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A recommended story would be Pokeball by D.C. Hours. A story that starts in Hoenn, and has a different starter.

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Episode 3: A brief ride in the desert

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"This is a lot more fun than jogging!" Ash said with a grin. Bulbasaur whimpered from his lap in agreement. Now that Gore had evolved, they could cover a day's worth of travel in a few hours, and they didn't have to worry about Sandslash trying to attack them. At this rate, the team would reach Celadon in about three days. Even so, the trainer knew he still needed to be careful to keep his team hydrated. "How you doing back there Krabby?" Ash shouted over his shoulder.

The crab hissed irritably and waved his claws. Ash smiled at the proud water-type. Krabby had been furious with his trainer when he was told he couldn't train, so they compromised. The crab Pokemon wasn't allowed to use any moves, but he could run with Gore until Ash recalled him. The water-type's efforts had even inspired Ash and Bulbasaur to run with him. Didn't last very long though.

The trainer snorted at the thought, his Pokemon weren't the only ones who needed training, it seemed. Ash rubbed Bulbasaur's bulb in soothing circles as he thought. First thing we need to do is head by the department store. We ought to be able to afford a TM at this point. Then we'll hit the training ground, the boy and dinosaur were thrown forward when Gore came to an abrupt stop.

"You okay?" Ash asked with a groan. I really need to talk to him about stopping. Bulbasaur licked his cheek, then wiggled out of his grip. He blinked when she moved in front of him and squared herself.

"You there! State your trainer identification number and your purpose right now!" A feminine voice demanded. Gore snarled at the girl and Bulbasaur pawed the ground. Ash placed a hand on Gore's head and the saurian's bulb as he lifted himself to his knees. The girl looked to be closer to Daisy's age than his and had red hair tied into a ponytail on the side of her head. Even scowling the boy found her pretty, but what truly caught his attention was the Pokemon next to her.

The Pokémon was a tall, pink, and bipedal creature with a spiky gray shell on its tail and a dopey smile on its face. It was a Slowbro, a water-type Pokemon with powerful Psychic abilities and decent physical strength. It was taller than its trainer and the small scars on its hide hinted at its experience.

"What if I refuse to obey?" Ash challenged. Krabby strode up to him and waved his claws threateningly.

"Then I'll make you!" she snarled. The Slowbro moved in front of its master and spread its arms wide. "Wait a minute! Is that a Krabby?" the girl asked with a grin.

"Yeah," Ash answered uncertainly. The trainer wasn't sure of what to make of her sudden change in demeanor. Bulbasaur and Gore eyed her as though she were insane. Krabby looked too tired to care.

"He's beautiful!" she cried, running to them. Bulbasaur moved behind his legs and Ash grabbed Gore by his ear when he growled at the approaching girl. Krabby held his right pincer up, and stood in what he likely believed to be a regal manner. The redhead cooed over the preening crab and rubbed his shell. She paused, then turned to him as though she had just remembered he was there. "So, who are you?"

"Ash," he answered slowly. "Who are you?" He demanded.

"Misty Waterflower," she said still rubbing Krabby.

"Waterflower," he repeated. "Are you the gym leader of Cerulean?" Why would a gym leader be so far away from her gym? It is still technically in her district, but I can't imagine she's here for fun.

"Yeah," Misty said still more interested in the crab than the raven-haired trainer.

"I challenge you to a battle!" Ash said immediately.

"Two on two," the gym leader said with a grin.

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Ash did his best to ignore the knot in his belly. "You can do this," he whispered to himself. Gore stared at him blankly and grunted. "I mean, you can do it, Gore!" The boar snorted, satisfied, and turned back to his opponent. Sissy, the Slowbro waved at the swine happily.

"Getting cold feet?" Misty asked with a teasing grin.

"Of course not!" Ash snapped clenching his fists. Krabby gave him a skeptical look and Bulbasaur looked at him worriedly. "I'm good," he promised quietly.

"Then make a move!" she said with a shrug of her shoulders.

"Mud Slap!" the raven-haired trainer ordered with gritted teeth. Gore bellowed and spat a wave of mud at his opponent. Sissy erected a pink barrier that blocked the mud with ease. And obscured your vision! "Icy Wind!"

"Psywave!" Misty ordered with a wave of her arm. The barrier shifted into a circle bigger than Krabby and shot toward Gore with astonishing speed. The psychic attack sent the boar tumbling back to his trainer. Ash flinched; I thought Psywave was a basic attack? "Water Pulse!" the redhead cried.

"Get up! Icy Wind!" Ash told the swine urgently. Gore had only just regained his footing when the large orb of water smashed into him. Sissy waved her flabby arm and the orb dispersed. She waved her arm again and the water surrounded the downed Piloswine. Then she clenched her fist and the water became an orb again, this time with Gore in it. He'll drown! Gore flailed and spat ice into the rippling orb in his desperation.

"Game over," Misty declared with a hand on her hip, "Bring out your next Pokemon!" Ash moved reluctantly to recall the ice-type when the orb froze completely. He smirked and Bulbasaur cheered as a hoof popped out of the prison. Another hoof, then the orb exploded and a Piloswine emerged. Gore snarled and the chunks of ice levitated.

Manipulating ice and snow that he created to attack, that's Avalanche! He must have unlocked the ability when he evolved. He grinned ferally at Sissy's nervous expression and Misty's frown. The Piloswine roared and the chunks of ice flew toward the water-type.

"Reflect!" Misty commanded urgently. A far thicker pink barrier materialized in front of Sissy. The ice neared the anxious Slowbro then fell at her feet. Sissy blinked. Ash blinked. Misty grinned, "Psywave!"

The trainer winced as Gore was thrown into a boulder. Krabby moved in front of Ash and waved his claws with a hiss. "I give up!" Ash cried frantically picking Krabby up. If that happened to Gore, then Krabby could be killed! He turned to the downed ice-type with a grimace. Bulbasaur was trying to help the boar to his feet with gentle nudges, but Gore still couldn't stand. The swine glared coldly at something behind his trainer.

"Was a good fight," Misty said with a smile, offering him a hand. "Especially since he's been in the desert so long."

How'd she know I've been out here a while? "Yeah, a good fight," Ash muttered, shaking her hand. He ignored the burning in his chest and made his expression as friendly as possible. Which, if he were honest, wasn't very far from hostility. Gore and Krabby weren't the only ones who hated to lose.

"Come and challenge me in a few months," She ordered, "By then Krabby should have evolved so, we'll have a good fight," she finished stroking her chin thoughtfully.

"Wait, what?" the raven-haired boy asked, glancing at the crab in his arms. Krabby was still waving his right claw menacingly at Sissy. He lowered his claw immediately and gave his trainer an innocent look when Ash scowled.

"Yeah," Misty said, reaching out to rub Krabby, "See these little nubs? They're going to become his crown, and he's already favoring his right claw," she finished. It made Ash a bit proud when the crab didn't remove Misty's hand from her wrist. Earlier wasn't a fluke then. He rolled his eyes. It's kind of sad that this is progress.

"Anyway!" she said, rising and clearing her throat, "We should get your Gore to camp and get him healed up," the leader told him gesturing for him to follow her. Ash recalled his oldest friend and set Krabby down. Bulbasaur crooned and trotted up to him.

"He's gonna be okay," he assured her quietly as they followed the gym leader. To his pleasant surprise, even Krabby looked worried. Even if he was only mildly concerned, it was still a good sign for a creature that had spent the majority of his life in isolation.

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"He's a bit, rowdy," Ash told the doctor as he handed him Gore's Pokeball.

"I'm sure we can handle it," Doctor Proctor told him with a snort. Ash shook his head; the doctor didn't have a clue what he was in for with the Piloswine. The trainer shrugged, the man had been warned. The rangers in the corner could attest to that if Gore did anything unfortunate. He winced when the glaring sun greeted his eyes. I was only in there for a couple minutes!

Bulbasaur trilled and nudged him with her leg. Ash sighed and lifted the saurian onto his head. At least she's enjoying herself. She was probably the only member of the team that actually enjoyed being in the desert at noon. At least as long as she had plenty of water breaks. With the grass-type settled Ash set off in search of a place to train.

He nodded and waved to the passing archaeologists as he strode through their camp. Finding a major dig site, that was hiring any passing trainer as a guard. Each trainer would be paid with a TM, and provisions for their journeys. They would have free food and water for as long as they were in the camp, and he could train without worrying about a herd of Nidos trying to make Gore a ham dinner, with Bulbasaur as their salad.

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"Krabby, I want you to use Water Gun on Bulbasaur," Ash declared. Bulbasaur turned to him with a look of utter betrayal. Krabby blinked, then gurgled and shot a concentrated stream of water at the cow. She squeaked and dashed away from the crab as though her life were in danger. Judging by Krabby's look of determination, she wasn't wrong.

I wonder whether him obeying so quickly is a good sign or not? Ash shrugged, he would just have to keep an eye on them while he plotted the rest of their training out. He also needed to deal with a stubborn fire-type. Bulbasaur wailed, when a Water Gun nearly pierced her left ear. "Let up on the power!" Ash shouted as he lowered himself onto a large rock.

The trainer flipped his Pokedex open when he was certain the crab had weakened his blasts. Good thing there's a doctor so close. Information on the Bulbasaur line was a bit scarce, and he knew a good deal about the Swinub line, so he decided to focus on Krabby. In many ways, the Krabby line was the opposite of the Horsea family, and their relatives. They relied on physical might, and took longer to learn the long-range moves that made most water-types formidable.

The Bubble attacks relied more on power than any skill, so the close ranged Krabby line could use them efficiently. Then, the best thing to do would be to keep working on his accuracy until he evolved. Ash sighed; a concentrated Bubble attack would be a waste of time when Water Gun could be used efficiently. He wished the Pokedex had mentioned this earlier in the Krabby entry. If nothing else, his destructive power grew in Pewter.

Like Powder Snow and Icy wind, the only difference between Bubble and Bubblebeam was the amount of power behind the attack. Now that he thought about it, Tackle and Take Down were the same way. Krabby was plenty tough, but they couldn't bulldoze through the gym circuit, as Misty had proven when she defeated their strongest with ease. Which meant focusing on Metal Claw could be a horrible mistake.

He rose quickly, decision made. "Alright guys, come back!" the trainer called. Bulbasaur sprinted to him, glancing over her shoulder as though Krabby would attack her back. Ash couldn't entirely blame her, after what they had been doing for the past fifteen minutes. She gave him an angry look and then jumped when Krabby clicked from behind her. The saurian warbled and ran behind Ash's legs. "It's okay, the session is over!" Bulbasaur gave him a doubtful look and eyed Krabby suspiciously.

The trainer tugged on the bill of his hat, next time he would have to explain what was happening before having Krabby attack her. "Bulbasaur take a break," he told his tired Pokemon. Amazing how much exercise one gets when they think their life is in danger. Once Bulbasaur had climbed onto the boulder Ash had been on to sunbathe the boy turned to his Krabby. "We're gonna learn Water Pulse," he stated.

The crab clicked his understanding. Ash glanced away and bit his lip. How do I explain this move? "Basically, you need to make an orb of water that pulses continuously," the raven-haired trainer said awkwardly. The crab stared at him unblinkingly. Ash flushed, "Try and picture a whirlpool," he mumbled.

The crab gurgled and focused on his right claw. Nearly immediately, an orb of water about the size of an orange appeared above it. It rippled, then fell to the earth. Krabby hissed irritably and took his stance again. His next three attempts were met with the same degree of success. "Looks like it's not so easy to maintain the shape and keep it moving," the brown-eyed boy murmured stroking his chin thoughtfully.

Krabby hissed and glared at him. "Yeah, should've been obvious," Ash admitted with a sheepish smile. "Anyway," he said, clearing his throat, "Try, and make it tiny," the trainer suggested. The crab blinked uncomprehending his plan. "You have to work on maintaining the orb's shape, and maintaining it is different than anything you've ever done before, so start small," Ash lectured.

At least that was what his grandfather had told him about teaching a Pokémon a new move. He had seen Daisy and Oak train Pokemon before, and had observed that they usually tried to start small when the technique was foreign to the Pokemon. Teaching was far more difficult than it looked. No wonder teachers make so much money. "So you know what you need to do right?" Ash asked. Krabby gurgled and turned his attention back to his claw.

Ash smiled at his Pokemon then turned to Bulbasaur. He blinked, the saurian had fallen asleep sunbathing. Thinking about it, it wasn't surprising. Factoring in her age and that she had been exposed to the desert more than the boys combined she had done well. She'll be happy when she can go back to having naps every day. Ash smiled at her peaceful expression. It couldn't hurt to let her have a day off.

It was probably for the best that she was asleep. Something told him she wouldn't be happy to see Vulpix. He paused; she might enjoy seeing Vulpix as hurt as she was though. Ash released the vixen with a shake of his head. It didn't say anything positive about the fire-type that he was the only one that still wanted her to be a member of the team. Especially since, she had been with them for more than half a month.

Vulpix snarled at Ash and spat a weak flame at his face. He blew it out with a casual huff. She growled and made to charge him, then she swayed and her legs gave out. Even after staying in her Pokeball for a few hours, the beating Gore had given her rendered her weaker than a newborn Vulpix. Ash knelt and took out his 'pocket potion'. The vixen's wounds were mostly healed, but it could not hurt the healing process to give her another portion.

She would probably be tired for another day though. Her body temperature had been lowered a great deal by Gore's mud after all. A Piloswine's mud could be made rather chilly if he wished for it to be. Wouldn't hurt to take her by the doctor later.

"I defeated you," Ash declared peering into the vixen's golden eyes. Vulpix hissed defiantly and swiped at his chest with a glowing paw. Scratch! The trainer hissed and pinned the vixen to the ground by her neck. "I've got this," Ash told Krabby when the crab hissed. He turned and gave the crab a reassuring grin, doing his best to keep the pain off his face.

The water-type wavered, torn between glaring at Vulpix and trusting his trainer. His trust in Ash won as he turned his back on the two. Several yards closer to us, though. "You had every advantage and yet, you still couldn't kill me," Ash continued. The vixen glared hatefully, too exhausted to do anything else.

Ash sighed; it looked like she wouldn't be changing her mind anytime soon. "I'll let you out when it's time to eat," he told her. "Oh, and one more thing," the trainer added, "I'm not gonna give up on you," Ash finished staring down at her with a hard gaze. Vulpix's eyes widened in shock, then, narrowed as if he had said something indecorous.

The trainer recalled her and rose. He needed to get back to Krabby.

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Ash groaned when his head hit the pillow. Krabby echoed his relief with a hiss, as he settled on his mat. They had made decent progress for a day's work. Doesn't feel like it. He covered his eyes with his hat and sighed. Had they really made any progress? Misty had beaten their strongest effortlessly, and Cerulean wasn't even one of the harder gyms.

In fact, Surge of Vermillion and Aya of Fuschia were rumored to be far more difficult. The Cinnabar gym leader would likely do to Misty what she had done to him. He gritted his teeth so hard his jaw ached. How can we beat them? We're just kids! Bulbasaur is still a damn toddler!

When the other kids were playing video games, Ash had been studying, when they were sleeping in, he was up and feeding the Pokemon on the corral with his grandfather. He had given up the chance to make friends to take care for an infant Gore. Ash had abandoned his childhood, so he could start his journey early. And for what?

A worried gurgle drew his attention to the right. He rolled to his right slowly - careful not to disturb Bulbasaur as he did. Krabby gazed at him with worry. "I'm okay," Ash whispered. The crab narrowed his eyes skeptically. The trainer averted his eyes uncertainly. "I don't wanna worry you," he said in the same tone. Ash flinched when a weak Water Gun hit his face.

"Does it ever feel like we aren't getting anywhere?" the boy asked. Krabby stared at him evenly. "What I mean is, I've been learning since I was five, and haven't gotten anywhere!" he blurted loudly. The crab flinched at his outburst. "You've been trying to be a Kingler for a while too, right?" Krabby gurgled quietly in what Ash knew to be agreed.

"What do we have to show for it? Any trainer could take us out!" He said. The boy took a deep breath. The water-type lowered his claws and averted his eyes. "All we do is train and we're still so weak!" Ash continued. He rolled back over and covered his eyes with his hat. "What's the point?"

The bed creaked and dipped, but the boy ignored it. Ash couldn't bring himself to face his Pokemon right now. A soft gurgle, then he stiffened, when the Krabby nestled into his chest next to Bulbasaur. The strain of the past eighteen days had finally settled in for the tiny saurian, she hadn't even twitched during Ash's outburst. The trainer hugged them tentatively at first, then tighter when they only snuggled deeper into his embrace.

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