Ash didn't know if it was more embarrassing that they had fallen asleep outside at the back of the Pokémon center, thus wasting the room they booked, or that he had asked Nurse Joy if he could keep Pikachu with him, to then abandon him all night.
Maybe both, although he would have liked to blame it on the jet lag.
Serena was the first to wake up, shivering in the breeze of that cool morning. Luckily for them it was warm enough that their traveling clothes didn't get wet.
Once Ash was up too, they both rushed inside the structure, running towards their room.
As soon as the door was opened, Pikachu and Sylveon were there to welcome them with a frown.
In the end, they weren't really angry at their trainers, much less concerned given the slow progress in their relationship. They didn't have to worry about them doing crazy things.
However, they wouldn't refuse some poképuffs as an apology.
In a hurry they grabbed their things and left, greeting the nurse as if nothing had happened.
They then headed towards the shops district. The day before they hadn't even been able to buy the things they needed for the journey, given the unexpected events. However, it was always better to depart in the morning, so they tried to make up as much time as possible.
"We got the pokéballs, the lunch too..." Serena checked, crossing the points off the list.
They had full backpacks, but it was certain that by that evening they would already be empty, given that half of them were filled with food that Ash hadn't been able to choose from. However, he had assured that he would dispose of them and Serena had no doubt of that.
The route that led to Hilsette Town was a classic country road that nestled in a small forest. A long river with wide margins, considered the longest in Forsia and unraveling from north to south, flowed nearby.
Nurse Joy had told them the name wasPici. At first they didn't want to believe her, laughing loudly at the absurd and banal name, but they had to change their minds once they checked on the map.
It was really named like that.
Apparently it was certainly a very busy road, given the pristine conditions of the route. Which was understandable as it was the main route to the capital. Nonetheless, there was a pleasant air, capable of transmitting vitality. It felt like a simple walk.
As they continued, the urban traces became increasingly fewer, giving way to trees and long grassy fields. Pokémon could be seen hiding in the vegetation, most of them staying at a safe distance but watching with curiosity.
Of the two teens, Ash was certainly the more excited. Wild Pokémon were too fleeting to observe properly, and the lack of a pokédex certainly didn't help, but that only encouraged him to venture further and further.
He wondered if he would catch one of those species, and how many he would befriend. He hoped there would be many of them…
Serena noticed his scrutinizing gaze and with a gentle smile she stood in front of him, stopping him. "How about we stop here for lunch?"
Maybe some Pokémon would come closer and Ash would get a chance. They weren't on the hunt for new teammates, but making some new friends would definitely excite the boy.
Ash's smile shone "Yes! Good idea! I was just feeling a bit hungry..." he said just in time, only to be interrupted by a growl from his stomach.
Definitely the loudest noise they had heard that afternoon, but that didn't surprise anyone present.
"What was I saying?" he muttered, a little embarrassed.
"I was right when I asked the baker to make a larger portion than normal." her friend giggled, placing her backpack on the lawn and pulling out a tablecloth.
For such a beautiful day and a few sandwiches, they could also sit comfortably on the ground.
They positioned themselves near some trees, so they could take advantage of what little shade was present. It wasn't that hot, but the coolness provided was pleasant.
"Here!" Serena exclaimed, handing her friend a sandwich so large that it barely fit in the girl's hand. "My bag seems to have emptied by half"
"Thank you!" he replied cordially, licking his lips. He showed off his hands, knowing that Serena would probably want to know if they were clean before letting go of the succulent prey altogether.
As soon as he managed to get his hands on his lunch he was impressed by its weight. It was even more beautiful than when he first laid eyes on it in the bakery.
"Have a good meal everyone!" Ash exclaimed, taking the first bite, followed closely by the other Pokémon who bit into their own food.
Saying the taste was astounding might seem like an exaggeration, yet there was no better term. The scent was light but inviting and the crunchy bread practically melted in the mouth in just a few bites.
"Don't gorge yourself, no one will take it away from you!"
"Nah, you know that's not a problem for me," Ash chuckled, then swallowed. However, with impeccable timing, the food lodged in his throat, causing him to stop and cough.
Serena immediately offered him her water bottle, and Ash quickly accepted it, letting the water flow down to the cap and clear his airway.
Her friend sighed as soon as she was sure the boy was okay. "You're not immune to choking," she scolded, giving him small gentle pats on the back.
"Eh… you're not entirely wrong." Ash admitted, weakly handing her water bottle back.
His hand lowered to grab the sandwich again, this time with the commitment not to strangle himself, however as soon as his gaze fell he noticed, not even in the distance, little eyes observing them.
More than them, the delicious trophy in his hands.
"Hey Serena! Look!" Ash said, but without raising his voice too much.
Serena followed his gaze and noticed the same multitude of eyes shining from the nearby bushes.
Whoever was hiding inside naively thought they would never be discovered and although it had worked so far, as soon as they disappeared they would be seen.
Serena and Ash exchanged a knowing smile. There was only one thing those Pokémon had to want.
"Hey, would you like to join us? We have more than enough!" Ash called, slowly moving to reach into his backpack and take out some Pokémon food.
They weren't sandwiches and it wasn't as tempting as those, but it was certainly much more nutritious and the one thing the two humans couldn't eat.
The wild Pokémon hidden among the foliage didn't dare move until Ash poured some of the food onto a handkerchief and held it slightly towards them.
Initially the bush jumped at the boy's movement, however as soon as he took a few steps back, leaving more space between him and the Pokémon, some little faces finally began to be seen.
Familiar little faces, with their little noses sniffing the air. Three Vulpix, two Pachirisu, a Litleo and a Glameow came out of the bush with hesitation, but as soon as they were near the food, they rushed to it and began to eat.
The two teens smiled, happily watching the wild Pokémon fill their stomachs.
Although the flora seemed lush, it couldn't have been easy to get food, especially if there were many of them.
"You were hungry, huh?" Ash commented. "Don't worry, there's still more"
"Meow!" "Pix!" "Su!" "Lit!" The small group confirmed enthusiastically, all smiling.
There was also gratitude in their looks, perhaps not used to the kindness of foreigners who normally continued on their way without paying them any attention.
And perhaps also gratitude towards two humans who had not taken the opportunity to capture them. The area where they lived wasn't populated by such powerful Pokémon, so many novice trainers went there for loot that was more within their reach.
Some were lucky enough to end up with kind and caring trainers, ensuring regular meals and love. In that case, many who had previously been against a life in captivity changed their minds.
But it wasn't a chance they tended to bet on.
Ash opened another package and emptied it, then returned to his sandwich.
Despite its exaggerated size, he was certain he would finish it.
Would it be enough to feed him? Maybe, but they would never find out.
"Pikapi!"
In fact, just as he was about to bite it for a second time, a weight fell on his head and forced his cap down over his eyes.
"Wha-!?"
"Huh?"
Then a violent jerk and he felt the entire sandwich slip out of his hands.
"What the-" The boy complained, lifting his hat from his face with sadly empty hands.
"Are you ok?" Serena asked. She too had felt a sudden gust of wind, but she hadn't turned to look until she heard her friend's groan and found him without lunch.
"My sandwich!" Ash jumped up, making everyone in the area jump slightly. He looked around furiously "Who took my sandwich?!"
It must have been some Pokémon, because who else could have swooped down like that and taken away his lunch?
Serena looked at him puzzled. Looking around as he did, she saw no one but them. She, Pikachu and all the Pokémon felt a dark aura emerge from the boy, as if someone had kidnapped his own child before his eyes.
Serena started to approach her backpack "A-Ash, there's no point in getting so upset... I have another one..." she tried to calm him down. It certainly wasn't comparable to the other one but it was better than nothing.
"There it is!" Ash said without listening to her, pointing to a tree a little further away.
The weight of his lunch must have put a strain on the Pokémon who had taken it, who was sitting on a copper with the loot. They wouldn't have run far without stopping.
Without hesitation, he ran in the direction of the bird, while Serena and all the Pokémon ran after him.
"Wait, Ash!" "Pikapi!"
The little bird noticed the pursuer and, jumping, took the sandwich between its legs again and flew up.
Catching up was easy, the thief's escape was slow and laborious.
This allowed Ash to get close, nimbly extricating himself from the vegetation. And not only that, if he had wanted he probably would have even surpassed them.
He slowed down and began to look at it carefully; a little blue bird with a white chest and tufts of feathers.
Compared to the sandwich, they were much smaller, no wonder they were struggling to escape. However, he could admire the Pokémon's determination, so intent on his task that he completely ignored the fact that the trainer was right below him.
At the sound of the little guy's labored breathing, all of Ash's partially controlled anger disappeared, giving way to an empathetic smile. "Hey, you might as well stop"
Although completely calm, the human's voice surprised the bird to the point that they began to lose their balance.
Ash brought his arms forward, nervously trying to keep them from falling to the ground, but luckily the Pokémon managed to stop on the first stable branch it came across.
"Are you fine?" The trainer asked honestly, only to receive an indignant "Tweek."
Despite this, the boy waited patiently for the bird to catch its breath.
The break was long enough for his friends to reach him, who hesitantly approached him. "Uh, Ash?"
"Hm?"
Suspicious of her friend's total change in attitude, Serena asked "Is everything alright?"
Ash nodded "Yes"
The girl raised her head, "Is he the one who stole your sandwich?"
"Yes"
The seven wild Pokémon who had been eating with them until recently began to make some disgruntled noises.
Were they so grateful to the two humans that they had taken that insult to heart, even if not directed to them?
Ash raised his arm in front of them, but didn't turn to look at them. This made them calm down "I'll take care of it"
"What do you want to do?" Serena asked doubtfully. By now the sandwich was probably not edible for him, and climbing or using Pikachu to reach the flying creature seemed excessive.
Ash crossed his arms "I'll talk to him. If he was just hungry I'm sure that like the others we can reach a compromise."
The girl didn't seem very convinced, but gave him the benefit of the doubt. After all, if there was anyone who knew his way around Pokémon, it was Ash.
"Hey…" the raven-haired guy finally called the bird to his attention. "Look, there was no need to steal. If you wanted something to eat you could have asked for it and we would have gladly given it to you like the others"
His tone had little reproach, very understanding and patient.
Hunger could lead to many extreme things, even for someone who had only missed one meal. He understood it well.
The wild Pokémon tilted its head slightly but continued to stare at him with a grim expression.
"What a temper" Ash took a few steps forward, positioning himself a little further under the branch, at least to try to look them in the face "Let's all come back and join us!"
He held out a hand in a sign of peace, to show that he had no intention of catching them with a Pokéball when they least expected it.
Of course, with his size, he could have hurt him anyway if he wanted, but for that reason too he wanted to prove himself harmless.
The gesture seemed to help, in fact the little bird leaned forward slightly, his gaze no longer threatening or rebellious.
Calmness and patience were certainly one of the most important tactics Ash had learned in his years of travel.
The wild Pokémon watching the scene shortly behind him exchanged worried looks.
Pikachu noticed this and asked "Chu?"
"Vul…" one of the Vulpix shook his head, looking back.
Ash, for his part, thought he was doing a good job. "You can keep the sandwich if you want."
"Twee?" The Pokémon chirped, tilting its head slightly, genuinely intrigued.
"Of course! We are all friends here! Nothing an apology can't fix!" Ash confirmed enthusiastically.
The little bird remained still for a few seconds, perhaps thoughtful. He opened his beak slightly "Ny…"
Perhaps he had hit the mark.
The Pokémon turned around, apparently intending to take the sandwich and fly down.
He, apparently, leaned forward slightly, raising his behind.
Ash's look changed from happy to confused and he didn't have time to panic "Wait-"
*SPLIT*
A white mass flattened itself on his face, hitting him full on.
Needless to say, that was absolutely not a drop of mayonnaise dripping from the sandwich.
Yes, he had hit the mark.
The bird, on Ash's face.
The mortified looks of those present proved it.
However, their concern was not directed towards their friend, but rather towards the unfortunate soul who had not only stolen his lunch, but had responded to the peace offering by throwing his excrement in the guy's face.
In their hearts they felt pity towards a courageous, or rather, very reckless, creature.
Ash had developed enormous kindness, especially as he matured, but there were things that everyone had a limit for.
Above all, a person who deep down had a reckless and exuberant nature.
The trainer didn't move for a few minutes and it worried those present even more. They might have laughed in a normal situation, but only a small groan came out of them.
Serena raised her hand to her mouth, her eyes wide and her shoulders stiff.
Not so much because of the disgust, although that was obviously present, but much more because of Ash's strange calm behavior.
No, he wasn't calm at all, it was like a Pokémon while was using Bide.
She could clearly see the color of his skin turning fiery red, much like that of a Slugma.
She quickly reached out with a handkerchief, to at least help remove most of the damage, however she couldn't.
Ash exploded first.
To hell with peace.
"IF I CATCH YOU I'LL PLUCK YOU!"
The little Pokémon, who was already further away, still felt the threat coming and felt a shiver down to his bones.
Frightened and now aware of the reckless gesture he had made, he sprinted faster.
Pooping in the face of that guy hadn't been the best of his choices. And although he wasn't sorry for the act itself, he was sorry for creating a time bomb.
"I'LL MAKE A ROAST WITH YOUR BUTT!"
His hours were numbered.
In fact, Ash took off at full speed in a crazy chase, leaving everyone else behind, who couldn't help but let him do it.
Running after him wouldn't have helped.
Pikachu looked at the wild Pokémon with an embarrassed face. He had almost forgotten that side of Ash, which recently had never had so much reason to come to the surface.
If it was for serious reasons he knew how to manage his anger well, but it wasn't like that in this case, where the reasons were much more frivolous.
Serena, on the other hand, had never actually seen Ash behave like this, but she couldn't help but giggle to herself.
She knew that no matter how pissed he was, that was just an outburst bound to end easily. He would never harm that Pokémon, even if he stood between him and his food.
Certainly, however, he wouldn't have given up on giving it a hard time and they wouldn't have gone back to eating in peace.
She therefore decided that she would return to get their stuff and they would then go look for her friend, very calmly...
…
Ash was now far deeper into the forest. And he had been able to follow the Pokémon for a long time, even changing his strategy.
He began to stalk him secretly, trying not to be seen. He had plenty of time, given how slowly the bird had returned to flight.
He didn't really hold a grudge anymore for the sandwich, that wasn't it.
However, he just couldn't accept being pranked like that. He had offered him all the food he could want and to spend time in company, why on earth had he decided to reciprocate by covering his face in bird poop?
The first degree burns from Charizard's Flamethrower or Gible's teeth sunk into his gray matter were almost better.
He really wanted to understand the Pokémon's motivations. If he had such a spiteful personality or if there was something more to it.
After all, he screamed loudly and made a scene, but he would never actually do anything to the Pokémon. The little bird didn't know it, but his threats were empty.
The small bird's chirping intensified and he began to lose altitude.
In a moment of worry that he would crash to the ground, Ash quickened his pace. He didn't think he would make it, yet just an instant before the collision the bird managed to fly again.
So tired, yet he persisted in his goal.
Ash's face broke into an easy smile. He was a little scoundrel, but he admired such determination.
For the second time the Pokémon chirped, however this time he began to descend from the sky in a controlled manner.
Ash continued cautiously, entering a bush, just enough to see where the bird had positioned itself.
Another break perhaps? Or had he arrived at the nest?
The second option was the correct one, however the scene was quite different from what the trainer had expected.
There was indeed a nest, quite ruined, but it was not on a branch, rather on the ground, covered by a pile of branches that served as a roof.
And inside it there were not one but five little birds. One was the thief, two others were smaller, while the remaining were larger.
The most notable thing was that the inhabitants of that nest were more battered than their home.
Ash's mood immediately plummeted in understanding.
It wasn't hard to imagine, much less believe now that he had seen it. It was common for Pokémon to steal for their families.
Still, he could have asked for help and he would have received it. While understandable, stealing was always wrong.
And probably that feeling was shared by the two eldest members of the family, who looked sadly at the loot.
He could be wrong, but his instincts told him it had to be the father and mother.
Tweeny began to scratch his head with his wing, looking embarrassed and sorry at the same time.
"Twee.. ny-nyn." The largest among them chirped, with a particularly hurt wing.
"Twee! Twee!" The thief chirped back.
The trainer felt a lot of displeasure growing inside him. They had probably been hit by bad weather or some accident had caused their nest to fall and they had gotten injured and sick.
He tried to lean closer to observe the scene, but he put too much trust in the strength of a twig and once it broke his hands went empty and he fell to the ground.
The thud wasn't the only thing that caught the little family's attention, the boy fell right in plain sight.
The thieving bird immediately went on the defensive, while the rest of the family chirped in surprise.
"Ah! Don't worry, I'm not here to hurt you!" Ash immediately raised his hands, but didn't get up. He didn't want to scare them any further.
The older Tweeny didn't seem too scared though. He had more of an air of scolding, directed at his own son. "Twee…"
The little one tried to justify himself, without losing his pose: "Nyy...!" from his expression, however, it was obvious that he felt particularly guilty.
Not so much for the sandwich, but for guiding the human to his family.
"Hey, I'm serious. I'm not angry anymore." He sat cross-legged. "I understood why you did it, you just wanted to lead me to your family to help them, right?"
Those words surprised everyone present. The thief tilted his head in confusion, unable to understand what trick this insistent human wanted to play on him.
It hadn't happened that way at all, but feeling his father's shadow on his neck, the little bird could only nod.
"And I'm here to do it!"
At what price? This was the Pokémon's doubt.
"Rebuilding the nest won't be difficult, but you could use medical attention." And he was pretty sure he didn't have the skills for it. He knew just the minimum, like Serena, also thanks to past experiences with Brock. "How about I take you to a Pokémon center?"
The little bird in front of his family raised its feathers, as if to say that that was out of the question.
Ash sighed. He didn't want to just rely on what he knew and make some mistakes. But apparently that would have to do for now.
"Okay, I can try. But I'll need my stuff-"
"And here it is." The familiar voice made him turn immediately. It was Serena, thank goodness!
The girl emerged from her bushes, in her hand she held the boy's backpack and next to her Pikachu watched with the same perplexed look.
"I see you've calmed down," she commented, smiling.
"Heh, yeah, apparently he just wanted help." Ash said, nodding at the little family.
Serena quickly understood the implication, but a slight doubt didn't leave her. "Then why would that Tweeny po-" her mouth stopped when Ash gave her a pleading look.
Uh… she didn't understand his reasons, but she could ask later.
Pikachu took advantage of the moment to approach the family of wild Pokémon and talk. "Pika, chu pipi pi!" There was no reason to fear them.
Pikachu's genuineness seemed to help. Not like in their condition they had much of a choice, they couldn't escape.
The thief also understood this, and finally lowered his wings and retreated towards his parents and siblings.
Better than nothing. "Thank you Pikachu" The trainer said. "Ah, Serena, what did you call him before?"
"Oh, their name is Tweeny. I checked some lists of Pokémon in the area and recognized it."
At least now they had a name "Great! It's a pleasure to meet you!" Ash turned "My name is Ash and this is my friend Serena! And we're going to help you get back in shape!"
Serena nodded, she certainly wouldn't back down, however she had her limitations. "Ash, the eldest is clearly hurt and the others don't look well. Wouldn't it be better for Nurse Joy to check on them?"
"It would be, but I don't think they trust us enough to follow us and we certainly can't force them." He replied in a low voice.
"Then I guess we'll have to handle it ourselves."
"Alright…"
"Well!" Serena clapped her hands, placing her backpack down. "Then let's get to work!"
The guy smiled, helping her get the necessary items. After his latest reckless experiences and having fallen ill during the journey in Kalos, Serena had insisted on keeping a small first aid kit around.
Delia would definitely approve and he had had no reason to doubt the choice.
Apparently she had done well, it had been more useful than expected.
"Can we get closer?" Serena asked, holding up the opened kit.
The two larger Pokémon looked at each other and nodded. The girl then knelt down with Ash near the nest "Who's first?"
The Tweeny, who for Ash was the father of the family, pawed forward, opening his wing slightly. It was obvious that the first to take the risk with the two of them as strangers would be the leader of the group and not his little ones.
"Can you open it more?" Serena asked.
The Pokémon nodded, slowly managing, but not hiding the grimace of pain.
"Well, if it was broken I don't think you'd be able to move it at all so it must be a minor fracture or a bad bruise." She commented, taking out a bandage and cream.
"Wow, you know your stuff!" the friend complimented.
Serena giggled, blushing slightly but not taking her eyes off her patient. "I really only speak from experience. I fell several times while training on the Rhyhorns so I suffered a lot of bumps and bruises." She had lost count. "But once during a race between amateurs it started to rain. The Rhyhorn behind skidded, slammed into mine, and we overturned. I came out of it with a broken leg."
Ash's eyes widened "Ah, I didn't think you'd ever hurt yourself this much. How does it feel to have a broken bone?"
The Kalosian girl was surprised, but she continued working, gently treating the injured wing. "Hm? Has this never happened to you? I thought that as energetic as you were as a child, you had hurt yourself a few times!"
"Ehe, I guess I have thick skin… or bones. Maybe it's because I drink so much milk!" he laughed.
"I guess your body is really built differently. Even from sicknesses you seem to recover pretty quickly" she said, finishing fixing the bandage "And here it is! Try not to move it for a few days, okay?"
"Twe!" The bird thanked. He wasn't sure what she had done exactly, but that thing she had put on his wing and the way she had bandaged it had reduced the pain.
He turned to his family and released a chirp of reassurance. They could trust them.
So the two youngest stepped forward, encouraged by what seemed to be their mother.
"Ttcwi" coughed one of the two, followed by the other.
Given how messed up the area around them was, there must have been a very strong storm. And if the nest had fallen and they had gotten wet, they had probably gotten cold.
This time it was Ash who pulled out a couple of Oran Berries, a knife and a bowl from his backpack.
He cut the fruit into small pieces, then placed them in the bowl, which he later filled with water. He mixed a little and then put it down in front of them "Here! Drink it all! You'll feel better in no time!"
Serena observed, pleasantly surprised. She didn't think Ash was that skilled in that department. "Woah..."
"It's just a trick my friend Brock taught me. He is now training to be a Pokémon doctor." he remembered "There was also a time when I helped in a hospital to treat some Pokémon that had ended up in a car accident."
Many things were still complicated for him, but traveling teaches a lot.
He knew that not all Pokémon had the capacity of his stomach and that for many it was difficult to eat when sick. So small, easily swallowable bites were needed. He also knew that Oran Berries were the most nutritious of berries for recovery and that it was important to hydrate a lot.
Putting everything together, it seemed like the best solution.
And from the way the little ones emptied the bowl with more and more energy, he could bet he was right.
"Well done! As soon as you're in better shape you can eat something better we can leave for you!" He turned to his friend. "We have enough, right?"
Serena nodded "Of course!" She pulled out some cans of Pokémon food and emptied them onto a napkin like they had done back at lunch. She then placed it next to the tree.
"And now-" Ash turned his hat backwards, "let's make you a new home!"
"Twee!" The two youngest rejoiced, waving their wings. They were certainly doing better than before and the boy's help was more than appreciated.
With everyone's help and a more than sufficient quantity of branches, they managed not only to rebuild the nest, but also began to make a small roof, so that in future situations they would not have to risk it.
It was precisely the excuse of taking more material that left Ash and the little thief alone.
Not that it was the trainer who was looking for him, on the contrary, this time it was the little bird who had followed.
He was calmly gathering some branches when Tweeny leaned on his head and lowered his head to meet Ash's eyes, albeit upside down.
"Oi! What's wrong with you?"
"Twee ny ny! Tweek!"
"If you talk that fast I can't even try to understand you!" Ash complained, but didn't chase the little creature away.
The Pokémon detached itself, arriving at his feet and pointing its wing towards him in an accusatory manner. "NY!"
"What have I done against you? I'm just helping your family!"
"NYY!" The little bird insisted. That was exactly the problem.
Ash's expression changed from understanding to anger "Listen to me carefully, I know you don't trust me yet and I can accept it!"
Tweeny snorted, turning his head away. "Twe." Of course he didn't trust that human. He could have been waiting for the right moment to capture his entire family, or worse.
However, Ash knew pride well.
It was an ugly beast that he had been dealing with for years and that he sometimes still struggled to keep at bay.
He could well understand what the real problem was "If I hadn't intervened now, your little brothers could have worsened! This is serious!" the guy reminded him. "Put your pride aside for a second!"
"Tweeny, twe!" No, he knew it well. Tweeny understood perfectly well that despite his best efforts, his family would likely only be in trouble eventually, had those humans not intervened. It was frustrating for him to admit, but there was little he could do and although getting food had worked in the beginning, he had always taken a big risk by stealing.
If Ash hadn't been a good person, they would have had a very bad time and it would have only been his fault.
Which is why it frustrated him even more that he didn't understand why that human had covered for him.
His father and his older sister, yes... not his mother contrary to what the boy believed, had quickly understood that the food he provided was not found randomly in nature. They weren't sure he was stealing, he could also have received it as a gift from tourists or had rummaged around and as long as they didn't have proof, they couldn't blame him for anything.
That was until Ash had arrived.
He had been very close to losing all respect from his family. From his little brothers who admired him and from those he most wanted to amaze and support.
He couldn't bear to disappoint them.
"You know, I understand you. I too am often afraid of disappointing others, even if I try to not show it. So I try to never give up" the boy knelt down "I really admire your determination and the responsibility you have taken on, but sometimes you have to know what to really commit to."
How much energy had he wasted on nonsense, on boasting or on satisfying his ego?
"You don't like stealing, do you? I know it's the easy way out, but it's easier to disappoint your family like this than to give your best and fail." he reached out to pat the Pokémon on the head. "I can't say I know what it feels like being in your situation, but I think I understand the weight of expectations. That's why I backed you up before."
"Twe?" strangely, the bird did not escape from the boy's touch. From that hesitant expression, he could clearly tell that he was ashamed.
The wall Tweeny had built had cracked, and left a hole big enough for him to reach.
"It's nothing you can't fix, you can grow and improve, nothing we do is worthless! I have a lot to learn too! And I'm sure you can do the same, you have enormous potential!"
Tweeny remained silent, probably thoughtful after listening to the young man's speech.
Noticing an improvement, Ash smiled and stood up. It was enough for the moment and surely Tweeny would understand sooner or later. He wasn't a bad Pokémon, because Ash was certain none of them really was.
Picking up the branches again, he went back to work.
…
By sunset they had managed to finish the construction and finally the little bird family could breathe a sigh of relief.
They would be forever grateful to those two boys, for sure.
"Please, stay out of trouble, okay?" Ash waved. "And if you still need help, next time try turning to a Pokémon center!"
The little family waved back, flapping their wings and chirping happily.
Tweeny looked at the male teen, a few meters back. Their eyes met and Ash's smile grew.
After a few moments, the Pokémon also hinted at a smile.
Soon their eye contact broke and the wild Pokémon watched as the two humans and Pikachu walked away.
Backpacks on their shoulders and ready to continue on their path, Ash and Serena left the forest, returning to the main street.
They walked as much as possible, but when the sun began to set and the Pokémon center proved to be too far to reach that evening, the two decided to camp.
It would have been better to find rooms, especially with the breeze getting colder, however it wasn't the first time they had found themselves in that situation. They would be fine.
"Okay, I'm done. Serena? Do you need help with the tent?"
Serena opened her mouth to respond as she searched in her backpack. However, a sudden thought stopped her.
The tent.
"Oh no…"
"What's wrong?" Ash walked closer.
Serena sighed sadly "I knew I was forgetting something..."
"But I think you have it." her friend commented, pointing to the fabric clearly visible from above.
"It's not that I don't have it, it's that it's broken." She proved, taking it out of the sack that contained it and revealing a huge gash.
"How didthathappen? To tear it like that..."
"There was a little… accident," the girl replied hesitantly, "I was on my way to Lumiose City and a wild Pokémon wasn't very happy with our presence on its territory and attacked us. Luckily Sylveon noticed it and we weren't hit. When we left the Pokémon was already gone."
Ash nodded, reassured "Thank goodness."
"I'll buy one in the next town. For tonight instead I will sleep under the stars!" She resigned herself serenely. She was used to it by now, she would just have to be careful to cover herself properly.
Ash looked at her with a puzzled look "How come? You can sleep with me!"
Serena's head suddenly turned in her friend's direction. Had she been an owl, it would have done a direct 180 degrees. "Huh!?"
"It's gonna get cold tonight and you might get sick! Besides, it's just the two of us-"
"Chu!"
"-and Pikachu." The boy corrected himself. "There's more than enough room!"
He had always shared a tent with some of his traveling companions: Brock, Tracey and Clemont...
Serena was a girl, but it didn't change much, right?
Serena turned her head away, trying to hide her blush "I-I don't think I should..."
"Why? I promise you, my feet don't stink!" He thought it was a valid reassurance, after all he remembered that as a child some ladies from Pallet Town who went to visit his mother started gossiping about their husbands and he... had heard more than he would have liked and probably understood. "Also, Pikachu no longer shocks anyone in his sleep, except maybe me sometimes."
"That's not the problem…" she insisted. Lately they had ended up in many... peculiar situations, in their sleep. But as much as they had made things clear, the most they could, it was going to be hard for her to get used to it. "And sooner or later I'll have to buy it anyway. There's no guarantee that no one will join us."
"But until it happens there's no point, isn't it?"
It wasn't that it bothered her, she knew that if that was the problem, then she could have told Ash easily and he would have understood her.
It was simply her vain attempt to avoid enormous embarrassment every time they had to go to sleep… or when they had to take turns changing. Maybe it wasn't a biggie for Ash, but definitely it was for her.
Eventually, Ash was right and she really had no valid reason to refuse, especially since it would be a lie to think she didn't want to share the tent with him.
"Alright…" She gave up, knowing that she couldn't win in that argument.
"Perfect!" He nodded with satisfaction. There was no point in her spending money until it was actually needed. And besides, chatting before going to sleep was a habit that he didn't mind.
"As long as it's just the two of us..." She clarified.
Until other traveling companions joined.
And Ash, as if it was the most natural thing in the world, nodded "Perfect!"
Their deal would probably have also backfired on Serena. It would be awkward for a long time, but she already imagined that by the time she got used to their routine, maybe that would be when she would have to give it up.
Still, having found a compromise, the two began to prepare their base.
Ash got the wood, lit the fire and assembled the tent, while Serena instead took care of the food, cooking something with the ingredients that were left. They still had a few sandwiches, but it was best to leave them for the next day.
And after a quick training session, they both got ready for bed, retreating to the tent and getting into their sleeping bags.
At first, Serena couldn't look in Ash's direction, even out of the corner of her eye. She looked at the ceiling of the tent, in religious silence, in a mixture of gratitude that she hadn't really ended up sleeping outside on that cold night, and embarrassment.
Obviously, the silence sooner or later became too heavy. "Is everything okay?" Ash asked, noticing his friend's stiffness.
The girl nodded hastily, trying to release the tension in her body. She didn't want to make the situation so unmanageable "Yes, of course! I'm just a little tired! You know, I wasn't expecting the change of plans." In a way it was true. She hadn't really expected that on their first day of journey they would spend most of their time chasing a sandwich thief, healing wild Pokémon, and building a first-class nest. "I don't mind though."
The Kantonian nodded, turning onto his back like her "I think this is also the good of traveling. You'll never know what can happen and I imagine that these accidents also make every day unique." He smiled with a feeling of nostalgia "Seeing things from this point of view is something I missed. I wonder why it took me so long to figure it out."
"What do you mean?"
"The first few years I was traveling my primary focus was gym battles and sure, they're still important, but sometimes I forgot that what matters is also what is in between a journey. All of this makes things much richer! The journey to the gym can have a lot of unexpected events, but that's how you make the best experiences."
"Nothing we do is really pointless, right?" Serena could understand what Ash meant. Even she struggled the first few times to really understand how important the meaning of the journey itself was.
"Exactly…" he chuckled "Getting your lunch stolen is also part of the package I guess"
The performer turned towards Ash, finally putting aside every thought that had been blocking her before. There was something she still wondered and if she knew Ash as much as she thought, then she also knew that it had crossed his mind "Tell me, did you want to catch him?"
Ash didn't even have to ask who she was referring to. It was obvious because he too had been thinking about it deep down. However, he shook his head. "He's a cool one, with an interesting attitude and I'm sure we could have done great things together but..."
Tweeny had only tried to help his family and he certainly couldn't go and ask him to leave them like this, immediately after they had the opportunity to live peacefully.
"It's not like battling a random wild Pokémon. That Tweeny finally has the chance to move on, I guess being a trainer often means... not catching Pokémon."
Serena's gaze became softer. That boy… she really didn't know how to describe him.
After a few seconds of silence, Ash turned slightly. Their eyes locked and although they both felt their cheeks redden, they didn't move an iota.
Trying to hide any feelings of embarrassment, Ash asked, "Uh... what?"
Maybe for a while his mind had been elsewhere and it had become difficult to notice certain things, but since Serena had admitted that she was interested in him, a world from which he believed to be a stranger had opened up.
"Nothing... it's just that when you talk about these things you always manage to amaze me. It's fantastic, you know?" She admitted with complete honesty. No trainer she knew had such feelings towards Pokémon as the guy next to her did.
He always seemed to have the right words. Or at least… in the vast majority of cases that really mattered.
Ash's cheeks took on even more color as he tried to muffle a smile with a chuckle of uncertainty. "If you had met me a few years ago… I probably would have gloated hearing something like that, even if I was the exact opposite"
Serena puffed out her cheeks slightly. She was pretty sure she had good taste. "Just because you were a kid with a lot of experience to live, it doesn't make the kindness you showed by helping me when we were little any less real and it certainly doesn't erase all the other qualities you had."
He was the same guy she had known long ago.
"In fact, I find this makes you even more admirable. You were not born with the qualities you have now, you had to face many difficulties and grow. Who you were and the journey you took to be who you are now are part of the reasons I admire you."
Ash was left speechless, staring at her with his mouth slightly open and his eyes shining.
She always seemed to have the right words…
Noticing Ash's silent gaze that continued endlessly, the spell finally broke and blushing fiercely, Serena turned away. "Well goodnight!"
The discussion ended there, with Ash remaining motionless, until his eyelids slowly drooped.
Pikachu sighed with a smile, getting up and paddling between the two, until he found the right position. Rolling up into a donut, he let himself be lulled by the warmth of the tent, which perhaps, and he had to suppress a chuckle at the idea, was more caused by the atmosphere between the two trainers.
…
The night passed peacefully. When the first lights of dawn lit up the sky, Serena was the first to wake up.
Not exactly by her choice. She wasn't exactly a morning person, but she had gotten used to waking up early during their journey to help prepare breakfast, get ready and to exercise.
KABOOM*
This time, however, it was a loud bang that echoed around their tent and shook everyone up.
"HUH!?"
"PIKA!?"
Pikachu suddenly stiffened, his tail and ears perking up. Before Ash could object, the little mouse immediately darted out, cheeks charging with electricity, yet the first sound they heard was an alarmed cry of "Pikapi!"
"Pikachu!" Ash and Serena immediately followed outside, but found themselves immersed in a cloud of dirt and natural debris.
Prepare for trouble!
And make it double!
To protect the world from devastation!
To unite all peoples within our nation!
To denounce the evils of truth and love!
To extend our reach to the stars above!
Jessie!
James!
Team Rocket blasts off at the speed of light!
Surrender now, or prepare to fight!
Meowth!
That's right!
"Do you know what time it is?!" Ash complained, covering his face with his arms to avoid getting anything in his eyes. "Pikachu!? Where are you!?"
"Pikapi!" he heard his best friend call him, but he couldn't quite see him.
"The last one up is a rotten egg, don't you know that?" The criminal trio mocked, however, there was a similar weariness in their tone of voice.
The only thing Ash and Serena could do was hear their voices. They couldn't see the three thieves and the protective goggles they were wearing "Target identified!"
"Oh no, you don't!" Serena immediately reached into her pocket, taking out a pokéball. "Sylveon, use Fairy Wind!" The beam of red light freed the fox, ready to fight. She was certainly more rested than them.
"Syl veoon!
The fairy wind mixed with the unnatural whirlwind that disturbed their vision. However, it failed to dispel it.
"Ahaha! Do you really think you can overcome our new secret weapon like that?"
Nothing revolutionary, a simple fan that shot what a nearby pipe sucked in. However, it was effectively impossible for the teens to even understand what they were up against and how to stop it.
This, however, would not have meant a surrender. "Sylveon, continue!"
"Veon!" the fox insisted on her move.
She knew she couldn't hold out forever, however it was the only defense they had to keep Team Rocket from getting close to Pikachu. She would have done anything to prevent it.
"Ah, let's get this over with quickly!" Meowth clicked a button, intensifying the airflow.
"Hey… don't exaggerate, we saved money this time" James reminded him, placing a hand on the cat's shoulder, however Meowth pushed it away abruptly.
"That's exactly why we have to hurry! Help me!"
"I understand but-"
Jessie interrupted her colleague "Meowth is right, let's stop playing around. Gourgeist! Shower them with attacks!"
"GOUUUU…RGEIST!" Suddenly a beam of shadow was shot into the whirlwind, straight towards a point that was as unknown as it was risky for the young trainers.
"Watch out!" They heard the twerp's voice calling out to his friends.
"Sylveon uses Protect!" Then the twerpette followed.
Ash, Serena and Pikachu huddled together, taking cover inside Sylveon's Protect move. They had narrowly escaped.
However from the shots that sequentially crashed into the barrier, they knew they wouldn't be safe for long.
They had to do something, but what?
"Ash? Do you have any idea?" Serena asked, who with caresses on her Pokémon's back tried to encourage her to hold on.
But Ash, holding Pikachu firmly in his arms, couldn't find an adequate answer. He had no ideas… he just knew that if they ever got to them, he would protect his best friend with his own body.
How could they stop something they could barely see or hear?
"TWEE!"
Suddenly, a very rapid gust of air passed next to the tube that connected the fan to the hot air balloon, splitting it in half and stopping it.
The air finally cleared and when everything was visible, Team Rocket and the two teens shared the same surprise.
"Huh!? What happened!?"
The very fast splinter that whizzed through the air continued undaunted, hitting various parts of the hot air balloon, until all the pieces of the new machine they had used were completely unusable.
"This is what happens when you save money…" James muttered, receiving a smack on the head from his colleagues.
"It has nothing to do with that, it's just that some stranger always has to get in our way by meddling in things that don't concern them!"
As the trio got lost in arguing, Ash looked in pleasant surprise at their fluttering savior, who snuck out of the scene as quickly as he had entered it.
Ash's voice, having clearly recognized him, ruined every plan to go unnoticed "Tweeny!"
"Twe…!" He stopped in mid-air.
Oh boy.
It was no longer worth running away and observing from behind the scenes.
The bird fluttered towards Ash, landing at his feet. "Twe…"
"It's really you! You saved us!" the trainer exclaimed enthusiastically. "Thank you!"
Tweeny blushed slightly, scratching his beak with his wing.
He hadn't done anything that special, he had just repaid a debt. That's what he wanted it to look like. Ash and Serena had saved his family, the least he could do was help them.
Truthfully, however, he had been following them since the previous evening. And he certainly couldn't say it was because he had foreseen that three brigands would come out and attack them.
"Inkay uses Psybeam!"
They didn't notice that the three thieves had stopped arguing and were focusing on them again.
"Pika chupi" Pikachu moved just in time, charging an Iron Tail and deflecting the blow.
"Thank you Pikachu! Now go, use Thunderbolt!"
"Pikaaaa chuuuuuu!"
The attacks of the Pokémon on the field collided in a sequence of moves and countermoves.
Unfortunately for the good guys, most of their attacks were repelled by Wobbuffet. However, they did not lose their determination and continued to try.
Tweeny, just standing aside, opened his beak in amazement and admiration.
It was clear how strong Ash was. If he really had wanted to, he could have captured him at any time.
Despite his pride, he had to admit, it had been one of the few ways to convince him of the boy's sincerity in helping him. He was strong enough to knock him out and lock him in one of those spheres, but he hadn't even tried.
Even just one successful attack from that Pikachu would have been enough.
For some reason though, he now wanted to prove the opposite. He wanted to keep up.
It was true, he may cared too much about his pride and his ego was affected, but perhaps... for once, he could start using it for a truly positive cause.
It was a small step to start again.
If Ash had been like him, and that's what he was now, maybe he could actually make it one day.
Maybe he could use his strength to help others. Or maybe he would understand what it meant to have it and not use it.
Maybe he really would have had reason to be proud of himself.
"Tweenyyy!" Tweeny took flight and launched himself at his opponents. His wings lit up in a Quick Attack and went straight to hit the hot air balloon, catching the criminals off guard.
It didn't cause much damage, but it was certainly enough to draw their attention to him.
"You nasty meddler! We'll make you stop sticking your beak where you shouldn't!" Jessie threatened "Gourgeist, use Dark Pulse!"
"Inkay, help with Psybeam!"
The two attacks tried to hit the bird, however he managed to dodge easily, then used an Air Cutter on Wobbuffet. "Ny!"
Reading his intentions, Ash's first thought was to stop him, however his mouth stopped when he actually understood the Pokémon's plan.
It was too late, and if he hadn't contributed it would have all been in vain.
"Pikachu! Get closer and use Iron Tail!"
"Pika?"
"We must take advantage! Go!"
Yes, Tweeny had watched enough to know that ranged attacks wouldn't work so easily.
However, at that moment when all attention was on him and Wobbuffet was busy redirecting his attack, it would also be the best opportunity to strike from another direction.
"Woobuu-Wha!?" Wobbuffet had time to reject Air Cutter, sending it back to the sender, who could do nothing but take the hit.
"NY!"
However, Wobbuffet couldn't avoid the blow that Pikachu delivered to his stomach, knocking him into the hot air balloon along with his companions.
"CHU!" "FET!"
It had worked.
With a price. Tweeny, hit squarely by the knockback of his own attack, began to fall towards the ground. Ash broke into a sprint, running towards him, and in one leap managed to grab him, preventing him from getting hurt much more than he actually had.
"Got you! How are you feeling!?" He asked worriedly.
The bird chirped faintly. He was clearly exhausted, he'd never felt so physically drained in his entire life, but at the same time he'd never felt so… good either.
And to think that his body weighed like a boulder. He wanted to laugh at how absurd it sounded.
"Don't worry, we'll take care of it now. Thank you for your effort!" Ash gave him a smile, then raised his head and commanded firmly, "Now finish them off with Thunderbolt, Pikachu!"
Serena also joined in. "Sylveon, use Swift!"
"Pika chuuu!" "Syl, veon!" The two attacks hit the enemies squarely, who could not defend themselves in any way and were thrown into the air.
"We're blasting off again!"
Once again they made it.
And they owed it to that little Pokémon now panting in Ash's arms.
"How is he?" Serena asked, silently drawing Sylveon into her sphere.
Ash looked at the small bird in his hands, contemplative. "He's holding on, but this time I doubt we can do it on our own. He needs a Pokémon center!"
"We're not close at all," his friend commented, looking at the map on her tablet, "if we take the main road I don't know if we'd even make it by running. And I don't know how we could orient ourselves in the woods..."
"Darn it…!" trembled Ash in frustration. Is it possible that they really couldn't do anything?
"Vul!"
A cry called them and, turning downward, they saw the three Vulpix they had helped that morning.
"Oh, hi, sorry but we don't have much time to give you more food now…"
"Vul pix pix!" They shook their heads as they jumped and scampered in front of the bushes. "Pix!"
Ash and Serena struggled to understand exactly what they meant, so it was Pikachu who ran to their aid "Pika chu pi pi pi!" He pointed to the family of foxes, saying that they should follow them.
"Do they want to help us?"
"Pi!" Pikachu confirmed.
They couldn't get through the woods without guides... and here they had appeared.
They would lead them to the other side of the woods, so they would get to the Pokémon center in time.
"Thank you very much! Let's hurry!"
They quickly took all their stuff and ran. Hoping that luck would assist them.
…
Fortunately, fate had been on their side. Once out of the woods, it was very easy to find the center.
And once they had entrusted the little Pokémon to the nurse, they could do nothing but wait.
After about an hour, Nurse Joy walked out of her office, taking off her latex gloves with a smile on her face. Ash and Serena immediately ran towards her, but luckily the atmosphere was positive.
"He has fully recovered." The pink haired woman reassured them. "A lot of trainers arrive with freshly caught wild Pokémon, so we're used to this kind of wounds. But I have to say that even though he was in really bad shape, he's reacting very well to treatment."
From behind her, the little fighter, now in full health, appeared fluttering. "Twee twee!"
"Oh thank goodness..." Serena sighed.
Ash approached, stroking the bird's head "Yeah, we were very worried!" He then held out his arm, offering him to climb onto it. "What do you say? Shall we take you home?"
Tweeny's expression appeared unconvinced, however he hopped onto Ash's arm, settling on the other shoulder, the one not occupied by Pikachu "Nyny!"
And just as promised, they soon returned to Tweeny and his family's nest, this time without making any reckless runs.
As soon as they appeared, the Pokémon's little brothers jumped to greet him, throwing themselves onto his chest.
"Twenyny!" they cried. He had disappeared the night before and hadn't returned until that moment, they thought he wouldn't ever come back and without even knowing why.
"Sorry, Tweeny helped us out of a mess we ended up in and now it's all okay! We came to take him home."
Tweeny's father observed the gaze of his son, who seemed to hesitantly embrace his little brothers. His eyes remained fixed on Ash and his words.
"If it wasn't for him we would have been in trouble, we are truly grateful" Serena agreed.
Tweeny waved not to worry. He had only done what was right, something that wasn't just for his own gain.
He liked it.
Who knows, maybe he could have done it again.
Ash knelt in front of the little bird "Take care, I'm sure you will do great things!"
Great things… Well, he had to protect his family.
After all, it was always an area teeming with trainers, if he wasn't there, who would make sure they wouldn't get caught?
*BONK!*
Suddenly, the father's beak hit the back of his head, immediately causing a bump to pop out. "Twek!?"
"Twen" The father seemed almost… angry.
Why was he mad at him? He did the right thing and it backfired?
"Ny twe ny nytwen!" The largest bird croaked. Did he really think they couldn't defend themselves? How big had his son's ego become?
Ash and Serena flinched, moving away slightly with their hands raised. They didn't want to get involved in a family dispute… "Uh, Mr. Tweeny, it's not like-"
"Nyk!" he immediately squawked, making the boy fall silent. He didn't even know what they were saying and yet he wanted to intervene to defend his son.
A trainer like that... came by once in many moons.
The younger Tweeny looked offended. He wanted to defend himself and say that it wasn't about pride anymore, but he knew that his arguments weren't all that valid, especially because he was just assuming that his family couldn't defend themselves.
They were family, and they would always be, but it was time for Tweeny to use that confidence for something bigger, something that would make him fly up high and that was for himself. If there was a time to be selfish, this was it. The father really wanted his son to understand. What was best for him, of course, but also what he really wanted.
The only way he could understand how much he really could do and how much he couldn't do was to travel. Discover his limits, discover humility and true strength.
He couldn't do it there with them.
But with that guy…
"Nynin twe!" he insisted, raising his wing towards Ash. He could trust him if he was the person Tweeny would find his way with.
"Nynin tweee?"
The life of wild Pokémon was not easy. Sometimes they lived free, alone or with a family. Others ended up with humans; as pets, as adventure companions. They could be captured and taken from their home and family, or it could be an independent choice.
Nothing was certain about life in nature.
Maybe his little brothers would leave the nest one day. Maybe they too would have found someone to follow or maybe they would have moved home for the sake of living alone.
His father was trying to tell him that he was lucky enough to be able to make a choice of his own free will. Maybe it meant never meeting again, but that too was part of life.
And he had to live without regretting not having chosen.
"Twe"
He was right. For a long time he had been a thief, he had taken on that role, convincing himself that he was the champion of his family. But in the end he hadn't made them, nor himself, proud.
It was time to change things.
He turned to Ash and opened his wings. "TWE!"
"Huh?" Ash shook his head in confusion. What was wrong with him now?
"TWEE! TWEE! TWEE!" Tweeny seemed full of vitality, as never before. He pawed and flapped his wings, then pointed to the trainer and then to himself. Then he flew towards Pikachu and pulled his ear with his claws.
A few seconds passed, during which Ash began to understand what was going on. With a big smile he nodded "Of course, if it's a challenge you want I certainly won't back down!"
Serena approached worriedly "Ash, are you sure? We just got back from the Pokémon center..."
"If he thinks he can do it then I want to trust him." The boy reassured. "We can start whenever you want!"
"Twee!"
The air became tense and as the wind began to blow, Tweeny released himself into the air and the fight began.
He made the first move, lunging at Pikachu with a powerful Steel Wing "NYYY!"
Pikachu remained in place, taking the hit. Certainly very fast, however the little mouse was only thrown backwards slightly.
"Pikachu, let's use speed too! Quick Attack!" Ash commanded.
Pikachu followed the order and with a burst of energy began to run at double the speed of his opponent's previous attack. "Pikaaaaaa! Chupi!" He hit the flying Pokémon squarely, causing it to lose altitude.
"Twe!" The bird began to fall, however it managed to regain its balance just in time to glide and charge back with a series of pecks.
Fast and reactive, as well as determined. Those were the main characteristics that Ash observed in the Pokémon. He didn't give up in the face of a strong attack, he tried to suffer as little as possible and react before his opponent could react.
He put his body on the line just to have a chance.
Man, he really wanted that Pokémon on his team… "Tweeny! You know you don't have to prove anything else to me, right?"
The bird continued to peck, while Pikachu began to protect himself with his tail. However, he still managed to make the boy understand with his look that he was listening to him.
"What do you really want from this battle?"
"Tweeny NY!" Tweeny backed into the air.
He wanted to go all the way.
Ash raised a fist towards him "Then come forward!"
Tweeny began to swoop down for more impact. He knew that attack would probably knock him out. However, that was also his only opening to inflict some damage. He would not have been intimidated, even at the cost of losing.
This could only be remarkable. "Pikachu uses Thunderbolt!"
The electric mouse shot a bolt of lightning in the direction of the bird, which didn't even try to turn, going straight towards it in an attempt to resist enough to at least hit the opponent "Pikaaaa chuuu!" "Twwwweeee ny!"
The bird's persistence was not enough against Pikachu's experience. Lightning shot through him and within a couple of seconds his little feathery body fell to the ground.
This time the bird did not fly up again. He remained lying on the ground, breathing heavily and looking up at the sky.
He was exhausted, but he had given everything he had, without flying or turning away.
He had no regrets.
"Now go! Pokéball!" the trainer shouted as he threw a Pokeball of his own. It seemed for a moment that a smile appeared on the defeated Pokémon's face, just that tiny fraction of seconds before the beam of light enveloped him. The Forsian bird was thus sucked inside the sphere.
The moments before catching a Pokémon are always the most anxious for a trainer, yet Ash didn't even have to wait for the ball to shake three times.
When the pokéball stopped vibrating and released a confirming sparkle, Ash reached out and grabbed "Yay! I caught a Tweeny!"
"Pi Pikachu!" Pikachu shouted, following closely behind his trainer.
Serena proudly approached Ash, clapping her hands "Congratulations Ash! You've already caught your first Forsian Pokémon!"
Ash himself was proud and happy to have a new companion, so promising if he could add "Come out, Tweeny!" He brought out his new friend.
"Twe!" The little bird appeared above them, landing on its cap and flapping its wings enthusiastically.
"Welcome to the team, but please don't prank me like yesterday again, okay?" Ash asked pleadingly, even though he knew well not to be afraid.
Embarrassed, Tweeny nodded, giggling nervously "Twe twe…" He then jumped off his new trainer's head and scampered towards his family, who were celebrating for him nearby.
"Twee!"
"Ny!" The father nodded, his eyes full of pride. From then on, although perhaps he would never see him again, he knew that he would be fine.
With newfound confidence, Tweeny flew back towards Ash and passed him. "Twewny ny!" he mocked him, inviting him to follow. He would show them the way to their path.
Theirs.
"Woah there, we are coming! Let's go to Hillsette Town!" Ash took off running, followed by Pikachu and Serena, disappearing into the trees and leaving behind the little family that saluted them with their wings.
It had been an eventful two days and they had lost a lot of ground but there were no regrets.
After all, what matters is also what is in between a journey, right?
.
.
.
…