Episode 41:
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Ken wiped the sweat from his brow as he peaked beyond a tree. Rattatas, Raticates, Ekans, Oddishes, and Zubats lay strewn across the clearing covered in burns. They were unconscious or pinned by silk, vines, ice, or mud. Their trainers lay close to them, some groaning while others were silent. The air was acrid and metallic, the scent of ash and blood overwhelming all others.
About thirty feet from them, Rocket Admin Logan stood across a young trainer. A Nidorino, a small, purple rhinoceros stood ahead of Logan. It was a formidable Nidorino without a speck of pink on its hide, proof of its experience.
The trainer opposite Logan was a raven-haired boy who wore a blue and white vest as well as a white hat with the symbol of the Indigo League on it. He kept a gloved hand over a Pokeball, but his posture was relaxed yet alert. A five-tailed vixen with reddish-brown fur stood next to the trainer. A golden-brown cocoon was perched on his shoulder.
A teenager with teenage Pokemon beat all of us. Ken gritted his teeth. His fury quickly shifted to horror when he recognized who the boy was. "Ken," Tyler whispered. "We have to run for the vans!"
"Are you crazy?" Jane hissed. "What if that monster comes back?"
"Shut it," Ken growled, quieting them. A pained bellow made them flinch. Nidorino flailed its back against a boulder as Vulpix exhaled purple flames into his face. Nidorino bounded away to land in front of Logan. Vulpix watched, golden eyes dancing with amusement.
Two men in black uniforms dashed into the clearing with five Growlithe on their heels. A blur of green and pink raced past them. Vines sprouted from the ground, enveloping the men and dogs before a small cloud of green dust engulfed them. They were asleep in moments.
A green dinosaur the size of a housecat sniffed the unconscious Growlithe cautiously. The vibrant pink of her eyes and the flower on her back caught Ken's attention. Jane hissed. "Ken is that the Ivysaur they told us-"
"Yes," Ken whispered harshly, quieting her. Tyler looked between them with confusion. Ken ignored them. For months, various team rocket cells and gangs, had been quietly cleared out by a trainer who wasn't affiliated with the league or the criminal underworld. No one knew what the trainer looked like, but that Ivysaur was part of his team.
A Houndoom padded into the clearing with several small Pokemon on his back and a Raticate in his teeth. He placed the Pokémon in a pile before padding to the trainer's flank. It was an impressive beast, standing taller than average and with impressive curved horns.
This was their last chance to escape. Tyler and Jane released their remaining Pokemon, Ekans and Raticate. Ken released his Houndour. He offered a quick prayer for his fellow Rockets who would fall in the blast. This trainer wasn't going to be allowed to become a major threat. "Aim for the Sleep Powder. Her Sleep Powder explodes when it meets fire."
The earth cracked and swelled before a brown blur surged from it straight into Houndour's underbelly and launched it into the tree. "Piloswine," Ken breathed. The boar swerved and slammed its icy tusks into Ekans and Raticate, they fell without cries or whimpers.
Vines sprang from the earth and engulfed the poachers. Piloswine itself paid them no mind. He was content to watch Vulpix and Nidorino's concluding battle.
Nidorino exhaled a stream of bubbles that Vulpix blocked with a pink shield that encircled her. A bolt of electricity arced from Nidorino's horn and dispersed over the shield's surface. The shield cracked, and Nidorino charged with its horn glowing.
"The back of the neck or belly," the trainer whispered. Vulpix whipped her five tails, launching a fireball from each. Nidorino leaped over them, and then the flames swerved and flew into his underbelly. He spun end over end until he landed on his flank with a crack.
Admin Logan recalled his Nidorino and stared at the trainer expectantly. Vulpix's eyes flashed pink, and Logan fell quietly to Hypnosis. The trainer released a massive crab with a claw large enough to wrap around an adult man. Its other claw was a fraction of the first's size but was easier to maneuver.
Kingler quelled every remaining fire and ember with a few sprays of bubbles from his claw. Ken, Tyler, and Jane watched in silent horror as their fellow rockets were bound in vines and had their beaten Pokemon returned to their Pokeballs. It took less than thirty minutes for the trainer to clear out the clearing and hideout. Then he turned to Ken.
"Even grunts like you all have worked out the exploding Sleep Powder, too? Good thing she's mastered Sleep Power and doesn't have to worry about that weakness. At this rate I'll need to come up with something to tell the League," the trainer said as he patted his Kakuna's side gently. "There aren't many Ivysaur out there. Grace?"
Vulpix stood quietly by herself staring at the rising sun. Fire flickered from her fur to cover her entirely in a thin veil. The flames on her tails flared as a sixth tail flickered and then emerged from Vulpix's tailbone. The trainer grinned.
"Now," the trainer said as he walked to stand in front of Ken, "Where do you keep the Pokemon you poached?" Vulpix marched to stand beside her trainer with her head held high. Ken gulped.
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Ash grinned as Saffron City came into view. This time he had twenty stolen Pokemon that stuttering Rocket helped him find. There weren't any rare Pokemon poached this time, but he suspected dropping these stolen Pokeballs off at the Saffron Gym anonymously was going to improve someone's day.
Or it would inconvenience the Rockets somehow. They loved their money more than their lives, the best way to weaken them was to hurt their finances. The Pokemon they rescued would never be part of the black market. Ash's team could take pride in that.
Gore quickened his pace slightly while Willow trilled and Kakuna clicked excitedly. Ash hopped onto his partner's broad back. "Excited for our victory dinner?" he laughed. He didn't recall Gore or Kakuna until they stood at the city's edge, then he released Grace and put Willow in his pack.
Saffron had not changed in the course of his adventure. The people were aloof in public, even when accompanied by their Drowzee, Abra, Growlithe, or Meowth. Ash and Grace navigated the busy streets of the Shining City together.
Hellfire would not be welcome on these streets. Dark types weren't allowed off leashes outside of the training or battlegrounds after all. Discrimination against dark or ghost-type Pokemon was no longer "tolerated" by the League, but city ordinances prohibiting them from being truly free could be found in the Indigo League.
Agatha's reign as Champion helped to popularize ghosts. If Karen had lived longer she would have made similar strides with dark-types. The League mostly existed to protect the balance between humans, nature, and Pokemon. Champion Lance did an admirable job, even if he was too obsessed with dragons. Ash had always respected that Daisy's friend Lance wasn't much different from the way he acted in public. Still kind of an idiot.
Ash walked into an alley a couple of buildings away from the Saffron Gym. Willow's vines placed a smaller bag from his main bag into his hands. Twenty Pokemon with a second chance at life. Ash took out a small map and placed it in the bag. Plus a map to that hideout. It was time to leave things to the professionals. "Here," Ash told Grace. "It's your turn."
Grace's eyes flashed, and then the bag flew from Ash's hand over the buildings between them and landed on the gym's steps gently. Ash scratched Grace behind the ears. "Your range is getting better. We'll try this at the training field too."
"I wonder how much longer we'll stay anonymous," Ash said to Grace as they continued down the alley. His team wasn't the only strong team who confronted Team Rocket, they were among those that preferred not to be known for it. Yet. "Pokemon Center's next."
That evening Ash had a victory feast for his team delivered to the Pokemon Center. Saffron's Pokemon Center had rooms large enough for every member of Ash's team to lounge and eat. "We'll have another if we win the Dojo challenge too," he said, leaning against Gore's side.
The next morning, he called Pallet. "Hey, are you still the only one willing to talk with me?"
"Yes," Daisy responded. She wore her hair in a loose bun and her warm brown eyes observed him. "You got your license? You're officially a Pokemon Hunter now?"
The best part is that I can legally fight the Rockets. Ash held up the license with a grin. "I got it."
"Congratulations." Daisy smiled. "I've got a job you're perfectly suited for. Ten days from now in Steel Town, they've finally found a way beneath the city. It'll last a week and amounts to five thousand Pokedollars."
"Gray Town," Ash repeated, eyes widening. The town is named after the steel plate beneath the land. No one knew how old it was, or where it came from, except that it was thousands of years old at the least and reinforced the earth around it. Legend had it that evolutionary stones and other gems could be found near the plate. "They're calling for hunters? Do they want us to be the first ones underground?"
"The gym wants insurance," Daisy said. "Pokemon Hunters are a valuable resource for the smaller gyms. There's concern that removing the plate would lead to them disturbing the local wildlife."
Ash pulled out his Pokedex. "Isn't that the place claiming to have seen a black dragon in their city? Ten days is plenty of time. Thanks, Daisy. I'll call again in a few days."
"You're welcome," Daisy said with a smile. "Best of luck, Ash." The screen went black and Ash moved on to his usual schedule. The training grounds in Saffron didn't have trees or boulders to strike.
Ash released his team once he stepped into the field. "Gore, make some targets for Hellfire and Grace. It's time to train. Use a weak Earth Power." The piloswine stomped, making the earth in front of him crack and twist until four boulders rose. Gore shot a glowing orb into them each for reinforcement. Ancient Power's versatility never fails.
Grace and Hellfire stepped forward eager to test their new moves. "Ten incinerates or Flame Bursts before you try anything new," Ash said. He chuckled when they slumped. "Willow, King, and Kakuna with me, there's something Gore and I want to show you."
After walking far enough to avoid being struck by fire or crushed, Gore created three new boulders. Gore marched up to a boulder and kicked it, trapping his hoof in the boulder while Ash faced the other members of his team. "Now, the most dangerous thing about ground-types offensively is their ability to create shockwaves. The vibrations of their moves can shatter stone, rend steel, and shatter ice."
Ash waved at Gore behind him. He didn't notice his parter frantically tugging his hoof free as quietly as possible. "Gore's only just mastered Earth Power and Earthquake. They're not moves he can use freely. A Pokemon who masters Earthquake is capable of creating phenomena unlike any we've seen in our adventure. Vibrations can be used to enhance strikes. Pins the Nidoking can concentrate the vibrations around each of his limbs and his horn."
"Any questions?" Willow raised her vines while Kakuna buzzed. "Neither of you are weak to vibrations. I'm giving you this talk because the Hellfire and Grace aren't fighting anything with Earthquake if I can help it." Having two of any type wasn't part of the plan Ash had when he started his journey, but he never regretted the choice. Meanwhile, Gore braced himself against the boulder and pushed. He landed flat on his back with his legs in the air like a dead cockroach.
"Fighting-types use shockwaves too," Ash added, choosing to ignore whatever Gore was doing. "We'll probably see them when we challenge the dojo." Kakuna shot a string of silk laced with electricity into the ground in front of Ash. "That's impressive buddy. Keep working on ElectroWeb and maybe you can be part of the next challenge." Kakuna was unimpressed. There was little he could do until he evolved.
"King, we're continuing your training with Crabhammer and Waterfall. Willow pick a boulder to use Razor Leaf on. Kakuna you know what to do." Gore came to Ash's side as they chose their targets. Ash scratched his partner behind the ears. "Your training is repairing their targets."
King gurgled as surging water surrounded his giant claw. Crabhammer was a move on par with Dark Pulse or Flamethrower in power and prestige. It was the specialty of the Kingler line and was one of the oldest Pokemon moves documented. It was speculated Crabhammer was the primary reason Kingler had survived four hundred million years. What King was using wasn't a Crabhammer, it was merely the first step to using it.
In the meantime, Ash took out the journal his grandfather left him. The only thing he had taken with him other than his ordinary gear. Oak left them each a notebook, Daisy told him the professor had written them after each of his grandchildren first set out for their journeys. Ash flicked to the pages of Mega Evolution, then to the warnings of the Legendary Pokemon stirring.
Legendary Pokemon were a headache to classify. The most annoying part was they were worshipped in past millennia, but no one knew if there were multiple Moltres or Articunos in the wild. Every time Zapdos gets involved countless people and Pokemon are caught in the crossfire. There's only one Zapdos.
"What makes a Pokemon Legendary," Ash said quietly. They weren't quite the same as the Fog, Wave, or the Great Kangaskhan. They produced the same pressure and were similarly powerful, but a Legendary Pokemon were likely born, not something a Pokemon could dream of one day becoming. Is that why Team Rocket targeted Legendary Pokemon for their projects? Were they trying to create a Pokemon capable of miracles?
Ash shut the journal. His team trained until sundown before going back inside the Pokemon Center. They trained for four days in preparation for their Dojo challenge. On the fifth night, they gathered in front of a tent and fire. "What story will it be tonight? How about the Ultra Beasts? Or another story about a Legendary trainer?"
Hellfire whined and flopped onto his side. "Hmm. I think I may have promised you another story last time, but I can't remember what it was." Ash made a show of stroking his chin thoughtfully.
Hellfire whimpered pitifully, and Willow gave Ash a pleading look. King, who floated in the small pond he'd dug, only twitched; the Kingler was too proud to show his interest. Grace sat in the fire. "All right, I won't keep you in suspense anymore." Ash smiled. "The Creators it is. Billions of years ago, the universe was born, and four Pokemon were born along with the world. Groudon, Kyogre, Arceus, and Mew, floated in the emptiness of space for billions of years until they fell upon the supercontinent Pangea. The first, and at the time, only continent on planet Earth."
Hellfire and Willow leaned in, and Ash's smile widened. "They each carried the energy of different, yet equally important parts of the universe. Groudon, land, and stars. Kyogre, water, and moons. Arceus, destruction, and chaos. Mew, thoughts, and light. Without any of these elements, all creation would fall out of balance." Ash stared at the faint stars in the sky. They reminded him of the night he and his siblings heard this story from his grandfather.
He took a breath and continued. "When they were born, they were mere extensions of the universe. The universe required balance, but the instinct of the Creators wasn't to live in harmony. They wanted dominance." King drifted toward the edge of the pond. "They battled for untold millennia without end. Their powers were utterly equal. All of their battles lasted an days. Each fight left lakes, mountains, and ravines and threatened the balance of the world. Perhaps they instinctively understood the danger. Perhaps they treasured the world too much to destroy it. No one knows."
"Eventually, the supercontinent Pangea would be torn and become the seven continents we have now... Their conflict would have continued for eternity, were it not for a miracle." Ash paused for effect long enough to get Hellfire whimpering before speaking again. "That miracle was the birth of the first Pokemon over four hundred and fifty million years ago. Mew felt a connection with those odd little creatures it didn't understand. It wanted to protect them."
"But it initially ignored the instinct in favor of its war against the other Creators. It was hard to change after being in constant conflict for eons. It was only after another hundred years that Mew flew to negotiate with Arceus. It would be the first time two of the Creators spoke to one another."
Ash fought to keep his eyes open. "After another three-day-long fight, the two spoke. Arceus admitted that it too cared for the Pokemon. They agreed to end their quarrel. Their work was far from finished. They knew Kyogre and Groudon would never stop fighting. The only way to protect Pokemon was to defeat Groudon and Kyogre permanently. Together, they overwhelmed the other two Creators and sealed their power away. It's not clear why they didn't kill Kyogre and Groudon. We only know this history because of the tablet Mew left us, and it doesn't explain every decision the Creators made." We don't know how we can read the tablet, either.
He yawned. "Mew and Arceus lived in harmony for tens of millions of years. Life thrived under their reign. After countless battles and millennia, Mew and Arceus lives would end quietly. No one knows why or when the Creators died. We can only speculate. Mew foresaw their end and prepared a single great tablet for the people and Pokemon who would come after them. Some believe they'll return to bring another paradise in the future," Ash murmured as his eyes drifted shut. Gore snorted before gently pulling Ash into the tent.
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Hi. I hope everyone enjoyed the chapter. I don't know how many of my original readers there are left, but I love this story. I want to complete the Indigo League and write Ash fighting Rockets and exploring.