A/N: Chapter has been re-edited and uploaded as of 10/11/2024
Road to Viridian.
The sky had just started to darken when Ash finally stopped for a well-deserved rest. He and Growlithe had run nonstop since they left Pallet Town., and the puppy Pokémon had not complained even once while keeping pace with Ash – no easy feat that, despite the fact that he was still recuperating from his illness.
As the sun sunk halfway, he found a nice clearing and settled down for dinner. He had packed a bag of Poké Food made using Tamato berries. The dry spicy fruit was known to be something that all fire Pokémon loved, and as Ash had wanted a Charmander, he of course had it ready in his bag – along with everything a fire Pokémon might need. He smiled at the thought, but as he gazed upon the happy face of Growlithe as he started eating the food, he couldn't be happier. Looking around he found an Oran berry tree and picked two berries from it. Using a pocket knife he then cut them apart and gave them to Growlithe.
"Here you go buddy. These should help you recover your strength a lot faster."
He sat down next to his partner who was starting on the berries and took out a couple of sandwiches that Mr. Mime had prepared for him. He had no idea where the Barrier Pokémon had learned his culinary skills, but his cooking was better than his mom's; not that he was stupid enough to tell her that. While eating, he took out his Pokédex and started fiddling around with it, trying to figure out how it worked. He really wished the professor had given him an instruction manual, but sadly that wasn't the case. As it was, it took him about five minutes of button mashing and screen tapping to find what he was looking for.
Pulling up the map of the Kanto region and looking at the cities locations on the map, he noticed that they were all clustered in the middle of the region, leaving the remaining space free for the wild Pokémon to inhabit and roam.
Looking a little closer, he saw that there was quite a distance between Viridian City and Pallet Town. Pallet Town was the southernmost part of Kanto – situated right at the coast - and he had to head north to get to Viridian City, which meant that he needed to cross the Great Plains where a lot of wild Pokémon lived.
As he needed to get to Viridian as soon as possible, that meant either running most of the way there, or riding a bike, and since bikes in Kanto were expensive all-terrain commodities, he obviously didn't have one. He looked at Growlithe just as he finished his food and walked over to Ash to lay his head on his knee. A big yawn escaped his maw before he closed his eyes to rest.
Pokémon were tougher than humans - that was without question – but Growlithe was also a baby barely half a year old. Running was good for stamina building, but to get the best training results one also needed rest. As Ash finished his sandwich he started to softly caress Growlithe's fur as he slept, noticing with a smile that he was a lot warmer than what he thought it would be, before going back to his Pokédex.
The League had very specific rules regarding Gym Leaders and what Pokémon they could use. A trainer's strength was measured by how many badges he or she had and as they continued collecting them, the difficulty of the gyms would increase. Normally when a gym leader fought a challenger, he didn't use his personal team – not even his starter Pokémon . Since they were responsible for the protection of their city, their main team was only used for emergencies or when the gym leader felt the need to go all out in their fight. Of course, there were several exceptions to this rule. He had heard the professor complain many times about the Vermilion City gym leader's attitude towards trainers. However, the professor has also always complimented the Vermilion leader for his actions against criminals in his city. Thinking about it, there were three gym leaders in the Kanto region that the professor always sang praises about: the Vermilion gym leader, the Saffron gym leader, and the Cinnabar gym leaders. The three are clearly people that he respected, leaving Ash to wonder just what they were like as trainers.
Come to think of it, Ash had always heard that the worst and most ruthless gym leader in the whole of Kanto was the Viridian City gym leader – so much so that the League was always keeping an eye on him according to the professor. Ash was eager to try his luck at this notorious gym, but in his heart he knew he wasn't ready for it; he needed to train with Growlithe some more and come back at another time.
He looked back to the map and saw that the city north of Viridian was Pewter, whose gym specialized in Rock type Pokémon . He remembered when the current gym leader Brock took over the Pewter City gym six years ago as the youngest leader in Kanto. There was some controversy over the matter, as the previous leader had left without a reason and the Gym had fallen through succession into Brock's hands. The league had wanted to give the position to someone else. That was, until someone from the Elite Four had come to Pewter to mentor the young gym leader. He remembered this because he was helping the professor clean the lab when a video call had come in from the league about the matter. He and Gary had gotten into another of their legendary fights and had accidently let out a group of Spearow that the professor was studying, the newly freed Bird Pokémon unleashing a powerful combined Gust attack that had made quite a mess of things.
Smiling at the memory while putting the Pokédex away, he glanced down at Growlithe as he continued to stroke the soft fur of the puppy. He had made a decision: he would make his debut as a Pokémon trainer in Pewter City. He knew Growlithe as a fire type, which meant that he was at a disadvantage against a rock type gym, but he had a couple of ideas on how to fix that. His mind made up, Ash leaned his back against the tree and pulled his hat down. While listening to the soothing rise and fall of his partner's soft breathing as he stroked his fur, Ash fell asleep.
The sun rose sooner than Ash would have liked, as he stretched and heard his back cracking. Looking down he saw Growlithe going through the same motions with a big yawn. He barked at Ash before running into a bush – no doubt to take care of his morning business. Ash smiled and went up to pick up the feeding bowls from yesterday and have a drink of water. Growlithe came back soon after and gave him a happy yip.
"Good morning Growlithe. How was your sleep?"
The puppy Pokémon wagged his tail and started running in circles around Ash, obviously full of energy.
"By the way Growlithe, would you like a name? I'm not very good at giving them, but if you want one I could give it a try."
Growlithe sat still on his hind legs looking at Ash with a thoughtful expression, before shaking his head from side to side.
"Okay, it's your choice. Today we are going to practice some of your moves to see what we have to work on, before our first Gym battle."
He mentally went through the list of Growlithe move set: Ember, Roar, Bite and Morning Sun. Roar made opponents weaker than Growlithe flee the battle, which would be useful against wild Pokémon , but not against a gym. Morning Sun healed him, and as the name implied worked better during the day than the night. Practicing Bite would come in handy when dealing with both Psychic and Ghost types. He knew that Brock specialized in Rock Pokémon , but Growlithe is a Fire type Pokémon , which meant it wouldn't hurt to practice that move.
While pointing towards a stray lump of rock, he commanded, "Growlithe, see that boulder over there? Use Ember on it!"
Growlithe turned to the three meter boulder with a fierce expression and opened his mouth. Small fiery pellets came flying out towards the boulder, impacting with soft popping sounds. Ash went to the boulder and examined it to find the surface charred with small pieces of the rock-face missing. He knew that as they grew older, the fire inside a Fire Pokémon grew hotter as they learned to increase the temperature. However, he needed a way to boost Growlithe's Ember before getting to Pewter City. Rock type Pokémon had insane levels of physical defense, which meant that, with the notable exception of Fighting types, special attacks worked best against them.
Ash walked back towards Growlithe who was waiting patiently for him and kneeled down, "Okay, let's try Ember one more time. This time however, let the fire build inside you before firing; try to hold it for as long as you can."
Growlithe nodded before looking back at the boulder and prepared to use Ember. Ash counted in his head the seconds as Growlithe held the Ember in his mouth – ten seconds exactly – before he gave out and let loose the attack. The fire bullets were about the same size as before, but their glow was brighter than before – likely due to their greater heat. Upon impact they took out a large chunk of the top, turning into fine charred powder. Growlithe looked at the boulder first with a look of surprise which turned into pride before he jumped at Ash to begin licking his face with a rough hot tongue.
Ash laughed and caressed his friend. "That was great, partner, but I could see you were struggling to maintain it inside for long. Let's try one more time – this time release it when I tell you to."
Growlithe growled in approval before jumping down from Ash's arm and glaring at the boulder. Ash counted in his head as Growlithe held the Ember in. As soon as he hit five seconds, Ash gave the command to fire, which Growlithe gladly did. This time, the bullets were not as bright as the ones before, but they were definitely stronger than the regular Ember attack. He went towards the boulder and found that another piece had fallen off. He grinned at Growlithe, happy that his idea had worked.
"You did it buddy! This attack will be our secret weapon. Now let's practice a couple more times so that you can get the feel for the timing. Unless I tell you, just charge Ember for five seconds. Okay?"
Growlithe barked with a fierce expression before turning back to the boulder and started practicing. Turning away from his practicing Pokémon , Ash took out the Pokédex again, as he just realized that he could remember what Growlithe's ability was. According to the Pokédex, Justified was an ability that triggered when Growlithe was hit with a Dark type attack. The energy from the attack is absorbed by Growlithe and pumped into his attacks, making them stronger for a short period of time. Putting the Pokédex away, he smiled at his partner's dedication and silently watched him practice. It took Growlithe about ten minutes to perfect his timing, and as soon as that happened Ash took out a bottle of water and called a stop to the training.
As he shared the water with a panting Growlithe, he decided on his next move, "Okay Growlithe, we've got the timing for Ember down. Now we have to work on your accuracy, stamina, as well as getting you used to that level of heat. To do that, we are going to continue running today, and as we do so I want you to continuously circulate your fire throughout your body at a higher temperature. Don't push yourself; a temperature that's comfortable for you to run at and doesn't hurt you should be fine. Also, every time we see a boulder or rock I want you to fire a regular Ember at it. My idea is that while circulating your fire as we run, your regular Ember will grow stronger. Ready?"
Growlithe barked at him, and without any other thought they started running again. Ash knew he needed to make up for lost time and get to Viridian in less than six days, or he wouldn't be able to participate in this year's League. Preparations for the Indigo Conference started months in advance before they would officially announce the start of the battling season, after which they would open registrations for three months to allow trainers from other regions the chance to participate. Normally, all the registrations were finalized well before that, and the three months was just a formality. However, for Ash this was a blessing; that is, if he could make it to the nearest Pokémon Center on time.
As they ran, Growlithe fired his Ember at every boulder they came across. Ash could tell that with each new shot his partner's accuracy was getting better and better. And after the first hour of practice, the power in the fire bullets was noticeably stronger, even if by just a little. Since he was still recuperating from his sick time, Ash decided the best way to cover the most ground would be to run as fast as they could for as long as possible then walk for an hour to catch their breaths and drink a little water. He also told Growlithe to stop firing Embers ever so often so as to not tax his friend. Around six in the afternoon the alarm in his Pokédex started ringing – he had set it to warn him when the sun was predicted to set so that they could rest and have dinner.
They stopped at a clearing that was next to a small lake, and as he settled down, Ash filled a bowl of Poké Food and some leftover sandwiches and fruit for both Growlithe and himself, respectively. While he ate, he checked his Pokédex and confirmed that they had traveled a quarter of the way to their destination. If they continued at this pace, they should arrive in Viridian city in the early morning on the last day for registration. He looked over to his partner as he ate the food with gusto. Ash had sprinkle crushed Oran berries to help him recover faster; he had no idea if mixing the two flavors together ruined the taste, but his friend didn't seem to mind at all. Ash smiled and finished his food before taking his clothes off and jumped into the lake. Finally being able to wash off the sweat felt nice and refreshing, especially after two days of running. Growlithe had finished his food as well and walked over to the shore of the lake before laying himself down to keep an eye on the plains, watching his trainer's back.
The clearing didn't offer much in the way of shelter, except for some bushes and a couple of boulders. As soon as Ash finished washing, he got out and dried himself. He had finished putting his pants and sneakers on when a rustle in the nearby bush startled both him and Growlithe. His partner didn't hesitate and shot an Ember at a cluster of rocks next to the bush, hoping to either identify or scare away whatever was there. However, as that happened, a small purple rat with a long tail came running out of the bushes and was hit by the Ember on its tail.
The Rattata yelped in pain and turned towards Ash and Growlithe with a pained expression. Ash thought it would either attack or run away. However, to their surprise the rat turned around and started wailing so loud and hard it could probably be heard from miles away. Ash and Growlithe covered their ears as it did, and after a couple of minutes the Rattata stopped, turning towards Ash with hatred in its eyes. A couple of seconds later he heard similar sounds coming from all around them, sending a sudden chill up his spine.
Rattata were known to live in large colonies, and those sharp teeth of theirs could munch through rocks easily. If this little guy had called its colony, then Ash was in big trouble. Rattatas were trouble enough without their evolutions Raticates were worse: they could easily chew through metal as if it were cardboard.
Ash felt his stomach tightening into a knot as he looked at the clearing that was slowly getting crowded with Rattatas and Raticates. In the blink of an eye he was surrounded by hundreds of them, with Growlithe growling low in his throat threateningly while keeping close to Ash. At the head of the colony next to the burned Rattata, a massive Raticate stood on its hind legs. This was obviously the leader of the colony as it was larger than the regular Raticate, at over one meter tall with scars crisscrossing its belly, and an even uglier one above its right eye. The Rattata turned towards its leader and tattled on Ash and Growlithe.
Whispering softly to his partner, Ash prepared himself for the worst, "Growlithe, when I give the signal, run. And if any of them get in our way – burn or bite them."
He hated running away, but there were hundreds of them, and he didn't fancy those odds. Ash slowly picked up his backpack and hat, leaving the bowls of food that were out of his reach. When he made a move for his shirt the leader Raticate turned towards him with anger in its eyes.
He wasn't about to lose his life for a shirt, so he stopped. The Raticate screeched at him, and Ash gave the signal.
"Now!" He yelled while turning around and running for his life
Growlithe followed his lead, keeping the pace right next to him. As soon as the colony saw him run the leader gave another screech and they began to give chase. Ash had never been so afraid in his life; who knew taking a bath in the wild would be so dangerous. Now he was running for his life from a horde of rats. Growlithe had an intense look on his face and was unleashing a rain of fire on any Rattata or Raticate that got too close. Thanks to their training sessions his accuracy and power had increased, and Ash could see that without him ordering so Growlithe had already started using the charged version of Ember they had devised earlier, dealing massive damage to the horde.
Despite his best effort though, there were simply too many of them, and they soon started to get a few hits in. If it weren't for his backpack Ash's back would have been covered in wounds; Growlithe on the other hand was having a harder time of it, since every so often a Raticate would manage to scratch him. For now at least they were lucky none of them had gotten a lucky bite in.
As they neared a cluster of trees, Ash redoubled his efforts to escape; maybe he could climb a tree for safety. The leader must have seen the trees too, because it gave another screech and the horde doubled their efforts to catch them, the sounds of hundreds of little feet picking up their speed sent a new wave of terror down Ash's back. He could see that Growlithe was getting tired and Ash wasn't doing too good either.
As they entered the clustered of trees Ash pulled Growlithe's Poké Ball out and recalled his tiring partner. At least inside the ball he would be safe. Looking up ahead, he couldn't clearly see that the trees as it was too dark to see, but he thought he saw that they were on the edge of a cliff. Relying on instinct, Ash sped up and jumped, hoping his hands would grab onto a branch. He felt his heart race as his hands wrapped themselves around a rough branch, however his joy was short lived as the branch broke under his momentum and he felt himself kept falling, over the cliff and straight down into possible death.
Ash felt his heart trying to claw its way out his chest as he saw a clear reflection of the moon on the surface of the river below. The only thought on his mind was a hope that the water was deep enough to cushion his fall. As his body crashed into the water below he felt a couple of rocks cut into him, before a swift current swept him away; he briefly entertained the hope that it was to safety. He knew that fighting against the current in his tired state wasn't possible for long, so with the fear of drowning driving him, he used the last of his strength to swim to the surface, taking a big gulp of air in relief. Disoriented, he slowly swam ashore.
Tired and gasping for breath, he laid down on the shore of the river for a good while before he managed to sit himself up. He didn't know where he was and he could feel the sting of several cuts along his chest, arms and face. He got up and looked for some dry leaves and branches, gathering enough to make a campfire. Once he had enough, he pulled Growlithe's Poké Ball out, releasing his friend who growled in a very threatening manner the minute that he got out, thinking they were still under attack, before noticing they were alone and that Ash was soaking wet. A concerned look swept over his face as he walked towards Ash, favoring his right leg as he did so.
"Hey buddy, we got away. Say, you think you could light these branches on fire so that we can have a little warmth and light? That way I can treat your wounds."
Growlithe nodded and fired a small puff of Embers, lighting the pile of branches Ash had collected. The sudden warmth felt great and he smiled reassuringly at Growlithe. He put his backpack next to him and gave a quick thanks to his mom for making him buy one that's waterproof. That had saved his other set of clothes and camping gear, but most importantly his Pokédex and medicines were safe and dry.
He pulled out a potion spray bottle – a high tech medicine made by the Silph Corporation – along with some bandages. He had no idea how it worked, but apparently the potion used Ditto cells to trigger and speed up a Pokémon 's natural healing capabilities. Shivering from the cold, he walked over to his friend and smiled.
"This might sting a little, but it will make you feel better. Hold as still as you can."
Growlithe nodded as Ash moved closer and gently sprayed the potion on Growlithe wounds, his eyes closing in agony for a brief moment before they opened and looked at Ash. The worst of the injuries appeared to be a nasty cut on his left paw, and Ash was extra gentle with that one. He then wrapped it with the bandages to prevent infection from setting in. Growlithe was a strong, healthy Pokémon , so with the help of the potion, bandage and a good night's rest he should be back on his feet in no time – it wouldn't even scar. After having his wounds tended to, Growlithe walked over with a concerned look on his face and licked one of the cuts in Ash's arm. He smiled at his friend and scratched him behind his ears.
"I'm okay buddy, don't worry. Get some rest while I tend to these."
Ash took out some ointment and bandages, slowly treating his own wounds while Growlithe took up sentinel, keeping an eye out for trouble. The cut that stung the most was the one he had on his cheek, as the warmth from the fire started to chase away the worst of the cold and he finally stopped shivering. Once he finished treating his injuries, he changed into a fresh set of clothes and put the blood stained, wet ones in a disposable bag. Ash looked around him and didn't like what he saw: he was out in the open, and if that Raticate had a vicious mind he would be searching for him right now.
"Growlithe, let's find some shelter. We don't want any more trouble tonight."
Growlithe nodded, his eyes tired but alert. Ash picked up one of the burning branches to use as a torch before putting the fire out. They walked along the shore of the river looking for a suitable place to spend the night when Ash spotted a cave. They moved towards it and saw that it was rather small on the inside, the entrance barely thirty feet tall while the inside had a huge rock wall not ten feet from the entrance. There were no Pokémon inside though so Ash felt somewhat safe. Putting the torch down, he took out his sleeping bag and opened it. Once he was inside Growlithe came over and laid down beside him, letting out a big yawn before going to sleep while facing the entrance. Tired as he was, Ash had to smile – Growlithe was still thinking of guarding him despite his current state.
Despite the soothing sounds of the flowing river, Ash couldn't sleep; not with his mind going a million miles an hour. It was his second day as a trainer and already he had almost lost his life. That put a damper on any heroic views he had towards Pokémon training. Yes, it was dangerous and tough, but he knew that with Growlithe he could accomplish anything. He took out his Pokédex to check their current location, the device blinking to life in his hands. After all the running from the Raticate/Rattata horde and his fall into the river, it appears that he actually covered more ground than he expected, and was actually ahead of schedule. The river must have dragged him closer to Viridian City than he thought. If he did the math right, going at their previous pace, they should arrive in Viridian City in two days. He remembered his mom's enthusiastic stories about how his dad had arrived in Viridian after just five days, so if he was lucky he might just beat his dad's record. Closing the Pokédex, he snuggled closer to Growlithe and listened to his friend's deep breathing before finally falling asleep.
Ash woke up to a massive earthquake. The whole cave was shaking like crazy, and Growlithe had jumped awake, disoriented from not knowing what was going on. Ash tried to stand up, but as soon as he tried he fell back to the floor. On his hands and knees, he looked to the back of the cave and noticed that the wall was moving. On closer inspection, Ash saw that what he thought was a wall during the night was actually something else. Continuing to move until it finally faced Ash, he looked up into the stony face of two 27 foot tall Onyx, and knew that if he didn't run soon the large stone snakes would make a smoothie out of him and Growlithe.
"Growlithe quick, use Ember!" he yelled, and Growlithe complied, looking straight at the two Onyx and firing a stream of hot pallets, several of them hitting the Onyx on the right in the face, though that did little more than annoy him. However the bullets that hit the Onyx on the left fell in between the sections of rock that made up its body, causing it to howl in pain and glared dangerously at Ash. He didn't have time to analyze what had happened; he just grabbed Growlithe and ran out of the cave, not daring to look back until he was a good ways away. When he did, he saw the entrance to the cave collapse and he could hear the angry Onyx inside. As he was too busy looking behind himself, he didn't notice the large bipedal, purple Pokémon with a dangerous looking horn on its head before he crashed into it and fell back onto the floor, with Growlithe landing on top of him.
The Nidoking glared at them and swung an arm coated with a purple glow at him and Growlithe. Ash jumped back, his friend already shooting another stream of Embers straight at the Nidoking's face in anticipation of his command. But the scaly armor of the Nidoking was too tough, and it didn't even seem to faze him. The Nidoking roared and swung his tail, catching Growlithe on the side and sending him crashing against a big boulder. Ash looked at the Nidoking with hatred in his eyes, then he noticed that behind the Nidoking was a small herd of both Nidoran males and females as well as a couple of Nidorinos and Nidorinas. What surprised him more than anything was that there were two other Nidokings and a single Nidoqueen. However, the Nidoking that had attacked Ash and Growlithe was a full head taller than the other Nidokings, and his scales were a hue darker with scars here and there.
"Growlithe, use Morning Sun!" he frantically yelled as he saw that his friend was barely conscious, and he needed him to start healing himself even if it was just a little – he had left his backpack with all his stuff back in the cave with the Onyx, so he only had his Poké Balls with him. The Nidoking turned towards Ash and fired a stream of purple needles, forcing Ash to quickly jump back before getting hit by the Poison Sting. He knew that a Nidoking's poison was one that attacked the nerves, causing huge amounts of pain, and from the looks of this specimen if Ash got hit he didn't think an Antidote would save him.
Ash looked back towards Growlithe who was glowing with a soft orange-yellow light as he absorbed the energy from the early sun to heal himself, even just a little. After a few seconds Growlithe had managed to steady himself, but he still looked pale and weak with dark blood matting his fur, and he was panting like crazy. Despite his weakened condition, he still tried to charge an Ember, but only managed a soft glow before completely expending his energy and falling to the ground on his side. The Nidoking turned back towards Growlithe, ignoring Ash completely and charging in with a mad frenzy. Ash didn't have time to think as he grabbed a rock and threw it at the Nidoking, hitting him in the back of the head. It wasn't much, but combined with the creature's momentum, the rock managed to pitch him forward, upsetting his balance and causing him to fall forwards.
The Nidoking got up and looked back with an expression of hatred, anger and surprise. Ash knew if he didn't move he was dead, so he pulled Growlithe's Poké Ball and recalled his friend as quickly as possible and made a run for it before the Nidoking got back up. As he ran, Ash was contemplating his ridiculously bad luck – getting sick and not starting his journey months ago, pissing off a horde of Rattatas and Raticates, fell off a cliff into a river, sleep in an Onyx cave, losing his backpack and finally, the icing on the cake: pissing off the biggest, most in need of anger management courses Nidoking in the world. And that's all in his first week as a Pokémon trainer. Yay him.
Ash suddenly heard a roar from behind, and as he dared to look back, cried out in disdain, "Oh you have got to be kidding me." Low and behold, Nidoking was chasing him. As he ran towards the direction of Viridian City, he passed a girl who was fishing by the river. From the quick look he got of her, he saw that she had orange hair, was wearing blue shorts and had a yellow T-shirt. She jumped as she saw the Nidoking chasing Ash, but he didn't care – Growlithe needed a Pokémon Center, and fast. He heard the sound of a Pokémon being released from its Poké Ball and the beginnings of a battle, the noises fading behind him as he raced forwards, his only thought was that he needed to get to Viridian City now!
Ash could feel his heartbeat quicken in his chest. He had been running for hours now, not daring to stop. It was a little after noon when he finally saw the outline of a city on the horizon. It was another hour before he saw the entrance to the city, and just ran past it like a maniac. He heard someone yelling at him from behind but he ignored it completely.
The buildings in Viridian City were tall and gray, with houses and condos lining every available space. As soon as he saw the circular building with the bright red roof, Ash felt a second wind surge through him, and he dashed towards it. Running past a number of people, he entered the Pokémon Center, where the nurse with bright pink hair at the counter was looking at him as if he were crazy.
Out of breath, he literally shoved Growlithe's Poké Ball into her chest. He knew what he must have looked like: twigs, leaves and dirt covered him from head to toe, his clothes torn and he was shaking badly, but he didn't care.
"Nurse Joy please, help my Growlithe… Raticates, Onyx, Nidoking… Morning Sun… didn't help… please, save him."
Nurse Joy looked at him with a frown on her face, but nevertheless placed the Poké Ball in the scanner behind her, and soon her frown turned into worry as she looked at the monitor.
"Oh dear, this Growlithe is in bad shape! Broken bones, bruised organs… Chansey, prepare the OR now – we have an emergency!"
She didn't look back at Ash as a big pink Pokémon ran out with a stretcher and they moved to the operating room. As soon as the door closed Ash fell to the floor, tired and bruising, almost passing out as he did so. He lay there for a few long minutes before a bottle of water entered his line of sight. He took it and drained it in one huge gulp. Another bottle came and he drained that one too, his throat was so parched that only after the second bottle did he look up to see a young woman in a police uniform with blue hair standing over him.
"Hey kid, looks like you had a tough time. You passed my station so fast that you didn't even hear me call out to you. Let's get you to a proper seat and you can tell me what happened."
Officer Jenny looked at Ash and offered a hand, helping him up. They both sat down in the waiting area outside the operating room, and before Ash knew it, he had told Officer Jenny everything from the moment he got sick to the encounters with the wild Pokémon and his fear as he saw the Nidoking almost kill Growlithe. Officer Jenny just sat there and listened, not interrupting and just letting him vent.
"You sure had quite the journey, especially meeting and surviving that Nidoking. You got lucky kid. That Nidoking has been giving us trouble for years: so far it's killed seven trainers who were stupid enough to try and catch the damn thing. The last moron who tried got squished into powder. I think his name was Damian or Camian something."
She turned to him and gave him a small smile, "Don't worry, your Pokémon will be fine. Joy is the best person out there at treating Pokémon . Now you take care, and call your mother to let her know you've arrived here safely."
Officer Jenny walked over to the front desk and wrote a note for Nurse Joy before leaving. After talking with Officer Jenny, Ash felt calmer and decided to take a breather. He took out his Pokédex and stared at it for a moment, steeling his resolve to call his mom. He knew she would be worried, but at least he was okay. He walked over to the video phones and called the house but no one picked up, which wasn't all that strange to him; she must have gone to the Professor's lab. So he called the lab, and after a few rings an aide answered.
"Oh hey Ash, you arrived in Viridian already? Wow, it took you only four days. That's amazing! Are you looking for your mom?"
Ash smiled at the aide, grateful that he hadn't mentioned his appearance, "Yeah, is she around?"
The aide frowned and shook his head. "A call came in yesterday from one of Professor Oak's former students, Professor Elm. He's the resident Pokémon professor for Johto, and apparently someone broke into his lab yesterday, knocked him out and stole all the starter Pokémon there. As soon as he came to, he notified the police and the league. Elite Four Bruno was the one who notified us, and the professor and your mother took off on Dragonite for Johto not long after."
Ash was stunned at the news. To think that someone would break into a professor's lab and steal Pokémon meant for new trainers. He knew they were criminal organizations that dedicated themselves to stealing Pokémon , the most vicious one being Team Rocket, but they only went for powerful or rare specimens. Who would want to steal untrained rookie Pokémon . That didn't make sense.
"Alright, thanks. I hope they make it there fine and are able to help recover the Pokémon . Let them know I called if you can; I'll try to contact them when I get to Pewter City."
He hung up the phone and went back to the waiting room. It was almost midnight when Nurse Joy came out with a tired look on her face. She went to the counter and had discovered the note, and was now reading it. Ash hadn't slept at all, as he had been worried about Growlithe. Nurse Joy looked at him with a frown on her face and motioned for him to follow. She led him to a small room with an examination table and told him to sit down and take off his shirt.
"So you're Ash Ketchum from Pallet Town. When I saw the state that you had brought your Growlithe in with I was quite furious. I couldn't believe that there was someone so irresponsible and thick headed so as to put his Pokémon through so much pain, and I was just thinking about scolding you properly, but Jenny says that you had a very good reason. So I will listen first and decide later."
Ash looked away with a shamed face and for the second time recounted his story, and with each word the frown on Nurse Joy lessened into a look of sympathy. As he talked, she took care of his wounds and gave him two purple pills when she was done.
"Well young man, it seems you have been through a lot in the past couple of days. Take those two pills, you have a slight fever and they will help you feel better. As for your Growlithe, he is a tough Pokémon , and your decision to use Morning Sun was very astute. It helped stabilize the worst of his injuries. The operation was successful and he will make a full recovery."
Ash let out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding, and he was so relieved that he hugged Nurse Joy, "When can I see him?"
Nurse Joy smiled and gave him his shirt to put on, "He is in the Chamber right now. It's a specialized healing tube where we administer a more potent formula of potion, and letting the Pokémon breathe it in helps them recover much faster. He will be there for the next 24 hours, but once he's out he will be good as new. He'll be a little sore though, so no training or battling for at least 3 days. Now come with me so that we can register you for the League. You are very lucky – this is the last week."
Ash followed Nurse Joy towards the reception hall. The center was mostly empty now, the few trainers that had Pokémon getting treatment were staying in the rooms designated for trainers. They had to pay a small fee though, but since official trainers get a discount at the Pokémon center it wasn't too bad; treating his Growlithe plus the fee for staying the night came up to around only 500 Poké Dollars.
"The fee for participating in the League is 3000 Poké Dollars. Fill in the paper work and scan your Pokédex here, and you should be all set. Your room is room 12, and is the last one to the right on the second floor."
Ash did as he was told, and after the payment he was left with only 2500 Poké Dollars; hopefully it was enough to replenish his supplies with. After a few minutes the machine beeped and the process was completed. Nurse Joy smiled and handed him a thin blue and white case.
"Congratulations Ash, you are now a participant in this year's league conference. Here is your badge case. Every time you win a badge, put them here for safe keeping. The case is linked to your Pokédex, so it can only be opened by you. Now, my suggestion is to get some rest, and in the morning we will let you know how your Pokémon is doing. If you need to do some shopping, the Pokémart is open twenty four hours a day, and it's only two blocks away."
He smiled and put the badge case in his pocket along with his Pokédex. He had always envisioned himself being excited to finally be registered for the league, but he was worried about Growlithe.
"Thanks Nurse Joy."
He grabbed the key for his room before heading out to the Pokémart. Even though he was tired and dirty, he still needed clothes. As he did so, he thought about how cheap it was to get services from the Pokémon Center. Even though it was funded by the league, trainers still had to pay for the services since the centers had the latest in advance Pokémon treatment, thus the cost for maintaining the equipment was pretty high. It was also one of the many reasons why trainers had to pay an admission fee to participate in the league.
Ever since the popularity of the Pokémon contest and showcase performers had started pulling in crowds with their prizes and incentives the league has had to reorganize a lot of things. First and foremost was that people with a trainer's license got a discount at Pokémon Centers, while the rest of the population needed to pay the full fee. Also, during a battle between trainers the loser had to pay the winner a certain amount of money as a prize. However, if the trainer's funds were below 500 Poké Dollars they were exempted from doing so. It was the best way the league had to maintain its operations while still rewarding a trainer's hard work.
The reason the Pokémon Centers were so advanced of course was mostly due to the Joy Clan. They were kind of like the Jenny Clan, though instead of dedicating all their resources to further advance law enforcement, they advanced medicine instead. The Joy Clan was a massive clan that had a presence in all the regions, and they were solely dedicated to the advancement of Pokémon medicine. It was a fact that the best nurses and doctors came from the Joy clan. Also like the Jenny clan, they had an unusual trait where they all looked almost alike, to the point that it was just common for them to be referred to only by their family name.
The league was constantly improving and looking for ways to better themselves. One of the purposes of the conferences was to scout for talented trainers and recruit them. Both his and Gary's dad worked for the league as representatives of Kanto in the other regions to further develop connections and relations. Professor Oak also had ties to the league, both from his days as a trainer as well as being a researcher. Thinking about the professor he couldn't help but smile, hoping to make him proud. He had given Ash his best friend and partner – the pup of his famous Arcanine as well as the Arcanine of the Jenny matriarch. Ash hoped to someday show them both how grateful he was.
Once he arrived at the Pokémart, Ash grabbed a cart and started to just raid the shelves. He bought a new backpack and sleeping bag, some basic cooking utensils, a couple sets of clothes that he liked, and Pokémon food for Growlithe. Since he had a lot of stuff to buy he bought the generic flavor that was packed with nutrients as well as two bowls for the food and water. He also bought some potions and medical equipment to treat injuries on the road and finally some dried rations for him. He brought the cart over to the register and the final tally was 2000 Poké Dollars, leaving him with just 500. He was secretly glad that his mom had given him so much money, just enough to cover for everything.
Once he was back in the Pokémon Center, he entered his room. Looking around, he saw that it was a simple room with a single bed, vanity and a bathroom. He put his bag on the bed and went to take a shower to wash off the grime and dirt. Twenty minutes later he felt like a civilized human again and sat down on the bed to put everything away in his new waterproof backpack. Once he finished packing, he laid his head in the pillow and felt his eyelids slowly fall as they grew heavier and heavier, until he couldn't fight it any longer and fell asleep.
The next day Ash woke up feeling energetic and ready to take on the world. He took a shower and put on his new set of clothes, a black and red jacket with a black shirt underneath, dark jeans and his hat. He grabbed his backpack and rushed downstairs. The morning had more trainers coming and going as well as more regular folk. Nurse Joy was at the counter smiling at a trainer as he handed in his Poké Balls. Behind her a big television screen was broadcasting the national Kanto News.
"Good morning residents of Kanto. We interrupt your regularly scheduled program for a special report. Sadly, yesterday evening a rookie trainer lost his life when he attempted to capture a wild Scyther several miles outside of Fuschia City. The trainer was eleven year old Jonathan Flare, a native of Saffron City. After this tragic event, Champion Lance has called a press conference with an important message."
The screen went blank for a moment, before the image of Champion Lance appeared. The Champion of both Kanto and Johto and the strongest trainer in both regions was a mountain of a man at almost seven feet tall, muscled with a fiery mane of red hair. He was wearing his signature black cape and his eyes were solemn.
"People of Kanto, from the moment I became champion it has been my wish and dream to see both trainers and Pokémon working together to grow stronger. However, I am also a sensible man, and have been arguing for a long time for the age requirement of receiving a trainer's license to be a little higher. I'm really sorry that this tragedy had to happen, but in light of this and similar events, the league with the consent of the Elite Four of both Kanto and Johto, has decided that as of now the registration period for this year's conference has been closed ahead of scheduled, And the age requirement for trainer's license has been raised to fifteen years old. We are also instituting a regional test for trainers who wish to take this license when they come of age. To those trainers who have already both gotten their licenses and registered as of today, they will be allowed to keep their licenses and compete, but for the rest you will have to wait until you turn fifteen. Now, let us have a minute of silence in respect to Jonathan and his family"
The Champion closed his eyes and everyone in the Pokémon Center followed his lead. After a minute of silence the screen went blank again and the news anchor came back on.
"That was Champion Lance with his announcement. We will continue to cover this story and bring you the latest updates. This is Jeremy Alter for Kanto News."
As soon as the regular program came back on, the whole Pokémon Center became a buzz of sound as everyone started discussing that Champion's message. Ash knew first hand how dangerous the world was; his experiences from just the short journey from Pallet Town to Viridian could attest to that. He also knew that he was lucky he made his registration last night and was in this year's league, because the alternative was to wait four more years, and that wasn't an option for him.
He walked over to the reception desk and smiled at Nurse Joy, "Good morning Nurse Joy. How is Growlithe doing?"
Nurse Joy turned towards Ash with a smile on her face, "He is doing fine Ash, Chansey just took him out of the Chamber and is doing a final check-up. Remember what I told you: no battles or training for three days. Growlithe needs time to adjust and stretch his muscles. Keep him out of his Poké Ball as much as possible so he can get some exercise."
She then paused and gave him a thoughtful look, "You are a very peculiar trainer Ash, with a rather interesting lucky star guiding you. You survived many dangerous situations and the day after you register this happens. I'll be keeping a watchful eye on this year's conference and hope to see you there."
He gave her an awkward smile, not really knowing what to say, but in that moment Chansey came over and handed her a Poké Ball which she passed on to Ash. He felt excited and a little nervous, but he couldn't wait to see his friend. He released Growlithe as soon as he could, and his friend came out, turned immediately towards Ash and leaped into his arms, licking his face all the while.
"Hey buddy, I missed you too. You had me worried."
Growlithe barked loud and full of energy, wagging his tail. Ash turned towards Nurse Joy and smiled gratefully, "Thanks again Nurse Joy."
Without waiting another moment he put Growlithe on the floor and they ran out of the Pokémon Center. He smiled at his partner who looked good as new and his coat was glossy and full of health. He knew that he needed to get stronger as a trainer so that he never put his Pokémon through this ordeal ever again. In the middle of the street he stopped and knelt in front of Growlithe.
"Buddy, I'm sorry you got hurt. But I promise you that I will become a better and stronger trainer, and I hope that you still want to be my partner."
Growlithe looked at Ash, and surprised him by licking his hand before giving him a look of raw determination.
Ash smiled, "Alright. We'll both get stronger together. But you are still healing, so we are going to take it easy for a while. Our next stop is Pewter City, and to get there we need to pass Viridian Forest, so during this time we'll take it slow."
Growlithe nodded and together they set off to Viridian Forest, each step bringing them closer to their first Gym battle and hopefully their first badge. Unlike last night, Ash wasn't worried anymore; he had his partner with him, the sun was shining bright, and they had an appointment with Brock to keep.
Hello guys Harlequin K here with another chapter for Titans. Once again I would like to thank Aureolegends my amazing Beta who polish this chapter. I would also like to thank The Straight Elf, Darkfire1220 and Swordsman4 who with their stories inspired me to write this story, if you haven't read their stories then you should they are great.
Please leave reviews with your thoughts on this chapter and the last one. I would like to know what you think so any and all reviews are welcome. If you have any questions I will also answer them either personally through PM or in the next chapter.
Well guys hope you like the chapter, they are more to coming.
Harlequin K.