Monarch's Journey
Chapters 7: Alma Mater
"WHY THE FUCK CAN'T WE JUST HEAD IN A STRAIGHT LINE?!" The echoing voice of a very annoyed, and short woman echoed across the foggy forest. Everyone else around her however, had their hands over their ears, wincing as she glared down at the ground. "We went north when we should've gone south, and then somehow ended up in another bloody forest, and now, we're fuckin' lost!"
"Would it kill you to stop complaining Tizzy? At least quiet down a bit." Misty grumbled as she looked at the older girl, eyes narrowing as she stomped over, and wrapped an arm around the woman's neck. Tugging her ahead, Misty winced as Tizeriz pulled her head back, growling in annoyance. "Hey! Stop that! You're gonna make me fall over you crazy woman!"
"Then fall! Didn't seem to care several days ago!" Tizeriz huffed before Misty's eyes widened in anger. Feeling her weight shift, Tizeriz looked down at Misty, blinking at how the teenager was holding her up with ease. "...Please don't." She begged in a soft, quiet voice, before jerking back slightly as Brock waved his hands rapidly.
"O-okay let's all just calm down and have some lunch, okay? I can whip up some sort of tart and coffee for us before we try and head out! Let the fog clear for a while, right?" He asked hastily, before Tizeriz gave him a disgusted look.
"You fuckin' wankers drink coffee?!" She shouted before feeling her weight shift again. Only to feel what a rock did, as Misty threw her forward several feet. Slamming into the ground besides Brock, she hissed in pain, before slowly sitting up. "OW!"
"Okay if you're gonna be a massive jerk now, you can do something to make yourself useful!" Misty shouted, before Tizeriz huffed and puffed her cheeks in annoyance.
"Fuckin' make me." Tizeriz pouted before she shifted her weight to pull her bag out, dodging to the side as a table made its way out of Brock's own bag. "Hey, I've been meaning to ask but… How the hell is there a whole dining room set, in your bag?"
"Hmm? Oh that? I'm not entirely sure myself, I just sorta… found myself shifting things around in here for so long, extra storage must've appeared." Brock explained before blinking at the blank stare Tizeriz gave right back.
"... That doesn't explain a damn thing dude. Just… just get the damn tart crust made… I'll handle the bloody fruit… Ash, mind heading out to go grab wood with Misty?" Tizeriz asked as she tugged her gloves off. Flexing her fingers absently, Tizeriz popped her neck before digging out several silver pinap berries from deep within, along with a cutting board, and sharp knife with its cover.
"Alright, let's go Misty." Ash called before heading further into the woods, vanishing as the fog wrapped around him. Hearing footsteps fall into line beside him, Misty peered ahead, annoyance still crossing her face as she peered around the trees. "You okay?" Ash asked, once a considerable distance came between them, and the older teens.
Nodding angrily, Misty huffed as she turned to Ash and threw her hands into the air. "Who the heck does she think she is!? She helped me forget that my entire home city sucked, but she thinks that she can complain every damn time we don't follow her stupid path?! We're trainers Ash! Rookie trainers!" Misty ranted, even as Ash only stared dumbly at her, watching how worked up the red head was getting.
"Uh-huh." Ash agreed before wincing as Misty slapped his cheek, shaking him out of his stupor. "Ow! Why me?! I'm just agreeing with you!" He hissed before rubbing his cheek, wincing at Misty's open palm.
"Oh I'm sorry, but it seemed like you were too busy staring at me ranting!" Misty shouted, only to go deathly silent, as both teens heard the sound of several people further along the forest.
"-at's this one?" One, almost snobbish voice asked, the fog keeping Misty and Ash from being able to see who was speaking. However, when the duo came across a small clearing, where a small group of teenagers stood around someone running in place.
"A-a Pidgey…" A voice barely got out before grunting as his voice grew louder from laboured breathing.
"And this?" Another snobbish voice asked, tone almost genuine.
"A Taillow." The earlier voice huffed.
"And what about this? What evolves into it, and how?" Another asked, as they held up a card.
"Pikachu, which needs to be in a… in a tropical climate, with a thunderstone… That's how you can get an Alolan Raichu." The boy continued before tripping, and flew backwards off of the treadmill, rolling to a halt several feet away. "Dang it… Nearly kept pace."
"Alright, take five Joe, we'll try some other ones in a bit." One of the snobbish boys said before pocketing the cards. Stopping the treadmill, the boys sighed as they looked down at Joe, and helped him to his feet.
"You almost got it, just a bit more, and you'll fly through the League in no time!" One of them praised, before getting shoved aside by another, handing the panting boy a water bottle.
"Yeah! Then we'll show Kanto that Giovanni isn't just wasting money on the school!" Another shouted before the whole group devolved into praising Joe, as he laughed weakly, and looked around, hoping to escape such praise.
"The heck are they doing over there?" Misty asked, as the fog slowly lifted, before an announcement echoed across the clearing.
"And that concludes today's lesson on fog environment and battles. Please return to the school building for more practices, tomorrow is our Test day."
"...Hang on Misty, I recognize that building…" Ash realised as the fog revealed a large L shaped building, with a fenced off pool yard to the left. "Isn't that-?"
"The Pokemon Tech School… I had a flyer for it in my room back in Cerulean…" Misty muttered before watching as the group sighed, before walking to the school.
"Sorry Joe, we'll see ya in a while to finish this, alright?"
"Alright! I'll move the treadmill!" Joe, now identified as the runner answering trivia, sighed and slowly shoved the treadmill forward, towards the steps of the school.
"Let's help him, Misty." Ash suggested, while the red haired girl nodded, and walked ahead with a sigh.
"We better hurry though, no telling how angry Tizeriz will be, even though she's probably gonna just ruin our afternoon snack…" Misty grumbled, walking out with Ash, before blinking at the boy. "Where's Pikachu?"
"Hmm? Oh he's staying to keep Alissa company back at camp… Apparently because she might just end up making Tizzy more mad if left alone? I dunno, I had to guess, and Pikachu isn't that great at charades just yet." The raven haired trainer admitted before Misty nodded in acknowledgement, their conversation interrupting Joe's feeble attempts at moving the treadmill more than several inches. "Hey, do you need some help?"
"Oh! Hello there." The boy greeted before watching as Misty lifted the tail end of the treadmill with relative ease, while Ash helped him lift the front end with a bit more difficulty. "Y-yeah that would be nice. Are you two passing through here?"
"Yeah. We're travelling around Kanto for our journey, he's collecting badges, I'm getting a by-in thanks to my status as the Cerulean's former gym leader." Misty answered before the boy laughed lightly. Setting the treadmill down under an archway where more sat, the boy pointed to the school and grinned.
"Well, I'm gonna get a buy-in because of my graduation from here! We're all given a pass to the League Tournament if we graduate, so I, and a couple others, are trying to graduate before the next one!" Joe boasted before Ash took a moment to nod, and ask a very important question.
"What kinda Pokemon are you planning on taking there?" He asked before Joe felt his moment burst slightly.
"Uh my Weepinbell, and maybe go get a Raichu, and some other Pokemon for type coverage. Ya know, like how the simulations we have here keep telling us to do?" Joe explained before Misty frowned.
"Wait, you guys don't have practical battles daily? How are you supposed to train without that?" Misty asked before Joe nearly huffed.
"If we kept forcing our Pokemon to train, we'd end up with Pokemon that wouldn't do well. The simulations state that very clearly. It's why we're keeping them prime and fresh, before we even attempt to grab an extra Pokemon or so." Joe explained as the trio walked towards the entrance of the school. "It's also advice I got from Giselle, our class's current president."
Ash couldn't help but laugh as he pointed at the school. "Waitwaitwait… you mean that you're just gonna buy your way in? Without any experience?!" Ash asked, his laughter bleeding over to Misty, as the girl started giggling, before laughing just as loudly as her friend was.
Which only seemed to annoy the boy between them as he glared between them. "O-oh yeah? Let's show everyone that you two are wasting time, running around like a bunch of idiots, when you should be going to school to study! Not run around in the wild, fighting everything in sight, and wearing out your Pokemon!" He shouted back before stomping up the stairwell, shoving the door open. "HEY GISELLE! WE GOT A COUPLE OF NAYSAYERS OUT HERE!"
"Oh crap… Misty, think we should go a-" Ash asked before wincing at Misty's fiery eyes glinting with a challenge. "Nevermind, we should be able to prove a couple of snobs wrong, right?"
"Oh please Ash! Even those three from Team Rocket could beat them!" Misty shouted back before grabbing Ash by his jacket. Shaking the poor trainer with semi-ease, Misty started shouting at him. "We're not backing down, and if we're gonna fight, I wanna make sure the head honcho of this school falls with them!"
"Okay…" Ash weakly answered, waiting for the moment his brain stopped bouncing around like a marble. Shaking his head, Ash gave Misty a determined look, and nodded as the two went inside.
"Hey Tiz, isn't it a bit odd that Misty and Ash haven't come back yet? The fog cleared up, but they're still missing…" Brock pondered as he continued to knead the pastry dough for the tart, looking over at his small camp stove.
"Yeah, I do. Probably ran off to go snog or something stupid…" Tizeriz scoffed, only to wince at the feeling of a wooden spoon hitting her head. "OW! What the absolute fuck is wrong with everyone today!? Stop fuckin' hitting me ya bloody bastard!"
"Look, I don't know why you're so angry this week, but you need to get a grip. If those two aren't back yet, it might mean that they're in trouble." Brock sternly suggested, before tossing the tart crust dough into a small bowl and sighed. "If they're not back, we better forget about our midday snack."
"Fine, I'll find those rotten doves… Can't be that hard, those two barely leave each other's side after all…" She huffed before pausing. "Hang on a tick… WHY THE HELL AM I DOING IT ALONE?! Get off your lazy bum, and help me find them!" She shouted before turning back around, missing the way Brock looked like he was about to strangle the shorter woman, out of pure frustration.
As it turned out, Ash and Misty could actually grow more irritated by the way most students inside sneered at them. Even if they were the ones to issue a challenge, the snobs moved to the interior battle arena. However, as Ash looked around, Misty stomped over to Joe and held up a blue Poke Ball, shoving the enlarged sphere into the boy's chest. "Let's go while you wait for your precious class leader to show up! I'll beat you in a one on one!"
"As if. You were Cerulean's Gym leader, right?" Joe asked as he plucked a Luxury Ball from his side. "Meaning that you're a water specialist. My Weepinbell should clear any of your Pokemon with ease."
"Well let's see where your silver spoon gets you, shall we?" Misty challenged back before she walked over to the edge of the arena, and stood in the trainer square. Sending out her Starmie, the starfish stood at attention as Misty grinned. "Meet my ace pokemon! Starmie!"
"Starmie huh? I remember training my Weepinbell against the best of those. I've got the advantage here! Even if you are a Gym Leader, I have the qualifications of two badges! You can't win!" Joe shouted before pointing at Starmie. "Weepinbell, let's show these bumpkins how it goes around here!" Calling out his Weepinbell, Misty grinned before pointing at the Weepinbell.
"Starmie! Use Psybeam!" She shouted before Joe blinked as his only Pokemon flew backwards from the force of the attack, having seen it appear, and fall faint against the wall.
"Wha-? But Starmie's a water type! I have a Poison-Grass type! I should've had the advantage!" The boy exclaimed before everyone else in the bleachers gave Misty and her smirking companion, a look of contempt.
"Does he know Starmie's part Psychic?" Ash asked, failing to contain his laughter, before just giving up, while Misty grinned.
"You can use all the simulations you want, but unless any of you snobs ever want a chance to win the dang League, you better have some practical experience on your hands." She grinned, while Ash fell to the ground, holding his stomach as he laughed loudly.
"Well well, look at what we got here… a couple of rookie trainers, even if one of you belongs to the Cerulean City Gym… No wonder you lost that badly Joe." A feminine voice echoed out from above, before a murmur of excitement overcame the classmates above the arena.
"Oh look! It's Giselle!" Joe called out as he recalled his Weepinbell. Smiling at the smarmy grin that the girl had. "Coming over to teach these trainers a lesson on why we're gonna beat the League?"
"I hope you aren't asking me to take over your fights for you. If you can't even beat a gym leader with a type advantage, you aren't anything." The girl huffed.
"Again, Starmie is a Psychic type, doesn't that even them out?" Ash whispered to his redheaded friend, only for the girl to shrug.
While all this was going on, the door to the arena room slammed open, with much authority. Lowering her foot with an annoyed huff, a familiar short woman glared around the room before locking her eyes on the two trainers giving her an annoyed gaze.
"Where the fuck have you two been?! You were meant to simply grab some firewo…" Tizeriz demanded before pausing as she gave the room a look over and sniffed the air. "Wait a minute, press clean clothes… A distinct lack of dirt, and forest smells… You know what that smells like?" She asked before a collective murmur broke out again as she stomped over to the arena proper.
"Tizeriz, we're not in the mood for you to ruin some fun for u-" Ash started before Tizeriz chuckled, and shrugged her shoulders.
"Smells a lot like a buncha daft bitches in here! I can tell by how little you lot look like you step outside, and by the lack of any bloody scratches on ya fuckin' faces… None of ya have ever even been in the bloody forest! Pokemon Tech? As if! More like, Bitch Incorporated!" The woman continued, to the collective fright of everyone in the stands.
"Oh lord… nobody said anything about the WCS quarterfinalist being in Kanto…" "Well… guess we can kiss the Indigo League Champion title goodbye…" "What a waste of money... I'm forced to go to the league, only to lose to a finalist…"
Hearing the door slam shut behind the woman, and the two annoyed outsiders, one of the students baulked at the sight of several dents left in the wall besides the doors. Seeing the door barely shut properly from a larger dent in the wooden door, the student immediately fainted.
Meanwhile, one of the students examined the same door Tizeriz all but brutalised courtesy of her boot and sighed. "Ah man, now there's a hole in the wall…" Only to spot the same doors slam open, as a green haired figure waltzed in, carrying an annoyed yellow mouse. The left door immediately gave up, and fell forward, slamming on the ground, hinges ripped right off the frame.
"Hey sis, I found a buncha Poke Balls in one of the rooms, but I di-" Alissa stopped talking as she stared ahead, and spotted a whole room full of snobby school kids, and one older looking man in the same uniform. "I see… A bunch of pretentious snobs getting an actual "buy-in" to the league by not actually getting any experience, but instead acting like Mimic does with her research?" she asked before letting out a haughty laugh, dropping Pikachu, as the mouse ran to Ash, and up his shoulder with a haste only seen in a horror movie.
"Nailed that one Alissa, it's a buncha snobs thinkin' they're better than us… Hell, I bet even their teacher there thinks so too." Tizeriz pointed out before, the man had the audacity to look embarrassed.
"Actually… I'm a Beginner Level student… haven't moved up in several years…"
The entire group had a moment to pause while several of the students ran out of the room. A pencil dropped, before Tizeriz slowly turned to the man, eyes widening slowly, while a forced smile crept on her face.
A beat came and went, before a scowl enveloped her face. "The fu- GO GET A JOB YOU BELL-END! A diploma and a buy in to the League isn't worth wastin' your fuckin' life!" She shouted, before the man jumped and backed away. "Seriously! Winnin' a League isn't worth throwing away your entire fuckin' life for! Especially if you're wasting all the time you should've been training for it, here in a school sponsored by the only gym leader who's never at his fuckin' gym!"
Ashamed, the man took a moment to reflect, before muttering something unintelligible, as he left the room.
Watching him leave, Giselle and Joe scowled as several other students came up beside them. "Who the heck are you to try and force us to change our ways?!" Joe shouted before several students agreed with him. "I mean… You might've been in the WCS, but clearly you aren't worth anything if you flunked that!"
The temperature in the room dropped considerably as Tizeriz turned to the group and gave them a blank stare. "I'm sorry, but what did you say?" She asked, before Joe was pulled away by one of the group members that the two younger teens saw earlier. "I don't get what's so awful about that, but I lost against one of the world's strongest trainers. And still, I can easily beat you lo-"
"Just saying, Cynthia made it to the finals of that tournament… If Tizeriz didn't go against her right before the Master Eight segment, she could've won…" Ash interjected before shrugging as Misty huffed and shook her head.
"Yeah that's hardly what I call 'flunking.'" Misty tacked on as she stood beside Ash and pointed at Tizeriz. "She's not weak."
"Neither are the two of you, you doves aren't weak at all… Hell, you both are doing a lot better than Alissa, myself or even Mimic did at first." Tizeriz muttered before looking at them. "Feel like provin' them wrong doves?"
"Oh absolutely." "Yeah! Didja need to ask?" Ash and Misty answered immediately, only to watch as Tizeriz jumped up to the balcony, before leaning against the railing. "Go knock some heads doves! I'll be rootin' for ya!"
"Thanks! Ash, I'll let you take on the first, we can switch at any time." Misty called as she recalled Starmie, and moved over to the side of the room. Ash took her spot at the square, before plucking out a Poke Ball.
"Alright, as the top student here, I shall take you on!" Giselle shouted before tossing a Luxury Ball out, sending out a tiny Pokemon that looked sickly from a distance. Cubone raised its club before slamming it down into the ground.
"Don't be too embarrassed if you lose against someone as amazing as I am!" Giselle continued, glowing under the praise and adoration of her classmates. Flipping a hand through her well maintained hair, the girl sent a cheeky grin to Misty. "And please, don't be too distracted by my beauty and skill~"
Misty narrowed her eyes, while Ash rolled his, tossed his Poke Ball upward, and sighed. "You done? I'm getting bored." He commented before looking over at Misty, ignoring everyone else fawning over Giselle, minus his two female companions.
Eyes narrowing, Giselle huffed and pointed at Ash. "You're the one stalling! Get on with it, and LOSE!"
"Pidgeotto, I choose you! Let's give them an eye opener!" Ash called out as his bird Pokemon flew high into the air, before flapping its wings rapidly. Staring down at the Cubone, Pidgeotto let out a trill before it looked back to Ash. "Let's open up with a Gust!"
Nodding back, Pidgeotto flapped its wings rapidly, kicking up a small typhoon in the arena, which forced Cubone to slide forward. Only for Giselle to smirk as she called out an attack of her own.
"Cubone! Use Fling! Throw your Big Nugget at that bird!" Giselle shouted, before watching as Cubone threw a golden orb of money into the air, before slamming its Thick Club into the orb, rocketing it towards Pidgeotto. Slamming into the bird, Pidgeotto squawked loudly as it grabbed the orb in its talons, before the gust disbursed.
"Just throw it towards Tiz Pidgeotto!" Ash shouted before watching as Giselle glared and opened her mouth to say something. "Then attack Cubone with a Wing Attack!"
Golden ball thrown to Tizeriz, Pidgeotto darted right for Cubone, before slamming a wing across its head, spinning the skull around. Stumbling backwards, Cubone waved its club wildly before Giselle growled. "Cubone! Fix your skull, and use Bonemerang!"
Righting itself, Cubone threw its Thick Club at Pidgeotto, banking a shot, and watched as the bird squawked again in pain, as Pidgeotto dipped from the hit. Swiftly righting itself, Pidgeotto flared its wings before glaring down at Cubone.
"Pidgeotto, rush in, that Cubone can't be as strong as everyone else we faced so far!" Ash shouted before Giselle bristled at the jab.
Without fail, Pidgeotto darted down at Cubone, meeting it head on with a Quick Attack. Plucking the Thick Club from Cubone's arm, the Pidgeotto flew high up, and threw the club back down at Cubone. Ash laughed as the Pokemon's head snapped back from the club hitting its head, before the Cubone fell backwards, too dazed to even move at that point.
As Pidgeotto landed on the balcony next to Tizeriz, the bird plucked a broken feather from its wing, before handing it to Tizeriz, who accepted it with a smirk. With the group of students behind Giselle and a shocked Joe wailing at the loss, Giselle ignored the honey coated words they all attempted to throw at her, to recall Cubone.
"Damn… You sure you're top of your class bint? Cuz you suck!" Tizeriz laughed as she flicked the feather into the air. "Like seriously… You got double tapped!"
"Wha- Oh that's complete trash! Cubone was tested against everything I could think of running into! How the hell did you manage to overpower that cutie?!" Giselle shouted, eyes narrowing as Misty rushed over, and hugged Ash, causing the boy to laugh loudly, and hug her back with a closeness only she could spot.
Eyes narrowing further at the blush the two sported as they broke away, Giselle turned her attention to Tizeriz. Once the woman jumped down, and clapped her hands over the sides of the two, Giselle's gaze widened briefly. Was Misty more flustered than before? And why the hell were they ignoring her?!
"Hey! You bozos cannot just come in here, wreck our Pokemon, and laugh it off like that! You mess with us, we're gonna be gunning for you in the Pokemon League next year!" Giselle shouted before the trio of travellers paused, and gave her a flat look.
"Misty and Ash… Joe and I are gonna prove to you that this school works! We'll be seeing you at the League, and We'll kick your butts so hard, you'll grovel at our feet!"
Glancing between themselves, the trio of travellers laughed again as they turned from the distraught, and angry students, before Alissa followed them, eyes looking far too pleased.
"Lovely… Hey sis! Brock said he got the firewood before you stormed in here…!" Alissa shouted before the door shut, the other left lying on the floor, broken. Like the hopes and dreams most of the students there, once had. Hopes and Dreams that were crushed, the moment the group showed up, and left.
"...I swear to Arceus Giselle, you better not have just started a petty war with the WCS finalist's friends…" Joe bemoaned before Giselle smacked his face with her hand, causing him to yelp in pain.
"Doesn't matter Joe! You were at the bottom of the battling board, and I was at the very top! We got a lot of studying, and strategizing to do! Let's get to work! We gotta show those idiots that we're on top!"
"Yes ma'am!" Giselle heard before grinning as she looked out the doorway. The fuse lit, the future was looking hopeful for the Tech Students.
Back at the campsite however… was a different story.
"And where were you two at?! I had to send Tiz after you, an hour after you both vanished! It's been three hours now!" Brock shouted before Ash and Misty chuckled lightly, while Tizeriz rolled her eyes.
"They ended up finding Pokemon Tech… got caught up with a buncha snobs, and beat them silly. So…" Tizeriz took a deep breath as she pointed down at the completed tart, now missing a slice. "How'd the tart turn out? Did the silver pinaps work well with the oran and pecha berries?"
Brock took a deliberate sip of his Cerulean coffee, before giving Tizeriz a flat look, as he held up his empty plate. "Yes. It was quite delicious… made me almost want to make a few crepes. However… I had to make most of this myself, set up camp further away from the school. So… until you three do everything else tonight, and get your own sleeping situations done, I'm not sharing it with any of you!"
"Aw c'mon Brock! I literally supplied the berries, and helped cut them! I also went and grabbed these two doves! I at least deserve a single slice!"
"Absolutely not."
"... You gotta be-"
Chapter 7.5: More Trees! Yay.
"Peck now Pidgeotto!" Ash shouted as he pointed to the charging Nidoran trying to go for him. Smirking, he watched as the female Pokemon flew sideways from Pidgeotto's attack, before giving the larger bird a once over. Spotting the bird land before it, the blue Nidoran growled, before backing away from the bird, and ran off into the tall brush lining the trees. Grinning, Ash ran his fingers through Pidgeotto's head plume, before the bird cooed softly. "Nice work Pidgeotto! Get a bit of rest, and we'll get you to check the area again. I'm certain we're near a road now. If Brock's map is legit."
"Hey! It's from the Pokemon Centre in Cerulean… I'm very certain it's fine… See?" Brock pointed out a pathway leading downward to Vermilion from Cerulean. "Sure we went north a bit, but this is definitely south of Cerulean."
"Yeah because we ended up at Cerulean City… Yesterday." Tizeriz grumbled before getting elbowed by Misty as she pointed ahead. "Sorry… Just a bit tired of berries right now."
"Either way, Pidgeotto should be able to find something soon, so let's get Spearow out and fly about. I'm certain he should spot some sort of clue." Ash added as he recalled Pidgeotto, before letting Spearow out, smiling as the tiny bird Pokemon landed in his arms, cuddling against his chest. "Hey buddy, we're gonna need your help on finding our way through this section of the forest. Mind helping us with that?"
Getting a soft trill back, Spearow hopped out of Ash's arms, before taking to the sky. Flying upward, he flew in a circle, before turning east slightly, and took off down that way. Rushing after him, the group ran ahead, and found a nice clearing, where lunch could potentially be made. Provided Tizeriz stayed far away from actually cooking the meal.
"Country Roads… Take me home~... Duh duh duh…" Alissa hummed softly as she watched as everyone slowly began unpacking the campsite early. Kicking her feet, she looked over her shoulder at a pair of Pokemon walking through the brush. Spotting a pair of green leaves, one in a bulb, she blinked and looked over at the group. "Hey so uh… Not to interrupt everything, but I spot something green over here."
"Alissa, we're in a fuckin' forest… There's green everywhere." Tizeriz reminded before setting down her duffle bag. Getting a rock thrown to her leg, Tizeriz felt her knee buckle as she turned to Alissa's stern gaze. "What? I'm right!"
"No, I meant some Pokemon are nearby. Both with green tops, and there's only like… a handful of them with bulbs." Alissa reiterated before huffing as Ash paused in his firewood gathering, and looked at where the Gardevoir was pointing to.
A small spring was visible, with an Oddish rushing out of the woods, and to it. Taking small drinks, Ash smiled as he turned to Pikachu, who jumped down, and walked over carefully. "That's neat! An Oddish huh? Those Pokemon are pretty versatile, aren't they?"
"Yep." Misty smiled as she spotted the tiny blue Pokemon jumped from Pikachu announcing himself, before walking over, speaking nervously. "Seems that Pikachu's trying to make friends. That's nice of him… But Alissa, where's the other one?"
"He's further back, watching us." Alissa pointed out as she didn't specifically point out where the other Pokemon was at. Instead, she walked over to Brock and Tizeriz slowly cutting up a small leftover bread up, before handing it to Brock to reheat. "And now he's leaving with Oddish…"
"Where to?" Brock asked as Alissa frowned and looked ahead, only to look up instead, as Spearow landed on the tiny rock arrangement in the clearing. Pointing his wing towards the way the two Pokemon went, Spearow smiled as he puffed his chest out, before pecking his wing lightly, taking a few feathers out with a smile.
"Nice work Spearow! Let's head that way, and we should find our way to somewhere good!" Ash shouted only for Tizeriz to clear her throat, causing him to immediately fix his declaration. "After snack time!"
Which only took several minutes of warming, and eating the bread, before the group followed Spearow flying low ahead. Stopping by a bridge, the group sighed at the state of the bridge before them, and Tizeriz groaned. "Arceus damnit the bridge looks older than my fuckin' gramps!"
"Alright everyone! One at a time!" Brock shouted as he held the map up, before blinking at the wind trying to tear it out of his grip. Folding it up hastily, he shoved the map into his bag, before pointing to Misty.
"You go first, then you Ash. Tiz then Alissa, then I'll go. We don't want to stress the bridge out, especially while it's windy." He added before getting several nods, as Misty quietly inched across the bridge, eyes focused forward. With Spearow flying overhead, the group slowly inched across the bridge, leaving only Brock to go.
Yet as the teenager took his first step onto the bridge, the wind decided to pick up, swinging the bridge roughly. Falling flat on the bridge, Brock scrambled for the rope, only to feel one side give way slightly. Watching as both Tizeriz and Misty were tugging on the end, both girls slid forward slightly, while Ash ran to the other side, and grabbed the rope prematurely.
Watching as it snapped in his grip, the group watched as the bridge twisted, throwing Brock off and into the water. Rushing to the edge, Ash shouted as he looked down at the river below. "SPEAROW CHASE AFTER HIM!" He commanded, watching as Spearow flew down to the river, and followed the stream, cawing loudly.
Standing back up, Ash grunted as he shoved the wooden beam forward and turned to Tizeriz. "Let's go down river and try to find him!"
"You don't gotta ask me twice, let's go doves!" Tiz shouted before running down the path, twisting down the river, where a cliffside became visible, and the ground lowered slightly, matching the height of the river.
Running ahead, the trio jumped round a bend, only for Tizeriz to yelp as she tripped forward, and fell several feet below the path. "Fuck!"
"Sis! You okay?!" Alissa asked as she peered over the rim of the tiny pitfall trap. "… Ew… there's blood."
"I fuckin' bit my tongue ya bloody toad!" Tizeriz grumbled as she looked up, and spat out a wad of blood onto the ground. "GO ahead, I'll get out once my body stops screamin' in pain!" She shouted, before Ash and Misty nodded, and dragged Alissa ahead with them.
"Fuckin' hell…" Tizeriz growled as she stood up slowly, before stumbling to the crater wall. "WHY ALL OF THIS NOW?! Fuckin' bullshit! I'm gonna kill whoever made this, and if by any means they did something to that bridge… I got a tool at the ready." She huffed, before digging out said shovel, and slammed the tip into the wall at an angle.
Backing up as far as she could, Tizeriz huffed, spat out another wad of blood, before running forward. Jumping, she shoved the shovel handle downward, before landing up top. Crouched over the hole, the teen huffed, before turning to look at her shovel in the hole.
Rolling her eyes, she let a soft blue glow wrap around her hand, along with the shovel, before it rocketed to her. Grabbing it mid air, she stood up and grunted as she stumbled forward slightly.
"Alright… back to findin' Brock, then to kill whoever put that there."
Running ahead, Tizeriz heard the sounds of Ash and Misty letting out yelps, and growled as she held her shovel tighter. "I swear to everythin' if that's another trap…"
Coming across Alissa being squished between Ash, Misty and Pikachu, the Galarian woman pinched the bridge of her nose and sighed. "Let me guess… You doves got caught in this suddenly?" She asked before getting a pair of verbal confirmations.
"What the heck do you think?!" "Oh my god sis, just get us down!" "Just get us down you bint!"
"...Charmed." Tizeriz sighed as she looked around the tree, only to come face to face with a vine rocketing towards her face. "What the fu-?"
Falling flat on her back, Tizeriz dropped her shovel to clutch at her face before growling. "MOTHER FUCKER!" She screamed, wincing at the redness dotting her face, leaving a mark going across both eyes. "My eyes! Why is it always the Arceus damned eyes?!"
"Oh my god you big baby…" Alissa huffed before looking at the tree. "You aren't bleeding that badly anymore… just get up." She added before she flicked a hand out, watching as a leaf tugged free from the tree, before she froze it mid air.
"By the way you two, this is gonna hurt." Slashing her hand downward, the leaf sliced through the rope holding up the net, before the trio fell straight onto Tizeriz's stomach, causing the woman to wheeze.
"As much fun as this is… GET THE FUCK OFF ME!" Tizeriz shouted as she winced, trying to sit up, shoving both teens off of her, before clutching her stomach, wincing again. "Oh Arceus… I think my liver is ruptured…"
"No it isn't… You're fine…" Alissa grumbled as she pushed herself to her feet, and glared at the shrubbery surrounding the path. "Damnit… Where's that Pokemon at?"
"If it's anyone's guess… Try further down the path… But we should try and avoid the middle of the path. Seems to be that most of the traps are along the centre."
"Nooo you think?" Tizeriz groaned as she pushed herself to her feet again, stumbling as she rubbed at her face. "...Anyone got a potion? I don't feel like having a bruise across my face again… I just got my stitches removed two days ago in Cerulean…"
"I hear that Tiz… C'mon, I'll guide you and spray your face while we try to find Brock." Misty answered back, before tugging Tizeriz forward, watching as the older woman closed her eyes.
"Alright… Let's keep going." Ash called back before the group slowly moved forward, at least until Tizeriz got her eyes to open, whatever supposed swelling that should've come, already vanishing before it even had a chance to.
Once the group rounded several bends in the pathway however, they came across a small cabin seated near the river. Walking warily into the small bank near a wider portion of the, much calmer river. Stopping by the house, the trio of humans took a second to let out sighs, before Ash perked up at the sound of flapping wings coming from inside the cabin.
"Huh?" Ash asked as he watched a small shape flapping towards the door, while a figure walked by the window, opening it. Stepping out, the figure turned, and a young woman waved at the group, while a familiar Spearow fluttered to Ash, landing on his hat.
Pecking at the brim, Ash smiled up at Spearow before pulling the bird down for a hug. "Hey bud, didja find Brock?" He asked, before letting Spearow fly out from his hands.
Getting a nod back, Spearow pointed a wing towards the cabin before pointing at the woman before the group. Taking it as her cue, the woman smiled softly as she walked over, and waved a hand to the group. "Oh hello there, I'm Melanie. I'm the caretaker of this small village of Pokemon here. And it seems like Spearow recognises you, so you must know the young man that I found in the river unconscious."
"Oh you found Brock? That's a relief… And here I thought he got swept to sea…" Ash visibly sagged as he sighed in relief, only to perk back up as his mind caught onto the rest of the words she said. "Wait… Is he okay?"
"I'm not sure, he still hasn't woken up, and there were some bruises on his body that I had to treat. So he's in my cabin resting up for the moment." Melanie answered before Tizeriz sighed.
"Great… That's a bit relievin' innit? He's probably just mildly unconscious, and should be fine soon enough." She slowly let out, only to shake her head as she looked into the cabin. Spotting Brock laying down inside, the woman sighed as she looked at Melanie.
"So what is this village for? It's a long way from any city we're tryin' to find, and all that but…" Tizeriz paused as she watched several Pokemon walking around the small river bank eating various bowls of Pokemon Food, but as she looked around closer she frowned when Melanie spoke up again.
"Oh this village is more of a Pokemon Refuge spot for wild ones to come and get some rest. I offer some food, and a safe spot to rest, and many Pokemon that come here know to not fight amongst themselves." Melanie explained before moving over to move two bowls of Pokemon food away from each other, letting the various Pokemon around them eat in peace.
"Oh I see." Misty pondered as she looked around, spotting several Rattata and Caterpie chewing absently on food, while spotting a slightly familiar Oddish, seated by a bowl alone. However, the movement of a vine wrapping around some of the food, led Misty to blink as it vanished into the brush.
"Is there a shy Pokemon around here Melanie?" Misty asked before Ash watched as Spearow landed near one bowl, and pecked at the food absently, even if he paused when a vine tugged the bowl away from him.
"No not really, we do have a strong protector around here however. It's a Bulbasaur who left its trainer after deeming them unworthy. So he came here and hasn't left the area, despite becoming a tough Pokemon in his own right. Bulbasaur even helped me set up some traps to deter any potential Pokemon Poachers." Melanie answered before giving the vines a stern look. "But due to his relationship with his former trainer, he doesn't like humans all that much. And I had to work hard to get him to trust me."
"Oh I get that feelin' a lot… Took a while for this special gal in Unova to trust me… Hope she's doin' okay on her tour though… That took a lot of effort from myself, and her." Tizeriz chimed in with a soft smile, before frowning as she spat out a smaller clot of blood on the ground, wincing slightly at her barely bruising face. "… Wait, you helped with the traps around here?" She asked, before a few beats paused slowly.
Ash and Misty both turned to Melanie before Tizeriz's eyes widened alongside a smile formed on her face. "Wait a fuckin' second…" She muttered before glancing at the hidden Bulbasaur by the Oddish. "You fuckin' bastard! You smacked me in my face!"
Despite showing genuine anger to the Bulbasaur, she wasn't stupid enough to get hit by the Pokemon as she watched it charge for her. Grabbing it by the bulb, she slammed the Pokemon into the ground, and pinned it beneath her weight. "You hit me for no reason! I was just tryin' to rescue my friends you asshat!" She growled, struggling to keep the Pokemon from shoving her away.
"Oh dear… Bulbasaur! You shouldn't be attacking someone like that!" Melanie shouted, despite wincing as Tizeriz was wrapped by vines, and lifted off of Bulbasaur.
"Alissa! Get my shovel, and show this overprotective bastard what it feels like, when he gets smacked in the face!" The woman shouted as she grabbed one of the vines, and brought it to her mouth, ripping it apart with her teeth. "LET ME GO!"
Wincing in pain, Bulbasaur dropped the short trainer and pulled back his vines, glaring at the one now sprouting a new vine through the wound. "Bulba!" The Pokemon cried before Melanie stepped in front of the Seed Pokemon and gave him a heated look. Shrinking back, Melanie didn't waste a second to tear the Village Protector a new one.
"You always do this with everyone who visits us peacefully! You can't keep attacking people when I still need to get supplies. You've gone overboard with the holes, considering I keep falling in new ones you make, while I go to Cerulean! You need to either find a new trainer that you can trust again, or find a different hobby other than protecting the village twenty-four seven!" Melanie ranted, while Bulbasaur lowered his head, and huffed as he glared at Tizeriz. Only to look between the humans again.
Growling, Bulbasaur walked away before vanishing into the brush silently, uttering naught a single word.
"… Yeesh… And here I got hit, and that probably hurt less than that…" Tizeriz huffed before she shook her head. "Ash, I'm going to go check on Brock, you doves do whatever… At least my medical skills aren't that bad…"
"Got it." Ash called before turning to Melanie. Only to sigh as he spotted Misty taking a pale of water over to a Staryu sitting near the pond, while a few Marill bounced alongside her. Smiling, he sat down by the river before looking to a small pack of Rattata clamouring over each other for the food. Frowning at their tangled forms, Ash quietly moved to lift each one out of the other, before sighing as the Rattata pack ate more peacefully now. Looking around, Ash spotted Oddish talking to Pikachu, and Spearow now, while Alissa ignored the fact that several small Joltiks were crawling over her body, occasionally shocking her form.
"Well, let's see…" Ash turned to Melanie as the girl overlooked the group of Pokemon around, before frowning. "We're missing a Marill, and a Combee queen that got separated from its hive near Cerulean… Oh dear…"
"You want me to go look for them?" Ash offered before Melanie looked at him, and smiled softly.
"If you wouldn't mind… I can take care of the rest of these Pokemon. You two shouldn't need to help me out with everything."
Nodding, Ash turned to Misty, who was slightly shaking as she poured the water over the Staryu. Standing up robotically, she turned with Ash with a forced smile, and nodded with him.
"Let's go Misty, you find the Marill, I'll go after the Combee." Ash called out before rushing out of the village with Misty following after him, eager to search the forest. However, as the two left, there was a slight commotion coming from the cabin, that beckoned Melanie over.
"You alright Brock?" She heard the Galarian woman ask, before a groan echoed through the clearing.
"W-what the heck… Where am I?" Brock asked as Tizeriz walked over to grab a bottle of water from her bag. Pulling Brock into a seated position, the woman tilted the water to Brock, and let the man take a sip as he grunted, and sat up straighter.
"You're at a small village for Pokemon that need help. A woman named Melanie got you out of the river after you took a bump to the head." Tizeriz explained while Melanie stood by the door, smiling at the gentle tone Tiz had.
"...How long have I been out?" Brock asked as he rubbed the back of his head lightly, holding the front by a few fingers, blinking rapidly. "Has it been a while?"
"Probably a couple hours, maybe even as little as half of one…" Tiz grinned before Brock sighed, then let out a small chuckle.
"Way to make me even more confused… Still, did the rest of you guys make it here okay?" Brock asked before Tizeriz grimaced.
"Not really? We got trapped twiced, and I got beaten up by a Bulbasaur."
"Ouch… I can see the light bruises around your eyes… Are you gonna be fine?"
"Maybe? We potion'd it, so it depends on the long term…" Tizeriz answered before backing up as Brock swung his legs over the small cot, wobbling slightly before groaning as he held his head in his hands. "Hey, take it easy… You're not going anywhere right now. You need to rest from that concussion."
"M'fine…" Brock muttered before wincing as he lifted his head lightly. Sitting back lightly, Brock felt a berry get shoved into his hands, before Tizeriz stood up. "What's this?"
"Persim, and an oran berry combo. Should heal the bruises better than just potioning them up." Tizeriz explained before giving Brock a light glare. "So eat up, you're probably hungry from passing out, and unfortunately… I'm out of chocolate."
"…Why are you so knowledgeable on berries?" Brock asked before Tizeriz shrugged, and stretched lightly.
"Had to… Grew up with a Gardevoir, remember?"
Pausing to take that information in, Brock took several light bites, before perking up at the sound of two teens rushing into the cabin, nearly toppling over Melanie.
"We found Marill and Combee!" Ash shouted before panting as he rubbed his arm, tugging against the large strands of silk wrapped around it, before laughing lightly.
"Oh that's good… Maybe it's time I start ushering some of them back out, instead of just relying on me… I know that Combee can start a hive again somewhere close by, while the Marill and Rattata can go back out in their respective packs. I know I made this place as a safe haven for them while they recovered, but if Bulbasaur remains here with them, they won't want to leave after getting stronger again."
"That is understandable, but… Some of them don't want to leave Miss Melanie…" Alissa chimed in from the window, barely reacting to the way a Joltik ran over her face. "Some of them want to stay to keep the place safe for others, considering the way some have gotten used to you, and each other."
"Alissa, were you asking them that?" Misty asked as she stepped inside, keeping a considerable distance to the Combee outside.
"Yes. The Joltik here are very talkative." Alissa answered seriously, while a Joltik planted itself on her head, and stopped moving, eyes closed for some rest.
"Now I feel like Bulbasaur should go with you four, he's getting too strong for this small place, and while the power vacuum will be tough to fill, I'm confident we can manage until one of them here gets tough enough to protect the village." Melanie sighed, only to blink as a huff came from outside, before a vine opened the door gently.
"Bulba…" Bulbasaur growled softly, almost in a resigned tone before giving Melanie a soft look. "Bulba basaur saurbulba!"
"He's saying that he agrees with you, but he was just worried about leaving you alone with them." Alissa spoke for the Seed Pokemon, only to get a curt nod from said Village Protector.
"Oh I see… Well you shouldn't have to worry Bulbasaur, Combee is very close to evolving, and I know she's not going anywhere, so we'll still have someone to fill in your spot soon enough." The caretaker stated back before Bulbasaur nodded again, and looked to Ash and Misty with a modest amount of respect.
"Bulba."
"Ash, he wants to battle you for his capture." Alissa said again before Ash gave the Bulbasaur a nod, and lowered himself to the Seed Pokemon. "Also he said that you're the only thing standing between him, and the scary woman with a shovel."
"Hey fuck you! I'm not scary!" Tizeriz shouted back before huffing as she looked out at Ash. Watching him nod to Bulbasaur, she huffed before looking down at Brock.
"Alright bud, we'll get you up and out soon, just hang tight while we get our latest capture for Ash done."
"Not like I can even go anywhere right now… Everything is still blurry, and I can barely even move my legs right now." Brock grumbled before Tizeriz left the cabin, walking after Ash and Bulbasaur. Looking out the window, he stared at Alissa, who only stared back at him. He turned away with a shudder after the way a Joltik ran across her face, paused over her unblinking eye, before crawling down her neck, and over her shoulder.
Outside, was an entirely different manner as Ash walked over to a larger clearing to the small village, and grinned at Bulbasaur. Scraping his forefoot against the ground a good distance away, the Seed Pokemon gave Ash a nod, before watching as Pikachu ran down the raven haired trainer's form, before coming to a halt close by.
"Pikachu, we're gonna show this protector what it means to be an unstoppable duo, right?!" Ash asked, getting a nod and cheek spark back from Pikachu before Bulbasaur charged ahead without giving a warning. Watching cautiously, Pikachu jumped aside of the Tackle, before flinging his tail behind himself. Sparking his cheeks again, Pikachu let loose a weak Thunder Shock at Bulbasaur.
Taking the hit, Bulbasaur slid back lightly, before one of his vines extended out towards Pikachu, before wrapping around his body. Surprised by the wrapping vine, Pikachu winced as Bulbasaur threw him into the air, before puffing out his cheeks.
"Oh damn." Tizeriz commented, watching as Bulbasaur blew out a harsh gust of wind towards Pikachu, causing the electric mouse to slam into a tree. Wincing, the starters glanced at each other before Pikachu acted first.
Sending out a harsh Thunderbolt, Bulbasaur grunted as he felt the attack ground into his body, before tunnelling under the ground. Vanishing, and losing the attack quickly, the Seed Pokemon struck first, hitting where Pikachu should've been. Only to see the electric mouse slam into his face, forcefully throwing him out of his hole, and near the same tree that Pikachu hit earlier.
Panting, Pikachu growled before rushing in with a Quick Attack, jumping over several sweeps of Bulbasaur's singular Vine Whip. Landing a blow against the grass Pokemon, Bulbasaur hit the tree again, before blinking as a Poke Ball flew at his side, absorbing him inside.
"Gotcha!" Ash shouted, grinning as the ball shook quietly on the field. Dinging softly, Ash jumped for joy as he grinned over at Tizeriz near the cabin, alongside Misty, and a woozy looking Brock. "I did it!"
"Nice work… I don't think I've seen a strong wild Pokemon like that since… Johto?" Alissa pondered as she lifted the Joltik off of her body, letting the tiny spiders crawl on the house, minus one who jumped back to her head. "Oh…Sis, I think this one refuses to leave me… I think we're gonna have to take… him with us… But I get to nickname him!"
"That's entirely fine by me, just make sure you take care of him." Tizeriz called back before the group walked towards each other, standing before Melanie. Tizeriz moved over to Brock and pulled one of his arms over her shoulder. "Alright buddy, take it easy."
"You're being oddly gentle…" Misty commented as Ash moved to talk to Melanie in semi-private.
"Hey, he's hurt, and I am too tired, and done with today to even muster any anger at this point… To be frank, I'm just glad he's doin' alright, minus the mild concussion."
"Fair…"
"Alright Melanie, I promise we'll take care of him. He'll have a place on the team for as long as I can. And even if he does end up going to Pallet Town, he can also still act as the main protector of Professor Oak's ranch." Ash promised before Melanie nodded, and smiled softly.
"Then I wish you, the rest of your friends, and Bulbasaur a safe trip. Please, don't hesitate to visit in the future, we'll be here, keeping those who cannot protect themselves safe."
"Don't worry, I will." Ash promised before the group waved off the young bluenette. Walking slowly back to the pathway they took to get there, Tizeriz paused suddenly, causing Brock to groan at the whiplash.
"Wait a fuckin' second… Where the hell do we go now? And… How the hell are we going back across that cliffside again?"
With a collective groan, the group paused on their way out of the village, and opened Brock's map, studying the once wet, crumpled piece of paper carefully.