Really sorry for needing to repost this.
Fun fact for today, Ash's birthday is the Winter Solstice.
Also, I used the name Willow first. That is all.
Episode 20
The First Migration.
Xxxxxxxxxxx
Ash was standing before a white house with a large, broken window. He fell to a knee and ran his hands along the thin line carved into the house. This is where we fought that Houndoom and Golbat… The trainer reached to his waist, only to find his Pokeballs weren't on his belt. His hat was gone too. Ash's heart pounded in his ears. A terrible chill made him shiver, and a great pressure nearly made him buckle. She's coming again… It's just a dream, but I still can't stop shaking. This time he didn't even have his Pokemon. Ash took a step back as the pressure grew.
He leaped onto the windowsill and slid over. Ash gasped when the shards of the broken window cut into his palm. "I can't believe I did it again!" he hissed through gritted teeth. The boy flattened himself against the ground as the pressure intensified. She's getting close. The trainer bit his lip so hard he bled. Gore falling with a hole in his chest… His breathing quickened, Ash's head throbbed.
The temperature dropped lower still when the sun was obscured by the black clouds. A boom near him made him flinch. She's not even bothering to check before blowing them up! The trainer pushed himself up only to fall back onto all fours. Ash panted heavily when his next attempt failed. A cold sweat dripped from his forehead as fear clenched his heart. "I'm going to make you the strongest Pokemon in the world!" Ash flinched. He'd promised Gore that the moment he realized the piglet would be his partner.
What the hell is wrong with me? I'm the grandson of a Champion! My sister is an Ace! I've been working too hard for too damn long to give up! Ash snarled and shoved himself to his feet. He stumbled before slamming his right foot down to steady himself. He paused when he felt an odd weight in his pocket. "My hat!" Ash cried, drawing it and putting it on. He frowned. How did it- The house across the street exploded in a massive, black cloud with dark lightning and a boom. There wasn't time to waste. He strode to the backdoor with labored pants and slung it open.
The legendary Gengar grinned at him as the pressure of her might nearly made him buckle again. An icy claw gripped the boy's heart. Gore falling with a hole in his chest... He gritted his teeth and steeled his resolve. Something small and warm curled into his side, then the purple flames appeared. "I'm done," Ash said, exhaling heavily. He'd stand his ground.
Ash was so taken by his thoughts; he didn't notice the purple flames grow larger. The Fog's eyes widened in alarm as the flame coiled like a whip. Then it slapped the Gengar, making a portion of her chest burst into gas, and drawing a pained shriek. "Press her!" Ash ordered his hands instinctively reached for his belt. This time his Pokeballs were there.
Once released, his team surrounded him in a half circle. "Wipe her out!" he commanded. The Fog shrieked as Water Guns, an Icy Wind, Embers, Energy Balls, and Flame Bursts slammed into her. The whip reared back, then struck her chest making the Fog's body burst into gas. Ash watched the gasses for a moment, then gave his team a relieved grin.
He reached out to pat Gore and his friends burst into smoke. In their Pokeballs. He didn't know how he knew, only that he was certain they were in the safety of the capsules. "Thanks," Ash said, smiling at the purple fire. His breathing was still a bit uneven, but that was the only sign the Fog had ever existed. The flames seemed to regard him for a moment, then it faded away as well. Ash woke with a gasp, sitting up quickly enough to make his head spin. The boy heard the now familiar rustle at his side. Not this time!
"Vulpix?" Ash muttered, raising a brow at the flailing vixen. The boy's other brow rose when she went very still and stared at him as though he'd caught her attempting murder. "What're yo-" his eyes widened. The Vulpix line couldn't use Hex after they earned their third tail, but they were known to apply curses. They used their powerful emotions and connection to the distorted realm of Giratina to give those who slighted them nightmares, or hallucinations, that could drive the victim to madness. It was one of the many mysteries of the enigmatic breed.
He narrowed his eyes at the stiff Pokemon. She's not experienced enough to give me nightmares, and honestly, she'd want to give them to Hellfire first. Ash still wasn't sure why she hated the dog, yet was willing to tolerate the other boys and had helped Willow without prompting. Something small and warm curling into my side… His eyes widened. "You're the purple fire!"
She covered his mouth with her paws, then glanced at the other team members. Hellfire made an odd groaning noise and stretched his legs, but Willow didn't stir. Gore was awake, the Piloswine was a simple creature, but he was still a herd oriented boar. There was little that his ears and hooves didn't notice. Gore had known about his dreams for some time, Ash knew. Probably for the best that King is in an aquarium.
"Did you… mean to help me?" Ash inquired regarding the vixen. Vulpix covering her eyes with tails was all the answer he needed. He leaned in next to her ear, so close even Gore would struggle to hear. "I wonder what everyone else might think of you if they knew?" The vixen shuddered. "Might think you're not so bad, eh?" She stared at him as Gore often did when Ash wouldn't let him have more food. "But… Since you helped me out I won't tell…" He grinned. "Unless you give me reason to that is," he finished his grin widening when her ears fell. Ash placed the vixen onto his pillow with tenderness one might show to a baby.
After he was dressed, he turned back to Vulpix. She stared at him with blank eyes. "You enjoy another bit of sleep now," the trainer whispered with a grin as he shut the door. Ash muffled his snickers behind his hand as best he could. Vulpix appreciated being viewed as a ruthless huntress far too much. He'd thank her someday, when it was less likely to traumatize her. Actually, what I just did might've been even worse… At least Hellfire won't be getting shoved off a cliff or anything now.
Ash was up even earlier than he'd intended. The sun couldn't be seen through the center's clear doors yet. Today is Friday, so she should be up. I hope she's in range. He stretched a bit. The trainer felt as though a great weight had been lifted from his shoulders. He keyed in Daisy's number. "Hello," she said when the screen came to life.
"It's me. How've ya been?" Ash asked, leaning back in his chair.
"I've been well, but you would know that if you called more than once at each town!" Daisy snapped, making the boy's eyes widen. She does have a point, though. It was easy to be distracted in a new place, he found. Celadon had its department store, Pewter its Museum, and Cerulean its water, there was always something to see.
"Drink your coffee Dais," Ash advised while putting his hands up in a gesture of surrender. The brunette blinked at him before taking a sip.
It should be safe by now. "You alright?" the trainer inquired, his tone a bit wary. Trainers and their partners tended to share personality traits. He didn't need to know how the legendary temper, and grudge bearing nature of a Nidoking had affected his sweet sister. She even forgave that Silver Conference thing.
"No, no, I'm not," the girl admitted, looking far older than her sixteen years. "The Great Kangaskhan has left Fuschia."
"The what, left where now?" Ash asked, tilting his head to the side. The Great Kangaskhan huh? He was certain Janine had mentioned it when she was talking about Hopper's herd.
"The Great Kangaskhan left the Fuschia Safari Zone yesterday morning," Daisy repeated her small nose crinkling. "Did you already wear those clothes?"
Should not have gotten her to drink that coffee. "Eh, no," the boy said, averting his eyes. That Pikachu clock is cute… "Wait, what's weird about the Kangaskhan moving somewhere?" Ash inquired, turning back to his sister. Pokemon migrating wasn't anything odd. Ground Pokemon moved south when winter came, herbivores moved to find new pastures, and predators followed the herbivores. His sister bit her lip, looking as though she wanted to say something, then sighed.
"Most of the normal-types went with her," Daisy explained her gray eyes becoming stormy. "Her troop… they're the most numerous of all the Kangaskhan troop in the world. And thousands of Pokemon from other species went with her, even a few people are going." Ash's eyes widened in alarm. "She's crossing the sea on a road of ice, probably to Cianwood, that's where she was the last time she moved. But, Ash, the last time she did this was right before the Greenfield Tragedy," she finished leaning back in her chair with another sigh.
Ash gaped like a Goldeen. His grandfather, great-grandmother, and great-aunt had lived through the tragedy. After pleading to the point of nearly driving the old man to madness, his grandfather told him of Greenfield. About fifty years ago, the town of Greenfield was nearly destroyed. Thousands of people and Pokemon had been killed by blue crystals, trees were uprooted, even cars were crushed by the crystals.
On that very day, all of the volcanoes in Kanto and Johto erupted. Entire cities had been buried in lava and ash. Cinnabar would have been lost were it not for Blaine (Ash still couldn't believe he didn't recognize the mustache). Then the Sinnoh Champion, Bertha, had seized the opportunity to attack the weakened Indigo League, which lead to full-out war between the leagues. "Well, that sucks," the boy muttered a weariness that made him feel sixty overtaking him.
"Indeed," Daisy agreed her lips twitching. "I'll tell Grandpa you beat Misty, and are heading to Pewter and whatnot," she told him rubbing her eyes. Ash nodded, then rose. He needed to set out before the Arbok began their day. It was mating season for the snake Pokemon, which meant the males were more confrontational. "And Ash?" she called as he moved to turn off the phone. "Happy birthday," Daisy said with a sweet smile. Ash blinked. My birthday's December 21st, what the hell is she talki- He blinked again as he remembered it was the first of January. With such a warm winter and a trek through the desert, he'd lost track of time.
"Thanks," he said, giving her a brief smile back. The smile faded when he remembered her betrayal. "You told Misty about my nickname!" he snarled.
"Oh Ashy… I told you I'd get you two, didn't I?" She giggled a dark gleam in her gray eyes. "I hope you have fun with Brock!" Daisy said, her smile and tone becoming honeyed.
"You idiot-loving witch-" She turned off the phone.
Xxxxxxx
"Do you think we should do something?" Ash asked, glancing at his partner. Gore looked at him as though he were insane before turning back to the mushrooms King had collected. Ash turned to King, but the crab Pokemon only waved his left claw dismissively.
The trainer flinched when Hellfire was hit by an Energy Ball and rolled into a tree. Willow leaped from a tree with a battle cry and whipped at the stunned dog. The Houndour whimpered before leaping to his feet and taking off again. Unfortunately, even with his head start, the Bulbasaur was only a step behind. Vulpix yipped amusedly from her place in the fire. It had been over three weeks - too much of which had been in a cave for his taste - and she'd lightened on the dog. That didn't mean she liked him.
"Anyway," Ash began clearing his throat. The three older members of his team turned to him, two had rather large mushrooms protruding from their mouths. Lips twitching upward, the trainer brought out his map. "We're about ten miles from Mt. Moon, the largest concentration of Nidos in the world is right here, to the east of the mountain," he continued pointing to a green spot on the map. The team ignored the sounds of Flame Bursts and Seed Bombs exploding. Gore's eyes had narrowed and his nostrils flared at the name alone. King and Vulpix were more reserved, but Ash could tell their battle with the Nidoking was at the front of their minds.
"There shouldn't be too many of 'em near the main trail, but… You two will be with me the entire time." Gore growled, as though he would accept nothing less. Vulpix's golden eyes seemed to dance as they reflected the fire. She's already trying to prepare a strategy eh? "Onix will be a problem too, so Gore, let me know if you feel anything weird. I'll release King right away," Ash said, licking his lips. "Mt. Hideaway and Mt. Moon are part of the same chain," he explained.
The horror in the Piloswine's eyes took the crab and vixen aback. "Last time we were lucky, every so often the giant Onix seem to go somewhere-" his statement was interrupted by the younger members racing through the camp as they continued their battle. Ash didn't bat an eye as he leaned under Willow's leap. "The norm for Onix at Hideaway is more than forty feet long, a big one could be more than sixty," the trainer muttered wincing at the dread growing in their gazes.
He tugged on his hat. There was a legend of a hundred-foot serpent that could thrash his giant subjects into submission with ease. Some claimed the beast had been around in the Great One and the First Tamer's era, that he was the reason Pewter stood unconquered, and the reason their badge was an Onix. If it was true, then that Pokemon was likely the Onix King that many regarded in the same light as the first Aoife herself. Ash exhaled softly. Karen and Hellfang are amazing, but she was only about twenty when she died. While Karen was the strongest trainer in the world when she drew breath, it was quickly becoming apparent that Hellfang was not the most powerful Pokemon in the world.
Enough of this. Vulpix nudged him with a tail, then pointed at the brown area next to the mountain. "That's what I thought at first too. There's a river here, you see," he gestured to the blue stream. The promise of water made King's eyes light up. It made Ash regret what he need to say. "Bout thirty years ago, some idiot released a female Palpitoad in the river," he muttered furrowing his brow. Because releasing a Pokemon in a place that it had a massive advantage against the vast majority of the other Pokemon was a brilliant idea. "She evolved and met a Poliwrath, and well... you get it. Because of their water and ground typing the other Pokemon couldn't stand up to her descendants." Vulpix slumped, she didn't need him to explain the rest.
"They're everywhere now, and they've gotten bold." Their typing also meant that whenever Brock tried to take care of them, they were ready for him. "It's the main trail or nothing," Ash finished for the males' benefit. The path they had taken last time sprung to mind, but he dismissed it immediately. That exit is too close to Mt. Hideaway. Hellfire came limping into camp with a whine and several lash marks. Willow strode after him with a few small burns and a scratch on her face. Ash motioned them over and reached into the medicinal portion of the bag.
The Houndour gave him a look of betrayal after they were done. "I told you not to mess with the berries," Ash said with a shrug. Especially, since she can't find as many this time of year. "Get some sleep," he ordered when his items were packed away. The morning brought rain, which meant there wouldn't be any Golem, Sandslash, or Nidoking hunting. Ash had been determined to make it to the mountain, but he'd rolled his ankle.
Ash rose with the sun and as he had hoped, reached the entrance before noon. Mt. Moon was as daunting as he remembered. The biggest mountain in the world, I think. Taking a breath, he gestured for his Pokemon to follow him. An hour into the trail, Gore paused. Ash regarded the stiff Piloswine. Mt. Moon had a musky smell and was chillier than outside . It wasn't that different from any cavern he'd been in he felt a presence of sorts in the mountain.
Ash had felt it the last time he'd passed through, though he had been too anxious to think on it. The feeling wasn't oppressive like the Fog's power, rather it seemed to almost call to him. Finally, Gore snorted and continued down the path with Ash and Vulpix a step behind. His partner felt it too. Every so often the boar would glance at the smooth walls with a look even Ash couldn't decipher. His friend's stride would become jerked as it something unseen were tugging him.
The group was silent as they made their trek. The cavern was deathly quiet. Sometimes they'd hear something that sounded like a growl, the Piloswine's ears would twitch, Vulpix would create balls of flame, and Ash's hand would drift to his belt. Nothing came of any of it though. Still the boy found the hair on the back of his neck standing. There was something watching them, gauging them, and he had a sinking feeling it was waiting for a chance to attack.
When they neared the end of the path, he sighed. "It was nothing, then," Ash said with a relieved smile. Vulpix looked at the light spilling in through the cave's exit as though it was a gift from the heavens. For a fire-type who had just spent several hours in her first cave, it likely was. Willow and her will have that issue for a long time yet. Luckily, Hellfire's dark-type attributes had spared him this weakness.
Gore squealed and bolted for the exit as fast as his stubby legs could carry him. "Wait up!" Ash cried, taking off after the boar. Vulpix barked in a chiding manner before darting after them. The trainer's eyes widened when the tiny orange form sped past him. "Vulpix above you!" the trainer yelled. The vixen skidded to a stop and glanced around the trail. Ash laughed and leaped over her. Gore's eyes narrowed when his partner reached him.
"First!" he cried bursting through the exit. Gore trotted out of the cavern with a pout and a whine. "Oh c'mon, if anyone should complain it's Vulpix! I mean I did kinda trick her," Ash said, shrugging at the boar. Then a pink circle slammed into his chest. The Psywave knocked the air from his lungs and sent him flying through the air. Ash grunted as he hit the ground and skidded.
Gore huffed amusedly at him. The boy groaned and clutched his chest. "Traitor!" he moaned. Ash sat up and glared at the Piloswine. The trainer gave Vulpix a weak grin when she trotted up to him. "So, uh, we're cool now?" She sniffed. "Imma take that as a yes," Ash muttered with a grunt as he forced himself back to his feet.
"We'll have to go on a bit if we want a safe place ta camp," the trainer said, glaring at the mountain as though it had offended him. Vulpix gave the mountain a similar look, then strode down the path after him. Ash froze when Gore bellowed. The hair on the back of his neck stood up. The eerie feeling returned. Is it above, right, left, or behind… The Piloswine stomped his front hooves, releasing a Bulldoze strong enough to reach Ash.
The earth beneath Gore developed cracks reminiscent of a spider's web. Vulpix barked and the boar leaped, he skidded a couple feet then rolled back onto his feet. A moment later, a hissing beast of stone exploded from the earth. Ash covered his face as dust and dirt flew at the boy and his fox Pokemon. A thin pink wall materialized in front of the duo, stopping the sand without effort. "Nice," Ash told Vulpix with a grin. Onix bellowed a challenge that Gore returned with a roar. The snake was around thirty feet long and was at least four feet wide.
Ash tugged on the bill of his hat. Why does it want to fight us? Onix don't eat meat, so what could it want? He released his friends. It didn't matter, the ground Pokemon had to go down. Willow quavered at the sight of Onix and Hellfire whined. "Keep moving! And don't let it go underground!" the trainer shouted.
Gore bellowed and shot a wide gust of powdery wind at the serpent. Onix's eyes widened, then its head leaned back, and shooting a flare of green fire. The Icy Wind and Dragonbreath were evenly matched, but in the end, the Onix's lungs were larger. The Piloswine squealed as the force of the attack crashed into him. The swine swayed before slamming a hoof and steadying himself. "Draconic fire has no heat, Ashy, but the force behind the attack is a real problem," Daisy had coached him before sighing happily when his mother ran a brush through her hair.
King shrieked and shot a spray of bubbles into the beast's back, making it roar in pain. The serpent's cry snapped Willow and Hellfire from their panic. The Bulbasaur squared herself as a green orb began to build in her maw. Ash smirked. So she's realized her Energy Ball would be stronger in a forest. Hellfire barked and shot flare into the stunned snake's back that made it hiss. Onix roared in agony as streams of water and an Energy Ball slammed into it. The ground shook as the five-ton beast slammed into it.
"Did we do it?" Ash muttered after a moment of silence. The serpent's black eyes snapped open. Onix roared with such force that the boy thought he could feel it. Then a large ball of purple flame shot into its maw and down its throat, making it shriek. An Icy Wind crashed over its back, forcing it back onto the ground. Gore snarled and blasted a gust of powdery wind at it until its eyes rolled back. "That was a bit brutal, buddy," Ash said, tugging on the bill of his hat. Its great size screwed it over this time. Numbers are a huge advantage after all.
"Very impressive!" a girlish voice giggled from behind him. Ash stiffened to the point of pain and spun. A small creature with pink fur, two tiny wings, and no neck waved up at him with a broad smile. "It's been a while!" the purple-eyed Clefable chirped waving a tiny hand.