Ash grinned at Styx who in return huffed and rolled both pairs of eyes. He stuffed the token and TM into his pocket and heard the ding of his Pokédex to signify the transfer of funds. He brought out the device to check the map.
"It looks like it's only an hour walk to the lighthouse. Might as well check it out. If nothing else we could sell the evolution stone for some cash." Styx shrugged with one shoulder and started walking in the direction of the lighthouse.
It was a pleasant day; a light salty breeze keeping the worst of the summer heat away. The route was flat with only some grasses and flowers lining the path. He saw some Oddish and Bellsprout peek out from the greenery and the odd Meowth dash across the road.
As much as he disliked the glares he was receiving from the few trainers he passed, he was relieved Styx's presence deterred anyone from challenging him. He had thought she would want to be returned, but she stubbornly ignored the limp she had received from the Gyro Ball and carried on.
He forced a potion on her much to her ire.
Though it was crazy to think he had just been in Mt. Moon this morning.
When he finally arrived at Cerulean Cape, he had to admit it was a wondrous sight. A large towering cliffside was disrupted by a cascade of waterfalls falling into successively smaller pools that all emptied into a large plunge pool. The pool then followed a thin stream that spilled into the sea.
If he looked over the edge, he could see the flashing gems of Staryu and Starmie and the soft lights of Chinchou and Lanturn.
Before he looked away, something gold flashed on the surface of the water. Ash blinked and it was gone. Probably just a Staryu. He turned his attention towards the cliffs.
Tucked neatly to the side of the cliff was the lighthouse, next door to a cottage. As soon as he raised the Dusk ball to return his starter, she growled and glared at him.
It was one of those days.
Sighing, Ash clipped the ball back onto his belt and made his way to the front door. Styx standing to the side thrashing her tail back and forth due to her mood. Knocking, he waited a few seconds before Styx tilted her heads towards the door.
Moments later the door swung open and standing in the entryway was Dr. Bill Richards.
Ash blinked.
"Yes, may I help you?" Still trying to process who was standing before him, Ash slowly grasped the token in his pocket and held it out to the world-renown scholar. The brunette lit up with a lopsided smile.
"Ah! You defeated the Nugget Bridge Challenge! Wonderful, come on-" The man abruptly went quiet when he caught sight of Styx. The left head hissed at the attention and made to take a step forward.
"Styx, don't you dare." The Dragon snorted and lifted her head, trying to pretend she wasn't about to maim their host. The trainer turned to look back at the researcher and saw a contemplative look in his eye.
"As I was saying, come on in." Ash frowned, but didn't question him. Bill held the door for both him and his starter. The cottage had a large anteroom with a soft carpet and thick tapestries lining the walls.
"Excuse me, Dr. Richards, but I wanted to ask about your research on musculoskeletal changes upon evolution and how best to handle them. Styx here is set to evolve in a couple months, and she'll go from quadruped to primarily bipedal with six wings. Do you have any advice?" Ash's curiosity finally won out over his introversion.
Bill looked over his shoulder and looked pleasantly surprised. "Not too often I get trainers here that know my work. Is she really getting ready for evolution? I've never gotten the chance to study the Deino line. What little I can suggest is to make sure she has every opportunity to get used to her new body. She'll be going through a rather rigorous change and there can be some side effects with memory, aggression, and hormone imbalance. But for the purely physical; keep her out of her Pokéball as much as possible to utilize her extra appendages. I also recommend moving the appendages on her back now so when she evolves they're strong enough to carry her for longer durations."
"Thank you, I appreciate it."
"If you don't mind a nerd's nosiness, what other Pokémon do you have?" Ash wrapped his hands around the straps of his bag to give him something to grip.
"I have an Impidimp and… and a Zorua, sir." Bill spun around with bright eyes.
"Do you really? Incredible. Are you going into Dark specialization?" Ash quickly shook his head.
"No, a Chaos specialization." Ash really wasn't expecting the manic grin that stretched Bill's face. The scholar quickly reached out and grabbed Ash's arm, ignoring the sounds of an irate Zweilous, and started tugging the teen in a different direction.
"I have a much better reward than an evolution stone!" The trainer could only stumble after the man and clumsily brush his hand across Styx's necks to reassure her.
He was dragged to the back door of the cottage (which had a sizable flap door) and when Bill burst through, Ash caught sight of a large fenced-in area. His gaze was immediately drawn to the Pokémon inhabiting the space.
"Oh wow."
A Vaporeon's head was visible within the small pond before it lept out to scare the Leafeon drinking. The Leafeon tumbled into a sleeping Glaceon who screeched upon being abruptly woken.
A Jolteon dashed by being playfully chased by an Espeon. A Flareon watched with boredom from its spot in the sun. Sylveon and Umbreon lifted their heads from where they were resting together with a clutch of eggs around them to watch the Electric and Psychic types run.
There was a final Pokémon present, also curled up watching the duo play, and for the life of him, Ash couldn't place it.
It had the same body as an Eeveelution, but none he recognized. It had light pink fur and tall ears. A spiky yellow mane wrapped around its shoulders up to its jawline Two long pink tails ended in the same spiky yellow fur. There was a pink gem situated above deep purple eyes that watched Jolteon and Espeon run around.
"What is that Pokémon?" Ash asked breathlessly. He had at least passing understanding of all 882* (theorized or not) Pokémon from the League regions. He had never seen that one before.
Bill was grinning wildly as he answered. "That, Ash, is what I have named Neureon; an Electric and Psychic type. He is the child of Jolteon and Espeon." Ash gaped.
"But… how?"
"Funny you should ask. See I've always theorized that due to Eevee's unstable genetic makeup, there should be many, many more possible evolutions. So, like the researcher I am, I tested my theory.
"For the first couple years, I discovered nothing. Any Eevee that evolved were already discovered evolutions. Although I did discover Ice, Leaf, Dusk, and Dawn stones worked, but only led to Glaceon, Leafeon, Umbreon, and Espeon. Then, one year, there were dozens of storms occurring during the summer months, day and night. Neureon, still an Eevee at the time, was very reliant on his father, the Espeon, during these storms. Jolteon liked to absorb any electricity she could, but those are minor details.
"Anywho, one day, after a particularly nasty lightning storm, Eevee evolved. I'm not sure if his parents had something to do with his particular typing, but I think it was more his environment. High electricity levels while also being close with a Psychic type. I'm not sure I'll ever be able to repeat the variables to get the same outcome. Neureon might be the only one of its species to ever exist."
"Bu-but how come this hasn't been published? This would have been all over the news! You would have been awarded a Metagross Honor in Genetics!" Discovering a new Pokémon always garnered the world's attention. As little as Ash knew about the Pokémon of Paldea, he did know Champion Geeta had discovered Bisharp's evolution, Kingambit. Ash could only stare uncomprehendingly as Bill sighed and rubbed his neck.
"You'd be right. But Eevee are still critically endangered. I'm one of the few licensed breeders charged with bringing up their numbers. But the league had to bury my contribution, lest I be targeted by poachers. When the time is right I'll release my research, but I'm happy to run my tests for the sake of science and my own passion. I'm famous enough."
Ash never thought he'd admire anyone as much as Professor Oak, yet here he was.
"I understand." Ash didn't elaborate, but Bill brightened and clapped his hands.
"I figured you would. Now let's get back to why I brought you here! I want you to help with my research."
"What?"
"The reason I believed so adamantly that dual-type evolutions were possible in the first place was because I saw one once in the wild. Don't give me that look, I've also seen a 100 meter tall Dragonite once. Yeah that didn't help my case… anywho! The one I saw in the wild was unlike anything I've ever seen.
"When you told me you were an upcoming Chaos Trainer, I knew you'd be perfect! You already have a Dragon, and that was the biggest missing variable. Umbreon over there is already a menace, not to mention her mate. So I'm going to give you an Eevee egg-"
"What?"
"-and you're going to raise it under very particular parameters. You'll send me updates and I'll give you the title of Research Assistant-"
"But-"
"-so you don't get arrested for having an Eevee! Simple enough."
Ash stood numbly, deaf to the huffs of amusement from Styx, and could only watch as Bill sauntered over to the nesting Umbreon and Sylveon and plucked an egg from their nest. The Umbreon swiped at him but the eccentric man danced out of the way and jogged back over to Ash.
"Do you have an incubator?" Ash silently dug through his bag for the proper container and soon he had a lowly humming incubator warming his arms. The egg was primarily brown with a cream strip around the middle.
"The egg should hatch in a little less than a week, I think. Let me go write up the instructions for its rearing and then I'll send you on your way. Any questions?"
"I'm so confused."
"Great! Let's head inside." Ash followed, feeling the intense gazes of Umbreon and Sylveon burning into his back.
He could see why Bill Richards dipped his feet in every possible discipline when it came to Pokémon. His passion was as high as his attention span was low.
The trainer adjusted his grip on the incubator and Styx leaned close to sniff it. Ash subtly pulled it away. He was pretty sure Zweilous ate eggs in the wild.
They came upon a room filled with machines and computers, papers scattered every which way. Ash was pretty sure there was a packet hanging from the ceiling.
Bill held out his hand towards Ash while he logged into a computer. Ash furrowed his brows and looked at the hand then at Styx, who shrugged.
"Pokédex." Ah, right. Ash handed the scholar the black device and watched as he plugged a cord into the dex. There was some typing, some waiting, some more typing, Bill sneezed, and then more typing. A final ping softly sounded from the Pokédex. Unplugging it, Dr. Richards handed it back.
"I just updated your occupation and added myself as a… as a sponsor of sorts to your account. My my… Professor Oak and Bill Richards, you smarty pants. Oh, I uploaded the instructions for Eevee onto the dex, should be in the notes section"
"Bill, I'm still confused why you chose me." The man blinked and shrugged.
"I was impressed with how you handled your Zweilous. Also I want to help you along. I'm vain enough to want people to know I helped sponsor the first official Chaos Trainer." Ash felt strangely empowered by Bill's faith in him. He barely even knew Ash.
"Thank you."
Bill waved his hand. "You can thank me by raising Eevee right and placing Top 32 in the League. Actually, just win it. Look, it's getting late, you should be heading back to Cerulean."
Ash nodded. "I'll keep you updated with Eevee. I'll see you around." The trainer and Styx walked away, his head still spinning.
As he was walking to the gym the next morning, Ash was still reeling. Honestly, it was purely wishful thinking that he'd ever get a chance to have an Umbreon. Now, though, he might have a completely unknown Pokémon. It's… unsettling.
He had always handled his unique situation by studying and preparing. He couldn't do that this time. He had very little control in this situation and he didn't like it. On the other hand, he was wildly interested in discovering dual-type Eevee evolutions, so he would have to suck it up and learn to go with the flow and make the most of the situation.
He had spent the night before while his Pokémon were healed reading through Bill's instructions. He learned he really needed another Fairy type. Hemlock was primarily Dark and thus wouldn't fit the criteria. Thanks Bill, for the warning.
When a Pokémon was dual type, the primary typing was the classification of energy they naturally gave off. It was also what heavily influenced the Pokémon's character and personality. There were more trainers with Pokémon with secondary Chaos typings than primary. This was the only reason Froakie, Litten, and Popplio could be given out as Starters.
Naturally, there were always outliers, Pokémon that were influenced more by their secondary typing. Tyranitar came to mind.
Ash sighed but straightened his spine when he came up on the Cerulean City Gym. His bag was heavy, now holding the un-shrunken incubator.
He felt more confident this time around. As long as Brock didn't spill the beans about Zorua, everything should go smoothly. Brock had been a great help and said he wouldn't upload the gym battle to the Gym's website to help keep Bane safe.
He did have to upload it to the internal League database though.
The front doors parted for him and this time Water Master Violet was at the counter. "Hello! Are you Ash? Great! You'll be battling the youngest sister today. It'll be two-on-two. I'll show you where to go." Ash nodded in thanks, and followed her through a pair of double doors.
The expected enormous tank of water was situated in the center of the room. Violet gestured to the staircase that led to the trainer platform before she left. He noticed many things simultaneously.
There were multiple large platforms floating on the water. They varied from a couple inches to a couple feet apart. Violet took her place in the referee box with a microphone. And finally, his opponent stood across from him in her own trainer box.
Misty Waterflower, the youngest sensational sister, was frowning at him. Her bright orange hair was in a spiky Ponyta-tail and her arms were crossed defensively.
"Brock told me you train Dark types. There's no way I'm letting Rocket scum get the badge." Ash ignored Violet's shout of disapproval and instead just raised an eyebrow at the biased Gym Leader. At least Violet was here to act as a moderator.
Well, sorry Hemlock, Styx is going to make an appearance today.
"Misty, you are out of line! If he defeats you, he gets the badge. Remember you're still a trainee. Now let's just get this over with." Violet rubbed her eyes.
"This is an official Gym Battle of Cerulean Gym between Ashton Ketchum of Pallet Town and Cerulean Gym Trainee Misty Waterflower. This will be a 2 on 2 battle, and a victor will be declared when both Pokémon on one side are unable to battle. Substitutions are not allowed. Both trainers will release their Pokémon at the same time. 3-2-1 Release!"
From Misty's side, a large Starmie dove into the water. From Ash's side, a 'Murkrow' flew above one of the platforms. In reality, Bane was hidden below, concentrating on the illusion. Ash tried not to stare at the shadow on the platform that Bane couldn't hide yet.
"Starmie versus Murkrow, 3-2-1 Battle Begin!"
"Starmie, use Power Gem!"
"Dodge and charge." Bane focused on making the Murkrow dodge the glowing stones while also sharpening his claws with Hone Claws.
"Ice Beam! Thunderbolt!"
"Keep dodging." Thank goodness Bane was so patient. They had to wait for the right moment. 'Murkrow' lit up with Agility and dodged the icy blue and bright yellow attacks. Ash almost laughed at how red Misty's face was getting.
"Stay still! Starmie use Rapid Spin!"
"Just like we planned, Bane." The illusion flew down until it was hovering above where Bane was hidden. Right before Starmie struck, a wave of darkness exploded outward and launched the starfish into the water. Hopefully the darkness would disrupt Starmie's natural levitation long enough to-
Ash's thought was interrupted when a bolt of electricity slammed into Bane. Not the Murkrow, but Bane. Ash sneered. Alright, so she was observant.
"Copycat!" When the illusion dropped, Lily gasped. Bane snarled and released a surge of electricity into the water.
"Starmie get onto a platform! We're not letting this thing win! Use Water Pulse!" The Water and Psychic type had electric burns on its body but mustered the energy to send the orb flying at Bane.
Dancing around the water, Bane stepped right into the next blast of water. Digging his claws into the platform, he held on and almost tumbled into the tank. The Zorua didn't hesitate before activating Agility. Bouncing from platform to platform, the starfish couldn't get a lock on the Dark type.
"Rapid Spin!"
"Void Rush." One of the few combination attacks Ash had come up with, Bane blanketed himself in the dark energy of Dark Pulse and launched himself at Starmie.
Rapid Spin meant nothing when the energy seeped into the part-psychic from the all-out tackle
Releasing an unholy screech, Starmie spasmed before dropping to the platform beneath it with a blinking gem. Bane stood panting beside the downed opponent. His legs were shaking and his head was drooping, having taken more damage this round compared to Brock's battle.
Ash ignored Misty's glare when she returned Starmie as he spoke to his Pokémon. "Bane, you were brilliant, take a rest." The look of relief in the poor Dark type's eyes said everything. Swapping out the Heal ball for the Dusk ball, Ash waited.
Misty was good. Even though she was angry, she was still observant enough to see where the Dark Pulse had come from, or she had seen the shadow. She had also trained her Starmie to attack when it saw an opening. This next battle would be good.
A muscular Golduck appeared in the water, but his confidence wavered when Styx landed on a floating platform, the surface dipping below the waterline briefly. Ash thought he saw Misty gulp.
"Golduck versus… uh, Zweilous, 3-2-1 Battle Begin!"
Ash was honestly impressed when Styx immediately started with Scary Face. She was usually an 'attack only' kind of Pokémon.
Ash remembered a time when she refused to learn any non-damaging moves.
The Golduck was struck with fear but, surprisingly, recovered in time to only get grazed by the Dragon Pulse. The Water type darted around in the water, faster than anything Ash had seen. A Water Pulse struck Styx's side, not doing much damage, but certainly pissing her off.
The Golduck was circling the platform too fast for her to get a direct hit, so instead, she started glowing an ominous black before it exploded outwards, slowing the Golduck enough for her to blast it out of the water.
While the Golduck was airborne, Styx fired off another Dragon Pulse, this time it struck the Water type directly on the chest. The duck landed with a thud on one of the platforms and quickly scrambled to his feet to glare at the dragon.
"Screech!
"Hyper Voice!" Ash crossed his fingers hoping this would work. Styx still operated primarily off her hearing, and Screech would not make her very comfortable. His theory was Hyper Voice would cancel out the Screech, since both worked as high-frequency attacks.
Then it was a battle of willpower.
9.9 times out of 10 a Dragon will win.
The Golduck ended his Screech with a gasp and was overcome by the high decibel attack. He stumbled, holding webbed claws to his auditory canals. Glaring through the pain, the Golduck launched an Ice Beam that froze one of Styx's would-be-wings.
Oh… if she wasn't pissed before, she was now.
Styx released another Hyper Voice that brought the duck to his knees. With more dexterity than anyone expected, Styx leapt from platform to platform, compensating for her displaced weight beautifully, before Golduck could gather the strength to move.
Two sparking jaws clamped down on the Water type, sending lightning into its skin. The shriek from the duck brought goosebumps to Ash's arms and he resisted the urge to cover his ears. Styx's two mouths slammed shut when her prey disappeared in a glow of red.
"I forfeit." Misty didn't lift her head, instead walking down the staircase and disappearing through a pair of double doors to the sound of Styx's roar.
The Dragon huffed, annoyed, before hopping back over to Ash. She landed on his platform with enough force to cause vibrations to run up his calves. The trainer smirked at his starter.
"You're so badass." She growled smugly.
A cough directed his attention downward, where he saw Violet waiting for him at the bottom of the staircase. Styx returned to her Pokéball before Ash descended. Violet looked chagrined, rubbing the back of her neck and not making eye contact.
"I'm sorry about Misty, and I'm sorry about the low caliber battle. It's not you, per se, it's just… we lost our parents to a Team Rocket raid 16 years ago. Mostly Dark types. She was only two. But still, you fought well. Here is the Cascade Badge." Ash awkwardly took the teardrop shaped pin and snapped it to the inside of his vest.
"And here is the TM for Scald. It can leave the target with a burn."
"Thank you." As he turned to leave, Violet called out to him one more time.
"Just… don't hold it against her, okay?" Ash stared at her long enough for her to shift uncomfortably before he sighed and nodded.
That battle was just a brawl. Hardly any strategy, just two people trying to defend themselves and their thoughts.
It was ugly, and it was unsatisfying.
A battle like that… that wasn't why Ash was a trainer.
Walking out of the gym, it was only late morning. Not many people were out and about, and the sky looked a bit overcast. He always had a raincoat if the sky decided to dump rain on him. Walking back towards the center, he checked the time, and he still had about an hour and a half before he was set to pick up the bike. Enough time to get his Pokémon looked over.
Walking through the automatic doors, he saw it was a different nurse manning the counter. His pink hair matched the pink scrubs.
"Mornin', what can I help you with?"
"Just had a gym battle, I need my Pokémon healed." The guy nodded and set out a tray. A happy Blissey took the tray to the back.
"How'd ya do?"
"Excuse me?"
"Did you win?"
"Oh, yeah."
"Which one did you battle?" At Ash's confused look he elaborated. "Which sister?"
"Ah, uh the youngest, Misty." The nurse chuckled.
"Oh she's a spitfire. Tough as nails with the skills to boot."
"She didn't like me much." Which, not many people did. But the nurse just laughed.
"Nah, she doesn't like many people. Can't help but respect her though. Anyway, did you need anything else?" Ash nodded and pulled out his card key. Then he remembered something else and pulled his bag around.
"I need to check out, but I also got a Pokémon egg yesterday, just wanted to get it looked over." The nurse took his card key and Pokédex and whistled.
"Damn, it's rare to have an egg. Yeah, follow me to the back." Ash removed the incubator from his bag and gently cradled it in his arms.
He was led to a small check-up room. "Put the incubator on the side table." Ash did so and watched as the nurse grabbed a couple instruments.
He lightly tapped the shell, took the temperature, height, circumference, and weight. The nurse nodded and removed the stethoscope from his ears once he finished listening.
"The egg is extremely healthy. Good weight for its size, thick shell, and the heartbeat is strong, even through the fluid. It's pretty far along, I'd say you got about four, maybe five days before it's ready. It should start periodically glowing when it gets close. Just keep it warm and avoid jostling it too much and you should be good. Once it's hatched, you should hold off about three weeks before ya start trainin'." Ash took the incubator from the nurse and quirked a smile.
"Thank you."
"Just doing my job, kid." When they were back in the lobby, Ash pursed his lips before finally relenting and heading towards the video phones. He had some more time to kill before his Pokémon were healed.
Sitting down in the booth, he dialed the number for the lab and waited. A few rings in and the call connected, a rumpled Professor Oak sitting on the other end. He immediately brightened when he saw who it was.
"Ashton! What a surprise. Where are you?" The trainer couldn't help but give a small smile in return. He'd actually missed the old man.
"I'm in Cerulean, just got the badge. I'm renting a bike to head to Vermillion." Oak hummed and nodded.
"Good, good, you still have time, a little over two weeks before your boat leaves. I know it was a longshot, but have you caught any Pokémon?" Ash's smile grew and he nodded.
"Yes, I actually caught a Pokémon that escaped from poachers. I'll give you one guess." Oak's expression darkened at the mention of poachers. He brought a finger to his lips and tapped.
"Hm, a Goomy?" Shaking his head and looking around he leaned in.
"A Zorua." He whispered.
"WHAT?" Ash flinched from the screech before glaring at any trainers that looked his way. He directed his glare to the professor, who looked sheepish.
"I named him Bane. He's been... surprisingly easy. Didn't have to prove myself or anything."
Oak shrugged. "You'd be the first to know that Chaos types don't always do what's expected. But that was very fortuitous, Ash, I'm sure you've been a great trainer to him."
"He's been brilliant. He defeated Brock's Onix and Misty's Starmie. He has really good control of his illusions. Oh, I also got something else from Bill Richards." Oak startled at the name.
"You saw Bill? He dropped off the face of the Earth a little while ago." Ash frowned. He looked around before leaning in close again.
"Yeah, he sponsors the Nugget Bridge Challenge. I went to get my prize from him, but instead of an evolution stone, he gave me an egg." Oak's eyes bulged and he gasped.
"Truly? Did he say what it was." Ash smiled a little nervously. He had the egg in his lap but he preferred keeping it out of the camera shot. He lowered his voice even more to answer.
"An Eevee." The Professor suddenly disappeared from the screen.
"Oak? Oak? Where'd you go?" One of the aides bustled in, looked down, and then looked at Ash.
"He fainted. I'll tell him you said bye."
And with that the call ended. Ash scrunched up his nose. "Rude."
Standing up, Ash headed over to the cafeteria to grab some berries. He grabbed a few pomeg and razz and somehow managed to get them into one of the bag pockets while only having one hand.
The incubator was bulky and not that comfortable to carry, but Ash refused to complain. He got a few interested glances from the other trainers in the lobby when he went to sit down. There were two reasons eggs were pretty rare to see. The first was that most trainers didn't want to take the time to hatch an egg and raise a baby Pokémon. Infants took a few weeks before they were battle-ready. The second reason was that Pokémon rarely trusted humans with their eggs. The most common eggs for trainers to have were the offspring of their own teammates.
He played around on his Pokédex for a little while, checking what moves his Pokémon could learn. None of them could learn Scald, but Bane could learn Shadow Ball. Once he mastered Incinerate they could work on the Ghost attack. When Styx evolved she could theoretically learn Stone Edge.
Hydreigon's potential moveset hadn't been ironed out yet.
While he was looking through Eevee's movepool, the notification popped up on his screen that his Pokémon were ready. He thanked the nurse one last time and clipped the Pokéballs to his belt. With the incubator in one arm and his bag hanging off the other shoulder, he made his way to the bike shop.
The same girl was at the counter and she saluted as he walked in.
"Ready to blow this city?" Ash released a startled bark of laughter and nodded. She grinned and pushed a silver bike towards him. There were a few scrapes and nicks on the metal frame but what could he expect from a rented bike.
"Remember, make sure you drop it off in Vermillion by the 28th. It'll be an extra charge if you don't. Payment will finalize then. Safe travels, oh mysterious one." She popped her gum and went back to the counter. Ash rolled his eyes.
With some maneuvering, the trainer got the incubator secured in his bag and the lock on the bike undone. Leaving the store and looking around, he kicked off and headed south.
The road from Cerulean to Saffron was tranquil and Ash was in almost a meditative state, eyes glued ahead, a cadence cycling of his legs, and the sounds of wildlife blending together to just sound like nature.
The first five days consisted of travel and battles. Honestly, he was beyond impressed with both Hemlock and Bane. The two were gathering win after win under their metaphorical belts.
Styx had gotten a few battles with older trainers preparing for the Saffron gym, and she had pretty much mastered Dark Pulse by this point. She even got to battle a Haunter, and the tricky Ghost had gotten her so angry she was making mistakes. It was only due to an explosion of Dark Pulse that she eked out a win.
It highlighted some gaps in their training.
Bane's Incinerate was strong and growing stronger, so he had started on Shadow Ball the second day into travel. Hemlock was up to eight clones with Double Team and his Feint Attack was almost hitting the accuracy it was known for.
The only thing he worried about was Hemlock's growing cruelty.
He had noticed it three days ago, but had written it off as a one time thing. But lately, the little Impidimp had been taking his pranks to a concerning new level. Trapping wild Pokémon and playing with them as they struggled to escape, scaring his opponents and drawing out the battles when they were already almost unconscious, and one time he actually tried to blame Bane for plucking out some of Styx's hairs.
The Wily Pokémon was out of commission for a whole day after that episode.
After that, Hemlock toned it down a little, but Ash could see the issue wasn't solved yet. He just had no idea how to go about fixing it.
His thoughts consumed him as he cycled. He just hoped once Eevee hatched, Hemlock wouldn't dare to play a prank on a baby.
The egg was glowing periodically now, causing Ash to stop hourly, full of anxiety, not wanting the baby to hatch on the road. Logically, he knew the incubator was set to beep and give warning, but what if he didn't hear it?
Looking at the sky and seeing the sun had made ample headway into its daily descent, he veered off the dirt road and into the scarce vegetation lining Route 5. He was about two days away from Saffron, where he could sleep in a real bed for a night, get his Pokémon checked, and restock his supplies.
Finding a good enough camping spot, Ash set his bag down, removed the rhythmically glowing incubator, and released his Pokémon. Styx shook, sending another cloud of fur to scatter in the wind. Her fur was so thick, it didn't even look like she was slowly balding.
Bane stood at attention with his new favorite illusion on full display. They had battled a Vulpix two days ago and the Zorua had liked how similar they appeared.
Hemlock danced upon being released when he saw Ash watching. He really hadn't changed much, but Ash still expected the Dark and Fairy type to be evilly chuckling at all hours. Great, now his perception of his own Pokémon was being skewed because he didn't have the courage to address problems.
"We'll be in Saffron City soon. We won't be challenging a gym, we're just stopping for the night so you guys can get a check up. That means a day off. So I expect hard work until then. Our next gym battle will be the toughest challenge yet. Start warming up. It's an anaerobic day." Hemlock and Styx hid their grumbles, but Bane bounced in place with excitement. The Tricky Fox loved sprinting.
Ash made sure to join in today, getting ready alongside Hemlock. He had been sitting with the egg lately, somewhat neglecting this bonding time. But he found his gaze constantly straying to the incubator that rested beneath a tree.
Once their muscles were pleasantly warm, they got to work. Short 10 meter sprints to work on maximum acceleration, then 20 meters, 30, 40, until they finished with a few 100 meter sprints through the trees. A little bit of dodging never hurt anything (figuratively).
After water and a sitrus berry each, Ash sent Styx and Bane to work on Ice Fang and Shadow Ball. Styx was having worlds of trouble tapping into Ice type energy.
Hemlock had been shown the basics of Dark Pulse after they had battled a Shellder and his punching attacks weren't making a dent. It was only when the Impidimp used Fake Tears and drew the Water type out that he was able to land a hit.
As soon as the Pokémon were sent on their way, a loud beeping caught his attention. His heart seized before anxiousness and excitement flooded his body.
'Oh Mew, oh Mew, the baby is here, what did I get myself into.' Ash barely spared a thought on this newfound anxiety and excitement as he bolted around.
He didn't say anything when his Pokémon rushed over, even Styx (though she'd deny it). The three had been briefed on what to do in this situation; hang behind Ash, stay alert to potential predators, and stay quiet.
With a towel and a bowl of warm water (selflessly heated by Bane) at the ready, Ash removed the glass cylinder of the incubator and tried not to squint in the face of blinding white light. Picking his cuticles while he waited, he could hear the tell-tale cracks.
Both of Styx's heads rested on either shoulder and he found comfort in the humid breath and grounding weight.
Finally, the light died down, and curled up within the mess of broken egg shells and gelatinous albumen was the most precious sight Ash had ever seen.
Coffee and cream fur darkened with fluid and big red eyes inherited from its mother, Eevee was tiny. The mammal looked around with a hazy gaze until it settled on Ash.
"Hey…" He made sure his voice was low and soothing as he reached forward to gently stroke a cheek. A soft trill escaped the Pokémon's mouth. Very slowly, Ash wound both hands around the baby's midsection and settled it in the crook of his arm, his shirt getting damp.
With Styx's heads still on his shoulders, it took two tries before he got the cloth soaked with the water and started cleaning the kit. Another trill was heard and Ash felt his heart swell. Dear Mew, he was getting soft.
Ash wouldn't lie and say it wasn't gross to be removing the sticky colorless remains of the albumen from the Eevee, but it was an occupational hazard and it mimicked how a mother would clean a newborn.
There was no way he was using his tongue.
When the Eevee was nice and clean, Ash dragged a brush through the soft fur and watched as the baby's eyes drooped. Deep huffs of air sounded from beside his ears and he was surprised Styx hadn't gotten bored yet.
Hemlock and Bane had crept forward and were now balancing against Ash's knees to see the baby. Both had amazement in their eyes, which reminded him that while the two weren't newborns, they were still rather young. They had probably never seen an infant before.
He kept an eye on Hemlock as Ash dragged fingers through damp fur. The Impidimp's expression of wonder closed off, but he didn't move. He was surprised when Bane's form shimmered and soon a larger Eevee was standing where a Vulpix was.
The moment was unparalleled.
Three Chaos Pokémon, quiet and calm, in awe because of a newborn.
They never got back to training.
Eevee: The Evolution Pokémon. Normal type. Eevee is rarely found in the wild and is mostly only found in research facilities and breeding programs. However, Eevee is said to have an irregularly shaped genetic structure that is easily influenced by its environment. This allows it to adapt to a variety of habitats by evolving. In recent years, Eevee have become critically endangered due to poaching.
This Eevee is Male and has the ability Adaptability.
Known Moves: Tackle, Growl
Egg Move(s): Wish
This Pokémon stands at 0'06" and weighs 7.3lbs.
A rather unfortunate outcome Ash hadn't thought of was walking around with a baby Eevee in his arms. Doctors and Breeders recommended abstaining from capturing babies in Pokéballs until they were a week old to give their bodies time to adjust.
So instead Ash was walking around, his bike held upright with his free hand, with an ultra rare baby Pokémon on a route overflowing with trainers and travelers. But then again, he did have Styx.
A rather fortunate outcome that Ash couldn't see coming was Styx becoming obsessed with the newborn.
Two heads were always facing the bundle of fur, which made his pressure headache ease a bit. The other added bonus was that an agitated, overprotective Dragon was a great deterrent.
It was hard to misidentify an Eevee. They were quite recognizable, and Ash could only dread once he got into the city and had to return the shadow that was his starter.
Having an extra babysitter was a Mew-send when Eevee got hyperactive and wanted to run around. Styx would corral him back to the route or grab him but the scruff on his neck and carry him back over to Ash.
The pout just about did him in.
Styx's soon-to-be wings were definitely getting a workout by corralling the Eevee.
While they walked and stressed and played, Ash gave thought to a name for the little fox. Huh, now he had two foxes.
Ash was trying to go for a theme when it came to Pokémon's nicknames. He had chosen poisonous plants for the Impidimp and Zorua, and fictional mythology for Styx. He might incorporate astronomy too, he's always had an appreciation for the stars.
Allowing his thoughts to run free while keeping an eye on the playful infant, Ash could see the towering skyscrapers of Saffron in the distance.
Saffron City was the business capital of Kanto. Tech conglomerates and various startups took root in Saffron. Silph Corp was the company that established Saffron as the premier business district in Kanto. First city to set up the Magnet Train, first city to reach a population of 5 million, first city to have two established gyms.
Ash hated it.
He had visited with Oak once. There was a research conference with professors and educators flying in from all over the world. Gary and Ash got to tag along and while he loved the conference, he hated the people.
Too crowded, too little personal space, too loud, he was legitimately dreading having to come back after his world travels.
He could get a badge from a lesser known gym - there were a few scattered around - but he wanted the Big Eight. That meant facing Sabrina.
There were dozens of gyms in Kanto, but the Big Eight were the best of the best.
Anyone who showed up with all eight was said to be a prodigy.
Reaching down to scoop up the quickly tiring Eevee and absentmindedly stroking the cream fur of his collar, he thought about Sabrina.
The Clairvoyant. The Psychic. The Telepath.
Able to see into the future and speak to her Pokémon without verbally saying a word, she was tied with the Viridian Gym Leader for the title of toughest leader. It was said you can't go into battle with a strategy; she would have seen it. Everything had to be on the fly and completely spontaneous if you wanted to defeat her.
His only saving grace were his Dark types. But she'll have a counter for that. Of course she will. But he'd be stronger when he returned to Kanto.
Ash saw the stream of travelers get denser as the police outpost came into view. This one was four times as large as any he had seen so far.
During the Rocket War, Saffron got hit the hardest. Tech was stolen, CEOs were kidnapped, R departments got completely wiped out, it was madness.
Sabrina was 13 when she single-handedly drove Team Rocket from the smoking husk of her city.
Around 16 years down the line, it wasn't surprising their security was the strongest in the region.
Waiting in one of the five lines, Ash slowly inched closer to the officer. He expected an in-depth review this time. Shifting Eevee into one arm, he dug out his Pokédex in preparation. When it was his turn, the officer's eyes bore into his own and he internally sighed at the intimidation tactic.
Officer Jenny's was worse.
"Business?" Ash handed over his Pokédex.
"Passing through. I'm one of the trainers sponsored by Professor Oak and I'm making my way to Vermillion to battle Surge. I'm stopping for a night to get my Pokémon checked over." The officer's stern gaze met his.
"Interesting team you got." Ash couldn't help the grimace that crossed his face.
"Yeah I know, Pewter's Jenny made sure I knew." The man's expression didn't waver.
"And the Eevee?"
"Just hatched three days ago. I'm helping a researcher out by raising this guy in a specific environment." The officer's eyes shifted back to the Pokédex and clicked a few buttons before nodding.
"I'm going to give a call to Professor Oak- hey don't get your balls in a twist, just to be on the safe side."
"There's no need for that, Jameson." The entire outpost went silent.
Sabrina Natsume stood tall, her dark blue-green hair moving around her like Tangela. Ash distractedly noted there was no wind. The high collar of her maroon dress gave her a rigid air and kept her chin perpetually lifted.
She floated more than walked over to stand before Ash and he was suddenly filled with uncertainty. She didn't speak, didn't move, and it seemed the entire outpost was holding a collective breath.
"Come, Ashton Ketchum. Let us walk."
I figured the Ultra Beasts and some Mythical Pokémon wouldn't be included in the total number of Pokémon discovered. Paldea Pokémon have not yet been completely shared with the wider world.
In regards to Eevee, I know some people don't like fakemon, but it fits and I like it. Plus, there will actually be a picture for reference.
Check out inprogressPokémon on tumblr and look through their dual type Eeveelutions. You'll probably be able to figure out which one I'm going for.
Somewhat slow chapter, but don't worry. I'm really excited about next chapter