(A/N)
Hello and welcome back to another chapter of The Pokemon Mage.
It has been a while since I got to work on this story. A lot of things kept me occupied, including Pokémon Sword. I honestly haven't had fun playing a Pokémon game in a long time. I like the new Pokémon, most of the characters, animation, features, etc. It easily became one of my favorites in the Pokemon Franchise.
To answer a few questions that I've been getting ever since the last chapter.
Yes, some characters will get mega evolution. Ash will get some Pokémon that he got in the show and new ones that he didn't get in the show. Some of them will appear. Either as a cameo or part of the story.
To recap what happened last time, Ash defeated Erigor and Team Natsu arrived in Clover to stop Nascour and Lullaby from wreaking havoc. With the combined efforts of Ash, Natsu, Lucy, Gray, and Erza, they were able to put an end to Nascour's schemes.
With the Lullaby Arc over and with our heroes going to Fleesia Town for Lucy's first contest, what's in store for our heroes? To find out the answer, let's get started!
Save File 8 - Of Grass and Bug
Clover Town
It has been a day since Team Natsu has defeated Eisenwald and prevented them from playing Lullaby. However, they did get in trouble for destroying the Guild Master Conference Hall, so they had to leave before they could get caught by the Rune Knights. However, some of them have to get some new clothes since they get damaged during the fight against Eisenwald.
"Requip!" Erza shouted as she uses her magic to change her damaged outfit into a new one: silver armor with a gold pokeball symbol on each shoulder pad, long detached sleeves with fingerless gloves, dark blue skirt that is split at the side that is held up by a brown belt, and black shorts underneath her skirt. "That's a more suitable attire. What do you think?" She asked her Pokémon.
"Ivysaur (Looks great)." Ivysaur said with a smile.
"Hone Honedge (It suits you, Lady Erza)." Honedge nodded in agreement.
"Thank you." Erza smiled before returning her Pokémon.
"There we go." Lucy said as she puts her beanie back on after brushing her hair. "I wonder if the boys are ready?"
"Klefki (Most likely)." Klefki said, jingling her keys as the girls walked out of the room and made their way over to the boys.
While Makarov, Ash, and Gray's outfits remain the same, Natsu got some new adjustments to his outfit. He's now wearing a black tail visor with a red pokeball symbol on it, his vest now has red linings, two wristbands with a singular red line on each hand, and white regular pants.
"Are you feeling any better, Master?" Erza asked.
"I'm am... Somewhat." Makarov answered with a sigh. "But I don't know what'll happen now after the conference hall has been turned to dust!"
"We're so sorry, Master Makarov." Ash apologized. "We didn't mean to destroy it."
"Pika Pika (It was an accident)." Pikachu frowned.
"At least we've been told that they'll build a new one." Gray sighed in relief.
"It's not the building I'm worried about, it's the safety of our guild that is my concern!" Makarov brought up in anger. "The Magic Council will have a better reason to go after us and the higher ups will give me an earful during the next meeting!"
The five Mages look at Makarov with a combination of sad and worried expressions. Makarov looks up at his kids before a smirk forms on his face.
"However, I'm proud of you damn kids." He chuckled. "If it weren't you, then Eisenwald would've succeeded."
"But I thought that you-" Ash started until Makarov held a finger up.
"Remember what I said when you and Lucy first joined Fairy Tail." Makarov said wisely. "Follow the path you believe in and don't let the higher ups bring you down. You kids still did the right thing and saved everyone. And with that, I am grateful."
Ash looks at his Guild Master in awe. He looks at the others, who are smiling, before looking back. "Thanks Master."
"Pikachu (We're glad to help)." Pikachu said.
"Come on, my first contest is in a few days!" Lucy shouted as she's already at the door. "And I'm going to win it!"
"That's the spirit!" Natsu grinned as he and Lucy shared a high five.
"Shall we get going?" Erza asked, looking back at Makarov as he gave the scarlet knight a nod in agreement. "Then let's make our way to Fleesia Town."
Clover Forest
Since the train stations are closed due to the Eisenwald Incident, the group decide to get to their next location by foot. Their first stop was Clover Forest, which is known for its wilderness.
The group continues to make their way through Clover Forest with Erza using her Pokegear, which is red and silver, so they won't get lost.
"Just follow my directions and we'll arrive at our destination." Erza said, earning a nod from the others.
"So what Pokemon can be found in Clover Forest?" Ash asked while looking at the numerous amount of trees.
"Clover Forest is well known for having grass and bug types." Makarov stated.
"Grass and B-B-Bugs?" Lucy gulped after hearing Makarov's answer.
"Hey, maybe we can find some pretty good Pokemon for us to catch." Gray said, taking out his pokeball.
"I was thinking the same thing." Ash said with a smirk and nod.
"I better hope they're strong. My Pokemon could use the training." Natsu said, clenching his fist with a toothy grin before noticing Lucy's body trembling. "Do you have to use the bathroom already?"
"No, I'm good." Lucy said nervously. "It's just…" She pauses before letting out a sigh. "I'm not a huge fan of bug types. They just creep me out. I know there are some harmless ones, but the rest are creepy and slimy. They just make me uncomfortable."
Unbeknownst of Lucy, a Yanma quietly lands on her shoulder. The other mages noticed this while widening their eyes.
"I just prefer Fairy type Pokemon." Lucy said while holding her hands together. "Not only they're elegant, but they're also cute and beautiful and-" Lucy stops upon noticing everyone's reaction. "What's wrong?"
"Oh uh… It's nothing." Ash lied with an awkward smile.
"Is it a bug?" Lucy widened her eyes. "There's a bug on me, isn't there!?"
"Well…" Gray started as he, Natsu, and Ash averted their eyes while Makarov and Erza point over at Lucy's shoulder.
Lucy slowly looks over to her shoulder to see a Yanma staring at her.
"Yan Yan (Hello there)." Yanma greeted innocently with a smile.
"AHHHHHH!" Lucy screamed and starts running while Yanma flew off her shoulder.
"Lucy, wait!" Ash called out as he and the others ran after her.
"Stay with the group!" Erza demanded.
"HEY! I'M NOT AS YOUNG AS ALL OF YOU!" Makarov shouted as his running speed is slower due to his age.
"THERE'S A BUG ON ME! A CREEPY ONE!" Lucy shouted as she continued to run and scream until she stopped in front of a spider's web with a Spinarak on top of it, causing her to change directions.
Lucy ran past the others before sitting on a log as they eventually caught up to her with Gray carrying Makarov on his back.
"I am so sorry." Lucy apologized after letting out a deep sigh.
"It's fine, Lucy." Ash reassured.
"Man, you should've seen the look on your face!" Natsu laughs while holding his stomach.
"That's not funny, Natsu!" Lucy glared with a pout.
"You really need to be more brave around bug type Pokemon." Natsu said while Ash and Erza noticed a Joltik climbing up Natsu's back. The aura wizard took out his staff in order to get the Pokemon off of Natsu's back. "You won't be able to win a Contest… with… that…" He slowly pauses as he notices the Attaching Pokemon on his shoulder.
"Joltik (Howdy)." Joltik waved with a smile.
"WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" Natsu roared in fear, scaring Lucy as she immediately climbed up a nearby tree. "JOLTIK! JOLTIK ON MY BACK!"
"Natsu, hold still!" Ash shouted before he smacked Natsu's back with his weapon.
"JOLTIK!" Joltik shouted as the Pokemon unleashed a bunch of electricity, electrocuting Natsu, Ash, and Pikachu, though it didn't affect Pikachu due to him being an electric type.
"Idiots." Gray sighed with a deadpan expression.
"They should be thankful that it was Joltik using Discharge." Erza said, though she couldn't help but pinch her nose in unamusement.
The Discharge attack fades away as Natsu and Ash let out a weak gasp before slowly collapsing on the ground. Meanwhile, Joltik lands on the ground and scoffs at the two mages before crawling away.
"Is it gone?" Natsu asked weakly.
"Yeah, it's gone." Ash reassured with a grunt.
"Pikachu (Good grief)." Pikachu shakes his head in disapproval while the two mages get back up.
"Are you kids okay?" Makarov asked in concern while Gray sets him down.
"We're fine, Gramps." Natsu answered with a chuckle.
"Hey, where's Lucy?" Ash asked, looking around for the blonde girl.
The others look around before looking up to see Lucy, who is clinging onto a tree branch at a great height.
"Come on, Lucy. It's gone." Gray told Lucy while looking up. "We need to get going."
Lucy gulped before climbing back down. Meanwhile, a few bright yellow eyes can be seen from afar in a shadowy area.
Few minutes later
"Okay everyone! It's done." Lucy gestured over to a table with sandwiches, drinks, and fruits. On the floor, there's numerous bowls for Pokémon food.
"Wow, this looks good." Natsu said while drooling.
"Don't hog all of the food, Natsu." Gray chuckles.
"It's time for lunch." Ash said as he sends out Froakie and Starly.
"Hope you girls are hungry." Lucy winked as she sent out Klefki and Ralts.
"Come on out and eat!" Natsu shouted as he sent out Charmander, Munchlax, and Fletchling.
"I'm not letting you guys stay in your pokeballs all day." Gray smirked as he sent out Totodile and Snorunt.
"Enjoy your lovely meals." Erza said as she sends out Ivysaur and Honedge.
The Pokémon walked over to their dishes before sitting down to eat while the fairy tail wizards sat down on a separate chair.
"Wait a minute. Master Makarov." Ash called out, catching the master's attention. "Aren't you gonna send out your Pokémon?"
Makarov looks surprised before scratching his cheek nervously. "I uh... I actually left my Pokémon back at the Guild. I didn't think I needed them for the Guild Hall conference."
"So what are your Pokémon like?" Lucy asked as she took off her beanie hat.
"Well…" Makarov started while taking a sip from his cup. "Let's just say that they're really powerful and I treat them like they're my own children. Just like everyone else in Fairy Tail."
"That's amazing." Ash smiled in awe.
Pikachu smiles as well before his ears twitched after picking up a rustling sound, prompting the mouse Pokemon to look over at a bush.
"Pika (What is that)?" Pikachu asked as the other Pokemon looked in the same direction as him.
"Hey, is something wrong?" Gray asked as he noticed the Pokemon staring at the bush.
The bush continues to rustle before a cross-shaped horn pops out, freaking Lucy out.
"T-T-That's a big horn!" She squirmed in fear before freezing in place once a Heracross came out of the bush. "Ahh! Big bug!"
"Whoa, it's a Heracross." Ash said with excitement.
"Let's take a look." Gray said as he took out his Pokedex and pointed it at Heracross.
[Heracross - the Single Horn Pokémon. Though gentle and docile, Heracross possesses great strength and power, capable of lifting and throwing objects 100 times its own weight.]
Heracross looks over and smiles upon seeing Ivysaur. He spread his wings out and flies over before landing on Ivysaur's back and starts sucking the sap from her bulb.
"Ivy! Ivysaur (Hey! Get off)!" Ivysaur shouted as she tried to shake Heracross off her back. "Ivysaur (I'm getting assaulted)!"
"Honedge (You're invading personal space)." Honedge said as he floats over and struggles to push Heracross off.
"Totodile (Leave Ivysaur alone)!" Totodile shouted as he charges in before ramming Heracross off of Ivysaur's back.
"Heracross (Oh, I'm sorry)." Heracross apologized with an awkward laugh.
"What was Heracross doing?" Natsu asked as everyone has a deadpan expression on their faces.
"Heracross' favorite food is nectar, so it was eating nectar from Ivysaur's bulb." Makarov stated.
"Well, if I was a Heracross, I'd do the same thing to Ivysaur." Erza joked with a slight smirk.
"Ivysaur (Please don't say stuff like that)." Ivysaur grumbled with a blush.
Makarov looks at Heracross before pouring Pokemon food into his hands. He then extends his arm forward and holds out the food to Heracross.
"Heracross (Is this food)?" Heracross blinked as he stares at Makarov.
"Don't worry, you can have it." Makarov smiled.
Heracross sniffs the Pokemon food before grabbing a pellet and eats it. After chewing it, Heracross smiles and starts eating the Pokemon food happily.
"Did that make you full?" Gray asked, walking over to the Single Horn Pokemon.
"Hera (It did)." Heracross nodded with a smile before it got hit in the forehead by numerous seeds. "Heracross (Oww)!" He shouted as he placed his claws over where it got hit.
"Heracross!" Gray exclaimed as he ran over to the Pokemon and held it in his arms.
"What happened?" Lucy asked as she slowly came out of hiding, but kept her distance.
"Did someone attack Heracross?" Ash asked before looking down to see the seeds. "Guys, look what I found." He said before getting on his knees and picking up the seeds while the others gather around him.
"Seeds?" Natsu asked after sniffing the seeds.
"The only moves that I know that uses seeds are Bullet Seed and Seed Bomb." Lucy recalled. "Most Grass types use those moves."
"You're saying that a grass type did this to Heracross?" Gray asked.
"Most grass types do." Lucy answered while Ralts looked up in the tree and whimpers. "Is something wrong, Ralts?"
"R-Ralts (Look up)!" Ralts panicked as she pointed her hand upward, prompting everyone to look in that direction.
In the trees, a small, shadowy figure leaps from tree branch to tree branch before landing on the ground, revealing to be a Treecko with a twig in its mouth.
"Treecko (Heracross)." Treecko growled in anger.
"A Treecko?" Ash asked in confusion as he took out his Pokedex and pointed it towards Treecko.
[Treecko - the Wood Gecko Pokémon. Numerous tiny spikes cover the bottoms of Treecko's feet, allowing it to walk on ceilings and walls and it attacks by slamming foes with its thick tail.]
"I thought Treecko's were rare." Ash said as he put his Pokedex away.
"That's true, but Clover Forest is the only place where you can find a wild one." Makarov stated.
"And it's one of the grass type starters you can get." Erza added before looking at Treecko. "Would you mind explaining why you decided to attack Heracross?"
"Tree Treecko (Get out of my way)." Treecko glared while making its way towards Heracross.
"I don't think Treeckos in the mood to talk." Gray commented before Heracross jumped out of his arms. "Heracross?"
"Heracross (Treecko)..." Heracross growled.
"Treecko (Heracross)..." Treecko growled back as they gave each other a deadly glare.
"W-What do we do?" Lucy gulped before she and the others noticed a few more Heracrosses appearing on Heracross' side. "There's more!?"
"It's just not Heracrosses." Natsu said, looking over to see a group of Treecko's appearing on Treecko's side.
"I know Grass and Bug types don't get along, but this is a bit much." Ash said as he and the others are trapped in the middle.
"TREECKO/HERACROSS (ATTACK)!" Treecko and Heracross declared as both sides charge in.
The Treeckos opened their mouths before spitting out a barrage of gold seeds at the Heracrosses. The Heracrosses get hit while some retaliate back by firing a barrage of blue colored needles at the Treeckos.
Meanwhile, Ash, Natsu, Lucy, Gray, Erza, Makarov, and their Pokemon start running in different directions to get out of the warzone.
"I KNEW THIS WOULD HAPPEN!" Lucy shouted in fear.
"KIDS! RETURN YOUR POKEMON BACK INTO THEIR POKEBALLS BEFORE THEY GET HURT!" Makarov demanded in an urgent tone.
"Right!" The five mages nodded in unison before they returned their Pokemon back into their pokeballs, with the exception of Pikachu, one by one.
"Ash, use your aura barrier!" Erza shouted, causing Ash to create an aura barrier to protect them from the attacks.
The Treeckos and Heracrosses continue to attack each other with various moves, which some of them are starting to crack the aura barrier.
"I can't hold it!" Ash shouted as he struggles to keep the barrier up.
"Take cover!" Erza shouted as she and the others prepared to duck until both sides stop once they heard a loud thud. Everyone slowly got up to see a larger Treecko and Heracross, though both of them look older in comparison to the younger ones while Treecko uses a wooden stick to help walk.
"Treecko (That's enough)!" The elder Treecko shouted.
"Heracross (This battle is over)!" The elder Heracross stated.
"Whoa, look at those two." Natsu said as he and the others slowly get back up.
"They look like your age, Gramps." Gray pointed out.
"I'm not that old!" Makarov exclaimed with a tick mark.
"Wait, how come the older Treecko didn't evolve?" Natsu asked.
"Sometimes Pokemon choose not to evolve for personal reasons." Makarov stated after calming down.
"Do you think they're the leaders?" Ash asked as he deactivated his aura barrier. He then noticed the Eldery Treecko walking up to the young Treecko before the old Pokemon whacked it on the head.
"Treecko Treecko Treecko (How could you do something so reckless)!?" The elder Treecko scolded. "Treecko Treecko Treecko Treecko (I told you to not provoke the Heracrosses)!"
"Treecko Treecko Treecko (That dumb Heracross stepped into our territory)!" The young Treecko shouted back while holding his head.
"Treecko Treecko (You seem to forget that this path is neutral territory)." The elder Treecko stated calmly.
"Heracross Heracross (Why did you decide to wander off like that)?" The elder Heracross asked the young Heracross.
"Heracross… Heracross Heracross (I'm sorry… I got hungry and I was looking for food)." The young Heracross apologized.
The two elders nodded in unison before walking up to each other.
"Treecko Treecko (I'm sorry for the poor behavior of one of my fellow comrades)." The elder Treecko apologized.
"Heracross. Heracross Heracross Heracross (No need. I should apologize for letting one of my own wander off like that)." The elder Heracross said while holding up a claw.
The elder Treecko and Heracross turn to the Fairy Tail mages and bow in unison. "Heracross/Treecko (We're so sorry)."
"They're bowing to us?" Natsu asked in confusion before realizing their expressions. "Wait. They're apologizing to us."
"There's no need to apologize." Erza reassured with a smile.
"Yeah, none of us got hurt." Ash added as the two older Pokemon smile in return before they leave with their respective tribe. Meanwhile, Ash took notice of the young Treecko scoffing as he leaves with his kind.
Gray looked over to see Heracross frowning as he flew away with the other Heracrosses. "What was that about?" He asked the others.
"Most Pokemon tend to be protective when it comes to their home or their own kind." Makarov answered while crossing his arms.
"I wonder what started all of this?" Ash pondered.
"Do you think the Treeckos started it?" Gray asked while holding up a finger. "That Treecko did attack Heracross when it wasn't doing anything."
"I feel like there's something more." Ash said back. "Maybe the Heracrosses might've entered their home before and they were getting revenge."
"Both ideas are logical…" Erza started before thinking about possible outcomes. Before she could get a word out, she looked over to a rustling bush as a Caterpie and Venipede, who were badly injured, crawled out before collapsing.
"More bugs!?" Lucy shrieked, but stopped once she saw that they're injured. "Oh no, do you think they got hurt when the Treeckos and Heracrosses attacked?"
"We must heal them at once." Erza declared as they run over to the two bug types while taking out potions and bandages.
The Fairy Tail mages start treating the two bug types carefully due to their small size before feeding them an Oran Berry.
"Veni (Oww)..." Venipede groaned before waking up.
"(My antenna)..." Capterpie groaned as it looked up to see the Fairy Tail mages.
"Are you feeling better?" Natsu asked as he gets a nod from Caterpie and Venipede simply looks away.
"A Caterpie and a Venipede." Lucy said as she and Erza took out their Pokedexes, which Erza's pokedex is red and silver and points them at the two bug types.
[Venipede - the Centipede Pokémon. Venipede explores its surroundings by sensing vibrations in the air with the feelers on its head and tail.]
[Caterpie - the Worm Pokémon. To repel enemies, Caterpie releases an unpleasant odor from its red antenna.]
"We're just thankful that you two are okay." Lucy smiled, causing Caterpie to blush and smile back.
"I thought you were afraid of bug types." Natsu said with a puzzled expression.
"I am. But this Caterpie is actually cute." Lucy admitted, confusing Natsu even more.
"(Thanks for helping me)." Caterpie said, moving towards Lucy and nuzzling its cheek against her knee.
"Ahh! It feels slimy!" Lucy screamed as she ran away from Caterpie, causing it to frown.
"Aaand, there it is." Natsu said with a blank face. He then looks over at Venipede and grins.
Venipede's cheeks turn slightly pink and looks away with a scoff. "Veni Venipede (I didn't need any help)." Venipede said before leaving.
"Did I do something wrong?" Natsu asked, oblivious to Venipede's reaction.
"Maybe it's shy." Ash said as he and the others stood up.
"Or maybe it's stubborn like you." Gray chuckled, irking the dragon slayer.
"Try saying that to my face, jerk." Natsu growled as he and Gray butt heads with a glare.
"You know it's true!" Gray shouted.
"That's enough!" Erza shouted as she pushed them away from each other. "This is not the time to fight among ourselves."
"Erza's right, if we don't stop the Treeckos and Heracrosses, then Clover Forest may be in grave danger." Makarov stated in an urgent tone.
"In grave danger?" Ash asked in concern.
"That's right." Makarov answered. "Pokémon are injured because of their recklessness."
"Then I say we teach them a lesson." Natsu grinned as he pounded his fists together, only to get a whack in the head from Makarov.
"We're not going to resort to violence, Natsu." Makarov scolded before calming down. "That's only going to make the situation worse. We must handle this with caution."
"What do you have in mind?" Gray asked.
"We'll go to each side of the forest and learn more about the Treeckos and Heracrosses." Makarov ordered with his hands behind his back. "Once we get evidence, we'll meet up and exchange information before coming up with a solution to end this war."
"So we're splitting up." Ash said while adjusting his cap.
"That appears to be the case." Erza said, crossing her arms.
"Ash, Natsu, Erza. I want you three to learn more about the Treeckos." Makarov said. "Gray, you'll come with me and Lucy to learn more about the Heracrosses."
"Speaking of Lucy, where is she?" Gray asked, looking around.
Pikachu's ears twitch slightly before looking over at a tree to see Lucy hiding behind it. "Pika Pi (She's over there)." He said, pointing his tail over where the blonde girl is at.
"You seriously want me to go learn more about BUGS!?" Lucy asked, trembling in fear. "No way!"
"Come on, Lucy. You saw how that Heracross was." Gray reminded.
"Forget it. She's just a chicken." Natsu stated, only to have his foot stepped on by Lucy. "Oww!"
"Who are you calling a chicken!?" Lucy shouted in anger. "Don't forget that you got scared when that Joltik was on your back!"
"Lucy… You're crushing my toes." Natsu flinched in fear while Gray, Ash, and Pikachu have deadpan expressions.
"What time do you want us to meet, Master?" Erza asked.
"We'll meet at a campsite tonight." Makarov answered as he started walking to where the Heracross went. "Gray, Lucy. Let's go."
"Those bugs better not get too close to me." Lucy squirmed as she and Gray followed Makarov.
"We must get going." Erza said as she starts going where the Treeckos are at with Ash and Natsu following her.
During the walk, Natsu noticed a few bite marks on the trees. He sniffs at one of them before raising an eyebrow.
"Weird, why does that smell so familiar?" He asked before catching up to Ash and Erza, unaware of a pair of yellow eyes glowing from a shadowy area of a bush.
With Gray, Lucy, and Makarov
The three mages continue to make their way through Clover Forest, noticing the numerous amount of marks on the trees.
"This must be their territory." Lucy said after recognizing the marks.
"Yeah, but there are other marks that look different." Gray pointed out. "Do you think those are teeth marks from the Treeckos?"
"They look smaller." Lucy answered after leaning in slightly to get a closer look at the smaller marks. "That means someone else is framing the Treeckos."
"How do you know what they look like?" Gray asked in shock that Lucy would know the differences.
"I've read a lot of books about Pokemon and learned about different characteristics." Lucy admitted with a nervous giggle.
"Your knowledge is incredible, Lucy." Makarov complimented with a sagely smile.
"Thanks Master." Lucy smiled widely before looking over to see a Heracross flying over to them. "Eek! Giant bug!" She shrieked before hiding behind Gray.
"Hey, isn't that the same Heracross from earlier?" Gray asked, noticing how happy the Heracross is.
"Heracross (Oh, it's you guys)!" Heracross exclaimed with joy before landing near them.
"Good to see you again, Heracross." Gray waved. "We would like to know more about you and the others."
"We want to help your kind." Makarov informed professionally. "Would you mind taking us to your leader so we can handle the situation?"
"Heracross (You want to help)?" Heracross simply places a claw underneath his mouth before pounding his open hand. "Heracross Heracross (Sure! Follow me)!" He beckoned them to follow as he flies off.
"Come on kids." Makarov said as he follows Heracross.
"How long are you going to hide behind me?" Gray asked with a sweatdrop.
"Until we leave." Lucy shuddered as she and Gray followed their Guild Master.
With Ash, Natsu, and Erza
"According to the Pokegear, there should be an open space area not too far from here." Erza told Ash and Natsu as she's using her Pokegear for navigation. "Be sure to follow my lead."
"We understand, Erza." Ash reassured with a reassuring nod before noticing Natsu's movements. "Natsu, are you okay?"
"I'm fine." Natsu answered. "Just still feeling the aftershock from J-J-Joltik's discharge."
"Which reminds me…" Erza started before turning to Ash. "Ash, I understand you were trying to help, but that was rather reckless. Please refrain from resorting to that kind of action."
"I'm sorry, I wasn't trying to hit it. Honest." Ash defended with a sweatdrop before clearing his throat. "Speaking of Joltik, why did you react like that?"
"React?" Natsu repeated in confusion before laughing nervously. "Oh um… Well…"
"Natsu's afraid of Joltiks and Galvantulas." Erza answered with a small sigh.
"He's afraid of the evolution line?" Ash asked with a mixture of shock and confusion. "Why?"
"Pika Pika (I'm curious about that too)." Pikachu said while nodding.
"Well... you see, when I was a kid and I got lost in the woods, I kicked a rock and ended up hitting a bunch of Joltik. I thought I could scare them if I used my magic, but then a Galvantula came out and they ended up shocking me." Natsu recalled before he leaned against a tree with a dark cloud over his head. "I twitched for three whole days."
"Wow, I had no idea." Ash said with a sweatdrop.
"Because you attacked a Joltik herd. What were you thinking?" Erza said while shaking her head.
"I didn't know they were a bunch of Joltiks when I kicked that rock." Natsu defended with a hint of fear in his voice.
"Well you should pay more attention to your surroundings." Erza stated, sounding like a mother.
"Speaking of surroundings…" Ash started before noticing the trees around them. He goes over to one of the trees and sees a few bite marks, prompting Erza and Natsu to walk over.
"We must be getting close." Erza said, looking at her Pokegear again.
"Pika (What the)?" Pikachu's ear twitches a bit before hopping off of Ash's shoulder. "Pikachu (Who's there)?"
"What's wrong, Pikachu?" Ash asked, looking at the Electric Mouse Pokemon.
"Wait a minute…" Natsu spoke up before he sniffed a few times. "We're not alone."
The four are standing back to back before they look up to see a Treecko leaping out of a tree, getting ready to attack.
"It's a Treecko!" Ash exclaimed as Pikachu got ready to defend the three mages.
"Treeeecko (Get out of our territory)!" Treecko shouted as it swung its tail towards Pikachu.
"Pikachu, Iron Tail!" Ash commanded.
"Chua! Pika!" Pikachu's tail turns metallic before swinging it forward, clashing with Treecko's Pound. The two Pokemon break free from their lock and land on the ground, glaring at each other.
"Hey, that's the same Treecko that attacked us." Natsu remembered. "He even has the same scent."
"He?" Ash asked with a weird look on his face.
"I can tell what a Pokemon's gender is just by their scent." Natsu stated, gesturing over his nose.
"You can even determine their gender by their voice." Erza added.
"Wow, that's really cool." Ash admitted with a light chuckle. He then looks over to Treecko. "Treecko, we're not here to fight. We just want to help."
"Treecko (How)?" Treecko asked with a glare.
"Treecko (That's enough)!" The young Treecko turned around to see the old Treecko walking forward. "Treecko (Hello)."
"Hey, it's good to see you again." Ash waved.
"We apologize if we cause any trouble." Erza apologized while bowing. "We only wanted to end the conflict that's been happening in Clover Forest."
"Treecko Treecko Tree (I understand. Follow me)." The elder Treecko nodded sagely before walking.
"Treecko (Are you serious)!?" The young Treecko gasped as the twig in his mouth fell out. He quickly picks it back up before putting it in his mouth and proceeds to follow his leader.
"Remember that we must be on our best behavior." Erza told Ash and Natsu as she put her Pokegear away. "So we must refrain from fighting or causing trouble."
"We understand." Ash nodded before the three start following the two Treeckos.
Team Heracross
Lucy's entire body is frozen and has a disgusted face at how many Heracrosses are in front of her, Gray, and Makarov. Behind the swarm of Heracrosses are a bunch of trees with a giant tree in the middle that has a giant hole on the base.
"So… Many…. B-B-B-Bugs." Lucy shuddered in fear.
The Heracrosses look at each other and start whispering, wondering why three humans are in their terrain while the elder Heracross comes out of the giant tree. He looked over to the young Heracross before flying over to him.
"Hera Hera (Welcome back, my son)." The elder Heracross greeted before glancing over to see the humans. "Heracross (I see that you've brought guests over)."
"Heracross Heracross (They want to help us, dad)." The young Heracross stated as the elder Heracross looks at the three again before walking over to them.
"Maybe we should have our Pokemon help with talking to the Heracrosses." Gray said as he took out a pokeball.
"Good idea." Lucy said as she took her pokeball out before she and Gray sent out Ralts and Snorunt respectively.
All of the Heracrosses' eyes widened and start to panic in fear upon seeing Ralts, earning a sweatdrop from Lucy, Gray, and Makarov.
"Wait, do they think that we were going to battle them?" Lucy asked in confusion.
"No, I think it's something else." Gray answered.
Makarov looks over to the Heracrosses before looking at Ralts again before he lets out a small chuckle. "No, they're afraid of Ralts."
"Ralts (They are)?" Ralts gasped quietly. She never thought that anyone would be afraid of HER of all Pokemon.
"That's right, Heracross is part fighting." Gray recalled. "And fighting types are weak against psychic and fairy types like Ralts."
"Oh, that explains it." Lucy laughed awkwardly before turning to the Heracrosses. "Don't worry, my Ralts won't hurt you."
"Ralts (That's right)." Ralts nodded, though she is whimpering from all of the negative emotions she's feeling from the bug types.
The young Heracross walks up to Ralts and glares at her before patting the Feeling Pokemon on the head. "Heracross (It's nice to meet you)." He greeted with a smile.
The other Heracrosses see this and calm down once they see the young one being friendly to a Ralts that they just met.
"Ralts Ralts (Nice to meet you, too)." Ralts smiled with a small blush.
"Snorunt Snorunt Snor (We've been hearing that you guys are having problems)." Snorunt said. "Snor Snor Snor Runt (We want to do everything we can to help end this conflict)."
"Hera (I see)..." The elder Heracross started before turning to the rest of the Heracrosses. "Heracross Heracross Hera Hera Heracross (Everyone. Let's make our guests comfortable. They'll help us resolve this conflict for all of us and Clover Forest)."
The Heracrosses start cheering as they all start adjusting to their normal life in their home. Makarov, Gray, and Lucy, who is keeping her distance for obvious reasons, get to see how the Heracross spend their time here from collecting food and sap to communicating and building shelters for other Pokemon nearby.
"So this is where you live?" Gray asked, looking at the young Heracross.
"Heracross (Yeah, it's incredible)." Heracross smiled while flying next to Gray as the ice mage and Snorunt started helping with the wood.
"Oh right, I haven't introduced myself. I'm Gray." He greeted with a smile.
"Hera (Gray)?" Heracross stares at Gray in awe before the two shook hands. He smiles before frowning.
"Hey, what's the matter?" Gray asked in concern.
"Heracross Heracross (Sorry, it's just that I hope I get to explore more)." Heracross confessed. "Hera Heracoss (It's nice here, but the world is so big)."
"Snorunt, do you know what he's saying?" Gray asked as the Snow Hat pokemon starts walking around before stopping and shaking his head to show his trainer what Heracross told them. "You're not allowed to explore? Why?"
"Heracross Heracross (My father is overprotective of me)." Heracross said as he pointed his horn over to his father, who is communicating with Makarov.
"Oh, the chief won't let you." Gray asked as Heracross nodded in return. "Maybe he's worried about losing you. But maybe I can show you this." Gray smiled as he took out his own Pokegear, which is the same color as his Pokedex, before displaying pictures of different towns and cities he and his Pokemon have been through due to previous jobs. "There's a lot more than just forests. There are villages, cities, plain fields, caves, and a lot of neat stuff. Though these are just places that I've already been through. The entire world is big. The best thing about exploring is being with someone. That's why I enjoy exploring with Snorunt and Totodile."
"Snorunt Snorunt (It's always good to travel with friends)!" Snorunt exclaimed while jumping up and down.
"Heracross (Travel with friends)?" Heracross repeated as he stared at the pictures in awe.
Meanwhile, Lucy and Ralts are sitting on a tree stump, doing their best to not freak out due to the huge amount of bug types around.
"Wow, so this is their life." Lucy said as she looked at the Heracrosses doing various activities.
"R-Ralts Ralts (T-They're nothing like what I expected)." Ralts admitted timidly before seeing a Heracross with a heart shaped horn flying towards them.
"O-Oh! H-Hello." Lucy greeted nervously.
"Hera Heracross (Hello. You two look hungry)." The female Heracross smiled as she held out a few Nanab Berries.
"Are these for us?" Lucy asked, earning a nod of approval from the female Heracross. She and Ralts carefully grabbed a berry and took a quick bite before their eyes widened. "Wow, these berries are really sweet."
"Ralt (So good)~!" Ralts squealed and started eating her berries.
"Heracross (Glad you like them)." The female Heracross smiled.
Lucy and Ralts continue to eat their berries before they see two Heracrosses fighting each other with a bunch of Heracrosses watching them.
"Oh my gosh, they're going to hurt each other!" Lucy exclaimed in horror, only to see the female Heracross holding a claw up. "Aren't we going to stop them?"
"Cross Cross Cross (It's alright, this is what we do)." The female Heracross stated, gesturing a claw over to the two Heracrosses fighting.
"Wait a minute…" Lucy squinted to get a better look to see the first Heracross helping the second one back up before they bow in respect. "Ohh, they're training. That makes a lot of sense since they need to protect each other. That and they're part fighting, so it's natural for them to get stronger."
"Ralts Ralts (Wow, it's incredible)." Ralts said in awe as she watched the match.
Team Treecko
Meanwhile, Natsu and Munchlax are currently dancing with the Treeckos after the elder Treecko introduced the rest to the three Fairy Tail mages.
"And now, the finale." Natsu grins before he, Munchlax, and the Treeckos start waving their hands and moving their leg up.
Ash, Pikachu, and Froakie are currently gathering berries with a few Treeckos before noticing that the pile is getting slightly bigger.
"Where do we put these?" Ash asked as a Treecko points over to a tree trunk. He looks up and smiles as he gets an idea. He took off his hat and scoops up some berries.
Pikachu and Froakie grabbed the stem of the big leaves before dragging the piles over to a tree trunk. Ash walked over to the piles and poured the berries out of his hat.
"Using your hat. Very clever" Ash turns around to see Erza and Ivysaur standing in front of a BIG pile of berries.
"Whoa, that's a lot of berries!" Ash exclaimed as his eyes widened. He's not sure which is more surprising: Erza collecting that much berries or bringing them over to the pile. 'Did she even get exhausted bringing those over?'
"Pikachu (Holy cow)!" Pikachu gasped.
"Froakie (My goodness)!" Froakie croaked in shock.
"Well, at least the Treeckos won't worry about food for a while." Ash chuckled while putting his hat back on.
"That is correct." Erza agreed before she and Ivysaur pushed the pile over.
"Here, let us help." Ash offered as he, Pikachu, and Froakie are on the other side of the pile, making sure that the tower of berries doesn't topple over. He took out his staff to help out with the balance. "Froakie, can you use your frubbles to soften the landing?"
"Froakie (You got it)." Froakie nods before tossing frubbles on the ground. Ash and Pikachu moved out of the way as the berries fell onto the frubbles.
"Excellent work." Erza smiled while crossing her arms before looking at his staff. "Apologies if this is sudden, but where did you learn how to fight with a staff?"
"Oh, I'm not that good." Ash admitted sheepishly, but smiles as he looks at his staff. "I found it before arriving in Fiore. I've read that Aura Wizards sometimes carry staves as weapons." He then looks up to see Erza walking up to him and holds her hand out.
"May I?" She asked, looking at the staff in his hand.
"Sure." Ash nodded before handing his staff to Erza. "What are you gonna do?"
"Watch." Erza said as she took a few steps back and started twirling his staff at high speed, catching Ash and the Pokemons attention. She tosses it up in the air before catching it again and continues twirling it. She stops twirling Ash's staff before pointing it at his chest.
"Whoa, that's incredible." Ash said in awe. "You know how to use a staff?"
"I can use other weapons." Erza stated with a determined smirk. "And if you like, I can train you how to use a staff."
"Wait, you want to train me!?" Ash asked as he was at a complete loss for words. It's crazy enough that THE Erza invited him to take down Eisenwald, but now she wants to train him. It feels like he's in a dream.
"Of course." Erza nodded. "However, it won't be easy, so the decision is yours."
Ash looks at Erza before grabbing his staff, prompting Erza to release her grip. "I accept your offer. I'll give it everything I got." He said with a grin.
"You definitely got courage." Erza chuckles in amusement. "I can see why you were able to defeat Erigor."
Ash can feel his cheeks turning slightly red at Erza's compliment. 'Wow, I had no idea that she would be willing to help me out with training. ' He thought to himself.
"Is something wrong, Ash?" Said person snaps back to reality before looking at Erza, who is glaring at him. However, this was a normal and slightly concerning glare. "Your face is starting to turn red. Are you getting a fever?"
"I-I'm fine. It's just getting a little hot." Ash answered with a hint of nervousness in his tone, causing Pikachu and Froakie to shake their heads behind their trainer.
Erza wiped her forehead and feels that her forehead is slightly sweaty. "Yeah, it is starting to become humid." She closes her eyes and uses her magic to remove her armor, revealing a sleeveless, white buttoned shirt and a blue stringed tie. "Shall we assist the Treeckos?"
"Sounds good. I'll go talk to Natsu so he can help us." Ash said, unaware of a berry flying towards him at high speed.
"Froakie (Ash, watch out)!" Froakie cried out as he hops in front of Ash before catching the berry.
"Froakie?" Ash asked as he looked down at Froakie and saw a berry in his hand. "Where did you get that berry?"
"Froakie (It came from there)." Froakie pointed in the direction and saw the young Treecko smirking.
"Treecko (Not bad)." Treecko admitted.
"Froa Froakie (You have to be faster than that)." Froakie croaked with a grin.
"That Treecko sure is tough." Ash admitted with a smile.
"He definitely has the spirit to fight." Erza added, looking at Treecko.
"Hey Treecko, do you want to help us?" Ash offered, shocking the Wood Gecko Pokemon.
"Treecko (Help you guys)?" Treecko asked.
"Yeah, it'll be fun." Ash smiled, causing Treecko to notice the look in Ash's eyes. He can tell that Ash has a lot of courage and determination, but also warmth and comfort in his eyes. nodding and walking over to them.
Later at Night
Natsu engulfed his hand in flames before throwing it on the wood, creating a campfire and extinguishing the flames from his hand.
"So what have you kids discovered about the Treeckos?" Makarov asked saintly.
"The Treeckos are a lot more peaceful than their first impression." Erza reported, still in her casual outfit.
"Same with the Heracrosses. All they did was train and gather food." Gray said before resting his head in his hands.
"But why would they be at war with each other?" Ash asked, not wearing his hat.
"They don't usually fight unless it involves territory, food, or one of their kind being attacked." Lucy listed. "But there is something that we've noticed on the way."
Lucy reaches into her bag before taking out her pink and white Pokegear. She opens it to reveal a picture of the teeth marks on the trees.
"Hey, that looks like the same teeth marks we saw." Natsu pointed out.
"We've compared the teeth marks. This one doesn't belong to a Heracross or a Treecko." Lucy said, showing them the pics on her pokegear for comparison.
"Yeah, they do look different." Ash squinted to get a better look at the teeth marks.
"And they smell different too." Natsu added, remembering the smell of the bitemarks.
"That means someone else is framing both sides and causing trouble." Gray theorized.
"That's the most likely case." Erza agreed before taking out a sleeping bag. "We should investigate this further in the morning. Each of us will take turns taking shifts."
Once everyone finishes eating, Lucy is currently sitting on her log for her shift while her beanie is off. She stretches in her seat before hearing a rustling sound.
"W-Who's there?" She squeaked before turning to the bush as a Caterpie crawls out. Lucy placed her hands over her mouth so she won't wake the others up.
"(It's the nice lady)." Caterpie smiles and crawls over to Lucy, which she took notice of the bandages.
"Wait, you're the Caterpie from earlier." Lucy said after she lowered her hands. She sees Caterpie firing a web string and climbs on it to go up to the log Lucy's on.
Once Caterpie is on the log, he crawls over to Lucy before climbing onto her lap. This makes Lucy squirms a bit before noticing Caterpie's smile.
"Do you want to keep me company during my shift?" Lucy asked as Caterpie gave her a nod. She smiles as her shaking hand hovers over the Worm Pokemon. "You're really sweet."
"(And you're a very kind lady)." Caterpie smiles and rests his head against Lucy's hand, causing her to pet him slowly.
The Following Morning
The young Heracross and Treecko woke up from their nest and walked out of their respective domes. They rubbed their eyes before panicking once they saw what happened to their home: All of the wood that was collected is now gnawed in half and scattered. The berries are gone with a few eaten ones all over the ground.
The two Pokémon gathered up their allies and informed them about the recent tragedy, causing all of them, including the elders, to form a serious glare.
With Team Natsu
Most of the Fairy Tail mages are asleep in their sleeping bags. Erza got up to brush her teeth with a cup and a red tooth brush. As she brushes her teeth, she noticed a Treecko and Heracross a few feet away before...
*BOOM! CRASH!*
The sounds of attacks exploding and trees crashing woke everyone up as they noticed a bunch of Pokémon running for their life.
"What the heck was that!?" Ash asked in an alarmed tone.
"Why are the Pokémon freaking out?" Natsu asked with a yawn.
"Everyone get up! The Treeckos and Heracrosses are fighting again!" Erza informed with an urgent tone after running back to the others.
"They're fighting again?" Lucy asked in concern.
"We must stop them at once." Makarov said as he and the others got up and started making their way over to where the fight is happening.
"Do you think something happened when we were sleeping?" Gray asked as he's now shirtless.
"Maybe and why aren't you wearing your shirt?" Ash asked upon noticing.
"Now's not the time for that!" Gray shouts as he and the others picked up the pace while Erza carries Makarov.
Ash looks up and sees a barrage of Bullet Seeds flying towards him and the others. "Watch out!" He cried out before taking out his staff. He then twirls it to deflect the attacks.
"Nice thinking, Ash." Lucy praised with a smile.
"Thanks." Ash smiled, only to get hit in the arm by one of the seeds. "Oww!" He shouted and dropped his staff.
"Ash, are you okay?" Natsu asked as he and the others rushed over to his aid.
"I'm fine." Ash reassured, showing them the small bruise. "It's not bad. I can still move my arm."
"We have to stop this war immediately." Makarov said in an urgent tone. "Kids, use your Pokemon and Magic, but make sure that you don't harm the Heracrosses and Treeckos."
"Ivysaur, I need your assistance!" Erza shouts as she sends out Ivysaur.
"Totodile, let's go!" Gray shouts as he sends out Totodile.
"Fletchling!" Natsu roars as he sends out Fletchling.
"Starly, I choose you!" Ash shouts as he sends out Starly.
"Klefki, it's showtime!" Lucy shouts as she sends out Klefki.
The five Pokemon let out their signature cry before ducking down to dodge the Pin Missiles. Once they got back up, the five went in along with the six Fairy Tail mages. Upon arriving, they see the Treeckos rushing at the Heracrosses with Quick Attack while the Heracrosses charge in while their horns glow white. A few Treeckos swung their tails, only for the Heracrosses to block it after their arms glow orange.
"Kids, now!" Makarov shouted as he expanded his arms to gently push a few Pokemon back a bit.
"Starly, Whirlwind!" Ash commanded as he created an aura barrier to block the Pin Missiles and Bullet Seeds.
"Starly!" Starly starts flapping her wings, creating a gust of wind to blow the Heracrosses back.
"Ivysaur, put them to sleep with Sleep Powder!" Erza commanded while swinging her sword, purposely missing to scare the Pokemon away.
"Saur!" Ivysaur released sparkling green powder from her bulb, putting the Treeckos to sleep.
"Totodile, scare them away with Water Gun!" Gray shouted as he created a wall of ice to block more of the long range attacks.
"Totodile!" Totodile opened his jaw and breathed out a stream of water at the Heracrosses, pushing them back.
"Klefki, Metal Sound!" Lucy commanded while firing a barrage of pink magic orbs at the ground.
"Klefki~!" Klefki jingles her keys, creating causing white sounds waves accompanied by a high pitched ringing to emit from the tips and spread towards the Treeckos.
"Fletchling, use Razor Wind!" Natsu shouted as he breathed out a small stream of fire to scare the Pokemon away while trying to not burn the forest.
"Fletchling!" Fletchling's wings glow bright white and repeatedly waves them, causing bright white, crescent-shaped energy waves to be fired at the Treeckos and Heracrosses.
Natsu jumps back to avoid getting hit by the Bullet Seeds before he starts sniffing a few times. "That smell…" He said before sniffing again. "It's the same as the tree marks. That means…" He stopped to sniff again before turning over to a bush.
Once Natsu turns to his left, he sees rustling within the bushes before a mysterious figure starts to run away.
"Fletchling, come with me!" Natsu called out before chasing after the mysterious figure.
"Fletchling (I'm coming)!" Fletchling chirped while flying after Natsu.
"You idiot, where are you going!?" Gray shouted in annoyance.
"Why are you abandoning the mission!?" Erza shouted with her signature glare.
"You guys make sure that the Treeckos and Heracrosses stay! I'll take care of something real quick!" Natsu shouted as he and Fletchling took off.
"Take care of what?" Ash asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Be careful, Natsu!" Lucy shouted before ducking while Klefki creates a barrier.
"Hey Gramps, can you use your arms to create a wall?" Gray asked, using his magic to make the ice wall bigger.
The Heracrosses see this and raised their arms up as they glow orange. They slammed their arms down to create a crack in the walls. Makarov lets out a sagely sigh before expanding and extending his arms, creating a dome around the area.
"Gray, look!" Ash points over to the Young Heracross and Treecko sparring.
"Heracross (How dare you attack our home)!" Heracross shouted in anger and thrust his horn in Treecko's gut.
"Treecko (You'll pay for eating our food)!" Treecko grunted from the Horn Attack before slamming his tail into Heracross' gut.
"Stop!" The two Pokemon heard two male voices before Ash and Gray grabbed them and held them back.
"Heracross, calm down." Gray said while Heracross flails around in his grip, trying to hit Gray's arm with his own.
"Treecko, please!" Ash begged while Treecko struggles to break free, only to flinch in pain once the Wood Gecko Pokemon bit his arm.
"Take a look around you." Gray said, holding Heracross over to the other Heracrosses, who are injured and desperate. "Is this what you really want?"
"War and violence is not going to get you what you want." Ash told Treecko, showing him the injured and desperate Treeckos. "It's only going to make the pain worse."
The two young Pokemon looked at their injured comrades, who are crawling and struggling to stand with sad and angry expressions. Upon seeing the consequences, the two start to frown with a guilty look on their faces.
With Natsu
Natsu and Fletchling continue to chase after the mysterious figure as fast as they could, only to see the figure change direction.
"Dang, it's fast." Natsu admitted before looking at Fletchling. "Fletchling, can you use Razor Wind?"
"Fletchling (On it)." Fletchling nodded before flapping his wings, firing a barrage of Razor Winds at the bushes, causing the the figure to get sent flying into a tree.
Natsu and Fletchling rushed over to the mysterious figure, which is getting up slowly, only to cough.
"It's over, we got you." Natsu declared, causing the figure to get up to reveal… "Venipede."
"Veni Venipede (I can't believe that idiot found me)." Venipede grumbled to herself.
"I don't know why you're causing trouble, but you're going back to the Treeckos and Heracrosses." Natsu said with a glare.
"Venipede (You'll have to take me by force)!" Venipede shouted before firing purple needles.
"Whoa, Poison Sting!" Natsu yelped as he and Fletchling dodged the attack. "Steel Wing!"
"Fletchling!" Fletchling's wings turn metallic as he flies towards Venipede.
"Venipede (I won't lose)!" Venipede declared before her tail glows purple and swung it at Fletchling, causing the two to clash across the forest.
"Poison Tail too?" Natsu asked in shock and awe at how strong Venipede is before chasing after them.
Venipede opened her mouth as her teeth glowed green and grew slightly longer. She jumped towards Fletchling.
"Fletchling, dodge it!" Natsu commanded.
"Fletch (Whoa)!" Fletchling flies out of the way, causing Venipede to crash into Natsu and proceeds to gnaw his head numerous times.
"AHHH! OWW! HEY! GET OFF! GET OFF! GET OFF!" He shouts as he proceeds to run faster and attempts to pull Venipede off.
"Fletchling Fletchling (Hey, wait for me)!" Fletchling shouts as he flies after the two.
Natsu continues to run until he and Venipede crash into a tree and start tumbling before...
*CRASH*
"What the hell was that?" Gray asked in an alarmed tone. He squint at the dust cloud as it clears up, revealing Natsu and Venipede lying against a boulder. "Natsu!"
"Venipede (Uh oh)." Venipede gulped before she hopped off of Natsu and hid behind a boulder.
"Ouch…" Natsu groans before he gets back up and sees everyone around them. "Everyone!" He shouted, catching everyone's attention as the war was put on hold. "I found out who's been chewing the trees and causing trouble!"
The Heracrosses and Treeckos all gave Natsu a skeptical look while Ash, Gray, Lucy, Makarov, Erza, and their Pokemon have blank expressions. Natsu took note of this and looked behind the boulder before he saw Venipede whimpering in fear, causing him to grab her and hold her out in the air while berry juice drips from her mouth.
"Is that… The same Venipede from yesterday?" Ash asked upon recognizing the Centipede Pokemon.
"It has the same bandage." Erza confirmed after squinting.
"You're saying that Venipede caused this?" Lucy asked skeptically.
"Yeah. Her teeth match the bite marks on the trees and they have the same smell as her." Natsu confirmed while Venipede saw the damage the Treeckos and Heracrosses caused, causing her to feel guilty while the Young Treecko and Heracross form a big frown.
"Heracross (You can let me go)." Heracross said after his body stopped squirming.
"Treecko (We'll call off the battle)." Treecko said with a nod.
Ash and Gray look at each other before releasing the two Pokemon from their grips, causing them to walk towards each other.
"Hera… Hera Hera Heracross Heracross (I'm... I'm sorry for thinking you destroyed our home and took our food)." Heracross apologized.
"Tree Tree Treecko (And I'm sorry I thought you took our food)." Treecko apologized back as he held his hand out, causing Heracross to grab it and shake hands. "Treecko Treecko (Let's end the war)."
"Heracross (Agreed)." Heracross nodded as they immediately went over to their comrades to end the conflict once and for all, causing all of the Heracrosses and Treeckos to help each other up before they clean up the mess.
"Come on, let's assist them." Erza said as everyone else nodded in unison.
"Do you want to help too, Venipede?" Natsu asks.
"Venipede (Fine… I'll help)." Venipede sighs and gestures her head down, prompting Natsu to put her back on the ground.
Few minutes later
Once everyone finished cleaning up the elder Treecko and Heracross showed up with their sons in front of them.
"Heracross/Treecko (We're sorry)!" The two Pokemon apologized in unison.
"Hera Hera Heracross (You two may have caused a lot of damage, but you saw the errors of your way)." The elder Heracross said softly.
"Treecko Treecko Treecko (And together, you were able to resolve the conflict and clean up the mess)." The elder Treecko smiled.
The two young Pokemon looked up with tears in their eyes before hugging their dad. The two elder Pokemon returned the hug while their sons cried.
"Looks like they finally made up." Ash said with a smile.
"I'm glad that no one got seriously hurt." Gray said with a small smirk.
"Now all of the Pokemon in Clover Forest can live in harmony." Makarov said, looking around the peaceful and beautiful scenery.
"Congratulation on finding the culprit, Natsu." Erza commended as she pulled Natsu into a hug, unintentionally hurting him due to her armor. "Well done."
"Oww! My head!" Natsu yelped in pain while the Elder Pokemon bowed to the humans.
"Oh, there's no need to thank us. We were just trying to help." Lucy reassured with a nervous laugh.
"Now take care of yourselves, you two." Gray said as the Heracrosses and Treeckos start leaving, but notice the young Pokemon remaining in place. "Heracross?"
"Hey Treecko, aren't you gonna go back with them?" Ash asked as he and Gray walked up to the two Pokemon, who are now looking at them.
"Hey, why aren't they leaving?" Natsu asked while rubbing his head.
"I've seen that look before." Makarov chuckles in amusement. "Heracross and Treecko have formed a bond with Gray and Ash respectively."
"A bond?" Gray asked before kneeling down. "Heracross. Do you want to come with me?"
"What about you Treecko?" Ash asked as he held a hand out to Treecko with a smile. "We'll have fun and get stronger together."
The two Pokemon looked up with a small sparkle in their eyes before they looked at the elders, who gave them a nod. The two Pokemon looked back and nodded with a smile. But they gasp in unison before hopping back with a glare.
"I get it. You two want to battle." Gray chuckles as he takes out a Pokeball. "You ready Ash?"
"You bet." Ash answers as he takes out a pokeball as well.
"Totodile, let's go!" Gray tosses his pokeball, sending out Totodile.
"Froakie, I choose you!" Ash tosses his pokeball, sending out Froakie.
"Toto Totodile (Yeah! Let's fight)!" Totodile jumped with joy while Heracross smirked.
"Froakie! Froa (Ready! Wait Treecko)?" Froakie croaked upon seeing Treecko.
"Treecko (Give me your best shot)." Treecko challenged with a grin.
"Froakie (Bring it on)." Froakie grinned back.
"Wait. I know why Gray is using Totodile, but why is Ash using Froakie?" Lucy asked in confusion.
"It is strange. Froakie's a water type while Treecko's a grass type." Erza pointed out with a curious expression.. "That puts Ash at a disadvantage."
"We'll see why he picked Froakie once the battle starts." Makarov said as he sat down.
"Totodile, Water Gun!" Gray commanded.
"Froakie, use Pound!" Ash commanded.
"Totodile!" Totodile opened his mouth and fired a stream of water at Heracross.
"Heracross!" Heracross points his horn forward as it glows green before firing a barrage of green needles, destroying the water gun.
"Froakie!" Froakie leaped towards Treecko as his hand glows white and prepared to slap his opponent.
"Treecko!" Treecko jumps back and slams his tail against Froakie.
"Use your frubbles!" Ash commanded as Froakie expanded his frubbles to absorb the attack, shocking Treecko. "Water Pulse!"
"Froakie!" Froakie creates a sphere of water before slamming it in Treecko's belly, sending the Gecko Pokemon flying into a tree. Froakie hopped after Treecko, only for the latter to jump to another tree before it turns into a chase, causing the others to follow them.
"Heracross!" Heracross flies towards Totodile while his arm glows orange before swinging it down on the Big Jaw Pokemon.
"Totodile, Dig!" Gray commanded as Totodile burrowed underground, causing Heracross' Brick Break to miss.
"Cross?" Heracross looks around to figure out where Totodile will strike, only to get uppercutted in the air by him once he pops out of the ground.
"Treecko Tree!" Treecko shouted before his eyes glow red while yellow birds circle around his head.
"What happened to Treecko?" Natsu asked.
"That's the side effect of Water Pulse." Erza answered. "It can sometimes confuse the opponent."
"Of course!" Lucy exclaimed as she pounded a fist on her opened hand. "That's why Ash is using Froakie. He's using his frubbles and tricks to confuse Treecko."
"Now's our chance. Use Double Team!" Ash commanded.
"Froakie!" Froakie jumps up in the air before creating duplicates of himself, confusing Treecko further.
Treecko spits out a barrage of seeds at the clones, but stops midway as he punches himself in confusion.
Heracross looks down before his horn glows white and proceeds to fly down towards Totodile.
"Catch it with your mouth!" Gray commanded.
"Totodile!" Totodile jumped towards Heracross before catching his horn with his mouth, nibbling it.
"Toss it and use Aqua Jet!" Gray commanded with a smirk.
"Froakie, use Bounce!" Ash commanded as he raised a fist up.
Froakie leaped up high in the air while Treecko shakes his head, but notice that Froakie is gone. He looks around before Froakie descends down and hits Treecko with a dive kick, damaging him while the other Treeckos gasp in shock.
Totodile spun around and tosses Heracross before engulfing himself in water. He jumped in the air and rammed into Heracross' chest, dealing damage as the other Heracrosses gasp in shock.
"Now, go Pokeball!" Ash and Gray shouted in unison before tossing a Pokeball at Treecko and Heracross respectively as they glow red and materialize into the Pokeballs.
The two pokeballs land on the ground and start shaking numerous times with a beeping sound. Both Gray and Ash stare at the pokeballs with a serious glare before the two balls made a single click sound as three stars appeared briefly.
"Yes!" Ash laughed as he picked up Treecko's pokeball. "I caught a Treecko!" He declared as he held the pokeball up in the air.
"Pikachu/Froakie (Hooray)!" Pikachu and Froakie cheered in unison.
"And I got a Heracross." Grays smirked as he held the pokeball out.
"Toto Totodile (Another friend to the team)." Totodile giggled with joy.
Both Ash and Gray sent out Heracross and Treecko while the two elders walked up to their sons.
"Hera Heracross (Good luck on your travels, my son)." The elder Heracross said, hugging his son.
"Heracross (I'll miss you)." Heracross sniffed with sorrow, but smiles.
"Treecko Treecko (Be on your best behavior, son)." The elder Treecko said with a smile.
"Treecko (I will. Thanks Dad)." Treecko smiled while his twig tilted up a bit.
The two Pokemon pulled away from the hug and rushed over to their new trainers as they proceed to leave, but not before waving goodbye to the Heracrosses and Treeckos.
"Finally, we can get out of this forest. I don't want to ever see another…" Lucy started until she heard rustling in the bushes and shrieked a bit once she saw Venipede crawling out. "Bug!"
"Hey, it's Venipede." Natsu waved, causing Venipede to look away to hide her frown. He noticed this and walked up to the Centipede Pokemon before kneeling down. "Venipede?"
"Ven (Yes)?" Venipede looks back at Natsu. He already forced her to come clean, so what else did he want?
"I know you didn't wanna hurt anyone. Maybe you were hungry and wanted some food. But you can't just steal from everyone." Natsu said with a serious look.
"You're one to talk! You keep doing that whenever you go into my apartment!" Lucy shouted, only for the others to hush her.
"Don't ruin the moment." Erza said, frightening Lucy.
"I-I won't!" Lucy promised out of fear.
"You know, you were pretty strong when you fought Fletchling. I'd really want a Pokemon like you, so…" He takes out a poke ball. "Why not come with us? You won't be alone and there'll be plenty of food you can eat. What do you say?" Natsu finishes with a toothy grin.
Venipede can feel her face heating up and was about to smile, but growls before she slaps the Pokeball away. "Veni Venipede (If you want to catch me, then you better battle me)." She hissed.
Natsu looks at Venipede in confusion before grinning in realization. "Okay, you got yourself a deal." He chuckled as he took out a pokeball. "Let's get fired up, Fletchling!" He shouted as he sent out Fletchling.
"Venipede (Let's settle this)." Venipede growled.
"Fletchling (Agreed)." Fletchling nodded.
"Looks like Natsu using type advantage." Gray said before letting out a joking chuckle. "Guess he's not that dumb after all."
"Put a shirt on, jerk!" Natsu shouted, causing Gray to panic once he sees that he's still shirtless. "Fletchling, use Peck!"
"Fletchling!" Fletchling dives down while his beak glows white before he flies towards Venipede.
"Veni (Eat this)!" Venipede opened her mouth and fired a barrage of poison needles at Fletchling, damaging him.
"Oh no, Poison Sting!" Lucy gasped in shock.
"That's a direct hit too." Ash said.
"Fletchling, are you okay?" Natsu cried out in concern.
"Fletchling (I think so)." Fletchling coughed as his face turned purple while purple bubbles appeared above his head.
"Crap, poison." Natsu growled.
"Venipede (Game over)." Venipede snickered before jumping towards Fletchling while her tail glowed purple.
"Come on Fletchling, don't give up!" Natsu encouraged. "Let's show Venipede how strong you are!"
"Fletchling!" Fletching chirped loudly and dodged the Poison Tail before flying up. He flies down at high speed while white streaks start surrounding his body.
"Whoa, Fletchling just learned Aerial Ace!" Ash exclaimed.
"Yeah, that's the spirit Fletchling!" Natsu cheered.
"Veni (Yikes)!" Venipede screamed before she gets hit by the Tiny Robin Pokemon, getting damaged as the Centipede Pokemon crashes into a tree.
"Yeah! Go Pokeball!" Natsu tosses a pokeball as it hits Venipede, causing her to materialize into the pokeball.
The pokeball lands on the ground and starts shaking numerous times with a beeping sound before it stops with a single click sound as three stars appear above.
Natsu laughs as he picks up the Pokeball. "Yeah! I just caught a Venipede!" He roared in victory while he noticed Fletchling breathing heavily due to the poison.
"Here, I got an antidote." Lucy said as she took out a yellow spray bottle. She walked over to Fletchling and sprayed the bottle at him, curing him from the poison. "You feel better Fletchling?"
"Fletchling Fletch (Yeah I do. Thanks)." Fletchling chirped happily.
"Way to go Fletchling. Not only you beat Venipede, but you just learned Aerial Ace." Natsu said with a toothy grin, causing Fletchling to puff up his chest before patting it with pride.
"Way to go, Natsu." Ash commended with a smile."We're gonna have a lot of fun, Treecko." Ash said with a chuckle.
"Pikachu (You'll love Fairy Tail)." Pikachu told Treecko.
"Treecko (Fairy Tail)?" Treecko asked with confusion before grinning. "Treecko Tree (You better not disappoint me)."
Gray looks over to his right to see Heracross flying next to him, causing the two to smile as well. "Are you ready to see the world, Heracross?" He asked.
"Heracross (You bet)!" Heracross answered with excitement as he can't wait to see what's in store in the future.
"Now can we get out of here." Lucy said in an exaggerated tone. "I don't want more bug types showing up."
"Sheesh Lucy, you need to learn not to be afraid." Natsu started laughing until a Joltik landed on his face.
"Uh oh." Ash gulped after remembering that Natsu's afraid of Joltiks.
"Natsu, don't move." Erza ordered, only to hear…
"AAAAAAAAAAH! JOLTIK!" Natsu screamed in fear as he got up and immediately ran away while trying to swat off the Joltik on his face.
"Natsu, I told you to not move!" Erza shouted before she picked up Makarov and proceeded to chase after the Dragon Slayer.
"What was that you were saying about not being afraid?" Lucy asked in annoyance as she, Gray, and Ash follow the two.
"Please tell me you got Paralyze Heals." Gray told Ash with an unamused face.
"I also got Cheri Berries from yesterday, so I'm prepared." Ash said with a sigh.
As the Fairy Tail mages run off in the distance, Caterpie crawls out of a bush and stares at them before smiling.
(A/N)
And that is it for this chapter!
Thank god I finally got it done. It took me a while to work on the rest, but I hope you all enjoy it. I would like to thank The Third Dragneel for the edits.
For those that are curious why I gave Gray Heracross and not Ash, it's because I feel like Heracross suits Gray a bit more. Plus, it'll lead into some funny moments. The same can be said for Natsu and Venipede. You can probably guess how she'll act around him.
Yeah, I know Ash has two starter Pokemon in this story, but he has more than one starter whenever he travels to a different region. Except for Hoenn and Kalos, where he has Treecko for Hoenn and Froakie for Kalos.
Here are the updates for the teams:
Natsu Dragneel:
Charmander (Male) - Flamethrower, Fire Punch, Dig, Dragon Rage
Munchlax (Male) - Headbutt, Bite, Fire Punch, Metronome
Fletchling (Male) - Peck, Steel Wing, Razor Wind, Aerial Ace
Venipede (Female) - Poison Sting, Poison Tail, Bug Bite
Ash Ketchum:
Pikachu (Male) - Thunderbolt, Quick Attack, Iron Tail, Electro Ball
Froakie (Male) - Water Pulse, Pound, Bounce, Double Team
Starly (Female) - Quick Attack, Wing Attack, Whirlwind, Steel Wing
Treecko (Male) - Pound, Bullet Seed, Quick Attack
Lucy Heartfilia:
Klefki (Female) - Fairy Wind, Protect, Metal Sound, and Mirror Shot
Ralts (Female) - Hidden Power (Fire), Confusion, Magical Leaf, Teleport
Gray Fullbuster:
Totodile (Male) - Water Gun, Dig, Ice Fang, Aqua Jet
Snorunt (Male) - Ice Fang, Ice Shard, Icy Wind, Headbutt
Heracross (Male) - Horn Attack, Pin Missile, Brick Break
Erza Scarlet:
Ivysaur (Female) - Vine Whip, Petal Dance, Razor Leaf, Sleep Powder
Honedge (Male) - Swords Dance, Slash, Night Slash, Aerial Ace
See you all in the next chapter. Be sure to favorite and follow for more of this story.
Next Time: Clash of Ideals