The sun was dipping over the horizon as Ash and his friends emerged in the clearing. Soon the orange sky would give way to a blanket of black filled with shining stars.

Up ahead was a massive lighthouse beyond the end of the beach that they had found themselves at. The ocean water shone like a treasure in the light of the sunset as the group made their way towards the large building beside the lighthouse.

It was a large, mansion-like building within quick walking distance of the lighthouse, with a sign reading "Bill's Laboratory". It seemed like they had found the researcher's place.

At the moment, Pikachu and Tyrunt were the only ones out, Eevee having requested being returned to her Poke Ball. The two were gazing up towards the top of the lighthouse, which seemed to extend into the sky from where they were standing.

Ash had seen a notice on the sign stating that this Bill person was looking for a trainer to act as a volunteer for something, although it said to go to Bill himself for specifics. It piqued the boy's curiosity as he pressed the button to activate the doorbell.

A few moments later, the door opened, revealing a man who was dressed in surprisingly casual attire.

"Hey." Ash greeted as he looked up at the man. "Are you Bill? I saw that notice."

The man smiled. "Yes, that's me. And you?" he extended a hand which Ash accepted.

"Ash." the boy responded. He stepped inside as Bill gestured him in, Pikachu and Tyrunt following.

/

"So, what did you need a trainer for?"

Ash and Bill were sitting at a table a few rooms away from the entrance as the boy looked around to take in the surroundings. A couple of bookshelves lined the walls, which didn't surprise Ash, and a large map of Indigo covered the wall at the far end of the room. From where he was sitting, he could see a computer sitting atop a desk in front of the window, the desktop a picture of a few ancient Pokemon.

Bill had been generous enough to offer a couple of snacks for Pikachu and Tyrunt, who sat on the floor beside each other while munching on some poffins. Pikachu's ears were perked up to listen in on the conversation, but Tyrunt was absorbed in his own world while eating.

Bill folded his hands together. "Just for context, I've been using this lab as sort of a private place to do my research. Technically, I'm independent of the League, or at least not as fundamental to them as people like Professor Oak. I'm still authorized to go about my own business, though, so I can still do similar things as those directly under the Empire, just at my own pace."

Ash nodded in understanding. He was aware that there were independent researchers in different parts of Indigo, even if they were a lot more fundamentally rare than those with direct positions in the League. The vast majority of people who became researchers would choose to be hired by whatever League governs the Region that they live in. It was simply the best way to find work in the field, not to mention fundings. But some preferred the freedom of independent work, with the ability to make their own deadlines and goals. According to Professor Oak, researchers under the League could still do their own thing, but they were very much a part of the system, and would often be given required work as well. Independent researchers could always choose their own projects and how to go about them.

"So, does one of your projects require a trainer?" Ash asked curiously.

The researcher shook his head. "My recent work has been fairly small scale. I've just run into a bit of an issue that needs addressing." leaning back in his chair, he spared a quick glance at the clock before returning his focus to Ash. "I won't bore you with the details, but the gist is that I've recently taken in a certain set of Pokemon, that all evolve via the usage of stones rather than natural training. The reason why these Pokemon evolve in a less traditional manner has been an ongoing mystery in the field, and we're always looking for answers."

Ash nodded again, sparing a quick glance at Pikachu from the corner of his eye. "That makes sense." he responded. Many Pokemon had different ways of evolving, some wildly different. For most traditional evolutions, it was mostly a matter of how long it usually took for them to evolve, and what could naturally speed up the process. But then there were Pokemon like Pikachu and Eevee who had entirely different rules in terms of what it took to evolve, and it was one of those areas where the topic was broad enough to the point where it always felt like there were unanswered questions. He supposed it wasn't too surprising that Bill was looking into it. The subject was practically a pastime for researchers, given how widespread it was and how many Pokemon it covered. "So… what problem is there?"

Bill sighed. "It's honestly not a very big issue in the grand scheme of things…. But the Pokemon I've taken in are young and not very strong. Recently, a wild Pokemon living in the area has been causing trouble for them. I have my own place for the Pokemon I keep to live in like a natural habitat, sort of like a smaller scale version of Professor Oak's own. This wild Pokemon has been breaking into the area that I had set up for them, and picking fights with the younger pokemon. It's a fairly strong one, by Cerulean standards, anyway, and the younger Pokemon don't have much of a means to defend themselves. It seems like the wild Pokemon is just looking for something to punch, to be honest." he shrugged. "I considered just giving the League a call and requesting that they take care of it. They would obviously have an easy time, but… it seemed like such a minor issue, given that it's just one Pokemon. So, I figured I'd just save them the time and pay a trainer to take care of the wild Pokemon that's been attacking."

Ash perked up. "So, you want me to catch it?" he didn't even need payment for that. Bill would essentially be leading him right to a new teammate. The fact that the Pokemon's behavior was violent was still worrying, but… trainers had tamed far worse before. After all, Karen had become famous before she won the Conference, simply because she had raised and tamed a Hydreigon as a preteen. The Pokemon was labeled as a Grade S Threat much like Tyranitar and Gyarados.

There's no way this wild Pokemon would be anything like that, if Bill considered it trivial enough for the task to be handed off to just any trainer. Raising it would probably be more of a challenge, but he needed to step out of his comfort zone.

Besides, he had known for a while now that he would likely end up with a more difficult Pokemon at some point. Just about any trainer always would.

Bill nodded in confirmation. With a chuckle, he scratched the back of his head. "I've only had the notice out for about a few days now, but ironically, I recently received a request from an Ace Trainer to come visit me for some minor business. I figured I might as well ask her to take care of it while she was here tomorrow, but I decided to keep the notice up just in case a trainer does come along. I don't want the League to think I'd cry out for help over the smallest of issues."

Ash nodded back, grinning a bit. "Don't worry, I can take care of it. You don't really need to pay me for it, either. I'm already getting another Pokemon out of this. What species is it?"

"It's a Krabby." Bill responded. "We have quite a few in the area, but this one is a lot less docile than most of the others on the beach, to say the least." Placing his hands on the table, he nodded at the clock. "I've already deduced the usual patterns for when the Pokemon shows up, and its next appearance should be sometime in the late afternoon tomorrow."

'A Krabby…' Ash thought to himself. That was fairly interesting. Krabby were far from uncommon, as far as likelihood of finding them in the wild, anyway, but they were in a fairly unique position regarding professional Pokemon training. Along with their evolved form, Kingler, they were fairly average in terms of their presence in the wild, but rarely saw usage in tournaments.

And a lot of it had to do with other common Water Types in Indigo, most notably the Poliwag line. Those were essentially the go-to choices for a trainer seeking out a water type. Widely used in professional battles throughout Indigo. Many trainers would either seek out the more common Poliwag line for something easy and familiar to train more conveniently, or a far more rare breed of water type. The Krabby line was in an awkward position where they weren't as common as Pokemon like Poliwag to be widely used by the typical trainer, but also not nearly as appealingly rare as a more exotic water type. They still saw some use, but were fairly niche in the field.

"Alright," Ash responded, smiling at Pikachu as his Starter made their way to them and on top of his shoulder. "So you want me to catch it tomorrow?"

"If you're willing, yes. And you're free to stay the night as well. There are guest rooms, so feel free to pick one."

The boy was definitely happy to hear that. Anytime he got to sleep in a bed and not a tent, he would look forward to it.

/

Bill's guest room was about the size of what Ash was used to back at home, and in general made him feel like he was just staying at another house. It hadn't really been that way since he had left home, in fact, given that all of his nights since then had been spent in either a sleeping bag or a hotel room. The Pokemon Centers were all certainly hospitable, but they were different from home.

Ash allowed his team out into the room after getting Bill's permission, each Pokemon finding their own spot to spend the night at.

Nebula, as usual, made her way to the windowsill, while Valiant, Eevee, and Tyrunt grouped up together on a blanket on the floor. Pikachu rested himself on the foot of Ash's bed.

Just one night on the road was always enough to make him miss a traditional sleeping arrangement, and Ash found himself wishing he could savor the feeling as he drifted off.

The sun shining through the window forced his eyes open the next morning, and Ash found Tyrunt looking up at him eagerly as he rose out of bed.

A smile made its way to the boy's face as he realized what was going on.

The previous day, he had promised Tyrunt that they would be starting his training. Clearly the excited dinosaur remembered.

"I know, buddy." he reached down to pat the Royal Heir Pokemon's head as the rest of the team watched. "But we can't train on an empty stomach, remember?"

Tyrunt moaned in frustration at that, only for his face to color as his stomach rumbled. Valiant hid an amused chuckle behind his hand as Eevee rolled her eyes behind him. An embarrassed Tyrunt began stamping his feet in frustration before Ash quickly held up a hand to settle him down.

"Relax, Tyrunt." he said calmly, trying to soothe the dinosaur's mood before patting him on the head again. "I'll ask Bill if there are any good spots to train at, and then we'll work on practicing your moves. I actually have a TM that would be perfect for you. It's called Rock Blast. I got it from Pewter City's Gym Leader back before you were born."

Rock Blast. The TM that he had gotten from Brock after their victory at Pewter. He had held onto it all this time, but had never gotten a chance to use it until now. He wanted to fix that. Tyrunt was capable of learning the move, and he was sure that the baby dinosaur would be more than happy to take advantage of such.

He was proven right as the infant's face lit up immediately. The prospect of learning a brand new mood seemed to fill the young Pokemon with ecstasy, which somewhat amused Ash given that Tyrunt hadn't even started training yet.

The young dinosaur was eager for sure.

Looking over to his team, they all seemed to be fairly on board with the idea of Tyrunt starting to train. Valiant seemed to be particularly happy with it, having helped look after the baby dinosaur all this time.

Tyrunt would still need special care for a decent amount of time. Training or not, he was still just a baby. But even then, he'd grow more independent in time, and this was the first step.

Nebula, Valiant, and Tyrunt remained in the room as Ash left, with Pikachu and Eevee choosing to follow him. The boy still didn't know his way around the place, having just gotten here last night.

He found Bill back at the entrance to the house, talking to a woman. The two heard the sound of Ash's footsteps and turned to face him, Bill grinning as he greeted the boy.

"Oh, good morning Ash! I trust you slept well?"

Ash nodded gratefully. "Yeah, sleeping in a bed beats spending the night outside anyday. Thanks."

The woman let out a light chuckle at that, prompting Ash to turn to her.

She wore a silver colored uniform with "ACE" printed on the front. Her hair was a dark green and tied back into a long ponytail. Her blue eyes, while sharp, didn't seem fierce.

Bill nodded towards the woman. "Ash, this is Aya. She's the Ace Trainer I mentioned yesterday." gesturing towards Ash, he addressed the woman. "Ash has agreed to do some quick work for me to settle a little issue I ran into."

"Ash, huh…?" The woman seemed to linger on his name for a second, but her face remained friendly as she extended her hand. "Nice to meet you. Journey treating you well?"

As Ash shook her hand (somewhat startled by how strong her grip was), he nodded at her, although he felt a small drop of sweat traveling down his face as he met her eyes.

Ace Trainers were among the most esteemed the League had to offer within the their ranks. They worked within the League as high-ranking officials, known for both their prowess as trainers and strategic leadership. Typically, an Ace Trainer would be the one leading a squad during operations that didn't involve a Gym Leader or Elite Four member.

He couldn't help but feel nervous in this woman's presence. He didn't know if it was just because he knew of her status or not, but it felt like she was giving off a very intimidating aura. One that conveyed very clear levels of importance.

"Y-yeah…" he stammered out, his cheeks reddening at the realization that his nervousness was showing. "I-it's an honor to meet you, ma'am."

A friendly giggle escaped Aya's lips as the two separated. "None of that, now." she responded with a casual smile. "The formalities honestly embarrass me."

Ash felt a hint of guilt at that, but managed to look her in the eye as he nodded back. "Oh… O-okay." behind him, Pikachu and Eevee looked up at the woman, before Pikachu made his way up to Ash's shoulder and offered a small wave, which Aya returned.

With the greeting out of the way, Bill got Ash's attention again. "Do you want me to show you to the kitchen, Ash? We have plenty for breakfast, so you don't need to dip into whatever you already have."

Ash's face lit up with gratitude. "Yes, please!" he responded almost too excitedly (much to Aya's amusement). "Thanks for offering." The boy had been planning to use the kitchen to eat, but wasn't sure if he should ask for Bill's own food or not. He already had enough food left for himself and his team, so he didn't want to risk sounding greedy by asking.

Then again, this was apparently the same person who had loaned A.J. the means to use artificial barriers for his own private battlefield. In hindsight, perhaps he probably wouldn't have minded if Ash had asked him. But the boy still feared that he would have come off as impolite, regardless of whether or not Bill himself had considered him to be.

Turning to Aya, Bill gestured towards a hallway, which Ash assumed led to the kitchen. "Have you eaten yet? It's still pretty early, so you can have breakfast here before we get started with what you wanted to discuss."

Aya nodded. "I'll take you up on that. My team's fed already, but I could use a few bites to get me going."

/

During breakfast, Ash had asked Bill if there was any place nearby where he could train his team while waiting for the wild Krabby to show up. Thankfully, Bill had revealed that he had his own private battlefield for Ash to do his training at, which had excited the young rookie.

Tyrunt's eagerness had led to him devouring his food at seemingly ten times the pace, to the point that Ash was initially worried that he would choke. The baby dinosaur could just barely contain his excitement as he waited for his friends to finish.

On the way to the battlefield, Ash had applied the Rock Blast TM to the excited dinosaur. Now, the boy stood at the battlefield with Valiant, Eevee, and Tyrunt all looking around and taking in their surroundings.

It was only a short walk away from the lab, the lighthouse still towering over their heads as Ash observed the perfectly paved cement and the large drawing of a Poke Ball that was located in the center of every official battlefield.

It would do perfectly.

Tyrunt was hopping up and down, transitioning between each foot as he expectantly waited for his trainer's instructions. Ash watched him for a second or two before reaching down to pat the dinosaur's head, getting him to cease his movements.

"I know you're excited, Tyrunt, but try to save your energy for the training itself." the amused boy said. Tyrunt nodded quickly at that, although the Pokemon's wide grin remained. Standing upright again, Ash turned to face Valiant and Eevee, who were waiting together with significantly more patience.

Eevee was in a sitting position, her expression neutral but friendly as she waited for Ash to start. Valiant, standing next to her, had a similar expression as the young trainer approached them.

Looking between the three Pokemon, Ash went over his plans. "Alright," he announced. "This is Tyrunt's first time training, so he hasn't had any chances to use any of his moves yet. We'll be testing those out first." he looked over to Tyrunt for that, the dinosaur letting out an excited cheer. Smiling, he turned to Valiant and Eevee, his gaze finding its way to the young Kirlia. "Valiant, I'd like you to be his sparring partner. Is that okay?"

As expected, Valiant nodded almost immediately, locking gazes with the baby dinosaur who nodded back in anticipation.

Smiling at the Kirlia, Eevee let out a soft bark of encouragement, earning her a quick grin from the Emotion Pokemon before he got into position and lined himself up with Tyrunt. As Tyrunt made an attempt to sink into a stance (which more or less resembled a pouncing position), Ash and Eevee backed away to clear some distance between the two.

Prior to leaving for the battlefield, Ash had double-checked Tyrunt's moves by looking through the dinosaur's record on the Pokedex. Tackle, Roar, Bite, Dragon Tail, Poison Fang, and now Rock Blast. They currently had six to work with, so it wasn't too much of a task.

"Alright!" he called out to Valiant and Tyrunt as Eevee made her way to his side and sat at his feet. "Start with Tackle!"

Making his best attempt at a battlecry, Tyrunt moved forward, his feet carrying the newborn as fast as they allowed as he set his sights on Valiant.

The baby wasn't moving very fast, as Ash had predicted. He wasn't necessarily slow, but any member of the team could outpace him for sure. Ash was still pleasantly surprised by the dinosaur's speed, however. For an infant, he was still faring pretty well, which spelt good news for his leg strength.

Tyrunt lowered his head as he closed in on Valiant, but found himself abruptly colliding with a glass cube, the collision knocking him into a sitting position as he held his head.

The dinosaur whimpered for a brief bit, but the impact didn't seem to cause him too much harm. Like most rock types, he wasn't lacking in durability, although his very young age likely still limited that. Dropping the glass cube, Valiant began to approach the young dinosaur, only for the infant to pick himself up, still rubbing his head but nonetheless attempting to shoot his friend a reassuring smile.

Ash observed the interaction with some fondness, while also going over what had happened. As expected, Tyrunt's Tackle had done nothing against Valiant's Reflect. Brute strength was natural to just about any dragon type, but much like a rock type's durability, that could only go so far when the dragon type in question was still an infant. Tyrunt had an exceptionable physical aptitude for an untrained newborn, but that wouldn't carry him. It simply gave him strong building blocks.

Valiant gave Tyrunt a nod of approval, stepping back again as Ash issued his next order.

"Alright, let's do Roar next!" the young boy called out.

Nodding in response, but not turning away from Valiant, Tyrunt took a deep breath before closing his eyes for a moment.

A moment later, he reared his head back, and lunged forward, letting out a shout, with as great a volume as his vocal cords would allow him.

As Valiant braced himself, shockwaves fired out of Tyrunt's maw, pushing against the young Krilia and sending him skidding a few feet backwards before halting himself, remaining upright.

Roar was a move that allowed the user to generate powerful shockwaves with their vocal cords, often to knock an opponent backwards and clear some distance between them. At his current level, it didn't seem like Tyrunt could use the move effectively unless it was at point-blank. Higher level Pokemon could often utilize it as a long-ranged move, and it made Ash wonder if it had anything in common with Nebula's Wind Blast combination.

Valiant was unharmed by the shockwaves, which were only strong enough to push him back a few feet, even at point-blank. Nevertheless, he offered his friend an approving nod as he lowered his arms, prompting a pleased squeal from Tyrunt.

"Alright Tyrunt, back up a bit and then use Bite! Valiant, get your barrier ready again."

This was it. It was time to test out how strong Tyrunt's biting moves were. According to the Pokedex, a Tyrunt's jaws were naturally mighty, and even with his young age limiting his strength, Tyrunt's Strong Jaw Ability could just as easily make up for that. Ash confidently believed that Bite and Poison Fang were going to be the little one's trump cards in a fight.

Backing away to clear a few extra feet of distance between himself and Valiant, Tyrunt nodded at Ash's command before dashing forward once more. Still crying out his attempt at a fierce battle cry, the dinosaur opened his mouth wide as he advanced for the young Kirlia, who had once again encased himself in a glass cube.

"Try jumping up and biting the top of it!" Ash called out.

Tyrunt complied with the order, using his feet to push himself off of the ground and into the air. His jump was fairly high for somebody his age, rising just above Valiant's shield and sinking his teeth into the edge.

Tyrunt hung onto the top of the glass cube, clinging to it with his jaws as he grinded his teeth against the cube's edges. After some effort, cracks began to form where Tyrunt was clinging, only for the baby to lose his grip and fall to the pavement before he could break through. He landed on his feet, but immediately lost his balance and fell on his bottom.

Valiant dropped his Reflect as Tyrunt picked himself back up. Even without training, his Bite was, impressively, already strong enough to do damage to the cube. It was especially amazing given how much stronger that Valiant's barriers had gotten since he had evolved.

It was clear as day just how dangerous those jaws of Tyrunt's were. It was honestly kind of scary, knowing how lethal his friend would be after growing up just a little bit. But even as Ash thought that to himself, he quickly reminded himself that the same could be said for all of his teammates, really. Pokemon were very powerful creatures, and although the highly trained ones were obviously the most dangerous, sometimes it was easy to forget how dangerous even inexperienced Pokemon could potentially be at times.

As Tyrunt sank back into his stance, Valiant backed away to clear some minor distance between the two of them while Ash issued the next order.

"Okay, now Dragon Tail!"

Nodding, Tyrunt let out another battle cry before running forward towards his target. His tail began to glow a bright purple as he raised it upwards, closing in on Valiant before taking a swing.

The glowing tail was bright, but flickering. Tyrunt hadn't used this move before, and Ash imagined that the dinosaur was in a similar position with this move to how Eevee was with Iron Tail. Perhaps he could have them train the two moves alongside each other…

Valiant's fairy typing granted him immunity to dragon type moves, the young Kirlia simply crossing his arms in a defensive position as he firmly pressed his feet against the pavement.

The tail collided with him, knocking him back a few feet, but he remained steadfast as he skidded away from his attacker. Continuing to press his feet against the ground, he brought himself to a stop before allowing his arms to fall to his sides.

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Ash nodded in approval. "Alright, now try Poison Fang!"

Ash imagined that this move would be especially deadly. Tyrunt's powerful jaws would allow him to break through a lot of defenses, making it far easier for the Poison Fang to inject its venom into whatever target that the young Royal Heir Pokemon might be fighting. As Valiant erected his barrier once more, a similar sequence to before ended up playing out, with Tyrunt clinging to the edge of the glass cube, gnawing away at the Reflect and forming cracks around it, only to lose his grip and fall before he could break through.

As Valiant and Tyrunt cleared the distance between each other once more, Ash issued the final move in Tyrunt's arsenal.

"Alright, Tyrunt! Now Rock Blast!"

Stamping his feet giddily, excitement pumping through him from the training, Tyrunt opened his mouth and let out another battle cry, a barrage of pebbles escaping from his maw.

They weren't coming out nearly as fast or consecutively as they could be, which Ash had already expected. He watched the pebbles uselessly pelt against Valiant's Reflect before he and Eevee made their way towards the duo.

As Tyrunt ceased his attack, Valiant dropped his Reflect and approached the dinosaur, who leaned into the psychic's touch as Valiant rubbed the top of the prehistoric Pokemon's head. The Kirlia seemed to be giving quick commentary to the young dinosaur as Tyrunt nodded to his friend with a cheerful growl.

As Ash knelt down beside Tyrunt, Eevee made her way towards Valiant, brushing her fur against his side with an approving grin before offering him a cheerful bark. Valiant smiled back at her before patting her head. Watching the brief exchange from the corner of his eye, Ash patted Tyrunt's head to congratulate him.

"You're doing great, buddy." he encouraged cheerfully. "You're able to use all of your moves properly, so we just need to work on their efficiency now." the baby nodded rapidly at that, Ash pulling his hand away with an amused grin at the dinosaur's comical behavior. Standing back upright, Ash looked off to the side to see Valiant and Eevee approaching them for further instructions. Nodding to them, Ash looked back at Tyrunt.

"Alright, we've tested out your moves now. Before we continue those, I'd like to get a better look at your speed. We saw some of it when testing out the close-ranged moves, but I'd like to see how you run for longer periods of time. It'll be a good way to check for your endurance, too." As Tyrunt nodded back at him, the boy turned towards Eevee, who perked up at the attention. "Eevee, you can help us with that, right?"

After a brief moment, Eevee nodded in confirmation, and Valiant patted her back as she turned to face the approaching dinosaur. Offering Tyrunt a quick bark as he sank back into his stance, Eevee allowed her legs to tense up as Ash gave the signal.

"Alright Tyrunt, I want you to try and catch Eevee. And… go!"

Right as Ash finished, Eevee turned and bolted, dashing across the battlefield (but not slipping into Quick Attack) as Tyrunt's legs carried him after her. Dirt kicked up as his legs stamped across the arena, Eevee circling around as the prehistoric Pokemon mimicked her direction in pursuit.

As the distance between the two Pokemon grew wide, Eevee temporarily ame to a stop, turning towards the approaching Tyrunt to let out a quick bark before resuming her run. Valiant called out to both of them as Tyrunt attempted to pick up speed, hotly pursuing the Evolution Pokemon.

Watching the sequence with some satisfaction, Ash imagined that Tyrunt likely wouldn't have the stamina to keep up for too long, but it wasn't an issue for him. All they were doing was assessing Tyrunt's abilities today, and that seemed to be good enough for the eager dinosaur. It was the baby's first step to officially joining the team.

/

After taking a twenty-minute break for Tyrunt to drink some water and gather his bearings, the group kept practice going until noon, when they made their way back to the lab.

Tyrunt's sleeping form rested peacefully in Ash's arms, the young dinosaur emitting some of the most adorable noises the boy had ever heard as the young rookie carried him back to the lab. Valiant and Eevee walked alongside their trainer, the Kirlia sparing the occasional fond glance at the snoozing Tyrunt as he and Eevee casually chatted.

Ash looked down to the baby that he was holding and grinned to himself. Tyrunt had the dedication and commitment to challenge Valiant's own, to the point where he had stubbornly worked himself to sleep in a single morning. It wasn't something that Ash was planning to repeat, but he had allowed the training to continue because of how much fun the newborn had clearly been having. Nevertheless, his lack of inexperience and stamina had finally shown itself, and he would likely be out for hours.

As they neared the lab, Ash perked up at the sight of Aya, who waved the group over upon noticing their arrival.

The Ace Trainer crossed her arms and nodded to the dinosaur in Ash's arms as the boy approached her, a curious Valiant and Eevee tailing him from behind.

"Heh, I take it your session well?" her amusement leaked into her tone as she eyed Tyrunt.

Ash's face reddened somewhat as he nodded at her, a pleased expression adorning his features nonetheless. "Yeah," he spared a glance at Tyrunt before returning his attention to her. "He just didn't wanna stop. But I'm happy with our progress."

"That's always a good sign, isn't it?" she responded, allowing her arms to fall to her side as she began walking forward to approach the boy. Her expression was friendly, but Ash still felt his nerves tighten in the high-ranking trainer's presence, almost taking a step back as she got closer. She raised a hand in an attempt to calm his nerves. "Relax, kid. No need to be intimidated, remember?"

Ash's eyes widened in realization, nodding apologetically as he attempted to straighten himself. "Oh… right, sorry!" he responded a bit too frantically.

Her smile eased his nerves a bit, but he couldn't help but feel a tiny bit of tension as he locked eyes with her. She was generally laid back and casual, but there was a glint in her eyes that displayed what seemed to be a lingering ferocity. The boy supposed that such a thing was to be expected of an Ace Trainer. Regardless of personality, they were all highly trained soldiers hardened for battle. Such an attribute leaked into the air around them. But it felt so… contradictory with Aya. The boy had a hard time wrapping his head around such a seemingly friendly woman also being a deadly, top ranked soldier for the League.

But he doubted that she was the only example. Trainers came in all sorts of different packages, of course. Just like any other occupation. Ash couldn't help but feel a bit guilty for stereotyping, even if he wasn't making any verbal comments about it.

Leaning forward to get a better look at Tyrunt, Aya appeared to study the young dinosaur for a moment or so as Valiant and Eevee exchanged curious glances. Finally, she spoke.

"I hope you don't mind me asking, but I'm curious… how did you get your hands on this fellow, anyway?"

Ash blinked at that. There it was. He supposed he should have been expecting such a question. As an Ace Trainer, Aya of all people would know how seldom it was for a trainer in Indigo to have a Pokemon like Tyrunt in their roster, being both a foreign creature and a prehistoric one at that.

Not sure if Elacia would want him name-dropping her, Ash chose to omit his friend's name as he responded, attempting to keep his voice straight. He wasn't sure why he was nervous about answering a simple question. Aya's tone of voice clearly conveyed that she meant no harm.

'But she's an Ace Trainer.' Ash reminded himself. He supposed that was hard to forget. That made her just short of Gym Leaders in terms of importance, and Ash's conscience wouldn't stop reminding him of the authority that this woman carried. He wanted to show her respect, and yet was afraid of taking it too far, especially since she had already made it clear that she wasn't hung up on etiquette.

"He just hatched fairly recently." the boy responded to the woman. "Back before I reached Cerulean City. I received his egg from a Breeder in Pewter. I still have to pay off the price, though."

'Uh oh.' He thought to himself. 'If I just gave away where I got the egg from, could she possibly know that Elacia was in Pewter last month?' he'd only just met Aya, but her stature (not to mention position) seemed to convey an analytical mindset, so he wouldn't put it past the woman to be able to connect the dots.

After a second or two, the woman nodded back at him before standing upright. "I see...Must have been a pretty high-profile Breeder, if they had gotten their hands on an Egg like that."

Ash giggled a bit nervously. "Yeah, I guess so."

Thankfully, she didn';t press any further, simply offering a good natured shrug as she nodded back at the dinosaur. "Well, it's nice to see that you're up to the task of training the guy. Not every rookie's ready to raise a dragon."

Ash blushed again. "To be honest, I didn't even know his species until he hatched. It was pretty shocking but…" his gaze returned to the peacefully sleeping Tyrunt, and the boy's face brightened as he nodded. "I'm willing to do it."

Aya tilted her head at that, seeming fairly satisfied. "That's good to hear. You don't seem to be in over your head, which is a good sign. It's not uncommon for a beginner to bite off more than they can chew, so just be careful." as Ash nodded her back, her face suddenly turned a bit more serious, which almost startled him a bit.

"Is… something wrong?" Ash questioned her as Valiant and Eevee studied her expression.

She shook her head. "Nothing, it's just…" she locked eyes with him, her gaze now much more serious than before as she addressed him. "Just make sure you're careful. Tyrunt are known to have a pretty dangerous temper. The fact that you're raising this one from an egg will likely make things easier on you, but be sure to nip it in the bud before the problem manifests. A tantrum can spell a lot of trouble on a good day, and I don't want to think about the worst case scenario."

Ash gulped at that, whether it be from her words or the look in her eyes, although he imagined that it was a combination of such. He knew she was right, though.

Nodding back at her, he tried to keep his bearings in order as he responded. "Yeah, I know it's gonna be difficult." he looked down at Valiant and Eevee, both of whom had thoughtful expressions while watching the boy's exchange with the woman. "But we'll do our best."

As Valiant nodded, Ash returned his attention to Aya, who seemed to accept his answer.

"That's all you can do, I suppose. Just making sure you know." Her serious expression dropped, suddenly replaced with curiosity as she looked off to the side, resting her chin against her fingers. "Hmm… your name's Ash, you said…"

Ash blinked. "Yeah… Something wrong?"

She shook her head reassuringly. "Nope, just trying to remember, I'm pretty sure I've heard your name before?"

Ash blinked at that before realizing something. It wasn't a guarantee, but it's possible that she had seen some of the files for the incidents that he'd been involved in since the Season began.

The attack on Viridian City's Pokemon Center, the Pokemon that were stolen from the Chruch, and…

Ash's eyes squeezed shut as images of falling rocks filled his mind. He wouldn't think about it. He wouldn't-

"You alright?" Aya's concerned voice brought him back to reality, and he was grateful for that as he nodded at her with an apologetic smile.

"Yeah, sorry."

Her curious expression returned to her face. "If you don't mind me asking, what's your last name?"

"Ketchum." he responded.

Her eyes widened. "Oh! So that's how I know. You were there when…" she trailed off before finishing, her face suddenly turning apologetic. "Sorry for prying."

Ash shook his head. "Don't worry, I know why you're asking." Everyone in the League must have known about Team Rocket's attempt to steal the Moon Stone from Mt. Moon. Particularly since such a dangerous criminal had made an appearance during the incident, and had been the one leading the raid…

Behind Ash, Valiant seemed to be catching on, and frowned at the memory. It hadn't been the happiest time for him to have evolved, for sure…

Holding her chin thoughtful again, Aya seemed to be pondering something. "Now that I think about it, wasn't there also an Ash in Viridian when-" her expression brightened as she perked up. "Oh, that's right! I think my niece mentioned you in passing, too!"

Ash blinked. "Hmmm?"

Aya nodded. "Yeah! Her name's Janine. You might not remember, but she met you in Viridian back when the Season started."

Ash's face lit up in realization at that. "Oh! Yeah, I remember her!"

He hadn't seen Janine since that night, but he hadn't forgotten either. She had been there when Team Rocket attacked the Pokemon Center. Even tried to fight them off herself. Before that, she had tried to give him advice about Pichu after their disastrous first day together.

He couldn't help but smile at the memory. It hadn't even been a month and a half yet, right? So much had happened since then, that it felt like ages ago. He wondered how she was doing.

Aya chuckled. "Yeah, she contacts me whenever she has the chance to, as long as I'm able to answer her. She had a lot to say about that incident. Wasn't how she had been expecting her first night to go, obviously, but she seemed to like talking to you, at least. Small world, I suppose?"

Ash chuckled at that. He couldn't disagree there.

So Janine's aunt was an Ace Trainer… Well, she had said that her father was an official for the League, from what he could recall, so he supposed that it ran in the family.

/

It was 6:00 PM when Bill led Ash to the area where the wild Krabby was scheduled to show up. The orange tint in the sky above was becoming increasingly visible as Ash looked around to take in the surroundings.

Bill had already evacuated the Pokemon he was looking after to a more secluded area of the habitat that he was keeping them in, so Ash sadly wasn't able to spot any of the creatures. The habitat itself seemed fairly standard for a researcher to have, consisting of a mostly grassy area that extended to the ocean ahead. The aquatic portion of the habitat was closed off by a set of rocks and gates, separating it from the rest of the ocean. Bill was still in the middle of investigating how the Krabby was breaking in, but the wild Pokemon was apparently using the aquatic portion as a passageway to access the land portion, which made sense to Ash.

Pikachu was perched on the boy's shoulder while Valiant accompanied them from the side. Tyrunt was still resting (although awake now) with Nebula watching over him back in the room while Eevee took a nap. That left Ash with Pikachu and Valiant to take on the Krabby. He had reminded himself of his promise to Nebula to not make her fight any wild Pokemon anymore, after the incident that had occured with Eevee. But he was confident that Pikachu and Valiant could manage on their own, and that they might even be the best suited for this particular opponent.

Bill came to a stop a few feet from the water, checking his watch as Ash stopped next to him.

"We're nearing the time it usually shows up." the researcher commented as he observed his watch. Dropping his hand to his side, he looked over to Ash as he continued. "I'd say another ten minutes, tops."

Ash nodded back at him, Pikachu leaping off of his shoulder as he took a seat on a nearby rock. As Valiant took his place beside the mouse, the boy looked out towards the ocean water, which was reflecting the increasingly orange sky above. The shimmering water gave off a very atmospheric mood that proved soothing to take in.

Standing a few feet away, Bill glanced back at Ash, a somewhat content expression accompanying his features.

"I've always appreciated the view of the ocean." the researcher admitted to the rookie trainer. "It's why I set up shop here. The coast of Cerulean is a wonderful place. Usually really quiet, too."

Ash could understand that. "You're independent of the League, too. So the atmosphere compliments your freedom?"

Bill chuckled at that. "You could say, I suppose. Although I'm not sure which desire came first."

The two continued their idle chatter for about five minutes before Pikachu cried out, jumping up and down as he pointed at something in the water.

With a splash, a bulky figure emerged from the surface and made its way to the land.

Bill's eyes widened. "It's here!"

As Ash sprang up, he took the time to take in the wild Krabby's appearance. The crab-like water type was rolling around in the sand as if to dry itself off, but once it stopped the boy was able to get a better look at the creature.

He couldn't help but think that this Krabby was bigger than most of its species. It wasn't humongous, but it was taller and significantly bulkier than the typical Krabby was known to be. Maybe almost double or so? He'd have to look up more details on a Krabby's size later on.

That increased size also stretched to its claws, its large pincers clicking together with aggression as Krabby stared down Pikachu and Valiant.

The expression on the water type's face was fierce, and Valiant felt a chill roll down his spine as he looked the creature in the eyes. He didn't sense bloodlust, but he certainly sensed a violent streak. Without any questions, this Krabby had come here solely to pick a fight.

Ash made his way to Pikachu and Valiant as Krabby began to advance on them, growling out a challenge at the two Pokemon.

Bill came up from behind. "Yes, this is definitely the same one. It always comes out of the water and picks a fight with whoever's closest by."

Ash nodded. "Got it." He looked down at his starter. "Pikachu, you up for this?"

Already on all fours, Pikachu glanced back at his trainer and nodded as Valiant made his way back to Ash's side, ready to give the mouse backup if needed.

The group began to back away to give Pikachu some additional space, but Krabby was already making its move as it made its way onto the grass. A barrage of glowing bubbles escaped both of its now-opened pincers as Pikachu scrambled to the side to avoid them.

As the bubbles exploded against the grass, Pikachu skidded to a stop before bolting directly for Krabby.

"Zap Tail!"

Crying out, Pikachu engulfed his now metallic-coated tail in electricity, closing in on Krabby to strike at the water type with the attack. However, a coating of metal engulfed one of the crab-like creature's pincers, and Pikachu suddenly found his attack halted as his tail struck.

The mouse gritted his teeth and snarled as he attempted to push back his adversary's defense, but it was to no avail as Krabby strained itself and pushed the mouse off.

The momentum of Pikachu's speed and the power of Zap Tail had both failed in the face of this Krabby's defenses. Was it durability? Or brute strength?

It was likely a combination of the two attributes, but Ash was left wondering which was greater as Krabby pressed its newfound advantage.

As the water type aggressively made its way towards Pikachu, its pincers opened up once more and unleashed a blast of mud that sailed towards its target. Pikachu curved around the Mud Shot as he dashed for his target, leaping upwards just in time to avoid the water type's pincers as his cheeks crackled with static.

Pikachu's Thunderbolt descended downwards towards Krabby, who coated both pincers in metal once more, raising them defensively to intercept the bolt of lightning.

"Static Tail!"

Pikachu propelled downwards as the Thunderbolt finished up. Before Krabby could react properly, the mouse had smashed his tail against the back of the crab-like combatant's head.

Krabby stumbled forward from the impact, but Ash noticed that the attack hadn't done much to hurt it.

Static Tail utilized electricity from thunder Wave, and therefore wasn't very offensively potent, and water types had a natural resistance to Iron Tail. But even so… Krabby seemed almost completely unfazed by the impact.

What's more, the electricity from Static Tail simply rolled along the crab-like Pokemon's outer-shell momentarily, before fizzling out. It almost seemed like the water type's natural defenses had shielded it from the electricity reaching its muscles and triggering paralysis, sort of like with the battle with A.J.

Bill bit his lip. "That shell is strong. Krabby have the Shell Armor Ability, so maybe that's it…"

Ash nodded at that with a troubled expression. Shell Armor… it was a good hypothesis. Krabby would practically have the external durability of a Steel type if that was the case…

Krabby moved forward. Not a particularly fast creature, especially compared to Pikachu, but it was almost as though the water type's aggression was propelling it forward. Pikachu took a leap backwards to avoid a swing from its clenched pincer, before Ash called out to his starter.

"Pikachu, this Krabby's defenses are high! We need to push through it. Use Double Team and Zap Tail!"

As Krabby opened its pincers, Pikachu split in two, the real mouse and the copy both taking off in separate directions while glowing, light blue orbs appeared inside of the crab-like water type's pincers. As two orbs of glowing water shot out, the mouse avoided the Water Pulse as he prepared to strike at the bulky opponent.

Both Pikachu closed in from opposite directions as the real one coated his tail in metal and electricity. Crying out, Pikachu rushed the confused Krabby and drove his tail into the creature's side.

The strike seemed to prompt a more pained reaction from the water type this time, Krabby slightly wailing as Pikachu's tail pounded against its outer shell. However, as Pikachu kept the attack going, pushing against the water type to shove it backwards, Krabby resisted, grinding its legs against the ground in an effort to slow itself down as it raised one of its pincers again.

Ash was about to call out to Pikachu in warning when Krabby had already fired the Mud Shot point blank. Pikachu screeched in pain as the ball of mud struck down on him and pushed him into the ground. Now fully regaining its bearings, Krabby made a rotating motion as its other pincer collided with the side of Pikachu's body, sending the young mouse hollering out as Krabby smacked Ash's starter through the air.

Despite the painful bruise left behind, Pikachu regained his bearings in midair and broke his fall with a well-timed Iron Tail. Briefly clutching his aching side, the mouse returned to all fours as he turned to face Krabby again, the water type already rushing at its target once more while Piakchu snarled at it through his teeth.

Ash felt a bead of sweat rolling down his face from witnessing Krabby's aggression. This particular member of the species was completely trigger happy from the looks of it. It was rushing Pikachu no-holds-barred, simply focused on attacking and defending.

As Krabby's open pincer began to glow a dark shade of purple, Pikachu shouted at his opponent while firing another Thunderbolt. Coating its other pincer in metal, Krabby defensively crossed its pincers to intercept the bolt of lightning once more.

As the lightning collided with Krabby's defenses, Pikachu shot forward, raising a metallic tail and curving around his opponent to strike Krabby in the side. Krabby staggered away from the impact, before letting loose a barrage of bubbles that grazed Pikachu as the electric type attempted to dash to the side.

As Pikachu struggled to maintain his balance, Krabby was upon him again, raising a metallic pincer and swinging forward towards the mouse. Pikachu's Iron Tail quickly intercepted Krabby's Metal Claw, but as the young mouse snarled through his teeth, straining himself to push his way through Krabby's attack, Krabby continued to push back, sending Pikachu rolling across the grass before charging him again.

Just as Pikachu was beginning to get up, a second Metal Claw slugged him in the face, leaving a trail of blood as the mouse flew a few feet in the air before landing on the ground. As Pikachu skidded to a stop on all fours, Ash, Valiant, and Bill all winced upon catching sight of the electric type's bloody face.

Krabby was already rushing the mouse once more. As Pikachu dove away from his opponent's Night Slash, only for his Electro Ball to be blocked by another pair of Metal Claws, Ash began to think things through in mild panic.

'Damnit! We have to find a way to slow that Krabby down, but the electricity isn't doing much to break through.' Even the Thunder Wave used as part of Static Tail hadn't done much to paralyse Krabby due to not being able to reach the water type's muscles properly. Its outer shell was just too tough.

As Ash shouted quick encouragement to Pikachu, who was now splitting into two once more and landing a clean shot with Zap Tail, he ran through his options while watching Krabby stagger from the blow. Zap Tail was enough to hurt it, but not severely enough per hit. They needed to find a way to get the electricity through krabby's defenses, but the only way to do so was to break through the shell. But what if Pikachu fell before enough Zap Tails were landed?

Had Nebula been here, her Reckless Ability could potentially be enough to take Krabby down, with Pikachu's paralysis as backup. But he wouldn't go back on his promise to her. They needed to figure this out quickly…

As Krabby's pincers opened to unleash another barrage of bubbles, Ash's eyes widened.

'Wait a minute… if Pikachu's electricity can't break through the shell, then maybe-'

"Attack while its pincers are open!"

Ash almost started from the sound. He had just figured out a strategy, and yet he felt like he heard somebody shouting the same thing at him.

Looking around, he could only see Bill, who was watching the fight with some concern before looking back at Ash.

Ash blinked. What was that…

Bill brought the boy's attention back to him. "Ash, do you have any ideas?"

After a brief moment, Ash's eyes suddenly widened as he remembered the idea. Quickly nodding in reassurance, he gave Bill a thumbs up. "Don't worry, I think I got one!"

As Valiant observed the Krabby, Ash called out to Pikachu. "Pikachu! Get a Thunder Wave in when it opens its pincers!"

Ash wasn't sure if it was a good idea to give the strategy away to Krabby, but the water type didn't seem to be focused on thinking things through. Nodding at Ash's command, Pikachu rushed towards the bulky, crab-like creature and dodged a swipe from his opponent's Metal Claw as Krabby attempted to catch him.

They were playing the waiting game at this point, but after the young mouse had dodged a few more strikes, Krabby began to open up a raised pincer.

This was their chance. "Now!"

Just as a glowing, blue orb began to form inside of the opened pincer, Pikachu fired off a bolt of lightning, aimed directly at the opening. The Thunder Wave collided with the pincer, travelling inside as Krabby's limb suddenly began to convulse, much to the water type's surprise and confusion.

Valiant grinned as Bill nodded in approval. "Great!"

With one of Krabby's limbs no longer able to be used with nearly as much efficiency, Ash pressed his advantage. "It's defenses are compromised, Pikachu! Zap Tail, and stay on the side of the pincer you hit"

Krabby attempted to intercept Pikachu with both pincer's but Pikachu remained on a single side, the paralysed pincer not moving nearly fast enough to stop his attack as the mouse batted his opponent backwards.

As Krabby staggered away and struggled to retain its balance from the blow, Pikachu leapt up into the air, dodging a Mud Shot from his adversary's good pincer as his cheeks crackled with lightning. Observing the water type carefully, Ash noticed a bruise left behind from where the Zap Tail had struck. They were finally making progress, it seemed.

Krabby was only able to properly raise one Metal Claw to intercept the electrical blast, the water type still making the effort to move its other pincer, but not being able to do so as well as the other. Its limbs were now out of sink.

With only one Metal Claw to block the lightning, more pressure was put on Krabby from the attack as Pikachu followed up by dive bombing downwards with an Iron Tail. The metallic tail grinded against the top of Krabby's head as the crab-like water type attempted to snatch Pikachu off, landing a Bubble Beam as Pikachu tried to leap away.

Catching himself with iron Tail, Pikachu almost sank to the ground as the bruises on his body continued to ache. As Krabby advanced forward, not moving as fast, and somewhat limping for the mouse, Ash considered sending Valiant in to wrap things up, but held back for the moment.

They only needed a little bit more.

"Double Team and Zap Tail!"

Powering through the pain and exhaustion, the battered Pikachu split into two and raised towards the Krabby. The real Pikachu came up from the side where Krabby's pincer had been hit with Thunder Wave, and as Krabby was toppled over from the mouse's strike, Ash tossed a Poke Ball into the persistent Water Type.

Ash, Valiant, and Bill watched with great anticipation (and Pikachu with some level of anxiety) as Krabby was sucked into the orb, which rolled along the ground seemingly nonstop.

Krabby was struggling. As the Poke Ball continued to roll around, Ash began to worry that the water type might break through before it finally came to a stop with a confirming beep.

Faces lighting up, Ash and Valiant raced over to Pikachu as the relieved mouse beamed at them. However, when Ash tried to pick Pikachu up to hug him, he flinched as Pikachu winced in pain from the contact.

Ash frowned apologetically. Looking over his starter, he observed the bruises and spots of blood covering up his battered friend.

"Sorry, buddy." he said guiltily. As he placed Pikachu back on the ground, he and Valiant took note of the electric type's heavy breathing. As Valiant observed the mouse with concern, Ash took out his Poke Ball. "Rest up, I'll treat you as soon as I can, okay?" The last he saw of Pikachu was the mouse's nodding motion as his starter was sucked into the orb.

"I have to apologize." Ash and Valiant's attention was brought to Bill as the researcher approached them. "I wasn't expecting that to be so rough. I knew that Krabby was aggressive, but I must have underestimated its abilities. I should have figured its shell would be that strong. I'm sorry I didn't warn you."

Ash frowned at that, but shook his head nonetheless. "It's fine, Bill. I wasn't really expecting it myself." returning Pikachu's Poke Ball to his belt, he looked down at Valiant, who gave the boy a confirming nod. Smiling at the Kirlia, Ash returned his attention to the researcher. "Well, the good news is your problem's solved now, right?"

Bill bit his lip despite nodding back. "You sure you can handle it? If you don't want to hold onto the Krabby, I can always ask Aya too…"

Ash's gaze made its way to the ground with some consideration for a few moments. He exchanged another look with Valiant, some minor concern evident in the Kirlia's eyes, before looking back at Bill and shaking his head.

"Thanks… but I think I'll at least try. You can't count on every new catch being docile, right?"

Bill grinned at that, chuckling a bit as his nerves seemed to slightly ease themselves. "That's certainly true." his face turned even. "Just be careful. If anything goes wrong, I can take responsibility."

After a few moments, Ash nodded. It was fair enough.

"If you want…" the boy's voice trailed off for a bit as he glanced back at Valiant, who seemed to be deep in thought. "But let's hope it doesn't come to that." After a few moments, Valiant's arms crossed, agreement noted on the Kirlia's features, although the look in his eyes remained somewhat worried.

"Anyway…" Bill began to change the subject. "I have healing machines back at the lab. And some sitrus berries. Who should get your Pikachu fixed up as soon as possible."

Gratitude adorned Ash and Valiant's features as the trainer gave a thumbs up in thanks. As Bill led the way back to the lab, Ash spared a glance down at Valiant, who still seemed to be a bit uneasy about the whole ordeal.

Truth be told, Ash was feeling a bit nervous himself. He was willing to see things through to the end, having made the conscious choice to capture Krabby.

He just hoped he wasn't biting off more than he could chew…