Here's the next chapter.
I'm sorry to say that I can no longer accept any more Pokemon recommendations as I'm starting to lose track of them all and it would be unfair to those who have submitted Pokemon if I start forgetting them.
Once the 'Potential Pokemon List' is shorter I will start accepting them again. I will add on the recommendations you have put forward in the last chapter, but please don't submit anymore once this goes out. Thank you so much to those who have recommended. You have been a great help in the development of this story. Thank you for understanding.
All of Charles' Pokemon and their names can be found on my profile.
Kunoichi69 – Thanks so much. There's definitely going to be more talking from Misty and Brock's Pokemon this episode. There's no hidden meaning behind Alice's want for the free hair products, she just likes free stuff. I would be annoyed if I missed out on free stuff.
The Pokemon will definitely have their spotlight in this chapter. I rewatched the episode and thought of ways that it could be improved. I do like your suggestions for names for the Tentacool, thank you for submitting your answer.
TurboDriver07 – Thank you, I'm glad you like the edits. It's a shame I couldn't do much with it, but hopefully this chapter will be better. The captain Edward Smith (who I named after the captain of the Titanic) certainly did deserve it.
Also thank you for liking the timeline. It was difficult doing all the maths.
Djinn – Glad you enjoyed it. The writing in the early series was a bit off, but I suppose they didn't really have the budget to have proper writers. Funny how things turn around like that. Thank you for the name suggestion.
Pokemonking0924 – Charles certainly did handle it well. I just wish I could have done more to that last chapter. I'm sure nobody blames Blissey for what she did to the captain. I'm definitely going to involve her more in this chapter.
I will keep some key elements from the episode in this chapter, but I added some things to improve it slightly. Thanks for the name suggestions and I'm glad you approve of the timeline.
SkullGreymonX – Thank you, I'm glad you liked the edits. Blissey will definitely play a special part in this chapter. And the reason why Alice wanted the hair products is just that they're free. She has a little obsession with complimentary things no matter what they are. Thank you for the name suggestions.
danielsnow – Yeah, I thought Flo getting a chansey will be cute. She can either raise it from an egg or catch a wild one. I haven't really decided yet.
Hopefully this chapter will be a bit better. Sorry about the last one. Thank you for reading.
BigEater – Thank you so much. Mystic and Cleo were certainly great in the last chapter, but I think this chapter is really when Cleo shines. I hope you like the changes I made to the Island of Giant Pokemon. Thank you for the suggestions for things to do instead of the beauty contest. They will be a great help.
MBS41 – Interesting question. think it's going to be a gradual thing before I'll devote a chapter or two on it. I think Charles is reluctant to investigate his past because he likes the life and family he has already and doesn't want to dig up the past. However, it's definitely going to be address in the future.
Thank you all for reviewing :)
("Pokespeech")
Chapter 19: Castaways
Charles's group
The six children travelled through the thick jungle, hoping to find any sign of civilisation. Sadly, they have been unsuccessful.
Alice looked over the map again and again, but no matter what she just couldn't identify where in the Kanto Region they were.
"It's so weird," Alice muttered as she looked over her map for the umpteenth time, "it's almost as if this place doesn't exist."
"Maybe your map is outdated," Brock suggested from up ahead.
Alice shook her head as she put the map in her bag, "I only bought it a few weeks ago," she said before she heard a sigh behind her.
She turned around and saw Misty looking down miserably and rolled her eyes.
"Misty, you're not still jealous of me capturing a tentacool, are you?" Alice asked, earning a small glare from the red haired girl.
"Hey, I'm not jealous!" Misty crossly denied before she pouted, "I just can't believe somebody got a cute tentacool before I did," she mumbled.
"I'm sure you'll find a tentacool who would love to join you, Misty," Charles told her from the front of the group.
Ash snicked from behind Misty, "Not with that attitude she won't," he muttered to himself which was, inevitably, picked up by Misty.
Thwack!
"Ow!" Ash cried, rubbing his aching head, "Charles, Misty just hit me!" he complained loudly.
Charles looked over his shoulder with a frown, "Stop treating me like the parent of the group. I'm the same age is you," he scolded, "But I swear if you two keep misbehaving I will turn this group back to where we came from."
"Are we there yet?" Flo grumbled to herself, rolling her eyes at everybody's antics.
"So, Alice have you named the tentacool yet?" Brock asked as he looked over his shoulder at her.
Alice smiled at the question, "I was thinking of naming her Ruby."
"Aww what a cute name," Misty cooed.
Charles was about to agree when he saw a clearing up ahead. He smiled and turned his back to the others.
"Hey guys, there's clearing. There might be a building or something," he told them, making the others cheer in joy.
They all started to run, hoping to find somewhere they can find contact for help. However, once they passed the foliage and into the clearing, they found themselves in a shadow.
A very large shadow.
They group slowly looked up and screamed in fright of the gigantic Pikachu loomed over them. It was as tall as 10 story building and was so big that it blocked off the sun.
"A Pikachu!" they cried as they backed away from the behemoth.
However, Charles frowned when he noticed something. This Pokemon was unusually still and, after taking a closer look at its face, seemed to have some rust on the corner of its mouth.
"It's…a robot," Charles said as he approached its giant foot.
The other blinked in surprise and took another look of the thing towering over them.
"How do you know it isn't a Pokemon?" Ash asked as he scratched his head.
"Well, Ash," Charles said as he inspected the yellow foot, "I'm no Pokemon expert…"
'Yes, you are,' the others collectively thought with deadpanned expressions.
"…but they tend not to be 100 feet tall…or made of metal," Charles finished, using his knuckle to knock on the foot to emphasise his point. The knock made a hollow metal sound and confirmed that Charles was right.
"But what's it doing here?" Brock questioned as the other approached the gigantic pikachu.
("Hey, you folks alright?") squeaked a tiny voice, although only Charles knew it said.
They looked around and saw a rattatta passing by along the edge of the jungle. He titled its head curiously as the group of children, probably not having seen humans for a long while.
Charles gave a friendly smile and kneeled in front of the rattata, "Yeah, we're a little lost."
("You're actually very lost,") the rattatta bluntly said, seemingly unbothered by Charles' ability, ("we haven't had humans on this island for at least a year,") he told him much to his surprise.
"A year," Charles repeated as the others crowded around, "What happened here?"
("A few humans came along and built those things,") the rattatta explained, pointing to the gigantic Pikachu, ("as well as a bunch of other buildings and railway lines. It was led by this scary human in a suit with a mean looking persian. I think they wanted to build an amusement park with the giant robots as attractions. It was called...") the rattatta tapped his chin with its small claw, ("...What was it called again? I can't remember now.")
"Charles, what did it say?" Flo asked.
Charles translated what he said as the rattata kept on trying to remover the name. Suddenly Alice gasped in realisation, making everybody jump in surprise.
"Wait, do you mean Pokemonland?" she asked in confirmation.
"Pokemonland?" the others chorused in confusion.
("That's it!") the rattatta squeaked, ("I knew it was something stupid like that.")
"You've heard of it," Misty said, earning a nod from Alice.
"Yep, I remember my mum talking about. It was this amusement park built by this private company that completely flopped after the first week. It didn't take people long to realise that 'Pokemonland' is literally anywhere in the world and didn't want to pay to see a few fake Pokemon."
"They didn't exactly corner the market when they designed this place," Alice said with a small giggle.
"So they just abandoned it," Brock concluded, earning a nod in confirmation from the rattatta, "might explain the giant animatronics and why it wasn't on Alice's map."
"Yeah, but this also means there must be a place to communicate to someone like a phone or a radio," Misty suggested.
"You're right," Charles said before turning back to the helpful Pokemon, "would you mind leading us to the buildings you were talking about. We can give you some pokefood in compensation."
The rattatta jumped on to Charles' shoulder, ("Say no more. It's a bit of a walk though, we'll get there by sun down.")
Charles hummed as he stood to his feet and started to walk in the direction the Pokemon told him to go while the others followed him. He looked up at the sky and saw the evening approaching. He was worried about Benny and the others and now it's getting dark it will be harder for them to find.
"You wouldn't happen to see a Pikachu have you?" Charles asked the rattatta on his shoulder.
("A giant one?")
"Normal sized and has golden fur."
("Can't say I have,") the rattata replied, much to Charles' disappointment, ("friends of yours?")
"Yeah, we were separated," Charles told sadly told him, earning a comforting pat from the rattatta.
("I wouldn't worry about it. There ain't any dangerous Pokemon on this island and the slowpokes are helpful. Although talking to them is a bit of a pain,") he said with a roll of his eyes.
Charles smiled at him gratefully, "Thanks that's good to hear."
He stared up ahead, his mind focused on his team. They were more of capable of looking after themselves and Charles was convinced they were focused on what's important.
Benny's Group
("Hey Boa, you know how don't have any legs,") Kani asked the ekans.
Boa sighed, ("I am very aware of that.")
("Cool, so how do you like move?") Kani asked as he scuttled alongside her, ("You know without legs.")
Boa chuckled lightly, ("With grace and elegance as any queen should be,") she answered haughtily, earning a eye roll from everybody else except for Kani, who nodded in interest, and Pyro, who smiled politely with a small sweat drop.
They had left the beach a while go and, like Charles' group, were trying to find any place that could help them. Benny and Cleo were taking in turns to drag the egg on a leaf, making sure it was safe, while the others walked on behind. Benny and Cleo, being the most mature of the group, were starting to get worried. They had been traveling through the jungle and haven't spotted a single Pokemon or human yet. However the best they could do is keep on going and listen to the idle chatter from the rest of the team.
("Wow! That's interesting Boa,") Kani commented, making Boa's proud smile widen, ("But what does that have to do anything with how you move?")
Boa smiled faltered slightly, ("Well...it's important...very important.")
("How come?")
("...you have to be an ekans to fully understand my skills in mobility,") Boa lamely excused, starting to sweat slightly.
("You mean you don't know,") Titania bluntly deducted, making Boa hiss angrily at her.
("Of course I know,") the ekans denied crossly ("why would I not know.")
Titania smirked up at Boa, ("No need to get defensive. There's no shame in admitting that you don't know your own basic biology. It's not embarrassing at all,") she snarked, causing Boa to look away with a humph.
("So what if I don't know,") she admitted crossly, ("I just do it. I never thought about it before. I bet you don't know why you have a bushy tail.)
("How do you mean? If your referring to basic function of a tail then it is mainly use for balance as it acts as counterbalance for when I'm walking or doing other activities. However, if you're referring to why my tail is bushy then that's because it's used for regulating body temperature or, when it's cold, I could use it to cover my face to protect from the elements,") Titania answered without a single hesitation.
...
...
...
("I hate you,") Boa muttered, making Titania grin victoriously.
("You know, despite the hostile environment, I'm learning a lot,") Kani told Pyro who nodded in agreement.
Cleo and Benny listened to the argument with deadpanned expressions.
("You know we can just say that we lost them in the gyarados attack and just ditch them,") Cleo mumbled jokingly to Benny.
("Don't you dare,") Benny mumbled back, ("Charles would see right though us,") he said to which Cleo reluctantly agreed.
(A.N: For anybody whose interested, snakes have ridge like muscles on their bellies to help them move along. However, there are actually four ways they can move. For further details, I recommend a YouTube video called 'How Snakes Move' by Snake Discovery. It's really interesting.)
The two Pokemon's ears perked up as they heard a voice from nearby. They stopped, making the others stop behind them, and turned to each other. Benny raised an eyebrow inquisitively and pointed to himself as if to asking if he should investigate. Cleo shook her head, pointed at him and then at the ground to say that he should stay with the egg while she investigates. Benny nodded and Cleo silently sneaked under the bushes.
She came out the other side and saw some of Ash's Pokemon team talking to each other and was about to approach them when she heard Squrtle talk.
("You know I've heard about these sorts of places,") Squrtle told the others with mischievous grin, ("They're full of vicious Pokemon who like to eat smaller Pokemon like us.")
Charmander shivered nervously, ("R-really?") he asked as Pikachu gave the water type a scathing look, while Bulbasaur sighed in irritation.
Cleo hummed in annoyance at his attempt to scare them and thought of a devious plan.
("That's right,") Squrtle confirmed as he pulled a scary face, ("They sneak up behind you…") Cleo snuck up behind him, ("…and before they attack, they give a horrifying roar.")
At that moment Cleo cried the loudest roar she could muster right in Squirtle's ear.
("AHHHHHH!") Squirtle screamed jumping away from the smirking Cleo in fright.
The rest of Ash's team laughed in amusement as Squirtle turned around and glared at Cleo in anger and embarrassment.
("What was that for!?") Squirtle demanded as Cleo raised an eyebrow at him.
("That's for trying to scare your friends when you should be finding our humans,") she scolded before turning back to the bush she came out of, ("Guys, it's alright. It's Ash's team,") she informed.
The bush parted, thanks to Boa and Pyro, and Benny dragged the egg through the gap followed by the others. He placed the leaf down as the two teams greeted each other and approached Pikachu.
("Glad to see you're alright. I take it you guys are lost as well,") Benny said earning a nod from Pikachu.
("That's right,") he said, ("We tried talking to this slowpoke, but it didn't respond…or do anything. We were trying to find some higher ground further inland.")
Benny hummed in concern, ("Well the best thing we can do is stay together and hopefully find another native Pokemon.")
("Why bother,") sighed an irritated Bulbasaur, ("they've just abandoned. That's what humans do,") he said earning glares from the other Pokemon.
Pikachu frowned as he looked at his team member, ("Bulbasaur we've been through this. Ash would never abandon us.")
("What's his deal?") Benny whispered to Pikachu.
("Bulbasaur was abandoned by his trainer before we found him. Let's just say he's not totally over it, but he's getting better,") Pikachu explained.
Benny sighed, ('Another problem we have to deal with,') he thought miserably but before he could talk some sense to the grass Pokemon a maniacal cackle rang out though the jungle.
They all turned and groaned as they saw Meowth jump down from the trees before them. He smiled wildly and pointed at them challengingly.
"You think you could escape from Team Rocket! No chance! Surrender and join us or feel are wrath!" Meowth declared.
…
…
…
("You're lost as well, huh,") Benny said, making Meowth fall over in despair.
("He's not the only one,") sighed Ekans as he slithered out of the bushes behind Meowth. He was then followed by Koffing who floated above the two.
"Guys, great timing," Meowth said as he stood back on his feet, "In the name of Team Rocket, attack the twerps' Pokemon," he ordered, closing his eyes in confidence.
("Sorry about him,") Koffing apologised to the group making Meowth's eyes snap open in shock, ("We're not really friends. He's more of a work colleague.")
("Do you mind if we join. We just want to get back to our masters,") Ekans said with a worried frown.
Benny shrugged, ("No probl-")
"Wait a minute," Meowth interrupted, "What are you two doing!? We can't join the enemy's team!"
Koffing and Ekans gave the talking Meowth annoyed glares, ("Grow up, Meowth. This is a serious situation,") Ekans told him.
("Yeah, and also, you can't tell us what to do,") Koffing added, much to Meowth's anger.
A tick mark formed on Meowth's head as he hissed at the group, "Fine, then I'll just have to defeat you all by myself," he proclaimed, causing the rest of the Pokemon to sigh.
("Really, you going to fight all of us. Just you,") Titania snarked.
…
…
…
"Okay, I'll be good," Meowth whimpered in defeat as he hung his head.
("Well now that's all over,") Benny said as he turned away from a depressed Meowth, ("We can focus on finding our trainers.")
Bulbasaur groaned, ("I keep telling you. They abandoned us. We can't trust them,") he complained.
Ekans and Koffing frowned in worry, ("Abandoned us, but we're their Pokemon,") Koffing said worriedly.
("I don't want them to leave us,") Ekans added as he hung his head sadly.
Benny was about to step in, but once again Cleo got there before him.
("Alright, stop it now,") she hissed, ("They didn't abandon us or leave us. I assure you they are doing the best to look for us. All of us,") she calmly reassured before turning to Bulbasaur with frown, ("Bulbasaur I'm sorry about what happened to you, but that was in the past. I may not know a lot about Ash, but Charles trusts him and therefore I trust him to not abandon his team. Stop this negativity now, you are being unhelpful,") she crossly demanded.
Bulbasaur scoffed but reluctantly complied.
("Good enough, I suppose,") Cleo muttered, ("Alright everyone, let's head further inland, we might fin-")
"Hold on," Meowth interrupted as he stormed over to Cleo, "Who made you the leader, huh?"
("Nobody did. I'm just suggesting the most logical steps we need to take,") Cleo said, her patience for Meowth starting to waver.
"Logical steps? Don't make me laugh, leave it to a girl to get us lost," Meowth smirked, earning growls from Cleo, Boa and Titania.
("Okay, let's not involve gender in this, shall we,") Benny suggested sweating a little as the other males nodded frantically in agreement.
Meowth ignored him and turned to Cleo challengingly, "I say we should hold an election for who should be leader. Me vs her," he declared.
("Meowth we don't have time for this,") Benny complained.
("No, no. I think we should,") Cleo said with a confident smile, much to everyone's confusion, ("we each give a statement why we should be leader and whoever gets the most votes win. How does that sound?")
"Perfect, but I get to go first," Meowth said.
("Of course, you would,") Cleo muttered.
Meowth got into to position in front of the group and cleared his throat.
"My fellow Pokemon, I stand before you today to gain your votes to be your future leader. I am the best candidate for the job because not only am I a member of Team Rocket, and therefore have been trained by the best, I have mastered the ability of human speech and walking which proves my intelligence. A vote for me is a vote for you guys' future. So join me and we will become the greatest most powerful Pokemon on this island. What do you say? Those who vote for me, raise your paw," Meowth finished, raising his paw in the air.
He was met with silence from the group. Not a single Pokemon was thrilled by his speech. Cleo casually walked in front of Meowth and cleared her throat.
("Vote for me and you won't die,") she simply said.
Every paw, claw and tail raised for Cleo. Koffing nodded in agreement since he didn't have any limbs. Meowth fell over in defeat while Cleo smirked victoriously.
("Good, let's get going,") she said as she led the pack deeper into the jungle with Meowth following begrudgingly behind, muttering miserably to himself.
("Hey Ekans,") Boa whispered to her fellow Pokemon, ("Do you know how we move?")
Ekans frowned in thought before shaking his head, ("Sorry, I never really thought about it.")
("That's what I said,") Boa agreed.
Titania shook her head when she overheard their conversation, ("Idiots,") she muttered.
Blissey's Group, Viridian City Docks
Blissey stood in front of a group consisting of the family members of our heroes. There was Alice's and Flo's mothers, Ash's mother Delia, Brock's father Flint and Misty sisters. Edith wanted to come as well, but her mother told her to stay at their village and hold down fort. They were obviously concerned for the children and sibling and made the trip all the way to Viridian City. However, the local Officer Jenny told them about the rescue operations looking for their families and there was nothing they can do except wait.
Blissey was not at all pleased about this which is why she called the meeting.
("Ladies...and Flint, I gathered you all today so we can search for my poor bab- I mean- our family. I'm tired of waiting and so I am taking the initiative and organising our own search party. It may takes days or it may takes years, but I promise that we will never stop searching for them. Will you join me?") she declared as she finished her passionate speech.
However, she was only met with blank looks from the group. She was confused at first before she realised that none of them could understand.
("Oh right, sorry I'm used to talking to Charles,") she apologised sheepishly.
"I'm very confused. What's happening?" Flint asked as he scratched his head.
Nurse Joy gave him a apologetic smile, "Sorry, she's very protective of her children."
"Children?" Daisy inquired.
"Charles and Benny."
"Their mother's a Blissey," Lilly muttered in confusion.
She yelped in fright as said Blissey got in her face and glared darkly, ("You got a problem with that, girl?") she threatened, causing Lilly to gulp.
"Sorry," she squeaked. She didn't know what the Pokemon said but she could tell that she need to apologise as soon as possible.
("That's okay, sweetie,") Blissey brightly said, walking away from the shook up Lilly.
"Anyway, I think that Blissey wants to organise our own search party," Nurse Joy continued to everybody's shock.
"What absolutely not!" Officer Jenny sharply denied, "Oh by the way I'm Alice's mother you must be Flo's mum," she introduced herself to Nurse Joy, her tone completely changing.
"Oh yes, Flo and Charles told me about Alice, it's so nice to finally meet you," Nurse Joy kindly greeted back, "the Blissey is Charles' mum and head nurse at my Centre."
Officer Jenny nodded, "I remember Charles mentioning her," she said with a smile before it dropped to a serious frown, "we can't go organise our own search party."
"Like what just happened?" Daisy muttered in confusion.
"It's just a mum thing, you'll get used to it," Flint answered, earning perplexed looks from three teenage girls.
Nurse Joy frowned at what she said, "Now hold on, I too want to look for Flo. She could be in danger."
"I agree," Delia added, "if my Ash is out there, I want to know that he's safe."
Officer Jenny shook her head, "These things take time. Forming an independent party would just complicate matters and interfere with the search. I would love to go, but my cousin holds jurisdiction in this city and she ordered us stay put."
Flint grunted, "But we can't do nothing. My children are depending on me to make sure their older brother is alright. I don't think I can take anymore waiting either."
"We want to look as well," Violet said as her sisters nodded in agreement, "Misty is our younger sister and we love her."
Officer Jenny hummed as the pressure began to build up on her. She felt her hand being held and looked down to a tears eyed Blissey.
("Please...there my babies. They're the most precious thing in the world to me,") she softly begged.
Officer Jenny sighed, "I have no idea what you said but I assume you're pleading with me," she deducted as Blissey nodded in agreement.
Officer Jenny looked at the sullen faces of the group once again and sighed once again.
"Fine, we can go," she finally said, making their faces light up in joy, "but we can't all go. Some of us have to stay behind and we also need a boat."
Blissey grinned and pointed to the harbour, (Luckily I came prepared,") she said as she pointed to large sailing boat.
"You were totally going to go no matter what I said," Officer Jenny deadpanned.
("Yep,") Blissey chirped.
After a quick discussion, the search party was made up of Blissey, Nurse Joy, Officer Jenny and Delia while Misty's sisters and Flint stayed behind. And so the search party set sail in the direction of where their children were last seen, ready to rescue them from danger.
Charles' Group
As the rattatta predicted, it was nightfall by the time our hero's had found the buildings. It had been a long journey, but they eventually made it to the ghost town filled with a couple of rides and small railway station. Paint peeling off signs, dilapidated wooden buildings and rusted metal was all that was left. The night only made it look creepier.
It was too dark for them to investigate so they decided to camp in one of the smaller wooden buildings and search once they had daylight. After they made a campfire, the rattatta took off after getting some food for his troubles. They decided to just talk for a while to keep their minds off their missing Pokemon.
"You know what would improve this place," Alice started, "if they actually had Pokemon that has never been seen before like extinct ones."
"How would that work?" Ash asked curiously.
Brock stroked his chin in thought, "Suppose that they found an ancient bug Pokemon preserved in amber resin, they could take their DNA and recreate the ancient Pokemon."
"That would be cool," Misty chipped in.
"Really?" Flo asked sceptically, "I feel like it would lead to some sort of disaster."
Charles shrugged, "Or five disasters...each one less good than the one before."
"The last two would be the worst ones, right?" Flo asked.
"Definitely," Charles agreed, "and extremely unnecessary."
They decided to release their Pokemon so they can be out of the pokeballs. Onix, Geodude, Zubat, Staru, Starmie, Goldeen, Pidgeotto, Butterfree, Alette, Apollo, and Ruby sat nearby with their own campfire with Onix circling them all and Goldeen in a transparent tank which they found in one of the buildings. Mystic wanted to stay in her pokeball due to the lack of water around.
However, instead of talking like their humans, they had to watch Apollo carry out an 'initiation ceremony' on the poor tentacool.
("Name?") Apollo barked sternly at Ruby.
Ruby didn't respond as she was too afraid to speak in front of a large group and even more afraid of the growlithe.
("Name?") he repeated.
Ruby gulped, but didn't respond, earning an annoyed look from Apollo.
("Come on. I you are going to be part of my master's elite team then you have to answer simple questions,") Apollo berated, causing the other Pokemon to sigh.
("Apollo stop it. She clearly doesn't like this,") Alette said, almost tempted to drag him away by the scruff of the neck.
("Yeah, relax dude,") Geodude piped up in a gravelly voice.
("Relax,") Apollo scoffed, ("I never relaxed in my life, and I am not starting now.")
Goldeen frowned in concern in her tank, ("You've never relaxed. Not even when you were younger…with the other growlithe.")
Apollo chuckled in amusement, ("Growlithe don't relax,") he stated as if there was nothing wrong with what he said.
("What? Of course, you do,") Pidgeotto retorted, ("All Pokemon need to rest. Pidgey and pidgeotto rest by talking to each other on trees or on electrical wires.")
("How do you not get electrocuted?") Starmie asked curiously, earning a shrug from the pidgey.
("I like to relax in sand baths,") Onix piped up, earning a nod in agreement from Geodude.
Ruby held up a nervous tentacool to get everyone's attention, ("I…like…to…float…in…the…water…and…let…the…tides…take…me…places,") she said in almost a whisper.
Apollo frowned in confusion at what the others were saying before he smiled in realisation, ("Oh I see what's wrong. You see I went to an elite growlithe training school where we didn't do fun,") he explained.
("You guys didn't have recess. That seems a harsh,") Staru stated.
("Oh, we did,") Apollo told them, ("Twice a day for hour we would have a recess and I will be ordered to guard the perimeter fence for intruders.")
("The humans running the school told you to guard the fence during recess?") Zubat asked for clarification.
("Negative, my fellow growlithe did.")
The other Pokemon glanced at each other, trying to make sense of what he was saying. However, it was Alette who finally realised what happened.
("Apollo, two more questions,") Alette said with a sad expression on her face, ("Was the fence you were guarding far away from the other growlithe?")
Apollo blinked in surprise at the question, ("Now that you mentioned it, yes it was.")
("And finally, what did you think the other growlithe were doing during recess?")
Apollo raised his eyebrows, ("Well…they didn't tell me. I just assumed they were carrying other duties when I was…") it suddenly dawned on Apollo, ("…gone.")
The other Pokemon looked on sadly as Apollo bowed his head at the revelation.
("They were trying to get rid of me…weren't they,") Apollo whimpered.
The others glanced at each other in worry once again, not quite sure what to say to him. So, they let an awkward silence fall between them.
Finally, Alette scooted and patted the ground next to her, inviting Apollo to sit next to her. Apollo looked up at her curiously, but he still had an upset expression on his face.
("You're not in school anymore,") Alette told him, ("Come and relax with your friends.")
Apollo was hesitant at first, looking at the others kind and warm expressions. Feeling a bit more encouraged, he slowly went made his way to the spot and sat down with a small smile on his face.
("Thank you,") he quietly said to Alette.
("Hey, have I told you guys about how Ash caught me,") Butterfree suddenly said, ("It's hilarious.")
The Pokemon got in closer, eager to hear what Butterfree had to say.
Apollo wagged his tail; happy to be included.
Benny's Group
Benny and Cleo glanced back at the group behind them and saw how tired everybody was. They had been traveling for a while and yet they haven't found anybody.
They frowned in concern and turned to each other, ("We should probably stop for the night,") Benny suggested.
Cleo nodded in agreement, ("Maybe we can find a cave or a large tree or a-")
("Slowpoke,") Benny interrupted.
("Slowpoke?") Cleo asked in confusion before turning to where Benny was looking and gasped at seeing another Pokemon standing absentmindedly next to a tree.
It was quadruped Pokemon with a pink body and a thick tail. It had a white muzzle which held a goofy grin and its eyes stared off into the distance. Despite the dopey expression, Slowpokes are incredibly wise and intelligent Pokemon. So wise, in fact, that they have no need for any sort of urgency and preferred to live their lives slowly. Very slowly.
Benny and Cleo made sure the egg was safe before bounding over to the Slowpoke, happy to find a native of the island.
("Hello, my name is Benny and this Cleo,") the shiny Pikachu introduced them, ("We're very lost so-)
("Hel…lo…there…") the Slowpoke spoke monosyllabically, accidentally interrupting Benny.
("Right…hello,") Benny awkwardly said, ("We were wonde-")
("…my…fri…en…ds…") the Slowpoke interrupted again.
Benny and Cleo share a look.
This time Cleo decided to speak, ("Do you hav-")
("…how…can…I…help…you…")
Benny sighed, ("Just let him finish,") he whispered to Cleo.
And so, they waited.
And waited.
And waited.
They shared another look and decided that he was done speaking.
("We-")
("…to…day?")
("FOR GOODNESS' SAKE!") Benny shouted in frustration as Cleo sighed.
("Sorry we have a had a stressful day,") Cleo apologised as Benny try to calm down.
The Slowpoke nodded in understanding, ("Food…and…rest…ple…ase…fol…low…me,") the Slowpoke said before turning around and slowly walked away.
Cleo and Benny blinked in surprise before smiling in relief. They called the others to follow them.
The Slowpoke provided the Pokemon with food and shelter under the shade of large tree for the night, to which they were very grateful for. Very soon, every Pokemon was either eating, talking or, in Titania's case, acting aloof and staying away from everyone.
Cleo watched over all of them with a relieved smile, happy that everyone was fully rested. Benny came up to her with bunch of berries in his paws and sat down next to her.
("Here,") he said offering a few berries to the Meowth.
Cleo shook her head, ("No thanks, give it to them first,") she said nodding to rest of the Pokemon.
("There's plenty of food. You can eat as well,") Benny told her, but she shook her again once again.
("I'm not hungry anyway.")
Benny stared at her for a couple of seconds before he started to chuckle. Cleo raised an inquisitive eyebrow as turned to the laughing pikachu.
("What's so funny, rodent,") Cleo asked in a slightly threatening tone.
Benny smirked at her, ("I just didn't expect you to be the big sister of the team,") he explained teasingly.
Cleo frowned, ("What are you talking about?")
("You know, the big sister. Always making sure everybody's safe and scolding your younger siblings when they misbehave. I've only just noticed it. How'd you comfort Sneak and Pyro and making sure Titania isn't being her usual self. It's not a bad thing, I just didn't think you would change so much since you've joined,") Benny told her, much to Cleo's annoyance.
("Hey! I haven't changed at all,") she crossly denied to an amused looking Benny, ("I'm still the independent Meowth from when I first joined. I do what I want, when I want. I don't look out for my 'younger siblings' as you stupidly put it- Pyro chew your food properly or you'll choke!") Cleo suddenly shouted at the charmeleon who nodded in understanding, ("-and I do not scold- Titania where are you going!?") she shouted at the eevee.
Titania was making her way towards some bushes when Cleo caught her. The eevee rolled her eyes and turned back to the Meowth.
("I'll be back in a minute. Is that alright with you, mum,") she called back mockingly.
("Don't use that tone with me. You stay where I can see you,") Cleo scolded, making Titania scoff and walk back to the group.
Cleo shook her head in annoyance before turning back to a smirking Benny.
("What?") she questioned.
Benny raised his eyebrows in response. It took a while for Cleo to realise what she did. Her eyes widened in surprise before she glared at Benny with an embarrassed hiss.
("Shut it,") she grumbled in annoyance as Benny laughed again.
Blissey's Group
It was morning when the mothers landed on the beach. They were amazed by Blissey's tracking ability. Since her fluffy coat allowed her to sense the feelings of humans and Pokemon she was able to track her children's feelings to an island that wasn't even on the map.
Nurse Joy, Officer Jenny and Delia watched Blissey as she closed her eyes in concentration, trying to find where her sons can be.
"Impressive," Officer Jenny whispered, "I never seen a Pokemon so great at tracking before."
Nurse Joy gave her sheepish smile, "She's only good at tracking Charles and Benny and nothing else. One time she lost her hat for two days," she told her with a small giggle.
("I didn't lose it. I just misplaced it,") Blissey crossly said with her eyes still closed.
Officer Jenny laughed as well. However she noticed that the fourth member of their party was unusually quiet. She glanced at Delia who wore a worried expression on her face. She placed a comforting hand on her shoulder and offered her smile.
"We're going to find your son. Please don't worry," she told her.
Delia nodded and returned a small smile, "I know...I guess I just can't help it," Delia admitted, earning understanding nods from the Officer and Nurse.
They were about to continue comforting her when Blissey's eyes snapped open and pointed in a seemingly random direction.
("That way,") she declared before marching into the forest.
The others watched her leave, laughed at her antics and followed her.
Charles' Group
Charles was the first to wake up, rubbing his eyes tiredly.
"Morning Benn-" he began to say like he did every morning for seven years.
However he stopped when he realised that he was not there. He sighed sadly and stood up so he could wake up the others.
'Today Benny. We're going to find you,' he thought as he shook Flo's shoulder gently.
Flo grumbled and swatted his hand away, "Not now mum, Charles is about to propose," she muttered in her sleep.
Charles blinked in confusion, "Propose what?" he asked.
Flo's eyes snapped open once she realised that it wasn't her mother's voice. She gave a sheepish smile to Charles and stood quickly to her feet.
"Good morning," she greeted anxiously with a large brush.
Charles raised an inquisitive eyebrow, "Morning Flo...what was I proposing?"
Flo started to sweat and fiddle with one of her hair ringlets, "You were about to propose...that we...continue the search for the Pokemon. Nothing else," she frantically said before turning away, "I'll wake the others."
She walked away, leaving behind a very confused Charles.
Soon everybody had awoken up and started to investigate the buildings for any sort of telephone or radio. When half an hour had passed with no results, they were about to give up. That was until Ash shouted from inside a building.
"Hey, I think I found something!" Ash called out.
They rushed to the building and saw Ash standing in front of a old fashioned telephone on a wooden table. Ash picked up the receiver and held to his ear.
"I don't hear it working," Ash sadly said as he placed the receiver back on the phone.
"It must need a power source," Brock hummed, "Did anybody find a generator of some sort."
"I think I saw one," Alice said, "I see if I can get it working," she told them before running out of the building.
"I'll help," Misty said before she followed her to a smaller building near the edge of the park.
Unlike the others, the building was made out of bricks and had a tall metal fence surrounding it. Luckily, the gate was open and walked in without any bother.
"Strange, there's usually electric type Pokemon running about," Alice observed as she looked around the interior.
"They must of left with the workers," Misty suggested as they ventured into the building.
The two headed to the back to where the generator was left still intact. They looked around for a manual or set instructions to help start the generator.
"Found it," Misty declared, pulling a large book from off a shelf.
She started to flick through it, eventually finding the right page. She started to read from it while Alice followed her instructions. Slowly the generator start to light up and start to him to life, earning a relived sigh from the two.
"Then you just press the green button and that should be it," Misty told her, pointing to said button concealed by a transparent plastic box.
Alice lifted the box up and pressed the green button. Suddenly the generator began to groan and sputter to life, causing the two girls to cheer in delight.
"Great, let's tel-"
CRASH!
A loud deafening noise erupted outside, surprising them both. They instantly left the building and ran to see what was going on. They met the others outside who also rushed out to investigate.
"What was that!?" Alice cried, looking frantically around.
Ash gasped and pointed into the distance, "Look!" He shouted as everybody turned to where he was pointing.
He was pointing at a giant robotic Blastoise trudging through the forest. Like the Pikachu animatronic, it was rusted in places and its colour was slightly faded, but it was moving and snapping its jaws like it was designed to do.
"Why is it moving?" Flo asked in confusion as the robot made it across the forest.
Brock scratched his chin, "It must of been activated when the generator turned on. I wonder if the other robots are moving"
"Maybe we should turn it off then. The local Pokemon might be in danger," Charles mused, "we quickly call the mainland then turn it off before it does any damage."
"Right," everyone agreed.
However before they could make the call, they heard a cry somewhere in the forest. Startled, they turned to the forest. To the group it sounded like a Pokemon was in distress, but to Charles, not only can he hear the cry for help, but he recognised the voice.
"Pyro," he gasped.
Benny's Group
A few minutes before they started to generator, Benny slowly woke up and rubbed his eyes.
("Morning Char-oh right,") he was about to say before remembering he wasn't there.
He stretched and got to his paws and look out over the other sleeping Pokemon. He couldn't see the Slowpoke among the crowd and guessed he was gathering breakfast.
("I suppose I have to wake them up,") he sighed tiredly to himself.
Fortunately, and unfortunately, he didn't have to.
CRASH!
A booming noise woke everybody up in a panic. They turned and shouted in fright as a giant figure loomed over them threateningly. It was a giant charizard, the orange on its scales were starting to fade and one of its wings have fallen off and it was heading straight for them, spewing fire from its mouth.
Meowth summed up what everybody was thinking.
"RUN!" he screamed before taking off in the direction away from charizard.
The others followed suit with Pyro grabbing the egg. The Charizard pursued them, stomping its way through the forest.
When everybody had left, Slowpoke slowly made his way out of the bushes with an armful of berries. He looked around, trying to find his guests.
("They…did…n't…want…break…fast?") he asked himself.
Meanwhile, Meowth, Ekans and Koffing were way up ahead then the others. Panicking, Meowth decided to turn a sharp left out of the way of the charizard's path and was closely followed by the other two Pokemon. However, the others didn't see them turn a different direction and kept on heading straight until they came to the foot of a tall rocky cliff. The Charizard was close behind them so they couldn't turn around meaning they were trapped.
Benny gritted his teeth in frustration before making a quick decision.
("Everybody we need to climb the cliff,") he declared, ("I need some of you to take the egg up the cliff side and some of you to keep the Charizard at bay. The first Pokemon to reach the top of the cliff needs to call for help. Is that clear!)
("Right!") they all agreed.
Since Pyro was the biggest out of all of them, it was decided that he would be the one to carry the egg up the cliff. Bulbasaur used his Vine Whip to climb himself up the cliff before turning around and using his vines to carry Pyro up. Pikachu, being on of the better climbers, followed him up the cliff to make sure Pyro was stable. The rest of the Pokemon were sending out attacks at the robot charizard, trying to slow it down.
Once Pyro was in the top of the cliff he quickly placed the egg safely on a pile of leaves.
("Help!") Pyro shouted into the forest, ("we need help!")
Benny heard his shouting and, whilst still shooting electrical attacks, turned to the other members of the attacking team.
("Okay, the egg is safe. One at a time, peel off from the group and climb the cliff. Charmander you go first.")
Charmander nodded, stopped his attack and headed to the cliff. Bulbasaur helped him up with his Vine Whip and soon he was safe on the cliff as well.
Soon others started to follow.
The next was Titania who denied Bulbasaur's help and elegantly climbed up the cliff herself.
Then it was Boa.
Then Squirtle.
Then Kani.
Until the last two Pokemon left were Benny and Cleo. They were two were starting to get tired as they struggled against the charizard and despite their efforts it was getting closer and closer.
("What is this thing made of?") Cleo questioned through gritted teeth before sending another out another Swift attack.
("Never mind that. Cleo, it's your turn,") Benny told her, but to his surprise she shook her head.
("No way. I'll can handle it. You go next") she told him.
Benny glared at her crossly, ("What are you talking about. I'll handle it")
("You may be stronger, Benny,") Cleo admitted, shooting a Shadow Ball at the charizard, ("But you have to find Charles and lead the others to safety.")
("But-")
("Benny,") she interrupted, giving the Pikachu a serious look, ("I want to do this,") she told him.
They stared at each for a few seconds before Benny reluctantly surrendered.
("Fine. Just be careful,") Benny said before giving one more Thunder Bolt attack and retreating to the cliff.
Now that Cleo was left alone, the burden was put on her shoulders. She was beginning to feel the strain of all the attacks she sent out, but nothing seemed to working. The robot charizard kept on stomping towards her, the fire still spewing out of its broken mouth.
Cleo gritted her teeth in annoyance. She refuse to lose to a stupid robot. Her throat was sore, but still she opened her mouth once again to release another Shadow Ball. As she prepared the attack, one thing ran through her mind as the foot of the charizard was almost about to crush her.
('Stay away from my family!') she growled in her mind.
And that's when she began to glow.
Benny was almost to the top when he noticed the bright light behind him. His eyes widened in disbelief as Cleo's form began to grow. Her body became longer and more muscular. Her ears became rounder and her golden charm disappeared into her head. Her face became sharper and pointed.
Soon the glowing stopped to reveal a different Pokemon.
Cleo had evolved into a persian.
Felling more powerful, she released the Shadow Ball underneath the head of the charizard. Due to the robot's foot was off the ground, the blow of the attack knocked it off balance. Slowly before gravity took hold, the charizard fell onto his back with a loud metallic thud, sending electrical sparks and debris all over the place.
The Pokemon cheered from on top the cliff while Cleo sighed in relief, happy that it was over.
"Pyro! Is that you!" a familiar voice rang out from behind the Pokemon.
They turned and saw Charles run out of the trees, much to the joy of his team.
("Charles!") Benny cried as he ran and leapt into his arms.
Charles hugged his brother tightly, falling to his knees in relief.
"I'm so glad you're alright," Charles whispered as the rest of his team came up and hugged.
Titania kept her distance and rolled her eyes at the display.
("Oh great, a happy ending,") she muttered to herself.
She squeaked in surprise as Charles suddenly pulled her into a hug, "I'm glad to see you too, Titania.
The eevee gave an embarrassed scoff as she tried to escape his clutches, ("Yeah, I'm glad to see you too. Can you let me go now,") she said with annoyed sigh, causing Charles to chuckle and release her.
He was checking on the egg when the others burst out of the trees. Ash instantly went to his missing Pokemon who were more than glad to see him.
Charles passed the egg to Flo, "Is it alright?" he asked in slight worry.
Flo inspected it using all her expertise and smiled once she was done, "It looks fine to me, but we need to have a proper inspection at a Centre."
"Wow! Look at that!" Misty gasped looking over the side of the cliff.
They all gathered around and gasped at the destroyed charizard. Well...what they assumed was a charizard since most of it was completely destroyed.
"What happened here?" Alice asked as she stared at the demolished robot.
("Robot attack. I'll dealt with it,") said a mature female voice.
The looked to the side and gasped once again at the smiling persian standing nearby.
"Whoa, who's that Pokemon?" Ash asked himself as he took out his pokedex.
Persian: Although its fur has many admirers, it is tough to raise as a pet because of its fickle meanness.
The others may have been confused, but Charles instantly recognised her.
"Cleo," he said as he kneeled down in front of her, "you evolved," he stated as he stroked her head.
Cleo rolled her eyes playfully, ("Of course I did,") she said, ("I should have done it ages ago. I feel great.")
"You look great," Charles complimented, "I'm proud of you Cleo."
The persian smiled and was about to respond as the robot down below started to screech. They turned to it in panic as the machinery started to whir and light up once again, despite it being destroyed.
("Damn, it's still working,") Cleo muttered crossly.
However before they could do anything, the robot suddenly turned off. The lights snapped off and the noise it was making fell deftly silent.
"Is it destroyed now?" Ash questioned with a tilt of his head.
Brock rubbed his chin thoughtfully, "I don't think so. It looks like it's power supply has been cut off."
"Cut off," Charles repeated, "you don't think the generator is broken."
"I hope not," Flo sighed, "otherwise we won't get the phone working."
Alice shook her sadly as she came out of the generator building. After putting the Pokemon back in their pokeballs, the group returned to the park site a while earlier and Alice was given the responsibility to check if the generator was broken. However, by the look on her face, the attempt was fruitless.
"It looks like it's broken beyond repair," she informed, making everybody hang their heads in defeat.
Cleo, who didn't want to in her pokeball yet, sighed, ("There goes our ticket out of here.")
"Well, what now?" Misty asked.
Charles rubbed his head, trying to think of a plan, "Well, I suppose we can head to the beach and try to hail a nearby boa-"
Suddenly Charles and Benny lifted their heads in alert and looked frantically around.
("Do you feel that?") Benny asked from Charles shoulder.
"Surely not," Charles uttered in disbelief.
The others frowned in concern at their odd behaviour, "Charles is everything alright?" Brock asked in concern.
Charles ignored the question and kept looking around.
("It has to be,") Benny whispered in awe.
("MY BABIES!") shrieked a voice from the forest, causing the brother's eyes to widen.
"Mum," they chorused before they were tackled by a pink blur.
Blissey assaulted the two with a tight hug while blubbering incomprehensibly about how happy she was that they were alive. The others watched the scene with shocked expressions except for for Flo smiled as she seen this many times and Cleo who just sighed in exhaustion.
"Mum, what are you doing here?" Charles sputtered, trying to get some air into his lungs.
("I came to save you two,") Blissey replied, ("But I'm not the only one.")
"Alice!"
"Flo!"
"Ash!"
Three voices cried out as they ran out of the forest.
"Mum!" Alice, Flo and Ash chorused as they saw their mothers run up and hug them.
They made sure their children were alright and unharmed before hugging them once again.
"Thank Arceus, you're alright," Officer Jenny sighed before noticing Misty and Brock, "your sisters and your father are waiting for you at Viridian," she informed.
Brock rubbed the back of his head at the mention of his father while Misty's face turned red in anger.
"They left the gym unattended," she muttered crossly, "I can't believe them."
"They were worried about you, Misty," Nurse Joy told her, "you can't blame them for that."
Misty's face softened, "Well...I suppose," she admitted.
Blissey stood up and pulled Charles to his feet, ("Come on, let's get off this island. The boat is waiting for us.")
"Where did you get a boat?" Charles asked in confusion as he was dragged away by his mother.
The others followed them, relieved that they're no longer stuck on the island.
Cleo walked by Charles, trying to get used to her new body. She felt stronger and powerful. She briefly wondered what moves she could use now. She felt a dull pain in her stomach and remembered that she hadn't eaten since the night before.
("Wish we didn't skip breakfast,") she mumbled to herself.
Charles heard her and gave the persian a sympathetic smile, "We'll get something to eat on the way," he promised before he noticed something, "You know, your voice has changed," Charles observed.
("What really?") Cleo asked in surprise,
"Yeah, it sounds more mature," Charles said.
("Like that of an older sister,") Benny pointed out, smirking teasingly at the persian.
Cleo gave him a light glare before shrugging, ("You know,") she said with a small smile, ("I don't think I mind being an older sister,") she admitted.
Benny chuckled lightly at what she said as they continued to travel through the forest.
Meowth, Ekans, and Koffing travelled down a dirt path, relieved to escape the giant Charizard.
("I hope they're alright,") Koffing uttered in worry as he floated next to Ekans.
("Yeah, we did kind of abandon them,") Ekans added, with a nod of his head.
Meowth turned and shook a paw at them threatening, "Quit it with the pity. We should of captured them when we had the chance," Meowth berated.
"There you are," a familiar voice gasped from behind Meowth.
"We've been looking for you all over the place," another familiar voice called out.
Meowth turned and gasped in joy as he saw Jessie and James running up to them. Their uniform was torn a little, but other than that they looked fine. Meowth began to run to them as well with his arms wide open, ready to embrace his comrades.
"Jessie, James. I'm so glad to see you guys," leaping up at them so he could hug them.
However the two humans completely ignored Meowth and ran passed him, making the Pokemon fall flat on his face. Instead, Jessie hugged Ekans and James embraced Koffing with happy tears in their eyes.
"We thought we never see you again," Jessie sobbed as she petted Ekans' head.
James did the same with Koffing, "Let us never part ever again."
Meowth raised his head and glared at his teammates.
"Some friends you guys are," he muttered bitterly.
Wow, quite the chapter.
Cleo finally evolved and has fully accepted her role as the big sister of the team. She definitely earned the title. We also had an insight into Apollo's past. It will be developed on later in the story.
There was a total of 40 characters in this chapter so it was difficult for me to give everyone a lot of dialogue. At least one character said one line of dialogue which will have to do, otherwise this chapter would be a lot longer.
Also I know that rattata was on the list of potential Pokemon for Alice, but I wanted to leave that later on. They will encounter many Pokemon on this journey, but not all of them would be want to join the team.
Anyway hope you enjoyed it and I'll see you next time.
Thanks :)