CHAPTER 7: Oshawott's overcoming

The path to Nimbasa City to get the fourth gym badge for Ash was long, but they felt that were closer from their destination. Ash, Iris and Cilan were meeting new friends, and rivals, at the same time they were catching Pokémon during their trip, they thought that they would be useful later on, even though it would be just once. In a moment, the trainers found Team Rocket's Meowth in bad condition. After recovering himself, he said that he was fired from the organization by a plan that had failed because of his fault, and he was wandering alone through the region, until he bumped into the three trainers. He didn't know where to go after that.

Ash, Iris and Cilan were very doubtful for Meowth, they thought that it would be about a plan that Team Rocket planned to steal Pokémon, but it seemed that the cat Pokémon was saying the truth, so they gave him at least the benefit of the doubt. Without nothing more for him to do, the trainers decided that Meowth accompanied them during the journey from that moment on, and he thanked them and he would help them in everything. Afterwards, Meowth went with Ash, Iris and Cilan during the trip towards Nimbasa City. He helped a lot during that time period, like to translate what the Pokémon that they came across on the way said.

Being almost close to Nimbasa City, they rested for a while before continuing. The Pokémon were sent out from their Poké Balls so they could rest and take fresh air. Oshawott was resting in some place of the area, while Snivy was looking him for a moment. According what her Pokémon partners told her, he had overcome a lot and had become stronger. She had to verify it. The grass snake went towards him to talk. She greeted him:

"Hello, Oshawott."

"Oh! Hi, Snivy, how are you?"

"I'm fine, and you?"

"Well… more or less, it seems."

"Why more or less?"

"It's about what happened to me with that Purrloin."

"Oh! That episode. You and Meowth fell in love of that Pokémon and you never knew that he was actually male."

"Y-yeah…" he said with a lot of embarrassment, "I haven't recovered at all from that yet. It was an embarrassing moment for me."

"Don't worry, you'll get over it later on."

"I hope. Anyway, what did you come to me for now? What do you wanna talk about?"

"I was told by our partners that you lost your scalchop once."

"Yeah, I remember that moment. I was battling against Stephan's Blitzle and with Double Kick it shot off to I don't know where. I was so scared and worried. I went to look for it desperately and I didn't find it anywhere. I thought that it had gotten lost definitively. I got sad because that."

"Is it so important for you to have your scalchop with you always?"

"That's right, for Oshawott it's necessary to have this object all the time. When once is born, that one is born with a scalchop. This object, for us, it's very valuable. It allows to battle and to cut objects and berries to eat them later. It's necessary to learn to use it wisely, and one is learning to use it for its daily life. If it gets lost, the Oshawott gets very defenseless and unable against any circumstances that requires to use the object. I can't attack or defend without my scalchop, that's why I freaked out so much after losing it, and we had to suspend the battle for the next day."

"What happened later?"

"Ash and me tried to look for it in middle of the thick foliage, but I only found with a cap of a bottle and a Joltik that attacked me and did me a lot of damage. Iris and Cilan tried to find another way to replace my lost scalchop. Iris gave me a very hard berry, but with a Thunderbolt from Pikachu it split and I received damage; later, Cilan used a cover from a kitchen recipient that he had, but I got affected as well by Pikachu's attack."

Snivy continued listening Oshawott's story, from one side she felt a little pity from what he had lived when he couldn't recover his precious object. He continued talking.

"Afterwards, Cilan had an idea: he used his Dwebble and ordered him to make a scalchop using a rock. He did it, but it was bigger, almost the same size as me. We tried to test it with Pikachu's attack, it worked, but the rock was so heavy that I couldn't keep it lifted for too much time. I got exhausted for making a lot of effort."

"Hmm… Did Ash do something about it?"

"Yeah, Ash and me did a special training for me to gain more strength to lift the rock scalchop. I put a lot of effort, but it was very exhausting and I got tired and sore by the demanding job that I had to do. Nothing had given results after that. It was only possible to leave the suspended battle from a while ago as unconcluded, and my scalchop that I had previously as lost."

"I see."

"At night, I was very sad for not having my precious object with me for the battle, it seemed that I wasn't going to recover it. But… in that moment, I didn't want to give up. I tried to do the special training from before to become stronger. Later Ash and Pikachu woke up to help me and encourage me to continue on. After a lot of work, I was able to lift the rock scalchop that Dwebble made for me. I was ready for the battle when the dawn breaks."

"And did you manage to win when they did the battle?"

"At the beginning I was very confident that I could win with my rock scalchop, I could reflect Blitzle electric attacks, but everything changed when he used Double Kick on it. It had been torn to pieces and I was defenseless against any attack, but… Ash was confident that I could win without my scalchop, so I had to trust him and be as careful as possible. It was a hard battle. Thanks to the special training, I managed to do enough damage and I moved quicker than before, until in the end, I was able to defeat Stephan's Pokémon. I felt… very happy for having achieved it. I thought that it was a lost battle, but I was able to win even without my scalchop. I'd overcome myself and felt very proud by that."

"I'm glad for it, and what happened later?"

"Axew appeared with my scalchop that I've lost the previous day. He was looking for it until he finally found it. I felt so happy for having my precious object back with me, I already knew how to fight without it, but in any case, I was happy for having me overcome and strengthen me."

"Very well, I congratulate you for you to overcome yourself, Oshawott."

"Thank you, Snivy."

"But there something that you had to overcome, and it was the fear of opening the eyes underwater."

"Right. When Ash was training with Tepig and me to win his second badge, I had learned Aqua Jet, but I couldn't aim well. Times later, in the battle that Ash had against Trip, they noticed that I couldn't open my eyes when I was in the water. The next day, Ash and me did a special training for me to lose that fear. You remember that you were playing with the other partners, right?"

"Yes, I wanted to play with everyone with a ball in that instant while you were with Ash. Well, it didn't last so long because Emolga threw me the ball too fast towards me, and I reflected with Vine Whip as an answer, and the ball ended in Dwebble's pincers. I was very angry at Emolga because, if it wasn't because she threw the ball violently towards me, wanting to attack me with the object, the ball wouldn't have deflated. Argh, I hate her so much!"

Oshawott was still a little overwhelmed with the rivalry that his teammate had with the Pokémon that he wanted to have a romance later on. It seemed they never were going to get along well after they met for the first time. Snivy continued talking:

"Anyway, the two of us noticed that Scraggy had gotten into a mess and we went to see what had happened, the others also went. Nobody expected that we received Poison Powder from some Foongus that Scraggy had annoyed in that moment, and everyone got poisoned."

"So that was what happened, I didn't know until they told me about that. It should've been terrible for you being poisoned in that instant."

"I couldn't move and my body hurt a lot. I heard that there were some medicinal herbs for the poison that were in the lake where we were."

"Right, they were inside of the lake in a place that a small Pokémon could access, but it would be difficult for me to look for it and pick them up, I haven't overcome my fear of opening my eyes under water yet. Ash had the idea that I'd guide me to where the plants were for me to pick them up, but there were several problems."

"What problems?"

"I got attacked by a group of Tympole, they were many and I couldn't deal with them without opening my eyes in the water yet. Ash insisted me that I had to open my eyes, and I tried to attack the group of Tympole, but I failed completely, until I was finally able to open my eyes and scare those Tympole, but the problems haven't ended."

"Really?"

"Yeah, a Stunfisk appeared and used Thunderbolt that forced us to leave the lake, and if wasn't enough, a Palpitoad appeared as well, who was the leader of the Tympole that attacked us before. It was very risky to deal with the two, but Cilan had an idea. He used a fishing rod and he took Stunfisk out of the lake, and he started to spin the fishing rod with the Pokémon in the air. That would give to Ash and me an opportunity to battle against Palpitoad. He was much stronger than me, so I had a hard time. In a moment, Ash ordered me to use Aqua Jet, but I haven't completely overcome the fear of opening my eyes in the water, until I was able to open them and I dodged Palpitoad's attack, and I was able to defeat him. In the end, Ash caught the Palpitoad and Cilan caught Stunfisk. Later, I went to get the medicinal herbs so the other Pokémon healed from the poison."

"So that was what happened. Fortunately, you were able to lose the fear of opening the eyes in the water and take the medicinal herbs out. We all are grateful with you."

"Yeah, I felt very happy that I have did something good and with success as well."

"Well, and now the last thing to talk for now."

"About what?"

"Why did you fall in love with a male Purrloin?"

"Well… the thing is… it turns out… it's not what you think. He catfished me, so to speak. He pretended to be a girl with that appearance and behavior only to take advantage of us. And oh boy that he got us into a serious trouble."

"It was to be expected. Purrloin are very skillful on tricking others. You feel on his charm and you almost didn't live to said it."

"That's true, I'm not recovered of that yet."

"Well, in any case, that wasn't what I wanted to talk with you."

"No?"

"Now I ask you, why did you fall in love of another Pokémon if you had planned having Emogla as a girlfriend? What happened to you to do such a thing? Did you think to be unfaithful to Emolga?"

"N-no… Uhh… I don't know how to explain it well. It turns out that… The most probably thing is you're not going to believe me at all if I tell it to you."

"Tell me and I will see if I believe you or not on your words."

"Okay… I… now that I realized… I can't control my love desire."

"You can't control your love desire?" while Snivy laughed in silence.

"It seemed that's it. I-I looked desperately for love that I now fall in love of any female Pokémon that seemed cute for me, so cute to try to win her heart."

"You say it as if something in your body has been malfunctioning for a specific reason, and that now you fall in love of any girl that you come across in your path, including a male Purrloin, even if you have another girl as a girlfriend. Yes, I believe you. I definitely believe you."

"But it can be true, that something has happened in the past that left me defective, so to speak, for me to fall in love of any female Pokémon that I see on the way."

"Hmm… I don't know, Oshawott, I see it like something very ridiculous. Besides, I was told that you were very jealous because Meowth also wanted to conquer Purrloin like you. First time that you behave in that jealous way."

"Yeah… First time that happens to me. I couldn't help it, I wanted to conquer that Purrloin and having him definitively."

"It's a pity that you two didn't realize that you were in love all this time of a male Purrloin until his owner said it."

"Please, Snivy, don't make me remember that embarrassing moment for me. Argh, how embarrassing!"

"Whatever, if you want to find love, you have to control your love desire and know well if the romances that you have and you are going to have are healthy for you. Remember that always, Oshawott."

"I'll try, Snivy. I'll do the attempt."

"Very well, I leave you rest alone now. So goodbye to you."

"Bye, Snivy."

And the grass snake moved away from Oshawott for him to rest calmly. Suddenly, Snivy stopped to say one last thing to her partner.

"Umm… Oshawott."

"Yes, Snivy?"

"I feel… happy, so to speak, that you have overcome your fears and you have strengthened over time. You really have become stronger and brave since you left the Professor Juniper's lab. I'm… proud of you for what you have achieved until now."

"Are you talking seriously? Do you feel… proud of me for what I've done?"

"Hmm… yes… so to speak."

"Wow! I haven't noticed of that. Thanks for that, Snivy."

"You know? In one moment, when I was inside the abandoned excavation, in the moment when I tried with all my strength to take you all out of there from being sucked by the dirt. I… I got worried and… I got scared… after seeing you all sunk in the mud. I thought that I would never see you all again, especially you."

"Right. One moment… you… do you worry about me too, as well as I worried about you in the beginning?"

"Hmm… since I was in… I met you, I know that you are an important part of our team, it's normal that one gets worried for its teammates."

"Wow! I didn't know about that either. You do consider me as a good partner. Thank you."

"Yeah. Ah! And I thank you so much for having us saved after we got poisoned near the lake… I l… thank you that you have done it well."

"Thank you so much, Snivy. Strange from your part, but thanks for that."

"Yes. I'll be always next to you, and I'll always l… lo…"

"Is something wrong, Snivy?"

"Oh, it's nothing, just my stuff. Very well, goodbye, Oshawott."

"Bye, Snivy."

And the grass-type leave her partner alone. They would soon resume their trip towards Nimbasa City, that there was a little left to reach their destination.