Me: Gather round for the next chapter of The Extra Companion
Alex: Tell them the important news
Me: This chapter is adapting The Path to the Pokemon League and The School of Hard Knocks but I've made a few changes to the characters(AJ and Giselle). While AJ is basically more or less the same, I've changed the class Giselle is in from Beginner to Advanced. Now then onto the chapter
Alex: Chapter 6-Path to the Pokemon League
The Pokegang are travelling along Route 24 in order to get to Vermilion City. They had recently crossed over the Nugget Bridge which was full of trainers all wanting to battle Ash. Ash had beaten every single one and was now in the middle of his tenth straight battle.
"Pidgeotto finish it with Quick Attack!" Ash yells
Pidgeotto speeds up and slams into Rattata knocking the Pokemon through the air and fainting
"No Rattata!" the Pokemon's trainer, Joey, shouts
"And that's number ten!" Ash raises his fist triumphantly
Joey returns his Rattata and heads over to Ash. The two shake hands
"You're a really great trainer Ash." Joey says
"Well I guess I was pretty good there." Ash says and subtly shows off his badges
"Wow!" Joey shouts impressed
"Oh you mean these?"
"It must have been difficult winning those." Joey says
"It was nothing." Ash says
Alex, Brock, Misty and Pikachu just watch on unimpressed
"I bet you could even beat AJ." Joey says
"AJ? Who's that?" Ash asks curious
"Yeah he lives down that way and built his own gym. AJ trains wild Pokemon and has never lost a single match." Joey says
"Until now. He hasn't come up against someone like me." Ash smirks
"He's getting a big head." Misty mumbles
"Yeah but his brain's still the same size." Alex replies
"Let him have his fun for now. I'm sure sooner or latter someone's gonna come around and deflate his ego." Brock says
"Goodluck Ash. I'm on my way to Vermilion City. Maybe we'll run into each other again." Joey says
"I hope so. See ya Joey." Ash replies
Joey heads off and Ash turns towards his friends
"Did you see that? I didn't even break a sweat." Ash smirks
"Yeah you're so incredible and amazing." Alex replies deadpan
"You're just jealous. Now come on let's go find this AJ so I can beat him too!" Ash yells excited
The Pokegang are standing outside of AJ's gym. There's a giant sign which says "UNOFFICIAL Pokemon Gym." And a score board next to it with 97 wins and 0 loses
"Ha. This gym isn't even sponsored by the Pokemon League." Ash says
"Look at that. This AJ has 97 straight wins. That's almost ten times for than yours." Misty says to Ash
"I value quality not quantity!" Ash yells
"Are you my next challenger?" They hear a voice behind them. They turn and see a boy, a couple years older than Ash, who is carrying a bag with something inside as well as a whip
"You must be AJ the wild Pokemon trainer."
"I am, and you are?"
"I'm Ash Ketchum from Pallet Town and I'm here to challenge you!" Ash yells and starts moving towards AJ when Alex suddenly blocks him with his baseball bat
"What are you doing Alex?" Ash asks confused
"Ten battles in a row Ash. My turn." Alex says
"What? But-" Ash starts moaning
"I'll be happy to defeat both of you." AJ says
AJ claps his hands and a Butterfree comes out from his house. It grabs the bag and flies back towards the house
"What's in the bag?" Brock asks curious
"The new Pokemon I got. I like to train them wild first before I capture them. It's challenging but the rewards are worth it." AJ says
"Do you have alot of Pokemon?" Ash asks curiously
"Not many. You may see them after the battle if you want." AJ replies. Ash looks giddy from hearing that. AJ steps into his corner on his battlefield
"So which of you wimps are going first?" AJ asks confidently
"Wimp? I'll have you know I've already won two badges." Ash says and shows off his badges
"Once I reach 100 wins I'll start collecting badges, starting in Viridian and working my way from there." AJ says
"Uh the Viridian Gym leader is away for some reason." Alex replies
"His loss. Now let's get this battle started."
Ash and Alex stare each other down. Ash eventually flinches
"Alright you can go first." Ash says
"Thank you."
Alex steps into his corner of the battlefield
"So how many Pokemon are we using?" Alex asks
"I will only use one. You can use three." AJ replies
"Three?" Alex asks confused
"I only need one." AJ says
"Why would he willingly handicap himself?" Misty asks confused
"Because he's an egotist." Ash replies
"You're one to talk Ash." Misty says
"I have the skills to back it up." Ash replies
"Alright three Pokemon. Then I choose Eevee!" Alex tosses his Pokeball
Eevee!
Ash scans Alex's Eevee
Eevee the Evolution Pokemon. A Normal type. Thanks to its unstable genetic makeup, this special Pokémon conceals many different possible evolutions. Eevee may evolve into Flareon through use of a Fire Stone, into Jolteon through use of a Thunder Stone, into Vaporeon through use of a Water Stone, into Leafeon through use of a Leaf Stone, into Glaceon through use of an Ice Stone, into Espeon if it possesses a strong bond with it's trainer and evolves during daytime, Umbreon if it possesses a strong bond with it's trainer and evolves during nighttime, or into Sylveon if it possesses a strong bond with it's trainer as well as a second factor that is yet unknown. This Eevee is female
"That is yet unknown? I wonder what it could be?" Ash says curious
"Pokemon are such mysterious creatures." Brock says
"That cute Pokemon won't be any match for my Sandshrew!" AJ yells and tosses his Pokeball
Sandshrew!
"A Sandshrew? My Sandshrew is much better than his." Ash says
Eevee licks her paws and look's down her nose at Sandshrew. She turns to Alex's questionably
"Yes that's your opponent." Alex replies
Eevee?
"Yes I expect you to battle it."
Eevee looks mortified
Eevee! Eevee
"Oh come on Eevee. I'll bath you myself afterwards I promise." Alex practically begs
Eevee Eevee
Eevee turns back towards Sandshrew and gets into a battle position
"Your Eevee seems rather snobbish." AJ says
"She's just a proper lady is all." Alex replies
"Well let's begin. Sandshrew use Rollout!" AJ shouts and smacks his whip against the ground
Sandshrew curls into a ball and then rolls towards Eevee
"Eevee dodge and then use Swift!" Alex shouts
Eevee jumps out of the way gracefully...and then spits a bunch of stars at Sandshrew hitting the Pokemon. Sandshrew however is not even slowed down by the attack and continues straight towards Eevee
"Eevee look out!" Alex yells
However this time Eevee isn't fast enough and is hit head on by Sandshrew
Eeveeeee!
Eevee goes flying and lands in Alex's arms. She is hurt
"Eevee are you ok?" Alex asks concerned
Eevee weakly gestures for Alex to come closer. Alex lowers his head
"What is it?" Alex asks
Eevee raises her paw and slaps Alex across the face
Eevee!
And then she faints
"You are more trouble than you're worth sometime." Alex says and returns Eevee
"Send out your next Pokemon!" AJ shouts
"That Sandshrew is strong." Misty says
"Yeah it just completely ignored Eevee's Swift attack." Brock says
"They're still no match for me." Ash says confidently
"Alright AJ! This is for Eevee! Go Paras!"
Paras! Paras!
"Paras. Smart move on Alex's part. Now he has the type advantage." Brock says
"I don't think AJ cares Brock." Misty says worried
AJ smirks at Paras
"Your wimpy Paras is no match for my Sandshrew! Sandshrew use Rollout!" AJ yells and again smacks his whip against the ground
Sandshrew continues rolling towards Paras
"Paras dodge and use Absorb!" Alex shouts
Paras dodges the attack and fires the Green Orb at Sandshrew
"Sandshrew Dig!" AJ shouts while smacking his whip against the ground
Sandshrew quickly burrows under the battlefield dodging the Green orb
"Careful Paras. It can pop up anywhere." Alex says
Sandshrew bursts out of the ground from behind Paras
"Now Poison Jab!" AJ shouts
Sandshrew's claw starts glowing and it strikes Paras
Paras!
Paras is sent flying forward. It slams into the ground right infront of Sandshrew's original hole. Alex notices that Sandshrew has gone back underground
"Paras use Spore in the tunnels!" Alex shouts. Paras' mushrooms start releasing a blue powder which travels into the tunnels
"Now your Sandshrew is trapped!" Alex shouts
"Don't be so sure of that." AJ says
On cue Sandshrew bursts out from underneath Paras and sends the poor Pokemon flying into the air
"Paras!" Alex shouts. Paras slams into the ground right infront of Alex...it has fainted
"And that makes two! Send out your last pokemon!" AJ shouts
Alex returns Paras. He glares at AJ
"Alright type advantage didn't work. Let's try the opposite route then. Go Charmander!"
Charmander!
"I've seen that Charmander in action. It's strong." Brock says
"Charmander use Metal Claw!" Alex shouts
Charmander's claws glow metallic and it leaps forward
"Sandshrew Defense Curl!" AJ shouts
Sandshrew curls into a ball just before Charmander scratches it. Some marks are left on Sandshrew's armour
"Now Earthquake!"
Sandshrew uncurls and slams it's fist into the ground. The entire arena starts shaking
"Woah!" Ash yells
"Hold on tight!" Brock yells
Charmander!
Charmander is sent flying through the air and crashes to the ground
"Charmander!"
"That's the end of it!" AJ yells
Char...
Charmander tries to force itself back to it's feet
Char...
It's tail flame suddenly enlarges to a massive size
Charmander!
Charmander hops to it's feet. It stares at Sandshrew furiously and a firey aura eminates off it
"What? How is it still standing?" AJ says surprised
"Charmander?" Alex asks confused
Charmander!
Alex pulls out his Pokedex and scans it
Blaze. When a fire type Pokemon is close to fainting this ability may activate and power up it's fire type moves
"That's useful." Misty says
Charmander!
"Alright Charmander! Use Flamethrower!" Alex yells
Charmander fires a very powerful Flamethrower which hits Sandshrew
Sandshrew!
Sandshrew is left scorched by the Flamethrower
"Now Charmander use Fire Fang!"
Charmander's teeth are set aflame and it rushes forward
Charmander!
It leaps into the air and falls towards Sandshrew. It opens it's mouth wide and flames spew from out of it
"Sandshrew use Fury Cutter!"
Sandshrew's claws glow green and it slashes forward hitting Charmander across the face
Char-
Charmander slams into the ground
"Charmander no!" Alex shouts
Char...man...der...
Charmander faints
"And that makes win number 98!" AJ shouts
Sandshrew!
"He lost." Misty says shocked
"That Sandshrew is one tough Pokemon." Brock says
"Return Charmander." Alex says. He walks over to Ash
"Tag you're it." Alex says before walking past him
"Uh ok." Ash steps up onto the battlefield
"Well let's begin." AJ says. Ash grabs a pokeball
"Go Pidgeotto!" Ash yells
Pidgeo!
Pidgeotto soars through the air above Sandshrew
"Too bad Sandshrew can't fly!" Ash says
"Sandshrew use Rollout!" AJ shouts
Sandshrew curls into a ball and rolls forward, it uses the momemtum to burst into the air and slams into Pidgeotto
"Pidgeotto!"
Pidgeotto slams into the ground fainted
"How?" Ash asks shocked and returns Pidgeotto
"That was impressive." Brock says
"You're supposed to be rooting for me!" Ash shouts at him
"I am, but I also see just how good AJ's Sandshrew is." Brock says
"He's not that good. Butterfree go!" Ash shouts
Free Freee
"Sandshrew use Rollout!" AJ Shouts
"Butterfree dodge!" Ash shouts
Butterfree flies to the side dodging Sandshrew
"Now use String Shot to ground that Sandshrew!" Ash shouts
Butterfree fires String Shot hitting Sandshrew and pinning it to the ground
"What are you gonna do now AJ?" Ash brags
"Sandshrew use Rapid Spin!" AJ shouts
Sandshrew starts spinning ripping the string shot apart
"You can't be serious!" Ash shouts
"Now use Mud Slap!" AJ shouts and cracks his whip against the ground
Sandshrew pulls some mud out of the ground and tosses it at Butterfree who dodges
"Butterfree use Sleep Powder!"
Butterfree starts releasing blue powder
"Sandshrew use Dig!" AJ shouts and Sandshrew dives underground
"Becareful Butterfree!" Ash shouts
Butterfree looks around concerned. Sandshrew bursts from the ground underneath Butterfree and flies straight towards it
"Butterfree!" Ash shouts
Sandshrew grabs Butterfree and slams it into the ground fainting it
"Butterfree..." Ash returns Butterfree
"Who are you gonna send out next? Your Pikachu?" AJ asks. Ash looks at Pikachu whose eyes widen
Pika!
Pikachu hides behind Misty
"No. I choose Sandshrew!" Ash shouts
Sandshrew
The two Sandshrew stare at each other
"Your wimpy Sandshrew doesn't stand a chance!" AJ shouts
"You take that back!" Ash yells at AJ angrily
"Never!" AJ shouts
Meanwhile the two Sandshrew are shaking hands and making introductions
Sandshrew Sand
Shrew Sandshrew
"Stop being friendly!" Both trainers yell at them and they quickly hop away from each other
"Sandshrew use Rollout!" AJ shouts and cracks his whip
AJ's Sandshrew curls into a ball and rolls forward
"Sandshrew use Rollout as well!" Ash shouts
Ash's Sandshrew also curls into a ball and rolls forward. The two slam into each other repeatedly
"They're evenly matched." Misty says
"No. It's subtle but you can see Ash's Sandshrew gets pushed back a bit further than AJ's everytime they make contact." Brock says
"Sandshrew Fury Swipes!" Ash shouts
Ash's Sandshrew uncurls and leaps at AJ's
"Sandshrew Defense Curl!" AJ shouts and cracks his whip
Ash's Sandshrew starts swiping at AJ's Sandshrew but it doesn't do much damage
"Now Low Kick!" AJ shouts
AJ's Sandshrew uncurls and kicks Ash's Sandshrew's feet. Ash's Sandshrew falls onto the ground
"Get up Sandshrew!" Ash shouts
"Finish it off with Bulldoze!" AJ shouts
AJ's Sandshrew stomps it's foot against the ground. A powerful shockwave bursts forward hitting Ash's Sandshrew
Sandshrew!
Ash's Sandshrew is sent flying from the shockwave and slams into the ground
Shrew...
Sandshrew faints
"No!" Ash yells
"That makes win number 99!" AJ shouts
Sandshrew!
Ash has fallen to his knees. He is crying
"It's not fair! I'm the one with the badges!"
Team Rocket is spying on the events
"That Sandshrew is quite strong." James says
"Hmm. Perhaps instead of Pikachu we should try and steal Sandshrew." Jessie says
"Looks heavy. You two have to carry it" Meowth says
"That outfit it's trainer is wearing is absolutely hideous." Jessie says
"It looks like it's from a century ago. He'd fit right into a museum." James says
"Atleast he doesn't look like he's trick-or-treating like you clowns." Meowth says
James hits Meowth causing him to fall out of the tree they're hiding in
Meow-
Ash is on his knees, tugging on AJ's shirt, pleading with him
"Two-out-of-three please!"
"Let go kid!" AJ shoves Ash off
Ash gets to his feet
"Something is fishy here! I didn't have any problems winning until I battled in your ring. How do I know this match wasn't rigged?" Ash asks accusingly
"Um Ash I lost as well." Alex says
"Exactly! How did he beat us both with only one Pokemon? He cheated!" Ash yells
"He just doesn't know when to quit." Misty sighs
"I demand we redo this match in a different location!" Ash yells
"Grow up." AJ says and walks away leaving Ash staring at him
Alex walks up to Ash
"There's no way someone like that could beat me." Ash mumbles
"Ash you know who you're starting to sound like right?" Alex asks him concerned
"Who?" Ash asks confused
"You're starting to sound like Gary."
Ash's eyes widen in shock
"I am?" Ash buries his head in his hands shamefully, "The attitude, the cockiness, I am turning into Gary!"
Alex pats Ash's back
"I should apologize." Ash says
They enter AJ's house
Inside all of AJ's pokemon are in intense training. They are all wearing Macho Braces and they are all seem exhausted
"Look at this." Alex says shocked
Sandshrew dives out of a pool and shakes itself off. AJ cracks his whip against the ground
"Back in the pool Sandshrew!" AJ yells
Sandshrew dives back into the pool
"What's going on here!" Ash yells at AJ
"What do you want?" AJ asks annoyed
"You're hurting Sandshrew!" Ash yells at him
"Don't interfere with my Pokemon!" AJ yells at him
"Why you-" Ash starts saying before Brock steps forward
"Allow me to handle this Ash." Brock says
He walks over to AJ
"I happen to be training to be a Pokemon Breeder," Brock says, "Part of that is examining how trainers care for their Pokemon and determining their effectiveness."
"I know. I actually happen to have some Breeder knowledge." AJ says
"Impressive. However part of my duties is ensuring that trainers are not mistreating their Pokemon, I'm sure you're aware that this looks suspicious." Brock says
"I understand. I assure you that I do not force my Pokemon to do anything they are not willing to do." AJ says
He cracks his whip against the ground and Sandshrew hops out of the pool
"Sandshrew allow the Pokemon Breeder to examine you." AJ says
Brock bends down and looks over Sandshrew
"It seems strong, and healthy, no sign of any abuse, and it looks happy enough." Brock gets back to his feet, "I think you're good."
"Are you sure Brock?" Ash asks
"Well it's not a 100% percent guarantee but his Pokemon all seem to be happy and healthy. I think he's alright." Brock says
"Oh...I'm sorry then for jumping to conclusions." Ash says shamefully
"I accept your apology." AJ says
He cracks his whip and Sandshrew jumps back into the pool
"Why are you making Sandshrew dive into that pool?" Misty asks
"I'm helping Sandshrew overcome it's weakness to water type moves. While it cannot fully overcome it, if it spends enough time in water everyday then it won't cause as much pain." AJ says
"Hmm that's interesting." Alex says
"And what are your Pokemon wearing?" Brock asks curiously
"An invention of mine. I call them Macho Braces. They intensify the Pokemon's strength during their training." AJ says
Ash's Sandshrew pops out of it's pokeball
"Sandshrew what are you doing out?" Ash asks
Sandshrew watches AJ's Sandshrew
Sandshrew
And hops into the pool
"Aah Sandshrew!" Ash yells
Sandshrew starts thrashing around. Ash hops in to grab it
AJ's Pokemon are relaxing now and AJ is busy feeding them
"So you make your own special Pokemon food as well." Brock says
"Yep. Each of my pokemon's food is specially blended together in order to help them get stronger." AJ says
"Would you like to exchange notes?" Brock asks
"Sure thing."
"It seems they've bonded quickly." Alex says
"It must be nice for Brock, having someone to talk to about these things." Misty says
Ash glances over at his Sandshrew who is lifting weights
"Sandshrew you know AJ's Sandshrew stopped an hour ago right?" Ash asks
Sandshrew!
Sandshrew carries on. Misty giggles
"Your Sandshrew takes after you alot Ash."
Ash sticks his tongue out at her
AJ's Sandshrew is curled up in a ball near the entrance. It is sleeping. Team Rocket suddenly grab it and shove it into a bag without anyone noticing. They rush off
Ash notices Pikachu fiddling with one of the Macho Braces
"Pikachu becareful with that." Ash says
Pikachu pokes it...and it suddenly springs onto him and forces him into a ball
Pika!
"Aaah!"
Ash rushes over to help
"Sandshrew it's time for lunch." AJ says
Nothing. AJ looks around confused
"Sandshrew? Sandshrew where are you?" AJ asks. He starts looking around frantically
"Sandshrew!"
"We did it!" Team Rocket celebrate
Sandshrew is thrashing around in the bag.
"Man this thing just doesn't quit." Meowth says
"Once we get it to the boss it will." Jessie says
Sandshrew suddenly shoves it's claw through the bag and cuts out of it
"Aaah!" Team Rocket yell
Sandshrew leaps towards the ground
"No you don't!" Meowth yells and bites down on Sandshrew's tail. Sandshrew just digs and drags Meowth with it
"Meowth!" Jessie and James yell
AJ's Pokemon have been running around looking for Sandshrew. They all return to the gym exhausted
"Did any of you find Sandshrew?" AJ asks worried
They shake their heads
"Sandshrew..."
Suddenly Sandshrew bursts from the ground. Meowth goes flying off it's tail and slams into Ash
"Aaah!"
Sandshrew lands in AJ's arms
"Sandshrew!" AJ shouts happily and hugs it
Sandshrew!
All AJ's Pokemon crowd around them happily
"AJ seems to be really close to his Pokemon." Alex says
"I'm fine by the way." Ash says as he gets to his feet. He looks down and sees Meowth laying next to him
"Meowth?"
Meowth suddenly opens his eyes and leaps at Ash. He scratches him across the face
"Ouch!" Ash cries
Meowth lands on the ground and looks around
"Jessie? James?" Meowth asks worried
AJ's Pokemon surround him
"Who are you?" AJ asks
"That's Meowth. He belongs to Team Rocket." Misty says
"Team Rocket? Those criminals! They were trying to steal Sandshrew!" AJ shouts angrily
Meowth looks around at all the angry Pokemon
"Oh no."
Jessie: Prepare for trouble!
James: Make it double!
Eveyone turns and sees Jessie and James standing at the entrance
"Guys!" Meowth shouts out in relief
Jessie: To protect the world from devastation!
James: To unite all peoples within our nation!
Jessie: To denounce the evils of truth and love!
James: To extend our reach to the stars above!
Jessie: Jessie!
James: James!
Jessie: Team Rocket, blast off at the speed of light!
James: Surrender now, or prepare to fight!
Meowth rushes over to them
Meowth: Meowth! That's Right!
"Hand over the Pokemon!" Jessie shouts
"Or we'll take them by force!" James shouts
"Pikachu use-" Ash starts saying
"No Ash." AJ says, "Team Rocket went after my Sandshrew so I'll deal with this. It's time for my 100th win."
Team Rocket and AJ are standing on the battlefield. The Pokegang are watching from the sidelines
"Go Ekans!" Jessie shouts
"Go Koffing!" James shouts
"You ready for this Sandshrew?" AJ asks
Sandshrew!
"Use Take Down!" Jessie and James yell
Ekans and Koffing leap at Sandshrew who dodges the attack
"Rollout!" AJ shouts and cracks his whip
"Ekans Wrap!" Jessie shouts
Sandshrew curls into a ball just as Ekans wraps it's tail around it and starts squeezing. Sandshrew suddenly slips out and slams into Ekans
Ekansss!
"Koffing Sludge!" James yells
"Sandshrew use Rapid Spin!" AJ yells
Koffing spits the sludge towards Sandshrew who starts spinning in place reflecting the sludge away
"Meowth don't just stand there!" James yells
Meowth leaps forward. Sandshrew starts rolling around and Meowth's eyes widen. He starts chasing after Sandshrew happily
"Meowth it's not a ball!" Jessie yells at him
"Oh right sorry. Taste my Fury Swipes!" Meowth yells
"Sandshrew Defense Curl!" AJ shouts
Meowth swipes at Sandshrew...and damages his claws
"Ouch my nails!" Meowth yells
"Now Sandshrew finish it off with Fissure!" AJ yells
Sandshrew leaps into the air, it turns so it's head is facing the battlefield and starts spinning as it plummets. It sticks it's paw out and slams it into the ground. The battlefield starts cracking in half and a white beam of energy bursts forward hitting Meowth, Ekans, Koffing, Jessie and James
"Aaaaaah!" They scream
Ekans!
Koffing!
The force of the blow is enough to send them blasting
"We're blasting off again!" They yell as they disappear into the sky
"We did it Sandshrew!" AJ shouts
Sandshrew!
Sandshrew hops into AJ's arms and they hug
"One hundred wins in a row! Now we can start competing for badges!"
The Pokegang are saying goodbye to AJ. Ash and him shake hands
"Goodluck AJ." Ash says
"You too Ash. Hopefully we meet again at the Indigo League." AJ says
Sandshrew and Sandshrew shake hands as well
Sandshrew
Sandshrew
The Pokegang head on their way
The Pokegang are still traveling along Route 24, or trying to anyway. A dense fog had come in and they have since gotten lost. Ash and Misty as usual blamed each other. Brock has stopped them and is taking stuff out of his bag
"I think we all need a little break. How about I just throw a little something together?" He asks
Brock then proceeds to set up an entire dining table for them with fancy cutlary and everything
"Aah there's nothing as satisfying as a cup of Cerulean Coffee. You kids are too young for this stuff but it's really quite good." Brock says
"I'll uh take your word for it." Ash says
"Wait..is that the personal stuff you went to look for while we were in Cerulean?" Alex asks
"Yes. It was quite expensive too so I had to cut back on the amount of food I bought." Brock replies causing Ash, Alex and Misty to all fall over. Pikachu meanwhile is eating some Pokemon food that Brock gave him
Pika Chu
"How about some herbal tea?" Misty asks
"You must be joking." Alex says
"Not so fast Alex. I brought along my official Pokemon tea set!" Brock proudly shows his tea set off
"What makes it official?" Ash asks
"It cost a lot of money." Brock replies causing the three to fall over again, "Now ofcourse the key to good tea is good water, and I happen to have a bottle of pure spring water!"
"Ok this is getting ridiculous." Alex mumbles
"And for the special snack I have some grapes imported all the way from Kalos." Brock says
"Seriously!" Alex shouts annoyed
"I love Kalos things! They're so romantic!" Misty says with big round eyes. She starts daydreaming about being on a romantic date...only to be interrupted by Ash chewing loudly on the grapes
"All that chewing is ruining my romantic daydream!" She yells and hits Ash over the head
Brock clears his throat, "By the way I can't boil water if I don't have a fire. One of you has to go into the woods and collect some firewood."
"Not it!" Both Misty and Alex shout at the same time. Ash stares at them both betrayed
"Well that means-" Brock starts saying
"I'm going!" Ash shouts
Ash and Pikachu are out looking for firewood
"Why do I have to be the one looking for firewood?" Ash groans
Pika kapi
Ash notices Pikachu pointing ahead and glances in that direction. He can see a small fire through the fog
"Let's go check it out." Ash says
They get closer where they can see five boys who all seem to be close to their teen years have surrounded a younger boy who is running on a treadmill. The one boy is holding a candle while another one is showing the younger boy some cards
"What Pokemon is this?" The boy asks
"Is it a Zubat?" The younger boy asks
"Just because it's foggy out here doesn't mean your brain has to be foggy." The boy replies
"It's a Pidgey." The younger boy answers
"Lucky guess. Now tell me what's the name of Pidgey's evolved form?" The boy asks
"Uh..." The younger boy looks unsure. One of the other boys starts speeding up the treadmill
"You better come up with answers soon or else you'll have to run faster."
The younger boy starts panting as the treadmill gets faster
"Aaah!"
He trips and gets thrown off
"I'm sorry...I forgot..." He says. The other boys sigh
"And you call yourself a Pokemon Tech student. Well we don't want to study with the likes of you." One of the boys says
"Hey!" Ash yells at them. Him and Pikachu get closer
"Leave that kid alone!" Ash shouts at them
"Mind your own business kid. This is a private training session." One of the boys says
"There's no room at our school for losers who don't even know Pidgey's evolved form. We have to maintain standards." One of the other boys says
Ash helps the younger boy up
"I don't know about this school, but if it's turning our students like you then I have to say the standard's pretty low." Ash says
"That's right Ash!" Misty shouts out as she heads towards them
"You better stop bullying that kid or you have to answer to us right Ash?"
"Misty you stay out of this leave it to me." Ash says confidently
"You're right Ash no reason for both of us to get into a fight. It's very brave of you to take on all five by yourself." Misty says
Ash's eyes widen and he notices all five boys glaring at him
"I'll be here cheering you on and waiting to drag your carcass away at the end."
Ash smiles nervously
"Don't worry Ash! I've got your back!"
Alex walks over to them swinging his baseball bat around. The other boys' eyes widen when they see him
"Eric, Hugh, Markus, Pat, Sam, it's been a few years." Alex says
"Alex!" The five of them yell out frightened
Ash and Misty just look at him confused
"We didn't know he was with you Alex! We swear!" Eric says frightened
"Run along now." Alex says
"Yeah ofcourse! See ya later Joe!" The five of them run off
"Wow. I've never seen those five scared of anything before." Joe says surprised
"So those are the infamous Tech students." Brock says having joined them by now
"Tech students?" Ash asks confused
"Pokemon Tech. I've heard about it but I don't know much." Misty says
"It's a boarding school for Pokemon trainers." Alex adds in, "You go, you pass your classes, you graduate, and you can enter the Pokemon League without getting badges. Anything I'm missing Joe?"
"Uh no that's basically everything. You see there are three classes. I'm in the beginner's class which is equal to someone with two badges, the final class is the advanced class which is equal to someone with six badges, if you pass your final test then you graduate and then compete in the Pokemon League." Joe says
"And how do you know all this Alex?" Ash asks confused, "And how come those bullies know who you are?"
"Remember half that year my dad sent me to boarding school?" Alex asks
"You mean the school you got kicked out?" Ash asks
"Yeah that was here." Alex replies
"What did you get kicked out for?" Misty asks curious
"I was assigned a Magby for my Pokemon since I didn't have one and I uh...used it to burn down half the school." Alex admits
Everyone just stares at him dumbfounded
"So you're the reason everything is fire-proofed now." Joe says in realization
"In my defence this place was awful. The older students were always bullying the younger ones, and the teachers just turned a blind eye to it. Sad to see things haven't changed." Alex says
"It's not all bad," Joe butts in, "They're just trying to help us pass because the exams are so tough." Joe says
"It doesn't seem like helping." Misty says, "It just looked like those kids were tormenting you"
"Yes but they helped me learn that Pidgey evolves into Pidgeotto and then into Pidgeot." Joe says
"If you knew that then why didn't you answer their questions?" Ash asks confused
"If I do then they make the questions that much harder." Joe sighs, "I can't leave though, my parents paid a lot of money for me to come to school here."
"No wonder your dad was so mad at you when you got kicked out." Ash says towards Alex
"You only caught half of it." Alex says. He bends down to be on Joe's level
"Joe these training methods don't work. It's just an excuse for those kids to torment you. Trust me I know them." Alex says
"I guess..." Joe says unsure
"Where is this place anyway?" Ash asks
"Oh we're inside. They just have the artificial fog on." Joe says
"What?" Ash asks confused. An alarm suddenly goes off
"Today's fog lesson has ended. Tomorrow's lesson is Snow." A speaker announces and the fog disappears showing that the Pokegang are in the courtyard of the school
"How did we even get in here?" Ash asks confused
"The gate was open." Alex replies
Joe sighs, "I guess tomorrow they're gonna make me into a snowman again."
"Ok that's it! Show me who is responsible for this system and I'll deal with them!" Ash yells out
"Here's a picture of her." Joe says and takes a picture out of his pocket. He shows it to the Pokegang. Brock start drooling over it. Alex's eyes widen
"Wow she's pretty" Brock says.
"Her name's Giselle." Joe says
"Wait a minute! If she treats you so awfully why are you carrying her picture around?" Misty asks angrily
"I hate the way she treats me, but I like the way she looks." Joe replies
"Yeah unlike some girls who treat you badly and look even worse." Alex mutters
"While you two are slobbering over her picture I'll go sort this out!" Misty yells at them and storms off.
"Misty wait!" Ash yells after her, "Why is she mad? What's going on?"
"Jealously Ash. Jealously." Alex replies
The rest of the group head after Misty. Meanwhile Team Rocket is spying on them from their Meowth balloon
"Ah Pokemon Tech. The memories I have of this place." James says
"James have you been here before?" Jessie asks confused
"Hmm. Oh yes when I was younger my parents enrolled me into this school." James replies
"Let me guess. You dropped out." Meowth says snarkily
"No I actually graduated." James replies
"What!" Jessie and Meowth yell shocked
"You mean...you're qualified to enter the Pokemon League?"
"Yes I guess I am." James says
"We can use this. Do you know how much money people earn if they win those Leagues. You and I we have to start training." Jessie says, "We'll make you the very best, like no one ever was."
Jessie and James start daydreaming
"Focus! We're here to steal the twerp's Pikachu! Not enter the Pokemon League!" Meowth yells at them
"Right!" Jessie and James reply
Joe and the others catch up to Misty in a room full of computers
"It doesn't matter if you beat Giselle in a battle, at the Tech it's your skills as a trainer that matters, not how many battles you win." Joe says
"Well I'm pretty skilled. I have two badges already." Ash says
"But Giselle's in the advanced class, that's equal to six badges. Even though I'm at the bottom of my class I'm still better than someone with two badges." Joe says
Ash is about to respond when Misty shoves past him
"As a gym leader of the Cerulean Gym-"
"Oh Cerulean, that's Water Pokemon right?" Joe asks interrupting Misty. He sits down on a computer and types something in. A simulation of a battle between Weepinbell and Starmie appears.
"I always beat them on the simulator." Joe says
Weepinbell uses Razor Leaf and instantly defeats Starmie
"I swear these were more high-tech when I was here." Alex says
"Excuse me what is this?" Misty asks offended
"These are highly accurate simulators of Pokemon battle. It allows us to practice and improve our skills without actually having to battle." Joe says
"There is a big difference between a simulation and an actual Pokemon battle!" Misty yells angrily, "And I challenge you!"
Alex leans in close to Ash
"She's starting to sound more like you everyday." Alex whispers to Ash
"You'll be sorry." Joe says
Joe and Misty are standing on an indoor battlefield. Ash, Alex, Brock and Pikachu are standing behind Misty
"Go Weepinbell!" Joe yells and tosses an Ultra Ball
Weepinbell!
Ash and Alex pull out their Pokedex and scan it
Weepinbell the Flycatcher Pokémon. A Grass/Poison type. Weepinbell has a large hook on its rear end. At night, the Pokémon hooks on to a tree branch and goes to sleep. If it moves around in its sleep, it may wake up to find itself on the ground. Weepinbell is the evolved form of Bellsprout and evolves into Victreebel through use of a Leaf Stone. This Weepinbell is Female
Misty grabs her pokeball
"Misty calls Starmie!"
Hoo!
"Your Starmie doesn't stand a chance." Joe says
"Starmie use Water Gun!" Misty yells
Starmie fires Water Gun hitting Weepinbell...and instantly fainting it
"Huh! But Weepinbell is strong against Water Pokemon..." Joe says in disbelief
"True but there's one thing you didn't know." A female voice tells them. They turn towards the entrance and see that Giselle has entered the room.
"Your opponent is from the Cerulean City Gym. Her Starmie has much more experience battling. You should have known that." Giselle says
Joe looks down shamefully
"You're an embarrassment to the whole school." Giselle says
"But Giselle-" Joe tries to say
"She's like a movie star." Brock comments on the side. Giselle smiles at him
"I'm the top student in the most prestigious school in the whole world: Pokemon Tech. It's sad that others aren't blessed with my beauty, my talent, my humble attitude, people call me a star but I'm just Giselle."
Team Rocket is still spying on them
"I think she's even more conceited than we are." Jessie says
"No one is more conceited than you Jessie." Meowth replies causing Jessie to smack him out of the balloon
Giselle walks up to Joe
"I want to continue to help my fellow students be the very best that they can be, to teach each other, to respect each other, to ensure the Pokemon of tomorrow, but you're a weakling!"
Joe looks absolutely devastated
"You better get stronger fast or before you know it your fellow students will turn their backs on you for good." Giselle proceeds to turn her back on Joe and start walking away
"You've changed." Alex says
Giselle stops. Ash, Misty, Brock and Joe look at him
"Alex. I thought I saw you hanging out back there." Giselle turns back around and smiles at him, "I'm surprised to see you crawling back here."
"Trust me it's just a coincidence." Alex says
"So who's your friends?" Giselle asks
"This is Misty, a gym leader in Cerulean City, Brock, the former gym leader of Pewter City, and Ash, my old friend from Pallet Town."
"Uh hi." Ash says
Pika!
"Oh and this is Pikachu." Alex says
Chu
"Everyone as you have already gathered, this is Giselle."
Alex walks closer to her
"I'm surprised you're still here honestly, didn't you tell me that you were gonna graduate faster than anyone else in the history of Pokemon Tech?" Alex asks
Giselle glares at him
"I failed a year." Her smile returns to her face, "But I'm taking my final exam two weeks from now and when I do I'll be able to participate in the Pokemon League."
Alex pulls out both of his badges and starts twirling them through his fingers
"Then I'll see you there."
Alex turns away from her
"Wait! How about you and I have a battle?" Giselle asks
Alex smirks
"You still can't get over the fact that you couldn't beat me huh?"
"I just want to show how much I've improved as a trainer." Giselle replies
"Well then-"
"Wait!" Misty yells ,"I want to battle her."
"And why would you want to do that?" Giselle asks confused
"You're a terrible friend and you need to be taught a lesson!" Misty yells at her
"Are you sure it has nothing to do with jealously?" Giselle replies
"Let's battle!"
"Fine I'll deal with this distraction first." Giselle says to Alex. She grabs a pokeball
"I choose Graveler!" Giselle yells
"Graveler? But Rock Pokemon are weak against Water Pokemon?" Brock asks confused
"My Pokemon are so strong they can beat Water Pokemon." Giselle says
Ash meanwhile has scanned Graveler
Graveler the Rock Pokemon. A Rock/Ground type. They descend from mountains by tumbling down steep slopes. They are so brutal, they smash aside obstructing trees and massive boulders with thunderous tackles. Graveler is the evolved form of Geodude and evolves into Golem. This Graveler is Male
"Graveler use Heavy Slam!" Giselle yells
Graveler jumps into the air and is surrounded by a silver aura. It falls towards Starmie
"Starmie dodge and use Water Gun!" Misty yells
Starmie dodges the attack and fires at Graveler
"Graveler Rollout!" Giselle yells
Graveler curls into a ball and rolls forward tanking the Water Gun and slams into Starmie so hard it's gem shatters. It is sent flying out through a window and lands in the pool. It doesn't get back up. Misty stares out the window in disbelief
"I can't believe it..."
The group have moved down to the pool. Eric, Hugh, Markus, Pat and Sam have joined them. Misty is hugging her Starmie
"Now we're at the pool, your Pokémon's specialty. You can use a different Water Pokemon if you want." Giselle says
"And I'm sure you'll just pick another Pokemon weak to water!" Misty yells angrily
"So are you forfeiting?" Giselle asks
Misty huffs and caresses her Starmie
"Well then Alex I suppose it's your turn." Giselle says
"Alright then." Alex replies and steps forward. He looks over at Joe, "Watch and learn Joe."
"For my Pokemon I choose Cubone!" Giselle yells
Cubone! Cubone!
Ash scans it
Cubone the Lonely Pokemon. A Ground type. This Pokémon wears the skull of its deceased mother. Sometimes Cubone's dreams make it cry, but each tear Cubone sheds makes it stronger.
"What wait?" Ash asks horrified
Cubone evolves into Marowak. This Cubone is Male
"Is that the same Cubone? I'm surprised you haven't evolved it." Alex admits
"Cubone doesn't want to evolve, and I'm happy with it the way it is." Giselle says
Alex grabs a pokeball
"Just so you're aware, I've only had this Pokemon for about a week now. Go Charmander!"
Charmander!
"He's using Charmander?" Brock asks confused
"He wants to prove a point." Ash says
"That or just humiliate Giselle." Misty adds
"Cubone use Bonemerang!" Giselle yells and Cubone tosses it's bone
"Charmander dodge and use Flamethrower!" Alex yells
Charmander jumps over the Bone and fires Flamethrower at Cubone. While the attack hits it doesn't do much damage to Cubone
"Your Charmander isn't particularly strong." Giselle says
The bone comes flying back around and hits Charmander on the back of the head
Char!
Charmander clutches it's head in pain. Cubone catches it's bone
"Now Cubone use Bone Rush!" Giselle yells
Cubone!
Cubone rushes forward preparing to hit Charmander
"Now Charmander use Metal Claw!" Alex yells
Charamander suddenly shoves it's claws out, they turn metallic allowing it to block the bone
"Huh?" Giselle says confused
Charmander shoves Cubone back and slashes forward
Cubone!
Cubone slams into the ground. It gets back to it's feet revealing that part of it's skull has a scar scratched into it
Cubone! Cubone!
Cubone rushes towards Charmander angrily
"Cubone what are you doing!" Giselle shouts
Cubone starts trying to hit Charmander with it's bone but Charmander keeps dodging or blocking
"Cubone stop!" Giselle yells but Cubone ignores her
"Why isn't Cubone listening?" Ash asks confused
"Cubone is too furious to obey Giselle's instructions," Brock says, "Right now all it cares about is hurting Charmander"
Cubone! Cubone!
Charmander dodges and slashes at Cubone's hand knocking the bone out of it
"Alright Charmander use Dragon Breath!" Alex yells
Charmander fires a beam of blue energy hitting Cubone
Cubone!
Cubone is sent flying across the battlefield
"Cubone!" Giselle yells
Cubone slams into the ground
Cubone...
Cubone faints
"Giselle lost?" Joe asks shocked
Giselle returns Cubone
"You did great Cubone." Giselle says softly
"Return Charmander. You did great." Alex says
Giselle looks over at Alex
"You beat me again..."
At that moment smoke bombs go off
"What's going on?" Ash asks confused
Jessie: Prepare for trouble!
James: Make it double!
Jessie and James appear
"We'd do the whole motto but we already did it once this chapter." Jessie says
Meowth appears
Meowth: That's right!
"Team Rocket!" Ash, Misty and Brock shout. Alex just rolls his eyes
"I've heard of Team Rocket." Giselle says, "How about you three take on all of us?"
Eric, Hugh, Markus, Pat and Sam all grab pokeballs. Team Rocket's eyes widen
"All of you?" Jessie asks terrified
"That's not fair!" James shouts terrified
"Since when do criminals care about fair?" Giselle asks, "Get them!"
The Pokemon Tech students start pummeling Team Rocket with pokeballs
"Run for it!" Meowth yells and the three of them dash off
"You know they're starting to amuse me." Alex admits
Giselle is leaning against a railing. Joe approaches her
"Uh Giselle. I wanted to let you know that I've decided to head back home and start my Pokemon journey." Joe says
"If that's what you want Joe." Giselle says
"You're not mad?" Joe asks
"Why would I be? I know I'm not nice about it but I am only trying to help my fellow students. If you think travelling to get badges is the best thing for you then I support it." Giselle says
"So we're still friends?" Joe asks
"Yes we're still friends." Giselle replies
Ash, Alex, Misty, Brock and Pikachu are watching nearby
"They're considered friends?" Misty asks softly
"Shh. Don't ruin it." Brock replies
Joe walks away from Giselle. She glances over at Alex before looking away.
"Maybe you should talk to her." Brock suggests
"Alright fine." Alex says and heads over to Giselle
"Hey Giselle." Alex says
"You beat me with a Pokemon you've barely trained." Giselle says
"I mean I wouldn't say barely trained..." Alex starts saying
"You know what I mean. Cubone and I have been together for years and you still beat us. I've worked hard, I've studied all the textbooks, I've memorized all the moves, and yet you just fumble your way through things. How?"
"Honestly. I don't know. I've always just been good at handling Pokemon, but hey there are things you're better at than I am. Let's be honest if I hadn't gotten expelled I likely would still be in the beginner's class." Alex says
"That's true. You were useless in class." Giselle chuckles
The two just silently stare out at the schoolgrounds for a bit
"What happened Giselle? How did you end up friends with those five?" Alex asks confused
"They're still in the Beginner Class you know." Giselle says, "Believe it or not but when I got upgraded to Intermediate Class they came to me and asked for help."
"Really? They don't seem like the types." Alex says
"Everyone here wants to graduate Alex. They just handle things differently. After I...failed my first year, I got obsessed with being the perfect student. I got perfect marks and they upgraded me to Intermediate very quickly. I got upgraded to Advanced soon afterwards. Everyone recognized I was the best student in the whole school and they started doing whatever I told them to. I wanted to try and get everyone to help each other, to get more students to pass but...I guess I let it get to my head." Giselle admits
"No kidding, it's not too late to change things though." Alex says
"I guess that's true. Although I'm not gonna be here much longer." Giselle says
"So do what you can Giselle. You don't always have to be the best at everything."
"I've missed you." Giselle says
"I missed you too."
The two hug.
"You see Misty why can't you and I be like that?" Ash asks
"Because he doesn't owe her a bike!" Misty yells at him
The Pokegang have left the Tech school
"So Alex what exactly is your relationship with Giselle?" Misty asks
"She was basically my only friend when I was attending that awful school." Alex says, "We were quite close."
"Just 'friends' huh?" Misty asks teasingly. Alex blushes
"What are you talking about?" Ash asks confused
"Ignore her Ash." Alex says, "Come on tell me all about the Pokemon you want to catch next."
"Oh well I'm hoping to get a Dratini. I heard that you can find them-"
TBC
Me: How is it that this chapter ended up being my longest? Like I honestly expected this to be one of the shorter ones considering it's based on two filler episodes yet it ended up much longer than I expected.
Alex: Get back on track
Me: Oh right. I wasn't planning on doing the School of Hard Knocks originally, but I thought about it and decided I wanted to give Alex some focus and that this kinda worked. AJ and Giselle are both gonna show up again at some point. I want to try and give Ash and Alex some more recurring rivals for the Pokemon League similar to how it's done in later regions. Anyhow that's all. Hope you enjoyed and stay tuned for the next chapter which is all about the starter Pokemon
Pokemon:Ash Ketchum:
Pikachu(Male)(Electric)
Butterfree(Male)(Bug/Flying)
Pidgeotto(Male)(Normal/Flying)
Sandshrew(Male)(Ground)
Alex Martin:
Charmander(Male)(Fire)
Eevee(Female)(Normal)
Beedrill(Female)(Bug/Poison)
Paras(Female)(Bug/Grass)
Hypno(Male)(Psychic)
Misty Waterflower:
Goldeen(Female)(Water)
Staryu(Water)
Starmie(Water/Psychic)
Brock Harrison:
Onix(Male)(Rock/Ground)
Geodude(Male)(Rock/Ground)
Zubat(Male)(Poison/Flying)
Team Rocket:
Meowth(Male)(Normal)
Ekans(Male)(Poison)
Koffing(Male)(Poison)