A short, five-note jingle played over the intercom.
"Ethan and Daisy, your Pokémon are ready for pickup at the front desk," Nurse Joy announced.
"Well, that's our cue. Ready to hit the road again?"
The trainers stood from their table, having finished a late-morning breakfast, and left their trays at the dish-return window where a chansey eagerly accepted them. They had arrived at the Mount Moon Pokémon Center that morning to heal their Pokémon, freshen up, and get a warm meal.
"Yep! I'm all set," Daisy replied. "We're not far from Mount Moon, so we should be there in a few hours."
"Good," Ethan said as they exited the cafeteria. "I'm looking forward to going through the tunnels. I've always liked exploring caves."
"Why's that?"
He looked at the tiled ceiling in thought as he placed his hands behind his head. "I'm not sure. I just like spelunking on occasion. I've found cave drawings and carvings before, though most of it's just graffiti."
"Spelunking? Is that even a word?"
"Of course it is! Spelunking is what you're doing when you explore a cave system."
Daisy shrugged. "To each their own. I don't like being underground for too long. I prefer being able to see the sky when I want."
Ethan nodded and stopped at the patient pickup station at the front desk. He presented his ID to Nurse Joy to verify his identity, with Daisy mimicking his action.
"Thank you! Here are your Pokémon. We hope to see you again!" Nurse Joy said with a practiced smile.
Ethan and Daisy gave their thanks and accepted their Pokéballs, then turned to the exit. Halfway to the door, Daisy spotted a familiar boy walking into the lobby from the lodging hall, covering his mouth as he yawned.
"Hey, Ash! Long time no see!" Daisy shouted as she closed the distance to the raven-haired trainer and pulled him into a hug, drawing a surprised yelp. Pikachu had the right idea to jump away.
"D-sy? C-n't Br-th! St-p, pl-se!" Ash gasped and fruitlessly struggled as Misty and Brock walked into the scene of Ash getting the life squeezed out of him. Misty cocked a brow while a red-faced Brock had steam coming out of his ears and nose.
I kind of forgot about them, though I should have expected to run into them today, Ethan thought, surprised. And how the hell is Brock doing that?
"Pika, pika pika-chu, Pikapi?" Pikachu worriedly asked.
"Daisy, let him go before you asphyxiate him," Ethan cried as he walked over.
Daisy released her death grip, and Ash fell to the floor, coughing and greedily sucking in air. "Sorry about that, Ash. I just haven't seen you in months!"
Brock hopped over Ash's recovering form and knelt before Daisy. "There's no need to be sorry, my beautiful flower! My name is Brock. I'd like to take you out to dinner and get to know you a little better. My treat!"
An empathetic sigh could be heard from the front desk.
"Uh, n-nice to meet you, Brock," Daisy stuttered.
"If he's the one making a meal, I'd give it a shot. His cooking is on par with Delia's," Ethan encouraged.
"Hold it!" Ash confusedly cried out. "Ethan, what are you doing here? And why is Daisy with you? And how do you know my mom?"
"Hello to you too, Ash," Ethan greeted as he rolled his eyes. "Your mom let me stay in her home for a few nights when I visited Pallet Town. Daisy and I are traveling together because she and her clefairy want to visit Mount Moon. I'm on my way to Cerulean City to challenge the Cerulean Gym for their badge. We thought we might as well travel together until she finds a bus that'll take her to Celadon."
Misty tensed at the mention of the Cerulean Gym, which went mostly unnoticed.
"Huh? Are you taking on the gyms too? Do you have any badges?" Ash asked.
"Yup," Ethan replied, emphasizing the p. "I challenged the Pewter Gym a few days ago and won the Boulder Badge. It was a tough battle, but my Pokémon pulled through."
Brock got to his feet, only now noticing Ethan was there. "Hey, Ethan! So you battled my father, huh? How did he do?" he asked.
"Flint didn't make it easy. He even had a Pokémon I wasn't expecting to see in Kanto. Eevee and Butterfree each battled a Pokémon, and they won two-nil."
Misty whistled, impressed. "Wow, so your metapod evolved, and you actually knocked out your opponent's Pokémon to earn your badge? Sounds like you're a much better trainer than a certain someone I know," she said, making a not-so-subtle jab.
"Hey! I earned my badge too!" Ash protested.
"True, but you didn't earn it by knockout," Misty teased.
"C'mon, you two. If Ash really wants to, he can challenge Brock again some other time," Ethan sighed. "Since you three are here, that means you're planning on heading through Mount Moon, right? Why don't we travel as a group of five? Safety in numbers and all that jazz."
Ash, Brock, and Misty looked at each other as if having a silent discussion.
"Sounds like a great idea!" a lovestruck Brock chimed in with a blush and a held-back giggle.
"Great! How soon can you be ready? Daisy and I are ready to go."
----------------------------------------
Ethan waited outside while his three new traveling companions quickly ate and prepared to leave. Daisy decided to help, and Pikachu opted to join Ethan outside after his meal to avoid the scramble of packing bags inside.
"Hey, Pikachu, how have you been since I last saw you?" Ethan asked the mouse Pokémon as he scratched him under his chin.
"Pikapi pika pi, pi-pichu ka-pi Pi-cha!" Pikachu animatedly exclaimed with a smile, leaning into Ethan's hand.
"Sounds like you're pretty happy. That's good!" Ethan laughed as he grabbed Eevee's and Butterfree's Pokéballs. "Eevee, Butterfree, come hang out while we wait for the slowpokes!"
The two Pokémon materialized, and Pikachu walked over to greet them. Eevee barked excitedly and play-tackled Pikachu, drawing squealing laughter from them both.
Butterfree decided to sit with Ethan.
"Don't want to play, Butterfree? That's fine. Remember Ash's metapod? He's probably evolved into a butterfree by now. You can meet him later if you want," Ethan suggested as he rubbed her head.
Butterfree thought about it, then nodded before leaning against his side.
Ethan observed how Butterfree was so relaxed, listened to Pikachu's and Eevee's playful giggling, and smiled. He appreciated little moments like this where he could just be close to his Pokémon and see them enjoying themselves.
After a few moments, he looked at Mount Moon's looming peaks. He knew what was shortly coming up, though he didn't know how his and Daisy's presence might affect things. Just his presence alone might alter events. How much could he change things? Should he try to stop Team Rocket from tailing Ash all the time?
Ethan shook his head. It probably wouldn't do any good to try to stop the Team Rocket trio from following Ash, at least not until after they lose all credibility with Giovanni. Which, if he remembers correctly, happened after the failed heist on the St. Anne.
Did he really want to travel with Ash? On the one hand, Ash would meet and become involved in some plot or another with almost every legendary Pokémon he came within several hundred miles of, which could lead to some clue to home. On the other hand, he would have to put up with 'season one' Ash.
The aura adept sighed. If he had to choose between going it alone or having companions that frequently ran into danger, he would travel with companions that frequently ran into danger.
In addition to his own Pokémon, Daisy's company had been a boon in helping him from the sinking despair of his seemingly heavy burden. He didn't want to be alone.
Two new weights on his lap pulled Ethan from his melancholy state and back to reality, and he looked down to see Eevee's and Pikachu's eyes looking into his own. Eevee licked the back of his hand, then looked at him pleadingly.
"Eev Eeveev?"
Ethan's smile returned. He delicately scratched her and Pikachu behind their ears, drawing a pleased "Veeeee…" and "Chaaaa…" respectively, as they melted into puddles of brown and yellow fur.
The doors of the Pokémon Center opened, and Brock and Ash stepped outside, packed and ready to go. They quickly spotted Ethan thanks to Eevee's loud purring. Ash saw the Pokémon on his lap, and his eyes widened.
"What are you doing to Pikachu?!" Ash demanded.
"What does it look like?" Ethan retorted. "Most Pokémon love it when you scratch or rub them in the right places." He demonstrated this by carefully rubbing Pikachu's red cheeks like he had seen a few times in the anime, and Pikachu somehow melted further.
"Oh, um, okay," Ash said as he rubbed the back of his head. "I didn't know that."
Ethan simply shrugged. "Where's Misty and Daisy?"
Brock cleared his throat, red tinging his dark cheeks. "They'll be out in a few minutes. They're probably talking about girl things."
Ethan nodded and pushed himself to his feet, prompting Butterfree to hover in the air. He lowered Eevee to the ground and handed Pikachu off to Ash. The mouse clambered to the top of Ash's backpack and yawned.
"You know, maybe I'll catch a pikachu of my own someday," Ethan said to himself. He opened his satchel and pulled out a couple of small weighted harnesses and a weighted vest.
"Line up, girls! It's time to put on the weights."
"Weights?" Ash and Brock echoed.
Eevee pulled herself up from the ground as Butterfree landed next to her. Ethan held out the harnesses. After a second, they became outlined in a blue glow as Butterfree used her telekinesis to fit herself and Eevee.
Eevee and Butterfree flexed their limbs, testing the fit of their harnesses while Ethan slipped his vest over his head.
"Oh, I get it!" Brock said. "You're building up their speed, strength, and stamina while we walk."
Ethan snapped his fingers and pointed at Brock. "Yep! And it's not just them," he said, then tested his arms' range of motion.
"They don't look that heavy," Ash remarked as the Pokémon Center doors opened again, and Daisy and Misty walked out.
Ethan shouldered his bag and stood. "Well, the point of this training isn't to see how much weight you can carry, but to get used to carrying the extra weight. I'll add more as we get used to them, so it stays challenging."
"Sorry if we kept you waiting," Daisy announced. "Everyone ready to go?"
----------------------------------------
"So, wait, how do you know everyone already?" Daisy asked Ethan as they walked up the inclined trail.
"I met Brock," Ethan said as he pointed at him, "during my first visit to Pewter City. He let me stay the night at his home because the Pokémon Center was booked by greenhorn trainers. His food is among the greatest I've ever had. I would seriously consider taking him up on his offer for dinner."
Brock nodded a silent thanks.
"I met Ash when Eevee, Butterfree – who was a caterpie at the time – and I saved him and his metapod from a swarm of beedrill. We had a battle afterward. I was winning but decided to be merciful when Caterpie evolved."
"Eevee eev!" Eevee chirped to Butterfree, getting a chittering giggle in response.
"String Shot's a cheap move," Ash huffed. "I still think you cheated. Pikachu couldn't move right when he got hit with that String Shot."
Ethan rolled his eyes. He had a feeling he would be doing that a lot. "Ash, that's what String Shot does. Pikachu relies on his tail to keep his balance and aim electric attacks. I just stuck his tail to his back to throw you two off. 'Cheap moves' are still strategy. Besides, Pikachu landed a good Thundershock or two before that."
Ethan moved on before Ash could offer a rebuttal. "Anyway, I met Misty at the same time I met Ash. We haven't talked much yet."
"Huh, you're right! We'll have to fix that," Misty realized.
"Yeah, if you want to get to know her temper," Ash muttered.
"What did you say?!"
"You heard me!"
A voice-cracking scream of fear interrupted their argument.
Ash spotted the source. "Look, over there!" he said as he and Ethan ran towards the commotion.
They dashed out of the thick of the trees and found someone curled in on himself to protect his face from a horde of Pokémon.
"It's a bunch of zubat!" Ash exclaimed. Pikachu hopped to the top of his head to get a better look.
"They're attacking that guy!" Misty said, pointing out the obvious.
Ethan caught Ash's arm as he tried to pull out his Pokédex. Ash looked at him, annoyed. "Shouldn't we, I don't know, save the guy first?" Ethan asked.
"Oh, right. Sorry," Ash apologized.
"Eevee, use Swift!"
"Pikachu, Thundershock!"
The cream tip of Eevee's tail glowed. After a second of concentration, she shot dozens of star-shaped projectiles at the horde. Pikachu's Thundershock joined the assault and charged the stars with electric-type energy, causing sparks to jump between them.
The never-miss move hit its mark. The Swift exploded on impact, discharging the stored electricity in explosions of star-shaped sparks, shocking the Bat Pokémon and driving them back into the caves. Unfortunately, the poor man on the ground got zapped as well.
Ethan cringed at the sight as he caught Pikachu after the mouse finished his attack. He did not look forward to the day he would get a serving of electricity.
"Woah, what was that? That was so cool!" Ash said in amazement.
"That was a combination attack, Ash. I used to do stuff like that in Pokémon Contests all the time," Daisy answered. "That one was simple, yet effective."
"Combination attacks? I gotta remember that," Ash muttered to himself.
A pained groan sounded from the man still curled in on himself.
"Oh yeah, the guy!" Ash remembered, then sprinted over to check on him. "Are you okay, mister?" he asked.
The man – Seymour, Ethan remembered – got on his feet faster than he could react and pulled Ash into a hug.
"Wow!! You guys are the greatest!" Seymour exclaimed.
"N-t ag-n!" Ash's muffled voice said. "R-ly. It w-s n-thing!"
"I'm talking super fantabulistic! I mean two thumbs-up! Way up! The best rescue I've ever had! I've never been rescued the way you rescued me!"
"Pl-se. L-t me go!"
Ethan raised a brow. Shouldn't they have been electrocuted by now- "Ohh," Ethan whispered as he looked at the pikachu in his arms. Pikachu looked back at him quizzically, none the wiser.
That was the last thing he saw before he found himself face-first in the eccentric scientist's lab coat, and the air was forcibly removed from his lungs, being replaced by the smell of sweat and body odor.
"You were fantabulisitic too! I have no idea what I would have done if you hadn't come along! I would probably be dead! Or at least extremely sore and poisoned!"
Ethan's vision swam as he struggled to breathe. He felt the hair on his head and arms stand on end, and his eyes widened. That was the only warning he got before the worst pain he could remember in recent history racked his body.
The chamber of the tree…
Ethan’s breathing quickened as he hit the ground.
Can't breathe
His pupils dilated in terror.
The Sparks Hurt
His heart pounded in his ears.
IT BURNS
"Something's wrong! What's happening?"
"Eeveev?!"
"He's been paralyzed, and I think he's having a panic attack! I've never seen one this bad!"
"What do we do?"
There was a moment of silence before someone spoke up.
"We need to sedate him before we can treat the paralysis, or he might get hurt. But how can we do that out here?"
"His butterfree knows Sleep Powder. Would that work?"
"Pikapi! Pikachu ka-pi pi Pi-cha!"
It was then everyone noticed that Ethan's eyes were glowing an intense blue, and motes of blue fire danced at his twitching fingertips.
"Now what's happening to him?"
"I don't know!"
"Hurry, Butterfree! Please use Sleep Powder on Ethan. We have to stop him from hurting himself!"
"Fwee!"
Ethan took no notice of the world around him as his vision faded to black.
----------------------------------------
"Oww, my head," Ethan groaned as he sat up.
Something didn't seem quite right. He racked his brain, trying to figure out what it was, but only ended up making his headache worse.
"Ughh, never mind. I'll figure it out lat-" Ethan's eyes shot open. His voice was back to normal!
He inspected his hands, then brought them up to pat his face.
"Aww, I missed you, beard," he said.
Ethan took off his glasses, looked at them, then frowned. "I thought I lost these. What's going on?"
This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.
He slipped his glasses back on and finally took in his surroundings. He was sitting on fresh-cut grass bordering a gravel road intersection. There were dozens of vehicles parked along the side of the road.
"Wait, these cars have Utah and Idaho license plates! Am I back home?"
Ethan scanned his surroundings and spotted a large gathering of people a short distance away. He stood and approached, intending to ask where he was. As he got closer, he realized that he knew many of their faces.
"Mom? Dad?!" He broke into a sprint when he saw his parents and family at the front of the gathering.
Ethan slowed to a halt when he got near. No one reacted to his outburst. The atmosphere was solemn, and the air was still. He could feel an intoxicating sadness permeating the air.
"Mom… Dad?"
Nothing. No reaction. No one even looked at him. Their attention was directed at something else.
Ethan followed their gazes, and his heart dropped. How had he missed that?
In front of the gathering, a lacquered brown casket covered with a white cloth and dozens of flowers sat, ready to be lowered into the ground. On either side of the coffin were photos of him mounted onto easels with the words, "In memory of Ethan Dust, beloved son, brother, uncle, and friend. May God receive you into His rest. May 21, 1994 - July 7, 2020."
Is-is this what it's like to be on the other side when people say they can feel the spirit of their departed loved ones? Ethan shook his head.
"Mom! Dad! Everyone! I'm not dead! I'm right here!" he yelled more fervently.
"They can't hear you, Ethan. No matter what you do, they won't hear you."
Ethan whirled around to face who spoke.
"Aaron?"
The ancient Aura Guardian approached with a sad smile.
"I had to go through the same thing you did, Ethan. Like you, I was not born in the world of Pokémon. I'm actually from Toronto, believe it or not."
"How are you here? How am I here?" Ethan asked.
"I'm not actually here. I'm an echo of Sir Aaron made possible by his aura that lives on in his gloves," he explained. "As for what 'here' is, this is a vision of what's happening in our world. You're just unconscious right now."
"Oh," Ethan despondently replied. He looked back at his family, who were beginning to disperse, tears running down many of their cheeks. His dad, the most loving and stoic man he knew, laid a hand on the casket with quivering lips.
"…Did he ever try to get back? To Toronto, I mean?" he asked.
The echo's smile faded. "Aaron looked for a way back for a few years. He eventually chose to stay. Do you want to know why?"
Ethan shook his head. "No. If you tell me why, then I'm afraid I'll stop looking. If I ever choose to stay, I want to find my own reason."
Aaron nodded. "I understand. We don't have much time left, so I'm here to tell you that you've begun developing your empathic abilities. You're going to start feeling other living beings' emotions and intent."
The world around them began to brighten, turning to an indistinguishable white as Ethan's eyelids grew heavy.
"Remember, Ethan, the aura is with you."
----------------------------------------
Ethan stirred, opened his eyes, and wished he hadn't.
Ughh. Feels like I hit my head. He groaned, feeling annoyed as he rubbed a tender spot covered in a bandage on the back of his head. He hated waking up sore and not knowing why.
…Why do I hear the Team Rocket motto theme?
"To denounce the evils of truth and love,"
"To extend our reach to the stars above,"
"Jessie!"
"Ja-"
"Oh, shut up!" Ethan yelled as he glared at the Team Rocket trio and stood, steadying himself against a rocky wall. "I'm tired, sore, and have a killer headache. I'm not in the mood for this!"
There was a pregnant pause as all eyes turned to Ethan.
"Eeveev!"
"Fwee!"
"Ethan!" his four traveling companions and Pokémon exclaimed simultaneously.
"Oww, keep it down," Ethan whimpered, holding his head.
"Hey! Stop ignoring us!" Jessie screeched.
"Interrupting the motto is a crime against Team Rocket. We need to teach you some manners," James sneered.
"Hmph. After we deal wit' you, we'll get our claws on the Moon Stone and power up our Pokémon!" Meowth declared.
Ethan rolled his eyes, wincing as he did so. "Do you know how stupid your plan is? I see at least two problems with it."
He lifted the index finger on his right hand. "One: the six of us have… what? At least ten Pokémon between us versus your three. You're outnumbered and outmatched."
He lifted a second finger. "Two: the Moon Stone only 'powers up' certain Pokémon, none of which you carry. Even if you take the Moon Stone, it'll be nothing but a glorified paperweight."
The Rocket trio glared at the twerp that ridiculed their master plan.
"Our plan is stupid, is it?" James scoffed.
"We'll see who's got less brain cells," Jessie finished as she and James tossed their tools away, then pulled out a Pokéball each.
Ash and Brock responded in kind and prepared for battle.
"Misty, Daisy," Ash whispered, "keep an eye on Seymour and Clefairy. Make a run for it when you have the chance."
"I'll help," Ethan added, feeling steady enough to stand without help.
"Don't push yourself too much, Ethan. You're still recovering from earlier," Daisy said.
"I'll have to ask what happened after we're through with these bozos. It's still fuzzy to me."
"You mean you don't remember?" Misty asked.
"Later, Misty," Ethan replied.
Ethan whispered instructions to his starter as he walked to join Ash and Brock. "Eevee`, Meowth's gonna sneak off to attack that wild clefairy. Follow him when he does, and feel free to beat him up as you please."
Eevee gave him a confident grin, then located her opponent and used Dig, disappearing underground.
"Butterfree, you're with me on the front line," he said as he stopped by Brock's side, receiving a nod from him. Butterfree flew up to hover near her Pokémon allies, Zubat and Butterfree.
That's going to get confusing, Ethan thought. I should come up with a nickname.
"Koffing, Smog attack!"
"Whirlwind!" Ethan, Ash, and Brock commanded in unison.
----------------------------------------
"I'll show dat blondie twerp dat our plan is genius. I should know, I came up wit' it," the Scratch Cat Pokémon sneered as he continued his pursuit of the clefairy.
He exited the rocky tunnel and surveyed his surroundings as his eyes adjusted to the sun's natural light. There! That arch was the only way to cross the river. That clefairy would have to cross to get to this side. He climbed with feline grace, jumping from rock to rock until he was in position on his end of the arch, hidden from sight.
"Whatcha doin'?"
"What's it to ya… ya… whoa!" Meowth stammered as he beheld the vision of beauty that climbed out of a hole in the ground. Everything from the tips of her erect brown ears to her green eyes, her fluffy mane, and the cream color heart-shaped pattern on the end of her tail was perfect.
"…Why are you looking at me like that?" she asked, feeling weirded out.
Meowth composed himself and wiped the drool from his chin, then coughed to clear his throat. "Hiya, Eevee! My name's Meowth."
"I know who you are!"
"You do?"
"Yep! You're the mascot of Team Rocket, and I'm gonna beat you up!" Eevee excitedly cheered, bouncing on her paws.
"Dat's me! I'm the… wait, what?"
Eevee's cheerful demeanor morphed into a vicious grin. She pounced, catching Meowth by surprise with a Quick Attack to the gut, which sent him tumbling away from the arch and onto open ground. She caught up, pivoted on her front paws, and Double Kicked him right in the charm.
"Ow ow ow! Why? Why'd it have to be the charm?" Meowth whimpered as he hunched over, rubbing his forehead.
"It's shiny. It was begging me to kick it!" Eevee growled before swinging an Iron Tail, striking him in the chest.
"I'm not a mascot!" Meowth yelled as the attack sent him flying away and out of sight.
Eevee's demeanor switched back to her cheery self, and she pranced around in a circle. "Yay! I beat up a bad guy! I beat up a bad guy!"
"By Cresselia! Will he be okay?"
Eevee's ears perked as she looked at the clefairy that spoke from the end of the arch. "Eh, don't worry about it. You're the clefairy he was chasing, right?"
"I am. I have to get to the gathering, or the start of the ceremony will be delayed!"
"Wait, hold on! You can't go with that creep looking for you. Stay with me. We'll find my friends and make sure you get there safe."
"Eevee! There you are!" Ethan yelled as he made his way towards them from the top of the arch, carrying something in his arms. The other five humans were close behind him.
"Or they'll find us," Eevee giggled as her tail wagged back and forth. "Eeveev, I did it! I beat up a bad guy!"
----------------------------------------
It didn't take any convincing to decide that everyone needed a break. The gang shrugged off their gear and settled next to a nearby stream.
"I wish I had had the time to take these off before all that crazy stuff happened. You fought really well, regardless," Ethan complimented as he removed Eevee's and Butterfree's weighted gear and stowed them away in his bag.
The two Pokémon stretched their limbs and rolled their necks, relieved to have the harnesses off after having worn them for most of the day, which was much longer than they were used to. Butterfree flew over to Ash's butterfree to join him in his meal and talk while Eevee dragged her bowl near Ethan's lap so she could sit and eat.
"I put your vest in your bag already, in case you're wondering," Brock said as he finished administering first-aid to the sandshrew Ethan carried earlier. "There we go! Sandshrew will be fine."
"Thanks, Brock. You feeling better, Sandshrew?"
While Ash, Brock, and Ethan were racing to catch up with Misty, Daisy, and Seymour after battling Team Rocket, they rescued a sandshrew that was being beaten mercilessly by a group of invading paras. Ethan couldn't just leave it there, so he drove the paras away and carried the near-unconscious sandshrew with him.
Sandshrew shyly nodded and hesitantly stepped towards Ethan, then curled up near his side.
"Thanks again, Brock, and thanks for carrying me while I was out."
"How'd you know I carried you?"
"Ash was carrying your pack when I woke up," Ethan shrugged as he ran his fingers through Eevee's fur and took a bite of his sandwich.
Misty sat across from Ethan. "Speaking of waking up, what happened earlier?" she asked.
Ethan's mood soured, and he swallowed before answering. "I'm not really sure. The last thing I remember before waking up was that guy," he pointed at the scientist with a glare, "invading my personal space and crushing my ribs."
"Ehehe, sorry about that," the scientist apologized. "I just get grateful when someone does something nice for me. My name is Seymour, Seymour the Scientist. I'm a researcher for the Pewter City Museum of Science, and I'm here investigating the Moon Stone."
"So you don't remember what happened after that?" Daisy asked in concern.
Ethan shook his head. "I don't remember anything between then and when I fell unconscious."
"Well, you and Seymour got hit by Pikachu's Thundershock attack," Ash volunteered as he sat down with his sandwich.
"Oh yeah. Pikachu got caught between us," Ethan remembered.
Pikachu's ears fell flat against his head. "Pi-cha… pika pika. Pi-Ka-Chu?"
"I'm alright, Pikachu. I forgive you. Don't feel bad," Ethan assured the electric mouse with a few pats on his head, earning a relieved "Chaa…" in response.
"After that, you had a panic attack. A bad one," Brock continued. "Your eyes were glowing, and your hands looked like they had blue fire coming off of them. We had to put you to sleep."
Ethan tensed and looked at Brock in his squinted eyes. "Are you sure?" he asked urgently.
"We all saw it," Misty confirmed.
Ethan deflated and ran a hand through his hair. Eevee looked up at him and mewled in concern. "I was hoping to keep that a secret, but I guess it didn't work out that way, did it?" he muttered.
Ethan pointed at Seymour. "You! Why don't you go and keep the clefairy company? And please keep what you saw to yourself."
Seymour opened his mouth to say something before closing it again, and he reluctantly nodded. "Okay," he said before getting up and leaving.
Ethan watched him go before motioning for everyone else present to huddle in closer. "I hope this goes without saying, but I also need you to keep what you saw a secret."
Everyone nodded in affirmation, while Ash asked, "But what was that?"
"I'll get to that. First, do any of you know what aura is?"
Blank stares were all the answers he needed.
Ethan continued. "Aura is the spiritual energy, or life energy, inside every living thing. Lucario are a species of Pokémon capable of directly manipulating their own aura and can use it as a weapon or barrier. They can also use it to sense other auras and see their surroundings, even with their eyes closed.
"A long time ago, a group of humans called the 'Aura Guardians' were also capable of wielding aura. They disappeared centuries ago, and no one knows what happened to them."
Daisy's eyes widened. "So what we saw was-"
"My aura manifesting outwardly? I think so. I have the potential to wield aura like the Aura Guardians, but since there's no one to teach me, I have to figure it out on my own. I've never been able to consciously do what you saw me do. If I had to guess, what you saw was the emotions from my panic attack forcing my aura out in some kind of self-preservation instinct."
"That's so cool!" Ash exclaimed. "I wish I could use aura."
Oh, if only you knew, Ethan chuckled. "Ash, aura can be cool, and I'm pretty excited about what I might be able to do with it, but it can also be dangerous to the user."
"Huh? What do you mean?" Ash asked.
"What do you think would happen if I used too much aura, which is my life energy?" Ethan answered with his own question.
Misty gasped. "You could die!"
"Exactly! I don't think I would have died there, but thanks for knocking me out anyway."
"Oh," Ash deflated, staring at his half-eaten meal in thought.
Ethan noticed Ash's shift in mood. "It's not all bad, though. Once I'm trained up enough with it, the only way I'd die from aura depletion would be if I willingly gave it up."
"That's a relief," Brock said. "How long have you been training this aura?"
"Uhh, well," Ethan blinked, "my abilities only started manifesting about a month ago, right before I left on my Pokémon journey. I've been trying to figure it out since then. So far, progress has been slow."
"Hey, you guys!" Seymour called to the huddled group. "Clefairy's moving!"
The five stared at Seymour, then each other, and scrambled to pack their belongings as Ash stuffed the rest of his sandwich into his mouth.
"Eevee, follow Clefairy. We'll be right behind you!" Ethan said before he felt a tug on his jeans.
He looked down to meet the black-blue eyes of the sandshrew he and Brock had helped earlier. It looked at him as if wanting to ask something but seemed afraid to do so.
"…Would you like to tag along, Sandshrew?" he asked.
"Sh-shrew," they meekly nodded.
"Alright. You should be able to keep up with us, I think. Come on."
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It didn't take long to catch up with the wild clefairy, and the group was able to keep pace. Ethan was near the middle, having a conversation with the scientist of the group.
"So, you believe Pokémon came from outer space using the Moon Stone as a spacecraft?" Ethan asked.
"I do. I've believed it ever since I was a boy. Do you not think so?" Seymour replied.
"Well, not all Pokémon came from outer space. The handful that I know of that come from space are lunatone, solrock, the beheeyem line, and possibly the clefairy line, not to mention a few legendary Pokémon. Most other species of Pokémon are native."
"Oh? And how do you know that?"
I watched the anime and played most of the games, Ethan thought.
"Much like yours, it's only a theory. I've read the Sinnoh legends about the Alpha God Pokémon, Arceus, creating the world and everything in it. There are a few books about it at Rota's public library. Don't ask me to go into detail. There's too much material to go over."
Ash groaned ahead of them. "Where on earth are Pikachu and Eevee taking us?"
"They're following Clefairy to where the Moon Stone is, probably," Daisy replied, her breathing slightly labored from the uphill trek. "I need to work out more. I'm out of shape."
"Here, let me carry your bag," Brock offered with an outstretched hand.
Daisy mulled over his offer for a moment before lifting her bag's strap over her head and passing it over. "Thanks, Brock."
Eevee, Pikachu, and Clefairy hopped over a waist-high bush and stopped at the sight of a cave entrance.
"Hold on a minute, guys," Ethan motioned for everyone to stop.
Misty raised a brow. "What's wrong?"
Ethan scanned their surroundings before quietly speaking. "Team Rocket might still be looking for the Moon Stone. Let’s make a plan, just in case they're following us."
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Footsteps echoed in the dimly lit tunnel as the otherwise silent group followed Clefairy. Awe and wonder escaped the lips of people and Pokémon alike as the reflective dark surface of a large boulder, set up on a natural pedestal, came into view.
"…It's the core of the Moon Stone," Seymour said in awe, a giddy smile forming on his lips.
Ethan whistled in appreciation. "Wow. Just… the way the moonlight shines on it is… wow. I've never called a rock beautiful before, but this rock is beautiful."
Misty and Daisy nodded, agreeing with Ethan's sentiment.
Ash stared for another moment before movement caught his eye. "Hey, Clefairy's doing something."
The wild clefairy hopped up to the pedestal and placed its moonstone next to the others already there, completing a ring of similar stones surrounding the giant one. The clefairy hopped down as the stones seemingly attracted the moon's light, causing them to glow, followed shortly after by the Moon Stone core. The light intensified until the entire cavern was bathed in its blue light, revealing many more clefairy, some cleffa, and a few clefable that approached the giant stone.
Ethan bit the inside of his lips to stifle a yawn as he watched the mesmerizing sight taking place before him. I hope Team Rocket shows up soon. I could use some sleep.
Daisy gasped and pulled out a Pokéball. "Oh! I wonder if Clefairy wants to join." A flash of light later, her clefairy opened her eyes and cried for joy. Clefairy hugged her trainer's leg and then left to join the other clefairy in their dance.
Ethan shook his head and stepped a short distance from the group, unnoticed, and released Butterfree from her Pokéball. He had a plan to enact. "Eevee, Sandshrew, time to go underground. Butterfree, on the wall above the tunnel. You all remember what to do?"
Each Pokémon nodded, and Eevee gave a mock salute, drawing a smile from Ethan as she joined Sandshrew underground. Butterfree flew up and clung to the wall above the tunnel exit they had come in from.
Satisfied with their positioning, Ethan rejoined the others.
"…the human race will ride the Moon Stone into space! First to the moon, then to Mars, then together to the stars!" Seymour exclaimed.
"I think the astronauts at the Mossdeep Space Center already landed on the moon. They'll probably be the first to launch a rocket to Mars, too," Ethan chuckled as he rolled his eyes at the scientist's antics.
"Did someone say rocket? That's our cue!"
The clefairy stopped their dance, and their audience turned around to face the newest arrivals. With smug smiles and confident strides, the Team Rocket trio of Jessie, James, and Meowth stepped into the light.
"You guys don't know when to quit," Ash remarked.
No duh, Ethan agreed.
Seymour ran between the Moon Stone and Team Rocket and spread his arms, trying to act as a barrier to the priceless object behind him. "You keep away from the Moon Stone, or else!"
Oh, this should be fun.
"Or else?" James mocked.
"I think we've been threatened," Jessie scoffed.
You sure have! I'm… starting to get loopy. I really need to finish this up. Wait, why's Seymour running? Yup, he forgot the plan.
"I'll show you!" Seymour charged, mustering the best battle cry he could. Meowth simply stuck out his foot, tripping the scientist and causing him to fall to the ground face-first.
Ethan couldn't help but snort, which drew a collective confused look from the other four humans near him.
"What?" Ethan said. "It was funny."
Ash shrugged before scowling at the trio. "That was a dirty trick."
Jessie smirked. "All is fair in love and Pokémon battles, boy."
"Enough talk!" James yelled as he and Jessie threw a Pokéball each.
"I agree!" Ash declared. "Pidgeotto, I choose you!"
"Go, Onix!"
Four simultaneous flashes of light formed into Onix, Pidgeotto, Koffing, and Ekans. Each Pokémon cried their name, with Onix drowning them out with a roar.
Welp, here we go.
"Ekans, underground now!"
"Koffing, smokescreen!"
Ethan tapped the steel toe of his left boot on the rocky ground three times, then yelled, "Butterfree, now!"
A blue glow suffused and outlined Koffing's body. Butterfree willed her Confusion attack to shut her target's mouth and plug the holes that had begun spewing the dark smoke, causing pressure to start building in Koffing's body.
"What?!" the trio exclaimed in shock.
The ground rumbled and ruptured between Team Rocket and the gang. The joint efforts of Eevee and Sandshrew forced Ekans out of the ground and launched them into the air.
Brock was the first to react. "Onix, Slam Ekans towards Team Rocket!"
"Pidgeotto, help him out with Whirlwind!" Ash followed up.
Onix roared and swung its tail, batting Ekans into the humans of the Team Rocket trio, sending them tumbling back into the tunnel. The winds stirred by Pidgeotto increased the momentum of their tumble and sent Meowth and a very bloated Koffing flying with them.
Butterfree cried a strained "Fweee!", signaling that she couldn't hold her grip much longer. This was confirmed as Ethan noticed Koffing begin to glow.
"Oh, scheisse! Brock, have Onix block the tunnel!" Ethan cried as he enlarged Butterfree's Pokéball.
"Onix, cover the exit!" Brock commanded, then ran towards Daisy, having seen the danger Ethan had.
The Rock Snake Pokémon quickly moved its massive bulk and used its third segment to block the tunnel exit, and not a moment too soon.
Butterfree released her hold on Koffing as she was returned to her ball. A near-deafening explosion and flash of light followed a moment later from the tunnel behind Onix. Ethan ducked down and grabbed Eevee and Sandshrew, hugging them to his chest.
Ethan thought he heard the classic "Team Rocket's blasting off again!" cry from the trio, but he wasn't sure.
Everything fell silent for a few moments as the ringing in everyone's ears faded. Only then did Ethan look up from his sprawled position on the floor.
"Wow, Ethan. Your plan worked!" Misty exclaimed as she helped Ethan to his knees.
"Well, it never hurts to be prepared. You all did great!" Ethan praised.
Eevee puffed out her chest while Sandshrew scratched the back of its head, seemingly abashed at the praise.
"Misty, will you go check on Seymour?" Ethan asked, suddenly remembering the scientist.
"He's fine. He crawled away before the battle started," Daisy said.
Ethan nodded, then turned to Brock. "Brock, could you take a look at Butterfree for me? After you check on Onix, of course."
"Sure," Brock nodded. "Oh? It looks like the clefairy are trying to get your attention."
Ethan raised a brow and turned his gaze to a group of clefairy approaching him.
"Fairy clefairy clef clefairy fairy," the lead clefairy of the group bowed and held two darkly glowing stones in its paws. "Clefairy fairy clefairy."
"Those for me? You sure?"
The clefairy smiled and nodded, placing the stones in front of Ethan.
After setting Eevee and Sandshrew down, Ethan picked up the glowing stones. He studied them, admiring and wondering how something so dark could glow as it did.
"Th-thank you," Ethan slurred as he placed the stones in his bag. He stood and wavered on his feet as he loosed a wide-mouthed yawn. He staggered over to the nearest wall, laid out his sleeping bag, and promptly collapsed on top of it.
Brock and Ash looked at the snoozing Ethan and then at each other.
"I guess he was tired," Ash noted.
"Eeveev eevee," Eevee nodded sagely, drawing chittering laughter from Sandshrew.