Chapter 3
Hitmonlee Baby One More Time
Yellow's Doduo followed behind Professor Oak's three-headed bird as best it could, refusing to be bested by its evolutionary counterpart, but trailing further and further behind as the summer day progressed. Thankfully they had to take things relatively slow in order to search for signs of a recent battle around the already scarred landscape of Mt. Moon, and the elderly professor also had to take things easy on account of his back.
"Not much longer, Dody," Yellow promised, using what energy she could spare to relieve his aching muscles. She yawned afterward and slouched forward, finding herself dosing within just a few minutes.
She wasn't overly concerned about falling off, and also wasn't worried about keeping her eyes open. Oak had his Pidgeot and Fearow scanning the area from above, and Dodrio and Doduo had five heads between them to keep a lookout. Not only that, but she had Pika perched atop her straw hat, searching for even the slightest hint of deja vu.
Yellow instinctively leaded to the side when Doduo made an unexpected turn. Ahead of them, one of Dodrio's heads was keeping an eye on Pika in order to make occasional course correction, though Yellow had a sneaking suspicion it was mainly keeping an eye on her.
She thankfully didn't have to bother hiding her true identity from the Pokémon. They'd be able to tell by her scent of course that she was a teenage girl rather than the prepubescent boy she was pretending to be, but they weren't likely to care and also had no way of correcting the professor whenever he referred to her as 'young man'.
More importantly, unless they originated from Viridian Forest, they shouldn't be able to tell that she was the forest's Maiden.
Thankfully precious few Pokémon could talk, and even fewer humans could truly communicate with them like she could. It was just as well however since most humans in her experience rarely had anything good to say.
After resting her eyes for a few minutes and having pleasant daydreams about fishing, she opened them and discovered that Dodrio had slowed and was now racing alongside them. It wasn't elderly like Charizard or their trainer, and knew it couldn't be even close to being tired yet. She grinned at the professor staring at her out of the corner of his eye and laughed suddenly.
"What!?" he barked.
"I thought you said all of your birds can fly." She chuckled again and petted Dody's heads.
"Hmph. If you had a Pokédex or listened to my radio program, you'd know that Dodrio can fly. Albeit not very far or very fast." He muttered the second part, but Dody had heard it, which meant she had as well.
"Pokédex..." she said to herself. "There's an idea. You wouldn't happen to have one, would you?"
The professor growled at her. "As a matter of fact I do, but if you think I'm just going to hand over a state of the art encyclopedia to an underage trainer who stole Red Ketchum's Pikachu, you've got another thing-"
"Hold it, Pika senses something," she interrupted. Yellow signaled for Doduo to slow before glancing up at Pika, his head and ears were turning in every direction.
Professor Oak let out a sharp whistle to get Pidgeot and Fearow's attention. "Does he recognize the area?"
Yellow shook her head. "No, he senses trouble."
"How can you possibly-"
"There's more to Pokémon than just textbooks and research papers, Professor. Let's just leave it at that."
What she said was partially true. Even without being able to read their minds, Yellow generally had a pretty good idea what Pokémon were thinking and feeling just by their facial expressions or postures alone.
Professor Oak studied his Pokémon in the sky for a few moments before signaling for them to circle the area. Finally he turned to Yellow and sighed. "Listen, I've made it my life's work studying Pokémon. I know better than anyone there's more to them than just what's in textbooks. There are times I might forget, I'll grant you that, but I've been around that Pikachu for nearly as long as you've been alive. How can you possibly know what it's thinking better than I can?"
"Because I sense something too," Yellow said quietly. She closed her eyes and reached out into the minds of the surrounding Pokémon. All three heads of Dodrio turned to her curiously, getting Oak's attention, but she paid them little mind. Expanding her thoughts further, she could sense a score of Diglett and Dugtrio racing beneath their feet, terrified.
"Below us!" she cried" Dody! Dodrio! RUN!"
The ground opened beneath them even as she spoke, and the flightless birds put their long legs and pitiful wings to good use retreating from the sinkhole threatening to swallow them whole. Unfortunately at least two of the five heads had different ideas on where to run, thus separating Yellow and Oak on either side of a massive crater.
"Thought so..." Yellow muttered as a Rhydon emerged from the hole followed by a Hitmonlee. She'd never seen either species in person before, but got the distinct impression they were both much larger than normal, and a whole lot meaner-looking as well.
Rhydon reminded her of a Nidoking except with gray, rocklike skin and a drill for a horn. Hitmonlee disturbed her however due to it not having a visible mouth, only large eyes on its chest, and arms and legs that appeared to be made out of springs. She also couldn't help but notice its razor sharp, knife-like toes and how both Pokémon were eyeing her, or more specifically, the electric rodent atop her hat.
Pika hopped down onto one of Doduo's heads, electricity crackling from his cheeks.
"Hold on, Pika," Yellow whispered. "Not yet. We don't know where Cloyster could be hiding, if it's even still around. Let's wait and see what they do."
"They're not waiting for commands," Professor Oak hollered, retrieving a Pokéball from his coat. "They're waiting for us to make the first move."
Yellow had half a mind to leave the former World Champion to deal with the pair while she and Pika continued their search for Red, but it didn't take a mind reader to know that Pika wanted revenge for whatever Rhydon and Hitmonlee had done to him and his trainer, and that they weren't likely to let them leave in peace. Pika's memory might've been more than a little fuzzy on the details, but he remembered enough, and his scarred ear ached just looking at them.
On the other side of the crater, Oak released his elderly Charizard while Pidgeot and Fearow continued circling overhead, awaiting their trainer's orders.
"Pika's Thunderbolt will be useless against Rhydon!" Oak said. "I'll handle him while Pika takes care of Hitmonlee. Just remember, they're Master level Pokémon. Even without their trainer, they're still incredibly dangerous!"
"Yeah, well, Pika here belongs to THE Pokémon Master, and I have a trick or two up my own sleeve in case you've forgotten..." Yellow reached out with her mind and communicated with Pika and Dody her plan. Afterward she reached out and tried reading the minds of Rhydon and Hitmonlee. Both briefly turned their attention away from Pika, but the unusual sensation didn't seem to phase them for long.
"They're only thinking about fighting," she muttered, stifling another yawn. "Nothing else."
Pika nodded. He'd rather beat the information out of his opponents anyway, if there was anything left of them to get information out of that is.
"They have to be alive in order to help us find Red," she reminded him. "No killing."
'...no promises...' he thought back in between a few coarse words. Red didn't seem to Yellow like a vulgar teenage boy, but his Pikachu certainly was, and it made her wonder where he'd learned it from.
"I mean it, Pika. Whoever attacked you, Red, and the other Pokémon, Rhydon and Hitmonlee were just following their trainer's orders, just like they are now. Just because their trainer's evil doesn't mean they are too."
Pika had a few more curt words to say and didn't wait for a command or for their partners to make the first move. Instead, he leaped from Doduo's second head and soared toward Rhydon, his tail stiffening and taking on the appearance of polished steel. Before the super effective attack could connect however, Hitmonlee's fiery leg twitched and stretched to an impossible length and an even more impossible angle, intercepting the attack. Pika landed on the ground safely, more annoyed than actually hurt despite Blaze Kick having the advantage against Steel-Type attacks.
"LOOK OUT!" The electric mouse didn't need a trainer to know it should leap into the air when the ground begins shaking beneath it, but it was also savvy enough to know that doing so meant being a helpless target for Hitmonlee, and once more prepared Iron Tail for the incoming Blaze Kick.
The two clashed once more, and Pika used the momentum to land beside Charizard while Yellow and Dody circumnavigated the crater and Rhydon's rearranging of the battlefield. Truth be told, she couldn't tell the difference between Earthquake, Bulldoze, and Fissure, but didn't suppose it mattered much anyway. Death was death no matter how one was crushed by it.
"They're both incredibly powerful," Oak grumbled, their opponents once again waiting for them to make the first move. "Pika's still not at a hundred percent even after the miracle you performed on him, and the only attack he has that'll be effective against Rhydon is Iron Tail, and that won't be nearly enough to damage its thick hide."
"But that means Charizard will be at an even bigger disadvantage," she said, eyeing the elderly lizard. Yellow wasn't much of a battler, and rarely came across either type in her forest, but even she knew that Charizard was incredibly weak to Rock-types, and would be much better suited against Hitmonlee.
Oak grinned. "Let us worry about that. You can't see them, but Pidgeot and Fearow are still waiting for my signal. We just need to keep our opponents busy and strike them when they're least expecting it. Wasn't that one of the tricks up your sleeve you mentioned?"
Yellow nodded, but she was all too aware how focused Rhydon and Hitmonlee were on their opponents. They were perfectly in sync with each other, and she had a feeling they were already well-aware of the birds high in the sky, and probably whatever other tricks the former World Champion might have up his own sleeve.
"Charizard," Oak commanded, "use Fire Spin to separate Rhydon from Hitmonlee!"
The dragon roared and from its jaws spewed a torrent of fire that engulfed the entire crater. Rhydon barely seemed to notice the intense flames on account of its thick, rocky hide, but Hitmonlee leaped away which gave their opponents the opening they were looking for.
"Thunderbolt, Pika!"
"Now, Charizard! Focus Punch!"
The former champion and his ace fell quickly into a familiar rhythm thanks to not being completely out of practice while a bolt of lightning sailed straight toward Hitmonlee before changing direction at the last possible second and striking Rhydon's horn, who was otherwise unaffected by Pika's signature attack.
"W-what?" Yellow stared wide-eyed just like Pika, but the electric rodent's surprise quickly turned to annoyance with itself, its trainer, and finally its opponents.
"One of Rhydon's abilities is Lightning Rod," Oak shouted. "It means all electrical attacks will be drawn to it instead of Hitmonlee!"
Pika dodged out of the way of an incoming kick, then another, and the cycle continued without it being able to respond or close the distance with one of its physical attacks.
Gritting her teeth, Yellow glanced at the other battle taking place and saw that Rhydon had caught Charizard's Focus Punch, and that the two brutes were now trying to out-muscle each other, with little success being found on either side.
'I'm in way over my head,' she realized. Yellow glanced down at Dody, exhausted and her only means of escape, then at the Pokéballs attached to her belt. Neither Rattata nor Caterpie were strong battles, but especially not when compared to world class battlers like Charizard, Pika, and their opponents.
"Watch out for Horn Drill!" Oak shouted. Charizard ducked under the attack, using its long neck and slender body to its advantage, but finding itself quickly losing ground against its much younger opponent.
"Pika, help Charizard with Iron Tail!"
The electric mouse sped across the makeshift battlefield, avoiding Hitmonlee's long legs and connected with a super effective Iron Tail to the back of Rhydon's head, freeing Charizard but doing very little else.
"He's right, Pika's nowhere near full strength," Yellow said, "and these aren't ordinary wild Pokémon."
Hitmonlee stretched its long legs across the battlefield, narrowly missing Pika who didn't wait for further instructions to deliver a less than effective Quick Attack to its sternum. Electricity sparked around the kicking Pokémon however, and Yellow couldn't help but cheer.
"Quick! It's paralyzed thanks to Static! Finish it with Iron Tail!"
Pika was already ahead of her, its tail shining like polished steel, but a swift kick knocked him across the battlefield, more to create distance than to actually cause damage.
"Hitmonlee has an ability called Limber," Oak said. "Makes it immune to being paralyzed. Looks like our enemy prepared specifically for Pika."
Yellow head spun. "You could've warned me, you know!"
"Young man, I've been battling since before your parents were born. I've forgotten more about Pokémon than you'll be lucky to learn your entire life!"
Yellow was tempted to correct him that she didn't have parents, and knew more about Pokémon than he could ever dream of, but decidedly bit her tongue in favor of concentrating on the battle like him.
Oak, perhaps sensing she wasn't entirely wrong, retrieved an older model Pokédex from his lab coat. An original model or perhaps even a prototype, which Yellow took immediate interest in. He then whistled and waved to his birds flying above.
"Fearow, use Steel Wing! Pidgeot, Aerial Ace!"
"Pika, distract Hitmonlee with Agility!"
The electric mouse darted in front of Hitmonlee to try and entice it, but the kicking Pokémon was savvy to their scheme and narrowly avoided Pidgeot's Aerial Ace by springing away. Rhydon however hadn't been so fortunate with Fearow's Steel Wing, but the drill Pokémon once again barely seemed to notice the super effective attack, and shooed the bird away with a dismissive backhand.
"We need to get out of here," Yellow said. Despite being outnumbered, their opponents were stronger and not only worked well together, but also had a decisive type advantage. While Pidgeot and Fearow continued attacking when their opponents were distracted or creating the distractions themselves, it was obvious they were searchers, not battlers, and that both Pika and Charizard were quickly tiring.
"Professor, we need to get out of here!" she shouted again.
"I heard you the first time," he growled. "I'm old, not deaf, and I know a lost cause when I see one. Fearow, return!" Oak held out a Pokéball and the giant bird was transported back into its home after a clubbing blow from Rhydon's tail.
"We can outrun them," Oak admitted, "but if we run now, we may never pick up Red's trail again, and for all we know, he could still be around here. Besides, Pika would rather die than turn tail and run again."
Yellow grit her teeth and watched as Pika continued dodging Hitmonlee's long legs and knife-like toes, often missing them by mere inches while Charizard continued dancing around its slower opponent, just barely staying ahead of its deadly drill.
She was just about to yell another command when a sudden warning from Pika flashed her mind.
"Get down!" Yellow dived off Dody onto the professor, knocking him off his Dodrio just as one of Hitmonlee's legs sailed overhead, stretching far beyond what should've been possible.
The flightless birds quickly gathered around their trainers, guarding them from further attacks, but Hitmonlee's attention was quickly turned back to Pika after an Iron Tail to its outstretched leg.
"Thanks," Oak grumbled while Yellow helped him back to his feet. He glanced up at Dodrio, wondering why the three-headed bird hadn't seen the attack coming, or if it had, why the boy had been faster to react. "You sensed that attack coming, didn't you? Before it even happened. How?"
Yellow didn't answer, and was just going to ignore him when Pika cried out from being punted like a soccer ball across the wasteland, and rolled to a halt.
"Pika!" Yellow screamed. She tried running after him but Oak grabbed her by the arm. "It's not safe!"
"I don't care! Pika needs me!"
She had just freed herself when a flood of water halted Hitmonlee's pursuit, and forced Rhydon to give up its attack on Charizard in favor of finding higher ground.
"Huh?" Yellow looked up, and riding atop a giant serpent made of steel was a tall young man with tanned skin and a young woman with short red hair riding beside him. She of course knew them both on sight, having seen the gym leader of Pewter City a time or two at the Pokémon Center, and knowing his companion as the world famous gym leader of Cerulean City.
Both were practically celebrities in the Kanto region, but perhaps what they were most well-known for were being some of Red Ketchum's closest friends and his longtime traveling companions.
"Misty! Brock!" Oak cried. "It's about time!"
"Sorry to keep you waiting," Brock said, hopping down beside them.
Misty floated to the ground with the help of a violet colored starfish with a red jewel in the middle. She smiled at Yellow and winked. "Let us take it from here."
"Steelix, use Iron Head!"
"Hydro Pump, Starmie!"
(A/N: Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoyed. It was fun for me seeing Yellow out of her depth here. She hasn't yet undergone rigorous training like she did in the manga, Pika still doesn't fully trust her, and she's just now fully realizing that the enemy is out for blood. Oak for his part is as much a help as a hindrance due to her having to keep her powers a secret from him, but he's also much more knowledgeable when it comes to battles. Now that Misty and Brock have arrived, it looks as though the battle has turned in their favor, but we'll have to wait and see if that remains the case.
Speaking of, Yellow and Misty have an interesting relationship in the manga as they're both romantically interested in Red and "rivals" in that sense, but unfortunately have interacted very little despite that. Not to spoil anything, but I'm looking forward to seeing how their relationship evolves in this fic, and seeing Misty mentor Yellow a bit much like Green/Blue in the manga. I hope you enjoy, and thank you for all of the love and support, friends.
All credit goes to my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, who has blessed me with this story and wonderful readers such as yourself. God bless)
