"Valiant, hold Tyrunt in place with Confusion. Tyrunt, try to break free."

Valiant's eyes flashed blue as an aura of the same color outlined Tyrunt's body, the baby dinosaur tensing up and straining himself as he struggled against the psychic hold. Valiant was not seizing him with all of his mental might, holding back enough to give his infant friend a chance at fighting back and pushing himself, but he nevertheless wasn't going too easy on the Royal Heir Pokemon, challenging Tyrunt to overcome his limits as the baby lifted his feet to advance forward towards the Emotion Pokemon.

Tyrunt's body felt incredibly heavy as he marched his way forward, each step he took seemingly taking years to complete. Sweat was covering his face as he fought against his friend's hold, desperately struggling against the psychic powers.

Finally, within range of his friend, he raised an arm to reach out to his training partner. After a few more seconds of struggling, a claw was placed on Valiant's front, Tyrunt successfully tagging him.

Valiant immediately released the hold as Ash and Pikachu clapped on the sidelines.

It had been a couple of days since the group had left Bill's place and moved on to Saffron City. Ash's bike had carried them across the road with great speed during traveling time, passing by Cerulean City (which Bill's place was north of) in about a day and now continuing to carry them forward to their next milestone. Saffron City couldn't be more than an additional day of traveling away, even with the stops that they took for training and battling.

That training was spent with Ash spending most of his hands-on time with Tyrunt, while giving the other members of the team their own instructions to work with and checking up on them periodically. Pikachu and Nebula were mostly going through the motions, further honing what they already had and working on further perfecting Double Team. Eevee would spend her time mostly with Pikachu, continuing to work on her speed and iron Tail, but Ash would also occasionally have her spar with Tyrunt in order to further help him work on Dragon Tail (which still mutually benefited Eevee). Most of Valiant's time was spent with Tyrunt, acting as the baby's main sparring partner. Tyrunt was making great strides in his progress, his usage of Rock Blast becoming progressively more feasible for a real battle and his Dragon Tail becoming increasingly potent. Although Ash wasn't sure if he was fully ready to fight yet, Tyrunt was inevitably seeing the most obvious improvements among their training.

Then there was Tempest, their newest member of the team. And truth be told, Ash was still trying to figure out how to approach training the eager Krabby.

Tempest was fully fixated on almost nothing but fighting, and it was very clear to Ash (and the others, especially Valiant) that the violent Krabby was really just along for the ride on their journey. He had no true commitment to anybody on the team, including Ash himself, and was simply seizing the opportunity for more battles to further push himself with. The Krabby had eagerly gnashed his pincers together when Ash had informed him about the Gym Leaders, the leaders of each of Indigo's respective territories with reputations to live up to such a title. The young Krabby's favorite pastime (apart from finding something to punch) was easily listening to Ash telling him about the Gym Leaders and their known qualities (albeit limited only to what Ash knew for himself). The bulky water type was beyond eager to test himself against the likes of LT. Surge, Koga, and Giovanni. The excitement in his eyes was almost fanatical.

And of course, Tempest had learned of Ash's end goal, the Indigo Conference. The greatest tournament in all of Indigo, where the very best trainers of the Season competed for the top.

Learning of Ash's objectives for the year and beyond was quite literally mouth-watering for the young Krabby. Tempest didn't regret his choice to join forces with Ash and the others. If anything, he grew happier with such a decision by the second. He was on a constant road trip filled with new battles and opponents along the way, each milestone on the journey represented an unrivaled challenge to test his strength, and he had the opportunity to continue to train and hone himself in between bouts. As far as he was concerned, Ash Ketchum's roster was the place to be for a Krabby like him.

For the moment, Ash was mostly just having Tempest hone his already known moves, with the young Krabby already having quite a decent arsenal at his disposal. The rookie had also administered the Scald TM to his latest ally, the action flashing his mind back to his battle with Daisy. The blonde beauty had given the young rookie incredible trouble with her usage of the TM, and with his latest team member capable of making use of the move, Ash was eager to be on the other, far more beneficial side of the powerful technique. Tempest had gladly accepted the new move, seeing it as just yet another way to do battle.

Tempest cared little for camaraderie or friendship. He was just here to participate in the trials ahead. Not to help, but to have fun, and satisfy his battle-obsessed ego. In his mind, Ash was a benefactor that provided him with what he wanted. And he did not consider the rest of the team as anything but separate entities that he just so happened to see everyday. Certainly not anybody that he had any sort of affection for. The Krabby was only in it for himself, and such a thing was perfectly reflected by his actions and behavior.

Unfortunately, business with the Krabby was not as positive as Ash had hoped, even if it was what he was ultimately expecting. The violent water type wasn't the least bit interested in making friends, and Ash sadly hadn't seen any positive interactions between Tempest and the rest of the team. The collective dynamic ranged from neutral to tense, and wasn't showing any signs of getting better.

Tempest paid very little mind to the majority of the team, and when he did, it was arguably much worse, often seeming as though he was on the verge of picking a fight with one of them. A cautious and suspicious Valiant would often keep Tyrunt close during downtime, watching the bulky Krabby with endless scrutiny more often than Ash could truthfully say that he was comfortable with. Eevee would often remain close to Valiant (and occasionally Pikachu) as well, often giving the Krabby the stink eye while huddling close to her psychic friend.

The one member of the team that Tempest did seem to begrudgingly respect was Pikachu, likely because the young mouse had been the one to beat him in a fight. Although the Krabby occasionally seemed to be itching for a rematch, he wasn't nearly as dismissive or condescending towards the electric rodent, which could have been what contributed to Eevee sometimes sticking close by the mouse. Tempest was also fairly amicable with Ash himself, and although not overly friendly, would willingly follow whatever training instructions given to him without issue. But there was little affection to be had between Pokemon and trainer. Ash and Pikachu had merely earned Tempest's respect and acknowledgement, with very little else to speak of. And Ash himself would still often have to be the one to reign the water type in whenever Tempest went off rushing in the direction of whatever wild Pokemon was aimlessly passing by.

It was over the past couple of days that Ash had realized, with some dismay, that his team's days of inarguable unity were now over. The temporary, one-sided tension between Nebula and Eevee had been replaced with something far worse. And while Pikachu and Nebula remained the tightly-woven duo that they'd been since the first week or so of Ash's career, and Valiant's developing bonds with Eevee and Tyrunt continued to flourish (even acting as a bit of a bridge between the quadruped and baby dinosaur), the sixth addition to the roster had simply been a rough, out of place wedge, that had landed within the established dynamic of the group, with nowhere to fit in, and no desire to change such a thing.

It was going to happen at some point, that Ash most certainly realized. The larger a trainer's team grew, the less unified that they would be. The days of Pikachu, Nebula, and Valiant being a peaceful trio with no problematic elements or even slight issues amongst each other while they prepared for the upcoming battle with Brock were most certainly nostalgic, but would not always be that way. Sooner or later, Ash was going to be forced to face the challenge of a team with social complexity. One that wasn't just a group of friends with solely aligned goals. Sooner or later, Ash would have to be a leader. And he accepted that.

He just wished that he could have lived in that happy fantasy for just a little while longer.

And unfortunately, as Ash watched Valiant lightly pat and rub the top of Tyrunt's head, the infant Royal Heir Pokemon closing his eyes into the Emotion Pokemon's touch, the young rookie trainer was beginning to realize that Tempest wasn't the only problem.

Aya had warned him, hadn't she?

A Tyrunt's temper was dangerous and in need of being kept in check before it had the chance to begin. The fact that Ash was raising Tyrunt from an egg was a golden opportunity to correct a problem that was normally far more difficult to fix. He and his friends all had a chance to limit the baby's hot-blooded instincts before they had a chance to develop too far. Ash and Valiant had done what they could, nurturing the baby Pokemon with notable hospitality in hopes of ensuring a peaceful mindset, not to mention to make sure that the training for battle didn't bring out Tyrunt's instincts too much.

But nurture or no nurture, nature was always a thing, and it was indeed in Tyrunt's nature to develop these problematic personality traits. They were developing at their own pace, and as Tyrunt, though still an infant, continued to grow and develop his first signs of maturity (however minor), Ash and Valiant (and, to an extent, Eevee) were beginning to notice the first signs, and it made Ash wonder if they really had started Tyrunt's training too early.

Tyrunt's excitement for battle was developing too quickly. Ash was hesitant to let him in on the action so soon, but Tyrunt already wanted to get involved right now. The dinosaur would have a minor hint of jealousy whenever one of Ash's teammates did battle with another trainer, and would occasionally even try to escalate his training sessions with Valiant and Eevee. Ash inwardly winced in memory of an incident from the previous day, where, during a sparring match between Eevee and Tyrunt, the former working on Iron Tail and the latter working on Dragon Tail, Tyrunt had attempted to transform a parrying contest into an outright brawl. Eevee had been caught off guard by Tyrunt's abruptly more aggressive movements halfway through the sparring session, as Tyrunt aggressively growled in an attempt to challenge her to a battle. It had almost reminded Ash of Eevee's own outburst against Pikachu, except with a much different cause and circumstance.

And in the end, Eevee's own fighting instincts had gotten the better of her, the far less experienced Tyrunt getting struck in the face with a full-powered Iron Tail as Eevee easily outmaneuvered him. The scene had caused quite a bit of commotion among the group, and as Ash had raced over to tend to Tyrunt, Eevee had raced off to a nearby area, initially not heeding her trainer's calls. And when she had come back, she couldn't look anybody in the eye, especially Ash, Valiant, or Tyrunt. Valiant had thankfully consoled her that evening, pulling her into a forced hug and rubbing the top of her head while she whimpered into his chest.

Tyrunt was moving too fast, trying to progress things more than he was ready. At least, that was how Ash felt about it. Even with his inexperience, Tyrunt's draconic qualities and powerful jaws would likely make him ready for certain battles already. He was certainly strong for an infant. Ash had a feeling that he could get away with involving Tyrunt in a match or two. But… something about him was feeling hesitant about it. He wasn't overly sure why, maybe he was jus being paranoid. Either way, it didn't mesh very well with Tyrunt's eagerness.

Which, in turn, hadn't meshed very well with Eevee's own impulses. Tyrunt's species may have had the problematic instincts, but it was Eevee who was always the most prone to losing her cool. And that had backfired twice now, and in such a short span of time.

As Ash approached Valiant and Tyrunt, he could see Tyrunt, although with a smile on his face, gazing at the young Kirlia with a look that conveyed just a bit too much excitement. A quiet rumble escaped from the dinosaur's throat, Valiant offering his friend a somewhat uncomfortable look at the verbal challenge.

"No, Tyrunt." Ash stated firmly.

Upon hearing the denial, the young dinosaur growled much more loudly, obvious displeasure in his voice as he instinctively snapped his jaws together a couple of times in frustration. Tyrunt flinched, however, when Valiant was forced to hastily pull his hands away, for fear of getting them chomped off by the abrupt outburst. The baby dinosaur frowned and whimpered upon the realization, lowering his head as he gazed at his approaching trainer.

Looking his youngest team member in the eyes, Ash spoke soothingly as he crouched down. Slowly but surely, he raised a hand to place upon the dinosaur's head.

"Listen, Tyrunt…" Ash spoke softly. "I know you want to battle. I want to see you battle too. But… Please, don't rush it. You'll get your time eventually, but…" Now it was Ash's turn to dip his head, mind flashing back to a metal coated tail nearly busting the infant's face open. "What if… it's too soon…?"

There was disappointment and acceptance in Tyrunt's eyes, but also clear frustration. He wasn't trying to be antagonistic. Not on purpose, anyway.

But his loyalty and affection for the team was in constant conflict with his instincts, which had merged with his excitement towards the idea of battling.

The dinosaur wanted to be given orders by Ash on the battlefield. Just like Valiant, and everybody else. He wanted to be a part of the exciting battles that he had witnessed from the sidelines. Like against Daisy, and Misty, and A.J. He wanted to rack up his own accomplishments, as an official member of the team.

With Valiant looking on with some guilt, Ash frowned sympathetically at the young dinosaur.

'What can I do for Tyrunt?'

/

The moon and stars were high overhead, the skyscrapers of Saffron illuminated by the beautiful city lights in the near distance away from the group's set up camp. Come morning, an hour long bike ride at most would be all that was needed to finally reach the city.

The team had drifted off with much optimism that night, knowing that their next stop was just a short trip ahead. Ash had wanted to reach the city by tonight, but found his legs too tired to continue. Thankfully, most of the team didn't seem to mind (although Ash could tell that Eevee wouldn't have minded spending the night on a soft cushion in one of the Pokemon Center's hotel rooms rather than the ground outside).

It must have been around midnight when the boy was awoken by an ear-piercing cry.

Ash's eyes shot open as he rocketed into a sitting position, heart-hammering from being startled awake as he looked around frantically.

His team had been alerted by the abrupt scream as well, except…

Ash blinked momentarily as he took in the sight of his teammates.

Pikachu, Nebula, Valiant, Eevee…

If Ash wasn't awake before, he was wide awake now, his face an almost sickly pale as he realized…

Tyrunt and Tempest are missing.

Another loud scream filled the air. In his panic, Ash couldn't tell where it was coming from as the boy sprang to his feet. A frantic barking from Eevee drew his attention, the Evolution Pokemon urgently saying something to Valiant as the young Kirlia attempted to take deep breaths, eyes closed with his body tense.

Realizing what Valiant was doing, Ash raced over to Eevee and placed a hand on her, trying to ignore the hammering of his heart as he attempted to settle her down.

"I know you're encouraging him, Eevee, but he needs to concentrate."

A moment or so later, Valiant's eyes shot open, the young Kirlia pointing eastward, prompting Ash to race for the nearby hill without warning. The rest of his team scrambled to catch up with him, Pikachu and Eevee managing while Valiant lagged behind. Nebula flew overhead, her eyes widening as she reached the top of the hill and called out to the others.

Making it to the top, Ash gasped as he saw what was on the other side of the hill.

Tyrunt was rising up to his feet, his body bruised in a few areas while blood leaked from a couple of them. His skin was covered in dirt as he locked angry eyes with Tempest. A dangerous growl emitted from his throat as the two Pokemon stared each other down.

The young Krabby was notably unscathed, clicking his pincers open and shut as he visually scrutinized the baby dinosaur, before both pincers opened and allowed a barrage of glowing bubbles to escape.

Tyrunt let out a somewhat fearful yelp, but his tone of voice still maintained some of its previous ferocity as he attempted to dodge out of the way. The barrage barely grazed him as he clenched his teeth in pain, before responding in kind with a barrage of rocks fired from his mouth.

Although Tyrunt's usage of Rock Blast had notably improved since his first attempt at using the move a few days ago, all Tempest had to do was cross his pincers in front of his face as the rocks collided harmlessly against the exterior. As the stone projectiles shattered upon collision, Tyrunt's feet were already carrying him forward, the baby stamping across the ground as his jaws opened up with a purple glow.

In hopes of sinking his Poison Fang into Tempest's outer armor, Tyrunt took a leap as he approached the Krabby, only for his target's pincer to swing for his face and send him rolling across the dirt.

As Tyrunt came to a stop on his stomach, Tempest turned to face his opponent before opening his pincers and taking aim as the first signs of Water Pulse began to form in them.

"STOP!" Ash's voice brought Tempest's attention to the boy as the trainer came dashing from the top of the hill, before a flash of light in front of the Krabby suddenly caught his interest, Valiant appearing halfway between him and Tyrunt.

The Kirlia immediately encased himself in Light Screen, likely to intercept the Water Pulse in case Tempest had managed to fire them at Tyrunt. The Krabby leered in the young psychic's direction as Valiant dropped the golden cube-shaped barrier, eying the Krabby with a steel gaze in return.

As briefly ran past Tempest before stopping between him and Valiant, arms outstretched as he glowered at the Water Type. "Tempest!" his voice was enraged, yet laced with fear. "What the hell are you doing?! Stop this-"

A loud shriek from behind caught Ash's attention as he and Valiant turned their heads to the source. Tyrunt's jaw was leaking blood as the infant dinosaur rushed over in Tempest's direction, murder in his eyes as his legs carried him faster than anyone on the team had ever witnessed up to that point.

There was no innocence in the baby's expression. Ash and Valiant's spines shivered madly, as though caught out in a blizzard, as the look in Tyrunt's eyes, and the tone of his voice both reflected nothing but a desire to kill.

Ash hesitated out of shock at the state that his youngest teammate was in, but Valiant's hesitation thankfully only lasted for a split second as the young Kirlia's eyes flashed, the aura of an unrestrained Confusion outlining Tyrunt's body and freezing him in place.

Valiant's eyes carried a somewhat pained expression as he forcefully held his friend back, but he did not allow those emotions to decrease the amount of strength put into the technique.

Ash's panic allowed itself to settle down very slightly as Tyrunt was barely able to even struggle against Valiant's psychic hold. Gulping a bit, with sweat running down his face, Ash nodded to the focused Kirlia as the look in his eyes turned somewhat less fearful.

"Right, Valiant. Hold him back and-"

An aggressive cry from Tempest brought Ash and Valiant's attention back to the Krabby as the bulky water type rushed forward, attempting to move past Ash and towards Tyrunt. With Valiant's concentration broken, the psychic hold on Tyrunt was released, the baby dinosaur, still trying to struggle against the hold, falling face first into the dirt, the sudden momentum costing him his balance.

As Tempest approached Ash, sights set on Tyrunt, the boy took a step back before calling out to the Kirlia.

"Valiant! Thunderbolt!" After Ash had ensured that he was out of the line of fire, Valiant cupped his hands, the area around him lighting up as electricity began to crackle in between them. The flash of lightning brightened a good bit of the area as Valiant fired the electrical blast towards Tempest, who halted his approach and crossed his pincers in front of his face. Both pincers, now encased in metal, intercepted the electrical offense, Tempest pushing against the attack as Valiant's Thunderbolt forced him backwards by over half a feet before fizzling out.

A Shadow Ball exploded against Tempest's back as Eevee came running from behind, her unexpected attack sending him stumbling forward as the krabby attempted to right himself, only for a shriek from Nebula to bring his attention upwards.

Cloaked in the blood-red aura of Reckless, Nebula dive bombed from the air and smashed a glowing wing into Tempest's front, eliciting a pained shout from the water type as the force of the blow sent him flying back a few feet. As the Krabby landed on his back and slid a few inches across the dirt before stopping himself, and Pikachu positioned himself in front of the water type on all fours as Tempest began to pick himself up, Ash and Valiant turned their attention back to Tyrunt, who was already preparing to charge forward once more, albeit with a bit less of a violent gaze this time.

"Tyrunt, stop."

Tyrunt hesitated at the disapproving demand in Ash's voice and halted for a moment, but the expression in his eyes was still noticeably fierce as he gazed up at his trainer. Ash momentarily flinched upon locking eyes with the baby, but attempted to steel himself immediately afterwards, keeping his own gaze harsh and authoritative.

A small drop of sweat rolled down Tyrunt's face at the sight of his trainer's expression, before the baby dinosaur's own expression tightened, the Royal Heir Pokemon letting out a frustrated shout.

"I said enough!" Ash raised his voice a bit more, and he felt a twinge of guilt as he saw Tyrunt flinch at the tone, before the dinosaur went back to glaring at him, albeit with the aggression continuously evaporating. Nevertheless, it did not show any signs of completely going away, and Valiant frowned as another growl escaped from the dinosaur's throat. Ignoring the slight chill in his spine, Ash shook his head and continued to stare Tyrunt down.

After a second or too, Ash turned to Valiant and spoke.

"Valiant, hit him with a weak hypnosis." Nodding, Valiant got in between Ash and Tyrunt, facing the Royal Heir Pokemon as he rested his hands on his startled friend.

As Valiant's eyes glowed extremely faintly, the aggressive look in Tyrunt's own eyes suddenly died down, the ferocity subsiding as a wave of minor fatigue overtook the dinosaur's body.

As Tyrunt began to lightly lean forward, head tilting towards a slight, downward angle, Ash cautiously approached the duo, before crouching down in front of them.

"Tyrunt…" the boy allowed a somewhat soft tone of voice to escape his throat as he spoke to the dinosaur, but still did his best to keep the authoritative tone in spite of that. "You're okay, alright?"

Tyrunt looked up to meet gazes with his trainer. The dinosaur's expression was somewhat saddened now, and, with a whimper, a few tears began to leak from his eyes as Valiant wrapped his arms around him.

/

Ash, Pikachu, and Eevee locked their eyes on Tempest as the bulky water type leaned against a nearby rock, the Krabby's body somewhat battered, with notable bruises lining his exterior. His body was wrought with fatigue, and his expression was somewhat pained, but he managed to at least keep it somewhat neutral as the trio faced him.

Ash stood in between Pikachu and Eevee, neither him nor his Pokemon allowing their gazes to leave the Krabby as Ash glared down at their newest member.

While Ash and Valiant had tried to calm Tyrunt down, Pikachu, Nebula, and Eevee had subdued Tempest together. Despite the water type's tenacity, their strength in numbers had left him with little options, Nebula's Reckless giving her the means to overwhelm him despite his defensive cushion, and Pikachu utilizing his electricity to immobilize him while Eevee pelted him with rapid-fire attacks. In spite of his aggression, and the fact that nobody on the team could easily handle him in a one on one occasion, Tempest had found himself forced to submit rather quickly.

Now, Nebula and Valiant were keeping an eye on Tyrunt while Ash confronted the violent water type, Pikachu and Eevee sticking by him together. The dinosaur had not come out of the battle in good shape, most notably with a fractured jaw. Once the adrenaline had died down, Ash had immediately acted upon noticing the pain take hold, applying potions to the baby as quickly as he could. Although he wanted to place Tyrunt in a Poke Ball, something that he had never done as of yet, he decided against it in hopes of the baby being kept company by the rest of the team, in order to ease the Royal Heir Pokemon's mind a little bit further.

Now, with Tyriunt's side of the incident mostly dealt with, Ash had been forced to focus his attention on the other part of the problem. He couldn't understand Pokemon language, and therefore he couldn't fully understand Tyrunt's side of the story, nor Valiant's attempts at relaying it to him, but he had come to a logical conclusion all the same.

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Tyrunt's eagerness to get into a fight hadn't gone unnoticed by Tempest, who had picked up on the Royal Heir Pokemon's budding aggression over the course of their travels. Itching for a clash with someone, Tempest had woke Tyrunt up in the middle of the night and provoked him into attacking him, instigating a battle between the two. Ash inwardly snarled at the thought. He had already known for certain that Tempest would do just about anything for a chance at fighting somebody, but to take advantage of Tyrunt's budding instincts like that…

"Tempest…" Ash tried to show restraint when speaking to the Krabby, but his patience was struggling, and he was still trying to sound authoritative. As he spoke, Pikachu and Eevee's eyes began to narrow, gazing at their newest teammate with expressions of uncompromised distrust. "I thought I had made myself clear when you forced joined. What gave you the right to start this?!"

Tempest's eyes held a frustrated gaze to them, but the Krabby did not act, simply locking eyes with his new trainer while Pikachu and Eevee's bodies began to grow tense. The water type had known exactly what he had done, although Ash could not say for sure if the River Crab Pokemon felt any level of guilt about it.

"Tyrunt's a baby…" Ash trailed off. Was that really relevant? For an infant, Tyrunt was most certainly strong, nevertheless…

The boy began to rapidly shake his head for a second or two, before locking his gaze back onto Tempest once more. His expression was somewhat faltered this time, but he did his best to maintain it. He needed to be as commanding as possible for this.

"The point is, he's not ready for an opponent like you yet! Maybe soon, but definitely not tonight! And you knew that! He's not even strong enough to hold his own against you yet, and there's no way he would back down once he got going! You could have killed him if the worst happened!"

Tempest's eyes somewhat narrowed at that, but Ash, Pikachu, and Eevee still could not properly gauge his emotions. Ash couldn't be sure how the bulky Krabby was reacting to this, but determined that he still could not relent.

"You remember, don't you?" Ash's tone was a bit bitter, some animosity leaking into his voice, although he attempted to hold it back. As furious as he was, he didn't want to convey any emotions that could be interpreted as hateful. He just needed to be authoritative. Ensure that his tone of voice was final. But it was a difficult balance to strike, especially with the overwhelming combination of frustration and panic that was currently flowing through him. "I told you to cooperate. To treat everybody with respect. You've done none of that tonight." At Tempest's neutral expression, Ash pressed forward. "Don't you realize that the others are supposed to be your teammates?!" his arms stretched outwards towards Pikachu and Eevee. "Nobody's forcing you to be friends with them, but they're not gift wrapped punching bags! Whether you like it or not, you and your teammates are equal, and you are to treat them as such from now on!"

Taking a pause, Ash allowed himself to sigh a bit before taking a couple of steps forward. There was still some distance between him and Tempest, Pikachu and Eevee somewhat following close behind, but the boy got a closer look at the Krabby's eyes as he continued. "You were really excited when I told you about what we'd all be doing on this adventure. You can still have all of that. I can give special training, so that you don't have to keep doing it yourself in the wild. You can see places you'd never even imagined while living back at Cerulean's coast, and yes, you can fight an endless lineup of strong opponents to get your adrenaline rushing. But you have your own end of the bargain to uphold, and that's only your responsibility, not anybody else's. And it's your fault alone if you refuse to follow through. You have to be a team player. Even if that doesn't mean actually getting along with everybody, you have to do your own part and coexist. I'm asking the bare minimum of you, and somehow, you're still not delivering."

Ash's heart was hammering, the sweat on his face contrasting with his hardened expression (or, at the very least, his attempt at one). Nevertheless, he deepened his gaze as he and Tempest continued to stare each other down.

"If anything like this ever happens again, I'm releasing you. The Professor could probably find a better suited place for you, which means we'll be going our own separate ways. But if you don't want that, and want to keep traveling across Indigo with me and the others, so that we can do all the things I've told you about, then you have to meet all of us halfway. It's your job just as much as anyone else's. The only thing I'm asking of you is to be cooperative. You have to at least do that much for us, and never, ever, allow this tonight to occur ever again. AM I CLEAR?"

The silent air felt somewhat thick as Tempest took in Ash's words. It was probably only about a dozen seconds or so, but it felt like two minutes had passed when the Krabby finally nodded.

After a few additional moments, Ash moved to the side, signaling for Pikachu and Eevee to do the same as he gestured towards the Krabby.

"Go back to the camp. Pick a spot to rest for the night and don't speak with anyone. I'll be there with a potion for your injuries in a little bit."

Ash watched the Krabby slowly walk past him before calling out to him one last time.

"I want you on this team, Tempest." he spoke honestly, dropping the hostile tone as Tempest stopped walking to listen to him, albeit not turning to face him. "I might be the only one here who feels that way at this point, but it's the truth. I just wanted you to know that. I don't want to give up on you. I want you to be there with me in a giant stadium, waiting for whoever our next opponent is. Please don't make me change my mind."

As Tempest resumed his walk, Ash's frown deepened as he stared at the Krabby's retreating back, before backing up to get a better look at Pikachu and Eevee. Both Pokemon had very doubtful expressions on their faces as they observed the retreating Krabby, before briefly exchanging worried glances with one another. Ash bit his lip at the sight. Looking back in the direction of the camp, he felt a minor gulp in his throat.

Tyrunt wasn't faultless, of course. Aya had warned him loud and clear. And who knew how much tension this newfound unease would cause, even between the rest of the team.

The future remained uncertain, but until everything settled down, it was up to him to ensure that the repercussions were nothing severe.

/

Saffron City was one of the greatest cities in Indigo, and the world, both in terms of size and population. The sprawling metropolis could be spotted from a distance with ease, the towering skyscrapers extending into the sky as a signal for all those who were headed for it, making for an especially magnificent sight when lit up at nighttime.

It was one of the busiest cities you could find. Although Celadon was the most upper-class of Kanto's territories, Saffron was the Region's central business district. And the large presence that enterprise had within the territory was, in great part, due to the city being the home of Silph Co. A corporate giant of a company, with its main headquarters stationed in the center of the city.

The largest, most widespread, and profitable company in all of Indigo, Silph Co. proudly stood at the center stage of the great empire's technological world. Being the primary manufacturers of various devices in Indigo such as Poke Balls and TMs, they had practically integrated into the League itself due to how essential they were to various Pokemon professions, and even beyond. Their presence could be found anywhere in the empire no matter where travelers were to go, with the Poke Marts in each town and city being under their banner in addition to the League's own.

And the centerpiece of the company's presence was the Silph Co. Head Office, located in the heart of the city. Dwarfing even all of the other skyscrapers in both size and grandeur, it sometimes felt as though the company's primary base of operations could be seen by anybody in the city who dared to look up. To those on the ground, the building's upper levels were practically a part of the sky. And when lit up at night, it was like a beacon of power and greatness. All of the other buildings surrounding it from any direction were constantly at the risk of being reduced to a mere backdrop for the main event. In the center of the city, where all could see, the Silph Co. Head Office stood taller, shined brighter, and captured all eyes far greater than any other place located in Saffron.

But as great as Silph Co. was, they weren't the only thing providing Saffron with such a supreme reputation. The city was also the home of the Fighting Dojo, a former Gym repurposed into a martial arts school, with classes that both taught different forms of self-defense to humans, and that mentored trainers (and even those who weren't trainers yet) in how to train and raise fighting type Pokemon. From what Ash knew of the school it was a prestigious academy that had produced many skilled martial artists and fighting type specialists. Sometimes both.

But the gym's shift to academic focus had left a vacuum in the city, a void that had immediately been filled by Saffron's current Gym, led by the famous psychic Sabrina. A wise specialist in the psychic typing, and gifted psychic herself, Sabrina was among the most respected trainers in Indigo, in contrast to the sensation of fear promoted by LT. Surge and Giovanni, or the combination of the two that Koga and Clair had been given.

Saffron's Gym was also a school of sorts, with Sabrina not completely dedicated to the academic side and nothing else (as it was still a Gym first and foremost), but still consistently having the most Gym Trainers out of any Gym Leader in Indigo. She also had a few personal pupils that she mentored in, not Pokemon training, but psychic abilities, which, even outside of her specialization in psychic type Pokemon, she was a nearly unrivaled expert in. The Gym Trainer program of Saffron City's Gym saw consistent success with each and every Season, and a big part of why Sabrina was so respected by the masses was because she was often labeled as the most academically gifted of Indigo's Gym Leaders, being an exceptional teacher who, herself, had also started out her career as a Gym Trainer, and the top student of the Gym that she had attended for mentorship.

And if Saffron's Gym wasn't a popular place to receive tutelage before, it certainly was after the previous Season. The winner of last Season's Indigo Conference, which had wrapped up not too long ago prior to the start of the current Season, and was still fairly fresh in everybody's memory, was a psychic specialist named Will, who had got his start by studying at Saffron's Gym. The trainer had dazzled Indigo with his vast arsenal of techniques and incredible synergy with his team, and had even put on a fairly decent showing against Lorelei, defeating three of her Pokemon. Just as impressively, his opponent in the finals was a popular trainer who went by the name of Tanner, and had been favored to win the whole Conference, only for Will to just barely pull off an upset.

Due to the prominent status of both, the Gym trainer program of Saffron City's Gym, and the Fighting Dojo were occasionally considered to be rival schools within the cities. Disputes between the two institutions have been heavily rumored for years, but Ash had no knowledge as to whether or not they were true, or if the extent of the conflict was being subject to hyperbole.

Saffron also had the honor of being the city that linked Kanto and Johto together, alongside Goldenrod City. This was thanks to the Magnet Train, which offered transportation between the two cities. Since trainers in Indigo could qualify for the Conference with any combination of eight badges from the Gyms of the Regions under the League's banner, it wasn't uncommon for trainers to use the Magnet Train to travel between Kanto and Johto, and acquire badges from a few Gyms in both of the Regions. For that reason alone, Saffron was a prominent location for just about any Indigo trainer.

But that wasn't the only reason. Because even within Kanto itself, Saffron was something of a hub, where trainers were forced to plan out what direction their journey would take next. With Lavender Town to the east, Celadon to the west, Cerulean to the north, and Vermillion to the south, any trainer who arrived at the city in hopes of acquiring Sabrina's Marsh Badge would immediately be faced with a decision afterwards, regardless of which direction they had arrived at Saffron from. Of course, for those who were interested in going to Johto, the Magnet Train only increased the number of options, and those coming from Goldenrod were immediately given four potential directions to choose from.

From its sheer spectacle, numerous prominent organizations, plethora of options for traveling trainers to take afterwards, and overall presence within both Kanto and Indigo at large, Saffron was incontestably one of the most prominent territories in Indigo's entirety, a reputation that it has proudly held onto for years.

At this point, Ash had been to a total of three cities throughout his travels. And although Viridian, Pewter, and Cerulean had all been an indescribably step up from the quiet comfort of Pallet Town, they still hadn't been quite enough to prepare him for the next stop on his adventure.

Gray rain clouds were beginning to cover the sky as Ash made his way to the city gates. Beside him were Pikachu, Valiant, and Tyrunt, all of whom shared Ash's expression as he gawked at the sight in front of the group.

Even now, the Silph Co. Head Office could be seen, towering above all of the other skyscrapers surrounding it from the center of the city. The fact that it wasn't the only building towering into the sky just added to the intimidation, however, and just the simple act of lifting his head upwards made Ash feel hopelessly tiny.

Already massive cities in their own right, Viridian, Pewter, and Cerulean were nothing compared to this.

As Ash led his team through the gates and into the streets of the sprawling metropolis, the mood within the group was a somber one, which was only heightened by the gray clouds above, and the growing scent of the soon to be incoming rain.

After the events of last night, nobody in the group was happy during breakfast. Everybody ate in near absolute silence, even the normally chatty Tyrunt. And above all else, nobody had so much as any welcoming vibes for Tempest.

Valiant was easily the most notable, having aggressively watched the violent Krabby from a distance the entire time before it was finally time for the water type to return to his Poke Ball. The incident with Tyrunt last night had severed whatever little good will that Valiant may have had for the River Crab Pokemon, and the Emotion Pokemon did almost nothing but never let the little dinosaur out of his sight, his distrust and animosity for Tempest strengthening his overprotectiveness towards Tyrunt (who he was also keeping a close eye on, after the dinosaur's role in the previous night's events). Eevee had attempted to console the young Kirlia during breakfast, while simultaneously shooting Tempest dirty looks of her own.

On Tempest's own end, he didn't seem to be overly bothered by the silent hostility that he was receiving from the rest of the team, simply focusing on his food, but thankfully not trying to instigate any further trouble amongst the others.

Pikachu and Nebula ate together, and although the two of them were as close as ever, there was an air of awkwardness between them both. Ash had learned later that night that Nebula had accidentally struck Pikachu immediately following the brief fight with Tempest, her Reckless Ability having made her instincts more violent and overall hyperactive like it always did, at the cost of her self control. Pikachu's attempt to check up on her immediately following the fight had earned him a sudden wing to the face, which had nearly resulted in a quick skirmish between Nebula and Eevee before Pikachu sprang back up to get between the two of them while Nebula came to her senses. The two of them had made up rather quickly, so Ash doubted that the dynamic between the mouse and the bird would have any real consequential issues in the long term, but for now, the memory was still fresh.

The noises of the city streets filled Ash's ears as he dared to look up to the sky once more, greeted by the sight of the skyscrapers towering overhead, seemingly piercing into the gray clouds above them from the current angle.

The clouds were gathering at a notably fast rate. It will be raining soon.

As Ash's gaze returned to what was in front of him, he observed the passerby for a few seconds, standing still alongside his teammates as the group took in the sight of Saffron, and the overwhelming scope of the city.

From the pressure of last night to the surging atmosphere of Saffron, the boy had never felt so small.

But he knew he couldn't remain still forever. Otherwise, they would soon be drenched by the rainfall that would soon pelt the city.

Ash's eyes made their way downwards as he looked between his three teammates. Pikachu and Valiant had picked up on the incoming weather, and had most likely informed Tyrunt already.

"We need to find the Pokemon Center quickly." Ash announced. "It could start drizzling in a matter of minutes, and by then it will only be a matter of time before we're hit with a downpour." he looked over to Valiant. "I'm going to be getting the bicycle out for extra speed. If it's alright with you, I'll return you to your Poke Ball until we get there." When Valiant nodded in agreement, Ash returned his trusted friend before spawning the bike from one of his additional Poke Balls. With Tyrunt in the basket and Pikachu climbing into his backpack (to Ash's amusement), the rookie trainer took off down the sidewalk at a decent pace.

They were already behind schedule, due to the events of last night. The original plan was to start out the morning by quickly making it into the city, and having breakfast at the Pokemon Center's cafeteria. But with the late night that everybody had, they had all risen much later than normal, so Ash had opted to just eat breakfast at camp. It was already quite close to noon by the time the team had arrived near the gates of the city, and would probably be past noon by the time that they reached the Center.

Ash followed the signs as the bike carried him, Pikachu, and Tyrunt across the city, also paying attention to which signs were pointing to the Gym. He certainly wouldn't be planning to take on Sabrina today, but once they were settled in, they would need to begin making preparations.

As he passed by cars and other people walking along the sidewalk, the boy began to feel the first signs of rain landing on him, with Tyrunt letting out a brief, commenting squeal in reaction to the newfound drizzle. They likely still had at least a few minutes before the drizzle turned to rain, and the rain turned to downpour, but Ash couldn't be sure whether or not a few minutes was the only thing that they had, and quickened his pace as a result. He only sped up a little bit, however, for fear of slipping on the sidewalk, which would become drenched sooner or later.

The boy made a turn in the direction of the Pokemon Center just as the drizzle began to transition into rain, and Ash's eyes widened, Tyrunt letting out a squeal in awe, as the building came into view.

It was easily the biggest Pokemon Center that they had seen thus far. All of the urban Pokemon Center's were massive, but Ash could already tell that this one surpassed them. Maybe not by far, but by enough to be noticeable. And with the clouds darkening the sky, the lights were all on, and although not the completely magnificent sight that it would have been in the darkness of nighttime, it still left an impression.

Ash parked underneath the outside roof leading into the Center, taking shelter from the increasing rain as he dismounted the bicycle. Lifting Tyrunt out of the basket and returning the bike to the Poke Ball, Ash let Valiant out once more, the group making their way to the large, automatic doors as Pikachu climbed out of his backpack.

The rainfall had brought a sudden chill, but it was replaced with the familiar, more comforting air conditioning of the Pokemon Center as the doors opened and the group stepped through.

It was certainly the biggest lobby that they had ever been in. Given how busy a city that Saffron was, it seemed as if everything about this Center was increased in size in order to compensate. The overhead lights shined above as Ash made his way to the counter, flanked by his teammates as he stopped at the end of the (thankfully short) line in front of them. Although the lobby had no shortage of people, many trainers chatting amongst themselves across the surrounding area, whether it be standing up or sitting on a couch together, the line itself was mercifully smaller than Ash had expected it to be.

It took only a few minutes for Ash's turn to come, Nurse Joy smiling her usual beautiful grin at the boy as he found himself in front of the counter. Ash found that he never got tired of seeing her face, not because of her gorgeous appearance (although he imagined that many trainers enjoyed her company for such a reason), but because the aura that her smile gave off was immediately soothing. She, and her behavior as well, was symbolic of the Pokemon Center itself: A place of comfort and rejuvenation for all trainers.

After everything that had happened last night, the intimidation of entering the city, and nearly getting caught in the rainstorm, it was just what Ash needed. He could already feel his nerves easing up as she spoke to him.

"Welcome to the Pokemon Center." Nurse Joy addressed the boy, her voice professional, yet friendly and reassuring as usual. The perfect combination as always. "Will you be in today?"

"Yes." Ash nodded gratefully, handing his Pokedex to the woman, who placed it in the nearby slot while typing rapidly on the computer.

"Ash Ketchum, Pallet Town, correct?" she looked up from the monitor as she verified his information. At his nod, she continued to type (Ash was just now realizing just how fast she was typing) before returning her eyes to him as she handed back the Pokedex. As Ash pocketed the device in one of his backpack's pouches, the pink-haired woman slid a card across the counter, the room key, which he quickly reached to take. "Third floor, room 3-26. Does your team need a checkup?"

Nodding, Ash lifted Tyrunt onto the counter. Just as he prepared to return Pikachu and Valiant, Nurse Joy, still typing rapidly, spoke up again.

"By the way, I have to inform all newly arriving trainers of this: Saffron's gym won't be accepting challengers for the time being."

Ash felt a small pit in his stomach as his face fell at the news, Tyrunt innocently tilting his head while Pikachu and Valiant perked up at the announcement. Their expressions were a mix of curiosity and disappointment, which matched Ash's own reaction.

"Did… something happen?" the boy asked politely, wondering if the explanation was open to the public or not. It wasn't unheard of for a Gym to be closed for a short period of time, but it still happened rarely. Pokemon Gyms (in any Region where they operated) were often open for the entirety of the Season, always available on most days until the Conference, where they were closed to challengers prior to the break period between Seasons. Usually something very specific needed to happen for them to even have one day off outside of normal schedules. Gym Leaders weren't available at every waking hour, having no shortage of duties, but the Gyms would always be open for a set amount of time. At minimum, a couple to a few hours each day. Normally, they would only close down for a day or two, if work outside of taking on challengers became too hectic (occasionally, the top Gym Trainers might be put in charge of the Gym on these days, although not every Gym did this) , and all Gym Leaders took a scheduled day off every week or two. But an extensive absence was something that a good few Gyms could go entire Seasons without.

"At the moment, Sabrina is Hoenn." Nurse Joy explained. After a brief pause, she finished up her typing, giving Ash her full attention. "Normally, she would consider having her top students fight challengers in her stead, but she's actually taken her best students with her this time. It's to give them some business experience. The trip is mostly a standard political affair."

Ash nodded. That made sense. "So… Do you know when she's planning to be back?"

A nod. "Two weeks from now. She just left yesterday morning."

Ash inwardly frowned at that. Had it been a week or less, he probably would have waited for her, but…

If it was two weeks, then it might be for the best if they just left after stocking up on supplies. Ash knew that there was no need to rush, but the time that he spent waiting for Sabrina to come back could just as easily be spent heading to a different city to challenge a Gym. He could stick around to train, but he could still do that on the road as well.

The boy nodded. "Okay, thanks for telling me."

A sympathetic grin formed on the woman's face. "Sorry… for the bad news."

Ash quickly held his hands in front of him. "No, no, it's not your fault! I know you can't help it…" he wondered what it must have been like, delivering disappointing news like that to every trainer coming in. It couldn't have been fun.

After returning Pikachu and Valiant, Ash handed over his Poke Balls as Nurse Joy took Tyrunt in her arms. The baby dinosaur let out a pleased squeal as she flashed him a bright grin, before the pink-haired woman nodded back at Ash. "Have a nice day, Mr. Ketchum. You'll be notified when your team is ready."

Nodding gratefully, Ash waved at Nurse Joy and Tyrunt as he took his leave. "Okay, thanks again. Make sure you behave, Tyrunt." The Royal Heir Pokemon waved back with a friendly chirp.

/

Ash had spent the next hour unwinding in his room, watching a talk show on the flatscreen as the rain fell outside. By the time he had made his way up to the room, the rain had already turned into a downpour, and some rumbles of thunder could be heard as well.

The window provided a great view of the city, and he took some time to look out into the neverending series of buildings as the rain rolled down the glass. He enjoyed taking in the scenery, with or without the rain, the wet weather providing a different sort of feel to it.

More than anything, the combination of the talk show playing, and the generous view of the city provided the rookie trainer with a strong sense of relaxation. A reminder that he was back in the welcoming comfort and luxury of civilization. It was a feeling of relief that he received every time he arrived in a city, following the time spent in the outside wilderness.

By the time his team was ready to be picked up, Ash found that he was already feeling fairly rejuvenated, although a good deal of that was likely psychological. The general atmosphere that the Pokemon Center's hospitality provided him with was a refreshment in its own right. Although the thunder could be heard on occasion, it was low enough to not interfere with the mood too much.

Although Pikachu, Valiant, and Tyrunt already knew that Sabrina currently wasn't in the city, Ash relayed the news to the rest of the team, regretfully informing them that they would not be challenging Saffron's Gym. Tempest's disappointment was the most blatantly noticeable, although he didn't put up much of a fuss. No doubt he knew what position he was in with the rest of the team. Although Nebula and Eevee were both taken aback by the news, neither of them responded negatively. Perhaps they took note of Ash's optimistic presentation of the news.

After all, the boy had made it very clear that they would be back on the road for a different Gym in just a few days at most. Although Ash didn't yet know where their next destination would be, his plan was to think it over as soon as he could. Sabrina's absence was a setback at worst.

The rookie was also planning to browse for TMs the following day, once they were settled in. He and his team had accumulated a great deal of prize money between Cerulean and Saffron, putting them in a far better financial position than he had ever been in before. He didn't have enough to load up on TMs (especially since their prices varied from move to move), but he should be able to purchase a few, while still stocking up on the necessities that they were in need of (he'd be ensuring that they had enough food and potions first).

But that would come tomorrow. Today was about settling in and unwinding, and he was going to be planning their next move tonight.

/

The day went by at a quicker pace than Ash had anticipated. He had expected the day to be a slow-moving one, due to them not having any coherent plans after checking in, even if they had reached the Center a lot later than originally planned. However, the boy ended up being blindsided by the speed of the clock, almost as if time itself had taken off into a sprint.

Before he had known it, the evening had already come, and the group was dining in the cafeteria. Afterwards, they had withdrawn to their room for the night, Pikachu, Eevee, and Tyrunt already making themselves comfortable as Ash sat on his bed, quietly watching the flatscreen.

A news anchor was currently speaking, a brunette woman who looked to be in her late twenties, and a Breaking News headline appeared as Ash's improving mood suddenly dropped.

On the screen was a picture of a very familiar person.

"We have received word of an attack committed by a recently confirmed recruit of Team Rocket: The Iron-Masked Marauder." The woman's voice and facial expressions were very even and professional, completely neutral to the news that she was about to share.

Sitting beside Ash, Valiant's face fell into a frown as the image of the (unfortunately) familiar man appeared into view beside the woman. The Marauder's face held a neutral expression in the picture, a default picture in contrast to the fury or arrogance that he had displayed back in the caverns of Mt. Moon. Just seeing that face brought memories rushing back: Of running for their lives with the grunts in hot pursuit, of the swarm of Zubat and other Pokemon that the terrorists had attempted to overwhelm them with, Gabite attempting to obliterate Eevee with a violent blast, Scizor dropping the team like stones, the roar of Tyranitar, rocks falling from the ceiling as-

Ash's eyes squeezed shut for a moment as it all overwhelmed him, and the feeling of Valiant's hand on his encouraged him to open them again as the news anchor continued.

"Just last night, on the shore past the Rock Tunnel located beyond Cerulean, four League agents were found dead with traces of a fight left behind in the area. All Pokemon the agents had on them that were accounted for following the battle, turned up dead on the same site. The final report filed by the League agents just that afternoon, as well as the autopsy report, point evidence towards a new member of Team Rocket, the Iron-Masked Marauder being the culprit, his confirmed Team Members deemed capable of inflicting the fatal, specific injuries that were seen. A few Pokemon held by the League agents were not found by the investigation team on the site, nor are their Poke Balls, and are believed to have been looted from the bodies by the culprit of the attack."

Reactions in the room were fairly similar among most present, Valiant's face pale while sitting next to Ash, and the rest of the team mostly wearing uneasy expressions as they took in the news anchor's words. Tyrunt, despite having never met the Marauder, quickly picked up on the uncomfortable mood of the room, prompting him to dip his head with an unsure frown. Tempest, also with no prior experience with the Pokemon Hunter, didn't react as strongly, but watched the rest of the broadcast with a notably scrunched up face.

Ash found himself gulping a bit as he stared at the screen, processing the report.

The Rock Tunnel was a large cave located in Kanto's northeast, beyond Cerulean as the news anchor had said. It wasn't in the same area of the Region as Saffron was, but what areas were covered by the news varied from station to station (and each Region had a station that covered the entire Region, along with one that covered all of Indigo in general). The particular channel that they were on likely covered both Cerulean and Saffron, due to them being neighboring territories, which was why the story was being broadcast here.

The reported incident wasn't too far from Saffron, but it also wasn't particularly close, so Ash thankfully felt secure as he continued to listen to the report, even if the news anchor's words left him constantly forcing down the memories.

Ash could feel Valiant squeezing his hand in distress beside him. He allowed it.

"The Iron-Masked Marauder is a professional Pokemon Hunter wanted by various different governments throughout the world." the woman continued, her neutral tone not changing. "He was recently confirmed to have joined forces with Team Rocket, leading a large squadron of their soldiers in an attack on Mt. Moon, where he was discovered by League forces led by Elite Four Karen. He is armed and dangerous at all times, and he and his team are known for their bloodlust and callousness. Everybody is to keep their distance from him, and report all sightings to the nearest authority without delay."

/

Somewhere outside of Cerulean territory, in a hidden base occupied by Team Rocket soldiers, the Iron-Masked Marauder sat on a couch in a dimly lit room, holding a small bottle in hand. Beside him, a Weavile stood on a nearby coffee table, sharpening its claws as the Hunter observed the flatscreen on the wall.

"Listen to this generic nonsense. 'Armed and dangerous.' You can tell she's reading off of a script."

Reports like these were yet another example of how tame the world had become.