He could only stare at the injured Pokémon in front of him as he tried to process what just happened.
One: two criminals lost a heavily injured Pokémon in Viridian Forest. Two: Ash accidentally caught what he thought was a Caterpie.
Nope.
It. Was. A. Zorua.
Practically the rarest Dark type in the world.
Holy shit.
A strong force to the back of his legs drew him from his shock. He glanced at Styx, who looked utterly unimpressed and impatient. Nodding absently, Ash raised the Heal ball and returned the illusioned Pokémon.
He had to get out of here.
Picking up his discarded Pokédex, he flipped to the Kanto map and saw he was still 30 miles away. If he pushed it, he could get to Pewter late tonight, rather than early tomorrow.
Stashing the Pokéball in his zipped pocket instead of on his belt, he looked to his two Pokémon. Poor Hemlock looked so lost.
"Alright you two, we are going to walk fast for as long as we can to try to get to the city by tonight. I don't want to chance running into those two guys. Let's go."
What proceeded was the most stressful 15 hours of his life.
Three hours in he had to return Hemlock since the little Impidimp didn't have the endurance yet.
Seven hours in Styx shoved him into another bush only to see a herd of Stantler pass by.
Nine hours in Ash had to heatedly scowl at a trainer stupidly dressed as a Samurai who quickly did a 180 and fled after one look at Ash.
Thirteen hours in he had to return Styx before the left head succeeded in eating the right this time in her agitation.
Fourteen and a half hours later he saw the break in the trees and felt a surge of energy renew his muscles, making him pick up his pace. The bright lights of the city could be seen cutting through the darkness.
Fourteen and three quarters of an hour later Ash felt dread rise up in his throat. The police outpost was lit up and the feeling welling up inside him reminded him of the first (and last) time Gary managed to corner him and give him a black eye.
Stealing his nerves, he jogged up to the outpost and knocked on the window. The officer inside was none other than the Chief of Police, Jenny. She raised an eyebrow at his rough appearance.
"Please, I need to get to the Pokémon center. I captured a severely wounded Pokémon that escaped poachers in the woods and he needs immediate attention. You can run me through the system after, I just really need to get there." The officer's eyes hardened and she only took a moment before she nodded.
"MacGyver! Take post, I'll be back in an hour." Meeting the officer around the side of the outpost, he caught sight of her motorbike and didn't even complain when he had to hop in the sidecar.
He barely had time to hold on before the Chief was tearing out of the driveway and into the depths of the city. With how fast she was speeding, he wasn't surprised to make it to the center in 10 minutes even though it was practically on the other side of the city.
She stopped in front of the doors and gave Ash a determined glare as he jumped out. "I expect to see you out here in 20 minutes so we can get everything sorted." Ash bit the inside of his cheek and nodded.
Luckily the center was practically barren when he barged through the front doors. The Nurse Joy looked up with a startled expression on her face that quickly turned to concern.
"I found a seriously injured Pokémon that I think escaped from poachers early this morning. I caught him with a Heal ball. I think it only helped a little. He's unconscious and I think he'll be illusioned upon release." The pink haired nurse pressed a button and an Audino ran out.
"Take this Pokéball into the ICU and alert Dr. Cho." The Audino nodded and gently cupped the Pokéball before running back. The nurse quickly typed something into the system before turning her sights to Ash.
"I'm going to need your Pokédex. What's your name?"
"Ash Ketchum." The nurse jerked her head up and her eyes held recognition. Ash sent a wary look her way.
"My cousin in Viridian warned me you'd have an unusual team. I'd like to look them over." Ash held back his wince at the distrust in her voice. He nodded and handed her his two other Pokéballs. The nurse spared him one last look before disappearing through the back.
Ash cursed under his breath. He hated how much he had to defend himself. Side-eying the front door, he knew more judgment awaited him. He stalled.
Right before his allotted 20 minutes were up, he straightened his spine and walked through the doors.
The Chief of Police was leaning against her bike with her arms crossed and a cigarette hanging from her lips. She barely twitched when she caught sight of him, instead reaching up to pull the cig with one hand and holding her other hand out, palm up.
Ash relinquished his Pokédex and stood like a man awaiting execution.
He could see the exact moment Officer Jenny brought up his list of Pokémon.
Her shoulders stiffened, her chin lifted, her eyes hardened, and the cigarette between her fingers bent in half. The Pokédex slightly lowered so she could glare at him with all the void of the Nether.
"Dark types, huh?" He couldn't hold back the flinch from the barely restrained rage in those three words.
Gritting his teeth, he nodded once.
He didn't have time to react before the cigarette was abandoned on the ground and his arm was grabbed in a vice grip that would surely leave bruises. He was thrown around until his chest thudded against the front fender of the bike, an unrelenting pressure pressed between his shoulder blades.
He yelped more out of surprise than pain.
"Give me one good reason not to throw you in jail right now, Rocket wannabe." The words were harshly spoken into his left ear and he gasped when the grip on his wrists tightened. It felt like his shoulder was about to be dislocated.
"Chief Jenny, you will unhand him this instant!" Ash never thought he'd be so thankful to hear Joy's voice. His wrists were suddenly released and the pressure on his back disappeared. He had to quickly catch himself before he fell to the pavement.
Whipping around, he saw the two women face off. Jenny had her feet braced and arms crossed while Joy had hands on her hips and two Blissey on either side of her.
"You're obstructing an official police investigation, Janelle." The name was said with scorn and a bit of… longing?
"On what charges? For having a specific type of Pokémon? Don't your relatives report to Elite Four Karen?"
"How does a newbie trainer get those three Pokémon unless he has help?"
Joy rolled her eyes. "Of course he had help, you idiot. He's sponsored by Professor Oak!" In that moment, the Chief of Police lost all aggression and her fists lost their white-knuckled appearance.
"...What?" Was that fear?
"Ashton Ketchum is sponsored by Samuel Oak as an aspiring Chaos Trainer. Both the Zweilous and Impidimp were gifted to him from Oak. And as he probably told you, he just saved that Zorua from poachers. Would you like to give Professor Oak a call, Kaori?"
Ash watched as Kaori(?) internally debated with herself before the wind unceremoniously left her sails. He understood her reluctance. Oak is highly respected as a researcher. But he's feared as a former Champion.
The Chief looked over her shoulder to glance at Ash. "I apologize." That was all he got.
He watched the officer drive away standing beside the nurse. He turned to her, rubbing his throbbing shoulder, and tilted his head in obvious question.
"Your Zweilous and Impidimp are… astoundingly well-behaved. Even if one of the heads almost bit my fingers off."
"Was it the left one?" He blurted, and most certainly did not blush when the nurse raised a blasé eyebrow.
"Let's go back inside to continue this." Tailing the woman and her two Blissey, they made it back to the counter. The nurse went to the opposite side and leaned over on her elbows.
"Look, you need to tell any officer at an outpost that you're sponsored by Professor Oak. That should be the first thing you say. It's logged in your Pokédex, so they can verify. No one wants to be on the receiving end of a glare from his Charizard." Ash gave a sarcastic bark of laughter. He could attest to that; Scarlett was terrifying.
"Now, both your Pokémon are just exhausted with a few superficial injuries on your Impidimp. The Zorua on the other hand… It's still too early to tell. He went into surgery a few minutes ago to patch up a collapsed lung that was punctured by a broken rib. The prognosis is good, though."
"What do I owe for the surgery?" Nurse Joy smiled.
"You have a sponsor, Ash. He covers medical costs." Ash didn't show his relief. He'd be able to afford it, most likely, but it'd leave him almost broke. Medical procedures for Pokémon were thankfully affordable.
"Here, let me get a room set up for you." She handed him his two Pokéballs and a card key a few moments later. "Breakfast is from 6:30 to 10:30."
"Thank you, Nurse Joy." He knew she'd realize he was thanking her for more than just the room. He walked inside, subdued, shoulder still aching.
It was 6:30am and Ash was extremely grateful the cafeteria was empty. He had a very large, very irritable shadow this morning.
Styx refused to let him out of her sight after he told her what happened with Officer Jenny. Hemlock had just followed Styx's lead, clinging to his pant leg and standing on his foot when he tried to return the Dark and Fairy type.
The two Pokémon dug into their meal while Ash bit into a breakfast sandwich and thought. He wanted to challenge Brock, but he didn't know if he should wait to see if Zorua would want to join his team and fight. Or if he was even able.
Looking to his side, he saw his teammates were finished. Dropping everything at the dish drop and returning both grumbling Pokémon, he walked to the front counter. A young nurse was finishing up his shift if the bags under his eyes were any indication.
"I wanted to check on my Pokémon that was in surgery last night." The nurse blinked bleary eyes and took a moment before jumping in understanding.
"Right, right, he's still sleeping in the back, but the surgery was a success. He won't be able to battle for about two days, but after that he'll be good to go."
"Only two days?" The nurse shrugged.
"Ditto cells."
"Ah."
Ash followed the man to a backroom. Lying within a healing chamber was Zorua without the illusion. The Tricky Fox's stormy gray fur was shaved away around a fresh incision on his flank. He could see the shallow breathing of his chest and IV lines shifted with the rhythmic movements.
Ash pulled up a nearby chair and grabbed a notebook from his bag when the nurse left and settled in to wait.
It was probably only an hour or two later when from the corner of his eye he saw the lump of fur shift.
He kept his distance as bright blue eyes blinked open. Darting around, those eyes widened in panic, but he was still too weak to move.
"Hey." Blue eyes met red in an intense stare Ash wasn't expecting. "You're in a Pokémon center. You had surgery to repair a punctured lung. I accidentally caught you as you were illusioned as a Caterpie." Ash detected a fraction of stress leak out of the Pokémon's body.
Ash leaned back and crossed his arms, keeping his muscles loose.
"The nurse said you're free to go in two days. That's where the problems arise. I'm not sure which region you came from, probably Unova, but we're in Kanto. Here are your options; I can release you to fend for yourself. You can tag along with me until I reach Unova in about five months. Or you can decide to stay with me, train, get stronger, and - hopefully - stay safe. You don't have to decide now."
A high pitched whimper made its way from the Dark type's throat. Ash pursed his lips. Zorua wasn't young. He didn't think he was whining for his mother or home. He could be whining from the pain, but he was supposed to be pumped full of pain killers right now. The only other explanation he could think was…
"Do you want to come with me?" He asked incredulously. A soft bark was his response. He tried not to frown in confusion. He usually had to prove himself in some way before a Dark type accepted him as a trainer.
"You're more than welcome. Once you're healed, are you up for training and battling?" Another bark. "Great. Do you want to battle in the gym or wait?" A pause, then another bark. Ash smirked. "Wonderful. I'll introduce you to your teammates once you're up and walking. Until then… well I guess I'll tell you about my plans."
Zorua couldn't stay awake very long, but he seemed content to drift off to Ash's low voice. Standing up and stretching, he made his way out of the room and center and headed for the gym. Might as well schedule his battle.
Luckily, the walk through the city wasn't nearly as hazardous as Viridian. Most workers were already in the nearby mines or dig sites. The Fossil Revival movement was born here. Opal the Omanyte, the first ever revived Pokémon, is immortalized here within the Pewter Museum.
Ash had been right, those two years ago when he said the Galar region would light the fire under the asses of the other regions to jump back into fossil research. They had grown complacent with substituted DNA. But now they knew there was a chance to map the complete genome of extinct Pokémon if they gathered enough fossils. According to the news, Kabuto would be the first Pokémon to have its entire DNA sequence discovered without the need for Relicanth DNA.
Speculation through the science community thinks Kabuto and Kabutops will be Bug and Water types when all is said and done.
Hypotheses about Fossil Pokémon absorbed his thoughts until he was standing before the Pewter Gym. A huge slab of stone with a modest 'PEWTER CITY GYM' carved in it was situated above the doors.
Walking in, he saw two trainers nervously waiting for their turn. Looking to the receptionist, Ash found a young boy, no more than 10, manning the computer.
"Trying for the badge? You're going to have to wait a little, there are three ahead of you." Ash shook his head.
"Can I schedule a battle for five days from now?" The kid's squinted eyes blinked and then he shrugged.
"Alright, name?"
"Ash Ketchum."
"Alright, your battle is on Thursday, June 11th at 8:30am." Nodding his thanks, Ash stepped out and withdrew his Pokédex, his shoulder twinging slightly from the movement, and looked up directions to the museum. He wanted to try to see the sights, but having to keep his Pokémon locked away was proving to be rough. Once he got a Fairy type he'd be able to have company in cities. Or maybe Zorua would travel with him.
Pewter was smaller than Viridian, and much more rustic. Each district had a different geological theme. Downtown was granite, residential areas were sandstone, the shopping district was primarily marble. It was oddly beautiful, in a colorful, mismatched way.
Situated between two towering research centers, the single-story museum sat on streets of limestone; the rock in which they found the first Omanyte fossil.
Following the trickle of people entering the museum, he quickly paid the fee and walked through the revolving doors. Looking up, his view was consumed by an enormous statue.
Opal the Omanyte.
The statue was situated dead center in the lobby, a smooth shell almost touching the 5 meter ceiling. The statue was also made of limestone, the very chunk of limestone in which they found the fossil in the depths of Mt. Hideaway. The statue had tentacles raised as if to embrace whoever approached. One tentacle was missing, a small stump in its place.
Ash stepped forward to read the plaque.
August 26, XXXX
Opal the Omanyte was the first ever successful revival of an extinct Pokémon in world history. The fossil was found within the limestone of Pewter Mines, and revived by the unprecedented contributions of Cinnabar Labs. This success shot Pewter City, and Kanto as a whole, into the limelight as the trailblazers in Historic Pokémon Rejuvenation.
The lobby had three different archways, leading to separate areas of the museum. Ash veered to the left to check out the Timeline of Extinction exhibit.
Taking up three walls of the room was a detailed mural and timeline of all known Pokémon that have gone extinct throughout the history of the Earth.
Anorith and Armaldo were the oldest documented Fossil Pokémon. It took about 50 million years before Kabuto and Kabutops sprang up and successively died off.
There was a new addition between the extinction of the Kabuto line and the evolution of Lileep, Omanyte, and Tirtouga. It seems Galar recently managed to figure out which head went with which body. Dunklevish was a monstrous fish that ruled the seas with its powerful jaws. Its jaw strength was so strong, it could crush Omanyte and Omastar shells like they were brittle clay.
After the fall of Dunklevish, Cradily, Carracosta, and Omastar, the big guys arose. Rampardos, Bastiodon, Aerodactyl, Acheops, Aurorus, and Ash's personal favorite, Tyrantrum. All absolute beasts.
Cara Liss had the extremely controversial Dracozolt, Dracovish, Arctovish, and Artcozolt; horribly deformed hybrids that resulted in the Doctor being on trial for ethical misconduct.
Only a few Fossil Pokémon had ever been seen in modern competition, mostly by Champions, Elite Four, and Gym Leaders. Lance has an Aerodactyl while Steven Stone has an Armaldo, Cradily, and Bastiodon. Steven was a Geo Trainer; focusing on Steel and Rock, and had found the fossils himself.
Champion Diantha has the only trainer-owned Tyrantrum. Elite Four Glacia has an Aurorus while Elite Four Siebold has a Carracosta. Gym Leaders Brock, Roark, Byron, and Grant had one or two fossils. That was it. There might be a trainer here or there with one of the more common ones (Archen, Cranidos, Kabuto) but nothing more than that.
He had to do some research to find out how those few no-name trainers got Fossil Pokémon.
Ash tilted his head as he saw the other new additions to the timeline. The other three Galar-natives all lived around the same time as the others. Velozolt, Dracodrill, and Arctoness had all been reimagined from their nightmarish hybrids, though none had been successfully revived as of yet.
A large curtain was blocking the very end of the timeline, a big Coming Soon sign with the silhouettes of various Pokémon scattered about. Ash tilted his head, recognizing the outlines of a few, namely Arcanine, Electrode, and Samurott. The logo for Cinnabar labs was imprinted at the bottom.
Ash wandered through the other two exhibits, one which focused on the science behind the revival process, and the second which housed the skeletons and life-like statues of the revived and soon-to-be revived fossils.
After two and a half hours within the museum, Ash had seen his fill, and even got to look through the database of all trainer-owned revived Pokémon. Only three common trainers owned a fossil. The first, Vivian Loo, had an Archen because her mother was the leading revival scientist in Unova. The second, Priya Dinesh, was rewarded a Rampardos after she protected Champion Cynthia's Grandmother. Lastly, was Tyrone Ellis, who found a Kabuto fossil in Grampa Canyon two years ago and was permitted to have it revived.
Finally reaching the end of his social tether, Ash made his way back to the center so he could feed his friends and check on Zorua.
Popping his head in, he saw the Dark type sleeping soundly, the incision on his flank already looking loads better. He stopped by the cafeteria to get the proper food for Styx and Hemlock and swiped some berries while he was at it.
Hiding away in his room was the best bet right now. Don't want a repeat of last night with someone that won't back down like Kaori Jenny did.
The night passed quickly, except for grumbling from Styx who was getting antsy. At one point, Ash was pretty sure he heard a shriek before Hemlock snuck back into the room snickering under his breath.
When morning rays shone through thin curtains, Ash was heading down to collect Zorua. He couldn't train until tomorrow, but he was well enough to be discharged. He managed to get Zorua's flavor preference before breakfast got under way.
"Are you well enough to illusion? I don't want us to draw any unnecessary attention to ourselves." Zorua, from his place cradled in his arms, looked around. Catching sight of a trainer with their Skitty, Zorua's form shimmered before a Skitty took his place. Huffing a laugh, Ash continued outside and headed towards the outskirts of the city.
Once he was far enough into the surrounding forest, Ash released his friends. The 'Skitty' in his arms almost startled from the hold once he caught sight of Styx. Hemlock happily waved and hopped around when he caught sight of 'Skitty'.
"This is Styx and Hemlock. I've known Styx for two years, and Hemlock for a little over a week." Both of Styx's heads snorted before she turned and started her warm up routine. Ash rolled his eyes.
"Don't mind her. She's a grump. Hemlock, start your warm up. We're just going to watch today. It's resistance training day." Ash sat back against a tree with 'Skitty' still in his arms. "I want you to watch Styx's warm up closely. You two have a similar musculoskeletal system, so your workouts will pretty much be identical. We will start light tomorrow." 'Skitty' nodded and watched.
Shifting the injured Pokémon to one arm, Ash rummaged around for the training weights and somehow managed to get them set up on his two Pokémon once they were ready.
"As you work on plyos, practice firing attacks at tree trunks. Hemlock, stick close to trees and hit with your punches."
Ash was happy to note Zorua looked entranced as he watched the two other Dark types train. An hour went by, and Ash gently stroked Zorua so he wouldn't disrupt the illusion.
"Styx, you've pretty much mastered Thunder Fang. Let's hold off on Ice Fang and instead start working on changing between Thunder Fang, Fire Fang, and Aqua Fang. Tomorrow we'll work on Dark Pulse. 'Skitty' here can help." Styx didn't respond but the left mouth lit up with flames.
"Hemlock, your Drain Punch is getting better. Now it's just about increasing strength. Do 100 reps on each fist, then we'll work on Double Team. It'll really annoy your opponents." The evil chuckle he got in return made him smile.
"Hey, do you want a name? It'll help keep you protected so I won't slip up and call you by your species name." The soft bark, which was very weird hearing from a Skitty, was immediate. Ash pursed his lips and shifted. He felt off balance every time Zorua was so easy.
"Bane?" Zorua shrugged and nodded before settling deeper into his hold. Ash tried not to let his bafflement show on his face.
They had lunch in the forest, with Ash off to the side so Bane could get to know the other two. The smaller Dark types were enraptured by Styx's right head as she snarled and growled and yipped a story. He could practically feel the left head's impatience.
Hemlock was running his fingers over where Bane's mane would be. He found thick fur fascinating. All the Dark and Fairy type had was a thin layer of fur that secreted an oil that masked their natural odor. Made it easier to sneak into places and cause chaos.
As the three bonded, Ash had his Pokédex open to research Zorua a little more. He never thought he'd actually get one. Guess he didn't need an Umbreon or Absol anymore.
Pure Dark types were few and far between. They had more skill blending, sneaking, and pouncing compared to dual types. They were the ultimate hunters. Thievul and Liepard were known for their silence while Mightyena and Umbreon were known for their cunning. If something precious went missing, be it an object or Pokémon, those were the first to be blamed.
Zorua and Zoroark were the masters of stealth. Disappearing into shadows or hiding in plain sight as common Pokémon, they were terrifying. Physical and special attackers with the speed to get away, no one wanted to face the foxes. Their defenses were poor, but if you couldn't strike them, what did it matter?
He never thought he'd have the honor to train one. Unlocking the full scope of his illusions would take time and experimentation.
Once his training plan was ironed out, Ash set aside the dex and got the brush.
"Alright, who's first?" Even though she acted reluctant, Styx was the first to lumber over. The right head rested in his lap and it took a second for the left head to follow. She had to keep up appearances after all.
Ash gently ran the brush through her thick fur and noticed more and more came away. Dragging his fingers through, he felt the tell-tale pricks of feathers peaking through the scales. Once dirt and grime was pulled from fur, Ash reached for the old toothbrush and started on the scales.
Three hours passed before all three Pokémon were clean.
Ash stood and stretched, his back cracking and popping after being seated so long. Bane was curled up asleep against Styx's right side while Hemlock was passed out after being groomed. He waved off the Dragon's curious glances and started on dinner.
Honestly, his funds were going to get depleted on protein and calcium supplements at this rate. With all the training and Styx getting closer and closer to evolution, they needed the supplements to keep up with the adaptations their bodies were making.
As the sleepy Pokémon ate, Ash contemplated Styx. She wasn't getting the battle experience she needed ever since they left Pallet. Back at the Ranch, she had her pick of the litter with opponents, but now… He'd have to find a Battle Club.
"Let's start heading back. Bane starts training tomorrow and we battle Brock three days after that. Thanks for your hard work today. Styx, you made great progress with the Fang attacks and your speed with them. Hemlock, I am extremely impressed with how quickly you created a double today. I wasn't expecting such a quick grasp of the move. Well done."
The thing about Chaos types was that if you praised too much or too little, it would spectacularly backfire. In his experience with the Chaos types at the lab, too little praise and they stopped listening and working hard. Too much and they viewed it as false platitudes and exaggeration.
Styx and Hemlock were returned and Ash scooped up a half-awake Bane. He would have to stay illusioned until they were out of Kanto. At least to be safe.
Ash stared at the shadowed ceiling, surrounded by the sounds of his sleeping team. Tomorrow he will challenge Brock for his first gym badge. Hemlock was ready, no doubt. Bane was a surprise. A pleasant surprise.
He was strong, sneaky, and ruthless in battle. He faced off against Hemlock after a warmup and the Impidimp almost went down before he managed to get a lucky Drain Punch in. The Zorua used every option available to him, Taunts and Agilities, Digs and Hone Claws when Hemlock was distracted. Bane would disguise himself as an Impidimp right before an attack to throw off the Dark and Fairy type's focus.
The resourcefulness must have come with dodging greedy trainers and poachers alike.
It gave Ash a good training plan. Unlike Styx, Bane wouldn't mind having non-damaging moves.
Ash didn't start Bane on any new moves, instead making sure his existing moveset was solid and coming up with a counter to Brock's Rock types. He did help Styx start Dark Pulse, however.
But now, in the calm of night, Ash couldn't help but think he wasn't ready. Oh, he was confident in his Pokémon. It was the trust in himself that was attempting to waver.
The past few years had been a hard fought battle to achieve a semblance of self-esteem. Ash wasn't stupid, he knew that he had issues, specifically with trust and abandonment, feeling like people wouldn't' stick around no matter what you did. Even Oak felt like an exception to the 'rule' sometimes.
Half his life he'd been trying to prove himself. That he was worth something. That he could be something. Most days he was fine.
As if sensing his turmoil, he felt a huff of hot air on his bare arm. Gleaming fangs caught the moonlight, and in the veil of darkness where reputations didn't need to be sustained, Styx nuzzled her trainer's face, suffocating him with affection.
He tried to quietly spit out the hairs that got stuck in his mouth as he rolled over and wrapped his arms around the twin necks. Slowly, Ash was pulled from the bed and deposited against a warm scaly side. Furry growths that would eventually split into wings draped over him, and Ash felt the uncertainty drain from his body when the recognizable humming washed over him.
Sleep finally took him.
Hemlock and Bane: This guy accepts us and protects us
Ash: Why do they like me?
I like the idea that even Ash has some preconceptions of Darks in the sense of expecting them to always be difficult at first (like Styx)
Again, this is going to be a long story. My outline is up to 70 chapters. Questions won't be answered immediately, some not even soon. But they will be answered. I'm writing the story I want to write, all I can hope is you all enjoy the ride.