It's time for another chapter. This time its a longer chapter as it covers more than one episode. That's gonna happen sporadically depending on the contents of the chapters and whether or not a single episode can last long enough for a chapter.
Edit: 11/10/2022. Amended the Cascoon Pokedex entry so that it states its native to Hoenn. That was a mistake I'd never noticed.
XXXX
Ash hummed lightly as he looked at the Caterpie. Normally the procedure would be fighting it first before catching it but...remembering last night he had a feeling that'd be overkill...with that in mind, he pulled out and expanded one of his empty Pokeballs and turned his hat around. "Pokeball, go!" he called out as he threw the Pokeball which hit the Caterpie dead on, causing it to let out a squeal as it was soon sucked into the Pokeball, which fell to the ground, shaking a bit as the button blinked red. After a few shakes, the ball stopped while the button went dim, showing a successful capture.
Ash grinned in satisfaction as he went over to the ball and picked it up. "Alright, I got a Caterpie!" he cheered a little, before checking his Pokedex for more info on his first catch. It seemed his Caterpie was male, and it knew the two basic moves Caterpies did, namely Tackle and String Shot.
"Good for you," Misty said, not looking too enthused.
"Well sorry if I'm happy. Caterpie here is my first catch, meaning he's my first step on my journey as a Trainer," Ash said, with a hint of annoyance, though overall he still had his good mood.
"Just keep it away from me," Misty said, inching away a little.
"But Caterpie's inside the Pokeball," Ash blinked. "I can get it if he were out of it, but you're not afraid of a Bug Pokemon inside their ball, right?"
"I don't care if it's in the Pokeball or not, just keep it away from me!" Misty said in annoyance.
"...okay then," Ash sweat dropped. He honestly didn't know what to say to this. Seeing as Misty wasn't interested at all, he went over to Pikachu and showed him the Pokeball. "Look Pikachu, we got a new friend," he said, to which Pikachu sniffed the Pokeball and brightened up, seeming quite happy. "I'm glad you like him. Just you wait, from now on we'll be making plenty of new friends. In fact..."
Misty stiffened at that, having a pretty good idea what he was about to do. True enough…
"Caterpie, come on out!" Ash said, throwing the Pokeball...though he had the decency to at least aim it the opposite direction from Misty taking her phobia into account, but even that didn't stop her from running behind a tree for cover. Ash and Pikachu sweat dropped at that, while Caterpie materialized, looking a little confused. "I think you might want to get help with this…" Ash commented with a sweat drop. A phobia that bad can't be healthy.
"You think I haven't TRIED?!" she asked, just a tiny touch annoyed.
"...sorry I said anything…" Ash gulped slightly, before turning to Caterpie and crouching down. "Hi Caterpie, I'm Ash, and this is Pikachu," he said, Pikachu giving an energetic greeting as well. "Let's all get along," he said, holding out his arm for Caterpie to climb up on.
Caterpie looked at him slightly quizzically, before moving to climb up the offered arm...then he noticed Misty, and letting out an odd cry, suddenly ran past Ash and Pikachu...and was soon nuzzling against Misty's leg much to her dismay.
"Well...looks like Caterpie really likes you," Ash said with a small sweat drop. What were the odds that a Bug Pokemon would like someone who had a very severe case of Phobia.
"Just get this disgusting bug away from me!" Misty shouted, and when Caterpie looked at her quizzically, she frantically backpedaled, nearly tripping on her own tail in the process.
Caterpie looked sad at that, to which Pikachu patted him on the back, consoling him. Ash smiled a bit as he walked over to them. "Don't take it personally Caterpie, she just doesn't really like bugs, but I like them and I like you, so let's go," he said, holding out his hand for Caterpie again, who looked at it for a moment, before crawling up to his shoulder. "You're sticking with us, so let's get going," Ash chuckled as he started moving towards what should be the fastest way through the forest, Pikachu following after him.
Misty sighed...before realizing they were getting some distance. "Hey, wait for me!" she said, getting up and following after...albeit at a sizable distance.
"You know, in a forest like this there are gonna be a LOT of Bug-types. Did you remember to pack Repels?" Ash idly asked.
Misty flinched, meaning she forgot. "Well...I would, but being a Water-type I tend to get into the water a lot and end up washing it off," she admitted. "Guess I just forgot after a while."
"Well that's going to make things a bit hard," Ash frowned.
"What about you? Don't you have any Repels?" Misty asked.
"...but I want to meet lots of Pokemon. Why would I use Repels?" Ash pointed out.
"...fair point…" Misty sighed. This was going to be a long leg of the journey…
Fortunately for her, it seemed the universe was feeling nice today and aside from a few Bug Pokemon that were peeking here and there, they left them alone and before long it was night fall, the group setting up a campfire near an old tree stump.
"We'd better get some sleep guys. We've got a long day ahead, especially if we want to wake up early," Ash said, remembering one too many times he'd woken up later than he wanted...like the first day of his journey. Currently he was leaning against the log, messing with his Pokedex, finding the camera function, and took a picture of both of his Pokemon, much to their confusion.
"Good idea. The sooner we get out of here the better," Misty sighed, lying down on the other side of the log.
"Don't be in too much of a hurry. Dad told me once this forest goes on for pretty far, so there's no point pushing ourselves too much," Ash said, earning a few grumbles from Misty before they settled into their sleeping bags for the night, but not before Ash also found the email function, and was writing something, and soon emailed it with the picture of his Pokemon attached.
As the two Pokemorphs slept, Pikachu and Caterpie were talking to each other, talking about a few things namely Caterpie's dream, and Pikachu was nothing but supportive of him, much to his joy.
XXXX
The next morning...was opened with a scream.
"What's going?! Is something after us?!" Ash gasped, jumping up, sleeping bag and all as he and Pikachu looked around frantically.
"Why was Caterpie sleeping near me?!" Misty all but shouted.
Ash blinked and suppressed a chuckle. "Well, looks like Caterpie really likes you," he couldn't help but say.
"Well that's a sentiment I DON'T share! If anything I wish he'd just stay in his ball!" Misty said in annoyance, much to Caterpie's sadness.
"Hey, that was uncalled for. Caterpie means no harm even if he is trying a bit too hard," Ash protested, but by then Caterpie had crawled back to the stump and went back into his Pokeball, Pikachu trying to console him, but Caterpie had done the Pokemon equivalent of shutting himself in his room. Frowning he turned back to Misty. "Okay, you owe Caterpie an apology. I get you're afraid of Bugs, but Pokemon have feelings too you know!"
Misty grumbled a bit, but ultimately sighed. "I guess I did go a bit far on that one…" she admitted.
However, before any further conversation could happen, the sound of wings flapping was heard as something flew through the clearing they were in and landed in the grass nearby, revealing a Pidgeotto having caught and eaten a worm peeking out of the ground. "A wild Pidgeotto? Now there's something you don't see every day," Ash mused, before scanning the Pidgeotto with his Pokedex.
"Pidgeotto, the Bird Pokemon. Pidgeotto is a Normal/Flying type native to Kanto and is the evolved form of Pidgey. Armed with sharp claws, it dives from the sky to capture its prey. Unlike its previous form, Pidgeotto are known to be more aggressive and thus should be handled with caution."
"Definitely doesn't sound like an easy opponent, but this isn't something I can just let go so easily," Ash chuckled, putting Dexter away. The Pidgeotto clearly sensed his intent and turned to face him, ready to fight. Ash looked at Pikachu and Caterpie's Pokeball before nodding...and throwing Caterpie's Pokeball much to Pikachu and Misty's shock.
Caterpie soon materialized...and was quite afraid when he realized his opponent was a Pidgeotto of all things.
"Ash, what do you think you're doing?! Call Caterpie back now!" Misty said, as true enough Pidgeotto was giving chase, Caterpie running around.
"Caterpie, run towards one of the trees!" Ash ordered, Caterpie doing that, heading towards one of the trees. "Now, turn around and use String Shot!" he ordered, Caterpie doing that, and hitting Pidgeotto head on with String Shot, causing it to get tangled up and unable to see. With that done… "Caterpie, return!" Ash shouted, calling back Caterpie...leaving Pidgeotto to run head first into the tree that had been behind Caterpie.
Seeing that happen, Ash smirked a little. "Now! Pikachu, Thundershock!" he ordered, Pikachu nodding upon realizing the plan the moment Caterpie used String Shot, and let loose a Thundershock, shocking Pidgeotto. "Now...Pokeball, go!" Ash threw another empty Pokeball, hitting Pidgeotto and sucking it into the ball. The ball landed on the ground and shook a bit...before a 'ding' signalled a successful capture. "Alright! We got Pidgeotto!" Ash grinned, making a Victory sign, Pikachu mimicking in agreement.
"Wow, I have to admit, that was a good strategy," Misty blinked. She'd honestly thought Ash had a brain dead moment there when he sent out Caterpie. "Though why did you send Caterpie out first instead of just using Pikachu?"
"Well, I figured since it…." Ash started, before quickly checking his Pokedex. "Sorry, she, was a Pidgeotto, she'd be stronger than the usual kind of Pokemon we'd find here. Plus, I wanted to give Caterpie some experience too. Can't do that if I don't have him fight, right?"
"Glad to know you can use strategy like that," Misty nodded. She had to admit, using a Caterpie like that was clever.
"Dad always made sure I knew how to do that whenever he was home. It took me a few tries but I got it right eventually," Ash sweat dropped, remembering some of his earlier 'strategies' that really just boiled down to 'keep hitting and try and it'll work out'. "Anyway…" he mused, letting Pidgeotto out, the bird landing on the stump. "Let's get you taken care of," he said, rummaging through his backpack and pulling out a Potion. "This is gonna sting a little, so brace yourself," he said, earning a nod before he sprayed the potion on Pidgeotto, causing her to cry out a little when it stung, but ultimately look happier once her injuries were better.
However, before Ash could properly welcome his new Pokemon to the team, a laugh was heard. "So, we meet again," a familiar voice said.
"That voice…!" both of them gasped, right as the music started
(Play 'Team Rocket Theme')
"To Protect the world from devastation."
"To Unite all people within our nations."
"To Denounce the evils of truth and love."
"To Extend our reach to the stars above."
At this point three familiar figures could be seen, revealing to be Team Rocket again.
"Jessie."
"James."
"Team Rocket, blast off at the speed of light!"
"Surrender now or prepare to fight!"
"Meowth, that's right!"
(Theme end)
"You three again? Didn't we literally send you flying two nights ago?" Ash said in annoyance.
"You just got lucky last time," Jessie said. "But thanks to that we know our next target."
"Hand over that Pikachu," James said.
"Keep dreaming. I'm not giving Pikachu to you, go find your own!" Ash growled.
"Well that's too bad, because we want that Pikachu in particular," Jessie smirked.
"As we said, we're only after the rarest and most valuable of Pokemon, and that Pikachu happens to be one of them," James said.
"What are you talking about? Pikachu aren't THAT rare," Ash frowned.
"Not this one it isn't," Meowth said. "Especially not after the other night."
"So make things easier for yourself and just hand it over," Jessie said.
"You can forget it!" Ash growled, getting into a fighting stance.
"Well then if it's a fight you want," James started.
"It's a fight you'll get!" Jessie finished as they both threw their Pokeballs, releasing Ekans and Koffing.
"Using two Pokemon huh? Fine then, I'm up for a Double Battle," Ash said.
"Try winning with this! Koffing, Sludge attack!" James commanded, Koffing obeyed, shooting sludge right into Pikachu's face, blinding him.
"Enough with the cheap tricks you cowards!" Ash growled.
"As if we care. We'll do anything to win!" Jessie smirked. "Ekans go!" she ordered, Ekans obeying, but before he could reach Pikachu, Ash surged forward and met it with a Brick Break to the head, causing Ekans to recoil. "Hey, no interfering with a Pokemon Battle!" Jessie protested.
"Says the ones attacking before we even started!" Ash shot back, grabbing Caterpie's Pokeball. "Pidgeotto, Caterpie, go!" he ordered as he threw the ball, Pidgeotto flying off of the stump while Caterpie materialized.
"Well he does make a good point. In that case…" James smirked, before he and Jessie soon stepped forward. "Let's see you handle both of us!" he said as both drew out their batons again.
Ash frowned, before picking up Pikachu and giving him to Misty. "Whatever happens, don't let them get Pikachu," he said.
"Wait, you're gonna fight them alone?!" Misty asked in alarm. "They're not going to fight fair even with a number advantage, especially with those stun batons!" she warned.
"I know, but that's why I need you to take care of Pikachu. They'll do just about anything to get what they want, so I can't risk them taking Pikachu in the middle of the battle," Ash said. "So please take care of him."
Misty hesitated for a moment, but ultimately nodded. "Alright, but be careful," she said, earning a nod from him before he tossed aside his jacket and hat, ready to fight alongside his Pokemon.
"Thanks for the wait. Now...let's go!" Ash said, as Pidgeotto took the initiative. "Pidgeotto, Quick Attack, but watch out for Ekans and Koffing! Caterpie, you're with me!" At that Pidgeotto charged forward, while Caterpie soon climbed onto his neck and shoulders in a way that wouldn't obstruct him.
"Don't worry about the worm, focus on the bird!" Jessie said, "Ekans, Poison Sting!"
"Knock it out of the sky! Koffing, Tackle!" James commanded, to which both Pokemon went after Pidgeotto.
"Focus on protecting yourself first!" Ash commanded, though he reflexively turned to look...which rewarded him with a baton to the cheek, pushing him back.
"While they deal with the bird, you've gotta deal with us," Jessie said as she and James had smirks on their faces, their batons at the ready.
James quickly lashed out with his baton, but Ash flipped over it, and landed an axe kick to his shoulder, causing him to grunt and back off.
Acting quickly, Jessie immediately moved forward, aiming with her baton in a stabbing motion, but Ash quickly used the momentum to spin in the air and deliver a kick to her head as well.
Jessie stumbled back but quickly regained her balance. Growling in anger, she fired a Flamethrower, which Ash narrowly evaded when he landed. He was about to move again, but right as he shifted his position…his foot got caught by a Grass Knot, causing him to trip and fall.
"We got you now!" both of them laughed, stun batons fully charged as they were ready to deliver the pain but…
"Caterpie, now! String Shot!" Ash ordered.
Caterpie reacted immediately, shooting his strings and catching the batons, much to Jessie and James's surprise, before Ash quickly grabbed the ropes of string, and pulled, the sudden force wrenching them out of their hands, causing them to fly into the air. "Pidgeotto, Gust! Blow them this way!"
Pidgeotto evaded another attack from Ekans and Koffing, before using Gust to blow them towards Ash...who pulled on the strings again, sending the batons right at the two incoming Pokemon, causing them to be shocked when they hit.
"Did that twerp seriously use our weapons on our own Pokemon?!" James glared.
"Well if that's the case, let's beat him the old fashioned way!" Jessie agreed, before James fired off a Magical Leaf.
Seeing the attack coming, Ash was forced to evade. However, as he did so, James adjusted his attack, turning it into a flurry to which Jessie followed up with Flamethrower, causing the leaves to catch fire and rain down on Ash.
Gritting his teeth, Ash grabbed Caterpie and threw him out of the way of the flaming leaves as they hit, causing him to shout in pain. Gritting his teeth, he focused through the pain and on the battle. "Caterpie, String Shot on Ekans and Koffing! Pidgeotto, Whirlwind on these leaves!" he shouted.
Both Pokemon nodded and Caterpie spun more strings, soon encasing Ekans and Koffing in the strings, making them unable to see or move, before he Tackled them, sending them flying away. At the same time, Pidgeotto used Whirlwind on the remaining burning leaves...blowing them away from Ash and towards Team Rocket who had 'Oh Crap!' expressions on their faces before their own attack was used against them.
"Honestly, do I have to be the REAL Pokemon here?" Meowth said in annoyance at seeing the two deal with their own attack. Setting his sights on Caterpie and Pidgeotto, he extended his claws, ready to fight...and promptly got encased in string as well courtesy of Caterpie, before Pidgeotto slapped him with her wing, sending him flying after Ekans and Koffing.
By then the rain of burning petals had ended, allowing Jessie and James to focus on the battle again...and they saw that Ash had taken the chance to get close to them and was now right in front of them, both his palms glowing. "Uh oh…" both of them gulped, before Ash rammed his palms into their guts, executing a point blank Force Palm, sending both flying after their Pokemon.
"Looks like Team Rocket's blasting off again!" they managed to shout before they were gone.
With them gone, Ash let out a small sigh, but soon smiled. "We did it! We beat them you two!" he said, earning happy sounds from both Caterpie and Pidgeotto.
"That was a good fight," Misty complimented, by now having been able to get the sludge off of Pikachu's eyes, allowing him to see again. "Not bad for your first match."
"I'm just glad it worked out as well as it did. I was worried I wouldn't be able to direct Caterpie and Pidgeotto right since I only just got them recently. Thanks you two," Ash said, once again earning happy sounds from the two...before Caterpie seemed surprised, and suddenly started glowing.
"Caterpie?!" Ash gasped.
"He's evolving!" Misty gasped, as Caterpie's form grew and shifted, before revealing a Metapod in his place.
"Awesome!" Ash grinned, before scanning Metapod with his Pokedex.
"Metapod, the Cocoon Pokemon. Metapod is a Bug-type Pokemon native to Kanto, and is the evolved form of Caterpie. It has encased its body in a hard cocoon as it prepares to evolve further. Among the many Pokemon native to Kanto, the Caterpie line is one of the fastest to evolve."
"Good job, Metapod!" Ash said. "I'm sure you're gonna be a Buterfree real soon."
Metapod looked very happy at that, and for some reason Pikachu seemed very pleased too.
"Guess you DID do pretty well. Good job," Misty said, Metapod again looking happy, while Ash got a slightly mischievous look.
"Well if you REALLY wanna congratulate Metapod, you'll pet him for a good job," Ash said...earning a dope slap.
"Don't push it," Misty said in annoyance.
"Right right, sorry," Ash laughed a little, before picking up Metapod, while Pidgeotto landed on his shoulder. "Well, we're done here, so let's keep going!"
At that moment a Beedril suddenly flew in front of Misty, surprising her. "I agree! Let's get out of this forest!" she screamed.
XXXX
Misty was screaming in fear again. After the encounter with Team Rocket, they'd been navigating the forest for a few days, and suffice to say...she was NOT a happy camper.
"What did you see this time?" Ash sighed. He wanted to be a bit more sympathetic, but after a few days of hearing Misty scream literally every time a Bug Pokemon popped out of the woodwork (and that happened several times in a single day), this was getting old. VERY old. Even Pikachu had a look of 'not this again'.
"There!" Misty pointed...from where she was clinging to a tree branch, her tail even wrapping around the rest of the branch she wasn't clinging on to. Ash and Pikachu turned to where she was pointing, and saw a Weedle crawling out of the bushes.
"I was wondering when we'd see one of these," Ash mused, remembering how many times they'd spied a random Beedrill while travelling, before he took out his Pokedex.
"Weedle, the Hairy Bug Pokemon. Weedle is a Bug/Poison-type Pokemon native to Kanto. The large spike on its head is full of powerful venom that it uses to defend itself when threatened. When not threatened, Weedle are known to peacefully enjoy eating leaves in the forest," Dexter recited.
"If Bugs aren't bad enough, this thing has a poisonous stinger! Now make it go away!" Misty shouted.
"Sure, I'll do that. If by go away you mean catch it," Ash smirked. "We could always use a Poison-type on our team. Pikachu, let's go!" Ash said...and saw Pikachu having somehow laid out a small futon and facing away from him on it.
Ash had a huge sweat drop at that. "You COULD just say you don't wanna fight it," he said dryly. "Well that's fine, Pidgeotto's a better pick for this one anyway," he said as he grabbed Pidgeotto's ball, and threw it, causing Pidgeotto to materialize, ready for battle.
"Gust attack, but go easy on it!" Ash ordered. Pidgeotto obeying, flapping her wings to send out a gust of wind that sent Weedle tumbling back. Weedle soon steadied itself and launched itself towards Pidgeotto who evaded.
"Now, Sand Attack!" Pidgeotto quickly kicked up some sand, blinding and confusing the Weedle.
"Wing Attack, but just enough to disorient it!" the next thing that came was Pidgeotto's wing knocking Weedle aside, causing it to roll on the ground and stop with swirly eyes.
Ash nodded at that, before turning his hat around. "Pokeball, go!" he called out, throwing one of his empty Pokeballs, hitting the Weedle and sucking it in, before the ball wiggled a bit, but eventually let out the sound of a successful capture. "Alright! We got Weedle!" Ash grinned, Pidgeotto letting out a sound of victory.
Then, he heard what sounded like clapping hands, turning around to see a Scyther morph wearing samurai armor of all things, complete with a helmet on his head, though it was opened at the back to allow his wings to stick out along with a wooden sword at his hip… though he also had a bug catching net attached to his back, of which his hand was resting on the sword, the signature blades of a scyther folded back on his arms, but ready to unfold when needed. "Well done, I was going to challenge you to a battle, but decided to wait as you were occupied." the young man said.
"Oh, uh...thanks for that?" Ash blinked. "So, which are you?"
"A Trainer-Fighter, just like yourself," the young man said. "I am Samurai, and I am searching for a Pokemon Trainer who comes from Pallet Town."
"I'm gonna take a guess and say you've fought against Gary and whoever else was ahead of me," Ash frowned. "So yeah, I'm from Pallet."
"Excellent then. Let us begin immediately," Samurai smirked.
"Fine then, what are the terms?" Ash asked… before pausing. "But before we start can I at least heal Weedle first? Pidgeotto might need some treatment too," Ash said quickly.
Samurai nodded. "Of course, I wouldn't dream of challenging a worn out opponent to a fight."
"Thanks," Ash nodded, before calling out Pidgeotto and Weedle. "I know you both were just in a fight, but we're gonna be entering another fight, so can I count on you both?" he asked. The two Pokemon looked at each other, before turning back to him and nodding.
Ash nodded as well, before rummaging through his backpack and pulled out a Potion and an Ether packet. He quickly sprayed Weedle with it, healing his injuries, before opening the Ether packet and pouring out a few small pills which he gave to Pidgeotto who happily ate them, before letting out an energetic sound. Once he was sure both of his Pokemon were back in fighting condition, he returned them to their balls. "Okay, NOW we're ready. What are the terms?"
"We begin with a last man standing Pokemon Battle," Samurai said. "After that we will face each other in single combat. Standard League rules."
"Okay, that's fine by me," Ash nodded.
"Then I shall begin! Pinsir, go!" Samurai called out, throwing a Pokeball to reveal said Pokemon.
"Woah, he's got a Pinsir," Ash gulped, and with good reason. Among the Bug-types in Kanto, these were HIGH on the pecking order. Just to be safe he quickly scanned Pinsir.
"Pinsir, the Stag Beetle Pokemon. Pinsir is a Bug-type Pokemon native to Kanto. This fearsome Pokemon is known to catch its prey using its powerful claws, before either crushing or throwing them. Caution is advised when dealing with them.
"Well that's not very comforting," Ash sweat dropped, thinking who would be best to send out against Pinsir. Quickly making his mind… "Pidgeotto, I choose you!" he called out, sending out Pidgeotto.
"I expected you'd do that. It's only natural to send a Flying-type against a Bug-type like my Pinsir," Samurai smirked. "But don't think this will be so easy! Pinsir, Tackle attack!"
Pinsir surged forward, but Pidgeotto dodged the attack by taking to the air.
"Let's slow it down! Sand Attack!" Ash commanded.
Pidgeotto flapped her wings and kicked up a small sandstorm which made it hard for Pinsir to see. "Now, Wing Attack!" Pidgeotto flew into the storm and wacked Pinsir with her wing, causing it to stagger back, but it managed to weather the blows.
"Pinsir, counter with Revenge!" Samurai ordered.
Pinsir's claws glowed as it braced itself and shot towards Pidgeotto who was unable to evade, dealing sizable damage even with type disadvantage.
"Pidgeotto, knock it off balance with Gust!" Ash shot back.
Pidgeotto quickly regained her balance and flapped her wings, creating a tornado that hit Pinsir dead on, lifting it right off its feet and into the air.
"X-Scissors! Use the momentum to your advantage!" Samurai ordered.
"Fight back with Wing Attack!" Ash ordered, the two Pokemon moving to use those moves, and soon clashed in mid-air, before the force sent both of them reeling back. At first it seemed like it had been a stalemate...until Pinsir fell to a knee, having taken more damage.
Seeing that, Samurai frowned. As strong as his Pinsir was, it had a notable disadvantage against a Flying type, especially one that had a competent trainer. With that in mind, it seemed he had to do it all or nothing. He counted himself fortunate a Pidgeotto's move pool was mostly physical moves. True enough…
"Finish it off! Quick Attack!" Ash ordered. Pinsir was weakened, so a priority attack would be ideal. However, as Pidgeotto surged towards her opponent like a missile…
"Pinsir, Guillotine!" Samurai ordered, Pinsir's claws glowing bright before it charged, followed by a flash as both Pokemon clashed and passed each other...before both fell to the ground, knocked out, before their trainers recalled them.
"Great work Pidgeotto, you deserve a good rest," Ash reassured his Pokemon inside the ball. "That was a pretty good move. I didn't expect you to use Guillotine," he admitted.
"It was a gamble, but it was worth it to remove your Pidgeotto from the equation," Samurai said, before taking out another Pokeball. "Now for my next Pokemon. Wurmple, go!"
"Hey, didn't know these show up in Kanto," Ash mused, scanning the new Pokemon.
"Wurmple, the Worm Pokemon. Wurmple is a Bug-type Pokemon native to Hoenn. A close cousin to Caterpie, Wurmple enjoy eating leaves in the forest. If threatened, it will defend itself with the spikes on its body."
"I was fortunate to find him in the forest during one of my walks," Samurai said with a grin. "I'm hoping to raise this one a bit more so that he may evolve soon," Samurai said.
"Well then, let's see if we can do something about that," Ash chuckled. "Weedle, go!"
The two Bug Pokemon were soon facing off as they clashed with Poison Sting and Tackle respectively, both...actually making a rather decent duel.
While this was happening, Misty had finally gotten down from the tree. "Of course I'm being treated like a background prop." she muttered in annoyance. "Well I'm not sticking around to watch some bug brawl," she huffed before walking off, figuring she'd at least find the path again first.
Back with the boys, the fight was...actually quite exciting considering the combatants were basically a pair of worms. The two Pokemon were curled around each other trying to find openings to either sting or hit the other, and were actually doing a decent job of evading one another.
"Don't let up Weedle!" Ash encouraged.
"Do not yield, Wurmple, you are fighting well!" Samurai also encouraged, the two Pokemon seemed more than happy to comply as they continued fighting, neither giving an inch, before they broke off and charged at each other again, and rammed into each other, glaring at each other heatedly, and when they did...both started glowing much to their respective trainer's surprise.
Their forms shifted, and before long they revealed their two new forms. Seeing them, Ash quickly scanned them with Dexter.
"Kakuna, the Cocoon Pokemon. Kakuna is a Bug/Poison-type Pokemon native to Kanto. It is the evolved form of Weedle. Though mainly immobile, it is able to extend its stinger even in this state to poison opponents. In the wild it usually remains hidden as it awaits its next Evolution."
"Cascoon, the Cocoon Pokemon. Cascoon is a Bug-type Pokemon native to Hoenn. It is one of two possible evolutions for Wurmple, the other being Silcoon. It is said that a Cascoon that is attacked will always remember its attacker, and plan to pay them back once it evolves."
"Wow, I must have really gotten lucky to get a Weedle that was close to evolving," Ash whistled.
"Good job Cascoon!" Samurai grinned at the sight of his newly evolved Pokemon. "Now then, shall we continue?"
"Actually, why don't we call this a draw?" Ash suggested. "They both just evolved and they ARE species that prefer not to move much if they can."
Samurai thought about it for a moment before nodding. "Very well, you make a good point. This round is another draw."
With that agreement, both of them recalled their Pokemon, before choosing their next combatants. "Go!" both of them called out, the lights revealing...a pair of Metapods.
Both of them nearly stumbled over when they saw that. "...I'm going to assume we both had the same idea of feeling out our next opponent first," Ash said dryly.
"Ah...truth be told, this is my last Pokemon," Samurai laughed awkwardly. "I was hoping to give him more experience so that he might evolve soon as well.
"Well if that's the case…" Ash sighed, recalling Metapod. "Pikachu, go!"
Pikachu soon entered the fight, cheeks sparking. "Don't go overboard. Thundershock!"
"Metapod, Harden!" Samurai called out, right before the electricity hit. The Metapod looked rather singed, but managed to withstand it. However…
"Quick Attack!" Ash ordered, Pikachu attacking with fast strikes, and followed up with another Thundershock of his own volition. Samurai's Metapod did his best, but ultimately couldn't keep up with Pikachu and fell over with swirly eyes.
Samurai sweat dropped at that. "Very well, I concede defeat in our Pokemon Battle," he said, returning his Metapod. "However, I shall not lose in our personal fight!" he declared, drawing his sword.
"Oh yeah? Well don't think I'm going to make it any easier," Ash said, tossing aside his jacket and hat onto his backpack, which Pikachu was watching over. With that done, Ash stepped forward, Samurai doing the same as they went to the area that their Pokemon had been fighting.
The two stood across from each other, Ash going into a martial arts stance, while Samurai went into a kendo stance, his wooden sword gripped firmly in his hands. A heavy silence descended on them, both watching each other intently, ready to counter any moves the other made, the tension so thick one could cut it with a knife.
The tense silence continued for a moment...before as if by a silent signal, they charged forward.
The two covered the distance between them in a moment, and as they were about to clash, Ash suddenly went low and aimed for a Low Kick to break Samurai's footing, aiming to destroy his stance as soon as possible.
However, Samurai had anticipated a possible attack like this, and reacted accordingly. He jumped over the kick, and in the same motion raised his sword before swinging it down, taking advantage of gravity to enhance his strike.
Ash barely had the time to regain his own footing from his attempt to strike, and thus could do nothing but brace himself as he took the strike right to his shoulder, forcing him to back off, the Riolu holding his shoulder as he did before quickly biting down the pain from the impact.
Quickly bouncing back, Ash countered with a Force Palm, taking advantage of Samurai's own need to regain his footing and rammed it into Samurai's chest, causing him to gasp as the force hit. However, his armor, even if not quite real, was enough to dampen the blow a little.
Samurai grit his teeth as he quickly regained the breath that had been knocked out of him, and countered with a thrust of his sword, but Ash was faster and managed to block the thrust before diverting it to throw Samurai slightly off balance and making him drop his sword.
Acting quickly, Ash brought up his leg and delivered a strong kick to Samurai's unprotected side, causing the Scyther to gasp out in pain as he was knocked away from the Riolu, to which Ash quickly took the opportunity to regain his balance and surge forward after the Samurai, aiming to press his advantage.
Samurai grit his teeth as he unwillingly flew through the air. Thinking quickly, he started buzzing his wings, allowing him to slow his momentum and regain his balance. Seeing the incoming Riolu, he unflipped the blade on his right arm, and aimed a Slash towards his opponent.
Ash's eyes widened when he saw the incoming attack, and bracing himself, raised his left arm, focusing his aura into it as best as he could and blocked the attack, wincing as he felt the blade dig into his arm a little. However, he bit down the pain and focused his energy into his right arm, before smashing a Power-Up Punch into Samurai's cheek, causing him to recoil rather violently.
Samurai coughed a bit as he broke away from Ash, nursing his aching jaw. At the same time Ash groaned as he held his arm. Nothing serious, but after this Fight, he'd probably want to try and avoid using his left arm as much as he could for the next few hours. Of the two it seemed Samurai was the first to recover, and unflipped his remaining arm blade.
Taking advantage of his small opening, Samurai charged forward and delivered a Fury Cutter, forcing Ash to block due to the sudden movement. The Riolu grit his teeth and blocked as much as he could, but every time a strike hit his left arm, he felt the damage more and more, before he found a small opening and kicked Samurai in the gut, forcing him back and ending the Move prematurely.
Both fighters panted a bit, sweat falling from their brows, while they were feeling the effects of their fight, and Samurai had more than a few dents on his armor. Even so, both of them had competitive smirks on their faces, as they were enjoying this Fight. "You're pretty good. Switching between a weapon and your moves like that is impressive," Ash complimented.
"You as well. Whoever taught you how to fight taught you well," Samurai said. However, before they could continue, a loud scream was heard through the forest. "Again with that shrieking maiden," Samurai said in annoyance. "Does she not realize she could attract a swarm of Beedrill if she keeps doing that?"
"Wait...isn't that…?" Ash blinked, looking to where he last saw Misty...and noticed she wasn't there anymore. True enough, a familiar Vaporeon was running towards them…and behind her was a swarm of Beedrill.
"Why did you bring them here?!" Samurai gasped in horror.
"Sh-should we run?" Ash gulped.
"If we want to live, yes," Samurai nodded, before they all started running, the growing exhaustion both boys were feeling seemingly forgotten thanks to the sudden adrenaline surge the swarm of Beedrill had brought out from them.
"What happened?!" Ash asked Misty when she caught up, Pikachu running frantically next to them (Ash had grabbed his backpack and additional clothes along the way).
"I don't know! I was trying to see if I could find the path again when those things suddenly came after me!" Misty shouted as they continued to run.
"I recommend refraining from any further shrieking, or we may attract even more Beedrill!" Samurai cautioned.
"Good idea!" Ash and Misty couldn't help but agree. The swarm continued to chase them until they turned a corner, Samurai leading them somewhere, which revealed to be a log cabin.
"If we can reach my cabin, we should be alright!" Samurai said, and true enough they managed to reach it and quickly ducked inside, Samurai quickly bolting the door shut, and backed off just in time to avoid one of the stingers that managed to break through the wall and door a bit, before being pulled out, the Beedrill swarming around them.
"They'll give up eventually, right?" Ash asked.
"They should yes," Samurai sighed. "It's a good thing I just applied the Repel to the walls recently."
"Glad to hear that," Misty sighed. "Are Beedrill usually this angry? They were already swarming when I found them," she asked.
"Hm...that is strange. Beedrill are aggressive, but that is not normal behavior," Samurai frowned. "I can only surmise someone else whipped them into a frenzy for some reason."
"Well that's annoying. I wonder who it was…" Ash frowned.
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"Floor it!" Gary shouted, the driver complying as his car raced through the path and soon out of the forest, several singed Beedrill angrily chasing them. "What is with these crazy things?!" he growled. He'd accidentally stumbled onto one of their hives, and he was about to leave but he stepped on a branch. Cue them all coming after them so he had to use some Fire Moves to gets them to back off...and he might have hit some of the nests in the process, but he was sure the fires were light, nothing that would warrant this...right? Whatever the case, he didn't think he was going back into the Viridian Forest again if he could help it.
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"So I guess we'll have to just wait things out?" Ash asked.
"It seems that is all we can do for now," Samurai sighed, putting his dented helmet and armor on a nearby desk, making a mental note to fix those up later. "I do not recommend we turn on any lights for now. We might stir up the Beedrill even more," he said...right as Ash and Misty were about to switch on a few lamps, to which they sheepishly put them back where they found them, Pikachu chuckling a bit at the sight.
"So...what do we do now while waiting?" Misty asked.
Samurai went to one of the drawers at that...and pulled out a pack of playing cards. "Old Maid or Go Fish?"
"That works," both of them sighed as four (Pikachu included) sat down and began playing.
"So…" Ash started as they were in the middle of playing Old Maid, to which he took a card from Misty and sighed when he found he had taken the Joker. "You said you fought against some of the others from Pallet?"
"Indeed. I fought 2 others before yourself," Samurai nodded. "Though I was defeated both times, they were truly incredible battles that only pushed me to train harder. I am certainly pleased to find that my third battle did not disappoint, even if it was interrupted."
"Well I gotta admit you had me going there when you pulled out Pinsir, but glad to know I could live up to the standards," Ash chuckled. "Come to think of it, why are you living here?"
"Ah that," Samurai nodded. "I am originally from a small settlement near the outskirts of Pewter City, yet while it is a city known for its affinity to stone and thus Rock Pokemon, I found myself more drawn to the Bug-type Pokemon. Furthermore, as my family has owned a dojo that trained those interested in the art of the sword, I felt it fitting that I come here to train," he said. "My stay here is a training trip to hone my skills both physically and mentally, and only once I have grown strong enough will I return."
"You're pretty dedicated, huh?" Misty said with a small smile...even if she was still keeping some distance.
"Of course, one needs dedication if they want to grow stronger," Samurai nodded.
"I know how that feels," Ash agreed as the group continued chatting for a while. It seemed the Beedrill were VERY persistent as they kept hovering around till night fell, forcing them all to stay inside the cabin the whole time. Thankfully though, come morning they'd dispersed for now.
"Looks like they finally left," Misty sighed.
"Do not be too happy yet. There may be some still nearby," Samurai cautioned, before coming out with what appeared to be a large netting of sorts held up by a large pole in a way that would be able to cover them. "It would be best if we traveled with this for now. If nothing else, it can provide us some protection from the Beedrill."
"Right, so what now?" Ash asked.
"If the Beedrill are still in a frenzy, then it won't be safe to stay in the forest. It may be in our best interest to head for Pewter City for now," Samurai said with a frown.
"Good idea," Misty agreed. "And since you live here, I'll bet you know the best way to get into Pewter City, right?"
"I know the fastest path yes, and as it is it would be faster for us to go there at the moment," Samurai nodded.
"Alright then, we'll follow your lead," Ash nodded. The group soon were going through the forest, but at a sedated pace...and with Ash ready to clap Misty's mouth shut if any bugs startled her, as Samurai cautioned that if she kept shrieking, she'd eventually attract any nearby Beedrill to them.
The trip seemed uneventful at first, so far so good, though they had to move into cover every time they heard a tell tale buzzing. Even the other Pokemon in the forest seemed to have taken a hike until the Beedrill calm down. During one such ducking for cover, they noticed something. "It's a hive…" Samurai said, whispering.
Indeed, it was a Beedrill hive, namely a tree with several Kakuna attached to it, as well as several Beedrill clinging to the tree, seemingly asleep. Another thing they noticed was that the tree was quite singed, like it had caught on fire recently.
"Is this why they were in such a frenzy?" Ash blinked.
"It makes sense. If something damaged the hive, then they would be frantic to defend it. Still...clearly this wasn't a natural occurrence. That means some fool who came this way did it," Samurai frowned.
"And WE have to deal with the fallout," Misty frowned. "Well, let's just be careful not to wake them then," she sighed.
"Agreed," both boys nodded. However…
(Play 'Team Rocket theme')
"Oh no…" Ash and Misty groaned.
"Oh yes!" came a familiar pair of voices as standing on a nearby rock formation was Team Rocket.
"To Protect the world from devastation."
"To Unite all people within our nations."
"To Denounce the evils of truth and love."
"To Extend our reach to the stars above."
"Jessie."
"James."
"Team Rocket, blast off at the speed of light!"
"Surrender now or prepare to fight!"
"Meowth, that's right!"
(Theme end)
"Now then, get ready or...where did they go?" James blinked, as where the three teenagers had been a few seconds ago was just a dotted line.
"Hmph, the nerve! Running away while we were in the middle of the motto," Jessie frowned.
"Well then, let's chase them. Just shows they're afraid of us like they should be," Meowth said...until James stiffened for some reason.
"Um...I think they might have been running...from that," he said, pointing as the sound of buzzing was heard...and the group realized they were surrounded by Beedrill.
"Well, good thing we got that tank," Meowth said, as Jessie and James got out their tank...which had been eaten by Weedles. Needless to say they were soon running as well.
Back with Ash and Co….
"Are the Beedrills following us?!" Misty asked, hoping they'd lock on to Team Rocket rather than them.
"Those three fools must have woken every hive in the area with that music!" Samurai said. "We must not let our guard down!"
"I don't think guard is going to be an issue," Ash said, as another swarm emerged ahead of them, and before long they were surrounded.
"What now?" Misty asked.
"The netting will slow them down, but if too many attack, we won't be able to hold up!" Samurai grit his teeth.
True enough the Beedrill looked like they were ready to start attacking, something Pikachu noticed and started sparking at the cheeks. "Easy there Pikachu, we don't want to jump any guns," Ash cautioned, earning a small nod from Pikachu, though he was ready to fight too. Likewise, Ash was fingering his Pokeballs.
"Choose carefully if you want to fight. This net has limited ability in letting attacks out of it," Samurai cautioned, clearly ready to grab some of his own Pokemon if need be.
The group remained still, hopefully to avoid catching any bad attention from the Beedrill. However, the Beedrill soon attacked, to which Pikachu countered with a Thundershock, shocking several of the Beedrill. However, that more or less opened the floodgate as the Beedrill charged forward, several getting tangled in the net, but more were coming and starting to break through.
"When I throw the netting, we make a break for it!" Samurai shouted, earning nods, before with a shout, he tossed the netting upwards, confusing the Beedrill a bit, before the four of them ran out of the way, Pikachu shocking any Beedrill that tried to maintain chase. However, as they ran, several more Beedrill started surrounding them, Pikachu doing his best to fend them off, while Ash called out Pidgeotto to lend a hand. However, even between the two of them there were just too many Beedrill, forcing the Trainer-Fighters to defend themselves, Misty sending several back with a Hydro Pump, Samurai fending off several of them with X-Scissor, and Ash did his best to use Shadow Claw to fight back, but the numbers were a problem. As such, it was only a matter of time before a few got through here and there, managing to tag them, aiming to slowly wear them down.
As the fight went on, one Beedrill found an opening and went for Ash with the Twin Needle attack.
"Look out!" Misty shouted, having been the first to see it coming...but by then nobody was in a position to stop the attack...until suddenly one of Ash's Pokeballs opened by itself, releasing Metapod, who Hardened and got in the way of the attack, stopping it cold.
Ash gasped when he saw that, but quickly reacted and caught his Pokemon. "Metapod, are you okay?!" he asked in alarm, while the Beedrill ran away, its needles damaged from impacting something so hard.
"Metapod," Metapod said, shifting in a way that seemed to be a nod, before speaking up again in a way that was clear of the question.
"I'm okay thanks to you," Ash said, Pikachu finding the time to get back on his shoulder and let out a happy and thankful 'Pika!' at what Metapod did. "Don't worry, we'll all make it out of this," Ash reassured, to which Metapod gained a determined look. At that moment, his body started to glow, much to everyone's shock.
"He's evolving!" Samurai gasped, as Metapod seemed to float out of Ash's arms, his form shifting, and before long, the light soon dispersed to reveal a Butterfree that was soon flying around him, to which he pulled out his Pokedex.
"Butterfree, the Butterfly Pokemon. Butterfree is a Bug/Flying-type Pokemon native to Kanto, and is the final evolution of Caterpie. Butterfree's wings are covered in scales that both help it to shake off water and to defend itself in battle with a variety of powders," Dexter said, before Butterfree flew closer to Ash and let out a few sounds.
Ash didn't fully understand, but the intent was clear. Butterfree wanted to help. "Alright then," he nodded. "Butterfree, hit them with your Sleep Powder!" he ordered, to which Butterfree flew over the surprised Beedrill and dispersed the attack, covering all of them and before long they all fell to the ground out cold. Butterfree didn't stop there, and continued dispersing the powder, knocking out several of Weedle in the area...and among them Team Rocket who'd actually managed to evade the Beedrill fairly well, not that Butterfree noticed, being too focused on his task, and before long the forest was soon quieted as the Beedrill were pacified.
XXXX
"That was a truly impressive display. Even after it just evolved, Butterfree obeyed you without hesitation," Samurai said as they were now on a path that would lead them towards Pewter. "This path will lead you to Pewter City. My home is a little off this path so this is where we part ways," he said.
"Thanks for everything Samurai, but before we go, shouldn't we finish our match?" Ash asked.
Samurai smiled and shook his head. "Another time perhaps. I have seen enough to know you would likely have won. Until then, I will continue my training."
"It's a promise then," Ash nodded.
"Though next time try to have a match OUTSIDE of the Beedrill infested forest," Misty sighed. Suffice to say she'd had quite enough of Beedrill for a LONG time.
"A wise suggestion," Samurai chuckled. "Until next time, friend," he said with a nod and wave before he walked down a different path.
"Take care!" Ash waved back, before he soon turned to the direction of Pewter City as he, Misty, and Pikachu all continued down the path, heading for Pewter City.
XXXX
And there's another chapter. Next up is Pewter City and thus the first Gym Battle. As you saw, changes are already happening to the story. Small for now, but well...everything starts small. Also starting from this chapter there will be explanations of concepts that appear in this world, starting with the biggest one of all.
Retold File No. 1: Pokemorphs
Pokemorphs are one of the two dominant races of this world, the other being normal Pokemon. Pokemorphs themselves are a subspecies of Pokemon that long ago for various reasons, took on a different (scientific) Evolutionary path. They all evolved to have a more humanoid body structure, and gained greater intelligence and from it creativity and ingenuity allowing them to develop societies and cultures. However, during this path of Evolution, they lost the potency of their power compared to their Pokemon cousins, and thus while a Pokemorph may have more creativity in using their powers, they lack the raw power that a Pokemon can muster.
At the moment it should be noted that not ALL Pokemon species have a corresponding Pokemorph. All mammalian and bird Pokemon species have a corresponding Pokemorphy, while it varies for the other species of Pokemon.
