Titans

by Harlequin K

Ash Ketchum has always dreamt of receiving a Charmander from Professor Oak, battling powerful trainers, and reaching his lofty goal of becoming a Pokemon Master. However, fate had other plans and brought him together with the energetic Growlithe.

6. Riptide

A/N: Chapter has been re-edited and uploaded as of 10/11/2024

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Riptide

It took Cynthia perhaps another fifteen minutes before she came out again with an annoyed look on her face and walked ahead of them. Ash looked at Gregory who just shrugged with his good arm and followed the Sinnoh Champion. Since they didn't want to be left behind they quickly catch up to Cynthia and Gregory at the entrance of the cave.

Mount Moon was one of the largest mountain ranges in Kanto, expanding from the Indigo Plateau all the way to Cerulean City. Most travelers take a week to get from Pewter City to

Cerulean City and need guidance from the Center's Pokémon. The entrance of the cave was a dark maul, with no way to see inside.

Cynthia turned to the young trainers, "Mount Moon besides being a very large mountain range, it's also a League protected habitat so special considerations have to be made due to the Pokémon living here. The cave is home to many nocturnal Pokémon and because of that we can only light our way with special flashlights or a fire type with an external flame. Gregory call Veto out to light the way."

Gregory nodded and released a large quadruped Pokémon about six feet tall with gray fur on its back and head and a white cream color on his face, chest, arms and legs. On his back there was a large orange slit with two smaller ones on the side, an intense heat escape from these slits. Veto stood on its hind legs and rubbed his face on his trainer's hand.

"Hey there buddy, I need your help. Can you light your crown softly enough not to burn just for us to see where we are going."

Veto nodded and the slits on his back started glowing brighter and a small crown of orange fire emerged from them. The heat was palpable and Ash took a couple of steps back from the fire type. Cynthia nodded, then took out a Poké Ball that was completely red with the silhouette of a white Rhydon on top of it and released the Pokémon inside it.

It was a large bat only slightly smaller than Gregory's Typhlosion, its body was bright blue with purple coloring on the inside of its wings. Four sharp fangs gleamed in its mouth; it flapped its wings slowly and turned towards Cynthia.

She smiled at him. "Hi Golbat, would you be so kind as to guide us through the mountain?"

Golbat nodded then started flying slowly inside the cave as we followed. Ash frowned for a moment before taking out Growlithe and Nidoran's Poké Ball releasing his partners. Both Pokémon looked around and noticed that there were more people with them.

Nidoran started to clean her claws while keeping a wary eye out on the newcomers. Ash noticed that her skin was starting to lighten towards a blueish color than her regular light purple and her claws looked sharper than before, the barbs on her back looked more prominent as well. He guessed that Nurse Joy was right; his little girl was close to evolving.

Growlithe noticed Veto and the fire crown around his back and was impressed with the larger fire type; it reminded him of his sire. He looked towards his trainer and wagged his tail before sitting down.

Joe looked at Ash wondering why he was letting out his Pokémon but he didn't say anything. Ash smiled and knelt down scratching both his Pokémon behind the ears which they seemed to enjoy.

"Hey guys, we are entering Mount Moon; this is Cynthia, she is Gregory's teacher whom you met briefly. I want you guys to use your nose and ears to warn us if anything is coming our way."

He knew that both Growlithe and Nidoran's sense of smell and hearing were some of the best in the Pokémon world and he wanted them to develop those senses further. Both his Pokémon nodded and started walking alongside Veto, Growlithe was sniffing around the ground keeping a guarded expression on his face while Nidoran was twitching her ears every so often.

Cynthia nodded at him as they kept walking through the dark cave illuminated only by Veto's flame crown. "You have good instincts Ash, nurturing your Pokémon's natural advantages to their fullest is a key element to having a powerful and healthy team."

Ash was somewhat embarrassed by the compliment. "I want them to have the best chance of growing into the powerful and healthy Arcanine and Nidoqueen that I know they can be."

Cynthia smiled at him then nodded towards Gregory as they walked following the Golbat. "You remind me of that lazy student of mine, the bond he has with his Pokémon is the main reason why I chose him to be my student."

Gregory snorted. "And here I thought it was because of my natural charm and good looks."

Joe shook his head and laughed then looked at Gregory. "Where did you get a Typhlosion? I hear they are super rare in the wild."

Gregory smiled. "They are. I captured him when I was fifteen about four years ago while traveling through the Johto mountains. My team and I were camping when this little Cyndaquil came from behind a nearby rock following the smell of my stew. I gave him three bowls of stew and when he was asleep from eating too much, I captured him."

Veto looked back and glared at his trainer for making him sound like he only thought about food. Then again he was young and that stew was delicious. Gregory looked at the fire type and grinned.

Ash thought about something. "Wait, you're nineteen? You sure don't look like it."

Gregory tripped and almost fell down while Cynthia and Joe laughed. Gregory glared at them. "Of course I'm nineteen; you need years of experience and training to rise in any job with any of the leagues. The league wants the best and expends quite a lot of resources to groom trainers."

Cynthia nodded. "He is right, the world is a dangerous place and maybe it's because of this that trainers start young to gain as much experience and knowledge as possible. Some families and clans start teaching their kids way before the age requirement for getting the license. I started my journey like any other Sinnoh trainer at fourteen but my father started teaching me as soon as I could walk."

Ash nodded because he knew what she was saying. His mom was a genetics researcher under Prof. Oak while her dad was one of the leading Pokémon researchers of the Sinnoh region. His dad has been working for the Indigo Plateau for years alongside his best friend Blue Oak, another researcher. To say Ash has been spoon fed Pokémon facts his whole life was the understatement of the century.

They continued walking for the better part of the day following the Golbat as it flew along the ceiling of the cave while Growlithe and Nidoran kept a nose and ear out for trouble. Gregory had remarked that with Veto out no Pokémon would be dumb enough to attack them.

Cynthia scoffed. "This cave system is huge; herds of Rhyhorns and Onixes are everywhere, not to mention the Geodudes and all their evolution lines are here. So don't be overconfident besides we don't know what else is here."

Gregory smiled and raised his arm in surrender not wanting to argue with his teacher any longer and continued walking as if nothing had happened. Joe and Ash walked behind the Sinnoh trainers smiling at their bickering. After hours of walking they made it to an open section of the cave with several boulders and a high ceiling.

Cynthia turned towards them. "We will rest and eat here before continuing tomorrow."

She recalled the Golbat after feeding it some berries and nutritional bars before everyone sat down and started preparing their own meals. It was Joe's idea to combine all their meals into a buffet for everyone to eat. Once everyone was fed Ash turned towards Nidoran.

"Hey girl ready for some training?" He asked as he gave her a Petaya berry that she liked so much.

Nidoran finished her berry and nodded as she really wanted to get stronger since she saw what Rhyhorn did to her trainer and she wanted to give him a good kick or two. Ash smiled and looked towards the wall.

"Okay, see that wall over there? We are going to practice Fury Swipes; you already have Scratch for a foundation. The key difference between the two is that Fury Swipes hits faster and harder."

Nidoran nodded then walked over to the wall and she started scratching the wall but after a few tries she gave up and looked at Ash showing him her claws that were scratched and chipped.

"Circle the energy in your claws as you hit the wall, that way your claws will get stronger, it will hurt in the beginning but trust me this will improve your battle prowess."

Nidoran gave him a resentful look. Didn't her trainer know that one of a girl's most important features were her claws? She sighed then started circulating her energy around her claws like she did when she practiced Double Kick and started swiping at the wall faster slowly making larger dents in the wall.

Ash looked at Nidoran, satisfied that she was slowly making progress, her claws were dimly shrouded in white energy and every now and then they would go out but she would get the hang of it. He then turned to Growlithe.

"Buddy I know we discussed starting to learn Quick Attack but we don't have the space to train for it so we will put it on hold for now. However we are going to work on Fire Fang, you have a pretty good hold on Flame Burst after using it on those Rhyhorns and we need something for when you get close to an opponent. See those rocks over there start using Bite on them first."

Growlithe nodded his head then started circulating the dark energy around him and focusing it on his teeth, coating them in a dark purple light before rushing towards the boulder and taking a chunk out of it.

Ash nodded encouraging Growlithe to continue then looked at his Pokédex for information on Fire Fang. It described the attack pretty basically, the user bites with flame-cloaked fangs, warning it may burn the opponent.

"Growlithe, remember when we were practicing holding your Ember for extra power? I want you to do the same thing but focus your flames on your fangs then bite the boulder."

The fire puppy turned back and nodded to his trainer and summoned the flames he always carried inside him and coated his fangs with them and rush towards the boulder but the moment that he was going to bite he lost control of the flames and they shot out of his mouth blowing part of the boulder in his face.

Growlithe had a look of surprise on his face as the fur on his face was covered in soot and stood unevenly. The poor fire pup tried to keep his dignity and calmly wipe his face but Ash could see the embarrassment in his friend's eyes.

Nidoran looked at the soot-covered face of Growlithe and stopped her training, falling back laughing. Cynthia covered her face while Gregory burst out laughing. Joe smirked while he massaged Machop's arm that Nurse Joy said was sore. The only one who didn't laugh was Veto who was laying down on the floor and just opened one eye before going back to sleep.

Ash shook his head and walked over to his bag to pick up a brush and some water, and then he made his way over to Growlithe and washed his face and brushed it clean. "There you go buddy. Now why don't we try again but this time just keep the flames covering your fangs."

Growlithe nodded determined to get it right, he once again covered his fangs in flames and rushed the boulder but when he went to bite it the flames went out and the dark purple energy from Bite shone in his fangs.

Veto was once again looking at Growlithe through slitted eyes as the pup frustratingly tried again and again but either Bite came out or the flames went out too quick. The large fire type opened both his eyes and walked over to Growlithe and raised two fingers. Veto then opened his mouth as an inferno of flames covered his fangs and he took a bite of the boulder crushing more than half of it then leaving what was left as a pile of rubble and some of the rocks were cherry red from the intense heat.

Growlithe had his eyes fixed on the attack; it was so fast and powerful yet all he could do was screw up. Veto then growled at the fire pup which made the younger fire type look up to see the Johto starter opened his mouth wide and then coated his fangs with flames. Veto held the attack for several seconds letting Growlithe watch, then he dispelled the attack and went back to his corner and appeared to close his eyes.

Growlithe stood still seemingly thinking about what he just witnessed. Ash didn't want to say anything to let his friend process the information. After a couple of seconds a look of raw determination shone in the small fire pup's face and he opened his mouth covering his fangs in flames again. This time he kept the stream of flames constant and ran at a boulder and attacked it.

This time the flames didn't go out nor did the dark energy from Bite get in the way. Growlithe bit a small chunk at the top of the boulder. Ash grinned and looked towards Nidoran who after she finished laughing she continued practicing her Fury Swipes and now her claws were always covered in opaque white light and were leaving deeper dents in the stone.

Ash couldn't be prouder of his Pokémon. "Okay guys wrap up for today, Nidoran get over here so we can treat your claws. Growlithe good job buddy now that you have the feeling for the attack all we have left to do is practice." He then looked at Veto. "Thank you for helping Growlithe."

Veto opened one eye and blinked once which made Gregory roll his eyes. "That's his way of saying 'you're welcome'."

Ash went to sit down with everyone else and from his bag took out a jar of crushed Oran berries that he used to sprinkle on his Pokémon's food. Then spread it around Nidoran's claws.

Cynthia gave him a funny look, which made him smile nervously. "I know that Oran berries help Pokémon heal and recover their energy faster. Given the state of Nidoran's claws I thought that using this will make them heal faster and make them stronger."

She smiled at him and shook her head. "I'm not criticizing you Ash, but your actions show me that you have been around Pokémon for most of your life. A beginner trainer would have looked on his Pokédex or asked the experienced trainers of a way to treat Nidoran's claws yet you sat down and did it by yourself as if it was the most natural thing in the world."

Ash smiled as he rubbed the crushed Oran berries on the little poison rodents claws. "My mom is a researcher under Prof. Oak and my dad works for the league; since I was little they taught me all sorts of tricks for taking care of any injury."

He finished with Nidoran's claws and gave her a Petaya berry as a reward for her hard work. She grabbed the berry carefully and walked to the side to eat it. Growlithe looked at the berry and made a face still remembering his last ordeal with that fruit.

Ash grabbed Growlithe and started brushing his fur softly which made the young Pokémon close his eyes in pleasure. Joe had finished massaging Machop's arm and now the fighting Pokémon was back in its Poké Ball.

Cynthia was seated with her back against the wall as she watched Gregory change the bandages on his arm and applied a purple paste to it. She then turned to Ash.

"From what you told me you have a Rhyhorn, Nidoran and Growlithe and Joe your team has a Bellsprout, Pidgey and Machop am I correct?"

Both of the rookie trainers nodded, Cynthia wiped some dirt from her pants. "That means that each of you have Pokémon that evolve through the use of evolutionary stones. Do you know how these stones come into being?"

Ash thought about it for a moment but he was drawing a blank as the only thing he could recall about evolutionary stones was from the conversation he had with his Uncle Blue. So he shook his head, Joe didn't know either so he shook his head as well.

Cynthia smiled and picked up a random stone that was near her. "It's normal that you don't know, Pokémon evolution is a wide and varied subject and most of what we know comes from Professor Rowan in Sinnoh who studies Pokémon evolution and his former student Professor Sycamore from Kalos who has dedicated his life to studying these stones."

She placed the stone she had in her hand on the ground and pointed at it. "The basic concept is that when a Pokémon evolves the white energy that shrouds the Pokémon gets released into the environment nurturing it. Now an evolutionary stone is a stone that has been bathed with this energy for hundreds or even thousands of years."

Still pointing at the stone she said, "Let's take this rock for example, if this rock is near a nest of Charmander for years, as those Charmanders evolve into Charmeleons and then Charizards all that energy that has been release would be absorbed by the stone and after hundreds of years of this process that stone will turn into a fire stone."

Ash kept brushing Growlithe and nodded. "So Pokémon like Growlithe that need the extra energy to evolve need these stones right?"

Cynthia nodded. "Not only does the energy turn a regular stone into an evolutionary one according to Professor Sycamore, certain aspects of the Pokémon's personality who release the energy are embedded in the stone. For example, if you take a water stone from the bottom of the Lake of Rage in Johto, that lake has been the home of Magikarps and Gyarados as far as anyone can remember and they are known for their angry temperaments. If you use a stone from there to say, evolve an Eevee into a Vaporeon you will have a very aggressive Pokémon."

Ash thought about that for a moment and was shocked, he didn't know that was possible. Joe cleared his throat. "So you're saying that depending on your Pokémon you should pick a stone that best matches his species and temperament?"

Cynthia nodded. "Let's take your Bellsprout for example; its final form of Victreebel is a grass and poison Pokémon. Their bell shaped bodies contain lots of toxins and acids strong enough to dissolve small Pokémon at a very accelerated rate. The best stones for your Bellsprout would be those that come from Bulbasaur or Roselia habitats since they are both grass and poison types and their poisons are very powerful."

The Sinnoh champion frowned a little. "Of course there are several stones like the Sun and Moon stones whose energies are more complicated than what I understand. For that you have talked to Sycamore directly, however I bring up the topic of the evolutionary stones because the reason this mountain range is called Mount Moon is because it has a large number of Moon Stones inside of it."

Gregory smirked at his teacher. "There's also the legend that a giant piece of the Moon fell to earth and landed here and that on that rock were the eggs of several Clefairies. If you believe in those stories."

Joe scratched his head. "People think Clefairy came from outer space? That seems strange but then again this world is so big who knows."

Cynthia nodded. "Wise words, I mention the moon stones in particular because if you are lucky and can find one, a moon stone from a Clefairy habitat is a rare and powerful stone. A moon stone from here will be perfect for Nidoran since Clefairy is a very versatile Pokémon and their ability to control energy based attacks is among the highest in the world due to them being fairy types."

Ash nodded and finished brushing Growlithe; Nidoran had finished her Petaya berry and was curled up next to Ash sound asleep. Ash smiled at her as he saw her ear twitching so he knew even though she was asleep that she was keeping an ear out. Growlithe lay to his other side and rested his head on his lap and yawned before closing his eyes.

Cynthia smiled at them. "Well enough talking for one day; let's get some sleep and continue in the morning. Gregory, that means before eight; not in the afternoon."

Gregory muttered something under his breath as he got into his sleeping bag, Joe laughed and followed suit along with Cynthia. Ash laid his back against the cave wall and thought about what Cynthia said regarding the moon stones.

Evolutionary stones were rare and expensive and most of all like she said getting the perfect stone that matched your Pokémon was key. He wasn't going to miss the chance to get one for Nidoran. He scratched her chin and she opened her eyes lazily.

"Sorry to wake you girl, but tell me can you feel any moon stones around?"

Nidoran blinked slowly then scratched her eyes with her tiny paws then shook her head once and nodded afterwards. Ash thought about that for a moment. Growlithe opened a sleepy eye and looked at his trainer wishing he would fall asleep soon; they had a long day and now it was bedtime.

"You can feel them but they are not close enough for you to tell me where they are?"

Nidoran thought about it for a moment then yawned, nodding her head. Ash smiled at her. "Okay thanks, girl now go back to sleep. While we are in the mountain if you feel the stones getting closer point me in the way and I will get one for you."

Nidoran didn't reply, just closed her eyes and went to sleep again; Growlithe huffed and did the same. Ash wasn't dumb he got the message and laid his head back closing his eyes and promptly went to sleep.

For the next couple of days Ash and company followed the Golbat through the maze of tunnels that was Mount Moon. Every day they would walk from the moment they woke up, have a lunch break then continue to cover as much ground as possible. During this time Cynthia taught Ash and Joe a lot of different things that she had learned from her own journeys.

She gave Ash pointers on how to manage the relationship with Rhyhorn. He had let the newest member of his team out several times to feed him. The first time he let him out he tried ramming Ash with his horn; it took two Iron Tails and a Double Kick from both Growlithe and Nidoran to convey the message that he couldn't do as he pleased and was only getting out to be fed until he behaved himself.

After the first time where he got the stuffing beat out of him the next time he was let out he didn't try to kill Ash and just took his food before ignoring them all. Ash shook his head, he had no idea how he was going to get through to Rhyhorn but from the looks of it words weren't going to be enough.

The good thing about being in the caves was that both Nidoran and Growlithe had plenty of time to practice their new moves. Nidoran had perfected her Fury Swipes leaving severe dents on the cave walls and her claws had gotten much tougher. After Nidoran perfected her Fury Swipes he had Growlithe help her with learning Bite.

Growlithe had practically mastered Fire Fang so taking a break to help Nidoran was good for him. It took a little for Nidoran to get the hang of coating her teeth with dark energy from the environment but once she did Ash looked at her fangs with a healthy amount of respect. He knew the teeth of the Nidoran line were one of the strongest in the world competing with that of the Rattata line. So he was very pleased with the progress his Pokémon were making.

Through their journey he had been keeping an eye on Nidoran to see if she sensed any stones nearby but so far no luck. They had stopped to rest for the night and all of them looked tired and weary from being in the mountain for so many days even Cynthia was feeling a little cranky.

Both Growlithe and Nidoran were sleeping by his side while the rest of his friends were finishing eating dinner. Joe sighed and rubbed his eyes. "I can't wait to get out of this cave, it feels like we've been here for years."

Gregory finished changing his bandages. "We should be out of here by noon tomorrow at the latest."

Cynthia yawned and smiled at the young trainers. "Well this has been a fun experience traveling with you both and not having to listen to Gregory complain most of the time. Now let's get some sleep so that we can get out of here as fast as possible."

Gregory growled at his teacher but then laid his head on Veto's back and fell asleep and soon enough Joe and Cynthia were also asleep. Ash laid his head back against the cave wall and was dozing off when he felt something prick his thigh.

He looked down and saw Nidoran twitching her nose and ears as she poke him with her claws. Growlithe was fast asleep if anything were coming their way his friend would have already been up and growling.

Ash looked at Nidoran. "Is everything okay girl?"

Nidoran shook her head and started pulling on her trainer's pants. She was suddenly feeling energetic and needed to run fast. Without waiting for Ash to get up she started running down the tunnel. Ash didn't think twice and got up running after Nidoran. Growlithe, who had his head on Ash's lap, fell to the floor and hit his jaw.

Annoyed, he looked up to see his trainer and Nidoran running towards somewhere. He yawned, got up knowing sleep time was over and ran after them. Ash saw that the cave was getting dark the farther away they got from Veto, then he noticed Growlithe running beside him and smiled at his friend.

"Sorry buddy but Nidoran just got up and left. Could you use Fire Fang to give us at least some light and keep a nose out for Nidoran in case we lose sight of her?"

Growlithe nodded and the next moment his fangs were covered in flames shining dimly in the darkness of the cave. It wasn't much compared to Veto's fire crown but it would have to do. They ran after Nidoran for what felt like half an hour before the darkness of the cave started to brighten, then Growlithe released his Fire Fang and they slowly walked towards a light.

They spotted Nidoran standing behind a boulder, her eyes shining with light staring at something. Ash and Growlithe slowly made their way to her and hid behind the boulders. Growlithe lifted his paw and gave Nidoran a forceful tap on the back of the head for ruining his sleep. But the little poison Pokémon didn't notice, she was too focused on what was ahead of them.

Ash looked to where Nidoran was looking and almost felt his jaw hit the floor. On the cave floor in front of them were dozens, maybe hundreds of pink Pokémon with large ears and small wings on their backs. Some of them were smaller while others were much larger.

He recognized these Pokémon they were Cleffa, Clefairy and even Clefable. These were mysterious and rare Pokémon that hid from humans and never had contact with them. Ash noticed that the fairy Pokémon were surrounded by piles of moon stones. There were hundreds or maybe thousands and in the center of the room was a huge stone the size of a three story house.

Ash noticed that the Clefables were cutting pieces from the giant moon stone with their claws and giving it to the Cleffa who were hoarding them in huge piles around the cave while the Clefairies were dancing around them not touching the stone. It looked like some sort of ritual. Ash looked up and noticed that the ceiling of the cave was gone and in its place was a giant hole roughly the same size as the giant moon stone.

"Heh, who would have guessed, maybe they did come from outer space." Ash whispered to his Pokémon.

He noticed that Nidoran's gaze was still fixed on the giant moon stone. He guessed since Nidorina needed the stone's powers to evolve into Nidoqueen the allure was too much for his little Nidoran. Ash looked around and noticed that on the other side of the cave was a tunnel similar to the one they came in. He looked to the sky again and noticed that it was starting to lighten up. How long had he been standing here watching the fairy Pokémon dance?

The Clefairy stopped dancing and were curling up next to each other as they held the Cleffa in their arms while they both fell asleep as the sun kept rising. The Clefables stopped cutting the moon stone and formed a protective ring around the younger Pokémon before falling asleep.

Ash held his breath and waited, this was the perfect opportunity to snatch a moon stone for Nidoran. He looked towards the pile of moon stones and then to the sleeping Pokémon and formed a plan.

He leaned down and whispered to his Pokémon, he had to be extra quiet since he knew that the Kanto fairy Pokémon had very sensitive ears. "Here's the plan guys, Nidoran, you will keep an eye out on them while Growlithe and I go to the piles to pick up the stone. If anything happens you run back towards Joe and the rest and we will meet outside okay? I know you have a type advantage so if they wake up and come after us, hit them with your Poison Sting before going back to the others."

Nidoran nodded and moved slowly towards the top of the boulder where she could have a clear shot at those pesky pink puff balls. Ash nodded towards the stones and he and Growlithe slowly made their way towards the pile of stones. They were being very careful not to knock over any pebbles so as to not make any noise.

The stones felt like they were miles away as they slowly walked closer and closer. He kept an eye on the fairy Pokémon, if they woke up it would be really bad for him. The sun had risen completely now, the heat and nervousness was making him sweat like hell. After an eternity later he finally got to the pile closest to the tunnel on the other side.

He motioned for Growlithe to pick up a stone carefully. The fire pup moved slowly and gently picked up a stone with his mouth and held it firmly between its teeth. Since Ash didn't know when he was going to get another chance like this, he slowly moved and grabbed another two stones, one in each hand.

Once he had the stones he let out a sigh of relief before turning around towards the tunnel, a sharp noise exploded through the cave as several stones from the huge pile fell down in an avalanche. Ash looked in horror as the edge of his jacket had tipped the stones making them fall to the floor.

Both trainer and Pokémon looked in horror as the Clefables woke up startled and looked at the idiot human stealing their precious moon stones. The Clefairies also woke up and upon seeing Ash they took the Cleffas and hid behind the Clefables. Ash was cursing himself loudly in his mind. Lady Luck was so not on his side, so he put the stones in his pockets slowly as he saw the anger rise in the fairy Pokémon's eyes.

The Clefables started glowing with silver pink energy; Ash had seen this attack once before in Prof. Oak's lab. Moon Blast, one of the most destructive fairy type moves, where the Pokémon absorb the energy from the moon and release it in a powerful beam. Since Pokémon bodies could store energy this attack could be used any time of the day. When the Clefables began charging their attack the giant moon stone as well as the hundreds of stones one the floor started glowing as if the Moon had fallen down to earth.

"Nidoran Poison Sting!"

Ash yelled as he ran, he saw Nidoran opening her mouth and unleashing a barrage of poisonous needles hitting the fairy Pokémon, capturing them by surprise, halting their attack. Ash didn't look behind once and sprinted towards the tunnel with Growlithe at his side, he had faith in Nidoran getting back to the others safely.

Behind him he could hear angry shouts as the Clefables got over their surprise and began to chase Ash. "Growlithe find us the closest exit to the outside fast."

A Moon Blast hit the ceiling behind them and they sped up to avoid getting hit by the fallen debris. Growlithe held the stone in his mouth tight as he tried to smell the way to the outside. After twisting and turning through several tunnels and nearly getting killed by several Moon Blasts, Growlithe smelled the outside air and ran towards it.

Ash was feeling out of breath but when he saw Growlithe pick up speed he knew they were close to an exit so he ran to catch up to his friend. As they kept running faster at the end of the tunnel a light shone and Ash could see the sky. He then turned to look back and saw the horde of Clefables firing another Moon Blast, Ash duck his head and the blast hit a colony of Zubat on the ceiling sending them flying in a frenzy to attack the Clefables.

Ash saw his chance and made a dash towards the exit. As soon as they were out they found out that the tunnel ended in a downwards slope and their speed increased until they almost crashed into a tree. Ash sat down and looked towards the tunnel panting, he expected the Clefables to come after him but maybe lady luck had finally smiled upon him and the Zubats were keeping them busy.

Growlithe flopped down on the ground letting the stone go, he gave his trainer a resentful look. Ash smiled and scratched his head after putting the stone in his pocket. "Sorry buddy, I know it seems that we are always running from one danger or another."

Growlithe closed his eyes and just enjoyed the scratch; his trainer did have one of the worst and best luck he had seen. His sire was right, following a trainer was going to be an interesting experience, although a few hours of boredom might not be so bad right about now.

Ash knew his friend was tired so he returned him to his Poké Ball to rest while he looked around trying to figure out where the heck he was, when he heard someone shouting his name. He looked towards the mountain and saw Cynthia, Gregory and Joe running towards him following Nidoran.

He knelt down and scratched her chin. "You did amazing girl and we got you that stone so when you're ready we will be able to evolve you into a powerful Nidoqueen."

Nidoran smiled and chirped her excitement. She was feeling that any day now she was going to evolve and couldn't wait. Ash recalled her back into the Poké Ball so she could rest.

"I swear to Moltres we can't take our eyes off you for one minute before you are pouncing somewhere dangerously. What was so important that you left in the middle of the night?"

Joe scolded him as he handed him his backpack. Cynthia just shook her head in relief while Gregory smirked at him. Ash grinned sheepishly and scratched his nose.

"Sorry guys but I told Nidoran to keep an eye out if she sensed any moon stones nearby so that we could go and get some. During the night she led me to a cave where there were hundreds of them and I might have stolen some and made some Clefables angry."

He showed them the three moon stones he got and Gregory started laughing so hard tears were falling down his eyes, Joe just looked at Ash and sighed he was getting used to Ash's reckless behavior.

Cynthia was rubbing her temples as if warding off a headache. "How much is angering some Clefables?"

Ash could feel his cheeks burning. "About all of them." And he explained the rest of the story.

Gregory was laughing harder now. "Man, you really are one reckless knucklehead, let's get the hell out of here before your fairy friends come out to find us after dealing with those Zubats, plus it's getting hot out here. How do you people stand it?"

Ash put the moon stones in his backpack and without much delay they began walking again. From Mount Moon to Cerulean City was only a short two hour walk so soon enough they found themselves entering the city. Ash was feeling very proud of himself, he had managed to see one of the rarest Pokémon in Kanto and managed to steal several moonstones that will help Nidoran evolve as well as make him a nice profit if he needed the money.

Cerulean City was indeed the city of rivers and lakes just in the first five miles of the city Ash had seen over three small lakes filled with water Pokémon and people swimming in them. The city was divided in two by a large river that came all the way from the North Sea and fed a huge lake right in the middle of the city.

What struck Ash as strange was that the huge lake had a small island in the middle and on the island was a huge building with a statue of a Dewgong and Gyarados swimming side by side. A red bridge connected the building with the rest of the city.

Cynthia nodded towards the building. "That's the Cerulean Gym, their leaders are pretty tough from what my husband tells me so you guys better be prepared for a rough battle. It was fun traveling with both of you but we have to keep going to Grandfather Canyon."

Ash smiled at her and shook her hand. "Thank you for all the tips, Cynthia, have a safe journey."

Joe and Gregory shook hands as well. "Well I hope to be seeing you at the Indigo Conference."

They said their farewells and then Joe and Ash turned towards the gym. Joe turned to Ash, "How do you want to do this?"

Ash thought about it, "We both have three Pokémon so either way works fine for me. I took on Brock first the last time. How about you take this one first?"

Joe smirked at him. "And this has nothing to do with two of your Pokémon being weak to water and one of those two wants to kill you?"

Ash smiled. "How can you say that? I'm just being a good sport."

Joe smacked Ash on the back of the head and they walked towards the bridge. They saw that the water had several large shapes underneath it and with Ash's luck today he walked faster just in case which made Joe laugh.

Once they got inside the gym they noticed that the reception area had several sofas and a waterfall with soothing music. On one of the sofa a girl about a year older than Ash was sitting with an intense look on her face. She had light blue hair pulled into a ponytail and was wearing a white jacket over a dark blue shirt and black jeans.

On the reception desk was a girl with bright orange hair pulled to the side of her head with a light yellow shirt and red straps over shoulders that locked onto her pants. She was wearing a cast on her leg, a pair of crutches was next to the desk, for some reason she seemed familiar to Ash but he couldn't remember.

"Welcome to the Cerulean City Gym; my name is Misty Waterflower, how may I help you today?"

Joe stepped forward. "Hi my name is Joe from Vermilion City and this is Ash from Pallet Town we are here to challenge the Cerulean City Gym leader, we each have one badge."

Misty smiled at them and typed something on her computer. "Okay, I've already written your names down. You go after that young lady over there."

A voice was heard over the speakers. "Misty, please send the challengers over to the battle arena."

Misty nodded, then pointed to two lines on the floor, one red and one blue. "You two follow the red line towards the spectators area, miss please follow the blue line to the battle arena."

Ash and Joe nodded and followed the red line which at the end of the hall turned left while the blue one turned right. The boys followed until the hallway ended in a huge sitting area where several people were already sitting. Ash and Joe sat next to a large man with brown hair wearing a blue shirt with bright white flowers and a Pokénav hanging from his neck.

The arena was a huge swimming pool the size of a tennis court with several white platforms for Pokémon to stand on. On the side of the pool that was closest to Ash and Joe was the girl from earlier still wearing that same fierce expression and crossed her arms waiting.

On the other side of the pool the doors opened and two young women walked out. One of them had dark blue hair and was wearing a green long sleeve shirt and blue skirt while the other one had bright pink hair and was wearing a yellow shirt with blue shorts.

The bright pink haired one walked to the referee platform and smiled. "Welcome my name is Lily Waterflower and I'll be serving as referee for this match. It will be a three on three battle with no substitutions. Challenger state your name and where you're from."

The girl looked at the blue haired gym leader and narrowed her eyes. "Jovi Crane from the Orre region."

A murmur started rippling through the crowd, Ash looked around as some people frowned and outright glared at Jovi.

"What's so wrong about being from Orre?" Ash asked Joe, he hadn't heard much from the region west of Johto but the reaction of the crowd was palpable.

Joe shook his head. "I don't know but this is ridiculous."

"Not really, the reaction is pretty standard." Said the large man sitting next to Ash.

Ash frowned at him. "Why?"

The large man straightened his sunglasses and looked at Jovi. "Orre has always been a very barren region, they had to import Pokémon and create artificial habitats in the beginning for them to prosper. However with a region so far away and no league to call their own it has always been ruled by criminal gangs and crime has always been rampant in that region. However, that changed twenty years ago."

Joe looked at the man. "What happened?"

The large man leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms. "The region had a lot of small gangs but they were all ruled by one large organization called Team Snagem who murdered people and captured their Pokémon. It was very despicable. With no league to fight for them a sixteen year old boy by the name of Wes and his team of Pokémon infiltrated the gang and after two years he destroyed them from the inside."

Ash was shocked that a sixteen year old boy destroyed the largest criminal organization in his region that was amazing.

The large man continued with his story. "Over the course of the next few years he gathered trainers from all over Orre and routed out the last of the gangs and formed a peacekeeping organization called the Desert Guardians on the old Team Snagem HQ. Then ten years ago Wes' younger brother Michael, now that the region was more stable with the help of Wes, they both created the Orre League they held a tournament to decide the gym leaders and elite four at the end of it only Michael and Wes remained in the finals. But Wes gave up the Champion title to Michael because he was more happy leading the DG. However people still think about Orre as the worst place in the world and their trainers as thieves, it's very sad really."

Joe was angry. "So what if they were ruled before by a criminal organization; now they have a league and should be treated like everyone else."

The large man nodded. "You are right but changing people's perception takes time and this little girl is not so simple either. She said her name was Jovi Crane if I'm not mistaken both Wes and Michael are Crane as well. Could she be related to them?"

Ash turned back towards the stage where the battle was about to begin. The blue haired trainer smiled at Jovi. "Pleasure to meet you Jovi, My name is Violet Waterflower. Let's have a good time."

Violet threw a Poké Ball in the air releasing a huge orange crustacean Pokémon who landed on the platform. It had one pincer abnormally larger than the other one and had the bearing of a king looking down on Jovi.

Violet smirked. "Mac I'm counting on you."

Kingler waved his large pincer at his trainer then looked at Jovi who had a smile on her face. She threw her Poké Ball in the air and released a small orange-brown fur colored bear with a cream crescent moon on its forehead. Ash wondered why Jovi would choose a Teddiursa against a Kingler. Compared to Violet's Pokémon, Jovi's looked fragile.

Jovi smiled at her small bear. "Teddiursa cook me that crab."

The sweet lovable bear suddenly grinned at his opponent, the Kingler on the other hand ignored the small bear; he wasn't worried about something the size of a snack.

Lily smiled at the trainers. "The first battle will be Kingler vs Teddiursa, begin."

Violet smiled at Kingler. "Mac end this quick hit it with a Bubble Beam."

Jovi glared at Violet, Ash saw that she didn't like being underestimated. "Teddiursa get in close and hit it with Covet."

Kingler aimed his large pincer at Teddiursa and fired a barrage of bubbles at high pressure. Teddiursa didn't remain still, instead he jumped from platform to platform slowly reducing the distance between him and Kingler. The huge crab was firing his Bubble Beam hitting the platforms missing Teddiursa by just a slight margin. Whenever the beam hit a large hole was left on the platform.

Teddiursa's right claw was glowing white, if Ash remembered correctly Covet was a move that gathered energy around the Pokémon's hand and used it to increase its damage output. Kingler tried to predict the platform where Teddiursa was going to appear but the little bear was smarter and dove into the pool.

Jovi smiled. "Teddiursa Break Combat."

Violet frowned. "Mac be careful, use Harden."

Kingler was shocked and looking left to right but before he could harden his body, Teddiursa jumped from the pool with both arms glowing with light and hammered into Kingler's surprised face. The attack was so fast and brutal the crab Pokémon couldn't do anything except fall back into the water.

Teddiursa was grinning, keeping a vigilant eye on the water. Violet looked shocked that such a little Pokémon could have so much power and ruthlessness. "Mac Crabhammer; send that bear flying!"

Jovi narrowed her eyes. "Teddiursa run from platform to platform don't give him the chance to attack."

Teddiursa nodded and was about to run but maybe in revenge for getting sucker punched Kingler didn't give him the chance and broke the platform with his Crabhammer sending the little bear flying into the water. Ash could see that Teddiursa's earlier attack had done a lot of damage to Kingler; it looked tired and was desperate to end things.

"Don't give him a chance, follow him and finish it with another Crabhammer."

Kingler nodded and dove back into the pool. Ash looked at Jovi who had a sharp smile on her face. Then from the bottom of the water a blinding white light shone blinding everyone. Ash looked away and noticed that the large man beside him was smiling.

Once the light show was over, Ash turned back to the battle and saw Jovi with a triumphant smile. "Hammer Arm."

Suddenly the surface of the water started bubbling and Kingler was thrown out of the pool crashing into the wall, a shadow followed the water Pokémon out of the water and landed on the platform. It was a large broad Pokémon with brown hair and a cruel grin on its face. It had large fur shaped shoulder pads and on her chest and belly there was a large tan circle.

Lily nodded at Kingler who was knocked out and raised her hand. "Kingler is unable to battle the winner is Ursaring."

Violet recalled her Pokémon and smiled. "Well done Mac." Then she looked at Jovi. "You knew that your Teddiursa was close to evolving?"

Jovi recalled her Pokémon and nodded. "She was getting more aggressive lately so I knew she needed a bump or two in the head for a final push." She then threw out her second Pokémon.

Her second Pokémon was small, shaped like a ball with a light blue coloring on its back and cream color on its belly. It had two small fins and a large tail on the back with two small fangs.

Violet sent out her Pokémon which was a large blue fish with a yellow 'mask' over its eyes and a large Y shaped antenna on its head with a yellow ball at each end.

Lily nodded when both Pokémon were out. "The second battle will be Spheal versus Lanturn. Begin."

"Spheal Aurora Beam aim for its antenna." Jovi didn't waste time ordering her attack.

Violet smiled. "Halo, dive and use Charge Beam."

Spheal opened his mouth and a multicolored beam shot out aiming straight for Lanturn but the fish Pokémon dove causing it to miss. Spheal kept his eyes open looking left and right for any signs of Lanturn then a little yellow ball rose from the charge with electricity.

"Spheal use Ice Ball Armor now!" Jovi ordered sternly.

Spheal hadn't seen Lanturn but upon hearing his trainer's voice he coated his whole body in ice and he indeed resembled an ice ball. Lanturn fired his Charge Beam hitting the smaller Pokémon crushing the ice armor and hitting him. Spheal yelped in pain as the electricity coursed through his body.

The little guy was panting and there were small burn marks along his body. Jovi looked at her Pokémon and narrowed her eyes. "Spheal Ice Roll."

Spheal shook his small head then nodded, coating his body once more in ice and rolling in place at high speed launching himself at Lanturn. The fish Pokémon didn't know what hit him as the small ball of ice collided with his side and sent him crashing against a platform. Spheal was spinning along the surface of the water and moved to attack Lanturn again.

Violet smiled at Jovi. "You fought valiantly but this is over; Halo, Thunder."

Lanturn smiled and then his whole body was shrouded in electricity before releasing it in a concentrated blast filling the pool with electricity hitting the smaller water Pokémon, crushing its ice armor and hitting him with the full force of the blast.

Jovi didn't say anything as she recalled the injured Pokémon; she knew that he couldn't beat the electric water fish, but she wanted to at least give him the experience of fighting against them.

Lily smiled. "Spheal is unable to battle the winner is Lanturn. The score is one point each and the next battle will decide the winner."

Violet recalled her Lanturn and thought for a moment before sending out her last Pokémon. The Pokémon landed with a loud thud on the platform; it was a large purple shell with spikes protruding from all over its body, then the shell opened and a black pear-like face grinned from inside the shell.

Jovi frowned at the Pokémon then looked at the water and smiled as she sent out her last Pokémon. It was a small yellow Pokémon with bulky arms and three finger claws. Black stripes covered its body and a lightning bolt mark on its chest, two small horns sat on its head that resembled electrical plugs.

Lily again nodded, smiling. "Last battle will be Cloyster versus Elekid. Begin."

Violet looked at the battlefield and frowned. "Clamp, use Icicle Spear; keep that Elekid away from you."

Jovi looked like she already won. "Elekid, Double Wave attack."

Cloyster grinned and the temperature suddenly dropped as he gathered moisture from the air creating large ice spikes and hurling them at Elekid. The small electric Pokémon started swinging his arms back and forth as his whole body crackled with electricity and he started jumping from platform to platform evading the ice spikes with ease.

Then he stopped on the platform next to Cloyster and pushed his hands forward sending slow waves of static electricity paralyzing the shell Pokémon and causing some discomfort before taking all the electricity he had gathered and releasing it in one vicious attack. The blast hit Cloyster sending waves of pain through the water Pokémon body.

"Clamp, use Ice Beam, freeze him."

"This battle is over." Said the large man next to Ash.

Ash looked towards him. "What do you mean?"

The man nodded towards the water. "Cloyster is limited to that platform, it can't go in the water because it's still electrified from the last battle and even if it wasn't Elekid would just attack the water. Violet has always been more of a defensive battler but Jovi is a tricky opponent. She doesn't focus on either offense or defense; she is like the tide slowly and patiently chipping the mountain away until its gone."

Ash turned back to the battlefield as Elekid sent Shock Wave after Shock Wave at Cloyster hitting the shell Pokémon, each electrical attack stronger than the last one. After the last attack ended the ice water Pokémon was panting hard but a look of determination flashed in its eyes before he finally fell to the side.

Lily nodded and raised her hand. "Cloyster can't continue, the winner is Elekid. The winner of the Cascade Badge is Jovi Crane from the Orre region. Please head to the spectators' area; due to the number of challengers today, we will hand out the badges once all challenges have been answered."

Jovi nodded and walked silently towards the spectators stand. Violet then switched places with her sister on the referee stand and smiled at the crowd. "May the next challenger please move forward?"

Ash looked at Joe and nudged him with his elbow. "You're up Joe, good luck."

Joe smiled and left his bag with Ash then walked towards the stage. Ash looked at the stage and the water platforms, a plan already forming in his mind; he knew that he was at a serious disadvantage; two of his three Pokémon were weak to water and one of them didn't even listen to him, but he was going to fix that today.

On the stage Joe walked up to the challengers' area, Lily smiled at him. "State your name and where you're from?"

Joe had a serious look on his face which was totally different from the usual carefree look he always had. "Joe from Vermilion City, get ready to hand over that badge."

Lily smiled even wider. "I like that attitude, let's see what you got."

She threw her Poké Ball in the air releasing one of the most hyperactive Pokémon Ash had ever seen. It was almost five feet tall with a leaf on its head that looked like a sombrero; the Pokémon looked like the child of a pineapple and a duck. As soon as it landed on the platform it started dancing on its green legs and moving his arms in a strange fashion.

Joe had already released his Pokémon and Ash recognized Pidgey and remembered that the little bird was close to evolving, her feathers were darker and she was starting to develop her crest. The little bird Pokémon let out a shrill cry and flapped her wings happily in the air.

Violet looked at both Pokémon and raised her hand. "The battle between Lily of the Cerulean City Gym and her Ludicolo and Joe from Vermilion City and his Pidgey will commence."

Lily smiled at her Pokémon. "Dancer, let's wash that little bird. Rain Pulse."

Ludicolo started dancing faster and faster as several clouds covered the field and began pouring rain all over the field. Then the dancing Pokémon gathered the water into a sphere and launched at Pidgey at incredible speed.

Joe didn't look worried. "Pidgey, let's show them that size doesn't matter; evade with Quick Attack then Gust."

Pidgey's body was covered in white light as it dodged at incredible speed. After being defeated by Hoot-Hoot she looked determined to be the fastest bird in the sky. The water sphere missed and the little bird flew right in front of Ludicolo and unleashed a gale of wind sending the larger Pokémon a few steps back.

"Dancer Razor Leaf!" Lily was smiling and Ash could see why, Pidgey was just too small to cause much damage.

Ludicolo glared at the little bird annoyed and from his sombrero several waves of razor sharp leaves flew towards Pidgey. The tiny bird saw the leaves and flapped her wings harder managing to deflect some of the leaves but most of them hit and scratched her body sending her flying a couple of feet in the air before she could regain control of her momentum.

"Pidgey don't give in you're faster than him, Quick Attack him with everything you got."

"Dancer keep it away with Razor Leaf don't let it get near."

Pidgey again launches herself at Ludicolo with all her speed but the dancing Pokémon kept launching wave after wave of leaves not leaving an opening for Pidgey to get close. After a couple of seconds Pidgey started to slow down before stopping in midair panting.

"That's actually a pretty smart move, that kid lost the battle the minute she set up Rain Dance."

Ash jumped when he heard a voice next to him, he looked and saw Jovi who was looking at the battle with a serious face and her arms crossed.

The large man nodded. "You have good eyes, Lily noticed that Joe's Pidgey was on the small size and set up her Rain Dance to make her body wet, thus making her heavier, forcing Pidgey to use more strength each time she flapped her wings. On top of that Joe has been making his Pidgey dodge while using Quick Attack, which has taken a toll on her stamina. If he doesn't do something fast then he will lose."

Joe had a worried look on his face; he knew that Pidgey was at a disadvantage; he needed to end the battle fast.

"Dancer enough play time to finish it."

Before Joe could think of anything to say a savage look flared in Ludicolo's eyes and he doubled the amount of Razor Leaves cutting Pidgey as she tried to dodge but there were just too many leaves. The little bird fell crashing on the platform, her small body was covered with cuts. She looked like she passed out from the fall. Violet was about to name Ludicolo the winner when Pidgey stubbornly tried to get up; it took her a moment but she managed to stand on her small legs and let out a shrill cry of defiance against the larger Pokémon.

Joe knew his friend was in no shape to battle so he pulled out his Poké Ball to recall Pidgey but when the red beam was about to land on the small bird's body she moved out of the way. Joe tried to recall her several times but with slow pain filled movements the tiny bird refused.

"Pidgey you can't go on, rest and leave the battle to the others." Joe said as he once again tried to recall his injured friend.

Pidgey let out a battle cry and flapped her wounded wings and took to the skies as the rain kept falling over the battlefield. Joe gave his Pokémon a rough smile. "Fine, we'll do it your way. Finish him."

Lily smiled at Pidgey. "That Pidgey has in spirit what she lacks in size. I admire that in a Pokémon. Dancer, let's show them our respect; Ice Beam."

Ludicolo was smiling then opened his mouth as a light blue ball started forming, the temperature around him started to drop and then he launched the ice cold beam straight at Pidgey. The small bird let out a battle cry and used her Quick Attack to dodge again.

The exchange was just like the last one. Pidgey started to slow down as Ludicolo kept blasting Ice Beam after Ice Beam. The barrage of attacks force the tiny bird to fly up to avoid being hit. At first Pidgey started to slow down allowing the edge of another Ice Beam to hit her wing. Frost started to cover the wing making it harder and harder for Pidgey to remain in the air.

Pidgey looked at her wing and let out a cry of anger and frustration then her whole body was shrouded in a white light, her silhouette started getting bigger and then the light dissipated revealing a new Pokémon. This bird was bigger than Pidgey with a crest of feathers on its head that went down to its neck and a multicolored tail, the plumage was darker and the bird looked down on Ludicolo with arrogance in its avian eyes.

The newly evolved Pidgeotto gave a shrill cry and then her body was shrouded in dazzling blue light as she dove from the skies aiming straight at Ludicolo. For his part Ludicolo wasn't afraid and kept firing another Ice Beam but they did nothing to stop Pidgeotto as she hit him with all her might sending the grass/water Pokémon crashing against the side of the pool sinking to the bottom.

Pidgeotto landed on the platform and spread her wings in victory. Everybody was shocked that the once tiny bird had not only evolved but displayed one of the most powerful flying type moves, Brave Bird where the Pokémon was shrouded in a cocoon of energy and used the energy for offensive power.

After a moment of silence Violet raised her hand. "Ludicolo is unable to battle the winner is Pidgeotto."

Lily smiled at her fallen Pokémon and recalled Ludicolo. "Your Pidgeotto sure surprised me, she has an unshakable spirit; thank you for such a grand battle."

Joe smiled as Pidgeotto flew to his side; he knelt down and petted the soft feathers of the avian Pokémon. "You did great, girl. I'm so proud of you and that Brave Bird was amazing."

Pidgeotto cooed and closed her eyes, puffing her chest out in pride. She felt ashamed after losing to that fat bird from Johto but if they met now he would feel her wrath. Joe recalled her back to the ball since she deserved a good rest. He looked at Lily and smiled.

"She was the first Pokémon I caught and we've worked very hard to get here, now let's end this."

Joe released his second Pokémon who turned out to be Machop. Ash nodded thinking that Joe must be saving Bellsprout for the final battle; the type advantage will work very well however Lily had proven to be a very tricky opponent. Machop was flexing his muscles and grinning ready to show how tough he was.

Lily had already sent her next Pokémon, it had a long snout and two fin-like ridges curving over either side of its head. Its belly was covered with rough, cream-colored scales. It had lower pectoral fins with sharp, pointed, cream-colored tips that exuded venom. It also had a large, coiled tail. The water Pokémon looked angry and was moving back and forth.

Violet nodded at both trainers. "The next battle will be between Seadra and Machop please begin."

Joe frowned and looked at the platforms. "Machop close the distance with Focus Chop."

Lily smiled at Machop as he ran from platform to platform. "I'm sorry but that is as far as you go. Pontus, Dragon Pulse."

Seadra glared at Machop and from its snout a crystal green sphere of draconic energy the size of a cannon ball formed and shot at tremendous speed towards Machop. The power Pokémon didn't have time to dodge, when he was going to move to the side he slipped on the wet platform making him lose his balance and got hit square in the chest by the attack.

The attack sent Machop flying over the pool landing next to Joe completely knocked out. Joe looked in shock at seeing how quick the battle ended. Violet raised her hand towards Lily with a frown on her face.

"Machop is unable to battle the winner is Seadra."

Joe looked at his fallen Pokémon and recalled him at the same time Lily recalled her Seadra who looked quite annoyed at having the battle ended so quickly.

The large man next to Ash nodded. "It was to be expected, Seadra are kings of the water and they have easier access to draconic energy than regular Pokémon since they have the genetic potential to evolve into a dragon. Also they are good at mid and long range combat while Machop are more suited for close combat."

Jovi looked at the battlefield. "It was a revenge battle for Joe beating Ludicolo with what appeared to be a weaker Pokémon. That Lily is a petty trainer."

The large man smiled but didn't say anything. Ash just shook his head, it did look like Lily sent an overly strong Pokémon to beat Joe after Pidgeotto beat Ludicolo.

Both trainers released their final Pokémon; Ash could see the look of determination on Joe's face for him this was do or die. Bellsprout appeared on the platform waving her leafy arms, her face ready for battle. On the other side of the field was a green, bipedal, frog-like Pokémon with yellow hands, belly, throat, and toes. It had a single long, curled hair on top of its head and small pink cheek spots.

Violet nodded to both trainers. "The final battle for the Cascade Badge will be between Politoed and Bellsprout, begin!"

Lily gave Joe a dazzling smile. "You fought well but I'm sorry that this battle will end as quickly as the last one. Kera, Hydro Pump don't hold back."

Joe gave her a tight smile and looked at Bellsprout. "Bellsprout this battle will be all you, Machop got beat but Pidgey won her battle and even evolved into Pidgeotto. So go all out; Whip Roulette!"

Bellsprout nodded and started dashing from platform to platform every time she landed on one she would viciously strike Politoed with her vine whips. For her part Politoed's cheeks were filled with water and they sent huge blasts of water towards the flower Pokémon. Even though her root-like feet were tiny, Bellsprout was moving at very good speed.

She was moving between three platforms that were side by side changing her position every time Politoed attacked with another Hydro Pump. For her part Bellsprout was attacking with her vines hitting Politoed on the arms or legs but mostly her whips would land on the platform. The frog Pokémon was getting annoyed and tried to move to another platform but every time she tried Bellsprout would block her path with her vines making Politoed really angry.

The large man next to Ash nodded approvingly. "That Bellsprout has been well trained, Pokémon like her are fitted for control type battle styles with their different spores and techniques they can control any battle they want. That Politoed won't be able to move from that platform unless Bellsprout wants her to."

Politoed was getting more and more annoyed she had gone from trying to hit Bellsprout with a Hydro Pump and switch to Ice Beam trying to freeze the platforms but the flower Pokémon would just break the ice with her vines and proceeded to keep on her vine barrage but always keeping the frog Pokémon from moving. The frustration was evident on both trainer and Pokémon.

"That weed is starting to annoy me, Kera use Bounce then finish it with an Ice Punch."

There was an evil look in Politoed's eyes as she crouched down and jumped high into the sky with her powerful legs, her right hand was shrouded in crystal light energy. But apparently that was what Bellsprout was waiting for and wrapped her vines around Politoed's legs and slammed her down on the platform she just left. The platform shook with the force of the hit cracking it in several places.

Politoed slowly got up and staggered his body was covered in a colorful powder, then the Pokémon started sneezing uncontrollably. The funniest thing was that with every sneeze a spout of water came out. The frog Pokémon moved unsteadily on his feet before finally falling down.

Violet looked at the frog Pokémon then raised her hand. "Politoed is unable to battle; the winner is Bellsprout and Joe from Vermilion City congratulations."

Bellsprout jumped into Joe's arms and he hugged the little grass type before recalling her. "You did a great job, now you deserve some rest."

Lily on the other side recalled her Pokémon with a frown on her face. "I just have no idea what happened to Kera at the end."

"You were too hasty and didn't pay attention to the battle as it went on Lily, that's why you lost."

A voice said behind the gym leader and a young blonde woman wearing shorts and the top part of a bathing suit stood behind Lily. She looked like Violet, Lily and Misty except for maybe being a little older and being blonde.

"Bellsprout coated her vines with her different status afflicting powders, purposely hitting the legs and platform filling it with Stun Spores, Poison and Sleep Powders. Over the course of the battle they accumulated and when you ordered Kera to use Bounce you lost the battle. Once Kera hit the platform all those powders entered her system at the same time. That was pretty smart."

Lily pouted at the woman. "You don't have to make it sound like it was my fault, Daisy."

Daisy smiled. "It wasn't entirely your fault, that Bellsprout has very good control of her powders and the combination with her vines was effective. The battle could have gone either way but you let your frustration get the best of you. Now go take Kera to the healing machine she needs it."

Lily nodded and left, while Violet remained sitting in the referee area. "May the final challenger step up please?"

Joe had already moved towards the stands and Ash was walking down to meet him on the way and smiled. "Be careful Ash, Daisy is the oldest of the sisters so she will be the toughest."

Ash smiled at him, he already had a plan for this battle. "Thanks, I'll give it my all."

Then he moved towards the stadium and looked at Daisy who had a serious look on her face. The smiling reproaching sister was gone and in front of him was the Gym Leader of Cerulean City, the most powerful trainer around.

Ash didn't wait to be asked for his name. "My name is Ash from Pallet Town and this gym is just a stepping stone on my way to the top."

Daisy smiled and nodded. "Good; you have clear eyes filled with passion, show me what you got."

She then threw her first Poké Ball releasing a Pokémon Ash had never seen before but he could tell it was beautiful. It had a serpentine primarily cream-colored body. It had red eyes with long, pinkish antennae above them. Additionally, there were long, hair-like fins above its eyes, which begin thin and thicken towards the tips. These eyebrows extend to almost half of the Pokémon's body length. On top of its relatively small head it had a straight spike. Running down either side of its neck were three black dots, similar to gills.

The Pokémon let out a beautiful cry and swam to Daisy and the gym leader petted her on the head. "You are a spoiled girl aren't you, but now it's not the time we have a battle to get to."

The Pokémon nodded and looked at Ash. He smiled and thought this was the perfect opportunity for a little lesson. He released his first Pokémon aiming at the cracked platform that Politoed had stood on during the previous battle. Once the light of the Poké Ball faded Rhyhorn stood looking arrogantly at the serpentine Pokémon.

Joe had just reached his seat and almost fell out of it. "What is Ash thinking?"

Jovi lay back on her chair and looked at Joe. "Your friend is an idiot. Why would he send a ground/rock type against a Milotic?"

Joe shook his head. "You don't understand, Ash just caught Rhyhorn about a week ago and it has tried to kill Ash several times since then."

The large man laughed and both young trainers turned to look at him. "Your friend is actually a very tricky trainer, his choice was deliberate. What an interesting fella, you two watch; this match will be over real fast."

Violet gave Ash a look reserved for the mentally ill. "The final gym battle of the day will be Ash from Pallet town and his Rhyhorn versus Daisy Waterflower and her Milotic, begin."

Daisy gave Ash a thoughtful look but didn't say anything. "Prism darling, would you please use Hydro Pump?"

Milotic let out a cry and charged a powerful blast of water sending it straight at Rhyhorn. Ash had been counting in his head and as soon as the battle started and before the attack could reach his Pokémon a large cracking sound was heard and the platform under Rhyhorn's feet broke and the heavy horn Pokémon fell in the water.

Everyone looked shocked at such a development. Ash counted to five in his head before recalling his Pokémon. Violet looked surprised but raised her hand.

"Rhyhorn is unable to battle, Milotic is the winner."

Milotic looked confused and looked at her trainer who was watching Ash with a pensive look. She recalled her Pokémon and crossed her arms. "Why did you send a ground/rock type, one as heavy as a Rhyhorn on a pool battlefield and on top of a broken platform?"

Ash gave her a sheepish smile. "I'm sorry for using your gym to convey a lesson to my Pokémon; he has been a little hard to reach since I captured him and I thought a little tough love might get through to him."

Daisy gave Ash a long considerate look. On the stands Joe smacked his forehead with his hand and shook his head. "Sometimes I don't know where that boy gets his ideas."

Jovi and the large man just look at Ash, the former with a look that clearly thought he was an idiot while the latter narrowed his eyes behind his sunglasses, an interest light shining in his eyes.

Both Ash and Daisy threw their second Pokémon at the same time. Ash had chosen Nidoran, the small rodent would be perfect in this scenario, at least that was what he was thinking. Ash saw that Daisy chose a Pokémon Ash was familiar with; it had brown eyes, a dark blue streak on each cheek, and two sharp teeth protruding from its upper jaw. It had three clawed fingers and pointed toes. Pale blue fur covers its long ears and tail. A brown shell with a pale yellow underside encases its body. A thick, white rim separates the upper and lower halves of the shell.

Violet nodded at the trainers. "The second battle will be Nidoran versus Wartortle, begin!"

"Nidoran, move between the platforms and let loose with your Poison Sting; close the distance."

Daisy smiled at Ash. "That won't work on me Ash, Shellbasher Rapid Gun."

Nidoran nodded and started jumping from platform to platform while she shot wave after wave of thin poisonous needles at the water turtle. Wartortle for his part yawned and hid in his shell and started spinning at high speeds while powerful bursts of water shot out of the holes and made their way towards Nidoran. The high speeds at which the shell was spinning was making Poison Sting useless.

Ash grunted he knew this gym was going to be way tougher than Brock's but he was ready for it. "Nidoran stop and use Double Kick."

Nidoran stopped close to the incoming turtle bullet, her legs primed with energy as she turned around and back kicked Wartortle with enough force to send him crashing against a platform. The turtle Pokémon came out of its shell looking dazed before shaking his head sending a glare at Nidoran, a sphere of water formed on his palms and he shot it at her and before Nidoran could do anything she was hit in the face.

The force of the attack sent her back against a platform and she almost fell in the water before she regained control of her momentum. She looked at herself in the reflection all wet, anger burned inside her as she had spent the better part of the day grooming herself after they had left that never-ending maze of a cave and now this turtle had ruined her grooming.

Ash saw the look of fury in her eyes as she screeched her hate at Wartortle a blinding white light shrouded her body as her figure grew bigger and bigger once the light was over he saw that his little Nidoran had evolved into a powerful Nidorina her ears and fangs had grown larger and her whole body was more bulky with light blue scales protecting her hide. The poisonous barbs along her back were larger and more intimidating and she had a small stubby tail.

Ash grinned at her. "Remind me never to mess with your grooming girl; now make him pay."

Daisy smiled. "It's very rare for a Pokémon to evolve during a gym battle, usually they do it after or before. But today we have seen not one but three, this really gets my blood pumping seeing such promising talent. Shellbasher, show them what you're made of Dragon Pulse!"

Ash eyes widened he had seen how powerful that move was from Joe's battle, dread filled him as he saw the green draconic sphere being formed. Determination shone in his eyes. "Nidorina let's show them your power; Double Kick it back at them then use Fury Swipes!"

Nidorina's fury was palpable and a red glow appeared on her body. As soon as Ash saw he recognized it from when Machop used Focus Energy it was the same glow. Nidorina had just learned Focus Energy.

The draconic orb didn't look as big as when Seadra used it but it still looked threatening. Nidorina turned around and the red glow around her body focused on her legs as they were shrouded in white light and she kicked the orb. There was a stalemate between the two attacks before the orb was hurled back at Wartortle hitting the turtle Pokémon who had enough time to hide in its shell.

The explosion rocked the platforms spreading them all over the pool. Nidorina rushed towards the down turtle and landed on the platform. The shock from the blast had scorched Wartortle's shell, it looked black and there were several scratches on it. Nidorina stood poised over the fallen Pokémon, her claws extending sharp and ready.

There was small movement from inside the shell then Wartortle came out he had his eyes closed completely knocked out. Nidorina stood there and gave one last scratch to vent her anger then returned to Ash's side.

Ash stood there and hugged his Pokémon. "Girl you were awesome and you look so powerful. We will practice that new move you learned and help you get adjusted to your new body. Once you have mastered all your attacks, I promise we will use the Moon Stone."

Nidorina nodded, smiling proud of herself that she managed to evolve and beat that pesky annoying turtle. Ash scratched her behind the ears which she enjoyed then recalled her so that she could get a good rest. He will go to the Center later so that she can have a full check-up to make sure there were no problems with her evolution.

Daisy had already recalled her Wartortle and looked at the Poké Ball. "We have to work on your defense my dear and on that Dragon Pulse, looks like you'll have another session with Pontus and Kingdra."

She then looked at Ash and smiled. "You have surprised me greatly, Ash; the way you handled your newly evolved Nidorina speaks that you two trust each other very much. Because of what you have shown me today, I will show you my respect battling with the second Pokémon I captured."

She released her last Pokémon, it had three small toes on each foot and dark blue paw pads on the hind feet. Its body was light blue with dark blue markings around its head and a ridge down its back. It had a split tail-fin and a white ruff around its neck, and three fins around its head made of cream-colored webbing. It had an arrogant look on his face as he sat on the platform with his tail-fin wrapped around his front paws.

"Meet Aquos I should warn you the Water Stone that was used to evolve him came from the Lake of Rage in Johto so his thirst for battle is the highest among my team."

Ash didn't even think and released Growlithe. The fire puppy looked battle poised glaring at his opponent. Ash smiled at his friend; this would be a perfect battle for him.

Violet again looked at Ash like he might have a few screws loose in his head. "The final battle will be between Growlithe and Vaporeon, begin."

Daisy crossed her arms over her chest. "Aquos show them what you are made off, Aqua Jet."

Ash knew his Pokémon was at a serious disadvantage. "Growlithe, charge your Iron Tail and move from platform to platform at your highest speed, don't slow down for anything."

Growlithe barked and his tail began to glow while he ran with all his might from platform to platform. Meanwhile Vaporeon had shrouded his whole body in armor of high speed moving water and launched himself at Growlithe with unrepentant ferocity, diving into the pool and coming out of it with such force and speed that Growlithe was jumping between platforms to keep away.

"Growlithe when he gets too close, jump using Iron Tail." Ash yelled after Vaporeon got particularly close.

"Aquos don't let him run around freely, use Scald in combination with your Aqua Jet."

Growlithe was feeling the pressure as he kept running and jumping between platforms and it was all he could do to barely keep away from the vicious water Pokémon. Then he felt a jet of burning water graze his shoulder. He looked back and saw that the effing thing was shooting at him. He jumped forward using his tail as a spring to maintain two platforms worth of distance between them. He transferred even more energy into his legs and he was suddenly moving faster and faster.

The large man next to Joe and Jovi laughed as he saw this. "That kid sure has guts, when Daisy figures it out she is going to be livid."

He noticed the confused looks of the two novice trainers and decided to explain. "I could be wrong but that kid never planned on winning this battle. First he used the setting and environment to get through to his stubborn Rhyhorn. Purposely losing the first battle that already puts an enormous amount of pressure on him because he has to win the next one no matter what. You're following me so far?"

The two novice trainers nodded, the man continued. "So the next thing he does is choose Nidoran who from the looks of it was really close to evolving so the only thing she needed was an opportunity. His Pokémon evolves, giving him a powerful ally in his new Nidorina. So now the score is one to one. Next victory decides everything but Ash knows his last Pokémon is weak to Daisy's and most likely won't win so he is using this battle as an intense training session for himself and his Pokémon. Gutsy, very gutsy."

Joe looked at Ash thinking that he was just a knucklehead who could skip this gym until he had a suitable team while Jovi was thinking more along the lines that Ash was an idiot like before.

Daisy narrowed her eyes as she saw Growlithe gain more speed, this Ash was not like most beginner trainers, he didn't use the type advantage strategy many beginners did or try to do a full frontal assault and try to overwhelm with power. Ash was smiling from the bottom of his heart, his friend was using Quick Attack to dodge the incoming attacks. His one goal for Growlithe during this battle had been achieved now he needed to see if they could win the badge.

"Growlithe Iron Burst now." Ash yelled as he saw his friend distancing more from Vaporeon.

Growlithe dodged a particularly nasty Scald and jumped using his tail and let loose a Flame Burst hitting Vaporeon on the side, evaporating the Aqua Jet and causing a bit of damage. The bubble jet Pokémon growled in pain and glared at Growlithe. He jumped into the water and seemed to melt into the water, becoming invisible.

For a minute nothing happened; Growlithe was still running from platform to platform to be able to evade any attack that Vaporeon might send his way. Suddenly the water level rose in a huge wave and on top of that wave sat Vaporeon with a furious look on his face. Growlithe saw the huge wave coming his way and moved faster all the way to the last platform then jumped using his tail and fired another Flame Burst hitting Vaporeon in the face before the wave swept Growlithe away and both Pokémon went under.

Both Daisy and Ash looked at the water waiting for their Pokémon to surface. Then both Pokémon rose on the same platform, Vaporeon had burn marks all over its face and the ridge crown around its head, the water Pokémon was panting and looked unsteady on its feet.

Growlithe had a few cuts on his wet fur and he was panting very badly, his legs were shaking and looked like he was going to fall any minute.

Both Pokémon stood glaring at each other, Growlithe was about to pounce and Bite Vaporeon but his legs gave out from under him and darkness took him. Ash smiled at his friend, he knew it would be tough to win.

Violet nodded and raised her hand. "The winner of the battle is Vaporeon and Gym leader Daisy."

Ash recalled his friend and clipped the Pokémon on his belt. Once Vaporeon heard that he won he let himself go and fell to the platform. Daisy looked surprised and recalled her Pokémon.

She smiled at the Poké Ball. "You hung on through sheer will, my friend, thank you."

Daisy put away her Poké Ball and smiled at Ash. "You gave me an amazing battle; I hope to see you soon for a rematch. I'll be leaving on a research trip next week and won't be back until the conference."

Ash nodded, he got the message that if he wanted to beat Daisy he only had one week to do it after that his chance would be gone. Daisy smiled and walked away leaving only Violet to hand out the badges.

"Will the winners of today's matches please step forward?"

Ash went to the side and saw Joe and Jovi come over. In Violet's hand there was a black box. She moved towards Joe and Jovi and opened the box, inside were two badges in the shape of a light blue water drop. She handed them out and then took out two blue square devices.

"This is the Cascade badge proof that you won your battles here in the Cerulean City Gym and as an extra prize for beating me and my sister we will each give you a TM for a water type move. Jovi for beating me you get TM Brine it's a powerful water type move that allows your Pokémon to blast their foes with a high power salt water blast. Joe for beating my sister Lily you get the TM Water Pledge it is also a powerful water type move that attacks your foes with powerful rings of water but be careful since this is an area of effect move it can also hurt your allies."

Both Jovi and Joe took their badges and TM's and thanked Violet. Violet smiled at them then crossed her arms over her chest.

"You both battle tremendously well so I hope to see your growth during the conference. Ash from the way you battle I'm sure we will be seeing you again soon."

Ash nodded and then Violet said her goodbyes and turned to leave. Jovi didn't spare them another minute and took off. Ash wanted to talk to her to see if she was okay after those people acted so rudely towards her but she was gone before he could say anything. Joe smacked him in the back of the head.

"Wake up Ash, seriously what were you thinking sending Rhyhorn and Growlithe. I mean you almost won but treating a gym battle as a training exercise is crazy even for you."

Ash rubbed the back of his head and smiled. "Aren't all gym battles training exercises to get ready for the conference?"

Joe opened his mouth to refute but the little bugger made sense. "That's not the point man, anyways let's go get our Pokémon healed up and figure out a strategy for you to beat Daisy."

Ash shook his head and smiled at his friend. They had met not too long ago but Joe was becoming his best friend aside from his Pokémon. He was already forming a plan in his head for battling Daisy. He only had a week to prepare and he was going to be ready.

---

Hello guys Harlequin K here with another chapter of Titans that I hope you enjoy. Now the reason why this chapter took so long and I was out of touch was because a couple of months back an idea struck me and wouldn't leave me alone so I started writing the first draft of a personal book, which I hope to finish sometime soon its about 3/4 done and maybe, hopefully it will get published who knows.

Anyways while writing the draft, Titans was slowly forming in the back of my head and ideas were discarded, others were incorporated and the rest will be seen in future chapters. I hope the ideas are to your liking. So again I apologized for the delay but there is one more piece of good news Chapter 7 of Titans is about a quarter done I think unless I get another crazy idea and make it longer than I planned to. So in the following 2-3 weeks hopefully if nothing goes wrong there will be another update. *fingers crossed*

Now that I rambled a bit lets talk about this chapter, its my longest chapter to date for Titans about 15.3 k its not the monster chapters that Elf from Traveler or Darkfire from Challenger put out but the story is slowly moving forward and if you haven't read those fics? Then what are you waiting for go or Rhyhorn might rampage your room lol.

There are three concepts that I've been dying to introduce to you guys and now it's finally time. The first is the lore behind evolution stones and where they come from. I had the idea for a while knowing that maybe 3 or 4 of Ash Pokémon will need such items...is that a spoiler...hmmm lol that's up to you guys to find out.

The second is Jovi wow I've been dying to introduce her since chapter 1 but there was never a good moment for her. One of the things that I'm trying to do with Titans is redeem some characters from the games and anime that were misused or done badly such as Joe, Jovi, the cerulean sisters and a few others that will pop up soon.

And finally it's you guessed it, The cerulean sisters...I hated how they were portrayed in the anime as these airheads with no skills. I mean gym leaders are supposed to be the toughest trainers in their respective cities so how could they be done so horribly. I guess they had to do something to make room for Misty but...anyways I won't ramble about that. I hope you guys like what I did with them.

As always like and review the story and let me know what you think of the chapter and the story as whole. Any questions are welcome will be answered in the following chapter. A final word THANK YOU so much to Kalypso Fox who took the time to fix and edited the grammatical errors that were in the chapter and polished it nicely.

Now to answer some reviews:

Maddog631: I really hope this story isn't abandoned and will continue. I really like how all these events are set up to challenge Ash harder and harder making him stronger and stronger. I can't wait for the gym battles and his future Pokémon and their development.

HK: I hope this update and the author note answered your question but just in case...HELL no this is not abandoned. I'm glad you like the story and how the world is more challenging for Ash thank you for reading and reviewing.

The Trainer of Legend: Just found this story and it's great! I really like your story building and character interactions reminds me of Traveler and Challenger. Can't wait for the next update and lemme know if u still need OCs. Keep up the good work

HK: LOL thank you so much for reading and reviewing. I can only hope that someday Titans can get to the level of Traveler and Challenger as they are great inspiration and awesome writers. OC's are always welcome since I have a folder so that I can pull them out when the story needs it.

Alween: I really like the way you introduce each of ash's Pokémon , plus you go in details about their attacks(how they function, possible combos, etc). I like your team since i am a big fan of growlithe and rhyhorn, will ash captures Pokémon from other region while in kanto? Please update, it is a really fun and enjoyable story

HK: I'll be saying this often but don't care, thank you so much for reading and reviewing knowing what you guys think actually pushes me to keep writing. I try to make the attacks as real as possible and they could work in an actual battle where you have to think on your feet. Growlithe is my favorite Pokémon of them all lol I guess you can tell. Yes Ash's team will be as diverse as I can make it, I have a list of Pokémon he will have and he has at least one from every region maybe.

rockingchampif: Just got around it ...great story and awesome depth in regards to training and character development not hurried or overpowered like in most cases...great team building as well ...i have always loved the growlithe lines so inclined towards the first chapter and then kept reading it just got hooked to it...great story characterisation ...keep it up...an early update would be awesome ...

HK: Thanks so much for reading and reviewing my friend. I try to let the story flow naturally as of this point Ash has only been a trainer for maybe a little over a month and he started late so he only has 7-8 months to get all the badges, get out of the troubles I have planned for him and capture and build his team. If only Rhyhorn would listend to him lol.

SilverBlader: This is by far the best chapter you've put out for Titans. I see some major improvements in your writing abilities. I think I died of laughter from Blue and Red's conversations, they were definitely in character.

You've got me wondering though, did I catch a Naruto reference with that trainer's Pokémon being named Kiba?

HK: My friend you have always help with doubts and questions when I'm stuck thanks so much for your review and thoughts. Red and Blue have long been in the works and I hope you like my versions of them. Naruto refference? lol I thought the same thing but you have to ask Silviax17 Kiba is her baby that she let me borrowed for a bit.

thor94: interesting chapter.

fun the speech with ash family, can't wait sabrina meeting.

also i hope ash will obtain a good Pokémon from his grandpa.

good battle between the girl and joe he is good.

wow, the meeting with rhyhorn was rough, but ash kinda managed it, he know how to speak to Pokémon , the rock guy was really shocked by ash attitude, pretty sure the next meeting will be better.

and ash also met cynthia and an older trainer.

can't wait next chapter.

HK: Thanks my dude for liking and reviewing the chapter. The Pokémon Ash might get from his grandpa is still up for debate since I'm currently between two choices. Hopefully as the story progresses I will make up my mind. Rhyhorn...he is a special case maybe the dip in the pool helped...maybe it didn't

Well that's all for right now my friends. I hope that you enjoy our latest chapter and leave a review with your thoughts and hope to see you again soon.

Harlequin K.