I don't own Pokemon.

Friendly Advice

xxx

Ash yawned and stretched as he woke. He narrowed his eyes, something was missing. What? He shrugged and rolled out of bed. He could figure it out later, for now he needed to get dressed. "You ready to eat?" the trainer asked his team expecting the usual enthusiastic grunts and snorts. He blinked when he received none. That's right, he had to stay with the doc. Doctor Proctor had wanted to make sure that Gore's evolution hadn't hurt him. "Guys, you need to wake up!" Ash said, turning to his Pokemon.

His team was gone. "Krabby, Bulbasaur?" he called anxiously. His Pokemon didn't reply and worry began to gnaw at the boy's stomach. Ash glanced around the tent frantically. Were they stolen? He took a deep breath; he had to keep a cool head. Panicking wouldn't help him find his team.

They're probably just sunbathing. In spite of the logic in that thought, he exited his tent quickly. Ash smiled in relief when he spotted Bulbasaur sunbathing a few yards from the tent. Krabby was sitting in the shade of a large cactus with his white arms crossed over his chest. To Ash, it almost looked as though the crab were meditating.

"Let's go get some breakfast!" Ash called over his shoulder. Predictably, Bulbasaur scurried after him with a happy squeak. Krabby clicked respectfully and followed him at a far more sedated pace. "But no berries for Bulbasaur!" he sang. She mewled and looked at him as though he were evil manifested. "I'm kidding!" the trainer laughed. Ash grinned when the saurian sent him a growl.

xxxxx

Ash and his Pokemon peered into the makeshift cafeteria uncertainly. Every trainer had released their team, and they all seemed bigger and stronger than his. Size didn't determine who won a fight, but it definitely helped. Among the Pokemon were, Growlithe, Houndour, Sandslash, Poliwhirl, Graveler, and Raticate. He had never thought he would be so grateful for Gore to be with a doctor. The swine's reaction to a Feraligatr, Tangrowth, and Nidoqueen individually would likely be attempted murder. All three in the same place, and he might fall into a blood rage. He shuddered at the thought of his oldest friend seeing them, and a slew of other Pokemon at the same time. Gore would definitely need to be fed away from the camp. Ash was a bit ashamed to admit it, but seeing others roughly his age just as uncomfortable as he was comforted him.

Feraligatr's Misty's for sure. Tangrowth and Nidoqueen belong to that girl. I can't believe Misty brought a monster like this to guard archeologists. Maybe there's an angry Rhyperior or bull Donphan around?

The boy spotted a deserted table, and directed Krabby toward it. Bulbasaur had long since climbed onto the boy's shoulder. "No," Ash whispered sharply when the crab turned to a Sandslash with a glare. The trainer nudged him and rubbed Bulbasaur in soothing circles. Coming here with them had been a mistake, Ash realized.

He should have gotten the food alone and gone back to the tent with it. Too late now. The trainer wouldn't and couldn't be seen running out of the situation like a young Nidoran. His pride wouldn't allow it, and judging by Krabby's rigid posture, he wasn't alone. "Stay here, and do not pick any fights!" he ordered when they reached the table.

Ash turned before Krabby could protest, but was stopped by a vine grabbing his wrist. Bulbasaur was eyeing the older Pokemon as though she expected them to attack at a moment's notice. "You can do this," Ash told her firmly, untangling himself from her vine. The trainer made for the food before his resolve shattered. The saurian needed to get used to being in large groups if she was to compete in the conference.

I am definitely going to need to wake up earlier tomorrow. The majority of the meat was gone, and the fruit wasn't much better. Neither of his girls would be thrilled with the news. Hopefully, the doctor was wise enough to set food aside for his patients. Otherwise, Gore might rebel. Ash snorted, he was grateful the swine's appetite wasn't his problem now.

Ash headed back to the table with a stuffed plate and licking his lips. Sausage, pancakes, blueberries, and strawberries, he loved archaeologists. "Check it out!" the trainer told his Pokemon with a grin. Krabby gurgled and gazed at the plate, as though it held the truth of the universe.

Bulbasaur was nowhere to be seen. He blinked and shook his head. She was still gone. "Krabby where is -", he cut off his question when he realized the crab was digging into the food. Ash sighed and knelt. Bulbasaur was shaking beneath his chair, and covering her eyes with her legs as though creating a shield against the world. Being in a Haunter's grip couldn't hurt this much. "C'mere," he said, beckoning her to him. She crawled out from her hiding place after a moment.

The saurian moved slowly at first, but leaped at him, his arms when he spread his arms. "It's okay, I-I'm sorry," he said swallowing harshly. "We're gonna eat out," Ash told Krabby lifting the plate. The crab clicked and eyed him with confusion. He blinked; staring at Bulbasaur's shivering form, uncomprehending. "Just come on!" he barked. The crab flinched, and Bulbasaur's shaking increased.

"It's okay," Ash said quietly. He rubbed his Pokemon's bulb in soothing circles, attempting to emulate how his mother comforted him when he had a nightmare as a child. Krabby clicked quietly, looking between him and Bulbasaur before jumping off the table. "I'm sorry, buddy," he told the water-type. The crab hissed at him annoyed, and gestured for Ash to follow him out of the tent.

xxxxxx

"Weather's way too good to be inside anyway!" Ash declared with a grin. If Bulbasaur heard him, she didn't acknowledge it. The trainer bit his lip; the cow wouldn't eat, and had barely responded to his calls. Her shaking had gone down significantly, but that was the only positive Ash could find.

I did this. He gritted his teeth. Ash took several deep breaths. He needed to be calm or the situation would worsen. Krabby spat a weak burst of water at his knee and shuffled in place. Ash helped the crab onto the boulder he had made his seat. Krabby gurgled quietly, and poked the dinosaur with his claw. Krabby turned to him with an odd glint in his dark eyes, when she only burrowed her head into his lap deeper.

Ash shrugged, he wasn't much better than the crab at these things. At least, that was how it seemed to the boy. Bulbasaur belonged in a herd, something neither he nor Krabby could entirely relate to. "I know what'll make you feel better!" the trainer cried abruptly. He winced when she tensed. I really need to work on this. "Let's eat some sausage in front of Gore," he whispered conspiratorially.

Her ear twitched and a pink eye opened slightly. "And at dinner we'll eat all the barbecue in front of him!" Ash said with a grin. When Krabby clicked something with a mischievous glint in his eyes, her head rose. Bulbasaur licked Ash's cheek and wrapped her vines around his neck. The trainer's grin widened and he nuzzled her back.

"Ya know, it's a bit weird that this is what you guys do for fun," Misty's voice called from behind him. He stiffened and placed a hand on Krabby's claw. The last thing they needed was for the crab to pick a fight with a gym leader after all. To his surprise, Krabby wasn't making any aggressive movements and Bulbasaur had gone stiff in his lap.

Misty stepped in front of him and a shadow hovered over him. His eyes widened and he gasped when he recognized the beast. It was a Kingdra, the fully evolved form of Horsea and among the most powerful Pokemon that could be found in Kanto. Noble beasts regarded as paragons of honor and strength. They were the beloved guardians of Cerulean for centuries, and members of every Cerulean Champion that had ever been produced. And the Kingdra was staring right at them.

"Best Kingdra in the world," Misty boasted puffing her chest out proudly and grinning widely. Ash set Bulbasaur down gently and rose as though in a daze. He ran his hands along smooth, blue scales that had doubtlessly endured thousands of attacks. The seahorse's armor had a few small scars that only enhanced their beauty in the trainer's eyes. The golden scales on its belly shone in the sun and its ruby eyes were as hypnotizing as any Hypno's pendulum.

"Sorry," the brown-eyed boy murmured, still admiring the beast.

"It's cool," the gym leader shrugged as she sat on the boulder, "But, I'm here for a reason, and I'm hungry," she finished inching closer to Krabby.

"For a reason?" Ash asked his tone absent.

"Training," she stated still inching closer to the stupefied crab. Ash blinked and then turned toward the redhead quickly.

"For Krabby?" he asked with a grin. Ash chuckled awkwardly when Misty and Krabby sent him deadpan stares. "Shoulda been obvious," he muttered, rubbing the back of his head.

"Anyway," Misty said, rolling her eyes, "Do ya want help?"

"Yes!" the boy blurted. His face flushed, and he covered his eyes with his hat when the redhead snickered.

"Water-types and ice-types aren't that different, and can usually learn one the other type's techniques easily," the leader stated her hand moving closer to Krabby stealthily.

"So Krabby can learn Ice Shard," the raven-haired trainer said with a grin.

"I doubt it. He can learn cooling moves, but probably not ice manipulating attacks," Misty said, rubbing Krabby on the nubs that would become his crown. When Ash's brow furrowed, she continued, "Basically, techniques like Icy Wind and Ice Beam, instead of stuff like Ice Shard," she finished.

"I've seen a water-type manipulate ice, though," Ash said with a blink. Wave's ice manipulation was far more impressive than even Lorelei's Lapras'. At least, from what he had seen of the woman's Lapras.

"Wave's is actually a combination move, instead of regular ice," the redhead said matter-of-fact still focused on Krabby. "And he's really not the best to be comparing a Pokemon too," she added.

"You know who I am," the boy said his back stiff. How did she?

"Daisy told me," Misty said trying to lift the crab onto her lap. The water-type tensed, but allowed the gym leader to lift him.

"Shoulda figured," Ash said, rolling his eyes. When Daisy participated in her last tournament, Ash and Gary had made a massive sign with her name on it. Ordinarily, this would not have been an issue, but their grandfather had confided in them that he would be having an interview after one of the rounds. The professor's interview had been displayed to millions, and they had waved their sign in the background the entire time. He wouldn't have put it past her to tell the gym leaders she knew not to take it easy on them.

In hindsight, that may have been a minor miscalculation on their part. This could also explain why his grandfather had been pushed into a hole by a psychic. At least, Oak, Pins, and Wave had enjoyed their prank. The Sky God knew his mother and Eia the Espeon had not. The Espeon had even vented her anger on poor, unsuspecting Gore. Ash shuddered at the memory. The sheer brutality the vixen displayed had been terrifying.

Not nearly as horrifying as Wave's reaction to that fight had been. It was on that day, he truly understood why the old Gyarados was so respected. As cold as the vixen could be, she didn't deserve Wave coming after her. "Are you okay?" Misty asked with a note of uncertainty. Bulbasaur, Krabby, and even the Kingdra looked concerned.

"Yeah," he chirped with a strained grin, "just remembered something weird," he finished his grin falling into a more sincere smile. Ash had seen the Pokemon of the corral battle hundreds of times, and had seen some fights end in the worst way, but that incident alone had been nightmare inducing.

"Anyway," Misty said with an awkward, "This is Hero!" she said pointing to the Kingdra. The beast snorted and held its head high when Ash turned to it. "He's my starter," she added with a fond smile. Ash nodded respectfully, and much to his pleasure, received one as well. As expected of Cerulean's gym leader.

With a last, friendly pat Ash strode away from the levitating dragon-type and settled himself on a smaller boulder next to Misty's seat. Bulbasaur leaped onto the boy's lap the moment he sat, not giving him the chance to become comfortable. He frowned; Ash had done similar things to Oak and Delia in the past, but had never realized how annoying it must have been for them. Maybe this is karma?

He noticed that some of the berries had been nibbled at, and that a small portion of the half-eaten plate was now cleared. Good she ate. The trainer smiled and scratched Bulbasaur behind her ears eliciting a purr from the dinosaur. Her eating willingly was a good sign. Hopefully, the grass-type would feel well enough to train in a few minutes. Ash's stomach made its hunger known with a grumble.

"Skipped breakfast, eh?" Misty teased with a smirk and a snigger. Ash laughed and Hero snorted amusedly when the redhead's stomach grumbled its own displeasure. "Err- guess we should go get breakfast," she said with a stilted chuckle.

xxxx

"I love being a gym leader!" Misty declared with a wide grin. The teenager licked her lips as she gazed at the wide assortment of food set before her. Ash agreed with a nod and a grin of his own. Logically, being what amounted to a queen should come with benefits. Apparently, one of them was having your food freshly cooked, long after breakfast had begun for everyone else. Misty and her team were given more food than they could possibly eat, and it was of a higher quality than what the volunteers were given as well.

If only Gore were here, he could die without any regrets. The raven-haired trainer shook away the depressing thought. He would just have to hope the boar would forgive him for pigging out without him. Krabby hit him with a claw and hissed urgently, he shuffled in place and gazed at the array of food as though it were a work of the finest art.

Ash nodded and loaded a plate for himself and another for the crab. The crab's plate had only just hit the floor before the crab leaped upon it with a gleeful gurgle. Ash only just managed to draw his fingers out of range of the crab's assault. He was too hungry to be angry at the crustacean. The trainer inhaled his food, his pace nearly rivaling Misty's as he did, happily. He hadn't eaten this well since his mother had left to tour Hoenn, and its restaurants. The woman wouldn't let him eat at the diner when she wasn't around. He and Gore had gotten into the restaurant when she wasn't there once, and had devoured three days' worth of pizza.

When Delia had learned, she sicked her childhood friend on them. Acaya was an Arcanine that had been trained by his grandfather's team to protect the corral when they passed. She was also extraordinarily playful. The Arcanine had been truly ruthless in her pursuit of the trouble making duo. She had even gotten her pack involved, and had the Growlithe trap them. Then, she pinned Ash and Gore beneath her giant paws, and licked them for close to an hour. They had tried to fight the fire-type, but the canine's bulk had been too great for the young pair. Completely worth it.

"So, about Krabby," Misty began between bites, "Kingler can't really use ice as easy as Kingdra, cause they were made for physical stuff, but he should be able to learn Powder Snow pretty easy, if you have him hang out with your Piloswine enough," she finished handing a sausage to an air headed looking Psyduck.

"You think Gore can teach him?" the raven-haired boy asked with a blink. He wasn't sure whether Gore understood how his moves worked or just went with his instincts. Probably his instincts.

"No," she said with an indelicate snort, "Sorry, 'bout that," the leader said with a wince.

"We're cool," Ash said with a shrug. He was well aware of how most people saw Piloswine, and had accepted it, for the most part. That was probably because Gore didn't really subvert their claims about his intelligence. The boy shook his head; a day old, Swinub that tried to challenge a Gyarados to single combat, could never be considered a great intellectual. Or even fully sane.

"If he watches Gore train enough, he'll figure it out," Misty told him, "But, that could take several months or even a year," she added thoughtfully as she handed the Psyduck another sausage.

"That long eh," Ash repeated with a slow exhale. When Gore had evolved, he thought the team would be ready to give Erika a good fight, but after facing Misty, he understood the swine couldn't carry their team.

"However, there is a way to make it faster," Misty told him quietly, gesturing for him to lean in closer. He did so with a thumping heart. Is this how Cerulean stayed on top? "You have to-" she paused to take another slow bite of sausage, making Ash's eyebrow twitch in annoyance. "Give him an ice bath," the redhead finished with a dramatic wave of her arm.

"An ice bath?" the boy repeated uncomprehending. His confusion turned to anger quickly. Does she think this is a damn joke? "How the hell is that supposed to help?" he asked, struggling to contain his fury.

"Gets him used to the sensation, see all water-types spit cold or lukewarm water so they really just need a nudge," the gym leader said unperturbed. "The best way would be to go somewhere really cold," she added, turning back to her hungry duck.

"Thanks a ton," Ash said with a relieved sigh, "I'll pay you back for this," he added quietly.

"Just give me a decent challenge, 'nd we're even!" Misty told him with a cocky smirk.

"I will," he swore with a smirk of his own.

xxxx

The swine whined sadly when he finished licking his plate. Doctor Proctor quickly placed another two plates in front of him. "Yes, yes, he should be completely fine! Just make sure to balance his diet, don't give him too much fiber, and make sure he gets plenty of protein!" the tanned man told him making shooing gestures. "Oh, and don't let him overheat!" he added as Ash led Gore away from the now empty plates and out of the doctor's tent.

The Piloswine squealed happily when he realized Ash had brought two more plates with him. "You can have one of these at the training ground!" the trainer said, giving his partner a firm look. Gore pouted and nudged his hand. "Keep it up and you won't get any!" Ash declared. The boy's back stiffened to the point of pain when his partner uttered a low growl. "Buddy?" he asked gulping as he turned.

Gore was glaring hatefully at a small Nidoqueen. The matriarch snarled back, displaying her impressive fangs and extending poisonous barbs beyond her blue armor. Ash paled, the Nido line were powerful predators and were known to hunt Swinub when the opportunity arose. "Stop it! Or no dinner!" he barked fighting down his instinctive unease. The Piloswine twitched, but otherwise ignored the trainer, his eyes intent on his natural enemy as he pawed the ground. "And no training!" That did the trick, the swine backed down with jerked movements, clearly displeased with letting the matriarch get away.

"You too Nida!" the girl a few years his senior cried, grabbing the poison-type's thick, armored arm. Nida blinked, and growled at Gore one last time, before striding away with her trainer. Ash sighed in relief, but placed his leg in front of his partner until the duo were out of sight. Went better than I thought it would. According to the Pokedex, male Piloswine were incredibly aggressive. The boy had chalked up Gore not charging Sissy being because he was tired from their travels.

He smiled; perhaps his boar was a bit special in more than just size. "Come on! We need to go before somebody takes our spot!" Ash declared with a smile. Gore grunted and nudged his leg playfully, the aggression he had displayed only moments ago vanishing as though it were a dream, and trotted in front of his trainer.

xxxx

"Everything's set guys!" Ash chirped setting the large pot of icy water down carefully, "Bulbasaur, and Gore you're gonna be training in accuracy!" he declared. Bulbasaur turned to him with a look of horror. "Not on you!" the trainer promised with a nervous chuckle. Maybe I ought to have told Krabby to hold back a little more? Next time I'll have to be more careful. With that thought in mind, the boy released his water-type. "I think I'll talk to Krabby first," the raven-haired trainer told Gore and Bulbasaur; much to the latter's evident relief.

"Krabby, there's a special training plan for today!" the trainer said with a grin as he lifted his Pokemon, "We'll start, by putting you in that!" Ash declared pointing to the pot. Krabby looked between the pot and Gore, and then began thrashing as though his life was in grave danger. "What's wrong with you?" Ash cried, struggling to keep the crab in his hands. Then, he tripped, sending the panicked water-type soaring through the air and into the pot.

Krabby's flailing increased when Gore trotted up to the pot. Ash groaned, what's his problem? It's like he thinks he's gonna die! He blinked a crab, a pot, and a pig? The trainer face-palmed, he thinks he's gonna be cooked! Ash stood with a grunt. "Gore back off!" he barked striding to the panicking crab.

"It's okay, buddy! See, he's backing off," Ash said, slowing in his approach. He reached out slowly, and when the crab didn't react negatively, he rubbed the crab's red shell soothingly. "All you have to do is hang out here and-" he paused, taking a moment to make he remembered the wording Misty used, "let the energy within the water resonate with your own energy!" he finished with a shaky grin.

Krabby had stopped listening to him the moment he paused, and sank into the cool water as deeply as he could. "I don't get any damn respect," the brown-eyed boy muttered. He sighed and turned back to his other Pokemon. Gore was looking between Ash and Krabby with his tilted to the side. Bulbasaur was staring at the water that had spilled, when Krabby had been thrown into the pot sadly. Ash could understand, spending over half a month traveling through a desert, had made the boy far more appreciative of the precious substance as well. He cleared his throat loudly, drawing his team's attention to him. The trainer drew Vulpix's Pokeball and watched his Pokemon reactions. As he expected, they were glaring at the capsule with tense forms. He released the vixen with a deep inhale. Vulpix glanced at Ash and huffed haughtily.

She stiffened and her ears fell when Gore made his presence known with a growl. She glared at the swine with a growl, who snorted back unimpressed. "None of that!" Ash snapped already feeling exasperated with the discord. Vulpix gave him a defiant glare that he met with an even stare. The trainer huffed and placed the remaining plate of food in front of the fire-type. "Behave or skip your meal," Ash stated looking at her out of the corner of his eye. "Watch her, but don't hurt her," he told Gore as he lifted Bulbasaur onto his shoulder.

He frowned at the tension in her form. At least she isn't hiding from the vixen anymore.

The boar ignored his partner's words and kept his eyes firmly trained upon the eating vixen. "I mean it. Do. Not. Hurt. Her. Right?" the trainer growled. Gore huffed, clearly unhappy with the command, but grunted his understanding nonetheless. Ash glanced over his shoulder as he strode away from his team. The trainer would have preferred watching Vulpix himself, but knew the technique they were going to practice was too dangerous to use around the others.

xxxx

"So, I'm pretty sure you know this, but Energy Ball is pretty much useless in the desert," he stated bluntly staring into Bulbasaur's pink eyes. She warbled sadly and lowered herself to the ground in response. "Not that it's your fault!" the trainer cried, waving his arms frantically. "We just need to work on something else for a while!" he finished with a weak smile. There's no excuse for this! He raged internally clenching his fists.

A vine poked his forehead gently and snapped him out of his thoughts. Bulbasaur cooed, and wrapped her vine around his wrist squeezing lightly. "Don't worry 'bout it," he told her with a grin, "Anyway, we'll get back to Energy Ball as soon as we can," Ash said rubbing her head. She chirped and nuzzled his hand. Energy Ball is an important move to a grass-type, his grandfather had lectured, and drawing upon the forest is a part of their very essence. In hindsight, he should have asked for the old man's advice on water-types as well.

"So, the move we'll work on is one all poison-type Pokemon can use instinctively," Ash told his Pokemon in a didactic tone, "It's Acid," he finished. She tilted her head to the side with a coo. "All you have to do is picture your poison as a stream, and then shoot it," the trainer blurted with a wave of his arms. Bulbasaur blinked, and then closed her eyes with a look of deep concentration. Ash tensed with anticipation when the dinosaur opened her eyes.

Then, he scrambled away from her with a squawk, when she spat a tiny glob of poison. That attack could melt a Pokemon's hide; he didn't want to imagine what it would do to him. Bulbasaur trotted to him with a wail, and nuzzled his ankle. "It's okay!" Ash said with a laugh, "Let's just make sure I'm out of the way next time," he finished kneeling patting her head.

"I'm going to go take care of Gore," Ash told the cow, as he rose, "just come over when you need a water break!" the trainer added over his shoulder.

xxxx

Stop glaring at her," Ash said with a sigh. Gore grunted, and continued to glance back at Vulpix suspiciously every other step. The trainer rolled his eyes at the overprotective boar. That incident with the Nidoqueen must have been a fluke. Ash could more than understand the boar's reservations about the vixen, but he knew acting hostile would only exacerbate the situation. Vulpix had to be treated with the respect she felt she deserved, even if she didn't deserve any.

The trainer had explained that to his Piloswine, but the willful boar had been unmoved. Ash just hoped Vulpix did something to improve the ice-type's opinion of her soon. If she didn't, it was likely Gore would attack her again, regardless of Ash's pleas. The trainer bit his lip, maybe Bulbasaur or Krabby approving of Vulpix will change Gore's mind? Gore bellowed and butted him lightly, nearly knocking the boy onto his side. He blinked, and glanced around him. They were at least twenty yards away from Krabby and Vulpix.

"We're gonna test out your new form," the trainer said, pointing to a boulder, "Ice Shard!" The boar growled, and then fired a chunk of ice the size of Ash's head at the stone. It shattered upon impact, sending shards of ice in every direction. "That's a lot quicker and stronger than before," the trainer said with a blink. Gore squealed and puffed his chest out, proud of his new strength. "Great job bud! Now let's try a Mud Shot! Ash cried with a wide grin.

Gore inhaled sharply, his chest expanding, and then discharged a large blob of mud at the boulder. Ash smirked when the top half of the boulder was covered with mud. With the pressure of fighting a gym leader away, he could fully appreciate his partner's new power. Take Down should wait until Celadon. He's smaller than an adult, that doesn't mean his Icy Wind will be weaker though. Rainbow Badge, here I come! "Icy Wind," he commanded nearly hopping in place.

Gore squared himself, and breathed in deeply. He blasted the greatest gust of wind he had ever created with a roar, as fierce as a blizzard. The swine maintained the stream for several seconds, and then he sank to the earth with a gasp. Ash gaped - too shocked to do anything else - the boulder, and several feet around it, was completely covered in a thick layer of frost. He stared, then blinked, and then, ran to his partner with a grin.

"That was great, Gore!" Ash cried as he helped the boar friend to his feet. The swine snorted happily and licked his cheek. "Don't get mushy, or everyone back home will think you've gone soft!" the trainer said with a smirk. Gore grunted vigorously, and stamped his hooves several times in denial.

"They'll definitely think you're a total wimp," the raven-haired boy said with a sagely nod, "Especially, when I tell them you let Bulbasaur ride on your head!" the boy said thoughtfully, his smirk widening. The swine stared, at him wide-eyed with horror. "And about the Clefable," Ash finished with a baleful grin so wide that it split his face. Gore whined, and covered his eyes with his hooves. Ash guffawed at the distressed boar. Never gonna get old.

He cried out in shock when Gore barreled into him, and slammed him to the ground. The boy groaned and made to rise. A satisfied snort was the only warning he received before Gore stepped onto his hand lightly. Ash glared at the swine, and was met with a large tongue in return. "Get off, you dumb pig!" the trainer cried, struggling mightily with his Pokemon.

Gore snorted, and continued his assault on the boy's face. "Okay, I'll just tell Mom and Acaya!" the trainer offered with a weak smile. The swine's eyes narrowed and his tongue developed a slight chill. "I give! I won't squeal!" Ash promised covering his face. "Just, no more licking!" the trainer pleaded gasping. Gore placed a hoof on Ash's chest and bellowed his victory. The boy groaned, and pushed the boar's hoof weakly. "Can we just get back to training?" Ash said when Gore remained in his victory pose for several seconds.

xxxx

"Calling it a night Krabby!" Ash called with a yawn. The crab Pokemon chirped from his pot, but stayed submerged in the icy water. The trainer sighed, he could more than appreciate the enthusiasm, but when the rest of one's teammates had already collapsed from exhaustion, it was time to stop for the day. Regrettably for the boy, that had been over three hours ago. Krabby considered training to be over when he could barely walk, and that just wasn't happening in the pot.

Ash reclined onto Gore with another yawn. He glanced to his right. Bulbasaur was still asleep, and didn't seem like she would be waking anytime soon. Even Vulpix was resting peacefully near his feet. Well, as peacefully as one could sleep, when a giant temperamental boar that wanted you dead slept mere feet away. He could empathize, having a sly vixen that wanted him dead so close to him, made him feel rather uncomfortable at times. That worry was mostly calmed with Gore's display of power though.

There aren't any strong Pokemon around, and the more time he spends in the water the better. And we are training really far from camp. More importantly, Gore's fur was surprisingly soft, and his breathing was calming. The boy's eyes drooped, and he snuggled further into his friend's side.

Xxxxxxxxxx

Ash was woken (rather rudely in his opinion) to the sound of frenzied trumpeting, and a rumbling similar to his grandfather's jeep. He scowled and stood quickly. Too quickly, his head swam at the abrupt action, and he fell. A deep growl and a concerned coo met his ears as he was caught. A gentle nudge later and he was standing on shaky legs again. Gore grunted and glared past him. The ice-type seemed even angrier than his partner for being woken prematurely. Bulbasaur moved to stand next to him, her eyes drooping, her legs shaking, and uncharacteristic irritation coloring her features.

A bellow from Gore later, and Krabby surged out of his pot, furious and alert. The crab hissed a vexed acknowledgement to his team, and chirped furiously at an unresponsive Vulpix. Vulpix appeared asleep, but even sleep deprived, Ash could see the slight twitches in her form. Finally, the boy faced the source of the noise. A pair of Donphan (females judging by their tusk size) were fighting with a Lickitung, an Arbok, and a Weepinbell.

The trainer's eyes narrowed, only the Arbok belonged in the desert. So why? Gore snarled so loudly that Ash grabbed his ear reflexively. When Gore grunted insistently, the trainer turned toward the source of his partner's duress. Three Sandslash were defending five small Sandshrew, and a Phanpy calf, from a Golbat, and several small, blue blurs. Zubat, he realized. Yards to their right, another Sandslash was fighting a losing battle against a Carnivine. A blue-haired man and a red-haired woman were barking orders furiously, while several other men and women unloaded themselves from three large black vans. Horror pooled in Ash's belly as he saw the large red R on the van's side.

Team Rocket.

xxxx

Thank you for reading!

I think I might be looking forward to introducing Acaya more than Ash's mom.