"That operation was a waste of time, dumbass. How are we supposed to explain this to Proton?" The woman snarled at the man walking next to her, who seemed as if he was trying to tune her out.

This particular area was not the ideal place to be wandering at night. The myths circulating the infamous place were not to be taken lightly. Which was why she was all the more infuriated with how their botched operation had turned out.

"You better not be blaming any of this on me." the man grumbled as the leaves overhead hid the stars above from view. "I had no way of knowing."

"Then you shouldn't have convinced him to let us do anything!" the woman hissed, sweat traveling down her face as she looked around their surroundings uneasily. The R on the center of her uniform was barely visible in the shroud of darkness enveloping the inside of the forest. "Just because that operation the higher-ups are planning for Celadon is scheduled for a month or two from now, doesn't mean we had to go there!"

"But once that division becomes stationed in the city, the board says we won't be able to perform any more activity within the borders, since it'll tip the police off to investigate." the man replied, trying to speed walk ahead of his companion so as to not listen to her rambling. "I wanted to act with time to spare. She's renowned worldwide for her breeding, and I had been tipped off that she had just gotten a new batch fresh for the picking. I figured a quick, one-and-done infiltration could net us at least a couple of rare Pokemon."

The woman's aggression faded, giving way to a deep sigh. "But that info turned out to be outdated. She probably already gave that batch up to clients and customers. All we got out of it was one Pokemon-"

"Which was still a foreigner." the man interrupted, holding out the Poke Ball that now carried the Pokemon that they had stolen from the Breeder's home. "And, to my knowledge, one that is still rare around these parts. Hey, that counts for something. The black market should-"

"I know." the woman cut in. "Either Proton tells us to keep it or takes it himself to auction off. But there's no way he's going to consider this last-minute mission you proposed to be worth it over just one Pokemon. Even if it is a foreign, it's not like you caught some exotic Alolan or Galarian Pokemon. I still say this was a waste." her face contorted in mild disgust. "And that's not the real reason I'm mad. To botch an escape plan like that… that's not like you. The police were on our tail and now were forced to take a drastic change in direction." she ran a hand down her face. "We're supposed to be shipping off with Proton a few days from now, with his crusade to start claiming territory in Ever Grande. We could have spent our remaining time with Damian, giving him some last minute advice before it was time to leave." she stopped walking, spreading her arms out wide. "Where are we instead? Viridian Forest, hiding out from the cops!"

The man stipped as well, palm rubbing his forehead as a guilty frown emerged on his features. "Fair point, honey. But we just need to lay low for a day or two. After that, we can make a break for it and get back on schedule. I'm sure we'll have time to speak to Damian before-"

"I don't want to spend a day or two here! This is one of the last places I'd ever be willing!"

"Look, I know you're superstitious, but even you probably understand that the rumors are exaggerated-"

"Famous last words. Everyone with half a functioning brain knows that this place is haunted. And it even goes beyond that, too. How the forest is constantly ever-shifting, manipulating the pathways and getting trainers lost. How the wild Pokemon and trainers alike go insane from being in here too long." she jabbed her index finger into her husband's chest. "Not to mention, it's a deathtrap for another reason, too. Thanks to your little slip-up with the police, we are now in a place that three different Gym Leaders have varying levels of jurisdiction over. Erika may have the least, but do you really think she's going to take that lying down? Proton says that that woman is one of Erika's best friends, and she's obviously going to be getting those police reports. She'll know we kidnapped one of her Pokemon, and if she finds out we're here, she'll pressure Brock and Giovanni to help her search the forest."

Trying to be gentle, the man grabbed his wife's arm and pushed her away. "You're being paranoid. There's no way she's going to dedicate that much of her forces over just one Pokemon, or especially try to get two other Gym Leaders to do the same. Even if it is for a friend, she has her duty. She wouldn't go that far." He continued walking forward, spotting an increase in density in the trees a slight distance away. Must not be a clearing up ahead. "Besides…" he ran his hand across a few Poke Balls on his belt. "There's a reason we were placed directly under Proton. We can fight off a few ghosts."

She followed after him, now walking side-by-side. "Fine, maybe I am overthinking it a bit. But you still need to accept that you're the one who got us into this mess. No more last minute proposals to the boss, got it?"

A nod from him. "Seems reasonable. And I'll be sure to take the fall for this next time we see him." He ran a hand through his dirty-blonde hair. "He'll probably have me on janitor duty the entire trip to Hoenn."

"You deserve it."

"I have allergies, you know."

"Stop whining, I'll grab you some meds."

Around them, the trees became more and more numerous, the sky increasingly hidden as the dead darkness of night seemed to overtake their surroundings. The woman chewed on her lip, feeling the sweat return. Growing up in Lavender Town meant that stories of this forest ran rampant throughout her childhood. Her spouse was more than lucky to have been raised on tales of how incredible and regal Blackthorn's dragons were.

Deciding to change the subject, she swallowed her memories of those stories downward, instead speaking up in a tone that desperately attempted to mask her nervousness. "I-It's hard to believe the kid is going to be entering the ranks soon. He'll have the honor of helping to tear down the empire."

The man chuckled, pulling out a flashlight as the path in front of them grew darker than ever, his other hand continuing to hold the Poke Ball. "Proud of him, alright. He'll do good for certain. We've been preparing him for this since he was born."

The woman fiddled with her dark-blue ponytail, still looking around with unease. "We'll set an example for him overseas. There's a lot riding on getting our foot in Hoenn's door. That is where rare candies are at their best produced, after all."

"True…" the woman began. "That's-" her eyes widened. "Oh… no."

"What is it?" asked the man, even as his eyes found themselves shifting to a purple glow from the side. "Wait, what's that light?"

Before the woman could react, her husband had stopped and turned in the direction of the altar they were passing. Purple torches lined the structure. The source of the sudden light.

The man's eyes squinted. "Interesting… i wonder what-"

"We need to get out of here now!" his wife's grip roughly yanked on the back of his collar. Startled, he lost his grip on the poke Ball, which fell to the ground, enlarging and bursting open.

The bright flash of light that erupted from the fallen orb lit up the surrounding area for a few precious seconds, before being replaced by the form of a Ralts.

The young psychic's eyes widened as his head whirled around in confusion, startled by everything. The darkness. The change in scenery, the-

The man pushed his wife away, shooting her a light glare. "What's gotten into you?!" His voice brought the Ralts' attention to them, the feeling Pokemon falling on his bottom in surprise.

"We can't stay here!" she urged. "This place, it's, it's…"

His face scrunched up. "I told you you're being paranoid. Nothing's gonna get at us out here. Either way we have to get our prize back." turning to Ralts, the psychic whimpered, sweat rolling down his face as the snarling man fixed him with a deep scowl. "You best get back in the ball, runt. You're not getting away."

Still on his bottom, the Ralts scurried backwards, only to freeze in even more terror as his back pressed against the altar.

The woman groaned, her growing fear mixed with frustration as she reached down to pick up the Poke Ball, glowering at the young psychic in front of them as she held the orb in front of her. His confusion made sense. He hadn't even been awake when they abducted him. "Do as he says, you braindead imbecile! We don't have any time!" her heart began to race at the protesting shrieks let out by the Ralts. He was holding his head firmly in his hands. She paused for a second, her blood running cold. It didn't seem like they were the only ones making him act like this-

Darkness.

All three of them paused and looked around, the torches surrounding the altar completely unlit.

"The hell…?" the man started, now feeling uneasy. What could have made them go out? There was no water, no gust of-

A light breeze brushed against his uniform. An abrupt, collective shiver overtook the three as the temperature seemed to drop at its own, free will.

The woman was about to restate that they needed to leave, but before she could get the words out of her now-open mouth, something else cut in first.

The sound of the Ralts' scream.

It was probably the highest pitched noise either of them had ever heard in years. The young psychic was now on his knees, face firmly directed to the ground as his hands squeezed against the sides of his head. The tears were flowing from his eyes like two tiny waterfalls.

The wind was increasing in speed. Even the rate of the increase was going up. She didn't tighten her grip on the Poke Ball in time, the orb rolling out of her hand. Growling, she felt the panic rising in her chest further. From the corner of her eye, she could see the Ralts gripping a rock, which he quickly pressed himself against, desperately attempting to escape getting swept away by the current.

The man felt his wife grasping his shoulder. "Forget the Ralts, we need to-"

Something descended onto the altar. A stream of dark-purple mist, like a beam, came firing down out of nowhere, striking the center of the structure. An explosion of the same color triggered on impact as the shockwaves nearly smacked the duo off of their feet, the two Rockets grinding their heels against the dirty grass and crossing their arms protectively in front of their faces, the man caring very little when the still-lit flashlight in his hand was ripped out and sent rolling away. The explosion of purple smoke suddenly began to condense, as if taking a physical form as the wind slowly died down. The screaming Ralts lifted his head at the sight, and the large, dark-purple cloud hanging over their heads solidified, blood-red eyes glowing in the night, arms and legs extending outward. As it loomed over the group, its teeth spread into an enormous, malicious smile.

The psychic no longer had the energy to scream, simply sitting there, hands planted firmly into the dirty grass, as the tears freely flowed from his eyes.

The woman felt her heart hammering, as a lifetime's worth of myths rapidly crept back into the front of her mind. Instinctively, her hand ripped a Poke Ball from her belt, her husband doing the same.

The man's face scrunched up as the oversized figure leared down at them, his own hand grasping a Poke Ball as he sidestepped next to his wife. Despite himself, he could feel the sweat running down his body, and the frigid sensation in his spine.

The figure in front of them just grinned.

/

Kimberly jolted out of her seat on the bench pressed against her cabin. A few feet away, a confused Feral approached her. "Something wrong?"

With uncharacteristic franticity, her eyes darted in his direction. "Get all of the night scouts indoors, now!"

Her tone of voice put him on immediate alert. "Why, what's happened?!"

Her gaze was distant as she faced outward, staring into the abyss of trees beyond the camp. "Somebody has offended The Ghost."

/

As Ash's eyes opened, revealing the ceiling above him, he felt… completely different.

It was as though last night had never happened, completely washed away from the hours of sleep and comfort.

That was how his body felt, anyway. It was like the bed he was laying in was made of magic, all the stress and tenseness in his muscles evaporating overnight. Maybe it was the relief that the encounter with Damian and his followers was finally over. Maybe it was just reassurance, knowing that he was within the safety of a city's borders, and no longer at the mercy of the outside world's cruelty.

No matter the reason, the sensation that overtook him as he rose into a sitting position, the rejuvenation, was a catharsis that he wouldn't trade for the world.

He looked over at the digital clock. The final moments of the previous night were a jumbled blur in his memories. Once Officer Jenny had whisked him away, everything felt incoherent. He could vaguely remember how heavy his eyes felt, and how much his body hated moving, but even for the life of him, he couldn't muster up any real recollection of checking into the Pokemon Center, and turning Pikachu and the others in to Nurse Joy for treatment.

...That's right. Everyone apart from Pikachu had been able to get by with treatment from the potions, but the young mouse had been in need of more professional care. Which was why he had been placed in his Poke Ball immediately after the battle. However, just to be safe, Ash had turned in everybody else as well.

And for that reason… Yes, that was why he was the only one in the room right now.

He hadn't noticed it before, but… he was all alone. Pikachu and the others were all probably downstairs (or on the same floor? He didn't know what floor he was on) waiting for him to pick them up from the staff's care. Right now, they were separated. It made him feel naked. Insecure. Nowhere near as devastating as when Adam had run off with Pikachu, Nebula, and Tyrunt the previous day, but certainly uncomfortable. Unusual. It was a surreal feeling, really. It hadn't even been two months ago when he had no Pokemon at all. Now, even just having less than six Pokemon made him feel off balance. As though he was missing a layer of clothes.

Feeling his feet press against the comfortable carpet, Ash looked around the room. Normally, Pikachu would be snoozing at the foot of his bed, completely content. Nebula would be in the windowsill, observing the beautiful view of the city from whatever angle their room allowed her. Valiant, Eevee, and Tyrunt would all be together somewhere near his bed, each resting on top of a pillow. And Tempest would be off in his own corner of the room, probably daydreaming about their next big fight.

Almost feeling a magnetic pull emanating from the window, Ash was soon at the end of the room, pushing the window open, and feeling the magnificent morning breeze against his face as he gazed out into Celadon. Judging by the view, and the distance between the ground and where he was, he assumed he was on the second floor of the Center. As if he needed more comfort, the young rookie inhaled deeply, as if trying to take in as much of the crisp air as possible while observing the famed, towering skyscrapers that had contributed to Celadon's reputation.

This was it. One of Indigo's most upper class cities, and the pinnacle of its breeding field. Kanto's center stage for shopping, art, and fashion. Not just the home to Celadon Gym, but also to Erika's perfume company, which dominated its respective industry.

The most important part, however, was that he and his friends were within a city's borders. They were secure. They were now free. No ambushes from Team Rocket, no aggressive wild Pokemon, no elements to brave. Just society. Civilization. Accompanied by the clean, reassuring air the territory boasted (perhaps a natural quality for a lot of grass type specialists, Erika was always supportive of maintaining the environment), the multitude of activities, and of course, the anxious excitement of a Gym battle ahead.

Pulling himself away from the window, Ash took another glance at the digital clock. Almost 10:30 AM. Just how late had it been when he first got here? His teammates must have been ready for a while now. Pikachu was probably the only one indeed of overnight medical care, and even he was likely done by now.

Straightening himself out, and stretching his arms and legs for a moment, Ash sighed to himself and headed to the bathroom for a quick shower. He needed to push aside his foggy memories of last night. They probably weren't of any real significance, anyway. It was the usual routine: Check into the Center, hand over any teammates in need of a checkup, get assigned a room. The only difference this time was that Ash had been too tired to maintain any memory of it.

As he stepped into the bathroom, however, Ash was greeted with another sensation: a rumbling stomach. It encouraged him to get finished and downstairs all the more quickly.

/

Having purposefully made his shower as short as possible, Ash soon found himself back down on the first floor, where he apparently had already been last night, despite his memory refusing to acknowledge such. Suppressing the urge to scarf down the closest donut he could find, the boy had quickly headed to Nurse Joy's counter before the cafeteria, and after thanking her for taking care of his team, didn't waste any time to let them all out.

It was odd. He had only been separated from them for a night that he couldn't even remember, and yet, just the mere knowledge of their absence had been enough to elate him upon their return.

Having been in a similar, exhausted state as himself, they had only recently awoken as well, and still needed to eat just as he did. After breakfast, Ash called his mother as usual, and it was finally time for the day to start, albeit a couple hours late at this point.

As Officer Jenny had suggested (if he remembered correctly), they were probably going to be taking it easy today. He wouldn't deny his team any training or battles if they were in the mood later, but he also wasn't going to be pushing for it. They'd wait for tomorrow to see if they were up to paying a visit to Celadon City's Gym.

He felt a walk out into the city would help. There were already two things he wanted to do here, outside of challenging the Gym: One was to visit Elacia as she had asked, or Suzie if the redhead wasn't home. Ash hoped his friend would be there, suddenly missing the times he had visited her back in Pewter, but he would be certain to stop by her friend's place if she wasn't.

The thought of meeting Suzie as well felt surreal, however. He already thought it was incredible that he had run into Indigo's second biggest breeder purely by chance, but to meet with the top ranked one as well?

It was a silly thought, he knew. Technically, Suzie and Elacia's statuses in indigo's breeding world theoretically meant that many people knew them, and that it wasn't at all unusual for trainers like him to interact with them as clients. Still… They were celebrities through and through, and he ha dmet one of them.

He had been pondering over whether or not to visit Elacia prior to the Gym battle. Deciding that he didn't want to keep his friend waiting, he had asked Nurse Joy if she knew whether or not the famous breeder was home at the moment. To his disappointment, the pink-haired woman had confirmed to him that she was currently out on business, although she didn't know where, or when she would be coming back. Apparently, the nurse had heard something about the Johto Region, but that was where her knowledge currently ended.

Deciding to wait a bit and see if Elacia would come back later, Ash had instead gone with his second choice: The Department Store. Celadon's shopping district was famous for its sublimity, and although he doubted he'd be able to indulge nearly as much as his inner fantasies made him want to, Ash figured that this would be the best opportunity to scoop up some more TMs. With the experience that they were now garnering. His team wouldn't have to rely on them as much anymore: Tempest could probably start working on Ice Beam the moment he had gotten a bit better with Icy Wind, Valiant's great usage of Dazzling Gleam likely meant he could get started on Moonblast at any time, and pikachu could probably muster up the control to learn just about an electrical technique that wasn't a part of the top tiers, even if mastering some would obviously take longer than others. The young mouse had plenty of base experience to at least get started on any electricity-utilizing move that his species was capable of.

But, as always, there were areas where the team hadn't yet been ironed out enough to quickly learn specific moves without help, and Ash was sure that the store would have at least a few that benefitted them. Even outside of that, the boy's curious mind was eager to see just how vast the store's collection was: Given its reputation.

Pikachu happily clung to Ash's shoulder as the boy stepped out of the Center, taking the time to tickle his starter under the chin as they walked through the automatic doors. The young mouse was as refreshed as his trainer was, both mutually desiring to put the events of last night behind them, however hard that may be. At Ash's side was Valiant, who was also back to perfect shape after a night's rest. Although neither of the trio wore perfect expressions, each collectively trying to push the bad memories away and focus on where they were right now, Valiant's smile was the only one that was truly uneasy, an anxious pit forming in his stomach and chest as he looked around and took in... the city.

Due to his ability to sense emotions, something he still wasn't particularly used to, even now, the bustling atmosphere was more than a little overwhelming for the young Kirlia, although it wasn't the only reason he was feeling uneasy today.

...They were here now. It was bound to happen at some point, and yet…

"Hey, Valiant…" the Kirlia glanced up to the side, met with the sight of Ash's concerned face. "You sure you wanna do this?" he had asked that question before, right before leaving. Obviously, the rookie knew that being in such a populated, urban area might not be overly ideal for the psychic. Although his species naturally found themselves in such places, they were rarely in the thick of it all unless they had fully grasped their emotion-detecting capability enough to properly control them.

Albeit still strained, Valiant's uneasy smile turned reassuring as he nodded back at Ash's question, doing his best to look the young rookie in the eyes from the angle he was at.

He needed this, after all. It would be good to start practicing to get a better grip on his detection abilities. Besides, he'd rather enjoy his time at his trainer's side. Make more memories. Thankfully, the upcoming gym battle would certainly serve as the perfect opportunity.

"I'm good, Ash."

Ash was a bit concerned, but nodded back at the young Kirlia as Pikachu grinned down at the psychic. Perhaps the two of them saw this as good practice, too…

Practice for sure… but would he get the chance to make use of it?

Ignorant to Valiant's inner thoughts, Ash adjusted his cap as he observed the sun-bathed surroundings. Pedestrians and vehicles passed by from numerous directions, the buildings towering into the sky, as if piercing through the blue. The few clouds overhead were pure white, no signs of messy weather in sight.

The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

Taking a chance to look behind them as they walked away from the Pokemon Center, Ash admired the building's bulky, towering form, before focusing onward and getting Pikachu and Valiant's attention.

"We'll be visiting the shopping district today. We can explore a bit, but even with our winnings, there isn't much room for overzealous luxury. We're mostly in this for essentials, and TMs."

"Any ideas?" Valiant seemed eagerly curious, to which Ash grinned.

"We'll see when we get there. It all depends on what we can afford. I can't make any predictions regarding that, but it also depends on what they have, in which case… almost everything, from what I've heard." he offered his two teammates a quick thumbs up. "Don't worry, I'll be sure to get something fancy, you guys deserve some more high-quality food after all this time."

To Valiant's cheerful amusement, Pikachu certainly seemed to like the sound of that.

/

Celadon was one daunting city to navigate, leaving the trio toremain hyper focused on the street signs that signaled where to go. Thankfully, the Pokemon Center wasn't too far from where they planned to go, and they soon found themselves in the midst of a plaza filled with shopping malls, fashion stores, gaming stores, and essentially just about any place where you could buy things. To Ash's knowledge, Erika's main perfume shop was also somewhere around here, although he had no interest in perfume.

Their surroundings had become even more overwhelming, with the abundance of stores encircling them from every angle, and the dense frequency of the passersby leaving Valiant to lightly clutch his head as the group continued onward. Ash had once again asked his young psychic friend if he wanted to be returned to his Poke Ball, only to be turned down.

Although the Department Store should have stuck out like a sore thumb, the overflowing distractions had resulted in it taking a good deal longer to find the place than Ash would have cared to admit. Thankfully, the towering structure soon stood over them, and after admiring its shining blue exterior, as well as its grand scope, the group had headed inside.

Although it wasn't a shopping mall, Celadon's Department Store was Kanto's largest individual shop, and if the building's exterior hadn't reminded him of that, being inside certainly would have. The first floor alone was big enough to compare to some decently-sized stores, and including the roof, this place was six stories tall.

Floor one acted as the main hub of the store, where general aspects such as customer service were stationed. What mainly interested Ash was the second floor, which specialized in trainer gear. Everything from backpacks, to Poke Balls, to healing items, to TMs could be found there. Even bikes. Ash had no need for a new backpack at the moment, and he already had the latest in bikes thanks to his trip to Miracle Cycle back in Cerulean. He knew that there were some newer back[packs with upgraded storage technology, which could be useful, but he needed to ensure he had enough money first, which he wouldn't today.

The main concerns for now were acquiring a few TMs, as well as ensuring that they were restocked on food and medicine.

Valiant followed his trainer up the stairs that took them to the second floor, although the first floor was decently populated, the group knew that the remaining floors were going to be the busiest for sure. They were proven right as they stepped into the Trainers' Market, the section of the store that the second floor consisted of, and were greeted with the sight of aisle after aisle, as far as the eye could see. And the market was hustling and bustling with numerous customers, from kids his age, to teens and adults.

Even though he had been expecting it, actually seeing it first hand was enough to startle the boy. This one floor saw enough activity to pass off as a full grocery store, and it was just a piece of the puzzle when grouped with the rest of the building. Briefly stopping in his tracks, the young rookie found himself looking around, and taking it all in as the various trainers populating the floor went about their business: Plucking items off of the shelves, showing their teammates what was in their shopping carts, conversing amongst one another about their journeys so far-

'There could be a dozen Rockets in this room, and I wouldn't even know.' Ash almost jolted from the thought that crept into his mind, as memories of yesterday abruptly sprung up. Adam's hoodie making way to reveal his true uniform, the Rockets that had battled Paul while in disguise, posing as ordinary trainers.

Suddenly sweating, Ash took note of Valiant's concerned gaze as he began shaking his head, as though his thoughts were a cramped container that needed to be emptied out.

'She said that Team Rocket hadn't infiltrated society on that scale.' the boy reminded himself of Officer Jenny's reassuring words. The chances were probably one out of ten at most.

"You okay?"

"Gah!" Ash whirled to the side, his abrupt movement somewhat startling pikachu as he and Valiant turned to face the source of the sudden voice.

He looked about five years older than him, and was a good deal taller to show for it. His hair was long and red, and his outfit was a simple black and white.

The teenager seemed fairly at ease, arms crossed and back leaning against the wall a few feet away. His face, although somewhat stern, didn't convey hostility.

"Oh! Ummm… sorry, I'm fine." Ash's face was beet red. He really needed to stop doing this. Misty would either be laughing in his face or cracking his ribs right about now.

The older boy seemed unfazed, straightening himself out as he approached the trio with an analytical expression.

"I saw you all frozen up back here, so I just came over to see what's going on." he spoke honestly as Ash's gaze focused on his pale shirt.

'His outfit is too thin to be hiding a uniform.' the young rookie's mind reassured him. 'Relax. Settle down.'

He felt himself easing up even as the thoughts went through his mind. Feeling his posture straighten out, he fixed the newcomer with a relaxed smile. "Oh, sorry about that. Guess I'm just not too used to places like this." It wasn't entirely a lie. Less than two months away from home wasn't quite long enough for him to grow completely accustomed to places like Celadon, far surpassing the scope of Pallet Town and then some.

"Hmmm, yes that makes sense. I was certainly in for a shock when I first left New Bark Town." the older boy's face formed into a small smile. "You'll get used to it eventually, although you might lose that sense of wonder in the process."

Ash hadn't thought about it that way. Right now, his experiences had been a double-edged sword, mixing intimidation with awe. But without one, the other might go away as well…

The thought was slightly disheartening, but he pushed it aside for now. As a trainer, he'd never run out of adventures to be had. At worst, he'd just be a bit more difficult to surprise, which could lead to less embarrassing moments like this.

The boy nodded back at the teen. "Well, sorry to worry you. We'll be on our way." the red-haired teen waved them off (Pikachu happily returning the gesture) as Ash led Valiant into the market.

Even as they're backs faced the older boy, he continued to stare.

/

Ash chose to focus on restocking his medical supplies first. He had already put some of his money aside to restock food at a later date (probably whenever it was time for them to leave the city), so with his current fundings, he felt it was best to get the necessities out of the way, so he'd be left free to use the rest on TMs. Pikachu remained perched on his shoulder as the trio browsed the aisles, Valiant casually following behind them.

They rarely had the surrounding space to themselves, with no shortage of trainers rummaging through the store's vast selection. These were supposed to be some of the most effective brands Indigo had to offer, so they were hardly lacking in terms of the number of trainers actively seeking them out. The ordeal from the previous evening was like a magnet that had pulled Ash to the burn heals, before ensuring that he had at least a few vials of every basic category (as well as plenty of potions). He didn't need to restock on paralyze heals, but he found himself grabbing at least one or two of everything else, outside of particularly niche items.

Around them, he could make out a variety of conversations.

"So, I'm gonna be challenging Erika in a couple of days. I'll have my second badge for sure!"

"Neat! I'm competing in the Contest next week. This time, I'm sure I'll have my first ribbon!"

"There were a lot of battles at the Pokemon Center yesterday. Apparently that one girl with the purple hair beat five people in a row with like, three Pokemon total!"

"Yeah, I was there. She may look cute, but that Ivysaur and Beedrill destroyed me. Kind of scary, honestly."

"Did you catch Suizie's latest lecture? It was so helpful!"

"Totally! Honestly, it's like she always knows what the most relevant topics are."

"Hey, does your Squirtle know Ice Beam? Cause I've been trying to get Vaporeon to learn it, and we're struggling."

"Sorry, but we're kind of struggling ourselves. I don't wanna challenge Erika without it, though."

Overhearing the various topics almost made Ash feel relieved, at a time where he felt he shouldn't need to be.

There wasn't anyone dangerous here. Just a bunch of ordinary trainers like himself, all going about the latest day in their respective journeys.

Once he was satisfied with the medicine, Ash set his sights on the TMs that the store had to offer: the largest public selection available anywhere in Kanto. This took him and his two friends to the end of the massive room, a bit beyond the series of aisles most of the customers were navigating.

Ash heard Pikachu's awed reaction right in his ear as the trio approached the seemingly endless shelf of TMs that came into view. A few other trainers were browsing the selection themselves, albeit decently more spaced out, as there was more room here than in the aisles. He imagined that made things easier on Valiant.

Pikachu leapt off of the rookie's shoulder and scampered over next to Valiant as the young Kirlia stopped in front of the shelf, head angled upward and mouth slightly open as he took in the sight. It was a goldmine of potential new moves, ripe for the picking. Of course, Ash knew that they couldn't afford to be overzealous, tempted as he was.

'Just look through the selection and take the few you think you could use the most right now.' the young boy took a deep breath. A small part of him almost preferred the smaller selections: They weren't anywhere near this intimidating. He took a moment to smile at Pikachu and Valiant as the two chatted, before running his hand (and his eyes) over the shelf in front of him.

One particular TM immediately caught his eye: Surf. Normally, Ash wouldn't have wanted to spend his money on a move that was too long-term, at least not right now, but the sooner Tempest got started on a move like this, the more the Krabby would benefit from it. It was a move that would allow the river crab to summon water beneath himself and carry him across the battlefield. It was one tactic that some trainers used to help certain teammates, that were less mobile than others, get around that particular weakness, although the fact that it took a great deal of time to fully master prevented the strategy from being universal. Tempest would be working on this move for a long time and the fruits of his labor wouldn't start showing right away, but it was an investment worth considering.

A bit more expensive than the rest of the TMs that Ash had purchased up to this point, but definitely worth it.

Plucking the encased disc off of the shelf, Ash began walking down, making sure to let Pikachu and Valiant know where he was going (the two decided to follow after him anyway, however). He had enough money for at least two more TMs, so he needed to make the choices count.

He was tempted to purchase another biting move for Tyrunt, but decided against it. Later on, he would certainly want to teach the dinosaur as many as he could, in order to ensure that those deadly jaws were as useful as possible, but for now, the youngest member of their group was in need of more variety.

So with Tyrunt in mind, the young rookie found his eyes resting on something else: Earth Power. It would improve the royal heir Pokemon's ranged options, while still covering a typing the eager biter did not know. And pretty soon, Pikachu would be helping to teach him Brick Break. They'd put jaw-training on a hold for now: Tyrunt was already performing up to expectations in that regard.

It was a few more minutes before Ash found the final TM that he wanted. Numerous sources of temptation made themselves known to him, but he was always too hesitant to pluck them off the shelves. Really, there was no right or wrong choice: Just whatever he ended up deciding on, but even thinking along those lines stressed him out.

Shadow Ball almost convinced him. It was a move that Valiant could learn, and although Eevee was already there to help teach the Kirlia, Ash knew that most psychic type's struggled with Ghost Type moves without prior experience with them. And of course, it would be great to plan ahead for Sabrina.

But Valiant knew Shadow Sneak, and was relatively good at it. That preexisting experience, combined with Eevee's tutelage, would likely make the learning process just smooth enough to where a TM wasn't fully necessary. Or, at the very least, when their fundings were still fairly limited. If they could maintain momentum, they'd likely be in a comfortable enough position to make less crucial purchases such as that, but for now, he wanted to focus on moves that borderline required the assistance offered by TMs.

With that in mind, Ash finally made his choice: Play Rough. It was a fairly strong fairy type move that both Pikachu and Tyrunt could learn. A good bit of variety for the both of them, especially Tyrunt.

Pulling the disc off of the shelf, Ash turned to his two teammates. Seeing the relatively cheerful looks on their faces (especially Pikachu) as they conversed away, he found himself wishing he understood Poke-speak (as it was often nicknamed). Valiant's mental speech only went so far, and that wasn't even accounting for how long it would take for the Kirlia to truly use it efficiently.

"Hey, Pikachu." Ash knelt down in front of the duo, who gave him their attention as he showed his starter the disc. "This is a move that you and Tyrunt can learn. I figured a lot of the other moves you'll be working on in the near future are electric-based, and Tyrunt still needs to diversify his moveset, so this should work pretty well." at the mouse's happy nod, he turned to Valiant. "I'm thinking I should get you started on Shadow Ball, to go along with Moon Blast. I don't think we'll need a TM for it, though. Eevee already knows the move, and you do have some experience thanks to how often you use Shadow Sneak. Either way, it'll help you a lot. What do you say?"

The emotion Pokemon seemed somewhat surprised by the proposal, before quickly grinning with a nod. No doubt the idea of further training with Eevee pleased him. She was already a big help with improving his agility, which they would continue to work on. The thought of learning a move from her likely sounded promising.

Ash chuckled. "Good! We're focusing on Erika now, but I figured it wouldn't hurt to prepare for Sabrina as well. She's probably going to be our next challenge after we're done in Celadon, after all."

Both Pokemon seemed to be in agreement at that, although one of them was hiding a mildly lingering sense of doubt.

/

In a way, Celadon's skyline almost felt like something of a ceiling, albeit one that soared over everybody's heads. It was an atmosphere that was easier to appreciate on the walk back to the Center, when the sounds of the city still filled the trio's ears, but the road wasn't nearly as quiet.

Ash's mind couldn't help but wander as he and Valiant traversed the sidewalk together, Pikachu steadily perched on the young rookie's shoulder. His travels had taken him to six cities at this point, and though Eastern Kanto loomed ominously in the group's future, it abruptly occurred to the boy that he had actually seen a great deal of the Region by now. Of course, he hadn't even come close to seeing more than a fraction of Indigo, but whenever it dawned on him just how much had happened since leaving Pallet Town, he never knew what to think.

Ironically, he wasn't as far from home as he was back in Cerulean or Saffron, due to Celadon being west of both cities. There was, of course, the dreaded Viridian Forest, just west of Celadon as well. He didn't feel any closer, however. Every location he had been to since leaving home had felt like a different world from the quiet town he had never needed to step foot out of prior to becoming a trainer. The world within Pallet's borders was like a safe haven, a comfort zone.

Celadon's skyline reminded him of that, and Ash couldn't help but angle his head upward to marvel at the tall buildings and skyscrapers that rose above their heads as he and his friends navigated the sidewalk. When in Celadon, everywhere they went, everything they did on the ground, it was all with the top of those structures towering overhead.

Pallet didn't have this. Pallet didn't have that feeling of buildings looming above you from every direction. Compared to the somewhat spread out structure of his hometown, where the buildings never extended into the sky and clouds above, Ash almost felt like he was indoors right now. If the skyline was a ceiling, then the buildings that made it up were like a set of walls enclosing them in.

Every city they had been to was like this, but there was a difference between each, he found. Saffron and Celadon were easily the most drastic, and Viridian and Vermillion were at least more so than Pewter and Cerulean.

That was six cities that he had stepped foot in. All on a completely different plane of existence from the serene, comforting town that he'd grown up in for a decade. All in not nearly as much time as his mind made it feel, even if he had still been away from home for a while now. It didn't feel real.

"Ash, we're here."

Snapping out of his thoughts, Ash took a moment to process Valiant's words before realizing they had almost passed by the sign that directed them to the Pokemon Center. Muttering a "thank you" to his psychic friend, the trainer led the way back to the building.

He was growing tired of this habit. His mind always dwelled on something that couldn't be helped. And there was so much inconsistency in how he felt about being away from home. He was only used to it when he wasn't thinking about it.

That guy back at the store had said he'd get used to it eventually. With the way he said it, it was as if it was inevitable. Ash wasn't sure how he felt about that. Just how much would he get used to? Just the change in scenery? Or would he stop feeling homesick as well? He couldn't really imagine-

In front of them, the doors to the Center opened, the trio collectively stopping in their tracks at the figure that abruptly came into view.

On the other side, just about to exit the Center, Gary was just as startled.

The dwelling was suddenly replaced with a familiar pit in Ash's stomach. Running into him of all people at the most abrupt times. This wasn't going to be a trend, was it?

Ash must not have properly hid the frustration from his face, because the Oak boy's own expression immediately scrunched into an ugly scowl. "You better watch the way you look at people, Ashy boy."

'And you have free reign to treat people however you want?' Ash couldn't help the thought that came to his mind. Next to his ear, he could hear Pikachu's unpleasant growl, as if the mouse was acting on instinct. In front of him, Valiant had stepped between the two trainers, an obviously hostile aura surrounding him. Ash had begun to extend a hand to prevent the Kirlia from advancing forward, but thankfully, his friend held back.

Ash tried to keep his face neutral, but stern, knowing Gary would very much capitalize if he behaved passively. "Wasn't expecting to see you here." Didn't want to either, but he omitted that.

That disgustingly familiar smirk found its way back to the Oak boy's face. "You're saying that to me? All I can think about now is how miraculous it is that you're not stuck in some gutter back in Cerulean."

"Shut up." the voice did not fill Ash's head, instead directed at Gary.

The brown-haired boy started at the sudden, new voice, his eyes ablaze as his head darted back and forth. "Hey, who said that?! Come out now-" as if having an epiphany, his snarling voice was cut short as his eyes landed on Valiant. "You…"

The glare hadn't left the young Kirlia's face, although the emotion Pokemon was inwardly relishing in the brief victory. It took Gary's own realization for Ash and Pikachu to realize the psychic had said or done anything, the duo sparing their friend a quick, downward glance before refocusing their attention on Gary.

They were just in time to lock eyes with the Oak boy, his former smugness eclipsed with rage. Had this been a month or two ago, Ash surely would have recoiled. But that was before he had witnessed (however briefly) the demon lurking within Misty's temperament.

"Get your buddy's act together, loser." Gary sounded like a king who had just been offended. "Or are you as bad at training your Pokemon as you are at battling with them?" For an instant, Ash felt a twinge of pain as the sparks from Pikachu's cheek brushed against his own. It went away as quickly as it started, however, as the boy's starter reigned in his instincts. "Meditite started talking to me five days ago, so don't go thinking you can slip that past me."

"My friends have minds of their own. I'm not going to scold them for doing nothing wrong." Gary's face tightened at the implication, but Ash continued. "I'm sure you'd love for me to be stuck in some gutter. You better get used to seeing us this far out, cause we're not stopping here."

"Heh, tch." Gary's bitter smirk formed through clenched teeth. "Just how many Gym Leaders have you curried favor with to come this far? Or are you expecting me to believe you're this lucky just because your psychic knows how to talk?" he spared another spiteful glare at Valiant, who's eyes narrowed in response.

Despite himself, Ash felt his eye twitch. There it was again, and not a moment too soon. Gary's signature accusation of how everything he did right was luck, or underhanded. He kept telling himself to brush it aside. Forget about it. Gary and his friends were the last people he needed to prove himself too, especially since they never accepted any of his achievements, as they had proven back when he had scored high on the Qualification Exam.

He knew that, at the very least, but every time Gary reminded him, the old wounds made themselves known. It seemed everything was easier in intention than they were in practice.

'Just keep your cool. If you can do that, he'll get frustrated.' Even as he talked to himself, Ash knew that Gary would just double down out of spite. Still, it was better than letting things play out the way they always did back in Pallet Town.

A lot had happened since he had left, and they weren't on Gary's playground anymore. 'He doesn't need to accept your success.' Ash told himself. What mattered was that he himself was aware of his accomplishments. Gary's opinion didn't matter.

"What do you think I did?" Ash crossed his arms, his posture as straight as he could manage. "Did I clean the pool top to bottom back in Cerulean, as if that would be any easier than battling? Maybe I handed Surge ten thousand bucks to get him to have his men escort me everywhere I went, nevermind I'd have to win battles to get that much money anyway?" As his face formed into a glare, Gary's own became twice as hostile. "You're the one with the connections, Gary, not me. Be careful who you accuse."

The Oak boy's knuckles turned white as his hands squeezed at his hips. "Oh, so now I'm the hack? You're gonna start-" he started as Ash cut him off, the rage in his eyes suddenly becoming difficult to gauge.

"I'm saying that you'd have a much easier time "currying favor" with just about anybody than I ever would." Ash felt himself easing up, just barely enough to be noticeable. "And yet you're the one questioning me, all because you feel the need to deny me any credit." Ash felt a sudden weight on his head as Pikachu climbed onto his cap, his starter letting out an affirmative squeak in Gary's direction as Ash's body adjusted to the shift.

Gary was silent for a few moments, simply staring the trio down. Ash didn't move. The Oak boy had chosen to play this game, and they weren't going to give him any luxury.

"Do you know why I was at the top of the class our entire upbringing?" After offering Valiant a brief sneer, Gary finally spoke, his gaze shifting to Ash's eyes. The anger had turned more focused, less fury and more concentration. "It's because I earned the right to be. I was the one pulling all-nighters once a week to keep my knowledge at top capacity. Those tests don't ace themselves-heh, I suppose you of all people would know-you know why I absorbed all of that information? Better than anyone else?" his arms were crossed now. "Because I was the one who could. Out of everyone in town, I was the one with potential that needed to be tapped. So I tapped it. And used what I got as a reward. You were down there, scraping away at the bottom of the barrel, trying to salvage the slightest bit of worth you could muster for yourself, while I had figured everything out long since. That's how I knew where I stood back at home, and how I knew you had become a lost cause."

Ash nodded, but said nothing.

"You know why Squirtle and I beat you and your stupid rat back on Opening Day?" Pikachu snarled as Gary's index finger locked onto him. "Because only one of us was ready. Only one of us deserved to become a trainer. The other was just some long since proven failure who got tossed into a profession he wasn't capable of after lucking out on an Exam." The smile on Gary's face was not a smirk. It was more victorious, matter-of-fact. "And after that, when Wartortle and I beat you and your blasted bird back at Mt. Moon? When my team picked yours apart? It was because I was the better trainer. I earned that win, just as much as I earned all those A pluses back at school. That loss was your punishment for being worse, just like all those lukewarm grades you always got. Like the one you should've gotten on the Qualification Exam." his finger was now facing Ash's chest. "Do you think you deserve success? People like gramps and I have been winning our whole lives! You think we deserve to lose out to people who think they're just now starting to get the hang of it?" his hands fell to his sides. "You're half a decade behind me, and I'll be damned if I start slowing down for your sake."

Pikachu leered at Gary's speech, while Valiant's posture turned rigid. Ash felt the frustration in his chest returning.

Nobody needed to be born a winner. That's what Professor Oak had told him. And he'd met people since who seemed to think similarly. Gary didn't need to slow down. He, Pikachu, Valiant, and all the others were already content with finding their own pace. Because…

Ash's own hands fell to his sides, his posture mimicking Gary's. "Gary, I'm not the same person I was two months ago. Or one month ago.." his face tightened. "Are you expecting me to stay where I've always been? I don't have the right to move forward for myself? Maybe you just want me to stay put for your sake."

A few more moments of silence. The air was broken by a quiet, dark chuckle from Gary's throat.

"You're the one who thinks you belong here, Ashy boy." his hand rummaged around his belt, the Poke Ball he pulled out enlarging as he held it out front for the trio to see. "You want to talk about who has the right? No need, I'll remind you."

Ash let out an inward sigh, which almost escaped outwardly. It was the inevitable conclusion. Now that he and Gary were trainers, their disputes would never be solved with words. It felt like there was little point in talking. The conversations were just a quick warm-up that came and went. The real argument took place on the battlefield.

'We're supposed to take it easy today…' Ash told himself, looking down to Valiant as Pikachu leapt down next to the young psychic. The young mouse immediately rose to his hind legs, fists tightened and held in front of his chest. At his side, Valiant crossed his arms. "I'll fight you."

Once again, only Gary heard the voice. He shot an annoyed smirk down at the young Kirlia through clenched teeth, before facing Ash and looking him in the eyes. "Your psychic pal's real annoying, you know that? Glad I got myself a more pleasant one." he tossed the Poke Ball in the air, just once, before lowering it to his side and pointing at Ash's chest with the other hand. "Three on three. Just enough. Still in over your head?"

Those conditions were pretty convenient, Ash decided. He wasn't sure if the others were in the mood or not, but Pikachu and Valiant were both clearly ready, and Tempest would be about as likely to pass up as he would be to have just about any physical contact with a Pokemon that wasn't a punch to the face. They had their lineup.

"Alright." Smiling, Pikachu and Valiant exchanged nods as Ash offered Gary his own. "I'll see you in fifteen minutes."