Ethan covered his mouth as he tried to stifle a yawn. He hadn't slept well for the past few nights, which came as no surprise to him. His recent dreams had him reliving his first few hours at the Tree of Beginning and the trauma he experienced at its heart.

Eevee was one of the few good things to come out of that experience, in his opinion. She could sense his distress and stuck to his shoulder whenever possible, hoping that being close to him would bring some measure of comfort. Ethan was grateful and gently scratched her favorite spot, causing her tail to shake a little more fervently as she leaned into his hand.

The gang left Cerulean City several days ago, and Ethan was surprised by how large central Kanto was when he looked at a map. The constant change in scenery was beautiful. If he recalled correctly, it canonically took Ash, Brock, and Misty a couple of weeks to get from Cerulean to Vermilion. Ethan doubted they would get there that quickly, and they surprisingly hadn't gotten lost.

Yet.

"You holding up okay, Ethan?"

Ethan shook himself out of his musings and nodded. "I'm fine, Brock. Doing better than this morning, at least."

"My very berry pancakes did some good then!" Brock chuckled. "Anyways, I was just asking, what do you think of this battle?"

Ash was battling a youngster from the farmland community they were passing through. He called for Pidgeotto to use Gust, forcing the other trainer’s rattata to dig its claws into the grass to stop itself from being blown away.

"Honestly?" Ethan started. "Any half-serious trainer could beat the locals here in a Pokémon battle. Ever since Ash won his last badge, he's been getting cocky. Now he's getting some easy wins and thinks he's invincible. He won't take it well when he meets his match."

Brock nodded in agreement. "I was thinking something along those lines. Winning is fine, but Ash needs to battle someone on his level to progress as a trainer."

"Are you sure you're a beginner, Ethan?" Misty asked.

"Nah," Ethan shrugged. "I'm an experienced adult trapped in my pre-teen body."

Misty shook her head in amusement at Ethan's dry wit and resumed watching the match.

"Pidgeotto, finish it!"

Pidgeotto swooped from above and lunged with its talons, kicking the rattata away and knocking it out.

"Well, that's that," Ethan said as he walked with Brock and Misty to join back up with Ash.

"…I was pretty good there," Ash bragged as he not-so-subtly opened the flap of his jacket, displaying the badges pinned there.

"Wow, you've got badges!" The local trainer gushed.

"Oh? You mean these?"

"Giving him those badges was a mistake," Misty and Brock groaned for the umpteenth time since they hit the road. Ethan just rolled his eyes.

"Pika pika…." Pikachu shrugged.

"I bet you could beat AJ! He trains savage Pokémon and hasn't lost a single match. He lives further down the road."

"AJ, huh? He's never battled anyone like me!" Ash declared. "I'll beat this AJ."

"He's getting a big head," Misty dryly remarked.

"He already has a big head," Ethan corrected. "And it's primed to pop."

Brock raised a questioning brow as they began following Ash down the path again. "What makes you think that?"

Ethan placed Eevee on the ground before answering. "If AJ's any good, he'll be the one to bring Ash's ego down to an appropriate level. At least for a while."

"Are you going to battle AJ as well?" Misty asked.

"I know Eevee's itching for a fight, and I still owe Jade a good battle," Ethan shrugged as Eevee nodded. "So, maybe." His face scrunched up in thought before looking at Brock. "We still haven't had a battle, have we?"

"You're right! I still owe you one," Brock realized. "We should do that before we get to Vermilion."

"Deal," Ethan said as he and Brock bumped fists.

"Hurry up, guys!" Ash yelled impatiently from far ahead of them.

"We'll get there when we get there!" Misty screamed back, shaking her fist.

Brock sighed as Ethan walked on with barely concealed mirth.

----------------------------------------

This far out in the country, 'down the road' apparently meant an uneventful hour-long trip. Finally, the walls of AJ's gym came into view, and Ethan sighed in relief. He, Brock, and Misty had to jog to keep up with Ash's one-track mind the entire way, and his feet were killing him.

They came to a stop in front of the gates of the gym. Above their heads, a sign indicated that this was indeed the right place.

AJ'S GYM

UNDEFEATED!!

W - 98 L - 0

NOTE: GYM NOT SANCTIONED BY THE POKÉMON LEAGUE

"Look at that," Ash scoffed. "This gym isn't even licensed by the Pokémon League."

Ethan sighed as he relieved himself and Eevee of the weighted training gear they had been wearing most of the day and put them away in his bag. Eevee stretched her legs and arched her back before working on grooming the fur flattened against her body.

"Undefeated? Big deal. I can beat him," Ash continued.

"You sure?" Ethan grunted as he stood up. "I don't even know if I can beat him, and I have my doubts that you could."

Brock and Misty stood off to the side, watching the conversation like one would a tennis match.

"What!?"

"Look at it this way," Ethan continued. "Regardless of who AJ is, he has to be a fairly strong and experienced trainer to have a ninety-eight win-streak. Strong trainers train their Pokémon regularly.

"Do you see where you're falling short? He's won more battles than the both of us combined, and you hardly train your Pokémon."

"Oh yeah? Well, you don't battle nearly as much as I do, and I haven't lost a single match," Ash shot back defensively.

Ethan raised a brow in confusion. "What's your point?"

"You don't believe in your Pokémon, and you don't battle because you're scared to lose."

The forest went silent. If glares could kill, Ash would be dead and buried from the glares Ethan and Eevee leveled at him. Ash's eyes widened as he saw the faint blue light of aura flicker an angry calm behind Ethan's glasses.

"Okay, Ashton Satoshi Ketchum," Ethan coolly said, slightly unnerving everyone present. "That's uncalled for. I don't care that you let your wins get to your head. I don't care that you think I'm scared to battle. But saying I don't believe in my Pokémon? That's a damn lie, and you damn well know it!"

Ash angrily ground his teeth. "That's what you think! I challenge you to a Pokémon battle right here and now!"

The two continued to glare at each other until another voice cut in. "Uhh, am I interruptin' somethin'?"

Ethan looked over Ash's shoulder to find a young man standing next to the gate. He had a stocky build, spiked green hair, and wore a spike-pattern orange and black collared shirt with dark blue shorts.

"AJ, right? May we use your battlefield? I need to beat some sense into Ash here," Ethan explained, jabbing a thumb at his soon-to-be opponent.

AJ thought for a moment before shrugging and unlocking the gate. "So long as I can battle both o' ya sometime today, I don't care. Just don't wreck it too much."

Ethan nodded before addressing Ash. "We'll use one Pokémon each, no substitutions, and…," he grinned. "Let's make a wager. If I win, you forfeit your hat to me until I decide you earn it back."

"And if I win, I get your gloves!" Ash shot back.

"Deal," Ethan said. "Brock, will you ref?"

"Sure, but why?" Brock asked.

Ethan explained as their party walked through the open gate and into AJ's compound. "We need a neutral 3rd-party to judge the match so that Ash has no grounds to call foul play when he loses."

"Hey, I'm not gonna lose!" Ash protested.

"You're pretty worked up for someone who's not gonna lose," Misty smirked. "Oh, I'm looking forward to this!"

Ethan ignored Ash's and Misty's ensuing bickering match in favor of looking over AJ's setup. Looming near the back of the compound stood a tall, dome-roofed tent that he thought would fit in with a circus. To the side was a small berry garden growing a variety of berries being tended to by an oddish and bellsprout. Their destination, the battlefield, was a League standard half-field.

"Nice place. Did you build this yourself?" Brock asked.

"Sure did," AJ replied with some pride in his voice as a butterfree came out of the tent and hefted his backpack away. "I built this gym as a sort of base to train my Pokémon and prepare for my journey. As soon as I reach 100 consecutive wins, I'll go around and compete for badges."

"Do you have a lot of Pokémon? Can I see them?" Ash asked.

"If ya want," AJ shrugged. "But aren't you about to battle your friend?"

Ash glowered. "He's not my friend."

Ethan gritted his teeth and held a hand over his chest as the pain of Ash's words cut through him. What the hell?! That felt like it physically hurt! I… I guess being an empath has its drawbacks.

As he stepped up to the battlefield, Ethan's mind unwittingly turned to his first childhood. Growing up, he never made many lasting friends, and the ones that did last were the ones he valued the most. It didn't help that he was shy, timid, and a complete self-shut-in growing up, which he mostly outgrew by the time he began college. TJ was one of the only friends he made that he kept in regular contact with before… all this happened.

Making friends as an introverted adult is hard.

Brock cleared his throat, bringing Ethan back to the present. "This will be a one-on-one battle between Ash and Ethan. The winner will be decided when either side's Pokémon is unable to continue, or one trainer forfeits. Since Ash challenged Ethan, he will send out his Pokémon first."

Ash grabbed the brim of his cap and moved it behind him. "This will be a piece of cake. I choose you, Pikachu!"

Pikachu hesitated for a moment before smacking his cheeks with his paws and running onto the field.

"Eevee," Ethan whispered. Eevee's ears pricked up as she looked at him. "I want you to battle, but you'll be doing so without me giving you orders. I want to see how well you do without my input. Do your best."

"Eev Eeveev!" Eevee jumped onto his shoulder and affectionately nuzzled his cheek, lingering for a moment before jumping into a starting position on the field. Ethan moved his displaced glasses back onto the bridge of his nose and folded his arms, a smile tugging at his lips.

Seeing that Ash and Ethan were ready, Brock raised his arms and declared, "Let the match begin!"

"Pikachu, use Quick Attack!"

Pikachu sped forward under Ash's command, running straight at Eevee. Eevee used a short burst of her own Quick Attack to dodge to the side and chained it with a Double Team. Pikachu's cheeks sparked as he nervously looked between each of the clones.

"Just Thunderbolt them all, Pikachu," Ash said.

Pikachu closed his eyes, gathering the power needed for his attack. He then jumped and cried his name, sending bolts of electricity to every eevee he could see.

There was no cry of pain, and all the eevee in sight disappeared when the Thunderbolts dispersed the illusory copies. Eevee was nowhere to be seen.

"What?! Where'd Eevee go?" Ash asked.

Ethan smiled. It looked like Sandshrew's tips and his own brainstorming were working well here. Eevee used Dig while Ash and Pikachu were distracted by the clones and sealed the hole behind her, which was Ethan's idea. The seal wasn't perfect and could be easily spotted. Still, it bought enough time for Eevee to get under Pikachu and deliver a ground-powered tackle, knocking Pikachu back and causing him to cry out at the super-effective attack.

"Oh no, Pikachu!" Ash cried. "Use your Agility!"

Pikachu shook off the pain and ran in circles around Eevee, using the speed-enhancing move to become a blur and look as if he was in multiple places at once. Eevee frowned as she tried to keep track of the mouse.

Looks like Eevee's having trouble deciding what to do, Ethan observed, but she'll figure something out.

"Now, Pikachu, use Thunderbolt!"

Pikachu slowed but kept a brisk pace as he prepared his attack, charging it a little faster this time, and shot the Thunderbolt at Eevee. She hadn't been idle. Her tail gleamed with steel-type energy as she stuck it in the ground.

Atta-girl, just like I taught you! Could've used Detect, but this is the next best thing.

The electric attack struck Eevee, traveling through her body and tail until it dispersed into the ground. The electric attack still seemed to hurt, but not nearly as much as it would have if Eevee hadn't grounded herself.

"Alright! A direct hit!" Ash cheered.

Pikachu slowed to a stop, out of breath after having used Agility and Thunderbolt in quick succession.

"Eevee, time to wrap this up," Ethan called.

Eevee nodded and, using Quick Attack, sped towards her opponent and slammed her still-charged Iron Tail into Pikachu.

"Pikachu!" Ash cried, watching as Pikachu was forcefully lifted off the field and over the edge, landing with a thud on the ground.

"Pikachu is unable to battle. Eevee is the winner, and the match goes to Ethan!" Brock declared.

Ash stood where he was, mouth open in an expression of shock. "I… I lost?" he said before looking at Ethan, who was walking toward him.

"Do you understand now?" Ethan asked. "Even though Eevee may not have as much battling experience as Pikachu does, her training more than made up for it."

Ethan came to a stop and offered a hand. "Plus, you've helped me realize that I probably should battle more often, so you have a good point there. If I don't battle when I can, I won't find out where my Pokémon and I need to improve."

Ash clenched his hands before smacking Ethan's proffered hand away and pointing an accusing finger at him. "There's no way I lost so easily. You had to have cheated!"

Ethan looked at his hand, then at Ash, and let out an exasperated sigh. "Seriously!? That's what you got out of this? I'm trying to help you become better, Ash, but you're so… so blind and stuck on this loss that you can't see that!"

Ethan swiped Ash's hat off his head and held it out of reach before Ash realized what he was doing. "I was going to let you keep this, but now you've lost your hat privileges. Maybe you'll see better after you've been without it for a while," he said with a finality that left no room for argument. "Go check on Pikachu. The first thing you should do after a battle is make sure your Pokémon are okay."

Ash stood in place for a moment before begrudgingly stepping away.

Ethan watched him go before leaving the field himself and plopping down on a nearby log, taking a deep, calming breath. "I hate it when I have to be the adult," he muttered into his hands as Eevee rigidly placed her front paws on his leg. "It's exhausting, and no one feels good afterward."

"Eev eevee vee eev, Eeveev," Eevee said.

"I know I'm actually an adult, but it doesn't make it any less tiring," Ethan muttered as he reached into one of the pockets of his bag. "Enough about that. Eat this. Looks like you got paralyzed by Pikachu's Static ability on that last hit. Good job, by the way. You did very well!"

Eevee beamed under the praise as she bit the offered Cheri berry off the stem and swallowed, the stiffness in her limbs fading.

"Now, where to keep this," Ethan said as he examined Ash's official Pokémon League expo hat. It looked pretty much like it did in all its depictions: red brim, white front with a green stylized L, and red in the back.

Ethan shrugged and carefully packed it away in his bag. Even though he and Ash weren't on good terms right now, he knew how attached Ash was to his hats. He would take care of it like it was his.

Ethan looked up as Brock and Misty sat on either side of him. Pikachu sat with Eevee next to Ethan's feet, looking tired but much better. "That was a good match," Brock complimented. "You trained Eevee very well to have battled and won without a command."

"That trick with her Iron Tail was interesting. Why train her to use it like that?" Misty asked.

"Lieutenant Surge's gym is coming up soon in Vermilion, and we're trying out anti-electric strategies. Since Iron Tail is a steel-type move, the electricity is more attracted to her tail. When it's stuck into the ground, electricity disperses almost harmlessly, like a lightning rod," Ethan explained. "How's Ash holding up?"

Brock frowned as he looked up at the battlefield. "He challenged AJ to a battle, and I don't think he should have. He's not in the right mindset and needs time to cool off and think about his last battle, but…."

"But he's more of an 'in the moment' kind of guy than someone who thinks things through," Ethan finished.

"Exactly, but I think he'll overcome that. One of the reasons I travel with Ash is because of how easily he connects with Pokémon, and that's a mark of a great trainer in the making," Brock said. "Now that I think about it, you and Ash have that in common."

Ethan considered that as he pulled out Jade's and Sandshrew's Pokéballs. If Brock was pointing it out, being able to bond with Pokémon as he and Ash do must not be that common. Is it because of the power of aura inside them?

A snap-crack startled Ethan out of his thoughts. Oh, right. AJ has a whip. Ethan tucked Jade's ball away on his bag's strap and brought out Sandshrew, who materialized on his lap, before tuning in to what was happening in front of him.

"Ninety-eight wins, and you still don't have a badge?" hatless Ash smirked as he showed off his badges. "That's tough luck, AJ. I have… had," he sent a quick glare at Ethan, who rolled his eyes, "ten wins, and I earned two Pokémon badges."

Well, he's half-right. He did earn one of them by actually beating Misty. I should get him to battle Brock sometime. Maybe after we rescue Charmander? Ethan mused. It seemed they were still on schedule, seeing as AJ only had the 98-win streak when they arrived.

Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.

"I can see blondie there having two, maybe even three badges judging from how thoroughly his eevee stomped your little pikachu," AJ sneered as he pulled his whip tautly. "But you? I wouldn't be surprised if you stole your badges or competed in some loser gyms. Where were they? Failure City, or Wimpsville?"

Even his empathic abilities weren't needed to see and feel the rage emanating from the gym leaders on either side of him. Ethan and Sandshrew nervously held each other a little tighter as he felt the heat of their anger wash over him.

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN LOSER GYMS?!" Misty screamed.

"Ethan, if Ash doesn't win, pulverize this guy," Brock growled.

Ethan meagerly nodded.

"Hey, I'm not going to lose!" Ash yelled.

"Eyes on the battlefield!" AJ snapped. "Sandshrew, go!"

The battle went pretty much as Ethan expected. Brock and Misty's advice fell on deaf ears, AJ's sandshrew didn't even break a sweat knocking both Pidgeotto and Butterfree out of the sky, and Ash once again stood in shock as AJ celebrated his 99th consecutive win.

So far, it doesn't seem like there's anything I can learn from AJ for Sandshrew that I'm not already working on with her, Ethan thought.

Ash returned his Pokémon. Then, without warning, he ran off the battlefield and out of the compound, hiding tears that only Ethan saw as he ran past. A distressed "Pikapi!" came from Pikachu as he followed closely behind him.

"Ash, where are you going?!" Misty called.

Ethan frowned. Ash never stormed out of here in the original timeline, did he? No, something changed.

"I'll follow him. You two stay," Ethan said. "Why don't we break for a late lunch here? Invite AJ. Be back soon. Later!"

With that, Ethan returned Sandshrew and ran off in the direction Ash went, with Eevee hot on his heels, leaving behind a bewildered Brock, Misty, and AJ.

"Oh, Ash," Brock sympathetically said.

"Ethan said this would happen, but I didn't think it would be this bad," Misty said. "What should we do?"

"We leave it to him and break for lunch," Brock replied. "Maybe some grub will cheer Ash up."

----------------------------------------

It wasn't difficult tracking Ash's aura. His emotions were running high, and it was as if he was projecting them to the environment around him, leaving an invisible trail.

Will Ash be able to protect himself from wild Pokémon? All his Pokémon must still be exhausted from their battles, Ethan thought worriedly. He couldn't help but think that this situation was entirely his fault. If he had kept his mouth shut, he wouldn't need to chase after Ash while dodging around the dense trees and foliage.

After another few minutes of running, Eevee sprinted ahead and led him to a break in the trees. They found Ash sitting on a rock overlooking a river, hunched over and shoulders heaving while Pikachu tried to cheer him up.

Deciding to let Ash have more time to sort out his emotions, Ethan sat against one of the trees behind him, where he could keep an eye on Ash and their surroundings. With some effort and focus, he experimentally reached out to Eevee's aura and projected his intent to wait and leave the duo of Ash and Pikachu alone.

Ethan pulled one of Eevee's brushes from the grooming kit in his bag. He carefully worked it through her fur, causing the delighted Eevee to happily purr from his lap. He soon lost himself to his thoughts as his hands rhythmically pulled brush through fur.

Ethan knew Ash didn't mean what he said about him not believing in his Pokémon. That was why he had Eevee battle without orders, to show that he trusted his Pokémon to battle well without him. He couldn't recall anything untrue he said to Ash, though that didn't mean he didn't take offense to what was said. People often don't like to be reminded of their shortcomings.

He didn't know entirely why, but he wanted to help Ash become the trainer he claimed he wanted to be. He supposed he could chalk it up to whoever brought him here had shepherded him to this point. It couldn't be a coincidence that he was brought into this world and was traveling with people he was familiar with from the other side of the fourth wall.

"Ethan? What are you doing here?" Ash said with an edge in his voice, bringing Ethan out of his thoughts.

Ethan stood, holding Eevee in one arm, and pulled out another brush from the grooming kit as he approached. "I want to show you how to brush Pikachu. Then we should talk."

Ash opened his mouth to protest before he saw Pikachu regarding the brush with interest. Ash's shoulders slumped. "Okay, fine."

After showing him how to use the brush, using Eevee as an example, Ash got to work on brushing down Pikachu's unkempt fur. Pikachu seemed to enjoy the pampering, bringing a smile to Ash's face.

"Grooming your Pokémon is a big way to increase your bond and trust with them. Daisy told me that," Ethan said. "We'll have to ask how you can brush Pidgeotto. I'm not sure if it's different with bird Pokémon."

"Do you think Brock will know?" Ash asked.

"He wants to be a Pokémon Breeder, so it's something he'll learn if he doesn't," Ethan replied, moving on to brushing Eevee's tail. "Ash, you want to be a Pokémon Master, right? Can you tell me what a Pokémon Master is?"

"Yeah, of course I do! A Pokémon Master is someone who… uh…."

"Is it someone who wins the Pokémon League competition? Is it the strongest trainer in the world?" Ethan offered.

"Well, winning the Pokémon League is one step to becoming a Pokémon Master, but…." Ash sheepishly rubbed the back of his head. "After that, I'm not sure."

"Pi-kachuuu" Pikachu whined.

"Oh, sorry, Pikachu," Ash said as he resumed his brushing.

"Okay," Ethan said thoughtfully. "Let's figure out what you'd need to do to make it to that first step. Off the top of my head, you'd need to learn a lot more about Pokémon than you know now: type matchups, how different kinds of Pokémon fight, the best ways to train your Pokémon, etc."

Ash frowned. "I don't want to train my Pokémon."

Ethan paused his brushing. "What do you mean?"

"My Pokémon are my friends. I don't want to train them like animals," Ash replied.

"If that's how you think Pokémon are trained, you are horribly, horribly misinformed," Ethan said as he pointed the brush at Ash. "Do you remember my gym match at Cerulean last week?"

"Of course I do! The way Eevee beat that wooper was so amazing!"

Eevee's ears perked at the mention of her name but otherwise didn't move.

"Well, we had to practice that a lot. I couldn't tell you how many times Eevee tripped or got tangled up in string before she got it down," Ethan explained. "That's part of what Pokémon training is: practicing moves and strategies.

"Another part, which I think would help your Pokémon the most right now, is stamina and endurance training. I've noticed that your Pokémon tend to tire out pretty quickly in battle, and they can't take many hits."

"I guess you're right." Ash paused his brushing and looked down at Pikachu in thought. "Why are you helping me?"

Ethan, satisfied with how Eevee's fur looked, set the brush aside and looked at Ash. "What are friends for? I want to help because I want to see you succeed."

"Friends?" Ash closed his eyes tightly. "I'm sorry for what I said before. I-I didn't mean it when I said you weren't my friend."

Ethan clapped him on the shoulder as he rose to his feet. "I know, but it still hurt to hear you say that. You can apologize by joining me in my training session tonight. I want to show you what my Pokémon training looks like. It's not at all what you seem to think it is."

"Uh, sure," Ash said as he carried a half-dozing Pikachu in his arms.

"Let's head back to AJ's gym. Brock is making lunch, and I know I'm hungry."

As if on cue, Ash's stomach used its own version of a Growl attack. "Okay, let's go!"

"Ash, the gym is this way," Ethan said, pointing to the forest behind him. "Just follow me."

Ash sheepishly chuckled and turned around to follow when some nearby bushes rustled, drawing his attention to a blue, rabbit-like Pokémon approaching the river.

"Hey, it's a Nidoran!" Ash exclaimed, jostling Pikachu awake while pulling out his Pokédex.

"Nidoran(F), The poison pin Pokémon. Its poison pin is quite powerful for its size, but its horn is smaller than a male's," Dexter recited.

"Awesome! Pikachu, let's catch it," Ash said. Pikachu hopped down while Ethan and Eevee watched in interest.

Well, I've already screwed with the timeline. May as well see where things go from here, Ethan thought.

The Nidoran finally noticed Pikachu, hissed in response to the challenge, and lowered her head, preparing to charge.

"Ash, try to avoid fighting up close. Nidoran may have the Poison Point ability, which can poison Pikachu through physical contact," Ethan said. "Does Pikachu know Thunder Wave?"

"I don't know," Ash replied.

"Use your Pokédex on Pikachu, then push right on the directional pad two times. It'll show you what moves Pikachu knows on the right screen."

Ash did as Ethan directed, and a list of Pikachu's moves came up. "I didn't know that was a screen," Ash remarked. "Pikachu knows Thunder Wave! And there's a move that's all question marks."

"Really?" Ethan looked over Ash's shoulder. "Maybe it's a move that's not in the Pokédex?"

"Pikapi!" Pikachu yelled.

"Oh, right. Pikachu, try a Thunder Wave!" Ash commanded.

Pikachu's cheeks sparked and crackled before firing a thin stream of blue electricity at the charging nidoran, causing her to tumble as she seized up.

"It's paralyzed, now's my chance to catch it!" Ash said as he reached for his backpack… only to find it wasn't there.

"Oh no! I left my Pokéballs in my backpack at AJ's gym!" Ash cried.

Ethan rolled his eyes, pulled out a Pokéball from his easy-access bag, and offered it to the panicking trainer. "Just give me one of yours later."

"Thanks," Ash sighed as he took the ball and primed it before reeling his arm back. "Pokéball, go!"

The Pokéball flew with an accuracy that made Ethan stare. That had to be at least fifteen yards. How did he hit that nidoran dead on?

The ball landed on the ground and shook while Ash and Pikachu held their breath.

"Eev eevee?" Eevee cocked her head.

"They're just holding their breath since they can't handle the suspense," Ethan whispered, to which he got a puzzled nod.

The ball stilled and dinged, and Ash and Pikachu cheered. "All right! I caught a Nidoran!"

"Pi-Pikachu!"

"Congrats, Ash! Let's get back to the others. I'm hungry," Ethan said as Eevee's and Pikachu's stomachs growled.

"We're all hungry," Ash laughed as he placed Nidoran's Pokéball on his belt. "Let's go!"

"Ash, that's the wrong way!"

Ash skidded to a halt and turned around. "Hehe, oops. Which way is the gym again?"

Ethan smiled as he shook his head. "Just follow me. By the way, Ash, how do you throw Pokéballs so well? The first time I tried to catch Jade, I completely missed my mark."

"I'm just that skilled!" Ash boasted.

. . .

"...Uh, well, I used to play pitcher for the Pallet Town Pidgeys. Gary's dad coached for us until he disappeared one day. He taught me how to throw a perfect pitch," Ash explained. "Oh, you probably don't know who Gary is. He's my rival."

"Daisy's little brother, I know," Ethan said. "I didn't know about their dad. What happened to him?"

"I don't know. He just disappeared."

"Do you know his name?" Ethan asked.

"Uh… I don't know. I always called him 'coach' or 'Gary's dad'," Ash sheepishly replied.

Darn, Ethan thought. That would've been interesting to find out. Guess I can ask Professor Oak later. Assuming I remember.

"You'll have to show me how to throw a ball the right way sometime," Ethan shrugged. "My aim isn't that great."

"Okay, but first…," Ash began as his stomach growled again. "I need food!"

Pikachu's, Eevee's, and Ethan's stomachs joined Ash's in a cacophony of growls.

"Food would be nice. Just look at poor Eevee," Ethan cooed as Eevee dramatically cried her name, flopped her head down on his shoulder, and brought a paw to her forehead. "She can barely move."

"Piiika," Pikachu cried, mimicking Eevee's actions on Ash's shoulder

Ethan and Ash laughed. "Our Pokémon are adorable, and I love them," Ethan said.

"Pikachu's not adorable. He's cool!" Ash rebutted.

"Pi pika, Pikapi!"

"You're both?" Ash asked.

"Pi-ka!" Pikachu nodded and ruffled the hair on Ash's head.

"Come on, I don't think they can wait much longer," Ethan laughed.

"Hey!" Someone yelled ahead of them. "Get back here!"

"That sounds like AJ!" Ash said before he and Ethan ran in the direction of the commotion.

When they got to a corner of the fence around AJ's gym, Ethan held out an arm and stopped Ash.

"What are you doing?" Ash asked.

"Wait for it…."

After a few moments, Ethan stuck his foot out and tripped a familiar trio of Pokémon thieves, causing them to become a tangled pile of limbs.

Jessie groaned from the top of the pile. "James, you're such a klutz."

"It's not my fault, Jess," James said. "Something tripped me."

"Will ya just get off me!" Meowth yelled from the bottom of the pile.

Ethan cleared his throat, drawing the attention of the three stooges. "What are you up to now?" he sighed. Ash and Pikachu weren't even in the tent with AJ like they originally were. Were these three so incompetent that they didn't notice Ash leaving the compound?

The trio jumped to their feet. "Prepare for-"

"No!" Ethan interrupted. "Just answer the question."

"Hey! Don't interrupt the motto!" Jessie yelled.

Ethan just stared them down.

"…We're stealing Pikachu, of course!" James gloated as he tauntingly held out a bulging canvas sack.

"Pika?"

They looked at Pikachu on Ash's shoulder, then did a double-take between the sack and their intended kidnapee as the cogs turned in their heads.

"If Pikachu's over there, then what's in here?" Meowth asked.

AJ finally caught up, with Brock and Misty in tow. "Give me back Sandshrew, now!"

Sandshrew slashed the bag and dropped to the ground, then jumped into AJ's arms.

"Sandshrew, I'm so glad you're okay!" AJ cried before turning a scornful gaze to Team Rocket. "What's the meaning of this, stealing my partner?"

"That was an unfortunate mix-up," Jessie tutted.

"We have no interest in your second-rate sandshrew," James said.

"Second-rate?!" AJ snarled.

"The only Pokémon we're interested in are Pikachu and Eevee," Jessie continued.

Ethan raised a brow. "Why Eevee?"

"Not only is Eevee a rare and valuable Pokémon, but she's strong enough to beat even Pikachu!" Meowth declared.

Eevee puffed up in pride while Ethan rolled his eyes. "Of course she is. Why did I bother asking?"

"I won't let you take Pikachu or Eevee!" Ash stepped up beside Ethan.

"Ash, blondie, let me take care of this. No one insults my Pokémon and gets away with it," AJ growled.

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As with AJ's battle against Ash, his match against Team Rocket pretty much happened as Ethan remembered. Even facing down three Pokémon, AJ's sandshrew beat Ekans, Koffing, and Meowth handily, not that that was much of a feat. The fight was a little longer than its canon counterpart and ended differently, with Team Rocket's Pokémon defeated without Sandshrew's Fissure move.

"Wow," Ash said as they watched Team Rocket run away. "Sandshrew is crazy strong."

"That's what good training can do for a Pokémon," Ethan agreed as he munched away on his stuffed rice ball. "Any Pok'mon can be str'ng with the right train'ng."

"You said it," Misty said. "But please say it when your mouth isn't full."

Ethan swallowed. "Sorry, I just wanted to say it in the moment."

"Glad you're enjoying the food," Brock said. "Looks like your Pokémon just finished as well."

Ethan turned to see his Pokémon approaching him from the tent. "Hope you ate light, Jade. We're facing AJ next."

Jade nodded before Ethan turned to see Eevee's pouting face. "Oh, come on, Eevee. Let's give Jade a chance to battle."

Eevee hopped up to his shoulder and continued to pout.

"Aw, don't be like that. You already had a battle today, and it was an awesome one!"

"Eev eevee." Eevee seemed a bit more placated with the compliment.

"Hey blondie, you ready or what?" AJ asked.

"Sure thing, ringmaster," Ethan replied.

"Ringmaster? What makes you say that?"

"Well," Ethan started counting on his fingers, "you've got the whip, tent, ring of fire, high diving board, and tightrope, to name a few things. Hell, I even saw a rattata balancing itself on a giant ball. The only thing you're missing is the outfit."

AJ stared before smirking. "You've got a sharp mind there, blondie."

"It's Ethan, actually."

"Sure thing, blondie. My family runs a traveling circus, and I've taken what I grew up with and applied it to Pokémon training."

I knew it!

"Let's each use one Pokémon that hasn't battled yet today. As much as I want to face your sandshrew, I'm curious to see if your other Pokémon are up to par," Ethan proposed. "You can't go through an entire journey relying on just one Pokémon."

AJ considered that before shrugging. "Probably not. Sandshrew isn't my only tough Pokémon."

Ethan stepped up to the field and took his place in the trainer's box.

"On three," AJ said. "One, two, three!"

Both trainers sent out their Pokémon at the same time. Jade hovered over Ethan's side of the field while a poochyena materialized before AJ.

"Cutie!" Misty cooed from the sidelines. Poochyena growled, making Misty reel back. Ethan pulled out his Pokédex so it could record the poochyena's data. Gotta make the professor happy, right?

I don't remember a lot about Poochyena's moveset, but I think this matchup favors Jade.

"We have the type advantage. Jade, String Shot!" Ethan called.

"Fire Fang."

Flames licked Poochyena's fangs as it bit on the incoming string, burning it to nothingness.

"That may be true, but any psychic attacks your fancy butterfree has will have no effect on my Pokémon," AJ said matter-of-factly.

"Good thing she has more tricks than that. Jade, Electroweb!"

A sphere of pulsing electricity grew in front of Jade's antennae before she spat a web of string through it. The electric web flew through the air like a net shot from a launcher.

"Jump and Fire Fang!"

Poochyena managed to jump into the air, avoiding the web that stuck to the ground, and towards Jade, who was still recovering from the attack she had just thrown. The Fire Fang ignited and bit down on Jade's midsection, causing her to screech in pain and slowly lower to the ground.

"Jade, hang in there and use Bug Bite!"

Jade fought through the fire. Her two little fangs glowed a light green and elongated before biting the poochyena on its snout, drawing a cry of pain as it let go and landed roughly on the ground.

"Use Gust to blow Poochyena out-of-bounds before it recovers!"

"Poochyena, get up now!"

As Jade prepared her Gust attack, Poochyena managed to get on all fours then howled to the sky before glowing with a blinding white light.

No way. Now? Ethan exasperatedly thought.

"What's happening?" Ash asked.

"Poochyena's evolving!" Brock exclaimed.

The Bite Pokémon's legs and body grew in length, and its tail extended behind it before the light died down.

"It's… not as cute anymore," Misty shivered.

"I've got to admit," AJ said. "I didn't know Poochyena had an evolved form. I don't even know what to call her now."

Right, inter-regional Pokémon knowledge is kind of scarce right now, Ethan remembered.

"Your poochyena evolved into a mightyena," Ethan informed him. "Battle's still going on, though. Jade, Gust attack!"

"Dodge it!"

Mightyena's increased size did it no favors on the comparatively small battlefield. Jade furiously beat her wings and blew a strong wind at her opponent, who dug their claws into the field.

"Pour a little more power into it, Jade!" Ethan encouraged.

"Fweee!!" Jade cried as the tips of her wings glowed brightly. Silver-colored crescents shot from her wings with each flap, impacting Mightyena and causing it to howl in pain.

"Wow, not bad," AJ muttered. "Mightyena, Bite attack!"

Mightyena growled and charged, dark fangs appearing in front of its mouth.

That looks more like a crunch! Ethan thought. "Jade, dodge that and prepare another Electroweb!"

Fortunately, or unfortunately for AJ, Mightyena underestimated the strength of its new form and overshot its jump, missing Jade completely.

"Fire Electroweb on my mark," Ethan said as he held up a hand. Mightyena reached the top of its arc and began to fall. "Now!" he said, bringing his hand forward.

"Dodge it!" AJ cried.

Once Mightyena began its descent, Jade spat the electric webbing, successfully wrapping up her opponent. Before Mightyena hit the ground, her form turned red before returning to the waiting Pokéball in AJ's hand. The sparking web left behind floated harmlessly to the ground.

AJ sighed before looking at Ethan. "You win. Don't think you're better than me because you got lucky."

"Of course not. Mightyena didn't have a chance to get used to her new body. I'm sure if she did, the battle would have been a lot closer," Ethan agreed.

"I'm gonna get ready for my journey. I expect to see you at the Pokémon League, Ethan. You hear?" AJ asked.

"Of course! We'll see you there," Ethan grinned before AJ walked into his tent.

"That battle was awesome!" Ash cried. "That Gust attack earlier didn't look like a Gust attack. What was that?"

Ethan looked at Jade, who was hovering beside him. "I think that was Silver Wind. It's a bug-type move and a pretty good one for any butterfree to have," he explained. "Great job, Jade! I hope this makes up for the battle you didn't get at Cerulean."

Jade happily pushed her head into his hand and nodded, obviously pleased with how things turned out.

Ethan smiled. "We'll practice Silver Wind tonight to make sure you have it down."

"Why don't we get moving," Brock suggested. "It's a few hours until sunset. We can walk and talk."

Everyone agreed. After packing their belongings and saying their farewells to AJ, the group continued down the trail.

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After finding a suitable clearing to make camp, Ethan set down his bag and looked up. The skies were clear tonight, and the temperature was mild, so he settled for pulling out the tarp and setting up everyone's sleeping bags on it. Brock was busy circling stones around a shallow pit Sandshrew dug to prepare a campfire while Misty was out with Geodude gathering firewood. Ash and Pikachu returned from the nearby stream with everyone's refilled canteens and a pot of water, which was set down near Brock. Jade, Butterfree, and Zubat were out in the surrounding area scavenging for berries to supplement their supplies.

Misty's Pokémon were settled in a nearby pond, happy to have the chance to be out of their Pokéballs. Pidgeotto was flying lazy circles around the clearing to scare off any wild Pokémon in the area.

"Looks like we're in charge of digging the latrine tonight, Eevee," Ethan sighed as he grabbed his foldable shovel and a roll of toilet paper from his bag. Eevee grimaced but followed him regardless.

After camp was set up, Ethan grabbed Ash and walked a short distance from their campground while remaining in sight. "Okay, Ash, ready for tonight's training?"

Ash set his face in determination. "Yeah! You were going to show me how you train, right?"

"Yep," Ethan nodded. "But I think it wouldn't be a bad idea for you and your Pokémon to join in. Call everyone out."

Ash looked confused but nodded as he got all his Pokémon together, Ethan doing the same.

Ethan did a headcount before looking back at Ash. "Where's Nidoran?"

Ash's eyes widened. "Oh yeah! I guess so much happened today that I forgot," he said as he pulled out Nidoran's Pokéball. Ethan grabbed his wrist before Ash could release her.

"Not yet. We don't know how she'll react to a bunch of strangers. Let's get everyone else started, then you and Pikachu can introduce yourselves to her," Ethan explained. "Jade, get Butterfree and Pidgeotto started on warm-ups. Eevee, Sandshrew, you can get started as well. We'll join you shortly."

The Pokémon nodded and left to start their pre-training routine. Ethan turned his attention to Ash and beckoned him away from the others. "Now you can release Nidoran. Introduce yourself, let her approach you, and don't touch her horn or spines. You don't want to get poisoned."

Ash nodded and pressed the release. The blue nidoran formed before she opened her eyes and took in her surroundings, ears twitching.

"Hi Nidoran, I'm Ash! And this is my partner, Pikachu."

Ethan left them to it and watched the rest of the Pokémon running or flying around the clearing, wondering what other changes awaited them.