Well, my faithful readers, after 25 episodes Ash has finally reached Viridian City! I think this is some kind of record. Can anyone confirm that?

Episode 26

Finally, Viridian

Xxxxxxx

My head feels a bit fuzzy... And my chest is tingling too. Is it the exhaustion? "You two, what are you doing here?" Ash asked, wiping the sweat from his forehead. He was too tired to be frustrated with them for defying him. Willow barked and pointed at the fading smoke over the foliage. "Fair enough," he turned to the boy, "Well, what about you?"

"We-we wanted to help," the child murmured a faraway look in his gray-blue eyes. Cyndaquil squeaked and glared at him. He puffed out his chest, and Ash understood. He glanced at Hellfire. Perhaps it was in the honey badger's best interest that Hellfire was distracted. Then Houndoom blinked when Willow poked his nose with a vine. Then the dog whuffed and clamped down onto the limb gently. Then he released it before licking it lightly. Willow chirped and sat on her haunches. She tilted her head to the side, confused by her companion's abrupt change.

The trainer stared at him for a long moment. "You know what, your parents get to deal with you, and your hero complex," he decided huffing. The boy flinched. He swallowed heavily and shuffled.

"Sorry?" he tried.

"Nope. Too late. I'm telling them 'bout this," Ash said, gesturing for his Pokemon to follow him down the worn, dirt trail. He smiled when the boy paled. "I'm doing this for your own good, brat," he told the child holding in a laugh. His grandfather had told him the same once when he'd gone to observe - or kidnap them depending on who you asked - the hatching of Cyndaquil kits. He was fairly certain at the time that the old man just wanted him to pay for his recklessness, and now that the shoe was on the other foot, Ash was certain of it.

"My name's not brat! It's Ethan!"

"Don't care," the trainer drawled. He, and most of his team were wounded, exhausted, likely poisoned, and he'd lost his backpack. That pack had cost him a week's worth of battling. The brat would be miserable too. "Shouldn't have been out here alone anyway." Ash stared at his Bulbasaur. I thought only bull Venusaur had six vines? Ash turned to his Houndoom. Why does it look like the skull on his chest is glaring at me? My fingers are tingling now...

"It's not my fault the guide left me, I just took a nap! And I'm not alone! I have my partner with me!" the boy cried, racing after them.

"Yes, all five and a half pounds of him," the trainer quipped. If a Beedrill too weak to beat a wounded Houndour is what kills me, please let Gary be killed by an overweight Jigglypuff. Ash didn't particularly believe in any true god, but he found himself hoping his prayer was heard. He shook his last Antidote can. The quiet swish was music to his ears. The light tingling in his fingertips was not nearly as welcoming.

Pecha and Jazz berries were hardly his favorite, but at the moment, the berries tasted better than any Sitrus berry. Willow would likely be horrified if she knew he thought that. Almost worth telling her just to see the outraged look on her green face. Ash shuddered. Antidote still feels weird going down. Jeez, even Oran berries can't make up for the incredibly sweet taste.

"Are you okay?" Ethan asked, his brow furrowing in a manner Ash was certain his mother would find cute.

"Yeah, or at least, I will be," he muttered. "You'd think with how many times I've been poisoned I'd have gotten used to this crap by now, though," the trainer complained scrunching his face in disgust. How could I ever think this tastes better than a Sitrus berry? "Hey, did either of your Pokemon get hit by a Poison Sting?"

"I woulda told you if they did," Ethan shot back sending him a look of deep irritation.

"I've known you for less than an hour, and I'm already tired of your backtalk, kid," the trainer groused tugging on his hat. Just ten more minutes. I'll find an officer, and I'll ditch him. Cyndaquil squeaked something Ash was certain was impudent. His guess was proven correct when Willow popped the kit on the tip of his long, golden snout with a vine.

"What was that for?" the boy demanded scowling. Cyndaquil glared as he rubbed his nose.

"Meh, I'm sure he deserved it," Ash uttered shrugging noncommittally.

"You can't hit a baby that isn't yours! That's child abuse!" Willow snorted, keeping her narrowed eyes on the trail.

"He's probably older than her, you know," Ash pointed out, gesturing to the small bulb on the saurian's back, "Besides they're Pokemon. Different rules." He'd lost track of the number of times Pins had kicked, smacked, shot, punched, and sat on Gore. Wave had never particularly cared. Ethan opened his mouth. "Put a cork in it, or I'm gonna abuse the side of your head!" he lifted the metallic can for emphasis.

"You're a jerk," Ethan grumbled. Ash's eyebrow twitched. Let's see how pleasant you are after being poisoned. He sighed. I will not be getting in a fight with a ten-year old. That said... Ash glanced at Willow. It was an overreaction, especially for the most level headed of our group. Hellfire was giving the dinosaur a worried look as well. He knows too. Ash reached to his waist. His fingers paused inches above Gore's Pokeball. No, he can't come out till he can get treatment.

A high, girlish scream made him stiffen and the brat jump. His teams' ears shot up as they, and Cyndaquil, began to sniff the air insistently. Guess I gotta help them too. Mom'll give me the look if she found I didn't anyway. "Direction," the trainer sighed. Hellfire snorted and pointed to their right with his paw. He nodded, and to his surprise, Willow darted in the direction. Hellfire tilted his head to the side with a blink and his tongue hanging out. "Stay here," Ash ordered turning to give the boy a sharp look.

"But I can-"

"Stay on the path and keep going!" the trainer snapped, striding after his grass-type with Hellfire padding alongside him. He scowled before moving into a sprint when he heard the distinct detonation of a Seed Bomb. The trainer only made it a few yards before collapsing. Hellfire braced him with his muscular neck. Ash gasped. The poison's not neutralized yet? For the first time, in some time he found himself cursing his weak human body.

The Houndoom crooned. The quiet crack of another Seed Bomb made his ears snap up. Hellfire nudged the uninjured side of his ribs. Ash panted, then inhaled deeply and swung his leg over the dog's back. Hellfire burst into movement at such speed that Ash nearly lost his grip on his horns. He yanked on the horns, forcing himself against the dog Pokemon's back.

Ash squawked as the dog skidded to stop, sending him rolling off his back. The force of his crashing into the earth knocked the air from his lungs. The trainer opened a single eye. Hellfire stared at him like he was doing something utterly ridiculous. "Just help her," Ash ordered quietly with a wheeze.

The dog howled, and several shrieks of fear greeted his ear. The trainer grunted and forced himself to a knee. Willow slapped away a large, green, worm like Pokemon then leaped away from a thread of silk blasted at her by another Caterpie. A group of Caterpie? Hellfire barked authoritatively as he stomped after three fleeing Caterpie.

A blue blur slammed into the dog's armored side, throwing him off his paws. Ash's eyes widened. Heracross, eh? The blue beetle Pokemon stood far shorter than average size for its species, about three feet tall including its great horn, that ended in what looked to be butterfly wings. The pair of two-inch long white nails on the end of the beetles long, spindly arms. The long nail on each foot was used in the same vein as those of a Pinsir, clinging to trees while under assault from wind users. Unlike a Charizard's paw, which had nails that were practically small knives, or Gore's incredibly hard hooves, its feet weren't dangerous without an enhancement move. Its kicks would be a fraction the threat of its punches, cuts, or chops. Ash eyed its horn warily. That thing on the other hand…

Willow squared herself and extended her vines. A brave front, it would have convinced even her trainer had he not noticed her gulp. She was anxious. She should be. The segmented armor of the beetle Pokemon would be difficult for her to get through. Ash glanced at Hellfire who had padded back into view. But maybe we won't have to. Heracross weren't an unreasonable species, the presence of a fire Pokemon could very well be enough to dissuade it.

The beetle Pokemon eyed its opponents warily when they inched forward. Then a cloud of black smoke engulfed Heracross. Ash snapped to the left. "Cyndaquil!" His eye twitched when he saw Ethan peeking out from behind a tree. A Flame Burst exploded and Heracross shrieked in pain. The beetle Pokemon exploded from the Smokescreen with a look of fury. It cocked its glowing fist back a second before three glowing seeds crashed into its side.

Heracross flinched. Hellfire surged at the bee with his head lowered and his flame armor blazing. The Houndoom lowered his head and rammed the beetle Pokemon, pinning it against a tree. Hellfire gritted his teeth, increasing the heat of his Flame Charge, then spun away from the stunned Heracross. Their foe shrieked as an Energy Ball exploded into its belly. "Enough!" Ash ordered, rising. Heracross sank to its knees. The trainer primed a Pokeball. This was one of the most gifted bug Pokemon in the world. He wouldn't be letting it go easily. He narrowed his eyes, then threw.

Heracross snapped its head up and shot a String Shot at his Houndoom's horns. The dog barked indignantly before he was torn off the ground by the beetle, making him squawk. Hellfire flinched as the Pokeball hit his snout. The Beetle snapped the String Shot. Ash's eyes widened as the Houndoom flew.

Vines swung out to brace Hellfire's head and neck. Willow squeaked as her vines were set aflame by the Houndoom's Flame Charge. Ash grimaced when the dog fell on the top of a tree. He and Willow flinched each time the dog squawked, and squeaked as he fell down the thick branches before hitting the ground on his head and bouncing onto his back. Hellfire groaned, his misery.

"Is, uh, is he okay?" Ethan asked as he and Cyndaquil stared wide-eyed at the whining fire-type.

It flew off while we were distracted? As expected of the strongest bug, you are rather formidable upstairs too. "Yeah, he's fine," Ash said, striding to pick up his Pokeball. "Look, kid, a Pokemon with a decent bit of elemental strength can take a ton of punishment," he continued turning to recall the dog Pokemon. That thing… I underestimated the strength of the species. They were capable of lifting ten times their weight, could manipulate the wind, rock, and bug elements, and had the impressive reflexes of a fighting-type. Scyther, Heracross, or Pinsir. It was a common debate, which of the three was the most talented bug Pokemon in the world?

Ash clipped the Houndoom's Pokeball to his belt. "Oh yeah, Willow where's the girl?" The dinosaur continued to stare after the Heracross with an uncharacteristic look of frustration. "Oi, Willow!" he snapped. Willow jumped with a squeak. "Where's the girl?" The Bulbasaur blinked. "The one we came to save?" Ash elaborated irritation leaking into his tone.

The grass Pokemon blinked again, then her face scrunched up like she'd tasted something foul. Willow pointed to a cluster of bushes with a burned vine. "Has she, er, let's say, taken a rest?" Ash inquired quietly giving the dinosaur a meaningful look. She quavered quietly. She's not sure then? Or...

"Has she what?" Ethan called striding into view with Cyndaquil in his arms.

"Stay here." The boy opened his mouth. "I mean it this time! Follow me, and I'll throw your ass off a bridge!" Ash snarled, making the boy flinch. "Show me." Willow snorted and trotted toward the bushes. The trainer's heart pounded in his ears. She pushed through the brush and Ash followed.

He swallowed. The one they'd fought to save lay mere yards in front of him. Judging by the hairy legs sticking out from under a cluster of small bushes the second person he'd rescued in the past hour was not female. He tugged the man out of the bushes gently.

Ash scowled. "You managed to nearly get killed after fifteen goddamn minutes, really? How the hell did you beat me?" Samurai groaned in response. The trainer's eye twitched. "So this is why you looked like that," Ash muttered, glancing back at an unusually sour expression of Willow. She growled before glaring at the keening man. The man, no, now that he had closer look it was clear that Samurai was about Daisy's age was wounded. Ash reached for his last potion. If I use this on him, and an experienced Pokemon comes along, we could easily die… He shut his eyes. It took only a moment to make a decision.

The trainer tugged on his hat to conceal his eyes. "I could leave you here, ya know," he said in a conversational tone. Samurai's eyes widened in horror. Ash took a moment to relish his fear. "But, if I did that, I'd probably get bothered by some Ranger when they found what was left of you," Ash added drawing the potion. "Hmph, you should be grateful Growlithe are lent to Rangers when they patrol." The older boy was still pale, but most of the tension had left his body. "Of course, if I don't use this now, you'll bleed out anyway," Ash chuckled while Samurai gaped.

Willow poked him with a vine. The trainer rolled his eyes. She has no sense of humor sometimes. I miss Gore… The long, smooth, thin cut through the armor over his chest would need to be dealt with first (the result of Heracross's Aerial Ace?). Ash hadn't the faintest idea how to remove the armor, and he doubted Samurai could explain it quickly enough for him before he went into shock.

Samurai grimaced as the medicine began to close the wound. He gasped when the trainer pushed his armor up slightly to further spray the wound. Ash found himself immensely grateful that the cuts on his thigh and arm were significantly easier to apply the potion too. "Can you walk?" the trainer asked, rising. Samurai glared at him. "Yeah, figured you couldn't."

"Hey buddy, need your help," Ash murmured, turning to the green Pokemon. She looked up at him. Ash smiled, "I don't think I tell you often enough that you're my favorite dinosaur in the world." Willow narrowed her eyes at him suspiciously. "Gore and Hellfire are hurt. King is exhausted. I'm exhausted. Carrying this guy would be a lot easier if you…" he made his smile as sweet as possible and pointed at the downed trainer behind him. She stared at him, distinctly unimpressed and unconvinced. Ash sighed. Damn it, I miss when this was all I needed to get her to do things.

"You can't be serious," Ethan called poking his head beyond the bush. "She's not much bigger than Cyndaquil," he continued holding the irritable, little honey badger up for emphasis. Ash frowned. Why the hell can't he see I'm trying to keep him alive? Somewhere in the back of his mind, a voice that sounded suspiciously like Daisy's reminded him that he did the same thing to his grandfather. His frown deepened into a scowl.

"Geez, even I wouldn't make a hurt Pokemon work like this," Samurai added, pointing at the gash on her side. Ash twitched. I'm being judged by the guy who tried to rob, and assaulted, a kid. "And aren't her vines burned too? How would she even move me?" he uttered his brow furrowing in confusion. Willow warbled an agreement.

"And we're only a few minutes from the city! It kind of makes you wonder what else he's made her do," Ethan whispered in a conspiratorial tone to Cyndaquil. Willow wailed as though remembering a terrible trauma.

"Shut up already! I'll carry him!" Ash growled.

Xxxxxxx

According to Mrs. Mitchell, the nurse in charge of the Viridian Pokemon Center, Samurai would be fine if he received another potion, and rested in his room while his Pokemon were tended to. Samurai had protested the arrangement, but a quelling look from the old nurse had him in bed quickly. Ash and Willow promptly ditched the older boy.

"I keep telling you, it'd be way easier if you weren't sitting down," Ethan pointed out.

"Quiet!" Ash snapped as he applied the potion. He ignored the looks he received from the others in the Center's waiting room as he tugged his shirt and vest back down. "Why're you even here? Shouldn't you be off making your parents regret ever meeting, or eating or something?"

"You're not very nice when you're recovering from being poisoned," the boy sighed.

"Would you be?" the trainer demanded.

"Nicer than you," he quipped before popping one of the candies the old nurse had given him into his mouth. Ash glared at him.

"Let's go look for your parents already," he said, rising from the table. "Your dad, he's a trainer of some sort right? He should be around here, or at the Gym."

"Oh, I think I know where he is," Ethan responded stroking Cyndaquil's blue back lightly.

"Wait, you do?" Ash asked, blinking. A man squawking in pain and wood hitting the floor made Willow's ears snap up. The groaning man was in a dirty lab coat lying facedown on the floor.

"Yeah, I sorta wish he'd get better at the tripping thing," Ethan sighed looking long suffering.

"That's him isn't it," Ash stated, staring at the rising man. He was familiar somehow, the boy was certain. The man was scrawny and tall. He had short, light, brown hair that looked not to have been brushed in some time and wore a thick pair of glasses.

"No! That's just Uncle Tree, my dad's way cooler than him," Ethan uttered sliding out of his seat. "But if Uncle gets hurt, it makes him look bad," the dark-haired boy told him.

Uncle Tree? Something clicked. "Professor Elm?" he called his tone slightly hesitant. The man, who had somehow gotten his foot stuck in one of the center's potted ferns, snapped to him. Willow watched the man with astonishment. The trainer placed her on his shoulder before he rose to greet his grandfather's student.

"Oh, it's you! Ash right? One of Professor Oak's adopted children's children!" the professor said, beaming. Ash's smile receded slightly. I could have done without the adopted part, you accident prone dork. It wasn't something any of them (Daisy, Ash, and Gary) liked to think on. After all, they'd considered the man their grandfather for the entirety of their lives. That the man wasn't his mother (their mother now) or uncle Garrett's father, had left him feeling oddly empty for some time.

I still can't believe he forgot to tell us for so long. He thought back to the time his grandfather had gotten into a fight with Seel pup over his sardines. The trainer sighed quietly. You know what, I can believe it. I can completely and utterly believe it. "How are you doing? How's the family?" Elm chirped as he plodded over to Ash.

Ethan and Willow winced every time the pot clanked against the ground. The trainer snorted. It seemed Elm hadn't changed much in the past year and a half. Ash blinked. Actually, it's been a bit more than that. The Indigo League Conference is in about another year. It was odd, he didn't feel any different. He'd always assumed that this deep in his journey he would have been, well, more. Gore wasn't quite seven yet, but he was already approaching twenty-five hundred pounds. It probably wouldn't be much longer before he learned Ice Fang either. Hellfire and King had evolved and King had even overcome a fully grown Pinsir of all things (Ash couldn't wait to see what else the crab could do once he recovered).

Willow could hold her own against King. Vulpix had earned two tails in a little over a year. The fifth tail was supposed to quickly follow the fourth too. I wonder if I've evolved too? "The family's fine," Ash answered after a moment.

"Great to hear! How's that spunky little, well not so little anymore, partner of yours doing? His name was boar right?" the professor asked. "And who is this?" he inquired, smiling at Willow with an eagerness a younger Ash would have when he learned of a new Pokemon.

"His name's Gore, and he's fine," Ash responded in an even tone, "And she is Willow." The Bulbasaur eyed the man as though he was a dangerous and unpredictable creature. Sounds about right really.

"Could it be she's the Pokemon Professor Oak gave you? I'd say a little under six pounds or so, right?"

"Five pounds even, sir, and yes, she was," the trainer said, reaching up to pat the saurian's side lightly. After their training in Lavender she'd lost most of her baby fat. Though, given her species build she still looked a bit chubby and had rather full looking cheeks.

"Huh," the professor muttered, his eyes sharpening. "I've never heard of such a small Bulbasaur that's less than a year old before, I wonder how that affects her development as a warrior?" he murmured. Willow's grip on his shoulder tightened to the point of pain.

"Not much," Ash grunted tapping the side of the Bulbasaur's head. He sighed when her grip relaxed. He gave her a curious look. She's never reacted like that before. Then again, I think this is the first time anyone's ever brought up her size in front of her before… Usually people were too surprised to see a Bulbasaur, let alone a cow, to comment on anything of the sort. Ash's eyes narrowed. Less than a year old? "Are you saying that the other Bulbasaur from Laramie Ranch are bigger than she is?" he inquired. Willow shivered and poked at his neck with a paw urgently.

"Much, much, smaller," Elm said with a nod. The trainer narrowed his eyes. Gramps didn't mention this. If this dork knows, he must know too. Why wouldn't he mention it? Ash tensed when he felt his Pokemon begin to shake more violently. An enemy? He glanced around the massive waiting room. The other Pokemon were perfectly calm, except for an excitable looking Rattata who was chittering enthusiastically with an annoyed looking Nidorino.

"Ash Ketchum, please come to room two-hundred and two, your Pokemon are ready to see you now," the voice of a young man called through the intercom.

"Well, it was nice to see you again Professor!" the trainer said nearly bowling the man over in his haste. Elm squawked before flailing as he fell to the ground. Ash winced at the man's cry of pain, but continued on his way. He needed to see them. Gore hadn't been so exhausted since they'd fought Jessie and James' Nidoking. The trainer pushed through the double doors that led to the patients' rooms.

And Hellfire and Vulpix are… He sped up to a near jog. Ash's heart thudded in his chest. Two-hundred, two-hundred and one - here! He swung open the door. The trainer and the Bulbasaur winced when the metal knob slammed into the Center's wall. The young nurse who had called him glared as he made his way out of the room. "Sorry," Ash offered coughing into his fist. The man ignored him. "We deserved that," the trainer told Willow.

The Bulbasaur glared at him. "All right, so maybe I deserved that," he corrected with a chuckle. Willow hopped from his shoulder and trotted up to Gore's pod. She leaped onto the table. The Bulbasaur warbled. Gore's floppy ear twitched in response. Willow sauntered around the pod while sniffing the clear mechanism.

Ash smirked from next to Hellfire's pod. It had taken Gore the better part of his first year to stop ramming the creations of Greg Gray from Sinnoh. It was an intriguing machine, he would admit. The metal rings within the pod released a small, steady, periodic stream of potion onto the wounded Pokemon. Like all potion, it closed wounds first using the power of an Oran that was enhanced through a Jazz berry, which also allowed the healing powers of the Oran to seep through the skin.

After several moments of inspection, the Bulbasaur turned. She extended her vine to Vulpix's pod before Ash could stop her. The trainer grimaced in sympathy when Willow slammed face first into the vixen's Gray Pod. "Gotta aim higher, girl," Ash advised tugging on the bill of his hat. She wailed weakly.

He turned back to Hellfire. The fur on the back of his neck had largely grown back, but it couldn't conceal the long white line on his neck. Most fire-types were like grass-types; they didn't get scars - something his vain Vulpix undoubtedly appreciated - but he almost wanted the mark to remain. Whenever he looked at the scar on his chest, or the countless scars on Gore that were hidden by his shaggy fur, he remembered how they were created.

It made him want to study harder, to come up with simpler and quicker commands, and to strengthen his own body. Ash ran his fingers along his Pokedex, Dexter. He needed to research bug Pokemon more extensively. His lack of knowledge on Pinsir and Heracross nearly cost them more than he would ever be willing to pay. The trainer's eyes widened when Hellfire twitched.

The Houndoom yawned loudly and rolled onto his side. Hellfire yelped, alarmed, when he hit the side of the Gray Pod. The dog Pokemon flipped away from the side of the pod, only to crash into the other side of the pod. Ash gave a long suffering sigh as the dog began to bounce back and forth in the pod.

A vine reached out before fumbling around on Hellfire's table, until it finally found the button to release him. Ash squawked when the dog kicked his sternum, sending him falling into the white tiled floor. Hellfire rolled off the table with a yelp. The trainer gasped as the hundred and fifty-five-pound armored dog fell onto his chest.

The Houndoom barked triumphantly. "Hate you, hate you both," Ash groaned, pushing at the dog's bone armor weakly. Hellfire blinked before twisting his neck around to stare at the boy. His light brown eyes lit up. "Hellfire no gyack-" Ash pushed at the dog's thick neck as he began to lick the boy's face. "Will-"

His Bulbasaur's thin vines were his saviors. She wrapped them around a horn and tugging Hellfire away from his face, allowing Ash to roll away from his affectionate Pokemon. He sputtered, his face scrunching in disgust. He got in my mouth this time! "Why does this keep happening?" Ash groaned when his coughs ceased. Gore does it less now, and he's doing it more! If I could just get Gore to quit headbutting me, I'd accept the trade with dignity…

Well, as much dignity as someone covered in slobber could have anyway. He pushed himself to his feet. "I trade a giant lick happy pig, for a large lick happy dog," Ash muttered wiping his hair from his eyes. "Oh, you're up too," the raven-haired trainer observed.

Vulpix looked at the button outside her pod pointedly. "Willow, will you help her out?" The vixen stretched once she was released. "That reminds me, we need to have a chat," Ash announced. "Not you," he said when Hellfire turned to him. "I think it's time you got a name." She regarded him with narrowed eyes. "It's been a year, so ya know, I figure it's time. And I picked out a name a while back," Ash uttered turning to stare at the wall behind Vulpix.

The vixen stared at him for several moments. It was a fight to keep from fidgeting under her intense scrutiny. Finally, she sat on her haunches. "Right, um, good," Ash swallowed, "So, the name I thought of was something I thought of when I remembered the Ninetales you were with. Your name, if you like it that is, it's Grace."

Vulpix tilted her head to the side, then yipped. "Oh, you like it, then?" the trainer said with a blink. That was much easier than I figured it would be. Gore had tried to bite him when he suggested Woolly Ham as a name, and he'd been about five hours old. At least he was less violent about the pepperoni thing. "Heh, guess we'll be calling you Grace from now on then!" Ash said with a smile.

Xxxxx

Fun Fact: Honey Badgers are actually weasels. They also have been known to castrate lions. They're pretty awesome.