Same Old, Same Old (Until It Isn't)

"I'm a very relentless individual and have a lot more insanity coming." - Alex Hirsch

Pikachu

"Guys," Wobbles says, shielding her eyes as she stares up at the sky, "I think the sun was lower in the sky when you started."

During our trek through the forest - a slow one, given Absol's limp - Eevee found a map someone had dropped. Sprout and I have been working together on it since. The good news is that this gives Absol a chance to rest, as we all know his leg is hurting him more than he claims.

The bad news is that, even with Sprout's ability to read and my familiarity with what a map looks like, we have no idea what we're doing.

"You said this is Vermillion City, right?" I ask, pointing to a spot on the crinkled and dirty map we've laid out on the grass.

Sprout's head vine twitches. "Yeah." She points to a spot close to it. "And, Saffron City is here. That's where we just were, so…I think we need to retrace our steps."

"Maybe, but which direction are we facing? In reference to the map, I mean."

"Um…"

Absol growls under his breath. He'd been lying under a tree and now carefully climbs to his feet. "Just admit that you don't know what it says."

Sprout turns to him and says with infinite frustration, "I know what the words say! I just-"

Absol nods toward the little brown bundle curled up behind him. "Eevee fell asleep if that tells you anything."

He nudges his back paw at Eevee, who awakens with a loud snort and a groggy, "Are we there yet?"

"Not even close," Wobbles tells him. To me and Sprout, "Admit defeat, guys. We're bored."

I hate to say it, but she's right. I sigh. "Forget it, Sprout. This map is getting us nowhere."

Sprout picks up the map with her massive leaves. "I guess that Machamp was right. Maps are confusing."

A sudden noise makes my remaining ear twitch. My missing ear also twitches…and I realize that makes no sense.

Eevee climbs to his feet and shakes out his pelt, asking, "What was that?"

So, it's not just me.

The sound, a voice, is clearer now. "Help! Stop that bag!"

Sure enough, a large white sack is rolling down the steep hill nearby. A Sableye - not a species I'd expect to see outside of a cave - is running after it but ends up tripping and rolling as well.

"I got him!" Sprout shouts.

The tiny brown stem on her head stretches enough to wrap up the pokemon to stop his fall. Meanwhile, Wobbles happens to be standing directly in the bag's path, and she nearly falls backwards when she catches it. Unfortunately, the bag is upside-down in her gasp, so its contents spill out at her feet.

As if seeing Sableye in this area wasn't weird enough, the bag was full of evolution stones. Those things are usually hard to find, yet I'm seeing two dawn stones, three water stones, a dusk stone, a shiny stone, and two moon stones. And, a thunder stone, which landed about a grass blade's length from my foot. That particular sight makes me bristle and leap backwards.

"Thanks for that," Sableye says as Sprout withdraws her stem. He rushes for his hoard. "Can you guys give me a hand?" His light blue gem-like eyes pass over me and Eevee. "Can some of you give me a hand?" he says to the others.

Absol holds the back open with his teeth while Sableye and Wobbles put the stones back in it. I'm about to ask where he got them in the first place, but Eevee pipes up, "Hey, do you have fire stones?"

"Or, a leaf stone?" Sprout exclaims.

Sableye scoffs and, once all the stones have been returned to the bag, starts to tie it closed. Properly, I hope. "Keep your paws to yourself. And, your leaves. I do have what you're looking for back home, but I don't just give my treasures away."

"Your treasures?" I ask.

"Your kind don't evolve," Wobbles says to him. "Why would you need evolution stones?"

Apparently, that's exactly what this newcomer wanted to hear. He pounds his fist to his chest. "I'm glad you asked! Name's Sableye, and I'm a bit of a collector, you see."

Absol tilts his head. "You collect evolution stones?"

"Sure, if I can find them," Sableye says. He proudly jiggles the bag, which doesn't do much since it's about the same size as him. "Boy, I had a lucky find with these bad boys! They were just sitting in one of those…truck things, or whatever humans drive around in, ripe for the picking! I would have gotten more, but this was all I could fit in my bag!"

…Is anyone going to tell him that he stole those stones?

Absol must be thinking the same thing. "Uh, Sableye, I think you st-"

Sableye raises his index finger. "Oh, but I don't merely collect things. If one of my wares appeals to you, I'd be happy to hand it over. If you can give me something equally cool in return." He strokes his chin and grins slyly at Sprout and Eevee. "You two were asking about some stones. Planning on evolving, are you?"

While those three negotiate, Wobbles whispers to me and Absol, "Are we just gonna let this guy trade stolen goods?"

I shrug. "I mean, there isn't much we can do about it. Even if he got them from somewhere close by, the truck is probably gone by now."

"Why would humans need evolution stones?" Absol wonders.

"To give them to their pokemon," I say.

Absol sits on his haunches and scratches his neck with his back foot. "So, technically Sableye is doing what the humans would do anyway. The stealing part is sketchy, but overall, I don't see any harm."

I suppose he's right, but I still feel weird about it.

Sprout and Eevee turn excitedly toward us, and Eevee chirps, "Do we have anything to trade?"

Sprout shimmies in anticipation. "Oh, I really want that leaf stone!"

"Didn't you just evolve?" Wobbles says in amusement. "Maybe get used to being a Weepinbell before you become a Victreebell."

Sprout shakes her huge head. "No way! I've waited too long for this!"

Sableye chuckles and pats her on the back. "You remind me of my friend, Pawmot. He was Pawmo for all of a day before evolving again!" Sableye looks from one 'mon to the other and eagerly rubs his hands together. "So, anything cool to trade?"

Good question. Since Sprout gave away her backpack, we haven't had a real means of carrying stuff. Does it have to be an object? Maybe Sableye would accept a battle in trade.

Eevee runs over to the map that's still lying on the ground and places his paw on the edge. "All we have is this thing."

"Oh!" Eevee jumps back when Sableye grabs the map and looks over every inch of it. His face is covered, but I can hear the glee in his scratchy voice. "What a strange object! What fascinating colors!" He lowers the map, revealing a grin that shows all his pointed teeth. "What is it?"

"It's called a map," Sprout explains. "Humans use it to find their way around, but we don't really know how it works."

Sableye doesn't mind. "A human thing. Doesn't get much more interesting than that!" He crinkles it into a big ball in his hands. "Yes, this will do nicely." Sprout and Eevee make excited noises that are cut off when Sableye adds, "So, is this in exchange for the fire stone or the leaf stone?" At my friends' blank looks, Sableye chuckles. "You didn't think this was a two-for-one trade, did you?"

This guy is starting to get on my nerves. Absol speaks for me. "Come on. How many pokemon around here even use half those stones?"

"You'd be surprised." Sableye tosses the wadded up paper back and forth in his hands. "I don't just stick to the forest, you know. Human places have all sorts of pokemon in them. And, my horde has a decent variety as well." He stops playing with the map and points it at Eevee. "I've got two fire stones back home. One, I'm thinking about giving to a Growlithe who's staying with us. If he gets any smarter," Sableye adds under his breath. "The other I was gonna give to my buddy, Vulpix," Eevee bristles then relaxes when Sableye says, "but she turned me down. Guess she's happy the way she is. You see? You never know who you're gonna meet." He smacks his bag, making it rattle and slump over. "These evolution stones will go faster than you think."

My battle idea comes back to mind, but now that I think about it, only one of us can battle this guy. Sprout checked my stitches this morning. She said they're only halfway dissolved, so I probably shouldn't battle yet. Absol, with his bad foreleg, is a definite no. Eevee and Wobbles have little to no attacks that could affect a ghost/dark-type like Sableye. Really, Sprout is the only one of us who is both able-bodied and can actually cause damage-

"What about a story?" Eevee suggests.

Or, we could do that.

Eevee's tail swings back and forth as he gazes up at Sableye with wide, pleading eyes. "What if we told you a really great story? Then, can we have two stones?"

Sableye hums and taps his chin. "Yeah. Alright. Who doesn't love a good story? But, it better wow me."

Wobbles slaps me on the back hard enough that I almost lose balance. "Alright," she says. "Get yapping, Pikachu." She slaps me again, and this time I fall on my stomach with my limbs sprawled out. "This guy," she says to Sableye, "has all kinds of crazy stories to tell."

"Will you quit hitting me?" I snap as Absol uses his horn to help me up.

"A Pikachu with crazy stories, eh?" Sableye says thoughtfully. I can't interpret the way he's looking at me. "How crazy we talking?"

I shake out my fur and rise to two feet. "Pretty crazy. Evil doers, tough battles, Legendary Pokemon. I even turned to stone once!"

Everyone gapes at me. Absol says, "Okay, I have to hear that story."

"Personally," Sableye says, "I'd like to hear more about the Legendary Pokemon."

"Oh!" Eevee chirps, bouncing a little. "Tell him about when you met Zapdos! That's a good one!"

"Zapdos?" Sableye repeats in shock. "The Zapdos?" He turns to me in disbelief. "You can't- No."

Sprout wiggles her leaves. "Oh my goodness, it's true! We ran into Zapdos recently, and he confirmed it for us!"

"I met Zapdos!" Wobbles announces, puffing out her chest.

"You annoyed Zapdos," Absol teases. Wobbles sticks her tongue out at him.

Sableye drops his crinkled map on the ground and sits on it, squashing it. "Alright, Pikachu. It's settled." He props his elbows on his knees and rests his chin in his hands. "If this Zapdos story of yours wows me," he nods toward Sprout and Eevee, "your friends here can each pick out an evolution stone."

Though my friends have heard this story before, they are as invested as Sableye is. My audience claps or stomps their paws once I'm finished.

"Even better the second time," Wobbles comments.

I giggle and take a bow.

"That was quite a tale, Pikachu," Sableye says with that thoughtful look.

Eevee walks up to him. "Does that mean we get two stones?"

Sableye waves at him in dismissal. "Yeah, yeah, sure. Hey, Pikachu, do you know a 'mon name Paw- Well, I guess he would have been Pawmi, then."

Weird change in subject. "Pawmi?" I repeat. "I don't think so."

"Quadruped? Orange fur? Electric-type rodent like you but smaller?"

The description sparks something. "Would he have been at Electrode Horde?"

Sableye points a finger gun at me, proving that he does spend a lot of time around humans. "Bingo. He's that Pawmot I mentioned. He splits his time between Electrode Horde and the one I live at. He was going on and on about some Pikachu that battled Zapdos!"

Eevee's tail wags. "That's our Pikachu!"

"That's why you wanted to hear the Zapdos story, isn't it?" Wobbles asks. "You wanted to see if this guy was the same Pikachu."

"Darn straight." Sableye stands up and grabs his squished map ball. "You guys gotta come to my horde! If only so I can see the look on Pawmot's face!"

"Can we?" Eevee asks. "I've never seen a Pawmot before!"

Apparently, that's Wobbles's cue. "Pawmot: the hands-on pokemon. An electric- and fighting-type. The hairs on its head store most of its electricity. Its reaction time isn't great normally, but once it enters a battle, look out!" She punches the air a few times.

Sableye sees our lack of reactions and points to Wobbles with a curious, "Does she do that a lot?"

Absol shrugs. "You get used to it."

Sprout glances at Absol's leg. The wound isn't bleeding, but his fur won't grow back for some time, leaving the red, still raw wound exposed. "Does your horde have healer pokemon?" Sprout asks Sableye. "Absol got hurt recently. We know first-aid, but it would be good to have a professional look at it."

"My leg doesn't hurt that bad," Absol argues. He stands up, winces when he puts weight on it, then transfers his weight to his other legs. "It's manageable."

Wobbles smacks his flank. "Stubborn."

"Sprout's right, Absol," I say. "You should have a healer check it out." I reach for the tiny bump on my head and try not to wince at the soreness. "Maybe I can have them double-check my stitches while we're there."

"Yikes," Sableye says, looking between me and Absol with a sympathetic eye. "Sounds like you folks have been having a time."

"That's an understatement," Wobbles mutters.

Sableye opens his bag to toss the map in then ties it shut once more and holds it over his shoulder. "Yeah, we got a few healers. I'll have to grab the stones from my den anyway, so you all may as well join me."

"Shall we, then?" Absol asks.

As we follow Sableye, who drags his bag behind him without issue despite how heavy it must be, Sprout catches up to him and whispers, "Just be patient with Absol. He's still limping, and he might need to sit down."

"I can hear you," Absol growls, "and I'm not helpless."

"But, you are stubborn," Wobbles counters. Absol doesn't deny it.

Sableye chuckles. "You sound like Raichu, Absol."

Any mention of my evolution line peaks my interest. "Who's Raichu?"

Sableye grins at me in realization. "Oh, that's right! You're her pre-evolution. Raichu's my alpha. She's a bit of a jerk sometimes, but she's got a good heart. You'll like her."

Wobbles snorts. "She and Absol will get along!"

Absol gives her a side-eye. "What is that supposed to mean?"

Eevee comes up beside me. "Hey, Pikachu, didn't you say your mom was an alpha?"

"Yeah, she was," I confirm. "Forgive me if I get all nostalgic!"

That comment was meant as a joke, but I genuinely hope I don't embarrass myself. My mother was the only Alpha Raichu - or alpha of any kind from my evolution line - I've ever seen. It shouldn't be too awkward, but I'm worried I'll compare the two. It doesn't help that Sableye's description of his alpha reminds me of my mother.

On second thought, this might be kind of awkward.

But, it is a good idea to pay this Raichu Horde a visit. Not just for the stones and the healers, but it's possible that someone can point us in the right direction (assuming Ash is still in Vermillion City).

"Here we are!" Sableye announces, stopping in front of a huge wall of shrubbery.

We look around, but, "There's nothing here," Wobbles announces for us.

Sableye turns to her with a smug grin. "Oh, there's something. Alpha Raichu takes the horde's safety very seriously. There's a reason she picked this spot, and my friends, you're looking at it."

"It does make sense," I say, tilting my head in thought. "Makes the place harder to find. But, how do you get in?"

"You just gotta know where you're going. Follow me."

With no hesitation, Sableye marches through a seemingly random section of branches, his bag trailing behind him. The rest of us exchange looks. I eyeball Absol's injured leg, and I see everyone else doing the same and sneaking glances at what's left of my ear.

Finally, Wobbles shrugs. "Well, somebody's gotta go first." She walks up to the spot Sableye disappeared into, gives the "entrance" some experimental pokes, and pushes through. After a moment, "Hey, guys! It's not that bad in here."

I decide to go next, and I hear the others follow as I break through. Wobbles was right. While the outside appears to be solid plant life, this section is weirdly spacious. I don't know if it's a miracle of nature or if someone did this themselves, but it's quite impressive, and I suspect it's not the only part of the wall like this.

We break through, and it's like stepping into another world. A large field stretches before us, full of flowers and greenery and pokemon of all shapes and colors. The trees are naturally angled so that the sky is covered but not so much that no light breaks through. If the walls aren't a miracle of nature, what lies behind them sure is.

"It's so pretty!" Sprout exclaims.

"How did your alpha find this place?" Absol asks.

"Dumb luck, from what I've heard," Sableye replies. He adjusts his hold on the bag. "Come on. I'll take you to my den. I share it with Pawmot. He- Oh, good timing. There he is now."

The pokemon he points out exits the den on two very short, almost non-existent legs. He is an orange pokemon with yellow cheeks and a patch of much longer fur that sticks straight up between his long ears. His long, fat arms dangle at his sides as he walks, though evolution seems to have made him bipedal. A Growlithe follows him out of the den. Based on the size difference between the two I'd estimate that Pawmot is roughly twice my height when I'm standing.

"Yo, Pawmot," Sableye calls. He gestures for the rest of us to follow as he approaches his friend. "I got someone you'd like to meet."

Growlithe watches us curiously as Pawmot smiles at us then notices Sableye's bag. He points to it and says, "Nice haul. You're usually gone a lot longer."

Sableye puffs out his chest. "I got lucky. I'll tell you about it later." He looks at me over his shoulder. "See that Pikachu? He's the one you told me about."

Pawmot's ears perk up, but it's Growlithe who speaks. "Dear me! The one who battled Zapdos?"

My skin heats up. I scratch the back of my neck. "That's me, alright. And, I'm sure you remember my friends, Pawmot."

Sableye chuckles at Growlithe and Pawmot's starstruck expressions. "I'll let you all get acquainted," he says before dragging his bag into the den.

"Oh, wow!" Pawmot exclaims. "I didn't think I'd see you again. Any of you," he adds as an afterthought.

Wobbles puts her hands behind her head. "No need to include us. We know we're unwanted."

Sprout whacks her with her leaf. "Ignore her," the Weepinbell says.

Growlithe loudly clears his throat, catching Pawmot's attention. "Oh, right!" Pawmot pats his friend's head. "This is Growlie. He's new."

Growlie?

"I'm only here temporarily," Growlie says. "A pleasure to meet you, chaps."

Absol dips his head. "The pleasure's ours. I'm Absol, and these are my friends, Sprout, Wobbles, and Eevee. And, you already know who Pikachu is."

Maybe more so than he thinks. "Say, Growlie, have we met before? You seem familiar."

Growlie tilts his head and gives me a good sniff. "Now that you mention it, there is a certain air about you."

"Geez, Pikachu," Wobbles says. "First, Zapdos. Now, Growlie. Do you know everybody?"

I smile sheepishly. "It certainly feels like it sometimes."

Pawmot's eyes light up in realization. "Wait a minute. Pikachu, do you know a Charizard, by any chance?"

My pulse picks up. "Y-yes."

"He really does know everyone, doesn't he?" Wobbles snarks. Sprout whacks her again.

"By jove," Growlie barks, "you're the Pikachu he's been looking for! Oh, heavens, if only you had arrived a bit sooner. I'm afraid Charizard and Butterfree left this morning to continue their search."

Having been quiet up to this point, Eevee speaks up. "Um, who are Charizard and Butterfree?"

"Charizard is-is one of Ash's pokemon," I say mechanically. My friends make shocked noises. "As for Butterfree… Well, it's probably not the one I'm thinking of."

Charizard was here. Very recently, it sounds like. Which means that Ash probably was, too. We missed them, but the fact that they were just here gives me hope.

Sprout follows my line of thinking. "Was there a human with them?"

"A big, muscular one?" I add, my heart pounding. "With beige skin and black hair and possibly a hat?"

Sadly, Pawmot disappoints me by shaking his head and saying, "I didn't see a human. Growlie?"

"Neither did I," Growlie responds. "My sincerest apologies, chap."

Charizard but no Ash? That's odd. I suppose Ash could have sent Charizard to scout the area, but I feel like Charizard would have said something if that was the case. Could it have been a different Charizard? Seems unlikely, but it's not as if that Charizard is the only one of his kind that I've ever met.

Maybe Wobbles is on to something when she says that I know everybody.

"Perhaps they should talk to Raichu," Growlie says to Pawmot. "Didn't she have words with Charizard?"

"Good call, Growlie," Pawmot praises. Then he frowns and his ears twitch. "Though, I can't promise she'll be in the mood to talk."

"Is something wrong?" Sprout asks.

Pawmot shrugs. "She's been spacey all day. Not sure why. She was fine yesterday."

"We'll just have hope for the best, then." Absol had sat down to rest during our discussion. Now he rises to all-fours with a wince. "Where can we find Alpha Raichu?"

Pawmot points to the wall of shrubbery. His tone is laced with concern. "She went for a stroll. Said she needed to clear her head. I don't know when she'll be back."

My heart goes out to the alpha. Whatever happened must have been pretty bad.

With nothing else to do for the time being, Sprout, Wobbles and Eevee explore the territory. Meanwhile, Absol and I are being looked at in the medicine den.

Even though I saw the various species who call this horde home, it doesn't really hit me until I see Absol's leg being looked at by an Audino (native to Unova) and have my ear stump being looked at by a Ribombee (native to Alola).

"I have to ask," I say while Ribombee slathers a cool paste of some kind on my injury. "Where did all the horde's pokemon come from?"

"I was wondering that myself," Absol says. "There's quite a variety. I don't even recognize most of them. And, that includes you females," he adds to our healers.

Audino stands up from examining Absol's wound. "We come from all over." Her mood turns somber as she explains. "Everyone here has a story to tell. And, most of them aren't good."

Ribombee nods sadly. "Abusive trainers. Homes or families destroyed by this or that." She shakes her mournfully. "Not everyone's story is a bad one, but…well."

"That's why we're all so grateful for Raichu," Audino adds with a real smile. "She wants her horde to be a safe place. A second chance, if you will."

"That's awesome!" I say, even more excited now to meet this pokemon.

Absol nods in agreement then frowns suddenly. "Speaking of which, Pawmot said that something was up with your alpha."

The females sober once more. "Yeah," Ribombee says. "She's been real distracted today. Something happened between last night and this morning, but I'm not sure what. Audino?"

Audino shakes her head. "I got nothing. Raichu's usually more open than this. Everyone's worried."

That does sound troublesome, and the cause could be any number of things. Poke-X is the first thing that comes to mind. Maybe Raichu saw a case too close to her horde for comfort and isn't sure what to make of it. It certainly threw me and Ash for a loop when we first learned of it.

Audino smiles at me. "Maybe seeing you will cheer her up. We don't see a lot of her evolution line out here, so you'll be a fun surprise."

"I hope so," I say. "I really need to talk to her. You females haven't seen any humans around, have you?" Growlie and Pawmot were a bust, but maybe…?

Ribombee's response gives me hope. "I saw some while I was gathering herbs earlier."

"What did they look like?" I ask.

What the bug-fairy-type says next twists my hope into apprehension. "There was a male and a female. The male had blue hair, and the female had really long dark pink hair." Ribombee squints in thought. "They both wore these weird white clothes with, um…some kind of red design on the front. Does that help at all?"

It does, but it doesn't. "Not really," I say cautiously. "But, you might wanna spread the word about that. It kind of sounds like this group called Team Rocket. Trust me when I say that you don't want them anywhere near this place. You may end up with a few less pokemon if they get too close." Things may have changed between them and me, but they're still Team Rocket.

Ribombee nods solemnly at my warning. Before she can respond, the brambles at the entrance rustle, and Growlie pokes his head into the den. "Beg your pardon," he says, "but might I have a word with you, Pikachu?"

"Uh, sure," I say. "Ribombee, am I good to go?"

Ribombee hums in approval. "Your wound is healing nicely, but I wouldn't battle or anything like that for a few more days."

"Same goes to you, Absol," Audino tells him. "You can walk, but nothing too strenuous until that limp goes away."

"Understood," Absol says with a nod. "Thank you, ma'am."

"And, thank you, Ribombee," I say to her.

On that note, I follow Growlie out of the medicine. He leads me to the edge of the territory, next to one of the thick walls of shrubbery. We sit down, and Growlie gives his ear a nice scratch with his back foot before speaking.

"I've been pondering your query about a human," Growlie barks, "and I may have come to a rather discerning conclusion."

"Okay," I drawl. "Um, what's a query? And, what does 'discerning' mean?"

I can't tell if Growlie is embarrassed or annoyed. "I'll get right to the point. You mentioned that Charizard was one of Ash's pokemon, correct?"

My heart pounds with renewed hope. "Y-yeah. Ash Ketchum. Does that name sound familiar?"

"Well, I don't know his surname, but…"

Growlie explains how he met Charizard and took shelter with him and a Butterfree during a rainfall. They did a lot of talking while waiting it out, during which Growlie learned some interesting tidbits. For one, that Butterfree used to be Ash's pokemon, confirming the suspicions I'd shrugged off. Growlie doesn't say why Butterfree wants to come back to Ash - "Not my story to tell," he claims - but Ash is going to be over the moon. And, frankly, so will I. Though, for Butterfree to leave his mate and horde, it must be quite a story driving him.

The other thing Growlie learned is that Charizard set off on his own to look for me- Wait, what?

"He just took off?" I say in astonishment. "How did he-" I shake my head with a rueful chuckle. "Nevermind. He's Charizard. He'd find a way."

Growlie swishes his tail in amusement. "I did get that impression. Anyway, he mentioned that his trainer's name was 'Ash.'"

"That's my trainer, too! Do you know where Charizard is now?" Even if I don't know where Ash is, finding Charizard would be a huge step in the right direction. That, and I hadn't realized how much I missed the other pokemon until the prospect of meeting up with one of them was presented to me.

Growlie thinks for a moment. "Can't say for certain, though I do believe he was going to check with one 'Electrode Horde,' if that rings any bells."

I inwardly cringe. "It does."

And, I hope Charizard doesn't burn their territory to the ground after meeting their alpha.

"Raichu would know more," Growlie goes one. "She and Charizard spoke for some time upon our arrival."

"Do you know when she'll be back?" I ask.

Growlie shakes his head. "'Fraid not, chap. I do hope she's alright. The poor dear is a might daffy today."

I don't know what that means, but I can take a guess. Although, if Team Rocket is in the area, and if Meowth has recovered enough, then being "daffy" could be the least of Alpha Raichu's problems.

As if he'd read my mind, Eevee runs up to us with an excited grin and a wagging tail. "Pikachu! Alpha Raichu's here!"

"Well, speak of the devil," Growlie says.

Eevee gives Growlie a confused glance before returning his attention to me. "She just got back. Did you know she's a shiny? It's so cool! I mean, I've never seen any Raichu before, but it's still cool!"

My brain fizzled out at the word "shiny," at the idea of a shiny alpha…

There's no way. It's not possible.

Is it?

I push past Eevee and Growlie and bolt into the clearing. My heart hammers in my chest and my stomach does little flips as I gaze at the huge, dark orange, slightly shimmery pokemon standing near the entrance. She is facing away from me, talking to Pawmot and Sableye. I take a long, deep sniff. Alpha Raichu's scent is…familiar. Comforting in some distant, not quite forgotten way.

As if we've met before. As if we'd been close.

Eevee stands beside me and taps his paw to my flank. "Pikachu? Your fur's standing up. Are you okay?"

I don't answer. I can't.

Because Absol, Sprout, and Wobbles just ran up to the shiny alpha Raichu. And, Alpha Raichu just turned to face them.

And, she has a scar on the side of her head. A long scar where the fur never quite grew back. One that starts at her temple, curves just past the electric sac in her cheek, and ends at her chin.

My legs are shaking. The edges of my vision are fuzzy.

Sprout sees us and waves me over. "Oh, you guys! Come meet Alpha Raichu!"

"You can knock off that 'Alpha,'" Raichu says in a voice that's as familiar as her scent. "We're not formal here."

She turns to face me, and her whole face slackens. Time seems to stop as she stares at me with those blue, blue eyes and takes a long whiff of my scent just like I did hers.

And, recognizes it. Just like I did hers.

She doubles over in a hearty laugh that quickly blends into a sob. She lifts her head and gazes at me with eyes full of tears and wonder and love. "I actually thought I wouldn't recognize you."

"Mama!"

I leap into her arms, and we cry together and Mama covers me in licks while everyone gathers around us. Distantly, I hear the chatter of the horde.

"Did he say 'Mama?'"

"I thought her son was dead!"

"Looks like she did too!"

I also hear Wobbles say, "Oh, right. His mom was a shiny alpha. Wait a minute."

When Mama and I calm down, we notice the crowd surrounding us, gazing at us with amazement and curiosity. My eyes linger on Eevee, though if he's jealous, he's hiding it well.

Mama addresses her horde and sounds more like the bucket of snark I once knew. "What is this? A free-for-all? As you were! And, stay out of my fur for a while." She looks at me like I'm the one who put the sun in the sky. "I'm about to be very busy."

The pokemon reluctantly disperse, though I'm sure gossip is going to be flying for the rest of the day.

My friends, however, are too shell-shocked to do anything but stare at Alpha Raichu.

At my mother. Who is alive and holding me in her arms.

Mama turns to them and says, "Sorry, folks, but whatever you need is gonna have to wait."

"Oh, they're with me," I say. "I can relay the message."

"Even better."

Mama adjusts me in her arms, but I climb up and position myself on top of her massive head. It's not as roomy as I remember, but there's still space for me to spread out. A lump of nostalgia wedges itself into my throat. I used to sit on Mama's head all the time. Daddy's too, but Mama's alpha-sized head was bigger, and she could carry me longer.

There's a catch in Mama's voice; she remembers too. "Let's-" She clears her throat. "Let's talk in my den. And, uh, by the way," as she walks on two feet, she reaches up toward the side of my head that's missing an ear, "whatever did that, I hope they walked away looking twice as bad."

That's not a memory I want resurfaced, so I tell her, "Let's just say that she was in pretty bad shape."

"That's my boy."

A few more steps, and I hear Sprout scream, "Oh my goodness! What just happened?!"

After all these years, I'd forgotten just how big my mother is compared to other Raichu. She towers over me as we sit across from each other in the shelter of her den. If she wasn't my mother, I would be intimidated by such a big pokemon wanting to talk to me in private.

Or, maybe I wouldn't be. I did challenge Zapdos to a battle. Although to be fair, I had been high on lightning.

Mama is telling the story of how she escaped the poachers, as that had been my biggest question. "They wanted to breed me," she says with disgust. "Something about possibly getting more shiny alphas or at least pokemon who are one or the other. Like I was gonna prance around with anyone but your dad." There's a delicate hope in her next words. "Uh, your dad?"

My heart burns at the memory of Daddy's lifeless body lying prone on the grass. I shake my head.

Mama is disappointed, but I can tell she expected my answer. "I had to ask. What about the others?"

The rest of our horde. "I think most of us got away."

She stews on my choice of words for a moment. "What about you? How did you escape?"

"Daddy pushed me into an alcove in a tree," I say through a wave of old grief.

Mama nods, no doubt with a similar feeling.

"How did you escape?" I ask when the silence becomes too great.

"Wasn't easy," she says. She gives her neck a scratch. "They all wore some weird material they called 'rubber.' I don't know what rubber is, but it seemed to make them immune to electricity. They also had two Golem manhandling me, holding me in a way that wouldn't let me move properly, and since they were ground-types, I was out of luck there, too."

"They made their pokemon help?" I know poachers often utilize their own pokemon in their…endeavors, but the thought still chills me to the bone.

Mama narrows her eyes. "It's sick, I know. And, those Golem wouldn't stop apologizing. I could tell they didn't want to be there. I wasn't mad at them. If anything, I felt sorry for them."

"So, how did you get away? You didn't really have to," I shudder, "go at it with some random pokemon, did you?"

Mama points at me with a triumphant smirk. "That's how I got away. Those humans were stupid enough to put me in a room with a Ditto."

Ditto have the unique ability to shapeshift into any pokemon imaginable. The kicker is that their faces remain unchanged.

"As you can imagine, Ditto didn't wanna be there either. Poor 'mon was scared out of their wits, and my size didn't help. So, we hatched a plan. We waited until the human overseeing us got bored and wanted to know why no nasty was being done. As soon as we saw him move away from the window, I ran to hide beside the door, and Ditto shapeshifted into a Raichu. They couldn't do a shiny or an alpha, but it was enough to confuse the human. I knocked him out with Mega Punch, and Ditto and I bolted for the door."

"And then, what?" I ask.

"Ditto shifted into a Golem and started carrying me through the lab. I pretended to be unconscious so no one would ask why there weren't two Golem carrying me. It was a gamble since Ditto couldn't change their face, but we got lucky and no one looked too closely. But, our luck ran out when the two very real Golem found us as we were about to sneak out the back."

"Did you have to fight them?"

A sad head shake is her response. "They opened the door for us. No questions asked. We offered to let them come with us, but they were loyal to their trainers."

"Even though they didn't like what they were doing?"

Mama shrugs. "I don't get it, but I wasn't gonna force them."

Those poor Golem. I have plenty of experience with poachers, and not just the ones who took my birth horde away. Pokemon in those situations put up a decent front, but it's rare to see any who genuinely enjoy what their trainer is making them do. I can't speak from experience, but I'm confident that it's love and loyalty that keeps them there.

I'm glad Ash is as kind as he is, because I'm certain that I would be one of those pokemon if he wasn't.

Mama concludes her story with a nostalgic smile. "Ditto's mate, Azumarill, was real happy to see them safe. I spent the night with those two, and they said I could stay as long as I wanted. But, I missed Kanto. The Johto region was nice and all, but I didn't exactly choose to be there, you know?"

I nod. "I've been to Johto, and I did like it there, but I wanted to be there. Being forced out of my home was hard enough. I can't imagine getting stuck in a whole different region!"

Guilt creeps through me when I realize that when I "my home," Mama probably thought I meant our old horde. I'm suddenly nervous to tell her about Ash and the rest of my family in Pallet Town.

"It took some doing," Mama goes on, "but I snuck on to…" She twirls her hand, scrunches up her face, looking for the right word. "What do you call them? Those giant metal things that humans ride in the sky?"

"You mean a plane?" I offer.

"Yeah, that sounds right. I snuck on to one of those and, long story very short, I found this place. Been taking in stragglers ever since."

"That's amazing," I say, prouder than ever to call this Raichu my mother.

Happier than ever that she survived.

"You know," Mama walks on two feet to the entrance and pulls the brambles open, offering a view of the gorgeous territory, "there's plenty of space here. If, uh, if you're interested."

Her tone is casual, but her eyes are saying, Please stay.

There's a twinge in my heart because I have to break hers. And, my own. I just found my mother. She just found her son. I would love nothing more than to stay here and make up for our lost years, to see where I fit in with this new world she's built.

Except…

"I…I can't," I say through the lump in my throat. It doubles in size when I see the light go out in her eyes. "If the circumstances were different, I'd say 'yes' without question. But…I have a new horde, too."

"Oh," Mama sighs in relief. "You mean the friends you brought. They can stay too, if they want."

I shake my head. "Not them. Those guys are great, but I…" She's not going to like this. My next words have never been so hard to say. "I have a trainer now."

Her fur bristles, and her eyes grow big. She lowers the brambles and drops to all-fours to better look me in the eye. "Trainer? Like…a human? You work for a human?"

I was expecting to be angry. Not…not scared.

She narrows her eyes and doesn't let me get a word in. "What do they make you do? I-is it really bad? Is that how you lost your ear? What about your friends? Do they-"

"Mama!" I interrupt. "I know why you're worried, but it's not what you think. He doesn't make me do anything. I want to be with him."

Mama gawks at me like I told her I could fly. "Pikachu, you know what humans do. You lived through it, for Mew's sake!"

My pelt prickles, and my cheeks buzz. How can I make her understand? "Not all humans are like that. They all have different thoughts and personalities like pokemon. And, Ash is one of the sweetest-"

"Ash?" Mama's fear is still present, but it's muddled by something I can't quite make out. "Your trainer's name is Ash?"

My heart pounds. "Yeah. Do you know him?" Because if she does, that could go a long way with convincing her-

"I don't know him," Mama says. She squints at me. "But, I might know some folks who do. Do the names 'Charizard' and 'Butterfree' shake any branches?"

"Yeah," I say. "They're my friends, too. Growlie told me they came here."

Mama rolls her eyes and curses under her breath. "They could have told me he was a human," she mutters.

I walked into this den with a spring in my step. At this rate, I'll walk out of it with my tail between my legs. "Mama, I get why you're scared for me. The truth is…I didn't want to be Ash's pokemon at first." Maybe total honesty is the only way to convince her. Or, it'll make things worse. Arceus, please let it be the former! "The thing about Ash is…he," just say it and don't worry about the consequences, "he looks like one of the poachers who invaded our horde. Their leader, in fact. Same hair, same skin color, shape of his ears and nose. It's all really similar. More so now that he's older, but even then. And, his scent is similar, too."

Mama says nothing, but she's staring at me so hard that I feel like her eyes are drilling through mine.

"I treated him like garbage, and looking back, I feel really bad about it. But, at the time… Well, it had been a long time since the horde…scattered. And, I felt like I had moved past it. But, the moment I saw Ash, caught his scent, it all came back to me. I did everything I could to give him a hard time, and I made him pretty mad, but…"

But, he put his life on the line for me despite it all.

The memory brings a fragile smile to my mouth. "He never held it against me. He… Let's just say, he showed me his character. And, I liked what I saw. And, we've been getting closer and closer ever since."

I give Mama the chance to mull this over. The end of her tail whisks back and forth above her. Then, she rises to two feet and pulls open the brambles again, gazing thoughtfully out at her current horde.

At last, she speaks. "I'm not the only one here who's had a bad run-in with humans."

"So, I've heard," I say.

"Humans abuse pokemon for their own gain. They tear up forests to build their weird, colorful structures. They pollute the air with their smelly contraptions and pollute the rivers with their trash."

"Not all of them."

My certainty makes her look down at me. "You sure about that?" I nod and hum in confirmation. "And, this Ash of yours. How does he treat you?"

A tiny, hopeful laugh bubbles out of me. "I'll put it this way. Ash loves pokemon as much as we do!"

Mama scans me over for cracks in my armor. When she finds none, she shakes her head and sighs. "If you're happy," she says, returning her gaze to her horde.

Relief floods me.

"But, you understand if I still don't like you having a trainer."

"I do," I assure. "He and I got separated. But, since you met Charizard, I'm guessing you already knew that." She nods. "Once I find Ash, I'll bring him here." Her fur bristles, but I'm not offended. I know exactly where she's coming from. "You'll love him. Trust me."

She glances at me. "I do trust you, Pikachu."

It's Ash I don't trust, is what she isn't saying. That's okay. As long as she's willing to try.

Mama's expression darkens further, and her ears jerk back. "You'll have to excuse me. Beedrill's heading this way, and he doesn't look too happy."

She runs out on all-fours and meets the bug/poison-type halfway. I can't hear what's being said, but Beedrill's mannerisms are agitated, so it can't be anything good.

But, it will have to wait. Wobbles jumps me so fast, I nearly shock her. She lifts me up by the armpits, and the overexcited glee on her face makes me tempted to do just that.

"Your mom's a shiny alpha!" the Wobbuffet chimes with an open-mouthed grin.

My ear twitches with annoyance. "I told you that."

"I have been waiting patiently for you to introduce me!"

"Wobbles, if you start badgering my mother, she will eat you. And, I don't think that's hyperbole."

Wobbles starts to retort but is cut off by the rest of our group bounding over to us. Though, Absol's limp causes him to trail behind Sprout and Eevee, despite his long legs.

"Wobbles, put him down," the dark-type commands. Wobbles obeys, and Absol says to me once he reaches us, "How'd it go with your mom?"

"Okay, I think," I reply. "She's wary of me staying with Ash, and I feel bad that I can't stay with her." I shake out my pelt as if that will dislodge the guilt knotting my belly. "But, I know where my heart lies."

Before anyone can respond, Sableye interrupts by calling for Sprout and Eevee and running up to them. "I almost forgot your stones. Leaf and fire, right?"

That's right! In all this excitement, those evolution stones completely slipped my mind!

Apparently, they'd slipped everyone else's as well. Sprout's huge leaves shake so much, her whole body shakes with them. "Oh my goodness! I forgot!"

Eevee leaps high in the air with a triumphant, "We're gonna evolve!"

"Now, Eevee," Wobbles cautions, "are you absolutely certain you want to be a Flareon? Once you're there, there's no going back."

Eevee's tail doesn't stop wagging. "It's what I want! I know it!" He turns his grin on me. "Pikachu helped me figure that out!"

"I owe you a thanks too, Pikachu," Sprout says. "If you hadn't told me what an everstone was, I might still be a Bellsprout!"

My heart fills as I give my chest fur an embarrassed lick.

"Do you 'mon wanna keep standing here," Absol jests, "or do you wanna grab those stones?"

Eevee sprints away, shouting, "Let's go! Let's go!"

"Hey, kid!" Sableye calls, heading in a different direction. "My den is this way!"

We run after Sableye, with Absol crying out, "Wait up!" behind us. On the way, I hear pokemon commenting on me, saying how much I smell like their alpha, how much they want to talk to me, what a miracle it is that I'm alive.

It's embarrassing and wonderful and humbling. And, a little sad, seeing as I can't stick around. But, I'd be happy to come back and bring Ash with me.

Assuming Mama lets him in… We'll cross that bridge when we get to it.

Sableye has already entered his den by the time we reach it. Anticipation fizzes in the air around us, and it only grows when Sableye comes out with a stone in each hand. One is a greenish gray color and has a darker, leaf-like shape etched into it. The other is yellow and more crystalline and appears to have a stagnant flame trapped inside.

A leaf stone and a fire stone. To evolve a Weepinbell into a Victreebell and an Eevee into a Flareon.

"Hey, Pikachu, I've got a thunder stone too, if you're interested," Sableye offers. "I don't normally give stuff to strangers for free, but since you're the long-lost son, I could make an exception," he adds with a wink.

My ear flattens in embarrassment. "Thank you, Sableye. But, I'd rather stay a Pikachu."

Sableye shrugs. "Suit yourself. Sprout. Eevee." He sets the stones down, stands back, and spreads out his arms. "Have at it."

"It's finally happening!" Sprout squeals.

Eevee is panting with glee. "Who goes first?"

"Oh, let's rock-paper-scissors for it!" Sprout suggests.

Eevee tilts his head, and my ear twitches as I eye Sprout's leaves.

"Rock-paper-what-now?" Wobbles asks.

She must turn to Absol, because he says, "Don't look at me."

"It's a human game," I say. "One that requires fingers."

Sprout looks at her leaves and says, "Oh, yeah."

"I'm dying of old age over here," Sableye whines.

Eevee smiles at Sprout. "You can go first, Sprout. You were waiting longer than me."

Sprout bounces and claps her leaves. "Oh my goodness, thank you! Here it gooooeeesss!"

She lifts up the stone in her leaves, and her body is enveloped by a rainbow of lights. We make some room as she doubles in size. Once the light fades, we see that her bulb-like yellow head has flipped upside-down, leaving her mouth just above her eyes and partially covered by a leaf at the top of her head. The leaves at her sides are huge but mostly unchanged, and the short stem on her head is now longer than her body.

Sprout the Victreebel. It has a nice ring to it.

While Sprout squeals and runs around, eliciting congratulations from the pokemon who saw, Wobbles gives a hearty salute and does her thing. "Victreebel: the flycatcher pokemon. A grass- and poison-type. It lures helpless victims into its mouth using its sweet-smelling saliva. Then it swallows them whole."

She said that so cheerfully…

As Sprout continues to run around gleefully, Absol says, "Somehow, I don't think we have anything to worry about. Hey, Sprout!" he calls. The Victreebel stops and turns toward him. "Not to interrupt, but Eevee's gonna evolve without you if you don't get over here."

"I'm coming!" Sprout calls back, scampering back to our group.

Sableye pats her on the side once she's back. "Looking sharp, lady. Your turn, kid," he adds to Eevee, whose fur is fluffed up with excitement.

"Okay," Eevee pants, brown eyes locked on the fire stone before him. "Here I go."

We watch as he places his paw on the stone, and his body glows every color. He doubles in size as well but, unlike Sprout, retains his overall shape. The real change shows when the light fades. The short parts of his fur are a reddish orange, and his fluffy tail and long fur around his neck are a light tan, with a big tuft on his head the same color. His eyes are wider in shape and a very dark blue. I don't think his tail has stopped wagging this whole time.

Eevee- No. Flareon crouches down, still panting happily. His voice is deeper, but he still sounds his age. "How do I look?"

"You look great!" I cheer. "You both do!"

Absol nods, and Sableye grins with a thumbs-up.

Sprout squeals and lifts Flareon up with her leaves. "You're so handsome!"

While she spins a giggling fire-type around, Wobbles salutes again and says, "Flareon: the flame pokemon. A fire-type. It fluffs its neck fur to keep from overheating."

"Fire-types can overheat?" Absol interrupts.

Sprout screams when a few small balls of fire shoot out of Flareon's mouth and fly just past her face and into the sky. Flareon dangles from her leaves, his mouth still open though nothing is coming out of it.

"Yes," Wobbles says, "and this one just learned Ember."

"Cool!" Flareon barks. He adds a sheepish, "Sorry, Sprout."

Sprout is quick to put Flareon down.

Sableye laughs and picks up the stones, both of which have lost their color, useless now. "Good for you guys. Pleasure doing business with the lot of you. I'll leave you all to celebrate."

We call out thank-yous, and he sends us a wave over his shoulder as he walks away, probably to dispose of the once-evolution stones.

"Oh! Oh!" Flareon barks, jumping up and down. "We should have a battle!" He lightly headbutts Sprout's side. "Can we have a celebration battle, please?"

Having gotten over her initial shock at Flareon's new move, Sprout chimes, "Sure! That sounds like fun!"

Wobbles pats Flareon's fluffy head. "You'll have more of a shot at winning now that you're a fire-type."

"What do you mean?" Flareon asks her.

Absol answers. "Hello? Grass-type versus fire-type. You have a type advantage over Sprout now."

Flareon's eyes sparkle. "I do?"

Sprout giggles and sways to and fro. "Don't think that means you're gonna win!"

Flareon stomps his foot and narrows his eyes at her with a wide grin. "I'm totally gonna win! I'm gonna burn you all over the place!"

My heart is fuller than it's been since this adventure started. First, I get a little bit closer to reuniting with Ash. And, Charizard and Butterfree, by the sound of it. Then, I find out my mother not only escaped the poachers, but started her own little community. Now, two of my friends have evolved and are bursting with joy over it.

This is turning out to be a pretty great day. With everything going on, we could all use a few more of those.

Absol steps between our newly evolved friends with an amused flick of his tail. "Alright, you two. Save the trash talk for the battlefield. Let's ask someone where they have battles here."

"I think it's back there," Wobbles says, pointing toward the back of the territory. "I saw some 'mon coming from that way looking kind of rough."

"Let's go! Let's go!" Flareon chirps as he bolts in that direction.

Sprout takes off after him, calling, "Eevee- I mean, Flareon, we don't even know for sure!"

Wobbles follows them with her hands in the air. "I am also running now!"

Absol sends me a fond but long-suffering eye roll then goes after them.

A giggle bubbles in my throat. I start to follow, but my mother calls my name. I turn around as she approaches me on all-fours. Her ears are flat, her tail is folded tightly over her back, and she regards me with a hesitance that makes me think this great day is about to take a turn.

"You guys start without me," I call to my friends.

Absol pauses and looks over his shoulder. He sees the seriousness of the situation and nods before continuing after the others.

"What's wrong, Mama?" I ask her.

Mama gives her shimmery pelt a shake. "I hate to involve you in this, but it's the only way for me to be sure." I don't like the sound of that. "There are some humans out there. They say they know you."

My fur rises, as does my heart rate. There are all sorts of options as to who those humans could be. Some are good. Some are bad. I have no idea which it is. I scent the air, but the smell of forest and pokemon is too thick to pick up on anything else.

"I'm not gonna make you go out and see them," Mama says. "I just want you to get close enough to tell me one way or the other."

I agree to this, and she leads me to a different entrance than the one we came in from. All of the entrances just look like solid walls of bush to me, but I guess when you live here long enough, you know where the openings are.

"Remember," Mama says on the way. "Don't let them see you. Just give them a good sniff and tell me what you think."

Depending on who they are, I wouldn't want to be seen anyway.

She lets me go first, and the smells of the horde start to lessen the closer I get to the other side of the passageway. I take a good, long sniff.

There are a few different scents, but one stands out.

Grass and sweat and male human musk and home.

"Hey! I said stay hidden!"

I ignore my mother's cry and leap through the barrier on shaky legs.

Ash Ketchum stands before me.

Calling it early since I haven't even started the next chapter yet, but I predict that it will be roughly twice the length of this one. Before you ask, yes, it will be about how Ash got there, but there's a lot of other ground to cover. Thank you in advance for your patience. :)