Chapter 26

As soon as it was that they had left the forest of Azalea Town, Ash and Brock now found themselves in another forest. The difference here was that this forest was much bigger, with much taller trees. They were so dense that close together that it was almost suffocating, and they could hardly see past the path they walked on. Luckily for Ash, Brock was leading them with an unfolded map in his hands he had received from Kurt.

"I wonder if this place even has a name," Ash muttered aloud, his eyes looking up to see that the leaves above even blotted out any hint of the sky above.

"Kurt told me that this is the Ilex Forest," Brock replied.

"That's a weird name."

Though they had only just started traveling together again, the sense of familiarity was still there. Brock had traveled with Ash all throughout the Kanto region, and even though the Pallet Town Trainer was trying to hide it, Brock could sense the nerves bubbling from under the surface. "There's nothing to worry about, Ash," the Pokémon Breeder assured his friend. "As long as we follow this map, we'll stay right on course."

"Isn't that what you always used to say before we got lost?"

The wind blew through the trees, and Brock's narrow eyes flashed and he gave a smirk over his shoulder. "I'm just lookin' out for 'yuh, kid," he said in a mock accent, and Ash let out a sigh.

"Yup, we're lost."

Brock didn't bother to correct him, but didn't make any attempt to agree with him either. Simply, the former Pewter City Gym Leader put away his map and the pair continued down the path. Nothing was said between them and they simply let the sounds of the forest entice them forward, but then a voice filled their ears, sticking out harshly amongst the typical tones. "Cutting attack, now!" The shout of the order made Ash stop in place, and Brock followed suit.

"Did he say cutting attack?" Brock questioned rhetorically, gripping the straps of his backpack as they looked around to see where the voice had come from.

"C'mon, Farfetch'd; use your Cutting attack, please?" They turned to the source of the voice and their eyes fell upon a young boy with messy brown hair tied into a small ponytail hanging off his neck, and he was looking at a small brown bird Pokémon who had its beak in the air. As they got closer, they saw that he had his hands pressed together in a pleading gesture to the smaller Pokémon. "I don't understand why you won't do what I ask you to, Farfetch'd."

"Fetch'd..." the Normal and Flying Pokémon said, letting out a sigh and turning its back to the boy.

"Cutting attack! Cutting attack!"

"Faaarr!" Once again, the Wild Duck Pokémon put its beak in the air, and the boy just about collapsed, but instead opted to put his hands together in prayer.

"Pretty please? With sugar on it?"

"Uh, hello..." Ash called from the bushes at the edge of the path. The newcomers raised their heads and turned to look at the pair. "We couldn't help... but overhear."

"It's pretty obvious what your problem is," Brock continued.

The boy stared at the pair with dark eyes, and they could see the gears turning in his head as he processed them, and then his mouth hung open. "Ah! You were watching me?!" His limbs flailed around, and his face grew more red by the second. Finally, he stopped and tapped his index fingers together bashfully. "Then you know I'm a total failure as a Trainer because I can't get my Farfetch'd to do a simple attack..."

Ash could feel a great deal of sympathy for the boy and pushed through the bushes. "Well, it usually helps if you say the right name of the attack," he told him.

"I said cutting attack..." the boy murmured, and when his Farfetch'd let out a sigh behind him, his head perked up and he blinked. "Hey, that's the right name, isn't it?"

"Actually, it's called a Cut attack," Ash corrected.

"Not... cutting..." Once again, this took a little time to process and the boy wore the same face that Brock's Psyduck wore when it was staring before another red blush filled out the boy's cheeks, and he slammed his hands into his temples and let out a cry. "AH! I always make stupid mistakes like this!" Once again turning around to look at his Farfetch'd, he knelt down beside it and gave it a grin. "I'm sorry, Farfetch'd! Let's try a Cut attack this time!"

But, despite using the right word this time, his Farfetch'd turned away from them and scoffed. "Fetch'd!"

"Just for me?!"

"Maybe we should sit down and take a break," Brock piped up, attempting to diffuse the situation before it got any worse. "It looks like we all could use one." They all agreed unanimously and the boy took them to the edge of the small clearing he was standing it. A pair of trees were down on their sides, and this gave them the perfect bench to sit and rest their tired legs on.

"Thanks a lot, guys," the brunet thanked them. "I really appreciate you helping me out. My name's Sylvester. I just started training this Farfetch'd, and I'm having a hard time remembering all the attack names."

"When you get your Farfetch'd trained, are you gonna try to compete in the Johto League?" Ash asked.

"Well maybe someday I might," Sylvester answered while his Farfetch'd scratched its back with the leek in its wing absentmindedly. It seemed to not be interested in the conversation at all. "But what I really want to do is to learn how to make purifying Charcoal just like my father does."

"Purifying Charcoal?" Though Ash's repeat of the phrase echoed his ignorance, Brock's face lit up.

"Oh boy! I love Purifying Charcoal!"

"Really, Brock? You mean you've heard about it?" Sylvester questioned, perking up at the Breeder's knowledge.

"What is it?" the Pokémon Trainer asked his traveling companion.

"Well, it's really amazing stuff, Ash. It's kind of burnt wood that's used for fuel, but it purifies water, and it cleans the air, too," the older teen explained. "And, the Charcoal made from the wood here in the Ilex Forest is world-famous for being super top quality! In fact, it's an important part of my secret recipe for Brock's Rockin' Rice! I take one bag of Pewter City Rice, and three glasses of Mt. Moon spring water, and then most importantly you boil over a fire built with five sticks of Ilex Charcoal! And then I simmer for twenty minutes for a taste that's beyond compare!"

Ash remembered eating Brock's rice a time or two during their time together, and the dark-haired boy's eyebrows rose slightly upon realizing that the wood that Brock specially ordered was made right here in the forest. "I think it's really cool that you know how make something that important, Sylvester."

"I'm still trying to learn the right way to make it," he admitted. "My father's trying to teach me how. Soon as I learn all the secret techniques, I'll be a master Charcoal maker just like my father! That's why my good buddy Farfetch'd and I are out in the forest today; I'm trying to teach it how to cut trees into perfect blocks." He reached over beside him where his Farfetch'd was sitting on the ground looking out at the trees and rubbed the feathers on the top of its head, much to its annoyance.

"Faaaar!" it whined, and gave a loud yawn.

"Perfect blocks?"

"Yeah, every piece of wood has to be cut perfectly. That's why I was trying to get Farfetch'd to use its Cut attack; but I messed that up..."

Seeing the way that Sylvester's eyes fell to the ground when Farfetch'd moved away from his hand, Ash could feel a pang of sympathy and gave a small chuckle. "Don't worry," he assured the younger boy. "I had a real hard time with my Mankey when we started training together, too. But before too long, we started working things out, and after a while, it eventually evolved into a Primeape and became one of my best Pokémon. So keep trying! You're only a loser if you're a quitter!"

"Yeah, you're right, Ash!" The pep talk seemed to do its job, and Sylvester jumped up from his sitting position on the log and he knelt down beside his Pokémon. "C'mon, Farfetch'd! Let's give it another try!" Farfetch'd's eyes lingered on Ash for a moment and then looked towards the ground and gave a sigh.

"Far-fetch'd."

o 0 o

The pair left Sylvester to his training, as they got the sense that he tended to work better without others breathing down his neck. Wishing him the best, they parted ways and continued down the trail that Brock had been leading them down. A few hours later, they stumbled across a Pokémon Center built like a log cabin. The Pokémon Center was marked as the halfway point of the forest, and they welcomed the break with open arms.

They stopped for a meal, to give their Pokémon a rest, and – most importantly – to figure out where the next Gym was. But first thing was first; while Brock checked the map to look ahead, Ash called Professor Oak to give him an update on their journey. "Thanks very much, Ash!" the gray-haired researcher said through the bright screen of the Pokémon Center's video phone. "I'm dying to know about that GS Ball. If there's anyone who can unlock the mystery, it's Kurt."

"He and Brock saved us back in Azalea Town, Professor," Ash said, and as he spoke, he rummaged through his pocket. "And he even gave Brock and me these great Poké Balls!" Finally retrieving what he had been looking for by feeling for the three vertical lines on the top, he held up his new Lure Ball to the camera. "Mine's a Lure!"

Seeing the different Poké Ball made the features on the professor's face lighten lightly. "Ah! That's an excellent Poké Ball to use for capturing Water Pokémon!"

"I won a Hive Badge in Azalea Town," Ash continued. "And we're gonna figure out where the next Johto League Gym is right now."

"Keep up the good work," Professor Oak said with a nod of understanding. "All your Pokémon here are behind you!" As soon as those words escaped his mouth, the professor disappeared behind a slew of Pokémon. Tauros, Kingler, Muk, Primeape, and Pidgeotto all crammed into the screen, fighting to be caught by the camera's lens and all gave cries of happiness. The scene brought a grin to Ash's face, and his heart bloomed like a flower in his chest.

Professor Oak's weathered hand parted through the sea of Pokémon and waved to the camera. "Bye!" And with that, the screen went black.

Feeling like nothing could get him down after a cheer like that, Ash hung up the receiver and found Brock in the lobby looking over a map of the Johto region. Sliding into the worn leather booth beside his backpack, he smiled a greeting at his traveling companion. "All right, ready!"

"I've been studying the map, and as far as I can tell, the closest Johto League Gym is the Goldenrod Gym over here in Goldenrod City," Brock reported.

"All right; if we stock up on stuff to eat here maybe we-" Ash was quickly interrupted by a commotion of a frantic yell that drew their attention. Running up through the front door and straight to the front counter was a familiar boy – Sylvester.

"Nurse Joy!" he shouted with panic obvious on his face. "Nurse Joy, you've got to help me!"

"What is it, Sylvester?" the young Pokémon nurse asked calmly from behind the counter. "What's the matter?"

"Sylvester..." Ash murmured in recognition.

"Nurse Joy, have you seen my Farfetch'd?"

"No," the pink-haired nurse answered. "Not since you were here last week."

"Oh no! What am I gonna do?"

"Sylvester!" Ash called, standing and approaching the frantic boy they had encountered earlier that day. Sylvester looked and saw the dark-haired boy approach with Brock close behind.

"Ash, it's you."

"How come your Farfetch'd isn't with you?"

"Well, y'see, Farfetch'd and I were in the forest trying to work things out, and we were doing okay for a while, 'til I..." The boy's head lowered to the floorboards. "...started messing up some of the commands." He let out a defeated sigh, and his body deflated like a balloon. "I'm a loser..." Ash and Brock looked at the younger boy with sympathy, but weren't sure on what to say.

"Sylvester," Nurse Joy spoke up. "Maybe your Farfetch'd went back to your father's house; just like it did the last time you tried to train it, and it ran off."

"It sounds to me like you're familiar with the whole family, Nurse Joy," Brock stated.

"Yes," she answered with a nod. "Sylvester's father is very strict, and I think Farfetch'd would be too afraid to leave home and make him angry."

"You're right; that should have been the very first place I looked for Farfetch'd," Sylvester replied, and once again his eyes dipped to the ground. "I can't believe how stupid I am..."

"You think your father's gonna be mad at you?" Ash asked quietly.

"Probably..."

Ash and Brock exchanged a look, and then the Pallet Town native grinned and puffed out his chest confidently. "Hey, I know! How about if we go with you? And if your Farfetch'd isn't back at your father's, we can go look in the forest together!"

"That's great! Thanks a lot Ash!" Ash's confidence gave Sylvester his own, and for the first time that day, Sylvester's face had brightened up. With his new friend at his side, he seemed to be a lot more calm than he had been when he first entered the Pokémon Center.

The three departed and let Sylvester lead the way back toward his home. It was just on the edge of the forest, but unfortunately it was some time in the opposite direction of where they were heading. But neither of them complained a bit about backtracking, as it was all for their new friend. Though Sylvester had told them they were close, Ash and Brock could tell that without the brunet saying so, mostly because of the smell of burning wood in the air. It was like a campfire late at night, but almost more refreshing.

Like a shining beacon, a thick stack of black smoke rose into the sky where it promptly dissipated after reaching a certain height. But it was just enough for Ash and Brock to reach Sylvester's house. The house itself was a small wood cabin, but the workshop beside it was three if not four times larger than the house itself, and that was where Sylvester led the pair.

Going through the open pavilion area, Sylvester quickly lost his motivation and slowed to a slight step forth to the point that he was almost trailing behind Ash and Brock. Suddenly, the sound of a Pokémon crying out filled their ears, and the two looked ahead to see a Magmar pulling in a deep breath before sending out a Flamethrower into a large wood stove. Kneeling beside it with his back to them, a man with sweat seeping through his robes was expertly poking at the wood inside as they were burned by Magmar's flames. Once he succeeded in flipping them over, he uncurled his spine and rubbed at his sweating forehead with the towel that hung damp around his neck.

"Might as well get it over with," Ash whispered with a reassuring smile to his new friend, who only gave a nervous look back.

"Right," he replied, and took a hesitant step forward before seeming to swallow a lump that had built up in this throat. "Hey Dad, have you seen Farfetch'd?" He spoke in barely a whisper, and the voice could hardly be heard over the crackling of the flames in the stove between Magmar and its Trainer. When the man didn't budge an inch, Sylvester cupped a hand over his mouth. "Hey, Dad!"

"Pipe down! I hear 'ya!" the man snapped back with a gruff voice. Instantly, Sylvester jerked up and stood like he had been turned into a wooden dummy.

"Have you seen, er... my Farfetch'd?"

"I knew it. You let that thing run away again, didn't 'ya?" his father said, a deep shadow casting over his face as his features hardened.

"I didn't say it ran away!" Sylvester yelped like a hurt Growlithe and leapt back.

"Well if it didn't run away, how come you're looking for it?"

"Uh, well, I-"

"You just can't do anything right, can 'ya?"

"I'm ready to apologize to him and I didn't even do anything...!" Brock uttered in a hushed whisper, both of them feeling the heavy hands of secondhand awkwardness press down on them.

Sylvester's father tossed the brunt end of his fire poker into the fire pit and stood up, and Sylvester once again yelped and jumped back. Now that the man was standing he was a good double the size of Sylvester. "I told you before," he scolded. "If you want to make quality Charcoal, you have to learn how to handle Farfetch'd and Magmar! Now how do you expect to handle the Pokémon if you can't even find 'em!"

"'Scuse me," Ash interrupted, stepping forth after hearing the harsh words spewed by his friend's father, and for the first time since he turned around, the older man glanced up at Ash and noticed that they had onlookers. "Sylvester's doing the best he can with Farfetch'd! And if you don't mind me saying so, I think you're being too hard on him!"

"And who are you?"

"My name's Ash. I come from Pallet Town, and I'm on my way to compete in the Johto League."

"A Pokémon Trainer," Sylvester's father mused, uprooting his fists from his hips and crossing them over his sweat-drenched chest. "Then you should know just what I'm talking about." When one of Ash's eyebrows raised in confusion, the Charcoal maker continued. "A good Trainer knows that you don't train a Pokémon just by telling it what to do."

While the man's words were blunt, Ash couldn't think of a response, because he was right. And when his mouth flickered open and shut like a Goldeen, the man cast his eyes down to talk to his son again. "Listen Sylvester – you're never gonna learn to be a good Charcoal maker or a good Trainer if you don't learn how to work with your Pokémon. You can't just tell Farfetch'd what to do; act together! Like you share one mind!"

"Yes, sir..." Sylvester replied politely with his head down.

"Now go find Farfetch'd and don't come back until you do!" The harsh lip-thrashing was enough for Sylvester, and without even waiting for Ash and Brock, he spun on his heel and rushed out of the workshop as fast as he could, and as the two Pokémon Trainers rushed after their friend, they could hear him yelling for his Farfetch'd.

"Farfetch'd!"

o 0 o

"Your father has a pretty hot temper," Ash commented once they got a certain distance away from Sylvester's house and the boy had calmed down a bit.

"Yeah, but using a Farfetch'd and a Magmar to make Charcoal is genius," Brock countered. They continued up the path until they reached a fork in it. But at the center of the fork was what looked like a wooden shrine with a concrete fence around it. And sitting on the shrine itself was a pair of offerings: two dumplings.

"What is this?" Ash asked Sylvester.

"It's a shrine to the spirit that watches over this forest," Sylvester told them, and his eyes scanned the surrounding area. "This is right near where we were when Farfetch'd ran away."

"Hey, where are youuuuu!" the Pallet Town Trainer shouted, his voice echoing through the empty forest.

"Hey Farfetch'd, can you hear me?!" Brock called as well.

"Faaarrrrrfetch'd!"

"Farfetch'd!"

There wasn't any sign of movement around them, both in the trees behind the shrine and the field that laid out on their left, and Ash let out a defeated sigh. "Maybe if we all yelled together..."

"It's no use," Sylvester lamented in defeat. "How are we ever gonna find Farfetch'd in a place this big?" Ash turned to look at the boy, and he continued. "Even if we all look day and night, it might take weeks." Though Sylvester seemed to be discouraged, Ash smiled and looked at his traveling companion.

"Brock, this is a Pokémon problem, so why don't we use a Pokémon solution!"

"Let's do it!" Brock agreed, and that was all the black-haired Trainer needed.

Pulling five Poké Balls from his belt, Ash balanced them in his hands on top of each other and hoisted them into the air. "I choose everyone! Go!"

"Blast!"

"Bulbazaur!"

"Herla-cruh!"

"Cyndaquil!"

"Chi-kah!"

One by one, the Pokémon all emerged from their Poké Balls and let out cries as they did so. Next was Brock's turn, and he threw five Poké Balls in front of him as well. "Let's go everybody!"

"Iwwwaaaa!"

"Geodude!"

"Vulpix!"

"Schka-ski!"

"Psy-Duck!"

"With all the Pokémon looking, we're sure to find your Farfetch'd now!"

"But..." Sylvester started, and his eyes slowly trailed to the ground. Ash felt a warm figure brushing up against his ankle, and looked down to see that his Chikorita was snuggling his pantleg.

Up ahead, Cyndaquil let out an exhausted yawn while Bulbasaur and Blastoise grappled with each other. And further up in the distance on the right side of the shrine, Heracross had attached itself to a tree's thick trunk and was suckling on sap. "I don't know, they don't look too interested in looking."

"Uh..." Ash murmured, feeling a blush creep up his neck. His Pokémon all were certainly marching to the beat of their own drum, and looking over at Brock's Pokémon wasn't exactly helpful either. All of them were sitting in line, either at their Trainer's side or behind him.

"You think your Pokémon would be a little bit more trained since traveling with Gary," Brock said proudly, but then heard a loud snoring and looked down at his feet. Leaning up against his Vulpix and using its tails as a pillow was Psyduck. The Water Pokémon was snoring loudly, and the Fox Pokémon was attempting to move away but Psyduck's head was too heavy for it. "Psyduck! Wake up!"

"Well, maybe all the Pokémon who aren't sleeping can help us out!" Sylvester said with a slightest hint of a laugh as he scratched his cheek. Now it was his turn to feel secondhand embarrassment for Brock.

"Okay, let's get started!" Ash announced, and all of his Pokémon turned their attention to him at the drop of the sentence. "Everybody spread out and look for Sylvester's Farfetch'd, okay?" Each of his Pokémon gave a cry of agreement, with Blastoise even saluting its Trainer, before they all split up and scattered in different directions.

"Let's get out there and find it!" Brock cried, and like Ash's, all of his Pokémon let out cries and dispersed also. All except for Psyduck, who held its head and stayed close to its Trainer. Brock looked down and saw this, and let out a chuckle before rubbing the back of his head. "Okay Psyduck, you can search with me."

"Psssssyyyy."

"Let's all meet up back here in an hour!" Ash called after his traveling companion.

"See 'ya!" Brock called, and waving a hand to show he heard him, him and Psyduck disappeared into the thick grove of trees.

"Well," Ash said. He and Sylvester were the only ones remaining, and he looked and smiled at the brunet. "We better get going!"

"Right." After seeing how all the Pokémon instantly pulled themselves together at their orders, Sylvester seemed a bit more confident, and his eyes lingered on Ash a bit longer before they headed off into the sea of trees.

While Ash was very much the optimist of the group, he quickly realized that trying to find Farfetch'd in this vast expanse of trees was going to be like trying to find a needle in a haystack. Not only could the Wild Duck Pokémon fly, but it was composed of brown feathers, being able to naturally blend into the tree trunks. This was going to be a lot harder than he thought going into it now that it was happening in real time.

Other than Sylvester, Chikorita was with him. The Grass Pokémon chose not to leave his side, and seemed more interested in snuggling close to Ash's neck than look for Farfetch'd. "Boy, Ash, your Chikorita sure does like you," Sylvester commented with the faintest hint of a smile. "I hope some day my Farfetch'd will like me half as much as your Pokémon seem to."

"You'll get there, Sylvester," Ash said with the upmost confidence.

"But how can you be so sure?"

"Farfetch'd can sense how nervous you are. You have to be confident, because it won't ever respect a Trainer who isn't confident." Sylvester was silent for a moment as he brewed over Ash's words, when suddenly, the Grass-type Pokémon that was on Ash's shoulder peeled its attention away from Ash and looked up in the tree.

"Chikah!" it spouted. Ash and Sylvester followed its gaze up into the branches and saw Farfetch'd sitting up in it against the tree. The Normal and Flying-type Pokémon hadn't noticed them until Chikorita spoke up, and it looked down at them with an uninterested look through one eye.

"Farfetch'd! There you are!" Sylvester cried with relief. "Come down here so we can talk, Farfetch'd."

"Far," the Pokémon scoffed, and jutted its nose high into the air.

"Oh, come on, Farfetch'd!" Sylvester whined.

"Farfetch'd, Sylvester just wants to show you that you guys can be friends. Wouldn't that be better than running away from him all the time?" Ash tried to reason, but the Wild Duck Pokémon only let out an exaggerated yawn. "Fine, if you won't come down, then I'm coming up!" Sylvester seemed shocked by the proclamation, and watched wordlessly as Ash put Chikorita down on the ground before running up to the tree and began scaling its woody surface. Farfetch'd watched with a bit of interest, but then as Ash got closer to it, it leapt into the air.

"Far far! Fetch'd-fetch'd-fetch'd!" it declared, and sliced its leek back and forth. The leek cut through some of the smaller bits of branch like butter, and soon the ends of branches came down and pelted Ash's head. It wasn't enough to cause hard damage, but enough to make Ash flinch. He resisted the urge to block his head with his hand, but could do so no longer and eventually fell off the tree and onto his back. "Far-ar-ar-ar!" When Ash next opened his eyes, he looked up to see the Wild Duck Pokémon peering down at him and laughing in a mocking tone.

"That's not funny!" Ash shouted, but it was Chikorita who defended its Trainer. Looking absolutely furious, Chikorita jumped into the air and swung its head. As its leaf sliced through the air, multiple leaves came out from the larger one and soared up to Farfetch'd. "Chikorita, don't attack it!"

But Ash's worry was for naught. Without a hint of hesitation, Farfetch'd extended its wing holding its leek and spun it around. Doing so created a shield that was able to block the Razor Leaf attack and repel it. As both Pokémon and Trainer let out a gasp, the leaves fluttered uselessly to the ground. "Fetch'd," the Pokémon above concluded, and flew away from the pair now that its fun was over.

But now that they had found it, they weren't going to let it get away that easily. "Hurry, don't lose it!" Ash yelled, jumping onto his feet and hurrying after it. Sylvester was close behind as well, calling for his Pokémon.

"Farfetch'd!" he cried. "If you don't come back, I'm gonna be in big trouble!"

The Wild Duck Pokémon craned its head back to gauge the distance between it and its pursuers, but failed to see a blue beetle-like Pokémon dart out in front of it. Ash did, however, and a smile perked up his face. "Heracross, don't let it get away!"

"Herlacruh!" Unfortunately, Ash's shout combined with Heracross's cry made Farfetch'd realize that something was in front of it, and it whipped its head around to see the Bug and Fighting Pokémon. With both its wings open and its arms held wide, the Long Horn Pokémon looked much larger than it actually was, and it horrified the Normal and Flying Pokémon.

"Faaa-aaa-aaar!" it screeched, and quickly flapped its wings to change direction.

"Bulba-zaur!" a cry from the woods emerged, and a pair of vines shot up from the bushes – almost invisible from the greenery surrounding it – and snaked up to where Farfetch'd was. It tried to avoid the vines, but was caught completely off-guard and they managed to wrap around one of its ankles. With its target acquired, Bulbasaur came out of its hiding place in the shrubs, and it plucked Farfetch'd out of the air and grounded it like a fruit. But Bulbasaur knew better than Chikorita, and it didn't pull it to the ground hard enough to hurt it, instead just enough so that it didn't escape.

"Far!" Farfetch'd cried, and darted away from Heracross, Bulbasaur, Ash, Sylvester, and Chikorita. But that gap was soon filled with Blastoise's bulky shell. Ash's starter Pokémon sauntered out of the woods, and looked down at the Wild Duck Pokémon with a look like a disappointed father. Farfetch'd skidded to a halt and whipped around. This gap was quickly filled with Cyndaquil, who jumped out of the woods after hearing all the commotion.

The ground rumbled below, and the earth some distance away exploded, and a loud roar announced Onix's presence as it emerged from its underground tunnel. The giant Rock Snake Pokémon that belonged to Brock took up half of the circle, and Farfetch'd knew it had nowhere to run. Its wide dark eyes danced back and forth wildly trying to find an exit, and decided to whip around and just book it. In its panicked state, it didn't notice the bright yellow Duck Pokémon that was now in the circle, staring blankly with its hands holding its head. The two bird Pokémon collided, and while Psyduck only rocked back and forth, the impact was enough for Farfetch'd to fall onto its back.

"You stopped it!" Ash congratulated, smiling down at Brock's Water Pokémon.

"Good job, Psyduck," the Pokémon Breeder said to his Pokémon, approaching the group with the rest of his team. The surrounding Pokémon cheered and the Duck Pokémon stared blankly ahead, almost as if so much was happening that it was having trouble processing. And in a friendly manner, Brock's Geodude floated up to the Water-type and patted it on the head.

"Dude, geo!" the Rock Pokémon stated. But not realizing its own strength, the hand composed of hard stone came down on Psyduck's head and forced it to the ground. The whole forest seemed to go quiet, and Geodude looked confused as it looked down at its fallen teammate. But it was Ash and Brock who held their breath, waiting to see if Psyduck was going to react.

"Hey, why did everyone get so quiet?" Sylvester asked in a hushed voice. But then the answer came when Psyduck raised its head. Its eyes were glowing bright blue, and with a loud cry, a huge pulse of invisible energy burst from the Water-type's body and shot all around it.

"Psy-yaiy!" The burst of psychic energy was enough to push the ring of Pokémon back and onto their back, but because Farfetch'd was the closest to Psyduck, it got the brunt of the strong Confusion attack and shot through the air like a rocket.

"Farfetch'd!" the brunet cried, and after picking himself off the ground, the apprentice Charcoal maker rushed past Psyduck and leapt through the air with his arms extended at Farfetch'd. The Wild Duck Pokémon opened its eyes just in time for Sylvester to wrap his arms around it and land on his side, successfully protecting Farfetch'd from getting hurt.

"Far..!" it uttered, a slight smile curling its beak.

"Are you okay?" Ash called to Sylvester, noting the scraps on his arms, but the boy disregarded Ash's concern with a smile.

"I'm fine. Now that I know Farfetch'd and I have to work as a team, I'm just great." His smile trailed downward to the Farfetch'd in his arms. "Are you okay, Farfetch'd?"

"Farfetch'd." The Normal and Flying Pokémon nodded slowly, looking at its Trainer in almost a new light.

Once all of the fallen Pokémon were put into their Poké Balls, the only one left out was Sylvester's Farfetch'd. Kneeling down beside his Pokémon, he looked deeply into its eyes. "Farfetch'd, I think we're ready now. What do you think?"

"Fetch'd-Far!" it nodded, and turned forward whilst holding its leek like a samurai would wield a blade. Behind it, Sylvester's bushy eyebrows furrowed on his forehead, and he pointed at a pair of trees in front of them.

"All right, Farfetch'd! Cut attack, now!"

"Faaarr!" As Farfetch'd jumped forward, it swung the leek in its wing, and suddenly jumped back. Seconds after it landed on the ground, a diagonal cut separated the base of the tree with the trunk, and it slid down before crashing on the forest path.

"Yay! Yay!" Sylvester cheered, throwing his fists over his head in victory.

"I told you, Sylvester," Ash said to his new friend. "You got Farfetch'd to use Cut attack perfectly!"

"That's right! Farfetch'd did use Cut attack!" Realization sunk in and settled on the boy's face in the form of a blush, and he could barely contain his excitement. Kneeling down, he rubbed his Pokémon's head, but this time, it didn't seem annoyed, and actually looked to enjoy the praise. "You did it, Farfetch'd! You finally used Cut attack on those trees!"

"Far-fetch'd!"

"You make a great team," Brock said with a smile.

"I learned a lot about teamwork by watching you," Sylvester countered, his eyes bouncing in Ash's direction.

"Fetch'd, Far!"

Ash smiled back, trying not to let the compliment go to his head, and the apprentice Charcoal maker turned back to his Pokémon. "Okay Farfetch'd; d'ya think you can cut that tree into blocks so we can make Charcoal?" Without a reply, Farfetch'd spun on its webbed feet and marched toward the fallen tree.

Standing perfectly still, the Wild Duck Pokémon held its leek out like a guard would hold a staff, and it pulled in a deep breath while closing its eyes at the same time. Suddenly, its eyelids flicked up, and its irises almost seemed to flash. "Far-fetch'd!" it cried, and swiped its leek back and forth tirelessly on the log in front of it. Everyone watched with bated breath, and finally, Farfetch'd gave one last swipe up before closing its eyes once again. The wood that it had just hacked at swept up into the air. Frozen as if cast in cement, the others let out a gasp of delight as the blocks all fell into perfect order in front of it.

"Farfetch'd! 'Ya did it!" Sylvester cried, his hands almost drawing blood from how tightly he was squeezing them.

"That was amazing!" Ash complimented. Now that he had seen Farfetch'd in action, it was clear why it had such a mighty attitude.

"You two are unbelievable," Brock added.

"Just like Ash and his Pokémon, Farfetch'd and I are a real team now."

"Fetch'd, Far!" Farfetch'd nodded, a wide smile spread across its beak as it peered up at its Trainer.

o 0 o

It was sunset by the time that they made it back to Sylvester's house. Collecting and binding up all the wood was no walk in the park, but after it was safely secured to his wooden frame backpack – which took as much work as catching Farfetch'd – Sylvester proudly made his way back to his father. And for the first time since they saw him, Sylvester's father wore an impressed grin on his face when he saw Sylvester slide the wooden pack off his shoulders to show him his haul.

"Say, you've cut these logs beautifully," he complimented. "Well Sylvester, I'm very proud of you, son."

"Thanks!"

"More importantly, you should be proud of yourself." Sylvester chuckled, but couldn't hide the blush that crept up his neck. To save his son that embarrassment as well, his father pretended not to notice, and instead held out a perfectly-tied satchel of burnt wood. "And I have some of our very finest Ilex Forest Charcoal for you as a way of saying thank you for helping."

"Thank you very much, sir!" Brock instantly replied, his smile stretching from ear to ear at the gift as he took it without a second thought.

"We really appreciate it, sir," Ash added.

"I'm sorry you guys can't stay longer," Sylvester piped up. "But thanks again for all your help. And I hope you have good luck in the Johto League."

"Thanks, Sylvester. And good luck to you, too." Now it was time for them to part ways, and they both turned before giving one final wave. "Take care, everybody!"

"Good-bye, Ash! Take care now!"

Ash:

Party:

Blastoise (Poké Ball) (m)

Moves: Skull Bash, Dig, Hydro Pump, BubbleBeam

Bulbasaur (Poké Ball) (m)

Moves: SolarBeam, Vine Whip, Razor Leaf, Tackle

Heracross (Poké Ball) (m)

Moves: Horn Attack, Leer, Take Down, Fury Attack

Chikorita (Poké Ball)

Moves: Razor Leaf, Tackle, Vine Whip

Cyndaquil (Poké Ball)

Moves: Flamethrower, Tackle

At Professor Oak's Lab:

Tauros (Safari Ball) x2 (m)

Moves: Fissure, Horn Attack, Take Down

Kingler (Poké Ball) (m)

Moves: Water Gun, Bubble, Crabhammer, Hyper Beam

Muk (Poké Ball)

Moves: Poison Gas, Sludge Bomb

Primeape (Poké Ball) (m)

Moves: Thrash, Mega Kick, Scratch, Seismic Toss

Pidgeotto (Poké Ball) (f)

Moves: Gust, Quick Attack, Whirlwind, Double-Edge

Stantler (Poké Ball)

Moves: Hypnosis

Training at Charicific Valley:

Charizard (Poké Ball) (m)

Moves: Flamethrower, Fire Spin, Skull Bash, Slash

Kanto Badges:

Boulder Badge

Cascade Badge

Thunder Badge

Marsh Badge

Rainbow Badge

Soul Badge

Volcano Badge

Earth Badge

Diamond Badge

Indigo League Rank: Top 4

Johto Badges:

Zephyr Badge

Hive Badge

Brock:

Party:

Onix (Poké Ball)

Moves: Tackle, Bind, Dig

Geodude (Poké Ball)

Moves: Seismic Toss, Tackle

Zubat (Poké Ball)

Moves: Whirlwind, Supersonic

Psyduck (Poké Ball) (m)

Moves: Tail Whip, Water Gun, Disable, Confusion

Vulpix (Poké Ball) (f)

Moves: Fire Spin, Flamethrower, Agility, Quick Attack