Ethan crested one last hill and paused to take in the view of the town below. It had been a little over a day since he and Eevee left Viridian City. In his opinion, they made good time getting here with daylight to spare.

Eevee jumped to Ethan's shoulder to get a better look. She liked this place already if her wagging tail was any indication. Pallet Town was quiet and smelled much less polluted than Viridian did.

Ethan lifted his red metapod higher in his arms to give them a better view.

"Here we are, you two. Pallet Town! Population: 721 if that sign is correct. It looks nice here," he said.

"Eevee!" Eevee nodded her head in agreement. Metapod couldn't really do or say much right now, but he got the feeling they agreed.

They spent another moment taking in the view before Ethan cast his searching gaze over the town, looking for one place in particular.

"There! That's our destination," he said as he moved Metapod to one arm and pointed with his other. "See that windmill over there? That's Professor Oak's laboratory."

Ethan grabbed Metapod's Pokéball and expanded it. "I'm going to return you to your Pokéball for now, Metapod. I'll call you back out soon."

Metapod blinked once, and Ethan returned them before setting the Pokéball back on his satchel. "Want to walk with me, Eevee? We don't have much farther to go."

Eevee hopped off his shoulder and did a flip before touching down. She looked up at her friend and grinned.

"Showoff," he chuckled. "I could do the same thing if I wanted to."

Eevee looked skeptical.

"…Okay, maybe not 26-year-old me, but 12-year-old me still has hope," he clarified.

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

Ethan rang the Oak Pokémon research laboratory's doorbell. He stepped back to wait, tapping his foot on the doormat that had an image of the three Kanto starter Pokémon. The lab was pretty close to Pallet's northern outskirts, so he and Eevee hadn't seen much of the town yet.

Eevee impatiently pawed the concrete beneath her. Remembering what happened at the Pewter City Gym, Ethan scooped her up, drawing a surprised squeal from her, and held her in his right arm while stroking her back with his left. She found the arrangement acceptable and leaned into his hand. That helped to soothe Ethan's nerves somewhat.

After a minute, the sound of heels approached from the other side, and the door clicked and slowly opened. A young woman in her mid-teens with long brown hair and a green one-piece pencil skirt appeared.

"Hello, can I – Oh, wow! Your eevee has green eyes! She's so cute!" the young woman gushed.

Ethan chuckled nervously. "Yeah, she gets that a lot. Is it unusual for Eevee to have green eyes?" he asked.

The woman shook her head. "It's just not common. Most Pokémon look the way they usually do, though some will have different features than their species' standard."

She then seemed to remember what she was supposed to be doing. "Oh, I'm sorry. Whenever I see adorable, I kind of get sidetracked," she apologized. "What can I help you with?"

"Oh, um, I came to see Professor Oak. He should be expecting me, though I'm a day or two later than I thought I would be," Ethan replied.

"You must be Ethan! I'm Daisy Oak. Gramps did say he expected you to arrive any day now. He's working on something right now, but come in and have something to drink while you wait. I just finished brewing a pot of sugina tea."

"Thank you. I think I'll take you up on that," Ethan said as he followed Daisy inside.

I don't remember seeing Daisy in the anime. Maybe she just wasn't around when Ash left, Ethan thought. "Do you have honey? I've never had sugina, but I heard it has a strong flavor."

"Sure. I like honey in my tea as well."

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

Ethan sat in a chair on the lab's back patio, blowing softly on his tea before taking a sip. He set the cup back down on the table and added a little more honey.

"You and Eevee look pretty close. How long have you been together?" Daisy asked before taking a sip of her tea.

Ethan looked out at the expansive ranch, his brows furrowed as he ran the numbers through his head. "About… three weeks? Wow, time flies by," he answered.

"Only three weeks? It looks like you've been together for a lot longer than that! She seems happy and well taken care of if her coat and the amount of energy she has is anything to go by," she observed as Eevee and Daisy's clefairy ran by, playing a game of tag.

"We've been through a lot together already," Ethan agreed as he looked at his Pokémon. "She means this whole world to me, and I love her like a father loves his daughter."

Daisy smiled. That was pretty mature for someone Ethan's age. He was much more mature than her little brother Gary and his rival, Ash.

Ethan hastily set his tea down and abruptly caught a flying Eevee as she jumped at him mid-Quick Attack. Eevee's momentum caused Ethan and the chair he was sitting on to screech back about a foot before coming to a halt.

He set her on his lap, and she stood on her feet, bracing herself on his chest as she rubbed her cheek against her trainer's. "I guess she heard us talking," Ethan laughed as he scratched her favorite spot behind her ears.

"H-how did you do that?!" Daisy asked, stunned. "She was moving so fast I couldn't even see her!"

Ethan shrugged. "She has tells. Her pupils get really big, and she wiggles her cute little bum whenever she's about to pounce. The first couple of times were painful, but I learned quickly."

"Daisy, was that the parcel I'm expecting from Dr. Autumn? I can't make any more progress on the PTS project until it arrives," a familiar voice from the open door said.

"It hasn't shown up yet, gramps," she yelled back when she shook off her surprise. "Take a break and have some tea. We have guests!"

Ethan looked to the door as a middle-aged man with graying brown hair and thick dark brown eyebrows stepped outside wearing a red short-sleeve button-down shirt and tan slacks. The only thing missing was his lab coat.

"Oh? You must be Ethan! I'm Professor Oak, the lead Pokémon researcher in the Kanto region," Professor Oak said as he offered his hand.

Ethan shifted Eevee to his left arm as he stood and shook the proffered hand. "Good to meet you, Professor. I read some of your book 'An Introduction to the Research of Portable Beasts' while I was in Rota. You pretty much single-handedly changed the world's perspective over the past thirty years that Pokémon are entirely different from animals!"

Oak nodded and waved off the praise as he let go of Ethan's hand. "I had a lot of help from Professors Rowan and Juniper back then in getting it published. It certainly jumpstarted my career," he laughed.

"Oh! You reminded me of something." Ethan opened his bag with his free hand and pulled out a sealed cardboard box. "Nurse Joy in Viridian City asked me to deliver this to you. I figured I would since I was coming here anyway," he said as he handed the box to Professor Oak.

"Well, if it isn't Dr. Autumn's parcel! Thank you, my boy! Daisy, will you take this inside and set it on my desk? I believe Ethan and I have some matters to discuss," Oak said.

"Sure, gramps. I've got to get back to my studies anyway. I'll see you two later!" Daisy cheerfully said as she carefully took the parcel and disappeared inside, her clefairy skipping after her.

The professor sighed. "Daisy was such a talented coordinator back when she traveled. She's studying to become a Pokémon groomer now, and I've never seen her happier."

Oak turned to Ethan and waved him over. "Follow me to my study. We can talk there in private."

Ethan adjusted his grip on the now-snoozing Eevee and followed the professor inside.

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

Ethan walked through the door held open by Professor Oak and sat on the farther of the two sofas in the room. He carefully set Eevee on the cushion next to him and put his bag on the floor near his feet.

"So, Ethan," Professor Oak began as he sat across the coffee table on the other sofa, "is Eevee here your first Pokémon?"

Ethan smiled. "Yeah, she is," he answered. "Professor, what is it that you study again? Is it human and Pokémon relationships?"

The professor nodded. "That is my primary focus as a Pokémon professor, but it's not the only thing I study. Every Pokémon professor and researcher has an obligation to uncover the mysteries of Pokémon. I had this laboratory and its various environments throughout the ranch built twenty years ago so that my aides and I can study Pokémon in their natural habitats," he reminisced with a smile and a distant look.

"Ah, I'm babbling, aren't I? Let's get down to why you're here. Queen Ilene sent me a message to expect you." Professor Oak furrowed his brows. "She mentioned that you have an unusual Pokémon-related incident you need help with. The message was rather vague, but I'm assuming you can fill me in on the details?"

"Right. I've had a lot of time to think about this discussion, and this will sound like an odd question, but what do you know about the multiverse theory?" Ethan asked.

Professor Oak folded his arms and looked up in thought. "Hmm…. If I had to put it simply, the theory suggests that there are multiple universes. Some are similar to our own, while some are very different. There's no definitive proof that they exist, however."

Ethan nodded. "That's part of the reason I came to see you. I still can't think of a believable way to explain the, uh, complicated situation I'm in, so I'll explain it as best I can," Ethan said nervously before taking a deep breath.

"I'm not from this universe. I'm from an Earth where we know about Pokémon through… stories, legends, cartoons, you name it, but Pokémon themselves don't exist. The last thing I remember from my world before I wound up near Rota was hearing a couple of powerful voices in a cavern deep underground. The next thing I knew, I was in a lake in the Tree of Beginning."

Professor Oak waited patiently while the boy in front of him finished his tale. "You're right. It is hard to believe. I can't even think of what a world would be like without Pokémon."

"I think I can prove it, though," Ethan said.

Professor Oak sighed. "Very well. What do you have?"

"Well, if this is the Pokémon world I think it is, I can tell you of something that happened specifically in your past that you've probably never told anyone about."

Professor Oak blinked. "There are stories about me in your world?"

"Sort of?" Ethan shrugged. "In most of them, you give the main character their starter Pokémon and keep in touch with them after."

Ethan took a few moments to gather his thoughts. "Anyways, back to the topic at hand. Tell me if this sounds familiar. Almost forty years ago, young Sammy Oak was in a forest in northwest Johto, north of what is now Olivine City. He saved Celebi from a Pokémon hunter but got dragged forty years into the future and met Ash Ketchum. Together, the two of them saved Celebi from the Iron-masked Marauder, and then Celebi brought Sammy back home."

Ethan chuckled. "By the way, you, having gotten the idea for the Pokédex from Ash, who got his Pokédex from you in the first place, is a causal time loop. Technically speaking, no one really knows who came up with the idea for the Pokédex."

Professor Oak's jaw dropped more and more throughout Ethan's monolog before he abruptly stood. "H-how do you know all this?! I never told a soul about Celebi!" he accused as he narrowed his eyes.

Ethan tensed as he stroked Eevee's head when she twitched in her sleep, calming her down. "A-as I said, the Earth I'm from has stories about the Pokémon world. Now I know for sure it's based on this world. I've watched the cartoon series on and off for over twenty years. Hell, even your and Ash's adventure with Celebi was made into its own full-length movie."

Ethan looked at the professor, who was back to staring with wide eyes.

"Oh, but please keep this a secret between us. I don't need the wrong people, especially Team Rocket or anyone affiliated with the League, finding out that I'm from another universe. I'd prefer to choose who I tell, and the only ones I've told about my origins so far are Queen Ilene, my Pokémon, and now you."

Oak slowly lowered himself back into his seat and put his head in his hands. "I could never have imagined that the incident Queen Ilene mentioned would be on a scale of interdimensional proportions," he muttered. He contemplated the situation for a moment longer before looking back up.

"I suggest being careful with whom you tell your secret and how much you reveal," Oak suggested. "You're looking for a way back, I assume?"

"That's my goal. I have a few ideas for what Pokémon could have been involved in my appearance. Do you know of the space and time legends in Sinnoh?"

"You think Palkia and Dialga are somehow involved in your coming to this world?"

"It makes some sense to me. Palkia is the master of space, and Dialga is the master of time. I was pulled here through time, space, and dimensions. I suppose Giratina could be involved somehow, though I don't know enough about them. Maybe the Sun and Moon legends of Alola could be involved?" Ethan mused.

"I'm afraid I'm not as familiar with the Sun and Moon legends. How much of our world do you know about?"

"A lot, maybe? Though a better answer would probably be 'less than I think'," he answered. "The Sun and Moon legends of Alola are Solgaleo and Lunala. I'm sure your cousin Samson or Professor Kukui could give you more details if you called them up."

"Professor Kukui? Who's that?" Professor Oak asked.

"Um, he either is or is going to be Alola's regional professor. I didn't consider that he may not be a professor yet. Forget I said his name."

Oak raised a brow, then shook his head. "Anyway, I'm afraid I don't have a solution for your predicament. I can check my resources to see if anything like this has happened before, though I'm not confident anything will turn up."

Ethan nodded. "That's alright. I figured this wouldn't be easy."

Professor Oak thought back over the conversation and remembered some things Ethan had said. "You're rather young for someone over twenty years old," he chuckled. "You also said you heard voices before you wound up in this world. Do you remember what they said?"

"Oh, yes. I'm mentally twenty-six and physically twelve. A separate incident in the Tree of Beginning made me younger. Don't ask how. It wasn't pleasant," Ethan shuddered. "As for the voices, the first voice asked the second if they thought I was 'sufficient,' and the second said I 'would do'. It makes me think I was brought here to do something."

"If that's true, then it's possible that you won't be able to go home until you do whatever you were brought here to do, assuming it's possible to go back at all. Have you considered the possibility that your coming here was a one-way trip?"

Ethan's heart skipped a beat, and he froze as those words processed in his head. "I-I didn't even think about that. I have family back home, damn it! I can't imagine not seeing them again!" he said as he held his head in his hands.

The professor gave him an empathetic look. "I'm not saying that it's impossible to go home. This is something that, as far as I know, has never happened before. But it may be wise to prepare for the possibility that you may be spending the rest of your days here."

"You're probably right," Ethan shakily mumbled. "Still, I've got to keep hope that I can see them again, right? I didn't even have a chance to say goodbye…."

Ethan felt something soft and warm slip through his arms and onto his lap. He opened his eyes to meet Eevee's worried green irises. "Eeveev?" she asked softly.

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He remained silent and pulled her into a tight hug as if she were his lifeline. His shoulders began to heave as the stress he had buried over the past few weeks manifested all at once. He buried his face into Eevee's mane and wept.

Eventually, the heaving subsided, and Ethan let go of Eevee. "S-sorry about messing up your fur, Eevee. I'll fix it later. Promise."

"Eevee veev," Eevee said as she licked his cheek.

Ethan turned to look at the professor with puffy eyes. "I'm an emotional wreck. I was taken from my world against my will and nearly died twice since I got here. I guess these last three weeks have been harder than I thought."

"Twice? Well, don't worry about it. Everyone needs to cry once in a while. I've had my fair share," Oak said in understanding. "I'll see what I can figure out and update you on my findings."

"Th-thank you," Ethan hiccuped and took a moment to breathe. "Oh! I almost forgot. I took some pictures of some kind of mural that I found in the cave I was in before I found myself in the tree. Maybe that could help you in your search? I'll show them to you in a minute. I've got a few more things I want to talk about with you before I forget."

"Alright. What else do you wish to discuss?"

"I was wondering if I could have a Pokédex and the ability to have Pokémon transferred to your ranch if I exceed the carry limit. Even though I'm looking for a way home, I still want to go on a Pokémon journey, collect badges, and do whatever else trainers do. It's not every day you have the chance to do something that was supposed to be impossible."

"Indeed," Professor Oak chuckled, then looked down in thought as he considered Ethan's request. "I usually only allow locals or trainers I sponsor to keep their Pokémon on the ranch. I'm already inclined to sponsor you, but tell me why I should."

Ethan worked his fingers through Eevee's fur as he thought about what he could offer. Spoiling future events was off the table. He didn't want to risk a negative outcome of some future event by telling someone else what he knew. He thought about his phone and had an idea.

"You and Professor Westwood are working on expanding the Pokédex database," he stated. "You're probably just getting data from Johto on their native Pokémon for the next iteration of the Pokédex, right?"

Professor Oak raised a brow. "That's correct. We are working on expanding the Pokédex. Why do you ask?"

Ethan opened his bag and pulled out his phone. "This is a device from my world. It's my phone, camera, and a computer. Remember that I told you that, in my world, Pokémon only exist in cartoons, stories, etcetera? They're also a video game series. I have a program on here that has data on over 900 species of Pokémon.

"The data is based on the games, but something constant between the games and everything else is that they have the same species of Pokémon."

The professor leaned forward, intrigued. "Interesting…. If what you say is true, this could bring the Pokédex project forward by several years! Will you show me?"

After Ethan turned on his phone and showed Professor Oak how to use it, the professor eagerly scrolled through the list, occasionally stopping to look at some of the entries. It was like watching a wide-eyed kid experiencing the magic of Disneyland for the first time.

"This is fantastic! These may be artistic renderings, but I've traveled all around the world and seen many of these Pokémon. Who knew there was a fairy type? Oh, and look at all these alternate forms!"

Ethan held back a chuckle. "I'd probably keep mega evolution, dynamaxing, and gigantamax forms under wraps unless they're already known. Professor Sycamore is supposed to be the one to study mega evolution, and the latter two are a phenomenon only possible in the Galar region being studied by Professor Magnolia, so it might already be known there."

The ecstatic professor nodded. "There are things I'm going to have to keep to myself, at least until I can verify them. I don't see a problem using the data for most of the non-legendary Pokémon, though verifying and gathering real-world data will take time."

Professor Oak looked up from the phone. "I'll sponsor you and give you a Pokédex if you leave this device with me for a little while. I'd like to copy the data from this application and see how the device works. It'll take some time."

Ethan frowned. That would leave him without his camera and number one reference to figuring out movesets for his Pokémon. Then again, maybe he was becoming too reliant on it.

"Can you tell me how the Pokédex works? If I'm going to be without my phone for a while, I want to know of the Pokédex's capabilities."

"Given what I've seen so far, that's understandable. The Pokédex gives you basic data on wild Pokémon you scan, like their typings and some need-to-know information. Scanning your own Pokémon will provide you with more detailed information like gender, known moves, and moves that their species are known to learn. If the Pokédex doesn't have data for a particular Pokémon you've caught, it can still tell you its gender and known moves."

Ethan considered Professor Oak's proposal. The downside was that anything his phone had that the Pokédex didn't wouldn't be available to him. The upside was that the Pokédex could show him information specific to his Pokémon.

"That sounds agreeable. Let's talk details."

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

After hashing out more details about the agreement, showing the professor the photos he took in the cave, and concluding their business, Ethan was surprised to find that the sun had already set. He was now following Professor Oak to a place he could spend the night since the lab didn't have any guest accommodations prepared.

Being the techie he was, Ethan was playing with his new blue Pokédex. He discovered by scanning Metapod that she was a girl. Is this going to become a trend that I can't catch male Pokémon? he wondered. At least I know she's a girl now. I kind of felt bad for not knowing.

Professor Oak, of course, was surprised by the red metapod. Ethan told him that she was due to evolve any day now, and he'd happily give him the leftover chrysalis if she evolved during his stay.

Ethan decided it would be best to rest a full day and make more plans before heading out. He already knew he was heading back to Pewter City to challenge the gym. Eevee's Dig and Double Kick attacks were pretty much mastered, and she was making progress on Swift and Shadow Ball. When given a choice, Eevee decided she wanted to work on both attacks.

"Here we are, Ethan. Pallet House: Delia. You won't find a better meal or a more gracious host in Kanto," the professor claimed. "This is where Ash lives."

"Huh. I didn't know Mrs. Ketchum ran an inn."

Professor Oak knocked on the door and waited. "It's not a true inn. Pallet Town is an out-of-the-way place, and we don't get many visitors, so it's unprofitable to build and maintain a dedicated inn or hotel. Delia is more than happy to lend a room to the occasional traveler like yourself."

The door opened, and a woman with amber eyes and reddish-brown hair stepped forward. "Samuel, it's good to see you! I heard Daisy's in town. How is she?" Delia asked.

"She's doing quite well, Delia. If she keeps studying like she is, she'll be a licensed groomer before the end of the summer! She has her heart on setting up shop in Celadon City," the professor replied.

"I'll have to visit tomorrow. Come inside! Would you like to stay for dinner? I'm making spaghetti and meatballs," she said before noticing there was another guest. "Oh? Who's this?"

Ethan took that as his cue. "My name is Ethan. It's nice to meet you, Mrs. Ketchum! I was wondering if my Pokémon and I could rent a room for a couple of nights."

"Delia, Ethan is my newest sponsee. I'm willing to cover any costs for the duration of his stay," Oak added.

"In that case, I'll let him stay at no charge. If you're offering to cover costs, he must have done something very nice for you."

A pair of loud growls interrupted the conversation, and the two adults looked at Ethan and Eevee, who sheepishly chuckled. "I guess Eevee and I haven't eaten since lunch. Does your meal offer extend to us, too? It smells great!"

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The next day found Ethan in an open field under a tree on the ranch. Metapod was leaning against the tree while Eevee was a short distance away, in a wide stance, and her eyes closed, focusing her power.

"Remember, the best places to focus your energy for a Swift attack are the white of your tail and your mouth. You don't need to worry about aiming. Just keep your target in mind when you launch the attack."

Ethan then turned to Metapod. "Metapod, I want you to keep on meditating. You can learn Confusion once you're a butterfree, so focusing and strengthening your mind now should help you have finer control over your psychic powers."

Metapod closed her eyes and began to do just that, and Ethan pulled out his notebook to plan the next part of his journey. He had done all he could for now to find a way home. He thought about heading to Sinnoh but had a feeling that going there wouldn't bear fruit until Team Galactic became active.

Come to think of it, a lot of things seem to wait until Ash is conveniently nearby. Maybe it would be a good idea to stay near him? He does seem to meet almost every legendary Pokémon he comes near, Ethan thought.

Then, another idea came to him. Would it be easier just to join Ash's group? I did promise Queen Ilene I'd bring him to Rota's tournament next year. That's happening a few weeks before the Indigo League competition next July, so Ash should have his eight badges by then. That'll probably mean skipping the filler episodes that happen around then, so it's nothing significant to the timeline.

Plus, maybe having some constant competition around him will motivate him to train. Brock and Misty were always too soft on him. We could also work on developing our auras together, assuming his power isn't still dormant.

Ethan frowned. Would it be awkward to travel with kids between ten and fifteen years younger than him? I guess I'm technically in their age group now, so it would only be weird to me.

Ethan checked the date on his watch. Saturday, April 12th. If the English dub were correct, Ash would get to Pewter City within the next few days, and Ethan didn't know how long Ash stayed there. It had to be around two or three days.

"Eeveev! Eevee eevee eev!"

Ethan broke out of his thoughts to see his excited Eevee dash into the tree's shade to his left side. Curious, he turned to see what caught Eevee's interest.

Metapod's eyes were glazed over, and Ethan noticed a line running through her chrysalis getting larger and larger. The cracking stopped after a few seconds, and a sudden bright light poured from the open seam. Ethan's horror changed to awe as he realized what was happening.

The first things to emerge from the cracked shell were two pairs of white chitinous wings with black outlines: a large upper pair and a smaller, lower pair with the central area filled in black. The light intensified before dying down.

The butterfree experimentally flexing her wings had two antennae, green compound eyes, a pink mouth, pink hands, pink feet, and the regular purple-colored exoskeleton.

Butterfree trilled an exultant "Fweee" as she took off into the sky and flew in circles between the lab and Ethan's location.

Ethan grabbed his Pokédex to record Butterfree's data.

"Butterfree, the Butterfly Pokémon. One week after caterpie evolves into metapod, it again evolves into butterfree," the Pokédex informed him.

"I know that! Show me the deets, Jarvis," Ethan told his Pokédex as he pushed a button to show the information he wanted.

"Let's see…. Looks like Butterfree can't use Harden anymore. Her known moves are Tackle, String Shot, Bug Bite, Gust, Sleep Powder, Poison Powder, Stun Spore, and Confusion. Neat!" Ethan said as he happily looked at his beautiful, recently-evolved Pokémon.

"This is so awesome, Butterfree! Congratulations on evolving! Let's check you out, and then I'll get you some food!"

Butterfree descended and landed near Ethan, waiting for instructions.

"Let's get a good look at you before we start. I've never seen or touched a butterfree before," Ethan said as he lifted a hand before stopping. "May I?"

"Fwee fwee!" Butterfree nodded, and Ethan proceeded to rub the side of Butterfree's head, careful to avoid her eyes, wings, and antennae. Eevee walked up and sniffed her to memorize her new scent.

"Huh, it isn't weird like I thought it would be. You're firm, but there's a bit of softness that feels nice."

Butterfree trilled contentedly and leaned into his touch, putting a smile on Ethan's face.

After a moment, Ethan stood, and Butterfree hovered in the air next to her trainer.

"Alright. Jarvis says that you learned five new moves when you evolved." Ethan grabbed his things plus the empty red chrysalis and moved away from the tree with his two Pokémon close behind.

"Butterfree, show me your Gust attack!" Ethan commanded as he pointed to the tree they vacated.

Butterfree flew up to get into position and beat her wings rapidly. The wind picked up and blew towards the tree, whipping the thinner branches around and causing several leaves to fall.

"Not bad for your first try. We'll have to practice to make it powerful. I don't want to try out your spore or powder moves until we have an actual opponent."

"I can help you with that!" an approaching cheery voice said from behind him.

Daisy and her clefairy approached from the patio of the lab. "I saw what you were doing and figured your metapod evolved. She's the prettiest butterfree I've ever seen. I just adore those green eyes!"

Ethan looked at Daisy and noted her green dress and green headband. "I've got the impression that green is your favorite color," Ethan quipped. "You said the same thing about Eevee's eyes yesterday."

Daisy stuck out the tip of her tongue and rubbed her neck. "Well, you've got me there! I'm taking a break and just put on a kettle for tea. Let's have a quick battle – my clefairy versus your butterfree. We'll keep going until one is too tired to continue or the kettle whistles."

"Sure," Ethan agreed. "You up for a battle, Butterfree?"

"Fwee!" Butterfree nodded and took a position in front of Ethan while Clefairy stood before Daisy.

Ethan thought through what he knew about the matchup. Clefairy was a fairy type. Fairy types are weak to poison and steel and resist bug. If Butterfree had Tinted Lens as her ability, that resistance would cancel out. Unfortunately, the current iteration of the Pokédex didn't have the capability or data to identify abilities, so they would have to figure that out themselves.

"Butterfree, start things off with String Shot. Scatter it around Clefairy's side of the field."

Butterfree spat the sticky thread from her mouth and spread it on the grassy terrain while Clefairy seemingly danced around the string.

"You'll have to do better than that, Ethan!" Daisy said. "Clefairy, use Pound!"

"Fly up and rapid-fire String Shot. Target Clefairy!"

Clefairy charged and raised a glowing arm. Butterfree tried to hit with the String Shot, but her opponent dodged around each one and jumped into the air.

"Quick, switch to Gust!" Ethan yelled.

Butterfree frantically flapped her wings and created a current of air. It only slowed the airborne clefairy, and the pound attack still hit its mark, but the blow was weakened thanks to Clefairy's decreased momentum.

"Butterfree, try a Confusion attack. Throw Clefairy back!"

Butterfree righted herself and focused, willing her power to grab the falling clefairy. Clefairy became outlined in a suffused blue glow before being roughly thrown.

"Clefairy! Stick the landing and go in for a Double Slap!"

Clefairy righted herself and landed on her feet. Her hands began to glow, and she charged only to trip and fall forward. She caught herself on her paws, and only then did she and her trainer realize what had happened.

"Oh, that's sneaky, Ethan. Trapping Clefairy in the String Shot you laid on the field earlier. Clever!"

"That, or Clefairy is doing exactly what you told her to do," Ethan cheekily said.

It took Daisy a moment to think back and suppress a snort. "That's such a terrible joke!"

"Thanks! Butterfree, Stun Spore then Bug Bite!"

Butterfree spread the orange-yellow powder from her wings over the stuck Clefairy, causing it to seize up. She then swooped in.

Daisy smirked and waited for Butterfree to get close. "Clefairy, Fire Punch!"

Clefairy's right paw burst into flame and burned the sticky string around her, allowing movement once again. Before the surprised Ethan could call off the attack, Clefairy leaped, and her fist made contact with Butterfree's abdomen. Butterfree fell back and collapsed on the ground a short distance away as a high-pitched whistle sounded from inside the lab.

Scheisse! Clefairy must have the gen four version of Magic Guard, Ethan realized as he and Eevee ran to his fallen Pokémon's side. "Butterfree? Are you okay?"

After a few moments, Butterfree stirred and averted her gaze from Ethan. "Fwee…," she trilled sadly.

Ethan breathed a sigh of relief and rubbed the side of her head. "It's okay. I'm glad you're alright. You've only been a butterfree for what? Ten minutes? And I think you did really well in your first battle. I'm proud of you."

Butterfree's eyes shined at Ethan's praise, and she trilled a happier "Fwee!"

"Good match, Ethan," Daisy yelled as she ran toward the lab. "You're pretty good, and I think you'll go far. Get Butterfree healed up in the rejuvenation machine inside, and then we can have lunch and tea!"

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Ethan recalled Butterfree, and after getting directions and instructions on how to use the machine, he placed her Pokéball in a slot and pushed a button on the device. The display came to life, scanned the Pokéball, and showed that the estimated time to heal would be about nine minutes.

After setting the empty red chrysalis on a nearby table, Ethan walked down the stairs to join Daisy in the kitchen.

"Butterfree will be fine. The machine said it would be several minutes before she's healed, so I thought I'd get food ready for her and Eevee," Ethan told Daisy.

"Can I help?" she asked. "Pokémon groomers have to take some breeder classes, and I picked up a few things about making Pokémon food."

"Sure," Ethan agreed. "Do you have a recipe for Butterfree? I don't have anything for her yet. She hasn't eaten since she was a caterpie, so I imagine she's starving for a meal."

"Of course!"

Ethan and Daisy worked in silence as they chopped, diced, and mixed ingredients needed for their Pokémon.

"Ethan, you're leaving tomorrow, right?"

"Mhm."

"Where do you plan to go?"

"My first stop will be Pewter City to win a Boulder badge. After that, I'll head through Mount Moon to Cerulean City for their badge."

Daisy stopped her food prep for a moment and looked at Ethan. "Would you mind if I tagged along with you until Cerulean City? I caught Clefairy at Mount Moon, and I have a feeling she wants to visit. After that, I have to get back to Celadon for finals and my summer semester. I can catch a bus there from Cerulean."

Ethan filled Eevee's bowl with her freshly made food and set it on the ground for her to enjoy, then thought as he watched Eevee eat.

It would be nice talking with someone he could understand. Eevee was great company, but he couldn't have in-depth discussions with her. Plus, there was safety in numbers.

"Sure, I wouldn't mind. I'm sure Eevee would love having Clefairy around for a little while longer."

"Thank you! It can get boring traveling alone."

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That night, after Ethan's trip to the market to restock his supplies, he sat in the Ketchum residence's front room browsing his Pokédex with Eevee curled up on his lap. Both were content to sit there and enjoy each other's silent company.

Footsteps sounded from the stairs, and Ethan turned to see Delia holding a small box in her hands. She came around the chair and took a seat.

"Are you all ready to go, Ethan?" Delia asked.

"Yeah. Thanks for letting me stay here, Mrs. Ketchum. I appreciate it."

"Please, just call me Delia," she insisted. "Mrs. Ketchum makes me sound old."

They shared a laugh before Delia set her box on the coffee table. "You said you met Ash in Viridian Forest, and that he was headed to Pewter City. If you see him, will you give him this?" she requested, looking somber. "It's a present for his birthday next month, and he's not going to be around for me to give it to him."

Ethan took the box in his hands. "Sure. It's the least I can do to repay you, and I have a feeling I'm going to run into him again anyway. What's in it?"

Delia put a finger to her mouth and winked. "I'm not telling! That would spoil the surprise."

"I hate not knowing things," Ethan shrugged and yawned, then checked the clock on the wall. "I better head to bed. Daisy and I want to get an early start tomorrow," he said as he stood up, Eevee in one arm and the box in the other.

"Good night, Delia."

"Sleep well, Ethan."