battle, and that "Hippopotas" needed to retreat if it knew what was good for it.

For the briefest of moments, Tempest couldn't help but wonder why the Hippowdon was attacking. Did it feel threatened? That Hippopotas was no threat - as Hippowdon charged it, the smaller ground type tried to strike back only to get smacked away. The Hippowdon was just wasting its time, instead of knocking around this goofily colored target that was barely even a third its size at best, it should be looking for a real opponent to test those amazingly, envy inspiring jaws on.

Wasting time…

…Wasting time…

…

"You're wasting your time picking on Pokemon that you consider to be helpless."

Ash had said as such when he first caught him - a Pokemon who loved to fight but kept picking on weaklings instead of seeking a challenge, to really soak in the thrill of battle. All of a sudden, Tempest wondered, maybe he did understand after all.

Before Hippopatas had the chance to fully get up, Hippowdon made its next move, firing a blast of bright reddish-orange sand from its nostrils that pushed the smaller hippo back, a bit closer in Ash and Tempest's direction. Hippowdon took its time advancing after its target, a fiercely looming glare in its eyes as it stalked forward.

"Hippowdon's getting kind of rough…" Ash frowned. Now that Hippopatas was closer to them, the smaller hippo almost seemed scared. More sand seemed to be leaking from its body, covering the entire middle portion now. The rock ground around them had sand scattered about, likely from both combatants, and the breeze carried it. "It should stop and give Hippopotas time to rest."

Tempest's face involuntarily scrunched. Did Ash still not get it? Since when was his trainer so slow? Why was Ash seeing a completely different seen from the one in front of him?

Growing a bit frustrated at his trainer's (shocking and out of nowhere ignorance), Tempest turned to him, which quickly got his attention. Making growling sounds, the Kingler performed light punching motions with his pincers before gesturing towards the two sand hippos.

Ash frowned, quickly shaking his head. "No Tempest, we can't fight the Hippowdon. I know it would be fun, but it's against the rules."

Tempest had seen plenty of humans and some Pokemon do that thing where they slap their hand against their face - he was tempted to do that right now with his pincer, but he refrained.

"I'm not sure we should catch it either," Ash continued, suddenly feeling conflicted. "If it's raising a kid." or maybe he could try to catch them both? But having been unsuccessful so far, he wasn't sure of his chances.

Still, something didn't feel right about this training session, it was going a lot further than a sparring match should. Could Hippowdon actually be attacking its own younger sibling, or even worse, offspring? That didn't make sense…

Catching a glimpse of the massive hippo's face, Ash felt his blood run cold. Now that Hippowdon was getting closer to them, the rage in its expression was becoming more visible. That wasn't the look of a parent teaching their kid how to fight…

And Hippopotas looked so scared…

"Are they actually fighting!?" he hissed aloud, to Tempest's relief. "Why!?" he saw Tempest nodding from the corner of his eye. "You were trying to correct me, weren't you?"

Tempest nodded again. As long as Hippowdon didn't target them, he wasn't particularly worried about how the fight played out, but now that Ash knew, the Kingler had a sneaking suspicion what his trainer might end up doing, and prepared himself for it.

Hippowdon came to a stop as the distance between it and the smaller hippo shortened. The bruises on Hippopotas' both were masked by the sand covering it. Ash didn't know what that was about - he knew Hippopatas released sand from their bodies like sweat, maybe it was something they do when they are scared?

"I guess they're not actually a family after all…" Ash wondered. He supposed it was a bit presumptuous to assume that just because they were the same species. It was the only way to comfortably make sense of the situation - after all, why would Hippowdon be attacking its own sibling or child?

The Hippowdon stamped its feet against the rocky floor. It was getting ready to attack again. Hippopatas was whimpering now. The sight brought back memories Ash wished it didn't. Caleb clinging to him, fearing for his life. Connie doing the same. Caesar's Zangoose and his endless bloodlust.

His knuckles turned white when he squeezed his hands. Any moment now, the larger hippo would strike, and the smaller one wouldn't be able to fight back.

"We have to stop this." Before Ash could second guess his own thoughts, he was racing out from their hiding spot, ready to hop down the ledge. "Come on, Tempest!"

Tempest was expecting that, and as far as he was concerned, Ash was lucky he was, given his trainer would have gone ahead unprotected if he hadn't been ready to follow him. The Kingler surged forward with Surf. After evolving, he could use the move in somewhat longer bursts before giving out, although not nearly enough to be satisfying.

Hippowdon was rearing back, but Ash didn't wait to see what it was about to do. As quick as he could, he unclipped a Safari Ball from his belt and chucked it. The ball bounced off of the heavyweight's hide and sucked it in. It would only buy them a moment.

"Hippopotas!" The smaller hippo in question whirled around, a startled fury in its eyes as Ash and Tempest approached it. Ash quickly held his hands up. "Whoa, hold on! We won't hurt you, you need to get back!"

The Safari Ball burst open.

Ash imagined Hippowdon must have been just as startled as Hippopotas was, but if it had been, all of that surprise had been replaced with rage. As the massive sand hippo reemerged in a flash of white light, it roared with a force that knocked Ash to his bottom and hammered against his ears. For a moment, he even had a headache.

At this point, the rest of Ash's thoughts caught up to him, and he realized what he had done. The flashes of being towered over by a monstrous behemoth only lasted a moment, but his heart continued to hammer as the pissed off Hippowdon's eyes were now solely on him. His face turned pale, and his stomach did a flip. The bellowing hippo reared back, but Tempest rushed to the front.

It was as exhilarating as it was frustrating. The water type remembered at the last second that no direct attacks were allowed unless it was an emergency. This certainly felt like one, but Ash had not given him the order. Being this close in front of such a fierce looking opponent was heart pounding, and Tempest was already feeling the rush he had gotten from than Zangoose.

With all of the restraint that he could muster, the large crab raised both of his pincers upwards, firing two of his strongest and most forceful jets of water into the air. The ground type's enraged expression did not disappear, but its actions were cautious, backing away at the sight. Sand came out of the holes on its body, partially covering the hippo, as if for protection.

"Hippopotas-" Ash turned to the smaller hippo so he could signal for it to run, but leapt back as Hippopotas growled, snapping its jaws in place. "Whoa, easy!"

The smaller ground type was sweating more sand, but as its eyes frantically scanned Ash, Tempest, and Hippowdon, it began backing away.

Hippowdon was growling, but this time, the newcomers were the subjects of its wrath. Backing away again to gain more distance, the beast of a hippo fired another blast of bright reddish-orange sand from its nostrils, and Ash's eyes widened.

Tempest immediately made sure he was positioned directly in front of his trainer, using Liquidation to surround his body with water and bracing himself to take the hit. The blast of sand pounded against him, forcing him a little bit back. As it hit, Tempest immediately felt how hot the sand was - it was like it was made of fire! What move was that!?

The second the barrage was over, Tempest's eyes narrowed at his new enemy with an additional layer of readiness, his line of vision a tunnel. The dumbass had attacked him and Ash now, and if it took a hardcore brawl to give it what it deserved, that was even better.

'Wait!" Ash called out just as Tempest's pincer glowed with Crabhammer. "Don't do it!"

Tempest growled. Ash couldn't be serious right now! Did he want to save the stupid "Hippopotas" or not? Who cares about these stupid rules?

With a huff, the crab fired an Ice Beam into the ground in front of Hippowdon. Despite freezing over, it would be melting quickly, but it had the intended effect of Hippowdon backing away again, although the frustration the heavyweight was feeling was loudly conveyed with the forceful growl - the most forceful one thus far, most certainly - that escaped its throat. Pretty soon it may get tired of being careful. After firing the attack, the Kingler turned back to his trainer, making damn sure the look in his eyes made his irritation known.

"I know, Tempest!" Ash held his hands up. "But it's not just about that!" the boy wasn't sure when it had clicked for him. Was it when he realized that the people viewing the Safari Zone like a tourist attraction could likely also see them, playing the Safari Game? Was it while he spent time struggling in the wetlands, knowing that the people watching could all see him fumbling and failing every attempted catch? Was it literally just now? His rushing blood was distracting him too much to remember, but he knew.

"Tempest," Ash's eyes darted to Hippowdon, who was bending into a stance, moving to the side a little bit as though to circle them. Tempest kept a pincer pointed at the ground type - Ash didn't know how long that would discourage it from charging them. "Len's mission - it was to spy on us." As the crab blinked in confusion, his trainer continued. "Koga didn't send us here just to test us, he wanted to see what we would do in specific situations. Like creativity in catching a Pokemon. Len having a mission on the same day we came here wasn't a coincidence, he's taking notes on us right now. This was all a setup."

Tempest tried to process what Ash was saying, but made sure to turn back to Hippowdon while he did. Janine had talked about her father being a crafty man who played mind games - was this whole afternoon one of his mind games?

Ash didn't have any real evidence to back up his claim, but he just knew. The suspicion was gnawing away at his brain. He was almost a bit angry, but he was definitely frustrated. Janine had warned him before, but…

"We can't let him be the only one that gets something out of this, big guy. Don't forfeit the game just yet - we're gonna win, without breaking any rules. So are you ready to catch a Hippowdon?"

Tempest was ready to blast this oversized thing and topple it over in an awesome battle, but no matter how much he wanted to fire his next Ice Beam straight at the hippo's face, all his pincer did was shake in anticipation.

At least until another stream of blazing hot sand was spat out at them. Tempest intercepted it as best as he could with two blasts of water as Ash retreated backwards, but was still forced to deflect the remaining sand that found its way towards him. Even as he defended himself with Crabhammer, the sand burned painfully against his shell, and it was all the snarling crab could do to not rush over and rip this super strong opponent to shreds.

"There's not much time, buddy!" Ash tried to keep himself under control. They hadn't successfully caught anything all day yet, but as he saw the edge of the cliff a far way out, an idea formed. "You know what aggroing is? It's a video game thing. Hurry, listen."

Tempest listened as Ash told him his idea. It sounded ridiculous, but the thought of it working made him suppress a grin.

Against all odds, Ash managed a smile when his partner nodded at him. "Okay, good. I'm going to hide behind the boulder so it doesn't go after me when we're separated. Make sure Hippowdon keeps its eyes on you, that's the only way this is going to work."

Hippowdon was done waiting.

A thunderous roar broke the duo's attention away from each other, and Hippopoatas screamed as the massive hippo charged. It was hardly the fastest creature on the planet, but the sight of such a hulking brute running towards them at any reasonable speed was a miniature panic attack waiting to be had.

But Ash wasn't too scared. He had Tempest with him.

"Remember the plan, pal!" Ash hoisted himself back up the ledge and behind the boulder, while Tempest momentarily ran forward to meet Hippowdon's charge as more sand came out of the hippo's back. The Kingler fired an ice beam into the ground where his target was running, and Hippowdon lost its footing, landing on its side. When the ground type picked itself back up, Ash was out of sight, and Tempest was retreating - but not in the direction of the boulder. Instead, Tempest raced past Hippowdon in the direction of the cliff, using Surf for a brief burst of speed just long enough to get himself behind the hippo in full.

After clearing some distance, Tempest prepared to stop and turn around to make sure his opponent was following him, but he already knew from the shaking of the heavyweight's mighty footsteps that he was now Hippowdon's sole target. He knew Hippowdon was likely to attack, however, so he turned around anyway, just in time to see the hippo tossing rocks his way. Tempest destroyed several of them with Bubble Beam, and deflected the remaining few with Metal Claw. Hippowdon's eyes flared, and the ground type continued the advance, firing another blast of sand at him. This wasn't like the flaming hot sand Hippowdon had used against them before, however: It was the usual, more expected color of sand, and the blast was also bigger, and probably more forceful. Bracing himself, Tempest took the hit with Iron Defense. He still felt the impact as he was pushed further away.

At this point, Ash left his hiding place, hopping back down the ledge and carefully following after them while unclipping another Safari Ball from his belt. He did not dare get too close, being as conservative as he could manage with his movements. If Hippowdon noticed him, he was helpless, and probably a snack. But the hippo's eyes were fully focused on Tempest, and the crab was getting closer to the cliff.

Hippowdon leapt forward, landing with a thud that shook the earth, and its mouth opened, giving Tempest a full view of the hippo's teeth and gullet as the beast roared, blasting the water type with shockwaves that briefly knocked him off of his feet, and sent him even closer to the cliff.

Tempest's eyes narrowed. This was just about where he needed to be… and Hippowdon was closing in, leaving behind a trail of sand. Ash would have to act fast before he had no choice but to fight back. To his side was a slope that led to the ground below. Over the edge, the drop was probably about thirty feet, although he didn't give himself much time to guess.

'This is it.' Ash told himself. He hoped this didn't turn out worse than he thought - he was pretty sure he had paid attention to how high he and Tempest had climbed, but what if he had miscalculated? It shouldn't be too high, but was it?

His heart was hammering, but they had already passed the point of no return. If they were going to do this - and they had no choice - it needed to be now.

He raced forward, and before Hippowdon could realize what was happening, the boy chucked the Safari Ball. The spherical capsule bounced off of the ground type's thick hide, and the heavyweight hippo was sucked right in. It would only be for a moment, though. Tempest had to react as fast as possible, just like Ash had told him.

"GO, TEMPEST!"

Tempest heard his trainer's shout, but it was hardly necessary: he was already moving. With a cry of victory, he lunged forward and smacked the Safari Ball over the edge of the cliff.

The ball burst open in midair.

And Hippowdon found itself thirty feet above the ground.

The hippo's roar was deafening, and its plummet was blunt and in the blink of an eye. One moment the ground type was falling, and the next moment, the ground below shook.

"Itworkeditworkeditworkeditworkeditworked!" Ash's thoughts were moving like a Rapidash as he peered over the edge of the cliff. Tempest joined him. Hippowdon was on the ground, although neither could tell if it was conscious or not. "Quick, we gotta get down there!" Ash spared his partner the briefest of glances before heading down the slope, and Tempest followed. It was an agonizing descent, as hurried as possible, but beyond careful. Ash's fear of falling went away as the ground approached them, and soon they were racing towards Hippowdon.

The massive hippo was still conscious, but in a daze, lying on its side and shaking its head in a pained groan.

Tempest gurgled urgently at his trainer. If Ash was going to do this, they would never get a better chance. Throw that damn Safari Ball!

"I know, I know, I know!" Ash took a breath as the capsule enlarged in his hand, and then he threw it. For the third time, Hippowdon was sucked in.

But this time, it didn't break out immediately.

The ball shook, pulsing with a blinking light, and the duo looked on. The capsule wiggled in place on the rocky ground like it had a mind of its own. It was never ending - Ash wasn;t sure how much time had passed, but he knew Hippowdon hadn't stopped fighting.

…

The ball beeped, and became as still as a rock.

…

Ash's blood was still rushing, but the anxiety was slowly going away as his mind processed it. Next to him, Tempest's eyes lit up in triumph.

"I… we…" without even realizing it, Ash began to giggle. And then he was laughing. "HahaHAHAHA YES! Suck it, Angelina!"

After a moment, he saw Tempest staring at him in utter bewilderment, and realized his fist was in the air. As his mind finally came back down to earth, he felt his face getting hot, and it wasn't because of the desert.

"Heh, uh… sorry about that. I'll explain that later." Tempest was still staring at him, but still seemed to accept the answer, and the two made their way to the Safari Ball that now contained Hippowdon.

"We… we did it…" after kneeling down to pick it up, Ash stared at the capsule in his hand as though it were made of gold, before looking Tempest in the eyes. "We did it, we captured a Hippowdon in the Safari Zone!" the water type gurgled in pleasure. "And we didn't even need to hit it with a single move."

The thought of that fact baffled Tempest, but… he also felt satisfied. A short burst of catharsis, knowing they had won the fight in such a way.

Clipping the ball back to his belt, Ash turned his gaze upwards, back where they had come from. The adrenaline was dying down, and his face was evening out. A bit more calm, although his blood was still rushing, even if only slightly.

"We need to get back to Hippopotas."

/

The smaller hippo, to Ash's relief, was still where the duo had left it when they returned. Ash couldn't tell what it was thinking, but it appeared somewhat confused, and maybe still a little bit scared.

Then it saw them approaching, and its eyes widened. Sand erupted around its body, and a loud shout came from its throat as its jaws snapped the air in front of it.

"Hold up!" Ash held his hands into the air as Tempest got between them. "We just wanna talk-"

The panicked hippo lunged forward, mouth open wide. It was no Hippowdon, but those jaws were huge, enough to give Phenom worthwhile competition.

Tempest made sure that he was on the receiving end, and not Ash. His eyes blazed with fury as his pincer moved to block Hippopotas' bite, armored with Metal Claw. The hippo's jaws clamped down hard with a force that would have stolen a limb from his trainer, but he tanked it with no trouble.

The hippo grinded and squeezed its jaws against the pincer, but its eyes grew wild as Tempest raised his other pincer in response to the fruitless result. The glow of Crabhammer stung the ground type's eyes - they had already made a catch, and it would only take one shot to knock this one out.

…

His pincer remained raised, but the punch did not come. Instead, the two Pokemon stared. Releasing more sand, Hippopotas continued to gnaw to no effect, and Tempest kept Crabhammer glowing, his gaze tight.

"Tempest," Ash dared to step forward, and Hippopotas' eyes darted between him and the Kingler. "It's terrified."

Tempest let out a forceful breath, staring at his opponent a bit longer before letting Crabhammer fade and freeing his other pincer from his assailant's tight grip. His pull was met with resistance, but he was too strong, even for this set of jaws, and forced his pincer out with little difficulty. Hippoptas winced in pain, and both backed away, Tempest remaining just in front of Ash. Against his better judgment, he did not aim his pincers at the ground type - not even as a threat.

Ash took in the sight of the hippo, and was worried his heart might break. It wore the same face as Caleb and Connie, just not on a human. The look in its eyes was rabid and unpredictable - ot was the look of a wild Pokemon that knew it could be attacked, beaten and broken by a stronger wild Pokemon at any time, and that there was nothing it would be able to do about it.

And speaking of which, the bruises were nasty, and he could see some blood mixed with the lingering sand.

"Hey, listen…" holding in his hands in front of him, Ash spoke as softly as possible. It was not too difficult, and he tried to remove the image of Connie tied to a chair from his mind. "I promise… we're not here to hurt you. We just wanted to help. Here, just hold on…" Cautiously, he backed up a bit, and Tempest stayed put as his trainer fished something out of his backpack.

Getting what he wanted, Ash tossed the bait in front of Hippopotas. "There, eat that."

Slow enough to almost appear still, Hippopotas lowered its large, brown snout to the bait and began sniffing for several seconds. It may have even been have a minute before it finally gave in and swallowed the bait whole.

Ash whistled. "That's a big eater." Looking carefully at Hippopotas, the brown hippo was still shaking a bit, and Ash didn't need to be a trainer to notice the fear on its face, but the rabid, violent panic in its eyes was at least gone.

For now.

Tempest's eyes didn't leave Hippopatas while Ash pulled two bananas out of the backpack. As he stepped forward, the Kingler did not let him move in front of him, but he wasn't trying to. With a light toss, one of the bananas landed next to Hippopotas, after Ash unpeeled it.

"That's a banana. They don't grow around here, so I'm not sure if you've ever seen one. Try it, it tastes sweet." He watched Hippopatas sniff the fruit, and sat down on the rocky ground. He quickly regretted that decision - was pretty sandy - but he didn't get up. Unpeeling the other banana, he handed it to Tempest before taking a third out for himself. The brown hippo stared at Tempest as he munched on the fruit. Finally, Hippopotas took the banana in its mouth.

Ash couldn't tell if it liked the taste or not, but it wasn't reacting poorly. As Tempest backed away, the hippo's face seemed to relax, although her expression still wasn't entirely normal. She took a tiny step forward to the duo, before advancing a bit more explicitly. She didn't go all the way to them, but still took a seat fairly close.

"There you go…" Ash nodded. "It's okay; we have more food, if you want. There's two bananas left - you want them?" After a moment or two, the hippo nodded, and Ash quickly took them out. After unpeeling them, he set them in front of Hippopotas. To test the waters, he left the second one a bit closer to where he and Tempest were.

Hippopotas took the first of the last two bananas in her mouth and quickly swallowed it. Her eyes fixed on the second one, staring for a few moments before looking cautiously at Ash and Tempest.

Tempest's eyes didn't leave the hippo for a second. He was ready to punt it like a Safari Ball the second it lunged at Ash, but even as Hippopotas finally inched its way over to the second banana - and them, the Kingler found himself no longer suspecting that that would happen.

Finally, Hippopotas stopped in front of them, joining the duo in full and eating the banana. Ash gave the ground type a smile, and as he looked the bruised Pokemon over, he confirmed that the sand had stopped coming. Maybe she had run out, or maybe…

"You don't need to be scared of us, I promise." the boy said gently. "That Hippowdon that was attacking you, we dealt with him." unclipping the Safari Ball containing his latest catch, he showed it to Hippopotas. "He's in here."

Hippopotas stared at the ball for several seconds, before finally nodding, and allowed herself to make eye contact with Ash. She sat down, and Ash reclipped the Safari Ball to its belt.

For the next several moments, the trio simply sat there. Tempest was getting a bit fidgety, but did his best not to make any sudden movements. Finally, Ash decided to speak again.

"So, uh…" the boy held his tongue for a moment, unsure of the very question that he was about to ask. "That Hippowdon we fought." he felt his hands grow sweaty, and could see Tempest frowning at him. Breaking his gaze away from Hippopotas for a moment, Ash offered his partner a reassuring, but still somewhat weak smile before returning his focus to Hippopotas with a mild frown of his own. "Is he, uh… Is he… your father?"

…

Hippopotas stared a bit more… and then nodded.

"I'll always love you, Ash. No matter what."

Ash's face lost its color again. 'Why…'

…

His fists were clenching, but he quickly realized that was making Hippopotas anxious, so he stopped, and offered an apologetic smile as quickly as he could. "I'm sorry about that, I didn't mean to scare you. I was just thinking - I tend to do that a lot. Just ask Tempest."

As Ash nodded to him, Tempest snorted.

Hippopotas' eyes moved to the crab, fixing him with a stare before inching closer. Tempest scooted back for a moment, causing her to pause for a second before resuming her approach after he didn't do anything else.

And then the hippo was sitting next to him, looking a bit more comfortable in her expression, even as her body remained tense. Tempest could only blink. He looked to his trainer, but Ash only gave him a knowing nod, his smile growing.

"Hey, Hippopotas…" the ground type looked back at him. "I'm… really sorry about everything that's happened, but… I think we can help you. If you come with us, we can get you to a doctor who can fix your wounds - you'll feel better than ever. And if you want, we can… stay together, after that. Me and Tempest aren't the only ones, we have a whole family, and they'd love to meet you."

The brown hippo watched carefully as he took out another Safari Ball, enlarging it and placing it in front of her. "You can stay here if you want, but we'd have you in a heartbeat. What do you think?"

She didn't answer, she simply sat, staring at the ball. She didn't walk away, or touch the capsule. She simply stayed where she was, sitting next to Tempest. The Kingler was feeling awkward, especially after she released a little bit of sand, but he remained where he was, and so did she.

So did Ash. Multiple minutes passed, and he checked the time. They would be leaving after this - they were almost done. His mind began going elsewhere before he saw movement from the corner of his eye.

Hippopotas inched forward and pressed her snout against the button on the ball. It opened up and sucked her in, and unlike Hippowdon, she did not not fight it. The Safari Ball beeped almost immediately.

Reaching over, Ash picked the ball up and stared at it for a moment.

"Everything's going to be okay, I promise. We'll give you a family."

/

Hippowdon: Heavyweight Pokemon

Typing: Ground

Gender: Male

Ability: Sand Stream

Moves: Fire Fang, Thunder Fang, Bite, Sand Attack, Crunch, Scorching Sands, Rock Tomb, Take Down, Iron Head, Sandstorm, Yawn, Dig, Roar, Rest, Bulldoze, Rock Slide

Hippopotas: Hippo Pokemon

Typing: Ground

Gender: Female

Ability: Sand Stream

Moves: Tackle, Sand Attack, Bite, Yawn, Sand Tomb, Dig, Crunch, Roar, Rest, Bulldoze, Rock Tomb

Since the Safari Balls were registered to his new account, which itself was registered to his Pokedex, Ash was able to scan his two latest catches as he and Tempest rode side by side in the shuttle, which now took them back to the entrance. It would be a few minutes.

"Sheesh…" He reclipped both balls to his belt. "Hippowdon's packing a wallop." his fingers tapped the side of Hippopotas' Poke Ball. "I think she's pretty young. She's definitely nowhere near anyone else on the team…" It had been a long time since he had a new teammate far behind the rest of the group. Then again, it hadn't been much longer since he had a new teammate at all.

Tempest gurgled beside him. He was munching on a little bit of the leftover bait, just as an appetizer before dinner. It tasted alright, but the scent was more enticing than the flavor itself. After finishing, he looked back over to Ash, and saw that his trainer had Hippowdon's Safari Ball out again. He was… just staring at it.

It was an odd expression to see on his trainer's face after what had ended up being such a good day. Sure, they had fumbled and floundered for a while, but who cared about that? They made two successful catches. They fulfilled twice the requirements of Koga's challenge, and now they would have a fun story to tell Janine, Tentacruel, Skrelp and the others. The large crab was certainly looking forward to bragging about it.

Another gurgle from the crab broke Ash's attention away from the ball, which he slowly reclipped to his belt. "I was just thinking, that's all."

Thinking. It was just like his trainer had told Hippopotas. Ash was always thinking? Tempest could vouch for that.

Another gurgle, this time a more questioning and curious one. Ash looked more directly at the crab, and soon their eyes met, studying each other, and trying to read the room.

Finally, Ash looked to the floor and let out a breath through his nose. "Tempest… you know I was bullied back home in Pallet, right?"

Tempest nodded. By that Gary prick and his friends. But Ash couldn't still be held up on that - they had taken Gary down back at Benver's Lodging, and were world's stronger now than they were back then, after all of the training on the way here. What did Gary have to do with this?

Ash sighed, again through his nose, before looking back at Tempest. "It's just… I was thinking about my mom. For a long time, it felt like she was the only person who cared about me, and didn't see me as a waste of space, or an underperforming student to hand out low grades to while saying "you can still get better". Before I met Trucy, she was all I had, and… she's amazing." He looked ahead. "She'd hug and kiss me every time I cried - and I could be a baby, sometimes. She'd listen to everything I'd say, cook everything I liked, watch all of the best stuff with me on the couch, and she couldn't wait to see me become a trainer, and go out and win battles with teammates like you." and then he giggled a soft breath through his nose. "I love her so much. I have no idea how I'd feel if I didn't have someone like her picking me up from school everyday. There's not a single thing I'd change about her, and I could pulverize Champion Lance's entire team with my bare hands and still not deserve her. No one does."

Tempest didn't respond, he simply watched Ash lift a hand to his face to wipe an eye. He had never given it much thought, but he couldn't help thinking about it now. He knew nothing about Ash's mother, and had barely even thought of her, if at all. But as he listened to his trainer talk, it made sense. The logic clicked in his mind - someone like Ash would feel exactly that way.

"So, I guess I was just…" Ash's face tightened, but his eyes remained the same. "I'm just wondering… why is Hippowdon like that to his own daughter? That's not what parents do. None of the other kids in Pallet have parents like that. I sure as hell don't. How could any kid be afraid of their own parent? How could any parent give them a reason to?" he looked back at Tempest. "I mean, like… he's her dad. It would have been one thing if they were completely unrelated and he was just a violent wild Pokemon, but she said… she said he's her dad."

Tempest didn't answer that. He had wandered off from his parents after he discovered the thrill of fighting. He never left the coast, but once he had gone off on his own, that was pretty much it. His parents were perfectly fine, of course: They would bring him and his siblings food, and they certainly never did anything bad to any of them. There were no remarkable memories like the treasure trove his trainer seemed to have, though, and the Kingler had never put much thought into how his family was doing now.

Were parents really that special? As far as Tempest was concerned, they were just there to feed you and take care of you until you were ready to leave. But his trainer wasn't him, and Ash's mother definitely didn' sound like his parents.

For someone like Ash, once more, it all made sense.

Exhaling again, Ash sat back in his seat, looking at the ceiling for a moment before turning back to Tempest. The Kingler had not stopped looking at him.

"Anyway… we had a heck of a day today, don't you think?" his smile was on the happier side again, and a satisfied glint shone in Tempest's eyes. "Couldn't have done it without you, of course. Thanks for everything."

Tempest allowed himself a split second chuckle. Today would certainly go down as one of his prouder ones.

"I mean it, you know," Ash continued. "It's been a long time since you joined us, and… well, for a while you and I were pretty transactional. I'd make you stronger and give you fun opponents to fight all across Indigo, and you would help reach my dream. We've had some rough bumps, but we both kept our word, right?"

Tempest nodded. He tried to shut out memories of that dreaded night with Phenom, or the even more dreaded day at the museum with that Mr. Mime. Instead, he tried to focus on the battle that they had won against Gary. Or the one that they had won against Erika. Or Sabrina. Or the many trainers they had beaten up to this point.

Their greatest opponent yet was waiting for them in just over a week's time. The famous Koga, one of the greatest and most brutal trainers in all of Indigo. Tempest wished they could just do it now, but more training beforehand was still welcome.

And of course, Ash was getting closer to his dream, and Tempest liked to think that he was playing a part in that. He certainly would continue to. He felt sorry for whatever Pokemon Koga would send out against Ash while he was on the field - but not too sorry.

"And…" Ash continued. "I just want you to know that I'm proud of you." Tempest eyed the boy as his trainer scooted a bit closer to him, but did not move closer - or further away. "You're always gonna be you, but that doesn't mean you're the same. I can tell you're trying to change, because, well… I've been trying to change for months. I'm sure you don't think I'm the same person you met back at Bill's place anymore than I think you are the same Pokemon, and I'm not just talking about your evolution - which, by the way, I am very happy for you about."

Tempest almost said something, but didn't. Nonetheless, he relaxed in his seat, and nodded back to his trainer.

Ash's grin widened - just a tiny bit, Tempest only noticed because he was looking at him when it happened. "You remember Connie's picture from yesterday? The one she drew of you? She did a good job, right?" Tempest had given the picture a closer look last night, and he agreed. The girl was pretty good at drawing. "I just want you to know, when things get bad for us - hopefully not another Rocket incident or something like Caesar, maybe just another wild Pokemon fight, but if anything happens, I just want to tell you, you're the kind of Pokemon I'd want to have protecting me."

Tempest returned his trainer's gaze. Once more, he didn't say anything, but he made sure his nod was clear and noticeable.

There would be more battles in the future, even beyond Koga. A lot more. They had hopefully barely even scratched the surface with all of the intense showdowns that were waiting for them just over the horizon, and Tempest was looking forward to every single one of them.

It wasn't the only thing on the Kingler's mind, however. Not like it used to be. Ash Ketchum will be Champion.

/

After getting back, Ash handed over all of his remaining supplies, and his belongings were returned to him. Hippowdon and Hippopotas were both transferred to regular Poke Balls, but they remained locked, unable to be released.

He had eight Pokemon registered to his name now. He was over the limit. By two.

As promised, Len and Toxicroak were waiting for them in the lobby. Tempest offered the poison/fighting type an acknowledging nod, which Toxicroak returned before focusing on their trainers.

"Welcome back, Ash." Len was as neutral and stoic as ever, but the ninja boy seemed a bit more laid back this time. Maybe it was because his mission was over? "It seems you two had quite the time in there."

"You would know," Ash nodded, stuffing his hands in his pockets as he looked into the older boy's gray eyes. "You were watching, after all."

The accusation hung in the air as the two studied each other's faces. There had been no hostility in Ash's voice - in fact, he had actually spoken the words quite casually, as though they were talking about flavors on a pizza.

After a few moments of silence, Len nodded in affirmation, his response as casual and easygoing as Ash's own words had been. "I'll admit, I was quite surprised when you found out. You're very sharp, and that earned you two new catches. Congratulations."

"Thanks," Ash moved his hands out of his pockets. After a moment or two, he tugged on the two new Poke Balls on his belt. "We did our best, right Tempest?"

Tempest gurgled as Ash spared him a glance. Len could spy on the pair all they wanted, but only the two of them truly knew.

"I want you to know, Ash," Len had their full attention when he spoke. "That I was only following my sensei's orders - and he himself was only following Leader Koga's orders. I won't apologize for doing my job, but I was not doing any of this to deceive you."

"You don't have to apologize," Ash shook his head. "I'm not mad at you or anything. Even if I was, Leader Koga's definitely not the only one who got something out of it."

"That he is most certainly not…" Len's eyes moved to the balls on Ash's belt. "Speaking of which, both of your new teammates are injured. We'd best drop them off at the Pokemon Center on the way back. You normally can't let them out yet unless you transfer two of your teammates back to Pallet, but Nurse Joy has the power to make exceptions."

"Yeah…" Ash's expression fell as his hand moved to his belt.

"Is something wrong?"

"..." Ash was silent for a moment, his hand still against his belt as his gaze wandered to the floor. Tempest looked at him curiously.

"Ash…?" Len repeated, mildly concerned.

Finally, Ash unclipped one of the Poke Balls from his belt, and held it out to the older boy.

"...What's this?" Len asked.

"It's… Hippowdon's Poke Ball." Ash replied.

"Why are you giving it to me?" Len asked, brow furrowing a bit before straightening out to meet the younger boy's eyes. "You don't need to choose between them, both of them are rightfully yours now."

"I know that…" Ash paused again for a moment before continuing. "But if I'm their trainer, I have authority regarding what's done with them, right? Even if it's… unconventional?"

"You do," Len replied with a nod. "But what are you trying to request?"

Ash looked at Tempest for a moment, before taking a breath and returning his gaze to Len. "I… I've trained and raised more than one Pokemon with a violent streak to them, but this Hippowdon is different. All of my other teammates are young, still growing and maturing. Hippowdon's an adult, so a Pokemon like him isn't as nurturable. He needs to be rehabilitated, and to be honest, I don't think I'm equipped to do that. It would be irresponsible to hold onto a Pokemon that I'm not qualified to give what it needs."

Len crossed his arms. His face wasn't neutral anymore, and for once Ash could easily read it: understanding. "I see…"

"So…" Ash placed the Poke Ball in the ninja boy's hand. "As Hippowdon's trainer, I would like you to find a place where he can be taken care of properly. I'll take care of Hippopotas. Could you do that for me, please?"

Len gripped the ball and gently took it from Ash, nodding. "Very well, I will speak to sensei, and you can consider it done."

Ash smiled, and gave the older boy a bow. "Thank you, Len."

He managed to hide his surprise when Len bowed back.