I do not own Pokemon. Or any other things I reference in this story. Please support the official release.

Episode 16

The Daily Routine

Xxxxxxxxxx

Ash flopped gracelessly onto his bed with a groan. Gore fell onto his mat like a puppet whose strings had been cut. The boy snickered when Hellfire slumped against the Piloswine. Gore made his displeasure known with a weak whine. He pushed at the Houndour with a hoof for a couple seconds before slumping again with an exhausted huff. King raised his claw in a salute, then hopped into his pot. Ash blinked as he felt a light tugging on his pillow. He squawked as the pillow was ripped from under him.

The boy glared at his Vulpix as she settled the pillow at the foot of the bed. Willow the little traitor settled onto the pillow with a relieved coo. Vulpix poked at the large pillow a few times before curling up on her new bed. Ash shoved his irritation away with a huff. He grabbed the other, far smaller, pillow and relaxed into the massive bed.

This was a luxury for any financially challenged trainer, that said, he doubted even the Mayor of Lavender had a nicer room than he did at the moment. Gary and Janine insisted they didn't deserve such treatment, but Ms. Laura had been unmoved. Ash was inclined to agree with her. They'd nearly died times several over the course of a few hours. A big room was the least they could do.

Though, he would be lying if he said he wasn't slightly guilty. An entire block had been declared inhospitable after Mr. Fuji's and Proton's teams fought for the first time. The dueling Houndoom were particularly destructive. It was a disturbing thing, seeing two-story houses with blackened walls and large holes in them. Someone had built a life in those walls, he had thought, had likely raised their children there, and now they were little more than rubble.

Ash was a selfish person, but even he had been moved by the sight. The idea of the diner or the lab being in such a state made his chest ache. Only the knowledge that he couldn't possibly stand up to the one responsible stopped him from hunting the Executive down. Proton could be drunk, have only one half-dead Pokemon, and still beat him down like a toddler. He scowled, then sighed heavily as his eyes drifted shut.

The boy opened his eyes to the familiar sight of the Pallet Corral. Ash smiled a warm feeling filling his chest. I'm home! How did I get here? He shook his head. He could figure that out later. Ash pushed himself off the soft grass. "Hey! I'm home!" the trainer shouted with a grin.

Ash's grin slowly faded when he didn't receive a reply. The street was completely deserted. The houses across from the lab didn't even have their lights on. "Everybody!" His call was again met with silence. His eyes widened when he saw the red splotches on Mr. James's white door. Ash swallowed and turned to the Corral. He found a giant Nidoking lying face down in wet, reddish grass several yards away from where he woke. A sensation like a cold claw ripping at his heart hit him. "Pins," Ash whispered.

The trainer winced when a sound like thunder assaulted his ears. His throat felt drier than the desert. That's coming from the hatchery! Ash's heart pounded in his ears as he raced down the dirt road. There was another boom that sounded near the first. The boy slid to a stop behind a tall oak tree. Pins? The boy shook his head vigorously. I have to focus! He reached to his belt only to grasp air. His Pokeballs were gone. Ash's breath quickened as horror settled in his belly.

There was a deafening roar of pain, then glass shattered, and the ground seemed to shake as though something gigantic crashed into the hatchery. Ash pressed himself against and inhaled sharply. He held his breath as he crept around the old oak. "N-no," the boy whispered, his eyes wide and disbelieving.

The red scales of the upper part of Wave's belly looked to have been melted. The great serpent's chest heaved twice, then he hacked a great glob of blood. Ash steadied himself against the oak as bile rose in his throat. "Hello, little human," a chilling, feminine voice purred from behind him. He gasped as an immense pressure forced him to his knees and a terrible chill fell upon him. Pink energy surrounded his body as he was lifted from the ground. Ash paled when he was turned around.

"Did you truly think you could survive me?" the Fog inquired her crimson eyes dancing with mirth. "Nothing to say?" she asked with a wide grin that sent chills down his spine. A dark orb formed in her palm. The Fog beckoned him with a claw. A numb sensation he knew to be resignation washed over him. The orb doubled in size, then shot out and drilled into his chest.

His vision failed him as agony overwhelmed his mind. Ash's mouth fell open, but no scream came. The orb inched forward until his sternum began to crack. His last defense gave and his world ceased to be. Ash's eyes snapped open with a gasp. The boy sat up so quickly his head spun.

The trainer's heart sang when he saw his team sprawled around him. He was in the Lavender Pokemon Center. He was safe. Ash gave a relieved smile and flopped onto his pillow. "Did you sleep well, little human?" the Fog cooed making his eyes snap open. Ash swung wildly at the ghost only for her to stop his arm with a claw. The terrible pressure of her power forced him to lie back down.

"I do believe it's time for me to finish what I started," she whispered. She broke his wrist with a casual twist of her claw. Ash stared at his arm with wide, disbelieving eyes. He tried to scream, but again, nothing came from his throat. The Fog cackled and cocked her left claw back. Ash shut his eyes. He wouldn't give her the pleasure of seeing his fear. She swiped, yet no pain came. After a moment, he opened his bleary eyes. The Gengar frowned, and swiped again. The specter's claw passed through his chest, but he felt nothing. Something tiny and warm curled i that reminded of the first cup of hot chocolate he'd had in his mother's lap, her fingers running through his hair, curled into his side.

A stream of Purple flames appeared and struck at the Fog like a cracking whip, making the Gengar recoiled with a shriek. The terrible pressure eased allowing Ash to gulp in air. The whip slapped the Fog again, and the pressure receded further. The ghost eyed the whip warily before drifting upward. The Fog glared at his defender as she floated through the ceiling. Ash eyed the dark ceiling for a beat before sighing.

"Th-thank you," the trainer murmured. The flames moved toward him slowly, as though it was hesitant, before curling into his right side. The comforting heat there grew until the Fog's power seemed a distant memory. Ash smiled, and wrapped an arm around the flame. It didn't burn him, in fact, he felt a sense of comfort wash over him. His eyes drooped, then shut for the final time that night.

xxxxxx

"Not too hot right?" Ash asked with a smile. King gargled before sinking to the bottom of his pot. Within moments, the lukewarm water began to spin. King's crown had grown significantly seemingly overnight. It wouldn't be too much longer now. They had to use all the time they had left, if he wanted to counter Whirlpool against Misty, for he had no doubt her team would know it, and truly master Water Pulse. Hellfire bolted past him with a determined bark and a rabbit trapped in his jaws. The trainer blinked when a tiny, orange form raced after the black dog. Gore growled deep in his throat at their retreating forms and moved to rise.

"Easy," the trainer warned patting the boar's side, "You know Ms. Laura would skin us alive if you hurt your ribs." The Piloswine narrowed his eyes and grunted. Ash rolled his eyes. "Most training isn't 'bout running a marathon so much as learning your element… your kind aren't built for running so that's fine. Willow's body is mainly connected with her bulb receiving enough vitamin D and Sunlight," Ash explained with a hiss as he reclined against the boar. Apparently, the sting he had felt was a rather large piece of glass entering his chest. It didn't help his cause, that the rock that had fallen on him had broken a rib or two.

"King's getting closer to evolving, so his stamina isn't a huge deal, but for those two," he continued, pointing at the vixen and the dog, "Running and playing is extremely important for their bodies." Gore gave a snort, still glaring at the Houndour and Vulpix, before bringing his hoof down lightly. "Just to keep to your training, and I'll make sure to get you more meat with dinner," Ash promised with a smirk.

The light vibrations that accompanied him, lowering his hoof again made a King's water ripple further. It wasn't much, but with enough practice it would be a Bulldoze. Tunnels popped his head out of the ground with a squeak. "You knew he would've felt them too, and what we're doing, " Ash said rolling his eyes. The Diglett narrowed his eyes dangerously before descending into the earth. That could come back to haunt me a bit.

He glanced at Gore when the boar lowered his hoof again. The boar shocked him with his new technique, but it shouldn't have. Gore had been conscious, if barely, while what was quite possibly the strongest Marowak in the world, Talc and Proton's Rhyperior threw powerful earth attacks at one another. I never dreamed his hooves could "learn" Bulldoze… Or that an ice Piloswine could learn a move as strong as Earth Power. Mr. Fuji had explained that a Pokemon's affinity didn't necessarily mean their second element would be weaker, just that they wouldn't have nearly as much control over the secondary element.

Ash shut his eyes tightly. He had assumed that he knew all there was to know about Gore, and it nearly cost them. If he had studied the Swinub line more he would have known exposure to such vibrations would help Gore's training. Ash bit his lip hard enough to draw blood. His arrogance could have cost them a chance in the Indigo Conference. Team Rocket.

The thought of the organization was enough to make his chest burn with a desire for vengeance. Gary, Janine, Hellfang, everyone really wanted to make them pay for what they did to Lavender. But Ash found the majority of his anger wasn't about them attacking an ancient city dedicated to honoring the dead. He hated losing, and there was no doubt in his mind that the Rockets had won, had always hated it. He twitched a bit when he remembered the dream he'd had.

What Ash wanted, more than justice, was to assuage his own wounded pride. Looking back on it, he had come to Lavender in the first place for that very reason. Janine and Gary risked life and limb to save Lavender. He wanted to help Lavender too, but that wasn't his main motivation. What the young trainer truly wanted was to settle the score with Jessie and James. Ash wasn't foolish enough to count his first encounter with the Rockets a true victory. They and their subordinates, would have killed him and his team if Hero hadn't come.

He defeated their Pokemon, and helped to defeat the Nidoking they hadn't even raised. Ash felt no pity when he learned their Pokemon were among those to have fallen victim to Talc's club. None of them had died of course, but their teams would likely take a month before they fully recovered from the beating. I wonder what that says about me? They were likely killers, and had probably tortured that Donphan, but they were still people. The way James held his injured Weepinbell and screamed for his Carnivine flashed through his mind. They loved their Pokemon. The helplessness one felt when sitting by your Pokemon's side when they were injured was indescribable. Ash swallowed and leaned further into Gore's side. Something soft poked his forehead gently.

He blinked at Willow. The Bulbasaur shuffled and poked his forehead again. Ash smiled and shook the offered appendage making her eyes light up. The trainer pushed himself off his partner with a groan. The ripples of Gore's next Bulldoze nearly made him sway. Ash glared at the swine. Gore gave him an innocent look. "We're going to work on a new technique today," he said with his lips twitching. The boar wasn't bright, and his eating habits cost more than the rest of the team combined, but he always knew how to comfort his partner. Ash smiled when Willow's eyes widened to a near comical degree at the declaration.

"Razor Leaf is a move that uses sharp, glowing leaves to slash at their master's opponents," Ash explained, his eyes forward as he hobbled. The Bulbasaur turned to him with a snort and narrowed eyes. The trainer twitched. Even the youngest of their group knew those weren't his words. "Nobody respects my mind," he said with a heavy sigh. Willow quavered and butted his leg gently. "Oh, I suppose I can forgive you," Ash muttered with a sigh and a sly smirk.

A vine cuffed him lightly, making him wince. Ash sighed. "I guess you're just too grown up to fall for that." Willow preened and trotted ahead of him with her head held high. She missed the mischievous grin, her trainer gave her. Guess I'll just have to get more creative! He suppressed his grin when she turned to peer up at him. "Producing one is easy! Ya know the difference between your Leech Seeds and your two Powders right?" She snorted. "Razor Leaf is a solid like Leech Seed, but the order of the commands you have to give is the opposite."

"Basically, it comes in three steps," Ash said as he came to a stop. He settled himself against one of the boulders used for target practice with a hiss. "Picture a few leaves, then use your grass energy to make them sharp, then you shoot them from your bulb, and hopefully you maim something." She stared at him with wide eyes. "Any-"

"That wouldn't be very smart!" Erika called making him stiffen. The trainer pushed himself to his feet quickly. Too quickly, his head throbbed and his knees nearly buckled. Something large and soft slid itself between him and the ground. Hellfire crooned when Ash pushed off him.

"Thanks buddy," the trainer whispered patting the dog's side lightly. Vulpix had seated herself next to Willow and glared at the new arrivals. He hummed when he saw the vixen had blood muzzle. "What're you talking about?" Ash inquired, turning to face the Gym Leader. The dark-haired beauty did not come alone. She had her Tropius and mighty Meganium flanking her. Bloom warbled at Willow, who trilled back. Gore growled at Tropius making the saurian stiffen. Ash raised a brow. Why would it be scared of Gore?

"He's from Hoenn," the Gym Leader explained patting Tropius gently. Ash nodded his understanding. Hoenn was the warmest of the major regions on the continent. Grass-types were all vulnerable to quick changes in temperature, but those from Hoenn were weak to them in the extreme. At least they handle fire better. He noticed that there were still large patches of his hide that hadn't recovered from the Fog's Sludge Wave. Bloom was in far better condition. The only evidence of her battle was the angry red line running down her middle.

"So what did you mean?" the raven-haired boy asked again.

"Your Bulbasaur is a cow, so no amount of training will make her as good with petals and leaves as Bloom. She would definitely be better with seed attacks and mastering her Chlorophyll, and eventually Solar Beam, than leaf and petal attacks. I'm sure she's very talented," Erika explained, giving the little dinosaur an adoring smile. She cooed when the Bulbasaur moved to hide behind his leg.

"Mastering her Chlorophyll," Ash repeated narrowing his eyes. He glanced at Willow and received a baffled look.

"Up til now, you've only been using Chlorophyll for a speed boost right?" the guardian of Celadon inquired.

"Yes," Ash hissed as she leaned against her partner.

"Chlorophyll is like Bloom's Overgrow, it can be activated and deactivated with training," she continued after a moment. Ash's eyes widened. Overgrow was an ability that boosted a Pokemon's grass-type power by fifty percent when they were in danger. It was of little wonder the Meganium could use the strongest grass-type move, Frenzy Plant, so effortlessly. Bloom held her head high when she noticed his astonishment. "Pokemon with Chlorophyll do tend to have less raw power than their counterparts, at first, so working on controlling her speed and giving her a little power would be for the best."

"I see," Ash muttered, staring at his Pokemon. Not that I think about it, Saur has Overgrow and he uses petal moves instead of seed moves. I need to figure out how to link her with her Leech Seed.

"But!" the Gym Leader, exclaimed making him flinch. "In time, I expect she'll capable of using Frenzy Plant as well as my Bloom," Erika told him with a note of pride. Bloom crooned and nuzzled her trainer's dark hair.

"Frenzy Plant... like I thought it's a whole 'nother level than even a true Petal Dance," Ash muttered furrowing his brow.

"Er- Ash can I ask a favor of you?" Erika blurted smoothing out her dress.

"Su~re," the boy replied, crossing his arms over his chest. What could she have to be nervous about?

"It's about Rina," the young woman began fidgeting a bit. "I-I have to go back to my territory immediately so…." Ash blinked at her. "Could you make sure she's okay?" Erika blurted.

"Yeah, sure," the boy answered with a shrug.

"Thank you!" she exclaimed with a relieved smile. "She won't wake up for a long time, and I want to stay with her, I do! But I really do have to get back," Erika babbled the composed young woman from his challenge seemingly evaporating. "Rina wouldn't forgive me if I didn't put my duty first," she muttered in a slightly bitter tone. The boy wondered if she was saying that to him or herself. "I am truly in your debt," Erika told him with a smile.

"Don't worry about it," he said with a shrug. Oddly, she beamed at him as a vine pushed her onto Tropius's back. Somehow I completely missed that saddle…. The saurian began to flap his wings when Bloom was recalled. "Wait! Er- thanks for the advice," Ash blurted averting his gaze.

"Let's call it even then!" Erika shouted as Tropius began took to the sky. Guess I'm the last person she needed to talk to.

"So…. Seed Bomb is a move that uses a seed that explodes with grass energy to attack," the trainer began with a cough. Vulpix gave him a dry look before darting off with Quick Attack. Hellfire yelped and bolted after the vixen. "They really like rabbit," Ash observed with a blink. Gore grunted and moved to trot after them. "No! Back to your Bulldoze!" The swine whined and kicked a rock hard enough to send it flying into a tree. "No extra meat with dinner, then," the trainer remarked with a shrug. "Wi-gyack-" Ash hacked as Gore licked at his face with enthusiasm.

The boy grabbed his partner by his ears. "If- you, gah, don't stop I'll send you to pork heaven!" he swore as they struggled. Gore squealed as a Water Gun cuffed his ear. King waved his claws at them with a chirp. Ash gave the boar a smug grin. His grin faded when powdery wind hit his hat. He ignored his partner's smug look. "Gore go use Bulldoze near King's pot!" The Piloswine glared at him suspiciously. "Just trust me!" Ash snapped.

"And don't attack him King!" The Krabby narrowed his eyes at him. "Do you really think I have nothing better to do than mess with you?" Ash demanded, glaring at Gore and King. The deadpan looks he received made him sigh. That does kinda sound like something I would do. The crab gave him a pointed look before sinking to the bottom of his pot. Gore snorted and shuffled. "Look, the ripples from Bulldoze will make it harder to control the water. Which means you can practice together!"

"Now, have you figured out how to create one?" Ash asked when his partner sauntered off. Maybe I mess with them too much… The Bulbasaur cooed as she stared up at him. "Good, then aim it at that!" he ordered, pointing at the largest boulder. Willow shot a small seed at the boulder that only bounced off it. The two blinked. A beat, then the seed's bottom burst, throwing it through the air. "Great job," Ash offered with a shrug.

Willow snorted before narrowing her eyes and shooting another seed. Again, the seed bounced off the boulder, but this time it exploded before hitting the ground. Ash bit his lip. We're missing something, but what could it be? "You pictured the seed before shooting, that's how you made it, right?" The saurian crooned staring at the first attempt with confusion. Leech Seed doesn't use much for molding, just ordering the vines in the seed, and adding Mega Drain is just about channeling the command to her seed. Energy Ball is just shooting gathered energy, what am I missing?

A tiny, orange form darted into his line of sight with a mangled rabbit. Hellfire followed a moment later with a bark. The black dog shot a stream of flame that startled the vixen into stopping. Then the flames moved to form a circle around her. Hellfire howled his triumph. Vulpix gave the dog Pokemon a haughty look before bolting through the fire. The Houndour blinked. "She's a fire-type too buddy!" Ash pointed out with a grin. Hellfire whined, then turned to race after his teammate.

Willow gave the remnants of the Houndour's Fire spin a look of envy. Ash's grin faded with a sigh. What does Hellfire have that she doesn't? He could be more talented, but he's definitely not smarter - sorry Hellfire - and I doubt Hellfang would have had him hunting much at his age. Light vibrations reaching him made the trainer frown. "Gore! You have to shoot them one way!" Ash barked his tone harsher than he meant it to be.

The Piloswine sent a wave of stronger vibrations at him making him sway. King popped out of his pot with a chirp. Gore flinched and whined as he returned to his task. The crab sank to the bottom of his pot with another glare. At least I can count on Water Pulse and maybe Whirlpool. Ash narrowed his eyes.

"Hey, try and picture the seed exploding!" the trainer exclaimed with a grin. "Willow?" he called, glancing around the training ground. Ash pinched the bridge of his nose when he saw her sunbathing on the boulder. "What're you- get down here!" the boy demanded. The Bulbasaur stared at him as though he were the Reaper coming for her soul. In an effort to hide, she flattened herself against the boulder as far as she could. "I'll give Gore your berries!" The Piloswine's gleeful squeal was nearly loud enough to make him flinch.

Willow leaped from the boulder with a squeak. "Now why don't you picture your seed exploding?" he suggested with a honeyed smile. The Bulbasaur squeaked again and shot a seed at the boulder. Ash grinned when it exploded on impact. Like I thought, she's never needed to learn to picture her technique! His grin became wicked. Next time I'm threatening the berries first! Ash laughed darkly making the saurian whimper.

xxxxxxx

"Ash are we going to make this part of our routine?" Oak asked, rubbing his temples. The boy grinned sheepishly. "Pewter, Celadon, and now Lavender… do you not want to live to see your twentieth birthday?" the gray-haired professor demanded.

"I'm beginning to think he doesn't," Daisy put in leaning over their grandfather's shoulder. Ash rolled his eyes and rubbed Vulpix behind her ears. The vixen glared at him before returning to attacking her Soothe Bell. The bell was made of material that could withstand a Charizard blasting it for several minutes. Somehow, I doubt it would work a second with Hellfang though.

"Perhaps, he's not the only one," Oak said quietly as he turned to glare at Tracey. The professor's assistant flinched and moved his gaze from Daisy to the far wall. I really miss Pins being house-size. Ash glanced at Gore. He and King are too big, or at least will be, but the others should be fine.

"I've been much more careful lately!" Daisy protested with a wince. She completely missed the point. Tracey sighed, relieved before fleeing the room.

"More cautious where I can see it," his grandfather countered with a smirk. Ash snickered when his sister pouted, then moved to at his partner's furry head.

"I remember Mom chewing you out so loudly the whole town could hear it!" the trainer said with a laugh. Unfortunately, for Pins he had received his "discipline" from Plains.

"That was an accident and you know it!" his sister snarled. "If you and Gary had backed me up, maybe I would have saved you from Acaya!" Daisy sniffed before turning and striding from the room. Ash recoiled, flashes of the pizza incident flying through his mind. The boy paled while Gore whined once he realized their topic. The Arcanine's affections were more terrifying than the time a Tentacool tried to make the duo its lunch.

"Moving on from that," Oak drawled raising his new eyebrow. "I'm glad to see you're all right, but if you don't mind, I'd like to speak to your brother?" he requested glancing around the devastated center behind Ash.

"Oh, right, well, I would love to, but Gary is off helping at the Pokemon Tower," the trainer said with a shrug and an easy smile.

"Is he now?" Oak said, narrowing his eyes. Ash twitched and averted his eyes.

"Welp, I told Vulpix I'd would take her to the Pokemon Tower!" the trainer cried standing so quickly he threw the vixen off his lap. "Love you bye!" Ash blurted picking up the squeaking vixen and moving to turn the phone off.

"Ash… Are you sure there's not something you should tell me?" the professor inquired his gray eyes piercing. Ash sighed heavily.

"Well, the Fog is with Team Rocket," he remarked with a shrug.

"The Fog is collaborating with the Rockets!" Oak cried his eyes wide and his face paling.

"Yeah," Ash said, moving to turn off the phone again. "Oh, and, she took all the ghosts and the Channelers with her too," he added in an absent tone making the old man choke. Though the ghosts had left the nearly ominous, ghostly energy was still overwhelming. It was so powerful that Gary wouldn't be able to stay in Lavender for much longer if he wanted his Abra to live. Ash grimaced when he remembered the shaking Abra in her trainer's arms.

"And you didn't think the League should know this!" Oak demanded with a dazed look in his eyes.

"Well, Erika was here so she knows, later Gramps!"

"Wait what-" Ash shut off the phone. He would probably get another talk about his generation lacking respect for this, but he had spent three days in a bed. Ash was beginning to feel he would burst if he didn't do something.

"Hey Ash, can I speak to Grandpa now?" Gary asked as he and Eevee strode into view.

"Nope!" the raven-haired boy smirked. "I hung up!"

"Why would you do that?" his brother inquired with wide eyes. "You know that this is the only time I can talk to him today!"

"You shouldna took my sandwich," Ash said with a smug smile.

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A.N. Thank you all for helping me reach seventy-three followers, ten-thousand views, and over forty reviews! Been looking forward to showing more of the routine after the Lavender Arc ended. Calling it the the Fog/Rocket arc might be more accurate.

Had to change my separators. They don't show up on the AO3.

I do not own Pokemon. Or any other things I reference in this story. Please support the official release.