Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon. It belongs to Nintendo and Game Freak.
Hi all,
Here's the next chapter. Ash returns to treat his mum's illness and continues to cultivate.
Chapter 7
Ash returned to Kurt's house. He noticed Kurt's expression held a mix of curiosity and wariness, his bushy eyebrows furrowed as he regarded Ash.
"So, you're a cultivator," Kurt said.
Ash grimaced. In his enthusiasm for the Apricorn pokeballs, he'd inadvertently revealed more than he'd intended. Maizie must have told her grandfather about their conversation. Although he used the excuse of being a collector, it didn't fool the old man.
Kurt smiled. "Relax, lad. If I were going to turn you in, I'd have done it already."
"Thanks for that. I appreciate your discretion."
Kurt nodded. "Now, about those pokeballs you were interested in..."
"Ah, right," Ash said. "Maizie mentioned you could make them. I was hoping..."
"I can," Kurt interrupted, holding up a calloused hand, "and I will. But not tonight. I am missing a crucial component. Once the trader comes through, then we can discuss it again. But be warned, the pokeballs won't be cheap."
"I will have to come back another time. My mum needs these antibiotics as soon as possible."
Kurt frowned. "It's dangerous to travel at night, lad. Why not rest here and set out at first light?"
Ash shook his head firmly. "I can't risk waiting. Every hour counts."
The image of his mother, pale and feverish, flashed through his mind, spurring his resolve.
"Wait here a moment," Kurt said, disappearing into another room.
When he returned, he was wheeling an old bicycle. Its frame was scratched and the paint faded, chipped in places to reveal the metal underneath, but it looked sturdy enough. The chain gleamed with fresh oil, and the tires, though worn, were fully inflated.
"Take this," Kurt said, patting the bicycle's seat. "It'll speed up your journey. Just make sure you bring it back once Team Magma clears out."
"That's incredibly generous, but I can't take it through the swamp at night. It's too risky."
He remembered the treacherous terrain and the Gulpin that had nearly overwhelmed him earlier.
Kurt's eyes twinkled. "Who said anything about going through the swamp?"
He pulled out a folded piece of paper from his pocket and spread it on the table. It was a trader's map of the first floor, far more detailed than Ash's own.
"There's another route," Kurt explained, his gnarled finger tracing a path on the map. "It's a bit longer, but it bypasses the swamp entirely. And look here—" he pointed to a series of markings along various routes, small symbols that Ash hadn't noticed at first glance. "These show the traders' routes and their schedules. If you time it right, you could intercept them without having to enter a town."
Ash leaned in, studying the map intently. His eyes traced the alternative route, noting the unfamiliar terrain it wound through. Despite the unknown factors, it seemed far safer than braving the treacherous swamp at night.
The trader's information was invaluable as well. A trader was scheduled to make a circuit of the first floor in a few days, starting in the southern section and visiting all the towns.
He could intercept the trader after they left Oldale town, on their way west to Azalea. It would be a perfect opportunity to acquire supplies without risking entry into a populated area. Another option was to meet the trader at the Pillar, but Ash quickly dismissed that idea. The Pillar was too visible—not a good choice for someone trying to keep a low profile.
"This is brilliant," he said. "Thank you, Kurt. For everything."
Kurt waved off the thanks. "You can keep the map. I already memorised it a long time ago. Just make sure you help your mum."
Ash grabbed the map and stuffed it into his backpack. With a final nod of thanks, he wheeled the bicycle out of Kurt's house and into the night. He pulled on his headlamp before climbing onto the bicycle, so he would have some illumination to light his way.
The night air whistled past his ears as he rode, the bicycle's wheels humming softly on the rough road. Every bump and pothole sent jolts through the frame, but the old bike held steady. Blitz hovered nearby, keeping pace easily. For a while, the journey was peaceful, the silent landscapes of the first floor sliding by in the moonlight.
But the peace was shattered by a sudden chorus of high-pitched screeches. Ash's head snapped up, his eyes widening as he saw a flock of Zubat descending towards them, their wings beating furiously in the night air. Their small bodies were barely visible against the dark sky, but their gleaming fangs caught the moonlight, a chilling sight.
"Bloody hell," Ash muttered, increasing his speed. The bicycle's chain rattled as he shifted gears. "Blitz, hold them off!"
Blitz sprang into action, electricity crackling around its body. A series of Thunder Shocks lit up the night sky, striking the advancing Zubat. Several Zubat fell back, stunned, but the rest pressed on.
Ash pedalled harder, his legs burning with the effort. The bicycle creaked and groaned under the strain but held steady. Behind him, he could hear the frantic beating of wings growing closer.
Blitz continued its barrage, each Thunder Shock illuminating the scene in stark, blue-white flashes. But there were too many Zubat, their numbers seeming endless in the darkness. Blitz's attacks were growing weaker as it expended more energy.
Just as Ash was beginning to fear they'd be overwhelmed, something changed. The Zubat's screeches took on a different pitch—not aggression now, but fear. They wheeled in the air, abandoning their pursuit and fleeing in a chaotic mass.
Ash's relief was short-lived. A bone-chilling screech split the air, so loud it seemed to vibrate through his very bones. A massive shape swooped overhead. Ash caught a glimpse of gleaming metal feathers and razor-sharp talons before the creature tore into the retreating Zubat flock. The sound of rending flesh and panicked squeaks filled the air.
"Bloody hell," Ash breathed, recognising the Pokemon. "A Skarmory. And a massive one at that."
He'd never seen one so large before. Its wingspan must have been at least twice that of a normal Skarmory. Its beak, curved and deadly, snapped up Zubat after Zubat with terrifying efficiency.
For a moment, Ash was tempted to stay and watch, his curiosity piqued by this extraordinary Pokemon. But self-preservation kicked in, reminding him of the danger. He didn't fancy becoming the Skarmory's next target after it finished with the Zubat.
With a final glance at the aerial carnage behind him, Ash refocused on the road ahead. It stretched out before him, a ribbon of darker black against the night-shrouded landscape.
The rest of the journey passed in a blur of heightened alertness. Every shadow seemed to hold potential danger, every rustle in the underbrush a possible threat. But no more Pokemon appeared to challenge them. The landscape gradually shifted from the wasteland back to the more recognisable outskirts of the landfill.
Relief flooded through him, giving him a second wind for the final stretch. He navigated through the twisted paths of scrap and refuse with practised ease, finally coming to a stop near their hidden shelter.
"We made it, Blitz," Ash said, dismounting from the bike. "Let's go check on Mum."
The musty smell of their makeshift home hit him as he entered—a mix of damp earth and rusted metal. Aron stood vigilantly by his mum's side., but upon seeing Ash, it trotted over. It headbutted Ash's leg in greeting.
"How's mum doing?" Ash asked, patting Aron's steel hide.
The Pokemon tilted its head and shrugged.
Ash approached his mother's makeshift bed, really just a pile of salvaged blankets on a creaky old mattress. Delia stirred at his presence, her eyes fluttering open. Ash's stomach clenched when he saw how much worse she looked. Her skin was pale and clammy, a sheen of sweat visible on her forehead. Dark circles shadowed her eyes, which seemed sunken in her gaunt face.
He removed a water bottle from the refrigerator and grabbed two antibiotic pills before returning to his mother's side.
"Here, mum. Take these," he said, gently helping her sit up, supporting her back with his arm.
Delia swallowed the pills with a weak smile, her hand trembling slightly as she held the water bottle.
"Thanks, love," she said. "I know the journey couldn't have been easy."
Ash shrugged. "It was nothing."
He carefully peeled back the old bandages on her leg, wincing at the angry red inflammation surrounding the wound. The skin was hot to the touch, and a faint, unpleasant odour emanated from it. Ash cleaned the wound as gently as he could, using water and a scrap of cloth. Delia hissed in pain but didn't complain as he worked. He wrapped it with new bandages before easing her back down onto the bed.
"Get some more rest," he said. "Let the antibiotics do their magic."
For the next few hours, Ash kept a vigilant watch over his mum, fighting his exhaustion. His eyes burned from lack of sleep, but he refused to succumb to fatigue. The antibiotics weren't an instant cure; he needed to make sure her condition didn't worsen.
Aron nudged him persistently, distracting him from his worried thoughts. The Pokemon kept bumping its head against Ash's leg, each time with more force. Suddenly, Ash realised what was happening—Aron must have sensed the Steel-type energy stored in his core, leftover from the dead Steelix.
Ash rubbed Aron's head, chuckling softly. He could feel a faint vibration coming from the Pokemon, almost like a purr. "Do I have another greedy fellow on my hands?"
Blitz beeped indignantly from where it hovered nearby.
"I need to give you a name," Ash mused, looking down at Aron. Its red eyes gazed back at him expectantly. "Since you protected my mum so well, I'm going to call you Bastion. Maybe we'll start a trend and have all my Pokemon's names start with 'B'."
After ensuring his mum was sleeping soundly, Ash retreated to his bed. He returned his Pokemon to his mind palace and followed suit, eager to examine Bastion more closely.
Bastion was level nine. His special ability was Rock Head. This ability prevented Bastion from taking recoil damage from moves like Take Down or Double-Edge, allowing him to use these powerful attacks without harming himself.
All of Bastion's stats were in the teens, typical for a Pokemon at this level. Defence stood out as Bastion's strongest attribute at nineteen, characteristic of a Steel-type Pokemon. His attack was a close second at seventeen, indicating a solid offensive capability to complement his defensive prowess. His health was above average, providing a good foundation for a defensive Pokemon. However, his speed was notably low, which could be a liability in battles.
Bastion's current techniques were limited to three: Tackle, Metal Claw, and Rock Tomb. The variety in techniques gave Bastion some versatility in battle. Metal Claw, being a Steel-type technique, received a boost due to Ash's affinity. Rock Tomb, while not as strong, added some utility with its ability to lower the opponent's speed.
The status techniques Ash could learn from Bastion were Harden and Roar. Since he already had Thunder Wave, he was leaning towards learning Harden. Although his Pokemon didn't need more Defence, he could use the technique on himself. Giving himself survivability was important.
It was a moot point for now. He couldn't learn another technique until he reached stage five of the Nascent Realm. Just like gaining new seeds for Pokemon, he could learn a new move every three stages. Stages two, five, eight, and so on.
Ash left Blitz and Bastion to absorb the Steel-type energy in his mindscape. They didn't need as much sleep as him, so they could continue to train while he rested.
His eyes felt heavy, the weight of the day's events pressing down on him. When his head hit the pillow, he was asleep almost immediately.
Despite Ash's exhaustion, he was up early the next morning. The first thing he did was check on his mother. To his relief, she seemed to be doing slightly better. Her breathing was more regular, no longer the shallow, rapid pants of the previous days. Ash placed a hand gently on her forehead, noting that it felt cooler to the touch.
Breakfast was a simple affair of canned soup and toast. Ash helped his mother sit up, propping her against a pile of folded clothes that served as a backrest.
"Here, Mum," he said, offering her a spoonful of the warm soup. "You need to keep your strength up."
Delia managed a weak smile, accepting the food without protest. It was a good sign; her appetite was returning. After she had eaten what she could, Ash helped her lie back down.
"Get some more rest," he urged.
As his mother drifted back to sleep, Ash settled into his cultivation routine. He reached for the remaining spiritual potions, grimacing at how few were left.
Over the next three days, Ash fell into a rhythm. He cultivated intensively, pausing only to tend to his mother and eat. The spiritual energy from the potions coursed through his body, and he could feel his power growing incrementally. Yet, frustratingly, stage five remained just out of reach.
Delia's condition continued to improve steadily, the antibiotics doing their work. By the third day, she was almost back to normal, much to Ash's relief. Her cheeks had regained their colour, and she was up preparing breakfast as if she had never been sick.
She even resumed her cultivation efforts, though she appeared no closer to making the initial breakthrough.
Despite the relative calm, Ash remained vigilant. He made regular checks of their surroundings, always on the lookout for any sign of Team Magma. The absence of the red-uniformed group was both a relief and a source of anxiety. They could still be preoccupied with whatever was happening in Azalea Town, but that situation wouldn't last forever.
As Ash's supply of spiritual potions dwindled to nothing, he found himself still frustratingly short of reaching stage five. His Pokemon, however, had made significant progress. Blitz had risen to level ten and learned Electro Ball. The new technique manifested as a sphere of crackling electrical energy that Blitz could launch at opponents. Ash watched in fascination as Blitz practised, the ball of electricity growing larger and moving faster as the Magnemite got the hang of it.
Electro Ball's power and speed increased based on how much faster the user was compared to its target. This made it potentially devastating against slower Pokemon.
Mastering the new technique wasn't instantaneous, though. Ash had to force Blitz to pause its energy absorption to practice Electro Ball. Bastion proved to be an excellent sparring partner. The Aron's low speed made it an ideal practice dummy for the speed-based move.
Bastion had also reached level ten, though it hadn't yet learnt a new technique. Ash spent time working with the Aron, focusing on improving its response time and agility to compensate for its naturally low speed. They practised navigating the uneven terrain of the landfill, with Ash setting up makeshift obstacle courses from the debris around them.
In between cultivation sessions and training his abilities, Ash delved into the books he'd taken from Courtney's collection. One volume, focusing on the Pillar, proved particularly enlightening.
He read about the strict requirements for ascending to a new floor. There was an upfront tax to be paid immediately upon ascension. Failure to pay could result in being unceremoniously sent back down to the first floor.
Additionally, new arrivals needed to register with local authorities, a process with several stringent requirements. Most egregious was the need to secure a place of residence within the first week of arrival. Ash tried to calculate how much all of this would cost, but he wouldn't know until he got there.
It appeared that people were trying to discourage others on the floors below them from moving up. It made sense, as they probably didn't want to share their resources with others. The second floor couldn't be much better than the first, after all.
The realisation that despite their efforts, they might still face insurmountable obstacles was disheartening. But none of that mattered unless he first defeated the Gym Leader.
As evening approached on the third day, Ash began preparing for his meeting with the trader. He spread out the trader's map on the floor, tracing the route with his finger. The rendezvous point was about a kilometre away from the landfill.
"Right then, Bastion," Ash said, turning to Aron. "Tomorrow's going to be a big day for us. We need to work on our coordination."
Bastion tilted its head, its red eyes fixed attentively on Ash. Despite its limited time with Ash, the Pokemon seemed eager to please.
"Blitz," Ash continued, addressing the hovering Magnemite, "you'll be staying here with Mum. Keep her safe, yeah?"
Blitz beeped affirmatively, spinning in place to show its understanding.
The following day, Ash stood at the designated location, waiting for the trader to arrive. He flexed his hand, focusing on the liquid metal beneath his skin. With a thought, he willed it to form a knife. The silvery substance flowed out of his pores, coalescing into a wickedly sharp blade extending from his index finger.
Ash frowned, dissatisfied with the speed. He retracted the metal and tried again, pushing himself to form the blade faster. After several attempts, he managed to shave off a second, but it still wasn't as quick as he'd like. In a real fight, those precious moments could mean the difference between life and death.
Switching tactics, Ash coated his entire fist in the liquid metal. The substance flowed smoothly over his skin, hardening into a gauntlet. He threw a punch into the air, feeling the added weight and power behind the strike.
The distant rumble of an engine caught his attention. Ash quickly retracted the metal. A small delivery truck came into view, its tyres kicking up dust as it rattled along the uneven road.
Ash raised his hand, signalling the driver. The truck slowed to a stop a few metres away, its engine coughing as it idled. The driver's door swung open with a creak, and a young man hopped out. He looked to be in his early twenties, with sun-bleached hair and a healthy tan.
A Flareon followed the trader, jumping gracefully from the cab.
The trader approached cautiously, stopping just out of arm's reach. His eyes narrowed as he studied Ash. "You're a cultivator like me," he said. "Why did you stop me?"
Although Bastion remained in his mind palace, Ash wasn't trying to hide his cultivation status from the man. Given what he wanted to purchase, it would have been pointless.
"I'm looking to buy some items. I didn't want to wait until you arrived in town."
The trader relaxed slightly, but his Flareon remained vigilant. "What are you looking for?"
"Spiritual potions, potions for training the physique, healing potions, pokeballs," Ash listed off. "And anything else that catches my eye."
The trader nodded and headed to the back of the truck. He unlocked the doors, revealing a cargo area crammed with crates, boxes, and various loose items. The man began pulling out his wares, arranging them on a fold-out table he retrieved from the truck.
As the trader worked, Ash peered into the vehicle. The interior was a treasure trove of oddities. Mechanical parts were jumbled together with rolls of fabric, while crates of food items sat next to boxes labelled with unfamiliar symbols. The scent of spices and machine oil mingled in the air, creating an oddly enticing aroma.
The trader laid out an impressive array of goods on the table. Ash immediately recognised the spiritual potions. Next to them sat a set of green vials, their contents a deep, rich emerald.
"These are physical enhancement potions," the trader explained, noticing Ash's interest. "They'll help build your muscles. Good for a cultivator who wants to improve their body."
Ash nodded. A row of red vials came next, unmistakably healing potions. Their colour was deeper and richer than any Ash had seen before.
"How much for each?" Ash asked.
The trader named his prices, and Ash felt his heart sink. They were steep, far more than he'd anticipated. He did some quick mental calculations, weighing his needs against his limited funds.
The spiritual potions were a must if he wanted to advance his cultivation quickly. The physical enhancement potions were tempting, offering a way to strengthen his body without relying solely on cultivation energy. And the healing potions... Well, in a world as dangerous as theirs, those could be lifesavers.
"I'll take ten of the spiritual potions and five of the physical enhancement potions," Ash decided after a moment's deliberation. It would deplete a significant portion of his funds, but the potential benefits outweighed the cost.
As the trader began packaging up the potions, Ash's gaze was drawn to a small wooden box tucked away in a corner of the truck. Its polished surface stood out among the hodgepodge of items.
"What's that?" he asked, pointing.
The trader glanced over his shoulder. "Ah, that's a technical machine. Used for analysing technical memories. Bit pricey, though."
Ash's eyes widened. It was exactly what he needed for the crystals he'd found in Courtney's safe. But when the trader named the price, Ash knew it was out of reach.
"Maybe next time," he said. "What about pokeballs?"
The trader produced a set of standard pokeballs. "These are all I've got at the moment."
Ash bought five, knowing they would come in handy. If not for catching Pokemon for himself, then to sell them for profit.
"One last thing," Ash said as he handed over the pokedollars. "You're heading for Azalea Town, right? Have you heard any news about Team Magma? They were causing trouble, the last I heard. Robbed the general store owner blind."
The trader's expression darkened. "Thank you for the information. It looks like I have to avoid Azalea Town for the moment."
The trader rummaged in his truck and handed Ash a book. "Cultivation exercises to enhance the body. Free of charge. As a thank you for the information."
Ash accepted the book, eyeing it with interest. "Thanks. Do cultivation items usually sell on the first floor?"
The trader nodded. "You'd be surprised by how much it does. Although this is a horrible place to live, plenty of cultivators visit here to capture Pokemon. They usually forget something and rely on the towns to get what they need. The Pillar also sells merchandise but their prices are exorbitant. Aside from that, I had a good customer in Oldale Town, but..." He trailed off.
Ash sighed. "You won't be getting any more customers from there."
"Aside from that, I heard some big shots are coming down here soon."
"What for?"
"To investigate the incident in Oldale Town, of course. They want to know why the ruins collapsed and why the Pokemon attacked the town."
Ash felt a chill run down his spine. He forced his expression to remain neutral. "Interesting. Well, thanks for the goods."
Ash set off, his backpack heavy with supplies and his thoughts even heavier with worry. The news of the investigation added a new layer of urgency to his plans. Was there any chance these people, whoever they were, could find something that tied the incident back to him? However, if Team Magma hadn't found anything, it was unlikely that these newcomers would.
Still, it wasn't impossible. He already had one group of people after him, and he didn't need another.
He needed to get the hell off this floor.
Ash returned to the shelter. Not wasting any time, he retrieved the book of cultivation exercises and settled down to study its contents before diving in.
The text described a series of poses and movements, each meant to stretch and strengthen specific muscle groups while opening up energy channels. It explained that while cultivation energy was powerful, the body served as its vessel. A weak physical form would limit a cultivator's potential in higher realms, potentially leading to severe consequences.
The book warned of the dangers of channelling too much power through an unprepared body—ruptured meridians, organ failure, and even a complete physical breakdown. It stressed that consistent practice would gradually reshape the body, turning it into a more efficient vessel for growing power.
Ash considered the long-term benefits. Improved physical strength would make him more resilient in battles, able to withstand more damage and fight for longer periods. Enhanced speed and agility would allow him to dodge attacks more effectively, both from Pokemon and other cultivators.
After thoroughly studying the exercises and committing them to memory, Ash reached for one of the physical enhancement potions. He uncorked it and downed the contents in one go.
The liquid burned as it went down, spreading warmth through his body that quickly intensified into a searing heat. Gritting his teeth against the discomfort, Ash began the first set of exercises, focusing on breath control.
As Ash moved through the series of poses, each more physically demanding than the last, he could feel the potion taking effect. His muscles burned with exertion, but there was a new strength behind each movement. The book had warned about the intensity of the sensation, but experiencing it was something else entirely. It felt as if his body was being torn apart and rebuilt with each motion.
One particularly challenging stance had Ash balancing on one leg while contorting his upper body. As he held the position, trembling with effort, he felt something shift inside him. A rush of energy surged through his limbs, and suddenly the pose felt effortless. He marvelled at the change, understanding now why the book had emphasised the importance of pushing through the discomfort.
By the time he completed the final set, Ash was drenched in sweat but felt invigorated. If he had known that the potions were that effective, he might have bought more. He still had five hundred pokedollars left, but that was for emergencies. He couldn't afford to spend it all on cultivation resources, no matter how tempting.
Ash followed up the round of cultivation. He gave a few spiritual potions to his mother, and they cultivated together in peaceful silence.
As evening approached, Ash felt a surge of power within him. With a final push, he broke through to the fifth stage of the Nascent Realm. Grinning, he got up and stretched his body, feeling stiff after the earlier abuse it had been subjected to.
Now that he had reached the fifth stage, Ash could learn another technique from his Pokemon. He closed his eyes, accessing his mind palace, and was immediately struck by a new sensation. Up until this point, he had no control over how his Pokemon's stats were distributed, with most going automatically to their strongest points. But now he could sense a subtle shift in his connection with Blitz and Bastion.
As he focused on Blitz, Ash realised he could now influence the Magnemite's stat growth. It was like having access to a control panel, allowing him to direct the Pokemon's development more precisely. He could choose to bolster Blitz's Special Attack even further, or perhaps balance out its lower stats to create a more well-rounded fighter.
The implications of this new ability were immense. It meant he could tailor his Pokemon's growth to suit specific strategies or compensate for weaknesses. For Bastion, he could focus on increasing its speed to offset its naturally slow movement or double down on its already impressive Defence to create an impenetrable tank.
However, as Ash experimented with this new power, he found himself puzzled by the nature of the stats themselves. The number of stat points a Pokemon received after every level was variable, making it difficult to accurately measure a Pokemon's progression. Some levels seemed to bring a surge of growth, while others offered only minimal improvements.
There had to be more to it, Ash mused. He had scoured the books he'd acquired, but none provided a satisfactory explanation for this phenomenon. Was it tied to the quality of energy absorbed? Or perhaps there were hidden factors at play that cultivators had yet to uncover.
Ash exited his mindscape, temporarily dismissing the mystery of Pokemon stat growth. Now that he had reached the fifth stage, he had a feeling that the sixth wouldn't come so easily. The spiritual potions he'd consumed had given him a significant boost, but he knew from experience that each subsequent stage required more energy and effort.
He found himself at a crossroads. Did he continue to cultivate, slowly grinding his way towards the next stage with the limited resources he had left? Or did he head outside and look for opportunities to make more pokedollars for additional resources? The latter posed some risk, particularly with Team Magma and this new group possibly looking for him. But he couldn't stay stuck in the shelter forever, letting opportunities pass him by.
Ash's gaze drifted to his backpack, where the newly acquired pokeballs nestled among his other supplies.
Was there any doubt about which option he would choose?
So, what do you think? In the next chapter, Ash goes hunting for Pokemon.
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Thanks for reading.