Into the Wild

by Kronus96

There are millions of trainers throughout the world, but only a select few earn the title of Pokemon Master. With his faithful Swinub at his side, Ash Ketchum will journey across Kanto to fulfill his dream of becoming the greatest master in the world. Mix of anime, manga, and games. Gradually Powerful!Ash

30. Chapter 30

My thoughts and condolences are with Nice France and Syria.

There's an Author's Note at the bottom. One year anniversary of the story! For those who have forgotten it's been a bit more than a year and a half since the start of the story.

Extra long one here, and it's big on Gary's p.o.v you have been warned.

I don't own Pokemon. Please support the official release.

The first episode of the Pallet Arc: Episode 30

Thunder and Fire

Xxxxxxxxx

"Lights are on but nobody's home?" Ash said, tugging on the bill of his hat lightly. Well, the sun is just coming up. He'd been so eager to get home yesterday they made it within two miles away from Pallet. Ash walked until his legs shook, his feet became numb, and sweat fell from him like rain would from the sky. He would have kept walking had Willow not dragged him down with her vines and forced him to rest for the night.

I guess I could have left Grace and Hellfire out. He grimaced, it wasn't worth the risk. Mimi seeing two Pokemon with huge advantages against her trotting up to their house could send the mime into a panic. Especially since Hellfire's armor was weak to her fairy powers. Not to mention the barriers. Ash shuddered. "Do you think she needed Meowsy today?" Gore snorted before trotting up to the white house's window. Acaya wasn't as powerful as Pins or a member of his grandfather's team. To a group of Pokemon whose owners only gave them the barest of training, she would've been nigh invincible. He was certain his team had surpassed Mimi long ago, but she was still a capable Mr. Mime. It was always best to be respectful with Pokemon. Psychics could be particularly touchy because of their instinctive talent for sensing emotion.

His mother's Persian preferred to stay home when she could. More specifically on the little nest she'd made in the corner of the den or his mother's bed. Her being at the Pallet House probably meant the Pokemon were being more aggressive than usual, or the fire-types of the corral required Acaya's constant surveillance. Gore propped his upper body up on the small earthen platform he created to peer into the front windows. The Piloswine turned his ears toward their childhood home. The pang of sadness accompanying surprised him. Once his journeying was over Ash would probably move out. The thought wasn't as exciting after over a year and a half of not seeing his family in the flesh. "Nothing at all, huh," the trainer muttered when Gore huffed.

The swine Pokemon hopped off the platform and sniffed the air insistently. "They're just at work," Ash cut in before the paranoid pig could upset himself. "I can get us in." The trainer reached into his vest. Finding nothing Ash patted down his vest and jean pockets. It seemed he'd lost his key. He grimaced when he pulled a small wad of black fur from his vest. How the hell did it even get it in here? The swine snorted. Ash looked up his cheeks burning.

Gore stared at him evenly. "I think we should go swimming," he offered averting his gaze, "Today is way too good to be inside!" the trainer added with more confidence in his voice. The Piloswine huffed in a long suffering fashion. "It's not lost; it's just temporarily misplaced! Maybe it's in the bag!" Ash snapped. "Don't give me that look. All you do is fight and eat! You don't know anything about what a trainer has to do to keep things in order-" The pig turned to Wave's Bay and trotted away. "Don't you walk away from me! I'll fry you up and feed you to a herd of Nidos! Pepperoni pig! Wooly ham!" the trainer shouted stomping after his partner. Ash froze when he became aware of the stares he was receiving. An old woman walking with a small Growlithe and a tiny girl was looking at him like he was insane. "We're just playing?" Ash offered with a weak smile. When the girl inched behind her grandmother he knew his cause was lost.

"I don't get why you're acting weird. I don't lose it that often," the trainer complained once he caught up to his partner. Gore gave him a withering look. Ash winced. This was the third key he'd lost in as many months. That was after learning he'd lost his first key. I don't even know when I lost the first one. "That's four gone. Grandpa's going to be pissed isn't he," Ash muttered in a tone that bordered on sulking. The Piloswine snorted uncaringly. Great. I'm being judged by a Pokemon that attacks his own reflection. He stopped in front of a house that was far larger than any he'd walked by yet. The large windows and black shutters reminded him of the dream he'd had of the Fog. He smiled at the small man sitting on the gray stones of his steps. "Hey!"

"Hello there Ash," Mr. Roberts said, his tone absent as he watched what Ash assumed was his nephew play with a tiny tadpole like Pokemon with a beaver like tail. The Pokemon was a light blue entirely save for the purple antenna on the side of its head and the three deep blue parallel lines on its belly. Like its distant relation Poliwag, Wooper was a bipedal armless Pokemon. Not a bad starter kid. The boons of having a strong family member were immense. It was entirely possible a Pokemon like Wooper could evolve before they took a step out of their hometown. Or evolve a couple months into the boy's journey like Gore. He just hoped for the kid's sake that tadpole ate less than his piglet had.

"Mr. Roberts," the trainer responded after a moment with a nod. Ash snickered when the short man stiffened.

He turned slowly with a blink. "Ash? You're back! Are you taller than me now?"

"No, not yet," Ash responded snorting. The man hadn't changed much. Ron Roberts was a brown-haired, blue-eyed man with a freckled nose that was slightly larger than one would have expected for his face. He was in his mid-twenties and seemed to wear a smile as often as his green battle jacket. "That's yours?" the trainer asked, pointing at the small brown-haired boy.

"That? Oh him. He's my nephew. I don't work that fast kid," Ron answered with a snort. "And stop calling me mister! It makes me feel old," the man complained running a hand through his hair. Ash smiled half-heartedly. Easy for you to say, your mother wouldn't set an Arcanine on you if she thinks you're being disrespectful. Ash twitched. I bet your grandfather wouldn't be laughing while she does it either.

They snapped to the man's nephew when a hiss sounded. Gore blinked at the water Pokemon. Wooper puffed its chest out at the confused boar and beat its flat tail against the ground. Ash blinked, remembering a little piglet challenging an experienced Nidorino in a similar fashion. To think that piglet defeated a Yanmega just days ago. He snorted. It was definitely an odd thought.

"No! "You can't keep picking fights with things bigger than you!" the brown-haired boy snapped wrapping his arms around his partner's middle. Ash raised a brow. Wait, so you only care that it fights things bigger than it?

Is that your Gore?" Ron inquired his large nose scrunching up. "He's a lot bigger than I remember..."

"Yeah, I guess he would be," Ash said. Gore still looked the same to him. Then again the Piloswine was with him whenever he could be out of his capsule. He ran his hands along his trainer's belt. "Well, it was good to see you. I promised my Kingler I'd go straight to the bay if nobody was home," Ash told the older man as he directed his baffled partner away from the rock snake. It was good he'd remembered his promise to King. As a herd-boar Gore had a soft spot for young creatures that a solitary male Piloswine didn't have. That didn't mean he wouldn't put Wooper down hard if it tried to attack him

"The bay?" Ron repeated slowly. "You're brilliant!" the man cried enveloping Ash in a hug that could kill a small animal. He turned to his nephew, "C'mon boys, we're going swimming!" the man beamed. Ash eyed him for a moment. "He got into the sugar and matches last night," Ron explained, turning to him with quivering blue eyes, "No matter what I do, he never tires! He just bounces up…"

"I know your pain," Ash told him, squeezing the man's shoulder lightly. Gore introducing Willow to soda had left him with a similar feeling of helplessness. She ran around the Mulberry Pokemon Center for four hours without rest, destroying hundreds of dollars' worth of medical equipment and tripping an eighty-year-old woman. Giratina's realm was reputed to be a world of mischievous ghosts and predatory dark-types. He'd rather brave it alone than go through that hell again. "Lead the way," Ash said as the older trainer went into his house. Gore snorted and trotted toward the bay.

The trainer smiled. It was good to see Mr. Roberts again. Ash had respected for him for as long as he could remember. He was the only noteworthy trainer to come from Pallet other than Daisy. The man was strong. Ash would wager he was on the same level as Fergus, Neesha, and Corey. The fact that he wasn't under the employ of the League only heightened his opinion of the man.

Ron was a Hunter. An independent trainer that tracked dangerous beasts and relocated, or ended them. Hunters were rarer in this era than they'd been in the three hundred eighty-six years since Brandon the Great's death and the dissolution of his Dragon League.

This was doubtlessly due to the expanding power of the League. The number of hunters had been declining since Kanto, Johto, and Orre were brought together peacefully under Dreyfus Blackthorn into a reborn Indigo League. The League being more consistent in its work and pay played a huge factor in the declining of the Hunters. Another factor was that many who were interested in becoming Hunters simply weren't willing to dedicate the time it took to maintain a team of three high class Pokemon.

Ash frowned. Taking a month and a half off from training after being wounded resulted in Meowsy's Slash becoming an impressive Scratch. Of course there was a limit to the decline of a Pokemon's power once they reached a certain level, though it was always hard to guess what that level was since it varied between species. Unless the Pokemon was a dragon-type that limit wouldn't be enough to comfortably defeat a Pokemon like Gore or King. Maintaining strength wasn't as arduous a struggle for a Pokemon as earning power was, but it certainly wasn't easy for the vast majority of Pokemon. It was why trainers were limited to six Pokemon. Any more than six and maintaining your team's quality was a part-time job in itself.

The struggle was tedious and frankly boring, which was why it was rare for even criminals to carry more than four. Well, that and having more than six Pokemon felt weird. It was something that baffled scientists. There was one theory Ash was partial to. a bond between a trainer and his Pokemon. A bond that could only be broken with the death of one of the two. Tending to Pokemon was nice, but it wasn't the same as bonding with them on a nearly spiritual level. Ash believed this was how creatures like the Great Kangaskhan or the Moon Goddess came to be. They weren't gods, just Pokemon who'd been pushed to their limits with their trainer and overcame them. There were also creatures like Hellfang or Pins who were born to rule. I wonder if Pins will get that strong? Pokemon like Pins lived significantly longer lives than regular Pokemon. Some estimates put them at about ten times the lifespan of an average member of their species. Ash shrugged and patted Gore's side. Maybe.

After Ron caught up, he filled Ash in on everything that had happened during his absence. The Yanma had evolved and had been causing even more grief. He patted his partner's side lightly when the pig hissed at the bug's mention. Pins had grown even larger and Acaya's return had been met with relief from the whole town. His grandfather in particular was thrilled. Ash could understand his joy. The man had lost an eyebrow to the enthusiastic pups three times. They still seemed to be better behaved than the little nightmares Gore and Aria had been.

Some of the news he didn't know what to make of, or he wished the gossip would keep it to himself. Apparently, his neighbor Angela had a baby so Tom was straight. Or he preferred women. Ash didn't care to think on it. He had the unfortunate habit of visualizing things too often to think on it. He'd learned long ago it wasn't always good for the stability of his mind. "Oh, and those other guys came back black and blue three months ago," the man finished.

"Who?"

"The other kids who left on their journeys this year," Ron explained while fiddling with his trainer's belt. "They had a pretty good run considering they were only a year older than you. Got four badges each."

That's the same number as me, and in a shorter period too. "Four badges huh?" Ash murmured glancing at his partner. Gore trotted alongside the wary Wooper seemingly ignoring their conversation in favor of trying to win the tadpole over. It may have fooled anyone else, but Ash could easily see the way his ears twitched backward. "Why'd they quit a year in?"

"Erika beat them. Horribly," Ron answered wincing in sympathy.

That shocked Ash into silence. Vinya was the strongest Pokemon Erika ever used on casual challenges. Gore, King, and Willow were undoubtedly stronger than her now. He wasn't sure if Grace or Hellfire were quite there yet, but they could overwhelm her with their type advantage. Is that the difference in dedication? Could three months of hard training really surpass a year of traveling? Ash shook his head. They'd just gotten lucky with Gore's evolving and gaining control over Avalanche. His team was practically made to counter grass Pokemon.

Ash blinked when the boy, Michael he believed, raced past him with his Wooper on his heels. Ron grinned, "It was good talking with you again, Ash!" A thirty-five foot Onix appeared in a burst of scarlet light. The snake shook its massive head, dislodging dirt and small pebbles. Ash and Gore stepped back while Ron received the brunt of it. "Do you have to do that every single time?" he demanded. Onix rumbled amusedly before slithering into the water.

"Druz hasn't changed either," Ash observed grinning.

"No, he hasn't," Ron growled before stomping after the snake.

"You ever think it's weird?" the trainer asked, his eyes on the snake's back. Gore turned to him inquisitively. "That they can swim, I mean. Why does a water-type's water hurt them when regular water doesn't?" The Piloswine grunted disinterestedly before nudging at Willow's ball. "Fine, fine. You can't solve all of your problems by ramming them, ya know?" Gore gave him a look that told him ramming his problems was exactly what the boar planned on doing. Ash rolled his eyes. The trainer released his team.

King chirped enthusiastically his eyes filling with a light more suited to a Krabby's gaze. "Stay on the left side!" Ash shouted. The Wooper was too feisty for King to be around. If he retaliated Druz would step in, which meant Gore would definitely come between the two for King's sake. Rearranging the beach after that fight would be a pain. He scoured the area quickly. No one had come yet. The trainer flinched when his partner squealed and leaped into the bay. Hellfire followed with a howl. Grace hissed before putting a small barrier up over herself.

"Hmph, we're going swimming you know," Ash said, striding along the bay's white beach. He smiled, feeling strangely relieved. Everything was as he left it. The tightly packed trees of the woods to the left of the bay. The white fence to the bay's far right. The rippling deep blue of the water. The white sand beneath his feet the scent of salt that carried in the air… Ash flinched when a limb poked his forehead. He turned to his concerned Ivysaur. There was something warm on his cheek.

He touched his cheek. The liquid on his finger left him staring at the digit in shock. Ash flicked the tear off as his cheeks burned. "I'm fine," he grinned kneeling and patting her head. "Go on!" Willow stared at him for a moment with twitching ears and suspicious pink eyes. Then she warbled and trotted to the water. The trainer settled himself on the bay's edge. He smiled as he watched his Pokemon splash and play. The smile faded slightly when he saw Druz poke up from under the water with Wooper and Michael riding atop him.

How did the relationship between Pokemon and type disadvantages function? They knew the energy that made a Pokemon a Pokemon varied between the types. But why would that make a creature that needed the sun like a Bulbasaur particularly weak to fire techniques? His grandfather believed it was the connection between the energy in a Pokemon and the powerful connection to the source of their element was what made the type system work. Ash thought it logical enough. Why does regular water controlled by something like Crabhammer affect things water created by a water-type? The source for water-types is the ocean so-

Ash froze as a rather warm and furry body curled into his side. Grace licked his hand lightly when he went to run his hand along her back. Ash eyed the vixen as though he expected her to lunge for his throat at any moment. When she just curled into his side further, he relaxed slightly and continued to pet the vixen. Ash wasn't certain whether he should be happy his distant Vulpix was being so affectionate, or terrified because his distant Vulpix was being so affectionate.

Xxxxxxxxx

Gary smiled as he stepped through the front door. Pallet was just as he remembered it. Every yard held a light gray picket fence and neatly trimmed grass that was a deep green, akin to the ocean of leaves of Viridian Forest. The eternally present gentle breeze that was just strong enough to make his hair sway, the sweet symphony of the Pidgeotto as they urged their young to awaken, the quiet peace of the town was so unlike any other he'd seen in month. Gary ran his finger along the Pokeball on his necklace. It was good to be home. "Sleep well?" he called as he strode down the wooden stairs of their family's porch.

Saur warbled an affirmative from his place at the house's right side. The Ivysaur trotted into view and gave his thick green legs a wiggle each. Then he positioned himself before the still rising sun, making his growing flower opening slightly. The trainer smiled. His smile grew when he saw their mailbox was empty. His mother had a saying Gary agreed with fervently. No mail meant no problems.

He settled on the porch with a content sigh. Saur scooted close to him. Gary chuckled as he rubbed the dinosaur's side. They sat there in a companionable silence until a beeping sound went off from within one of Gary's pants many pockets. He pulled out his Pokedex. He frowned. The severe thunderstorm that was hitting Saffron appeared to be moving toward Cerulean rapidly. Pallet was at least a couple hundred miles from Celadon, which was around a hundred miles from Saffron. It wouldn't be hitting them, so he shouldn't be worrying.

Gary bit his lip. The storm had been raging for three days now, and yet it didn't appear to be weakening. Just how powerful is this storm? Gary opened the news app. The psychics won't Teleport at all? The only force he knew of that could jam teleportation was ghostly energy. Even the power of distortion that dark-type Pokemon used couldn't prevent the power of Teleport. There must have been a powerful ghost within the storm.

Could it be the Fog? Surely only she could possess enough power to spread ghostly energy at such a scale? Other than the giant Golurk of Kalos there was only one ghost-type he could think of with that level of power. He dismissed it immediately. It was well known the Dragon of Shadows fell before the Grand Tamer's Aerodactyl. Gary rubbed his chin. The Wrath of Lightning was a large bird Pokemon. It was possible it could be using Ominous Wind while creating the storm. He dismissed that too.

The Wrath of Lightning was only ever seen in secluded forests or mountains. The last sighting was over three hundred years ago too. What made it even less likely it was the culprit was that wild electric-types were drawn to the storm like Magnemite to a Power Plant. Every tale depicted the Wrath as a solitary, surly creature with a bizarre sense of honor. Why would it change its modus operandi so drastically? It was possible the Fog and the Wrath were fighting. He frowned. That didn't make sense either.

The Fog didn't survive for centuries without a well working brain. She wouldn't confront a titan that had no intention of seeking her out. It had to be her causing this. Except the Fog can't create a thunderstorm. She can't use electricity like this. She's still just a Gengar. A Gengar's electricity was hardly something to scoff at, but it certainly wasn't an Electabuzz. Maybe a herd of electric-types captured by the Rockets with her help? It's possible, I guess...

Gary groaned and flopped onto his back. Or maybe she isn't involved! It could just be a gang of Gengar playing a prank or something. It made sense the more he thought on it. It was probably just a powerful storm, that had a gang of Gengar adding their Ominous to intimidate the psychics. Besides, the Rockets' leaders were never foolish enough to attack a city protected by one of the Eight so overtly. Fighting Sabrina on her home turf was just too much of a risk even without Teleport. And she has the Dojo Master Anthony with her. "I worked myself up over nothing," Gary sighed as he stretched.

The boy blinked when a vine poked him between his eyes. He blinked again when Saur poked him more insistently. He smiled and sat up. You act like such a dour creature, Saur. But I bet you're an attention loving Pokemon deep down aren't you? The Ivysaur grunted contently as Gary began to rub him.

The door creaked open again. Ritchie greeted him with a smile that he returned without hesitation. Pikachu greeted Saur with a far less warm squeak before curling up around his partner's neck. The mouse never did appreciate being woken up early. Gary's smile widened. It'd be more than make up for it when Pikachu saw the feeding. They enjoyed the warmth of the morning sun for another half hour, then his pleasant expression faded into a frown. Pikachu's long yellow ears twitched before Aria wobbled out of the front door. Janine followed his partner a beat later. He flushed as he watched the shinobi when pull her shirt down over a toned belly the color of cream.

Gary snapped to his feet, making Ritchie and Saur jump. "Hurry up and wake up or we'll miss it!" the trainer said keeping his eyes firmly forward. He was beginning to truly loathe puberty.

"Why do we have to go watch them eat?" Janine whined rubbing her eyes. "It's just a bunch of Spearow or whatever fishing right?" Aria whined her agreement with the sentiment. The Magmar swayed as she made her way down the wooden steps. He sighed when Ritchie stomped out the tiny fire his partner left in her wake. It shouldn't have been this much of an issue! He told them two days ago when they'd be leaving. That hadn't stopped Janine and Aria from having a movie marathon. I don't know what I was expecting. They'll be like this till we die. Saur gave him a look of deep empathy. Gary patted the dinosaur's head. He truly felt for the bull Ivysaur having Janine as a partner since birth must have been stressful to the extreme for him.

"I don't think he'd wake you up now if it wasn't going to be really special," Ritchie said his tone diplomatic as it always was when his fellow trainers disagreed. Gary nodded thankfully while Janine frowned at their companion. The Pikachu by Ritchie's feet shot the blond boy an angry glance. It might have been more intimidating had the mouse Pokemon's big red cheeks not been cute enough to prompt every nurse Joy they'd met into giving them a rub. Even Aria wasn't immune to Pikachu's charm, which was something of a relief. Gary had been beginning to wonder if the Magmar would nurture her children or throw them off a volcano's side. Her liking a small rodent was a good sign.

"Where're we goin'? We passed the lab a block back?" Janine asked after they'd been strolling through the quiet town for several minutes.

"To the bay," Gary answered as though it should have been obvious. She narrowed her eyes at the tone. Oh crap, it's too early! "It's just a bit further!" he added quickly. Janine huffed before hopping onto Saur's neck. The dinosaur didn't even twitch in response. Gary strongly to admired his composure. Janine tended to jump onto her "little brother's" back or neck rather often. She might have weighed less than ninety pounds, but it still must've been frustrating. Ash and mom do that to Gore and Acaya too. If he tried to hop on Aria he'd get thrown off, if he didn't get grilled. Daisy rides Pins' shoulder. Grandpa rides on Wave's head. Mom rides Acaya. Gary pouted. He glanced at the Magmar. A part of him longed for a ride on his partner too.

Aria narrowed her eyes at him as though she could infer his line of thought. The fire-type would be having none of it. Ritchie elbowed Gary lightly. "Hmm?" the blond pointed to the tightly packed trees in front of them. "We're here!" Gary declared striding to the gate before them.

"Wait, your town has a fourth gate? Why? This couldn't be an escape route and it's not connected to the harbor, so wouldn't having a fourth gate just risk let the kids getting out?" Janine inquired tilting her head to the side. "Oh," she mumbled when Gary drew his Pokedex.

"Only people who have the "If you die it's not my fault" app my grandfather made can get through this gate," Gary told his companions.

"Your grandpa is so cool," Janine sighed enviously as she adjusted her long pink scarf, "Mine just attacks me." Ritchie and Pikachu gave the girl wide-eyed looks in surprising synchrony. Pikachu turned to Saur who snorted an affirmative.

There's a word that starts with a c that suits grandpa. Cool is definitely not it. Gary hummed, "Master Kyo is still that wild?" He'd heard Daisy say the previous leader of the Fuschia Gym was an eccentric old man man with a fondness for sharp things. She didn't mention anything about surprise attacks on family members though.

"That's a way of putting it," the shinobi muttered. Gary laughed as he raised his Pokedex to the small metal ball in the gate's middle. There was a clicking sound, then the gate opened slowly to reveal a small dirt path between the two rows of trees.

Small birds with brown heads, brown tail feathers, red wings, and white bellies flew over them. The flock of Spearow chirped enthusiastically as they moved to the bay. Pidgey and Pidgeotto flew from the other side of the bay with similar cries of elation. The Spearow stiffened as one upon sighting their natural enemies. We can't stop a battle with this many Pokemon! Why'd Spearow and Pidgey in on the same day! The bird Pokemon were supposed to be on a six-day cycle. Several shadows thrice as large as those of the Spearow flew overhead. The Fearow had arrived. The giant brown birds shrieked and puffed out their chests, an action the larger Pidgeotto returned without hesitation. Shit.

Mothers and fathers ushered their children out of the water. A Pokeball snapped open behind him as heat grew at his side. Gary released the rest of his team. Tunnels greeting squeak ended halfway when the mole saw the bird Pokemon. "We have to wait until they actually start to fight," Janine murmured while rubbing Crowie between her ears. "If we tried to stop them they'd just attack us first. Pikachu and Wedge, you'll zap them then Crowie and Saur'll stun 'em. Aria be careful around the Sleep Powder." The Magmar snorted a spark of flame. Her flame colored form shook with anticipation. Against his will Gary could feel his own blood begin to heat.

"R-right, we're ready," Ritchie mumbled swallowing lightly. The worst he'd been through up to now was a fight with an Ursaring. This, this was the kind of battling Rangers and Gym Trainers were meant to partake in. But there weren't any Rangers or Gym Trainers or Aces here. They were. It was up to them to limit the fatalities. If they didn't stop this no one would. A shadow far larger than any of the Fearow shot over them with a shriek fiercer than thunder.

Or not.

Fearia came to a stop between the flocks. With a height of six feet tall and a wingspan of twice that, the mightiest flying Pokemon in the United Indigo League was a sight to behold. The Pidgey and Pidgeotto cowered upon seeing her glare. They weren't as aggressive many predatory beasts, and were well aware of their limits.

One of the thirteen Fearow cried out while another puffed out its chest. Fearia gave them a look one would give an unruly child before flapping her wings at them lightly, sending two dull arcs of wind into their chests. Gary grimaced when the shrieking Fearow were thrown through trees branches and into the earth. Not all bird Pokemon possessed the wisdom of the Pidgey family. "Grandma does not appreciate backtalk much I take it," Janine observed in a tone that was far too casual for Pikachu's taste judging by the glare he gave her.

She's this merciless even to her own descendants. It wasn't surprising in the least. There were numerous tales of foes surrendering upon seeing Fearia. "You have no idea," Gary told her eyeing the unconscious Fearow.

"I heard long time ago the birds were led by true kings that were so strong the Pallet harbor had to be shut down," Janine said giving Fearia an admiring look, "Then your grandpa came and took care of them right?"

"Oh yeah, I heard that too!" Ritchie piped up. His skin is lighter than usual. Did I look like that in Lavender? "The flocks banded together to fight your grandpa and nearly destroyed the town right?"

"Huh, where'd you hear that?" Gary asked laughing. "No what happened was-" The birds had grown quiet. A long serpentine form under the water's surface caught his eye. "Oh! It's about to start!" the trainer grinned. Aria hooted excitedly as she stomped and clapped. Eevee trembled and Tunnels crouched. The other Pokemon stiffened.

"What? What's wrong, pal?" Ritchie asked kneeling next to Pikachu. The electric mouse stared into the water with glazed eyes. Gary narrowed his eyes. They've met then. I wonder when that happened? Janine waved a small hand in front of the mouse's eyes.

"He's fine! Just put him on your shoulder!" The blond boy glanced between his friend and his partner uncertainly. "Just trust me!" A small whirlpool began to swirl in the middle of the bay. The Spearow and Pidgey began to shriek and cry wildly as the whirlpool grew in strength. Then a tornado shot from the vortex, making his companions scream and the residents of Pallet cheer. The twister fell as quickly as it rose, creating waves that pushed the few remaining people in the water to the shore. Like flipping on a switch, the feeding frenzy began. Grudges older than mankind fell to the wayside as the bird Pokemon raced to snag fish of all shapes, colors, and sizes from the air.

Fearow and Pidgeotto were little more than streaks as they darted about in the sparsely clouded sky. Ritchie stared gaping while the Pokemon were wide-eyed at the display. Crowie squeaked and took to the sky with two great flaps of her blue wings. Gary paid them little mind. His world was absorbed by violet eyes and giggles like a tinkling bell. Janine turned to him and he was certain her smile outshone the sun. He snapped to the feeding with flushed cheeks. Gary choked when he saw his Magmar grinning at him so widely it bordered on maniacal. Aria's grin widened when she glanced at the shinobi by Gary's side. "Don't you say a word," he growled.

The Magmar's yellow beak like mouth fell into her version of a smug smirk. When he turned back the birds were scooping fish off the surface of the bay. The water Pokemon would be let out to clean it up later. A Kingler that looked rather large for its relative youth was already well at work on that. "That was great!" Janine cheered pumping a fist. "I've never seen a twister like that!"

"I've never even seen a feeding," Ritchie confessed looking dazed. "Are they all like this?"

"They are here," Gary declared with a proud smile. The water in the center of the bay rippled before Wave's great head emerged. His friends gasped as the Gyarados swam toward them. It was easy to forget how his grandfather's partner must have looked to outsiders. Even though Gary couldn't see much of Oak's record it was undeniable that Wave was the strongest Gyarados in the League's recorded history. He was nearly twice the length of the average Gyarados and was as broad as a car. The black scales of Wave's underbelly were littered with tiny scars, and three large ones. His red eyes were the size of a man's hand, his teeth were longer than a short knife, and the crown atop his head was larger than a man's head. The Gyarados leaned toward them and their Pokemon's froze as though they were in the face of death itself. All except one.

Aria hopped onto Wave's neck with a cheerful chirp. Gary laughed at his friend's baffled expressions. Wave was a titan among Pokemon, the devil of the sea according to the history books written in the Sinnoh region. But to Gore and Aria and the other Pokemon of the corral he was just grandpa.

Xxxxxxx

"Sorry, the professor's still not ready to see anybody yet," Tracy told him with a shrug. The black-haired green-eyed young man was far too blasé about the matter for Gary's tastes. "You know how it goes. League stuff," he explained as he continued to paint.

"He's been locked up in his lab for two days," Gary said, his eyebrow twitching.

"I'm just the messenger, man," his grandfather's assistant replied as he put his brush into the pocket of his light green shirt.

"Right, I know. Sorry," Gary huffed running a hand through his spiky brown hair. Duchess glared at Tracy with blue eyes shifting pink as she activated her psychic powers. "Duchess!" he hissed, making the Slowpoke flinch. She peered up at him, her large blue eyes confused. If Gary didn't see the pink glow fading in her gaze he might have believed her to be harmless. The trainer was beginning to wonder if all cute appearances hid a darker side. Vulpix were small and soft vixen with large eyes and fluffy tails. They were also manipulative, cunning, and ruthless predators who were willing to slit the throats of their own sisters to strengthen their position in the pack. Even Janine managed to befriend Gaari long enough to give the ghost a nickname. Gary sighed. "Let me know when he gets out okay?"

"Yeah sure," Tracy murmured his eyes intent on his painting. Gary blinked, Tracy was usually polite to the point it annoyed his brother. Curiosity peaked, he leaned over the older boy's shoulder. It was a slender young woman with long brown hair reminiscent of autumn leaves. If her gray eyes were storm clouds, then her smile was the sun after the rain. The straw hat and yellow sun dress she wore tickled at the back of his mind. "Doesn't that girl look like my sister a bit?" Gary asked furrowing his brow.

Tracy stiffened to such a degree the younger trainer was certain his neck had to have been in pain. "Of course not!" he responded jumping to his feet, making Gary recoil. Tracy gathered his brushes swifter than an Arcanine could run and bolted. The younger trainer blinked. He'd dropped a small notebook in his rushed. You'd think his life was in danger. Gary's brows raised to his hairline. The girl from the painting was drawn in a yellow bikini. Her smile in this picture was playful in a way he didn't appreciate. This was definitely his sister. An urge to give Tracy to Pins momentarily overwhelmed his reason. Gary was just imagining an over thirty-inch horn piercing Tracy's heart when it occurred to him he was overreacting. He sighed. He was acting like Ash. Or Gore. He shuddered. One should never go full Gore.

Gary pocketed the notebook. He would deal with his grandfather's assistant later. He turned back to the lab. Daisy wasn't even sure their grandfather was eating the food they slipped under the door for him. I should have just made him tell me everything the moment I got back. He waffled with the decision for the first two days instead. It infuriated him. It wasn't something he would've done before the incident. Gary placed a hand over his chest as an ache began to develop. His scar ached whenever he remembered Aria nearly dying because he his ego was injured without fail. Gary shook his head. He had more important things to think on at the moment.

The stakes were too high for him not to at least confront the professor. If he was mistaken, then he was just a foolish child. If he was right and the Fog's actions were connected to the Pokemon of their regions becoming so unpredictable, there could be other risks to the country the League didn't know about. His grandfather would have the answer, he always did. That knowledge was what gave him the courage to bring his suspicions to his grandfather a day ago. Then he let Janine talk him into showing her where Aria was born. A part of him wondered if agreeing to that last distraction had more to do with Ritchie not being there when Gary showed her the pit where his partner was born. I may be a bit weak to a pretty face. She was pretty too, especially when she smiled and her violet eyes shone like jewels.

Duchess nuzzled his leg. "I'll get you a book later," Gary promised with a smile. Pride welled up in his chest when she crooned. I bet Ash doesn't have any Pokemon that can read yet. Gary smirked. Any victory over his brother as a trainer was welcome.

The two had competed against one another for as long as their mother could remember. They competed in everything, whether it was strength, or speed, or intellect. It seemed fitting they would become rivals when they became trainers as well. At first Gary was undeniably superior.

He was there when his partner came into the world, shrieking and kicking and spitting soot and tiny wisps of flame. Aria was easily the strongest among her clutch. Gary knew the moment he the Magby he wanted her to be his partner. It wasn't surprising Ash would decide he wanted her too after he learned of her birth. Gary and Ash tried to convince their grandfather that they were one worthy of being the feisty Magby's partner for two months. In the end Gary being slightly older let him keep Aria.

He'd laughed when Ash woke up to a Swinub piglet in his lap a day before he would have received a Charmander. His sense of triumph only grew when the piglet refused to be separated from Ash, even when Wave intervened. The stubbornness of the Swinub line was legendary to the point that stubborn as a Piloswine was a common saying in Sinnoh. They constantly required food, weren't half as intelligent as young Onix or Phanpy, and had the sense of self preservation of a stick.

But Ash made a partner of Gore. Aria shot a spark first, but Gore snorted snow just a week later, even though his species grew much slower. She mastered Teleport and the Swinub mastered Mud Slap. Gary found the better paying odd jobs. He was smarter than Ash. He had befriended every student in their class. He had the more gifted Pokemon. Yet Ash was always just a half-step behind him. Then the piglet turned three and tripled in size. When he found his grandfather's partner teaching Gore to mold his snow the same weekend his grandfather decided to take Ash with him beyond the corral jealousy unlike any he'd ever experienced overtook him.

Early the next morning, he stole a Pokeball from his grandfather's lab and took his bike into the woods. A Scyther had been born several months before. He would prove himself by catching it. Aria was as impressive as ever. She cornered the Scyther with an Ember and a devastating punch to its middle. Then a shadow passed over them and he felt a sharp pain. The next thing Gary remembered was waking to Aria in a puddle of her own blood.

He ran a hand through his hair. Why am I remembering this again? It certainly wasn't something to get nostalgic over. "Yo!" the chirped greeting made him blink. Then Janine swung in front of him while hanging from a tree branch with her legs. Gary squawked and backpedaled over his Slowpoke, making himself trip. He groaned. "Didja see your grandpa?" she asked before flipping to the ground.

"N-no," Gary responded gasping. She offered him a small lightly calloused hand. Frowning slightly, he took it. Duchess glared at him as though it was his fault he tripped. His grandfather once told him women banded together against men at times. He was beginning to see the truth of the statement. He recalled the Slowpoke after promising to buy her a book again.

"What's wrong?" she inquired giving him a concerned look. He knew she wasn't talking about accidently tripping him. The shinobi was more perceptive than he would of thought given her hobbies.

"It's nothing," Gary responded staring at his grandfather's lab.

"Oh," Janine murmured. "Let's go get breakfast then!" she chirped. She tugged him by the arm toward the house. Aria lying in a pool of her own blood almost large enough to have meant she couldn't be saved. She'd come dangerous close to bleeding out. Janine squeaked when he snapped back toward the lab.

"We're going to see him now," Gary declared marching to the lab and dragging the shinobi with him. The trainer wasn't going to risk his grandfather's wrath alone. They reached it, and he took a deep breath. He opened the door. The trainer blinked. The lights were off. Doubt creeped into his mind. Is he even here?

"Where is he? Why're the lights out?" Janine asked poking her head inside. "This isn't the wrong lab right?"

"There's only one giant lab in Pallet. He's probably in his office," Gary answered giving her a blank look. I can't tell if she's serious or messing with me sometimes. There were times where he was almost convinced she was actually a rather manipulative and calculating individual. Her getting her scarf caught in so many doors more or less destroyed that theory. His grandfather and father told him he'd never understand women. Gary hated not understanding what was around him too much to not at least make an attempt. Back to the drawing board. Again.

He flicked on the lights. "Oi, look here," the shinobi said pointing downward. Gary's eyes narrowed. The white tiles that made up the floor had a thin layer of dust on them. The main room was abandoned as well. Ms. Susan and Mr. Brown aren't here? It wasn't that unusual, he allowed. His grandfather's aides often left the lab to tend to the corral when Oak was working on something privately. The brown, wooden bookshelves along the far wall had a fair amount of dust building on them too. They've been gone for a while then. Mr. Brown cleaned the laboratory to a degree that bordered on religious. Ash often joked he was their grandfather's wife.

Gary smiled when he saw the three Pokeballs on the metal table in the center of the room. It wouldn't be much longer before a new group of Rookies would be receiving their lifelong partners. They wouldn't be participating in any major tournaments, but the experience of caring for a Pokemon at home would be more than.

The thought made his back stiffen. It had been nearly two years since he left to start his journey. A trainer wasn't considered a Rookie after their fifteenth birthday, even if the majority of those trainers didn't actually leave home until they were fifteen. It was an odd thought. A small finger poked him between the ribs. He squeaked, then glared at Janine. She knew he hated that. "There's something weird in that direction," she said, pointing to the small hallway that led to the back.

And you just had to poke me in the ribs didn't you? She knew he was sensitive there. Rolling his eyes, Gary hurried toward the hall. He flicked on the hall's light before freezing. A low growling was coming from behind his grandfather's door. They exchanged a look before their hands fell over their respective partner's Pokeball as one. They inched to the door. Gary froze, a shiver going down his spine when he heard a deeper growl.

"That growl is just like his," Janine breathed before racing past him. Gary scrambled after her.

"Wait-" the shinobi threw open the door and froze. There was a flash and a roar that boomed like thunder sounded making them jump. "What the hell is it?" Gary demanded as he tried to steady his breathing.

"It's some kinda cat?" she replied in an uncertain tone. A cat with a roar like that? Pyroar? No, not that. His innards froze. A cat that roars like thunder? He took a deep breath and strode into his grandfather's office. Janine stood in front of his grandfather's computer with her small fists were clenched so tightly her knuckles were turning white.

The mangled corpses of Magmar, Growlithe, and Ponyta made him go as pale as death. A few feet in front of the massacre was an Arcanine with a slashed throat. There was an unmoving Magby and two Growlithe lying beneath the great dog's body. His heart sank when he saw another Growlithe. There wasn't even a tuft of what should've grown into a cream colored mane atop the tiny dog Pokemon's head. Its stillness was unnatural. He sighed shakily. Gary knew it was dead too. Were they chased into the town? That must be it, a hunt. No, this was not a hunt; this was a slaughter. Gary had seen duels end with a horn to the belly before. He knew full well it wasn't unusual for battles between Pokemon to end in death.

But it was unusual to see a slaughter on this level, there just wasn't any sense in going this far. The influence of a human partner was the only thing that kept trained Pokemon from going for the kill as casually as regular creatures or wild Pokemon would. Wild Pokemon were every bit as ruthless as plain animals. Predatory Pokemon preyed upon on the young, the sick, the weak, and the old first. Even wild Pokemon like female Donphan who were considered harmless unless provoked were known to kill Nidoran newborns to avenge their fallen herd mates. The older wild Pokemon tended to be wiser, calmer, and could use the full extent of their roughly human-level intellect without their instincts as animals overwhelming their reason. This was why they were far more reasonable, much more scrupulous, and were far less likely to attack young Pokemon or humans without good reason. They kept the young ones in line. What could have done this?

He saw it then. The creature responsible for this butchery. It was a fairly muscular cat Pokemon with a white mane that flowed back into a long rain cloud that was a very light purple. Its two upper canine teeth that he estimated to be seven inches long. Its golden fur glowed with its immense power. The creature had to have been a smilodon. Smilodon was the power species of ancient cats that were better known as the saber tooth. Gary swallowed harshly. Smilodon went extinct over ten-thousand years ago, and he didn't know about any saber tooth Pokemon. Just how old is this thing? He was soundly convinced the over a hundred foot Onix that ruled the Mt. Hideaway chain was the father of all giant the giant Onix. He was the great Onix King of Legend that protected Pewter in times of great need over the millennia. If he was correct, then the stone serpent was at least ten-thousand years old.

The beast stood about six feet tall and must have been broader than two tigers would be together. It has the bulk of a liger too? At the very least a big liger. The liger wasn't just the biggest of all the big cats, it was the largest cat that had ever walked the face of the earth. Its average weight of nine-hundred pounds was twice that of a male lion's size. No, even saying it weighed as much as two average ligers may have been underestimating this savage's bulk. It had the build of what was widely considered to be the most powerful cat pound for pound in the saber tooth, and was at least the size of the largest ligers.

"What the hell is that thing?" the shinobi's voice was shaking in a way he'd not heard since Lavender.

Something snapped into place. Wait, a giant golden saber tooth with a storm cloud upon its back? To think the saber tooth of legend that ruled all electric-types still draws breath. "That thing is the Rolling Thunder," Gary murmured with a harsh exhale. Is this Pokemon immortal? Could it truly be a god? Surely gods were just tales told to frighten children into obedience? If the Onix King was ancient, then what else could this Pokemon be but an immortal?

"Hey, does this place look familiar to you at all?" he inquired, turning his gaze onto the town itself. The blood that dripped from the Thunder's claws was souring his stomach. It seemed every other window in the town had a crack, if it wasn't outright smashed in. The houses were made of a wood that was nearly black. The concrete road sandwiched between the two rows of houses was around fifteen-feet wide. Gary was certain knew this town.

"Yeah, we saw this on the news a few months back. Don't you remember? It's called Dark Town I think," Janine scowled, "It's that troublesome little town southeast of Saffron with the feuding gyms." She bit her lip. "The Gyms are pretty weak, and that cat is bad news. But if they work together maybe they'll be okay-" her voice cracked when a familiar monarch padded into the camera's view. Hellfang's friendly eyes became pools of melting gold as he glared at the saber tooth. The unarmored lower portion of the great Houndoom's right side now had an angry red mark that ran all the way to his neck. So he lost after all. That's a gift from the ancient Onix King, no doubt. Why else would the great dog be in the south?

Hellfang snorted two small gouts of flame before pawing at the ground. Gary was certain Janine had stopped breathing as they watched the cat bare its giant fangs. "Who do you think is gonna win?"

"I haven't a clue," he admitted after a tense beat. His first instinct was to declare the Houndoom superior, but another scour of the area robbed him of that foolish notion. While the Arcanine was certainly impressive by their standards, it was still noticeably smaller than Acaya. The Arcanine's loss didn't faze him. It would be nothing to Talc, and it was certainly weaker than the Nidoking they'd fought in Lavender. Gary would go so far as to say Aria and Gore could challenge the Arcanine as they were now.

No, none of the Pokemon the Rolling Thunder killed could be considered unusually powerful. What he found disturbing was that there weren't any signs of a struggle from the Pokemon the saber tooth had killed. It appeared they didn't even have a chance to defend themselves. An Arcanine being defeated before being able to react to a foe? Agatha's Gengar could do such a thing, but even she couldn't attack at such an incredible speed the Pokemon behind Arcanine couldn't react.

Gary found himself cursing his lack of knowledge. He only knew what Ash and Janine had told him of Hellfang's fighting style, and he didn't know anything about the Rolling Thunder's techniques. No Pokemon on this level was a fool, so the cat meeting Hellfang's soul piercing gaze in a blatant challenge couldn't have been born of arrogance. It was utterly confident in its capacity. It thought it had moves in its repertoire that could put the Houndoom down. There aren't any advantages for either of them. As much as he wanted to voice absolute confidence in Champion Karen's partner, Gary found he couldn't. Not even to offer his friend a small measure of comfort.

A flock of black birds circled over the wild dog and smilodon. That's a murder of Honchkrow and Murkrow. The largest black bird cawed to Hellfang and received a drawn out growl. The birds of the murder blasted gusts of wind into the roofs of the wooden houses until they began to creak, forcing the frantic people within the houses to flee on foot. He ordered them to attack the houses then. The Thunder crouched. Houndoom has one of the best slicing bites in the world, Beat Up and his armor should make up for its advantage in size.

"A saber tooth has weak jaws and its fangs are actually pretty fragile," Gary said, "But those claws are far worse than any other cat Pokemon's I've ever seen." Houndoom claws weren't very sharp. They preferred the brute force of Beat Up to a Scratch attack.

Lightning danced across the Thunder's body sporadically while Hellfang activated a Will-O-Wisp and Flame Charge combo. The black wisps of Nasty Plot followed a moment later. Then the saber tooth flashed forward in a golden blur. The cat swiped at Hellfang's head with a gigantic paw. The dog Pokemon ducked beneath the blow before bucking his head up at the cat's belly.

The Thunder hissed and reared back to stand on its hind legs. The Houndoom's front claws were consumed by the black sheen of Beat Up as he smashed his paws into the cat's chest, sending the electric-type tumbling back. It shoved a claw into the earth to steady itself, then it narrowed its eyes. Hellfang's upper body had only just come down when he was thrown into the air with a startled bark.

"Extrasensory too?" Janine cried while the Houndoom flipped to face the cat's charge. Hellfang snarled, then spewed a gout of flame almost as wide as the street. The cat stomped to a stop just before the purple flames consumed it. Hellfang's eyes narrowed when the flames began to shoot up into the air. The Houndoom cut off the flow with a snap of his jaws. When the fire became wisps, ground scorched to the color of ash was revealed and a pink dome shaped barrier as tall as the first story of the houses were revealed. Lightning arced along the barrier before shooting out in all directions. Glass shattered, wood splintered, and nails flew as the houses crumbled under the electric assault.

Every one of those has to be stronger than Sparky's Thunderbolt! Hellfang leaped several yards back when a couple of the arcs neared him. Then the dog blasted a thick black beam that melted through the barrier with ease, only for the Thunder to roll away from the attack. Hellfang howled, blasting a wave of black energy as wide as the street at his foe. The Thunder shot a concentrated stream of electricity at the Snarl, only for the wave to crash through it with a mere moment of delay. The smilodon roared furiously when it was thrown off its feet.

Hellfang's canines were coated with a layer of purple flame as he bounded after the cat. The Thunder hit the ground and skidded before rolling to its feet. Its great claws extended again, forcing it to a stop. It glared and Hellfang leaped atop a home. Dust flew where the dog had been standing, making Gary and Janine jump. Rather than aim for the dog, the cat opted to send several small bursts at the nearby homes. Hellfang froze, his eyes widening slightly. Small stones, shards of glass, and nails, rose into the air as though they had a will of their own, then began spinning at a speed he could only process as a blur.

The Thunder growled, sending the stones and wood surging at the dog king. Hellfang snarled, then barked a black wave of energy at the projectiles that turned them to dust. A boulder the size of the great dog himself flew into his side, throwing him off the house with a startled yelp. Hellfang flipped to land on his feet, and electricity began to concentrate in the cat Pokemon's fangs. Is that Thunder Fang? It couldn't be planning on biting him with those fangs, could it? No, it had to know they were far too fragile for that to work.

"Stop!" The roared demand made Janine and Gary flinch. The camera moved to focus on a horde of Pokemon and trainers. A Scyther who appeared to be on the verge of evolution headed the group. They must be the Gym Leaders. "The next one to make a move will face the full power of the Yas!" a tall, scrawny man with the impressive Scyther at his side warned. Hellfang cocked his head to the side while the Thunder glanced at him dismissively. The Gym Leader was already beginning to sweat. Many of those behind him were openly trembling. It was hard to blame them.

"Not just the Yas Gym!" a deep voice declared. A man with an Electabuzz who bordered on evolution stood before another group of trainers and Pokemon. The bipedal cat flared arcs of electricity between its antennae and growled. The Pokemon and trainers behind it still looked uneasy, but took stances too.

After a tense moment, Hellfang whuffed. Then he leaped over one of the houses and bounded away at speeds he would have once believed only an Arcanine's Extremespeed could reach. The Thunder glanced at Electabuzz and something flashed in the bipedal cat's eyes. Electabuzz shook its head vigorously, then leveled a weak glare at the saber tooth. The Thunder snorted in an unconcerned fashion, before trotting toward the group led by the trainer with the Scyther.

It neared. Scyther hissed, bringing its scythes to bare. To their credit those behind Scyther didn't flee. Or they just can't move. It drew closer still, and Scyther leaped at with a glowing scythe. The Thunder sidestepped it, then swatted the praying mantis with a glowing tail. Scyther shrieked as it was slung back at its trainer. The Yas Gym Leader was thrown off his feet and skidded several feet back with a pained cry.

The left side of Scyther's chest had been caved in by the blow. The praying mantis Pokemon lay sprawled out atop its partner with its eyes shut. Gary swallowed when the Gym Leader wheezed and clutched his sternum. "I-it's okay, bug Pokemon can survive almost anything," Janine told him with a tremulous sigh. Gary wasn't sure if she was trying to comfort him or herself. He didn't care. The sense of surrealism that had overwhelmed Gary made him numb.

The Yas Gym scattered to part for the Thunder as it sauntered toward. The saber tooth didn't even deign to glance at the gym members when passing. The camera faded to black when the Thunder walked from view. "How did we not know about this?" Gary whispered.

"It happened a day before you returned," a deep hoarse voice told them. They jumped, their hands falling to their belts. His grandfather sipped coffee from his Cool Grandpa Mug. They sighed. Samuel Oak regarded them without emotion. "I intended to tell you after I was finished with my... work."

The professor shut his eyes and exhaled through his mouth heavily. "I trust you have questions," he stated.

"I do."

"Good. I'll explain everything in the jeep." Gary stared. "What were you expecting?" Oak laughed, "Did you think I'd take you to see a Hypno? Threaten to feed you to Wave? Turn you into Meowsy's scratching post? Turn you over to Acaya?" Gary felt his cheeks begin to burn brighter with every word.

"Well-" he began.

"Kinda yeah," Janine put in blinking. "I thought I'd have to at least stab you or throw a shuriken at you or something," she mumbled in a tone that bordered on sulking.

"Just going to ignore that last comment," Oak decided after a moment. Janine pouted. Gary just stared at her. How did I survive a year with her again? "Come on, kids," the professor told them rolling his eyes. They glanced at each other uncertainly before following him. His grandfather paused when he reached the side entrance they'd come through. "Oh gods!" Oak cried shutting the door.

"What?" Gary demanded, his heart pounding in his ears as his blood came alive.

"It's natural light!" the professor groaned covering his eyes with his free hand. Gary's jaw slackened. Oak snorted. "You spend a couple days in here, It'll hurt worse than a Houndoom's bite. Trust me, son, I've dealt with them both."

"He's right ya know," Janine uttered, "Reminds me of the time I got locked into a closet. See, it took me seven hours to get out, and when I did I ran outside to get Dad." She winced. "Hurts worse than poison." Oak nodded, his expression sympathetic. Gary glanced between them. I'm surrounded by lunatics. Oak shielded his eyes as he opened the door again.

"Why didn't we know about this?" Gary couldn't resist asking any longer.

"Well, I guess it's because you spent too much time reading," Oak replied taking another sip of his coffee. "I mean, I know you and Aria were shaken up badly, but you still really should have spent more time outside in your last couple years here."

"W-what?"

"Your necklace," the professor said, "Necklaces with Pokeballs on them went out of style decades ago, Gary." Janine laughed while Gary scowled.

Hellfang! The Titan of the Deep! Rolling Thunder!" he hissed. Gary took a breath. Losing his temper wouldn't help anything. The old man had a habit of shutting down if you were rude to him too, which meant he had to be especially careful.

"Raikou," Oak corrected when they reached the jeep.

"Raikou? That's the cat's real name, huh," Janine murmured rubbing her chin.

"Yes, Raikou, Entei, and Suicune, that's their names," the professor explained. He must mean the Thunder, the Water Walker, and the Roaring Fire. Oak gave a smile tinged with nostalgia. "It's been quite some time since I heard of that old jellyfish, unless he's the one causing trouble in Porta Vista." Gary froze. The incredibly strong storm over Porta Vista started after a nearby oil spill. He'd thought Raikou may have been the cause of it, but the Titan made far more sense. The sea in that area had become so fierce it was almost impossible to sail. The winds were powerful enough to knock someone over. He narrowed his eyes. The Titan dwelled in Sinnoh, why would he be here? "Gary! Don't just stand there gawking or you'll miss out! I'm only doing this talk once."

I'll focus on Raikou now! "Right!" He rushed to the other side of the front seat. Janine leaped into the seat. She stuck her tongue out at him. "It'd be just swell if you kids didn't jump in my car," Oak grumbled.

"Sorry," Janine uttered keeping a smug gaze leveled at Gary.

"Shouldn't we get Ash?" Gary inquired while scowling at the shinobi. The jeep took off the moment his door shut, making him squawk and slamming his head against the headrest

"There'd be no point," the professor told them with a shrug. "Ash isn't the type to need this sort of talk." Gary furrowed his brow. "He and Gore probably already has an idea as to what they need to do," he elaborated when Janine gave him a look. "Besides, if he wanted to know anything he'd just come to me instead of sneaking around in my office." Gary winced at the accusatory tone.

His grandfather pulled out his Pokedex when they neared the large gates into the Oak Corral. The gates creaked open to reveal a dirt path that had two white fences running parallel to one another. This section of the corral was a simple open grassland. It was home to Poliwag, Pidgey, Sentret and the other gentle species of Pokemon that would be given to Rookies. After a few moments of listening to the hum of the jeep he found his voice. "Why aren't the books we're given in school more accurate?" he said.

"I think he means Hellfang is a lot stronger than Wave or Tiny but the descriptions of him make it sound like he's not much better," Janine put in as she stared out at the playing Pokemon.

"I doubt the gap between them is as big as you two seem to think," Oak said with a chuckle. The man kept his gray eyes on the road while he weighed his words. "Do you know why the second to last war with Sinnoh started?" Gary's brow creased. The war that was fought ninety years ago? He and Janine exchanged an uncertain glance. Everyone knew the Indigo League went to war because Champion Macy was killed by the Gym Leader of Sunyshore City. Is this a test of some kind? When they didn't answer, he continued. "It was money of course," Oak uttered in a blase tone.

"You know the official story. The truth is, Macy and every member of her team that was with her were killed when they fought Sleet, the old Abomasnow in the Sinnoh mountains," the professor revealed. "Very territorial creature, Sleet. Even the Onix King watches his step around her. Only those baring the official symbol of her partner's league are safe. Macy was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time." He paused to let them process his words.

"I-I don't get it... Why did we fight then?" Janine asked her brow creasing.

"Her successor created quite a fortune for himself selling rare jewels. A couple years before Macy's death a great many jewels were found in the Sinnoh mountains," Oak began, and Gary felt something sink in his chest. A two-year long war just for jewels? "He knew Macy's death would frighten the people and put pressure on the League to respond. So he destroyed all knowledge of Sleet he could find and claimed the Champion of the Lily League ordered Macy's death." The professor eased the jeep to a stop. "After that all he had to do was apply pressure on the weaker Gym Leaders." Gary leaned in his seat. Surely no one could be capable of such a thing? No, he knew some were capable of it, Giovanni was proof of that. He'd just never dreamed a Champion of Indigo would be so petty.

"We lost and were forced to limit our trade with Almia for decades... Only my esteemed predecessor considered that war any sort of victory, and why wouldn't he? His pockets grew quite full. Yes, fat enough to completely cover all of his desires for the rest of his life." Oak paused, leaning back in his seat.

"A year later he began to bury information on all the Transcendents. It's not clear why he did this, even to me. Perhaps he realized knowledge of any Pokemon on that level could expose him for what he was. I suppose it's possible he was planning to blame the actions of a Transcendent on the Fiore region, so he could justify war with them." The old man got out of the jeep. "The truth of the matter is this; the league began to prepare for war with Fiore after we confirmed the rumors of their finding seven Fire Stones in one night within their Fire Cavern."

That's why some of the older books are nondescriptive? Someone would've been suspicious in that era, and would want to investigate. As horrible as the man was, his political skill was undeniable. Gary couldn't fathom the maneuvering necessary to cover up his atrocities. "Wait, what about the books that were released about fifty years ago?" Gary asked. Champion Michaels passed away sleeping long before that. It was enough to make his chest burn. The man died surrounded by his descendants and more wealth than any man could possibly spend. Thousands died for his wealth yet he lived to a ripe old age. Never even spending a night in prison. Where was the justice there?

"His successor, Tom Smith, had friends who benefited greatly from the public being misinformed." Oak winced while stretching his back. Gary placed a hand on Janine's shoulder when she drew breath to ask another question. The professor didn't want to talk about Champion Smith. His grandfather always shut down when the man was brought up.

The professor grimaced a bit. "I'm sorry you had to learn from those old things, son. "Hopefully we'll be able to afford better books soon," Oak sighed. "I swear, the price of those advanced math and Pokemon science books took a few years off my life," he muttered his eye twitching. Janine snickered, receiving a scowl from the professor.

Gary flinched when the door shut. He hadn't even realized they'd left the open plains of the Oak corral. The terrain where the majority of the fire Pokemon dwelled was as open as the plains. Large boulders littered the area in a manner he found to be rather similar to the way the tall trees of the plains were scattered about. The burned stones beneath the jeep's tires and the small scorch marks on the boulders were probably the only eye catching features in this habitat. It was still one of the most dangerous in the corral.

Gary cursed under his breath. He'd been so caught up in his thoughts he hadn't realized they'd driven straight through the Oak Corral. Being caught unaware around wild Pokemon was an excellent way to become a meal. Especially true when one dealt with fire-types. They were almost solely predatory Pokemon, possessed exceptional speed and were amongst the most dangerous of Pokemon at range. It was all the more appalling because he knew Arbok called the terrain home too. Even Ash and Gore wouldn't be this dumb. "If you want to know more you'd best follow me," Oak said before shutting the door.

They exchanged a look, then followed the professor.

"Hey," Janine spoke up frowning thoughtfully, "What makes a Pokemon become a tran- whatever?" Really? You already forgot what they're called? She pouted when she saw the look he was giving her.

"A Transcendent? Well, there appears to be three methods. We know every Pokemon has the potential to transcend, but there have never been more than ten Transcendents in a region at any time, so it's safe to conclude that rather extraordinary circumstances are necessary to create the right environment for a Pokemon to transcend." Oak raised a hand when a couple of Growlithe ran into view. The dogs stared at them for a moment, then bolted when his grandfather lowered a hand toward his waist.

After they left their sight the professor continued, "Wild Pokemon that go through this final evolution tend to be about middle-aged for their species. Gradually they grow stronger and stronger until they hit a wall. Once they reach the border of transcendence, they require a final stimulus, which of course varies between extreme happiness to extreme anger." A wall? That makes sense, I suppose. It almost sounds like they're overcoming a mental barrier of sorts.

"There's an old Rhydon wandering around near Rock Tunnel with a herd of her descendants stands a solid chance of transcending. When her latest grandchild was born she came close. Next time, I suspect she will break through that glass ceiling," Oak added. A smile broke out on his face. The earth in front of them seemed to rise slightly before a yellow-furred head with long ears surfaced.

The Sandslash pushed itself out of the earth. It was a bipedal mouse that looked to be slightly larger than the average three feet and three inches tall of its kind. The foot-long spines on its back, and the six inch claws on its arms gave Gary pause. Its blinked big black eyes up at them. The porcupine seemed unsure of what to make of Janine's scarf. "Is your grandmother here?"

Sandslash cooed before turning and striding away. After a few steps it turned back around with an irritated squeak. "Okay, okay, we're coming," Oak assured the mouse, holding his hands up in a sign of surrender. Gary flinched after being poked in the ribs.

"Isn't she adorable," Janine cooed.

He eyed the Sandslash carefully as it sliced a tiny tree in two with a single swipe. "Uh, yeah," Gary replied. Sandslash glanced at him over its shoulder. It heard his hesitation. "Absolutely precious," he added quickly. The porcupine cooed and increased its pace slightly.

"Remember son, a girl is always cute, even when she's not," Oak advised, "Especially if she's got six and a half inch long claws." Sandslash's pace slowed. "And it's absolutely true in this case!" he said raising his voice. "Now, I was saying something before wasn't I?"

"The three ways to become a transcendent," Janine piped up while twirling a small knife. Where does she even hide those?

"The second way seems to be related to the way a person's energy interacts with a Pokemon's energy," Oak said ducking beneath the branch of a rare tree. "Countless life and death experiences, particularly when the Pokemon and his partner are young, certainly seem to help the process come along. Willpower is equally vital to the process. I've found a bit of stubbornness goes a long way." Stubborn as a Piloswine. Gary snorted. Ash and Gore were set then.

"A person has energy?" he asked.

"Yes-"

"Yup! Everything has aura! Trees, people, Pokemon, regular creatures, and even rocks," Janine put in with a beam. Her smile became sheepish when his grandfather glared at her.

"Yes, we do," Oak drawled keeping his glare leveled at the shinobi, "Our energy is the energy found within all things. The power that decides a Pokemon's type is a different beast entirely…" Janine lifted her scarf to shield her face. She said it could prevent her from being poisoned, Gary wondered if it could protect her from an old man that hadn't slept in two days. After another moment he clear his throat. "A person's aura appears to multiply a Pokemon's progress, which is why they tend to hunt humans less. They know they need us. They don't know why, and neither do we."

"What about the third way?" Gary asked rubbing his chin. Oak stopped abruptly.

"The third way is…" he murmured. Gary and Janine leaned forward. "I haven't a clue what the third way is!" Oak laughed when they gaped. "Well, I don't remember saying I knew everything about Mega Evolution," the professor told them grinning widely. "All I know is that most of these Transcendent Pokemon were regular creatures at one point. The only exceptions in the Indigo League are Raikou, Suicune, and Entei. I can't tell you anything that you couldn't find in a fairy tale."

"Right, thanks Grandpa," Gary said nodding. The immature part of him that was still very much a child was disappointed. That part of him had been hoping for a grander conspiracy. The revelation that Champion Smith and Michaels were war profiteers who covered up the strength of the Transcendents to create an atmosphere for war was horrible, but not quite what he'd pictured. Gary blinked when he saw Janine's smile had returned. A few minutes ago we were too stunned to talk, and now I'm thinking of this sort of thing? He turned to look at his grandfather. Oak put them at ease with just a few words. Is this what makes someone a Champion? A Sandslash that stood a head taller than the one guiding them rose from the earth with its arms crossed over its chest. Janine gasped.

Gary understood. Granyte's mastery over the earth was probably the greatest in the two regions that made up the Indigo League.

She could open holes with the smallest gesture, and no longer needed her arms to tunnel through the earth. A simple wiggle was enough. His grandfather told him the Sandslash was almost as strong as Master Bruno's partner, Tiny. Gary smiled admiringly at his grandfather's back. Oak told him once Granyte was the third strongest member of his team. If Granyte was that strong, then who knew how strong Arcia and Wave were? He doubted Oak was as powerful as Yellow or Lyra or Dreyfus, but his grandfather was still an exceptionally strong Champion.

Xxxxxxxx

"So, Gary's here too, you mean," Ash said, tugging on the bill of his hat. Gore snorted before returning to running his tusk along a large rock. Where is he then? And where's Wave? He'd missed a good portion of the feeding when Ron's Onix almost fell on Grace. The vixen was still glaring at the giant stone serpent for that. He truly wanted to help Druz, but he needed time away from this affectionate Grace. Ash lost a few years of his lifespan when she'd licked Hellfire. Excellent blackmails material, though. Turned out the Pokedex could take pictures. Who would have guessed?

King gave the tiny Krabby creeping up behind him a deathly glare. The younger crab squealed and ran back to the bay. It should have known it would not be finding charity with a Kingler. A Seel pup crawled over to them with a dopey grin. It eyed King's pile of fish hungrily. The pup's mother growled, and it crawled back to her. The massive white seal glared at King once the pup reached her side. The Kingler rumbled, displaying his giant claw. "You don't want to do that here," Ash muttered, glancing at the small pod of Seel and Dewgong approaching from their right. King's eyes narrowed before he lowered his claw.

The Kingler didn't fear single member of the Seel family line in the slightest. No, the real issue was when they were in groups. Pods of Seel and Dewgong were known to charge Gyarados when in groups. Ash wasn't eager to test the power of their signature move either. Aurora Beam was commonly compared with Ice Fang with good reason. He heard a familiar guttural bellow. Please, don't let this be Dewi's pup. Please, don't let this be Dewi's pup. Please, gods above if you're there, don't let us meet our end at the flippers of a seal who tried to eat a rock.

Willow quavered, prompting Ash to place a hand on her head. Dewgong grunted and nudged her pup toward the bay. The trainer sighed in relief. Dewi wouldn't be amused if they fought with a Dewgong cow. "That sort of thing happen to you often?" Ron inquired eyeing the Dewgong carefully.

You were watching just now, weren't you? I need braver friends. "All the time," Ash replied, pushing himself to his feet. "Got attacked by an Onix at Mt. Moon too." Druz gave him a skeptical look until Gore chuffed insistently. The trainer ran his hand along the pendant the Clefable gave him. Grace stared at the lump beneath his shirt with glazed eyes. Ash stretched his arms, which appeared to snap her from her daze. "Later, we're going to visit the corral." More precisely, he would be finding a tree to take a nap under. Willow yawned as if in agreement.

The trainer smiled and lowered her into his bag. "King! We're leaving!" The crab gave him a withering look. "C'mon, I'm taking a nap!" King pointed at the pile between the pile of fish and the birds that were eyeing it hungrily. Ash hesitated. His Kingler was quick-tempered at the best of times. Leaving him to himself could end with several corpses.

It was true that the crab Pokemon would have to learn to get along with other Pokemon when Ash wasn't around. Gore just slept and ate when Ash left so his mood wasn't an issue, but King and Grace were too unpredictable to be left alone. Even Willow could handle herself decently for the most part. Well, handle herself might have been going a bit far. She usually just hid or slept with Gore, but he counted anything that wasn't a fight a victory. Ash took wins where he could find them at this point.

Wave's here, somewhere. He could handle it. The Gyarados once scared a flock of thousands of Pidgeot with a roar. Even the alpha Pidgeot couldn't convince the flock to stand their ground. Ash didn't doubt that Grace could still be a handful for the old snake. Oh, there's Dewi. He'll work. "Do whatever you want. Make sure you listen to the giant Gyarados and the big bull over there," he said pointing at Dewi. The large Dewgong was balancing a ball of ice at the tip of his nose to the delight of several clapping Seel. King stared at Daisy's Dewgong disbelievingly. Really the ball and nose thing right when I point to you? It was like the seal wanted King to think he was a pushover. "He's tougher than he looks," Ash offered pinching the bridge of his nose.

Hellfire looked between Dewi and the rock between his front paws. Ash sighed. "If you have to just do it while we're walking." The dog Pokemon whuffed happily. "C'mon, Grace, Gore!" he called. The boar grunted before kicking the rock into the bay and trotting to him. Ash blinked when he saw his Vulpix. Grace was roasting several fish on sticks over the small fire she had set up on a dry portion of the beach ten yards or so away.

"She'll be hanging out here then. Let's go guys," he uttered. Gore drooled as he stared at the roasting fish. "Did you really forget what happened the last time you tried to steal food from her?" The Piloswine froze. Gore did remember. How could he not? Getting your tail set on fire had to have been a traumatizing experience for an ice Pokemon. He did earn it though. Grace nearly drowned getting that fish.

Ash patted Gore's side. "Let's go," he said. The Piloswine snorted vigorously in agreement. The trainer frowned when he realized how many more people were on the beach. Willow grumbled something, prompting him to give her a soothing rub between the ears. The town's going to be busier. I don't know how she'll handle that right now.

"Gore, we're going the other way." The Piloswine grunted, then trotted to the other side of the beach with Ash and Hellfire trailing a few steps behind. After swerving around more Pokemon and people that should be in a bay at any given time, they arrived at the pristine white houses on the other side of the beach. The houses were the most expensive in town. Would have been nice if half of these didn't all belong to one family, that's only here a couple times a year. Who complain about the birds. Their occasional inhabitants were rather odd. He would never know why each family member needed a house when they stayed. Ash shrugged. It didn't matter if they didn't know he was here.

They would be going through the small alley behind them. It'd be more than a little foul to the nose, but there wouldn't be nearly as much noise. Sleep deprived Ivysaur's could be as grumpy as sleep deprived Bulbasaur's. Her not being willing to truly hurt them didn't mean she wouldn't spray pollen on them. A weak Stun Spore wouldn't paralyze them, which seemed to mean she could use it on them without much remorse.

Ash had never been more thankful he was a fragile human. It was the only thing that saved him from her wrath when he deserved it. His nose crinkled. The alley was as foul as ever. And as long as ever too. Daisy once told him the smell was so atrocious a Growlithe died halfway through the alley. He was ashamed to admit he'd believed her.

A half-eaten piece of dark meat lay mere feet within the alley. The three metal trash cans behind the meat overflowed. A rotten fish head poked out of the middle can. Flies swarmed the cans and the meat like the garbage was the most delicious feast they'd ever laid eyes upon. The trashcan nearest the meat had what looked to be a steak poking out of its lid. Mom can never know about this. Saying she wouldn't handle hearing about the wasted steak well would not be giving her reaction justice.

Gore licked his snout. There was a wild gleam shining in his brown eyes the trainer didn't approve of. "No," Ash said, rolling his eyes and grabbing the boar by a floppy ear. "What did I tell you about eating out of the trash?" The pig Pokemon whined. "Still not happening," the trainer declared. "That goes for you too!" Ash hissed at Hellfire when the dog took a step toward the meat. Hellfire pouted before padding along in the alley. Ash took a deep breath and followed. The dog and his trainer cringed the deeper they went. Gore just yawned, looking rather confused by their reactions to the alley. His sensitive nose didn't seem the least bit bothered by the foulness around them. Damn pig snout.

Willow made an odd whistling sound he took to be of annoyance before burrowing deeper into the bag. "It'll be over soon," Ash groaned. Why in the name of the gods did I think this was a good idea? A grumble from his back made his eye twitch. Oh, right, socially awkward dinosaur. He blinked. Never thought I'd hear those words together a couple years ago.

Ash's brow furrowed. A golden brown inch long stinger was poking out from under the lid of the last trash can. He felt Willow stiffen in his bag. The Ivysaur's head poked out with a confused croon. Hellfire crouched, watching the stinger sway warily. Gore snorted something, and some of the tension in their forms bled out. We can't just walk by it. It might sting us in the back. "Pull it down," Ash whispered.

His partner trotted forward before biting the stinger gently. The Pokemon shrieked and wiggled furiously in an effort to free itself, but the swine was unaffected. Kakuna wiggled and fought for close to two minutes before it seemed to realize it wasn't budging the giant pig Pokemon. Kakuna buzzed irritably, its big black eyes glaring at Gore. The Piloswine lowered it to the ground with a huff. The golden brown cocoon like Pokemon went so still the trainer worried it might have gone into shock. A giant pig looming over you could do that to a bug. Personally, Ash thought it reflected well on Kakuna's intellect.

Then it spat a poisonous needle at his partner, which Gore smothered with a snort of snow. Kakuna's eyes bulged while the trainer snickered. It had spirit, Ash would give it that much. Attacking a Piloswine had cost countless Dragonair their lives. A recently evolved Kakuna challenging a Piloswine took guts. Not much for brains though.

Hellfire cocked his head to the side. The dark-type within him must have urged caution, but the young dog's curious nature overwhelmed his hesitance. Kakuna glanced between the approaching Houndoom and the Piloswine boar that was standing over it. "Hellfire!" Ash snapped, making the dog Pokemon flinch. He turned to face his trainer with his ears lowered.

Ash felt guilt gnaw at him. He suppressed it and put on a stern frown. Is that Baby-Doll Eyes? "You're freaking it out. Back off." While Gore and Hellfire wouldn't be hurt by the poison, Ash wouldn't be so lucky. If it used Poison Sting before Gore could restrain it and Ash was hit, he would be in mortal peril. The poison of a Weedle or a Kakuna was far deadlier than that of their evolved form. In fact, it was one of the most potent poisons one could find in the Indigo League. The potency of its poison was one of the reasons why Caterpie was the preferred starter for bug fans. Messing with a Weedle could easily be the last thing you ever did.

Which of course meant Ash had to train it. Not just because of the hazards of raising it though. A wild gleam shone in his brown eyes. Even those who considered Yellow soft agreed one of the most impressive achievements in the history of the League was the strength her Raticate possessed. Some considered raising Ratty to such a level to be as impressive as Brandon's raising his Tyranitar, Jira. Ash thought that was a horrible exaggeration. It was still pretty cool though.

Training a Beedrill to be as powerful as that Rhydon he'd fought near Rock Tunnel would easily be a legendary feat. But his goal was even loftier. He aimed to make every member of his team as strong as Tiny. When his team achieved their goal they would be even more powerful than Brandon, Dreyfus, or even Lyra's team. They'd all had six team members that were acknowledged as equal to a Champion's partner after all. The smile that bloomed on his face made Hellfire eye him warily. Gore chuffed a light breeze at him, making Ash blink. "What?"

The boar pointed at Kakuna with a hoof. "Why'd you trap it?" Covering it in mud, then hardening the mud seemed like overkill. Gore stared at him. "Right, dumb question," Ash agreed, shrugging. A wild Pokemon was always a threat. Regardless of its strength. He raised a brow at Hellfire. He turned to Kakuna when the dog gestured to the bug Pokemon.

It wasn't struggling at all. It almost looked nonchalant about its situation. Ash had never heard of a Pokemon reacting to being pinned so casually. He approached it slowly, startling it was a threat regardless of how relaxed it looked. "Wait a minute," he blinked. Don't I know you from somewhere?" Ash inquired, narrowing his eyes.

Kakuna buzzed as best it was able with the mud over its maw. The bug's golden brown armor was oddly shiny. It reminded him of a young Kingler's shell. Something clicked into place. "You're the Weedle we saved!" he said, smiling widely. A hiss from his pack made him stiffen. Kakuna and Hellfire looked highly alarmed while Gore snorted in a satisfied manner. Ash glared at the Piloswine who met his gaze evenly. You corrupted my sweet little Bulbasaur, Pepperoni Pig. Gore gave a grin that would send Rattata running in terror.

"That's Willow," Ash uttered patting the dinosaur through the bag. He grimaced when she shifted away from him. And I'm in the dog house. The trainer sighed. Going to take a lot of berries to make up for this one. "Gore let 'em up." The boar grunted before his mud colored eyes took on a slight hue.

Ash smirked when the mud softened around Kakuna. Certain earth manipulating techniques would always be beyond the boar, but his skill and strength with what he could use wasn't inferior to a ground-natured Piloswine. He put on a toothless smile as he turned to Kakuna. "Look, you obviously don't have a hive, so you wanna come with me?" Ash offered what he was certain was the most underwhelming capture ever.

I swear all my captures are weird. The raven-haired trainer was fairly certain he defeated Grace with a thrown Seed Bomb, Hellfire, he met after a battle, and Gore wouldn't leave him alone after he got a hold of Ash's food. If anything, the Swinub captured him. His only conventional captures were Willow and King's. Ash wasn't even sure he could say he caught Willow. She was his official starter Pokemon.

Kakuna clicked, then rolled in front of him. He smiled and tossed a Pokeball, only for a string of silk to push the orb back at Ash. His smile faded slightly as he caught it. Kakuna pushed itself up so it was standing on what he believed to be a stinger. Its mandibles clacked angrily at him, making his brows raise. Hellfire stepped in front of Ash, and the temperature around them rose slightly. "You want a fight, huh," the trainer said. He felt his respect for the bug grow. It was surprisingly honorable.

Unfortunately for Kakuna, his team had long since surpassed the average wild Beedrill. If he tried to prompt Grace or King to fight Kakuna they might consider its challenge an insult. Which would more than likely cost the bug its life. This would not be ending positively for Kakuna. It'll still be hilarious for us.

Hellfire cocked his head to the side in confusion. He whuffed to Gore, who huffed back. The Houndoom appeared to accept the answer. Then he pointed at the end of the alley with a paw. Ash cringed, finding the smell to have returned with his memory of it. "We'll fight in my yard," the trainer told Kakuna. Gore looked at them like they were ridiculous before trotting away.

The bug buzzed and moved to roll after Gore, only to be lifted atop Hellfire's horns. Kakuna hissed irritably at the dog Pokemon. Hellfire ignored it in favor of jogging to the end of the alley. Ash followed as swiftly as he could without disturbing Willow. The walk home was the oddest he'd ever had.

The amount of people who stared when they saw a Kakuna balanced on a Houndoom's horns was significantly higher than he anticipated. Hellfire looked a bit put out when they received half-hearted greetings. Kakuna rolled off Hellfire's horns when their gate opened. The bug turned to face him with a challenging hiss. "All right, let's do it then."

Xxxxxxx

Out of context is sounds like Ash is coming onto Kakuna at the end doesn't it?

Author's Note

Remember that a character's perspective isn't omniscient.

I've often wondered how Rock and Ground Pokemon could survive when water hurts them. Just water. Onix lost to sprinklers. The same Onix took on a Tyranitar in the fourth movie. Brock doesn't actually seem to train anything much either.

Oh, and Elephants have been known to stomp lion cubs to death. Given their excellent memories, revenge is a likely motive. They can be cute and gentle, but they're not sugar and sweets all the time.

Somebody asked me what the time is between the Tournaments. Every three years like the Dragon Ball Tournament. If it happened yearly Ash would go to the conference with baby Pokemon. Like canon really.

Jim Dempsey is the name of the old Ace Ash met in Viridian Gym. No idea why I called him Patrick.

If you haven't figured it out by now, Ash's mom is meant to represent an average trainer who got lucky enough to have someone basically train her Pokemon for her. Because Arcia was a bro.

Thank you all for reading, favoriting, reviewing and following.