Rest and Recovery.
Ash opened his eyes, it felt like he had been sleeping for years. The sounds of the Center's machine beep with his vitals. It had been four days since he woke and got lectured by Ace Ranger Arianna who appointed herself as his older sister for some reason. He couldn't help but smile at the eccentric trainer's actions.
Then the memories of the Cipher compound flashed through his mind and his mood soured. He had received a call from both his parents, each of them worried and wanted to strangle him in their own unique ways. But he could feel the love emanated from them. The League had contacted them and provided them with all the details of his less than safe actions.
"I really screwed the Poochyena on this one." He couldn't help but murmured into the empty room.
'That's one way of putting it Ash-brat.' A melodious female voice said in his head right before his mother's Alakazam teleported right in the room.
Nearly jumping out his skin he scrambled back from the edge of the bed. "What the hell, Minté? Are you trying to scare me to death?"
A soft laugh entered his thoughts. 'As my trainer's brat, you're made of sterner stuff than that.'
Ash rolled his eyes at the psychic Pokémon and settled himself down on the bed. "That doesn't matter if someone just pops up out of the blue and you weren't expecting them."
'I monitored your brain cycle and appeared only when you had come out of sleep. It seemed a better choice than waking you up or talking to you in your dreams.' Minté gave him a knowing look.
Yeah they didn't want a repeat of the last time she appeared in his dreams. He was at school and there were Charmanders involved. Lots of screaming, not a good look.
"Thank you for your consideration." He straightened the wrinkles of his sheet. "What brings you to my neck of the woods."
'Given your recent adventures, your parents saw fit to send you some items. Because of the sensitive and valuable nature of them, I was tasked with bringing them to you.'
Ash's eyes widened. His father was with his Uncle Blue all the way in Kalos. He knew Minté was strong but to teleport thousands of miles away, it left him numb.
A flash of light and a metallic box appeared on his lap. It reminded him a little of the one he got from Bill and Lanette, he had forgotten all about it and it currently sat at the bottom of his backpack. Reading his thoughts the second box appeared next to the first.
'If you're going to open one gift might as well open them both. Safe travels Ash-brat. Word of advice, beware of pickles.'
Without another word Minté teleported out of the room. "Beware of Pickles?" Ash shook his head. Sometimes Minté would spout some nonsensical thing that turned out to be a warning for future events. Back when he just started daycare, she warned him not to get close to spicy food and that day he accidentally ate a cheri berry.
"Here's hoping I don't run into killer pickles." Ash thought about which box to open first and decided to go with the one his parents sent him. "What could be so valuable that she had to go all the way to Kalos to get it."
As he lifted the lid, multicolored lights emanated from the inside. As he gazed at the box's content he couldn't help but feel his heart beat faster. Three jagged colored stones lay within. "What in the world?"
From left to right, the first one was an orange and red stone which emanated so much heat Ash thought he had opened an oven door. Next was a deep blue with white stripes along the surface, he reached out a finger and it felt wet to the touch. The third and last one was a green and gray rock covered with moss, the hairs on the back of his neck rose and he quickly pulled his hand away. A blinking light flashed in the middle of the box and Ash pressed it.
The holographic form of his father rose above the box. The older Ketchum looked like he had just gotten up from bed, his hair was tousled and there were several bags underneath his eyes. "Hey, son if you're seen this then it means Minté got you our present and told you to open it where no one could see you. After we spoke of your recent encounters with Cipher and" Red smirked, a glint of mischief in his eye, "since it seems you inherited my propensity for stepping where you don't belong, I thought it would be best if we could get these to you sooner than we would like."
From somewhere in the background he could hear his Uncle Blue's voice talking with someone but he couldn't make out the words.
His dad rolled his eyes and without looking back. "Would you love birds, quit it for a moment, I'm talking to your godson." Red turned his attention to Ash. "From what you told me of your team these are the best evolution stones we could find. This is important son, under no circumstances are you to let anyone know what I'm about to tell you about these stones, don't ask questions, don't think about them just know they are really special. The only reason I'm telling you some of this is because when you use them, there might be some unforeseen side effects…they won't hurt your Pokémon, quite the opposite but it's best to be prepared."
Ash gave the stones a weary look. What the hell had his father sent to him that merit so much disclaimers.
"You told me Cynthia explained to you how evolution stones came to be. That's good and we won't have to go into a long winded explanation then. This fire stone comes from the very depths of Mt. Ember. That is all I can say at the moment. If anyone asked, you got the stone from Charizard Valley."
"You know dad, you could've just lied to me and then I wouldn't know anything about this." Ash complained as his father continued.
"The water stone is for your Staryu, it's a gift from your Uncle Blue. Its origins are from the Lake of Life in Johto. Again if anyone asks, tell them it's from one of the inlets near Cinnabar, it's a nature preserved for Blastoise and their whole line.
Now here's my advice son, both these stones are very powerful. Only let Growlithe use the fire stone once he has mastered Flame Thrower and can use both Agility and Quick Attack at the same time. This is imperative. As for your Staryu, once it has learned Psychic then you can use the water stone on it."
Ash crossed his arms over his chest. "I wonder what kind of moves Staryu already has. I'll have to check in once I'm discharged."
"As for the leaf stone, well that's from your Aunt Leaf. It's for your friend Joe's Bellsprout. It comes from deep within Venusaur Glade. This one is pretty tame when compared to the other two. Venusaurs and Victreebel are very compatible. He can use it once his Weepinbell masters Sweet Scent. Only when it does that will it show it has complete mastery over its chemical glands."
Ash sighed these stones along with the three moonstones he already were definitely a headache he didn't need. He was however very grateful for his dad to send him everything he would need to evolve his Pokémon. He wouldn't even know where to begin looking for the right stones on his own as they were super rare and were not available on the market.
"You already have a very rare moonstone for your Nidorina so we didn't include one. You want to use it once your Nidorina has laid a clutch of eggs and has learned the moves Toxic and a ground type move. Toxic will let you know her poison glands have matured which usually happens after her first clutch so there you go."
"Am I supposed to act like cupid for Nidorina?" Ash leaned his head back on his pillow. "You're really not making this easy for me dad."
Red chuckled as if he could hear Ash's words. "Don't worry, just let nature take its course. Nidorina will do the heavy lifting. We've covered more than half of your team. Skarmory doesn't have any evolutions so just train her speed and defense and you will be good. As for your Rhyhorn, well that's a little trickier. You will only be able to evolve him from Rhydon to Rhyperior once you have your own Arcanine. We will speak of the method later on as you will need help. You still need to capture the final member of your team, I don't want to put you on the spot but I would call the Old Coot before you do so. He might get uppity if you catch something and he still hasn't given you your present. I love you son, I'm glad you're okay and for what it's worth, don't be too upset when you speak with Chief Jeny. I went through the same thing and I turned out okay."
With those cryptic words, the message ended. "Of all the ways to end your message, dad, that wasn't it."
He inspected the stones again. Why was his dad being so squirrely about the fire and water stones? They were very pretty and even without touching them he could tell they held immense power.
The door opened and a nurse stepped inside. "Oh, good you're awake. I'm here to check on your vitals and if everything is good, you should be discharged before noon."
Ash quickly closed the box and smiled at the nurse. "Oh, that's great."
The nurse did a quick examination and quickly left. "I'll get your discharge papers."
After she left, Ash opened Bill's box. Inside lay three items. A round spherical device unlike anything he had ever seen before. It glowed with azure and green light. A slip of paper and a note.
He picked up the note first.
'Ash, the item in this box is called an Elemental Capsule. It's a new invention of mine, well it's a prototype anyways. You and Joe are the first to try them out in the field so I hope you don't mind being my experimental subjects. The capsule is a training device designed to help Pokémon learn moves that are not of their own typing. The way it works is that they touch the capsule and slowly absorb and meditate on the energy trapped within. The energy usually lasts for around a week once the Pokémon starts using it, that's one of the kinks we're trying to work out. As of now, this capsule is filled with draconic energy from a Dragonite friend of mine. It will help Ronar get through that final push into learning Dragon Rush. As for your other gift, well, I hope you enjoy it.
P.S. Ash this Lanette, Eevee misses you and tried to sneak into your backpack several times before you left. I think you have a fan here. Nimbus was really annoyed. Come visit whenever you want.
Bill & Lanette'
Ash laughed at the last bit then checked the other slip of paper and nearly choked. It was a vouch for the Celadon SuperMarket with a value of fifty thousand dollars.
He couldn't believe his eyes. With that much money he could buy all the training supplies he would need to get through the next couple of gyms as well as prepare early for the conference.
Touched by Bill and Lanette's gifts and his parents. He got up and took a good look in the mirror. He had several cuts and bruises that had faded for the most part thanks to the Center's excellent medical service. The one thing he noticed was a long line of stitches on the side of his head where Ariana told him he took a rock to his nogging. The scar would be covered by his hat but it would forever be a reminder of what he had experienced.
The memories of those dead Pokémon and Greed's cruelty would be something he would never forget.
"Cipher, huh? I'll be ready next time." He clenched his fist as he made his vow.
He went to the bathroom and took a long hot shower before going back to bed and decided to get the call he had been dreading for a while out of the way while the nurse got him his discharge papers. He pulled out his pokenav and called his grandfather.
Ring. Ring. Ring.
The phone kept ringing until it finally went to voicemail. Ash shook his head. "Why make such a fuss about wanting to talk to me when he doesn't even pick up the phone?"
Another few minutes went by and the nurse came with his discharge papers and he was good to go. He went to the reception desk to pick up his two Pokémon.
Nurse Joy smiled at him. "I'm happy to see you up and about Ash. Both your Skarmory and Staryu are in perfect health. I would recommend you take it easy on them during the next few days and let them out for some fresh air as much as possible before diving back into battling."
Ash took the Poké Balls and clipped them to his belt with a smile. "Thank you so much Nurse Joy. I'll do just that."
Outside the sun blazed with brilliant light, a nice warm breeze caressed his skin as he walked away from the Center. Grateful as he was, he wanted to soak the sun, wind and fresh air. He checked his pokenav for Chief Jenny's house where Joe and the rest of his team were and made a beeline for that.
The house wasn't that far from the Center which he was thankful for. Ash quickly arrived at…well Ash wouldn't exactly call it a house and more of a villa. The massive structure loomed before him painted a dark blue color. Two stories tall with dozens of windows, a wrap around porch as well as a wrap around balcony for the second floor.
The building exuded power and authority. A large police shield hung from the front door as if anyone up to this point had any doubt who lived here, the shield would clear any confusion.
Ash stepped to the front door and raised his hand to knock before he could finish, the door opened revealing an older looking gentleman with wispy white hair and thin pencil mustache.
"It is a pleasure to have you join us at last Mr. Ketchum. Please follow me."
Before Ash could ask how the man knew his name, he turned around and strode into the depths of the house. Not wanting to get lost, Ash quickly followed behind him. They pass by several statues depicting both Growlithe and Arcanine in several poses. Turning around the corner they came to a hallway filled with portraits hanging on the walls. Each one was of a young woman with blue hair wearing a cop uniform and by her side was a Growlithe sitting proudly.
Ash could tell from how the fashion of the uniformed changed from several paintings to the next these portraits served as a chronicle of the Jenny Clan and their devotion to justice and order. As they reached the end of the hall the older gentleman stopped by the door and motioned for Ash to continue.
"The madam awaits you."
Ash nodded before stepping through the doors and finding himself inside of a large gym. Exercise equipment littered the space from treadmills to weights; it had everything. Ash noticed a middle aged woman about the same age as Professor Oak on the bench press doing repetitions.
Her once blue hair had darkened to gray, the only visible sign of her age. Ash noticed the weight disks on the bar and his eyes widened to the size of saucers at the number.
"Well boy are you going to keep gawking over there or are you going to come over so I can take a look at you." The woman spoke with a gruff no nonsense tone that relay years of giving orders and expecting them to be followed.
His feet moved before his brain could fully process the action and found himself right next to the woman. Her muscles bulged under the strain of the weight bar, her face flushed with concentration and sweat strained as she pushed the bar up and put it on the resting hooks.
She sat up, grabbed a towel from the cycling machine nearby and wiped the sweat off her face before turning her full attention to Ash. He suddenly felt as if he were facing a dangerous predator, he hadn't experienced this feeling since his encounter with Greed and his Sceptile. Goosebumps rose along his skin and he wanted to step back and run away. But he forced himself to remain still, he wouldn't cowered like he did before.
The woman smirked and the unsettling feeling vanished. "At least you got spunk, kid, I was wondering what possessed that walking marshmallow to give one of our Growlithes to some untrained pup. I can see the fire in your eyes, that's good. I will allow you to remain as Growlithe's trainer. For the moment at least. You know who I am, don't you?"
"Madam Jenny, the matriarch of the Jenny Clan and trainer to Growlithe's mother." Ash knew exactly who she was the moment he saw her. What he didn't know was that he would be tested the minute he entered through the door.
"Spunk and smarts, there may be hope for you yet." Madam Jenny grabbed a water bottle from next to her foot where Ash couldn't see it and drank from it. "Follow me, squirt."
She got up and Ash fell into step beside her. "When I heard what Sam did, it pissed me off so much I punched him in the nose." Ash glanced at the woman's bicep and winced in sympathy for the professor. "The agreement was for the new pups to go to the Jennies and then he goes and flips the whole damn system. Typical Oak, I swear the whole family only knows how to mess up things that didn't need to be messed with."
Ash didn't know what to say so he went with the safe option and kept his mouth shut. Madam Jenny continued. "However, when I heard you were Red's squirt, that changed my mind a little bit. Your father really helped us out a lot back in the day so I'm willing to give you the benefit of the doubt. I've been informed of your recent encounter with Cipher and it seems like the apple didn't fall from the tree. Pull out your trainer's license."
He did as she told him and pulled his license account on his pokedex. The first thing he noticed was his balance, he had a little under two thousand Poké Dollars before but now his account showed ten thousand. When he checked where the deposit came from it was from the official League Account with a note stating for Special Services Rendered.
They must have sent him a reward for the whole Cipher compound. What he also noticed was a rainbow mark next to his name and number. Written below the rainbow was the word IRIS.
"What does IRIS mean?"
Madam Jenny stopped by a set of double doors which from where Ash stood led to the backyard. "IRIS stands for I Required Intense Supervision. It's a special designation we give trainers who show a pattern of reckless behavior. It's just to let the authorities know to keep an extra eye on you when you visit a city from now on."
This must've been what his dad meant in his message. "Is this really necessary? I don't normally go looking for trouble."
Madam Jenny counted down with her fingers. "Rampaging Nidoking outside of Viridian City, Getting chased by Clefables in Mt. Moon for stealing their moon stones, Stampede of Rhyhorn in Pewter City, Infiltrating and Battling a Cipher Compound between Cerulean and Saffron City. Need I go on?"
Ash's cheeks burn. "Well when you put it that way it does sound like a pattern."
"We can't stop trainers from being knuckle heads but we can prepare and anticipate a response if we know who they are." She clasped his shoulder. Her hand felt like a steel vice. "It's not that bad, squirt. Your dad had one and it turned out alright for him. Some league officials might reach out to you from time to time with requests given your new status, you can of course deny them."
"Because they have some dangerous mission that regular people wouldn't touch with a ten foot pole?" He couldn't help but say.
"Exactly. And those people will be generous to you and the rewards far outweigh the risks…most of the time." Madam Jenny waved a hand in the air. "It's just something to be aware of, your friend Joe has been given the same status as you since you both will be traveling together. Now get out there and say hi to your team. I will be expecting you both at dinner tonight."
Without another word Madam Jenny left and Ash stood in front of the doors as he put his pokedex away.
He opened the doors only to be greeted by a tackling and overly excited Growlithe. Ash lost his balance and fell on his butt as the puppy licked his face all over.
Ash couldn't help but laugh. "I missed you too, boy."
Growlithe was so happy to his trainer his tail couldn't stop wagging. The last time they saw each other was at that compound and the next thing he knew he was in his twin's house as they explained to him, Nidorina and Ronar what had happened to Ash and Saber. They all wanted to visit but the humans wouldn't let him.
Ash pulled Growlithe away and rubbed him behind the ears. "I'm so happy to see you." He looked up to see Nidorina coming right at him as well as Ronar. His Pokémon soon enveloped him with love.
Nidorina chirped at him while Ronar rubbed him with his horn. "I miss you guys too."
"Well it's about time you got out of bed, while you've been lazing about we have been busy over here training." Joe said as he approached and stretched out a hand. Ash took it and pulled himself to his feet.
"Yeah, cuz that's totally me a Slaking through and through." Ash followed Joe outside with his Pokémon by his side.
Joe chuckled and shook his head. "It's good to have you back man. What did the doctors say?"
Ash shrugged. "You know the usual. Take it easy, no battling for a couple of days, that sort of thing. They might have been under the impression that I wanted to challenge Sabrina. Yeah, no way in hell. At least not now. Besides that there's not much to do here."
"About that…" Joe smirked. "How about I catch you up first. Did Madam Jenny tell you about our IRIS designations?"
"Yeah, Joe, listen. I'm sorry about that."
"Nonsense, stop apologizing, it's not like having a notice will stop you from being reckless. At least this way we might get some help the next time." Joe shrugged. "Anyways what I wanted to talk to you about is that while we aren't strong enough to win against Sabrina there's something else we can do or at least I want to do it."
Joe pulled out a flier and handed it over for Ash to read.
Knuckle Dojo
Where we teach the Way of the Fist
Annual exhibition tournament.
Amateurs are welcome.
"A tournament?" Ash asked.
"Yeah, according to Chief Jenny, the Knuckle Dojo master used to be a powerful trainer back in the day." They both reach the shade of a giant oak tree. "He was even a gym leader in Kalos for a time before deciding to travel the world. Came to Kanto to retire and opened up a dojo, some of his students tried to take over the city in his name and kicked Sabrina out or at least that's what the rumor mill says."
Ash snorted. "Did they forget the tiny detail of fighting types being weak to psychic ones?"
"Apparently they weren't the smartest bunch out there and once Sensei Knuckle found out he beat them, kicked them out of his dojo and apologized to Sabrina." Joe leaned against the trunk of the tree. "Every year they do an amateur tournament where the students fight any trainer who signs up and whoever wins gets a prize."
Ash looked at the flier again, his interest peeking. "Unfortunately it says here you can only enter with a fighting type. I don't have one. You're thinking of using Machop?"
Joe nodded. "He has been in a funk after our previous battles and then the whole incident with Zephyra. I figured I used this chance to train him and cheer him up at the same time." He smirked at Ash. "I actually got the idea from you and how you dealt with Ronar in Cerulean."
Ronar shuddered remembering how he almost drowned in that gym and glared at Joe for bringing those memories up. Both Growlithe and Nidorina snickered.
"Well I'd be happy to cheer you on. When is it?" Ash handed the flier back.
"Really? That'd be great, it's in a couple of hours." Joe pointed to an area where now Ash could see Machop seated on top of rock in a lotus position with what now Ash could recognize as Bill's Elemental Capsule. "Machop is finishing up his training as soon as he is done we'll go."
"I see you opened Bill's gift." Ash noted.
Joe nodded. "It's crazy how much that voucher is for. As for the Elemental Capsule it's exactly what Machop needed to expand his move pool. I also wanted to show you this." Joe took out a Poké Ball from his belt and threw it in the air. A beam of bright light flashed from it and a familiar looking fire type galloped to Joe and nuzzled his cheek. "Hey there boy, I wanted to introduce you to Ash. Do you remember him? Ash, this is Colt. You can say hi, he's not going to burn you."
Ponyta cantered in place. He remembered escaping from that horrible place where they had killed his herd and stumbling into the young trainers, barely able to cling to life. If it hadn't been for them he would be dead. He approached Ash and nuzzled his cheek.
"Nice to meet you Colt, glad to have you on the team." He scratched Colt beneath the chin and turned to Joe. "They let you keep him?"
Joe smiled and patted Colt on the side of the neck. "Once he was healed up, Nurse Joy asked him if he wanted to be released and he said no. I heard the same thing happened with your Staryu." He crossed his arms. "I finally manage to catch up to you and you go and get a new Pokémon."
Ash grinned. "What can I say, I'm just that good."
"I've given up on you trying to catch Pokémon the easy way." Joe rolled his eyes. "By the way, check this out. It's Colt's profile."
[Ponyta, the fire horse Pokémon. Ponyta has extraordinary jumping abilities and is capable of leaping tall buildings in a single bound. However, a newborn Ponyta is a weak runner and is barely able to stand. It gradually strengthens its legs and becomes faster by chasing after its parents. If you've been accepted by Ponyta, its burning mane is mysteriously no longer hot to the touch.
This Ponyta is male and knows the moves: Ember, Flame Charge, Agility, Flamewheel, Stomp, Morning Sun. This Ponyta has the ability Flame Body ]
Ash whistled when he saw the lists of moves. "That is one powerful Ponyta."
Joe and Growlithe exchanged a grin as Colt puffed his chest out. "Well that last one was courtesy of Growlithe, while we were waiting for you to wake up, your team heard what happened and went into a bit of a training frenzy."
Growlithe barked as he wagged his tail and then took a running start circling the flames inside his body and moving them outward in a circular pattern. Fire engulfed his entire body as he tackled a training dummy, catching him on fire.
"Buddy, you learned Flame Wheel? That's amazing."
Growlithe ran around in circles with excited glee and then stopped in front of Nidorina and nudged her with his nose.
Nidorina chirped at him as she was grooming her claws. Of course he would ask her to show off just as she got to the good part. She walked towards the already burned dummy and fired a gollop of purple poison drenching it from head to toe.
Ash's eyes widened as he looked at the pitiful dummy. "Was that Toxic?"
Nidorina chirped at him. Of course it was what else would he expect it to be, Flamethrower?
Ash remembered what his dad told him in the message about Nidorina. Well that clears half of the evolution requirements. He now needed to teach her a ground type move, too bad she couldn't learn Smack Down or he would've used the TM he had gotten from Brock on her. Oh and of course there was the whole thing of her finding a mate.
Ash turned to Ronar who grinned at him. "You learn a new move too?"
Ronar nodded and stepped forward. For a moment Ash thought Ronar had finally mastered Dragon Rush as he had been working on it for a while but as soon as he saw what Ronar was doing, he knew that wasn't the case. He had just learned Bulldoze right before the whole mess with Cipher happened.
An unseen force rippled from Ronar and five stones ripped from the ground and launched themselves at the dummy who at this point was barely standing. The rocks smashed him into broken parts and gears finally putting it out of its misery.
"Rock Blast?" Excited and intrigued Ash looked up the move in his pokedex. It seemed to be a variation on Smack Down that traded accuracy for quantity.
"Wow you have all given me a huge surprise." Pride swelled inside him.
Joe smiled and put his hand on Ash's shoulder. "They were very distraught to know that you and Saber had been hurt. The only thing I could think of to calm them down was to focus on something else."
Ash squeezed Joe's hand. "Thanks man."
"Don't mention it." He let go and headed towards Machop. "Now I'm going to check on Machop."
Ash focused on his team. "I'm very proud of each and every one of you. You have done some amazing work." He took out Saber's ball and released the steel bird.
Saber stretched her wings and let out a fierce screech. Ash smiled at her energy. "Hey, Saber. How are you feeling?"
Saber pecked his hat affectionately and spun a bit to show her trainer she was completely cured. Ash checked where Sceptile's attack had landed and there wasn't even a scratch on her. "I'm glad you're okay."
The rest of Ash's team came and welcomed Saber back. Growlithe gave her a proud bark while Ronar just grunted. Nidorina on the other hand, after seeing that her friend was okay, took her by the wing and both started chatting underneath the shade of a tree.
Ash smiled at them. "Saber no battling or training for the next couple of days, you need your rest. As for flying, take short flights until you feel you're up for something more."
Saber nodded, she wanted to go into the air and soar but she could see Nidorina really missed her and it wouldn't hurt to talk to her.
He took out the Elemental Capsule and walked to Ronar. "This is the same capsule that Machop has been using, this one however has been filled with draconic energy. It should give you the extra push you need to finish learning Dragon Rush." He put the capsule behind his horn and a small sturdy looking cable wrapped itself around it making sure it wouldn't fall off. "Why don't you go over there and start meditating."
Ronar heard the roar of a mighty dragon from the depths of the capsule and could feel the might of the beast within. His eyes widening he rushed over to a shaded part of the training ground nearly running over Joe's Bellsprout before settling himself to meditate.
Bellsprout shook her leaves at the spike brute and nearly throttled him; if it wasn't for Joe's calling her to help Machop, she would've laid down the law right there and then.
Ash smiled then looked at Growlithe. "Bud we got a new family member, they were being torture by those Ciper guys. I don't know how they will react now so let's just be gentle.
Growlithe nodded and sat next to his trainer to wait.
"Thanks bud." Ash took out Staryu's ball and scanned it with his pokedex.
[Staryu the star shape Pokémon. Staryu's center section has an organ called the core that shines bright red. Large numbers of these Pokémon make their home at the seaside. If you go to a beach toward the end of summer, the glowing cores of these Pokémon look like the stars in the sky.
An enigmatic Pokémon that can effortlessly regenerate any appendage it loses in battle as long as its red core remains, it can regenerate its body instantly, even if it's torn apart.
This Staryu's gender is unknown and it knows the moves: Tackle, Harden, Water Gun, Water Pulse, Confuse Ray, Minimize, Swift and Psybeam. This Staryu has been designated as a Shiny Variant. This Staryu has the ability Natural Cure. ]
Ash's eyes widened at the wide move pool Staryu had. No wonder those Cipher people captured it. He pressed the release button and the silver and blue star Pokémon appeared with a soft melodious tone.
"Hi, do you remember me?" Ash knelt by Staryu and smiled at it.
A feeling of recognition and gratitude flooded Ash's consciousness. It startled him for a moment but having been raised around Minté his whole life, he was familiar with having Pokémon communicate this way with him.
"You don't have to thank me, it was my pleasure. How are you feeling?"
A strong energetic current washed over his mind.
"That's good to know." Ash sat in front of Staryu, choosing his words carefully. "I know you've had some bad experiences with humans and I would totally understand if you want me to find you a nice stretch of ocean where you can live. However, I would like it if you consider becoming a part of my team–"
Before Ash could finish explaining himself, a sense of belonging flashed in him.
"Are you sure?"
Another flash.
"That's great. Welcome to the family, Staryu." Ash scratched his cheek. "Would you like a name? I always give my Pokémon the choice. It's okay if you don't want to."
A set of images and feelings flowed in Ash's mind as if he were experiencing a movie. "Aster? Your name is Aster?"
Staryu nodded. Ash smiled. "Okay, Aster it is." He pointed toward Growlithe. "Aster, this is Growlithe, he is my first partner and I hope you can get along with him and the rest of the team."
Aster turned to Growlithe who stood up and walked slowly to the star Pokémon. Staryu sent him a greeting and the puppy barked with joy and called the rest of the team. Nidorina and Saber came after finishing catching up while Ronar just opened an eye before continuing his meditation.
Nidorina and Saber both welcomed Aster and the star Pokémon felt at home with such a warm and comforting group of Pokémon.
"I'll let you get acquainted with each other." Ash got up and marched toward Joe. As he did, he saw Bellsprout, Zephyra and Colt moving past him to greet Aster.
Joe noticed the commotion and smile. "I guess they're making fast friends."
Ash looked back to see Colt and Aster engaged in conversation. He figured those two would bond over their shared experiences.
"You know I expected Aster to be more afraid of humans, after what Cipher did to it."
"From what I read, Staryus don't have nerves like we do so they don't feel pain when their limbs are ripped off." Joe mused as he crossed his arms. "That might have something to do with it. I know Colt might seem friendly with us but it's mostly because we rescued him. He's skittish around other people."
Machop opened his eyes and glanced down at the capsule between his hands. The light had dimmed after he absorbed some of the energy it had inside it. He had grasped the fundamentals of his new move and couldn't wait to try it out. He got up and nodded at his trainer.
Ash smirked at Joe. "Guess Machop is ready."
"I see, well guess there's no time like the present." Both he and Ash recalled all of their Pokémon and made their way to the tournament.
The Knuckle Dojo was on the north side of the city, a massive two story building with the statue of a huge fist sitting in front of it.
There were two lines of people going in. The ones on the right stopped at a small table where Ash assumed the registration process happened. As for the left line it seemed to be for the people who wanted to watch the show. Ash accompanied Joe to register when he noticed a familiar girl with blue hair standing two people in front of them.
He elbowed Joe and nodded at the girl. "Isn't that the girl from the Cerulean Gym? The one from Orre? Jovi?"
Joe stepped to the side and looked. "Yeah, that's her. She had that Ursaring, a Spheal and an Elekid if I'm not mistaken. Guess she has a fighting type as well." Ash noticed Joe frowning. His friend nodded at him. "She is going to be a tough opponent."
Ash remembered the gym battle and he couldn't help but agree with Joe. They arrived at the registration area where a young man in a karate gi smiled at them. "Good afternoon, are you both registering today?"
Joe shook his head. "Just me."
The attendant slid a clipboard to Joe. "That's okay, write your name, where you're from and which Pokémon you will be using. There's a registration fee. 100 Poké Dollars if you're using a pure fighting type, 200 if it's a dual type."
Joe wrote down his information and paid the fee before the attendant gave him a badge with the A6 on it.
"Good luck man, I'll be cheering for you." Ash fist bumped Joe and then moved to the long spectators line.
Joe for his part moved backstage. The inside of the dojo opened into a wide arena big enough to fit two battlefields. From where he stood he could see that the contestants were all segregated into two areas. Each field had a hanging letter designating them as either Field A or Field B.
A middle aged man in karate gi stood in the middle of the contestants with another clipboard and serious expression on his face.
"Okay, listen up. This will be a single elimination tournament. The winner of three fights will move on to the finals to battle it out with your counterpart in the other field." He looked at the clipboard. "Now, let's get these battles started. A1 vs A6 and B1 vs B6 please move to your respective fields."
Surprised to be called so early Joe moved to Field A and faced his opponent, a pudgy older man with a handlebar mustache and sleeveless leather jacket. He had a tattoo of a motorcycle on fire in his left shoulder.
A different man in the dojo's uniform with a headset stepped between them. "Okay we'll start the first round of Field A." He pointed a fist at the pudgy man. "Representing Fielder Constructions we have Bart Grosser." The referee then aimed at Joe. "And his opponent, straight from our neighbors in Vermilion City. Joe Landers."
The crowd cheered as they were introduced along with the opponents from Field B though Joe couldn't hear who they were over the roar of the crowd.
"Trainers. Get. Ready. Set. Go!"
The referee chopped the air with his hand and both Joe and Bart released their Pokémon.
Machop flexed his muscles as he was released from the Poké Ball. He was sure he would beat every single opponent and come up victorious.
Bart released a gray bipedal Pokémon with a dark purple nose and dark-gray oval-shaped eyes. It had bulbous protrusions extending from the front and lower parts of its head. Pink, vein-like bulges were visible on the back of its head with similar pink bands adorn its shoulders and thighs. It also carried a wooden log over his shoulder with a confident look. Joe recognized it as a Timbur, they were native to Unova but since they were so useful in constructions they were seen in almost every region.
"This is going to be a good one. The Superpower Pokémon vs the Muscular Pokémon."
The crowd cheered.
Bart rubbed his mustache. "This is going to be easy. Tyke, end him with your Pound Attack. I'm feeling a little hungry."
Joe frowned. Was this guy serious? "Machop start us with Focus Chop. Then Low Sweep."
Machop grunted as his hand glowed with bright light. Timbur for his part rushed with a smirk on his face and raised his wooden log over his head with both hands and jumped into the air. It aimed straight for Machop's head. Machop moved to the side and knifed the back of Timbur's head with a vicious chop. He was ready to finish with his Low Sweep when he noticed that his opponent had let go of its wooden log and its eyes had rolled to the back of its head.
Both Machop and Joe blinked in surprise. Was that it?
Even the referee blinked several times. Then murmured something under his breath that sounded something like 'damn amateurs'. "The winner is Joe and Machop from Vermilion City."
"What? Impossible." Bart bellowed. "I have never lost a battle before. How can it be over so quickly?"
"Please make way for the next contestants." The referee glared at him.
Joe wasn't sure what to do but he quickly got Machop and they both made their way out of the battlefield before they angered the referee. As he sat in a little waiting area while the rest of the battles took place, he turned to Machop. "Now, don't get cocky, we don't know if all our opponents will be as easy as those two."
Machop flexed his muscles and nodded.
Joe rolled his eyes. "I know you're strong but we still have to be careful."
They both settled to watch the rest of the fights of Field A. A2 and A5 were next. Another pair of older men who were for some reason also representing different construction businesses. It was a Tyrogue vs a Riolu while both of them were clearly inexperienced trainers. Even so the Riolu beat the crap out of the Tyrogue. Then came A3 vs A4 with a Hawlucha fighting against a Hitmontop. It wasn't even a contest and the Hawlucha trounced the Hitmontop. Unlike the previous fight this one was between a younger trainer maybe in 15 vs another construction representative.
After a few inquiries from an annoyed dojo student, apparently there was a big construction contract that a lot of companies wanted and since all of them wanted it, they decided to settle who would get it using the amateurs tournament. Whoever wins would get the contract. Unfortunately for them and fortunately for Joe none of them were serious trainers.
Soon Joe was up again to fight.
"A6 vs A2 please move to the field." A student called over the speakers.
Joe and Machop moved up to the field and saw he was up against Riolu and his trainer.
"The Quarter finals of the Knuckle Dojo Exhibition Tournament is about to begin. Joe Landers and his Machop from Vermilion City vs Tyson Luntensa and his Riolu representing Lutens Construction. Ready. Set. Fight."
Tyson was a big burly man wearing a white sleeveless t-shirt and worn jeans. "Rio hit him with your Metal Claw. Show this punk how real men fight."
Joe ignored the man. "Machop get in close and use Focus Kick."
The blue bipedal fighting type rushed toward Machop, its paws shining like polished metal plates. Machop dodge to the side but Riolu reacted fast and kept up with Machop. They both dance around the field. Riolu attacking and Machop barely dodging. Riolu was clearly faster than Machop; the only thing his Pokémon had going for him was his superior bulk.
Machop blocked one attack with his forearm, quickly grabbed Riolu by the arm and swept his legs with a powerful kick. Riolu cried as he hit the ground and tried to get up only to meet Machop's fist right in his eye.
The smaller fighting type lost consciousness.
"And the winner is Joe and Machop from Vermilion City. We're now going to move on to the semifinals before taking a ten minute break."
Joe went over to check on Machop, he had taken a few scrapes here and there but there wasn't much damage. Riolu might have been a speedy fighter but he didn't have neither the endurance nor the power to take down Machop.
"Are you ready for the next one?"
Brimming with confidence Machop nodded.
They both waited until their next opponent showed up, which happened to be the young trainer he saw before with her Hawlucha.
The referee nodded at both of them. "The semi-finals for the exhibition tournament as well as the finals for Field A will be held between Joe Landers from Vermilion City and Sarah Fikus from Nacrene City. Ready. Set. Fight."
Sarah grinned at her Pokémon. "This one should be a piece of cake. Savage shred him with your Wing Attack."
Hawlucha took the air, its wings shining with light as it dove down to hit Machop. Joe frowned. Fighting types were especially weak to Flying types. Not to mention in a speed contest Hawlucha would run circles around Machop. The way he saw it, there was only one way to win this.
Use overwhelming force.
"Machop, showed her the results of your training. Hit it with your new move."
Hawlucha came down with both wings. A cyan light ignited around Machop's right first. The temperature dropped around him as he swung upwards. Wing and fist met in a clash of power. Machop footing slipped and he fell back two steps just as Hawlucha cried out in pain. Where the wing made contact with Machop's fist, frost began to spread around the entire limb.
Hawlucha's other wing came down on Machop and he cried out in pain as both Pokémonseparated. Ice encased Hawlucha's entire left wing and it dragged on the floor under its weight. Blood flowed from a cut on Machop's shoulder where the Wing Attack hit him.
Sarah frowned at her Pokémon. Indecision splattered on her face. Joe didn't wait for her to make up her mind. "Machop hit him again with another Ice Punch, finish this quickly."
Before Sarah could react Machop rushed toward Hawlucha, the flying Pokémon tried to get away but the weight of the frozen limb slowed him down. Machop threw a haymaker powered Ice Punch. It connected sending Hawlucha flying across the field. It tried to get up twice before succumbing to its injuries.
The referee raised his hand. "The winner. Joe and Machop from Vermilion City. We'll be taking a short ten minute break before we move into the finals."
The crowd cheered and threw popcorn at the field. Joe didn't know they were selling food.
Joe moved to the fighters waiting area and pulled out a potion bottle and sprayed it all over Machop's wounds. "Okay, Machop we just revealed our secret weapon. There won't be more surprises, our next battle we have to play it smart."
Machop nodded, confidence swelling inside him. He had won three battles in a row. That last one was in the bag. A feeling of relief passed through him as his wounds finished healing up and he was ready to go.
The time for the match arrived and given the level of the competition he wasn't surprised to see his opponent was Jovi, next to her was a large blue, bipedal bug Pokémon with a large heart shaped horn. A Heracross. Joe frowned, this would be a tough opponent indeed.
Instead of the usual referee an older bald man with a white mustache and muscular frame walked to the middle of the field. He wore a black karate gi with a red and gold belt. "Evening, everyone. I'm Sensei Knuckle and I'll serve as referee for this final battle." The crowd cheered for the owner of the dojo. Now before these two wonderful young trainers battled it out for the chance to win today's championship. I'll now announce the prizes for both the first and second place."
The crowd fell silent. Sensei Knuckle smiled. "For the second place winner, he or she will received 1,000 Poké Dollars in prize money, a fighting type TM with three charges and a courtesy ticket for the S.S Libra's maiden Voyage to Celadon City, it's a new luxury cruise ship departing Vermilion City next week." A wave of cheers followed his announcement. He raised his hand and the noise settled down. "As for our grand champion, he or she will receive the following prizes. 3,000 Poké Dollars, a permanent fighting type TM, a courtesy ticket for the S.S. Anne to Cinnabar Island from Vermilion City and five free lessons to learn directly under me."
Joe nodded as the prizes all seemed really good. Though he wasn't so sure about the free lessons he rather just take the money, items and bail.
Sensei Knuckle grinned. "Now trainers, get ready, set, go!"
"I remember you from Cerulean City." Jovi crossed her arms, a serious expression on her face. "Don't think I'll go easy on you."
Joe smiled at her. "I wouldn't have it any other way."
"Heracross use Aerial Ace."
The back of Heracross' carapace opened up revealing its wings as it took off into the air, its horn shining with deadly light. Faster than Joe's eyes could track, Heracross streaked across the field and hit Machop squared in the chest. Macho flew back and crashed into the field with a yelp of pain.
"Machop get up and use Focus Energy enhanced Ice Punch." Right now that was his strongest move and if he could hit Heracross and by some luck freeze him they would have a chance.
"That isn't going to work." Jovi shook her head. "Heracross keep using Aerial Ace."
Horror flashed across Joe's eyes. Like a speeding bullet Heracross flew back and forth smashing Machop with its horn. Machop was being smacked around the field, blood flowed from different cuts. Every time he got up and covered his fist with ice, Heracross would swoop in and hit again.
Frustration swelled inside Machop's heart. This was just like that day with Zephyra where he couldn't move or do anything except take a beating. No, he would not lose like that again. He won't become a punching bag ever again!
Fire ignited inside him and a bright light engulfed his entire body as power surged through him. He could feel himself get taller, stronger, faster. Every cell in his body filled with energy he opened his mouth and shouted his defiance at the heavens.
"Machoke!"
Joe's eyes widened as he saw his Machop evolve into Machoke. Heracross flipped in the air and came in for another swipe of Aerial Ace. Machoke grinned with confidence as he planted both feet apart and stretched his hands in front of him.
Heracross' horn hit him square in the chest, making Machoke grunt with pain. Before Heracross could retreat Machoke grabbed him by the shoulders and threw him hard into the ground. The field cracked from the force and frost covered Machoke's fist as he swung downwards.
"Heracross Counter."
Bright red energy shone from Heracross' body then concentrated in its horn. With a mighty swing of its head it hit Machoke in the thighs and sent the Super Power Pokémonflying. Then opened its mouth and bright green needles shot forth hitting their mark.
Machoke crushed into the ground. For a second he did not move then slowly he rose on trembling feet before he fell to one knee. Heracross for its part rose looking battered and bruised but ready for more.
Sensei Knuckle raised his hand. "The winner is Jovi and Heracross from the Orre Region."
Cheers rose all over the place as Joe rushed to Machoke. "You evolve! Congratulations buddy. I'm so proud of you."
Machoke looked away, defeat in its eyes. "Hey, none of that." Joe caught his chin with his fingers and forced him to look. "You were badly hurt before and Heracross is just about the worst matchup for you there could be. You did, great. Look, you almost beat him."
Machoke looked at the Heracross stumbling to its trainer before falling into their waiting arms. He nodded, feeling a little better. Joe smiled. "Good, now get some rest and then next we'll go to the Pokémon Center and get you checked out and healed." He pressed the Poké Ball to Machoke's bicep and returned his friend.
He turned around to see Jovi standing there with her hand stretched. "Good fight, you almost had me there for a second."
Joe shook her hand. "I wasn't expecting the Counter."
"Heracross learned it a couple of days ago, it comes in handy."
Sensei Knuckle proceeded to make a speech before handing out the prizes. The money was transferred electronically as for the TM. Joe got Brick Break while Jovi got Close Combat. The difference between the first and second place couldn't be more clear at that moment.
As for the ticket the S.S. Libra was silver with a scale logo on it while the S.S. Anne was gold with a maiden clutching an orb.
Ash met Joe outside of the dojo. Jovi had taken her prizes and took off. "Congratulations on Machop evolving, sorry you couldn't win though."
Joe smiled and shook his head. "It's okay, second place isn't that bad. As soon as Machoke gets checked out at the center, I'll have him learn Brick Break." He held out the ticket to Ash. "Guess this settles our plans right?"
Ash rolled his eyes. "We've been switching who we're going to face next like fifty times at this point. But yes, let's take on Surge before the cruise leaves and then tackle Erika at Celadon. That way we won't waste your ticket."
"That means we have to leave tomorrow to get to Vermilion in time to face Surge and be on time for the departure."
Ash scratched his chin. "We both have riding Pokémon, we can cut our time by a lot if we ride Ronar and Colt. We're going to need saddles though."
"Sounds like a plan, how about you go to the Mart and check if they have some while I take Machoke to get a check up."
They fist bumped and both headed in opposite directions. Saffron City's Poké Mart wasn't as big as the massive shopping center in Celadon but they did have a bit of everything. He walked through the aisles to see if they had any saddles when he heard someone calling out to him.
"Well, well. It's been a long time, Ash."
Ash froze as he recognized the owner of that voice. He slowly turned around and saw him for the first time in months.
"Hello, Gary."
Hello guys HK here and back after wow a long time. Lot of things happened in real life that kept me away from Titans. (Married, Moved to a new state, life, lost the access to this account, etc) but now I'm here and back with another chapter. I have not forgotten Titans and so happy to pick it up again. Before you ask, there's going to be a release schedule of at least 1 chapter a month (I work a full time job and have wife and kids.) , my chapters are usually long so expect each one to be around the 10k+ range.
As always I'm committed to quality over quantity and will only post once I believe something is ready to be read. I want to give special thanks to Essence's vincentgrey21 for helping get back into the groove of things.
Now I know its been a long time but I hope to those of you who have read before to come back and I would like to welcome new readers to the wonderful world of Titans. We're picking things off right where we left off and as this is my first chapter back I wanted to take it easy before sliding back into the thick of things.
Like before I will be answering any questions left on reviews in the next chapter. Please leave reviews as it helps the author know if you like the story and its a great motivator to keep going.
Until next time
HK