A/N: sithlorde1988 here, with another chapter of Pokemon: Shuffled Journeys! I know, I know, it's been a bit since the last chapter (AGAIN!), but I've been doing a lot for other stories. Actually, I meant to start this chapter yesterday, but as yesterday was Mother's Day I felt today would be a better time to start it since I'd already had a cutaway to Delia and Lumie a couple chapters ago so having another one for Mother's Day would be a bit ham IMO. Though I suppose I could go back later and do a smallish one-shot of those two fooling around at some point down the line maybe. We'll see.
Anyways, before I forget, I do not own Pokemon, any of the games/shows connected to said series, and any characters that appear in said games/shows (except MAYBE LUMIE, but once again she might as well be an OC for how little her backstory and character were explored), and the ones that DO own the shows/games/characters know who they are. On that note, let's start the chapter! But make sure you keep reading after the chapter, as I'll have an update on the current poll to share! Sadly, this time I don't have any reviews, EVEN guest reviews, to reply to so this will be a much shorter opening A/N than normal! And on that note, let's get on with chapter 9!
Chapter 9- Through the Mine! Ash catches a Solo W (and maybe a Pokemon?)
(Unknown part of Kanto, with Gary and Leaf)
"I did it! I got the Boulder Badge!" Gary said, hoisting a small grey object into the air with one hand, smirking as he did a thumbs up with his free hand. Next to him, his newly-evolved Nidorino (which literally had evolved just at the end of the fight after knocking out Brock's Onix with a well-placed Double Kick that had 2 critical hits) cheered its' name happily, as Leaf rolled her eyes at how lame the two looked. Gary saw this and playfully stuck his tongue out at her.
"Don't be so salty, Leaf. Not my fault you couldn't beat Brock with your team. You'll just have to strengthen up and try again. I'll help you if you want." Gary said to Leaf who pouted at the reminder of her defeat by Brock. Her Nidoran (F) managed to knock out Geodude, but Onix was too much for her (and for Leaf's Pidgey) to handle. As a result, Leaf was left to take the L on that battle, to her dismay and disappointment. Leaf then smiled at Gary.
"Thank you. Yeah, we might as well train. Granted, at least I don't throw tantrums when I lose. Can you say the same, Gary? Hee hee, I remember when you thought you could beat Brock's Onix with a sprinkler! What did you think you were doing, trying to channel your inner Ash Ketchum? *1* " Leaf joked teasingly, giggling at the look on Gary's face at her subtle jab. Gary huffed at Leaf.
"Yeah yeah, laugh it up Leaf. We know you think the world of him. I get it. Too bad your boyfriend is in another region, probably with loads of other girls. Maybe one day, you'll make it to Galar to see him, or he'll return to Kanto. Otherwise, I wouldn't get my hopes up if I were you." Gary replied, as Leaf rolls her eyes.
"Whatever. This from the guy who tried to hitch a ride with a car-load of older girls who were cheerleaders. I still can't believe you thought that would work. At least they were nice enough about turning you down, Gare-bear." Leaf said, giggling as she recalled a time when both she and Gary were younger (specifically she was 10 to Gary's 11 at the time, and the car-load of girls were between 15 and 16) where he tried to recruit a 'car-load', as Leaf had put it, of older girls to be his cheerleading squad, but failed epically. Gary rolled his eyes at the reminder of the past.
"If you say so, Leaf. I think you were just jealous." Gary said smirking. Leaf huffed.
"And what would I have to be jealous of, genius? Or did you forget we're brother and sister?" Leaf replied sarcastically.
"Not by blood, we're not. But fine, I'll give you that one. I was trying to suggest that you were jealous I might've had a shot at a relationship where you really don't." Gary said, as Leaf gaped at Gary's statement, huffing angrily.
"That's none of your concern, Gary. And for the record, I could have easily had something if I'd wanted to. Or did you forget those other girls that used to hang around with Ash and I?" Leaf pointed out. Gary blinked before smirking.
"You mean the crybaby and the researcher's daughter? I know they swing both ways, considering someone said they got caught in a closet together, but what does that have to do with you?" Gary asked in confusion. Leaf giggled.
"First off, who do you think helped them figure out they swing both ways? Secondly, they invited me to join them in that, but I turned them down because I didn't think I wanted it back then. Besides, if I'm gonna be with a girl, it's because we're sharing a boyfriend. At least then it's not so awkward if I end up kissing one or more girls." Leaf pointed out sassily, making Gary blanch then turn away in embarrassment at the mental images Leaf's response had evoked. He was pouting when he turned to face Leaf again.
"Not fair, Leaf. First of all, you yourself said we see each other as brother and sister, so don't be giving me mental images of you in a three-or-moresome. That's unfair." Gary said, slightly red-faced still. Leaf giggled.
"Hee hee, serves you right for teasing me, Gare-bear." Leaf replied smiling. She then turned to look at Gary.
"Shall we go train? The sooner I can beat Brock, the sooner we can get to the 2nd gym." Leaf said to Gary who nodded, and the two went to train...
(Meanwhile in the Galar region, with Ash and friends)
"So this is the Galar Mine...the view is actually really quite pretty, don't you think Gloria?" Iris said as the group looked around at the mine they'd just walked into. Hop and Ash shrugged as they looked at all the mine carts and tunnels, while the girls were 'ooh'ing and 'aah'ing over all the shiny gems in the caves. Ash smiled at Iris.
"Is this where you two plan to get some bling?" Ash joked to Gloria and Iris, both of whom playfully stuck their tongues out at Ash childishly.
"And what if it is? Don't you know that we girls like jewellry? So I wouldn't be talking smack about that, Ash. You never know when you might need one of us to help you pick jewels out for whatever lucky girl ends up with you down the line." Gloria teased Ash while giggling. Iris smirked at Gloria.
"Gloria, you goof. You say that like it's not gonna likely be at least one of us. I mean, we both heard Ash here say he's not against ending up in a harem down the line. Or was Ash joking about that?" Iris said, smirking at a suddenly blinking and red-faced Ash.
"I-I, I wasn't joking about that. But still, don't put me on the spot like that! And besides, who ends up in a harem at only 13?" Ash replied, trying not to be embarrassed by Iris and Gloria teasing him. Next to him, Hop rolled his eyes.
"Very funny, Ash. But I seem to recall hearing once about a region a long long time ago where two clans had their leaders end up joining harems at only 13." Hop pointed out, making Ash, Iris AND Gloria blink at him.
"Where did you hear that, Hop?" Gloria asked, both curious and confused.
"Leon told me about it. I forget what he said the region was called, but supposedly it was an ancient pre-cursor to the Sinnoh region of our times. *2* Of course I could be wrong on that." Hop explained. Ash blinked at this.
"Interesting. Maybe one day we'll get to learn more of that for ourselves?" Ash mused, genuinely intrigued. Iris giggled at this.
"Mm-hmm, makes sense to me. I could see it happening to you, Ash. Who knows, maybe one of those clan leaders was your ancestor or something?" Iris suggested mischievously. Hop rolled his eyes.
"Considering one leader was a guy and one was a girl, it's possible." Hop said before suddenly getting a sly smirk on his face.
"Of course, who's to say Ash's ancestor was the guy and not the girl?" Hop joked innocently, making Gloria giggle at the joke while Iris rolled her eyes.
"And so what if Ash's ancestor was the female leader? I wouldn't be surprised if Ash made a cute girl anyways." Iris replied huffily, making both Ash and Hop go red at her comment. Ash suddenly looked away in embarrassment, deciding not to mention the time that Leaf had dared him to try on some of her clothes when they were younger, as he'd forgotten about it until just now. *3*
"But would you still be all over me if I HAD been a girl, Iris?" Ash asked jokingly, not expecting Iris to actually give him an appraising look at his question.
"Hmm...maybe...hard to say...after all, you DO recall I get cuddly a lot with Gloria, and she IS a girl." Iris replied impishly, making Ash blink as he remembered that fact, while Gloria blushed in slight embarrassment at the reminder of Iris' cuddlebug tendencies.
"Anyways, don't we need to get through this mine to get to Route 4, and from there Turffield so we can face our first Gym Battle?" Gloria asked the others, and they nodded so they started walking through the mine, unaware that they would end up having another run-in with a certain someone near the other exit of the mine...
(back in Kanto, with Jessie, James and Meowth)
"So let me get this straight, boss. You want us to keep an eye on Mt. Moon, and protect any trainers that are passing through in case Team Rocket tries anything?" Jessie asked Red, who she, James and Meowth were in a video chat with. Red nodded on-screen.
"That's correct. And while you're there, see what you two can do about catching yourselves at least one more Pokemon each. While your Koffing and Ekans are strong, you could always stand to make your teams stronger. And you'll definitely want a strong team if you plan to be helpful to me." Red said to the trio, who nodded.
"Understood, Boss. We'll do what we can to get more Pokemon for ourselves and keep an eye on passing trainers. Was that all, sir?" James asked Red, who nodded.
"Remember, we cannot let Team Rocket have their way with Kanto. I know this is hard for you three since you used to be members of Team Rocket, but you helped me get free of them so I felt it was only fair I return the favor to the three of you. And if you three do well enough, there might be rewards in it for you three." Red told Jessie, James and Meowth who saluted Red.
"Yes, sir!" Jessie, James and Meowth said in unison as the video chat ended. Afterwards, they went out to do as they were asked.
(Back in Galar Mine with the group)
"Ooh, there's the exit! That didn't take long at all!" Gloria said eagerly as she saw the other exit that would lead the group out to route 4. However, as they made their way towards said exit, mocking laughter stopped the group.
"Well, well, if it isn't Gloria and Hop. Looks like those idiotic Team Yell cretins didn't manage to defeat your friends, as I figured would happen. No matter, I'll just have to stomp you guys myself. After all, as a trainer endorsed by the mighty Chairman Rose, I cannot fail!" A familiar blonde-haired male said as he stepped out of the shadows towards the group. Both Hop and Gloria frowned as they saw who it was.
"Ah, it's you again Bede. Here to get beat again? Because I recall Oshawott smacked your Gothita around pretty skillfully." Hop pointed out. Bede smirked at this, to Hop's shock.
"You got lucky is all. Had your Oshawott not learned Razor Shell when it did, I'd have won possibly. Besides, I certainly did a number on Gloria over there as I recall." Bede said, an ominous smile on his face which made Iris and Ash cringe looking at it. Gloria for her part recoiled at the look on Bede's face, subconsciously backing into Iris, trying to snuggle into Iris's chest for safety, making Ash frown at Bede.
"What did you do to her, you sicko? Hop told me that your Gothita blasted Gloria with a Water Gun, making her outfit wet. But was that ALL you did?" Ash asked, his eyes rolling.
"Silly Ketchum. Of course that's NOT all I did! I also stole your friend's first kiss! And let me say she has some really soft lips on her! It's a pity that Hop defeated me, though. But no matter, I can redeem myself when I destroy the rest of you before getting revenge on Hop. After all, there can only be ONE endorsed trainer in this Gym Challenge." Bede taunted the group, as Ash glared at Bede while Iris and Hop rolled their eyes. Iris frowned at the contradictory statement.
"Technically you're incorrect in stating that, since ALL Gym Challengers are required to have Endorsements to compete." Iris couldn't help but point out to Bede who scoffed.
"Shut up, know-it-all. I meant there can only be one endorsed Champion, and that'll be me. And if you and your friend over there are good, MAYBE I'll let you two be my fan-girls." Bede snapped to Iris, who frowned a bit, almost looking ready to cry, making both Ash and Hop angry at Bede, while Gloria pulled Iris close to her to try and cheer her up. Ash glared at Bede, now full of determination to win.
"You think you can beat me? Fine, let's battle! If I win, not only do you apologize to Iris and Gloria, but you have to give up one of your Pokemon to each of them as a way of making what you did right. However, should you manage to win somehow, I will let you punish me however you see fit, AND you can have this Pokemon Egg. Are you up to the challenge? Or are you all bark and no bite, Bede?" Ash said to Bede, who smirked in interest at the offered terms.
"Those seem like some loaded terms, but very well. I accept. Pray you don't regret making this wager with me, Ketchum. And to be sure we both hold up our ends, let's make this a gentleman's wager." Bede said, holding out his hand for Ash to shake, which he did to seal the wager. Behind them, Gloria rolled her eyes.
"Right, because a sick creeper like you would know ANYTHING about being a gentleman. I heard you discussing changing me with Guv. Was it you or him who stripped me down and put that other outfit on me?" Gloria said to Bede, who scoffed.
"That was Guv. All I did was have you tied up and gagged, and then kissed you after you were un-gagged following you being tied to that pole so I could taunt you somewhat." Bede replied, making Gloria gasp and both Ash and Hop growl while Iris frowned.
"YOU DID WHAT?" Ash, Hop AND Gloria screeched in unison a moment later when his claim of kissing Gloria registered with the group. Iris frowned at Bede but kept a hand on Ash and Hop's shoulders to keep them from attacking Bede.
"This guy might be scum, but he's not worth getting kicked out of the Gym Challenge over." Iris said. Ash scoffed.
"Who said I'll get myself kicked out over him? I'll just have to stomp him in a Pokemon battle! NO ONE does that to my friends and gets away with it! And if Hop can beat this jerk, then so can I! No offense, Hop." Ash said, shooting an apologetic look towards Hop as he did so. Hop shrugged.
"None taken, Ash. I know I'm not the most consistent battler. And I agree. If anyone can beat this git, it's you Ash!" Hop replied. Bede smirked, readying a Poke Ball.
"A battle? If you say so. But remember this, if I win, you can either: a)all quit the Gym Challenge OR b)Ash becomes my servant. But if you somehow win, I'll let you all pass, and give a Pokemon each to the ladies. But I don't see you winning so let's do this!" Bede said to Ash. Ash nodded.
"Does a 2 on 2 work for you? I only have 2 Pokemon, so..." Ash asked. Bede smirked.
"Aw, is the newbie so pathetic he can't get more than two Pokemon for his team?" Bede mocked Ash. Iris frowned at this.
"Ash is twice the trainer you could ever hope to be!" Iris replied huffily. Gloria weakly cheered from behind Iris, not wanting to look at Bede more than she had to.
"Excuse me if I only just started my journey and haven't had much chance to catch new Pokemon!" Ash replied.
"Is 2 on 2 good or not?" Ash added. Bede finally shrugged.
"Works for me. Not that it makes any difference on your chances of winning. Let's do this." Bede said confidently. Ash nodded.
"Agreed. Let's battle!" Ash said to Bede, as both called their first Pokemon.
"Pikachu, you're up buddy!" Ash said as Pikachu leapt out onto the field.
"Hatenna, get over here!" Bede said as he threw his Pokeball. From it came out a Pokemon that looked like a creature wearing a party hat. Gloria squealed as she saw the Pokemon.
"Aww, it's so cute! Why is such a cutie that creeper's Pokemon?" Gloria asked Iris who was closest. Iris shrugged.
"Heck if I know. He probably caught it fair and square though, unfortunately." Iris replied, making Hop grin and Gloria giggle at how put out Iris sounded.
"But what is it?" Ash asked, pulling out his Rotom Phone to analyze the Pokemon.
"Hatenna, the Calm Pokemon. If this Pokemon senses a strong emotion, it will run away as fast as it can. This Pokemon prefers areas without people. Via the protrusion on its head, it senses other creatures' emotions. If you don't have a calm disposition, it will never warm up to you. Pure Psychic-type. Due to being genderlocked, this species can only be female, therefore this Pokemon is female." Ash's Rotom Phone read out, as both Iris and Gloria frowned.
"I don't think he has a calm disposition." Gloria said pouting as she heard the information on Hatenna. Iris smiled.
"It's possible that he used to, and then that disposition changed, hence why Hatenna isn't running for the hills right now." Iris replied, as Gloria giggled.
"Good point. Hopefully Ash beats this creeper since he doesn't deserve such a cute Pokemon." Gloria said huffing as she crossed her arms petulantly, making Iris giggle while Hop grinned at how adorable Gloria can be. Ash rolled his eyes at the banter behind him.
"Hatenna, huh? Very well. Pikachu, you're up buddy!" Ash said as Pikachu leapt off his shoulder, landing on the field with a determined "PI PIKACHU!" as he glared down Hatenna, who frowned at the glare Pikachu gave her. Bede looked at Hatenna.
"Calm down. It's just trying to intimidate you, Hatenna. But we're better than these cretins. Show him what I mean with Disarming Voice!" Bede called out as Hatenna took a breath before making a really loud yet feminine screech which caught Pikachu offguard and did good damage to him. Ash frowned.
"Shake that off and respond with Nuzzle! Then combo that into Thunderbolt!" Ash said to Pikachu who nodded as he got up close, playfully nuzzling his face against Hatenna's making her blanch as sparks flew off her body to signify her being paralyzed as well as her being a bit embarrassed with how affectionate the Nuzzle felt. After that, Pikachu let loose a huge Thunderbolt, massively damaging Hatenna, ultimately causing her to crash to the ground swirly-eyed, to Bede's shock.
"No way! That's not possible! Hatenna, return!" Bede said, growling as he recalled the fainted Hatenna. He then grabbed his other Poke Ball.
"I still have a Pokemon left so this isn't over yet! Solosis get in here!" Bede said tossing out his second Poke Ball releasing what looked to be a green orb that resembled some sort of cell. Iris looked at it and frowned.
"Eww, what is that?" Iris asked, cringing as she pulled out her Rotom Phone to analyze the creature.
"Solosis, the Cell Pokemon. Many say that the liquid covering this Pokemon's body would allow it to survive in the vacuum of space. It communicates with others telepathically. Its' body is encapsulated in liquid, but if it takes a heavy blow, the liquid will leak out. Pure Psychic-type. This Pokemon is a male." Iris' Rotom Phone read out. Iris frowned.
"It doesn't look like a cell to me that much. But I guess I can't call it gross either." Iris said frowning.
"Pikachu, use Thunderbolt! Then give it a Nuzzle!" Ash called out as Pikachu used a Thunderbolt on Solosis before nuzzling him like he'd done to Hatenna previously.
"Ouchies! Stop it, that hurts me!" Solosis said in a whiny telepathic voice, making Ash wince at the fact he was hurting Solosis. The combo of Thunderbolt and Nuzzle did heavy damage to Solosis, leaving him to pant as he looked to be on his last leg.
"Solosis, hit that Pikachu with your Endeavor then use Life Dew!" Bede called out, as Solosis loosed a bright flash of energy from his body which smacked Pikachu hard, launching him off his feet to land on his back, looking banged up pretty good. Ash and Bede frowned as they exchanged glares.
"PIKACHU/SOLOSIS, USE THUNDERBOLT/PSYBEAM!" Ash and Bede called out as Pikachu and Solosis loosed their strongest attacks at each other causing a blinding explosion. When the smoke and light cleared, all that could be seen was a giant crater in the middle of the battlefield, inside which Solosis and Pikachu could both be seen swirly-eyed in defeat. Bede gaped at this while Ash raced forward to scoop up Pikachu.
"Thanks buddy, you gave your all. You might have gotten knocked out in the process, but you managed to also sweep Bede's team in the process. So thank you. You won us the battle." Ash told Pikachu, petting him lightly on the head. Pikachu weakly lifted his head to smile at Ash.
"Chaa..." Pikachu said before passing out. Ash smiled, gently setting Pikachu down in Iris' lap before turning to Bede.
"So Bede, I believe we had an agreement. And you lost so I hope you're prepared to keep up your end of the bargain." Ash said to Bede. Bede stuck his nose up in the air.
"How could I lose? I, a trainer handpicked for Endorsement by Chairman Rose himself? Ugh, fine. I am a man of my word." Bede said, huffing before walking over to Gloria first.
"I apologize for everything I did to you. But I meant what I said before, you have really soft and nice lips. Take that as a compliment. And per the other facet of our agreement, have this Pokemon. I saw you admiring it in the battle, so I know you'll take care of it. You'd better, or I'll feel worse about losing it in battle. But I was the one to agree to the terms." Bede said, placing Hatenna's Poke Ball into a surprised Gloria's hands. Gloria smiled at Bede.
"You're still a creeper but at least you have SOME honor. I accept your apology. However, it might be some time before I forgive you, if I manage it at all. What you did was pretty horrible. But I guess I can overlook it this time. NEVER do it again though." Gloria said, blushing a bit despite herself as Bede's words about her having soft lips only just then registered. Hop and Ash frowned at this, hoping Gloria wasn't getting Stockholm Syndrome. Iris rolled her eyes at them.
"You two are silly. First of all, Gloria doesn't like Bede that way. I'm honestly not even sure she likes guys in general that way. So don't worry about her blushing." Iris chastised Hop and Ash who nodded. Gloria frowned at Iris.
"Iris! You know full well I DO like at least SOME guys that way. Just because I'm not adverse to being with girls as well doesn't mean I'm not still somewhat straight." Gloria said to Iris, pouting childishly as she corrected Iris. Bede shrugged at this before going over to Iris.
"Iris, I apologize for being rude to you. That was wrong of me. However, I'm a man of my word. So here, have this Pokemon. What you do with it afterward is of no concern to me since now I've fulfilled my end of the wager, after I let you lot pass of course. But don't think this is the last you've seen of me. I'm still going to defeat you all to prove that Chairman Rose was correct to give me his Endorsement for the Gym Challenge." Bede said to Iris, setting Solosis' Poke Ball in her hands before turning and walking away deeper into the mine without another word, leaving Ash and Iris to blink in confusion while Hop and Gloria shrugged.
"Well, that was unexpected. Maybe he's not so bad?" Hop said shrugging.
"Possibly. But I get a feeling that's not the last we'll have seen of him. Hopefully Gloria and Iris like the Pokemon they got." Ash said. Gloria smiled widely as she hugged Hatenna's Poke Ball to her chest cutely, though Iris frowned slightly.
"I'm not really a fan of Solosis. Either of you two want him?" Iris asked Hop and Ash who exchanged looks before Hop shrugged.
"I'll take him I suppose." Hop said as Iris gave him the Poke Ball, which he clipped to his belt, as Gloria did the same for Hatenna's Poke Ball. After that the group exited the mine, getting their first look at Route 4...
(Meanwhile, in Kanto, Vermilion City, with Chloe)
"Ugh, research is boring..." Chloe grumbled under her breath as she plugged away at her homework, trying to get it finished so she was caught up on it so she could just chill. No sooner than she'd finished, than her PC went off to signify an incoming video call. After she finished off the homework, Chloe walked to the computer and answered the call, expecting it to be Serena again. Surprisingly, it was in fact Leaf. Chloe smiled as she looked at Leaf.
"Hey! Long time no chat, Leaf. How's your journey coming along?" Chloe asked Leaf who smiled.
"Pretty good. I just got my first badge after taking three tries. Gary's making it a point to lord that over me too. Just because it only took him two tries. But whatever. Nevermind that jerk. How are you, Chloe?" Leaf said to Chloe who smiled.
"I'm doing pretty well, just keeping up on my homework for school. Though sometimes I wonder if I wouldn't have been better off going on a journey like you did since it's bound to be better than research. I swear I have so many people thinking I want to follow in my fathers' footsteps. It's annoying." Chloe said, huffing adorably as she ranted a bit to Leaf who giggled.
"Chloe, you're so adorable when you pout. But you know, it's not too late to go on a journey. After all, I have to head to Vermilion City eventually for a Gym Battle so maybe if you get your affairs in order before I get there, you can join me on my journey, provided you can handle Gary being his obnoxious self. How's that sound, Chloe?" Leaf asked Chloe, who smiled at the offer.
"It sounds great. Um, are you alone by chance right now Leaf?" Chloe asked Leaf who frowned at the sudden question, but looked around. Indeed, she was alone as Gary had left to go train his team.
"Yeah, I'm alone, other than Nurse Joy since I'm in the Pokemon Center by Mt. Moon. Why?" Leaf asked. To her surprise, Chloe's cheeks turned a bit red before she spoke.
"Serena and I had discussed some things the last time we video chatted, and one of them was the possibility of us getting used to being with girls, since we theorized that we could both end up sharing a guy someday. For all either of us two know, you could also be sharing that guy as well, since if I recall correctly, the three of us all had a crush on the same guy at one point. Not sure if you still feel the same now but I know you used to feel that way." Chloe said, making Leaf blush shyly as her cheeks went pink.
"You mean Ash, don't you?" Leaf said quietly to Chloe who smiled, giggling as she nodded.
"Yes, that's EXACTLY who I mean. So what I was going to suggest is that at some point we could make our way to Kalos if we end up travelling together so we can meet up with Serena since she mentioned the possibility of a sleepover where we could experiment a bit with each other to see how comfortable we are being with other girls in case there's situations that call for it if we all enter a harem together with Ash someday." Chloe explained, and Leaf's cheeks went from pink to red at what Chloe was suggesting.
"So if I understand you correctly, you're suggesting we at least make out with Serena at some point, and possibly each other, to test our comfort levels with each other? Do I have that right?" Leaf said in embarrassment as Chloe nodded.
"Exactly. Actually, if you wanted, when you get to Vermilion City, we can meet up and we can try experimenting a bit just the two of us to see where our comfort zones are with girls. Unless that's too embarrassing for you?" Chloe said to Leaf who was blushing at this point.
"N-no, I'm open to that. But if Gary sees that, he'll never let us live it down. As it is, I may have razzed him by mentioning the time you and Serena offered to let me hook up with you guys. Apparently, you guys were caught making out previously, by which I mean you and Serena." Leaf said to Chloe whose turn it was to go red.
"Th-that only happened once and it was on a dare! Though I will admit that kiss was rather nice, though I'd forgotten about it until just now." Chloe replied. Leaf giggled.
"I'm sure it was. Unfortunately, I have to go since Gary wants to go get through so we can get our second Gym Badge. Sorry. Nice talking to you though." Leaf said to Chloe who nodded.
"Nice talking to you. So is that a yes to us meeting up when you get to Vermilion?" Chloe asked as Leaf smiled.
"Of course it's a yes! I look forward to it! It's been some time since we last met!" Leaf said happily.
"Okay! Bye!" Chloe said as she ended the call. On the other end, Leaf and Gary headed into Mt. Moon, unaware of what awaited them...
(back in Galar, on Route 4, with Ash and co.)
"So this is Route 4. Not that long of a route, seems like." Hop said as the group looked out over the area in front of them, a town just visible in the semi-near distance.
"I think that's Turffield in the distance, isn't it?" Iris asked Gloria who she was standing next to. Gloria nodded.
"I've only seen it once on a map, but that makes sense. So we're almost to our first Gym. That's insane." Gloria replied. Ash and Hop were looking around at the grassy parts of the route, both likely searching for wild Pokemon. Neither one spotted very much, that is until Ash was looking at a grassy part of the route further up where his eyes just picked out what appeared to be a bearded Pokemon with what appeared to be a coin on its' head. Ash frowned at this before turning to Hop and Gloria.
"You two lived here longer than Iris and I, so you might know this. Does Galar have regional variants of some Pokemon?" Ash asked Gloria and Hop.
"Actually, yes there are regional variants here. From what I recall of Lee's explanations when I was younger, he said that Galar has regional variants for the following: Corsola, Mr. Mime, Yamask, and a few others I can't remember right now." Hop replied. Gloria frowned.
"I think Leon also said there was a Galarian variant of Meowth and Farfetch'd, too." Gloria added. Ash blinked.
"So does that mean that THAT is a Galarian Meowth?" Ash said, pointing ahead of the group to the bearded Pokemon he'd seen before. Hop and Iris looked the way he'd pointed and gaped.
"That IS a Galarian Meowth! Those aren't rare per se, but they're also not ridiculously common either." Hop said to Ash while Iris nodded her agreement. The group then went ahead to investigate the Galarian Meowth closely. On getting there, they saw the aforementioned Galarian Meowth seemingly fighting two other Galarian Meowth. Curious, Ash took out his Rotom Phone to scan Galarian Meowth.
"Meowth, the Scratch Cat Pokemon. Galarian Form. These daring Pokemon have coins on their foreheads. Darker coins are harder, and harder coins garner more respect among Meowth. Living with a savage, seafaring people has toughened this Pokemon's body so much that parts of it have turned to iron. This Meowth is Male. Pure Steel type." Ash's Rotom Phone read out, making Ash frown.
"So regional variants can change typings too? I should've realized that given what Gloria told me once about an Alolan Raichu she'd seen when she went to Unova once on vacation, but it was awhile ago she told me about that." Ash said to the others, ignoring the look of embarrassment on Gloria's face as she remembered what ELSE she'd told Ash about that particular trip, and hoped he didn't go into further detail. Luckily he didn't.
"So why is this Meowth fighting its' friends, I wonder? Maybe it's for pride?" Ash mused. Iris looked at the struggle and gasped.
"No! I think this is a power struggle! Those other two Meowth are trying to kick this Meowth out of their pack for some reason!" Iris said in surprise. Sure enough, the Galarian Meowth the group had seen was trying to fight off two other Meowths, and from the looks of it was doing badly. Ash frowned, making to grab Rolycoly's ball, but Iris stopped him.
"No, Ash. Let him handle this on his own for now. Only if it looks like it's life-or-death will we step in." Iris advised Ash, who reluctantly nodded. They kept watching as the lone Galarian Meowth eventually pushed one of the other two back, but then was caught from behind by a sneak attack from the other, making him drop to his knees panting.
"Do we still watch Iris?" Ash asked Iris who frowned. "Just a bit more." Iris said. But at that moment, the sneak-attacking Galarian Meowth leapt onto the lone Galarian Meowth while it was on its' knees, going for the throat. Ash frowned, throwing Rolycoly's Poke Ball.
"Rolycoly, I choose you! Protect the kneeling Meowth with Iron Defense!" Ash called out as Rolycoly beefed up his Defense while throwing himself between the kneeling Galarian Meowth and the attacking Galarian Meowth, surprising the former and pushing back the latter. Ash frowned.
"Finish that Meowth off with Smack Down!" Ash called out as Rolycoly charged forward, smashing the attacking Meowth to the ground with Smack Down, getting a critical hit and leaving it swirly-eyed. Ash went over to the kneeling Galarian Meowth, a Super Potion he'd purchased in Motostoke in hand. "Easy, little guy. I just want to make you feel better." Ash said to the Galarian Meowth before gently spraying it with the Super Potion, healing most of its' injuries. The Galarian Meowth looked at Ash, confusion on his face.
"Are you feeling better?" Ash asked the Galarian Meowth. Galarian Meowth looked at Ash.
"Meow meow?" The Galarian Meowth asked Ash, making Ash frown until he blinked.
"Are you thanking you for helping me?" Ash guessed. Galarian Meowth nodded.
"You're welcome. I couldn't stand by and let you get taken out by a cowardly sneak attack." Ash told Galarian Meowth, gently petting the top of his head, which confused Galarian Meowth briefly before he relaxed into the petting. The Galarian Meowth had a thoughtful expression on his face before giving Ash a determined look, standing before him.
"You want to battle me?" Ash asked Galarian Meowth. Galarian Meowth nodded. Ash smirked.
"Excellent! Rolycoly, let's go!" Ash said, sending Rolycoly back out. Rolycoly stared down Galarian Meowth who charged forward with a Metal Claw, razing the side of Rolycoly's body with a metal claw, doing massive damage to Rolycoly. Rolycoly visibly winced at the super-effective hit before glaring at Galarian Meowth and letting out a determined, 'ROLYYYYYY!" as its' body was suddenly encased in bright blue light, shocking the group.
"No way! Is Rolycoly doing what I THINK it's doing?" Gloria asked, surprised.
"If you think it's evolving, then yes it is doing what you think it's doing." Iris replied while Hop just watched in awe and intrigue as Rolycoly evolved. Where once Rolycoly had a brain-shaped rock body, it now had a cart-shaped body with smallish rock legs and a mound of coal out of the top of the cart-shaped body. To finish, a small rocky head popped up on the front of the cart body.
"Koal! Koal! Carkoal!" The newly evolved Pokemon cried out as Ash pulled out his Rotom Phone to scan the new evolution.
"Carkol, the Coal Pokemon. Fire and Rock type, and the evolved form of Rolycoly. By rapidly rolling its' legs, it can travel at over 18 mph. The temperature of the flames it breathes exceeds 1,800 degrees Fahrenheit. It forms coal inside its' body. Coal dropped by this Pokemon once helped fuel the lives of people inside the Galar region." Ash's Rotom Phone read out as Ash smiled at Carkoal.
"Wow, you evolved Carkoal! That's so cool!" Ash said as Carkoal nodded the head on the front of his body happily before being wrapped in flames and charging straight towards the unprepared Galarian Meowth, slamming him flat on his back as Ash smiled.
"And now to catch you! Go, Poke Ball!" Ash said, tossing a Poke Ball at the Galarian Meowth which hit it and sucked it in in a flash of red light, wobbling once, twice, three times, and then finally settling with a *DING!* to signify the capture was successful. Ash smiled as he lifted up the Poke Ball.
"All right! We finally did it, Carkoal! We got our first actual capture! And it's a Galarian Meowth!" Ash said happily as he hoisted the Poke Ball above his head briefly before clipping it to his belt, then turning to Carkoal, kneeling so he could look him in the eyes.
"Thank you Carkoal. Because you evolved, we were able to get our first capture. So this was all thanks to you. Thanks so much!" Ash told Carkoal, carefully hugging him as Carkoal smiled, calling his name out excitedly.
"CAR CAR CARKOAL!" Carkoal said happily as he gently rubbed his cheek against Ash's face, making him wince slightly from the feeling of solid rock (or probably coal) on his cheek, but he endured it as he hugged Carkoal. Iris and Gloria couldn't resist letting out simultaneous cries of 'Awww!" at the sight of Ash hugging Carkoal. Hop smirked.
"Well done, mate. Looks like I'm not the first of us to get an evolved Pokemon after all. But I'm okay with that. Congrats Ash." Hop said to Ash who nodded to Hop.
"Thanks, Hop. Shall we head on to Turffield?" Ash said to Hop, who nodded as Ash and Hop went back over to Iris and Gloria, then the quartet headed on into Turffield...
(Back in Kanto, Mt. Moon, with Gary and Leaf)
"So, this is Mt. Moon, huh? Seems a lot brighter than I expected. Isn't it usually darker?" Gary asked Leaf, confused. Leaf shrugged.
"Heck if I know, Gary. You're the one who researched this place before we came in here, remember?" Leaf replied. The two kept walking through the cave they'd entered, passing many wild Pokemon along the way, though Leaf did manage to catch herself a Clefairy by complete and total chance in the first area of the cave. After a bit of walking, they found a bunch of strung up lights, making them both squint as they adjusted to the bright lighting.
After they were able to see, they saw a group of black-clad figures surrounding them. Gary and Leaf exchanged wide-eyed looks of shock as they were captured by the figures and strung up. Unseen by the figures, a certain Pokemon was hiding behind a rock in the area and saw the whole thing, racing out of the room to report to his friends what he'd seen.
(elsewhere in Mount Moon, Jessie and James)
"Meowth sure has been gone awhile, hasn't he? You think he found something, Jessie?" James asked Jessie who shrugged.
"Who knows? Maybe he got distracted by another shiny thing? He does that a lot, you know." Jessie replied with a roll of her eyes just as Meowth rushed into the room.
"Guys! We got trouble! Team Rocket just snatched a pair of young trainers and captured them. We need to save them! Otherwise we're not living up to what we promised Red!" Meowth said to Jessie and James who frowned at this but nodded. The trio then made a plan to rescue the two trainers, sneaking towards where Meowth had seen the capture happen.
(Back in said capture area)
"Well, well, if it's not a pair of newbies who were in the wrong place at the wrong time!" One of the figures that had captured Gary and Leaf spoke. Gary and Leaf wriggled against their ropes, trying to get free. Leaf glared at the figures.
"Who are you, and why did you capture us?" Leaf asked confidently. The leader of the figures glared at Leaf.
"That's none of your business, girlie! Now shut your mouth and do as your told or I'll find a better way to shut it for you." The leader said to Leaf, giving her a threatening leer. Gary glared at the leader.
"Back off of her! She was just asking a question! There's no crime in that!" Gary snapped, coming to Leaf's defense, getting a smile from her. However, the leader wasn't amused, if the fact that he backhanded Gary across the face was any indication. Leaf gasped as she saw the leader's palm openly smack against Gary's cheek, making an audible 'crunch' sound as his palm smacked into Gary's nose, signifying he'd broken it. Before he could do more, a sudden explosion behind the group made the leader of the figures jump back, glaring at a trio of figures who had materialized next to Leaf and Gary, one of which was a Meowth who cut the ropes holding Gary and Leaf hostage, freeing them as they raced to their side.
"You three! What are you doing?" The leader of the figures asked the trio.
"What the Boss ordered us to! He said under NO circumstances are you to kidnap little kids! It draws FAR too much attention to us! Now stand down and let them go or we'll have Meowth take them out of here anyways! What's it gonna be, Archer? Are you gonna let the kids go, or are you gonna force a battle of Team Rocket members? Because the Boss will look REAL favorably on that!" Jessie said to the leader of the figures, now named Archer.
"You three are no members of Team Rocket as far as I'm concerned! Rockets, kill them!" Archer said to the other Rocket grunts who charged at Jessie and James, while Meowth guided Leaf and Gary to the exit of Mount Moon and out to Route 5.
"You two get out of here and get to Cerulean fast! Jessie and James will hold those guys off, but they can't hold them back forever! So run, and get out of here before those guys catch up to you! HURRY!" Meowth said, as Leaf and Gary nodded, both fleeing towards Cerulean as Meowth disappeared back into Mount Moon to help Jessie and James...
Will Gary and Leaf safely reach Cerulean City and get their 2nd badge? Will Ash and his friends get their 1st Galar region gym badge? Will Jessie, James and Meowth live to see another day? And what adventures await? To find out the answers to all these questions (and more), keep watching and stay tuned! As the journey continues!
End of chapter
A/N: And chapter! Not my longest chapter by any means, but I got some key events in that I wanted to, specifically Ash's first actual capture and the group's first Pokemon evolution. Who expected it to be Rolycoly evolving into Carkoal? I sure didn't! But it happens! As for why I had Ash capture a Galarian Meowth of all things, well for one, I could see Ash making good use of Galarian Meowth's evolved form, that and it just seemed like an Ash sort of Pokemon. So yeah, that's why that happened. Sorry again this chapter took so long to release, I had a lot of other updates to tend to. I currently have 5 different stories I'm rotating between for updates so it's not a guarantee how often each gets updated.
But focusing back on this story for a second, my current poll is now CLOSED. At this point, let me reveal the final results! And let me say, this poll was MUCH closer than the last poll. In last place (kinda by default as they were the only one with no votes) is Shauna at 0 votes received! Too bad for her! There was a 3 way tie for 3rd most votes at 1 vote apiece. The three with 1 vote were Mallow, Jasmine and Anabel! Tied at 2 votes apiece for 2nd most are Marnie and Irida! Surprisingly, the most votes was ALSO a tie at 3 each between May and Gloria.
Luckily, I had a hunch this would happen so I used a randomizer to break the ties. So that said, let me go ahead and reveal the results! After a tiebreaker, 3rd most votes belongs solely to Anabel (by a large margin too!) Techincally 2nd most WAS a tie, but because both of them conceivably serve good plot points (AND because techincally there was an extra spot initially created by *REDACTED* re-earning her spot in the harem), both Irida AND Marnie are in the harem.
As for the tie for most, that was a much closer tiebreaker, but by the tiniest of margins, the winner of the tiebreaker and the fourth girl (re)joining the harem is...GLORIA! So at this time, you know that Anabel, Irida, Marnie and Gloria also have spots in Ash's harem! As for the other four girls, I've already put teasers in the previous chapters to all of them! And if you've read the previous chapters, at least one of the four should be slightly obvious. So yeah, for now that'll do it for my current poll! I might have another one down the line! So thanks to everyone who voted on this poll! That said, feel free to leave a review with your thoughts on the story so far (or just PM me! I don't mind either one since I enjoy hearing from my readers), and hopefully the next update won't be so far off. Though I can guarantee the next chapter I update likely won't be Shuffled Journeys. So until next update, sithlorde1988 out!
Notes
*1*- Leaf was seriously roasting Gary here, that and this line in and of itself is a reference to the actual show where Ash managed to luck out and defeat Brock with a well-timed sprinkler activation by Pikachu. Not to mention Gary was acting a lot like 'Canon Ash' in this bit.
*2*- Yeah, I made a reference to Legends Arceus here! Kinda had to though since techincally Hisui is a thing. But it was already likely obvious from the inclusion of Irida in the poll (or at least I thought it was) that Hisui was gonna be in Shuffled Journeys though likely not until the group goes to Sinnoh (which might be the 3rd region they travel to), so yeah. Plus I could see Leon learning about Hisui while defending his title as Champion.
*3*- Yeah, I went there. I made a reference to canon here too. Ash does tend to crossdress in the show from what I recall. I know he had to during the Celadon Gym arc of the Kanto region series, but supposedly he did it at least one other time in the show even though I only remember him crossdressing the one time back in Kanto. If anyone knows of the other time he did so, feel free to let me know (either by review or in a PM)