The masses of Saffron flowed around them like an invisible barrier was keeping everyone at a distance.
Truthfully, Ash wouldn't be surprised if that was the case. It certainly helped when he had to walk his bike through the never ending streams of people.
The Gym Leader hadn't spoken a word in the 15 minutes they walked through the city. She walked like she expected to be followed, so that's what he did. Eevee was looking around in wonder that was matched by those that passed.
Ash didn't ask where they were going, he didn't try to make small talk, instead he followed the stoic, powerful woman and tried his best to stay calm.
Why would Sabrina, The Psychic, know of him and seek him out? Only concerning answers came to mind.
When the leader abruptly turned, Ash was lost when they stopped before a coffee shop. 'Bittersweet' was written in bold font above a wooden door. Ash quickly locked up his bike and a small bell chimed through the half full cafe when they entered.
He trailed after Sabrina when she stepped up to the cashier.
"What would you like?" Her voice had a low, monotone quality to it.
Ash blinked. "Pardon?"
"What would you like?"
"Uh, a cappuccino, please."
Sabrina nodded like he'd answered correctly and turned to the grinning barista. "One cappuccino and one vanilla bean frappuccino please, you know how to make it."
"No problem, Sabrina, that'll be up in a couple minutes." Ash furrowed his eyebrows when the woman walked away without paying. But the barista didn't say anything, just kept smiling, so he shrugged and followed her to a table.
"You're very patient, Ashton Ketchum." He awkwardly slid into the booth and adjusted the now sleepy fox.
"Thank you."
Sabrina quirked a smile and leaned forward to rest her chin on her laced fingers. "You must be very confused, but yet you followed me here without question. Is that blind loyalty to authority figures? Is that poor self-preservation skills? Or is it trusting your gut instinct?"
"Mostly the last one. You forgot curiosity, though." The small grin turned into a full smile. Her fingers twitched and then two cups were floating over. His small cup was steaming pleasantly, while her own cup held a monstrosity.
He couldn't help his fascinated disgust as he stared at a six-inch-high swirl of whipped cream covered in white chocolate flakes and toasted coconut. Sabrina took a long pull from her straw and her eyes gleamed.
"I find sugar to be a great way to prepare for intense conversations." Ash gulped. "I have had visions of you, Ashton Ketchum-"
"Please just call me Ash, especially if you've been looking into my future." He said this with as much of a deadpan expression as physically possible. It got a light laugh from the leader. He reminded himself to hold his tongue; he didn't want to offend a Gym Leader, especially Sabrina.
"Yes, precisely. You have a fascinating life story and that will not change. I see hurt, determination, pain, success, discovery, fear, family, and so much more when I look into your past and future. It's truly remarkable. Yet, there's always a dark haze around my visions, like something is stuck to you, a shadow, always a few steps behind. Always there."
"Why are you telling me this?" Sabrina blinked and some focus came back to her eyes that he didn't realize was missing.
"I apologize. The main reason I wanted to speak with you is because I come bearing a… warning?... Yes, a warning of sorts. Listen well.
Upon the steady islands four
The fifth holds beasts ensnared
Do not blame the mortal bones
For sins of immortal air
Cornered by an soulless foe
Threats of ruin unchecked
Thrown in to enduring flame
An infinite need to Protect
Kneeled before life's slumber
Besieged by pain and sorrow
Believe that death is not evil
And fire knows no 'morrow
Fell'd by the darkest day
Yester's estranged will defend
But the shackled of this wicked tale
Will be forced to take again"
Sabrina's eyes suddenly took on a purple glow and a dual, echoing undertone layered over her normally raspy voice.
"Heal the heart of Beginning
Where roots have thinned and festered
Unchain the collared golems five
And free the divine ancestor"
The Gym Leader shook her head, her voice and eyes losing their otherworldly quality before she continued.
"All past harrows leading home
Defiled bloody bonds undone
A call for hope is a call for love
For a life that has only just begun"
Ash gritted his teeth, muscles in his jaw jumping as he held back the tide of trepidation and frustration. Eevee was clasped closer to his chest. "Are you able to elaborate further?"
"I can only say that each line refers to a different part of your journey. If I say too much, it changes the outcome. This was the compromise."
With his free hand, Ash tugged off his hat and ran shaky fingers through his hair.
'Alright, I'm guessing the first part will take place in Alola, since I have no plans to go to any other islands. The third part… someone I know will die? Why is there so much about flames and fire! Oh Mew, I don't want to think about that. The last is way too much to think about.'
Sabrina merely looked sad as she watched him. "You will certainly grow on your journey, Ash. Look at how you've grown already." She glanced at the sleeping Eevee and Ash felt his cheeks flush. He wrapped his other arm around the bundle and tried not to frown at the knowing smile. She had probably heard everything he just thought.
The leader leaned forward and put a hand on Ash's forearm, fingers gently tracing an interesting swirling pattern. "Good does come from this. There will be challenges and tribulations, but also light." She patted his arm oh-so softly like she was afraid of hurting him before leaning back. "I must say our battle will be… monumental." She looked uncomfortable before rolling her shoulders. "There are powerful forces in our world, Ashton. Do not underestimate them, do not grow complacent, and know-" Her eyes flared purple and an anger swept over her features before she continued, "you are good, no matter what anyone says or does."
Ash went to shake his head before he caught himself. He scoffed, but it was weak. A deep sadness overtook Sabrina's knowing eyes, but she withdrew her hand from his arm and stared down at the table.
"Ash, you have a certain perception of yourself that no longer holds true." Ash frowned, opening his mouth to spit vitriolic defensiveness. But Sabrina spoke again. "I know what it is like, to be viewed as an emotionless monster. But we feel more than most."
Ash closed his eyes.
"Let yourself feel." When Ash looked at her, loss, hurt, regret, but also hope shone in her eyes. It was very… human.
But his shoulders were pulled up to his ears, his hackles rising, heat flooding his face and eyes.
Who was she to say this to him?
The Psychic suddenly stood, flicking her fingers to send their cups flying to the compost bin. "I've kept you here long enough and forced you to have caffeine even though it's the evening. The least I could do is escort you to the Pokémon center."
Ash's face was stony, but he managed to stand up with both his arms occupied by a sleeping Pokémon.
They exited the cafe and after he grabbed his bike, carefully shifting Eevee, Sabrina's eyes glowing slightly making the bike move on its own. They were silent for a moment before Sabrina spoke in a hesitant and wistful tone. "I have an Espeon, you know. I remember him being that young. Although I got him when they weren't so… uncommon. Treasure this time, he'll grow quickly."
Ash looked down at Eevee, letting his mind focus all his mental energy on the baby. He'd only had him for a few days but, Mew, he wanted to protect him with his life already. He carded fingers through the tuft of hair on the crown of Eevee's head. Low purring came from the Normal type and Ash squeezed just a little more.
The walk was short for such a sprawling city, but he figured there were a few centers throughout Saffron. He looked up at the older trainer, her hair shone more green than blue in the setting sun and Ash was struck by how tired she looked.
He felt his ire towards her fading.
As he opened his mouth to say something, Sabrina cut him off. "Do not worry about me, Ash. There are some visions that require my focus and dedication. I'm hopeful by the time you return, Kanto will be peaceful once more." He felt a shiver go down his spine. He wouldn't describe himself as a coward, but he'd rather not be any place Sabrina feels the need to get involved.
"Thank you, Sabrina. I look forward to our future battle."
Her smile grew strained, deepening the lines of stress. "Until we meet again, Ashton Ketchum. Safe travels." With a parting nod, Ash entered the enormous center. When he turned back, she was gone.
Bag restocked, Pokémon healed, Eevee checked, and card key returned, Ash was ready to get out of this damn city. He now had proof his journey would be half shitty-half great, maybe three-fourths shitty, so that was wonderful.
Now that he wasn't with Sabrina, the river of citizens got way too close. He kept hitting his shin on his bike's pedal. He distracted himself by counting how many buildings were still undergoing reconstruction. So many were destroyed and damaged during the war that they were still rebuilding. He counted 43 before he reached the south end of the city.
He passed through the outpost and looked down at the tiredly blinking Eevee. "Hey, do you want to ride on my shoulder or in my bag? It'll get us where we need to go faster." The Normal type perked up and launched himself from Ash's arms and onto his shoulder. Ash waited until he had a good grip before mounting his bike.
Making sure to go slowly, he could feel Eevee shift around his shoulders as things caught his eye. The trip from Saffron to Vermillion was much shorter than Cerulean to Saffron, so it should only take two or three days if he kept up a good pace.
Ash felt his tenseness wash away the longer he rode. Being out of the city and moving again felt invigorating.
At one point, Eevee jumped up onto his hat and almost took a tumble off the bike before catching himself. From there, Ash had another head ornament.
While he biked, he spoke. Pokémon were born with a basic understanding of language and inflection, but they still had to learn words and ideas. He didn't know if Eevee was listening, but he felt it helped when he reaffirmed his goals.
Ash had to stop multiple times to feed Eevee the pre-approved formula Bill had given him. Speaking of Bill, he managed to get in a short call to tell him Eevee hatched. As an expert on the species, Bill assured Eevee was healthy as can be.
The Evolution Pokémon would grow rapidly for the first three weeks, and once it tapered off a bit, he could start battling.
Ash rode into the seaside town and breathed in the salty air. Blaring ship horns tore through the area often with Vermillion being a port city. They received a lot of the shipments here that were later distributed across the region.
He headed straight for the bike shop and ensured everything was in order before returning the bike. He took 11 days to get here, and the payment was finalized. As he left the shop, he looked up and saw thick storm clouds and heard rolling thunder in the distance. Vermillion was much smaller than Saffron, thank goodness, so he only got a little damp from the rain before he made it to safety.
Although safety wasn't what came to mind when he entered the center. It was mayhem.
Nurses, Chansey, Audino, and the odd Comfey were all bustling about, pushing stretchers and trying to heal heavily injured Pokémon.
Wow, Surge was going all out.
Because he was one of the lucky few to get a Pokédex, he got news updates as he traveled. It was announced while he was on the road that Lt. Surge was handing out SS Anne II tickets to anyone who managed to defeat him. He wasn't holding back.
The SS Anne II was a luxury cruise liner that traveled to and from Kalos. During the war, the original SS Anne was destroyed. Thousands of trainers, civilians, and Pokémon lost their lives. This new liner, named in remembrance, was a statement. Team Rocket would not leave a lasting fear.
SS Anne II would make a few stops along the way, one of which was Cinnabar. What he'd heard that made the tickets so desirable was the tournament that would take place before the ship docked in Cinnabar. Apparently the prize was three days in the Kanto Safari Zone.
The Safari Zone was ransacked during the Rocket War. It's taken almost 13 years for it to reopen. Now, however, there would be uncommon, foreign Pokémon. Before, there were rare Kanto Pokémon, like Chansey, Kangaskhan, Tauros, and Scyther, but now Pokémon from all over the world are available. There's a rumor there might be a few Beldum shipped in.
So yes, Ash understood why trainers were flocking to Vermillion. But did he just see a Pidgey on a stretcher? Alright, maybe these trainers needed to get beat down.
Although Ash could think of a few ways a Pidgey could take down Surge's Blitzle, particularly if the Flying type covered itself with Sand Attack as a makeship Mud Sport, or at least localize a Gust and Sand Attack to throw Ground particles into the air and give a layer of protection against Electric attacks. Blitzle didn't have the best defenses so if Pidgey could get close and land Pecks along its legs to limit its speed…
Ash tore his thoughts away, instead thinking about the possible Pokémon he could catch in Alola. And once he made it through the line, Ash was able to get a room for the next three nights. He'd set out for Alola on the 1st of July.
The SS Anne II left in two days, so all the hustle and bustle would fade after that. He'd attempt the gym then. For now, he was going to take a shower while his Pokémon were being healed, bathe Eevee, and plan his strategy against Lt. Surge.
A clean Ash with a towel-wrapped Eevee fell backwards onto the bed. Shifting the swaddled kit, Ash pulled out his Pokédex and started his research. He narrated what he was doing for the little fox.
"So Lt. Surge is the next Gym Leader we need to beat. He uses three Pokémon instead of two. His third Pokémon is always a Raichu. Obviously it's not his ace Raichu, but it's still a strong one. His second choice will most likely be a Magneton. Practically no new trainers have encountered Steel types yet, so this is a good test for them. Its defense is through the roof." Ash kept scrolling through the League archives on the Vermillion Gym Leader.
"His first Pokémon changes. He typically uses a foreign Electric type to throw off challengers. It's a toss up between Helioptile, Blitzle, and Alolan Graveler. I'm kinda hoping for the Graveler, just because Brock didn't use his Geodude." Ash turned the Pokédex toward Eevee so he could see the pictures. Ears twitched in response.
Time passes in that way, he moves on from Lt. Surge to Erika, then Janine, and so on until he covered the Big Eight gyms. He was just getting lunch prepared when his Pokémon were ready for him. He picked up the now dry Eevee and made his way downstairs.
The exhausted Audino handed him his three Pokémon and immediately moved on to the next trainer. All the inhabitants of the center were frantic enough that Eevee didn't get too many glances when he headed for the cafeteria.
Upon arriving, Ash pursed his lips before tapping his hat. Eevee got the hint and eagerly hopped up onto his hat. Now he got some looks.
Quickly grabbing the necessary food and berries, Ash carefully balanced the many bowls headed for the stairs. Walking through the throng of people again, he thought he saw Luke and Liam somewhere in the crowd, but disregarded it and made it back to the safety of his room.
Lunch time.
After spending the rest of yesterday grooming his Pokémon, Ash left early for Route 11, and found it filled with trainers.
Ash was feeling pretty good, his teammates had been on a winning streak and Hemlock had been more agreeable today. Bane's Shadow Ball was coming along nicely, and his Incinerate was getting more powerful.
Eevee was resting on his head, tail upright and waving as his nose picked up all the new scents around him.
"I would hope you have a permit to own that Eevee."
Ash scowled and whipped his head around, eyes landing on the owner of the pretentious, though accented, voice.
The first thing he noticed was a rather peculiar school uniform. It was unlike any Kanto uniform he had seen before. Violet pleated skirt, fitted white button down, matching violet tie, white high socks, and to finish it off, an odd violet bowler hat.
The teenager wearing it all was, admittedly, gorgeous.
She had to be about his age, long flowing brown hair with a couple pieces curling around her high cheekbones. Brown eyes were narrowed and her nose was scrunched ever–so-slightly.
"Not that it's any of your business, but I'm a Research Assistant for Doctor Bill Richards."
The girl's nose wrinkled even more but her shoulders lost some tenseness, an oddly assessing look appearing. The two sized each other up for a few silent moments, Eevee hilariously confused and wagging his tail.
"Dr. Bill Richards is an internationally celebrated researcher… Is he your sponsor?" The girl's tone took an innocent quality, and she slunk a step closer.
Ash blinked, frowning slightly in confusion. "No… Professor Oak is."
The girl gasped, bringing a hand up to her mouth. "Really? You must be pretty special."
Okay, what was happening? Ash had never had anyone speak to him this way. "Uh, I wouldn't say so."
A flash of frustration pinched her eyes before she flipped her hair, bringing a shoulder up to her chin to look at him. "I'm so curious, what is he like? The great Professor Samuel Oak?" Ash felt warmth in his face, like the first time Gary had made a dig at how unwanted he was. But this warmth was… different.
It was throwing him off, and Ash didn't like it.
Pallet Town was… not easy, but Ash knew what to expect from the people around him. It was predictable. People either hated him, were intimidated by him, or appreciated his intelligence.
This didn't feel like that.
"He's brilliant. He studies the relationship between humans and Pokémon, primarily the bonds between them and how they affect Pokémon's anatomy, cognition, neurobiology, and cellular regeneration. When I left he was doing a joint study with Professor Sycamore comparing affection-based evolutions and Mega Evolution-"
"I'm sure studying Lopunny and Lucario, right?"
"Yes! And comparing to Professor Sycamore's own Garchomp-"
"A beautiful Ground type, and what did Professor Oak bring?"
"His Snorlax, absolute behemoth-"
"And incredibly rare and hard to train, it must be the most rare Pokémon he owns."
"Not even close, his Charizard is on another level, and his Torterra is a tank."
The girl perked up, the analytical gleam in her eye that appeared before their back-and-forth got brighter. "Torterra? Those are… incredibly rare. Does he help supply Professor Rowan?"
Something… niggled in the back of Ash's brain, familiar and well-worn suspicion pushing through the unknown blanket that had befallen him since meeting this girl. His mind sharpened, narrowing in on the body language, batting eyelashes, and sharp smirk.
A smirk that suddenly struck Ash as very Gary.
"He might, I'm not sure. You must be very interested in the international scientific circuit, were you also sponsored by a Professor?"
The girl pulled her hair over her shoulder and ran fingers through it as she hummed. "Oh, no, I'm sponsored by Charles Goodshow."
It was only through years of burying emotional responses that Ash didn't outwardly react, but his heart rate picked up.
Charles Goodshow.
The Chairman of the Pokémon League. The man that united eight regions and is rumored to be adding a ninth. He's praised as a unifier, a peace-bringer, a tactical genius. He's well into his 90s, having dedicated the last 70 years towards his goal of global unification, yet he acted as young and spry as any teenager.
He needed five more regions; Orre, Almia, Oblivia, Fiore, and Paldea.
He was the closest thing they had to a World Leader.
You would think the man a dictator, or authoritarian, or even just power-hungry. But Goodshow just loved Pokémon. Every region under the League had their own appointed Chairman, and Goodshow had no say in which Champion led a region.
Ash didn't even know he sponsored trainers, but he shouldn't be surprised.
"Then wouldn't it be easier to get information out of him instead of me?"
The girl froze.
Her smirk turned into pursed lips. "Hn."
Ash had a feeling she wasn't used to being called out.
"How about we battle, and when I win you willingly and enthusiastically share the information I'm looking for?"
He resisted the urge to grit his teeth, refusing to give her the satisfaction of his reaction. She knew how to get to people, both how to get under their skin and how to pull them in. She was trying to rile him up, like Gary, and he wouldn't rise to the bait.
Ash had years of practice swallowing his own rage.
"And when I win," The girl lifted her chin. "There is nothing I want from you."
There was a beat of silence, and if Ash could describe the look on her face, he would describe it as shaken.
He felt his own blood go cold for reasons he couldn't begin to say.
She thinned her lips, upturned her chin, and turned to walk a couple paces away, like she was counting her steps instead of using an arbitrary distance like most people in Kanto.
Ash backed up and let his fingers dance along his three Pokémons. Ash raised an eyebrow, "As the challenger, you can choose how many Pokémon."
Even from far away, Ash could see the ice in her eyes.
"Three-on-three."
He heard a ping from his Pokédex, and he pulled it out to glance at the screen.
Giselle Goodshow has challenged you to a 3v3 battle
Accept
Decline
Ash tapped the screen, finally having a name to go with the face.
Giselle Goodshow.
Honestly that created more questions than it answered.
On silent agreement, the two threw their Pokémon, Hemlock landing on the field, mad grin bearing pointed fangs. Across from him, an alternately colored Wooper swayed.
Furrowing his eyebrows, Ash observed the brown Wooper for a moment before eying his own teammate.
"Field Set!"
"Double Team!"
The welling dread filling Ash's throat threatened to choke him when he saw what the Wooper was doing.
Spikes.
Toxic Spikes.
Stealth Rock.
Mist.
And finally Substitute.
All in the span of five seconds.
Ash squeezed his fists.
Hemlock was effectively a sitting Ducklett. One step would damage him and have him poisoned. Most of his attacks were close range.
Fuck.
His opponent was smirking, rather viciously, not even ordering her Wooper to attack, instead waiting to see what he'd do.
Flaring his nostrils, Ash rolled his shoulders. Fine. Let's go.
"Rapid Fake Out." The interesting thing about Double Team is that there was a miniscule amount of mass to each illusion. Not enough to damage, but certainly enough to distract. Hemlock and his clones reared back and clapped glowing hands together, creating a concussive shockwave that came together right on top of Wooper. After a few more, the Substitute was useless.
"Feint Attack." Sinking into inky blackness, Ash could see some spikes shift to the side as the Impidimp bypassed them. The next moment, a Drain Punch was slammed into Wooper's side, yet the Pokémon recovered much faster than anticipated.
Ash blanched when a Poison Tail struck his teammate, sending Hemlock crashing into the ground, flinching when stones, spikes, and poison attacked his body.
The poor Impidimp screeched in pain, his thin frame doing nothing to absorb the damage.
What was up with that Wooper?
The opposing Pokémon tensed its body in preparation to pounce, but Ash reacted.
"Fake Tears!"
The brown Wooper looked adorably confused and concerned when Hemlock broke down in tears a few feet in front of it. The Mist surrounding it didn't allow it to be stalled for long, an order for Poison Tail coming from its trainer.
But Hemlock had been given an opportunity to recoup.
Sucker Punch met Poison Tail, the two pushed against each other, Hemlock dropping his arm to allow his other to slam into the spines at Wooper's temple.
The Pokémon stumbled back, shaking its head from the confusion. Hemlock, flinching from poison and sharp protrusions, dove forward, Drain Punch poised.
"Sludge Wave."
A torrential geyser of sludge unproportionate to Wooper's body slammed into Hemlock's chest, pushing him back past Ash, past the edge of the field, and into a tree.
Ash didn't even wait to return Hemlock, saving him from hitting the ground.
He turned slowly, his mind working a mile a minute as he stared at Wooper.
It wasn't normal.
Giselle smiled innocently. "You like my Wooper? Isn't she something? A wonderful gift from an acquaintance."
Ash didn't deign to respond, instead sending 'Nidorino' onto the field. The illusioned Pokémon cried out when sharp stones and spikes dug into him. His illusion luckily held, but from his vantage point, Ash could see the purple sheen of poisoning.
"Dig." Faster than the other teen could react, Bane fought off the pain and clawed his way underground.
"Bulldo-"
'Nidorino' erupted from beneath Wooper, sending the smaller Pokémon flying into the air, Shadow Ball quick to follow and detonate against the muddy skin.
Wooper landed clumsily, her tail flailing to help keep her balanced, but another Shadow Ball struck her right in the chest. Wooper fell to the ground in a dead faint.
"Hmph." The girl returned her teammate and clipped the ball to her belt. She eyed 'Nidorino' critically and released her next teammate.
Holding a paw to its mouth, Teddiursa tilted its head adorably. There was an interesting roughness to its fur; not neglect, just a natural coarseness that gave it a wilder look.
"Entice!"
"Dig." Ash narrowed his eyes, really hating having to decode her calls. If he had to guess it was Sweet Scent and something else based on the pink tinge emanating from its body.
What was worrying was the girl's hooded eyes.
Teddisursa was frozen for a moment before pivoting on its feet and slamming a Power-up Punch right into a charging Bane's chest.
'How did Teddiursa sense Bane?' Ash gaped.
With a horrible wheeze, the illusion dropped, the Zorua dropping to the ground. The girl quirked an eyebrow but smiled.
"Fury Cutter."
"Fury Swipes!"
Bane was struck twice before he managed to parry the next. Sharpened claws met sharpened claws, Teddiursa was stronger but Bane was faster.
"Agility!" The Dark type blurred and vanished, the next moment ramming into Teddiursa with a full bodied Fury Swipe. Teddiursa stumbled, giving Bane time to rain flames down on the thick fur of the bear.
"Charm."
Bane shivered, the next swipe of his claws significantly weaker. The girl grinned widely and called "Fury Cutter."
There was nothing he could do. Bane's normal way of protection, Dark Pulse, would be useless against the Bug type energy.
Not waiting for the defeat, Ash withdrew Bane.
This was… unprecedented.
"Well, what will it be?" Giselle tilted her head, a very slight smile on the edges of her lips. Surprisingly it wasn't a smug look; it was worse. It was cruel.
Ash would have preferred smugness. Her tactics and strategies were sound, she trained her Pokémon masterfully for such young teammates, and she knew her rulebook, that was for sure. She was related to the Great Charles Goodshow; that above all else invited smugness.
Ash bared his teeth and brandished the Dusk Ball. "I'm not done yet."
She grinned.
Styx landed on the field with twin horrific screeches, the girl and her Teddiursa unable to withhold flinching from the sound. Even the Normal type couldn't stop the nervous clacking of its claws as it shifted.
"Scary Face, Dragon Pulse!" Teddiursa shivered and paled, the smoky apparition freezing it in place. Somewhat anticlimactically, the Dragon Pulse stuck it in its chest and sent it flying backwards, completely knocked out.
Styx was much stronger than most first-stage Pokémon.
Giselle returned her teammate, sending a calculating glare at Styx. Ash could see her mind working a mile a minute, before she nodded to herself.
Just like Teddiursa, the Donphan that landed on the field was… almost feral-looking. Its armored body had spikes poking out of it, and its already great tusks were large and curving upward.
While Giselle was a rookie like him, her Donphan was anything but. Much like Styx, Donphan must have been trained long before Giselle got a trainer's license.
Donphan trumpeted and pawed the ground impatiently, Styx stepping up to the challenge and shrieking once more.
Ash bared his teeth, Giselle raised her chin.
"Charge!" Donphan curled and shot forward like a bullet, the Rollout closing the distance in an instant. Styx needed no orders, legs bunching beneath her and using her incredible strength to launch herself into the air. The Ground type flew by, missing her by a hair.
Donphan turned on a dime, shooting back towards her, but she had used her time cleverly, a Dragon Pulse creating a crater in the ground, Donphan losing just a smidge of momentum.
"Work Up!" The weakened Rollout slammed into Styx, pushing her back and creating grooves in the ground. "Crunch!" Grabbing a long ear in each mouth, Styx's two heads heaved in sync, the Armored Pokémon trumpeting in shock and it was slammed into the ground, soft underbelly vulnerable.
"Aqua Tail!"
"Mud Slap!" Donphan's trunk struck, digging into the ground beneath it and flinging it into Styx's nostrils. With a roar, the Aqua Tail slammed into the earth beside the Ground type, Styx shaking her heads violently. Her sense of smell was almost as important as her hearing for tracking her prey; it was like being half blinded.
"Hyper Voice!"
"Flame Wheel!"
"What?" Ash gaped as Donphan combined Fire Fang and Rapid Spin to create a makeshift Flame Wheel. The 400 pound mass slammed into Styx, her fur smoldering where Donphan struck. She shrieked, roaring in pain but planting her feet, snarling in fury. Forelegs lifted and planted on the spinning Ground type.
Donphan trumpeted in confusion.
"Aqua Fang!" Water coated Styx's teeth, both maws a swirling vortex. Donphan's unarmored flank was attacked from both sides. The wailing cry from the Ground type was piercing, carrying on as Styx alternated biting heads.
"ICE FANG!"
Donphan reared back, snapping its head back.
Styx roared, two long gashes searing up her neck, flinging her onto her back. One of her appendages was crushed beneath her bulk, pulling another howl from the Dragon as she writhed.
"Play Rough!"
"STYX!" Even as he called out, Ash knew it was over. The Fairy energy surrounding Donphan would eat up any Dragon and Dark attack, even if it weakened the incoming charge. Styx screamed in a desperate pitch, Hyper Voice doing nothing to slow the charge.
The force of the Play Rough lifted Styx from the ground, spinning in the air and slamming back to earth.
Her body twitched, her throats growled; her mind and will trying to force her paralyzed body into responding.
But Fairy energy was a poison to Darks and Dragons, and she had taken a full dose of it straight on.
The pitiful whine from his starter as she realized she was beaten broke his heart.
Refusing to damage her pride by returning her, Ash ran forward, his only Full Restore in one hand and a handful of roseli berries in the other. In her confusion, Styx lashed out, but Ash moved his hand out of the way with practiced familiarity, shoving the berries in the left head's mouth and pouring the Full Restore down the right's throat.
The roseli berries would act like an anti-venom, purging the worst of the Fairy energy from her body, but she would still need a visit to the Pokémon Center.
The two heads whined and growled, her tail cracking the ground beneath her prone body in reflection of her wounded pride.
"Hey, we'll get stronger. Let's learn Iron Tail down the line to counter Fairy energy, okay?"
If there was one thing Ash knew about his starter, it was that she needed him to meet her halfway. She needed to know he would do his best to equip her with the tools she needed to succeed.
"Regain your strength. We'll train more." Huffing but backing down, her heads flopped to the ground, her breathing still elevated. Frowning sadly, Ash returned his starter, defeated for the first time, and clipped the well-loved Dusk ball to this belt.
Eevee crept forward and trilled, his ears pressed against his skull. Ash placed a hand on his head. "I know, Styx is very strong, it's shocking to see her lose. But failure is an important part of our journey, and it's only failure if you perceive it as such. I'm choosing to view this as a growing opportunity."
Even as he said it, Ash felt like a liar.
It hurt.
It hurt to lose, to fail Styx.
It hurt to lose to Giselle.
But Eevee didn't need to know that.
"Hm, I expected tears." Ash refused to turn towards her, instead continuing to stroke Eevee's head. Eevee, in all his juvenile preconceptions, bared his teeth and growled petulantly at the mean lady. Ash shook his head and scooped the kit up in his arms to stand.
Giselle was expressionless, but victory flared like wildfire in her eyes.
"Professor Oak does assist in breeding Turtwig for Professor Rowan as well as having a backup starter in case the Bulbasaur population takes another hit. He has never given one away to anyone but a starting trainer. You're out of-"
'Ah ah ah." Giselle showed all her teeth as she waggled a finger in his face. He wanted to bite it off. "I said enthusiastically." Bringing her hand back and folding her arms, she sneered.
"Go on."
Ash's nostrils flared, his eyes boring into hers. He looked down and he realized his hands were shaking.
Sometimes, he realized in the back of his mind, rage boiled over.
Ash smiled so wide, he could feel the skin cracking and breaking, a bead of blood welling to the surface. Giselle's breath stuttered in her chest when he stepped closer.
"I've been dying to tell you, no, I would kill to tell you all about Professor Oak's giant fucking land turtle. I've never been more thrilled to share any other piece of information in my life! I'm so happy to be telling a bratty schoolgirl with an inferiority complex the size of fucking Lumiose and an obsession with older men that one particular old man has a Torterra! A Torterra that he pimps out to the closest Grass type so he can supply a different old man with some Turtwigs! Or how, because of bloodthirsty and morally corrupt poachers, he sometimes doesn't have enough Bulbasaur so he'll give Turtwig as an option.
"Oh? Didn't you know? Bulbasaur bulbs sell quite high on the black market! Yes, apparently their bulbs have incredible medicinal effects, and the poachers will cut them off, throwing the still-alive Bulbasaur back to their dead siblings. But you don't care about that, my bad for bringing it up! Oh, I'm really excited to tell you this part; Oak has never given a Turtwig to anyone who already had Pokémon. Ah damn, I'm so sorry! Better luck with the next older man!"
Ash stopped his tirade, actually getting a good look at Giselle since he started, realizing he was looming over her.
Tears were trickling from her eyes, running down her cheeks. Her chest was heaving, clutching her Donphan's Pokéball to her chest. She looked at him like he was Yveltal incarnate.
She bolted.
Ash's eyes widened as he watched her run from him. He stumbled back, a hand coming up to his forehead as the ground blurred before him.
He was sucking in breath like he had been underwater, replaying everything he'd just said.
"Eevee…" He whispered, staring at the cowering Pokémon a few feet away. He didn't even realize he had left his arms. "I'm so sorry."
The kit was whimpering, and Ash closed his eyes to block the view that would forever be seared into his memory. He sunk to the ground, knowing Eevee would recoil from him if he tried to approach.
Ash would have done the same.
He buried his face in his hands and shuddered. "I'm sorry."
He wasn't just apologizing to Eevee.
A long time passed, the same scene replaying over and over and over again in his head.
Mew, he was awful.
There was a weight on his leg, and suddenly soft fur brushed against the back of his hands. Lifting his head, he saw a hesitant Eevee headbutting his wrist.
Flipping his hand over, he waited shakily as Eevee sniffed it before pushing his cheek into the palm, encouraging Ash to scratch.
The only sound for a little was Eevee's soft purrs, though they were less ardent than usual.
Eventually, Eevee allowed Ash to scoop him into his arms.
"I should have never said any of that. I'm not going to excuse my behavior, those were terrible things to say, no matter how angry I was. I let that anger get the best of me and I hurt people. I scared you, I scared Giselle. I'm going to work on it, figure out how to express it in less… damaging ways. Don't ever think it's okay for anyone to speak to you that way, especially me. Okay?"
Eevee's ears flattened but he nodded, pushing the top of his head under Ash's chin.
Squeezing the kit to his chest, Ash closed his eyes, exhaling slowly.
It took a while, but Ash finally started to head back towards Vermillion. He hadn't traveled far, so it was a short walk back to the city. Ash looked at Eevee and saw the kit still had wariness in his red eyes.
Losing was a significant lesson he wanted to instill in Eevee and so was handling big feelings. Ash was probably the last person to instill these lessons, given his obvious inexperience.
How he reacted to loss would shape how his Pokémon, in turn, reacted and what to expect following said loss. If he accepted loss but expected improvement following it, Eevee would know what to envision in the future.
So he repeated what he told Eevee as soon as Styx was returned. That loss was a learning opportunity.
He needed to hear it as much as Eevee. Maybe more.
The Normal type quickly forgot his melancholy and started wiggling in Ash's arms. Sighing, the trainer allowed the young Evolution Pokémon to jump down and dash around. He jogged after Eevee and it ended up turning into a game of 'keep away' when Eevee found a flower he liked and started running with it.
Ash appreciated the distraction.
Ash couldn't help the small smile that spread across his face when he finally caught up to the hyperactive kit and scooped him up into his arms. Ash settled Eevee on his shoulder, took the flower from his mouth, and looked around for a few more.
Putting past skills to use, Ash wove the stems together to create a small crown. Guiding Eevee's ears through it, the colorful flowers were adjusted before he removed his hands. Pulling out his Pokédex, he opened the rarely used camera app and snapped a shot of the fox.
The happy trill Eevee released upon seeing his picture filled Ash with warmth that he hadn't felt very much in his 15 years. It successfully chased away the lingering cold.
With Eevee cuddled back in his arms, crown still in place, Ash made his way into Vermillion, scanning his Pokédex at the outpost to prove he'd already been checked the day before.
Not wanting to waste any time, he headed straight for the Pokémon center. As hectic as the day before, he impatiently waited in line and ignored the trainers that tried to ask him about Eevee. He kept his expression fierce and soon even the most insistent trainers backed off.
The Nurse Joy of Vermillion didn't interact with him as much as the others had. He couldn't fault her, the bags under eyes were deep. He passed over his three Pokémon and allowed his Pokédex to be scanned.
He warned her about Styx and the Fairy energy wreaking havoc on her system.
Thanking the tired nurse, he turned and walked back out to the overcast city. He was just about to head towards the pier when he froze, one ear twitching.
"Ash!" He withheld a sneer and turned to see who was calling him. Ah, so he had seen them in the center yesterday. He kept his face carefully blank as Luke and Liam jogged up to him, both sporting too-wide grins to hide their unease.
He didn't really trust himself around other people right now.
Liam, always the more talkative of the two, waved awkwardly. "Hey, man, fancy seeing you here." Ash merely raised an eyebrow as Luke elbowed his twin in the side.
"What he means to say is, how has your journey been so far? Challenge Surge yet?" Luke's expression was genuinely curious and Ash had to wonder if journeys made everyone a bit more bold. First Viktor, and now these two.
"I'm happy to be out of Pallet. My journey has been wonderful for the most part. I'm waiting until the SS Anne leaves to challenge Surge."
Liam cocked his head to the side and his eyes kept darting down to look at Eevee. "You don't want to try and win a ticket?"
Shaking his head, Ash replied, "I'm heading to Alola in a few days. So no." Both twins blinked in sync. Luke shifted from foot to foot and the look in his eyes made it clear he was curious.
Rolling his eyes, Ash elaborated. "I have a specific team I'm trying to catch. So I'll be region-hopping for a while. We have plenty of time until the conference."
Liam, laughing awkwardly, nodded. "True, true, yeah we're… we're sticking around Kanto. I'm taking another shot at Surge tomorrow before the promo event ends." Ash looked to Luke and he got the unspoken question.
"I beat him two days ago. His Raichu is nasty, but Rhyhorn pulled through."
Liam crossed his arms and pouted. "Well, you only got the badge first because your starter is part Ground type. Doduo would have managed if she was a Ground type." Ash was slightly worried Luke's eyeballs were going to get stuck with how exaggerated his eye roll was.
He quickly interrupted the two squabbling twins. "So you got a Rhyhorn and you got a Doduo as your starters?"
The pout immediately disappeared from Liam's face. "Yeah! I decided I'm going to specialize in Normal types until we reach the Ranger corps. Luke here is full of national pride so he's only gonna be using Kanto-native Pokémon."
Ash frowned thoughtfully. Within the recent years, getting ahold of foreign Pokémon has become easier and easier. It was actually very commendable that Luke would stick to Kanto Pokémon. Mew knew some foreign Pokémon outshined Kanto Pokémon. Bug types being the notable example.
"Well, I wish you both luck." Ash was about to turn and resume his trek, Eevee looking curiously between him and the twins, when Liam put a hand on his shoulder.
The glare sent his way made the brunette hop back as if burned. "Sorry, sorry, uh, there was a reason I stopped you." When Ash made no move to walk away again, Liam rubbed the back of his neck and continued. "You've, uh, always been top of the class so I was, uh, hoping you'd give me some pointers on how to defeat Surge. Maybe. If you could."
Huh. Again with the boldness. Has he become more approachable in three weeks? Or did a tiny fluffy Eevee kit with a flower crown take away his intimidation factor? Ash couldn't tell if he hated this newfound interaction and that unsettled him.
If he was honest to himself, it was reassuring after what… after what happened earlier.
He sighed quietly before standing tall and looking the twin in the eye. Liam kept eye contact for a couple seconds before averting his eyes. Ash internally smirked.
"Fine." Liam's head shot up in surprise. "I'll help you out. On one condition." The more outgoing twin nodded quickly while Luke smacked his forehead in the background. "At the conference, when all the Pallet trainers are back together - if they all make it - each time Gary says anything remotely arrogant, you have to scoff and roll your eyes loudly and obviously."
Liam and Luke's jaws dropped before Luke burst out laughing. His loud guffaws brought embarrassed heat to Liam's cheeks. Ash was honestly impressed when Liam barely hesitated before holding out his hand to shake on it. The Chaos trainer smirked, shifted Eevee, and clasped Liam's hand harder than he probably needed to. Liam hid the wince well.
Honestly, Ash didn't expect all the Pallet trainers to make it to the conference. Only a small percentage of starting trainers actually managed to collect eight badges. Big Eight Gym Leaders only allowed two rematches per trainer, after all. The smaller gyms allowed five rematches. There were more than enough Gym Leaders in each region where you could stand to fail a few, but the Big Eight was always a goal.
"Brilliant. Let's head to the beachfront. Luke, you don't have to tag along." Said twin shrugged but didn't leave. Not caring either way, Ash led them through the city. The twins spoke between themselves, but Ash wasn't interested enough to eavesdrop.
A short walk later and the two made it to a stretch of beach that was pretty empty for this time of day. Spinning around, and crossed his arms to stare at Liam.
"Well? Release your team." Flushing, Liam tossed four Pokémons in the air. From the capsules, a Doduo, Persian, Jigglypuff, and unexpectedly, a Deerling emerged, a vivid green summer coat on full display. Three of the four looked confused, turning to their trainer who gave them a reassuring smile.
Jigglypuff bounced in place and waved at the red-eyed trainer. He spared a smile for the part-Fairy type. They were some of the more docile ones. Not that that meant much.
Ash didn't say anything for a short while, eyes tracking over the four. "Can I see your Pokédex? Or tell me the moves they know."
"Oh," He fumbled for his standard issue Pokédex, not nearly as nice as the ones the sponsored trainers got. "Here." Flicking it open, Ash looked through the movesets of the four and was impressed.
"Well, good news is you've been training them pretty well and their movesets are balanced. Deerling is going to be extremely useful, he has resistance to Electric moves, and he has Aromatherapy, which is why it's important to save him. Lt. Surge allows substitutions, and he's a huge fan of Thunder Wave, so if any of your Pokémon get paralyzed, you can switch out and use Aromatherapy, it'll last the entire battle, so if you send out another Pokémon, they'll be healed of their paralysis."
Ash let Liam soak up that bit of information before continuing. "If Surge uses Helioptile or Alolan Graveler, use Jigglypuff. Her combination of Sing and Wake Up Slap will be effective, and it'll play to her strengths. Use Defense Curl and Rollout to dodge and attack. Hmm, oh, she knows Flash. Interesting choice. Use it as a distraction only when you need to. It'll only work once before Lt. Surge will have a counter."
Pausing once again, he waited until Liam's eyes lost their glassy look. "Now I know you feel you must use Doduo, but until she's older, she won't be able to stand up to Electric attacks, so Persian is going to be your ace against Raichu, since she has Limber as her ability. You're very lucky she has the egg move Iron Tail. She can channel electricity into the ground if she shoves Iron Tail into the ground."
Luke and Liam's eyes bugged out. "Wait seriously? What the Nether, how do you know that?"
Ash pursed his lips to avoid scoffing. "I took joint theoretical physics and chemistry as an elective. Comes in handy when you want to know how elements and types interact." The twins looked gobsmacked before Luke shook his head and playfully glared.
"Ash, you took every elective except for Coordination 101 and Econ." It took Luke a few seconds to realize Ash was giving him a weird look, and he flushed scarlet but didn't offer up any more information.
"Right… anyway, don't be afraid to substitute. Try to wear Raichu down before Persian gets to it. If possible, get a Toxic TM from the Pokémart for Deerling."
Liam and Luke stared at him for long enough that he was forcing himself not to twitch in discomfort.
"That's the most I've heard you speak, like, ever." Liam was still staring as he spoke and Ash crushed any blood that wanted to rush to his face and glowered severely, defenses up.
"Would you rather I didn't give you multiple strategies to defeat Surge?" Liam flailed and waved his hands in front of him. He tried to speak but his words came out jumbled.
Luke chuckled and shook his head. "Thank you, Ash, we're just super impressed. It took you less than 3 minutes to come up with multiple viable game plans. Like, we knew you were smart, we've always known, but this is something else."
Eevee trilled loudly in pride and scrambled up to his shoulder so he could nuzzle the uneasy trainer. Unconsciously, he reached up to scratch the kit's chin and he tried to shrug nonchalantly, but it came out stiff and uncontrolled.
"Yeah well, I studied a lot. But you should practice those techniques, and Doduo is probably your fastest Pokémon, and Electric types are notoriously speedy, so use her to act as the opponent." Liam sent a thumbs up and a huge grin. Luke's smile was much more reserved.
"Thanks a bunch, Ash. Hopefully we'll see you before the SS Anne leaves." Eevee cried out in farewell as his trainer nodded and walked away. His heart was pounding throughout that entire exchange and it felt like he'd just run a marathon.
He walked faster than 'casual', and no it wasn't running away. But he couldn't help the odd feeling in his chest that he belatedly realized was pride.
The next day passed quickly. Ash, along with his two 'Eevees' watched as the SS Anne II pulled away along to the bang of fireworks in the twilight. Liam and Luke had been waving from the bow, the former waving the Thunder Badge around wildly. Ash gave a single salute back, his chest feeling oddly heavy as the twins became indistinguishable from the rest of the crowd.
He got in one more day of training and a good night's rest before deciding to bite the bullet.
Ash didn't schedule a battle at Vermillion, hoping it'd be pretty empty the morning after the ship set sail. Thankfully, his luck held out. The lobby was practically empty when he strolled through the front doors. His ship left later today, so this was his only chance to get the badge for approximately eight months.
The man behind the check in desk was trying to pull off a punk-rocker look and it would have worked, if not for the obviously fake eyebrow piercings. The man scoffed upon catching sight of him.
"Little late, aren't ya, kid? SS Anne II left yesterday." Ash walked closer and maintained eye contact with the older trainer, unaware Eevee was copying his intense stare from atop his hat. A bead of sweat appeared at the man's temple.
"I'm aware. I'm here to battle Surge." The man scoffed, but immediately started typing on the computer and took the Pokédex that was offered to him. A few clacking keys later, and the man quickly handed the Pokédex back.
"He's waiting for ya." Nodding, Ash turned and headed for the double doors. Before he slipped through, he heard, "creepy kid…"
Upon entering the main battle grounds, he took in the size and layout. It was a basic dirt field, no boulders, no water, nothing. Nowhere to hide.
"Did ya miss the memo? SS Anne is gone!" The enormous figure that was Lieutenant Surge released a boom of laughter that echoed through the large space. The Gym Leader must have been nearing seven feet tall, his spiked blonde hair probably adding four extra inches. Dark sunglasses hung from his army green tank top that was mostly blocked by his crossed arms.
Ash stepped up to the challenger box and shrugged. "Leaving for Alola today." Surge grinned wildly as he plucked a Pokéball from his belt.
"So you're Ketchum. Heard about ya from Violet. The eyes gave ya away. Not too common, them eyes, only know one other with 'em, and he's a right basta-"
"Surge! Let's just get this started." The referee was a woman in a similar army getup and giving the Gym Leader a deep frown. Ash hadn't even noticed she arrived.
The Electric trainer smacked a hand to his stomach and laughed again. "All right, all right, go ahead, Liz."
"This is an official Gym Battle of Vermilion Gym between Ashton Ketchum of Pallet Town and Electric Master Mattias Surge. This will be a 3 on 3 battle, and a victor will be declared when all Pokémon on one side are unable to battle. Substitutions are allowed. Both trainer will release at the same time. 3-2-1 Release!"
An exuberant Blitzle solidified on Surge's side. When Ash released Hemlock, the Impidimp laughed in a way that made a gut feeling arise in him. He suddenly wanted to puke.
"Blitzle versus Impidimp, 3-2-1 Battle Begin!"
Ash frowned and observed as Hemlock copied himself, ten clones started running around the field. The Wily Pokémon clones would pop up in front of the Electric type, feigning a Fake Out. Blitzle would move to use Flame Charge, or Thunderbolt, but each time, one of Hemlock's clones would rush forward and startle the Electric type.
Instead of two or three times, Hemlock repeatedly startled his opponent, randomly landing painful blows, and creating another clone each time one was dissolved. Ash's heart was sinking as he watched the Blitzle become increasingly anxious and terrified. Claws raked across its flank, eliciting a scared and pained bellow.
"Hemlock knock it off!" But his Pokémon ignored him. He felt cold.
Surge was shouting orders, but the young Pokémon kept flinching and stumbling back. Hemlock was laughing the entire time, the multiple clones making it sound like an evil echo in a horror movie.
The glare from Surge that disguised his true distress is what broke Ash.
"I forfeit."
Another long chapter, lots happened.
Sabrina's prophecy gives an insight into Ash's journey and what's to come
Ash still has a lot of growing to do.